The timely reboot

The nice thing about doing a prequel is that you learn about a character when he still wasn’t the one you have always known him to be.

 

The latest Bond movie installment Casino Royale is meant to be a reboot of the super spy’s career in the service, perfectly timed with the introduction of the new Bond,  Daniel Craig.

 

So, there was no ‘Q’ to give him some fancy gadgets and no Moneypenny to flirt with at the reception.  He only just met a recurring character, Felix Leiter of the CIA.  He still doesn’t know that he looks his best in a tuxedo, he likes dry martini and hasn’t yet realized that he actually will like his martini  ‘shaken not stirred’. 

 

He doesn’t have the dashing, drop dead gorgeous looks of Brosnan, Moore and Connery so it was perfectly fine with me to see him bloodied and dirty.  Hehehe

 

I feel like I am betraying Pierce but…I like this new James Bond.  He is scary.  He is dangerous. His physique is …well, he worked hard to get that body.   And boy, can he act!  He doesn’t have the flirtatious charm of Brosnan and Moore but well…did I mention that he has a nice body?   (lol)  He is reminiscent of Sean Connery who wasn’t coy about showing off his form.

 

There were some lines and scenes that seemed uncharacteristic of 007 but I guess the script demands it.   Except in the movie (Her Majesty’s Secret Service) where he actually got married,  I prefer to have my James Bond, distant and non committal.

 

Much as Pierce Brosnan would always be tops on my list, an icon like James Bond is bigger than the actors that portray him. So, there.  I concede. It is Daniel Craig’s turn.

 

The tie that binds

“When I visited Mama while she was resting at home, I remember her words. “

 

 “Masarap mabuhay.  Hindi ko na makikitang lumaki sina Yui and Johann.

Life is beautiful.  I will not see Yui and Johann (her grandsons, 3 and 2 years old) grow up anymore.

 

“She started to cry but recovered quickly.  I got up, went to the bathroom and cried.” 

 

These are words of my brother, Yui’s father.

 

This is just one of the several anecdotes he relates to me each time he calls me or sends me text messages.  His anecdotes reveal to me how he misses our parents and where he is in the grieving process.

 

His name is Red.

 

My mother used to say that my brother Red and I get along well.  I have often wondered why.  My Kuya Red and I are just okay.  Not close but we’re okay.  I usually disagree with his ideas.  We are an opinionated pair.

 

But I realize that he was a major influence in my life.  He was the one who convinced me to take accounting and not BS Chemistry.  He used to call up the radio stations to talk to the discjockeys and make song requests. (Yes, I used to call the radio stations and befriend the DJs!)   We both loved James Bond and Remington Steele.  He even bought a CD of the James Bond theme songs. Ah, I love Star Wars but his fascination for this it, I can never understand. I liked all the tv shows that he liked.  I remember him telling me to watch English shows so that I will understand the language better. 

 

He, our eldest brother and our father shared the same love for war movies, war books and world history.  I think his influence on me ended there.  I never liked war movies especially history.  I never watched Platoon, Born on the fourth of July, Saving Private Ryan and whatever war movies. (Although, the Clint Eastwood movie, The Flags of our Fathers isn’t so bad.)

 

There was a movie (or was it a book or a tv movie) that my father and brothers often talked about when I was young,  The Bridge on the River Kwai. They talked about that so loudly that I never forgot the title. I was just too happy to tell them that I almost planned on arranging a trip to the river kwai when I went to Thailand, my feeble attempt to be part of the all boys conversations.  Hahaha

 

Expectedly, my brother and I grew apart when I developed my own unique preferences.  He then became… just my brother.  But I can never recall a time when he and I ever quarreled.  Maybe that is why my mother always said “ay, ang magkasundo magkasama na naman”.

 

The family crisis over the last two years brought the two of us and the rest of my siblings closer to each other.  It was not without the usual spats but you know what they say about blood being thicker and all.

