TRAFFIC

What's new? While waiting for the washing machine to finish, just want to inform you that we've been linked by BLOGGER BUZZ with our post on GOOGLE GADGETS. Its been drawing traffic for weeks now. Okay, have to hang the clothes and off to bed after... ciao!

LACE: 13 YEARS AND COUNTING

Who says only women can be this sentimental? REAL men do too! Here's a video my husband made last year and had posted it on his blog's sidebar. He may not believe me, but million words unspoken had all been said, merely with the effort of making this montage. I love him more as we count the years of growing together. Happy 13th Year Anniversary my Rascal!

'DOPO UN ANNO'

'Dopo un anno' means "after a year" and it had been so since I last wrote this (please click) "I should-have"...

Two days before it marked the first year of his death, I dreamt that Diego was all dressed and waiting for his ride. He was holding two pots of Basil plants. He gave one to me and then the bus came. He got in... waved before the door closed. The bus started to leave and Diego continued waving from the window as he held the other pot of Basil.

My dream may be what my subconscious wanted to happen, that Diego left for a better place with the comfort of what he loves, as reflected by the 'Basilico', the main ingredient of his favorite Pesto-Genovese. A classic sauce for pasta that originated from the town of Genoa Italy. Diego used to tell me that when you grind the basil leaves, parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, pepper and pine nuts, don't add the salt yet because it will corrode the mixture if you will not consume it immediately. He said that the secret of a perfect Pesto is adding less garlic as it dominates the basil's gusto.

When my late employer was admitted to the hospital for high blood pressure, I lent him Tim Russert's book - Wisdom Of Our Fathers . Its a book of compiled letters from daughters and sons as they remember their own fathers. Its a sequel to the author's first, "Big Russ And Me".

When he got out of the hospital, I would often see the book piled with others on Diego's bookshelves, from where I use to do my ironing.

Two days after he took his life, me and my son Lukie went to tidy up his house. I saw the book and was about to take it home but I did not. I was thinking, its not proper to take things from Diego's house when he is not yet laid to rest.

After a week, I emailed his son Marco that I will go back for the book and he said he just emptied the shelves, packed all the things and took the long drive to his father's other house in Piemonte. It was a pity because the book was a gift sent by my father in law's friend, Uncle Candelario, from Las Vegas. Marco went back to Spain and I just gave up on retrieving my "Wisdom Of Our Fathers".

Seven months later, Marco came back to Venice for his car's yearly tuning. Its actually a company car given to his father and he took it when Diego died. After the car was fixed, he went back to Spain.

When I was cleaning Marco's room here in Lido Venice, I saw Tim Russert's book on his shelf. I emailed him that night and asked if he went to Piemonte and took the book back to Venice. He answered that he did not. They found the book when they were to empty the car as he will be leaving it at the Auto Repair Shop. He said he haven't seen it during the months of using the car and wondered who owns it. He took it home to his mother's house not knowing it was the one I emailed him before.

Marco asked me if I'm really sure its the same book and I said yes because the note and signature of my Uncle Candelario is still there on the first page. He said maybe when his father drove to Piemonte, the day before he commited suicide, he was reading it on the 'tronchetto'(car ferry). I told him that - that's not possible because I was about to take it home when they were still in his father's town for his wake and out of respect, I dismissed the thought. He replied, " Strange. I don't know about that. You can take it...". I just answered him, "I know... Maybe Diego just wants me to have the book back".

After a year he is remembered. Still we pray that he is at peace and found the happiness he always wanted. While I will be consoled by my lucid dream - that the hand that never stopped waving is our PROPER GOODBYES finally said...

LOCKED OUT

Its so light! Something is not right... That's what I felt when I was opening the gate as I pushed Dylan's stroller. I didn't know how heavy our house keys till I forgot to strap my bag around with my cellphone, wallet and yes, the keys in it . We were locked out! I felt like a fire being doused.

Was about to go back and "ravage" the door but in a second, I got my self back. I just said, "Oh men! Dylan, we have to run!", but then I "flew" and amazingly took Dylan to school in time. Note that I don't have my pre paid bus ticket or any amount at hand so we had to walk or fly(?). Adrenalin Thursday, it really was.

