my complicated life

solitary me

2010-12-26T06:57:00.002+04:00

boat trip, hammam, eating a lot or ice cream didn't worked. :( i am more depressed now than what i have been a few weeks back. been looking forward for a happy christmas, but it just didn't happen.

for the meantime, i will try burying myself into solitary. deactivated my FB account and hided myself from the online community. will gradually change all account names and passwords until i am ~~finally left all alone.~~.. unreachable... what else is new? i have been all alone for a long time. :(

p.s.

after 5 years of going on- and off-line.. i am finally saying goodbye to blogging my personal sentiments. nobody cares on how i feel, anyway. haha. it took me awhile to realize that!

goodbye.

drained... stressed.... needs some kick

2010-11-28T22:01:00.001+04:00

i am having some stressful days since last week. when i was asked why, i came out with 5 reasons:

point #1...im just depress..

i had a lot of expectations that weren't met. yeah, i'm trying my best not to expect but i couldn't help it. sina-psycho ko na lang sarili ko which could be the reason why i am in such depression. ang lungkot-lungkot ko. hays, siguro dala na rin na magpa-Pasko and i don't have what i really, really want... yes, i have lance pero ewan ko ba, kulang pa rin... =(

point #2...maybe, just maybe.. kulang ako sa pahinga, masakit leeg ko... wala akong gana...

since i came back from Turkey, i suffered from a terrible stiffed neck, headache, body ache.. all at the same time. sobra sa gala? hehe. i really need another vacation... a longer one.. sana sa Europe. ;)

point #3... naiinis ako kasi hindi ko ma-prove yung sarili ko and my promises...

nakakainis lang, bakit ako pa ang kailangang mag-prove?? anyway, no point in discussing this anymore. i can prove it naman at the right time, it's just that i want to be 100% sure, without hesitations that i will have something worth fighting for. with the ways things are turning out.. parang nde naman. i know what i want now and that is, peace of mind. therefore, he needs to prove himself as well. nde pa nga siya bayad sa past actions nya tapos ako sisingilin nya ngayon. unfair naman. =(

point #4... im stressed at home, at work, at everything...

i am way below my self-expectation in my work, in my goals, in my life. i wanted to act and make up for it but being a mother is getting in the way. ang hirap. i know that i am way below standards as well when motherhood is concern. =( i suck in time management... =(

point #5.. just trying to return back the way i am treated...

kulang ako pansin and i admit it. if i am not missed, i try also not to miss the person/s concern. ganun lang yun. it's just draining the wits out of me since i am missing these people. hehe. pero okay lang... things do pass... i need to do something about this before i go out of my mind and lose myself.

hopefully, i could gain the same energy i once had. i am trying really hard.... i mingled with new folks last weekend, returned to my kitchen, did not speak to some people that much... it helped a little but not quite. i have a hammam scheduled on wednesday and some boat trip over the weekend (?). i hope these will help in the healing process... ang tanong, kaya ko ba? hehe.

Turkey - Day 1

2010-11-16T23:12:00.000+04:00

am taking a trip by myself... that is, without lance. in a way, i am excited about it because it will give me a chance to take my mind off things. however, i am that too happy when the people i am supposed to be with weren't complete. kat and berna were not able to make it. =( berna encountered a visa problem while kat is in amidst of a family problem. only me, eys and jerrold was able to board our 11AM flight that turned out to be 12:30 AM.

we boarded via the Saga Airlines, a chartered plane. it wasn't too bad. the food was edible. they served us pasta with white sauce. the plane was a bit warm but the temperature improved when it got settled on air. it took us 4 1/2 hours to reach Istanbul. we were fetched by the Fly Express representatives who was friendly and helpful as she can be.

Istanbul was around 17 deg C at that time. we got stuck on a traffic on our way to our hotel in Taksim area. grabe, i lost track of time sa sobrang tagal! sobrang gutom, sobrang pagod. it was drizzling at the same time. Istanbul as a city is a bit crowded. parang Manila lang with all those penthouses with chimneys. =)

we reached the hotel after 10 years, i guess. hahaha. anyway, we were not disappointed as opposed to the online reviews on Golden Age Hotel. it was not that golden but it was not that bad, as well. okay lang, we get what we paid for. clean enough. the beds were done nicely but there was no coffee or tea-making utensils inside the room and no welcome fruits or wine (hihi. ambisyosa!), too. the good plus were hot water, a hair dryer and a TV are all available. hmm.. it wasn't 4-stars in my standards but it wasn't 2-stars either. i will give it 3-stars. oh, there was no A/C nga pala, but a heater for the room is available. good thing, it's winter so we just open the windows to let the cool air in.

we rested for around 30 minutes, did some unpacking and of we go and explored the nearby establishments. we had our first taste of Turkish cuisine in a small restaurant.

----- to be continued ----

Realizations

2010-10-07T16:26:00.000+04:00

i was able to attend the 5th day of the Misyong Pilipino last night. it was... hmm... i dunno how to describe it. whatever the word is...it made me feel good to unload my heavy heart. good thing, they purposely turned off all the lights. the whole area was just lit up by the candles on the altar. fr. arlo asked the whole congregation to talk to Jesus. to ask him for forgiveness, to seek healing (physical, spiritual, emotional) and to give thanks.

i cried a river. i suddenly missed home and as usual, i missed my tatay. after the mass, i feel the urge to go home to the philippines. ewan ko ba. i need to breathe fresh air yata. =(

i asked for forgiveness for doing things against His will and yet, He still treats me as a friend. forgiveness for hurting the ones that i love and for not doing the things that I am supposed to do. i asked for healing.. physical, spiritual and emotional... i really needed it now. i feel battered, tired and hopeless. most of all, i utter words of thanks for the countless blessings that i am continuously been receiving. marami-rami rin pala.

last night, i promised myself that i would try to be a better person. ang hirap. hahaha. i tried to withhold myself from doing things that i want versus what is right. i didn't succeeded. however, i ended up being hurt doubly than before. ang tigas kasi ng ulo. pinagpipilitan pa kasi.

today, i realized how foolish i am.

My Mission

2010-10-05T14:06:00.002+04:00

i had a colorful month. overjoyed. overwhelmed. over-stressed. over-booked.

my schedule has been fully-booked... weekdays or weekends, nighttime or daytime. it is tiring. physically and emotionally draining. almost run into a public bus one morning coz of a blank mind. yeah, with all the things i had to think of, i chose to think of nothing. and with all the things i need to do (help friends with their party preparation, make personal errands, go to the doctor , be a good mother, etc.), i ended up finishing nothing. i am burdened, i am uninspired, i am miserable.

decided to pause for awhile.

i have been attending a week-long retreat in St. Joseph Church, entitled Misyong Pilipino. each night, parishioners were asked to take one bible verse to bring home to. last night, i got this:

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

i am so thankful i got this... i needed it today and i think, for the coming days.
with each realization on this retreat...i found myself crying. sigh... it is sooo difficult. i wanted to take some choices but i can't. i wanted to follow my heart but it leads nowhere. i wanted to disappear but i can't leave someone behind.

my mission: ~~make myself happy.~~ find my purpose --- i just don't know what i must do. i am leaving it to Him now.

i'm back online. it only means one thing.... i'm alone again... naturally.

Lance's New Moments

2010-08-30T13:25:00.001+04:00

Moment #1
Isang umaga, nagising si lance. Tapos naamoy nya yung niluluto ng nanny nya sa kusina..
Lance to mommy: “hmm, smells good”.

Moment #2
Dami na syang alam na words at nakakapag-construct na ng sentence in english. Hihi. Tulad ng…”the alien is outside the window”..”the cat is sleeping”.. “the bird is flying”…etc. basta, alam na nyang lagyan ng –ING yung verb.

Yun nga lang pagdating sa “lying down”, sabi ni lance : “the dog is lay downing”… :D

Moment #3
Background: Lance interchanges I to YOU..
Kapag hihingi ng milk..instead of saying “I like milk”… he’ll say “you like milk?”…

He got tired of me telling bedtime stories kaya ngayon siya na ang narrator..(bedtime stories namin laging about animals..hehe.)

Lance: You tell a bedtime story..
Mommy: Okay, tell mommy a bedtime story..hmm…about the lion.
Lance: Once upon a time, the lion bites mommy and daddy!
Mommy: *reacts*

Lance: You tell a bedtime story..
Mommy: Okay, tell mommy a bedtime story..hmm…about the giraffe.
Lance: Once upon a time, the giraffe bites mommy and daddy!

Basta, kahit anong animal, laging bites mommy and daddy ang main story. ;)

I Hate Weddings

2010-07-29T23:05:00.004+04:00

don't get me wrong. i love the essence of wedding celebrations be it grandiose or a simple one. watching two people exchange vows or simply smiling on each other during the ceremony or the celebration gives me goosebumps and gets me teary-eyed.

i used to research a lot about this occasion because once in my lifetime, i have dreamed of being a happy bride myself... i have dreamed of being escorted by my father and mother down the aisle with all the beaming faces who came to witness such a joyful celebration. i have dreamed of cutting the cake, toasting a wine.. yes, i had that dream.

that was long ago. i am now way past that delusion. i will never be a happy bride. i won't be escorted by my father and mother anymore. i will forever be carrying my maiden name. i will never ever cut a cake or toast a wine with a groom.

i have stopped browsing through wedding magazines or websites. i shun away from seeing wedding pictures. i don't like attending wedding ceremonies or wedding celebrations. yes, i am now a wedding Scrooge.

wedding still gives me goosebumps and it still makes me teary-eyed. that's why i don't like witnessing such. i am not jealous of the bride or groom. apparently, i am happy for them. i am absolutely happy for the bride that she was presented to the public and that her groom is so proud of her. the groom, on the other hand, earned my deepest respect and admiration for taking all his efforts and all his love to show the bride how he values her happiness. for giving her the one dream all girls aspires. they deserve to be happy. they are lucky to have found each other. such lucky people.

still, i hate weddings. it makes my heart quench... i am silently being stabbed... i wanted to cry. wedding celebrations just reminds me how unlucky i am as a girl. it reminds me that i am not someone special enough to be presented, be made up and be photographed. it also reminds me that my father is not here and that there's no one to escort me anymore. it just reminds me that not all of my dreams will become a reality. maybe, i will only be made up and photographed inside the church during my wake. how sad... yes, weddings make me lonely and sad big time. =(

Leaving the UAE Checklist

2010-07-29T09:48:00.003+04:00

okay, so i still have maximum of four years of stay here in the UAE. as much as possible, i want to shorten it to maximum of 2 years only (2011). however, i still have some things that i want to do (and buy!) before finally setting down under. lemme pressure myself. hahaha.

enrol in OTEN TAFE for the Occupational Health and Safety course. it's a year-long distance learning course which could later on help me in shifting from laboratory work to safety management. since i also have background on quality management, auditing is not new to me and these two will complement. hopefully, i can finalize this plan when the nanny matter gets settled.
buy my wish gadgets (haha!) : a mac, a 18-200mm (or 24-105mm or 28-135mm or... haha. still a confused kitty) lens and a flash. promise, once i have these new toys, i'll be quiet... for sometime. :D
go to my wish places (haha, again!) : italy, egypt, spain. yeah, yeah. this list is quite long but okay, i can have at least two?! :)
buy myself a diamond. *grins* since this is the fourth one, it won't hurt me that much if i won't be able to have this. but it'll be an added bonus if i'll be able to buy this one. of course, a free gift wouldn't hurt that much, too.

three (or four) items to do. i have two years to make it happen. goodluck to me.

Needing an Upgrade

2010-07-15T09:45:00.000+04:00

it'll be almost 6 years since i have been employed here in the UAE. i wouldn't call it glorious though. my personal life has been a good example of giddiness. my professional life has been....... stagnant. yep, the first year was great. new things to learn, willing professors to guide. however, after that first year... things just went so slooooowwww and so booooring. each day, i feel like i am detriorating and losing each and every plus points in my CV. anyhow, i have been researching about signing up for an online course. i have found some good ones yet costly, too. hahaha.

in the midst of the search, i find enrolling in TAFE OTEN more appealing. i am thinking of getting the Occupational Health and Safety Course which will run for a year or so. hopefully, when things are settled with marvin's employment and lance's nanny, i can get things going.

i am more inclined to get this as it involves both safety and management skills. most of the quality management job posts that i find often combine these two together. secondly, the course is also recognized throughout Australia thus it is equivalent to studying in Australia as well. thirdly, since we'll be moving to Perth where mining and oil and gas industry is predominant, anything concerning safety is in demand.

sigh. i hope things get settled soon.

Wanted : Happiness

2010-06-28T09:20:00.004+04:00

nowadays, networking websites (like facebook, friendster, etc.) turned out to be venting out websites also. yes, everybody needs to build network of friends and in turn, they vent out to these people about their success, downfalls or just about anything in their minds.

i am one of these people. i check my facebook account more than 3 times in most days just to see what my friends are doing. i in turn, vents out once in awhile in a rather subtle hideous way.

since my mother became "single", i have lost the emotional connection with her. thus, most of my frustrations in life are bottled up inside me. i turn into these venting out websites (this blog included) to pour out a little when i really, really need to unload. i pour some to a handful of friends (to my BFF tina, most especially) when i feel like am about to explode. however, as much as possible i keep my burdens to myself (or type it in here) and spare my friends of unhappy stories. i don't like telling unhappy stories. i don't like to be seen sad. in times like these, i just sing my song....

The Rotten Apple....

