decade of independence

June 20, 2010

10 years ago, on the 12th of June, I had my first sweet taste of independence (in my own terms). My parents, together with my lolo and lola (imagine that!), with a truckload of appliances brought me to Los Banos for college. Unlike the typical college students who were away from home for the first time, I hardly felt the homesickness (at the start). I was very excited then I even posted HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY in our closets. I never cried until August (I remember it very vividly).

The first month was so fun. My roommates, Rica, who is my bestfriend since hs, and Sheilla would take turns to cook. We would always experiment on cooking sometimes at the expense of another person’s stomach! We’d always watch Friends (all night time slots at Star), AllyMcBeal, Dawson’s Creek, even Wheel of Fortune, like we never came to LB to study in the first place (well applies to me lang since my roommates were studious). We attended St. Therese’s Sunday masses together. In the wee hours in the morning, I remember Rica and I would whisper in the dark, chat about how the day was, like we had our telebabad days in high school. In the morning, we’d listen to Morning Rush and literally rush to catch our first classes (to which I am always late since these were always 7 or 830). We’d do regular stuffs together! 1st sem was bliss! Moreover, I had fabulous bloc buddies! Beng and I, as I remember never missed welcome parties for freshmen! Pam and I would always enter Women’s dorm as if we were legit residents. Jade would always be very draggable checking out the better internet cafes or simply walking around. Then there were the rest of bloc 64 who adopted us. NF was so simply so exciting: the sweet taste of independence as sweet as McDo pancake syrup! The rest of college life was a tasty feel independence. There were times I hardly go home and my family would be the ones to go to LB instead just to see me. Life was sooo fun and simple and fun, and did I say fun?

June 2004, I had a bittersweet taste of independence. Living on my own, although not fully true (shame on me) but I like that I get to decide on many things on my own. Simple decisions like what do I do with my time, what do I do with my money, what gift I want from my family this time (hehehe).

Now, I still get to go home from time to time although I feel a small degree of guilt whenever I do. I think I have never lived up to the expectations of my family yet. My mother is barely vocal about it before but lately I feel the pressure with our small talks. I may be living away from my family but hardly am I the epitome of someone who is independent. The thing is, I so badly want to be one. I have various thoughts about it lately though. So help us God! There are a lot of things I think I’m missing from not living with my family and sometimes I think, if I had a choice of getting employed somewhere near I would grab the opportunity. Ahh! The comfort of having the room by yourself, prepared-for-you-all-you-gotta-do-is-eat freshly-cooked meals, complete appliances, hot showers, family car you can borrow, household help. Tough choice though because the truth of the matter is I cannot trade whatever I have for now. So please please, good Lord, grant me the willpower to pursue these ideas I have.

So what have I learned about independence in the last 10 years:

 

