you'd be appalled if you knew what i was doing when you called

Do you remember landline calls? Few people talk on the home phone nowadays, with everyone exhausting their unlimited texts and calls on their mobile service provider. Other than P and my clients, I seldom get landline calls, and if I do, my staying power and attention span has shrunk to a few minutes compared to the midnight-to-sunrise marathons when I was still a giddy schoolgirl.

I can still recall how anxious I was everytime the phone rang -- or when it didn't! I would patiently wait by the phone for calls in the morning, after lunch and before going to sleep, and faithfully call my best friends everyday even if we've seen each other all day at school! When I got too impatient I'd even pick up the receiver to check for a dialtone, or call the other person's landline to check for a ring (predecessor ng missed calls hehe)!

There were times in the summer when my parents would actually call the neighbors' phones to check up on us kids because the line was always busy (wala pang call waiting nun) -- and that was because we were 3 teenagers hogging the line all day, not just for phone conversations but for dialup internet as well! As if telebabad weren't enough, we succumbed to the novelty of ICQ and MIRC, and enjoyed the convenience of Edsamail!

As communication channels continue to diversify and with webphone and mobile call rates dropping, they say that the landline will soon be a thing of the past. But it played such a significant part of my wonder years that I think I won't be able to give it up just yet.

Now only if the wireless landline units weren't so bulky...

sleeping to dream about you...

Lovely. I went home right after a Sunday recollection to take my mom to church and take a long, much needed rest, when I found my nephew, D, sitting in my father's TV couch. Akala ko Monday pa date namin -- he decided to take a chance and made a surprise visit. Buti pala maaga ako umuwi.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening installing pc games and playing each and every one of them...haaay. Hindi pala ako magaling magdrive ng monster truck!! Pero magaling ako sa memory games.

When it was time to go home, D was feeling a bit down and asked if he could just spend the night at my house. Actually, I was expecting P to visit after dinner but I couldn't resist his Bambi eyes when he asked. So we called his mom to ask permission and she said yes! We got his jammies, gave him a bath and tucked him in, and made sure he was sleeping soundly before P arrived...baka umiyak e -- or worse, sipain nya si Joy on the other side of the bed!

When P finally called to tell me he was on his way, I felt sooo tired already that I almost said nothing the whole time he was home -- nakatulugan ko nga yata siya at some point (sorry, P). Tsk, tsk. It's hard to make time for two guys Anyway, he just dropped by to pick up some stuff and to give my something to deposit at the bank the following day and had to leave early din kasi duty siya sa hospital from 830am Monday (today) till 830am Tuesday (tomorrow). So off he went and I was back in my bed with an oddly angled little figure that gave me absolutely no comfortable sleeping space. Good luck to me!

D woke up this morning surprised to find he was all alone in my room until he went outside and saw me park the car. I bought him his fave McDo breakfast which we ate together with my dad and watched a bit of Nick Jr. before I dropped him off at his place. Later, I'll be going to Eastwood and watch him perform with his classmates on "Harana Night" at 5pm.



So now, I gotta catch some zzzz's before I see this guy again for a third date =)

Fast as wheels can turn...

Had to skip dinner after the show to hurry home -- didn't bring the car and my neighbor and sister had other plans. Aside from the yummy lechon paksiw mom cooked that was waiting for me, I left in a huff to be with this guy even for less than an hour:



We have another date on Monday =)

If I couldnt sleep, could you sleep?

2am musings. Ang pag-iisip ng "what if?" while driving under the influence...


"Masaya ka naman ngayon sa pinili mo, di ba?", I asked a friend.

"Malaya ako," he replied, eyes smiling.


*********



I'll be moving to another branch in 3 weeks. Halos 1 month ko ring pinag-isipan, pero di ko inakalang ganito kabilis ang mga pangyayari. Kasi naman, sa birthday party ako unang tinanong nonchalantly, "Gusto mo bang lumipat ng branch?" At ako naman sagot ng "Why not?", kasi ganun naman ako kapag tinatanong ng tungkol sa pagbabago. Adventurous kuno.

