The Jeepney Chronicles: AIR SUPPLY...Live In Zamboanga City

When my friend texted me about the coming of Air Supply in Zamboanga City on June 26, 2010, memories of my high school days played on my mind. I distinctly remember riding the jeepney plying San Jose and Baliwasan with their speakers blaring songs from an Air Supply cassette tape. From WMSU to the pueblo, these jeepneys kept playing Making Love Out of Nothing At All, Young Love, Every Woman in the World, among others. Students alighting on the San Jose Area going to their schools would surely have the Last Song Syndrome of Air Supply songs on their minds...Ah, basta. Kapag San Jose-Baliwasan ang jeepney, Air Supply ang paboritong tinutugtog.

For today's generation who does not know about Air Supply, it is a duo composed of  British guitarist and vocalist Graham Russell and Australian lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock who conquered the music world during the late 1970's and the early 1980's. Their music is composed mainly of the soft rock genre. Their hit songs include All Out of Love, Here I am, Two Less Lonely People in the World and The One that You Love which reached no. 1 in the Billboard Top 100 in the 80s.

The Air Supply World Tour Concert is sponsored mainly by the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) and is in line with the AdZU Centennial Celebration in 2012. It will be held at the Zamboanga City Coliseum on June 26, 2010 at seven o’clock in the evening. This fund raising benefit concert is for the Ateneo Centennial Scholarship Fund.

For Air Supply Fans in Zamboanga City, don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the duo in person. Tickets are priced at P2,000.00 (front row), P1,000.00 (back row) and P400.00 (bleacher). Tickets are available at AdZU Scholarship’s Office, Planning Office, Grade School Office, High School Office and all College Units. For more ticket inquiries, please contact 991-0871 local 1006 and look for Sheila Pagotaisidro. Tickets are also available at Pepper's Resto Bar and Grill. Just look for Kenneth Macrohon.

Election 2010...Fresh from the Line

           Today is May 10, 2010. Finally, I was able to cast my vote at 5:21 p.m. after having 80 people ahead of me. My parents, sister and I went to the polling precinct at 3:00 pm hoping to find that there will be lesser people voting. Earlier this morning, my aunt and nanny went to the polling place at 7:30 am. Nanny came home after 9:30 am while Aunt was able to finish at 10:30 am. At Nanny's precinct, the voting went on smoothly despite the long queue. My Aunt's experience was different, the PCOS machine did not work and it took awhile before it was replaced.

          Since there were 80 people ahead of me, I decided to check out the other members of my family. This is a picture of their precinct. They did not have a lot of people waiting in line so it took them only 20 minutes to cast their vote.

          I took a picture of my parents and sister casting their vote, feeding the ballot into the machine, waiting for it to say CONGRATULATIONS and having indelible ink  placed on their finger.

          Below is a picture of me waiting in line after the long queue ahead of me. There were seats outside of the precinct where we sat waiting for our numbers to be called. Actually, when I knew that there were 80 plus people ahead of me, I went home to get my list which I forgot to bring. After harvesting and planting crops at my farm at Farmville, I went back after 45 minutes, just in time to have my number called.

          Upon entering the room,I gave the small piece of paper where my precinct number, list number and line number was written to the BEIs where they looked for my name on the official list of candidate. When they finally located my name, I signed the list and affix my right thumb mark on it. Then I was given the ballot enclosed in a long, white folder and the pen provided by Smartmatic. The ballot secrecy folder is not the official folder which should be used, since the official folders did not arrive due to controversies in the procurement of such folders. I sat down and carefully marked the egg shaped symbol before the names of the candidate. Earlier that day, I made a list of who to vote with their corresponding number in the ballot so it did not take me long to finish voting.

