Popcorn is gonna get us killed someday.
-Me

my family really likes watching movies.
mig and chad always go over it, reviewing and critiquing, especially all the fun parts.
mom is the first to look for food to eat while watching.
dad has an mtrcb pass again which gives free access for two.
and i just love to watch with them.

This is your grandmother's fault.
-Mom

after much squabbling with my parents over the whole thing, i was given my way. spoiled, haha. and the effort was definitely worth it. from the taste of mocha frap to blood. what a ride.

other interesting points:
seeing daphne.
watching angela and sop squabble.
talking with tita riza.
taking lawrence home.

7UP and Gin.

showing up not quite expected.
a book by garwood.
shiny 25centavo coins.
a lot of m&ms.

kept troubling mom and kuya jonie with the stuff i needed to get that damned ID. really too much for just a temporary pass.

spent time catching up with lalaine. we discovered that mirinda grape tastes like tempra. or worse. also got to see nikita. big smilies.

Ma'm, igorot, ma'm!
-Chesca

the pouring rain overpowered our voices in the classroom, so our prof decided to dismiss us early. i jumped up and quickly made my way down the five flights of stairs.

made it to the foodcourt in one piece, semi-drenched. when vicxen, sop and i got up to leave from there, the rain had died down. so i couldve just waited it out, but there'd have been no fun in that.

happy birthday to angela. reunion with cel, mikee, chesca... and maecy and maeca a bit, hehe. laughing over stuff at school, tv shows, food, bitches at cinemas, games on the net.

a night that ended too soon.

To all those who use our competetor's products... Happy Father's Day.
-Durex Condoms

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM DAD.

Trust Your Instincts
Decoding the signature Rialp sleight of hand or the cryptic 'aahh' that can mean mustard, napkin, rice or please slice a generous piece of mango pie for me that I may partake in the enjoyment of this festive occasion in the year of our Lord 2005.

(dad tends to not finish his sentences)


Surprises Are Everywhere
When boredom sets in, believing that several new DVDs - albeit some sharing the same title - have materialized somewhere in the house without prior notice. Moreover, the aforementioned DVDs are often complemented by the presence of a bag of Lays potato chips and 1.5 litres of Coca-Cola.

(dad buys a lot of movies)


When You Fail, Try Again
Communicating your thought clearly and precisely the first time is an exercise in vanity, the second time a test of patience, the third time a reward for your perseverance.

(dad's a little hard at hearing)

Life Is Ironic
Purchasing hundreds of pesos worth of medication for uric acid and honey roasted peanuts from the very same establishment says it all, and is likewise demonstrative of the adage you are what you eat...nuts.

(peanuts elevate uric acid)

A Journey Begins with a Single Step
Mentioning you have a new trivial interest may lead to protracted queries concerning where you think you are in your life, answers where you should be in your life, and ultimately telephone numbers and email addresses to contact the people who can help you change your life.

(one word: connections.)

Some Things Are Habit Forming
Q-Tips, Ring Tones, Free Cell, Automated Foot Massagers, Megastructures, Anti-Virus Programs, Mane and Tail, Foldable Reading Glasses, Half a Fruit

and best of all...

Express Yourself or Be Brave…
Whether at midnight or at high noon, sing and sing at the top of your lungs so that canine and human alike may know you have returned to your household in great spirits.

(dad's especially enthusiastic when he gets home from voice lessons)

Happy Father's Day
Love Miguelot, Kurokotok, and Boogs

Calvin: If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.
Hobbes: How so?
Calvin: Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day.
Hobbes: We spent OUR day looking under rocks in the creek.
Calvin: I meant OTHER people.

UP has way too many orientations for its own good. the students get bored. the few performances worth seeing: UP ethnic group (or whatever they're really called...), UP repertory (sa mga nakakakilala kay karla flores, isipin niyo sa sila'y isang grupo na puro karla flores. bongga!), UP sikat (galing nila gumaya ng mga kanta!).

saw a lot of familiar faces. some of my batchmates even hung out here at the house. they said this might become their second home, haha. they just have to get through kaiser and my brothers.

dad wont let me commute. thus, i think i've already been branded as the "rich kid" in my bloc. i'm glad i have cousins to sympathize with. monica once told me her dad picked her up in mama belen's brand new alpha romeo. she had turned red. speaking of my blocmates... well, they're ok. still need to get to know them more. miss my 'blocmates' from assumption a lot.

