The Rituals

Maundy Thursday...

Maganda at maayos ang kanta namin during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper...na-late si Ate Minda...may solo pa naman sya...kasi naman, late ng 5 minutes ang relo nila sa bahay, yan tuloy, naging Mike and the Pussy Cats ang dating ng entrance song :p

Kumain kami ng chocolate porridge (champorado) at tuyo after the Mass...



Had dinner over at John's place...matagal-tagal na rin bago naulit ang ritual na ito: ang kare-kare ni Mommy Violy at ang mga batang yagit (kami yun!)...it’s been quite sometime...kung di pa umuwi si Sheila, di pa kami magkakasama ulit...the original tropa minus two – Dwayne and Elsa...si Elsa, understandable...as usual, marami na namang excuses...nasanay na kami sa kanya...we still love her kahit pa isa syang walking alibi...si Dwayne naman...naku, yun nga ang naging topic ng usapan...oh, how we miss the old Dwayne that we used to know...pero ganun talaga, seasons change and so do people...kaya ka nga friend di ba, nandyan ka para umintindi...

Di ko tuloy maiwasan ang mag-senti...nakakatuwang balikan ang mga magagandang alaala sa piling nila: breakfast club...ang llanera ng leche flan...ang milo na sing-tigas ng bato...ang tapa ni elsa...ang pag-iinarte ng majorette naming si Liza…ang initiation rites ng Center For Stupidity (the dead malice treatment)...ang high-waist ni Elsa...ang matapang na pabango ni John...Dwayne's double-socks...ang "wig" ko...ang malakas na tawa ni Sheila...mga pictorial sessions na umubos ng rolyo-rolyong negatives...sleepover sa bahay ni Dwayne...video marathon sa bahay nina Kuya Nog...sandamakmak na fries at iced tea ng Wendy's...Christmas exchange gifts...pagtambay sa mga bahay-bahay...ang panlilimos sa mga nakatatandang members ng choir para meron kaming pangkain sa Wendy's...surprise visits kina Tita Fe para makikain in dinner...ang iyakan sa despedida ni Sheila...ang mga mumunti naming tampuhan...ang pangungupit ni John sa wallet ni Kuya Nog...ang bukol sa noo ni Sheila nung Sister's Act presentation...ang walang humpay na puyatan at panda-daot sa mga taong dumaraan sa harap ng bahay namin...

Sa ngayon, may kanya-kanya na kaming buhay...marami na ring nabago sa aming pagkatao...hiwa-hiwalay man kami, patuloy kaming pinagbubuklod ng mga alaalang ito na talaga namang mapapangiti ako tuwing sasagi sa aking isipan...

The Cake & The Lamb

Sa susunod, kapag magpapa-deliver kayo ng cake sa Red Ribbon, tanungin nyo muna kung nagde-deliver yung particular branch na iyon bago umorder.

Alaine and I went to the Park Square branch of Red Ribbon kahapon to have a cake delivered to Ate Minda sa office nya kasi it’s her happy birthday…before kasi nagpadeliver na rin ako ng cake para kay Alfredo dun sa branch na yon kaya di na ako nagtanong…eh malay ko bang nagbabago ang panahon…ayun, super order ako only to cancel it later on dahil wala na pala silang delivery pero sa Greenbelt daw meron…

Para mawala ang init ng ulo ko habang naglalakad kami ni Alaine papuntang Greenbelt, binasa ko yung menu leaflet na inabot sa amin nung isang babae…Lamb Kaldereta…kita mo nga naman, pati lamb eh pwede na palang i-kaldereta! Tapos kumanta ako ng Mary Had A Little Lamb…nay, nakalimutan ko ang lyrics! Buti na lang, sumagot si Alaine ng…”and Jill came tumbling after”…nyek, mali! Marami akong tinext, lahat sila di alam ang lyrics…pambihira! Nai-deliver na’t lahat ang cake na binili ko para kay Ate Minda pero iniisip ko pa rin ang lyrics nya hanggang sa choir practice kagabi…ang nakasagot sa akin, si Mike… eto yung kumpletong lyrics…

Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
It's fleece was white as snow

Everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went.
Everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day
School one day, school one day
It followed her to school one day
Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,
laugh and play, laugh and play.
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school.

Promise, ime-memorize ko na sya…

The Gift

I love it when friends come up to me and tell me that they liked the gift that I bought for them. Making other people happy is one thing that gives joy to me...and having them appreciate it affirms my being.

A friend once told me, "Your gift made me realize a lot of things in life…and I have to thank you for that."

"No life is a waste. The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone."

Very true.

A Blessing

Our stint at Shangri-La Hotel Makati for CIGI’s 25th Anniversary was great...much to our surprise, we got paid 5K!...Joie’s friend told me that if she had known we were that great, she could have asked for 10K...sayang...Anyway, we ate at Spaghetti Factory (Glorietta) and had ice cream afterwards at Icebergs…

I have learned a great lesson yesterday.

Don’t lose hope.