Every morning, for a week now, my son Benito who is 3 years old, would look out our porch and observe his “adopted” Robin family. He would say that the four baby Robins are quiet and are sleeping now. Or at some instances he would spy on the Mama Robin feeding those hungry little birdies. [...]

mga pinanghihnayangan ko nang ako ay umalis sa Sariaya:
1. noong bata pa ako lahat ng kapitbahay kong matanda ay may Aling at Mamang. Sayang ngayong nasa “middle age” na ako walang tumatawag sa aking Aling Mahalia.

Ilang hilik na lang eroplano here I come!
Ah gabi-gabi kong mina-mantra itong mga salitang ito. Para akong baliw na paikot ikot sa bahay, naghahanap ng mapapasalubong, naglilista ng mga natutunan kong mga lutuing Amerikano, naglilinis na parang baliw at minsang akyat-baba sa hagdan. Empake rito, empake roon. Nagpapalipas ng oras. Napapansin nyo ba yung asong [...]

My husband and I were 8 months pregnant, were traveling along the curvaceous Blue Ridge Mountains and were looking for ways to squander our carsickness when we decided to listen to Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography in Angela’s Ashes. A few chapters into it, we were hooked. His simplified approach, masterful interweaving of words, [...]

Endong the family rooster crowed twice at the break of dawn. It was still dark in the small hut. Inside are two figures lying on a reed rug on top of floor bamboo slats. The rug is frayed and has a couple gaping holes. When Endong crowed the third time, Terya elbowed her aging husband.

Tuesday.

I am walking in a dark hallway. Mustard yellow wallpaper reveals black mold silently hanging from the wall. The hallway is narrow and seems like it barely sees the light of day. Overhead, a whining vent emits the smell of old feces and fermented urine. The floor displays a wide array of yesterday’s newspapers, two [...]

I am in the shower lathering up my waist length hair. The sprinkle of warm water participates with the drumming sound from the monsoon. It has been raining for three hours now. It’s a Saturday night, there’s nothing to do and my dear hubby went to West Virginia with his buddies to go turkey hunting.
It [...]

The march started from a church. First, everyone gathered and said a prayer. I was not sure if the church service was held to ward off any danger or to let the people’s cry be heard. So, I just folded my hands, bent my knees and closed my eyes. Because Dan was looking if I [...]

I sometimes wonder what was the weather like back in February 1977. Not that it matters now because that was 29 years and day-that-I-was-born ago. I’d like to know if it was raining 48 hours just like my thatched roof wedding, or snowing like my first Ohio Winter, or searing hot like when my first [...]

Tanda ko pa kapag darating ang tiyuhin ko galing Quatar, halos di na ako makatulog. Syempre dahil sa pasalubong, tsaka sa mga kwentuhan at parang pyesta ang buong pamilya. Halos di nga kaming magkakapatid makapag-away dahil syempre padulas muna dahil baka ma-sekwester ng Nanay ang ilang pirasong tsokolateng pinag-hating kapatid pa namin. Tanda ko pa [...]

Nakakalat na sa Dining room ang maleta at mga balak kong dalhing pasalubong, sa tantya ko higit na sa 70 pounds ang bigat ng lahat ng bagahe. Pati kasi pang-gawa ng hotcake balak kong iuwi. Natatawa ng ang Kano kong asawa. Ang tanong niya “Aren’t there any pancakes in the Philippines?” Aba ay meron naman. [...]

five things that make me cry:
1. eating potato chips while watching Annie. I’m not sure if I am crying about the fat that the chip will add to my growing belt bag or how a grown woman like me would want to watch a kid’s movie.

paborito kong pagkain noong ako ay pitong taong gulang ang manok. yun bang itinubog sa calamansi at maraming asin, tapos pri-prituhin hanggang maging malutong ang balat. pagkahango sa mantika, gagayatan ko ng ilang kamatis at toyo sa mainit na kanin sabay kain ng kamay. noong nagka-roon ng Jollibee sa Lucena, halos linggo-linggo kong orderin ang [...]

Natatandaan ko pa noong una akong sumakay sa eroplanong Intenational. Papunta akong Palau para sa una kong seryosong trabaho bilang administratiba sa isang palaisdaan. Nang dumating ang papeles ko at dali-dali ko nang inabyad ang ticket, barangay clearance, birth certificate at passport. Una kong pinuntahan ang DFA sa Lucena.

Just another ordinary Tuesday. Nothing happening here. Woke up late. I was working on a basket in the Ladies’ Meeting from church last night. Everyone looked new to me. Jason and I just started to attend a few months ago. When we introduced one another, no one can pronounce my name. I got a new [...]