Likos

Mama just got home from the dermatologist. After more than two weeks of convincing her to see a doctor, she finally followed my persistent request order. We thought that the blisters on her skin were just normal chicken pox. She had them after New Year's Day and the wounds were healed before we went to Camiguin. She was treated with Aciclover but she still kept on complaining about her skin's itchiness.

Sometime after Christmas, she felt her chest was too tight that she's having difficulty breathing. In less than 24 hours, as soon as she was able to breathe well, I saw some watery sores on her skin and we thought it was chicken pox. Lo and behold, after all of us were healed, she still kept on saying that her left arm is still numb and that there's itchiness even underneath her skin.

The doctor said that what she had wasn't chicken pox. In our dialect, it's likos, a skin disease, still caused by the herpes virus, but a worse case than pox. The numbness of her arm was caused by the viruses that are affecting her nerve cells. What appeared to be okay on the outside isn't what is happening inside. The doctor said that this disease, if not treated immediately, this will last for almost a year, or worse, can cause paralysis, and even death, if the main blister grows near the head.

My Mom is just so lucky that hers grew on her arm. No wonder she had problems breathing when it started. The doctor gave her several shots to kill the viruses. I think this is also the so-called complication when one acquires chicken pox when he's already old.

Bastos

I just don't understand it. It must be with the Filipino culture but it also has to do with one's manners. Call me so much thick-skinned but as much as possible, I grace somebody's invitation no matter how busy I am. I even got to the point of gate-crashing because my friend brought me to some parties that I was never invited. I know it's so unbecoming of a well-mannered person and I don't have to explain.

But then again, I don't think I've hurt a host's ego by turning down his invitation when I'm already at the site and that he has to go out of his house to let me come in. If I show up, I show up, get in, eat a little (or more), talk (or sleep when I'm freaking tired).

I've been turned down by this person once and being an egotist, it really pissed me big time. Had he decided to not get in, he should have parked his car far away from the house for me not to know that he is around. Or he shouldn't have come at all.

I can't explain it well but it annoys me. If he hates me, fine. He shouldn't have come. And it ALMOST happened again last night.

Sunburned

My skin is itchy and painful because of these lesions and the burn the sun in Camiguin had caused.

I think I'd better venture into sales because I've realized I'm so good at it. It took less than 30 minutes for me to convince my younger sister to treat us out to Camiguin, making her feel envious of our experience the other year, showing her the benefits the vacation would give her instead of spending her money on less-worthy things. Obviously, she took my advice and handed me the money.

I so much love the spontaneity of our family. Ling-ling, decided to treat us out at past 4 pm, I called the hotel for reservation at almost 6, we left for Balingoan at 3am the following day with all our things and some food to cook and reached Camiguin at 8am.

The rest, as they say, is history and I'm glad we did it.

Fly Away

Personally, I'm happy with what I have in this country. Sure I only have enough to support myself but if I'll have this kind of mentality, I won't grow up and I won't prosper. That makes me disqualified for husband-hood.

This holiday vacation gave me the chance to talk to my Mom and consult some things with her. She wants me to join the exodus of Filipinos who want to lie down in greener pastures and inhale a foreign atmosphere. I don't know if I have already written an entry that as much as possible, I don't want to work abroad because I am already happy here. But thinking about the things that might earn, I became open to the chance that I might fly away from my beloved Philippines...

...with some conditions though. First, I want to work within Southeast Asia so that I could fly back home whenever I'd feel bored and I need to go home on holidays.

It's as simple as that. I would surely be missing my Toastmasters family and friends but it'll just be temporary. Gagawin ko to para lang makapag-ipon.

The Third Wedding

I first met Guy when we were 12. Since then, he'd been my co-proponent in our investigatory projects from first to fourth year. I even remember how I used to make fun of his absent-mindedness even though he was the one who looked so attentive to the teacher and I was just chatting with my seatmates Andee and Ian.

We became dorm-mates til second year college until I was kicked out of school. I wouldn't have been allowed to study farther from Butuan had he not chosen to go to MSU-IIT. On the other hand, I would have had the privilege to go to UP had he chosen to have his DOST scholarship taken in UP.

Years had passed and he seemed to have drifted away from the group. I even felt guilty that I wasn't aware that his Mom passed away. I would have told the entire barkada to visit her wake and extend a help to Guy. But it was his choice to not inform us so I understood it.