2010-06-27T11:47:00.004+04:00

a few days back, a friend has forwarded a powerpoint presentation to me about happiness. it says there that one's happiness shouldn't depend on other people or things as both of these change. it stresses that happiness depends on the person's decision to be happy by himself.

i have read the presentation three times since i last received it and i told her that i really couldn't digest the message. my realization was that..i am not truly happy. i am happy with some things but i don't sleep with contentment as i used to have despite having less of what i have right now. though as what the presentation suggests, i just decide to make myself happy. but personally, i think this is happiness half-baked.

after telling her this, she forwarded another message to me about the rotten apple. a person heard that God is giving away apples. after a long queue, she was able to get hold of one but God made it slipped her hands because He realizes later on that it is rotten anyway. it suggested to queue again and wait for the next apple which would take longer to arrive but will be the sweetest apple available.

it was a nice read. however, i do hope that i get to see another version. yung version ng mga pasaway like i am. someone who has no patience to wait and settled for the rotten apple. because right now, i am lost as what to do with my apple that i have spent my time trying to polish and convincing myself that someday it'll taste yummy like the rest that i have missed.

(i never really liked apples. why did i queued, anyway? )

Back Online...

2010-06-27T10:32:00.008+04:00

oh my.. oh my.. this blog hasn't been updated or visited for quite sometime. it only shows how uneventful my life is. hehe. anyhow, to recap how the months have been:

ate bel's not with us anymore. she has gone back to the Philippines last end of March after a stressful visa problem. it is stressful enough for me thus am not willing to talk about it one more time, so pardon the confidentiality. but to summarize it all, i bought my peace of mind and had to let ate bel go despite this decision that truly broke our hearts.
our Philippines-Australia vacation pushed through. the Australian peep was great, although some personal glitches were experienced. it was difficult to travel with two boys in tow, really.
after our vacation, lance stayed behind in the Philippines for two more months while i came back to UAE alone. lance was able to celebrate his 3rd birthday in Jollibee with his cousins while i, on the other hand was able to practice my photography hobby when i came back to UAE.
my home alone experience was not bad at all. some how, being busy paid off. i was able to focus in practicing photography and has been out and about in Abu Dhabi driving around. yep, i am more confident now to drive. of course, parking is another story. ngahaha.
lance was back in the UAE since June 18 and is now enrolled in a 2x/week playschool. he has been his teacher's headache but hopefully, he'll adjust. i wish, soon enough though. haha.
i am still the same. lost some friends but gained new ones. a few patient ones are still with me. life is not perfect but living it just the same.

(hmm.. how come i couldn't cut and paste from notepad to blogger, anymore??! *sad face*)

The Best Thing in (My) Life

2010-03-07T09:19:00.002+04:00

i believe these are worth posting... =)

incident no. 1:
it was ate bel's day-off so me and lance stayed at home. i was busy reading something when lance popped a question.

lance: where's tita?
mommy: i don't know.
lance: me, neither.

i was so shocked! hahaha. i don't even use the phrase myself! anyhow, days after that, i discovered that he learned that from watching mickey mouse clubhouse. =)

incident no. 2:
lance took the internet card from me which contains the username and password. i couldn't get it from him because i know it would throw him in fits if i do so. anyway, i thought of getting it from him secretly when he is not looking. however, before i could even act on my plan the card's not with him anymore!

mommy: lance, where's the card? where did you put it?
lance: no reaction. as if he didn't hear me.
mommy: lance, where's the card? mommy needs it.
lance: again, no reaction and continued playing.
mommy: searched the whole living room... under the sofa, under the tv, etc.. all the places where he could have inserted it (he likes inserting things and pretends he is mailing letters). no luck and decided to just ask ate bel to look for it some other time.

after 10 minutes with lance playing around me...
lance: (holding up the card) here's the card! i found it! hahahaha. he even used the right tense!

incident no. 3:
i decided to test the portable dvd player that i bought with lance's favorite music karaoke cd. me and lance were on our tummies and waiting for the cd to start.

cd started playing....

lance: looked at me with his big smile. "i'm so happy!!" then he hugged me.

hu-wow... i bought the unpopular portable dvd brand but it has a priceless return! :)

...lance turned out to be a naughty but sweet boy. he has so many funny antics at the moment. too bad, i don't have my videocam with me to document it. anyhow, will try to just post once i find a way. :)

Vianney's Chocolate Cake

2010-02-05T12:41:00.002+04:00

i tried the chocolate cake recipe of my friend last night. you can find her recipe here: http://beingparisienne.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/vians-chocolate-cake-recipe/.

verdict: i seconded her claim... perfect! so chocolatey, so fluffy and the sweetness is just right. what i like most also is the ease of prepation. only involves manual mixing and i used only 1 mixing bowl. hihi. halata bang tamad mag-wash ng dishes?! =)

by coincidence, the TV program entitled Secrets of the Masters baked a cake also in their episode the other night. with that, i incorporated the tips that was mentioned while i make this cake. as per the chef's advice: (1) once the dried ingredients was mixed with the wet ingredients, you have to work fast and make it a point to put it inside the oven as soon as you are done mixing. this helps the gluten to rise up inside the oven and not while it is still outside. so??? the end product would be a risen cake that will retain its shape and will not sog after it cooled down. (2) do not put the batter near the flame nor at the highest level of the oven. place it at the middle part where the temperature is more constant.

finally, here are some photos of the Super Chocolate Cake. hihi.

i sprinkled some icing sugar just for presentation since i didn't bother to make icing anymore. but i'm looking forward in making the same cake with icing next time when there's an occassion. definitely, the the cake would be just right for a sweety icing, too.

see the fluffiness??!! so loooove it! =)

Bento-ing... :)

2010-01-31T22:45:00.004+04:00

i came across making bento this week and i am hooked! maybe because it combined two of my favorite things... that is, art and food. :) an added plus is it's japanese-inspired! yep, i love japanese food! dunno how to make them, but i definitely know how to eat it. hehe. i am however, up to the challenge. ;)

i was off to Daiso this Saturday and just went gaga with all the bento gadgets available. too bad, they don't have the collapsible sandwich box mentioned in other bento sites. here are the stuff that i was able to get. i actually have to restrict myself to the basics. siguro, bili na lang ulet kapag successful bento'nian na 'ko. haha.

the bento boxes

cutters and punchers

the rice molds

shaped-sauce containers

another set of sauce containers

the silicon dividers and plastic picks

for the finale, here's my first bento lunchbox. theme is about family. i have 3 odd-shaped rice molds to represent daddy, mommy and baby. a big heart-shaped rice mold to represent big love. ;) all of these are resting on a bed of lettuce with mayo on the side . the second layer contains the viand and the desserts. chopped chicken nuggets and chicken adobo strips as viands and kiwi and strawberry for fruits. verdict: kulang!!! hahahaha. next week, i'll prepare more. lol.

bento'inks no. 1

New-found Craze! Bento!!!

2010-01-28T22:07:00.003+04:00

we were supposed to go with the Photobumbong folks tomorrow for the Al Ain Airshow but i suddenly changed my mind. ang lamig kasi sa city ngayon. for sure, mas malamig dun eh kakagaling lang ni lance sa sipon at ubo. he would enjoy watching the planes and all but if he'll catch colds again after that, baka ma-guilty lang ako. saka sobrang aga...goodluck na lang kung magising si lance ng ganun kaaga. hehe.

anyway... browse-browse ako ngayon sa net at may bago akong gustong gawin!!! hahaha. bento-making??!!! from what i understand, it's the art of making art at your lunchbox (redundant ba? lol)... ang galing grabe. aside from fan ako ng japanese food, just looking at it kung baon mo siya sa office, parang makaka-tanggal ng stress. =) seeing those smiling goodies at you. truly uplifting!

backtrack --- ewan ko nga kanina sa office, the whole day... hindi naman ako in-asar-talo ng amo ko, pero ang tamad-tamad ko at antok na antok talaga ako the whole day. the day just got better pag-uwi ko when i took a nap and woke up an hour after kasi kiss ng kiss si lance. hehe. pero kung bento box siguro ang baon ko, baka tanggal bad day ko in a flash. hahaha.

heto nga pala ilang sites ng bento:

http://www.kitchencow.com/category/bento/
http://lunchinabox.net/

yun lang.. sharing lang. i suddenly missed my hello kitty chopsticks. sana hindi pa na-arbor nina IA at Raizza. i'm gonna take them with me pag-uwi namin. makapunta nga ng Daiso this weekend. ngahaha. hopefully, when lance starts schooling, i'll be a certified-bento maker. hihi.

Plans for the Big Aussie Move

2010-01-07T19:56:00.004+04:00

we are due to make our inital entry sometime on 3rd quarter of this year. just the thought of it is exciting and frightening at the same time. i'm excited because i'll be finally setting foot on the land that i have always dreamed of. frightening because i do not know what's at stake.

it is good that i am going there with my son and husband. however, planning that entry is quite difficult actually. this is because me and lance are continents apart from his dad. hehe. ang hirap mag-plano! airfare palang, pamatay na sa budget. =(

anyway, we have 3 options to choose from. the decision hasn't been reached yet. there are more things to do and plan for prior to that. so far, here's what we have in mind arranged in an order from cheapest to the most dreadfully expensive: lol.

Plan A

(Will go to Oz for 1 week) March 24 to March 31 ?
March because as per airline websites' April is a peak season. no idea why.. hehe. where in Australia? could be in Perth so we'll be familiar about the situation there. could also be in Brisbane. because as per my aussie officemate's story, this is where the theme parks are. i'm sure, lance will love it here in lieue of the HK trip that i think we need to remove from the plan.

Marvin - takes local flight to Oz (via Qantas Airways) = 30,000 pesos = 3,000 aed
- takes Oz to UAE with Mai & Lance (via Sg airlines) = 3,000-3,500 aed

Mai & Lance - takes roundtrip ticket UAE-Brisbane-UAE (via Sg airlines) = 8,500-9,000 aed
- me and lance should arrive early in Oz than Marvin

Max total airfare involve = 15,000aed

Disadvantage -- napakatagal ng stop-over sa Sg!!!! halos 10 to 12 hours!!!

Plan B

the family will meet in HK, then go to Oz, then to UAE.

March 24-March 30 in HK
March 30-April 7 in Oz

Mai & Lance - flies via Cathay UAE-HK-Oz-UAE = 8,000-10,000 aed
Marvin - flies local flight to HK = 1,000 aed?
- flies HK to Oz to UAE with Mai & Lance via Cathay... = 16,000 aed
BUT kung Mla-Hk-Oz-UAE = 11,000aed (ang weird noh? mas mura pa, hehe)

Max. total airfare involve = 21,000aed

Advantage = Magkakasama kami sa Hk to Oz and Oz to DXB flight. that is, if i will be able to book and arrange everything on time.

Plan C

the family will meet in HK, then off to Oz after. after a week, then Mai and Lance go back to UAE and Marvin stays in Oz.

March 24-March 30 in HK
March 30-April 7 in Oz

Mai & Lance - flies via Cathay UAE-HK-Oz-UAE = 8,000-10,000 aed
Marvin - flies ia Cathay Mla-Hk-Oz = 11,000aed

Max. total airfare involve = 21,000aed

Another advantage: Marvin can stay behind and look for work in Oz. hopefully, i will be able to arrange an accommodation to his trip. thanks to my forum friend, Anavy who's also due to make their big move same as us.

Brownies

2010-01-03T12:49:00.005+04:00

i have forgotten from whom i owe this recipe from. probably from one of my GT sisters? i dunno. anyway, thank you so much. you are very generous to share this recipe eventhough this is your business recipe. mwah!

ingredients:

1 1/2 stick butter

2 tablespoon lard/oil

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2-3 tablespoons semi-bitter chocolate chips

1-2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 cup flour

2-3 tablespoons white chocolate chips or flakes

directions:

heat the butter and oil in a saucepan until melted.
add the sifted cocoa powder and place in the butter-oil mixture. heat until melted but make sure to mix continuously so as not to burn it. remove from the heat source.
add in the chocolate chip and stir in until melted.
add the vanilla and sugar.
add the eggs one at a time. make sure to add an egg only after the mixture is fully incorporated.
add in the flour and the chocolate chip. do not over-mix to avoid making it aerated (not unless you want it to turn into a cake, hehe).
spread in a greased and lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes at 350 deg F (warning: do not overbake!).
cool and cut into squares.

notes (why i love this recipe):

sobrang gooey nung outcome! this is what i like in brownies.. yung makunat-kunat. hehe.
i mix this manually. wooden spoon nga lang gamit ko eh! hehe. kasi kapag electrical mixer andun yung tendency na maging aerated siya.

Fresh Lumpia Recipe

2010-01-02T01:02:00.003+04:00

fresh lumpia has been the family's favorite dish which my mother and my auntie baby make superbly. here in the UAE, i have more or less lived up to the family's standards when making this dish. i made this for the new year (hooray 2010!) and the preparation time was around 3 hours. the sauteed veggies were prepared ordinarily. however, the sauce - which is hit or miss factor which i usually hit. :) my recipe is listed below. take note that i do not measure the vegetable part because i cook with tantiyahan. hehe. but normally, i make sure that i have ample quantity of carrots because it gives color to the mixture. also, it is important to have as much sweet potato because it gives the sweet contrast to the salty sauce.

as for the sauce, i listed the measurement that i use. this is a no-fail proportion. so, be sure to use those measuring cups and spoons! =)

ingredients:

for the lumpia:
cooking oil
finely minced garlic
finely chopped onion
ground pork
shelled and chopped shrimps
chicken/vegetable stock
string beans, julienned
carrots, julienned
cabbage, julienned
singkamas (turnip), julienned
sweet potato, boiled and cubed
celery (optional)
dash of salt and pepper for seasoning

for the sauce:
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
finely minced garlic
toasted peanuts, pounded
a dash of pepper for seasoning

extra ingredients needed:
lumpia wrapper (nope, i do not make one! hello, ayoko nang pahirapan sarili ko noh!)
lettuce

directions:

to make the lumpia:

brown the ground pork in adequate amount of cooking oil over medium fire.
set aside the browned meat in one side of the pan and sautee the garlic and onion, then combine with the pork.
add the shrimps until it turned into orangy-white color.
add chicken/vegetable stock. the amount needed to steam the vegetables later on.
add the string beans, carrots, turnip, cabbage and the sweet potatoes in this order. make sure to cook in low to medium fire at this stage. allow only a minute or two of interval between these ingredients. cover the pan but ensure that the vegetables are cooked still crispy altogether. please lang, do not over cook! not only does you lose the vitamins in the veggies, you also lose the pleasure of biting into a crunchy delight. hindi masarap ang lumpiang hindi na fresh. hehe.
season with salt and pepper to taste.

to make the sauce:

place the sugar in a sauce pan and dissolve in the water. heat until the sugar is dissolved.
add the soysauce and salt. heat and stir.
add the mixed cornstarch (with water). heat until the mixture becomes thick.
add in the garlic and ground peanut.
season with a dash of pepper.
let the sauce simmer while stirring constantly. remove from heat once the garlic and peanut flavor are mixed with the thickened sauce.

to serve:

lay the lumpia wrapper in a plate.
place the lettuce on one end with a portion outside the wrapper.
spoon some cooked and drained lumpia over the lettuce-wrapper portion.
seal in by turning the ingredients wrapped with the lumpia wrapper.
put the prepared roll on aplate and spread the sauce over.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread (in 4 easy steps!!)

