what sacrifices have you made?

just watched ellen last night on 2nd avenue...that's cable to the uncivilized people out there...and they were talking about doing little acts of kindness and how that can snowball into something great....

of course I really did tune in to watch ellen coz her guest was David Cook! wohoo!...but I'm digressing...

and the resource speaker Dr. Wayne (something hehe) mentioned how a former teacher in the university in detroit helped him get in because he really wanted to become a teacher...and 46 years later because of that simple act of kindness by that prof...he now sends students to school because he has earned enough money through his books and all that and he's now a PhD holder and has his own "scholarship foundation" of sorts...

hanep diba?

and he urged the audience to take note of their simple acts of kindness...

so what have you done lately? without expecting anything back...

*****

actually what I really wanted to talk about here was...

talk about jumping from one topic to the next!!! haha...if you're a close friend of mine...you would understand...this is a habit of mine...

anyway sorry I'm veering away again...

for the past few days...I think it was last week...since one of our stand fans broke down and died haha...we have 3 bedrooms and each has a stand fan...what died was the one in my sister's room...and my Mom lent them hers...and we were supposed to buy a new fan last Friday was it...but unfortunately we didn't get to buy one...long and embarrassing story so anyway...so since wawa naman si nanay ko...I gave her mine muna...

so for the past....hmmm i think it has been more than 3 days...that I've been sleeping with my room door open to let the air in haha...huwow! it's was difficult the first night coz I want to sleep with the fan's noise lulling me to sleep...i usually wake up during blackouts coz I knnow I don't hear the fan's humming noise =P....and diba it has been raining again lately so the weather is quite humid...yuck...init talaga...haaay...good thing though is that at least I have a corner room...so I'm the only one with windows on 2 sides of the room...my Ma did say I had the airiest room in the house... haha

so I was just thinkning earlier...initially I was complaining about not having a fan of my own for a few days...and I thought if I can survive a few days sleeping in this weather...without a fan...

what more can I sacrifice huh?

I bet I can think of a lot...let's see if I have the gumption...the fortitude to really give up some things...

oh well...let's see

due to persistent demand

hindi wallpaper yan sa likod ko

so due to insistent...consistent?...

persistent...public demand...haha...actually isa lang sya nangungulit...

so here's my new haircut...

obviously madalian snapshots...

sorry didn't think of taking an "after" shot immediately after my haircut sa parlor...went there alone anyway...my mom had to nag me about it...coz i kept putting it off...but since it was my bday...so yun...sort of tradition to have a

haircut on my bday haha

still trying to get the hang of my new unruly hairstyle though...at least it's not so finicky-hard-to-style...parang wash and wear lang...wala na ko care haha

though I've received raved reviews already from my kids today...haha...my kids didn't notice my new hairstyle!!!...so that's positive feedback for me...wahahahaha...

will cut it again in a few weeks...joke!

an uneventful 29...and then some...

delayed post...esp for those who know when my true birthday is haha...

*****

aside from having a new haircut (which I usually have on my bday anyway)...

my birthday was just the usual ordinary day...

i remembered...I was talking to one of my close friends...and I was saying that...aside from you getting older a year...there's really nothing astronomically special that happens...like thunder rumbling or lightning striking to usher in your birthday haha...

well it didn't rain much yesterday...was not relatively hot though...still spent my morning first with a mass...had to wake up early for that since I was prepared not to report for work - yey! birthday leave! haha...and when i got back from mass...I slept again! haha...

and kept reading text messages...birthday greetings and all that...

thanks to those who remembered...remembered early i should say and greeted me daysss before...haha baka daw makalimutan nila...and as a matter of fact most of those who greeted me "earlier" did not greet me anymore on the day haha obviously they did forget...my officemates greeted me the day before since they knew i would not be reporting for work on my bday haha...and still a few were quite confused when my birthday was.. (I deliberately changed my bday on all my internet accts, friendster and multiply haha)...

