Now and then

Just recently, I got reunited with my college friends via email. It’s such a wonderful feeling hearing from them and knowing what their lives have been after college. Though we get to communicate from time to time through text or phone calls but the email thing was almost impossible what with Beth who is a self-proclaimed internet un-savvy.

After graduation, we went on our separate ways, trying to find a place in the community. Fresh from the cradles of STC, we were eager to spread our wings.

I landed a job at GS and stayed there for almost 5 years. Then I moved out and transferred to my present employer. I got married and had a kid. My life is not as exciting as that of my other classmates but I’m happy.

For a while, Beth and I became officemates in GS. She moved to another division before she decided to leave the job. She went to Manila and carved her future there. Beth’s life was dramatic. She lost her mom to cancer 3 years ago. She got herself pregnant to an “attached” man. Her many failures didn’t stopped her from chasing her dreams. I want her to come back to Cebu so I could watch over her every decisions.

Alvie is the only person in the barkada who went back to her roots. After college, she went home and took care of her ailing mom. She finished her Masters degree and earned some units in education. Right now, I am proud to say that Alvie started the Mass Communication curriculum in her high school alma mater. I also learned from her that she finally got a boyfriend ---- it’s her first.

Among us, Cecil has always been “the financially blessed” --- rich girl so to speak. Where is Cecil now? She’s in Dubai multiplying her riches. Talk about one lucky girl --- she also brags about her cute boyfriend. Hope to hear wedding bells soon…

Cathy --- she’s the baby in the group because she’s younger in age and in maturity. Like Alvie, Cathy also heeded the call of teaching. For a while, she worked in an accounting/ auditing firm as executive assistant. She gave up the position and proceeded to take on some units in education. She is now a full-pledged teacher in Indonesia. This girl’s getting married in January next year.

It has been more than five years and I just find it so amazing to know what life has been for the five of us – Beth, Alvie, Cecil, Cathy and me. Looking back when we first stepped in the corridors of STC, fears were building inside us but it vanished just seeing the warm smiles of these ladies we now call friends. College life was tough --- COM classes with Madam Abanto, history and philosophy classes, defending our thesis. But I bet, it was fun too --- photojournalism with Sir Ben, theater with Ms. Baad, Kilig Moments with Sir Leo, sportswriting with Sir Nimrod, lunches at the canteen, group study at the Greenhouse and library and some “leakages” from time to time, practicum at various media outfits. I just couldn’t imagine what college life would be having shared it with other set of friends. Sure, we had friends from other circles but the kind of friendship that we have was beyond the so-called friendship --- we were like sisters. We are each other’s source of strength. If it were not for each other, we wouldn’t have survived college life.
Thank you girls for being a part of my life! I know it would be difficult to bring back what we have before having lived separate lives now but it would be worthwhile to just bring back memories from time to time.

Please, let’s keep in touch!


Fresh from high school...virgin pa!



so young and innocent...now no more!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned through the Internet

Robert Fulghum once wrote a book entitled “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. It’s actually one of my favorite books. I also watched the play staged at the Ayala Center way back college days with Jessica Zafra, Kuya Bodgie (of Batibot) and two others in the lead role as kindergarten pupils.

I totally agree to Mr. Fulghum… These are the things we learned in kindergarten:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don't hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don't take things that aren't yours.
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.
But just today, I realized that everything we need to know we learned through the internet particularly in yahoo and google.

While I was retrieving our CEO’s voicemail message, I came across a message with words I couldn’t quite understand. Since the caller mentioned his number, I tried to search using his number through yahoo search and by just clicking enter, came out what I was looking for.

The internet continues to fascinate me. All information from sports, arts, politics, parenting, entertainment, business, environment, news, fashion to even pornography, prostitution, poverty etc. can be found in the internet. I also find booking our travels in the internet hassle free. On-line shopping for just about anything is also fun. On-line banking is also one of the best things that internet has brought to make our lives easier and faster. The onset of email makes you communicate with your friends and loved ones in seconds. Although, I’m not into chatting and video-conferencing (except during meetings with our bosses in Philadelphia), I know it has brought wonders to the Filipinos having met their would-be spouses on-line. It’s the most effective medium used nowadays…you can advertise your products and services via the internet. You can create your own website. You can locate your friends via “friendster”. And this blog thing? I couldn’t imagine thousands of people reading my blog articles --- as if it’s really this interesting! *chuckle*

The internet has brought a lot of WONDERS into our lives.

I still believe that all I need to know I learned in kindergarten but I guess you would agree with me that everything we need to know we learned through the internet.

Sh*t Happens

We always have what you call “a bad day” and I just had mine.

