the precious thing i got from the trip

i still can't get over my trip to korea with my 3 college friends namely nicole, boomy and jeanne. aside from the walks, jog, yoga, food trip , talks, a bit of shopping and sight seeing that we did, i can't forget the things i learned from these 3 whose worlds are quite different. nics being an island girl, boomy living a luxurious life in korea and jeanne always exploring the world and the seas.

funny, i don't remember the time how i met them. i know they are college friends and that they are special. and i love them. and thats how it will be.

nics gave me the push that i can help mother earth one at a time. i've always wanted to. i did my share by saving on water and energy. by participating in earth hour. by suggesting to our community re segregation of trash. but there is still more. and it can be done a step at a time. though i still can't find a supplier of earth friendly laundry soap for our laundry shops, we are putting a sign to our customers, encouraging them to bring their own laundry bag so that we won't use much of plastic. soon, we will totally eliminate it. i also make it a habit to bring with me a small bag (i have a couple at home) for small purchases like veggies, bread, medicines, milk, etc. so that the bagger at the grocery won't give me plastic anymore. like i've said, i have a couple of canvass bag at home given by friends. i guess, i just have to see somebody like nicole to see that it's actually being used before i use it myself. i don't know why. but i'm glad i'm somewhat helping. thanks nics.

boomy... i can't tell how much i admire her for being a mom. the way she lovingly communicates to her 2 adorable sons ollie and stan, its so refreshing. mind you, she is on her third trimester to their son and she remains cool. i remember, when i was on my third trimester with robin, i was irritated most of the time and poor raya always receives my bad temper :(  so i've seen boomy. now i try to be more patient with my daughters. to talk to them cooly just like boomy even if both of them are whining and crying. i try to be with them and play their games. to stay positive even if things go wrong. now its a bit manageable with the girls ;)

jeanne is living her life. when i asked what her future plans are, she said she was shocked by my question because she doesn't know. the thing is, she knows. she loves to read and spends her hard earned money buying books. she also loves pets/dogs. she have a couple back home and spends for their food. she loves to discover the world and so she has worked (and will go back) in a luxury cruise lines. she loves the water, and now she is a dive master. she even had a recent trip to tubataha! she claims that she doesn't have the money. but look at what she have purchased and accomplish? she had spent to live the life she wanted. what i learned from her? to love what you love... spend for love :D

i wish we'll have the opportunity again to be together and create a new adventure

application for a Philippine passport

my younger sister, ria, will get married in hawaii this coming september. the good news was announced to us early last year but due to hectic sched and scarcity of funds, we were only able to prioritize it at this time. so the first step is to renew my passport and get the girls their passport.

actually, it's so easy to apply since everything you need to know -- the process, requirements and even setting the  schedule of appearance in the Department of Foreign Affairs office -- are all there in their website.

so, i logged online, followed the simple procedures and went to the DFA office on time. it took the four of us 2 hours to complete the process. sure there's a lot of people but waiting isnt really an issue since there are staff guiding us. there were also signs everywhere. plus, there's a flat screen tv where movies are shown :) staff were also quick.

thank God some department in the philippine government such as the DFA shows progress. clap! clap! clap! i would just like to comment, though. when i went there, i came prepared with all the requirements, both for renewal (for my passport) and new application (for the kids). i had it in original and photocopy forms. when we got to the counter to submit our requirements, this is what was posted on the window:

FOR RENEWAL:

1) original passport

2) photocopy of first and last page of passport

FOR NEW APPLICATION:

1) NSO copy of birth certificate

that's it! i was just surprised since they seem to require more than whats listed above when i finished the online application and had set the appointment. weird. well, better be prepared than sorry.

oh, one more thing. though my husband's passport (not yet an e-passport) isn't expiring in 6 months yet, they did not allow him to renew saying that there are still more pages/space in his passport. he explained that he travels every april or may and if he travels next year, his current passport wouldn't be valid anymore. so he decide to do it now, with his family. the staff said that he should make a request letter with the reason why he wants it done now and have it notarized. then submit the letter to them. duh! well, if passports are still valid for more than 6 months are not allowed/qualified to apply for a renewal, i think they should have mentioned it in their website. what if that person only have the time now? sayang lang ang effort and ang pagpunta.

