Mika now speaks in complete sentences with practically no baby talk. Had she not been my daughter I'd probably think I was speaking to a 5-year old, not a toddler.

Afternoon last Sunday we took a walk around the village. We chatted about anything and everything we passed.

Midway she began performing the Wowowee routine, complete with the hand sweeping under the chin action.

I said, "Wala nang Wowowee, Pom, Pilipinas Win na Win na."

"Wala na?" She asked.
"Wala na."

"Wala na si Pokwang?"
"Nandu'n pa si Pokwang. Si Willie ang wala na."

"Wala na si Willie?
"Wala na."

"Ubos na siya?"

In between laughing hard and hugging her at the same time I replied, "Hindi, lumipat lang siya!" :) Awww... baby pa talaga siya. :) Then again, she'd always be my baby.

Mika's turning 7 months old next week. That means I've breastfed about 1,960 times, produced about 11,520 ounces (about 350 liters) of milk and flashed my breasts in public about 400 times. (See. I know that'd get your attention!)


The upside is Mika's growing to be a very healthy baby. She hasn't been sick a day in the last six months (well, except for the flu she got from me, which by the way was an epidemic at the time). From time to time she shows the beginnings of a cold, but that quickly goes away and she's her normal, bubbly self.


She's not fat but by golly, she's heavy! She weighed a little over 8 kgs last time we checked. Now she HOPS a lot (with support) and moves around in her walker.


For me, breastfeeding meant not having to get up at all to prepare her a bottle, which meant better and longer sleep at night. (Which is VERY IMPORTANT!) There are no bottles to wash and sterilize, which meant less water and electricity costs. I've also become healthier from all Vitamin A, B, C, Calcium and Iron I got from the malunggay I'm ingesting.


But my favorite bit about breastfeeding is the dramatic weight loss!

I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, which meant I lost about 20lbs! I now fit into my old pants! Yay! (That even if I do eat a lot!)

Jenn is right. Breastfeeding is best not only for babies but for mommies too! :)

I know one day I'm apt to forget, so I'm memorializing the bits and pieces of my adventure as a third-time mom:

1. It was in the early morning of August 24, 2007 when I learned through a pregnancy test taken in the car (can't wait till I got home, brought the sample with me pa... hehehe) that yup, I was going to be mom once more. I went, "Oh no, what have I done?" out of sheer surprise. I thought my repro system's a basket case.

2. This baby was brought to you by -- Chinese green tea. I got hooked by the taste, gave up coffee, drank it in the morning, after lunch, in the afternoon and after dinner, and the next thing I knew, my cycles sort of regularized. (Although now we know it was beyond the sort of level.)

3. We had decided to put off telling the boys about the pregnancy till the baby bump showed to a) shorten the anticipation/waiting time and b) make the news more effective with a visual aid. We told a friend however and she let it slip, over dinner at The Bellevue. Gambel stopped eating right away and Jam went, "Buntis ka, mommy? Hala! Buntis ka? Buntis ka, mommy? Buntis ka?...." until I threatened to stab him with my butter knife. :)

4. While I ate bangus at every possible opportunity during my first trime, it was Mike who had the cravings for Chicago White Pizza at Sbarro (and so we were there at every possible excuse). He was wiping out bags of Mrs. Fields' cookies. This is news because Mike was never a sweet tooth before this pregnancy, and was avoiding pizza because of his cholesterol count.

5. Were it not for the ultrasound results that said I'm having a girl, I would have sworn this is a boy. She kicks and moves and jabs more and stronger than the kuyas before her!

6. And now, it's official. Annamika is Miss Banana-Q. She demands it and kicks like there's no tomorrow if she doesn't get her fill at the usual time. :) And she likes Amazing Race, prepping up and moving about when she hears the Amazing Race segue. :)

7. Insomnia, or waking at 2 am. Estrogen induced itching and pantal showing up at no particular time or place, sometimes looking like continents on my back, redness between my fingers, swelling of my fingertips like I was bee-stung. Bummer is when the itch occurs at hard to reach areas at a time when everybody else is asleep. Alangan namang manggising ako.

8. No hunger pangs or cravings as was with my two boys. Just #7.

9. There's a 5-week difference between the baby's age as of my LMP and the first ultrasound scan results. Doc's basing the count on the ultrasonologic age.

10. As I sat at the lounge by the lab waiting for my blood tests the lady beside me asked, "Buntis din kayo?" and I nodded. She asked, "Ilang months?" and I replied, "six weeks." She looked at my belly and exclaimed, "Ang laki!"

