Finding The Time to Exercise

My favorite son abhors exercise. Well, I’m not at all surprised because I used to hate it too. I was already 50 when I became a running addict. But I can’t help but smile whenever I see him travel to the farthest end of our house to use the comfort room there instead of the one right beside his bedroom. He also trots to the kitchen countless times a day. And I find it amusing that he has to go around his room to reach his bed coming from the door because of fixtures blocking his way to go straight to his bed (though I wanted to remind him that the shortest distance berween 2 points is a straight line, I refrain myself so he could add mileage to his steps).

Given the above scenario, I would estimate that my son walks 1 - 2 kms a day without even leaving the premises of our house. If a person who doesn’t want to exercise can walk at least 1 km a day without even trying, then there is no reason why a person who wants to exercise cannot find the time to do it.

For starters, try exercising 5 minutes in the morning and another 5 minutes at night. Slowly extend the time until you reach a total of 30 minutes a day. I have a friend who runs at 12 noon for 30 minutes then goes back to her office to change and eat her lunch. She is a mother of  3. She avoids running in the morning and after office hours to prioritize her children’s needs. Running during lunch break was perfect timing for her! A very dear friend walks at 4pm for nobody dares to wake her up before 8am or all hell will break loose!

When Eia was still receiving Occupational Therapy before, I run (rain or shine) while the therapist was attending to her but I made sure to be back on time to change my clothes and fetch her.

In one of our previous Agency meetings our Boss asked “What have you done by 8am today?” During that beautiful day, it so happened that I was already up at 4:00am to meet my client friend who just got off from her night shift work. The presentation went well and after she signed the application, I attended the 6:00am mass at Philamlife church. I ran 5 kms after that then joined the Tai-Chi group inside our Village’s basketball court until 8:00am.

Now that most of us work from home, it is a lot easier to find the time to exercise. Or is it really?

If you prefer to stay in dreamland rather than work out in the morning, you don’t have to force yourself to wake up early. You may exercise late in the afternoon. Or you can do it an hour after dinner. You may also do it anytime during the day. Like when you are just listening in a ZOOM meeting, turn off your camera. You can hula-hoop, jump rope, lift dumb bells, jog in place, exercise on a stability ball. My office table is not a table. It is one of my display cabinets when I was still renting a commercial space in StarMall.  I use it as my work table so I can stand while working. And while standing I do different forms of exercise. You may wonder if I’m a masochist but I can assure you that I’m quite the opposite. (I ran away from my EX remember?)

If you have the desire to exercise you will surely find the time for it. No doubt about that. You don’t need to be motivated to do it just as you don’t need to be motivated to brush your teeth 3X a day. Your schedule doesn’t include brushing your teeth but you just do it out of habit. Regard your exercise to be as simple as that. As simple as brushing your teeth. Doing it as if it’s the most natural thing to do. You may email me at ndelr62@gmail.com if you’re still struggling with your exercise time or if you have questions about what type of exercise to pursue.

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Enjoy Your Conversations With God!

The Perpetual Adoration Chapel used to be my sanctuary. As of now however, I am just thankful that we can still be in communion with the Holy Eucharist anytime of the day via YouTube’s Perpetual (24/7) Eucharistic Adoration. Yes, it is virtual but the way the candle emits its flame, you can almost feel its warmth and imagine that you’re actually inside the chapel with the Lord.

There is “A Quarter of an Hour before The Blessed Sacrament” guide but I prefer to use my fingers as reference. Somebody told me before that when she prays the Rosary before the Blessed Scarament, she could feel Mama Mary praying with her. I did the same but added some enhancements. There are five decades of the Holy Rosary and we have 5 fingers on our hand. Before I start each decade, I offer intentions based from my version of the 5-Finger Guide. 

Starting from the smallest finger, this gives us the hint whom to pray for. Pray for people who are impoverished, physically weak, hospitalized, emotionally deranged, mentally ill, spiritually lost, unemployed, lonely and depressed. These are mostly intercessory prayers. Also include fervent prayers for those who went ahead of us  (like Our Lady of Fatima Parish Priest Msgr. Albert Venus whose funeral mass we celebrated this morning with Bishop Jesse Mercado. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.) 

Moving on, the ring finger signifies marriage. So before praying the 2nd Decade, offer prayers for your family members, relatives, including people closest to your heart though not related by blood.

The middle finger is the tallest. Pray for the highest ranking official in your country and for the rest of the world, the people leading your province/city/town/village/barangay. Pray for the Pope or the leader of your church, including your parish priest, the CEO or President of the corporation you work for, people leading organizations, associations, formal and informal groups. Then proceed with the 3rd Decade.

Next is your fourth finger, the pointer. Before praying the 4th Decade, pray for your children’s teachers and therapists and for those who teach, advise, cure, counsel, direct and set guidelines. Pray for all professionals that they practice their craft with the welfare of the common good in mind.

Lastly, your thumb points to yourself. After praying for everybody else, time to focus on your wants and desires. Talk to God without any inhibitions. Pour out everything to Him. You may pray spontaneously or follow the ACTS (Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplications). Then pray the last Decade.

After talking continuously, allow yourself to be embraced by God. Keep still. Listen to what He wants to tell you. Open your heart to Him. Always have a notebook and pen beside you to take down notes on His messages. Enjoy your conversations with God!

(Thanks for dropping by my blog and messaging me your comments/reactions. I appreciate them very much! Stay safe everyone.)

My Reflection on Chinkee Tan’s Financial Advice

 AIA PHILIPPINES (formerly Philamlife) sponsored a free live webinar today with Chinkee Tan as guest speaker. It was a lively, down-to-earth interaction.

Chinkee Tan enumerated 6 ways how to spend wisely your Christmas Bonus (or extra money in general).

1. Pay off your debt. Even if you could only afford ₱500 a month, do it religiously and pay extra when you receive your Christmas Bonus to shorten the payment period. 

2. Build your Emergency Fund. He proposed 6 to 12 months worth of Emergency Fund. It would probably take years for an ordinary employee to achieve this but if you don’t start now, it will never happen. He made a striking comparison of how the poor and the rich’s time frame in financial planning differ: 1) The VERY POOR plan their needs on a daily basis (Isang kahig, isang tuka). This got me thinking: I also belong to the “no work, no pay category!” 2) The POOR (contractual workers who receive wages every Saturday) plan their budget weekly. 3) The MIDDLE CLASS plan monthly. These are the employed who receive their salary at the 15th and end of the month. 4) The RICH plan yearly. 5) The VERY RICH plan by the decade. Hmmm . . . interesting. 

3. Start your second source of income. Or if you have more talents and skills, build multiple sources of income. (Message me on this one. You can join AIA PH and/or Malayan as part-timers.) 

4. Get protection money. Chinkee Tan showed a very simple formula for computing how much Income Replacement Fund a breadwinner should have: Monthly Expenses X 12 months X 10. (There are actually 3 ways how to compute this but Chinkee Tan probably picked the most convenient method for the benefit of simplicity.) We were amused when he told us that he is not encouraging us to buy life insurance. It’s because he won’t be the beneficiary! The life insurance benefits won’t be for him but for the family that the breadwinner will be leaving behind. His family should continue on living comfortably as before even though he’s gone. We laughed when he asked “who among you here are breadwinners? And who among you here are breadeaters?”  He then narrated the story that they recently bought a piece of real property under his wife’s name. He insisted that the MRI (Mortgage Redemption Ins.) should cover him and not his wife. Precisely because if something happens to his wife, he could still continue paying for the mortgage. But if something happens to him, his wife would be needing the Mortgage Insurance to settle the dues.

5. Think like a wealthy person. When you have extra money, invest it. He suggested that one should invest first in Financial Education because the best combination for being scammed is being ignorant and greedy at the same time. Sadly, it turned out that some attendees were unfortunately scam victims in the past.

6. Help others. God blesses us to be a blessing to others! Christmas is the best time to share your blessings. Give to charity. This reminded me of Fr. Agustino Miguel Torres when he said “the more you give, the more you’re meant to be.”

There are 3 channels where your hard-earned money goes: needs, wants , savings/investments. Chinkee Tan stressed the need to have a positive mindset about investing. Change your mindset from having a consumer mentality to investment mentality.

I agree with Chinkee Tan that most Filipino parents urge their children to study hard inorder to land a good job when they graduate whereas Chinese-Filipino parents urge their children to study hard to continue the family business or start a new one he could call his own. 

But I cannot completely agree with him when he generalized that the way you were raised affect your mindset now. It could possibly be the opposite, at least for rebellious children like me. My father tried to brainwash me since I was small to study well, get employed in a big corporation, strive to be promoted so I could help our relatives work with me in the company. I chose a different path, much to his disappointment. It’s because I chased after my childhood dream, which Chinkee Tan also mentioned. That of being true to your calling and passion when exploring other sources of income.

Someone asked if he could borrow to pay off his debts and Chinkee Tan answered “you cannot solve a permanent problem with a temporary solution. You cannot solve a problem by creating another problem.” If I were to answer this question, I would say “yes, you may borrow at 1% interest and pay off your debt that is currently charging you 2% interest.” It is simple logic. Why would you pay 2% interest if you have an option to pay at 1%? By all means grab the opportunity and slash the interest you’re paying by 1%!

Other than these two, thumbs up with Chinkee Tan’s practical tips on how to be wealthy. He presented them in a manner that people would easily understand, humoring his audience non-stop. I just loved the way he emphasized “Money you did not spend is money you earned.” To learn more, go to chinkeetan.com.

(Thanks for dropping by my blog and messaging me your comments/reactions. I appreciate them very much! Stay safe everyone.)

