What do you miss?

    A lot has changed since last year. Since Covid-19 changed our lives. I miss a lot of things, a lot of things that I normally do, and places that I normally visit. 

    Before the pandemic, I frequently visit Manila (I live in the South). Manila, was only 30 minutes away from Laguna in 2015, and became two hours of travel time by 2019. I miss that. I miss riding the bus and sleeping away the hours of travelling on the bus. I miss the traffic and the worry of not making it to my scheduled appointment.  I haven't been to Manila since last year, due to lockdowns and fear of the virus. I have not been to Divisoria for more than a year now. I miss the place, the sweaty smell of haggling and jumping on a jeepney just to get a ride. 

    I miss going to the mall without any worries of picking up any virus that I bring home. I miss eating out with my family, going to the movies.

       I miss attending church every Sunday with my daughter. I miss going to my Nathaniel after attending church and just playing a song for him. I miss having my daughter in my store. I can't take her anywhere now. She just stays at home. She's bored and misses her friends dearly. 

    These are the things that all of us took for granted. Memories that will just stay as memories. Even if I miss these things, I am still grateful that my family is safe. I thank God everyday for that. 

    I think the most important thing right now is being grateful for every single thing that we have, be it obstacle or a blessing. Have faith, and all of these shall pass.

    

      

Pandemic (Covid-19): Philippines

    Two months from now, isang taon ng naka-lock down ang Pilipinas. Lahat ng klase ng quarantine naranasan na ng mga tao dito. From ECQ, GCQ to MGCQ. But have anything changed? A lot. Marami. 

      We learned to be aware of what we touch. We learned how to wash our hands properly. We learned to be more loving sa mga tao sa paligid, specially our family. We learned to love more, we learned to value each other more. We now know how difficult it is to be on the medical industry. On how vunerable they are. We now appreciate our teachers more, how hard it is to teach and disciplined 50 or more so students day by day. We learned the value of money, on how hard it is for us to earn them and on how fast they can be spent.

    We also sow hate towards each other. Our government seems to be okay with the fake news being shared to social media. We learned how our government seem to be bias towards the ordinary Filipino to someone who has the power and money. We now realize how many Pinoys are silent in reacting to government corruption. The Filipinos are not "healing as one", but are falling apart one by one. 

    I am now counting the days when the ordinary Filipino can get hold of the vaccine. To bring some normality to our daily life. To breathe without the mask and the worries. To have children play at the streets again without their parents worrying not just about the viruses but also of the barangay patrol (to check on them whether the protocol is being followed or not).  To have me sneeze and cough without the prejudice eyes of others. To have the Filipino go have their medical check-up and not be branded being positive of the Covid virus. 

    Normality is far-fetched. Things are not going back to normal. But we must now prepare for a larger, more dangerous kind of pandemic. 

    

Nathaniel Edwin: An Angel's Story

This is the story of my Trisomy-18 baby, Nathaniel.

March 2018

        Holy week was observed earlier than usual. My family and I set forth on seeing some old churches on our way to Batangas. Our first stop was the church of St. Padre Pio in Tanauan. My first time there, I silently prayed to St. Padre Pio to help me conceive again. It was what Ikay and I wanted. 

April 2018

        Everything was normal within our busy schedule, except for the fact that I was already pregnant by this month and still not know it. This was also the time that my husband and I had a huge fight. 

May 2018

        I was a week late and I remember testing around 5 am on the 3rd. It came back positive and I messaged my sister half across the globe because I wasn't sure if what I am seeing is true. I did not tell my husband right away because I was so shocked. For almost 10 years of trying to get me pregnant and wanting to be a mother again, I remember crying while making a silent prayer of thanks to Papa God for making my wish come true. 

June - August 2018

        

        Every test done to me was okay. Although I had a harder first trimester than my first born, I had already an inclination that this will be a "boy". Our firstborn was nicknamed "Ikay". So, at 15 weeks, I already named him our "Ikoy".  We saw him on his 8th week via trans-vaginal ultrasound. We heard his heartbeat at 12 weeks via doppler. My whole family was ecstatic for another baby in the household. I had several test which I aced at around 15 weeks up to 23rd week. 

    

        Before I hit the 24th week, My doctor told me to have a congenital anomaly scan, a required scan for high-risk pregnancy since I am on the advance side of maternal age.

