Thursday, September 23, 2004

I wish I were Sassy, but no, not like our dog!

When I was in the first year at the university, my cute, fashionable, Chinese looking crush chose a pretty, normal, sassy girlfriend who wore make-up and chick clothes, showed her teeth a lot and who, was pretty confident laughing around with boys (proof: she held hands with maybe 75% of the guys she talked to). Most girls were like her though, and somehow, I almost always got invited to their company but only once (or twice?) did I go, feeling weird and out, and pretty allergic with one beer shot or whatever that wine was called. I preferred hanging out with two girls who used curlers on their hair and two more, who, like myself, collected Sanrio and other Gift Gate accessories that looked out of tune with our Lee or Levis shirts, denim jeans, and happy feet sandals. My hair by the way, was long, parted in the middle, with two tiny braids on each side of my temple tied on the ends by Little Twinstars. Well, I was prude and maybe, not so normal. The day I knew my crush and that girl was on, I hung up a poster in our wall that said, “Normal is boring,” to remind myself that I was special and that girl was not.

I had a lot of friends, but they’re not the cool ones that enrolled in tennis or swimming P.E. classes, jammed up their acoustic guitars, smoked in the lobby, hang around the campus after class hours and knew how Carlos Primero tasted, and maybe knew more stuff. My gang of five naïve-looking girls, and sometimes a few good boys, went out to buy books, ate dimsum, splurged on shakes, or rode crazy bump cars. That was more fun for us than partying with alcohol and smoke!

Yes, I wasn’t mainstream. I though my friendships were nice but not that stimulating. My thoughts were profound and complicated, but I’ve managed to keep them in the safe level.

Sometime later, I grew tired of people noticing my cute braids, disposed of my sanrios, and started wearing boots that went well with my tightly fitting jeans but still not-girly looking shirts. Yes, sexy was still wasn’t me, but I learned that I can laugh easy, smile more, greet the guys first, and somehow, make some guitar bearing boys standby at the door for me after class hours, bearing the normal friendship niceties. Do I need say they’re fun?

I mellowed down over the years or I thought so, but maybe not, because I got myself a cute, nerdy looking guy fully convertible into an algebraic machine.

I didn’t at all become chick and sassy and can’t for the life of me become one. Don’t get me wrong. I may cringe at the thought of wearing tube tops, strappy halters, minis, shampoo-commercial hairstyle and crimson red manicures, but I know how to appreciate them on others. I have my statement that’s very me and quite normal. I like RL and Lacoste bags but I’d pretty much don a nice cheap bag as well. I’d drool over stylish heels from Bass, Nine West and clothes from Anne Taylor or Prada, but I can strut around Mega or Shangrila Malls comfortably in strappy slippers, age faded capris and casual t-shirts, Giordano or unnamed.
I’m not even updated with gadgets, and don’t really know what’s cool about iPods, but my husband gave me a nice Nokia with camera. That was because everybody else wanted me to junk my old cellphone, which unfortunately, landed on one of my kids. Well, I can pretty much operate the computer, and the yahoo messenger.

I wish I were more Sassy and stylish to the point of normal, though. However, to this day, I have never seen Sex and the City, not even Friends, and the only thing I really enjoy watching, still not always, in the afternoons is A Girl named Raven.

By the way, what in the world is IPL and mesotheraphy?

BING L. HERNANDO slept soundly at 9/23/2004 05:41:00 PM

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Banned on the Road!

How stupid of me to forget it’s a Thursday! Oh yeah, I was absent yesterday, but the police officer wouldn’t accept that as an excuse from a lady plying along the road at 8:30 a.m. in a noticeably big suv whose plate ends in “7”. You see, Kitty, our traffic scheme is the weirdest of all because in order to reduce traffic on the road, the Land Transportation Commission (see, it’s educational! ) prohibits plate nos. 1&2 on Mondays, 3&4 on Tuesdays, 5&6 on Wednesdays. 7&8 on Thursdays, and 9&0 on Fridays specifically during the rush hours. Call it silly, but it works fine! But because the road I pass through is a minor road, I sort of had the courage to violate that rule several times until I got caught one time! Needless to say, I got away with it with my cuteness (no violent reactions please!) and wits but not without a lesson learned and yeah, a scolding from my worried husband! I promised myself I will not do it again, but I guess I broke that promise today! Why was I born so imperfect?

I’ve got to thank my son Anjo, who called just in the nick of time as I was about to zoom out on the road again. He said “Mom, tomorrow is Friday, I’m reminding you I’ve got to go to that recollection!” I held the phone, with mouth agape “Do you mean it’s Thursday today?” My smart kiddo said “Oh, you weren’t caught this morning eh, and you won’t be tonight, thank me! I love you!”