Culture Shock! (Musings of a Certified PROMDI: Part 4)

When I was still in Marbel and read about the 2 seasons in the Philippines in our textbooks, I couldn’t comprehend how the months of June to early October were called the Rainy Season and the months from late October to May were dubbed as the Dry Season. It’s because in Marbel, we enjoyed the same weather all year long—mostly sunny with scattered rainshowers every now and then. I just realized what our textbook meant when I had to remove my socks and shoes to prevent them from getting wet in the flood just outside our dorm all the way across UE. I was shocked at first but later on, I had gotten used to the harsh reality that in Manila, floods were prevalent during the Rainy Season of June to early October. I remember one time when it was like Pacific Ocean from our dorm on the way to San Beda Church. We were only wearing shorts inside our long cover coats. A tourist bus suddenly passed behind us, creating big waves that we couldn’t avoid. The passenger tourists were having the time of their lives watching us with their cameras and videos. We couldn’t do anything but suffer the consequence. We attended the mass with our undies soaked in flood water! 

Among the “6 sexy chicks of Room 6” of Holy Spirit Dorm, I was the baby of my room mates, being the youngest and still in 3rd Yr High Sch. My caring “momsies” taught me to use shampoo for my hair when they saw me using ordinary bath soap. In Marbel, we used to soak Gugo bark in a basin of water, rub the fibers to form lather, then use the suds as shampoo. I know you will find it hard to relate but yes, I am that ancient hahahah . . . Funny but one time, Gio’s classmate asked him what his shampoo was, because he’s having problems with dandruff. Gio told him he’s using Gugo Shampoo. His classmate thought that he was using Gugo bark so he asked Gio where he got the Gugo. When Gio answered him that his mom buys it from Mercury Drugstore, his classmate was really surprised that Mercury sold Gugo barks. As their conversation continued, the 2 classmates realized that they were not talking about the same thing. Gio was laughing when he narrated the story to me. He then discovered that long time ago, I actually used Gugo bark and not the commercialized Gugo Shampoo that we use now. We were both amazed how his classmate knew about Gugo bark as shampoo.

To be continued . . .

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Culture Shock! (Musings of a Certified PROMDI: Part 3)

Back in Marbel, I never missed watching movies every Sunday. I have been a movie addict for as long as I could remember. I was privileged to own a permanent pass (my face actually hahaha . . . ) to enter the theatre because we were close friends with the Yap family who owned 2 moviehouses in my hometown. In Manila however, I found it hard to adjust because not only that I had to pay for my ticket, but the fact that I was only watching 1 movie per screening disappointed me. Ever since I was small, I was watching 2 movies at a time for free! Movies were always shown back-to-back in Marbel except for the 1965 classic “The Sound of Music” which ran for almost 3 hours.

I never had the chance to enjoy parties in Marbel. When we were in 2nd year high school, I was excited to attend our acquaintance party in one of our teachers’ house. But when I just had my plate filled with food, I didn’t even get to have one bite because my loving parents were already outside the gate fetching me! I went home hungry and frustrated for I missed my only chance to dance with my Crush. In Manila, I got the shock of my life because parties start late dinner and end with early breakfast the following day! Tatay instructed our Dorm administrator that I was restricted to attend parties but Nanay secretly gave the permission that I could go heheheh . . .

We never had field trips in Marbel. Though I had the chance to go to different towns when competing in declamation contests, I never travelled with the whole class. So Field Trips were a whole new experience for me. I enjoyed exploring different places with my new classmates in UE High Sch. who surprisingly turned out cool after all. The coolest were my 2 PROMDI friends like me—Belen from Malvar, Batangas and Delia from Botolan, Zambales. These 2 amazing girls made my 3rd and 4th yr. High Sch. life truly memorable. How I wish I could see them again someday!

To be continued . . .

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WHEN PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE, BE READY TO BE AMAZED!

Eia was about 7-8 months old when her Pedia Cardiologist announced that we should schedule an open heart surgery for her before she reaches 1 year old. Otherwise, she won’t probably be able to live and celebrate her 1st birthday. He further explained that Eia had 2 holes in her heart that would definitely not close naturally, an enlarged left ventricle, and blocked artery. 

I thought giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome was the hardest blow I could possibly receive in this lifetime. This was worse. My mind went into a blur and I had to close my eyes because I could feel the world spinning around me. This was twice the anxiety and pain I felt before when I learned that Eia had Trisomy 21 (genetic disorder caused by a third copy of the 21st Chromosome). The doctor then advised us to bring Eia before her 10th month for her 2D Echo and to finalize the date of her operation.

“There is no way I will agree for Eia to have an open heart surgery Lord. Heal her or take her.” That was my bold declaration to God everytime I prayed inside the Perpetual Adoration Chapel. “Show me the way, Lord. The way to heal Eia to avoid this operation or take her life now.” When I said these prayers, I truly believed God will grant me a miracle.

While praying incessantly, Ate Ella and I brought Eia to various healing masses within Las Piñas City. Cyndy, the sister of my friend Agnes, tried texting Eia’s name to the radio station where they pray over the sick for healing. By God’s grace, Eia’s name was picked among the thousands of names that were sent!

When Fr. Corsie Legaspi scheduled his healing mass at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, we were there before 8am to be the first to be healed. To our surprise, it was announced on stage that only the first 100 will be prayed over individually. The rest will be in groups of 10, clasping hands together. And to our double surprise, even if we arrived early, we couldn’t be included in the first 100. These slots were reserved for terminally-ill cancer patients. We were further surprised when the announcer asked forgiveness from the parents of children. He apologised that children will only be allowed to follow the queue after the last set of adults were done. He thoughtfully explained that children were the last priority because according to him, they would go straight to heaven and become angels if ever they leave this world.

“And that was supposed to make us feel better?” I thought to myself. I disagreed with their rules but had no choice but to obey. Believe it or not, Eia finally had her turn @5pm later that day! I was holding Eia while Ate Ella was holding her other hand. I was also holding the hand of the person beside me. My tiredness and all other negative emotions escaped from me when Fr. Corsie Legaspi prayed over our group. I felt peace and stillness of heart. I was in a trance for a few seconds but did not let go of Eia. 

As advised, we brought Eia back to her Pedia Cardiologist before she turned 10 months old. As he was reading the monitor while conducting a 2D Echo on Eia, he was frowning and shaking his head while mumbling something that only he could hear. I asked him what was wrong and his answer froze my heart.

“Nagsara na ang dalawang butas. Normal na ang left ventricle. Wala ng bara sa artery.” (The 2 holes closed. The left ventricle is now normal in size. The artery is no longer blocked.)

I was holding my breath but managed to ask “So what are you saying Doc?”

“She doesn’t need an open heart surgery anymore,” he confessed.

I heaved a deep sigh of relief and wanted to give the doctor a very tight hug but decided to back off because he seemed perplexed, not understanding how in the world the impossible happened. We bid him goodbye and judging by the puzzled look on his face, he did not have the slightest clue how Eia’s heart healed on its own. 

Praise God Eia is now 22! Thank you Lord! Special thanks to Cyndy and to everybody who prayed for this miracle and of course to Ate Ella who was always by my side. I am forever grateful!

(Thanks for dropping by my blog and sending your comments/reactions via Messenger. I appreciate them very much! You may also email me at ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)

WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF YOUR ROPE, HOLD ON TO YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

22 years ago, I gave birth to a daughter with Down Syndrome.

6 years ago, it seemed like I gave birth to 10 children more who was either 1) aggressive 2) depressive 3) overtalkative 4) withdrawn 5) bubbly 6) sulky 7) clingy 8) aloof 9) hostile and 10) violent.

Eia was the sweetest person on earth before she suffered the painful “breakup” with her best friend. She was never been the same after that traumatic experience in her life. Gio would wonder when are we going to have a normal life in our household and I told him “You and I were the worst of enemies for 10 years. So this scenario will probably last for at least 10 years. Thank God this only happened now. I would have gone insane if I were battling with you and Eia at the same time.” Gio would then try to pacify me by saying that it won’t probably take 10 years for Eia to go back to being “normal”.

Initially, no medication worked for Eia. She was prescribed 3 types of ANTIPSYCHOTIC drugs but she continued exhibiting unpredictable behavior. I was at a loss. A psychiatrist and clinical psychologist were simultaneously taking care of her but there was no change in her behavior at home. Strange but she enjoyed talking with her psychiatrist and psychotherapist.

When I believed that we were all doing our best and exhausted all possible means for Eia but she remained the same—in fact getting worse, I surrendered everything to God. Following the “Let go and let God” principle, it did not matter anymore whether Eia will revert to her old self or not. I would accept her for what she is and wouldn’t try to change her anymore. I would love her as she is, with all her tantrums and whatever “episode” she’s having. I would love everything about her and will not expect her anymore to love me the way she loved me before.

When I faced the problem head on without any fear of what the future held, that’s the time Eia slowly went into metamorphosis. Her “episodes” became fewer and shorter. When I finally embraced the reality that I was actually dealing with 10 daughters and swore to love each one of them dearly, that’s when positive changes miraculously started to emerge. 

As of this writing, Eia is taking only 1/4 of 1 tablet out of the 3 tablets she was taking before. Everyday is still a new adventure with Eia but praise God her “episodes” are now reduced to 1-3 times daily. We could now laugh at how we drastically changed our drinking glasses to stainless steel because Eia broke the glass cover of our dining table after hitting it with her glass when she went berserk.

Eia is truly God’s gift to me. Her pediatric cardiologist even predicted that she won’t live the day to celebrate her 1st birthday (that is of course another story) without an open heart surgery but by God’s grace, she is now 22. Thank you Lord!

