Friday, February 16, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
V Day
This morning on the way to work, the radio station played romantic wedding songs. Delivery men with roses are everywhere. People are inundated with special offers from restaurants, coffee shops and hotels. Traffic today will be horrendous and I'm not surprised. After all, it's Valentine's Day.
Yes, it's commercialism at it's finest. And yes, I think that sometimes the meaning behind what is celebrated gets lost underneath all the hype. Quite a lot of people have said that expressing how you feel for someone shouldn't be limited to just one day. I agree with that a hundred percent.
However, this over hyped celebration does have it's uses. Because let's face it, being in a relationship is not always flowers and romance, sweet words and scented candles. And when you have children, the focus shifts a lot of the time. It's not wrong but it is the way it is. The love is always there but the sweeping and romantic gestures aren't.
So today, I am happy about the pink carnations I received from my husband. And I smile every time I remember what he wrote on the card. No big expensive candlelit dinner tonight and that is perfectly fine. Instead, we are celebrating the birthday of my grand aunt who was born 80 years ago today. She is unmarried and has chosen to spend her whole life with us. She has taken care of me and my sisters since I was four months old. We are celebrating our love for this tiny woman who is the kindest and gentlest person ever. What better way to celebrate?
But since it IS Valentine's Day, I changed my blog song today and it's for the love of my life. I think of you every time I hear this song and the lyrics say why...
"...i have you
a lover and a friend
you are everything i need
you are the sun
the air i breathe..."
Ok, enough mushiness. Time to go home.
Yes, it's commercialism at it's finest. And yes, I think that sometimes the meaning behind what is celebrated gets lost underneath all the hype. Quite a lot of people have said that expressing how you feel for someone shouldn't be limited to just one day. I agree with that a hundred percent.
However, this over hyped celebration does have it's uses. Because let's face it, being in a relationship is not always flowers and romance, sweet words and scented candles. And when you have children, the focus shifts a lot of the time. It's not wrong but it is the way it is. The love is always there but the sweeping and romantic gestures aren't.
So today, I am happy about the pink carnations I received from my husband. And I smile every time I remember what he wrote on the card. No big expensive candlelit dinner tonight and that is perfectly fine. Instead, we are celebrating the birthday of my grand aunt who was born 80 years ago today. She is unmarried and has chosen to spend her whole life with us. She has taken care of me and my sisters since I was four months old. We are celebrating our love for this tiny woman who is the kindest and gentlest person ever. What better way to celebrate?
But since it IS Valentine's Day, I changed my blog song today and it's for the love of my life. I think of you every time I hear this song and the lyrics say why...
"...i have you
a lover and a friend
you are everything i need
you are the sun
the air i breathe..."
Ok, enough mushiness. Time to go home.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Home Sweet Home
Just got back from my Shanghai sojourn. This was, by far, the most memorable visit I've had. And not just because of my first day fiasco. Previous trips have almost always been hurried -- get in, work all day, hit Shangyang market then dinner, usually at Xin Tian Di.
This time, I did Shanghai like a local. There was still work, but meals were taken at places frequented and raved about by locals. I became a temporary tea drinker (never touched the stuff before) and got exposed to barbequed duck tongue *shudder*, lotus flower pastry (yummy!), honey lemon tea freeze (divine!) and the most heavenly foot massage ever! Do not even think of going to China without having a foot massage. This is the best. Period.
Instead of flying back on Saturday, I opted to stay an extra day with a friend. I ditched the car and driver in favor of the Metro (their subway) and mostly walked to places. Friday night's agenda was a little shopping before dinner then the massage at 11:30 pm. I was surprised at how safe it is to walk around the city even after midnight. At 12:30am, it seemed that everyone was out having Chinese New Year celebrations before the official holidays start next week. We couldn't find a cab so we braved the cold and just walked back to the hotel. I couldn't imagine doing that in Manila.
The next day was spent just going around the city. We spent more than two hours at my friend's real estate agent's office closing her rental agreement. I had fun getting stuck with her landlord and his wife who, together with the agent, kept telling me I had beautiful eyes *bats eyelashes*. Only they were using sign language because we couldn't understand each other. I finally got it when she made big "Os" with her forefinger and thumb, then gave a thumbs up sign. It was really amusing. Now who wouldn't get a kick out of that??!!
My last night in Shanghai was spent at one of the hottest bars on the Bund with my friends. A singapore sling, a drink called "orgasm", a glass of white wine and two margaritas later, I was having the time of my life.
No wonder I had a dreadful headache on the plane.
This time, I did Shanghai like a local. There was still work, but meals were taken at places frequented and raved about by locals. I became a temporary tea drinker (never touched the stuff before) and got exposed to barbequed duck tongue *shudder*, lotus flower pastry (yummy!), honey lemon tea freeze (divine!) and the most heavenly foot massage ever! Do not even think of going to China without having a foot massage. This is the best. Period.
Instead of flying back on Saturday, I opted to stay an extra day with a friend. I ditched the car and driver in favor of the Metro (their subway) and mostly walked to places. Friday night's agenda was a little shopping before dinner then the massage at 11:30 pm. I was surprised at how safe it is to walk around the city even after midnight. At 12:30am, it seemed that everyone was out having Chinese New Year celebrations before the official holidays start next week. We couldn't find a cab so we braved the cold and just walked back to the hotel. I couldn't imagine doing that in Manila.
The next day was spent just going around the city. We spent more than two hours at my friend's real estate agent's office closing her rental agreement. I had fun getting stuck with her landlord and his wife who, together with the agent, kept telling me I had beautiful eyes *bats eyelashes*. Only they were using sign language because we couldn't understand each other. I finally got it when she made big "Os" with her forefinger and thumb, then gave a thumbs up sign. It was really amusing. Now who wouldn't get a kick out of that??!!
My last night in Shanghai was spent at one of the hottest bars on the Bund with my friends. A singapore sling, a drink called "orgasm", a glass of white wine and two margaritas later, I was having the time of my life.
No wonder I had a dreadful headache on the plane.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Ni Hao Ma!
I'm in Shanghai. So much to tell after only one day!
I was waiting for my half past noon flight to Shanghai and it's only 10am. So I do what I love best, parked myself on a seat, jammed my earphones on and lost myself in a book. I wanted to relax because I knew I was going to be stressed out when I arrived. As soon as I land, I had to change into Corporate clothes and heels and go straight to the Chinese New Year dinner.
Fifteen minutes after the airline meal, the woman beside me got up to go to the rest room and promptly spilled her ice water on me. Grrrrr! The right side of my clothes was drenched and she didn't even bother to go get some tissues for me to wipe with! Horrible woman! She must have felt the bad vibes from me because she didn't come back to her seat for the remainder of the flight.
The plane landed and I got off to find a thick fog, a whole lot of grayness, and a freezing wind. Great. This after being told it was not that cold (15 - 20 degrees) and not to bother with thermals. I was one of the first to get off the plane so I breezed through immigration, got my suitcase and trundled off to the rest room to change.
Thirty minutes later, I was looking for my name on the placards being displayed by the drivers. It was only 4:30 and the driver was supposed to meet me before five so I was congratulating myself on being early when I spied the driver and saw one of the members of the Executive Committee (an expat) behind him. He and his son were on the same flight and I realized I made them wait for half an hour. Whoops.
Off to the car we went. After one instance of almost landing on my butt because of my four inch heels and twenty minutes of waiting at the curb in the freezing wind, we learned we had to walk to the parking area as the road was blocked and the driver couldn't get through to pick us up. So I lugged my suitcase, laptop case, big purse and a plastic shopping bag of dried mangoes down two flights of stairs (the guy I was with had four pieces of big suitcases!) and we were (finally!) on our way.
It was a fancy dinner party (and I was glad I changed out of my sneakers) and I got to sit at the VIP table with the owners (who were sooooo nice!). We were introduced one by one to everybody in the ballroom and you had to stand and wave a little when they called your name. Whee! Just like a famous or important person. :D
We were all given individual gifts and it was while my head was down stuffing the gift in my bag that my seat mate called my attention. When I looked up, everybody was holding their wine glasses up for a toast and waiting for me. Whoops. Again.
Is the day never going to end???
The 14 course dinner mercifully ended, the table rounds toasting everybody finished (you have to avoid clinking your glass against another if you don't want to do a bottoms up every single time). I finally staggered into my room at 10.
I think I want to go home now.
I was waiting for my half past noon flight to Shanghai and it's only 10am. So I do what I love best, parked myself on a seat, jammed my earphones on and lost myself in a book. I wanted to relax because I knew I was going to be stressed out when I arrived. As soon as I land, I had to change into Corporate clothes and heels and go straight to the Chinese New Year dinner.
Fifteen minutes after the airline meal, the woman beside me got up to go to the rest room and promptly spilled her ice water on me. Grrrrr! The right side of my clothes was drenched and she didn't even bother to go get some tissues for me to wipe with! Horrible woman! She must have felt the bad vibes from me because she didn't come back to her seat for the remainder of the flight.
The plane landed and I got off to find a thick fog, a whole lot of grayness, and a freezing wind. Great. This after being told it was not that cold (15 - 20 degrees) and not to bother with thermals. I was one of the first to get off the plane so I breezed through immigration, got my suitcase and trundled off to the rest room to change.
Thirty minutes later, I was looking for my name on the placards being displayed by the drivers. It was only 4:30 and the driver was supposed to meet me before five so I was congratulating myself on being early when I spied the driver and saw one of the members of the Executive Committee (an expat) behind him. He and his son were on the same flight and I realized I made them wait for half an hour. Whoops.
Off to the car we went. After one instance of almost landing on my butt because of my four inch heels and twenty minutes of waiting at the curb in the freezing wind, we learned we had to walk to the parking area as the road was blocked and the driver couldn't get through to pick us up. So I lugged my suitcase, laptop case, big purse and a plastic shopping bag of dried mangoes down two flights of stairs (the guy I was with had four pieces of big suitcases!) and we were (finally!) on our way.
It was a fancy dinner party (and I was glad I changed out of my sneakers) and I got to sit at the VIP table with the owners (who were sooooo nice!). We were introduced one by one to everybody in the ballroom and you had to stand and wave a little when they called your name. Whee! Just like a famous or important person. :D
We were all given individual gifts and it was while my head was down stuffing the gift in my bag that my seat mate called my attention. When I looked up, everybody was holding their wine glasses up for a toast and waiting for me. Whoops. Again.
Is the day never going to end???
The 14 course dinner mercifully ended, the table rounds toasting everybody finished (you have to avoid clinking your glass against another if you don't want to do a bottoms up every single time). I finally staggered into my room at 10.
I think I want to go home now.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Tweet!
Back home from a lunch date with old friends, I found my daughter still in the midst of her afternoon nap. I curled up next to her and just lay there for a while. Half an hour later, she opened her eyes, saw me beside her, smiled sweetly and said, "Tweet!"
I looked at my husband. "Did she just tweet?"
"Uh huh."
I looked at her again. She stretched. "Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!"
I love her. Bit of a weirdo, but I love her.
Ha! I just proved once again that what I said in my previous post is true. As evidenced by my conversation with the hubby last night.
While reading through a copy of Fortune magazine which featured the richest men in Australia and New Zealand he commented:
"Do you know that the richest man in Australia is only 39 years old?"
"Is he good looking?"
"I don't know."
I rest my case.
I looked at my husband. "Did she just tweet?"
"Uh huh."
I looked at her again. She stretched. "Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!"
I love her. Bit of a weirdo, but I love her.
Ha! I just proved once again that what I said in my previous post is true. As evidenced by my conversation with the hubby last night.
While reading through a copy of Fortune magazine which featured the richest men in Australia and New Zealand he commented:
"Do you know that the richest man in Australia is only 39 years old?"
"Is he good looking?"
