Captain America

Nothing beats seeing a film with people you consider siblings. We watched Captain America today, after half a day of spiritual learning and physical filling. Eleven of us reserved the seats, booked them, and marched to the nearest movie theatre to catch the first of The Avengers. And we were never failed! Great company+good movie+Chris Evans = Paradise.

Too bad I napped ten minutes before it ended (It was just past my bedtime! :p).

Mr Snob

I try not to be judgmental as possible. But sometimes when first impression is severely damaged, to repair it is unlikely. Yes, unlikely, but not impossible.

One client is very popular for being nasty. I try to avoid serving him once I spotted him queuing for his turn. The more I shoo him away, the more he is magnetized to wherever counter I am designated.

I served him today. He liked being called by his name; his frown converts into a smile when he hears the musical lyric that is his name. I asked him if he had taken his lunch, he said no I believe. The most surprising thing was what he asked me next. He said, 'How are you?'

I did not expect him to say those, even in the most nonchalant way. But he did. He is not bad, after all.

Laundry Time

I reached home at 11pm, very tired, but I am even surprised myself that I still have the energy to collect my dirty clothes, stack them inside the ever hard working washing machine, choose over dozens of controls, add the liquid soap, press start, and await the machine to complete its task. I only have one desire: a washing machine that hangs the clothes without manual intervention. Life would be perfect!

Siblings in Christ

It has been almost two weeks since I came back from my short trip to the Philippines, but today was the first time I sat and conversed with my Christ-siblings.

We met up to talk about a very confidential matter, laughed all throughout the conversation, finalized some points, then headed towards home, appreciative of each other's company, with smiles plastered on our tired physical faces. We might not be bonded by blood, but we're bonded in spirit. We fan it with healthy conversation and purity in intention to keep it flaring. :)

Chocolate by the Bald Man

For the first time in months, I ate dinner and indulged myself in the richness of chocolate from Max Brenner tonight with a friend and my boss. The chocolate is unforgettable!

Sunday Choir

How long have I been absent from my beloved blog? Two days? It felt like forever.

I was down with rhinorrhea and had to convene with my second-love Ratatouille-covered bed at an earlier time, and be detached from earthly thoughts to calm my being temporarily. I still am having it, but better.

I attended Mass last Sunday. The choir was singing, the congregation was humming, and I noticed two particular participants who made use of what they know and what they have to give glory to God. The younger man was deaf and mute, the mom was assisting him. But despite the absence of melodic vocals, both of them actively 'sung' through their wonderful hands, the young man patterning the mother's acts. It made me cry.

While some were physically present but psychologically traversing under the Sunday sunshine outside the four walls of the church, the mother and son's tandem echoed inaudibly, in chorus, with those who came for God. Nothing was more beautiful. It reminded me of the story of five loaves and two fishes that fed the five thousand. The little that we have is all that we really need. The absence of voices but the presence of their wonderful hands, and the support of their loved ones, are all that they actually need. All else are insignificant.

Pre-nuptial Shoot

I informed my friend some months ago, due to my admiration for his captivating photos, to share with me his deeper knowledge in photography. Materializing the promise, he tagged me along to this pre-nuptial shoot today to establish my portfolio.

The picture above was not taken with my Nikon DSLR, but this is one of the two places we used as background for the lovely couple. I think I might have captured and frozen one or two timeless mementos. :)

Amaya

I guess at one point in our life we got addicted to those soap operas. When I came back from the Philippines, to replace my forgotten heart, I packed in my luggage the love for Amaya. And today I saw two episodes!

Choco Choco Yum Yum!

Due to concerted effort by everyone in my workplace that has been sweetly recognized, the franchise showed their appreciation by giving each one a bunch of chocolates intricately wrapped in a glossy, red, and designed wrapping. It was topped, not by a cherry, but by a bow.

Perfect timing because I did not bring my fruits for my afternoon snack. It was the perfect substitute. Just the right dose of sugar rush for my long day!

Curia

I attended the Legion of Mary's monthly meeting in a church that is one-hour ride from my workplace. During the meeting, it has been discussed in the allocutio how the system is invariably in existence for 90 years, of which is the sole reason for the endurance of the organization. Regardless of the generation, the war, the oppression and the individualistic aims that conquer the hearts of the world today, the legion remains intact. It is immune to the annihilation attempt by some political forces in some parts of the world. The system is the sole reason for its endurance.

And I am happy to be part of it. :)

Birthday Foodie!

Yesterday was my friend's birthday, and our colleague volunteered to give everyone a very delicious meal today to celebrate this. I was not able to greet my friend (ooops! I was not aware of her birthdate), but I would definitely not miss a very enticing, FREE lunch!

