In memoriam…

A couple of months ago, my grade school alma mater burned down to the ground. It is just a couple of blocks away from our home but I cannot make myself witness the unfortunate event in the history of my hometown. My beloved alma mater! Destroyed! Gone! Annihilated by the blazing inferno that even neighboring firemen weren’t able to control. I felt really sad. My sister, who went to the same school, even cried with my daughter who at present goes there as a grade 2 student. It was an old, old school, mostly made of wood and one lick of the fire and it went swoosh! Ashed!

The school was an institution. Most of the people I know, the ones I grew up with, went there. My parents even. It survived a lot of disaster, World War, typhoon, flood, earthquake, termites… but never this very first fire (as far as I remember).

There were lots of memories made there. The grand staircase where we used to race (and got busted by the teachers), the secret doors and hiding places, the hideous canteen where we used to get our recess trays, the engraved names and codes in every passageways and most importantly the friendship that were made in every corner of that building.

Two decades seems like yesterday. The disaster made me look for the old grade school photographs and go down memory lane. My old classmates and my really old teachers. My favorite ones and my not-so favorite others. How happy we all seemed to be. How young and childish. Most have gone away but others stayed. Like me. I opted to stay.

Francisco Balagtas Elementary School, the public school I went to, may be rebuilt someday. I don’t know if the fire was for the better. To change the old and build the new. Stronger, bigger, and more attractive to the eye. But it was like erasing all the memories I had for my beloved school. But I guess life goes on and there’s the new brood that will make their own memories on the hallowed grounds of my FBES.

(Written: September 2007)

The Beauty in the Geek

Okay. I admit it. In some points I consider myself a geek. Not a nerd but a geek. Believe it or not there's a difference between the two.

I found out that 'NERDS' are your usual unusual dressers who choose to go to Star Trek conventions over parties. They have above-average IQ and devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits with few gifts at small talk and ordinary social rituals.

On the other hand, 'GEEKS' are "people who have chosen concentration rather than conformity; they pursue skills (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance. And that they are neophiliac in nature. Which means they get easily pleased, excited and aroused with new things. They won't stop until they have extinguished the burning fire of discovering, learning and mastering something, anything. From Nintendo family console, to Gameboy, to computers and internets. Name it! They hacked it!

Pop-quiz # 1. Is it a nerd or a geek who has a stash of assorted pens and pencils as a collection?

I have fetish for pens and pencils. I go to a bookstore or a supplies store just to marvel at the array of pens and pencils in racks after racks after racks. To touch them and smell them and try them all out is a total experience. And paper too! I would buy ream after ream of colored paper, parchment, linen, bond, board and so on. Not to mention books! A bookstore is like an oasis that rejuvenates me every after visit.

Being a geek and loving it. I wonder if Bill Gates, the richest geek alive, started his empire by fixing transistor radios and re-cabling telephones like I did. I love fixing things. Opening them up and putting them back together. With 60% success-rate, I'm not that bad.

Nerdy-geek? Geeky-nerd? I don't know! Whatever category I fall into, I hope to put a whole new meaning to being different. To standing out. For whatever you choose to do or choose to be, what matters is that you are happy!

Written: Sunday October 28, 2007 - 03:16am

Tweener Twrouble

Ever heard of the word “tweener”? It’s something you’d only hear from Lizzy McGuire, but a former boss of mine confirmed that there is such a word that exists and in fact, is a newest section in a department store. Well, it’s actually the age between childhood and teenage years, and thus the name. Pre-teens, by puberty, a prelude to madness as what we used to call it. But now it’s a whole new category to watch out for.

I have a “tweener” living in my home right now and it is a totally new experience. I am used to infancy, toddlerhood (what a terrible stage), the pre-schooler and the grade-schooler. Having three children, (that’s all thank you), and a whole lot of nephews and nieces, I am used to all these stages and I could indeed write a book of the dreadful, awful, frightful things to watch out for in rearing children.

