The Journey. It’s Mine. [My personal take on love, life, parenting and blogging.]

Raine and I finally made it back home on Friday morning. Our supposedly 3 days in Los Baños turned out to be an 8-day stay. I went down with low electrolyte levels while Raine was bugged down with typhoid fever. We didn’t get to see and meet those we were supposed to see and meet, but ended up confined at St. Jude Family Hospital instead!

Though the past week has been rather ‘unpleasant’, it was an opportunity to bond with friends and family that took care of us. You know who you are and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My mother even had to go to LB as well to bring us home.

Tomorrow, Raine is going back to school. I’m still a little light-headed but Raine and I are taking it easy while getting back to our normal routine: school for Raine and work for me. I just hope the next time we try to visit LB, we won’t get sick anymore. Next time…

Raine and I are still in LB. We both got sick and were both confined in the hospital. We’re being discharged later today though. Thanks to everyone for all their love and support.

It’s now official… I’m coming down the boondocks on July 9.

To attend the UPLB-IC Grand Alumni Homecoming in it’s celebration of 100 years of existence.

Of course I’m bringing my derivative: Raine!

But Raine is more excited, because he want to go shopping again. Gosh, I don’t even know If I can insert buying an ls4278. Well of course, I’m just too happy I can see my friends there again.

Excited na kami… 6 na tulog na lang!

Yesterday, I had the longest day ever! It was really crazy… Because I slept early the other night while putting Raine to sleep, I was wide awake really early the following morning - at 3 am! So I decided to go ahead with my online stuff, thinking that I’ll be able to accomplish way much before it’s time to prepare Raine for school at 6 am.

So when 6 am came, I took care of Raine, helped him prepare, brought him to school and I got back excited to get back to writing. However, less than an hour into it…I ended up voice-and-video chatting with a long-lost friend of mine. Before I knew it, it was already time to get ready for Raine’s lunch break.

After lunch, my brother was buzzing my computer when I got back here. He wanted to chat too. So we did. For more than 2 hours! I told you…yesterday was indeed chika day! He he. Anyways, I was able to insert some more blog entries after chatting with my brother. Then it was again time to pick up Raine at school by 4 pm. When we went home together, I still had to take care of Raine first for various things. After which, I cooked/prepared dinner while hand-washing the laundry. Talk about multi-tasking, right?

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Good thing I got up really early today and got a head start with publishing blog entries. Little did I know that my day would be spent chatting away! A huge chunk of my morning was spent video-and-voice chatting with a long-lost friend now working in Qatar. It was really, really nice reconnecting with her. Before I knew it, it was time for Raine’s lunch break.

Then when I got back home after our lunch, my seaman brother was online and wanted to chat as well. So we then spent more than 2 hours of continuous video-and-voice chat on YM. It was really a lot of fun! If only my brother isn’t always too busy we could do this more often. Good thing he got a few hours of break earlier before his night shift.

Now, I should get  back to work! He he.

It has been awhile that I haven’t talked about nor taken a picture of our house, where bulk of my blog money went into at that time when blogging money was at a sky high and we’ve been struck by several typhoons. There was no choice but to build and reconstruct.

We’ve been living at the said house even though it isn’t fully polished yet. Different storms struck us, the boys went back to school and Raine started the big school. The American Recession came and blog money went into a plunge. We had to tighten our belts. Besides, we just gotta eat and send the boys to school.

Miracles happen. After a series of trainings and loans my seaman brother is now a 3rd mate. That wasn’t easy, my mother has to suffer no allotment for six months. Angels came into our lives and helped us survive the trying times. We paid the loans (some we are still paying, but we’re getting there) and tighten our belts some more.

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Indeed better days are over. Starting tomorrow it’s back to my daily grind of waking up very early and preparing Raine for school. Not that I’m complaining. It’s just funny how time flies. Our 3 weeks of vacation is finally over.

What did I do without getting bored you might ask? I read books, novels. IN BED! Ha ha ha. For me that’s just the most blissful thing to do on a vacation, not even staying in cancun hotels will lure me out of that particular “vice”. Finally I had the time to just  read and read without minding the time. As Raine’s been busy with playing and other stuff that kids does on vacation while my mother whips up food in the kitchen. For once it is good to not think of what to eat next nor whether I will prepare the said meal or just eat out.