Nom nom nom

Legion

It was my first time to preside the meeting after three weeks. I am involved in a church ministry where I lead the meetings on a weekly basis. The warmth of welcoming me though after a short absence only makes me glad to be back. When all these end, bidding goodbye will really be a painful task to do.

Sweets on Sunday Morning

I missed the first day of my Sunday catechism class last week due to my vacation in the Philippines. So today technically was my first.

The three classes were combined. The other teacher is also away on vacation, the level coordinator thought I still was. I marched to the second floor and began recognizing my kids amidst the sea of unfamiliar faces. The moment they laid their eyes on me, they got excited and uttered my name at a tone higher than normal. My girl student even asked me why I was absent from last week's meeting. I thought they wouldn't even notice.

I handed out the little souvenirs from my beach trip, one for each kids. The sincerity in their voices expressing their gratitude over what I considered trivial touched the very core of my being. The kids were so sweet they melted my heart away. I can't wait to see them again next Sunday!

HP7 Part 2 Take 2!

I cannot get enough of this movie, being the last, that I watched it for the second time. And indeed, love is sweeter the second time around. I understood it more, with its heavy Brit accent, this time around. I even blogged about it! Long live the boy who lived!

Plan Dec

My flight was at 550am. Cabs are hard to come by in the wee hours, and our place is half an hour far from the highway. But the cab apparated out of nowhere, at just the right timing, as if the whole universe was making a statement and conspired to conjure the cab out of nothing, and that we own it. And we did.

In nearly four years, there never was an instance that I did not shed a tear during departure. Today was an exception. I took a deep breath, I felt the liquid rushing like an avalanche triggered by the caring voices of my parents and brother. But I fought real hard.

Using diversion as a tactic, I reiterated to myself that this separation is ephemeral. I shall be facing the challenges of life in the most comfortable terrain, in the land of my birth, in my final return. I have gained a little at the expense of missed memories. I am learning to detach from the worldly pleasures that can only satisfy my temporal self. I would rather personally create memoirs in a tangible state. An act that cannot be compensated by money.

All's well

Every beginning has its end. The boy lived, defied the evil that conquered the wizarding world, and he defeated him. It was a plot full of magic. At some point, I almost believed Harry was real.

A day before my departure. My mom, dad, and two cousins witnessed the fall of Voldemort as the Harry Potter series draw the curtain to a close. My brief stay in the Philippines is likewise approaching its ending. And I've made my decision.

Ima

Almost every vacation, I would take the opportunity to visit the oldest person in my social circle. Everyone calls her Ima (mother in local dialect).

I have known her since I was in high school. We belonged to the same church ministry, though active in different sub-groups. I feared her. Her domineering stature is enough to shut the most opinionated of individual. But Ima is like an onion. The outer layers may cause discomfort; the process of tearing off is tedious and is gradual. Once the true self is revealed, beauty overflows. Synonymously Ima.

A day before my flight back to reality, I knocked on her gate. She was not home; I was offered a sit in her living room. She arrived on a wheelchair. We talked. We ate breakfast. We caught up with each other. She may not be as capable physically, but the Ima that I have known within the callous shell remains. She still wears that innocent smile. The kid in her 93 year old body still listens, her eyes glistening. She is still present to the person she interacts with,  like before. Her body tires, but her sympathy doesn't. The same old Ima never changed.

Boracay

Part of my itinerary was to visit our grandmother who lives in the South. Squeezed in between is a sojourn to a glimpse of heaven, a beach called Boracay.

We stayed in my father's place when I was young for years, but never did we step foot on that place. This vacation of mine had been an opportunity to finally materialize hearsays and experience the ten-times-better-than-phuket-thailand haven. And my expections were met a thousand fold!

Ever wonder if there is such sand as fine and white as powdered milk, where three shades of green with a dab of blue are visible on its crystal clear waters? Boracay is the perfect pearly postcard, a luxuriant gift from the One above. It is a blissful intimacy between man and nature.

And it is just an hour ride from my grandmother's home! :)

New

I met new acquaintances and made new friends. I tagged along with an old friend, and punctuated the day gaining new ones.

Human beings are social animals. We find happiness in the presence of other people in our lives. It is also an accomplishment witnessing my Facebook account increasing in number. Social life transforming before my very eyes.

And I'm loving it! (Didn't mean to advertise :p)

Friends

Regardless of the busy schedule, the innate virtue of hospitality paved the way to welcome me. The people I have been with since I stepped into the complicated and larger than life college, I met with them yesterday.

The air was filled with giggles and chortles. An encore of stories of old played in the background, like an old song that never loses its magic despite countless playbacks. Change seemed to have ignored us; it passed over us, recognizing the blood stain of friendship that served as our charm. The chemistry lingered.

