I’m not really feeling good. My throat started to sore again. Maybe it’s because of those many sweets I had last Wednesday. And last night... I was hot and chilling. I'm not sure though if I had fever. I didn't have a thermometer with me. But even my breath was hot. I hope I’m not getting the flu. *Sigh*
I went half-day last Friday to see a doctor. I was having a bad cold then with dry coughing. Anyway, it turned out ok. I was in the city at almost 5pm and boarded the Greyhound bus to Boston. I got an hour and a half earlier than the 1st time I used this route.
Tita brought me to the mall on Saturday. Just a backgrounder…I saw this hat from Gap. I didn’t want to spend $24.50 + tax for just a hat. I’ve been waiting for it to go on sale but it never did. So I decided to just get it since I need one. And they no longer have it in black to my surprise. Know what?! Gap in Leominster, MA had it in black and it was on sale too. And mind you…no tax (since clothing and accessories are non-taxable in MA). I got it for $12.99 and I’m so happy about it. I also bought some long-sleeved shirts from Old Navy.
It was my 1st time spending Christmas in MA. I have only been spending Thanksgiving Day there for the last 4 years. Nothing really unusual but I was so glad to have spent it with a close relative. Tita gave me a Victoria Secret silk pajama in Cranberry color (see picture below) for Christmas apart from the money that she also gave me. I got another set of pajamas from her friend, Rowena and some money from Meme.
Joe who got a lot of presents from his parents was the happiest. How nice it is to be a kid huh?! :) They’re mostly for his Ski sport. On the 25th itself, Tita’s in-laws came to the house. Her mother-in-law prepared the food. Her ham with pineapple was so delicious.
Tita and I went to BJ’s on Monday to get some stuff. I drove her Kia Sorrento which was actually good for me since I haven’t driven in a while. How I wish I could have my own car soon! Anyway, I left for NY around noon time but didn’t get here till 830pm.
Next stop... New Jersey, where I will be spending New Year with Tita Gie and her family. :)
This will be a quick one. I've been really busy today at work. Well not really my work but I helped in the year end inventory count. And this would mean I still have a lot to do tomorrow.
I got home last night at 830pm. The bus was caught in traffic and was delayed for almost an hour. I felt so tired. I'll tell you the story of what happened during Christmas some other time.
I'm so happy that all NY buses and subways are now back to normal. It truly is a relief for most New Yorkers. Some even say it's a very nice Christmas present. Business establishments had come up with creative ways like free stuffs, chocolates for the kids, or even hot coco while having a foot spa to attract customers.
And as for me, this means Christmas in Massachusetts...
The union board has agreed to go back to work while negotiations still continue. They haven't set a time though as to when they will resume their jobs. This is actually one reason why I can't decide up to now if I'm still going to MA for Christmas. I hope it'll all be over by tomorrow. You can read more here...
25 years ago, a massive transit strike caused billions of dollar losses to the New York State and gave so many workers a hard time getting to work with no public transportation. That strike lasted for 11 days before they could come up with an agreement.
A transit strike which started yesterday has shut down most of the public transportations in the city. And while it is against the law, the union members have chosen to fight for what they believe in. New Yorkers have to find creative ways in order for them to get to work. The state has ordered the police to only allow cars with 4 people or more entering Manhattan. Strangers shared cabs and some would even give strangers a lift just to be able to go in to the city. I was a witness myself since I was in the city yesterday for our annual inventory count.
A transit worker walks through a deserted Astor Place subway station early Tuesday in New York. On Tuesday, New York transit workers walked off the job for the first time in 25 years, affecting millions of riders who rely on buses and subways daily.
Transit union picketers keep warm around a fire in New York Tuesday, after Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union ordered a strike against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Manhattan-bound vehicles on the Triborough Bridge come to a standstill Tuesday. Traffic clogged all of Manhattan's inbound bridges and tunnels.
Pedestrians crowd a Midtown Manhattan intersection on Tuesday. Millions of New Yorkers who rely on the transit system had to find a new way of getting around the city due to the strike.
Irvin has sent me a text message late afternoon yesterday asking me how I am going to get home. He said he has seen the news about the transit strike. Luckily, the company I work for is located in Nassau County and Long Island Buses (LIB) are not part of the strike. I have been worried since last week thinking of what I should do if ever they join the strike. I’m just glad that a co-worker offered a ride to and from work worse comes to worst.
it's only 10 days till christmas. i'm sure a lot of kids are excited and giddy about it. and in as much as i don't want to think that christmas is just for kids, it's a fact that they are the happiest during this season. i miss a lot of things being a kid though. no worries... easy to be pleased... always getting a lot of gifts... and more. i remember those times when me together with my siblings and cousins were lining up to receive money from 'ima'. and papa makes the best ham too every year. every traditional family is expected to have a variety of good food in their tables at christmas. the only thing i never liked is 'queso de bola'. i don't know why i'm not really crazy on this cheese.
now at 31, how many godchildren do i have now? jeez i'm not even sure if i still remember all of them...not even their names... oooppss! let me see...
