Free Food!

A Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, free with BPI Credit Card's current promotion. Our grocery bill never looked this good!

All You Need is Patience...and Donuts

Thank you for donuts!

After today's Santacruzan experience, I think:

1. It's criminal to let small children wear high heels
2. Children should not wear make up, especially thick foundation/face powder that makes the color of your face so different from the color of your neck.
3. Santacruzans with children should be outlawed!

Of course, this might just be the ranting of a first-time parent, whose kid initially did not want to wear the gown ("Ako si [Prince] Charming, di ako Princess!"), and did not want to ride the dressed up trike ("Di pa ako ready!"). This can also be the ranting of a first-time santacruzan participant, who did not expect to walk 3 hours (?!) for this.

All's well that ends well though.

After the initial drama, Daddy B volunteered to pedal the trike, the toddler agreed to ride it, the kids were bribed with donuts and lollipops, and everyone lived, happily ever after.

Sometimes all you need is patience...and some donuts.

Thank You for Usability

Windows Vista Ease of Access Center's On-Screen Keyboard was a lifesaver today!

Was fixing up my dad's unused HP Mini, so that he could use it. Upon boot-up, uh-oh. The keyboard was totally unresponsive. No reaction whatsoever, no matter what was pressed. The mouse pad was also unresponsive. Dilemma! Good thing the laptop still responded to an attached USB Mouse, but I still had to type the password to get into the system. On-screen Keyboard to the rescue! Was able to type the password, log in, open a browser, and google for a solution! Had to download updated keyboard drivers from the HP site. After a reboot, voila! Everything worked. Whew!

Good thing someone thought of putting this in the log-in screen!

Date Night!

Movie night with lots of Buy-the-Buckets, nuts, drinks, quesadillas and popcorn!

For the People Who Take Care of Us

Po Po - Cantonese for Maternal Grandmother

My grandmother died 17 years ago today.

Who's Popo To Me?
My parents were both working, so my grandmother was the one who took care of me. She was my dad's mother, but like my cousins, I called her "Popo". Popo was strict, and I still remember when she used to chase me with a feather duster, so she can spank my behind to discipline me. Like most parent-figure relationships wherein the parent figure disciplines you, it was love-hate for some days. But there were always good days. When I was a bit older, she always prepared instant noodles for me to eat when I came home from school. Yes she monitored my phone calls (back in the days when phones were still used for calling and "telebabad"), but as I grew older, I understood the discipline came with love. The expression may not be perfect, but whose is? We shared a room, and the last few years, I always made it a point to tell her I love her before we fell asleep. That's one thing I will never regret -- saying I love you, every night.

And She Said Goodbye...
That summer, it was my first trip abroad on my own, a 6-week Taiwan study tour. A few days after May, the family ate a meal in a resto on Shaw Blvd, roast duck cooked 3 ways, from what I recall they told me. Popo didn't want to eat the roast duck...she said she wanted to wait for me to come back. And then a few days later, she was hospitalized. Massive organ failures. I don't even recall the root cause, one organ failed followed by another, until everyone knew she had to go. They called in the priest and baptized her, Maria. Through it all, she held on until I did come back. I don't think she could recognize me anymore when I did come back. But she waited. And with our history, who wouldn't be touched that she waited to try to say goodbye?

...While I Couldn't...Yet
I think I held on even after she went. She had grandchildren, but I was the latest one, the closest one. We lived together, we slept together, we loved and fought and knew each other as people who live together closely can. I kept on dreaming about her, until one day, she appeared and said, let me go. And I did.

"Though lovers be lost

Love shall not

And death shall have no dominion"

- Dylan Thomas

And Death Shall Have No Dominion

Thank You
Because Popo was always there. Because taking care of someone else is a thankless job sometimes, and the people you care for don't always appreciate what you've given up to take care of them. The little things and gestures, considered routine and expected, are not always mentioned, but they matter, because those little things become the foundation of a relationship. It's not always about quality time. There are times when quantity trumps quality, especially when it comes to raising a child, so we should give a hurray to those people who do choose to spend quantity time.

To the people who've taken care of us, Thank You.

Today is for my grandmother. I know she is at peace.

Things That Make You Go Oomph

I'm thankful for passion and hope, for the emotions and motivations that enable anyone to go beyond the normal effort.

We last longer because of our passion. Long hours and late nights are nothing, if we're totally engrossed in what we're doing.

And Hope. We stay and trudge on, because of the hope that things will be better. Always.

Big Daddy and Swimming

Picture taken on a Saturday

Thankful for my co-parent and partner, who accompanied the kid to today's (a weekday!) swimming lesson while I attended a work meeting. I heard the session went great!

WFH

Work from Home days

Happiness is an Amusement Park Ride

Ride like the wind...and never fear anything.

