3 Things I realized in 2010

Here's my very short review of the year that was 2010. I wanted to list 10 things but unfortunately my brain could only spurn out 3!

In 2010, I realized:

(1) it pays to be extra duper patient. Be it in taking my own sweet time chopping ingredients for a recipe to not fretting about the long hours being stuck in traffic whenever I make my way from Q.C all the way to Mandaluyong to visit my parents. This also applies to my acceptance of the fact that it might take a little while longer to achieve the motherhood stage of my life. Hopefully I can sustain my patience in the year 2011. After all good things come to those who wait, right?

(2) That once I hit the 4th decade of my existence, my energy level has not been as perky as I expected. Now after walking for just a few minutes or simply kneeling during Mass, I start to feel tired and my bones start to ache. Oh alright so I guess one factor among many has to do with me gaining weight and/or reluctance to exercise - but believe me it gets doubly hard once you hit your 40s to lose stubborn pounds which refuse to simply fade away into thin air!

(3) I tend to overindulge whenever my sister is in town. That would mean eating unhealthy food, splurging on clothes and staying up way past my bed time. But during those short pockets of time when my sister visits, they are also the happiest days of the year. Fun times. =)

Overall, 2010 wasn't a bad year for D & D. It was filled with extreme highs with some depressing downs thrown into the mix. And that's just fine with me even though I tend to complain every now and then LOL

Here's wishing we all have a happy and blessed 2011. =)

Tis the most wonderful time of the year

Amidst all the frenzy and the hectic activities during this merriest of season, I wish to greet everyone - have a meaningful and Merry Christmas. =)

Bookings

It was always quite an adventure to travel back then (I mean during the early 80s). We didn't have much access to information about airfares, hotels and sights to visit. The travel agency would be the best option. Or simply rely on a few travel brochures you could grab at airports and/or train terminals. So holidays were pretty much an exploration into the unknown. Yet, that's where the beauty of traveling lies, in my opinion.

Nowadays thanks to the Internet, I tend to read all the relevant websites to arm me with loads of information about a city we plan to visit. You can find everything you need with a single click of the mouse. There are tons of packages which offer the cheapest airfares. As well as promos offered by numerous hotels. Most websites are designed specifically to help you make your decision on choosing a holiday easy and as hassle free as possible. For instance, LetsGo2 accomodations to LaSource Grenada makes me want to take the first flight to Grenada.

Sometimes with the myriad of information available at our fingertips, there is a tendency to 'overbook' the activities during our holidays. Which is fine if you are quite an energetic person and can explore many places in one day. But more often than not, I notice we need another holiday to recover from the hectic and fast paced vacation.

Winners

Congratulations to Team Philippines represented by the "The Riches" i.e Richard Herrera and Richard Hardin for winning the Amazing Race Asia Season 4. The race is televised weekly on the AXN Channel.

The final leg was in Singapore where the tasks were pretty difficult to perform. But the Riches played well throughout the race, they didn't make any enemies, kept a low profile but had the best combination of brawn, brains and good looks!

Well done, guys!

Scrubs

I've always been a big fan of medical shows on TV. I remember watching "St Elsewhere", "Chicago Hope" and "ER". Current times, I try to catch the latest episodes of "Grey's Anatomy", "Private Practice" and "Nurse Jackie".

But I'm not a big fan of hospitals. I only go there when it is absolutely necessary. Since I got married though, I need to go monthly for my check up with my OB-GYN who thankfully is a very kind and caring doctor.

But I can't really say the same for some nurses. Sometimes they can be quite stern when handling patients. I don't blame them since they need to go to work everyday in all cotton scrubs. And let's face it, their nursing uniforms are not exactly fashionable, to say the least. Besides they are overworked and tired from working really long hours. But nowadays cotton scrub uniforms have been modified and are more pleasing to the eyes. They even come in flowery designs which is a far cry from the plain blue scrubs.

Yesterday when I was young

My sister once asked me if I ever get bored staying home all day. Because you see D goes to work at 6am and gets home at 10pm. Well the thing is as long as I got internet connection, I get by. But of course I have to admit sometimes it can get really lonely being by my lonesome self.

