Happiness

Happiness is having a sister

Sharing a sandwich

Getting along

....

For Happiness is anyone and anything at all

that's loved by you.

"You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"

It's a LOVE Day

And when I'm returning from so far away

She gives me some sweet loving, brighten up my day

Yes it makes me righteous, it makes me feel whole

And it makes me mellow down to my soul

She gives me a crazy, crazy love.

"Crazy Love," Michael Buble

A lucky girl receives two bouquets of flowers on Valentine's Day. In return, she cooks a hearty meal: mashed potatoes, cheese and spinach tortellini in white sauce, and grilled scallops, tiger prawns, and red snapper fillet.

Sa Bawat...

Sa bawat di pagsara ng mga pintong binubuksan

Sa bawat di pagtakip ng shampoo at toothpaste na ginagamit

Sa bawat paalala na hugasang mabuti ang pinagkainan

Sa bawat singhal sa maling kilos sa kusina

Sa bawat puting damit na naging makulay matapos labahan

Sa bawat hikbi na tanging gabi lang ang may kamalayan

Sa bawat dabog na pilit inaalam

Sa bawat yakap na umaasang aayos ang lahat

Sa bawat mali na pilit itinatama

Sa bawat pangarap na walang kapagurang inaasam

Sa bawat kilos

Sa bawat galaw

Sa bawat araw

Sa bawat gabi

Sa bawat mali

Sa bawat tama

Sa bawat kahapon

Sa bawat ngayon

Sa bawat bukas

Mahal kita.

At yun ang totoo.

Pag-ibig, Masdan ang Ginawa Mo?

Ilang araw na akong tumutulong sa flower shop. Taun-taon, ganito ang ginagawa ko tuwing papalapit na ang araw ng mga puso.

Nagtitiklop ng message cards. Isinisilid sa envelope. Naglalakip ng delivery orders. Isinusulat ang bawat mahalagang tagubilin ng nagpadala -- kulay, bilang, at ayos ng mga bulaklak. Sa pagitan ng mga ito ang kilig at emosyon sa pagbabasa ng bawat salitang pilit isinasalin ang nilalaman ng damdamin.

Masaya akong ginagawa ang mga bagay na ito -- alang-alang sa pag-ibig. Sa prosesong ito, marami akong muling nalalaman at natutuklasan. Sa gitna ng pagka-abala, sigalot, at di pagkakaunawaan, marami pa din pala ang himihinto, at nagbubuhos ng atensyon para sa pag-ibig.

Iba-iba ang paraan ng bawat tao upang ipahiwatig ang kanilang pagmamahal. May ibang gumagastos ng malaking halaga para sa mamahaling bulaklak. May iba naman, na sa pagitan ng layo sa kanilang minamahal, pilit pinupunan ng pagpapadala ng mga bulaklak ang kanilang pisikal na pagkukulang. May iba naman, na hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin napapagod sa pagitan ng ilang taong pagdiriwang ng araw ng mga puso bilang mag-asawa. At may iba naman, na pilit pa ring naghahangad ng pagmamahal na hindi nasusuklian magbilang man ng ilan pang taon.

Masayang umibig. Ngunit, higit na masaya ang makita, na kahit saang lugar man ako mapunta, pag-ibig ang tanging wika na nagbibigkis sa ating lahat.

Dr. Quack Quack

I woke up early this morning with an aching stomach.

When I was young, my grandmother gives a magic touch whenever we feel ill. She's chanting while rubs my aching stomach with manzanilla. You remember that ointment our parents put on our stomachs when we were still babies whenever we have kabag? Until we've grown up, we still seek grandmother's magic touch to take away that stomach ache. She finishes off with the ritual by gesturing, like putting all the ache in her hands and throwing it away to the nearest open window or door.

It seems unbelievable, but it is really unexplainable how she takes away all the pain.

"Gagaling. Lalakas. Titibay." This is the chant I have acquired from my grandmother. Whenever J feels an aching stomach, I take out that manzanilla we bought from the filipino store and applies it to her stomach, motioning a cross on it. Then finally finishes off the ritual with throwing all the pain to the nearest open window.

She laughed at me the first time I did this to her. But actually amazed how magical the ritual was, and the stomach ache went away easily.

Now that I am the one who needs a magic touch, I asked her if she could do the ritual for me. She started smirking, but trying to get serious. Then she said, "Gagaling, Hihilab..." I said noooo!

Hihilab means, I explained to her is, will still hurt. She apologized. What she meant was, hihilom. But I said, still wrong usage.

She repeated the ritual and finally got it right. I am still curled up in bed, but hoping that her magic touch would soon take effect.

Temporarily Shut Down

I was amazed seeing a walkalator at the Domestic Terminal in Manila. However, it is not working and has a signage that says "Temporarily Shut Down." I was informed that it has been shut down for almost two years now.

Oh well, Manila inconsistencies, I so abhor and love at the same time.