Break-in to Tagaytay

I'm glad to announce we got the new plate for our car which has been sitting in the garage since 1 and a half months ago. I've always wanted spur-of-the-moment trips that's why even if my hubby was already telling me his weekend plan for days, I did not succumb myself to planning a weekend trip, except for maybe browsing the fun farm site where my friend and I wanted to bring the kids. I thought of inviting my sister and her family and my Mom to the trip but they have other plans. I contacted the fun farm for reservation only to get a "no reply". As usual, I was unaffected by my failed attempts to organize a trip and took an easy breezy start to our weekend.

On Saturday we stayed home all day and watched Jack and Jill starring Adam Sandler. I made pesto for lunch out of the almost wilted basil we had in the refrigerator for a week, some toasted nuts, garlic and olive oil. I paired it with Cream Dory fillet in lemon butter sauce. My husband adored it and told me how anything I cook is way better than any of the food they serve in restaurants out there. I smile as I feed the little one with more noodles and fish. We had watermelon and turnips on the side and some dairy free chocolates from Australia for dessert. I love being home on weekends, too, even though there are times when I just don't feel like cooking. This weekend was an exception because, 1) the basil and parsley will be put to waste if I let them wilt, and 2) it's raining cats and dogs this time of the year and staying home in bed feels awesome. For dinner, I just asked our househelp to fry boneless bangus while I fix the crab and corn soup because I was really lazy to think of anything else to eat and my husband suggested soup and it turned out really well.

Anyway, on Sunday, we woke up really early to a semi-dry ground and a not so sunny nor gloomy sky. My husband was out running early that morning and the little one was taking his time dreaming. I would've cooked breakfast but I wasn't really in the mood. I thought maybe a nice breakfast in the highway on the way out-of-town would please the little one. That was our first plan for the day so off we went as soon as my husband came back all sweaty from running (he showered first, of course).

After breakfast, we were still undecided on where to go. We just headed to where the car took us. Our first stop was...the Picnic Grove in Tagaytay. Haha! It was old and there were a lot of people, and several ponies welcomed us. Men were stopping our car, asking us to come ride the poor ponies for only 150 pesos for all three of us! My husband was really pissed by the sight of the place but we were already inside and all I could do was laugh at the misadventure while little one was snoozing by my breasts (he nursed all throughout the trip but at least he was quiet). I wanted to show him the poor ponies but he wouldn't wake up until we've parked the car near the payment office (We had to pay fifty pesos per head and 35 for parking for that awful place!). We walked to the view peak were we saw a magnificent view of Taal, definitely one of the best I've seen in my life. The air was cold and it sort of reminded me of Baguio. The little one is up by this time and enjoying the greenery and all the kids around him walking and holding cotton candy. We took pictures and watched the zipline. After about thirty minutes or so, we left the place and imagined it would be the last we'll be there.

Since the Good Shepherd convent is just a stone's throw away, my husband suggested we go there and get some ube jam for our parents. We also got to snack on some empanadas, guyabano shake and buko juice. We loved the snack as much as we love their ube jam. I got all nostalgic about eating convent-nuns-prepared food, being a Catholic school girl myself and growing up eating canteen food prepared by the sisters.

This quick out of town trip was really turning out to be what we expected: nothing less than an ideal family trip. We headed to the town proper for lunch and since we didn't have any restaurant in mind yet, we almost took a chance with Chic-boy. Glad we ended up in Antonio's Grill instead. Finally, a redemption moment from Picnic Grove! The place is huge and we love the airy feel inside, something to expect when you're in Tagaytay and with all those big ceiling fans! My husband tells me he loves the veranda or the porch. The little one liked the girls, I mean the little girls who were dining with us with their mums and dad. He kept on chasing this girl who was about his age but much taller! Haha. There was also this bigger girl who was with her sister and grandparents. She was wearing a yellow top and pink eyeglasses. She kept on smiling at Inigo and she was the cutest. It turned out Inigo was also smiling at her and he was touching the girl already (he was probably fascinated with her yellow shirt) and giving her a packet of brown sugar. The girls' lolo hi-fived him and he hi-fived back. The little girl was quite shy to ask for Inigo's name so the Lolo asked. I wish Inigo could speak now and say his name clearly. Shortly after that, they left in their car and I wondered, will Inigo ever meet that girl again when he's older? She's so cute and I hope Moms could choose who their son's future girlfriend would be, without them or the husbands freaking out.



