A Toy Story

I can never forget that one Christmas time when I asked for a walking doll from Santa Claus. I wrote him a nice letter telling how good I was for the past year, and could he please give me a life-like doll as tall as me? To my disappointment, instead of granting my wish, he gave me a 3-inch Nora Aunor doll—in a Hawaiian grass skirt! In the name of fairness, the fat, white-bearded man also gave my three sisters the same dolls, in different colored grass skirts. I cried me a river for the disappointing gift on that Christmas eve, and my father comforted me saying that maybe Santa was in crisis that year. That’s when I realized that the red-suited guy must not have lived in the North Pole, for how could he have gotten La Aunor dolls there? Duh!!! 

                                           Movie Recall:   TOY STORY (1995)

The Story:

A little boy named Andy loves to be in his room, playing with his toys, especially his doll named "Woody". What Andy doesn’t know is that his toys come to life when he’s not around. Woody, the favourite toy and leader of the gang, is consumed with jealousy when a newcomer, Buzz Lightyear, becomes the new star of Andy’s room.  One thing leads to another when the two rivals find themselves lost. They have to find their way to Andy’s arms before the family moves to another house.

My Review:

When this movie came out, I already had two kids, but I was able to relate with the toy characters in the movie. I was transported to my happy childhood when my sisters and I used to put a voice in every doll and toy that we had. The movie was funny, witty, and most of all, it touched the very core of my innocent years.

Trivia:

What attracted To Hanks the role of Woody, was during his childhood he would always wonder if his toys were alive and moved around when nobody was in his room.

What attracted Tim Allen to the role of Buzz Lightyear, was before him they offered the role to his biggest influence in his career, Chevy Chase, who turned it down.

Billy Crystal was originally offered the chance to voice Buzz Lightyear, but declined. After seeing the finished film, he said the decision was the biggest mistake of his career. Upon learning this, Pixar offered Crystal the role of Mike in Monsters, Inc. (2001), which he readily accepted.

Pizza Planet was originally Pizza Putt, a combination pizzeria/mini-golf course.

Little Bo Peep was originally written to be a Barbie doll but Mattel declined the offer. After the success of the first film, Mattel agreed to have Barbie featured in the next films.

Hasbro denied Pixar the use of the name GI Joe when it was informed that a GI Joe doll was going to be blown up by Sid.

This is falling...with style!

I'd like to Thank My Major Sponsor...

I’m still feeling exhausted from my Iloilo trip yesterday. I had to fetch my son from Pisay,and play the ulirang ina role for him, so off I went there. I took the 1:10 pm ferry, arrived there at 2:20, whizzed in a taxi to Pisay, talked to his teacher for 30 minutes, then went back to the port to catch the 4:45 pm ferry to Bacolod. The Youngest and I arrived in Bacolod at 6:00 pm. I took Bonamine before boarding the ferry  so I wouldn’t get dizzy. Unfortunately, this medicine made me a tad too sleepy, so I dozed off a few minutes after dinner.

BFF/UK Sponsor Premz Ning

But before I hied off to dreamland, I was pleasantly surprised to find a package from my dear, dear, high school BFF Edna Agunias-Palanca. She is a nurse in the UK, and she is living with her family there. Premz Ning, as I fondly call her, was one of my closest barkadas in high school. She was what you call a real morena beauty—she had this soft, velvety, dark skin which I envied immensely. She had brownish deep-set eyes. And her nose—she had this perfect straight nose. She had this Indian princess look which most boys of our age admired. We were inseparable in school. Everyday, we walked to Tramo together  with my Cuz Premz for lunch. We played volleyball in a team for four years. We were always group mates in school projects because our surnames both started with A. She was one of those few people I could tell all my secrets to without any fear of being judged. She still is.

Now back to the package. The last time that we saw each other was in December 2009, and she gifted me with two pairs of shoes. One was brown Maryjanes, and the other one was boat shoes for the Daughter. This time, she sent me THREE—2 pairs of sneakers, and a pair of pink Topshop wedges. They were all adorable, and did I mention they were free? (Nakakatakot ha, baka next time, four pairs na!!! Abuso ba?) But really, Ning has always had a generous soul. So, thank you, my dear Premz Ning! Should I say, sa uulitin?(Sigaw ng ibang barkada---Paano naman kami?)

