The World of Second Chances

Whatever Happened to Master Hopia?

November 20, 2017

Travel

Today is my 5th day here in Baguio for a week-long strategic planning session with the heads of sales and operation. We are confined in the company owner’s houses which is located near Burnham Park. Work normally starts at 5AM and ends whenever the task for the day is done. I usually wake up at 4:30 AM and retires to bed at around 12:00 AM. Stroll time is limited to the area near the compound and the nearest places to go are Burnham Park and Session Road.

Last time, three of my colleagues asked me if I wanted to stroll outside of the compound. I hesitated at first because I was already tired and sleepy and it was supposed to be the 1st time in four nights that I could sleep earlier. I discouraged them to stroll and even told them that it was risky to be going out at night. One of them told me that she was a frequent visitor of Baguio so she had an idea how night life in Baguio was.

So, okay, I counted myself in and minutes later, we hailed a cab and asked the driver to drop us off in Session Road. Along the way, I saw the night market in Harrison Road and asked the group if they wanted to see it (as it was also my first time to be going to a night market here).

Two decades ago, ukay-ukay or selling of imported used clothes and shoes were already existing here but I never got the chance to buy then because my allowance as student simply could not afford any excess expenses.

Wy, one of my companions, bought corn in a cup. I would have wanted to try some but being cautious of what I eat while on vacation stopped me from doing it. The ukay-ukay excited me and most of the goods were good and were priced very cheaply. I saw a small sweater suited for a little girl and thought it would look good on our former neighbor. The price was a steal at PhP20 only but I refrained myself from buying as I might end up occupying half of the company van!

So after a quick tour at the night market, I asked them if they wanted to go to Session Road already. They agreed and so we proceeded. I noticed the long queue of jeepney commuters near Silang Street and I said to myself that there was nothing really new about it as it was just like that two decades ago.

“Is it okay with you if we go up to Mabini Street and from there, proceed to Session Road again?” I asked the group.

“Why? What’s with this street?” they asked.

I did not answer right away. They noticed that I was taking pictures. I was not sure if I just missed it but I did not see any Tiong San store in Mabini. The arcade where we used to go bowling was not there already.

“You see that Victoria signage? I used to buy my groceries from there.”

“But why?” they asked.

“Because I spent five years of my life as student here,” I said.

They were a bit surprised because maybe, they assumed that I finished my college from a Manila university and my secretive nature was partly to blame because I don’t divulge personal information to people unless they ask. The good thing was, my colleagues became just excited as me.

I took a picture of the dorm where I stayed as a freshman and memories of that place just kept reminding me. It was my first abode in Baguio where I met my first dorm mates. It was there where I had my first boyfriend of only two days. It was there where I first broke a man’s heart by breaking up with him a day before Christmas. It was there where I first tasted alcohol while my ex-boyfriend and friends watched over me while intoxicated. It was there where I first had a beach outing without my family. It was there where I had my first serious relationship that lasted for five years.

Our favorite bakery was just across the street. It was a small bakery named Master Hopia. The bread, hopia and siopao were tasty but very affordable for students like me. On the roof of its second floor extension were cats cuddling and sometimes fighting; they were my source of entertainment aside from the television located on their second floor room.

Unfortunately, Master Hopia is no longer there for reasons still unknown to me as of this writing. In a bittersweet moment, I realized that I’ve been away for so long a time. A lot of things have changed: the people, the weather and the places that I used to go.
Hangar Market in Baguio City

November 19, 2017

Travel

Nothing is really special about Hangar Market except to those who want to give more value on his money as the price of vegetables are cheaper there. Hangar Market is one of my memorable spots in Baguio City because it was there where I used to get my allowance from my parents in the province.

Confused? Don’t be! You see, during the mid-90’s, ATMs were not yet the main mode of monetary transfer. We had telegraphic transfer back in the days but it would take 2-3 banking days before one could claim his money. When the ATM system was introduced to the public, we were one of those who were skeptical about it. A piece of plastic for transaction? You must be kidding!

So, my parents would ask our neighbor in the province to kindly be the “messenger” because he and his mother were in Baguio twice a week, four times a month. They were vegetable dealers in our town and there were times when I would “hitch” on their trip to save travel cost.

