We Are Here

One morning this time last year (2009), I typed up about ten pages of a story draft in a frenzy on my office desk.  I revised it daily and let Rene, my sister, my mother, and my Tita Baby read it and criticize it. I even read it aloud to Elise, who was very entertained, especially because it was mainly about her, Nacho and our family.
 
That May, we visited Rene here in Puerto Princesa and took a day trip to Starfish Island in Hunda Bay.  We were greeted by several orange starfish on the wet beach.  I remembered my story and felt reassured that planning to move here eventually is the right thing to do.

A few weeks ago (February 2010), on one of our excursions, we took another day trip to Dos Palmas Island.  And at high noon, when Nacho was playing knee-deep in the water, we found it.  We found The Blue Starfish!

Click here to read "Blue and Orange Starfish."  I hope you like it.

Inspirations

Lolo Papa gave Elise a mobile phone before we left Manila.

He insisted to get her one so she could greet him "Good morning" everyday and so they could both keep in touch with each other as often as they want.  Whenever we would sleep over at their house, she would gently knock on his door in the mornings and would happily greet him.  This acknowledgment gave him so much joy and comfort.  He helped her build her contact list and requested that she call him "G.P." for Grandpa in texts instead of Lolo Papa because it sounded better to his ears.

I was about to protest against giving her a phone because of all the potential trouble that it can sometimes cause.  But Lolo Papa simply said,"Just give her rules, brief her of the dangers and let her have responsibility for taking care of it."  Then he added,"You have to inspire them." 

He also knew that having a phone would ease her forthcoming homesickness by making her loved ones only a text or a call away. Now, Elise texts and calls her titas and lolos and lolas whenever there is a special occasion.  She has taken it upon herself to bring them news like when she learned how to bike, to swim and to snorkel!  They call her when they miss her and she feels missed and loved and very special. 

Last month, she met Father Jim, a visiting priest.  He chatted with her for a while and she mentioned that she wants to be a chemist when she grows up.  Now, Father Jim happens to be a Chemical Engineering graduate and he was quite happy to hear this.  He started to reminisce about his high school days when he would play pranks on his friends by concocting mixtures that would make things explode.  Elise was very impressed, and then Father Jim ended by saying,"You should make yourself a crystal garden."  Then he turned to me and said,"Get her a chemistry set. If you can't find one, make her one."

We still have to shop around for flasks and test tubes and perhaps a bunsen burner.  And we still have to get different kinds of salts for her crystal garden.  At least Father Jim did not tell me to get some sulfuric acid to help her make a small bomb.  But suffice it to say that she has been talking about being a chemist almost everyday.  A few days ago, she said she really wants to discover a cure for cancer and dengue.... a biochemist...

I never used to let her touch my laptop for fear of it breaking - perhaps by vigorous tapping.  I used to always worry that she might accidentally delete something or stumble upon some inappropriate stuff on the net while she is surfing for some Strawberry Shortcake videos.

But Rene said,"Let her learn.  Just look over her shoulder.  She needs to be resourceful and discover stuff on her own."  I've since loosened up and let her explore in Glubble, where parents can regulate their kids' internet use.  She is also doing her book report on Microsoft Word.  We plan to do a family newsletter soon on Microsoft Publisher because there is so much to tell.

The other night, we both watched Episode 1 of Voltes V on You Tube.  Then for her bedtime story,  Rene had her hanging on to his every word as he narrated to her the whole saga till the last episode!  And lately, she and Rene have been practicing the "butterfly return" for some serious combat! 

It's never ending.  We are constantly watching their little interests grow bigger.  Some go away.  But the ones that warm them inside and make them feel valued stay with them.  And the ones that  inspire them are the ones they pursue.