September 2018

        We had the anomaly scan a day before my 24th week. And right there, the doctor told me that there was something wrong with our Ikoy. She told me a lot of wrongs, and with all of those my world came crushing down. I remember crying so hard and wondering why this is happening to my baby. 

        Our Ikoy has omphalocele,  a magna cisterna, his right wrist is bended, a rock bottom foot (left), and the biggest of them was his heart problems - hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a cardiomegaly, among others. He was also small for his gestational age. The doctors weren't sure of his exact sydrome, so we have to go and see a more specialized Ob-Gyne. Dr Valerie Guinto was a doctor from the Philippine General Hospital and she was the one who helped me decide on the fate of my little one. 

October 2018

        This was the month that we had blood works done on me to know Ikoy's real situation. We had to know for sure what kind of sydrome Ikoy is dealing with. I had an appointment with someone from CordLife -  a company that offers prenatal testing for moms like me to detect any anomalies though non-invasive procedures. 

        Two weeks later, Ikoy's came back positive for Trisomy 18 or Edward's Syndrome.

November 2018

        On the 9th, was my 32nd week check-up. We were just there to get the assurance that our baby was still okay and was holding on. I have no other wish after knowing Ikoy's conditon, but to see him alive. My doctor told me that Ikoy's heartbeat was getting irregular and that it worries her because Ikoy's wasn't moving as well as he was used to in his previous ultrasound. So, from my doctor's clinic, we were told to go directly to PGH where she would meet us after her clinic. I was to have a Non-Stress Test to monitor Ikoy's heartbeat and movement, and if ever I was having any contraction.

        

        I cried all the way while going to the hospital. I wasn't prepared to deliver Ikoy yet. He was still small and his chances is slim if I deliver him that night. I prayed and prayed and talked to Ikoy to hold on for Mama. The residents at the hospital were detecting some contraction but I wasn't feeling anything. Ikoy's heart gradually stabilized and were cleared to go home the following day.

December 2018

        Nathaniel Edwin Adenit was born on the 11th at 4:14 pm. Weighing only 3.77 pounds, he was born perfect. He was born bluish because of his heart. His cry was the littlest cry I have ever heard. For two days, he graced us with his strength, his purity, and love. He fulfilled his duty to me by meeting everyone in our family. He granted my wish of being with us even for exactly two days. 

       He was called to heaven at 4:20 pm on the 13th. Days after his death, the confirmatory result for Trisomy18 came back positive.

Sometimes, God grants us our wishes in different ways. Though I wish for a sibling for my daughter, God gave me an angel instead. Never questions God's plan, instead, ask yourself why you are given these gifts. And there you'll find your answers. Never question God's plan, for He will never give us burdens, only lessons in life. 

           

Counting the days

My Little One

Happiness was cast with grief
As I linger on the days I was happy
How can you smile and grieve at the same time
How can one pretend
I set my feelings far, far away
As I focus on your joy
Because only you matter
Today and the days to come.

I was holding on to every hope
For a miracle to be true
I pray not for my own dream
But for my sanity and peace of heart
I pray that you felt my love and been happy
Because only you matter
Today and the days to come.

As I count the hundred days
Closer and closer of seeing you
And yet not really knowing
The destiny that was bestow upon you
I live not for the future
Nor for tomorrow
Because today
Only you matter
Today and the says to come.

A Continuation

     It's almost the end of 2017. It has been two years and three months since my last post. Ang tagal na pala. Ang haba pala ng "vacation mode" ko sa blogging. Last post ko, si PNoy pa ang presidente. Ngayon, almost two years ng naka-upo si Digong as our new president. So much has happened. Dami na ring namatay. 😁

     Also, bumigay na rin yung desktop ko, and I'm blogging now using my phone. Mahirap pero ayos lang, nakaka-adjust. 

     Panahon ngayon ng mga millennials, and now they are making themselves known. Dati and tawag ay "new generations". Ngayon, baka may entry na ang term na "millennials" sa Webster. They are described by many as "tamad, mababaw, walang pakialam, kulang sa patriotism. Pero iba ang tingin ko. They are just like us when we arw young. Mapusok. Walang pakialam. Pero iba kapag naawa, iba kapag nagmahal (Hugot?!?).

