Si Lola talaga...

Just recently my Lola Naty (grandma) passed away. Im not sad or in grief because I know she had enjoyed her life, she had seen all her sons and daughters (10 children in total) build their own families, she had witnessed her grandchildren grow up and have their own children, and has enjoyed the playful company of all her apo-sa-tuhod or great grandchildren. I will remember her as my-ever-wise-but-witty and incredibly-funny Lola.

Just last night Tatay sent me an email regarding yet another funny story that happened to Lola during the storm Ondoy...here it goes:

Sent: Wed, November 18, 2009 1:02:15 PM
Subject: NOVEMBER REVELATIONS

"The second half of November startled us with the passing away of Lola on friday the 13th. Jorge rushed her to the hospital but she could hang on for only 15 minutes. Now she has her much needed rest after 91 years of non-stop comings and goings. She was gallivanting in Angono on the very day typhoon Ondoy was wreaking havoc all over Metro Manila. On that day she left home early in the morning to buy newspapers as part of her daily ritual. She came back at 5pm sporting a new hairdo. The newspaper? She forgot. She was lucky. Ondoy managed only to leave mud on her aging feet.

Everyone was at her wake. From the tribe of Fe to Jean. Even Rey was present. There was not a trace of sadness or loss. We are sure she won't be lonely. She'll be meeting again those she missed for quite a time: the 2 Joels, Jasmin, Belen and of course Lolong Pilay. They'll be making up for lost time. And there's also Lolong Taba, Tia Soling, her Nanay Tinay and Tatay Damian, brothers, cousins... She'll be talking again, swapping stories, comparing notes. She will be too busy to come back and tickle her grandchildren. She's not the type to scare her loved ones.

She was buried tuesday Nov 17."

And with this email Lola had made us laugh once again just imagining how she acted and how she walked so slow going wherever she went that day. I will definitely miss her, her letters to me, her stories, her advises, and her cute smiles.

With that story being told, only thing I was able to say was..."Si Lola talaga..." with a big smile on my face.

Lola, you will be missed. We love you.

Neri, Nico and Niels

Boswandeling - De Ijzeren Man

Here is a short clip of our walk through the forest...

Halloween

Celebrating Halloween differs from one country to another. In Philippines, together with my brother, sister, and cousins we celebrate Halloween by watching a spooky documentary about ghosts-, underworld-, monster-, true-to-life-experiences till midnight, having chips and dip close-by, all lights off, and a blanket each to cover ourselves. And after the program we ask ourselves, Do you believe it or not? And then we start telling our own-heard-stories or own experiences.

Here in Belgium, Halloween is a commercial stunt for stores so they can sell all those pumpkins (hehe) but we made a fun night out of it with the neighbors, in the middle of the forest, between the candle lights, with a bonfire and lights hanging on the trees.

We ended up wet from the drizzle that night but it was a good night. Up for a repetition next year :-)

We prepared some snacks to help us win the cold night, some hot choco, pancakes, and bloody-finger food (literally a bloody finger! I forgot to take picture of it to show you.)

Well, anyway, here are some fotos we took: