My Little Girl Turned 19!

Time flies really fast.

It was like only last year when I brought her in this world thru my belly, hehehe, I mean, thru Caesarian Section. She got many firsts and "onlies". She is my first child. She is my parents’ first grandkid. She is my parents-in-law’s first legitimate grand daughter. She is her biological father’s only legitimate daughter. She got an older half sister and got 2 younger half sisters. She is Jun's only ligitimate sister. And she is her daddy’s first and only daughter.

It was like only last month when I sent her and her brother to school every weekday morning. Gone were the days when I took them across the highway to wait for a tricycle to get a ride. Gone were the days when I competed with other parents during the entrance tests for SPED Class during her elementary years. Gone were the days when I went to school sometimes to bring her food for lunch and literally feed her . She was and until now a slow eater.

It was like only last week when she went to high school. She belonged to a Special Science Class section. One thing that I couldn’t forget during her high school days is when she shared about the “cheating scandal” inside their classroom during Periodical Exams in Filipino Subject. It was the first time that she shared something that kind of “bad’ and I really sensed that she was really affected about it. I thought she was really involved in the truest sense of the word but I was happy that she was able to get herself out of the trouble. She said she felt guilty so she didn’t continue to cheat even if 98% of her classmates was doing the same. And she was able to justify it to her teacher and her teacher believed her, I guess, based on her score. I was too proud of her for doing it. She’s my girl!

It was like only the other day when she went to college in Bohol. She played basketball during the school’s Foundation Day and she was proud to tell me that she was able to get scores. During the Sinulog Festival in Cebu, she asked permission to go there. Of course I said NO for safety reason. I guess she hated me that time. I knew it. But my decision was final. When I say NO, that means NEVER. And she knew that.

It was like only yesterday when we celebrated her 18th birthday together with her high school friends and classmates in the Philippines. I wanted to hold a debut party for her because I believed that it is usually every girl’s dream but she declined. She just wanted a simple celebration. I guess she just didn’t want to wear gown, that’s all. She invited all her classmates and friends and we held it in the neighboring resort. There were many guests came and that made her special day, indeed, very special.

On her 19th birthday, it was a real different from last year‘s celebration. Daddy just bought a triple chocolate mousse birthday cake. Nathalie and Jaka came over. She got a cp with walkman, Twilight DVD and a box of Hot Cars. We watched WATCHMEN movie together as mom and daughter bonding. And it was a funny experience because when we got inside the movie house, there were only 3 people in there. And the movie took so long, like 2 and a half hours but there were only seven of us all in all. When we left the movie house, I was laughing out loud! I remember hubby shared his experience in that movie house. He said that he was alone. As in alone. No one was there except him. He said its okey if they wont play it for him but the movie house staff was persistent, they said they will play it for him because he paid for it. Geez!

Anyway, inside the movie house, there was a daring scene and as usual, I told Jen to close her eyes, and I even blocked her sight with my right hand. She said, “I am not a girl anymore Ma”. Hahaha! I forgot that she is already more than 18! But I still want her to be my little girl!

When we got home, hubby told something to Jen but I didn’t really hear the detail but I heard her said “ I am already 19 years old dad, and I can marry without your permission” then she hugged him and grinned. Her dad just reacted funny. Waaah! I am already an old gal!

My Hotel Job

I have two major functions in this job: Front Desk Clerk and Hotel Desk Auditor. Front Desk Clerk is kinda interesting. I got to meet different kinds of people every night. Some are naughty some are nice .

As front desk clerk, I will check-in and check-out guests, answers phone calls for reservation or forward calls to different department of the hotel or it might be a complaint call from the guests. I also coordinate with the Housekeeping and Maintenance for the guest's needs and complaints. When I answer the phone, I would listen very carefully to the other end of the line to understand what the other person is saying. It sooo hard to understand the words. Sometimes I would wish that I could expand my ears like the elephant's just for me to catch up every single word that the other line is spoken. Imagine, I have to listen the words and interpret them in my own language then think of english words to respond. Whew!

