1st time Badminton Players

Questions for today:
1. Do you play badminton or any other sport?
2. What sport or activity would you let your kids learn?

Share now and hit the comments box. :)

Summer 2007-Trip #4 (Bohol Twice Around)

Whadaya know? 5 weeks after our company outing last April in Bohol, Jerry and I said yes to our boss' invitation to join him and his animators group in the same island. The invitation was made last Thursday and now we're back after spending a short but adventure- and food-filled 24-hours in Bohol.

Instead of the usual sightseeing around Tagbilaran and neighboring towns, we all went island-hopping and snorkeling at Balicasag Island.

Here are some pics...

Ahh... with the boys' classes starting on June 27 yet, we still have a full month of summer vacation up ahead... Where to next? Who knows? Hehehe...

Zia vs. Jake

MAIN CHARACTERS: Jake (my 3y2m-old son), Zia (my 2y8m-old niece, my sis May's daughter)

SCENE 1;
(Jake is showing off his PS1 skills to cousin Zia as he held on to the controller while playing Crash Team Racing or CTR)
ZIA: (Slowly tries to get the controller that Jake was holding)
JAKE: Zia nooo!
ZIA: (Continues to hold on to the controller and attempts to get it)
JAKE: I said NO! Argh!!!
ZIA: Aahh!!!
(May and I rush to stop the two from fighting)


SCENE 2:
(Zia tries to plug the controller into one of the slots of the PS1)
ME: Zia... (I try to distract her from plugging)
ZIA: (Plugs, then unplugs, then plugs the controller to the slot)
ME: (To Zia's mom) May, baka masira yung PS1 or baka makuryente si Zia (May, she might wreck the PS1 or she might get grounded)
MAY: Zia... Zia!...ZIA!!!
ZIA: (Unplugs the controller and walks to Jake) Jake, o, saksak mo.... ("Jake, you plug it")

SCENE 3:
MAY: Ate Tata, pahiram naman ng extra slippers si Zia (Sis, can you lend Zia a pair of extra slippers?)
ME: Walang extra si Jake. Gamitin na lang ni Zia yung blue slippers, Jake will use the Crocs. ("Jake has no extra pair. Zia can use Jake's blue slippers")
ZIA: (Wears the blue slippers)
JAKE: Hey, that's mine! (excuse the wrong grammar)
(A scuffle ensues. I run to Jake while May runs to Zia.)
ME: Jake... Jake... be a good boy. Let Zia borrow.
JAKE: (In a loud tone) Zia, borrow only HA!

SCENE 4:
JAKE: (Inside the boys' room with 10yo Kyle)
ZIA: (Gets out of the masters' bedroom and wears Jake's blue slippers)
JAKE: Zia nooo! That's Jacob (excuse the grammar)
ZIA: (Runs back to the masters' bedroom)
JAKE: (Runs after Zia) ZIA!!!
ZIA: (Continues running and bangs the door)
KABLAG!
JAKE: WAAAHHH!!! (screams loud and lets out a shrill cry)
ME: OH-MY-GOD!!! (It takes me a few seconds to run from the ground to the 2nd floor. I panic as I see Jake's face all red and his pinky finger swollen. I yell at Kyle to get some ice cubes. Kyle returns quickly. I press the ice cubes on Jake's small hand and pinky finger.)
(Zia slowly peeks inside the room...)
ZIA: Jake?... Ipit ka? (Jake, you hurt your finger?)

SCENE 5:
ME: (I continue to apply the ice cubes wrapped in soft cellophane on Jake's pinky finger)
JAKE: Wahhh!
ME: Awww.... these ice cubes will help take away the pain...(I try to breathe in and breathe out to calm myself)
JAKE: Waah! Ma, Jacob go. I want to "hapak" Zia. (Ma, Jacob go. I want to hit Zia)

ME: (To self) Haaay..... ang kukuliiittt!!!

JAKE: Waah!!!
ZIA: WAAAH!!! (May apparently scolds and punishes her daughter.)

