my kinda guy

I’m in like again!

Just the other day I attended this thanksgiving celebration for a graduation of sorts. It was the first time I had seen the celebrant and he is, without a doubt, soooo good looking.

I've been asked a zillion times before about the type of guy I'm drawn to. I usually give a shrug of indifference and just as nonchalantly tell them I don't fall for any type of guy so long he's...well, "functional". I've gone out with and enjoyed the company of all sorts of guys - the sporty type, the silent/shy type, the sweet, romantic guy, the funny loud guy, the intellectual/witty kind, the confident-bordering-on-the-arrogant-guy. Heck, I've even gone out with a metrosexual and an x-man. I simply don't go for a specific type...at least I DIDN'T.

They say that as one gets olde... I mean wiser, one can't be picky. Well, I beg your pardon, I've just picked my type - and HE is IT. Clean cut, well-dressed, well-mannered with a quiet confidence, smart, a to-die-for voice , down-to-earth, and highly spiritual. It doesn't hurt that he's oh so good looking. And straight (at least I hope he is)!


But (yes, again, there's this ever present BUT in my non-existent love life), but, there is this tinee winee problem...his name is Father Te. Yup, he's a priest and the celebration I attended was a Mass he officiated in thanksgiving for his recent ordination (sigh!).

I think the universe conspired that our paths should not cross until such time he was unattainable. I mean, his last name is Te - can you just imagine if i ended up with someone whose last name was Te? I'd be mary ann samonte-te (go on, say it out loud). And it gets even more entertaining if you say it with a Visayan accent (no offense to the Bisayas)! The universe truly is smarter than a fifth grader!


So I guess this is the end of our story before it even began (sigh again).

funny deposits

I have this "simple joys" journal where I write all the things, simple they may be, that am grateful for on a daily basis.

I also have this "funny" account where deposits made are in the form of amusing or downright funny moments in my life. I'd like to share a few of those moments...

My sister and I went grocery shopping recently and she was buying all these different foodstuff and assortment of goodies. I asked her what they were for and she said: "I'm trying to fill up the new cupboards."

Cupboard is, of course, pronounced as 'kuberd' - with a silent "p". But she mispronounced it and I took pleasure in correcting her for once (she's usually the one correcting me to her amusement)

I said, "Its kuberd, not cup-board".

Miles, being stubborn about it, insisted, "It's cup-board"

So we went, "Kuberd" "Cup-board" "Kuberd" "Cup-board"

So finally Miles challenged, "It's cup-board...spell it"

I challenged back, "Ok, spell psychology"

Miles said after a thoughtful while, "Sige na nga - kuberd"


_______________

One time, I was singing to my two-year old niece, Isabel, the Alphabet Song. I sang, "A, you're adorable, B, you're so ...
K, you're so kissable,
L, is the love light in your eyes.
M, you're so...
M, we're...eeemmM....eeemmmM, is....M
Do - a deer a female deer, Re - a drop of golden suuuuun, Mi ...."

Gosh! I have to review my ABC's!!!

_______________

Ricky, my bro-in-law, tells the story of how Isabel sings the Alphabet Song.

Isabel sings, "A, you're adorable. B, you're so beautiful...B, you're not beautiful..."

Well, at least she knows her grammar!

a mother's love

A mother's love is a force of nature to be reckoned with. It is unparalleled. Unequaled. Unbreakable. Beyond measure. And sometimes oh so funny.

I remember my first trip to the US of A many years back. I was in my early 20s and it was my first travel outside the country. My sister and mom had had their taste of vacation in the US and in Asia so I fully trusted whatever tips they had to give. No prodding or asking was necessary as far as my mom was concerned. She’d give her two cents’ worth of advice whether you liked it or not. And in my ignoramus state (as far as foreign travel), I hang on to my mom’s traveling tips as if it was a life saver.

My mom had all sorts of tips from luggage to clothes to food to money saving and what-have-yous. One of her very first and non-negotiable tips she insisted on was this: “buy panties with zippered pockets”.

I looked at her wide-eyed with disbelief. “MAY GANUN?” Apparently, there are. Granny panties with zippered pockets in front. Gosh! “What in the world do I need these for?” I asked.

Heaving a sigh of exasperation, my mom explained, “What else?” she started, “To put your dollars in.”

“HUWAAAT?” I exclaimed, still not believing she’d make my buy these granny panties. . . or worse, make me put my traveling money in them.

