lola inda

s. Friendship. That's what we teasingly called my Lola Maria when the ICU waiting room at the Manila Doctors Hospital overflowed with her guests.
    Two weeks ago we rushed her to the hospital because she couldn't breathe. The culprit? Hika. She developed asthma this year, the year she turned 90 and boy did she complain about it. "Kung kelan matanda na ako," she grumbled. 
    Not a big fan of hospitals, my lola (or Inda as we call her) wanted to go home right away. Unfortunately, her heart was not up to it yet, taxed heavily by the asthma. The visit to the ER resulted in a prolonged stay in the ICU.
    The unspoken fear of everyone who visited her was that she could so easily slip away from us. One doctor was so surprised when he learned she was 90. He told her that she should be happy 'coz she was evidently way past the limit. Not to us who love and treasure her. You see, my lola can get very makulit but that's all part of her very cute package. She's one strong woman and boy, is she still sharp. As my auntie says, Inda remembers everyone who owes her something and she specially remembers when it is she who owes somebody something even if it's only a bottle of Royal Tru Orange.
    To go back to that Ms. Friendship thing, everyone but everyone who learned she was sick rushed to the hospital. Maybe it's because of her old age that everyone was overly concerned or maybe it's just because she's genuinely loved. 
    Children, grandchildren,great-grandchildren, pamangkins, neighbors, her boarders -- we all came flocking to talk to her, to give her comfort, to offer prayers and mostly to exchange stories about her. I think it was we who gave each other more comfort though, Inda was more concerned about throwing off all the tubes they had inserted in her body. And oh, how upset she was at not being able to go to the toilet on her own!
    Strong, determined -- that's the Inda I've always known. She who has raised four kids and taken in many more. She who has lived through and gave birth during a World War. She who fought valiantly so that her husband would accept the Lord and her religion.  She's not one to give up without a fight and I know this is one that she won't lose. We've promised her everything -- her favorite food, her favorite flowers and told her we intend to throw a big party for her. "Jollibee, Inda," we  teased, "para may mascot at baka isama pati si  Aga Muhlach." 
    Well, the doctors said today that she's moving out of the ICU to a private room. Prayers are most welcome.
    
    

Addicted to [Chinese] Movies

After watching two movies at the ongoing French Film Festival in UP Diliman's Film Center
 (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592967429), I suddenly remembered the days when Sky Cable was not too greedy and the Chinese Channel was included in their regular package and I was hooked on nothing but Chinese movies.....

"THERE'S something wrong with this picture, 'Nay," my son, Naki, pointed
out as Ned and I were watching Charlie's Angels on HBO one Saturday
night.
       "Huh?" I asked puzzled. "What?"
       Smiling very broadly, Naki said, "You're not watching Chinese movies!"
       Guilty.
       For the past few months I've been obsessed with Star Movies Mandarin.
From the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, I'm tuned in to the
Chinese channel. No, I don't speak Chinese nor do I understand it but
I can read subtitles and am discovering a new world of movies aside
from Hollywood and the local scene.
       As a certified TV addict, I was getting tired of the same old movie
fare on the English channels and chanced upon Love On A Diet starring
Andy Lau and Sammy (forgot her last name).  Love, in any language, is
still love and very entertaining to watch. So, I sat there entranced
for the next two and a half hours as I watched the two Hong Kong
superstars playing two very healthy (as in fat) individuals trying to
lose weight and in the process falling in love with each other.
       I was hooked. Day in and day out, I'd tune in to watch more movies
and discovered other action (and triad) genres and more. Already a fan
of Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Jet Li, I'm now a devotee of Ekin
Cheng. Not to forget Andy Lau, Jordan Chan, Edison Chen, Daniel
Wu.....and the list goes on and on. I've gotten hooked so badly that I
even watch "Movies in the Making" without English subtitles and
watched an entire Andy Lau concert (no, he didn't sing a single
English song).
       The thing is, while my husband nearly dies laughing whenever he sees
me glued to my Chinese movies, I have found an ally in my son. A fan
of AXN and Japanese anime, he's bent on studying the language so that
he doesn't have to read the subtitles anymore. He also happily told me
the other day about a comedy he watched, Happy Ghosts. Yup, on the
Chinese channel.
       Poor Ned! With only two television sets in the house, he has to wait
for Naki and I to start snoring before he can tune into BBC and the
rest of the news.
       Well, the other night, Ned woke up to me still watching TV. "Ano'ng
pinapanood mo?
       "Ha?" I answered,"Hindi Chinese," I added defensively.
       "E ano?," he asked sleepily.
       "French." 

