another start (and the day before it)

I guess the sembreak is already over. I'm back to work now and will be back to school tomorrow. I can't say I do not want it to end yet, as I've kept in mind that this would only be a brief one. Nevertheless, I can't say I'm prepared for the very busy days ahead again.

Workload is pretty much stable. Law school subjects are becoming more and more uninteresting to me (not law per se), especially civil and commercial law. My mother would have to continue her chemo sessions and radiation therapy afterward, including the trips to doctors in-between. The last of the three proves to be the most taxing, the most difficult to accomplish, and the most important one. Nothing else to do but to move ahead, finish everything, and look forward to another break.

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I spent the last day of this semester break simply and quietly, just like most of the days in the past 2 weeks. I woke up pretty late, ate breakfast/lunch, and spent the afternoon goofing around with little Eduard and Eric, after which Eric and I fell asleep in my room. Had it not been raining, we would have started arranging the Christmas decors and of course, our old Christmas tree, complete with recycled Christmas cards and fake wrapped gifts beneath it.

At around 5 pm, the kids' father picked them up, and the break ends for them then. I, together with a friend, accompanied Lola to the optical store and to an ATM. Instead of going home, Lola wanted to go see the still unfinished basilica in our city. She likes going there because the place is serene. When we got there, the place was empty, save for a priest and 4 seminarians who were about to leave. Lola proceeded to the altar and wiped the image of Jesus Christ in the crucifix with her hanky. She said she would give it to my mother so she would be healed. Afterward, we circled around the church and read the names of the deceased in the crypts, and we found a few names of people we knew. Surprisingly, that activity was relaxing (perhaps because of the quiet place and the fresh air passing through the church).

After the trip to the basilica, Lola wanted to go to the isawan owned by a friend's family, whom she holds dear. She said she missed isaw, and Alex (the owner), so she thought we better drop by before going home. So we went there, and the sight of a grandmother in a place filled mostly with young people and those drinking beer was peculiar and funny. She didn't mind though, and she just enjoyed talking to my friend. We took all our orders home (which Alex, by the way, insisted that we not pay for) and ate it there.

While eating dinner, my friend and cousin Ian watched Step Up 3. It was an enjoyable movie. At around 9:30 p.m., I was already alone in my room. I opened Anne Rice's book and continued reading until I dozed off...

untimely flu

Of all the days in a year, why am I sick in these few days of sembreak? When I was just trying to read and relax, I caught a flu. And the coldness here in the office is only aggravating my headache. I hope this flu gets away. I still have a week to enjoy. I think I should learn more taking those damn vitamins my mother has been shoving to me.

everybody knows her

Yesterday, Lola and I went to the 2nd floor of the public market. It was my first time to go there after so many years. She insisted that we have our nails cleaned (pedicure and manicure). Neneng, the one who comes to the house to do home service, already moved some place far, so we really have to go there---to her suki.

Even before we get to the small parlor, everyone in the market is greeting her, calling her Nanay or Lola. It seemed that every tindero't tindera there know her, and she knows every one of them. When we reached the parlor, the front was already closed. Lola said to the woman in the parlor beside it, "Aba, ang agang nagsara ng matandang to ah!" It turned out, that woman was her suki's sister, and after a minute, her suki appeared. She and her daughters had to go to Bulacan, that's why they're closing early. But since Lola was a dear friend, they still accommodated me. I sat in their rustic furniture, my nails were cleaned and polished in no time.

All the time that we were there, Lola was exchanging conversations with the owner (her suki) and her daughters. It seemed they go a long way back, and Lola knows the life story of her suki's every daughter, and well, it seemed all of us her grandkids were familiar to them through her stories. They talked of people I never even heard the names of and experiences I never really knew happened. She seemed to really be the people's person.

And the best part is, she always gets discounts. :)

Because I Want To

(Forgive me if all I would ever talk about for the next days is my semester break. It's just that it rejuvenates my soul I am so happy I have this break.)

It feels so refreshing having to wake up in the morning, and the sun is already up. I have less thing to worry about, except on weekdays, I just have to go to work and go home from work.

On the first (of the two) Saturday of the break, it feels good knowing that I have all day to watch my current favorite anime (Bleach) and read my favorite author until my eye drops. I had to spend a little time working online, but it's compulsory nature is not as stressful. The beautiful thing during these days of slackness is this: I am not forcing myself to do anything. Even when I'm working at home for a few hours, I am working because I want to; it's not because I have to.

A few days ago, I was talking with a friend about going to the gym or attending free weight loss programs. I am inherently lazy in doing physical work, but lately, going to the gym is becoming appealing, probably influenced by all this sickness around me. Too bad the semestral break is too short a time to indulge myself with that. But maybe in some other break, I can finally do that. Not because I have to (and I really have to), but because I want to.

read and rest

The semester is finally over.

I have a 2-week break from school. Even before the semester started, I have already plans of how to spend the short break: reading the Anne Rice book I bought last summer (instead of apidexin reviews), watching DVDs, and spending time with my little cousins. If I can, I'd like to spend time in a place like this one:



This picture was taken last summer. On our way to Arizona from Las Vegas, we chanced upon this serene place. I think this was a conservation park, and they only charge about 10 dollars for each car, regardless of how many you are. The flowing water is part of the Colorado River, and it's actually clear. There were a a number of people around when we arrived to take our lunch ala picnic, and most of them came in families. There were some couples, and some even brought their jet-ski's with them. I even saw a couple playing catch with their dog. Because there were just a few people, the whole place remained peaceful.

This picture is one of my typical drawings since childhood. My favorite drawing is a mountain with a river at the bottom and a green land beside the water, with the clear blue skies as the background and a round yellow sun. Of course, there's always that big tree where I could just lay down, read and rest.