Tanáw

Riding on 2 Wheels

2013-06-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Last June 9 (Sun), my son finally learned to ride on 2 wheels. What was amazing for me about this is that I did not do anything to prompt him from doing so. He just decided that Sunday afternoon that he wanted to go out and learn it on his own. With the help of some neighborhood kids and Ate Arvie, he tried over and over until he finally learned to do it.

I also learned one thing that day. I learned that sometimes a mom needs to step back a little and let kids learn on their own, discover things by themselves. Today, I took that step. I was feeling a little under the weather and I took some time off to rest. After an hour or two, my son rushes into the bedroom holding his tablet showing a video of him riding his bike with no trainer wheels.

So proud of you Ethan! Another check on your achievements list this summer.

My Son, Now A Yellow Belt

2013-05-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my previous post that my son was taking the promotional test to obtain his yellow belt. When football season ended last May 19, we started focusing on Taekwondo mastering formation 1 and 2, and the self-defense techniques. Ethan also had to memorize basic information on taekwondo that is likely to be asked for the promo test. For 10 days we labored, going to the dojang for whitebelt class Tuesdays and Thurdays and attending mixed belt classes on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In the mornings I had to ditch some of my chores to practice self defense or execute the poomse with him, and our bus rides to and from the dojang is when we recite the blocks, kicks, stances, strikes, tenets of taekwondo, meaning of taekwondo, etc. It was a lot of work! But all that hard work paid off when Ethan finally got his YELLOW BELT, hurray!!!

The promo test happened yesterday, May 30 (Thursday). Scheduled to start at 2pm, it ended up starting at 3pm. There was heavy rains all morning and most people came in late probably due to traffic. My son and I were the first to arrive at the PTA gym. I registered and paid the fees and waited outside watching each student and parent that arrived. The first to arrive after us was a mom and her teenage son. We chatted casually about the test and she told me that this is not the first time her son showed up for the promo test. She said that they were not properly informed the last time that one needed to register to take the test, thus the failure of not be able to take the test. She also went on telling stories about Milo Best Basketball Clinic which they also took part in at Ateneo. Our chitchatting went on for awhile until some of the other students and their companions started coming in. It was a grueling wait for 3 hour before Grandmaster Hong arrived and the test actually started.

THE TEST PROPER

In the test proper, the white belts were the first to go. They were grouped into 2 batches and Ethan was lucky to be part of batch 1, the first group to be evaluated. The test is in 4 parts: (1) execution of poomse formation 1 and 2, (2) stance, strike, blocks and kicks execution, (3) self defense 1-5 and (4) question and answer.

Like all the other parents, I was eager and excited to see my son perform and capture it on film. I was fairly impressed on the outcome of our hard work together. Ethan was now more confident with his stance and executed every move with speed and power. Even in the Q&A portion, he did well and was even complimented by Grandmaster Hong on how smart he stood in front of him and his loud voice when asked his name and age. I guess that was already enough for Grandmaster Hong as he was not questioned any further, instead, Ethan was told to lead the others is Charyeot! Kyeung-rye! (Attention! Bow!). I was so happy how the test turned out for my son, and was also happy how the other parents complimented his performance during the Q&A.

Here are some photos:

Frolicking around while waiting

Batch 1 ready for the evaluation

Executing a side kick

During the Q&A

Happy with his yellow belt

We were told that a certificate will also be given stipulating that the kids took part in this summer sport activity. It still lacks the Grandmaster's signature and would be given later this week or next week. Now that Ethan is a yellow belt, he can now spar with some of his friends in the mixed belt class who are already yellow belts. It is also time for us to canvass his sparring gear which he would be needing later. We are also working on a manageable schedule for him in case he wants to continue to train when classes start.

A Really BIG HERSHEY's

2013-05-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

Our family is not too crazy over chocolates. Primarily because my son and I have a mild allergy for chocolates, and second because imported chocolates are very much available in the malls. But when this 5 lb Hershey's was handed to us by a relative from the US as pasalubong, everybody in the household went gaga and wanted to have a picture with it!!!

Splash Mountain Resort

2013-05-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

If ever you find yourself in Los Baños, Laguna, one great place to have a good time with the family as I learned recently is the Splash Mountain Resort. There are a lot of great places to go swimming when in the Los Baños-Pansol area, but I particularly enjoyed Splash Mountain this summer. Let me tell you why...

I love that they have a hotel with good accommodations. Our party of 4 adults and 3 children found their family room very comfortable and affordable.

They have this lazy river where you can go around and around all day just relaxing on your inflatable.

The giant slides for the thrill seekers. Only my hubby was brave enough to try both slides out.

The large slide for inflatables which moms and kids find more enjoyable than the thrilla' slides.

The kiddie pool and slides for the kiddos.

And the large adult pool when one can practice his freestyle, backstroke, butterfly stroke or doggy paddle.

On top of all that, what I loved about the place is its cleanliness. Its normal to find litter in resorts like this where people come bearing their entire kusina and hapagkainan, but I found the place surprisingly clean probably because there were more staff going around taking care of the litter when a group vacates their hut or table.

I also liked my sister-in-law's idea of staying overnight where the kids can enjoy swimming to their heart's content. So next time our family plans to go swimming, Splash Mountain Resort will be considered again.

Wait...another plus factor to consider before I go is that the place is a few minutes away from the Original Buko Pie and Letty's Buko Pie!!!

Taekwondo

2013-05-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

My son has been training for taekwondo for 2 months now, and tomorrow will be his first promotional test in front of the Father of Philippine Taekwondo, Grandmaster Sung Chon Hong at the PTA Central Gym, Rizal Memorial Stadium where my he also trains.

