A Charmed Life

Ethan and his Funny Remarks

2010-07-21T17:20:00.000+08:00

Ethan: Mom, what is "suspended"?

Mom: You mean , what it means to be suspended from school?

Ethan: Yes.

Mom: If you are suspended from school, it means that you did something very bad and you will be punished for it. You will not be allowed to attend your classes for a few days.

Ethan: Hmmm, you wont be allowed to attend classes? (after a short while) I WANT TO BE SUSPENDED!

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Ethan: Mom, let's go to America!

Mom: Why?

Ethan: I want to meet Obama.

Mom: Do you know him? Why do you want to meet him?

Ethan: He is the president of the United States and he is veerrrryyyyy RICH!

continued by my mother in a different setting...

Mommy Yan: Do you know who the president of the Philippines is?

Ethan: No.

Mommy Yan: Noynoy Aquino.

Ethan: Noynoy? Is he gay?

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Mom: Ethan do you want to have some Lasagna?

Ethan: No! Lasagnas are for cats!

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I try to make it a habit to pray with my kids every night. I ask them to read a prayer from a children's prayer booklet. And to make it more exciting tonight, I made them say out their personal wish after reading. Here it goes ---

Cheska: I wish I'd be smart.

Ethan: One Million Dollars!!!

Ethan Strikes Again!

2010-04-12T11:30:00.000+08:00

Grandpa Dada: Ethan can I borrow your PSP?

Ethan: Nope.

Grandpa Dada: Why?

Ethan: You're too old.

(Bagang!)

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Ethan: Mom, do you know that every girl in the universe is in love with Justin Bieber?

Me: I'm not ...

Ethan: YOUNG girls .... (toinks)

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Me: Ethan, can you hand me over the tissue?

Ethan: Mom, you just have to give me compassion and understanding and I'll give you everything you want.

(Asa man ni niya napunitan?)

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Ethan: Mom do you know that Tito Gino is destroying the Ozone Layer? He's using his aircon the whole day.

Me: ( a little speechless) Okay... do you know what Ozone Layer is?

Ethan: It's like an umbrella that protects the earth. (In his as a matter-of-fact tone of voice --- Laban?)

Holy Week 2010

2010-04-05T05:16:00.000+08:00

We really didn't plan much for our Holy Week vacation this year --- especially since my mom convinced me (or should I say forced me) to undergo a beauty regimen which would require me to stay indoors for atleast one whole week. My face had been peeling off for almost a week now and I feel like an alien. I can't believe I let her talk me into this. I was never really a vain person and I was almost satisfied with my skin until my mom kept telling me that I should really undergo a peeling session. Well I have to admit, I am fast approaching my mid-30's and my skin isn't getting any better with age.

So pretty much the whole vacation my family and I stayed indoors. We didn't go the beach at all. Unlike last year when we had a big vacation in Baguio, we celebrated the holy week in a very simple but meaningful way.

April 1 (Maundy Thursday) - Visita Iglesia. We visited 7 churches namely: St. Joseph, Carmelite, Redemptorist, Assumption, Sta. Ana, Fatima and Sacred Heart (our very own parish). We have been doing this as a family for 2 years in a row now.

April 2 (Good Friday) - Just stayed home. Glee season 1 marathon.

April 3 (Black Saturday) - Watched "How to Train your Dragon" at NCCC Mall. Too bad we weren't able to catch it in 3D. Nevertheless I truly loved the movie. My kids kept on saying it was awesome!

April 4 ( Easter Sunday) - Heard Easter Mass at Sacred Heart. Lunch at Jollibee, SM and went grocery shopping after.

Holy Week is indeed my second favorite season of the year ( next to Christmas). Even though we don't celebrate it in a big way like having vacations out of town, I feel so spiritually blessed being with my family the whole time.

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T18:31:00.000+08:00

The Year 2009 had generally been a good year for me and my loved ones despite all the trials the country had to go through. Earlier this year, I was transferred as executive secretary of the Chief Financial Officer. It was a major adjustment for me as I am very new to the Finance world. But with the help of my new friends and my nice but often misunderstood boss, I was able to grace through the changes.

One of the happiest times for my family was our vacation to Manila Ocean Park and Baguio City that happened on April. It was our second major trip and it was truly unforgettable. Other highlights include : Ethan's landing in the honor's list and Cheska' improving in her academics, several financial blessings, coming home of several balikbayan friends and of course the busy but fun-filled Christmas season.

And for my hopes and prayers for 2010:

1. Good health and safety for the whole family.

2. Career: Hubby's career to flourish. Mine to stay the same.

3. Kids' academics to be better (especially Cheska's).

4. Financial, emotional and spiritual blessings.

5. Bonus = Family HK Trip

I think the mere togetherness of my whole family during 2009 was itself the greatest gift and I would pray that we would stay happy together for more years to come. Thank you Lord for all the years that went by and bless the years and years ahead.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!!!

My Top Ten Favorite OSTs

2009-11-13T09:32:00.002+08:00

1. Pretty in Pink
2. Grease
3. Empire Records
4. Sixteen Candles
5. Some Kind of Wonderful
6. Reality Bites
7. Dying Young
8. Somewhere in Time
9. 50 First Dates
10. Singles

Kids Say the Darndest Things Part 4 (Ethan's funny one-liners and dialogues)

2009-10-29T09:52:00.000+08:00

Ethan: We should buy a new car, Mom.

Mom: Why, what's wrong with our car?

Ethan: It's boring!

~o~0~o~

Ethan: Mom, are you gonna marry a new husband?

~o~0~o~

Ethan: Tita Mae, are you an evil scientist? Do you make potions? (upon seeing Mae's test tube collection in her room)

~o~0~o~

Ethan calls his grandparents "Senior Citizens"

~o~0~o~

Ethan: When I'm 21, I'm gonna marry the "beautiful-est" wife!

Pizzaholic

2009-09-18T10:57:00.000+08:00

I've been addicted to Pizza since only God knows when. The first pizza I tasted was I guess in Baguio back in the early eighties. It was just a plain cheese and ham pizza... just like the Mommy's pizza we all know. Eversince then, I've been craving for pizza and eating it at least several times a month.

Here are my top ten favorite Pizza Places (not necessarily in that order):

1. Merco - I will forever love their four seasons pizza (specifically the sardine part).

2. Zed's - the place is not so good nowadays though--- at least not the good old wholesome family place we used to know back in the 90's. But there just a few times I would phone in and order a take-out. Sicilian Pizza's my favorite.

3.Tower of Pizza - this pizza place closed down I think almost a decade ago. This has been my hang-out place with my cousin and college friends. They have two branches, one in Legazpi street above the Orange Brutus and another at U-Mall (now City Triangle). I don't remember the flavor we used to order there. But i still remember how i used to love it especially with ketchup on it and paired with a glass of ice cold coke.

4. Papa's Pizza - now called the Paparazzi... i love almost all their pizza flavors but i've always been fond of ordering the Sicilian flavor.

5. Picobello - I love their Margherita pizza. Their buy one take one promo was really a hit. Their place was always full during 2-5 especially on weekends.

6. Charlie's Diner - their pizza tastes almost just exactly like Picobello. Almost the same price too.

7. Coco's - Their 50% off promo really got my attention so hubby and officemates went to check out their pizza one Saturday night. I particularly liked the healthie vegie(not sure of the exact name) flavor. I didnt like the pepperoni flavor much.

8. Calle Cinco - I know that this is probably not known as a pizza parlor but a bar/ coffeeshop instead. I tried ordering their pizza one time and I was not disappointed. In fact I loved it... their sicilian pizza tasted like that of Zed's.

9. Basti's brew- known as a coffeeshop and not a pizza parlor, but they also serve great tasting pizza. It's a little expensive though considering the small servings.

10. Shakey's - I know that I've been trying to avoid oily commercialized pizza but I just couldnt stay away from Shakey's. Apart from loving some of their thin-crust pizza, I also love their mojos, chicken, spaghetti and chocolate supershake.

I have yet to try:

1. La Toscana

2. Cups and Lowercase

Any more suggestions?

Looking at the Bright Side

2009-07-27T07:36:00.000+08:00

The Dark side:

Water interruption in our area which went on schedule from 10PM Saturday night and lasted until 5PM Sunday afternoon. We were actually forced to take a bath using rain water since I forgot to stock water in my bathroom despite all the advisories and text messages from friends. And added insult to injury, at around 3PM Sunday afternoon, after going to SM we went home to a brown-out.

Story behind the brown out:

At around 11 Sunday morning, we headed to church. We were actually late for a couple of minutes. Just a few minutes after we settled, a loud explosion rocked the area. The alarms of cars parked outside went off. The mass celebration was suspended for a few minutes. I actually fearing that the explosion may have happened just where we parked. Everyone inside the church was horrified. A few minutes after, the mass went on when it was found out that it was just the electric transformer that went overload. So I was quite relieved. Honestly, i really thought it was a bomb. And because of the said explosion, the whole area covered by that electric post had a brown-out.

No Water, No Electricity ---what could be worse? At around 4PM, my mother was texting me to check in a hotel or inn. We knew for sure the kids are not going to be able to sleep at night without aircon or electric fan. I was almost tempted to do that, only I had my Lola to worry about. I just can't leave her alone especially since my helpers went out on that Sunday.

Early evening, I heard people outside saying that the electricians only started fixing the post at 5PM so it means that we won't have electricity until 10PM! What a curse!

And now, the bright sides to the story:

I was able to enjoy a candlelit dinner with Hubby and my 2 kids. Usually if we eat at home, the kids would be eating on another table infront of the TV watching cartoons, while hubby and I eat in the bigger dining table. Last night was a great family dinner indeed. We were eating in one table--- just as we should. I would have to wait for another brown out for that to happen again!

The kids were able to play outside with other kids. No television and no computer. They were able to enjoy the things I enjoyed as a kid. Playing street games... patintero, in-out, bahay-bahayan, baligya-baligya... and whatnot.

We went out for a drive at around 8PM. After I withdrew money from the ATM, Hubby suggested that we eat durian at Magsaysay. It's been awhile since I've been craving for durian. Last night, we finally got a chance to eat one of the yummiest native durians ever. My kids really enjoyed it!

At 10PM, after I fan the kids to sleep ( I haven't exercised my arm muscles in a long time), the electricity came back. Boy, was I just the most thankful person in the world.

With this trying experience, I heartily thank the Lord for electricity and water. I would have never really appreciate them this much until last night! And looking at the bright side of it, Thank God for brown-outs and water-interruption... it drew my family a lot closer and made me realize we can do more with less.

ONE SONG

2009-03-16T05:59:00.000+08:00

Copied from Daphne's post --- nalingaw ko...

Using ONLY SONG TITLES FROM ONE ARTIST/BAND, cleverly answer these questions.

My pick: EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL

1. Are you a male or female: I ALWAYS WAS UR GIRL

2. Describe yourself: UNDERSTANDING

3. How do you feel about yourself: FASCINATION

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend situation: LOVE IS STRANGE

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation: I DIDNT KNOW I WAS LOOKING FOR LOVE (UNTIL I FOUND YOU)

6. Describe your current location: NATIVE LAND

7. Describe where you want to be: IMAGINING AMERICA

8. Your best friend is: SHADOW ON A HARVEST MOON

9. Your favorite color is: BLUE MOON ROSE

10. You know: TALK TO ME LIKE THE SEA

11. What’s the weather like: FROZEN RIVER

12. If your life was a television show what would it be called? CROSS MY HEART

13. What is life to you: ROLLERCOASTER

14. What is the best advice you have to give: LETTING LOVE GO

15. If you could change your name what would you change it to: APRON STRINGS

I Love You Sadado

2009-03-06T10:53:00.000+08:00

I was ecstatic when it was announced at the office that we are no longer required to work half-day during Saturdays. It only meant that I would have one full day all to myself since my Sundays were meant for family. It also meant that I could save fare or gasoline and outfits to wear (haha!).

Eversince I started working, I have been used to working half day on Saturdays, so imagine how new this was and how relieved I felt. There was a catch though, we were required to work 8am to 6pm Mondays to Thursday to compensate the 4 hour-work for Saturday. Can you imagine how grueling waiting for 6pm could be? I have tried it for four days now... and it wasn't a piece of cake. Whenever we go out from work, it was already night time. When I arrive home at 7, I get so hungry I could eat a horse! I'd get so tired and it would mean short-cuts on my daily tutorials with my little girl. I would easily doze off as early as 9PM! But then again, I have no right to complain.

And now the joys of having Saturdays off...

1. Sleeping in (til 8 or 9 if i get lucky)

2. I'm finally gonna get that facial I've always procrastinated on

3. Foot massage and Pedicure (i sometimes procrastinate on this too, hence the ugly feet)

4. I'm finally gonna watch all the DVD's I bought and borrowed

5. If I really want to get really lazy then I'll probably just sleep and eat all day --- that's actually something I haven't done in a such long time --- maybe 10 years?

Now I really mean it when I say "I love you Sabado!"

Kids say the Darndest Things at Parties

2009-02-09T11:45:00.000+08:00

Party Host: Give me a name of a boy that starts with letter O

Child #1: Olsen

Party Host: Good, how about another one?

Child #2: (thinks really hard) O-boy!!!

(This was actually repeated when the party host asked for a Girl's name that starts with letter U)

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Party Host: (forms a balloon into an animal) Ok kids, can anyone tell me what kind of animal this is? Clue: it has a long neck.

Little boy: Dinosaur!!!

(I think the boy will grow up to be an archaeologist)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Party Host: (forms a balloon into a dog) Can anyone tell me what kind of dog this is? Clue: it starts with letter P and ends with letter E...

Cheska: PUPPY!

Party Host: Im sorry it's not a puppy because it ends with letter Y... you can try again

Cheska: (Koojee whispers something to cheska then...) PLU-TOE!!!

(To those who dont know Pluto --- he is Mickey Mouse's dog... Hehehe justify jud ng mommy!!!)

A Tinkerbilly Birthday Party

2009-02-08T16:33:00.000+08:00

My Early Years as an Employee

2009-02-04T06:23:00.000+08:00

After realizing that I am now in my 10th year as an employee (I was officially hired by a company in JVA on May 1999), I had a recollection on what transpired during my early years at work.

After graduating college and passing the PT Boards, I first worked as a Volunteer at a Rehabilitation Center in UM Multitest. During my second month of volunteer work, I got a call from Tita Itang (my first boss' secretary who later became my ninang during the wedding) and she told me that I was in for an interview the following day. I was expecting a job in Marco Polo which opened just recently that time but my boss (father of my friend Yvette) told me that for the meantime I can work in his office (RSSI of JVA) while waiting for my job interview in M.P.