Missing My Baby Sister

I just finished a video chat with my dear little sister a while ago.  I told her I was getting sleepy.  It was 11:00 P.M. and I wanted to get up early tomorrow.  But before I pressed "End Call", I couldn't resist pressing the "Take a Video Snapshot" button.  I told her I took her picture, and she gently scolded me for not warning her first.  Then, she dramatically removed her eyeglasses, tucked her hair behind her ears, quickly ran her hands over her face, and struck an angled pose. I took two more pictures and she started clicking on her screen too and took pictures of me.  We had a very short silly giggly time.  When I finally signed off, I heaved a great big sigh and felt a pang in my chest.  I miss her terribly.

What a beautiful person she is!  She is someone who has her eyes set on doing good in this earth, and makes sure she shows her loved ones how much she cares.   She cheerfully put her doctorate abroad on hold since last year to help Mama take care of Papa, who is very ill.

She will always be our baby girl with the big doe eyes and the rosy cheeks.  My first job in 1985 when I was sixteen years old was in McDonald's.  I worked from 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Saturday for a year.  With my first paycheck, I bought her a pair of plaid kids' Tretorn sneakers, just because I wanted to get her something special.  I remember fixing her hair a lot for school and covering her face with kisses. 

We did not have the chance to be really close roomies with regular girl talks because I am seven years older than her.  I went off to the university dorm when I was 17, and she was 10. When we lived in Victoria, in 1993, we made sunrise dates, she would come over to my apartment to borrow clothes, or I would drive her out to parties of wherever she had to go. Upon our return to Manila, my life took off with "The Busy Schedule."  Then she left for Hawaii.  Most of our bonding these past two years has been over Yahoo Messenger, Gmail, GTalk, and most recently, Skype.  Then when I stopped working, I started spending more quality time at Mama's house last year.  When the kids and I visited Manila last January, we got to see each other a lot more.  

There will be more time to be together, perhaps when Papa gets better and she can come over for a few days, or when we go to Manila again to visit.

For now, it'll be special occasion cards sent through the post office and a lot of online chatting. 

King Jim Ticklers and Giveaway Pens

We never leave the hotel without Elise's pink and Nacho's blue spiral notebooks - the ones with the coils on top.  I also have some pens for them, usually the ones given away at trade expos or company Christmas gifts.  The ticklers cost P13 pesos apiece and have saved me tremendous time, energy, and face whenever we go out to public places.

Take errands to the bank, for example.

When I need to go to the bank, I need to deposit checks, pay bills and withdraw money.  At the bank we go to, clients who have multiple transactions have to line up separately from clients who only need to do a single transaction.  This makes the wait of multiple "transactioners" longer.  And it becomes excruciating when the "transactioner" has two restless little children with her.

On our first visit, I just let them loose to see what would happen.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Elise filling out withdrawal forms, signing them and getting one (or three!) of each kind of form, accumulating her own little file.   Nacho could not reach the top of the counter so he noisily dragged one of the monoblock chairs from one corner of the waiting area to the counter, stepped on top of it with his dirty shoes and started following what Ate was doing... with some growling exclamations here and there.  They started getting a bit noisy and I saw the security guard with his humongous rifle speak sternly at them.  I watched them take their seats on the sofa quietly.  Elise was so embarrassed and angry at the same time that she had a dagger look towards Nacho, who was looking at me with his beady eyes, and I could read,"Help!" written all over his face.

I wonder what the effect of that security guard encounter had on them.  Later on, I asked Elise what he said.  They were just told not to play with the forms and to please sit down. Whew.  I am glad it wasn't any of those power-trippin' gun-slingin' fellas picking on my kids!  I know some people who have had weird encounters with security guards when they were younger and consequently developed serious issues towards authority. 

After that episode, we talked about it on the way to NCCC Mall to do our groceries.  On the third floor, there was a stationery section.  We bought their ticklers and talked about the different places where they could use them.

So now, those notebooks are safely in my handbag. I bring them out when we eat out, when we go to the barbershop or salon, when we are falling in a long line... and of course, when we go to the bank.