yun lang.

back to life

its been a week already since i arrived from my 6-day trip to seoul, korea and i am slowly going back to my senses. i totally missed hubby and the girls. but i know i needed that time off for my own sanity. i, along with my 3 college friends, were really on high. we had a great time catching up since its been years since we last saw each other. i went there to rest (no responsibilities, no work), go around at our own pace, no plans / itinerary, to recharge and to simply try it on my own (first time to travel without hubby and kids). and God has answered my prayers in more ways than one. thank you, God!

it was still summer when we got there. it's such a blessing since June is supposed to be a rainy month in korea. there were flowers everywhere.

i was able to jog and did some yoga with my friends. it was cool early in the morning so it was really such a nice way to start the day. and look whats in our path....

and, its just down the block to where our friend, boomy, lives!

we went shopping a bit. myeong dong is a street of branded stores. well, we just went into one store, the H&M, and went crazy over the sale. lucky us. hehe.

we liked insadong which consists of small shops in a long road. what i liked about this place is the uniqueness. all local shops, made in korea like clay pots, art works, etc. seldom will you see the usual souvenir shop of shirts, magnets,  flags, etc. in short, they support their own ;)

of course we visited tourists spots such as the seoul tower in which we were also able to watch a cultural show.

we also had a great time looking at the locks of love which became a symbol of the place of promising an everlasting love for couples with hanging a lock together.
.

isn't this amazing!

we were able to visit just one palace and was able to watch the changing of the guards.

we also went to mojeongyo. a lake in a middle of the city! it is hoped to be the symbol of harmony and communication.

 

i think what we did most during the trip was to eat and eat and eat over catching up.

grapefruit & pears for breakfast

affogato



green tea crust potato pizza

tuna kimbap

cotton candy

berries

fluffy waffles

papping su

papping su... again



and even  free and refillable drinking water





wine with a view of the seoul tower



kalbi

unlimited side dishes

bibimbap

we also loved the bookstore down the block.

 the trip was really memorable because of our kwentuhan while walking and walking around...

because of the very nice koreans



because of their creativity and uniquenes

because of strengthened frienships

and most especially because of these two adorable boys named ollie and stan =)



guilt tripping

i've been kinda busy lately. i am doing 2 typsetting jobs for my mom, practicing my baking skills, setting up a new laundry shop and lately, i have been going to UP to jog almost every other day. i am worried that its taking so much of my time that i don't spend some time with my kids.

i shared this with my good friend, cimeon. she said that its ok because its for my own sanity. haha! she also mentioned that her daughter is not a baby anymore and that kids grow up too fast. sheesh. now i feel more guilty.

sure, the excercise gives me a boost, extra energy to do more things. but any additional activity to my routine takes time away from my daughters no matter what.

this is about how to spend time wisely especially when i am with my girls. gotta be more creative. because i can't drop what i do. its not that i go out every night or out of town. i got to work a bit too. gotta have my ME time and date night. and as my friend say, its for my sanity. and i believe that. kids, they are the source of my joy and stress too :) so i can't be with them 24/7.  that's not bad right?

hay, wala lang

the challenge

it all started when my good friend nikki / chefgirl had an 'addiction' with salt. it was really weird. i didn't know that there are different kinds of salt. nikki, being the teacher that she is, lectured me and my friends about it. haha. now we know that salts have different tastes and that sea salt is healthier & tastier compared to that iodized salt.

anyway, she challenged me to make sea salt caramel candies so that i can use that 'famous salt from pangasinan' together with chocolate. again, i didn't know it is possible until now. so last week, i was able to accomplish it. i was just happy because i was able to accomplish the challenge. kaya ko pala. besises, nikki is not just a friend of 5 years, but she is also a chef, a teacher, a student from le cordon bleu, owner of one of the famous restaurants in the country, etc. in short, she knows food. period.