"I don't know."
I rest my case.
Friday, February 02, 2007
That Guy Thing
A discussion cropped up on the way home when the hubby's work colleague
hitched a ride. Sometime during the 2 hour traffic, the conversation narrowed down to this question: how come men can never admit that another guy is good looking? What's up with that??!!
Come on. I've proven this with the hubby. Whenever I ask him if a certain
guy is good looking I'll typically get this response, "I don't know. Don't
ask me that." The hubby's colleague adds that unless the guy involved is an
actor like Brad Pitt, I will usually get a noncommittal response.
Now, I don't have a problem acknowledging whether another woman is good
looking. In fact, one time, I gawked at a woman standing in a corner who
had the most amazing pair of legs I've ever seen. I'm like, "OMG! Did you see her legs???!!!" I couldn't resist a last look at her when we passed by in the car, craning my neck to get a last glimpse that the hubby had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention.
I once asked a guy friend about whether he thought a guy who just walked in front of us was cute and I all I got was a "Huh??!!".
So, is it a guy thing?
There's got to be more than an "it's just the way it is".
hitched a ride. Sometime during the 2 hour traffic, the conversation narrowed down to this question: how come men can never admit that another guy is good looking? What's up with that??!!
Come on. I've proven this with the hubby. Whenever I ask him if a certain
guy is good looking I'll typically get this response, "I don't know. Don't
ask me that." The hubby's colleague adds that unless the guy involved is an
actor like Brad Pitt, I will usually get a noncommittal response.
Now, I don't have a problem acknowledging whether another woman is good
looking. In fact, one time, I gawked at a woman standing in a corner who
had the most amazing pair of legs I've ever seen. I'm like, "OMG! Did you see her legs???!!!" I couldn't resist a last look at her when we passed by in the car, craning my neck to get a last glimpse that the hubby had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention.
I once asked a guy friend about whether he thought a guy who just walked in front of us was cute and I all I got was a "Huh??!!".
So, is it a guy thing?
There's got to be more than an "it's just the way it is".
Monday, January 29, 2007
Do You Believe in Fairies?
So asked the diminutive star of Peter Pan, at the beginning of the play we saw yesterday afternoon. It wasn't what I expected but it was infinitely better than the one we saw Friday night. That being said, I still fell asleep somewhere between the part where the Lost Boys were singing and woke up to Captain Hook dancing a jig with his men.
I don't know. I'm not really sure what I was looking for. I distinctly remember feeling the same disappointment after seeing Lea Salonga perform in the much celebrated Miss Saigon during the Manila run. My thought balloon was, "That was it??!!!". I run the risk of being labelled an imbecile for daring to have a negative reaction to what most Filipinos regard as a local triumph but I really didn't like it that much. I attribute this not to the lack of talent (they were all good) but more to the failure of the production to transport me enough to forget the tired storyline and cheesy song lyrics.
I was expecting the magic of Phantom of the Opera in Sydney, where, even though we were seated at the side and where you had to sometimes crane your neck in order to see beyond the huge post, I was transfixed from the moment the auctioneer's gavel hit the block till the very end. And before I am accused of being biased against local productions (or local talent), the Repertory productions of Camelot, Proposals (Neil Simon) and Once on this Island remain to be favorites of mine.
So...Peter Pan...liked the effects, the fairy dust and the bubbles at the end. And I'm sure the children at the theater loved it. But I still prefer the Disney version.
What's your favorite play?
I don't know. I'm not really sure what I was looking for. I distinctly remember feeling the same disappointment after seeing Lea Salonga perform in the much celebrated Miss Saigon during the Manila run. My thought balloon was, "That was it??!!!". I run the risk of being labelled an imbecile for daring to have a negative reaction to what most Filipinos regard as a local triumph but I really didn't like it that much. I attribute this not to the lack of talent (they were all good) but more to the failure of the production to transport me enough to forget the tired storyline and cheesy song lyrics.
I was expecting the magic of Phantom of the Opera in Sydney, where, even though we were seated at the side and where you had to sometimes crane your neck in order to see beyond the huge post, I was transfixed from the moment the auctioneer's gavel hit the block till the very end. And before I am accused of being biased against local productions (or local talent), the Repertory productions of Camelot, Proposals (Neil Simon) and Once on this Island remain to be favorites of mine.
So...Peter Pan...liked the effects, the fairy dust and the bubbles at the end. And I'm sure the children at the theater loved it. But I still prefer the Disney version.
What's your favorite play?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Friday 13: Bits and Pieces
1. I opened my blog today only to find it blank. Frantic, I searched Blogger help to try to find out what was wrong. Turns out there was a problem with my template code and I had to change the template if I wanted my blog back. That's why there's a bit of a change today. But that was freaking scary -- for a while there I thought I lost everything. Must remember to have a backup.
2. Conversation with Joshua last night while we were both in bed:
- Mommy, I really, really, really love you.
- I love you too, Josh.
- Mommy, I love you so much, I promise not to sell you. Ever.
- Uh, ok. Thank you. *mental scratch on head - what the heck was THAT all about???!!!*
3. The other night my husband and I were wondering about this strange paw print that appeared on the blank screen when he put a movie in the dvd player. We were joking around when he suddenly pointed to the closet behind me and exclaimed, "What's that???!!!". I got so scared that I burst into tears (complete with hiccuping sobs). He felt soooooooo guilty! Heh heh
4. Last Wednesday night, we were shocked to hear about an accident on the skyway (an elevated highway). An armored truck belonging to a local bank swerved and fell 50 feet from the skyway to land on three vehicles stuck in traffic underneath. One person died and another one was severely injured. Such a tragedy, imagine just sitting in your car and an armored truck landing on you.
5. Yesterday morning while I was looking for shoes to wear to work in the bathroom, Joshua came in holding a plastic glass with something in it. It was a small snake coming out of a cracked egg. I shrieked . Loudly. Joshua said it was a toy and that my sister gave it to him. I looked at it again and saw wet patches that looked real. I wouldn't believe him and kept telling my husband it wasn't a toy. Then Josh started crying, frightened by me (I guess, um, I was kinda hysterical). My poor husband had no choice but to get the glass from Josh and put it aside until we all calmed down. One of these days I am going to put a feather (from Joshua's chicken -- which the maid will pluck, of course) and put it in my sister's purse.
6. We bought season tickets for Repertory Philippines and are watching the first play tonight. Pretty good line-up this season, all comedies and one of them a musical. This season includes a Filipino adaptation of La Cage aux Folles and Song and Dance by Andrew Lloyd Webber. They are also doing Fiddler on the Roof later in the year and Cinderella in August for their Children's Theater. I can't wait to bring the kids.
7. We're also seeing Peter Pan (the play) this Sunday. I'm just disappointed because they won't let in children who are below 4 years old. That means Faith will have to stay home and I am sad for her because she loves Peter Pan. We thought twice about seeing it if we can't bring Faith but I thought it was unfair to deprive Joshua just because of the age restriction on his sister. But I'm still sad. Darn the CCP's (Cultural Center of the Philippines) stupid rules!
8. I have finally found a (more) effective way of disciplining my precocious daughter. Instead of the usual timeout where she gets parked on the couch or the bed where she proceeds to entertain herself thereby rendering the timeout useless, she has to stand facing a corner. It seemed to work the other night so I am keeping it for the meantime.
9. I want to go to ZARA.
10. Because of Leo's post, I went and spent my whole lunch break the other day at the bookstore. I had a lovely, lovely time. (Thanks for reminding me, Leo!)
11. I still wonder what made Joshua think he can sell me. I mean, seriously, he CAN'T just do that. Right??! You can't sell your mother. Right??!!!
12. It's been two weeks since I organized the bathroom, bedroom and a week since we did the office and play area. And it is still nice and clean and organized. *happy sigh*
13. I. Want. To. Go. To. ZARA. *gulp*
2. Conversation with Joshua last night while we were both in bed:
- Mommy, I really, really, really love you.
- I love you too, Josh.
- Mommy, I love you so much, I promise not to sell you. Ever.
- Uh, ok. Thank you. *mental scratch on head - what the heck was THAT all about???!!!*
3. The other night my husband and I were wondering about this strange paw print that appeared on the blank screen when he put a movie in the dvd player. We were joking around when he suddenly pointed to the closet behind me and exclaimed, "What's that???!!!". I got so scared that I burst into tears (complete with hiccuping sobs). He felt soooooooo guilty! Heh heh
4. Last Wednesday night, we were shocked to hear about an accident on the skyway (an elevated highway). An armored truck belonging to a local bank swerved and fell 50 feet from the skyway to land on three vehicles stuck in traffic underneath. One person died and another one was severely injured. Such a tragedy, imagine just sitting in your car and an armored truck landing on you.
5. Yesterday morning while I was looking for shoes to wear to work in the bathroom, Joshua came in holding a plastic glass with something in it. It was a small snake coming out of a cracked egg. I shrieked . Loudly. Joshua said it was a toy and that my sister gave it to him. I looked at it again and saw wet patches that looked real. I wouldn't believe him and kept telling my husband it wasn't a toy. Then Josh started crying, frightened by me (I guess, um, I was kinda hysterical). My poor husband had no choice but to get the glass from Josh and put it aside until we all calmed down. One of these days I am going to put a feather (from Joshua's chicken -- which the maid will pluck, of course) and put it in my sister's purse.
6. We bought season tickets for Repertory Philippines and are watching the first play tonight. Pretty good line-up this season, all comedies and one of them a musical. This season includes a Filipino adaptation of La Cage aux Folles and Song and Dance by Andrew Lloyd Webber. They are also doing Fiddler on the Roof later in the year and Cinderella in August for their Children's Theater. I can't wait to bring the kids.
7. We're also seeing Peter Pan (the play) this Sunday. I'm just disappointed because they won't let in children who are below 4 years old. That means Faith will have to stay home and I am sad for her because she loves Peter Pan. We thought twice about seeing it if we can't bring Faith but I thought it was unfair to deprive Joshua just because of the age restriction on his sister. But I'm still sad. Darn the CCP's (Cultural Center of the Philippines) stupid rules!
8. I have finally found a (more) effective way of disciplining my precocious daughter. Instead of the usual timeout where she gets parked on the couch or the bed where she proceeds to entertain herself thereby rendering the timeout useless, she has to stand facing a corner. It seemed to work the other night so I am keeping it for the meantime.9. I want to go to ZARA.
10. Because of Leo's post, I went and spent my whole lunch break the other day at the bookstore. I had a lovely, lovely time. (Thanks for reminding me, Leo!)
11. I still wonder what made Joshua think he can sell me. I mean, seriously, he CAN'T just do that. Right??! You can't sell your mother. Right??!!!
12. It's been two weeks since I organized the bathroom, bedroom and a week since we did the office and play area. And it is still nice and clean and organized. *happy sigh*
13. I. Want. To. Go. To. ZARA. *gulp*
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
A quickie!
Just a quick one on last night's work affair I attended which was a lot of fun!Highlights: False eyelashes...(for the first time! felt weird but the effect was fab!)...Great food...good band (Side A)...dancing to Earth, Wind and Fire...and an early night! (was home by 10) That's me with my gorgeous boss.
You know you're getting older when an early night is a highlight...unless you're a tired mom. I'm both.
Still, felt a little bit like Cinderella at a ball. Now, back to pumpkins and instant coffee.
Monday, January 22, 2007
What Keeps Me Sane
Moderately severe (does this even make sense??) back pain from Saturday's cleaning and organizing frenzy. Moderate as in I don't have to go to the hospital or spend the day in bed (like I desperately wanted to) but severe enough that I can't even get into a car without wincing in pain.
No pain relievers in the house. I searched. Desperately.