 

Now, five months after our mother died, my Kuya and I continued with our regular phone conversations.  It has become a venue to get updated on personal stuff, career stuff, future plans, etc. 

 

And on another time, he recalls,

 

“I asked my officemates to drop me off at Blumentritt (a street in Manila) as I planned to drop by the house to visit Papa and Mama.  Then I realized that they are both gone.  They are not home anymore.”

 

It was a surprise to have my brother open up to me about his feelings and frustrations.  He has never been too open to me until recently.  And it was a good feeling.  He is now not just a brother but my friend.

 

My parents often complained about how their children seem to ignore each other when inside the house. Well they would have been happy to know that their children are indeed taking care of each other even as they don’t live under the same roof anymore.

 

When everyone else goes away, indeed, there will always be family.

 

Monday High

My Monday (the 13th) morning at the office began on a high note. Although I felt an occasional sense of wariness over some announcement that I knew would come within the day, I welcomed the heartwarming news of being recognized for my efforts.

I received a company performance award for collaboration.

"...for generously sharing her expertise by initiating...... resulting in....."


"Wow, this is nice!" I smiled. It wasn't the news that I had been waiting for but it was wonderful and welcome news nonetheless.

It was well within the day when I finally got the email from Henry.


"Congratulations! You have been accepted via the 10 year rule which means that you can now directly apply as CMA member of ICMA Australia without further examination...."


I covered my mouth as I shrieked and immediately sent my reply, forgetting that I barely knew him except that he is the CMA Philippines Program Director who occassionaly drops by during our Saturday classes to make some announcements.

"Yehey!! Thanks Henry. Mwah Mwah!"

Oh yes, I sent that message.


It was great news for several reasons:

It validated my professional experience in management accounting,

It spared me from reviewing my notes (which wasn't in the mood to do) and taking an eight-hour examination,

It saved me ten thousand pesos examination fee which I had planned on personally paying for.

AND it was just simply happy news. Something to be thankful for.


I wasn't about to let the day go without making sure I have expressed my gratitude for the special favors that God has brought my way. And, it is always sweeter to share happy news with people around you.

"You are having a good day, aren't you?" asks a friend of mine.

"A great day...." I replied with a giggle.

Sis

“So, do you have a heartbreak song?”

 

My youngest (and my favorite) sister looked at me quizzically.  She must be thinking, I have a crazy sister. 

 

“No I don’t,” she replies and continues with her meal. She sounded and looked like she wanted to change the topic.

 

But that is the privilege of being the older sister who decides to set a lunch date with her sister because she wants to know the juicy details of a break up.

 

Let me digress a bit.

 

About a week ago, our eldest brother sent me a message telling me to talk to our bunso (meaning youngest sibling) because she and her cutiepy boyfriend broke up.  It appears that one of the concerned barkadas of my sister came over our house and while waiting for my sister to arrive home, spilled the beans to my brother.

 

“She won’t talk to me. Besides, she listens to you.” he persisted.  Of course I agreed and said I will take care of it.   All of us in the family have always been protective of her. 

 

Now back to our lunch date.

 

It took me awhile to find the segue as we were having our lunch until finally I decided to go head on.

 

While she was enjoying the chicken in pandan and bagoong rice,

 

“Did you change your number because you and Bernard broke up?”

 

She gave me an awkward grin and said, “yes”

 

Ohh lala was my reply. “No more Ely Buendia (a vocalist of a local band) look alike of a boyfriend?”

 

She laughed.

 

“You changed your number because he is bugging you and asking you for a second chance?”

 

Again she smiles and nods.

 

“And you don’t want to give him a second chance? What did he do?”

 

I knew the details but I wanted to see if she will tell me.  I smiled to myself as I watch my sister struggle to find the politically correct phrases probably in an attempt to “protect” her ex.   Or maybe because I am family and the ugly details are ”exclusive to barkada”.  I didn’t press the topic.