i'm pretty happy with my classes. so far my prof's havent proven themselves dislikable.
math: nothing special. its the one class i really shouldnt flunk. young female prof, she keeps us on our toes.
english: looks like she'll be throwing us a lot of work. kinda on the old boring side... but hopefully she can teach well.
portuguese: first thing she asked was "why portuguse?". most answers were along the line of "ma'am, kasi po, naubusan kami ng slots sa spanish." and mine had to be "uh... coz my family lived in brazil before i was born, and they spoke portuguese, and i though i'd bring myself into the loop."
social science: prof reminds me of ms gaye. looks like it'll be my easiest class. haha.
anthropology: my only subject with a male prof. he rocks. really, he does. i'm going to enjoy this class. i have to run up to the fourth floor every time though.

I want to taste meat! Mmmmm...
-Chad

bittersweet.

mom was standing at the table going through stuff when i came down. i yawned.
"happy birthday, mom.."
smiling, she thrust her arms out at me. i walked into them and gave her a big hug.

the tv was softly blaring when she called my attention.
"papa ato died this morning... just after midnight."
and for a second, all other sound disappeared.

when she had come home from an early morning mass that morning, miggy greeted her and also gave her the news. she sat down on the sofa and started crying. papa ato and mama belen were/are her second parents. mom called up mama belen. papa ato had been unconscious since the day before... he never woke up... his body just shut down. mama belen was happy she got her daughter, tita cecy, to get a priest for him in time. that was apparently important, coz among the immediate family only papa ato and tita cecy (one of eight kids) were the only catholics (the rest of the family is protestant). mama belen had been forced to leave by the med staff... which left him alone. she prayed that the archangels might keep him company instead. a pastor from their church visited the room once... and saw that mama's belen's prayer had been answered. so mama belen was doing ok.

there was a break in the subtle gloom... mom's birthday lunch at brazil brazil. meat lover's paradise. eat all you can - roast chicken, sausage, porkloin, striploin, tenderloin... and i cant remember the names of the others. i ended up dazed.

we dropped off mom at greanmeadows on the way home so she could spend time with her cousins. we'd join her at the wake later. i spent some time resting before i had to leave the house again for daniw. that was over and done with soon enough, and i was just glad i got to receive some solace in sop.

fell asleep waiting for dad to get home from his rehearsals so we could head back to greenmedows. it was late when he finally arrived, he told me to stay in bed instead, and so did mom.
but i went anyway.

Oh my God, I can't believe I knew that. Eww.
-Mars

i had half a mind to have the car turn around and head back home instead of trying to forge our way through a rain you could hardly see through, and floods that were frightening to cross, and traffic that was annoying to bear, to get to a place i wasnt even sure of (didnt even have a map!).

but i made it to the party. there was good food and good music going around. fulfilled my role as one of the eighteen candles. played the games with the class. watched video presentations. posed for a lot of pictures. received the "wise import from jordan" award. mostly just hung out.

out table consisted of me, cami, mars, alex, candy, eli, kia and father edwin. we talked about school and schedules, going abroad, naming all the disney songs that were playing, joking at each other.

me: anong kanta yan?
mars: swan princess. *pause* teka ako lang may alam??

mars: most likely to win pulitzer... si bea!
me: most likely to be the next mother theresa... si mars!

stopped by sop's house on the way home. her parents were asleep and never knew i was there. i was still wearing my pirate's costume (which i was proud of). i bore flowers. and in return for a giveaway bag, i got fed and... well lets just say i didnt get a bad deal.

Our name is too hard for the world anyway.
-Me

i've been getting sick a lot the past weeks, but its been a long time since i've had a fever this high. it alarmed mom and she confined me to my room. she spent time with me in there, talking to me, or reading. she even had meals brought to me in bed. i was a baby again.

i remember when i couldnt swallow pills yet... mom would hide them in a banana, or crush them and mix them into my juice or milk so i could take the medicine.  i remembered getting several injections of iron just so i could get through the week without fainting.

i remembered dad playing with snoopy and me. i remembered chad sitting through movies with me. i remembered migs watching over me at night. i remembered mom feeding me soup and singing me lullabies.

and i smiled as i listened to the rain while turning over the pages of a book.