SURF's UP

Not too many people know about this small town called Baler (in Aurora, formerly part of Quezon). Baler stands proud on the shore of a horseshoe-shaped coastal valley overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the east. This is where I was born. It's also the hometown of the late President Manuel Quezon and Senator Edgardo Angara. Oh di ba, ka-level! :) He's actually my parents' kababata & classmate.

If there is one thing that this town is known for, it's the long stretch of beaches surrounding the town. Since i am not a swimmer or a water person, i wasn't that much drawn to it until I had Raph and Ronald who both enjoy hanging out in the beach.

This is Baler Beach in Sabang, the one nearest the bayan or downtown as city folks would say. When I was a child, I remember I was fascinated seeing tourists and foreigners surf the big waves. I wish I got to learn to surf too, but i doubt if i could, i don't even know how to swim!...Today, Baler is one of the most popular surfing destinations. I heard Jericho Rosales and his surfer friends have discovered the place to be a surfing bliss. Paolo Bediones and Louie Villaruz have been there too to cover a surfing competition. Surfers from Siargao, La Union and even from abroad troop to Baler for the yearly Aurora Surfing Cup every February.


It may not be a white beach but it's such a pretty sight just the same. The water is dark green, the waves are never calm, ideal for that perfect surf especially during surf months. Though when we were there, the waves are generally more subtle.

Here are photos i took during the all souls' day holiday break...

raph with his cousins aj & kuya benjo enjoying the morning dip

a lady surfer on the go!

wow! galing ng surfer!

whoa! big waves

raph, a fan of the movie Surf's up, was awed watching the surfers.
he wants to learn to surf too... pag big boy ka na ha!

20 Things About My Superboy

In the tradition of "30 things about myself..." which i posted a month back, and which my charmed friends followed, i made a list of random facts about my little boy Ronan Raphael...just for fun! Originally these were just 15 items which i posted in his multiply site, but i added five more...

1. His name Raphael was suggested by his Ninang Kris Aquino after i told her the result of my ultra-sound. St. Raphael happened to be my guardian angel too based on my birthdate, so i gave it a go! His dadu Ronald thought of the name Ronan. So that makes all of our names beginning with letter R. In school, he is Ronan as well as to most of his ninongs/ninangs. In the house we call him Raph.

2. He's not a meat-eater, neither pork nor beef, that's why he's a little bit on the thin side. But contrary to most kids, he eats vegetables and fish. Healthy di ba? He eats chicken too, but mostly just the crunchy skin part. He doesn't eat egg either. But as long as he drinks his milk three times a day, and he eats veggies, fish, rice and fruits, i'm okay with that! He's not sickly anyway and his pedia said his weight is pretty much okay. Although i would want him to grow a little bit bigger.

3. You can't touch his McDo Chicken, he has to eat it by himself. You can't even cut it into pieces or else!

4. He loves fruits- apples and grapes (minus the skin), bananas and pineapples. He also loves yogurt, cereals (without milk-he has to drink it from the glass), quaker oats, macaroni & cheese and his fave Taco Bell's cheese quesadilla.

5. He has a favorite pillow given by his Tita Tess before she left for Texas- a tazmanian devil which Raph can't sleep without. It was chaotic when we didn't bring it in our HK trip last year. We learned our lesson so in our trip to Canada, TAZ was the very first thing we thought of bringing.

6. He has a collection of hotwheels cars. And he knows where we bought them or who gave which. He's very interested in cars in general. He can spot expensive luxury cars on the road. His favorite movie is Cars which he repeatedly watches on DVD. He has already completed his collection of Ferrari car models from Shell.

7. He is soo toilet-trained that one time, he woke up at 3am and went to the bathroom by himself.

8. He likes to sing. He was already singing at age 2, i mean not anymore the usual nursery rhymes. His first songs were Because of You and Ikaw ang Lahat Sa Akin, the latter he would usually sing to his grandma. He even sang that song while mom was being laid to rest at the cemetery.

9. He likes cats, actually kittens. He doesn't want them to grow big. He's not so fond of dogs. He's scared of the big ones.

10. He has a photographic memory especially with road directions. He knows when i change routes when driving, he can even instruct or relay to dad whenever i get to discover a shortcut or alternate route.

