Category Archives: Family

Homecoming Jitters – Random Thoughts and Realizations

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Three months in England. Wow. Is that for real? Yes, I am on my way to my third month in England and sadly, I am scheduled to leave soon. I am having mixed emotions right now. Remember my blog entry about my travel jitters prior to my trip here? Ironically, I am going through the same thing. Now I call it ‘Homecoming Jitters’.

Wishful Thinking

Some of my mom’s friends told me that I should not go here in United Kingdom on a Winter because of the weather. Guess what? They were right! My body is not used to the very, very, very cold weather and I needed to adjust asap. Now I know that Gloves, Boots, Scarfs and Warmers are not being used for fashion purposes only. It is a necessity. It is not even enough to keep your body warm especially last December. I ended up getting colds after playing with the snow when I was in Cardiff, Wales. I literally rolled on the snowed floor in a public park. That resulted to my home arrest for two weeks.

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A Reunion Story

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The major reason on why i decided to embark on a trip to the United Kingdom is mainly for my family. I think everybody knows that now since i’ve been telling that in some of my blog posts and social media accounts. Of course, the #1 reason would be my brother, Carlo.

We're going to Greenhills and dine at Jollibee (2007)

Some people might find it ‘korny’ when i tell them that i really miss my brother so much. You see, he is now fifteen years old and i am already twenty three years old. Usually, siblings of our age are not the affectionate type. In the normal setting, siblings with such age gaps are not that close at all. Most probably the eldest will be a bit reluctant to kiss her younger brother in public. Maybe hugging is already a big no-no.

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Random Thoughts While Blogging in Wales

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I’ve been staying in the United Kingdom for 10 days already. I am currently blogging from our hotel room somewhere in Castle Street in Cardiff, Wales. I am here with my mom preparing for an important matter that we need to fix here.

Commuting in London via Bus

My trip here in the United Kingdom is not mainly for leisure. To be honest with you, I’d rather tour around Asia and South America than gallivant over Europe. The main reason why i am here is a bit more personal – it is for my family.

Those who have been reading my LJ and i.ph blog between 2004-2008 have an idea that i am more of a family person especially when my brother was still living with me. We were together all the time. In fact, i even made a blog about him when he left the country last 2008 to be with mom. It was painful of course, but i know that the changes within the family is for the better. I opted to stay in the Philippines for me to determine what i really want to do with my life because seriously, i have a lot of ambitions when it comes to having a career. I want to be a good marketing person (hello, BMG!), i want to be a better blogger (i think i accomplished a lot in this division), i want to make films (three shorts films? not bad, right? :P), i want to write more about celebrities no matter if it is positive or errr… entertaining (hello, kaparazzi!). I’ve accomplished almost all of it except having a lovelife of my own haha 😀

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Travel and Reunion Jitters

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While most Filipino bloggers are already preparing for the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards this coming Sunday, i am now busy doing last minute errands for my longest travel trip to date. I’m going to UK!

Carlo and Mama via Skype

It sounds fantastic, right? But hey, it was not an easy one. Completing my requirements for the visa application really made me emotionally stressed last month. I am used to doing things on my own, but this one is quite a hella ride. The anxiety even caused some irregularities to my menstrual cycle LOL. I am not really sure on how the other countries do process and decide whether to approve or deny a certain applicant, but you need to wait a few days in UK. Thankfully, I had the right immigration solicitors to help. You may also visit sites like immigrationbond.com/immigration-bail-bonds-complete-guide/ for more info on immigration bonds. And for portuguese citizenship by investment, trust the experts like the Mercan Group for professional services.

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On Family Trees and Family Portraits

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Do you still remember what your Art (or PEHM, MAPE or GMRC) teacher required you to make as a school project? I bet one of which is the ‘Family Tree’, where what you need to do is cut your family members’ individual pictures and put it in a colorful paper and paste it in a branch. It’s up to you whether you like to add more glittery stuff or you want to add more colors. You are bound to unleash your creativity and make pasikat to your classmates.

Family Tree Project

One of the Family Tree Projects I made

Way back in Elementary, I was a bibbo student. Having a popular FM Disk Jockey as your father and a well-respected Nurse as a mother will make one kid proud. Having a cute baby brother also count.

I had a couple of school assignments wherein I am required to cut some family pictures and eventually tell a story about your home infront of the class. I often told my classmates that I am happy because my family is so intact. We often have out-of-town trips with other relatives. I remember going to Ilocos (Laoag, Vigan and Pagupud – before the place became a tourist destination), Batangas, Cagayan, Baguio, La Union, Zambales and other provinces. We only have a few pictures because we don’t really own one.

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Have Baby, Will Blog

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Were you able to read the Summit Media book Have Baby, Will Date? Or were you able to catch the TV version of the said chicklit on TV5 where Valerie Concepcion played the lead role? Well, any of the two mentioned  has nothing to do with this blog entry LOL 😛

Last Saturday, Ada and I went to Greenhills after our shoot for Tek Tok TV. We found out that Hannah’s scheduled to host a seminar somewhere in Promenade Mall and since we have nothing to do, we decided to take a sneak peak at the event.

web-safety

Keep that in mind, dear parents!