          This is a photo taken at my precinct. There are times when all the seat are filled up with voters. After voting, I returned the pen provided by Smartmatic to the BEI then fed my ballot into the PCOS machine. After 2 minutes of verifying my ballot, a message saying, 'Congratulations. Your vote has been registered.' Man, I was so relieved that my ballot went smoothly inside the machine. When my parents fed their ballots inside the machine, there was a paper jam. But, the ballot was read successfully by the machine after the BEI inserted the ballot further inside. I was so happy that I was able to cast my vote. In my excitement, I surrendered my thumb to the BEI for the indelible ink. She asked me for my forefinger and placed a small amount of indelible ink on it.

          Above are some pictures taken of voters looking for their names on the list, and voters waiting in line to have their numbers called.In some precincts, voting started late in the afternoon due to some defective PCOS machines .  I hope that there will be no glitches in the canvassing and counting of the ballots. I also hope that the winners will truly serve our country and the losers will accept defeat gracefully. I am proud to be part of this historical event, the very first AUTOMATED ELECTION in the Philippines.

Health Watch: Target Weight 75 kilos

Last Saturday, I finally went to my aunt's clinic for a medical check-up. For the past week, I experienced headaches and gas pain in my stomach. I thought it was the usual symptoms of eating late and getting 'kabuhi' (gas pain), or it could be my eyes due to extreme eyestrain brought about by looking at the computer monitor for hours on end (hala ka...facebook) or it must the extreme weather condition, too hot one minute and rain showers the next. For two straight days, I went straight to bed upon arriving home because I can't bear the headache. Hubby ordered me to have a check-up and I said I'll go during the weekend. Thanks to his hot cups of tea, chicken soup and tender, loving care, my headache was somehow bearable.

After my preliminary check-up, I was asked to have a blood and urine test to determine the true nature of my discomfort. The test results showed that I have Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and was prescribed antibiotics. The good news is, it was just a mild case of UTI. I also found out that my weight increased to 2 kilos within 6 months. So I mentally told myself that I need to decrease my weight to 75 kilos by the end of the year.

According to the websites of Mayo Clinic and web MD, a urinary tract infection is an infection that begins in our urinary system, which is composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Any part of your urinary system can become infected, but most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the urethra and the bladder.

Women are at greater risk of developing a urinary tract infection than are men. This is probably because women have shorter urethras, so it is easier for the germs to move up to their bladders. You may be more likely to get an infection if you do not drink enough fluids, have diabetes, or pregnant. The chance that you will get a bladder infection is higher if you have any problem that blocks the flow of urine from your bladder. Examples include having kidney stones or an enlarged prostate gland.

Not everyone with a urinary tract infection develops recognizable signs and symptoms, but most people have some. In general, urinary tract infection signs and symptoms develop rapidly and can include:

* A strong, persistent urge to urinate

* A burning sensation when urinating

* Passing frequent, small amounts of urine

* Blood in the urine (hematuria) or cloudy, strong-smelling urine

* Bacteria in the urine (bacteriuria)

Antibiotics prescribed by your doctor will usually cure a bladder infection. It may help to drink lots of water and other fluids and to urinate often, emptying your bladder each time. If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, take the pills exactly as you are told. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to finish taking them all so that you do not get sick again.

Thanks to Mayo Clinic and Web MD for the information. You can check out their website here and here for further information about the illness and other illnesses as well.

With strong determination and your support along with the will to live longer and healthier, may I accomplish my weight goal by the end of the year. So help me God!

So Near...Yet So Far

The Family is the most basic social unit in society. It is where we learn our values and beliefs and where we get to be molded as a human being. In today's world, there are so many dysfunctional families that exist. The basic unit of society is being torn apart by greed, consumerism, and survival. How is it so?



In the Philippines, the Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs are hailed as the heroes of our country. They keep the economy afloat due to the remittances that they send their loved ones. I present to you a simple case. A middle class family struggles to make both ends meet. Father does not earn enough to support his family of six. Mother is a plain housewife. Father applies for a job abroad and incurred mounds of debt just to pay for his employment abroad. Employer does not honor original contract and slashes the wage by half. Poor father cannot tell his family of his plight in the land of milk and honey. Meanwhile, Mother receives Father’s remittance and feeling like a millionaire, spends the money in a day. The Kids also spend the money like there’s no tomorrow and indulge in vices. The Family breaks apart. The Hero is given a festive welcome by the government, but as he goes to his home, there’s no one to come home to. Sad, but true.

