A Girl Named Alex

Ever since Ate Nicky delivered her baby, I have looked forward to the upcoming long weekend to visit her and her baby. Finally, last Good Friday, we dumped our luggage at the back of the car and started our supposed to be 6 hour journey to France. It was a weird journey, it took us almost 8 hours because of the heavy traffic in Antwerp, when we left it was sunny and then an hour after that it was raining hard, a little over 2 hours after that we were driving through very strong winds, still after half an hour we were driving through some snow and then finally as we reached our destination, it was bright and sunny again. It was like experiencing 4 seasons in 8 hours haha.

At around 5:45pm, we finally managed to pull over the garage. I was very excited to see the baby but she was still fast asleep so I couldn’t take her from the cradle. So after settling in, we decided to eat first and right after dinner, asleep or not, I decided to take her from her comfortable crib, poor little baby.

Her name is Alexandra Josephine Ligaya Danet, so we call her Alex, she was born on the 6th of March. Her name was taken from my brother in law’s mother (Josephine) and my mom (Ligaya) and Alexandra simply because it’s a beautiful name. She has really plump pink cheeks and cute little pouting lips and her eyes are blue gray – just beautiful. She is quite heavy and long for a three-week old baby. I guess my sister’s breast feeding every hour does the trick.

She’s a very good baby girl, she didn’t even cry when my sister gave her a bath at 10am the following day, in fact, I think she enjoys her bath. After bathing, she would just eat and then go back to sleep, oh isn’t a baby’s life very nice, she just eats and sleeps and cries when she’s wet or hungry.

Time flew so quickly, came Sunday we were already preparing to go back home. I think Alex would be glad that I would finally leave her alone in her sleep, hehe. I just couldn’t get my hands off of her while I was there. I just couldn’t help but pick her up and cradle her in my arms. Even Junfer, who loves kids but is afraid to hold very small babies, couldn’t help himself and held Alex while we were there.



Junfer and I are going to miss that little angel. We look forward to our next visit to her, otherwise she should visit us next time.

Filipina: A Woman of Character

I always see her standing in the middle of her garden with a long broomstick clasped in her feeble and bony hands, sometimes alone, most of the times gleefully surrounded by her apos. She was always clad with an ankle length skirt and a blouse that is less elaborate than the traditional baro. Her hair was pulled tightly in a bun and her face was wrinkled with the years that passed her by. In spite of her old age, her back was as straight as a board and her mere glance could silence the rowdy teenagers that pass by. Although, the one thing that really struck me about her was her warm and gentle smile and her presence that commands nothing less than respect and reverence. I knew her as Manang, the old lady who lives in front of my parents’ house.

It was a very long time ago, I don’t even recall seeing Manang the last time I visited my parents. Indeed, it was a long time ago and yet my memory of her has never faltered. Manang was one of the first few women whose character I have truly admired. Maybe it was because she has always exuded this strong personality that can silence the untamed and yet a mere look into her eyes reveals kindness, care and compassion. As a kid, while staring at her contented in her garden, my young mind could not comprehend how her small and frail body could radiate such a sturdy and dignified yet gentle persona, she was an enigma to me.

Certainly, Manang’s personality is admirable but I have realized that her character was neither unique nor rare, not for Filipinas anyway. Only after several years and after living far away from my roots have I realized that Manang’s persona, the very same enigmatic personality that mystified my childhood, is embedded in each and every Filipina regardless of the country that they are in and the lifestyle that they lead. True indeed, all Filipinas that I have met possess a hint of Manang’s character in them albeit wrapped in different packages.

The modern Filipina has been influenced by so many cultures, customs, ethnicity and traditions. We have been exposed to knowledge and have acquired skills that our historic counterparts would have never imagined. Filipinas have explored corners of the globe that Gabriella Silang or Melchora Aquino knew nothing about. We have even taken up roles that were tabooed for women during Dona Teodora Alonzo’s times. Yet, in spite of all these influences, knowledge and modernization, the Filipina has never let go of the values inculcated in her by her forebears. She still values her family more than any luxury or comfort in life, she still offers respect to the elderly, she values hard work, honesty, integrity, courage, and above all, she finds solace and hope in her faith.

Throughout the years, the Filipino women have taken an active part in the fields of medicine, music, arts, business, religion and even politics. We have proven that our brilliant minds and resilience can be helpful in the betterment of not only our families but also our society. I believe that the Filipina’s greatest edge over the rest of womanhood is her passion which is fuelled by an unconditional love and care for others. This passion inspires her to excel in any field that she tries to conquer. I can’t help but be overwhelmed by pride as I see Filipinas from all walks of life stride on unfamiliar grounds to try to enhance their families’ or societies’ situation without succumbing to the pressures of the progressive world to compromise their moral fiber or loose their strength of character.

When I see a Filipina, I envision an oasis in the middle of the deteriorating image of womanhood in the modern world. The Filipina is a personification of equilibrium between a woman of conviction and a woman of heart Filipinas possess a character so strong it cannot be thwarted by poverty, struggles or norms. I wouldn’t have though it possible but the modern Manang’s character is even better than the one I have admired for so long. The modern Filipina is a radiant persona, indeed we Filipinas are all these and much more.

This is an official entry to the WikiPilipinas Filipina Stories Writing Contest.

For More on WikiPilipinas please visit the following Links:
http://www.wikipilipinas.org/
http://www.filipiniana.net/
http://www.filipinaimages.com/
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=WikiPilipinas:Filipina_Stories/

Rediscovering Amsterdam – Final Leg

It’s been almost 2 weeks now since Mama Lits took a plane and went back to Abu Dhabi, ahh her visit was too short. Nonetheless, she had a blast on her last few days of stay here in Amsterdam, all of us did. We have taken her to tourist spots that Junfer and I have never been to before as well.

Upon the recommendation of one of our friends, we went to Zaanse Schans, this is a place just outside Amsterdam where traditional Dutch houses still abound. One of the main attractions here is the oldest Albert Heijn shop (this is like the 7-Eleven of Holland) ever built. There are also old windmills that are still functioning as well as old clog (wooden shoe) makers. We also sampled various types of cheeses from one of the shop that makes and sells them. My favorite was the white goat old cheese, it’s just so tasty.

Junfer also took Mama Lits on a cruise to the famous canals, I think no trip here in Amsterdam should be concluded without doing so. Both of them enjoyed the sights as well as the history of the places they were passing by.

Come Mama Lits' last Sunday here, we headed off to Volendam. This is an old town on the northern part of Holland, a tourist attraction that has become popular because the center of the town is lined with shops that offers quite a unique service. Each shop offers every interested tourist a photo op wearing the traditional Dutch costume in a traditional Dutch backdrop. It was fun dressing up really, we all enjoyed it immensely, although, I can’t imagine myself wearing those clogs everyday. It’s just too heavy and tough for my liking.

We are already looking forward to Mama Lits next visit here. However, for now I think she has enough fond and fun memories to last her till the next time. I am quite sure that she has loads of stories to tell her friends and colleagues once she gets back to work. As for me and Junfer, we are already missing her but were surely glad that she had fun here with us coz we certainly had a grand time during her visit.