These Reposts are from my original Friendster Blog Page. It has since been dissolved ☀☺USA Trip
April 21st, 2008
This is an over due blog. I wanted to do this while I was on the trip.
Rich and I went to the US recently for 2 weeks of much needed R and R. It was the most fun I had in ages.
We flew via United Airlines, it was an older jet so we did not have individual TV’s which Singapore and Cathay spoiled us on our earlier trips to the Philippines. The flight took 15 hours. We had a stop over in San Francisco and then changed to a domestic flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. We have heaps of friends in Utah but we opted to stay at a hotel in Temple Square so we have the time for ourselves and not run by other people’s schedule. Which I recommend to all travellers. It maximizes the fun.
Because of time difference we couldn’t sleep. We watched almost the whole cable network to pass time. Then at around 3 am, we decided to go out the room and go downstairs. As we were walking towards the elevator we decided to look at the ceiling to floor glass window of the city - that was when I experienced a most wonderful sight.
SNOW!
It was snowing softly but steadily. The temple was filled with white powder. I got so excited I rushed to the elevators and ran outside only to remember I was in my Pajamas and crocs. The whole place was covered in sweet white stuff and the flakes are still coming from heaven. It was bliss! It was more than bliss. It was divine.
After a few shots, we went upstairs to get warmer clothing. We haven’t got anything for winter. It was supposed to be Spring in Utah. I was told later, that the snow was a fluke of nature at that time of the year. It was not expected at all. Nature showed off for me. Nagpagara for me! It was my first snow.
Then on April 5-6, 2008, we went to the 178th General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a wonderful experience hearing and seeing the Prophet and the General Authorities speak in person. We were in the Conference Center that can accommodate 21,000 people comfortably. We had tickets to all 9 Sessions available. We were lucky because not all were able to get tickets to every single session. It was the best Saturday and Sunday of my life. It was a wonderful way to cap our week in Salt Lake.
The day after conference, we checked out the hotel and went by train to Provo, Utah. We passed by so many familiar names that I have heard many times before as hometowns of missionary friends, Orem, Sandy, etc etc. We stayed with the Haines for a night then Larry (my Mission President) and his wife Priscilla toured us to all the sights around them. They asked us to come back next time and stay longer so we can go around Southern, Utah together. It was great to be with them after 15 years. They have a huge house in Mapleton, Utah and it was there that we had our Reunion April 4, 2008 with some 20 other missionaries who served with me in Cebu in 1993.
It was beautiful.
One day we will go back. I promise myself that.
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Neng’s 12
March 10, 2008 11 am
I just had a glimpse of my cousin Julie’s Friendster list. 604!!! Kahamok ba! I do not have that much friends. Not even acquaintances. Even if I tallied all my classmates from Pilot to Surigao High to San Nicolas!
Hmmm with my 12, am I that Friendless?
Over 3 years ago Rich had 2 major surgeries. It was rather sudden so I was not that equipped to cope with the situation. I prayed hard and talked to my family on the phone. Just when he was wheeled to the operating table I spoke with Papa and with his usual wit, warmth and wisdom, I felt better. That everything will be all right. "Okay ra lagi Neng, ajaw laman kabiro." I kept repeating these words until it ingrained in my soul and I believed it.
The recovery was slow but complete. In a recent general check-up his doctor said "Like a new born baby". Blood, heart, cholesterol, etc etc - fine.
But during the ordeal of having to face all this away from your usual sources of strength. I struggled. I was in auto-pilot. About 6 months after his surgery he went back to work. His boss gave him lesser duties but it never fail to make my heart jump whenever my mobile phone beeped.
One day after lunch with Suzi, a co-worker, I checked my phone and there was a message to call Rich’s Boss. I did and I was informed that Rich collapsed at a building site. He was at the hospital. I felt numb. I could not even cry. Now I know why people get treated for shock at a scene of an accident.