Still, there are families who decided to stay in our Homeland and make do with what they have. They have simple dreams, and live simple lives. And so, they do not fall into the trap of wanting more than they can have. What can we do to keep the basic unit of our society from falling apart? Each of us has a role to play, no matter how small it may seem. As parents, a little more understanding and stretching of patience can go a long way in dealing with our kids. As children, a little more respect and love for your parents who work hard to give you what you need. Just a little can go so far. May God Bless our Families…

Blogging and Me

At first, I was just curious about this blogging thing. I started to read about food blogs, then life blogs. Then, I created my own blog, first at Blogger then at Wordpress. To date, I have three blogs at Blogger, one about my daily struggles in life, second about my travels and the food I discover along the way, and third about my experiences as a cook and food lover. The one at Wordpress is a summary of all three. I tried to link both and was successful the first time. Lately, the importing process just would not work.

I envision myself writing blog entries often to all my blogs. Sigh…sad to say, the stories which I plan to write got stuck on my mind, until another story starts to form and the old one is buried and forgotten. For instance, in my ‘travel and food’ blog, I have been to many local places and have sampled many sumptuous dishes and yet they end up as memories in my mind and added inches on my waist. Nothing was written about them. Also, I have experimented and whipped up many dishes that got a stamp of approval from my family, and before I can get a picture and write about my experience, the food gets devoured in no time. Again, all I have are memories in my mind.

I envision myself losing weight and getting back in shape. But alas, the more I think about losing weight, the more I’m putting food in my mouth and gaining extra pounds instead. Another thing that I wanted to do is teach and impart what I learned to young kids. And yet, I haven’t filled up that form and applied for a part time teaching job at my alma mater.

I have so many dreams in my mind. All I need are concrete steps to make them happen. That’s why I am such a sucker for success stories, for stories of courage and will power, and stories of people overcoming their barriers and reaching for their dreams. I hope I will also have such a story to tell.

My birthday is coming up soon and I hope to make a pact with myself to make basic, concrete steps, however small. Maybe it’s better if I put all these in writing so I can come up with a plan on how to make these dreams a reality. Small, baby steps. Maybe that is enough for now.

Ash Wednesday

"You are Dust, and to Dust You Shall Return." (Genesis 3:19)

According to churchyear.net, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting before Easter. On this day, ashes are blessed, mixed with either holy oil or water, and imposed on the head with the sign of the cross, or sprinkled on the forehead. The ashes are made from burning palm branches blessed the previous year on Palm Sunday.

When the priest imposes the ashes he says either "remember man you are dust, and to dust you will return" (see Genesis 3:19), or "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" (Mark 1:15).

The ashes serve a dual purpose. First, as the above words imply, we are reminded of our mortality and humanity as we begin the Lenten Fast. Second, the ashes are a Biblical symbol of repentance, sorrow, and humility.

Today, February 25, 2009, not only marks the beginning of Lent but also the 23rd year of the First EDSA Revolution in the Philippines. I attended Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church (now MCC) at 12:15 noon. The church was packed to the rafters. A lot of people were standing at the back. Some were seated outside. The ceremony already began when I arrived. I quickly made my way at the back. During the sermon, the Bishop apologized for starting the Mass earlier than the usual time, due to the length of the ceremony.

He explained that Lent starts today and ends in the morning of Holy Thursday. Easter starts in the afternoon of that same day. He emphasized that this time is an opportunity for us to reflect and repent on the wrongdoings that we have done and cleanse ourselves from sin by fasting and penance. He also exhorted us to be humble and obedient to God's will.

