Prinsesa’s Anatomy

The first chapter of Neil Gaiman’s latest best seller, The Graveyard Book (thanks for the copy Babe!) is titled ‘Why Nobody Came to the Graveyard’ – obviously that is an antithesis to how most of us flocked graveyards last Halloween to remember our dead.

I read somewhere that it is funny, how relatives come together every All Saint’s Day, in a sort of reunion, and all the catching up and snacking covers the fact that most of the people around that grave knows very little about the person lying six feet below.

But I think what is more interesting is finding your departed loved one’s grave flocked with a different set of people, a day after All Saint’s Day – just like what happened to me and my family when we visited our grandparent’s burial last Monday.

It was very movie-like: we came exhausted all the way from a neighboring province; I was carrying this wonderful flower arrangement of white chrysanthemums and orchids, and as we approached the grave, it was obvious that a lot of people were gathered there, not noticing us that we just caught each other in deep surprise as our gazes locked.

It could’ve been fine, it was not as if they were another family of my grandparents -  if only they were not using our grandparent’s grave to play Bingo, which they most certainly did, that they were like mice scrambling all around upon seeing us. Apparently, they were from the grave opposite ours and it so happened that ours has more shade from the big tree near it.

It was customary, to pray upon being there right? Instead, because of the Bingo thing, the first thing I said was “Lolo, sinong nanalo [Who won in the Bingo, grandfather]?

Success is the ability to move on from one failure to the next.

I spent the day with my good friend who had just failed in the recent board exam for accountants. We ate a lot – almost had a party, and gave food away to the neighbors, who one after the other asked, “whose birthday is it?” We thought he was really special because failing and all, we still had a bash.

We talked about it, the failing, a bit, but it was really more on a fun tone, though we never dared to underrate the impact, it was definitely not okay – but more definite was that I won’t allow him to sulk about it. I told him that crying upon hearing the news was enough; doing it again would be redundancy, and to be called redundant was just ridiculous.

I have enough sense stored on the old cabbage to think about success in a positive way, I mean, about failure, in a better light. We decided that what happened to him was just one way of not passing the board – and there are tons of ways he can take next so that he’ll eventually receive a different outcome. I’m sure it hurt, and probably it hurt like hell, so much that I would never understand… but a little self-pity and that’s that, no more, no less.

For one, things happen for a reason – the universe is so grand I cannot bear to think that the cosmos would allow something to occur by mere chance, without rhyme nor reason – maybe in a parallel universe, but definitely not on this one.

Plus, failing once is not really failing. Ultimately, it is what you really do after failing that will determine how the world judges your success.

Dear Santa,

Erm… I know you are probably very busy right now preparing your things for Christmas and all, but I was just wondering, since I think I have been reasonably good this year, and it is my birthday on the 3rd of next month, I was kind of thinking if there is a way I can get my present earlier than expected? Christmas is right around the corner, I know, but can’t you consider having it right around my side for birthday’s sake?

It’s okay if you prefer airmail or snail mail. You can also deliver personally if you want. Thanks Mr. Santa Claus.

In light of recent events, not only in the country but also in some places around the world, I have been thinking about the ideal trasnport system that would suit my taste.

On the dinner table a couple of nights ago, I finally came to a conclusion and announced it excitedly to my siblings:

ME: Ayokong sumakay sa barko, baka lumubog eh. Isa pa, hindi ako marunong lumangoy. Mag aairplane na lang ako. [I don't want to ride a boat. It might sink, plus I don't know how to swim. Thus, I prefer traveling by plane.]

My siblings seem to see the logic in my thought until Piapot suddenly said:

PIAPOT: Bakit, marunong ka bang lumipad? [Why, do you know how to fly?]

Hmm.. Now I think it would be better if i just walked. I like walking better anyways.

PM is petrified at the site of kids.