My boss drove me to the hospital and asked many times if I was okay. I nodded but I guess she was worried about me. While in the waiting room and getting ready to go, she asked me:
"Can I ring any of your friends to come and sit with you? Is there anyone I can contact right now?"
It struck me. I looked at her with a blank stare. I just realized, I haven’t got anyone. Without Richard, I am so alone.
I could not think of anyone to come and be at my aid. There was absolutely no one to call to be with me and hold my hand, to tell me : "Okay ra lagi jaon Neng, Ajaw kabiro". Everything will be alright.
I cried because I was scared, but most of all I wept because I have never really given a thought that the strength in numbers, of my friends and family - was not available.
I cried because there was no one who will drop whatever they were doing that minute to come, I do not even have a friend that I can call for a movie or a quick snack, for coffee (even though I do not drink coffee) way ako amigo diri. Even for that lazy phone call of some juicy gossip, or some new stuff or places you need to try.
Waya tawon. No one.
But I do have special friends, waya laman diri.
She would come here in Melbourne for a vist, we would go out early for work and earlier for shopping sprees. We take trains, trams and buses and talk non-stop in Surigaonon. What fun! Revenge with some loud senior Europeans and God forgive them: noisy Asians with sing song accents screaming their way to get the full attention of someone sitting next to them. And that someone would scream back. Mga bungoy-bungoy man siguro ini sila. Are they hearing impaired? I do not know but one thing for sure, it was absolutely annoying.
With Buding I do not have to sit, grin and bear the annoying people, I can be one. Kon todo katawa gajud and if we see mga upaw, kuyang rakan na mu-salute.
Buding is like Papa, disciplined, hard working, organized, loving, affectionate, wise with finances, well-dressed, great singer - all that, with a temper. They are also very kind, generous, funny and source of strength sa amo pamilya. One friend Toni,an American who lives and operates a Pub here in Australia said "OMG, Angie is sooo together, how can you look and smell this good in the morning!".
Buding is the self-appointed eldest now. Reversal of roles. Nabali an kalibutan as she is the youngest. She took over the affairs of the household, the school, the gym, family’s health, etc. She is able.
Sija an ako pinaka-love na sister. Not just because she is my one and only sister but because in times when I falter, she not only help me up but tells me off as well. "Neng, ako role sa kalibutan an madepressed. Dili imo." Just like Judge Judy, she tells me to get over it. She would send me messages of comfort and inspiration when I least expect it. Many times I beam and tell Rich- ako ini bubby sissy. Baby sister. She is also a fan "Neng, I like reading your words kay it is like reading a book, tuwaw dajun ko."
I can easily love anything but to like something or someone is hard. I love a lot of people but I only like a few. I like Buding.
One day once again, we can lie under the ceiling fan and belt out tunes that would bring any house down, raid the factory outlets for a dozen pairs of shoes, or organize a party in the house where over 15 Aussie youth played Pinoy games and broke my spoons, or we can sit in the Casino restaurant again for all you can eat steak, go to an outdoor zoo and ask for the rancher to put that snake on your neck…or just sit in church silently together and casually say "Neng you smell like chorizo"…
Buding is one of a kind. No wonder she is Pare Bob’s favorite.
Come back soon Ding, and maybe stay longer, kay kalisod when I do not have anyone to sit in the hospital with. Simbako laman. Or maybe Rich and I can go for a trip again and stay there to savour once more barbq sa pier, sayongsong sa Ipil, dagat sa Mabua, lechon sa Togbongon, latik sa Lanuza. SM, Ayala, or stay up all night, as in all night because we consumed 2 liters of coke each, spread eagled on the banig and asked for heaven’s intervention: Diyos ko, Ginoo ko, pakatuyuga na kami!
And how about when we scared Mama of Papa visiting us that night, prompting her to drag her mattress on to the floor with us? Richard was oblivious of the commotion that happened that early dawn in Lanuza. Tuyog sija in the middle bed. The katawa and hagikhik, then tuwaw-tuwaw. Panga-useless gajud nato! Let’s do it again!
