OKAY UKAY!

Mom! Dad? True Story!

2012-02-22T08:53:00.004+08:00

I found this post on 9gag.com and cant help laughing because this is so true! Just last night, my kids were studying and my husband was just sitting at the sofa while I was preparing dinner. Each one of my three kids has a question for me, who was busy cooking, while my husband was just watching TV! And when I stepped out to get something, I hear at least one of them asking their dad where I went! Ha ha, true story!

Of course, in fairness to my husband, he is willing to step up once I call his attention. Since I was cooking, he helped Danniel look for pictures of Philippine folk dances and even showed Drexelle how to dance the Manlalatik. I also remember him doing something about the cheap computer desks that we used to have and which now fits the living room nicely. But I dont know why but my kids really have this habit of asking me first about anything before I point them to their dad. While it is funny most of the time, there are times when it is not funny, especially when you are already tired and still has a lot of things to do. But hey, it comes with the territory :-)

Manila Diary: Palacio del Gobernador

2012-02-20T09:20:00.003+08:00

Palacio del Gobernador is located infront of the Plaza de Roma in Intramuros. It currently house the offices of the Intramuros administration, Comelec and other agencies. Comelec used to occupy the next building when I was working here in late 1990's and when I visited last February 1, that space was just a vacant lot.
It was the residence and office of the governor general, way back in the 17th century, long before Malacañang housed the executive. For more on the history of Palacio del Gobernador, check this entry.

Friday Quotes: Writing Rules!

2012-02-17T09:18:00.002+08:00

Writing rules! And so here are some rules to keep you writing!

source

Manila Diary: Aduana, Intramuros

2012-02-16T11:37:00.003+08:00

This is the Aduana in Intramuros. It was built in the 1820's and used to be the Custom's House. There is a marker there, right at the back of the man talking on his phone that reads:

ADUANA
Here stands the Aduana (Customs House). Designed by Tomas Cortes and built from 1823 to 1829. Damaged in the 1763 earthquake. Demolished in 1872.
New building erected from 1874 to 1876. Housed the Customs offices, the Intendencia General de Hacienda (Central Administration), the Treasury, as well as the new Casa de Moneda (Mint).
Building left to the Intendencia and the Treasury after Customs moved to Port Area. Damaged by Japanese bombs in 1941 and American artillery in 1945. Become offices of the Central Bank of the Philippines, the National Treasury and the Commission on Elections successively. Destroyed by fire in 1979. Partly restored by the National Archives in 1998.

And just nearby is this huge sign that says "Reconstruction of Almacenas Curtain Wall and Baluarte de Herrerias." I just hope that this restoration, which I think was started in 2008 sees the light of day.

If you look at this map, the Aduana is referred to as the Intendencia ruins. You can also peruse that map to check out the whole walled city.

Manila Diary: Manila Cathedral and Plaza de Roma

2012-02-15T08:21:00.005+08:00

This is the Manila Cathedral located within Intramuros in Manila. It is formally known as Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and honors Virgin Mary as its patroness. I used to work in Intramuros some 15 years ago, just block away from the church, but I never had any fascination towards the church back then, other than to attend the occasional mass and ogle celebrity weddings. However, just this week, it was reported that the church will be closed to the public for a year, for repair. For more on the history of the Manila Cathedral, check this out.

This is Plaza de Roma which is a park, just infront of the Manila Cathedral. Just one of the historical places that people like me ignore. The monument is of Carlos IV of Spain, which is a tribute for the introduction of the small pox vaccine in the Philippines (according to the marker).
The marker reads:

Plaza de Roma
Formerly called Plaza Mayor. Converted into a park in 1797. Renamed Plaza McKinley after US President William McKInley in 1901. Renamed Plaza de Roma in 1961 to honor Sacred College of Cardinals in Rome following elevation of first Filipino Cardinal, Rufino J. Santos.

Bronze monument to Carlos IV of Spain erected in 1824 as a tribute for the introduction of the smallpox vaccine in the Philippines. Statue replaced by Gomburza monument in 1960s. Statue returned in 1981.