Incident # 1:
I went to Pag-ibig Fund yesterday afternoon to follow up on a document needed to complete my Housing Loan requirements. It’s the 4th time that I’ve been there in just two weeks. I’ve had problems with my name that’s why they asked to me to have it certified by my current employer that I use MARIA LOURDES instead of MA. LOURDES. The 3rd time that I was there was to submit the certification so I thought I could get the document I need having complied with the certification. They told me that there’s another discrepancy in my name and that I would need another certification that my middle names when I was still single and the middle name now belongs to one and the same person. This is crazy. Why can’t they just tell me what I need to comply once and for all so I won’t waste my time? I’ve been going undertime from work just to finish this and until now it isn’t done. Grrrr!!!

Incident # 2:
I went to the grocery right after I went to Pag-ibig. I usually pay using my credit card for grocery so I could still utilize my cash for some other purposes. When the cashier swipes my card, the machine didn’t honor it. I just paid my account last Friday and it’s kinda’ impossible that Citibank would decline my card. There are several people waiting on the line so I have no choice but to pay in cash. And that means having to use my two weeks allowance. I went home with only P50 in my wallet. Arrgghh!!!

Incident # 3:
I just learned from our other helper that my daughter’s yaya has been stealing some of our clothes. She told me that our yaya has been keeping some of my daughter’s clothes. I’ve been hearing stories like this before like she’s using some of my personal stuff (make-up, nail polish, bath stuff, facial creams etc.) but I just brush it off. It really doesn’t matter to me as long as she’s doing well in her job and that my daughter is well taken cared of. She’s leaving at the end of this month coz her husband wants her to go home. I really don’t know how to deal with her. I want to confront her but still I am hesitant coz I’m afraid she might get back to me through my daughter. I don’t know why she’s doing this to me. I have always been nice to my yayas – I mean I never scold them and I always treat them as my partner in raising my kid. This time around, I guess I have to be a little stiff in dealing with them.

As they say, sh*t really happens all the time. Its how you deal with them that really matters. I should say that I am still sensible enough to have handled the above incidents with style. I am not the type of person who becomes hysterical and scandalous in front of other people. It’s not everyday that you see me really mad. Today is just too much to handle. Just 3 incidents and I’ve had it.

3rd Year Wedding Anniversary

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~ Germaine Greer

Exactly three years ago today is my wedding day. It’s supposed to be one of the most special days of my life. Indeed, it was!

Exactly three years ago today is the day I walked down the aisle towards the altar of San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish to meet the man who I will spend the rest of my life with in richer and in poorer, in sickness and in health until death separates us.

I admit, if it wasn’t for Baby Alex, we wouldn’t have been together. Alex was the reason why we got married in the first place. We already broke up before I learned that I’m pregnant. It was difficult to convince him and that’s when I decided that I have to move on whether he will take responsibility over the baby or not. Yes, he proposed to me in December over the phone and with the spirit of alcohol all over him – I took it as a big joke. The wedding in August was totally unexpected aside from Earl being undecided about me and the baby. But I never forced him to marry me. NEVER! Perhaps, God has His own way of completing the puzzle of my life. He used instruments in the form of FAMILY and FRIENDS for making the wedding event possible. God poured His blessings during the course of our wedding preparations.

Yes, it’s been 3 years since I got married to Earl. The past 3 years wasn’t easy though. We had our share of trials, disappointments, insecurities and challenges. It was difficult adjusting to each other’s differences and frailties. Yet we also had a taste of what it is to be in love and share your life with to somebody.

If feels great to have reached this year. I thought we will never last this far.

For the past three years…

• we bicker a lot
• we fought a lot
• we cried a lot
• we laugh a lot
• we hurt each other so much
• we even got to the point of separation
• we almost give up

Earl and I had a lot of differences between us.

• I am romantic, he isn’t.
• He loves to party on weekends while I prefer to stay at home (but I do unwind from time to time).
• He hates paper work while I can devour on paperwork all day.
• He’s always late on most of our appointments while I’ll see to it that I’m always on time.
• He talks a lot his mouth is like a machine gun when he’s mad. I don’t talk when I’m mad.
• He loves rock music while my ears settle for soothing music.
• He’s an impulsive buyer and I’m not (because I don’t have that much money).
• He’s rich and I’m poor.

But we also share a lot of commonalities and sameness.

• We both love pizza and pasta.
• We both love the same food.
• We both are ukay-ukay fanatics.
• We both have the same idea of our house.
• We both love the beach.
• We both like the color “black”.
• We both want to loose weight.
• We both aspire for the same thing for our family.
• We both love our baby so much.


Exactly three years ago today, I made the most rightful decision of my life and I have no regrets. I admit, there came a point when I wanted to give up and let go. But my faith in this love and marriage has strengthened me to hold on tight and simply enjoy the ride. Sometimes, the road may be smooth and sometimes I would stumble upon several humps and rocky road. But the thought of having someone holding your hand makes the journey worthwhile.

Happy 3rd Year Anniversary Dad!!!

I guess I need not say more how much you mean to me… It has been such a wonderful 3 years and I look forward to more adventures with you on this journey.

I love you.


"Grow Old Along with Me"