Hello, mga friends in Canada and around the world!
Life for me is quite full these days. Schoolbreak season in Philippine schools but
Imbes na makapagrelax ang fulltime mommy(that’s me), ano ba’t parang pagud na pagod ako!
For sure, it’s not so much the weather coz surprisingly, hindi masyadong maalinsangan ngayon (humid is the English word, I think) compared to last year’s summer. May pakonti -konting hangin pang nagpapawagaywy sa mga dahon ng puno ng niyog na ngayon ay landmark ng aking bahay (palatandaan sa mga bago pa lamang magsisipunta dito). Ewan ko ba, lagi kong nalilimutang bumili ng numerong ikakabit sa gate. So, when I give my address to whoever wishes to visit me, I will say the number and the street but add…’ oy, wala pa kaming numerong nakakabit(pero take note, limang taon ko nang bahay ito!). Just look for the 4- storey pink house na may nakatayong puno ng niyog sa harapan .’ Wonder of wonders- My visitors actually find it!!!!
Puno ang utak ko these days kasi, I am full of concern for MYka, my junior hi daughter who told me very softly a month ago that she will be flunking her math subject. Ganun kaaga nyang nasabi na hindi nya nakayanan ang mga lessons ng math m’aam nyang si Mrs. De la Cruz. Hala, maluwag na tinanggap ng aking loob ang balita sabay telling her to look for a school where she can enroll for that subject in the summer. Ano naman ang karapatan kong tarayan ang aking anak kung hanggang doon lang maabot ng kanyang utak? Ako nga, 3 beses nakapag math 11 sa AS sa UP. Just the same, I worried a lot for
My daughter.
Idagdag pa dito my concern for Danica, my senior hi girl who graduated just a few days ago. While completing all her clearances in school, sinasabayan ko sya ng pag worry sa pagpili ng kursong pag- aaralan sa college.
Otra pa itong eldest daughter ko na si Marjorie- going on her 4th year in BSNursing. Her
group (7 classmates) has been at it with their thesis for the research subject. I have been hosting them ( use of the whole ground floor at all times(office, tulugan), meals and snacks at anytime they wished, 3 computers with dsl, printer, scanner and copying machine, the phone, etc.) for over a month now. Pati request nila for me to help them look for a consultant- statistician- requested Prof. Elmer de Jose, chief of the statistics unit at PUP Graduate School for help; and a research analyst- my friend Cora Arboleda, author of at least 2 books on research was gracious enough.
At dumating pa si balikbayan elder sis Teresita from Houston, Texas! Very delicate ang health when she arrived ( she was taken by ambulance into emergency treatment at Memorial Hermann where she works a week before her flight to Manila. She has had a crisis, the result of many years of working very hard in America). Magbabakasyon daw siya, matutulog at kakain lang, makiki bonding at di magpapasya. Wala ring shopping.
And so, Easter this year comes so very special to me.
Hindi ako sobrang religious…hindi masipag magsimba regularly…I reckon if I do all that
the good Lord wishes us to do, then, tama na yun. Tamad lang kasi ako, sorry po.
But Easter- the day of Jesus’ resurrection, came as a special day for me for the many re-
surrections that happened in my family this year.
Really big rellenong bangus(andami), really big turbo chicken( andami din), sinigang na pork with lotsa gabi and kangkong, and pancit canton na sinahugan ng kikiam, fishballs, more pork, longganisang macao…at walang halong gulay KASI, mayron pang chopsuey-
stir- fried broccoli, celery, leeks, cabbage, and siling lara.
Half a day shopping at Makro and Farmers’ Market, one day preps, and half day cooking, I really did not mind.
