Hello 2012

Two more days and 2012 will be here! How fast time flies! As I look back it seems that so many things have happened. For one, we have Tabby. Second, Ethan changed school and has now adapted well to his new school environment. The year 2011 has been quite "hectic" for us. I would like to celebrate the New Year meaningfully. I would like to give thanks to the Lord for affording us favors, provisions, good health and protection.

I have a list of food that I would like to cook for December 31. I think we're "going Japanese" this time. Everyone in the family loves Japanese food. I am also considering sending my sis-in-law flowers for the occasion as I chanced on online coupons for ProFlowers. I wonder how much it cost.

Tabby's First Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Let Jesus be the reason for the season!

Tabby Poses

Tabby had a photo shoot. She was made to change into numerous costumes and headdresses. D1 said Tabby was such a trooper for a 6-month old baby. She gamely posed and smiled and goo-gooed through the photo session. The picture shows Tabby in a tiny tin barrel. D4 said Tabby almost did not fit in the barrel! The photographer out on Tabby a flowered headband said "smile Tabby" and she did. The flowered head band is nice but I think a Sun Hat on Tabby is a good idea too. What do you think?

Christmas Break Homework

It is Christmas school break and Ethan is having his fill of missed television shows and iPad games. However, I reminded him that he has a book review to do. Nine-year old Ethan is tasked to read Charlotte's Web which he argues, he has read before. I told him then that the book review should be a breeze. Then he went on to say that there should not be any homework as it's Christmas break. What can I say? I totally agree with Ethan! However, D2 said that Ethan's school has changed curriculum and plantilla and they all have to catch up on level expectations that is why the teachers gave homework to do during the holiday break. Oh well...

Diamonds are Forever

What's with the holiday season? Aside from the avalanche of parties and gifts, the season seem to be "that" time of the year when there seem to be a "flood" of marriage proposals! I personally know of 3 couples who recently got engaged. I even tried on 2 of the diamond engagement rings! Fun! Diamonds are "still" forever! To the right is a one carat diamond engagement ring to drool for. I just love the simple lines of this ring. Does it follow that the recipient of an engagement ring does no get to have a Christmas present from the husband-to-be?

Value of the Week

Ethan was tasked to do the Monday morning reflection for the whole Munich campus of Southville. His topic was all about controlling and managing emotions. His teacher informed us to help Ethan come up with a short insight about the value of the week. D2 and D3 thought long about how to do a unique presentation. They think that a mere "talk" will not leave an impact on graders ages 7-10. So! After brainstorming, I was tasked to help Ethan out by "acting". Even Tabby was given an acting part. See for yourself.

Lost Without GPS

My mobile phone is not that high-tech, meaning it does not have a GPS. My car does not have a GPS system too which is fine by me as I don't really traipse about all over the country using my car. Last week a group of young people from the church asked if I could go with them to have an ocular inspection to a probable venue for an after-Christmas camp. Since I have a van, I decided to take it so I could accommodate more for the drive to Indang, Cavite. Since I am not so familiar with the ins and outs of the rural town, we got lost! I was driving around in circles and the locals were of no help as they can't seem to point us out in the right direction. I think my car does need GPS. I better review gps units first before deciding to buy one.

Little Ballerina

Just look at this beautiful little angel in tutu!

Change is Constant

I was still up at midnight yesterday so I started to browse on what was up on cable. I got stuck at HBO as the scene that popped out was the iconic white-bikini-clad-heavily-accented Ursula Andress in the first ever James Bond flick starring Sean Connery. The movie was shot in Jamaica and I was overwhelmed by the seemingly unspoilt nature and clear blue waters. I was also mesmerized by the slim and buff physique of 007. I thought Ursula's body was too "soft". Anyway, the 1962 movie was high-tech at that time. James and Honey were supposedly contaminated with some radioactive thingy and it was funny how a series of water showers decontaminated them.

Things have changed in the last 50 years. Sean Connery is now 82 years old. Ursula Andress, 76. Now we know that a series of water showers is not enough to rid of radioactive materials. Today, communication is lightning fast. Today there are what you call website architects and that there are Network Engineer Jobs available for qualified persons. Things have changed. Some for the better, some for the worst. One day, Ethan and Tabby will tell their grandchildren how "things have changed" too.

Chef Tabby

What's cooking mom?

Tabby had a photo shoot at ATC. It was fun seeing Tabby so calm and cooperative with the numerous costume changes and poses. She was "working it"!

YouTube Downloader

It's amazing what one can find in YouTube. You can search for a particular song and out pop YouTube links pertaining to that song. You can search for a particular segment in a musical play and out comes links for both professional and amateur performances. You can choose to search on topics such as "How to bake wheat bread" or "How to dance the Tango" and it's a given that you'll be presented with multiple choices. The only problem is it takes forever to download! I need a youtube downloader now!

Electronic Pickpockets?!

I was watching a rerun of NCIS where a 'thief' was scanning (from a far) the the credit cards of potential victims. The scanner used by the thief is a method of electronic pickpocketing where the credit card numbers are easily revealed to a high-tech thief without him even coming near the victim. Surely this is fiction... or not!

It is a fact that new credit cards and even passports are fitted with minute two-way radios called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). It is a technology that makes use of radio waves to transfer any data from an electronic tag. It is also a fact that some RFID tags can be read several meters away from the reader (or thief!). This technology makes it easy for innovative thief to electronically pick your credit card numbers!

It is a good thing that you can actually buy an rfid blocking wallet online. This type of wallet claims to block any unauthorized scanning of your wallet which could lead to theft. I think I should get one.

Happy Tabby

Tabby happy on the stroller

Moo......

MyOwnPet balloons and Canines for Disabled Kids

Jenny Moon is making a difference! She says...

Loyalty, friendship and fun create a special connection between a child and a pet comparable to few other things. Canines for Disabled Kids, a non-profit organization, is helping children with disabilities gain independence and participate more fully in society. This meaningful interaction helped inspire the MyOwnPet balloon line, allowing children to simulate that experience (using a little imagination) with any animal. Right now, for every MyOwnPet balloon purchased, $5 will go directly to help Canines for Disabled Kids.

Learn more about MyOwnPet ballons here: http://myownpetballoon-news.com/

Check and Cash

A recent bank regulation ruled that the issued checks will be processed the same day and that no amount of persuasion from the issuer that the check be put on hold even for a few minutes so the issuer can fund the issued check (in case bank deposit is insufficient) will NOT be entertained. Oh well, it's a good thing that there are now several options for making payments due to the convenience of electronic payments. The novelty feature is the additional service of ach check processing at ThePaymentsAuthority.org. Surely paying bills and getting paid get easier.

Christmas!