We decided to get him into taekwondo to strengthen his kicks for football as suggested by one parent during the Coca Cola Cup. After one year of playing football, Ethan already kicks fairly well but we wanted him to have the speed and power in delivering those kicks.

During whitebelt class held TTh 4-5:30pm

After 2 months of training, the Korean martial art we turned to to support our son's football skills, opened our eyes to the beauty of Taekwondo as a martial art and a form of self defense. In 2 months of training, our son learned Poomse Formation 1 and 2, and five basic self-defense techniques which he is now able to execute. He has also learned 6 basic kicks, 6 stances, 5 basic strikes and 5 basic blocks and a number of Korean terms.

Working on the different kicks with Sir Rick Canlas

One cool things about my son learning taekwondo is that I get to learn myself since I am the one he practices with at home. Another great thing about taekwondo is the self defense part. Given that bullying is prevalent in schools nowadays, it is not bad to know a bit of self defense to protect oneself.

Tomorrow, Ethan and his classmates in whitebelt class will execute everything they learned in 2 months. Watch out for my next post to see how things turned out at the promotional test.

See yah!

Alaska Power Camp Summer Football Festival 2013

2013-05-29T00:07:00.001-07:00

The Alaska Power Camp Summer Football Festival is the culminating activity of the 2 month long Alaska Football Summer Power Camp. In this festival, all kids get to participate and play against other teams. The number of teams each team has to go against depends on the number of teams formed according to the skill level and age.

This is my son's 2nd summer in this football camp, and he was so eager and excited to give out his best this year. Last year, his team also landed the championship gold after Ethan delivered a successful kick during the very tensed penalty shootout. This year, Ethan was picked to play for the yellow team and was happy to be teamed with some of his friends. It was a long hot day but the kids were full of energy and gave a good game for us parents to watch.

In a tight squeeze trying to get the ball from 2 red team players.

One of the successful kicks that scored a goal for the yellow team.

At the end of the day, the yellow team came out as the champion earning gold medals for each member of the team. As an additional surprise to me and my husband, our son was awarded MVP! Yehey for Ethan! Not only did he work hard for his team today, he also was a good team player and listened to their coach. Their team deserved the championship because everybody worked hard to get goals and played good defense.

During an interview after the awarding ceremonies.

One big check on my son's achievement list this summer. Job well done!

Prior to the football festival, Ethan was also awarded a silver medal for his performance throughout the camp. A small awarding ceremony was held and selected kids were awarded medals and trophies.

By the way, for those out there interested to get their kids into football during schooldays, the First Quarter season of Alaska Power Camp will open on June 4, 2013. It will run for 3 months, from June to August. You can contact Mr. TOMAS LOZANO at 8227584.

Winnie the Pooh Theme 1st Birthday Party

2013-03-31T20:51:00.002-07:00

Last March, mommy Tah (from Zamboanga) texted me to help her scout for a costume for her son's first bday. After a series of shopping around to check the characters available, we ended up picking the classic Winnie the Pooh theme for the birthday party. The pooh costume was not available in the malls here in the south area of the metro, but we did find one in Divisoria. Since we were also working on a budget, all the other party favors had to be purchased from old reliable Divi. Anyway, here's what we came out with.

Party hats from Divisoria Mall

Winnie the Pooh onesies from
168 mall Divisoria.
Its cotton and unpadded,
comfortable for a 1 year old,

The pooh coin purse for giveaways, lootbag and birthday banner we got
from Divisoria Mall

Not everything has to be bought for a party. One great suggestion is to ask around from friends or relatives if they have party decors, cake topper/decors (like the one below) sitting around their shelves that they are willing to lend or perhaps give away. You'll be surprised that they are more than willing to share their collected items especially if its for a baby's party.

The pooh cake topper here was sitting around the shelf of
Mommy Arlene. I asked if she was willing to give it away, and she did!!!
Thanks Mommy Arlene!

The Happy Birthday candles were purchased from Japan Homecenter.

Here's how the cake and giveaway table looked like.

Finally, here's how the birthday celebrant looked like with his costume.
With him is cousin Nikko and Mommy Tah.

So that's it! A Winnie the Pooh themed 1st birthday party!

We told Mommy Tah that shopping for baby Albreyn's birthday was such a pleasure

and that we hoped they'd enjoy the party as much as we enjoyed shopping for her.

At the Phils vs. Canada 4th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition

2013-03-25T02:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, March 23, 2013, my family availed of the buy 3 take 1 GOLD ticket for the last day of the 4th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition. We arrived at the Mall of Asia grounds around 3:00pm and had to park at the 6th level parking area because the rest of the levels were already full. We made a few stops on the way to the gate of the venue, stopping for popcorn, siopao and drinks. Upon reaching the gate on the right side of the music hall at the IMAX wing, there was already a line for the VIP, GOLD and SILVER forming. We decided to fall in line and just wait. It did not take long before the area became crowded with people lining up.

The gates opened at 5:00pm. Making our way to the GOLD seaside area was a bit confusing for our part because there were barricades everywhere. However, there were event security personnel everywhere to direct you where you want to go, so it wasn't so bad. We made our way to the seaside area which had a good view of the barge where the fireworks were to be launched. The best spots were already taken by families faster than us, but we managed to find a good enough spot to locate ourselves. From then on...it was a long wait. To kill time, we ate most of our baon, and whiffed in the beauty of the sunset.