Fighting the urge to strangle her for her indiscretion and utter lack of tact (not to mention I was really feeling crabby), I said, pinching my mid-section "Bilbil lang 'yan!"

"Gambel, what's this, bakit hindi tapos ito?"

His notes ate only half of the first page, the last line hanging in a midsentence: 'Mga batang Pilipino...'

"Because I'm in a hurry to get home."

"And why is that?"

"So I can rest."

Mom's ESP came through: "Uh-huh. You're not in a hurry to get home to rest. You're hurrying so you can play GameBoy."

The words 'Pag nainis ako itatago ko yang GameBoy' hung in the air.

But she bit her lip and asked instead, "Why aren't you copying teacher's notes?"

Silence. Then a shrug.

"How can mommy help you? Why are you having trouble copying from the board? Di mo ba makita?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm at the BACKEST." He quickly brushed off the tear that fell as he said this.

"Oh, you're at the backest? Do you want me to write teacher a note? Do you want me to ask her to move you closer to the board?" She asked, looking him in the eye.

"Yes," he said, his eyes more hopeful now.

She smiled a half-smile as she drew him close into a hug, overwhelmed by the delight of his innocent attempt at grammar, and the sadness over his powerlessness over a seating arrangement. She had wanted to tell him about the real world and how things could be worse than being at the backest; that someday even if she wanted to, a million notes to teacher couldn't help him with his battles.

Instead she stroked his hair and prayed, that the quiet reassurance she was giving him that moment would sow strength and confidence for when the world becomes his to face and conquer.

We went for one last road trip before the year ended and drove up to Baguio on Dec. 30. It's been almost 10 years since I've been to Baguio; it is the second time for JAM, and the first for Gabriel and my nieces.

The rest of the story's here.

November 1, 2006

Dear Mommy,

We went Trick O' Treatin' yesterday at Ayala Alabang. Jam dressed as Count Dracula while Gambel was the fattest and cutest Berdugo you'd ever see. I bought both costumes at SM. I initially planned on making them myself, kaya lang di na kinaya ng powers ko. Besides, P250.00 lang naman each. Nilagyan ko na lang ng make-up si Jam.

(Funny thing was, when we bought their costumes, nagpunta kami sa fitting room so I can see kung kasya kay Gambel. Nung naisuot na, I asked him to check himself in the mirror which was outside the fitting room. Pagbukas ng pinto at pagkakita niya sa reflection niya napaatras siya... siya mismo nagulat at natakot sa itsura niya. Hahaha.)

Biglang di na kasya ang halloween costume ni Robyn from last year. Buti na lang may shirt siyang black so I took off from there. I initially wanted to make her up as Rogue (ng X-Men) kaya lang red ang hairspray ko. Crunch time na din kasi we got to AAV about 3pm and by then ang dami nang umiikot, takot yung mga batang maubusan so they were raring to go. So mabilisan na ang make-up session. Good thing I bought claws as an extra for Jam, and she was able to use it. Then I thickened her eyebrows and reddened her face. Andre wore her fairy costume from last year, so there was no need to make her ugly or scary. Buti din Gambel didn't need any face make-up...

Mom Writes Back:

Pinag-costume din kami ng halloween sa pinagtatrabahohan ko. Ayokong gumasta kaya bumili lang ako ng sombrero ng witch. May nakakabit sa sombrero na green na buhok, mahaba. Nagsuot ako ng long skirt na black at saka sweat shirt na black. Mukha rin akong witch--good witch nga lang daw sabi nila. One remarked, "Isn't she gorgeous?" Pati iyong mga matatandang residente tuwang tuwa sa amin. (Taray ng nanay ko, no? Beauteous pa din. Sayang walang pic.)

Si Erin pala dinala rin nila dun lola sa kabila kasi may trick o treat din doon para daw makita ng mga naka costume. Di ko alam kung natuwa rin si Erin.

Ang ganda nung pictures. I will see kung may mabibili pa akong costumes at masks dito, in preparation for next year. Marami din ba silang napag trick or treat-an?

Mom


My reply:

Yes, madami din silang napag-trick o' treat-an. Ang sisipag ngang maglakad bigla, ang laki ng Ayala Alabang pero halos nagalugad namin ON FOOT. (Eh kasi ba naman, di na kami nasundan ni Bitoy. Buti sila, naka-flats. Eh akong naka-heels? Di naman ako makapag-flats kasi di na malalaman kung sino ang mommy.... Although on second thought, sana nga pala nag-flats na lang ako.... hehehehe)

Enjoy din kasi marami ding nag-take ng effort na mag-participate, they decorated their homes at yung iba, mismong yung mga may-ari (na naka-costume din) ang nagbibigay ng goodies. (This is noteworthy kasi sa ibang bahay, mga dh na lang ang naga-abot.)