My!Christmas is just around the corner! I step into a mall and my senses are bombarded with Christmas decorations, Christmas lights and (of course) Christmas songs! Malls are into 50% sales as prelude to the inevitable Christmas shopping. I actually joined the throng of bargain-hunters this afternoon in search for Ethan's running shoes. I found a pair and enjoyed a 10% discount. I passed by the Christmas decorations department and was enthralled by the beautifully-decorated Christmas trees. Made me think of the Christmas stockings that I need to fill up with personalized stocking stuffers for Ethan and Tabby. Yup! I have always filled up big stockings for Ethan every Christmas. This time, Tabby is included. I wonder what I'll get Ethan and Tabby this year.

Answer Please....

A graduating student from De La Salle University e-mailed me to inquire if I would be kind enough to publish a link to their online survey. Being a mom of 5, I certainly cannot refuse. So dear readers, kindly click the link so we can help Irene Chia with her thesis.

Please click the link and answer the survey. Thanks.

Low Batt (eries)

For close to five days our house was the only one in the neighborhood without electricity. A neighbor said she saw a tall truck hit the drop wire that supplies electrical current to the house. It happened on a Thursday afternoon so I readily called the emergency number of the electrical supplier so they can fix the line. Too bad, the electrical meter was crushed so the line can't be fixed. I had to reapply for a connection and the process took 5 days including the weekend. Offices are closed on weekends. When the current was back on, the phone refused to go back on. After several minutes of tinkering I finally figured out that the rechargeable batteries needed to be recharged.

Managing Files

Hubby's family business needs a fitting software to manage all its files. The business is more than 40 years old and the system used by its employees to manage all aspects of the business is as old as the company itself. The records and document files are paper-based and I thought that there's no system that could organize these. I read somewhere that Dokmee document management system can help organize, manage and secure not only electronic files but even paper-based documents. I better read up on it so I could recommend it to hubby's family business.

Hello!

Hello mom! I'm glad you are home!

House Repairs, Again!

I am in the middle of house repairs, again. The recent string of typhoons that hit Manila sped-up the depreciation of the house roofing, exterior paint, gutters and downspout. The initial repairs were okay but as with house repairs, there is this tendency to fix everything once you get started. The house is a mess, again. The carport needs a lot of work though. The metal frame is alright but the tarpaulin roofing is not A-okay. Sometimes I think that metal buildings are better options for garages. I wonder how much they cost.

Give Me that Soap!

It has been a while since my last blog entry. I have been busy with a lot of things. The tasks were just unending. D2,D3 and I put up a musical play for Ethan's school. For three months we "slaved" away!- teaching the kids (7-16 years old) the songs, dances and acting for the whole musical. More on that once I have the pictures of the musical.

Ethan had his 9th birthday too. We held the small party in his class - nothing fancy though as the party was held during the regular lunch break.

Teachers' Day came and went and D2, of course, received a lot of gifts - chocolate, flowers, cologne, bags, wallet, lotion and even soap! I got interested with a blackish soap called african black soap.The soap is said to clear the skin of fine lines et al. Need I say more? The soap is mine!

Of Shots and Call Centers

I took Tabby and Ethan to their pediatrician for their shots. To save time I also made appointments to my two doctors. Since D1 was on duty and Tabby's nanny was with us, I took off to see my doctors as the two kids were waiting for their shots. I was rushing all over the ground floor, 2nd and 3rd floors just to make sure that I don't waste time. I even went out in search of a photocopying facility for copies of my lab results but not before I had to go back to the parking lot to get the lab results in the car.

As I was walking towards the parking area I was amazed at the number of people siting by the parking lot's fence as they were smoking and eating. They were employees of call centers and were out on a break. I overheard two of them talking about applying for legitimate Computer Programmer Jobs that keep regular hours. Yup! College graduates are trooping to call centers for jobs! Is that a good thing or bad?

Anyway, I was able to see my two doctors and everything's great! Thank you Lord!

Whew!

I was due for my bi-yearly laboratory works such as FBS, HDL, LDL and what-have-you. It was also time for an ECG and carotid doppler tests. I needed to see a doctor for the request so I can charge the procedures to my HMO. I hate these tests! However, they are necessary so I comply. I was troubled though as my doctor added another test in my list. It was a test for TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone! Hmmm.... my doctor noticed that my neck is quite "fat" and thought that I could have a Thyroid imbalance. Thank God my lab tests are all fine.

Faded...

When the letters on your laptop's keyboard starts to fade and come off, is it time to buy a new laptop or is it time to just buy an external keyboard? Oh, I don't know. The non-existent letters on some of the keypads do not really bother me since I can type without looking at the keyboard. However, somehow, a blank keypad is bothersome to look at! Anyway, I went window shopping the other day at some really cool acer netbooks. D2 bought herself one. Me? wait... one netbook at a time please.

Pretty Please?

Mom... can I eat this now? Please?!...

Morphed!

My son was confined at the hospital from September 16 to 19. He has been having episodes of sties, boils and the latest, carbuncle on his nose that I thought that something is really wrong. The doctor ordered him to be confined so that series of blood test can be done. After a blood culture and what-have-you lab tests, his team of doctors confirmed that has has a staph infection. The bacteria seemed to have "morphed" that my son's antibiotic is something I've not heard of.

The doctors said that my son was infected by another human.Whoever that someone is, I hope he/she have himself/herself tested. The main problem with my son is he sometimes let his volleyball teammates sleep in his apartment.

Hubby went to my son's apartment to get his dirty laundry. They have to be disinfected. Hubby said he was aghast at the state of the apartment as it was super duper dirty. He even found a pair of muddy motorcycle boots tucked in a corner.

The whole apartment needs to be cleaned and disinfected AND no one will be allowed to sleep over anymore.

Where is the Garden Hose?!

It has been raining on and off for the last two weeks. The "bad" is that my car is muddied and dirty. The "good" is that there is no need to water the plants and grass. The sun decided to come out and shine for 2 straight days which basically meant I need to wash my car and water the plants. I decided to don my new rain boots so I can water the garden. Guess what? The garden hose was missing! Hubby decided to cut the hose and use it for a quick installation thingy in the washing area! I was so irritated as the garden hose is not just a hose but a made-to-order hose that is about 20 meters long! Yes! I have a lot of exclamations here for how the heck can I water the whole yard without a hose! I told hubby to replace the old hose with a regular hose and not an
industrial rubber hose that he suggested.

Be-ribboned!

Hello baby girl! I like your hair band! I guess you like it too for you are smiling ever so pretty!

Baby Diapers et al

Because of Tabby, I am not back to perusing baby disposable diaper shelves in the supermarket. It is back to choosing which one is more absorbent; which one is more aesthetically pleasing; which one has a snugger fit; which one is hypoallergenic; which one is eco-friendly and which one has all these qualities while at the same time is priced the lowest. Do you know what I found out? None!. The ultra baby disposable diaper has not been invented yet.