During that time I was one of the youngest employees at 22. I liked my job there. I was actually under the Manning Company but my work is more for DICI which was the agency for Sumifru that time. My job was to encode various reports. I was paid minimum salary but I was really surprised how i was able to afford everyday taxi fare to the office (I lived in Obrero and JVA was at Juna Subd). I was pretty complacent which is why I decided not to pursue Marco Polo or try my chance abroad. After DICI, Cool Shipping (a spin-off of DICI) came to picture, then Sumifru... and the rest they say is history.

Three Banana Companies, a husband and 2 kids later, here I am still an employee. I wouldn't have it any other way. Looking back I could say that if I did have regrets there'd be very few of them. Right now I am grateful where I am. Compensation-wise I am way far from what I used to earn before. Not really that big but just enough. At work, there may be so many things to criticize about but my mother always reminds me that I am way luckier than thousands of others who are jobless. I may be complaining about a lot of things like having to wake up early everyday, coming home really tired from work, having to deal with people of different walks of life, injustices at work... but at the end of the day, I will be always thankful for this job.

Thank you Lord for the 10 wonderful years at work!

Bedtime Stories

2008-12-29T13:24:00.000+08:00

Tonight is my second night in Lupon, my hometown. I was not born here but this is where I spent the first 5 years of my life. Although I am not very familiar with everybody here, having to leave this place at a very early age, I just felt that somehow I owe it to my kids that they experience what I have felt like as a child back then in this simple old town. Everytime I visit, I can't help but get flashbacks.

Last night, I could hear from our room, my Dad telling stories to my two kids. I love how they laughed and giggled just listening to him. I could remember back then how he used to tell us stories, too. How he would awaken our imagination. How he would teach us songs, rhymes, riddles and games. Although hubby loves to play with the kids, I could not hide the fact that my Dad was really the best Dad to play with. He was so patient with us and so much fun and creative, too. He never fails to amaze us.

While I was trying to get Ethan to take his bath after playing outside the whole afternoon, I had to drag him and convince him that after the bath Dada (my dad) will tell them stories again tonight, then he complained "But he only knows one story!" My mom and I were laughing our heads off. Very true... when i came to think of it the only story I actually remember my Dad tell is "Jack and the Beanstalk"... but a different ending everytime!

But nevertheless, I love "Jack and the Beanstalk"... brings back good ol' memories of my childhood days. I'm sure my siblings Mae and Gino would completely agree.

Thanks Dad for bedtime stories... I mean Jack and the beanstalk stories!

My Busy December Schedule

2008-12-11T06:41:00.000+08:00

A very busy Christmas season indeed!

Dec. 3 - Pia's Shower Party at World Palace

Dec. 5- Sumifru Christmas Party at DavCon

Dec. 6 - Ryan And Pia's Wedding at Eden

Dec. 10- Marco Polo's Bookers Night at The Deck, MPolo

Dec. 11- Longlong and Agot's Wedding, Orange Grove

Dec. 13 - Carla's Birthday Party at Deca Homes

Dec. 14- Ligid Island with Yvette and friends

Dec. 15-17 - Kids' Third Grading Exam

Dec. 18- Kids' Class Christmas Party

Dec. 19 - VHT Christmas Party (Kris Kringle)

Dec. 20- 24 - Christmas Preparation (buying and giving of xmas presents for inaanaks, friends and family)

Dec. 25- Christmas Day

Dec. 26- Sharon and Jip's 5th Wedding Anniversary

Dec. 25- Jan. 2- Long Holiday Yehey!!!

Softly

2008-11-21T16:51:00.000+08:00

softly, as the morning sun
comes through my window pane
thoughts come to me
memories of you fill my mind and i smile
so gently and my world transforms
into a merry carousel
turning me around
bringing me back to a place where i found
you there, time could have stood still and then
we’d spend all our moments to share
the dreams that we’ve known sometime, somewhere
and as, we go through the days
remembering the love we made
i know that you’ll stay
bringing me more than that mere words can say
i know, that time can stand still and then
we spend all our moments to share
the dreams that we know sometime, somewhere

Just kinda stumbled into this song while listening to the radio on my way home today. The senti side of me comes to life again. I really love Apo Hiking music (my other favorites: Anna and When I met you). No wonder they lasted 30 years together (and still counting...) their songs are amazingly timeless.

Halloween and HSM Fever

2008-11-01T15:16:00.000+08:00

Due to the upcoming big event of our company "Banana Congress" which will be held next week, I ve been soooo busy the whole week. So busy during the halloween season that I didn't have time to:

1) go trick or treatin' with my kids so I asked my mom to take them to SM and my sister to dress them up with an old costume they have in the closet. They went as twin spanish dancers. Too bad, i forgot a tiny detail--- i forgot to ask my mom to take pictures (huhuhu). Anyway, what's important is that they had fun.

2) go to the cemetery to visit my departed loved ones especially my maternal grandfather, my aunt and my paternal grandparents as we would every year.

3) log in regularly to my 3 favorite sites : multiply, facebook and friendster.

Just to make up for lost time with my kids (we had been going home past 7 for three consecutive nights already), hubby and i took them to watch "High School Musical 3"

Disney never fails to amaze me. For the 3rd time, HSM creators had me stomping my feet and singing along to songs that i even heard for the first time. As early as the opening of the movie, I had goosebumps all over. I was truly impressed from start to finish. My whole family is really a big fan even from HSM1. You'll be surprised but hubby is a much bigger fan than I am! He has a complete OST of HSM1 in his computer. My kids, they memorize all the songs ---they'd sing with feelings. Can you imagine my 2 kids singing as Sharpay and Ryan in "What I've been looking for" ---really funny! As for me, I'm actually wishing that I could learn all the dance steps especially those from "We're all in this together". Now, I want to learn the steps in "A night to remember". The choreography of all the dance numbers is really superb --- and I'm talking about HSM 1, 2 and 3.

It's very rare for me to love sequels of movies but this time, I think it gets better after every sequel. For HSM3, I got to appreciate it the most because of the wide screen effect. But generally speaking, I love all HSMs equally.

Disney, you did it again. Indeed a movie to remember!

Doctor Mom

2008-09-05T09:26:00.000+08:00

Just this week my kids got sick due to Upper Respiratory Tract infection. They were absent from school for 3 days. It is probably the worst cough Cheska got ---she was literally barking like a dog every 3 minutes even when sleeping (we've had 2 sleepless nights) and just listening to her makes me pray that I am going through her ordeal instead of the poor little girl. Ethan on the other hand had on and off fever, even reached the highest at 40 degrees. This is the worst part of being a mother, seeing your children suffer in sickness.

Through the years I've had with my kids, I thought that I've seen it all but as time comes I realize that I'm still in for more. For Ethan, we've been in and out the ER many times due to: infected wound (his swollen toe turned violet and he was crying all night), allergy to meds (the price for not consulting a doctor before giving meds), greenpeas got stuck in his nose, pellet stuck in his ear and the latest was abdominal pain. For Cheska she was only hospitalized once due to asthma when she was 3 months old but later on she was also diagnosed with primary complex and pneumonia. The doctor said she has weak lungs but when she turns 7 her lungs may grow stronger and more resistant to diseases. True enough this year, this is her first cough illness. I do hope things will get better after this episode.

Few tips to new mothers and soon-to-be's. Always keep on handy:

1. paracetamol- tempra forte for fever 37.8- 38.9 and opigesic (suppository paracetamol) for fever over 39 degrees -- super effective.

2. neozep/ disudrin (for colds/ stuffy nose)

3. Kool fever (gel badge you put on the child's forehead to reduce fever)

4. Vicks (has a relieving effect especially when they have colds, i use it when i massage their back, front, neck part, hands and foot)

5. Thermometer

6. Betadine and band-aids

7. celestamine (for allergies, also works for coughs)

8. Sinecod Anti-tussive ( Dr. Deedee emphasized that this is to stop cough but not to treat cough) --- i only give this at night time so the child could sleep undisturbed

9. Mefenamic Acid (pain reliever)

10. Off-lotion

If you have kids, it's really important to keep a medicine cabinet or a first-aid kit. I always make sure to stock meds because I really hate rushing to the pharmacy especially during night time emergencies. I've always wanted to master the art of motherhood --- to shield my kids from any kind of sickness and accidents, though it really is hard especially being a working mom and all. So the best I could do is always be prepared for the worst. Even if it means budgetting a little more on meds. After all, it always pays to be ready and you can never gamble on your kids' health.

College Days

2008-07-17T17:56:00.000+08:00

College days seem like just yesterday. But it's actually ages since then, a decade ago to be exact since my College graduation.

This was the world as I knew it back in college, first year college that is...

Jeepney fare - P1.50 ; Taxi or i mean PU fare from downtown to our house in Matina- P10.00

Gadgets and Gizmos: No cellphones, digicams, Ipod, PSP, mp3 etc. I had my first cellphone during internship, it was a motorola teletac (u could actually kill by hitting it on someone's head). O yes we had cameras, but we had to wait a fews days before we could see our pictures --- papadevelop pa sa kodak center ang film--- magasto!

Computer class : We were studying wordstar and lotus 123 and our printers were epson dot matrix. I couldn't even hold a mouse right. Still used floppy disks. I think microsoft windows was just introduced when i was in 2nd year college.

Fashion : Giordano classics shirt/ poloshirt, super low waist straight cut jeans na folded paired with blousy shirt and sneakers na walang socks, cole haan shoes, doc martens, benetton pants...

Gimik Nights: Spams, Acropolis, Rock concerts, Colasa's, Tequila drinking sessions (di pa uso ang coffee shops, internet cafes and bars) --- THE ULTIMATE GIMIK ERA of my life... kaya ngayon super graduate na ako jan (thank goodness!)

Music: Side A, The Dawn, Eraserheads, Yano, The Youth (kumanta ng multong bakla -- the national anthem of pinoy rockers) , Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundtrack of the movie "Singles"

Hang-outs: Victoria Plaza was the only mall and VP cinemas were still clean. Tower of Pizza, Orange Brutus, Papa's Pizza, TAPS, Mercorner.

Shopping Capitals: A&M, ATU Plaza, C. Pablos, Sassy Boutique

Davao City back then: No floods, classes were never canceled due to heavy rains, minimal traffic ... oh i miss the old Davao.

(Hard) Facts of (My) Life

2008-07-11T17:55:00.000+08:00

Hubby said "Don't cry over spilled milk" and I added : "but dont forget to clean up the mess!" (after he had a small car accident last Monday which actually left us "car-less" for God knows until when)

* * *

My favorite nights of the week: Friday and Saturday!!! Gimik nights? Nah! --- MY PRECIOUS REST NIGHTS. I feel like bugs bunny when he was screaming "no more classes, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks!" --- I actually feel like I'm back in school nowadays... have to study with my kids everynight --- and it is really a huge struggle ...especially for someone who hates studying and has somehow cheated her way through college (hope my children won't read this in the future!).

* * *

1980's (Our generation): We were left by ourselves to prepare for school (taking a bath, wearing our uniform, preparing our things, eating bfast, riding our carpool), we were left by ourselves to study, we didnt have techie stuff, we never had sundays at the mall, we only get toys during special occasions. Yet we were obliged to be present at school everyday, we passed our subjects with flying colors, we were fine independent kids.

2008 (Our kids' generation): They had to be given baths in the morning, their uniforms had to be donned on them, fed during breakfast, all their school things are prepared for them in the evening, they had to be accompanied by yaya during lunchbreak and dismissal. They had to be supervised during study hours, they were given the luxury of being able to play the computer and other cool gadgets, every sunday is mall day for them and toys were like a necessity than a luxury. Yet they refuse to go to school at times, they have low grades, they even talk back sometimes. It makes me wanna sing " Nang isilang ka sa mundong ito..." Am I just loving them too much or not disciplining them enough?

* * *

Not so good years: 1988, 1993, 1997, 2003 and 2008. I do hope and pray that things would get better this second half of the year...

* * *

They say that when you hit rock bottom, there's no other way to go but UP! I do hope that this is rock bottom, and that... i am indeed on my way up!

* * *

I do miss blogging so much. Aside from being busy at work, found myself at my lowest recently. As much as possible I'd like to blog about happy things. But I guess life is just really a long rollercoaster ride. We can never be happy all the time. But just like I always tell my friends during depressing times: "The sun always shines after the storm"

First Day of Classes

2008-06-13T17:02:00.000+08:00

Anecdotes during the kids' first days of school:

On Cheska: It was lunchtime. I arrived the school just in time at 11:45. Cheska was already sitting by the waiting lounge. I saw that the blue house (the eating area) was already packed with kids eating their lunches. Oh No! Where will Cheska have her lunch? Since Cheska already brought all of her things with her I told her that we should bring it back to her classroom. She may have thought that she's only half-day, I guess she's still used to pre-school sked. When we came to her classroom, I saw that one mother was feeding her kid inside the room. I knew that it was not allowed but it's first day of classes so I think it was just excusable. So I started setting the lunch box on Cheska's desk and fed her. There was this little girl who sat just at the back. I was really amazed because she was eating all by herself. I asked her "Where's your mom? Are you gonna eat all by yourself?" and she replied that her mom could not come during lunchbreak. After awhile she asked me, "Why are you feeding her, can't she eat by herself yet?" She had this look of disbelief written on her face. I was actually embarrassed so I just told her "She can eat by herself but she could get messy and the teacher will get mad". When I thought of it, I really admired her parents for training her to be independent. But I just couldn't bear to think of my little girl being left all by herself during her adjustment period especially since she's now in a new school. But then again, I also knew that just like a mother bird to her offsprings, I must learn to let my kids spread their wings and fly. I'm just soooo not ready yet right now.

On Koojee:This is the funny part. Koojee's sked is: feed him at 10:30 (brunch), give him a bath at 11, leave for school at 11:40. His class starts at 1pm but I have to bring lunch to Cheska so we have to be at school early. He was already inside his classroom at 12:30. He must've gotten hungry already because before the bell rang, he was already asking for food. So I opened his baon and gave him one cookie. Another kid saw this so he announced to other kids "Hey, it's lunchtime!" and all of them opened their bags to eat their baons. I was like "No no no... it's not recess yet... only him, only him!" ... I'm not sure if they listened to me but anyway I just left the room in a hurry and just told myself "Uh-oh! Blooper!"

During the 4 days I was on leave to take care of my kids and help them get through their first week of classes, I was very exhausted. I had low back pain, my feet hurt, I was so stressed out. I actually had 2 consecutive sessions of massage to relieve myself. I was so tired but my body was always on the go. Even if I took naps when the kids were at school, I still could not fully relax. This is probably the most tiring week of the year. But even if I go on whining and complaining, I could never hide the fact that I am so fulfilled. I even told some friends that: at work I get stressed out for other people ... but as a full-time mom, I get stressed out for my family and that is actually the best kind of stress in the world.

