One Life. Love it. Live it.

It's Christmas Day!

2011-12-25T07:54:00.002+08:00

May Lovely, Happy Times Decorate this Time of the Season.

May Warm, Special Memories brighten your New Year,

May the Wonder of Christmas be with you Forever.

From my Family to yours....Merry Christmas!!!

xoxo,

P.S. Its Christmas Morning!!! time to open our gifts!!! see yah all soon..

Birthday Scrapbook

2011-12-22T23:30:00.000+08:00

I've been working in the corporate world and I have always kept 1 tradition... It's not working on my Birthday. I believe that I owe this day to myself to spend it with the people I love in a stress-free way.

And it was the same as always, spent the day at home, lounging, sleeping and being with my son (hubby has to go to work this year-- he usually take a leave too-- but not today).

So to give you a rundown of what happened today (my 34th Birthday by the way) here are the TOP 10 Special Things on my Birthday (hashtag from my twitter) :

10. Thanks @akosiPektus (my hubby) for my first Jumba Juice. Yes, the California-based purveyor of healthy beverages and "better-for-you" snacks are now here in Manila with their pioneer store at the newly-opened Bonifacio High Street Central at the Fort. Hubby got me their all fruit smoothies...five fruit frenzy which are blends of blueberries, mangoes, strawberries, bananas, peaches, mixed berry juice, peach juice

9. Love This! Thanks to my MIL, Mama Emms! So timely in this season of pig outs :) i'd say it definitely improves digestion because after having this...the queen's throne awaits! (LOL!)

8. Home is where my heart is...always. Whenever left with a choice between responsibility at work and responsibility at home...the latter always wins.. without batting an eyelash.

7. It didn't rain today! (thus no Photo) That's a first!

6. A surprise from Budapest! Thanks to Raffy...he bumped into our friend Fritz and his Nephew Ethan at the mall pretending to be in Europe but our friend is actually here in the country for the Holidays... but it was a surprise nonetheless... sweet!

5. Exchange Gifts and Noche Buena Package - our exchange gift has a cap of P350.. but since the pear shaped ham is out of stock and the fruitcake is out of budget... Raffy settled for a Queso de Bola and a chocolate cheesecake (Kuripot! haha!)

4. My Fab girls. Thanks for spending time with me on my birthday. It's always a sure hit with unlimited laughter and tears of joy when I am with you gals..I love you to the bones!

3. Crazyness ...and not following directions :) I thought of doing a "scary elevator scene" but at Abi... totally not following directions.. and Erben, I say scary...not funny haha!! I guess they are too sleepy to listen to me.. haha!

2. Christmas Tree and Awkward moments (of Erben) because she does not like posing in public places like some kinda tourist from the province. But I love this tree and we all wanted to pose with it... so she doesn't have any choice... haha!

1. Friendship & Laughter. need I elaborate further?

Thank you to all who make my life great with love and laughter (and tears of joy) amidst all the challenges and stress this life brings... it makes me look forward to life head-on with you guys and gals on my side.

To my hubby... you know i love you... (with or without gifts..hihi! but I'll be waiting for my HDD this Q1 of 2012 or else you will incur interest! )

To my son...you are my inspiration. I'll love you until eternity.

xoxo.
S

The Search for Max's Baked Eggs

2011-12-01T13:05:00.001+08:00

... is like a hangover after a period of excitement. I'm not taking about a Chicken Restaurant called Max's but Samantha Sotto's Max in her debut best selling novel, Before Ever After.

But Samantha was kind enough to share these 3 Baked Eggs Recipes which was originally published here.

4 cheese baked eggs

She mentioned that the Baked Eggs with Avocado and Feta is "Divine".. but Avocado is not in season these time of the year so I tried the Baked Eggs with Bacon... and the 4-cheese Baked Eggs instead. Both were absolute delectable..

We don't have an oven so I used our oven toaster instead. Just to give you a heads up, to avoid burning your cheese, preheat it for 10-15 minutes and bake the eggs for 10 minutes, when you see the cheese starts to get dark, place a foil over the ramekin so you won't end up eating a dark, burnt and bitter baked eggs :)

Bon Appétit!

XOXO,
S

Baked Eggs with Avocado and Feta
Ingredients:
- 3 baby portobello mushrooms with stems, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- A dash of paprika
- 1½ tablespoons avocado, crushed
- ½ tablespoon feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 eggs
- Fresh basil for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 230˚C/450˚F. Sauté baby portobello mushrooms with garlic in olive oil. Add paprika and salt to taste. Spread mushrooms in a layer at the bottom of a small ramekin. Set aside a few pieces for garnish. Layer crushed avocados and feta cheese over mushrooms. Crack two eggs over the avocado-feta-mushroom mixture. Bake for 7 to 12 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Garnish with mushrooms and basil. Serve hot with toast.

Baked Eggs with Bacon, Onions, and Bell Pepper
Ingredients:
- ¼ medium-size white onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 strips of bacon, crumbled
- 2 eggs
- A dash of salt
- 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, grated
- Chopped basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 230˚C/450˚F. Sauté onions and pepper in olive oil until onions become translucent. Arrange a layer of crumbled bacon at the bottom of a small ramekin. Set aside a few pieces for garnish. Layer onions and pepper over bacon. Set aside a few pieces for garnish. Crack two eggs over the onion-pepper-bacon mixture. Add a dash of salt. Sprinkle the Cheddar over eggs. Bake for 7 to 12 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Garnish with bacon, peppers, onions, and basil, if using. Serve hot with toast.

Before the cooking began...

Baked eggs with bacon, onions and bellpepper

Four Cheese Baked Eggs
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- A few drops of white truffle oil
- ½ tablespoon sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
- ½ tablespoon mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon feta, crumbled
- Chopped basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 230˚C/450˚F. Pour cream into small ramekin. Crack eggs over cream. Drizzle eggs with truffle oil. Sprinkle Cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and feta over eggs. Bake for 7 to 12 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Garnish with basil, if using. Serve hot with toast.

Baked Eggs with toasted breads are great with hot tea!

My Annual Birthday & Christmas Wishlist v.2011

2011-11-30T01:43:00.001+08:00

wrapped it up and send it!

I usually post my Birthday & Christmas Wishlist a month before my birthday. But since these past few weeks have been like "hell's kitchen" in our office, I'm too tired to post and just want to sleep when I get home. But today, no more excuses missus!

So here I am on my 7th year of blogging, I'm posting my wishlist...not as grand as it used to be.. I learned to aim for simple things... realistic and achievable :)

UPDATED!!

~~Books~~ - Thank you to my CorpTeam Family for giving me my birthday gifts in advance..Love yah all!!

I love to read. And I'd love to have more time to read. But I am not wishing for more time because I know you won't be able to give me that... so I'll go for the material to be read. Hihi!