The imposition of the ashes was done before the offertory. People lined up in all sides of the pews and took their turn as the lay ministers say upon imposition of the ashes, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." I made my way outside the church as I saw some vacant mono-bloc chairs. I was observing the parishioners as they lined up to have the ashes placed on their forehead. People from all walks of life came. Since it was during lunch beak , most people were from the office and stores around the area. Some were couples and families. Students also attended the Mass. I saw some familiar faces and waved at them. Since it was nearly 1pm, some people did not wait for the Mass to continue but left in order not to be late for work. Some stayed until the communion. While most stayed behind until the end of the Mass.

A thought came into my head. Is having the ashes placed on our forehead enough so as not to stay until the Mass has ended? I grew up in a catholic school and I believe it is but proper to stay until the end of the Mass. But, be that as it may, sometimes I am guilty of leaving just right after communion, and not waiting for the priest to say, "Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord." Which is more important, Faith or Work? I guess it works both ways. "Faith without work is dead." All work and no Faith makes Jane a dull girl...or something like that. We got to have both in order for it to be more effective.

Just as what happened 23 years ago in EDSA, it was the people faith in God and their will to stand up against dictatorship that made EDSA a success, more of a MIRACLE, because it was a bloodless revolution. So, it works both ways. FAITH and WORK should go hand in hand...

Have a holy and peaceful LENTEN SEASON to all...God Bless...

Sweet Reunions

Christmas is that time of the year when you just have to set aside a day for reunions.Last Christmas, I did not expect to have booked not only one day, but lots of days for sweet reunions.

Here is a picture of me with my cousins. At last, they invited me to join them on their night out...Actually, I invited myself...hehehe. It was a Saturday night. I attended our high school alumni homecoming when I saw my brother at the school. He told me that after the homecoming he will join my cousins for some cocktails at Catribo. Since I don't have a ride home, I joined them. Wow...I did not regret my decision. Being the eldest among all cousins present, I relegated myself to being an observer and let them run the show...With our generation gap, I find it strange that they enjoy this kind of entertainment. My brother warned me beforehand, no comment please. I would have nejoyed a more relaxed and quieter ambience. Oh oh..I am getting older...hahaha.

How about this picture, minus me, of my high school classmates during our alumni homecoming. I was the one taking the picture. I like it that way...just a wallflower, a casual observer, taking it all in in my little corner of the world...I can't express the happiness I felt when I spent some time with my high school pals. We will host our alumni homecoming six years from now. We have lots of plans and hopefully we can make it happen when our time comes. Hello to Maxxy who came all the way from Kuwait just to be with us and her family this Christmas season. Thanks for sharing your time with us Mems.

Here's another picture of my high school pals this time at 3rd Cup with Jerico Marcos, who have resided in Davao. He was in town to attend his brother's wedding and we could not pass the chance to meet him. It has been six years since we had been together. Four hours lounging in a relaxing atmosphere is not enough when conversations are full. We can;t seem to run out of topics to talk about. He's planning to migrate abroad with his family. It seems to be the trend these days. Much as we like to do the same, we just don't have the financial edge to go for it.

Well, this is a sum of my reunions with my family and friends. No matter how short the time that we spent together, it's much better than not having spent time at all. To my family and friends, thanks for making this Christmas season one of the most memorable time in my life.

Working Mom #2 : Mental Block

so many things to do...but so little time...

my things to do list is getting longer and longer as the days go by...it's crunch time...we have to finish our interim report by september 30...the documents we've requested are slowly coming in...working papers remain half-finished, if at all...and my mind goes blank as i stare at the wall to decide on my next move...if there is a next move...hahaha

so, i laugh it off...bwahahaha...after this i am going on a loooooong deserved vacation...and take advantage of my five day force leave and force myself to forget about work and recharge my mind...i can do tons of things...but let me think about that later...now, time is precious...every second counts...tick tock tick tock...oh no, i can hear the clock ticking...in my head...oh great!!!

focus your eyes on something green...to refresh your eyes and your mind...are you kidding??? the curtains in our office is green but i don't even notice it...hahaha...

so i hope against hope with my fingers crossed that i can come up with something concrete (like an AOM...hehehe) to present before our conference on Sept. 17-18...so back to the drawing board...be critical...be analytical...consider all red flags...and DELIVER!!! (pizza???)

sorry if i sound greek to you...but to my fellow cluster four teammates...these are meaningful, powerful words...see you at the conference guys...and may HIS WILL BE DONE!!!

take care and Godbless...

