Scary experience of my brother

My brother called me the other day. He told me what had happened to him down in the deep ocean while fishing. He passed out while he was under the deep water. He felt like his surroundings went all dark. Two guys that work with him saved him. They told him that he wasn't opening his eyes, he looked dead already. They brought him out of the water and that was how he got back to his sense.

I was so scared when he was telling me the whole story. We might now get along sometimes, but I love my brother. I never want him to be in that situation ever again. My brother's job as a fishermen is difficult. He dives deep in the ocean all of the time. He has been doing this job for years now. My brother is used to this job, but accidents can happen anytime. I just hope this will never happen to him again. I told him to always be careful whenever he goes fishing.

Congratulations to my cousin

I'm congratulating my cousin Mycel for making it to the top five in school this time. She made us all proud for making it this far, I know she's able to maintain her grades until the end of this semester. I'm so happy with what she have achieved during this year. She is one smart kid, just like her brother and sister which are already working.

I know she will be successful in the near future. Once she is done with grade 12, she will proceed to study nursing either in Manila or in Tacloban. That's what her brother promised to her when he left for abroad. My cousin Mycel is such a hard working student, and she's also lucky that there is someone to support her in college. I'm happy for her. She's our future nurse!

Sunday

Have a great Sunday morning to all! I'm sure everybody has free today. Malls will be very crowded on Sunday because it is the only the day when everyone isn't busy. Have fun shopping with family guys!

I myself am heading to Samar. I have various things to do when I get home. I want to check if my dad have started to wreck the old kubo house. He told me he'll fix it when he has time, because the kubo was already broken. Even a mild typhoon could ruin the kubo easily, and then, they would not have a place to stay. Better be prepared for what's coming.

I bought some of the material he needs to build the kubo. I can't wait to see the newest kubo house soon. It won't take long for him to build the place because my youngest brother is there to help my dad.

Life of a Farmer

Life as a farmer is hard. I know this since I have done it several times, like catching shrimp in a narrow river and cutting logs, walking through the high mountain for an hour, climbing on coconut trees. I can understand that it is really difficult to be a farmer like my father.

Since I was a kid, my father worked on a farm just to provide for us. He did everything for us. I can remember how he would go fishing just so I could have something to eat during my high school days. My mom and dad were still together when I was in the middle of my 8th grade. I stopped when they parted ways. My dad continued farming even when my mom left us. He never told me to stop my studies. It was my own decision, because my family went through a hard time those years, and I knew he wasn't making enough money that time. My dad is the bravest person I know. He never gave up to life even though life got tougher.

Busy Holiday

What a busy Monday for us here in Samar. Today is holiday, as usual no classes at school. I won't be back in the city until Wednesday morning. I am cleaning the front yard of our house with my cousin. We are almost done. I took a break just to write my thoughts about what I am doing this day.

From a really dirty and grassy front yard to a clean and organized yard. My auntie is at work, she doesn't know about what we are doing right now. She will be surprised when she comes back from work about the new improvement of her front yard. There is a lot to change, we also organized the flowers that my auntie planted few months ago. Later today the place will be nice to look at. It's really good to clean up everything today, because the weather isn't hot. It looks cloudy, and not sunny. Everyone is that scared to stay under the weather like this.

Saturday Outing

Today I got invited to an outing by my auntie's relatives from her mother's side. I am not a blood relative of them as I am related to her husband: he is my dad's first cousin. Anyway, the family came all the way to Hernani from Tacloban City just to visit Canhugas. They sent my auntie yesterday the budget for the outing so we could prepare for food before they arrived this morning.

I woke up early so that I could go with my auntie to the market. I helped her to carry the food. After buying all what's needed, we cooked it, then it didn't take long and the family arrived. They had their own service car, so ride wasn't the problem for all of us. We went all together to Canhugas. It was their first time there. They were surprised by the nature park, but some of the adults complained that the place did not look like on TV. Well, it often depends on the weather how it looks like. I didn't care what they said, for me it was only important that myself and my brothers and cousins had fun.

Birthday Outing

Yesterday we had a family get together, although my mom and dad were not around. It was my youngest brother's birthday that we celebrated at Panay beach. I rented a cottage large enough to fit a big family. It costed me 250 PHP for the cottage. For me it wasn't so bad, as we had a comfortable place to stay during our outing.

I and my cousin prepared some food to bring to the beach. I cooked the rice while my cousin cooked the Pancit Bihon. The birthday celebrant helped out too. He grilled the four fishes I got from the market. I made chicken adobo.  My cousin gave us plenty of bread, as she's a baker.

At the beginning, the birthday wasn't fun because everybody was busy holding their phones. But when the other invited relatives arrived, we started to eat and talk. We stayed until 5pm on the beach!

Happy 18th Birthday to my brother

Good morning everyone! Today is my brother's birthday. He just turned 18. Time flies so fast. I remember when he was just a baby. Now he is grown up into an amazing person. I love him dearly. He is my partner in crime. Yes, I still call him baby brother sometimes, because he is. He is my youngest brother and he will always be.