I have this experience about this Russian guy who checked-in very late. He got a reservation though. When I ask him his last name, I couldn't find his name in the arrival list. The reason was, the front desk who reserved him had mis-spelled his last name. He showed me a sour face. He maybe thought that I murdered his last name, hehehe! He wrote his unique last name in a piece of paper for me to correct it. As I browsed his profile, he wanted a 2-bed non-smoking room for 2 nights, then I asked him, "how are you gonna pay for this Sir?" I could sense that he started to really get mad. He said, "I already gave my Credit Card number when I had my reservation!" I replied " Well, there is no Credit Card numbers here in the file, it says here GTDC, meaning Guaranteed Credit Card, and I need to swipe the card anyway before I will check you in." He gave his Credit Card with a bad stare at me. We had hotel rooms that under renovation and we don't have available rooms inside the hotel premises but we have another building across the parking area of the hotel and I ask him if its okey with him. I know it would not be okey with him. We only had two available two beds non-smoking room for the night. He said he doesnt care if it is a smoking room as long as it is located within the main building. But when I checked the computer, no available for a smoking room as well. I told him about it, then this time, he crumpled the registration card that I gave him for his signature. He was sooo mad. "You cannot do this to me! I will tell the hotel owner about this matter! It's 3:00 o'clock in the morning and you want me to go out! I am not staying in this hotel" Actually, he was exaggerating because it was only 1:29 in the morning. But It was snowing that time. And he had two big luggages. Then I replied, "I am sorry about the inconvenience Sir but I will call the Manager on Duty to help you carry your luggage if you want". During graveyard shift, the MOD will help the desk if needed. He just stared at me sharply and I feel like he wanted to eat me alive. And I asked him, "Are you gonna stay here Sir or you want to look for another hotel?" You are making me crazy and I dont know what I am gonna do now!" Whoa, my patience started to get loose and I was staring at him at the same time . After I said it, he answered that he will stay for the night but he would look for another hotel the next morning. When I looked at him, I thought he is the ugliest man I have ever encountered in the hotel. I said, "okey I will change the number of days that you stay and I will tell the hotel owner tommorow about what happened." Every single night, I would say, "Enjoy your stay Sir or Maam and have a good night!" but I didn't give a care to that man when he left. Afterwards, he called me up for a wake-up call. The next morning, he came to the desk with a smile on his face and he ask me which way going to the Restaurant, I gestured the way but I didn't smile back. When I went back to work that night, his name was still in the In-house guest list, meaning, he didn't move to the other hotel. When he checked-out early the next morning, he asked me "Did you still remember me?" And I smiled with a sarcastic reply, "of course Sir! My meeting with you is unforgettable!". Hehehehe! Well, when he left, I told him, "Have a good day and drive safely!". I always say these words to all people who check-out every single morning. When I looked at him, well, I realized that he is not that ugly as I thought the first night I encountered with him, ahahaha! maybe he was just tired that time which made him grumpy and irritable.

Every night I always expect calls from the guests for wake up calls or weird calls. We have switch board system to program wake up calls. One night, I got a call from a lady guest, "Hello, please send someone to help me find my dog, I went to the lounge for a drink and when I returned to my room, my dog is missing. He is my baby!" Here is another one, "I want a companion, can you send me prostitute in my room? or "Do you have connection with the brothels here? I want someone with me tonight" or "Do you have prostitutes here"? The first time I heard it, I was kinda shocked but later on I get used to such call. I would just answer "I am sorry Sir but we do not offer prostitutes here".

Last December I got this call, "Hello, where can I buy real Christmas Tree here? I am heading to Salt Lake City and I do not know any store here". I didn't know that there is so called "real" Christmas Tree here but when I asked the former auditor who trained me, she said there is. I found out later that there is indeed a real one. A real pine tree. You put it in a huge pot with soil and you have to put water everyday to keep it alive.

Here is another one, "Hello, how much is the room rate for tonight"? After I answered him, he asked again "can you describe the room for me"? And then my mind would be wandering to think the adjectives that best describe the rooms before I gave my answer. Whew!

Here is another one, "May I know the road conditions going to Reno?" When it is snowing, the travelers would make sure that the road condition is passable. Or this, "How many miles from here to Las Vegas? or to Idaho? or to Bakersfield, California?

Another situation, "Will you please call me a cab?" or, "I need shuttle at 7:00am, will you please contact your shuttle driver and call me back if I would get it or not".

Here is more, "Hi, could you please page this person? I think he is in the Casino right now". I would put the caller on hold then page the person but I expect that no one will come to the front desk though. That happens all the time. Maybe the caller is the wife looking for her husband :).

