Cutty

Over rehearsal last weekend, I cornered those who said they'll come to Mimi's wedding. Sorry na lang, the planner in me strikes again. With just five months away, we have to figure out our itinerary and pocket money, at the very least. Sayang naman kasi, promo fares are coming out already. We met over dinner and decided that we will leave on the 3rd week of July, preferably on a weekday so it is cheaper. This way, they can already file their vacation leaves. We've decided to ask our respective agents for quotes for our supposed itinerary. We'll most likely get our visas from The Netherlands since it will easier due to the DH situation in France, Italy or Spain. Kinikilig na kami sa excitement. Anda na lang =P

Last December, I purchased this as an early Christmas present. I asked Vic's Tita to bring it home for me. I bought it specifically for our trip since I knew I'd need a bag that will keep my hands free to handle the boys. I wanted to get a Prada Gauffre but my eyes are set on Mimi's wedding. Si pesteng EQ talaga. On the first day, I noticed that the dye rubbed off on my cream sweater. On the next day, I noticed that the color faded on the creases of the bag. It is such a disappointment. Kainez! The leather is so soft and smooth like what they use on the Reva flats. Sayang talaga. I've been exchanging emails with TB's customer service. They suggested that I send it back to them. They will provide me with shipping labels so I won't have to pay for shipping charges. I don't want to return it because the color and leather are really nice. I'd rather have it replaced but they're no longer producing it. They'll just credit back the amount to...

We didn't do much on this last day. We only had a few hours in the morning before heading to the airport. If you are in Palawan , the best items to bring home, aside from pearls, are the fish and the cashews. These we got from the wet market. As soon as we arrived in the market, a man approached my mother to offer his services as kargador and packer. He followed us around while we bought fish and other pasalubong items. My mother bought the fish as I don't know how to choose the right one. I went off to get dried fish and roasted cashews. When we finished, he weighed all the items for packaging. We had two options, an ordinary box or a Styrofoam box. For 12 kilos of fish, a styro box with ice will set us back more or less, P500. For the ordinary box, it cost us half as much as the styro . The Packer assured us that the fish will arrive fresh because of the salt, even if there is no ice. It was packed nice and tight. After the wet market experience, we made our way t...

On the day of the wedding, our morning was free to go around the city. We made our way to Baker's Hill for their hopia and other baked goodies. We stayed longer than anticipated because the shoppingeras were distracted by the the pearl vendors. Cultured fresh water pearl jewelry sets were being sold for as low as P250. Earrings could go as low as P20. They haven't been to the Tiangge yet so imagine their excitement upon seeing everything so cheap. Afterwards, we drove up to see the Mitra ranch to enjoy this view. Not so far away is the crocodile farm where you can have your picture taken with a croc for P30. The short guided tour (P40) is very informative for kids and adults. We got to see tanks of baby and adult crocodiles. Guests may also go around the park and check out the other animals. The short tour is just half-an-hour long. They had on display the biggest crocodile captured in the Philippines. It was 17 feet long. This croc made the news for attacking...

Vic booked our Underground River Cruise on the first day. Upon arriving, the van we hired picked us up at the airport. Before dropping us off at our hotel to check-in, we secured our permit to go to the underground river. The city government limits visitors to 600 per day. From the city, it took us about an hour and a half to reach the dock. From there, we had lunch, buffet style for P200 each. In a place where you can get a decent meal for P80, that is quite expensive already. Since the Underground River is a popular tourist destination, be sure to eat before a big group arrives. To reach the cave, you'd have to go on a 15-minute boat ride. Upon reaching the other side, the guide will bring you to the dock near the cave entrance. We were given life vests and hard hats. The water could go as deep as 8 meters on regular days. The hats were there just in case we bump our heads into rock formations. Besides, not everything that drips from the ceiling is mountain water... ...

A distant cousin got married to a Palawan local last weekend. Most of my relatives were there to witness the ceremony courtesy of a wealthy (but miserly) uncle. The rites were held at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Puerto Princesa. The reception followed HOURS later at the Asturias Hotel. Needless to say, it was nice to be in the company of people who I haven't spent time with for years. Cousins caught up with the latest gossip. Newly-widowed Titas joined in the modernized bouquet toss. It would have been nicer if changes in plans were communicated to us WAY in advance. Buti na lang, we were flexible enough to adapt to the changes. I could just imagine the Titas complaining and whining non-stop. The wedding coordinator seemed non-existent. He was not around when you need him. He was there when you didn't need him. The accommodations were acceptable though we had problems coordinating with the front desk personnel. There was inadequate preparation for the tran...