including my Dad! wahahaha...nah! he just forgot the time difference...he called me up just this morning...which he thought was still the 24th...feeling nya nasa US ako tulad nya haha...

and thanks to the calls I received from my 3 "overseas" friends...hanep! natutuwa pa rin ako at pinaggastusan nila ko ng prepaid call nila para lang mangulit at batiin ako...how sweet! sorry but I can't return the favor at kuripot ako! wahahaha

and thanks to those who celebrated my birthday for me!....wahahaha you know who you guys are! wahahaha...i bet you guys had a blast "celebrating my birthday' for me haha...sorry talaga I spent my day just at home kasi...next time okie?

thanks thanks for everything of course...through His divine providence I still have lots of things to thank for...everyday...everytime...and not just on my birthday!

we should all be praying for time (delayed post)

i think it's apt that that since it's my birthday...I thought of posting this here...

Let's backtrack first shall we: I am still on an American Idol fever high!...case in point am still watching the replays in Star World today haha....I so loved the results...wohoo! David Cook!...and I what I so loved from all the performances during the results show was George Michael's performance of PRAYING FOR TIME... I first heard of this song when Carrie Underwood did a stirring rendition of this in Idol Gives Back...I searched thru youtube - I even posted it here - downloaded an mp3 version of it and was surprised to discover that it was originally sung by Goerge Michael!

and then he guested in AI and sang this song! huwow! Paula Abdul was in tears! haha

Ang Galing! Ang Ganda!

and I thought ...what really attracted me to this song was the lyrics...

the thought...and when I read it...

yup! we should all be praying for time...

(am getting old and sentimental again haha)

*****

George Michael
Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (1990)
Praying for Time

these are the days of the open hand
they will not be the last
look around now
these are the days of the beggars
and the choosers

this is the year of the hungry man
whose place is in the past
hand in hand with ignorance
and legitimate excuses

the rich declare themselves poor
and most of us are not sure
if we have too much
but we'll take our chances
because God stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
turned his back and all God's children
crept out the back door

chorus
and it's hard to love,
there's so much to hate
hanging on to hope
when there is no hope to speak of
and the wounded skies above
say it's much too late
well maybe we should all be
praying for time

these are the days of the empty hand
oh you hold on to what you can
and charity is a coat you wear
twice a year

this is the year of the guilty man
your television takes a stand
and you find that what was over there
is over here

so you scream from behind your door
say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much
but I'll take my chances
because God stopped keeping score
and you cling to the things
they sold you
did you cover your eyes when
they told you
that he can't come back
because he has no children
to come back for

chorus

American Idol's David Cook (delayed post)

OMG!

OMG!

OMG!

I kept chanting...SHOUTING this all over again...when I watched the results show early this morning (was home sick, Thursday)

I couldn't believe it...I really thought it would be Archuleta...I was resigned to that fact after the final performance last night...

But...

OMG!

OMG!

OMG!

It's David Cook!

Wohoo!

It's the first time I watched a results show of AI and was brought to tears by the results....waaaaa! grabe! naiyak ako sa tuwa...wahahaha

another food tripping weekend

last weekend...we had our retreat...and fortunately - or unfortunately whichever the case may be...we did not get to "retreat from eating food" wahaha....the food was a-ok at Don Bosco Batulao...and I really savored every meal served to us...

I thought that the preceeding week will finally let me rest from all the eating...

oops! I spoke too soon...

I spent another food-filled weekend...first in Tagaytay where we had lunch last Friday at Leslie's... my first time...and too bad because of the rain...wasn't able to see the view from the resto...and the Bulalo and Sisig were not that hot...haha because of the cold wind...and here I thought we were in an airconditioned place haha

Leslie's Sisig and their famous Bulalo

Later that day we spent our time eating in Balay Indang in Indang Cavite...where we were served sit-down meals for dinner, breakfast, morning snack (which we did not partake in anymore coz we were so full and lazy to getup from our sleep) and lunch...

