Let's eat

For lunch, we feasted on these dishes at Penang Hill at the Shangri-la Mall. As much as possible,we don't really need a reason to dine out.

But today is different!



Pomelo Shrimp Salad



Papadums



Mee Goreng



Chicken Pandan



Fish Fillet Claypot



Mango Sago

It was my everdearest Mom's birthday!!!

Exams

A new school year is about to commence. D will once again be busy with his load of classes. One way for him to lessen his tasks is to get his students to submit their exams to his email account. In that manner, they save on paper. He can just directly record the grades on his class record and there is no need for him to meet his class in person.

Actually I think that the youth today has it really easy. There are various tools available online to make their studying activities more interesting. They can simply click on PDF Search and a number of articles are presented and can be used as guides for their lessons.

Back in my days, I would spend hours at the library just to research for my assignments. There was no Internet to make studying less tedious. But hey we survived, didn't we?

Picture perfect Friday

Happiness is watching DvDs

Ever since we installed our new TV in our bedroom, watching movies has been quite comfy. I can simply lie in bed and watch Dvds. Plus the din from our pesky neighbors is somewhat minimized upstairs so I can really concentrate on the film. :D

But I discovered that I need to be in a specific mood to watch. Otherwise I am not able to absorb the plot with a critical point of view. Since I have a (frustrated) movie critic gene in my blood, I find myself trying to focus more on the technical aspect of film making then merely seeing if the boy gets the girl or in the case of horror films who gets killed or chopped up first. Heh.

But the best part of watching Dvds is that you can simply rewind certain scenes to get a more comprehensive perspective. Either that or it's because I fell asleep while watching. Hehe

The Boxer

Nope, this isn't a post about Manny Pacquiao. No siree!

I'm talking about the classic song from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. It has a haunting melody and its powerful lyrics has transcended through the ages.

I usually watch American Idol when the top 12 have been chosen and they start to perform a song depicting a central theme, every week.

For inspirational songs week, Lee Dewyze serenaded us with a more current version of "The Boxer". And I fell in love with the song all over again.



I'm really really glad that my favorite won American Idol. Congrats Lee Dewyze!

A lil ball of sweat

That is how I describe myself.

It seems that perspiration has completely taken over my existence. I wake up in the middle of the night drenched with sweat. Just sitting in front of the computer even with the industrial fan at full blast, I can feel beads of sweat racing down my back. Showering helps, somehow. But soon enough not less than 2 minutes later I perspire like a waterfall.

Take note, I even sweat in air conditioned places. Strange!

I figure I can blame these factors:
(1) The blazing temperatures.
(2) The various hormones I need to drink on a daily basis.
(3) I tell myself I am undergoing early menopausal symptoms. Thus the hot flashes.
My doctor reassures me this isn't the case. Phew! But I still like blaming the M word, just to justify my icky 'problem'.

So I guess if you combine all of the above factors, you just might understand what I'm experiencing on a daily basis.

My only consolation is I may sweat like crazy but I still smell good ha! A mixture scent of soap, baby powder and perfumes ... so there! :D

Mechanics of Blogging

When I first started blogging way back in 2003, I wasn't really aware of the technical aspects of blogging. It was simply an outlet for me to release my innermost thoughts. I was more prolific then and would just rattle off on anything under the sun.

Then as the years progressed, I'd say that blogging became more complicated. Suddenly terms like search engine optimization, blog rankings and backlinks became the norm. There was a need to increase the quality and the volume of traffic to and from one's site. The technical aspect of web marketing was vital. The need to have high profile rankings turned into an obsession.

Somehow blogging just for the sake of expressing opinions wasn't enough anymore. I wish things would be much more simple. That we would just go back to the basics of blogging. But I guess that seems like a futile idea.

Picture perfect Friday

Happiness is Teriyaki Boy

Teriyaki Boy is a restaurant (with several branches) that serves Japanese food.

It is the place where D and I had dinner on our very first date at their Greenbelt 1 branch. It was also the very first time for D to dine at this Japanese restaurant.

