Don't say bad words



That was my parents telling us not to say bad words. Once there was this fad in school that you're cool if you utter the prohibited words. My mom heard me swearing at home and she slapped me so hard in the face that her fingers made a mark on my cheeks. Boy did I learn my lesson!



I was at Blockbuster's today renting some movies for the weekend. Two teenage girls in front of me caught my eye because they're wearing the tiniest shorts I've ever seen, not to mention the very revealing shirt. They also have piercings on their face and on their bellybuttons. And oh, they have tattoos too! I noticed that I wasn't the only one looking because everyone else gawked at them when they uttered the "f" word. They were so upset because they were charged late fees for the 6 DVDs (or games) they returned today (that are due yesterday?!). They insisted they've returned it on time but didn't drop them on the dropbox - duh?! Also, the cashier insisted that there's one game missing from the bunch. Of course they got upset again and swore some more! In the end, they just stormed out of the store.



What does their parents teach them?! They have no respect for their elders! Pity because they're both pretty. I wanted to smack them right then and there but of course I restrained myself. When they left, everyone in line had something to say about that incident. I guess their attitude is a reflection of how their parents raised them.



I'm glad my mom pacified me when she heard me swearing.

Talk about grumpiness....

Here's an exerpt from my conversation with hubz last night (H is hubz; M is me).

M: Tampo si lola kasi di mo daw siya binibisita or tinatawagan
H: Gusto mo linggo-linggo ko siyang puntahan eh
M: Hindi naman, pero sana kung matatawagan mo siya weekly.
H: Sino kaya ang hindi tumatawag?

Ouch!

Maybe he's grumpy because he's having a bad hair day - or something of that sort.

I know I'm so bad at calling my family. Not that I haven't been trying. I do - I try to get in touch with them but I couldn't get through. I've been calling my brother almost everyday last week but he's always out of coverage area. I have also been constantly calling grandma but her phone kept ringing. She told me yesterday that she was at her brother's place almost the whole week. Good thing I was able to reach her because she plans on going to her sister's house the next day and won't be back until Sunday!

Hubz said he bought a new cellphone for my brother because it seems that his old one (which he inherited from hubz - an antique, hihihi) is giving him problems. Hopefully I'll be able to call them a little more often.

I just kept quiet when he said that. Of course I was hurt because I felt the sarcasm in his voice. I just didn't want to say anything and blow the whole thing out of proportion. During these times, I have learned to bite my tongue. If only my friends could see me now - they used to call me the modern Gabriela you know.

Ah, the things you do for love....

Decypting a 7 year old email....

I was forwarded a cute email from a friend's daughter. She has difficulty spelling tagalog, tee-hee! She came to the US when she was two years old, just starting to baby talk. She's now 7 and in school. Here's an exerpt from her email.



***********

Subject: miss ko then ikow!



kamusta na! si k parang indipa ina ubos ang pagkaeng ya. miss ko na ikaw. anong

gingawa mo?



************



It felt like reading a text message from some barok texter in Manila. I found it cute though, because if you talk to her, she can still talk back in Tagalog. Her parents trained her well. They speak Tagalog at home, and they're only allowed to speak english when they're in school. Even her younger brother and sister (she's the eldest) can converse fluently in Tagalog. Great job - J and L! They truly haven't forgotten their roots.



I admire kids who grew up here but haven't forgotten how to speak, or at least understand tagalog. In the Philippines, people admire english-speaking children. I remember going to the mall with my then-bf-now-husband when we heard a little kid speak to his parents in english. Hubz said he'd make sure he'd have a kid like that - one who can speak fluent english. That's not impossible, especially since we plan to raise our kids here in the US. I'm sure they will even be better english-speakers than us. But, like my friend, I hope I can instill in them the appreciation of their roots. After all, being bilingual is definitely a plus.

I Asked God Why...

Just when I feel the urge to ask God "why" sometimes...

*****************

I asked God why I wasn't rich.
He showed me a man with the wealth of a thousand kings,
who was lonely, and had no one to share it with.

I asked God why I wasn't beautiful.
He showed me a woman more beautiful than any other,
who was ugly because of her vanity.

I asked God why He'd allowed me to become old.
He showed me a boy of 16,
who lay dead at the scene of a car accident.

I asked God why I didn't have a bigger house.
He showed me a family of six,
who had just been evicted from their tiny shack,
and were forced, to live on the street.

I asked God why I had to work.
He showed me a man,
who couldn't find a decent job,
because he'd never learned to read.

I asked God why I wasn't more popular.
He showed me a socialite with a thousand friends,
who all left the moment the money and parties were no longer there.

