Firefly In July

Betchabygollywow!!!! It’s almost a month since my last entry here… I almost forgot I had a blog!

I traded my it for Facebook.  Eversince I got hooked in this social networking site, it has occuppied most of my computer time and writing anything has become a forgotten chore.  But can you blame me?  I thought its just a replica of Friendster, only under different name, but I was wrong.  Its far more amusing, more interactive, and more amusing.  So  amusing that I shifted from a blogger to a farmer.

It’s still small.  I ran out of money after buying that farm house, with doors even smaller than my avatar’s head, and not much left for expansion.  So now, Im back to planting corn, sunflower, wheat, and holding myself back from splurging on those lovely flowers.

Alright, that settles my nagging Firefly conscience…. I have to go check my crops if they’re ready to harvest.

I had fond childhood memories of the Holy Week.    What I remember  clearly were the afternoon  church services with my grandma and cousins.   There were also a few weird rules that we had to follow:  in those days, gloomy attires were the fad and noise of any kind were strictly prohibited… we talked in whispers and never at the earshot of my grandma, lest we’d be called “hudyo”.  Bathing on Good Friday was regarded a mortal offense when the entire Christian community was believed to be under the saviour’s blood.  But Easter Sunday was a major celebration!  We prepared lots of suman and cooked  different dishes fit for a wedding party.  But those were the good old days…

Now that I’m all grown up and working in the big city, it is hard to observe those traditions.  In fact,  the holy week is not officially recognized as a non-working holiday for US based companies so we are stuck in the office doing our normal stuff.  So when my friends from the Cash group suggested a Visita Iglesia, I didnt think twice of joining.

We left at around 9 in the morning, right after our graveyard shift.   The sun was up and already expanding its scathing heat over the land, sketching the perfect backdrop for a Good Friday penitence!

First stop was the Sacred Heart Church.  It was just a short distance from the office and the five of us – Me, Kiko, Phen, Hazel, Ryan – walked under the blazing heat,  made it to the church all sweaty and panting, but undeterred.  We said our prayers on two stations of the cross and since our next church   is  much father away, we decided to take the cab this time.

We stopped at Manila Cathedral then San Agustin.  These ancient churches both situated in Intramuros,  had the effect of taking you back to the Spanish colonial era.  The only reminder of the present time were the vendors lining the walkways and, of course, we did not pass the opportunity of sampling the sumptuous local delicacies – kakanin of different kinds, squid balls, pancit, and grilled corn – and silenced the nagging hunger that we’ve been suppressing all morning.

We proceeded to Quiapo church, but the thick crowd made it impossible to even get near it.   We did not insist on even trying… the scene is pretty dangerous for nightshifters fighting off sleep and, at that point, thirst and sweat.

Kiko lead us out of the throng along with what seemed like secret passages and before we knew it, we were standing next to the one and only all-steel basilica in Asia – The San Sebastian Church.  I used to come here often when I was starting off as a young professional and some of my most fervent prayers then were said here. I am thankful for the reunion, no matter how brief.

Next was San Beda Church.  The instant I walked it, my jaw dropped.  How can I not have visited this church before?  It is not as big as the cathedral but the beautifully painted murals just took my breath away.  I wish I can come back here soon and tag along Mark with me.

(sorry for the blurry photo, it does not do the church any justice)

The last stop was the Archdiocese of St.  Jude.  Again, one of the churches that brings back nostalgic memories.  I used to attend the Thursday novena here, but since moving to Makati, I had not made it back until this visita.

For posterity’s sake, we took pictures in each church that we visitied.  Our small share of sacrifice overshadowed the call of thirst, exhaustion, and sleep.  Our observance of the holy week did not embrace the old rules of gloomy clothes, all-day silence, or non-bathing but it was one that left a mark and inspired us to do it all again next year.

What a difference a year makes. Longer hair, wider waistline, a different dog, and I feel so ancient. All in one year. Today.

But what’s so special that marks a year today? Nothing extraordinary that will shake the world. Only one humble personal milestone that started out as a means of self expression, with often, only the writer serving also as the reader.

