e-Starved

December 20th was a big day in the Sabolboro household. It was Bong's birthday and Jas's graduation. Now, I am a proud momma of a U of M graduate... yay! A party was planned for these milestones, including a despidida for Thaad who's going back to the Philippines to study film making at the IAFT. Long-time friends and their families who now reside in Canada came to Michigan to celebrate this joyous event with us. The Sabolboro home was transformed into the Sabolboro Hotel. As I always say, my house is small but everyone is welcome. Unlimited internet access is one of the ammenities that this little hotel brags about. Brice had with him his own Macbook and so with Dennis. Ervin brought his own PC notebook. All these equipment, in addition to what was already available... the front room desktop, my notebook, Bong's notebook, Thaad's Macbook. Everyone was ready to read and answer e-mails, harvest e-crops from their e-farms, surf and have fun. Uh-oh... we got disconnected!... of all the time to get internet trouble! Even the phone was not working!... and my ever-reliable and beloved techie guy was not able to do anything about it. Well, oh, well.... If there's one thing we learned about this whole experience is that we have proven that nobody ever dies without the internet or the phone because here we are... alive and still internet-ing.

My apologies to those who lost a lot from wilted e-crops and to those who missed watching their pinoy drama on-line... better luck next time.

P.S. After hours of troubleshooting, Bong finally figured it out. Thank God for husbands.

Ding-Dong

My parents named me Casilda, pretty name, according to them. I grew up getting used to be called by name's shortcut like, Casil, Cas, or Sil.... so then, my nicknames.

As a little girl, my older... and bigger cousins would tease me, they would call me "Indang"... may I say, they murdered my pretty name. I would get mad and cry over it but soon I got used to answering to that monicker. Now, without hesitation, I can say that my name is Indang, call me Dang for short. Except for my parents, everyone calls me Dang.

This is my story. This is how I got my nickname, but every Filipino has one. The joke is "Filipinos have doorbell nicknames." My husband's name is Renato and his nickname is Bong. I would say it is an appropriate handle because he's a big guy and Bong sounds like a big bell. Kwing is one of my sisters and yes, her name sounds like a small bell... and yes she is small... small but terrible, that's what she is. Her size does not prevent her from fighting with anyone who gets in her way. Mirzi is my godaughter. Her nickname is Ting-Ting. Why? Only her mom has the answer. There are a lot of other doorbell nicknames.... Bingbong, Ding-ding, Kong-kong, Yang (my other sister), Bibang (my grandma), Peping (my grandpa), Neneng, Miming, Soling (my other grandma), Leoning (my other grandpa), and so on and so forth... Filipino strangeness!

I know a girl whose nickname is Klang-Klang. I guess it depends on how you say it... then you can see the semblance to the actual person. Can you guess?... big girl?... small girl?

Car-Napped!

Cold and rainy, yet I went and drove myself to the mall... not to shop but to do my walking exercise. I usually park in front of Penney's but this time, I decided to park at the other side of the mall and go through the back mall entrance. Lucky me! I got to park 2 spots from the blue parking for the handicapped... right straight to the doors!

One round takes 17 minutes... that is, brisk walking with my short legs and no shop stopping. On my second round around the mall, I decided to stop by the hair salon and get that haircut I so long needed... done and feeling, oh so, pretty, I continued on to finish what I came to the mall for.

Exhausted... but not to forget, pretty... I headed for the doors and to my car. But alas! wha?! where is my car?! It was still drizzling and I was walking back and forth from one lane to another. Oh, my new do... where is my car? Cold... frantic... almost hysterical... the Mall Police stopped by me and asked if I was looking for my car. "Yes, sir... and I am pretty sure I parked it here", was all I could mutter. "Hop in", he invited me into his police car... and so I did.

He drove around, talking on his radio to report the loss, yet still being very watchful. He spotted a parked car with an unlocked trunk, quickly made a little note for the owner and proceeded to shut close the trunk. We continued to browse the other lanes when I said, "I don't even remember my plate number. Do people lose their cars in the mall?". "Oh yeah", was his quick reply. Now I am really starting to get nervous.

Lane by lane we searched... there was a red mini van... no, not mine. Next lane.... there was another red mini van... mine!!! Right across from the mall doors... the other set of doors that are exactly the same as the other doors I came out from. Despair to excitement... I thanked the security officer... his wide grin exposing some missing teeth. No room in my heart for embarrassment, just gratefulness. My car was not carnapped, thank you, God!

