work panic, blouse, shoes and Transformers

This week has been a roller coaster ride of emotions brought about by work and some personal matters.

While I was busy performing my duties, other concerns from clients would just come up... others easy to address while some would take much of my time. The lowest point of my work week was when I found out that nearly 4,000 records in 93 databases could have been lost. It called for an emergency meeting, at least with a colleague friend whose department I also coordinate with. I have to admit I panicked, my mind tried sorting out excuses I can use, but decided I just had to ask the respondents to take the survey again. It might not be easily acceptable for the client, but that's the only honest way we can work around it. This incident bugged my husband, too, that he ended up inviting me to leave the office earlier to relax and see the movie Transformers. I didn't buy it! It's something that would work for him, not me. But then again, he knows best how to get me... so, he bribed me with a bit of shopping treat... for a blouse at first, to which I also declined. But he was insistent, so he added it up with a pair of shoes. And that I couldn't resist anymore. So to little shopping and Transformers movie we went.

Highest point of the week? The tech support responded promptly saying that the data have not been lost! :)) Oh! I am so relieved! Thank God.

So, thank God it's Friday! My data are intact, another blouse and pair of shoes added to my closet, and I have seen an entertaining movie! :)

Hope you have a happy weekend! :)

updates

In my everyday living, there would always be a time that I would think of blogging. My mind would usually register the opening sentences for my post, only to lose track of what I would really want to write about after a few seconds. And at times when I can freely write, when Internet connection is readily available, I seem to lose everything I have thought to write.

And just so I could update you of what I have been busy with lately, be it in thoughts or in deeds, here is a list of random things that keeps me occupied:

1. Life has been busy at work, but things are starting to slow down now. Yipee! :)

2. Remember the good thing that Husband and I are working on? Well, we had to prepare some documents and had to undergo some check ups. *wink*

3. Since the last swimming we had, our weekends were always spent at home with the family. The last weekend though was the most uneventful because I was down with migraine again. :( And it was too bad yet I couldn't do anything but apply cold compress on my head because I am allergic to most pain relievers. I even spent the entire Monday in bed.

4. Husband and I usually daydream of how our lives together will be when we finally get to go to the land down under... *wink*

missed you,

the two-way street i experience now

Life is a two-way street. I know this, believe this, and experience this every single day of my life.

When I shop for something, I normally seek consent from my Husband, even at times that I have to spend for it. Perhaps, subconsciously, I would like to get his approval whether what I am paying for is worth the money or not. Or maybe, I want to know if there’s a need for me to purchase the item in the first place. When I buy something, I encourage him to buy something for himself too. That way, I wouldn’t feel guilty giving in to my shopping pleasures. :) Life has to be a two-way street.

It had been long ago when I thought of having an Internet access at the comfort of our apartment... way before I even had my notebook. And so when I received my laptop as Husband’s gift on our 2nd wedding anniversary, I thought it wouldn’t be long before I get my Internet acess subscription. But I was wrong. It took me five long months to finally have that kit. It was only then that we have seriously thought of aquiring one. Or should I say, it was only then that Husband had seriously thought of approving my need (or want, according to him) for an Internet connection at our place, where we just stay during work days.

Now I understand why he was so insistent for me to get this Internet access kit. He wanted an X-deal – my Internet connection for his CABLE TV! After two weeks of being behind our schedule, I was finally able to apply for our SKYCABLE subscription. Just like my Internet access, his CABLE TV is also a pre-paid subscription.

It was scheduled to be installed Wednesday afternoon. It was already 4:00PM and still no cable guy in sight... 6:30PM came and still no cable guy was knocking at our door. I had to call the hotline twice to verify if they had the job order placed. Husband was already feeling disappointed at this time. While having dinner, he was telling me that these men are not coming anymore. But thirty minutes after we had our dinner, a SKYCABLE truck passed by. How delighted and excited he was that he made his roger rabbit moves! :)

And now, as I quietly sit on our bed, alone in the bedroom, I am able to finally use what my Internet connection is for, while he... he is enjoying his Crime Investigation special preview on SKYCABLE at the living room.

Indeed, life is a two-way street. :)

second take on carbonara

Last Sunday night while Husband and I were driving back to our apartment from their place, he requested that I cook carbonara – following the same recipe as one of my girl friends did that he liked a lot. I told him that I will cook on Tuesday night.

Since he goes out of work earlier than I do, I tasked him to do the grocery for the carbonara ingredients. I listed down everything I need to make the carbonara.

Around 4:00PM, he has been calling me already. First call was to ask what he can buy as an alternative for basil leaves because he can't find any (basil leaves). I told him none (none, because I don't know what to replace basil leaves with). He asked if rosemary leaves will do, I said NO (because again, I don't know what rosemary leaves are for, and I don't know if it can actually replace basil leaves in my carbonara). Then after a couple of minutes, he called again to ask if I'm sure that it's really all-purpose cream that I want him to buy (seeing pictures of breads and fresh fruits on the packaging confused him a bit. LOL) and whether I only need 3 of those 250mL packs. And he ended our conversation with a sigh of "hirap talagang mag-grocery." ("It's really hard to do the grocery.")

Well, no pain, no gain! :) But he has to worry not because tonight, he is assured to feast on sumptuous carbonara. Hopefully, that is! :)

Welcome, February!

First month of the New Year had passed. And how did I do with my resolutions? Well, in some aspects I did fine, but in others... I failed miserably!

Well, there are still 11 months to go. I can still do better, right? (That's the spirit!) :)

it's the Magic 6 again!

Minutes past 5PM. And it's only now that I'm totally awake and back in my senses.

We had a little celebration last night at a friend's house. All six of us are finally back together again to celebrate the birthday of Oneng and Lisette - who, after missing out on a few get-togethers over the holidays, was able to join us. Nothing beats the fun of the Magic 6! :)  We're still the old crazy bunch of high school girls we used to be!  

(sitting L-R) Lisette, Jac, Faye; (standing) Oneng, Kai, Jannie

a valentine date

Since the last quarter of 2008, my high school friends and I have been seeing each other more often than we used to in the past 14 years. Whether it's just the six of us girls, or with our husbands, or in some occasions, with kids tagging along, we always enjoy our time doing what we do best, chatting to the max while eating! :) And during our gatherings, it's good to know that my friends' kids (there's a total of 7 of them already) get along well, and so our husbands. The friendship extends to our families, too!

Sadly, one of us will soon be leaving to join her husband in Dubai. But before she leaves, we have already planned our barkada-family early summer getaway in Batangas this coming February 13th and 14th. It's a Valentine date for us, too! :) This has to be one of the merriest get-together we'll have this year with us girls complete in attendance.

what a ride!

During the Christmas holidays last year, I was able to experience something for the first time... a motorbike joy ride that lasted for six hours!

Last December 27, Husband and I joined the fun run sponsored by ERBA (Eastern Rizal Bikers Association), where he is a founding officer. The group met at a gasoline station in Tanay, Rizal at seven in the morning. From there, we went our way to Infanta, Quezon.

During the ride, the group was led by the President, and the rest followed in file. On the average the group was just running on a speed of 60kms/hour. It was a safe, leisure drive trip for everyone except the Marshall. The Marshall is a biker who is usually at the end of the file, but drives faster every now and then to check on the group or deliver a message to the leader. The leader for any run like this must have quick reflexes. He (or she, why not? ^_^) should be able to timely direct the rest of the group when they need to slow down or speed up, or avoid some obstructions on the road. The leader does this using hand or foot signals. The member at the back of the leader then passes the same signal, and the other members do the same, until the signal reaches the end. And this is done quickly, of course, while driving.

If the group had signals, Husband and I had our own too. I was his backride (I don't know yet how to drive a motorbike) and talking was not easy to do because we were both wearing helmets. A knock on his helmet from me meant that I was feeling sleepy; tap on my knees from him meant "hold on tight, we'll run faster"; a hug from me meant I was already feeling tired and my back needed some slouching; and a caress on my leg from him meant to ask if I was just fine and still enjoying the ride. But more than the signals to check on each other, Husband also made some signals telling me to check on the other bikers behind us. It was one of the best values I’ve observed in the group: care for other members as you care for yourself.

We reached our destination in Infanta, Quezon at around lunch time. But the group decided to move to Liliw, Laguna, in one of the group’s most visited resort. So, immediately after having our lunch, we headed to our next destination. It took another two hours or so to get there. There we stayed overnight, had a dip in a freezing-cold pool, then went back home after our late breakfast.

I would say that this is one of the most amazing experiences that Husband and I had together so far... several hours of riding too closely together, trusting each other to move in the way the other did, and him allowing me to a world which originally was only his.

Now, we look forward to another joy ride, this time to Baguio!!! And that’ll be another story for everyone… :)

happy fifth!

This day marks my fifth year with my company, ASCENT. And to celebrate this day, I am sharing with you pictures taken during my fifth Christmas party with this small organization, which has truly been like a family to me over the last five years.

And the counting continues, of course! :)

2 January 2009

Another reunion with my high school friends. However, we missed one of us because she's in the U.S. to spend the holidays with her family. Nevertheless, we still had a great time... and this time, we have our families to join us.

Here are few of the pictures taken that day:

so kulit pa din!

nothing much has changed...

with our families

1 January 2009

Ever since I got married, the very first day of my new year is spent in a reunion with my husband's maternal family. It is usally a feast of food, games, and exchange of gifts. No matter what we receive, we are always delighted because we know that we are remembered through the simple gifts they give.

Here are some of the pictures taken during our simple get-together:

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.

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! :)

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.

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...

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

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. :)

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.

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.