Halloween!

Today is my second year celebrating Halloween. We don't really celebrate it back home, so admittedly, I have never gone trick or treating before I am not able to go again tonight, but there is always next year.

First Halloween party was at the Macaroni Grill on Davie Street last Friday. My friends and I had been so excited for the past month to dress up and go to that party. Unfortunately, we were deeply disappointed. We waited in line (in the cold) for an hour. When we finally got in, the place was overly crowded that we couldn't even coatcheck our things. So, after half an hour of cramming into these little kids who were hungry to party, we decided to leave. That was the worst clubbing experience ever.

So, last night, me and my friends went to Atlantis to the annual Halloween party and Fiona's birthday party too. We had to make up for the disappointing "party" the night before. This time, I had a blast, a BLAST! Wendy G. and I dressed up as French maids, Wil, Howard, Keith and Chung-Li grouped as the Crazy 88's (their outfits rock!), Wendy F. went as the not-so-evil devil and Denise was the sexy (not in costume) vixen. We danced the whole night and it was a whole lotta fun, I must say. The club was packed with people all dressed up, from nurses to Playboy bunnies to Japanese rice men.

The highlight, of course, was the contest. There was a girl in black lingerie who danced (she can't dance, sorry to say) like a stripper on stage. A group of Playboy bunnies with Hugh Hefner also wowed the crowd. But, the winner of the $250 prize were these two Foxy Cleopatra ladies who shook their booties and kissed onstage, twice! So, to win the contest, one must simply kiss someone of the same gender. Good idea.

Wonder what the next activity would be. This past month has been really a change from my usual plain boring life. It's because I met new friends (and of course, my dearest Erica and Wendy too) to make Vancouver life more of a home to me. Thanks, guys.

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I am not eating turkey this year, because I don't know how to cook one. Haven't watched enough of Jamie Oliver to learn. Next Thanksgiving, I might be the master chef around town.

Ok, what should I be thankful for? I am thankful for:
1. being alive
2. having my mother, my brothers and my friends in my life
3. being able to experience independent life in Canada
4. having jobs that I enjoy and pay me decently
5. technology
6. music and the creation of the portable radio/walkman/mp3 player
7. Greek food, sushi, Lay's Barbecue, Mrs. Vickie's Sweet and Chili chips and LifeSavers
8. summer because it is where my spirits soar away through the sunshine
9. reality TV that keeps me home every Thursday night
10. Elements because people who go there inspires me to get into the movie industry
11. ING Direct - It helps me save money.
12. being single - keeps me carefree (but sometimes, lonely)
13. the invention of airplane (Thanks, Wright Brothers) - They made traveling way more convenient
14. the existence of John Kerry - Bush is going down, hopefully.
15. the twisted mind of JJ Abrams - for Alias and Lost, two kick-ass TV shows
16. the soothing voices of Alicia Keys, Pilate, Ben Gibbard, Chris Carraba and Jack Johnson. They always rock the house.
17. Usher's dance moves
18. living in Canada - It always inspires me to achieve my dreams, although I am not really doing anything now.
19. my best friend Monica for everything she has done for me, especially for giving me Scooby socks that keep me warm every night
20. the egroups pangcutelangtalaga because life without it is dull - It is one of my sanctuaries. I can tell members of this group everything and we can go on with interesting conversations.
21. Friendster - I find new and old friends there.
22. the existence of Halloween - I am getting excited to dress up!

As a Child...

1. I used to go to Hong Kong every summer and enjoying the dolphin shows at Ocean Park. That's when I wanted to become a marine biologist.

2. Every summer, my Mom enrolled me in swimming school. Every year was a different venue.

3. I took my daily naps in the afternoon after school.

4. I loved playing with Play-Doh and my mini-kitchen. I wonder why I never learned how to cook until now.

5. I loved KeroKeroKeroppi. My friend Wee taught me how to draw him when we were in Kindergarten. I had a KeroKeroKeroppi mechanical pencil-pen in one. My Math teacher in Grade 4 took it away from me coz she caught me writing when she told the class that everybody has to stop writing.

6. I had a Hello Kitty travel bag as my school bag. It was too heavy with books and notebooks.

7. I loved Piknik's Ketchup fries. That was always the first one in my list when I go grocery shopping with my Mom.

8. I never listened to music, unless it was my Dad's collection - The Cascades and Tom Jones.

9. I used to play with my Mom's makeup collection a lot. But, I grew up not knowing how to apply makeup.

10. I wore the same clothes as my cousin Charlene. Only in a different color.

11. I had a boycut once and somebody thought I was a boy.

12. I had 3 birthday parties. Once, it rained before my party started and I kept on singing "Rain rain, go away. Come back again another day."

13. My brother taught me how to pray the "Our Father" coz I didn't learn it from school.

14. My first crush was a guy called Engelbert. It was in 3rd grade. He had big bulging eyes.

15. I always took baths for 30 minutes in the basement bathroom. Everybody was always looking for me and couldn't find me.

16. My Mom used to put her hand over my eyes when I can't sleep.

17. Every weekend, I got to sleep at my parent's bedroom, which excited me a lot. I kept thinking it was something to look forward to.

18. My Dad used to embrace me when I'm sleeping and put his legs around me. It kinda scared me coz I couldn't move from his tight grip.

For more than twenty years of her life, she had been carrying this great burden of pain and suffering, courtesy of her husband. She had been lied to, cheated on, wrongly accused and even physically abused. But she still carried all these because of love, because of hope. She constantly hoped he would change, for her and for the children. Unfortunately, it never happened.

Now comes the breaking point, the point where she cannot take it anymore. The moment the children have been praying and wishing for - the time their Mom leaves their Dad. They gave Dad the paper where it stated that Mom wants an annulment of marriage. But the Dad refuses. At the back of his mind, he thinks he did not do anything wrong. In that brain, the pride that he holds for this family that he thinks he built remains. Thus, a NO! His mind fills with questions such as "Who will I show my friends now?" "I love my children. Why are they leaving me?"

Yes, he does not get it. For over 10 years, ever since she was old enough to understand, the eldest child have always begged Dad to stop his philandering ways. The pleas for monogamy have not been heard. It has been terrible for her, since she has the responsibility to explain to her siblings. She is the one who took the courage to talk to Dad and the two of them always end up in arguments - yelling and swearing at each other.

This is one sad story. This story destroys my belief in marriage. This story will remain in me forever.