(Thank you for dropping by my blog and sending your comments/reactions via Messenger. I appreciate them very much! You may also email me at ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)

Culture Shock! (Musings of a Certified PROMDI: Part 2)

Continuing my story from Part 1, I tried my best adapting to my new environment. To lessen my stress, Nanay chose Holy Spirit Dorm because it was just a stone throw away from UE. More importantly, 4 of my 5 room mates were from Marbel and nearby towns. The administrator in Holy Spirit Dorm was hesitant at first to accept me because I was only 15 and just in Junior High. All the other boarders were College students. She was afraid I would be rowdy and undisciplined. But Nanay promised her that one unruly behavior I make, she will pull me out from the dorm. Thank God I had amazing room mates who made my life easier and happier during my first 2 years in Manila. 

One of my shocking experiences as a newbie in Manila was witnessing with my virgin eyes a male exhibitionist doing his ritual right in front of our dorm! That was his favorite spot. And because he was there often, everybody was already used to his presence. Well, everybody except me. I couldn’t believe that such kind of behavior existed in society and people would just brush their shoulders off as if it was just a normal thing to do.

Back in Marbel, my classmates and I enjoyed playing more than studying. I used to go to school with a skipping rope in my bag instead of books heheheh . . . We just loved to play whenever we had the chance. My friends and I were normally the last to leave the campus because we couldn’t get tired of playing. I really missed that. In UE, we had to go home @1pm because the Afternoon session students will be occupying the rooms. After dismissal, we automatically went our separate ways. My classmates were in a hurry to go home because they still had to commute and it was past lunchtime already. Sad. (Incidentally, Christopher de Leon was also a UE student. When his first film “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang” was shown in 1974, the whole UE population probably supported his movie. I was so proud I was breathing the same air with him when he won the Famas Best Actor award in his very first appearance.)

I got another shock of my life after our teacher graded our first quiz. I didn’t know that it was common practice in UE to distribute the exam results one by one in class from highest to lowest. I then realized that my new classmates were very competitive with grades. If I didn’t get a perfect score, I wouldn’t be the highest in the Quiz or Exam. So I had to devote more of my time in studying. I hated it but had no choice. Tatay did not expect me to be the Valedictorian because I lacked the four-year residency but he trusted me to do my best. Strange how he obssessed for his only daughter to earn the Highest Honors when he himself barely passed during his time. Typical parent who wanted his frustrated dream fulfilled through his offspring.

To be continued . . .

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Culture Shock! (Musings of a Certified PROMDI: Part 1)

I dropped my original plan of running away from home simply because my dear parents decided to transfer me to Manila after my second year of high school in Marbel, South Cotabato (now Koronadal City). Call it coincidence or whatever you like but what the Spirit of the Glass revealed to me before actually came true. God really works in very mysterious ways! 

A whole new world startled me when I first set foot in UE (University of the East) High Sch. For the first time in my life I felt lost and deserted. I was surrounded by 49 classmates who were probably best buddies since they were in Kindergarten and for them, I was a nobody. I must admit I wasn’t the friendly type before. I was an introvert by nature (I still am). So I sat at the very end of the room, my back touching the wall. Everybody was busy talking to each other but I just kept quiet. I listened attentively to our teacher when class started. My father repeatedly instructed me to recite in class for me to be easily recognized and I assured him I would. So when the teacher asked the question “What is the scope of Economics?” and nobody dared to raise his hand, I mustered up the courage to ask “May I try?”  The teacher addressed the whole class that she loved students who were willing to try. I then found myself at the center of everyone’s attention. There was complete silence that I could almost hear the beating of my own heart. Everybody waited in anticipation what this Promdi (person who grew up in the province and goes to Manila) was going to say.

The moment I opened my mouth and my classmates heard me talk, I hated myself for my guts. They started laughing at me and murmuring among themselves. I realized they were mocking my Ilonggo accent, dropping comments like “Bisaya gid.” I swear to God I could have just died right then and there. The fact that I was a school declaimer for 8 consecutive years in Marbel did not help at all. My self-confidence dropped below the ground along with my pride but not my determination. I struggled to ignore the huzz and the buzz around me and pressed on. When our teacher exclaimed “VERY GOOD!” after my introductory monologue, I was lifted up to the heavens. I instantly regained the dignity I lost and stood tall and proud. My classmates were dumbfounded and though I could feel their piercing stares, nothing could break me anymore. 

On the way back to the dorm I passed by a fruit stand and asked how much was the banana. The vendor told me 30 centavos. I gave her my payment and when she gave me 1 piece of banana, I asked her why she was only giving me a single banana. Imagine the shock on my face when I learned that the price was actually 30 centavos per banana when back in Marbel, bananas were sold at 30 centavos per bunch! I tried my best not to lose my composure while the vendor was meticulously scrutinizing me from head to toe as if to verify whether I was an alien from outer space that had just landed on earth.

To be continued . . .

(Thanks for dropping by my blog and sending your comments/reactions via Messenger. I appreciate them very much! You may also email me at ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!

Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora (My Colorful Life: Part 8)

Hello! Kindly read the previous post first because Part 8 is actually an EPILOGUE for Part 7.

After 10 years, my faithful bully and I met again. Not accidentally. He purposely went to my office in Coca-Cola Makati, knelt down on his knee (literally) and asked for forgiveness. I should have forgiven him then but I wasn’t yet ready to forget those 6 years of suffering when he tormented and humiliated me.

Two years later, he visited me in CRC (Center for Research & Communication) to again ask for forgiveness. During that time I was deeply immersed in the whole new world of “holiness” so forgiving someone was as easy as breathing. I remember when he asked me out to celebrate our reconciliation and told me to decide wherever I want to go. Lucky for him I was craving for Chocolate Marshmallow Cake of Red Ribbon. We ordered 1 slice each but to my dismay, the waitress told us that it cannot be sliced but could only be bought as a whole. Imagine my joy when Buboy assured her that he will buy the whole cake but we will be eating half of it there. Cake lang pala ang katapat ng anim na taong pagdurusa ko hahahah . . .

My bully-turned-friend left the Philippines after that and worked abroad. He was already married when we met again and was residing in Pasig. He unexpectedly appeared at the doorstep of my shop and for a while, visited me every month whenever he brings his sports car for maintenance check up to his mechanic residing in Las Piñas. Since then, we became very good friends. I guess the cliche “those who are against you now may be with you tomorrow” is true. Becoming close friends with your greatest enemy is inconceivable but by God’s grace, may miraculously happen.

My piano teacher, on the other hand, realized her past mistakes and made a public apology in FB for hurting her students in Marbel. I remember my friend Mimi describing her as “ang babaeng pumatay ng pangarap nating maging piyanista”(someone who destroyed our dream of becoming a pianist). My friend Mimi is now a gastroenterologist but she pursued her dream of becoming a pianist and I am very happy that she eventually fulfilled her passion. We are now good friends with Ma’am Linda. She is in fact delighted that my only son is majoring in Piano at the College of Music, UP Diliman, where her daughter teaches indigenous instruments. Small world indeed!

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Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora (My Colorful Life: Part 7)

Throughout Grade 1 to Grade 6, I was bullied by the son of our principal while his  two other best buddies took turns in making my life a living hell. To properly defend myself from my perpetrators, I pleaded with Nanay to enroll me in JUDO KARATE. But for whatever reason my stubborn mother had, she enrolled me in ballet instead. I was so freakingly mad with her that I refused to participate in class. Since she was always not around, she had no idea that I was just watching my classmates whenever I go to the Yap Residence where the class was being held. She only found out that I did not join the class before the day of the Recital. 

My mother enrolled me in piano without even asking me if I wanted to learn or not. Maybe because she was a frustrated pianist so she wanted to realize her dream through her only daughter. I probably had no qualms if only my piano teacher didn’t forcefully hit my fingers with her wooden ruler every time I make mistakes. So I fabricated excuses on days that she would come to teach. Of course I spaced out the days into intervals so they won’t appear too obvious. My alibis included stomachache, toothache, headache, colds, cough, and fever. I would estimate the time she would arrive, warming my hands, neck and forehead with a washcloth soaked in hot water and lie in bed covered in blanket to be believable that I was running a fever. 

I mentioned in my previous posts that I was planning to run away from home so in order to have enough money for my getaway, I asked Nanay if I could raise a piglet and sell it when it’s big enough. I promised her that I will save my earnings in the bank and she agreed. Though quite difficult, I took very good care of it for 6 months until it was ready to be sold. I placed a rope around his neck, not too tight so it could breathe freely. I held on the rope so that both the pig and I walked side by side like inseparable lovers to the slaughterhouse in Marbel, South Cotabato. It took us about an hour to arrive at our destination. He was weighed and after the butcher gave me the corresponding payment, I returned home beaming because I could now reach Davao City if I wanted. I salivated thinking of all the durian I could possibly eat hahahah . . .

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Thank You Tatay!

They say we are the last batch of children who listened to their parents and the first batch of parents who listened to their children. 

Times have changed, yes, and if children of today’s generation go through what we went through, our prison cells will probably be filled with “abusive” parents.

There was only 1 rule in our home and that was to obey Tatay, no matter what. Simple, isn’t it? Nobody is allowed to question his authority. What he says, goes. If you make a mistake, you are severely punished. Physically. There was no dialogue between parent and child because children’s opinions didn’t matter during our time. My father always shouts, even when he’s not mad. More often than not, he loses his temper in a flash. 

But after everything else is said and done, I thank God for my father who molded me for what I am now. Thanks to him, my heart could endure any setback in life. 

