Unexpected Things

We are a congregation of wives, of different ages, personalities and temperaments.  On our own, we would never have given a passing glance to each other.  But we are here and we are inevitably thrown together simply because we married men of a common thread: they were classmates in college.

There are five of us — B, J, G, T and I.  Three of them have kids, and two of us, being so young at our marriages, are yet to have children.  So it is no surprise then that B and I would be drawn together.  Well actually, it is a big surprise.  She is 25, brash and a bit childish, and does not have a lot of interest in books and movies and blogging.  I would never have thought we'd be sharing thoughts on anything from marriage to friendship and swapping childhood stories in their apartment balcony at 4 in the morning.  I never expected we'd share moisturizers and lipstick or that I'd be wearing her pajamas when I went over to spend the night at their apartment (my first and only night away from the husband to date).  Granted, most women love to shop, but finding that we actually love to shop together so much so that both our husbands cringe every time we announce that we are going out because they know we are bound to come home with something, is an unexpected gift.  She tells me not to buy a pair of jeans because my butt looks "gi-normous" in them, and I tell her off when I think her eyebrows are not "put on right."  And it was a big step for me that I was able to tell her just recently that she was a major pain in the ass when she first arrived here a year ago.  

She admits that she still has a lot of growing up to do.  What she doesn't know is, she reminds me a little of myself when I was her age, but at the same time, she lets me see the grown-up that I've become.

I Voted (But Not for Corrupt Politicians)

I've never beeen a die-hard American Idol fan, but tonight, for the first time, I called in my vote — two votes actually, one from me and one from the husband (I "borrowed" his cellphone).  

I was already here from Season 3 to present.  I didn't vote during the Diana De Garmo/Fantasia Barrino face-off because I didn't care which one won.  I didn't love or hate either of them enough to spend time, money and energy to vote.  For Season 4, I loved Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice equally, so I felt I should be fair and not cast my vote.  With the Soul Patrol fever catching the nation, I knew Katherine McPhee didn't stand a chance against Taylor Hicks in Season 5.  Besides, I wanted anyone to win, anyone except Taylor Hicks.  That was hardly a great reason to vote for Katherine, although I still think she's gorgeous and that she'd sell more albums than Taylor ever would.

Tonight, I was ready to do a Carrie/Bo neutral stance.  But Jordin's voice, her dazzling smile, and her young and vibrant presence on stage had me make a mad scramble for my cellphone to vote for her.  I find her to be such a beautiful young woman, so much so that when I ran across a blog that described her size as "gigantic," I felt a vein throb in anger.

I was gonna go meet with a couple of friends tonight, but I'm glad I stayed in and watched the finals.  I am ready to applaud when they announce Jordin Sparks as the new American Idol tomorrow night.  And if not, well, those two votes are still well worth it.    

"Sano"

Although I've spent most of my growing-up years and adult life in Cebu, I will always be a Boholana.  And nothing reminds me more of my place of origin than that group of people over at Stockton, California, where a whole community of Boholanos breathe not only everything Boholano, but everything Filipino — from biko to Wowowee on the TFC channel, inun-unan to going gaga over Martin Nievera's concert.

We lived with my tita and her family for 4 months when we first got here, so the husband and I inherited all their friends and relatives in that part of California.  When we go there for a visit or for a gathering, we are always met with a cacophony of greetings and lots of hugging.  By now we've gotten used to their unique brand of humor, their way of conversing which is, to say the least, almost like being in a fish market.  There's lots of shouting.  If you close your eyes, you'd think that these people are sitting far across each other.  Everyone wants to say something; everyone wants to be heard.  And without meaning to, I join the fray.  I actually lost my voice after one of these gatherings last weekend.

At least I got to meet a "sano" of mine, Luke Mejares, formerly of the South Border band.  He's here with his wife Inger and daughter Akisha. They're both down-to-earth people, very laid-back, no airs at all.  Not that anyone ever has the right to have airs.  But if not for the fact that he was bringing with him a box of his newly launched CD, one would never think he's anything but a regular Bol-anon.  Oh, except for those beautiful brown eyes.  He was very gracious, indulging every request for a song or for pictures.  He almost didn't take the $10 I handed over for a copy of his CD, but I insisted.  And then he jokingly said, "Pangpalit ug gatas."  He will soon be a new daddy to baby boy Jamal.

When we left, the party was still in full swing.  Two weeks from now, when my voice shall have recovered, we go mingle again with my fellow Bol-anons for another gathering of food, fun, conversation and perhaps, a viewing of Wowowee.

She’s 17 and He’s into Beatboxing

America finally got it right.  Melinda Doolittle is out and two of the freshest talents remain — Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis.  My money is on the former, but I wouldn't mind too if Blake wins.  

Don't get me wrong.  Melinda is good, very good.  She has a great voice and she has been the most consistent among all the contestants.  Week after week, she never failed to hit the right note with her songs and with the judges.  But as we have learned from years of watching the show, a terrific voice does not make one a sure star.  One has to have that X-factor, that "it," that star quality.  Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood clearly have it.  The same cannot be said of the other winners — Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Taylor Hicks.  I mean, really, where are they now?  

I don't mean to be cruel.  America, after all, voted for them.  But as I said, this time around, America finally got the final two right.

Shuffle-Happy

It's small, and it clips anywhere!  

I've always loved music and I've always wanted to carry it with me wherever I go.  I had an mp3 player before but at 512mb, it only stored about 60 songs.  I soon grew tired of it.  It didn't help that I wasn't too crazy about uploading new songs every now and then, just to keep it fresh y'know.  

I've never been a big fan of iPods, not because they're not spiffy — because they are — but because I am not willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for one.  Besides, portability has always been an issue with me.  I am not very familiar with iPod accessories, all I know is that I have to buy something to keep it attached to my body.  When I found out about the iPod second-generation shuffle, I was thrilled!  Not only does it cost a fraction of the price of the other models, it is also small and clips anywhere — on one's shirt, jeans pocket, purse, etc.  And at 1 gig, it can hold a maximum of 240 songs, enough to keep things interesting.  I don't care for a screen; I know the titles of all my favorite songs by heart.  And I don't mind that I can't carry my pictures with me or that I can't play games or watch movies while I'm on the go; I am never still enough to have time for that (well, except maybe when I board a plane for home, in which case I think I'll just spend the 12 hours sleeping).      

So I am loving my little silver almost-square of an audio player, paying equal tribute to Fiona Apple and Zsa-Zsa Padilla.   

Do or Die

It's only been a month and some days since I last wrote here, but already it feels like forever.  

There are days when I feel like everything I am about to say or do, or the things I am feeling, are too mundane, too trivial to justify putting them down on paper or in this case, stringing them into words for people to read.  What can I say, my life is as exciting as a door knob.  When the high point of your day is making perfect panini sandwiches on your newly acquired panini grill set, you know you need to re-evaluate where your life is heading.  I have had too much time on my hands, have chalked up too many hours on the internet doing research, have soaked in too many mind-numbing yoga exercises on TV all in the name of relaxation, and still I am where I was when I single-mindedly declared I wanted a year off to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life:  undecided.  At 34, that is not a nice place to be in.  And at 34, it is not natural for someone who once thought she could take the world by storm by taking up law and one day becoming a lady judge, to be weighed down by fears and insecurities.

So I am giving myself an ultimatum.  By July, I will either have a job or should be preparing for school.

I owe it to myself — and the husband — to be interesting again.

It’s Been 48 Years

[Enters site.  Peers around.]

It's been quiet around here, hasn't it?

Will post something soon.

Promise.