On the other side of the supermarket aisle is the shelves for adult diapers. I am quite amazed at the number of choices in adult diapers. There are numerous designs and styles of adult diapers today not like before when one looks like a larger version of a baby diaper. Anyway, it's back to shopping for baby disposable diapers.

"Soft" Water

I think we seriously need a water softener. Our area has a new water provider. The water comes all the way from La Mesa Dam in Quezon City and it is common knowledge that this water has passed through a lot of purification and chlorination. The process makes the supply water quite "hard" which means soap is not as "sudsy" as before. I've been looking at Aquatell water softeners and I think I should really get one before all my pots, pans and appliances and water heater succumb to scaling.

Of Upgraded Streets and Garage Trash

The street back of our house has been elevate to two feet. Almost two years ago, the street side of our house was elevated to. Since our house faces three streets, that leaves the front entry not yet elevated. Our municipal engineers seem to think that elevating the roads and streets in our town will prevent flooding. They never thought of revamping the drainage system to lessen the flooding. Of course! It is easier for the contractors (and more profitable) to just elevate the roads in the hope that it will lessen flooding. Wow! I wonder where will the displaced water go once it starts to rain. Do you need to ask? The water will seek the lower areas.... and that is the homes of residents of the elevated road!

We are currently "upgrading" our backyard to level it with the new road. We had to clean out the carport before we could "fill" the backyard. The place is peppered with things that were long forgotten - roller blades, two-wheeled scooter, skateboard, stroller,bikes and even a long-gone-thought-loss hydraulic crimping tool that hubby used when he was into VFH radio et al. Cleaning out the garage sure is like a trip to the past.

Sigh... the task of cleaning and ridding the house of "garbage" is really tiring.

Rock and Loft!

I was at a local furniture shop selling indigenous living room and dining room sets. I took a fancy on a petite rocking chair made from rattan. I specifically bought it so I can "rock-the-night-away" with Tabby. Ethan was quite envious so I told him that he could use the rocking chair when he watches TV in my room.

Anyway, I went back the other day at the furniture shop to inquire about pine beds. D2 wants to dismantle her built-in bed and replace it with a new stand-alone bed. Ethan was with me and when he saw a bed that is similar to the one on the right, he wanted one. Too bad, there's just no space in the house for this loft bed.

Sale Seats No More!

Twice or thrice a week, I receive an e-mail notification from a leading local airline company informing me of seat sales. Sometimes flight rate to any part of the Philippines is as low as 1 PHP. Sometimes the rate is from 500 PHP to 700 PHP to 1,500 PHP. The thing is no matter how much I try to book such seats, I never could! A niece who works in a travel agency told me that there are plenty of scrupulous travel agencies that buy these sale seats in blocks that is why a regular person trying to book any of these sale seats will find it next-to-impossible to avail of such seats unless that person sits in front of the computer all day waiting for new sale seats to be available.

Ano ba?!

Christmas is Coming!

My brother and his family are coming home for the Christmas. Another niece from New York confirmed that she'll be home for Christmas too. A nephew, his wife and their year old baby girl will spend Christmas in the Philippines too! Oh! my girls and I are so excited! We are going to have new participants in our yearly Christmas day party. On this day, it has been our tradition to gather for lunch after Christmas morning services. On this day we do "potluck" and exchange gifts. After a sumptuous lunch we proceed with carol singing and start our parlor games.Fun! -as D2 really prepares unique, wacky and physically challenging games. Fun! Fun! I guess I better start designing Holiday Party Invitations now. Better early than late and harassed!

Sleepless!

The FACE that launched and still does... many a-sleepless-nights! It's not she wants to make our lives "sleepless"... it's just that 2:00 am to 5:00 a.m is her choice time to play and coo.

Of Quizzes and Name Tags

After 4 days of being absent from school, Ethan finally was well enough to go back on last Monday. He missed a lot in terms of lessons and quizzes. His teachers scheduled make-up quizzes for him which is fine. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that he has long tests scheduled the same days as his make-up quizzes. For a regular kid with non learning disability, that would be no problem but for a dyslexic, that would be an ordeal. What can I do? Nothing I guess. Ethan and I just have to review harder. Meanwhile, it's time that I saw-on the name tags on Ethan's uniform. The patches have been sitting in my sewing box for the longest time already. Even Ethan noticed that he is the only one in their class without a name tag.

Smoker's Room

A new ordinance is being implemented in local communities. Smoking in public places is no longer allowed. And I say "huh?" I thought that regulation has long been implemented! So, where will people smoke? In designated smoking areas?

Back in the days when I used to smoke I seem to have the urge every 30 minutes. I just have to have my nicotine! While I was waiting for my flight one time I suddenly had to smoke so I asked where I could. I was led to a smoking area at the airport. I was crammed-in an all glass smoking room where non-smokers outside can ogle at smokers puffing away inside that smoke-filled room. Oh, the smoke smelled like a mixture of different brands of cigarettes and cigars. I distinctly remember seeing an elderly gentleman putting away his cigar holder filled with cohiba cigars.

You know what? I did not even have to light up for believe me, a small room filled to capacity with smokers is just too much!

Rain and Sun

Ethan did not go to school today. He was not feeling well when I picked him up from school yesterday. He said he has a headache. He was starting to sniff and cough so I thought he has colds. The weather here in Manila is so unpredictable. One moment its so hot you feel as if you're melting. Then the next moment, rain will fall hard - catching pedestrians and commuters unaware and later wet.

The sudden change in temperature is not good for Ethan. Not that he's commuting but I guess you get my drift. I was surprised to hear a wheezing sound coming from Ethan. Asthma? I don't know but I had him with the nebulizer in no time. Sigh...

Conference Chat

The social networking site FaceBook has made the grade as one of the Modern Marvels of the 21st century. Why? I really don't know but I guess it's because there are more than 750 million people all over the world who has signed up with FB. On average, statistics show that more than half of the total users login on any given day, spending more than 700 billion minutes a month on FB! That's a lot! The thing is, there's this application that keeps on popping at my site each time I log in. It's so irritating as I can't seem to get rid of it. Anyway, it's not unusual for me to login and find at least 4-5 friends ready to chat with me all at the same time which I can't do as I don't think FB has a megameeting web conferencing software. Wouldn't it be great if a group of friends can see and talk with each other online all at the same time?

Plank !

Funny how "planking" has become an "in" activity for all ages. What's planking? Well, it's basically lying facedown for a photograph. The proper way to plank is to assume a prone position - your face flat on the a surface with your arms at the side. So what's so great about planking? The idea is to "plank" in the most unlikely places - such as on a busy road, on top of the roof, on top of an elephant, on top of a moving car... let your imagination work to come up on the most unlikely places to plank.