Wasn't able to ask the names of the food served to us though...so was not able to verify whether the burger I ate that dinner was meat..or veggie meat! wahaha...We had salad...and string beans...and cheesticks! oops lumpiang sariwa na mukhang cheesticks sa payat...sort of rellenong fish and baby back ribs...all that for dinner..hanep! the squash soup was good too...and most of had asked for seconds and thirds of that...

that's the cheesesticks! not!...it's lumpiang sariwa na maliit haha

yum! baby back ribs

that is NOT my plate haha

with my dinner buddies

Breakfast was served early the next day...and after strolling around the compound and finally waking up my companions... we headed off to Balay (the mess hall) and had breakfast of danggit...adobo...fried rice...suman na langka at coca ang laman...and eggs (had to request that mine be scrambled though)...and freshly squeezed dalandan juice...ang sarap nya ha! that we even asked if we can order the juice and bring home some haha...too bad di pde...and had a choice of hot choco or freshly brewed coffee to start off our breakfast...

my breakfast companions

When we went back to our quarters...we were too lazy to get up in 2 hours for our am snacks haha...and just skipped the arroz caldo and gulaman...and just had our lunch or last meal at Balay Indang...

they got their share before I can take this shot

i think these are salad garnishes

I liked our lunch meal best of all...we dined in the extension area of the dining room...quite isolated...and was able to ask the waitstaff for the names of the food haha...and so we had the usual salad...and some garnishes...and nope! I did not touch that haha...embutido...and something like lechon manok though ladled with giniling and sauce of some sort haha...and spaghetti - sardines it seems...and baked fish fillet - this i liked best!...and yellow rice - I think it's atsuete! and this egg and veggies type of omelet with an Asian sounding name that rhymes with foo yung haha

red-sauced spaghetti and yellow flavored rice

baked fish fillet

egg and veggies

lechon manok with giniling haha

And to think we didn't get to have our am snacks...we still had enough energy and room in our stomachs for dinner when we finally reached South...

We were supposed to have dinner at this resto - Kanin Club - recommended by MC - at the Northgate Cyberzone near Alabang Town Center...so at least when we reach Alabang we would have been hungry enough to eat again...

But because of the weather and the traffic...and we were not so pressed for time anyway haha...we ended up eating at the Kanin Club's branch in Paseo de Sta Rosa, Greenfield City, Sta. Rosa...

After approx an hour of going around the place...it was a mini-Ayala-Glorietta-look-alike-mall...we headed off and started our eating adventure in Kanin Club

gutom na si Sir Bob

tokwa't baboy as appetizer

Crispy Binagoongan

Not for the weak hearts...we had a cholesterol filled fare of...kanin of course...tokwa't baboy...sinigang sa miso...crispy binagoongan and crispy dinuguan - their recommended dishes!...and wow! ang sarap nga!...will surely look for Kanin Club next time we eat near ATC...

Crispy Dinuguan

And our food tripping did not end there...we still had room for a late night dessert haha...

We headed off for home...finally!...and ended up in BF Parañaque - a little near home to me, MC and Sir Bob...though Za had to drive home yet to QC - and scoured the village to look for this shop that sells Sebastian's Ice Cream...and settled to have coffee in this new place near Tahanan Village - Perk Avenue...play on words? ... Sir Bob was the one looking for something cold to eat - ice cream - and it was raining!...and we ordered our coffee and tea at the Perk...I ordered and tried out their hazelnut coffee...MC had tea while Sir Bob and Za had their own coffee...

and wow! ang sarap nung Sebastian's Ice Cream...we had Macadamia Nut flavored ice cream...and whoa! ang mahal rin ng presyo...250pesos a pint haha...and I think it is not that well commercialized yet and can be had by orders...

Za is trying to read the contact info on the tub

And since that weekend...I haven't checked the weighing scale yet...