But a “tweener” in the house…? A few steps to adolescence, my 10-year old son has an awkward, almost pathetic but really very enthusiastic gait towards puberty. Just recently, we introduced him to a best friend he could never leave behind throughout his active years. A deodorant. We tried to give him a mild deo-powder at first but as he is a very active and ‘healthy’ kid he needs something stronger. The problem is, we have to constantly remind him to apply every time or else at the end of the day, I would be the one to suffer. Well, imagine washing clothes everyday to get rid of the nasty smell and to avoid contaminating the others. And it’s not just the OC in me.

I remember asking my mother, as a pre-teenager, to buy a deo just like what my older sisters were using. But instead, she gave me this big, white, unpolished stone that I had no idea what to do with. Later I would find out that you could: 1. dip it in the water and scrub it furiously against your underarm, 2. pulverized it and apply after bath, and 3. throw it to anyone who would tell you ‘you stink’. My very first liquid deo courtesy of my then college sister (b’cause she couldn’t stop me from using hers cause I so hate, hate, hate that stone) was already during high school. Can you imagine that? My poor, unfortunate underarms.

The difference between Tween-age life then and now is colossal. Then: we were still considered as children before we hit thirteen, so less expectations, less pressure. In general, life was easier, carefree and simpler. I can understand now, why my son is so distracted from deodorant. Imagine, thinking about his friendster account and his cell phone load alongside. Not to mention, the million other things in YouTube, MTv and PS3.

Oh, I can hardly wait till it’s puberty time for my children. That dark, problematic, self-centered stage in a human life. As early as now, there’s a training going on. Not that I’m being an annoying, meddlesome, stage- mother. I just want to prepare and arm my children to the more twroubled path they have to take, that is…adolescence.

Written: Saturday September 1, 2007 - 05:25am

The Sweetest Things

Last week I had a nasty bout of the so-called 'sugar rush'. Ate three donuts and drank a liter of my favorite bottled flavored-tea. Or is it flavored bottled-tea? Whatever it is called, it kicked me like crazy! By half the liter of my tea, I started to feel the pee coming, as how the tea always affects me. So I ran to the john's and saw the most shocking view in a month (or so) of my life. Sprinkles of water scattered all over the bathroom floor, walls, ceiling, cabinet, mirror, door. It was literally dripping wet. Everything inside was dripping. I have to lean on the wet wall to prevent myself from fainting. (Tsk!Tsk! OC- OC me!!!) Knowing that my son was the last one to use it, I took a deep breath and shouted for him to come over and put his ass where I can kick it. I started shouting really hard asking him if he tried to bathe the dog inside or smuggled a flock of ducks and tried to hide it in the bathroom. He was "deadma" as always. Looking sulked and ready to cry. I was about to cry myself. Shouting that loud made my throat itchy and hot. I finished the remaining tea in a gulp. (really!) And then it happened. (as if it haven't already). The sugar kicked in. My head started pounding hard and I could feel the palpitation coming. I tried to breath as normal as I could and grappled the nearest chair and sat there for a while, or maybe an hour or even several thunder-stormy mornings. Can't really remember. I just sat there and saw my entire life rushed before my wide-shut eyes. Well, maybe not! Then, I saw my son stole that opportunity to run for cover and left me there thinking......damn those ducks!!!

Written : Wednesday August 15, 2007 - 01:52am

Couch Kamote

Bata pa ako mahilig na talaga ako manood ng TV. Sariwa pa sa ala-ala ko ang telebisyon na una kong nakagisnan. Kasing laki ito ng cabinet namin. May dalawang pintuan at may pihitan para sa volume, channel at contast o brightness. High-tech no? Dahil sa sobrang lapad nito, ginagawa ko pa itong blackboard. Lagi akong pinagapagalitan dahil parati itong puno ng chalk. Dito ko rin tinatago yung mga laruan na ayaw kong pahiram sa kapatid ko. Kasi meron itong sliding doors. Naks!

Noong nasira dahil sa kalumaan ang TV set namin, sobrang dinamdam ko yun. Parang di ako makakain at makatulog ng maayos. Parati akong lito at di maka-focus sa pag-aaral. Noon pa man may symptoms na ako ng television addiction. Hindi ko na mapapanood ang paborito kong palabas sa tanghali. Yung mga pelikula ng Sampaguita at LVN. Paborito ko pa naman ang loveteam nina Pancho at Gloria at saka nina Rogelio at Paraluman. Harang talaga!