That's why I'm really grateful that I am re-discovering songs from my past, thanks largely to YouTube. Never mind that most of the songs don't have music videos and are mostly montage of the artist's images. For me they are valuable souvenirs of my "yesterday when I was young" days.

We were based in Brussels, Belgium from 1978 to 1982. So my repertoire in music were mostly French songs from France and Belgium. My favorite singers back then were Claude Francois, Alain Chamfort, Herve Vilard, Daniel Balavoine and Michel Sardou. I was also a huge fan of the BeeGees, the Beatles, Neil Diamond and John Denver. The latter are pretty popular worldwide so it isn't difficult to find their CDs in record stores. As for the French songs, I was really happy to discover them on YouTube.



So listening to them all day long in repeat mode truly keeps me sane. It is just too bad one needs to be online to watch these YouTube videos and they can't be saved on a CD. But nevertheless ... I'm content! =)

I just want to say

I got my hair trimmed, this weekend.

So for 24 hours I had straight hair.

It felt good while it lasted.

I took a bath, the next day.

So it's back to wavy hair, alas.

But it is at a manageable length.

So I guess I just have to live with it! :D

12 days of December

I woke up today and realized there were only 24 days before Christmas comes a knocking on our doorstep. Yet I might be the only person (well aside from my hubby) in this country who has barely lifted a finger to get into the Yuletide spirit. There are no Christmas decors in our tiny apartment. I haven't joined the rest of the populace in their rush for Christmas gifts shopping. Heck I haven't even played a single Christmas carol on my player. I feel no extra pressure nor stress about my nonchalance, truth be told.

A lingering sense of anxiety envelopes me as I realized with much astonished sadness that as the year 2010 comes to an end, I still haven't achieved my ultimate goal. Our quest to become parents is still as elusive as winning the lotto jackpot prize. The first 7 months of this year I was under medication for fertility treatments. Then I needed to take a break from the treatments to avoid over stimulation of my hormones. My doctor remains overly optimistic that probably I could conceive without any meds but frankly I don't share her sentiments.

When I turned 42 last October, I said to myself 'enuff is enuff!'. I simply accepted my fate to have some peace of mind. I didn't want to be miserable, anymore. Crying every month over a negative result got really tiring. But mostly losing my joie de vivre is really a terrible feeling. I am still in a dark place yet I'm slowly learning to crawl out of it day by day by building a wall of stoicism to shield me from my pain.

In 12 days time, my fave person in the whole world will be coming home for the Holidays. I'm excited and really looking forward to some great bonding moments with my sister. Because I believe that TIME is the best gift we can give to one another during this merriest of all seasons!

Surprises

Friday night I received a call on my cellphone. It was my sister telling me she was in town for 2 nights!!! I thought she was kidding me until she gave me her room number at the Marriott Hotel in Newport City. The American chain of hotel that is presented located in the Resorts World Complex. So Saturday night, I slept on this majestic bed.



Had a relaxing soak in this bathtub which can be viewed from the room through a transparent glass. But no worries there is a switch in the bathroom for a white blind to come down when you want some privacy. Unless of course if you were alone in the room and no one can see you naked! :D



Here's a view of the Resorts World Complex at night from my sister's suite.



There were Christmas decors all over the Resorts World Complex so naturally I had to pose here there and everywhere :D





But my fave part of the Resorts World is this "Ballerini" sculpture by a Colombian artist named Fernando Botero. The statue of a naked couple baring their rotund shape for all to see is what greets you at the lobby of the Maxim's hotel.



We also visited the Casino where pictures are strictly prohibited so unfortunately there is no picture of me cashing it in at the slot machines. :D

But overall it was a pleasant surprise and a great way to spend the weekend with my fave person in the world - my sister - at the Marriott.



I can't wait for her to come back for the holidays in two weeks time! =)

Un joli coucher du soleil dehors my fenetre

Translation: A lovely sunset as viewed from my window

Balinese Fun

Watching this week's Amazing Race Asia where the racers stormed through Bali in Indonesia brought back fond memories of my visit, way back in 1997. During that time, my parents and I were living in Dubai while my sister was based in Singapore. She told me she won some prize to stay at a Bali hotel for free so voila I hopped on the first plane to share this good fortune with her. I believe it was summer time when my sister and I set foot in Bali after a short plane ride from Jakarta.

