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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