Along the way to our outreach in Manila, I popped a trivial question to my friends, "What were your biggest but weirdest dreams when you were little?"

I gave out my quick answer to my own question, and I said that I really wanted to be a cashier. I was always amazed by people who dot their fingers on this huge calculator with a big box underneath. I even got a toy cashier present from the late aunt ages ago. I just love the way the cashier would open-up with its 'ching' sound. And I've always loved to arrange money (specifically paper bills) in it.

Then succeeding answers were made. One of my friends said that she had always wanted to be a bank teller. Another friend who was supposed to be preoccupied with driving and finding our way to the peculiar location (by the way, another weird thing, Concordia Children Services is squeezed in between motels, what a way to raise kids in such an environment!), answered that he wanted to be a bus conductor because it's fun to fold paper bills in between fingers.

After a momentary silence, my friend who dreamt to be a teller realized that all of us wanted to count money. Being kids, we never really had the thought that it was our money but the mere fact that we are holding money with our own hands makes the dream look grandiose and fulfilling.

It's just so funny that being grown-ups, we never dared to try those strange childhood dreams again. Dreaming about money is no longer about just counting and holding them.

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On another note, I find David Archuleta really, really cute. Now that's something not money-related!