Prinsesa’s Anatomy

There came a point in my life where I wondered why people celebrated their birthdays the way they do – or was I only questioning who should treat who? LOL.

Happy Birthday Don Domeng

Don Domeng celebrated his 57th birthday yesterday, here with us at home, with a simple dinner with family and some friends. It was so much fun and the food that Mother Goose whipped up out of her kitchen was absolutely divine. My Man and I came home early so we could be taste testers and it was a hard job to stick with the only testing part. LOL.

What I found to be important was that birthdays are a constant reminder to us, not only of how long we’ve been staying here, but of how much we have done with our lives. As each year passes by, before blowing those birthday candles, we are compelled to take a pause to reminisce about what has been going on, and the faces of our guests tell us who we have become. I realized that the number that comes with birthdays really do play a significant part – because the higher it is, the longer the measure of what we have done good should be.

Looking at Don Domeng last night, looking at myself in the mirror this morning when I woke up, I can honestly say that what my father has done in the past 57 years has been a good job – and I believe it is my responsibility to keep it that way for a long time.

After all, I have always reiterated, my father is my honor.

If you have been coming here for quite some time, you might’ve very well known by now that I do not know how to cook I am still trying to figure out how to cook. So far I’ve managed to cook boiled eggs and instant noodles – and yes that qualifies as cooking because you cook it on top of a fire stove. In general, it is easy to cook. What is hard is to cook something even household cats won’t puke.

There are only two things I know for sure will be true for the rest of my life: one, fried squid is best store bought, and two, the best tasting meals in the world has got to be from Mother Goose’s kitchen – and I will never ever be able to match that in this life, or even in my next three reincarnations, unlike my sister Ched who has gotten the skills and secret ingredient’s list from Mother Goose since Day 1.

Today is Mother’s Day. I like Mother’s Day because I have always been amazed by mothers, of how selfless they seem to be. I can’t be a mother – at least not yet, because I know I am selfish to the bone, unlike my Mother Goose who had totally forgotten about herself, either she got early Alzheimer onset or she just loved her family so much she was giving till it hurts.

That’s why Mother Goose is a people person. Everywhere she went people loved her. She was not really an attention-getter – she is but a simple person, but she is very smart and thoughtful – that’s why people tend to gravitate towards her, unlike all her children who grew up to develop Asperger-like symptoms. I think the best thing these people find in Mother Goose was that she was very generous, not only in material things but with her time. When you talk to her or is with her, it is as if you are the most important person in the world; that’s how she would make you feel so you would like her a lot right off the bat.

The best lesson I ever learned from her is about responsibility and accountability. She was a good leader trainer, toughens you up real well. To be honest, it was so effective I tend to always stand up on my own. That’s why she would always advice me about the fact that ‘no man is an island’. She was always criticizing me for being a lone Musang wolf, but don’t get me wrong, I do understand the importance of close relationships. In fact, I understand it so much I am very careful with them, choosing meticulously who enters my striped bubble for I’d rather have two good people with me than 10 with eight of those rotten ones.

That’s why I am an extreme person, very Asperger’s – with strangers, even with acquaintances I get really agitated but with the people I love, I would like to think I am affectionate. We all got our strong sense of family from Mother Goose. The fact that family is the most important thing in the world – not money, not work, not even other people – she has long instilled in us. It was one thing that this generation lacks so a lot end up being unhappy, but not us, because of Mother Goose.

Growing up with Mother Goose is like having a love-hate relationship, especially these days when I have developed my own views of the world as a young adult. The worst part about it is that she is almost always right and I am almost always wrong. But I win, sometimes. It’s just that her beliefs are based on kindness and a genuine trust in the goodness of people and mine are anchored on strong task-oriented mantras and upright personal detachments.

I guess that’s why Mother Goose is well-loved everywhere she goes: she puts premium on people, on personal relationships and compassion. It is because of a principle she and her siblings follow – something I would also like to follow, maybe when a time comes in my life when I am a little less intense -  the most valuable virtue in my Mother Goose’s side of the family is to ‘give until it hurts’ and ‘don’t break the chain of kindness’ principles.

On this Mother’s Day, I only have a simple wish for my Mother Goose, and for all the Mother’s in the world. I wish that all their efforts be appreciated by all the people around them, especially by their children, who usually take them for granted because of their own preoccupation with their lives, for which I strongly apologize for. I wish that all of the hard work and patience mothers put in dating back from building a family, from the pains of conception and child-rearing, and practically from every little routine household chore they do everyday, be remembered as labors of love and sacrifice, that they really did not have to do, but chose to and continues to choose to do all for the love of us.

Mothers. They give everything and only ask that we make something good out of our lives in return. I think it is the best deal man has ever made.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone.

I was out for most of last week because I had a sudden burst of things to do that I really did not see coming, as was always the case with me.

The thing is this: everybody please welcome back Ma’am PM! LOL

Let me give you an advice, the next time you pray, or say anything, mean it because the Big Cat up in the sky might be very well eavesdropping. His whiskers are kind you know, so you might get what you are asking for easily.

When my Babe and I were having his birthday lunch, and it was a good lunch btw, I suddenly had the urge to say, “Sana makapagturo na ko ulit agad [I wish I could teacg again soon]. I like myself better when I am teaching.”

Would you believe, the next day early morning, I was called to a new college to teach! I was so struck by the speed of light response to my statement the other day. In fact, I felt it was so soon that I was unprepared for it!