i sent her some of the caramel candies i made. i was nervously waiting for her critic for i already know beforehand the flaw of my finished product. hehe. she sent me a text message saying:

"i love the flavor! sarap ng chocolate with salt! the caramel is matigas. maybe because the syrup... possible also that its the honey. either reduce the sugars... or increase the cream. actually, i let the caramel melt in my mouth, parang candy. masarap! i checked the recipe, candy nga ito and not chocolate. you can sell it per box, pantayin lang ang cut. i like it! congrats! napahanga mo ako! ..... it's not painfully sweet... i let my mom patikim and she doesn't eat candy but this one kinakain nya and hindi natamisan... parang sees lollipops!..."

then she blogged about it. click here.

then she posted it in facebook to which many commented.

nahiya tuloy ako. i was put into the limelight. haha.

parang big thing. i was just pressured to do the challenge. haha. joke nikki! i'm happy to learn and be trained by a master ;) besides, it a sweet. i love sweets. its something unique and something i haven't done before.

it really felt great. because not only was i able to finish it, but i realized, kaya ko pala gumawa ng masarap. it felt great receiving positive feedbacks even constructive criticisms. i plan to practice more often and make my husband's officemates, and our friends the taste testers. then i'll make my friend nikki, the master critic ;)

this officially starts the challenge of making it perfect.

a lot of one day

one day, i became so sad about my weight, more so on the size of my belly.

then one day, i came upon websites after websites giving great deals and big discounts. of course, the thing that caught my attention were the "non-surgical liposuction" such as lipo-sculpt cavitation, radio frequency slimming treatments, lipocontour cavitation, and the like.

one day, i shared my interest with my high school barkada and they too like to have it. and so, i was set on availing this. who wouldn't be tempted with just Php400 per session? check this out.

one day, i told this to my friend doctor and of course, she didn't like it. she said that it is not 100% guaranteed. besides, if it does work, and then if i eat just 1 cup of ice cream, the lost inches will be back. and so, my money will go to waste and i'm back to my problem. and there goes my bubble....pffft...   =(

one day, i had a visit to my OB and told her about my concern. she then asked me if i have done everything i can to lose those unwanted fat.

and then i realized, i haven't even done anything! what i did after i breasfed last year, was cave in to my past deprivation -- alcohol (just occassional drinking!), chips, soda, sweets and more sweets! and did nothing aftwards. come to think of it, i haven't done any form of exercise for the past 5 years. i used to be active. i was into tae kwon do in high school, rowing in college and badminton when i was a working.

i knew all along the solution to my problem but wasn't so keen on doing it. its called E.X.E.R.C.I.S.E! maybe i had a lot of excuses. gym was not really an option becuase it cost a lot. i don't know how to jog. i dont want to, its boring. i wanted to engage in sports. but what? i don't know how and where to swim. biking is expensive. badminton? who will i play with? i wanted to do yoga. but the good kind of yoga which is in ortigas and far from me. blah, blah, blah.

one day, despite the many things that keep me busy, i was bored. then my good friend asked me to jog with her and reluctantly said yes. and surprisingly, i liked it. i plan to jog regularly. i even jogged alone when my friend wasn't available. that's a good sign isn't it? i hope this goes on. i want to feel my blood running again. to feel that pulse. to be on my toes. i don't want to be bored and sluggish. i have set goals to keep me going. for this month, i want to lose 5lbs-8lbs. i want to be able to jog 1 round in the akad oval in UP. no walking but 1 round of complete jog. let's take it slow.

wish me luck!

first of three shots

i had my first HPV shot today. i waited for a year, as advised by my pediatrician (was breastfeeding to robin last year), to do it. for some reason, i was/am scared. i don't know why. perhaps i just don't want to accept the possibility that i or anbody else could have a cancer. or the fact that it is not 101% cure but just a prevention. but still, a prevention is a prevention. better take some precautionary measures, right? for more about cervical cancer vaccine or HPV and the like, click here.