a quiet week

How did you spend your holy week?

I went home to the province (and I'm still here). Against my mother's complaint, I brought with me so many stuff and urban clothes, thinking I'd "seize" every day of this long vacation. I've been missing drinking alcohol and going home at 4 am. I also missed my old friends here.

Apparently, I only went out of the house twice. One was on Good Friday to "watch" the procession, at the request of 11-year-old Eduard. The other was on Sabado de Gloria, making our way to hundreds of people who decided to go to the same water park as the one we went to (it was really a hassle, but we enjoyed the day nonetheless). This was also at the request of the children.

I guess my plan to party didn't work out well. Apparently, I didn't miss drinking and partying that much. Is this part of growing old? Or perhaps this was really the normal me. I've spent almost every day here in a routine manner. Reading a book, watching DVD, watching TV, and reading a book---with meals in between, and almost all the time, with kids around.

I remember holy week last year was full of activities. Yes, it was a vacation week, but it was quite tiring. This one was more serene. And frankly, I enjoyed it more. =)

So, how was yours?

teenage dirtbag

Ian, the first kid since the first set of grandchildren (kuyang, me, and tootie - only a year apart from each other), turned 17 yesterday. When he was a baby, we were all into him, especially me. He's just so cute, and his smile was so endearing. He took over our world, my world, for a time. When I come home from school (I was in high school then), I'd go straight to his room, look at him, and play with him for a while. During some nights, I sleep over with him and his parents. At times, I really think angels are playing with him, especially when he giggles alone. Eventually, his parents moved out, but they entrusted his care to Lola. So he has become, what you may call, a Lola's boy.

After years of staying in Manila, and going home only for long weekends and holidays, I never really saw him grow up. True, I witnessed the important events in his life, but I never saw his day-to-day life that turned him into what he is now.

He's grown to be the typical teenaged kid, you know, with the usual complaints about them. If he's not on the net, he constantly has all those Apple accessories plugged into his ears, making it very hard to talk with him. And of course, he hates staying at home and prefers spending time with barkadas. I never really guessed he'd be the same way that he is now. But don't we all pass through this phase? Some just pass through it faster than the others, while others almost never pass this stage (take a guess which category I belong to). Still, I know in my heart that he and his siblings and my niece Keng all grow up to be fine adults someday. I am praying for that, every time I pray.

To some extent, I envy Ian. I never had the same liberty he's been experiencing now. My parents, Lola even, were stricter back when we were teenagers. I am home by 6 pm and rarely go out with friends on weekends. And I never, never, experienced sleepovers and out-of-towns. At the same time, I am happy for him---that he has been living the life a teenager should live it. I hope he gets wisdom from the life that he is choosing now. After all, I know he's angel is always still with him.

Happy birthday, Ian. Never forget, ever, that we love you always. You will always be my original favorite. ;)

Note: Teenage Dirtbag is a Wheatus song that I really love.

bloopers

I've heard so many people complain about their Internet or phone connections, especially when they most need it, to look for the 1st anniversary gift for him, to book a flight, or to meet a deadline (do you still remember the PLDT customer service controversy?).

For a whole week, I did not use my net, so I was quite annoyed when there was no connection, especially when I needed it to meet a deadline for work. Immediately I called up the hotline.

After all the interviews, all the agent could offer was for me to switch the ends of the yellow cable connecting the modem and the laptop. I said, "are you serious?" as I was expecting a more elaborate solution, like configuration or something. It still did not work after that, so he said a technician would have to personally check my connection. I was irked by the delay, but what can I do? I just emphasized the need to have it fixed within 24 hours.

And within 24 hours, the technician came. I welcomed him in a not-so-good mood (still annoyed by the connection problems). In a second, he fixed the problem. Apparently, the cable connecting the phone and the modem was not plugged to the phone! Oh my gosh, after all the bad mood, it was just a stupid mistake on my part! haha! The agent should have asked me to check all the cables that need to be checked. haha. It was really a simple solution after all.

In my shame, when he told me that the cable was pulled out, I just said, "the net was down since last night!" haha. What does that have to do with anything? When he opened the modem, I was half hoping it won't work. But it did. :p