While the Kids were Away

2008-06-09T11:59:00.000+08:00

My mom took the kids to Lupon for their last vacation before school starts. They stayed there for 4 days and 3 nights.

So while the kids were away, the parents took a night out.

Went to the movies. Watched "What Happens in Vegas". I really enjoyed the movie.

Wanted to have coffee at Kangaroo to check out the new place but it was very crowded.

So ended up in Yellow Hauz... an equally good coffee shop.

Yello Hauz is very cozy and homey.

Hubby ordered brewed coffee and blueberry cheesecake

I had Latte On the Rocks (monotonous!) and Brownies. Guess what? I finally found a latte that would top off Blugre's. Totally loved it!

This is really fun! It's been a while since we last went out, just the two of us...

...but I really miss the kids.

Cheska's Gift for my 32nd Birthday

2008-06-09T10:41:00.000+08:00

The story behind the gift first...

June 9, the day before my big day, Cheska was busy looking for paper and pencil. All I thought was that she was just going to sketch since she really loves to draw a lot. While Hubby and I were eating breakfast, she kept on asking us what's the letter for this sound and that sound. As I've mentioned before, she's not very good with spelling yet. I did not have an inkling on what she was cooking up.

When I finished taking a bath and rummaged through my closet, I noticed a folded paper under one of my shirts. As I was unfolding it, a feeling of excitement crept through me. My daughter made a birthday card for me! The first ever! I think she meant for me to find it on my birthday. On the outer portion, I could not read the words she wrote. But inside it goes: " i Lav Yu Mama". I was so touched! Then she made a calendar below the words and she encircled "10" which I guess stands for my birthdate, "18" which is for her birthdate and "21" which is Koojee's. Sorry Hubby I guess she doesn't know your number yet.

The best birthday present I got this year! Thanks Cheska, you made my heart soar in such a special way.

Ironies in Life

2008-06-04T11:30:00.000+08:00

1. A closet full of clothes and yet " I dont have anything to wear!"

2. Searching in vain for something and it just shows up when you least expect it to.

3. It rains when you have planned out a beach outing or an outdoor party.

4. No taxi when you're rushing off to some place.

5. Bad internet connection when you're so eager to POST!

Wanted Nanny

2008-05-23T12:40:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, my kids' Yaya went home to her province for a supposedly short vacation. We had a prior agreement that she will be attending sunday school starting on June so she has to get her report card and birth certificate from her hometown. My Lola had been warning us already that Yaya will not come back anymore because she has other plans. Silly me, I believed my Yaya more than I did my own Granny. So I waited in vain for her to come back. She was scheduled to go to my mom's place at Lupon Thursday so she will ride with my mom back to Davao on Friday. No signs of her until late afternoon of Thursday so it finally sank in that she's no longer coming back.

You could just imagine how my nanny-less week was like:

Monday - was late for work, brought the kids to my in-laws, went to the bank, went to Cheska's school for enrolment then went to work. Went back to inlaws at 6 to pick up kids. Tutorial session in the evening.

Tuesday - drove kids to my inlaws again---this time it was a struggle because Koojee refuses to be left there (he had to be dragged down from the car by his lolo, uncle and dad) can you imagine how stressed out I already was at 8AM. In the evening we picked the kids after work. Koojee is his happy self again. Tutorial session in the evening.

Wednesday- decided that I cannot go through the stressful morning I had on Tuesday, I filed a personal leave just so I could take care of the kids myself. Activities: Brunch at McDo with kids, went back home to do some chores, went to Gmall and ate at Greenwich with kids, went back home. Tutorials.

Thursday - Sis agreed to babysit for me since she was off-duty. Thank heavens i was able to go back to work. She almost went berserk because she thought she lost the kids, they were at their yaya's room the whole the time. The kids definitely drove her crazy the whole day. How relieved she was when we finally got home in the evening.

Friday - No sign of yaya the day before so only Mom and Dad went back to Davao. They did the babysitting the whole day. In the evening, I helped Mom do the laundry (using my good ol washing machine of course). You could just imagine the mountain of clothes we washed. Was so tired I fell right asleep even if I havent finished hanging the clothes yet. But Mom was kind enough to finish the work for me... thanks mumsy!

So this is how life is like in the States! I dont think I could last another week like this. So help me God find a new Yaya...

My Favorite Actresses

2008-05-21T15:49:00.000+08:00

Movie buff? Yes, I am! Here's a tribute to all the hollywood actresses who made my life so colorful and their movies so inspiring that I watched them at least a hundred and one times ... and still counting!

Audrey Hepburn

Roman Holiday . Sabrina . Funny Face . Breakfast at Tiffany's . My Fair Lady

Phoebe Cates

Paradise . Fast Times at Ridgemont High . Private School . Lace . Gremlins . Date with an Angel .

Winona Ryder
Lucas . Beetlejuice . 1969 . Heathers . Great Balls of Fire . Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael . Bram Stoker's Dracula . The age of innocence . Reality bites . Little Women . How to Make an American Quilt . Girl, Interrupted . Autumn in New York

Gwyneth Paltrow
Shout . Hook . Cruel Doubt . Moonlight and Valentino . The Pallbearer . Emma . A Perfect Murder . Sliding Doors . Shakespeare in Love . Hush . Great Expectations . The Talented Mr. Ripley . Shallow Hal . Sylvia . Iron Man

Reese Witherspoon

The Man in the Moon . A Far off Place . Pleasantville . Election . Cruel Intentions . Legally Blonde . Sweet Home Alabama . Just Like Heaven

Brittany Murphy

Clueless . Girl, Interrupted . Riding in Cars with Boys . Uptown Girls . Just Married

Kate Hudson
Almost Famous . How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days . Raising Helen . You, Me and Dupree

My Favorite Prayers

2008-05-08T11:22:00.000+08:00

Pater noster, qui es in caelis:
sanctificetur Nomen Tuum;
adveniat Regnum Tuum;
fiat voluntas Tua,
sicut in caelo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie;
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;
et ne nos inducas in tentationem;
sed libera nos a Malo.

I remember memorizing the Latin version of "Our Father" back in highschool. It was a requirement in our C.L.E. class. Now I'm starting to memorize it again. Thanks to my boss Jess, who shared this prayer in his webpage.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Amen.

I also memorized this passage when I was a child. This passage is usually read during funerals. But I remember I had a really bad dream one night and all I could think of is recite this verse and I think I drove the bad spirits away just like in the movies. This prayer is like my armor in times of trouble. I will always memorize this by heart.

Bet You Could Lose Weight

2008-03-28T03:10:00.002+08:00

Last January, Hubby and four other officemates started this bet or contest on losing weight. They all gave a thousand bucks each as pot money and whoever loses the most weight in 3 months takes all--- meaning if he wins he gets to keep 5k! There were actually 10 of them on the original list but most of them chickened out during the weigh- in day. Could you imagine if all of them joined, the winner gets 10k!!!

Well anyway, I'll let you in on Hubby's program:

1. Diet. On weekdays, he can only eat fish, vegetables and 1 cup of rice per meal. He only drinks water, coffee (no sugar, but with cream) and tea. During breakfast, he only has coffee and oatmeal. But on weekends, he gets to eat chicken, a little of pork or beef, plus he can have an extra rice treat. Also he gets a "license" to eat normal during special occasions and parties. So it's really not a super strict diet. Just a little added self-control.

2. Exercise. Well, this is not actually something he had to add to his weekly routine because he's always been into sports. But he actually added 2 more days to his usual once-a-week basketball game. And, during his first month of weight-losing, he woke up at around 4 am and jogged. We eliminated this one out after hubby started getting dizzy at work. We wouldn't want to overdo it and have him getting sick over a contest.

3. Vitamins. He still takes Vitamin C although not religiously. This will help strengthen his immune system despite the changes that his body is undergoing right now.

Well, that's basically it. So far he's already lost a total of 8 kilos (and still counting!). I think it's really just more of determination and self-discipline. If you were to ask me, I'd honestly say that at the beginning I was really skeptical that he could actually lose that much weight in 3 months time. But look at him now, he actually looks just like when I first met him.

Final judgment will be on April 6. Wish him luck!

Call Yourself Lucky

2008-03-09T07:11:00.003+08:00

For weeks now, I have been wallowing in bouts of depression and self-pity. Last February, my kids took entrance exams in 2 different schools where I've considered transferring them to. They did not show good results in both of the schools because they have deficiencies in reading. But School number 2 considered taking them in provided that they take summer classes. But I actually had my heart set on School number 1.

As a mother I began questioning myself, their school, even my kids (I suspected that they have some kind of dyslexia). I could not understand how my kids lagged in academics when other kids did well and were easily accepted in those schools. Every single day I was welling up in anger and depression. I was as negative as I could be--- having terrible dreams and imaginations that my kids won't be able to finish school.

Mostly I blamed myself. I had this faulty belief that since I did well in school before, all my ways then would also work with my kids now. I was more concerned that my kids enjoy their childhood to the fullest than for them to excel in school--- they are still in preschool anyways so what's the rush? I never pressured them into studying even during exams. I never hired a tutor since I myself never tried having one. I never enrolled them into summer school because for me summer should be time for fun and enjoyment and not for studying ( I have never tried summer classes except college where it's mandatory) I had so many beliefs that are sadly not applicable now.

So there, for weeks I was really depressed. I prayed hard that one day I will be able to recover from this crisis. Even though I kept on reminding myself that I'm still lucky I have fewer problems than others, it doesn't seem to work, I still become negative every now and then.

Yesterday, I turned on to this charity show on TV. I was actually only listening to the audio because I was busy cleaning my room and the bathroom. The segment was like a tribute to a man who took care of several children who wasn't even related to him. He treated them like his own because he pitied the kids whose parents died years ago and none of their relatives would like to take them in. The youngest among the brood even suffers from psoriasis (skin disease) yet he unconditionally took care of them even when he has no stable job or source of income.

I felt ashamed of myself. Here I am, feeling and thinking that I am the unluckiest person in the world and here is this man who loved these kids who weren't even his own despite of the kids' health and even with his financial status in life. He is what I truly call one true living Hero and Saint of modern day. Now this leads me even to thinking about parents whose kids suffer from autism, down's syndrome and even cancer. They would really make my problems look like a piece of cake!

Dear Lord, forgive me for being an ungrateful and complaining Christian. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I should be counting my blessings!

Happy Hearts!!!

2008-02-15T09:51:00.002+08:00

Last year Hubby was in another place so we weren't able to celebrate Valentines Day together. So we made a vow to celebrate this year. We had a double dinner date with office pals Carl and Carla at Claude's French Restaurant. We arrived 30 mins. late due to heavy traffic but luckily we still got our table. We had a sumptuous steak meal and a glass of wine. After that, we had coffee at Jack's ridge. We were just talking the night away I didn't realize it was 11:30 and we were supposed to go home at 10:30. So far it was one of the nicest Valentines Day I experienced. So simple yet happy and contented.

Prayer of a Mother and Wife

2008-02-06T10:45:00.000+08:00

My friend gave me this booklet entitled Prayer of a Mother and Wife. Everytime I read it, I feel that even if I did not write it myself, it truly comes from my heart. Here's what it says:

Compassionate and loving God, thank you for giving me the opportunity and the challenge of being a mother. I know that this is not an easy task --- to rear children and build a home. Please help me when life seems too difficult, when I lose my patience, understanding and generosity toward my husband and my children.

Grant me the spirit of love, peace and joy so that when I'm doing my daily routine, though heavy they may be, these virtues may give me the strength to lighten my day. Help me to be always cheerful and serene so that my children and husband may look forward to coming home again after school and after the day's work.

Dear God, my constant prayer is my concern for my children, that they may become successful in life, able to serve their countrymen and women, but more importantly that they may grow up to be Your faithful children. AMEN.

I'd like to share this prayer with my fellow mothers and wives. You might want to share it with those you know, too.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2008-01-20T09:01:00.000+08:00

Cheska: mom is our car automatic?
Me: (surprised at the question) Yes. Why?
Cheska: You mean it will just drive by itself even when you fix your hair or scratch your head?

Koojee: Mom, pls. buy me a toy
Me: sorry we don't have money now.
Koojee: Ok then let's buy money first.

Me: What do you want to become when u grow up?
Koojee: I want to be a robot.

Me: cheska what do u want to be when u grow up?
cheska: I want to be a nurse like tita mae.
me: do u know what nurses do?
cheska: No... (thought for a while) okay so i want to be a teacher instead.

Six Signs and Symptoms that I am Getting...Old

2008-01-12T11:47:00.000+08:00

1. The “Ate” Syndrome. Those who don’t know me addresses me as “Ate”. When I was younger, people would call me “Miss”. For some time, especially to my younger co-workers, I would tell them to just call me by my first name because not even my siblings call me Ate. But as time goes by, just couldn’t help it anymore.

2. Party Pooper Symptom. I get sleepy as early as 8:30 on a regular working day and when I go out with friends I start yawning at 10 and I had to be home by 12 (with some few exceptions, of course). But then again, I was always the party pooper in the barkada even way back in college.

3. Homebody Disease. I prefer to stay home on a weekend night!

4. Early Bird Sickness. Even if I sleep very late, I still tend to wake up at my regular waking hour 6:30. No matter what I do, I could not sleep in until 9AM anymore.

5. Flashbacks. I would now see my nieces and nephews (kids of my cousins) all grown up and I would tell myself, Hey these kids were born when I was in high school… and now they’re all in college. Some even have kids now and what does that make of me? Technically, I’m now a grandmother. Toink!

6. Age Amnesia. I easily forget my age (or should I say deliberately?). One time I was telling everybody that I’m 32 years old! Hello?… That would be on June this year. I’m still 31, by the way , and counting the months until they say “lapas ka na sa kalendaryo!”

Three Happies

2008-01-08T13:39:00.000+08:00

First of all, Happy New Year to all bloggers out there.

Secondly, Happy bday to Hubby who turned 30 yesterday. We had a long celebration, we spent the weekend at Marco Polo (compliments of my boss, as usual), had dinner at home with just a few close friends on the eve of his birthday and finally went to 6 am mass on his very birthday.

Lastly, happy 1st birthday to our car! Wow, I can't believe she's been with us a year only, I feel like she's been around forever.

So happy to start the year right. I pray that this year will even be more fruitful and more blessed.

Year End Reflection

2007-12-30T07:27:00.000+08:00

The year 2007 had been a generally a good year. As a family we had been very blessed. I could say that this year has not been the most financially abundant year but we were able to pull through. I am also happy to say that our family had been blessed with good health.