There is really no rhyme and reason in trying to put together PM and small children. There is something about the way they stare, the way they talk, the way they move that makes me squirm. Clearly, I cannot understand them.

I remember going to church with my sisters and sitting on a row that has empty seats. Three giddy, tiny kids sat next to me and I just felt horror sinking on my stomach. Luckily, they left after a minute or two. They must’ve felt my shivering frame and got scared.

After the mass piapot told me, she and my two other sisters were also horror struck when the kids sat next to me, but in a different way – they wanted to tell the kids with urgency, “Run, run! run for your life!”

Yesterday, PM was being a good nurse and spreading the word against A(H1N1) since there has been confirmed cases here in our province. I had to speak to so many kids, interrupt their classes and conduct health teaching sessions.

When I entered the first room, the kids were silent and staring. I wanted to pass out. But I can’t so I proceeded with what has to be done, over and over, room after room, with kids ranging from 4 years old to 12.

Normally I should be dead by now. But what do you know? I am not and I actually enjoyed talking to them this time. It is indeed very surprising, albeit a little disturbing too. But I guess, it is because of the quality of the kids I was with yesterday. I never thought I would say this in my entire life but they were ‘perfect little angels’. Hmmm… I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they go to a private school that really focuses on their proper growth and development. I should know, my FairyGodMommyFe runs and owns the school.

I guess what I am trying to say is I really had fun with the kids yesterday. Because of that, I think I should check out if pigs has grown wings by now.

The rain has been nonstop here since days ago and I could not be any happier. I love the rain. I love how everything is dim and quiet and cold. It kind of makes me want to just stay in bed and snuggle with my fat cat, Jin. LOL.

I think the rainy season is the perfect time for bonding moments, for long talks and reading books with a wonderful mug of hot choco on one hand and a blanket on the other. Such wonderful days ahead!

***

I have just finished packing my loot for my wonderful creative swap partner. I am so excited in sending it as much as receiving my own stash. I will be sending it on Friday. I hope my partner will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed preparing it for her.

I actually took a picture of it but I decided not to include it here, leaving my creative swap partner to hopefully post it on her own site.

I have been going around the blogs of the other creative swap participants and I found that a lot have already sent and received their own. I also realized that compared to them, I am embarrassed to call myself creative. LOL. They sew, make their own accessories and toys, heck, I think some even do carpentry!

I think the most creative thing I did was taking care of a fat cat with blue eyes. LOL.

***

It always gives me so much joy when other people express appreciation of my junk blog. This time around, a lot of thank yous to John for handing me the Kreativ Blogger Award and for the wonderful words.

Prinsesa’s Anatomy (She’s a young nurse and teacher and like me, she loves cats). She is a very skilled writer covering a variety of topics. You’ll see she is very creative in using her cat theme! I absolutely love her blog.

I wonder why the award is spelled with a K though.This also came with a tag, to share seven favorite things and pass this to another seven creative bloggers.

This is the kind of tags I like, the ones that won’t fry my remaining active neurons when I do it. Let’s see. My Asperger’s manifests in these stuff:

• literature
• photography
• on-line gaming
• art
• shopping
• meat
• chocolates

Now I have seen so many people in the blogosphere that are way, way more creative than I am, and by being so I believe they continue to inspire more and more people to be more passionate about what they do.

To shadowmoon87, seraphine, niel, kg, caryn, sidney, and ax, kudos for creating your own sunshine!

I found this article on Y! Philippines today about yet another industry scandal from the People’s Republic of China, involving toxic children’s toys and clothes, probably for the nth time.

According to state media, nearly half of the clothes and toys made in Guangdong, the China’s top manufacturing province that is the center of their export industry, is unsafe, containing toxic levels of formaldehyde which can cause skin or respiratory infections, and lead, cadmium and chromium – all health endangering metals. All these due to the use of substandard raw materials and paint.

I am so starting to wonder whether this really is a secret plot of China to kill the children of the world one toy or cloth at a time, because this issue keeps on coming back from the milk to the kid’s furniture problem.