11. His first crushy was Sofia, his favorite classmate in Nursery 1(last year). My heart broke when Sofia was transferred to another school.

raph with his crushy sofia, taken last year

12. Now he has this intense liking for Kim Chiu. I say intense hehe because he blushes and gets tongue-tied whenever he gets to see Kim in person, parang nato-torpe. He would even ask me, once in a while, to play Kim's album in the car on our way to school. They sometimes communicate on the phone. Kim said he's her boyfriend. That gave him a high!

awkward smile from raph kasi nate-tense sa presence ni kim

13. Raph never baby-talked. He was never bulol. Maybe because even as a kid, we talked to him like we're talking to an adult. He never thumb-sucked either.

14. Like any other kids, he is fond of Superman, his dadu's liking for Superman rubbed off on him. He got to watch all the Superman movies via his dad's DVD collection. He could tell which one is Superman 2 or 3, etc. Of course, he also likes Spiderman, Batman, Power Rangers...and Thomas & Friends trains.

15. He was awarded Outstanding Student last March. Gosh ganon pala feeling pag nagsabit ng medal sa anak! We're just so proud! This early his grades are all Highly Satisfactory. Great honey! Keep up the good work!

16. After a really tiring day, he would snore like his dadu and/or would grind his teeth like me when sleeping (oh i forgot to put that in my own list).

17. He loves the water...at least he swims unlike me (i'm not a swimmer, again, i forgot to mention that in my own list).

18. If you'll ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he'd say he wants to be a pilot and a singer (Whoa! a singing pilot huh!)

19. He said he wants to take taekwondo and art classes next summer. He got his interest in taekwondo from his cousins Carlo & Felix who have already won golds in various competitions. Last summer, he had swimming lessons and he got to learn and enjoy indeed!

20. He's got wit and a good sense of humor. He never fails to make me and dad laugh everyday.

Global Fun

i've been hearing about Global Fun Carnival near the SM Mall of Asia...anything that would make Raphael happy excites me to death! so last Saturday, i thought of bringing my boys to said carnival. i told Ronald earlier on to make himself available for a weekend family day.

we left the house a little before 5pm...gahd traffic was horrendous! buti na lang while driving along santolan, i got enticed by a nice sky view, as the sun's about to set, so i took photos...wala lang inaliw ko na lang ang sarili ko.

eyesore ang meralco wirings, nakakasira sa view

while stucked in traffic...Raph & hubby entertained themselves by watching the movie Cars on ipod video.

Raph didn't know we're bringing him to the carnival so we could surprise him, he thought we're just going to MOA. upon approaching the area, he got really so excited, i could hear him scream in awe as he saw this huge ferris wheel and other carnival rides from afar. i said to myself, braving the traffic was worth it, because i knew Raph would love the place!

it wasn't comparable to enchanted kingdom and there were not much rides, but there were enough appropriate for raph's age so okay na ko don. unfortunately, i had the mistake of wearing havaianas high, mga 5 time s ata ako natapilok dahil sa mga bato sa grounds...

here are some of our photos:

the huge ferris wheel at the background (eto lang yung area na cemented)

raph r u trying to scare me?


raph's favorite ride, kiddie version of enchanted's flying fiesta

before the boat ride, raph insisted that he'd go by himself

on a choo-choo train (pa-cute wink)

raph dancing to "papaya" with neon light sticks

while dad takes his video, gusto ata sumali sa extreme papaya ng GKNB? hehe

all-smiles upon leaving the place around 10 pm...
yey! nag-enjoy si bagets! he said "thank you" to me and dad

to the left...to the left (my BEYONCE experience that never was)

it was my most-awaited concert...

the last time i got this excited was when alanis morissette came to manila for a concert at the araneta coliseum several years ago...which i did watch with some college friends. i remember we were in the front row although we only paid 500 each. i think it was a friend from a recording company who gave us VIP access. we surely had a blast!

when news reached me that beyonce will be having a concert here in manila, i told myself, it's something i shouldn't miss. aside from gwen stefani, i like beyonce a lot!

no prob about the tickets because hubby had some connections who promised to give him tickets. same thing happened with babyface's concert which i also got to watch for free.

i was rejoicing when i learned that my work schedule is clear on the night of the event...but for some "evil intervention",,,work suddenly got in the way! there was no scheduled taping but why on earth should we be there in the studio that same night? the hell!