1. It’s OK not to know how to cook rice if you’ll cook rice just for yourself anyway. Buying one cup of rice is more efficient, time and energy-wise.
2. Chocolate is a meal! Best energy food in the world.
3. Always drink milk to prevent osteoporosis. Good to solve small-scale sleeping disorder.
4. Most important appliances: ref and microwave oven, and A/C or fan. The rest are just nice to have, believe me! 
5. Always make your personal hygiene stuffs handy (in case you have spontaneous sleep-overs). Or better yet, know where the nearest convenience store/mall.
6. Be Low-Maintenance. Just cover the essentials! Don’t collect trash. Everytime I transfer to a new place, I realize how much trash I have. If you’re not using it, give it  and simply throw it away. Shame on us we have to leave a stackful of magazines, stilettos, bags, souvenir items but who’s going to use them anyway?
7. Bacon is a staple food! Easy to cook and it’s something you can eat everyday!
8. Spanish sardines are good for long time storage. Oil-based and delicioso (if eaten only once in a while)!
9. For cooking, I use ground lean pork more often than the cubed ones. I think they cook faster and flavor gets into the meat better! hehe
10. Experiment on food! Those seasonings can go a long way.
11. Always keep key duplicates!
12. Use old clothes as rugs.
13. Keep the toilet floor dry!
14. Scented candle is therapeutic indeed.
15. Choose the scents of your toiletries well. Scents go a long way. Cucumber melon reminds me of college days, Apple of SMC days. Sweet pea and honeysuckle of early MBA days.
16. You can make me clean the restroom always but you are lucky to see me touch that broom (allergy attack)
17. It’s always helpful to have an OC-OC cousin sleep over your place and clean your closet for no apparent reason! hehe.. I miss you Lovely!
18. Be friendly to your laudromat ladies. Think win-win! Applies to your bldg security guard and helpers but prioritize the laundromat ladies. Favors are not limited to laundry. hehe
19. Sometimes it’s easier not to remove your newly-cleaned clothes from the bags. You don’t have to reorganize your closet and you get to remember which are the ones you just wore the previous week.
20. If you hate ironing your clothes, choose low-maintenance clothing material you don’t have to iron. Sometimes, fresh from the washing machine, as long as they are folded well, they’d still look crease-free.
21. Always check first the place before moving in. Wag umasa sa floor plan ng ibang unit. (unfortunately, we just learned this in our latest choice of residence)
22. If your choice of residence has no elevator, 3rd floor should be the max! I’ve lived in a unit on the 4th floor once and had I not lived there, my calves would have been thinner. There was also one time I got drunk, my friends had a tough time dragging me!
23. One should have at least 4 pillows to have a good sleep. hehe. Perhaps I need 2 more.
24. If you have sleeping disorder, there are handy items in your medicine box. You shouldn’t rely on sleeping pills. Ohhh! The wonders of chemistry. haha
25. Music gadgets is a necessity in life especially since you don’t always have the company of chitchatmates. Organize your playlists well. This is the part where they say real life comes with soundtrack music!
26. Be watchful of due dates! You think it’s just small % but baby, there’s the multiplier effect!
27. If you are home alone on a weekend and are too lazy to go out and buy yourself food, think twice on ordering delivery good for 3 meals just to maximize your call. You’d probably not eat in the same place for the next 2 months. My personal case was 2 months of not being near any KFC after a KFCful weekend.
28. Keep delivery hotlines handy! Explore 24 hours food suppliers near your area.
29. When craving for something, cook or buy yourself whatever it is. That’s the plus of living where you don’t have to ask the whole household what to cook or eat.
30. Ref magnets have purposes other than decoration. Use your ref as main info board!
31. Use empty vodka bottles as water container.
32. Create rules: unplugging of cords, designated smoking areas, rotation of assignments. Rules are part of the game.
33. Save for rainy days (more on reminder to myself)
34. Errand day is not limited to weekend. Manage your time wisely.
35. Enjoy free things in life (like free wifi internet connection from your neighbors)
36. Have a breakfast-in-bed table. So useful! And I haven’t used mine for BIB yet!
37. Love your housemates! They are your extended family.
38. Keep in touch with your family ALWAYS. There is no substitute for them.
39. Savor your ME time. (Applicable to me for 3 hours tops)

And that ladies and gentlemen those are the bittersweet lessons of my definition of independent living. Sweet yet bitter, because without the bitter, the sweet ain’t that sweet. Have a home sweet home, wherever your home is!

 

may 2010

May 31, 2010

Dear Blog,

Haven’t posted for more than a month. So, how has May been to your girl? I think it could be one of the better months although there were some unbearable periods. Short recap!

School break. More time for work and meet-ups with friends although this time I really wish the semester started sooner (so that I could finish it sooner as well). I sooo wanted to finish MBA. My closest school friends have already graduated/left. Last term! Argggh! Time flies. I look back and realize how the program has been a sleepwalking activity for me - I simply bringing myself to school day in and day out. Haaay! Nakakahiya!

HK Trip. I was on my second leg of the training. Honestly, everytime the training is the topic, I feel a sudden feeling of frustration and disappointment on myself, on things. Is this worth it? Is the price of a certification like this worth giving up my other dreams? Sometimes I just resign to the idea that I have no choice because it can be exhausting thinking about the what-ifs and could-have-beens of my choices. I hope I’m making the right decisions though it was plain indecision I think. It was a relief that after the hostile week, Dino, Tin and Tin’s sister were in HK to give it’s a closure a blast!