(due to my continued mental hiatus...i am reposting some blog entries from my friendster blog...)

the big _5th

another birthday post...

i finally reached my 35th birthday...i hope i can make it until my 100th...

it was the most unforgettable birthday of my whole life. i don't want to elaborate. i usually cook for a special occasion at home but this time i was not able to. i celebrated my birthday a day before. the same day i went to see two doctors, my cousin and an ENT doctor, due to vertigo. my cousin JOAN (bless her jolliness...) said it was benign positional vertigo. the ENT doctor concluded the same, and said it was due to a virus...hello...i have to look this up in the internet...anyway, the world was spinning around me and i could not walk straight (kiss my modelling dreams goodbye...).

and so we just ordered take out at our favorite chinese restaurant. these are what we ordered:
seafood roll, beef with brocolli, buttered chicken, pancit canton, and seafood in cream sauce. we bought grilled fish in our neighborhood flea market, by mom gave me a chocolate cake, and i made fruit salad...that's it.

But, I can never thank the following people enough: God, who gave me another chance, and never gave up on me; my parents & siblings, who are always there for me no matter what, my husband and two kids, who are my life now and forever, my relatives and friends who have made my life an adventurous one...

sa inyong lahat, maraming salamat po...

until the next birthday....chow...

rice crisis...

The Philippines is suffering from rice crisis in two ways. First, there is perceived shortage of NFA rice, a more affordable variety of rice available to most poor people, and second, businessmen are taking advantage of this by increasing the price of well milled and high quality rice.

Taking stock of the situation, my thoughts came upon the Food for School Program of the Department of Education and the Arroyo Administration, which I wrote about in this blog.
What will happen to the thousands of school children who receive one kilo of rice per day during the course of the school year? What will happen to their families who depend on them and encourage them to attend school just to have one kilo of rice on their table?

I read in a major daily newspaper that the Secretary of the Department of Education assured the public that the Program will continue because they have the budget to cover for the rice allocation needs of the beneficiaries. That's good news.

This crisis may be good news to diabetics. It's a chance for them to cut down on the carbs intake and look for alternative food choices that is healthy and nutritious. This is all for now.

love...simply

"love you ma..."

these three simple but powerful words were uttered by my two and a half year old son as i was on my way out to work this morning. i was jolted by the profound effect these words had on me. i went to him and gave him a big hug and lots of kisses. i wished that it was a saturday and i did not have to rush to work. i wished that i was a stay at home mom and had to stay with him all day. but alas, today is the middle of the week and i'm late for work.

"love you, too..."

Food for School Program of the DepEd

I will feature a very laudable program of the Department of Education named Food for School Program. It started last 2006. The program aims to mitigate hunger of poor families and improve school retention. In the first phase of the program, only grade one students from selected elementary schools in areas declared as vulnerable provinces were given one (1) kilo of Iron Fortified Rice every school day for SY 2006-2007 and Summer of SY 2006-2007. Per our interview of the teachers from selected elementary schools in Zamboanga del Norte, the program was a big help to the families of pupils because it improved the attendance of their children in school and gave them rice everyday.

In one elementary school in Zamboanga del Norte, the teachers served the same rice to us for lunch, paired with sardines for ulam. We not only inspected the rice but ate it as well. For others, they are bothered by the yellow specks in the rice, but it is these yellow specks which gives iron in the rice. It is an eye opening experience talking to the teachers and recipient families about the program.

For SY 2007-2008, the recipients were expanded to grade two to six students. But it is still limited to one family per kilo of rice. Meaning, even if you have two kids, one in grade 2 and the other in grade 5, only a kilo of rice will be given, usually to the older child.