mula ulo hanggang paa

ANY years ago -- in the mid seventies during Martial Law -- my daddy came out with a booklet entitled, Mula Ulo Hanggang Paa. It  was a workbook that asked the reader  to fill in the products that he used, from the tip of his head to the bottom of his feet (from shampoo to tsinelas). As you filled the blanks in, you would realize then that majority, if not all , the products that you used in and on your body were all made elsewhere but the Philippines. 
    It was my dad's way of reminding us, Pinoys to be more patriotic and not forget  our own products. As June 12 rolls in, let us find ways to show our love for our country. 
    1. Eat nothing but Pinoy flavors -- tapsilog, longsilog or sinangag and tuyo for breakfast. Suman and kakanin or halu-halo for merienda. Inihaw,  tinola, sinigang and other Pinoy favorites for lunch and dinner. Need something to drink? Buko juice, sago't gulaman, ginumis.....
    2. Listen to Pinoy music day and night  -- from kundiman to pop -- the whole day.
    3. Buy a flag and decorate it proudly -- in front of your residence, in your car. Wear the colors of the flag -- blue, red, yellow and white.
    4. Buy Pinoy books -- As you buy your favorite Pinoy authors, squeeze in those cute children's books  from Adarna, Anvil, Lampara and the likes for your kids (if you don't have children, get them for your inaanaks, nephews and nieces). My son, Naki began following the stories from Dragon Pula, Munting Patak Ulan and Unggoy at ang Matsing as early as he could see. Adarna also has a great line of heroes -- men and women, young and old.
    5. Chuck those imported bags even for a while and bring out those baskets and bayong. My gosh, the whole world is crazy about our native bags, why shouldn't we be of our own? Besides, our products are environment-friendly as well as handy and fashionable.
    6. Watch Pinoy movies and help revive the ailing film industry. The Manila Film Festival is a great way to start making your way back into our film culture. Want comedy? Try Super B. Want to cry buckets of tears? Magkapatid starring Sharon Cuneta and Judy Ann Santos. 
    7. Instead of just visiting museums (which is a very good idea), take time to walk around the streets of Old Manila, any of our old churches, town plazas or even schools like UST, Lyceum and the like......
    Finally, give your fathers a great big hug and a loud smack on the cheek (Father's Day is in June, too) and ask him how life was in the good old days or during the Martial Law years or Edsa 1. A great way to learn about our history.....
    

one is enough

As the mother of one, I get a lot of unsolicited "friendly" advice to have more
kids. "Kahit isa na lang", I am told followed by a 1. pitying smile  2. an added comment like, "sayang naman", and,  3. ang tipid 'nyo naman.


       My usual reaction is to smile back.
       My practical reaction is to answer, "mahal masyado ang bilihin para magpalaki pa ng isa...." 
       My most violent reaction is, "ayoko na, no!"

       Of course, the violent reaction is only when I get an overdose of my
smart alecky son. Why do I need another child when I have four rolled
into one? See, there's  a little of Calvin, Dennis, Garfield and Jughead
in Naki. No, my son's not Sybil but the way he devours his comic
books, it's like he's been possessed by all four.

       Naki/Dennis (the Menace by Hank Ketcham) likes to play outside with his wagon and scooter and gets into  fun-loving scrapes. Though he has no Mr. Wilson to challenge, he
does get plenty of hollers his way because of his profound love for clutter and disarray, in short "makalat siya". He's also had his share of time standing in the corner.

       Naki/Garfield (by Jim Davis)  is the lasagna-loving, milk-drinking, always hungry
individual. He's the one who informed me quite matter-of-factly that he is "all about food". When a lightning storm hit Quezon City the other day, all of us scrambled to turn the electric appliances off and pull the plugs out of their sockets. My son? He ran screaming with his plate, shouting, "Protect the food!"

       Naki/Jughead (of Archie) is the slouch who loves hamburgers and will have nothing
to do with girls. The other day, I asked my son over a hot burger who his partner in their special number  in school was. He didn't answer. I had to spend precious time convincing him that I was in no way going to tease him, that I merely wanted to know because I didn't know who she was. "Patricia", he  finally said under his breath,  after I   threatened to cut off his TV viewing time. "Eh sinong girlfriend mo??!!" I quickly followed up.
( Hey, I couldn't help myself. It just came out naturally. Sayang naman kasi ang opportunity.) Of course, he clamped up and threw me a very violent, "I hate girls!" (including my mother) look.