The chick magnet

Anyway, our lunch was fantastic and we were glad we found this place and bid Josephine's goodbye.

Here's what we ordered:

Pickled cucumber
Chicken Inasal with Garlic Rice
Kadyos (It's one of my favorite Visayan dish)

Antonio’s Grill
One Destination
Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City, Batangas
Telephone: (046) 483 4847

2028

This is what I thought of on my way to work this morning: My son, Inigo, who's barely two years old now will graduate from High School in the year 2028! Those numbers sound a little too futuristic, don't you think? Just imagine how bizarre it might've felt for our parents 30 years ago to be thinking about the year now, 2012. I heard my mom telling my aunt the other week how it's just our bodies that get old. The way they think and speak out their minds remain the same as when they were young. Our hair will turn gray, our skin will wrinkle, our eyes and bodies will weaken, but deep inside we will always be that girl, giggling in delight over a box of chocolate pretzels or a new pair of shoes.

Inigo will be eighteen in 2028. He'll probably be wanting to get out of the house and live on his own. I'd barely see him, I guess. Which made me think, how would I and my husband be 16 years from now? Will we have quit our jobs by then? Will we have traveled the world? Will we be as happy? Oh, I can't wait to live our life now to find out.

The Working Mom

I was raised by a stay-at-home Mom but I had so much memories of my Dad being at home a lot as well during my childhood. Although I vividly recall being home with my Mom a lot more than my Dad. Maybe these memories were before I even started school, I am not so sure, because I remember being fed caldereta from the nearby carenderia for lunch, our afternoon meriendas of hopia and royal tru-orange, and the smell of adobong liver cooking for dinner. On weekend mornings, I would volunteer to buy pan de sal and liver spread from the nearby bakery! But maybe this was when I was seven or eight already.

Anyway, now that I am a mom myself, a part of me wishes I could be a stay-at-home mom like my own mother. When I gave birth to my son, we asked the hospital to room him in with us right away as this helped us a lot in teaching him how to latch properly and eventually succeed in our wish to breastfeed him exclusively. Since then, Mom and son were inseparable. I remember how I used to sneak in a bath during his naps when he was still very young and rushing back to him before he wakes up. During the first few months, I was attached to him and he was attached to me like a velcro. That's why back then, I couldn't imagine ever going back to work.

My son at two months

But I managed. We managed. Armed with my supportive husband, not to mention my ever-reliable mom and mother-in-law, I jumped back into my normal routine at work. Looking back now, I am truly happy I did. I know this is what God wants our life to be. But mornings will always be ours, My Son. I would just stare at you and let you sleep some more, never mind if it's too late and I'll be caught in traffic. When you wake up with a leaking nappy, I take it off and let you roam around in the room with your cute little butt exposed. We play and sing a little. We eat cereals and drink milk. And that's when I tell you, "Mom is going to the office today". You hug me tight, slowly placing your head on my shoulder. I hug you back. We take a bath (yes, together because that saves us time) and get dressed. Ate Christine comes in the room with your breakfast (yogurt, banana, bread and cheese) and I get ready for my exit. You used to cry when I leave, but your independence is slowly showing. You let me kiss your forehead but you never turn your head. You know that I'll be back and Daddy will be with you soon.

Toyota Avanza 2012

Sometime in 2008, I was on the road with my college friend who was vacationing from Singapore when she threw me a simple question that I couldn't seem to answer back then. She asked me what an Avanza is! Huh? She probably heard it on the radio. I told her it's a car. Geez, how stupid I must have sounded. Of course it's a car but what makes it different from the rest?

Oh how I wish I'd see my college friend again and tell her much more than I told her five years ago about the Avanza. It's a five-door mini MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) and it's affordability and spacious design makes it a popular choice to use as metered cabs here in the Philippines. Hailing an Avanza cab never fails to bring a smile on my face. However, I have yet to see the new 2012 Avanza used as a cab. Launched last January 13, 2012, the All-New Toyota Avanza 2012 is powered by either the 1.3-liter E or 1.5-liter G and available in both manual and automatic transmission. This new model has a sportier and classier design, inside and out. Apparently, the body’s weight has also been reduced to give it a better fuel efficiency. It promises a 12km per liter mileage and quite ideal as a family car. The available colors of the Avanza 2012 are Silver Metallic, Dark Steel Mica, Champagne Metallic, Light Blue Metallic, Gray Metallic and White.