Children (yes, mine) in the midst of a sugar high screaming at the top of their lungs at the supermarket. I guess I have to be thankful that they are screams of joy and not temper tantrums. For some strange reason, they were so delighted at each other they kept screaming if they catch sight of the other -- which was every freaking 30 seconds since Joshua was just in the cart behind me. More...screaming...at...the....top...of...their...lungs.....
Running around like a headless chicken because forgot to bring list to store.
Five rounds of "Mommy can I have this lollipop?" "No, you can't cause you haven't had dinner." at the checkout counter.
So I did what any self respecting woman at the end of her patience would do.
I calmly told my husband to get the car and bring the kids with him.
Then I grabbed a Hershey bar (milk chocolate, no nuts), asked the lady to punch it in and ATE it. Fast.
It was good enough to keep my sanity intact on the way home while the kids screamed...some...more.
So how do you keep sane?
No pain relievers in the house. I searched. Desperately.
Children (yes, mine) in the midst of a sugar high screaming at the top of their lungs at the supermarket. I guess I have to be thankful that they are screams of joy and not temper tantrums. For some strange reason, they were so delighted at each other they kept screaming if they catch sight of the other -- which was every freaking 30 seconds since Joshua was just in the cart behind me. More...screaming...at...the....top...of...their...lungs.....Running around like a headless chicken because forgot to bring list to store.
Five rounds of "Mommy can I have this lollipop?" "No, you can't cause you haven't had dinner." at the checkout counter.
So I did what any self respecting woman at the end of her patience would do.
I calmly told my husband to get the car and bring the kids with him.
Then I grabbed a Hershey bar (milk chocolate, no nuts), asked the lady to punch it in and ATE it. Fast.
It was good enough to keep my sanity intact on the way home while the kids screamed...some...more.
So how do you keep sane?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Can't sleep
It is exactly 12:59am and I am wide awake. Seriously, I'm not even feeling a bit sleepy. It's really weird, considering the way I spent the day today.
I literally got buried in toys. I was so horrified at the magnitude of the task I set out to do that for a few minutes after dumping the contents of one toy chest on my lap, I was just staring open mouthed at the mess. Can you imagine one toy chest full of little things???!!!! Things like broken crayons, small lego pieces, blocks, puzzle pieces, broken arms/legs of power rangers and barbies, and everything else you can imagine. I wanted to cry...no, I wanted to rush inside my peaceful and mess-free bedroom, curl up on the bed and forget that there was a mess waiting for me just outside the bedroom. It looked like this:
See what I mean? It took me the whole day to clean it all up and sort the toys into the plastic containers I bought. I had to get a toy and search for all the missing pieces from the huge pile on the floor. Over and over and over again. Now all the dinosaurs are together, baby stuff put in a box, and the rest of the things I couldn't figure out were relegated to the rubbish heap. When I finally finished at around 6 pm, I ended up with this:
You can see it was already dark when I quit. Then I went downstairs where my sister and my husband were in charge of cleaning out the small office. It was like one of those circus acts where they show all these people coming out of one really small car. I have no idea how all of the stuff I saw ever fit into one tiny room. No pics, though. I was too busy upstairs to take pictures. The office was done by 9:30. By that time, I knew I needed a shower. I was afraid the kids would sneeze when they came near me. I wore a sterile gauze mask the whole day that I had marks on my face when I took them off.
Tomorrow I will not do a thing in the house. I am spending the day with the kids, first at the mall while waiting for their dad to come back from a party. Then to a birthday party at 3pm.
I am still not sleepy. So I thought I'd show you my new shoes.
Aren't they pretty??!! Now I think I'll go read for a bit before turning in.
I literally got buried in toys. I was so horrified at the magnitude of the task I set out to do that for a few minutes after dumping the contents of one toy chest on my lap, I was just staring open mouthed at the mess. Can you imagine one toy chest full of little things???!!!! Things like broken crayons, small lego pieces, blocks, puzzle pieces, broken arms/legs of power rangers and barbies, and everything else you can imagine. I wanted to cry...no, I wanted to rush inside my peaceful and mess-free bedroom, curl up on the bed and forget that there was a mess waiting for me just outside the bedroom. It looked like this:
See what I mean? It took me the whole day to clean it all up and sort the toys into the plastic containers I bought. I had to get a toy and search for all the missing pieces from the huge pile on the floor. Over and over and over again. Now all the dinosaurs are together, baby stuff put in a box, and the rest of the things I couldn't figure out were relegated to the rubbish heap. When I finally finished at around 6 pm, I ended up with this:
You can see it was already dark when I quit. Then I went downstairs where my sister and my husband were in charge of cleaning out the small office. It was like one of those circus acts where they show all these people coming out of one really small car. I have no idea how all of the stuff I saw ever fit into one tiny room. No pics, though. I was too busy upstairs to take pictures. The office was done by 9:30. By that time, I knew I needed a shower. I was afraid the kids would sneeze when they came near me. I wore a sterile gauze mask the whole day that I had marks on my face when I took them off.
Tomorrow I will not do a thing in the house. I am spending the day with the kids, first at the mall while waiting for their dad to come back from a party. Then to a birthday party at 3pm.
I am still not sleepy. So I thought I'd show you my new shoes.
Aren't they pretty??!! Now I think I'll go read for a bit before turning in.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
The one where I can't think of a Title
The kids are off with my parents again on a short out of town trip. They'll be back later today but of course my usual reaction of gut wrenching fear is kicking up again and I have been terribly distracted today. I've called my dad twice already asking where they were and what the kids were doing. After half an hour, I called my mom just to know whether they were on their way home already. Turns out they stopped at our house in Tagaytay for a couple of minutes to get some stuff they needed back at the house. Then I find out my dad bought a chicken -- a real, live chicken. I know it's bad to transfer my phobia to the kids. But visions of the chicken walking around the yard (or worse, inside the house) is making me hyperventilate. I
am thinking bad thoughts...really bad thoughts...bad like in evil thoughts...that chicken better be careful.
Someone gave Joshua a pair of shoes with roller skates attached to them. I hate them. I think it is unsafe for children to wear. I see parents with their kids wearing these in the mall and on the streets and I am always thinking of the potential accidents that can happen. I am being too overprotective, aren't I?
Probably to make up for last year's laziness, I am burning up with I-must-organize-the-house frenzy. I just bought bright colored plastic canisters to store items under the bathroom sink and a stainless steel caddy to organize all the stuff we use on the bathroom counter. Last night I bought mobile plastic baskets (the kind that stack up) to use for the kids' toys. I can't wait for Saturday!
Then I bought a beautiful pair of high heeled sandals with silver straps and embroidered wedge heels to go with my pale lavender gown which I will wear to next week's big company event (must remember not to eat carbs this weekend). This has no connection at all to organizing the house but I really, really love those shoes. Been going back to the shop every now and then just to look at it, thinking I will never be able to justify buying it as it is (a) expensive and (b) I had no occasion to wear it to. I bought it today because (a) it was on sale (45%off! yesss!!) and (b) I have no shoes that go well with my pale lavender gown.
I love my shoes.
P.S. American Idol is hilarious!
am thinking bad thoughts...really bad thoughts...bad like in evil thoughts...that chicken better be careful.
Someone gave Joshua a pair of shoes with roller skates attached to them. I hate them. I think it is unsafe for children to wear. I see parents with their kids wearing these in the mall and on the streets and I am always thinking of the potential accidents that can happen. I am being too overprotective, aren't I?
Probably to make up for last year's laziness, I am burning up with I-must-organize-the-house frenzy. I just bought bright colored plastic canisters to store items under the bathroom sink and a stainless steel caddy to organize all the stuff we use on the bathroom counter. Last night I bought mobile plastic baskets (the kind that stack up) to use for the kids' toys. I can't wait for Saturday!
Then I bought a beautiful pair of high heeled sandals with silver straps and embroidered wedge heels to go with my pale lavender gown which I will wear to next week's big company event (must remember not to eat carbs this weekend). This has no connection at all to organizing the house but I really, really love those shoes. Been going back to the shop every now and then just to look at it, thinking I will never be able to justify buying it as it is (a) expensive and (b) I had no occasion to wear it to. I bought it today because (a) it was on sale (45%off! yesss!!) and (b) I have no shoes that go well with my pale lavender gown.
I love my shoes.
P.S. American Idol is hilarious!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sugar and Spice and everything nice...???
Meet the little girl who shattered all my (stupid) assumptions that little girls are sweet and quiet little babies who are (mostly) obedient and good natured. DUH! I should've known better. She's feisty...she's girly...strong-willed...AND good-natured (boys beware!).
Here are snippets from Faith's Sunday night routine:
ACT ONE
Finally gave her a time out for refusing to lie down on the bed and bothering her brother who was trying to sleep. I lifted her and placed her on top of the big bed. "Ok, tell mommy if you're ready to sleep and lie down," I said. She sat quietly on the bed, watching me, Joshua and her dad from her perch. The soft lamp we kept on at night was at her back so we couldn't see her face. She looked around for a bit, then put her finger inside her nose, and suddenly flings whatever she got there into the bed. After the initial shock that she just threw her booger at us, Jun and I burst into laughter.
ACT TWO (delivered straight with no pauses except for my questions)
"Twinkle, twinkle little banana!
Twinkle, twinkle little banana
Twinkle, twinkle little banana
Twinkle, twinkle little banana
Twinkle, twinkle little banana
Twinkle, twinkle little banana
Twinkle, twinkle little banana (don't really know how many but you get the drift)
Happy boightday to you!
Happy boightday to you!
Happy boightday! Happy boightday!
Happy boightday to you!
Happy boightday to you,
You belong to the thwoo
You yook yike the monkey
and you smell yike one too!
Mommy I want to be a princess!
Mama (grandma) hurt my feelings." (Mama hurt your feelings?)
"No! it was ninang (godmother)!" (Ninang?)
"yes. No! It was Tita (auntie)!"
"Mommy kiss my baby toes!" (after kissing her toes, "Faith, you need to go to sleep")
"No! I don't want to syeep!" (Why?)
"Because," leaning in to whisper in my ear, "I don't want to."
Monday, January 15, 2007
Work in Progress
I managed to do what I set out to do last weekend and that was clean up the room and organize the second floor bookcase. This is part of my ongoing effort to fulfill the 10 things I needed to get better at (sorry Ces!). So, for the past two weeks I have not bought a thing for myself from the shops, and I have already cleaned up our bathroom (and it's still tidy! Yay!).
We share a bedroom with my two kids, so it is almost always filled to the brim with whatever toys the kids play with. Add to that two adults with the predilection to buy lots of books and magazines which are piled everywhere there is a free surface and you get the picture of the state of our bedroom. Unfortunately, in my eagerness to get right down to it in case I get cold feet and decide to just go watch a movie (we haven't seen Eragon yet), I didn't pause to take pictures.
So by 10am on Saturday morning, I instructed the maid to take out all the toys from the room and place them in the play area in the second floor. After that, we dusted and swept and mopped and moved furniture (or rather, my husband moved the furniture). Once I was satisfied with the arrangement, we tackled the tv stand next. It was a jumble of VCDs and DVDs which were not in their proper cases and lying around on top of the tv and dvd player thanks to the kids and their nanny, tons of children's books that were haphazardly stacked and were spilling out the back.
We called it a night at 9pm so we could get the kids ready for bed. The next day was spent organizing the books and drawers and then fixing the second floor bookcase. This is what we ended up with:
The shelves right next to the closet used to overflow with books, magazines, papers and two Santa hats. The floor was where we used to keep our supply of diapers and a huge Toys r us plastic bag filled with Joshua's power rangers. The tv used to stand where the couch is (have to remember to have it re-upholstered -- someone went gaga with a marker) and I've repositioned the green rocker (I spent countless hours nursing Joshua with my feet up on this rocker!) where we can actually use it again instead of being used as a repository of freshly ironed laundry. And that's Faith's yellow duckie plush chair which was our Christmas present last year.
