First Day of School

This week is the start of the school year for kids in elementary and high school. Over lunch, a colleague shared both his excitement and anxiousness for his four-year-old's first day of school EVER.

This led to an animated conversation about kids and school- how school corridors are lined with yayas and moms reading or crocheting because their kids won't allow them to leave, how traffic builds up because of the ceremonies that happen once kids get out of their cars (baby powder + hair combed + words of wisdom & encouragement + hug + hatid; you wonder why a lot of this couldn't happen as the car was approaching the drop off point right?).

Made me remember mom's birthday letter to me last year, where she recounted a number of memories that flashed before her as she sat down to write me my card. One of which was on my first day of pre-school: "I remember I was the one having separation anxiety because you just waved at me and went marching right into your classroom".

Anyhu, makes me wonder.. do you know how your first day of school was?

10 years ago...

Before I get lost in my 28th year - thought I'd take the opportunity to look back and see where I was 10 years ago.

10 years ago...

...I was 18! First minute into my birthday began with a surprise bedroom visitor who came bearing 18 roses. The day ended with a surprise party thrown by my friends at home. Birthdays have been mellower over the last few years, but they have been, and still are, celebrated with the people I love most.

...I was a high school senior: studying, theater, central student government, and the school paper. Very much ontop of my sh*t. Life got a little more challenging after. Lol.

... I was being chauffeured around by a driver, in the loveliest of cars. Circumstances have changed since then. I am now a MASTER commuter!

... I spoke a drop of Tagalog. Now I speak a drizzle of Tagalog, a shower of bastardized Taglish & a deluge of gayspeak.

...I became a college freshman at the Ateneo.. & experienced the biggest culture shock of my life. First two classes? Women's Ping Pong & Filipino. Oh lordy.

... I 'moved out' - began renting an apartment facing school and experienced living by myself for the first time ever.

...I began what is now a life-long love affair with the ACGC. 'Nuf said.

...I got over one love &  re-fell in love with whom I thought was my one true love - oh boy. *insert rolling eyes emoticon*. Really glad that long and dragging chapter is over and done with.

... my little sisters were 15 & 10, and I towered over them. Now they tower over me.

... I got my driver's license! And still haven't driven since :D

... I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life. And after 4 years in college, 5 years as an entrepreneur, a few months as a project manager, HR consultant and now a design manager, I still don't know. But finally enjoying trying to figure it out.

I thought by now I would've ruled the world - become a famous stage actress, or a high powered corporate robot or a respected media mogul. Then again, I thought I'd be "there" by 25, wherever that there was. Things haven't really turned out that way, but you know what's, that's ok. My life has been blessed and for that I'm grateful.

It's been a week into my 28th year and so far, so good. Great actually! Should be a kick-ass year.

Summer Outing

Yesterday, I went on the annual summer outing of a group that I've been an alumnus (alumni? alum?) of for the last six years. The last time I joined them was about three or four years ago, on my birthday actually! It was a little strange interacting with a group of kiddies I don't recognize at all and very much thankful that a few of my own fellow kiddies also opted to join the trip.

I noticed the three groups that naturally sat together over lunch. The newest members sat furthest away from the food table (the epicenter of all outings, lol) and were quietly giggling and smiling about the events of the day's past. The current members were positioned to the right of the food table and were roaring and hooting together as they re-bonded over whatever experiences they shared. Us oldies claimed our place on the other side of the food table and spent the afternoon chatting, laughing and vicariously living off of the energy of the newbies who were splashing around in the pool.

The trip was a memory jolter for me, remembering my very first summer outing with the group and then the trips that ensued from there. The group has been a very very big part of my life - from all the life lessons it has taught me, the irreplaceable adventures I experienced and finally, to the beautiful friends who have now become family.

I remember being worried about the continuity of the group when I left; I think all new graduates do. The organization has been around for so long, that you forget about the resilience it has proven to have over and over again, and was reassured of this again yesterday. Seeing the organization's magic at work as it created new memories for the newbies and continues to do so for the current and older batches, was truly a joy to witness.

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

Some of the best movies I've seen I watched growing up. I don't know why that is- maybe the simple appreciation of seeing wondrous things through the eyes of a child? Maybe movie's really WERE better back in the day? Or well.. here's my favorite.. because anything retro triggers with it a deluge of warm and fuzzy feelings and memories?


I blogged first about watching an old favorite here. I recently decided to watch on youtube "The One and Only, Genuine, Original, Family Band" - another personal oldie but goodie.


The movie apparently didn't do so well, but I love it regardless. I think it maybe the first movie I watched with choreographed song & dance numbers. Plus for the longest time, I was very much into stories of the American Midwest that took place in the late 19th century, thanks to things like Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books (love love love this - should purchase these books and read them again!) and "Oregon Trail", an old Macintosh computer game we used to play in school.


I must have been 8 the last time I saw this movie- that's a helluva long time ago! Yet I found myself singing along with ALL the songs as I watched it on youtube! I think i was smiling throughout the entire thing.


Here's one of my favorite scenes- looks like dancing show downs in movies have been around for some time! Love the song & dance number (calling JONELSKI), and the costumes of the girls with their petticoats, long undies and slim boots (for a lack of anything better to call them, lol). Plus John Davidson's so dashing with his dimples. I don't think you see Kurt Russel in this clip, but look for Goldie Hawn - she plays a giggly dancing girl with a pretty major dance role towards the end of the dance off.


