sugar and spice

wow! its been a while…

so what’s been happening to me?

monday last week… oh yeah! i had my first radio interview… oh dba sikat? I guested in this am program in dwss i forgot na the frequency or the name of the radio program for that matter… actually dun sa actual interview hindi ko rin naalala yung pangalan nung program which was medyo stupid or funny depending on how you look at it… anyway, they called me to guest in their show because they wanted to talk to somebody who was graduating about future plans etc… i know, i know… it’s true i’m finally graduating but i dont really have future plans to speak of… anyway, i winged it… said i was lucky to have a supportive family behind me etc etc… which was pretty different from the sob story they featured before me (the other guest was a scholar from a leprosarium who is raised by a single mother and has to work immediately to support her family…blah blah…how do you beat that?)…

anyway, it was a pretty funny experience all over… i was scared of bursting in English (tama ba term?) in the middle of a serious statement… i do that sometimes when i’m nervous… so i ended up speaking in deeper tagalog that i usually would…which in turn had van and dek (the only two people aside from my family at home who heard the broadcast) in stitches laughing at my deep tagalog and i guess everything else i was saying…

…

a few days after that, we had classes and i felt so pressured by the approaching deadlines plus the fact that i had to be in the hospital… so medyo nag freeze ang brain ayaw mag work at nag panic na…

nalagpasan naman ang exam… one exam lang the whole sem… ayaw pa kasi kaming pagbigyan…

nalagpasan din yung mob… thank you guys for coming… it was a success kahit short notice… 3 days lang ang prep… justice for nicole! sana uno na yon… tapos na din namin yung paper… not related…pero paper na bahala na si batman lol. =>

patapos na yung papers… pag natapos namin tomorrow… dinner sa aioli tapos conspiracy kami after… yey!

ok back to the paper na para maka-gimmick bukas.

Lost in translation…

I really have a hard time writing in Tagalog… er Filipino…whatever.  Imagine the nightmare I am in right now having to write a whole integration paper in the language.  We are talking possibly hundreds of pages here (that is wishful thinking, of course… but it is possible).  Aside from the fact that details have to be written in a manner that will facilitate ease of reading, small nuances also have to be placed creatively to make it a more meaningful read.

How do you even begin to translate this?

The elderly is an invaluable asset of the community. They embody the wisdom of experience, the fountain of knowledge, the grace and blessing of living a full existence.

Ang mga nakakatanda ay isang hindi maitatanging yaman ng komunidad.  Kinakatawan nila ang karunungan ng karanasan, bukal ng kaalaman at ang grasya at biyaya ng pagsasabuhay ng isang buong—- *&^%$!@#$%^

I don’t even know what existence is in Tagalog…

Plus most of the material we are using is of course in English…and word autocorrects…there’s no spell check let alone grammar check… my brain also processes in English so there’s a slight delay every time I have to translate…hay!

I’m thinking…I need to get an English-Tagalog Dictionary… one with really old words so it’s more poetic… also I’m working with the elderly so it kinda fits the mood more.

This reminds me of the time Wes was practicing… he actually got one of those travelers/tourist translations…dictionary thingies… and we, poor cousins, ended up at the receiving end of lines like…

            “Kika, may kasama ka ba?”

            In case it also slipped past you (as it initially did me) that was supposedly a pick-up line…the Tagalog translation of the classic, “Are you with someone?”   Of course, the context has a lot to do with us understanding a line as A LINE, something the book was not really clear on…

Reading on, we also came across lines like…

            “Maari ba tayong maglakad sa dalampasigan?”

            …another line that I think isn’t going to work unless the other person is on a different kind of trip and gets a kick out of hearing outdated stuff.  One could argue of course, that in the province people still talk like that.  Do they really?  Personally, I think those provinces only exists in the imagination of people who prefer to think there are still places untouched by modern technology and communications…and the minds of radio play and soap opera script writers.

