The weekend came, is almost gone, yet I have not been able to catch up on my blogging. I’ve been tagged to do several memes, which I shall do now before they get buried with another school week’s worth of mommy chores. The next two weeks will especially be toxic as the first quarter exams are here. For Chinese schools (or at least in ours), periodical exams are divided into two phases. Phase 1 is for the Chinese subjects (oral, vocabulary, and written tests). Phase 2 is for all other subjects. Phase 1 in my kids’ school happens this week. We’re gearing up for a lot of hard work. Hooray.
~~~
Teacher Julie tagged me to do the Birthday Meme. The rules:
- Go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday (month and day).
- Write down 3 events, 2 births, 1 holiday and tag 5 friends.
- There are five slots in the Birthday Meme. As you are tagged, you have to remove the name in the first slot and bump everyone up so that your name can be added to the bottom.
Very nice timing, Julie! My birthday, August 1, is just around the corner. I’ll be 33! Man, I don’t even mind anymore that I’m way past the calendar dates. I’ve come to terms with that last year and now moved on into the acceptance phase. I am old! But it’s not that bad, actually.
On with the tag…
3 Events:
30 BC – Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic. (Incidentally, my paternal grandpa, who was a schoolteacher, wanted to name me Augusta when I was born for obvious reasons. There is historical background behind it pala. In retrospect, I would have loved to be named Augusta 
)
1831 – London Bridge opens.
1834 – Slavery is abolished in the British Empire.
2 births (It’s awesome to know I share birthdays with them):
1936 – Yves Saint Laurent, French fashion designer.
1942 – Jerry Garcia, American musician (The Grateful Dead) (d. 1995)
1 Holiday:
World Scout Day – anniversary of the first day of the Brownsea Island Camp in 1907, where Robert Baden-Powell began scouting. (I was a Girl Scout from grade school to high school!)
The list:
If you find this really interesting and your birthday is coming up soon, consider yourself tagged!
~~~
10 Random Facts About My Mom (Thanks, Mitch, for the tag. I loved doing this!)
1. Mama is 65 years old but she looks 10 years younger. (Hindi bola yan ah, besides she doesn’t read my blog hehe).
2. She is 8 years younger than Dad. (I couldn’t imagine myself marrying someone 8 years older!)
3. She is a great multi-tasker. Decades before the term was invented, she was already doing it: at night before going to bed, while she brushed her teeth, she went around the house checking doors, windows, the gas tank, faucets, on her 6 girls, and taking out food from the ref for the next morning’s breakfast. By the time she was done, I could imagine how clean her teeth were! 
With six children to raise on her own most of the time (as Dad was an OFW for several years), I guess she only got better at multi-tasking.
4. She is one of those lucky women whom God chose to bless with hairless legs and underarms. Never in her life has she experienced shaving her legs or plucking her armpits.
5. She’s a prolific, awesome green thumb. Her garden is beautiful when it’s in full bloom, which is just about all-year ’round.
6. She’s a collector of all sorts. She keeps boxes and boxes of old clothes, old books, old stuff. She has issues parting with old stuff. In the nooks and crannies of her handbag are packets of ketchup and napkins. Her reason: You’ll never know when you will need them.
7. She has this Flavor of the Month thing. For one month, she will have a favorite blouse which she will wear almost everyday of the week. Dad would scold her and tell her to change into one of the many clothes she has. Of course she refuses.
8. Mama is/was quite vain with her skin, the reason I guess for her youthful look. She always has jars of lotions, moisturizers and night creams stashed away somewhere in her room (some of which I have managed to pilfer, hehe). I remember: on those nights she was multi-tasking, if she wasn’t brushing her teeth, she was wiping her face with some toner or cream. I remember: Pond’s Cold Cream, Oil of Olay, some Clarins cream…
9. She, along with Dad, has discovered her retirement calling: Bingo. *hay*
10.Mama is a strong Filipina woman. She has weathered a lot of storms in her life and always managed to come out whole, better.
I’m not tagging anyone, but if you’ve got a great mom worth bragging about, why don’t you share ten random things about her?
~~~
Passing on the Rockin’ Badge
Weeks ago, Rach
Chateau of iMoM – She is a dedicated work-at-home mom. I had the privilege of meeting her in person. The first thing about her that striked me was her lovely smile. Chats is sweet, friendly and fun-loving. It’s interesting how we seem to have a penchant for similar food. No wonder, we got along pretty well on our first meeting.
and Annamanila
Chateau, Queen of Quirks — the one, the only who can beat my own royal weirdness. She’s very kalog and funny — though she has to unfreeze first before she goes campy. With a heart soft as marshmallow for Nate, Patricia, Vgood and Technohub and big enough to embrace new friends like me.
awarded me with the shiny hot-pink Rockin’ Girl Blogger badge, which I gratefully accepted. However, I failed to pass on the badge to five other rockin’ girl bloggers. So here is my long-overdue list:
1. Toni of Gluehwurm: She has always rocked, blogger or not. We were friends back in high school, and used to hang out at her parents’ folkhouse (today’s equivalent of a bar). I love her blog because she talks about her interesting life in Germany, as well as her beautiful travels and vacations with the V. I especially like the photos in her blog.
2. Lisa of i-Baguio: She blogs about Baguio with so much fire and passion. Want to know about the recent goings-on up there? Or the coolest places to see when on vacation in Baguio? Hop on over to her blog, and you will see from an insider’s view.
