The Pinay Post

And That Is Why It's Called a Crush

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:32:00 +0000

It was an exuberant, summer afternoon, and the duhat tree in front of our house boasted of green and purple fruit along with my mom’s orange suntans, peach hibiscus, and pink bougainvillea. Not everyone on our street had a green thumb, and I imagined some plants nearby turning green with envy, except they were dying of heat and thirst this time of the year, and shades of brown were all they could achieve.

Now that school was out, neighborhood kids were frantically consumed by more significant matters, like childhood. Some ran around while screaming for no apparent reason while others flaunted their superior talent in more specialized disciplines, such as yoyo. A few little girls were huddled together fighting over who had the prettiest doll, and they all turned to look when some little fellow began to wail, followed by some other little fellow’s squeaky “It’s not my fault!”.

Impervious to this classic infantile commotion around me, I stood under the sun in my neatly ribboned pigtails, and by virtue of youth I was legitimately half-naked, wearing only a pair of yellow flipflops that matched the ribbons in my hair, as well as the panties that embellished my bottom with rows of delicate ruffle.

I was yet to master the art of raising one eyebrow, so I placed my hands on my hips instead as I grew impatient and terribly curious; my eyes fixed on the boy standing right in front of me. He was three years taller and always smelled nice. He was the love of my life; all four years of it.

He was looking at me in what seemed to be a state of shock and incomprehension. I had no words for it then, but it resembled the look on my sister’s face whenever she broke a vase or other fragile object in the presence of my mom. It wasn’t the case here, so I was equally perplexed.

“I saaaaid, when are you going to marry me?”, I repeated my question, and this time louder. What genius concept I had of marriage then I have no idea. But in 6.28 seconds flat he was out of sight and I learned my first lesson about boys: I run faster than they can.

Name 5 Random Things You Liked About Your Day

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0000

A friend of mine who reads my blog reminded me to let the dust accumulate sometimes and let the creeps gather dust in the corner. Good point. I did notice that I've been griping a lot lately, so I figured it would be good to let go and find some attitude of gratitude.

Today's highlights:

Finally, I remembered to eat healthy and add veggies in my chicken wrap.
I found my pen!
I hit double the target at work, nyahaha.
We're having a staff party soon and they asked me to host it (what I'm really excited about is that I get to create the announcement posters).
Someone came to me for help, and today he got his wish.

And now I shall sit back, relax, and enjoy a movie... with a well-deserved bowl of cookies.

Get Out of My Hair, Seriously

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:29:00 +0000

The creepiest thing about some creepy people is that they have no idea how creepy they are. These days I've been having to deal with a lot of creeps.

Creep 1 has been pulling a drama just because I never show up on get-togethers.

Creep 2 had decided that I did not return a favor because I refused to stay friends, even with the intention of returning the actual favor on the actual day promised (guess who's still reading my blog too much).

Creep 3 has been stalking me at breakfast lunch and dinner and everytime I go for a cigarette break. And he manages to do this even if I change my routine.

Creep 4 had called late at night (I missed the call) and sent weird messages to which I bluntly replied, something to the effect of: with all due respect, I don't shit in my own backyard.

And the list doesn't end there. It's not too stressful, except if one of them has a direct role in your employment then you could possibly find yourself in a complicated spot. True story: my hair fall has been out of control.

My mom said, less talk, less mistake. So I probably should shut up now.

A Chuckle A Day

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Holy Smokes

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:11:00 +0000

There are several things one can do freely in public in the Philippines which are met with restrictions (and strange looks) here. To name a few:

1. For women, wearing clothes that expose the shoulders and knees

2. Public displays of affection

3. Eating during Ramadan

On the other hand, over here people can smoke anywhere in public. Even in the hotel elevators.

Happy Sunday!

Below My Freezing Point

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:04:00 +0000

It's 10 degrees Celsius in Doha today. My extremities are just about to break off into pieces I'm afraid, but I can't complain. I'll save it for the summer when they say the temperature shoots up to over 40, and you melt until nothing is left but your ability to curse the heat.

