Mommy Pehpot, Author at Mommy Pehpot

What’s In Your Name?Mine is our Country

My name is Pilipinas.. yeah that is my full name.. Pilipinas.. the Filipino version of the name of our country Philippines.

The history of my name:
According to my mother, during the time she was pregnant with me, that was the time, when they felt the lack of justice here in our country. To put it simply, that was the height of them being nationalistic, hence Pilipinas.

Since my name is kinda unique, I find it hard to explain it to every people I met how my mom came up with that name. And NO, my siblings was not America or Turkey, they have more normal names.. although the history of each names is as unique as the history of my name.

What is more disturbing is not the history or the usual comment if my siblings are named as America or Turkey..it’s the P or F debate.

As I have said my name is very unique so a lot, before enlisting my name would ask.. OK not ask actually.. and not before enlisting.. they would actually assume that my name starts with F and would list it as Filipinas.. to which I would react and says it is a P. Before they change it to Pilipinas, they would ask me first why in the world my mom named me with that. To tell you honestly I hate my name before, I am not proud of it, and would sometimes wished that it was an F rather a P.

Last 2004, I discovered, upon acquiring a copy of my birth certificate from NSO, that my name indeed starts with an F.. what the F! what the FILIPINAS! And that my birthday is not the date listed on my BC.. what the! My hubby now teases me that I am not the one he married..and that he is married to Pilipinas, the name that appears on our Marriage Certificate.

What is shocking to me is, ALL MY LIFE, I have been invovled in countless debates and discussions that my name starts with a P.. that all those years, all the people who mistyped my name was correct all along. DAMN!

2008, I decided to inquire on our local municipality with regards to my name. It was clear there that my name starts with an F and not a P. The Civil Registry administrator even helped me out and lend me the book where the original birth certificate is. Now, what bothers me is how come, in the original certificate, my name is Filipinas but in the certified true copy coming from them it was Pilipinas. The admin, asked around and discovered that in the master list, my name is Filipinas but somebody who has a blue ballpen, made it a P! I can just imagine now that way back, when my mom asked for my birth certificate and saw that listed there was Filipinas, stared down at the clerk and demanded in high pitched voice that it should be P. waaaah!

It was mom’s fault afterall..

but I never blame her that much.. after all, this will will be a nice and funny story to share to my grand kids..

You Tubing (more than Boyet and Bayani)

If you were to ask me what is the most powerful weapon the Internet gave us, I tell you it’s YOU TUBE. Can you just imagine how many reputations you tube crushed? or how many people became famous out of it.. or infamous because of it..

We have seen shocking videos, sexy videos, all kinds of videos..

Last week, you tube introduced to us, the infamous uniform maker Boyet Fajardo and his stomach empty driven creative outburst.. oh yeah guys, he did it on TV, showed his ugly face and said that he was hungry.. the reason for his “creative outburst”. Oh crap!So that is why his creations lacks creativity, he is saving it for moments like this.

And last night, while watching SNN, a video of Bayani Agbayani was aired. He was cursing and all.. he was the sidekick of Cesar Montano.. if you still have no idea who he is, oh well juts think of someone known caught on video cursing and all. What made me puke real hard was the reaction of Kris and Boy, in which almost word for word analyzed the video. They are too defensive, can’t help but think that it was their way of covering up Boyet’s act. The even said that he has the right to get angry at times, and who the hell is taking away that right? And they even said that he did not know he was being recorded on video.. and what the? what if he knows? what? will he put a halo on his head? or maybe add some wings on his back? and preach? and as Boy Abunda puts it.. LEARNINGS

LMAO

The Carozzas And My Childhood

If there is something that I would not want to miss this Holy Week is the procession of life sized religious icons in my hometown. Last year, I did not missed it even though we did not visit my province. This year, my toy is telling me that I would have fun taking photos of the event. Oh.. can you just imagine 40 or more floats adorned with beautiful flowers with life sized icons, depicting the life of Jesus. Isn’t that super grand? Oh my I just can’t keep my excitement for this event. Each of this float has 2 or more figures, the procession are participated by families, old families of the town. This is quite a tradition for carozza or float owners. My father side owns one, and they have been participating in the event for more than 50 years now. Last 2007 though, they say goodbye and put to rest the antique carozza and bought a new one that could accommodate more figures. The float depicts the praying of Jesus at the garden and some apostles sleeping.. I even made the fake stones on the carozza last 2007. A trip down to memory lane brought me back during the time when we can only buy Sampaguita for decorations. The smell of Sampaguita now lingers in my mind. Our summer revolves around that event. The excitement of going through towns to look for the cheapest and most abundant Sampaguita. The hardship of lining each Sampaguita in a stick made from coconut leaves. And weeks before that, the making of the sticks from the leaves of the coconut. As I am typing this, I can almost see the green stains in my hands from making the stick. Ah, those were the times. Now, no one is using Sampaguita as float decorations, they are more attracted with roses, mums and even orchids. The carozza are now are bigger, flowers are prettier, but to me, it was back then when the culture is at its richest. And since I don’t have a DSLR then, I might just settle for the bigger carozzas..