Even if I missed his 1^st ever (and might never happened again) book signing at Podium last month, I still want to read his books. I'm still missing the following titles from my collection: ~~The Best of Me/~~ The Choice/ ~~Safe Haven~~ by Nicholas Sparks.

I also love reading the courtroom and family drama of Jodi Picoult's Books. I miss reading it. So i'm including it on my wish list :) - I got the Tenth Circle too from my CorpTeam Family too!!

~~Flash Drives~~ (~~8GB~~ / 16GB) - Thanks to my monito ( Larry ) & My CorpTeam Family (again!!) love love love!

You can never have too much of these little things. It has proved themselves to be very useful in the office, in long provincial drives, and for storing TV series and movies. I need to get another one of these so I can save those downloaded series that I share to Kitchie, Erben & Mary and may not need to bring my netbook all the time.

~~500GB/1TB /2TB External HDD~~ - Hubby promised to get me this..after Christmas when prices of these goes down :) ...for now its a raincheck :(

This I really really want, been planning to get myself one of these but some priorities needs to be prioritized so this has to be in my wishlist because the memory of my netbook is not enough to keep my TV series and my movies and my pictures etc...

Screen protector for HTC Desire S and iPod Touch 2^nd Gen

The HTC is for my phone the iPod Touch is for my son. He's been using both gadgets and always ends up with scratches and bite marks... so yes there are holes on them right now. So I need new ones and extra protectors for future use :)

Paul & Joe lipstick – in nude/ natural colors

Erben gave me this last year from my birthday and i love it! There wasn't a day since then that I was not wearing this lipstick (well there were days that don't wear it ...when I'm just in the house hehe!) ...that's why its almost ..near the end of its lifeline. And for this reason I am adding it to my wish list :)

~~Clip-on-Book light~~ -Hubby bought me this on one of his trip to Powerbooks *hugs & kisses to you*

– saw one in Powerbooks when I was paying at the cashier...—hoping my hubby gets me one of these. I need it when I'm reading those Nicholas Sparks & Jodi Picoult books you know :)

~~The Spa GC~~ - Thanks to my fab friend @kitchied for the fab gift! xoxo.

Year in year out i need to get these stress out of my system and I am in my most relaxed state when my body is laying face-down in a bed with a whole :)

~~Knee-high boots -~~ My Birthday Gift to myself :)

Which I wish to use at our corporate Christmas party –Theme: Glam Rock & Roll..I'm size 7 don't forget :)- Party is on the 15th so send it in advance :)

Levi’s CURVE ID Jeans

I have explored Levi's website and I took the quiz and the fit finder says I'm a Supreme Curve. Find out your curve too.. click here.

~~Android Robot~~ - I can't wait to get my hands on my Android toy :) Thanks Sonny!!
I want. period. Don't ask why.

Day Off

A free day where I can do whatever I want. Not be a mom. Not be a wife. Not be a Supervisor. Not be a daughter. Not be an Employee. Just Me. For 24 hours. Me Myself and I.

And those are my Birthday and Christmas Wishlist for 2011.

Happy Birthday to me and all December Babies!!! What's on your list this year?

xoxo,

Slipper-y Went on Sale

2011-11-26T10:35:00.000+08:00

You got mail. And this email brought good news... shopping sale news that its. Our sister company, Digitel, has partnered with retail stores for this season of shopping ... i mean gift giving...last week it was with Celine where they have a buy one take one deal for all shoes and bags... (if you guess that i bought bags and shoes.. you are right!) I bought one bag for me and one bag for my mom... and 2 flat shoes for me :)

This week, its with all-flip-flops a.k.a. Havaianas... and its a 2-day sale up to70% off on their products... And so I took this opportunity to get myself a new Havaianas ... also bought one of my goddaughter, my niece-in-law and sister-in-law and of course my mom on day 1 :) and on day 2 i went back to get my hubby 2 pairs of slippers. But it was unfortunate that there's not enough slippers for boys/toddler... mostly its for girls and 1-2 year old babies.

After paying my slippers, the person who was checking the receipts at the exit, said that I was lucky to get a limited edition crystal sunny slippers... really?? it is? It was actually the first slippers I saw and I just took it for safe keeping without even looking at the size.. it was pure luck because it was exactly my size. : )

my day 2 purchases

my limited edition Crystal Sunny Slipper

the first batch of slippers

the slippers I bought for Hubby :)

The only problem is...you get to have the same shoes as everybody else.

me and Kitchie with our shopping bags

I was a happy shopper since I end up buying 10 pairs of slippers...There are sure lots of slippers under the Christmas tree this season.

xoxo.
S.

The Journey Before Ever After

2011-11-10T01:37:00.001+08:00

one of my SB breaks with BEA

Unlike most books that I have purchased straight from the shelf of a bookstore, I believe that Samantha Sotto's novel, Before Ever After, took quite a journey with me.

Let's start from the very beginning.

In one of our coaching sessions, my former boss and mentor, Ms. O, told me about a mother who turned her back on her corporate career, to follow her dreams. She wrote her book in a cafe near the school of her kids while she waited for them to finish their classes. Fast forward. And now her book is internationally published because she followed the chickens...(you know what I mean if you read the book already).

Ms. O never mentioned the name, I had the feeling that that story is the story of Samantha Sotto, when I saw a link on Facebook about a Pinay who has written a novel which Crown/Random House will publish. I may be wrong...(but who cares?!) All I know is that I was proud of her, of what she had accomplished. She is a Filipino making her mark for the world to see and acknowledge.

And so I did some googling and stumbled into her very nice website and twitter account. I followed her. I learned that she will be at the Book fair in SMX, but it was a Sunday and since its family day, I was not able to go. But I wanted to. It would be my first time to meet an internationally published author. It was not meant to be...at that time. But I know that fate was in my favor because I learned that she'll have a book signing in Singapore on the weekend of September (25) and I happened to be there with my family to watch the SG F1 Night Race.

Our trip to Singapore was a full packed 5-day vacation but I was able to squeeze in a few hours trip to ION Orchard where the book signing will take place. We arrived there early, no Samantha in sight, just a pile of her books ready to be purchased, a chair and a table. So we decided to have a late lunch instead. When I returned to Prologue Book Store, there was already a line of fans, friends and family awaiting for their copies to be signed. As I fall in line, I was giddy and nervous like I was about to meet a celebrity. I can't even take a decent photo of Samantha and the woman before me because my hand was shaking... I tried like 3 times but to no avail...good thing Samantha's hubby was ready to help and he took the picture instead. He also took the picture of us. Funny because I really felt like a fan. Placing my twitter name on the piece of paper below my name hoping that she would recall and remember our twitter exchanges. Based on our small chit chat, seems like she did remember me....but if she didn't... she was very convincing that she did (haha! but I don't blame her if she really didn't remember me). What's important was I was able to meet her in person (finally after the failed attempt in SMX) and got my book autographed. It really made my day.

