Reuse: 2005, life in seattle

Been here in Seattle for a bit over two weeks and got many profound ( i tell you as in life changing ) working experience. My cousins and aunts did a comprehensive job search for me.

1. Life After Seeing the Dying

The weekend after arriving, I was home in Manang Baby's house avoiding attending church. Manang Baby called and excitedly that she has a found work for me. Turns out an old family and church friend was looking for a caregiver for his bedridden husband. I was up for interview just right after we lunch. Tita Flor's family is special for Manang Baby because of sago, that's another story.

But that particular Sunday after mass, Manang had the urge to come over and make mano. So she did and Tita Flor voiced out that she was looking for a caretaker for her husband. The pay was higher than usual, live in with breaks on weekends.

So after lunch went over and met the Flor family. They live just around 1.5 miles away from the house. They were very nice. Tita Flor lived with his husband while their 3 grown up daughters live separately. Two of her daughters, Frances and Arlene, were there to meet me. They told me they needed me that night since Frances was to go back to San Jose the next day. It was Frances who would be with me through the night so she can train me on how to administer morphine, the nebulizer, cough syrup and other medicine, clean or feed their dad.

So told them that I was not ready to go in for the week but if I can spend the evening there and then the next day proceed to Lynnwood to get clothes, then I can be back Tuesday. So they agreed.

That night, I really wasn't sure about the whole thing since I have no experience taking care of old people, much more the dying. But they were really so nice- they had a zen like quietness in them. So I proceeded bravely.

Didn't get enough deep sleep the whole night. Was awake when Mang Frank did the littlest noise: coughing or breathing out of the normal. But in any case, survived the whole night. Next day, got up early since my Aunt was going to pick me up and bring me back to Lynnwood to get clothes. Took a bath, dressed up. Later my aunt called. Frances told me to try and administer the nebulizer. So I did. Mang Frank was quite resistant, he was saying "tama na." But told him it was given so he would be more comfortable. As he was also coughing, Frances told me to give him cough syrup too. And then Manang baby called to asked me how things were. Nearing the end of conversation, Mang Frank was already murmuring. Frances went in to check. He slowly rolled his eyes open. It was gray. Then Frances called her mon to tell her that he might be near death. And so he died at 10:19. tita Flor suddenly wailed, cried. Frances called her sisters to announce the passing away of their dad.

How strange it was for me. Did not get enough sleep, my patient dead, his wife crying, how was I suppose to react. I really haven't known the family yet. What about my job, did it mean contract terminated?

Anyway, I got back to Lynnwood. "Gi, ano naman ginawa mo sa pasyente mo?" Imagine. Barely 12 hours in the job as caregiver. Didn't even get to take care of my client.

Life goes on for the living.

2. Postscript
Manang Baby was asked to sing a rather not popular Filipino song during the viewing. So turns out now, along with Auntie remy and Boy, her husband, they were getting new rackets by singing in funerals.

Now that's still a joke.

3. Second postscript
Attended the funeral. When the family saw me, after a week, they were really crying. Introduced me to other family members, "Si Gigi, sya yung huling kasama ni Frank bago sya namatay." Family members said, "ohhhh." One grandson said, "Dang! and you just stayed one night and you lost the job." Smiled sweetly to everybody.

My next Wednesdays and Thursdays nights will be spent sleeping in Tita Flors's house. She would need the company.

Somehow I figured, it karmic sense i most be building a new bridge. I just don't know the link yet.

4. Entertaintment
Got another racket 3 days after story number 1. This time doing multi media promotions for a Fil-Am company. imagine, doing posters, websites, etc with Sarah geronimo and other ABS stars.

More stories to come next time.

5. Garage Doors
Having no car in Seattle, and the work just 2 miles away I was lucky that commuting to my work place was easy as literally riding the bus.
Now, Americans dont pass thru their main door (which is for us Filipinos, door that links the living room with the outside of the house). Instead they enter and exit through their back doors straight to the garage.
Strange for me I had to exit through the garage. Everybody has left since I start work 11:00. Stranger, I had no car. So at a push of a button the garage doors open up with that industrial sound (engggggg) and the dark garage slowly lits up. I exit walking. Humming to myself (tantanan, tanan.....), the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars. Kulang na lang kapa. (heavy breathing). And I had to live with this until I find my own car.

recycle: Feb 2005: Rap music

Ninfa asked me to get rap music for his nephew, Kyle. Now, while I may have eclectic taste for music, I can endure pop songs but can not take heavy metal and rap music. My rap knowledge stops with Ice-ice baby of vanilla Ice. I don't like Andrew E but I like Francis M. Hanggang dun na lang.

So, as a good friend, I followed orders. Walked in a music store in the Jordan Creek Mall and looked at RAP. There were many racks for rap. Looked at the CD covers, maybe something may excite me...(I got to know Velvet Underground and the Cure just by looking at the cover- and I like their music). There were a handful of rap artists that I recognize- Will Smith being one of them. Saw his launch at the Today show and took note of the criticism that his rap music may not be too rap for others.

So under intense time pressure, (mall was to close at 9 pm and it was already 8:45-besides, my tita's friends were all waiting for me.) asked the seller and a nice looking but too young to be papable who was looking at rap music, "What rap CD would you recommend for a 12-year old or so boy that would not get the ire of the parents?". "Geez.", they answered, "thats a difficult question because rap is laden with profanity." They suggested that I might want to look at the EDITED Cd's. Ano ba yun???? THe safest they suggested was to go with Will Smith. The store guy told me I could scan the CD and listen to some cuts.

I didn't want to jump with Will Smith at once because he might not be too mainstream for heavy rappers. Scanned some CD's, tried to listen to it- But there was no music- because it might not be suited for kids!!! Ha!

So ended up with Will Smith anyway. Hope Kyle will be happy.

What music are you listening to, now?

I do have a blog site

Funny to respond, "Yes, I have a blog site" to my friend when she asked who among us does blogs. I just have one entry and here is another attempt to add on to the bare site.

No, I justified, I do have several articles cooking, all saved in the drafts section. I am just a reluctant writer afraid that people judge me by the spelling and grammar I make instead of my purpose of writing. Not reluctant, shy, maybe. Chicken, yes. But I was assured by my friend, its okay, just blog it.

Okay, I will try.