Kutis na pang Miss World! lol
Showing posts with label Childhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Childhood. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Friday, August 8, 2008
Oops!
I woke up with the vague feeling of discomfort. The dark room was silent, except for the sound of the crickets outside.
“Oh no...”
My t-shirt was completely soaked, and so were my pajamas. I looked over to my left: Nanay and my younger brothers were fast asleep.
I slowly crept towards the door, careful not to make the tiniest sound as I made my way to the sala. Except for the red glow of the small bulb from the altar, the entire house was dark.
Creeeak! The rusty spring on the door complained as I pushed it open. On the banig on the floor I saw our helper, who was also fast asleep. I held my breath as I closed the door and walked slowly to the cabinet. Quickly, I grabbed some clothes and let myself out.
Our bathroom was outside the house, just adjacent to the dirty kitchen. I switched the lone incandescent bulb and braved the short walk.
Inside, I removed my wet clothes which were smelled faintly of ammonia. I toweled myself before putting on the dry ones. I rolled the wet pajamas into a ball and stuffed them at the bottom of the hamper. I went back inside the house.
I picked up yesterday’s paper and brought it with me inside the bedroom. With the utmost care, I laid them carefully on the bed- mostly over the wet parts. I climbed back to bed, dry and snug, and went back to sleep.
I was eight.
-----
Nocturnal enuresis is usually not considered a problem until after the age of 6. The most common causes include genetic predisposition and delay of maturation (Cendron, 1999). The incidence of nocturnal enuresis declines as the child matures.
Sabay justify, hehe!
“Oh no...”
My t-shirt was completely soaked, and so were my pajamas. I looked over to my left: Nanay and my younger brothers were fast asleep.
I slowly crept towards the door, careful not to make the tiniest sound as I made my way to the sala. Except for the red glow of the small bulb from the altar, the entire house was dark.
Creeeak! The rusty spring on the door complained as I pushed it open. On the banig on the floor I saw our helper, who was also fast asleep. I held my breath as I closed the door and walked slowly to the cabinet. Quickly, I grabbed some clothes and let myself out.
Our bathroom was outside the house, just adjacent to the dirty kitchen. I switched the lone incandescent bulb and braved the short walk.
Inside, I removed my wet clothes which were smelled faintly of ammonia. I toweled myself before putting on the dry ones. I rolled the wet pajamas into a ball and stuffed them at the bottom of the hamper. I went back inside the house.
I picked up yesterday’s paper and brought it with me inside the bedroom. With the utmost care, I laid them carefully on the bed- mostly over the wet parts. I climbed back to bed, dry and snug, and went back to sleep.
I was eight.
-----
Nocturnal enuresis is usually not considered a problem until after the age of 6. The most common causes include genetic predisposition and delay of maturation (Cendron, 1999). The incidence of nocturnal enuresis declines as the child matures.
Sabay justify, hehe!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
My Last Trip to Baguio
Hanapin mo kung saan ako. Sirit? Hehe I’m the boy in the black shoes with no socks, green shirt, and hand-me-down blue jacket, looking like Jolina Magdangal on a bad hair day. Lol! Ok, so I won’t win best dressed award, but this trip in 1987 (after EDSA revolution, and just before the great earthquake that razed the Hyatt to the ground) was one of the best memories I had in my childhood. I’ve always had a couple of screws loose, which made everything quite interesting. Tooth-pulling, boxing, and championing Chinese garter games were my “thing”. What a hoot!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
A Draw
In the blue corner, we have a 90 pound, petite woman. A registered nurse with three kids. She has zero defeats and is currently the head of the matricentric household.
In the red corner, we have a thin boned, 9 year old kid with a 19 inch waist. This will be his first attempt to grab the championship.
Ding, ding ding! The bells signal the start.
Round 1
Thad had a really bad tooth decay on one of his temporary molars (due to his love of sweets), and his Mama notices him picking on the cavity with his fingers. She also noticed that Thad had been brushing his teeth quite often, which would never happen unless he was having a bad toothache.