I think am overweight na talaga Doc! haha

I know I promised myself...that after this food trippin adventure weekend...

I will go on a diet! wahaha

Yeah right...

to see more pics from this weekend adventure click this link "from Tagaytay to Balay and back"

we didn't expect to go swimming in the rain

I can recall one other time in my past...we had a family vacation where I was ready to go to the beach…so I was already in shirt and shorts and the packed clothes I had with me was appropriate for the summer heat…only to realize when we finally got to our meeting place (in Pampanga at my relatives’ house) that we were set to go to Baguio?! I was 14 I think…and was I cranky the whole time we were up in the city of pines tsktsk…

what can I expect from our outing?

And here I was expecting to have another dry and hot summer outing with my college barkadas in Punta Fuego…only to realize and to be grateful that I brought along 2 sweatshirts and a jacket wahaha…

Za said that the only feasible sked for us to have our outing was this Friday, May 16 till the next day…spend some time in the sun in Terrazas Punta Fuego c/o our friend MC and/or Alexis and stay overnight in this place in Indang. Cavite…Ok fine since I trust her judgment when it comes to the quality of the place where we were supposed to stay…and since it was affordable anyway…at least 2k for overnight stay plus dinner, breakfast, am snack and lunch the next day – ok I said why not…so I had to scramble and quickly file my vacation leave from school…I really did not want to miss this chance for an outing…

So geared up and ready to bask in the heat…was quite disheartened to see dark rain clouds hovering overhead…haha…such a moody weather…was up and ready at around 6am…had to wait for Za to wake up haha…I knew it rained the day before…and if I’m not mistaken we were expecting 2 tropical storms to hit the country…hanep perfect timing!

traffic as usual sa SLEX

nakashades ang driver na si Za

Depsite all these signs of gloom and dark skies…the traffic and the rain which poured down heavily when we exited at Sta Rosa all the way to Tagaytay did not dampen our enthusiasm to just simply relax and get out of the city…

And as Za repeteadly said “I told you so…” I brought along 2 sweatshirts and 1 jacket just in case…so 3 of us girls…in shorts and casual dress amidst the fog and rain…had lunch in Leslie’s Tagaytay…my first time there! Too bad wasn’t able to see the breahtaking view of Taal Lake from the resto…super lakas ng ulan…zero visibility haha…we had Bulalo and Sisig…and we had to quickly sip our soup in less than a minute before it cooled off…ganun kalamig! I kept glancing around to see where the fans are coming from…ay di pala...mahangin lang pala talaga wahaha…

they're wearing my jackets

waaaa! di kita ang Taal Lake

no that is not waterfalls!

we had to wait after eating for the rain to let up…MC texted her friend who was in Punta Fuego tp see whether the weather down there was any better…and they replied that nope it was dark and rain was about to come in…so Za suggested that we just head off to Indang Cavite instead…

almost zero visibility

Around this time…we were also texting Sir Bob to let him know where to meet up or to pick him up (he was in Tagaytay for a seminar)…we were also checking up on Alexis whether or not he would really be catching up…

After the rains let up…a little…we headed off to Bag of Beans and waited for Sir Bob and Alexis...

while eating my 55pesos brownie - susme! Anything for a dessert..in fairness masarap naman sya…Alexis arrived in his board shorts and white t-shirt…wahahaha...He and his rowing buddies were all set to head off to the beach…but the weather was a killjoy really!...so after being reassured by Za that there was a swimming pool anyway in the place in Indang…they decided to not push through with their Punta Fuego trip..sayang talaga!...oh well next time…

Sir Bob and MC, back passengers

Sir Bob texted to meet him somwhere back on the way to Mendez Road…it was so foggy for someone who was onfoot…which we later realized he was…he walked form Mendez road to Bag of Beans…since it was too foggy he had to stop and meet up somewhere…at Starflower Tourist Lodge haha…

Now all the players are accounted for…we passed by a grocery store near the Mendez Rd instersection and they loaded up on booze and chicharon…and we headed off down down down Mendez Road…wow! That’s my first time to take that route too…that road leads to Indang, Cavite,…and we met up with a lot of the provincial buses that would take you from Cavite back to Pasay/LRT…

And Sir Bob kept glancing at the road and around us..since it was familiar to him…and yep when we passed the venue of his seminar…he exclaimed that he should have asked to be picked up there instead of going up to Tagaytay haha….

