BLOODY VINTAGE GIRL

While the absence of manananggals, kapres and tiktiks made it a little less adventurous, my first Halloween costume party experience was just a blast! I've always been fascinated with the unknown. It scares the living daylights out of me, especially those Nov 1 Magandang Gabi Bayan specials. But hey, we are surrounded by things we don't know so might as well embrace them.

So yeah there was a costume party at our house-- just for pictorial's sake mind you. And don't you agree we've got some pretty good ones? I was gonna be the Corpse Bride, but bridal gowns don't come cheap, even from thrift stores, so I settled for a vintage dress. So I became bloody vintage girl. Nice. The kids were scared hehe.

All in all, it was fun. The whole family was there, even our white cousins... (no pix of them though, we failed to get an appointment! Nyaha!) For once, Halloween and All Saint's day ain't as morbid as in the Philippines. On second thought, I actually love the morbidity...

Here are the pix, enjoy! Awooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

****

I came across this poem as I was cleaning my files from one folder. Sad. I wrote this right after I found out that the decision to leave the country was final. No ifs and buts. I had a terrible premonition about my stepping foot outside homeland soil. Nothing fatal. Worse. I thought I would be suckered into the American dream.

More than a year later, I have put my point of view in its proper perspective. While I still do not relish the prospect of emigration, Patricia Evangelista was right. We now live in a world that has no bounds. So that should cause me no grief. After all, Manila will wait for me, I'm sure. Meanwhile, let me suck the marrow out of this American siesta I'm taking. Carpe Diem!

A strange thing. Every year, like a thief sneaking behind my back, something big and new gets added to the Filipino colloquial vocabulary.

Last year, the Friendster bulletin board was being flooded by "Heller!" I had no idea what that meant, and neither did my sister.. so when I finally touched base, there it is. The new "Hello". Heller?!??
And then this year. The new addition is "AMP" or "AMF" or "AMPNESS". Another word whose etymology is still suspect-- to me. The hell? Please, somebodY! what does this mean???

This is sorta like that year, I believe it was 1999, when I was out on hibernation... When I finally went out to greet the world, BAM! Suddenly, I'm hearing new words that I couldn't fathom.. Words that may or may not have significance in my life, that just the same, are there for the swallowing. Grammar and linguistics are usually my forte. But this here, ah that's the trick part.

To date, the biggest "new" word to me is "Partida". And this was something Eric, Whillie and Vincent had trouble teaching me to use. Ha-ha. I'm a slow learner when it comes to Filipino made-up/slang vocabulary. I think I used the better part of my Junior year in college trying to use "Partida" in a grammatically- and structurally-correct sentence.

But I graduated from that (although I am rarely in a situation that calls for using this word). So now, what's that word again? "AMP?!?!"