You’re probably familiar with this tag by now. Toe & Pining tagged me & I really liked Toe’s spin on her post ha. Unique. Then I came across Badoodle’s version & suddenly I know what I will do to make this more interesting. Let’s go back in time before marriage & commitments & before the post-baby weight!

1. I grew up in the slums of Cabanatuan City.
Tatay built our house on a tiny space of Earth behind the NIA’s towering wall. I have been meaning to post about this before but I wanted to take a picture of the house, perhaps next year? I have fond memories of growing up in an ever extending house, sandwiched between the wall and a stagnant swamp. I remember the house sways during typhoons and we always had the feeling the roof will fly-away soon. Our silong (basement?) was my playground where my imagination ran wild. I cannot climb the tree but our aratiles was always within reach by our homemade sungkit. I love that place.

2. Early maths-training was like a military bootcamp
Because I didn’t like the Barangay day care (yucky lugaw & I can’t stand the afternoon sessions, so I refused to go), my sisters took it in turns to teach me English and Maths before I started Grade 1. The eldest did the Maths & I remember being so terrified I’d cling to my half-brother whenever he’s around. She taught me the basics really quickly, we progressed to 3-digit additions & subtractions, then division with decimal points! Remember I was barely 7 y/o!!! Que horror.

The scariest times would be when Kuya would tell my sister off for being too hard on me, they’d have a shouting match. There were funny moments though. Kuya would take it in turns with my older sister, walking past my Ate holding up placards with the answers or will be signalling with their fingers whenever I’m stuck in dipa position (i.e. arms stretched) for being unable to answer.

In Grade 3, I came home very pleased & told my sister that FINALLY I get to use what she taught me 4 years previous. It was the only time decimal points were taught in my school! Of course, I aced it. Sulit.

3. First kiss at 8 years old
Yup. I got my first kiss when I was in Grade 2. But it was “taken” by force huh! After Grade 1, I was shocked at my classmate’s behaviour the following year. They were putting mirrors on their shoes & peeping up our skirts (too bad for them I wear shorts ha!). They were forming “gangs” (from the Bagets film) to chase girls when the teachers aren’t around. That means recess & uwian (afterschool) are fraught with “dangers”. One of the gang leaders took a shine on me & kept shoving candies & flowers (santan & bougainvillea) at me. I would go to great lengths to avoid him, even going to the back roads to avoid running into his gang. Unfortunately, they caught me one time & scared the shit out of me! There were 2 boys hugging me (I remember one of them was John iknowyoursurname) & my “suitor” swooped down for the kill.

It was only a peck on the lips. But I felt so violated I kicked & screamed. They let me go & I ran to the suitor’s mother, who also happens to be our homeroom adviser. You know what she said? That I should stop crying because I was being a “maarteng bata” (flirty child?). I didn’t tell anyone at home.

4. I know sign language
My elementary school used to teach deaf-mute kids and teenagers. I’d hang out in their building because their library is well-stocked and airy. I learnt to sign the ABC and I remember able being to “talk” to them, even developing some friendships. Unfortunately, I can only do the ABC’s now. I don’t know the phrases anymore.

5. I used to be a clean freak
I think I was born with a hankie in hand because I don’t remember ever going out without one. I use it because I liked covering my nose when someone smells! When I was little, I’d ask the dentist to change the glass so I’m sure the previous patient didn’t use it. Up until high school, I’d pour water on the toilet seat (even at home) & wipe it before I use the loo. My worst memory was in grade school, during a “Bulaklakan“ dance practise I refused to hold hands with my partner because I saw him playing with his saliva. I made him hold a stick on one end while I hold the other. I only let him hold my hand at the real show but I watched him wash his hands first. Kung nasan ka man at mabasa mo ito, naku sorry po.

6. I was a CAT Corps Commander
Perhaps because my college ex- only attained the rank of Major, he’d insist I became a Colonel because the men in my class were weak. Whatever. Joining the CAT was one of the best decisions I made in my life. I got to know more of the student body (my class had 1100 students alone!) and developed lasting friendships.

I guess I was scary because one time I made a joke, none of the platoon I was speaking to laughed. When I demanded to know why, a cadet answered “Ma’am kasi kahit naka-smile kayo mukha pa din kayong Tiger Look“… Waah.

In the CAT, I also learnt I cannot go into politics. Power corrupts people! I admit I did “piso mula sa kanan” (literally: a peso from the right), or asking plebes to spy on people. Friends would even treat me to lunch or snack in exchange for bio-data of their crush. hehe Sarap.