Touchdown: #88 Balay, Indang, Red Ginger Farm…didn’t ask though why it was called the Red Ginger Farm….but whoa was it secluded….it was fenced in…and we had to wait for 10minutes for someone to open the gate for us haha…

It’s a good thing I haven’t been to Sonya’s Garden yet so I did not have preconceived notions of what to expect of this new place in Indang Cavite…

Balay Indang…is ilokano for Bahay…and is a calm, quiet and relaxing resort …this vast area…had 17 rooms in around 4 different cottages…there were trees and flowers and green everywhere haha…and we arrived while it was raining…now that’s what I call an appropriate atmosphere!

The pictures will show you how big the room we had reserved for us…had 4 beds…2 double-size and 2 single-size beds and the rest could just lie on the floor haha…

2 double beds in the ground floor

2 single beds in upstairs loft

And did I mention the food?!

Wahaha

And the threat of it being veggie meat did not stop me from eating

Buti na lang di lahat ng food veggies!

And yup the food was good!

just one of many delicious meals

We had scheduled meals at dinner…breakfast, am snacks – which we missed coz we were too lazy…sleeping haha…and lunch….

Grabe! Haven’t checked the weighing scale yet…I dread doing that haha…

with Za, Alexis & MC by the resort's pool

Alexis and his rowing buddies grabbed the chance to swim in the lone pool of the resort...syempre sayang naman getup nila haha...and MC and I took our dip the next morning...

I think this is the life!…

relaxing…

being lazy…

and eating...eating and eating haha…

After our delicious dinner...kwentuhan...and a few bottles...este cans...of San Mig Light...Alexis and his rowing buddies had to leave late that night though...lesson learned: ask permission properly haha

And when Saturday came...we were too lethargic to leave haha…

we have gotten used to being a lazy duck all weekend!

We “checked” out around 130-2pm I think…

And still we stayed in the place…in one of the huts…waiting for the sky to clear haha…at least it was not raining that heavy that day…

before checking out and heading off to lunch

We left and said we will be back for sure…next week?!? Nyahaha

If they weren’t fullybooked for 2 more weekends we would have scheduled a return haha…

And our adventure did not stop there…we took advantage of our trip and looked for this place Ilog Maria…and bought cosmetics and other stuff made out of honey and/or beeswax…highly recommended by MC…esp the honey beeswax lip balm…so soothing on your lips! You got to try it…

Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm

And the day wasn’t over…it was still too early haha…we thought of having “dinner” …huwat?! Gutom pa kami?! At this place in ATC sana…

Kanin Club…but we ended up eating at its original branch in Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Greenfield City, Sta. Rosa…

we were that hungry?! That we couldn’t wait to reach Alabang?! Wahaha…btw…this resto recommended again by MC…kasalanan mo ito! Wahaha

Our adventure…or is it our food trippin? did not stop there…we all ended up at BF Parañaque for our dessert…had Sebastian’s ice cream – this one’s good ha!...and coffee in this new place – Perk Avenue – kasawa na daw mag Starbucks eh…(everything we tried that weekend was relatively new to us) and by that time…it was raining again…

But the rain surely did not dampen our spirits…

That was another memorable outing with my close buddies...despite the rains...we still made the best out of our adventure...and had a fun and relaxing time with each other...

So till next time?

To see more pics from this adventure check out this link..."from Tagaytay to Balay and back"