43 And Still Growing

I just recently celebrated my 43^rd birthday (yes, you read it right) and it has come to my attention that I am not young anymore, you think? I just realized that!  With all the things going on around us, particularly me, I thought things are well but in a blink of an eye we are here at this moment.  I scarcely deny how old I am because I don’t feel that old at all.   I felt that years has gone so slowly and dragging that I don’t feel I have even aged or grown.  But as I ponder on the years, it hit me like a sack of rice in the head that time, do fly by so fast.

 I was 33 when I came to America.  Naïve but full of vigor, I thought I could do anything.  Realizing that it would take a lot of sweat and tears to survive this journey I have to take.  Sweat and tears indeed, because I have no doubt that that was what I’ve gone through during my 10 years here.  That is one thing I love about Filipinos, we are resilient and adoptive.  We can live anywhere and everywhere in a good or bad situation.  We adopt, like a chameleon.  I learned that through my years here and I am thankful to the people I’ve met along the way who made the journey easier.  Here are a few things I have come to discover and learned for the past 10 years:

1.   Not all “friends” are real. I discover that a lot of people who said that they are your friends meant nothing of the sort but they wanted to be your friend so long as they can benefit from it and get something out of it in return.  Too bad I learned that the hard way.

2.     Not all “relatives” are blood related.  Same as friends, there are so many who pretend to treat you like one but there are only few who are sincere and true.  Sometimes it is better to have a non-relative to be with rather than a blood related relative who stabs you in the back.  I have fortunately able to identify them both and happy to say that true ones have emerge the winner.

3.       In connection to number 2, you can’t choose your relatives. It is unfortunate that in a family, there will always be one who is the black sheep or a bad “apple”.  Even if the tree is as good as it gets, it does not mean that the fruits bore was as good.  Sometimes, one or two fruit is rotten.  And they are still relatives, so what can you do?

4.     Last certainly not the least, I have learned not to trust people as easily as I used to.  There are people who will just take advantage of that trust, stomp, crushed and beat you until you are lying on the floor screaming.  I have also learned my lesson here the hard way.  I am just really sorry that it had to be that way.

And so, here I am.  Forty somethin’ and still learning… growing!

Happy birthday to me.

p.s.

thanks for the best gifts ever!!!

My Love Affair

I started reading romance novel at the age of 13. Nope, I did not start with Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys but went right straight to Mills & Boons. It was a great influence from my relatively big group of women cousins, not to mention my sister who is 5 yrs. older than me, who were all reading pocket books. I witness the frequent exchanges and trade ins of the books between them. The most popular back then was Mills & Boons.  I've seen the wall of bookshelves my oldest cousin have in her room where we, my lady cousins, always gather around to borrow from her. The very first book I read was by Janet Dailey. Too much drama if you ask me but I love her just the same.

Reading to me is very fascinating.  I do not know if you experience the same way I do when I read but I think its really powerful.  Because when I am reading a book, it seems to me like I am watching a movie in my mind.  I can picture the characters and the events happening just like a movie.  I specifically like the part where I can almost feel the tension, twist and turns of the story that I am a live participant. And that starts my love affair with books.

I moved on to read authors like Jude Deveraux, Judith McNaught and of course Barbara Cartland.  These writers made me love the Victorian and Edwardian centuries.  The ballgowns and corsets added to the romanticizm of that time. I loved those historical romance books.

After a while, I jumped from one author to another, getting bored with what I read.  I am looking for that adventure and romance that I found from the previous books I read. The excitement I felt reading about riding horses, attending a ball on my gown, getting invitations for an afternoon tea in the gardens and meeting the dashing Earl or Duke who will swept me off my feet.  I guess all I need is time...

I came across a certain author named Patricia Cornwell, a recommendation from a friend.  An author who ignites my curiosity for mystery, crime and action.  Then came, Stephanie Mayers, who introduced me to the world of vampires.  I know everyone must know her name by now but for me, I've only know her from the movie Twilight. I would have never read her books if it has not been for the movie.  Then again, I give her credit for it ignites my interest for vampires.

A couple of months ago, I went to a second hand bookstore to look for more books I can sink my hand into.  I am looking for new adventures and possibly a mystery.  I saw from the top bookshelves was about eight paperback books lined up together of the same author. It seems to me that it is a series of books.  Curiosity kicks in as I grab all of them thinking, this should be good or I am returning these books.

Happy with my purchase, I got home and started reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.  And whoooaaa, it was great!  I was taken to a world of supernatural that I have never been before. Yes, it was about vampires and wolves like Twilight but this is INTENSE! Really ABSURD! CH, short for Charlaine Harris, is funny, witty, smart and incredibly good.  Let me tell you that I could not put the book down as soon as I started it.  She is amazing!

So now, I would like to say I am sorry to the Montgomery's, Taggert's, Earls, Dukes and Prince's I've known all those years reading but I have a new man in my life now and his name is Eric...

Eric Northman, Viking Vampire. Bwaaahaahaaahaa...