My Spiral Cubenote

the birthday blues

2011-11-26T16:43:00.002+08:00

tomorrow i will be turning 39 and i feel as if spending my birthday is the saddest thing on earth. as i am recalling my 39 days here on earth it seems that i accomplished nothing in terms of my career. zero career. there are so many frustrations in life which happens to be on my side. being a stay at home is the number one frustration for being one, by becoming a stay at home mother, you get to do nothing exciting. you are a domestic animal at home. everything is a routine and you have to abide by everyday happenings.

a year older means life is shorter for me. as i get to the line of middle age, there are many changes seen too like the physical aspect. metabolism is slower and the brains tend to downgrade a bit like some memory boos.

sometimes i wish there birthday would not come too soon.

andrew's guitar recital 2009

2011-07-08T12:55:00.001+08:00

its been awhile/ consumer products rants

2011-07-08T12:46:00.004+08:00

its been awhile and as i am typing this entry, i tried to read the past entries. funny entries in the past, from rants to everything.

anyway, i was not able to rant about CONSUMER PRODUCTS which really should be a part of this blog. i have so many of them. i think i have to add another label to it.

this is my latest CONSUMER PRODUCTS rant: it's Magnolia All Purpose Cream.

product: magnolia all purpose cream

expiry: nov 14, 2011

nature: no dents, no smell, taste sour-like

action: immediate after one day

replacement : yes; picture shown

medals 2010-2011

2011-03-21T16:53:00.002+08:00

adriel's 3rd placer at the school science quiz contest.

facts about tutoring

2011-03-03T18:32:00.002+08:00

these days, so many parents opted their children for tutoring. many of my friends decided to let others teach their children. there are many factors involved as to why they choose to let tutors do their thing.

first, they have no time to teach. career wise parents really have no time to teach and supervise their children's studies. opting for a tutor might be a wise decision.

second, they have the money. some parents just need time for themselves and coupled with good financial standing, they can give the tutors the benefit of benefiting.

third, they do not know the lessons. bilingual education is very hard. some children are not born lucky to excel in a bilingual system of education and in the Philippines, having two languages might prove hard for the parents. so getting a tutor might help the child and of course save the sanity of the parent.

fourth, the parents just do not feel like teaching their kids. lazy parents who just do not want to bond with their children in studying. i just do not understand them.

fifth, parents want system. having a tutor is like a military type of life where after school, you go to tutor. after tutoring, go home and eat. then sleep. there is a system involved here.

sixth, last resort.

i grew up without a tutor and i am lucky enough not to have one. i can pay people to teach my kids if i want to but i opted not to. the reason? i want to know how my child is responding to his lesson personally and not some other person contributing to his personal success. i want my child to learn how to listen inside the classroom and not having to wait for the tutor to do everything for him/her. i believe that having a tutor is trying to sway yourself from being what you should be inside the classroom. " i have my tutor to do that for me, why bother listening to the teacher?" "why should i be copying when the tutor can do that for me?". some even to the extent of getting leakages from tutors just to top the class and what tutor would not succumb to the call? money talks.

if you want to get a tutor, get the tutor whose students top the class. if your child fails, it is the fault of the tutor. so how well would you know your child? you would never know. its either the tutor or your child who is at the lowest angle.

tutors teach because they want their student to learn, but getting leakages is another thing. well, that politico-education in the Philippines. it is a never ending situation and who is to blame but the parents.

think about the factors. it would save you thousands but it could also save your sanity as well.

after a year

2010-12-29T15:16:00.002+08:00

its been a year... been neglecting blogger for a time since facebook started trending.

for the year in total, it has been a fast year for me. sometimes, i feel i do not know any pacing whatsoever already.

let me start with categories:

hobbies: started to explore crochet and did lots of projects and lots of wailing wallets with the yarns and books.

pama cam back after a year in canada last november.

yvette has a good job at mac canada. i just do not know her job description.

the kids has their fair share in school.

i have been driving for 2 years already but not much a better and courageous driver.. just someone who always scorns people ( they are to be scorned) at the start of the day and throughout.

sold our crv with a crazy chinese buyer.

cut short my hair.

irene gave birth to twin girls. they are now so cute!

went home to zamboanga last october. just for 5 days. too short to enjoy.

till the next update.

my birthday

2009-12-02T13:44:00.004+08:00

for this year, i had a cool birthday. we ate at President's resto in ongpin because andrew wanted a pecking duck for dinner. and since it was also a send-off party for my parents and yvette who were leaving for canada the next day, it was a double party too!

anyway, pictures to be posted soon. andrew was able to savor the peking duck dishes cooked 3 ways.

i also got great gifts this year. it was not to be compared to nikon last year but it was thumbs up this year. a braun buffel tote bag and a kenzo parfum sure are killers! who a woman would not want a bag and a perfume eh? not me.

minor renovations.

2009-11-18T10:31:00.007+08:00

SOME RENOVATIONS. SOME REPAINTINGS. STILL NEED SOME DECORS FOR THE WALLS. OLD SALA AND WINDOW. ADDED VINYL BLINDS AND CORNICE..

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THE PROCESS::

STRIPPING OFF THE OLD WARPED WOOD. PUTTY. REPAINT FROM DARK ORANGE TO LIGHT YELLOW.

THE OLD WALLPAPER WAS STRIPPED.

VARNISHING THE MDF DOOR IS A MUST. SOME LAMINATES MIGHT PEEL OFF, SO YOU MIGHT CONSIDER BUYING STIKWELL FOR ADHESION.

OLD WOOD WITH TERMITES NEED TO BE REPLACED TOO.

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THE HALLWAY

PROCESS: REPLACING OLD WOOD. PUTTY. REPAINT.

CLEAN HALLWAY WITH TEXTURED CEILING AND LIGHT YELLOW PAINTED WALL.

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DINING ROOM

PROCESS: OLD WOOD REPLACED. TEXTURED CEILING. REPAINT WALL.

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KIDS' ROOM

PROCESS: REPAINT WITH EGYPTIAN BLUE.

I FEEL LIKE I AM IN A SWIMMING POOL~

ENTRANCE TO KIDS' ROOM. FRAME REPAINT.

duration of work: 2 weeks.
costs of labor and materials: secret..

a sour hotdog

2009-11-18T10:19:00.004+08:00

last saturday i purchased a CDO Bibbo cheesedog cocktail 1 kilo at a nearest supermarket here in manila. but we did not eat the hotdog right away. it was only 2 days ago when the kids decided to crave for it.

dinner time. hotdogs were served.

adriel ate them first.

i forked it. bite on it.

i sense something.. kinda "sour". took another bite.

it was really sour. i smelled it. it smelled sour and rotten.

i called the hotdog spree off but adriel already took some bites.

that night, he vomited and the next afternoon, he was not able to go to school. he told me that during their morning recess period, he was brought to the school clinic because of abdominal pain.

i emailed cdo and reported the incident.

that night, i received their email and the next day, they called me up.

this morning, their representative came. maybe it was the handling per se on the supermarket side she said, but they still got the hotdogs for further tests.

they compensated me with 2 kilos jumbo chickendogs, 2 premium corned beef and replacement for 1 kilo cheesedog which we cooked and tried it. no sour taste.

its been awhile

2009-09-25T08:28:00.001+08:00

neglecting this blog for months... so many things happening...

facebook gets into the way but there are no regrets.

anyway, will be posting more soon.

my review on Passengers

2009-07-05T23:18:00.002+08:00

after watching the movie Passengers, i felt so depressed.

i searched the net about the movie and the ratings are as bad as it seems.

for me, i am not about to criticize. i just dont care about how they rate it. the thing here is about the acceptance of death.