Tomorrow I’m going to Batangas…I’m thinking maybe the change in environment will help…yes, and the fact that I have Tagalog speaking grandparents there is a big plus…*grin*

i-edited some of my december posts… from carols and reflections, friday nights at xaymaca and heaven n eggs… pictures lang naman ang dinagdag ko… ngayon lang kc naka-ipload from the phone… sobrang tagal na nh?

more pictures…

i saw old friends when i got back from davao this year… uhm… earlier this year basta nung galing christmas break not the february trip…uwi kc ng uwi eh…

anyway, had dinner with some of my college roomies… the ones i lived with the longest…hehe

grace, rhea, moi and roan

miss you guys!

so i finally read the catcher in the rye by jd salinger…

why?n

i’ve been meaning to read it…it was there in my list of "will read that someday" books mainly because its so famous (i think an elementary or high school required reading in some places) and i have no idea what’s it about… it’s a classic… well, a contemporary classic… and i like to read so most of the classics are on my list anyway so why not, right?

so i finally got around to reading it after reading veronika decides to die (it was reviewed as a cross between catcher in the rye and girl interupted, i’ve read neither) and the curious incided about a dog at midnight - a book i enjoyed, was also compared to it (catcher).  so i figured, what the heck…now that i finally have time to read all those stuff i’ve always planned on reading and tita chel conveniently has a copy around the house…

weird book… fascinating, but still weird…

it made me wonder if it was supposed to have a point… or was it so deep i was in over my head? i don’t like over reading anyway (meaning looking for hidden meanings and messages from the author when sometimes there just isn’t…some things have to be taken at face value)…i enjoyed the experience…that is what reading is to me after all… an experience…but…maybe i was just not in the right frame of mind…

veronika and the curious incident however, were also weird books… but i could say they both touched me…in different ways… it made me reflective… catcher on the other hand… m still not sure.

I woke up really early today…like at the crack of dawn yata or before pa… basta around 4:30 nag decide na ako to move kc mukhang hopeless na may try to go back to sleep besides medyo nagpapanic na ako…iniisip ko na kasi yung integs…

So as usual dahil hindi ako maka-work in a messy environment, I had to fix the room first…sobrang nadisturb ko nga yata sleep ni mama…she kept asking what I was looking for…(wala naman talaga…nagliligpit lang) - medyo she kinda took over my room na  kasi…ang gulo na ng lahat ng stuff… kinda reminds me of when wes was staying in my room…yung tipong stuff on the floor and on my table etc (peace wes! –you’re still welcome here anytime)… the difference was…I was staying in the room with her and since she was doing most of everything for me…I didn’t want to mess up her “order” of the room.

Anyway, when the room had some semblance of order (to me at least)…I started working on our outline…ang hirap! Kasi medyo breakthrough yung integ last sem so medyo comprehensive yung analysis…hindi tuloy naming alam pano na papasok ngayon…or saan…tapos parang ang daming kailangang data na hindi ko alam kung meron kami or kung kaya pa bang kunin…basta, at around 7am I had done all I could do on the outline.  It felt good… and the day was just starting. J

Had my blended fruits… then breakfast…listened to the morning rush…its been a while kasi and hazel was asking how I manage to start my days without chico and del…nakakatuwa yung daily top ten nila…deep tagalong words and their meanings… I even managed to pick up a couple…baka magamit ko sa integ. Hehe.

ANANIMO – peace of mind

SAPANTAHA – idea or point of view

Cool words dba?

Read a pocket book during the stretch then went down to work on the profiles…

Kahapon ko pa gusto lumabas…for coffee and/or egg tarts kaso si mama medyo nawiwili dun sa current project nya (yung crazy patch quilt na pillowcases)…tinatamad lumabas.  Tapos after lunch biglang gusto uli mag-carolinas…sa megamall…(bell rings!) “mall? cge, tapos mag our tribe na din tayo pati happy feet…”

Mula kasi ng lumabas uli yung happy feet she’s been saying she wants to buy me a pair but we never got around to it…apparently she AND papa both wore happy feet in the 70’s and muhkang happy talaga yung feet nya so gusto nya pati feet ko happy. J

So off to megamall we went…found Carolinas…mama went a bit crazy…she says she can spend a whole day in there…bought lots of ribbons…buti super nice nung attendant namin… basta I liked her.