7. I love war games, I’m an airsoft fanatic
My friends are mostly men, growing up and into adulthood. I don’t know why, it just happened okay?

I only ever played in Pinas with my former officemates. We started out using our old CAT uniforms & we were just borrowing Gas-powered BB-guns. Our first game was in Tarlac against a group of students(!) & we were nearly cowed. These college kids were armed with battery-powered guns and they were properly kitted. They even had face paints & camouflage & sniper blankets. They were damn organised, with lookouts & hand signals to boot! When we had lunch, they were eating out of canteens. Mind you these are rich kids, the “jungle” (which was beautifully set-up) we played in was owned by one of them in a neighbourhood where almost all the cars were Benz’es.

We were chuckling nervously about how the kids were going to cream us. Imagine I was wearing white trainers & my hair was long, an easy target. When the game started, we could hardly see the Tarlac boys. We were running for cover when someone shouted “foxhole!!”

My officemate, GM (Grand Manyak), jumped in thinking it’d be 2-3 feet, but it turned out to be 5-feet high! Thankfully I slid down (used to this in CAT). GM turned around to me at one point, asking why he can barely see. When I looked at his mask, he was wearing his Oakley sunglasses underneath! D’oh! It was too late to take them off, once in the field, you have to protect your eyes or risk being blinded. Unfortunately for him he was killed when I motioned for him to go in a direction I thought was “clear” while I try to cover him, he ran straight to the other team’s men hehe

My heart was thumping all the way through the game. I took down 3 men before I got hit on the forehead. It was super fun! Rolling, crawling & getting scared-shitless.

That’s us on our first game. We founded the OmegaZone Airsoft Community in the Philippines. Well I should say, I was part of the team who organised the orientation & recruitment process before the Community was formalised. I didn’t even get to pay the first membership fee (went to London). Nor get my uniform. Very sad indeed. It’s grown now that they even conduct Family Days & they also boast of several game sites both urban & jungle. They were even featured in the X-Games (?) show.

And yes, they have nasty battery-powered guns by now.

8. I was a party animal
Di pa ba obvious yun? (Isn’t it obvious, yet?)

I came out of Uni looking to enjoy myself and with a kindred spirit by the name of Balot, we partied at any time of the week. We’d go clubbing on Sundays, say, and we’d make it to work the next day — all fresh. That’s youth for you, eh? I do that now & I’d be useless the next day.

My nocturnal habits were so notorious, one project manager nearly turned me down for a post in Melbourne. But I got the push anyway as my work ethic’s been well-tested 3-months after joining the company (worked on my undergraduate theses while working full-time). It was one of the best times of my life.

Boozing was great. I’d pass out every now & then, do silly things like try to stub my ciggies in my drink or not know how I got dressed. My project manager, also a great boozer, and our company director, who’s also known to dance when drunk, would instigate drinking games every chance they get.

My first Melbourne teammates

I’m charged with picking out what to try out every Friday night. We’d stop by alcohol drive-thru’s (as in liquor shops that are like McDo’s drive-thru!) & I’d try every item I’ve been meaning to taste! Jack, Black Label, Red Label, Cognac, Baileys, Tequila with the worm, gins, vodkas,.. honestly the list is endless. I didn’t drink that much beer, because I was too conscious of the “beer belly”.

I frequented Malate, bar hopping til morning. One time we ended up in a gay bar where all the call boys were gorgeous college boys. My male friends were keen to stay in one corner of the room, always jumping when someone touched their shoulders. The girls were more carefree. And I was asked to dance by a sweet-smelling hot “boy” who insists on his shock that it was a gay bar. I didn’t even ask him… hmm?

Well. That’s it. My 8 random facts. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

And now what’s next? I’m supposed to tag 8 people so: Chats, Christianne, Tito Rolly, BatJay (mabasa mo kaya ito?), Geri, Febeth, Raquel, and BugsyBee!

UPDATE 14 Sept PM:
OMG! Sorry Pining for forgetting you also tagged me for this post!

Some would say my work is very “negative”. I assure the quality of our products. Test the beejesus out of it. Make sure nothing is broken. Make sure that if something is broken, it’s isolated. I can go on for a long time.

One of my better managers once said that we actually have the best job in the software industry. We find a bug, it’s great. We don’t find a bug, we give an all-clear, it’s great. But underneath that second statement is a lot of sweat & some nerve-shaking decisions (read: risk management and cost-cutting).

Anyway, that’s my job, it’s me, it’s part of my life. I’m a software tester, and I love it.

