Back in SG...
Back to broadband and cheap internet...
Back to missing home...
Back to remembering...
Dec. 13 (Friday)
Woke up early to give the house a clean sweep before we leave for the Phils. Cooked Chinese fried rice for brunch. Double-checked the luggage to make sure everything's where it should be. Kept things in the house in places where 3-weeks worth of dust won't get to them. Did everything I should but my heart wasn't in it... all I could think of was when we finally locked the door, the gate, got into a cab and set foot at Changi... every step making our trip home more of a reality.
The trip wasn't as comfortable as the previous trips... we didn't have a window seat and I just hate the aisle cause it's so crammed. But it's ok... it's not the be-all and end-all of this holiday, although it takes away 3 hours off the 3 weeks we have... hehehe...
There was a Caucasian man, probably in his 50's and a Pinay, a bit younger, like 40-ish, sitting on the left side of the plane, a row ahead of us. I don't know what it was that caught my interest... maybe it was the Pinay. At first glance, you would see her as another DH who got lucky. But unlike the others, she wasn't too young for her partner, she wasn't slim enough to be a local dumb-blonde and neither was she 'eager-to-look-hot' and failing. Her movements were naturally comfortable and she conducted herself with quiet confidence... the way she chose wine over coke, the way she held her glass, the way she was so engulfed with the movie... laughing at the right moments, quietly watching for the most part... the way she ate her meal without fumbling, even with the way she made her face up... not with a lot of colors but just enough to enhance her best features which for me were her eyelashes. If I may add, she earned my respect for not re-touching her lipstick right on her seat after eating. In a way, she was enticing to watch and I can see that the Caucasian guy cared for her and somehow respected her.
I watched them for quite a while and then found myself drifting off to sleep. I woke up at touchdown and my eyes drifted back to this couple. I saw the Pinay looking out the window, hands rolled in a fist, clumped against her chest, her lips pressed together, her eyes wistful. The Caucasian guy put his left hand against her left temple and gathered her against his chest, patting her shoulders with his other hand. The Pinay closed her eyes and stayed there... and I thought to myself, my sentiments exactly.
When we got out of the airport, Bong, Darlene and Lucas were there to meet us. I tried to kiss the little monster but he wouldn't let me... I guess I'll have to re-establish bonding for the next 3 weeks, probably accomplishing it a few days before I have to leave again. We were late coming home. After the homecoming hugs, we had supper... my mom's lengua and caldereta which Jay enjoyed with a flourish (I was still too full and too excited to be home to eat). As it happens, Meg didn't call so we stayed the night. That's okay... so I went on and dispensed with our gifts from China... handbags, slippers, sweaters... shower gels from SG and chocolates from the Duty Free shops. I almost didn't sleep... I just kept walking around my parent's house, staring at each familiar thing, remembering. At one point my mom woke up and chanced upon me still awake... we talked a bit but she was really sleepy... so I hugged her and sent her off to bed again. She asked me what I wanted to eat in the morning. I said I would love to have some of her home made sardines. She said she'll see and told me to get some sleep. I didn't... not until 5 am I think... I guess I wanted to take in as much as I could of home. Eventually I laid down beside Jay, chanting to myself... 'I'm home. I'm home. I'm home...' until I drifted away.
Dec. 14 (Saturday)
I woke up quite early for my 5am bedtime of the night before... I think it was 9am. I heard Axl saying 'Babooy... babooy' while riding piggyback on his dad. That made me wake up with a smile. I think he had a better memory of me than Lucas had cause he smiled when he saw me... although he was so afraid of Jay he wouldn't get in bed with us. After a little coaxing he did just the same, complete with his feeding bottle (his own version of a security blanket) and eyes shut tight.