The main highlights for the year:

Family Outings:

Eden Nature Park with Sumifriends
Malagos Garden and Phil. Eagle with Cousins
Holy Week vacation at Lupon
Overnight stays at Marco Polo (Koojee and Cheska's birthdays)
All Saints/ Souls Weekend at Lupon
Kids' fieldtrip to Crocodile Park and Malagos Garden
Banana Congress 2007
Christmas Parties

Major Purchases:

Honda City Car
Laptop

Lowest Points:

Death of Auntie Mal
Resignation Crisis

As I take a step to a brand new year, I am faced with a question "What are my resolutions for 2008?" I have 3 big answers: 1. Be a better parent and wife 2. Save and spend wisely and lastly 3. Strengthen relationship with God.

Diary Girl

2007-11-18T00:56:00.000+08:00

Can you imagine how I collected all my diaries and datebooks all the way since I was 12 years old? I think there are more than twenty of them. Sometimes I really amaze myself. I am really a super senti person. I stopped writing in diaries and datebooks since I got married. But here I am, blogging instead. I also keep my memories through photos. Right now I want to keep my life clutter-free but how could I let go of all of my precious memories?

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T08:44:00.000+08:00

It's going to be a fun and long weekend. We haven't had time to prepare for trick-or-treatin for the kids but we're so excited in spending our short vacation visiting the tombs of our loved ones.

Oct 29 - Davao Memorial Park, visited Auntie Mal
Nov 1- Chinese Cemetery, will visit our beloved Yoyo (maternal Grandpa) and other Chinese relatives.
Nov. 2- Lupon Cemetery, will visit my Lolo and Lola (paternal grandparents) and other relatives.

Happy weekend to everyone. This is actually my 100th post, so congrats to myself!

Happy 3rd Blog Anniversary to Me!

2007-10-28T07:53:00.000+08:00

I can't believe I've been blogging for 3 years already. To all my blogging friends, thank you for being around to make blogging so much fun. I'm still looking forward to my 4th anniversary, then 5th ...

Cheska turns 6

2007-10-18T20:33:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday to Cheska! My baby girl is now a little lady! One minute she was this baby I used to carry in my arms the next minute she's 6 years old turning 30! Let me share with you this funny conversation I had with her yesterday. She asked me if little girls could already dye their hair --- I knew where it was heading to. So I told her, No you can't do that yet because it will not be good for your hair. Then she replied, But Mom, my classmate dyed her hair with brown streaks. I was still firm in saying NO. Finally she bargained, Ok, but can I dye my hair when I'm ten? I almost fell off my chair.

I don't remember that I was this vain when I was 6! I don't even remember caring on how I looked. All I cared about then was playing with my toys. With Cheska, she wants her nail polish changed everyday until I told her her nails would crack if she did; she chooses her own clothes whenever we go out and we would disagree about her clothes most of the time; and listen to this, my mom caught her using pantyshields when she was about to give her a bath! I also found it hysterical that she prefers the character Sharpay Evans (played by Ashley Tisdale in High School Musical) over Gabriella ( Vanessa Hudgens). When I ask her why she likes her more she would tell me, Sharpay is more pink, more maarte and more maldita just like me!

Anne Frank

2007-10-08T10:24:00.000+08:00

I'm pretty sure anyone who could read this probably knows who Anne Frank is. But to those who was probably sleeping during history classes (although i dont remember having a discussion about her during any of subjects), Anne Frank was a German-Jewish girl who wrote a diary while in hiding with her family and four friends in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. Her diary, saved during the war by one of the family’s helpers, Miep Gies, was first published in 1947. Today, her diary has been translated into 67 languages and is one of the most widely read books in the world.

Anne Frank is one of my favorite historical icons of all time. I was very touched while watching her story being featured on TV one day. Sometimes, when I feel down and depressed, I think about her. I think about her strength, her positive outlook in life, her optimism. Although I sometimes really find it hard, I try to believe that nobody is born evil.

Here is my favorite excerpt from her diary:

"It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more" - July 15, 1944

Happy 5th Birthday, Koojee!

2007-09-21T09:30:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday to my dearest darling Koojee!

Our plans for his birthday:

Lunch with the whole family at New Asia Restaurant today
Overnight stay at Marco Polo Hotel on Saturday
Dinner at Cafe Marco with the Pacatangs on Saturday night
Shopping at Toy Kingdom on Sunday

I hope he's gonna love his 5th birthday celebration.

Unforgettable Filipino Movies

2007-09-17T20:50:00.000+08:00

I'm a big fan of American Movies but I must admit that there are a few Tagalog Movies that I truly love and are a big part of growing years.

I think I've been watching films as early as 5 years old. My cousins and I would hang out at my Aunt's Cinema in Lupon. I don't exactly remember the films we saw there but I could still remember how we would occupy one row of the cinema and how we would all watch for free. My first memory of watching a movie I truly loved is that of Sharon Cuneta's. My Auntie Malia was a big fan and we would normally tag along with her when she goes to the movies. Here's a list of the Tagalog films which I wouldn't mind watching even a hundred times:

P.S. I Love You - Sharon Cuneta & Gabby Concepcion. Remember the scene when Gabby drives the car while holding up a letter and places it at the corner of the gate? Or the scene where Sharon and Gabby runs towards each other and hugging at the end.

My Only Love- Sharon & Gabby. Loved the plot, loved the engraved bracelet, loved the ending. Unforgettable scene is when Gabby supposedly boarded the plane and Sharon was trying to catch up. When the plane left, Gabby stands there. He didnt actually went inside the plane. And so they reunite. I remember feeling so kilig --- at the tender age of six or seven.

To Love Again - Sharon Cuneta & Miguel Rodriguez. Loved the story, start to end! Miguel was just soooo handsome and the original soundtrack was just so romantic. It would definitely make you want to fall inlove. So many cute scenes that I truly love. I should really find a dvd copy of this film.

Bagets- All Star Cast. Although the plot was not so great, this film actually brings good memories of the 80's. The actors, the clothes, the hair --- so baduy yet so memorable. Couldn't deny that the soundtrack was actually good (Growing Up, Farewell, etc.).

Hihintayin Kita sa Langit-Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez. The tagalog version of Wuthering Heights. I watched this movie during highschool, the time when I was so dreamy, romantic and love struck. I was actually swept off my feet by this movie.

May Minamahal - this 90's film also brings back good memories of college days. I really couldn't point what is it in the movie that made me watch it over and over again. I'm not really that big fan of Aiko's nor Aga's but I truly loved the dialogues, the comic relief (thanks to Ogie Diaz and John Estrada), even I was impressed by the contravidas played by Agot Isidro, Nikka Valencia and Claudine Barretto. The soundtrack was nice, too (Friend of Mine, Don't know what to say, Don't what to do).

Radio Romance - All Star Cast. It is actually a story of a lot of interrelated interesting characters in the movie: 1. Claudine-Rico 2. John Estrada-Charmaigne Arnaiz-Robin Da Rosa 3. Gelli de Belen-Paolo Abrera. Still unexplainable why I love this film. All I remember was I memorized their dialogues. Maybe I also enjoyed the comedy in most of the parts. I was also impressed by the soundtrack and the quotes. Unforgettable quote by Robin Da Rosa: "Immature love says: I love you because I need you. Mature love says: I need you because I love you"

Pagdating ng Panahon - Aiko Melendez and Eric Quizon. I know why I love this movie. At the time I watched this I was so eager to settle down. This film actually depicted the pros and cons of living in. Aiko and Eric really played their roles so well I could actually empathize. Unforgettable funny scene: Aiko and Eric went to the grocery with Aiko's mom (Gina Pareno). When they were at the counter and bill already reflected in the cash register, Aiko and Eric divided the bill into half (up to the last cent) Aiko's dialogue was "I owe you 50 cents ha". Her mother's jaw almost dropped.

Ngayong Andito Ka- Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales. Story was good. I was especially impressed by Kristine's classy wardrobe at the later part of the story. She was very Audrey Hepburn-like.

All My Life- Kristine Hermosa and Aga Muhlach. The plot is great, cinematography is impressive (imagine being brought to beautiful parts of Asia), Kristine's wardrobe was also classic. Even if the story is a bit poignant towards the end, I wouldn't mind watching this film over and over again.

You are the One- Toni Gonzaga and Sam Milby. I was impressed because this movie actually made me laugh. I totally love Toni in romantic comedies. She's not very pretty for me but when I saw this movie, I became her instant fan. I could still remember her funny dance with Gio Alvarez to the tune of "Uwian na, uwian na".

These are my ultimate Tagalog Movie favorites. I truly salute the creators of these films plus of course the actors and just about everyone involved in the making of the movies and soundtracks. Mabuhay Kayo!

Funny Pronunciations

2007-09-14T20:41:00.000+08:00

I really enjoy my kids' mispronunciations of some terms. I should be correcting them but somehow I love listening to how cute they sound.

Dunkin Donuts - Cheska: Munkin Donalds Koojee: Mc Donuts
Ketchup - Koojee: Porkchop
Toothbrush- Both kids: Tookbrush
Five - Cheska: Fayg
Sapaw- Cheska: Sawsaw

You should hear them recite Panatang Makabayan. So funny.

Always Check the Label Before Taking your Meds

2007-08-22T14:34:00.000+08:00

The title is very self explanatory. But I have to elaborate my bad experience which led me to blog about this topic. I was suffering from a severe cough ( I've had sleepless nights and my stomach hurts from coughing I could almost throw up) so I decided to go to the doctor. To cut to the chase, the doctor issued me a prescription for 2 medicines that I should take everyday. When I went to the drug store, the pharmacist or should I say saleslady gave me the meds and issued receipt. When I left the store, I failed to notice that the prescription was not included in the medicine package. So when I reached home and was about to take the meds, I looked for the instructions and it was not there. Darn, I have to go back to the pharmacy again!

So anyway, I was too tired and too sick to go back that instant. I assumed that the 2 meds were to be taken at least once a day so I took both of it. I'll just go back to the pharmacy later to check how many times I have to take the meds. When I looked at the package of the medicine, I got suspicious because of the name. I compared it to the receipt, it was different. So I was really forced to go back to the drugstore to get the prescription and find out if I was given the right medicine.

True to my suspicion, I was given the wrong meds. The saleslady said sorry over and over again and because I was endowed with a very forgiving heart, I accepted her apology. I told her that I already took one tablet and asked if it would affect my condition. She said no so I felt relieved, got the right meds this time and left the drugstore.

When I checked in the internet what the meds that I mistakenly took, it was Pritor, a treatment for hypertension. Could you imagine what could have happened to me if I just took the meds that was given to me without checking? I read somewhere that this actually happened to someone else but he was more unfortunate. Instead of being given a medicine for diabetes, he was given a sleeping tablet. So while he was driving to work, he dozed off and his car hit another car. He actually sued the popular drugstore ( which coincidentally was the same drugstore I got my meds)

I guess all I got from this experience is a very important lesson that's why I am imparting this to everyone I know. This advice could actually save a life. It could be my child's life or any of my loved ones. So always check the label and if you have the slightest suspicion that there had been a mistake, call your doctor immediately.

Great Food, Good Memories

2007-08-10T11:49:00.000+08:00

Food/Resto Revivals:

Papa’s Pizza- brings me back to college memories. So glad it was revived as Paparazzi located at Avanceña St.

Honey Bear Chicken- If I’m not mistaken, my sophomore classmate used to own this restaurant. They were popular then because of their good chicken not to mention their radio jingle that still plays on my mind (Hubby could still sing it beginning to end). From their old location at Ilustre, they have just reopened at Ponciano St. Dined there twice and they still serve good food plus I like their place.

Molave- as far as my family is concerned, Molave is the pioneer and serves the best-tasting greaseless chicken in the history of Davao. When it closed few years ago, there had been at least 3 chicken houses that opened and served their recipe. I have not actually dined at their newly reopened restaurant at Jacinto St. I will sure take time to visit and relive good old memories.

Mc Do Twister Fries – my all-time favorite. I wish it will also be an all-time item in their menu!

Restos and food that I wish will be back in the market:

Mother Baker- the best pastries and cakes. Loved their pasta dishes and sizzling steaks, too.

Tower of Pizza- favorite college hang-out, great pizza!

Munchees by Jack n Jill- that squarish orange cheesy junk food to die for.

Barbecue Curls by Jack n Jill- my favorite junk food back in elementary.

Squid rings – during highschool, this used to be our favorite recess food paired with coke or fruity slush.

Mc Do frozen coke- Dear Mc Donalds Management, Pls. bring this item back in your menu. Pleeeeeeeeeeease?

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-17T20:18:00.000+08:00

Happy Father's Day to the 2 of the best Dads in the world, my dearest Daddy (Dada to my kids) and of course my Hubby!

On Daddy...

My Dad has been the most unconventional Dad I've known. He is also one of the most wonderful, loving, thoughtful and funniest persons in the world. During my first few years, he was my favorite parent because he was always around and my Mom wasn't (she was always at work). He taught me a lot during my early years and one our favorite games was "Pito pito, margarito". I would never forget how he uses his toes and try to bite me like a crab, how I adored the back of his ear and his funny looking finger (so hard to describe but I used to call it "muta"). I had fond memories with him even though he was the "spanking parent". As I grew up, he became like a buddy to us. He was more like our Kuya and really had a lot of funny anecdotes we love to tell our friends about. He is a crazy inventor, a talented musician (he could play all instruments), a super handyman (carpenter, plumber, painter --- you name it, he could do it!) and of course always had been our good ol' DADDY.

On Hubby...

I could not find the right words to describe Hubby as a father to our kids. But to put it plain and simple, in our tandem, he is the Bad Cop, I'm the Good Cop. To my kids, there's no question that he is indeed the supreme authority in everything. He is the disciplinarian and he really does his job very well. The kids really listen to him especially when he starts to raise his voice. But even if he tries to establish a tough exterior in front of the kids, he could also be a spoiler. He tends to spoil the kids with toys and fun stuff. I love the respect the kids show to their Dad. It is short way of saying that he really is effective as a father. Although he is not the perfect father (who is anyway?), and sometimes has limited quality time with the kids because of work, I think that he is an A1 father in his own right.