The movie also stars Walter Brennan who plays a grandpa both in this movie and in another old favorite, The Gnome-Mobile with the two kids from Mary Poppins; Disney seems to love recycling their tried and tested stars. Lol.


I haven't watched too many old movies come to think of it. But I love the very few I've seen. Maybe I ought to spend some time catching up on classics. Any suggestions?

(photo credits: http://www.ultimatedisney.com & http://moviegoods.com)

Grocery Shop Carting

Till recently, I decided to regularly join my mom & sister on the household bi-monthly grocery shopping day.

I got behind the cart and saw this:


I really really had to keep myself from regressing. Flashback to shopping days with my mom as a kid.... when I got too old (and big) to be riding around in the shopping cart, I would eagerly push the cart around instead. Though eventually, mom had to keep me from this as well because I had discovered the naughty pleasure of ramming the cart into my mom's heels and royally pissing her off. Hehehe.

Now a day I limit myself to chasing after my sisters when we shop in places like S&R, where the carts are big, and the aisles are not only empty but wide as well. I don't actually ram into their heels anymore as I know it can be pretty damn painful, but it's always fun to see my sisters scamper down the aisle yelling "AAAATEEEE!!!"

I'm pretty behaved when we're in tighter grocery stores. But regardless, my mom and sister keep one eye on me when I'm pushing the cart around for them JUST IN CASE I lapse into a 2nd childhood.

Grocery day tomorrow. Nyeheehehe.

Bag Bliss

So back in the day (very very back in the day!) while living abroad, every trip out my parents took, my mom would return with a bag to add to her bag closet. When we moved back home years late, we discovered to my mom's horror, that a lot of her bags were ruined in the shipment due to I suppose humidity and what not. A lot of the leather started to crack and crumble.. it was truly a sad sad sight. Mom had to get rid of a good number of her stash (cue single rolling tear drop..).

I serendipitously rediscovered the left over stash she no longer uses which include brands such as Celine, Charles Jordan, Dooney and Burke, Coach, LV, Ferragamo and Gucci (cue pseudo-squeal of glee).

I don't know if it was a sign of the times, or Mom's then baduy taste (or both.. hehehe), but you see some of these bags and you're like.. "what the?!". A lot of thick heavy leather, and odd shaped bags that don't fit anything in them! Today, bags can fit everything including the kitchen sink! I can easily stash maybe 7 of these old bags into one of the bags I now use.

The good news is that a few of them (few meaning.. I can count them on one hand), even though the leather has gotten a little tough and even though they kind of reek of old smelly leather (which I'll have to wipe down with baking soda), they are still usable. Useless for everyday but I'm thinking good for travel - you know, to hold your passport, book, wallet, phone, etc.. just so it's within your reach? Thankfully most of them have that one long strap you can adjust.. so instant small messenger tote! So will be trying out a few to see how they hold up, in preparation for an upcoming trip.

These will have to do until I can afford my own :)

silly fears

i had this fear when i was a kid, which i think has carried on to well.. present day: i think twice before walking over things like planks, covers of drains, etc..

i suppose there is a fear of the "cover" giving way and falling through. it has never happened yet & hopefully it never will!

jack & odette

it's amazing how much the brain can retain as well as forget. what's even cooler is seeing, hearing or possibly even smelling triggers that lead back to a flood of so many memories.

i completely forgot what prompted me to look for this, but was beside myself in giddiness when i found it: SWAN LAKE. it was originally released in 1978 and later re-released twice if i'm not mistaken, with an English version and another version afterward with celebrity voices playing the part of Princess Odette and Prince Siegfried.

i watched this betamax version over and over again at my best friend's house in the earlier years of my childhood. i remember the beautiful music, the dark version of Odette (rothbarth's daughter odille) and scenes of a distrought white swan trying to get the attention of the tricked prince at the ball where he was to announce the girl he was going to marry. seeing the movie in full again on youtube brought back a flood of other memories and of course, newly formed opinions about the whole movie which i won't even get into.

the discovery of this prompted me to look for another cartoon i used to watch as well with my best friend which i had forgotten all about until i saw swan lake. jack and the beanstalk from 1974, another anime classic. i have yet to piece together some time to rewatch it in full but seeing the first few minutes and hearing the music again brought back and flood of memories.

it was interesting as well to google the two and read people's opinions about the two cartoon movies. a lot of comments out there that i agree with and made me giggle actually! writing about it now is making me want to watch it now instead of focus on the work i'm supposed to be doing! scrolling through the comments on the youtube link made me smile again. looks like i wasn't alone in my giddiness and that these two almost-forgotten classics brought a lot of great memories back to a lot of people. it's great when you realize that your memories are shared by so many others around the world. i don't know too many people in my immediate circle who actually know these movies.

i wonder if there are dvds out of these guys? would love to purchase me some copies. makes me want to go look for some of the other movies from my childhood, ie: last unicorn, jim henson's frog prince, the gnome-mobile (with the kids from mary poppins), pete's dragon & the one and only, genuine, original family band (loved the music here; with a young goldie hawn & kurt russel).

here are the first links for each movie on youtube:
jack & the beanstalk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FO52WQd4iI
swan lake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOqC9KZnz8&feature=related

pictures attached are from the following websites:
jack & the beanstalk: http://salomesays.com/blog/2009/03/fe-fi-fo-huh/
swan lake: http://nostalgiajunkie.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/retro-anime-theatre-swan-lake/