Manila Diary: Fort Santiago

2012-02-09T16:53:00.004+08:00

This is the Fort Santiago in Manila. To get there, with your back to Plaza de Roma, the street facing the Manila Cathedral will lead you directly to Fort Santiago. Since this was just a chance to take pictures of the tourist sites in Manila, we didnt go inside and just took a photo with the marker.Admission fee is P50 for students and children and P75 for adults. The park hours is 8am to 6pm daily while the Rizal Shrine opens at 1pm-5pm on Mondays and 9am to 6pm for the rest of the week.
For more information about the history of Fort Santiago, check out another tourist account here.

Manila Diary: Luneta Park

2012-02-06T11:50:00.003+08:00

For my 35th birthday, I decided to do a two-hour tour of Manila, hence the Manila Diary. On the way home from Baclaran after hearing mass, I had a photo taken at the KM 1 marker, and then at Luneta Park. I felt like a tourist while doing this just for the fun of it!

While I have been to Luneta countless of times, I have never been there like a tourist, hi hi hi. Its either I am a mom accompanying her kid on a field trip at the Diorama of the Martyrdom of Rizal, or just there for a picnic and some exercise. So for my birthday, I wanted to see some sites as though I am from another place. And it was fun and exciting, and thrilling! We wanted to see as much of Manila as we can, while on a motorccyle! It was fun, and I wanna do it again!

For more info on Luneta Park, check this and this.

Next stop, Fort Santiago.

Manila Diary: KM 1 Marker

2012-02-06T10:45:00.003+08:00

This is the KM 1 marker of Manila which is at the Roxas Boulevard , near Manila Bay. This is the first stop of my Manila Diary.
There is also a KM 1 marker at the back of Intramuros in Manila, but I was not able to take a photo because of the traffic. If you want to know what the KM marker means and how to read it, please refer to this post and this post. You may also want to check out this post. Some may ask why I have a photo of the KM 1 and not the KM 0? Well, my journey of the Philippine archipelago has already started and I want to use this KM 1 post as marker for all my future journeys. I have traveled as far Palawan and Cebu and Bohol but I want to travel further. This is the beginning and this Manila Diary is just another way to do it. Why not visit the seat of the city and document it here? I have been to Fort San Pedro in Cebu, but have never been inside Fort Santiago so I guess something is lacking in my travel education. So, this post is the start of that education :)

Friday Quotes: Life is an Adventure!

2012-02-03T14:05:00.002+08:00

I think I need to explain the image above. That is the Kilometer 1 marker of the Philippines. The KM 0 marker is located near the Rizal Monument and so I have traveled just 1 KM of the marker. My goal is to document my newest adventure: that of traveling farthest from this marker, preferably out of the country or just the farthest in the Philippines.

Friday Quotes: Motherhood

2012-01-20T09:08:00.002+08:00

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club

2012-01-19T18:00:00.001+08:00

This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are several things on my New Year's resolutions list, but only two takes priority over the rest: my family's health and our finances. And I am just glad that I found out about Walgreens Prescription Savings Club because it addresses both of my concerns in just one fell swoop!

Would you believe that for only $10, the whole family can enjoy a whole range of prescription discounts for the whole year! The membership will cover the spouse and the kids and even pets! And since my kids are aged 13, 9 and 7 and are all still taking shots, I will also be able to avail of great discounts! My husband who has maintenance medications will also greatly benefit from the membership to the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club because we will also get savings on more than 8,000 brand name and all generic medicines! And since the weather is unpredictable and its best everybody get a flu shot and be ready with nebules and nebulizer for those persistent cough, I get to enjoy discounts for them as well. Wow this is indeed a great way to save and ensure the good health of my family for this New Year!

I enjoin you to support Walgreens and stay updated on their great offerings by liking them on Facebook, Walgreens on Facebook and following them on Twitter, Walgreens on Twitter! I know I would!