She did though… she made me buy the granny panties - five pairs in all, one for each day of the week. “Yipee!” I thought, “I’d get to wear regular panties on weekends!”. In case you’re wondering, I had them in black, white and pink. Let me ask something though - what’s worse than putting your dollars in your granny panties? It’s wrapping your dollars tight in a colorful, flower- embroidered handkerchief, that’s what! This surely gave a new meaning to the term “pocket money”.

I knew she just meant well, but “No way”, I thought. So being the obedient daughter that I was not, it was such a surprise that I gave in and wrapped my pocket money in a handkerchief and placed it in my granny panties. I did it to please her…hmmm, no, not really. I did it ‘coz I knew I wouldn’t hear the end of it. So off to the airport I went with my pocket money, all intact and safe in the zippered pocket of my granny panties. It’s a wonder my jeans fit me at all.

It was a long travel and the “stash” kept poking my belly. So, while on board the plane en route to the US, I decided to take my pocket money out of its hiding place and put it in my jean pocket.

Good thing I placed my “stash” in my jean pocket – the Immigration Officer at the San Francisco airport asked me how much money I was bringing in and asked me to show it to her. “Whew” I let out a sigh of relief. But as I dug in my pocket I realized one thing – my “stash” was still wrapped tight in the hanky! In double knots at that! As I tried to loosen the knots, the Officer and those in line behind me looked curiously on. It was embarrassing, to say the least! So finally I was able to take the money out of the wrap and show it to the Officer. I moved out of the line and moved on with my life...my funny life with my mom.

I miss my mom terribly - her strange show of love and her out-of-this-world bits of advice.

Yes - a mother's love is a force to reckon with. Unparalleled. Unequaled. And sometimes oh so funny (or maybe it's just my mother's love that is sometimes funny).

honestly?

Who knew that two-year olds can be diplomatic with their answers...or refreshingly honest (but brutal). My niece, Isabel, can certainly be both.

One night, after a hearty dinner, Isabel's mom, Miles and Nana (yaya) were preparing Isabel for bed. Nana pointed to mommy Miles and asked Isabel: "Taba ba 'yan, Isabel?"

Isabel blurted out, "Taba!"

Mommy Miles looked at her with this "what-did-just-say?" look and Isabel hastily changed her answer and said, "Ay busog lang! Busog! Busoooog!" Good answer! Nice save! Diplomatic comeback!

They say kids don't lie... I sometimes wish they would.

One Saturday afternoon, I babysat Isabel as Mommy Miles and Daddy Ricky went out on a date and watched the musicale, "Next to Normal" (that's me...almost normal). Isabel slept most of the afternoon. Since she's a restless sleeper, I laid down beside her while reading a book. After a few hours of sleep, she rolled on her side, stretched a bit, rolled again on her other side, opened her eyes and came face to face, eye to eye with me. As I gave her my sweetest smile, she stared at me for some moments before declaring: "Pangit Ninang".

Awesome!

2-year old Isabel putting on make-up (picture blog)

2-year old Isabel checking out make-up









Isabel trying on blush

Isabel so engrossed and enjoying experimenting on make-up


The finished product!

not young (Miss Saigon Part 2)

How others see us and how we see ourselves are entirely worlds apart. I never thought of myself as "not young" (I deleted "old" from my vocabulary, remember?). I don't mean I see myself as "young-looking" but I think of myself as young in terms of energy, health, style, dance moves, fashion sense, memory...ok, scrap that...eyesight, ok, scrap that, too…you know what I'm getting at. But a dose of reality is like a splash of cold water on the face...and lately, I've had my share of reality one too many, it's like taking a bath instead of a mere splash on the face.

I remember going through the stalls at Ben Thanh Market in Vietnam. I was already done with my shopping in the malls in the city and was just whiling away the time browsing through curious finds in the market before I leave for the airport for my flight home. The Vietnamese typically look like the Chinese or the Korean so I stood out like a sore thumb and the tinderas could spot me, a tourist, a mile away. Since I was done with my shopping and I thought that any additional items I'd buy would not possibly fit into my luggage, I was able to hold off the temptation to shop... until I passed by these tinderas who asked, "You from Manila? Pilipino?"

Surprised, I replied, "Yes. How can you tell?"

The tinderas answered, "Cos you're very pretty, miss!"

I bought several souvenir items and bags after that. I am such a pushover! A sucker! Uto-uto to the max! But it didn't matter to me that I was such a sucker - I felt like a "pretty miss" all the way home.

