Rude Awakening

It is difficult enough I have to put up with the incessant din of my neighbor's noisy children especially when I am trying to compose an entry or write a film review. It was still tolerable because I could always put my headset on and listen to Josh Groban croon.

Now they decided to give me a free wake up call! At the unholy hour of 5:30 AM,I am suddenly jolted out of my deep slumber to the sound of Mik3 Enriqu3z or Joe T@ruc's booming voices reading the news during their early morning radio show.

But let me explain that (1) I have nothing against AM radio shows. I understand that in the provinces, the transistor radio is still the preferred method to gather information. (2) I am fairly tolerant of other people as long as they don't verbally or physically attack me.

Yet for the life of me, I cannot comprehend how people can be so utterly inconsiderate of other people's peace of mind.
I don't understand why the neighbors need to listen to their transistor radio at full blast right in front of our window.
I don't understand why they need to spill out of their tiny apartment and have loud conversations right in front of our front door.
I don't understand how 9 people can squeeze themselves into a tiny two storey apartment. I would absolutely go ballistic if I had to share such a small space with 8 other individuals.
Alright given that rents are expensive in this part of the city but how about some freaking privacy?

Well anyways my main concern is for D to get enough sleep as he has been really busy lately juggling several things at the same time - his work, additional projects for his work and his graduate studies. But it seems that my concerns however valid were not really an issue with D, he can sleep easily even with the lights on and blaring loud music.

I guess I'm the one who has to continue suffering this rude awakening!

Goodness!

This is an interesting theory

There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese why your wedding ring is worn on the 4th finger:

Thumb represents your Parents
Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings
Middle finger represents Yourself
Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner
the Last (Little) finger represents your children

Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together - back to back

Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb tip to tip (as shown in the picture below):




Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents) - they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.

Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings) - they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.

Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children) - they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.

Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse). You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT, because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin!!

For your eyes only

Next month I'm due for my ophthalmologist appointment. I was advised to get my eyes checked every 6 months since I use the computer a lot which can strain my eyes. My taste in prescription glasses are usually the boring, functional, no frills type like this basic black/green frame:



A glimpse though at the Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical showed me the wide range of edgy eye wear now making waves in the market. The popular online eyeglasses shop also offer $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses for their budget conscious customers. An affordable price to pay for high quality, trendy eye wear.

The Case of the Missing Ring

Yesterday D comes home.
He changes into his 'house clothes" while I prepare his lunch.
He eats his late lunch at around 2:30 pm.
I go up to resume my online activities.
He comes up as well to get his reading materials.
He asks me if I brought his wedding ring up.
I say no.
He usually puts his ring on top of his cellphone.
We go down to search for his wedding ring.
He distinctly remembers removing it from his finger.
I don't recall seeing it on his finger.
We search everywhere.
I was sweating like crazy.
I give up the search.
He tells me he will continue to look for it.
At this point, I wasn't angry.
Nor was in the mood to continue searching.
I go up to log online again.
After a few minutes, D comes up.
He gives me a tight hug.
He tells me he is very very sorry.
In his words "hindi ko pinag ingatan ang singsing"
I notice a tinge of sadness in his voice.
He is visibly distraught.
It was my first time to see this side of him.
I tell him it's ok it isn't his fault.
Maybe he lost it in the taxi.
Maybe the ring fell when he got his wallet.
Who knows.
I like to reiterate I wasn't angry at all.
I know that these things happen.
I tell him to get on with his readings.
He leaves.
A few hours later I go down to cook dinner.
By this time, D had fallen asleep.
I woke him up twice for merienda.
He didn't budge.
By 7pm I finish cooking sinigang na hipon.
I go up to wake D again.
Before I take my regular evening shower.
After my shower, D is awake.
Yet he is really quiet.
Still very upset over the ring.
If you know D, this silent behavior isn't his usual mood.
I just let him be.
I didn't want to harp on something I knew wasn't his fault.
I go up to dry my hair.
He comes up and sits beside me on the bed.
He is again truly apologetic.
He tries to assess the situation.
Me with my standard "it's ok" line.
He goes down to cook rice for dinner.
I continue drying my hair.
He calls me from downstairs.
Then he rushes up the stairs.
He runs into the room.
Then jumps into the bed.
He holds up his left hand with his wedding ring on his finger!
We end up laughing.
He tells me he is relieved.
He thought I got angry with him.
I told him I wasn't mad at all.