Labyu, my fwend!!!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...I caught  some shoes alive
6, 7, 8, 9, 10...will there be more again?

Happiness is...

Sometimes, we take for granted small things which make us smile and feel contented. We never realize how significant they are to our lives until they disappear. Like the famous Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and his gang sang:

♫Happiness is finding a pencil, ♪♪knowing a secret, ♪ telling the time….♫
♪Happiness is learning to whistle, tying your shoe for the very first time…♫

Aahh…to look at things through children’s eyes. Whenever I feel treading that dreaded sad zone (which, thankfully, I don’t go to very often), I think about my own list of cheer-me-up tidbits and sing it to the tune of the Charlie Brown song. And then the grey day becomes sunny again.

♫Happiness is…shopping with Issa, hugging my boys, some musical sounds

   Happiness is…aerobic dancing, seeing my three kids goofing around

   Happiness is sharing a joke with a good ol’ friend

   And happiness is the hubby taking my hand.

   Happiness is…a bottle of shampoo, family dinner, a fab pair of shoes

   Happiness is…op’ning a present, tying my hair then letting it loose

   Happiness is waking up late every now and then

   And happiness is sleeping back again.

   Happiness is…Skype with my sister, writing a blog, and reading it too

   Happiness is…colourful makeup, lying in bed when the blankets are new

   Happiness is getting a phone call when day is through

   And happiness is being home with you.♫

Now, I feel much better;-)

HBD, my dear SIL!

Happy birthday, Vanessa!

In-laws are the stuff marriage nightmares are made of.

Thank God I only have one sister-in-law…and I thank God more that I get along with her. Never have I had any disagreement or confrontation with her, not even a slight tampuhan. She has always been gracious and kind to me. She respects me and my decisions. She loves my children like her own. Heck, she even loves our dog(s) like her own! When we’re together, there’s no dead air, for we can talk for hours.

She’s like the older sister I've never had (I’m the eldest in my family). Next to my husband, I would trust my children’s life to her. That’s how thankful I am of having her as my SIL.

As to my MIL? Why, that’s another story;-)

Teenage Blues

Hayy…I’m feeling the brunt of being a mother of a teenage son. I thought after all the good family values you have tried to implant in your kids, adolescent angst would be a breeze. But I assumed too much. Last Sunday, the Hubby and I had a bull session with the Youngest because we have been noticing that  he has changed a lot—definitely for us, his parents, not for the better.

The Youngest has spent his freshman year in Philippine Science in Iloilo living in a dormitory. That one year away from us opened him up to a whole new world. He had to adjust to everything—the language (he only spoke English before), the living quarters (he now lives with three other roommates), food (canteen food every meal), and practically being on his own. At first, I thought that this would make him more matured and independent, and that it would be a good thing. But as I am slowly seeing every time he goes home, there are some subtle changes which I notice. First, he often loses his things—cell phone, chargers, books, wallet, which means he has become more irresponsible with his things. Second, he has become thin (but not so alarmingly thin). Third, he is not so concerned about his personal hygiene anymore—his nails are long and dirty, his face is full of pimples, he doesn’t wash up at night. Fourth, he speaks in a different dialect with an accent that comes off as impolite. And lastly and most importantly, he seems to be aloof and cold, more like apathetic to us. Gone is the Luis Carlo who was sweet, talkative, thoughtful, and who laughs at everything. Welcome to the baffling world of teenagers!

We tried to point all these to him, but you know how teenagers are. With the freedom that he is experiencing, he thinks he is invincible and can stand on his own. It was a good two hours of cajoling, threatening, crying. Finally, after a pep talk from his Manang Issa, he caved in and apologized to us. He promised to remember what we talked about .

Snippet: Mom, when I grow up, I want to be the Pope!
Sigh! I can never have him back, can I?