My first impression upon landing is how a certain sense of peaceful tranquility envelops you like a warm hug. Life seemed to move at a slower pace. The people were very friendly and always smiling. The place was like a sort of nirvana where you can just forget all your troubles.

We were treated like royalty because apparently the prize included a 4D3N stay at a 5 star hotel in the exclusive enclave known as Nusa Dua, a chauffeur and tour guide at our disposal and a Bali High yacht tour of the coastline!

GOA GAJAH (ELEPHANT CAVE) TEMPLE



When the cave was first unearthed, its entrance’s upper part was mistakenly believed to resemble an elephant trunk. Goa Gajah is a temple inside a cave. This temple is believed as the center for yoga and meditation during Hindu-Buddhism era. A ganesha statue reflects a Buddhism side, while its Ciwa statue portrays the Hinduisms counterpart. On the west corner of this cave lays Buddha and Harito statues. Goa Gajah temple is surrounded by green rice fields along the River Petanu.

PURA LINGSAR



On the island of Lombok, o­ne of the best-known tourist attractions is Pura Lingsar Temple. Located at the north end of the beach at Ampenan, Pura Lingsar is also Lombok's most important religious site.

Visitors to Pura Lingsar are expected to wear a sash or sarong to enter the temple. If you forget, there will be vendors outside happy to rent you appropriate clothing. You can also explore the temple's outer buildings without any special dress requirements. The northern, elevated part of the temple is the Hindu section, while the Wektu Telu worship in the southern section.

TANAH LOT



When it comes to sacred sea temple sites, Tanah Lot, o­ne of Bali’s most popular tourist destinations, hits you like a tidal wave. A small, rocky island just off the southwest coast of Bali and about 20 kilometers from the Balinese capital of Denpasar, Tanah Lot was, and continues to be, formed by the ocean tide. Roughly translated, Tanah Lot means ‘land floating in the sea’. Locally, the island is also referred to as Tanah Let, which means ‘ancient land’, and Tanah Lod, which means ‘land to the south’.
*** Relevant information in italics were taken from several websites ***

13 years ago I set foot in Bali and till this day I credit it as the perfect place to heal a broken heart. 1997 was not a good year for me. I was deeply troubled after I chalked yet another failed relationship under my belt. So embarking on a wonderful Balinese adventure with my favorite person in the world was the best panacea for my torn soul and I will forever cherish those moments! =)

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Usually when my sister and I traveled to any city steeped with a rich cultural history, we would include in our itinerary - a visit to any castle or palace which served as the official residence of aristocrats. The Chateau Versailles was a personal favorite of ours. It never ceases to amaze us with finely manicured gardens, its elaborate display of antique furniture, the grand ballrooms, the magnificent chandeliers and howard miller grandfather clocks. I observed that some of these clocks were still in minty working condition. Every time we found ourselves in Paris it was imperative that we make a side trip (by train) to Versailles.



Versailles, France 1998

Before and After

I was sorting through the pictures folder of CERA (my sister's ACER laptop) and found really old photos of the family. From way way back when I was still a toddler in India, my pre-teen years in Belgium up to my HS and college days in Pinas. It brought back fond memories and nostalgia started slowly creeping its way into my heart and soul.

A period where computers were non existent, cameras were still very chunky, no cellphones and text messaging. We would travel and then develop the pictures to store them in now rusty photo albums. It sounds like an entirely different era. I bet if you told some young person today, s/he might be flabbergasted as to how we could have survived without the Internet, without Facebook, the iPad, iPhone or whatever gadget is trendy nowadays.


Here is a 'before' picture - Circa 1980 taken at the Vatican City:



The 'after' picture - Circa 2001 also taken at the Vatican City:

Ultimate Prize

I am probably the only Pinoy who doesn't give a hoot whether MP wins or not.

Even though for the past few days that is all D would talk about.

B.O.R.I.N.G! :D

What I am more 'concerned' with is hitting the jackpot prize of the Grand Lotto which is now valued at around P400 million!

Can you imagine what you can do with that much moolah??

I can!