I hope that such program will continue and it will not be open to abuse and corruption by the people in government.

Dealing with the sudden death of a loved one

How do you deal with the sudden death of a loved one?

It was 7:45 a.m. yesterday when my tita died of a single gunshot wound to the heart. I was on my way to the office when my officemate called me and told me that she was in the hospital. I went to my mother's house to inform her. We were both crying endlessly. We rushed to the hospital hoping that she is still alive. When my officemate texted me again, all the more I cried. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. I could not believe it. She was my dearest Tita, my second mother. I could not believe that someone woud be so heartless. Why? Why her?

My tita is a mother of three boys, age 12, 11 and 2. She is a devoted wife and a

dedicated public servant. She died in the line of duty. She was on her way to work when two unidentified suspects overtook her vehicle and shot her twice. She was usually the one who took her kids to school. Yesterday, she woke up late so her husband took the kids to school. God is merciful, for had the kids been with her, they would have witnessed the gruesome incident or become victims themselves.

She was a lawyer and the legal officer of our office. She was a strong woman, she never backs down on anything. But she also has a gentle heart. I woud usually go to her and ask her advice when I had a misunderstanding with my mother. She never fails to give me pieces of wisdom and guidance that I need in my personal and married life. During the time when emails and texts where not yet popular, she would never fail to send me cards for my birthday and other occasions. And she would always say "I love you" after we had a conversation over the phone.

She recently went abroad as part of her work. I planned to call her when she came back but I never had the chance to do so. Now, it's too late. How do you deal with this kind of situation? Everytime I think of her, tears roll down my eyes and I would cry endlessly. She does not deserve this kind of death. It is unfair. There are so many bad people in this world and yet they are alive. Why
take a dedicated public servant, or a devoted wife, or a loving mother?

My heart is still grieving. My life would never be the same without her. My world will never be the same without her.

"Tita Vi, wherever you are, may your soul find rest in God. I will never forget you. I will always treasure every memory and every moment I have of you. You will always be in my heart for as long as I live. I love you very much."

my mid-30's wishlist

I turned 34 this year. Looking back at my life, I can say that there are still so many things that I wish to do but have not found the time. You see, I'm a working mom. I have two gorgeous little boys aged 4 and 2. My husband also works. The only time we have for our kids are after office hours and during weekends. I have a helper but she's just part-time. When we come home from work, we take over since she goes home, too. Sunday is her day off. I hardly have time for myself. Motherhood is such a challenging vocation. I would not label it as a "job" since the reward I get is beyond financial gain. When I was still single, there are two things that I love to do, read books and do some crafts.

I love to read books. When I was in grade school, I started with the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series. I was such a bookworm, that I would read Nancy Drew in class, cover it with the current subject's book, and pretend that I was listening to the lessons at hand. Good thing the teacher owned the Nancy Drew book I was reading, so I didn't get into trouble. Then, I went on to read Agatha Christie and Sidney Sheldon in high school. In college, my favorite author was Robert Ludlum. I love mystery books. I get thrilled when their books are turned into movies. There might be deviations from the book, but I don't mind. When I started working, I was into the Harry Potter series. Nope, it's not just for kids. It's my favorite. There are still other books that I would love to read. But, time is not on my side. You see, when I read a book, I want the time for myself alone. I want to be in the book, to jump into the pages and be engulfed in the excitement of it all. But, with two active boys who constantly fight for my attention, no time for my books.

I love doing crafts, like cross stitching, making things out of scraps, and many little kikay things. But, alas, there's a cross stitch project that is half done and gathering dust. My scrapbook project for our wedding album, and for each of my kids is still in the gathering stage, as in gathering only the photos and acecessories but not organizing it into a scrapbook. So many projects, so little time.