Home, however, was a different story. As soon as I stepped out of the terminal looking for the airport taxi, this guy called out to me, "Ale! Ale! Dito taxi. OFW ka?"

(Sigh) From "pretty miss" to "ale". What next - "Manang?" (So long I'm not called "P're") Nothing like being called "Ale" to remind me that I'm...not young.

funny thing(s) happened on the way to...

We Filipinos are a funny people. Really. We have to be the absolutely funniest people there is…well, as far as giving directions is concerned. If you haven’t tried asking for directions in Manila (or anywhere else in the Philippines for that matter), I strongly suggest you try getting lost (literally), just for the heck of it, and ask for directions to wherever. One or more, if not all, of these will happen:

- the Pinoy will look up/ahead, squint as if deep in thought, and after a few thoughtful moments, shrug or shake his head;

- the Pinoy will look up, north/south/east/wast, nod his head and pout his lips at that particular direction;

- the Pinoy will point a finger, with outstretched arms, in a certain direction and say, "dun" (there) without saying if it's 100 meters or 1 kilometers straight, left, right or two or so blocks "dun";

- the Pinoy will say "diretso lang" (straight ahead).

"Diretso lang" is my favorite so far. This funny thing happened on the way to Marriott Hotel in Pasay where Miles, Ricky, Isabel with Nana and I were to meet our "uncle" Jun whose family I stayed with while in Hawaii. We've never been to the Marriott Hotel and were not familiar with the area. So I asked around. The first people I asked all said the same thing - "dire-diretso lang".

I stared at them as if they were aliens and so they explained, this time much longer but nowhere clearer, "Edsa, diretso, u-turn, diretso uli, kaliwa, diretso uli, dun na!"

"Yeah."

So I asked another friend and he said the same thing, "Diretso lang"

"Huh?" I asked dumbfounded.

He repeated it, slowly this time as if this will make things clearer for me, "diiiireee-diiiirrretsooo laaaang."

"Oooo-kaaaay!"

So, armed with these useful information, my sister took the C5 Road (where C5 was, of course, nowhere in the directions given us) and we ended up right back in Edsa where she drove, like the directions said, straight ahead. She's so much more confident and better with directions so we finally get to the Marriott Hotel/Resorts World for some dinner and catching up with "uncle" Jun.

Dinner was great but it was finally time to go home. Ricky brought his own car so Miles and I (we forgot to ask Ricky for directions) were once again in wonder on how to get back where we came from. We asked the parking attendant how to get to Edsa. Before the attendant could even answer, I thought to myself , "Let me guess - diretso lang?"

And sure enough, he said, "Diretso lang, ma'am!"

Miles drove "diretso" for the first 200 meters, after which we came to a fork on the road. After careful studying and a few "enie-minie mo's", she took the road on the right and it was right! It was "diretso" going home from there.

Aren't we Filipinos just the funniest?

more babes moment

My niece, Isabel, turned two last December. It's amazing how fast and how much she's learning, we could hardly keep up.

She still wears diapers but she has toilet trained herself and did not have any use at all for the potty trainer. If, say, we're out in the mall and she needs to go to the comfort room she'd say,"CR! CR! Ceeee-arrrrr!". And she has discovered and thoroughly enjoys using (more like playing) the electronic bidet at their house.

One time, we were on our way to the Little Gym. Miles, her mom, was driving and I was seated at the back with Isabel and Nana (Isabel calls her yaya Nana). She saw my rosary bracelet and grabbed for it literally yanking it off my wrist. She looked intently at the rosary, saw the cross dangling from it and said, "Sowi Jesus, sooo-wiii!" She then held the cross and kissed it.

I asked her, "Why sorry?"

Miles answered nonchalantly while driving, "Kasi tinawag niyang 'bad' si mommy."

Isabel said just as nonchalantly, "Charing!"

stalkers!

I have stalkers!

I looked around me and found myself staring at a stalker...only to realize they worked in tandem! I have not just one but two stalkers...maybe even three! They seem to have an obsession for me of a different level! They're with me everywhere, day and night, and though at times I cannot see them, I know they're there lurking behind something! (See all the exclamation points I used???)

