Volcanic Eruptions.....

The recent Taal volcanic eruption last Sunday afternoon found me and my husband safe at home in Cotabato. My daughters Martha and Marion were however at my second home in Manila. They posted pictures taken by their friends from Tagaytay and other near by areas. The eruption was a big blast that ashes fell far and wide even reaching up to Manila and Quezon City. When ashes began to fall in Quezon City, I was of course concerned about my daughters over there. I told them to close all windows at home and not rely on the maids to do so. Tomas in Cebu was also concerned about his sisters. He told them not to go out, and to stay and eat at home that night. My daughters were prepared though, they were home. They also gave the security guard an N95 face mask to use. Pretty soon, authorities began to suspend classes for Monday, declared no work in government and advised people to stay at home and not exposed themselves to the toxic ash fall.

This recent incident, made me recalled that time when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991. It caught us, my children and I, living at Balete Drive, Quezon City. (While Lucas stayed behind in Cotabato.) I had during that school year, enrolled all my children at Jubilee Christian Academy. (Except for Roy who was studying at Philippine Science High.) My father Francisco Ledesma just passed away on June 5. We were that very night commemorating his ninth and last day of rosary prayer at my brother Jun place which was just right behind my apartment, where my father used to live. After the prayers, we also ate dinner over there. After dinner, while walking back home, white ashes were already falling down from the sky. At home, my son Tom began to get frighten because of the smell of sulfur. He was afraid that we would all die from toxic suffocation. He asked for us to go back to my brother’s place and sleep the night over there, due to the fact that my brother Jun had air condition units in their rooms, and thus deemed safer. That evening, I too was also concerned about my asthmatic son Roy, afraid lest the ashes would trigger him an attack. But my 4 year old twin girls were already asleep. So I told them, that the three boys can go over and sleep at my brother’s place, while we girls, together with the maid Imelda stay home. Tom would not hear of it. He wanted everybody to go. If we would not go, he would stay too. To appease his fear, I closed all the windows of the house tightly that night. The next morning, ashes encompassed all homes. Our apartment got dusted too but not as much because of the tightly closed windows. It was a Sunday, we rode the jeep and went to Mt. Carmel Church to attend mass, covering our noses with handkerchiefs. The wind was blowing ashes all over the church. There were very few church goers. It felt like a movie doomsday scenario with the almost empty pews. I was thinking, “Where are the people? Aren’t we supposed to be here for we need God more now?” According to my children specially Emil, who also recalled the incident with me, said; they remembered the priest saying a hurried and short homily. I didn’t even noticed. I didn’t even know why I wasn’t even at all that frightened. (except my concern for that one asthmatic son.) Somehow I knew we would be all right.

Still, thinking about it now, I guess I must have been maybe naive then; yet still, I am glad I was brave maybe because I had faith? I do thank you Lord for protecting us, please continue to protect us everyday.

Christmas Trees and Decorations......

Before I take down my Christmas decorations, I like to post some pictures. Every Christmas, I put up the Christmas trees and lights and decorations at my two homes (both in Cotabato and Manila) by myself with help from the housemaids. My homes are adorned with my own personal touch. During the Yuletide season, I reminisce my Christmas pasts and enjoy my Christmas present. I am 68 years old, yet still very much a child at heart. My soul does not grow old......

I took this picture of the Christmas tree at the airport pre-departure area. This was the kind of Christmas tree I had when I was young. Except for the green foil, my maiden family tree was wrapped in green crepe paper. We also curled the leafy part of it. 

 My Cotabato home decor this 2019.

 Christmas is not complete without the crèche. I have several big and small crèches at my home in Cotabato City.

Spot the mini creche.

My porch entrance to my house. This is where I hold my parties and dancing activities.

Marion, Yuri, Martha and Angel beside the Christmas tree.

 Christmas decor at my second home in Manila.

Smaller Christmas tree at my second home.

Spot the creche decked with lights.

 

  Christmas table piece.

The children all came home to Cotabato except for Emil and Suiling who decided to visit Sue's mom in Singapore. We had a merry and hearty family filled activities. Everybody has also left this January 2020 for their respective work, home and places. All is well. God bless this family. Happy New Year! Lord, continue to keep us safe and healthy through out the year.

Christmas Present

It's December 2019. Except for Lucas who is at work inside the store, we are all lazying up at home. My children except for Emil and Suiling, are home in Cotabato. My daughter Marion's boyfriend Marion Olmillo is also here in Cotabato visiting. On December 28, 2019, we shall be attending the school annual homecoming event. My son Tomas' batch 94 is sponsoring the homecoming program. It will surely be a grand evening. Everybody is hoping and wishing to win the grand raffle prize which is a Toyota car.