Fun ride at Powerplant Mall's kiddie area. There are some overpriced kiddie rides there (come on, PHP50 for something that costs PHP20 at other malls?), but hey, kids will be kids. Plus, I can't complain, since we went malling with the doting grandparents, who keep showering the happy kid with marshmallows and gummy bears. And, there are PHP12 rides too, for when you're feeling a little stingy.

Flores de Mayo Para Los Niños

Things you learn when you're older: The Flores de Mayo is different from a "Sagala" or "Santacruzan". All along I thought they were one and the same. In Catholic Philippines, it's a tradition to dress little boys and little girls (and even teen girls and boys) in formal attires and gowns, and parade them around the barangay during May. It's a festival to commemorate the finding of the Holy Cross by Reyna Elena, mother of Constantine the Great, although I doubt anyone really remembers that. :)

It turns out that there's still another Flores de Mayo event before the Santacruzan. It's the offering of flowers to the Virgin Mary. The flowers are carried to the Church by little boys and girls in simple clothing. Upon arriving at Church, novena and prayers are said, and then the flowers are offered to the Virgin Mary.

The kid and her cousins were part of this year's offerers

A Cool Coffee Drink in a Hot Summer Town

Had lunch with B, and he treated me to free coffee. Wee!

(Yes, Manila still has the old Seattle's Best Coffee logo. If you want to see the new logo, check this out.)

Swim, Eat, and Be Merry

Today, the kid and I had lunch together, at one of the fast food chains on Tomas Morato. We just had her swimming lessons, and were on our way to "investigate" one of the preschools near E.Rodriguez Ave.

The Swimming
The swimming lesson was eventful since: 1) we were late, and 2) the kid developed the fear of submerging her head under water, going to ridiculous lengths and overacting poses to make sure her head was above water while we were gliding. It was irritating me (I blame my hormones). Really, I still remember how she looked like in the water -- if I wasn't irritated (because I know she was overacting it), I would find it really funny. Instead of forcing the matter (and making her really afraid of water), I deemed it more prudent to not finish today's swimming lesson. She wasn't wild or tantrum-y, probably just resistant to change. She still likes to swim, just doesn't want to put her head under water.

The Preschool
I haven't really blogged about our search for a preschool. But trust me, I've spent hours and hours poring over forums and websites, looking for an affordable, progressive preschool that hopefully also teaches Chinese. Have I found it? No. I've read about Montessori, multiple intelligences, international schools, progressive schools, pseudo-Montessori schools, and now even Waldorf schools. Have I decided? Not yet. It's a bit scary to think that my decision now could have the possibility of limiting her options for the future. So...I'm not 100% on anything yet.

The Meal
The kid and I had a quick lunch together. With the turmoil of learning something new (submerging her head while swimming), and the anxiety of deciding on a course for the future, it's really the quiet moments spent with her that matters. Being present. I'm thankful she can eat well. I am thankful that we have this opportunity to spend some quiet time, together, just the two of us.

Thank You for the Music

Funny. I have a lot of things to be thankful for, I don't even know where to start.

Photo by Michael Yarish/FOX

Today, among other things, I am grateful to Neil Patrick Harris and Glee. It's Episode 19 of the 1st season of Glee, with the episode titled "Dream On". Let me just say, I have never watched Glee on actual TV. I usually come home late from work, and if I am at home, the TV is owned by either my daughter (who watches Playhouse Disney), or the househelp (who watches ABS-CBN). Sometimes B. sneaks in and gets to watch basketball. So there, I've never actually caught an episode of Glee on actual TV. I don't entirely live under a rock though -- I've caught my fair share of episodes online so I know the show and the story.

So anyway, today I get home almost 10pm, and surprise! No one's watching TV! My daughter's asleep, the yaya's watching the kid, the hubby's drinking with his buddies. Guilt-free TV for an hour.

So...I am thankful for some alone time. And I am thankful for music. For entertainment that moves us and seeks to inspire. Music inspires, it's fun, it's...cathartic, as needed. It doesn't even have to be pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, jazz, death metal, whatever. As long as it suits your mood for the moment, it inspires. Music can make you fall in love, run faster, release your anger and sadness and grief. It can make you cry, plunge you into a deep emotional abyss, and then take you along as it soars through it's own uplifting arc.

I am thankful for music and the ones who have made, written and sang music. Every time you create art, you give a little of yourself. Just like giving love though, giving a little of yourself doesn't make you any less. On the contrary, creating art (just like love) makes you go beyond yourself and makes you bigger than you originally were.

Giving oneself -- whether it's a personal sacrifice, your time, your love, or sharing your gift of music -- does that. It inspires. And at any given the moment, you should always opt to inspire people. Why? Just because you can.

"I'm trading my one dream, for the chance that the 13 of you will have a chance with yours." - Will Shuester, Glee

Thankful 365 - The Start

All of us are thankful for something. Sometimes, anger, negative emotions and difficult experiences just make us forget it. But it's there. For the thanking.

