Just Passing Thru: June 2012

family and parenting

Would You Be Happy to Have a Parent Like Yourself?

10:53 AM

doughnut legacy

Krispy Kreme -a Doughnut Legacy

8:03 AM

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT

The Original Location of Ambos Mundos Restaurant

8:07 PM

clean home

An Organized Home for a Rested Mind

6:24 AM

A clean and organized home is my catharsis for a troubled mind and unpleasant emotions. Cleaning and organizing relieves me of the pressure of having to think of things that I cannot do anything about at that particular moment. It takes my mind off things that can only lead to useless anxiety.

Cleaning also results to finding things that have been lost for quite some time. It also affords the opportunity to sort things that can still be used, donate things that can be used by others, and to throw things that are practically useless and are merely occupying valuable space in the storage area. It is also the perfect time to put things where they should be so that finding them will not be a problem in the future.

It is not always easy to do this especially if we are talking about the "general cleaning" type. We have so much to do as it is without the burden of having to go through this strenuous task of unloading contents of storage areas. The mere task of sorting bills, receipts, and statements that have accumulated over the years can take the whole day to finish. The reason why most choose not to start cleaning and organizing is because it almost always ends up requiring more time than available. This then results to unfinished tasks which can be added burden to the mind.

That is why when I start cleaning and organizing, I don't stop until I'm finished. It has become my therapy to clear my mind. I always look forward to the fulfilled feeling afterwards as I surmise my organized surroundings in spite of extreme physical exhaustion.

Cleaning and organizing is something which most people procrastinate with because it is difficult to do. However, people should bear in mind that it becomes more difficult as the task is allowed to accumulate and grow to unmanageable proportions. The earlier we face it, the more chances we have of doing it.

My Say

An organized home is my own paradise. In it, I find my rest. Around it, I find a deeper and clearer perspective of all the things that are troubling me.

That said, I am ready for anything. Yes, even for the next cleaning bout.

favorite book

My Favorite Book and the Concept of Giving

1:58 AM

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT

Almost a Star - The AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT ANECDOTES Second of a Series

7:47 AM

One decision in life has the power of completely altering a person's destiny. I came to know about one of my father's by chance. He probably regretted telling me about it because he never heard the last of it from me from the time he told me the story.

We were still living in the Quezon City area when this happened. My father and I were on our way to the Ambos Mundos Restaurant in Quiapo and we were waiting for a taxi as our owner jeep was in the repair shop. Suddenly, I heard a man's voice saying, " Ne, sakay na!". Without our noticing, a beautiful car slowly stopped in front of us where the man who called out was at the backseat. The man opened the car door and beckoned my father to go in. To my surprise, I saw that it was Dolphy, the comedy king who was talking to my father. Nene was the nickname of my father which explains the way my father was addressed. I was literally star-strucked and it probably took all the restraint of the child I was then not to force my father to do as invited. To my great disappointment, my father respectfully declined and offered some excuse about waiting for someone to fetch us. After a friendly wave and smile, the comedy king went on his way.

As soon as the car was gone, I bombarded my father with questions of how he knows Dolphy. Apparently, they were friends during their younger days. It was a friendship that traces its roots to the time when the comedy king was still trying to find his place in show business. My father revealed that at some point, Dolphy, along with some others convinced him to try out for chorus dancing for live musical shows which were very popular at that time. At this part of his story, I was already finding it hard not to laugh as I couldn't imagine my father dancing and singing. It simply didn't fit the way I saw him.

My father's usual demeanor was rather stern from the day I came to know him. He is known not to back out from any fight, physical or otherwise. He does not run away from any challenge but that day he did. Before his turn came, he chickened out and stayed in the sidelines. He said he knew very well that he "had two left feet" which is often used to describe people who are particularly challenged in dancing, thus his decision.

While Dolphy and most of the others went on to carve their names in show business, my father trained under his aunt who owned Ambos Mundos Restaurant. Every time he had a chance, he would bring food to his friends and just watch them perform. And so it came to pass that show business' loss was Ambos Mundos Restaurant's gain.

We join the rest of the nation in praying for the speedy recovery of Dolphy.

Postscript (July 11, 2012): Dolphy passed on to the other life yesterday July 10, 2012 and we now pray for the eternal repose of his soul.

Image Source: movie-industry.blogspot.com

Ambos Mundos Restaurant in Facebook

family and parenting

There is Always Looking After

6:13 PM

family and parenting

A Daughter's Lullaby

5:18 PM

Ambos Mundos matriarchs

The AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT Matriarchs

11:46 PM

creative writing

My Prayer

10:59 PM

accidental writer

The Accidental Writer

5:13 PM

I could still remember the dread whenever my teachers would ask for an essay to be written. More than the sentence construction and grammatical use which my teachers were probably looking out for when they gave out these tasks, the idea of what to write about usually escapes me. If my memory serves me right, I often ended up with one paragraph which barely lifted from the introductory phase.