Euphoria

2007-06-11T21:02:00.000+08:00

I just turned 31 yesterday and I feel very blessed to have reached this age. I feel that God has been really so good to me all my life and I thank him so heartily for that. In my 31 years in this world I think that I have been generally a happy person. Although there could be really trying times in my life when nothing seemed to cheer me up, those times could actually be outweighed by happy ones. I could not count all the wonderful moments in my life but if I were to select the top 10 euphoric times, it would have to be the ff:

1. Trip to Manila, Summer of 1982- My family's first major vacation, first airplane ride, first visit to an amusement park (the popular Fiesta Carnival then), first visit to Baguio.
2. Trip to Cebu 1983- My family's attempt to get a US Visa. The embassy was at Cebu then. We were denied but still I had happy memories during that vacation.
3. Trip to Manila, Summer of 1987 - It was probably the most enjoyable vacation I had with my family and cousins. We stayed in one house, the rooms were so crowded, some of my cousins had to sleep at the sala. We went to Nayong Pilipino, Greenhills, Makati, and of course Baguio. Really the best summer vacation with my cousins!
4. Passing the PT Boards, Feb. 1999- It was my second take, but what the heck --- I passed!
5. My Wedding, May 30, 2001 - Up to now, I still feel like it was a dream.
6. Birth of Cheska, Oct. 18, 2001- The mystery of how something so painful could bring so much joy.
7. Birth of Koojee, Sept. 21, 2002- The mystery relived.
8. Moving in to the newly renovated Obrero house, July 2004.
9. Manila Trip, Xmas 2005 - reliving the Manila trip 1982 with my husband and kids, only this time it was at Enchanted Kingdom, Glorietta, New Cash and Carry, Greenbelt etc.
10. Buying our own Car, Jan. 8, 2007 - the feeling of finally getting something worth all our hard work.

Happy 6th Wedding Anniversary, Hubby!

2007-05-30T11:04:00.000+08:00

Today is our 6th wedding anniversary. Can't believe we've been together that long already. Sometimes, though I feel that we've been together for like forever--- it just wouldn't be the same without him anymore.

Dear God, thank you for the six wonderful years with hubby. He has been one of the most beautiful blessings you have given me. I pray that we will spend our entire lifetime together and may we have more and more anniversaries to come!

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-12T11:39:00.001+08:00

Happy mother's day to all the moms out there especially to the best mothers I've always known, my Mommy and my Lola.

Thoughts about my Mom:

When I was little child, I wasn't very close to my mom. I grew up as a Daddy's girl and my mom wasn't always around because she was the career parent. But as I grew into an adult, I slowly got closer to her. Finally, when I became a mother myself, I understood her well and appreciated more and more as I went through motherhood and all its hardships, pain and challenges. My mother is very different from other moms who would teach you all the normal things you needed to know like etiquette, manners and all those stereotypes. But I learned a lot from her even so because she taught me all the practical things in life I needed to know. I would always remember how she would tell us to brush our teeth everynight, how she would always tell us not to borrow money from other people, and how she would always prioritize putting food on the table than buying other luxurious items. I never remember ever speaking back at her because I have so much respect for her. She is a very practical, frank and strong person. She is indeed one of my heroes.

Thoughts about my Lola:

I was very close to my Lola as a child. I was her first apo which is why she always doted on me. Until now, she's still the great Lola I've always known. She brings me food almost every morning, she's always there when I needed help with sewing or cooking , she's still fond of giving me fancy things and she's always supportive of me and even my kids. I'll be forever grateful to my dear Lola because of everything she did for me and all that she's given me.

I will also remember on this special day, a very special mother who also once became my second mom, my confidante, my friend --- HAPPY MOM'S DAY TO YOU, AUNTIE MALIA...

Food Galore

2007-05-02T15:31:00.000+08:00

I love to eat. Even if my thin figure says otherwise, I really love to explore on different types of food. In fact I told my cousin once that I think one of my dream jobs is to be a food critic. When you come to Davao, everyone would tell you to eat at Harana if you want barbecue or anything grilled, Sarung Banggi if you want steak, Entree if you want to have a classy buffet, Jack's Ridge if you want an overlooking-the-city view, Tsuru if you want Japanese and the list goes on. There are a few restaurants though that serves delectable meals but at a cheaper price. Some are even located at very unusual locations and yet they still get a good number of diners. Here are some of my latest discoveries:

Garden Fresca - Specialties: Adobong Tahong and Spare ribs Address: Coca Cola Village,Davao City
Pia's Cafe - Specialties: Kare-kare and pancakes Address: Quimpo Blvd., D. C.
Ombu Chicken - Specialties: Greaseless Chicken (Molave Style) Address: Sequoia Inn, Monteverde St., DC

Can't wait to try another new restaurant. I'm getting hungry already. Happy eating!

Ballerina Girl

2007-04-30T13:36:00.000+08:00

It was always her dream to dance. Her favorite movies are "Barbie: The Nutcracker" and "Barbie: The 12 Dancing Princesses". I think she has seen it a hundred times and would even dance around the room after watching. She's so graceful. Now that I enroled her to summer ballet lessons, she's so ecstatic. She's always excited to go to her classes. Every night she asks me "Do I have ballet tomorrow?". I feel so happy that I'm giving her a chance to do what she wants. I hope that she will be a great dancer someday.

Goodbye, My Dearest Aunt

2007-04-16T10:37:00.000+08:00

"You will always be a special part of us whose lives you've touched. Your memory will forever live in our hearts. We will always cherish the laughter and joy we've shared with you. Thank you for everything. We love you."

Holy Week 2007

2007-04-10T15:55:00.000+08:00

I truly had the time of my life during my holy week vacation. It was a long vacation--- 6 days to be exact--- and everyday was filled with activities with my family. Of course holy week is for the Lord, and I never let a single day pass by without thanking him for dying on the cross for our sins just as what the essence of the Lenten season is about. But I also think that we should celebrate the savior Jesus is to us. We should celebrate life. And so the longest vacation of the year was spent with quality.

Apr 4 (Holy Wed)- Philippine Eagle and Malagos Garden with my kids and my cousins.
Apr 5 (Maundy Thu)- Trip to Lupon with my family. Dinner at Deo's Beach Resort.
Apr 6 (Good Friday)- Bundas Beach Resort with Parents, brother and my family
Apr 7 (Black Sat) - Back to Davao
Apr 8 (Easter Sun) - Went to Church. SM with family
Apr 9 (Araw ng Kagitingan) - High Ponds, Binugao with family. Dinner at Harana with family and cousins.

Thank you Lord for making this vacation so wonderful. I've been looking forward to this even at the beginning of the year and it was truly worth the wait. Every single day was beautifully spent with my loved ones. I will forever treasure moments like this and always regard it as gift from God.

Eden

2007-03-31T08:50:00.000+08:00

Our first official summer outing for this year is our visit to Eden Nature Park with my officemates last March 24. We really had fun especially the kids. Their favorite is the Indiana Jones ride where they enjoyed riding the rope to and fro. We really had a blast despite the fact that we almost got lost along the mountain trail. It was such a relief that we found our way back just before evening. We were so exhausted with the hiking but we all had the time of our lives. I wish that it is just the beginning of a great summer!

Feeling Nostalgic on Hearts Day

2007-02-14T10:09:00.000+08:00

I think this is the first time Hubby and I will be physically apart on a Valentines Day. Although I'm not very happy about the thought the practical side of me still prevails. Hubby has work obligations at his assigned area so we will have to postpone our celebration to Saturday. I was planning on a pre-valentine lunch or dinner but our sked last weekend just wouldn't permit us.

I have always been a romantic fool and very fond of celebrating even smallest occasions. So even if Hubby finds it corny and inconvenient to go out on a Valentines Day because of the traffic and full restaurants, we have always managed to go out and make it special.

The first Valentines Day we had, we spent it with our coworkers. That was back in 2001 and we went out to celebrate at "The Venue". In 2002, we didn't go out because I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and was not feeling all too good. I don't know but somehow my memory skipped 2003, I don't particularly remember where we dined but I'm pretty sure we did go out then. Valentines day 2004, we had steak at Oklahoma Restaurant. It was a western-style restaurant and it was very memorable because Hubby gave me a very nice purse. In 2005, we enjoyed a nice steak meal again at Pop's Bar and after which we shopped toys for the kids (I think I may have blogged about this). Last year, Hubby gave me a tulip then we had dinner Japanese Tunnel Restaurant. It was simple but very special.

I've always been a big celebrator of life but I also know that not all the time everything is perfect. I could also learn to adjust to life's changes. Even if I'll be spending the special night without Hubby, I will be with my kids and I will still be very happy. At least there will be something to look forward to on weekend. As I have been telling myself: I'm dateless but full of love!

My New Baby

2007-01-15T20:50:00.000+08:00

Meet the newest member of my family. She came into our lives last Jan. 8, a day after hubby's birthday. But she is actually Hubby's gift to me. She's a red Honda City 1998 Model. She's a second-hand since we can't actually buy a brand new car even if we worked 24/7, but anyway she's the biggest thing that we ever bought.

I think that all my dreams are slowly coming true, one at a time. God really knows the perfect timing and he's really been good to me all my life. Our next project is to buy our own home. Even if we are so complacent living in my parents' house, I know that someday we really have to move out and move in to our own place.

Finally, it has always been my dream to travel to places. I hope that in the future I would really be able to see my favorite countries. I'm really crossing my fingers right now although I'm not in a hurry. I guess I'll just have to be patient and God will definitely answer all my prayers. That's one lesson I've learn through the years.

Yuletide 2006, New Year 2007 and Hubby's 29th Birthday

2007-01-07T14:14:00.000+08:00

I feel like it's been ages since I last posted. I've been really super busy over the Yuletide season and in fact I think it was so far the busiest Christmas I've ever experienced. It wasn't only Christmas per se which kept me busy as a bee, I also helped organize 4 big events at work during December which actually prevented me from doing my Christmas shopping up to the 3rd week. But somehow I managed to finish my Christmas to-do-list just in time before Christmas Eve. Whew!

Anyway, on Christmas Eve we had dinner at my Aunt's house then we dropped by my in-laws at around 10pm and went back home just before the clock struck 12. I was so sad we missed the "simbang gabi" which we've been trying to keep as a tradition every Christmas eve but we still managed to have our traditional family pic taken by our Xmas tree, open our gifts at midnight and eat my favorite ham and queso de bola for noche buena.

On New Year's eve, we also missed one tradition we used to keep. We didnt have dinner at my Uncle's house like we used to since the 90's when my Grandpa was still around. My Uncle's Family had to spend their new year at Lupon so we just invited our Grandma to eat dinner at our place. I'm so happy that we got to hear mass after dinner which makes up for our absence during Xmas eve. When we got home before 12, it was already so noisy outside --- no firecrackers but our neighbors managed to be noisy enough by honking their cars and motorcycles, banging on cans and blowing on their torotots.

On New Year's Day. I felt especially nostalgic as I always do every beginning of the year. I felt sadder seeing that Mom already put away the Christmas tree and all the decors. I tried to cheer myself up by reminiscing on the memories of 2006. It was a happy year and I was hoping for a more fruitful year this 2007. I prayed hard for more blessings to come and of course I also had to thank God for all the wonderful things that came.

Today is Hubby's 29th birthday. When I woke up this morning, after I greeted him a happy birthday, I hugged him tight and silently thanked the Lord for the husband he is to me and father he is to my kids. I could not ask for anything else but for this kind of happiness to last my entire lifetime and even beyond.

Kdrama Update

2006-12-03T21:43:00.000+08:00

I'm sorry if I'm boring you with my posts about Korean Dramas --- this is the 3rd one by the way. I just can't help it, it's what keeps me busy nowadays aside from loads of work at the office and my 2 little rascals. I remember one of my friends asking me "What keeps you from being idle when Hubby's at North Cotabato?" (Hubby had been unfortunately transferred to that area for work, by the way, so he's there on weekdays). I blurted out right away "Koreanovelas" without even pausing to think. I'm so thankful I discovered watching it on youtube or I don't know how I'll be able to stand the lonely nights --- I'll probably be spending my time at home cursing Hubby's boss for sending him off to that faraway place. So by now you'll probably understand why I'm devoting 3 of my posts to Kdramas. I can't promise though that this will be the last.

Right now, I'm watching "Stairway to Heaven". I just finished episode 2 and I think I like it already. The irony of it all is that as I keep watching I keep on complaining why the bida lets the contrabida treat her that way --- you know, like you have this great urge to enter the scene and pull the contrabida's hair and slap her left and right. That's exactly how I feel while I watch this drama. And yet I still watch and watch... Reminds me of the Annaliza and Flordeluna days ... and yes I was already born on that era but I was only in grade school by the way.

You know as I watch Kdramas it makes me learn more about Korean culture. Like I discovered that it's a custom for the mother and daughter to take a bath together --- even if the daughter is in her adolescent stage already! I saw these scenes in both Autumn and Stairway ---now, isn't that a little awkward here in Pinas? Another thing is that I noticed that during birthdays, they always serve seaweed soup (I wonder how that tastes?) --- I think it's like lechon for us. And one thing I noticed about these novelas, they always have childhood flashbacks and the girls always fall inlove with whom they call "Oppa" or "Big Brother". Could you ever imagine calling your boyfriend "Kuya"? But anyway, all of these observations really seem queer to us Pinoys but I guess Korean directors really have a way in making their stories interesting which what makes us so addicted to their films. I truly commend them for that

Yesterday, I went to the video store to check out if I could purchase another Koreanovela second to Spring Waltz (coz I watched Autumn in my heart on youtube) there were so many interesting korean dvd's so I decided that I'll probably just watch everything in the internet. That will help save me money plus I wont go to the trouble of choosing which dvd to buy.

To my blogging friends, you could drop a note if you want recommend a Kdrama. I would truly appreciate it. It would truly cheer me up during hubby-less nights.

A Koreanovela Episode

2006-11-22T17:42:00.000+08:00

So I haven't posted in such a long time. But I truly assure you that this post will definitely make up for the gap. Brace yourself because this is one long adventure---but it sure is hard to believe that it only happened over the last 24 hours. I even told myself last night, this is truly what I get from watching too much tragic koreanovelas --- a koreanovelish episode actually happened to me overnight. So here it goes...

Last night as I was watching over Youtube the final episode of "Autumn in My Heart", Koojee was tugging my shirt from my side telling me that his tummy hurts. So I had to cut my koreanovela again to attend to him. I suspected that he must've swallowed all the bubble gum he was chewing that afternoon thus the stomach ache. I was massaging his tummy until the pain would go away then I went back to watching again. The episode was truly so heartbreaking and I just got so emotional and tearful and I was truly glad I managed to finish the whole thing even with Koojee's constant complaining. I wasn't alarmed at first because I thought that it's just one of his dramas. I finally got shook up when I could actually see that he was cringing with pain. A surge of panic ran over me when I thought "What if I really needed to bring him to the hospital?" Hubby is out of town and I felt so helpless without him. But I knew I had to be strong for my son. So I tried to pacify the little boy by trying to massage away the pain. At around 10pm, 5 hours after he first complained, I decided to rush him to the hospital.

It was taking forever for the taxi to pass by our house so I decided to take the tricycle. So now you could probably imagine that this is one of the koreanovelish parts of the story. I was carrying Koojee in my arms as we were riding the tricycle heading to the hospital. As cold night winds rushed on my face, a koreanovelish background music was actually playing in my mind as if I were actually in a drama film.