The other half of the room where the bed used to be. Joshua's chest of drawers used to be at the opposite end and on top of it rested his dinosaur collection. And on top of his dinosaur collection were bits and pieces of toys, Faith's barbie dolls, a doll house and some dvds. Then that's Joshua's froggie chair, a partner to Faith's yellow duck.
The tv stand, for lack of a better term. Took us a long time to sort through all the vcds and dvds and try to put them all in their cases. I never realized how many Sesame Street vcds we had. Have to watch all of them again (I grew up on Sesame street!). I've also fixed the books -- wonder how long it'll take before it gets "re-arranged"?
Ah, the bookcase. I removed all the books I didn't want and put them aside for donations or a future garage sale. The books on the floor are my sister's medical books, Jun's finance books and other reference books which are intended for the office bookshelves on the first floor. This will be a project that needs to be scheduled for when my sister is home (and not lightheaded from night duty) since she also has a lot of stuff stored in that tiny place. And because I do not want a fight when I inadvertently throw away something she still needs.
Above is next weekend's cleaning project. Tons of toys to sort through, put away (all the baby stuff), throw out (the ones with missing bits and pieces) and give away. I fell in love with a toy organizer I saw at the mall last night. It's a bit expensive so I will have to look around for a cheaper alternative. Below is the rest of the second floor which I will re-arrange once all the sorting out and cleaning is done.
I had such a sense of satisfaction and well-being after this weekend. All the mess was beginning to get to me. I can't say I enjoyed it but it was worth it. However, I did enjoy pawing through my bedside table drawer where I found treasure: letters from my mom and sister given to me after my wedding day *gulp*, a pearl necklace, cards from my hubby during the early days, checks that were used to pay for our wedding suppliers, and our boarding passes from our honeymoon in Thailand. I'd forgotten that's where I put them. Oh! And I found an illustrated Kama Sutra and another illustrated guide to sex book that were gifts from my bridal shower! I guess I hid it so well even I forgot all about it!
One last bit, it is the the 10th anniversary of our blind date and we are going out tonight. My sweetie of a husband still has the restaurant receipt from our first date. :D
We share a bedroom with my two kids, so it is almost always filled to the brim with whatever toys the kids play with. Add to that two adults with the predilection to buy lots of books and magazines which are piled everywhere there is a free surface and you get the picture of the state of our bedroom. Unfortunately, in my eagerness to get right down to it in case I get cold feet and decide to just go watch a movie (we haven't seen Eragon yet), I didn't pause to take pictures.
So by 10am on Saturday morning, I instructed the maid to take out all the toys from the room and place them in the play area in the second floor. After that, we dusted and swept and mopped and moved furniture (or rather, my husband moved the furniture). Once I was satisfied with the arrangement, we tackled the tv stand next. It was a jumble of VCDs and DVDs which were not in their proper cases and lying around on top of the tv and dvd player thanks to the kids and their nanny, tons of children's books that were haphazardly stacked and were spilling out the back.
We called it a night at 9pm so we could get the kids ready for bed. The next day was spent organizing the books and drawers and then fixing the second floor bookcase. This is what we ended up with:
The shelves right next to the closet used to overflow with books, magazines, papers and two Santa hats. The floor was where we used to keep our supply of diapers and a huge Toys r us plastic bag filled with Joshua's power rangers. The tv used to stand where the couch is (have to remember to have it re-upholstered -- someone went gaga with a marker) and I've repositioned the green rocker (I spent countless hours nursing Joshua with my feet up on this rocker!) where we can actually use it again instead of being used as a repository of freshly ironed laundry. And that's Faith's yellow duckie plush chair which was our Christmas present last year.
The other half of the room where the bed used to be. Joshua's chest of drawers used to be at the opposite end and on top of it rested his dinosaur collection. And on top of his dinosaur collection were bits and pieces of toys, Faith's barbie dolls, a doll house and some dvds. Then that's Joshua's froggie chair, a partner to Faith's yellow duck.
The tv stand, for lack of a better term. Took us a long time to sort through all the vcds and dvds and try to put them all in their cases. I never realized how many Sesame Street vcds we had. Have to watch all of them again (I grew up on Sesame street!). I've also fixed the books -- wonder how long it'll take before it gets "re-arranged"?
Ah, the bookcase. I removed all the books I didn't want and put them aside for donations or a future garage sale. The books on the floor are my sister's medical books, Jun's finance books and other reference books which are intended for the office bookshelves on the first floor. This will be a project that needs to be scheduled for when my sister is home (and not lightheaded from night duty) since she also has a lot of stuff stored in that tiny place. And because I do not want a fight when I inadvertently throw away something she still needs.
Above is next weekend's cleaning project. Tons of toys to sort through, put away (all the baby stuff), throw out (the ones with missing bits and pieces) and give away. I fell in love with a toy organizer I saw at the mall last night. It's a bit expensive so I will have to look around for a cheaper alternative. Below is the rest of the second floor which I will re-arrange once all the sorting out and cleaning is done.
I had such a sense of satisfaction and well-being after this weekend. All the mess was beginning to get to me. I can't say I enjoyed it but it was worth it. However, I did enjoy pawing through my bedside table drawer where I found treasure: letters from my mom and sister given to me after my wedding day *gulp*, a pearl necklace, cards from my hubby during the early days, checks that were used to pay for our wedding suppliers, and our boarding passes from our honeymoon in Thailand. I'd forgotten that's where I put them. Oh! And I found an illustrated Kama Sutra and another illustrated guide to sex book that were gifts from my bridal shower! I guess I hid it so well even I forgot all about it!
One last bit, it is the the 10th anniversary of our blind date and we are going out tonight. My sweetie of a husband still has the restaurant receipt from our first date. :D
Friday, January 12, 2007
Sleep? What's that?
A gentle nudge on my leg from my hubby wakes me up. Time to get up, shower, and get ready for work. I get up slowly, carefully untangling myself from the small arms and legs that are draped on me. Blearily, I collect my towel and trudge off to the downstairs bathroom (where the heater is). As I take my clothes off and turn on the shower, I hear a loud thud from upstairs followed by running feet and then a loud combination of wailing and sobbing from the stairwell, "mooooommmmeeeee!!!!!". I sigh. It is 5:55am and Joshua, on cue, is already awake and screaming for me. This is how my weekday starts.
There are variations. Sometimes, he goes straight to the bathroom, clutching at my waist and sobbing uncontrollably, "mommy, *unhunh* *unhunh* please, I want you to stay with me *unhunh* *unhunh*. I don't want you to leave, please sleep with me pa." Sometimes I make it back to the upstairs bathroom where I dress before we do the please-don't-leave-me routine. Sometimes I open the bathroom door to find him sitting quietly in a chair, waiting for me. The routine doesn't last long though, after about 5 minutes, he calms down and starts playing or chattering to me, as if nothing happened. Lately, it struck me --- Joshua seems so grown up already, very independent and not wanting to be babied. But in those moments between sleeping and waking up, when he cries out for me, then I get my baby back. It only lasts five minutes and believe me, in the middle of it, I am wishing that he is still asleep. But a teeny, tiny part of me realizes that this will not happen for much longer. And I think I will miss it.
Faith, thankfully, usually remains blissfully asleep the whole time. This
one has a night time routine as opposed to Joshua's early morning one which usually involves talking non-stop even if everybody else is asleep (or almost asleep), trying out different positions (on top of me, head on my stomach, feet propped on the couch, etc.), and eventually prying my eyelids open insisting that I wake up and look at her while she falls asleep. Sometimes, she gets up on my back or she makes me sit up cross-legged on the bed while she puts her head on my lap until she falls asleep. Only then can I carefully move her to the pillow and fall exhausted into bed, only to be woken up at 3 or 4 am by an insistent Faith, wanting to sleep on my lap again.
It's weird to be a mother. I am always torn between complaining about the lack of sleep/lack of privacy/etc and regret that when they grow up, they will not need me as much. Torn between being happy that they are getting independent and feeling a twinge of sadness at yet another sign that they are leaving their babyhood behind.
I wonder how it feels to them, to sleep beside me. They both take possession of my hands, each of them running my fingers all over their face until they fall asleep. They refuse to sleep with their grandparents when they know I am home. I think it's because I am their parent but they do not act that way with their dad. It's only with me.
So I wondered. Then I remembered how it felt like to sleep with my mom. I used to be afraid of the dark because of all the scary stories of local lore that our maids and grandparents fed to us when we were kids. But I remember thinking one time when my mom gave me permission to sleep beside her, "Ah, now I can think and remember all the scary stories that I like! I won't be scared." And I wasn't. And I always think of where my mother was sleeping as a place where it was always clean and the pillows smelled nice (always nicer than mine).
Now I know.
There are variations. Sometimes, he goes straight to the bathroom, clutching at my waist and sobbing uncontrollably, "mommy, *unhunh* *unhunh* please, I want you to stay with me *unhunh* *unhunh*. I don't want you to leave, please sleep with me pa." Sometimes I make it back to the upstairs bathroom where I dress before we do the please-don't-leave-me routine. Sometimes I open the bathroom door to find him sitting quietly in a chair, waiting for me. The routine doesn't last long though, after about 5 minutes, he calms down and starts playing or chattering to me, as if nothing happened. Lately, it struck me --- Joshua seems so grown up already, very independent and not wanting to be babied. But in those moments between sleeping and waking up, when he cries out for me, then I get my baby back. It only lasts five minutes and believe me, in the middle of it, I am wishing that he is still asleep. But a teeny, tiny part of me realizes that this will not happen for much longer. And I think I will miss it.Faith, thankfully, usually remains blissfully asleep the whole time. This
one has a night time routine as opposed to Joshua's early morning one which usually involves talking non-stop even if everybody else is asleep (or almost asleep), trying out different positions (on top of me, head on my stomach, feet propped on the couch, etc.), and eventually prying my eyelids open insisting that I wake up and look at her while she falls asleep. Sometimes, she gets up on my back or she makes me sit up cross-legged on the bed while she puts her head on my lap until she falls asleep. Only then can I carefully move her to the pillow and fall exhausted into bed, only to be woken up at 3 or 4 am by an insistent Faith, wanting to sleep on my lap again.It's weird to be a mother. I am always torn between complaining about the lack of sleep/lack of privacy/etc and regret that when they grow up, they will not need me as much. Torn between being happy that they are getting independent and feeling a twinge of sadness at yet another sign that they are leaving their babyhood behind.
I wonder how it feels to them, to sleep beside me. They both take possession of my hands, each of them running my fingers all over their face until they fall asleep. They refuse to sleep with their grandparents when they know I am home. I think it's because I am their parent but they do not act that way with their dad. It's only with me.
So I wondered. Then I remembered how it felt like to sleep with my mom. I used to be afraid of the dark because of all the scary stories of local lore that our maids and grandparents fed to us when we were kids. But I remember thinking one time when my mom gave me permission to sleep beside her, "Ah, now I can think and remember all the scary stories that I like! I won't be scared." And I wasn't. And I always think of where my mother was sleeping as a place where it was always clean and the pillows smelled nice (always nicer than mine).
Now I know.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
All in a day's work
I enjoyed seeing Caroline's, Leo's and Marie's super neat workplaces so I thought of showing mine. I realize it's cheating a bit because it's not the one I have at home. But really, I don't work there. At home, I usually just park myself somewhere the kids won't try to punch letters on the laptop while I'm writing: on the bed, on the couch, the dining table, or sometimes, I lock myself in the bathroom. So the above is my real workplace.
Over on the right is my little zen fountain. It was a present from my youngest sister two years ago. The sound of the flowing water soothes me. Near it is where I keep my three cellphones. Yes, I have three (one for work, one personal and the other one, well, it's a long story). That's why I need someplace to put them all in, otherwise I will lose one or two. And my post it notes which I love.