the twist in the story did not satisfy much audience but for me, it seems so realistic. pardon if i do not know how to review a movie but here in Passengers, spoiler here... anne hathaway was dead all along. she did not know that she died in that plane crash and was among the passengers who died. the other characters were trying to help her out in another world. everyone in the scene was really DEAD all along. creepy.

the airplane crash scene is depressing as well.

the souls who do not accept death is still on earth. they still have their souls. they are still trying to look out to the light.

the missing persons in the story signifies that they already accepted death.

the foolish interview

2009-05-14T10:07:00.006+08:00

after so many years of hibernation, i tried to fool myself into an interview i thought made me wake up from years of nothing-to-do and i am now paying the price.

you see, being a stay at home mom and applying for a job/work/school is the worst thing that you should not do! not only would you be humiliated for stepping into a situation like this but this is the most foolish move a mother would do.

they would have told me: hey mother! go to your house and be a mother. why bother applying for us? you have been hibernating for so long, stay where you are! you know nothing except to cook, clean!

that is what i felt.

the stay at home mothers have NO RIGHT to apply for anything. tell you frankly, WE HAVE NO RIGHTS WHATSOEVER.

so the next time people tell you to stay at home and be a mom, think twice. you are wasting your life. once a stay at home mom, you will be one forever. there will never be opportunities again for you.

rot will you? they will never accept mothers trying to work again.

or maybe i am too old. too long in the stagnant phase.

so for the second time, think twice when you are pursuing motherhood. not all understand the significant of motherhood, especially my interviewers.

i felt i should have sucked in myself at home and did not bother to go into some world of jobs because motherhood is a nonsense job for them. its a lazy job.... don't they have mothers?

anyway, think twice. motherhood won't feed you!!!

update:
since they did not call on me i assume that the application was rejected and i think so because after the interview, they did not tell me "see you" but the look of "thank you, go back to your house and rot there, will you?"

i will never forget their faces. the look of " hey mother, hibernation mother, go back to your house and mend your children. you have no right here! be a maid. die a scrapbooker!"

update:
of course my instinct was right all along. i was not accepted. oh well, maybe it was not meant for me after all.

i will die a mother and did i mention that i told them i was a designer while being a bum? i think they were laughing like hell! a fool like me trying to enter a very high tech course and just being a designer while being bum was the suckest form of doing and i think it was against my point.

some awards

2009-03-19T23:39:00.002+08:00

these are some awards the kiddos got:

aedan -- bronze for 3rd honors ( nursery)
adriel -- most avid reader; diagnostic exam ( silver medal ); chinese writing contest ( 2nd placer)
andrew -- most outstanding member award; perfect attendance award both for scouting

adriel's excursion

2009-03-06T17:35:00.002+08:00

adriel had his excursion at 8 waves, bulacan last february 28, 2009. it was a fun and exhausting day for the kindergarten pupils but they enjoyed very much!!!

andrew's piano recital

2009-02-24T19:51:00.002+08:00

this morning, andrew had his first recital in piano. he played the merry widow waltz.

picture shown here is the finale song of the recitalists.

i was not able to take his picture while he was performing the piano... he was seated at the back, a bad bad position. but anyway, picture or no picture, he did great!

immigration medical exam procedure

2009-02-17T20:02:00.002+08:00

ever heard of whirlwind medical examination for immigrant visa? well, i never heard of it either but wait till you hear what my parents have to say about it and other applicants for the canadian visa and particularly of course with a clinic off makati.

my parents were scheduled for their medical exam since upon receiving the embassy letter, they have to comply within 60 days. and so they booked their tickets and fly all the way from the province for this. my parents and yvette chose this clinic in makati since this was the closest and they have the only female physician who will take the physical examination.

that day, the clinic was full but the personnel were fast enough to accomodate the patients. it was their turn then. they had their xray, blood taken for HIV test and urinalysis.

papa - he has to go to a diabetologist for another check up. he has to have ecg.

mama - she has to see a cardiologist, have her ecg. she has murmur.

yvette - she has to come back for another urinalysis because of a physiological thing.

they paid 12t in toto.

after a day or two, they went to see their respective physician at a makati hospital.

papa - paid 9t for a series of blood exam.

mama - paid 7t for another series of blood exam too.

paid professional fee again.

mama was told to see a cardiologist and her eyes were checked. she has mild glaucoma, given medications and paid another 1200 for that.

after the results, they will go back to this makati clinic where they will be evaluated again and i dont know what the physician will have to say there.

when we googled this physician's name, her name popped out several times in different forums. there was a warning not to see this doctor. dont ever go to this one... she will refer you to this and that. she will make you go round and round and that's what happening to my parents.

we missed the warning and my parents are so stressed now with the procedures already not to mention their wailing wallet too! i understand that the embassy is very strict with these ( especially when you have lots of diseases) but there are lots of red tape here. my sister cannot go home to the province to attend school because she has to wait for the physiological thing to finish, she needs the urinalysis. she has to undergo the procedure at the clinic and only there.

arent they even considerate enough?

so the next time you embark on a certain procedure pertaining to anything, google it. search for it online. you will never know what you might find there. forewarnings you will never regret.

ouch!

2009-02-17T19:08:00.003+08:00

my first time and the darnest thing!

i was fetching my kids from school at 4pm then. upon reaching school, the traffic was terrible -- i mean there was no parking whatsoever!!!! i spotted a place full of tricycle and pedicabs so i went there thinking that i would be able to park for a while. going in. changed to rear then i heard a thug!

ouch! i bumped the right side of the crv. a small dent but visible one was made by me! thats why those crazed tricycle drivers were not minding me at all, "deadma". it was because i got bumped myself. they don't the hell care!

geesh. i wont drive at 4pm anymore. i had never liked driving at 4pm . this was one of the rarest times and the darnest thing happened!

tulips for hearts day

2009-02-15T22:39:00.002+08:00

got these beautiful and kinda dried up tulips for valentine's day.

playing with macro shots.

for more macro shots, you can visit my multiply account.

not so andrew

2009-02-04T02:06:00.000+08:00

andrew caught with his fave paraphernalia-- the blanket of all times.

first macroshot

2009-02-04T00:59:00.002+08:00

just so proud of my first shot using an extension tube and my new nikkor 50 mm f/1.8 lens. manual mode but i love it!!!

aedan's e.nopi bag

2009-01-27T15:23:00.000+08:00

he is on his 2nd week now and is enjoying the worksheets given...

delifrance dinner with symbelly

2009-01-22T13:23:00.001+08:00

last saturday, me and symbelly had our healthy dinner of sandwich and juice at delifrance- st. lukes branch.

wierd weather

2009-01-20T15:43:00.002+08:00

in the last couple of days, the weather was thick and humid. but now, it is kind of cloudy and yet over the news online, the report read 32! oh well, last week, everyone was wearing sweater and what a sight to behold and to feel.

and now, we have to retain in our minds that summer might be coming and it is near.

how was my driving so far?

