Happy and Sad

Last weekend was both happy and sad.  Sad because I was not able to talk to my daughter as usual when weekends come.  HEck, that became a ritual for me the moment I came here.  The freakin' computer is broken!!! Geesh!  So much for all thos brownouts at home. Haaay.  I think I already need to buy a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). It's different from the usual AVR that we use. As the name implies,  the UPS gives you power supply even of you have brownouts.  Well, at least for a few minutes or probably an hour, depending on the size of your UPS.  At least it saves your computer from automatically getting shut off because of the sudden loss of electricity. :(  Haay! Sad Sad.

Happy because finally I was able to buy my brother and his soon-to-be wife's wedding bands.  I am not giving it to them for free... Ano hilo?  Nah, seriously, I am not the type who gives away these things, although it would really be lovely if someone gives you such gifts.  Anyway, I already promised them something big.  Come to think of it, if I were to give them the ring, it would cost me less than buying them the promised LCD TV. hahaha! Why didn't I think of that.

But no, this is their wedding so I am not giving them something that they should invest in. So there, happy and sad. I hope next week would be different.  I mean I can talk to andy na.  And most probably next week I'll be getting my blogger friend Antonette their Burj Khalifa tickets. :D  Something to do...

Blabber

A barely 3 year old kid is so much fun.  They are learning to talk, and do stuff the right and even try the wrong things just for fun.

Makulit, magulo, masaya.  That seriously would warrant any parent to come running back home once the opportunity is right.  But what is a right opportunity by the way?

 I am not going to discuss that here.  Andy blabbers a lot now.  I called her this afternoon (here) and early evening back home.  She was the one who picked up the phone!  See, I told you, she's one hell of a phone addict already.

We chat and she told me that she wants to go to ballet class. Right kiddo, you are very very smart huh?

Mama also sent me a text message-- she says Andy is so makulit, example, she still goes to work, see mama is very very very young.  So every morning she'd bid Andy goodbye and  enumerates reminders to her for the day.  This time, since Andy already talks she would already tell mama what the reminders are:

Vitamins, Eat Rice, Sleep and Behave.

Addict na yata anak ko!

Crazy Hot!

It is so bad out here.  Summer surely is just around the corner.  Seriously.  When temperature doesn't go down below 30C at night, everything seem like hell out here.  Soon it will be very very hot to venture out during daytime.  Workers, laborers will be given reprieve during midday as well.  I wish summer here would simply sprint by.  Really.

Being on site makes it worse.

Did I say that I had been sick last weekend?  It was really hot when I walked down from the hotel where we hold the Friday worship service.  To think it's really just a few minutes walk and I was holding an umbrella above my head.  That even did not help.  Imagine the heat is evenly distributed across your body.  And it was HOT! Seriously hot.
At home we would normally complain of being hot, but not this HOT.  This is crazy hot!

Photo Credits:  www.cartoonstock.com

Kulitan Moments

Now that Andy talks sometimes she blurts out sweet nothings.  Yesterday while exchanging ym messages with my cousin about Andrea.   And the she suddenly blurted out:

Miss na kita mommy.

Awww... I was literally teary eyed.

And I sent her this. :'(

She asked me, iyak ka mommy?

She cried too says my cousin.

Mommy heartache.

RAIN and HAIL

After living in the Philippines most of my life and experiencing rain and sun only in moderation.  Well, there may have been stronger rains than others but seeing this video really shocked me.  This probably is what mother nature does when we abuse her. :(
Video Credits to the owner.  Found it in youtube.com

Friends

After over a year in Dubai, I finally got to meet old friends.  No, not the one who you pretend who you are not.  Those kind who they'd take you in even in the middle of the night, even if they too have their own set of setbacks and problems kind of friends.

Reynold and Marla are friends from high school.  While Marlyn and I are more closer than Reynold and me, when we met them for the first time here in Dubai after probably over a year being here, it just felt so good.

We first had a planned meeting about March.  When Rey was preparing to leave for his Annual holiday.  Yep, we do have those kind of things here!

Anyway, it was fun catching up.  We went to see the dancing fountain at the Dubai Mall, at the foot of Burj Khalifa.  You read it right.  The world's tallest building.  And had a nice dinner at Fridays. Rey got to treat us.  Way to go!

Today, after Rey's vacation, we came down to visit him in Abu Dhabi.  It was fun to catch up once more.  Parang di ka nauubusan ng kwento. Seemed like we went to Abu Dhabi just to chat. haha! It was really to hot to go out anyway.  So I'd rather that we stay inside the Mall and eat and eat and eat some more...

I wish I could do that with another friend.  So much for wishful thinking.

Here's some pictures from the Dubai Mall/ Burj Khalifa visit last March.

To My Mama

Mama,

I know you'll probably get tons of text messages on Sunday. With all those free texting promos at home. Surely, it's a shame not to use it, especially on mother's day. I want to be different. I'll do what you think I am good at. I'll write.

Let me start off by thanking you.

Not because you have brought the three of us well, that was a given for you. It seemed very natural for you to do that. But for setting as an example to us. I remember very well when you talked to me when I was probably just 11 or 12. We were washing our clothes then. Papa did something really awful, you told me you wanted him to leave.   I have seen you cry so many nights before that so I thought it was for the best. I did not realize though that that would be a turning point for me.  To stand up and make decisions for myself even if it means almost breaking myself.  You taught me how to be strong, as a person.  To stand up in the midst of all the problems.

To be self sufficient.  Not to be a burden to others.  When I had to finish my Elementary years in a private school, when both my brother and sister had to transfer because we barely had enough to get by day by day, you told me you will never ever be a burden to others.  It stuck to me.  Even up to this day.  I will never be a burden to you or to others.  Not even to my daughter.

Above all to trust God to guide us in every decision we make.  This probably is the best lesson you have imparted us.  I know we are not like others who are so active in church, we are not even half of what Mama Lily was when she was alive.  But you have taught me that above all we have to call on to God in everything that we do.

As I am also going through the journey of being a mother, I hope I too will leave a positive impact to my daughter as you have been to me.  I may be away right now, and I am grateful that you have taken what should have been my responsibility in raising Andy, but I will be back and be a mother to my little one too.

I love you mama and I thank God He gave me to you.

Home

I did say that I was addicted to Glee, the musical series right?  Today, I saw their latest episode.  It wasn't as great as Power of Madonna, they still have to top that.  But honestly today it touched me real hard.

Why?  It talked of Home.  It may be one of the most very very boring thing to think of.  I have a daughter, yeah, but all the rest of my memories of home consist of a lot of heartaches too...  Without hipocrisy, I can say that home is something that I look back with all the heartaches but I will necer trade that.  It made me who I am today.

While watching glee this afternoon, I cried.  Listen and enjoy.

Captured!

She looks so grown up!