Reality Bites

This is not about that 1990’s classic film. I love that movie though and I’m glad Winona Ryder’s back on track with Stranger Things–which I absolutely love too. Anyway…

So life caught up with me and I have to juggle my attention between work, family and responsibilities. My last post was…last year! I didn’t even do a 2016 Wrap Up post which I intended to do towards the end of 2016. I know I don’t have a fan base of readers but some people came up to me telling how they enjoyed reading my posts. Very encouraging. So here I am, my first post for 2017.

2016: Wrap Up

Last year went by in a blur and a lot of changes happened: My boss (the guy who hired me) left the company, Jason and I moved to a new apartment and money was a little tight–an effect caused by Malaysian Ringgit dropping against US Dollars. I moved offices–from a brightly lit open space, we moved to a higher floor with black metal fence space dividers. At first our reactions were like “What the hell?!”–the office look like an amateur MMA fighter ring. As days go by, it grows on you and you realize it’s kinda cool–industrialized, utilitarian chic. I got a new boss–he’s cool. How did I know he’s cooler than my old boss? He stayed till late during our office Christmas get together and drank with the rest of us alcoholics. It was bad ass–I’m not sure it’s ok to drink alcohol inside our office. I guess the most interesting thing that happened last year was when my 5 year old put a small battery up his nostrils. It was both terrifying and hilarious at the same time. All in all it was a good year. The family is healthy and we got by just fine.

My MMA-inspired office space.

New apartment, new space.

2017: First Quarter Storm

We started off this year on a good note. We came back to work refreshed and revived from the time spent with our family and friends back home. We even have plans of taking the kids out overseas. Well you know what they say about best laid plans–they go awry. So Jason has to move back Singapore leaving our family of five spread across 3 countries. Talk about LDR, right? So after packing up things at the end of 2016 and unpacking them in a new apartment, we have to start packing again–this time dividing things to “bring to Singapore” and “leave in Malaysia”.

Jason had to be in Singapore by February so you can just imagine our rush in packing and securing accommodations in Singapore. We realize that our expenses might go up–and go up it did. But you know, God is good. He sends help when you’re drowning so your head can stay afloat. We were able to find a reasonable room for rent. It’s a little far out from the city but the distance to Jason’s office is just nice that it doesn’t take more than an hour’s commute.

First few days was tough especially if you’re not used to being totally alone on a regular basis in another country. Malaysia is generally peaceful nation. The country is made up of people coming from different race and belief but they all live harmoniously. If there were any discrimination, it wasn’t something people talk about in the open. Being alone here, I got to be more observant and aware of my surroundings. Being a female, even more so. I had to start commuting to and from work. My current best friend is Grab. I had to prepare meals for myself–I realized I used up too many utensils and kitchenware when I cook so even if I’m cooking just for myself, I end up washing utensils, cookware and dishes equivalent to 2 persons dining. Recently, I just buy cooked meals.

So yeah, change is not all that bad. 2017 started off with storm and a little uncertainty but what’s good about storms is the aftermath. Sure, there’s destruction and a loss but it also gives you opportunity to rebuild and re-set your goals. And this year, that’s what 2017 is going to be all about.

The Closet Writer

I started writing when I was in high school. I would keep journals and notebooks filled with poetry. I would secretly enjoy writing exercises in school such as essays, book reports and even writing my own autobiography. I actually enjoyed writing my 4^th year thesis though I will never admit it at the time I was writing it.

I’m not “constantly” writing. Life caught up with me and I was forced to leave my old room—my writing haven—and out into the real world. I would spent more time on work and friends and less time on the things I normally enjoy doing: writing, drawing and reading. I would, however, resort to writing for a time. I wrote quite a lot on relationships and finding love again after a very bad breakup. It was a nice piece. Too bad it was posted on Friendster Blogs and I wasn’t able to back it up before they revamped the site. I found another boy to spend time with and again, writing was forgotten. Then I got pregnant and got married. During prenatal months, I would have all the time to myself with nothing to do. What better way to spend idle hours than by writing. I wrote on anything from the pregnancy and marriage to taking care of my first child. See Typical Pinay for my previous blog.

Now I’m more of a sporadic writer—sudden burst of words and phrases every now and then. Plus, I’m with someone else now.

From time to time, I will have these ideas for a short story. I will play the entire story in my head while showering, riding a bus or drinking coffee staring out into the window. I will have the opening scenes slowly climb to a climax and gradually descend to a beautiful ending. There are times when I will actually think of an epilogue or prologue just so I can have outtakes from the main storyline. But I will never get down to actually writing them down and immortalizing them into black and white.

I will have all these plans of returning to the things I love like writing, drawing and reading. But life would, yet again, suck me back into the nuances of daily living. So I stopped planning altogether. Planning for my side projects that is. Mothers never stop planning, be it career, home or the kids’ future.

But I’m writing now, am I?