Planking is another crazy-useless-amusing thing to do. Look! Even Tabby is doing it!

Backache!

My mother has been quite worried that my brother who lives in NJ is on leave from work. I told my mother that there is really nothing to worry about as my brother is not really sick. He just had an episode of a real bad backache when he over-exerted himself while lifting.... a bag of groceries! His backache is intense though as he finds it difficult to sit, stand and walk for long periods. He is better now and it's a good thing he has social security disability insurance. Bro has recovered but he has to take it easy for a while though.

Mud Soap in HK

D2, D3, my son and I are in Hong Kong right now.Why? We were hoping to find some great sales but! I guess the season for "whale-of-a-sale" is quite over. Yes, there were some stores offering up to 60% off but there was nothing to be excited with what these stores have to offer. I was able to buy a few items for Tabby and Ethan though. However, my son can't find anything that "excited" him save for the passport holder he bought for $20 from a sidewalk vendor. My son thought it better to do some serious planking at the IFC Mall.

Anyway, I spent some time at a local drugstore sourcing for medicated mud soap. I found some and bought 3 cakes for me! No I don't have acne but this soap is guaranteed to cleanse and nourish my "tired" skin. Great buy!

HMO card glitch

Our health cards were just recently renewed. One of my brother-in-laws has the same HMO as us. The curious thing was that when he tried to use the card for a series of laboratory tests requested by his doctors his card was denied! Whaddah? It seems that according to the HMO office, my BIL has used up all his lab works! Huh? How could that be? I think there's a glitch in the HMO's system. BIL was so mad as he ranted that it's a good thing he got his life insurance policy from another insurance company.

Baby Sleeping....

Sshh... baby sleeping! We were on our way out when Tabby decided she wanted to take a power nap first! Since we can't afford to be late, we decide to just swaddle the sleepy girl and buckle her up in her car seat. She never noticed the difference as she was still fast asleep when we got to our destination.

Dream On!

My girlfriends and I got to talking and "dreaming" of things we want to do together and we came up with a real cool idea. If we have the chance and the resources, we would like to do some serious RVing from the state of New York to California. We would do some diligent research and mark the places we want to visit and food we'd like to eat. We have been totally swayed by these TV shows were the host skip from one place to another soaking up its local culture and food.

I wonder how much that trip would cost? I wonder how much is the rent for a large RV? Of course we're only renting as what would we do with an RV after the trip? I wonder if in case we rent we have to insure the RV ourselves? There are a lot of online insurance agencies that will gladly give a free rv insurance quote but hey! I think I'm way over my head with this RV trip. First thing first. We need to settle on our budget and the date. One thing great about "dreaming"... it's free!

Tropical Storm Alert!

Classes were suspended yesterday because of an impending tropical storm. Some roads in NCR were already flooded but it's a good thing DedEd decided to suspend classes early since no incidence of students stranded in school was reported.

Tropical storm Juaning is set to hit Manila at1 P.M. today. Rain is expected so we are gearing up for a possible flooding in our area. It's a good thing that the typhoon has only a maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center with a 100kph gust of wind. In the past, typhoons with sustained winds over 150 kph caused many homes to lose their roof.

Traditional houses here in Manila have wood roof framing that could be easily blown away by a strong typhoon. However in the last 20 years or so, more homes were opting for steel framing for structural strength. Yup! steel buildings have translated to houses now.

Anyway, the typhoon is forecasted to move West Northwest at 11 kph so by tomorrow morning it will be out of the Philippine's area of responsibility. Great!

Backyard Garden

Truly, my backyard gardening is slowly but surely "blooming". As you enter the front gate of my house, what will greet you is an explosion of different shades of green. On one side is the orchid group where at this moment, there is no single bloom. By the terrace are my pots of herbs such as rosemary, mint, basil and pepper. Creepers are thriving in the trellis while hanging plants adorn the bamboo fence. I have recently cleaned the fish pond and put in a good-sized pump. I'd get the fish later. There are creepers and some water plants by the fish pond too. Ethan said I should get a bird-feeder and a garden gnome statue to complete the decor. Ummm... nice idea.

MIL's Birthday

It is my mother-in-law's 82nd birthday - a real cause for celebration. Two years ago, we held a real big party for MIL , complete with a well-rehearsed and thought-of presentation. That birthday party caused me a lot of headaches for the planning, costumes, rehearsals et al were complicated. Today, we opted for a simple lunch at a restaurant. It was simple alright for there were only 50 guests or so, including the whole clan.

MIL was dressed in her usual flamboyant way complemented with her big diamond earrings and diamond rings. This year, one of the guests is Tabby, my new granddaughter.See how cute she is. MIL insisted on carrying her which sort of worried me for after all she is 82! Since it's her birthday D3 gave MIL Tabby but supported MIL's arms as baby girl is quite heavy.

Of Calories and Sleepless Nights!

Today, I ate a lot!

I was up all night yesterday as D1 graciously asked me to take Tabitha for the night. D1 said she has an open-heart surgery in the morning so she needs to sleep straight for at least 6 hours. So Tabitha was with me all night. She refused to sleep that by 5:30 AM I woke D3 up and told her to take care of the baby.

I slept for 2 hours. By 10:00 AM I had to leave for my luncheon meeting which lasted for 4 hours. Oh, we ate a lot!

By 4:00 PM I was at Ethan's school for an informal tete-a-tete with the parents and teachers of grades 3-7. There was a lot of food too. I kept on eating for it helped keep me awake. By 6:00 PM I had more than enough to eat. I was secretly wishing that I could take some fat burners that work fast, really fast to burn-off the thousands and thousands of calories I stuffed myself today.

It's close to midnight here and I'm still awake. I need to burn off some more calories before I go to sleep.

The Force is with Ethan

Ethan came home one afternoon after school excited about his running for class treasurer. Coming from a small school, it was no wonder that Ethan did not have a clue regarding class officers, class elections et al. We had to explain to him about the whole thingamajig. It was hilarious how he misconstrued the duties of the treasurer. He initially thought that he could spend the class fund for himself. After another round of explanations he was finally able to "get it".

We take class elections seriously. My husband (Ethan's grandpa) had 10 tarpaulin banners printed. Ethan's "ninang" designed a poster with Ethan as Obi Wan Kenobi with the message:

The Force is With Me
Vote Ethan for Treasurer

An uncle tweaked the same poster and came up with another Obi Wan Kenobi campaign poster. Below are the two campaign AD posters.