I am more relax now, but before they all arrived home, I was so stressed preparing the house: cleaning the rooms, fixing my internet, checking the toilets, installing a new water pump, repairing the water tank, putting up water heaters inside the bathrooms, decorating the house, wrapping gifts, stacking food and busying up for my annual Christmas house party on December 24th, etc, etc.....

Below are few pictures of my Yuletide activities:

 Watching solar eclipse at the roof top

 Christmas eve party at home with family and friends.

 Playing interesting Christmas game at the party.

 Opening of Christmas presents at home, after the mass.

 Selfies beside the Christmas tree.

 Visiting churches and going around the city.

 Eating out.

 Going to the beach.

 Taking family pictures.

 Specially arranged family dinner at home. This one taken before my children depart for their respective homes and places.

Attending parties (Here with the church lecom members and our parish priest Father Samson).... and many many more happy activities this yuletide season.

I sincerely and gratefully thank God for a family filled activities this year. Thank you Lord for all the safe travels. Thank you for your birth and wonderful celebrations. Merry Christmas 2019 and Happy New Year 2020. Dear Lord, please continue to bless us with your love and protection. We love you! Happy New Year to all!!!

Christmas Past.....

My late mother Mary Go Ledesma raised her children like Americans. I was named after Hollywood actress Hedy Lamar and my sister Jeannette after another screen icon Jeannette Macdonald. We watched English movies, read English comic books, and were exposed very casually to the American language. My mom spoke English fluently, having been educated during the “Peace Time” at the city’s public high school. (With probably a few American teachers.) As children, we were brought up as Christians, celebrating Christmas and believing in Santa Claus. During Christmas time, however small our abode, the family never failed to put up a green crepe paper covered Christmas tree. We the children hang and decorated the tree with our mini plastic toys, Mama would string the tree with Christmas beads and Papa the final touch, decking it with colorful Christmas lights. On Christmas Eve, the kids would hang stockings on the branches of the tree, and Santa Claus never failed to fill them with candies, sweets, little coins and some little knickknacks too. As a child, I would try to stay up late to catch Santa Claus putting stuff into my stockings at night, (which to my wonderment, I never did.)  and woke up very early to dig deep into the stocking on Christmas morning.  For me, as a young girl, the tree was such a delight and beauty. It was also truly magical. Thus, this was how I was brought up, growing up filled with so much Christmas spirit and fun.

This wonderful childhood also included a new dress at least once a year. My mother would bring me to a modiste at Manday across the bridge to fit in for a new dress once a year for the school Christmas party. My auntie Elsa Go in Manila would also gift me with one or two beautiful ready-to-wear dresses for the season. I never wished for a present nor yearned for toys or dolls. But these were the best gifts any girl would wish for. I think my dress was always the prettiest during my elementary to high school Christmas years.

Not all was rosy pink and honey sweet though. At school, my “exchanged gift” from my Kris Kringle in class was always disappointing. Yearly I got the same cheap commercially packaged box of cookies from my classmates whoever they maybe. The cookies were completely soft and tasteless. Although on my part, I would myself go all the way to Benedicta Store to looked for a Christmas appropriate gift for my Kringler, such as a little Belen, or a mini doll or a deck of playing cards, etc. When I was in high school though, I was not eager for the exchange gifts anymore. Rather I was looking forward to receiving Christmas cards from any admiring boys. Many of my girl friends in high school were receiving plentiful of them, sadly I never got one, not even during my senior year.  Yet despite my great disappointments nothing can dispel my heart. Christmas in its entirely, was great!!! There were dancing parties, school fairs, bingos, Christmas Eve’s masses, carolings, going to the beach, and food, plentiful food! How I loved them all. 

To this day my Christmas past has made me remain the person I am today, a child-at-heart. And these and all and everything good on earth, I thank thee graciously Lord for coming to us on Christmas Day and for coming to us everyday. You are the greatest gift of all! Peace, joy and good will to all. Merry Christmas!!!

Hongkong

Before I even went to HongKong, I already heard a lot about the HongKongers. According to many, the Hongkees were very rude people. If you shopped in Hongkong and asked to see a certain item but decided not to buy, the salesperson involved would get mad and abused you orally. ‘You better not ask to see anything if you don’t intend to buy’, these were warnings from friends and relatives alike who had been there.