You can see it's pretty neat which is how I like to keep it. And this will puzzle you if you see the one at home. Because it is so far from this. I cannot think properly if I am surrounded by clutter. That's why I stay away from the desk at home.
This is the other half of my desk. There's nothing much on this part except for three pictures I keep in a cool plexiglass frame, the Beauty and the Beast coffee mug souvenir I bought for Jun after seeing the play in Sydney (which he stopped using) and a Starbucks water mug which was a Christmas present two years ago from a former office colleague.
This coming weekend is going to be clean up day at home so wish me luck. I'll post some before and after pics...maybe.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
My 10 things
Why is it possible to have so many things swimming in your head that you want to write about and then when confronted with blank space you don't know where to start???!!!!
There are lots of things going on at Blogworld Road. I really enjoyed doing the How evil are you quiz I found over at Marie's. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was only 36% evil. And now I'm surprised that I'm surprised (does that even make sense?). Because it means I think I am more evil than I really am, at least, according to that quiz. But maybe it's more of a funny bitchy evil than an evil evil kind, you know what I mean?
Anyway, then I went over and did the Muppet quiz from Caroline. And I'm Kermit the frog. And since there can absolutely be no stench of evil whatsoever in Kermit and he is so sweet and gentle, what does that say about my thinking I'm more evil than what the quiz says? That I'm totally clueless? Or that I really need to do something more constructive on my lunch break so I can stop thinking about connections between Muppet personalities and Evil quizzes.
And that's why I will now just write about the ten things I need to improve this year (not quite the verbage that Ces used but close enough).
1. Stay away from ZARA.
2. Stop eating junk food.
3. Give away junk food sitting on top of desk.
4. Keep repeating the phrase, "Clothes are inanimate objects and do not say, BUY ME!"
5. Ditto on shoes.
6. Stop talking about wanting to organize the house and start doing it.
7. STAY AWAY FROM ZARA
8. Eat to live and not live to eat.
9. Save more.
10. STAY AWAY FROM ZARA
There, that's much better.
Oh, did I mention that we went to the zoo last weekend? It was just the local zoo in Manila -- there are other zoos we can go to that are nicer and with more things to see but we wanted a quick outing and weren't feeling up to a long drive and day trip. The kids loved it and, I must admit, I felt like a kid again despite the rundown condition and the obvious lack of animals. It's really true what they say when you see things through children's eyes. It was Faith's first time and I thought it was funny when I asked her what her favorite animal was and she said, "the sheep." I freaked out when we passed by the kiddie zoo and saw a little girl get hoisted on the back of an ostrich. Ewwwwww! *shudder* Yuck!!!! Gross!!!!!
There are lots of things going on at Blogworld Road. I really enjoyed doing the How evil are you quiz I found over at Marie's. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was only 36% evil. And now I'm surprised that I'm surprised (does that even make sense?). Because it means I think I am more evil than I really am, at least, according to that quiz. But maybe it's more of a funny bitchy evil than an evil evil kind, you know what I mean?
Anyway, then I went over and did the Muppet quiz from Caroline. And I'm Kermit the frog. And since there can absolutely be no stench of evil whatsoever in Kermit and he is so sweet and gentle, what does that say about my thinking I'm more evil than what the quiz says? That I'm totally clueless? Or that I really need to do something more constructive on my lunch break so I can stop thinking about connections between Muppet personalities and Evil quizzes.
And that's why I will now just write about the ten things I need to improve this year (not quite the verbage that Ces used but close enough).
1. Stay away from ZARA.
2. Stop eating junk food.
3. Give away junk food sitting on top of desk.
4. Keep repeating the phrase, "Clothes are inanimate objects and do not say, BUY ME!"
5. Ditto on shoes.
6. Stop talking about wanting to organize the house and start doing it.
7. STAY AWAY FROM ZARA
8. Eat to live and not live to eat.
9. Save more.
10. STAY AWAY FROM ZARA
There, that's much better.
Oh, did I mention that we went to the zoo last weekend? It was just the local zoo in Manila -- there are other zoos we can go to that are nicer and with more things to see but we wanted a quick outing and weren't feeling up to a long drive and day trip. The kids loved it and, I must admit, I felt like a kid again despite the rundown condition and the obvious lack of animals. It's really true what they say when you see things through children's eyes. It was Faith's first time and I thought it was funny when I asked her what her favorite animal was and she said, "the sheep." I freaked out when we passed by the kiddie zoo and saw a little girl get hoisted on the back of an ostrich. Ewwwwww! *shudder* Yuck!!!! Gross!!!!!
Friday, January 05, 2007
The Alphabet Tag
My first tag of the year from Leo!
A is for age: 35. I'm going out on a limb here. I realize I just announced my age to the world.
B is for beer of choice: Ugh! Can't stand the taste. I go for Bailey's or tequila
C is for career: HR practitioner and mom. Frustrated supermodel.
D is for favorite Drink: It's a toss-up between coffee and diet Pepsi
E is for Essential item you use everyday: moisturizer and lipstick
F is for Favorite song at the moment: Spirit by Chicane
G is for favorite Game: Poker, Taboo and Scrabble (but only when I'm beating the hubby)
I is for Instruments played: Used to play the piano but wasn't very good at it and hated practicing
J is for favorite Juice: Orange, no pulp
K is for Kids: A 4 1/2 year old son and 2 1/2 year old daughter
L is for last kiss: My husband, before dropping him off this morning
M is for marriage: 6 years and 2 months
N is for full Name: Maria Felisa Craig Jackman Routh Villaluz
O is for Overnight hospital stays: Twice when I gave birth. Hated it both times -- only the lifestyle channel kept me sane.
P is for phobias: Birds or Chickens
Q is for quote: "I admit it's tempting to wish for the perfect boss, the perfect parent, or the perfect outfit. But maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we've been dealt, and accessorize what we've got." Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
R is for biggest Regret: Not wearing a bikini when I was younger and much much thinner.
S is for sports: Tennis and I think I'm going to love watching the World Cup next time it happens
T is for Time you wake up: Quarter to 6 on workdays and depends on how long the kids leave me alone on weekends
U is for color underwear: Usually neutrals with the occasional pink stripes
V is for Vegetable you love: Ugh!
W is for Worst Habit: reading the ending of a book first and wanting to know how a movie ended even before I've watched it -- I like torturing people about movie endings
X is for X-rays you’ve had: Every time I get my annual physical exam and once when I got pneumonia while I was in grad school
Y is for Yummy food you make: crabstick and mango salad and a spicy sinigang (pork broth)
Z is for zodiac sign: Virgo
A is for age: 35. I'm going out on a limb here. I realize I just announced my age to the world.
B is for beer of choice: Ugh! Can't stand the taste. I go for Bailey's or tequila
C is for career: HR practitioner and mom. Frustrated supermodel.
D is for favorite Drink: It's a toss-up between coffee and diet Pepsi
E is for Essential item you use everyday: moisturizer and lipstick
F is for Favorite song at the moment: Spirit by Chicane
G is for favorite Game: Poker, Taboo and Scrabble (but only when I'm beating the hubby)
I is for Instruments played: Used to play the piano but wasn't very good at it and hated practicing
J is for favorite Juice: Orange, no pulp
K is for Kids: A 4 1/2 year old son and 2 1/2 year old daughter
L is for last kiss: My husband, before dropping him off this morning
M is for marriage: 6 years and 2 months
N is for full Name: Maria Felisa Craig Jackman Routh Villaluz
O is for Overnight hospital stays: Twice when I gave birth. Hated it both times -- only the lifestyle channel kept me sane.
P is for phobias: Birds or Chickens
Q is for quote: "I admit it's tempting to wish for the perfect boss, the perfect parent, or the perfect outfit. But maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we've been dealt, and accessorize what we've got." Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
R is for biggest Regret: Not wearing a bikini when I was younger and much much thinner.
S is for sports: Tennis and I think I'm going to love watching the World Cup next time it happens
T is for Time you wake up: Quarter to 6 on workdays and depends on how long the kids leave me alone on weekends
U is for color underwear: Usually neutrals with the occasional pink stripes
V is for Vegetable you love: Ugh!
W is for Worst Habit: reading the ending of a book first and wanting to know how a movie ended even before I've watched it -- I like torturing people about movie endings
X is for X-rays you’ve had: Every time I get my annual physical exam and once when I got pneumonia while I was in grad school
Y is for Yummy food you make: crabstick and mango salad and a spicy sinigang (pork broth)
Z is for zodiac sign: Virgo
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Holiday Moments
I don't have pictures to share at the moment because the camera chose this auspicious time to conk out. I'm at that in between place I go to after long holidays, torn between feeling sad that Christmas is over and relieved that I can finally stop and do nothing if I choose to. There are presents to put away, toys that still need to be sorted to make room for the humongous amount of new ones and I still haven't done the cleaning I needed to do. Oh joy.
However, I did enjoy the holidays. It was hectic, it was noisy, there was hardly enough quiet time (unless I count trips to the bathroom), and not nearly enough sleep (my skin is a testament to this). But, oh it was fun. It's impossible to cram a whole two weeks worth but here are the moments I remember:
...we had a japanese sushi buffet and steak for dinner at my aunt's house before trooping to church for midnight mass. It was a beautiful night for the short walk to church and back. Then presents galore and Noche Buena (midnight feast). We finally went home at 2am, the kids were wide awake after the short nap on the trip home and we opened their stocking gifts. A totally unexpected gift from the hubby *smile*
... the kids' delight at opening more presents on Christmas morning. A late night scary movie (which had us laughing our socks off) and burgers at midnight to cap off Christmas day.
... out of town house party of around 30 relatives, a hilarious and competitive game of Taboo, first time I played bowling, fresh roasted lechon, and staying up late scaring each other with ghost stories.
... poker game after dinner on New Year's Eve (no money, just chips), tequila shots and dancing at midnight, some quiet conversation with my sisters while waiting for the cousins to arrive for a sleepover
...Quiet beach on New Year's Day, floating on my back while looking up at the sky and hearing the wind while the kids played in the surf
I'm still a bit lethargic from the lack of sleep and the post holiday lull. But things are slowly getting back to normal...unfortunately.
However, I did enjoy the holidays. It was hectic, it was noisy, there was hardly enough quiet time (unless I count trips to the bathroom), and not nearly enough sleep (my skin is a testament to this). But, oh it was fun. It's impossible to cram a whole two weeks worth but here are the moments I remember:
...we had a japanese sushi buffet and steak for dinner at my aunt's house before trooping to church for midnight mass. It was a beautiful night for the short walk to church and back. Then presents galore and Noche Buena (midnight feast). We finally went home at 2am, the kids were wide awake after the short nap on the trip home and we opened their stocking gifts. A totally unexpected gift from the hubby *smile*
... the kids' delight at opening more presents on Christmas morning. A late night scary movie (which had us laughing our socks off) and burgers at midnight to cap off Christmas day.
... out of town house party of around 30 relatives, a hilarious and competitive game of Taboo, first time I played bowling, fresh roasted lechon, and staying up late scaring each other with ghost stories.
... poker game after dinner on New Year's Eve (no money, just chips), tequila shots and dancing at midnight, some quiet conversation with my sisters while waiting for the cousins to arrive for a sleepover
...Quiet beach on New Year's Day, floating on my back while looking up at the sky and hearing the wind while the kids played in the surf
I'm still a bit lethargic from the lack of sleep and the post holiday lull. But things are slowly getting back to normal...unfortunately.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Merry Christmas!!!!