The nomination was on a Tuesday. By Wednesday morning 10 of Ethan's tarps were up. I had 24 pieces of one of the designs printed in 3R and asked Ethan to give them away to his classmates. By Wednesday afternoon, his 3R campaign pictures were given out to his classmates and teachers. We even campaigned in Facebook so that thousands of our contacts were more than willing to vote for Ethan as class treasurer. Too bad, they're no in Ethan's class.

The election was on a Friday. By 2:00 P.M. the results were out! Daughter #2 being the adviser of the student council was able to text us the results of the election. Yes! Ethan won! It was even overheard that his class was seriously considering promoting him as class president for he got the highest vote. Funny!

I told Ethan's mom to prepare him for his job as Mufti Day is in the offing. FYI, Mufti Day is when students of SISC come to school in civilian clothes as long as they donate a certain amount to the sponsoring club.

Go Ethan!

Lay Low on Carbo...

D1 is back to work! She still has a few weeks left of her leave but one of her residents had to take an emergency leave. D1 has lost some weight. There was no need to take diet pills to lose pounds though. All she had to do was limit her carbo intake and to stop eating junk food. It also helped that she cut back on her intake of fruit juices and cola drinks. She still has to lose a lot of weight though to reach her ideal weight. Well, I do hope she sticks to her current diet. If she does, she'll be in her ideal weight in time for Christmas!

What Shoes?

I was at the mall yesterday looking for the right school shoes for Ethan. The black pair I bought in May are already pinching his toes. My, at the rate Ethan is growing, maybe I should buy shoes 2-3 sizes bigger than his current shoe size. If I do that I probably should buy him a piece of red-rubber-nose to complement his "clown" shoes. The thought of buying a pair of shoes 2-3 sizes bigger than required brought tears to my eyes -tears of laughter- for it reminded me of someone who did just that.

It didn't want leather shoes for Ethan. I wanted casual-rubber-soled-black shoes for him. I saw one but it did not have his size. I finally decided to go to a sports shop to look for a pair. The shop was full with people as the store was having a super sale. There were so many sports items for sale. Too bad I do not know anything about "bow and arrow" because an archery equipment was on sale for up to 70%!

Anyway, after an hour of "looking" around, I left the store with a canister of shuttlecock, a new pair of sneakers for me, a pair of 2.5 pounds dumbbell but no shoes for Ethan. Next time.

Xbox What?

Ethan wants a Kinect! He was introduced to the seriously physically "active" computer game by his godfather.Ethan said that if I buy one, I can lose weight playing Kinect as I have to be really be physically active to play it. Ummm.. let's see. I checked online and learned that an XBOX 360 4GB SPECIAL EDITION KINECT BUNDLE cost $299. The bundle includes: Xbox 360 4GB slim console; Kinect sensor; Kinect Adventures game and Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Exclusive is an xbox live subscription which I don't even understand its meaning. What will I subscribe too? I expressed this concern to Ethan and he laughed and said "Mom, you are old!"

Nanny Again!

In a few short days my new-found freedom will be cut short! D1 is going back to work and guess what?....baby Tabitha will be left with me. Yes, she does have a nanny but she's new and I don't feel comfortable leaving Tabitha with her yet.

On the other side, D1 is busy sorting out all the details of her back-to-work details. It seems like the HR department "forgot" to file her maternity leave and SSS benefits! "Quite upset" does not really describe her reactions. Yesterday, she tried on her "work" clothes and what-do-you-know..they don't fit!

D1 felt that she needs diet pills that work to quickly shed off 50 pounds of extra weight. Good luck to her!... to me too! I'll be nanny to my granddaughter!

Coming Home at SISC

The last activity I attended at SISC was at my son’s high school graduation. My son is in his fifth year at the University of the Philippines. I am still amazed at how time flew. What have I been doing since April 2007? Aside from monitoring my son’s studying I am basically the primary caregiver, driver, tutor and friend of my one and only grandson.

Ethan is going on 9 this September. When he was 4 years old he was independently diagnosed by two doctors and one psycho-therapist that he has a learning disability called dyslexia. Knowing nothing about this type of learning disability, the whole family strove to know the how's and why's of this LD (learning disability) We thought that it was best for Ethan to attend a smaller school so we chose a supposedly “progressive” school for Ethan’s preschool education.

He was doing alright in preschool. His school seemed to be sufficient so we decided to let Ethan continue his basic education there. For 2 more years my grandson stayed in that small school. I beginning to question the curriculum and methods of teaching employed by the teachers. I was not happy since I kept on comparing SISC’s curriculum and syllabi. However, I was not leaning on transferring Ethan to a big school such as SISC because I was afraid that he will not be able to cope because of his dyslexia.

When a teacher cannot spell the word camouflage and cannot distinguish dessert from desert, it is time to change school.

The whole family concurred that SISC is our only option for Ethan. He was about to enter grade 3 so I decided to drop by the PR office to make inquiries.

I dropped by SISC and proceeded to the PR office. I saw Ms. Candy, still as pretty as the first day we met back in 1995. I also saw Ms. Avic, my 4th daughter’s Prep teacher in 1993. I saw Ms.Noli who prefers to be called “lola” by Ethan. A few minutes later I saw Sir Jerry and we exchanged pleasantries. Sir Rolf and I also talked a bit. It was the Upper School graduation day so I saw a lot of my son’s old teachers and they all asked about my son. They asked me what I was doing at Southville. I answered that I was considering SISC for my grandson.

Before I knew it, an hour has passed. The afternoon brought back memories spanning 14 years (1993-2007).If I count my 2nd daughter’s teaching years at SISC (2003 up to present), my affinity with SISC spans 18 years!

Ethan is now a grade 3 newbie at SISC. It’s as if “we’re home”.

Come Rain or Flood...

Remember the post I have regarding KMBI sponsored mass wedding on June 25,2011? Well, the event went fairly well considering it rained cats and dogs on June 23 to 24 which virtually flooded a large part of Metro Manila. It seems like come rain or flood water... the wedding has to go on!

great! i'll wet my new shoes!

are our grooms coming?

yup! we're here!

off they paddle off to their new life....

Flood!

It has been raining cats and dogs for more than three days now. As denizens of Metro Manila and its neighboring towns, we have gotten used to street flooding. Last Thursday's rain brought "instant" flooding that left many office workers and students stranded. We were lucky enough to get home before the streets to our place flooded. Friday dawned gray and rainy. By noon, our street was flooded. I was not a bit worried as the flood water only reached about 4 inches as shown in the picture. D3 let Ethan "experience" walking in the flood waters. By 9:00P.M.the flood water was about 2 feet high. This was when I decided for Ethan and Tabitha go to "higher" ground,i.e. my sister-in-law's house.

There was so much to bring..sterilizer, feeding bottles, clothes, baby's linen and pillows, sterilized water, milk powder, baby carrier-and these are only Tabitha's!I thought it would have been better to just hike up a trailer with a trailer hitch to carry all the stuff. But at 11:00 P.M., with 2 feet high flood water on the street, raining hard et al, all I wanted was for the kids, D1 and D4 to get going to reach "higher" ground.