By some interesting choices, I ended up taking a course in college which required extensive research and therefore extensive writing as well. I really don't know how I survived this but I did. After graduation, I purposely looked for job positions that didn't require me to make any written compositions (i.e. letters, formal reports, and the like).

I did manage to escape writing but then fate does have a way of bringing us face-to-face with things that we would rather avoid. When I had an operation, the recuperation period was quite long that I had no choice but to stay home. Having two very young kids then, I had to find a way to be productive even while I was at home.

One day, I was browsing through some flyers distributed in the village where we used to stay. One ad caught my eye because it was the only one that didn't require me to physically go out of the house. Guess what? The ad said someone was looking for several part-time writers and all I needed to do was email him if I was interested. Extreme situations require extreme decisions right? And so I applied.

I was requested to write a 1,000 word article about computer technology. Now, if there was one thing I hated most writing about, it is this very same topic. The reason is simple. I practically knew nothing about it. Almost instantaneously, I regretted my decision to apply. Pride however will not allow me to give up that easily and so I did it, I submitted it, and got hired for it.

My Say

It has been more than seven years now since that fateful day when I discovered I could actually write. Recently, I gathered enough courage to write for myself thus the birth of this blog JUST PASSING THRU. Its start was tentative which would explain the big gaps between articles but I am now ready to make it a continuous effort.

That said, the accidental writer is now a writer who has discovered the joys of writing and loving every moment of it.

Image: degreedirectory.org

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT

Lesson Number One - AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT ANECDOTES First of a Series

5:52 PM

During our childhood days, whenever my siblings and I were brought to Ambos Mundos Restaurant in Estero Cegado in Quiapo by our parents, there were only two designated places for us: near the cashier area when there are few customers or off to Shoemart (for window shopping only) which is just across the restaurant, when the restaurant is full-packed. We weren't expected to do anything around the restaurant except to keep out of harm's way and allow the employees and our parents to do their work with the least of distractions. In my mind as a child, everything was perfect. We could eat what we wanted, whenever we wanted and even got a bonus prize sometimes for behaving well.

This pattern continued on up to our college days but abruptly changed when my father's long-standing bout with diabetes led to complications to his kidneys. All too suddenly, there was no one to man the restaurant. My mother had to be with my father, my two older siblings and I were employed then with different companies while my two younger siblings were still studying. Our family had many able-bodied members but none of us were prepared to take on the responsibility of my father as the manager of the restaurant.

For a while during my father's recuperating period, my siblings and I took turns in manning the restaurant and tried to hold the fort while our "captain" tried to regain his strength. After undergoing a series of dialysis sessions, my father finally mustered enough of the needed strength to come back and assess the situation for himself. He decided that I was to resign from my job and take over, to be assisted by my younger brother after his school hours. His reasoning then was that I had the least time investment with my employer as I was still fairly new, thus I had the least to lose in resigning. By this time, we were already located in Pedro Paterno Street, also in Quiapo.

Now given our background with regards to the responsibility in Ambos Mundos Restaurant, you can forgive me if I thought I would be occupying the cashier's seat. I could never be more mistaken. Obviously, my father had other plans that day and the days and months to come.

After a short lecture of how important it is to know all the aspects of managing the restaurant, he finally gave the shocker. He said, "Start cleaning the tables." I was hearing him but apparently I was not comprehending very well as I remained unmoving. It was only the stark seriousness of my father's face that finally bolted me back to reality and to motion. And so my Ten Lessons consisted of the following:

Lesson Number One: How to Wipe the Tables
Lesson Number Two: How to Wash the Dishes
Lesson Number Three: How to Clean the Dining Area
Lesson Number Four: How to Market for the Ingredients
Lesson Number Five: How to Receive Orders from Suppliers
Lesson Number Six: How to Cook the Dishes
Lesson Number Seven: How to Plate Orders
Lesson Number Eight: How to Take Orders from Customers
Lesson Number Nine: How to Check Orders from Waiters and Receive Payment from them
Lesson Number Ten: How to Segregate Daily Earnings for Bills, Salaries and other Expenses

My Say

It was a big load of "how to's" to handle but it was a real crash course in restaurant management. There were many other practical lessons along the way. However, he would always emphasize true love for the business so that it would love you back, and I believe that much I absorbed.

That said, I thank my father for teaching me. The great effort, considering his frail health condition, is something which I will remember for the rest of my life.