Hangar Market intimidated me at first. Thanks to my generous dorm mate who was more than willing to accompany me to get my allowance.
The Life of a Giver

November 13, 2017

Poems & Stories

A giver takes delight in giving

Because giving is like her second life

A giver will give her all even when left with nothing

Because giving is her mission

A giver not only gives but also listens

Because listening is giving

A giver is prone to depression

When she hits the rock bottom

A giver needs a floater to survive

Because we are human, too

We want to be given affection

When nothing is left of what we gave away

A giver’s case is misleading

Because people are used to receiving

A giver needs assurance, too

When there are tough times to conquer
Death of an Icon

November 6, 2017

That’s Entertainment

Children of the 80’s and 90’s are surely familiar with Isabel Granada. She was that bubbly mestiza whose name became synonymous with her earliest loveteam, Chuckie Dreyfus. They played brother and sister on the 80’s show “Hapi House.” My mother once said that “that girl will grow up to be a beautiful woman.”

During her teen-age years, she was paired with Reuben Manahan who became her real-life boyfriend, too. All those years, she maintained a wholesome image until she was ripe enough for mature roles like “Ligaya ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin” and “Halik ng Sirena.” Her wedding with Jericho Aguas in 2002 surprised her fans because their love story seemed too fast-paced. Her mother did not attend their wedding because of this but their mother-daughter relationship was soon rekindled after the birth of her son, Hubert.

Isabel was a licensed pilot. She went to PATTS College of Aeronautics; the same school as my friend who was very proud to have her as his schoolmate. Had she focused on flying, she would have been the most beautiful aviatress!

Isabel was a health buff so her aneurysm came as a shock because she seemed to be in the pink of health. We were on the tourist bus on the day the news announced about her slipping into a coma in Hamad Hospital in Qatar. I was worried most for her mother because that would surely devastate her since Isabel was her one and only child.

“Sleeping Beauty” was said to have six cardiac arrests. Her new husband, Arnel Principe Cowley and distant cousin Joseph Rivera attended to her in the early days of her confinement. The Filipino community in Qatar learned about her ordeal and became the earliest prayer warriors and moral supporters of the Granada-Cowley family. In the Philippines, her bestfriends Bianca Lapus and Chuckie Dreyfus gathered more prayer warriors while ex-husband Jericho Aguas made sure that Hubert and Mommy Guapa would be in Qatar the soonest possible time. Jericho followed them in Qatar three days later due to some visa issues.

Sleeping Beauty’s ordeal had the element of a perfect movie plot. She was young (only 41), vibrant, at the peak of her business career and healthy. The two Mr. Isabel Granada came face to face with each other, maybe for the first time. They set aside their awkwardness and treated each other as family, if only for Sleeping Beauty. Many wished that she would regain her consciousness upon hearing the voice of her only son and mother. Many believed that she would make it until it was revealed after her death that she was clinically dead on the day Hubert and Mama Guapa arrived in Qatar.

Last Friday, November 3, I messaged Sleeping Beauty ” Please wake up.” I found myself silly for messaging her; we were not even acquainted with each other and yet I felt like messaging a friend. I was affected because she was part of my childhood and teenage years. I was affected because somebody so healthy and vibrant as her could just succumb to an illness. I was affected because it reminded me of my mortality and the things that I could have missed while busy with my life. Isabel lived a full life from being an actress, licensed pilot, businesswoman, sports and health enthusiast, friend, wife, daughter and mother. Her death might mean physical death but her legacy lives on.
My Memories of BCYFI

September 26, 2017

Life & Love

Those were the years when I felt I couldn’t make it to college because my parents were struggling financially. My high school classmate, Rowena, showed me an application form. I was too naïve to even know what a scholarship grant meant. I thought those things were just for highly intelligent people; I never assumed to be one.

On that same day, after class, I went to the Bataan Library with Rowena to complete the requirements. We were given an exam schedule. At home, my mother was delighted to know that her daughter was trying her best to get a college education.

I couldn’t remember if the exam was before or after our high school graduation. I remember that it was a Sunday and my parents patiently waited for me at the park, just outside the library. It was a difficult exam; one that I did not expect to pass. After the exam, there was a brief interview held by Ms. Dang.

She asked me if I had a chance to pursue my college even if I failed the exam. I honestly answered “maybe not.” It was not because I wanted her to pity me or to accept me as their scholar; but because I believed that I had no chance to other scholarship grants. Fast-forward, I passed the exam and interview but Bataan Christian Youth Foundation Inc (BCYFI) had to put me under waiting list. This meant that I would have to wait until my second year of college to be able to have the scholarship grant or I had the option to delay my college for a year if out-of-our-pocket expense was not possible. We chose the former case, I went to Baguio in May of that year and I waited for a year for my scholarship.

