watch together, stay together

remember that catchy tv ad that says 'a family that prays together, stays together'? hmmm... i really can't remember the last time we prayed as a family? did we? well, maybe in my toddler years. but hey! this post isn't about prayers nor God-related things.

yesterday as i was waiting for my day to end, i got a message from my bro. 'dean, sira na tv. wala na magamit. bili ka na bago' (translated as how my nephew would say: uncle dean... tv broken! no watch cartoons. buy tv!). yup, 'kuya' is not a word in my siblings vocab. anyhow, i replied, 'sige basta hati tayo pandown' (i need your contribution for our downpayment). well, i didn't (and still don't) have cash to pay for a brand new tv set so we're getting an installment. then my bro closed the deal by saying 'sige magdown ako pero kaw na bahala maghulog' (ok, i'll pay the downpayment but you take care of the installments).

you see, growing up i was never really close with my siblings. we had the same interests but had different inclinations: we like music, i prefer to play the piano while my brothers mastered the guitar; we play computer games, i concentrate on mind games, they battle online; we love food, i cook, they eat. 'nuff said. but there is one thing that we all like, yep, the television.

these days we haven't got a lot of time bonding (yeah right! as if we really bonded!). my family (i.e. me, my mom and my brothers - dad, is out there somewhere and rarely goes home) only gets to see each other on weekends - lazy weekends that are spent on laundry, eating real food and tv.

tomorrow, it'll be a weekend. there'll be no tv. sad. no more bring it on, ice castle, grey's anatomy, the practice, supernatural, sabrina, house, prisonbreak marathons. really sad. i hope the new tv will be delivered soon. i wonder how we will survive this weekend without one.