2009-01-17T15:53:00.001+08:00

well, i know this is a boring subject for anyone to read but i would still want to rate myself: 4.5/10 stars.

aedan goes to e.nopi

2009-01-13T12:51:00.000+08:00

next monday, aedan will start his e.nopi class level 1. very excited.

association of events

2009-01-09T14:49:00.002+08:00

do you believe in the association of events? i am talking about the events that happened simultaneously -- in association with each other.

a friend giving birth as i am clicking the wrong data in an online transaction. sounds nonsense but the outcome of this birth is as surprisingly saddened as i clicked the wrong time for that certain online flight schedule.

it happened in a span of 15minutes. i think it was simultaneously.

well, if you don't get my point, i really do not know how to say it in words alright. but i believe that in some things, you and your friend think alike. you feel alike and certain things can make your path meet--- in a different world, that is.

leaves of life

2009-01-08T21:46:00.005+08:00

when we were young, we were used to drinking barley green -- barley green powder mixed with water, at least for my papa who got this wonderful green from her brother in canada. and so we were given test drinks and for some time, this herbal drink made wonders. apparently, my uncle stopped sending barley to my papa and so without the availability here in our country, plans for future barleys were not in my father's agenda anymore.

until recently, i discovered, upon surfing the internet for alternative herbal medicines that i came about these 3 leaves of life. 3 in one-- the alfalfa, barley and wheatgrass which would help your body fight the unnecessary in life.

in caplets, you may take this 2 x a day. cost around 10 per caplet, that's only 20pesos a day or 560pesos a month for 3 greens which can hopefully maintain your body to its fullest.

my my my! i read that alfalfa causes weight gain!!! yaiks!!! i just have to finish the 10 caplets i bought and of course i have to stop taking this since weight gain is not for me...oh well.

a dead man's belongings

2009-01-07T16:25:00.004+08:00

when my aunt lea passed away last december 23, 2008, the encounter with death seemed redundant again. my uncle who was close to the family passed away 48 days before and the grief was somehow still fresh.

when i went home to attend the funeral of aunt lea, i definitely had to see her room. in short, i am obliged to visit her room since she lived with our family for years. we treat her as the oldest member of our family next to my grandma. the day before the interment, her clothes were sorted out for disposal-- both in the burning process and some for donations.

after looking at her things, i realized that someday when a man has to leave the world, his belongings would cry out and beg " please bring me with you!". but can the dead hear them? when a person leaves, naturally and with a common sense, he leaves his things except for some worthy personal possessions which can go with the casket, and that was when i realized the essence of having so many materialistic things in the world. they meant useless.

when aunt lea left, she left so many stuffs in the world. who for? she cannot carry them all to her grave. a person will have to leave all. leave it on earth. all of them.

"sayang" - a word meaning waste. but i am not referring to aunt lea in particular. i am telling the world that when we die, we just have to leave these things--- things we loved, things we adored and are addicted to, our hobbies, our personal collections -- ALL TO THE WORLD! and in the end, they still do not belong to us.

so why are we loving the material aspect of our life when in fact in the end, we just have to leave them all along.

think.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

driving to grocery

2009-01-04T21:52:00.001+08:00

i drove myself for the first time alone at night. well, just to sm grocery. near. not an issue for anyone. churned...

at abalone restaurant, zamboanga city

2009-01-03T18:17:00.003+08:00

for more than 20 years, abalone restaurant had served the public and is continuing to serve the palate of fine dining in zamboanga city...

here you go:

the sea mantis or "kamon" in the native chavacano dialect is a very delicious and sweet seafood delicacy. tastes like lobster but there is this distinct taste of sweetness in it. fried or steam, i prefer fried. great even without garlic vinegar dip. the claws are quite ferociously sharp, so beware.

the abalone. the ultimate experience in seafood dining... this unishell meaty animal taste like clam in its own unique taste. its meat cooked with perfection only abalone resto can give you... we have tried other resto serving abalone but to date, only abalone resto offers the best bite. here, it is cooked in with brown sauce.

the rock lobster is i think a specie of the big lobster we eat... only smaller in size and bit dry in texture, this "rock-y" sibling is a must for exotic food lovers! cut in half, you can pull out the meat without having to shell out bits of soft shells. a convenient satisfaction. goes well with the vinegar-garlic combo dip.

one of my faves. sharksfin soup with shitake mushroom. a little drop of black chinese vinegar will give your satiety a thumbs up!

all time favorite, the locon ( prawn ). fried and yet succulent to the tastebud.

new year 2009

2009-01-02T11:33:00.002+08:00

happy new year to all, we welcome 2009 with hope, blessings and happiness!!!

a "turutot" or whatchamacallit trumpet for the new year. this is made of recycled materials.. of course i did not made this! hahahhaha.

we went to batangas to celebrate the new year's day. i happened to spot a walking insect on a red leaf on this cloudy afternoon.

i just love the color of poinsettias !!! no photoshop here. just plain and natural in its own way.

simple noche buena feast

2008-12-24T20:14:00.001+08:00

baked chicken from my sis in law. sphagetti from the tricycle driver.

pizza hut.

baked chicken.

seafood stew by me.

living room with the tree

2008-12-24T20:08:00.001+08:00

umbrella painting awardee

2008-12-11T19:53:00.001+08:00

adriel was very lucky to win the umbrella painting contest courtesy of his mom. hahahaha.

boys shots during their field day

2008-12-11T19:52:00.000+08:00

i used the extreme photo mode... alternating with manual mode.

some shots on way to cuenca

2008-12-11T19:48:00.001+08:00

at the petron station, calabarzon highway...

trying hard to be a macro-sist. hahahahah.

some newbie shots...

2008-12-02T15:08:00.003+08:00

forgive me.... i focused iyna on the first pic... i was trying to get her face focused rather than the hand. hihihih.

used flash here. an indoor shot with the notebook as my subject. trying to be macro.

a candid shot of adriel... see his expression.

i tried to focus on the van while it was moving at a speed. i also shorted my shutter speed. hihihi again.

no flash. i tried using flash but the effect was worst. oh well.

a funny story to tell

2008-11-29T22:31:00.003+08:00

how i got my dslr as a gift will mesmerize you. it did for me.

how do i start, by the way? i bet it was my birthday and i was feeling a bit wierd. my sony camera was damaged and i was just borrowing iyna's cam which i am not used to and so, some of my shots were not that great but tolerable.

i did not order cake because i knew ro would be coming home early morning which he does every thursday.

it was my birthday---this thursday and i was not expecting him to come home and so i just ordered pizza for us and it became our cake as well.

i busied myself by doing altered slides for my friends since we would meeting the next day. i tried to distract myself thinking that this may be the saddest day of my life. somehow, nita ( my scrapbook friend) seemed to call me the past few days asking me if there was anything new... i was wondering why in the world she would be asking this to me. i told her nothing new, what is new to tell?

at 8:oo pm, i texted ro asking him if he was in conivance with nita. something i dont know perhaps? he replied back telling me he was toxic and he doesnt know anything. i told myself hmmmp, this is really going to be a pissed off day for me.

after few minutes, i heard the car horn. what!!!!??? ro is here already and he just texted me that he was busy and toxic! what is the matter???

he came up and told aedan to hold the "gift". he was telling him loudly so as to let me hear him." be careful, aedan!! it might break." i hurriedly went out and lo and behold, he handed me a dozen roses... somewhat surprising coz he never gave me flowers for my birthday and a small cake since we just had a pizzacake for me.

okay this is it. my birthday is about to end.

while we were eating he kept texting and texting. such wierdness. and he kept going to the window. i wonder why but i did not bother to ask nor minded him.

few minutes after those endless text messages, he hurdled me to the door. at first, instinct told me what the heck is he doing??? why was he pushing me to the door??then there was this man there holding a big sando bag with stuffs inside... !!! ro told me " get it and open it".

i saw boxes... 4 boxes.... my god. the nikon d60!!!!!!

i could not believe my damn eyes! i could not... he bought it. he bought it! my dear lord, he did not tell me... and all along, he was texting nita about why the delivery took so long to arrive!!!

nita called me up immediately and ro was laughing his way!! everyone knew about the surprise except me! they were holding the secret since tuesday!!!!! god!

i was so happy with the camera. it was a dream come true for someone who adores photography in a way. and it came with a 18-105 mm lens!!! not the kit lens!!!