The show was suppose to start at 7pm, the crowd became a bit restless when there was no sign that the show was to start anytime soon. I figured that since its the last day of the competition, the organizers adjusted the start of the show so they can encourage more of the SM shoppers to watch...heheh!

Anyway, the show started around 8pm. Here are my photos of the show:

CANADA

music from "How to Train your Dragon", Cirque de Soleil and What a Wonderful World

Oasis and stars

Electrifying burst of blue and gold.

Subtle blue. A peaceful looking fireworks display.

PHILIPPINES

Electric Red

Confetti

I call this "CELEBRATION."

Ito ang pinakafavorite photo ko..."THE OASIS."

The show ended around 9:30pm.

Traffic was terrible on the way home.

___________________________________________________________

The winners of the competition are as follows:

1st place - UK

2nd place - China and Canada

3rd place - Finland

____________________________________________________________

We look forward to watching the 5th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition in 2014!

Summer Taekwondo Class 2013

2013-03-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Wednesday last week, on our way to Divisoria to do some shopping for my nephew's 1st bday, the family decided to drop by the Philippine Taekwondo Association Gym at the Rizal Memorial Stadium Complex to inquire about their summer program for Taekwondo. The Philippine Taekwondo Association is the national governing body of taekwondo in the Philippines, so where else to get really good taekwondo lessons if not here. We were told that classes resume after the Holy Week and their class schedule is as follows:

M-W-F - 7:30 - 9:00PM

T-Th - 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Saturdays - 1:00 - 2:30 PM

summer rate

Php 6,000 for 2 months

One can also avail of their regular rate as follows:

Monthly - 2,500

Membership - 1,000

Uniform - 1,250

For details, you can call 5220518

The PTA Dojang at the Rizal Memorial Stadium complex

Note that the writer of this blog is not in any way connected to the Philippine Taekwondo Association.

For inquiries and clarifications regarding rates and schedule, contact the above stated number.

Do Male Dogs Go "In Heat?"

2013-03-08T01:51:00.002-08:00

One morning while the dogs in our neighborhood seem to be going crazy at the same time, I went out to see what was going on. One of our neighbors was out trying to restrain her dog who was whining, barking and acting like crazy at a female dog.

The dog's owner said, "Hay naku, in heat na naman ang aso ko!"

But the dog was a male (I wondered to myself).

Paano siya magiging "in-heat?"

I suddenly doubted the stock knowledge I had from college and began searching in Google if male dogs do in fact go "in heat."

The answer?

NO! Male dogs do not go in heat.

They do however respond to female dogs who are in heat.

The presence of pheromones in the urine and perhaps the blood being discharged by the female make them like homing devices to male dogs. The female dog appears so attractive because of the scent that is why male dogs go crazy when a female dog goes in heat. The doggy estrus cycle is divided into 4 parts: proestrus, estrus, diestrus and the anestrus.

Sa proestrus, the female dog would usually have a swollen pinkish vulva and would have bloody discharge na parang menstruation. Madalas din silang naiihi (frequent urination). Dito kadalasan nagwawala ang mga male dogs because the female smells so good for them but she does not want to be mounted. Feeling long hair baga pero pakipot muna.

Sa estrus naman or the actual "heat" is the period of ovulation. Mas willing na yung female dog to welcome male dogs. This is the time the females are most fertile.

Sa diestrus, medyo swollen pa rin ang vulva pero madalas wala ng bleeding. Di na rin masyadong interested ang female dog to welcome males.

Ang anestrus naman is the long period when heat stops tapos the dog prepares its body for the next heat cycle.

So again, MALE DOGS DO NOT GO INTO HEAT ha!

For added info:
Can a Male Dog Come in Heat?- http://www.improveyourcat.com/can-a-male-dog-come-in-heat/
Estrus or Heat - http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-estrus.aspx

Ethan's First Goal Captured on Cam

2013-03-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

My son Ethan has been training for football for almost a year now. He started at the Alaska Football Summer Power Camp when he was 6 years old. I have been bringing him to the Alabang Country Club fields every Tuesdays and Thursdays each week and have seen his skills get better and better.

In the recently concluded "5th OFF Youth Football Festival," my son played as part of the Alabang Football School team. Last year, we came to this festival only as spectators although Ethan was already qualified to take part in the games. The video footage of his opening goal for his team against Manresa FC is special to us because this is Ethan's first goal captured on camera. His first goal in a festival is actually during the Alaska Power Camp Football Festival last Summer but we were unable to record it.

It is so exciting for us parents to witness our kid's achievements. Having to capture their achievements on camera is such a bonus as we can view it over and over, and share it with relatives and friends who were not there. I know this goal will be one of the many goals Ethan will be making, but this goal will always remain special.

Thanks to Mommy Perpie for letting us use her videocam and all our friends and relatives who expressed their support as we shared with them our happiness in viewing this video.

The Alaska Football Summer Power Camp 2013

2013-03-05T17:48:00.002-08:00

Just got the new flyer announcing the Alaska Football Summer Power Camp which is a 2 month Summer Camp Program for Football. My son started with the Alaska Football Summer Power Camp last year when he was 6 years old at the Alabang Country Club. It was a fun-filled experience interacting with other kids while learning skills in the game of soccer. My son enjoyed the camp so much, he continues training to this day. So, if you are interested on having your child get involved in a fun and competitive sport this summer, bring them to any of the following venues close to you.

The Camp will open on April 2 and will run until May 19, 2013.

