July 2005
Monthly Archive
Uncategorized31 Jul 2005 01:21 pm
sunday@work
The past couple of weeks is one of those that besides being here, there and everywhere…I haven’t accomplished any real work. In the middle of four little projects and no way near shelving any one of them. Only those and three drafts that didn’t make it to the blog post. Lost my muse by the time I got back to it.
And Raine is sleeping soundly under my office table (too bad I didn’t have the camera ready)…I’d better get back to work.
Uncategorized26 Jul 2005 12:59 pm
Ruthchelle
7 years ago, for some reason, Ruth gave me this photo with a short note at the back. Indeed it was fate that brought us together. She too played a significant role in my life. Not only did she introduce me to the many firsts in my life (passport application, credit card application, buying myself a plane ticket, spending a weekend in Puerto Gallera) but taught me that dreams should not remain as they are but can be yours for the taking. She introduced me to her blogosphere last year. A couple of months after which, helped me set up my own blog (another first). She’s one of the first believers that I can write with depth, sans the finished product.
Ruth, like her namesake in the bible is loyal not only to her family, her family’s family, but to her friends. She’s one of the true, lasting friend I
have the fortune of meeting in this lifetime. We will remain friends, beyond space and time. As the world is getting smaller and at an arm’s reach..who knows…we might be on a gondola ’round Venice
before we’re old and gray?
Tomorrow is Ruth’s birthday…2 days more will be her (and S’s) 5th wedding anniversary. Whatever happens R & S, whichever way the road take us all…we will always remain friends.
Breathe a life, into “my David” will you?! (he…he!)
Happy Birthday…Happy Wedding Anniversary…I miss you both.
Uncategorized25 Jul 2005 02:25 pm
food for thought
Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.
-Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter Book 5 (Order of the Phoenix)
Two weeks ago was
PNG’s despedida party…while everyone in the office went to partake of the specially prepared merienda cena, I locked my office door and continued working on my PC. Upon overhearing that my “absence” started a commotion, I escaped with grace to the other building to attend an impromptu meeting with another colleague.
On the other hand, he-who-is-dead and –must-not-be-named has been “phone stalking” for a while since I went silent. (Phone stalking defined: kamusta-kinds of SMS’ or missed calls in the middle of the night). That which I plainly ignored, no replies, no hanging-up, no SIM-card switching. Then my cell phone went out of commission; actually a blessing in disguise. See how nature takes care of itself?
Indifference beats being slapped hard in the face.
My connection to both entities: each died a natural death.
Uncategorized21 Jul 2005 05:47 pm
im-mobile
Mobile (camera) phones has been selling like hotcakes right under my nose.
BUT, I remain im-mobile . 
Now I am “irritated” by the polyphonic tones beeping around.
And I only have this little schmuck as an excuse for a culprit!
Literally and figuratively.
The truth is, I’m way-off the leaf color chart with envy.
Meanwhile, ‘been burning the midnight oil trying to catch up reading and hope to finish Book 5 of Harry Potter (order of the phoenix). While I was lost in the wizardry world, book 6 came out. If I could just apparate and break into Gringot’s…i might just be able to lay my hands on that mobile. (!)
Uncategorized15 Jul 2005 04:14 pm
pay day treat
(Just recently) every payday, Raine gets to pick a car-matchbox of his choice (at 50 P, max), queue at the cashier and “pay on his own” while mommy supervises from the background. Raine is so good at it that he is always mistaken for an older kid. To the delight of other shoppers and some on-looking store personnel each time they’re told that he is barely three years old.
Last night, I was finally able to buy us a new broom and Raine was happy enough to carry it home. (imagine me tagging behind him with a handful of grocery bags while trying to steal a shot in the dark) He would probably have carried all the grocery bags (if he can)…
…just for this:
The gray Porsche (not very visible in this shot) in front of the yellow jeepney is the latest addition to his small collection.
Uncategorized12 Jul 2005 11:38 am
presenting…
Mr. Pogi 2020!!!
brought to you by…(ninang) Olivyn and the Breakaway Resort, LB.
As I am convinced that the child is not happy if the mother is not happy: I’ve thought about a couple of ways to be able to rescue whatever is left of my social life before it goes totally kaput. One is “convince” (read: availability and additonal incentive) our Tia Rette to stay late (or may be spend the night?) OR look for some kind of playgroup (after my office hours) or day-sitter (on weekends) for Raine so I can be just Glo-not-the-mom for maybe once a week or twice a month. Any volunteers? he he. Now I understand why getting back on the social track is hard work.
Uncategorized11 Jul 2005 06:04 pm
paradigm shift
Not having a real social life is just one of the complaints any mother would have, especially if you are a single mom like me. Going out is just so limited to the wholesome, kiddy kinds of functions. Since I do not have a nanny after 6pm on weekdays (and the whole of weekends) there’s just no way can I check out the new LB night life. (I’ve been told that new Makati-like bars have suddenly sprouted.)