One morning, a lady came to the front desk and looked so sad and she looked like she is in grief. She wanted to extend her stay for one night. I asked her, "Are you okey Ma'am?' She answered, "No, not really.. My dog died last night and I feel so alone and lonely without him". I thought she neeeded comfort but I dont know how. I told her, "I am sorry to hear that Maam" and I looked at her with a sad face. She smiled sadly and said "thank you". I just hoped she was feeling better after she heard my "condolences".

Many times, someone will come to the front desk and say "There is a car that has lights turn on, kindly page the owner of that person., it might drain the battery." So I would call the MOD to check the said car, what type of car, state plate number, etc. then I will page the owner describing the vehicle.

There was one time that a car's alarm was bleeping continuously that everyone is annoyed and disturbed in the middle of the night and we couldn't contact the owner. We call the Police Dispatch for him to check the car and to know the name of the owner and in a few minutes he came and then it turned out that the owner of the car is not in the casino but in one of the hotel rooms sleeping. Even if the car is coming from other State, the Police has an access to get the owner's name in a few minutes only. High Tech, as we say. I really salute the Police here because they will come as soon as they could after you call.

I started to like this job although I have a problem dealing with the Housekeeping staff because all of them are Mexicans. They only have few English words and if you talk to them you should have the ability to understand their gestures and what they want from you. Every morning a housekeeping staff will come to the desk to get the number of rooms to be cleaned for the day, for the check-outs and stay-overs and to get the Laundry and lobby keys. For example the numbers of rooms rented last night is 65, I will tell them "Saysientay-singko" for them to understand me. He or She will have a big smile on his/her face. Communication with them is really an issue but I like them all because they are hardworking people like us, Filipinos.

Well, until here only. I don't want you to get bored reading this novel-like post.

Talk to you later.

God bless Us All!

My Worries

I am waiting for my sister right now to come online so I browse my friendster account to check my blog and I feel like typing for a new post.

My son Jun just drove me to a nearby shop earlier. He already had DMV Driver License last Tuesday. He took the Driving Test once and he passed it right away. I feel so envy that my children had already their driver license. They would come back to the Philippines sooner and I dont know what I am gonna do without them if hubby is at work.

Who would take me to work and who would pick me up from work?

I've got an Instruction Permit and I already know how to drive but I just don't have the nerve to take the Driving test. Just having thoughts to have someone from DMV Office behind me giving intructions and taking down notes while I am driving makes me really feel nervous. No, I am not ready yet. I am sure of that.

Last month when my kids and hubby went to the Immigration Office in Reno for Biometrics, I called Nathalie early in the morning if she could pick me up since we help each other and she gladly said yes. It was snowing that time. I felt embarrassed afterwards when Randy came with her. I didn't know that he would also come , I should have called a cab instead. And I promised I would never call Nath anymore should I need help hehehe!

On the other hand, that time, my son and hubby called once in awhile to know if I made it home safe and sound. They were too worried of me.

When it comes to driving, I admit I am recreant.

I have lots of issues and concerns when my kids are gone but this time, I am more concerned on my ride to and from my work :).

Just my little worries.

Goodbye Felimon “Jun-jun” R. Aniñon, Jr.

This post is dedicated to Jun-jun Aniñon who just passed away last Friday, March 13, in the year of our Lord .

He was a childhood friend.

He was one of the sons of my late father’s bosom buddy. When my father was the Barangay Captain, Jun-jun’s daddy, the late Felimon, Sr. was then the Barangay Treasurer. I didn’t live with my parents when I was a girl but during school break, I always got a vacation to be with them and spent summer in San Isidro. I had attended “Flores de Mayo” classes held at the chapel which was walking distance from the house. Jun-jun was one of those “pupils“. That was how I met him. He was a year older than I. He was one of the “makulit” boys, bubbly, energetic, a teaser but he was definitely the smartest. Well, he always got a perfect score during quizzes. And I really admired him for that. He became my favorite classmate. And as far as I could remember, he only attended that Flores de Mayo classes two summers. He lived in the neighboring Purok but most of the times he would show up with some of his friends while I was washing clothes at the back of our house and have chitchat with them.

He was a classmate.

