I was born on the 26th of December 1981 and grew up in an urban community called Del Pan, Binondo Manila. Then after my graduation in 6th grade at Pedro Guevarra Elem. School in San Nicolas Binondo, Manila, we moved to a 9 hour drive by bus in a province called San Fernando, La Union up north Luzon. I studied at a chinese school and did some extra curricular activities there, specifically folk dancing both filipino and chinese folk dances. I even joined a beauty contest held in our school entitled Ms. United Nations and danced my way to get the 1st place, lucky me! I wore an arabian costume and swallowed my pride to show my baby fats, LOL. Anyways, after spending 2 years there, we moved back to Manila and I was enrolled in an all-girls school despite my protests, it was the Colegio de Sta. Rosa school located in Intramuros. Since, I suffered from severe depression, LOL, I didn't really enjoy the first year I was studying there. I had so many issues, like inferiority complex, preferring to be quiet rather than speaking my thoughts out and enjoying my high school life. Anyway, my talent in drawing was unexpectedly discovered when our teacher asked us to draw a family tree. I guess I overdid it and they were amazed and some laughed at it but still I was appointed to be the next layout artist of our News Mag La Rosette which I never expected. I was even congratulated by the previous layout artist and one of my classmates, I'm kinda feel sorry for her though. From there, I was asked to join different drawing contests outside the school. I got myself really busy especially when we have occasions or programs held in the school. I remember making props staying at school until late at night and even coming to school during weekends to get things done. I even remember one of the school's maintenance personnel throwing our props the night before the program thinking we will not be using them anymore since they were all just lying around the stage, >_< ! Luckily I got my father to help me remake all of them and we made it just on time. I also was appointed to be the lay-out artist of our own yearbook before graduation and with the help of some of the appointed staff of the yearbook, we were able to finish it somehow. But after those sweat and dramas, I managed to get myself a service medal award when I graduated high school there.
Since we bought our own house (we were renting since we moved to La Union by the way) and we’re moving to Dasmariñas, Cavite, I decided to enroll myself at De La Salle University Dasma. Even though my uncle tried to get me an application at PLM (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila) back in Intramuros with his chosen course for me, Architecture (Like hello?! I despised math all my life!) I was not serious about it. Anyway, I just took the entrance exam there just to say that I took the exam already, I have a cold back then that I don't care whether I was conscious of what I was doing or not. I didn't check the results as well, I already have the feeling that I didn't pass, like I intended to pass that in the first place. So going back to my own choice of university, I did my best to pass the exam and I was overwhelmed when I got the acceptance letter from them. However, they don't have fine arts or anything that will help me improve my talent in drawing. So I thought, I'll just get a course without any math subjects in it, so I thought to get AB Psychology, and I thought as well that it deals with the paranormal that I'm also interested about. But when the school started, all my hopes were all drained in an instant, T_T. On our first sem we have College Algebra which is a prerequisite of Elementary Statistics which is a prerequisite of my major Behavioral Statistics. Then about paranormal thingy, not a pinch about it was discussed during my four years of studying there, LOL. Alright, I know, I'm an idiot, LOL. But I got through those four years without any fail subjects even math! LOL. So I guess it was all good.
So moving on, after graduation my father took me to Thailand and worked with him as a Footwear Designer, LOL, waaaay too far from my graduate course, right? But since I got so homesick and my father can’t deal with me, we went back home and he left me behind and somehow shattered his dream for me to follow his footsteps. During this time I met my now husband, Florencio Marasigan II. He was staying at the house in front of us, the house of her eldest sister, since he’s working as an Assistant Supervisor in a restaurant in Malate, Manila. Their parents live in Tagaytay, a place where I dreamed to live at in the future back then. My mother was very fond of him that he’s allowed to stay overnight at our place and during this time our relationship deepened. When we were invited to one of his sister’s birthday party held in their home residence, Tagaytay, mother saw what kind of life they have. His parents get their living from growing crops and selling them at a market nearby. Their actual house is half unfinished, meaning it’s not yet done, like hollow blocks walls, roof without a ceiling and floor without tiles. They also have a small cottage down the side of the mountain, yes, tagaytay is actually a high place, ranges of mountains surrounding the inactive Taal Volcano, so houses are usually built along the steep side of the mountains but there are residences which are built in plains thanks to the developers. Well since my mother knows about their background already, she began to put a distance in between our relationship. When something happened between us, you know what lovers do, Flory (his nickname and that’s what I call him) told my mom about it thinking that it will be alright no matter how I oppose. But since then my life became hell because my mother got mad at me. I can’t go out my room to eat, I enjoy myself with some biscuits I stock inside my room, I just sneak out from time to time to get water, to use the bathroom but whenever I get caught by my mother, I get atleast four hours of repeated scolding and swear words from her. It was really entirely my fault but I