Funny Side Up

“Nay, magtatago nanaman ba kayo sa pasko?” I asked my mother.
“Aba’y syempre. Magpupunta ulit kami sa beach,” she answered.
“Walang pera…” I teased her.
“Malaya akong makakapaglakad-lakad sa tabing-dagat at walang kaba sa dibdib.”

Ronald and I saw Zinnia’s facebook status:

Ronald asked, “Ano yung reticent?”
“I-Google mo!” I told him.
“I-goo-Google pa eh sasabihin mo na lang.”
“Para matuto ka lagi mong i-Google lang.”
“Ano nga!?!??!?!” he demanded.
“Di ko rin alam eh.”
“Kaya naman pala.

ret·i·cent // (rt-snt)

“Choy,” my mother  called me, “Ipag-drive mo kami ng mga pamangkin mo.”
“Sa’n po ‘nay?”
“Nagyayakag silang magpunta sa Manila Zoo… sa Tagaytay.”
“Nay! Tagaytay Zoo ‘yun!”

My choirmate asked me, “Kamusta na ang nanay mo?”
“Di ko alam.”
“Bakit?”
“Di na ako tumawag eh. Mahal tumawag. Nung sinabi n’yang ok na s’ya eh di ok na,” I told her smiling.

That same day, I asked my sister, Tem, who is also in Dubai, “Tumawag ka na sa bahay?”
“Hindi pa.”
“Hindi pa? Bakit?”
“Huli kong tawag nung sabi ng nanay na ok na s’ya. Eh ‘di hindi na ako tumawag.”

Magkapatid nga.

Efren Penaflorida, the pushcart educator, won the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year award.

Filipinos everywhere are happy for him but what is most noticeable is the fact that Filipinos are riding again on his ‘pushcart’ of success saying, “Ang galing talaga ng Pinoy!”
With this I’d like to say, “No! Hindi lahat ng Pinoy, si Efren lang.”

It’s like Manny winning his 7th boxing title, “Ang galing talaga ng mga Filipino sa boxing!”
I answered, “Hindi! Magaling si Manny sa boxing, hindi lahat ng Pinoy.”

Ang Galing Talaga ng Pinoy  is a tag line Filipinos would say if they have nothing better to do but to ride in their kababayans success. People who can’t prove anything.

You know what I’d like to hear? Ang galing talaga ni Efren / Manny… (dahil Pinoy siya).

With this, Zinnia, my colleague, answered, “Ang damot mo naman. Bawal makishare sa success?”

Congratulations Efren Penaflorida! Ang galing MO!

Everytime someone bothers me in a kontrabida sort of way, I always try to remember Toni Gonzaga’s line in her Ang Lalaking Nagmahal sa Akin series of Precious Hearts Romance Presents (Orlee-ang-baduy-mo-reactions here):

“Tatlo lang naman ang pwedeng mangyayari sa mga mala-Bella Flores na kontrabidang kagaya mo,”  Toni’s character told her arch enemy, “Una, mababaliw ka, pangalawa makukulong ka… at pangatlo at sana nga… mamatay ka.”

Nanay gave Miggy, my nephew, a plastic gun and he kept throwing it away. He doesn’t like it.
One time, he saw tatay’s policeman friend with a real gun on his belt and said, “Yun ’sto boy! To-o beng-beng!”
Patay!

“Tem, mag-simba ka naman!” I told my sister, “Pasalamat ka for nanay.”
“Kuya nag-rosary na ako kahapon.”
This is breaking news for me: Tem praying the rosary. That’s a rare feat. I asked her, “Weh!? Talaga? Ano ngang mystery kahapon?”
She laughed, “Nag-dasal ako hawak ko ‘yung rosary.”
“Hindi nag-rosary ang tawag ‘dun!”

We’re still thankful for all your prayers for nanay.

“Parang hindi na ulit ako sanay ng may boyfriend,” Z told me. It has been years (note: YEARS) since her last boyfriend, “Sanay na akong maging independent.”
“Ganyan talaga,” I answered, “Unti-unti mo na ulit ibibigay ang damdamin mo. Una damdamin, tapos mga opinyon mo, unti-unti ‘yan hangang sa maging dependent ka na ulit sa kanya… Bago ka n’ya iwan ulit.”
“Ang sama mo talaga!”

Nanay’s health got me really worried that I had to call everyday to check up on them.
Ponette, my niece, answered this morning, “Hello?”
“Pong! Lola?” I asked.
“Wala po, Tito.” It really got me worried: Nasa ospital na ba s’ya? Inis-chedule na ba sya sa kidney cyst removal n’ya?
“Nasan?” I asked.
“Nasa Bucandala (other baranggay), nanonood ng laban ni Manny Pacquiao.”