Density Runs

June 3, 2013January 5, 2016

Yummy in my Tummy!

Somewhere in Cagayan…

Chef April creates a menu for a restaurant and ktv that will be opening in July. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to disclose the name but to be safe, it’s gonna be one helluva place! As its tag goes, “Feel the party soon…”

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Soon, feel the party in your tummy!

Last month, she also created the menu for Tree House, Budgetel’s restaurant. Now I’m sure travelers staying here would be able to avail of great food at an affordable price!

As our friend John said, next chapter of this project: singing!

Til next time!

DMV

April 2, 2013January 5, 2016

April Fools!

So instead of doing the traditional way of knowing, April thought of finding out if her baby was a he or she by eating cake.

They gave their first ultrasound result to the baker for a much awaited surprise. If the inside of the cake reveals blue then obviously it’s a boy. If it shows pink, then baby’s a girl.

We get to vote too! Winners get prizes! Funny because couples tend to vote one for each so either way they get to take home a prize (haha!).

For him and for her giveaways.

When it was time…

Wait for it…

Baby’s a GIRL!

And that is one excited Grandma!

Revelation complete. Happy Birthday APRIL! Congratulations Daddy ROMEO! Sure ain’t April Fools!

DMV

March 27, 2013January 5, 2016

Remembering a Friend

God looked around his Garden and found an empty place.
He then looked down upon his earth and saw your loving face.
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.
His Garden must be beautiful, he always takes the best.
As the days come and go and the world moves on,
I know you’re still here, you’ll never be gone.
On the night the Angel came and
took your hand,
We cried as you left for an unknown land.
But Heaven rejoiced as you came into
sight,
For your soul was a diamond, shining so bright!

It has been eight years since you’ve gone, but it feels like you’re just here somewhere, maybe on eternal vacation. Your view must be amazing with the powdery sand, the blue sea and the awesome sunsets.

We miss you Maiks and I hope you enjoyed when we came bringing you pizza and barbecue and ice cream because we certainly did! 😄 (not to mention all the juicy gossip)

Because you are always remembered..
Because you are forever loved..
Because you are greatly missed..

Michaela Marie Gatchalian
1984-2005

DMV

March 18, 2013January 5, 2016

A Birthday Party

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. – Oprah Winfrey

Sometimes it takes little things, random events to make us realize how privileged we are.

March 13, 2013 – We celebrated Manang Josephine’s 40th birthday. Josephine is one of our housekeeping staff here the Province’s hostel. She is also a beneficiary of DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

So you see, celebrating birthdays for people like Josephine would be a luxury. And at forty, she finally had the chance. It was very heartwarming to see so much joy, so much thankfulness. Just this small celebration meaning so much to a certain person.

We celebrated together with the rest of the staff of the hostel. And the food was delish!

Indeed a happy birthday for Josephine.

DMV

March 13, 2013January 5, 2016

To Dance

Dance /dans/

Verb
Move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps: “their cheeks were pressed together as they danced”.
Noun
A series of movements that match the speed and rhythm of a piece of music.

Haven’t posted anything for soooo long it seems..Been quite busy for the upcoming Provincial festival we’ll be having on April.

Anyways, I’m not sure what day exactly but last week (I think it was a Friday…) my kids had their MAPEH culminating activity in the form of dances. If you ask me what MAPEH stands for, I’m not sure if it’s M-usic, A-rts, P-hysical E-ducation, H-ealth. I think, I THINK that is what it stands for.

And it was so much fun watching my kids dance! My younger son, Jyuan danced with ribbons and my elder son, Joaquin danced a native dance. I don’t really know what the dances were called but I was just really happy to watch how well they did!

I was sitting really far, like up the bleachers, because the school assigned us parents that seating designation considering the number of students they have (from Prep to Grade 12).

The kids all readied up before the presentation. 🙂

Full house at the Coliseum!