It's time to get thermals. If you live in a cold region you might laugh at how we tropical people dress up to resemble eskimos on an Antarctic expedition in this weather, but give us a break. We don't crack up when you sweat like pigs on a normal sunny day.

Hmm, one of my girlfriends here said it would be nice to have someone to hug in this weather, and I wonder if she's right.

So How's It Been Like, Really? (4 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:02:00 +0000

Weekends

Because I'm a neat freak and somebody's got to do it, Friday mornings are spent cleaning, scrubbing, and mopping off dirt and dust that stubbornly, mysteriously find their way into the flat even with windows closed. Suits and linen are washed by the hotel laundry service, so doing the rest of my laundry at home isn't much of a big deal.

Since a 48-hour work week doesn't allow enough time for kicking back, I refuse to cook. Either I pack food from the hotel on Thursday evenings, or I head out with friends for lunch and make sure I bring home dinner. If I don't work in the afternoon from my room, I'm usually out with Kuya Jay and Kuya Ray - good friends of the family who have lived here for a decade, or with my co-workers Terry and May, or all of them.

Men have asked me out, yes. End of story.

Transport

Getting from the flat to the hotel and back is easy because transport is provided. Otherwise there are taxis (called karwas) and "colorums" that are hard to come by but charge pretty much the same rates as in Manila. Cars are at least 20% cheaper here. I haven't tried the public bus, and there are currently no railways in Qatar. But they are building a railway and metro system that will be operational in 2016. Not that I'm holding my breath for it.

So how's it been like, really? In a nutshell, manageable. Sometimes draining, sometimes exciting. But generally manageable.

And if there is one thing Qatar doesn't have that I wish I could have brought with me from the Philippines, I swear it is the quiet, natural, and ever-reliable, walis tambo.

Source: ehkasi.tumblr.com

So How's It Been Like, Really? (3 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Leisure

Apart from shopping, dining, and drinking, I haven't seen a movie, gone to a park, sailed on a dhow cruise, or tried the desert safari since I got here. And because it's winter I find it pointless to go to the beach. But these are all available here, and hopefully I get to try them all for two reasons: my job requires me to be a walking database, and I would have something to write about.

On the sports scene, there was a tennis tournament on the first week of January between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal which I never saw; the other week I met a German guest who was here for the FC Bayern Munich - Al Ahly S.C. friendly football match; today a Spanish guest from Sweden is visiting Doha for the first time for the Al-Arabi - Al Sadd game. If I were a football fan I might have recognized the player he introduced me to at the lobby, but as far as I'm concerned, he wasn't Cristiano Ronaldo.

So I haven't been out that much, but I did enjoy the 60-minute walk along the corniche on National Day, starting close to the Museum of Islamic Art, all the way to the City Center Mall. My feet were killing me, but it was nice to see more of the city.

So How's It Been Like, Really? (2 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Shopping

Al Meera is a typical supermarket with a clothing store. What makes it special is that it has a Jollibee. There are so many Pinoys in this area, you would think you're in the Philippines.

Family Food Center is another supermarket with household items and some apparel on the second floor. There is an Indian food stall here that sells really good dosas, but if you can't tolerate people who don't queue up, forget it. They also have a bakery section where one can find anything from croissants to Lebanese bread to blueberry cheesecake and yes, even biko.

Lulu kinda, kinda reminds me of Cash and Carry, and Spinney's at The Mall is a bit like Rustan's Supermarket. The Mall is a tiny mall with shops like Mango and The Body Shop. It also has a cinema, and a high-end home store on the top floor. I found some Versace decor in one of the stores here. Spell over-the-top.

Carrefour is a French hypermarket (much like Shopwise) which I found at the City Center and Villagio. City Center is like Robinson's Galleria with an ice skating rink, and is the largest mall in Doha. Villagio houses luxury brands, has a sky-painted ceiling and an Italian theme which is punctuated by gondolas. These gondolas are part of their family entertainment facility, which also includes an ice-skating rink and Imax.