We hadn’t seen each other for awhile. The next time I met him was inside a classroom. I didn’t expect him to be my classmate in the sense that he is a year older than me. But sad to say, we were kind of like we didn’t know each other, shucks! Don’t know why. Maybe he felt shy or maybe I was. He got another circle of friends and I got mine too. But since we both belonged to a block section or what we called an “Experimental Class”, we were classmates for 4 long years and we were close with everyone. He was the class Mathematician. I wished I had his brains. He is so good in playing with numbers. And aside from that he is also good in History, in fact, he was one of Ma’am Nobleza’s favorite in the latter’s Araling Panlipunan subject.

After we graduated from high school, we had our own separate lives but we always had a communication with each other, I mean, the whole class. And we always found time to gather at least once a year. As usual, he was the same guy I met during my childhood days. When he got married, I thought he would not attend our batch gathering anymore because he was kinda focused on his family. I even thought that he was a member of “Takosa” because when I chanced upon him in the Mercury Drugstore, he was with his wife, while we were talking, he looked so serious and behaved, not the typical Jun-jun that I knew. I updated him about everyone and I told him that Vanessa and I and the rest of the classmates are planning to have “bonggacious” party of which ladies should wear gowns and gentlemen should wear formal outfit like Barong Tagalog and that we are going to invite the mentors with matching formal programs and speeches and so on and so forth. His reaction was “Pwede dili na lang ta magsuot ug formal attire para makagara-gara ta ba, dili man bagay gud kung mag-gara2x unya nakasuot ug Barong Tagalog, hehehe!”. Ngeeeh! But that plan was never realized because eventually we ended up joining with the other batches during the Alumni Homecoming which was held in the school‘s covered court. That was two years ago.

Before I moved here in the United States last April, less than a year ago, exactly 2 days before my flight, I got to see my classmates and schoolmates during the School Alumni Homecoming. Jun-jun was there. He was still the ever bubbly and the ever teaser guy in our table. And who would know that I would not be seeing him again. Soooo sad.

My heartfelt condolence and prayers to his family.

Goodbye Jun-jun. May you rest in peace!

Life is indeed too short.

Let us live life to the fullest!

February happenings

Gosh, February just passed by and I haven't even noticed it!

And for the past two months I only had one blog posted each! I blamed it to my night time job. Imagine, before I got this job, I had posted more than five blogs a month but now I couldn't even post two! Grrrrr! I just hope to make it up this month.

Anyways, February is already a history. But right now, as I am trying to reminisce what was life has been that month, I remember few things.

My family and I together with my friend Nathalie and her family went to the fabulous Las Vegas. We went to the famous Filipino store called "The Seafood City". There were sooo many Filipinos there and Nath and I got to chit-chat with some of them while shopping.

Although we were not able to roam around town especially in "The Strip", at least we were able to witness the gig of my stepson which was held in one of the fancy hotels in town. When I was still back home, hubby sent me link of videos in you tube every time my stepson has gigs. I never thought that I would get to see him as a lead guitarist with wig and make-up. Of course, I met him already in person as a stepson, a new friend and a pilot but I couldn't believed that I was there as one of the crowd. When he came to our table, he asked me "Are you having fun?" and I answered "Yes, but you are so ugly when you wear make-up" with matching grin. We had few pics together with him and nath and his daddy. He introduced me and his dad to the vocalist and the latter frowned when he addressed me as "My mom". And I heard the guy said afterwards "Really???" Whatever, hehehe!

My hubby and I are proud of him. Here is the link if you want to watch : http://www.unskinnybop.com/

Valentine's Day: It happened that it was my day off so we went to Reno and spent the night in "The CircusCircus Hotel". The kids enjoyed the games and the circus show itself. Hubby gave me a heart-shaped box full of chocolates, a huge card with the message "To the Wonderful Woman I Married" and a bouquet of red roses. That made my day then.

Aside from the wonderful things that happened above, the rest I mostly spent in bed during day time trying to get sleep. There were times that I wanted to scream and cry because I couldn't get myself to sleep even I took sleeping pills. And there was one time that I took pills more than prescribed, I felt like I was floating in the air. My mind wanted to wake up but my body didn't cooperate. I was like a zombie walking while trying to open my eyes. And I promised since then that I wouldnt take sleepings pills anymore. Lesson learned.

Hmmm... I am thinking right now what else that I have been into...

Thanks for dropping by at my page. Keep going!