Mama approaches tries to get a look at the rotting tooth. Thad knew what was coming so he tries to duck, unfortunately the opponent grabs his jaw and forces them open. She sees the decayed tooth and decides that they go to the dentist immediately.
Round 2
Thad retreats into his room and contemplates his next move. He has an irrational fear of dentists and their sharp metal instruments. He knew he must dodge this move by escaping right away.
Alas! His Mama blocks his path, and orders his older cousin to make sure he gets dressed so they could go to the dentist. The two women drag the poor kid to a jeep that would take them downtown.
Round 3
At the dentist’s office, a desperate Thad puts on a very brave fight. They hold him down the dentist’s chair (Mama on the right, my Ate on the left) while his legs kick this way and that.
The dentist approaches and rubs some topical anesthetic on the gum of the diseased tooth with a gloved had. Thad squirms harder, knowing that the syringe was next.
After minutes of struggling and threats from Mama, the dentist gives up. She tells the mother to come back when the kid is calm. Mama pays the dentist for the anesthetic and march outside the office. She finds a jeep, pays the fare and instructs the driver to drop Thad off at the house while she continues to run errands.
Round 4
A very angry Thad hops off the jeepney into their neighborhood. Instead of going home, he goes to the house across the street where his Tita lives as stays there. For two days. He was still mad and was determined not to speak to his Mama.
On the third day, his Tita persuades him to go home, because his Mama might think she was encouraging him to stay. By this time his anger had dissipated.
Stepping into their living room, he notices the floor is clean. His toys were displayed on the cabinet neatly, undisturbed by neither him nor his brothers. He sees his Mama in the kitchen and their eyes meet.
No apologies are exchanged, but they all sit and have lunch together. Later that night, Thad wakes up in the middle of the night feeling his decayed tooth move when he pushes it with his tongue. He sticks his fingers in his mouth, holds the tooth and twists as hard as he could.
The next morning he shows his Mama the rotten tooth he pulled all by himself.
In the red corner, we have a thin boned, 9 year old kid with a 19 inch waist. This will be his first attempt to grab the championship.
Ding, ding ding! The bells signal the start.
Round 1
Thad had a really bad tooth decay on one of his temporary molars (due to his love of sweets), and his Mama notices him picking on the cavity with his fingers. She also noticed that Thad had been brushing his teeth quite often, which would never happen unless he was having a bad toothache.
Mama approaches tries to get a look at the rotting tooth. Thad knew what was coming so he tries to duck, unfortunately the opponent grabs his jaw and forces them open. She sees the decayed tooth and decides that they go to the dentist immediately.
Round 2
Thad retreats into his room and contemplates his next move. He has an irrational fear of dentists and their sharp metal instruments. He knew he must dodge this move by escaping right away.
Alas! His Mama blocks his path, and orders his older cousin to make sure he gets dressed so they could go to the dentist. The two women drag the poor kid to a jeep that would take them downtown.
Round 3
At the dentist’s office, a desperate Thad puts on a very brave fight. They hold him down the dentist’s chair (Mama on the right, my Ate on the left) while his legs kick this way and that.
The dentist approaches and rubs some topical anesthetic on the gum of the diseased tooth with a gloved had. Thad squirms harder, knowing that the syringe was next.
After minutes of struggling and threats from Mama, the dentist gives up. She tells the mother to come back when the kid is calm. Mama pays the dentist for the anesthetic and march outside the office. She finds a jeep, pays the fare and instructs the driver to drop Thad off at the house while she continues to run errands.
Round 4
A very angry Thad hops off the jeepney into their neighborhood. Instead of going home, he goes to the house across the street where his Tita lives as stays there. For two days. He was still mad and was determined not to speak to his Mama.
On the third day, his Tita persuades him to go home, because his Mama might think she was encouraging him to stay. By this time his anger had dissipated.
