Living Through a Pandemic

 I have lots of things to say rant about living through this pandemic. Since March, I have been on a "lockdown" -- only able to go out during check ups and occasional visits to my parents' and in-laws' houses (Disclaimer: Happened during GCQ / General Community Quarantine only!). I don't know if it is just preggy hormones but I have been anxious since March -- been waking up in the middle of night, not wanting to talk to my friends online (glad I'm already done with this phase), feeling extremely sad/bored. Anyway, as much as I want to continue typing my "kwentong pandemic", I am now loss for words. I'll be giving birth in a few days and I just wanted to chill out. I'll just let the pictures do the story telling. Below are some of the pics I took on what "new normal" (sad normal) looks like:

Wearing facemask and faceshield ALL the time.

A day before the first ever lockdown (March 14), I went to an SSS branch. One seat apart dapat.

Lines on the floors to remind customers to practice social distancing.

GCQ: At our condo elevator. Only 4 pax were allowed to enter the elevator.

ECQ: When Covid cases started to peak, only 3 pax were allowed to enter the elevator.

 *Written last August 7*

We are running low of food supplies so for today, Marion decided to buy from Chowking for our breakfast. He came back a little longer than expected and was mad (He has a calm personality and I seldom see him angry so there must be REALLY something wrong). He told me that while waiting for our order, a guy went to order and was looking for a “pork”. The cashier asked the guy if he was referring to Pork Chaofan. He said no.  The guy then called his wife over the phone and told her if she wanted a pork chaofan. Things escalated quickly as apparently the wife does not want a pork chaofan but sweet and sour pork. They were not able to understand each other over the phone – The husband telling her wife “Hindi ko mabasa yung nasa menu, malabo” (Apparently "malabo" because of the plastic covering the counter as part of the "new normal"). So, the husband told the cashier to wait while he went to his wife. They came back together and lo and behold! The wife suddenly went berserk – cursing the cashier, yelling and telling her that as a staff of Chowking, she is the one who should know what’s on their menu blah blah. She went on ranting for about 10minutes while the husband just sat down fiddling his phone “Kayo nakakalam dapat kung ano nasa menu nyo kasi diba taga Chowking kayo??” “Oh baka naman duraan niyo yang pagkain namin”. Like what the hell?! Just because hindi kayo magkaintindihan ng asawa mo sa gusto mong orderin, eh bigla ka na lang mang-aaway ng staff ng Chowking. All of the customers waiting for their orders were like “Anyare?!” The staff was apologetic and did not answer back.

My husband was so upset, and he felt bad for the staff so he tried to look for the branch’s number online to commend the cashier who was so quiet during the entire ordeal. He was not able to find the number so he decided to go back to the branch to talk to the staff because he really felt sorry for her. To his words, “Simpleng bagay lang yun. Kung di sila magkaintindihan magasawa wag naman sila mangaway ng staff.”

I posted this as a reminder that in this time of pandemic, we should extend compassion, kindness and understanding. I am sure the staff of Chowking had a hard time going to work because of lack of transportation. Pumasok sila ng maaga para makapagserve, makapagtrabaho ng marangal at hindi para masigawan ke aga aga. And just because the husband and wife drive a SUV (with plate number chos di ko talaga alam yung plate number pero SUV daw yung dala nung magasawa haha!), they have every right to demean others (lalong lalo na kung wala naman sa lugar! Jusko!). Simpleng bagay pinalaki. Gigil si aqoh!

*Posted last March 8 on my Facebook account. - This was a plea to my friends for prayers. My brother was in a 50-50 condition last March 6 and the doctors already managed us for the worst case scenario. As of now, I am thankful to God for giving my brother a second life. He is still confined at Lung Center and is still suffering from pneumothorax (collapsed lung) but he is already extubated. We are praying that he gets well soon. To you who is reading this, please still include my brother in your prayers. Thank you so much.

Posting this because we are holding on to God's promise that He is in control.

Since December 2019, my brother Julius, has been in and out of the hospital. We later found out that he has lymphoma, a cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system (lymphocytes). He already had his first chemo session and we thought everything is going well. Unfortunately,he acquired pneumonia and is currently admitted in the hospital. As his ate, I can't help but be stressed out (stressed out is an understatement) with the situation. I've lost count of the times I cried and pleaded to God to save my brother's life. 😔 I know stress is not good with my current condition 'coz surprise - I am pregnant.My pregnancy has taken a backseat & we are very sorry baby, babawi talaga si mommy sayo. Thank you baby for making my pregnancy so easy.Alam kong lalaki kang strong dahil dito.

Inspite of the challenges our family is going through, God surprises us. During the past months, we have seen how good the Lord is by providing us families and friends who continously supports and cares for us.Thank you to those who pray with us whenever the situation makes it harder for us to pray. Thank you to our angels abroad - my Aunties & Uncles, my other brothers (Noli Louie Dave),to Ermitanio and Abanilla clan.Thank you to my doctor friends that I can easily ask whenever I have questions regarding my bro's condition. Thank you to those who constantly check on me - you know who you are and I really appreciate it. Sobra.Thank you to my husband & his fam for taking care of me whenever I forget to take care of myself.

If there is one thing I have learned during these trying times is to appreciate the little things. This ordeal made our family stronger.My brother Julius is still very positive despite his condition.

I end this post by kindly requesting everyone to pray for my brother (Julius Ermitanio), for my family and for all the medical staff attending to my brother. We really need prayer warriors right now dahil yun talaga ang pinanghahawakan namin. I believe in the power of collective prayer. I believe God will hear our prayers. Maraming salamat po and God bless us all.

Unknown

It has been what? 7 years? 6 years? since I was able to properly write my thoughts online. A lot HAS happened -- I got engaged, got married, got a new job, our family went through a storm, now I am pregnant. And today, I just want to immortalize that we have been on quarantine since March 16. I want to document the feeling of anxiousness, frustration and sadnesss so that when we return to our "normal" life, I will be more appreciative. Honestly, my thoughts are jumbled. I don't know where to start so pardon me for my grammatical errors and incoherence.

Pano nga ba sisimulan 'to? Maybe in the following days (should I be able to battle my laziness), I will be able to expound. But for now, I just want to write that I am feeling melancholic for everything that is happening - My brother is still in the hospital and this COVID crisis is making me anxious.

Lord, please heal our land.

Yay!!!!! Google finally allowed me to retrieve my account! I can now go back to blogging. 😊

Due to old age, I have forgotten my password hahaha! And I have tried retrieving it but somehow, Google does not believe that I own this account. 😂

Just want to add this picture coz... Why not? LOL

Prenup Done :)

Wedding preps-panic attack!

Aaaaah! I'm a bridechilla. Literally. I never actually started to seriously plan the details of my wedding, well, first because I'm not detail-oriented. Oh yeah, I am! But being a girl, it's actually hard to decide on what I really really want for my wedding. Next, we are on a budget  NO we're more of practical. Sure, this is once in a lifetime event and we want only the best. However, being tied to a budget is really hard. If I had only all the money in the world, I'd choose the BEST suppliers without batting an eyelash. But I don't want to start married life poor (if you know what I mean). And third, I just wanted to be married to the love of my life peacefully. Why is wedding planning so stressful for me? Hahaha! But it's a kind of stress I'd welcome in my life.

So as I was saying. I'm a bridechilla. For the past months since I got engaged, I haven't sat down on the nitty-gritty details. I have booked all the major suppliers that I needed (I think!). And after that, I'd been procrastinating, just making the most of our engagement period. Hahaha! Until NOW. I suddenly realized, April is about to end. Ack ack ack! Need to seriously start planning the details.

Happy preps to us!