I told him change is good, if he goes forward learning new things, but never forgetting the values and character we painstakingly taught him. Yes, he is one of the top in his batch. Yes, he became independent. Yes, he has gained a lot of friends. But I told him all of these mean nothing if he loses his soul in the process. I asked him to give me my old Carly back, knowing I can never have him the same again. Hopefully, I would have a better Youngest when he goes back home for summer.




I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

The Little Mermaid

My cutie pie niece, Jolyne

Every little girl thinks that she’s a princess or at least dreams to be one someday. I was no exception. I pretended to be Cinderella when my “evil” Mom asked me to wash the dishes or iron our clothes (labyu, mother!). I became Snow White every time I was given an apple at Christmas and had to cautiously bite in it. I turned into Sleeping Beauty every night that I slept under a mosquito net (yes, we had mosquito nets back then!). 

Jolyne, my cute three-year old niece, wants none of these goody-goody princesses.

Lately, she imagines herself to be like Mutya, the girl siren in the ABS-CBN teleserye. Sorry, Jolyne, but I don’t follow your fish heroine on TV. I can relate to you though, because in my time, I also had a girl siren idol -- Ariel, the little mermaid princess.  

So I’m putting up here some unpublished, never-before-seen photos from Ursula’s baul for Jolyne (naks, parang totoo!). During my Aboitiz days (eons of years ago!), I played the part of Ariel in one of our Christmas parties. I wore a gold fish tail, was given a giant clam to sit in, and some ocean creatures as dancers—bonggang production number!  Let it be said, Jolyne, that your Tita Bing was once part of their world too.

 A gold shell with matching fins--double check!!

 Mermaids and mermen plus BFF flounder!--check, check, check!!!

                            Now who wouldn't be inspired to sing? (Pffeeling!!!) Hahaha!

( http://www.imdb.com/)

                                                     Movie Recall: The Little Mermaid (1989)

The story:

Loosely based on the classic by Hans Christian Andersen. Ariel, King Triton’s youngest and most favourite daughter, is not quite happy with life in the sea. She catches a glimpse of Prince Eric, saves his life, and falls in love. She goes to meet Ursula, the Sea Witch, to strike a deal to become human, but Ursula has bigger plans for this mermaid and her father.

My reaction:

I saw this the first time in my host’s house in Chicago, and I think we watched the movie three times! Suddenly, I forgot about my dream of a Prince Charming finding me—I got to swim the waters to find me some Prince Eric! I totally forgot how many times I’ve seen the movie. But it has never become stale for me!

Trivia:

This was the last Disney animated feature to use hand-painted cels and analog camera and film work. 1,000 different colors were used on 1,100 backgrounds. Over one million drawings were done in total.

Sebastian the Crab's full name is Horatio Thelonius Ignatius Crustatious Sebastian.

Ariel's sisters names are Aquatta, Andrina, Arista, Adella, Alana and Attina. In Greek mythology, the God of the Sea is Poseidon. Triton, however, is one of his sons.

There are several shots of Ariel, forlornly sitting on a rock, in a pose reminiscent of the "Little Mermaid" statue that sits in Copenhagen harbour.

                                                                               My Favorite Parts:

                                                     Of course, Part of Your World--what else?

                                                          Kiss her now, silly Prince!

An Open Letter to Issa

My daughter Issa Maria is graduating from high school today. Now that she is stepping into her college shoes, I can’t put into words how I feel about this. But wait. I was able to dig my palanca letter to her for her retreat last September 2010. Maybe this will help me pour out the emotions in my chest. Allow me to share this with you…

Dear Iss...

Surprise!!! Is this the first time that I wrote you for your recollection? Yeah, I think it is. I’ve always wanted to do this, but I know you would think this is too corny and melodramatic. So why am I writing this time? Aside from your teacher’s instruction to do a palanca for all of you (hehe),this is an important recollection because this might be the last one that you will be having, both in your school and with your classmates, not to mention a bright, uncertain, exciting, and full future  ahead of you.  Hence, this letter.

Actually, this is a letter of thanksgiving. There are a lot of things why I always thank God for giving you to our family. Do you know that every time I pray, I do that? So I just want to share with you what I tell Him about you...