I woke up to the most shocking news. One of my husband's dear distant relatives passed away due to low blood sugar. He died in the ambulance on his way to the hospital. When I broke the news to my mother, she said, "Wala nga namang namamatay sa high blood sugar." ----------------- My memories of the U.S. will not be complete without him. He was the person who took Vic and me to Palm Springs, toured us around the parks and tourist attractions, who gambled in the nearby Morongo Casino while we shop in Cabazon. Uncle S always had the juiciest chismis about Pinoy celebrities in Hollywood, specially those who fled Manila to keep a low profile. He'd always be the assigned chauffeur of the LA stop. It's not because he lives in Hollywood. It's because he is the only one who has the luxury to take time off work and because he is the only privileged enough to have the driving skills. He never failed to bring us around, even if we only gave them a 12-hour notice....

Last Friday, Vic and I celebrated our 6 years of partnership by drowning ourselves in cheese, foie gras and desserts. Sarap! Though my stomach is still recovering from all that dairy, I quite thankful that God has blessed our relationship with so many things. 6 years and 3 kids later, we're still the same old couple who enjoy food and music. Not only are we partners in parenting, we're also great in shopping =P I thank God for giving me someone who I can laugh and cry with, share my burden with (chiz!), who can (almost always) read my mind, who can finish my sentences, who understands my mood swings, who has an endless supply of moral support and who lets me be what I want to be. To my favorite travel buddy, Happy 6th wedding anniversary to us!

Before the year ended, our family flew to one of my favorite shopping destinations. After making the first shopping stop at Toys R Us, the appeal of the city lost its luster to the kids. They were once again invigorated when we made our way to... where Johann and Javi met their latest favorites... Though we didn't get to see any of Disney Cars' characters in Disneyland, we found them at the Venetian in Macau... The trip was extra special, specifically to Javi, because he got to ride almost all forms of transportation (bus, boat, plane and train) for the first time. Unfortunately, he was asleep when we rode the train back to the city. It was a good thing that Johann was awake to remember the ride. The kids witnessed the dragon dance along Canton road... listened to the bagpipers in the airport... and had their picture taken with one of our known lady lawmakers... I am more particularly proud of my eldest because he has proven to be quite a young traveler. He wanted to...

Vic and I brought the kids to Tagaytay for one weekend. I had a wedding to go to and I didn't want to leave the kids behind. I had been spending too much time away from them already. It is quite convenient that there's a house we can stay in for not-so-planned trips. The kids enjoyed the zoo and the other tourist spots. They also got re-acquainted with the neighbor's pet but refused to ride it. I was surprised to see the area so commercialized already. There are two locations of Bag of Beans already. There's a Jollibee and Mang Inasal in Mendez market. A lot has changed in one year. Of course, the visit wouldn't be complete without paying homage to Antonio's. Going to Antonio's is an annual event. How I wish we could make more frequent trips to this place, but that would be suicide. Just looking at these would make your BP and cholesterol rise. The weather was pretty mild when we got there. By the time we left, the fog was so thick even in the ea...

For five years now, we've been having two Christmas Eve parties and two Christmas Eve dinners. The first get-together is usually spent with my husband's side of the family. We have potluck dinner before exchanging of gifts. Each branch of the family is given time with the microphone during gift-giving. By 8PM, we are free to go to our next party. If the schedule allows, we hear mass with my side of the family. Afterwards, we have dinner before the exchanging of gifts. By midnight, we are on the road back to our home. I have learned not to slave away in the kitchen. Ordering food is stress-free. Our latest contribution was Dulcelin's Wagyu Tritip. Unfortunately, it was not up to my expectation. Again, I was misled by a certain blogger. It may be wonderful for him, but for me, it was so-so. Our celebration is simply the sharing of blessings and fruits of our hard work. I like it that way. Since my kids simply like to unwrap gifts, every gift is much appreciat...

Now that Tatlo is over, we're back to our boring lives once again. I am not complaining. After a weekend filled with activities, doing nothing and living our laid back lives are things we look forward to. I haven't gone back to the grind of being a full-time mom. Since I've been "absent" for a week, it's like were going back to step one. Putting the kids to bed, doing homework, implementing house rules and the like have taken a toll on my patience lately. It seems that everyone in this household is new to the stuff we used to call "routine." Since I have a few minutes to write about stuff, I will update you with what took place in this household during the holiday season. We had the usual Christmas breakfast at Circles and a year-end trip with the rest of the family, minus Bettina. Nope, no new bags for me even if there was temptation in every corner. EQ won. I am saving up for Paris. I'll get my reward there =P

This is the reason why this blog hasn't gotten any updates. Our visitors have arrived and we've gone through the activities of Jan 6 and Jan 7 with no major setbacks. We've performed GP's arrangement of Better World and have enjoyed Kare Kare together. The members of all three choirs have warmed up to each other even if language is a barrier. The workshop turned out to be really successful. Our attendees doubled in number that's why we had to transfer to a bigger venue. We had a minor issue with the availability of materials but it was rectified just in time. Today is concert day and it is going to be big. We are expecting important personalities, several ambassadors and other dignitaries. It is just unfortunate that no one from the Japan Embassy can come and support our Japanese visitors. Oh well. This is it pansit!