2009-12-23T22:53:00.012+04:00

this recipe was taken from my little 200 Chocolate Recipes book. i don't have a kitchen weighing scale yet (sponsor, anyone? hehe), so i just used an ordinary measuring cup with an ounce graduation instead. nonetheless, it turned out really good. :) i'll be posting the original recipe below while i add notes after that to document what actually transpired in my kitchen. happy baking! :)

ingredients for the base:
200 g (7 oz) plain flour
50 g (2 oz) cocoa powder
75 g (3 oz) golden caster sugar
175 g (6 oz) butter

for the caramel:
750 g (1 1/2 lb) condensed milk
100 g (3 1/2 oz) light muscovado sugar
100 g (3 1/2 oz) butter

for the top layer:
200 g (7 oz) white chocolate

directions:
1. blend the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture forms crumbs, then pulse a little more until it forms a ball. turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and well combined.
2. grease and line a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inch) roll tin. press the mixture into the tin and bake in a pre-heated oven, 180 deg C (350 deg F), for 20 minutes until firm to the touch. set aside when done (this is the chocolate shortbread mixture).
3. heat the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a nonstick pan, stirring continuously, for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and fudgy. pour on top of the chocolate shortbread, smooth over and cool.
4. melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and pour it over the caramel. leave to set at room temperature, then cut into 20 squares.

notes:
1. of course, cream the sugar and butter first! i used an ordinary sugar because i don't have a caster sugar at hand. no problem was encountered. i wonder if the caster sugar will make the shortbread less sweet??? i didn't do the kneading part, btw. tinamad ako eh. haha. that could be the reason why the texture is not so smooth when it was cooked. pero carry na rin, nasa ilalim naman siya eh. haha.
2. i've read somewhere that shortbreads were meant to be cooked slowly. so, i reduced the oven temp a little bit and just increased the timing. hmm.. i used 150 deg C but i couldn't be specific with the duration because i just check the bread every now and then. so far, my method worked! :) since it's chocolatey, there's a big tendency for it to have burnt sides which i was able to avoid because of the slow cooking. also, don't panic when the supposed dough didn't rise up. it will not. :) yun nga daw ang reason why it's called shortbread. short siya sa height. ngahahaha.
3. as always, i don't measure. haha. so, for the caramel i used the tantiyahan method. =) ayoko na kasing mag-compute what's the equivalent of 1 1/2 lb into oz. :D and since i don't want to have a left-over caramel, i just guesstimate this part.. caramel, sugar and butter. hehe. so far, with about half a cup of condensed milk, 1/4 cup sugar and around 100g of butter, i was able to make a 1/4 inch of caramel layer. not bad... ;) making this caramel reminds me of the brazo de mercedes recipe.
4. this is the part that i liked most. hihi. i melted the white chocolate but i put around 1/4 teaspoon of butter. i've read somewhere too, that melted chocolate with a bit of oil/butter, will be more shiny when it cooled down. so it was! finally, before this layer cooled down completely, i sprinkled some colored sugar decorations on top to entice even those who swore to stay away from sweets. lol.

verdict:
the final result was fab! i was hesitant to make this because of the amount of sugar involved. iniisip ko palang, parang hihimatayin na ako dahil sa diabetes. hahaha. however, with my intention to bake something without using eggs, the ingredients were perfect. in additon, this recipe uses plain flour. as much as possible, i shun from recipes that uses self-raising flour. self-raising flour and me, just don't go together. hehe. anyhow, the final product was a 3-layer goody... with a base having a bittery taste complemented by the sweetness of a gooey caramel and deluctible white chocolatey top. description palang panalo na. how much more when you actually bite into it??!! lol.

A Monthly Update?

2009-12-15T08:38:00.003+04:00

i always make alibis for my late updates here in my blog. i don't wanna start my post with another one. i'm starting to be an Alibi Queen if i do so. hehe. instead, i'm going to list how i am feeling right this moment.

mad - i am furiously mad at my hubby's former boss. he always messed up my family's vacation plans and we always end up not spending our holidays together. i am mad that he has no word of honor and doesn't even consider my habibi's status as a family man. i am mad because he is not a good employer. i am furiously mad because he made my husband pay for his own ticket and he did not even give his gratuity. in short, Mr. M deserves all the bad luck in this world. may his company go down the drain along with him. ggggrrrrrr.....
disappointed - i am disappointed by our department head's way of leading. he takes issues lightly and i feel he lacks the guts to solve things fast. most of my PRs will be celebrating their 2nd birthdays and when i asked him about the status of these so that he could jump and down as well to the procurement department, he just give me the usual reply i get from a person who has no concern. it is me who sits with the students and researchers and each time the SEM monitor turns off, i just dunno how to explain to them that the matter is beyond my control. it is my performance to my role that gets affected in here and more so, it is my face the students sees. and guess what, who gets the bad impression?? i am just terribly disappointed. have i said that twice?
happy - despite my hubby being banned to work in the UAE for 6 months, i am happy that we now share the same plans. hehe. yep. before, i have plans and he has his own. haha. now, we plan to meet in Oz by next year and then, both of us will come back to UAE in time for his 3-month visit visa.
sleepy - i am back to taking our bus service and it picks me up at my stop 6:35AM. kumusta naman yun?! i used to wake up at this time before. hay... goodluck na lang that i'll be able to keep my eyes open during the day. coffee to the rescue???

Visa Grant!!

2009-11-12T00:34:00.000+04:00

first thing i did when i arrived in my office was open my facebook account. lol. ssshhh... anyway, from there, i received a message which made my day horrible. it was a personal message from someone i don't know and who may have the habit of ruining someone's day. she did succeeded but i do hope i have her's twice miserable. ngahaha.

after making sure i have redeemed myself, i opened my office email application and lo and behold! an email from my case officer telling me that our visa application's approved and granted! yipppeeee!!! couldn't believe it yet so happy!! :)

yep, 6 months after the lodgment date, no agency... just lots of reading, hardwork and prayers (plus a little help from www.phillippines.com.au friends!), paid off! a million thanks guys and gals! goodluck to all of us to the journey to the land down under. hihi.

so, for those who try their luck in seeking Australian Immigrant Visa, here's an outline of what we did:

download Booklet 6 from www.immi.gov.au website.
read Booklet 6 over and over again until you have undertood it by heart.
assess yourself against the checklist if you meet the minimum points required. i yes, proceed with the next steps. Otherwise, try NZ or Canada??
register in www.philippines.com.au forum.
took IELTS exam.
have your qualification assessed by a respective assessing body. in my case, i had mine assessed by Engineers Australia.
upon receiving positive assessment result from EA, lodged online application.
got questions along the way? confused? refer to step # 1 or ask in step # 4.

Birthday Planning..??!!!

2009-11-11T23:53:00.003+04:00

nope, not for me.... for lance, who else?! lol. i told myself that we ought to be very wise when it comes to spending money these days because of the expenses that we're expecting for next year. anyhow, i just couldn't help myself. i just love planning birthday parties! :) i will try my best to keep the expenses to the minimum and yet still make the party awesome.

for his 3rd birthday, his theme would be jungle safari. i chose this theme for him because by the time he gets to choose his own theme, i bet he won't be choosing the animals anymore. hehe. secondly, a jungle safari theme would mean less DIYs. well, i hope! hahaha.

i have been browsing around and based from my researches, this would be the Party Plan:

theme : jungle safari
venue : at the park or home
decorations : green, brown and yellow inspired, animal standees, luminaries (if venue's in a park)
food : BBQ, hotdog on stick, spicy chicken, lasagna
desserts : choco-covered mallows, chocolate cake, Jelly-O's, buko pandan
give-aways : mugs (adults) and lunch boxes (kids) - haha. yep, i already bought these!
attire : request the kids to wear white shirt and khaki shorts/pants
games :

kiddie games -
adult games -

So, what's at stake?

i need to find a perfectly moist chocolate cake recipe.
i need to learn how to cook lasagna.

gosh, challenge of all challenges ito ah! goodluck na lang sa akin at sa mga attendees namin. :D

Has Been Awhile

2009-10-10T02:07:00.006+04:00

months have passed.. lots of things happened to me personally... and the same things are happenning over and over again. para lang akong nakikipaglokohan sa buhay. hehe. anyway, what's new? here goes:

the not-so-bad news:

we had our vacation last june to august in Manila. it was just me, lance and ate bel. it wasn't a vacation for me and lance actually because lance got sick most of the time. me on the other hand, was so dead tired. =( good thing i had a chance to have a good laugh with old friends from HS before we leave for UAE. i never laughed that hard for such a long while. God, i missed being carefree. :D
i'm still working with the same company. no change in work status or bonus or whatsoever. it's been a long time, really! no good thing is coming my way. =(
already lodged our visa application. somehow, i want to start a new life. yeah, yeah. i don't think i need to explain further. let's just say, things 'round here is still the same. i just wish that life will be kinder to us when we transfer. i hope and pray that i may be able to find a new job right away. sana, so the moving on will be easier.
i am having financial difficulty nowadays. it was because of the expenses we have incurred with the vacation, the house repair (see below), an investment and the increased cost of living in the UAE combined. however, i am not that sad about this because i know for a fact that i am far more blessed than most people. budgetting lang talaga ang katapat nito and i have been lousy with that. i'll make this my new year's resolution. oopps..! na naman????!!! hahaha.

the somewhat-good-news:

things about my migration plans are falling into places. just having a long wait for the final verdict. hopefully, i do succeed on this. if not, will opt for plan B. at ano naman yun??!! eh di ang magpaka-suicidal dito sa UAE. hehe.
lance is growing up to be such a smart boy. may pinagmanahan talaga!!! haha. at less than 2.5 year old, he already memorized the alphabet, knows the days of the week and the months in a year. you can refer to my multiply site for the video showcasing his prowess. (http://myl33n.multiply.com)
i was able to have my Cabuyao mini-house renovated. yun nga lang, nabaha naman with the Ondoy Typhoon. hay, ang malas talaga. anyway, the damage is still not as grabe as the ones in Manila. but just the same, it spoiled my newly repaired little house. =(
busy with a new hobby. photography!! hehe. i'm attending a basic photography course nowadays. at least, such an activity keeps my sanity.
i am healthy despite occasional backpains, headaches and dizziness. i know, i lack sleep. i just don't sleep peacefully these days. maybe i am bothered, stressed, drained?? i need a vacation really. pano naman yun eh kailangan ko ngang mag-budget. hayzzzzzzzz.....

i hope to be on track again and share my daily life, feelings and dealings...to the world out there who doesn't even know me. who doesn't even care that i exist. basta lang. i will try to be more visible, more vocal, more open... whether you like it.. or you like it!!! ngahahaha.

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

2009-05-23T18:51:00.001+04:00

made a yummy spaghetti and a delicious home-made pizza. marvin said, it almost taste like domino's, except that i forgot to add the pineapple bits! hehehe. anyway, he's still happy for the simple dinner that i prepared. happy birthday!

What a day...

2009-05-10T22:45:00.003+04:00

i told myself that career will not be my priority anymore. however, for some weeks i have been going home late, working my butt off to finish lab activities for these people. when a professor approached me and talked to me about that training, i thought that somehow my efforts were recognized. but with the news that i received today, i was wrong. i am so disappointed and pissed off. the training that i was hoping to get was not granted to me. kainis. what is more disappointing was the thought that my superiors were not that supportive of my professional development. another department valued me more pa. pramis. i felt this way before and i did something i never regret. will it happen again?! i dunno. basta, for today... all i know is that i'll go home at 4 pm sharp. anyway, my efforts were not valued. hindi ko naman research yung mga yun. hmp.

More to Come

2009-05-04T00:09:00.000+04:00

i am so behind schedule as per my plans last month. dami talagang ginagawa and lab requests are falling like thunderstorm!!! =( anyhow, for some updates see below...

i just lodged our immigrant visa application today. =) however, i still have to upload supporting documents. the good news is that i was able to lodge before my 35th birthday and the bad news is, i have a new debt. i paid my credit card dues yesterday and now i have a new one! haha. wala pang 24 hours may bago na namang utang. ngahaha.
a professor offered me a training slot. he said he'll ask my boss's approval which i am very hopeful he'll give. it'll be in Germany for five days. great opportunity noh?! hay, sana nga ay matuloy.
halos malunod na ako sa labworks. professors and students are behind my back, not to mention some special requests from other agencies. time to yell.... DARNA!!!