Quail Eggs

Relatively speaking, I admit I am rather slow when it comes to whipping up a dish. The preparing and gathering of all the ingredients together is one of my pet peeves when it comes to cooking. Another pet peeve is washing all the utensils, the pots and pans, the chopping board after I'm done cooking. I hate that! :D

Peeling carrots and potatoes then dicing them into little squares. Chopping onions, garlic and tomatoes. Boiling the main ingredients like chicken, minced beef or beef brisket cubes. But arguably I am rather patient and tend to take my own sweet time. But nothing could prepare me for the really tedious process of de-shelling quail eggs. They are so small and their shells break into tiny pieces that stick like glue to the boiled egg! But I persevered!

All in all it took me like 2 1/2 hours just to prepare our dinner tonight.

Voila here's my own concoction of Beef with Quail Eggs:

The world wide web

My knowledge about webhosting is rather limited. I know there is a lot more to it than simply moving all your data into a site that will store them. Bandwidth space, servers, adequate storage space, the availability of around the clock technical support (to answer any or all of your queries) are some of the things to consider when it comes to having a domain name. In my case, it certainly helps that when it comes to web hosting or anything related to the ins and outs of the Internet, I can always consult my cousin for advise.

Ancestry

This past weekend we finally had the chance to go visit our dearly departed loved ones. First stop was the Loyola Memorial Park in Sucat Paranaque where my maternal lola and lolo are buried. I have fond memories of my grandparents. Even though when I was younger I was really scared of them because they were very strict disciplinarians. Their Spanish style house was always a buzzed with activities like family gatherings to celebrate every occasion.

The young ones were taught to only speak when spoken to, not to make too much noise and to finish everything on our plate. Unfortunately, that ancestral house has longed been sold but I can still distinctly remember the antique muebles. Their rustic bedroom furniture were reminiscent of the colonial times. It always felt like it was part of another era. An era long forgotten in the annals of history.

A trip down memory lane

I was only 4 years old when I first set foot on a plane. I don't remember the flight. But my mother said she had a really difficult time trying to stay sane as she had to look after a toddler (that would be me) and a baby (my sister was only 13 months old) during the airplane ride. We were on our way to New Delhi, India to join my father on his first assignment abroad. My father was there at the airport to fetch us and I being the eldest instantly recognized him and ran straight into his waiting arms. My sister on the other hand started crying since she thought he was a complete stranger who was kidnapping her. hehe

We were nicely ensconced in a big spacious bungalow made of red bricks. It had three bedrooms but we all slept in one large bed. Mom, Dad, my sister and me! It is there where I first gained knowledge. First in a kindergarden then an exclusive prep school run by very strict Catholic nuns. I also had my first Communion there and I remember wearing a complete white outfit from head to toe with a veil on my head.

My mother said that I was a diligent pupil who liked to read alot. Thus by the age of eight I had to start wearing eyeglasses. It was also the phase in my life where my mother thought it was cute or cheaper for us to wear exactly the same clothes.

I have very vague memories of our stay there. But I'd like to say that my childhood was pretty much marked with books, books and more books. I used to be really good with words so I would always win the spelling bee quizzes at school. My prizes were mostly books in all sizes and shapes. I was definitely a bookworm. I preferred receiving books than dolls during my birthdays and Christmas. Funny thing is now I hardly find the time to read!

P.S.
That picture was taken during my first visit to Agra at the Taj Mahal. Back then I was still much taller than my sister. Now she is towering over me. Oh by the way, I've never been back to see the Taj Mahal.

Days of wine and roses

If someone would ask me "what is something I miss the most since I got married."

My answer would be traveling to far flung places.

A phase in my life I will always refer to as my days of wine and roses.



But sadly those days are over.

They are now a distant memory.

So vaguely distant that I've forgotten where some of the places in the above mosaic were taken.

Of manicures and weddings

Last Saturday, we attended a wedding. The dress code was strictly formal so I figured I needed to get a manicure and pedicure. Since I don't relish other people touching my feet, I decided to do it myself.

My usual nail polish color is flaming red. I started with my toes first then struggled a bit with my fingers since I'm not really a professional manicurist. While I was drying them off, D asked me nonchalantly "What color is your dress?" I answered "purplish pink".

Then I promptly changed the color of my nail polish to mauve. You must be wondering "why?"