First, I thank Him for making you pretty. Nope, it’s not just a because-I’m-your-mother praise, but because you really are.  Thank God that it won’t take gazillions of money to make you presentable to the world—you are beautiful as you are now (okay, save for a few pounds less!). And yup, I have always admitted that you are prettier than your mom (well, no surprises there!) I am also sure that you will still bloom into a beautiful woman in the future.

Second, I thank him for making you a responsible and caring sister. You are so responsible that you actually sound like the mother in the family (or worse, sometimes like a lola!). I’m not taking it against you though, because you know I’m sometimes too carefree as a mom. So your taking over is really a blessing to me.

Third, I thank Him for making you smart and sensitive. I know, I know, you describe yourself otherwise. But I’m proud to have a daughter who has a knack for music and arts and language and academics. You may not acknowledge these gifts because you feel you are overshadowed by the grades of your brothers, but you are intelligent in your own way. Remember that each individual has special intelligent quotients, and having high grades is not the only gauge to prove that you are smart. So don’t despair if your school grades pale in comparison with the boys. But of course, this doesn’t mean you would stop trying!!!;-)

Lastly, I thank God for making you my best friend at this time of my life. At the different stages of my life, I was blessed to have real best friends. It made me get through the ups and downs more bearable and easier—my sisters...my barkada in high school and in Las Pinas...my close friends in the offices...your Dad. And now...…You! Yes, whether you deny that I’m your BFF (noooo!!) or not, I’m proud to say that I consider you as one of mine. That’s why I don’t feel the need to have someone to be close to me anymore, because I think that having you and Dad as my best friends is more than enough for me. I have you to go shopping with me, and tell me straight that I look horrendous in my choice. I have you  to listen to my rantings. You are a good listener—you are interested and curious in what others have to say—and that’s a rare gift.

There are still so many things I am thankful for having you around—and I can’t enumerate everything here. But of course, there are also many things that you have to work in yourself for you to become a better person. And it’s only YOU who can do it, Iss. In the near future, Dad and I will not always be there to look after you. Hopefully, the training and the guidance and the love that we have unendingly given to you will serve as your backup, in times when we wouldn’t be there anymore. Know that we have tried our best to raise you up as God-fearing, conscientious, responsible, smart, and loving as you are now and hopefully, as you will always be. We are and will always be proud of you...

                                                                                            Love you much.

                                                                                                                                 Mom and Dad 

                                                                                                                                 September, 2010

Maybe the Old Songs

One of the more difficult skills that Korean students find hard to master is listening. They often ask me how they could become better at listening. I tell them that the most fun way to improve on listening is by watching movies and listening to songs. In this age of the internet, all the young people have to do is to search for the lyrics of the song, and voila, instant karaoke!

During my hey time, I learned all the lyrics of the songs the hard way. I had to use our trusty cassette player and painfully transcribe the words of the songs line by line, while pressing the play-stop-rewind buttons again and again. Most of the time I got it, but sometimes I missed the correct lyrics and just improvised. (Case in point: Issa: “Mom, why did you sing to me, “Tiny bubbles, in ‘Hawaii’”, when it should be in ‘the wine’?” Sorry, tao lang poh!) But still, I was able to get what I want-- sing the popular songs to my heart’s content. In the process, my listening skills improved. Talk about kapit sa patalim!

Now, it pains me to memorize new songs. I would understand if I can’t remember rap, K-pop,  or Miley Cyrus’ songs,  they are a bit fast for my addled memory. But it frustrates me that I have a hard time recalling lyrics of ballad songs, no matter how long I repeatedly listen to them. Is it my forty-year-old-plus brain, or don't the songs of today grip people’s hearts anymore?  Where are the likes of the 80’s songs of Spandau Ballet and Tears for Fears? Where are the love songs of James Ingram and Barry Manilow? Better yet, where are the OPM classic croonings of Basil, Hajji, APO Hiking, Kuh, Gary, and Martin? Sure these singers are now considered as has-beens by the MTV generation, but I believe their music is timeless. Their melodies can still make you smile, cry, or fall in love. Oldies but goodies. Why do you think a lot of new artists revive the old songs of this bygone era?