The driver first had to take my mom to the market before he can take us home. So we played with the kid, did some catching up, walked around the yard... and then we were off. We paid a short visit at my mother-in-law's, dropped off some gifts, made some plans to get together and played a bit with TJ and were off again. All the way to Antipolo Jay and I slept. We woke up just as we were entering Robinson's Homes East... gosh what a sight, I thought I was still asleep and dreaming. Then we were in front of our house and the first thing I heard was our minipin yelping, screaming. Home... I can't put what I felt into words... it's a feeling that's private as it is universal... I guess homecoming gives a person the same sentiments anywhere in the world and yet it probably is a world of difference for anybody else who isn't me at that moment. Thank God for small graces...:)
Dec. 15 (Sunday)
The neighbors have heard... we were home! Early in the morning, Jay was at the neighbors' and it was smiles that greeted us everywhere. Smiles and stories about everybody... oh well, it's the same old place after all... hehehe. We had our favorite brunch that morning, fried rice, hotdogs and sunny-side-ups... orange juice for me and iced tea for Jay. Anna was beside herself making sure we got everything we needed. Watching her, I made a mental note to give her something extra as bonus for all the effort she was giving.
In the afternoon, Bong and Lolet called us... they were making bibingka... not for personal consumption but for peddling. It was so much fun and the bibingka really tasted good... it sold like the hotcake it is... hehehe. What added to the fun was Mang Boy... and for the next 3 weeks, we would be pitting wise cracks against each other, me getting the last word most of the time. Mang Boy is the 'Teofilo' I've heard about 3 years ago but never managed to meet until now. A kindly neighbor who is such a handyman he would repair anything in a neighbor's house and the only requirement is an SOS. In the end I gave him a pet name all my own... 'Tatang'... and I think that has endeared me to him more than anything... I know, from all the treats he promised to give me during our stay... ubeng halaya, ginataang bilo-bilo. And there was Lolet and her family... one thing about these people, they do everything as a team. They cook together, eat together, play together, spend idle moments together... of course they have their problems but which family doesn't? I admire them though cause whatever it is, they always stay by each other.
Dec. 16 (Monday)
Jay had an appointment today but was back early. I went to the wet market and the supermarket for one week's supply, dutifully assisted by Anna. I played a lot with Datu and just let everything sink back in.
In the evening, we sold bibingka again, this time right by the gates of San Jose Heights. There were some problems with the texture of the bibingka (they found out later that the fault lay on the kind of rice used and the way it was ground) but they still sold everything... to the last drop of dough, with orders for the following day. I was in charge of cutting banana leaves in big circles, small circles and small squares. Later, I got to put grated coconut into small plastic bags and much later, was promoted to stirring in the dough with the egg before putting it into the clay pot... with coals below and coals above... so that's how you cook bibingka. Everybody who helped was treated to siopao and Pepsi Blue for snacks... blue soda?... what would they think of next? It tasted ok but Jay thinks it tasted like Toilet Duck... just when did he ever get to taste Toilet Duck?... I wonder...
Dec. 17 (Tuesday)
Today I spent a lazy morning... letting myself feel the pleasure of having household help and be left to do absolutely nothing. Mmm-mmm... oh yes... the pleasure of waking up early (cause Jay needed to work again and I am still a wife even if I'm on vacation), enjoying the cool of dawn while downing a hot cup of coffee, waving my husband off to work and dropping back to bed as soon as he drives away. Oh yes... the pleasure of being a slob in your own home. When I woke up at mid-morning again, Anna was through with her duties and was free to give me a manicure and pedicure. See how lucky I am?... not only does she clean, cook, wash clothes, iron, take care of my dog... she gives me massage and cleans my nails. She's quite a catch, I should say.
In the afternoon we sold bibingka again... we're up to 3 kilos of rice and we still manage to sell everything out before simbang gabi starts at 9 pm (it's 9 pm at the chapel in our subdivision and 12 mn at the cathedral). We count the pieces sold by the number of eggs used... tonight, we sold more than 60 pieces... not bad at all. And we've got orders for the following day... only I won't be here. Tomorrow, I'm taking my nephews shopping for shoes. Tonight we were treated to burger sandwhiches from Burger Machine... inggit ka 'no Renee... hehehe.