Summer of the following year, I was visible during the BCYFI events. I wanted to make up for the lost times as I seldom went home when I was in college. I wanted so much to be part of our group; our group of hopeful and ambitious individuals. The best summer that I had was when I met the children of our Japanese sponsors. I wish that email and Facebook were already available at that time to nourish our budding friendship. Takayuki, Yoshie 1 and Yoshie 2 were the most memorable ones.

Ms. Annie (I am not sure of her position in BCYFI) told us that our RKK (Risho Kosei Kai) sponsors donate one meal budget in a day and the money that they were able to save were sent to the Philippines for our studies.

I had a happy two-years stay in the BCYFI group. My happy days were cut short by a personal issue and I felt really bad about it. I never went back to BCYFI not out of ingratitude but rather, out of shame.

I have always wanted to reconnect, to thank Ms. Dang, Ms. Annie and Sir Nestor for all the love, support and understanding but I never had the courage to simply go back to say those words.

Decades later, the 400+ scholars that BCYFI and RKK nurtured are united through a Facebook group chat to discuss our plans for the relocation of our beloved library/BCYFI building. Rina, a classmate and one of the most active scholars during our time, is hurting about the turn of events. To cheer her up, I told her that the relocation of the library/BCYFI building could be a blessing (or a blessing in disguise!) because if the scholars would be united to be part of the relocation and construction, then the new site would have been our legacy.
VHS

September 5, 2017

Wedding & Family Life

I don’t get it why newly-married couple Vicki and Hayden Kho are being ridiculed in social media just because they got married! Some people say that Hayden is just a gold-digging handsome guy with a history of infidelity but that story is so 9 years ago. One of the ladies involved is now a happy wife to a singer. The other one is now a happy mother to a beautiful little girl and Vicky and Hayden are now proud parents to Scarlet Snow.

Some people say that Vicki is too old for Hayden and she should be acting her age. Here comes the double standard when it comes to love. Men can love at any age while women are expected to “behave” once we reach the age of 50. Men can get away with a relationship with younger women while women are criticized if we will have a young boyfriend or husband. I think that the people’s perception of love is superficial; most of us fail to see the soul connection of two people who are in-love.

What I cannot stand is the way some people meddle into the couple’s decision to have a child through surrogacy. Others hinted that Scarlet may be Hayden’s biological daughter but the egg cell came from a donor. While I believe that she is 100% the daughter of this lovely couple, it doesn’t make her a lesser “Belo” if she doesn’t come from Vicki’s egg cell. Like what I said, people cannot see beyond the goodness of having a child; be it a natural child, adopted or one who was conceived through surrogacy.

Scarlet is her parents’ happy pill. Her big siblings love her. Her parents’ friends adore her. Social media is addicted to her. The little girl is a pleasant sight on the internet so why don’t we just focus on the good things instead of creating doubt and hurling insult?
When Ignoring Something Is The Best Thing To Do

September 4, 2017

Wedding & Family Life

I normally would react to any perceived injustices or biases especially when it involves my children. Then my level of reaction would depend upon the severity of the emotional damage to my children and as well as my children’s relationship with the offender. Among my children, I am most protective of my eldest simply because her circumstance is much different from her younger siblings. In her eyes, she probably sees me as a paranoid mother but in my eyes, I am just doing my job as a protective mother.

Without divulging all the details, I am hurt for her when I read about how her own blood from the other side of her family seemed to betray her. Good thing that I am past my impulsive years; else, I would have questioned the person involved “Why?”

I thought of brainwashing her to distance herself from the people that would not admit her existence in all her years on earth but that would be manipulating her and that would not let her grow on her own. I wanted to protect her feelings by just telling her to cut off her ties but I realized that maybe, it would have been better if she feels how they feel about her; instead of me giving her the answers.

On the other hand, I felt responsible for her hurt feelings because I asked her years ago to connect to them, to love them and respect them even if the love may not be mutual.

Lesson learned: you cannot force a connection. You cannot force love when it is not there in the first place. You just have to ignore whatever it is that hurts you and move on. There are a million people in this planet who can love you and will treat you as family. In the end, it is not our loss. We gave them a second chance at life and love and they just took it for granted. Some good-byes may not be forever but for the meantime, it’s good-bye.