We're fine, thank God!

KMBI Sponsors Mass Wedding

KMBI -Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay

How many times have you heard that couples put-off their wedding plans so they can save more since they deem it too expensive? In the Philippines, there are many couples who cohabit for many years but still remain unhitched. They have children together, live in the same house, sometimes share a business yet in the eyes of the law, they’re still dating.

We believe that getting married should not be beyond the reach of the poor. This is the reason why KMBI provides mass wedding yearly to selected couples throughout its 71 branches scattered around the country.

At present, we’re serving 260,000 women microentrepreneurs located in our 71 branches nationwide. Through our programs, we aim to reduce poverty and promote holistic transformation - one of which is the mass wedding this coming Saturday, June 25, 2011 at the 419 DND Royal Midway Plaza, Culiat, Tandang Sora Avenue at exactly 9am. This event will be held simultaneously in our 63 branches nationwide, with the total of 563 couples tying the knot on this day.

For more information for KMBI’s full products and services, please contact Mr. Reginold Delos Reyes at Tel Nos. 2911484 to 86; Fax No. 2922441 or email: reggiedelosreyes@kmbi.org.ph; You can also text through these numbers 09159883007(globe) - ana and 09223679633(sun) – janet.

Of Kinect and Tattoos!

My goddaughter and her husband flew-in from Davao a couple of days ago to attend her cousin's wedding. Naturally, she and her hubby dropped by to take a peek at our latest addition to the family -Tabitha. They oohed and aahed when they saw our little bundle of joy but I think I "oohed" the loudest when:1.) I noticed that my goddaughter lost about 20 pounds and 2.)She is now sporting a brand-new chrysanthemum tattoo on her back!

Goddaughter said it took two sessions to finish her tattoo. I asked her how she lost weight and she said she has been playing X-box's Kinect! Wow! Console gaming sure has come along way. Instead of becoming couch potato, one can actually lose weight playing X-box. Anyway, they soon left for godson was keen on hitting the mall to look for a fitting xbox headset.

C is for Mrs. Fields Cookie

I almost never fail to buy a Mrs.Fields cookie every time I do my weekly groceries. There is something "magnetic" about a cookie, more so a Mrs. Fields cookie, that I almost always find myself reaching out for my wallet to buy a cookie. When the kids are all home, I sometimes buy mrs fields basket filled with those mouth-watering nibblers.

My favorite is oatmeal cookie but I also have a tight affinity to choco chips. On occasions I settle for mini muffins. of course I prefer the traditional-sized muffins but when one is intent on eating not one or two or three more cookies on top of a muffin, a mini will do just fine. I want one, right now!

I "Heart" New York!

My nephew lives all alone in New York City. He says he enjoys the freedom that NY affords its more than 19 million inhabitants. Yup!The population of NYC is dense for an area of 6,720 square miles. Great!Walking in NY's Central Business District could be really "tight"!

My nephew works as a physical therapist in Queens and Manhattan. He says his work has its "fearful" moments especially when riding the subway. He refuses to take his car to work as parking fees are quite expensive. More often, a lot of car and taxi drivers in the city are so hot-headed when driving that if he drives, securing the services of a Manhattan Accident Attorney is a possibility.

I don't know. I've been to NYC and I guess I can honestly say I "heart" NY!

Signal Booster

It is quite irritating not to be able to send a text message or call from my mobile phone when there is low or no cell signal at all. It is doubly irritating when my broadband provider's router cannot send out a stronger signal when I am in my bedroom. Surely there is a gadget I can attach to my mobile phone and wi-fi router to boosts their signals?

Yup! There are! I found a gadget the size of a flash drive that I could attach to my laptop to boost the wi-fi signal. I also found a mobile phone signal booster i.e., wilson electronics cell boosterthat could be attached to my cell phone to boosts its signal. Great huh?! I wonder how much they cost? I could certainly make good use of one.

Prep up your kids for preschool with Mylac XL Prep

Is your child 4-6 years old? Make sure your children's first foray into the outside world is safe and fun at the same time! As a mom, make sure you arm them with the proper nutrition to help in their mental and physical growth.

Getting your child ready for preschool? Make sure your children's first foray into the outside world is safe and fun at the same time! As a mom, make sure you arm them with the proper nutrition to help in their mental and physical growth.

Mylac XL Prep makes sure that your child is ready for preschool with its nutrition-packed formula. With its XL Formula, a combination of DHA, Taurine, Choline, Iron, and Iodine, your child will find preschool learning easy and fun! Packed with vitamins and minerals, Mylac XL Prep will give your child the added boost against diseases so he/she stays healthy and alert for school.

It also comes in delicious chocolate and milk flavors your kids will truly love. So if it's getting ready for preschool, count on Mylac XL Prep for your child!

Is your child 4-6 years old? If yes, then you are entitled to receive a FREE gift pack from Mylac XL Prep! Click here to register. Hurry while supplies last!

Baby Girl

After five children and a grandson, I thought I am one tough cookie when it comes to birthing and related baby "deliveries". How wrong I was! When one of my daughters called and said she was having premature contractions,I think my head spun a bit. I texted hubby and told him that our daughter was about to give birth ahead of schedule. Later, he said that he was so surprised by my text message that he dropped a box of bearings he was carrying. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the baby girl was delivered 3 weeks in advance. Yes! I have a new granddaughter!

Commission?

It was time to renew the family's health insurances.D2 and D4 opted out since they have their own health insurance cards.I now have the new cards with me and my only complaint is that the pictures in the IDs do not closely resemble us now as the pictures are 4 years old!

Anyway, a friend of mine asked for the contact number of my insurance broker for her two sons are interested in subscribing for an affordable term life insurance. I gave i to her and I think the sons and my insurance broker did business. Question: Do I get a commission? Ha Ha Ha! Kidding...

Plastic-lessWednesday

I was quite surprised that SM Hypermart now has a "plastic-less" day every Wednesday. No plastics for the groceries please... only smallish paper bags that would not hold if cold or wet stuff is put in. The solution? The baggers have canned-good boxes for the really heavy, wet and frozen groceries. As the cashier ran each item through barcode scanner I remembered that I have big reusable plastic bags from S&R in my car. I told the bagger to hang on for a minute as I'll get my reusable plastic bags in the car. When all the items were bagged and I was ready to go home, I thought it was quite amusing to lug 2 big bags with the logo of S&R filled with items I bought from SM.

Fit or Fat

Now I believe that as one grows older, metabolism slows down. I eat basically the same amount of food and sometimes less than usual but I still seem to be gaining weight. As Ethan says, my tummy and triceps are wobbly. The days of firm and buff muscles are gone and sometimes I just can't help but be amazed as how the years went by.