Dec. 18 (Wednesday)
I left Antipolo at 1:30 pm and arrived at Diko's place around 3:30. We did a lot of catching up while waiting for the kids to come home from school. He showed me his pictures in China when he went there several years back and had fun talking about the same places we've seen. I can't imagine how their guard-escorts managed to climb the Great Wall, pushing the wheelchairs of their wards up the steep steps... I was hardly able to climb it without holding on to the steel bars lining the walls. Then he showed me his pictures when he was in Korea (he was there to compete at a tournament for wheelchair tennis)... at about the same time we were in China... and I bit my lip. I can't imagine how he was able to stand the cold (remembering the freezing temperature of China) without proper winter clothes. Why can't the Philippine government aid them in their endeavors to bring glory to the Philippine name? Why can't they be funded properly? If he only told me beforehand that his Korea trip would be pushing through, I would have found a way to get him some winter clothes... or probably send some money so he could buy some. But that's all water under the bridge... so we did the next best thing. We brought him some winter clothes so the next time he goes anywhere where there's freezing temp, he'll be comfortably warm.
Finally the kids came and we all went to SM West... Melody (sister-in-law), Ryann, Kris, Kevin and myself. At SM we were met by Karen (I asked her to come along thinking she'd be a better judge for Nina's shoes... the pair I bought for her here in SG was too big... as it turned out, the ones Karen chose were too small). It was a quick shopping except for Kris who almost wasn't able to buy a pair. I had to take him around once again and go item by item until he found one (with a lot of coaxing) he liked. After shopping, we had a snack of pizza and pasta at Greenwich and headed for home. The cab que was hopeless and frustrating so we rode the bus and after, the jeep and got back in no time. When we arrived at their house, Jay was already there to pick me up. It's been a long day and I would have slept all the way home out of habit but I was having so much fun I couldn't.
Dec. 19 (Thursday)
I would have wanted to stay home and sell bibingka in the afternoon, but I promised Darlene I'd spend the day with her and Lucas. So when Jay left in the morning for yet another meeting, I went with him so he can drop me off at Darlene's. When I got there, it was a riot... no, it's not because I came (teehee)... it's because they were trying to meet up with the orders for Christmas hams. Two delivery vans were constantly coming and going out of the gate, the phones rang non-stop, boxes lay in rows all over the terrace floor, there were 10 or so people working in the factory at the back of their house, and there was meat everywhere... to be cured, to be packed, to be delivered. Bong and his brothers were in charge of production and delivery and Malou was in charge of taking in the orders and payments. This was a far cry from our bibingka business back in Antipolo... hehehe... and exactly my dream for my family... where we would be working altogether, gaining profit together, keeping a business going together. If I trust my cards, it's not happening anytime soon. Oh well, some people can be so lucky. Know how lucky?... They weren't expecting us for breakfast but when I told Darlene we haven't eaten yet, she went to the factory, scooped up several slices of ham and voila!... breakfast... hehehe.
In the afternoon I was back at SM, with Darlene and Lucas this time. First we went to find shoes for her cause I promised I'd buy her one. She found something she liked at Celine... but as I was looking around, I found something I liked too. It was a black strapped number with stilleto heels... very sexy. We ended up buying a pair each. Then we went to National Bookstore, and with the help of Darlene, picked up a painting set for Jay... my birthday gift for tomorrow. There we were met by Razel... Darlene's partner in their bead trinket business. Then we went to Watson's to buy mom's Clinique SPF Sunblock... my Christmas gift to her (which is obviously upon request... hehehe). Then we went to buy some gifts for the wives of the Notre Dame boys, to be given out during Jay's birthday party. Last in the list was gift-wrapping paper. Having completed my shopping, I treated them for snacks... ho-ho... same pizza and pasta from Greenwich.
