The World of Second Chances

Adora Alegre Dela Cruz-1953-2009

May 11, 2009

Wedding & Family Life

Adora Alegre Dela Cruz or “Do” to her close friends joined our Creator last May 2, 2009 at 9:19 AM. She peacefully passed away in the company of her children, granddaughter, sister-in-law and husband in Bataan Doctors Hospital.

It was in late November 2008 when she was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Osteo Arthritis. She suffered from severe back pain that was thought to be coming from a kidney complication. It was in April 28, 2009 when Dr. Ilaya detected a cyst on her right breast. Dr. Ilaya suspected that it was cancerous; at what stage, he still could not tell.

The last seven days of my mother was memorable to me. I could never forget her loving glances at me as if she was bidding me good-bye. I could never forget the controlled emotions, the bravery and her fight with the big C. I was so dumb to realize that she was deteriorating and not recovering. Maybe, I was blinded by my desire for an extended life.

My mother and I particularly got very close for the past two years. When her “diabetes” worsened in February, I lost a lot of weight because I was very much worried for her.

It would take a lifetime to forget a mother like Adora. Her legacy will continue to live. Mama, wherever you are, I love you very much…..
Ang Beer Na To o Ang Pag-ibig Mo

April 30, 2009

Life & Love

Reminiscing mode ako ngayon. Malamig kasi. Cold summer, maagang
tag-ulan. Naaalala ko ang coldest January. 2007 yun. Tumapat pa
sa break up namin ng boyfriend of almost 7 years ko. Ang ginaw
nun, hinahanap ko sya. Hindi sya mahilig mangyakap, pero yung
presence nya, yun ang hinahanap ko nun. Kaso, wala na sya. He gave
up our relationship.

Umaga ng January yun. Papunta ako ng kusina sa apartment na sana’y
magiging love nest namin kung natuloy lang ang pangarap kong kasal
noong 2007. Narinig ko ang kantang ito na may lyrics na “nais kong
magpakalasing dahil wala ka na….” Shet! Tinamaan ako. Hindi ako
mahilig sa kanta. Lalong hindi sa banda. Eraserheads lang ang bandang
kinabaliwan ko. Pero panahon yun ng teenage years ko, reasonable.
Isang patak na pigil na luha ang dumaloy sa mata ko. Naisip ko kung
naiisip din ba nya ako. Naisip ko na nalalamigan din ba sya dahil
yun ang coldest January ever recorded ng PAGASA.

Pagpasok ko ng opisina, nagsimula akong magtrabaho. Pero kating-kati
ang daliri kong malaman ang lyrics ng kantang narinig ko. Beer nga daw
by Itchyworms. Leche kako. Kung kelan ako tumanda saka ako mag-e-emote
na parang 15 years old.

Lahat ng relasyon ko, pinakaalagaan ko. Yung una, almost six years kami.
Maraming problema, walang pagbabago. Bago ako sumama sa kanya sa
pagbulusok palubog, umalis ako sa relasyon. Ang pangalawa kong
pag-ibig ang talagang ininda ko ang paghihiwalay. Masakit. Sobrang
sakit. Dumating ako sa puntong pati larawan nya’y kinakausap ko.
Hanggang ngayong may sarili na akong buhay at masaya sa lalaking
nagdala sa akin sa dambana, hindi ko maintindihan bakit nagmahal ako
ng lalaking halos hindi ko alam kung pantay ba ang pagmamahal na binigay
sa akin.

Kung tatanungin ako kung mahal ko pa sya, malakas na HINDI NA ang
isasagot ko. Pero ganun yata. May mga awitin, panahon, pagkakataon
na di maiiwasang sasagi at sasagi sa isip mo ang mga taong naging
parte ng buhay mo. Napakaswerte nga ng lalaking yun dahil may
nagmahal sa kanya ng buong puso kung sino sya at di kung ano sya.

Ibuhos na nga ang beer. Tapos na ang malulungkot na araw ko sa
kantang ito. I survived the break up. Salamat naman.
Pink Ribbon

April 28, 2009

Health & Beauty

Breast cancer, a cancer most common to women although men are not spared to it. My idea of breast cancer is not as thorough as the ones who had it.

