Everything Under The Tropical Sun

The youngest and fairest of us all just celebrated his 20th birthday last Sunday. We had a small gathering at our mom’s place and that was basically it. Great food and great conversations. It’s always wonderful to catch up with everyone.

Though he’s the youngest, sometimes it seems like he’s wiser than most of us… so much so that we take his age forgranted. It doesn’t help that he stands 6-feet tall either. It’s so easy to forget that he’s still young and so very careless. Just when we let our guard down and assume that he’s a responsible adult… he goes and does something stupid. Which is what we all did when we were his age: one stupid act and thought after another.

We don’t take his youth against him. We all understand that these are the things he has to go through to wisen up. Making bad decisions is part of growing up. But compared to my “growth rate” when I was his age, I’d say, he’s growing at a much faster rate. I was a stupid, naive, stubborn, and careless 20 year old. He is smart enough to know what’s right but still lack the self-discipline to actually do it.

He’s easily the most intelligent among us. My favorite story about him was when he was 3 years old… our mom was getting nervous because he still hasn’t spoken a word. No baby talk… No mama or dada or boo boo. Nothing. She even had that thing that connects our tongue to the bottom of our mouths sliced thinking that maybe it was the culprit. Still nothing. Then one day, out of the blue he started talking. No baby talk. Not single words… but whole cohesive sentences.

Can you imagine our shock when this little silent boy opened his mouth and started conversing with us like an adult? It was amazing. I bet he was just watching all of us getting so worked up about him not being able to speak. Smirking and laughing inside, just waiting for the day he’ll reveal his great prank on all of us. Kinda like how he is with us today. He’s just lurking and waiting for us to become ultra worried about him… then one day he’ll just surprise us with a great achievement. I wouldn’t be surpised. I know greatness resides in him.

Happy Birthday, Baby Bro!

It was my mother-in-law’s birthday last Monday but we celebrated it by having dinner last Saturday.

My husband looks more like Mama. They have the same nose and mouth… the shape of their faces are the same… and he got her morena skin tone. A lot of people would still mistake her for his older sister because she’s quite young to be my husband’s mother (she gave birth to him at 19 years old so that makes her 50 years old).

She loves to cook. I could only hope to become as great a cook as her. She’s not protective of her recipes either (like some monster-in-laws I know about). She taught me most of the recipes my husband likes. I can’t quite get them exactly as how she cooks it but I just console myself and say that I’ve put “my twist” in the recipe (which is obviously just an excuse).  He likes it all the same… but if we put the dishes side by side, I know he’d know the difference.

My favorite memory of her was when I first met her. She opened up to me told me that she’s so relieved to have met me and that from my name, she wasn’t sure if I was a girl or a boy. She’s been worried that since her son hasn’t had a girlfriend in over 4 years, that he might have turned gay. She said that there was nothing wrong with it if he was but it did make her feel better that I was a girl and that I was proof that her son didn’t turn gay on her. Imagine that… the first thing that she ever told me when I met her. I guess she was really grateful, huh? She made me feel so welcome right away. I didn’t feel like I had to tip toe around her. She’s awesome!

A happy and fabulous birthday to you, Mama!

Mondays… the dreariest day of the week. But here is something to cheer you up:

http://www.beforeiforget.co.uk/2006/little-becky/

Meet Little Becky, a cute and witty prank caller. Sometimes I wish I never knew that someone would coach her whenever she got stuck with one of her calls. But she’s still cool nonetheless and that accent! Adorable.

It will be the eve of our anniversary tonight. Since we’re not fighting or anything, I guess it’s safe to say that we’re 7 years old a day ahead. Hehe. This is a date we feel that is more important than our wedding anniversary. 02/20/2002 was a life altering day for the both of us and our wedding day was just something that confirmed what we knew then…

I’ve often “bashed” (his term, not mine) him on this blog saying the most ridiculous things or airing out his weird laundry for all the net to see… but the truth is, I’m truly and madly deeply in love with him. Just like a kindergarten kid bullying her crush on the schoolyard, I’ve often picked on him on and offline. That’s just the way I am I guess. I express myself excellently through writing but when it comes to physically showing it, I fail miserably. I don’t think he minds. He usually just shrugs me off when I’m in one of my bullying moods.

In spite of my bullying extravaganzas, I know he loves me. Believe it or not, I CAN be sweet (yes, I CAN!!!)… when I want to. He often tells me he doesn’t exactly know why he loves me and that he just does. It annoys me but I guess that’s just what it is right? Love is something very difficult to explain or describe… or even in some cases to justify. It just is. Hmmm… maybe I should stop bugging him about it? … NAH.

In the span of 7 years… we’ve managed to turn from a all-day-all-night party couple to the most boring couple in the world. When people would ask us what we’ve been up to, our normal response would be: “Nothing. We’re kill joys now.” I’m serious. We live it and own it because quite frankly, we enjoy just staying home… hanging out… experimenting with crazy and the not so crazy recipes. Sure, we talk to each other… but if we have nothing to say, it’s okay too.

Seven years… it sure can fly by so fast when spending it with my best friend.

I love you. Happy Anniversary!

Such great news! For someone who first picked up a DSLR March of 2008, this is one incredible feat!

I don’t really understand what the whole article is talking about since it’s in Russian. To think he’s in Dubai but got published somewhere else. Isn’t that Amazing?

He showed me this particular shoot he did late last year. To be honest, I didn’t see the technical side of his shoots… all I saw were the beautiful jewelry. He shot a 5 carat round diamond that just made me sigh. So I guess he did his job right, right?

All photographers could ever hope for is getting to capture the “moment” or show how beautiful these products are (or even make an ugly product look beautiful). To create photographs that evoke emotion from the viewer is not easy without talent but with enough skill and knowledge, it can be achieved with great precision. Teach has both.

As I’ve posted before, I’m so proud of him. Though he doesn’t really know how to graciously accept compliments (I think he’s embarassed by it.), I will say it over and over until he gets comfortable with the idea that he is worthy of compliments… and not just in photography. For someone so talented, he barely recognizes his.

I wish I had a link to post of his site. But not just yet. His OCD coupled with Harry’s (the one doing the coding and stuff of his photoblog)… it may be a while ’til that blog sees the light of the web. As soon as it’s up, I’ll post a link at the left. For now… I’M SO PROUD OF YOU TEACH!