I love to cook, too. I'm a big fan of Lifestyle Network. I'm a closet Martha Stewart. I wish I was a stay at home mom but I can't afford it. Even with both me and my husband working, the budget still gets busted. Again, time is precious. So here is my mid-30's wish list:

1. Have time alone with my husband;

2. Read all the books I want;

3. Do all the crafts that I love to do;

4. Cook ala Martha Stewart style; and

5. Travel around the world.

Am I being selfish? I hope not. Calling all seasoned mothers out there, please help me. What should I do to maximize my time, especially between personal and family time? I want to bond with my family every chance I get. But, I also want some time for myself? This is what my husband says when he sees that I'm in the verge of losing my patience, "Sweety, the kids will grow up someday. And when they do, we will have time for ourselves." Such a sweet husband. Well, maybe i'll just wait for that time and hope my wishes do come true.

life's endless extra challenges

Sunday is considered a rest day...for even God rested on that day.

For me, Sunday is my workday at home. You see, I'm a working mom with two energetic boys, aged 4 years and 1 year 7 months. I have a yaya for my youngest son. She's a stay-out yaya. She works from Monday to Saturday. When we arrive from work, that's the time she goes home. When she does go home, my dear son cries. How come he's having separation anxiety for her and not for me? It's because I'm on my way to work when he wakes up in the morning. Sigh...

What is my typical Sunday like? I wake up early, around 7 am, even though I still want to sleep late. I clean the sala, sweep the floors, wash the dishes, cook breakfast, prepare the kids' clothes and vitamins, eat breakfast, feed them breakfast when they wake up, bathe them, then I take a bath. Then I prepare them to attend the 10:30 am mass. I'm only half concentrating during the Mass because the kids run around the church. It's my yaya's day off, so it's my turn. In the afternoon, I put my youngest son to sleep on the 'duyan'. When he's asleep, then I can dose off, too. But not to deep, because he might fall from his hammock.

Where's my husband when all these are happening? My husband helps me do the chores at home. But, during Sunday he wakes up late since it's the only day he can do so. He goes to work from Monday to Saturday, and has to wake up early. I don't want to bother him for I know it's the only day he can sleep longer. The other things is, he's having contact dermatitis lately. So there are chores which he cannot do, like washing the dishes, pealing the condiments, bathe the kids. So the bulk of the work rest on me.

I'm not complaining, I'm just ventilating...Hahaha, is there a difference? There may be other working mothers out there who are experiencing the same. I hope you can share your experiences with me. Somehow, it would make the load lighter.

I thank God because He has given me a day to spend with my family, serving them, laughing with them, playing with them, or just spending some quiet time. One whole day...just the four of us. Others may not be as fortunate. So, I'm not complaining. I'm very thankful for life's endless extra challenges...

twice hospitalized

been to the hospital twice...

the first time was last week of may. my son, doldy, was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonitis. he had low grade fever for ten days. he was active and his appetite was the same. we treated him at home. by the seventh day, he was admitted to the hospital because the fever wouldn't go away. rashes came out of his upper torso. we thought it was dengue fever, and was grateful that it was not. after two days, he attended pre-school.

then, ten days after he had fever again. this time it was high-grade. meaning, 38 to 39 degrees celsius and would not go down despite the paracetamol being given every four hours, plus the sponge bath and regular hydrite liquid to replenish his lost nutrients. unlike his previous fever, he was weak and would not eat much. we checked his platelet on monday. it was 275. by thursday, when the fever persisted, his platelet went down to 115 after checkup. his pediatrician suggested that we admit him to the hospital for monitoring of his platelet. he had rashes on his body as well as his legs and arms. it was the classical signs of dengue fever. we were in the hospital for two days. his platelet count remained stable. that's a good sign because the next 48 hours after the fever has left is considered the most critical. good thing his platelet did not go below 100.

i hope his platelet count will continue to rise. it would take a while, said his doctor. i love my son and i hope that he will grow healthy and strong. i pray that there will be no more going to the hospital for a long while.

happy birthday...no rice?