1. janice's daughter
2. kat-kat (tita ching's daughter)
3. fil's son
4. kido (mommy lerma's daughter)
5. mj (marc's daughter)
6. christy's daughter
7. lyn's newly born
8. jr (tito dicky's son)
9. alvin's son
10. grace's son
i know there are more though. i'll just update the list if i remember.
sorry kids, ninang is too far away right now. actually for 4 years already. i hope i can still make it up to all of you given the time.
merry christmas everyone!
Currently, there is a heavy snow mixed with rain and sleet. Temp is 31 deg F but the feel is like 25 deg. And it's not even winter yet. Well almost... Commute wasn't that hard. There were just a few minutes delay with some of the buses but still I made it for the connections. It's really nice watching the snow but I find it a mess when it's done...they turn into mud-like slush especially on the roads. And it's colder also as they turn into ice. Watch out for the crystal-like ice. It's slippery.
I took some pictures so I could share them but I don't know yet how to upload those from my new cellphone. Haha! I'll ask my brother to teach me don't worry. :)
I've been really lazy to blog these past few days...well considering that there are a lot of things to post. Anyway, I took a different route going to Massachusetts last Thanksgiving. I took the connection in Boston. Jeez I can't believe how nice the buildings are in Boston. Well, I've only been there once in 2002 getting off from the airport. And I didn't really see much since it was at night time. My aunt even told me that I should see their shopping district which is even nicer. Maybe one of these days huh?! Hmmm...
We had so much fun during Thanksgiving. It was celebrated at my aunt's house for the 1st time. Her mom-in-law made the turkey and sidings. Everything was just sooo good. She really makes good gravy. I just love it! There were a little dancing. It was really fun!
Then, we went to the mall the next day. That's usually how it is here. There's like a big sale the day after the celebration. But even so, I didn't really shop. I just got myself a nice scarf and a portable cd player.
My aunt's husband asked me if I'll be spending Christmas with them though. Can i say no?! No, I don't think so. And of course, I'd rather spend it with family you know.
I also helped my cousin set up the new laptop I purchased for them. He was just very happy learning how to download and burn songs. Cool huh?! Well he is just 12 years old what do you expect!
mood: 
Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching and I can’t wait. I’ll be spending it in MA as usual. It’s something that I just can’t give up as it’s the only time of the year that I get a 4-day weekend. And of course, it’ll give me much happiness being with a close relative… Tita Laling.
mood: 
It is pouring out. So depressing… I’m not in my usual self. I don’t know what to think. Some things have gotten so complicated lately. My mind is too pre-occupied with so many things that I don’t anymore know how to move on. What should I do?!
mood: 
I came to the US on March 11, 2002. I went straight to MA that time and stayed with Tita Laling (Mama’s cousin) for about more than 2 months. Having found a job in NY, I moved here on Memorial Day (May 2002). While I have always spent Thanksgiving Day in MA, I haven’t visited my family in the Philippines since.
Finally, after a little more than 3 ½ years, I went home for a month’s vacation. I arrived there on September 18th. The trip was long. It took 14 ½ hours from NY to Seoul, Korea and another 3 hours & 40 minutes going to Manila. It was my 1st time to board Korean Air though. I would say their service is great. They make sure their customers are satisfied. They served good food. The plane was nice. We had individual monitors where there’s a great selection of music and movies.
I had mixed emotions while on the plane. I was excited. The happiness I felt was really overwhelming. I was even nervous I don’t know why. My heart was beating fast when the plane captain announced that we were landing shortly. As the plane got lower, I’ve seen house roofs and cars on the road. I was like… I’m finally here! I didn’t really have a hard time at the immigration. I should say I came out of the airport fast. The very 1st person I saw while going down the ramp was Irvin. My sister said he has been there since 9 AM. My arrival time was 10:50 AM by the way. Papa and my brother Mickey were there as well. We went to Duty Free where Papa bought some liquor. We went to San Andres directly afterwards. The 1st thing I noticed when we reached home was the message “Welcome Home Faye” by the living room. Everyone was excited as I opened my luggage and ‘balikbayan box’. I wasn’t even feeling tired considering I flew for 18 hours. The feeling of being with my family is just very special. The whole family attended the mass and my brother Adoy treated us for dinner. They initially wanted to go to Chef d’ Angelo but I requested for Filipino food. We went to Dencio’s. Whew! We were stuffed!
