Last Sunday, I walked in on a debate of whether or not my tita was supposed to change her image. What image is this, you ask? Well, apparently, she went out with her brother (my tito) and some of his friends. Then, the friends told my tito how my tita was beautiful, but a bit of a tomboy. My tita proceeds to defend herself and says she was wearing rubber shoes and cargo pants. Everyone else says it's not the clothes. She's really siga, they say. I say, it could be the clothes. They all glare at me as if to say, SHUT UP.

Now, you see, my tita is turning forty this year. She's had no boyfriend the past couple of years and my relatives are worried she might never ever get married. And I feel for her, because everyone's pressuring her. So now they've decided that it's because people think she's a tomboy. They all turn to me to give her advice on how to be prim and proper and girly. I argue that it's not about being girly. It's either you are or you aren't. You can't force it. What if it isn't her personality to act so dainty? Let her be! Geezus. I just looked at my tita and we both smirked. This is what we have to put up with, just because we don't have boys? Hay.

I wonder if twenty years from now, I'll be subject to the same pressure from my own brothers. Dear Lord. I hope not.