And then, early this week, naganap sa cellphone lang after office hours ang "interview" which started and ended with one question: "Gusto mo ba talagang lumipat?"

And I said, "Yes," and that was all it took for them to pick me. They called my team moments later, also via mobile, to advise them that I have "expressed interest in rotating". At, ilang minuto lang, nakumpirma na at ipinasa na ang pangalan ko sa HR for the official announcement.

Napaorder tuloy ako ng Super Dry.

Feeling ko ngayon I've been keeping myself busy and around a lot of people so I wouldn't have time (or energy) to really explore my emotions about this career shift. Buti na lang haggard ang December for singers. Busy-busyhan mode ako.

Masaya ako because I'll be reunited with an old boss, and it's more convenient now for me to meet with friends (and P) since I'll be at the heart of the city -- wala nang takas, paglabas lang ng office, gimikan na! Career-wise, I'll be more exposed to high-end clients and have better opportunity for selling more sophisticated investments. But, I'm also feeling a bit down because I'll be leaving my beloved team, my super kulit clients who are like family to me, and the home that we -- the original team -- built together to become one of the most promising branches of the bank. I'll miss dancing in the lobby during dead hours, PCD, Michael Jackson and Madonna singing from the tellers' counter, do-it-yourself cappuccinos, ginisang munggo from Pintsek on Fridays, yakisoba and pandesal in the morning, my 7-minute trip from house to office...ang dami pala!

But, as our district head told me before she gave the thumbs-up, wala nang balikan 'to. Hinihintay ko na lang yung araw na pag tinanong ako kung masaya ako sa pinili ko, masasabi ko nang nakangiti,

"Malaya ako."

with a thousand sweet kisses...

Was looking for dessert in the fridge when I chanced upon a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Only after having my third piece did I notice the special messages. Cute!

The one on the lower left reminds me of a funny slip-up...happy birthday! ;P

To strengthen the weary and the broken

Had a very enriching weekend with Hangad in Culion, Palawan. Didn't have much pictures (or at least not much with people) because I was so engrossed in the scenery and the excitement of the activities. I'm sure the next few days will bring more pics from Hangad to show the fun times.

More than the laughs, the sea adventures and the steep stairways (I am sooo out of shape!), what I remember most about this trip is the true meaning of seeing God in the goodness of others, and what is so extraordinary about it is how such goodness springs from the history of Culion's people.

Culion was, for the longest time, a leper colony reservation. FIlipinos afflicted with leprosy from all over the archipelago were transported to this Palawan island as mandated by the Segregation Law on Leprosy in 1906. To be sent to Culion then would be like a death sentence; never to return to one's family, doomed to rot in the menacing hands of the disease with no hope for recovery or even a graceful restoration of physical beauty.

Yet it was this seemingly hopeless condition that cultivated the purity of heart of Culion's inhabitants. No one was discriminated against or left alone to starve; resources were shared with neighbors, and everyone was treated like family. Culion became more haven than prison, a self-sustaining community thrived, and it slowly blossomed like a delicate lily in a murky pond when it was finally declared leprosy-free in the early 1980s.

The island has electricity for only 12 hours (or less if a brownout occurs), and water is rationed once a day. No clubs, fancy restos, or a Starbucks -- the closest thing we got were sari-sari stores that sold 3-in-1 coffee, Hansel crackers and a bottle of Bailey's. Townsfolk are tucked in their beds by 8pm, and the crime rate is close to zero. It has none of the luxuries of city life as we know it; and it clearly pointed out to me how unimportant those luxuries are for one to live a simple yet fulfilling life. It seems as though no one is pitiful in Culion; perhaps it was learned from past generations that one's worth or happiness is not measured by what is seen.

What they offered us would be modest against our standards, but it humbled me so to realize that they gave all they could unselfishly with neither pride nor shame.

Hangad shared its music to Culion to impart the message of God's salvation and love, yet I realize that we learned more from Culion about God's saving grace by surviving its dark past, and the outpouring of unconditional love manifested in the warmth of its people. They evangelized us with their honest, happy everyday lives, which reflected the presence of Jesus without having to say (or sing) a word of scripture. And that is something I hope we all take to heart.