     Our country is also experiencing a divisiveness. Since the start of the campaign season (2016), friends and acquaintances in social media blocks and unfollow each other. This is just due to their different political  views. Diehard Dutertards and the Yellowtards. Isa na ko dun. I have unfollowed couple of friends because they campaign too much for Duterte. I do not hate them for liking pir president pero flooding na e. As in my news feed is just all about the man. 😰 

      There's more to write now. I also can vent my frustrations sa government natin di ba?! After all, this is my space. Pero, I am not gonna do it, baka sabihin e dilawan pa ko. 😝😝😝

       Peace y'all! 

New Postal ID

        For Pinoys who does not have any  digitized ID to transact with other government offices, you can now avail of the new Postal ID. It is digitized and  recognized  as one of the primary ID's that you can present when transacting with various offices. 

  

         Both my husband and I got hold of our ID's yesterday. It was delivered in our home. We  applied in  Sta. Rosa Postal Office  because it was the nearest postal office that is also a capturing site. For other capturing sites and other info, please visit the Philpost website here. 

         Procedures are almost the same as  with any other government agencies. You'd be ask to fill up three similar forms, attached the required documents, pay for the fees, and have your details encoded and your photo taken. Please also note that the staff who would encode your details will be asking you to review what he/she have encoded. Take your time reviewing because once they have captured and saved your data, it can never be edited. Only when your digitized ID expired.

          The required documents are as follows:

            1. Birth certificate;

            2. Marriage certificate for married women;

            3. Barangay certificate; or in absence of this, any utility bill 

                                with the applicant's name  and address

         I think the delivery dates varies with the postal office that you applied with. When we were applying, the postal teller told us that we should expect its delivery after 22 working days. But ours came a little early. It was delivered in our doorstep within 12 working days. 

          The Philpost website states that the postal id would cost around 414.40. but my husband and I paid a little higher than that. I have no idea why and I didn't dare ask the teller because our line is getting long. 

            

She taught me.

       It was a general-cleaning day. Tambak na naman yung abubot ni Ikay. My daughter loves collecting all sorts of paper. It may be a cute advertisement of her favorite toy, or some magazines handed in the supermarket,  you can bet she will be keeping it. She has more blank notebooks and stationary than any other kid her age. And the more she collects, the more "tambak" there is in our room. Which means, more cleaning duty for me. 

       

         So, here I am organizing her stuff, when I stumbled in these apology notes that Ikay made for me whenever I get mad at her for her misdeeds. 

          Napangiti naman ako at ngayon ko lang na-appreciate yung mga notes na 'to.  How easy it is for her to say sorry, how easy it is for me too, to forgive her. Sino ba namang magulang ang makatitiis sa anak na nag-apologize na thru letter, then verbal apology with hug and kisses pa. :)

          KIDS. They will teach you things in their own little way. Things that will make you question your beliefs for yourself, on how you treat other people, on how to tell things without hurting their feelings, and on how to love unconditionally. Giving away gratitude is very easy for them. Give them a candy, or a toy, and they will love you forever. Give them their time-out and let them think on what they did, and they will give you an apology.

          Pero yung mga grown-ups, na gaya ko, minsan masyado ma-prinsipyo. Ang hirap magpakawala ng simpleng "sorry" lang. Ang hirap mag-sabi ng "thank you", o ng "salamat". Mas pinaiiral ang pride.

One of the many apology letters

She loves me!  :)

         Sabi nga nila, be a child. See the world in through their eyes. Malay mo, may makita ka na instant solution sa problema mo. Simple lang naman ang buhay ng bata, gusto lang nila na mahalin sila, magmahal at maging masaya.

Acid Reflux, anyone?

       Late July of this year, I suffered from a stomach flu. I wasn't feeling right at that time, and I kept on having watery bowels for three straight days. So I self-medicated and had some loperamide. It offered some relief from my frequent visit to the bathroom. But it just did not stop there. 

         After that week, I experienced a lot of discomfort. I felt like there was a ball of air in the lower part of my neck. I'm not feeling any pain, but it was uncomfortable.  My stomach seems to be full of air too. I  kept on belching to take the air out, but nothing  seem to work. Then there also the experienced of water brash or having this excessive saliva in my mouth which made me spit all the time.

          Since I didn't have the time (or the budget) to visit a doctor, I consulted Mr. Google. And he did have the answer to my symptoms. I was actually having an acid-reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). The more I researched about it, the more scared I got and apparently it was stress-related.  I have always been a stressed-out mom, a junk-food lover, and a soda-lover...really a bad eater. I have never been a vegetable-loving person but I do love fruits. 