even so, i was determined to go but i got a call from my EP. so hubby had no choice but to proceed to the concert alone...he even got late because of me.

i thought i could still follow and catch even just the closing part of the concert, but as i was leaving abs, i was told the concert finished already as it started on schedule.

so here's the ticket which i never got to use. not the complimentary kind but worth P5,500, i should have been seated at the VIP right section... sabi nga ni glenn, mabi-bwisit daw ang lahat ng beyonce fans who weren't able to watch for lack of available tickets...some would say i should have just given my ticket to them, but sorry that wasn't possible because hubby was only able to get hold of our tickets upon his arrival at the venue.

so why the title? aside from it's a line from beyonce's hit "irreplaceable"...
earlier on, i predicted that beyonce's opening number would be "crazy in love" and her finale number would be "irreplaceable"...amidst my frustration that night, i was too excited to find out if i was right so i texted hubby to check, when he wasn't responding, i texted one staff of VIP Pass who i knew was covering the concert, his reply was, "ang last song yung...the left, the left"... i laughed out loud and texted him back that the title of that song is "irreplaceable". he even didn't get the right line. i know some people wouldn't really know the correct song titles, it's just that, this same person had never failed to give me laughing moments in the past due to his "mali-mali" syndrome. hehe!

my next mission-- akon! but ronald already warned me that he might not give me a ticket anymore for i might not be able to use it anyway, sayang lang. last month we were suppose to watch josh groban's concert together but he ended up going alone and gave my ticket (again a VIP ticket) to garlic, his ASAP-mate. i was suppose to watch because i'm normally free on the day of the concert, BUT as usual biglang may schedule ng taping. haay!

until now, i'm still feeling bad...and frustrated!
but of course i should have long accepted that with my kind of work (TV job), things like these do really happen. most of the time, you can't plan your life or your schedule because you're always at the mercy of your program/s's schedule which oftentimes changes at the last minute.

but until i decide to find another job, most probably, i'll continue missing out on personal or family events whether i like it or not.

ESPECIALLY for you piper

i had a really tiring day! it’s very late and my legs are sorely aching, my eyes already twitching…i even conditioned myself that i would sleep a bit earlier tonight because i haven’t had enough sleep for 2 weeks now…but i cannot let this night pass without writing about a very special person, one friend i truly treasure and love so dearly.

i first thought of writing about her last Sunday- which was the “national thank you day” because if there are persons I’d like to say thank you to- she would definitely be one of those on top of my list.

looking back, i realized that she is a big part of my growing up- both as a person and as a career woman.

she was one of those who helped me in my tv career. i used to call her ate evette. when i started as a researcher for balitang k, she was already a writer/reporter. when i was training as a writer/reporter, she became my mentor. i was tasked to join in her coverage in benguet and baguio. she was never intimidating! she was generous enough to personally guide me in my first assignment. i couldn't have done my first story without her help.

i’ve learned so much from her— from mere watching how she worked, how she did her interviews, how she led the team and gave instructions to the crew etc.

she served as a good example for then newbies like me. she was one of the few who could always deliver thus earned the respect of her peers and our hard-to-please boss. on top of that, she was a nice person, approachable and easy to work with.

i am immensely happy that our work relationship has evolved into friendship— one that is worth keeping. she's one friend anyone would wish to have.

thank you friend for being just YOU—in so many ways you have taught me about life, about love, motherhood and so much more. you’ve also helped me discovered my self-worth.

you were never selfish. you’ve found a way to give me work to supplement my income when i needed it. you've made me feel welcome when i wanted to hold back asking for help.

you are my cheerleader! you were always there during my lowest and life-changing moments, or even without you knowing it. likewise, we have the most fun laughing together- just chatting, working out or playing badminton (i miss that!), just having coffee, or bonding with prue. it’s important that friends make each other happy.

sometimes, i feel guilty about not being always available when you text for a business meeting or just chika-moment or gym-bonding, it’s just either i’m pre-occupied with my motherly duties or ABS work. i felt even more guilty when i wasn’t able to go with u in bohol. but i know you have such an understanding heart. you know that i've planned to join and support you in your charity work but something got in the way.

and oh, i almost forgot, if it weren’t for you i wouldn’t be into blogging which i soo enjoy doing. you got me into this and it definitely added spice and fun to our friendship (with prue as well)!

on this very special day, i only have the best birthday wishes for you— may God continually bless you with a caring heart and a tranquil mind; good health and a loving family...and may HE finally send you a man who will truly love and respect you, one who is equally good a person as you are.

you’ve gone a long way friend, i am proud of your achievements…
and i am equally proud to be your friend!