Behind Schedule

2009-04-19T23:02:00.007+04:00

work is piling up big time! hay naku! before i finish a task, two or more additional tasks will be handed over. kumusta naman yun?! i wanna cry out loud, "look i only have two hands!" to my colleagues who think that they are the only ones who are working hard.

what's more frustrating is, i have lots of personal goals that i need to do and i am already so behind schedule of accomplishing them as i render an extra hour or two at the office. ggrrr... i am chasing deadlines while lab engineers are passing their batons to me. ka-gigil!

as for my list of MAJOR things to do for the next couple of months:

3rd to 4th wk of April - research, research, research
end of April - submit state sponsorship and DIAC applications.
1st to 2nd wk of May - make philippine vacation itinerary and plans.
3rd to 4th wk of May - planning for Angels@Work activity.
1st to 2nd wk of June - vacation preps

hindrances and solutions:

slow internet browsing - i need a new laptop!!!
lost calls (ahihi) - i need a new mobile phone. =( a 100-dirham worth is fine with me. i just need something to make and take calls without automatic hanging-up. a donor will be appreciated. :D
insufficient hours in a day - drink more coffee. make-believe that a day is actually 48 hours, so today is still yesterday and tomorrow's still today.
lack of money - this is indirectly a hindrance. hihi. having more will surely help smoothen out executions of plan nos. 1 to 5.

Positive!!!

2009-04-12T00:53:00.002+04:00

after two months and 3 days of endless waiting, i finally received my qualification assessment from Engineers Australia (EA). the verdict... they recognized my educational attainment and assessed me as a Professional Chemical Engineer! ahihi.

when hubby and i, have our little payabangan's, i always get a beating for not having a PRC license. pero ngayon, may pangtapat na ako sa kanya... bwahahaha!!!

my competency report did paid off! i was actually hesistant to apply for an assessment in that category because of not having the PRC license and at the same time, working currently as a lab technician. however, my co-forumers in http://www.philippines.com.au/ adviced me to aim high (thank you guys and gals! thank you EA assessors!). true enough... as long as one can showcase that he/she works and thinks like a professional (ahem), EA will rank you as one.

never have i opened a snail mail with such clumsiness, except with the EA's mail. sobrang kakakaba and nakaka-tense. but then, this news revived back my crashing self-confidence and gave it a little push. now that i have 2 tasks done (right!), 2 more to go towards that great australian dream. i'm so happy... happy... happy...

now it's time for step no. 3... aarrrgghhhh.....

New Playmates

2009-04-11T01:21:00.004+04:00

i have been in long hibernation from playing tennis and playing again last saturday made my muscles and joints tweak again. super uber busy the past months with birthday and assessment preps, kaya napabayaan ko na ang aking tennis dream. anyway, i'm back with a new set of playmates.

and what happened to coach molly and coach ely?? coach molly's rather busy these days while coach ely doesn't want to play tennis if i don't fetch him with Candy. with that, i have no choice but to seek new playmates and we're having fun! =) see you guys again, tomorrow!

Lance's Little Einstein 2nd Birthday

2009-04-10T22:51:00.002+04:00

here's a super-duper delayed post regarding lance's little einstein-themed 2nd birthday. it was a thursday and we gave a simple dinner to our friends in our home. aside from that fact that lance's birthday fell on a Holy Week, we also deemed it more practical to celebrate simply as we shall be having our vacation soon. my hubby is against having games as it was Maundy Thursday. hindi naman ganun ka-strict ang observance ng Holy Week dito, but my hubby wanted it to be less noisy. with that, i have to let go of the program and games that i prepared. anyway, marami pa namang birthdays to come. haha, parang sinabi ko na rin ito last year. =)

to make the birthday celebration go with the Little Einstein theme, i made effort to do as much DIYs as possible. here as some prepared items and comments:

1. invitations. i made two actually. one pop-up invitation and one online invitation. i am so happy with my online invitation because i was able to make the characters animate in the tune of the LE theme song. as for the pop-up invite, i got praised for it kasi hindi daw mukhang hand-made. :)

quincy, annie, june, leo, rocket and lance!

2. tarp-kuno. hehe. i designed it using Photoshop (am loving it already!) and originally planned to have it printed from a shop. however, kuya ely printed it in A1-size. super-tipid! hehe. what's so nice about it eh, siya ang nag-offer na mag-print. he asked me to send him some of Lance's photo to be put up during the event. being a girl scout that i am, syempre yung tarp design na ginawa ko ang ni-send ko. may bonus pa, he also printed out a nice big photo of lance. i really appreciate unsolicited help more than anything else. thanks again! as per jihan's words, dahil dyan may check ka! =)

3. CD give-away. i made all the designs for the inside and outside cover with PS also. a GT sis, gave me the link for the outside CD cover. then for the CD sticker, i used a PS template that i downloaded a month back, na kapag dun mo gagawin yung PS design mo, may guide na for you to cut. panalo yung template na yun! it made my life easier. hihi.

4. cupcakes. i made cheese and banana-flavored cupcakes, topped it with cream cheese frosting and decorated with themed-toothpick topper that i also made myself. yung cake/cupcake tree ay pinagawa ko (Jihan's friend). lumulundo nga eh, kasi lawanit lang yun. pero nilagyan ko na lang ng blocks na laruan ni lance sa ilalim para makaya nya yung weight ng lahat. hehe. i also covered and decorated it to make it more presentable.

5. lootbags. i made candy bags for girls and boys to take home. stuffed with candy goodies, a rubik's cube and a pencil. i made sure that the bag will be colorful and a placed a sticker-tag on it to make it personalized.

6. decor. hindi na-picture-an yung decor that much because hubby's in-charge of that. and what happens when i assign something at him? hay. anyway, i placed banderitas along the entrance / hallway, then i used the shoe cabinet to hold the give-aways. i also have posted cut-out letters on the wall saying, they need to pick one toy before they go. then, as guests enter the living room, balloons can be seen lined up with the number "2" printed on it and some more balloons were placed here and there. a happy birthday banner hung in one side of the room, too. ni-career ko talaga the night before ang pagpe-prep up ng place. sarap mag-decorate! at least, eventhough the celebration's "quiet" for a party, the decoration made it a less gloomy occassion.

7. give-aways. i bought the give-aways from various gift shops here in the UAE. aliw nga ako because i was still able to keep up with the theme despite having no DIVIlandia here. i bought musical istrument toys, some things that are educational, rocket-shaped toys.. all according to the theme. sobrang aliw ako sa pen that is shaped like a microphone, the harmonica, photo stand na merong rocket at trumpet design around. quincy na quincy talaga ang dating. hihi.

8. food. mostly, i ordered. except for the spaghetti, hotdog sticks and the chicken shanghai. we also have fried chicken, fresh lumpia, relleno, beef and fruit platter. we're supposed to have a chocolate fountain but something went wrong with the chocolate. sayang nga eh, ang sarap pa naman nung chocolate. the consistency of the chocolate failed me. anyway, i just had a bowl to put the chocolate there to have a fondue instead.

8. cake. nope, hindi ako nag-bake nito. but i made the design kaya nilagay ko sa list ng DIY. it's an edible print-out of the design i drew. i actually have another cake design but i was not able to have it made because the bakeshop is charging me 600aed for that! okay lang siya??!!! anyway, with a less expensive cake parang nanghihinayang pa rin akong i-cut. hehe. the taste was so-so. feeling ko nga, mas masarap pa kung ako ang nag-bake nito. harharhar. feeling-yera!

the celebration's really simple but i hope the guests went home full. it also made me happy to receive good comments about the preps that i made. F for effort talaga ako for this. bihira kasi ang nagte-take effort sa kiddie birthday preparations dito sa UAE. siguro meron man, yung merong extra budget for such. pero kung wala, rely ka talaga sa talent mo sa pag-d-DIY. hehe. behind all these, i am glad that amidst the busy-ness and cramming, i received unexpected help from people that i least expect it from.

again, happy birthday baby lance!! wishing you a happy life, little one.

Carrot Cupcakes

2009-03-18T08:03:00.003+04:00

i made carrot cupcakes last night and amazingly, it doesn't taste weird. haha. i only made half of the recipe as i was worried that it would taste awful. i have never tasted carrot cakes or carrot juice before, so i don't know what to expect. anyhow, the final product isn't as orangy as i expected it to be. the recipe was courtesy of a GT sister. i was able to make around 19 cuppies from it. i'm glad that i used the fine grater so one cannot really make out that i put carrots in it. ang galing nga eh. the recipe comprises more carrots than flour. can you imagine how healthy it is?!! thumbs up kay habibi pero kay lance.. i still think he can taste the carrots. hehehe.

as for the frosting.. hmm, yun ang hindi successful. =( i made cream cheese frosting (cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla). ewan ko kung bakit hindi siya nag-se-set?? has it something to do with the brand of the cream cheese kaya? i used kraft naman. uuggghhh... will try to use a different brand next time. ayun, may cream cheese spread kami sa bahay tuloy... na kulay BLUE. bwahahaha.

30 Things Why I Am Loving it Here in the UAE

2009-03-16T07:45:00.012+04:00

i feel like blogging about living in the UAE for a friend of mine who's feeling homesick right now. yeah, living away from home is trading your family and friends there in the phils against a simple OFW-life. i used to feel so low and homesick when i came here because i have no work and all i have to do all day was stare at my brother's four-walled room. but things have changed when i finally got a job, made myself useful and earned some dirhams. hehe. sabi na nga ba, shopping lang katapat nun! hahaha.

kidding aside.. i think, adjusting to new environment far different from home is easy for me because i have always lived away from home every since i went to college until the time i went to work. dormitory has been my second home that's why i can readily adjust my way of thinking and embrace what the new place has to offer be it less convenient than my comfortable secluded bedroom. yes, i do feel homesick at times. kaya nga, eventhough Batangas was way too far to commute to everyday from Taguig, i still tried to commute daily to and fro, di bale nang makatabi ko ang mga manok sa bus that came all the way from Bicol. ngahahaha.

now that i am an OFW in the UAE, i rarely entertain the thought of homesickness. i could be in a different case because i have a new family now and they are with me. however, for the others who are without their blood relatives with them, here are the things (i think!) that will make you love UAE despite the many good things you have to trade this with:

you work your butt off, but is still justly compensated and you don't have to share your salary with the BIR.
you get to work or go home in 30 minutes or less (for most workers).
there's independence! you get to do what you wanted to do as long as it's not against their law. =)
you will learn to be responsible as you decide on your own and suffer the consequences all by yourself, too.
you have access to different types of food and brands (haha, at gawin bang panglima yung pagkain talaga). not only that, you can actually buy it if you want to. for some that are really costly, you can buy it by saving from a few months salary instead of saving for a year or two.
you live in a building and your house/flat have less dust to clean up. hihi.
you don't complain of how expensive an LPG or gasoline is.
you have a water heater! nice ito, especially for someone like me who can't bathe with cold tap water. =)
just by seeing the number and the quality of cars on the street, feeling mo, mayaman ka na rin. hehe.
you are spared from mga nakakainis na relatives, inlaws or neighbors. =)
you can talk to your kid in english without your neighbor thinking na ang yabang-yabang mo. yun nga lang, nosebleed ka talaga kung ipagpapatuloy mo yun. hehe.
aminin... hindi ganun kabigat ang trabaho sa office saka parang ang tali-talino mo dito. hihi.
you can save for your next trip and you can get visa approval easier.
you can send money back home instead of borrowing from your parents or siblings. may bonus pa, you can send christmas gifts in big balikbayan boxes. isn't it something to look forward to? enjoy kaya mag-ipon ng kung anong anik-anik to toss into that brown box.
lagi kang naka-aircon. you don't get that sweaty feeling na parang mamasa-masang pandesal (i miss pandesal, though).
walang baha. sunshiney 350 days of the year!!! 5 days for occasional rainshowers and 10 days of sandstorms.
your pasttime as a single person may include malling, bowling or clubbing. as a yummy mummy/daddy, you may be busy shopping, baking or perfecting a dish at home, go to gym, engage in a hobby, etc.
you have officemates of different nationalities that no matter how weird they are, at least may excuse sila.
you can sleep late at night and still catch your bus or taxi early in the morning. okay lang, because you can still take your breakfast in the office while infront of a computer. makakapag-blog ka pa nga eh. minsan nga, may bonus ka ring kotse thay you pay in installments or if you can any luckier, a car issued by your company. kung hindi ka naman talaga sinuswerte!
you can stretch your 24 hours. hindi ka umuuwi ng bahay na parang basang-sisiw. you can go to work and can still have time to go to the grocery, cook, watch teleseryes, mess around with your kid, chat...etc. all in one day.
hindi ka paranoid to have your celfone snatched, be kidnapped, have your throat slashed, be mugged.. while you walk the streets daytime or nighttime.
you can have leisure walks along the beach everyday, if you want to.
you don't need to present many documents when you want to apply for a credit card. credit card companies actually looks for you.
girls or ladies get separate queues or seats in public transports.
less pasyalan, less gastos. hehe.
no dogs to be afraid of on the streets.
hardly any flies, ants, cockroaches or rats at home or in the vicinity. except yung mga tao that resembles like them. peace!!
no need to worry of stray bullets during New Year's Day or any police rub out on ordinary days.
you get to eat chicken almost everyday, as in, malapit ka na ngang tubuan ng pakpak eh. uy! free ride home na yun eventually! ngehehe.
you get to use your passport bago pa ito mag-expire. =)

this list may seem "mababaw" but these are the positive things that can help one to see the brighter side of things. let us enjoy our stay here as long as we can. hindi naman tayo welcome dito for long eh. we will eventually go home where our hearts truly belong. kaya love the place, love the situation while it is still loving us back.