Take note of the following schedule and venues:

Alabang Football School

at the Alabang Country Club

Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City

Tuesdays and Thursdays

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Boys and girls, 3 to 18 years old

Makati Football School

at the BGC Turf Global City, Taguig

Tuesdays and Thursdays

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Boys and girls, 8 to 18 years old

Makati Football School

at the Army/ASCOM Field-Fort Bonifacio

Wednesdays and Fridays

8:00 am to 10:00 am (10 to 18 years old)

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm (3 to 14 years old)

MFS for ARMY CHILDREN

(Free clinic for dependents of Army/Ascom soldiers and officers)

Wednesdays and Fridays

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Boys and girls 6 to 16 years old

REGISTRATION FEE is Php 6,600 per player for the 2 month summer power camp

Contact TOMAS LOZANO(Camp Director) at 8227584

or tlozano@skybroadband.com.ph

Note: The writer of this blog was not paid for this post.

All information is based on a flyer circulated by the Alaska Power Camp.

For inquiries and verification of this summer program,

contact Mr. TOMAS LOZANO

A Day at the Robot Zoo

2013-03-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

(NOTE: This visit was made last January 28, 2013. The Robot Zoo has now moved to Kuwait)

Have You Been to the Robot Zoo?

With the 9 foot long neck and head
of a giraffe

During my 3 months of absence in the blogosphere, one of the experiences I had with my family is at the Robot Zoo. It was the day before my son's field trip and we decided not let him join. Instead, we told him we would just go out as a family and see the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center at the SM Mall of Asia which was part of their school field trip. While waiting for the schedule of our film showing which was at 6pm, we went around the science museum. While viewing the large periodic table at the 2nd floor, a kind donor who refused to give (his/her) name handed us 3 FREE tickets to the Robot Zoo telling us that it was the zoo's last day in Manila and it would be nice if we'd go and see it. And so we did!

The zoo features 8 animals, a giraffe, a giant house fly, a rhino, a grasshopper, a platypus, a chameleon, a large hanging bat, and a giant squid. These robots simulate the movement of their real counterparts. Some of the displays like the rhino and the chameleon can actually be controlled by visitors. It was a fun introduction on Robotics for our son.

Putting Mr. Platypus together

Monitors that show how a chameleon
can hide itself in its background

The Robot Zoo opened in the Philippines in July 2012. Since it was their last day when we visited, which was last January 28, 2013, the zoo lasted for only 6 months. The zoo is a traveling exhibit anyway and it has gone to several parts of the world already. After its run in the Philippines, the Robot Zoo is off to Kuwait.

Thank you so much to the kind donor of our free tickets for giving us, especially our son this experience. Blessings can really come at any time in various forms.

As we bid farewell to the staff of the Robot Zoo, we asked what exhibit would replace it. Nothing final yet, but rumors say it can be the Startrek exhibit or the Harry Potter collection. So excited to find out what it would be.

Word for the Day: Indie

2013-03-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

INDIE-

according to Wikipedia is a short term for "independence" or "independent."

Alam niyo ba na for so long akala ko that the word INDIE meant Bumbay, as in yung Philippine word referring to someone from India. Inassume ko ito kasi the first time I came across the term Indie Film was after the release of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire. in 2008" Bigla na lang dumami noon ang nagsasabing gumagawa sila ng Indie film. It felt right to me because of the word HINDI, one of the official languages of people from India. So for something like 5 years, and buong akala ko INDIE, meant Bumbay. Haay naku!

A few days ago, my sister was filming a project for school. When she and her mom got home, we casually talked about how the filming went. Her mom told me that their film is already considered an Indie film na because of its length. Flashback naman ang mind ko sa "Slumdog Millionaire." Then I asked, ano ba talaga ang ibig sabihin ng Indie? She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Di ko din alam." Doon ako biglang nagkadoubt sa pagkakaalam kong meaning nung word.

The following day I finally decided to GOOGLE the word. Bakit nga ba di ko ginoogle noon pa.

At The 17th Alaska Football Cup

2012-11-17T00:56:00.000-08:00

The 17th Alaska Cup was held last November 10 and 11 at the Alabang Country Club football grounds. It is by far the biggest "7 A Side Football" tournament in the Philippines with 290 teams, 4000 players, 26 football fields and 100 referees.

When I took the picture below of the teams lined up to play for Sunday, I noticed that the tournament has drawn teams coming as far as Baguio in the North and Davao, Victorias, Masbate and Bukidnon down South. I know the southern folks are very good football players, so my son's team for Boys 8 (04/05) are in for some hard action on the field.

For Day 1, I watched the games for the Boys 6 while my son plays around with his classmate at the tent we set up near the official's tent where hubby had to work as one of the desk officials for the tournament.

My son and his classmate playing at the tent.

One of the games of Boys 6 that I watched.
My camera is not equipped for action shots, so no awesome action photos here. Heheh

We also visited the Alaska tent where one can avail of their face painting services and photobooth; win prizes from their games, and to get a taste of their ice cold sweet milk and choco milk which Ethan really likes.

The ALASKA tent

Enjoying Alaska milk while waiting for the paint to dry.
We were one of the 1st to avail of the face painting.

Ethan doing 15 crunches, one of the tasks to win a prize.

Ethan biking 15 times, again one of the tasks to win a prize.
He was able to win a prize.

We tried out the photobooth.

Day 2 - HECTIC!!! I was all stressed out and could not take pictures because I had to usher my son and carry all the stuff he needs for his game, akala mo naman MVP...heheh! Anyway, his team failed to make it to the finals after their loss against Raya FC, Del Monte FC and Los Baños FS.