The Chinese in Hongkong are mostly Cantonese, while majority of the Chinese in the Philippines are from Fujian. The Fujian  people are hospitable and nice, while we consider the Cantonese as more patriotic and enterprising. Patriotism is good. Being enterprising is not bad either, but not to the extend of being too materialistic and rude. This opinion maybe regionalistic and bias; but honestly I think people from certain area tend to posses certain kind of characteristics, developed through long years of associations and practices. There is always some truth to it when the criticism has become widespread.

I went to HongKong for vacation several times. My Chinese brother Uy Chiong Bian lived there with his wife and children. My maternal aunt Josefina Sen too, worked and resided in Hongkong as a pharmacist for a long time. She retired as chief pharmacist at St. Mary or Queen Mary or St. Elizabeth Hospital (I don’t quite remember the exact name.)

The first time my husband Lucas and I visited HongKong was in 19- -, with his brother Dr. Domingo Tan and his wife Jackie from Virginia, USA, and our family friend Roberto Atienza and his wife Alma from Manila. We were three couples, all six of us. We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Kowloon side. We went sightseeing during the day, ate at the Jumbo floating restaurant, also ate at some popular food center places and yes, shopped at night.

From my own experience? Indeed, the Hongkongers were very very rude!!!
1. Filipinos like to do small talk. When Berto Atienza tried to do so, the salesperson from the shop rudely told him to take a walk. My husband heard the comment and was simply aghast at the rudeness of the shop keeper. This kind of comment would simply never happen in the Philippines.
2. When my husband Lucas was searching to buy an accessory camera lens from another store, somehow the salesperson inside the shop was showing him several items which he didn’t take fancy to. He asked to see another item from the display counter and the Hongkee salesman said.....” If you can not afford the cheap ones, more so you can’t afford this one.”  My husband was taken aback by such rude presumption. ChiongBian my brother heard it, he quickly tried to appease my husband by saying “If you like it, we can make bargain.” But Lucas was already very angry. He said, “No more! Even if I can afford it, I have totally lost interest to shop here.”

3. On another time and another trip, this time with my children Roy, Tom and Emil. Lucas and I brought the three kids on a vacation from China to HongKong. We brought them to Ocean Park to have fun. The place was great and the children were enjoying the rides tremendously. During lunch time, we took a break. Thankfully despite the crowd, we were able to find a table at the park for ourselves. I told Lucas to sit with the children while I go ordered some food. The line was long and of course I queued with the throng of people waiting in line. When it was my turn to put my order at the counter, all of a sudden the line was broken up. People came to my left and those behind me at my right were placing orders before me. But being a mother hen, knowing that my children were already hungry, I quickly defended myself. I said first in Mandarin “Wu sien” then folllowed it up in English “I am here first”. When the counter attendant heard me thus speak, he quickly turned and attended to me first. Tsk, tsk, tsk.....maybe they thought I was an ignorant Filipino nanny. Haha!

4. My auntie Josefina Sen was very kind and hospitable when she knew we were in HongKong. She treated us to a sumptuous buffet dinner at Parklane Hotel, which my three boys were completely at awe and delighted at the array of good gourmet. Aunt Josefina was very pleased with my kids, the next night she further brought us to a newly opened restaurant. She treated us like VIP. We were chauffeured in her Mercedes Benz. (She had two including a van!). Inside this newly opened restaurant, she ordered Peking duck and plenty of other dishes. But alas, Auntie had a fit of tantrum when the waiter did not pay heed to her repeated request. (I guess it is in our blood line that we become very fierce when mad. Hehe.) She scolded the waiter in Cantonese. She said she belonged to a group of people who go out often, eating at popular places in Hongkong and she will tell all her friends not to eat there. “Your restaurant is so new and you’re so arrogant already.” She said. The restaurant quickly changed our waiters and kept on apologizing to her the whole night through. After dinner, they even gave us freebies of fresh fruits and special tea. But auntie Josefina was so angry, she didn’t take a single bite, all through out the night.

5. Despite that, I still went to HongKong several times more. I brought my twin girls for their first out of the country vacation from China to HongKong. HongKong for me was a great place. It was nice and clean, the food was superb. But I will tell you frankly, I honestly don’t trust the Hongkees much. Even the concierge at the Ambassador Hotel where we were staying, was acting superior and insisting for us to take the cab when I was asking him for certain direction. Luckily a Filipino Chinese family man heard us, and told us how to take the subway. The young man said he was helping us because he hated the rude Hongkees much. Hahaha. Luckily my brother ChiongBian was very helpful. He was always available to bring us around the metropolis. He guided us through the train transit and all. My twins had a most wonderful time in Hongkong.