So to continue the 'tradition', Teriyaki Boy (Galleria) was the place we chose to announce to my parents that we were getting married. I remember my mother almost choked on her iced tea when we broke the happy news. Hehe

So you can truly say that Teriyaki Boy is quite a memorable place for D & D. =)

Let's raise funds

Raising funds is a good way to help society. There are always some humanitarian organizations who would benefit from monetary aid. But honestly, it isn't an easy task. Fortunately there are agencies who can help you with the necessary procedures. They provide brochures with comprehensive information. They also have websites that provide some fun and helpful ideas on fundraising.

There are various types of fundraising. For instance, you can choose to either raise funds by product like candle fundraiser. Or fundraiser by organizations like church fundraisers, schools, sports team. Once you've made your profits you can invest in a good money management program like Mint which will handle your finances accordingly.

Abundant fundraising possibilities abound and they can be quite fun as well.

Coffee, anyone?

If you need caffeine to get you going then keurig k-cups would be perfect for any coffee lover.

Keurig’s K-Cup coffee pack is a plastic container with a coffee filter inside containing perfectly ground coffee beans, tea leaves or hot cocoa powder.
It is air-sealed so it locks in freshness and ensures a long shelf life. You simply place the Keurig K-Cups into a Keurig coffee brewer then the K-Cup’s lid and its bottom are punctured which forces hot water into the cup. Then you can just pour the hot drink into any standard mug or thermos cup for your drinking pleasure.
The cup lets you brew a single cup of your favorite beverage (coffee, tea or hot chocolate) in less than one minute. It is easy to use and it isn't messy.

AlpineValleyCoffee.com provides good deals on K-Cups from all of the major brands. Their interactive website features a variety of delicious flavors. They also sell Keurig's full line of brewers and various accessories.

They offer free shipping over $30 and also be sure to check their site regularly for their coffee and tea specials!

Today

D & D celebrate our 2nd year of marital bliss. =)

Picture perfect Friday

Happiness is my hubby!

He was born on the 9th month of the year.

He was named after the father of our current president (GMA) who himself was our president in 1964, the year D made his grand entrance.

He has 2 siblings who are both based in the US of A.

He is in the academe.

Corny as it sounds, we 'met' on Friendster in 2005.

I met him for the first time in person in 2007.

We were married in May 2008.

Now two years later, I'd like to quote from a Diana Ross song.

I love him more today than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow!

Quick Meals

As much as I've grown to love cooking since I got married, I prefer to spend less time in the kitchen. Quick meals or those which I can cook within 30 minutes are my preferences. But then I also find it almost impossible to cook that fast. Just chopping all the ingredients can take up so much time for me. You can say that I am a slow poke in the kitchen. I admit I am!

Perhaps it is because I tend to get distracted easily so my attention isn't totally focused on the cooking task at hand. I also tend to multi-task to make my cooking chores more interesting. For instance, I would be boiling some slab of meat to tenderize it then run upstairs to resume my online activities. Then while some web pages are still loading I go back down and would start peeling potatoes, carrots and other necessary ingredients for the meals. It is a good way to exercise because climbing up and down the stairs would tone my legs. We all know how exercise can increase our appetites.

Some of the recipes I've prepared are dishes I've inherited from my mother. My mom being a Kapampangan would make really delicious meals. They are mostly a bit salty but nevertheless taste quite good. Although in a strange way, she isn't too fond of cooking and sometimes would just order take away. Yet most of her recipes are practical and easy to prepare. They involve basic ingredients that aren't difficult to find in the markets. She likes to prepare dishes with plenty of sauce. Her soup dishes like monggo and meatballs with misua are my favorite. Now that I am married, I do miss eating her simple kitchen concoctions. So of course I make it a point to visit her like once a week to savor her tasty and delicious food.

Election 2010

Phew we (my parents and I) were at the precinct at 8:30am but only finished voting by 11:30am. Well let me rephrase that *I* was done after 3 hours because my parents used the senior citizens lane. But nevertheless I believe that I was lucky since the classroom where we voted had an orderly system in place.I was so glad when the PCOS machine 'ate' my ballot and didn't reject it.

On the other hand, D who has to vote at a precinct near our residence in Project 8 had to come back in the afternoon as there were still a lot of people, this morning. But in the afternoon it only took him 45 minutes including pila to vote. Not fair! :D

So who did I vote for? Well let me just say that I went green so be it! :D

Mother's Day

A week delayed but after 3 invalid and 2 negative results, I guess I'm not going to be a mother, just yet.