Today marks the first year anniversary of Firefly In July. One year that saw the experiences that I am willing or just not too lazy to document. One year and I feel like retiring already. Hehehe.

My posts dont say much and often the same words are used over and over again. There are times when I am just too tempted to abandon it altogether, thinking that I am only making the biggest mockery of myself. Just like Lovelyn of My Raconteur’s Attempt, the feeling of insecurity sometimes creeps in, and then a period of hiatus follows. Other times, I just cant find any inspiration to write, attributing my poor vocabulary for the handful of entries that I managed to publish. I tried my hand at Filipino (Buhay Alitaptap) but, hey, until now there are only three posts in the page. Pathetic, heheheh. It only proves its not the language after all. It’s about dedication to continue inspite of the occasional insecurities, and even if I’m the sole reader left of this blog.

Well, here’s to one year of blogging and I hope Firefly survives another.

Tags: Anniversary, Blogging

Small.  Alone.  A tiny speck in the universe.  Pitiful.

I wonder if that is how this little bird feels.  Scared, abandoned, drifting in doubt and anxiety.

Or is it just the opposite.  Happy.  Free of petty worries that plague the rest of the world. Anxious, but of the endless adventures that await him day after day.  No matter where the wind takes him, he will always find a parcel of land to rest his tired wings and adequate food to nourish his fragile body.

I choose to believe the latter.  I want to be positive for this small bird.   That despite  his size and seemingly naive appearance, his spirit is strong.  Unafraid to face the wind, never succumbing to the heat of the sun.  That in every flight, he is unaware of anything else but the beauty of the horizon knowing all too well, that this big wide world is his playground.

(Little sparrow’s photo from Mark’s Photostream.)

Tags: Flickr Photostream

Cold.  That seems to be the prevailing climate in most parts of the globe.  Here in Manila, where at one point I was driven to tears for extreme heat, is not spared from the rare cold winds.  One of my teammates joked, that during these times, bathing has become an ordeal. hehehe. It is not very common in the Filipino household to install water heaters because of the tropical climate.  The ones who have are lucky to still be enjoying a long warm bath.  I’m also using two blanket now when normally I don’t even need one.

However, we are still more fortunate than most people in the northern hemisphere.  I hear that  rivers in countries like Germany had frozen over making it extremely difficult to transport coal for their capital city’s heating needs.  Adding to that, there’s this ongoing gas dispute with Russia, escalating the neighboring nations’ struggle in dealing with the harsh winter.

Anyways, what I do like is I get to wear the sweaters and jackets that I’ve been keeping at the bottom of my closet.  They’ve been taking so much space,  wondered when I’ll ever wear them again.  Now, I finally got the green light; the air, a reminder of my hometown and I’m relishing every moment of it.  Our dog Wilson, seems to be enjoying the natural air conditing too.  He hardly pants and sleeps long hours during the day.  I remember around this time last year, Mark was in China and he often complained that it was too painful to smile because his mouth felt like it’ll crack from the extreme cold.

I guess, the chilly weather makes us either comfortable or cranky, depending where we are in the world.

Tags: cold weather, january, winter

Mark, Wilson, and I went home to La Trinidad to welcome the new year .  I haven’t been to the province for a long time and as always, I was excited to reunite with my family and rediscover the familiar places in my home town.

Nothing much has changed. There are a few new buildings here and there but nothing really surprising.

Just like the Sacred Heart Chapel. That’s not really a “new” structure but a very modern facelift made it look like a recently finished construction project!

The San Jose church, which now looks very ancient, is still standing.  It has not undergone any major renovation for decades, even after the disastrous earthquake of 1990 and  it’s actually amazing how it’s aged columns kept the whole thing erect all these years.  Despite its time-worn wooden walls, I’m very sure that parishioners will miss this church when the new basilica finally takes its place as the major catholic edifice in Poblacion.