3. Annamanila of Ode to Old: I just can’t help but boomerang the shiny badge back to her. What can I say? I love her fluid writing style. She is funny and quirky. She plays a mean game of scrabble. She listens to Imago and The Eraserheads. How cool can one get? She’s one rockin’ blogger… and over 50 at that! 
4.Auee of Kwentong Walang Kwenta: I love her honest humor and sharp wit. I wonder why she called her kwentos walang kwenta when it’s exactly the opposite. She is also a cool rocker mom who loves Metallica. Rock on, Auee!
5. Simply Belle: She is such an inspiring woman. Her story of how she rose above her circumstances, her generous heart for the needy, and the awesome job she’s doing with raising two beautiful and brilliant girls inspire me.
~~~
Whew!
And that, folks, took half of my Sunday. The other half was spent experimenting in the kitchen with a new dish the technohub and Patch have been craving for. Will blog about that soon, I hope.
July 30th, 2007 at 2:37 am
Hi ! Just discovering your blog. I won’t have time to fulfill my tag… Although my birthday is tomorrow. But I’m leaving on holidays, heading for Brittany, a western area in France. And I’m not still finished with my packing !!!
I’ll come and visit your blog again when I’m back. I like its atmosphere.
July 30th, 2007 at 5:49 am
naku na miss ko na nga entries mo eh, glad to read your very long post before we head on for our next holiday destination
so be ready for the next batch of photos .. but that have to wait for now, speaking of pictures -thanks for the rocking girl blogger award 
girl we rock this world!
in case i’ll forget, eh advance happy birthday na rin. ganon eh, nagsigurado na nga! naku, heard about flying rav’s trip to london, sayang naman our exchanges, alam mo ba the V. got excited he bought already some stuff for you (italian noodles/pesto etc.)and flying rav for the next exchange eh kaso we have to consume them in the next 6 months (expiration)in case di mabalik ang ating beautiful courier this side of europe. ok lang till next time.
July 30th, 2007 at 6:16 am
Thanks for doing the birthday tag even if you are quite busy. Advance Happy Birthday lest I forget.
At least you only have two students to review for the test whereas I have several. And that crawls in a span of three-four weeks until September when my eldest Trixie will have her trimester test. Arrrghhh!
Have fun on your special day and take care!
Btw, I like the name Augusta too. Sounds real good and very strong,
July 30th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Hi Chats!! I loved that Birthday meme. Hey, malapit na b-day mo!! Saan ang handa?
You’re Mama is way too cool!! Inggit naman on her hairlessness. Wish we could all have that trait!
BTW, saan ang handa? Hehehe
July 30th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I missed you! You must’ve been soooo busy. I would keep visiting your blog and see the STAIRS post for a long time — then, allosafudden, a lot of posts for me to catch up with. Great!
Thanks for tagging me with a badge that says ‘GIRL’
July 30th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Glad to know you’re okay enough to blog that longish post.
Your mom sounds super. And i do that too, brush my teeth while going around the house or … playing scrabble hahaha.
Sarap pala ng boomerang … rang … rang ….
We must do something on August 1 or thereabouts. Name the date, Chats. I need to hug you. hehehe
July 30th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Katuwa naman ang nanay mo re #6. Nanay ko mga papers bags naman lalo na magaganda.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:47 am
Hi Chats!! Bukas na ang big day!!
Sure, lets meet up soon! Tutal ikaw naman ang taya..hehehe
Give me a shout-out na lang, near lang naman ako
July 31st, 2007 at 10:38 am
ey Chats! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU GIRL! ENJOY THE SPECIAL DAY!
July 31st, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Am half a day early – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR CHATS. greet ulit kita bukas, May you have your heart’s desire on your special day. lots of love from sexy mom!
your mom rocks! now, Annamanila and I know where the “flawless” traits come from.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Hi, Sis! Happy, happy birthday! Thought i’d greet you now coz tomorrow might get too busy (you’ll never know what will come up w/ 5 kids!), then i’ll be kicking myself when i realize too late that your day has gone by. Anyways, Happy birthday again, sis! I miss you and your kidlings! Sometimes the kids and i stop and reminisce our good times w/ all of you and it makes us sigh… How are they all doing? I bet nathan is getting big fast! Is he walking on his own now? post some recent photos naman! How are Din & Mei? Tell them to study well and that tita cathy and cousins send hugs and kisses. We miss you na talaga!
That was a very funny entry abt Mama! Reading it made me want to add one more thing about her: She is missed a lot!
Sige na, sis! gotta go to work in an hour. Been trying to call your cell before i decided to blog na lang, was just ringing endlessly.
Love yah!
Kisses to your little ones! Bite Nathan’s heel for me!
August 1st, 2007 at 7:47 am
first off, happy birthday! may you a wonderful birthday with friends and family.
thanks for awarding me the rockin’ girl blogger badge. am gratefully honored to receive such an award….thank you from the bottom of my simple heart.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:41 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHATS!! Hope you have a wonderful day today
August 1st, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Maligayang bati, Chats!
August 1st, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Thank you, Belle, Cookie and Mitch, for the greetings!
Wow, I’m a year older. I don’t feel it yet though. hehe
And thanks to all friends and family who emailed or texted to greet.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:09 am
happy birthday Chats! hope to see you soon.
sana you invite your mom to blog.