I do not really mind if I only have 12. Each one is special and with Buding, it is more than a blessing. Ab yu Bading.
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." — Albert Schweitzer
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Judge Judy!
March 9th, 2008
I hate watching day-time tv, not only don’t I have the time but more so because they are so pathetic. I do not have Filipino channel, so I have no access to Willie’s “Wowoweee…” which by the way I enjoy to the max back home. I love the dramas and the splits – just so one can have extra hundred or two from his generous pockets. (postscript: 2011 - he used to be good but he lost the plot. Sorry but am no longer a fan.)
On my rostered day-off, normally on a Friday, my usual whinge is: “I have nothing to watch!” Even when we had Optus Cable, and more than a thousand DVD’s. I simply have nothing to watch. So decided to cut the cable and I just read news in the net.
For 2 hours in the afternoon though is another story. Judge Judy and Oprah. The later is self-explanatory. Everyone adores her and her show is a testament that she rules Television. But Judge Judy…
Remember when you were a kid and you do not have an assignment to hand in to your teacher who was premenstrual/menopausal, sarcastic with red eyes and almost foaming mouth? Judge Judy is like that all the time. And thanks to the magic of TV you can relive your past by her words: "Did you see my mouth ask you a question?!" "STOP, ZIP!", "You say no. I say yes. And I win because I’m the judge". “I did not ask an idiot to be here.” "If you live to be 120 you won’t be smarter than I am in one finger"…which may be true because the young lady she was talking to was sued by her mother for boob job money.
When people go to court they generally dress to look respectable, or at the very least, innocent. I know. Papa was a highly respected lawyer and my younger bro King followed in his footsteps. At our dinner table we talk about what happened sa sala ni Judge that day. We have them for breakfast matud pa. I learned a lot about Law and Order in that round table in Amat more than anywhere else. We laughed at some people’s responses to the judge and how we howled if we know the person.
Here in the sala of Judge Judy, the people are dressed to the nine’s. They are maximizing the opportunity to bask in their 15 minutes of fame. Hah! Only in American Television?
Judge Judy doesn’t deal with rape, murder, or terrorism. She deals with cases that are far more important. Like a daughter who sued her mother for rent, a guy who sold mobile phones on eBay but only sent the winning bidders a photo. Or, an plain looking girl ( alright, alright - ugly) who took out $15,000 in her company credit card to take a Mario Lopez look-alike to a cruise in the Carribean. He found a prettier girl in the cruise so he dumped her. She in turn sued him for the expenses! What the….
Anyway Judge Judy just summed it up in one sentence, “you do not sue because you got dumped, get over it!”
In Australia we’re a bit OA about the whole law and justice thing. A bit of a snob with our "no cameras in the courtroom" and our fancy ethics, that even accused criminals are protected! They have their faces blurred on TV. I hate watching news of people with no faces, don’t you? Or take this: we have art works of the accused flashed on the tv screens at prime time news, DRAWING! Jusmio. Some magdro-wingay, will put up his kuriskuris of the kriminal! Kaboring! If I want to watch drawing I will press play on Finding Nemo.
But America? Cameras in the court? Sure! Come on down!
Are they being paid? I have no idea, but hey it is addicting and makes one ask for seconds.
More dose of Judge Judy please, she rocks!
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ps- no way am I making an entry on
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Vicks
March 7th, 2008
If White Flower cures all, VICKS is the soothing balm that prevents any ill from getting worse.
I have asthma. As a young girl my parents had to have a huge narra tree in front of our house chopped down because as soon as it flowers, I will have massive attacks. It took them a while to figure it out. I was even sent to Cebu for third grade while Mama was studying her PhD cause I always have attacks and they did not know what triggered it. Those were the years when it was almost hit and miss, trial & error way of treating people with allergies and asthma. Diagnosing it is less complicated these days.