Paella Experiment

2009-03-15T08:06:00.002+04:00

finally! i was able to cook paella. :) i've been planning to cook this for so many weeks but i was able to make one just yesterday. so far, okay naman ang lasa, lasang paella with the absence of the crab and shells. i only put crab meat kasi with slices of pork, chicken, shrimps and squid. sayang naman kung lalagyan ko ng real crab and then hindi magiging successful ang experiment. i also added vegetable bits and pieces to make it more colorful. color makes the dish more appetizing to the eyes. hihi. in fairness, madali lang pala siya gawin, mabusisi lang. dami kasing dapat hiwain and until now, i don't get it why saffron is that expensive. my reward, both marvin and lance liked it. :)

Blessing in Disguise

2009-03-09T10:57:00.003+04:00

hindi naman dinadala ni marvin yung car sa construction site dahil nga ginagamit ko si candy sa umaga. pero kahapon, holiday at dahil sinabi ko sa kanya na dadaan ako ng office saglit to do something sa lab that needs overnight drying (sayang naman kasi yung araw kung ngayon ko pa lang gagawin yun at ilalagay sa oven), he decided na dalhin na lang yung sasakyan at ihatid ako. around 2PM kami nakarating ng office ko tapos nagpunta siya ng site sa mussafah area habang nagwo-work ako. i called him up around 4 PM and asked him to fetch me up. he came around 5PM, we passed by in one of their construction sites in the city. on our way home, sometime before 6PM, tinatawagan siya ng mga kasamahan nya na nasa sa site nila sa mussafah. hinahanap siya kasi yung van nila ihahatid na yung mga kasama nya pabalik ng city. usually, kasama rin siya sa mga hinahatid pabalik. sabi nya, hindi nga siya sasabay kasi nga may dala siyang sasakyan. Binaba nya ako sa isang grocery along hamdan, tapos siya nagpunta sa opisina nila. bandang 8 PM tumawag siya sa akin, papunta siya ng Mafraq Hospital. yung van na supposedly ay darating ng city, na-aksidente. 3 patay, isa dun yung friend/ofismate nyang pinoy. dead on the spot. kawawa talaga. hindi nga rin mapakali si marvin kagabi kasi hindi nya alam kung paano sasabihin sa mag-ina ni Lito na wala na yung asawa nya. kagabi, sinabihan ako ni marvin na hindi ko na raw pwedeng dalhin papunta ng office si candy. sabi ko, bakit ako nadamay?? eh kasi daw kaya na-aksidente yung van dahil bago yung driver. natakot mabalo agad ang mokong. anyway, hindi pa nya alam ang full details kung ano ang nangyari kasi nga hindi raw sila pinapasok ng pulis kahapon sa hospital room. basta ang alam nya lang, 3 sa mga kasamahan nya ang dead on the spot, tapos the rest ay ginagamot pa. hay, life… just like that. nakakalungkot isipin. Lito's looking forward pa naman sa kanyang pag-uwi ng pinas (he resigned already sa company nila pero tinatapos nya na lang yung naumpisahan niyang projects) either this month or the next month thereafter. kakalungkot...

the only thing na ipinagpapasalamat namin ay dahil nagmasipag ako kahapon to render extra time at nagpahatid ng office. if not for that, he could have been in that accident as well. with all that happened, he seriously asked me to understand him why he's preventing me to drive. malumanay naman yung pakiusap niya kaya hindi na ako nagpaka-sutil. hehe.

Cramming.......!!!

2009-03-06T00:47:00.003+04:00

it's just a month before Lance's birthday and i wasn't even half-done with my DIY projects. for this year kasi, we decided to have his birthday celebration at home na lang and have it as simple as possible. financial crisis din kasi kami, like the rest of the world. =( but despite of that, hindi naman ako papayag na walang theme ang birthday celebration ni lance. hihi. here are some of my plans and updates. however, baka hindi ko ma-execute ito lahat kasi sobrang wala nang time at hindi ko maisingit sa schedule ko kasi sobrang busy sa trabaho. kainis nga eh.

Theme : Little Einstein

Invitation, Lootbag & Tarp - i have drafted the invites already but i wasn't able to print it out yet. hindi ako maka-timing sa office. hihi. i also have to scout for lootbags. i was thinking of having a plastic colored bag and just print a sticker outside. yun nga lang, wala talaga akong makita nito dito. waaah. another bad news is, i don't have a tarp design yet. waaah ulet... cramming na ito talaga!!!
Food - i have a menu list in mind already, which is a typical birthday party food. wala pa nga lang akong nakakausap who will cook it. however, i plan to cook the children's food myself and bake the cupcakes. as for the cuppies, i have already printed the toppers. =) hindi ko palang nala-laminate. i still need to bake and perfect the chocolate and cheese-flavored cupcakes pa. haha, under experimentation pa pala! then, i'm still on a lookout for a cake supplier. i plan to buy a small one lang naman just to have something na pang-cake blowing. parang ayaw ko na kasi bumili sa La Baguette. we went there this afternoon and the saleslady wasn't that helpful in my inqueries. she made me feel na parang hindi ko afford yung cake nila. hmp. badtrip siya talaga.
Decor - i plan to make balloonderitas, balloon pillars, building blocks and swags. i still need to buy balloon pieces and chinese paper for the swags. as for the blocks, dalawa pa lang ang nauuwi kong box galing sa opisina kaya hindi ko pa maumpisahan yung pagdi-DIY. hehe. pero nakabili na ako ng balloon sticks. yippee. 10 lang kasi hindi naman lahat ng bata ay mag-uuwi ng balloons eh.
Entertainment - i plan to show Little Einstein movie on the background. i might also show an AVP, if time permits me to make one on time. if not, i might just have a creative area for the kids then some games. now, who will be our Emcee??? ewan ko lang kung may helping hand na mag-volunteer. hihi.
Prizes & Give-away - of all these backlogs, dito lang ako happy. just today, i was able to discover a mala-divi store here in abu dhabi. yiipppee... a binocular toy, some rocket pocket gaming device, microphone pen, rubik's cube, a calculator, a study set, a musical set, and a twisted pencil set. ito ang mga happy finds ko today. hehe. i am still undecided if these will be direct-to-kids-type of prizes or if i will set up a mini-tiangge store. just like what my fellow GT sisses have done with their kiddos parties. bahala na si batman. =) as for the give-aways... i have drafted the CD cover already. CD and cover are still for printing though. i will give this to kids 3 y/o and below. kids 3 y/o and up will either have lootbags or take-home prizes. whatever.

these things are keeping me uber busy these days. aside from feeling physically, emotionally, financially and mentally drained, having this creative things to do somehow lighten things up. sana lang talaga ay matapos ko siya on time. *hopeful*

ooopss.. not to mention i have one on-going student research assistance, piles and piles of work backlogs, immigration research to do (and should be done before the month ends!), help marvin with his english exam review, outreach coordination with Phil-based friends and who knows what else will turn up one of these days???!!!!!!!! daig ko pa ang juggler. no, i am not complaining, i am just overwhelmingly pre-occupied.

Loving Sissel

2009-02-18T09:06:00.003+04:00

Lately ko lang na-discover itong si Sissel, a Norwegian soprano. Galing ng boses! Hay. Kelan kaya ako makakapag-solo ng ganito.. ngehehe. Ang aga-aga ng topak. =)

Heto mga performances nya.. enjoy!

John Lennon's Imagine
heto with Josh Groban naman… version nila ng The Prayer
Auld Lang Syne
Sarah's Song
You'll Never Walk Alone
Somewhere Over The Rainbow

great voice and i definitely agree with the other fans that she looks fab as well. i still love Vienna Teng and Jewel, but Sissel's voice really... overly... sings way much, much heavenly. haha. and i'm saying that with Lola's accent. *winks*

Everything Happens for a Reason

2009-02-09T17:39:00.001+04:00

second the motion talaga ako sa phrase na ito. =)

after 3 months of waiting for my duties and responsibilities document from PI and another month of waiting to have it notarized in the philippines, i finally completed having this document notarized a couple of days back. actually, i had the document notarized from an agency here in dubai since my uncle's lawfirm refused to do further notarization as they said that this final document was issued here. so, it's more apt that notarizations be done here. however, when i got back the said document from the Voitin Davis agency, it was notarized by an Australian solicitor. huh??!! heniweys..

i was able to run errands related to this submission amidst my work schedules (pa-eska-eskapo..hehe) and finally, EA received my documents today. now.. it's the dreaded 4 weeks of waiting for the results.

More Food Experiments

2009-02-07T12:31:00.001+04:00

i made banana and chocolate cupcakes for the weekend. hmm.. the verdict??!! my banana cupcakes were very good. taste, texture, shape... perfect and nuff said. =) as for the chocolate cupcakes... hmm, not chocolatey enough and it was not able to retain its shape not unlike the banana-flavored cuppies. still needs improvement pero lamang tiyan na rin! hihihi. next time, i will add more chocos.

Pagma-maldita / Pagsusuplada Lines...

2009-02-04T14:09:00.003+04:00

got this from my inbox today and it really made my day. mga lines ng pagsusuplada...ang kuleettt!!! hehehehe.

On the first day of the Mango sale, the sister of myfriend was looking around and picked up a dress when a woman at the counter started screaming,"Put that down,that's mine!" The sister of my friend looked up, looked at the woman up and down, raised an eyebrow, and replied, "Excuse me. You are NOT small'".
A supervisor once told a worker who has difficulty in understanding instructions, "Ang ulo, hindi lang yan pinapatong sa leeg, ginagamit din yan sa pag-iisip."
A friend told another friend, "Naku, magme-make-up muna ako, baka magmukha akong yaya mo." The other friend replied, "Wag na, magmumukha ka lang yaya ko na naka-makeup. "
I told my then boyfriend during a fight, "Even onyour smartest day, you're not half as smart as I am on my dumbest!"
"Ako, I was born beautiful. Ikaw, you were justborn."
A letter posted on a car windshield in UP:"Sir/madam, the parking space that we have reserved isfor the College Secretary, not for you. Guard."
When I saw friend I haven't seen in a long time, she told me, "Grabe, lalo ka pang tumaba!". So I told her, "Ikaw din, lalo ka pang pumangit!"
Pag sinisingitan ako sa pila, nagpaparinig ako. I say,"Ang pilang ito, according to beauty. Mga panget muna."
From the movie She's The Man: "Girls with an ass like mine don't go out with boys with a face like yours."
"Maliban sa mukha mo, ano pang problema mo?"
I once told an officemate who kept on bragging about her new shoes, " Sale, right?"
I pointed a "7 items or less" sign to a clueless pasosyal at the supermarket. She bitchily answered,"I can read!" Sabay irap. So I shot back with,"I know, but can you count?"
"Tuwing nakikita kita, gusto ko mag-sorry sa eyes ko."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be bitchy. It's an involuntary reaction whenever I encounter ugly people."
Man: "Hey baby, what's your sign?"Woman: "Do not enter."
Man: "how do you like your eggs in the morning?"Woman: "Unfertilized. "
After receiving her pay slip and realizing how muchshe's paying for tax, a sosyal officemate exclaimed,"Ang mga poor ba nagbabayad din ng tax?"
During a hike at Mt. Mayon , we had a maarte companion. When we ran out of water, our guide got us some from antural spring. The maarte girl said, "Dini-drink bayan?" I told her, "Bakit, sa inyo ba ang waterchinu-chew?"
Overheard from 2 kids talking. Kid 1: "Lahat tayo galing kay Adam and Eve." Kid 2: "Hindi yan totoo. Sabi ng papa ko, galing tayo sa unggoy."Kid 1: "Hindi natin pinag-uusapan ang pamilya mo, kaya wag kang magulo!"
A friend told his officemate: "I'm impressed. I've never encountered such a small mind inside such abig head before."
Bading: (envying a girl na crush ng crush nya)"Isang butas lang ang lamang mo sa kin!"
I was staring at an ugly bystander in their street. The ugly guy snapped, "Bakit ang sama mo makatingin?"I snapped back, "Eh bakit ang sama mo tignan?"
A friend once told me, "Ang ganda mo!" I answered: "Thank you, sana ikaw rin."
I told this to an ex: "I must admit you brought religion to my life. I never believed in hell till I met you."
"When a cashier tells me she doesn't have change, I say: "At kaninong problema yun?"
"Kung lahat ng tao galing sa unggoy, bakit ikaw, mukha kang kabayo?"

Tear-Jerker

2009-02-01T14:22:00.007+04:00

this is one of the website links that is a sureball tear-jerker. it's a Manilyn Reynes lullaby entitled, Pasensiya Na. she referred to it last night in Wowowee and i was touched when she sung a few lines. she said that the song's a tribute to all working mothers around the world. kaya ayun, hinanap ko sa youtube and found myself teary-eyed in the middle of the day. hehe. i especially liked the part about a mother's promise before she decided to be a mother, that she will do anything in her power just to make sure that her child will not suffer any hardship. naka-relate ako. in general, ganun ang promises ng mga nanay talaga kaya they all deserve to be loved and respected. anyway, here's link to the musician's website. the youtube video even have lyrics for you to sing along. pero i-post ko na rin yung lyrics dito. atribida eh. hehe.

Pasensiya Na

pasensiya na, di ko kayo naipagluluto
almusal ninyo'y hindi ako'ng naghahanda
sa umaga hindi ako nagpapaligo
at ni minsa'y di nahatid sa inyong eskuwela.

pasensiya na, inyong damit naglalaba'y iba
di ko alam paborito ninyong meryenda
ang homework nyo, hindi ako katulong gumawa
pag may sakit, hindi ako nag-aalaga.

pasensiya na, ako ay palaging wala
pasensiya na, bihira tayong magkita
di nyo alam, lagi akong nag-aalala
ang puso ko ay nariyan, kahit ako'y wala.

hindi ako pinalaki sa karangyaan
naranasan kong kumalam ang aking tiyan
kupas na uniporme aking pinagtiyagaan
butas ang sapatos papuntang eskwelahan.

bago ako nagdesisyong maging isang ina,
pinangako kong hinding-hindi kayo magdurusa
ang buhay nyo ay magiging laging masagana
gagawin ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya.

pasensiya na, ako ay palaging wala
pasensiya na, bihira tayong magkita
di nyo alam, lagi akong nag-aalala
ang puso ko ay nariyan, kahit akoy wala.

pasenisya na at tv ang taga-aliw tuwina
ang gatas nyo, hindi ako ang nagtitimpla
darating ang panahon, trabaho'y tapos na
pangako ko mga anak, tayo'y magsasama.