THANK YOU TATAY:

1.  for teaching me what’s right and wrong

2.  for preparing me to be ready for anything and everything

3.  for coaching me about life’s Ups and Downs

4.  for taking care of me through thick and thin

5.  for standing by me no matter what

6.  for not giving up on me

7.  for forgiving me of my wrongdoings and shortcomings

8.  for always praying for me and my kids

9.  for loving me Inspite of and Despite of

10. for accepting me for what I am and for what I am NOT.

I love you, Tatay!  Hope you are now having the time of your life in heaven.

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Choose Your Battles

Parenting is hard enough. Solo parenting makes it at least twice as hard.

They say taking care of a child with special needs is equivalent to taking care of 10 children in terms of time, money, and effort.

So what does it take for a solo parent to take care of a son with ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and a daughter with Down Syndrome? And what if the daughter has acquired bipolar disorder when she turned 16? (I thank God that when this happened, her brother and I were already the best of friends from being the worst of enemies.) 

How do you keep your sanity in check given this absurd situation? 

Seek help because you only have one body. You cannot be in various places at the same time.  So you need to multiply yourself. By all means delegate. Then delegate more until the tasks left for you to do are the ones only you and no one else could do.

Go digital to save time. Pay your bills online (I was already doing this long before the pandemic erupted). Buy online if they are available online.

Take very good care of yourself. Set time to breathe, unwind, exercise, rest, eat, meditate, contemplate. For how can you take care of the people you love if you’re sick in bed?

Whenever you go out, plan everything ahead to maximize productivity and minimize cost. Make a meticulously detailed list so you don’t miss out on anything. Put your Time and Motion Study skills in action.

Do not keep your calendar. Put it where you can easily see it. With virtual meetings left and right, you’re most likely to forget if you don’t see your schedule facing you.

When dealing with “monster” kids, choose your battles. You don’t have to fight with your child everytime he pushes the wrong buttons. As long as he doesn’t cross the bounds of morality, hold your guard and let your child enjoy his victory. I remember one time in National Book Store when Gio was only 4, he wanted the very expensive Blue’s Clues book. It was a very small book and yet the price was ridiculously high. Naturally, I denied his plea. Without any warning Gio lied on the floor kicking his legs, crying and shouting for me to buy the book. I asked him to stand up first and be silent before we negotiate. It took ages before he complied. When he did, I told him that if he could promise me he will no longer ask for a book or any toy during Christmas, then I will buy the Blue’s Clues book for him. I was confident he wouldn’t agree to my condition but to my surprise he did heheheh . . . So I bought him the book. Because of this, he lost the opportunity to wish for a book or toy during Christmas. But he didn’t mind. He was contentedly happy with his Blue’s Clues book. And just yesterday, he showed me the book while he was tidying his room. His face was still as bright as the first time he got hold of his cherished possession 20 years ago. Priceless.

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“Why do You Allow Your Husband to Cheat on You?”

 “Why do you allow your husband to cheat on you?” One of my EX’s younger mistresses threw me this question when I was talking with her over the phone in preparation for her application to Haven, the National Center for Women in Alabang, Muntinlupa. I swear I could have jumped on her and wring her neck if we were talking face to face. With gritted teeth I told her “sino ba namang babae ang papayag na mangaliwa ang asawa nya? Eh ikaw. Bakit ka pumapatol sa may asawa? Kung walang babaeng papatol sa may asawa, walang lalakeng mangangaliwa.” (No wife would want her husband to cheat on her. How about you? Why would you have sex with a married man? If no woman would fall for a married man then no husband would cheat on his wife.”) I continued saying “honestly, I would love to crucify you and your lover but doing so will harm the baby in your womb. I don’t want that to happen. Also, I will suffer in jail if I commit this heinous crime. Why would I waste my precious life for people like you?”

During the course of our conversation I learned that she was molested by her uncle when she was 15 so I related her story to the social worker who took my call.  Haven only accepted women who were abused so her case was included for consideration. We were then scheduled for the interview.

At the interview, I explained to the social worker that one of my staff was impregnated by her boyfriend. I was responsible for her well-being since she’s living in the lodging quarters for our workers. The interviewer asked if marriage between my staff and her boyfriend was possible. With my EX beside me and Gio sitting on his lap (I was then 5 months pregnant with Eia), I answered him that marriage would be impossible because my staff’s boyfriend was already married. With that revelation, the social worker handed me the application and I filled it up.

After 3 weeks, the time has come for me to bring my EX’s girlfriend to Haven. I called her up to be ready for departure. She bluntly told me that she changed her mind. She won’t be entering Haven anymore. I asked her why and she blurted out that she’s just gonna be bored there. I described to her that Haven is a heavenly place and there are lots of activities one can do inside the premises like gardening, sewing, handicrafts, cooking and baking. She still said NO, and that was the last time I talked with her. She vanished after that. Her friends told me that she eloped with her “legal” boyfriend.

Wherever she is now, I pray that she has learned from her past mistake and is now living decently. I wish her joy and happiness.

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The Call to Holiness

Every Catholic is called to holiness. Nobody is born a saint but anybody can become one, even ordinary human beings like YOU and ME. During All Saints Day, we are reminded of this calling. This is the day we honor ALL saints, whether known or unknown, whether dead or still alive. 

If you have been struggling to be holy, you’re not alone. My own journey to holiness has been challenging, to say the least. But if we try to modify our behavior just a little more pleasant everyday then we are on the right track.

Like instead of cursing the irresponsible driver who suddenly cuts your lane to be struck twice by lightning, you give him your sincere blessings. Or when you want to strangle your rebellious teenager son/daughter, you take deep breaths while counting 1 to 1000 and negotiate without heating steam. Or when your cousin disappears from the face of the earth on the day that he promised to settle his debt, you try to put yourself in his shoes and understand his situation. Or when the fish vendor claims that you haven’t paid her yet, you stay calm and pay her again so as to prevent a bloody brawl in Zapote market. Or when you discover that your husband impregnates one of his younger mistresses, you don’t stab the woman repeatedly in the chest nor force her to have an abortion but instead, accompany her to “Haven”, the National Center for Women in Alabang, Muntinlupa for her to be properly cared for.

Ironically, I have Non-Catholic friends who are “holier” than me (with my war-freak personality, this is not surprising at all). Some are even atheists but they practice “holiness” in their day-to-day activities. So I guess being holy is a choice an individual makes, not because of an organized religion or the lack of it. 

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You Are Stronger Than You Think

When the shocking news of my failed marriage broke out, the initial reaction was “hindi na nakatiis ang asawa ni Nora sa ugali nya” hahahah . . . (Nora’s husband could no longer cope with her personality). But when friends knew about the details of my 5-year ordeal, they couldn’t believe I went through it all without telling a soul.

One friend told me “It’s your fault that this tragedy happened. God knows how strong you are so He gave you heavier crosses to carry. I am sure this will not happen to me because God knows how weak I am. I cannot possibly live without my husband. He’s practically the one running the business and our household. I would be helpless without him by my side. I would probably just fade away and die.”

I answered her: “You are far more stronger than you think. You only think you’re weak but when problems like these happen to you, you will be surprised to find out just how strong you are. God has given us the freedom and the will to decide what to do with our lives. When we are pushed beyond our limits, we will discover that there’s really nothing that we couldn’t handle. God has endowed us with built-in mechanisms that would drive us to endure whatever comes our way and the capacity to get out of whatever pit we are in.”

We are always reminded that we should only think of happy thoughts because whatever the mind conceives, happens. POWER OF THE MIND. So that means we should not dwell on things we don’t want to happen in our lives. We need to focus ourselves on positive thoughts and discard the negative ones to prevent mishaps and misfortunes from happening. Theoretically simple but actually hard to follow.

Years later, my friend faced the greatest challenge she feared the most. She and her husband inevitably went their own separate ways. Most people believe tragedies come in bunch and strike when you least expect them. My friend lost her daughter to leukemia after that. Contrary to what she perceived herself to be, she withstood everything and came out even stronger. She survived the two greatest tragedies that could possibly beset a human being in this lifetime. This same woman who thought that she won’t last a day without her husband is now living her life to the fullest.

Problems will never cease to exist. Some will take longer to be solved and some will be so heavy that it would seem impossible to carry. It is so easy to lose hope when nothing seems to go our way. Some people even choose to end their lives to end it all. They couldn’t see a bright future ahead of them. But for those who realize that nothing lasts forever, they hold on to their faith that things will be better. They wake up each morning hoping that today will be better than yesterday. AND THEY MAKE IT HAPPEN.

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Thank God History Did Not Repeat Itself

Please read first the previous post “The Choice is Yours” before you proceed because this is actually an EPILOGUE to that post.

Last Oct. 19,2021 when Gio had his 2nd dose of Pfizer Vaccine, he requested that we drop by Dunkin’ Donuts in celebration of his being fully vaccinated. I agreed right away because it was just along Gloria Diaz St. in BF where I planned to pass from Robinson’s to Philamlife Village.

Parking in front of the building was not a problem but the guard signalled me to go nearer in front to allow more parking space. I instinctively followed his instruction.

It was Gio who bought the donuts and after a few minutes, he was back in the car. I was busy reading my texts that I did not notice a car was already parked behind me. “Oh no, not again!” But I quickly dismissed the notion that what happened in Zapote will happen again because the guard hastily went inside the store to call the driver.

I expected the driver to swiftly move his car but instead, he comfortably stood at the Entrance door and gestured me to wait.

“You have the nerve to ask me to wait for you? Just who do you think you are?” I snapped but only Gio heard it for we were both inside the car. I was about to open my door and ready to start a war when Gio tried to pacify me:  “Mama, he’ll probably be finished soon. Just chill and wait.”