Weekday Potluck: Spicy Shrimp

2012-01-19T14:55:00.004+08:00

It was my first time to cook this Spicy Shrimp dish last noche buena and boy, was it a success! My family is talking about it until now. It has that perfect balance between spiciness and sweetness, without overpowering the taste of the shrimp. I wish I can cook this dish again and achieve the same result, ha ha.
And this is brought to you by this hungry, dieting blogger on a sleepy Thursday afternoon! I want to eat this now, with hot steaming rice, and a glass of ice-cold Coke! Now, that is a fun way to cure this Thursday sluggishness :)

Clarin Ancestral House, Bohol

2012-01-18T09:09:00.007+08:00

The Clarin Ancestral House is located in Loay, Bohol. It was our next stop after visiting the Loay Church, during our 2nd trip to Bohol in 2009 when we visited old churches of Bohol, the Punta Cruz watch tower and where I first rode a habal-habal!

As in any old houses, the Clarin Ancestral House has seen better days and would have benefited from a professional restoration. But at P20 entrance fee, I doubt that they can pay for that kind of upkeep. But at least, we still get to see how our ancestors lived some 100 years ago!The Clarin family are prominent politicians from the province of Bohol, like municipal mayors, governors and senators from way back.
I love this big mirror but I wouldn't want this in my house because scenes from horror movies keeps on replaying inside my head! But I love that poster bed and the high ceilinged rooms and I can feel that it was very much cooler inside the house. I just wish we can still afford to build houses like these.There are old stuff to see like urinals made of porcelain, cuspidor or spittoon(eww!), old armchairs, religious relics and kitchen stuff and this porcupine! In one of the bedrooms, there was also a hidden exit under the bed, in case one has to make a quick escape! My husband and I posed at this table where a picture of Kris Aquino and her son Josh was displayed, taken when they visited the house.
There is also the Cafe Olegario, which I can see from the pictures on display, was named after Olegario Clarin. The garden looks so peaceful and inviting, we didnt want to leave!
But we didnt get to try any food at the Cafe because our habal-habal was waiting to bring us to Loboc Church and Loboc Museum. It was really fun visiting ancestral homes and dreaming of life much simpler and more comfortable for our ancestors. I just wish that more of our younger generations learn from them somehow.

Yellow Sto. Niño

2012-01-16T10:50:00.003+08:00

These are just some of the colorful yellow Sto. Niño's that were part of the procession yesterday in celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Niño. It was a very joyful procession since everybody was happy as a child!
We were dancing to the tune of the drums and there was an ati-atihan right behind us!
Even those who were not part of the procession were waving their Sto. Niño's along with the dancing crowd.
It was our first time to join a Sto. Niño procession as a family and it was indeed a wonderful experience!

Love is Patient

2012-01-13T11:08:00.001+08:00

The Food and Travel Buff Giveaway!

2012-01-12T10:05:00.003+08:00

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Mukhang Pera's Toast to 2012

2012-01-12T09:42:00.003+08:00

Mukhang Pera is hosting a contest to toast the year 2012 and I am joining! Joining is very easy as you only have to LIKE Facebook pages via rafflecopter. And you get a chance to win $40 via Paypal! So join now, as this contest runs until January 17 only!

And a big thanks to these amazing sponsors!

Join now!

How to Welcome the New Year

2012-01-11T09:58:00.003+08:00

Every year, we prepare our home for the new year by painting the house or buying something new. This year, we did both! We bought this blue couch because our old one which we bought after Typhoon Ondoy was already dilapidated. Thanks to my blog winnings, I was able to share paying for this couch with my husband. And yes, it still is sealed in plastic, ha ha!
And this is the LCD TV which he won during their Christmas party raffle which he says is his Christmas gift and anniversary gift to me, ha ha. I am actually okay with it because the whole family gets to enjoy it!
We also painted the house in pale blue and pink. The kitchen and the wall is in pink while the rest of the house, including the main door is in blue. It finally matches our blue bathroom floor tiles. I think for next year, my project would be to redecorate the bathroom and add a bigger shower head. For now, I love how our humble home looks very fresh and bright to welcome the new year. I know that this bright aura will bring better luck and harmony for our family this year!