I am pretty reasonable. I don’t go loggerheads with developers or management (okay I do gnash my teeth a lot). Experience taught me that there’s no point. At the end of the day, I am here to get my money at the end of the month. I am not here to fan anyone’s ego. Or be someone’s fall-guy. Eff you if you think that. And you’ll have a rude awakening if you think, I’m a pushover.

I guess most non-Pinoys I worked with, think I am a soft touch because of my mild demeanour. I wish I could tell them that’s not how my Filipino colleagues would describe me (or could I be mistaken? hmm). I do encounter attitudes but most are tolerable & I let them pass, so yes that’s probably why they would say I’m “nice”. But whenever someone pushes me a little too far, I can be like Wolverine and turn them into muttering brats.

In my second London job for example, there was this Irish “call-me-Dr” know-it-all. I’m not sure if I blogged about him in the past, but here goes. I reported a major crash on our Symbian application. Our phones were crashing with KERNEL-whatever errors and his code’s log weren’t sufficient. The problem was straightforward to reproduce & I allowed him some attempts to send it back to me with a lame “fix” and at least 3 “not reproducible”. The latter was a push to close and forget about it. I told him we can work in tandem & showed him the steps & voila! The crash. Then he stood up and said “Okay, reproduce it again and call me.”

“No! You sit down, watch what I’m doing & FIX your bug!“

I must have looked like the Furies. He can only manage a barely audible ‘ok’ & meekly sat down. When I finished, I slammed the phone in front of him so hard, I thought I’d broken it. The nerve of this PhD-wielding-weasel! He picked himself up & said something about going to work. That afternoon, I received a fix that actually worked.

London offices are open-planned, so yes my raised voice carried throughout the floor which houses the sales, marketing, HR, support, and dev teams. Everyone in the dev team were smiling and looking at our direction. My then manager gave me two thumbs up and later on in the pub bought me a pint. Then everyone gave their “horror” stories about the red-haired geek, apologies to good geeks out there. Well, let’s just say he wasn’t very popular.

Are you getting the picture?

Now, as in an hour ago, a developer whose component has been the weakest of our entire trading system, had the gall to tell me he “doesn’t have much time to look at the problem” because he’s busy! WTF?! I told him the bug (which is really at least 3 months old as it’s related to other failed fixes!) is with his dev manager & they will deal with it appropriately.

I am a software tester, not your “debugger”, jack—.

I wasn’t hot at all. In fact, he probably went away thinking “I showed her”. Thing is, I am the QA Manager, mate. Even before you gave me that attitude, your lack of, uhmm what’s the nicest word to use?, let’s say: your lack of focus has given me cause for concern for a while. I already had a 5-minute chat with your boss about my observation, albeit I didn’t pointedly say you’re “not good”. He did.

Okay that’s it. WHEW. It’s been a while since my last work-related post ah.

“I live to break your world”

Perhaps I better put my mask on again… Too late! Kelvin, my unico hijo took this snapshot a few weeks ago. And peeps I’m not joking, but this is my first close-up shot in two years’ time that I can honestly say I like. I can actually look at myself & not cringe. Yup, I think the 47% Vain Quiz was wrong - I’m ultra self-conscious.

Aside from being anal retentive and keeping stacks of post-it notes everywhere, I also manage to mangle the spoken English now and again. I am truly a proud Filipina when I admit that I mispronounce my P- & F- sounds, and que barbaridad my he/she and in/on. These after living in London for 6 years and working with Americans for 4 years prior my UK-move. So yes, I actually read better in English.

I’m a devoted, but a far-from-perfect, Mum to a 3-year old boy, Kelvin, who is the centre of my Universe. Though at times my cup does runneth over & I have the urge to throw my own tantrums his way, I can never get enough of his hugs and I bask at his adoring glances.

Joel is the man-behind-the-woman. A true-blue Waray who still insists I slipped gayuma (love potion) in his drinks 10 years ago. Who could resist? I was so taken by his accent (ang tigas kaya ng dila!).

I know the tag was just asking for photos & small bits of information about the blogger but I was so tempted to introduce my family, too. Kulit!

Thanks Analyse for tagging me for this meme!

Now the tag instruction:

1st step - Post a short blog article that includes a photograph (or a series of photos) showing the face behind your blog. If you already showed a photo somewhere on your site (such as in your about page), then make your post more interesting and choose a photo that’s not currently online.

2nd step - Include links to other people that have displayed a photo, or include their photos in your post, adding a reference.