Pre-Christmas checklist:
1. Wrap remaining gifts and place in bags organized by family. CHECK
2. Trip to grocery store and deli for Christmas Eve food. CHECK
3. Quick trip to the mall for five more gifts. CHECK
4. Lovely black crocheted bolero type sweater for self that screamed "Buy ME! CHECK.
5. Phone call to cousins to confirm that since they are unavailable to go to the mall today and tomorrow morning, it is perfectly ok for them to receive a post Christmas gift. CHECK.
Just another night and it's Christmas Eve. The presents have been wrapped and tagged and bagged. Apart from some mild sniffles from Joshua, it looks like we are through with the bug this Christmas (fingers crossed!).
I was expecting today to be a very stressful one but to my surprise (and delight!) it wasn't. Even an afternoon trip to the mall and the grocery didn't bother me in the slightest. I came home to see my dad preparing an outdoor dinner and we spent most of the evening talking outside while listening to Christmas songs. What a perfect, perfect way to officially herald the Christmas celebration.
I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful, wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. To my blogger friends, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to have "met" you. You guys have made this year extra special for me. Here's to more celebrations at Blogworld Road!
1. Wrap remaining gifts and place in bags organized by family. CHECK
2. Trip to grocery store and deli for Christmas Eve food. CHECK
3. Quick trip to the mall for five more gifts. CHECK
4. Lovely black crocheted bolero type sweater for self that screamed "Buy ME! CHECK.
5. Phone call to cousins to confirm that since they are unavailable to go to the mall today and tomorrow morning, it is perfectly ok for them to receive a post Christmas gift. CHECK.
Just another night and it's Christmas Eve. The presents have been wrapped and tagged and bagged. Apart from some mild sniffles from Joshua, it looks like we are through with the bug this Christmas (fingers crossed!).
I was expecting today to be a very stressful one but to my surprise (and delight!) it wasn't. Even an afternoon trip to the mall and the grocery didn't bother me in the slightest. I came home to see my dad preparing an outdoor dinner and we spent most of the evening talking outside while listening to Christmas songs. What a perfect, perfect way to officially herald the Christmas celebration.
I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful, wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. To my blogger friends, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to have "met" you. You guys have made this year extra special for me. Here's to more celebrations at Blogworld Road!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Four Things Meme
I've been tagged by Maysha for this. Whew! This week has been all about tags. But I like it -- it eases the stress of the workday and preparing for the holidays.
Four jobs I've had:
Well, I've only ever done HR work so here are the HR positions I've held:
- Career Management Assistant (my first job out of college) in a bank
- Human Resource Consultant (where I met some of the most fabulous people with whom I am still good friends with. And yes, this was with Maria! And we had so much fun!)
- Organization Development Consultant
- Compensation and Benefits Manager
Four Places I've Lived:
Again, I've only ever lived in two places in the Philippines, both in the city. I'm a city girl through and through. Oh! I forgot I also live in Blogworld Road!
Four Favorite Foods:
- Prime Rib (I'm a carnivore)
- Pasta (And I love carbs so I am doomed!)
- Chocolate
- My mom's Pavlova -- It's made out of egg white meringue topped with cream and lots of Philippine mangoes. It is out of this world!
Four movies I could watch over and over: Oh, this was hard!
- Indiana Jones (any of the three)
- Ever After
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - I loved the battle scene in this movie. It conveyed a sense of hopelessness that was lacking in the third installment.
- Pretty Woman
Four TV Shows I enjoy:
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Sex in the City
- The Amazing Race
- House
Four Places I've Travelled:
- Costa Rica
- Shanghai, China
- Bangalore, India
- Phuket, Thailand (my honeymoon)
Four Places I'd like to visit:
- Tuscany
- Paris
- Greece
- Jerusalem
Four Websites I go to Daily:
- my blog and blogroll
- Pink is the new blog - great celebrity website
- Amazon -- not daily but fairly regularly
- Oprah website
Four jobs I've had:
Well, I've only ever done HR work so here are the HR positions I've held:
- Career Management Assistant (my first job out of college) in a bank
- Human Resource Consultant (where I met some of the most fabulous people with whom I am still good friends with. And yes, this was with Maria! And we had so much fun!)
- Organization Development Consultant
- Compensation and Benefits Manager
Four Places I've Lived:
Again, I've only ever lived in two places in the Philippines, both in the city. I'm a city girl through and through. Oh! I forgot I also live in Blogworld Road!
Four Favorite Foods:
- Prime Rib (I'm a carnivore)
- Pasta (And I love carbs so I am doomed!)
- Chocolate
- My mom's Pavlova -- It's made out of egg white meringue topped with cream and lots of Philippine mangoes. It is out of this world!
Four movies I could watch over and over: Oh, this was hard!
- Indiana Jones (any of the three)
- Ever After
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - I loved the battle scene in this movie. It conveyed a sense of hopelessness that was lacking in the third installment.
- Pretty Woman
Four TV Shows I enjoy:
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Sex in the City
- The Amazing Race
- House
Four Places I've Travelled:
- Costa Rica
- Shanghai, China
- Bangalore, India
- Phuket, Thailand (my honeymoon)
Four Places I'd like to visit:
- Tuscany
- Paris
- Greece
- Jerusalem
Four Websites I go to Daily:
- my blog and blogroll
- Pink is the new blog - great celebrity website
- Amazon -- not daily but fairly regularly
- Oprah website
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
As easy as 1-2-3
Maria tagged me to do this meme and it's easy as 1-2-3!
All you have to do is:
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123 and go down to the fifth sentence.
3. Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name the book and the author.
5. Tag three people.
I smiled from ear to ear, as i jumped into her arms and held her tightly. As she ran her hand through my hair, I began to cry. Mother cried too, and I began to feel that my bad times were finished.
From "A Child called It" by Dave Pelzer
No tags, just do it if you want to. :D
All you have to do is:
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123 and go down to the fifth sentence.
3. Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name the book and the author.
5. Tag three people.
I smiled from ear to ear, as i jumped into her arms and held her tightly. As she ran her hand through my hair, I began to cry. Mother cried too, and I began to feel that my bad times were finished.
From "A Child called It" by Dave Pelzer
No tags, just do it if you want to. :D
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Take a Break
Someone sent me this bunch of cartoons over email. Thought I'd share it.
"Damn contemporary bullshit architecture!"
"Damn contemporary bullshit architecture!"
Five Things for Christmas
I've been tagged by the adorable Samson and his mommy Juliet. A very very Christmassy tag! So to take away the building stress of not having enough time to complete the mile long (well, not really but it feels like it) list of things I haven't done before Christmas, here's my list.
Five things I would like this Christmas:
1. I would like to officially stop shopping for Christmas presents on the morning of the 23rd. That is absolutely the last day -- I have to take my cousins shopping for what they want for Christmas. Because they're picky. Nah, just kidding. They're home from the US visiting after 10 years and I have no idea what to give them that they don't already have. So I am taking them around and buying them presents. I'm killing two birds with one stone. That's two things off my list.
2. I would like my kids to enjoy the holidays and share their toys.
3. I'd like some free time to myself to read a book for a while.
4. To eat carbs and chocolates on Christmas day.
5. A massage and at least 8 hours of sleep.
Five things I would really prefer not to contend with this Christmas:
1. Anyone in the family to get sick. (Please, please, please, please.....)
2. After Christmas clean up.
3. Traffic.
4. Traffic.
5. Traffic.
I'm tagging: Irene, Maysha, Steve
Five things I would like this Christmas:
1. I would like to officially stop shopping for Christmas presents on the morning of the 23rd. That is absolutely the last day -- I have to take my cousins shopping for what they want for Christmas. Because they're picky. Nah, just kidding. They're home from the US visiting after 10 years and I have no idea what to give them that they don't already have. So I am taking them around and buying them presents. I'm killing two birds with one stone. That's two things off my list.
2. I would like my kids to enjoy the holidays and share their toys.
3. I'd like some free time to myself to read a book for a while.
4. To eat carbs and chocolates on Christmas day.
5. A massage and at least 8 hours of sleep.
Five things I would really prefer not to contend with this Christmas:
1. Anyone in the family to get sick. (Please, please, please, please.....)
2. After Christmas clean up.
3. Traffic.
4. Traffic.
5. Traffic.
I'm tagging: Irene, Maysha, Steve
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Just a quick one
Tomorrow is my son's Christmas program in school and I am keeping my fingers crossed. I am hoping that this time, he will actually do something more than just stand on stage and stare at the crowd. Oh I don't berate him or anything. I know it can be quite overwhelming for a child to stand and face an audience of beaming parents. But tomorrow, I am really hopeful. He's got a lot of roles to play. They have a short skit which is like the night before Christmas (and he has lines!). Then a song and dance number. And then another class is borrowing him to play Joseph in their skit. And tonight he seems relaxed about everything. So hope with me, ok?
This is going to be a quick one, I wanted to write about something else but I got distracted by what I read in one of the blogs I consider a favorite. Plus, I stayed up till midnight last night wrapping gifts and was up by 5am for a 7am meeting, AND I STILL HAVE A COUGH. Aaargggh!
And oh, in case you're interested, head on over to the Book Bitches blog (just click on their link on the right) and see the new Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie trailer. It is awesome!
Hokay, gotta go. My two year old daughter is playing with a certain part of my anatomy while I am typing. I gotta nip this in the bud.
This is going to be a quick one, I wanted to write about something else but I got distracted by what I read in one of the blogs I consider a favorite. Plus, I stayed up till midnight last night wrapping gifts and was up by 5am for a 7am meeting, AND I STILL HAVE A COUGH. Aaargggh!
And oh, in case you're interested, head on over to the Book Bitches blog (just click on their link on the right) and see the new Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie trailer. It is awesome!
Hokay, gotta go. My two year old daughter is playing with a certain part of my anatomy while I am typing. I gotta nip this in the bud.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Bookworm Tag...Again
I was reading Caroline's post about The Adoption by Dave Hill and got interested in the book. Which led me to thinking it would be nice to pick up some books to read from other people's favorite list. So I am resurrecting this book tag and I am tagging the residents of Blogworld road: Maria, Ces, Kj, Leo and Maysha, Caroline, Marie and Cherrypie.
No hurry...it took me a lot of time to think about my answers. I am so looking forward to your choices!
1. Book/s that changed my life
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery -- I read this book when I was young and was totally blown away. I love the way it is so full of insight and how, every time I read it, I get hit again and again by the truth it reveals about human nature.
Animal Farm by George Orwell – I will forever be thankful that I had the brilliance to take an English Lit class as one of my electives in UP. This book was a reading assignment and to put it simply, it really bothered me. The premise was simple and yet the imagery and the message, was so powerful.
2. Book you’ve read more than once – Since it is a habit of mine to reread books when I get bored, this one was so difficult because if I listed it all, there would be more than a hundred of them.
Mythology by Edith Hamilton – There was an old worn out copy in our house and in a fit of boredom (I was 10), I picked it up. That started my fascination with Greek Mythology. I read this book over and over and over that I almost memorized it. I wasn’t surprised when I aced the Greek Mythology part in my fourth year high school English class.
The Arabian Nights – This book was a really thick Reader’s Digest children’s version that I borrowed (and never returned) from my aunt. I still have the super dog eared copy in a bookshelf, saving it for when the kids are old enough to enjoy it.
Doctors by Erich Segal – I read this when I was in UP. I was curious about Love Story (didn’t see the movie) and after reading it (too mushy), thought I’d try another one. I would read this every time I was in between books and read it cover to cover without getting a bit bored. It offers a fascinating insight into the lives of four Harvard Med school students. It was like reading Gross Anatomy (movie with Matthew Modine) only ten times more riveting.
3. Book you’d want on a desert island – That would be any one of the books in #2.
4. Book that made you laugh
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella – She had me at the first page. Every girl has a Becky Bloomwood inside, just roaring to be let out. Shhhh, I keep my inner Becky in tranquilizers.
Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding – This one doesn’t need any explanation. I never anticipated a movie version more than this one (except perhaps Harry Potter) and I wasn’t disappointed. The movie was as funny as the book.
5. Book that made you cry
Baby ER by Edward Humes– Perhaps because of Joshua’s premature birth (see blog post My Happy Ending), this book really ripped my heart out. Almost every chapter reduced me to tears. It’s a documentation of the heroic efforts made by a medical staff in a hospital in the U.S. that works in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (a place where the really sick babies are kept). Each case was poignant and heartbreaking and includes several chapters that discuss the history of treatment of preemies. It was particularly heartbreaking to read that doctors in the past often performed surgery on premature babies without anesthesia in the assumption that their nerves were so underdeveloped that they couldn’t feel pain. It was only years later that studies showed that preemies could feel ten times more pain – for most early preemies, just the brush of a parent’s finger on the skin would cause extreme pain. (Ok, I’m getting emotional again. Have…to….stop…now.)
What Remains by Carole Radziwill – I read an excerpt of this book from Oprah’s magazine and haunted Powerbooks until I had it. The author, who was the wife of JFK Jr’s. cousin, wrote about her and her husband’s very close relationship with John and Carolyn Bessette and how she dealt with the tragic accident that caused their deaths and then losing her husband to cancer a few weeks later. Reading about her husband’s last moments in the hospital made me cry. I remember Ernest Hemingway said that all love stories end in tragedy because someone always dies. *sniff*
6. Book that you wish you had written
Necroscope by Brian Lumley – I’ve always admired writers of good fantasy books because of the imagination required to create a world that captured a reader’s attention. This book is part of a horror/sci-fi/fantasy series made up of 10 (I think) books (and I have every one of them). It’s about vampires in an alternate world and a British intelligence agency (like the CIA) that’s made up of “gifted” agents. Fantastic series and really gory.
Harry Potter – no explanation needed.
7. Book that you wish you had never been written – For the life of me, I can’t think of a single one. There are a lot of books that I wish I didn’t buy or read but I think they were so forgettable that I just can’t remember the titles. Except for the book in number 11. That would probably be it.
8. Book you are reading at the moment -- Just finished “The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory. A brilliant historical fiction book based on the Boleyn sisters (Mary and Anne) and how they seduced King Henry VIII to gain power for their family. This is now being made into a film starring Natalie Portman as Anne and Eric Bana as Henry VIII. Scarlett Johannsen plays Mary.
9. Book you’ve been meaning to read
One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez -- I have the copy, I’ve always been curious about it, just haven’t gotten around to reading it.
10. Book you read in one sitting -- In my heyday, I could finish 2-3 books in one day. Now it takes me about a week.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – I first found out about Harry Potter when I read a short blurb about it in Time Magazine (it wasn’t a sensation yet) and I thought, hmmm…children’s book. Am I glad I decided to give in to my curiosity and got a copy. I should also add that when I read this, I didn't have kids yet so I had the luxury of sitting down and not getting up for two hours.
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud -- Again, I stumbled on this one while browsing through Amazon and the comments made me interested. It’s a three part series (Bartimaeus Trilogy) that is guaranteed to cure your waiting for the next Harry Potter itch. It has the same elements that the Potter series has but with a totally different (and fresh) angle on magic. The “hero” is a djinn with a smart mouth reminiscent of Robin Williams’ genie in the animated Disney film, “Aladdin”. His comments are documented in footnotes and are laugh out loud funny. Read this while the kids were taking a nap -- not really in one sitting but finished it within the day.
11. Book you didn’t quite “get”
By the River Piedra I sat down and wept by Paulo Coelho – Ok, sorry to all the fans out there. I’ve been hearing all praises for this book and finally got down to reading it. I am so glad I just borrowed this book and didn’t buy it. I thought it was weird and creepy.
12. Three authors whose books you will always buy or read, no questions asked
Sophie Kinsella, J.K. Rowling, Jane Green -- Chick Lit and Children's book authors. These are the only ones whose books, in my opinion, have never missed. Sadly, a lot of the authors whose books I read and (used to) patronize, are hit and miss. For instance, I loved the Tom Clancy series about Jack Ryan but his recent books have been a disappointment.
13. Forget the book and just watch the movie
Lord of the Rings – Yes I know it’s supposed to be a classic and I really tried to get into it but it bored me to tears.
No hurry...it took me a lot of time to think about my answers. I am so looking forward to your choices!
1. Book/s that changed my life
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery -- I read this book when I was young and was totally blown away. I love the way it is so full of insight and how, every time I read it, I get hit again and again by the truth it reveals about human nature. 
Animal Farm by George Orwell – I will forever be thankful that I had the brilliance to take an English Lit class as one of my electives in UP. This book was a reading assignment and to put it simply, it really bothered me. The premise was simple and yet the imagery and the message, was so powerful.2. Book you’ve read more than once – Since it is a habit of mine to reread books when I get bored, this one was so difficult because if I listed it all, there would be more than a hundred of them.
Mythology by Edith Hamilton – There was an old worn out copy in our house and in a fit of boredom (I was 10), I picked it up. That started my fascination with Greek Mythology. I read this book over and over and over that I almost memorized it. I wasn’t surprised when I aced the Greek Mythology part in my fourth year high school English class.
The Arabian Nights – This book was a really thick Reader’s Digest children’s version that I borrowed (and never returned) from my aunt. I still have the super dog eared copy in a bookshelf, saving it for when the kids are old enough to enjoy it.Doctors by Erich Segal – I read this when I was in UP. I was curious about Love Story (didn’t see the movie) and after reading it (too mushy), thought I’d try another one. I would read this every time I was in between books and read it cover to cover without getting a bit bored. It offers a fascinating insight into the lives of four Harvard Med school students. It was like reading Gross Anatomy (movie with Matthew Modine) only ten times more riveting.
3. Book you’d want on a desert island – That would be any one of the books in #2.
4. Book that made you laugh
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella – She had me at the first page. Every girl has a Becky Bloomwood inside, just roaring to be let out. Shhhh, I keep my inner Becky in tranquilizers.Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding – This one doesn’t need any explanation. I never anticipated a movie version more than this one (except perhaps Harry Potter) and I wasn’t disappointed. The movie was as funny as the book.
5. Book that made you cry
Baby ER by Edward Humes– Perhaps because of Joshua’s premature birth (see blog post My Happy Ending), this book really ripped my heart out. Almost every chapter reduced me to tears. It’s a documentation of the heroic efforts made by a medical staff in a hospital in the U.S. that works in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (a place where the really sick babies are kept). Each case was poignant and heartbreaking and includes several chapters that discuss the history of treatment of preemies. It was particularly heartbreaking to read that doctors in the past often performed surgery on premature babies without anesthesia in the assumption that their nerves were so underdeveloped that they couldn’t feel pain. It was only years later that studies showed that preemies could feel ten times more pain – for most early preemies, just the brush of a parent’s finger on the skin would cause extreme pain. (Ok, I’m getting emotional again. Have…to….stop…now.)
What Remains by Carole Radziwill – I read an excerpt of this book from Oprah’s magazine and haunted Powerbooks until I had it. The author, who was the wife of JFK Jr’s. cousin, wrote about her and her husband’s very close relationship with John and Carolyn Bessette and how she dealt with the tragic accident that caused their deaths and then losing her husband to cancer a few weeks later. Reading about her husband’s last moments in the hospital made me cry. I remember Ernest Hemingway said that all love stories end in tragedy because someone always dies. *sniff*6. Book that you wish you had written
Necroscope by Brian Lumley – I’ve always admired writers of good fantasy books because of the imagination required to create a world that captured a reader’s attention. This book is part of a horror/sci-fi/fantasy series made up of 10 (I think) books (and I have every one of them). It’s about vampires in an alternate world and a British intelligence agency (like the CIA) that’s made up of “gifted” agents. Fantastic series and really gory.Harry Potter – no explanation needed.
7. Book that you wish you had never been written – For the life of me, I can’t think of a single one. There are a lot of books that I wish I didn’t buy or read but I think they were so forgettable that I just can’t remember the titles. Except for the book in number 11. That would probably be it.
8. Book you are reading at the moment -- Just finished “The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory. A brilliant historical fiction book based on the Boleyn sisters (Mary and Anne) and how they seduced King Henry VIII to gain power for their family. This is now being made into a film starring Natalie Portman as Anne and Eric Bana as Henry VIII. Scarlett Johannsen plays Mary.
9. Book you’ve been meaning to read
One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez -- I have the copy, I’ve always been curious about it, just haven’t gotten around to reading it.
10. Book you read in one sitting -- In my heyday, I could finish 2-3 books in one day. Now it takes me about a week.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – I first found out about Harry Potter when I read a short blurb about it in Time Magazine (it wasn’t a sensation yet) and I thought, hmmm…children’s book. Am I glad I decided to give in to my curiosity and got a copy. I should also add that when I read this, I didn't have kids yet so I had the luxury of sitting down and not getting up for two hours.
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud -- Again, I stumbled on this one while browsing through Amazon and the comments made me interested. It’s a three part series (Bartimaeus Trilogy) that is guaranteed to cure your waiting for the next Harry Potter itch. It has the same elements that the Potter series has but with a totally different (and fresh) angle on magic. The “hero” is a djinn with a smart mouth reminiscent of Robin Williams’ genie in the animated Disney film, “Aladdin”. His comments are documented in footnotes and are laugh out loud funny. Read this while the kids were taking a nap -- not really in one sitting but finished it within the day.11. Book you didn’t quite “get”
By the River Piedra I sat down and wept by Paulo Coelho – Ok, sorry to all the fans out there. I’ve been hearing all praises for this book and finally got down to reading it. I am so glad I just borrowed this book and didn’t buy it. I thought it was weird and creepy.12. Three authors whose books you will always buy or read, no questions asked
Sophie Kinsella, J.K. Rowling, Jane Green -- Chick Lit and Children's book authors. These are the only ones whose books, in my opinion, have never missed. Sadly, a lot of the authors whose books I read and (used to) patronize, are hit and miss. For instance, I loved the Tom Clancy series about Jack Ryan but his recent books have been a disappointment.
13. Forget the book and just watch the movie
Lord of the Rings – Yes I know it’s supposed to be a classic and I really tried to get into it but it bored me to tears.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Weekend blues
I didn't win the trip to Australia at the Christmas party. In fact, I didn't win anything which should not come as a surprise because I never win at these things. But I'm still wickedly disappointed. On the other hand, the presentation went really well so I have to be thankful for that.
The kids are both sick with a runny nose and a bit of a cough. I hate, hate, hate it when the kids are sick.
Now I've got a doozer of a sore throat. It hurts to talk, it hurts to eat.
Oh I am so much fun to be with today.
The kids are both sick with a runny nose and a bit of a cough. I hate, hate, hate it when the kids are sick.
Now I've got a doozer of a sore throat. It hurts to talk, it hurts to eat.
Oh I am so much fun to be with today.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Five Fave Christmas Songs
Oooh! I've been tagged by Ces! How fun!
So here are my Five Fave Christmas Songs:
1. The Christmas Waltz -- versions by the Carpenters and Frank Sinatra. As a teenager, I've always daydreamed about attending a fancy dress ball and dancing the waltz to this song with the snow falling outside.
2. O Come All Ye Faithful -- any choir version. It just sounds better to me if it's sung by a choir.
3. Hark the Herald Angels Sing -- again, any choir version. I love it when this song and number 2 are sung by the choir during midnight mass.
4. Sleigh Ride -- best version by the Carpenters. She sings it in such an upbeat way that I love singing along.
5. The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole. Absolutely nothing beats this.
No tags, just do this if you feel like it.