We saw Carlo Ople talking in front while Sir Sonny invited us to join. I then found out that it is a Cyber Safety Campaign for Parents seminar. Obviously, we didn’t really have plans of staying since it is a seminar designed for parents. Carlo’s talk somewhat caught my attention because he was speaking about online gaming addiction when we came in. We decided to stay 😛

The next speaker that day is Sir Sonny, who then discussed about keeping your kids safe from possible harm that can be seen online. He narrated how he gained his son’s trust and vice versa. He also emphasized on the importance of building that ‘offline’ connection with your kids. Spending time with them and being a role model to them is the most effective way of teaching a little kid. It somewhat reminded me on how I was brought up by my parents.

When I was in elementary, I am frequently seen in the library reading books and I kept on borrowing them just for the sake of having my library card filled out LOL. These days, kids rely on the internet for their research and assignments. Everything works in an instant and technology is the one to thank (or to blame?) because we can now access information in just a snap.

All throughout the talk, I was quiet at my seat. I remember Ada asking me from time to time ‘Huy, anong iniisip mo?’, ‘Oi badet bakit tahimik ka?’ ‘Inaantok ka na ‘noh?’ – Ang Kulit eh haha but well.. what was i really thinking while at my seat?

See, I am already 23 years old. In fact, I am already in the marrying age. I have a stable job and yes, i can produce a baby now LOL. A cousin of mine gave birth last Sunday and we’re at the same age so yeah, basically i am now capable of making babies. Plenty of babies!

But errr… I dunno. Am I ready to really have one? Financially, I can say I am now capable of supporting a little kid’s needs with the help of the father. Physically, I also am (with a sexy yet healthy body like mine LOL!) but Emotionally, I don’t think I am. Mentally too.

Then I thought of these scenarios:

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Spending the First Weekend of July in Dagupan City

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After spending two days and one night in Baguio City, I went straight to Dagupan City via Victory Liner for a short visit at our new house there. To those who don’t really have an idea where I lived from 1994 to 2008, I actually lived inside the school campus. Yes, it is in the same campus where I studied for elementary, high school and college.

The New Home

From Penthouse to Big House

Early this year, my grandparents moved to another house near the school campus. Though my grandfather already retired from his job as a Medical Director in Pangasinan Medical Center, he is still an active Dean at the College of Medicine of Lyceum Northwestern-University. My lola is having a hard time climbing up the stairs, which may have utilized a stair runners, (we used to stay at the 3rd floor of the Administration Bldg), they’ve decided to stay at the other house.

This house is big! I arrived late Thursday night and I was surprised upon seeing a big dog, who acts as the guard in the new home compound. The dog’s name is German and I am scared of dogs. I end up holding my father’s hands like a little girl whenever I go in and out of the compound 😛

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Missing Carlo over and over

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More than two years ago, I launched the Missing Carlo blog. Those who really knew me way back surely knows that most of my blog entries in my Livejournal and i.ph blog is all about my brother Carlo. He left the country in February 2008 and went to England with Ate Virgie.

From England with Love : Carlo and Mama during our Skype session earlier

From England with Love : Carlo and Mama during our Skype session earlier

He’s with my mom now and to be honest, it took me quite a while to move on. I am used to leaving home with his smiling face while giving his ‘pabilin’ and going back home with him checking my bags and scouting for pasalubongs. He gave me the most sincere hugs and kisses ever and he was my human teddy bear.He is now studying in a special school and I am so happy because in a span of two years, my brother really improved a lot.

I rarely chat with them thru Skype and I am guilty about it. My mom bugs me everytime to have a webcam session with them but I reject her at times because I’d rather do other things (bad me!).

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PENTHOUSE – The Place I Once Called Home

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Today is Easter Sunday. I bet most of my readers are sleeping as I type this entry at 3AM. I’m not yet sure if i’ll be taking the 3:30 AM bus trip to Manila or the 4AM or 5 or 6. I blame my work schedule on why I have to leave Dagupan City on a Sunday.

Dagupan_Day0263

Guess who spent 15 years of her life living in that penthouse?

See, i had no plans of going back here in Dagupan last week. I decided five hours before I left Manila that I will be spending my Holy Week break in a nice hotel in the Bangus City. It was my dream since I was a kid that at least I try to stay here even just for one night and now it feels good that I finally fulfilled that plan of mine.

Most of my Dagupan-based friends asked me why I didn’t go to our house. Well, Lolo and Lola went to Naga for the yearly reunion of the Santamaria’s. I never had the chance to visit their new place (they moved out just this January) and yes, I don’t have a key so how can I enter in the house? 😛

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to have my very own version of Dagupan Photowalk. It was only now that I appreciate every little detail in this city through the photos I took. Now I see the old buildings which was never revamped after the 1990 earthquake, the ruins caused by the different typhoons that struck the city and all the other details that I would rather not elaborate here. Let us just say that I didn’t really explore Dagupan City that much.

Then I went back to our old house/school.

If you are thinking that I used to live inside a University campus, well, you’re right.

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