3rd step - Tag as many others as you like in your post to spread the meme.

4th step - If you link back to me here and send an email I’ll be sure to include links back to you. Each person tagged should create their own post and repeat the process.

I want to know more about Lady Cess, Christianne and Badoodles of Kwentong Barbero. Dare to show your fez?

Please accept my grovelling apologies for not responding to the tags I received in the last two weeks.

I am slowly ploughing through them now. I swear if I can only type while standing in a crowded train, I wouldn’t be so late in my blogging-addiction.

So first off my to-do list is Kathy’s ‘hate’ tag — Thanks sis!

1. Food you hate
–> Falafel. Being a foodie (read: matakaw) I tried this falafel sandwich back in 2001. I’ve seen a lot of people go for it & I thought I’d give it a bite. EGAD! It was the first time in my life I actually had to spit out my food. I wasn’t ready. People say it tastes great, perhaps the restaurant I went to was no good, but I don’t want to try falafel again.

UPDATE: Sorry forgot to describe what falafel tasted-like for me. Mapaklang-mapait-na-sobrang-tuyo (Acrid-Bitter-very-dry). Yummy…

2. Fruits that you hate
–> I can’t think of any. Even the fruits I didn’t like growing up like Apples & Mabolo, I like (and miss, in the case of mabolo) now.

3. Veggies that you hate
–> Brusells sprouts. Honestly after liking ampalaya, I thought they’re making such a big fuss over the tiny-cabbages. I tried it with my sunday roast (from a gastro-pub) and I don’t think I will be serving my family this stuff lest my son forces me to eat it up!

4. Celebrities or people that you hate
–> I’d like to say I don’t hate anyone as hate is such a strong word & it conjures ‘revulsion’ of a fellow man. But if we’re talking about leeches in politics & some power-tripping civil servants, then I can reserve that term of endearment for them.

5. Event/Incident/Situation that you hate
–> US immigration. The first time I arrived on an American airport I was really shocked at their officers’ abrasive manners. They might using their rough treatment of people to fend off potential wrong-doers but there’s really no need for the aggravation. I didn’t want to live there, I never wanted to live there & the only reason I was there was because a US-based company needed my services. To stand there & be glared at & nearly humiliated is intolerable. I thought that treatment was reserved for non-white like me, but white British officemates told me they got the same deal.

I think if the US customs are trying to catch people offguard they’re using the wrong strategy. Being polite & professional & perhaps even chatting casually to people may get them more information than their bullying tactic.

6. TV Shows or Movies that you hate
–> I don’t ‘hate’ any shows or films but I don’t like a number of them. Top of my list are reality shows especially the American one (some years ago) about marrying a millionaire. After the “wedding” the winning girl wanted to divorce. I wonder why?

7. Type of Music that you hate
–> I was going to put garage & trash metal BUT I remembered the proliferation of those OPM songs that insinuates sex & other lewd topic. What are they called again? Every time I see youngsters & really old women (as in grans) cavorting to those songs, I feel humiliated. And every time I see parents, mostly mothers, encouraging their young ones to act like a-go-go dancers, I get the urge to give them a whack on the head.

8. Household chore that you hate
–> It has to be ironing. I used to be okay with it, but since my series of RSI problems, it’s a no-go area for me now.

9. Things you hate about the world
–> War and greed, they’re one & the same aren’t they?

10. Things that you hate about yourself
– > Physically, I am very conscious of my double-chin and every time I mention it I can still hear the Batibot song “alagang-alaga ko si puti, bakang mataba, bakang maputi…”. I’m seriously damaged ain’t I?

I’m now supposed to tag people but I’d rather you pick it up if you feel up to it. Come on, tell us what makes you go “hmp!”

Warning: Walang kwentang post ahead.
Okay I succumbed. I’ve seen this on several blogs & I knew I wanted to try it, too.

You Are 47% Vain

You’re a little vain, but more than anything you have a healthy amount of confidence. Thinking the world of yourself is great. Just don’t think less of those who aren’t as pretty as you!

How Vain Are You?

Okay na di ba? But then it reminded me of those quizzes I used to take in “Woman’s Home Companion” mags. I couldn’t stop myself. Before I realised it, I did another test…

You Are 43% Scary

You’re a pretty normal, nice girl… but you definitely have your scary moments. As long as you acknowledge them and apologize, you’ll probably keep your guy around.

Do You Scare Off Men?

… and another.

