ANAWANGIN

Anawangin, WE shall be back.


Photography by the husband.

Refuge

Desperately seeking refuge and direction. The what ifs are hunting me.

Bookay-Ukay

Anything steering clear of the mainstream is always refreshing. And lately, as strongly influenced by the hubdub, we've been slightly on the lookout for anything that's a far cry from the conventional. And no, it's not a shot at coolness as evidenced by my status updates about Mara's supposed death, a weekly dose of Gossip Girl and Facebook wall splashed with Instagram photos. So, I made it a point to visit Bookay-ukay. It was out of the way, late (according to my mom's time frame) and traffic, so I had to throw in a little tantrum and muster the most angelic face I can (which is hard) just so I can convince my mom to squeeze in a trip to the bookstore. She agreed! We weren't familiar with the place (which is weird considering my sister went to UP Diliman for college) so we had to bother those people jogging around UP for directions. A few U-turns and we spotted the place. I hopped down the car even if it wasn't properly parked yet. I usually walk in an extra slow motion because of the bump but not this time. I was excited!

“Rage against conformity. Rise above mediocrity. Read." according to a sign in the bookstore. Exactly, exactly.

Hallelujah to the stacks of secondhand books! Well-chosen secondhand books to be exact. Every bibliophile will get their slice as the books varies from Ernest Hemingway, John Irving, Karl Marx, Jessica Zafra to Jane Austen. I was a happy camper!

I happily bagged the following books:
Vanity Fair by William Thackeray
As If Jesus Walked on Earth by Adrian Bantjes
Ravelstein by Saul Bellow (Nobel Prize winner)
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding

My Preggo Hero

I am lucky to have a husband who thinks (or at least says) that I am beautiful despite the ballooning tummy and well to be honest, ballooning everything. However, notwithstanding the compliments of your ever-loving family and friends, you do not feel exactly pretty when even your toes and fingers needs to go on a diet. And when you look down and need to exert an extra effort just to have a glimpse of your bloated foot. One way or another, the I am ugly thought will pop out somewhere and fanning the fire are your lawless hormones.

But I doubt that ever happens to my preggo hero, Miroslava Duma. She raided the pregnancy glow aisle! If there is just an assurance that every girl will look this chic upon getting knocked up, then the industry of birth control will go to pot. Pregnancy never looked this mod.

In behalf of my frantic hormones, bulging body parts, and the little jellybean,
I LOVE YOU, DUMA!

Bantayan Island

Burger

Craving of the month:
BURGERS!
Big, juicy, pickle-onion-free burgers!

06

Daydreaming about Summer.
First time in Bantayan.

Trophy Mom

Mom, have I told you that nobody will ever think that you are already 50? Have I told you that it amazes me that your vanity kit is composed only of a powder and a lip gloss? Have I told you that you make everything seem a little more beautiful? Have I ever told you how relieved I am that you are not going through any sort of mid-life crisis? And that you have every right to go through it because you have been nothing but the best and that you will still be the most beautiful in the process? Have I ever told you that growing up I looked at you the way I looked at Audrey Hepburn, Princess D and the Disney Princesses? In awe? Have I ever told you that if there is such a thing as a trophy mom then I definitely, definitely have one?

HAPPY HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY, MAMA! I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH!

Baby Gender

I constantly found myself swooning over those cute tiny pink tutus, little white lacey dresses, teensy-weensy zebra-printed cardigan and almost shed a tear over the red little loafers. We would have been matching, from hair do to dresses and swimsuits. We will spend our Sundays painting our nails and annoying our boys over our petty rants. We would have tea parties with our girl Ms. Hepburn.

“It’s a boy!”, said my doctor. I held back my tears as much as I can.

It wasn’t easy. But my husband is amazing in more ways than one. “Don’t you like that? You will be our princess? And I will tell our boys, we will have to take care of mommy because she is our unica hija.”

And I cried and cried and cried.

No Amalia or Matilda just yet but I sure cannot wait to welcome our Jose Santiago in our growing family ♥

Macaroons

I want Laduree Macaroons but for now, this will suffice ♥