With the author Samantha Sotto at Prologue Book Store in ION Orchard, Singapore

my autographed BEA. Follow the chickens!

I have already written so much but I haven't said anything about the book yet. This was suppose to be a book review post...Oh well, all I can say is that I enjoyed each and every character that came alive in this book. Brad, Simon, Dex, Rose, Jonathan, Paolo, Shelley & of course Max. The stories within the story made my imagination worked at its wildest...and the lesson of love, forgiveness and an idea of a great marriage proposal made me love this book even more. And the Epilogue made me think. :) But I am a romantic so I'll keep it at that.

But I prefer the epilogue contains the secret recipe of the Baked Eggs & Cheese. Really.

And with that, I will follow the chickens! You should too but buy the book first :) 2nd printing is now out and available in NBS :)

xoxo.

follow Samantha Sotto on twitter @samanthasotto and visit her website and experience the happy campers.

P.S. Would't it be great if this becomes a movie :) Just thinking aloud... that would be awesome don't you think?

Discovering McCormick Grill Mates

2011-11-03T01:41:00.002+08:00

Ever since my hubby bought me a grill pan for our (6th) anniversary I can't stop using it. It was intended for our weekend pancakes and bacon breakfastival every Sunday. But now it has been doing several real-grilling jobs. Thanks to McCormick.

Several months back (no grill pan yet), I discovered McCormick's Cajun Marinade. I tried it with chicken and pork chops and it was very good and tasty. And now I tried their Hickory Smoked Barbeque Marinade and it was heaven! I literally said "Ahhmmmsarap" (Delicisous!)

And its so easy to do:

1/2 kilo Meat or Chicken

1 pack of McCormick Grill Mates Barbeque Marinade (choose from the variety of Cajun, Hickory Smoked, PepperSteak etc.)

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoon (Virgin) Olive Oil (though in the pack they suggest to use vegetable oil)

Marinade for at least 30 minutes or overnight (which is better and recommended). Then bring to Grill and Enjoy. Such an easy peasy, right?

Cajun Pork Chops with veggies

Hickory Smoked Spareribs in grilling action


brush (just a right) amount of this before serving it

Tomorrow, will cook the PepperStreak Spareribs :)

Bon Appétit

XOXO,
S

Black Eyed Peas in Manila

2011-11-02T15:53:00.000+08:00

They say opportunity only knocks once. And when I learned that our corporate HR are selling BEP tickets at a discounted price, I didn't waste any time to ask Hubby if he wants to watch the concert. And so I reserved 2 tix. When the tix arrived, I was so excited I was already calculating in my head what time I should leave at home--(because the same day is the UN program of my little guy at preschool), what to wear (really?? haha!) and how to get there... yes I am that OC.

Got to Mall of Asia around 6pm (took the train by the way) and I'm glad I did because I don't know where the concert grounds is located, thus I had a lot of time to find it. Lines were not yet that long when I got there. So i waited for hubby to arrived since he came from the work. While waiting I was busy people watching and to be honest, I was expecting a different crowd... but what I saw were well dressed people, working class, even foxy ladies in Chanel bags and high heels :) It just proves that BEP's Music is for everyone who loves music and loves to dance and party!!

As hubby and I walked to the entrance of the Silver Section, I saw the BOYS of Magic.. Slick Rick, Sam YG and TonyTony of Boys Night Out... as I walked passed them, I found myself waving at them and saying out loud " Hey Guys... didn't know you are broadcasting from here"... they were friendly enough to wave back and replied "yeah"... Then I stopped and asked my hubby can he take a picture of me with them. And we walked back and asked the boys if I can have my picture taken with them.. they all replied "sure sure and wave for me to come closer to the booth...They're great and friendly ..yeah men!!! @_slickrick even replied to me when I twitted the picture below.. sweet!

The Concert started late (it was past 9pm already) but as soon as the music started, the crowd went wild and started shouting, waving their hands on air and started dancing... It was so much fun! Like a dance party but instead of a DJ playing the record/CD, the artists themselves are singing. It was so worth it!

We are too far from the stage but the wide screen will do... I just had to get a picture with Fergie as my background :) Thats a butt cheeks shorts on her... and the camera guy focus on it several times everytime she turns around.. LOL!

...and the concert ended with a great fireworks display :)

... Hubby and I are hungry.. its already 11:30pm ... Thanks BEP for a wonderful concert .. truly one of the most memorable concert I have been to. Hope you guys get back together after the haitus.

One of my favorite part of the concert was this ... Fergie's solo in a cute baby doll dress which twinkles like a star (seriously, she asked for total darkness on stage and her dress began to twinkle with lights)...here she sings.. Big Girls Don't Cry.. which I love so much ...so you can hear me singing in the background (haha!) More videos here.. bad audio though. Black Eyed Peas Live in Manila and Black Eyed Peas Manila Concert Part 2

Again... Thank you Black Eyed Peas for visiting Manila. Enjoy the Adobo :)

XOXO.
S

Women and Love

2011-11-01T00:39:00.000+08:00

Before You Can Attract A Good Man's Love, You First Have to Truly LOVE Good Men. This is the subject title of the email that my friend Maya shared to me via email. She thought I could share it to some friends. But I'd rather post it here so that, one day, when a woman in need of Love searched the internet about it, she'll come across this post and learn a thing or two.

by Aileen Santos on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 8:50 am.

Because they've been hurt too many times, many women have unconsciously set up a barrier between themselves & men. And although they do believe they want to have a relationship with a man, the problem often lies in the unconscious truth that... they don't really like men very much.

It sounds crazy when I put it this way. But it's what's actually happening, if you really think about it.

It's like that scene in Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

"Men are Evil!" Anya told Xander vehemently, then after a beat she asked: "Will you go out with me?"

Today the media -- tv shows, advertisements, easily accessible porn -- and many women are giving men EXTREMELY mixed messages through their words, actions, and examples:

"Women can do whatever men can do, so we don't need you." WITH "Where are the real men when you need them?"

"Men are clueless and stupid and need women to fix them up." WITH "I need a man to lead me."

"Men don't need to pursue us anymore, these are modern times, we women can pursue them." WITH "How come men don't know how to commit?"

"Men don't need to earn our love anymore, we'll sleep with them for free, they don't even need to remember my name." WITH "I just want a man who truly loves me for who I am, and stay long enough to grow old with me."

Isn't it any wonder that even Good Men are now confused?

Although Men are biologically & psychologically designed to be Providers, Protectors, Leaders & Warriors, society has been telling them that we no longer need them to provide for us, we don't need them to lead us, we don't need them to grow in character and be strong for us - we don't even need them to respect us.

We have essentially taken away their identity. And Women have also suffered in the process.

The good news is, the solution lies within the same problem.

Because Men were DESIGNED to respond to Women. ;-)

When a man behaves in a certain way towards women, it's because the women in his life have trained him to believe that "it's what works." That behavior could be good, or bad. Either way, it was inspired by women and reinforced by women.

"Behind every successful man is a woman."

This quote implies that it's a woman's influence that inspires a man towards success & greatness.

I agree with this... which is why I know the opposite is also true:

"Behind every unmotivated & dejected man... is also a woman."

If there are men in your life who are jerks... you have to truly be honest with yourself and find out how you are (unconsciously) giving them "permission" to be that way. Because once you become aware of this, you can start changing this.

Whatever kind of behavior a man is used to doing right now -- as long as he is a Good Man at heart -- the important women in his life can always influence him in the way he was designed to go: towards being a Protector, Provider, Leader, and Warrior once again.

This is why the world is in NEED of Fabulous Women who could reignite men's hearts, and inspire them to reclaim their place in the world.

- Women who will naturally inspire men to respect & value them, because they clearly respect & value themselves.

- Women who will inspire men to step up as leaders, because they know how to support their challenging journey towards leadership.

- Women who will naturally invite men to pursue them and build strength of character as they do, because character is what they also value most in men.

- Women who will love men as they are -- human beings who don't have everything figured out yet, just like them -- and inspire them to be greater versions of who they are because of their gentle & loving acceptance.

Some women can keep on blaming men, and demand that they shape up without them having to do anything different.

But that's exactly the definition of insanity:

Doing the exact same thing you've done before, and expecting a different result.

Dear Women, let's be more Fabulous from now on.

Because when we do, EVERYONE wins.

:-)

Aileen Santos is a Relationship Coach based in Manila, Philippines. She is on facebook. Like her. http://www.facebook.com/coachaileensantos

xoxo.

Shenski's Burp-ger

2011-10-22T13:45:00.000+08:00

Married life is no bed of roses. It has its own hits and misses. And one of the hits are not always make-up-sex but peace offering from the guilty partner. I'd prefer diamonds, weekend beach getaways, out of the country trips, shopping spree ...but what my better half offered me is a eat all you can at The BURGER PROJECT. Since its free, i took it.. hey there's no such thing as free these days :)

He picked me up from work. It was raining. we know the area where Burger Project was located (near Claret School in Quezon City) but then due to the heavy pour of the rain.. we need to stop and call his friend Bong because we have been circling around for minutes...and so finally after driving cautiously to the opposite direction, we found it!

The place was almost full, considering the unforgivable rain, I was excited when the girl on the counter handed me a piece of paper with the ingredients you can choose from to make your own burger. And so here goes: I chose, Oatmeal Bun, Single Angus Beef Pattie (quarter pound), Caramelized Onions, Lettuce, Tomato, Bacon, Garlic Mayo, Mozzarella Cheese and Cheddar Cheese...

And before handing it to the girl, you can put a name on your Burger... and I called it...Shenski's Burp-ger!

my Burp-ger has arrived

hubby got 2 angus burger patties (HEAVY!)

The gluttonous peace offering

Steps in creating your own burger project

We ordered potato wedges and onion rings on the side... and hubby order strawberry milkshake while I settle with ice cold cola. And damn!! it was delicious and heavy on the tummy. Oh and you have to forget about counting calories if you plan to eat here...I do suggest that you visit this place when you are hungry.. or super duper uber hungry. Half hungry is just a waste of money. You should be so hungry and craving for an angus burger because this meal does not come cheap... depends on how much ingredients you plan to include on your customized burger, prepare around P400-500 per person.

For me, I definitely felt bloated. Not a good feeling when its already around 10 pm and you don't have any activities afterwards aside from watching your favorite TV series and sleep in a few hours.

The Burger project is located in # 122 Maginhawa St. Teachers Village, Quezon City. Tel. No.: 916-7678986. Open daily: 11am- 12mn

Enjoy your Burp-ger!

xoxo.

Breakfast on Weekends

2011-10-21T12:53:00.000+08:00

I work 5 days a week (yeah working mom life sucks.. wish I could just stay home and take care of the family) . But someone has to make a living so during these busy, hectic and rush hour chaos driven mornings I no longer have time to eat at home nor cook for the family. Thus another thing I look forward during the weekends aside from the longer snooze-time in bed and no need to drag my ass to the shower and go to work.. its the only day in the week that I can cook for them.

pancakes, bacon and coffee makes my weekend mornings complete :)

Cooking for the family in general makes me happy... because they are the people who judge and tells you the truth about how your food tastes and even if they hate it.. they will still eat it and love you nevertheless. As i mentioned in my other posts, I am no chef.. I like to pretend that I am while i'm in the kitchen but I don't have the "skill" which exact measurement science or can cook a new dish by just staring at what's inside the fridge. I am more of the cookbook dependent, ready to mix marinade and the straight from the box kinda chef. And our breakfast on weekends will surely include a box of pancakes. And i love my pancakes with crispy bacon and hot decaf coffee. Before i use pancake syrup but when I tried using Smucker's Blueberry Preserves (which they also have sugar free variety) ... I never looked back. Though my husband prefers the uber sweet Baguio's Mountain Maid Strawberry Jam from the Good Shepherd Convent and my son prefers it as it is.. with butter :)

Different strokes for different folks.

TGIF kiddos!

xoxo.

FEZ your Fear

2011-10-19T18:59:00.003+08:00

It’s our friend Abi’s “30 is the new 20” birthday bash and when she told me that it’s going to be at FEZ Resto-Bar in Serendra, a big cloud of ( ? ) came into mind. The place is unfamiliar to me since I’m not fond of going out on bars for drinking sessions. Not because I don’t like to drink… it’s just my body rejects any alcohol intake when I reaches approximately 50ml for beer, vodka ice, etc… conversion in terms of hard drink aka uses shotglass, that’s equivalent to 1 shot glass… if I’ll intake more that this… I’m surely going to puke everything I ate and drank for the past 12 hours. So yes. I don’t Drink!

When we got there, a cozy place with wooden panels and a bar came into view, there were only 2 rows of tables which can be occupied by 10 people on each row. The other row was occupied by another group and the other was reserved for us. Since we don’t know what to order, the staff was kind enough to suggest the following:

The Birthday Girl

Morocsan Wanton Cups – Beef

Fez Royal Kebab Platter

Chicken & Mango Ceasar Salad

Pita Pockets Chicken Tandoori

Lychee Martini

And the verdict: They were all delish! And ordered second round of everything when the others arrived. We also ordered a pitcher of Lychee Martini and again order second round and third… but I didn’t count after because I already stopped drinking when I’m done with half a glass… and gave the rest to my husband. I just ate the lychee fruit that came with each pour of his martini drink J

Thank Abi for a great night! Happy Birthday!