School Hunting

Yesterday, Elise, Nacho and I rode the van downtown to get some errands done:

• Deposit some checks 
• Get some cash
• Replace the tiny screw in Elise's eyeglasses
• Do the grocery
• Visit the market to get some fruits

We did the first three then got some burgers and spaghetti from Jollibee.  We then decided to take a tricycle to visit the Catholic school by the bay which was managed by nuns.  It is now a university, and had Nursery to College levels.  It felt like a typical Catholic school like St. Theresa's College, or Maryknoll College or St. Paul's College.  The Guidance Counselor for the Elementary levels was very nice and competent and answered all our questions.  Unfortunately, they could not give us a tour of the Grade 2 classrooms and the Nursery classrooms because there were some visitors rating the school.  We walked out of the school bumping into nuns and Elise had a blast greeting them one by one. 

A private Chinese school was not too far, and we decided to go there as well. We took a tricycle again and headed for it.  We visited the Admissions Office and the Guidance Counselor happily showed off their Grade 1 and Kinder classrooms. As we entered the Kinder classroom, the loud booming voice of the middle aged teacher suddenly exclaimed,"Class, we have visitors!"  The whole class shouted in unison, "GOODAFTERNOONVISITORSWEAREHAPPYTOSEEYOUGODBLESSYOU!!!!!!"  Nacho froze.  Ana slowly backed up against the wall.  The teacher then shoved the three of us into a monoblock chair each and motioned for us to take a seat.  She continued her lesson and flashed some words written on illustration boards and carefully wrapped with plastic covers.  The class read them one by one,"THIRTEEN!!! EIGHTEEN!!! TWENTY!!! FIFTEEN!!!" The teacher shouted and stomped her foot,"DON'T SHOUT!!!!"

Our guide had a worried look on her face and slowly inched her way to the front of the class.  She carefully put away the three foot wooden stick that was leaning against the teacher's table.  I glanced at one girl who was facing the wall with her hands on her sides and another one just in front of me who was seated with his cheek on the table... his eyes half-closed showing his eyeballs doing R.E.M. and with something dripping out of his mouth.....

"Okay na," I whispered to the Guidance Counselor.  I think I saw enough. No way is Nacho going to be in that class! She showed us two other younger classes - where Nacho would be if and when he studies there. The teachers looked more relaxed, and the children were actually gathered around them fondly.  I wouldn't mind Nacho being in those two later classes.  Meanwhile, Elise did not like the Grade 2 classroom.  According to her, it "felt weird."

There was one last private school we wanted to take a look. It was a school that had relocated from the city to the suburbs, very near the hotel. An ideal location. We took a jeep that was going to San Jose and just asked to be dropped by the street that would lead us to the school.  A tricycle stopped and an old man who was driving cheerfully drove us to the school and offered to wait for us so he could take us back, since there were sparse tricycles there.  We arrived and the whole school was made of pawid and bamboo.  They were still constructing and so the playground was indoors.  The classrooms were very simple and very down to earth, but the materials were acceptable.  The lady who showed us around also emphasized that they were strictly Catholic - they say the Angelus, the Three O'Clock Prayer and pray one decade of the Holy Rosary each day.  They also have First Friday Mass every month.

The Chinese school was the most expensive.

The little school in the suburbs was nearest to us.

The school ran by nuns looked like the most stable one. They seemed to know what they were doing.

I need to find out:

- Are there any clubs/sports teams that Elise can join?
- What are the arts and crafts available for them?
- In the Nursery level, what is the Teacher-Student ratio?
- How do the playgrounds look like?
- How guarded are the entrances and exits?
- Is there a canteen?
- What is the schedule like?
- Are there many teachers, like one per subject?
- How heavy is the homework? 
- How long have the schools been around?
- From where are the teachers?

Entrance tests will be in March. So all these would have to wait till the next visit. So far, it seems like Elise likes the one run by nuns. It's the farthest from us... but in Puerto Princesa, nothing is really very far.

