Until Next Time, Ate A.

Last Thursday, Ate A left for Bahrain.

It took a while for her to process her papers, because she wanted to do everything legally and she had health issues. But after several months of hard work and patience, it finally paid off.

I hate goodbyes. I've said goodbye to her countless times. The first time was at Kinder 1, when she had to go home to her family. I can't remember it anymore, but she said my mother had to hold me because I wanted to go with her in the taxi to the airport.

Last Thursday, I gave her a hug before going to school. When I came back in the afternoon, she has already left. 

I feel happy for her, because she is opening up a new chapter of her life. She has been aiming to become an OFW for a while now. Even if she is unmarried and doesn't have dependents, she wanted to go abroad because she wanted to try. She's not young anymore, she said, and she would take opportunities to improve herself as long as she is able. I hope that when I am at her age, I would have her vigor.

I will be seeing her again soon. I hope that all will be well for her in Bahrain. I hope that her employer is kind, and her colleagues decent. I hope that the unrest in West Asia doesn't spread to the coast of Bahrain. I hope that after her contract ends, Ate A can return home safe, and return home better.

Setyembre

Sophie's Mom cupcakes

 If you read through this blog, you'd see that my life is pretty uneventful.

But occasionally, a shitload of things happen all at once and I have no choice but to cope with them. Some events are happy, some are sad, and others are just plain stupid. Some events challenged me, and gave me learning curves that made me step out of my comfort zone. I guess everyone experiences this once in a while. 

Anyway, the stress of September is still leaking through to October (the month of deadlines). I'm taking a break from it all by posting some pictures I took this month.

Sonson, Elle, and Mharren on our fieldtrip

No Parking Parking Area

Alver and Nancy

Museum of the Filipino People

Christian invented a game

Portofino roses

October is here and after this crazy deadline hurricane, I'll be watching Big Bang live (yaaaaaaay!!) and going home to Marbel to recharge and learn how to drive.

Then I'll come back to Manila to tackle what the world throws me.

To end this post with optimism, here's a rainbow cupcake. :)

I thought these were just pa-cute... until I tasted one.

/Bad Day

13 September 2012


The day started badly. We had an exam early in the day. I think I failed it. I couldn't study because the maids had a bitch fight in the garden the (mid)night before. Ugh. I hate running households, especially if I don't get much of a say on how things are done. I'm not a bratty person at all, most especially not with the household help. I keep my room clean and make my bed every morning and not let my clothes have bitch stains.

But displaying violence during midnight in the garden, where the whole world can see, is totally unacceptable to me. My uncle, who pays the bills, did not have the heart to really get mad (he's just too nice), and has already let it go. But the thing is, two supposedly mature adults fighting like kids is intolerable to me...INTOLERABLE!!! I don't care if they're from the *bukid! I've met people from the bukid too. My grandfather is from the bukid and he does not act like a rampaging bull who resorts to violence when he's mad!

I hate it when people start patronizing household help who come from low income families and have a lack of formal education. I hate it when they let the lack of manners pass because they assume that these people "do not know any better". I'm telling you, they do know better. If they don't, it is up to the employer to tell them how it's supposed to be done.

That's why I just EXPLODED on them yesterday. They're supposed to be here to work, not to fight with the people from other houses.

When it comes to things like honest work, they have to deliver. I don't care if they have disagreements. Work is work, and personal things should NEVER get in the way.

*bukid = farm

Voluntary

So this happened yesterday:

I often feel a little guilt when posting helpful documents, maps, and other links that I think would be helpful to the rest of my batch. The devil inside me keeps telling me that "you're only doing this to get attention" and other self-serving accusations.

I guess it comes from a culture where being epal, or trying to take credit for things you didn't do, is very rampant. (copy-pasting links is not exactly credit-worthy). The guilt I feel whenever I try to help derives from my anger of all things epal. I don't just see this with politicians. I also see this with people who help for the sake of being thanked, not for the sake of those in need.

I feel most guilty when the "thank yous" come. My inner devil tells me "See? Doesn't that make you feel good?" and I'd be awkward while trying to say "you're welcome". Sometimes, I don't even get to say it. I'd just smile and nod and smile some more.

But no. I shouldn't feel guilty for helping and accepting thanks. Help is help after all.

And honestly, it's no big deal. 

A professor once told us that this is a thesis, not a competition. Everyone should help each other and share data, not just limit help to a certain group. All I did was share some stuff I stumbled upon in the internet (my best friend).

Then again, being immortalized in other people's thesis books is pretty sweet. :)

Book Inventory part 1

My Flickr account ran out of space (I promise myself that I'd go pro once I graduate), and I don't know where else to put our book catalog but here.

My sister was the one who started reading a lot back in elementary school. There was no internet for us back then, and the local bookstores of Marbel, Koronadal, South Cotabato did not hold enough children's titles for us. Fortunately, our school library had a great selection of books for kids and young adults. We were always there during our free time, and we befriended our school librarians who would let us stay until our parents picked us up after school hours.

We started with Tintin comic books (which I will buy for my kids someday) and evolved to abridged versions
of the classics, then onward to Harry Potter. We never stopped.

I've read most of these.

When we started receiving allowances, we saved our money to buy books. Booksale and other bargain book stores were still nonexistent. The nearest National Bookstore back then was in Davao City (four hours away), so that gave us time to save our money and buy books whenever we visit. Our parents rarely bought them for us (to teach us the value of money blabla). We didn't mind. We had friends who are also bookworms, and we often swapped books and magazines with them. I'm glad to say that we remain friends until today.

Most of the books collected during that time are still in Marbel. I'm happy that there are too many of them to take to Manila.

So the pictures below are the books that my siblings and I have acquired since we moved to Manila. This inventory does not yet hold the books that we've left in Marbel (because Marbel now has Booksale and Gen. Santos City has NBS).

Children and Young Adult Titles:

 

         

          

          

       

           

           

           

We also had a Pendragon phase back in the early college years. But there are 10 books, so I have to put them separately.

I can't distinguish between Children's books and Young Adult. Sometimes, I find kids below 10 years old reading books that I thought were YA. Oh well. I guess I'm getting old.

 

List of Titles Above

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

The Giver, Lois Lowry

The Fault in Our Stars, John Green

Sabriel, Garth Nix

City of Bones, Cassandra Clare

The Thief Lord, Cornelia Funke

Coraline, Neil Gaiman

Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater

The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman

Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

Blood Red Road, Moira Young

Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld

Behemoth, Scott Westerfeld

Goliath, Scott Westerfeld

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception, Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel, Art by Giovani Rigano, Color by Paolo Lamanna

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident (Graphic Novel), Art by Giovani Rigano, Color by Paolo Lamanna

The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters, Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse, Rick Riordan

Messenger, Lois Lowry

The Red Pyramid, Rick Riordan

The Throne of Fire, Rick Riordan