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Although I am a proud Bisaya, I haven’t gone to Cebu in a long time. Since April 2007, I have only gone home for 2 days – that is Dec 24 and 25 for my Christmas attendance. There are some days when I miss the beach but I don’t miss it that much to actually buy a ticket to go back home.
Last weekend, I just realized it was my brother’s birthday, and I kinda missed him. So I took my son with me and flew to Cebu for the weekend.
They say that you realize how much you have changed when you go back home. Well Cebu City is catching up with the times with new malls and building. Although these developments are great, they didn’t impact me as much. A mall is a mall, a club is a club. You can find it in any city. I wanted to go home to something else.
So I reconnected with my Queen City Toastmasters friends. Oh do I miss our meetings and our practices before! They were part of my early 20s life. I saw my uncles, aunts and cousins. I was able to visit my 86 year old grandma and went to the house were I spent my childhood. I went to the cemetery to visit my lolo and my uncle. My lolo raised me to be the super Bisaya that I am now. I also went to the Basilica de Santo Nino. As a Cebuana, Sto. Nino hold. a special place in my heart. I rode the multicab. I ate lechon. I reminisced. I reminisced back when I didn’t have so many things to think about, decisions to make. I reminisced back when I thought that my world was just contained in Cebu.
So many things have changed, especially this past couple of years. Life has become complicated and fast-paced. The journey to Cebu was not just a welcome respite but also a reminder for me that – I was born and raised in Cebu with the values of hardwork, simplicity and faith and, that no matter where I am I have family and friends back in Cebu.
What is Cebu? Before, I used to visit Cebu once a month to go to the beach, go drinking and do shopping. Cebu was for me fun and relaxation. But now, after not visiting Cebu for a long time, I realized what Cebu is for me – my childhood, my roots, my family and my values. And I’ll always bring it with me wherever the winds of fate cast me in this big world of ours.
It was a great weekend for me. Some of my HS friends from Cebu came in town. And I got a chance to reconnect with some friends of mine already based in Manila. Of course, my law school friends were there to celebrate with me. Love u guys!
Anyway, like the good hostess that I am =) , we went shopping with my HS friends in Greenhills and then clubbing on Friday, had a house party on Saturday that lasted around 8AM, then went to Tiendesitas and Serendra on Sunday. I had a great time. ‘Twas fun!
I am not much of a picture-taker. I usually grab pics from friends. But hey, I got more than 20 photos. That is an accomplishment for me! I would have been able to get more pics but I was too busy serving liquor! Hehehe. The additional pics are courtesy of Lanie and Fritzie. =)
So what do you do when it’s your child’s birthday? Have a party, of course. With him being new in Manila and all, we don’t know many children so a kid’s party is out fo the question. I decided just to have a small birthday dinner for him on what we term as his “BirthdayWeekend” on Saturday. Then have a small birthday party on Sunday. We just invited the little family we have here in Manila. My parents flew in from Cebu to celebrate Lorenz’ bithday with us. So there you go. It was a simple and fun celebration.
I was raised by my grandparents in Cebu. Both of them came from Lanao in Mindanao. My grandpa only finished grade 7 there in the mountains but he’s a sharp guy. He’s a farmer. He started of with a small piece of land. Because of his hard work and smarts he was able to expand his farm. With the money he saved he moved his family to Metro Cebu and assigned an overseer for his farm in Mindanao. He designed and built his house and my father’s house in Metro Cebu. He sent his sons to law school.
When I was born, I was the apple of my grandpa’s eye. He took care of me, even watching me as I sleep to make sure no mosquitoes bite me. We used to wake up around 4AM, spend 30 minutes on the multiplication table or whatever math concepts he wanted to teach me. Then like life in the province, we would have “painit” with “puto” and “sikwate”. Around 7am, we would have “pamahaw” or breakfast. Around 10, I have my snack. Then came lunch. Afer a couple of hours, siesta. Then 3PM another snack. Then 6PM we would have dinner. I would spend the night listening to Visayan radyo shows. I was a chubby little kid back then.
I used to sing in the “kapilya”. Or join those Visayan quiz shows on the radio. Or visit Manang Garda in the mountains of Cebu whenever I get sick because they will just massage me. This is “hilot nga Bisaya” with the matching pray-over. Not the massage in the massage parlors. We use to eat in Noy Inting’s carenderia twice a week in Lutopan. I ate “mais” or corn and not rice. I ate “utan bisaya”, kading, adubao. I sold ice water and ice candy to our neighbors. I was raised to be a true blue Bisayang probinsyana.
When I went to school, my lolo would attend my school events. He dresses like a simple farmer and my school is filled with sosyal parents and all. He would look out of place there but I am always so proud of him.
My lolo passed away 2 years ago. I was with him taking care of him in the hospital his last weeks. It was so painful for me seeing him suffering. He taught me so much. He taught me about simplicity and hard work. He taught me to appreciate my culture and he taught me never to forget who I am and where I came from. I am glad to have the opportunity to be with him during his last weeks and serve him in his sick bed. He lived a full life and I know he is in a better place.