I asked God why I wasn't smarter.
He showed me a natural born genius,
serving life in prison for making ill use of his knowledge.

I asked God why He put up with a thankless sinner like me.
He showed me His Bible.
He showed me His Son
who took my place at the judgment.
I knew then how much He loved me.

Single or Married?

I received an email from a friend the other day. I was copied on the email - it wasn't sent to me directly. It read "mga misis....". She later realized that like all those on her list, I'm also a Mrs.

Do I feel like I'm married? I sometimes don't. My routine hasn't changed. My husband is not physically present with me here - at least not yet. I still have the same single friends whom I go out with from time to time. I'm not pregnant nor do we have kids yet.

When I got married last year, I thought my life will drastically change. Ok, don't get me wrong, it did change - though not as drastic as I expected it to. I now consult hubz on financial matters. After all, it's our money - not just mine or his' anymore. Before I buy anything valuable, I'd have to consult him first, sort of ask his permission, and he does the same thing too. I inform him of my plans to go out with friends, and he tells me of his whereabouts as well.

I thought I'd be alienated from my single friends after I tied the knot. The fact is, they need to get used to the idea that I'm now a married woman - with or without my husband by my side. You can say I'm sort of "in between" being single and being married. I can't totally relate to married couples yet because our only challenge is the fact that we're far apart. We don't really argue a lot, nor do I get bothered by his unpleasant habits as we don't live in the same roof anyway. On the other hand, I've outgrown my single life and I sometimes feel I can't relate to my single friends either. I'm not "kilig" seeing handsome men around. After all, I'm really contented with the one I have.

So, am I single or am I married? I think it's just perception. People are just used to seing married couples "together". But they also need to realize that "togetherness" goes beyond the physical. I feel special because I have a husband who loves me dearly - enough to be faithful to me all these years.

In the end, no matter what others think, it's what hubz and I feel that actually counts. Our marriage is more than the wedding ring on our fingers, it's more than the intimacy and each other's physical presence. It's a feeling beyond words... beyond space... beyond distance...

Call me "The Bag Lady"



I get these funny looks everyday. Men, women, even children eyeing me with curiosity because I'm hauling a minimum of two bags a day. First, a shoulder bag which contained my necessities and valuables. Second, a bigger shoulder bag which contained a walkman (for the audio books I listen to while on the train), work papers that I take home with me daily, the book that I'm currently reading (mostly hardbound). You can just imagine the weight of both on my shoulders. Add to the pack my lunch bag. Then, from time to time, I'm trotting with me a gym bag as well! No wonder people look at me like I'm a little off. Even I know I looked hilarious!



Why all these bags? For as long as I could remember, I have carried with me several bags, and heavy ones at that! From my school days where I have to haul them up the stairs (to the 4th or 5th floor) up until now, and even when I travel. Some people have security blankets, I think I have what you call "security bags". I feel nude if I don't have even a single bag or a purse with me - even on little trips to the grocery.



I remembered being teased that I have our whole house in my bag. My classmates would even hush themselves (when talking out loud) because "I have my mom sleeping inside one of my bags". To pay tribute to all the bags - big and small - I carry with me everyday, I was christened by a teammate as being "the bag lady".



So, when you see someone as weird looking as I do with all those bags in tow, think of me, will you?

Dream with No Boundaries....



I watched the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece the other night. It's amazing to see the look of awe in each of the athlete's eyes. It's truly a dream come true for them. It's the culmination of all their hardwork, perseverance, and determination.



There is an athlete in each of us, if only because we have dreams. Big or small, they fuel our day to day lives. We work hard because we want to achieve them, and we are determined to reach our goals. There are times that we encounter bumps along the way. Times when we feel like giving up, but we continue to pick ourselves up and go on. We were taught that quitters never win, and winners never quit. As life's athletes, we share the same determination, perseverance, hardwork, faith, and patience like those that are in Greece to compete.



In late elementary through high school, up until college, I have been exempted from my Physical Education classes. I could never participate in strenous sports activities because of a vehicular accident when I was 11 that gave me my second chance to live. I didn't learn these values (including teamwork) from sports. I learned it from my journey through life.



If I listened to all the "you can't", "you won't", "it's not possible" comments, I wouldn't be where I am today. Instead, those same comments guided me to prove them wrong.



God didn't set boundaries on what we can dream of. He didn't set limits on what we can achieve. I believe in the power of the mind. When we say we can do it, and truly believe it in our hearts, nothing is impossible.



In Athens, they say "let the games begin". In life, we say "let the dreams begin"....