Tapos we went to OUR TRIBE…bought sandals for mama, papa and me…then just as we were about to leave…she (mama) saw this really cute pouch bag and just like that…without thinking twice…went back to the counter and bought it. Now, she doesn’t have to keep borrowing MY pouch bags and she has a cute bag that I can borrow.

Next stop, my happy feet.  Both cinderella and the department didn’t have much in my size… parehong red lang ang meron and I didn’t think it looked too good on my feet.  So dahil hindi happy ang feet ko, hindi na ako nagpabili… saka nalang siguro kung happy na ang feet ko.

Pauwi na kami but we decided to eat and make a few quick stops first… we’re expecting uncle jun to drop by the house tonight kasi.

French baker for dinner (haven’t been here for dinner in a loooooong time)

Dippin’ dots ice cream (banana split!) –hey! This was on my list *grin*

National bookstore

Uy! Breadtalk…tapos they had what we wanted…egg tarts, naan and berries and cream

DMC craftstore

Booksale –didn’t get anything here

EGG –I haven’t been there for a while…got a bag for the wires of my laptop (pouch lang of sorts)

Uwi na!

Its been a long day and I’m still blogging…

11pm na! Matulog na kaya ako bukas na uli ang work…

GOOD NIGHT!!!

hah! more food…

haven’t had most of these in a while

i like…

Lord Stow’s egg tarts

blueberry and peaches ng ice moster

quickly’s taro ice with assorted pudding

dippin dot’s ice cream

dreyer’s rhum raisin ice cream (uncle moi’s favorite)

warm aromatic belgian waffles (chocolate by the bald guy) at max brenner’s chocolate bar

cranberry and mango cheesecake, bigby’s special

mango cream pie! (red ribbon or mango tart ni tita mayette)

mango ang peaches na crepes (saan meron?)

kuya’s special dessert (bluberry/strawberry sundae plus cream, bananas and crushed oreos)

f.i.c’s green tea ice cream

pegi’s belgian waffle (plain or ala mode… this is what they serve at starbucks too! grabe, na-identify =>)

…

hindi lang kasi ako makatulog last night so nag count ako ng happy thoughts… =>

I’ve always loved egg pies… I mean… really loved it long before it became fashionable to go to Lord Stow’s for some ridiculously expensive egg tarts…

I wonder where it started but… I have some vague memories of going to YUMMY’s (a bakeshop beside mama’s office in claveria) on our way home or sometimes while I waited for her to finish with work (sa Yves Rocher pa sya nun and I go to her office after school so sabay kami uuwi) for a slice of egg pie… yun lang din naman ang naa-alala kong binibili ko dun… egg pie lang… not naman everyday siguro but almost… or at least a few times a week… minsan sumasama pa yung loob ko pag walang egg pie na available… mga grade2 pa siguro ako nito…around 15 years?

Nung high school halos hindi ako nag egg pie…pano dorm, walang bakeshops sa tabi… I was hardly home at hindi na rin sa YR nagw-work si mama…

College ko na-rediscover ang egg pies in the form of Lord Stow’s…masarap naman talaga kaya kahit na noong mahirap pa sya hanapin, pinipilit parin… tapos nagka-branch sa Morato…walking distance na! (malayong walk pero possible =>)

Bread Talk has its own version pero iba yung shape (boat and more crust than filling)… pero pwede na… slightly cheaper din pero lagi naming hindi available sa gateway… mabilis maubos?

French Baker…meron din silang parang egg pies…they call it Portuguese tarts… it looks like Lord Stow’s pero malayo yung lasa…crust palang…

Hay! the search is on… inform me if you find a place with good egg tarts/pies…so far Lord Stow’s is leading…by a mile or should I say, a bite?

