Free Stuff for Happiness

While cleaning my room this morning, I accidentally cut my thumb on a protruding screw that I didn't notice. Good thing we have a dorm clinic downstairs with a nurse on duty. She disinfected the tiny wound and bandaged it. And, I got a little bag of freebies from that basket in the clinic. Yay. Don't you like getting unexpected stuff every now and then? :)

Rainy Afternoons

Manila is very rainy these past days. Five days a week, I cuddle with my daughter at our fifth-floor flat and just do things indoors. Julienne plays with her wooden toys. I draft my second book, send messages to friends that my book is available on the shelves of "My Breathing Space" Novelty Store in Cubao Expo- so please hurry and grab a copy. And, yes- I cook, we eat together, roll around in bed, while the rain raged on.  And I would fly downstairs and pick a twig or two from the pocket gardens so she'll have some real leaves drenched in rain. She likes them!

I miss the summer blooms, though. In summer, there are just these light drizzles that quench the flowers, making them even more colorful. Not heavy, gray, rains.

Next door where my brother lives, rainy days are a different thing. He used to sing this song: "Rain, rain go away... goddemit!"

400 Years

 My Alma Mater celebrates its 400th year Anniversary this year. It was founded in 1611 by the Spaniards, way before the Statue of Liberty was erected in New York.

I could not help but stop a giggle whenever I see old pictures of myself. The look, the fashion... the way I acted when I didn't know a thing about makeup and how a proper lady should behave. 

I spent a good eight years or so at the university. First during my undergrad and next on my post grad.

January 2005.

 It seemed I enjoyed my days at the post graduate program more. I liked the crowd better. We used to have forums and lots of going out together discussing things of the world (on the most part, just eating out, really.) Cambodia's landmines. Japan's future. China being a 'giant we cannot ignore', International Monetary Funds, and why kangkong tastes good on sinigang. I noticed that hanging out with international students seems to strip you naked- you're all out there in that academic pool, all hungry, all questioning. You are children  once again in the face of worldly challenges.

Circa 1997. 

 

My college days at the same university is a different thing altogether. We were still teenagers then, and therefore at the height of 'who-am-I' stage and finding where we truly belong. Competition was gritty and ridiculous.  Among the geeks, it was about grades. Among the pretty girls it was about shoes, nail polish and bubble bags. And a lot of cooking - those burnt cheese on apple pie (who changed the setting on my oven?!), making home-made hams and limp French Fries... and competition at the food laboratory. And if competing at the lab wasn't enough, we brought the same fighting spirit at the field during volleyball afternoons. I remember my friends telling me, "Hey, Enrisa, please have mercy!" 

So much for the burnt cheese on apple pie.

Bachelor's Life In Sepia

My cousin is marching for his graduation tomorrow. They're staying up at my condo tonight. I love gatherings like this- the reminiscing of bachelor's life. How time flies! The conversations are about the crazy days at our old apartment at the other city.

Remember the "precious plant" that my brothers used to cultivate, and when mom paid a visit, they hid the plant inside the car- and forgot about it- until it dried up and died? The precious plant indeed!

Remember my tomatoes on those containers- they even bore fruits? It drove me quite crazy, I wanted to fill the building with lettuces.

Remember when we took our brother to the airport when he was two hours to his flight to England and we got crashed by a cab... we had to talk our way out of the police station...

And those coffee afternoons and tobacco at the back door?
And the turtle with the chef's toque? (When we were about to move out, we really thought of 'bringing' the mural with us.)
And the weekends at Tagaytay?
And so much more!

There had been so much possibilities during the bachelor life, and I am glad I brought all that joy with me as we moved on.