           With GERD,  one have to continuously avoid some foods though. You must avoid caffeine, soda, milk, citrus, and spicy foods.  Pastries and sweets must be taken into moderation as well as some dairies. 

            My symptoms were mild, the heartburn I felt was never that painful, only some heaviness in my chest area. I never took those medicine that were supposed to inhibit the acid in our stomach because those medicine also kills the good-bacteria in our gut and makes other bad bacteria thrive. Again, after researching, I found this probiotic that can help our  stomach with its good bacteria. So I tried it first and lo and behold, it worked! For me it did. I took one pill in the morning with at least a hour before my breakfast. And then another pill at night, two hours after dinner. A week of this regimen, and you will have some relief from GERD symptoms. The probiotic that I tried was called OM-X probiotic. It is a potent probiotic made in Japan. It was introduced to me through my daughter's pedia when she started having this tummy aches again this year. In their website, OM-X is said to contain at least 92 plant-based ingredients that has been naturally fermented for three to five years. Though it is a little bit pricey and hard to find in some drugstores here in the Philippines (always out of stock), I believe its still worth a try for GERD sufferers.

          

            GERD is a battle. Specially if you love eating like me. When I was younger and things got a little stressful, I would just grab a bottle of Coke and a pack of chocolates, and there's "happiness" back again and "stress" would just flew out of the window. But not now, I cannot do that anymore. I also miss my morning cup of coffee. The good thing with all of this is that I lost some weight. And I gain the determination and the discipline to avoid junk food and to eat healthier. 

              It's been two months now. Half of this time was being miserable and just crying, and half of it was  acceptance and the will to control my life back.

Blank Space

      Words aren't coming out. As much as I want them to flow into my brains, they're seem to be stuck somewhere in my cells. Hidden away in my views. That is what's been happening to me. I'm stuck. With everything. No direction, no where to go.

        Is this mid-life crisis? Siguro naman hindi pa. I'm not that old. I'm not that young either, but I feel like I am sometimes. I am a hands-on-mom/feeling-entrepreneur/all-around-maid rolled into one. I got a very stressful life right now, and to me, writing is something I'd sometimes do to de-stress myself. I'm not saying I'm good at writing, I just wanted to write. Period.

         So, last night, I was helping my daughter to write a poem about our family picture. As I held on to her pencil, acting as if I have this great idea for the picture, I froze. No words. Not  single one. I am just staring at the blank paper. I felt my daughter poke my face. "Mama, nakatunganga ka na naman.", she said. 

          How can this be? When I was in college (17 yrs ago, excuse me...), I was the princess of poem. I even helped one of my classmate who was a band member in composing his songs. Bakit ganun?! How can I have lost the words, and my brain was just rusting away with just house chores? Rhyming words was just "sisiw" sa akin dati. But now, I' struggling to compose a simple poem. So eto ang nagawa ko, too simple but good enough for my daughter's project (sabi ni ikay :) )

Happy Family

This is my family,

my Papa, my Mama, and me. 

There's only the three of us,

but we're contended and happy.

There is always a time  to smile,

a time for us to joke around.

To goof and play like a clown for awhile,

with our laughter as the only sound.

     It's not that good, I know. The good thing in it is that, it looks like it was made by Ikay.  I know I got to practice again, but hey, at least I got something to do on my free time. Kung magkaka-free time ako. Lol.

Scarlet Fever! Yikes!

My first blog for 2015 started with not-so-good tummy ache for my Ikay. A month after, my mother-in-law passed away and we made our way to Nueva Ecija to attend her funeral and burial. It was there that I suspect Ikay picked up something. We went back to Laguna right after the burial and I immediately notice Ikay's silence. She doesn't show her usual "kakulitan" sa byahe namin. She just said that her tummy is hurting again. I thought she was just hungry, so I bought her some cookies and some water. Back home, she still complain of tummy ache so I let her stay for the day instead of attending her class. 

Weekend passes, she's back to normal and I sigh a sound of relief. She was able to attend her classes on Monday up to Wednesday (2/23 - 2/25). It was "exam week". She even helped me put up her loot bags after review. 

The next day, was Ikay's 8th birthday. We were planning to give a small party the next day (Friday), and Ikay was also excited to distribute her loot bags  that day. As I prepare her for her school, I kay told me that her poop that morning was watery. I inspected her poop and it was indeed, with no sign of any hard or formed poop. But she told me that she was feeling fine and that her tummy was not even hurting. So off she goes to school only to be called by the school nurse later that Ikay was rushed to the clinic because of her stomach ache and she even vomited. So I fetched the birthday girl and went straight to the hospital for check-up.