Bloom Where You Are Planted

(The following is a talk I gave to the YFC in Detroit, edited to fit as a blog)

An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything is withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely smell of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden. Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life. “Well, little flower,” said the monarch, “I’m glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden.” “Oh king,” she said, “I know I’m little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized, that if you planted me here, you must have had a good reason. So, your majesty, I’ve decided and I’m determined to be the best little flower I can be!”

God, our King has planted a beautiful garden. Not one of us is greater than the next. Each of us is His perfection. God has a reason for creating us the way He has and has planted us in just the place he desired.

We can’t always choose where we live, and we can’t control the exact circumstances of our lives, our health, our work, or our challenges. We can, however, choose our reaction to them. In gardening terms, we can choose to bloom where we are planted. Or, we can choose to resist and mentally or verbally protest our circumstances, which only results in our unhappiness and a failure to thrive. Our reaction is our choice.

In Mark 4:30-32, we are likened to a mustard seed in God’s kingdom, we start as very small seeds… and we are expected to grow and be small no more. We are called to grow in our families, in our community, in our studies, in our jobs, and in every aspect of our lives.

God planted us here and He wants us to bloom here. He can see us right now, in whatever situation we are in, we might not understand why, but the purpose is for our good and for His glory.

God tells us, “You have gifts that I have given you, you have interests that I have placed within you, and you have Me in your hearts, so bloom where I have planted you… bloom and do the very best you can whatever it may be… grow as My child and produce good fruit that will bring glory to Me and that will serve as a witness for others.”

To bloom fully as God’s children, we must continually be watered with God’s word and love through prayer and through service.

Matthew 5:13-16 (New International Version)
Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Bloom where you are planted….

Theodore Roosevelt’s translation would be...
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

A is for Avatar

From the heavens, the Gods come down to earth for special purposes.... a Hindu belief translated in English as 'Incarnation'. The Avatar or Avatara, Sanskrit for 'descent', is the personification of these Gods. I do not know if the Indians mind or not, but the same word has been borrowed in this modern day of computing. It is now the term used for one's digital persona... a computer alter ego. Avatars live in virtual communities in the on-line world called the virtual universe where they socialize with other avatars.

One can make his/her avatar as he/she pleases. if Jake, a paralyzed ex-Marine, is enabled to walk and serve in a mission once again, why can't I be an awesome farmer and grow beautiful and healthy plants when in the real world I cannot? :)

Meet my friends....
Miss Randomness

Miss Blah... Blah...

Sir Sprig a.k.a. Mister Techie

The BIG WINNER is...

$207,000,000 is the new jackpot prize! Whew! What am I going to do with all that money, i.e., if I win it? I may not win it but I sure can dream about it. I have a small house --- friends and family come over a lot... hmmm, maybe a bigger house with a big porch and a beautifully manicured yard with a flower garden on every corner would be a perfect welcome for visitors. Perhaps a new car to replace my 10-year old Ford Windstar, not a fancy one, a Ford Edge complete with all the upgrades will do for me... but no leather seats.... they get really hot during the summer and really cold during the winter. Shopping? Yes... yes... yes... who does not need it? These are a few of the external things that will give me temporary delight. I say temporary because after a while of living in a brand new house or driving that brand new car, they will have become my new ordinary and the thrill would have already faded.

Money will buy the things that make one happy but between the things that money can buy and spending happy times with friends and loved ones, I would still choose the latter... temporary delight against lasting memories. Have you noticed how sour the grape is?

My silly family

Smile power... LOL!

My Heritage

I am proud to say that I belong to a family or artists. My grandfather, Jose Tr. Alcoseba, was popular in Cebu during his time. I remember being to a few of his shows, mostly at the then USIS building in Jones Avenue. August is my grandfather's birthday month. Lolo Peping, as we fondly referred to him, should have been a hundred and nine. I dedicate this blog to him whom my kids, as so with some of my uncles and cousins, inherited this special talent.

My son's, Thaad's, first painting.... his present to us one Christmas.

Another painting by Thaad... a birthday present for me.

My daughter, Jenna, has also the hand of a painter... her favorite subject being fairies.

My other daughter, Gem, on the other hand tries very hard to be an artist... but in vain. She is convinced that she's got the bad genes. I tell her she is special in many other ways!

Check out my cousin, Tony and his son, Darby...

As for me, I can only appreciate their creations and be proud that they are my family.

Happy Birthday Lolo Peping!