Hindi nagtagal, bumili na rin ng bagong TV, kasi nagagalit ang Lola ko dahil sinusubaybayan niya ang Analiza. AVR ready na to (pero di pa cable-ready) kaya pwede na kaming manood ng betamax. At meron ng remote control. Higher-tech!

Yung mga kapatid ko, palibhasa mga teenager na, American sitcoms ang dig. ‘Three’s Company’, ‘Greatest American Hero’ ‘Mork and Mindy’, The Cosby Show, etc, etc. At saka mga lovestory/action-adventure. ‘Remington Steel’, Moonlighting, ‘Starsky and Hatch’, ‘Miami Vice’, ‘The A-Team’, among others. Kaysa, makipag-away ako sa remote at mabatukan, nakikipanood na lang ako. Buti na lang hindi sila nahilig sa ‘Dynasty’ at ‘Knots Landing’. Ew,ew,ew! Sobrang heavy yun para sa tulad kong dugyutin. Sa mga Pinoy na palabas, wala akong matandaang lagi naming pinapanood kundi mga gag shows at sitcoms lang gaya ng ‘T.O.D.A.S.’ , ‘Sick O’clock News’, ‘Iskul Bokol’, ‘Urbana at Feliza’, etc. Hindi rin kami maka-‘Eat Bulaga’ dati dahil ‘Student Canteen’ ang lunch date naming.

Noong nagpalit na ng bagong dekada, iba na rin ang trip namin. Medyo tinedyer na ako nuon kaya meron na rin akong control sa remote. American TV series pa rin syempre. Pero this time, mga teeny-bopper na ang dating. Nuong late eighties at early nineties sobrang nabaliw ako kay Johnny Depp. Kaya ‘21 Jumpstreet’ forever. Kaya lang di pala forever. Pati si Winona di forever. Dumating din ang ‘Doogie Howser, M.D.’ tapos meron ding ‘Beverly Hills 90210’. Kahit nga Pinoy teeny-boppers swak na rin kaya T.G.I.S, Growing Up, Tabing Ilog at Click, sobrang kilig.

Medyo nadistract ako ng work at family kaya ang TV di ko muna nabigyang pansin. Pero ng pumutok na ang latin-novela gaya ng ‘Marimar’, ‘Maria la del Barrio’, ‘Betty La Fea’, at kung anu-ano pa nanumbalik na naman ang dati kong sigla. Kahit nga mga walang kwenta at over-acting na palabas ng mga latino pinagtyatyagaan ko.

Tapos, enter na ang mga asian-novela sa boob-tube, mas magaganda ang plot. May kabuluhan at hindi puro salbahing kalaguyo o biyenan, chauvinistang lalaking bida at ang martir na bida na biglang gaganda at yayaman. Mas pinaghirapan ang cinematography. At higit sa lahat walang OA na artista. Masyado na nga madami to mention.

Pero ang influence ng Kano di pa rin talaga maalis sa ating mga Pinoy. Lalo na ng lumaganap ang cable tv. Dig na dig ko pa rin ang comedy at love story nila. Patok pa rin ang ‘Friends’, ‘Sex and the City’, Alley McBeal, Charmed, etc.,etc.

Ewan ko ba, kung ano ang hipnotismo sa akin ng tv. Dahil hanggang ngayon pinaglalamayan ko pa rin ang mga series na gawang Tate. CSI, CSI: New York, CSI: Miami, Lost, House, Numbers, Prison Break, Heroes, Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, etc. etc. Pati ang mga usung-usong reality shows at mga talk shows. Buti na lang kapag may na miss na episode pwedeng hanapin sa Internet o kaya bilhin ang buong season sa Quiapo o Tutuban. Hay naku! Adik!

Pero ang Filipino TV programming di na rin pahuhuli. Malaki na ang improvement ng mga series sa TV. Kahit na medyo mas marami ang remake okay na ring pampalipas boredom.