Meron pa nga kaming napuntahan na complete with a pirate ship, treasure at pirates pa. That's them (top, left) with one of the 'pirates'.


Meron din na naka-suot pang-belly dancing yung mga LALAKI. Natatawa tuloy yung apat, si Gambel paglapit sa akin pagkakuha ng goodies, sabi, "Mommy, bading yung nagbigay sa akin!" Natawa ako, sabi ko, "Hindi, costume nila 'yun!"

Karamihan, candy ang ibinigay, although there were standouts -- those who gave ice cream, cotton candy, plastic fangs and juice or flavored milk to the trick-o-treaters. The chip of the day was Oishi. Si Gambel nga, pagkakitang Oishi uli, sinabihan yung dh: "Thank you, may Oishi na ako e!" Sabay ipinakita yung Oishi niyang malinggit, samantalang XL yung Oishi na iniaabot sa kanya! Doink!

My Reply, Continued

We decided not to go to the cemetery nung Nov. 1, kasi nga wala si Mike at 'yung ibang puedeng mag-drive magsisiuwi din para dumalaw sa kanilang dearly departed. Nagpunta na rin kami nung 22 (anniversary ni dad) so sa Sunday (Nov. 5) na lang uli.

Supposedly ngayong gabi pa lang ang balik ni Mike from China pero pina-rebook nya at nag-chance passenger siya last night, dun sa last flight from HK (9 pm). Supposedly 11 pm ang dating. Around 10:30 pa lang, nandoon na kami. Eh kaso, PAL ang sinakyan (sayang kasi ang miles...) so late na dumating. 12:07am lumapag, ala-una na nakalabas ng airport...

Nag-worry ako for a while about his flight kasi nga nung dumating kami, 10:30 na nga pero ang flight status na naka-display, TENTATIVE. Yung isang flight galing Korea na mas late umalis, naka-DEFINITE na ang status.

Natakot ako kasi naman si Andre nung in-announce ko na matutuloy na si Mike umuwi, sabi, "Magdasal tayo para kay daddy Mike," so 'kako, sige, tapos magkaharap kaming umupo sa kama tapos nagdasal na siya --

"Lord, sana po bantayan mo si Daddy Mike, sana po wag siyang masaktan pag NAG-CRASH ang airplane niya, sana po wala siyang sugat pag NAG-CRASH ang airplane niya, sana po di siya matakot pag---"

Nakialam na ako: "Sana po WAG MAG-CRASH ang airplane niya!!"

Ayun. Salamat at dininig ni Lord ang panalangin ko!

--Len :)

Now it's Jam's turn to show off. :) It isn't always that he agrees to be part of a school production, so this is really big deal for me. :) I took the morning off and postponed my usual Monday Tour of the Banks just so I can be at stage left taking footage. :) Come watch the video.

I shed a few tears of joy today, after being mightily proud of my boy, Gabriel, who was a trouper in a song number he performed with his classmates.

They performed the same number last Friday for the school program on Nutrition Month, but as always, since he's the biggest boy in class, Gabriel was put in the back row and I didn't get a clear video shot.

Thankfully, this morning they had a repeat at the JCRBCF worship service.* Watch the video and read the rest of the story in StageMother.

April 29, 2006

We're off! The whole family, including my nieces Robyn and Andre, hied off for an escapade in Subic. We left San Pedro at 2pm. Jeng and her family were in another car, behind us by an hour, and we were supposed to meet up at the Petron service station in NLEX. We got to NLEX at past 3 o'clock and stayed for a while for refreshments. Later we opted to move on with the drive, so we can secure a cottage for the night.