       Now, Naki/Calvin (and Hobbes by Bill Watterson). I am quite convinced that Naki is Calvin. He may not drag a Hobbes all over the place but he has a whole cabinet of
stuffed toys to choose from. He loves dinosaurs, he loves to experiment, he's afraid of the dark, he sees monsters in shadows and he's a smart aleck. You'll never win an argument 'coz he has an answer for everything.  

       Example: After an hour in the bathroom, we discovered that he still
had not wet his hair. "Ba't di ka pa nag-shampoo," I screamed. "Tuyong-tuyo pa 
ang buhok mo!"  Without blinking, he looked up at the light bulb and remarked, "Hmmm..the light must have dried it." 
        Grrrrrr.

       Oh yeah, Naki/Calvin has great vocabulary. While  cleaning his ear,
Naki protested sleepily, saying that his Tatay was pulverizing his ear.
       "Pulverizing??!!" I bet you don't even know what that means," I teased.
       About to close his eyes, Naki opened them wide and mouthed, "Powdered, 'Nay."

        Now, you tell me -- do I really need another child?   


- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -
Update: 
Written when Naki was still in grade school, things haven't really changed. My son
is still a melange of four of his favorite cartoon characters and yes, I would rather borrow than have another one. One is surely enough :)

of weddings and baby-sitting cousins

"HE'S just a baby," I muttered to my husband, Ned,  as we zoomed in on my

cousin Pocholo who was  standing in front of the church altar waiting

for his bride, Suzette.

Well, that "baby" is in his early twenties and certainly old enough

to get married. But you know how Ates (older cousins) can get about

their younger cousins, specially the ones they looked after as babies.

 "Remember how bloated Pocholo's tummy was when we kept giving him his

bottle?" my cousin Ann and I giggled to each other during the

ceremony.

 Flashback:

Pocholo's parents -- Uncle Rhollie and Auntie Baby had gone out to a party that

night and we were tasked to look after their chubby baby boy. Now,

Pocholo was a very sweet baby -- super quiet, certainly not one to

cry his lungs out -- but something must have upset him that night and

triggered a crying bout. Cool as a cucumber, Ann and I gave him his

bottle of milk. He drank and finished it all up. Great! For the next

twenty minutes or so he was content and closed his eyes. Tiptoeing out of the room, Ann

and I screeched to a halt when Pocholo let out a wail.

  "What do we do?" we looked at each other anxiously.

 "How about another bottle?" I suggested. "Water naman." We did exactly that and

our baby cousin stopped crying. That was the scenario for the next

number of hours: cry, bottle, sleep, cry, bottle, sleep, cry........until our aunt and uncle came home to find their little bundle of joy

sleeping soundly. Ann and I heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly

prepared to go to bed. 

We'd just reached the door when we heard our Auntie Baby shout, 

"Bat ang laki

ng tyan ni Pocholo!"

       

You can be sure we never gave him another bottle of water that night, or any other night of his baby years.

I wonder though if he'll let us take care of his baby this time

around.....

       

Weddings are a great way to reminisce and I think I'll be doing a lot

of that as my younger cousins (I'm old! I'm old! I'm really old!)

start trekking down the aisle one by one.

* * * * * * 

Pocholo is now in his 30s and has two beautiful not-so-baby-anymore boys. And though we haven't stayed long enough to baby-sit, he lets us have unlimited access to them. May takot pa rin sa mga Ate.

And, oh, it's not my cousins who are getting married this time around but our pamangkins (Lara & Jon; Benin & Cha). No wonder my white hair won't stay hidden anymore.

up, up and away (the soaring prices of everything)

It's getting boring to whine about the rising cost of anything and everything but it seems that looking back at what I wrote during the remaining days of Erap's presidency that the situation was the same....


What's my money worth these days?

Judging from the way the price of gasoline is rising daily, may I say, nothing?

 It just hit me, while dining at the  food court of Rustan's Cubao, that I can't indulge in my favorite pica-picas and meriendas as much as I did before. Why? Well, because they cost double than before!  I can't eat as much as I want 'coz it costs too much. That's aside from the fact that I really need to lose weight. Now, that's another problem....