Here I go again trying to re-live my glorious past. Goes to show how old I am. No, at some point, I have to let go. I’ll try to bridge the gap of my generation and my kids at least through music, so I could relate to what they are discussing during dinner. 




So, excuse me while I listen and memorize Parokya ni Edgar’s “Ordertaker”.

                                                      (Postscript: Waaahh! Is this even a song?”)

P.S. Grocery

I just have to say how scared I am of seeing stock outs of food in Japan. Of course there is panic going on in the country. I feel so sorry for the people there. The more that we should pray for them and be thankful of what we have. Takot na nga akong mawalan ng shampoo e, pagkain at tubig pa kaya?

                                                                                                                                     Pictures courtesy of chuvaness.com

I pray the rosary every night. Now I offer my prayers especially for Japan. This is the best thing that I can do at the moment.:-(

On Shampoo, Hair, Atbp.

If there’s one thing I’m so OC about—it’s my hair.

When I was little, my mom never bought shampoo for us. There were other priorities to buy, and shampoo was not in her grocery list. We couldn’t afford it. So if the sisters wanted to use shampoo, we had to scrimp our already meagre baon to get hold of a bottle of Palmolive (it had only one variant, the green one—looked and smelled like Joy dishwashing liquid). On very rare chances when we were able to splurge on a ‘Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific’ shampoo (yes, there was such a thing!), we, four sisters, would feel we had the most fragrant and terrific mane in all of Las Pinas. Imported kasi!

So the moment I was able to afford to buy personal stuff, I acquired that itch to buy every newly launched shampoo in the market (and conditioner, and hair mask, and leave-on serum, and hair vitamin). If the long-tressed TV ad celebrity says the shampoo formula is better and improved, I’m in the grocery first thing in the morning to test it. Of course, more often than not, I end up feeling disappointed in the hyped product. I have long known that celebrity models go through expensive hair make-overs—rebonding, cellophane, coloring, and even hair extensions, not to mention the computer-generated fake hair sway--just to capture the soft, bouncy, shiny crowning glory that they flaunt on screen. But I’m a gullible sucker for that, and I am always hoping that this new thing might finally be the holy grail I’ve been searching for all my life.

Flashback: Days before I got married, as I was talking to the hubby-to-be about our plans, suddenly, I became emotional and burst out crying (every bride has the right to have jitters!). I told him that if there's one thing I’m afraid of in getting married, it’s that we might run out of shampoo and conditioner in our bathroom. Natulala siya sa drama ko syempre. For a moment there, I thought he would back out. Hehehe. But I think he understood that this shampoo thingy is a representation of everything that was lacking during my childhood days. Maybe he got my point that I wouldn’t want our future family to be deprived of the simple joys of having enough food on the table, having warm beds to snuggle in, and having healthy body plus, yes, clean hair. In the end, sumipot naman siya sa altar.



Eenie meenie minie moe
today I would use what shampoo?



Now he just shakes his head when he sees the bottles and jars of Pro-V and Intensive Total Repair and Hydrating Hair Mask and Anti-dandruff all stocked in our cramped shower room. Whenever we see a new hair ad, he teases me and bets that I would sprint at once to the store to buy. Well, he vowed to stick it up with me for better or for worse, till the shampoo runs out, didn’t he? What else does he expect me to do?

Payong Kapatid#1: This Ellips Hair Vitamin
makes my chemically-abused hair
feels buttery and smooth.
Available sa inyong suking grocery.
Teka, hindi yan iniinom ha?
You apply a capsule's content on your hair.
(Note: I wasn't paid to put it up here,
although I wish I were!)

Let's Go to the Movies

"Let's start at the very beginning.."