Her tonsils were swollen. Ikay complained of even having a hard time swallowing her saliva. It was also that time that fever is starting to show up, signalling an infection. She was given two bottles of antibiotic (good for 10 days)  and a dozen of  questions for me about her tummy history. She was somewhat diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Arriving home, while Ikay was resting, I made my way to Mr. Google, and all of Ikay's previous symptoms whenever her tummy hurts is due either excitement or anxiety, common for children with IBS. 

But this time, Mr. Google also proved to me that Ikay's recent tummy aches and loose bowel and vomiting was due to her strep. Yes, her strep which turned to a Scarlet Fever, because that evening, fine, sunburned-like rashes started to spread all over Ikay's body. 

I thought she was just allergic to the antibiotic she took. But her pedia told me that antibiotic allergies would not look or feel like that. Alsado daw at parang mapa. Antihistamine was added to  her list of medicine to take. 

A week after, Ikay was all better. She lost a lot of weight and she feels ugly because her rashes started to peel. From her face, her hands, her feet, even her little buns were covered with peeling skin. The only thing that I can do is to slather her with loads of moisturizer. All over her body, even in her pelvic area and her buns.

And give her loads and loads of love.

Tummy-ache

     2015. My first post for the year.

     Pope-fever is on here in the Philippines (that's another story).

     Ikay's tummy-ache is also back. 

     You see, when my daughter was barely a year old, she suffered from Rota-virus. Every mom by now has heard it, or sadly, one of their sons or daughters must have also contacted it.  My daughter was hospitalized because of it, and not just once but twice (the second one was when she was 15 months).  It was a heart-breaking and exhausting experience. It was hard seeing her with the tube in her arm and losing all that weight because of the constant diarrhea and vomiting. 

     

     When she was around two-years old, she suffered  yet another attack of this virus. No watery poop this time, only vomiting. It was a milder form of the virus, and she was back to her old self by day 3. 

      Then came the years after that, same stories. She would usually have these episodes of tummy aches on the month of January and May (don't know why). Her doctor think it wasn't the rota-virus. She was tested of course, every year. Test for dengue (because she would have fever and diarrhea at same time), test for parasites, urine test (symptoms can be for UTI), blood test, etc.

    Since all her test shows negative, two culprits are there. She's either having dyspepsia (indigestion) and stomach-flu.  Sometimes my daughter has the tendency to eat "a lot". If she's bored, she would eat. And I always try to control these "eating habits". Sabi nga sa amin dito sa Pilipinas, masarap daw kumain ang anak ko. Pero mahina ang tiyan. 

     So Ikay's tummy-ache is back. She's been on a soft diet for 4 days now. No sugar, no oily foods. Her vomiting has subsided (thanks to Motilium). She's taking some probiotics for her tummy. and a lot of TLC from me and her Papa. She still pass a lot of gas, and her tummy has been aching on and off. She also missed some days on her class. 

      I hope tomorrow when my daughter wakes up, her tummy-ache will be gone and she will back to her sweet self again. I miss my little miss "matara".

Battle

My husband and I are currently in a battle right now. Well, he shoulder mostly of the battle. It's about his SMOKING. He's been into it for half of his life. Literally. He would tell me that he started smoking when he's about 14 or 15. That's a lot of wasted years to nicotine. :(

I too, smoked, but I wasn't that addicted. I started when I was still in college and continue the habit for at least 5 years. I remember that whenever my friends and I would go to some bar to unwind after work, I could finish a whole pack. I smoke as fast I could finish my drink. Which is usually a hard drink because I never drank beer (another bad vice). So, when my husband and I met, I swore to him that I would quit smoking, and I did that. I did quit and haven't had a stick for nearly nine years now.

So we sort had a fight after his bout with flu last week and lost a lot of weight. I told him to kick out the habit. He would always say, "Yes, I'll start tomorrow. Definitely. I'll just have 3 sticks a day.". And I would believe him...but sadly, it's been 6 years of telling him and he's still smoking. Its not that he's not trying. He even tried nicotine patch. But the patch is too expensive here that he did not continue with the patch program. He also tried substituting candies for cigars. But no luck.