Stepping into their living room, he notices the floor is clean. His toys were displayed on the cabinet neatly, undisturbed by neither him nor his brothers. He sees his Mama in the kitchen and their eyes meet.
No apologies are exchanged, but they all sit and have lunch together. Later that night, Thad wakes up in the middle of the night feeling his decayed tooth move when he pushes it with his tongue. He sticks his fingers in his mouth, holds the tooth and twists as hard as he could.
The next morning he shows his Mama the rotten tooth he pulled all by himself.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Early Signs
Age 6: first wore lipstick (my mom put it on me) for my speech.
Age 7: Very happy with my gift- a pad of paper and a pen.
Learning to pose to the camera LOL!
Playing my favorite "sport": Chinese garter.Sunday, October 14, 2007
Strange Encounters
The year was 1989, and Nanay Mila was ill. My aunt, who was pregnant with her youngest daughter, fetched her from Burauen, their remote hometown, so my grandmother can live temporarily in Palo, which was closer to the city. They rented the second floor of a run down wooden house, which I have only been to once as a child. The house was a short walk from the highway, just past the bridge.
It was really a strange place- dusty and dark, even in daytime. There were two adjacent bedrooms, and a tiny bathroom whose rotting floor was about to give way. The holes on the floor revealed the untended backyard of the house below, and every time you use it you feel like someone’s watching you, especially at night.
My grandmother was given the bedroom nearer to the bathroom, so she would not have much trouble. My aunt and uncle were in the next room. Strange occurrences started to happen. My uncle swore he saw a child walk around in their living room while he was using the CR, my aunt was about to urinate when she noticed a huge labud (centipede) at her feet. But the worst came when there was a typhoon.
They were awakened by my grandmother’s screams. They hurried to the bedroom and found her struggling on the bed, the lower part of her duster soak in blood. She said someone came in the room and tied her hands and she could not move. They assured her no one else was in the house. “Ihatod ak niyo kanda Iday, didto la ako.” She said, trembling.
Back in our house in Tacloban, there was a blackout because of the typhoon. We were in the sala of the two bedroom bungalow we rented when they arrived. My aunt and uncle arrived with my grandmother, soaked from the rain, and explained to my Mom what happened. My mom was a nurse but was not employed at that time. She was taking care of my youngest brother, who was then only an infant. My father was in Saudi.
It was the strangest night. I didn’t know if it was the wind but we heard strange noises, like some sort of a huge bird or a bat. My brother (Gavin’s dad) and I huddled in our bedroom, while my Mom got up and went to the kitchen to get a sundang (a long bolo). She grabbed a flashlight and went out the door to the back of our house screaming obscenities to the unseen intruder. After circling the house, she went back inside and asked my grandmother to stay in the same room with us. I hardly slept.
The next day, the flood was ankle deep in our yard. I looked around curiously around our house, and saw a big tear on the topmost part of the screen covering the window to where my grandmother was. It wasn’t a neat tear like when you use a sharp scissor, but rather irregular and it almost formed a circle, as if someone tried to poke his head inside the window.
It was really a strange place- dusty and dark, even in daytime. There were two adjacent bedrooms, and a tiny bathroom whose rotting floor was about to give way. The holes on the floor revealed the untended backyard of the house below, and every time you use it you feel like someone’s watching you, especially at night.
My grandmother was given the bedroom nearer to the bathroom, so she would not have much trouble. My aunt and uncle were in the next room. Strange occurrences started to happen. My uncle swore he saw a child walk around in their living room while he was using the CR, my aunt was about to urinate when she noticed a huge labud (centipede) at her feet. But the worst came when there was a typhoon.
They were awakened by my grandmother’s screams. They hurried to the bedroom and found her struggling on the bed, the lower part of her duster soak in blood. She said someone came in the room and tied her hands and she could not move. They assured her no one else was in the house. “Ihatod ak niyo kanda Iday, didto la ako.” She said, trembling.