The highlight of our vacation is of course Raine’s 7th  birthday last December 29. (Pssst mga ninong at ninang, mga tito at tita…wala pa kayong gift kay Raine! He he he. Puede namang ipadala na lang, o kaya email me, laging naka-ready details ng bank account ko. Ha ha ha!!)

But then the summer vacation is something to look forward to as well.

Today is officially Raine’s last day of formal school this year. Tomorrow will all be merry making: Christmas parties and stuff. He doesn’t even have to wear a uniform tomorrow. Just one of his casual clothes.

While this blog don’t get updated in the next three weeks (classes resume January 11, 2010), that means we are having fun having a quiet holidays in the barrio.

So if I don’t get to greet you, I’ll do it already: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. All my best wishes through the coming new year.

Being sick was a blessing in disguise.

Even though we’re broke, I’m at my happiest with my family and my friends.

I wish the victims of Ondoy will find their happy times too even in the midst of a twin-typhoon threat.

We found happy times after milenyo.

On October 16, our family was blessed with this little bundle:

My first niece.

buti pa nung maliiit…di ka pa nag-uutos presentado na.

ngayon utusan mo…GRABE ANG MAKTOL bago sumunod!

kambal yan, di si raine.

Now that I’ve been spending lots of time with my family…I can feel the 15-year gap between me and kambal. Like if they say that some band sang some song. Nooooo…that’s an Apo Hiking Society original.

Then while watching Narnia: Prince Caspian…I was trying to figure out the voice of Asland. I think it’s Liam Neeson’s voice. (I’m not sure though). Then I asked: do you guys know who was the voice of Mufasa in The Lion KIng?

Ate…we haven’t seen The Lion King.

NYeh!

What???!!! You guys haven’t seen The Lion King????

Di nyo kilala si Simba??!!! James Earl Jones, annnnuuuuu baaaaaaa???

And I said all those like not having seen The Lion King is sacrilege.

And the two were staring at me like I’m from Mars.

2-day intrams.

weekend.

monday holiday.

woohoo.

we stay home that long.

for sure sleep.

for sure pig out.

maybe hit the nearest beach?

we’ll see…

Yesterday I received the greatest news ever.

My old time college dorm friend and her daughter has been approved for U.S. petition.

My friend got married (2nd time) earlier this year to an American Special Ed Teacher.

That friend of mind never had it easy with relationships. She had her first marriage (to a Pinoy) annulled years back.

The whole process was of course painful, stressful and not to mention uber-expensive. (Which she shouldered all of course because she was the one who filed for it.)

Eventually, she won full costudy of her very pretty and smart daughter.

Now they’re moving to the U.S. to start anew with family life. I’m sooo happy for them both.

Finally i have a group of moms in Raine’s school. After lunch time today, I hanged out with them for an-hour-and-a-half.

You know…just talking about life and parenting in general. Almost 3 months later and I finally belong.

It’s good hanging out with other moms. For one, you’ll finally find out that you are not alone. Today I found out that there are other kids worse than Raine. I mean mas malikot at makulit. Mahirap gisingin sa umaga. Maarte sa ulam, etc, etc.

I feel so relieved!

Besides, I need to hang out with others aged waaayyy over 6 (or 7).

Whatdoyouthink?

Raine’s first quarter examination started this afternoon. There’s another one tomorrow afternoon and the last part is on Saturday morning.

While that gives me more time to get online and finish my blogging committments, that means I cannot catch the Friday night teleserye at home.

Raine is raring to go home. He miss playing with his playmates in our neighborhood. He misses lola a lot too.

Oh well…he’s got YEARS of exams to go.

Si Glenn Carlo. 2 years younger than Raine. Will be turning 5 this coming October. He is Raine’s best playmate.

It’s just that they live far away from us. Raine can’t seem to get enough of him.

Super suplado nga lang ang batang ito!

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In lieu of Fathers’ Day…I’ve just realized that all my brothers are fathers now.

Read on to find out.