it was the surprise of my life. more than anything. the emotion was draining and the transition was tremendous.

next day, we met up with nita and the gang. i bought my nikon with me too. as we were eating at shabu2x, au got hold of a strap and started telling me that if she was me, she would not use the nikon strap because the newer the strap, the higher the reselling price in the future. she also asked me if i would have any plan of buying a strap. i said no, not this time. au said, okay then this is yours.... ! what? i told her... are you giving this to me? she said yes and nita blended in giving me a tripod ( which she got from the car and poor me, i did not realize the notion why in the world would she be bringing something like that when in fact she did not bring her cam with her). i could not believe my mind and eyes... then sym handed me the remote control! what???? then mitch sy gave me the lenspen!!!! my god.. this is the jerry's essential kit III!!!!! and ro knew all about this again!!!!

the surprise emotion never left me the whole night... it was something i could not really comprehend. happiness, thankfulness, luck. but most of all, gratefulness perhaps for dear friends who makes you feel loved.

nothing is better than good friends sharing your special day with you. and even with the numerous greetings over the cyberworld and text message, it was so touching because people remember you and thats what important.

the might-be-saddest-day turned out to be the opposite one instead. it turned out to be one hell of a beautiful day for me...!!!

first shots! yay!

2008-11-29T22:23:00.001+08:00

i still have lots to learn my god. indoor photography really is a challenge...

routine driving

2008-10-19T15:37:00.002+08:00

these are my routine driving schedules:

sunday - 8:00am and 9:30 am
monday - 8:00 am 11: 00 am 4:00 pm
wednesday - 8:00 am and 11: 00 am

i do not drive tuesday, thursday, friday and saturday. i wished i would in those days.

andrew's 10th birthday

2008-10-13T20:57:00.000+08:00

'twas andrew's birthday last september 26...

rebonding

2008-09-30T08:21:00.001+08:00

after 2 years, it was time for me to rebond again for the sake of my "kangkang" hair. and so i added some hair manicure.. in short. i colored it too with cyclamen or another term for Red. lol

rant about my printer

2008-09-30T08:15:00.002+08:00

it has been 6 months since i have to change my inks on my R290 printer and i have been a good girl. and now, after 6 months, these inks are labeled " hard to find" already!!!!! whatta...!!!

claria inks are new. they are expensive but they are of good quality. so how come these epson dealers do not carry them on their stores.. all i could see are Hps, canons and lots of other epsons EXCEPT the claria inks!!!!!

darn... we scouted the whole of Gilmore IT center only to find one store carrying it and still, i could not get a complete set! i still need Light Cyan so that my printer would work and now i need to print something! tell me this is not a bad news!

and so i have to scout for stores carrying the Claria wonderful "hard to find" ink!!!!! you know, 6 months ago i was hesitant to buy this r290 because i was so afraid of the claria ink which i think would really be hard to find and true enough, i am having a hard time now! they said this would be the top of the line and would be available easily and see me now... like a panting dog trying to look for its bone.

the next time you buy something, dont ask them anymore. trust your instinct.

tarot update

2008-09-24T14:21:00.004+08:00

the time is near. i will have to read more and absorb the tarot book and cards before i finally have the guts to read... well, as i have mentioned, tarot is a guide. it serves as an opener for situations that are hard to decide...the end will always be our own decision. this book is a great reference to beginners like me.. oh well, this is another challenge and change. i am not a fortune teller as i have said. i just wish to help people take things on their own hands if they can. if not, then desperation is not the answer.

driving update

2008-09-24T14:18:00.003+08:00

i drove alone to school at 730am and 11am. it was a day of adrenaline making. imagine, masangkay and bambang was so overly narrow this 11am because the other lane was closed due to another excavation of Maynilad! grrrr! and so the cars have to move slowly and carefully. you know i am only a beginner and to move fast in an "enquentro" is quite a no-no for me. really, it was one hell of day!!!!

twas sunday

2008-09-23T09:46:00.001+08:00

twas sunday and a driving day for me. 830am- 930am. yesterday drove the kids to school at 730am too.

thats all. i just have to keep practicing though.

the fool's journey

2008-09-17T15:58:00.002+08:00

i have been so curious with the fool's journey that i managed to purchase a deck of tarot cards. my purpose was just to collect but it seemed that there is an opposing force which i have to heed. i want to learn tarot because i want to help. i want to guide and open my inner mind to the needs of other people's emotions. after all, tarot is not what you called occult or devilish as what others would say but these cards are tools to help us and guide us understand situations.

i still have not started the routine for beginners. i am just waiting for the right time. the time means silence and concentration. i am reading some online tutorials so that i may have insights about what these readings are for and what each card represents.

so far, i got a deck only.. not those Kits as you would see in shops. and it is tucked right now inside my cabinet. free from dust and other energies.

remember, i do not wish to be a fortune teller.

it has been 4 weeks

2008-09-17T15:55:00.003+08:00

it has been 4 weeks since i have been driving the kiddos to sunday school and to school whenever i have the chance to drive the crv... and all alone.

sometimes i have the feeling of knowing the all knowing but sometimes there is this doubt whether i could fit or not. it really takes a lot of judgment and precision when driving and that i have to master.

yesterday

2008-09-09T14:04:00.003+08:00

yesterday, monday, i drove the kids to school 3x of a hell. first and foremost, i hate those pedicabs and tricycles entering the wrong way. they always wanna go to one-ways! second, i hate those vehicles trying to honk you. third, i hate those big cars parking in the middle of the street and leaving other vehicles to maneuver their way pass them! and i hate those pedicabs in school because i cannot park coz they are there! and most especially those calesas and pedicabs so slow you wanna overtake them but you cannot coz you just cant get the right timing!poooooh!

this was alone of course. alone and alone.

i also drove the 3 kids to sm san lazaro because i have to buy something at nbs and so noontime, i have to drive again. so many people. so traffic. makes my head spin.

3rd sunday

2008-09-07T12:42:00.000+08:00

this is my 3rd sunday to drive the kiddos to school... ALONE.

our kitchen at last.

2008-08-26T12:31:00.004+08:00

at last...from this

to this

ghost month ( august 15-30 2008)

2008-08-26T08:50:00.003+08:00

do you believe in ghost month?

ghost month begins on the 15th of july in the chinese lunar calendar and ending on the 30th.

chinese superstition or should i say, chinese beliefs renders the ghost month to be a lie-low month where nothing like building houses, weddings, opening of store should be done. it is believed that during this 2 weeks time, ghost abound, spirits lurk and if you do something unlikely, they will try to displease you.

that was what happend to ro.

mid-ghost month, he tried to hang chrome bathroom fixtures and hammered stuffs on our bathroom midnight time.

after 3-4 days, he got some unknown fever coming in. a high fever not controlled by any medicine. we checked his blood profile but all we got was a normal wbc.

after 3 days of high fever. it just went down. very mysterious.

in my own belief, i think the ghosts got angry when ro tried to ruin their silence deep into the night. he did not try to said/chant something before pounding the walls... maybe and maybe not it might be true but during the ghost month, please refrain from doing anything not necessary. if it can wait, you should wait.

grocery with andrew

2008-08-26T08:46:00.002+08:00

yesterday i drove to sm with andrew ONLY!!!!!! he said " mama, you drive good".

it was not so busy street at 5pm but upon reaching sm, gosh, the parking to the basement was already full so we have to go up another level until we reached the 3rd level. thank god, there was one nissan terrano who was de-parking and so shoot in i went.

it was one kind of an experience wherein independence is a feeling of elation.

till the next drive.

sunday school drive alone

2008-08-24T09:10:00.003+08:00

these past few days had been so hectic and adrenalin-driven!

ro was sick and we were contemplating to have his cbc at 12midnight and so, who would be driving? his fever was so high already. and so i drove...

and today...

I DROVE ALONE!!!!! to sunday school with the kids.

i think i am kinda " kaskasero"... and i dont like the feel of it. i tend to drive fast as if time is running out. bad habit. i will drive slowly next time.

alone at last...

2008-08-19T19:53:00.001+08:00

I DROVE ALONE HOME.. well, it was just a few kilometers away from home. lol!!!!

i dropped off ro and went home alone... i did not park inside the garage coz the carpenters were working there. i just parked perpendicular the garage...

some more push.. some more!!!!!

quite far drive

2008-08-19T11:44:00.003+08:00

last sunday, i drove from forbes to espana to araneta and ramon magsaysay... hmm quite far eh... of course, its a sunday and the jeepneys are quite behaved in a way so its safer for me. i did not drove home from sta mesa because it was raining so i let ro do the driving. we went to sm and i drove too.

yesterday, drove to sm again.

but i hope to be able to drive alone .... i have to drive ALONE!!!!

driving update

2008-08-10T21:33:00.002+08:00

2 weeks have passed and i am not that brave enough! darn! i can drive from house to school to sm, i even drove to recto! but why cant i drive alone? everytime i wanted to, i begin to palpitate... do you think i should? i mean if ro is with me, he does not talk. he does not direct... i talk to myself! i mumbled words of sometimes " bad" coz i just hate when people started to cross in front of me without any warning!

i can also park parallel now without ro's directing... well, sometimes. i just dont know how to park from behind but i can go out from behind...

that's all for my driving update the past 2 weeks.

here is my mary jane

2008-07-28T18:09:00.000+08:00

love the pink color!

playing with artificial blood

2008-07-15T08:12:00.003+08:00

i bought andrew a science kit toy about how to create an artificial blood using chemicals. the kiddos enjoyed the process.

after one week of not driving

2008-07-15T08:11:00.002+08:00

i drove yesterday after a week of non driving. i drove 2x in the morning. i really hate close-bumper driving! grrrrr.

costume parade 2008

2008-07-10T21:48:00.002+08:00

adriel the doctor

aedan the igorot, which won him as one of the most creative award

aetom the construction worker

it was a tiring 3 day stint for me. lol.

renovating our kitchen

2008-07-01T23:23:00.002+08:00

we decided to renovate our kitchen after living here for 10 years. renovating the kitchen without an interior designer and an architect is pure headache. all we have is a carpenter and the internet to churn our minds. we have to canvas and hop-shop places from as far as ortigas to the near recto area.

finally, we decided on PRIMA OAK as our main kitchen color, we got the Rushil premium laminates because of its affordable price and good appearance though we were thinking of getting the Formica brand which is double the price in the first place. our granite color will depend on the availability of a dark color. we also had the stainless steel sliding drawers for utensils. our stove is the ecco brand ( sister company of elba from italy) made of tempered glass. the rangehood is a matching black elba too. we will keep the stainless sink but its not so shiny anymore. cabinet handles will be decided on later but im thinking of a metallic matte silver to go with it.

but really, it is a wail on the wallet.

next time, a modular kitchen unit should be the choice because you dont have to pay for the carpenter's labor fee anymore.

*** those taxis

2008-06-30T20:49:00.002+08:00

two not so good experience:

yesterday, at the bambang-avenida junction, i sped up and beat the red light. yay! no police around. then a motorcycle just passed in front of me. straight without looking at his left or right. grrrr.

today, i drove at 730am, 11am, and at 4pm..geesh that 4pm was worst. and at orox st., this crazy taxi just went near me because he was trying to avoid a hole! darn him, he nearly bumped me. crazy people!! i stepped on the brake immediately! it was so adrenaline-****. didnt he saw me on his right? ****.

and this tamaraw fx at masangkay kept honking at me!!!

i really dont know how to feel when driving? fear or fear of people honking at you? sometimes its not funny anymore when you are dealing with these crazy lunatics.

frank

2008-06-25T09:15:00.003+08:00

i have not driven for 6 days! yay, i dont know if i could still remember how to drive! thats the point. its so hard.

anyway, last saturday, international name " frank" typhoon devastated the philippines particularly the visayas and left many dead. what caught my emotion is the sinking of princess of the orient. the tragedy is so agonizing because many people died especially children! and what made me so pained was the elderly couple who tied their wrist together so that whatever happened, they would still be together.

hard rain and strong winds from sunday 5 am- 9 am then the rains did not stop anymore. good thing the electricity was not cut off that long.

2008-06-19T16:11:00.004+08:00

june 18 - i drove at 610am to school and 745 am taking the bambang route. these past few days i am not taking the recto route. i have to make myself accustomed to the narrow teeny weeny luzon st and bambang st. grrr and argggh.

i got 2 scoldings. one is i stepped on the gas and there are those bunch of people walking in the middle of the street. they are oh so lovingly walking down the street. heller those are streets for cars! but i did not bumped into them of course.

next is at luzon st. while traversing the intersection, the "trafficker" signaled me to side over. i did not get his instructions. but i managed to go to the edge!

i also knew how to "siksik" somehow. well you know, it depends on how well you know what you are driving. i think it is feeling the car as if you are it.

i did not drive today. ro took the crv.

how long am i driving? how many hours in all? let me count the ways. been so long already.

i dont have the guts to drive alone yet. i wanted to but not yet. pls give me time. hopefully i could.

driving to SM

2008-06-16T08:32:00.003+08:00

yesterday was father's day and i drove to SM from the house. i parked at the 3rd floor.. it was a parallel parking but of course with guidance!!!

i did not drive alone yet. it has been 2 weeks since i drove but not continuous driving. i dont know when i would be able to. it depends on me.

i should put more gas when going up the ramp. okay take note.

today june 16, 2008, i drove to school at 745am. i took the bambang route. going home, i took the luzon route.. hate those people walking in front of you and those pedis and trikes trying to cross infront of you and making "salubong".

i then tried going to malabon st upon going home instead of going home straight. many jeeps already.

i was thinking if i am doing any improvement at all because if not, then there is no use driving. if i cannot drive alone, perhaps there is no use. if i cannot conquer the scary feeling, then how would one learn. i think i should try to conquer it by driving alone.

my goal is to drive ALONE.

driving update again

2008-06-13T19:25:00.002+08:00

i was not able to drive yesterday and early this morning but at 745am. i took the bambang route and those trucks are really pissing me. they are parked near the road ( i mean they are on the road) and there are so many man holes with men! grrr. too narrow to pass but i passed it. the hard part is that there are "kasalubongs".. and so i am not sure i could fit in. even if i drive slowly, there is this feeling of unsure.

no guts to drive alone yet.

june 13, 2008.

drive update

2008-06-12T07:00:00.002+08:00

june 11, 2008. drive - 610am. i should go out this time. not much cars but upon going home, there was quite a moderate number of cars.

drive - 745am. smooth.

parking is smooth, the garage still has lots of wooden junks so i had a hard time entering the space.

i still have no guts to drive alone. i will try to drive alone here in our vicinity one of these days probably sunday.

i still have lots to learn... the external factors and the palpitation feeling inside me.

the kid's visit to the dentist

2008-06-10T08:35:00.002+08:00

yesterday june 9, 2008 was a holiday so the kids had their first visit to the dentist, my sil, dra. pua.

adriel had to "pasta" 2 molars. and his right lower incisors were "root canaled" coz it was a dead tooth. he was crying! and he had anesthesia also... bad experience and traumatic but again, no choice, just like me.

