Lefty Jones
I was having dinner with some folks from work the other night, when I realized how pitiful my right brain is. (Dean for sure will say it's about time I noticed, but seriously, I had deluded myself to thinking I was quite well-rounded.)Even after studying for 13 years, my piano-playing skills are dismal - and that's an understatement. I've forgotten how to read notes (ugh), what a sharp does or what the equivalent of the sharp is called in the F clef. Worse, about the only thing I can play is the scale. I've still got good form though, if that counts for anything.I have no artistic or musical inclination - I can't draw, paint, write or act to save my life. I did win an acting award once in 7th grade, for best actress in a MALE role, so I don't know if that counts for much. Dean cooks better than me, and he always says I'm only good for finance.So now I'm afraid my right brain has shrunk to microscopic proportions, and suddenly, the left side of my head feels a little heavy.
Daddy's girl
My dad had a mild stroke last Thursday while sleeping in the passenger side of the car. He woke up and half of his face down to his arm was numb. Of course, my dad being my dad, he went about his day like nothing happened. If it weren't for Ahia's frantic phone call from the States, I don't think wild bulls could have dragged him to the hospital.I don't have the kind of easy relationship with him as my siblings - Ahia and Dihia's easy adult talks about family or work, Yotch's easy banter about sports or Wong's easy lambing... Remnants of a childhood filled with growing pains as the eldest daughter in a solidly traditional Chinese household, I suppose.It's always made me sentimental - I can't help sobbing at father-daughter scenes in movies (man, Mulan made me cry throughout the movie, even to this day) or now that I'm getting married, replaying in my mind how my dad will look walking me down the aisle. My most favorite picture in the whole world was taken by a stranger during my graduation, because in it, my dad looks proud of me.Moms can make families warm and loving, but Dads make families feel invincible - because you know that even in the worst of times, he's always got your back. I'm guessing all of us are feeling a little vulnerable right now. I know I am... suddenly not so sure of my footing when I could have walked blindfolded before.
Brain Freeze
Ok, my grateful-for-life mood is so over. I feel like I just sucked too much information too quickly today, and my brain has frozen. It's been in constant activity this whole day from 10-7, not even breaking for lunch. I think my penguins have all fallen off the iceberg... plop, plop, plop.
Since it's taking me about an hour to write this blog (with nothing of substance!), I've decided to just post a picture that has absolutely no relation to the topic above. That's how bangag I am today. Anyhow-leehoo, this is 1 of my most favorite pictures - our most recent family picture.
Valentine's Scrooge
This has got to be my worst Valentine's in recent memory. It started with me leaving my Valentine a couple of thousand miles away in Singapore on the 1st flight out. I was so groggy, I slept the entire way - which was a shame since I was planning on waking up to catch "Shall We Dance?". Not worth the price of admission or even a pirated DVD, but worth the price of a plane ticket. Go figure.Then it's straight to the office for meetings. That went well actually. The bad part was, I didn't have a ride home since, well, my regular driver is now sosyal, being employed in M&C Saatchi, Singapore. I didn't want to sleep at the Pen either so I decide to rough it and take the MRT. God knows why.Dragging my maleta (I just arrived this morning if you remember) and my bulky carry-on (made heavy by those dang Shu cleansing oils), I somehow made it to the station. 15 minute queue for the ticket... Not too bad considering I was in the Philippines. Minimal 'siko' from passers-by and at least there was 1 guard trying to keep the peace among the 120 people in line.Another queue to inspect my bags. Piaw see... I forgot I had brought my whole apartment back with me. Just my luck, the "miracle stick of the Pilipins" - the almighty scanner that can detect bombs, guns and other such explosives by merely being waved somewhere in the vicinity of your bag - was, according to the disgruntled security guard, "low batt".Punyeta - my undies in display for all the world to see right there in the middle of Ayala MRT Station.All red from embarrassment, heat and exertion, I make my way to the train. The MRT is such a magical creature - though nobody gets off, it somehow expands inside to keep accommodating the mass of people squeezing, pushing and shoving their way in. This keeps happening for the next few stations, and I get more than a couple of dirty looks for occupying 2.5 spaces (1 for me, and 1.5 for my maleta). We get to Cubao, and the MRT exhales about a million people all in 1 go. Finally, some breathing room and the rest of the trip isn't quite such a nightmare. Fast forward 5 minutes after arriving home and I receive 3 frantic calls from my boss and my ABMs. A bomb had just exploded in the Ayala MRT, they said, and they felt the ripple all the way to our office. They were checking to see if I was safe.After all that ranting and raving, suddenly I'm just glad to be alive... and grateful to have experienced this hardship on my way home. Because at least I could still feel something, no matter the pain, my journey wasn't cut short, and I have a home to return to. Some days, it's more than enough.
My Manila Top 10
I'm going back to Manila for about a month this Monday... It's kinda weird to leave Dean behind in Singapore but at the same time, there's so much to look forward to back home. Among my top 10 are...1. Bwibs. How cute is he!! I can't wait to see his new buzz cut.
2. Making Mama kulit while she's cross-stitching my gift (heehee).3. Late night chismis with Yotch while Wong pretends she's asleep to eavesdrop.4. Ah... Sunday massages by Pearly...5. Starbucks conversations with D. 
6. Family dinners at the favorites, King Crab or Nippon!7. Shopping on Saturdays with the girls.8. Driving the Camry.9. Going out with gang.10. Free food and coffee c/o P&G. :)
Invictus
I feel like a man waiting for his pregnant wife to give birth. I am nervously pacing the halls, constantly moving around to ease the butterflies deep in the pit of my stomach.
It's a combination of things I suppose. Dean's having his 2nd interview with Burnett today - which he thinks is his last chance to get a decent job in this country. The boss of the boss of the boss of my boss is coming tomorrow and I have to make a 30minute presentation that I've been prepping for for 2 weeks... to a man who will not even remember my name 5 minutes after I'm done.
It's hard to imagine that the future of my life and my career lies in these few days, in the hands of these people I don't even know. Master of my fate, captain of my soul... yeah right. I've never felt so helpless.
