Friday Hit List #1

5 Persons You Shouldn’t Get In Trouble With:

1. Immigration Officials. Oh yes, ma’am. I’m on my best behavior with them, believe me–whether coming in or going out of the country. You just never know what these clowns are capable of..mess with them and you’ve got nowhere to hide!

2. Waiters. I’ve heard of stories about waiters spitting on food ordered by annoying customers. I used to be a stickler for a speedy service especially in fast food chains. But after hearing and watching stories like that…you bet I’ve become the nicest customer on Earth! I have enough fluids in my body to last me a lifetime, thank you.

3. Neighbor. The most creative person you’d ever get to meet–whether you live in the slum or in a posh subdivision. Be nice to them and you’re in for a lifetime friend but mess with them and you’d find yourself stared at, yelled at, glared at…for life! One time when we were still renting, my mom took the garbage out front so the garbage truck could just pick it up when they pass by our street. When we came back after work, we found our doorknob and floormats littered with, you guess it, our very own trash. Turned out the garbage truck didn’t arrive that morning. Our fault. But could neighbors be THAT mean?? Oh…YES!!!! And I haven’t talked about our new neighbors yet! (Although our new neighbors are somewhat tamer)

4. The Boss. Whoever that is in your life. Messing up with the boss (boss-boss, boss-husband/wife, boss-mom/dad) will get you in deep, deep and I mean DEEP trouble! 

5. Yummy Taho Vendor. I’m good friends with these people simply because I want them in front of the gate every morning everyday:)

Hoping and Waiting

Since my husband decided to work abroad, we feel like we’ve spent most of our time waiting–waiting for him to come home, waiting for him/me to call, and when he’s home for a short vacation, we still wait for the time when he’ll leave again (he comes home every 6 months).

This recent separation is especially lonesome for us since he’s in another continent. Plus, I really hate the time zone difference between us. Next month will be my turn to leave and that’ll be another adjustment for both of us. Although we’re married already, we can’t settle down because we’re like two nomads with no place to call home.  It’s been a month now since he left for UK and so the waiting continues. But this time, at least, there’s a bigger hope that we’ll be together soon and we can finally say that waiting is officially over.

Fear has no place for us now. Oh, yes it’s there but we’re trying not to give in to it. We’re in a moment when we’re really “Just hanging in there”.

But hope continues.

Aginst all hope, Abraham in hope believed…without weakening in his faith.

Romans 4:18-19

Thank you Lord because you know the plans that are best for us. Thank you because you have never stopped loving us. And because of that, we have reasons to keep on hoping and believing that we will stand victorious against any trials. After all, we are more than conquerors.

You are our Father yet you are also our Friend. You are the Hope of the world but you are also the hope that lives in our hearts. I love you Lord but nothing and no one will compare to the love that You have for me. For us.

She Came And She Conquered

I remember a Christmas party when I was still a kid. I received a box of mosquito coil wrapped in a fancy Christmas wrapper. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. I had a mixed of emotions–wonder, awe, dread..I wondered why anybody would think a 9-year old kid would want a mosquito coil. I was in awe–mosquito coil–I suddenly felt very grown-up! Dread..did I have mosquito bites all over?? Then I opened it..and my face broke into a smile.

Apparently, the lady ran out of boxes. Must be last minute shopping. So she placed her luscious candy goodies in a mosquito coil box (now, why she thought of that is way beyond me!). Disappointment into joy. Heaven!

Before my husband left, my mother-in-law told me (in not so many words) that she was hoping I’d still “come home” eventhough their son won’t be there. Ask any newly married woman and they will tell you that that was scary! But I had no choice, she so ordered, I made a promise and it was done.

I actually kept postponing it until I ran out of excuses. So last Monday, I packed an overnight bag and headed “home”. And you know what, it was pretty much like that Christmas when I received a box of mosquito coil. I was ready to be disappointed but I actually had a good time (any newly married woman would be shocked at this). Although sleeping alone in a bed that brought back so many memories of my husband really sucked, my stay was actually nice.