My First Cupcake

2009-01-28T07:44:00.006+04:00

baking has been my "comfort" activity eversince. eventhough i am too tired from work yesterday and i still need to do an errand, pinagpaliban ko muna and checked my cupboards for any available baking ingredients and decided to just bake instead of going out. ewan ko ba, my workload is adding stress to my already stressful life that i just feel the need to whisk. hehe.

i remember baking like a thousand cookies back in 'pinas, trying to perfect a recipe and in which my family had to endure eating for weeks. may sunog, may sing-tigas ng bato, may nakaka-diabetes sa tamis, may matabang... pero in fairness, eventually meron rin namang nalutong perfect. hehe. although now that it has been ages, i have forgotten that recipe and had to start all over again.

with the ingredients that i still have at home and with all the printed recipes i had from the internet, i chose the vanilla cupcake that i got from a GT thread about baking. the recipe has been a tad confusing because it mentioned egg whites and whole eggs separately but as to when to put the whole eggs was not mentioned in the procedure. with that, it turned out that i have used whole eggs instead and missed the eggwhites. i got worried that the cupcakes would be too hard if i will put lots of eggs that's why after putting the whole eggs, i decided to cross out the egg whites. anyhow, with the slight variation i made with the recipe, the cupcake turned out good! =) tsamba na naman! hahaha.

it was my first time to make cupcakes. practice ko ito for lance's birthday. =) by the way, i am happy with the cupcake pan that i bought from home center and the cupcake paper with moss and lime green color. springtime-theme kumbaga while the pan performed well. wala lang, i was just happy that i don't have messy pans after. hehe. yep, i think i will be using this recipe over and over again. however, i will try to reduce the sugar next time. it's too sweet for me. although hubby finds it just right naman being a sweet-toothed person. but next time if i will put icing on top, i think i need to cut down the sugar a little bit. what can i say??? am so happy, with my cuppies. =)

Annual Leave: Approved!.. and 10 Things To Do sa Pinas

2009-01-25T21:55:00.004+04:00

i finally built the courage to ask my superiors regarding my annual leave dates and it was approved. yippeee!! it'll be on june 12 to august 8. grabe, almost 2 months. ano kayang gagawin namin nun sa pinas. haha. with that huge GASTOS coming, marvin is opposed to throwing lance a 2nd birthday party. =( waah. so sad ako. anyhow, i will try my best to make his birthday special pa rin despite the no-budget. hmm... i was thinking of baking some cupcakes for him instead of ordering it from the bakeshop. kayanin kaya ng powers ko?! hihi. eventhough lance's birthday comes prior to our vacation, busy na rin ako sa pag-iisip ng aming activities para maka-pang-raket ng baon.

anyway, for our philippine vacation some activities that i have in mind are:

fix legal documents (SSS)...
meet with friends and their babies!! (pepot, marianne, ada, flor, jen siddayao, stanley, jen arigo, josie)...
ipasyal si lance (MOA, Manila Ocean Park, intramuros, luneta, avilon zoo, pansol, enchanted kingdom, tagaytay, Subic) sa mga pasyalang pambata...
pumunta sa mga must-see-must-go places (168, market-market, the fort, mall-hopping sa ATC, SM, serendra, greenhills, greenbelt, lahat ng green!! hihi.)
mamasyal sa mga lugar na ako nalang yata ang hindi pa nakakapunta (100 islands...100 pa rin kaya?, puerto galera, vigan, corregidor). hay, mapuntahan ko naman kaya???
kumain ng mga na-miss kong food... (in dampa, binondo, etc.).
magpa-spa..hihi. mag-hike. mag-outreach.
mamili ng pwedeng ilako pabalik ng abu dhabi. ngahaha. mag-buy-and-sell ba. teka, seryoso pala ako.
mag-training... ng baking!! haha. san naman kaya ako kukuha ng course na ito?? at humanap ng cupcake stand at cake stand na nakita ko sa Spinneys. ang cute, promise!
magluto, maglaba, maglinis ng bahay...hahahaha.

If I Will Have My Way...

2009-01-25T12:39:00.003+04:00

if i will have my way and i could change my job this instance, i'll have three choices. yeah, i still have a chance to shift career but given the global financial crisis and financial stability to consider, i guess i'll sulk a little bit longer where i am at right now. but nonetheless, if my fairy godmother appears and grants me a wish to change jobs without sacrificing the future, i'll take the plunge right there and then. :)

My Three Wished-to-be Jobs

Tourguide - wala lang. i wanna travel for free but i won't qualify as a flight stewardess kaya heto ang naisip kong next best thing. hihi. i also like the idea of knowing the place and its history, so that i will have something to say sa mga nagto-tour. plus i get the chance to say my recommendations and suggestions about the tour with willing listeners at the other end. kaya lang, baka malugi yung tour operator sa akin kasi puro budget-friendly ang suggestions ko. =)
Crime Lab Scientist - dala ng aking pagka-addict sa CSI series. hehe. plus the fact that i am familiar with some of the analysis and equipments that they use, makes me dream that i'll have my chance to be employed in a related job. wag lang taga-embalsamo huh! haha.
Ice Cream Scientician - naks. i just learned of this job courtesy of the TV program, How Its Made where Ben & Jerry's factory with their dedicated ice cream scientician was featured. ito talaga ang job na to-die-for... the title as well as the job functions...ang galing! imagine being paid to formulate ice cream flavors?! how cool, di ba? sarap pa nun! hehe. well, ang next best thing that i could become would be to QC the production line in an ice cream plant. pwede na rin! ngehehehe.

Bonding Time

2009-01-21T07:33:00.003+04:00

right after dinner's, me and lance's bonding time. tamang kulitan lang. tonight's nothing different. we either play around, watch tv or read his books in the living room.

mai : (scanning lance's book about animals) lance, what's this?
lance : (holds the book and looked at the pictures but no comment)
mai : (points to the animals one by one) this is a cat... this is a kitten... this is a dog... this is a puppy...
lance : pup-py (he pronounced this with accent. haha. couldn't describe it pero so cute.)
mai: (so amazed!) correct, puppy!!!
lance: (points to the picture of a puppy) pup-py...
mai : (claps her hand) very good!!! puppy!! what is this again? (points to the same picture to make sure the answer sticks to lance's mind)
lance: pup-py...
mai: (claps again) very good talaga!!
lance: (points again to the picture of a puppy) pup-py...
mai: (claps again) very good si lance!!
lance: (smiles and then went to the tv to switch the channel)
ate bel came....
mai: (calling) lance, lance. come here. show tita bel the puppy!!!
lance: (comes over and flips to the page of the book)
mai: (points to the picture of the puppy) what is this baby??
lance: (silent)
mai: (points again to the picture of the puppy) lance, what is this??
lance: (looks at mommy but said nothing)
mai: (points to the pictures of the animals) lance, show off to tita and tell her what is this...this is a dog.. then this is a...???
lance: (silent)
mai: (points again!! to the picture of the puppy) lance, tell tita bel what is this?? (mad na)
lance: (dedma ulet)
mai: (galit na) lance!!!
lance: (dedma talaga...went over his other toys and played)
mai: (inis) hay naku, si lance talaga!!!

in short, lance's the boss in the house. if he doesn't want to do/say it, nobody can force him to do so. hay, iskul bukol talaga itong baby ko. hehehe.

Shocked, Thankful, Angry, Sad

2009-01-17T21:43:00.001+04:00

it was a fine saturday morning. i texted kuya ely in order to cancel our tennis game because i need to see a doctor and take lance on marina mall for his playschooling day. my original plan was to drop off lance and ate bel to the mall first, then i'll go the clinic by myself. however, marvin said that i take both of them with me to the clinic first, so that we all go together to the mall afterwards. he insisted that i should take the electra road as what he suggested last weekend. with that, i know that i should comply because he'll really be pissed if i don't take his driving suggestions. kesa naman masisi pa...

lance was really on high spirits while he is getting ready to go out. he's actually speaking in russian. hehe. well, he sounds like one with his excited babytalk. we left the house 20 minutes after 11AM with lance and ate bel at the backseat.

i was travelling at around 60-80kph. changed lane only once and stayed where i am at after that. we just passed the airport road-electra junction when viola!!! we were hit from the back with a 4WD. oh shit! actually, i was so pissed with the car infront of me as it suddenly cut me off from the right. it was only after i went down from the car that i realized how damaged candy's behind was. para siyang na-gang rape with her situation. wawa nga siya eh. i was shocked for a moment but i was mad more. more on why i wasn't able to get out of that sitation and how slow i reacted with the event. i checked how's lance at the back and was so relieved that he's okay. thanks God talaga that we were still in one piece though shaken. i called marvin as i dunno the police's or emergency number. yeah, yeah. we were sandwiched between a gigantic 4WD and a chevy. the 4WD lost it's right headlight while the chevy got slight scratches. si candy lang ang napuruhan. grrr.....

i had a verbal beating from marvin as he's accusing me of not taking an extra care. i did naman eh. =( i have played the scene on my mind and i just couldn't imagine why i messed up bigtime. it took me sometime to fall asleep that night. i am so angry at myself for putting my baby's life in danger. i am sad with the accusations thrown at me and in which i am starting to believe. but with what happened, it came so clear to me that in just split seconds lives can be lost... i am ready to go... i can never manage to lose the one person that matters to me most...

A Better-Late-Than-Never 2008 Wrap Up

2009-01-13T22:57:00.008+04:00

BUDDY OF THE YEAR? - Kuya Ely
LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD(longest friend) - Maridel
NEWCOMER AWARD - COOLEST NEWEST FRIEND? - Jihan
NEW DA BARKADS AWARD - Abu Dhabi GirlTalkers
NAGBABALIK NA FRIEND AWARD - Vincent
HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR? - Sept and Nov
LOW POINT OF THE YEAR? - January
BEST HOLIDAY? - only had one mini-holiday, so yun lang. the fujairah trip with my family
YOUR SONG FOR 2008 - Sissel's Song
MOVIE FOR 2008? - Twilight
BIGGEST CRUSH? - itago na lang sa codename na Garfield. haha. parang highschool eh.
WHO WAS YOUR VALENTINE? - duh?? i stopped celebrating this, dahil wala naman akong napapala.
WHAT WERE YOU FOR HALLOWEEN? - ordinary me, waiting for the extra-ordinary ghost. hehe.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR? - Zaatar sumthing
BOOK OF THE YEAR? - the little blue book i got for my birthday
GIFT OF THE YEAR? - Jen's teddy bear seatbelt ornament
BEST DECISION MADE THIS YEAR? - to start the migration application steps
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR? - be a better person
"WISHED I COULD DO IT AGAIN" WISH? - fall in love and magpa-spa. ngehehe.
TV SHOW OF THE YEAR? - CSI
MOST LOYAL FRIEND OF 2008? - Jovy
BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE YEAR? - become a fighter
BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG AWARD? - her name's KAREN and i don't care kahit mabasa niya dahil for sure hindi nya alam kung ano ibig sabihin nito. bwahahaha.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTION/s? - learn to accept the ugly things in my life, try not to be affected, respect myself once more, stop being so gullible, be patient, save, save, and save
Most Memorable moment for 2008? getting my IELTS and driving exam results. =)

Friendship

2009-01-13T22:05:00.005+04:00

jovy, our admin assistant, is also my very first friend here in the UAE. she genuinely cares, wishes the good things for me and extends help whenever i need one. actually, lagi siyang nagbo-volunteer. she and her husband has been so good to me and to lance. as in, she makes up for my sister's absence. she's my "ate" here and i'm so thankful. whenever i get into panic mode, i need personal advice or a cooking guidance, i can always rely on her. sa office naman, she saves my butt when i get into trouble. hihi. we share new finds, new recipes and even future plans or frustrations. kapag may problema naman ako, i could never think of an instance when she refused to help me kahit financially pa yun. basta...i will be forever grateful to her friendship. we clicked, maybe because we share the same values, that is in keeping good hard-to-find kind of friends.

in the same way, when she needs help, i try so much to extend help as much as i can. i am also genuinely happy for all the good things and blessings she's having and i get sad when she's sad and bothered, too. when she shares her stories of happiness, sobrang happy rin ako. just like today, she shared how surprised and happy she is after receiving her habibi's wedding gift anniversary. after 13 years of marriage, they are still sweet and both takes effort to surprise each other thereby keep their love burning. i really look up to this couple. they deserve each other as they are both good persons. with that, they have three beautiful kids, raised with love.

Driving Skill Update

2009-01-08T08:45:00.005+04:00

it has been a week that i have been bringing Candy (our little red car) to and from the office. so far, i have improved a little. haha. however, the good news is... she's still scratch-free, reddish and a beauty. =) as to how much i have improved and still needs to improve???....

the plus points:

i now leave the parking lot with the handbrake off. yeah, yeah. it's not an excuse, but there's always a first time. ;)
i now get on the car without the chills. added a little confidence (and positive thinking!) that i will not get into an accident when i'm on the road.
my luck always work on me each time i search for a 45 degrees parking. yippee!
i now learn that i should queue in gas stations with the dispenser on the left and not on my right. hihi. buti mabait yung pinoy gasoline boy at ni-try i-extend yung hose ng gas para sa akin..
i can now change lane without being honked at or a near-death experience. =)
and finally, i now gained some guts to honk on drivers like me. ngehehe.

the minus points:

90 degrees parking is still a hit or miss thing. any kind of reverse parking is a big no-no.
i am still estimating the distance if Candy can fit or not. kulang na lang eh bumaba ako't sukatin ng metro. hehe.
i am still a "potato" sometimes and cars behind still honk at me. why don't they build their own highway???!!! ggrrr...
i still need to be familiar with the streets.
i still don't take roads with roundabouts. hindi bale nang ma-late basta walang roundabout. hehe.
still no night driving please. yep, takot ako sa dilim. =)
i still cannot see where all those damn cameras are located!!!

nope, i still don't bring Lance along when i am driving. he's safer at home. however, i now accept friends who wish to tag along as they have lived a full life already. hehe.

Be busy...busy...busy...