What’s life without TV? There is no life without TV. It’s the only good thing we got for so long and still revolutionizing. So, bring out the popcorn and just sit back... relax… and watch TV.

Wasted Much???

Pagkatapos ng “Season to be Jolly” eto ako nangangati. Kasi naman sa dami ng nakain ko na kung anu-ano (na hindi ko na ma-remember), naghalu-halo na sila sa sistema ko. Tapos, dilated pa mga viens ko (uy, sa CSI ko na-pick up yan ha!) dahil pagkatapos ng mahabang panahon tumikim uli ako ng alak. Hay naku! Sinumpa ko na yan nung unang panahon. ‘Di na ako mag-o-overdose sa alak. But since it was New Year’s Eve and we were having fun………. Yun na! (At least umabot ako ng 12mn.)

Bakit nga ba walang kadala-dala! Bakit kailangang mag-krus uli ang landas namin ni Kumpareng Smirnoff. Dami ko na rin “most frightening experiences” pagdating sa Vodka. Pero the best pa rin to (next sa Tequilla)! Di amoy lasing at walang hang-over. Teka, sigurado ka bang Smirnoff yun? Parang tunog Cossack!! Hehe!

O sige eto na nga. Yaman din lang napag-usapan. At malay nyo may moral lesson kayong mapick-up. My most “embarrassing wasted moments”. (or at least those I remembered)

Wasted Moment #1.
Nung unang panahon, birthday ng “my one and true love”. First birthday celeb nya na “my one and true love” ko na siya.. At first time ko ma-meet ang relatives nya. First time din makasama ang mga close friends nya. At first time din ma-wasted, as in ‘wasted’, ang beauty ko. Dyahe!
Malay ko bang masamang paghaluin ang pineapple juice, beer at vodka. Lalo na pag di ka makakain ‘coz of jitters and nervousness due to the fact that it was my first time to impress everyone close to my true love’s heart. (whew! haba ‘nun). So yun na nga! Imbes na magpa-impress, masyado akong na-depress. Di ko nga alam kung ilang uwak ang tinawag ko nung gabing ‘yun. Ang mas eeewww! pa ‘dun habang nag-iinuman at nagkakasayahan silang lahat, ayun ako nakahilata sa folding bed at me katabing urinola. Nakakaiyak di ba? Mantakin mu yun! First impression! Buti na lang di sila naniniwala sa kasabihan. (or so I thought!)

Wasted Moment #2.
Grand inuman ito, to the highest level. Ka-jamming si Pareng Jose Cuervo. Naubus na ang lemon at salt pagdating ko. Kaya Coke na lang ang chaser ng tequilla ko. Di ko alam kung ano effect nun. Malamang wala, kasi bukod tanging mundo ko lang ang umikot. Okay pa naman yung mga kainuman ko. Ang matindi pa nun biglang tinugtog ang national anthem ng puso ko. (“Somebody” po yun). At “cry me a river” and drama ng lola nyo. Bakit??? Malay ko??? Trip ko lang. Pagkatapos kong awayin ang mga kainuman ko, pinagha-hug ko sila. Tapos sabay-sabay kaming tumayo at inilagay ang kanang kamay sa kaliwang dibdib at umawit ng “I want somebody to share…….” Ka-praning ‘no?

Wasted Moment # 3
We were in this bar in Makati. And then…. Teka! Rewind! Gimik ito sa isang defunct bar sa Makati and because of some security reasons, itago na lang natin ito sa pangalang Decades, Mile Long-Amorsolo branch.
May celebration kaya baha ng Absolute (kurant-ontherocks, Favorite!). Nung una pasayaw-sayaw, painum-inom. Tapos, patumba-tumba na. Sumunod, pasuka-suka na. This time di lang umikot ang mundo ko. Nagtumbling pa! Aruy! Dun ko lang napagtanto na nakakapanlambot pala ng tuhod ang Absolute. Parang jelly ang mga legs ko. At lumabas ako ng bar na di nakasayad ang mga paa sa lupa. Imagine-nin nyo na lang kung paano.

