My grandfather died last week. I’ve written about him a few times here. He was my mother’s father. I don’t quite know…
December 6, 2009 Motherly Advice
September 27, 2009
My mother’s email to me before I left for Africa: Please be very careful, same with [the boy] & friends. Don’t get…
Back at It (“It” Being Both Canada and Studying)
September 16, 2009
I have been back in Canada for less than a month now and am getting settled in with my bar course, what…
Much More than a Soup… It’s Love
May 26, 2009
My parents are visiting me in Paris and, to my surprise, they brought me a box filled with 27 Cup Noodles. They…
Words of Wisdom
March 20, 2009
My mother has been ending all of her emails to me with a handy tip or reminder. Today’s advice came in threefold:Take…
6 Ilagan
October 31, 2008
Up until I was the age of fifteen, I visited my grandparents’ house in the Philippines every summer for two months….
The Family Function
April 24, 2008
I have one last exam to write on Monday (Tax Law, ugh) and then I am done my second year of law…
Things No One Cares About, No. 2
December 23, 2007
Why does every member of my family feel the need to loudly proclaim the fact that they need to drop a load,…
The Littlest Adult
December 22, 2007
With the entire family back in the house for the holidays, I am more certain that I need to move out. Not…
can we keep her?
July 29, 2005
when i was a kid, around the age of four or five, i would constantly tug at my dad’s ears. i remember…
outlook good
January 12, 2005
for my birthday, my older sister wanted to get me felicity-inspired gifts. so, she gave me boggle and a magic eight-ball (of…
‘tis the season
December 28, 2004
a belated merry christmas and happy holidays to those who made santa’s “good” list. the rest of you can just sit there…
my father’s son
August 7, 2004
sometimes i wonder if it’s too late to become close with my father. are there too many years of awkward silences between…
can i touch you… there?
July 26, 2004
as a lot of filipinos (and many europeans) may know, it is mandatory to hug and kiss relatives and family friends when…
sin and let sin
July 10, 2004
i use the personal experiences of the lord as excuses for my own behaviour.mom: i don’t like it when you drink alcohol….
toilet humour
May 4, 2004
my dad pees with the washroom door open and the sound of his piss loudly dropping from an elevated point (as compared…
the magic mic
April 12, 2004
my parents purchased the magic sing microphone on their recent trip to the philippines, and it has made for serious madness in…
hungry woman
March 3, 2004
my parents are gone for a bit, so my sister and i are left to fend for ourselves. this consists of our…
and then i go and spoil it all
February 9, 2004
is it a social anomaly that my family doesn’t say “i love you”? it crosses my mind every now and then that…
blackjack
January 6, 2004
in my early age of aching joints and tired eyes, i’ve already lost my sense of adventure. though, i believe i lost…
the christmas log
December 26, 2003
a happy belated christmas/hanukkah/kwanzaa to everyone who celebrates any one of or a combination of those holidays. i came downstairs on christmas…
it’s too late, baby
November 29, 2003
i’ve realized how late it is to take up a lot of things i wish i had when i was younger. i…
only in my family
August 16, 2003
my dad spent half an hour chastising me for my “immature” handwriting. apparently, i can’t even grip a pencil correctly….
land play
August 11, 2003
annual family excursions to playland are always a treat. getting soaking wet, drying up, getting a tan, eating mini-donuts and sno-kones, winning…
strategic planning
July 31, 2003
i managed to get today and friday off, and then monday is a holiday. woo hoo! five-day weekend! let’s see. whatever shall…
all you need is love
July 22, 2003
i’m often amazed by how different alan and my familial backgrounds are and how much we still manage to understand about each…
blonde moments
July 16, 2003
ever hear comments from your friends or family that are just so randomly stupid? the following are quoted from people i know…
harry potter and the curse of the cobra
June 21, 2003
guess what? my sister’s copy of harry potter and the order of the phoenix just arrived from amazon.ca. (the woman who delivered…
as stupid does
June 2, 2003
when i was younger, my aunt once told me that the music trends hit the philippines faster because of the time difference….
oscar-worthy
May 23, 2003
it’s always strange to unearth certain truths about my family tree. just when i think i’ve got it all figured out, i…
this old world
March 17, 2003
my grandfather now uses a wheelchair. while i voluntarily remain confined in a psychological cage of my own making, he is forced…
mindless
February 10, 2003
i spent a car ride loudly singing along to the knack’s “my sharona” with my sisters. good times, i tells ya….
immortality
January 5, 2003
my sister gave me this james dean calendar. how elated am i! i’m thisclose to renting east of eden now….
ho ho ho
December 28, 2002
this christmas post is late, so let’s just call this the christmas “summary”, rather. all in all, it was jolly good fun…
unfortunate
December 6, 2002
every christmas my family hosts a massive shindig at our house. we invite all of our friends and relatives and everyone just…
motherly love
December 4, 2002
i always feel so loved when my mom hears me cough a little measly cough and immediately yells at me, demanding that…
repressed
November 24, 2002
i think one of my earliest memories of cruelty was when my little sister threw all of my toys down the stairs…
hip hip
November 12, 2002
the long weekend is finally drawing to a close, and… i actually got some work done. wouldn’t you know it? i sat…
isang mahal
November 3, 2002
my parents returned from a two-week trip to the philippines yesterday. among the fake gucci watches, ferragamo wallets, and ripped dvds, i…
seasons in the sun
September 1, 2002
i went to the annual extravaganza at the pne today with my uncle, aunt, cousins, and younger sister. it’s typically a yearly…
unexpected
July 16, 2002
wow. just when i think i’ve hit a huge job slump, i get another interview. this one is for the vancouver international…
father’s day
June 16, 2002
i’m not sure what it is about this day that makes me question the cause for celebration….
judge not lest ye be judged
June 12, 2002
i have drained what little was left of my chequing account and now have only $23.67 to my name. that means no…
commencement
June 8, 2002
my baby sister graduated today. love ya, stinky. her grad song was the beatles’ “all my life”, which i thought was a…
spring cleaning
May 21, 2002
once in a blue moon (and sometimes every two years), i will go on a cleaning rampage and rearrange my bedroom so…
back in the day
April 27, 2002
my cousin had her eighteenth birthday today, which in filipino translates to “throw a huge party and invite a shitload of people”….
a different tune
April 13, 2002
gosh, i know i always complain that all people do nowadays is bitch and moan. so i’m going to deviate oh so…
all over again
March 28, 2002
i think out of all the sounds in the world, i’d want to hear my grandfather’s voice again. he had a stroke…
start the worry
March 16, 2002
if stress wasn’t bad for me before, it is now. i just finished my philosophy midterm last night at 8:00 PM (who…
word of advice
February 20, 2002
never work for family….
atomic family
February 6, 2002
my dad smirks at us when he gets the answers correct on jeopardy….
the stench of defeat
January 28, 2002
when i was about ten years old, i didn’t have a treehouse. i had never been inside of one. i didn’t have…
blah-humbug
December 27, 2001
christmas just wouldn’t be christmas without the viewing pleasure of three consecutive DVD classics and me finding some scarce moment to type…
sloth-like creature
December 24, 2001
i haven’t been moving lately. and when i do it’s inch by inch in a horizontal direction… usually towards the television; today,…
no turkey in this belly
October 8, 2001
my family doesn’t really celebrate thanksgiving. i can’t even remember the last time i’ve had real turkey, not that processed sandwich meat…
age-old worry
September 1, 2001
i love the fact that i can still call my sisters “butthead” and not have to worry about sounding stupid. sisterhood so…