2008-12-19T01:32:00.004+04:00

my 2008 hopefully ends with the nicest things. well, i am financially broke but what the heck?! i have all the gadgets (well, almost!) that i dreamed of. i still need to get a new laptop though. if Santa's reading my blog, i really want to have the new generation macbook for Christmas. =)

anyway, 2009's a few days away... i am forecasting that it'll be a very, very busy year. here are my plans for the coming year:

1. Learn something NEW

practice driving like a pro - i need to be confident, safe and be streetsavy... that extends up to Oman. gusto kong mag-roadtrip!! hehe.
be a mac user
be an expert photoshop tweaker (wish ko lang!! hahaha)
learn more about making overlay layouts and digital scrapping- i found some tutorial sites which would really be helpful for this (http://www.berryscrappy.com/) goal.
fix my blogger, friendster and multiply sites

2. Prepare more parties

prepare for lance's party
push through with the chocolate fountain business
help organize some parties

3. Take a vacation

explore philippines
have another country to visit

4. Improve myself

organize
save (this i have to do triply hard)
mingle

Car-shopping List

2008-12-12T17:12:00.006+04:00

with my newly-acquired driver's license, i have been scouting around for my car lately. i have visited three showrooms with my friend jihan and tried to get a closer look with my top three choices on my car-shopping list.

1. Nissan Tiida - the hatchback. i love this car the first time i saw it, especially the red one. ample back pasengger space, cutee and easy to park (i assume! hehe). the downside was the cramped compartment area. too small for baby strollers and stuffs. the sedan, the built''s not that outstanding. although the compartment area's more spacious.

2. Mitsubishi Lancer - i love the red one of this, too! haha. it's a sedan but the look was half-manly and half-ladylike. somehow, being a man's car, the look has that "astig" feature. with the specs offered to me, i might get this one over the nissan tiida. 1.6GLX it is. i'll post a pic once i officially owned and brought one home. =)

3. Suzuki Jimny - i considered this one because this is one of the cheapest SUVs in the market. i like the red colored jimny as well. however, UAE doesn't carry this color. ako lang daw yata ang nag-ask ng ganung color dito. hehe. this car is good for single status gal/guy but not as a family car. the car's compartment can only accommodate two shopping bags and can only carry four persons maximum. it's a very cute SUV though.

2 Down, 1 More To Go!!!

2008-11-23T15:27:00.006+04:00

i have been praying for three miracles... one's my IELTS exam last September (which i passed with flying colors). the second one is passing my driving exam and getting a license which luckily, i got today!!! yiippppeeee!!!!!!!! yep, i didn't bribed the police, neither do i made pa-cute effect. haha. even if i did, i don't think it'll make any difference. haha.

anyhow, after my sacrifices of waking up early and taking a 9-day practice driving class from 5:50 to 6:50AM, my effort has paid off. i had my exam in the Muroor area and i was asked to make a u-turn, a left turn and a right turn. i did so soooo smoothly. hehe. even my driving wheel control was excellent. aherm. kaya ayun, i was so happy when the police officer told me that i did passed.

i was in the testing area around 7AM. i was the third one who arrived among all the examinees. after more than an hour of waiting, two trips to the washroom and meeting a fellow pinay who's a stuck-up, examination was announced to start. my name was called with a young local lady examinee as the second batch to be put in the testing field. a lady police summoned us to the parking area. my fellow examinee walked past me and immediately took the backseat of the testing car with the policewoman. of course, i had no choice but to sit infront where another police officer, a poiceman, was sitting. i positioned myself properly, adjusted the mirrors and waited for the police's instructions. i started the car and let the first testing car passed by and then i slowly followed the same path, going outside the headquarter's ground. the police asked me to speed up which i did so. i manouvered the car with confidence, pressed the break smoothly when needed and have been using the mirrors with the six-second rule awareness. i was able to follow all of the police's instructions quite well and i was really driving with confidence. when my turn to show off my driving prowess was finished, i was asked to stop the car and exchange places with the arabic lady examinee who was sitting on the backseat. she drove the car for the next 10 minutes or so and she was the one to brought the car back to the headquarter's grounds. we both got off the car and waited for the police's assessment result. the young arabic lady was nice and i am sincerely hoping that we will both passed the exam. however, she was not able to please the policeman enough with her driving. i, on the other hand, got the long-awaited "clean" testing paper from the policeman, signifying i did not make any driving-related mistake. yep, i am ready for the UAE road! =)

Threat

2008-11-16T07:36:00.002+04:00

sorry about this early morning of venting... i received this in my email kasi. addressed to me and some of my officemates... PI nga pala yung acronym ng office namin. hehe. name palang, cursed na.

Dear Kaffers:

It is not important to know who we are but we know you. Over the past
semesters in the PI you have managed to anger a considerable about of us
conservatives. We urgue you to respect the Islamic culture and community you
study and live in. You have offended us by bringing your Koffar's religion to
the PI. We demand you convert at once to Islam. For you Muslims how have taken
our religion as a joke, we also demand you cleanse your acts and stick to the
Qur'an. We hope to see you all at the mosque from now on. If you do not submit
to our wishes and convert, you will very much regret it. We will make every day
for you in the PI a living hell! You have no place to stay in the PI as your
must convert or be prepared to get a good beating from a huge
group of conservatives . This is you're final warning, or PI will be
judgment day.

Salam 3alaikom

yun lang. i dunno i was included in the list and i also dunno what Kaffers are or who they (or we as the email claimed) are. ewan ko kung ito yung laging nagpupunta sa Kaffeteria... :D then, i am wrongfully accused. lagi akong nagkakape, pero hindi sa kaffeteria. hay. what a day... magkapag-kape nga muna.

Outsmarted by Lance

2008-11-06T19:46:00.003+04:00

my baby's not a baby anymore. he's a growing toddler.. a naughty one actually. a few weeks back, he has developed this habit of bumping his head on walls or doors when i try to scold him. it's his way of escaping from the scolding because he knew that i would instead try to stop him from getting himself hurt. anyway, i was advised to just leave him alone when he does this. dedma kumbaga. and so i did. maybe, at one point, he realized that it's hurting him and it's pointless to do so anymore, since i was not minding him anyway. after that, he resorted to bumping his head on cushions. he'd look for bed or sofa where he could bump his head when i get mad at him. hehe. wise.

but mommy's wiser... i still didn't mind him when he does his new little trick. i would continue with the scolding and plays dedma while he bumps his head on cushions.

alongside with this, when we are both in good mood. i would teach him how to make the sign of the cross. sometimes, when i say "in the name of the father...", he would continuously point his tight fist or forefinger on his head or down his chest or across his shoulders. laging kulang.. hehe. but then, when he did make one complete sign of the cross, i would be so happy and i'd praise him by clapping and saying "very good!".

yesterday, while i was concentratedly watching TV, he came to my side. i thought that he's gonna get up the sofa and sit beside me. but then, he quickly bit one of my toes!!! i was shocked and got angry instantly! i scolded him bad, telling him that it's a very, very bad thing to do... blah.. blah... blah.. with my high-pitched angry voice. guess what he did... he made a complete sign of the cross. hahaha. and i stopped being angry anymore. from then on, when i am really crossed at him, he'd make his "sign of the cross" tactic at me. =)

Walang Himala!!!

2008-10-12T23:48:00.004+04:00

i just received my IELTS test result today. luckily, i passed! =) this was my first achievement for the year. hay, buti nalang umabot pa before 2009 kicks in. i achieved an Over-all Band Score of 7.5. That is, Listening = 8.0, Reading = 8.0, Writing = 7.5 and Speaking = 7.0. imagine that! partida pa yun kasi i mistakenly heard the word "population" as "part relation". bingengot eh! haha. sa reading naman, i encountered two sets of the dreaded true/false/not given-type of questions and really nangamote. on the speaking part, i was sure that it'll be my weakest link and i was not wrong about it. the only module that i felt confident was on the writing part, but i only scored 7.5.

anyway, all i know is, i earned 25 points for this. thank you to all my friends who prayed for me and for this miracle to happen. mwah! i am forever grateful!

Who Cares?

2008-10-04T01:35:00.004+04:00

it's been ages since i last blogged. i promised to get back to blogging and update some events as soon as things become clearer and i was so disappointed at myself for not doing so. i guess, i joined the bandwagon afterall... of the broken promisers.

well, as for an uber late update, here goes:

i'm done with the ielts exam. nope, the result is not out yet but i am not really looking forward. nangamote ako, grabe. i won't go into details anymore as i am trying my damnest (aka dumb) best to forget that day (the same thing i am trying hard to forget how i showed the world of a certified dumb i am when i signed that paper!). anyway, i need a miracle, a huge one.
oh yeah, i almost fall into the trust trap again. good thing, i didn't!! haha. well, i am actually being won over inch by inch... i almost had that slip of the tounge and divulge all. until my trust was broken once more. good thing i was able to postpone laying my trust again. at least, this time i wasn't too late.
the year's about to end in a few days and nothing good has happened in my life. not a single thing. how pathetic.
i met some new people, chose to lay back a bit. no, not worth it.
met an old friend. i'm glad i did.
i am missing a friend. oops, make that five. good thing, elyn came back already. one down.
i am missing the somebody who always reminds me to smile and whom i know would always want me to be happy (i hope i am sending the message that i am not happy, so i would be rescued... hehe. asa pa).
i am missing myself and something else. should i also look where nemo used to live?
my son's growing up more handsome each day. lovely chuckles, never fails to brighten mommy's days. my angel and my heaven, all rolled into one.

Pressure

2008-08-16T01:09:00.004+04:00

a had a week off supposedly dedicated to my IELTS review. however, it turned out i wasn't able to review anyway. sigh. ang hirap mag-review at home! there are so many things to do at lagi akong inaasar ni ate bel. oh well, patience myleen, patience.

i will report back to work on Sunday and i know it'll be a blast comeback. as i check my emails remotely, dami nang utos ng mga professors eh. hindi pa man. hehe. hopefully, despite the many activities lined up, i can still catch up with the review. especially now that the thing that has been bugging me for days has been answered. thank God for forums! hehe.

Drama Queen Strikes Again

2008-08-07T07:36:00.005+04:00

emote na naman ako kagabi. wala lang. it really tears my heart that the one thing most that i really, really want eh hindi ko makuha. ito yung nasa harapan mo na, within your reach ika nga, and yet hindi mo makuha because it is supposed to be given. and when i say, it tears my heart, i mean it literally because the pain was actually making it's way to me physically. ganun lang talaga ako kapag hurt. tamang bopis na dina-diced yung puso. oh well...

for the past months, i have tried so hard not to expect. sabi kasi, if you don't expect, you won't get hurt. but then, last night while i was browsing the net, i got reminded of my one great dream na hinding-hindi ko makuha at ayaw rin namang ibigay. it really breaks my heart dahil hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang rason. i have a clue na pinagtatakpan kong tanggapin na iyon ang reason dahil nasasaktan ako just thinking about it. anyway, it all ended up with me crying myself to sleep... ang drama ko. bakit ba, eh drama queen nga ako. kung gusto mong maging drama king/queen, eh di mag-blog ka rin. hehe. joke lang huh. lemme talk my mind and heart out lang paminsan-minsan. to continue...

it has always been like that. if i wanted something for myself, yung tipong gustong-gusto ko talaga, i need to get it for myself. material or non-material things alike. well, for the material things, merong pangilang-ngilang naibibigay dahil i gave them a hunch. hmm... ano-ano nga ba yun...

the pink Kaypee shoes from my dad. back in elementary pa ito. the Kaypee ad really got me hooked and i finally got this when we went to Cubao after watching Holiday On Ice.
the cute doll from my friend Eli. it was like i-pity-you kind of gift. hehe. as a consolation that i was loveless at that time and it's nearly Christmas, my friend bought me this doll as a gift kasi for sure wala raw akong mare-receive na regalo that time. friend talaga noh?! hehe.
the blue checkered blouse with hood that i asked from my tatay nung mga time that i resigned from work and i don't have the money to buy it. i saw it displayed in SM and it was love-at-first kind of wanting. i actually asked from my mom but she refused to give me money. my second option was to ask from my dad and i was never wrong. =)
the cinderella pants that i asked as a christmas gift from my kuya na alam kong hinding-hindi ako mahihirapan to ask from him. he is so mabait talaga at ang daling utuin. hehe, peace kuya. kaya naman nagpapa-uto rin ako when he asked for a treat.

hmmm.. yun lang. hehe. sa mga kusang ibinigay naman, well material things nga sila, not that i really wanted them pero i have been treasuring these gifts because of the act that they were given as a surprise gift. wala lang, i love surprises kasi. hehe. hmmm... ano-ano nga ba rin yun..

my monthly yakult from my kuya boboy. his pasalubong sa akin tuwing sumusweldo siya. saka para lumakas daw ako. hehe. lampayatot kasi ako dati.
the swatch watch that was my sister's birthday gift to me. it was green in color with a some musical notes and a piano. cute. i still have this at our house in the phils eventhough it's not working anymore. still in its original casing pa huh.
the keyboards from my kuya's. they know that i really like to play the keyboard kasi kaya i practically grew up with all sorts of keyboard sizes. ang kulang na lang eh yung grand electone organ. hehe. which if i really wanted to have now, eh i have to buy it for myself na. =)
birthday cards from my lolo. not actually surprises but he's the only one who doesn't forget to send me a birthday card. well, ngayon wala na because he passed away already. i occassionally get birthday cards from a couple of friends after that but not as consistent as my lolo's yearly, "i remember you and wish you had a happy birthday"-thought.
the jewelries from my ate at kuya na sadly, all were snatched away by some strangers. hay. street life in the philippines.
the apple ornament from my bestfriend Aye. my bestfriend that never fails me sa lahat ng aking paglalambing. i miss this mokong. san ka na??!! paramdam ka huy!!
birthday gifts from my ex's, hehe. you know who you are. *winks*

as i was saying, apart from all these lahat ng ginusto ko i need to get it for myself na. i guess, kailangan kong isaksak sa kukote ko yun. ang hirap actually. especially because i know i deserve the best, o kahit man lang better pa dun eh. in short, i know i am bound to get hurt over and over and over again until i found the BEST that i deserve.