Again, the cab que was one big source of frustration so we opted to ride the jeepney. It was fun because it was Lucas' first experience in public transport and I would have wanted to take his picture if I had the camera with me... or maybe not for fear of being held up... hehehe. When we got back to their house, Bong was getting ready to go out. Jay called and invited us for dinner with Mon, Dennis Dabu and Edwin but Darlene and I passed. We were tired and we just wanted to rest. So Bong went out and after a while, Lucas slept. I started wrapping gifts for the Saturday reunion of the David-Serenos and Darlene taught me how to make bags out of giftwraps. It was fun and I got so engrossed making the bags, I was surprised to hear the gates open and Darlene announcing that Jay and Bong were back. It was already past 12 midnight and it was Jay's birthday. So when I got out to meet him, I had his gift (the first one I wrapped) with me, giving him his birthday kiss as I handed it to him. He left the gift card tucked on a pinboard in the library back home but it goes something like this... ' I can't give you anything precious but I know what gives you peace... words, music and pictures... creating something beautiful and reaching out to the senses with it... which you do pretty well. Hope you enjoy this. Happy Birthday!' He tore at the wrapper and smiled his quiet smile... Happy birthday, my love!
Dec. 20 (Friday)
It's Jay's birthday and he spent a large part of it cooped up in the library... painting. He was turning out pictures one after another... colorful, pretty, childish pictures of anything that caught his interest... a miniature rocking horse, the facade of the house, an ornament made out in the form of a porky ballerina, a gumamela flower, even his cigarette pack and ashtray unconsciously strewn across the table. As he finished a piece, he would tuck it with a magnet on the ref door and pretty soon he got the whole door covered.
I got myself busy with wrapping gifts. I was glad to have this time to do it cause pretty soon I would be too busy. After a while we had to get ready for ICI's Christmas Party, over at Mr. Dizon's house. When we got in, everybody was commenting on how slim I've become ( something which was going to sadly and abruptly change within the next few days...). There were a lot of new faces but there were still a handful that I knew and so I spent most of the night catching up. Jay and I sat at different tables, he sat with the men and I sat with the women. There was a lot of food, quiet music, Willie's funny antics as he emceed the night, games and prizes. Pretty much the same as before... I guess it was quite nostalgic for Jay... he spent more than 10 years working in that company and for the most part, it has become like a family. But the night wore on and I was getting sleepy. We left just before midnight, after Jay sang Mr. Dizon's favorite song, 'Born to Be Wild'.
Dec. 21 (Saturday)
I would have expected us to wake up late cause it was a late night before. But we were up at half past 6... I guess our inner compasses knew that time was short and we wanted to be awake for most of it. We had the usual morning coffee, listening to Joe Taruc and company at DZRH, with me walking around the garden looking at the plants while Jay watered them. Funny how Jay wakes up instantly once he hears Anna watering the plants, shouting...'Ako'ng magdidilig!' This was how we usually spent weekend mornings at home when we were still living here in the Philippines. Now, we wanted to turn everyday into a weekend, as much of it as we could... we just couldn't have enough of it. It was an easy day for me, having wrapped most of the gifts that would be given out today at the reunion. We even managed to catnap after brunch before dressing up.
We went straight to Janet's house. Almost everyone was there already... Mommy, Dante, Gigi and TJ, Emy and family, Auntie Nana, Janet, Ate Lina and family. Dennis and his wife Meng came in so late everybody was gone when they did. There was a lot of food... again! Lord help me... I can literally feel myself bulging by the day and we still have two weeks to go. This is the first reunion we went to for this holiday and if this was any indication of the rest of our stay, then we were going to be in for three weeks of gaining unwanted pounds, but happily, cause we would be in a nest of loved ones... eager to welcome us home. In another note, all the shoes we bought luckily fitted everybody... I should invent inflatable shoes that are sturdy and stylish. It would be a lot easier on the luggage. As it happened, Jay and I had 7 pieces of luggage between us and most of them contained shoes in shoeboxes. Why we opted to give shoes as gifts though, I could only wonder.
A little while after Dennis and Meng arrived we went back to the house where TJ, who was in her best moods, having received 2 Barbie dolls, entertained us. She, who at 3 years old could already operate the player, played her CDs for us and dance to the music. She's got really nice moves which are so coordinated you would hardly believe she was 3 years old. Plus the fact that she's so cute and pretty, she's so wonderful to watch. She talks a lot too, with clear, straight words. If she says something unintelligible, she's probably speaking her own language which nobody will really understand... teehee.
