A Part Apart

Getting tipsy at a wine fair, Christmases, graduation,
family trips, and the long-distance runs we joined last year

For the past weeks, since she'd finalised paperwork and itinerary, my sister has been out with friends having mini-despedidas for her #CountdownToSydney. The latter half of this week was spent at home, packing and arranging last minute details for her trip. During this time, I was priming myself for her departure, reminding myself that she'll be back sooner than I think. One year might seem irrelevant to some, but this is the longest I'll be apart from my "twin." While it may sound like a Sweet Valley High cliché, no one else can finish my sentences, understand a look, and know what to say when I'm sad as well as she can.

It'll be her first night in Sydney, and while it saddens me that I didn't get to watch Masterchef on her bed like we do on Sundays, and that Bruce came up and sniffed outside her bedroom door, I'm excited for her new adventure. I'm sure this short migration will change her in many ways (hello domestication,) but I hope she comes back as the sister I've always known her to be.

Reading Dangerously

That morning light and tree-cast shadows

It was a combination of I-Couldn't-Put-It-Down and The-Traffic-Is-Stressing-Me-Out that made me whip out the book I'd been reading. I had reached the plot twist, and it was making me antsy. At the climax of most books, I have this bad habit of glancing ahead, wanting to find a word or phrase to lessen the weight of not knowing what's about to happen... and then I feel guilty the moment I glean exactly that, regretting I did not wait for the proper build up. 

I finished it this afternoon. I really liked this book, "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan (you can find it on my Shelf in the sidebar,) maybe because it hit close to home, despite it bordering on fantasy. Those first couple of pages describing the protagonist, Clay, was painfully familiar, because I saw myself in his shallow day to day; and then his dull life transformed slowly, just when his life needed an upgrade. I'd like to think that sort of thing could happen to me, but then I don't think I have the curiosity and daring to get involved in an adventure like he did. 

Many parts were actually too predictable, too convenient for my taste, especially how each character was set up to respond to Clay's every obstacle, but it soothed me. The author blended books, languages, technology, a little bit of history (however fictional,) and even knitting (very briefly) -- all things I love -- so effortlessly and humorously, that I remained in that world for a little bit longer, even hours after putting it down. 

Now, all I can think about is immortality...

Family Friends

Is the concept of a "family friend" one of those Filipino-isms? I don't think I've ever heard any other nationality use this exact phrase as we do, oftentimes as modifiers instead of nouns. Others say, "she's a friend of the family," but we say, "she's a family friend." There is also a connotation that the relationship is much deeper than others: a family friend is someone you roll deep with, possibly spent endless summers with when you were younger; and no matter how far life has stretched your band of friendship, across years and miles, you just snap back together so easily and naturally. 

I have a small handful of family friends that fit that description, but one particular girl is top of mind when I think of someone who is not technically related to me (not neighbour, not carpool, but godsister -- a private joke of ours) but feels like family.

Ryan, my sister, and I had lunch with Lora and her husband for the first time since they got married and moved back to the Philippines. I had not spent more than our traditional New Year's Eves with them, and had only met Jason once before, but everything flowed like we had not aged or changed. Even if we all had aged and changed drastically. Nothing was taboo, as the conversation started off with religion, and we covered healthcare, education, parenting, travel, interspersed with very little gossip, over chicken wings, nachos, fries, and beers.

Grandparents Day

My sister requested to have dimsum for brunch, at this cart-serviced Chinese joint we frequent only on Sunday mornings, because it's her last weekend in the country for a while. After a giant bowl of congee, and several plates of our usuals doused in chili oil, we headed to the shopping centre to run some errands. While waiting for her number to be called at a certain telecom's customer service, she wanted to grab some Rita's from a couple of shops down. We both quickly chose Gelatis, then noticed a promo: free kiddie cups when accompanied by grandparents. I grabbed my dad from next door, hurriedly and poorly explaining why, but he smiled when he got to choose Tangerine from the sugar-free selection. 

Yeap, I pretended my dad was my lolo, and who would contest that hair?

My sister and my dad went to the dentist and the barber, respectively, while I met up with friends this afternoon. A friend whom I met 11 years ago, during an exchange program in UP, arranged for us to sing for her lola who suffered from a stroke. We spent a few hours with their family, reading verses, praying, singing, and then eating. She'll be flying back to the bay area tomorrow night, and wanted to leave her lola with a small blessing. 

I never met my mom's parents, and hardly got to know my father's, who lived in Bicol all their lives. I felt a tinge of envy watching Heidi's devotion to her lola, and wondered what it would've been like to know mine. My parents are now grandparents, but miles away from their two apo living in Washington; but I pray that the kids know how wonderful their grandparents are, and someday be as loving and sensitive to their needs as I had witnessed my friend be to hers. 

Bars and Bell Peppers

Manila Throwdown started today, as they posted the first team WOD (Workout of the Day) at 12:00 am this morning. I was a reluctant participant, and I'm still not that hot about competing, but I can see what they mean about this being a great opportunity to learn things about myself. Admittedly, it really was fun trying to achieve something with buddies.