Ambos Mundos Restaurant in Facebook

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT in a Positive Light

2:16 AM

Bally shoes

My Father's Shoes

7:44 PM

When my father was still living, he had two pairs of Bally shoes which he would alternate in wearing for special occasions such as weddings and graduations. After being cleaned, the shoes go back straight to their boxes to wait for the next special event that would come. Because of the great care they have been given, both look practically new up until their owner passed on.

During the time I was disposing of the personal belongings of my father, I tried very hard to let go of my natural sentimentalism towards things that belonged to the people I love because I know other people can make better use of his things than a storage box. As a concession to myself, I kept the two pairs of shoes, not even knowing at that time if I will have a son somewhere in my future who can wear them. I did have a son thirteen years after he was gone but his shoes stayed in storage, somehow forgotten as I attended to the responsibilities of having a growing family.

I remember the shoes every now and then, when I get to do my general cleaning. I held on to them not only because I now had a son who can possibly wear them in the future but also because they were such in an excellent condition that it would be a shame not to wait a while longer to finally make them useful. The right time came sooner than I expected. Before this school year opened for classes, my son and I went shopping for his school shoes after making use of his old pair for two school years. That day, I was increasingly getting frustrated as we tried to find quality shoes that would not cost a fortune and then it hit me. My son who is only in Grade 6 has the same shoe size as my father (size 8) and so the decision to use the black Bally shoes was made (by me, of course) and my son was looking at me as if I was saying something unintelligible.

I do understand my son's apprehension after hearing from me about his grandfather's shoes which were in storage with us for 25 years now, and that is not counting the number of years it has served my father.. Even when it fitted perfectly and had no visible signs of damage, my son was unsure up until the first day of classes but I requested him just to try it which he acceded to. With baited breath, I waited for the verdict and it came in these words: "Ok naman pala ang shoes ni Lolo, komportable isuot. Marami sa classmates ko ganitong style din ang suot." ( The shoes of grandfather is comfortable to wear. Most of my classmates are also wearing the same style of shoes.)

My Say

That verdict overcame two obstacles: the need for comfort and the need to conform with peers. At his age, it would probably be difficult to convince my son to wear something which is not comfortable or not acceptable to the environment where he moves. As a mother, I wouldn't like my son to be uncomfortable or out of place even in times of financial strain thus I was thankful from the temporary reprieve from shoe expenses.

That said, I would like to imagine my father guiding my son through his shoes, something which he never got to do because of his early demise. Believe it or not, such a thought comforts me.

home and living

Are Filipinos Truly Free?

5:59 PM

child-friendly home

Child-Friendly Home

9:04 PM

Source: ABS CBN Bantay Bata 163

I never really thought of making our home child-friendly as much as I thought of how I can keep my children safe from all threats of harm. This is why when my sister-in-law Levy asked me if I was willing to have our house featured for a Bantay Bata segment about child-friendly homes, I wasn't actually sure if our house fits the bill. To my delightful surprise, it actually does.

The features that make our home such are quite simple that they can easily be replicated in most homes. To wit:

1. No matter the size of the house, everything should have its proper place so that potential areas of danger for children such as the kitchen because of hot and sharp objects are identified outright and properly avoided.

2. The choice of furniture, equipment, and materials should always be in consideration of the fact that there are young children in the house thus pointed edges and slippery materials such as floor tiles are best avoided.

3. Children should be given a safe place where they can play as they see fit. Children are what they are and giving no such space to them only exposes them to the dangers posed in making do with alternatives such as the streets.

4. Falls, electrocution, bumps and hands getting caught by doors that close suddenly are the most common concerns with young children thus protective features go a long way such as non-slippery mats, outlet covers, corner cushions, and door stoppers.

5. Whenever possible, it is best to give a child his/her own personal place to take care of. If an own room is out of the question, then a particular space in a room will do. The responsibility introduces the children to the need to take better care of themselves especially in situations where parents are not able to respond outright due to distance or time constraints.

My Say

A structurally child-friendly home can be built anywhere but parents will have to exert just a little more effort to make theirs a haven of safety for their own children. Accidents can happen in the best-planned homes but this should not be a reason to compromise our children's safety by willful neglect. Parents have the responsibility to make the home the safest place possible for the family.

That said, our respective homes can be our children's fortress of safety no matter the size and the location.

Blue Rose

1:27 AM

Submitted to the 2011 CANVAS Romeo Forbes Children's Storywriting Competition
based on an Untitled Piece (above) by Liv Vinluan

Felicia was at it again. She was having one of her monumental tantrums when things don’t exactly go her way. For an eleven year old girl, she was unusually and painfully fixated with perfection and especially spiteful of failure.