How do I know all these? Well, aside from Googling some reviews, hubby and I have decided that this is the car for us and so far, we are very happy with it! We got ours a month after its launch. Although, I have yet to drive it myself and experience its greatness! Maybe I can drive my friend around in it when she's here. Smiling face.

Ming Yuen Kitchen

Who's not a fan of Chinese food? I guess this post is not for you.

My husband and I consider Chinese food in our top three favorite cuisines. We'd go to Binondo just to devour on dumplings and noodles. There's a flavorful element in Chinese food (I hope it's not MSG!) that keeps us coming back for more. Just like what they say about Japanese food, you'd know an authentic Japanese restaurant when you see a lot of dining Japanese in it. This dawned on me when we tried out a new restaurant in Robinson's Place Malate---Ming Yuen Kitchen. I knew we were in for a pleasant surprise when we saw a number of Chinese people eating there.

During our first visit, we just came from mass and we were so hungry. But since it's a new place, and we were just practically "taste-testing", we opted to order just dumplings and noodles. We had the steamed dimsum in bamboo called Xiao Long Pao. It's my husband's favorite and it tastes divine with soy sauce and chili. We ordered it again when we came back for our second visit.



My husband wanted to order noodles again but I thought we were ready to try out their rice dish. He agreed so we proceeded with our order of salted fish fried rice, broccoli with garlic, and salt and pepper squid. We had our Gong Cha drinks with us so we didn't order drinks there anymore.



Our meal was lovingly prepared as I could taste it as soon as I took a bite of the squid. It was cooked just right and I loved the yellow and green bell peppers in it! The salted fish fried rice and broccoli garlic were also great and just how I like done, not too much drama in presentation but flavorful. I guess the little one also approved of the food.



For this meal, we only paid 660 pesos (drinks exclusive) which was really worth it if you are after a pleasant dining experience with not much fuss.

PS: I guess one of our favorite things in this Chinese restaurant is their wooden high chair. I've always wanted one for our house but couldn't find any that's rightly priced.



I also recommend Gong Cha's Lemon Juice with Aloe. I let my kid have some of mine and he wouldn't let go of it anymore. The top of the glass was sealed and didn't spill even if he kept shaking it. Perfect for those curious little toddlers!

Anyway, I'm really liking the sporty get-up on my son. He's had that shirt since he was nine months old. We got it from Debenhams. His jogging pants and shoes are from Mothercare.

The Cardinal Bird (Remembering My Dad Part 2)

You wanted to buy those 20 grand worth of old musty-smelling law books of your colleague who had died.

We miss you so much now, I'd buy you ten times of those books just so we could be with you again.

Next week is the first year death anniversary of my Dad. Being a Daddy's girl, it's a painful chapter of my life that I'd rather not commemorate every year. But then, it's one of the rare chances that the family gets together. My Dad's passing has brought some major changes to all of us he has left behind. With his absence, we learned to be more responsible and mindful of each other, especially to my Mom. We've hugged and loved each other more after Dad was gone, as though we were trying to fill the gap he has left behind. It will not be a gap for my son, as he has never really known my Dad that well. But I promise myself, he will know his Granddad, his Mom's Dad from the stories I will be telling.

When Dad got sick and his foot gangrened, my Mom was in the States. He was bedridden for about a week because he was already suffering from pneumonia and his fever was intermittent. He was brought to the hospital and recovered for a few days only to deteriorate again after the third night. That night when he was at his weakest, my Mom told me how she was praying hard for my Dad to get well. She was also praying that he's thinking of her right that very moment she was thinking of him. In one of her moments alone, she saw a cardinal bird. She wasn't sure why she got so excited over seeing the bird. My Dad loved the color red and was very fond of animals. We had dogs and chickens when I was young and a fish pond with real live fishes and snails. Moments later,she realized it may have been my Dad bidding her goodbye.

Remembering My Dad

When I was around 10 years old, I got really concerned about your habitual smoking. There was no Google yet and I had to rely on the bits of information from Mom's scolding (you must admit, those long sermons from Mom were informative) to indeed believe that smoking is bad for one’s health. One day I read an article in the newspaper, decided to cut it out, like you did on published court proceedings, and posted them on the refrigerator. I wish you'd read it. I know you did. You were just not the type who'd be convinced with write-ups on how smoking kills. We’d always remember that intractable disposition of yours. You lived life as you pleased. You knew then that life is short.