Us with the Birthday Girl

Fez serves Mediterranean, Moroccan food. Wide selection of alcoholic drinks too.

Address: Unit 1CO7A Serendra Commercial Strip,Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

Tel: 901-1840

PS. If you are wondering why the subject for this post.. it means that our birthday girl has FEZ her FEAR (faced her fear) of entering the Three O… graciously. xoxo.

Northern (Food) Exposure

2011-10-18T19:12:00.002+08:00

You are forewarned. I will be talking about food for the next couple, triple, quadruple.. post. And I will start with my favorite weekend merienda. Authentic Ilocos Empanada.

Maria’s Ilocos Empanada. Is a crispy deep fried empanada with Laoag/Batac Longganisa, sprouts, cabbage/papaya and egg on the inside. You dip it into or sizzle it with sukang iloko and you'll die and gone to heaven for just about a few seconds and rise from the dead to bite another piece...and the cycle repeats itself on every bite.

Inside this delish delicacy, Maria's Ilocos Empanada

A few years ago, this delish delicacy from up north were served from the owner's garage and was open to church goers every Sunday afternoon and was a big hit because aside from the yummyness, it was very affordable (P60 for a Double Longganisa with Single Egg –which is my favorite).

But now, they got a space at a new lowrise building along Regalado Avenue in Fairview and they are not only open on Sundays, but they are open everyday. Now you can enjoy and gave in to your cravings everyday.

Awaiting for our order

preparation of our empanadas

i love their logo ..so cute

And another thing to love about Maria’s Ilocos Empanada is that you can call ahead of time so that they can prepare your empanada and be done and ready by the time to you arrive. Your choice to dine-in or or take home. I suggest you dine-in so its still hot (i don't like it cold and soggy). I hope they’ll soon offer delivery …who knows they might be open 24hours in the future (to cater for an anytime all the time cravings).

And last but not the least, I love the sound of my BURP at the end of it all.

Come visit Maria’s Ilocos Empanada at #41 Regalado St. Fairview Quezon City. 10am-8pm. Monday to Sunday. Tel. No. 806-9357

PS. They also sell uncooked longganisa, bagnet, sukang iloko

What I love about Threadless

2011-10-12T00:51:00.001+08:00

This will be mine in 3 weeks (Zombie at Tiffany's)

Last year I was introduced by a colleague to Threadless.com and since then I have purchased more than 2 dozen shirts from this online store. And today, after a long haitus ...i bought 4 new shirts (2 for my kiddo, 1 for me and hubby).

I got a tweet from my hubby about them being on $10 Sale :) I always love sale days ..who wouldn't..and I am so glad that I was able to purchase it earlier today because when I checked the website a few minutes ago, the sale is over and the Zombie at Tiffany's shirt that I bought for $10 is now $20.

Aside from the sale days, I also love the fact that these designs are made by artistic people around the world. Wouldn't it be great if you see your art on someone's shirt? And they pay you if you are voted to be printed by the patrons. So what are you waiting for? If you have the skill and talent, submit your artwork and you never know, I might be wearing it one day.

One more thing... another bonus is that if you purchase a shirt and upload a photo of you wearing it, you instantly get a $1.50 ot $15 coupon which you can use on your next purchase...nice one huh?!

So browse through Threadless.com and see if you find something that would look good on you. Subscribe to their newsletter so you can be updated on the sale dates too. Happy Online Shopping :)

xoxo.

Me wearing Lost in my Dreams ... my son wearing GAP hehe!

Hubby is wearing Mr. Tee and I am wearing People Like Us

Dear Hamburg

2011-10-11T01:46:00.001+08:00

my latte bear is sad.

Why is my coffee art sad? Yep, does it look sad to you? it does to me...The place chosen by my friend Maya who left for Hamburg, exactly 1 week ago was kind of fun, happy place with lots of colorful cookies..Classic Confections was the name of this place. I guess she chose this so that she won't feel sad...but then its her favorite place in Greenbelt so maybe she just want to have one last visit before she leaves...

Engulf in delicious coffee aroma and delightful sweets, we talked about boys and how long it will take her to date a blue eyed, blond, German with Chinese ethnicity.. haha! ---i know, what a combination right? But kidding aside, I am happy and excited for her. I proud of what our "bunso" (youngest) have accomplished in her career and we all hope that in her 2 years stint in Europe... she'll find the one person whom she'll spend the rest of her life with.

But of course that will have take a backseat for awhile until she has overcome all the environmental challenges of this foreign country.. like the below zero degrees temperature, the closed stores on weekends and of course the language.. But she's a smart girl and can hold her own in her new home away from home. Nonetheless will still pray for her safety everyday. And yep that blue eyed, blond, German with Chinese ethnicity will be included too.

Dear Hamburg, Please take care of our friend. She is new to your city and we hope that the weather and men will treat her right. P.S. find her a blue eyed, blond, German with Chinese ethnicity guy to date. :)
xoxo.

We'll miss you Maya. See you in 10 weeks :)

us girls

Thanks to Foursquare, we met up with another friend Raffy

iSad. iMourn. i'm Inspired.

2011-10-05T22:37:00.000+08:00

avatar I saw on Ashton Kutcher's twitter

The founder of Apple, Inc. Steve Jobs passed away today.

This is what i heard on the radio on my way to work today. After hearing it, i was shocked, i was stunned. i was sad. Though I don't own an iPhone or an iPad or a Mac, i was able to experience his great work in an ipod shuffle that I got for free, and the iPod Touch Gen2 that I bought for my son years ago. But aside from his technical talent, I admire him most because of what he became amidst the challenges in his life even before he was born. He truly has a vision for himself and the world and not looked down on himself even if life was hard. I'd like to thank Steve's adoptive parents Paul & Clara for bringing up their son well and sharing him to the world. He is truly an inspiration to the world.

I am sad that my son will not be able to experience his talent in the future. But I hope he'll be inspired with this speech that he gave at Stanford University back in June 12, 2005.

This is the most personal public speech this intensely private man ever gave: His commencement address to the Stanford University class of 2005.

========================================================================

The speech of Steve Jobs' life

By Philip Elmer-DeWitt October 5, 2011: 10:00 PM ET

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)

No, there's no excuse to be become someone good.. someone great, if you put your mind and heart to it.

xoxo.

Singapore Scrapbook

2011-09-28T12:58:00.000+08:00

We are back! And we are greeted by a not so good weather (Typhoon Pedring), this is also the same reason why our flight back to Manila was delayed for 4 hours. But thanks to Jetstar, we landed safely at NAIA. And now I am on a relapse. I'm tired and want to sleep and sleep and sleep but need to go back to reality and back to work work work. But before going there... I want to share with you our 5-day family bonding experience in Singapore.

Day 1

The morning greeted me with Green! Lots of green! Love it that trees are everywhere even on highways here in Singapore. This is Holland Road, our view from the condo where we stayed. Thanks Tito Cres and Tita Nida for letting us crash in your crib.