My team, Children of the Morn, finally got together today for the first time to record our video. 

Shoulder to Overhead

I managed a 105# squat clean, but failed at 110#

In the afternoon, I did another food styling gig with Belle and Chef's Classics. Every time is a challenge, the kind that can help me improve for next time. 

Only my hands, and occasionally my "apron," are in the shot

Food styling entails doing some tricks to enhance the shot. For this one, it was increasing the volume of food ;) 

On Top

Something miraculous happened today: the UP men's basketball team won the first two consecutive games of the season, which hasn't happened since 2005; and they beat DLSU for the first time in six years.

#UAAPSeason78 Updated Men's Srs. Basketball Team Standings pic.twitter.com/WlgqWVx8RB

— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) September 9, 2015

This win can't just be luck, it's most definitely a combination of better coaching, individually talented individuals, teamwork, and rigorous training. It's been years, but that just goes to show that excellence isn't immediate: it's earned through hard work, one day at a time. I hope they keep up this trend; nevertheless, I'm keeping this memento of how, in my lifetime, UP was on top of the basketball leaderboards of the UAAP! ;) 

Tomorrow, I'm beginning a battle of my own.

#BilangPilipino

We can still keep hoping, and working together, for a better Philippines. Praying for a wiser electorate this 2016, and a leader who will have the country's best interests as his/her top priority, and not selfish ambitions.

United for the flag Beautiful capture by @BilangPilipino on Twitter
Posted by The Ryan Cayabyab Singers on Tuesday, September 8, 2015

I felt privileged to have been part of the launch of #BilangPilipino this morning, TV5's media campaign that encourages awareness through high-tech and accurate coverage for better discernment. It's been a while, but I got choked up singing our arrangement of Bayan Ko and Impossible Dream. I love this country so much, I hate seeing it/us in self-destruction. Praying for bigger and better futures for us all!

Found this picture on Twitter from @BloggerManila
Posted by The Ryan Cayabyab Singers on Monday, September 7, 2015

It was also our first gig with Anthony :)

Personal Best

I used to dread Mondays: from being the start of a school week, to the first day of the work week, it was the day that forced me to abruptly shake off the comforts of the weekend. This changed since I started doing CrossFit at CrossFit Greenhills last year, and I've actually been looking forward to Mondays, itching to get back in the box (what we call our gym) to workout. I've mandated Saturdays and Sundays for muscle recovery, so I've noticed that I generally perform better at the start of another week. 

Today was one such Monday, and I beat several personal records (PR,) with the help of tips from my coach and community!

Handstand Happiness

I actually achieved my first two handstands last week, but I wasn't sure if they were lucky attempts because they looked and felt wonky. My friend Ara, who used to be a gymnast, told me to look at my hands when springing up, instead of straight back. It diminished my uncertainty and really helped with my balance. I did several successful ones this morning.

Squat cleaned 111# today! I didn't calculate how much weight I was adding to avoid psyching myself out, and I had to remember the points of proper form (like dropping fast and turning over.) This is 16# heavier than my previous PR just last week!

After a year and a month of #CrossFit at @cfgreenhills, I finally did my first (not one, but six!) pull-ups! 😭 Tears of joy! I will now be able to save myself should I ever be dangling from the edge of a cliff! 😋

A video posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Sep 6, 2015 at 8:26pm PDT

My favourite achievement of the day is my first (six) pull-ups! Not entirely sure how I went from none to six, but again, Ara's tip about lifting the hip up made a difference.

Thank you, Monday!

We Live Life By Days

I've put off doing so many things for "someday," because "someday" was always so safely vague and faraway. I set some dreams aside in this giant box of "someday," collecting them like precious artefacts, taking them out for a dusting once in a while, but mostly keeping them tucked away. I imagined, and maybe half-expected, that those dreams would naturally and eventually be fulfilled; that I would see them realized given enough time. When I got older. After I graduated from high school... no, college. When I started earning my own money, or maybe when I had my first million. When I'm ready. Only, what if it's like having a baby? My mommy-friends say, "you'll never be ready," or at least until you've given birth, then you just make yourself ready.

Suddenly, that faraway "someday" is now, staring me in the eye with a raised brow, tapping its toes impatiently. What now? I figured: either I continue curating this dream museum of mine, where my dreams are kept mint but useless, or I make myself ready to breathe life into those dreams, one day at a time. I've chosen the latter; and in this space, I hope to be reminded to continue to choose the latter by documenting how great it feels to have a dream fulfilled. I want to keep track of all the things I've done to make me proud of being me, and acknowledge even the small triumphs, like experiencing something for the first time. I want to write about the things I enjoy doing, and maybe it'll encourage other people to try them out, live their own dreams, too.

I'll have them good, and I'll roll through the bad; but one thing's for sure, we live life by days.