When I was a little girl, my mom’s sister, Tita Lina, used to bring me to the movies every week. What, EVERY week? Yes, it was possible because her job was a movie house usherette. You know, those people who hold flashlights inside the theatre for you, so you can see your way to your seats without pouring your Coke and popcorn on the heads of other moviegoers (and the people lovers hate!)? That’s what she was. I thought my aunt had the coolest job in the world because she got to see famous actors all day; not to mention she was being paid for it! How awesome was that? So every Saturday, I cajoled her to take me with her to work and let her smuggle me into the dark room. I sat on one seat in my usual spot, swooned over my favourite movie characters, and vicariously lived in the make-believe world of the celluloid--from the opening till the last full show! Imagine listening to governess  Maria singing “The hills are alive, with the sound of music...” and “Doe, a deer, a female deer…” six times? Cloud nine galore! At the end of the day, I almost felt I was one of the Von Trapp children. But the dreamiest days of my life ended when my father discovered that I was spending my Saturdays in front of the big screen, instead of playing with my bratty sisters. He just had to put a stop to my craziness, didn’t he?

Nowadays, I rarely go to the cinemas. It’s only when big franchises like Harry Potter, or Batman, or Shrek are shown that I drag myself to the dark recesses of SM, cough up more than a hundred pesos, and buy a big tub of popcorn. Blame it on the DVD technology, the high definition TVs, the cable channels, the free internet downloads, and of course, the pirated copies of films from enterprising businessmen. People are not as avid theatre buffs as in the past. 




According to the 2010 Theatrical Market Statistics Report released by the Motion Picture Association of America (http://www.slashfilm .com), despite the 8% increase in the global ticket sales last year, the number of movies seen in the US and Canada actually declined up to six times. The increase in the sales could be attributed to the increased price of the tickets due to 3D movies and the increase viewership in the Asia Pacific market, particularly in China. So if you have fallen into the trap of seeing the latest outing of Toy Story in 3D (like my family), then congratulations! You have added significantly to the coffers of Hollywood.

The Hubby's dusty DVD collection

Speaking of DVDs, we have a huge collection of them in the house—both original and not-so-original copies. Thanks to the Hubby for also being a movie addict (now that’s another compatibility point!), his collection often balloons insanely big that we have to ‘spring clean’ them every year. Talk about movie addicts!

Anyway, in my next posts, I’m going to feature here some of my most favourite movies of all time. Say, let's do a movie recall every Wednesday? You may or may not agree with my choices, but hey, may I remind you who’s the expert here? After all, wasn’t I that seven-year old girl who had the most experience in watching the silver screen?

So ichadeyt?;-)

Happy birthday, Wonder Kit!

To  my BFT…my grammar go-to person…my lunchmate for four years…

Hope you have a safe, but exciting ride on your journey through life’s ups and downs…

More blessings to you, my friend!


P.S. Thanks for the carbonara!

A Lot to be Thankful For

Japan’s pain is not yet over. Hundreds of aftershocks still rock their already traumatized psyche. Looming disasters still grip them in fear. The nation that was once a symbol of affluence in the region is now faced with hunger and want.The images left behind by nature’s wrath confounds them with where to start, what to do, how to continue with life.

Every start of the year, I compose a thank you letter for the year that was, and make a wish list of the year that will be. Because of what happened, I was compelled to dig it out from my journal and utter it here once more. I may not have a perfect life, but I have a lot to be thankful for just the same.

Thank you, dear Lord, for the wonderful year that passed by. You have poured your blessings in my cup, and I was filled to the brim.

Thank you for the gift of my family…For Tata who has always been a generous provider, a faithful husband, and a hands-on father. He is indeed our bulwark, our wall, our foundation…For Issa who has become the daughter I’ve prayed for—a responsible sister, a dutiful child, and best of all my BFF. She is indeed my refuge and listening ear….For Paolo who is slowly turning into his own man. He is a patient brother, a smart student, and a good friend to his peers. He is indeed our hope to success…For Carlo who has suddenly matured. He is a sweet brother, an intelligent student, and an endearing son. He is indeed our light to the future. Thank you also for my parents, my siblings, and my in-laws who have supported me every step of the way.

Thank you for the friends that I re-discovered. They make me reminisce the past years of my life—innocent, funny, bittersweet. Thank you for those friends I have just met. They make my life more meaningful and colourful. It's comforting to know that my old and new friends are there to love and accept me for who I am and who I have been.