Finally, he contacted me a couple of years ago about his interest to work in Cebu. Unfortunately, I was already in Manila then so I told him to contact Ian. I made sure that he would be properly taken care of in Cebu and I fully trusted Ian to do it. Since then, he had been constantly communicating with me, including his joke about his feeling for Junnah, which I took so seriously. I even offered to buy him a black barong for Junnah's wedding last April. Ha ha ha!1

Before Hunnie's wedding last year, he changed his status from "In a Relationship" to "Engaged" and the whole group congratulated him. Then we were invited. Hun's wedding came and he almost missed it. Thanks to her then fiancee Hanna, who helped him look for his long-sleeve shirt and slacks and pushed him to attend the occasion. Then we went island-hopping the following day.

The nice thing about our group is that we're so spontaneous that it really is very easy for us to continue where we've left off. The nicer thing is that, we instantly welcome somebody to be a part of us if he/she attempts to connect with us and if we like him/her. All the prejudices about Hanna were all gone when we finally met her. She's sweet, accommodating and a warm person that we felt an instant connection. I even appreciate her that she trusts me too much since she's been asking me of some ideas for her wedding.

Finally, December came and as the founder of the group, I PRESSURED everybody to join their wedding and I was successful. I have accepted that it is really in my nature to be pressuring people to do things that I want to happen and I think it's for the common good. :)

Since we are spontaneous, we changed the plan of leaving Butuan on December 27 to 28 since majority of us would be available on that date. We left the city at 4 AM, reached Tinuy-an Falls at past 8 and reached the pension house in Mangagoy, Bislig, Surigao del Sur, at past 10. The wedding began at past 3 and we had our reception at past 5.

The theme was Rock 'n Roll and the moment I received the invitation, I was already hesitant about it since what we were thinking was glam rock, gothic rock, punk rock - any kind of rock actually except the Elvis Prestley and Marilyn Monroe era but Hanna assured me that what we had in mind correct and she urged us to be in the theme so that was what I made sure to everybody.

I even had to check everybody in the pension house if they were okay to the point of making fun of Ivy's floral dress by asking her if Hawaiian is already the new rock. Good thing Janice brought a lot of spare dresses that she was able to change her attire. I had to make sure I was speck and span in our room since Ian was my roommate. From my pants, to my towel, to my toiletries, I had to make sure that they're in order because I didn't want to get reprimanded. I also had to minimize my noise. He he he.

I was really touched by Guy and Hanna because they kept on checking us if we were okay, when in fact, it was their day. The ceremony came and we made sure we were properly behaved. I even had to constantly remind Ivy to hold still and move on. Of course it was a joke but some people like Edz thought that Ivy and Guy had a past.

I was surprised to see Guy crying while walking along the aisle. I was even more surprised when I heard him cry while delivering his vow. I thought he only did that to hide some grammatical errors and mispronunciations. Ha ha ha!

Reception came and Junnah and I were the emcees. It's not really my cup of tea to be connecting with the people. Good thing teacher Junnah was there to make the event alive and made everybody responsive. There wasn't any flow of the program so everything was just impromptu. Hopefully, Guy and Hanna liked it.

What impressed me much were the videos that Guy created especially the well-documented wedding preparations. No wonder we are friends - he has the touch of artistry and creativity. He he.

Generally, I thought that their wedding was cool. It wasn't the usual prim-and-proper princess-y kind that not everybody understands and appreciates it. But it is their wedding and what matters is that the couple enjoyed it and so are the people who have joined them in the celebration of their union.

Three down for TAF, technically, 11 more to go. I'm looking forward for another wedding for the group and I'm working on mine. :)

I Think Therefore

I am human. And I think to be different from what is usual, from what is normal, from what is common.

This is my first blog of the year and I am looking forward to a lot of things. First is Ivy's wedding in May. Then our Back to HS Prom party on December 29. I don't want to call the latter as class reunion because we're not the official association. I just want to have something enjoyable and to draw a different perspective of party in Butuan City, something that is totally different from the usual drinking session. In fact, in our planned souvenir, we're even planning to put there "Back to HS Reunion - I was there and I wasn't drunk."

Before the year ended, I had opened myself to some possibilities like going abroad to work and be able to save some amount for my future. I need to have a direction and it has to start somewhere like my career.

I still have two weddings to blog about but I can't write them yet because my head aches. I've got a lot of rashes on my legs and I don't know what are these and these impede to my ability to think.

Happy New Year everyone!