Ugly duckling on the loose

Don’t you just hate it when you feel so ugly? We may be no Angelina Jolie or Catherine Zeta Jones, but there are certainly those days when we feel as if no matter how much we brush out hair, it is still bad hair day for us. Or no matter how much we wash our face and put on make-up, we still feel ugly. And even if we put on our best clothes, we still feel sleazy. We psyche ourselves into feeling beautiful… but it doesn’t work. Not only that, you feel so lazy you just want to lie down on your bed and do nothing! Haaayy…women! Blame it on the female hormones?

And it’s a Monday, my gosh! I hope this doesn’t go on the whole week!

Who let the kid out?

I recently did something I have never done as a mom: I let Wendy play out in the street (in front of our house) with her friends until 9:00 pm….and I don’t feel guilty at all!

When Princess Wendy asked me, with her pussy cat eyes and pouted lips, if she could play outside with her friends, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I mean, the whole gang was there (I wasn’t going to let Wendy feel left out), it was a Saturday, and this rarely happens, plus the guard house is just down the street. In addition, I can remember clearly my own childhood, when we would play outside, on the streets, until night [and those were some of the best times of my life]. Who was I to deprive my daughter of this rare and fun treat [and after what I posted on believing that playing outside does good to a kid]? So when I heard the laughter and squeals of Wendy and her friends playing outside, I couldn’t help smiling too. I knew she was having fun.

And when Wendy got home and said to me [with a very wide smile and matching dancing], “Thanks Mama, pinayagan mo ako to play with my friends. You’re the best Mama in the whole wide world!” I knew I did the right thing.

Disneyland: a heaven for kids and the kid-at-heart

There were two things I LOVED about Hong Kong: shopping and Disneyland. The shopping part is self-explanatory and expected. But the Disneyland part? I was surprised at how much I loved the place (especially that I don’t really enjoy Enchanted Kingdom).

(more…)

Off to meet Mickey and the gang

Although I haven’t gotten over the Europe fever yet, tomorrow early (and I mean early) morning, I and my whole family will be off to the land for kids, and the kid at heart: Hong Kong.

Although the thrill is not as strong as that when we were going to Europe [I’ve always felt that Europe was enough for me and other countries seem to pale in comparison. To give you an idea, for our Europe trip, I started packing a month before departure, for out Hong Kong trip, I started just tonight, and I’m not even halfway done.], I AM excited. I mean, this is another chance to see another place, another chance to learn and discover something new. And I love disovering and exploring other places. The whole family is excited, and I can’t help but be bitten by Disneyland mania, especially from the kids. I just hope Hong Kong would not disappoint us. 

So if I seem to be MIA the next few days (or week, depending on how fast I recover from another vacation), rest assured that I haven’t forgotten about you guys. I’m just going to rediscover and let loose the kid in me for a few days!

Have a great week everyone!

Reasons why I can’t die just yet

Last night, I was rummaging through old stuff (you know, old diaries, notebooks, scrapbooking materials, planners, etc) and found something amusing and interesting. You see, when I was young, I listed down 25 things I wanted to do before I die [AOL Vice Chair Ted Leonsis recommends 101 things, but I guess the number was too big for my young mind then]. Some were already accomplished, some were not. And I realized that I had to update some because I had accomplished them from the last time I put on check marks, which was in 1997. I am listing the list in its original words, so pardon if some are a bit “out of this world” (hey, I was only 15 years old at that time!).

25 things I want to do before I die (written April 4, 1994)

 Have a happy family [I’ve always had a happy family]

Write a book [better start on this one]

Give a recollection

Give a speech before an audience [I don’t think the the time I read the responsorial spalm in a mass counts]

Bunjee jump and rapel

Live with my friends in a condo [it was more like an apartment]

Have a beautiful body [I mean,sometime in my life, I believe already achieved this, although not the “great” body ala J. Lo or jessica Alba, but still passable]

Make my hair beautiful [still working on this one]

Sing or dance in an event

Have a good job

Travel a lot [ok, maybe not yet “a lot”, buy I can’t complain. I’ve been to a lot of places already.]

Have a nice, two-story house with a garden full of flowers

Be a detective for a certain case [poink!]

Write for a newspaper or magazine [I think the letter I wrote that got published in Inquirer would count; after all, the columnist called it a “masterpiece”]

Be a psychiatrist [although I act like one when friends have problems]

Own a beach house [yeah right!]

