aloha!

Danielle got some beach time with Daddy, Mommy, Mamu, and Kuya Mars over the weekend.  (Where was I??  Oh yeah, I was singing my heart out trying to do justice to my Madonna videoke repertoir at our team-building slash summer outing in Bulacan….)  It was Chubs’s first time to sunbake!  But it wasn’t the first in her camwhoring career :p  She had a lot of oh-so adorable shots, but this one here is my favorite.

Aloha, ladies!  Kalachuchi moment (hehe) with Mommy at Punta Fuego last May 24, 2008.  Sweet, eh?

ang pinakabagong bench hunkababe

  Ano ba naman ang binatbat nito…

…dito?

 Nyahahaha.

ang mga lalaki sa buhay ni danielle

Princess Danielle.

Every princess needs her prince.  And as one of her fairy godmothers, I took it upon myself to make sure the good looks continue to run in the lineage.  So.  I began scouting for The Perfect Princes for Princess Danielle for the far, FAR future (stress on the "far" for Daddy Con’s benefit hehehe)….

Prince #1:  BABY XAVIER

  Full name:  Xavier Merit Castillo

Age:  2 months old.

Vital stats (at birth):  Lenght - 51cm, Weight - 7.10 lbs.

Talent:  Looking gwapo without effort

Prince #2:  BABY WEWO

 Full name:  Lord Wentworth Faulve (Yes, his dad is a Prison Break fan!)

Age:  1 year old

Vital stats (current):  Length - 76cm, Weight - 10.4 lbs.

Talent:  Looking hot in a pirate costume

Prince #3:  BABY JULIAN

Full name:  Philip Julian Bagtang

Age:  Almost 2 years old

Vital stats (current):  Height - 2ft., Weight - something something

Talent:  Looking cool in weird hats.  And he bites.

There, see?  I’m only looking after Danielle’s best interests.  ‘Wag lang sana sila matakot sa muscles niya…

 Hehehe.

earn your stripes

  "There are no flukes.  There is no luck.  There’s just talent and hard work and the ability to bounce back when you’re knocked down.  No more, no less." 

–Nico Reilly, Lipstick Jungle

I just had an all-nighter watching the first seven episodes of my current addiction, Lipstick Jungle (the other one’s Gossip Girl).  It’s about three New York-based career-driven women who are breaking bones for success.  And I think everyone and anyone who wants to make it to the top should borrow a lesson or two from this series.

Successful people don’t become successful overnight.  Doctors study at least four years of pre-med and another gazillion years of med proper.  Same thing with lawyers–at least four years of pre-law and another four (or is it five?) years of law proper.  Plus reviews and the bar exam. (Calling Joei!  Calling Ces!)  And it’s the same for all the jungles we play in, whether it be in the corporate world, in TV, in publishing, or in the academe.  Success is EARNED.  If you want it, work for it.  Prove your worth.

I’m so tired of hearing people who whine about how fucked up their life is when they haven’t even lifted a finger to remedy it.  I mean, instead of wasting, what, two, three, four hours ranting to your friend about your neverending dilemma on finding the right track, why don’t you just move your butt and take the first step towards wherever it is you wanna go or whoever it is you wanna become?  It’s easier said than done but it beats the hell out waiting for grandeur to land on your lap.  Because, that’s not gonna happen.  Ano ka, si Juan Tamad?  Hinihintay na lang malaglag ‘yung bayabas galing sa puno?  (Or was it another fruit?) 

Same thing goes for pretty much everything else about life.  Whatever shit you’re in is a produce of your own actions.  Or lack of it.  So don’t put the blame on other people who refuse fix your problems for you. 

And enough with the emotional blackmails.  Your incapacity to move forward is you’re own burden to bear.  Your shit, your fault.  Deal with it.

And if you continue expecting your friend, your mentor, or whoever your shock-absorbers are to spoonfeed you answers to your oh-so-great dillemas, then honey, you’re in for a disappointment.  The only thing you’ll be fed is the resident psychiatrist’s number.

restlessness. second thoughts. fatigue.

Waaaaaaaaaaah!!! *pulls hair in all directions*

salamat, manang

Manang is in her mid 50’s.  But she looks a lot like someone in her 70’s.  Manang is from Tabacco City, Albay.  She used to sell native products for a living but when Typhoon Reming devastated the region, everything she worked for was flooded away.  She was left with nothing.  And as though adding salt to injury, her husband got sick.  He needed to undergo a CT-scan but they couldn’t afford it.  He downed painkillers instead.

A couple of months ago, she came to Manila to work for us.  She didn’t want to leave her husband behind but she needed the money.

She was very hardworking and the whole family got along with her.  We thought she’d be staying with us for quite a while.  But yesterday, around 4:30am, my mom went into her room and discovered she’s gone.  On her pillow was a neatly written note on a piece of notebook paper.  And here’s what she wrote:

Sa inyong lahat,

         Sorry kung hindi ako nakapagpaalam ng personal dahil baka hindi ninyo ako maintindihan.  Hirap na ako sa kirot na nararamdaman ko sa aking likod at tagiliran lalo na ‘pag may binubuhat.  Sa umaga paggising halos di ko naitikom ang mga daliri kong parang tinutusok ng karayom at sinisilihan.  Hirap ko ng pigaan ang mga damit lalo na kung nag-aarmirol ng mga "bed sheet."  Sa paghuhugas para ko nang mabibitawan ang mga plato ‘pag namamanhid na ang mga daliri ‘ko.  Kaysa naman umabot sa puntong puro kapalpakan na ang trabaho ko umalis na lang ako kahit gusto ko pang kumita ng pera.

         Diyos na ang bahalang gumanti sa mga kabutihan ninyo sa akin.

                                 Di ko kayo makakalimutan,

                                                                        Manang

Nalungkot ako, sobra.  It’s one of those moments when I wish I could do more.  Sabi ni Mommy, sana raw nagpaalam siya para natulungan man lang namin kahit papa’no.  And I find it ironic that we’re the ones more capable of helping her yet she’s given us something more than whatever financial assistance we can offer.

Sometimes we complain too much about our problems which are actually so trivial that we forget others like Manang who only has three pairs of clothing to her name.  We act like it’s the end of the world when THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE IT WORSE.  Much much worse. 

It’s not about feeling good at the expense of someone else’s misery.  It’s simply about counting your blessings.  May pamilya ka, may trabaho ka, may mga kaibigan, nakakakain ka araw-araw, magpasalamat ka. 

And I thank Him for everything that I have. 

At salamat, Manang.  Ikaw ang hinding-hindi ko malilimutan.

so how does the story end?

…