I thank God for the year 2008...

As the year 2008 comes to an end, I would like to thank the Lord for everything that has happened in my life, whether good or bad. The good things encouraged me to do better, and the not-so-good ones challenged me to give my best.

To all that I have offended, I apologize. To those who have helped me in any way, thank you all so much. I have survived 2008 because God has blessed me with people like you.

This coming new year 2009, I pray that God will continue to bless me and my family, relatives, friends (cyber ones included of course!), and colleagues with more hope, faith and love that the rest of the new year will be better than ever.

Allow me to share this message I have received from a well-wisher: God is the reason why even in pain we smile... even in sorrow we believe... even in betrayal we trust... and even in fear we continue to fight.

Again, happy new year to all!

Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox Postcard

Pork Siomai Recipe

As requested in my previous post, here is our recipe of pork siomai.  This is the simplest one can make.

• Ingredients:
  • Pork Siomai
    1/2 kilo ground lean pork
    1 bulb of garlic (minced)
    2 eggs
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    ground black pepper
    280 grams siomai or molo wrapper (this pack usually contains 30 pieces of 3"x3" wrappers)
    
    
  • Sauce:
    soy sauce
    calamansi or lemon extract
    1 bulb of garlic (minced)

• Directions:
  
  • Pork Siomai

1. In a large bowl, mix the pork, minced garlic, eggs (need not be beaten), salt and pepper.
2. Put a teaspoon of the mixed ingredient onto the center of a siomai wrapper.
3. Pull up the edges of the wrapper towards the center, making sure the meat mixture is being covered.
4. Steam the siomai for 15-20 minutes.

• Sauce

1. In a pan, bring to a boil 1/4 cup of cooking oil.
2. Put the bulb of minced garlic, stirring continuously until golden brown.
3. Drain the garlic from oil. Set aside.
4. In a sauce bowl, mix soy sauce and calamansi extract (lemon will be good too).

Serve the steamed siomai, soy sauce and lemon mixture, and browned garlic separately. Others may not want garlic on their sauce. If you prefer, you may also add chilli sauce to your soy sauce and lemon mixture for added spice.

Happy cooking!!! :)

ASCENT Christmas Party

We had our company Christmas party last Wednesday night in Congo Grille at El Pueblo in Ortigas, Pasig City.  This time of the year has been my much-awaited company event. Unfortunately, I was not able to bring a digicam nor did I remember to take pictures using my mobile phone. I was just busy posing for others' cameras. And now, I don't even have a single picture to look at to remind me of how the party went. :(

Anyway, it's gonna be a few more days before I will be back at work and can grab pictures my colleagues have taken. I'll post a couple of them here and create new albums on our multiply account and my friendster too. :)  So, please come back soon.

Christmas Eve Menu

Mama and I have finalized our menu for the Christmas Eve. As earlier planned, we shall have fettuccine carbonara, macaroni salad, and instead of chicken lollipops, we shall have drumsticks. And because it is quite cold here due to our close proximity to Tagaytay City, we shall also have pancit molo, and pork siomai to match it. And for dessert on Christmas Day, we shall have fruit salad.  However, we decided to forego the traditional ham and queso de bola, since we are not really big fans of those.

We are set to prepare the salads tomorrow, and I'm just hoping we won't finish eating them before the Christmas Eve. *lol*  As for the other food, we'll cook them on the night of the 24th.

I'm so excited already!  :)

Vacation Day 2: a couch potato looking forward to the Christmas Eve

We're home in my mom's place and I have a 24/7 access to the Internet. But why don't I feel so excited about using it? I just check my mails every now and then, log on to my blogger account to see if any blogs I'm following has anything new, if none, I scroll to the older posts. It's the reader-not-a-writer in me, I guess.

Anyway, this is my second day of vacation, and I haven't done anything productive nor interesting. I've been sleeping the whole day, eating as soon as I wake up. I'm having a slight headache, and I'm thinking "have I overslept already?" *lol*

But of course, looking forward to the Christmas Eve, Mama and I have been planning for the menu.  We're only five in the house, and we're not really expecting any guests, not until the Christmas day that is, so we are just thinking of preparing something we will all love: fettucini carbonara, macaroni salad, chicken lollipops.  That's what we have in mind right now.  But I'm still thinking of something else that I would love to feast on during the Christmas Day.  Suggestions, anyone?  :)

Christmas time again...

This day marks the start of my 18-day vacation from work. Christmas is just around the corner!

Free Christmas Countdown

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

my life as a wife... for now.

I have been "angel-less" for four weeks and 2 days now. No, not that guardian angel sort of thing, but an angel as I call household helpers.

And despite the fact that nobody else takes care of our household chores but us, Husband and I feel that we are more relaxed coming home, enjoying our meals and helping each other out with chores that need to be done.

And here is a list of the things I certainly enjoy doing at home even if it means having less rest time:

• Preparing our meals. I need to get up 30 minutes earlier to prepare our first meal of the day. And even at times I still feel very sleepy and the thought of myself snugging in bed seems to pull me back to sleep, I get up and do some cooking. And at night, when I come home after work, I still prepare food for dinner. Sometimes I cook, other times I just re-heat left-overs. It is rewarding to see that Husband enjoys the meal so much so that he ends up doing the dishes. ;)


• Taking care of our clothes. Having been brought up by my Mama to wear clean and well-pressed clothes no matter how old the clothes may be, I kind of imbibed that obsession in me. Without a helper to do the ironing, I can meticulously press our clothes, making sure that we both look neat wearing them.


• Cleaning the house. I used to avoid cleaning the house because I am very much allergic to dust. Even if I use mask to cover my nose, or I use vacuum cleaner to dust off the entire house, I would still have my allergic attacks. Fortunately, I have discovered using the mop to clean the floor and everything else that can be mopped. :) The house is clean, and I don't have to worry about rashes or swollen eyes because of allergies. It feels good to come home when everything around is clean and orderly.


• Movie marathon. And who says I need to spend all my time doing the chores? Well, it's not really a movie marathon, we just watch one movie every night on poqui. And it's a great feeling after a day of work and some household chores to cuddle up in bed sharing laughter over some comedy films. :)

And last night, due to my insistent demand, we installed the red and green Christmas lights on our door. Christmas spirit is in the house, at last! :)

Shut Up. You're making me famous!

Ever since Husband and I got together, we have been enjoying wearing same shirts. Not just same color, but exactly the same style and prints. We have identical jerseys that we use when we play badminton together, and sometimes we wear them during family gatherings. And last Saturday, during the 1st birthday celebration of Husband's nephew, who is also my godson, we were wearing identical shirts again... this time, statement shirts. :)

And when we are wearing same shirts and somebody asks where Husband is, or who my Husband is, it is easier to say "Just go find the man wearing the same shirt as mine... he is the one!" :)

Kris Kringle Week 4: something red and green

Well, actually, when I reviewed the list, it's not really something read and green, it said something red / green [meaning OR]. But I think everyone prepared for something red and green. :)

I am lucky that the one who have drawn my name is, I think, as excited as I am to prepare for our weekly kris kringle. He or she hasn't failed to give me a gift even for just a week. But for my colleagues who haven't been receiving any, despair not. Your giver is just probably playing some practical jokes on you. ;)

Kris Kringle Week 3: something funny

I am wondering how or why can this be funny? 8-)

Christmas lights

22 days to go before Christmas!

The child in me couldn't help but get fascinated with all the lights displayed in various colors, shapes and sizes. It is Christmastime indeed!

Nothing has been officially announced yet, but I am now excitedly looking forward to the 16-day Christmas vacation! That will be 16 days of get-together opportunities with good friends, both old and new, time to bond with the family and catch up on latest happenings, and time to take care of some unfinished tasks before the new year comes.

Wherever and with whomever you are spending this Christmas season, may it bring you all the fun and blessings that your heart truly desires.

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

men have weaknesses too...

I suddenly remembered this daily devotional I have once read, and thought of sharing it with everyone, especially to the ladies whose partners are going through some difficult times.

***

August 12, 2008

A PLEA FOR UNDERSTANDING

by Charles R. Swindoll
Read Job 2:1--9

I want to confess that for too long in my ministry I took unfair advantage of Job's wife, especially since she was not present to defend herself. I think it was probably due to immaturity on my part. Furthermore, I hadn't been married long enough to know better than to say those things. I cannot leave this one snapshot of Mrs. Job in the story without clarifying the record in her defense.

Now that you've seen the incredible disaster they shared, isn't it a little easier to understand how she could suggest, "Job, darling, let's just pull the plug. Don't go on. You can't keep living like this, I can't stand it. Curse God, and let Him take you home to be with Him." I think so. She's reached her limit and is willing to let him go. I'm not justifying the woman's reasoning as much as trying to understand it.

Always guard your words when your husband is going through terribly hard times. I want to confess something about us men. Mainly, I want you to remember: going through sustained hard times weakens most men. For some reason, hardship seems to strengthen women; we admire you for that. But we men are weakened when times of affliction hit and stay. In our weakened condition we lose our objectivity, sometimes our stability. Our discernment is also skewed. Our determination lags. We become vulnerable, and most men don't know how to handle themselves in a vulnerable state of mind. So in light of all of this---hear me---we need your clear perspective, wisdom, and spiritual strength. Most of all, we need you to pray for us as you've never prayed. We need not only your prayers, we need your emotional support. We need you to take the initiative and step up.

We need your words of confidence and encouragement. We even find it hard to say, "I need you right now." My wife could tell you that she lived with me for our first ten years of marriage before she ever thought I needed her. I finally admitted it and learned how to say it. In the lonely hours of a man's great trial, nobody's words mean more to him than his wife's words. That is one of the God-given reasons you and your partner were called to be together. When we husbands lose our way, you wives help us find our way back.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

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twilight!

Nope! I didn't watch the advance screening of the movie.

Actually, Husband and I were supposed to, but due to some unavoidable circumstances, we were not able to go. Sayang! I got free tickets pa naman from a friend! I'm not really a big fan, but I still want to watch it.

a love song

During our dinner, there's this one song playing on the background that I really noticed, and I couldn't help myself singing along with it... it made our dinner more romantic.

Kris Kringle Week 2: something useful

I received five pieces of microwave-safe food containers for last Friday's kris kringle! Definitely useful!

Thanks to the giver! :)

dinner special!

Teodoro's Grill
The Park @ Liberty Center
Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Philippines


We once visited the place and liked their seafood kare-kare. And so, for our anniversary dinner, we opted for Teodoro's Grill again. Its location is just near our place, so we didn't have to worry about the pre-Christmas traffic jam.

The lights at the park created a romantic ambiance, making it a good choice for our simple celebration.

While waiting for our orders, I couldn't help but admire the simplicity of the Christmas decoration that adorned this corner across us. I've been wanting to put up some Christmas ornaments in our apartment, and I think this one could be easily duplicated at home. :) Husband promised to help me on this. *excited!*

And then our orders came...

We had our favorite seafood kare-kare. And Husband said since he didn't give me a bouquet of flowers this time, we are having chicharon bulaklak instead... "at least may bulaklak pa din!" :) We also had my favorite bangus belly, which they call bangus ala pobre. The fries tasted good too!

Husband had two servings of rice. He really enjoyed the dinner as much as I did. I ended up finishing his ripe mango shake, and he, my Sprite.

We were so full, finishing up so delighted. And here's what we have left them afterwards... :)

It's as if the married couple haven't had any meal for a day! :)

happy 2nd! :)

It's our second wedding anniversary today!

Despite the mild headache (caused by a migraine attack last night), I managed to cook some fried rice, and re-heat the pork and tofu meal we brought from my Mama's kitchen. It doesn't sound like a very appealing breakfast, I know, for a very special day. What made this morning special was that Husband and I re-viewed more than 1,500 raw pictures taken during our wedding two years ago.

It feels like it was just yesterday when we walked down the aisle, but the memories we have already shared seem like we have been together for five years now! We pray that by the grace of the Lord, we can brave any storm that will come our way, and that we may celebrate more wedding anniversaries... 'til death do us part.

countdown

It's Friday again! I hope to work on my tweety project over the weekend and finish it! If only I'd give it my time, I can do it in one sitting. And I say, that's the spirit! ;) So far, this is how it looks:

And as I eagerly look forward to seeing my final tweety, there are also few occasions that I can't wait to celebrate:

• 3 days before our 2nd wedding anniversary. After the seemingly roller-coaster ride of marital life, we're now on our second year, and definitely still counting. *super happy*


• 34 days before Christmas. I wish we can spend our vacation in Bicol again. The place is rejuvenating, a great treat after a year of hard labor!


• 41 days before the New Year. The year is ending, another one is coming. Hopefully 2009 will be more promising and all that we have planned and worked for will finally bear fruit. And of course, another year to try to be better sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa (in thoughts, in words, and in deeds).

bad hair day!

I had a scheduled product presentation this morning with one of our prospective clients. Because the meeting was set at 10, I consciously made the effort to be in the office before 9, at the latest, with the assumption that my colleague and I will be leaving at 9 to make it to the school (where we would be having our meeting) before the set time. If you are aware of how bad traffic in the roads of Manila can be, you would understand why I had to give an hour time allowance for our short travel.

I got up earlier than usual, needing to have more time to fix my unruly hair. But for some reason, I just had it towel-dried, and it had flown in all directions! My leave-on conditioner couldn't do anything about it!

Imagine being in a room with the school principal and all subject coordinators staring at me while I conducted the product demo. Good thing, the product I was presenting them about is an award-winning graphic organizer solution! I had their attention glued to the product and not on my hair. :)

They liked the software and that is all that matters. What do I care about how they think of my hair?! It was just a bad hair day after all! :)

20th November 2006

Exactly the same day two years ago, I had already started my two-week vacation leave in preparation for our wedding (and the honeymoon). Although I knew we had already taken care of everything for the big day, I was still kind of worried that we might had overlooked on some tiny details.

Having planned everything all by ourselves (without any help from professional wedding planners), I called each of our suppliers to make sure they were not forgetting anything from what we have agreed upon. Everything was set, everyone was just waiting for that Friday to come. However, a day before the wedding, a relative had read in a newspaper that there's a scheduled electric power interruption in Tagaytay. Good thing, our ceremony and reception venues had backup generator sets. And the unforgettable moment went ahead as planned...

it's a wired world out there...

...literally and figuratively!

Everytime I would bring poqui to the office, my desk would look like the picture above. Aside from the piles of folders and other documents, my desk would be a mess of cables -- telephone and network cables, and at times, my mobile phone charger cable. It feels that I have grown too dependent on these electronic devices, that I can't seem to function well if one of them is missing. And even if my work is not always greatly dependent on the Internet, a disconnection from it feels like not having the energy to work effectively. Just a state of mind, perhaps. And I hope our HR manager doesn't read this post, or I might be in trouble. :)

It is really such a wonder how powerful information technology nowadays is. It is so much easier and faster to keep in touch with our loved ones despite the thousands-of-miles distance between us. But no matter how personal our communication with them is over this information high-way, still, nothing beats the warmth of personal hugs and kisses... incomparable to all the emoticons available on any site!

Kris Kringle Week 1: describe me

Every year around this time, most of us, if not everyone, are looking forward to our company Christmas party. One of the most awaited parts of the occasion is the kris kringle revelation time.

For this year, we shall be giving small gifts (amounting to PhP30.00) for five consecutive Fridays, which started last Friday. Last Friday's theme was "something to describe your baby." And my "mommy" (or is it a "daddy?") gave me this:

I guess who ever got my name for a baby knows that I tame my kinks using this leave-on hair conditioner.

I wonder what am I going to receive next Friday... that my "mommy or daddy" thinks is useful for me... hmmm...

prayer

"Anyone who is having troubles should pray.
Anyone who is happy should sing praises."
-James 5:13

Do you want to know how to deepen your prayer life?
Pray. Don't prepare to pray. Just pray.
Don't read about prayer. Just pray.
Don't attend a lecture on prayer or engage in discussion about prayer. Just pray.

Posture, tone, and place are personal matters.
Select the form that works for you. But don't think about
it too much. Don't be so concerned about wrapping the gift
that you never give it. Better to pray awkwardly than not at all.

And if you feel you should only pray when inspired,
that's okay. Just see to it that you are inspired everyday.


by: Max Lucado
Grace for the Moment

MAGIC 6

My circle of friends in high school had a get-together last night, which lasted until 3 this morning. The last time all six of us were together was during my wedding two years ago.

Unlike previous meetings when one or two of us would be really late, we all arrived just in time when the clock ticked 7. Again, we were at our favorite local coffee place, Barista.

It's been 14 years since we graduated from high school yet things seem to be just the same. There are some changes though of course, from the looks to outlooks in life. Four of us are moms already and they live life with utmost carefulness to make sure they can give the best for their kids. And coming from diffferent fields of work -- two are accountants, one is a pediatrician, one is a nurse, one is in advertising, and I am from the field of information technology, we never ran out of topics to talk about. It's great to share what we normally do during our busy work days and learn new things at the same time. Like what I always say, being with your real friends is like a breath of fresh air... a time and place to be just yourself, with people who know you inside and out.

Faye, Oneng, Jannie, Myself, Kai, Lisette

POQUI!

This is my post after two days of not being able to report to work due to some "i'm not feeling well" reasons. And this is also my very first post using my newest buddy - POQUI! One of the Compaq Presario series. :)

Yes, I already received the anniversary gift that Husband promised to give me. I am sooo excited... I wanna load it with stuffs that both Husband and I will enjoy. But I have yet to get that badminton bag he is wishing to receive from me...

Until my next post... it's past breaktime now.. self-control, rem'ber?

cross stitch... cross stitch... cross stitch...

This morning, a colleague and I went to a prospective partner school for a product presentation. The school is exclusively for girls. As we walk on the campus, I couldn't help but remember my grade school years (no, I didn't study in an exclusive school for girls, I just remembered my grade school life ^_^ ). It was such a fun!

And to my surprise, girls who seem to be at the 3rd grade are holding some familiar fabrics... yes, an Aida cloth. They are doing some cross stitch projects in school at an early age.

How I wish we had the same Home Arts projects during our time, maybe then I have cultivated the enthusiasm to do cross stitching early on in my young life. :)

the Crayola world

I was searching the Internet for some converter sites for my hexadecimal color codes (to RGB), and I have stumbled upon this very colorful post. Well, the post was not about what I was looking for, but I was fascinated with the different photos used in the page.

It reminded me of the time when I was so drawn to coloring books (yes, even when I was way over my grade school years) that I had my boxes of Crayola. Also, Sinta came to mind. Seeing her lovely watercolor illustrations makes me think that perhaps she's also in love with colors, vibrant or otherwise? :)

disciplining ME

I am consciously trying to make the effort of not spending too much time with my blogger account while in the office. Office time is for work; and blogging... should be done during break. :)

Self control, Jac... self control!

6 Random Things That Make Me Happy

• My Husband, who has decided to marry me the very moment he laid eyes on me again after 12 years of not seeing each other, who has loved me even more in spite of the countless arguments and misunderstandings, and who has always been striving harder to show how much he loves me and cares for me. He just thinks I don't appreciate it. You're wrong, Mahal (Love).


• My family and my in-laws, who never fail to show they care even if we don't get to spend time with each other everyday.


• The blogs I follow, which inspire me to tap the other side of me and motivates me to be more productive. And this leads me to the next thing on my list...


• My tweety bird project. It's been more than 10 years now since I last had my cross stitch project. Tweety bird is my refresher project for this craft. I'm so excited to finish it and post a picture of it here. :)


• Our Company Christmas Party. I am sooo looking forward to it. The games sound exciting!


• Our second wedding anniversary on the 24th of this month. This is not just a mark of our two years of marriage but also a chance to receive a new laptop! :) I'll let you know once I have it.. *so excited*

I was tagged by Sinta, now I'm tagging Angeli, Jec, Aims, and Caryn.

my tweety bird

Last night, in spite of Husband's objection, I started with my cross stitch project while watching TV. I just felt that if I really wanted to take on this simple craft (as simple as my current pattern is), I have to set aside even half an hour of my time (as suggested by Angeli) to work on it. I was not thinking of finishing the whole pattern of course! I just wanted to start a couple of stitches.

Since the threads I have for the project are already pre-cut, I only did the stitches until the strands in my needle have all been used up. The ouput, you asked? Four rows of around 10 cross stitches each. :)

Still a long way to go...

TGIF!

Thank God it's Friday!

Husband and I will be spending the weekend at our place in Dasmariñas, Cavite. I'm sure that our stay will be treats of Mama's cooking and badminton games with my brother Jim. I can also have my late night chats with my Kuya and his lovely wife and hyper-active kids who are now staying in New Jersey.

And speaking of my Kuya, we are all excited and can't wait to see the new addition to his family, Adrianne. Baby Andie, as she will be called, is due to see the wonderful world in January next year. We are all looking forward to seeing her first pictures. With big brothers who are so adorable, I am sure that Baby Andie will be equally adorable too! She will definitely be one cute little princess. :)

i should cook

Eating is something Husband and I really enjoying doing together. Be it dining out, or feasting on food prepared at our very own kitchen, as long as it is good, we will enjoy as much.

But last night was different...

Wanting to eat as soon as we get home from office, I just instructed our Angel (household helper) to do the cooking. She would just fry the chicken that she marinated the day before anyway. But to my disappointment the fried chicken I was so looking forward to at dinner tasted so bland. I know I should be grateful that we have food to eat, but that's exactly my point... we should make the most out of our available supply and not waste it by cooking tastelessly, after all it is not that hard to prepare a savoury fried chicken!

It is frustrating to know that I cannot delegate our Angel to prepare even the simplest of meals... I just thought that with her around I can simply pass on my recipes to her and she can prepare it the way I could. But then, just like what I always tell myself "If you want things done, do it yourself." But hey! What is the word delegation for then??? Well, maybe not for cooking. And come to think of it, Husband enjoys more when I'm the one preparing his meal. So as agreed upon, I will still be the one to cook for us.

Tuesday night treat

Last night, Husband and I went to the mall for a movie treat. We needed some relaxation and we thought that watching a comedy film would be great. Besides, we haven't gone to the movies for quite some time now. There was none but one comedy film on show, The House Bunny. So to The House Bunny we went! :) The movie was fun and very light. We needed not to stress ourselves to follow the story. After all, the plot was so simple, yet it has left a very good message for the girls who are not confident with themselves, and who do not know how to interact with the opposite sex.

After the movie, we had dinner. I didn't realize that I made husband think why in the world I ordered for a vanilla icecream. Not that I don't eat icecream, it's just that I don't usually have dessert immediately after the main course. The dinner was a feast of our all-time favorites at the Max's.

And since I have been bugging Husband about some crafts I'd like to take on for the longest time now, we dropped by the Craft World and bought a simple pattern for my refresher cross-stitch project. Husband suggested that I choose a small, not-so-complicated pattern just so I could brush up on my cross stitching skills first, and try on more complicated designs after I finished the first one. Good enough!

And so for my trial project, I'm doing this 60 X 60 stitch design:

SS card

At last, after (10 days short of) one year, my Social Security Card has arrived! I have additional ID card to prove my identity.

I requested for my card replacement last year because of a change in name... something I needed to do after getting married. :)

she is in total despair...

She is losing her heart... and she cannot seem to hold it back. She cannot get over the thought that once in their happy lives he has broken her heart... and time cannot seem to put the pieces back.

i can't write...

Always, and I mean ALWAYS, when I log on to my blogger account to post a new entry, I would end up reading the latest posts on the blogs I follow. It keeps me glued on the writings not just reading the latest ones, but clicking randomly on the tags. Two of my favorites are that of knittering and muffled solitude. And so, frequently, I just stay there reading and not writing anything. :)

the search is over...

It's been almost a week since my brother Jec, yes the doctor, started seriously bugging me to buy him a new laptop. Well, it's not that I'm gonna pay for it, he was just asking me to look for a good buy that is reallly worth his budget. And, I would have to use my credit card for the purchase. Taking advantage of the 0% interest installment plans, payable in 12 consecutive months. Easy on the budget, huh? There were times in the past couple of days when I would receive text messages from him asking for updates. Updates? On what? Oh yeah! About the laptop.

And yesterday, he got too demanding, mind you. He wanted it ASAP! He doesn't care about the brand, as long as it would allow him to browse the Internet through its wi-fi cabality, and he'd be able to work on his documents. So, today during our lunch break at the office, after few days of searching on the net, checking out various specs, models, and brands, I decided to visit the mall and canvass for what I believe must be the "best buy." Thanks to Rod for going with me, at least I have somebody to consult about the oh-so-technical specs of the supposed new toy for Jec.

Approaching the Cyberzone of SM Megamall, Rod and I decided to check out Silicon Valley since it's the first store we saw. An approachable staff greeted us. Since we have limited time to check out all items on display, I asked the staff for a laptop that's being sold on installment plan, given the budget I have and the card I'll be using. His first suggestion was an Asus. Since I actually had other brands in mind, I asked for other options. Good thing there's an Acer that satisfies the requirements. Unlike when I'm shopping for shoes or clothes, I didn't check out other stores for more options. I didn't want to confuse my mind with other specs and other models and other brands. So I just went for an ACER ASPIRE.

I really hope you'll like it, Jec. Anyway, I got you a Canon printer for free! :)

Seven Random Facts About Me

• I was named after Jackie O.
• If not because of DST, my birthday would have been on the 16th instead of the 17th of May
• In my 31 years of existence, this is only the third time I'm wearing bangs
• I have never traveled abroad yet
• I have attended MBA Techno at DLSU-Dasmariñas and have withdrawn after the first meeting
• During my time in AMA Computer College - Cavite (January 2000 - December 2003), I was the only female IT Department head among all 48 branches nationwide
• The first boy who courted me in high school is the same man I married 16 years after. And he said that I am the first girl he ever courted, and apparently, the first to break his heart, too.

I was tagged by Angeli, now I'm tagging Keih, Rochelle, Jhaypee, Cindy, Jho, Eillen, and Amie.

kikays

I always enjoy going out with my friends. It's not everyday that I get to see them, and everytime we're together, lots of chatting happens.

Last Friday night, we went to our favorite hangout, the local coffee shop, Barista. Since it was already 11 o'clock, we were only left with an hour to stay in the place. And as usual, the chatting was continued at Oneng's place over cups of green tea. Oneng, by the way, is my bestfriend way back since we were in Grade 3. With us that night was Kai, my close friend-turned-sis-in-law. We are three of the Magic 6, as what our husbands call us. The other three couldn't make it that night. Sorry girls, you missed the fun!

At around 1AM, all three of us were already feeling sleepy. But after Oneng announced that she's gonna give us some lipsticks, we're all thrilled, and decided to play with some makeup to keep us awake. Karen and I went home with 2 lipsticks each... and i got to have 2 sets of eye shadows, all courtesy of Oneng. (Thanks to her mommy-in-law who sent those make-up, we had something to play around with that time.) The pictures below were taken between 2:00 to 2:30am...

me, oneng and kai

massage that headache away

I just received an email from a friend whom I haven't communicated with for quite some time now. And he sure does still know what stuff I'd be interested in.

Watch this video, especially those of you who always suffer from headache.

Massage:How To Massage Away A Headache

first craft

Since last night, my mind has been excitedly preoccupied by this thing I wish to try doing: handmade jewelries. Yes! Those beaded earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. I thought, these items can be perfect Christmas gifts for the girls and ladies in my life. Maybe I can design some for the gentlemen, too. But before I even day dream of my designs, I need to take on my first step to start this project – buy my own tools and bead supplies. Then I’ll find out if I’ve got talent in this craft. :)

Wish me luck!

our usual bonding moments

This blogspot was created for my own little space. However, I sometimes find it hard not to talk about the goings-on that husband and I had. And so, take a glimpse of how our recent Saturday and Sunday went, but this time with less text and more graphics, in a so-called graphic organizer, created using Inspiration® Software. :)

Click on the picture for a larger view.

randomly written

It’s been a couple of days now since I last wrote my post. Since that day until now, there have been quite a good number of instances that I feel I’d like to write about. But these questions constantly bug my mind: how much of me should I make known to WWW? Am I ready to freely open up my rollercoaster ride of emotions to readers I may not know exist? Should I write about the sentiments I have on people dear to me? Or maybe share life plans I’ve been diligently working on?

At times, no matter how much I’d like to put my thoughts into writing, I’m just having a hard time doing it. My mind thinks faster than I could write, and it can’t seem to go back to the exact lines I wish I have written down to fully express what’s deep down inside. Nonetheless, here are some random thoughts that still preoccupy my mind:

• How can somebody not extend understanding when it’s my time to be understood?
• How can somebody just forget about all the good things I have done after unintentionally declining to help another time?
• Why can somebody not be objective on issues involving a person so dear, especially when that somebody is assumed to be of greater wisdom? (Blood is thicker than water they say! But the latter is transparent compared to the former!)
• How can someone hurt the person he or she loves?
• What about love? (in the same context when Winona Ryder asked Richard Gere in the movie Autumn in New York)

And as days pass by, as I interact with more people, the list of random thoughts just gets longer each time.

• and here's another one (encountered just now): don't they know it's unethical to talk over the phone while munching on their food? huh!

whew!

How come the formatting i have repeatedly applied on my previous post won't show properly? Frustrating!!! *sigh*

serendipity

What is serendipity? The first time I encountered the word was when a movie entitled the same was released. I admit enjoying the romantic-comedy feature, and had always used the term for my oh so serendipitous moments...

But what then does serendipity mean?

ser·en·dip·i·ty [ser-uh n-dip-i-tee]

–noun

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

2. good fortune; luck.

[Origin: 1754; Serendip + -ity; Horace Walpole so named a faculty possessed by the heroes of a fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip ]

ser'en·dip'i·tous adj., ser'en·dip'i·tous·ly adv.

Word History: We are indebted to the English author Horace Walpole for the word serendipity, which he coined in one of the 3,000 or more letters on which his literary reputation primarily rests. In a letter of January 28, 1754, Walpole says that "this discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word." Walpole formed the word on an old name for Sri Lanka, Serendip. He explained that this name was part of the title of "a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of...."

And here are a few quotable lines from the film Serendipity starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale:

• "Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, but rather, it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite sublime plan."
• "When love feels like magic, it's called destiny. When destiny has a sense of humor, it's called serendipity."
• "If we are to live life in harmony with the universe - we all must possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call fatem, what we currently refer to as destiny."
• "Maybe we’re lying here because we’re not supposed to be standing somewhere else."

The next time something doesn't go as planned or as you expected, take a deep breath and think, this might just be one of your serendipitous moments. :)

Sources:

American Psychological Association (APA):
serendipity. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/serendipity.

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
serendipity. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/serendipity (accessed: October 14, 2008).

Modern Language Association (MLA):
"serendipity." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 Oct. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/serendipity.

training the trainers

One of the tasks assigned to me in the office is to conduct product orientation to prospective school partners. I usually conduct a two-hour workshop on either Inspiration® 8 or Kidspiration® 3 International Edition. The company I’m working for is the exclusive distributor of these products, among others, from Inspiration Software, here in the Philippines.

This afternoon, I just conducted the same workshop to ten teacher-participants from a school in Quezon City. I am glad that they appreciate the benefits of visual learning in the classroom. They are amazed at how easy it is to use the software to develop their own graphic organizers.