Our first stop for the day is the Swiss Stamford Hotel to pick up our 3 day F1 Passes. We had a late lunch at McDonald's where I had the yummy chocolate milk shake. From where we were eating, I can already hear the roaring F1 engines and it was load.... so load that it vibrates on to my rib cage and I am so stoked! I can't wait to see them in person.. We headed to Gate 4 afterwards which is where the entrance of the Walkabout ticket holders is.

our 3 day passes, complete with ID and Lanyard

Upon entering the Walkabout Zone, Padang Stage was the first to greet us.. this is where Charice will perform later that day but we were not able to watch her concert because my son was already tired and wanted to go home and ride the double-decker bus which he was so amused of. He is the boss so we called it a day. Tomorrow is another day.

Concert Grounds, Padang Concert Stage at the background

Father and Son awaiting for the F1 cars during Practice Day

F1 SG Grand Prix was unbelievable...the roar of its engines makes my heart throb.. its like a one on one encounter with a celebrity crush..amazing!

here come a McLaren Mercedes F1 Racing Car

Day 2

Geared up for a full day ahead... with our Bus Guide booklet at hand, we traveled to Boon Lay and boarded the bus to Jurong Bird Park. This is my second time at the bird park so this trip was really for our son to see and experience the birds of the wild. And the first experience was actually, poops courtesy of some beautiful yellow birds. We also rode the monorail which Andre enjoyed very much and watched the bird show at the Amphitheater.

Me and Andre copy cats of Norma Jean and Mumble

Hubby, is that poop on your hand?

excited to ride the monorail

Found a drum and can't help himself but play some beat

fly away Hornbill

Andre found a giant Parrot

too small or too big for a small boy?

reading the parrots name

Andre is one Angry Bird

After the whole afternoon of bird watching... it was time for the F1 Night Qualifying Race which started around 10pm. We decided to leave Andre at the condo with Tita Neneth since its already late and past his bedtime. Since my brother is also in Singapore (he works there at an Aerospace Company), and a fan of F1 too, we invited him to join us and use Andre's race passes. Sebastian Vettel won the Pole position :) and enjoyed the concert of Shaggy before we called it a day.

me and my bro

Race Officials and Camera Operator at Turn 8

Craziness at the Qualifying Race

I heart this race!

our dinner...
I'm addicted to Cheese Mini GoGo Franks!

Shaggy's concert at Padang Stage was so much fun!

Day 3

Our first stop was at ION shopping mall in Orchard Road where Samantha Sotto (the first Filipino to be internationally published) was having a book signing event at {prologue}

After my copy of Before Ever After have been signed, we took the train going to Ang Mo Kio

Interchange and board the bus going to the Singapore Zoo. We are excited to see all those

animals in person. My husband finally saw a Kangaroo which he missed seeing while he was in

Australia for a work assignment. And I was excited to see the White Tigers.. and it has been a

while since i last went to a zoo.. For Andre, he liked the Giraff and the Hippos :) After our trip

to the zoo, he was too tired and slept through out the ride home.

Me with Samantha Sotto (Proud of you Sam! Go Pinay!)

Andre pointed out our shadows so i took a snap at it.

ice cream break

The White Tigers at Singapore Zoo have blue eyes.

Andre pointing at the Orangutans

Ready for the Outback Ride

Looking out for the Kangaroos

he's one hungry Kangaroo

After bringing Andre back to the condo, Hubby and I hurried to go to the Marina Bay Circuit for the

F1Race Day and met my brother once again at City Hall Station. For the past two days, we

stationed ourselves at Turn 8 of the circuit but today we decided to watched the race from the

Esplanade area. Everyone is excited and cheering on every time the racing cars passes by

( for just a second) from where we are...sad to say that Michael Schumacher had an accident
near turn 8.. if we watch the race from there, we could have seen him or maybe even take a
photo of him walking back to the pitstop. oh well.. the more important news is that Vette won!
He needs only to win the next grand prix in Japan to get the Championship title this year.

The Race Day will not be complete without the finale concert of Linkin Park at Padang Stage :)
I was fighting off the temptation to buy an official merchandise but failed! Bought my son a
Red Bull Racing Team Shirt and a cap before leaving the Marina Bay Circuit. It was truly a
great experience..the noise, the adrenalin... I heart this race!

my jologs digicam can only capture this shitty image

Race Day Pass

Hands in the air for the Linkin Park Concert

Linkin Park: The coolest way to end a roaring hot night race!

nice colorful lights on this building caught my attention as we walk to
Clark Quay Station

Good Morning! It's day 4 in Singapore already

Day 4

We had planned a whole day of activity today. Universal Studios, at Sentosa we are going to Underwater World, watch the Musical Fountain, ride the Cable Car and Singapore Flyer, do some shopping at Orchard and have dinner with my friend Jen & Jay...It was an ambitious itinerary for one day and obviously we didn't have time to squeeze everything in our last full day in Singapore. In the end we did accomplish: Universal Studios, Cable Car ride and Dinner with Jen & Jay. Nevertheless it was a great and tiring day...

The customary photo with the Universal Globe as the backdrop

Andre was ecstatic to see his favorite snack in such huge size

Camera shy

he loves the roller coaster so much that her rode this machine
..... 4 times!

i love the sight of my boys bonding :)

Who's afraid of heights?? not me!

Kiss Kiss

Our complimentary English Breakfast Tea
at the Jewel Box

Dinner with Jen & Jay (taking this picture) at Bugis

Day 5

If you have noticed, for the last 5 days here in Singapore, I have not mentioned anything about shopping my heart out at the numerous malls at Orchard Rd. This is because I didn't and haven't got time to do so.. This is such a heinous crime for a shopaholic like me. I wanted to go to IKEA, Cotton-On, the newly opened H&M, Forever 21 etc... but there wasn't enough time to do this anymore. I had one last change on our last day to go to IKEA, but 2 hours is too short for a wonderful place like IKEA...and so I tell myself, there will be a next time and when that next time comes.. i will never forgive myself if I will not be able to at least get my hands dirty.. but I guess God wants me to shop even for a little bit because our flight got delayed and i had a 4 hour window to shop at the terminal... and true enough.. I was able to buy myself a hand bag and a wallet for my mom ..and me :) And so I leave Singapore with a smile because the shopaholic was able to shop. I owe you one JetStar.

Andre loves the viewing deck

All aboard! Goodbye Singapore!

Whew! that's a long post. hope you enjoyed my scrapbook :)

xoxo.

Do-it-Yourself City Tour

2011-09-24T19:02:00.000+08:00

The Stories of our Singapore Trip Continues…

There are more positive aspects than negative in not having a paid tour guide when you are in another country. (1) time is in our hands. You can wake up anytime of the morning. You’re not on a rush to have breakfast, take a bath and et al. We can delay and cancel whatever is in the itinerary as we please. The only thing you need to be sure of is that you need to know where you are going, which bus to ride to reach your destination and when to change lanes in the MRT.