Happy Birthday Evette!

i've been tagged too...

taken from my digicam

taken using the print screen command

nothing extraordinary about my desktop screen...
except for raph's photo. taken at a swimming pool in bataan, during one of our out-of-town trips with his tita ninang. the place was a mango orchard with a mini-resort inside. raph loves the water so much especially after his swimming lessons last summer.

so there...a bit disorganized, a lot of unused desktop shortcuts but nothing to be "OC" about.

prue, who else will i tag?...only you charmed ones and a few knew about this blogsite of mine. is this a chain letter kinda thing that if i don't get to tag others something bad will happen? i'm sure it isn't.

so when are we having coffee?

my long-lost love

i have a confession to make. recently, i reconnected with my ex. yes i am guilty but please do not judge me.

last wednesday, oct. 17, he came inside the studio. i was at the far end but my eyes readily saw him when he entered. i felt the sudden throbbing of my heart, how could I ignore that face? the face that I’ve long adored, the man that I’ve long cherished.

if i remember it right, i fell in love with him the very first time i saw him…
there was this sudden surge of ecstatic emotion, there was magic!

years of sweet romance came by…but as the song goes some good things never last. we’ve moved on with our own lives, and created our own fairy tales apart.

when he married his princess, there was a bit of sting…but i was more overwhelmed with happiness for the man who really deserved nothing less. i knew then it was time to just watch him from a distance.

and then came that night when everything seemed to have gone back to where it started. this time, the excitement is stronger, the feeling is more profound. i was nervous. his friend gave me a beso. but my guy- i was too anxious to even look at him! i tried to ignore him but how could I resist? he was in his most gorgeous, sexiest form ever, beaming as always with an irresistible smile!

and so i called out his name…

ags…pa-picture!hahaha!



he was whispering something here..."i missed you."

busy...but not complaining

toxic week!

marathon meetings- with the gknb prod team, separate meetings with the interactive dept, sales, client, direk... side by side with advance tapings and paper works.

last wednesday, had powerpoint presentation before the tv heads which included CVV and other VPs- my first so far! nerve-wracking? yeah in the beginning, it turned out positive! new concepts approved, got them excited and elicited good response. thank god!

stick...buti naisingit din last monday. prue and piper, i still miss u, bitin pa kwento!

vip pass is launching soon...have yet to preview the materials and write the VTR scripts. preview sked later at 11am after i bring raph to school. then scripting will follow.

raph's 2nd trimester exams next week...will have to allot time so i can review him. they actually started na last wed with exam in computer, then chinese yesterday and later. good thing his dadu had time to review him and bring him to school for 2 consecutive days. raph said the exams were easy so far! haha! more to come on the 23rd (language, math & filipino) and on the 25th (reading, science & christian living). review/rest days in between.

oh i almost forgot! he has a birthday party to attend later, hopefully nothing gets in the way so i can accompany him.

saturday...review raph in the morning then taping for 1 vs 100 in the afternoon...last week, was still able to watch babyface after the taping. enjoyed the concert, though came late already...superb sound!

sunday, preview additional materials for VIP Pass and write the VTR scripts. shouldn't miss out on church too!

but i'm missing out on something! piper, when are we gonna have our morning "platinum" bonding again?

almost 4am now, gotta get some sleep...and do motherly duties later. raph asked me to cook pancakes for breakfast, and ronald has a 7am flight for bacolod which means there's no one else to drive raph to school.

i can almost here raph saying: mommy it's morning na wake up!

fateful dates to remember

what's with the date?

it's october 13 today. in our family, we remember this day for two different reasons. it used to be a happy day because it's my sister Carol's birthday, BUT 2 years ago, October 13 became a tragic day when we lost our mom to cancer. definitely, the saddest birthday ever for my sis.

my birthday is on december 2. in year 1992, it was also the day my brother Tom met a car accident that took his life 3 days after. he was still at my party that night but i never thought that was also the last time i was ever gonna celebrate my birthday with him.

june 28 is my wedding day anniversary. this year is our fifth anniversary, but there wasn't any celebration at all as it was also the day my dad passed away. it will surely be difficult to celebrate our succeeding anniversaries.