My diabetic mother has been complaining of sharp back pain since November 2008. Her doctor prescribed Tramadol to relieve the pain. It was not effective because she could still feel the pain.

Since November 2008, boils pop out of her skin one after the other. They say diabetics are prone to boil attack. One of her boils popped out on her right breast. She hid it to us. Last Saturday, I saw it and it looked awful. There was no blood or pus around it but it looked disfigured. It looked more like a cyst to me.

From what my father and I could remember, we saw a black bruise on the same spot where the boil appeared. That was five months earlier before she knew she was diabetic.

Last Saturday, the doctor saw the boil/cyst and suspected that it was not a simple boil/cyst. My mother would have to undergo a minor operation to remove the cyst for biopsy.

Sharp back pain, confused mind, memory loss, loss of appetite—could she be suffering from breast cancer? Why did she have to hide the cyst from us if she knew about it earlier?

Thinking about the worst possibility about her health make me cry. She’s just turned 56 last April 17. My youngest brother has yet to turn 18 on June. My mother has yet to see my unborn child. I have so much plans for her retirement. I cried a lot last night. I thought of how short our life is. I thought of how little she has, if not deprived, in terms of material satisfaction. But what makes me keep going is the superflous support of her friends; true friends who are there for us. I realize, my mother’s wealth is not something material; it’s beyond what money can buy. After all, the things that matter most are the things that money can’t buy.

Will she wear a pink ribbon? Will she still be with us on the next five years? Will she survive? I hope so. And I pray.
I Seldom Cry

April 27, 2009

Poems & Stories

See me cry when I’m overjoyed
See me cry when I’m so hurt
Because you’ll never see me cry on ordinary situations…

I cried when I lost a lover who I loved so much
I cried when my grandmother passed away
I cried when I failed a major subject in college
You’ll never see me cry on ordinary situations

I cried when I regained my faith in the Lord
I cried when I saw an old friend
I cried when I saw my mother back from a long seminar
You’ll never see me cry on ordinary situations

I am tough, as they say
A soldier, a survivor, a fighter; so brave
But I also cry when things are hurting so much
I cry when things are beyond what I can bear

Thanks for all the people who cry with me
And also for those who cry for me
I want to say this, crying is not being weak
It’s acknowledging my emotions; it’s being real
Amazing Tawas (Alum)

April 25, 2009

Career, Finance & Product

When it comes to proper hygiene, I follow the rules. I brush my teeth at least three times a day, I take a bath in the morning and before retiring at night. I use feminine wash to get rid of unwanted vaginal odour. I use deodorant to prevent body odor and so on. I knew that I follow the rules when it comes to being clean so it upset me when my husband told me that sometimes, he could smell bad odour from my armpit. That constructive criticism made me upset because that was true! I love to eat spicy foods and these foods tend to produce foul-smelling body odours. I notice that every time I eat spicy foods, my underarm smells bad even when I apply deodorant.

My husband suggested alum (tawas) and asked me to stop using deodorant. Being a submissive wife, I followed his advice and went to Mercury Drug to buy alum crystals. After taking a bath that night, I wet the alum crystal and rubbed it gently on my armpit. The next morning, I checked my armpit and it still smelled fresh. So then, I took a bath again and used alum crystal instead of my deodorant. To further check its powers, I ate spicy foods that day. When I went home that night, I inspected my armpit and it still smelled fresh!

I know that deodorants contain alum but I guess that with my active sweat glands on my underarm, the alum concentration is not good enough. Using alum as substitute to deodorant could sound primitive and even barriotic to some but it’s the best weapon that has worked for me to avoid that embarassing underarm odour whenever I eat spicy foods.
I’ll Get Used To It

April 20, 2009

Wedding & Family Life

Wednesday morning, I had a meeting. I wrote my name on the attendance sheet. When I passed it to the next person sitting, she exclaimed, “Something’s wrong here! You still use your maiden name!”

I realized that I was still using my maiden name to company meetings. I’ve been Iris Dela Cruz for 31 years of my life and now, I have to get used to using Iris Crystal. A new name, a new identity. Perhaps, not even my close relatives would easily identify me if I send them a card using my married name. For a man who change his civil status, nothing will change; the identity is still there. But for a woman, it’s different. Perhaps it’s the same reason why Gloria Arroyo is using Macapagal-Arroyo. Then Loren Legarda instead of Loren Leviste.