Angela’s birthday. This year she turns 7. She’s such an angel in her Belle dress. Kudos to my mom with all the effort in the celebration. You’re the best! Gawd, I miss Lovely more than ever! During the party, my Lolo gave Angela a message on following the steps of her elder cousins, specifically mentioning me. Gooosh! Nakakahiya! They wouldn’t settle for me as a sample if they knew better. I was touched though!

Mica left for Abu Dhabi! This is tough!!! My soulsister finally left for MEA! Announcement: sa mga taong gustong makapunta sa ibang bansa, ka-close-in nyo ko. As in super close dapat! Haay! Every chance when we talk, it troubles me everytime I hear her sharings. I wish I were there with her talaga. Miss you Mykz!

Goodbye Addie - the other one gadget I super liked last year. Hello new toy soon please! 

Tipidity mode swithched on!

Love, Blogger

angela is such an angel

April 20, 2010

I super love my Angela, my honey! I wish she’d stop growing fast. I wish I went home to her everyday. She’s such a darling! I couldn’t contain my smiles and giggles while I told Joni stories over my short stint in Batangas.

1. She was seating next to me playing with my phone and when somebody nudges/calls she hands me the phone. Even though it was kinda late, this happened many times. Finally she said: “Ate, yung mga friends mo late na matulog. Gabi na e pero nagte-text pa!”

2. While I was reading a book, she told me she didn’t want to go to bed yet so she grabbed a book and sat next to me. Oftentime, she’d peek at my book and read random words then complain on how thick my book was.

3. She considered playing bubbles underwater as swimming so she’d do it too many times and every time she rises, she’d look for me and give her thumb’s up sign! 

4.  While walking home, there were many bats. I was kinda scared but she told me: “Ate, wag ka matakot dyan. Di sila kumakain ng tao. Yung malalaking bats na babae, lam ko sila kumakain ng tao.” She was referring of course to manananggals. What the? Where does she learn these things?

5. She always whispers i love you’s and just clings next to me. 

moments

April 19, 2010

The great moments of your life won’t necessarily be the things you do. They’ll also be the things that happen to you. Now, I’m not saying you can’t take action to affect the outcome of your life. You have to take action. And you will! But never forget, that on any day, you could step out the front door, and your whole life could change forever. You see the Universe has a plan kids; and that plan is always in motion. A butterfly flaps its wings, and it starts to rain. It’s a scary thought, but it’s also kind of wonderful. All these little parts of the machine constantly working. Making sure that you end up exactly where you’re supposed to be… exactly when you’re supposed to be there. The right place. At the right time.


- Ted Mosby

 

summer twenty ten

April 13, 2010

For four consecutive weekends, I had summer plans. Here I am always complaining about my financial status and my scheduling issues yet I got a month of fully booked weekend. I’m practically on 3-day workweek for 3 weeks. : ) Weeeh! Truth is I still have those financial and schedule issues but it only goes to show that I will definitely make time for people who matter. 

Laiya and EK with Mica, Corleai and Ghia

Mica is leaving soon : ( so this was her weekend. We only had a quick getaway because we thought Mica was leaving by holy week and the rest of us have timing issues. So off we went to La Luz, San Juan Batangas for an art of doing nothing weekend. We dined, and wined and whined! We even got a full body massage. We went to EK after and although we were too tired, we really had some good laughs. Ladies, these are signs of aging. Ambilis na natin mapagod! Dati, kaya natin ang 48 talkathon. haha.. I love you girls.

Mykz, I will super miss you! I’m losing my ‘person’ for another time but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. Nonetheless, let’s be thanful because this is one of those that we’ve asked for. We’ll never know, prayer#1 is next.

Corleai, what more can you ask for? I’m so happy you are in this state of your life. Finish med school then eventually, we’ll be two of Jason Magbanua’s  clients. Or Mica, Ghia and I will be your clients depends on whether you specialize on lungs or liver disorders. haha

Ghia, pasensya na. di ka na talaga namin masabayan sa alchy marathon. Sa so-called Ghia na kasama ko lately, ilabas mo ang totoong Ghia Magnolia na kilala namin. hehe.. Seriously, thanks for organizing the reservations for us.