Based on a True Story

Life is a story book...
Each day is a page... a new paragraph for the quiet morning... a sweet entry for the delightful afternoon... a can't-wait-to-read romance winding its way through the darkness of the night...

Still another page...
Sun peeking through the clouds... blossoms, chirps, breeze... laughter, chatter, at last a reverie... crimson on the horizon... what does the morrow bring?...

Flippity-flip... another page...
First light... a distant horizon... a journey... long, winding, steep... tears, aches, sweet sweat... searching, searching, searching.... darkness looms....

On and on...
No empty pages... day and night... sun and rain... glow and gloom... a lifetime... a gift I share with my one true love...

Enterprise

I was expecting the movie house to be full but alas! a lot of seats were unoccupied. Five minutes before show time, Bong and I still got the best seats. This is why I love to watch movies when everyone else already has.

I am not a big movie fan but this movie, I enjoyed a lot. Having watched Star Trek movies when I was growing up made me really appreciate the storyline of this new movie... and the new cast was great, my favorites being Spock and the Russian kid.... and the visual and sound effects, amazing!

Day for MOMs

Happy Mother's Day to all moms!

I learned something from Father Bill today... sure, our dads bring home the bacon but without our moms, we would have been hungry, naked and stupid. Thanks to my mom who fed me and saw to it that I have my baon everyday when I went to school. Thanks to her for shopping clothes for me.... there was a time in my young life that she had her own dress shop, and boy was I lucky! If not for her constant nagging... "wake up and get ready for school", "make your homework", "study for your test", "prepare your things for school", "blah...blah...blah", I would have been stupid. Thanks Mommy.


Today, Jeff, Inday Ling, and the rest of the family from Saginaw came down south to have a Mother's day lunch at the Chinese dim sum (probably the only one in Michigan that I have ever been to). We drove northwards and met them there. The restaurant was packed but thanks to Jeff's brilliant mind, he had a reservation called in before we all got there, so we were able to skip the waiting part. Having not eaten dim sum for a long time made me realize how much I missed that kind of dining... oh, forget the diet. To make lunch better, Jeff took the bill and paid for everyone's meal... Thanks a lot, Jeff! And what better way to burn those calories than to walk... walk around the mall... hmmmm.... I want those shoes on the top shelf... and ooohhh... I need a new dress for these shoes... and a matching purse....

Gem vs. Dad

This was how the scoreboard looked like after the game....

Was it Gem's....


.... or was it Bong's?

Fight Night

May 2nd was Andrew's birthday party and we all went to Saginaw.

Outside the Afante residence were vehicles, big and small. The subdivision road was lined with them. Those who came earlier and had to park first in the big driveway would have to be the last to go home. OOpppsss..... somebody's tires ran over the neighbor's grass.



But guess what?! It was also the night that every Pinoy, and even the not-so-Pinoy, was anxiously awaiting---Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight night.... and there was pustahan.....


and food galore...


The first few minutes, all were intently listening to the introductions... then commotion as the fight started. I had my bet on the first round KO and I was jumping in excitement as the fight, I thought, was progressively in my favor. Suddenly... deng, deng, deng..... round one was over. Second round--- fight!... What?! It's over?! Hatton was KO'd. The actual fight lasted just 5+ minutes. :( I lost ten bucks.... but the big winner was Inday Ling. That, I considered a fair game... the owner of the house.... the one who prepared the meal... the one who had to clean up after.... the one who paid for the 'Pay per View' fee got everyone's money.



Young and old had so much fun! Find your shoes guys... show's over and it's time to go.

Birthday(S)

How many birthdays can one have in a year? My actual birthday is April 9th but my official birthday, as registered, is the 10th... thanks to the hospital staff who did this. This year, as in some other years that passed, the day fell on a Holy Thursday (and/or Good Friday) which means no meat, no merriment. That is alright because I didn't want to have a birthday party anyway, if it only meant that I will be the one cooking and cleaning up afterward.

Saturday, the 11th, seemed to be a good day to go to the mall but Bong was in a really good mood to do kitchen work and did not want to come along so I left him alone. Gem and I went to the mall. We bought a few things and I got a haircut (see photo). Contented and itchy from my new haircut, we headed for home. Surprise... surprise... family from Saginaw were in our house and the kitchen was really busy. Moments later, friends started to come, the 3E's from Canada even came. Yes, it was a surprise birthday party orchestrated by Bong and the kids.... thanks to them and all who came. You made my day!