Souq Haraj is where one can find used and brand new furniture and some really cheap, good quality carpets. Souq Waqf is the place to go if you want to smoke shisha in a traditional souq setting, dine al fresco with live music, or you just happen to want to buy a 3000USD falcon. Don't worry about the falcon getting sick; there's a falcon hospital in Souq Waqf, too.

The tiangges here all sell the same stuff; I wouldn't be surprised if they all have a single supplier, which is likely the case. The only stall that stands out is one that sells Indian crafts and accessories, all "hand-made" by the guy that tends it. The only thing is, I'd seen his stuff all over Hyderabad, and when I said he's selling them for 6 times the price there, he said, "So go buy in Hyderabad." This guy will flunk in PR, but I must say, good point.

Open hours for shopping here is tricky. Some stores are closed anywhere from 1-4 hours in the afternoon, and on Fridays which is the Muslim day of prayer, most shops are closed in the morning.

So How's It Been Like, Really? (1 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:51:00 +0000

Work

Work at the hotel is 6 days a week and I'm on a fixed schedule of 9-6. Usually I leave work anywhere from 7-830pm. Friday is the official rest day in Qatar, so the week starts on Saturday, not Monday, for those who are not on rotating shifts. Some fortunate people in other sectors get Fridays and Saturdays off. And some get a half-day off on Saturdays.

It's funny because back home most people love Saturdays and dread Mondays. I'm supposed to dread Saturdays now, but because I've loved it so much for so long, I don't feel so opposed to starting my week on it.

Food and Alcohol

There are at least 10 nationalities working in the hotel, and Filipinos hold the most population. Even so, food served at the staff cafeteria is predominantly non-Pinoy. I mean they try; the other day adobo was served (cooked with cardamom, why not), and last night there was nilagang ~~paminta~~ baka (beef stew). Today we had sweet and sweet fish. It wasn't so bad; the looks on my Pinoy co-workers took care of the sour.

I'm not as impartial to Pinoy food and I don't eat much anyway so I get by with the masalas, dals, couscous, hummus, flat breads, etc. that they regularly feed us with, although the occasional craving for familiar grub is inevitable. Restaurant prices are just a wee bit pricier than in Manila. I've tried two restaurants that serve decent Pinoy dishes. However, I must say our shawarmas and steaks are better than what I've tried here so far. But it has more to do with spices and flavors than the quality of meat.

Vegetables, dairy products, flat breads, imported chips and chocolates are cheap; they're maybe about 20-50% cheaper than in the Philippines. Meat and chicken are just a little bit more expensive. Seafood is definitely expensive. I haven't seen the prices of spices and some condiments, but even if I can cook, there is no time. By the way, brands like Datu Puti, Lucky Me, and Boy Bawang are hilariously expensive.

Pork used to be illegal, but now bacon and pork sausages can be bought from the Qatar Distribution Company (QDC). One of two QDCs is in Doha but is a bit far from town, and is also the only place where one can purchase alcohol, if one has an alcohol permit. Otherwise alcohol can bought and consumed only at licensed hotels even without a permit, but for a steep price of 10USD for a draft beer up to about 20USD for a cocktail.

It was a bit disappointing to find a TGIF in one of the malls and find out they don't serve alcohol. On the other hand, it's also a good thing to not have alcohol so accessible or affordable. One, it saves you money, and two, it keeps you healthy.

Silang Mga Anak Ng Diyos (They, The Sons of God)

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:09:00 +0000

Racism is alive and well at the workplace. Like it's awesome to be ____________. Pfft.

One Month in the Sandbox

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:50:00 +0000

My co-worker and friend Terry was beaming yesterday. "What are you so chirpy about?", I asked. "You've been here a month! Next week I would have been here a month! Only one year and eleven months to go", she says with a big smile.

That's 699 days away, but that's the spirit.

Two Roads Diverged in A Wood and I...

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:38:00 +0000

I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

Welcoming 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +0000

I hope you had a wonderful celebration last night. I did the countdown in the kitchen, with three friends, eating a birthday cake. It's not good or bad, it's just different. On the brighter side, it was better than spending it alone.

