Kippy Cat Travels

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I am right now in Narita airport en route to San Francisco and I might as well entertain myself before boarding time. It’s been years since I’ve visited the states not since the year before my son died in 2000. As my son and I sat on the airplane seat on board our flight to Cebu a few days before his death, he begged me to take him to the states the following summer. I hugged my precious boy and promised him I’d take him along because the previous years were spent with the girls choir tour in the US and Canada. It was his turn to be with me.

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UP Centennial Book: Iskolar ng Bayan Gives Back, the Enterprising Way

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imom, Dine, me and Annamanila

I am truly blessed to be part of the yearlong celebration of the University of the Philippines (UP) Centennial through a book launch, Iskolar ng Bayan Gives Back, the Enterprising Way. The book of which I am one of the writers, features 25 UP alumni who have made—and continue to make—their mark in business here and in foreign lands, living up to the UP tradition of excellence and nationhood. The project was initiated by the University of the Philippines Small Scale Industries (UP-ISSI) and the Small Enterprise Research and Development Foundation (SERDEF) where I worked for 7 years before I retired in 1987 upon giving birth to my second daughter.

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Groovy Mama Sez Hai

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Let me explain.


It started when I exclaimed “That’s awesome!” to a plurk. Was it Baddie or Pau who noticed that I said that? I forgot who, but Helga begged that I utter LOLcat words. Lauren seemed visibly “annoyed” that her friends were encouraging me to LOLcat speak. If you don’t know yet, LOLCat is an image combining a photograph, most frequently a cat, with a humorous and idiosyncratic caption in (often) broken English—a dialect which is known as “lolspeak”, or “Kitteh!”. The truth is I find LOLcat so funny. I love our cats and I sort of speak LOLcat to these furry creatures. I know my limits. I will sound ridiculous at my age to utter LOLCat words.

Many years ago, I believed it would have been far out . Can you dig it?

Being a seventies child, I often heard the word “generation gap” from my high school classmates. It occurred to me that one day I’d be a mother.

I’m not going to be that kind of mother.

I’d “betcha by golly wow” will strive to bridge that generation gap. I was gonna be in the groove of things. I twirled and peered into the mirror as I admired my long, waist-length hair, Hot Pants and neon orange top.

Yup, I will be a groovy mom. I will be their mother and maybe their best friend.

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My Pilipinas

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Happy Independence Day! So how does one celebrate Independence day when we already took a vacation last weekend? It wasn’t much of a vacation to me because like I wrote yesterday, I was burdened with electrical woes over at my home.

How else does one celebrate it? Wave the Philippine flag? My thoughts on Independence day was focused on a very shallow reason: fashion. Yes I know. Shallow, right? But I bet some of you might be sick and tired of reading “Are we really Free?” So just bear me out on this.

collezione c2

So what do you think? Nationalism is hip, wearable and understandable concept for today’s youth.

At the launch of the Collezione C2, My Pilipinas Series, the concept of Nationalism being hip just won me over. Really, my thoughts were like “Is Nationalism outdated or only heroes can show what it’s like to be patriotic?” I liked the idea that art and fashion are ways by which we can make the Nationalist story more real and accessible to the new generation. I had a feeling that my 2 girls would love My Pilipinas designs. But I wasn’t sure if they’d like Collezione. Before I went to the launch, one of my daughters perceived Collezione as a low-end brand.

Oooh, I corrected them. You know, your dad and I wore Collezione in college. That’s how old it is. During my teenage days, imported clothes was a luxury. I remember the Bang-bang pants from Hongkong costing 500 pesos which is an enormous amount in the seventies considering starting salary then was 500 pesos. Ugh did I spend that much in clothes back then? For us, Collezione was quite affordable. That cutesy little key icon on the shirt is unforgettable.

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Kippy Cat, A Mother’s Day Gift

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AJ often takes a photo of his mascot, Ernie whenever we are in new media events. Ernie even has his own travel blog (which at this time is on temporary hiatus due to technical issues) since he tagged along with AJ in all his adventures in and around the country. Looking at AJ with Ernie, an inspiration hit me. Why not have a mascot myself?

See, I often take photos of people, places and events but I rarely get the chance to be in the photo. The mascot takes my place. Now what mascot?

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Filipina Bloggers in Their Wedding Gowns

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Love is in the air these days. What better way to feature love than through the eyes of a bride in her dream wedding gown. Every wedding gown has its own story to tell. If it could speak, it would be the guardian of memories for the night. It isn’t just proof of one’s most beautiful state; it is witness to the gamut of our emotions, from the moment it is put on to the time it is returned to the box. Instead of featuring socialites in their fancy wear, why not feature our lovely Filipina bloggers? Guess who is who in these photos!

mimi-bday-party-010.JPGmyrnas_wedding_gown1.jpgcookie_wedding_gown.jpg

gail-wedding_gown.jpgdine_wedding_day.jpgwedding_gown.jpgmec_wedding_gown_1.jpg

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Happy Slip Peelings Video and My Dad

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The other night, my husband and I slept at 2:00 AM because we enjoyed watching Happy Slip’s YouTube videos. You know, we needed our endorphin fix. The Peelings video hits close to my heart for many reasons because of my dad. The quirky characters played by Happy Slip as the “aunt” and “mom” display so many similarities to my dad’s Filipino personality. Is it old-school now?

(gasp), I see myself in them too.

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Love Struck Writing Contest

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THE WINNERS

Top 3 Winners

1. Mnel- First Kiss

Lauren says This story is captivating because it focuses on just one aspect of the love story – the first kiss. Other events and details were written in such a way as to emphasize the magic of that moment.

2. Lady Cess- The Promise of a Fairy Godmother

Lauren says that Her love story has a great hook and an interesting twist. I love how the ending leaves a lot to the imagination.

3. KingDaddyRich- Siya

Lauren says It was a bit of a struggle to read his entry because it’s written in Tagalog, but I love how he made poetic use of the language to create imagery that stays.

Runners-up

1. Kongkong – The End of Friendship

2. Fitz- A Valentine’s Date to Remember

3. Mr. Z- Strange Times My Dear

As a couple, Butch and I celebrate three anniversaries: the day we met, the day we became steadies and the day we got married. See, that’s how big I am with celebrations and anniversary dates. Celebration is a high form of praise of gratitude. To celebrate is to delight in the gift, to show gratitude. And that’s what I intend to do today. Celebrate the day that Butch and I first met each other 30 years ago.

diary.jpgI sifted through the yellowed pages of my diary to that day when I first met my ex-boyfriend at the UP Campus Shopping Center. I laughed at my entry because apparently, I was in love with another guy that day I met Butch. I simply forgot about it and it explains why I did not fall for Butch right away.

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