aetom, aedan had their fluoride application. good set of teeth.

andrew had his one molar "arangka" oh i am having vocabulary block! applied fluoride too.

then me and ro went to serendra. i spent 3 hours at fully booked. bought 2 expensive non fic book.

day 4-5 driving

2008-06-10T08:25:00.003+08:00

june 8, my fourth time to drive. i drove the kids to sunday school and fetch them. then we went to sm san lazaro to eat breakfast. just a little drive thats all. i was supposed to drive to laong laan but did not. not had a fun driving.

june 10. drove andrew to school at 625 am. so frustrating! so many pedicabs and trikes! traffic! and upon turning right at recto from s.reyes, there was this car who does not know how to turn left... or was it just me who does not know how to turn right? hehehehhe.

so frustrating! i want to give up but there is no choice. i think i would be having nervous breakdown during the mornings... the only resort is to leave early.

and those jeeps kept honking at me!!! darn. we are strolling down the park they would say. i think they are mumbling bad words to me already.

i will have to find a good route again.

the distance of my parking was quite well this morning. i dont know in the coming days. i was able to give the wheel a good space. but it is still quite hard to go inside the narrow garage and especially now that there are junks of wood there!!!!!

day 3 driving

2008-06-06T14:53:00.003+08:00

day 3 driving today, june 6, 2008.

drove andrew to school at 625 am. reach school less than 10 minutes. reached home 638 am. not bad.

i took another route now. instead of going through luzon st, i decided to take on benavidez st. and bambang. oh come on! bambang is so narrow!!! so hard. i have this fear of colliding with the car passing in front of me.. i mean of course i cannot just stop in front of them. i have to move on too.... but i managed this obstacle.

problem now is : CAN I DRIVE ALONE WITHOUT RO ?

i hope i can soon. i am not yet ready today.

mama atchin's bicon express shrimp fry

2008-06-05T21:43:00.002+08:00

when jill gave me this as a gift, i could say that this tasted so good. spicy. gata. bagoong. goes well with mango. to compare it with alavar bagoong can be difficult because even though they both contain coconut cream, mama atchins is somewhat more of a viand. the color differs too.

this is made in zamboanga city. you can visit their blog here.

day 2 driving

2008-06-05T11:12:00.002+08:00

day 2 driving. june 4, 2008. i warmed up again at 530am and drove to masangkay. there were few private cars and jeepneys on the streets. it took me 20 minutes. a little less to reach school and home.

there was anxiety but tamed down. wow what does this mean? there are no sudden brakes already. i can maneuver from stop light to go smoothly.

i can turn through narrow streets without any wrong turns. it was darn so narrow at la torre and masangkay with bumper to bumper ( singit ) of cars too... good thing i was able to turn left well.

at 645am, drove andrew to school. he was not late. i tried a different route from fugoso to severino reyes and recto and benavides to la torre. it was a smooth park at the masangkay gate.

ro said not to take the bambang route coz there are constructions going on and the trucks are parked in the streets!!! think of discipline.

somehow i just need practice. my lips were not that dry compared to my first day.

but i still have to learn how to park on our garage with is darn too narrow. do you get it? i have only 0.5 left for the right side and my left of 0.3m to the tip of the stairs. not good park inside the garage. i know i will be able to park it well soon.

more more practice...i would like to try the main thoroughfare soon. the espana forbes section would be a challenge.

today i did not drive. ro took the crv. i am afraid i would forget how to drive if i stopped practicing even for one day . yay. hopefully not. tomorrow again..

cant wait. oh why am i saying this?

did you pray for me?

2008-06-03T07:39:00.002+08:00

did you pray for me? i woke up at 530am palpitating, cold feet, anxious. today is the day.

i kept dreaming and thinking what would happen today. how will everything go... so anxious.

at exactly that time, i woke hubby up. lets go, i said. he immediately got up too.

i got the car keys and started the engine of the crv.

there were less cars on the road because it was still early. i was cruising at 20 km/hr sometimes less, ro said the pedicab driver drives faster than me.

the streets in our vicinity are narrowed, tricycled and jeepneyed-rich but at 530am, it was kind of a haven for me. and so with my palpitated heart and dry lips, just imagine what i am up to.

it would take 5minutes to reach the school without any traffic but i reached in 12 minutes. i spent 25 minutes back and forth.

the 2nd drive, now driving my son to school! took me approximately 10 minutes. when i glanced at my son at the back, he was smiling. i am not sure if i sensed fear in him or did i smell myself ? it took me 20minutes. thats minus 5 minutes.

there is slight traffic though with bumper to bumper drive along masangkay! cars are parked on two sides too... i have to stay attuned to the crack on the center, that would be my basis so as not to bump the cars on the right.

i also happened to bump a sofa set along luzon st. arggg, why do those people have to bring their furniture to the mid street? or was it just me who doesnt know how to adjust my distance? hehehehe.

horns kept honking at me because of my speed. ro said the hell with them.

i think i have to blink the hazard signal everytime i drive.

but really, i am in a dilemna. need more practice so that fear wont turn in.

ro got the phone directory after we got home and after consuming a glass of water to soothe my dried lips... he turned the page on driving school. call them, he said.

maybe i need them after all. i think life will change.

tomorrow is the day

2008-06-02T22:22:00.000+08:00

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME TOMORROW.

what i did the whole summer

2008-05-26T23:03:00.002+08:00

what did i do the whole summer productively?

none.

staying in front of my computer and my desk.
and those peeps who has vacation plans are so so lucky!
my kids are the most vulnerable to sickness because they stay in the room all the time, its like prison. hell.

some people just dont know how to relax.

summer to do's

2008-04-30T15:15:00.002+08:00

need to do:

renew my drivers license ( as if driving)
renew my prc ( have to. been prescribing meds)
buy kids' lunch bags and bags
spring clean the study room
decide on life
gotta diet
highlight my hair
shorten my hair
start with my polymer clay project
start with my gold leaf kit

so many things to do.

the summer heat is stopping me lazybone.

a boring summer

2008-04-27T16:02:00.002+08:00

'tis the time of the year when all is boredom.

the heat and the nothingness. the slammed mechanical and catatonic of time makes one move like a zombie.

nothing to do. nothing to anticipate.

all is blur. all is stopped.

a more than a good find at a local sale

2008-04-23T20:45:00.003+08:00

last april 15, i, along with thousands of other aspirants headed to sm san lazaro for the ultimate sale exclusively for sm advantage card holders ( fyi, from 10-12pm that same day, card holders get additional 10% off aside from the usual sale). and so knowing that there would be juicy sales, i reached the mall at 10:15am.

there were at least more than the number of customers i expected when i arrive at the sale scene and so since i have my list of what to buy, i went to watson section of the department store first.

top of my list was the pond's miracle serum which i need to buy. i saw the price 499p. okay, less 10%. great! then suddenly, a watson saleslady approached me and told me that if i purchase a pond's miracle cream worth 599p, i would be getting a free serum.

i said no thank you because i am not using pond's cream. i just needed a serum. and so i left the saleslady hanging. i told myself why would i purchase the cream when i would just be needing the serum. even if i buy the miracle, i would still be wasting 100p because i wont be using the cream anyway.

as i was holding the serum, this saleslady approached me again. she said she would be giving free serum. 2 bottles~!!!!! not one but 2. if i buy the cream worth 599p, i would be getting 2 free serum worth 499p each!

god. right there and then, my mind worked like a beast. i asked the girl if this was just a strategy or what and what if something fishy would happen when i pay at the cashier... but she said i get 2 free serum! no less.

and so i got the cream plus 2 serum for free and paid 599pesos less 10 and another less 10.

how much is my serum worth? you compute it.

the next day i went back, the serum(s) on display were nowhere to be seen.

all about rants

2008-03-24T14:28:00.003+08:00

is this blog all about RANTINGS??? i really cannot explain why everytime i buy new stuffs, something goes wrong. let me list them:

sofa set ( they gave us a used one) -- solution: they replaced it.
camera ( the flash is not working and exposure is bad) -- solution: our wrong, we did not bring it for check up.
washing machine ( sound is loud) -- solution: they replaced some parts.
computer ( factory defect) -- solution : they will replace the whole unit. i also have this complete rant at my scrapbooking blog.
laptop ( the dvd rom is defective)-- solution: one day before the warranty expired, they replaced the dvd rom but we waited for 1 month.
wireless adapter ( cdr king) -- solution: wrong buy. it should be a wireless router instead and so we were not able to utilize this after some time though.

not only am i so unlucky in new stuffs, i am also prone to consumer products complain like

sm green bag issue
gain school milk ( spoiled)
century tuna issue
alaska evap issue
--- all of these they replaced.

whats wrong?? do i need some kind of intervention? do i need voodoo of a good kind to shoo away these conditions?? now i am so afraid to buy anything new.. hehehhe. please spare my r290 printer my god...

kab scout awards

2008-03-24T14:26:00.001+08:00

andrew got 3 awards for this years kab scout court of honor.

best patrol leader
best patrol
perfect attendance award

2months without water

2008-02-05T23:31:00.000+08:00

could you darn imagine that maynilad is not doing anything with our unstable water interruption???? since december 19, 2007 we have been having bouts of water interruption and mind you, the water would be flowing only for a total of 5 hours and then no more. not only that, since the pressure is so low, there would no time to fill in the pails!

of course we tried calling them and of course they came after one week and told us that there was a leak and an excavation was needed. a permit was also needed and i was told that they would be the one to procure it.

and yet after 2 months, nothing was done. they even told us to sacrifice a bit! the hell! what is maynilad doing as a service agency for the people? i emailed them just today. lets see what they would have to say or do.

darn, this is so insane. this is hell and primitive! this is worst than living in a squatter's area.. oh well how do you suppose i should say. this is near tondo .. the squatter's destination spot.

rantings about photoline.. fooled again

2008-01-24T00:58:00.000+08:00

i dont know why i always have to rant about things... now another incident happened. tomorrow they will know the real score. i will call them worst thing comes worst, i will demand from them and sue them! hahahah.

just imagine, photoline san lazaro developed my 2r into doubles! who wanted doubles when in fact i did not even requested such.

you see, they claimed that because i requested 7 2r pics thats why they doubled it. last january i also developed 11 2r pics then why didnt they double it. they said i got odd numbered pics! are they crazy enough to make their customers look like fools?

the salesgirl said that its because they use 4r and have to half it to make 2r. ok i get it. i am a photoshop knowy and so if you have 7 pics, one would be left with a blank 2r... and that would be a loss for them. so they doubled every single pic to make up for the one blank 2r space that they will lose! i asked myself yeah why not double only the 7th pic? easy math and they dont know !

tomorrow i swear i will call them. tonight, i keep texting their customer service hotline but no reply whatsoever. if they dont respond because i know they wont, still i will call them at san lazaro. lets see what they will have to say. darn.

i dont care about the price coz i spend additional 24 pesos, but the fact that they say you have to have even numbered pics next time is so darn wrong. lets see. that saleslady sure dont know how to say things right.

i looked liked a fool because i succumb to her answers but upon reaching home, my husband reasoned out and just then did i realize that i did not fight for it and i was a fool too! they fooled me and i was fooled. again and again for the nth time.

update: january 24, 2008
i called them up and they said that there is an ongoing promo that when you develop pics less than 20 pcs, they would make it double. heller! they did not tell me whatsoever. they would make a refund, i said i dont need it. they said sorry, thats what i want to hear and they said they would call the attention of that saleslady who doesnt explain to customers! the customer service responded asking if i know the girl, i said no.

our wreath by the stairs

2007-12-27T18:18:00.000+08:00

going down...
going up...

going down...

Our Home Mall of Asia experience

2007-12-21T01:33:00.000+08:00

the next time you buy stuff at Our Home, Mall of Asia... beware of their stocks.

last december 4, 2007 we went to Our Home MOA to buy a sofa. when we spotted the rusty colored 2 seater one, we said we want it. but apparently, no brand new stock was available. so they told us that we should wait for 2-3 weeks since it would be made to order pa.

december 19, 2007. a call from them informing us that our stock arrived already and ready for pick up and so we went to MOA to pick up our sofa.

when we arrive, it was all covered with plastic. RO wanted to take a look at it without the plastic because he saw that the display area for this particular sofa was replaced by another colored sofa (* same style 2 seater). RO was having doubts because 2 days ago, we just saw the rusty colored sofa and what fast selling they got would you believe? but i trust Our Home and so i said maybe this is really a brand new arrival ( according to the cashier she was sure this was a new one because who would give a display sofa to a customer? not Our Home right?)

RO was out of town when i opened the sofa. everything was with receipt and invoice.

RO arrived hours after and saw the sofa without the plastic. He was in total freaking mood.

the same sofa he saw at the display area was the same one they gave us! RO remembered the white stain on the lower portion of the sofa ( he was jokingly telling the people there last december 4 hoping this would not be the sofa he would get since there is a mark and he would remember) and yet Our Home gave us the display sofa.

they even insisted that this is made to order.

who will believe? i think they are malingering us shoppers.

tomorrow, RO will call them. i just dont know how to deal with this. change the product? and so we wait for another 2-3 weeks? and we have fully paid the sofa in cold cash.

this is absurd. i think their manager ought to know the discrepancy of their employee doing stuffs like that and making "loko" to innocent customers like us.

so the next time you buy from them, heed me, make a mark especially if you are buying their made to order because you might not receive the made to order in reality but a display unit only... i wonder how many people they have tricked already.

UPDATE:
they will replace the sofa. but since the made to order sofa is not yet " made", they would let us use the old one ( the display unit they gave us) for the meantime and will replace with the new one once the "made" sofa is finished.

the promo man in charge was according to the manager-- sick again and again. would you believe it?

updated: january 7, 2008. moa our home called and they said the new sofa is there for pick up. surely we did went there and got to get "our" true sofa. good as new.. hopefully!

rockwell with the kids

2007-12-20T19:27:00.000+08:00

we spent the day at rockwell with the kids... i just have to hold them together tight because they are so naughty and nice!!!

certified bum

2007-11-28T13:46:00.000+08:00

i am a certified bum. i should be posting this on my scrapbook blog but i think it should be here.

yes i am a bum. i dont work. i dont do anything but my hobby.

is it bad to be just doing your hobby and nothing at all?

is this the life one is worth it?

it makes me happy and contented but something is missing. without work, one is like a disabled being.

with the flowers

2007-11-19T12:13:00.001+08:00

got these flowers from a party at serendra condo.

aedan's first day of school

2007-11-19T12:05:00.001+08:00

this is aedan's first day of school at kinderhall. he was not upset nor shy unlike his brother adriel... when he entered the school, he immediately gave his bag to the yaya and entered the classroom as if he was not a new student. but when i went inside and peeked at him, i saw his face of uncertainty... well, the first day of school. as always.

halloween with aetom

2007-11-15T22:30:00.000+08:00

aetom with his halloween costume of a devil.

camping with andrew

2007-11-15T22:09:00.000+08:00

october 28-30, 2007 marked the day of our camping together with andrew at taysan city batangas.

here are some pics of my tentmates
the signpost over at the campsite.

andrew during the flag retreat ceremony.

picture taking with the scouts

the parents team.

our beautiful tent built by us!it was a tiring 2 days sleuth. hehhee but we enjoyed!

shitake

2007-10-21T17:03:00.000+08:00

i have always loved shitake mushrooms! the smell, the taste! and i when i found out that aveeno carries an exfoliant cleanser with natural shitake mushroom extract, there was no more 2nd thoughts about it.

it could really exfoliate! now, my target is the serum from the same line but i think i couldnt find it anywhere here...

first time

2007-10-21T16:30:00.000+08:00

this afternoon, i was baptized with the trickle of perspiration. yes i drove from our home to sm san lazaro. normally this would take say, just a 5 minute drive because there was no traffic but it took me 15 minutes!!! no honk from my back.. the jeepneys were not sour at me and this is my first time to tackle down the road with no classes whatsoever... just bits of shouts and uhhs from ro. when we were near sm, i did not really look in front and ro saw that i was near a taxi.. so he shouted brake brake!!! hahahaha.

yeah i know this is a matic and even a kindergarten kid would know how to operate but the fact that those on the road with you are much less apprehensive than you... so maybe i have to keep up practicing... more so with building up my confidence down the road. i have to be tough. if i am going to drive andrew tomorrow, i have to allot one hour to reach school!!! gosh!!! thats deadmeat.

but i am glad i stepped down the road. since our place has so many intersections. this is harder than driving continuously. i have to keep stepping on the breaks because i have to slow down. oh well.

golden wedding anniversary

2007-10-18T11:20:00.000+08:00

last sunday october 14, 2007 was the golden wedding anniversary of my in-laws. the mass was held at san isidro parish church, cuenca, batangas..the same church they were united 50 years ago.

i have yet to make a minibook for this...

pictures at cuenca

2007-08-29T23:17:00.001+08:00

the window of the house at cuenca.

need to sharpen the images more.

toys for the small boys.

manila international car show

2007-08-15T12:01:00.000+08:00

last sunday, we attended the manila international car show at the world trade center. here are some pics to view:

we were about to give up the long line of queue because aside from the heat, we have to fetch the kids at home. i noticed so many young men lining up... i wonder why. but we returned to the venue after 2 hours and the line was gone.

well, only to find out that there were really voluptuous sexy girls there as car shows are meant for guys and that to lure them, young vibrant girls with skinny legs and short short skirts and shorts are needed. made up with long hair, these girls posed as business transactors. indeed these are like in-person ads and sometimes, it works for most of the companies. the prettier the girl, the more they entice people especially young men.

kaya pala.

pictorial at orox

2007-08-03T14:11:00.000+08:00

uploaded some pics which i edited. i have to scrap these.

adriel's fisherman's hat

2007-08-02T19:53:00.000+08:00

adriel was the one who painted the glitters on the flower.

today, we had our preschool activity== decorating a fisherman's hat. the school provided us with their cloth hat and together, the parents (usually) and their child painted and decorated the hat. it took us approximately one hour or so to finish the project. this is a yearly activity for the preschoolers.

an open letter to sm supermarket

2007-07-30T05:02:00.000+08:00

i just want to report issues regarding the green bag at SM san lazaro supermarket. ever since the green bag campaign, cashiers have been forgetting to scan the barcode (2.00) for greenbag usage. this had happened 3x already and i still have the receipts with me with the cashier's name.

the first time i never had the chance to complain because i have only 1 GB (greenbag) with me and 1000p worth so i said never mind. the 2nd time around, i was with my father and we purchased 4252p worth with 2 GB. i just want to emphasize that i have to argue with the cashier because she insisted she scanned the 2.00 and yet there was no barcode to scan and upon looking at the receipt itself, the discount of 1 GB which is 2.00 did not appear so it only meant that she really did not do anything about it. i told her to report to the supervisors which she did and the supervisors had to let her write some letter. the supervisors then wrote on the receipt that "pls credit the 2 GB on the next purchase."

the 3rd time was yesterday, a sunday 7-29-07. the cashier knew that she had to scan the barcode but since it was not registering (technical error i guess), she continued on her scanning the purchases made. after the receipt came out, i dutifully checked it knowing that she neglected her part again. true enough, there was no "discount of 2.00 etc" in the receipt so i (as a customer) still have to remind her that she forgot to scan the barcode. she said "ay" and called one supervisor. the supervisor then did her duty, writing "pls credit 3 GB.... to the next purchase, signed..". she wrote my name down and purchase amount. i then ask her if there are other ways to credit the 3 GB with my purchase, she said she has to rescanned all the items! just imagine the long queue of lines and with my enormous purchases, people would surely cursed SM. so i said never mind. let it be credited to the next purchases.

as i was about to retire for the night, something came to my mind.

my stand here: i always bring my GB with me. i always bring my prestige card whenever i made some groceries because i know it would benefit the environment and me as well. but i think that pertinent issues here need to be discussed with the employees ( cashiers especially) regarding promotions. i noticed that whenever there are new promos, the people in the supermarket are not knowledgeable about them.

another stand: on my 2nd and 3rd GB issues--> isn't it unfair for us consumers to be in this situation wherein the cashiers neglected to scan the GB barcode? take for example my 3rd issue last sunday. i bought a total of 4957p worth of groceries but since the cashier did not scan the GB barcode and just swipe my PC (prestige card), i would just be earning 6 points instead of earning (with 3 GB = 36points?). the system and consideration of CREDITING to the next purchase would really be so UNFAIR because what if your purchase now is only 1t? would you compute the 3GB with the 1t transaction? yes i think so, right? so instead of having to compute it with my 4957p transaction earning 36pts ,i get to lose 30 points all the more and with only just 6points on my sunday grocery because of simple negligence.

sayang right? this is for the benefit of all and yet due to ignorance perhaps, the consumers suffer. how many of us would meticulously notice that barcodes are either not scanned or scanned?

i want you to take consideration to void my points made on my sunday transaction and instead to use the 3GB for the sm advantage points because i feel that i deserve to have those points. it was not my fault because everything was done in accordance by a customer (my giving her the card and the 3GB). it was all along the neglect on the part of the cashier.

i was wondering since this campaign has been running for months already, why are the cashiers so 'forgetful" of such things like simply scanning the barcodes... one thing more which oftentimes happen, they forget to put straws whenever you buy tetrapacks without straws...i dont have to check everything thinking that the cashiers would do their part since it is their part to do so. and of course, i have to scout for my own straws in the end for it would be such an inconvenience for me to go back just to get some straws.

anyway, i hope you come up with more considerate measures for the consumers about the green bag issues. and whenever things like these happen, i just hope it is for the benefit of us consumers mainly and not for our disadvantage.

my SM prestige card number : 8880002511043766
name: nathalie jane lopez
date of transaction: july 29, 2007; sm san lazaro
time: 17:23
cashier name: prieto, sheryll

i hope to hear from you because i understand the processing of points would take about a week.

thank you.

bug bug

2007-07-24T11:13:00.000+08:00

i just hate bugs, who would want it, right? but the bug has arrived at our household and all because of our maid. she got the genuine mutant rampant attacker virus which penetrated our system! darn that maid. she has that resistance of an immunocompromised. in 12 months, she gets sick 5 x or more and in that span of time, we get sick too! all of us! and if you fire her, its so hard to get another of her sort. well, she is not that efficient in a sense but we can trust her more than anyone new.

now, i have 2 kids with fever. i am just reminiscing those times with the chickenpox virus wherein i have to be with them for a month since they got the virus too. all of them!

i just hate these viruses and the people who carried them and passing them to us!

so darn...