Surfing with the Spammers

Have I said it enough how much I love surfing? Who are the best people to surf with than those you learned it first with! So I went to La Union with Dino, Son, Maca, Paul and Mars. Twas a first time for Maca and Mars who turned out to be star sufers. It was indeed a good break from the busy week. Wish Tin, Gabe, Sylvia and Tris were with us.

Foolproof Trip with Char, QB Adan and Urven

Sponteneous trips are best when you are with spontaneous, low-maintenance, high EQ people. And here are the top 3 people of 2010 holy week who qualify those criteria: Cesar, Adan and Urven. Char is in town for 2 weeks so we sad that regardless of where that may be, we will be together for holy week. Of course there is my very ‘draggable’  QB and Urven to complete the Foolproof Trip team. We met up at Victory Line bus terminal on Holy Wednesday night with no advance bookings, hotel reservations, or anything else that you should have when you go out if town on a holy week. After a combination of 35 hours (for me) of bus, van, trike, boat travel, we conquered Tuguegarao, Sta Ana and osme island in the Babuyan channel. Aylabet! I had to leave Saturday afternoon but the three crazy lil party folks decided to go to Pagudpud afterI left. Addik! I cannot expound more on how follproof the trip was as I cannot be any happier spending the holy week with these 3. This is the trip where the competitive EconSoc and AEMS unite. This is the trip where the straights and the gays converge. haha.. Char, although I told you I’ll be your slave for you Pinas stay and it turned out the other way around, I know you won’t complain. hehe.. Love love love! I’m so glad we still manage to squeeze in heart-to-heart talks in our trips like this. QB my love, thank you soooo much for never failing to surprise me. I super want to make that badidays’ lives in your office so miserable because of what they are doing to you. Don’t worry, saten pa rin ang huling halakhak. Let’s meet up soon again! Urvs, kahit iniwan mo ko sa ere, lab pa rin kita. Kahit malakas ka mag-snore, nakatulog ako salamat sa iPod. Kahit na mahina na ko uminom, sasama pa rin ako sa meet-ups at kakain na lang. At uulitin ko lang, na kahit iniwan mo ko sa ere, lab pa rin kita. Miss you sobra! Enjoy Korea! Boys, where to next?

Pekner’s Wedding

For others, they get married after 2 months of being pregnant with guys they hardly know. Others take 2 year of bfgf status first. Other even 2 decades (oh Lord, don’t do that to me please!). But for my Pekner, it takes 2 kids. hehe.. Love you Pekner! I’m super happy for you and Ken and although I ask you two if it makes a difference again and again, I know it still does. I’m flattered that you trust me and Char to be there as your pseudo-MOH and witness end-to-end your lovely wedding. I love you both, I am glad to be a life witness of your family’s love. Mwaaah!

Aside: Char, you better think of a better name to tag me on your wedding. I don’t think I ever wanted to be called the Best Maid although the message behind it is sweet, you crazy lil party boy! Hahaha. Seriously, I love those talks we have throughout the day. Haaay! (Sarap mag-sigh).Thanks to the crazy LIL (emphasis on this) party guy we saw. I still owe you so please expect a Western Union cash transfer soon. haha

Vietnam trip with Dino and Paul

Sin Chao * Epal trip * VIDEOS!!! * Charan Production * Release the Cracken * Invisibility shades *Animate the Inanimate * Explain * Pho (for correct pronunciation ask Dino) * Dam Sen Amusing Park *iced coffee overload *LanLan * An Officer and A Gentleman * some Tom Cruise old movie where he was Ryan * movie analysis * 51-49 Principle * Bang Tenh Layi? Toi Tenh Lah <insert name here> * Al, Am and Ally * Poker Face Vietnam version * Clash of the Titans * Motorcycle overrrrrload * dumayo-sa-vietnam-para-mag-tv * Instant Noodles hoarding * scary *$&?!$ * Name-that-trip Trip

Thanks braders! It was a super fun rendezvous! Aylabet!!!

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Traveling is my sweet retreat and travelmates are one of life’s greatest blessings!More please!