Do you think it’s awful that I compared my stay with my in-laws to a box of mosquito coil? I was only being…poetic.

Today’s sing along song: Conquered by Lara Fabian

Christmas Party #1

December is a bad month for my diet. Not that I’m in any diet program! The closest I am to dieting is eating oats for breakfast twice a week

Anyway, December is not a good month for those trying to keep slim (but believe me I’m trying to gain weight!). Just today, I’ve been to this school Christmas party where I ate endless fried chicken, creamy fruit salad, walang kamatayang pansit bihon, cakes and pastries and fried chicken (again!). I was so full that if someone had jokingly poked his index finger in my tummy, I would have ended grossly puking on the floor. Hehe.

Will I ever fit in my gown!

I’m supposed to be “busy” doing some student profile and preparing for my lecture in a seminar in February but not unless December is over, I will be forever in a Christmas party mood! Party #s 2 and 3 are up for next week. Maybe there’s one more next, next week.

And for the first time, I’m not spending holidays in this good ol’ Pinas. Time to play Hide n’ Seek from all my inaanak…HAHAHA! Holiday this year gets better and better..bwahaha.

BUT…I’ll miss Noche Buena and all the noise of New Year…aww..I’m feeling homesick already!

Today’s sing along song: Christmas Is A Time To Love by Kids’ Praise!

My Sister’s Shadow

I see myself as a basically good person. But there’s one person I fought with a lot of time as much as I fought with my guy. And that’s my sister.

We fought over barbie, bed space, food, chore, secrets, clothes, make-ups and even who’s going to carry the umbrella every Sunday on our way to church.

But when I think about it, she’s one of the person who had greatly influenced my life. She taught me how to read when I was 5. Not that she was being noble…in fact, she was just forced to teach me because she was too lazy to read Nik-Nok comics to me. I still remember her: “Tunog nito sss, eto iiii..s-i nik-nok ay nag-na-kaw ng it-log.” Nope, it was her, not my mum who taught me that very important skill.

She was also the one who influenced me to read. While playing with our cousins, I noticed that she was unusually subdued and did not want to join our game. I found out she was reading this Tagalog love story pocketbook. After she finished, I picked it up and read it out of curiosity. After that, she read English novels and again, I picked them up after her and read them. And now, I’m happy to say, I have books and I love books because of her.

She’s like that. She has this way of being mean but loving. Haha. She had given me many things but there’s one I couldn’t forget and wished I kept. When we were little, we both liked barbie but our parents couldn’t afford to buy us new ones. One time, I guess I was 7, I stayed home because I was sick. My sister came home from school and gave me this brochure with lots of barbie pictures in different dresses. I cut them and played with them like they were paper dolls. I remember being very happy. And now I smile at her thoughtfulness..

I am not a big fan of the way she dresses up -too conservative although I heard she’s into plunging necklines now. But we were both surprise (she with irritation and me with a satisfied smile) at the way her blouses and jeans would end up in my closet space Hehe. I followed her footsteps. She wanted lip gloss, I want it, too. She wanted facials, I’ll try them, too. And thinking back now, I was living in her shadow.

That’s why I was really sad when she left and worked abroad. She left most of her clothes but it was no fun wearing them without her making an issue out of it. I suddenly realized I had no more church and shopping buddy, no more lies to keep for her (hehe) and no more trips to Tutuban with her. And now, I still want to be somehow like my sister.

As I grow old, it’s funny the way I remember things the way they used to be. And now I’m remembering the things I wish I could have been. To become somehow like her. More disciplined and more outgoing. More wise and more future-oriented. I want to settle to a place close to her where we will share recipes, floor mats and desserts :) But I don’t like the extra pounds (that she can keep hehe).

Happy birthday, sis! I will see you in March! Bring me some of your lipsticks and beauty tips..I’m dying for them! 

Today’s sing along song: Hero by Mariah Carey