Anyhoo.

Life goes on and today being Mother's Day, D & I treated my Mom and Dad too to a lunch of Chinese food. I'd like to say that now that I am married I've developed a deeper relationship with my Mom. She was 31 years old (back then it was deemed to be quite old na) when she gave birth to me. I was due to make my entrance into this world on the 20th of October but I was in a hurry so I came a day earlier (the 19th).

So happy mother's day to my mom and to all the mothers out there!




Here I am with my "Legolas" look and my mom has her eyes closed! But the digicam conked out and refused to function so I am stuck with this picture. Hehehe :D

Picture perfect Friday

Happiness is First Friday Mass

I've always been a devotee of the First Friday mass. Ever since we came back home (here in Pinas) for good in 2001, I've strictly adhered to this ritual. There were certain 'dark' periods in my life when I would refuse to hear Mass on Sundays but was always up to hearing mass on First Fridays. Weird.

My favorite place to hear the 12:15pm mass is at the Chapel of the Eucharist Lord. It is located on the 5th floor of the Atrium wing of the SM Megamall. It is air conditioned (really cold) and very spacious. I'm a bit ashamed to snap a picture of the Chapel itself so I'm merely posting a shot of the SM Megamall I took from a suite at the Linden Suites in 2007.

It is also the perfect time for me to bond with my parents for worship, lunch and sometimes we watch a movie. Fun times.

E-L-E-C-T-I-O-N 2010

I am getting pretty excited over the coming elections. First of all it is now automated so we won't have to write down the names. So it would be much easier. It is important we don't waste our ballot so make sure you have a list of the candidates you will be voting for with you. Secondly, I believe that our country is now in dire need of concrete reforms and drastic economic changes for us to be globally competitive. Thirdly, our ancestors went through many hardships and hurdles for the right of suffrage so it is only fair that we maintain the sanctity of our votes.

So I decided to check out my precinct number at the Comelec website and found all the necessary information I need to make my voting experience a breeze.



So don't forget to go out and vote on May 10, 2010. But kindly vote wisely! =)

Cooking made easy

Back in the good old days when I was still single and lived with my sister, our favorite appliances were the microwave and the oven toaster. Since we were mostly too lazy to whip up a storm in the kitchen, we would look for ideas for what to cook in a vintage toaster oven. Our meals back then would consist mainly of grilled hot dogs, toasted bread and microwave popcorn. Perfect fare for couch potatoes. You just toss it inside the toaster oven, turn the knob and voila instant food! So we were happy and quite thrilled with our unhealthy eating habits. That's why I said the good old days because nowadays I have to constantly watch what I eat. But I do indulge from time to time!

Investments

I've always been frugal with my money. For the longest time, most of my savings were all tied up in time deposit accounts. I availed of a feature in my TD account where the interest would be automatically deposited into my other bank account when it matured. So what little interest I earned I would use the amount to pay bills and/or for grocery shopping.

Back in Singapore ages ago, I used to work for an entrepreneur who was heavily into stocks and other trading options. Even though I took Commerce (majoring in Business Administration) at UST (University of Santo Tomas), I still cannot fully comprehend how the stock market works. All I know is what I see on TV, a bunch of people waving their hands in the air, shouting and causing such a ruckus on the trading floor. I guess I wasn't listening attentively to my professors, back then kasi naman it was such a boring subject.

Merry Month of May

Time does fly by so fast. It is already the 5th month of 2010, imagine that! I'm looking forward to celebrating our wedding anniversary. Yes it has been 2 years and we are still as happy as can be. Mainly due to my hubby's fun and funny personality, every single day is filled with laughter. And I have the laugh lines to prove it. Heh! So I'm really blessed to have him as my significant other. =)

My sister is off to Dubai so I'm looking forward to some pictures of her Arabian adventure. Even though it is a business trip, I'm sure she will find some spare time to explore all the new attractions of this booming Emirate, the place we called home for 6 years from 1995 - 2001.

By the end of the month, my dear mother will celebrate her birthday. So I'm in the process of finding her an appropriate gift.

Oh and I am really thankful that the stifling heat has somewhat eased by the intermittent evening rainfall. Even though it tends to get humid, I'd say it is still a tad more comfortable than hot scorching and blazing sunshine!