Back then I had to avoid:
*all sorts of sea food , nokos, alimango, pasayan, etc etc (I defiled that law and sort of gotten ‘immune’ to it, so now I can have a prawn or two)
*milk and dairy of any kind (explains why I am not a big ice cream eater, intolerance to full-cream milk , and is not a fan of cheeses and chocolates. The underlined one is not a typo. I might buy heaps but I do not really like it.)
*strawberries (where on earth would I get them anyway, living in remote Surigao?)
*Mangko`- a kind of fish that is silvery shiny on the outside and has reddish bloody color of fleshy meat, if you twist the tail and pull, out comes a fangy fork looking thing that has the sort of ‘toxin’ that causes allergies. I had a body full of rashes when I was 8 when I ate that st*pid fish.
*Dried and salted fish : what the heck! I am a Filipino! This is staple food! Anyway, I got "immunity" with this as well since I always eat them and scratch later…
Anyways going back to Vicks, whenever we are sick, Mama would put a huge blob of it on our chest and we inhale the vapours. It helps our colds and flu to go away and soothes our tired and weary little bodies to sleep…
I have all sorts of comfort food, but my one and only comfort smell is VICKS.
Sometimes Rich would come to the bedroom and I am lying there unmoving and straight as a rod, with opened vicks balanced on my nose. He used to laugh but now it is a normal sight that tells him I have a cold and I cannot get enough of vicks’ smell.
He knows it brings back memories of being looked after and loved well. When I am sick in wintery Melbourne it is always the first one I reach out to. It takes me to long ago and make Mama seemed near. Then I will feel all right, all better.
Vicks is my best friend.
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Beauty Tips
☀☺
Hapit na ala-una, ini na sab ako sa net kay waiting for my next load of washing to finish. I just read some articles on beauty tips in some Philippine newspapers. Grabe it is sooo pretentious. Those writers needs to know that if a Filipino woman wants some advice through their articles it better be affordable or at least pronounce-able.
Take a look at this for instance:
L’Oreal Revtalift Double Lift Eye, Kiehl’s Eye Alert, Clarins Lift Affine Regard Defining Eye lift, Shu Uemura Beta G eye, Lancome Secret de Vie, and Guerlain Orchid Imperiale,Herbalife Skin Activator Eye.
And these are just for the eyes. Can you imagine the amount of moolah you spend for the rest of your body? Do they know that they are writing for a Philippine newspaper and not for Vogue or Vanity Fair? Grabe kamahal ini na mga butang for simple Filipina.
I have heard of the rest but the Herbalife is news to me, I thought it was just for weight-loss and vitamins. They ventured na rin pala sa skin care which is multi- billion dollar empire.
I believe that the sosi people like Gretchen, (is she sosi- or sosi climber?) Tessa Prieto, the Zobel de Ayalas, etc - the ones who can really afford these items do not read columns like this to get tips. It is the greater number of Pinays who are not making much in life who reads this and takes the advice.
Come on writers please be realistic. Why not write about the ulirang gulay next to the bahay kubo which I am sure plays a great part in retarding ageing in women. The Pinays are so cute and pretty, some maids are more flawless than their rich amo’s. I am sure the most expensive thing they own is an Ever Bilena lipstick. Which by the way is the same thing they apply to a zit or two.
Like rallies and all these unsuccesful coup d etats, kurap president, etc etc. I am sick of reading this sh*t in the papers.
Why not advise girls to hilamos with warm water and Perla. I swear it works.
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March 7th, 2008
I woke up at 8 am today. What a treat. Normally it is 5 am and rush for shower and stuff to be at my bus stop at 6:15. I take public transportation. It is convenient for me as I work in the city and parking is a hassle. Though I work for the council we still have to pay for parking and at times it is more pain in the neck than convenience. So I always wake up early kay I hate being late, or sa ato pa mga maestra na isog - Tardy. :o)
Rich is not working today as well so we thought of just doing a major clean-up nan amo haus kay usahay grabe na ka gubot. Sometimes I feel like a tornado hit it but did not take anything just scatter them around. It is causing me so much white hair. CHAOS syndrome permi. Cannot Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Perting gubuta. Pero kuman I have the day to make it a little bit livable.