Back in our house in Tacloban, there was a blackout because of the typhoon. We were in the sala of the two bedroom bungalow we rented when they arrived. My aunt and uncle arrived with my grandmother, soaked from the rain, and explained to my Mom what happened. My mom was a nurse but was not employed at that time. She was taking care of my youngest brother, who was then only an infant. My father was in Saudi.
It was the strangest night. I didn’t know if it was the wind but we heard strange noises, like some sort of a huge bird or a bat. My brother (Gavin’s dad) and I huddled in our bedroom, while my Mom got up and went to the kitchen to get a sundang (a long bolo). She grabbed a flashlight and went out the door to the back of our house screaming obscenities to the unseen intruder. After circling the house, she went back inside and asked my grandmother to stay in the same room with us. I hardly slept.
The next day, the flood was ankle deep in our yard. I looked around curiously around our house, and saw a big tear on the topmost part of the screen covering the window to where my grandmother was. It wasn’t a neat tear like when you use a sharp scissor, but rather irregular and it almost formed a circle, as if someone tried to poke his head inside the window.
Boys Don't Cry
When I was about ten, one particularly homophobic uncle who was disgusted of my “mahinhin” ways plotted to humiliate me. He had brought two pairs of gloves for boxing (a sport he always bragged about, which he said he was good at, aside from basketball and track and field) and gathered a small crowd of kanto boys and onlookers for his impromptu sparring.
I was playing Chinese garter with my female cousins (naturally, I excelled at this since I had no hymen LOL! and I could spread ‘em wide as I could to reach the garter even when the girls stretched their hands up). With an evil grin on his face and a piggish glint in his eyes, he asked me to come over.
I was puzzled because he never really talks to me except to call my attention when I sat the wrong way (“Sit like a man!” he would yell). One of the male neighborhood kids about my age donned the other set of boxing gloves. “Put this on.” He said.
I was dumbfounded, and a little scared I guess. I was never into rough play like the boys were, but some of the people started cheering and calling my name so I reluctantly put on the oversized gloves on my tiny ladylike hands.
Pow! Pow! Pow! The other kid hit me surprisingly hard on the face and my saliva flew out of my mouth. I daintily wiped the sweat off my forehead, which was starting to pour. My heart started to pound. In the corners of my eyes I saw a hint of satisfaction on his face, like he thought justice was being done or something. Ok, now that ticked me off. I knew then I had to win.
The yells got louder as the next round started. I didn’t know that you were supposed to cover your chin, or the proper stance, or the way you move your feet (but I learned that later from Hilary Swank in her movie haha!), I didn’t even know how to box properly. I don’t have any clear thoughts as to what happened next really, but I just saw my arms punch wildly, aiming for his face. It was like I stood there, outside my body as a spectator, while the other Thad just kept on punching and punching, until the other kid lost his balance and fell on the pavement.
The crowd went wind. I bet they too thought I’d be the one on the pavement. The other kid slithered away into the crowd to where his siblings were, half crying. I turned to my uncle to see his reaction. He just grunted and picked the next two kids to fight.
I was playing Chinese garter with my female cousins (naturally, I excelled at this since I had no hymen LOL! and I could spread ‘em wide as I could to reach the garter even when the girls stretched their hands up). With an evil grin on his face and a piggish glint in his eyes, he asked me to come over.
I was puzzled because he never really talks to me except to call my attention when I sat the wrong way (“Sit like a man!” he would yell). One of the male neighborhood kids about my age donned the other set of boxing gloves. “Put this on.” He said.
I was dumbfounded, and a little scared I guess. I was never into rough play like the boys were, but some of the people started cheering and calling my name so I reluctantly put on the oversized gloves on my tiny ladylike hands.
Pow! Pow! Pow! The other kid hit me surprisingly hard on the face and my saliva flew out of my mouth. I daintily wiped the sweat off my forehead, which was starting to pour. My heart started to pound. In the corners of my eyes I saw a hint of satisfaction on his face, like he thought justice was being done or something. Ok, now that ticked me off. I knew then I had to win.