I wish him nothing but the best in life. He is young and brave. I know he has the ability to create the life he wants. He is an ambitious young man, because he has so many plans in life. Great plans actually! If he keeps up with his dreams in life, he will be fine in the future.

Happy birthday, little brother, always know that big sister loves you so much. Please don't change, stay humble as you are.

Watching Cartoons

No one is too old for cartoon TV shows. Right now, I am watching Sponge Bob with small childrens here at our house. My godson want to watch TV. He loves to watch any kind of cartoon shows. I wanted to watch the "It's Show Time" but I can't win against him. Once he is awake  neither of us can choose what to watch.

Other kids don't like to watch English cartoons but my godson is different, as he likes English cartoons. I believe it can help any children to learn better English at a young age. Nowadays, the English language is very important to learn. It is understood in most parts of the world even when it is not the native language there. My godson is 2 years old, he is running to 3 this November. He has a great future ahead of him, it's better if he can learn English at a very young age.

My Brother in Manila

I hope that my brother is treated well in his new job in Manila. He just got there 2 days ago. It is his second time in Manila. His first visit was when he was just 7 years old. At that time, we lived in Manila for one year. I have been back to Manila for many times, so I know the big city very well, but my brother has stayed in the province since then.

It will be a new experience to my brother to be in the big city as an adult, but he has a friend from the same province as coworker. So, I'm not that worried about my brother as I know the guy will definitely take good care of him. Also, my brother is 20 years old, he can take care of himself. I hope he doesn't get lost among the 13 million of people that are living there. His job is at a fishpond. Maybe it is a tough job, but he is hardworking. I know he can keep up with his work.

Where did the years go?

Time flies really fast! My brothers are all grown up, and as the eldest sibling, I consider myself mature. But others don't see it in me, they think I am not matured enough as I should be!

10 years ago I was just 14, I remember how I took care of my younger brothers when we were left alone by our parents who had to go to work to provide for our everyday needs. I miss those days when we were all together in one house. Mom and dad were still a good couple. But those happy moments can never happen again. Who would have thought in just one blink, those good times can be gone.

I will be turning 24 this coming September, while my youngest brother will turn 18 next month. Where did the years go? My parents have been apart for 9 years now. They have different families now. My dad just found a new love and they are living together for a month now, while my mom has her own family as well.

My tomboy cousin

I have a cousin named Dolly. She is 26 years old. Everybody knows her as a boyish type. You will never see her wearing dresses or short shorts. She uses t-shirt most of the time, and when she goes to the city she always wears jeans. It's a no girly outfit for her.

We are close to each other, we often talk about things when we are both home. One time I joked to her if she would want to be in a relationship with a girl. Her answer isn't what I expected to hear. She told me that she doesn't want to have an affair with any girl. She wants to have a boyfriend someday and get married, and have kids.

The way she moves, walks, and the way she dresses up, no guy would dare to come near her. She acts like a tomboy, but she is a cool cousin to be with. She's hilarious! In the future I hope she can find a guy that will accept her as she is. It's not impossible if she's willing to search for the right guy.

My cousin abroad

Finally my cousin is already outside the country for his new job. First it was only a dream, then it happened. I'm happy for what he have accomplished this year. I wish nothing but the best for him. His job is not easy, but I know how brave my cousin is. He is a hardworking person with huge dreams. I am 100% sure he can keep up with his profession. It's going to be three years before I can see my cousin. Although he is just 2 hours away from us by airplane, but that ain't easy for us to meet him.

His new job is based in Taiwan for a three years contract. It's going to take a while before we can see him. He used to working further, like Manila, Cebu and Tacloban while his family lives in Eastern Samar. He barely came home when he was still working in the Philippines. What I mean to say is: He will be fine without seeing any of us. He might feel a little homesick, but I know that he can overcome that as he is used to living independent for many years now. Good luck to you my cousin!

Someone cares for me

My cousin in Samar just called me! I was surprised to get a call from her suddenly. I thought she had a very important matter to say to me. But, it turned out that she was only asking how I am. She said she misses me, she asked me when I'll be going back to Samar. I understand how she feels, as we spend most time together in the semester break. It's been two weeks now since I left Samar. I haven't been back since then.

I'm happy to know that there is a relative who is checking on me, in particular after an earthquake. I wish my mom would call me also sometimes. Honestly, I really do miss my mother. But, what can I do after she left us. I accepted that we can no longer go back as close to one another as we were before. But there is a side of me that hopes for her come back. Anyway I'm thankful that my dad, my bothers and all the people dear to me are not really that far from where I am living now. I can come home whenever I want to. That's the good thing!

Good Luck, Cousin!