can never get my life back to the way it was and I thought that no one can really help me because even though Flory's sisters came to my rescue, my mother would be nice in front of them but when they're gone already, it's just back to the hell it was. After a lot happened, I’m at my limit already, my mother even thought I was pregnant and took me to the hospital to get a check up and to get an abortion too but the doctor said it was too early to know yet. When I got my period I was relieved and unhappy about it as well. When everything is just too much for me I secretly emailed my father who was working in China that time and told him what was going on inside the house. So when he returned he took me with him back to China and I left Flory even though I didn't like to leave. After a while I found out that it was really a plan to separate us two. After a few months, I persistently asked my father to let me go home, since I can’t get a job in China anyway, though that’s not the main reason. The actual reason is my mother is bugging Flory with threatening text messages trying to make him break up with me, saying that I will not have a bright future with him and that he should forget about me. I was upset when I learned about that from the email I received from Flory thru his sister's email address. I was stubborn that time so when I got back I planned not to go home anymore instead I told Flory to come pick me up at the airport. In simple terms, we eloped and I made my parents infuriated, in a level you can’t even imagine. I was only left with a few clothes since my mother came to take almost all my baggages, even the things I bought for Flory were all taken, that was a terrible night and I learned that my father was even hospitalized because of what I did. I realized the big difference between my status with Flory's. I no longer have a car, I can't eat when I want to, I can't buy anything that I want, in short, I've become poor and deprived of materials things that I used to have. I even heard that my mother has given away my things at home and also sold the car I used to drive. I finally understood the hardships of life that I never experienced living with my parents. Reflecting on that now, obviously I was at the wrong side. But I also wished that I could've talked to my mother about my relationship with Flory maturely instead of avoiding her. Maybe I can still be able to fulfill their expectations from me while keeping my relationship with Flory. But I guess all that's left were regrets and whenever I recall this major turning point in my life, my chest hurts and I burst into tears.
After about 2 years living with my live-in partner Flory, my father managed to reconcile us with my mother after secretly meeting with him several times before, I’m a daddy’s girl I guess, LOL, love you Pa! I finally got into good terms with my mom and she looked for a place for us to stay back in Dasmariñas when our relationship with Flory’s family was not going well anymore. So we moved back to Dasmariñas, near my parent’s place. My mother even bought us things like kitchen wares, grocery, even an aircon and a lot more, since we really don’t own anything. I already have my first child that time and plus it’s a boy, my parents didn’t have any boys, the three of us were all girls, I’m the eldest. I guess my mother was really fond of her white skinned good looking grandson that I can finally talk to her casually like before, ^_^. But what I did is still something that she won't forget. When I returned to my parents house, I noticed there were no pictures of myself already. I can find some of my things, but my sisters kept them inside their room as if they own them. My mother kept my class cards in college and TOR inside her locked closet because she thought I could never get a job without those, because she doesn't want Flory's family to take advantage of me. I also dealt with my sister, the 2nd, next to me. She's still mad at me at first but my mother reconciled us after a while.
Since the construction job that Flory has is not enough to support our family, I convinced him to let me work in his stead. So I began working in a call center in Alabang. I took care of all the requirements myself, renewing my NBI, getting SSS, and visiting my university to get another copy of my TOR. I started working as an agent then luckily was promoted to a Team Leader afterwards. I worked in the call center industry for almost 6 years, from three different BPO companies. During this time, my husband started training in TESDA taking up welding courses but not long after he took up courses for seaman. The financing came from my mother, well most of it, since I can't fully support him because I also need to pay for our rent, the bills and my children's needs, yes, I gave birth to another baby boy around this time. My mother listed all our debts from her and I really wish we can pay her back someday. And since my mother’s brothers, all five of them were all seamen; not to mention that they hold high positions now, my husband together with my mother and one of her brothers, gathered up their courage and asked help from the eldest brother who holds the highest position amongst all the siblings to get Flory a job, anything which can help him start his seaman career. He took Flory's documents and went to Greece to personally talk to the officials there just to get Flory a chance. After a while a position opened for Flory and he was finally given a flight schedule. This time I resigned from my graveyard shift work, and I now became a full time housewife. But since I can’t help myself from working, I get online jobs once in a while and get paid a little.
Well, this is a bit long for something entitled "A glance in my life". I actually wrote a story based on this and hopefully someday it will get published but for now I just book bind all my stories and my poems. Hope you enjoyed reading this and I also hope you have learned something out of this because I did learn a lot. Thanks for your time. 06/04/2010 5:09AM
Clenches onto any surface with a tight unremovable grip.