This is my Project 365*. To write about the things I am thankful for. Happy thoughts, every day of the year.

*Originally, I wanted to call it Project 52 -- so I can do a post just once a week. Hehe. But what the heck. Go for broke. Project 365. Something to be thankful for, every day of the year.

Singapore Stopover!

Our Singapore stopover would not have been possible without our hosts! Too bad that I forgot to have pics taken with them though. But thank you thank you thank you to Lala and Simon and my friend Jen for accommodating us!!! And thanks to the Singapore-based Enterworks ex-officemates for the company, the white pepper crabs, and the Paulaner beers!

Sa July daw ulit sabi ni Jo Jao. :)

The Bali Vacation

Bali, Indonesia
April 2010

Spent 5 days in Bali with the husband and the baby, before flying back to Manila via Singapore:

• Sanur
  
• Kuta
  
• Ubud

Back Story
April was a personally tiring month for me, but Bali was one of those places that I wanted to go to and where I haven't been to yet. So when the opportunity came up, I said 'yes' to Bali and a quick stopover in Singapore (because I also wanted to visit friends).

I had to work with limited budget (mine), and limited cheap flight schedules. We rode a smorgasboard of budget airlines -- Tigerairways to Singapore, Airasia to Denpasar (Bali), and then Jetstar back to Singapore. It was a whirlwind of late night flights that you probably shouldn't put a toddler through, but hey, we survived!

No major tantrum issues (she's normally a patient kid, even through long car rides and flights), except for the Jetstar flight back to Singapore, when Zoe didn't want to sit on her own chair at once. The flight attendant came to our area and said the kid had to sit on her own chair. Bok said, "ok, she will in a while", intending to sweet talk Zoe into sitting. The flight attendant said, "now sir" in a taray tone. Kainis, sarap saksakin! I mean, it's not like Zoe was a noisy brat who was disturbing everybody (I think), but demanding the kid to sit now at that very instant when she expressly said she didn't want to was inviting the kid to a major tantrum. So she cried loudly. Another flight attendant came and bribed Zoe with 2 pieces of chocolate. She sat on her own chair after, sniffling and eating chocolate. Although it was good the other flight attendant managed to subdue Zoe with chocolates, I didn't particularly like bribery as a method of discipline. Whatever. By that time, I was slightly burned out as well.


Back to Happy Thoughts
Ok, so Bali has several areas you can opt to go to. We spent 3 nights in the Sanur area and another night in the Ubud area. Most people go to Kuta where the bars are. All of the travels were done on a leisurely pace. We only visited 2 major temples, because one of my companions does not like visiting temples. =) There was also this grand plan to rent a bike and bike around Ubud, but someone developed a mild case of vertigo and plans didn't push through.

Already forgot the names of the restos we ate at (sorry!), but all of them were great. At Sanur, we stayed at the Puri Mango Guest House. At $35, the rate included tax and breakfast. There was a mini-pool too. The rooms had a slightly old-ish style -- big wooden bed frame, big wooden cabinets, the type of decor that reminded me of "Blusang Itim" or "Bahay ni Lola". It wasn't really creepy though. The room was clean and spacious, and yes, it was value for money at $35 with breakfast.

Bok liked Ubud better. We stayed at Tegal Sari, where our room cost RP330,000 a night including tax. The room was spacious and more modern. It looked like a 5-star hotel room! There was a veranda that opened up to a view of really green rice fields. Reservations had to be paid in advance though. After the conversion, credit card surcharge (1.8%) and tax, the room costs PHP1700 a night. Not bad, and so worth it since Bok really really liked the room. Tegal Sari is maybe a 15-30 minute walk from the Ubud downtown center, although there's a free hotel shuttle to downtown.

The Singapore Zoo Experience

April 2010

While planning this Singapore trip, I was mulling over whether to visit Universal Studios or the Singapore Zoo. After getting a reply from Twitter (the Zoo!), and realizing that:
a) the zoo was cheaper
b) Bok hadn't been to the zoo yet either, and
c) a 2 year old will definitely enjoy a zoo more, right?

It was decided. The zoo it is.

We started the day late (what's new), and took a cab to Singapore Zoo (because it was late, the weather was hot and humid and we couldn't find the bus stop. doh!).

While we were queueing to buy tickets, a woman approached us and told us we can enter the zoo for free. Ako naman, huh, thinking it was some kind of scam, or I had to buy something first. Hehe. Good thing we trusted her. It turns out they were our angels! We got in for free because she had a card good for 4 people, and they were only 2. Yey! (Kids under 3 get in for free)

Zoe really liked the zoo. Even if she was asleep when we entered the zoo, when she woke up, hyper na! That evening, she was even slightly sleep talking and saying "aaahhh, dyan pala galing yung mga animals". On our way back, she kept saying, "balik tayo zoo ha!"

Happiness!