Anyway, I am not fat, just pleasantly "rounded". I received an email ad campaign re lipozene reviews. It claims of guaranteed weight loss. Hmmm...I am really skeptical about these diet pills and the likes. I think I just try to eat less than usual and maybe go back to jogging or brisk walking.

Anti-Wrinkle Cream

"But mom, you are old!" quipped my 8-year old grandson. Ethan is so obsessed with my wrinkly face and wobbly tummy that at times I feel like "bursting" because I don't want the wrinkles and flabs too!

I saw this ad about a supposedly anti-wrinkle cream that could only be sourced from a legitimate dermatologist. Prevage is topical;y applied anti-aging-wrinkle cream from Allergen, the maker of Botox. This skin care product is said to correct the damage caused by the sun,pollution and other toxins from the environment. Alright, where do I sign up for that prevage elizabeth argen prevage, oh I mean Prevage skin cream. I want!

Great Graphics at Fotolia

I have been meaning to change my blog design for almost a year now. The thing is, I can't get anyone to redesign my blog. The free web templates are not for me.I want my site customized as I need to have certain functions and features integrated. There was one web designer whose sample websites I found interesting but he was too busy to accommodate me. Another web designer I was referred to charges too much. I just can't find anyone to revamp my blog! Anyone?!

In my quest to find a talented and affordable web designer,I stumbled on a site that lets you download photos, vectors, illustrations and videos for credits.Of course you have to buy credits but the downloadable graphics are so worth the money. Graphics are downloadable in different sizes. The larger the picture, the more credits you shell out. For those who are into graphic and website designs, Fotolia is the site to consider. The library is updated daily and currently the site has 10,621,431 photos in JPEG format and 1,375,398 illustrations in JPEG format.That's a lot of graphics!

I have been downloading photos and illustrations. The problem is,I can't really decide which are the ones that I want.Hmm...I want them all. You won't have trouble searching for pictures as you can search by category (representative and conceptual) by country or by gallery. No sweat!

Clearing the Closets

For the last 3 weeks, my girls and I have been clearing our rooms and closets from things that we no longer use. The process was one big headache. It was almost impossible to decide which ones to put in the bags for charity, which ones to keep and which ones hand over to specific persons. It took us about 25 large garbage bags and 5 large boxes before we were able to make a semblance of order in our closets and bedrooms. The "trash" and "waste" were unbelievable. My girls and I horded stuff! I even found new clothes, shoes and unopened toys, baseball gifts and numerous expired beauty products hiding in nooks in the closets. Is the house clear of unused stuff now?

Almost.

Business Software

I have been telling my husband that their family business's office management system is obsolete. Almost everything is still done manually and the computers are only used for writing correspondence and playing computer games! The OS system the computer has is 10 years old and I doubt if anyone in the office knows about Windows 7.

I came across a software aptly called inetsoft business intelligence softwareand I do believe hubby's family business can make use of this software. Heck, their whole line of affiliated businesses can improve and organize their business by using this software. I wonder how much it costs.

Old Clothes Away!

For the past week, my girls and I have been clearing our closets of clothes we have not worn for more than a year.Well, it is funny how I still have clothes gathering dust in one corner of my closet. Between the five of us, including Ethan, we filled up 25 large garbage bags with old clothes, shoes and accessories.I even saw some sexy costumes tucked under new towels in my closet. I have no idea whose the costumes are but they are not mine,definitely. Was it me who bought those outfits? Hmm.. the pieces look unworn though.

I took the old clothes to the church in time for the rummage sale this Sunday.No, I didn't include the "outfits".

Life Imitates Cartoons

Got this picture from an FB post. Hilarious!

Need I say more?

Additional Income

My friend who lives in LA just called.It has been ages since we last saw (and talked)with each other and wow!, we had a lot to talk about. It seems like she is not earning enough to make ends meet. Well, time is really hard and I guess she is not the only one who is on a tight budget. She said she is eyeing another job, an online one that she could manage after regular office work. She says the work is about insurance. Great huh? I wish her well.

Flowers for Mother

D3 texted me and asked what we will be doing on Sunday. I replied "go to church, go home, have lunch and an afternoon of catching up on missed episodes of NCIS 8". D3 said we should have lunch since it's Mothers' Day this Sunday. I argued that it's on May 15 but D3 said "mom, it's every second Sunday of May". Oh! I forgot that May 1 fell on a Sunday.

What to do? I have no planned anything for my mother. I guess we have to come to her place and treat her out on this special day. I wonder if I should just call a florist friend of mine and ask if her shop offers any mothers day flowers special. Mama would love that especially if the flowers are multi-colored gerberas.

So, have any of you planned anything special for your moms?

Fountain of Youth?

What exactly is hgh human growth hormone? Yup!I do know that HGH stands for human growth hormone and I have always equated that with "growth hormone" per se. It seems like I was wrong. HGH actually helps a person gain vitality, resilience, energy, youthful looks and beauty. HGH is naturally produced by the pituitary gland but by age 30,the production falls back considerably thereby accelerating the aging process. The less HGH hormone a person has, the more that person prone to weight gain, acne, muscle loss, wrinkles and aging. Ok...so where can I get this fountain of youth?

Thor!

The kids, Ethan and I watched THOR in 3D last night. Okay, it was a bit discomforting wearing those 3D "glasses" as I had to put them over my own pair of glasses. I got a little dizzy too for it is not everyday that fire, thunder and hammer seem to come right out of the screen to particularly hit me! And who is this actor who played the role of Thor?! He is gorgeous and scrumptious! The movie is alright. I liked it, but between Iron Man and Thor, hello?... Iron Man is still my fave. However, take a good look at Thor aka Chris Hemsworth.

Water Ahoy!

My friend asked me where she could window-shop for commercial pumps. She and her hubby are in the process of revamping the water line of their commercial building. The local water supply company upgraded its mains.There is no longer a need for commercial buildings to dig their own water wells for the water company will now be able to service all. However the need for a commercial grade water pump is needed to pump water up the 5th floor water storage tank. I wonder how much a 2HP water pump costs.

WIlliam and Kate Wedding Kiss!

It was speculated that Prince William's and Princess Catherine's wedding cost $32M! That is a lot of money! However, report say that since the affair was not a state affair, the expenses were (allegedly) shouldered by the Queen herself, Prince Charles and Kate's dad. Hmmm... Anyway, take a good look on the girl at the bottom left. She says it all. Congratulations to the newly weds. May God Bless your union.

Easter Morning

Easter has always been a special part of our family's observance of Holy Week. Sunrise Service or Worship has been an integral part of my childhood "religious" experience. I have no idea back then as to the meaning of Easter Sunday, but since everyone in the family went to Sunrise Service, I tagged along.