Right beside the church is my high school alma mater. The original building was razed to the ground during the earthquake and the one built to replaced it a few years after looked untouched. In my mind, I can still picture the early morning students assembly as we honored the Philippine flag and prepared for a day’s bout with our teachers and classmates, our principal’s ominous voice calling the names of those who just can’t keep a straight line :-)

The Benguet General Hospital has long been given its own makeover but I never had the chance to take a photo ’til now. It used to be that rugged building, close to dilapidation. There was even a joke that circulated among locals that a patient would more likely catch a virus rather than recuperate in confinement. Now, the hospital is something to be proud of.

Just across the hospital is the main gate of the state university looking abandoned at this time of the holidays.  Nearby is obviously a far from abandoned McDonald’s.  I never imagined that this popular food chain will one day invade our local community.  And when there’s McDonald’s, trust that a few meters away you’ll find Jollibee

The provincial capitol sits mightily over the Poblacion hillside, and even from afar is a welcoming and comforting sight that at last, I’ve arrived!

It is with pride that I am able to show Mark what La Trinidad is known for, the famous Strawberry Fields. It used to be a dusty, rocky road leading to the fields but not anymore. The cemented road made it easy to walk all the way to the area which now is lined with souvenir stores.

This is the place that I missed so much. The community that somehow retained its simplicity while keeping pace with the fast changing world. The cradle of my childhood memories. The familiar faces. My family and friends. It felt so good to be home.

Tags: La Trinidad

I’ve been a bad, bad, godmother.  For three years in a row, and not intentionally, I haven’t made my presence felt to any of my god children.  So lost in my own Christmas that I cant even remember the names of some.  This year, I made a conscious effort to put them at the head of my presents list and make up for the times when gifts from their ninang were only a wish in their minds.

I delivered the last presents this evening to Nicole, my best friend’s niece, before going to the office for a dinner with my teammates who are reporting as on-site support for the holidays.  It was already late, around ten, and I thought the little girl is already lost in dreamland.  I was surprised to see her by her dad’s side as he opened the door and welcomed me in.  I wanted to just leave the gifts and let her guess in the morning whom it could possibly be from.

I cant quite say if Nicole was happy for the gifts or if she was just excited to see me.  She was calling out to her mother as we were climbing up the stairs to their living room, “My ninang is her to visit me!”.  Not the gifts, but the arrival of her long lost ninang was the announcement.  I was caught between guilt for the Christmases that I disappointed her and delight for her obvious happiness by my mere visit.

Christmas is really for children.  The look in their eyes for a simple gesture of goodwill is enough to lighten up a room.  Nicole’s smile was heartwarming and I made a vow to always remember her, along with my other god children, especially on holidays and on their birthdays.  Afterall, it doesn’t take much to make them happy.  I takes just a visit to let them know they are remembered; the wrapped present is only a bonus.

I received this video from one of my officemates and warned that I might end up crying after watching it.  True enough, I was all tears as it brought back memories of Perere.

Long time no news!  Its becoming a trend here…. hiatus one after another.  Sadly, I’m not back from a vacation.  I wont delve too much from what kept me away from my keyboard  except that I’ve been given a new work assignment.

Anyhow, there are other things that occupied my time.  A few weeks back,  I attended a Basic Photography class not with the intention of picking a hobby but just to orient myself on how to use our SLR camera, which in my calculation, is depreciating faster than the number of photos we had taken with it.

Some of my practice sets, obviously amateurish:

There’s my ever loyal model Wilson, oblivious to the attention he is getting, and not charging for extra fee. Bulalo lang ang katapat!

I was browsing my yahoo account when I saw this video titled Ninja Cat.  I love pets and their crazy antics never fail to tickle my funny bone. Curious, I opened the video and there – I was smitten by this wickedly hilarious, innocent looking kitty.  I was laughing by the end of the clip.   Ninja’s big black unblinking eyes reminded me of Puss N’ Boots… so adorable and funny without even trying.  The clip had also invaded youtube which fortunately is easier to post here than the yahoo link:

Tags: House Pets, Ninja Cat