So we were in the admitting section. To make the matters even worse, a very toxic attendant grouchily took our case. Even told me annoyingly " Ma'am could you please fill up the form, we've been waiting long enough we need to encode the details". The nerve, she didn't even instruct me to fill out the forms, she just put the paper there without telling me what to do. She didnt even consider that I was the only watcher of my kid and I was still carrying him in my arms --- how hard that was for me at that time to write on the paper. But I did anyway, I did not plan to be a toxic patient that night.

So after I filled out the forms, she gave me a slip. The slip states that I need to pay P3,000 cash before they would admit my child. I suddenly remembered that I only had five hundred bucks in my wallet so the only way I could pay is for me to withdraw from ATM. I called my mom, I was actually in tears now. But my mom could not do anything because she's out of town. She kept on telling me to call my in-laws but I was hesitant to call at that time of the night. How in this world could I find an ATM with my child in my arms at that time? So I spoke to Koojee, I asked him if he's okay and if it's alright if we just go home instead. That time, he wasn't complaining anymore so I thought that probably the stomach thing is over. So I got up and told the attendant that I had to find an ATM first because I don't have cash. I saw panic on her face. She knew that I was going to go home because she heard me talking to Koojee. She immediately told me that the patient was already encoded in their system so we can't leave and that they'll just have to take us in even without cash deposit. WTF???Do i really need to pull that drama so they would take us in? Their system really sucked. But that's only the beginning, you'll hear more at the end of the story.

So we were finally inside our room. Koojee was sleeping soundly now. He probably got so tired of crying the whole night that he didn't even budge when they took his blood for cbc. I almost fell asleep when a thought suddenly struck me. I was hastily packing our things back home that I forgot to bring Koojee's milk and feeding bottle. "Oh no!" I silently prayed that Koojee would just doze off until morning so I didn't need to go back home and get it. Aside from the fact that I also forgot the key to the house, even if I knocked or rang the bell I know the nannies would never wake up to open up. Plus there's the fact that I was the only watcher, I wasn't so sure Koojee would be okay if I left him with a total stranger, the nurse.

You probably know by now what's next to the series of my misfortunes. At 2am, Koojee woke up and asked for his milk. It's a good thing that he was in a very cooperative mood. He was okay when I left him with the nurse. I went to a convenience store nearby but unfortunately they weren't selling Koojee's milk and feeding bottle. So I decided to go home. As I was riding the taxi I was calling home to see if anyone would pick up. No one did. So finally I was outside the house. I told the driver to wait up as I was trying to unlock the gate from the outside. After so many tries, my arm actually ached, the taxi driver even offered to help after hearing my sad story, we still could not get the gate open. So I decided to go to the nearest 24-hour drugstore. At last, I found and bought the milk plus the feeding bottle and water. Thank goodness!

Finally morning came, the doctor did his rounds and told us that it was probably just colic or constipation and since the stomach pain did not recur we could actually be discharged. My heart leaped with joy! I was so thankful that everything is all over. I spoke too soon.

As I was trying to settle the bill, the billing section told me that I need to submit my Philhealth papers before they would process. I actually did not think that they would credit the insurance since we did not reach the 24 hours minimum hospitalization. But anyway, I still complied. I went back to our room for the papers but I realized that I did not have the birth certificate which is one of the requirements. So I went to the counter and got a priority number, my number was 18 and they were still on 10. I quickly decided to go back home to get the birth certificate and probably I could still make it. So I did. When I went back, they were serving 17. But then I realized I still lacked a copy to my ID so again I ran to the photocopier. I was really sweating this time. I was just in time when I got back. I was praying so hard then that nothing could go wrong with my papers. And well, something did go wrong. Our surname in the system was incorrectly spelled. The crabby attendant at the ER probably did it on purpose! I was freaking out deep inside this time but I knew I had to be composed. So I went to the admitting section to have it corrected and went back. To cut to the chase, everything was okay now with the insurance so I went back to billing section. And finally (drumroll please) I couldn't believe my luck, the girl told me that she's sorry she could not credit the insurance because, aside from the fact we weren't given meds, as I originally thought, we did not reach 24-hours minimum. I could actually see myself screaming at her face. She is so lucky that the civilized, patient and sensible part of me still prevailed. Without a word, I took the statement stormed off and went to cashier to pay my dues. The only consolation I got was they let me pay with my credit card or else I had to go to the ATM which is another hassle to the story. The rest is actually history. I finally surpassed a crisis in my life and I'm glad that I'm at home now and facing my computer recounting everything that just transpired.

Thinking about it now, I really wasn't kidding when I said earlier that a Koreanovela OST was actually playing in the background during the whole duration of that "episode" in my life. For this part, I actually told myself something really good must be in store for me which is why I'm being punished this much. Or worse, what have I done to deserve this?

I'd like to think as I have always believed, that I am just riding through a lower loop of the rollercoaster of my life. Not long enough I will be able to soar on top. I just know it. As much as I don't ever want this to happen in my life again, I still believe that experiences like this keeps me healthy and strong deep within. The optimistic part of me still keeps on believing: There's always a rainbow at the end of the storm.

Spring Waltz

2006-10-30T16:00:00.000+08:00

Have you ever seen a movie that was so beautiful that you watched it so eagerly, so excited to see the ending but when it finally comes to an end you become so sad? Not because you did not like the ending but because you became so much part of it that it's just so hard to let go and go back to reality. It's been such a long time since i felt this way for a movie. Just over the weekend, i watched and totally fell in love with the 20-hour koreanovela "Spring Waltz". The film is a bittersweet love story about two childhood friends in a small island in Korea who got separated by an accident. But through the test of time and space they get reunited. After 15 years, in Austria they meet again but they did not recognize each other yet. As the plot thickens they begin to discover each other as flashbacks of old memories start to haunt them when they reunite again at Korea. The plot was made spicier by a dash of love triangle and "you-and-me-against-the-world" sequences.

I just couldn't stop thinking of the movie all day. It was truly so beautiful yet so poignant that it actually made me cry (you can ask my friends, i rarely cry at movies). I just had to blog about this film because mushy as it may sound, it made young love so fresh again. I got so empathic with the characters I could actually feel the love and thrill... and even the pain and bitterness they were going through --- as if i'm actually in the movie!

The movie is not perfect though. But I only have 2 superficial complaints about it: 1. the actors were not such good dressers (maybe that's fashion statement for them in their country but it doesn't work for me much) 2. the movie could sometimes drag --- i had to fast forward some parts because i just get so excited to see how it would go.

But I truly have to commend the cinematography. The film was shot so beautifully in such scenic places both in Austria and South Korea --- truly legendary. The soundtrack is also awesome. I dont know how but even they did justice to revivals such as "Lost without your Love" of Bread and "Clementine" ... and the carrier single "One Love" just keeps playing on and on my head.

The director, Yun Suk-ho, really did a fine work with this one. Spring waltz is actually the fourth and final installment of his Endless Love season drama series: Autumn Fairy tale, Winter Sonata and Summer Scent---all of which i am yet to see. When koreanovelas became a hit in the country, I wasn't one of the people who rushed home after work just to catch on to the korean series in tv. I could still remember that time, because my mom was one of those who religiously watched them on tv. My interest only came about after I watched Sassy Girl. Since then i became quite interested and when i saw the music video of Spring waltz by Youtube at one of the pages of friendster, I knew that I just had to watch the film.

Here's an excerpt from the movie:

"If you truly love him….if you genuinely miss him, someday you can meet and love him again…. Just like us playing a hide and seek during our childhood days,…. no matter how deep he hides himself from the world, and disappear from my sight, he who hides shall be somewhere out there…..always be waiting for me, the tagger. Regardless of how often failing to catch or missing each other’s ways, at the end of the day, your most earnest desire and pray shall lead you to him……only to meet and love again."

Cheska's 5th Birthday

2006-10-19T17:49:00.000+08:00

Our little princess takes her next step as she celebrated her 5th birthday yesterday, Oct. 18. We celebrated it simply by dining out at Mongolian Garden with family and few of our closest relatives. Cheska was the happiest little girl that day. Thank you Lord for giving our girl 5 wonderfully blessed years. Thank you also for the blessing she is to us.

TV Life

2006-10-11T20:50:00.000+08:00

Hubby and I have been raving for days about this new sitcom we started watching last Saturday. We managed to stay indoors the whole weekend just watching 22 episodes of the first season of "How I Met Your Mother" on DVD which was just accidentally bought by my mother. The stars are not even super popular, the only ones I recognized were Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) and Alyson Hannigan (Bandcamp Girl of American Pie). It's a simple comedy most comparable to the popular sitcom "Friends". It's not super hilarious, send-you-rolling-on-the-floor type of comedy but it sure will truly make you want to watch the next episode more, then the next, then the next... This new show from CBS is so new that it hasn't premiered in any of the channels in the Philippines yet, not even cable tv. I think it started airing in US on the late part of 2005 so most probably this will start airing in the country either late this year, early next year or even never at all. Now I feel so lucky mom stumbled into that DVD on that fateful Saturday and got to buy it.

Since we already saw the first season of the show, I've been trying to surf all day for the second season and I discovered that so far they have only aired 6 episodes. The best thing I got? I got to watch the first 2 episodes of season 2 on Youtube! You just have to know how patiently I waited for everything to load before i could watch it non-stop. So much for being obsessed!

So far, hubby and I have been enjoying watching a few TV shows together like Friends, CSI, Lost, House and Everybody loves Raymond. It feels so good to share some common interests even though we know that we could sometimes be so different. For some reason, our TV life helps in enriching our marriage. Sappy as it may sound but it sure draws us closer. We get to laugh and talk about things that most of the time only the two of us can understand.

My 2nd Blogging Anniversary

2006-10-04T19:28:00.000+08:00

This month I will be celebrating my 2nd blogging anniversary!!! Can't believe I've been around that long already. Wow! After 2 years and 73 posts --- I sure feel that there are still so many things to write about. I wish that even if I make it to my target of 100 posts, I'll still have the will to go on with my blog. After all, I consider this as a part of me. I do admit though that just like a book or a tv series, there's always an ending. I hope that it's still not anytime near. Don't worry my blog friends. I'm still here to brighten up your day with my crazy thoughts, adventures, ideas and reflections about my life and life in general. Keep hanging out with me! Mwah!

Going Back to School? Nah!

2006-09-30T12:45:00.000+08:00

Anyone who knows me pretty well could attest that I would never go back to school even if my life depended on it. On the contrary, I truly had the time of my life while I was in school --- but it was the non-academic part that made everything worth while. Even if I have very little memory of my preschool years, I know that I really loved it especially because my classmates were my cousins --- with whom I spent the best of my childhood life with. Elementary was so- so, a bit of fun but it's mostly the Summer and Christmas vacations which were truly looked forward to. High School and College were truly awesome, the most enjoyable parts of my life indeed --- crushes, cutting-classes, outings, overnights, discos, bars, concerts, nature tripping and the fun list goes on. But hey, I spent 18 years in school --- why the heck would I still want to relive that? I was totally relieved the moment I passed PT Boards last 1999, it was when I said to myself: "Throw away all the books! I will never in my life study again!"

So when the second course in Nursing became the national trend, I felt that I was the only one who didn't jump into the bandwagon. I never showed any slight interest in pursuing a second bachelor's degree when everyone else I knew including my sister lined up to enrol. Maybe it's because not only did I detest studying and listening to a boring teacher, I also was so complacent with my job. I was so contented with my life in Davao that I did not have the slight desire to work abroad. Sometimes I ask my self "What is wrong with me? Why do I get so satisfied so easily?" But then again, what's wrong with that? Sis used to call me an "underachiever" , but I also have dreams and ambitions you know. I'm just not so aggressive in fulfilling them. I sometimes wait for my dreams to come true.

Well anyway, even if I endlessly curse schooling, I do want to take up some short courses. Lessons which truly stimulates my interests and doesn't require too much memorizing and studying. These are the courses I want to take:

Cooking - I don't want to cook anything fancy. I just want to learn to cook lutong bahay style.
Creative Writing- I'm a frustrated writer, no need to explain further.
HTML- I wish I could do more with my blog. Right now I still depend either on my brother, my cousin-inlaw Macky or good friend Andrew whenever a blog disaster comes up.
Tap Dance- I know it's a bit too late for me to acquire this skill, but who cares?

Even if I don't want to go back to school, I am always proud that I managed to pass preschool to college without failing or dropping a subject. My achievements may sound mediocre but still I spent all my efforts in balancing school life and fun. I could truly say to the world I never missed out on anything at all. That is something I would definitely tell my children and grandchildren.

The Psychedelic Furs- Ghost In You

2006-09-24T20:09:00.000+08:00

For the longest time ever, especially during high school days, this was my favorite song. Ironically, this is the only song I loved from Psychedelic Furs. This song actually reminds me of a lot of things: moving to manila during early part of the 80's, my octopus ride with my high school crush during Ateneo Fiesta '90 and first few days of my freshman year. You could just imagine how happy I was to run into this video at youtube.com. I will certainly be an 80's stuck person forever.

Koojee @ 4

2006-09-22T10:37:00.000+08:00

I'm 4 years Old!
Originally uploaded by cheskakoojee.

Yesterday, Koojee celebrated his 4th Bday. We just had dinner at Harana Restaurant. He got so many gifts from family. He really had a blast. I'm so happy for him.

Amazing Kids

2006-09-09T19:08:00.000+08:00

My kids never fail to amaze me. I know that I sound like a classic mom, ever doting on her kids no matter how trivial their achievements may be to others. But what can I do, they really make my heart soar everytime they achieve a milestone.

Cheska, she's really something. Although everyone says she took after me in every single way, I think we could be so different as night and day. She makes me feel so proud everytime I see her academic achievements. I saw her scores for her last two mastery examinations and she passed all her subjects not only with flying colors but with perfect scores (except for Filipino subject where she got one mistake). She now knows how to write her name "Cheska", can recite almost all nursery rhymes there is, can draw objects pretty well and she can really dance and sing theatrically. Her dream is to be a prima ballerina but her Dad is not yet giving his go signal for that ballet class. She gets really excited when she sees a ballet presentation on TV. She said so herself when I asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up: "I don't want to be a Doctor or an office girl, I want to be a ballet dancer!" Another thing that amuses me about her is that she's such a linguist. She can easily shift dialects. When she speaks to us, she speaks in tagalog. When she's with her yayas she's purely bisaya --- as in bisdak if I may say so. When she's at school or with her cousins from abroad she suddenly speaks in straight English! Now, even I couldn't do that when I was her age.

