Hale - Magkaibang Mundo

Saved the best for last indeed.

Thank you, Hale, for the music.

We will miss you...

Whatchama-CAEHL-it XXII

I wasn't aware that Caehl had an assignment from his dad.

When Alex got home that night, he asked Caehl if he already knew who the faces are in Mount Rushmore.

Caehl recited, "George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln."

"Ano daw?" Cae asked.

"Mount Rushmore," Alex said.

I remembered this assignment one Saturday night and asked Caehl. "Caehl, how did you know who the people are in Mount Rushmore?"

"Research," he replied. "I researched."

"How do you do that?" I asked.

"In Almanac 2009," he told me. "If I couldn't find it there, I type the question in Google."

"Ah sa Almanac ba," I said. "I will check it out nga tomorrow."

As soon as I got up the following day, Caehl reminded me, "O Mommy, look for my Almanac 2009 na."

There it was, on page 41 - Mount Rushmore.

A tip to you out there, if you couldn't find it in the Almanac, you type the question in Google ha?

Google it, just a little bit...I say you Google it, just a little bit...

Mommy's wish

One afternoon, while on our way home, Alex and I saw some Colegio San Agustin boys riding a tricycle.

"Ang simple lang nun noh?" Alex remarked. "Dati, naka-tricycle lang si Cae."

"At ayaw pa nating payagan sumakay ng tricycle mag-isa," I said.

Now, not only does she take the bus by herself but she has learned to ride the train and LRT as well. Na hindi namin tinuruan.


I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

from MY WISH, RASCAL FLATTS

Chicken Macaroni Salad for Lunch

Ingredients:
600 gms elbow macaroni
shredded chicken breast
mayonnaise
1 pouch pineapple tidbits, drained
1 pack Nestle Cream
1 pc onion, finely chopped
diced cheese
1/2 cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste

Whatchama-CAEHL-it XXI

Last night, when power was restored, Caehl said:   "Thank you po Lord for the electricity."   Wow, ok ah.   "Thank you po for paying Meralco."   Mas ok. :p

Bashing Basyang

Around 1AM of July 14, I woke up to the sound of the howling wind. I was afraid the wind would tear our roof.

 

The lights flickered, and then it finally went out. Sh*t, brownout.

 

Alex was still up, checking out the dining room for leaks. “Unplug the refrigerator,” I told him. “Please prepare the rechargeable light, too. “

 

I took out a flashlight, some candles and matches. Then I remembered one more thing – water. I wasn’t sure if the power would be restored by daytime so we would have to fill up our containers.  As I was doing so, I heard Caehl talking to his dad. “Patay, nagising,” I thought.

 

As I went back to bed, I was still uneasy.

 

“What’s that?” Caehl said.

 

“The wind is blowing hard,” I said.

 

“Why?” he asked.

 

“May bagyo,” I replied.

 

“Ay, parang Baguio City in Benguet,” he said, laughing.

 

Then we fell silent, listening to the ugly and frightening sound.

 

I found it hard to sleep again. I was praying hard, over and over. “Please keep us safe, Lord. Keep us safe.”

 

Caehl was also still awake, pulling me close to him. “Mommy, beside Caehl,” he said. “Tell Daddy to turn off the flashlight.”

 

At least, it was cool enough not to wish for an electric fan. Luckily, Caehl is used to sleeping with the lights out, so he wasn’t bothered by the dark. I was worried the mosquitoes might attack anytime, so I put on some lotion on our legs and arms. I was also thinking of Cae in the other room. But if I would get up, Caehl would be roused even more, so I just hoped and prayed the darn mosquitoes would spare her.

 

The sound of the wind reminded me of Typhoon Milenyo (Typhoon Xangsane) in 2006 which produced strong winds and rainfall, downing power lines and causing mudflows in the Philippines. “Don’t let it be the same, Lord, please.”

 

Then it was time to get ready for work. “May pasok kaya?” I turned on the radio, and over at Super Radyo DZBB, DepEd announced the suspension of pre-school, elementary and high school classes in NCR and Region IV-A. Then, another report came. Yes, wala ding pasok ang UST. Alex was relieved. My niece wanted to know if they have classes and I told her, wala. I also texted her mom just in case they didn’t hear the announcement. I received texts from my brother and two kumares asking how we were.

 

On my way to the office, we shook our heads at the sight of fallen branches and leaves littering the streets. There was a slight commotion near the Southwoods exit. Turned out the southbound lane was flooded. The northbound lane was clear, though. In Filinvest, a traffic light post appeared to be damaged. Later, I learned that the glass doors of a bank in our building got smashed and the roof of our mini sports house was torn.

