Mark, Len, Edison and I met up with Armand, Becca and their friends and officemates in Alabang. We pigged out at Total while waiting, and then I spotted this:
I love it! Love it love it love it. It's the exact color I would've used on our own Volkswagen if it had been given to me. Papa promised that it would be mine once he's had the chance to restore it. But alas, our old, beautiful Beetle is now rotting in some talyer, completely destroyed and unfit for use. Pure neglect. Heartbreaking. :(
I digress. We left Alabang two hours behind schedule and arrived in Cavite wary of the ominous clouds and steady drizzle.
Len looked flustered at first because she was paired with a boy, instead of a girl as we had been told. We told her not to worry, most of the gifts Mark bought were unisex anyway - good job bebe!
My foster child was an 11-year-old girl named Roxane, who said she doesn't like watching pre-teens gyrating to the tune of My Humps (good girl!) and loves to have her photos taken with her friends and ka-loveteam (huh?).
In fact, they all wanted their photos taken. Our group of children and ates and kuyas were positively disruptive, taking funny pictures, being noisy and not minding the dance number on the stage (yes, the gyrating pre-teens). I won't be surprised if the organizers ban us from next year's party.
The priest's sermon about the eagle and chicken somehow left the children confused, because when the emcee asked them after the Mass, "Ano'ng sabi ni Father, sino ang darating sa December 25?" most of them screamed, "si Santa Claus!" while others said "yung agila!" Hahaha, lost in translation perhaps?
Anyway, between that and the magic tricks, dancing, loads of picture-taking and Faith Cuneta singing Langit Ka, Lupa Ako (for the life of me I don't know the title of that song), we did have a lot of fun. It was one afternoon away from the toxicity and boredom of daily life, and into the world of smiles, honesty and hope.
It kind of makes me wonder though if maybe we had more fun than the children had. That one afternoon made us feel good, and slightly above our normal selves; it benefited us more than it did the kids, who probably have had numerous "foster parents" before. Why would we be any different? I pray they don't get cynical and think of our presence as a fleeting thing, one among many others that they have grown accustomed to but have made little impact on their lives. Because we don't want to be like that - cosmetic, temporary facelifts to a deep-seated problem. I'll be the first to admit that one afternoon of partying and giving gifts can't do that. Heck, not even an entire summer spent in the mountains with a community can help alleviate their situation.
My only consolation is that these little acts, when strung together, might make a difference. Moreover, each is a learning experience that musn't be taken for granted and that should lead to something more meaningful and sustainable. Otherwise, it's a futile, one-sided exercise.
On another note, driving home from Dasma was friggin scary, man. I thought Metro Manila would spared from Supertyphoon Seniang , but we caught part of its tail. It was raining nonstop that afternoon and well into the evening. It wasn't pa-cute rain either. We had to be extra alert because of poor visibility - Absolutely no streetlights! In the pouring rain!! What's that about? - and the occasional mini-tsunamis created by buses zooming past our helpless little sedan on those flooded roads. Plus I had to keep wiping the windshield because it was fogging like crazy. Very stressful. Good thing I don't have a license yet. We got home around 11pm, and didn't go to work the next day. Yeehaa.
It kind of makes me wonder though if maybe we had more fun than the children had. That one afternoon made us feel good, and slightly above our normal selves; it benefited us more than it did the kids, who probably have had numerous "foster parents" before. Why would we be any different? I pray they don't get cynical and think of our presence as a fleeting thing, one among many others that they have grown accustomed to but have made little impact on their lives. Because we don't want to be like that - cosmetic, temporary facelifts to a deep-seated problem. I'll be the first to admit that one afternoon of partying and giving gifts can't do that. Heck, not even an entire summer spent in the mountains with a community can help alleviate their situation.
My only consolation is that these little acts, when strung together, might make a difference. Moreover, each is a learning experience that musn't be taken for granted and that should lead to something more meaningful and sustainable. Otherwise, it's a futile, one-sided exercise.
On another note, driving home from Dasma was friggin scary, man. I thought Metro Manila would spared from Supertyphoon Seniang , but we caught part of its tail. It was raining nonstop that afternoon and well into the evening. It wasn't pa-cute rain either. We had to be extra alert because of poor visibility - Absolutely no streetlights! In the pouring rain!! What's that about? - and the occasional mini-tsunamis created by buses zooming past our helpless little sedan on those flooded roads. Plus I had to keep wiping the windshield because it was fogging like crazy. Very stressful. Good thing I don't have a license yet. We got home around 11pm, and didn't go to work the next day. Yeehaa.
***
This Sunday we'll be participating in a Gawad Kalinga Build in Quezon City. Those who are interested, please contact me.
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