To be continued…
mood: 
I had my annual check up last Saturday. My doctor also took blood works and urine sample...part of the process. Then, I went to Cabrini where Tita Gie works. She had a co-worker who gave us a ride to NJ. We went to Walmart and Marshall’s. I found the shoes similar to the one I saw at DSW. It’s almost half the price but still I didn’t want to buy it. I kept on saying it’s just a ‘want’, not a ‘need’. Tita Gie maybe noticed how I wanted the shoes so she got it for me. Thanks, Tita Gie. We arrived at Tita Gie’s house. No one was home. We had dinner and went upstairs to watch tv. I went to bed late that Saturday…2am. I finished the movie I was watching. I woke up at past 9am. I wasn’t able to sleep well. I kept on waking up then forcing myself to go back to sleep again. Tita Gie made breakfast…bacon and eggs. I ate it with toasted bread. Hmmm yummy! We went to church at 12noon. We were a little late. Her kids were just taking their time dressing up. After mass, we headed back home and cooked lunch. Tita Gie made chicken barbeque while I fried lumpia shanghai. Tito Freddie finally arrived at about past 3pm. But we didn’t leave for NY till an hour later. We went to Tita Inday’s house in Manhattan to drop off KC, had dinner and left at around 8pm. Monday was a holiday being Labor Day. I just stayed home the whole day fixing things. I organized all my paper works and picked those that I’ll be bringing with me. What a tiring day!
I got a text message from Tita Baby last night at almost midnight saying Nanay is in the hospital. She was in the operating room that time for appendicitis. I tried sending a text message to Tito Paqui but didn't get a reply. And I don't know Tita Aba's cell number. So I called Tita Baby but didn't get much information. She said she hasn't talked to them yet and that she was about to leave her house to go to work. And so I went to sleep.
Just a few minutes ago, I got another text from Tita Baby asking if I called them in the Philippines. I said not yet. She said she called them again last night (like after 2 hours from the time Nanay entered the operating room) and Nanay hasn't come out yet. Nanay had raptured appendicitis. Tita Aba called Tito Paqui crying for help at around 4am. Nanay was really in pain and she didn't know what to do. Tito Paqui asked Tita Aba to bring Nanay to Las Pinas which she did. Then upon bringing her to the hospital, they learned that the infection has already spread. Earlier, Nanay already spent overnight in a hospital in Marikina. But never did they think that it was something this serious. They were only told she's high in potassium. I feel so worried that I want to see Nanay badly. I hope she'll be ok. Tita Baby said everybody thought Nanay is leaving us this soon.
I also called Irvin but Mommy said he went to the hospital to see Nanay. I'll just call him again to know how Nanay is now.
mood: 
I called Tzie last Tuesday knowing that her due date is August 27th. I wasn't able to talk to her and got her voice mail instead. I left a message but had to call again and asked their receptionist if she's still reporting for work which she actually is. Then, I got a call from her at exactly 8:08 pm last night. She said she went to work that Tuesday but having felt that the baby wasn't moving, she asked her husband Jay to take her to the hospital. True enough, her water bag already broke. But she said she wasn't feeling any labor pains. So she was admitted. She gave birth on August 24th at 11:52 pm to a healthy 7.2 lbs baby girl. Yey! Congratulations Jay and Tzie! I hope to see you before I leave for the Philippines.
mood: 
I’m leaving for the Philippines soon and as it gets nearer, it actually gets slower. Am I being impatient?! If I can only pull the days towards me!
I have finished buying all the ‘pasalubong’ that I intend to bring to the Philippines. I’m sure a lot of people are expecting something from me. I know I will hear many side comments and half-gag, half-truth reactions. I feel bad for I can’t meet everyone’s expectations. I just can’t please everybody! And that’s the truth…
By the way, it was my Tita Aba’s birthday last August 14th. Belated Happy Birthday Tita! May all your wishes come true!
mood: 
I went to pick up my plane ticket last Saturday in Flushing. Finally, I met my travel agent Annie. She’s rather nice in person and very soft spoken. I think she felt comfortable with me right away having opened some of her personal issues in life. And I was flattered. We had lunch at a Korean Restaurant which I can’t even remember the name. Food was good. We ordered Beef Kalbi Tang and Grilled Salmon. It’s also common for Koreans to have a lot of side dishes. Believe me…just for these appetizers you won’t even need to have the main course.
Then I went to Manhattan to return something to Target not knowing that they never had a store in the city. A guy told me there’s one in Queens Plaza. It was actually my 1st time to ever ride the N and R train. But jeez I had to waste almost 3 hours just for the travel…looking for a Target store. There wasn’t also a Target store in Queens Plaza so again someone said I should go to Queens Center Mall. Then, there it was. Whew! I got a laced camisole and a shrug for a reasonable price.
I started packing yesterday. I just don’t want to rush things later. And since I don’t have much space in my room, when it’s summer, I usually put my winter clothes in the luggages. But now I need one for my trip to the Philippines so I unpacked that and sorted all the clothes that I plan on bringing including the ‘pasalubong’ I have bought for my family and friends. I weighed them bag per bag just to have an idea of how much it’ll be in total. Guess what?! It reached 145 lbs. and I’m only allowed 140 lbs. Well 2 boxes of 70 lbs. each to be exact. So I decided to just return some of the soaps and chocolates I got from Costco. I don’t think it’s practical to be paying the excess baggage fee.
Right now, I feel so dead-tired. I hope I can sleep early tonight though.
