June 10, 2006
Atten-shun!
At the time of this writing, I am one day away from welcoming a new life. One day away from giving salutes, standing at attention, pushing myself to physical limits I've only seen in movies...one day away from embracing a totally different world that is the US Navy life.
One year ago, this was just joke that my sister and I laughed about. I knew back then that joining the military was as impossible as winning the lotto. I mean I didn't even have the stamina to jog for 30 minutes nonstop nor the courage to enter an environment where majority are men. But life's full of surprises, or so they say. Now our joke has turned into reality. I am joining the military.
The next few months will be an ordeal for sure. Boot camp will change my sister and I from being morons to persons with direction, dignity, and a lot of valor. We'll be yelled at, insulted, made to run miles and locked in gas chambers, all in hopes of toughening us as sailors. There would be no internet, no cellphones, no other form of personal comfort, and most of all, no family to hug and run to when you feel like giving up. I might not even see my family for years should I get assigned in Japan or the Middle East. I am honestly scared to face all these, but I'm not turning back now...because this is the best way that'll lead me to the goals I've always wanted to pursue. At the same time, this will be the helping hand that I've always wanted to give my family.
I will be back online though, after 2 or 3 months. And at my return, I'll load you with stories from bootcamp and hopefuly, pictures of my sister and I wearing the great white Navy uniform.
Pray that we'll survive, okay?
I will see you all soon. ;-)
June 9, 2006
Pictures From The Past Week
Lolit, Mari, Me and Claire (our new friend!) at Knott's Berry Farm.
We proudly braved all the daring rides, including Silver Bullet, Riptide and Supreme Scream!
Celebrating Dad's birthday and my birthday (in advance) at some Chinese buffet.
Majority of the eaters were Filipinos! Don't you think our culture eats a lot?
My brothers trying to change their identity. They used black stockings
to morph into a completely different creature. I couldn't stop laughing!
Mai Mai with her pre-school class. The kids are so adorable
that again, I'm wanting to become a preschool teacher!
June 7, 2006
Sol Patrol
It's finally getting hotter here in California. The weather has warmed up drastically, therefore people everywhere have started wearing clothes that'll make your jaw drop: tube tops, halter tops, backless tops, shorts that you'd mistake for panties. Minsan tuloy, ikaw pa ang O.P. kung naka t-shirt at pants ka. But I care not. I survived living near the equator all my life without having to wear less. So even if that's what people call stylish or cool, I'm never going out of the house wearing those. One could still look sophisticated and sexy without showing too much skin anyway. Perfect example? Lea Salonga.
Anyhow, the other day I was on a hunt for a one-piece balck swimsuit that I'd like to use for some serious swimming. But to my disbelief, I found NONE after cheacking out the great malls in Fullerton and Cerritos! I went ot five different malls in all, and all they hade were 2-piece bikinis and one-piece swimsuits that were either exposing the sides or plunging the neckline. How is one supposed to swim with those? I figured the manufacturers decided to phase out traditional swimsuits for nobody buys them these days anyway. Most women buy swimsuits to look good in the beach and not for some serious swimming anymore.
Bad, bad, bad.
June 2, 2006
Googling Myself
After this season's American Idol, its creators concocted another talent show on Fox, called So You Think You Can Dance, where another set of Hollywood hopefuls are outdoing each other thru what else? Dancing. I'm not sure how this show's going to fare, but I'm definitely not enjoying it, especially after having watched its first two pitiful episodes. My whole hour of watching was consumed by scandalous auditioners: a flabby woman in a shrinked and still shrinking tank top exposes her boobs as she tries to imitate J.Lo, another lady painted with heavy mascarra vomits with dignity onstage after attempting her dangerous moves, a half man/half woman performs as a cabaret/cage dancer...it's reality show gone wild!
But while I'm here ranting about how extreme that show has been, it won't be a shock that it has received a growing number of viewers since its pilot episode last week. I think people are finding it entertaining, and not upsetting at all. But why? Is that what we call entertainment these days, seeing people act like it's okay to excrete shit and expose boobs in public?
It's not right, something's just not right.
I was trying a little Google search about myself today and found a lot of other people named Pepay and a lot of shocking information about those Pepays, too! To estimate, I think there are more than a hundred (or thousand?) of us Pepays lurking in the world, but here are four outstanding scoops I've gathered about my counterparts:
- I learned that one Pepay was working as a GRO, and that she once kept a blog but I didn't read on, because I couldn't handle things like that.
- Another Pepay was caught in a real-life hostage drama in a school building, but was luckiyly spared her life and lived happily ever after.
- Then there is also a Pepay who was loathed by every single person in her department because she is a mean lady, and in the long run was told by one colleague that "I will never step down to your level!!!" (with lots of exclamation points thereafter)
- Finally, there is a Pepay whose lover dedicated an entire blog to her, adorned it with poetry and sweet vows and love songs. (I almost thought I had a secret admirer, haha!!) But later on I realized that that Pepay was an entirely different person, because the picture didn't look like it was me.
No wonder I get mixed reactions when I tell others my name...Pepay has been associated with these types of people!
Anyway, since I've been writing about a lot of Pepays already, I might as well share with you this chant that enemies from childhood have teased me with as I was growing up. (Oh yes, I had enemies when I was young!)
To the tune of the last line in Pen Pen De Sarapen:
Pepay, tinapay, malunggay, pilay, monay!!!
(Infinitely repeated as kids gather around like
I'm some bonfire that they needed to put out.)
Ah, childhood!
June 1, 2006
Gunting at Apoy
Pwede na siguro akong magtayo ng Beauty Parlor. Hindi biro.
Kahapon, nanay at tatay ko naman ang napagdiskitahan kong bigyan ng make-over. Dahil nagsasawa na sila sa itsura nila, at ako rin, dahil nagsawa nang makita ang kanilang namumuti at di-maikom na buhok, muli kong inilabas ang aking Beauty Parlor Set na nagmula pa sa Pilipinas at tuluyang pinabata ang aking mga magulang. Tabas dito, tabas doon, kulay dito, kulay doon...hanggang ito ang kinalabasan ng nanay:
Ayos ba? Medyo ilang oras din naming sinikap na makuha ang istilong iyan! Kinabahan pa ako nung umpisa, dahil baka masobrahan ng gupit, pero dahil sa pagtitiwala ng lahat, lumakas din ang loob ko sa paghawak ng gunting. Haay, ang saya!
Kahapon din naman, ipinagdiwang namin ang birthday ng tatay. Kami-kami pa rin ang naghanda, pero ngayon meron na kaming totoong cake. At wala nang nilagang spageti. Hehe.
Pero nagkaron kami ng kaunting sakuna sa kalagitnaan ng pagluluto: biglang nagliyab ang oven habang bine-bake yung manok. Wala namang nasunog at nasugatan, pero dahil sa pagkataranta, agad-agad na lumikas ng bahay si mommy, Mari, at Lolit, kahit na kakapiranggot lang ang apoy sa kusina. Hindi ko tuloy napigilang mapatawa. Sunud-sunuran sila papalabas ng pinto sa pag-aakalang sasabog ang bahay, samantalang isang buhos lang ng tubig, napatay na ni daddy yung apoy! Ay, ang sakit ng tiyan ko pagkatapos nun!
Ito nga pala kaming lahat ulit, pagkatapos ng munting sakuna:
