The baby's on his fourth month today and I'm starting to get used to having a bump by now. Being an active person that I used to be - I used to do regular running and love swimming - I'd like to think that my figure will go back to how it was prior to getting pregnant.Think positive. ;)
I've been reading a lot of online information about pregnancy and it excites me as much as it scares me to experience giving birth. There are a lot of urban legends from the movies, word of mouth, etc. that I found really entertaining, haha!
Things are getting better. Life's becoming more meaningful and challenging. I feel really blessed and when I look back to where Prince and I started, I can't help but be really thankful for how things are turning out. Indeed, God has His plans and everything happens for a reason.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Makansutra in Manila
I must say that Makansutra in the Manila Ocean Park is in a lot of ways different from the one in Singapore. The food is not bad though, it's almost the same as far as I can remember.
Prince and I arrived at the Manila Ocean Park when the sun is at it's peak of giving out unhealthy rays - almost 12noon. We roam around while waiting for Earl as we're going to have lunch before he go back to Singapore. I suddenly sensed a really stinky smell when we went out the door of a nice restaurant and we found this giant pool of sharks!
I saw in the news few years ago that the water that they use in these giant aquariums came from the Manila Bay [after all the advance treatment to filter it out, I guess there's still a trace of the stink]. I really hope that we can still save Manila Bay. Right next to the pool of sharks is the 'Fish Spa' area where you pay Php120 and can dip your feet in a small pool of small fishes who eat some unwanted stuff out of your feet for 20minutes. Ewww.
There's also a 'glass bottom' boat and if you want to take a closer look at these sea creatures, you can also try their 'scuba-type' activity. It seems fun but I'm not fit to get as adventurous until the baby is out, hehe.
Earl arrived at around 1pm I think so it's really time to pig out! Here are the things that I noticed:
We ordered one whole crab for Chili Crab, Char Kway Teow, Pork Satay, Pineapple Fried Rice, Beancurd with a couple of veggies, Bandung for me and Michael Jackson [soya with gelatin] for Prince. It was a feast and it's all good! All three of us were full so we had the Char Kway Teow for 'take away' or 'take out' as Pinoys would call it.
The operating hours is only 11am-9pm everyday, I wish they extend it to at least until midnight. Earl left for Singapore that evening and I'm sure we'll have some more of this again. 'Til soon! ;)
Prince and I arrived at the Manila Ocean Park when the sun is at it's peak of giving out unhealthy rays - almost 12noon. We roam around while waiting for Earl as we're going to have lunch before he go back to Singapore. I suddenly sensed a really stinky smell when we went out the door of a nice restaurant and we found this giant pool of sharks!
I saw in the news few years ago that the water that they use in these giant aquariums came from the Manila Bay [after all the advance treatment to filter it out, I guess there's still a trace of the stink]. I really hope that we can still save Manila Bay. Right next to the pool of sharks is the 'Fish Spa' area where you pay Php120 and can dip your feet in a small pool of small fishes who eat some unwanted stuff out of your feet for 20minutes. Ewww.There's also a 'glass bottom' boat and if you want to take a closer look at these sea creatures, you can also try their 'scuba-type' activity. It seems fun but I'm not fit to get as adventurous until the baby is out, hehe.
Earl arrived at around 1pm I think so it's really time to pig out! Here are the things that I noticed:
- They have a 'unified' menu instead of individual food stalls and there are guys in different 'uniforms' [it's weird to call it uniform when it's not all the same which is not making any sense] who serves as waiters, order-takers, servers, table cleaners, etc.
- They do not serve Hokkien Mee. They have other pasta that seems more of French cuisine to me though.
- They do not offer Man Tau which is usually the bread-like thing that's often partnered with Chili Crab - I understand this perfectly as Pinoys would definitely go for rice.
- They are understaffed for sure - it took them forever to look for crab shell crackers, we asked about 5 waiters and one of them came back after more than 30minutes saying that they cannot find where it is. I also advise people who wants drinking water to get it yourself from the drinking station because it will take more than 15minutes if you asked for it from a waiter. And they charged us almost Php200 on top of our bill for the 'SERVICE CHARGE'. Wth?!
- The roti prata looks totally different.
- They only have pork and beef satay.
- They do not have chopsticks.
- The washroom is nice.
We ordered one whole crab for Chili Crab, Char Kway Teow, Pork Satay, Pineapple Fried Rice, Beancurd with a couple of veggies, Bandung for me and Michael Jackson [soya with gelatin] for Prince. It was a feast and it's all good! All three of us were full so we had the Char Kway Teow for 'take away' or 'take out' as Pinoys would call it.
The operating hours is only 11am-9pm everyday, I wish they extend it to at least until midnight. Earl left for Singapore that evening and I'm sure we'll have some more of this again. 'Til soon! ;)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Father's Day
I was on the phone with my only brother a few hours ago, I wanted to greet my dad but he's drunk and he don't want to talk to me as I left the house without telling him because he's always not around and I didn't have the chance to do so.
Few days ago, I was thinking of whatever present I could give him so I asked Prince to get me a copy of 'The Best of Lobo' album because I know it's his favorite. I was supposed to cook pasta and bring it to our Kamias home as well. My mood changed and I became very disappointed when I found out that my father's drunk. He just got himself cured from tuberculosis few months ago after 6 months of treatment and there he goes with his vices again.
I remember being very close to my father when I was younger. He bought my first bike when I turned 5. He fixed an old guitar so I can use it to practice when I was 13. He gave me a cellphone when I finished high school. I appreciate that even though we're not rich, he always try to provide the things that I wanted. Until the time came that he told me he can't send me to school anymore - my tuition fee is not more than Php400 in PUP and my allowance is just Php100 everyday so it really didn't make any sense to me. I knew I needed to do something to survive and finish college on my own. From then on, our bond just went down to drain.
I am to become a parent soon and I can only try to be the best mom that I can. I promised myself that I will work very hard to provide for whatever my child will need - food, shelter and decent education. I know that beyond these, a good parent needs to be an example, gain the child's trust and respect.
Few days ago, I was thinking of whatever present I could give him so I asked Prince to get me a copy of 'The Best of Lobo' album because I know it's his favorite. I was supposed to cook pasta and bring it to our Kamias home as well. My mood changed and I became very disappointed when I found out that my father's drunk. He just got himself cured from tuberculosis few months ago after 6 months of treatment and there he goes with his vices again.
I remember being very close to my father when I was younger. He bought my first bike when I turned 5. He fixed an old guitar so I can use it to practice when I was 13. He gave me a cellphone when I finished high school. I appreciate that even though we're not rich, he always try to provide the things that I wanted. Until the time came that he told me he can't send me to school anymore - my tuition fee is not more than Php400 in PUP and my allowance is just Php100 everyday so it really didn't make any sense to me. I knew I needed to do something to survive and finish college on my own. From then on, our bond just went down to drain.
I am to become a parent soon and I can only try to be the best mom that I can. I promised myself that I will work very hard to provide for whatever my child will need - food, shelter and decent education. I know that beyond these, a good parent needs to be an example, gain the child's trust and respect.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Looking Back - Singapura Food Tripping
I stayed and worked in Singapore for more than a year [June 2008-August2009] and I must say that the most that I miss about the country is their food. I'm not very fond of eating anything with chili but I appreciate some of them when I was in Singapore. My friends and I used to visit the supermarket at least once a week and cook at home but we also eat out to different hawkers and average restaurants once in a while - it's been an unspoken rule to us that spending more than SGD20 is luxury.
As we were staying in a condo along Upper Thomson, the closest hawker is around 10-15minutes away. There's a famous roti prata stall in that hawker but I'm not a big fan. I would always choose to eat at Meng Kitchen and have Bar Chor Mee that I am used to calling 'mini-wok', hehe. I like how the noodles tastes [they will let you choose the type of noodles but whichever you choose, it all tastes good anyway] and it's pretty good with a little bit of chili and the soup served in a small stainless cookware-like bowl that's boiling and has a little candle-like fire underneath. Another thing that I like about it is that it's open 24hours so I can have my Bar Chor Mee anytime.
Another place we often go to is the Lau Pa Sat for the best Satay - grilled mutton, chicken, beef or
shrimp in skewers served with generous amount of delicious peanut sauce. It's cool to go there at night, I like it that they closed the street and filled it with tables and chairs and people would give their orders and eat in the streets. It reminded me of the Banchetto-Emerald atmosphere.
I am a very practical person although I believe that a treat should be given to those who deserve it so as a prize for my
hardwork, I allow myself to enjoy Jumbo Seafood chili crab. I seldom eat there as the cost is far from my average meal budget but the chili crab is really something I cannot resist! [it's not as hot as it sounds so don't panic, hehe]
The first thing that I think of when I hear 'Singaporean Food' is chicken rice but I wasn't really into it. The second thing that comes to my mind though is
something I really love and I swear I can eat it everyday - Hokkien Mee! The best Hokkien Mee is the one served in Wisma Atria and it's so lucky for me to be transferred to our office in there from Jurong East, I could eat it more often.
Aside from the clean environment, disciplined drivers and nice public transportation, I think food tripping with my old housemates and officemates is the only thing I miss about being in Singapore. I would go back and visit there someday and enjoy these with my Prince for sure but for now, but I think I better try out what's available here in Manila first - MakanSutra at the Manila Ocean Park. A friend who went there told me they also have my favorite drink Bandung, haha! ;)
As we were staying in a condo along Upper Thomson, the closest hawker is around 10-15minutes away. There's a famous roti prata stall in that hawker but I'm not a big fan. I would always choose to eat at Meng Kitchen and have Bar Chor Mee that I am used to calling 'mini-wok', hehe. I like how the noodles tastes [they will let you choose the type of noodles but whichever you choose, it all tastes good anyway] and it's pretty good with a little bit of chili and the soup served in a small stainless cookware-like bowl that's boiling and has a little candle-like fire underneath. Another thing that I like about it is that it's open 24hours so I can have my Bar Chor Mee anytime.Another place we often go to is the Lau Pa Sat for the best Satay - grilled mutton, chicken, beef or
shrimp in skewers served with generous amount of delicious peanut sauce. It's cool to go there at night, I like it that they closed the street and filled it with tables and chairs and people would give their orders and eat in the streets. It reminded me of the Banchetto-Emerald atmosphere.I am a very practical person although I believe that a treat should be given to those who deserve it so as a prize for my
hardwork, I allow myself to enjoy Jumbo Seafood chili crab. I seldom eat there as the cost is far from my average meal budget but the chili crab is really something I cannot resist! [it's not as hot as it sounds so don't panic, hehe]The first thing that I think of when I hear 'Singaporean Food' is chicken rice but I wasn't really into it. The second thing that comes to my mind though is
something I really love and I swear I can eat it everyday - Hokkien Mee! The best Hokkien Mee is the one served in Wisma Atria and it's so lucky for me to be transferred to our office in there from Jurong East, I could eat it more often.Aside from the clean environment, disciplined drivers and nice public transportation, I think food tripping with my old housemates and officemates is the only thing I miss about being in Singapore. I would go back and visit there someday and enjoy these with my Prince for sure but for now, but I think I better try out what's available here in Manila first - MakanSutra at the Manila Ocean Park. A friend who went there told me they also have my favorite drink Bandung, haha! ;)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
THE JUNE!
This month is getting interesting.
What I used to like about June is shopping for school supplies and getting to see my friends in the school grounds again. Gone are those days. Today, I'm sure my classmates are all busy with their work, their own families and everything else. I don't think anyone in our class is now thinking about visiting our beloved school.
I'm always a proud 'iskolar ng bayan' and my tuition fee was never higher than Php400 so June was really no time for me to have thousands in my wallet when I was a student. I didn't mind using cheap school supplies, in fact, I love recycled notebooks, notepads, etc. and there's also something about the smell of old books in the library that I find oddly interesting.
These days, an average private school's tuition fee for college students costs more or less Php50, 000 per semester. Considering that the Philippines is a third world country, how on earth are we going to be able to send our children to a decent private school if you belong to the middle-class? It's sad that most high school graduates aren't able to continue their studies and get a degree. I wish the new administration who will be taking their seats on June 30 will prioritize the programs for education and make sure our budget for this department is not draining with the corrupt officials.
I hope there's other things I can love about THIS JUNE.
What I used to like about June is shopping for school supplies and getting to see my friends in the school grounds again. Gone are those days. Today, I'm sure my classmates are all busy with their work, their own families and everything else. I don't think anyone in our class is now thinking about visiting our beloved school.
I'm always a proud 'iskolar ng bayan' and my tuition fee was never higher than Php400 so June was really no time for me to have thousands in my wallet when I was a student. I didn't mind using cheap school supplies, in fact, I love recycled notebooks, notepads, etc. and there's also something about the smell of old books in the library that I find oddly interesting.
These days, an average private school's tuition fee for college students costs more or less Php50, 000 per semester. Considering that the Philippines is a third world country, how on earth are we going to be able to send our children to a decent private school if you belong to the middle-class? It's sad that most high school graduates aren't able to continue their studies and get a degree. I wish the new administration who will be taking their seats on June 30 will prioritize the programs for education and make sure our budget for this department is not draining with the corrupt officials.
I hope there's other things I can love about THIS JUNE.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pigging Out Lunch At Burgoo!
I was really craving for a good mashed potato last week and I have to say that Burgoo didn't fail me at all - they have one of the best mashed potato topped with bacon bits, cheddar cheese and other herbs. TOTAL YUM!
It's my first time to try the seafood jambalaya - for me, it's like a twisted paella that tastes really nice but it's got less flavor than paella. One regular serving is good for at least three persons [it took a couple of hours for Prince and I to finish it but we did! haha] :P
The Burgoo receptionist gave us a coupon to avail of the promo - we got this boneless buffalo chicken for free! [regular Php295]It's another pig-out meal for Prince and I. I know I'm getting bigger and baby's just on his 14th week. I am really gonna make it up with hours in the gym after this pregnancy! Whew!
Mi Ultimo Adios to Vince
Prince and I went to Mang Max's place last Tuesday with three guitars: Vince - my shortscale bass; Phoebe - my acoustic/electric and Prince's project Japan copy p-bass.
Vince is my first ever bass guitar. I bought it second hand from someone who posted it for sale at philmusic.com qualifieds forum for a very low price. Being the beginner that I was, I wasn't very meticulous with the specifications, the most important thing for me was that I'll have my own gear and that I can learn more on how to play. True enough, this baby have a thicker fretboard than standard basses so I find it really good for beginners as I was able to do my exercises thoroughly and my finger stretches as much as it can, hehe.
After two years, I decided that Vince needs a sister so I bought a slim-body Greco and named it after the Disney's Alladin princess - Jasmine. I became so fond of Jasmine that I didn't have time to play with Vince anymore and I felt sad that he's deteriorating as time goes by. It's been four years since I first played with Vince and I knew that another beginner needs to learn from him, he needs better hands to take care of him and enjoy him again.
As Prince is in needs to good pickups for his project bass guitar, we decided to have Vince's pickups be taken out and use it for the P-bass. Mang Max said that he can still make use of Vince's body and other parts after we take out the pickups so I let the master do his craft and make the best out of my baby as a deal to the services that we ask from him
. I think he'll give it to his niece in the province so he suggested that I place my signature in Vince's body and he'll have it engraved to it as a reminder that I used to own that guitar. It was very sentimental for me and I appreciate the fact that Vince will again be in use by someone who wants to learn and make good music.
I had Phobe's [my acoustic/electric guitar] action lowered and Prince discussed with Mang Max on the details of the P-bass customization. We left his shop and I had to bid my farewell to Vince. I know he's in good hands now.
Vince is my first ever bass guitar. I bought it second hand from someone who posted it for sale at philmusic.com qualifieds forum for a very low price. Being the beginner that I was, I wasn't very meticulous with the specifications, the most important thing for me was that I'll have my own gear and that I can learn more on how to play. True enough, this baby have a thicker fretboard than standard basses so I find it really good for beginners as I was able to do my exercises thoroughly and my finger stretches as much as it can, hehe.
After two years, I decided that Vince needs a sister so I bought a slim-body Greco and named it after the Disney's Alladin princess - Jasmine. I became so fond of Jasmine that I didn't have time to play with Vince anymore and I felt sad that he's deteriorating as time goes by. It's been four years since I first played with Vince and I knew that another beginner needs to learn from him, he needs better hands to take care of him and enjoy him again.
As Prince is in needs to good pickups for his project bass guitar, we decided to have Vince's pickups be taken out and use it for the P-bass. Mang Max said that he can still make use of Vince's body and other parts after we take out the pickups so I let the master do his craft and make the best out of my baby as a deal to the services that we ask from him
. I think he'll give it to his niece in the province so he suggested that I place my signature in Vince's body and he'll have it engraved to it as a reminder that I used to own that guitar. It was very sentimental for me and I appreciate the fact that Vince will again be in use by someone who wants to learn and make good music.I had Phobe's [my acoustic/electric guitar] action lowered and Prince discussed with Mang Max on the details of the P-bass customization. We left his shop and I had to bid my farewell to Vince. I know he's in good hands now.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Priceless!
I went to my OB-Gyne for my monthly checkup last Wednesday morning and this month's surprise is that I was already able to hear the little angel's heartbeat! Too bad, Prince had to go home earlier that day so he wasn't able to go with me and share the moment. The doctor said that the heartbeat is normal, I need to drink lots of water and go to the loo often, stop taking folic acid, continue taking multivitamins and milk to make sure baby will stay healthy.
I just have to say out loud that I'M REALLY EXCITED!!! :)
I just have to say out loud that I'M REALLY EXCITED!!! :)
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