The trip was pretty uneventful until we got to Bacolor-Lubao stretch in Pampanga, where we got ourselves into unmoving traffic. Apparently it was the town fiesta and the streets were pretty busy. We spent over an hour navigating through these towns, most of the time driving off-road.
We finally got to Dinalupihan, and then Olongapo by 7 pm. The kids have by then tired of asking, "Are we there yet?" and we were all hungry for dinner. But we decided to drive on, again in the interest of securing a cottage, and starting the bonfire we had looked forward to.
Finally, we got to Baloy Beach in Bo. Barreto, 133 kms from Manila.
There we got the shock of our lives -- the cottages were full. The parking spaces were brimming. We were offered a seedy cottage for the night for P7,000. I wanted to kick myself for taking the risk of a long travel without guaranteed accommodations. There, I kicked myself.
The second option, which was the next best thing, was to get a picnic hut. We needed a roof over our heads for the night, and at least a place to sit and stretch our legs... as we wait for Jeng and her family to arrive and compound our accommodation problem. :(
We were shown the picnic hut area and I almost fainted.
There, every nook and cranny was taken, and everywhere were bare-chested, drunken men. Certainly interesting view for children, eh?
And where will we sleep? (On the bamboo table, the keeper said.) Can I really sleep with all these people and all this racket around? Where are the restrooms? And do I really need to compete with all these people for shower tomorrow?
And what do I tell Jeng?
A long day, a growling stomach, FOUR restless kids, the embarassment of dragging a friend into incovenience, the prospect of sleeping in full view of at least a hundred people -- it was impossible to think straight.
Yet somehow I found the energy to ask the keeper to find us a less populated area, and there haggled for a "short-time" stay. I asked him to take our P500 (give him P700, Mike said), allow us to have dinner at the hut then keep it for us for a few hours while we look for a place for the night. He was to keep the P700 if we were not back by 10pm. If we didn't find a place to stay, we'd pay for the rest of the rent for the hut.
By then Mike was relentlessly attacking the Pinakbet I packed for dinner. The kids were left to their devices with the munchies.
We left the maids to cook rice, packed the kids and drove off to nearby hotels. We went to White Rock, which we assumed to be less populated because it was more costly, and to Ocean View, (at opposite ends of Barrio Barretto) but both were full. The whole country must have decided to go to Subic for Labor Day weekend!
I called Jeng, who was in Olongapo by then, summarized the circumstances we found ourselves in at Baloy, and asked her to please find for themselves a place for the night. We've decided to head back to Olongapo to find a hotel there, and we drove back to Baloy to collect the maids.
Luckily, Mike suggested we drive past the crowded huts and scout for a vacant cottage along the stretch of the beach. And hallelujah, we found not one, but two! Only they were on limited lease; the house, where the airconditioned rooms were, has been reserved for use 10 am the following day; the beachfront cottage was reserved for 1pm. More haggling and more pleading, but I got it for us. They were miles better from the first house I was offered, and we got the two houses for P7,000. I called Jeng and told her the relief.
Mike (aka resident Boy Scout) started the bonfire in no time. (We bought the firewood along the highway in Lubao, Pampanga and stacked them under my legs in the front seat. You could imagine how it added to the day's exhaustion.)

(Continued)

We were roasting hotdogs and marshmallows when Jeng and her family arrived.

Later we settled in the other house, which we found to be roach-infested, and where only one room had A/C. So we -- six kids, four adults -- slept in one room, using Jeng's sleeping bag and and cushions we had dragged from the living room sofa.

There's Got to be a Morning After

Mike and I got up early (4 am) and decided to take a stroll by the beach. I wanted to take pictures of the sunrise.

To our surprise, a sea of humanity was (already) in the water. People from the overly crowded picnic hut area we spurned the night before must have skipped sleep and spent the night swimming! (Wow!)

We walked away from the people power crowd, enjoying the sweet morning air. Then we met a boy of about 9 years carrying a plastic basin of squid. How Mike is about squid, and how I am about child vendors -- we ended up buying the whole lot of squid that was in the basin!
No ref -- so we ended up cleaning the squid -- and missing shots of the sunrise. Geez.


Rise and Shine!

The deal with the house keeper was that I'd get everyone out of the house and into the beachfront hut by 7am, so Mike and I went back to the house and kicked everyone out of bed. :)

The kids happily got up and rushed to the beach and spent hours kayaking, scuba diving, jet skiing, windsurfing -- oh wait, that's not us! -- I mean, swimming, building sandcastles and playing tag. :)


Joy Ride
After lunch of grilled squid, chicken and pork barbecue, grilled fish and adobo, we set out for a boat ride.