MAMARAZZI:(Our mom, looks on and is amused by it all) Haay... Ang sarap maging Lola. Kayo naman ngayon. Panonoorin ko na lang kayo maging-Mama. ("I'm glad I'm now a grandma. It's your turn now. I'll just sit here and watch you become Moms.)

Why They're Here

Pa, Ma, sis May and niece Zia are in town this week for three reasons:

1. It is our Lola Meding's (my maternal grandmother) 93rd birthday (May 20th).
2. We are celebrating several relatives' successful campaign for elected posts in Surigao.
3. They're excited to see the new place Jerry & I renovated and moved into.



Happy 93rd Birthday Lola Meding! (Pic was taken 2 years ago, now she spends her time in her room taking it easy and watching tv with her nurse and yaya.)
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Seeing red? We were on our way to Lola Meding's 93rd birthday dinner...

A Star is Born!

Among my sons, I've always thought of Kyle as being the shy type. He's one who doesn't easily warm up to a new acquaintance. When asked to perform in school, he would be one of those who would strategically position himself near the back making it difficult for me to snap a decent photo.

So when he was invited by Mr. Suralta, his former class adviser, to join this summer's theater class, I didn't think he'd be interested. Basketball might interest him or swimming or any other sport perhaps, but theater? I didn't think so. He'd rather loaf at home playing the PS2 or the computer.

But when I saw that momentary gleam in his eyes when he asked our permission if he could join, I thought it was a good activity for him to engage in. Practices were to be held in school and the best part is, the adviser, said it was for free. Hehehe...

On the day of the performance, I almost expected Kyle to squeak his lines and be visibly conscious. Practice is different from live acting in front of an audience after all.

My worries were easily put to rest when I saw him onstage. He looked confident and natural in delivering his lines, much to my surprise! His face was expressive, he knew his blocking, he danced, he sang... It was just surreal for me.

I went to Marcelo Fernan Theatre, with the rest of the family, really curious at how Kyle would fare as a theatre actor. I left the theater with a lot of pride knowing that Kyle, my shy boy, could really act.

Here are some photos of High School Musical where Kyle played as one of Troy Bolton's buddies, Chad Danforth. He's the one wearing an unbuttoned polo over a blue shirt.

Election Day

Check out http://philippineelections2007.wordpress.com/ for profiles of all senatorial candidates if you have not yet made your final list...

And click Comelec Find Precinct to check where your name is listed... Or you could go to this site Comelec to know which number to text and find your precinct.

Don't lose hope in our country, just do your your share. Go out and vote.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Mamarazzi, still smiling after surviving the days she babysat my 3 boys while Jerry & I were in S'pore
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Happy Mothers' Day to Mamarazzi!
Happy Mothers' Day to all the lovely moms out there!!!



See any resemblance?
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Thank you Jerry, Matt, Kyle and Jake. Because of you, I'm celebrating MOMS' Day today!

Patty In Cebu

Patty and daughters with me and Jerry at Abuhan Tres
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Patty is one of my good friends/classmate from highschool at De La Salle Zobel. She's the athletic type who used to be a varsity player in volleyball and track & field (if my memory serves me right, hehe...) and a consistent honors class student.

When we stayed for after school practices (volleyball, group singing etc), she would readily offer to drive us home. (That's right, she drove a car. Cool?) And everytime she did, our knuckles would hurt as we gripped hard on anything to keep us steady. And in chorus we would cry "Patttyyyy, ang bilis mo namannn...". She was "kaskasera" back in those days (a long long time ago in the 80s) when the Zapote-Alabang road was not yet congested.

In college, we all went our separate ways with some of my friends taking up medicine, (Patty is one of them), while some, Engineering or Accountancy (like myself). Some migrated to other countries while some stayed put. Patty remained in Cavite, I moved to Cebu.

To Patty, 3 paragraphs na ito... dami ko pang gusto i-kwento like lovelife... etc.... Hahaha... Wag na lang no?

Last Wednesday, after a diving trip in Malapascua for a few days with her (equally adventurous and athletic) daughters, we had lunch at the IT Park. It was really good seeing her and her daughters. It felt like the old times. Not that we're old, we just don't want to admit that. Masakit ba magpa-botox sayo, Dr. Patty? (Does it hurt to have botox injections?) Hehehe... Though a lot have changed for both of us since highschool, we still remain like we were before - good friends to the end.