 

The weather seems to be fine now, although there is still no power and no water in our area. In spite of these inconveniences, I am comforted by the thought that we are safe and people cared to ask about us.

 

Goodbye, Basyang.

My Little Big Boy

Mommy just wanted to take some pics of Caehl with his green piggy bank.

Whatchama-CAEHL-it XX

Last night, as Caehl and I were about to sleep, Cae tiptoed into our room and asked me softly, "Ma, meron ba tayong family picture?"

Before I could answer, the little boy said to his Ate, "In my N6," referring to his Notebook 6.

True enough, they had a previous homework requiring them to paste (our) family picture in their N6.

Ate's little helper :p Matutulog na lang, sharp pa.

Whatchama-CAEHL-it XIX

Just this morning, Caehl and I were looking at the US map.

What's the biggest state? He replied, "Texas. The next are California and Alaska."

Ok. What's the smallest? "Rhode Island, then Delaware."

I went on, "California - Mama Baybee lives there. Where is Idaho - Ate Cae's Ninang Ela lives there."

So where do you want to go, Caehl? He said, "Wala."

Wala?

"Ay, sa house na lang," he replied.

Akala pala niya, ngayon kami pupunta. LOL.

My Kani Salad

After nibbling on crab sticks one night, Cae and I thought of making our own version of kani salad.

* 2 pcs of cucumber, shredded into strips
* Kani sticks (Crab sticks), shredded
* 1 ripe mango, shredded
* Japanese mayonnaise - wasn't able to buy one so I just used good old Lady's Choice mayo
* lettuce

Maybe I overdid it with the greens, but what the heck, I love lettuce.

Served it with white spaghetti. Cae and I had a hearty dinner.

To Love Again

AKO'Y ISANG TOMASINO
by Gerardo M. de Leon
Vocal: Sam Velarde
Piano: Darryl Paloay

Verse 1
Nalagpasan mo ang mga pagsubok
Di mabilang na mga bagyo
Kahit ilang baha man ang danasin
Kasaysayan mo'y hindi kayang anurin

Verse 2
Ang 'yong sahig, dingding, mga pintuan
Saksi sa yong dakilang nakaraan
Tinamnan ng tama puso't isipan
Mga bayaning sa silong mo ay nanahan

Chorus
Nag-iisa ka lang
Pinagpalang Pamantasan
Apat na siglo nang nagtuturo
sa kabataan
Pagmamahal sa Diyos,
Karunungang may dangal
Ako'y nagagalak matawag na
Isang Tomasino!

Verse 3
Ang ngalan mo'y hindi nadudungisan
Ilan mang siglo pa ang magdaan
Dahil ika'y Kanyang iniingatan
Tunay kang binasbasang paaralan

Chorus
Nag-iisa ka lang
Pinagpalang Pamantasan
Apat na siglo nang nagtuturo
sa kabataan
Pagmamahal sa Diyos,
Karunungang may dangal
Ako'y nagagalak matawag na
Isang Tomasino!

Coda
Nagsisilbi sa kapwa
Naglilingkod sa bayan
Nagmamahal sa Diyos
May karunungan, may dangal
Ako'y nagagalak
Ako'y isang Tomasino!


Just this afternoon, I attended the orientation for Freshmen Travel Management students and parents of UST-CTHM. I actually went out of my way to be there. I was telling Alex, “May makakapunta kaya dito?” as it was held on a weekday and at one o’ clock in the afternoon.

Surprisingly the auditorium was jam-packed. I couldn’t help but burst with pride when Rev. Fr. Romulo Rodriguez O.P., JCD, the Regent, asked if anyone of us graduated from UST. I think there were only 3 or 4 of us who stood up. Even though it was a different college, it still felt like a homecoming to me. Most of the administrators and faculty members were Thomasians like me.

Never mind if it was a two-hour trip from San Pedro. I was glad to be there. When they played the UST Quadricentennial Song and the UST Hymn one after the other, I was almost teary-eyed. As I introduced myself to the College Secretary, Atty. Gezzez Giezi G. Granado (a UST BS Tourism graduate who claims he initially wanted to be a flight attendant but took up Law instead) and to Mr. Fredeswindo Medina, the Chairperson of the Travel Management Program, I told them, “Nabubuhay po ang Thomasian spirit ko.”

No eklavu, no chorva. It is true. On our way home, I was happily narrating to Alex the almost-four hour experience inside the Albertus Magnus Bldg. (that’s Educ building to the “older” Thomasians) auditorium. Now I understand why some parents prefer to enroll their children to their alma mater. It’s really like coming home, walang mapagsidlan ng tuwa, pagmamalaki, at pagmamahal. Lalo na siguro kung nag-AB si Cae.

Napakasarap maging Tomasino. I love you USTe.