I tried getting rid of them but they're just too good at their game. For awhile I thought i had gotten rid of them but, alas I find them right by me. They're like shadows hanging on to me at every turn. I thought that if I lose one, I'll lose the other. But nooo, I was gravely mistaken. I lost one without losing the other. And now, they're both back at it again. This is getting to be really frustrating for me. Help!!! Help me lose them...the last seven pounds off my weight and those love handles - my freakin' stalkers! Grrrr!

date questions

This is not for the faint of heart. Ok, so that may be a bit dramatic but just so you know, I'm sending this to just a handful of friends. I don't even know if I'm going to post this on my blog at all - maybe when I'm 60 and couldn't care less who reads my blog.

Anyway, I was watching the movie, The Tourist, starred by Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. There was this line that struck me - it was sooo me and I just wondered if every other girl also feels the same as me and Elise (played by Jolie). Elise, in response to Frank (played by Depp) when he asked her if she wanted to have dinner with him, says, "Women don't like questions."

This brought flashbacks of (some) of my dates (and I''ve had more than a few). Questions are good, but not the ones that flashed before me.

It so irritates me when a guy has to ask me, "Can I ask you out to dinner?" or "Pde ba kita maaya sa labas?" I go completely blank for a full 5 or 10 seconds, just staring at him thinking what to make of his question. I ask myself, "Is he trying to be cute or pa-gentleman?" Well, unfortunately, I neither find it cute nor gentlemanly. The first dates I've had when I was younger... maybe. I don't know why but I find such a question ludicrous.

Then as the date progresses (or maybe after two dates or so), he'd ask me, "Ok ka lang? Are you having fun on our date(s)?" And I'd go think, "Dude, really?" What does he expect me to say to that? NO? Well, yes I could but I'm not that cruel.

And the ultimate question that really sets me off: "Is it OK if I kiss you?" I'd be silently screaming at the back of my mind, "GET ON WITH IT ALREADYYYY!" Another bad question: "Pa-kiss naman dyan?" Oh please! No can do after THAT. If he was trying to be funny, well he succeeded. This isn't to say I want to be manhandled, but... seriously?

I know, I know, some of you'd be thinking, "Ohhh! So that's why!" (I'm single). But I don't think I'm being picky or fussy here...am I? Or is this "age" seeping in?

So...is it just us (me and Elise, I mean) who don't like questions? Were there "date questions" in your past that you find just as amusing?

This is fun. Maybe I'll go post this on my blog after all.

another take on perspective

My BFFeee and I were talking one time and she asked how the construction of my sister and bro-in-law's house was coming along (the house is just 2 blocks away from my house and a house away from Ricky's parents) Our conversation went like this:

BFFeee: "Musta bahay nina Ricky?"

Me : "'k naman. Matatapos na"

BFFeee: "Nabibisita mo?"

Me : "Pag nagru-running ako. One time nga I went running at night.
Mga trabahador were outside the house...nagku-kuwentuhan.
I thought to myself, "Isang beses nyo lang ako sipulan o pansinin, isusumbong ko kya kina Tita.

Aba! Nakaka-limang ikot at daan na ako sa kanila, e ang mga walang 'ya, di man lang ako tingnan!"

There goes my perspective!

matter of choice... matter of perspective

I've heard it said that with age comes a certain perspective. I couldn't agree more.

This realization - that "OMG! I must be getting...wiser!" - dawned on me while in a meeting in the office. The meeting was unexpectedly turning to be a long one and everybody was getting restless and a bit hungry. So coffee and some snacks were ordered from the in-house resto/cafe.

When the waiter arrived and served food, I leaned over and made quiet small talk with him. He gave one big generous smile as he chatted a bit. I noticed him sneaking glances at me as he served the others.

He has been a waiter a long time and has served us countless times in meetings. I wondered what those "glances" were all about. I had thought that maybe he was noticing my cuteness for the first time (yeah right!). It was only when I looked down on my notes that I realized that the front of my blouse gaped wide and a bit of flesh shown when I leaned over to chat with the waiter. So that's what the generous smile and the glances were all about. Hah!

Had this happened, say 10 years ago, I would've shrieked in horror and would have felt embarrassed and indignant as hell. I would have been insulted at somehow being visually molested.

As it is, I found the whole thing quite amusing. In fact, I would've felt insulted had he NOT taken at least a second look. See? Perspective.

Last week, I found zit growing on my face. It's a telltale sign of changing hormones (or whatever) and that I'm about to have my period. In years past, I would've given a frantic cry of panic at having pimples on my face. Now, as I look at myself in the mirror and find zit just waiting to pop, I tell myself with a smile, "Uyyy! Nagdalaga ka na!"