Unlike in the previous incident, this time I was the one who froze. I prayed to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; all the angels and saints; Jesus, Mary, & St. Joseph and to my guardian angel that my sanity will not desert me. I cannot let history repeat itself, not with the presence of my only son. I cannot let my son see her mother transform from a woman to a raging savage beast. I should be the role model for my kid, not the other way around.

There are times when our prayers are answered the way we want them to be. By God’s grace I was able to sit still (with teeth clenched) until the driver finally went out and waved his hand as if we were longtime friends.

Sometimes, a miracle happens to prevent another catastrophe happening all over again.

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The Choice is Yours

From the moment we wake up until the time we hit the sack, we are challenged by different choices to make everyday—from the simplest ones to the toughest life-changing decisions. Like, to name a few:

1. At the sound of your pre-scheduled alarm or the voices of roosters crowing if you’re in the province, do you instantaneously rise up to run (or do whatever form of exercise you’re advocating)? Or do you pretend not hearing anything and go back to sleep, wishing that you’ll get to see the amazing ending of your interrupted dream hahahah  .  .  . 

2. Will you continue working as an employee or take that leap of faith and join the entrepreneural world? (If you can actually do both, why not?)

3. Must you eat sweets for dessert right after lunch or reserve them later for afternoon snacks to save calories?

4. Will you purchase additional insurance or invest your savings in Bonds, UITF, Mutual Funds or Stock Market?

5. Should you just patiently wait for that crazy driver who parked directly at the back of your car, hindering you to leave the parking lot or you scream at the top of your voice hoping that the person responsible for your misfortune will hear you and come running to the rescue?

At @6am in Zapote Market when I was planning to leave after 2 hours of marketing, I found out that a huge luxury car was situated at my back. I called the attention of the parking attendants and asked for the driver. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any clue where the person went but tried to look inside the marketplace. I was tired, hungry and exhausted and just wanted to go home but couldn’t. Without any warning, I snapped. I shouted soooo loud that even the dead would be awaken and rise from their graves. Everything stood still. Nobody moved. People in the vicinity froze and gazed at me with their mouths half open and for a moment, I felt the world came to an end and I was the only one left alive. I realized the aftermath of my outburst and wished that the ground would open and swallow me whole. Then after what seemed to be eternity, a slender woman came rushing to the illegally-parked car murmuring her apologies while waving her hand and hurriedly drove off. Imagine yourself pausing a video and after a while, pushing the “PLAY” button. As if on cue, everything around me came back to life again. I peacefully entered my car and finally departed for home. I did so without the help of the parking attendants. They probably chose to hide for fear of their lives heheheh  .  .  . 

On the way home, Ate Ella informed me that she was at the side of Zapote Market building talking to a vendor when they heard the ear-splitting roar. The vendor asked her if she knew what was that about and she answered him “it’s like Tarzan lost his way here in Zapote Market so he’s summoning his army of jungle animals to help him”. Ate Ella honestly confessed that she would deny knowing me if someone asked her that time hahahah  .  .  .

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Tribute to You, my Dear Readers

I take a pause from writing and pay tribute to you, my dear readers.

As of today, 22% of this blog’s readers are Philippine-based and the 78% are scattered around the world. 

Based from the figures, I am quite overwhelmed that majority of the people who reads my blog are not residing in my native land. Though it blows my mind how you could possibly relate to what I am writing, I wish to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog. I am deeply honored.

Some Filipino expressions do not have direct English counterparts but I will try my very best to translate them for you. Sadly though, they will not always come out as funny as the original Filipino expression. I am grateful that you still stick around even though from your point of view, I sometimes don’t make sense at all.

Thank you for your nice compliments and heart-warming reactions. My life has been happier because of them!

I pray that God will bless you all—give you peace of mind, joyful heart, healthy body, and productive life.

Be the first to forgive. Even if your offender doesn’t ask for forgiveness, forgive anyway. It will be for your own benefit. Your heart will definitely thank you for it. 

Stay safe everyone!

Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora (My Colorful Life: Part 6)

Tatay and Nanay were both competitive in sports. They used to join and win tournaments in tennis, golf and bowling. Unlike their only daughter who would rather eat, strum the guitar, eat again, draw, eat more and play Spirit of the Glass in her spare time hahahah  .  .  .

I was the only “ballboy” girl in Marbel tennis court. With the intention of earning and saving money for my “Getaway”, I would gladly go with my parents to the tennis court and serve as “pulotgirl”. I guess that laid my foundation in running. I had to run really fast to grab the ball and return it to the right player. Sometimes the ball would fly out of the tennis court and migrate to the wide highway. I would dash out of the court and run after it on the open road.

Though I didn’t play golf, I still went with my parents to Paraiso Golf Course. Whenever we pass by the guava plantation I would stay behind, climb one of the  guava trees to pick and eat guavas. Then take a relaxing nap after being full, not minding if I make a wrong turn and fall off the tree! Upon waking up, I would just go back with other set of players who will pass by me.

One of my favorite pastimes in Marbel was playing the Spirit of the Glass. I would play it with my friends and even if I was alone, I would place 2 fingers of my 2 hands on top of the Glass as if  4 people were playing. I did not have a scientific explanation of how the Glass moved back then but I was not at all afraid. Maybe because I had fun getting the answers to the questions I was asking the Spirit of the Glass. At one instance, I asked where I would study the following school year. When it answered “Manila”, I just brushed it off though at that time, I was already planning to run away from home. The farthest destination in my mind was Davao City so Manila for me was beyond reach. You can just imagine how amazed I was when it actually came true!

To be continued . . .

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Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora (My Colorful Life: Part 5)

Let us continue exploring the “weird” stuff about me:

 My father and mother were both coffee drinkers but not once did I drink coffee while growing up. I was in my 30’s when I first attempted to drink brewed coffee in one of the leading fast food chains in Las Piñas. It was a traumatic experience because I was sick for 2 days after that.  It took so long for our food to be served so I drank first the coffee, not knowing that it would harm my body. According to the doctor, I should never drink coffee on an empty stomach. I found that very weird because for as long as I could remember, both my father and mother always drink coffee prior to eating breakfast. I couldn’t help but think: “Am I really my parents’ only child or am I adopted?”

I always drink ice-cold water from the freezer but both my parents preferred lukewarm water or at the very least, water at normal temperature. They never drank cold water.

Everybody knows that I am a certified Coke lover. But you’ll be surprised that both Tatay and Nanay were not Coke drinkers. My father even banned Coke in our home in Marbel!

 I am also a hot chocolate lover. But my parents were not.  Hmmm . . .  my suspicion is getting stronger that I am not really their child.

My parents were not alcoholic drinkers but their only child was dubbed as “embudo” before. I couldn’t understand how I learned to love beer, gin, rum, and whiskey when my parents didn’t take them. I remember when Tatay was still active as stock broker, he would ask permission from his colleagues if he could bring me to drink for him whenever he’s invited for a drinking spree and they would readily agree and enjoyed my company! When we had a new neighbor, Tatay told him he could just knock at our door anytime if he needed a drinking buddy and ask for his only child. You can just imagine our neighbor’s bewilderment when he learned that Tatay’s only child was a girl hahahah . . .

To be continued . . .

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Happines Vs. Wellness (A Tale of Two Mothers)

My friend’s diabetic mother was advised by her doctor to stop drinking regular Coke and replace it with Coke Zero to abort further complications and eventually prolong her life. Upon entering their house coming from the clinic, the mother opened their refrigerator and looked for Coke. Not finding any, she asked the servant to buy Coke from the nearby store. Her children specifically gave instruction to the helper that she buys Coke Zero. The mother fumingly protested. The children stubbornly contested. Then the mother warned her children: “How can I live longer if I die now?  If you don’t give me regular Coke now, I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die hating you all. And if ever I die drinking regular Coke, at least I will die very happy.” If you were in her children’s shoes, what would have you done? What do you think is the ending of this story?

At the opposite end of the spectrum is my dearest mother, who is the epitome of wellness. When people asks her “do you have any maintenance?” She answers “I am not a vehicle. I don’t need maintenanjce.” At 87, Nanay weighs 110 lbs. with almost 0% Body Fat. She is the only person I know who is not happy eating delicious food. Her taste buds couldn’t differentiate savory from bland. From time immemorial, she eats just to live, inorder for her body to perform its daily tasks. She dreams that a scientist could invent an injection that would fulfill the nutritional requirements of her body so she doesn’t need to eat anymore for the rest of her life. Eating for her is a dreadful chore. While we drool over different types of food on the table, Nanay actually loses the very small appetite that she has when she sees varieties of food in front of her. Nanay doesn’t swallow veggies, meat, and fruits. She just chews them, extract the “juice” and leave the leftover pulp on her plate. Having dessert after lunch or dinner has always been a puzzle to her. She couldn’t understand how people could still eat when they are already full. I tell her “mader, the word “dessert” appears in the dictionary for a reason. And it’s for us to enjoy this simple pleasure. People who know her swears that a bird even eats more than her hahahah . . . Note however that during her prime, Nanay enjoyed competitive sports. She used to win tournaments in tennis, golf, and bowling. She was a very strong woman and still strong at 87. She walks every morning in front of our house and lifts dumbbells from time to time. When people asks her the secret to her longevity, she would answer without batting any eyelash: “enough food, enough sleep, enough exercise, enough stress, and enough money that will last after I’m gone.”

How about you? Would you sacrifice wellness over your happiness?

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How Do You Become “Yourself”?

“ Be yourself”. We hear this often from motivational writers and speakers. Whenever I come across this cliche, I couldn’t help but imagine the repercussions the world has to endure if everybody would simply throw caution to the wind and just “be himself”.