3 important dates in my life...
3 incredibly important persons i had lost...and i'd miss everyday of my life.
3 dates i will never remember the same way again.

was it just a coincidence or the dictates of fate?

30 THINGS…that tell ALL or NOTHING about me!

(not necessarily in oder of importance...)

1. I am OPHIDIPHOBIC…I have this strong fear of snakes. I remember breaking down to tears and nearly had nervous breakdown when I saw the creature creeping in the props section of the studio one taping night…and I’d scream when I’d see one on tv or movie screen. Here’s my plea to everyone: Never, ever belittle anyone, adult or child, for his or her fears. We all fear something at sometime. Teasing or admonishing someone whose fear is already ingrained in her system, will NOT help overcome the fear, and will not help in any way at all!

2. I’m squeamish…Mere conversations about gross stuffs make me wanna puke. It’s disgusting when some people bring up distasteful or worse, sickening topics during inappropriate instances like during mealtime or when one is eating.

3. I couldn’t take looking at my mom in her coffin, so I didn’t. I wanted to just remember only her image when she was alive.

4. I wish I were tall and skinny slim (mowdel type hehe ) so I can dress up more fashionably.

5. I keep several medals and ribbons, probably lost some already, for academic achievements since grade school.Hihihi! Weno? And i got an almost-perfect score in Thesis Writing.

6. I am photo freak, especially of Raphael, and he and his dadu. I love arranging albums and making scrapbooks.

7. Back-stab me and I will never trust you again!

8. I love crunchy peanut butter. And banana with peanut butter. And peanut butter toast. And Reese's peanut butter chocolate. I love chocolates with nuts (almonds) and dark chocolates too.

9. I love pasta dishes— the not-so-complicated ones: putanesca, pesto, spaghetti, carbonara, lasagna, baked mac, even mac salad. And while most people don’t eat dinuguan, I love it! Hubby does too.

10. I love dining or attending brainstormings at Taste of LA. The food is great! And the place, quiet! We’re the loudest group there! They have the best cheesecake, the best pizza, the best rockefeller oysters and a lot others!

11. I'm a pizza freak! Spinach pizza from Taste of LA and all-cheese pizza from Yellow Cab are my faves. Yummy!

12. I’ve only been to Bora once. I haven’t even been to Bohol or Palawan, but been to places out of the country. Not that it's a big deal or what?

13. I love driving big cars, SUVs, wagons and the like, I have yet to drive a sedan or a smaller car.

14. I love riding at rollercoasters and bump cars. Fun places for me are Disneyland, Ocean Park and Enchanted Kingdom!

15. Spaghetti used to be the only food that I can decently cook. Now I can cook with pride arroz ala cubana, salpicao (gosh I think I forgot the recipe), and sinigang.

16. When I was a student, I idolized Korina Sanchez and Loren Legarda and dreamt of becoming like them. I even researched and read Loren’s thesis at the UP Library. Now I don’t remember a detail of it!... My first TV job was Balitang K, and my former AP dared me to tell Korina upfront that she was my idol at the same time ask for an autographed photo. I was just a newbie then, and no one dares approaching Korina, but I did! How Korina reacted? She just said while smiling: “Ginu-goodtime nyo ko!”

17. I have more than 20 nephews and nieces. Imagine how fun at the same time stressful (it means more gifts to buy) Christmasses and family reunions could be?

18. I traveled alone going to and from Canada, because hubby & son went there ahead of me. I waited for my sundo or ride at the Toronto Airport for excruciatingly 3 hours and a bit more because I gave the wrong Terminal No. I swear I asked migrant Filipinos to check If I were on the right terminal, and they said yes! Apparently, mali!

20. I only have a prepaid cellphone. I’m a fan of All-Text, where you can text all you want to all networks for just 35 pesos. Lasts me 2 days. That’s a steal!...Speaking of text, I despise it when someone close to me deliberately ignores or doesn’t bother to reply to my texts.

21. I don’t have a credit card. More bills to pay, more stress! I hate paying overdue bills and bills with O-A surcharges.

22. I never swore in my life before I worked at ABS-CBN. I despised people who do. Now I swear like everybody else (almost), but not to poke at people, expression lang. Excuses!? Uy totoo!