6. But my experience in Hongkong was getting better. The last time I went there with Lucas and my siblings, we had better experiences with the Hongkongers. There was even a young man who voluntarily helped us buy our train tickets. He looked at my husband and told Lucas, that he could avail of senior discount. Hurrah! Things have changed. The shop people where also more engaging and friendly to us that I was able to buy more things. Maybe they were getting much competitions from Singapore, Korea and Japan. We all thought.

But alas, with the recent demonstrations, riots and destructions of properties, I say the young Hongkongers are foolish, readily destroying their own place and future. The older generations had built up Hongkong to such prosperity. Why do the youngsters want the Americans instead?! Have they totally lost their sense of history and/or geography? You are a small part of China. You are attached to the mainland no matter what. You are not an island that can be segregated. What do the foreigners care? The tourists can always go somewhere else. And America now a days does not want more immigrants specially trouble makers. Such a waste of energy. Maybe the people should just learn to be more kind, than arrogant. And things can get better.........

Crowds

I do not like crowded places. Even as a youngster, when my elder sisters who liked to go bargain hunting at places and markets such as Quiapo, Avenida or Divisoria, Manila; I would beg off, not to go with them. I hated the idea of keeping alert all the time, watching over my shoulder, holding tightly onto my purse or shoulder bag, lest I get robbed, pickpocketed or what not. I had very limited money, I could not afford to lose any. Hehehe.

Instances like:
1. When I was a college student in Manila and I went shopping one day with my cousin Adele and my high school classmate Corazon Te. We went shopping at Good Earth Emporium. Unfortunately, my friend Corazon was pickpocketed inside. It so happened that she lost fifty pesos of shopping money when she and my cousin Adele joined a crowded group looking for bargain t-shirts. As they were curiously browsing with the crowd, I distanced myself away to look at other things. When Corazon decided to buy the shirt, she put her hand inside her dress pocket to draw the cash, but alas the money was no longer there. How she cried about losing that 50 pesos because it belonged to her sister Annabelle who requested her to go shopping in her behalf.

2. Also my sister Jeannette, she lost a packet of jewelry from her hand bag while inside the National Bookstore, Harrison Plaza. There was some kind of promotional sale and my sister was attracted by the big crowd of people going inside the store. (Jeannette was always attracted to sale because she was always reselling them items too.) Together with sis Imelda and some of my siblings, they entered that crowded place, but I decided to stay outside and window shopped elsewhere instead. There was a big commotion when she lost her costly jewelry. Alas, that foray to the crowded National Book Store spoiled our supposed to be happy family time.

These were 1 and 2 instances where I verily trusted my instinct to not join the crowded melee.

Also, even during the pre-martial law demonstration era when I was still studying at UST, I had never joined students protests nor marches. I would always go straight home from school even when classes were suspended for students to supposedly participate. I was afraid of commotion, of things getting out of hand and of getting hurt. I heard enough stories where some students who joined demonstration out of curiosity and suddenly caught in a frenzy of danger. You just never knew when things would go awry.

And mass hysteria in any form such as shrieking for movie idols, singers or celebrities, I wasn’t much into it either.

It takes a crowd to create mass hysteria. For me mass hysteria is always scary. Some rationality is always lost there. It’s like a spell of some kind. It is usually accompanied by shouts or chants and violence. I had seen small gang members during high school possessed by the power of the group. When separated individually, they were as meek as can be. Historically, Hitler made use of mass hysteria to carry out his atrocities. The ideology of Communism was also spread through the hysteria of the common cause. So too with regards to many other forms of cultism or extremism. And surely, if anybody has ever forgotten, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was carried out by mass hysteria too.

Pictures of My Roof Top Garden

My roof top garden has seen better and worse time. Lately I try to revive the garden back to its old glory by re-plotting, replanting, trimming the edges, and restructuring the landscape. Below are photos of my recent effort.

The orchids patch- my primary concern was to revive the orchids by replanting and repotting them. I still have to see my effort bear blossoms.

 

 The cattleyas are still blooming so far.

 I bought and brought in new species.

 Planted pandakaki and surrounded them with kucharitas.

 Trimmed the bayabas (guava) tree.

 Grouped the potted mini roses

 I have cactus plant too, potted gumamela (hibiscus), and several re-sodded palmeras, etc.

 My well trimmed sampaguita corner.

 Budding doubled sampaguita specie.

 More potted plants......etc, etc.

 Queenie who used to topple and break the pots is now enjoying the garden. His nemesis the gardener Rowena Salac is not working for me anymore. Hehehe.

 Most specially I like to pick the blooms to offer to my Lady of Lourdes. A mini grotto situated before entering my abode.

 Here is a couple of my more recent pink cattleyas.

 Mini roses for my mini grotto.

 I like to decorate my home with potted plants too.