The valuable lesson learned today by my son is how to handle defeat. It is great that after each match, the players were made to shake hands with each other as an act of sportsmanship. I am glad that my son takes part in this and makes it a point to shake their opponent's hand after a game, win or lose. We were both tired after their game and opted to try some of ACC's Hawaiian pizza.

Ethan gobbling his Hawaiian pizza slice.
Had a monster appetite after the game.

List of Winners we got for (Nov 11) Sunday's game:

Men's Open Champion - AFS

Ladies Open Champion - Archer's UTD FC

Girl's 14 Champion - Ateneo de Davao

Boys 10 Champion - Ateneo de Manila

Boys 8 Champion - Don Bosco Technical Institute - Victorias

Overall, we had FUN! It was so tiring but FUN!

We were even able to see a rainbow during the tournament's closing ceremonies.

Family Mart coming to the Philippines

2012-11-05T21:08:00.001-08:00

Photo borrowed from ani.me

Early this year I read an article posted by Manila Bulletin on the entry of the second largest convenience store chain in the world here in the Philippines. Yup, Family Mart or FaMiMa is entering to compete with the Paternos' 7-eleven and Gokongwei's Ministop. I learned from TV5's Interaksyon just today that Family Mart is teaming up with Ayala and the Rustan's groups in bringing in this 3rd player for convenience stores.

Does this mean it'll be easier to find Kewpie mayo or the elusive Green Tea Kitkat? I hope they'll have Famichiki, a signature snack of Family Mart and Hatsune Miku themed products too.

Ethan's Special Football Trainor

2012-11-05T00:32:00.000-08:00

My son is lucky to have a special football trainor and coach, his Papa! Hubby used to coach football at AFS, ISM and La Salle. Since he turned farmer after getting license in Agriculture, he has become my son's private trainor outside the training he gets from the Alabang Football School. During this long weeked, Ethan had the chance to learn some special skills and hubby had the chance to exercise. I had not been able to join them for several sessions because them being out of the house gives me the chance to get more chores done. Anyway, this Sunday after mass I was able to join them for a short while as they made use of the time left before it gets dark at the Philamlife park.

More people are showing up at the park to play football.

My boys had to locate themselves at the back of the volleyball court since
most of the spots were already occupied.

Ethan practicing penalty shoot-out

Training did not take long this time because my son accidentally stepped on dog poop that was not suppose to be there. Heheh! Kawawa naman, the dog poop totally ruined his day.

Some Quiet Time at Manila Memorial Park

2012-11-04T23:26:00.001-08:00

It was a Sunday. The family decided to go to Manila Memorial Park early this year to avoid the traffic and the awful crowd. We wanted some quiet time with our loved ones that had gone ahead of us in the afterlife. Upon arriving Manila Memorial it seems that a lot of families had the same thinking and were also visiting their dead. It was not crowded though, there was still some peace and quiet.

As we sat there, we did some clearing with the cleaning lady first. I took pictures of the surroundings after the candles and flowers were placed. Taking pictures was my way of distracting myself from getting emotional. Even after so many years I still struggle to hold back tears at the sight of my parent's final resting place. Another way for my to draw away from getting all teary-eyed is to talk about fond memories I have of them.

That time I relayed memories I had of Dad, that one time I experienced the ultimate test of patience waiting for him to pick us up at the Magallanes theater after watching Voltes V. He was terribly late because he had to do emergency C-section to one of his pregnant 4-legged patients. Did I ever tell you my Dad was an awesome veterinarian? We owned a pet clinic in Pasay City in the 70's. My early childhood memories were mostly of that clinic since the 2nd floor was where we lived. Oh well, I miss Dad. I also miss his awesomeness and his extensive stories. Galing kaya niya magkwento.

As for mom, well, she was awesome as well, but in a different light. My mom was a pharmacist, had very good taste in clothes (which I did not inherit unfortunately), and she was wonderful in the kitchen. My mom had quite a temper which we all are scared of, but we loved her dearly. If we needed something, the easy route is always through mom, Dad was so hard to convince. My best memory of mom was her love for roses, she took care of a lot of them. I also remember her for her really good chicken curry and Banana Nut Cake.

Going to the cemetery is not all about bringing flowers, lighting candles and saying prayers for the dead. Its about remembering them at their best (kadalasan yung masasaya), remembering them and passing on stories of them to our kids and grand kids. Doing this makes them live on in our hearts. My Dad and Mom did the same thing when they relayed to us stories of their parents who had already passed on when we were kids. This time its our turn to relay the stories. After the stories, there's always the silence...and then, saying good-bye.

(Sigh) For my friends and relatives who "Liked" my posting of my parent's tombstones in Facebook, my thanks to you as well for giving me a piece of your mind. It is endearing that my parents had one way or another touched your lives too. May you continue to keep them in your memories and in your prayers. Once again...thank you.

Halloween at SM Center Las Piñas 2012

2012-11-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! As usual, my son decided to join the Halloween activity at SM Center Las Piñas. Obvious ba na tambayan namin ang SM Center? October 31 was a blast, terribly exhausting but fun just the same.

We arrived at SM Center around 2:30pm and realized that we were already late for trick or treating around the mall. Not to worry cause I already bought Ethan Halloween goodies a couple of days earlier, so he was not really empty handed even though we failed to go around the mall for treats.