Then I just snapped with our fight. I told him that if he's not going to do anything with the habit, that if he's not going to be more disciplined, then I might as well join him again too. And that got him worried. So today, he only had a single stick. I know that it'll be long before he could be totally free of this "addiction", but I am more than willing to help him, and encourage him to do the right thing, not just for our daughter but mostly for himself. I'm just blackmailing him right now (why would I go back to smoking?)... and it is working. So I'm happy, and so is his health.

If only we live in a country where healthcare is a priority. But sadly, our country really lags behind in this department. You got sick, you need to have tons of money to pay to get well. Palagi kong sinasabi.. "di bale nang kakaunti ang pera, basta walang magkakasakit." Because in the Phillipines, "health is truly a poor man's wealth".

Play-dough time!

Found an extra time to play with my daughter last night. Since she's been asking me forever to make her more play-dough, I thought of making her some. My husband said that he'll just gonna buy my daughter some clay in the morning but buying the commercial ones is a little bit expensive while buying the cheaper one is a little bit too hard to handle with my daughter's little hands.

So I searched online and hoping to find some recipe which does not include ingredients that I do not have at  home. Tadah! I did find one and it came from a mom and blogger Sanz.

I followed her recipe instructions but did not bother with the measurement since we will be making it one color at a time.
 

 

We put in water, next is oil, then the food color and a drop of banana extract for the smell.

 

Next is dumping in the salt and flour mixture. Mix it. 

 

 

My daughter does all the kneading, and at the same time, having fun doing it.

Since the colors that can be bought in the market near us are limited, I only have the colors yellow, purple and orange.

We made a bunch of different shapes with my daughter's toy molds.

We got some fries, a pineapple, a t-bone and a citrus

And what's this thing doing here? Eeewww   :)

Sarap Pinoy

Marami-rami na rin akong kakilala, kaibigan at mga kamag-anak na OFW, mga immigrant sa ibang bansa. Nami-miss daw nila ang pinas. Pero mas pinili nila na sa ibang bansa magtrabaho o manirahan kasi mahirap daw ang buhay sa bansa natin. They need to sacrifice their own happiness by working/living  abroad so that the younger ones (their children) can get a better life than them. Gaano nga ba kahirap ang buhay sa Pilipinas at napakdami ng naalis? Ang tatay ko, naniniwala na kaya mong mabuhay ng matiwasay sa bansa natin basta matyaga ka. Kasi sabi nya, siya rin daw galing sa wala. Pinag-aral din nya yung sarili nya at hindi umasa sa magulang nya, pero kahit papaano may naipundar sya bukod sa napaaral nya kaming magka-kapatid. 

I personally can see my father's reason. It all depends on one's wants and needs. One needed only the basics, but wants so much more. Basics - food, shelter, education, konting savings for health. Others are "wants", not basically needs.  But nobody can blame anybody for wanting more. For having a little of something, for working so hard all your life. Pero sabi nga ng tatay ko, kung basic lang..kayang-kaya. 

So, ano nga bang  meron sa Pinas na wala sa ibang bansa? Para ma-miss mo ng sobra ang Pinas? Na kahit anong sarap ng buhay sa ibang bansa ay mas gugustuhin mo na bumalik.

1. Family - Sino bang gusto na malayo sa pamilya niya? Wala. Kasi sa kultura ng mga Pilipino, mahalaga ang pamilya. Mawala na lahat, wag lang pamilya mo. Dahil may maga oras na kahit meron ka ng lahat ng bagay at pera sa mundo, kung hindi mo naman ito maise-sahre sa pamilya mo, bale wala.

2. Init -  Sobra ang init dito, dati kaya mong tiisin ang summer heat. Ngayon, wish ko na pwede. Kahit tag-ulan na, rainy season na o kaya e, -ber months na, grabe pa rin ang init. Kaya bago lumabas ng bahay, you need to protect your skin, kasehoda na payong o hat, pero sunblock, pinaka importante. Pero syempre, yung init ng pagmamahal ng isang Pinoy!

3. Extra rice / Unli-rice -  Sobrang hilig sa kanin ng mga Pinoy, kahit nakakataba. (Waiter, isa pa ngang rice dyan!)

4. Palengke -  Walang palengke na kasingbaho at kasing dumi ng tulad sa Pinas (feeling ko lang). Kahit pa yatang sabihin na 1st class municipality o 3rd class municipality e kasama na yung ganyang klase ng palengke sa atin.Pero masarap mamili at makipagtawaran kay suki.