Thank you for the jobs that provide for our needs. Thank you for the house that shelters us from the outside world. Thank you for my househelps who make our lives more convenient. Thank you for our cars that safely bring us to our destination. Thank you for the nice clothes that we wear. Thank you for our warm beds. Thank you for everything, Lord.

Let me keep my personal wish list to myself. In the grand scheme of things, they seem not important at the moment. I'm adding a special wish to my list though, this time for the whole world. I truly pray for peace and health and safety for the world this time.

The Wild, Wild Roads

I drive an old Tamaraw FX. I have been doing The Secret, visualizing myself holding the steering wheel of a Honda or a Hyundai (hey, I’m easy to please!), but the real image still escapes my grip. Now I cannot say that I’m a girly girl driver (if there’s such a thing), but I think I can handle the road fairly well. When you drive on a new road, you get disoriented because each city seems to have its own driving culture and idiosyncrasies.

A day in my daughter's school. Counting 1, 2, 3.. What? No plates available?

What I notice about Bacolod roads is that there are many cars with no back plate numbers—I’m estimating about 2 out of 10?  Some have back plates, all right, but they cover it with a black glass so one can’t still read the numbers from afar. Others don’t even bother to put plate numbers at all. I don’t understand this. No, I get infuriated when I see this. Here I am, driving a dilapidated piece of machine, but at least I follow the law; while these car owners brazenly defy a simple road rule. I’m not sure whether the government really doesn't have enough plates to issue, or  the owners of these cars are trying to hide something or talagang feeling astig lang sila. Or is 'not having a plate number' a new law in Bacolod that I am not aware of? What if they violated a minor traffic rule, had an accident, or God forbid, hit someone? Why, they could just run off and go scot-free! The nerves of these people!!!  

Don't tell me this is a new car?

Carnapped kaya ito?

One of my Korean students also noticed this, the first time he arrived here, and he wondered if there are many terrorists and criminals in Bacolod. See what impressions we give the tourists? What I don't understand too is why the traffic enforcers or the LTO seem to be unaware of this. Calling the powers that be: Do you also see what I see, or are your government-issued cars without plate numbers too? Just asking.

Spare us, O Lord

Just yesterday in a group class with my Korean students, our topic was “Polar Ice Melting”. One of the effects we discussed was the rising sea level which could eventually cover up countries in the future. One student joked that he wished that it covered Japan because he hates the country. (Korea was colonized by Japan in WWII).  I shushed him not to pray for a horrible thing like that, although I know he didn’t really mean to say it.

Today, I saw the images of what happened in Japan on CNN. The biggest earthquake the country has experienced in 140 years--8.9 in magnitude. A giant tsunami gulping the Sendai region. First, I was shocked. Then, I saw that the Philippines and other countries in the Pacific could be affected by the aftermath. Next reaction: panic. My family members are in four different places right now. The Hubby is in Cebu. My youngest is in Iloilo (in PhilSci). My eldest is sleeping over at her classmate’s house somewhere in Mountain View. And my second and I are in the house. It suddenly occurred to me that in times like these, I just wanted us all to be together. Whatever happened, at least we’d be together. But we aren’t now. So I snapped and called The Hubby, then Carlo, then Issa. I was crying---no, more of bawling. I blabbered how much I wanted to see us all safe in our house and be together. The Hubby was reassuring, he understands my emotional roller coaster. But the kids freaked out and didn’t know how to react to my sob/stutter/sniffs combo. They didn’t dare laugh at me that time, which they usually do when I cry over trivial things like sad, gooey movies or American Idol. They know when not to cross their crazy mother.

After my calls, my daughter texted me:

Of course, I'm still afraid. But after talking to them, I feel a little bit better.

My sister Mylene texted me this:

"Spare us O Lord from the threat of strong earthquake and tsunami. We lift our safety unto your loving arms & shield us from destruction. We ask this in the name of Jesus thru the intercession of Mother Mary. Amen!"

Special prayer to my friends and their families in Tokyo:
Teresa Cuevas, Novena Crisostomo, Linda Parino,
Arlene Arzadon-Maruyama's hubby.
May they be all safe in Jesus' arms.