 To get back to the subject -- when I joined the work force, my officemates and I loved to go to SM and eat dimsum at Hen Lin. Siomai cost a mere P11 for four pieces. The siomais were big and eaten with toyo, calamansi and hot chili and we'd be able to demolish at least three orders each. After a couple of years, the siomai went up to P14, then 16. Now, it costs P22 for four smaller siomais! Needless to say that I now limit myself to one order at a time. (Hen Lin siomais are now near P40 per order)

The same thing goes for Kowloon siopao. I simply love those pork and chicken paos which my husband says only cost P7 when he was nagbibinata. That wasn't so far back -- it was in the late '70s. Well, it's now Year 2000 and the paos at Kowloon now go for P24. (Again, it's 2011 and siopao from Kowloon costs much more than that).

 A conversation during lunch with my stuffed staff proved to be a trip down memory lane as we all compared the prices of candy and other foods when we were young and small. Three of us are of roughly the same age -- early and mid-30s -- and we remembered when Tarzan bubblegum was still big and went for 5 centavos a piece. Texas -- those cute pink square bubblegum wrapped in pink and blue paper -- was dalawa singko.  Sarsi, Santa and RC Cola cost 15 centavos each while  pan de sal was 10 centavos each  -- big, soft and piping hot pa. Other bread favorites -- pan de coco, pan de monggo, pan de lemon and those oval shaped bread with  sweet red stuff in the middle would go for 15 centavos each. Lugao with egg or isaw was 50 centavos a balot -- di pa uso ang hepa at gastritis noon.

Chichiria -- Clover Chips, Cheez Curls, Chippy and Pretzel ranged from 30 to 50 centavos. Sampaloc balls -- the big ones coated with sugar were singko isa while bubblegum balls were lima singko. No wonder I felt rich whenever my lola would give me 50 centavos. Now, my son complains if his lola limits his spending to P50. I mean, that can't even buy him a Kiddie Meal, right?

 Now, with the way the prices are zooming up and the peso is shrinking, I figure I should eat as much as I can because I'm pretty sure that there will come a time when, like the singko, the P100 bill will only be able to buy a piece of candy...

how do you solve a problem like soaring gas prices?

Don't blink! Don't you even dare shut your eyes for one millisecond 'coz if you do, oil and gas prices may just start zooming up again.

I don't drive, so I shouldn't exactly care, right? But, I do, 'coz it only means that the price of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is sure to go up, too. And as the one in charge of scheduling and paying the household bills, you can bet that I spend endless moments thinking of how I can stretch the (un)mighty peso.

Monitoring the price of the LPG was a former office-mate's and my way of torturing ourselves. The last time we exchanged notes, I'd informed her that LPG   cost P250 a tank, she laughed and thought I was joking. I wasn't. It cost even more at P265.- We both wanted to cry but realized how futile it would be.  Fast forward to now, ordering a tank of LPG begins at P650 up depending on the mood of the market. Aaargh! So what to do in times like these? Think up of other ways to cook without using gas!

Uling? Too messy and the smoke is not too environment and person friendly (meaning, watery eyes and smelly clothes). Sunlight? Just not possible if you intend to eat three meals a day.Kahoy? Not too many trees in Metro Manila to chop down and there's the environment factor again. Electricity? No way, beats the whole "pagtitipid" issue -- note how electric bills can skyrocket!

Maybe I should just change the way we cook food. Hmmm. Let's see...

Eat raw -- It could work but I can only take too much sushi and unfortunately, and while I may love salad, not all vegetables can be eaten raw.

Think vinegar! - Drown evertyhing with vinegar as in kilaw - The problem? I'm acidic.

Canned and Processed Food - While I may love canned tuna, sardines, sausages and corned beef once in a while I do not want to eat them everyday for the rest of my life. Then there's the high salt content and hypertension factors.

Fastfood/Take-out/Delivery - Yes! This I definitely will propose.  Pixie's, San Pedro, Mang Inasal Andok's, Ninang's, Max, Barrio Fiesta....Except it'll probably mean that we'll only eat seven days out of 31, one week out of four sa sobrang mahal.

Gosh so many solutions.......

Maybe we should just  start fasting and eat once a day -- that way I can get thin really fast. 

That is.....if we live another day.
---------------------------
Update: We ran out of LPG yesterday. We were in for another shock, it's now a whopping P710.- :(