Punta Cruz Watch Tower

2012-01-10T15:33:00.007+08:00

We went to visit Bohol for the second time in June 2009 and one of the places that we visited was the Punta Cruz Watch Tower in Maribojoc in Bohol. We rode a habal-habal because we wanted to visit as much old church as we can and since we were already in Maribojoc, our driver/tour guide/photographer made sure we see this place. The National Historical Institute sign at the Punta Cruz Watch Tower reads:

Ipinatayo ng mga paring Recoletos sa patronato ni San Vicente Ferrer laban sa pagsalakay ng mga piratang Moro, 1796. Yari sa korales na may hugis tatsulok sa unang palapag at heksagonal sa ikalawang palapag. Naligtas sa pagkasira noong digmaang Filipino-Amerikano at ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig ng sunugin ng mga puwersang Hapones ang bayan ng Maribojoc, 1944. Halimbawa ng arkitekturang militar noong panahan ng mga Espanyol at bantayog sa kahusayan ng mga lokal na artisano. Ipinahayag na pambansang palatandaang pangkasaysayan, 2009.

There are Spanish writings on the wall, this one below says Castillo des Vicente.This next sign says Ora Pnobis Cf, I think and I think it means pray for us. But please correct me if I'm wrong.
Here is yours truly at the top of the watch tower.
And this is yours truly enjoying the beautiful view of the waters around from atop the watch tower.

I already have made several posts about the Churches of Bohol and since the Punta Cruz Watch Tower was our first stop during our church visits way back in June 2008, I thought it should be part of those posts.

Watch Towers. Its More Fun In the Philippines

2012-01-10T10:48:00.003+08:00

Punta Cruz Watch Tower in Bohol. All photos are mine, made into More Fun In the Philippines meme by morefunmaker.com

To Be a Child!

2012-01-09T11:39:00.003+08:00

A child reminds us that play is an essential part of our life. No matter how old we become, we must never forget how to become a child.
To see beauty in everything! A reason to laugh for nothing! A smile for everything.
And be involve in life and see it with great wonder!
To be a child is to see life with eyes full of wonder, trusting the future with all its innocence and love.

Friday Quotes: Be Thankful

2012-01-06T11:20:00.002+08:00

Water Ball

2012-01-04T10:48:00.004+08:00

We were at the Circle of Fun in QC Memorial Circle last January 1 to celebrate the first day of the year. Entrance to the park was P40 and rides cost around P30-P50. But this is the ride that my kids loved most! We waited in line for some 30-45 minutes for a 5-minute fun inside the water ball. Seeing their happy faces, it was worth the money and the wait!
They had fun chasing each other and trying to see who can go to the other side faster. When it was too much, they would just lie on the ball and soak in the fun!
I actually envy them and wanted to try the waterball for myself but there was an age and height limit, ha ha.

Red is Wicked!

2012-01-03T11:09:00.004+08:00

Red is Wicked, just like what my son's shirt says! And since this is my first post for Ruby Tuesday, I want to greet you all a wickedly fun and amazing New Year! May your year be filled with a lot of reasons to be happy and blessed! I am sharing with you my family and the joy that we had welcoming the first day of the year together! It was wicked!
Happy 2012 everyone! Lets make things happen, and make things right :)

In 2012, I Will Change for the Better!

2012-01-02T15:02:00.003+08:00

In 2012, I will change for the better! And this year, my main target is my finances. I will try and be debt-free this year! I will only spend what I have on hand and will not take out a loan unless absolutely necessary. I will only travel after I have saved enough money for it and I will only buy when I have cash on hand allotted for that specific purchase. I will make it a habit to use cash as much as possible.
I will change for the better, just like the Krem-Top ad says. And I am truly inspired to make this a reality!
Welcome 2012! Here is to a productive and blessed New Year!