I bought new linen to welcome the New Year and stocked up on round fruits, which my culture believes to be auspicious. And I did have a quiet, sumptuous dinner at La Cigale, where I finally got to catch up briefly with a high school classmate that works there. But the friend I had dinner with didn't want to be with my friends, and the feeling was mutual between them, so I had to divide my time in equally friendly proportions and leave the hotel before the countdown.

There was another birthday-slash-New-Year's-party I missed, which the group at my apartment didn't want to go to either. It's fine; I was tired. The evening was so complicated. But, there is much to be grateful for, and that's more than enough to be happy about.

More than wishing that the year ahead will be good to me, I wish I make it a good one.

Happy New Year!

Betcha By February

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:25:00 +0000

Two of my co-workers are betting that by February 28, I will have a boyfriend. Of course, I'm betting against them. The pot is in cold cash, and I already know what to do with it. It's brilliant; just a little more and by end of February I will be happily watching TV from my bed too instead of just the couch.

They can bet their hummus on it.

Three Weeks Out Here

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:25:00 +0000

They say time flies when you're having fun. I'm not sure I'm having fun, but my schedule has been so hectic, I wouldn't be surprised if I come to work on my day off without realizing it is my day off.

So I've been out here for three weeks. The first week was a week of total adjustment, the second, my jet lag had worn off and saw more of the city (it was National Day and a family friend showed me around), the third, I went out to party for the first time with fellow pinoys and some of my teammates. So far I have personalized my room with some decor like a carpet, lamp, and a few other things, just to make it feel less empty and more like home.

As usual, there are a couple of folks at work that are allergic to newcomers, but I seriously don't have the time to give them the satisfaction of my attention. Also, it's good to have some class.

And then there are people that want to hang out at home after work so much, I feel like I couldn't get enough time for myself. At the same time, I also don't want to be perceived as aloof. Hmm, not so much just yet. But the truth is I really like just being alone.

See the manicure? I don't have time to visit a salon, let alone finish my own.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Back home they are enjoying Noche Buena... a feast of balls of ham and cheese, perhaps the usual favorites, adobo, kare-kare, the ever-auspicious pancit (noodles), inihaw (grilled food), with rounds of wine and San Miguel beer.

And here I am in my flat, my suit and bag still strewn on the bed, and about to assemble a coffee table. Tomorrow I'm on holiday, but my work files will keep me company. We had a Pinoy Christmas party the other night, and since I have a hefty assignment while my boss is on leave, I think one Christmas party is enough.

I wish to Skype with my family in a little bit. I'm exhausted and alone, but it's good to know that they are all celebrating Noche Buena together back home.

Have a Merry Christmas...

Let Me Show You The Way

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:19:00 +0000

There were some guests that approached me today and said they read in the newspaper about this new mosque in Doha that opened yesterday. Could I tell them how to get there please? I haven't had the time to read the newspaper or watch any TV at all, so I told the guests I will look it up and get back to them with the information.

I would have gotten on online maps immediately if I had the name of this new mosque, but I didn't, so I googled. After typing in "new mosque doha", I found a heading that read: "25 New Mosques in Doha to Open...". What?? I kept googling until I discovered that it is not a new mosque to begin with; it was inaugurated yesterday with a new name. I must have read over a dozen articles on this mosque, and not one stated where exactly it is located.

Just as I was about to check online maps, the hotel owner, who is Muslim, walked into the lobby with the General Manager (GM). The GM called me over to tell me something, and after that I took the opportunity to ask the big boss where this mosque is located. He asked for a pen and paper and happily drew a map for me. It was a decipherable map, though it's good he owns the hotel and could afford to hire architects.

But I must admit that it made it easier for me to plot directions from the hotel to the mosque on the vicinity map I printed out. I made copies and sent them out to the guests who had approached me, and left a few for the concierge.

This, however, is what really bothers me: shouldn't the 5 w's and 1 h always be included in news articles? Over a dozen, and not one answered "where".

Dear Inday

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:16:00 +0000

Dear Inday,

Sometimes it pains me how you like to do everything your way. Somehow it just doesn’t seem to matter to you that I like my Buddha to face the door, or that remote controls are meant to be kept by the bed and not in drawers. I also don’t quite understand why everytime I try to arrange my books alphabetically, you keep rearranging them by height. It’s fine if I only had a dozen books. But you see, it’s really not funny.