Learn to drive [I did, the following year]

Give my children good and happy lives [we’ll find out when Princess Wendy grows up]

Meet Wil Wheaton [huh?]

Meet Pope John Paul II [I’ll count seeing Pope Benedict XVI in Rome as a check on this one]

Have my own ATM

Bath and sing in the rain

Take many pictures and make a scrapbook of my life [the scrapbook will have to wait]

To die without sins [I hope I don’t put check in this one soon]

To die beautiful [namili pa…I will, if I would have the choice]

[Those in italics mean check marks.]

Looking at the list now, some seem trivial and to be not on the top of my priorities anymore (I mean, Wil Wheaton?). But the general idea is still there: I have to live my life to the fullest.

This list has given me more reasons why I can’t die just yet. I have so much to do!

:)

Healer’s church

Since my mother’s cancer diagnosis last year, we have been frequenting St. Peregrine Church in Muntinlupa City for the past 1 1/2 years. For those who are not aware, St. Peregrine is the patron saint of people with cancer. We’ve been asking him to pray for my mother, for her healing. His story was that, after he and his gang beat Phillip Benizi (now St. Phillip), a respresentative of the pope to his place to preach about God, Peregrine was full of remorse as St. Phillip just forgave him even after all the beatings. He went back to St. Phillip and apologized. He left his friends and led a life of prayer, where Mother Mary appeared to him and led him to Siena, where he joined the Servants of Mary. It was there he did penance for his sins. One of his penance was not to sit when he deemed it was not necessary. History says he did not sit for 30 years; thus he developed varicose veins and then cancer on his leg (thus his pictures with a sore leg), and it then had to be amputated. But the night before the amputation, he dragged himself to the foot of the cross and prayed to God, falling asleep in the process. He dreamt that Christ touched his foot, and sure enough, when he woke, he was healed. And he then came to be known as the patron saint of people with cancer.

Anyway, we go to mass at St. Peregrine during weekdays because we can just only imagine it during weekends, when healing masses are held. It must be overflowing with people. I like the church because, besides the fact that the ceiling is made of wood (I like wood), it is quiet (at least when we go there), and it emits a certain kind of feeling of “holiness.” I believe that St. Peregrine has played a major role in my mother’s health. She may not be healed at this time, but she has improved a lot and is doing very well.  St. Peregrine must have been praying hard for her [and must be the reason why I hold a special place in my heart for St. Peregrine].

For those who need healing or who have a loved one who needs healing, especially those with cancer, try going to St. Peregrine church. [They also provide oils that can be rubbed on the body.]

St. Peregrine Laziosi Parish

National Rd., Tunasan, Muntinlupa City

[For those who are interested, we also have a copy of a prayer to St. Peregrine.]

Food for the soul

I know a lot of us have been taking good care of ourselves. Body-wise, we are updated on the latest beauty products that would maintain or improve our looks (how to keep our skin clear, how to lose weight, how to make that make-up last). We dress properly to make sure that our appearance is pleasing to others. Health-wise, we invest heavily on food and supplements that will keep our body in tip-top shape. We embark on a diet, we exercise, we want to avoid diseases. We take on a healthy living lifestyle.

But let me ask you: What have you done lately to take care of your soul, and your heart (and I mean figuratively)? As much as we take care of our bodies, we should also give enough attention to nourishing our inner selves.

One foolproof way of nourishing our souls is what we call random acts of kindness. Smiling at a stranger…treating a street child to fishball…opening the door for another person…telling your officemate what a ray of sunshine he is… Such simple ways to touch other people and in return make us feel good about ourselves. Note that what I am stressing here is an act toward others, not ourselves, that can make us spiritually refreshed. More importantly, kindness is something better passed on than repaid; that is, when someone shows you an act of kindness, it is better for you to pass on an act of kindness to somebody else. And to top it all, most acts of kindness are free, and kindess is contagious!

It Couldn’t Hurt
by Sandy Ezrine

Random acts of kindness–huh! It couldn’t hurt.

I told my husband I love him. It couldn’t hurt.

I packed a note in my son’s lunch box telling him how special he is. It couldn’t hurt.

I opened the door for a lady in a wheelchair at Walgreens. It couldn’t hurt.

I left a box of cookies for the mailman. It couldn’t hurt.