Then my mind would wander off and start forming weird visions that would actually make me laugh. Like if I choose to be myself, I would be listening to my favorite songs while enjoying my bubble bath instead of calling prospects for appointments, eat sweets to my heart’s content, drink beer everyday, go out in faded maong shorts and cropped tank top instead of the presentable business attire, sleep in the nude, stroll along the beach from sunrise to sunset, listen rather than talk, scream when I reach my boiling point, dare to have a one-night stand hahahah . . .

Let’s face it. To uphold order in this chaotic world, one cannot just “be himself” in its truest sense.  Every action that we take carries a great responsibility attached to it. One can never be free to do what he wants.  

So how exactly can you “be yourself”?

Love yourself first. Forgive yourself of your past mistakes, try to learn from them and trust that the best is yet to come. Instead of comparing yourself with others, compare your past self with your present self. Then believe in your heart and mind that you can still be better. But faith requires action. Do not just believe. Do it. Do it now. Show the world what you’re really made of. Not to satisfy people’s expectations of you but because you owe it to yourself to be the better version of what you are now. Whether you believe in God or not, there must be a reason why you are still alive today. It is for a uniqe purpose that only you can fulfill. A purpose you can call your very own because there’s no one else in this world quite like you.

Claim it now.

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The Wind Beneath My Wings

 1999 was the year I felt the world crushed on me. At 41, I gave birth to a daughter with Down Syndrome and I was at a complete loss how to deal with this painful reality.

It was then that Ate Ella came to the rescue. Coming from Sacramento, Californina, she was the angel who lived with us and showered her unconditional love and deep affection not only to Eia but to every member of our household.

I pay tribute to this amazing person who was instrumental for molding Eia to be what she is today. From barely 2 months old and onwards, Eia’s Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy were performed at the UP CAMP CTS (UP College of Allied Medical Profession Clinic for Therapy Services) only once a week. With our combined efforts, Ate Ella and I complied with the Home Therapy Program every single day of the year. As a result, Eia’s physical and speech development were almost at par with any normal child—even superior at times.

Ate Ella is a midwife by profession but is also an honest-to-goodness Gourmet Chef, authentic plantita, florist, vegetable grower, caregiver, tutor, counselor, CheerLeader, tennis player, Scrabble genius, linguist (she can speak German, Ilonggo, Cebuano, Ilocano, Maranaw, etc.) and Charismatic Servant Leader.

Contrary to everybody’s expectation, we are not related by blood but our bond is thicker than any type or form. She has been my sister, aunt, mother, kumare, friend and no. 1 Fan —all rolled into one. 

She was more than shocked and almost fainted when I told her I needed her to accompany me to flee from my EX. Gio was only 4 yrs. & 8 months old then, and Eia—2 &1/2 years old. I couldn’t possibly take care of 2 children on my own, running from Las Piñas all the way to Cebu. Thank God for Ate Ella who stood by me through and through. After that Greatest Escape, she courageously took the stand as 1 of my 3 witnesses in the agonizing trial proceeding of my Petition for Marriage Annulment.

I could write a whole book of our escapades, hurdles, and adventures together but for now, this short blogpost has to suffice.

Thank you Ate Ella for choosing to live with us for the past 22 years.  Letting go of you will totally break our hearts but it’s about time that you return to the States so you could also take care of Kuya Pedring and your grandchildren.  For your 76th birthday, we wish that you can be finally reunited with your family whom you dearly miss.

Happy happy birthday Ate Ella! Thank you for being the Wind Beneath My Wings. We love you, now and forever!

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A Tribute to my Friends and “Enemies” (Part 10)

THE DE JESUS SIBLINGS AND PETER CHILE KUAN

In my Sophomore year, I was very fortunate to stay with Kuya Ato, Ate Baby, Abet, Jojo and his friend Peter in an apartment along T. Morato, Quezon City. Over the weekend, Vic, Detdet and Ondet would occasionally join us from UP Los Baños. I thank God for the de Jesus Siblings from Marbel who regarded me and Peter as part of their huge jolly family. We had so much fun playing pusoy, Russian poker, spades, unggoy-unggoy, Black Jack, etc. We had a pingpong table right outside our door and they were patient enough to teach me how to play. Whenever we feel stressed and wanted to take a break from our homeworks and exam reviews, we sweat it out at the pingpong table. During Sundays, Christ the King church was just a stone throw away from us so we attend mass there.

Ate Baby was like a big sister to me. I completely lost my voice before I turned 18 but thankfully, I did not need to go to a clinic or hospital because Ate Baby’s boyfriend (now husband) Dr. Palafox attended to me—for free! (I missed my debut celebration because of acute pharyngitis /laryngitis but had a 60th birthday bash. Better late than never hahahah . . . )

Jojo and Peter were my commuting buddies going to UP Diliman. Buses no longer stop at Morato Station because they could no longer accommodate additional passengers. The 3 of us would normally run and sprint after the moving bus, hoping that the traffic light changes from green to red. Most of the time, only one of my feet could step on the bus and my other foot hanging in the air outside. The driver would shout “papasukin ninyo ang babae sa loob! (Let the girl enter the bus!) Jojo and Peter would always help me squeeze myself inside the cramped bus where I could hardly breathe but safer than having 1 leg outside the bus!

Oftentimes, I would watch movies together with Jojo and Peter. Sadly, Jojo de Jesus left this world ahead of his time and my heart still ache whenever I think of him. Peter, however, is celebrating his 62nd birthday today. Happy happy bday Dong! Thanks for being my true friend from our Morato days until now. God bless you and your lovely family and all your future undertakings. C-H-E-E-R-S!!!

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Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora (My Colorful Life: Part 4)

 18. Today is the 40th birthday of my tennis idol, Roger Federer.  Happy happy bday Rog! 

Together with my dear friend Elsa, we crossed 1,149 miles to see Roger Federer in person. She accompanied me to Shanghai though she didn’t know a thing about tennis. So while the match was being played, I was explaining to her what was going on! I love you Elsz.  Inspite of the hardship you encountered while procuring your Visa, you pushed on. Thank you so much Elsz for making my dream come true. Special thanks too, to Helen for taking very good care of us during our stay in Shanghai. No words can do justice to describe your thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity.

19. I was a die-hard fan of Guy and Pip from 1969 to 1973. They were only guest stars in the film Banda 24 but I loved them so much that I watched the movie over and over again in Marbel (now Koronadal), followed it to Dadiangas (now GenSan), all the way to Davao City and Cagayan de Oro. I saved money to buy their photos and made albums of them. In the parade of stars during the Manila Film Festival in the 70’s, we walked beside their float from Ospital ng Maynila to Cinerama Theater!  The float was proceeding at a very slow pace because of the massive number of people who wanted to shake the hands of Guy and Pip. We started after breakfast and arrived at Cinerama past lunchtime. 

20. When Barry Manilow came to rock Manila in 1992, I was fortunate that Nanay bought VIP tickets for us three. I enjoyed the show so much that I wanted to watch it again. I was about to buy my plane ticket to Cebu to watch him there when they announced that he will hold a Repeat Performance in Manila before leaving the country. It so happened that my friend Cherry was also a fan of Barry Manilow! So we went together to Ultra to join his farewell concert. Though I’ve seen him twice, I still couldn’t get enough of Barry Manilow. 

To be continued . . .

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MY FAVORITES (Part 2)

 6. Fruits are always part of our dining table. My favorite fruit of all time is durian. During one stopover along the beach in Davao City, I finished 3 whole durians in one sitting! When I received my first salary in 1980, I almost spent it all for durian that I bought at San Andres Market.

7. I am generally fond of vegetables except for squash. My favorite is ampalaya (bitter gourd) sauteed in pinakbet (mixed veggies in fish or shrimp sauce).

8. Before we got married, my Prince Charming “encouraged” me to quit drinking and I did. I no longer drink heavily as before but when I do, 1 bottle of SanMig Zero is good enough for me.

9. Since 2016, I refrained from eating rice during meals but when I eat sweet mango, I always eat it with 1-2 spoons of rice.

10. Like Jaymie the BullRunner, my favorite chocolate is Choc Nut. 

11. My favorite partners with Coke are balut, sweet sampaloc, green mango with spicy bagoong, pork isaw, turon, banana cue, grilled beef/pork/chicken.

12. My favorite partners with hot chocolate drink are grilled ensaymada, apple pie and mango crepe.

13. Chicharon Bulaklak is my favorite pulutan.

14. My dream breakfast consists of: fresh mango juice, fresh guava juice, crispy bacon, spanish omelette, hash brown, hot chocolate, assorted fruits in syrup, mango crepe with whipped cream.

15. My dream dinner consists of: caesar salad with calamari, steak, grilled prawns in mango sauce, blueberry cheesecake

To be continued . . .

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Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora (My Colorful Life: Part 3)

12. Brewed coffee serves as melatonin for me. So instead of drinking coffee in the morning to boost my day, I take it at night to sleep right away. On very rare occasions that I crave for coffee, I have to simultaneously drink it with iced tea for me to stay awake or suffer the dreadful consequence. In one of our seminars at Max’s, I couldn’t resist the aroma of freshly brewed coffee so I drank 1 cup. You can just imagine how startled I was when they woke me up after the last speaker!

13. I used to drink heavily before without getting drunk, they nicknamed me “embudo” (funnel). My favorite was Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky. One tine, we opened a 1L bottle after dinner. Before the roosters could crow at the break of dawn, my drinking buddy fell drunk on the floor so I was the one who finished his share until the bottle was completely empty. He was so ashamed he warned me not to squeal that he actually passed out during our drinking spree (hope he’s not reading this post hahahah . . .).

14. My idols were Wang Yu, Guy and Pip, Bruce Lee, Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan, Bruce Willis, Jude Law.

15. I was only 9 when I first fell in love with my classmate in Grade 3 who was a transferee from Iloilo. Ironically, I only got married at 39!