Give me six months and I’ll get used to my new name. 😉
Sundo Movie Review

April 6, 2009

That’s Entertainment

Main Characters:
Robin Padilla- as Romano
Sunshine Dizon- as Louella

Supporting Characters:
Rhian Ramos – as Sabel
Hero Angeles
Mark Bautista
Glydel Mercado
Katrina Halili

Story:
Nabuksan ang 3rd eye ni Romano mula ng magising sya sa pagka-comatose. Isang sundalo si Romano na nabaril sa isang enkwentro. Kaibigan ng pamilya ni Romano ang pamilya ni Louella na nagdadalamhati pa sa pagkamatay ng amang may kanser. Sa kagustuhang tapusin ang alitan ng pamilya nila ni Romano dahil sa usaping pera, ipinasya nyang ibalik ang lupang pagmamay-ari ng pamilya ni Romano at nag-alok pa na sasamahan ang magkapatid na Sabel at Romano sa espesyalista sa mata upang mapatignan ang bulag na si Sabel.

Nagkaayos sila Romano, Sabel, Louella, karakter ni Hero, Mark at Glydel na sabay-sabay bababa ng Maynila. Nakisabay ang magtyahing Glydel at Hero kila Sabel pababa ng Maynila para makatipid ng pamasahe.

Isang struggling starlet ang naabutan nilang nag-iisa sa high-way, ang karakter ni Katrina. Isinakay nila ito at pito silang nagbyahe pababa ng Maynila.

Sa isang panaginip, nasaksihan ni Romano ang isang aksidente, isang premonisyon na lahat ng sakay ng van ay mamamatay. Agad nyang binalaan si Mark at nakaligtas sila sa tyak na kamatayan.

Limang kaluluwa o mga sundo ang nakita nya. Dito nagsimula ang palaisipan kung para kanino ang mga sundo.

Naunang namatay sa isang freak accident si Glydel. Ang kanyang asawa ang nakitang sundo ni Romano. Sinundan ito ng pagkakuryente ni Hero sa burol ng amain; ang kanyang bestfriend ang sundo niya. Nabulag naman at nasagasaan si Mark; ang kanyang lolo ang sundo nya. Ang ayaw maniwalang si Katrina ay natusta sa spa; ang kanyang namayapang kakambal ang sundo nya.

Tatlo na lang ang natirang buhay: si Louella, si Romano at si Sabel. Kanino ang natitirang isang sundo? Ang ina ni Romano at Sabel ang sundo kaya isa sa kanila ang mamamatay. Batang umiiyak naman ang sundo ni Louella at nalaman ang madilim na nakaraan ng doktora nang ipalaglag nito ang batang dinadala noong nag-aaral pa.

Sa katapusan ng pelikula, mapagtatantong ang nanay nila Romano at Sabel ang sundo ng huli dahil papatayin sya ni Louella. Si Sabel ang sundo ni Romano dahil mahuhulog sya sa building at si Romano ang sundo ng nakokonsyensyang si Louella.

Trivia:
1. Maaaring Quirino Hill o Quezon Hill ang nasa background ng bahay nila Romano. Nag-shooting sila sa Baguio City.
2. Kung 5 ang sundo at isa ang walang mukha, nangangahulugan na si Sabel ang walang mukha dahil buhay pa si Sabel ng makita ni Romano ang 6 na kaluluwa sa may tunnel.
3. Hindi nakita ni Romano ang pampitong sundo dahil sya mismo ang sundo ni Louella.
4. Kaaawan at kaiinisan si Louella. Kaaawaan dahil ramdam pa rin ang sakit na dinaranas sa pagkamatay ng ama at kaiinisan dahil may dark side din sya gaya ng pagpatay kay Sabel para lamang makaligtas sa “sundo.”

Ratings:
3 out of 5 stars
– magaling gumanap ang mga bida at supporting actors
– matino ang pagkakagawa ng pelikula
– kulang nga lamang sa elemento ng panggugulat kung ihahambing sa Sukob ni Kris Aquino at Claudine Baretto
– sulit naman ang bayad sa sinehan dahil hindi nakakaantok ang pelikula