5. Pagkain - Oo, masarap din ang pagkain sa ibang bansa. pero mas masarap pa rin ang lutong Pinoy (para sa akin!). Sa karinderya man yan, o sa isang restaurant o kahit simpleng luto ng nanay mo, masarap talaga kumain ang Pinoy. Kahit nga kamatis at bagoong lang ang ulam e, swak na!

6. Beaches - Need I say more? Beaches are the best here in the Philippines. Kahit worst ang airport natin (hayzzz), ayos lang.

7. Maynila, Cebu, Davao, etc. - Sino bang ayaw umuwi sa bayan na kinalakihan mo?

So, sa inyong mga OFW, uwi-uwi rin pag may time. Ipon-ipon din nga pamasahe pag may time. Kasi miss na kayo ng mga kababayan nyo. ('Wag nyo na lang pansinin pulitika dito, para hindi masayang ang happiness nyo. Hehehe.)

A Lot of First in a Single Day

It was a sunny day. A good day to be out and enjoy the sun. Last September 26 was my daughter's school field trip. The field trip that we chose not to attend because of some financial reason. Instead, my husband, my daughter and I headed to Manila to visit some sights. Sights that she's never been too. A good day for a lot of first time.

The first stop was the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help or better known as the Baclaran Church. Going there, we took a bus to Manila, then took the LRT (Light Railway Transit) and got off on the last station, the Baclaran Station. It was my daughter's first time to ride the LRT. It was an exciting time for her. She even made  small sounds of the chugging train. 

On-board the LRT

Going to Baclaran Church brings back happy memories for me. It's been 8 years since the last time I have been there. It was the place where my husband, who was then my boyfriend, frequently visit. Even if my husband is into other religion (he is now a Catholic convert) when we started with our relationship, he stays with me inside the church while I make my prayers and "hiling" (wishes) to our blessed Mother. This is where I'd prayed so hard to have a child after months of trying. The Blessed Mother granted my wish and as I sign of gratitude, I brought my daughter to Her home. This is also a first for my daughter. Fond as she is of churches, she was asking a lot of question about the people she sees inside the Baclaran Church.

Baclaran Church

Inside the Baclaran Church

Sweet smile!

We had our lunch in a fastfood near the church after which, we linger around the shops in Baclaran to check out come tights for my little one. We got some  6 pieces tights for a mere 270 pesos. A real deal indeed! After that, we're off again to LRT bound to Rizal Park. 

We got off the UN station and walked all the way to Luneta. Again, another first my my sweet daughter, and for my hubby, too. Even in the heat of the afternoon, my daughter was too happy to be there. She was ecstatic in seeing the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and even asking me where the Bashi Channel is, which she learned from her Civic class.

Where's the Bashi Channel, Papa?

We had tons of fun in Luneta. Another first for Ikay is our ride in a calesa. There were also some doves in park which you can feed with bits of bread. And if ever you and your family got hungry, there's a lot of food stalls inside the park.

Calesa ride

Lastly, we went to Luneta to see the famous statue of Dr. Jose Rizal. Even if the rain was threatening to pour, we hurriedly took our souvenir photos. 

                                                      

Shy dove!

Lots of doves!

Dr. Jose Rizal

Behind the statue is the controversial building

            

It was a tiring but a fun day. Although we did not have that much budget for this trip, we still accomplish a lot of firsts for my daughter. Now, she is making a list of other places to visit. Till next time, till our next trip.

Atchara: Pickled Papaya

    Atchara is a famous side dish of Filipinos. Usually, it is served together with grilled, and fried dishes. It is very are affordable and has a long shelf-life. Every family has their own version of making atchara, and, today I am sharing mine. Although, walang sukat talaga yung pag-gawa ko, its up to your taste bud on how you want your atchara to taste.

     This recipe has been a money-making idea for me. Since it is very tedious to make, and that I have some allergy of sort in papaya's sap, I just make them every ber-months. 

You'll be needing:

- green papaya

- vinegar (anykind will do)

- water

- sugar

- salt

- pinapple tidbits

- pepper corn

- bell pepper

- carrots

- onions (optional)

- garlic  (opitonal)

     You need to peel, wash and grate (or slice thinly) the papaya. Put some salt, wash it again then remove the excess water. We usually put them in a clean cloth or katsa, then my husband and I would wring the papaya dry. Set them aside.

