If this television set were alive, it would be writing a book about my single life, and about some other things that I wouldn’t dare write about. See, it was the only inanimate thing in my studio apartment then that really saw everything.

Well, just this week, the old tv’s gone. Trampled by the tiny bulldozer we call AJ! I don’t know what came over him one day, but he decided to give the television a bear hug. Maybe it was the Pokemon episode that we were watching then that made him grab the hapless 21 inch television set and just PULLED….

My first thought was “Dear Lord, could he be hurt???”… he wasn’t and he felt very guilty. He even hugged me all throughout the silent period that followed. I have always been sentimental about the stuff I bought with my first paychecks, and I was weepy for a while. To break the silence, mr.hubby-AJ-sympathizer said “Ok, now we’re buying a new one, complete with home theater sconces so you will really feel the change.”

The little pinoy devil had the grace to look abashed and remorseful. So like mommy when she did something really, really naughty.

… how pretty everything is under soft and slightly dim indoor lighting. It’s the way the lightbeams hit the hair, the face and the contours of the body that make people look like supermodels in a hotel lobby. Soft, yellow light softens the features and makes one seem like she’s wearing make up when she’s not. Maybe hotels are really built for newly weds who go there to share romance with each other. The hotel makes sure that not even the harsh white of the lighting would mar the fantasy.

Just a few thoughts.

Here’s another one: isn’t it weird how couples who live in a 2-bedroom house with a maid and a little toddler go out of their way to spend a few hours in a hotel for a “quick fix”? Like, isn’t the bathroom enough?!? ::D

Just another thought.

There is a section in any mall that spells P.R.I.N.C.E.S.S. out loud in bold, pink letters. In this section, the department store manager and sales people team up to turn little girls into royal princesses who simply MUST have that small royal chariot or that glittery wand. One of the most expensive items are the BIG dollhouses where small but detailed mini-furnitures are artistically arranged. These are what the little girls want most.

I have a son, but what am I doing in the Princess section? Why looking for princess things too, of course. Some of these dreams never really die.

Here are my ideas on how to put up an internet shop.

1. Basic knowledge of cable and LAN operations, including the concepts of networking, the purpose of CAT5e cables, and others, basically how a computer works individually and in a network with other PCs.
2. A budget for stall/store put up.
3. A budget for at least 8 computers in a network.
4 A business type internet connection (very fast)
5. Manpower to help run the shop when you’re not there.

Moms who have computer savvy kids can save even more in terms of employee pay. Their kids could check the network for them, install software and code their promotion website. This hobby should not be limited to those who were born after 1985. Anyone who has a good business sense can put up an internet shop and be among those who believe in the power of globalization through information dissemination.

For example you are a tourist from Northern Luzon and you want an itinerary comprising a few nights in Manila before going off to your destination out of the country. Here is a guide that I prepared just in case I can’t be your guide during  your brief Manila stay (because of family obligations).

Whether you are coming in locally or from abroad, it’s impossible to get lost in Manila because you can ask anything from anyone in English and you’ll get a relevant answer… also in English. If you are a foreigner and may need additional prodding to come to Manila, here is a reason… Manila’s spectacular sunsets…

For people coming in locally from Northern Philippines, the best way to start (if you don’t have relatives to drive you to the city) is to go by bus. The bus company of choice is Partas. They have luxury buses with seats as big as a regular Lazy Boy, and just as comfy. My tip is to bring a big bag, but mostly empty initially (besides your basics). Your travels will fill it up with mementos and knick-knacks you pick up along the way. Once you get to the bus terminal in Cubao (Quezon City) or Manila, you can ask a cab to bring you to a hotel of your choice.

For a weekend stay, the prices could be fixed for a weekend package (3 days and  nights). My suggestion is to avail of reasonably priced rooms in 4 star manila hotels (excellently compared and contrasted by hotelscombned.com). Why? It’s relatively cheaper than the bigger hotels like Holiday Inn, and some of these hotels are very near the airport.

Cab drivers are the best source of info on nice places to go to. They vary in quality and it is best to find out how others rate these cab companies. You can do that on this practical tips to manila page.

You can do it while everyone else in your neighborhood  is preparing for work (no lane competition)

You can do it before you prepare your baby’s breakfast (and even before he’s awake)

It’s free, no gym memberships

It’s an excuse to go out (you don’t really get to go out often as a WAHM eh?)

No expensive gym equipments, just a pair of good shoes (those Clarks shoes look good).

It’s better than sex (Ok, maybe not. lol.)

Have fun!

God, please do not let me miss those moments that I could have spent with my child. Let me carry him more often and feel his tiny body gently wrapped in my loving arms. For someday I will not have the strength to pick him up anymore.

It’s the small things that I share with AJ everyday. It’s holding him when he’s trying to sleep. And, being with him when he feels too scared (usually when one of his favorite TV characters get blown off in a cannon)… I don’t want to be too stressed to be with him anymore.

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Then one day, God said, “you deserve better” and I got pregnant.

My hair was no longer perfect, my butt grew bigger and I forgot that I wasn’t wearing lip gloss for the day. I’d lie exhausted in bed, with no time even to have sleep-induced dreams. Now I learned who chip was and who dale was… and that Donald Duck was not really a cartoon hero but a villain. I learned that swimming through life wouldn’t be too difficult if I wasn’t swimming for my life, but floating leisurely on my back towards contentment with my child on piggy back.

I no longer had the leisure to pursue endless trails of pixie dust, but now I’m quite sure those pixie dust thingies won’t measure up to the reality of spilled milk on my spotless floor.

The Big Guy upstairs knew his thing… this is way better.

In the Philippine suburbs, neighborhood based businesses are not uncommon. Here and there you will see small stores being put up and maintained. Lawns converted into eating places and picnic spots. Those who have pools definitely have the monopoly of neighborhood business, but I can’t imagine the amount of cleaning and maintenance they have to put up with during off season.

Some more enterprising families hold swimming lessons during off season, and these work great. Some even have olympic gold medalists or known swimmers giving a short speech to encourage kids to swim competitively… putting star mom lights in moms’ eyes. Maybe their initiative and willingness to take on such youth friendly endeavors will inspire more moms to do their share of empowering these kids.

Yes, it is painful. Yes, it is bearable. No, it will not traumatize you too much that you will never make love anymore. Yes, it will make you feel more like a woman.
Yes, it will change you.

In silent moments of self-examination, I realize that most moms are kept serene during the whole of pregnancy and childbirth by the spirit of their unborn baby. What is absolutely terrifying becomes more of a lull during a busy day.

You become protected from the pain because your child’s will to live lifts you up beyond it.

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Mommy Thought: Maybe I will invest more on real lamps for bedlights, for the times when my son will keep a book to read way beyond bedtime. If he is anything like me, he will, for sure. And, I’m afraid that like me he will need to wear eyeglasses for the rest of his life.