A Day of Simple Joys

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Last, last Sunday, which was... errrr... two weeks ago (hating myself now for late posts) my family went on our usual routine. Heard mass at 9am, family bonding time after. We decided to just have a simple lunch at Mall of Asia, window-shop, and buy some necessities (which are usually Keisha-related). 

It felt great to bring Keisha to MOA again, this time walking like there's no tomorrow, stopping only because she got tired.

We got there really early, around 10:30am, and the mall has just opened. Which means... no stressful queues! Yey! We got good seats inside our restaurant of choice for the day, Savory Restaurant. 

Pancit, Savory Chicken, Fish Fillet in Mushroom and Cheese Sauce, and Turon with Sesame Seeds

We just looove Chinese food, simply because it's always a complete meal. Appetizer, rice, main course, and even dessert... just like we want it. :) Love how it's tasty and nutritious at the same time...

Lunch was amazing. It wasn't anything grand, but it was delicious and filling all the same. However, it wasn't really the great food that made my day. It was to see Keisha walking around so actively again. :) We went to Powerbooks to pass our time. And she was just unstoppable! 

She must have been so fascinated with the shelf after shelf and rows after rows of books that she didn't want to leave. :)

Hopefully, by the time we go back, we'd have enough to take her book shopping. :)

This past Sunday was another simple celebration of a great week that we had. After our very 'eventful' mass (Keisha did the 'deed'...and the restrooms were all closed! :) ), we headed on to every Filipino kid's favorite fastfood...JOLLIBEE! 

I simply love this Pinoy version of McDonald's because it really captures the Filipino tastebuds' preference for savory, tasty food. :) Filipinos love their burgers with sufficient dressing, their spaghetti with heaps of sauce, and their chicken... juicy! :) Oh, I remember good old days of Jollibee treats from my mom and dad...and it feels so good to be able to do it with my Keisha too. :)

 We had such a fulfilling and wonderful time these past two Sundays, despite our lack of a budget to do more fun stuff. :)

And indeed, happiness is a family filled with love, hope, and praise for God... 

Maybe we didn't to get to go that great theme park, or went shopping, or had lunch at posh     restaurants... But our past two simple Sundays made wonderful wonderful weekends nonetheless. :) 

A Day of Good Vibes and Good Food

After the tragedy at the Quirino Grandstand last Monday, a lot of pages and discussions popped up all over Facebook. I really wasn't into participating in any of them, until my brother posted his comment on the page and saw that he was making a very valid point. 

A valid point that a lot of Filipinos do not seem to understand. 

My brother and I believe that the act of the people who took photographs by the bus after the incident happened should be condemned, and that the people involved should be held accountable by the superiors for the repercussions caused by their act. 

That should be the end of it. 

Unfortunately though, many Filipinos believe that harsher action should be taken against them. Many also post a lot of demeaning words, and simply cause an environment of hatred for their own culture. 

I personally think that that is just going overboard. Because at the end of the day, what's been done cannot be undone. BUT we can start righting the wrongs in our culture, we can start changing our flawed ways, and we can start respecting each other more. 

I would not teach my daughter to hate and stay stagnant in that hatred, I would teach her to forgive, move on, and move forward. There is nothing much that can be done about the past, but there is still much that can be done to make a better future. 

On a lighter note,  I cooked our new favorite Chinese dish, Spicy Garlic Eggplant! 

Here's the recipe: (source: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/r/spicyeggplant.htm)

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound ground pork
• Marinade:
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• a Pinch (less than 1/2 teaspoon) cornstarch
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon red rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Other
• 4 Asian eggplants
• 1 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
• 1 tablespoon bean sauce (hot bean sauce if possible)
• 1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Preparation:

Combine the ground pork with the salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Marinate the pork for 15 minutes.

While the pork is marinating, prepare the remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, dark and light soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch.

Cut the eggplant into 1-inch squares. Mince the garlic.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Stir-fry the eggplant until it is softened (about 5 minutes). Remove and drain on paper towels.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bean sauce. Stir-fry until aromatic. Add the ground pork. Stir-fry until it changes color, using cooking chopsticks or a wooden spoon to separate the individual pieces.

Push the pork up to the sides of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and bring to a boil, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the eggplant slices and the chile paste. Cook for a few more minutes and stir in the sesame oil. Serve hot.

How to make cooking this dish easier?