Easter early morning service was always set at 5:00 A.M. For the longest time during my childhood days, the sound of the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel woke me up at around 4:00 A.M. It was my Tiya Viring (Aunt) who took it to herself to wake up the whole household (and our neighbors) with the loud "singing" of the record player.

Sunrise Service has always been "fun" as our church was creative enough to set the worship service outdoors. It was nice to attend church sitting on the grass or on mats spread on rocky terrain.

Years passed and the "tradition" of Holy Week went on. As I grew older and started a family, the tradition lived on. There was one glaring difference though. I now know the true meaning of Holy Week. I know that our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from sins and give us everlasting life. I now know that death did not defeat Christ as in the third day he arose from the grave and ascend to heaven. I now know that traditions will not save us but repenting for our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior will.

No one is perfect. No one is sinless. But the good news is, we have a loving and gracious Father in heaven that is ready to forgive if we seek for forgiveness.

Happy Easter!

Lose Weight the Right Way

HCG injections Austin is actually a supervised weight loss and wellness program by medical doctors. More often than not, a lot of overweight persons opt to "crash" diet on their own by drastically limiting their food intake. A drastic change in the intake of solids and liquids can cause imbalance in electrolytes in the body's system leading to dehydration. Well, losing body fluids is NOT weight loss! It is always best to seek the services of qualified professionals if one wants to lose weight systematically and effectively.

Lost Earrings

I lost an earring. This should not be a biggie as I have other sets. However, this pair is quite special as it is a pair of loop earrings. Currently, I am more adapted to loop earrings as stud earrings have the tendency to fall-off from my right lobe - too-big-an-ear hole!. Anyway, traditional loop earrings are "boring". Surely there is another style that would suit my needs? There is! I saw this pair of earrings from chamilia designs. I love it! I want a pair...now!

Clarisa C. David aka Calpy

The good Lord has decided that it is time for dearest Calpy to hang her apron, so to speak, here on earth. After 18 days of fighting for her undiagnosed disease. She fought well. There were so many "what-if's" but at the end of it all, it was time for Calpy to leave everything she loves on this earth to finally join her Maker.

She left behind a loving and grief-stricken husband, an 8 year old son, two daughters ages 2 years old and the other one, 8 months.

Her family and circle of friends will terribly miss little Ms Bubbly. She was so full of life and passion that it is so hard to accept that in a little more than 2 weeks, she has left us.

Calpy has touched so many lives. She has brought joy to all those who were able to know her. She has a lot of dreams for her family left unfulfilled.

The world goes on. There are no "bus stops" where you can alight when things get bumpy. All aboard! God will make a way when there seems to be n0 way.

May the Lord God grant Calpy's family peace that passes all understanding.

14344 Calps!

Text Messaging Cheats

I have grown tired of receiving spam text messages and emails about purportedly winnings from online lotto or inheritances or raffle draws. I probably receive a minimum of 5 such letters on a daily basis. I really do not mind emails such as best testosterone boosters for after all these are just email ads that boast of products that I don't have to "buy".

I know a couple who was sucked-in big time to one of these text messaging scams. The husband received a text message informing him that he won 700,000 PHP from PAGCOR, a gaming institute here in the Philippines. He was asked to produce 60,000 PHP to facilitate the release of the winnings. He was able to deposit 30,000 PHP before he told me and a group of friends about it. We told him not to produce the other half as the winning is scam. He and his wife did not believe us. To date, they still owe some people who lent them part of the 60 K they lost in this scam.

Caloric Input and Output

Remember the diet pill that was taken off the shelf about 5 years ago? Well, it's back in all its lose weight-effective-splendor. Adapexin is now adapexin-p and it has been reported that its two main ingredients, Phenylethylamine and Glucomannan, are really effective in losing weight. Phenylethylamine is known to suppress appetite and hunger while Glucomannan is a fiber that makes one feel full (and trigger one to stop eating). Of course there is no such thing as a miracle pill to lose weight as at the end of the day, one has to take in account calorie input and output. In other word, exercise and eat less to lose weight!

A Prayer for Japan

What's the truth behind Japan's nuclear leak? Is it under control? Are the people living within the so-called "safety zones" really safe? Why is there news that even the produce from as far as southern Japan are now contaminated? Why is there news that the people working to contain the nuclear plants are now likened to "samurais" because of their readiness to "die" to save the nation. I commend these Japanese workers. I salute them!

There are talks that "jumpers" (workers who jump-in the highly radioactive areas to quickly fix or check the status of the cooling system) are being enticed to work for them at a whopping $5,000 per day. No one has taken the offer just yet. However there are some older (50+) workers who are considering the job. There are wisecracks that the CEO of the nuclear plants should be the one working on the dangerous job. The question is: "Are the CEOs qualified to do the work?"

For those who believe in the miracle of prayers, let us continue to pray that Japan will quickly contain the nuclear problem and that the people of Japan be kept safe.

Morning Workout

Finally! D4 got disgusted with her extra flab that she decided to enroll in a fitness center. She decided to grab the promo offer and I think she got the classes for a bargain. Inclusive in her package is one-on-one sessions with a trainer. Her work is from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Most of the time she works out after office hours. Sometime though, she is too tired to workout after a day's work. She decided to work out before office hours. She leaves the house with D1 at 5:30 AM then works out from 6:15 to 7:45 AM. I told her to drink milk or any pre workout supplement so she would have the energy to workout. Did she listen? I have to ask.

HK Trip

The HK trip was my son's first trip abroad. He was so excited that the first night, he asked permission if he could walk along the streets of Tsim Sha Tui. "Go ahead! but take my mobile phone in case you get lost", I said. I guess my son had a field trip as he wove in and out of the side streets in between Nathan and Chatham Roads. He said he sampled a lot of street food and found bargain shops. He even thought of buying his dad new pool sticks as he chanced upon a small shop that sell billiard stuff. The highlight of his "walk" was when he went inside a store that he thought sold Cosplay costumes. Oh, how wrong he was!

Birthday Weekend

We spent my birthday weekend in Hong Kong. We were all so excited as this was our first trip abroad together. The happy tourists were D1, D2, D3, D4, my son, Ethan, my mama, Jan and myself. We booked a hotel but did not make any transportation arrangement. We took public transport and it was fine. My birthday was on March 11. Yes, as we were happy gallivanting all over HK, the Japan earthquake and tsunami occurred!

The photo at right was taken in Ocean Park. Some of the attractions were closed, but the dophin show was not. It has been ages since I last saw one. Dolphins should be out in the sea and not performing for humans! So what were we doing in Ocean Park? The kids wanted to try the free-fall ride.