Here's a photo exhibit of where the ring invariably wrapped itself around thus causing stressful moments of panic for both of us. More so for my loving husband than yours truly!



This is a mentos chewing gum pack. Our wedding ring is of white gold variety. Or silver in color. So we didn't notice it conspicuously wrapped around the mentos gum which incidentally has a silver packaging. The picture isn't clear because there was a shadow of my hand taking the picture. But believe me unless you check closely, you won't notice there is a wedding ring attached to that mentos gum.

All's well that ends well in the Fr@nco household with my hubby bright and cheerful again just as I want him to be! =)

Discovery

Today marks our 6th month as a married couple! Here are 6 random things I've discovered about myself, my husband and our marriage in general.




1. I have learned to cook healthily. Well, it's not like I ever cooked on a daily basis before I got married. But nowadays, I don't use MSG, Patis nor Pork in any of our meals. I have also stopped drinking diet sodas. I make sure I boil ground beef first before I proceed with the recipe. I also take out the 'seeds' of tomatoes before I use it to saute the viands.

2. My hubby tends to snore when he sleeps on his back but the minute he turns on his side, he stops. At first I was quite alarmed when he stopped snoring because I thought he stopped breathing as well.

3. I am still not comfortable sleeping in his arms. That sounds strange, I know. But after a few minutes of cuddling and saying good night to each other, he tends to fall asleep right away. That's when I untangle myself to get to my side of the bed and sleep without any encumbrance.

4. I miss my family more than I care to admit to myself. More so when my sister relocates to Singapore early next year for her career boost.

5. That it is possible to love my hubby more and more each day.

6. That getting pregnant is a lot harder than I ever thought possible!

I'm a happy trooper

(1) Last Friday evening, I watched "Quantum of Solace" for free! My sister had 2 invites to the latest Bond movie at the Sh@ng Cineplex c/o of her insurance company. I loved the movie!

(2) I spent Friday night at my former residence. More sister bonding time.

(3) I finally tasted currywurst again. While shopping for an appropriate dinner takeout at the Glorietta food court, I chanced upon this tiny stall selling German sausages. Lo and behold, it also sold currywurst! Woohoo.

Curry Wurst

Last Saturday, we did the usual rounds of cemeteries to visit our dearly departed relatives. Our first stop was at the Loyola Memorial Park in Sucat, Paranaque. Since parking is a major problem, we usually drop off my parents near the entrance which is close to where my Lola is buried. While I was helping my parents carry things out of the trunk, I noticed there was a stall selling German sausages near by. A big sign with all their products was prominently displayed and I noticed they had currywurst!

I remember fondly when my sister and I were in Berlin way back in 2001, we ate currywurst all the time. We ate it for lunch, snacks, and dinner. We usually bought them at those little stalls with wheels parked at corners along major streets in Berlin. We ate them every single day, we were there. We ate them like it was going to be wiped out of the face of the earth in a couple of hours. We really gobbled it up. The sausages are grilled to perfection with its skin nice and crispy. Then it is cut up into small pieces and topped with the correct blend of curry mixed with ketchup. It was really delicious.

So when I told my sister they were selling currywurst at that stall, we couldn't contain our excitement. We were anxious to find a parking space as fast as possible so we could once again savor our Berlin delight. Luckily, we found parking at the mausoleum section of Loyola and walked all the way to the entrance. I told her we should drop by the tombstone first to say our prayers before we avail of the much missed currywurst.

When we finally got there, the lady told us they had run out of currywurst! Oh no ... no ... noooooo! Apparently it was such a big hit, it was sold out by 7 in the morning. We were truly disappointed. It was such a big letdown. I wonder when I will be able to taste and savor currywurst, again.

MoveMe.com

Moving from one place to another can be a daunting task. It is a major hassle to sort out everything which needs to be packed, labeled and shipped. I should know I've had to move residences several times in my lifetime. But it doesn't have to be such a tedious chore.

It helps to have a reliable company that will take care of your moving needs. Over at MoveMe.com, they guarantee to make your move as easy as possible. You can use their free online move planner and their moving check list to organize everything. These important forms can be found at their user friendly website. A site which has won the Yahoo Innovation Award and the Yahoo People's Choice Award for its innovative service oriented features.