16. My Ex-Prince Charming was 12 years younger than me.  Yup, I was a certified cradle snatcher! He didn’t believe me at first. He thought I was only joking when I told him my date of birth. I swear he was beyond shocked when he saw what I wrote on our Marriage Certificate form! I had a feeling then that he wanted to call the wedding off.

17. At 29, I excitedly knocked at the door of a convent and expressed my desire to be a nun. Without even letting me in, I was interviewed right then and there. After answering some basic questions, I was outrightly rejected when they learned I was an only child. The door was slammed at my bewildered face before I could even protest. Sigh.

To be continued . . .

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Fate or Destiny?

When did you feel your heart burning with passion for what you truly want to do with your life?

 I was around 3 or 4 when I vividly imagined what I’d be doing when I grow up. Ate Neneng (our boarder who was closest to me) asked why I was always drawing clothes on any piece of paper I could find. I excitedly blurted out that in the future, I would be dressing thousands of women! When I was old enough to manually sew, I started collecting fabric scraps from my favorite dressmaker and made different outfits for my dolls. I was grateful to my artist friend Freddie who made miniature hangers for their clothes.  I would occasionally play having a fashion show for my exclusive designs with him as audience but one time, I was lucky to have Tatay and Nanay watch my presentation.

After high school graduation, I told Tatay my desire to pursue Fashion Designing. As expected from my authoritarian father, he heartlessly disapproved. To prevent the outbreak of World War 3, I chose to be the obedient daughter.

Then came the miracle. Nanay unexpectedly met one of Jean Goulbourn’s Fashion Boutique  subcontractors in her Europe tour and they easily hit it off. As soon as they went back to Manila, she became my mentor! Heeding her advice, I enrolled in various Fashion Schools and studied the nitty-gritty of the clothing business. When both of us believed that I was ready for the long haul, she entrusted me with my first Contract.

Tatay almost fainted when he saw 4 sewing machines inside the garage of our small house. He was fuming mad. Afraid that I might send my dear father to his early grave, I moved out of Philamlife Village and settled along Alabang-Zapote Road. I transferred to a bigger space the following year and every year thereafter to accommodate our increasing number of workers.

Who would have thought that after battling all obstacles to finish BS Statistics and MS Industrial Economics, I would still chase my childhood dream? If I didn’t make this life-changing decision, I wouldn’t have met my Prince Charming.

We were in our third relocation site when my Knight in Shining Armour gallantly appeared to save me from my technical woes. He was the Industrial Sewing Machine mechanic recommended by my friend Cherry. We easily became comfortable with each other but after 1 year, he worked overseas and we were separated for 3 years. Surprisingly, we ended up saying “I do” at the altar 5 years after our first surreal encounter. Cherry played cupid between us and she succeeded!

I was 25 when I vowed  to remain single for the rest of my life and even attempted to enter the convent but God worked in very mysterious ways to fulfill His divine plan for me. He chose me to be the mother of my 2 precious jewels Gio and Eia. This was my calling and I wholeheartedly embraced it.

However, I still choose to remain single for the rest of my life (unless my soulmate finds me  hahahah . . . ).  So help me God.

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Cada Decada

 If you recall the events that transpired in every decade of your life, were there times that you chose what you really wanted to do or did you do your best what others expected of you? Hmmm . . . Let’s see. Close your eyes. Let’s walk down memory lane together.

At 10:  I suffered my first major heartbreak. I remember crying behind the curtain of our classroom’s Health Corner while reading the letter of my Puppy Love. He blatantly told me that we could never be together. I was so devastated then.

At 20:  I fell madly in love with my bestest friend, making him officially my first boyfriend.

At 30:  I opened my first Tailoring and Dress Shop in the garage of our small home, defying my dear father’s will.

At 40:  Our unico hijo (my favorite son Gio) celebrated his first birthday. So now I understood why life begins at 40.

At 50:  Instead of having the traditional 50th Birthday Bash, I ran my first 5k race to raise funds for the Down Syndrome Assn of the Phils.

At 60:  Ran my first 80k Ultramarathon which turned out to be 82.2km in total. On behalf of DSAPI, thank you very much for your generous donations to every km. that I ran!

Memories could be bitter or sweet. We may have a few regrets. We’re just humans after all. Oftentimes, we regret not doing the right things we should have done more than the wrong things that we actually did. As for me— I believe that time, however spent, is never wasted. Whether we did something incredible to alleviate world hunger or simply lounge in a hammock enjoying a bottle of ice-cold SanMig Zero and feasting on a platter of chicharon bulaklak, everything that we did and did not do all contributed to the kind of person we are now. They all shaped and moulded who we are at this given moment. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Mistakes are bound to happen sooner or later. Learn from them. You don’t have to endlessly chase all your dreams that you wrote in your bucket list. Sometimes, letting go is better than holding on inorder to move forward. Count your blessings and be sincerely grateful for them. You may be surprised how lucky you are! Life is short. Don’t make it shorter.

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My First Love (Part 9)

 (Hello! Please don’t read this post unless you have read Parts 1 to 8.  Just scroll down. Damo gid nga salamat!)

After one whole year of cooling off (seeing him only during Fridays when me and my CRC friends hang out somewhere), my First Love and I got back together in each other’s arms. But not as frequent as before. Our romantic dates were limited to 1-2 times a day, sometimes lesser than that. Even so, I couldn’t be happier.

From then on, the Love of my life never left my side. Through all the happy and sad moments of my life, he always kept me company—ready to multiply my joys and lessen my sorrows.

My First Love was with me when my CRC friends and I guarded the last Camp to surrender during the EDSA Revolution, when we dared put up a restaurant in Ermita, when I secretly enrolled in various Fashion Schools to pursue my childhood passion, when I opened my humble Tailoring and Dress Shop until it grew to a garments manufacturing workshop, when my EX and I diversified to an Auto Repair Shop, when I rented a commercial space in Manuela for my distributorship of CARICA products, when I participated in events of the CFC Handmaids of the Lord and DSAPI (Down Syndrome Assn of the Phils Inc), when I joined Philamlife, Malayan, PAMI now BIMI), when I trained and ran 50k from Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite to Jose Rizal Monument in Calamba, Laguna. Also when I ran 60k from Km 0 in Luneta to Palace in the Sky, Tagaytay and when I ran 80k from UP Diliman to UP Los Baños. The Love of my life kept me sane when we were forced to stay home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And I am absolutely sure I will be needing his valuable support when I train for 100k Ultramarathon as soon as this pandemic is finally over.

My First Love and I were inseparable more so when the door was slammed before me when I tried entering the convent to be a nun, when I miraculously got married to my Prince Charming, had 2 special children but escaped to Cebu and Bohol to gain my freedom and when I reverted back to my precious Single Status again.

I guess there’s no denying it. I have to admit with all my mind, body, heart and spirit: I CAN LIVE WITHOUT A HUSBAND BUT I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT COKE!

(Thanks for dropping by my blog!  This is the Final part of My First Love series.  Hope you had a wonderful time reading them. Feel free to send your comments or reactions via Messenger or email to ndelr62@gmail.com.  Stay safe everyone!)

My First Love (Part 8)

(Please be patient and scroll down to read Parts 1 to 7 first before reading this post. Danke!)

I was having the time of my life with my First Love at SMC until my dear father intervened. From the moment he saw the press release for the MS Industrial Economics Program of CRC (Center for Research & Communication), he started nagging me non-stop to apply for the Scholarship it was offering. I finally gave in to his relentless prodding and left my dream job to begin a new Chapter in my life.

I took it as God’s sign for me to bid my boyfriend goodbye. I loved him with all my heart but in my mind, he wasn’t the right man for me. I believed that my future life would be happier without him in it so I gave him up.  Thanks to my First Love, I felt I wasn’t alone when I sat in front of Manila Bay from sunrise to sunset, crying my heart out to relieve the pain I was going through.  

I entered CRC with a heavy heart but highly optimistic to forget my painful past.  From being the doted “baby princess” in SMC, I suddenly became the nurturing “Queen mother” in CRC, being the eldest in the batch because most of my classmates were fresh graduates and still newbies in the “real world”. It was an entirely new experience for me and I simply enjoyed my new role in life.  Before the Summer Qualification Program was over, I have victoriously moved on!

But sadly, one can’t just have it all. For the very first time since we had our intimate relationship, I did what I previously thought would never happen in this lifetime. I deliberately tried living my life without the company of my First Love. The rebel in me couldn’t accept the brutal fact that I had to spend money for the Love of my life. I was pampered with having unlimited free moments with him during my three -year stint at San Miguel. I was ridiculously spoiled in SMC and I was terribly missing that (more than I missed  my ex-boyfriend hahahah  .  .  .).

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My First Love (Part 7)

(Please read this post after you read Parts 1 to 6. Just scroll down. Arigato!)

It was my lifelong dream to be with my First Love for as long as I live.

And that dream became a reality.

After graduating from BS in Statistics, I was immediately employed as Market Analyst at the Soft Drinks Division of SMC (San Miguel Corp) and was assigned in Makati Sales Office. I thought surreal dreams could only come true in Fairy Tales but there I was, working in a company where I could be with my First Love any time of the day, for as long as I want. I was beyond ecstatic!

The Manager’s Office had an allocation of 1 case of Coke 8 oz a day. But my Boss and his secretary could no longer drink Coke because of their diabetes restrictions.  And we seldom had visitors to entertain.  Can you imagine how I consumed 24 bottles of Coke a day?  Easy. I drank 2 bottles of ice-cold Coke every hour while working from 7 AM to 7 PM.