I let someone go in front of me in the grocery line. It didn’t hurt.

I called my brother to tell him I miss him. He misses me too!

I sent the Mayor a note saying what a good job he is doing. It couldn’t hurt.

I took flowers to the nursing home. It couldn’t hurt.

I cooked some chicken soup for a friend who is sick. It couldn’t hurt.

I played Candy Land with my daughter. It was fun.

I thanked the person who bagged my groceries. He beamed.

I gave my assistant the day off with pay. It only hurt a little.

I played ball with my dog. It felt good.

I invited a woman who doesn’t drive to lunch and to a movie. I enjoyed myself.

I got a massage for me. It felt marvelous.

Random Acts of Kindness–hmmm, maybe I’ll live this way all year. It couldn’t hurt.

So try it! Refresh your souls and see how good it feels.

Twilight zone

I just want to share something extraordinary, at least for those living in Paranaque or who have lived in Paranaque and know the roads.

Can you believe that this is Sucat road (in front of NAIA, just after Duty Free) at 6:00 in the morning? I have been going this route for more than 5 years and never had it happened to me that I was alone on the road! [Well, save for that lone motorcycle.] Still, I was so amazed I had to think if I were in twilight zone. I mean, 6:00 in the morning and no cars? AMAZING! I wanted to go down the car and dance around, to revel in the “aloneness.” What a rare treat!

[PS, I apologize for the low-quality pic…I took this with my cell phone camera and my car is tinted.]

Introducing: KG the villain

Princess Wendy has been spending too much time on the computer these past few days. Although it is nothing harmful, just the regular Disney games, it was too much, so I limited her computer time to 2 hours per day. But it seems it wasn’t enough for her.

Saturday afternoon [conversation translated verbatim]:

KG: Wends, enough na yan. 2 hours ka na dyan sa computer.

PW: What!?! Can’t a little girl have a little fun?

Do I seem to be growing horns? Tell me please.

Kwentong Pinoy: jeep

“Oh…isa na lang, isa na lang aalis na! Ayan miss, dyan sa kaliwa, pwede pa isa dyan. Pakiurong lang po dyan sa kaliwa! Sampuan yan! Urong, Urong!”

Mapapatinign ka sa katabi mong di mo kilala pero alam mo na pareho kayo ng iniisip: Kasya pa ba ang isa? Eh halos kalahating puwet mo na nga lang ang nakapatong sa upuan, magsisingit pa ng isa?

Kung Pilipino ka, malamang naranasan mo na ang eksenang ito. Sari-saring nakakatawa and nakakainis na mga eksena ang nagaganap sa loob ng jeep. Marami ako nito, lalo na nung asa kolehiyo pa ako dahil jeep ang pangunahing transportasyon sa UPLB (yun, o maglalakad ka). Hindi ba iba’t-ibang karakter ang makikita mo at iba’t-ibang eksena ang masasaksihan mo?

Iba-iba ang jeep sa Pilipinas…merong mahaba, merong maikli. Merong prang nangangalawang na sa luma, parang kakalas tuwing dadaan ng humps. Merong kung jeep na parang club ang sinakyan mo dahil sa dami ng dekorasyon. Merong napakalakas ng tugtog na para namang disco ang pinuntahan mo. Meron ding may nakalagay na tali sa taas, sa may hawakan, na may kasamang instruction:

“Please fool string to go down.“

Pati mga pasahero iba-iba din. Nandyan yung nadukutan ng di namamalayan. Andyan yung napakaraming dala at lahat ay nasa gitna, wala ka tuloy madaanan. Merong kulang na lang kandungin lahat ng anak para isa lang ang bayaran (malas mo kung ikaw yung katabi kasi para ka na ring nagkandong ng isa). Merong nag-aabot ng bayad na kunwari eh sa kanila yun. Andyan din yung magkarelasyon na nag-aaway.

Minsan, para kang nanonood ng telenovela. May drama…

Sa isang mahabang bihaye pa-Norte [hango sa kwento ng isang ka-opisina]
Pasahero [napansin na ang katabi ng isang pasahero ay di gumigising, di kumakain, di bumababa para umihi…tulog lang ng tulog]: Bakit yang kasama mo parang di gumigising?
Kasama: Ah eto? Patay na to.
[hoooo……]

Miss ko na sumakay ng jeep.