You May Be a Bit Obsessive Compulsive…

Meticulous and detailed oriented, you have some irrational obsessions. Maybe it’s your super neat closet or washing your hands a gazillion times. You probably know it’s weird, but you just can’t stop thinking about it. In fact, the more you think about your quirks, the more you have to do them.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Okay enough.

Huli man at magaling, matsing pa din?

Sexy Mom, I really feel bad that I have been late in reading about your first “flame” encounter. Reading both Connie’s & Noemi’s post alone inflamed me, too. But you were all right, turn something negative into something positive.

What is sex? What is sexy? What is it about Pinays being categorised as “exotic” (dancer, entertainer, bride etc etc)? Nakakainis. Nakakapanggigil.

They say it’s time to fight back & reclaim our identity. Gabriela, Princesa Urduja? Are you girls out there? If you are, hey look at me, I’m here, too.

I am a Sexy Filipina.
Indeed I am a super Sexy Pinay.
If you google it, I can also be a Sexy Philipina.
I am a minx in the bedroom, in the office, and mostly, in my head.
I am to be adored, I am a demi-god.
I am powerful, I am sex incarnate.
I am my husband’s dominatrix.
I am the ruler in the roost.
I am a Sexy Pinay Mom.

Pardon me people if I confess that, yes, I can be a slut, I can talk dirty, I can even tut-tut. But heck, my brain won’t stop churning & cavorting. My imagination’s fertile.

I shake and grind my booty day in, day out.
I leave my scent everywhere I go.
I make my mark on everything I touch.

I am gold.
I bring food to the table.
I take care of our loot.
I look after our children.
I look after my folks.
I also look after me.

I am a woman of the world.
A proud wife, a proud mother,
A very proud daughter,
An even prouder Filipino.

What is wrong with that?

In case someone asks, no I’m not a whore, I’m not ‘for sale’.
I am a woman.
I worked my way to the top.
Challenged men and women and the third-sex alike.
I am me, a modern Pinay.

UPDATE 20 June: Truly embarrassing, this meme was supposed to be kakikayan facts. Tsk, tsk. Oh well, sorry folks but I changed the rule at this end unwittingly.

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Noemi tagged me to divulge 7 random facts about the woman behind KWK. I have been chewing on this topic for a whole week. I always find it difficult to come up with answers about myself. So here are some really random facts about Auee:

1. When I was in high school I get teased a lot about being Ms Eveready, you know the battery? I hate not having what I need. So on most days my bag is filled with band-aid, bottle of water, brollie, baby powder, 2 hankies (I need a spare!), hand gel, hand lotion, lip balm, post-it notes (or small notebook) & a pen. Those are just the minimum content.

2. I started dyeing my hair when I turned 18 because my mestiza mother gave me their white (grey) hair not her complexion. My colour of choice is red, as in a head you can see from far away if the sun is very bright.

3. I hate math but I chose Computer Science in my UPCAT application because it sounded cool. The first time I saw our syllabus, I wanted to shift to Psychology straightaway. I have maths and statistics until I graduate?? Thankfully I didn’t move out & stayed the course. Though talking in my dream about “X’s value” is not my idea of sleepless nights.

4. I love cartoons, actually make that addicted to cartoons. Even when I was single I used to drag friends to see animated films. Nope not just adult-targeted animation, even Rugrats and Pokemon movies. I think this is one of the reasons why my niece, Gella, and my son loves me so much.

5. I’m a voracious eater even when I was young. Every time we attend Fiestas, the host often remark how nice it is to see “your kid loving our food”. Translation? “Susme ang takaw naman ng anak ninyo!” I even devised a strategy when attending all-you-can-eat events, if we’re visiting a number of houses, I would feast on the main courses for the first 3 houses and finish off the round with desserts from the remaining places-to-eat (ok, see). I also limit the rice intake to accomodate more lechon or similar fare. Just remembering this is already making me salivate! I miss Fiestas & their open houses…

6. I’m a dreamer. I dream about tomorrow, about conquering the world, about a vacation in Pinas or in Venice, about being a rockstar, about being a Palanca winner. It’s endless. Thankfully, I get a lot of stale time on the train to & from work so I can indulge in these fantasies.

7. I’m a hoarder. Eversince I can remember I love keeping “remembrances”. The oldest keepsake I have is the very first Christmas card I received. It was given by my then gradeschool ditse’s closest friend (can’t remember her name now) and it is dated “12 1981″. It’s one of those small cards you get when you buy a bag of crisp in the sari-sari store (local variety store). I also kept letters I have received from suitors and even pictures of my crushes & High School boyfriends. I love going through boxes of these things whenever we visit Pinas.