I got back home and asked our neighbor for an ID card. He came to help me out but it only proved us - we can't be thieves or robbers at that. We even tried a pin and it somehow moved the keyhole. Like crazy dudes, we almost danced but were later frustrated because it did nothing at all.

"Desperation" almost drilled down the door but thanks to my brother in law, he went to look for the old and unknown keys he is hesitant to throw. Huge relief, I saw our door open like the gates of heaven hehehe...

I thought of writing this to remind us to double check our stuff before we step out our home. What if it was snowing that time? I would be half dead!

A STRIKE BY LUKIE

Pasta, pizza, pope... Milan, Venice, Rome.... Ferrari, Cavalli, Prada and Armani are among the things, places and people that come to mind when "Italy" pops out. For those who lived here or stayed for a while, SCIOPERO or strike will be one experience they will remember this country for. Italians have it most of the time.

Last Monday, our eldest Lukie did not go to school because the teachers are on strike. Kids were advised to go with their parents and see from there if classes will resume. I had to go to work and Boogs had to look after Dylan who is very sick. Besides, most of the time, classes are always suspended when this happen.

Not on that day. Lukie stayed home while his classmates went on with their class.

The next day, Lukie went to school and brought home Alessandro's notebook to copy the notes he missed. Then I asked him if Alessandro is really that good at school and our son said yes. I added, "Who is better, you or Ale?" and he answered, "Both.". My husband said he(Lukie) should be smarter than Ale (which he is by the way) as I nodded in support.

Wearing his eye glasses and looking grumpy, Lukie told us during tea time, "We go to school to learn and not to compete on who is the smartest".

Its not just the tea that made my face warm that time, so is the the hot and very true lesson my son just taught us. That was a BIG STRIKE for Lukie if we were bowling that day!

DEXTER

Sometimes(if not most of the time) we fail to notice people that could really inspire us, so many of them are out there. For the people of my hometown, Ambassador Tublay Benguet, Dexter is the peddler they buy their 'puto' (rice cakes), 'kutchinta'(another rice delicacy), fish or 'pinapaitan's' (type of stew) ingredients.

Before everyone starts their day, Dexter would ride the jeep from Baguio City with his heavy two containers full of stuff to sell. He'll stop by at Km 21 or 22 then walks back the road carrying his goods until it's all disposed. He usually gets to our place, km 18, half full and almost empty during lucky days.

Then at late afternoon, he's back walking the Halsema Road with 'balut'(boiled egg with nearly developed embryo) and 'chicharon'(deep fried pork skin).

It is the laughter Dexter will crack out from you that will win you in buying. I had a taste of it when we had our December vacation in the Philippines. He saw my camera and said my sisters Ica and Jehan(who are also here in Italy) will finally see how he looks after years of missing his 'chicharon' and 'kutchinta'(another rice delicacy). Then he striked me a pose (please see photo above) and blurted, "Oh baka magkalat yan sa Internet. Ok lang, pang artista naman"(That might be all over the net. Its ok, I look like a celebrity anyway).

There are so many Dexters we can not "see". No Brad Pitt kind of life but with an extra ordinary tenacious grip on holding it out there. Salamat sa mga taong katulad nyo'(Thanks to people like you). Indeed, he is a celebrity! Cheers to him and his "deserving moment" to be on the Internet!

FANTASMA

LUKIE: Mama, ghosts are true or its just in the cartoons?

MAMA: (was about to say she doesn't know) Only in the cartoons or movies, baby. Not true.

LUKIE: Allora(so or there for), fiction or non fiction?

MAMA: They were just made from people's imagination. Its fiction (was about to add, "I guess", but I don't want my credibility as the "source" of knowledge be of doubt).

LUKIE: It must be true. People will not just make it if it didn't have an ORIGIN. It must have an ORIGIN.

MAMA: I haven't seen one yet, so its not true (getting scared while writing thing as a ghost might appear and prove her son's point.)

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