The house, especially the kitchen, was a mess.... nobody knew where the right utensils or the dishes were. Three families had to spend the night but the house was not prepared for this thing to happen... so whenever and wherever one was and ready to get zzzz's, they just go. So.... until next year?






P.S. This is a very late publication (actual publish date: May 5th). Apologies to my readers who are now suffering from Kalidadis withdrawal.

My Favorite Thing

I shall never run out of peanut butter. Last night, Derek came by to give me my birthday present... half a dozen of PB in 5-lb jars. Yeah, I am that crazy about my PB. Thanks a lot, Derek. And watch out family... this is what you will be eating everyday until it's all gone or until you get sick and tired of eating it, whichever comes first.

YEY!

It is my birthday... yey! I usually announce its coming so friends will remember to greet me, but this year I did not have to since my friend, Ms. Randomness already did the honors, leaving my friends no excuse if they forget. My phone was constantly ringing, not to forget the e-mails, and I did not mind. So far, so good.... my list of friends has not been changed.

Jingle brought me an orchid plant. This makes me nervous because I am not a very good plant keeper. But this was not all... Arlene, Jingle's sug, gave me a call to give me instructions on how to care for the orchid. Oh God, help me!

I love my wii... will I love it more with this new game that Jas got me? I guess I have to throw a party and see how this works. Who's comin'?

Gem came home for their short spring break. It's 'no meat' day so I made some vegetarian wrap for lunch... yum! Gem was my kitchen helper even though she's not the cook in the family. To make up for our culinary boo-boo, she took the piece that we burned, which was no less yummy, of course... and she did the dishes, too, so who's complaining?



What were Bong and Thaad up to? Hmmm... in the cold outside, they did the oil change on my car. Getting their hands dirty, my sweet boys!

To Heather: yes, my family treated me great but my husband has yet to take me out somewhere snazzy.

I am 48 and I am content.

Be Modern!

"Multiply inches by 2.54, and you get centimeters..... so out with the English, be modern at last... the system of metric is better!" This was probably the most played tune in the early 80's. It was all over the TV and radio stations in the Philippines, announcing that the whole nation was ditching the old English Imperial system in favor of the modern Metric system. This was also the time that I would be preparing for the board exams.... after 5 years of engineering calculations by the English system, now yet another set of computations to convert to Metric have I to master... length: yard to meter.... temperature: Fahrenheit to Celsius.... volume: gallons to liters.... energy: BTU to calories or joules... etc., etc., etc. Looking back, that was really a lot of complicated work for everything to be converted and for everyone to be re-educated. But that leap proved great for it made measuring easier.

I cannot say that the nation is not modern because, in fact, it is the seat of the hip and cool, but the US has remained an English system society and I have no clue why. Now, having moved to the US, I have to go back and revisit my once comfortable territory of English Imperialism. Today's temperature is a mere 50 deg... which bothers my Canadian friends because theirs is just 10 deg... silly! It is the same temperature except ours is in F and the Canadians' in C.

How about this? In 1975, an Australian news program revealed that the country would soon be converting to "metric time." Under the new system there would be 100 seconds to the minute, 100 minutes to the hour, and 20-hour days. Furthermore, seconds would become millidays, minutes become centidays, and hours become decidays. Are you kidding? Do the math! I would just be 21 years old... would I look the age? This one's a hoax... happy April fooling!

Tweedle Dum(b)

I heard about Twitter when I first started blogging over a year ago. I suppose it was not that popular then because I did not know anyone who was engaged in it. Well, oh, well... What are you doing? This is what everyone is broadcasting over the net now.... as if anybody cares.... or maybe tweeple (Twitter users) really care. Some of my friends have started tweeting (act of posting to Twitter)... or is it twittering?... for fun. PDD and some other celebrities are also into it because they believe it is twitterrific (a really good Twitter thing) to let fans know some things that are not yet written about them. It has also become a venue for newscasters to broadcast news --- not about the world but about them! Even my tweetheart (special someone who makes your heart skip a beat) would take some slack from his busy schedule to join in the twaffic (Twitter traffic). In bettween his work and school, he wants to be in the twitterloop (to be caught up) with technology. As long as one maintains courtesy by not twitterlooing (twittering from the bathroom), I guess this new craze can be twittastic (fantastic)! Hmmm... it might be a good idea to be twaiting (twitting while waiting) at the doctor's office. Have fun but be careful not to be a twopsy (drop things because you are twitting)!






P.S. Didn't Jolina Magdangal already sing about tweet-tums in the late 80's? Might be a tweeterm (popular Twitter term) to mean cute.