Well in my 2 years of marriage, I've somehow learned whenever D asks me something about my wardrobe, it either means:

(1) I need to change to something more 'suitable' for his conservative taste - no cleavage, no short skirts, no flimsy attires.

(2) I have to tone down my wild ways - flaming red nail polish on my fingers is too (for lack of a better word) vampy and scandalous!

(3) I need to act my age, period!

Blah. :D

The ABCs of Me

The ABCs of Me:

Advocate for: Anti Littering

Book: Just done reading "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Career: Wife (is that a career?)

Dreams: Traveling to far flung places, Winning the Lottery and Owning a house

Essential items: Glasses, cellphone and tweezers

Favorite song or music: The Beatles

Good at: I don't know what it is called but I'm good at sorting out technical problems. For instance figuring out what to do when my computer conks out or when the TV remote won't work and nope it isn't a simple case of replacing the battery. :D

Hobby: Watching movies

Instrument you play: None

Junkie: Peanuts, yogurt, iced tea

Kindred Spirit: My sister and my friend M

Little known fact: I flunked Economics during my 2nd year at UST and had to take make up summer classes to pass with a pasang awa grade of 3!

Memorable moment: My wedding

Name of best friend(s): My sister

Occasional indulgence: Hair treatment

Phobias: Cockroaches, Dark Places

Quote you like: This too shall pass

Reason to smile: My sister is coming home for the holidays

Sorry about: not visiting Egypt to see the Pyramids when I had the chance

Things that are worrying you right now: My infertility problems

Uninterested in: Local movies and asparagus

Vegetable you love: Cauliflower

Worst traits: Laziness, always thinking about the negative aspects of everything

X-marks my ideal vacation spot: Paris

Yummiest Dessert: Choco Mint Ice Cream

Zodiac sign: Libra

What's in a name?

42 years ago, I was officially baptized with the name "Daphne Laura". But when I went to get my baptismal certificate as one of the numerous documents required to get a marriage license, my name was erroneously entered as "Daphne Raura".

In all my school records, official documents (passports, voter's i.d) my diploma my name is simply "Daphne". I figure my mother simplified it to accommodate my very long surname (now my maiden name).

Ever since I can recall, all my relatives know me as "Net". While all of my friends call me "Daph". I've also been called hon, honey, baby, babe and hotness (yeah that's really corny!) as a term of affection by my ex lovers.

Now the funny thing is that when I got married naturally D had to introduce me to his friends, his relatives and his colleagues. Well he tagged me as "NET" not "Daphne" or "Daph". I once asked him why and he said it is easier to pronounce Net than Daphne.

Well I sort of agree with him but somehow I don't like the idea that I have to answer to "Net" when that nickname is EXCLUSIVELY reserved for my immediate family and relatives. But I reckon it is too late to change my 'name' back to "Daph" when I am now officially known as "Net Franco" in his circle.

I know I am making a big deal over such a trivial matter but I do have a point, di ba? :D

In the Doldrums

A certain listless sense of ennui has enveloped me for the past 3 weeks or maybe even longer than that. And being sick twice in 1 month doesn't help, at all. Of course no one wants to get the sniffles but for me it is doubly difficult. I seem to go through a really horrible cycle of very bad colds with fever which eventually turn into a dry whooping cough that feels like someone has stepped on my constricted chest.

I can't function properly. I lose my appetite. Sleeping is a major discomfort. Then add in the never pleasant monthly visitor that totally drains me physically and mentally. In short, I haven't been my usual happy go lucky self. And truthfully it sucks big time.

I don't like feeling this way. It makes me contemplate more that I need to. I worry about a million things. I get overtly emotional. I would suddenly just break down and cry for no apparent reason. And during the most ill opportune moments too!

For instance at the supermarket while grocery shopping. Certainly strange but mostly embarrassing to say the least. How would you react if you saw a grown woman burst into tears at the produce section? Probably think she was a lunatic or an escaped mental patient, right?

During my birthday, I had a good excuse not to celebrate - it was stormy. But truthfully I was not in the mood to be all cheerful and happy just because I happened to turn a year older. I'm too fatigued to psycho analyze myself. I just want to get my groove back!

The birthday that was

The weather outside was frightful.
But inside we were delightful.