Our boat headed east, past the White Castle (yup, in the middle of the bay; rumored to be the backdrop of the then whisky commercial) and on to the islet where a defunct lighthouse was.
The islet had an artificial beach, which opens to swimmers for a P10.00 entrance fee. We droppped in, Jeng and the kids searching for pebbles for her collection, moi taking pictures as usual.
And where was Mike? Him who has called it a day for swimming and has showered and dressed, stayed on the rocky breakwater ledges, happily protected by my buri hat and Rel's shades.
Then we packed up and headed north, past Snake Island /Pamana Island.
The return to the Baloy beach was tricky. The current had changed and we had to drive counterstream, crashing oncoming waves. Mike, who has seen larger waves and worse sea conditions in Davao assured me there was nothing to it. I still made a silent prayer, then called my Mom out loud when a rather big wave splashed onto us.
When we got back to the beach the changing current had colored the water brown, and had brought in considerable flotsam. All four parents warned the kids in unison --"Wala nang magsi-swimming!!"
So we herded the flock back to the cottage and eating re-ensued, this time a happy snacking on fish balls and kikiam. And part 4 of my adobo. :)
We left the beach at 2pm, bracing ourselves for another 133-kilometer drive back to Manila. (Plus a few more to San Pedro.)
The kids had their zzzzs.
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PS - There would have been more pictures here -- shots taken at the Parola; view shots; the kids during the ride back to Manila-- but for some strange, unexplainable reason, the pictures I post did not and do not appear after uploading. I've tried many times and during many sessions, the reason why this continuation has been delayed. :(

Armed with only a roadmap and our sense of adventure, we set out for our first lakwacha for this summer: a fishing adventure in Lake Caliraya. We set out to join my friend Jeng and her family who had gone ahead to Lagos del Sol resort in Cavinti, Laguna.

The first number in our program: LUNCH

We left the house at 10 am, took the SLEX from San Pedro to the Calamba exit, then the national highway going to Los Baños. We got to Bay, Laguna around noontime, so we stopped over at Kamayan sa Palaisdaan.



We enjoyed Pinaputok na Tilapia, Tinola and boiled vegetables in one of the floating nipa huts.

For crying out loud! We would have ended in Lucban, Quezon had we driven further on!


To the Rear, March!

Getting the look from me, Mike said, "Di bale, di ba, road adventure 'to?"

I managed an irap and a "hmp."

So we turned around and headed back to the church where we should have turned left to Caliraya in the first place. Driving eastward we passed by the town of Lumban, by the numerous embroidery and footwear shops. Then we met a Y in the road and took the right fork, because there was big sign that pointed to Lagos del Sol.

We drove uphill again for another 15 minutes or so, until we were greeted by a "Welcome to Bgy. Lewin, Cavinti, Laguna." (So the address in the website was right afterall.) Finally we caught sight of the lake, and all three boys (the father included) wanted to get in the first resort we passed. I had to remind them we were going to Lagos del Sol.

Lakes of the Sun

Finally, we got to Lagos del Sol a little past 2pm.

The boys got right down to business as soon as we met up with Jeng and her kids. The first catch was an eensy-weensy ayungin, caught immediately as soon as Mike threw the line. The fishes must be really hungry, considering that we only used day-old bread as bait.



Two and a half hours later, we managed this catch: isang maliit na tilapia, at tatlong biya. Oh well. We enjoyed the sights, breeze, the baiting, the waiting and the chatting anyway. :)


Driving Home
You'd think we've seen enough road for the day after that long trek that ended us up in Luisiana, but no, SuperMike brought us to another road adventure on the way home.

Anticipating heavy traffic on the national highway in the Los Baños area (day swimmers would be trekking home too), he made a left turn somewhere that led us through some barangays of Bay and up Mt. Makiling, where we passed kilometers of steam pipes traversing the sides of the mountain.

Getting to the mountaintop we passed by the Chevron Makiling-Banahaw (Mak-Ban) Geothermal Power Plant.

That sidetrip led us to Sto. Tomas, Batangas where the boys finally awoke and started demanding dinner. We hauled ourselves to the nearest Rose and Grace restaurant and had some bulalo, fried tawilis, and "tempura."

Getting home at around 8pm, the boys regaled our househelp with stories of their fishing adventure, proudly showing the ice chest containing their catch, egging Mike for a repeat in between.

Mike said, "Sige, sa Subic naman."

"Summer time, summer time, when all little kids can be naughty again..." --Bugs Bunny


We went swimming with my friend Jeng and her family at the Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite on March 26. The kids and the daddies frolicked in the sun, while the mommies chatted and ate chichirya. :)
Three hours later, the kids unbelievably tanned, and all of us with worked up appetites, we headed to LZM Bulalo restaurant upon the suggestion of Jeng's husband, Rel, who is a regular there. Apart from a bowl of steaming Bulalo we enjoyed a large fried daing na bangus, some ampalaya con carne and fried chicken. Two thumbs up for everything. (Thanks Rel and Jeng for bringing us there.)
Great times beg for more, so we found ourselves hatching plans for another outing, this time an overnight swimming escapade in Subic. :P

I TAUGHT BIOLOGY for a while at the High School department of Siena College QC. The sister of an orgmate at Buklod had a miscarriage and they needed someone to take over the lessons for the classes she handled. Being ready and available (I was graduating, with only 6 units on load) I substituted for 2 months. Those two months were to change my life.