      In a pan, put some water, vinegar, salt, sugar and the rest of the ingredients except for the pineapple. Bring them to boil, but do not stir. When boiling, lower the heat, and taste your atchara solution. If it suits your taste, then its time the add the grated papaya. Turn off the stove. The heat from the solution will then cook the papaya (and it will cook easily since the papaya is already grated). Add the pineapple.

      Let it cool. When cooled, you can start bottling them. Bottles should be sterilized properly. 

Ready for bottling

   

Ready to be sold!

Heartache

   Just got a fight with a family member. A little misunderstanding turned into a real, ugly fight. Now we're not talking to each other.

   It will  take too long before healing. I just know it. Ang mahirap, even my daughter is getting at my moods. At pati siya e nasisigawan ko na rin. Lalo kapag may failing grades siya sa mga quizzes nya. At kapag hindi nya masyado ma-gets yung mga review ko sa kanya.
 
    I hate myself right now. I just hope I'd feel better about things. Soon.

Sigh....

No More

Coffee is a big part of my mornings. Kung walang kape, feeling ko, hindi ako productive for that day. I feel something is just missing. 

I sooo love my coffee habit.

Pero something is not right with my body system. My blood pressure has always been 90/60. As in, always. When I got pregnant with my daughter, it slightly went up to 110/80. Fairly normal. But I'm not pregnant anymore.

My daughter is attending her big-school. I have to get up extra early to prepare her things. So everyday, is a  4:30am call time for me. Errands and chores means coffee break is at 7am and 4pm (if its too hot to have coffee in the afternoon, I'd usually have them in a smoothie form).

And all those caffeine is adding something to even lower my bp. And so is my lack of sleep.Which sucks, because I'd feel woozy more often than I like.

I guess its goodbye coffee? Goodbye Coke (my stress-buster)? And goodbye iced-tea?

I need to be healthy for my daughter because she needs me. I am not young anymore. I can't afford to be sick. 

(Sigh)   :(

Educational Field Trip

It is the Field Trip Season. Together with the -ber months, private schools usually have their annual field trips on these months. Months that are usually rainy. Months that indicates more expenditures.

My daughter's class is having their "educational field trip" on the 26th of this month. They are set to go to two locations: the first one, to a doll factory, and the next is to watch a theater show. Costing 1550 per head, accompanying her (although, it is okay not to accompany her, but she is much too young to be left on her own on such a long trip) would mean a tiny bit more than three grand. That's just the field trip fee. It does not yet include our food for the trip and some pocket money I may need to bring just in case my daughter would like to buy other stuff. For only a day, our trip would at least cost me  4,000 to 4,500.

I must say that's its a little bit too much for an average-earner such as myself. The good thing is that, its not mandatory (she just need to do a make-up project). And even if my daughter really wanted to go, I told her that we just can't afford that right now. But, supposing we can afford it, the news of different accidents happening on the field trips of other schools is just as disturbing and frightening for a mom like me. My husband is even the first to tell us that it'll be much too dangerous to go.

So we are definitely not joining this year (we join two-years in a row of the previous trips). But I did promise to bring her to a different "pasyalan". A visit to a park, to a museum or a movie even. My husband can also come with us, and I just know that it'll be fun and cost much less. 

I just hope that the "field trip" thing would be abolish someday. Not that its not educational but the students have seen it all, every museum, every zoo and animal sanctuary, every factories of bread, dolls, and other things that the metro and other provinces near the metro has to offer. If it can't be abolish, better make it every other year. That way , the excitement of traveling for the child would still be there.

PTC Day- 1st Quarter

Last Saturday was PTC day. It was the usual card-giving day, and a little chat with your child's adviser. So, my daughter and I went to her school to get her report card. I dreaded this day because I know my daughter's score in her quarter finals examination. My daughter asked me, "Ma, natatakot ka ba?" I told her no, "Hinde ako takot anak, nervous lang si Mama. Pero kahit ano pa grades mo, okay na yun, naibili na kita ng gift e."

I relaxed a little while waiting for my turn to talk to her adviser. Turn out, there was nothing to worry about my baby. She was well-behaved in school. She's even one of the achievers (those who got the highest average), even if its only within her section and not in the over-all grade level. I am so proud of my girl! 

She is beaming while she makes kwento to her grandparents of her achievements. All smiles, I know how proud she is feeling at that moment. 

This is one of those things that I like with being a mother. Seeing your child all smiles, like its Christmas.