It has been 4 years since I’ve been in Leandro’s or the old Padi’s Point. Last year, sometime in August, when Abby and I got away to visiting Gemma in Subic: I was able to steal time when Raine went to sleep at 9 pm. (During that time, a nanny was available to stay the night with him.) So we Tres Marias (with Abby’s brother as our “bodyguard”) went to this bar called Brews (or something like that, I was too tipsy to remember exactly) But I do recall that I didn’t know what to order, so I just asked for the good-old San Miguel Super Dry and must have been mistaken for idiots by the waitress when Abby and I in unison, quipped “what’s that?!” to his brother’s order of San Miguel Strong Ice.
Recently
one good soul just told me that having a social life is hard work. I say it is and in my case expensive: money-wise and time-wise. It’s not that I want to indulge my dormant alcoholic intestine. But there are really just times when I wish I could get happy and drunk; talk non-stop with my girl friends; catch up with old drinking buddies (who knows maybe find new ones?)…and just let loose. He he. Maybe even watch a movie that I particularly like. And perhaps go to church with less distraction (a.k.a Raine).
My point really is that, in this society that I’m in, I’m not a single mom at all, not even a woman (with wants and needs). I’m just a mom, period. That since I have a-boy-in-tow, people (I mean total strangers, sometimes mere acquaintances who happen to be outside of the “gossip-vine”) immediately conclude that there must be a Mr. in the picture and that I, without hesitation am always, being called Mrs. In daycares/schools, clinics/hospitals, banks, grocery stores and supermarkets. Where I have to deal with questions like: “So, where does your husband work?”, “How many kids do you have, is he (pointing at Raine) the only one?!”, “So when are you planning to have the next one?!”. At the start I tend to correct, but then in the end you just get tired of explaining. Otherwise I just might wear a badge that says “single mother – no husband”, short of wearing the scarlet letter.
Anyway, Raine’s nanny very well knows my situation as I told her from the very start. Not the gritty-nitty details, just the plain simple-no Mr.-nor-daddy-in-the-picture. But since she’s the one who gets to stay in the house the whole day, she’s the one who has to deal with the nosy neighbors. So to keep them from asking too much, she just told them that Raine’s dad is working abroad. The story seemed to have worked for awhile. Until last weekend, when out of blue, one store owner innocently asked me how long has Raine’s dad been working abroad and where. (?) Uh-oh…cat got my tongue. I’m such a bad liar.
The moral of the story: do not assume; learn how to lie (sometimes).
Uncategorized05 Jul 2005 12:03 am
more breakthroughs
Last night I was just unusually happy when I went home that I (without second thoughts) took up Raine’s prodding to play ball. I already knew that he can play “throw and catch”, kick and shoot” but then my jaw dropped when I saw him dribbling the ball like a little pro. “Wow ang galing! Sino nagturo sayo nyan?! I couldn’t help asking, in which he quickly replied: “Yung bata…dun sa labas!”.
That’s when I realized that while I’ve been too engrossed being the disciplinarian (among other things); that I forgot to be just his playmate; that I’ve been too caught up with many things at once, I simply overlooked recognizing some of Raine’s recent achievements:
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(I don’t know exactly when it started) Now partly toilet trained: only wears diaper at night, knows how to “take a leak” unattended. Though still terrified of sitting on the toilet (or potty), fortunately his poop time is either early in the morning (right after his morning feed) or just before bed time – times that he is usually wearing a diaper.
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Has discovered that slippers (or his empty feeding bottle) are a pair of deadly weapons against crawling insects.
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Knows the primary colors: red, blue, green and yellow; although uses them interchangeably 50% of the time.
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Able to count from 1- 10 (both in English and Spanish) but not necessarily in ascending order.
- Has (finally!!) discovered the pleasure of eating rice.
- Uses the words please, thank you and I love you as appropriate.
Example: Isa pa dede mommy…please?
‘Bili mo ako airplane mommy ha…thank you!
I love you mommy. ‘ Di ka na galit?
- Knows more animals than he has actually seen in the flesh (listed below as Raine calls them):
ipis, langgam, spider, butiki, cat, dog, manok, pig, duck
fish, turtle, shark, crocodile, daga, snake
mammoth, dinosaur, elephant, giraffe, camel, carabao, cow, goat, sheep, horse, tiger, bear, monkey, kangaroo, zebra
- An expert in recognizing different modes of transportation(again listed below as he calls each one): tricycle, bike, motorbike, jeep, car, truck, (hoot-hoot) train, bus, airplane
- Can sing (and dance) …to any tune. (may uido sa music at di sintunado…I swear!)
- Has recemtly adopted expressions like shocks, yucky and ngeh.
Etc…etc…etc. I just can’t help it: I’m one proud momma!!
Uncategorized04 Jul 2005 05:15 pm
lazy weekend
My housekeeper (also Raine’s nanny) doesn’t come on weekends. My choice. I want Raine’s weekends to be exclusively mine. Nothing spectacular really. Except for one breakthrough. I can now read my own book with minor interruptions while my little man reads on his own, or at least pretends to be while trying not to tear up the pages. And then my
article went live on
PinoyExpats.
As much as I enjoy bonding with Raine on weekends, thank God it’s already Monday. Time for me to get back to my other self, before Raine and I drive each other totally crazy.
Uncategorized01 Jul 2005 09:02 am
rainey break
the future songwriter (taken 24 June 2005 at a friend’s house)
…with the future stage mom…he he.