Koojee on the other hand is his father's replica. There is no question that he takes after his dad when it comes to physical traits. But his behavior and attitude is so much like my brother's and my dad's. He usually throws tantrums everytime we leave the house for work. His crying spells although really annoying would sometimes become immuning especially since I have to deal with it almost everyday for the past few weeks. It begins to be a running joke in our family that he's the younger and darker version of my brother. I remember when we were kids my brother was such a cry baby, almost all childhood photos of him was of him bawling. And then it also brings us back to the old family story that my own father was also a crying brat during his younger years. Well, not everything is negative about my baby boy. I adore him so much because he's always been my pet. Although he hasn't achieved much in school, we felt so proud of him when he showed us that he could write letter A. I remember that when he first entered school he couldn't even hold his pencil right. He was still so confused of his handedness--- we actually thought he was gonna be left-handed. But now, I could actually see some improvement. He also has developed social skills and can now play and communicate with other kids. He still has speech difficulty but I know he's really trying to speak clearly. Koojee could also be so talented with his lego toys. He's so creative and patient that he spends the whole night even up to the wee hours in the morning assembling a robot. And he really creates impressive robot designs!

My kids have really grown. I can't believe that in a few years time they'll be in elementary. I get so excited everytime I think of the things we could do together as a family while they are growing up. I'm so glad God has blessed me with my treasures. As I always say, " I will forever be grateful for my two precious gifts"

How the World Gets “Modern-er” Right Before My Eyes

2006-09-08T11:26:00.000+08:00

I’ve always believed that my family is “modernized” in so many ways. I grew up in a middle-class family that struggles to embrace the evolving technology the world offers. You see, I have mother who would choose appliances over fancy furniture, a dad with a mind of an inventor, a brother who is a ragnarok addict and a sister who, just like me, is a net freak. If my memory serves me right, I think my mother already purchased for the family over 3 desktops and 2 laptops in a span of 2 decades (not to mention the nintendos and playstations we got from our relatives abroad). Our first ever computer was bought for us by my Uncle when we were in Manila back in 1987. It was an IBM desktop and I think it costed around P20,000 that time. But before that, my siblings and I were already exposed to computers because our school in Manila included it in the curriculum. I was just 9 years old that time and we were already taught how to operate commodore PC’s. I’m sure not many kids with my age then would even know what a computer is. You could imagine how a whiz it was for me to pass computer classes when I was in highschool.

My Dad, whom I love to tell my friends about, has assembled at least five cars and two speedboats during his automotive career. Although he’s not very much into computers, probably doesn’t even know what yahoo is or how to type on the keyboard, he has a mind of a genius. When we were in school he used to help us with our science projects. We grew up believing that our dad was this great inventor-hero as he would always rescue us when we needed his concocting skills. He still is our hero. It’s not easy having to finish building our house and fixing everything that’s broken (including cars and toilets) with his own two hands.

As I remember, during the first five years of my life while we were still living in our hometown Lupon, my first glimpse of technology is our 12 inch-black and white roundish red TV. I must’ve mentioned this before but I used to watch Sesame Street on that TV (my first ever clear memory of watching something). Maybe during that time that red TV was even top of line ---my parents would have to attest to that, not that I’m sure they would even remember it. I’m sure we’ve had a series of more modernized TVs afterwards. We’re a family of couch potatoes and we can’t stand being in a room let alone a house with no small screens you know.

Technology also took its big role in my choice of job. I’m a graduate of Physical Therapy but I made a choice to pursue a career which involves computers. Being an Administrative Facilitator, my job entails having to face the computer 8 hours a day, having to keep cellphones within reach and fax and photocopying machines within a short distance. Emailing is one of my major tasks as I constantly keep in touch with international and local associates so I have to be connected all the time. Losing internet connection is just synonymous to power outage --- I get paralyzed at work. It just amazes me so how technology could really make my job a luxury for me. I could instantly communicate with colleagues, friends and relatives abroad through instant messaging and email. I could purchase tickets and book hotels for my traveling coworkers online. I could even download government forms and schedules through the websites and research about any item in an instant through website search engines. Really convenient! Internet really is one of the greatest forms of technology. Imagine how happy I was when I was able to locate and purchase online 2 song albums back in the 70’s (now I need not mention the band or I’ll just get embarrassed). Another major joy is downloading all my favorite songs into my computer --- all the songs I collected in cassette tapes over the years were downloaded in just a span of one day!

Now it brings me back to my first encounter with internet back in 1998. I’m sure my friend and her husband would still remember our first trip to the internet café. We were so clueless then that even having to log on to yahoo and create an account needed so much assistance from the café personnel. And right now, I could say internet is just so much part of my life. Maybe it’s safe to declare that it’s one of the things I could not live without, other things being the ones found in my purse (wallet, credit cards and make-up). My computer is my non-living bestfriend. When we were made to do a list of the things we would be saving during a fire scenario at work, these are in my list: 1.) Purse 2.) cashbox 3.) my CPU. Now I would have to master the art of removing the wirings in few seconds --- wish I had a laptop instead!

Technology indeed is what makes my life move nowadays. Although I try not be a slave of modernization, I can’t help but admit my dependence in the growing trend. Technology has its many advantages but when misused and abused could also cause more harm than good. I guess that we just have to instill in our minds that as we enjoy what technology has to offer, we have to use it for greater good. We have to remember that even if technology made it possible to build The World Trade Center it was also technology that tore it down.

My message is plain and simple. Enjoy the gifts of technology as it comes but don’t forget that the freedom to enjoy this ends where right to freedom of another begins. Use technology wisely and rightly. Cheers to technology and modernization!

Friday Badminton Club

2006-09-01T11:43:00.000+08:00

Friday Badminton Club
Originally uploaded by cheskakoojee.

These are my coworkers namely: farrah, jenny, janneth, leah, pheng, irish, inday and jane. Every Friday we go out for badminton. It's really fun. I wish we will be able to do this religiously. I badly need exercise --- not to lose weight but on the contrary to gain some and tone my muscles. I'm particularly not very fond of sports but I guess I mainly do this for F-U-N!

Goodbye August

2006-08-31T08:17:00.000+08:00

"Ber" months are coming once again. I can't believe time flies that fast. It's time to post again. I made a promise that I should blog at least once a month and if I don't get lazy I might be able to reach my target of 100 posts.

Right now, I'm reading a good book "What No One Tells the Bride". I've really been enjoying it and wished that I read it even before I got married. Not that it will discourage me or affect my feelings about marriage. I just find it so amusing to hear the stories of 50 different married women regarding marriage. I also find the quotes very nice.

I've also been exercising lately. We have this friday night Badminton club. I play with my coworkers. It's funny because before and after we play we eat --- it's more of a weight-gain program for us. For me, I just want to enjoy it with my friends.

And what else have I been up to lately? My friends and I have this indulgence with Durian. Every single night we've been pigging out at Durian Paradise. I truly love Durian!

Ice Cream, Pizza and whatnot

2006-07-31T15:53:00.000+08:00

It feels like this cough is lasting forever. It started June or even before that, all I remember is that I celebrated my birthday with a terrible cough. I think it somehow subsided and after a few weeks, and it's back again. My kids also are suffering the same ordeal, it's like the virus is just jumping from one body to another. I hate it. I told my kids once we become well, I will really treat them out to an ice cream parlor and pig out. I miss ice cream, I miss chocolates ... I miss everything contraindicated to cough.

Last night we had an unfortunate but funny experience when we trying to make our own pizza. Sister and I had all the ingredients prepared like we were just on a cooking show. Pizza dough, pizza sauce (Delmonte Sweet style), grated cheese, a slice of ham (cut into small bits), 3 strips of bacon (also cut into bits), chopped onion, Italian seasoning, red bell pepper (cut into squares). After I finished putting all the toppings, the part I hate the most .... preheating the oven. Actually, sis already lit it while we were preparing the toppings. But when she checked again, it wasn't preheated yet the flame probably died out but it sure smelled funny. But I was a bit nervous because I sort of have a phobia on gas stoves. I always feared it may explode or burn me or something. Well anyway, Sis still tried to turned it on when--- Bang! The oven made a big exploding sound. I was shocked. Sis was even more shocked. But nothing happened to her. We don't know what went wrong but we sure are thankful nothing bad happened to Sis. Even my kids were shook up. The oven was still in place but the metal plates on top were already dislocated. It sure was one big popping sound.

Anyway, we had to bake our pizza in our microwave and it was yummy but not as good because the dough was not crunchy. It was indeed some kind of a night because it didn't end there. Cheska dropped her glass and it was shattered to pieces. We had to spend the rest of the night sweeping and picking up the broken pieces. Tsk Tsk... what a night, indeed!

Food, food and food

2006-06-24T17:05:00.000+08:00

chicken feet and avocado shake of Mandarin Restaurant (my latest craving) . native chicken barbecue of Dusk Til Dawn. Apple pie and sansrival of Lachi's. lugaw and tokwa'tbaboy of Dencia's. mata ng bariles soup of Ram's. durian shake of Japanese Tunnel Restaurant. spareribs rice of dimsum diner. lechon de leche. porkchop meal of Chickies and Patties. hot sardine pizza of Merco. sicilian pizza of Zed's. mangga't bagoong. chippen's lasagna. mother baker's spaghetti. shakey's chocolate supershake and bunch of lunch. pork barbecue of bbq boss!. dad's kilawin and kinilaw. mom's buko salad and bulalo soup. bulad and nilagang saging. ginanggang. mamu's leche flan and baked bangus. wawa's ba-hu. blugre's iced latte. harana's mongolian ribs and halaan soup. deep fried hito. jollibee's chicken joy. mc do's hot choco and twister fries. nanay bebeng's melon juice. yumyum!

All Time Favorites Movies

2006-06-23T16:01:00.000+08:00

50's-60's

Romeo & Juliet
Sound of Music
An Affair to Remember
Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn)
Casa Blanca
Sound of Music

70's

Parent Trap
Grease

80's

Pollyana
Annie
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The Breakfast Club
Blue Lagoon
Paradise
16 Candles
The Pirate Movie
Secret Admirer
7 Minutes in Heaven
Some Kind of Wonderful
Pretty in Pink
Lucas
Somewhere in Time
Labyrinth

90's

Dying Young
Emma
Sleepless in Seattle
Cruel Intentions
Man on the Moon
Cutting Edge
10 Things i Hate about You
Mermaids
Edward Scissorhands
Sabrina (Julia Ormond Version)

2000-Present

Parent Trap
The Notebook
50 First Dates
You've got Mail
Simon Birch
Love Affair
Great Expectations
Serendipity
How to Lose a Guy in 10 days
Just Married
Uptown Girls

A Long Sunday

2006-06-04T19:40:00.000+08:00

We had a long day. I initially didn't plan on going out on a Sunday because aside from the fact that our car was borrowed, I really had tons of things to do at home. But after lunch time, hubby said "Let's go to the mall". He said that we can ride the jeep so the kids would somehow try it once in a while. So we went.

We bought the kids their school bags (classes will start on the 13th), hubby bought basketball shoes (again!), I bought 2 blouses (really adorable!) and an underbed storage box. The mall was packed but I really enjoyed shopping so did Hubby and the kids. After eating snacks and doing all the shopping we headed home (but this time in a taxi cab... thank goodness!).

For the tons of things to do.... first I did my laundry, cleaned my bathroom and now as I am facing the computer, I'm doing my homework and updating my blog all at the same time. My body feels so tired but I really have to finish my to-do-list. Right now I'm still sick... I was diagnosed with Bronchitis few days ago but I'm hoping the meds is doing it's job. I still feel a little weak and uncomfy though.

This Saturday's my 30th birthday (whew!) . I know Cousin A's grinning right now. Can't believe I'm finally stepping into a new decade in my life. I do feel happy somehow, that even if I'm getting older, I know that I got somewhere. I have a great family, a comfortable home, a good career and lots of good friends around.

I'm so excited for what's in store for my big day. I'm just gonna have a few good friends and my family over for a big lunch. Then the following day we're heading off to Pearl Farm --- I'm just so thrilled. I hope the weather would be great.

Dear God, I will always treasure the 30 good years of my life. Thank you for just the way you made it for me.

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

2006-06-02T11:42:00.000+08:00

Hubby and I marked our 5th anniversary last May 30 but we celebrated in advance during the weekend. We checked in a nice apartelle (the same one where we had our honeymoon after our wedding) with the kids, spent the day swimming in the pool and had a hearty dinner at a good restaurant. My kids didn't want to go home anymore because they really enjoyed our stay at the apartelle. It was one of the best family get-aways.

Thank you Lord for the 5 wonderful years with my hubby. I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

The Week That Was

2006-04-22T10:44:00.000+08:00

Last week was holy week. It's my second favorite time of the year next to Christmas. My holy week vacation is probably one of the happiest vacations I had. We went home to Lupon (my hometown!) to spend the long weekend there. We spent our days at the beach and our farm. Even time spent at my maternal ancestral home was great. I really felt so rested and peaceful--- truly away from the hustle and bustle of the city and not to mention work! My kids really had the time of their lives. Not only they had the chance to be with their parents and grandparents for 4 straight whole days, they also loved the places we went to.

This brings me back to good old memories of my trips to Lupon during my younger days. My favorite memory is the travels I had with my cousins. We used to travel in a van and even though it wasn't airconditioned, we all enjoyed it especially the games we used to play during the trip. We used to wear a shirt around our faces because of the dust--- the roads weren't cemented then. And during our stay in Lupon, we would go to see our other cousins, roam around the town, go to carnivals and beaches. I could never forget the summer when we spent our days at the beach. My cousins and I suffered one of the most worst sunburns ever! But nevertheless it was one of my fondest childhood memories. Now it's my children's turn to enjoy it.

"I Wanna be Just Like You"

2006-04-06T11:20:00.000+08:00

Most Helpful Awardee

2006-04-01T09:37:00.000+08:00

special award
Originally uploaded by cheskakoojee.

The whole family just had to be there. We all went to Cheska's school to watch her receive her first award on her first recognition day. I felt so proud... even prouder than I felt when I graduated college. When I saw her sing and dance during their song number, I really felt goosebumps all over. It was such a joy watching my child on the stage.

First Class Picture

2006-04-01T09:32:00.000+08:00

Class Picture
Originally uploaded by cheskakoojee.

The long Story about this picture... She almost did not make it to the picture taking. Her nanny forgot to tell us that it was Class Picture Taking Day. Cheska was not so eager to go to school so my Mom made her stay at home. Just a stroke of luck, Mom went to Victoria to buy groceries when she passed by Cheska's school and saw that all the kids lined up for the picture taking. She immediately called home and had the nanny dress Cheska, picked her up and rushed to the school. Whew! Good thing the session did not start til Cheska got there.

What is your favorite TV Commercial?

2006-03-01T11:40:00.000+08:00

Right now, mine is the new musical commercial from Vaseline Shampoo. It is basically about a little girl's journey from her first day of pre-school to her prom night up to her highschool graduation as she is constantly being guided and strengthened by the love of her mother. I was particularly touched by the scene during graduation day. The little girl, who is now a grown lady, takes off her medal and puts it around her mother's neck as she closes her eyes and tears began roll down her face. Her mother was deeply touched and even cried with joy. What even made it moving was the background music sang by Nikki Gil. Here's the lyrics of the song that somehow makes me glow inside as I think of both my mom and my daughter.

