100 Things You Ought To Know about Me

"The unexamined life is not worth living." ~ Socrates

That's probably the quote from high school that stuck with me the most. So at 38 today, I decided to go back on my life and look if I've examined my life well enough and found the journey quite liberating. 

I thought of sharing here what I found out about myself in the hopes that you'll get an idea of who I am or if you already know me, at least to understand me better. Fair warning, if you get offended by some of the facts I reveal here, I won't be sorry :)

Read on...


1. I was at my happiest when I was pregnant with Marti. 

me and my Marti

2. Kindness is always better.


3. I've never seen myself as fat. NEVER. Even if the scale or the doctor or any other person tells me that I'm overweight. NEVER.

4. You want to see me cry in a nanosecond? Play Sinead's "Nothing Compares 2 U" 

5. I'm a sucker for English poetry...especially if it's read by Tom Hiddleston.

6. I first fell in love when I was 3 years old. And his name was Clark and most of the time he goes by the name of Superman.

7. Sleeping in your birthday suit is liberating but sleeping in just your underwear is much, much sexier.

8. I can live without coffee after all. But not without dark chocolates.

9. A lifetime isn't enough to know someone. After years of bitterness, I now see my Dad in a different light and love him even more. 

10. Forgiveness is the best gift you could ever give to yourself.

11. Never thought biological clocks could have a second alarm.

12. Greatest pet peeve is being lied to. Second would be telling me I have thin hair. No, I'm not going bald or going through chemotherapy; I was born this way so live with it, the same way you’re living with that face.

With my CG sister Celine

13. One of the sorriest things in life is developing an allergy for food you love the most. For me it's milk :(

14. I really can do anything I put my mind into. Except bungee jumping.

15. I love doing laundry but not ironing.

16. Your beautiful thought becomes your beautiful face.

17. There's nothing wrong with being in love with love. It made me write 30,000+ words in just 2 weeks.

18. Just found out smiling with teeth suits me a lot better.

With my nephew Asti

19. Have a huge girl crush on Adele.

20. The best birthday gift I got this year is E.L. James' birthday tweet. Keeping my fingers crossed that Tom Hiddleston will beat that :D

21. I could sing with my handwriting.

U2's All I Want is You

22. I know I've achieved inner peace when I checked my ATM last week and saw I had 51.23 in my bank account and I didn't freak out at all.

23. Celibacy is a relief but not when I see Christian Bale, Ian Somerhalder or hear Tom Hiddleston.

24. I cried every single day for the first 5 years after my Mom died. I still do once in awhile.

With my Mom when I was 2 months old

25. Tell me the truth no matter what the cost.

26. Family isn't always blood. I've earned new sisters, parents, grandparents along the way and the family just keeps on growing.

With my Dad and my soul sisters from left to right: Mary Grace, Arlene and Tillet

27. At 38, I rediscovered my 14-year old poet.

28. At 38, I've never been insanely, truly, uncomfortably, utterly in love. But I'm still hopeful.

29. I love crochet but loathe cross-stitching. Too tedious and without challenge.

Crochet Barefoot Sandies, one of my products at our Crochet Store

30. I pray for the enlightenment, prosperity and health of my husband every day so when we meet he’s already all that.

31. I’m a Sharonian. Forgive me, Mommy but I could only be a half-Noranian and an anti-Kris Aquino.

32. My favorite car is anything that comes with a driver.

33. I’ve renewed my relationship with Mama Mary and she’s helping me pray so I could snag a wonderful foster father for Marti, like she did for her Son.

34. I don’t like sunflowers. Too fanatic.

35. I love stargazers. So romantic.

36. The most terrifying horror story I have ever seen is The Passion of the Christ. Scared me shitless than The Ring and The Eye combined ever did.

37. I only learned how to cross the street in college, while in between my friends.

38. Found out I have a sensational singing voice---according to my 2-year old nephew Asti.

39. Rain is an aphrodisiac so plans of moving to Seattle or to England are in my immediate future.

40. There’s a certain dignity in knowing and being able to commute on your own, whether it’s via tricycle, jeepney or the bus. Not all people know and are willing to do that.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle-leo

41. Give me a hundred books and an iPod of all my favorite music and I could survive a year on an island.

42. I can eat tuyo (dried fish) every single day.

43. Mixing tequila, red wine, Red bull and vodka is a bad, bad idea especially if it’s the office Christmas party.

44. You know a guy is really interested or desperate if you barf all over his car and he still wants to sleep with you. I’d go with desperate because if you barf in my car, I don’t care if you’re Brad Pitt, I’d kick your ass to the curb.

45. I want to learn how to ride a bicycle without scratching my legs.

46. I have a debilitating fear of snakes. Even printed pictures make me run screaming.

47. I love dogs because they’re very selfless. 

With Mallows a.k.a. Cheesecake

48. I don’t like cats because I find them selfish.

49. I’d rather spend the day surrounded by my grandmother and grandaunts listening to their war stories than go out clubbing or whatever you kids do these days to entertain yourselves.

With my maternal grandmother Mommyla

50. I haven’t been kissed in the last 10 years so pardon my grumpiness.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngmmemuda

51. I don’t know how to jump rope.

52. I’ve done it in a warehouse, on top of the sink, in the office, in the car, on my uncle’s sofa, in a cheesy motel, at the parking lot, in my grandmother’s living room. What other weird places did you sleep at? :D

53. I could do a full on mani-pedi on myself.

54. I don’t taste my cooking, only smell it and season it accordingly.

55. The two sexiest songs for me are Rick Springfield’s “Taxi Dancing” and U2’s “All I Want is You”.

56. My son thinks I have sixth sense because I always, always catch him in his lies. Sometimes I even scare myself when I do.