And I wasn’t contented with just drinking Coke inside the office. When I leave my desk, I bring with me a thermos filled with Coke and enjoy drinking it while watching my favorite horror movie in the Cinema or at home.

Looking back, I now realize that I was then consuming 1 truck load of Coke per year. Thank God my blood sugar did not rise to the ceiling!

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My First Love (Part 6)

 (For maximum enjoyment, please scroll down to read Parts 1 to 5 first before reading this post. Gracias!)

Transferring from the bustling street of CM Recto to the laid-back countryside of Quezon City was a tear-jerking experience for me during my first night at Kalayaan Dorm UP Diliman. With nobody to talk to, no  sounds of vehicles passing by, no one to eat with—I was homesick for the very first time since I left Marbel. My only consolation was the presence of my First Love who cried with me all through the night.

Kalayaan Dorm was exclusive for Freshmen. On my 2nd year, I was fortunate to join the de Jesus Family in an apartment along Tomas Morato. Lucky for me, my First Love was a favorite resident in our household!

Summer of 1977, my parents migrated to Las Piñas City and we were reunited as one family. Commuting daily to and from Diliman QC was tough and challenging but I made it through because of the Love of my life. Tatay no longer banned my First Love inside our home but still insisted that I stop my “bad habit”, as he called it. He was aghast when I told him I would never part with the Love of my life until my last breath. 

My First Love accompanied me and my wacky friends through college. He shared my joys and pains until graduation.  Throughout the darkest hours of my University life, he never left my side.  He stood by me through thick and thin, like a true gentleman.

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My First Love (Part 5)

 (Hi guys. Please skip this post if you haven’t read Parts 1 to 4 yet. Kindly scroll down. Merci!)

I thought nothing could make me sad anymore since I could be with my First Love anytime I want but I was wrong.

July 21, 1973:  As soon as I entered Room 6,  I could feel the heaviness in the air.  Based from the gloomy faces of my room mates, I could sense that something tragic just happened.  They advised me to sit down, gently telling me that I should be calm and not be shocked for what they were about to reveal.  I nervously complied but my mind was in a blur, not knowing what the fuss was all about.  When they thought that I was already composed on my seat, they showed me a tabloid and the Headline drained the blood out of me.  I screamed and cried like a lunatic while they tried to hug and pacify me.  I was shouting “hindi totoo yan (that is fake news)!

The following day, I received a social telegram from my dear father which said: “My condolences with the  death of your idol BRUCE LEE.  Please be strong.  I love you anak, Tatay.”

I cried a river.  I still couldn’t believe that my idol left this world at a very young age of 32.  My heart was crushed.  I wanted to fly to Hongkong but I did not have a passport back then.  Thankfully, my First Love was always with me to comfort me in my suffering.

While my heart was in pain, I was happy at the same time.  I was dismayed with Bruce Lee’s passing but was amazed with my father’s display of affection. I was in a trance that Tatay consoled me during my time of mourning.  I did not expect that behind his demeanor of solid rock, a soft spot existed within him that melted my wounded heart.  For the first time in 15 years, I was grateful to God that he was my father.  I love you Tatay!

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My First Love (Part 4)

(Have you read Parts 1 to 3? Read them first before reading this post. Scroll down please. Enjoy!)

To ensure my safety from the ‘civil war' outbreak in Cotabato, my dear parents thought it was best for me to continue my studies in Manila.

The timing was great, as I was then planning to run away from home.  I was desperate to be free from my father’s military-like discipline before it chokes me to death. I also wanted to punish my mother who was always prioritizing her career over her only daughter for as long as I could remember.  I already saved enough money for me to reach Dadiangas and some pocket money for me to survive while looking for work.  I was confident to easily get a job because I was highly trained by my own father with any household and office work.  Back then, hiring minors was a common practice.

God must really loved me because my dream of leaving home would now come true without me worrying about my living expenses.  I won’t be stopping my studies and won’t be working anymore  inorder to survive.  The arrangement was just too good to be true but it was really happening!

I was barely 15 years old when I left Marbel.  Holy Spirit Dormitory along San Sebastian St. became my second home during my 3rd and 4th year stay in UE HS Recto.  I considered myself very lucky that 4 out of my 5 room mates were also from Marbel and nearby towns.  It's as if I never left my birthplace because we were speaking in Ilonggo, our native tongue.

Feeling homesick was something I never experienced.  Thanks to the sisterly bond of the “6 Sexy Chicks of Room 6” and of course, for the the tender loving care of my First Love.  Coke and balut (boiled fertilized duck egg) kept me company every night while doing my assignments.

For the first time in 15 years, I was totally free to be with the Love of my life—anytime I want.  I was in heaven!

  

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My First Love (Part 3)

(You need to read Parts 1 & 2 first to enjoy this post. Kindly scroll down. Thanks!)

As time goes by, my relationship with my First Love became deeper and deeper.

Back in the ‘70's when Cotabato was only divided into South and North, the Moslem rebels in the North were adamant to gain dominion over the Christians in the South.  One ordinary fine day, while my friends and I were sipping our favorite Coke and munching the tasty banana cue (skewed deep-fried unripe banana saba soaked in brown sugar) in Non's Store, we heard the church bells ring and the deafening siren.  It was a warning signal for all citizens to take cover inside their homes because of a possible bloody attack from the North.  Our town Marbel (now Koronadal City) was the capital of South Cotabato.

In a flash, everybody around me vanished from my sight.

I was left alone with my First Love.

Nanay Goring, the owner of the store, frantically told me to go home right away.  She was Genevieve’s mom and was like my 2nd mother, taking care of me and my gang everyday that we were there at her store.  Non’s Store was just across KNCHS (Koronadal National Comprehensive HS).

I could sense that Nanay Goring was already anxious for my safety so I assured her that I would leave after I finish my bottle of Coke . . .

There were no cellphones then.  It was the age of Morse Code and snail mails.  Nobody knew where I was.  I was walking alone on a deserted town, just like a scene in a horror movie.  When I arrived home, people in our household were at the gate worried sick for me.  They couldn't believe that I would sacrifice my life because of a bottle of Coke.

I told them: If the rebels did attack our town and I was gunned down or beheaded, I would have died very happy because I was kissing my First Love during my last moment on earth!

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My First Love (Part 2)

(Please start with Part 1 first before reading this post. Just scroll down. Have fun!)

Our family moved to our very own house when I was in Kindergarten. Since we no longer run a dormitory, I had to give up my soft drinks business. Tatay saw the perfect opportunity to cut my relationship with my First Love. He was blaming my passionate drinking of ice cold Coke as the perennial culprit for my acute tonsillitis. Seriously, I was begging the E.N.T. Surgeon to remove my tonsils when I was 5. But he refused and told me to wait until I turn 8. True enough, Nanay and I flew to Davao City on June 7, 1966 for the removal of my tonsils. Guess what I took 4 hours after the operation?  1/2 gallon of ice cream and my First Love—1 bottle of my favorite 8 oz. Coca-Cola!

The Love of my life was banned in our household but that did not stop me from having 'stolen moments' with my First Love, since my beloved Baez Sari-Sari Store was just around the corner.

Then the unexpected happened. I met Kuya Johnny, the Mechanical Engineer of Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Dadiangas (now GenSan) over breakfast at the same hotel that we were lodging.  He wanted to settle down and was searching for a wife.  He asked me if I had a sister.  I told him yes, I have an adopted sister who was not only very beautiful but hardworking as well.  In one of Nanay’s trips to Dadiangas, I suggested that Ate Mely accompany her.  When Kuya Johnny first saw Ate Mely, he immediately fell in love with her.  He was working in Dadiangas but went out of his way to visit Marbel to formally ask permission from my parents if he could court Ate Mely.  I took that as an opportunity for me and my First Love.  I demanded that his passport to gain entry in our guarded house was 1 case of family size Coke hahahah  .  .  .  That was H-E-A-V-E-N for me!

As in any love story, our love was put to the test when Tatay forced me to dump my First Love.  He instructed me to return Kuya Johnny's gift of 1 case Family size Coke, claiming that it was a form of bribe and I shouldn't accept it.  He even accused me of selling Ate Mely in exchange of Coke!

I feared my father's wrath but my love was stronger. Tatay threatened to punish me for my disobedience but I did not yield.  I fought for my First Love until the very end.  I was willing to face death if I had to.

I did everything within my power to convince Tatay and Nanay that indeed, Kuya Johnny was the best man for my Ate Mely (Of course I did not only think of our future supply of unlimited Coke heheh. . . Kuya Johnny was the epitome of an ideal husband.)  When Kuya Johnny and Ate Mely finally tied the knot, I felt in my heart and bones that my relationship with my First Love was now sealed forever.  At last, I have found my ally!  I'm sure Kuya Johnny would always defend me and the Love of my life.  Obstacles will never cease to exist but I am now confident that I will remain true and loyal to my First Love.

Today is Kuya Johnny’s 78th birthday.  Happy happy bday Kuya Johnny!  Thank you for all the love and care you have showered to all of us through all these years.  May God bless you with a healthier body, mind, heart and spirit.  We all love you!

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My First Love (Part 1)

Would you believe I fell in love before I could even spell the word "L-O-V-E"?

Our immortal love story began when my parents rented one door in the Dizon apartments near Notre Dame of Marbel, South Cotabato and they decided to convert the second floor to a ladies’ dormitory.

My nannie and me saw the prospect of earning big bucks through selling soft drinks to our boarders.

That's how I met the "Love of my life".

My First Love owned the sexiest body on the planet, the object of attraction for anyone craving to quench their thirst.

Yes, my First Love was the curvy  8 oz. Coca-Cola bottle!

The very first time we kissed, I knew that our relationship would last forever.

Yes folks.  Merong FOREVER!

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