After writing my blog of course.
We have a spare room that my mother-in-law uses whenever she is in the city. This doubles as Buding’s room as well. She still has her toiletries in the dresser cupboard and even though I sent her clothes and other stuff, I left a few that has a message : "Buding was here and she will be back". This room is also my department store room. I have all sorts of things in this room that makes it looking like a general merchant. Bags and shoes are still in boxes and children’s books are all arrayed waiting for a little pair of hands to open it up, or even rip it all…this is like a waiting room. Dozens of shoes are waiting to be worn, toys waiting to be played, bags waiting to be taken from their boxes and used, even just aired.
I used to work hard and spend harder. I have changed now. I still work hard pero I do not spend a lot anymore. When the shopping urge come, I go to my general merchant room and try to reorganize the stuff in it, and "uy, I forgot I have this!" makes me feel "shopped out". I had my fix.
Today I need to sort them out, last year I gave away dozens of shoes to charity. Ila ukay-ukay. I want to have a garage sale but really I couldn’t be bothered. Ebay is another thing, I want to sell stuff there too but not used ones. I rather donate kay kasipog sab hu? The nicer ones goes to the box that I annually send home. Buding thinks my feet is ginormous. Size 10 1/2 and oftentimes size 11 ako. Jusmi. I shop sa outlet stores kay 70% discount I just wait for the season to pass. I do not care if it is not "in" anymore as long as it was on sale. Grabe an pinoy mu-save di ba?
Outside the sun is bright and it is a bit breezy. I can hear the crows. They squawk their thanks when we give them their ration of 4 course meals. We casually throw our left overs in the yard (bones and all) and they devour them like there is no tomorrow. We also have a family of sparrows nesting on the side of our roof and we can hear chirps in our bathroom. Come spring grabe na ini na twit twit kasaba. Pero some culture, I forgot - maybe Chinese believed that these will bring good fortunes. I hope so.
We still have the Chrissy lights sa amo porch and the wreath on our door. I think it can stay there until next festive season. We just turn it off kay before, all of december sige busy an siga-payong. Sige kipat-kipat and it makes my small ordinary looking house a beautiful welcoming home. But the Christmas tree is long gone. I put it in the Chrissy bag from Kmart that is so big it can be a CSI body bag! Maya Angelou said that you can judge a person by the way he/she handles tangled christmas lights. I simply refuse to tackle it. I hand it over to Rich who is so patient and kind, even sa siga-payong. It might take him a while but he persists, he does not just leave it there to untangle by itself, he never gives up on a task. I think thats what keeps us together all these time…he never gives up on me and my tangled-bungled mood swings. His attitude is to take things easy, that is why at 42 he looks like he is 25. Ako tawon I cannot claim the same…maluja na ako lawas and I think I have aged far quicker these past couple of years or so…
See bisan uno-uno ra lam na musantup sa ako alimpatakan…it is good that today is saturday…last night I hummed:
Isang tulog na lang….
Thank you Saturday! Now I better tackle my laundry.
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Soup for the Soul
It is 7:54 nan duyom diri sa Melbourne. March 5, 2008 na.
I just came from work not long ago. Rich picked me up after he dropped off the SOUP sa Soup Kitchen. Since 2002 we regularly make soup for the Homeless Soup Kitchen of St. Vincent de Paul. It is mainly run by Couples of Christ members pero kami dili kun Katoliko. Mormons kami but we are active in community service. A few years ago we joined the list of volunteers to make 40-60 liters of freshly made soup to be delivered to a soup kitchen and then the volunteers there distributes them to the homeless on the streets and some just served there sa ila mess hall sa Maribyrnong. We do this in partnership with some members of our church but since 2006 maybe because of food handling concerns they did not ask anymore for volunteers pero kami ni Rich padajun gihapon. It is gratifying. The soup gets to those who are less fortunate and believe it or not,even diri sa first world hamok sila.
