Kreativ 25

Because Candy tagged me for the Kreativ Blogger Award and I just made a Random 25 list on Facebook, I thought it be best to cover all bases and merge the lists as one.

No more tagging from me. This meme is free for all.

Here goes:

1. Depending on when or where you met/knew me, you’d probably have a distinct impression of me. Things have certainly changed over the years!

2. I love good food and sometimes I’ll make an effort to cook a special meal, but I prefer to just sit down and enjoy a sumptuous meal prepared by someone else. Cooking really isn’t a calling — and trust me, I’ve made several attempts. I’m a good food shopper, though.

3. It may not look it to many, but I can be quite adventurous and open-minded in ways no one would expect. I once posed for the late and wonderful photographer Marlon Despues. I thought motherhood and marriage tamed me, but the other day I seized the opportunity to try pole dancing class for an article assignment.

4. I never studied or planned to make writing a career. I always had a love affair with words though — and I’m glad that has led me to what I am doing now.

5. I studied Business Management in college — against my real wishes. It was a parental demand, and I was happiest being kicked out of MEco, spending a year in SocSci before shifting to Mgt. Many, many years later, I have made peace with business, finding out that I actually ENJOY it. I just wish it wasn’t forced on me.

6. I applied to be a teacher after college. I even went as far as giving a demo class to an AHS class. Something though told me it wasn’t the right thing for me.

7. But I do have experience in teaching. For Th141 immersion, a bunch of us taught in an elementary school in Barangka over a period of weeks. And for about a year, I taught supplementary English and some Math to high school students at the Sibol Hesus School.

7. I think I might have tried out for JVP if it didn’t need parental permission.

8. I’m a true Aquarian: a social loner. I can easily socialize in pretty much any situation (I have a history of kaladkarin moments too), but I like flying solo. I never really felt the need to be part of a crowd all the time.

9. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love my friends. The Crew is family. And I can be fiercely loyal to those that matter to me.

10. I have always loved kids — being with them, talking to them, playing with them. And before, I used to have an illogical fear of being barren. I guess I was wrong.

11. I am still sometimes surprised that there was a time a baby was growing inside me then I try to connect the idea with this little person who has become a walking, talking, running, negotiating, singing, joking, living being.

12. I am a late bloomer when it comes to appreciating music, art, and culture in general. But now I can’t imagine a life that is not immersed in it.

13. I got involved in music by chance. I was just sitting in a meeting of people who wanted to put up a music org. I ended up being an officer. And drawing up its constitution. And being a rock band manager after graduation.

14. Sitting in also got me involved in political activism. I wasn’t supposed to be in that DEA meeting, but I left with an assignment already. I was later found lobbying and rallying.

15. It was hard for me to change the world because I was doing it behind my dad’s back. I would hide behind the cameras if media would arrive.

16. I love design, but I can’t draw for squat.

17. I can’t learn to love the gym. I would try and go back once a year. Literally.

18. I found an affinity in other kinds of workouts: I used to run before class in college. Lately, I discovered Pilates. If only I could afford it.

19. I used to be in varsity in college. Surprise, surprise. Friends took me to the shooting range, and I joined the rifle-pistol team. I had some promise in me. I made it to Varsity in time to be exempted from 2 semesters of PE classes. I quit after that… because our coach took us to a live firing range which was much more fun! (And I chose politics over sports eventually)

29. I was (mistakenly) referred to as the gin goddess in the far province of Baler. It was a surf trip, but I was there to just hang out, not to surf. The surf dudes liked to think that I drank them under the table but should have remembered that they started drinking before I did and that I had a lazy day compared to their wave-riding one. I’m scared to go back and face a drinking challenge.

21. I acted in a play once. It had a repeat performance in Freedom Bar where we drank real beers and smoked cigarettes and cursed out loud. Happy times with friends.

22. I miss writing — writing for myself and not as work. Writing as expression. I don’t know where to start now.

23. I also miss reading. Baby repaced books, it seems. I need to work on that, I know.

24. I’m back in the Katipunan area where I grew up, and I love experiencing it anew. So much has changed, but it holds a lot of happy memories too.

25. I am really grateful for the house we are living in. I am happy it serves its purposes well: a place we gladly go home to, a venue to gather friends, and a refuge from the craziness outside.

Age is only a number

“Matthew,” I started. “The twins are two years old. Saachi is two years old. Matthew is three years old. Sancho is three years old.”

This was my attempt to introduce Matthew to the concept of age.

“Ah,” he mutters, nodding sagely.

“How old is daddy?”

“Three years old!”

Hmmmm

“How old is mama?”

“Ten years old.”

That’s not nice! What’s that supposed to mean?

Book boy

My husband’s sister is in town, which means that a bookstore trip is imperative.  I love bookstores, in fact my little family does enjoy browsing through titles — in our own preferred sections, of course.

I had spotted some Filipino movies on DVD in Powerbooks Megamall before, so I pointed it out to our visitor. While looking through the videos, I knew that an impatient little boy would kill the fun.

A solution was easy and in front of our faces.

Can you spot him?

What’s that feeling?

After breakfast, Matthew moved on to the living room and began building his fort (disassembling the couch, in my opinion). After a while, I went over to check on him.  As I placed my hand on his arm, I thought he felt warm.

“Do you feel sick?” I ask him.

“No,” he answers distractedly, busy with his playing.

“Are you sure?”

“I am just so full,” he looks at me seriously.  “I’m so full of Cococrunch!”