I was not surprised at all with the large turnout of kids in costumes joining the Halloween costume contest as this was a well publicized event that seems to grow every year. There were 3 categories to compete in: cutest, wackiest and the spookiest costume. A lot of participants in this year's event really took effort in assembling the costumes of the kids. Compared to last year though, those that entered the spooky category was a notch less terrifying. And, those that entered the wacky category are impressively wackier this year. There were a lot of entries for the cute category which made me realize that Ethan needs to level up and leave this category if he intends to join again next year. If you read my post a few days back, "My Little Viking," you would know that my son wants to be a Viking for Halloween. Yeah he is cute alright, but his competition is mostly babies still in their diapers who can naturally be cute even without the costume. Then again, I reminded myself that its not about the competition but the experience and the fun that matters. Besides, who knows what the judges' concept of cuteness is diba?! Anyway, my son did not win any prizes. A Lolita maid, a red hot baby devil and Ghost Princess Perona got away with the prizes for the cute category. Oh well, competition was tough!!! All the entries were really great! Di bale, we had fun naman.

Anyway, here's sharing with you pictures we got from the event.

Batman and Captain America!!!

Orange haired witch and a red hot little devil.
The little devil won 2nd place in the cute category.

One of my favorites, Ghost Princess Perona.
Ang cute niya ano?!

Wake up mommy and baby scarecrow, there's a ghost and a devil behind you!

This baby won 3rd place in the Spookiest Category.
Tiyanak siya diba?!

Mr. Pizza man and Preggy bride who grabbed 3rd and 2nd place in the Wacky category.

The girl who lost her head won 1st place in the Wacky Category.

Walking dead in the audience. Yikes!!!

Even Mommies got to dress up for Halloween!

Aswang and Machete?

Manananggal in the City

My inaanak Andrei as Boy Bubog, walking dead with glass splinters.
Galing ng concept! Love the creativity.

Lady vampire and sleepy scarecrow

The Roman soldier and his mummified victim

Inspired by "The Grudge" and "The Ring"

Zombies are not so scary when they smile!

Zombies in gowns

A pterodactyl and a devil

My Viking and classmate Krizzia

I was expecting my son to present himself on stage like a Barbarian, instead he walked like a king about to give a speech to his people. Did he become shy all of a sudden? Yup! The reason? Secret...

Summary of winners
I am writing their characters, not their names kasi di ko naman alam names nila.

Cutest category
1st place - Ghost Princess Perona
2nd place - Red Hot Little Devil
3rd place - Anime maid

Spooky Category
1st place-The Scary Scarecrow
2nd place- Aswang
3rd place- Tiyanak

Wackiest Category
1st place - The girl who lost her head or Baby pugot
2nd place - Mr. Pizza Man
3rd place - Preggy Bride

And, the Ultimate, Mega-winner in my Heart award goes to...

Love you baby!!!

His prize?

Free movie with popcorn, hotdog sandwich and drinks at SM Southmall as in NOW na!

Hugs and kisses as needed.

A BowWOW Halloween

2012-10-27T23:58:00.002-07:00

Are you a doggy lover? Well, if you are, you would have enjoyed watching the Bowow-wacky Halloween costume contest at the SM Center Las Piñas yesterday October 27. The activity area was packed with adorable pooches of all sorts and sizes adorned in their Halloween costumes!

I have animal dander allergies, my nose starts itching at the sight of a furry animal but I enjoyed this event very much (thanks to Allerta). We were not able to enter the main stage area because we were not participants in the event, but Ethan and I found a good spot at the side of the stage where we could capture photos of our furry friends just being themselves. Ethan even had the chance to interact with a few of them, especially the tiny ones that were just so adorable.

Here are some of the photos we were able to take.

These are one of my favorite dog breeds. Left: Pomeranian in what appears to be a red Danish costume.
Right: Siberian Husky dressed up as the wold in granny costume. its handler is wearing the Red Riding Hood costume.
They were both so cute and adorable.

Captured this really cute moment when they were taking a picture of the Siberian Husky on stage. She started sniffing on the camera, probably wondering..."is that good enough to eat?"

The tiniest entry is this pup. Its owner was even kind enough to pose for this photo. She was not at all intimidated by all the other contestants and proudly presented her pet to the judges and the audience with grace.
They were able to take home some prizes...from a game I think (was not paying attention at that time heheh!) Anyway, so glad they won some goodies.

This entry was really scary for me. The heads hanging at the side of the dog were realistic.
Sadly, they were not able to bring home a prize.

And the winners are!!!

3RD PLACE

This was the most colorful entry. The handler's Mardi Gras costume even matched the enormous gown the dog was wearing.

2ND PLACE!!!

This entry was well prepared with all the props that came along with this adorable dachshund that did not fret a bit. She may have yawned a couple of times, but never once complained. At first glance of the pile, I actually wondered "Where's the dog?" Anyway, they won a well deserved 2nd place.

AND 1ST PLACE GOES TO....

ETHAN'S PICK...CONTESTANT NUMBER 13 - THE WARRIOR DOG!!!

Well prepared entry too. Fascinated as to how the costume was crafted costume-fit to the dog. Ang galing!!! Di rin nag-complain and doggy. He was well behaved the entire show!

Clap! Clap! Clap! to the SM Center Las Piñas Management for a successful pre-Halloween activity.

My Little Viking

2012-10-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

What had I been preoccupied with the past few days? It's my son's Halloween costume. It is not really all about celebrating Halloween, but the fun of dressing up in a costume that excites my little boy. This year he wants to be a Viking or a Celtic warrior. It started out when we found this really cool toy sword and Viking headgear at the Megamall sale last weekend. Both were at drop down prices, so I could not resist...we made the purchase.

Now the problem was the costume itself. I searched the internet for some DIY ideas hoping I can pull something out from what's already available here at home. Yep, there was something I could do, but there were still some elements lacking. When there's a project like this in mind, I can't seem to settle down until I get something working. We went to the mall to see if there was something that comes close to a Viking warrior, but they only had one for girls...unbelievable!!!