23. I don’t use just one type or brand of shampoo. I have more than 5 but less than 10 different kinds in the shower which I alternately use. I also use a variety of lotion. I have more than 5 but less than 10 different kinds on the dresser.

24. I have to ask for hot water before taking a bath BUT during a winter in Canada, my coldest experience ever, I was able to take a cold shower.

25. I love going to the Spa and have a massage but nanghihinayang ako sa time, that’s why I tend not to indulge in the jacuzi, or steam because it will eat up much time.

26. I tried not eating rice for more than a month, just before hubby arrived from the States. I lost weight. I really did! Though I still wanna lose weight, I wonder if I can do that again this time!

27. I already lost, more or less, 10 cell phones, always leaving behind a charger or extra battery behind. 3 of those units were given by Kris Aquino. (I used to joke I collect cellphone chargers).

28. I once gulped down 11 shots of tequila and 4 glasses of vodka in one occasion, and still got home without my mom and ate noticing it. I don’t think I can do that again now. Give me 4 bottles of beer and I’d crash to bed.

29. I used to drive my car even when it’s color-coding, thanks to MMDA! I hardly get caught or I’d get away with it, by merely saying “Pasensya napo! (sabay pakita ng I.D.) Bad!!!

30. I want to have more kids, 2 girls and 2 boys, hahaha! And get rich! And migrate to Canada or US! And come back to the Philippines very rich! I want to be... complete! Hehe!:)

when you need friends...

Are you familiar with Biblicard? It's a compilation of selected Bible verses written on small flash cards. I got mine- God's Promises Version in New Year of 2001 as a gift from Ate Lucille, a co-Balitang K writer then. I kept and used it since then.

It's like a handy help to find an answer from God's Word for every problem or human need, that's why every card comes with a distinct situationer. Whatever your need is, or whatever situation you are in, there's an answer from God's word. When you feel tempted, when you face separation, when you feel angry, when you face doubts, when you face grief, when you feel rebellious...and so on and so forth.

A minute ago, i randomly picked one card and what i got was a card pertaining to - "when you need friends"... and written on it is God's promise on finding friends: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what i command. -John 15:12-14

I claim God's promise that He is my friend. With a friend like Jesus, how can you go wrong? Honestly, I feel so blessed with friends and I want to believe that I have this gift of keeping long-lasting friendships. Though I'm oceans and thousands of miles apart from most of them, the bond that keeps us connected is ever present.

Up to this day, I have remained close to friends I've met way way back I was 7. On top of mind is Bennet. Sadly for me, she and her family moved to Vancouver, Canada last year. She is Raph's Ninang, and her daughter Jodee is my inaanak too. She works for the DFA and was assigned at the Philippine Consular Office in Vancouver. Geographically, she and Airis, our common barkada in High School, are closer now. Airis has migrated to Toronto, Canada after she got married in 2001. When I went to Toronto early this year, I never passed the chance to see her again, of course with her hubby and two lovely daughters. She was so accomodating and though the time we spent together was not much, we surely had fun! On the other hand, our other friend Zerlene is now in Australia after working in Singapore for years with her husband. They already got their kids too.

Jet, one of my closest buddies in College, my thesismate and Raph's Ninang, has moved to Sidney, Australia last year also with her family. She's enjoying her new-found life there as a fulltime mom to her 2 daughters Cole & Audrey, my inaanak. She wishes that I'll be moving there too sometime in the future because when they were still applying for migration, she was already convincing me to follow suit.

Aga, also a College friend and barkada, has been in Singapore since 2002 I think. Closer to home at least! Last time we saw each other was in Feb. this year. Her 1 year-old daughter Anika is also my inaanak.

Another bestfriend of mine Mitch is leaving soon. She is moving to Dubai to join her husband who has been working there. I wonder how life would be without her- my prayerful friend, my churchmate and constant shoulder to cry on.

Thank God there's technology to help nurture relationships of people from different parts of the globe. YM, emails and text messaging have kept me connected and updated with my friends pronto! Indeed, there is no distance too great between friends. Yes i miss my old friends but true to our experience, what true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.

If there are friends of mine who are thousands and thousands miles apart from me, I have been blessed too with true friends whose physical and emotional presence are always at hand...whose loyalty and reliability are tried and tested. Evette and Otep, I thank God for you! I have more sunshiny days because of you.

