Bait and Switch--Philippines Style

Today was a frustrating day. I took Stella to Gymboree to try out the class. We had gone about 5 months prior to try it out and it was a proven disaster. I figured with time, food, and a nap perhaps this time it was okay. They told me the trial class was free. Great. Then they said I needed some coupon, which I didn't have. The charge went up to $10. Annoyed but okay.

Stella loved the class. She participated, had a great time, clapped, danced. My only real beef about it was the yayas. I was the only mom there and there were about 15 other yayas. You need to understand something, I can't tell you why, but in the Philippines yayas and perhaps the entire population of the Philippines is terrified of children falling down. As far as I can tell their greatest fears in life are in this order: 1. confrontation that leads to loud shouting 2. military coups and 3. children falling (actually I think number three should be number two).

Ok scene set: so you have fifteen 1 1/2-2 year old kids, kids that can run, climb, and jump, being held by the both hands above their head as they walk in a COMPLETELY PADDED ROOM. Meaning, for every Gymboree activity there is no room for your child because there are 15 yayas in the way all concerned about their little darling falling down (I secretly take great pleasure not freaking out on the playground when Stella falls and having everyone stare at me with horror). So...it was too crowded, and frankly as far as I have noticed, people do not know how to queue in Asia, if there is a place in Asia that has mastered this skill please inform me so I can try to convince Seth to get us there at some point. It was a crowded mess but Stella had a great time.

Afterwards when I go to pay they tell me that since I had once tried out Gymboree my fee would be $20. I told them I would not pay that because they hadn't told me that initially and we had a showdown. A showdown that I was determined to win, but lost. They have no sense of winning the customer, or even customer service, at least not like in the US. What they do have a sense of is job security and even if it is their mistake if they are short 500 pesos in the drawer they loose their job (for many that is probably their day's pay). So...I got screwed and have vowed not to join Gymboree, at least that branch of Gymboree. Grrrr...although writing this makes me feel so much better. Serendra Gymboree will feel the loss.

Language Explosion

They say it happens to all children at some point, the explosion. Words that are understandable start pouring out of the mouth with every sound. No longer are there garbled sentences but sentences, even toddler jokes, songs. All within a month. It has been so much fun.

It hit me yesterday when Seth and I were making fun and singing along with the Beyonce, "Single Ladies" song. Stella was watching us and then starts singing "Like it Ring, like it ring...uh, uh, ahh." Pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. But this is just a fraction of the language. The week prior I had been to the doctor three times. Why you might ask? Because my daughter was able to clearly articulate with words, "Mommy, itchy feet, medicine please." When they are able to say that you know either you have a very young hypochondriac or there is foot funk that needs to be looked at (turned out she had a really mild case of hand-mouth-foot, so happy it was mild).

Seth and I laugh about how in the morning and night it seems like she is a computer. She downloads and processes all the information. She will come into our bed around 5:30 or 6 and snuggle until it is time to get up. She talks to herself and you will hear her say, "A, B, C, D....1,2,3,4,1,2,6,7,8,9,10." My favorite is when she calls herself a "good girl" for taking off her shoes when she gets home. When I put her to bed tonight she was talking to herself saying "sleepy time, sleep now, kitten, puppy sleep."

My baby is growing up. How fast it has gone. Speaking of babies, the other gestating baby, is now over 1/2 done with this pregnancy. The baby is kicking and I am getting more excited every day. I went on a tour of the hospital here in Manila. It looks nice and the wing that I am delivering in was brand new. What I found most interesting about the delivery philosophy is how it seemed like the U.S. was about 20 years. Not medically but in attitudes about assumptions. For example, it is not common practice to have your spouse there. If you decide you want your spouse there for the delivery you must tell your doctor well in advance. Also, having the baby room in or near you is not common practice. If you want to do that you have to inform the hospital in advance. Plus, after birth they assume you want to rest so they take the baby for two hours of bathing, tests, and who knows what else. This, too, can be rectified with proper warning that you want the exception but it seems interesting. When I told my mother-in-law about this she said that is exactly how it was when she had Seth. I am so happy that times have changed.