We (hubby and me the birthday girl) had cake:



We had pancit malabon:



And we had Max's chicken:



What more can a (42 y.o) girl ask for? =)

Today in History

October 19, 1968 - I made my grand entrance at 2 in the morning at the Trinity Hospital in Sta. Ana, Manila. I was a tiny baby because I weighed only 4.8 lbs. Now as the clock strikes twelve and I usher in my 42nd year, I only wish for one thing - world peace. :D

And that this really fierce storm which is causing torrents of rain to drop on my rooftop (with strong winds to boot) to stop wreaking havoc on our already badly battered nation. Amen.

Let's take a walk

One of my fave places in this bustling city is the Greenbelt shopping mall. It has evolved from a small shopping arcade to an upscale mall set within luscious greenery and a koi pond. Within its premises, it has boutiques, stores, restaurants, a chapel, 2 cinema theaters (one at the original Greenbelt and at Greenbelt 3) and a park.



















Plus the place holds special meaning for me since it is where D and I had our first date. 3 years ago on a hot and humid Saturday, we finally met for the first time. I remember getting there early so I browsed muna at Powerbooks. Then we just made it in time for the Anticipated Mass at the Chapel. Afterwards, we watched a movie (Spider Man 3) then capped the evening with dinner at Teriyaki Boy. Back then, I had no idea that rendez vous would culminate in a marriage - 29 months exactly today! =)

Living la vida condo

I'm back after a hectic 12 days filled with movies, dining on food I'm NOT allowed to eat and bonding moments with my parents who never cease to amaze me with their energetic stride even though they are now in their 70s.

I watched 7 Spanish films and 2 Hollywood movies. I stayed up as late as I could without dozing off. Despite the fact that I would be reading in bed. Yet somehow I managed to wake up refreshed and with a vigor I haven't experienced for some time now. That's strange. But it's hard to explain.

Maybe this view from my window did its part in calming my soul?

Friendships

Just a quick post before I go watch another film at the Spanish film festival. It is about friendship on where else but the massively appealing social network known as Facebook. I go for quality NOT quantity as far as my contacts are concerned. As much as possible I only add the following people: (1) relatives and (2) friends.

Now the friends category can be further divided into (1) former classmates - even though I barely spoke to some of them during high school but at least I do know them physically. (2) really close friends or kabarkada whose friendships have endured even though we don't see each other as often due to conflicts of our schedules or they now live in a different continent. (3) other bloggers whose blogs I have been reading for a long time so I feel a certain affinity with them.

Now my question is this: Is it bad of me not to add people I have never met but only heard of through my marriage? Also what's up with the kids of these people who have the temerity to request to be added as a friend?

In the first place, I am of the opinion that young kids shouldn't have their own facebook pages at all. I figure most of them are made by their mothers but duh it just comes out as a popularity contest when young kids should simply enjoy their childhood without worrying who has the most friends on their list, right?

My major pet peeve though is that these people are the ones who have the gall to keep asking or commenting in some form or another "when will we have a baby?". Well they ask the hubby pero sa totoo lang it merely adds to my stress instead of encouraging me when I see their comments posted on FB for the whole wide world to see/read!!!

But you know what? I do end up confirming their requests because they might think I was 'mayabang' or a snob. But I do it under much duress ha and not out of affinity, affection, consanguinity or whatever reason they might be.

Ok I'm done with my rambling rant! Time to go and amuse myself. :D

Hola!

Alright so I'm off again to catch some Spanish films at Pelicula: 9th Spanish Film Festival.

Happy October!

Hasta la bye bye for now!

Let's eat!

He came home from work on his birthday with mocha cake, pancit and chocolate ice cream for us to binge on. Then the next day, we meet up with my parents at SM Megamall to toast his 46th year at Savory Restaurant. Fun times.


Spinach with Crabmeat Soup


Rellenong Shrimps


Miki Bihon for long life.


1 whole Classic Savory Chicken

Note: This binge will continue for 2 weeks as we also celebrate my sister (even though she will be in Thailand for a business trip) and my birthday in quick succession! So diet won't be a part of my vocabulary during this period. :D

Climate

What I don't understand is how come it is already almost October but the temperatures in this part of the world is still very stifling hot. I was under the impression that the 'Ber' months were supposed to be cooler. Hmmm did I miss the memo that this year would be different?

