Give the Day a Chance to Start

Sunday, July 24, 2005

My weekend

Mad, madder, maddest. Apparently, I'd get the award for "Most Believable Facial Expression" if there were one. My sister looks constipated, while Courtney just looks plain scared. It was supposed to be an angry shot. But look closely and you'll see hints of suppressed laughter in my face as well.<




We three gals have been trying to spend as much time with each other as my schedule would permit. Thank goodness I'll be staying home tomorrow. It's gonna be a holiday, but despite how happy I am that I'll be given the chance to sleep in and spend time with my family, I can't but be a little worried about what may take place, given our nation's political state. It's almost like there's this impending doom of chaos. But that's just my pessimistic side talking. I know God's in charge. So, I'll just enjoy the holiday, have a mad cooking session with my sis and cousin, and prepare a hearty picnic lunch for my parents.

Speaking of my parents, I bought new shoes for Mama today. They're the prettiest, poshest pair I've ever seen. And the most comfortable, I might add!



Without much choosing and contemplation, we both agreed (despite its price that soars up to the high heavens) that "It's a buy!" My mama deserves the treat.



As for Papa dearest, Ate, Mama, and I queer-eyed him by helping choose polo shirts that made him look like the dashing doctor he's supposed to be. He needs a wardrobe makeover, so we convinced him to spend my gift money on apparel, and for crying out loud, not HARDWARE!



This shopping spree is only the beginning. They deserve so much more than I can ever give them, but that doesn't mean I can't keep doing little things to make life a little more comfortable for them. I owe them that much. Material gifts though they may be, I feel they still symbolize my appreciation for the fact that they sacrificed so much for both me and my sister.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Musings

The tres marias while we were still tres ninas.



So shoot me for being so egotistical, but I just have to say: Weren't we such cuties! Heehee... I can't believe I sported that bob. Poor sweet Courtney was stuck with the coconut look. Sorry, sweetie... I guess we can't really blame our parents for using us to experiment on the dorkiest hairstyles. So much for what was supposed to be our "crown of glory."

Tomorrow, Courtney and her family will be moving into our home down south (that's where that ancient photo was taken). Too bad I won't be able to help them out since I'll be busy with work. I can only hope that all goes well as they finally finally finally settle down. Even more, I'll keep my fingers crossed that they take care of the refuge I've known for the first two decades of my life.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

A new look

It's Sunday and I'm staying in. Why? I'm trying to recover from this scratchy throat that's caused me a bit of coughing and laryngitis. God knows I'm gonna need all my strength for tomorrow when a week of work resumes. Mama stayed home, too, since she'd also been trying to recover from this dratted flu epidemic. It's kinda weird being home on a Sunday morning. The last time I didn't go to church was when I was still in college and living down south. That would make it roughly three years ago.

So, I was thinking of doing something of worth, and I ended up changing my skin. Blogskin that is. (Kinda gross thinking about humans shedding their dry, old epidermis for a fresh, new layer of skin. Eww...) IThis page is still very very messy, but with a little pruning here and there (and with a lotta help from my html-savvy sister), this blog will look at least more decent in no time.

Friday, July 15, 2005

Ursula's evil spell

As a kid, I was convinced I was a little mermaid stuck in a little girl's body. Imagine, I wished I had scaly fish fins rather than my two human legs. I know, I know. I was deluded. But you can't really blame a little girl for wanting to be one of Disney's beautiful princesses, especially since I grew up watching Princess Ariel's adventures at sea and on land. Added to the fact that my name sounded like her's (what a shallow reason!), she was gorgeous, had an enchanting voice, and eventually got her "happily ever after." Every girl needs her fairytale. But that's really beside the whole point of this entry. Heehee...

I've always been prone to losing my voice. Laryngitis is the medical term for it, but since I'm so deluded as to think that I am Princess Ariel jumped out of the cartoon world, I'd refer to the symptom as Ursula's Evil Spell. For those of you who have no idea about what I'm referring to, watch The Little Mermaid. It's one of Disney's last classic productions before their animations became too digital/computerized. Anyway, for the benefit of those who haven't seen that classic, Ursula was the evil witch who turned Ariel's fins into human legs in exchange for her voice. Ariel wanted to become human, walk on land, and find the prince she'd fallen inlove with. Problem there was that Ariel's voice was the only distinct thing Prince Eric (her "knight in shining armor" err... actually, he was a bit of a helpless wuss in the story) could associate with her--she who saved him from drowning and in so doing won his heart over. Of course, the story ends happily ever after. Just watch it if you want the other juicy details. What I'm driving at is that Princess Ariel and I have soooooooooo much in common! So, I guess I'm not that deluded, am I? Whatever, Marielle. I'm just trying to make sense out of this dratted tendency of mine to lose my voice. It probably happens at least once a year. I lose my voice either from overworking my vocal cords or from suffering from severe cough and colds.