Nothing beats old friends.

The Power of Prayer

The gap has finally happened. And I'm here to fill it in!

I was readying myself to compose my daily commitment in this blog when a worrisome news was delivered to me. It devoured my whole system and sipped all my creative juices I couldn't produce a single thought. Until sleep overcame me.

Before I finally caved to the calling of my bed, I fervently uttered a prayer, pleaded for the intercession of Mother Mary. And just like the last sequel of the most sought after Harry Potter, 'All is well that ends well.'

Thereby the conception of this very entry. :)

The Service Provider

Shakespeare once said, 'The world's a stage and we are merely players.' I play the role of a daughter, a friend, a colleage, and a messenger.

I was tasked to deliver a birthday gift freshly purchased overseas to a friend's brother today. My mom assigned me to send the recently-owned-now-spoilt-for-the-second-time stereo to the service center. Not even the rain, cheating cab drivers, five-inch high flood could stop me from becoming what I was made to become specifically today.

Mission:Impossible? Mission:Accomplished!

Home

it has been a long time since I attended the Legion of Mary meeting in my local parish. They have swayed to the rhythm of change, faces came and went, and new friendship and membership had been established successfully. The meeting place has migrated to an air-conditioned sanctuary.

I also attended a mass conducted in my native tongue. I recall a friend who told me she was touched by the Tagalog version of the Our Father after hearing it again. Greener pasture achievable only in the foreign land, it drowned the reverberated Our Father. It was out of the earshot of our memories. To hear the local Mass songs after a long time brought back memories of comfort it was hard to contain. I was hit by the same nostalgic feeling. I got teary-eyed on a lazy, Sunday afternoon.

But the happiest realization? I am finally home. :)

The Eagle Has Landed

Despite my redundant home-coming, the fear of flight always attacks me and clouds my mind. Excitement could not totally squeeze me tightly; the thought of flying painfully sneaks in and is sandwiched in between. So I solicited prayers.

One of my church siblings recounted the agony and horror of being on an 8-hour flight solely. She experienced bad airplane journeys in the past, the long travel to Europe psychologically murdered her. But she was able to overcome all these. She shared to me her secret.

I checked in early, I paced to the boarding gates ahead of the 520 pm deadline. I chose a solemn chair, took hold of it, neatly positioned my belongings to the sit beside me, and blessed myself. I closed my eyes and recalled to be in His presence. I uttered my prayers.

The weather for the past days, both in Singapore and Philippines, was maddening. Heavy downpour infested the area and has procrastinated its stay for a couple of days. July is the typhoon season in the Philippines; I remorsed having been persuaded to book a flight in a small plane as Tiger Airways, given the situation, mainly due to its cheap rates. Turbulence has always been in my black list. My heart stops every time the plane descends un-deliberately; even the slightest twitch increases my blood pressure to the maximum. My heart is sliced in two pieces, my hands tremble and the sweat glands produce the stickiest of secretes. Anxiety befriends me.

I boarded by myself, worries all packed in my luggages it exceeded the allotted weight of 20 kilos. But God was with me. A sibling blogged her 8-hour plane ride ordeal, and how God, in His magnificence, rescued her from senseless paranoia. He salvaged me today. Rain did not occur, not even a drop of drizzle touched the tongues of the thirsty landscapes, in both my places of origin and destination. The plane's take off today was as smooth as a baby's lullaby. The ride was bumpy in the middle, like the normal hump I experience in road trips every single day. I imagined being in a class trip where things flew and scattered all over but the kids were enjoying and did not even notice them. That's faith.

I remember once a cab driver told me that Someone up there loves me. The rain was nonstop during his whole drive but it came to a halt upon my acquisition of his service. Today was a deja vu. I offered a short prayer and a decade of Rosary to Mother Mary, and amidst the rough, tumultuous weather mood precedently, the sun conquered the clouds. It accompanied me all through my three and a half journey. The names of the pilots in command were mentioned at the commencement, but one name echoed in a whisper. 'He who calmed the raging seas and roaring wind, they woke Him up to silence the storm'. And He did. He was my pilot in command today :)

Almost Home!

I can already hear the snorting sound emitted by the public jeepneys. The crisp chuckles from the playful children that dominate the yellow afternoon is crystal clear. A few more hours and I will be invading the sky to get to the promised land!

My mom asked me if I was excited. I hope she did not notice the pause in my sentence when I gave her the reply. I'm caught up in mixed emotions as of the moment. I giggle to the thought of embracing them again, but I recoil to the journey on a turbulent sky. I am soliciting prayers.

Regardless of my worries, only one thing is certain. Manila, here I come! :)