kababawan nanaman… as usual…

kanina, while we were waiting for my test results…nag SM North muna kami ni mama…(it’s as good as an excuse as any…to go to the mall that is… 2-3 hours daw kasi ang result ng CBC -ewan ko ba bakit, sa brokenshire sa davao 1 hour lang…less pa kung nagmamadali yung doctor)

first stop tokyo-tokyo…sobrang gutom na kami ni mama… madami palang tao sa NKTI pag midday… actually umaga palang (after my blended fruit shake… whatever fruits available plus cold water…that’s right no milk, no sugar) iniisip ko na na mag-beef misono…so diretso na talaga ako sa tokyo

we planned 3 stops for mama plus a trip to cyberzone for me… mama is working on the blue/cream crazy patch quilted pillowcovers so i was planning on taking her to one of my favorite shops… simple joys, then a craft shop sa basement tapos sa carolinas (yung lace shoppe)… i, on the other hand needed to buy a flash drive and a headset (finally!)

sa simple joys…natuwa naman yata si mama…everything is so dainty and pretty albeit expensive pero kung small projects at little trinkets lang… the store is perfect. => tapos i showed her the keychain i’ve been thinking of buying if/when they give me a white pajero (walang hihirit! libre mangarap =>).  it’s really pretty, a huge K na studded with rhinestones…it’s just that its too much bling-bling for anything less than car keys…malamang kasi i don’t own keys na at all! (not even house, room or locker keys!)

tapos we went to the craft shop (heavenly stitching moments yata or some such name) sa basement…bumili si mama ng scissors among other things… she collects scissors…ever heard of mud painting? sounds interesting…will try that someday. may kits sila dun sa store na framed na.

tapos hindi namin nahanap agad yung carolinas so na cyberzone na muna kami…i don’t think i got the cheapest pero tinamand na kasi akong mag canvas besides i was still within budget so ok na…

napadaan kami uli sa department store…tapos lumitaw nanaman yung kababawan ko… i got myself two new slippers…yung favorite ko na banana peel… i must have more than half a dozen now…lahat ng bahay na i stay in has at least a pair… wala lang…natuwa nanaman ako… new slippers… at least hindi havaianas ang kino-collect ko… presyo ng isang havaianas more than a dozen na banana peel na.  i was going to get more kaso ayaw na pumayag ni mama.

muntik na namin hindi mahanap ang carolinas…papunta na sana kami ng our tribe to buy sandals when we saw the information counter… needless to say, we soon found carolinas so no new sandals. sniff sniff

i saw a pretty cloth dun sa carolinas…same fabric sya nung sneakers na i wanted from LA gear a couple of seasons ago na hindi ko na mahanap (tapos i saw a pair, not in the design i wanted but same fabric pero a few sizes too big at only stock nalang nila sa chimes -parang rustans ng davao, last month…it turns out kickers pala and not LA gear ang brand.  hay! it wasn’t for me talaga)… back to the cloth, i was thinking pillowcases or some such thing but it was so pretty…may pagka-olive/lime na may dragonflies embroidered on chinese silk..pwede rin dress…kaso it was too expensive at malamang hindi ko din naman daw suotin… wala bang ikakasal dyan or magf-formal/semi formal na party? i need an excuse to buy the cloth…saka maliit lang ako, two yards lang kasya na. =>

before we knew it at was almost 5pm so we rushed back to the hospital… sobrang swerte, the doctor came just a few minutes after we did…wala nang hintayan. =>

just got home from the hospital

as usual not feeling too well and still medyo nauseaus…

not feeling up to anything actually

still, i would like to take this oportunity to thank evryone around me who has been so suuportive…

yung mga dumadalaw sa hospital

yung mga dumadalaw sa bahay

yung mga nangangamusta sa text (lahat nung mga kamusta, good mornings at mga forwarded stuff =>)

yung mga nag-eemail

yung mga nasa ym/friendster

yung mga tumatawag

yung mga prayers

kahit yung mga iniisip lang ako kahit hindi nyo sinasabi…

super thank you!

i’m kinda getting used to this…

minsan feeling ko paran na akong boss… biruin mo nag-"rereport" na of sorts si lilay at ferdz sakin (peace guys! =>)…binabasa yung activities tapos binibigay sakin yung papers parang report… hay! parang supervisor ang drama

tapos pag-alis nila at tinitignan ko na yung mga kailangan kong gawin (na d ko pa talaga masyado nagagawa) narealize ko na hindi pala ako yung boss, ako yung secretary…taga-type at tumatangap ng dictation! buhay talaga. 

thanks parin to you guys for being so understanding. =>