I was being asked to teach organic and inorganic chemistry. I thought for awhile, “Hmm… I had good grades in chemistry in college.” But I wondred also if I still remembered them now because that was what, four years ago?

But I thought, if I backed down now from this, I am pretty sure I will back down from other offers like this in the future. ‘Like this’ meaning subjects, or challenges in general, that will require double effort and has a single shot of anxiety to boot that will come my way.

So I did not say no. In fact I accepted it and was already in class in the last two days of last week. I have not started teaching though, regular classes start today.

What I thought about was this: in my professional life as a teacher, there will be a lot of instances when I will be asked to do things I do not know or things that I do not perfectly know. In this case, I continually remind myself that there is no need to freak out and quit, because the right thing to do is to exert the effort to know it, work hard, and at the end of the day i am sure before  I teach it, I will already know it. I must never stop in finding ways.

***

Last Saturday, my Man and I, together with our good friend Deer and my siblings went to the mountains to snatch a good time from the days of vacation slipping away, in a wonderful, wonderful place in the mountains here owned by my FairyAuntMother Fe and Chief Daddy.

I will not do much talking but allow the photos to shout out at you.

Lunch is served (on banana leaves of course)! These are my sisters Kulot and Ched, and niece, I think, Chi-Chi

This hanging bridge was built by ChiefDaddy.

It was so quiet up here! Loved it!

This is my sister Ched with an Aeta native.

The mangoes were great there. You pick them yourself!

The mangoes and pineapple stand next to each other. Where to look?!

These are wild berries. They are actually good, and sweet.

I say it is going to be a golden harvest.

All I can say is that I am really a blessed girl. If it is not the beach, it is the mountains. How lucky can you get?

If you have been to walongbote’s place, you might’ve known by now that the oath taking ceremony for new Philippine registered nurses took place last Monday of lent. I was there though we didn’t see each other. Mon was also there but I was so running late we failed to be seated together. I only saw him at MOA, of course beside SMX where the tedious oath taking ceremony took place.

Too bad I did not know beforehand that you could skip oath taking ceremony.

Of course I have no intention to talk about the oath taking ceremony, so let me tell you another story. Our family mall bonding at MOA, with Kuya and Kuya Nap too.

We had so much fun! However, by the end of lunch, my sinuses were killing me I had to leave. Still, it was so cool to hang out with them. I mean, how many families have such bonding time and actually enjoy it? We didn’t eat oat meal though but delicious stuff from our favorite Mrs. Fields!

The new image model of Mrs. Fields - Don Domeng!

That's Kuya, Mother Goose, and Don Domeng chilling out at MOA's ice skating ring.

When we went around MOA, we saw a photo exhibit of the World’s Heritage – a seven wonders of some sort. The places and photos were magnificent!

Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

The colors on the photo are created by algae. It changes from time to time depending on the type of algae present. According to the World Heritage description, Yellowstone National Park contains half of of all the world’s geothermal features and the world’s largest concentration of geysers – more than 300 geysers or two thirds of all those on the planet!

This is from Petra in Jordan.

Petra is said to be a Nabataean-caravan city that is half-built, half-carved unto the rock. The hollow you see in the photo is actually a cave.

This is Australia's Great Barrier Reef that piapot likes so much. And that's PM swimming on the frame.

I think Finding Nemo was filmed in this reefs. LOL. The Great Barrier Reef contains the largest colelction of coral reefs and also provides habitat to the dugong [sea cow] and large green turtle.

I sure would want to see these places for real one time or the other very soon!

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this summer vacation. For one, it is the first vacation I actually had in about five years! I love staying home, worrying about nothing, and just eating!

The weather today is a very fine one. Sure it is still hot but the wind is blowing sweetly so it makes up for it. The endearing chirping of our love birds add to the fresh, beautiful feeling of summer!

When I went around the house this morning, I discovered that I am not the only one enjoying this day!

Kulot volunteered to bathe our dogs.

I think Biko enjoyed the bath and was well-behaved!

Of course the perfect thing to do for a cat on a perfect day is to sleep.

I think Pusing got a heat stroke LOL

But Jin wanted to stay indoors even if it was gorgeous outside.

***

Yesterday, my Man and I went out to get some ice cream because it was inferno in the city. I think this is the only thing I do not enjoy about summer vacation: missing my Babe!

Mouth-watering ice cream!

My Babe and I frequent a cafe that my friend owns. Their ice cream is so wonderful!

But the best part of summer for me is this: flowering Narra trees!

Naturally perfect

It makes walking on the sidewalk wonderful even on super bright days!

I just love the way the flowers fall down to the ground as it gets blown away by the wind! The lovely traces they leave on the road is just amazing!

Here’s to summer, and hoping you get a wonderful one too!

Litson manok stand beside the busy road

Late last week, my Man and I decided to have litson manok [roast chicken] for lunch.  It is funny because while we were eating I asked him what is litson manok in English and we just could not figure it out! Later that night I thought, maybe it is roast chicken, is it?

But obviously it is not your ordinary roast chicken, for instead of being oven cooked, our litson manok is slowly turned,  smoked and roasted on top of charcoal, like a grill minus the actuall grill part. You can get it almost anywhere and they usually are sold beside roads everywhere.

It is very tasty too! And I know the secret – it is because of all the dirt and smog that clings to it from the road. LOL!

And by the way, if you will look a little closely at the photo you will see a stripe-wearing PM reflected oh-so-lightly by the glass on that litson manok stand.