GLOWING INSIDE by NIKKI GIL
happy, to let you know i love you so, its true. happy, that i have you you make me glow i want as bright as you chorus:i'll always thank you for the glow i thank you for the joy thank you for the love you give to me i'd always like glowing inside with your love shining through thank you for everything you do i'm glowing inside because of you remember, my growing years they're filled with joy because you're there for me you cast away my fears you wipe those tears you give me strength each day(repeat chorus) who knows for what tomorrow brings my glowing wings you make me fly i reach and i touch the sky because of you i'll soar up high so i am(repeat chorus 2x)

*I'm sure all the moms with daughters will be so touched... as well as daughters who somehow have taken their mothers for granted... this will truly make you tell her "Thank you Mom!"

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

2006-02-14T15:11:00.000+08:00

Today is Hearts Day. Hubby gave me a long-stemmed tulip. I still don't know our plans for tonight. It will definitely be a romantic dinner but I think it's not gonna somewhere far from the center of the city. I'm sure all the restaurants here are packed.

To all the couples out there, go out and celebrate love! Happy Vday!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

2006-01-09T12:37:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, Hubby celebrated his 28th birthday. We just had small celebration at the office and we had dinner at Jack's ridge with the whole family. It was a simple celebration but everyone had fun. Of course most importantly, Hubby had a blast.

Happy Birthday my dearest Hubby!

Happy New Year

2005-12-31T18:22:00.000+08:00

This new year poses lots of promises for me and my family. It's gonna be a year when my two kids can go to school together. It is also the year when hubby and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. I don't know if I should set my new year's resolution tonight as I always do on a new year's eve. I really have not much in mind except to promise that I will be punctual at work. This is only because starting January, our work imposes a stricter timekeeping rule which is why I don't have much of a choice anyhow.

I always get sad when the holidays are over. I'm even sad as early as now. Well, looking at the bright side, there is a whole new set of things to look forward to after the holidays. There's hubby's birthday on the 7th of January, Valentine's Day on February, Holy Week on April, wedding anniversary on May, my 30th bday in June (do i really look forward to that???) and as I said earlier, my two kids going to the same school.

Dear God, thank you for the 12 wonderful months of 2005. I will truly cherish every single moment of it because I know that every single second is a gift from you. Thank you for togetherness of my family, material and spiritual blessings, good health, peace of mind and inner strength and happiness. I pray that you will bless 2006 and many more years to come. May all of the years of my life be filled with your grace.

An Enchanting Christmas

2005-12-25T00:25:00.000+08:00

I thought it was gonna be one lonely Christmas. Even at the beginning of December, I didn't feel the usual Christmassy feeling in the air. The malls were not so crowded, everything was so ordinary. Maybe it was because for the past few Christmas Holidays there were so many things to get so busy about. In 2003, I was busy preparing for highschool class reunion and many weddings of friends. In 2004, everyone was so busy for my cousin's grand wedding. Maybe it was so odd that for the first time in years I don't even have a single wedding to attend to on a December. I thought that maybe it's a good time to go on a trip with my family.

Even last November, Hubby and I had been planning on a short vacation. Since Hong Kong was a budget-short away, we decided that if God will bless us financially on December we are gonna go to Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna.

And we were truly blessed. On December 17, Hubby, my kids and I flew to Manila for our much-awaited trip. I was so excited since it will be the first major vacation for my family. It was even my kids' first airplane experience. It even filled me memories of my first vacation to Manila with my parents and siblings. Maybe it was so important for me to give that experience to my kids, I know that I will forever be grateful to my parents for giving us so many happy memories to remember especially that first trip to Manila when I was 4 or 5.

The Enchanted Kingdom experience was truly something to remember forever. Hubby and I were so exhausted but we were so fulfilled upon seeing the joy and excitement in our kids' faces. Every penny and effort was really worth it.

We spent the second day driving around and shopping for the kids. Our friends from Manila were so kind to show us around and accomodate us. We stayed in a small and cozy hotel that night and thank goodness the kids were able to sleep well.

The third day we had to fly home to Davao. I know that it was a vacation to remember but I could also say that it was so good to finally reach home and sleep in my own bed. Thank God for that wonderful vacation.

As I am blogging, the clock just struck 12 and it's Christmas Day! My kids had just finished opening their gifts because they couldn't wait any longer. As usual, I have also opened God's greatest gift to me as he always gives me on a Christmas Day... togetherness of my family.

Merry Xmas to everyone out there. I hope you're having a grand time as I am. Happy Holidays!

Field Trip

2005-11-23T13:18:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was Cheska's first field trip. We were all excited even days before especially since we asked the school if Koojee could also join and they said yes. We were already at the assembly point at around 8am. We boarded the bus and after a few minutes, off we went. Our first stop was Crocodile Park. Too bad it had to drizzle but nevertheless, all the kids had fun upon seeing different animals. The highlights of the visit was when they made the crocodiles leap some few feet vertically.

Our next stop was Jaca Farm. The kids had fun swimming. When we went home, the kids were so exhausted. But I could see in their faces that they were so happy. I myself am looking forward to the next field trip already.

Our Little Princess Turns 4

2005-10-21T13:01:00.000+08:00

When I woke up last October 18, my mind made a recollection of what transpired four years back from that day. From the minute my water broke up to the time I first took a glimpse of my daughter's face, I tried to make a clear memory of everything. I always do that... reminisce the wonderful days of my life. Now, my little princess has turned 4. "How time flies!" I would always say.

She's really big now... and beautiful at that. She's also very smart, witty and really complicated. Sometimes I see myself in her. My Dad says I was less quarrelsome but other than that, she was my exact replica. We adore her in a lot of ways but there could be times when she acts like a brat (Sis often calls her "Bratinelli") . She may be really difficult at times but one thing holds true for me... I am so proud and blessed to have her as my daughter.

For her 4th birthday, we gave her a "Cinderella" party. She really waited long enough for the day, sometimes to the point of being impatient. She would even tell me "Why does Koojee's birthday come first? Next year, I should be first." And when the day finally came, she felt that she was really a princess. Her outfit even matched her birthday theme.... minus the glass slippers of course.

To my Little Princess Cheska, I wish you all the beautiful things in life that you ask for. I also wish you humility, honesty, obedience and all the goodness in your heart because physical beauty fades in time and what's essential is always found within. Happy birthday my dearest darling.

HAPPY BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY

2005-10-09T21:22:00.000+08:00

This month will be my 12th blogging month. Whew, I've been around for a year! To all my blog friends, thank you for being around. Keep blogging!

Koojee's 3rd Birthday

2005-09-23T15:34:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Koojee's 3rd Birthday last September 21. My little boy really had the time of his life. He was so happy upon seeing his cake, the visitors and had fun opening his gifts. As his mother, I was just as ecstatic seeing the glow on his face. Well, my wish for him is that he will grow up healthy, happy and God-fearing. I wish that we will spend his birthdays together as a family for my entire lifetime.

To my little boy, Happy Birthday my dearest Budoy!

Cheska's First Report Card

2005-09-16T12:34:00.000+08:00

I'm glad that she's an average kid. Guess what? She's the
"Most Neat" Awardee!!!

2005-09-16T12:33:00.000+08:00

The teacher says she's coping well with school.

Embracing Life

2005-09-15T17:21:00.000+08:00

This is how we celebrate life...
dining out with the family
without a particular occasion.

KADAYAWAN

2005-08-20T21:01:00.000+08:00

Happy Kadayawan Festival to all Davaoenos out there! I hope you enjoyed the week 'cos I know I did. Tomorrow's the last day of the long Kadayawan weekend (sob sob!). I hate for it to end so soon...

And to the Davaoenos who are physically away from our beloved city... I indeed wish you were here!

A Taste of Heaven

2005-08-09T15:30:00.000+08:00

Lachi's is my new discovery. It is a small homey shop where they sell cakes and pastries. It was my sister's recommendation which brought me to the shop one day and when I tried their sansrival, I fell inlove with it. Then I tried their lemon squares, apple pie and brownies. Again, I was impressed especially the apple pies (just to die for!).

Last night, Hubby and I went there for dinner (I recently heard from sis that they were already serving meals). We ordered their "unforgettable pork ribs", "Tinik-less Bangus" and for dessert I had apple pie and hubby had blueberry cheesecake. For a very affordable price, hubby and I were more than satisfied. The meal was indeed "unforgettable".

I wish that they would branch out to one of the malls. Their location is a bit far from the city proper. But nevertheless, even if they don't I will still go out of my way to buy my favorite goodies in that small homey shop in the corner of the city.

Milestones & Obstacles

2005-08-03T16:09:00.000+08:00

Cheska... after two months since beginning of classes, she can now write the vowels, sing more songs (even the Pambansang Awit), recite nursery rhymes and most importantly she can say a prayer. Last night she showed me a drawing of me, her Daddy and Koojee and I was so proud and happy. The faces really looked funny but we all appreciated it like masterpiece. I wish I could post it here but she drew it in a very large paper which makes it real hard to scan.

Koojee... our family physician said that he may need a tongue surgery because his tongue is quite "inflexible" which makes it hard for him to pronounce better. He said that if we ignore the condition, this may cause inferiority complex which eventually will affect his behavior and performance in school. Well, everyone else is trying to make us feel optimistic about it. They say we can always seek for a second opinion. As a mother, my heart was crushed when I first heard about it. I was trying to imagine how I will be able to last through the whole operation if ever we decide to have him undergo it. How will I be able to stand watching him recuperate after the surgery? I was all negative. But as the days passed, hubby tried to lift my hopes up. Everytime Koojee utters words which are understandable, we almost always jump for joy. For the last months, he can only say two words at a time. Whenever he utters a whole sentence, it becomes incoherent. I can't help but compare, but Cheska during his age was already talking articulately even in paragraphs. Last night, he said "Excuse me daw Mommy!" and hubby and I were like, "He can talk in 4 words and it was all clearly said!" We were so ecstatic. We were both so optimistic that God will perform a miracle and Koojee won't have to undergo operation or any invasive procedure at all and still be able to talk well.

Every night I pray to God that He will bless my two angels. That He will bless Cheska with her school and bless Koojee so he will eventually do good in school. I pray that he will give both of them good health and mind, will protect them from accidents, and will make them good and beautiful people when they grow up.

Tell me why I Don't Like Mondays

2005-08-01T15:08:00.000+08:00

My cousins, siblings and I used to sing this song when we were in highschool. Now I'm singing it again... every Monday that is. I hate going to back to work after a long great weekend. I hate the feeling I have everytime I drag myself to the shower every Monday morning.

Imagine how sweet life is during weekends: I can sleep late on Fridays and Saturdays; Wake up late on Saturday and Sunday mornings; Get to spend time with the kids at the mall or even just at home; I could clean my room, closet and bathroom and do my laundry; I could go to the grocery or go run some personal errands; Or I could just have a relaxing massage and pamper myself...

Now, I could definitely tell you why I don't like Mondays!

Things-to-do

2005-07-17T20:36:00.000+08:00

Things I've long been wanting to do but lack the time to:

1. Haircut - now I've made my hair grow the exact length I want. But it seems unhealthy already. I really believe that hair needs to be trimmed at least every 2 months.

2. Hot Oil - my hair's so dry!

3. Facial - Geez, I don't remember the last time I've had this.

4. Pedicure- my feet look so... UNPRETTY.

5. Foot spa- again and again I promise this to my feet but always procrastinate... don't worry feet, you're gonna have it soon...

I don't mean to sound shallow here but hey, I work real hard... I do deserve to pamper myself once in a while right?

My First PTA Meeting

2005-07-14T14:03:00.000+08:00

I didn't realize I'd get to this part so soon. I had just attended my first PTA meeting this morning and the deeper meaning of being a parent really sank in. I'm a parent of a student! As the process of computing the grades of the pupils were explained in detail, I suddenly felt a surge of panic. So many what-if's crossed my cynical mind. What if my child failed a subject? What if my child doesn't do well in school? What if she does well in academic but behaves badly? Then I suddenly pinched and reminded myself that "Hey, this is preschool! although this is the foundation of education, there is so much time for my kid to adjust and improve... with the school's training and my guidance, I'm sure Cheska can do so well." As I also tell myself that I will never pressure my children in becoming honor students but will be supportive to whatever they can give and will encourage them to develop their talents and interests.

I wonder if my parents felt this way when I first entered school. As I can remember, I was so independent as a child. I studied on my own, I never cried when my parents left me at school and I even remember going home alone (with my house just a few blocks away) and at one time walked a considerable distance with only my two cousins who were also my classmates (I wonder if they still remember that). I wish Cheska inherited my "independence genes", then I wouldn't really have a hard time raising her.

Looking at every corner of my child's classroom, memories started flashing through my mind. I remembered how I started writing down my own name on a pad paper using a blue pentel pen. I remembered how I started learning how to read when I was in Prep. I recalled how my teacher taught me about God and how to pray. Preschool was indeed a fun part of my life... but then again so is gradeschool, and high school, and college...

I wish my children would enjoy school life as much as I did.

Swimming at Apo

2005-06-23T16:47:00.000+08:00

Fun swimming time with my family and chix's last Saturday, June 18.

School Girl

2005-06-15T23:21:00.000+08:00

Cheska --- so excited for school!

Nice Pose
Originally uploaded by cheskakoojee.

Cheska's First Day at School

2005-06-15T20:32:00.000+08:00

The big day finally came. Cheska's all ready for school. She had her uniform, school shoes and backpack all ready just the night before. She wasn't the only one beaming with excitement. The whole household was all eager to see her off to school. My mom even volunteered to accompany the little girl. So I told my Mom I was just gonna meet them there during lunchtime.

When I went there, the place was chaotic. Kids were running around. Parents also joined in the commotion. Maybe that was normal. The kids, parents and even the teachers were still adjusting. And Cheska, she was a bit uneasy and still trying to fit in. I'm just so thankful she didn't throw a tantrum when my Mom left her for a while.

Well, that was a golden moment in my child's life... well, my life, too. Such precious memories...

Dearest Cheska,

As you take your first step towards a long journey of learning, I just want you to know how proud we already are of you. I know it's gonna be one long adventure that you will truly love and cherish. As your parents, we wish you the best. One of the best gifts we could give you is education so treasure it well. Study hard, do what your heart desires most, and if you want something so badly, strive hard to achieve it. Remember to be careful in all your important decisions because you could never undo something that was said and done. But nevertheless, we are always here to support and love you... all the way.

All the love in the world,

Mommy and Daddy