Ok. I am a law-abiding citizen. I just paid some property taxes yesterday even if it hurt Sammy’s pocket so big. I am good. The rules are rightful and needed, but it doesn’t mean I am not peeved that I have to wait another hour to get home! Life sucks at times, but it’s mostly beautiful especially when beautiful and loving people abound in your life. Oh well, waiting works patience! Yes, I need lots and lots of patience (repeat twice like a mantra). How do I write down my whistling? Sigh, I can’t figure out. There’s one thing I got to do while waiting, yes, at the coffee nook. It will be black and without sugar this time!


BING L. HERNANDO slept soundly at 9/16/2004 06:44:00 PM

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

LOVE COMES IN ALL COLORS!!!

It rained frankfurters and footlongs yesterday up to this morning, but I’m sure glad it’s gone now because my darling daughter Hannalee is coming down all the way from Baguio, the mountaintop city. The air smells like a morning when the papayas are in bloom even when there are no papaya trees around, I wonder what makes it so, hmmm, so cheery smelling. It’s nice to wake up when it’s not that hot (seldom happens!), except that Anjo won’t eat his breakfast properly again! I couldn’t grasp why, at 13, he has to be told to finish his food well and fast! And I’ve gulped down two perfect cups of UCC coffee! Oh well, he always makes it to the last minute anyway, when his car pool goes beepy beep…there he goes, like speedy Gonzales or Road Runner basking outside the yellow sun! Life begets life, that’s what makes living more colorful and relevant! This boy who gets around me always like sticky glue is the fruit of my womb, and so is his sister! My, I couldn’t imagine the two of them came from my little body! Wonder of wonders! What more awed feeling does the mother of Carlos (one of 9 broods) get when she looks at her six footers? And why isn’t it called six feeter, anyway? I’ve had it with trying to download Elliot Smith! Who cares to be queued 61? Not me! So there goes the pleasure of listening to another famous person who committed suicide! Hey, is this the price they pay for too much pomp and popularity? Looks like it is! (Is death black or is it like the color of fire?) Maybe, I’ll try again next time, for the love of Cheesecake! Dropping by at French Baker before closing time to buy lots and lots of muffins and bread at 50% off is a real hassle to me and Sam, and who says we get to save? Oh well, maybe for the fun of it, and because of fondness for multi-colored muffins and bread, we fall in line, buy more than we can consume and feel good about having so much food stashed in the ref and pantry. Who can tell if it’s at 50% off anyway, they’re all the same with the regular priced, the blueberries, the yellow cheeses, the orange canapés, especially when you’re eating it the next day! Have muffins delight while driving, why not? The best thing about today is having helped save a precious life! There’s only one Giver of life, and He is the one to decide when to take it. Let’s give life a chance, because each life is a gem so precious, so special. I am loved, you are loved, I can risk loving you, for the one who loves me most, loves you best! I wish you my dear friend, true love, and life at its best. Hey, is the color of love red or pink?

BING L. HERNANDO slept soundly at 9/14/2004 04:21:00 PM

Saturday, September 11, 2004

Sorry, I am late, (again!)

As Sam snores softly while I drive our way to an old friend’s house, I became conscious of my own exhaustion. We’ve been shuttling for hours on the trafficky road, to get home, to eat, to deliver a gift to someone we love, to fetch Anjo from school (good that Han didn’t have to be fetched!), to bring Anjo home, and after I told Sam I wanted him to go with me to this wake, he said “Let’s get on and finish this day!”. Ok, let’s!

When I heard that Mel’s mom just died, I thought to myself “how sad”, another death; there have been some other parents’ death that we knew lately. I guess this age we’re in is a scary stage because it’s the age when our parents seemingly die. Isn’t it a bit troublesome to think you just might lose your parents soon? I’ve lost my Papa some years back, but I wince at the thought of losing my Mama. Come to think of it, these guys are “lucky” they’ve reached a ripe age and lived a full life. Some people die much earlier, some in their twenty’s, some in their teen years, some were even babies!

Oh well, there are different ways to die too, but I bet it’s not only me who wonder if there are also differences on what actually transpire after dying. What does really happen when we die? Death, I think, is one of the greatest mysteries there’s ever been. People are afraid of death because it is an unknown experience. We can only imagine, read, and theorize on what actually occurs, but we will never know what it truly is until we experience it ourselves. But, touchy, prospectively, one day, we too will be dead! So who’s scared? Not me, not now.

I think it’s going to be an awesome experience; dying to live eternally, well, if one has believed!. I am talking about real believing; the kind you do with your deepest self. Now don’t think too hard, because it is a gift that you will have to receive one special time in your life. Discover it yourself and have faith because good old amazing grace is still the bottom line of discovery. (God, please help me, I don’t want to be preachy but, please, can you reach my friends!) If that time comes, we can say, Death, where is your sting?

We finally arrived at the wake, and Sam got up from his sweet slumber, how i envy him. Suddenly, my friends were whimpering that I was late again! It’s no surprise for them to hear me murmuring , “ssssh, I’m sorry, I’m late ‘cause I was really busy, blah blah blah!”

BING L. HERNANDO slept soundly at 9/11/2004 08:18:00 AM