More later...
Back to broadband and cheap internet...
Back to missing home...
Back to remembering...
Dec. 13 (Friday)
Woke up early to give the house a clean sweep before we leave for the Phils. Cooked Chinese fried rice for brunch. Double-checked the luggage to make sure everything's where it should be. Kept things in the house in places where 3-weeks worth of dust won't get to them. Did everything I should but my heart wasn't in it... all I could think of was when we finally locked the door, the gate, got into a cab and set foot at Changi... every step making our trip home more of a reality.
The trip wasn't as comfortable as the previous trips... we didn't have a window seat and I just hate the aisle cause it's so crammed. But it's ok... it's not the be-all and end-all of this holiday, although it takes away 3 hours off the 3 weeks we have... hehehe...
There was a Caucasian man, probably in his 50's and a Pinay, a bit younger, like 40-ish, sitting on the left side of the plane, a row ahead of us. I don't know what it was that caught my interest... maybe it was the Pinay. At first glance, you would see her as another DH who got lucky. But unlike the others, she wasn't too young for her partner, she wasn't slim enough to be a local dumb-blonde and neither was she 'eager-to-look-hot' and failing. Her movements were naturally comfortable and she conducted herself with quiet confidence... the way she chose wine over coke, the way she held her glass, the way she was so engulfed with the movie... laughing at the right moments, quietly watching for the most part... the way she ate her meal without fumbling, even with the way she made her face up... not with a lot of colors but just enough to enhance her best features which for me were her eyelashes. If I may add, she earned my respect for not re-touching her lipstick right on her seat after eating. In a way, she was enticing to watch and I can see that the Caucasian guy cared for her and somehow respected her.
I watched them for quite a while and then found myself drifting off to sleep. I woke up at touchdown and my eyes drifted back to this couple. I saw the Pinay looking out the window, hands rolled in a fist, clumped against her chest, her lips pressed together, her eyes wistful. The Caucasian guy put his left hand against her left temple and gathered her against his chest, patting her shoulders with his other hand. The Pinay closed her eyes and stayed there... and I thought to myself, my sentiments exactly.
When we got out of the airport, Bong, Darlene and Lucas were there to meet us. I tried to kiss the little monster but he wouldn't let me... I guess I'll have to re-establish bonding for the next 3 weeks, probably accomplishing it a few days before I have to leave again. We were late coming home. After the homecoming hugs, we had supper... my mom's lengua and caldereta which Jay enjoyed with a flourish (I was still too full and too excited to be home to eat). As it happens, Meg didn't call so we stayed the night. That's okay... so I went on and dispensed with our gifts from China... handbags, slippers, sweaters... shower gels from SG and chocolates from the Duty Free shops. I almost didn't sleep... I just kept walking around my parent's house, staring at each familiar thing, remembering. At one point my mom woke up and chanced upon me still awake... we talked a bit but she was really sleepy... so I hugged her and sent her off to bed again. She asked me what I wanted to eat in the morning. I said I would love to have some of her home made sardines. She said she'll see and told me to get some sleep. I didn't... not until 5 am I think... I guess I wanted to take in as much as I could of home. Eventually I laid down beside Jay, chanting to myself... 'I'm home. I'm home. I'm home...' until I drifted away.
Dec. 14 (Saturday)
I woke up quite early for my 5am bedtime of the night before... I think it was 9am. I heard Axl saying 'Babooy... babooy' while riding piggyback on his dad. That made me wake up with a smile. I think he had a better memory of me than Lucas had cause he smiled when he saw me... although he was so afraid of Jay he wouldn't get in bed with us. After a little coaxing he did just the same, complete with his feeding bottle (his own version of a security blanket) and eyes shut tight.