They also have informative guidelines on renting, for first time buyers, buying homes, selling houses and moving with family,moving with pets and moving with disabilities. They provide you with home services like transfering your tv license online, setting up broadband service at your new home, setting up a home theater, a reliable alarm system and rerouting all those wires to connect your home computer.

But they go beyond merely dealing with the logistics of helping people move. They have a special section on their website which provide free mortgage quotes. They also give you a comparison of mortgage quotes from different companies.

You can also use Moveme.com to get free online removal quotes from removal companies in your area which match your requirements. You simply fill up a form and you will get a listing of companies in your area which cater to your specific moving needs. Removal partners who are duly licensed and insured. These firms offer complete 'moving' services like pack your goods, dissemble any type of furniture and they can also unpack your things at your new home upon request.

Surely with Moveme.com, you will have a hassle free moving experience.

I was tagged!

Let me do a couple of memes before I lose my mind! I believe it is sem break for the neighbors kids who like to spend their free time shouting at the top of their irritating voices. Gawd, have mercy!

I was tagged by Wil to do this meme but I won't be tagging anybody.
Here's the rule: Remove 1 question from the list below, and add your own personal question to make it a total of 20 questions. Tag 8 people, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

1. At what age do/did you wish to marry?
Actually I didn't want to get married at all. But I guess fate has a strange way of intervening with our best laid plans

2. What color do you like most?
Blue

3. If you can have a superpower, what would it be?
The ability to teleport myself to different places

4. If you can travel anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
Places I haven't been to like Australia, Cambodia and Egypt

5. Which part of you that you hate the most?
My tiny feet because shoes don't fit me!

6. When you get sad, what do you do?
Lately, I would pray the rosary

7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
My family

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do with the money?
Oh you know the usual - buy a house, set up a Jollibee franchise, travel around the world, the rest will be saved for all the expenses that go hand in hand with maintaining a nouveau riche lifestyle

9. What do you love the most last year (2007)?
I met D

10. How did you get your name?
I was named after Daphne du Maurier, the English author. As for Laura well she was the saint du jour

11. What is the moment you regret most?
That I didn't join my friends when they visited the Pyramids in Egypt. But the thing is they traveled with a person I wasn't really comfortable with so I don't think I would have really enjoyed that vacation

12. What type of person do you hate the most?
People who are inconsiderate of other people's feelings and their surroundings

13. What is your greatest asset?
Hmm that's not for me to say

14. If you had one wish, what would you wish for?
To be blessed with a child

15. How did you celebrate the New Year?
Stuffed myself with food and red wine to the sound of loud fireworks lighting up the sky

16. Name the one body part your hubby or significant other tells you she adores.
You better ask him, I might not get it right hehe

17. It's 2008. What are you looking forward to this year?
2008 is drawing to a close. So I'm just going to enjoy the remaining days of this year

18. Anything in your life that you wish weren't so awful?
That people would stop asking me when will I be a mother?

19. What's the shallowest thing you intend to do this year?
I can't think of anything

20. Describe the current state of your life, this very moment.
Contentment


This one I caught over at Toni's Wifely Steps blog
About My Man
1. He’s sitting in front of the TV: what is on the screen?
Either Video Zonkers, World's Funniest Home Videos, or the news programs

2. You are out to eat: What kind of dressing does he put on his salad?
He doesn't like anything on his salad

3. What is the one food he doesn’t like?
Food which have high uric acid content like peanuts, beans, monggo

4. You go out to the bar: what does he order?
He doesn't drink so I doubt you will find him in a bar

5. Where did he go to high school?
A high school in Pasay City

6. What size shoe does he wear?
41

7. If he were to collect anything, what would it be?
Books about history or Jose Rizal

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
He isn't into sandwiches

9. What would the husband eat every day if he could?
Hmmm rice

10. What is his favorite cereal?
He doesn’t eat cereal

11. What would he never wear?
Earrings hehe

12. What is his favorite sports team?
He doesn't have one, he just watches all type of sports

13. Who will he vote for?
2010 is still too far away :D

14. Who is his best friend?
That would be me!

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
Nothing, I'm perfect that way :D

16. How many states has he lived in?
He has never been to the States, neither have I for that matter

17. What is his heritage?
Filipino

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday: what kind?
I don't bake, period! :D

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Well not in high school but in university, yes

20. What could he spend hours doing?
Reading history books