Rightmost, in black tie and white polo, is my Dad in 1963. He was 19 years old and with him were his brothers and cousins.

Doing My Part in Saving the World

I work for a company that when seen from the outside, looks as if it is saving the world. International Development. You've probably heard of it somewhere. Donor assistance. Humanitarian aid. Development funds. Grants. Yes, that's the sector we belong to. Seven years ago, I applied in this small office on the 21st floor of a certain building in Ortigas that used jargons and mentioned big names of organizations I was so eager to learn about. They took me in and I was happy to leave my old job and pursue this seemingly prestigious job of saving the world.



Fast forward to seven years, I am still working at the same company. Sadly, I no longer see it as saving the world. It's become an 8-5 job, mcjob, even, that I need in order to pay the bills. Working here has a lot of perks though and they're the ones that make me stay.

And that part I mentioned about saving the world? I am no wonder woman but I want to do it. I want to help in saving the world. I want my husband and son involved in it somehow, too. It's such a huge task, and with all the problems of the world---poverty, climate change, peace, I wouldn't know where to start. Well, maybe in the future I'd write about my family's efforts in helping with the world's myriad problems. Meanwhile, I need to get back to my mcjob.

Alphabet Dad

May I tell you how awesome my husband (a.k.a. Alphabet Dad) is?

He is the amalgamation of all the father figures I have come to know. In some ways, he's like my own father, other times, he reminds me of my brothers-in-law. He's firm yet sweet, serious yet has a good sense of humor, and most of all, he's a great husband and father to our son. You see, I'm never the organized homemaker type. My closet is always a mess. My mail inbox is full of unread mails and I hardly use subfolders for my data library. Imagine so much PNG, Word, Excel, and Acrobat files in one huge folder, waiting to be sorted, classified, and kept in their specific folders. I have collected the planners they give away at coffeeshops on Christmas for the past several years, only to browse over blank pages of daily schedules after each year. I only decided to stop probably after five planners, so yeah, I thought it was a great waste of stickers and money on the coffee I never really liked anyway. I'm digressing. My husband's closet is pristine. He keeps his underwear and socks in separate boxes. He has a space for each of his clothing item. He cleans his shoes every week. I'm envious of his closet that I always ask him to help me organize mine too. He's never helped me in that aspect though. But I'm glad that he's owned the task of keeping all important documents in the family, receipts of our appliances for the warranty, our son's birth and baptismal certificates, passports, check books, passbooks, even our monthly bill statements are clipped together. We're always on time with our monthly utility dues, all thanks to him! I really, really love him for being the organized and responsible husband and father that he is. I know it's a trait that I want him to pass on to our son someday.

I remember when we were just dating, he would pay for all our dates (he does this even now, most of the time, and you're right, we still date). He even paid for my Boracay trip on my 25th birthday. It was just the beginning of years of happy birthdays for me. He's known to be tightfisted with money, but when it comes to me and the things I really like doing, he's quite extravagant, if you know what I mean. Once he was laid off from work. We went on a vacation to Singapore and Malaysia using the lump sum separation pay that was given him. As long as it's for travel to somewhere we both like, he's always game. Anyway, as the head of the family, I can attest that he's a very good provider. He was laid off once but after that episode, the grass became so much greener for his career. I mean, we don't have much but we manage to have a comfortable life, and that's what's important.

As parents, we are still both learning. Our son adores him as much as we adore our son. They'd spend the day reading, playing, talking, and doing lots of learning together while I'm at work. He's the hands-on Dad if you want to call him that. He respects my decisions and supports me in the things that matter to me. Yesterday, we were at the canned goods aisle of the grocery and I told him we need to stop buying and eating processed foods and strive to be healthier. He agreed and this week, our cupboard is canned goods-free (well, except for the canned squid that's to be our yaya's emergency food). Yay! As I've been doing the past weeks, I would prepare healthy lunch for my son and husband before leaving for work and cook healthy dinner again when I get back. This week though, I would also prepare my husband's baon. Well, there's the ever reliable google for recipes on which snack to prepare.



It's tough being a newbie parent. I'm just super lucky and grateful that I have the greatest partner in the whole world.