Mr. Tricycle Driver took us to the nearby market where we bought veggies and bought a few things from the small grocery.  Nacho was asleep the whole time, so I carried him while Elise brought all the bags.  Another tricycle took us back to the hotel, and by that time, we were covered with red and brown dust from all the open air riding.

Our List of What We Have To Do in Our Lifetime

Elise and I were talking over dinner about how many years we have left with each other if Rene and I live until 80 years old.   We computed another fifty years.  I was trying to make her feel better because she keeps on talking about her fear of being left behind after everyone else dies. She asked me to promise her that when I die, I must tell God to immediately please take her, Nacho and our relatives who are still alive in their sleep right after so we can all be together.

The four of us made a list of all the things that we have to do together while the four of us are still alive.

1.  Travel to China, U.S.A., Japan, Australia, France, Rome, Mexico, Prague
2.  Put up a restaurant.
3.  Go to a forest and camp out with fires, tents, and eat fried eggs from a bird's nest (seriously?)
4.  Write eleven books about: Palawan, new (original) fairy tales, horror stories.
5.  Ride a helicopter.
6.  Do the Disneyland-Universal Studios-Epcot Center thing.
7.  Sail a boat.
8.  Live in three other different countries.
9.  Visit waterfalls.
10.  Visit lighthouses.

11.  Little Nacho wants to find buried treasure... at the beach... using his Adventure Set.

Kinda morbid, isn't it?  I have to figure out how to console Elise some more. Maybe find a simple way to explain the afterlife? 

This is Our List for now, but will add on to it occasionally and meanwhile try to schedule everything in the next fifty years.

Need To Wake Up Earlier

Since the kids and I transferred here to be with Rene last January 31, we have been continuously trying to stick to a routine and get ourselves finally settled - not an easy task.

For the past week, the day begins at 8:30 A.M. when Nacho and I open our eyes at almost the same time.  Rene and Elise have already bathed and dressed and are ready for breakfast.  They go ahead while I get Nacho and myself ready.  We all eat breakfast together for about an hour and a half - this includes running after Nacho when the sunshine outside calls out to him.

The kids make coffee for Rene and me, toast bread for all of us and get our water ready.  We then eat our breakfast while discussing everything we have to do for the day, or what happened yesterday, or what they want to happen, period.

The kids and I go back and organize ourselves.  While they watch "Go, Diego, Go!", "Nihau, Kailan" and "Sandra The Fairy Tale Detective" from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M., I do the laundry, and prepare for the day's lessons, make To Do Lists and sneak in a little internet time.

Then we homeschool!

Then lunch with or without Daddy at about 1:30 P.M.  Then back to workbooks and drills till about 3:00 P.M.  Then Nacho gets his nap, and then off to play till about 5:30 P.M.

If errands have to be made -- like going to NCCC Mall to do grocery or school supplies; or get a haircut, or buy fruits or go to the Public Library, we do it from 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. with lunch in between.  By the time we get back, Nacho would have fallen asleep in my arms and will be napping for two hours.

Then dinner anywhere between 7:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M.

Rene and Elise usually doze off at about 10:30 P.M. and Nacho and I are up till about 12 midnight.  That explains why the other two wake up first.

Home Sweet Home Soon

Our lot/house search is not moving quite as fast as we had hoped.

We viewed a 300 square meter lot but it was too rectangular and looked like a very long driveway in the middle of sineguelas and bamboo trees.   We looked next door and saw the adjacent lot which had a huge and friendly-looking tree in the middle, perfect for a tree house.  But it was not for sale.

Another 200 square meter house with another 200 square meters of garden space on an eskinita off a main road, steps away from the town church, was too expensive.  The flooring of the house was also not level because the soil underneath was rising. Yikes.

The newspaper published some foreclosed properties but when we asked about them, we were told that they were already bought before they were even published.  There is another property along the main road: a house with a blue roof and a garage.  But we don't know yet if that is for sale.

We will look at another vacant lot right beside the hotel this week -- 600 square meters of trees.... right in front of the guard-house of the hotel.  Convenient!  I hope this is the one where we build our new home.