happy birthday placido...hehehe. last april 21, my eldest son doldy celebrated his 4th birthday. my mom and i planned the occasion weeks ahead. placido is an endearment we gave him since he was born through ceasarion section due to placenta previa totalis. his birthday is actually the day before. we attended mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral after having lunch at McDonald's. he asked me to buy him the teenage mutant ninja turtle toy.

since the party was set at 4 p.m., we had plenty of time to prepare. i helped my mom prepare the ingredients while she cooked the dinuguan, indulsao (humba type of cooking pork), and fried the fish for the fish fillet. then i went home and prepared the utensils, tables and chairs. i headed back to my parent's house, since it was just walking distance from us. my mom then cooked the spaghetti, fish fillet, friedn chicken and squid balls. i went back home to finish arranging the tables and chairs, and utensils. since i thought there was plenty of time left, i fried the hotdogs and cheese sticks.

the menu was simple : spaghetti, fried chicken, hotdogs on stick, squidballs, cheese sticks, chocolate cake for the kids, and dinuguan, fish fillet, indulsao, rice, fruit salad for the adults. we invited around fifty people composed of his playmates from our neighborhood, his ninongs and ninangs, a few of our officemates, and our family. i prepared assorted candies for the kids and some balloons.

it was nearly 4 p.m. and i was still frying the cheese sticks. my brother helped me finish the rest as i rush to dress doldy and his little brother, kyle, with their new tshirt courtesy of their papa don, my brother. some guests started to arrive and i was waiting or my mom to help me plate the dishes. she was so exhausted, so i had to do it myself. my sister in law, angging, helped me. lo and behold, as i was putting the food in their serving platters, there was no rice. aarrgghhh...we forgot the rice!!! hahaha...i instructed my father in law to cook rice and told my husband to buy some at the nearest restaurant. as i completed the buffet table with all the food, i mingled with the guests. it was nearly 5 p.m. when the party started. so far, so good.

i entertained the guests while refilling the serving platters. the children got their bag of goodies and balloons. my husband was watching over them. he said that the children were chanting, 'vote doldy for vice-president.' they gave candies to the other children who were playing outside. the party mellowed down at around 8 p.m. although very tired, i was so happy since the party was a success and my child was happy...well, time to prepare for the next party.

swimming

hubby d suddenly decided that we go swimming last sunday. it was 9 in the morning and the kids just finished breakfast...well, what a nice thought. it's been awhile since we went swimming. we decided to go to the swimming pool near our place, hilltop resort.

after hastily packing the kids' extra shirts and pants, a towel, water, and sme essentials. we were off...yeehee!!! when we arrived there, a group of children and their parents were busily surrounding the fee collector. entrance fee for adult is P25, while it's P15 for children. we waited...and finally decided to changes venue...my eldest son protested. with the size of the group before us, the pool wasn't big enough...

so off we went to pasonanca park, to the tanada swimming pool...it consist of an olympic size pool, a medium sized rectangular pool and a circular pool for children...since it's el nino time, only the children's pool has water. the tanada pool does have water, but only knee length since it was up for cleaning...

so we dived into the kiddie pool...bruugh!!! the water was cold. but, my kyle did not mind. i thought that he wouldn't enjoy it because the last time we went swimming, he was afraid of the water. what can you expect from a one year old child? hubby d was surprised, too. he accompanied my eldest son, doldy, while i was incharge of kyle...

the time went by fast...my little kyle did not want to go home. so does doldy...but lunchtime was fast approaching and we did not bring any food except for some mamon and water. one our way home, we stopped by dodong's lechon and bought a half kilo of lechon for lunch...

thank you for making my little boy's wish come true...

mixed emotions

my youngest brother left for the US of A via nagoya, japan early this morning. my mom and dad accompanied him to the airport. my other siblings and i did not go with them due to budget constraints. i feel sad coz he's really close to me. he's going to a very far place but thanks to modern technology, we can still be closer through emails and text messaging.that is why i'm going to get a phone connection so we can communicate throough internet...

this is all for now...i'll get back to you when my emotions are sorted out...