Sa bawa’t hibla ng tinik na tinyani ko from those extra large bangus, inisip ko ang ligaya ng mga kamag- anakan ko sa kanilang pakikishare ng Easter lunch dito sa bahay. At habang nakatanghod ang aking dalawang dalaga habang ginagawa ko ito, naglilecture ako…’ kailangan pag magsi serve ng ganitong dish, dapat, punung puno ka ng pagmamahal sa pakakainin mo. Dahil matrabaho talaga starting with the tyani (siguruhing malinis at nahugasan at baka kung kaninong kili- kili nanggaling yan. Better pa, have your own tyani for kitchen use only) …sa pagpiprepare ng palaman ( ang sa akin ay bangus meat, giniling na babs or baka, siling lara, lots of tinadtad na bawang at sibuyas, fresh eggs na binati)…sa pagpasok nito sa balat ng bangus…hanggang sa pagtatali (di ko tinatahi kasi kalimitang napupunit ang balat. Kaya hala, ikot, ikot, kandaduling na ako sa kaiikot ng sinulid hanggang masiguro ko na walang lalabas na palaman kapag nasa deep- fry stage na ako(take note, slow fire para maluto ang palaman).
It was an Easter get- together worth all the troublesome preps.
Elder brother Hec and wife Susan came after a year of not speaking with us.
My tampuririt niece, Marjorie came with the whole family- sya yung laging nagtatampo at umiiyak sa magkaminsa’y matalas na dila ko. But I know that of all my nephews and nieces, she is the one who loves me the most.
Youngest niece Jazmine was also there with son Sean and her partner. Si Jazmine is at the stage where she must choose the path her life will take. Walang makakapagdesisyon nito kundi sya lamang.
It was a day of resurrection- sort of, for many of us, too.
It was a day for BIG thanks to the Almighty.
Starting with the new addition to my family- a baby boy, Christian Joseph, one year old. He was entrusted to us four months ago by parents who admitted that they could not afford to take care of him properly anymore- masyadong maliit for his age, malnourished,
may matinding ubo at sipon pa. He is now a very healthy baby, very agile, ever smiling and guffawing, a joy to the whole family. Nakakainom ng kanyang gatas, nakakakain ng
masustansiyang pagkain, nakakatulog sa malinis at maayos na tulugan, nayayakap, at nahahalikan I know he is aware that he is much loved by all of us.
Nalagpasan din ng mga kids ang kanilang concerns at sila ay naghahanda na para sa isang mas seryoso at focussed na buhay- eskwela. Sila na rin ang nagsabi that they have to get more serious as they have to reach their dreams for the future. Hay, salamat…
And best of all, isang malaking pasasalamat ang aming usal sa pagkakaligtas ni sis Teresita mula sa muntik nang kapahamakan. Alam ko na siya at ako ay talagang nagkaka edad na but I am wishing for more years of bonding and sharing with her. I enjoy her balikbayan visits as it is our best chance to relive shared family experiences- I am sure
May mga moments kayong ganito kapag nagkikita- kita kayo after a long time ng inyong loved ones- napapaiyak o napapahagikhik as you savor some unforgettable family moments from the past. Staying at home the whole duration of her stay in Manila is for me, an enjoyable time. Naluluto ko pa ang favorite dishes niya. Nasisilbihan ko pa sya…for I wish to show her how much I appreciate her as my elder sister.
And so my friends, I wish all of you a Happy Easter, one that will last the whole year through and till the next Easter is celebrated. I wish all of you many resurrections for the better, renewed vigor in your life, relationships, and your undertakings.
Maligayahan tayo sa mumunti mang tagumpay ng ating mga mahal. Tayo ang maging cheering squad nila sa pag- abot ng kanilang mga pangarap..
NOTE: marami akong mga kaibigang namayapa na nitong mga nakaraang araw. Ang aking kaeskwelang si Amb. Noel Cabrera, journalists Joe Cappadocia at Nelly Sindayen.
Pahingi naman po ng inyong mga dasal para sa kanila.
Thanks also to Prof. Elmer de Jose, chief, statistics division of Polytechnique University Graduate School and Prof. Cora Arboleda, one of the Philippines’ most respected communications research authorities for their time and advise.
Thanks to all of you, too!
Till next issue!