Or perhaps it is just me? I am having really hot flashes which isn't really a good sign for my motherhood plans, isn't it? I still sweat up a storm even when I find myself inside a fully air conditioned environment. Goodness gracious me. Quel horror!

Alright enuff ranting, it's shower time yet again!

Tuesday

It is a holiday in the province of Pampanga, today. They celebrate the 100th birthday of the late President Diosdado Macapagal.

My husband is certainly not 100 years old but in this household we also celebrate his natal day. For the first time in our 3 years of knowing each other, I didn't buy him a gift. Actually I had something in mind but when I consulted him about it, he wasn't open to the idea so ewan I couldn't think of anything else so no gift it is! Beh! Since he has work, we will just have our date tomorrow.

Happy Birthday to my "Plus One". =)

Picture perfect Friday

Happiness is new season of my fave TV shows

It's the time for me to turn into a couch potato again. September is the time when the new seasons of TV shows are unfurled upon us. So far Survivor: Nicaragua and The Amazing Race Asia have begun. I'm looking forward to watching Grey's Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters as well.

But I have to admit that I am certainly NOT a Glee fan. Never liked it and don't intend to watch it either. :D

Surprise

Monday night D comes home and tells me to hold the door open while he gets the TV from the taxi. At first I thought that he bought a new TV since the one downstairs has been broken for quite some time now since it was grounded during a freaky lightning storm. He and the driver of the taxi bring in this huge box with this 21" ChangHong TV:



But before I could reprimand him for not consulting me about making a major purchase, he explains. Apparently he got the top prize in some school activity and tada we now have a brand new TV downstairs. To think that earlier that day, I was lamenting that we had alot of broken appliances in the house which needed to be fixed but since budget is tight, we had to postpone the repair.

A nice pleasant surprise when we least expected it. A very good blessing indeed! =)

Coffee Break

It has been a while since I had a leisurely time to enjoy an iced coffee at one of my fave cafes. During my break, I was able to indulge in what used to be my regular past time during my single and idle days. My poison is the Mocha Frost at Figaro. Yes as much as possible I patronize local products to help our economy. :D

I also like to read various magazines as I sip and savor my refreshing drink. I tend to gravitate towards the lifestyle mags which feature useful tips on everything from "how to make use of limited space in a condo" to "the latest electronic gadgets in the market". Technology Articles are very informative. They usually give valuable pointers about various products like digital cameras, Mp3 players, TV and the like. I've learned a few tricks or two just from browsing these magazines.

I'm back!

So this year I managed to catch 4 films at the recently concluded Cine Europa at the Shang Cineplex and I have these 3 keychains to prove it! I watched films from Switzerland, Bulgaria, France and the Czech Republic. In between the European films, I saw George Clooney as "The American".

The thing with these film festivals which are screened for free are the very long queue of people lining up for tickets. So we (my parents and I, D was busy with work and intrams) would only get to see merely one film per day. Because by the time we get out of the theater, the line for the next screening has already formed and I didn't want to stand up for hours again. I was really worried for my parents who patiently lined up since they are already in their 70s but it turns out they were game and I was the one who got really tired and aching feet from standing for hours on end. Heh!

To occupy my mind while waiting in queue, I bought a book and managed to while away the time engrossed in the life of Elizabeth Gilbert. Her "Eat, Pray, Love" novel is so much fun to read. It is described as one woman's search for everything across the 3 *I* - Italy, India and Indonesia. True enough I've been lucky to have visited all these 3 places so I could more or less identify with her journey except for the yoga part. I'm still in the India phase of the book. I desperately want to finish reading it before the movie opens here on October 6, 2010!

Time off

Just a short note to say that this blog will be out of circulation for a week.

I'll be in a European frame of mind!

A bientot! =)

Furnishings

Limited space is a big factor to take into consideration when one needs to furnish an abode. When my sister and I first purchased the condo, we scouted at several stores for the right size of furnishings.

Dining Room Furniture needed to be both functional and non bulky. Initially we were aiming for a round shaped dining table so that 4 people can eat without literally rubbing elbows with each other. But then we came across a dark brown square shaped dining set which we both fell in love with at first sight.

For almost 9 years now, it has been the centerpiece at the loft. A vital fixture where we share meals, watch Tv and have endless conversations about anything and everything under the sun.