 Try this mix from Lee Kum Kee. :) It works like magic! Less work for you, cuts preparation and cooking time in half, and the taste is just irresistible! :)

Life is good. Life is beautiful.  Let's spread the positive vibes! :)

A Day of Getting Back on One's Feet

Sometime two weeks ago, my little girl was involved in an "accident". Her nanny slipped and fell butt-first on the cement floor while carrying her. As a result of the possible impact of it, her inner thigh bone on her left leg suffered an avulsion fracture.

Her x-ray showed a tiny chip on the edge of her inner thigh bone. Seeing that xray really scared me. She was unable to move her left leg for about a week. She winced in pain every time we touch it, and every time she tries to move it.

In the past two weeks, I watched her cry out of her frustration to stand and move. It was heartbreaking.

Not to mention the coughs and colds that also afflicted her a week after she got fractured. Talk about good times. :(

Short of saying, the past two weeks were really difficult for me. Keisha had a fracture, got sick, and I just recently, got sick with the coughs and colds as well. It was really terrible.


Yesterday though, we got magnificent news from Keisha's orthopedic after we had her xrayed again. Her inner thigh bone has now healed, and the chip is gone and replaced with new a new bone. The doctor said we can now let her stand and walk again. Yey! I cannot explain the joy that I felt then, I really missed seeing her walk around the house tirelessly...

She's literally back on her feet now, and mommy just couldn't be happier. :)

Back on her feet now!

A Day of Tragedy and Triumph

Last Monday, I woke up around 11 in the morning with a terrible headache, a stuffy nose, and a fever. The TV was on and there was breaking news about a bus full of Chinese tourists being held hostage by a disgruntled policeman. Although this wasn't a common occurrence in Manila, I dismissed the event for something that would be resolved in a couple of hours. You know, just like the usual 'runaway-criminal-taking-some-random-person-as-hostage-thing'. So I slept on and put my sick body to rest. 

Around 7pm, the news was on again...and the hostage-taking, it seems, was not over yet. It started to bother me that it had gone on for so long. And in a span of two more hours... some hostages were shot, some eventually died...and the hostage-taker himself, became a casualty. 

It was indeed a tragic event. But it didn't have to end the way it did. It was fatally mishandled by the police force in charge of the situation at that time, which unfortunately did not sit well with the worldwide spectators. 

I really would rather not discuss the sad details here, but I do hope that the nation learns from this...for the sake of our children. 

SOURCE: http://www.cbc.ca/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now on a lighter note, the morning after this tragic night, Venus Raj represented the Philippines in the Ms. Universe Pageant. This year, the pageant was held om Las Vegas USA. I already had a feeling Venus would do well. Her exotic looks, her unbelievable waistline, and her undeniable ability to project beautifully onscreen were her major assets. 

From her being called as a finalist to being part of the Top 5, I held my breath (ok, not the entire time), hoping that she would land a spot at the Top 3. But well, I stopped hoping when I heard her answer for the Q and A portion of the pageant. It wasn't super bad, but it was definitely not good enough for the win. Nothing 'major major', to quote the dusky Filipina. 

SOURCE:www.pep.ph

Still, Venus must be given credit for getting as far as the Top 5. This has been the furthest that Ms. Philippines has come in the pageant for the past 10 years! The last 'win' was Miriam Quiambao's placing as 1st runner up back in 1999. And she did magnificently well. :) Good job girl!

Hmmmm... I wonder if my sweet little girl would one day join pageants... it was my dream when I was a little girl, to walk the runway, or glide on a stage wearing a beautiful gown... 

But really, it doesn't matter. I just want her to be happy. I just want her to be able to do what God has destined for her to do. :D If she turns out to be a beauty titlist too, well, that would be something.Hehe.

A Day of Family Togetherness

She makes me feel better, every single time.

Early Sunday morning, I had already felt the onset of a 'sick day'. My throat was itchy, and I was coughing like crazy. But Sunday is Family Day. 


Sunday is the day we go out and enjoy being together. So getting sick on a family day is definitely a no-no. Most of the time, we go to the mall and have lunch there. Whatever we do though, we make sure to have a family day and make it a tradition. 


On some weekends, we go out of town, or do a special activity with Keisha. But the past two weekends had to be relaxed and easy, as Keisha is still recovering from her thigh fracture. So, play places were out of the itinerary. 