Wasted Moment # 4
Birthday celebration uli ito, dun sa may Kalayaan Ave.. Open-air yung ihaw-ihaw-cum-bar. Me pagka-third class. Pero mura ang beer. Kaya kahit di pa October, sinelebrate na namin ang Oktoberfest. At bago pa maubos ang pansampung case ng beer, gumagawa na ako ng pizza. Take note di umo-order, gumagawa. Panu yun? Dun lang sa ilalim ng upuan ko habang nakatuwad ako. At ang ingredients… nevermind! Buti na lang open-air! Nawindang uli ang lola mo. Nawalan ng ulirat. At pagkagising. Laking gulat ko!! Nakita ko ang sarili ko sa kisame. Okay, hanggang dun na lang yun!

Ewan ko kung me napulot kayong aral sa mga worst “happy hour” experiences ko. Ako? Medyo. Natutunan ko na magdahandahan sa pagtoma. “Drink Moderately’ sabi nga sa komersyal. Saka pipiliin mo kung sino ang mga kainuman mo. Yung di ka pababayaan. Buti na lang I was always in good hands (or so I thought). At higit sa lahat, know your limit. Magtira ka ng konting wisyo para maalala mo lahat ang nangyari at maisulat mo sa blog mo.

To Blog or not to Blog…….?

That was the question.

Sa tinagal-tagal na ng fad na ito at sa milyon-milyong tao na ang naglakas-loob isiwalat ang istorya ng buhay nila sa net di ko pa rin makuhang maging isang “escribitionist” ika nga. Until now!

Bakit nga ba hindi? Sa dinami-dami na ng diaries na napuno ko simula nung Grade 3 pa lang ako at sa mga istoryang kahit di ko tapos pero at least nasimulan ko, pwedeng-pwede na akong maging isang writer, kahit sa ‘blog’ lang. Pero nagdalawang-isip pa rin ako nung una. What if ma-bore ang readers sa mga istorya ko? What if wala akong maging reader? What if pumalpak ang Ingles ko? (Dyahe) What if walang kwenta ang mga ideas ko? Hay naku! Wag na lang kaya? Nightmare ‘to ng isang manunulat o ng mga wanna-be manunulat. Kaya nakaisip ako ng mga ideas.

Una, tutal di naman ako kagalingan sa Ingles (pero di naman kabobohan ha) kaya Pilipino na lang ang gagamitin ko. Mas mabilis, mas magaling at mas flowing ang ideas. Kahit nga kolokyal o yung mga pangkantong salita pwedeng gamitin. E si, Bob Ong nga nakasulat na ata ng limang libro na parang nagblo-blog lang e. Pero, enjoy basahin ang ABNKKBSNPLAko. Kasi sobrang natural, walang pretentions, at di masalimuot (come again?)ang mga words. Kung Ingles yun, walang kwenta. Di ko babasahin.

Pangalawa, magreresearch muna ako. Nagbasa ako ng ‘blogs ng iba. ‘Ginuggle’ ko ang mga famous blog sites (Livejournal.com, JournalHome.com, Blogger.com, WordPress.com, TheDiary.org, Mindsay.com, Blog.com, Diaryland.com, at Blogdrive.com.). Merong maikli, merong mahaba at merong sobrang haba. Kaya dun lang ako sa gitna, sa medyo maikli.

Pangatlo, ayoko ng sad stories, nakakatamad yun. Kahit ako mabo-bore pag binasa ko ang blog ko. Sayang yung buhay ko pa naman full of sad stories (naks!). Try ko rin minsan ng variation. Kung baga lahat ng topics pwede. Cooking, music, movies, parenting, politics, showbiz, buhay-bahay, buhay-work (meron ba?) at kung anik-anik.

At panghuli, try ko maging sobrang natural. Hindi masyadong magpa-impress sa kakayahan ng intelligence ko at hindi gumamit ng mga …….what’s the word na nga??? “high polluting? hipoluting? highfaluting?” words na English.

So, eto na nga ako. Join na ko sa bandwagon (oooppps)!

To BLOG! That is the answer!