Hubby already made our transpo route for our do-it-yourself City Tour- thanks to- GOTHERE.SG This site is very helpful in going around Singapore because it already indicates your total travel time ( since you can indicate what time you will leave so it calculates the assumed rush hour J) , what bus number to ride which lane you should take and alight if you are taking the MRT and total fare to and from your desired destination. I have to admit that this is the most useful website I have ever encounter in cyberspace… do check it out on your next visit to Singapore.

Another useful tool we used during or do-it-yourself City Tour is the Singapore Bus Guide & Bus-Stop Directory. Lucky that we were staying at my Auntie-in-laws condo and they have this guide book. We used it so many times to make sure that we are stopping at the right bus stops and how many more stops before we alight the bus.

Since we are talking about transportation, I must say and I know my son would agree that we enjoyed riding the SBS Transit buses (especially double-deckers) and MRT/LRT using only 1 type of card for both mode of transportation. Kitchie, my officemate, lend me 2 of her ez-link Card, and Auntie Neneth also lend us hers so we just loaded them with cash and we can tap our way to our destination.

My son felt so independent because he taps the card on the electronic readers on the bus and on MRT’s turnstile all by himself. Its automatic for him to ask me for his ez-link card every time we are about to ride the bus and MRT.

But beware and don’t forget to tap the card on the e-reader when you alight the bus because failure to do so, you will be charged the full fare for the remaining journey.

more of our 5 day SG tour when i return after some commercial breaks.

On board the double decker bus - AJ loved it!

at midnight the MRT is almost deserted

lighted underpass ..its like mid-day but its actually past midnight already.

You'll never get lost even if the Driver does not know your destination-- Got GPS on Taxis :)

Don't be scared of tunnels

Hubby too tired from walking from City Hall to Clark Quay just after the F1 Race Day

me tired but keeping a happy disposition + my leg and thigh hurts!

Anti-Social to the highest level

entering the MRT ...my son being so independent :)

xoxo.

Our Family's Second Trip Abroad

2011-09-23T04:00:00.000+08:00

Our first family trip abroad was 3 years ago, when my father-in-law took us to Disneyland HongKong.
And on our 2nd out of the country... we are going back to where our son was conceived. Singapore!

My hubby and I booked the trip to SG last April as our anniversary gift to each other. Date was specifically chosen for one reason alone. The F1 SG Night Race. We were both fans of this sport even before we met ( love it since the time of Ayrton Senna and even after his untimely demise.) And so I booked for the airfare, while my husband reserved for our Walkabout Tickets.

After 5 months...

The day has finally come. 22 September 2011. Days before this, we have prepared for the itinerary, logistics etc..but on the day itself, I felt that we didn't prepare at all..I was packing for the 3 of us from morning till about the time AJ got to from school. Adrian was doing the commuter's guide for our tour (we didnt book for a tour guide anymore)...and Andre decided to do his tantrums right after taking a bath. He just does not want to wear clothes. He was lying naked on the floor--crying and shouting- kicking and punching anyone in his way. Told our helper to get us a cab and I'll just dressed him when we are on the taxi (this was already 4:45pm, our flight is at 9:10pm and our home is like 2 hours away from NAIA) But finally we were able to pacify him and get him to dress and just in time for the cab to arrive. (time check: 5:00pm). While on the road I was praying for zero traffic, zero accident and not to be late for the check-in. God favored us and was at the airport by 6pm :) Adrian gave a good tip to the cab driver of course :)

AJ drawing his version of a JetStar Airbus

While at the airport, my son was not really the most behave kid but was able to keep his tantrums at bay. He was able to sleep through more than half of the plane ride. But when we arrived at Changi Airport and went to the luggage claim area, he was crying all the way out of the airport until we hailed a taxi. And what activated his tantrum powers at that time? Its because he want to push the luggage trolley but couldn't because he does not have enough strength to press and push it at the same time. You know how it works, its not like a grocery cart that you just push. You need to press it down and then push because of the auto wheel-lock mechanism of the trolley... But he does not want any help from us. He is such a stubborn kid. and so hubby did press and push even if Andre was crying. He just stopped crying as soon as he saw the cab...(there's something about cars, trucks, trains that amuses him), he was as quiet as an angel.

enjoys pushing the cart and getting on the walkalator.

before the tantrums began at the Changi Arrival Area.

It's 4am and he is still up. Lets see what time he will wake up later. Come back again and will keep you posted.

xoxo.

Sticky Honey-Orange Chicken Wings

2011-08-28T06:30:00.000+08:00

I was watching the Pinoy Edition of Junior Master Chef and I am amazed how these kids are able to cook such food in a time pressured environment...Honestly I was never a fan of the kitchen (though i looove to eat!). I was just force to love the kitchen when I had my family and need to feed them. While, my mom is a great cook.. she can cook a delicious with out a recipe on hand. Whatever she sees in the refrigerator, she can turn it into something magnificent.. that's my mom. I however will never be like that. I am someone who cook by the book (cook book/ magazine that is) or by the internet (recipes from the website) and by the measurement.

And so I am inspired by these kids and took out the Yummy magazine and decided to cook the Sticky Honey-Orange Chicken Wings which was in their March issue cover.

For the coating:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
cooking oil, for deep-frying
12 pieces chicken wings

For the honey-orange glaze:
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon ginger, sliced very thinly
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup honey

Prep Time: 15 minutes. Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

In a small bowl, mix together flour, 5 spice powder, salt and pepper
Heat oil in a medium saucepan
Coat wings well with the flour mixture
Fry wings for 10 to 15 minutes or until parts turn golden brown. Remove from heat and immediately drain on paper towels.
Make the honey-orange glaze: in ma medium saucepan, heat oil on medium heat and saute ginger for 1 minute. Add grated orange zest then add honey.Simmer for 2 - 3 minutes while stirring continuously.

Place chicken in batches in the pan and toss to coat the wings with glaze. Serve as desired.

The finish product

Bon Appétit.

The Twitter Challenge

2011-08-26T15:16:00.000+08:00

We had a reunion last Friday which came about because someone tweeted for a reunion (who by the way did not attend). This reunion twiterinvite was basically from the peeps who already resigned from JS (my and still current employer) and an almost colleague suggested to meet this Friday expecting that no one will take it seriously since its Friday, pay day and a long weekend to boot which means people already have plans for the night and or weekend... But unfortunately, we took the bait and agreed to meet up.. though there were several people mentioned in the tweet.. only @erbertherese, @ThatGirlJoyce, @raffy_vicente, KG (she just registered in twitter but has not yet revealed her username) and my hubby @akosipektus and I were present.