I was tasked to handle two sections, and the order of the next two weeks was to teach them the rudiments of Mitosis, Meiosis and the concepts of Sexual Reproduction and prepare them for the upcoming third quarterly exams. Tall order, if I may say so, considering my audience was your bright eyed, exclusive-school bred sophomores who were the least interested in Biology, or the first two topics (though I could see they were fairly interested in the third ;) and Siena College, sister school of my HS alma mater, breathed heavily of my Dominican sister orientation. In other words, while I was already a UP liberal, and tempted to deliver my lessons matter-of-factly, the matters of fact had to be delivered tactfully and with matters of Catholic school orientation considered. The sisters were watching, and I cannot disgress or offend. :)

Anyhow, much to my disdain, class participation in the first few days left much to be desired. Clearly, the kids weren't reading the books their parents spent hard-earned money for (and mind you, being Iskolar ng Bayan this offended my sensibilities no end), and the previous lessons I tried to review/refer back to occupied space, but had no weight in their minds. Goodness gracious great balls of fire.

There I was, your 19-year old rookie, facing two sections of 30 14-year olds on a daily basis, armed with nothing but my stock knowledge of Bio, my experience of once being a 14 year old, and my idealistic views of what teaching should be. I had two choices: play hard ball, get conventional and limit myself to the expectations tied to my P4,000 a month salary; or get creative and answer the higher calling of proving my worth as a teacher, the measly salary and the daily hassle of commuting from San Pedro to Munoz, Munoz to SFDM, and back, be damned. Which path do you think did I choose?

The road less travelled, of course. I knew that it was not my job to feed them information, but that it was my higher calling as a teacher to create the atmosphere that will stimulate their desire to seek, digest and retain information.

So, I decided to get creative. Drawing from my sophomore experience (where Marsha and I spent countless times in the library poring over foreign language books to learn to say "I Love You" in as many languages as possible) I made a deal with my students. If we could finish with our lessons early, say 15 minutes ahead of time, I'd teach them French in those extra 15 minutes, I said. To seal the deal, I would have to see active class discussions and do well in the daily quizzes for the next three days. I closed my pitch with "C'est presque Valentines. Ne ferait-il pas beau de saluer votre petits-amis en utilisant une langue romantique?" (It's almost Valentines. Wouldn't it be nice to greet your crushes using a romantic language?) They all nodded excitedly.

And so in the next 3 days, I had the time of my life, excitedly discussing the concepts in the way I learned from one of the best teachers in the world, Mrs. Madrinan, being peppered with questions and comments and then giving quizzes in the fun and interesting formula I learned from another great teacher, B-Ann Echevarria... crossword puzzles, draw a smiley face if true, sad face if false, complete the story, etc., and in between tests, a romantic or funny movie quote or cartoon is there to motivate the students to go on. It was the first time I heard a room full of students giggling while taking a test. And the first time I've actually been asked excitedly, "Miss, kelan ang next quiz?"

Needless to say, the next seven weeks were a blur...time flies when you're having fun. In the course of academic discussions and teaching them "Je m'appelle Sabine, comment vous s'appelez vous?" and "C'est un beau jour. Aimez-vous faire un tour avec moi?" I got to know them better, being treated to the priviledge of learning their dreams, feelings, sentiments, crushes, love quarrels, homo relationships (which shocked me, coming from a CoEd school), family problems... and we ended up friends. There were tears on my last day...theirs openly, mine secretly as I gathered my things in the faculty room.

While we managed to keep contact open in the succeeding months, getting frequent phone calls and letters, the demands of school life (for them) and graduation (for me) separated us temporarily at first, then life's changes eventually broke our ties. I still miss them though and wonder what have become of the class that taught ME many things about life.