A true friendship, unlike love, always lasts forever. People even say that for marriage to last, couples should, first and foremost, be the best of friends, because it is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. I wonder what is more worse, life without love or life without friendship?

My Superboy's Multiply Site

Anything but Ordinary

my charmed friends gave me my name Paige, but if i were to choose a charmed character, it would actually be Prue, because i soo love Shannen Doherty since her beverly hills 90210 days...but since it's really otep who's a diehard and authentic charmed fan, he deserves to be called Prue more than anyone.

thanks anyway for welcoming me into your charmed world. though i'm not as rebellious as paige, we're both independent and strong-willed...and we both have telekinetic orbing and glamouring powers... i wish!

i'd rather be anything but ordinary...as the song goes. (make sure to pause or turn down the volume of my music to enjoy Paige’s video :)

Charmed-All About Paige

Anything but Ordinary

Mom, is it Christmas yet?

He's been bugging me to put up the Christmas tree and light up the house with Christmas lights as early as now. I think it started when he saw the neighbor's Christmas tree prominently displayed inside their sala. And when on our way home last Saturday night he saw a few houses adorn with Christmas lights. Yesterday after school, I opened the car window and he said, he can already feel the Christmas air. How can a 4 year-old think about saying that? This morning, while still in bed, he was singing a Christmas tune. Aaawww...there's no denying, Christmas fever has struck my little boy. And I think that is sooo cute!

Since this weekend, he's been browsing the Toy Kingdom magazine showing me and his dadu what gift he will ask from his Ninang Evette. (Ninang Evette told him they would shop for his gift at Toy Kingdom, he never forgot that! Hehe) He also got ecstatic when he saw a remote-controlled airplane- the one tito Otep earlier promised him. And two weeks back, when I shopped for a gift for my inaanak's christening at Rustan's, he looked over the toys and picked three he likes. No he didn't pushed me to buy them right away, he just said, those are the gifts he would want me, his dad, and his Tita Ninang to give him for Christmas.

I told him 3 months to go and it's Christmas Day...it seems he's like doing a countdown each day, asking me "Mom, is it Christmas yet?" I think we might start decorating the house a bit sooner this year. Last year we did it first week of December already. Putting up the Christmas tree is really a fun family thing-y for us. Every year, we'd change the theme, at least the color motiff. Last year, Raph was already involved in fixing the tree and choosing other Christmas stuffs. His dad even bought a Sta. Claus decor that lights up the front door for Raph's delight.

Christmas is really for the children...and since we had him, our Christmas was never the same again! He made me and his dad feel and understand what "Merry Christmas" is all about. He made us look forward to the occasion much much more. Last year was a blast for Raph because we were able to spend our Christmas break in HK, where of course we got to spend a day at Disneyland. Who could be more excited than Raph? Up to this day, he still remembers every bit of detail he saw and experienced there, the sights, the rides, and everything else (exactly the way he said it). How he loved the Disney fireworks, how he enjoyed seeing Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Buzz Lightyear, etc...even the Lion King production which,at first I felt, is more for the older ones, he was just 3 then.

He also keeps a brochure of Disneyland Florida which he hopes to go to in the future. We originally thought of going to the US this Christmas and visit his cousins there, or go back to Canada, but I think that would be put on hold for now. A lot of unexpected things have happened this year that made us change our plans. But one thing is for sure, we're gonna make Christmas a grand happy time for our lovey little boy. I can almost hear him say..."Mom, is it Christmas yet?"

Perfect!

Sept.13, Thursday:
It was a pretty ordinary day, but I was feeling nervous. Raph's Progress Report for the First Trimester would be distributed today. I guess moms will always be like that. When it concerns her child, it's always a BIG DEAL!

I made sure I was already at the waiting area in time for their dismissal. As always, he had this BIG smile on his face everytime he'd see me there ready to give him a BIG HUG. He was carrying the green envelop with all his test papers and the Report Card inside. I was anxious to open it right away, and what a delight! I was greeted by a couple of test papers with perfect scores. His report card is predominantly marked VS equivalent to 90%, the highest grade given during the first grading period as told by the teacher, except for the Computer subject where he got an even higher mark- HS or Highly Satisfactory.