The driver first had to take my mom to the market before he can take us home. So we played with the kid, did some catching up, walked around the yard... and then we were off. We paid a short visit at my mother-in-law's, dropped off some gifts, made some plans to get together and played a bit with TJ and were off again. All the way to Antipolo Jay and I slept. We woke up just as we were entering Robinson's Homes East... gosh what a sight, I thought I was still asleep and dreaming. Then we were in front of our house and the first thing I heard was our minipin yelping, screaming. Home... I can't put what I felt into words... it's a feeling that's private as it is universal... I guess homecoming gives a person the same sentiments anywhere in the world and yet it probably is a world of difference for anybody else who isn't me at that moment. Thank God for small graces...:)
Dec. 15 (Sunday)
The neighbors have heard... we were home! Early in the morning, Jay was at the neighbors' and it was smiles that greeted us everywhere. Smiles and stories about everybody... oh well, it's the same old place after all... hehehe. We had our favorite brunch that morning, fried rice, hotdogs and sunny-side-ups... orange juice for me and iced tea for Jay. Anna was beside herself making sure we got everything we needed. Watching her, I made a mental note to give her something extra as bonus for all the effort she was giving.
In the afternoon, Bong and Lolet called us... they were making bibingka... not for personal consumption but for peddling. It was so much fun and the bibingka really tasted good... it sold like the hotcake it is... hehehe. What added to the fun was Mang Boy... and for the next 3 weeks, we would be pitting wise cracks against each other, me getting the last word most of the time. Mang Boy is the 'Teofilo' I've heard about 3 years ago but never managed to meet until now. A kindly neighbor who is such a handyman he would repair anything in a neighbor's house and the only requirement is an SOS. In the end I gave him a pet name all my own... 'Tatang'... and I think that has endeared me to him more than anything... I know, from all the treats he promised to give me during our stay... ubeng halaya, ginataang bilo-bilo. And there was Lolet and her family... one thing about these people, they do everything as a team. They cook together, eat together, play together, spend idle moments together... of course they have their problems but which family doesn't? I admire them though cause whatever it is, they always stay by each other.
Dec. 16 (Monday)
Jay had an appointment today but was back early. I went to the wet market and the supermarket for one week's supply, dutifully assisted by Anna. I played a lot with Datu and just let everything sink back in.
In the evening, we sold bibingka again, this time right by the gates of San Jose Heights. There were some problems with the texture of the bibingka (they found out later that the fault lay on the kind of rice used and the way it was ground) but they still sold everything... to the last drop of dough, with orders for the following day. I was in charge of cutting banana leaves in big circles, small circles and small squares. Later, I got to put grated coconut into small plastic bags and much later, was promoted to stirring in the dough with the egg before putting it into the clay pot... with coals below and coals above... so that's how you cook bibingka. Everybody who helped was treated to siopao and Pepsi Blue for snacks... blue soda?... what would they think of next? It tasted ok but Jay thinks it tasted like Toilet Duck... just when did he ever get to taste Toilet Duck?... I wonder...
Dec. 17 (Tuesday)
Today I spent a lazy morning... letting myself feel the pleasure of having household help and be left to do absolutely nothing. Mmm-mmm... oh yes... the pleasure of waking up early (cause Jay needed to work again and I am still a wife even if I'm on vacation), enjoying the cool of dawn while downing a hot cup of coffee, waving my husband off to work and dropping back to bed as soon as he drives away. Oh yes... the pleasure of being a slob in your own home. When I woke up at mid-morning again, Anna was through with her duties and was free to give me a manicure and pedicure. See how lucky I am?... not only does she clean, cook, wash clothes, iron, take care of my dog... she gives me massage and cleans my nails. She's quite a catch, I should say.
In the afternoon we sold bibingka again... we're up to 3 kilos of rice and we still manage to sell everything out before simbang gabi starts at 9 pm (it's 9 pm at the chapel in our subdivision and 12 mn at the cathedral). We count the pieces sold by the number of eggs used... tonight, we sold more than 60 pieces... not bad at all. And we've got orders for the following day... only I won't be here. Tomorrow, I'm taking my nephews shopping for shoes. Tonight we were treated to burger sandwhiches from Burger Machine... inggit ka 'no Renee... hehehe.
