hello, page

has it been weeks? days? all I know is there was a moment when all I did was read and scroll web pages the past week. I couldn't seem to blog. there was will but the path to actually proliferate the screen with words has been obfuscated by soothing little girl's cries and wails. like right now, I have to change baby clothes and let her nap or she'll scream 'till kingdom come.

brb.

an hour and a half

I've been hibernating for more than an hour in a quiet, serene corner. Little girl is asleep in the cot next to me. I'm tired but slowly recharging my energy to tackle a few more kitchen work. I should be finishing the baby's photo book. I still need a few more pictures to upload from hub's phone for its completion.

This week I've been percolating about the culture divide, why it's so difficult for some people to practice courtesy, politeness, a little bit of manners. I throw a strop more often than I would like but I'm prudent enough to adhere to my mom's words in perpetuity. Smile. Be friendly.

It's hard for some, behaving with complete and utter snobbery towards those not in their peer group, as if they're Royalty and we have to bow and curtsey. Is it pride? Vengeance for sins of centuries past or the simmering tension of integration? They were raised in a loud, chaotic abode? Their school system was all about the noise? I don't know, a simple smile would do.

In social media, we have to be vague or we could hurt ardent allies, real or imaginary. But we observe, we take down notes and proceed with caution. In the daily briefings, we know whom to like, that's a more basic instinct.

snow, snooze

the courtyard directly facing our apartment block looks anorexic, just reacting to the snowstorm, blizzard or the droplets of snow-rain that proliferate the entire year or was that yesterday? it was snowing in London in April. i need more jackets. i need to send my main cold-weather textile to the dry cleaners. but i can't, since it's still winter in April.

the cold weather is conducive to sleep, which i hardly do because my routine is compartmentalised. thus there's a debate within my circadian rhythm.

there's a task every minute. i can't do them all. like right now, the baby needs feeding. gtg.

watch and weep?

i cried, or was about to cry. not because it was gripping. no, it's just so bad. i had to look at the thesaurus for the different meanings of horrible, awful, ghastly. the premise might have been hilarious. but the subject of dire financial straits is not funny. never.

chums, be not

it's supposed to be my downtime, the break from a day of cooing and baby talk but sweet little girl decided to wake up to keep me company and such.

I'm waiting for answers to my emails, hoover the particles, clean the high chair, read more about the Kris saga (quitting showbiz?), the state of world economy or technical, scientific matters. I heard from one PhD candidate in last week's lecture ( I was yawning so loud, the lecturer told me off ), "as N's we don't read much." yeah, but we're a tad curious, that's all the time curious about the ephemeral activities of our dearest acquaintances.

forget reading, per se. most people I know don't really care about the written word be it balarila, spelling, newspapers, etc. the spoken word is more thrilling, the comparisons of lives asunder. you're dropped from circles due to inability to watch TFC. but there are also others who will seek your counsel. when I was with ate Lu two weeks ago, her phone won't stop ringing with friends asking her to go shopping or roam around the city. mine doesn't ring as much. should it pierce my hypothalamus sharply? should I burst into tears?

a rare piece of gem

march has been very busy. maybe i move annoyingly like a snail or as dear old nambiar used to say in the old days, "you move so slow." was she referring to all my countrymen colleagues or just me? who knows, but we're the newest tiger in the world and you can criticise and criticise at your peril but we have the grand work ethic plus pleasing-to-the-eyes penmanship.

but as i was digressing, the main topic would be baby girl's milestones, she got christened on the tenth and turned eight months on the 13th. it took a while for the former, finding a church and venue. i still see church as a social platform, whether in catholic, baptist, evangelical terms, whatever form of Christianity. but the hubby has his views. i will discuss those very opinions further next time (or not, depends on the available moments) but the gist is, people should be kind and helpful (and stop hurtful, idle gossips as shown on Brocka's Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang).

speaking of social platforms, almost nobody i invited really came to my rescue on the 10th, not that i invited a village, just the minimum that would fit in the abode. but only my oldest, dearest friend Honey offered to help out (despite her cousin's second son first birthday on the very day, so she had to rush) with her hubby and my godson, giving me and the family a lift and helping change baby girl. whilst i just pulled ate Luisa (very kind lady) from the tube station. she accompanied me to get the cake amid the brutal chilly and windy climate. the hubby is asking if i deliberately set out to befriend mean people. he had four reliable Spurs cohorts to his side in addition to his mom and colleague while i had nobody after three pm. my answer is beyond me, maybe i'm not that important and those who can provide copious amounts of karaoke magical time are the more relevant entities in their circles.

i was working the two nights before the event, my spirit was deflated and although the vermicelli was gorgeous, the mother in law wants "food." what do the English eat in their parties? let's scrutinise; sandwiches, then a few more sandwiches, or crisps and more crisps or other mild next to nothings like mashed potatoes with vegetable and meat on the side? i should look at the mildly flavoured menu at work.

gatherings are all about the common denominator. we gravitate towards like-minded persons. with my baby shower for instance, i invited people from work as they know each other, i saw Honey the day after at Waterloo. i've also been in a confined-spaced party, knowing no one but the hosts, and felt such a saling-pusa. i observed and blogged about it. being with people is all about the learning experience. the Pinoys love their food, the English enjoy their drinks. if a highly-conservative churchgoer, purveyor of chika, sees someone with alcohol in hand, she prays for eternal damnation.

'twas fun!

I enjoyed the Oscars ceremony. The host was a brilliant choice. It's merely due to Family Guy as our default midnight viewing for years and years. I know some people find Seth offensive. But kernels of truth are, in other ways or forms, sting. Yes, we saw your boobs.

Hurray for a Daniel Day Lewis win! He has done well with a handful of movies and lives his life so out of the tabloids (in picturesque rural idyllic in my mind), it's so refreshing. Talent is not merely as deep as the lacking in melanin epidermis.

I might actually watch all of the nominated feature pictures, except for Silver Linings Playbook (might find it depressing) and I'll catch Les Mis in the West End (childcare and all), somehow.