When Did You Fall

It’s the question I’ve constantly asked.

But never got an exact answer to. 

So I guess this is our story.

When Did You Fall?

You’re all smiles and silly conversation
As if this sunny day came just for you
You twist your hair, you smile and you turn your eyes away
C’mon, tell me what’s right with you
Now it dawns on me probably everybody’s talkin’
And there’s something here I’m supposed to realize
‘Cause your secret’s out, and the universe laughs at it’s joke on me
I just caught it in your eyes, it’s a beautiful surprise

When did you fall in love with me?
Was it out of the blue
‘Cause I swear I never knew it
When did you let your heart run free?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?
When did you fall in love?

Make your way over here, sit down by this fool, and let’s rewind
C’mon, let’s go back and replay all our scenes
You can point out the hints, the clues, the twists and the smiles this time
All the ones that slipped by me
I bet my face is red, and you can hear my heart poundin’
Well I guess it don’t matter now that I realize
‘Cause baby I missed it then, but I can surely see you now
Right there before my eyes
You’re my beautiful surprise

Was it at the coffee shop
Or that morning at the bus stop
When you almost slipped, and I caught your hand
Or the time we built the snowman
The day at the beach, sandy and warm
Or the night with the scary thunderstorm
I never saw the signs
Now we’ve got to make up for lost time
And I can tell now by the way that you’re looking at me
I’d better finish this song so my lips will be free

Have you been waiting long, when did you fall in love
I kept you waiting so long, when did you fall
Have you been waiting long
When did you fall in love with me
When did you fall in love?

Imcidentally for V-day, Sherwin got me a 10" digital frame and made up a slideshow of our lovestory with this song.  200 pictures all together from our separate lives, to being classmates, to being a couple, to getting married and to becoming parents.  How sweet!

Godge

Today is Godging’s birthday.  She’s been our cook and all-around househelp for more than 20 years.  Today might just be an ordinary day for her.  Get up early to make breakfast for the family, pick up the paper and mail, go the market, say hello to the neighbors, clean the car, do the laundry, tend to the garden, attend to the dogs, tidy up the house, answer phone calls, open the gate, prepare lunch, do the laundry, and so on and so forth. And, malas, if she gets sermoned pa by Mom, tsk tsk tsk.  Oh, those never-ending chores to do, even on her birthday.  I guess that’s why nobody really knows or remembers their birthdays.   

 

But I do. I send her a birthday card every year since we migrated.  Yesterday while chatting with Ahia, he put on the webcam and I put on mine so I can see Godging and she could see me.  I saw that big smile on her face. And later, tears of joy.

 

I miss her a lot.  I miss that anytime I want to eat a particular dish, she makes it.  And she never disappoints.  When I taught her how to make the seafood rice of Mini Shabu Shabu.  She makes it better.  Why is that?  Whenever Irma was going to my house for cleaning, she’ll send me a dish or two.  And whenever I visit Tagdalit, she’ll cook my favorite dishes.

She is one of the biggest things I miss back home -- her dishes, her most attentive service, her loyalty and her love.

 

Only in the Philippines

Harriet just came from the Philippines last month and was so generous to share her Delimondo corned beef, among her many other pasalubs.  We stayed home today due to the snowstorm so I thought we’d have that for lunch. We had it with fried eggs ala cornsilog.  The next thing I thought was if Mom would want to sneak some of this delicious corned beef in her luggage on her next trip to Toronto. 

 

Then, more things came to mind -- snacks we’ve enjoyed from childhood and some we’ve come to like only after we’ve left.  Most are available in Asian groceries here at an unimaginable patong to the price.  So Mom still always tries to send whatever she can from time to time, while some are impossible and are only meant for craving… at least for now.

 

• Chocnut
• Chivalry pusit
• Cow Label
• Golidolocks Pinipig polvoron
• House of Polvoron, new discovery
• Calamansi Concentrate
• Salabat
• Muhlach’s ensaymada
• Red Ribbon’s mamon
• Ylano’s Sylvanas from Cebu
• Inday’s Dried Mangoes
• Eng Bee Tin Hopia
• and Tikoy
• misua & chamisua fr Mom’s source
• Alsa Gulaman
• Asado siopao from Mamonluk
• Adobong mani
• Garlic chips
• Banana Chips
• Lapid’s Chicharon
• Lucky Me La Paz Batchoy
• Knorr Soup Snax
• CurlyTops
• Choco Mallows
• Palillos de Milan
• Lengua De Gato
• Shing-a-ling
• Jack-n-Jill Potato Chips
• Kropek
• Moondish Laing
• Purefoods Sisig
• Zaragosa Sardines

The (impossible) list goes on to street food like fishballs, kekiam, taho, sorbetero, balut, fried lumpia, the balut vendor’s chicharon, and the pork BBQ from Sct. Alcaraz & Matutum.  I miss the vendors coming to your house selling watermelon or, my favorite, crabs – lalaki, babae o bakla!

 

Food aside, I also miss the perks of having home service mani- & pedicure by Belen, foot spa and body massage at Holiday Spa, haircut and waxing at Bambbi, and free food from Shabu.

 

These, only in the Philippines!