Nabuhay si boklo! And here we are again.

I’m writing this on a Thursday night. Kakatapos lang ng weekly meeting supposedly ng aming Tagalog duo sa Localization Team ng Duolingo. But we decided to move the other big agenda to tomorrow since naupos agad kami sa unang agenda bilang mga tito at titang fiftysomething na kami hahaha kaloka.

Imagine that. I. Am. Freaking. Past. 50. PAST!

Akala ko, past tense na ako by this time. But no. Alive and kicking, still, and celebrating life, and loving every moment of it! You know that feeling? Like you give zero fucks about other people’s drama and bullshit, and you just focus on things you can control and devote energies on stuff that make you happy and fulfilled. That’s the overall agenda until I reach dual citizenship at age 60. Then I’ll rethink this T.O.R. of mine until then hehe.

Sa ngayon, enjoy-enjoy lang muna ng life. Now that the professional part of my existence is gorgeously going great — and I can’t thank the universe enough for that, khob khun ka — focus naman muna sa health at dito na nagsisimulang magparamdam ng mga karamdam-ramdam na ang katawang lupang hindi na ganoon ka-agile or kaliksi baga. Well, matagal na naman hahaha but I mean being extra careful pa of certain aspects that involve my physical health and wellbeing. That’s what my fifties have been teaching me, so far. So sige lang, let’s listen for cues and clues from within, and formulate help where it’s needed. Pak na pak.

I’m also glad to be reconnecting with people in general, especially after the pandemic. Though minsan nga, we see each other lang in wakes or burol gano’n, kasi may namatayan jusq. NKKLK ang ganung reunion. When a high school dabarkads said nga dati when her mom passed, sabi niya, magkita-kita naman daw kami na walang lamay. Tama nga naman. Kaya nga we try to see each other and we try to make our skeds align, especially when one of us na based abroad comes home for a bit. Insta-reunion talaga yarn. So we had that last year when our Canadian and our UK-based chums came home. Happy!

There have also been reconnections of friends from the good ol’ lezzie community, from various chapters and dimensions, but still criss-crossing hahaha! Like when some of us visited some of us in Dumaguete and made a vacay out of it na hehe. Ang saya lang beh. Super!

Ang jampacked ng trip na ito pero kahit papaano, nakaka-zen mode din madalas. Or baka lang kasi I love traveling and it’s extra special when I’m with friends, and then revisiting pa ito ng Dumaguete days ko before during the ’90s writers workshop weeks ko here, then our Duma-based artist friend knows where to libot us around the city and beyond. Ang saya!

Buti na lang at mga artist ang kasamang fwends diyan at may concept sila ng good photo composition hahaha! Winner.

And if not artists, dadalaw sa mga lesbian artist kakilalang may exhibit, like this one of Ling Ramilo’s last year. Whatever excuse makapagkitakits ang mga titang tibx, gogora lang lagi.

Of course, ang isa pang reconnections is with relatives. Been hanging out also with my mom lately for many types of personal errands naming nagsasabay. Kaya sinasabay ko na rin ang food tripping namin hehe. Pero happy siya na nakaka-experience na rin sila ng mga hotel staycays due to these errands of ours. At least kahit papaano, nakakalanghap naman ng ibang ere sa labas ng Marikina.

Ito na nga yung parts of my world coexisting happily — na may kakayanan akong i-treat ang parents ko at relatives sa mga yumminess like this World Kitchens chuvalu. Salamuch sa mga kabuhayan package na laging may pera sa bayong mode. Coming from the pandemic five years ago, this is now such a treat, di ba. I mean, wala tayong kaide-ideya kung ano na ang magaganap sa earth sa panahong ‘yon. Now that we can do these things again normally, well, I’m just glad that we all made it out alive from that one. As in.

Yes, I feel contented, satisfied, and complete.

None of that “You complete me” bullshit ng lovelife hahaha. Nah, hindi naman sa bitter ocampo mode. Masaya lang talagang mapag-isa sa larangang ‘yon, dati pa. Kadalasan nga, when some select good friends and I talk about our partnered fellas, minsan ang bukambibig namin lagi is, “Buti na lang single tayo!” Hahahahahahahaha. Jusq sa tututs lang hahaha.

Top of mind ko rin yang thought lalo na nung ginagawa ko itong subtitle translation ng kaka-drop lang na true crime docu sa Netflix hahaha. Naipasok pa sa kabuhayan package ang chenelyn, oo. Hahaha. Tungkol kasi siya sa lalaking pinatay ng asawa niya at in-law. NKKLK yung kuwento nila. Nakakaintriga rin. Again, kaya ako napapa-blurt out ng “Buti na lang single ako!” Hahahahahaha. Potah. Saya.

Aside from Netflix and Duolingo, naaaliw akong may pasingit-singit pang new clients asking to do the same types of jobs. I no longer accept major writing jobs or editing/proofreading jobs kasi, lalo na teaching/training and lecturing of any sort, kahit sa seminar level lang. Pagoda beks. Ayoko nang magsapatos at magbihis nang magara habang nagtatrabaho hahaha char! Masaya na itong paupo-upo sa bahay or sa cafe somewhere, or sa beachfront if I’m digital nomading like when I travel and bitbit my work din with me. Ang saya, di ba? Woohoo!

Hmm, na-miss ko palang mag-blog at mag-release ng thoughts to the greater ether sans audience in mind hahaha. Pero kung andito ka pa at nagbabasa ka pa, salamuch. As always.

Pwedeng mag-comment. 🙂

Anyway ayan next day na. I’m trying this new thing called sleeping early by midnight. So let’s see. Pak!