Well that’s it. Now for the fun part, to tag some of you!
:-)
I tag Vernaloo, Jason, and Rose.

Thanks Noemi for this meme, it wasn’t as ‘painful’ as I thought hehe

I always feel guilty when I don’t have enough to do at work. Today I will probably spend 2 hours in total for work related activities, and those are limited to emails, reading contracts, and perhaps a quick meeting with the boss. I finished my revision for my API tests yesterday. I should be happy as I have the time to bloghop, blog & I even managed to update my links! But as I said I feel guilty.

Sometimes I torture myself by wondering if the network has spies installed. Arrggh my head will certainly roll, as my network traffic will direct them to blogs!

I know I should savour days like these as these are exceptions. There’s a hold on any commercial moves and so I’m still by my lonesome. In reality it’s just a slow day. Next week I will have to work with some consultants for an outsourcing project, I will also need to follow up some NDAs with software vendors, perhaps start evaluating tools and, potentially work on creating demo Market Data. So I know my plate will be full, but still…

It’s similar when I threw occasional sickies in my previous jobs (I have no reason to do it with my new place - yet). If I venture outside the house, I’m always on red alert, I cannot relax. I always fear bumping into someone & then having to explain myself. If I stay indoors, I get paranoid & wonder if the company may want to have some investigator watch my every move. You’ll get the feeling that perhaps I do it so often that the guilt is killing me. No, I don’t. Because I still get the same feeling when I am really sick. If I go to the hospital or to the doctor’s I still wonder if I’m being followed.

Insane. Well that’s me.

Negative muna

I can’t stand dopey people. I can take & even enjoy dopey conversations but not when the person you’re talking to actually thinks he/she’s being smart.

It is highly possible I’ve got an attitude problem but I have zero tolerance on stupidity. If you have shown someone how to work a kettle once, I’d expect them to know it in one second. It’s not that difficult unless you have a learning disability. But what I hate most are people who don’t listen but will nag you every minute to show them how it’s done - again.

I disdain dimwits. I cannot suffer fools. Yes I am acting all high & mighty but there is no worst torture for me than listening to stupid people who think they’re the bomb. And before anyone points it out, yes I can be stupid too.

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My lifetime’s work

I finally found time to put all my work files & extra-curriculars in one place. I have yet to back them up on a disc for safe keeping but I’m getting there. I was also able to collate my contact list from PAB to Outlook 2003 Contacts. Now all I need is to export them also for safe keeping.

Anyway I’ve been reading my works since 1997 & had a bit of flashbacks. I am getting old. Age shows in my works. I would like to say maturity but really the big change is my focus. Before it was all parties (& men) but now… Well some people will say focused on more boring stuff
:-)

The Little Prince would say “matters of consequence”. Time really flies.

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On the tube post…

When I was pregnant I started noticing expecting mums everywhere. There was a time I’d see at least 2 a day. I’m sure the Universe has been like this even before but, suddenly, I actually “see” them now. Since I have struggled getting a seat on the tube when my tummy was big enough for everyone to see, I am now courteous to the mums-to-be in giving away my seat whenever I can.

But then I committed the most embarrassing mistake I could. I offered a woman my seat when she was not pregnant at all! She didn’t correct me but when I looked again it was highly probable she was just having the same problem as me in the “extra pouch” department.

London Underground has started a button campaign that pregnant women can wear which announces their state to everyone & will give them “power” to boot anyone out of their seats. But it didn’t catch on. Women today are too proud. And most critics said it was too condescending to women. Oh well. Good intentions, bad move.

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My son, my son.

The light of my life made me really proud today & he doesn’t even know it. I’ve known Mother’s Pride since I gave birth. I know my son is special & he can be really cute & handsome. I am also aware he’s smart for his age… Ok Ok please let me go on. He’s my son! hehe

We arrived 10 minutes before the Nursery’s official opening time. We went to the reception instead, to escape from the freezing morning air. Sister Margaret arrived at the same time. She’s really nice, she knows all the kids in the nursery, as in individually not just by face. That’s no mean feat as there are least 50 kids at any given day.

Anyway it was too early and the staff were just having a morning chat. Kelvin, my boy, was looking around the place & was pointing to statues & other bric-a-bracs. Then I heard Sr. Margaret talking to one staff about Kelvin. She said (verbatim) “…he’s a really bright boy, at his age less than 2, you can tell. He’s always playing with puzzles & he puts the pieces in the right shapes…” At that point you can probably tell I was floating & beaming.

My son, my hero.