For you to have an idea of what I’m talking about, here are a few lines I usually use during my sessions:

Visual learning is the use of graphic organizers to teach various lessons in the
classroom. Graphic organizers make use of symbols to represent ideas, and
links or lines to represent the relationship between these ideas.
Flowcharts are among the widely-used graphic organizers not only in the
classroom but also in the industry, to show processes or procedures. And
Inspiration software is a tool that makes it easier for teachers and students to
develop their own graphic organizers.

It is good to know that there are schools that really aim to offer quality education to their students. These schools do not just invest on hiring qualified teachers, but also provide tools that help teachers use the latest methodologies in teaching. After all, schools should be proactive in ensuring that the students learn at the highest possible level. And this can only be achieved if the teachers implement multiple learning styles, which Inspiration software supports.

i will miss you, Tay Iking

“Anak, wla na c iking kgb pa.” That was the text message I received from my Mama at 9:49 this morning. I am deeply saddened by this very bad news.

Tay Iking was the family friend I visited last Saturday at the PGH. At that time I already knew that he was just kept alive through the meds being administered and various medical equipments attached to him. I knew that his demise was coming, and I was preparing myself for the bad news. Yet, I guess, no one can totally emotionally prepare for a loss of a dear friend.

I first met Tay Iking at AMA Computer College in Dasmariñas in June 1998. The school was just starting up and we were the few pioneer employees of the newly-opened branch. In my almost six years of stay in the company, we have bonded like family. The friendship was even extended to our own families. He became our home’s handyman. He was ever present in all kainan in the house, and ever appreciative of any small amount of take-home. And even if I already left AMA, we remained in touch. We may have not spent almost everyday together like we did when I was still in AMA, but we have remained dear friends.

Now that he is gone, I can only go back to all the memories we’ve had. And I only pray that wherever he is now, I hope that he is in peace.

I’ll surely miss you, Tay Iking.

My PGH Experience

It's a Saturday. We could have gone home to Dasma last night, but Lorenz and I have decided to stay in our apartment in Mandaluyong. His company still has another day of exhibit at the SMX. Knowing he'd be busy today, I thought of just visiting my brother at the PGH instead of going with Lorenz to the exhibit.

I stayed in the main lobby for a while waiting for my brother, who is a first year resident under the Department of Surgery. The hospital is the last place I'd wanna be in, and the several minutes of waiting felt like forever.

A good friend of the family is currently confined at the Surgery Intensive Care Unit, so to buy time, I visited him first. However, being not used to seeing patients in such seemingly painful conditions, I left right away. At the hallway I met Jec, my brother. Because his team was still doing the rounds, he had to leave, and I... I had to wait awhile.

Without a waiting area in the surgery wards, I busied myself walking & reading posts on the boards, and sending text messages to Lorenz and Jec of things I notice around. PGH is clean, contrary to what I thought it to be. That's why I didn't think twice to sit on the floor when my feet and legs got tired of walking.

I thought I found a good spot on the hallway where I could sit on the floor near a socket, charging my XDA phone while writing this post. But a manong passed by and told me to unplug my charger because security staff may be roaming and would confiscate my phone if they see me charging. What??? I can't recharge my battery here? Why can't I? I'm paying my taxes anyway, whatever I have consumed I think my taxes would cover it. But then, the obedient person in me just obliged. I wouldn't want to make a scene here anyway.

Still, waiting for Jec, he's too busy. He wouldn't allow me to go home though. He said he'll be free after lunch, and we can spend time to catch up on each other's life happenings. He hasn't come home since he started his PGH residency in January of this year.

It's lunchtime and Jec can't have lunch with me, at least not without his team. So I decided to go to Wendy's, just across the hospital, have my lunch and finish this post.

Until now, I'm still waiting... waiting... and waiting.

my weekend...

Before last weekend came, I was thinking of having myself glued in front of the computer, editing and updating my cyber accounts on Saturday and Sunday.

I started posting on Friday night even though my Internet connection at home wouldn’t open this site. Thanks to one of its features allowing bloggers to post just by sending an email to a secret address, I was able to update my site.

So what kept me busy last weekend? Here’s the list:

Saturday

Ø Alvin and Jen’s son Joaquin’s Christening day; Lorenz is Ninong

Ø Kuya Lito’s birthday (though we only stayed for almost an hour) because we still have...

Ø ...our badminton game

Ø chikahan over coffee at our favorite local coffee shop, Barista, with my bestfriend (since Grade 3) Oneng and my close friend turned sis-in-law Karen; we stayed until about 12midnight (while Lorenz was out to Alvin’s post birthday celebration)

Sunday

Ø Since puyat, we woke up at 10:30AM (very late, i know!)

Ø Badminton game at 2:30PM

Ø Rest, rest, rest...

And so, that’s how my weekend went... tiring yet fun!