Nice Surprises

When I got home yesterday, I saw 2 boxes by my door. I figured the one that's shaped like a shoe box is the Converse pair I bought more than a week ago. So yay!!!!

With the bigger box, I have no idea what it is or where it came from. I had a hunch Mark got it for me cause he hasn't been quite discreet on letting me know that he got something for me for my birthday. E ano naman kaya 'to? So I hurried, got a kitchen knife and stabbed the box's taped sides to open it. Ta-daaaaah!!! Wii Dance Revo Bundle!!! Super yay!!! Sobrang natuwa ako!!! If only I didn't have to hurry to make dinner and go to the cantor workshop and audition, I would have popped the disc in my Wii console and danced on the pad like there's no tomorrow.

And so I didn't dance revo yet. I waited for Mark to have dinner and thanked him for giving me the amazing toy! But he was surprised when he saw only 2 opened boxes on my table. He kept on asking me if I got another package. I showed him my new Converse shoes and told him '2 boxes. Ito na yun! Wow! Meron pa?'

Turns out I have another gift from him and it was supposed to arrive the same time the Dance Revo game did. So making a call, we learned it was delivered to the leasing office of the apartment instead of getting dumped at my doorstep. I really didn't care that it's not there yet. The fact that there's another box waiting for me within 2-mile radius of my apartment is more than enough reason for me to have a big wide grin plastered on my face.

Yey!!! Meron pang isa!!! Isa pa! Isa pang gift!!! Although Mark kinda dampened my spirits for 2 seconds when he told me right away that it's not a dog and it's not a chinny (guinea pig) either, I still think it's superb of him to get me two gifts!!! Yay!!!

My day didn't end there though. After dinner, I went to the parish and braved the cold breeze and the fact that I was the only new blood trying to be a cantor. Cantor is the lead singer of the choir. Soloista-slash-lector. I've been a choir member for more than a year now here at St. Richard's Parish and it's only now that they held a workshop-slash-audition. Most of the cantors are veterans. Literally and figuratively. Literal dahil karamihan, may puti na ang buhok. Shempre, ako lang ang Asian na mukhang batang paslit na pinabili lang ng patis sa kanto at naligaw sa simbahan. And figuratively speaking, cause one of them has been doing it for 7 years and the newbies they consider have been at it for 3 years. Shempre, dahil makapal ang mukha ko, kinapalan ko pa lalo! Pumunta talaga ako ron at umupo kasama sila na parang feeling 'I belong'. Inisip ko lang 'Kiber! Kung hindi matanggap, e di choir pa rin ako. Aalis na naman ako sa January so mga ilang buwan na lang akong magpapakita sa mga 'to.'

Una, pina-sample muna ako na mag-announce ng 'Welcome to St. Richard's' spiel na walang mic. Salamat at malakas ang boses ko at nakapasa naman. Medyo parang tough twister nga lang yung phrase na yun kaya parang nagtunog na 'Welcome to St. Rischard'ssshhh Parish!' yung pagkasabi ko. Di naman sila nag-react. Kaya dedma na lang. Kunwari di ko rin napansin. Pero panay na lunok ko kasi feeling ko tatalsik na laway ko anytime. Pagkatapos ng tongue-twising event na yun, pinakanta nila ako ng kahit anong Psalm sa Gather book. E since di ko naman alam ang mga Psalms sa book dahil choir lang ako at puro Refrain lang ang kinakanta ko, kinanta ko yung natatandaan ko pa ng slight dahil 2 weeks ago lang namin kinanta. So Psalm 139 it is. Happy the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God.

Hala! Aba akalain mo nga naman! Kinaya ko! At mega rave ang reviews!!! Awwwwww...they like me. They sooooo like me *blush*! Sniff..sniff... Nakaka-tempt mang kunin ang Gather song book at mag-speech ng 'I would like to thank my parents...chuchuchu', pero pinigil ko na rin. Mega ngiti and training beauty queen na lang ako while they were giving me comments na parang American Idol ang dating. 'Very natural.' 'I like your gestures.' 'This is the first time Consi tried out to be a cantor but she sounded like a pro.'

At marami pang super over my head comments. Chu-chuchu. Chu-chu-chuchu.

So in short, cantor na ako! Baka next month ako mag-start. Di ko pa alam. Baka hectic ang schedule. Charing! Pero sabi nga ng isa kong kasama "It's not a performance. It's a chance to lead the congregation in song and worship" O di ba? Shala!!! Luvs it!!!

Oo nga. Napaaga nga ata ang birthday ko this year. Andami ng regalo, wala pa man lang Oct.13th. Haaaaaay...love pa rin ako ni God kahit na sutil at atat ako lately.

Hosha, kanta na lang ako...Happy the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God...