This Is It

2008-08-03T09:01:00.002+04:00

after years of procrastinating, i am now finally determined to push with my immigration plans. yep, totoo na ito. hehe. i am now seriously reviewing for the IELTS exam and eventhough it's giving me headaches to review and be a mom and wife at the same time, review i must. para ito kay lance. para paglaki nya ay meron siyang accent. ngehehe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2008-08-02T09:06:00.001+04:00

this was my second experiment and it was a hit! i don't have photos to prove it but my hubby can attest that it was a success. though he rarely eats left-overs, this one kahit left-over na, he ate pa rin with gusto. hmm. masarap talaga ang luto ko, that's why. hihi. hindi sila nalason. =)

ingredients:

6 pieces chicken breasts
cheddar cheese slices
bacon or ham
bread crumbs
butter
olive oil
chicken bouillon cube
water
whipping cream
cornflour

procedure:

1. cut the chicken breasts in half and nicely put the cheese and bacon/ham inside.
2. coat with breadcrumbs and secure with a toothpick.
3. fry the coated chicken breasts in a mixture of butter and olive oil. mixture siya dapat kasi kung pure butter, madaling masunog. you wouldn't want a sauce na lasang sunog, right?
4. when the two sides are browned already, put the water with chicken bouillon cube and let the chicken simmer for 30 minutes. ang purpose nito ay para maluto yung insides nung chicken.
5. when you think the chicken's fully cooked inside and out, take the toothpick out and arrange the chicken in a serving platter.
6. whip the cornflour into the cream and then put in the skillet where you had the water/sauce left from the simmer.
7. simmer again while stirring until the sauce thickens.
8. when done, spread to the chicken breasts. ang sauce ang magdadala sa cordon bleu.

happy eating! =)

Baked Zucchini Recipe

2008-07-31T21:35:00.001+04:00

i promise to make one food experiment per week. para naman lumawak ang variety ng mga niluluto ko. hehe. i can make caldereta, pancit and chopsuey very well already. time to explore new food for the tastebuds. =)

Ingredients:
Zucchini (depende kung ilan ang type nyong kainin), I used 4 pcs which made 8 stuffed pieces
Chicken breasts, I used 3 pieces
Red Bell Pepper
Green Bell Pepper
Onion, finely chopped, 1 pc
Cheddar Cheese (grated) or cheese whiz
Pepper
Salt

Procedure:
1. After washing the zucchini, scoop the laman of the zucchini. Magtira ka lang ng about ¼ inch ng balat at onting laman ng zucchini .
2. Yung na scoop na laman, i-diced mo siya. budburan ng onting salt and pepper. set aside. Onti lng huh, kasi the cheese later on will add pa sa saltiness.
3. Preferrably use ground chicken pero dahil wala akong makita nun, diced the chicken breast na lang. pinakamaliit as possible.
4. Add the diced red and green bell pepper. Add onion. Hiwa nang parang mag-e-embutido ba.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stuff this sa zucchini and bake at 375 deg for 10-12 minutes, until chicken’s cook. Okay lang din siguro ito sa toaster. The point is, to cook the chicken. The other ingredients naman are okay to eat half-cooked eh.
7. Topped with cheese and bake ulet sa oven until the cheese melts.

Yung ibang pang-stuff na sobra, nilagay ko lang sa cupcake tray with aluminum foil. Then, topped with cheese. Ayos pa rin, sarap. Para yun sa mga taong ayaw kumain ng balat ng zucchini.

Wanted

2008-07-17T23:27:00.004+04:00

i had a night out with friends (jihan, jen and jas with their housemates, rina and her hubby) and we get to watch Wanted which starred Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. well, they are not the bida's. even so, i had a sneak of the trailer that afternoon and i knew it would be a blast. yep, i was not wrong about it. another sulit movie indeed! it was heart-racing from start to finish and the twist was just unexpected. sexy talaga ni Angelina Jolie. =)

Parking Exam - Passed!

2008-07-16T09:48:00.000+04:00

i passed my parking exam today. grabe, i was so nervous. i had my feet and arms shaking talaga. sabi ko na nga ba eh, i should stop taking coffee. hehe. ibunton daw ba. anyway, after the exam me and winnie took our police examination schedule from the traffic police counter. hu-wat??!!! novemver 23??!! more than a quarter of waiting??? hay naku. wala na bang itatagal yun??!! year 2009 na lang kaya? or 2010?? kainis. i was actually hoping na brand new car pa naman ang pa-birthday ko sa sarili ko. hehehe. wish ko lang.

Weekend Get-away to Fujairah

2008-07-12T20:10:00.004+04:00

i signed up for the weekend get-away to Beach Rotana, Fujairah eventhough i am sure we will be the only pinoy family on-board. it would be our chance to have a family outing na rin naman and go out of town, once in awhile. we left abu dhabi on a thursday afternoon and came back saturday at 8 PM.

last thursday, marvin, lance and ate bel came over in the office because assembly point's in building 5. straight from my duty ang drama ko. we had a 5-hour travel each-way where lance slept half of the trip. sulit naman yung trip because the place was excellent. we were checked-in a unit which is near the beach and the pool. it was a double-bed room with a bed na super lambot. lance loved sleeping on the beds! sobrang lambot talaga compared sa aming mattress that is way so lumpy. hehe. he loved the grass, the terrace. as in, i can see him exploring all corners of the room and he would go waving his hands sa tuwa. haha. minsan, may pagka-promdi ang anak ko.

the trip only cost us 350aed per night, with two days breakfast and with one buffet dinner on a friday. as for extra food, we had our baon naman and we spent around 200aed for other cravings. so far, so good. mahal naman talaga ang food sa hotel.

aside from the hotel accomodation, the trip was also sulit because lance had frequent dips in the pool and loved playing on the beach. umuuwi siya sa unit namin with sands all over him. machong-macho ang anak ko. haha. his dad, on the other hand, was not that un-cooperative din naman. maybe not with overflowing gusto to enjoy but at least, not that killjoy din naman. here are some of the photos :

ang mag-daddy, playing chess

see, sobrang happy ang baby! his smiles are priceless!

Makulit

2008-07-08T13:57:00.001+04:00

Hmm... makulit daw ako??? hindi naman ah. =(
High blood lang siya.
Kaya, hindi ako makulit.

Duh, talking to myself.. crazy! hahaha.

I Miss Being Happy

2008-07-08T07:59:00.004+04:00

i went out with my new friend Jihan last night and we watched Will Smith's new movie, Hancock. not a movie to rave about but it did gave me an opportunity to laugh for some time on some scenes. i used to laugh or smile about the simple jokes. but now, i am finding it hard. hmmm... masyado na yata akong nagiging seryoso in life. masama na ito. parang nagiging fix na yung face muscles ko that i am starting to forget how to laugh real hard. imagine that! fix na nakasimangot!! yaiks. yeah, i miss being happy. yung walang iniintinding problema. i miss being carefree. hindi na ito healthy. i need to do something about this. now before things are too late. kaya lang, here in the Middle East, everything has a price tag. =( these are the times that i miss climbing mountains to relieve myself of all of life's burdens. i miss my sister, i miss my friends in pinas, i miss my pamangkins. hhmm, nami-miss kaya nila ako? parang hindi. hehe.

PI has an outing this coming thursday and friday. i really wanted to go. i want to go and unwind. bring out the kid in me again. yun nga lang, aside from the gastos it'll impose on my budget, the trip's going to be in fujairah. mahihirapan si lance with the travel. wala pa naman kaming sasakyan. i'll avail of the bus ride if ever. i'll probably ask my friend rolly na ihatid si lance and ate bel sa office. hay. decide, decide myleen. i still have 3 hours and 45 minutes to think. <<--- oops, time's up! i have signed the registration form. yippee....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Hair Cut

2008-07-05T08:57:00.001+04:00

i had a new haircut today. i liked it. my friends say it suits me. my hubby says i look like a 16 year old. haha. binola pa ako. anyway, it feels good to be 16 year old again. haha. nagpabola naman!

AAAaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh.........

2008-07-02T08:46:00.004+04:00

i guess, you know already how overwhelmed i am right now. my hands are full... at work, at home... 24 hours in a day is not enough. kaya heto, so outdated ang aking blogging. hehe. so, wazzup???

my waistline's getting bigger. syempre, too much eating. i need to take action. fast. hmmm, coffee to my rescue??? but before that, i'll have my lunch today huh! =) no skipping!
my parking test will be on the 16th. my hubby's more worried than i am. hahaha. i'll have a refresher course on the 15th naman eh but he still insist that we hire a car on a weekend so he could teach me my 90 degrees reverse parking and parallel parking.
hibernate muna sa aking tennis practice. =( kuya ely's out of the country kaya walang matiyagang teacher. i just hope i won't lose my grip that has improved so far. ..after a year!! hihi.
i am currently working on my CDR, reviewing for the IELTS exam and trying to collate documents for my great Ozzy dream (paging ex-employers, i need your COEs!). my one last shot. i have let go of the NZ dream because it offered less chances for my course and work experience. however, i still send out my CV once in awhile kapag may nakitang suitable job opening. still, mailap ang tadhana. sigh.
i recently had a shopping spree. i bought 4 pairs of shoes in just a week. grabe, nalulula ako... nalulula ako sa credit card bills ko ngayon. ngehehe. but i love the 3 precious shoes that i got. the black formal one which i bought for a price of two shoes (sa BHS ko pa naman binili), ayaw ko na. i might send it to the philippines na lang.
busy doing my christmas shopping as well for my nephews and nieces back home. i had agift for AJ, my sister and my bro already. more to go.
trying to regain my social life once in awhile with my new friend Jihan.
i have tons of soil samples due before SL came back from vacation. pinagdadamot ni BM yung deionized water nila. as if i can't do anything about it. kala niya. hmp!
i still have an errand to do for VN. if not for her british accent which i love, i wouldn't do it. hehehe. i'll have a go on it next week, wala pa ako sa mood.
oh yeah, lance's walking now. he's cute, so proud of himself, so makulit. i love shopping for his clothes all the more. mas cute na kasi siyang bihisan ngayon, now that he can fashionably walk on his own.
i still have time to watch LOBO. i like Angel but Piolo's acting is spoiling me nowadays.
i still have my nanny problem unsolve. immigration laws are pressing me up with its August 2008 new set of stricter and expensive rules. yep, i still haven't change my views about them. i would still set their office on fire if given the chance.
over-all remark: life's not fair but i'm managing it.

Keeping An Enemy Close

2008-06-25T07:41:00.002+04:00

i collect friends and i don't count my enemies (which as of this time is still in the singular form). however in my entire more than 30 years of existence, i can claim that i have one. she claimed she doesn't treat me as one. of course! how could she when i don't do any harm to her except keep my nose on her tactics. while she on the other hand, never lets a day pass me by but make me always be on guard. she claims she has forgotten the past... duh??!!! bull****. why still have all those photos posted? why still showing off to the world the past??? girl, tell it to the dumb.

The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-19T23:34:00.003+04:00

marvin and i had another movie date. since it was a night before the weekend, the movie house was jampacked. katuwa. it wasn't usually like this in UAE theatres. when we watch a movie, the hall only has about 10 sets of people. but today, it was different. dami talagang tao. ayan tuloy, we were seated sa baba. ngehehehe.

i won't be talking much about the movie anymore since the website for it is readily available. i'll just be giving some tad comments. my verdict: it's not worth our 30aed entrance!! haha. nope, it's not that nagkukuripot na naman ako, but the movie left me with some unanswered questions that's why i won't rave about it. i don't like movies like that. i dunno about the others. hehe. secondly, liv tyler doesn't fit the role anymore. she acted pa-tweetums but it doesn't suit her age or her projected image on the screen. thirdly, there's not much action or hair-raising scenes. yun lang naman. it's your choice if you wanna watch it on big screen or be contented on the couch with a home-made popcorn.

The Forbidden Kingdom

2008-06-13T19:42:00.002+04:00

after 10 days of stress of not having a nanny to take care of lance, me and marvin took a day off and watched The Forbidden Kingdom in Marina Mall since ate bel got back from her "vacation" from Iran. as usual, i got what i expected from Jackie Chan, with his funny jives while Jet Li, remained to be in a serious role but still adorable. i had a great time and it's worth the 30aed movie ticket with an extra bonus of a Wild Wadi discount voucher. haha.

prior to our movie date, we also had snack in Sbarro in which, for a change marvin liked their pasta. he had a white sauce pasta with meatballs. i had a simple but filling pepperoni slice. it actually satisfied my craving for that day for a pizza.

lastly, before we leave the shopping mall, we also went to the grocery area to buy lance's milk among other things. oh yeah, the pushcarts in the mall now has a fee! my goodness!

my complicated life

solitary me

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drained... stressed.... needs some kick

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Turkey - Day 1

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Realizations

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My Mission

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Lance's New Moments

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I Hate Weddings

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Leaving the UAE Checklist

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Needing an Upgrade

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Wanted : Happiness

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The Rotten Apple....

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Back Online...

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The Best Thing in (My) Life

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Vianney's Chocolate Cake

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Bento-ing... :)

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New-found Craze! Bento!!!

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Plans for the Big Aussie Move

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Brownies

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Fresh Lumpia Recipe

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Chocolate Caramel Shortbread (in 4 easy steps!!)

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A Monthly Update?

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Visa Grant!!

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Birthday Planning..??!!!

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Has Been Awhile

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Happy Birthday, Hubby!

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What a day...

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More to Come

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Behind Schedule

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Positive!!!

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New Playmates

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Lance's Little Einstein 2nd Birthday

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Carrot Cupcakes

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30 Things Why I Am Loving it Here in the UAE

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Paella Experiment

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Blessing in Disguise

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Cramming.......!!!

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Loving Sissel

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Everything Happens for a Reason

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More Food Experiments

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Pagma-maldita / Pagsusuplada Lines...