Last night I went on-field for some last-minute Christmas feature stories.
Two stories - that was our goal, Kara and I, in the cold night, almost descriptively huddled in the crew vehicle, applying make-up, wondering about Christmas and the apparent dulling of the lights in shapes of bells, angels, santa clausES, reindeers...

First stop.
Castle Peak Hotel. Noemi has to interview a Cebuano medalist in an Asian sports competition.
Ate watermelon, quail eggs, siomai, more quail eggs, buko salad at the party for the athlete.

Next stop.
San Vicente Sotto Hospital. I heard Triplets, might be for the news.
Talked.
Waited.
Talked.
Writing for the paper. Where will we be after graduation? The anchors - our friends. A little bit on relationships and the standards we have.
Talked.
Kara and I.
Cold.
First hour.
I had to go to the toilet. Passed by miserable patients in miserable beds with miserable blood and, was that yellow liquid? We kept our heads down. I kept my memory 'down.' Extremely emotional in hospitals and the memory of 6-year-old Gerome.
Second hour.
Still no sign of sleepy cameraman and pink-dressed reporter.

We had to go back to the station and just laugh over the joyride :).
Can't blame anyone.
That's work. What can you do. I was happy I brought Janet Fitch's WHITE OLEANDER with me. Astrid keeping me company while I sit with the night's unpredictability.

Arrived home at about 1A.M. Finished the book and got a bit disappointed with the way Astrid ended less of the red-orange-violet-black canvass that she was. Can't blame her though. That's her.

Morning.
Villa : Ate Veeralee, nanglakaw gud mi gabii. Kami tanan.
Half-awake Me : Asa man?
Villa : Sa fuente. Si Vincent ra ug Joseph ang nagpabilin sa balay. Picture-picture mi.
Me : Kutob unsa mong orasa?
Villa : Alas onse. Lingawa lagi.
ME@&#( @$@@$%^& : (thinking) I COULD HAVE WALKED FROM THE HOSPITAL TO THE PARK WITH THE GIGANTIC CHRISTMAS TREE AND PAROLS, AND LAUGHTER, AND PEANUTS, AND THE CLICK OF CAMERA ON SMILES, AND BENCHES.

I may be as alien and oddly familiar to my family as snow is to Philippine Christmas, but my family IS and WILL always be my mother anchor.
Another photo album without me in it.
Another bit of me that got lost.




I HATE THIS POST.