Laughter, stories and more laughter filled the night of Persian food at Uncle Moe's and the most exciting part was that a twitter challenge was created. Since the reunion was through Twitter and we were talking about who's who of the local celebrity twitter world has responded to our tweets (yes, @kc_concepcion did respond to my tweet :D ) we decided to do a challenge.

The Rule:

Tweet an international Celebrity with a minimum of 10,000 followers and if they reply, you win a free dinner worth P1000. It can be anyone (athlete, actor, singer, news anchor, book author... as long as they are known internationally and do not live in the Philippines and not Filipino).

RT (re-tweet) is not counted. the celebrity should Reply to our tweet.

The response must be emailed to the participants or re tweeted as proof.

Raffy (the genius one with glasses) is our Game Master. The man behind the challenge

As competitive as we are..I included, I started tweeting celebrities that I am following.. and I was shocked that after a couple of hours of tweeting (around 1:30 am) some one actually replied!! I can't believe this game would actually work! haha! and so I re tweeted the proof and so excited to win the challenge after a few hours alone... so this actually works! Celebrities do reply to their followers but I look forward to see the other contenders get a piece of this .. and so we are changing the Rule... this time its a Best of 3 Game :) Good luck!!

Thank you @MarieDigby for replying to my tweet.. you are such a sweetheart! Love your Songs.. Love you!

The Winning Tweet! YouTube Sensation Marie Digby replying to my tweet

xoxo.

I Will Always be a Blogger

2011-08-20T14:18:00.000+08:00

When did you register your twitter account? I had mine since April 17, 2009. This came about during the time when we can no longer access Facebook's website from our office network because it was added to the prohibited sites. Twitter, at first was just a means of getting update from my favorite TV shows from the states and not really getting updates from friends because most of them are still in Facebook and rather not register in twitter...but as my number of friends started to register to Twitter, Facebook gets less and less of my time and attention. It was like my transition from Blogger to Friendster then to Multiply... then back to Blogger when less people are updating their Multiply because then they already have turned to Facebook... then came Twitter. Now I only access Facebook when I upload photos. But through these transitions... my Blogspot has been continuously updated.. sometimes not regularly but updated once in awhile.

Now a days, Twitter has been my --should I say default login page-- when I am online, but I still keep my Multiply as my photo backup since I pay an annual fee for my unlimited photo storage (Premium Account). I still upload photos on Facebook because most of my friends and family are on FB so that they are updated on what's happening in my world. I access Twitter for my status updates since my FB and Twitter are connected via an application that posts all my personal status from Twitter to FB (cool huh!), thus , I rarely open my Facebook account.

And then came Google+ ... i have my Gmail Account so obviously I get an invite for this new networking site...but I have not explored on it very much...for now Twitter is keeping me busy. But in all these adversities and emerging networking sites..... I'd say my Blogger account has been the most neglected.. but has always been in my heart and mind. As you would notice, I have been blogging since 2004. There are times that I'd be inspired to write almost every week.. there are times that I only post once a month..but then here I am still writing on my blog. So i guess whatever social network site that will be introduced to me, whether i sign up or not... my Blogger account will always be around and be updated to keep my thoughts and be there whenever I need to share my rants, my discoveries, my opinions, myself to the world.

Thank you Blogger.com. I love you! Thank you for being there for me even if I am neglecting you often.

xoxo.

Orange & Me

2011-08-11T02:52:00.006+08:00

I am Overwhelmed with the amount of trust you have in me.

You are one Remarkable person who stood up for me.

I Aspire to be you for you inspire me to be the best in what I do.

You will Never be forgotten for you have made a mark in my heart.

So let me cry for one last time because I need to say Goodbye.

You only spent a moment with me but your friendship will be kept for Eternity.

ORANGE & ME.

This is my farewell note to my mentor. my manager. my friend. She came to fill in the post of the Sales Manager that I love and look up to (Mr. M). I thought she'll be another manager that steps in but never imagined how she will impact my career. my life. She is the one person who believed in me that I can do this role and be even better in time. She guided me and prepared me for this role which is not an easy task. She has always shown how proud she of me because every time she gets a chance to introduce me to other people...my tenure always comes up. And this overwhelms me all the time and sometimes hate her for it (in a friendly way).

My first impression was she'll be a good manager to our team, looks approachable, has an aura of simplicity and not at all scary and authoritative like the others. I wish I could keep her and lock her up and throw away the key. But there's always a time when you are at the crossroad of your life that you need to decide and choose not for the pleasure of others but for your own self-fulfillment. And I do understand why she has to leave. It just pains me that she will no longer be there when I need her. No more anchor when storms steps in. But then again I know that I will overcome and succeed in all my future battles because she taught me how a true People Manager should be.... a heart and passion to serve and always do the right thing.

I'm not really good with goodbyes especially to those people that means a lot to me and have moved me in so many ways. I know because I can cry like a baby. And I am pretty sure I will again be crying like a baby later when she'll walk our hallway one last time. And say her goodbye for the night one last time. No more see you tomorrow. I am going to miss her and her flattops chocolates too.

xoxo.

An Accomplished Friday

2011-07-29T12:51:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks i have been busy with the 2nd Quarter PRP (Performace Review Program) of my KAMs (Key Account Managers), updating the presentation of the Sales Departmental Process for the bootcamp training (of our new hires) not to mention my lack of sleep just to finish it to beat the deadline plus there's me going out on client calls with my new KAM who will be taking over my accounts... and that stressful security breach that I discovered on our online system...which was escalated to the Regional office for investigation...

All these happened so fast and what a relief when I finally finished the last of my deliverable (the 78 slides of the Powerpoint Presention of Sales Departmental Process) at the last working day of July :)

I slept around 3:3am becoz i couldn't keep my eyes open anymore..had to hit the sak.

I felt i deserve to relax and celebrate...and that is what I exactly did ...ate dinner with hubby at Bon Chon and watched Captain America at Galleria :)

Hope you accomplished something too this month :)

xoxo.

My Thursday Group

2011-07-28T11:42:00.002+08:00

We call ourselves "the Thursday Group". Just like the 80's show: That's Entertainment where every day, different celebrities were featured.. for us, we usually meet and have lunch during Thursday....why? because one of us.. (we can call her Mary) ~~can only leave the house~~ can only join us during this day because she is in Kapitolyo which is near our office (Ortigas-Pioneer)..And we kind have lunch (more often than not) at Pepper Lunch Shangrila Mall...

We all used to work together at the same company... but now, there's only 2 of us left.. and we don't know who will be the next alumnus. Lets wait and see..But for now.. the Thursday group is signing on! see you at PepperLunch!

Meet Mr. Teppan

my extra beef pepper rice

The Thursday Group
L-R: Kage, Raffy, Joyce, Me, Mary, Kitchie

xoxo.