Raph, Dadu & Mom are so proud of you! Keep up the good work! Your grades though aren't all who you are. We're just so happy you're enjoying your preschool while being good at it. You even surpassed our expectations having been awarded Outstanding Pupil last year. But remember, high grades or not, WE LOVE YOU PERIOD and you will always be perfect in our eyes.

Happy Birthday Chairman!

I was in Toronto, Canada when he replaced Kris Aquino, just temporarily then, on GKNB last March. When I reported back to work, he even joked at me- “So ganon, kung kelan mo lang gusto pumasok!” He didn’t know I came from out-of-the country to attend to my mother-in-law’s funeral.

That was the first time I got to work with him. He was extra nice, always jolly and very funny. He certainly gave a different flavor to the show but still, everyone in the staff and I anticipated Kris would be back in the show later on… but as they say the rest is history. Sir Doods or Chairman as we call him is now our permanent host after Kris decided to leave the show for good. Now, Sir Doods even has a gold record album to his name, carrying the household tune Papaya which the studio players and televiewers all love to dance to. Add to that, a new game show 1 Vs. 100 which I am also a part of.

Why am I writing about him? Because it’s his birthday tomorrow! And I will never forget that I was made to dance on national TV along with the whole production team of Game KNB, because we wanted to surprise him. I still cringe at the thought – all for the love of Sir Doods! The fun part is we’ve all learned to just enjoy and make fun of ourselves the way he does it on the show.

I love and still miss Krisie, and no one will replace that spot in my heart. She and Edu are both uniquely loveable and special. And I’d probably do the same thing for her, just for the love of her!

On Kids and Friendships

Meet my latest inaanak Shein, with her mom- my Kumare Lani! So adorable! Attended her baptism last Saturday, Sept.8 at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, QC. (I wonder how many inaanaks do I have now, will try to keep track in time for Christmas.)


Brought along Raph (Ronan to his classmates & teachers). He was so happy to see his friends/classmates Garth & GM at the church. Shein is Garth's baby sister. Met her mom- Lani last year at DML Montessori, our sons' preschool. We, along with GM's mom Tess, became really close. We used to call ourselves "the terrible 2s" because all of our birthdates fall on the 2nd day of the month: Lani-Aug2, Tess-Sept2 and of course Me-Dec2. Both Lani and Tess are full-time moms, while I am a hectic working mom. But of course, I do manage to bring Raph to and from school. When Lani gave birth to Shein last May, she stopped accompanying Garth to school, our communication was constant though. We'd have occasional quick lunches while waiting for our sons, and of course we never miss important school events.

Our friendship of just more than a year now is growing. The three of us have relied on one another countless times. We were initially binded by our sons, but now that we're "kumares", I guess even when our sons go to different big schools later on, we will still be friends.
[Garth,Raph & GM]
Next year, sad to say, GM is transferring to Xavier School because his Chinese grandparents want him to move to a Chinese School. Garth and Raph are staying in DML for one more year, and hopefully both of them will study Prep and onwards in Ateneo together. They say friendships that are developed in childhood years are meant to last. I believe so, one of my best friends Bennet was my friend since Grade 1. Although it's too early to tell, hope Raph has already found real friends in Garth & GM as how their moms have.

ALMOST...but not quite

heard something from the horse’s mouth…somethin’ strange, an old item but quite surprising for me.

when the topic was brought up, the guy said, “hindi naging kami” –how can that be possible? everyone in the circle knew they were an item. i was there, i witnessed how these two “friends” clicked and blossomed into “lovers.”

there was no need for a literal declaration. they sooo looked good together, and in love. was it real? maybe not, because after a while, they just fell apart. don’t exactly know how it ended, but to begin with, the impression their common friends got was, there was something romantic going on between them.

and now the guy is saying they never were “together!” huh? does he have issues? unfinished business? or maybe both of them felt that way, and we just assumed. but at one point, we even thought that in the end, they may hook up together again. but having heard such statement from the guy, the way he said it, i don't think so.

i dunno! how will my girl friend kaya react if she finds out this story. honestly, it may not mean anything to her anymore...still, i'm bothered. and although the two and the circle are now history, STILL, i’m wonderin'…an “almost-but-not-quite romance” was all there was? maybe so, but i suppose, it was good while it lasted.

"therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (mark 11:24)

"you may ask ME for anything in My Name, and I will do it." (john 14:14)