Top Ten Best and Worst Things About Manila

Best

1.  Having someone watch your child when you have to run to the bathroom for an explosion emergency
2.  Mangos every day, cut up by someone, not you, who knows the best way to cut a mango (perhaps not helping with bathroom explosion issues)
3.  Having a driver to do your bidding so you don’t have to go to the market that is overrun with fish and fish parts and fish smell
4.  Getting custom made clothes, framing, and art at mass produced prices
5.  Paying someone $10 to rub you for 90 minutes
6.  Paying someone $5 for a complete pedicure and manicure
7.  The attentiveness of your doctors (you can text them!)
8.  Calamansi Juice
9.  Lasik Surgery at a fraction of the cost with U.S. trained doctors and equipment
10.  The wonderful kind people

Worst

1.  “Not available Ma’am”….even if it is in stock no one wants to find out or cannot understand you so you are continually being told things are not available
2.  Human Urine and feces in places that you walk
3.  Same goes for animal
4.  Seeing people sniff paint or glue on the highway
5.  Beggers with babies
6.  A country that speaks English but no one listens or understands
7.  Not having a ward that I can put my child in nursery…or understand what is being said
8.  Nothing fits your fat American butt here, especially if you are pregnant (oh don't think you XS girls in the states are safe, you are a big fat L or XL here)
9.  Tomatoes that never taste good
10.  Milk that is made from powder, tastes like powder and sells for $2 a liter
(11. Having to figure out what  a liter is and what 30 degrees means in Celsius)

Betrayal

Lately I have been having so many mixed feelings. It was so wonderful to have my family here and I was so sad to see them go, normally I want to kick them out the door but this year I wanted to keep them forever.

I am so excited about this pregnancy but I feel different this time than I did the first. With Stella I was so aware to the day how pregnant I was, how the baby was developing, what I needed to prepare for. This time around has been a fog. I feel so so much better than I did the first time, which makes me less aware of the growing child inside of me. And on a side note, look ladies if you are throwing up every day several times a day try taking a two hour nap each day and see if that makes a difference. I am convinced that napping has made this pregnancy day versus the dark sick hours of my Stella gestation. Anyhow, back to my mixed feelings. I feel guilty that I have not been as connected to this pregnancy as I was the first time.

At the same time I feel guilty for loving this unborn child as if I am betraying Stella. I know this is silly and there is room for me to love all of my children but as I snuggle my little Stella each night before she goes to sleep I have a dread of what is to come. My one-on-one time will end...and it makes me a little sad. I know Stella will adjust, I will love this baby, I do love this baby (I am calling him baby T for the blog's sake) but there is a a little bit of sadness that the Stella mono e mono time will end and a little bit of sadness that Baby T isn't going to get that same attention. It is far more complicated than it needs to be.

Just my musings for the night. Seth is starting a band and him and his mates are practicing...so Sunny is sent to the office to do some work and finds herself distracted with this blog (downloading files just take a long time!)

Mommy Sunny

We had a fabulous Christmas this year.  My parents and youngest brother John made the pioneer-esque trek to the Philippines and we rewarded them with a trip to Cebu where we sunned ourselves, got cheap massages, pedicures, manicures, unlimited Calimansi juice and as many mangos as we could humanly consume.  

We got back and then spent our time watching Stella enjoy her Christmas gifts.  Her most favorite is a play kitchen where she spends hours "cooking."  We have also spent a lot of time doing some real cooking.  Today we made a pizza, her most favorite food.  She was in heaven.  

Stella has really gotten big fast.  She says everything.  In fact, her most recent development was figuring out mommy and daddy have real names.  With my family in town there was a lot of shout outs to "Sunny" or "Seth."  Without missing a beat our little Stella picked up on this and now calls me Mommy Sunny and Seth is Daddy Sesh.  It sort of weirds me out but I know she means no disrespect so it just cute.  

In other Stella news: her favorite game is letter sounds.  We find a letter and she tells us the sound.  Once again I have to give a shout out to Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD.  It taught this kid her letter sounds.  

And for those who tire of Stella news....we are expecting a baby BOY!  I admit I feel a little sad when I tell everyone in the Philippines and they are beyond excited, as if a girl is not enough.  With or without this cultural commentary, I am thrilled.  We are still working on names.  Right now I am leaning towards Jingle or Bong Bong, classic pinoy names.  Any other suggestions?

Stellaoke

Stella, meet karaoke. Karaoke, meet your newest diva.