This finding has a great implication for Filipino buyers, especially those not on the wealthy scale because they are usually the consumers of China-made products albeit without so much knowledge as to the safety of what they are bringing home to their kids.

I guess sometimes, cheaper doesn’t always mean quality, and by far it absolutely doesn’t mean safe, so keep your wise-buyer caps on okay?

PM's social network site photo

Although I am very much a child from darkness, I do have my moments. A couple of days ago, I joined the mad rush of people going to malls and book stores to buy school supplies for the opening of the coming school year. I was buying for my inaanak sa binyag. I do not know how you translate that in English. LOL

PM’s salary at the college as part-time chemistry teacher is not much. In fact, it is so not much that PM’s allowance from Don Domeng is bigger than her weekly salary given by the college. However, the point is, no matter how meager it was, PM was able to do good and share it to the needy.

The things is, my inaanak is the daughter of a worker on Don Domeng’s beach resort, who of course did not have much. It really felt good to know I have helped in my tinsy-tiny way, and I pray that my inaanak would be inspired to take her studies seriously because of the presence of people trying to support her.

Now I wonder why so many wealthy people are not moved to help the people around them who are obviously having a hard time? I am very sure helping them does not cost very much, especially when you are well-off. Me being able to give with the embarrassingly small salary I got, I am saddened by the lack of compassion and selfishness I see around me.

Now if only I am filthy rich. Sigh.

I just caught a couple of minutes airtime of the daily evening news and I heard that there is already a confirmed case of the A(H1N1) flu in the country.

Just this morning, my Man was asking me if traveling was advisable these days because of the outbreak, and of course, because I love him I said… yes, travel is still advisable. LOL.

I am a state registered nurse but I am no expert on A(H1N1), but as I see it, this outbreak is no different from other diseases that you can acquire from everywhere. It is the common flu, only a new variant, which can be cured and can be readily prevented with good hygiene and a strong immune system.

I do not understand why mass media is driving all the world into panic. I think AIDS, or dengue hemorrhagic fever, is more lethal than A(H1N1) but the world is certainly not panic buying on condoms or mosquito nets, why so?

Consequently, I remember another incident I experienced this afternoon as I was waiting in line in a fast food chain for a little snack. It was not a very long line, I think I was the fifth person from the counter, make that four because those in front of me where lovers.

What’s funny was the fact that, at some point in the line, the girlfriend slowly turned towards the boyfriend and squeezed her head into his chest, the measure of her height against his. I thought it was supposed to be for a hug, but what do you know, I was dumbfounded when she actually turned around on purpose just to sneeze at him.

If A(H1N1) virus was around, I could’ve died on that same line because my mouth was wide as a bucket from laughing.

I just saw a very interesting article posted on Yahoo Tech about how photos uploaded on the internet do not get deleted even after the user who put it there has it removed.

I was not actually surprised by this, after all who has not experienced clicking on a thumbnail on image searches only to be told that the image has been removed or deleted? But still, obviously the thumbnail exists and the URL of that photo intact.  The post on yahoo tech said it has something to do about the storage system of large server providers, that even when you have a photo deleted, ghost copies remain that may linger for an indefinite period of time.

Though this news was not surprising, the magnitude of what it can do can be scary. Amidst all the ’scandal talks’ hovering in the air, knowing this kind of information is a must to be able to protect one’s privacy now or in the future. When it comes to personal, sensitive, or controversial matters, caution and sound judgement cannot be overruled.

As for me, well, I am not ‘allowed’ to post my photos on the internet, even on my own social networking site profile. LOL. My man strongly goes against it, being the computer know-it-all that he is, I think he knew about this kind of un-deleted thing all along.

Of course, aside from the privacy issue, I know it also has something to do with his ‘personal, for security motives’. I don’t mind though, in fact I think I find it cute. LOL.