June 01, 2005

Comments
Wishing I was in that class. :D
Posted by: Jolette June 4, 2005 10:37 AM

Now, this part of your life I did not know. I'm sure there's more and thank God for your Blogs I'm learning more about you. It is a pleasure knowing you Anne.
Posted by: Sheryl June 27, 2005 06:20 PM

Thanks, Che and Jolette for the nice comments, I hope I deserve them. :) It's also a pleasure knowing you, Che. You're one of the reasons I feel blessed. :)
Posted by: Anneski July 4, 2005 06:20 PM

My brothers used to joke that I didn't have one athletic bone in my body. At the time k'se that they were hitting the tennis courts I was content staying at home, baking, experimenting with recipes, or writing as usual. But the joke isn't entirely true of course. I play volleyball, and have lately discovered the fun of billiards while on a date with Mike last Friday.

Oh, forget Bowling. This is one Nepomuceno who can't. Or perhaps the balls were just too heavy? There was no ball lighter than 10 in sight when we played so I had to contend myself with what we had...no swinging, just aiming...and getting frustrated... Kaquilala did better than Nepomuceno. Nepomuceno put up a fight in Billiards later though and amazed Kaquilala, who knew that it was Nepomuceno's first ever billiard game in her whole life. Fast learner? :)

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Saturday was Barbecue Nite, and, feeling guilty about all the food he's gorged, Mike suddenly wanted to take a stroll...in Luneta! First he said, "Ganito na lang tayo.." meaning we don't change from the home attire we were in. Was he kidding? (I was in cotton leggings and an apple green sleeveless shirt... he was wearing tennis shorts and an old, white shirt.) I said no way! Gambel (resident Dragon and Virgo, the Perfectionist) wouldn't hear of it too, saying, "Hindi puede, daddy, hindi tayo papapasukin ng guard!" So we all dressed and drove out. As a concession to Mike's laid-back wishes, I just wore jeans and a white Puma shirt. And no make-up.

Realizing it was a Saturday, Gimmick night, we thought Roxas Blvd. would be full and parking at Baywalk would be a problem. So we turned to C5 and headed off to Jaymi's Grill (formerly Dencio's) instead and played mini-golf. It was Jam's night, thrice making hole-in-one shots. Hmmm...now, now, is it Dentistry or the quest to be the next Tiger?

Anyway, after breaking off a sweat and finishing about 2 1/2 rounds of golf (I lost count...try watching four kids --my sons and my nieces-- with one boy named Gambel being all over the place randomly putting off) Mike called it a night, amidst protests from the kids who said in unison, "Daddy di pa tayo nag-soccer... sabi mo pupunta tayo ng Luneta?" Knowing them better we just said we're postponing the soccer game, promising to go to UP the following day. In a few minutes all four have dozed off at the backseat. Ni hindi pa kami nakakarating ng EDSA. And they wanted to drive pa to the Quirino Grandstand!
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After lunch the next day, Sunday, we dressed to go for the promised Soccer game at the UP Sunken Garden. As we had just finished lunch I didn't bother to pack food anymore, thinking we would head off for the mall after the game anyway, as we had done in the past two Sundays... we went to Rockwell in the first Sunday, then to SM North for Kids at Work on the next. (In the last 2 Sundays we went in the morning, and I packed a heavy picnic basket. One Sunday it was Spaghetti and Fried Chicken; the next it was Pancit Bihon, then pandesal and fried ham and a jar of tuna-egg spread I made... Jam finished a record 9 ham pandesal sandwiches! As usual, I was so happy to be back in UP and revelled in the rustic-urban atmosphere and whiffed all the cool, clean air from the majestic acacia trees...)

Anyhow, when we got to the Sunken Garden the kids headed off. Meanwhile Mike took out the soccer ball and....surprise! a Badminton Set and said to me, "Laro tayo!" So the boys and my nieces played soccer while we played Badminton (my first again). First it was a few misses and a series of "Ano ba yun?!" but later there was serious volley when we got the hang of it. Partida I wasn't dressed for the occasion... I was in jeans, my favorite Kamiseta blouse, and heels. How's that for a badminton workout attire?

There's a standing joke among us: the back of the Everest is a veritable Ace Hardware, while the back of Ryan's car can replace Toby's anytime. :) Out came Ryan with his tennis bag, which contained a pair of tennis rackets, two pairs of badminton rackets, a canister of tennis balls and a canister of shuttlecocks. Ryan replaced Mike and played with me, while Mike took a break to practice his Taekwondo kicks (that have gone way too rusty)... and to play with the boys.