Money matters... Yes it does.

I scoured my archives for a solo pic of myself and found out I didn't have much. This one is courtesy of my 3yo Jake and taken in our condo. Ganda ng background... mga labada!
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If you are NOT easily offended about money-related issues, then feel free to read on.

Do you know of anybody who does not have any financial obligation? I don't. Most people I know have some form of loan, be it personal or for business. Nothing wrong with it right? Otherwise, there's no business for banks and lending institutions.

Well, if people only settle obligations in full as they fall due, then yes, everything's okay. If it couldn't be helped and one settles on installment or a special arrangement, to me, it is still okay. If finances are really tight and there's difficulty making both ends meet, one could just be upfront about it. That is still understandable.

The problem lies when one simply RENEGES and REFUSES to pay. It destroys business partnerships, friendships and one's financial credibility. The troubling part is, tongues start to wag. Pinag-uusapan na in inner circles and even out...Nakakahiya...

Pretend for a moment there's a friend seeking your financial advice. What tip/s would you share?

A rolling stone...

...gathers no moss. That's an old proverb that means a person who moves about a great deal and never settles down anywhere will not do well. That probably held true in the 1500s, about the same time this proverb was first recorded. However, in this global age, staying put could very well prove to be more detrimental to a person.

During our first 7.5 years together, we stayed with my mom-in-law, occupying a mere bedroom with a toilet/bath. It started sparse but slowly got filled. What started with just Jerry and me on 1 bed then, became Jerry, me, Matt, Kyle and the nanny on 3 beds and a crib. By the time we were able to purchase our 1st property, a condo in Guadalupe, our room was bursting with our things and baby paraphernalia.

MIL must have been proud of her son, my hubs, for finally being able to "live on his own" and rear a growing family. Jerry then was just making a meager income from a distribution company that more often than not, fell short of our basic needs. It was a managerial position that paid lower than a call-center agent's wage. It was just not enough for a family of 4 plus nanny and house help. But Jerry loved the job and put in more hours than anybody in that company ever did.

It was something that my MIL took notice of, and probably made her think of ways to help her hardworking son. When we moved 7.5 kilometers away from her house, she made it a point to always send her driver to bring us food, everyday! Nakakainggit ano? :P I digress.

7.5 years (this magical number again :)) later, we found ourselves in a parallel situation. A big move was in the horizon. And it couldn't have come at the most appropriate time! Our condo was up for sale even if there was initially no plan to move. We just wanted to cash in and pay off our obligations from the profit without actually looking for a new place. Though we looked at a few properties, we were in no hurry. Priority was to be finally debt-free.

I guess God had other BETTER plans for us which makes me think we must have done a lot of good things to deserve this. (Frenemy will smirk now and roll her eyes when she sees this.) Hee! Long story short, the heavens conspired for us to be able to acquire a new place again. Yun lang!

And now I'm here sitting in my new dining room/kitchen partly in disbelief that we have actually moved...today... on May's birthday (Happy birthday! Mwah!)... There are still a lot of work to be done around here... It's not a huge manse, but enough for us to stay put and gather moss, so to speak. At least for the next 7.5 years... or less.

Seafood Buffet

Do you know of a place where you could have your seafood buffet lunch for P199 ($4) or dinner for P299 ($6) (inclusive of halo-halo bar)? When I say seafood, this is not just fish or squid or small shellfish but includes oysters, mussels, shrimps, crabs as well.

And don't be misled with the term "seafood buffet", this resto also offers meat and vegetable recipes alongside the seafoods.

In Cebu, you could have that at Port Restaurant at Waterfront Hotel, Lahug.

Ang mura no? That's an ongoing promo which I hope stays forever! :D



Inside Port Restaurant. You have to be there by 1130 am or the place will be packed in a few minutes.



In my excitement to have my mango-pandan dessert, natapon! And yes, those native "kakanin" are mine too!




Diana, Mafe, Jevica, moi and Rox. Judging from the looks on our faces, we obviously enjoyed the food. Burp! :P