And no matter how many times you insist that you’ve stopped bleaching my white clothes the way I’ve repeatedly asked you to, I know you still do. No, the delicate ones didn’t turn yellowish. But I did find a big white spot on my red skirt. And the week before I left, it was my purple blouse.

I have to thank you though for trying to keep me in a good mood when I’m having a bad day, for always getting it right everytime I send you out for something, and for making it your personal mission to keep the floors clean enough to walk barefoot on. Most of all, I thank you for rushing Mom to the hospital that night. The moment I got to the emergency room and heard you wailing, I knew it couldn’t be good. But you got her there soon enough, and if you hadn’t been there, I don’t know what could have happened.

Today is my first rest day here in Qatar, after working nine days straight. I didn’t rest though, because I spent the day scrubbing floors, doing laundry, cleaning toilet bowls, making things squeaky clean, and getting rid of very thick dust that covered the exhaust fan in the bathroom.

I miss you so, so much.

Thank you for being with the family all these years. I hope you’re taking very good care of Mom while I’m out here. And all the best to your eldest son on his college entrance exams.

P.S. Please send me your Kamsbel recipe.

Would You Like Bebsi With That?

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:02:00 +0000

I found out that in the Arabic language, b is pronounced as p and p is pronounced as b. I was checking old office emails in my department email account, and now it makes sense to me what the following phrases mean:

Blumping request

As ber pellpoy

Brice disbute

Baber subbly

Pathrope missing

Just a quick bost pefore I pegin my peautiful day... It's my rest day tomorrow. Yay!

Thank You But I Need to Get My Nails Done

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:47:00 +0000

"You're that cold?", asked the guy paying at the counter as I walked into the store at the end of my street with a co-worker who lives in the same building as me. It was almost 9pm. He looked like he just got out of the office. I was wearing a thick coat zipped up to my cheeks over leggings and slippers. I laughed, because I was just thinking I should have worn gloves and socks too. "Yes. There's no winter in the Philippines", I replied. "Really?". "Yup". He took his change, smiled, and left.

"Would you let me buy with dollars?", I asked the old man behind the counter. He shook his head. "Please?", I asked again. Just when I knew this geezer wouldn't let me smoke and snack on familiar chips and cookies tonight after a weeklong diet of Indian and Arabic food (wow I've been here a week!), the guy walked back into the store, looking like he forgot to get something. I let him finish his business at the counter before I approached him and said, "Would you please change my dollars?".

"Sure", he said. Thank goodness. Until I ran out of cigarettes I didn't realize I was out of riyals, and my friend didn't have them either. We exchanged monies and again he left. I got some cigarettes and snacks and was surprised when he came up to me as my friend and I walked out of the store.

"Hi. Do you need to exchange more money?"

"Oh no thanks, I'm good for now."

"I'm Rai by the way, from Egypt. I work at Doha Bank", he said, pointing to the building just a few steps away. I found it funny that a guy who works at a bank changed my money at a grocery store. We chatted some more and when my friend mentioned that our building's just down the street, he offered to give us a lift. He had a friend in the passenger seat. Now, I know we shouldn't be getting in a car with strange people, and our building is a very short walk from the store, but he seemed like a nice person, so off we went.

He gave me his number. I never gave mine, saying I don't have a business card and a local number yet, which is true. It would be nice to make some new friends. But right now, I would much rather do well at work, and get a really nice pedicure.

...And We Are Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:41:00 +0000

It was a fun day at the hotel today. The fire alarm went off twice for no reason. I was writing an urgent email the first time it happened. I looked up from my computer while typing away, not knowing whether to run for dear life or there was a fire drill going on. The lobby was busy. The front desk staff carried on attending to guests as though hearing no such alarm. The guests went about their business with no sign of panic. Only one bellman got startled like me and I saw him make an immediate phone call. It was a false alarm.