The yells got louder as the next round started. I didn’t know that you were supposed to cover your chin, or the proper stance, or the way you move your feet (but I learned that later from Hilary Swank in her movie haha!), I didn’t even know how to box properly. I don’t have any clear thoughts as to what happened next really, but I just saw my arms punch wildly, aiming for his face. It was like I stood there, outside my body as a spectator, while the other Thad just kept on punching and punching, until the other kid lost his balance and fell on the pavement.
The crowd went wind. I bet they too thought I’d be the one on the pavement. The other kid slithered away into the crowd to where his siblings were, half crying. I turned to my uncle to see his reaction. He just grunted and picked the next two kids to fight.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Larry
July 1993
I was sent off one morning, when I was twelve years old, to run an errand. Our helper was busy cooking food for our pack lunch for school, so she asked me to buy a can of sardines and eggs for our breakfast.
It was still dark when I got out of our gate. I closed the latch silently as I slowly walked to Mana Paz’s store. I passed by this big house and I was greeted by a sight that made my heart pound. Through the window, I saw our hunky neighbor, wearing white briefs, looking at himself in the mirror. The feeling was by no means sexual, but it jolted me just as well.
His name was Larry. A junior at the University of the Philippines in Tacloban at that time. He was tall and well-muscled, but he had a boyish face. He was my ate’s crush as well. How did I know? She wrote it in her diary, and that was where I found out his name as well.
Larry would often come to our house, because he was friends with my uncle. Every afternoon, close to sundown, they would play basketball on the court on our street corner. His cheeks were always flushed after the game. They would sit on the porch after the game and talk about guy stuff.
One night, I finally got to see him up close. There was a city-wide brownout at that time and they decided to stay on the porch in candlelight.
“What sort of books do you read?” I asked, with my tiny frame leaning against the screen door.
“Jack Higgins, spy novels..” He replies. The light of the cancle illuminated the planes of his face. His bow-shaped lips moved softly.
“I write comic books with my best friend.” I said.
“I’d like to see them sometime.” He looks at me, amused.
I was not the type of kid who would shy away from a conversation with an older person. We ended up talking a little bit more, even when my uncle and ate went to buy barbeque at the corner, and we were left alone on the porch.
In the soft light of the night, I enjoyed my first indulgence reveling in the company of my first crush. If I’m not mistaken, I think he enjoyed it too.
I was sent off one morning, when I was twelve years old, to run an errand. Our helper was busy cooking food for our pack lunch for school, so she asked me to buy a can of sardines and eggs for our breakfast.
It was still dark when I got out of our gate. I closed the latch silently as I slowly walked to Mana Paz’s store. I passed by this big house and I was greeted by a sight that made my heart pound. Through the window, I saw our hunky neighbor, wearing white briefs, looking at himself in the mirror. The feeling was by no means sexual, but it jolted me just as well.
His name was Larry. A junior at the University of the Philippines in Tacloban at that time. He was tall and well-muscled, but he had a boyish face. He was my ate’s crush as well. How did I know? She wrote it in her diary, and that was where I found out his name as well.
Larry would often come to our house, because he was friends with my uncle. Every afternoon, close to sundown, they would play basketball on the court on our street corner. His cheeks were always flushed after the game. They would sit on the porch after the game and talk about guy stuff.
One night, I finally got to see him up close. There was a city-wide brownout at that time and they decided to stay on the porch in candlelight.
“What sort of books do you read?” I asked, with my tiny frame leaning against the screen door.
“Jack Higgins, spy novels..” He replies. The light of the cancle illuminated the planes of his face. His bow-shaped lips moved softly.
“I write comic books with my best friend.” I said.
“I’d like to see them sometime.” He looks at me, amused.
I was not the type of kid who would shy away from a conversation with an older person. We ended up talking a little bit more, even when my uncle and ate went to buy barbeque at the corner, and we were left alone on the porch.
In the soft light of the night, I enjoyed my first indulgence reveling in the company of my first crush. If I’m not mistaken, I think he enjoyed it too.
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