I could've let that scene with the waiter bother me. I could've let the pimples (or a stained shirt or the heavy traffic or ...whatever really) ruin my day. But in such instances, I remember what my sister always tells me, "Will this thing that you're upset about matter years from now? If not, then just let it go." And I did - I let them go and let them be.

This "growing ol...I mean, wiser" thing could be something to dread and fear. But I will...I am choosing to welcome it with excitement. I choose to let go and let God take me where His road leads me. Instead of flinching at the thought, I choose to smile and look forward to the changes that come with getting "wiser". And I choose to delete the word "old" from my vocabulary.

Everything IS, after all, just a matter of choice...a matter of perspective.

girl meets boy

Usually, whenever I meet a guy for the first time, I try to meet him halfway and set the "date" on a neutral ground, if you will. I don't play coy and ask him to pick me up. I mean, I can walk, I can drive, or I can take the cab or the train to go anywhere. But I most certainly have not (at least I don't think so) gone over to a boy's place for a meet up.

But it was different this time. I was excited to meet this guy. I have heard only good things about him and I actually couldn't wait to see him. On THE day, I look at my watch every now and then to check if it was time to go and meet him. I fretfully anticipate and even tried imagining how it was going to be.

At last, I get to his place. I see him from across the room. He is soooo cute and looks adorable. And so very young. I feel old just looking at him. As I walk towards him, I feel myself age with every stride I make. He turns and I see a hint of a smile and I feel young once again. I stop just in front of him...tentative, unsure, afraid. I look at him for what seemed like an eternity but was really only minutes, maybe even just seconds. Against all better instincts, I grab hold of him and take him in my arms. And I smile! Awwww! This cute two-week old baby boy is going to turn heads and break some girls' hearts someday. For now, he is our bundle of joy and is the delight of everyone's hearts!

Shoe-ba-da, Tiddy, etc.

Swiish...thud!

That must be what a flying shoe sounds like. During our high school homecoming finale number, while we were singing and dancing to the "Sha ba da, pa pa rap pa ra pa ra...." in Leah Navarro's Ligaw Tingin song, a shoe flew...and it was caught on video! This "SHOE-ba-da" has become my favorite part of the program (well...second to my "front act" for Mercy's solo, of course)!

"Tiddy." My almost two-year old niece, Isabel, calls Mr. Bean's teddy bear "Tiddy.". My sister corrects her, "Its Teddy." Isabel insists it's "Tiddy." And so they go "Teddy, anak!" "Tiddy!" "Teddy!" "Tiddyyyyy". Of course, "Tiddy" wins.

Isabel is fast learning to say what she wants. One time, her mom asked her if she wanted to go with us on a short to drive to Edsa Shangri-la. She said after careful consideration, "Iwan". As we were about to leave, she changed her mind, ran after us and squealed, "Wait me! Wait me! Wait meee!". Need I translate?

The "Shoe-ba-da", "Tiddy" and "Wait me" moments are just a few of the recent deposits I've made in my funny deposit account. I've got tons of funny deposits made and whenever I feel down and in need of cheering, I dig in and withdraw from this account to give me a lift and boost my spirits up.

My "Simple Joys" journal has also become a major deposit account. When I find myself wanting, when life's little challenges suddenly seem big and overwhelming, when I fear "L" knocking at my door ("L"oneliness)...I turn to my Simple Joys journal and go through my deposits and I'm transported to a land of blessings and smiles and laughter.

When problems seem to take over, I take a moment of prayer and look back on the many deposits in my funny and simple joys accounts. I am once again reminded that my problems are a pittance, that God has got my back covered, that I am infinitely and abundantly blessed...more blessed than I ever deserve to be.

Have you stocked up on your funny and simple joys accounts?

another babes moment

I just love hanging out with Isabel, my almost two-year old niece. One never knows what she's going to blurt out.

While at a Shell gas station on our way to Heaven's Gate for the observance of All Saints Day, my sister, Miles, went to the C.R. while Ricky went to the Select store to buy stuff. Isabel, the yayas and I were left waiting in the car. I had a serious conversation going with Isabel, part of it went like this:

Me: "Where'd daddy go?"
Isabel: (while rubbing her hands together) "Wash."

Me: "What about mommy, where's mommy?"
Isabel, after pausing for some moments and looking up as if thinking, said (with pouty lips), "Wiswiswiswiswis..." (translation: mommy went to pee).

That was the first time she said/did that. Usually, whenever she knows anyone is in the restroom, no matter what one was doing, she'd answer, "Poo-poo."