I just found out that my cousin is leaving this July to work abroad. Since long time already, he's been telling us that he is interested in working abroad. He was never satisfied with his salary from his previous job here in Tacloban. Just last year he decided to move to Manila with his older sister. He tried different jobs there, but again his salary was always too little. So, he started applying for jobs abroad. First he applied for work in Korea. He even went to school so that he could learn the Korean language. But he didn't get the job, and he and his sister only wasted money on that language course. Next, he applied for a job in the Middle East, but that salary was also very litte. Finally, his last try was Taiwan, and he got accepted to work there. It's been months sinces he started processing all the papers needed. After all his efforts, he is finally leaving soon.

He called last night just to inform me about the good news. I am happy for my cousin, because he is like a big brother to me. I know him and all his sisters well, because I have been living with them for a long time now. My cousin said that soon, my auntie will stop her job. That's one of the reason why he wanted to work abroad, to provide the needs of his family. He asked whether I have a luggage bag since he needs to pack a bag for the travel. Of course I gave him mine, since I won't need it for a while. I hope his dream will come true. He will stay abroad on a 3 years contract, so it will be a long time until we see him again. Good luck, cousin!

Big fish for lunch

My brother just got home from fishing this morning. Luckily he caught a huge fish which will be our lunch. Actually, he caught 2 big fishes, but you can see in the picture only the larger one. My father cleaned and sliced the fish and I was watching him while doing that. I will help with the cooking.

I'm glad that we don't need to spend money for meat. I'm always proud of my brother, he is a good fisherman. He learned that job from early on since he was 15 years old. He is now 22 years old, that is 7 years fisherman already. Fish is our daily food, there are rarely days without seafood. My dad knows how to catch fishes as well, but he doesn't catch big fishes like my brother does. The fisherman job in the Philippines is different than in the USA or Europe, as we are not using big nets on big boats. Instead, people dive into the sea to catch fishes. My brother and my father go to different areas in the ocean. My brother always dives in deep water, but my dad can't dive anymore as deep as my brother. But that difference does not really matter as long as both get home safely and we always have some seafood to eat on the table.

Rest in Peace, my Cousin

It is a sad day. At 2pm yesterday, my cousin passed away. He is same age as me, and he was my batchmate in school. He is too young to die, yet it happened. He's been sick for more than a year already. He fought for his life very long, but his bravery has ended. I feel sad that he is now gone.

We used to be close friend in elementary and high school. We lost contact when I left the province. He went to college but did not finish it, then he went to Manila and found his love, and he made her his wife. It is sad for her, too.

Later, they came back to Samar and my cousin went back to college as a working student while his wife worked as well to meet financial needs. He was in 3rd year college when the family found out that he is sick. They brought him to different doctors, but all said the same thing: He has leukemia. Due to lack of money, they couldn't afford to sustain his medication. He became weaker day by day since the medication stopped. Yesterday, he lost his fight for life. We must accept that each life has its ending. We will all die afterall,

Outing at Bora

Four days ago, I atteneded a Bora outing. It happened to be my brother's birthday celebration, on May 10. But we celebrated his birthday 2 days before his actual birth date. I prepared simple food for him: Pancit Bihon, rice, and fried chicken. He wished to get spaghetti, but most of us don't eat spaghetti, so we stick to Pancit Bihon. It was my cousin who did all the cooking, since she is an experts with it.

Then we headed to Bora. Don't confuse this with the more famous place Boracay. In Samar, the place called Bora is not popular since it is a small rocky beach. But people who prefer less crowded places will appreciate the nature at Bora. Anyway we enjoyed our outing, we were all cousins. Two of my brothers didn't go with us. Since nobody tried to swim, after few hours we decided to come back home. It was a very simple, yet fun outing. I'm glad I was able to make my brother's birthday a little bit special. He was thankful and happy. And that is something I can be grateful of.

Reconciliation with my brother

Lol, I was sulky. I promised to myself not to talk to my brother for too long, because he pissed me off for some reason. But as a sister, I just cannot hold on to that. I and my brother fought to many times, but no matter how we hated each other during the fight, at the end of the day, we managed to settle things and go back to normal.

This time, the situation was different. Since we fought, we haven't talked to each other for days. It's funny. I saw him around and we were like strangers. My auntie knew we weren't in good terms, so she asked me stop the drama and start talking to my brother. I would have done that anyway eventually. So I approached him earlier this morning right after he arrived from work. I talked to him first, and he responded to me. It seems we are back to normal. We are both the same, we get angry for a short while, then later on we are no longer mad. We are both moody. I think I am worse than he is. LOL!

Holy Week

I'm glad that I'm back in my hometown. I don't think there will be any transport available tomorrow. Everyone will rest tomorrow, so if you want to be with your family, today is the best day to come home. Starting tomorrow transportation is off, I think this is until Sunday, but you can always travel if you have your own vehicle. If you have none and rely on bus and van, then travel today.

This coming Saturday and Sunday are the times where you can go for an outing with friends and family. I chose Sunday, and it is finally happening. I already reserved a cottage for that occasion. We will bring simple food to the beach. I think I'll let my cousin cook Pancit Bihon and fried chicken. The rest I don't know, I am also planning to make a desert, but I haven't decided which one. My cousing is going to do all the cooking, while I am the one to buy all that's needed for.