 

“No heartbreak song?!!” I said, incredulous.  “Let me suggest one.  You know Nina’s new album has a nice, super sad song.  It is called Someday.  Have you heard it?”

 

She shakes her head and of course I sing the chorus to her. 

 

“O di ba emote yun? Pero positive ah.  Girl power.”  This time, my sister was giggling and said.  “Ang kulit mo, Ate G!”

 

I was not finished yet. 

 

“Have you cried over him?”

 

“Yes, it is done.”

 

“Oh your girl friends are aplenty so you won’t have problems.  What did they say, “you deserve someone better?”

 

She laughs and says “You know too much, Ate G.”

 

“Hello, there are probably hundreds of books about standard words of comfort as well  books on standard excuses of a guy for fooling around.  But crying is good so, go bond with your girl friends.”

 

Then it was time for the big sister speech.

 

“It is okay I guess. I mean you have been together for two years and you are just about to graduate from college.  If you marry at 25 (God forbid), you would not have had the chance to go out with other people.  You are just exposed to a small world right now, your campus.  You will meet a lot of people after college.  You will see.  Enjoy ka lang.”

 

Then she surprised me by saying.

 

“Yeah, I thought about that. I realize that.”

 

Then she tells me about her plans to go to graduate school and asks me for suggestions on career choices.   I think she realizes that I am more the career choice guru than the love expert. Ouch.. Hehehehe.

 

My sister has really grown up.  I still distinctly remember her as a baby.  She was very chubby, cuddly, very fair skinned, Korean looking little bundle.  She was so cute.  You can barely see her eyes when she smiles.

 

Now at 5’3’ she gives her big sisters fashion tips. Oh yeah, make up tips too.  

 

And she seems to be handling her break up pretty well. 

 

I think if my younger self meets up with her, I will learn a lot from my grown up little sister.

 

(Somebody hand me a Kleenex………..)

 

Five Things

Here are five things you may not know about me.

 

1)         I used to be one of the tallest girls during my elementary school days.  One of the tallest and the biggest bully.   I didn’t seem to add any more inches after that but I am still a big bully.

 

2)         My childhood dream was to be a newscaster and a beautician.  (but to this day, I do not know how to put on eyeshadow)

 

3)         When I was in fourth grade, two of my teachers had an argument over my schedule.  (campus celeb eh).  Since I was too young to make a decision, they decided for me and thought of what would give me better chances to graduate with honors.  (o diba OA, grade school pa lang).  My music teacher/school choir directress conceded.  And so on my sixth grade, I became editor in chief of our school paper but each time I see our school choir perform, I remember imagining where I would have been standing.  Now that I am grown up and can make my own decisions, please don’t make me choose between writing and music.

 

4)         My friend Jen wouldn’t believe it but I did have short and curly hair.  During high school, I kept it short but from senior year up to my first few years as a working girl, I kept it a bit longer, slightly above the nape.  When I finally decided to take advantage of the ‘advances in hair technology”, I managed to have slightly longer tresses, reaching slightly below my shoulders (just a few months ago!)

 

So what don’t you know about my hair? 

 

Until I was nine, my hair was suuupper straight. Light shade of brown, straight and shiny.  What happened?  I don’t know!!  Okay, one word.  Genes.  Of my six siblings, three have straight and black hair while the rest of us have wavy to curly brown hair.

 

And so goes my mane story

                                            

Lastly….. whew..

 

I was crazy (and still is) over Pierce Brosnan and the series that brought him fame, Remington Steele.  I had clippings of him and his co-star Stephanie Zimbalist.  I remember being disappointed to learn that he was (then) married to (the late) Cassandra Harris because I wanted Stephanie and Pierce to end up together.  I was so crazy about Remington Steele that I still know the prologue of Laura Holt (Zimbalist’s character) that serves as the ( first season ) episode opener. Try me. (I did change a word or two because what I memorized then didn’t make any sense!)

 

Those are my five things.  Sure looks like ten things to me.  Obvious bang I had fun doing this..?  =P