Tuesday, September 1, 2009

My Personal Greeter, My Silent Cheerleader

No matter how dreadful the day turned out to be, he could always be counted on to cheer me up. No matter how unfair life treated me, he never once turned his back on me. He would listen patiently and sit quietly beside me until my tears have dried and sleep has shut down my tired eyes. He never complained. He never questioned.

From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew that he would bring great joy to my life. And I was right. Throughout the years we were together, he was always by my side. My personal greeter. My silent cheerleader.

It has been six years now. Six years, and he hasn't grown tired of me. He has always been a loyal companion who would sit by the gate, waiting for me to come home... waiting to greet me happily. And every time, he never failed to make me smile and forget my worries even just for a while. He never failed to make my heart race and paint a blush of color on my cheeks despite the heavy weariness at the end of a long day.

I can still remember how he looked like when he was given to me as a graduation gift. He was white and fluffy like a cute, tiny cotton ball, with soft streaks of golden brown which eventually faded as he grew older. He would curl up into the narrow space at the side of my bed 's mattress which was pushed to the wall, and snuggle there like a living stuffed toy. He would follow me faithfully whenever I walked in the streets, and would sometimes fall smack into the gutter where he fit perfectly! He would often get excited for no reason at all, bounding back and forth with his strong legs in our living room while barking with great enthusiasm. He was my very first pet, and my only pet up to this day. And I love him dearly.

As soon as I approach him in a sweet manner,
he turns to lie on his back and eagerly waits for his tummy to be scratched.

He used to lie down together with my "hotdog" pillows...

Mushie and I are inseparable! =)

Back in my childhood days until I was in college, I wasn't so fond of animals. I never imagined I would grow attached to one, looking for him first thing in the morning and looking forward to his greetings whenever I arrived home. He was not only a companion, but a cherished friend who has witnessed a lot of my pains and joys.

At home, we all talked to him like a person. We all treated him like family, the baby in the house. My mom would usually tell him, "Okay, go to ate now", referring to me as his older sister. And he would follow most of the time. He was smart, and he knew how to communicate his needs. Or perhaps we have grown so accustomed to his ways and he to ours that we simply understand each other easily already. He's such a cutie that we often love hugging him tightly until he started squirming or walking away. But no matter how irritating we probably were at times, he remained sweet and patient.

I called him Mushcka or Mushie. My personal greeter. How lonely it would be without him and how grim the dark house would be at night without his presence when I get home late. No matter how tired or sleepy he seemed to be, his tail would wag quickly the instant he sees me! Sometimes, he would just stay lying down on the floor with all fours spread out as if he was a little white carpet. But even if he doesn't get up, his tail would wag faster and faster as I drew nearer. I can't imagine not having him around.

It's difficult to accept that someday, there will only be deafening silence to greet me as I come home. No jumping up and down. No cocking furry head and raising ear. No cheerful bark. No wagging tail. Nothing at all... When that time comes, I know I'm going to miss him terribly. But nonetheless, I will be glad to have had him in my life. I will be thankful to have known him and to have acquired treasures of memories with him. I'll never forget him---my personal greeter, my silent cheerleader.


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Monday, August 31, 2009

Surprise, Surprise!

"Surprise!" they exclaimed with huge smiles on their faces, holding out the mouthwatering Red Ribbon cake that they bought just for me and waving two blue balloons in the air which they had painstakingly blown themselves. All along, this cake was actually mine. It was I who was driving when we had dropped by the bakeshop to buy it. My friend even had the nerve to tell me that we had to shell out some bucks for it, when in fact, it was really mine! Hahahhaa! Good one!


Posing with my birthday cake

Wow! I get to blow another candle on my "toot-toot-th" birthday!

As soon as they burst into their jolly, out-of-sync version of the "happy birthday" song, my heart skipped a beat, my eyes lit up, and my lips broke into a wide grin all in one instance. What I thought was a despedida get-together in Mcdo Libis (very near our workplace) for one of our friends who was about to go abroad turned out to be my very own birthday bash! It was touching indeed. And no matter how many surprises my different loved ones have thrown for me during the past years, they still managed to come up with new ideas and to catch me off guard.

The balloons were one-of-a-kind. Hehehe...

Enjoying our McDo meals together

I may have other sets of friends whom I have known a lot longer, but there's always room for more. And with this simple gesture of love and friendship, I felt that my bond with these girls had grown to more than just the passing-through kind. It was, hopefully, a camaraderie for keeps.

Until this day, the balloons which have shriveled to four times its original size continue to glide around on my bedroom floor. The words "Happy Birthday, Olive!" with the child-like drawing of a girl are still quite readable and still bring a smile to my face whenever I come home.

Thank you so much, girlfriends! =)

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Impromptu Massage on a Weeknight

Tucked in the hushed residential area along Wilson Street in San Juan, the relaxing haven lay silently in the dark, seemingly awaiting our arrival. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision on our part to look for this talked-about Ahavia Lounge Spa since we were already in the area. And it's a good thing we were far from disappointed. It was nicer than we had imagined, with a simple elegance. The lobby was small, yet impressive. The pale light coming from the attractive chandeliers filled with round, black capiz pieces softly illuminated the black-and-white modern interiors. A minty aroma of flowers infused the room, beginning to relax our tense muscles and ease the throbbing pain in our heads that was a remnant of the heavy week that had passed. It was definitely the right choice, to spend the evening here instead of at the movie house.

There was a good variety of massages, scrubs, and other services offered that all seemed so inviting. After going over the choices, my fiance and I availed their oriental massage, which was quite affordable compared to the usual spa rates. We were led along dark, narrow hallways designed with plain black walls and lighted pieces of sculpture that were really beautiful. The floor was a series of black rectangular tiles with muted, yellow floor lights surrounded by white pebbles. And on the sides were curtained partitions for the rooms.
Justify Full
The oriental massage supposedly had Thai origins, which consisted more of deep, soothing caresses with the use of massage oil for the whole body instead of focusing on pressure points. I was thrown into blissful relaxation, at times falling asleep and at times feeling surreal. When it was finished, I wanted to just lie down on the bed and drown into an oblivion of uninterrupted sleep.

The feeling of serenity wrapped me in comfort as I sipped the hot tea served after. It was certainly a calming experience that was perfect for ending a regular tiring work day. We will surely be back for more.


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