At first I found it daunting as Rich put in our name for EVERY 1st WEDNESDAY of the MONTH. We both work full-time and we both have other things to do so it was overwhelming for me at first. Grabe kakapoy maghiwa nan gulay at night kay we do not have other times to do it. The soup needs to be delivered by Wednesday at 6pm or else kun late kaw they will make their own. But it became easier as time passes by. 3 people do it regularly from the original long list of people from my church - The Frews and Harry Van Derveen. Harry also donated 25 loaves of fresh bread once a week. He did it for 9 years together with the soup. Now only the Frews and us do it, Harry passed away last January 18, 2008. He was a great man and in so many ways he reminded me of Papa. Harry was tall and a no nonsense, generous man. He treated Richard as a son. He gave Rich expensive ties, and work over-alls when he noticed that Richard is wearing hole-y ones. I always "amin" him when I see him at church. He loved Rich, me and Buding. He told Buding not to hurry getting married kay dili itun importante.
Buding and I wept when he passed away. We have lost another family in him. In his funeral one of the speakers mentioned us as his partners in making the soup. I wept some more because we did this not for recognition but for giving charity to those that needed it the most. Harry was a good example. He is sorely missed. Rest in Peace Harry, may you meet Papa and be friends over there sa langit.
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White Flower
February 29th, 2008
Have you ever smelt something that evokes a memory of distant past causing melancholia of some sort? I did, I do …many times - I can enumerate them (even though at school I was not a good student when it comes to ‘objectives’ dili ako kamemorize nan mga butang)…anyways…White flower did…
My trip to Surigao on March 2006 with RIch was a wonderful time that made me promise to myself to do this annually. On our side trip to Cebu I went to Rose Pharmacy and was surprised that we can buy prescription medicines over the counter! Hallelujah! I bought a year’s supply of my maintenance and - White Flower.
White Flower is that tinky tiny thingy that cures all ills…even "scared baby" The smell is tolerable (unless you are on an international flight and you are seated next to a Chinese National from Hong Kong who doused herself with all kinds of liniment in her stash to drown her travel sickness woe and caused mine to double.)
I love White Flower, while serving as an LDS Missionary in the Visayas islands, some American elders carry it with them for reasons only promdi pinoys know - cures all your woes.
Here in Melbourne, Rich and I went to a Home Show in the Exhibition Building and was fascinated with all the presentations. We chanced upon a little booth with Chinese Medicines and Acupuncture posters. They had this White Flower looking thingy but in green. Maybe it was Green Flower? I do not know but I was so intrigued that I got one, it was (horrors!) $12.00! It was the same size as the small white flower that costs under 50 cents in Surigao. But what the heck - for cure all, $12 is chicken feed.
For several months it helped me sleep and calmed my tummy - (see Soy in previous blog) and though I did not have any toothaches, I am pretty sure it would have cured it as well, this green flower thingy was my cure all.
Unlike most things divine, it did not last. It was gone like the passage of time in lightning’s wings. Haahay, I went searching far and wide for my Green Flower pero way suwerte. I thought to just wait for the Home Show again, but considering it is an annual thing with an entrance fee of $17.50 (just to get in!) I thought that maybe on my next trip to the Philippines, I can stock up on the white version.
I did and how I smiled with glee when I got 5 precious tinky tiny little jars of it. So tiny, it is the Chanel no. 5 of Yangtze River. Today after that winter indulgence albeit awful experience of hot choc in full-cream milk - my white flower proved its usefulness once again. I put it on my bellybutton, and it muted the Didgeridoo concert underneath.
If given a chance to win an Academy, I will sing praises to the Whitest of all Flowers. It does cure all manner of ill.
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