We were due to have dinner with my Aunt and cousins from Malolos at 6pm and so it was "finished or not finished, pass your papers" at 5:30. Then it was wiping, powdering and changing clothes for my 3 boys. What happens to no-extra-shirt, profusely-sweating Mom? Thank God there was the Shopping Center, where I got a nice UP salmon-pink baby tee for only P165 (so characteristically UP)! Bihis sa sasakyan nga lang. (",)
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We're most likely going again this Sunday. I wonder what I'd put in the picnic basket? Hope it doesn't rain. :)

July 05, 2005

Personally, I am taken aback when people who I didn't see for a while tell me: "You haven't changed!" At the back of my mind, I am tempted to reply with a naughty, "Why, did you expect me to mutate?!" What I do actually, is just smile and say, "Thanks." Then I ponder, hindi nga ba ako nagbago?

Well, the answer is YES and NO. Yes, I have changed in more ways than one. I've gained weight and lines on my face, lost hair and teeth, mellowed a little (in terms of recklessness and impassion) and have become brave and bold in areas I didn't think I'd be in before.

And no, I'm still the same old me, the one who worries over little details, who's still crazily emotional, who over-analyzes things, who finds herself drawn to existential neuroses like Ally McBeal and who keeps writing to quiet her thoughts... I like reviewing the past.. like a map, it gives me a sense of direction, giving me a sense of where I've been and a perspective of where I should be. Memories, both good and bad, enrich me and my thinking. Moreover, knowing I am surrounded by loving, caring friends energize me and help me feel forever 21. :)

Back in UP, in Buklod-Isip (Filipino Psych Org) we had a logbuk, which as it name suggests, functioned like a log...of announcements and documentations primarily, yet later, became a public blog (I'd like to think kami ang nagpa-uso ng blog.. hahaha).

The entries were pretty funny, emotional, functional.. a myriad of angst, worries, delight, happiness, sadness... quite a good capsule of time, thoughts and sentiments. I think (and hope) the next generation Bukids (as the members are called, short for Buklod Kids) have safekept our logbuks. Ang tindi ng "sementemental" value ng mga iyon! While most of the logs (and communication) within org members happen via the logbuk, some are also sent via notes (kse wala pang SMS no'n, no!). And being the sentimentalist that I am, I still kept all of the notes I received from friends and co-bukids. I share one here:

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I was once Lukas - "Lupon ng Kasapian" or Membership Committee Chief of UP Buklod Isip. At that time I also ran for and won the CSSP Rep seat in the University Student Council, had high grades, but a lovelife going downhill. This letter was written after a serious breakup, the letter coming from then Buklod Isip Bos-Tsip (or Chairman), who happened to be a friend of my erstwhile boyfriend, who, being the gentleman and kind friend he was, tried to help me heal by giving me something to focus my energies on and tried to help me put things in perspective. Between us, a reference to "family life" or "pamilya" meant my academic standing, and a reference to "academik life" meant my lovelife. Read on and savor the flavor of writing that only sentimentalists and crazy people like us understand :)

Anneski,

Huwag ka munang hihirit ng kung ano dahil hindi ako mangungumusta ng pamilya mo. May ano kasi eh.. ganito kasi yon.. parang ano kasi eh.. aaah.. aaah.. me pebor* sana ako hingi sa yo.. (he he he). Pero kung ikaw naman marami gawa at marami atupag, okey lang akin. Ikaw lang kasi tao pwede gawa ito maselan saka "interesting" trabaho. (Di ba ikaw hanap din marami trabaho?) Pero gaya nga akin sabi na, pwede ikaw tanggi. Yung ISA "malayang ding-ding" kasi, hindi pa nakukulit este.. nakokoleyt. Baka sakali pwede mo ito gawa, BOSS, ako luhod iyo harap para ikaw payag. Ako bigay pa iyo isang platito kornik. Ano?...Talaga...? Ikaw payag na?... Yehey!!! Ikaw talaga, da bes. Kung meron ikaw tanong, tanong ikaw sa akin o kaya iwan ka na lang liham sa "tusukang dingding." Kung ikaw tanggi, ako bigay iyo platito, 'ala na kornik.

Hah! Ako nabasa na iyo sulat logbuklet. Ikaw hilig pa rin tumula.. 'Lam mo, sabi lolo ng akin lolo, ang tao mahilig tumula, 'alang napapala. Ako naman bigay iyo kapiranggot na bahagi akin personal dayari. Akin sulat ito ng panahon magulo akin utak.

Anybody can fall in love -- that is easy; but to fall in love w/ the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right intentions, and in the right way -- that is not within everybody's power and is not easy. Ano iyo palagay? Oke! Sige na. Babluuuu!!

P.S. Kumusta nga pala iyo academik life?

(*pebor - in French, tulong; In Italian, saklolo.)