The Gift

She’s a beauty. I’m referring to my brand new NEO notebook, a Christmas present from hubby who knows exactly the most practical gift I’ve secretly fancied. When he called Friday afternoon, the boom in his voice was a give-away like Eureka, I found it! Having been led on to this surprise, I could barely wait to see him in the evening and when I prodded further, he simply said, something for your writing gig.”

The moment I opened the box and freed the item of its strapping, I knew that this is going to be with me for a long time like the first Olympia typewriter I got from my father a long time ago in 5th grade. I could only utter: OMG! I felt like a kid who got her favorite toy from Santa as I held the Neo with a confident grip that seem like instinct, imprinting my jovial spirit into this tiny machine. Braveheart was smiling too, pleased with my reaction, which I guess he has predicted accurately. At least now when the moment strikes me…I can pound the keys with style Haha!

I listed mentally the number of ideas that needs body and a shot at posting. There are lots of things swirling inside my head; I have no more excuse but to put them all into writing through this little gray notebook. For now, let me savor this moment with my portable writing companion whom shall be named Neo Gray.

Wishful Thinking

So I am 10 minutes in the waiting - my eyes begun to wander away from the distance where I suppose the object of my waiting would appear. With much conscious effort, I surveyed my surroundings upon discarding my indifferent self, I felt a sense of connection with the people passing by in that street corner in Sta Ana where I planted myself like a shrub.

The sunglasses came in handy, they gave me free room and ample angle to discreetly observe people, take note, not ogle them. I see an old man carrying 3 bags of clothing (I assume) while holding a brown paper envelop which from the way he held it must have taken great effort from his gnarled hands not to have it creased. Meanwhile a woman, who just stood nearby huffed and puffed her cigar like there was no tomorrow, she must have a pair of mighty and happy lungs.

Still the happiest sight of the moment goes to a number of Mommy-baby pairs who come passing by. I counted several pairs of them: taking a stroll, stopping at the fruit cart, crossing the street and emerging from the Jollibee store with a Kiddie meal take out. One common denominator was the cheery aura, as if both were caught in their own little bubble and the rest of the world do not exist. I felt envious.

I wish I have the same privilege of staying home with my kids. I could just do blogging for a living like Anton of AOP and I would be available to my kids anytime. I would fix my schedule around them so I could be the one preparing their breakfast, giving baths as often as they want in a day, driving them to school and putting them to sleep in the afternoon. We could watch their favorite movies a hundred times over and eat their favorite cookies and chocolates until our tummies ache and read and re-read their favorite stories and talk and talk without the worry that it’s past their bedtime because you can do it during the day. Sounds perfectly simple, but it is not simple.

How I wish it would be easy for me to shift into the low gear. I remembered seeking Hubby’s opinion on home-schooling our kids; he said he’ll give it a careful thought. But then again, am I prepared to once again fold the career plan and store it behind the kitchen counter until both my children are independent enough to go to school?

I am also thinking it over.

Acknowledgements to the following image sources:

www.site.blissliving.com

www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/4991399

Our Church and Baby Project

Today is Dec 3, 2008, a Wednesday. That same day, also a Wednesday, 5 years ago at exactly 3PM, Braveheart and I took the promise to have and to hold at the Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life in Pasay City.

Our church, the Shrine, used to be a solitary and majestic structure set in the reclamation area in 2003 with the beautiful Manila Bay sunset for added drama. Now the Shrine is teeming with faithful patrons and guests from the bustling central business park particularly visitors from MOA (Mall of Asia). Well it’s been 5 years and urban develop in the area is unstoppable. I just miss the serenity of the Shrine during its early years. Nevertheless it will remain a significant landmark in my life.

It’s been the 5 best years of my life with Braveheart. It’s not an everyday rosy affair but the bumpy rides were worth it for we learn to love and appreciate each other in a more profound way, idiosyncrasies included.

And yes, we are having a new baby. Our baby project will soon be unveiled by January 2009 and I wish my readers (yes I have a handful) to continue their hits in my blogs. Braveheart already secured a space in the web for this new baby. Details will follow after hard work and I am keeping my fingers crossed, may our interest and diligence put us through. This is more than a product of our hubby-wifey partnership; it is a culmination of our talents and ideas.

I’m so excited.

Catching up on the Renegade

I have a good friend who is a die-hard fan and advocate of recently elected US President Barack Obama. I realized my friend’s affinity towards Mr. Obama may be due to a common trait they share like eloquence and boldness. I find this connection a great concoction for inspiration for someone starting with his legal career; I always believe that my dear friend W have in him what it takes to be a remarkable lawyer.

I never missed out on the US Presidential elections, thanks to all the media attention. Aside from the constant midnight CNN feed that serves as Hubby’s entertainment, all visible reading materials have Mr.Obama on it, from the daily office subscriptions to personal reading purchases.

I think that the victory of Pres. Obama, the election of a black man into the highest seat of power in the United States, is a good sign for the world to see. Pres. Obama has a mix of American-African blood and has an Asian background (and relatives) that lends enigma and value to the 3rd world. His symbolic win represents the actuality of equal opportunity for all races and ethnicities given various cultural and economic backgrounds.

I remember picking this up from the CNN, it said that Mr. Obama did not only create a leader out of himself with a strong base of followers worldwide, he created a movement which he termed people who believe in change. I wish him God’s blessings for he is a man worthy of praise and support, having rose from humble origins with his intellect, strategic vision and good intentions. How I wish that someone like Obama would be in our midst as our country badly needs one.

On the lighter side, I found this bit of information on providing secret service code names for the US First Families interesting. The following code names were provided to Pres. Obama and his family: President-elect Barack Obama: Renegade; Michelle Obama: Renaissance; Malia Obama: Radiance; and Sasha Obama: Rosebud.

Want to have one for yourself? Visit the Code Generator.

For amusement purposes, I also got one for myself and the pack. As I've always referred to hubby as Braveheart, I patterned our codes with his: Hubby: Braveheart; I am: Blaze; my Son: Bearhug; and my Baby Girl: Brilliance.

So what’s yours?

Acknowledgements to the following sites:

DemConWatchBlog.com

ChannelOne.com

Photos of Pres. Obama from the Time.com website