Ursula stole it again today. Or it's probably just because I've been talking to applicants non-stop the whole week. That's the nature of my job. It may take a little getting used to, but for now, I'd best keep my mouth shut and rest my vocal cords. I need my voice back before work resumes on Monday. I'm glad one thing I don't have in common with Ariel is my reason for needing my voice back. Her's was to convinced the love of her life that she was the love of his life. Mine is less sappy and more practical: to do well at work and keep earning moolah! I know. I'm shallow. So sue me!

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Drama

My cousin, Courtney, is currently staying with us here. She'll be living with us for four weeks during her review and until her whole family can come down as well. They're finally moving back here to Manila after a year of trying things out in Baguio. It's great to have them back with the clan. Now, we can go back to being the noisy, rowdy, food-loving bunch that we are when we're all gathered together on holidays or for no reason at all. My greatest regret now, though, is that I can't really spend as much time with her and with my sister because I now have work. While they're enjoying, playing tennis, hanging out without a care in the world, I'm busy with my job. It's not that I don't want to work anymore. Regret over missing out on being with them is kind of a flimsy reason to quit the job I've been blessed with, and absolutely love doing, I might add! Rather, I just wish Courtney came earlier, or that she didn't have to leave at all. The last time we three ladies (Ate, Courtney, and I) were reunited was when I was completely distracted and spread out too thin doing my thesis. When that was over and when I actually had time to kill, Courtney was no longer with us here. To make the situation even more pathetic, Ateand I subconsciously decided to bum around here at home. We didn't play tennis and we didn't do movie marathons or anything of the sort. Nagpakataba lang kami sa bahay. Nothing captures the thought like that Tagalog sentence. Heeheehee...

Having work eat up most of my day just made me realize that I no longer have as much time as I'd like to have. Time is the only semi tangible gift I can give those I love, so now that I don't have as much to give as I used to, there's this overaching sense of guilt brewing up inside of me.

What a drama queen I've turned into!

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Overdoing it

I'm at the gym right now, on my way to get home and recover from overdoing all this work. Can you believe I'm even spending my nights working out instead of getting the sleep I need? I'm weird that way. But hey, at least internet use is free here.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Bukang Bibig

Bukang Bibig... All I've been talking about these past few days has been my new job and how much fun I've been having with it. It's only been a week, and yet I feel like I've learned and gained so much already. Eager-beaver much? Perhaps. But hey, at least I'm happy about where I am at the moment.

I've also been thinking about how silly it is that people keep telling me how I will inevitably miss the bumming kind of life after a couple of months of work. It's silly because I've never really liked staying home, being unproductive. As a kid, I used to cry whenever I'd be too sick to go to school. And whenever official school breaks would come around, I was always too preoccupied looking forward to the day classes would resume to enjoy each well-earned vacation. I guess I'm a nerd that way--all work and no play. Don't get me wrong, though. I do like to chill and give myself a break, but lounging around is just not something I'd like my days to consist of. If I were to give myself time to rejuvinate, my R&R wouldn't be spent at home. My ideal kind of vacation is one filled with activity. Take me food-tripping, shopping, traveling, swimming, whatever! Just don't leave me to rot at home by my lonesome.

So, now that I have a job, a reason to get dressed and revved up in the morning, and more importantly, a tangible purpose for my existence at the moment, I'm absolutely loving every minute of being productive again. I've had roughly three months of my well-earned R&R after a rigorous four years of college. I've enjoyed it. In fact, I've had too much of it for my own good.

Give it up, people. You just can't convert a true-blue nerd and semi workaholic like me. But if you think that I'm speaking too soon (the naive fresh grad that I am) and that I just haven't had a taste of what it truly feels to toil day in and day out, then you're welcome to prove me wrong. Heehee... I'm only making all these declarations based on what I know and feel and am truly convinced of at this point.