a mom's chronicles - terrible too

by this time, you've grown taller and round. You like giving kisses and hugging people around you but you've also developed "choices" and can be quite "annoying" about it. You're running around the house all day, tipping boxes, opening drawers and cabinet and throwing all the things out. These days I wish I was a witch and I can just magic everything back in their place in a flick of a wand. You've added "guck mal" (look!) in your vocabulary but still have to develop sentences. here are some of your stories:

one day, your uncle was cooking something in the kitchen and you were at his room playing with your toys. then all of a sudden, he heard a loud crash, you letting out a loud cry, and he rushed to the room with bated breath... no, you were not hurt, just scared coz you just tipped the tall drawer with the TV and DVD player on top trying to reach something while you were standing on a bench you pulled at the side for that purpose... your uncle, I must say, almost had a heart attack and the DVD is kaputt.

after decorating the living room for Christmas, you rushed to the door and closed it with a bang behind you. I was busy tidying up the bedroom when I felt internal "warning bells" on this behavior and I quickly went to see what you were up to. Sure enough, you were being naughty coz the lower part of the Christmas Tree has no balls anymore as they were strewn all over the floor. What's worse, you know you did something wrong coz you immediately pointed your stubby finger at me saying "Nein, nein, nein!" and ran trying to avoid me. At that point, I didn't know if I should laugh at your antics or really give you a smack-bottom! I opted for kurot (pinch) which has become more effective than spanking.

you took a glass of water and as I saw you drinking, I said to myself "Hey, great! He appreciates it now", until you started blowing bubbles and I had to change your shirt coz it was all wet... and then your annoying habit of always pulling me to the kitchen asking me to give you something but as yet, you don't know what and keep pointing randomly. AAARRRHHHH!!!

the past few weeks witnessed to you waking up early mornings (between 2 to 4 a.m.) crying and the only way to make you go back to sleep was to carry you and sing a lullaby. I was reminiscing the days when I had to do that when you were but a couple of months old. but yesterday was different. you woke up at 2:00 a.m. crying unconsolably, went to the bathroom and insisted on having a bath that instant. I tried scolding you, I tried coaxing you back to bed but you refused and cried so loudly, I was afraid all the neighbours in the building would wake up. So feeling perplexed, I ran the bath for you where you wallowed for about 10 minutes, while I looked on silently asking myself why are you doing this, then finally I had the courage to ask you softly if you've finished and ready to go back to bed. Thank God you did and was really sweet after that. I think I finally slept at 4:00 a.m. still lost in thought.

But then you have your sweet little ways of greeting me gleefully when I come from work. you bringing me my slippers while I remove my shoes. your constant hugs and kisses whenever I'm near. your exclamations of "wow!" when you see something pretty. and blowing me kisses when I'm off to work...

All these makes you terrible... terribly monstrous and terribly divine...

visa blues

It is really difficult for people from a third-world country like me to have a visa. I was ready to kill people at the Swiss Embassy and was starting to cry from frustration when faced with uncooperative and unfriendly staff. But I was able to get my student visa in the end so off I went to Geneva.

Next encounter I had was with the UK. I only had my student visa at that time, I was single, english-speaking, and I was deemed to have insufficient reasons to return to Switzerland. To think I only wanted to watch "Miss Saigon" with my aunt and her friends. Oh well, but they did not deny me outright so my records were clear.

Then I found work with the UN and then it was smooth sailing for papers, coz it was all handled by the office.

When I got married, I had to go to the Foreign Office coz they had to stamp my passport with a permit to stay which I didn't really need coz of the UN but we had to follow procedures. When my husband saw the note that I can work, he said I was really lucky to have it so easy. He had to struggle for a long time to get that, and were it not for the changes on the immigrants law in Germany, he might still have been queuing for this. But that is an old story coz he's got the German nationality now.

Then finally last week, I went to the US Consulate in Frankfurt to get a visa for we were planning to go to New York for a week. This time I was really scared coz its one of the most difficult visas to get. I was already thinking about all the possible reasons they won't give me one: 1) I was from the Philippines, coming from the South so I could be a possible terrorist. 2) The contract with the UN is usually 2 years and renewable. But would they consider "renewable" specially when my current one is ending this year? 3) The person could have a bad day and he/she would lash-out to the people applying (hello?!? meron kayang praning!). I was so nervous that while walking to the Consulate, I could not help but cry out loud "God! Help me!".

While waiting, I was observing the booths and I noticed this old guy who looked strict. I was praying I would not get him. Hah! Tough luck, I had to go to him. But I think God was smiling at me right that day coz the guy turned out to be nice, just asked me:

How long have you been working for the UN? (Since 1998)

How long have you been in Germany? (Since 1999, but in Europe since 1995, coz I was in Switzerland before that).

Husband? (One... ehm... yup one.)

Children? (One... a son)

How long will you stay in the US? (one week, in New York).

Travelling alone? (No. with my husband - and I had to explain the whole story).

What's his visa number? (He's German). Ok.

Then he was scribbling on my application... after a bit, he said: "So here's your visa (stamped on the right hand side of document), its valid for 10 years (scribbled some more and signed it), and you'll have it in seven days.

I was speechless and so surprised that the only thing I could say was "Sorry?" just wanting to know I heard him right. And he repeated what he said, so I got out of the Consulate in a daze and trying to re-run the whole conversation just to assure myself I heard him right... and at the end of the week, I had the proof. Valid till 2015... Hay! what more can I say but..

Thanks God.

and...

New York here I come!!! yipee!!!