Anyway, today we went back to the mall again because I figured, why not just buy a ninja costume and work from there, right?! A ninja costume is basic black, with a couple of add-ons it can work as a viking costume. Anyway, here's how it turned out to be. Tadaaaah!

Note that the brown bib-like thingy he is wearing is made from one of 4 dishtowels I bought from Ace Hardware. The sword sheath I intended to make out of a synthetic leather material but I could not find any available, so I just settled for scrap fabric lying around the sewing box and some cardboard. The belt to carry the sword with is made from an old belt I have not been using anymore. The dragon I borrowed from his Roman Soldier Breastplate. Here's a closer look at the sword sheath.

So there you have it, a happy little Viking!

Our Lady of Fatima Parish Feast Day 2012

2012-10-16T20:45:00.002-07:00

Last October 14 (Sun) was the Our Lady of Fatima Parish (Las Piñas) Feast Day. We usually attend the 3:30pm mass on Sundays, it so happened that on this Sunday it is also the Fiesta Mass. Rev. Father Jesse Mercado, D.D. was the mass presenter enjoined by the priest's of the Our Lady of Fatima parish. Allow me to share with you that blessed day through pictures.

We got to church at 3:00pm, early enough to be able to visit the Adoracion chapel to pray and later find ourselves a good seat inside the church. The extra time also allowed me to take some pictures inside the church while waiting. Outside, those participating in the procession later were already setting up and getting ready.

The mass started at exactly 3:30pm. Mass presider was Rev. Father Jesse Mercado, D.D. The Gospel reading was taken from the book of Mark 10:17-30 (The Rich Man).

He was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, 'Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'

Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.'

And he said to him, 'Master, I have kept all these since my earliest days.' Jesus looked steadily at him and he was filled with love for him, and he said, 'You need to do one thing more. Go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. 'But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!' The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, 'My children,' he said to them, 'how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God.' They were more astonished than ever, saying to one another, 'In that case, who can be saved?'

Jesus gazed at them and said, 'By human resources it is impossible, but not for God: because for God everything is possible.' Peter took this up. 'Look,' he said to him, 'we have left everything and followed you.' Jesus said, 'In truth I tell you, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times as much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land -- and persecutions too -- now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.

My personal reflection:

As I listened intently on the Gospel and Homily, two words that had been repeated several times, stuck to my mind, "Letting Go." The Gospel reading was all about letting go of our worldly possessions to follow God. It was a challenge for all Christians and Catholics. But I see the words in some other way.

God loves all of us intensely. The rich man was a good man and God saw that, and was happy that the man wanted to do more, go further than what he had already been practicing all his life to please God. Jesus presented him an offer: sell all that he has, give it to the poor and then follow him. The man at that particular moment was probably torn to millions of pieces at the choice he had to made. With a heavy head, he turned around, walked away...sad, probably embarrassed that it was one thing he could not do.

I have already heard of some people who have given up their good life to live a Ministry of Service in Jesus. To be a man or woman of God is shedding the world, to be clothed anew in His light. The offer is difficult, but the choice is simple. We have to be 100% for Christ! We cannot follow God and live a life of worldliness at the same time. Father Jesse Mercado said: "If we want live a life of happiness, let God be first, others second, and ourselves last in our priorities."

I admit that I am still like that rich man (not that I am rich), but that it is still hard shedding off all the worldly possessions. I have my share of letting go numerous times in my past and until now I am a work in progress. Self denial is hard! Letting go may come as a complete turn-around for others, but for me...its kinda' piece by piece. So, I continually pray. Pray! Pray! Pray!

***

Anyway, back to more pics on the feast day.

I love the inviting colors one can see in the parade.

The beautiful smiles add adornment to the vibrant colors pink and orange.

Music added a festive beat.

These ladies danced to that beat. Pick up `em dancing shoes, its a fiesta!!!

Happy Feast Day Our Lady of Fatima Parish!!!

Balik-tanaw: Past Octobers

2012-10-12T20:24:00.001-07:00

October is the time of the year where kids can dress up in costumes on 2 occasions! Yup! United Nations Day, and the much awaited Trick or Treatin' Halloween.

UNITED NATION'S DAY

United Nations Days is held every October 24. My son's first UN Day Parade was in 2009 at Claret College of Isabela. He represented Singapore back then. I put together a costume for him using a cousin's black robe, green pant's from his surgeon costume, a black shark hat, a sash and flag. It was honestly a total disaster because the robe was too big for him, the green pants did not work with the robe, and the shark hat was not in any way a Singaporean symbol (stooooopid me!- Diba dapat Lion's head! Waaah!) Anyway, we were able to pull it off, my son had fun with all the other kids and their dignified costumes. I can't seem to find a single picture of that said UN Day Parade. Oh well, maybe it was meant to be lost.

On his 2nd United Nation's Day parade in 2010, things were better (bumawi ako!) I figured he had to really look cool and stylish kaya France and nirepresent niya. I even made an Eiffel tower that lights up at a turn of a switch. The venue was also great cause the kids paraded around the mall. Ethan did not win any prizes, but he looked spectacular...and he had fun!

HALLOWEEN

Halloween is fun! Its not only the kids that get to have fun on Halloweent, teens and adults too! When Ethan turned 5, we had the chance to participate in the SM Center Las Piñas Halloween activity. It was the right age for Ethan because he already understands that the other frightening creatures are kids in costumes as well. It was a great chance for him to mingle with other little monsters like him.