This worried her mother so much. Her child should be enjoying her youth, she thought, instead of making her life miserable. She could not exactly remember when Felicia started showing signs of this behavior. She had always encouraged her to do her best like any mother would, but never knowingly implied that she is not allowed to fail.

“Felicia, Felicia, come out here in the garden!” her mother called out.

If there is one place that could calm her down, it would be her mother’s rose garden. The garden was bursting with color at this time of the year. With the roses now abloom, color was everywhere – velvety red, pearly pink, golden yellow, creamy white, orange gold, and all possible variations in between except for blue. The closest to blue are the lilac-colored roses with a hint of blue tint.

Felicia came out after a few more coaxing. Her eyes were red and puffy with crying. She was visibly shaking as she tried to control her emotions. Her mother’s heart bled at the sight of her young girl hurting.

“What is it Felicia? What happened?” her mother lovingly asked.

“It’s nothing Mama,” Felicia answered in a whisper, almost as if she was about to cry again.

“You know you can tell me anything, I’ll always be here to listen,” her mother prodded.

That sent the torrents of tears running as Felicia stammered, “I should have won the first prize Mama…I did everything to the letter… My project was perfect… I made sure of that.” “They only gave me the second prize!” she finished.

“There’s nothing wrong with getting the second prize. It means that they also appreciate your work but may have seen something in the other project that made them decide to award it the first prize. You have to understand Felicia that we will not always get what we want in life, but it does not mean that we cannot be happy with what we have. True happiness is hidden somewhere behind love and contentment and not in perfection. We never stop trying to reach our goals but should not hurt ourselves if we sometimes fall short of our own expectations.” Felicia’s mother explained.

“Do you have one dream Mama that you really wish you’ll have?” Felicia asked.

Her mother slowly smiled and said, “Actually I do, I know it sounds petty but I have been wanting to have a blue rose.”

“Then why don’t you plant one in your garden?” Felicia was obviously incredulous at such a seemingly simple dream. “Don’t we have fresh blue roses in our living room everyday?”

"Those are actually white roses dyed blue. Alas, a blue rose does not exist in nature. Roses lack the pigment to produce a true blue color. In fact, its traditional meaning is the never ending quest for the impossible. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying the next best thing – perfectly blue-dyed white roses.”

With an almost childish glint in her eyes, she added, “Do you know that some cultures believe a wish is granted to anyone who gets hold of a true blue rose?” She then took Felicia into her arms and said, “You just might get lucky my child.”

Felicia’s eyes widened in pure amazement. “Really, Mama?” she uttered softly.

*****

It is clearly a struggle for Felicia to follow her mother’s advice. She sees the opportunity to compete in every situation and the desire to be on top at all times. This made her very unhappy but she could not help herself. To her credit, she tried and tried and tried…

During this time, she started having a strange dream. In this dream, she was running in an open field. What particularly struck her about the dream were the blue roses, one tucked behind each ear. The dream came often, showing the same scene over and over again of her running aimlessly and endlessly. In her dream, she felt very tired but could not stop for some reason she did not understand.

In the mean time, life went on as usual for Felicia.

*****

The news came out of the blue.

Felicia’s mother was ecstatic about a true blue rose variety that was successfully genetically engineered and being tested for mass propagation. Being a long-standing member of a rose club in the country, she will get to have a sample which was on its way to her. Felicia saw the genuine joy in her mother’s eyes and wondered how such a simple thing can bring her so much happiness. Her mother looked like a child who was so easy to please while she who was the real child carried grown-up problems which were making her lonely.

The coming of the much-awaited blue rose was welcomed by a small ceremony by Felicia’s mother and her. Beneath the pale moonlight, the rose garden was especially enchanting that night. Every rose in the garden seemed to stand taller than usual enjoining everyone to see the beauty in the simple repetition of its petals and shape. Truly, roses repay affection with their unmatched elegance.

Felicia’s mother took her hand so they can hold the blue rose together. It is beautiful. It is real. What was previously impossible became possible because someone decided to continue trying in spite of earlier failures.

“Felicia, let me make this wish for you,” her mother said as they both closed their eyes intently.

“I wish you happiness that comes from within and from understanding that life is like a bed of roses with thorns intact which could hurt you but should not destroy you. Our lives are not determined by our failures but by how we use them to eventually succeed. You can be happy if you allow it by being not too harsh on yourself. Other people are not judging you so do not be quick to do it on your own. Learn to love and accept yourself.”

Felicia’s eyes opened in clear understanding and for the first time in many years, she felt truly happy. “Yes Mama, I do understand,” she cried softly.

THE END