Picture perfect Friday

Happiness is comfort food!

For me comfort food would be a large bowl of Pho or Vietnamese noodles soup from Pho Hoa. My usual order is soup no. 38 which consists of brisket, tendon and flank which i top with bean sprouts and hoisin sauce. It is especially comforting to have it on rainy days and Mondays. And yes I can devour all by my lonesome self an entire LARGE bowl of this delicious soup! :D

What time is it?

I am always consciously aware of the essence of time. It seems my whole family is that way. We have an abundance of clocks in our houses. Every room has its own wall clock. My cellphone has a clock as its screensaver. Even when I am on the computer I immeasurably do my tasks according to a certain time frame.

So I was really shocked when D didn't even had a wall clock at his former apartment. His alarm clock was so small the first time it rang I barely heard it. But that is just the way he is, he just breezes on without even making a conscious effort to check the time. So while I like to be always ready way ahead of time, he simply takes his own sweet time. Now that's funny!

Laundry woes part 2

One of the things we discussed when we got married is that it will be cheaper if we just have our clothes cleaned at a laundry shop. Thus we didn't include a washing machine in the list of appliances to purchase. This way, we lessen our electricity and water billing expenses.

There were a few laundry shops in the area which had a pick up and delivery service so it was pretty convenient. I would fold the clothes, specifically list down each item to be washed then simply called them for pick up. We didn't really encounter any problems except when we had to return an item or two which didn't belong to us. They were probably accidentally included in our stash.

A few months ago D noticed that one of his jeans had a pretty nasty stain along the front side of the leg area. You know the kind of stain that occurs when you mix a dark colored item with your whites. So he took it to the laundry shop and they said they will try to remove the stain. After several weeks had passed and we didn't hear from them, D decides to just get the jeans back. But they reason out that they had fired the employee who caused the damage. But in the process, they refused to return the said item. So he demanded to speak to the owner. But apparently she was in the province and they didn't have her number. He spent almost 1 hour at the shop trying to find an acceptable solution to the problem.

To make the long story short, they simply agreed to pay a measly 300 pesos for the aggravation but still refused to give his jeans back. D believes that the shop wanted to avoid us pressing charges against them so they decide to hide the 'evidence'. Take note it took them almost 2 days to come up with the measly amount!

Oh well ... yet another incident of bad service!

Travel Souvenirs

I remember I had a friend who used to collect postcards from her travels. The thing is she would mail these souvenirs to herself from every city she visited. Naturally, she would get home way before the postcards landed at her mailbox. But she told me that it would always be a pleasant surprise and a lovely reminder of her travels way after she had unpacked her luggage, distributed the pasalubongs and recovered from jetlag.

She was in the process of gathering all her collection and collating them into a giant color postcard printing mosaic. I never saw the finished product since we relocated to another country but I believe that until now it is still an ongoing work in progress.

Laundry woes

Since I sometimes sleep over at the condo, I leave some of my clothes inside the closet of my bedroom. Then my mom would include them in the items to be sent to the laundry for washing and ironing.

Just this July, my sister was in town so I spent the whole week at my former residence. On one of our shopping sojourns, I just grabbed the dress pictured below from my closet took a bath and got ready. As we were about to leave, my sister noticed something on my dress. At first she thought that I accidentally pour water on it while drinking. But lo and behold there was a gaping tear on the right side (the tummy part). The kind of tear that is caused by an overheated iron! Actually I had no idea that it was torn! I was shocked and really upset because it is one of my favorite items to wear.



So we confronted the laundry shop and after endless phone calls and much wrangling and heated discussion, they agreed to just pay half the price of the item. For me the damage has been done, there is certainly no price high enough for the mental anguish it caused me. I can never wear it ever again.

Today I find out from my mother that my chiffon blue blouse has also been damaged with exactly the same problem. It was ruined by an overheated iron! Actually I believe it was included in the same batch of clothes together with my purple dress. My mom only noticed it because it was mixed along with her blouses and was placed inside their closet.



Oh dear! Another outfit ruined. That's it I think I will just hand wash my clothes from now. It is quite lamentable that in this country, consumers have no rights whatsoever when it comes to bad service. Tsk tsk.