Nevergirl's

A friend in Norway asked me today if I’m related to the owners of the Villamor Ancestral House in Baclayon, which was built in 1895. The answer is a maybe. The Baclayon Villamors keep a family tree which dates back to the 1890s. My grandmother told me all about it. If I have my history right, it’s the Ayaay-Villamor side of the family that owns the house.

Interestingly, it seems I cannot cross islands without running into people who share the same name. In Cebu, for example, Alex went to Ma. Montessori International School. During a PTA meeting, it turned out that we’re related to the owners of the school, the Villamors of the north of Cebu.

Abra’s first governor is named Juan Villamor. He was also a Katipunero. President Quezon eventually appointed him head of the Philippine Veterans Office.

When I went to UP Diliman to check out the campus (I toyed with the idea of going ahead with UP Diliman’s European Languages before deciding on Ateneo de Davao’s Accountancy program so  I could be in Davao where my grandparents lived for a time), I learned that UP Diliman’s theater is also called Villamor Hall. And yep, it was named after one of the earliest Villamors in Luzon—Don Ignacio Villamor, who happened to be UP’s first ever Filipino president. This dawg Ignacio was the same judge who convicted the Filipino revolutionary hero Macario Sakay. As for Ignacio’s son (Col. Jesus A. Villamor), he’s that pilot who has an airbase named after him. Read more »

You’d think that because we live where we do, getting a customized saddle made would be easy as pie. NOT at all! The man’s driven to three different towns and talked to countless craftsmen, but not one of them can hammer out a customized saddle for a six-year-old days before Christmas. Clearly, getting a cute little saddle made is no horsing business, and no one will take the job on on such short notice.

I’m not sure how we can get that pink little saddle made at this point. We’re considering buying one off eBay, but shipping’s bound to cost way more than the saddle’s going price of $86. Courier cost’s bound to be obscene, given how heavy the saddle is and the time of the year that we need it here.

What were we thinking buying a pony without buying a saddle first? No, scratch that. What were we thinking buying a pony in the first place?

A horse does not one easy-peasy present make, even if you have all the space for one. Aside from being expensive, it requires too much work. We had to pay for transport—that’s unanticipated expense no. 1. Then, we had to have a stall built—that’s unanticipated expense no. 2. Then, we had to ask a vet over to check on the horse, as well as show us how to feed, groom, and care for it. Finally (and this is really what rankles the most), we had to take on an extra hand because someone has to take care of Alex’s horse until she’s old enough to do it herself. Obviously, getting this pony for Alex makes as much sense as giving her a molotov cocktail, with directions to go bomb Russia. To make matters worse, Charlie will most likely take one look at the pony, and ask that we get her one, too.

I have no doubt that in the days to come, I will look back to this Christmas and question my sanity. That, or feel compelled to file a leave of absence from parenthood. For now, I take consuelo de bobo comfort in the fact that this pony will—much more than desktops, toys, or any other present–restore our six-year-old’s faith that Santa exists, and that that fat, lovable loon from the North Pole gives the best presents to those who drop him letters inside a huge red sock.

and ditched the plan to get a haircut yesterday because I just couldn’t stomach making the long drive in and out. I think I’ll ask for very short hair again. I usually can’t be bothered to comb my hair, even when I step out.

So, I’ve been poring over old photos—yep, it’s that time of the year again when someone goes into full melancholia mode and misses everyone back home. This photo was taken after my sixth grade graduation. It’s blurry and grainy—but this is not wholly the scanner’s fault hahaha! I forgot to fiddle with the settings first. WARNING: Three really old photos after the jump!

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I’ve been changing the way I dress slowly. The man doesn’t like it. He points out as often as he can there is nothing wrong with the way I dressed before. But, well, here we are now.

I now wear big and tall clothing, the man calls it. Big because the only way I could get them to look okay is by cinching with a belt (but it’s okay, they make up for comfort what they lack in fasyown points) and tall because they really would look much better on a taller girl. I’m tiny; I’m only 4’11 and 1/2. The man says I should stop tacking in that extra 1/2 but how could I do that and not feel even worse about being only 4’11? Hahaha!

Last Sunday, we went on a road trip. Initially, it was supposed to be just a food trip. However, the countryside looked so pretty that we agreed to just drive around for a while and go where the roads take us. We had loads of fun. I wish we could do this more often, but the in-laws do not like it when we go out and so we try not to, to keep the peace. Let’s see though. They’ll be vacationing in the U.S for a month next month so that should give the little family and I lots of time for wandering hahaha!

Oh, and here are some photos because I promised some people I’d put photos more.

My favorite girl asks me to fix her hair. Cuuuuute!