Dec. 18 (Wednesday)
I left Antipolo at 1:30 pm and arrived at Diko's place around 3:30. We did a lot of catching up while waiting for the kids to come home from school. He showed me his pictures in China when he went there several years back and had fun talking about the same places we've seen. I can't imagine how their guard-escorts managed to climb the Great Wall, pushing the wheelchairs of their wards up the steep steps... I was hardly able to climb it without holding on to the steel bars lining the walls. Then he showed me his pictures when he was in Korea (he was there to compete at a tournament for wheelchair tennis)... at about the same time we were in China... and I bit my lip. I can't imagine how he was able to stand the cold (remembering the freezing temperature of China) without proper winter clothes. Why can't the Philippine government aid them in their endeavors to bring glory to the Philippine name? Why can't they be funded properly? If he only told me beforehand that his Korea trip would be pushing through, I would have found a way to get him some winter clothes... or probably send some money so he could buy some. But that's all water under the bridge... so we did the next best thing. We brought him some winter clothes so the next time he goes anywhere where there's freezing temp, he'll be comfortably warm.
Finally the kids came and we all went to SM West... Melody (sister-in-law), Ryann, Kris, Kevin and myself. At SM we were met by Karen (I asked her to come along thinking she'd be a better judge for Nina's shoes... the pair I bought for her here in SG was too big... as it turned out, the ones Karen chose were too small). It was a quick shopping except for Kris who almost wasn't able to buy a pair. I had to take him around once again and go item by item until he found one (with a lot of coaxing) he liked. After shopping, we had a snack of pizza and pasta at Greenwich and headed for home. The cab que was hopeless and frustrating so we rode the bus and after, the jeep and got back in no time. When we arrived at their house, Jay was already there to pick me up. It's been a long day and I would have slept all the way home out of habit but I was having so much fun I couldn't.
Dec. 19 (Thursday)
I would have wanted to stay home and sell bibingka in the afternoon, but I promised Darlene I'd spend the day with her and Lucas. So when Jay left in the morning for yet another meeting, I went with him so he can drop me off at Darlene's. When I got there, it was a riot... no, it's not because I came (teehee)... it's because they were trying to meet up with the orders for Christmas hams. Two delivery vans were constantly coming and going out of the gate, the phones rang non-stop, boxes lay in rows all over the terrace floor, there were 10 or so people working in the factory at the back of their house, and there was meat everywhere... to be cured, to be packed, to be delivered. Bong and his brothers were in charge of production and delivery and Malou was in charge of taking in the orders and payments. This was a far cry from our bibingka business back in Antipolo... hehehe... and exactly my dream for my family... where we would be working altogether, gaining profit together, keeping a business going together. If I trust my cards, it's not happening anytime soon. Oh well, some people can be so lucky. Know how lucky?... They weren't expecting us for breakfast but when I told Darlene we haven't eaten yet, she went to the factory, scooped up several slices of ham and voila!... breakfast... hehehe.
In the afternoon I was back at SM, with Darlene and Lucas this time. First we went to find shoes for her cause I promised I'd buy her one. She found something she liked at Celine... but as I was looking around, I found something I liked too. It was a black strapped number with stilleto heels... very sexy. We ended up buying a pair each. Then we went to National Bookstore, and with the help of Darlene, picked up a painting set for Jay... my birthday gift for tomorrow. There we were met by Razel... Darlene's partner in their bead trinket business. Then we went to Watson's to buy mom's Clinique SPF Sunblock... my Christmas gift to her (which is obviously upon request... hehehe). Then we went to buy some gifts for the wives of the Notre Dame boys, to be given out during Jay's birthday party. Last in the list was gift-wrapping paper. Having completed my shopping, I treated them for snacks... ho-ho... same pizza and pasta from Greenwich.
Again, the cab que was one big source of frustration so we opted to ride the jeepney. It was fun because it was Lucas' first experience in public transport and I would have wanted to take his picture if I had the camera with me... or maybe not for fear of being held up... hehehe. When we got back to their house, Bong was getting ready to go out. Jay called and invited us for dinner with Mon, Dennis Dabu and Edwin but Darlene and I passed. We were tired and we just wanted to rest. So Bong went out and after a while, Lucas slept. I started wrapping gifts for the Saturday reunion of the David-Serenos and Darlene taught me how to make bags out of giftwraps. It was fun and I got so engrossed making the bags, I was surprised to hear the gates open and Darlene announcing that Jay and Bong were back. It was already past 12 midnight and it was Jay's birthday. So when I got out to meet him, I had his gift (the first one I wrapped) with me, giving him his birthday kiss as I handed it to him. He left the gift card tucked on a pinboard in the library back home but it goes something like this... ' I can't give you anything precious but I know what gives you peace... words, music and pictures... creating something beautiful and reaching out to the senses with it... which you do pretty well. Hope you enjoy this. Happy Birthday!' He tore at the wrapper and smiled his quiet smile... Happy birthday, my love!
Dec. 20 (Friday)
It's Jay's birthday and he spent a large part of it cooped up in the library... painting. He was turning out pictures one after another... colorful, pretty, childish pictures of anything that caught his interest... a miniature rocking horse, the facade of the house, an ornament made out in the form of a porky ballerina, a gumamela flower, even his cigarette pack and ashtray unconsciously strewn across the table. As he finished a piece, he would tuck it with a magnet on the ref door and pretty soon he got the whole door covered.
I got myself busy with wrapping gifts. I was glad to have this time to do it cause pretty soon I would be too busy. After a while we had to get ready for ICI's Christmas Party, over at Mr. Dizon's house. When we got in, everybody was commenting on how slim I've become ( something which was going to sadly and abruptly change within the next few days...). There were a lot of new faces but there were still a handful that I knew and so I spent most of the night catching up. Jay and I sat at different tables, he sat with the men and I sat with the women. There was a lot of food, quiet music, Willie's funny antics as he emceed the night, games and prizes. Pretty much the same as before... I guess it was quite nostalgic for Jay... he spent more than 10 years working in that company and for the most part, it has become like a family. But the night wore on and I was getting sleepy. We left just before midnight, after Jay sang Mr. Dizon's favorite song, 'Born to Be Wild'.
Dec. 21 (Saturday)
I would have expected us to wake up late cause it was a late night before. But we were up at half past 6... I guess our inner compasses knew that time was short and we wanted to be awake for most of it. We had the usual morning coffee, listening to Joe Taruc and company at DZRH, with me walking around the garden looking at the plants while Jay watered them. Funny how Jay wakes up instantly once he hears Anna watering the plants, shouting...'Ako'ng magdidilig!' This was how we usually spent weekend mornings at home when we were still living here in the Philippines. Now, we wanted to turn everyday into a weekend, as much of it as we could... we just couldn't have enough of it. It was an easy day for me, having wrapped most of the gifts that would be given out today at the reunion. We even managed to catnap after brunch before dressing up.
We went straight to Janet's house. Almost everyone was there already... Mommy, Dante, Gigi and TJ, Emy and family, Auntie Nana, Janet, Ate Lina and family. Dennis and his wife Meng came in so late everybody was gone when they did. There was a lot of food... again! Lord help me... I can literally feel myself bulging by the day and we still have two weeks to go. This is the first reunion we went to for this holiday and if this was any indication of the rest of our stay, then we were going to be in for three weeks of gaining unwanted pounds, but happily, cause we would be in a nest of loved ones... eager to welcome us home. In another note, all the shoes we bought luckily fitted everybody... I should invent inflatable shoes that are sturdy and stylish. It would be a lot easier on the luggage. As it happened, Jay and I had 7 pieces of luggage between us and most of them contained shoes in shoeboxes. Why we opted to give shoes as gifts though, I could only wonder.
A little while after Dennis and Meng arrived we went back to the house where TJ, who was in her best moods, having received 2 Barbie dolls, entertained us. She, who at 3 years old could already operate the player, played her CDs for us and dance to the music. She's got really nice moves which are so coordinated you would hardly believe she was 3 years old. Plus the fact that she's so cute and pretty, she's so wonderful to watch. She talks a lot too, with clear, straight words. If she says something unintelligible, she's probably speaking her own language which nobody will really understand... teehee.
More later...
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