So here are my Five Fave Christmas Songs:
1. The Christmas Waltz -- versions by the Carpenters and Frank Sinatra. As a teenager, I've always daydreamed about attending a fancy dress ball and dancing the waltz to this song with the snow falling outside.
2. O Come All Ye Faithful -- any choir version. It just sounds better to me if it's sung by a choir.
3. Hark the Herald Angels Sing -- again, any choir version. I love it when this song and number 2 are sung by the choir during midnight mass.
4. Sleigh Ride -- best version by the Carpenters. She sings it in such an upbeat way that I love singing along.
5. The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole. Absolutely nothing beats this.
No tags, just do this if you feel like it.
Postscript to Checking in
I finally got my picture up. And I think I've figured out why I can't post comments on some blogs. Since I transferred to the beta version, I am having problems posting comments to blogs that have not transferred to the blogger beta version. Sigh! To the others who are on blogger beta, am I right in my assumption??
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Checking In
I can't post comments. I keep getting an error message.
There's something wrong with my picture -- it doesn't show on my profile.
I can't post pictures.
Doesn't work in Firefox either.
On the bright side, I am so, so, so happy! My books arrived in the mail!!!!!! All twelve of them!!!!! I am in book heaven. I don't know where to start.
And the complete season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been crossed off my list (Yay!). Yes, I am a fan. Now go snicker somewhere else. Where I cannot see you.
P.S.
I will be performing at the company Christmas party on Friday together with all the new hire suckers. Wish me luck.
Kinda early for a Christmas party, huh?
There's something wrong with my picture -- it doesn't show on my profile.
I can't post pictures.
Doesn't work in Firefox either.
On the bright side, I am so, so, so happy! My books arrived in the mail!!!!!! All twelve of them!!!!! I am in book heaven. I don't know where to start.
And the complete season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been crossed off my list (Yay!). Yes, I am a fan. Now go snicker somewhere else. Where I cannot see you.
P.S.
I will be performing at the company Christmas party on Friday together with all the new hire suckers. Wish me luck.
Kinda early for a Christmas party, huh?
Monday, December 04, 2006
Scenes from a Weekend
I am supposed to be sleeping but I CAN'T SLEEP. So here I am hunched over my laptop inside the bathroom, not caring that I have an 8am meeting tomorrow and will have to be up by 5:30am to make it through the rush hour traffic.
Some highlights of the three day weekend I just had:
1. First off, The Dora the Explorer Sing along fiesta at the mall! Woohoo! You can see the kids look positively thrilled here. No, really, they loved the show but refused to smile for the camera. Rats! I didn't see much of the show...I was too busy watching my daughter watch the show and say..."Swiper no swiping!!!".
2. While driving home from the mall Sunday night, my mom, husband and I were talking quietly when Faith (who I thought was busy guzzling her milk) kept saying "Yikes!", or so I thought. After about the nth time she said it, I turned to her and asked, "why do say yikes, sweetie?". She just smiled at me and said it again. I realized after passing a brightly decorated house and she said "oooh, yikes!" again that she was really saying "Lights!"
3. This is why I think my daughter will never be a wallflower. I just saw these pictures and was so amused by them. This was taken during the big school assessment (which they both passed!!!! Yippee!). Faith nonchalantly sat a little distance from a group of older girls in uniform. Five minutes after and she was the center of attention. Wish I made friends this easily when I was a kid.
4. A recent conversation with Faith while she was doing number 2. She kept saying "yuck!" and "gwoss!!!" I couldn't stop smiling. It was the most enjoyable 10 minutes I ever spent inside the toilet.
5. Bedtime conversation with Joshua while Faith was busy trying to make me smell her toes and winking.
- Mommy, who will I marry?
- Um, who do you want to marry?
- You?
- Nope, you can't marry your mommy.
- How about tita (auntie)?
- You can't marry her either. You can't marry someone who's related to you.
- So who will I marry when I grow up?
- Well, what kind of girl do you want to marry?
- (Thinks hard) How about you choose for me, mommy?
- What?!!
- When I grow up, you choose the girl I'm going to marry.
- OK!!!!
I can't believe he gave me permission. Years from now I'm going to let him read my blog entries and remind him that he gave me carte blanche. HA HA HA!!!
On a side note, what in the world is wrong with Internet explorer???!!!! If I open blogger, I can't post pictures and can't see a preview!! Grrrr....
Some highlights of the three day weekend I just had:
1. First off, The Dora the Explorer Sing along fiesta at the mall! Woohoo! You can see the kids look positively thrilled here. No, really, they loved the show but refused to smile for the camera. Rats! I didn't see much of the show...I was too busy watching my daughter watch the show and say..."Swiper no swiping!!!".2. While driving home from the mall Sunday night, my mom, husband and I were talking quietly when Faith (who I thought was busy guzzling her milk) kept saying "Yikes!", or so I thought. After about the nth time she said it, I turned to her and asked, "why do say yikes, sweetie?". She just smiled at me and said it again. I realized after passing a brightly decorated house and she said "oooh, yikes!" again that she was really saying "Lights!"
3. This is why I think my daughter will never be a wallflower. I just saw these pictures and was so amused by them. This was taken during the big school assessment (which they both passed!!!! Yippee!). Faith nonchalantly sat a little distance from a group of older girls in uniform. Five minutes after and she was the center of attention. Wish I made friends this easily when I was a kid.4. A recent conversation with Faith while she was doing number 2. She kept saying "yuck!" and "gwoss!!!" I couldn't stop smiling. It was the most enjoyable 10 minutes I ever spent inside the toilet.
5. Bedtime conversation with Joshua while Faith was busy trying to make me smell her toes and winking.
- Mommy, who will I marry?
- Um, who do you want to marry?
- You?
- Nope, you can't marry your mommy.
- How about tita (auntie)?
- You can't marry her either. You can't marry someone who's related to you.
- So who will I marry when I grow up?
- Well, what kind of girl do you want to marry?
- (Thinks hard) How about you choose for me, mommy?
- What?!!
- When I grow up, you choose the girl I'm going to marry.
- OK!!!!
I can't believe he gave me permission. Years from now I'm going to let him read my blog entries and remind him that he gave me carte blanche. HA HA HA!!!
On a side note, what in the world is wrong with Internet explorer???!!!! If I open blogger, I can't post pictures and can't see a preview!! Grrrr....
Friday, December 01, 2006
Friday 13
It's been a peaceful day so far. I am thankful that the typhoon passed over the place I live. It's very windy outside but the weather's cool and the kids and I just woke up from a very long afternoon nap which I will probably regret later tonight. It's a long weekend for us which I hope will mean the Christmas gifts will get wrapped and the kids' old toys and clothes organized to give away. The hubby is spending the entire three days working which means I will try very hard not to distract him (I promise not to make faces while you're working, cross my heart!). So while the two of us are on the couch, typing away, here's my thirteen list.
13 Things I look forward to every Christmas season
1. Making my Christmas list. It's in excel and has my lists since 2002. It has everybody's names on it classified by immediate family, relatives, friends (college, grad school, office, etc), gift ideas, budget for each. Then I fill in the actual gift I bought and how much it costs. It is probably major OC for me but it helps me prepare myself during the holidays. (And the hubby's list is also included).
2. Buying gifts. I especially love thinking about what to give to very close friends and family. I like looking at people as they open their presents and knowing that the gift made them happy.
3. Wrapping gifts. There's something relaxing about doing something mindless and repetitive every once in a while.
4. Cool weather. December - January is about the only time during the year when we get moderately cool weather without the rain. Although, now there's a typhoon.
5. Christmas carols.
6. Spending time with close family. This year, my aunt and cousins who live in the US are coming over. The last time they went for a visit was 10 years ago. I visited them last year in San Francisco on my way to Arizona and realized how much I missed them (my cousins were still little kids when they left). I can't wait for them to arrive and spend some time giving them the tour.
7. Midnight mass. Every year, we gather at our aunt's house (my dad's sisters and brother), have dinner and then wait for midnight mass where we all troop to church.
8. Noche Buena. After mass, this is the traditional Filipino midnight feast. We gorge on ham, cheese, and whatever it is my aunt serves while everyone distributes the gifts. As a kid, this was the part I liked best.
9. This is now my favorite part. We go home then it's our turn to give the gifts. It's just us, my parents, sisters and brother, the kids and Jun and I. When the presents are everything you said you wanted, and then we talk and laugh until 3 am, or until the kids are so exhausted they fall asleep amidst the Christmas wrappers.
10. Reading my husband's Christmas card.
11. When the kids are safely in bed and Jun and I just talk quietly, going over the year and the funny highlights of the night.
12. Getting up really late on Christmas morning and having a lazy, lazy breakfast while the kids are preoccupied with their new toys.
13. New Year's Eve. Just me and my siblings at home, playing really loud chillout music and dancing till midnight. A little wine and a lot of food.
13 Things I look forward to every Christmas season
1. Making my Christmas list. It's in excel and has my lists since 2002. It has everybody's names on it classified by immediate family, relatives, friends (college, grad school, office, etc), gift ideas, budget for each. Then I fill in the actual gift I bought and how much it costs. It is probably major OC for me but it helps me prepare myself during the holidays. (And the hubby's list is also included).
2. Buying gifts. I especially love thinking about what to give to very close friends and family. I like looking at people as they open their presents and knowing that the gift made them happy.
3. Wrapping gifts. There's something relaxing about doing something mindless and repetitive every once in a while.
4. Cool weather. December - January is about the only time during the year when we get moderately cool weather without the rain. Although, now there's a typhoon.
5. Christmas carols.
6. Spending time with close family. This year, my aunt and cousins who live in the US are coming over. The last time they went for a visit was 10 years ago. I visited them last year in San Francisco on my way to Arizona and realized how much I missed them (my cousins were still little kids when they left). I can't wait for them to arrive and spend some time giving them the tour.
7. Midnight mass. Every year, we gather at our aunt's house (my dad's sisters and brother), have dinner and then wait for midnight mass where we all troop to church.
8. Noche Buena. After mass, this is the traditional Filipino midnight feast. We gorge on ham, cheese, and whatever it is my aunt serves while everyone distributes the gifts. As a kid, this was the part I liked best.
9. This is now my favorite part. We go home then it's our turn to give the gifts. It's just us, my parents, sisters and brother, the kids and Jun and I. When the presents are everything you said you wanted, and then we talk and laugh until 3 am, or until the kids are so exhausted they fall asleep amidst the Christmas wrappers.
10. Reading my husband's Christmas card.
11. When the kids are safely in bed and Jun and I just talk quietly, going over the year and the funny highlights of the night.
12. Getting up really late on Christmas morning and having a lazy, lazy breakfast while the kids are preoccupied with their new toys.
13. New Year's Eve. Just me and my siblings at home, playing really loud chillout music and dancing till midnight. A little wine and a lot of food.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
My house at Blogworld Road
It's official! I am now a resident of Blogworld Road. I count myself very lucky to live in a place where all the neighbors are fabulous and there are no invitations necessary. It's the only place where houses don't have to conform and you are limited only by your imagination.Up there is my house. It's really the house where I live but since I love it so much, I decided to have it replicated at Blogworld Road. It is my dad's work of art, the place where my children are growing up and where I prepared myself to marry the man I love. (Yes, that's me in the wedding gown with my brother and sister)
I've made a few modifications in the Blogworld Road version. There are lots of guestrooms where people can stay, a playroom filled with toys so Caroline's children can play (and the others too, of course). It has an immense library with a lot of comfy chairs overlooking the garden where one can spend hours buried in a book or just daydream. A dining room with lots of room for people to eat, and meet and talk (and even dance!).
Oh, and a huge playground at the backyard -- so the children can run around (and where all the playground mums are nice).
Lastly, it's a place where you always feel comfortable to be yourself. Come on over. I'm having a party.
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