I miss Lolo Insiong.
Lorenz had his soccer tourney last week. I cheered him on like a good soccer mom. They didn’t win unfortunately. It made my competitive son feel down for awhile so it took some Timezone medicine to cheer him up.
Before the tournament …
During the game… can’t see my son.. the person is blocking him
My son is sad .. =(
Now happy with the promise of Timezone
It has been a long day. I had a two hour meeting, coded, did my executive/managerial duties and tutored my son in Filipino. Finally, got a chance to meet my pals in Rockwell orignally for the purpose of asking legal advice. But as what always happens when I drop by Rockwell, we all ended up eating, drinking and plainly just enjoying and bearing with each others company. =)
Hanging out with friends at the end of a long day takes the stress away. Thanks Lorenz for letting Mom unwind for awhile.
I work in a technical field. I face the computer at least 8 hours a day. I do not need to make presentations nor do I need to speak in front of a crowd. And yet I am a member of the Toastmasters.
Toastmasters is a worldwide organization of individuals helping each other improve the leadership and communication skills. I started with TM when I was 18. As a member, I made speeches, evaluated other people’s speeches and took part in club meetings. I enjoy being in Toastmasters. And especially, I enjoy being in Queen City Toastmasters!
In one of our Queen City Christmas parties so many years ago.
I was a proud member of the Queen City Toastmasters in Cebu from 1998 to 2003. I learned a lot from my fellow Royals (as we call ourselves) and I have made lifelong friends in that club. We go have coffee almost every after meetings. Or we spend a whole Sunday in one our members’ house and help train a contestants for speech contests.
Fruit of everybody’s labor .. Discon win 2002 by Queen City
I bet you couldn’t recognize me in this pic!
Since 2003, I have been inactive in Toastmasters. I have practiced some public speaking in law school a little bit here and there. And I found my TM experience to give me a boost of confidence everytime I speak in front of a crowd. After I left law school to go to a highly technical field, I have found no avenue for public speaking. I mean, my fellow programmers will find it weird if I burst into a speech in the middle of debugging.
Then I decided look for a TM club near me in Makati even if I was a die-hard Queen City Royal. I became a member of the Diamond Toastmasters club in Makati. This was the club of my uncle here in Manila. So far, I am having fun attending meetings and I have met several interesting people.
Hey, even us nerd/geek/antisocial programmers like to burst into speech sometimes!
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Philippine Toastmasters Information:
Diamond Toastmasters meets every first and third Wednesdays of the month, 7pm at the Old Makati Stock Exchange Building in Metro Manila.
Queen City Toastmasters meets every first and third Saturdays of the month, 6pm at Baseline Restaurant in Cebu City.
P.S. I will always miss the cameraderie and unsolicited “jokes” that were being hurled in every Queen City meeting.
Queen City Toastmasters 2006
The new generation of Royals ..out with us and on with the new!! =)
So its “ME” Day again. My son went with his Dad to Subic and stayed with him for the night. It was the opportunity to have friends over. Lanie, Suzie, Chris and JC were easy invites. Mace and Inxs were in Boracay. Eric was AWOL again. Cleo had dengue. Alvin, where in the world are you? Fun times!
With Lanie and Suzie
Me and the barristers, JC and Chris….go study
Got a bit to drink
Christ has risen. I have spent the past day singing Mass songs with my son. Seriously. I remember the mass songs we sung when I was still in STC. We had Tribute, Magnificat, Emmanuael. Well, my son who came from St. Benedict’s have a different songs. When I look at my son, I cannot believe how much he has grown, physically, intellectually and emotionally.
This Easter is meaningful to me also for a special reason, I have finally let go of my stubborness and selfishness. I have finaly realized what is important. I had been in a 3 year relationship. It had been very draining for the past months and it finally reached its end. Both my ex and I need a lot of growing up to do. After I have gone over the anger, there is no bitterness on my part. He has taught me a lot about life, relationships and about myself. I will thank him and I wish him well and I will move on. On to the next chapter.. so many friends to meet, professional responsibilities to address and an 8 year old boy to raise. God, I was I was that 2nd grader way back singing Mass songs in Redemptorist Church. But I’m not. In fact, I feel.. old.
But hey, easter is the perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself and to move on. No sense in feeling old and defeated. I got a good thing here. And in some way, I am proud of what I have become and how much I have grown despite the growing pains I have encountered.
Happy Easter.
Another get together with my former law school classmates in Cable Car. They will be taking the bar this coming September.I should have been taking it with them if not for the job offer that lured me away from law school. I would not say no regrets (I will save that post for later). But I am glad that after all these years we still remain friends.
I received a chorus of “We told you so, Ofel.” and “You should have listened to us.”, after updating them on the status of my personal life. I said to myself, well yeah, these guys know me and have stuck with me through the times when I have been down and stupid, I should listen to them. Hahaha. Everybody deserves to make a mistake once in awhile. Right?
Me, Inxs, Mace
The guys – Chris, Mace, JC
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