His first Halloween costume was a wizard. I made his costume from leftover fabric lying around the house. It took me about a week putting pieces together until I finally came up with something that can pass for a costume. That's with the use of Home Economics skills I dug up all dusty inside a baul (treasure chest). I also made his wizard wand from a broken lighting toy and some beads. To complete his gear, I bought a purple wizard's hat and a pumpkin bucket for his goodies.

That smile! Diba priceless???

In 2011, Ethan was undecided whether he'd be Count dracula, a phantom, a zombie or Mr. Pumpkinhead. Solution, be all of them!!!

Mulagat ni Count Dracula

Phantom with cute lips

Hahaha! Halloween is sooo much fun! It's a bonding time for family and a chance to release that animal in you. Get a load of Ethan with his Tita Jolene having fun making faces after playing with face paint.

Overall, October is a time to get together with family during these 2 events. Its a chance to make beautiful memories with kids especially when they still love and enjoy to dress up in costumes. Its a chance to make the most of a child's cuteness, and take lots of photographs to treasure.

Our family looks forward to many fun Octobers to come. We may not be in costumes this year (or maybe not)...we will try to make the most of it.

Happy October everyone!

Agrilink 2012 and Carinderia Fiesta 2 (Part 2 of 2)

2012-10-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Carinderia Fiesta 2

I have mentioned in part 1 of this blog that my minuscule camera was already malfunctioning, so I do not have as much pictures on the Carinderia Fiesta. It was such a disappointment since the Carinderia Fiesta Expo had a festive ambiance that is picture worthy. Anyway, let me share with you what I have captured.

As we entered the tent, the large letters that spelled
CARINDERIA FIESTA greeted us.
There was also a marching band on the right playing fiesta music.

Large colorful balloons adorned the entrance grounds.

After registering, we worked our way through a corridor with pictures of
people and their success stories in the food industry.

Inside, its like being at a fiesta. There's food everywhere! There are also games at the back of the event venue and cooking demo at the main stage. I learned that there's a cooking competition and a carinderia queen competition.

People in large groups mostly loitered the event area. Families, barkadas, students can be seen eating, playing games, or just hanging out. Ethan and I did not stay long. After trying out San Mig's Chocochino, we decided to leave. I actually wanted to try some of the food at the venue but decided to pass since my little boy was craving for a Hawaiian Supreme Pan Pizza.

Next stop...Pizza Hut MOA!
`Til next time everyone!

Agrilink 2012 and Carinderia Fiesta 2 (Part 1 of 2)

2012-10-06T19:46:00.001-07:00

Another busy weekend for me, with my little bodyguard tagging along. Where were we off to? The Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink 2012 at the World Trade Center and the Carinderia Fiesta 2 at the World Trade Center tent. I was instructed by hubby to gather materials from him at the Agrilink; something he does almost every year if he's around. This year, we had to do the work for him as he is busy in CDO. Our initial plan was just to attend Agrilink, but last night my friend Shawcute posted about the Carinderia Fiesta Expo at the WTC tent; so we decided to check that out too.

AT THE AGRILINK

Since I had my little boy was with me, I decided to make the trip more appealing to him. I told him we were having an educational field trip. We were gathering materials for his Papa and if we were lucky, we may see some farm and aquatic animals too. We got to the WTC grounds around 9:30am and was lucky to still find available parking space as the place was really packed.

The educational field trip buses of Isabela State University

This is a portion of what you'd see of the outdoor exhibits
from the main entrance of the WTC.

First we checked out the outdoor exhibits. Lo and behold! Lots of animals were on exhibit this year! My son's eyes feasted on the sight of an American Brahman, mountain goats, sheep, turkeys, pot bellied pigs, chickens, pigeons, rabbits, ponies, greyhound puppies and more! It was like going to a petting zoo.

Abalos and Sons Agro-Industrial Corporation
Its at this tent that we were able to see the American Brahman

American Brahman

Sheep

Goats

More goats

Turkeys

Albino peafowls??? I'm not sure...

A pony. Petrang Kabayo according to Ethan.

We also saw the 1000 finger banana plant which grows up to 8 to 10 feet producing approximately 2 inch 1000 finger bananas. The plant is for sale at P1,500 a piece.

We also saw this interesting vine-like tomato. Failed to ask more about this and there was no brochure available.

There were still more to see, I actually wanted to dig deeper into each stall or booth, but the smell of the animals and the heat was already too much for Ethan and he asked if we could go to the exhibits at the air-conditioned area. So we proceeded to the rest of the venue at the main building.

Registration booth. Admission is FREE

The exhibit hall entrance. We stood here awhile because it was still closed.

When we got inside the exhibit hall, we decided to check out all the booths at the right and then work our way towards the left. We played games at some booths where one can win giveaways like foldable fans, calendars, face towels, shirts, etc. We were able to win some prizes but not as lucky as my husband who was able to win a 3 layer Mecol multipurpose organizer at the Makina Saka 2012 last July. Well, that was not what we were here for anyway. We were haapy that there was so much to see and so much to learn!

At the Farmer's Contact Center booth where one can get lots of agriculture reading materials
if you want to grow certain crops or raise livestock.

Storm proof-rope framed fish cages

MacPlus booth. I like the tunnel film idea in growing alugbati.

At this point, my poor overworked 10 megapixel digicam is already starting to malfunction. I still took pictures but the camera keeps on showing CARD ERROR. (Shucks!) That being the case, we decided to check out the Carinderia Expo hoping my camera still has some life left to capture a photo or two.

PART 2 (Carinderia Fiesta 2012)to be continued...