57. Do you know your guardian angel’s name? Mine is Haiaeerimel and she is an Angel of Divine Love wearing a pink gown with a moss green robe and slim gold belt studded with sapphires. She wears a wreath of pink roses on her head. We have the same eyes and curly long hair. We were introduced to each other in 1996 by Nonoy Ozaeta.

58. I secretly wish cigarettes are not really health hazards but are actually an aspirated form of vitamins.

59. I love being alone (sometimes) but hate being lonely. There’s a big difference.

60. Origami is one of the best self-therapies I learned.

61. “I need you in Mexico” should be a panty-combusting line that could’ve made me rethink celibacy and relocate to the Latin Americas but since it came from a married, 65-year old diplomat then it’s a no.

62. I went through a regression session and found out that I have been a mistress in all my 4 past lives so now I only believe in this one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicole-april-artography/

63. My sister and I became artistically-inclined after going through art therapy when our maternal grandfather was shot in front of us when we were just 3 and 4 years old.

64. Among my administrative skills is running in 3-inch heels to run after a former boss in the parking lot who always forgot to tell me where he is going.

65. I always get excited when my son prepares breakfast for me!

66. A little sad that my 13-year old son won’t let me hold his hand in public anymore.

Me and my Marti enjoying my favorite Happy Lemo

67. I already have a nickname for myself when I become a grandmother: Grammi=Grandma+Milli

68. I love it that motherhood has awarded me with big boobs and a curvy bum. Okay, and also a CS scar and cellulite.

69. The first time I knew I wanted to be a mother was when I babysat my cousin Paola when I was 8 years old.

My cousin Paola passed away last year at the age of 29

70. When I said I’d sleep with you if you weren't married, I didn't mean you try harder. It means I will not sleep with you. Period.

71. Are all married people miserable? How come when I introduce myself as a single mom, their singular reply is “Oh you’re so lucky”?

72. Hold the door for me, pull my chair when I get up, let me in the elevator first, kiss my knuckles, bring me flowers and look at me as if you've seen a million dollars and I’m all yours. Except if you’re married. Or if you have body odor. 

73. Because of my strappy sandals getting stuck on the gas, I once drove my car into a sari-sari (variety) store in downtown Manila. Thankfully the only casualties were a wooden table and a bowl of soup.

74. My instant ego-boosters are blood-red lipstick and high heels. Works like a charm every time.

75. In high school, I got broken-up with through the telephone, with the new girl apparently listening on a three-way line so that my jerk of a boyfriend could prove that he broke up with me.

76. The following week, I wore the hottest hot pants I could find and visited my jerk ex-boyfriend’s music bar in Greenhills. He called me up that night, begging to take him back, made me listen to a three-way line so I could hear him dump new girl. After that, I dumped him. Ah, sweet, chocolate-covered revenge.

77. My favorite vegetable is ampalaya (bitter melon).

78. I used to faint weekly in grade school due to anemia to the delight of my sister because she got sent home with me every time.

79. I used to feign fainting weekly in P.E. class in grade school because our male P.E. teacher back then tried to kiss me while I was in the school clinic after one of my real fainting spells. I was 10 years old.

80. And that’s the real reason why to this day, I hate engaging in any kind of sports and not because of sfairesphobia like what my family thought all this time.

81. I literally trekked seven mountains in one morning and just in flip-flops.

82. On my 9th day of work at my previous job, I was on the floor of my boss’ office picking up some books and when I turned to gather another set, a pair of old woman’s feet appeared in front of me then disappeared when I yelped. Still freaks me out.

83. One time I didn’t eat pork for 6 months after seeing how longganisa (local sausage) was made.

84. I’ve never tried drugs but I get high on dark chocolate so maybe I have tried drugs before.

85. I once laughed myself to health. H-fever one day, gone the following day. It really does work!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mboprtr

86. Mom’s advice on men that really stuck: the first thing to look at a man is if he has clean and clipped fingernails; it tells a lot about how caring he is.

87. Mommyla’s (my maternal grandmother) advice on men that really stuck: if a man smells better than you, he’s probably gay.

88. My all-time favorite Filipino movie is Jack en Jill circa 1954. It’s the reason why I’m a huge Dolphy fan.



89. My most comfortable sleeping position is lying on my tummy.

90. My son says the reason I’m never going to get married is that I’m looking for a man who doesn’t smell, doesn’t spit nor fart in public and doesn’t belch because such a man simply doesn’t exist. And if he does, he’s gay.

91. I’ve been courted by a lesbian to the horror of my Mom and by a gay man to the delight of my Mom.

92. Dr. Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman says it all about me. Actually, it says it all about every woman I know and have in my life.

93. I’ve written to Dr. Angelou if I could handwrite her works. Still waiting, praying and hoping for a response.

94. I got a total of 3 marriage proposals in my life: one was from my son’s father and the others were from two 8-year old cousins who were fighting over me.

95. Once my little cousin Karla did the turning down of a relentless suitor by saying, “My Ate Maelyn (that's me) will never like you because you look like a horse!” and made the poor guy cry. It was New Year’s Eve.

96. I’m a sucker for unrequited love and maybe that’s why no man has requited my love up to now.

97. My Mom once gave me a necklace with a heart and key charm saying that I should only give the key to the guy I will love forever. A year later I threw the charm into the grave of Anziel, my suitor who died in the Ozone Disco tragedy.

98. My life’s pursuit: to love, to love but one, to love always (can’t remember who originally quoted that and it’s not in the net).

99. The older you get, the bolder you become so…

100. The first guy who broke my heart about 20 years ago was Joseph Pagulayan. So if you know him, keep your mouth shut because he has no idea.

Thanks for taking time to read and hopefully you've come to see me in a different light, a better light. 

Another year older and I am grateful as ever to the Lord who has never failed to bless me and love me, flaws and all.