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I spent the weekend in Manila and Southern Tagalog. I flew on noon of Saturday and came back on Monday morning. I took the Ceb Pac 6 am flight to Legaspi City.

By 130 pm on Saturday I was at the SM Mall of Asia. Originally, I planned on catching a movie but there wasn’t enough time. I had lunch first at Tokyo, Tokyo and it was already 230 by the time I’m done. (Ang haba ng pila!) I was just killing time until a couple of my uplb chemsoc sisses arrived to pick me up at a little past 4. Before that I took a quick round at the MOA SM Department Store and killed the rest of my time in front of the Go Nuts Donuts store. I bought a box of their good donuts and sipped my iced tea for some 1.5 hours. Yes, mahirap maghintay but it was all worth it.

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Not that I forgot…Raine and I have been greeting Lola Happy Mothers’ Day since Saturday night. With matching hugs and kisses from Raine.

I was still asleep on Sunday morning when the txts keep coming in my cellphone.  Everyone, greeting me HMD! Thanks everyone, just in case I forgot to reply.

Another important day was last Saturday — would have been Papa’s 63rd birthday. Nagluto kami ni Mama, and we just celebrated quietly within the family.

Belated happy mothers’ day to all you moms out there!

Last week, one of twins (the older one, Nat) graduated with a degree in IT. Of course my mother had tears of joy. If my father is still alive, he’d have more tears than my mother. Of course, his dream was for all his kids to finish college, after which bahala ka na sa buhay mo.

Next year, the other twin will be graduating too with a degree in Marine Engineering. How’s that with a father who was a jeepney driver? Well…he had big dreams even if he had a hole in his pocket. The very reason I was sent to college, was not only so I can have a better life later, but also so that my siblings can have a shot at college too.

Well…his dreams are coming true. Nat asked me: Ano na gagawin ko ngayon Ate? Well…sabi ko: welcome to the world of the unemployed. Maghanap ka ng trabaho! It is easier these days because you can apply online. When I started, me and my classmates had to walk inside the Canlubang Industrial Estate to give our resumes to the guard. Of course, they won’t let you in, you didn’t have an appointment, so you gotta have to deal with the guard at the gate. And who can forget? I don’t buy newspapers…but I buy the Sunday Edition of The Manila Bulletin just to check out the job ads. Consequently, I sent all sorts of job application by snail mail!

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It has always been…like Christmas holiday, holy week is like a family reunion in my family. However, I have to admit, that those years I was in LB, I did not come home always on Christmases and holy weeks. I especially hate coming home on holy week because of the congestion in all terminals and in the buses as well. My parents must have hated me for not coming home. Those days, I preferred being alone in the holidays or spending it with other people, mostly my friends and their families. Not always though, 85% of the time I came home.

Now I appreciate the fact that my brother comes home with his family on holy weeks. We just all hang out, eating together and talking a lot about stuff.  Raine is specially happy that he can play with his cousin. I also appreciate his presence, it’s fun to have another kid in the house, beside Raine.

They’ve been here since Sunday and are leaving on Saturday. Yet, we haven’t been to the beach yet. We just got contented hanging out around the house: cooking, eating, etc. Obviously we don’t fast! He he. But we don’t pig out either…

So I realized that you don’t have to be somewhere else for the holidays like this holy week. You can even be home together with your family to have fun. That’s just what matters, really.

…my lola that is! Her (fourth) husband died this morning. May he rest in peace. He must be a good guy for marrying my lola — a woman with 5 kids already before him. He was a man with few words, a soft-spoken guy as opposed to my lola’s big bellowing voice.

When my father died, I haven’t seen my lola cried. Now I haven’t seen her cry yet. Maybe she cries in private. Or maybe she is too strong her tearducts are too proud. Or maybe death isn’t new to her, husband number 3 died too. She separated with husband number 1, they were both too young (only 15) so the parents intervened and didn’t agree on one thing. Husband number 2 was just a fling, they didn’t live together eventhough they have one child. Husband number 4 made an honest woman out of her, married her in church even!

If there is one good thing about my lola is that she is a survivor and never gave up on love. She must be a hopeless romantic. I hope with husband number 4, she found what she is looking for.