It happened a second time a couple of minutes later, and I noticed only one guest at the lobby grimace at the noise. It was strange to hear a fire alarm go off twice and see not too many people reacting. I did look up again, but even I couldn't drop what I was doing. Humans have become this numb, I mused, still while typing away. It was again confirmed to be a false alarm.

When I went over to the Security Office, they said the fire alarm must be defective as there was no fire or smoke detected anywhere in the building. The engineer on duty was upset and blaming someone and something else.

Before this commotion, I was at the restaurant to speak to the manager regarding a guest complaint. While waiting at the bar, Mr. X, a regular guest at the hotel, came up to the bartender happily inebriated, with a green apple in his hand. He wanted it sliced. I remembered him from the other day when he was all grumpy and snobbish. The staff said that's because he's not drunk yet. I thought they were joking but they were right. He turned to me at the bar, grinned from ear to ear, and said, "Mabuhay!", as though we were bffs. I greeted him back in his language just as the manager was coming out of the kitchen. For a brief moment I thought it sad if there are indeed people who are only capable of friendliness and happiness when drunk.

You know you're working in hospitality when crazy things happen everyday. Today I knew I'm most definitely back.

The Pinay Has Landed

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:59:00 +0000

I missed my template! Finally, after a five-day hiatus, I get to write again.

It was 5am when my sisters and I went to bed the morning of my flight. Two hours later I could still hear them giggling and chatting in the other room, but much as I wanted to bond with them some more, I was exhausted. The evening before was spent catching up, laughing, and heading to a nearby Petron station to get some booze. Mom was very happy to have her Tres Marias in one place, after so long.

It felt a little weird smoking cigarettes and drinking along with my eldest sister. Sometimes I guess I need to remind myself that I'm no longer a baby.

After a tearful farewell and over 12 hours of flight, I finally reached Qatar at 3 in the morning. As soon as I saw light bluish green taxis, I knew for sure I was no longer in my country. Which reminds me, I haven't cried since I got here. I guess I am all cried out. Or maybe just distracted. Maybe on Christmas I'll get nostalgic.

The hotel service picked me up and brought me to my flat, which is nice and fully-furnished. My room is big but I don't feel lonely. After a long day of interacting with dozens of different guests and co-workers, it's great to be alone. Unless I'm coming home to... never mind.

I slept for a few hours and spent my first day unpacking, updating my family, and shopping at the souq for stuff I need. My first purchase was sold to me at half the price, so that was a fun welcome.

I've never seen so many pinoys in a foreign country. I greeted and chatted with some of them, and they were all chummy. They say when pinoys are abroad, we treat one another kindly even if we're strangers, but that back home we're not as nice to everyone. I finally understood why. Out here, we only got one another.

It's been 16 degrees cold on average. I get cold easily, but surprisingly it's been bearable. Tomorrow is my fourth day at work. So far so good...

Smile When Your Heart Is Aching

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:09:00 +0000

It's definitely crunch time. Busy bee is that me?

After ten gruelling years, four of the Filipina ladies will be together again. And I only have fourteen hours to spend with them (minus six for sleep).

Today's to-do-list includes: bank, clinic, mall, exit clearance and flight ticket pickup, brief farewell dinner with friends, airport pickup, and sister time with our beloved matriarch over home-cooked adobo, afritada, and paella valenciana.

Even with all this frenzy I somehow can't keep away from updating The Pinay Post even for just a little bit, which must be a good thing.

The teary period will probably continue until tomorrow. I hope by the time I reach Qatar I'd be all cried out so I can focus on work and my new life. Actually, after all the major heart-breaking events in my 33 years of existence (and there had been several), I should be all cried out by now.

But I can still cry good tears. And I can still smile when my heart is aching. Specially when I'm looking at a snotty photo of my best friend's youngest kid:

Have a mahvelous Monday.

Time Out

noreply@blogger.com (Isadora Filipina) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:54:00 +0000

It is necessary that I take this day off from blogging to prepare for my sister's arrival tomorrow and my flight departure the following day, and to make the most of the little time I have left here with family and friends. Yesterday was partially spent crying and an encore is highly likely today. But I will be back shortly...