This Sunday, we just had lunch at our fave chicken diner, KFC! I absolutely worship their gravy. I can live on just KFC Gravy and rice. :D 


We had the generic bucket meal, although I was so tempted to try out the one with the KFC BBQ rods in it. Maybe next time. We had 8 pieces of juicy, tasty, KFC chicken, rice, soda, and mashed potato, macaroni salad, and buttered corn as side dishes. 


Lunch was absolutely yummy. Keisha waved hi to a couple of pleasantly surprised strangers, and later demanded her own plate of rice and chicken. 


After lunch, we just went to department store of the mall and checked out the latest stuff. I just love the new styles for little girls, and if I had a credit card, I probably would have maxed it out at that moment just with the new potential Keisha outfits. 


BUT... I didn't have a credit card. We actually prefer not having one as me and hubby both believe that paying in cash saves us from worries of piled debt. Hehehe. We already have so many bills to pay as it is. 

Keisha playing with her new toy when we got home

Anyway, we passed by the toy section of the store, and Keisha just wouldn't let go of this toy I handed to her. It was made up of these plastic gears she can rotate. I wasn't able to take a picture of her bawling when her dad tried to take it from her.... :D


But this goes to show that Keisha now has preferences, and she already knows how to make those preferences known. :D


Our trip to the mall was short but sweet. I could see from the smile on Keisha's face just how happy she is with our tradition... she gets so excited every time we put on her 'panlakad' clothes and shoes. 


I wouldn't trade this family togetherness for anything. Precious moments indeed. 

A Day of Colds and Cramming

I'm sick, and I'm chasing after another deadline, one that I have set for myself. 


In short, the weekend that was supposed to be a time that I was supposed to rest, relax, and enjoy was spent in front of the computer, with a steaming cup of coffee (which I love with a passion), writing about a European country that allows women to go on maternity leave and parental leave for a total of TWO long years (this merits a separate blog post.Soon.), which made me wish such changes can be made to our legislation on ML's and PL's. 


Oh, and did I mention I was coughing and sneezing the entire time? August's weather is literally going to kill me. 


I finished the work I was supposed to do (thank God). But I didn't get to do so many other things I could have done if I did not cram. 


I was supposed to be finished with the writing last night. I procrastinated. So there. I had to suffer the consequences of my lazy ways. 


I wanted to make a new header for my blog, put it in new widgets, tweak the layout this way and that... but here I am, at 2:12 in the morning, managing to make only a hasty blog post. 


I am so disappointed with myself right now. 


BUT...It's still Sunday. 


Which means I can still have my weekend! Yey! 


I'm really hoping that I get to wake up early enough to attend mass with my family, and hopefully go to Tagaytay afterwards (which is highly dependent on the weather condition. August is so not fun.). I miss the cool breeze and Leslie's Bulalo. :D


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There is so much more that I have to learn and understand about blogging. 


Contrary to my age-old belief, it's no longer just about writing. 

A Day of Thinking About Deadlines

Ever since I became a WAHM (work at home mom), I have juggled my time between working online, taking care of my little princess, and taking care of my big boss (hubby). 


I've been doing it for eight months now, and well... I'm still in the process of getting used to it. 


Let me share with you how my usual day goes: 


I wake up late in the morning, around 9am, mostly because I sleep early in the morning already (like 2am). I play with my Keisha, give her a quick bath, and put her to sleep for her morning nap. After that, I prepare food for lunch. 


After having lunch, I go online, check my Facebook and emails, and go on ahead and write. 


I write articles for an expat website, and it's great extra income for a stay at home mom like me. I usually get to finish at least 6 articles in a day. That is, if I was able to manage my time well. 


Around 2pm, if I'm lucky, I can give myself a two-hour nap at the most. I wake up and take care of my baby girl again. And around 5pm, I start preparing dinner. I wrap things up with housework and baby duty around 8pm. I make sure the little one's asleep by this time, to have her get used to a regular sleeping routine. 


Once hubby has left for work, I go back to my writing (and Facebook). 


Through all this really, time management is the key. 


And well, time management is something I'm still learning. Yes, after all this time, I am still IN THE PROCESS of learning it. 


It takes a great deal of discipline and self-control, and I think I am seriously lacking in this, especially the latter. 


That's why I dread deadlines. Although I do work well under pressure, it drains all the energy and sanity in me. Not to mention precious time with my family. 


Hopefully, I get to get the hang of time management very soon, and in the process learn to avoid distractions and FOCUS on the job at hand.