I paid my respects. Gave abuloy too. Unica Hija is sending money for the funeral…too bad she cannot come home this time. She was just home last November.  We notified the other kids too…I hope they all come to pay their respects.

One only good thing with death is, it relieves the person of physical suffering. He has been bed-ridden in the past six months…may he truly rest in peace.

I’ve talked about some pesty relatives. Last week, the family moved out of our compound and are now living near the road. Ganyan ang mga “squatter” dito, sa tabi sila ng kalsada nakatira. While we can now breathe easily, we are still on the look out because they don’t live too far away. We can’t be too careful if magnanakaw na ang pinag-uusapan.

Well anyway…I told my mother never to let anybody else live in our small land. However pitiful she might feel of other relatives. Because in the end, it is us that ends up under a bad light. Besides, this is a property that my parents got when we were kids. These people around us are my father’s maternal half-siblings. The pestier of them all? Their mother. My lola.

My father is her eldest and since my father graduated from elementary school, he has been working to support her and her other kids as she move from one husband to the next. She had 4 by the way and bore kids of each one. Now the fourth husband is nanghihingalo na…and she still expects that her kids support her. Guess what? Ako daw ang pumalit sa tatay ko dahil wala na sya! As if lagi akong may surplus! Imagine, merong karampot na nakukuhang SSS pension si mama and she wants a part of it too. Ang kapal talaga ng mukha! The one that is regularly supporting her these days is her unica hija na working as DH in KSA. That woman was married and have 5 kids. Her mother urged her to separate from her husband. Too bad she listened to her mother. But good thing for my lola dahil imbes na yung 5 anak ang padalhan ng pera…siya ang pinapadalhan every month! Matuk mo yan?! Grabe talaga. Three ofher kids, napahiwalay nya sa asawa!

When i started working, I used to send her money…until my mother has to intercept the money because my lola wants to have everything she sees in our kitchen. Sya ang perfect example ng linta. She had many kids because she wants her kids to work at a young age so that they can support her. The husbands she had? Mga wala namang matinong hanapbuhay! Ayy ambot! Since my mother married my father…she succumbed to all my lola’s whims…lahat na ibinigay sa kanya. Isusubo na lang ng magulang ko, ibibigay pa sa kanya. Ang ending? Laging masamang manugang si mama ko. In fact, all her manugangs are bad, according to her! She really is mukhang pera, dahil love ka lang nya pag inaaabutan mo sya ng pera.

I told myself several times I’m not gonna give her money anymore. Because I am a witness to how badly she and her other kids treat my mother. However, dahil kadugo mo nga, lalo na’t gurangis na…tuwing humingi binibigyan ko pa rin. Lahat ng nilutong ulam dito sa bahay, may kaparte sya. Ganyan kami kasama!

Well I cannot choose my grandmother…my father wouldn’t have been born if it wasn’t for her. Then I’d probably wouldn’t be here in this world, if it wasn’t for her. But that’s just the ties that binds her to me. Nothing more. Not even love. Because I don’t love her at all.

It’s already the end of February and it’s a Saturday. Tomorrow is March and officially the start of summer here. But it still rains at night and the late afternoons. On the other hand, Raine’s class is already practicing songs for their moving-up ceremony. Raine is also memorizing his line: ‘when i grow up, I want to be a doctor’. Yey! I hope he is serious about the doctor thing. When he arrived at home yesterday, he was regretting he didn’t choose ‘policeman’. Honesty, I’d rather he be a doctor than a policeman!

Today is Abby’s birthday. She is officially a year older than me. Abby is Raine’s ninang and one of my oldest friends. She is now in Dubai, trying her luck out there. I last saw her in April 2007 when she and Gemma came over to visit me and Raine here in bicol. I miss all of my friends. I don’t have much of a social life out here. If going to Sorsogon for my groceries and bringing Raine to Jollibee is a social life, then that’s all I get these days.

Time flies. Soon Raine will be in first grade. Soon he’ll have a social life of his own. He’s finding new friends and new activities. I hope he doesn’t forget about his mommy who lives on a hug and a kiss from him.

I may miss my old life and friends but I am contented right here, right now with my life with Raine. Time indeed flies and it brings us to places we haven’t thought of before.