Bakas

Bakas in the Filipino language means print, mark, trace, trail or vestige. This blog, then, records all those that left their marks or my impressions on anything under the sun :)

Sunday, February 19, 2006

hospital regulars

It seems health is still a big issue in our family this year. After my
grandmother's burial, most of us are complaining from one ache to
another. Of course, most of us were tired from lack of sleep, long
hours of journey and walking several kilometers while in the province.

My mother will get another ultrasound this Monday to further verify
her ultrasound result last Thursday. She's already taking Liveraide
for "moderate fatty liver changes."

Last Wednesday, we had to rush my sister to Our Lady of Lourdes
Hospital because she had lockjaw after a very big yawn.

I was telling my mother that the ache she felt on her sides
transferred to me. The long walks and weather must be the reason my
stitches are itching and my abdomen is feeling numbed. But I'd rather
wait until next month to consult my doctor. I don't like the feeling
that we are all "suki" or regulars in the hospital.

sayong
02-19-06 3:15pm

Thursday, February 16, 2006

death is the only sure thing

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Tagudin, here we come again

Monday, February 06, 2006

flowers

Important occasions need flowers.

Blessings are the cellphones

When my youngest aunt died here in Manila, one of the
difficult part was informing my Lola, my grandmother who was in Ilocos
Sur or about six-hour drive north.

My aunt died on March 31, 1997. My grandfather died only
two months before that – February 2, 1997.

It was left to me to inform our relatives in Ilocos Sur that
my mother and older cousin Tess were on their way to Ilocos the next
day with my aunt's remains.

Telegraph was not fast enough then for our purpose.
Finally, I called the Governor's Office of Ilocos Sur to ask how I
could contact the town of Tagudin. I then called Tagudin's Mayor.
The Mayor's Office radioed the Barangay Chairman (village leader) of
San Miguel with my message. The Chairman relayed the information to
one of my uncles who happened to be a barangay kagawad.

It took many channels to relay my message.

But with cellphones and text messages now, it's so easy to
relay bad news.

My younger cousin Jocelyn composed the message that our
grandmother died yesterday and sent it to all of us in less than an
hour after my Lola died.

sayong
02-05-06

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Inang, au revoir

My remaining grandparent died around 8:00 this morning at
the age of 87.

My grandmother was the oldest person in our village in San
Miguel, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. She is called Nang Maria by neighbors;
Inang by my mother and her siblings and my cousins who grew up in the
province; but she is simply Lola to me and my cousins here in Manila.

She lived with the teenage orphans of my youngest aunt.
Many times, we asked her to live in Metro Manila but she couldn't
leave the old two-storey family house and all it stood for. Who would
like to live there now, I wonder.

I guess that our family still have a lot to be thankful for.
She had very near misses in the past but she tenaciously hold to
life. She could have died a few months after my grandpa died in 1997
but she willed herself to live for the family, especially the children
of my youngest aunt.

My grandfather died on February 2, 1997 at the age of 82.
And my grandmother died this February 4. My Lola survived my Lolo by
nine more years! We were given nine years more of memories and
loving.

One loving example she left pertains to my cousin Leonard.
He is the first child of my deceased aunt. He didn't like attending
school. And my Lola was aware that he used to cut classes. One time,
my Lola gave Leonard's adviser/teacher money. My Lola asked his
teacher to bribe him to attend his classes. Imagine my cousin
bragging about being a teacher's pet and being given daily allowance
by his teacher.

My grandmother had a long, hard life.

But I wish that I could have made things easier for her. I
wish we spent last Christmas in Ilocos rather than just sending my
gifts and money through my cousin.

Since my Lolo died, my mother and I made it a point to go to
Ilocos Sur once every year, usually from December 26 to December 30.
But we didn't visit in December 2004 and last December. We figured
that the money for our fares was better added to Lola's budget.

We'll miss Lola a lot. She was the fulcrum that held the
Silapans together.

sayong
02-04-06

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Patricia Joy's Birthday

We celebrated my niece, Patricia Joy's birthday today.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

ala Jewel in the Palace


          In last night's episode of Jewel in the Palace in GMA 7, Jang-geum and Lady Han left the palace.  

          This afternoon, our unit also left the palace compound and transferred to another building a few blocks away.  The New Executive Building had been home to our unit since its inception and I'd been reporting there for more than nine years.  It was quite hard to leave a place that had been like a second home.

          At the same time, I like the change and am looking forward to new things and happenings.  


          sayong
          02-02-06