The pics are blurry because of my location, i had to zoom in just to not get an ant like picture of my kids that’s why it’s pixelized. iPhone cam not good 😦

Afterwards…

These simple priceless moments. Fun day at school. 🙂

DMV

Again I have clips of the dances, I just don’t know how to upload it here..so sad 😦

March 5, 2013January 5, 2016

Must Love Dogs Part I: Meet Monmon

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” ― Josh Billings

Beagles are one of the most popular and beloved dog breeds around the world. Snoopy, perhaps the world’s most famous dog, is a Beagle.

Who could resist those adorable doe like eyes and cute floppy ears?

Although…

Monmon is a 2 year old, tri-colored Beagle. I adopted her from a friend of mine last year. She was originally named Tequila. How it evolved to Monmon, I don’t really know.

Beagles do well indoors as long as they are properly exercised and taken for long walks daily.

This one especially, gets really excited when she sees her leash. Wags tail nonstop.

And after a long walk, she goes straight into the house and cozies up on the couch.

Beagles are brave, intelligent, and social dogs that are good with children and known for their loving, tolerant, sweet, and gentle temperament.

They are good with other dogs, but not good with other pets. Beagles love to be part of a pack but they do not take to non-canine companions, unless they are the human kind.

Beagles will also do anything for food. They just love food and will eat almost anything.

You will find Monmon beside the dining table waiting during meal times, NO miss! And she will totally ignore you when there is food around somewhere…

But this is to an advantage. Beagles are intelligent but hard to train. They are known to be really stubborn but since they will do anything for food, Beagle owners could use this as a training tool. I taught Monmon how to sit in just one meal time.

Beagles love to sleep. They could sleep for hours. And this one snores really loud! (I’ve actually recorded her snoring, I just don’t know how to upload it here 😦)

And although Beagles are naturally sociable and playful, clever and responsive, doing the same routine over and over again will get them bored. Well what do you expect, we human beings experience that too.

To sum it up all, I was really glad to have adopted Monmon. She has become a stress reliever, a good walking companion and a great distraction. She has added so much fun into our home, the kids really enjoy her and Marla (our Chihuahua mix) even gained a best friend.

Is a Beagle the right pet for you?

Visit this site to know more about Beagles:

We Love Beagles – The Ultimate Guide to Beagles

DMV

February 26, 2013January 5, 2016

Compliments to You

Warning: Yet another vent out session.

Okay…first, here’s an update of the penance I am ACTUALLY doing for lent:

1. Online shopping. This will be forty days worth of savings.
2. Alcohol. Forty days of sobriety (FYI: I don’t drink everyday and no, I don’t have a drinking problem).
3. Meat, chicken and rice. Goodbye US Roast Beef Carving on Valentines day. On the brighter side, this will be good for my diet. I’ve been trying to lose weight since forever.
4. Junk food. Now looking for another way to deal with stress, hmmm…
5. ~~PROCRASTINATION.~~

Yes, there’s only ONE left that I’m still doing, only ONE left that is not broken (well, I almost did the last time I was online on Facebook). Everything else is well…and with this hangover that I’m having right now I think I’m feeling a little bit depressed.

And a little bit, well I am really very annoyed. I don’t get why some people are so rude.

I was on my way to the atm when I passed a few acquaintances (take note: ACQUAINTANCES. We are not even close) and they said hi to me but I don’t get why they still had to add “Ooh! You’re looking fat!” “Hi Chiki, you gained weight!”

Where are your manners people?! I might have been glad and maybe my headache would have gone if they’ve said I was looking good or even just HI. It would have made me feel better if they totally ignored me instead.

So I yelled at them and asked: What the fuck is your problem? I don’t really need this early morning bullshit! Do I even know you? Are we even friends? Do you know the hell I’ve been through trying to lose weight forever and here you are telling me I look fat? Don’t you have anything good to say? If you want to make small talk why don’t you try talking to the wall instead, leave me alone and mind your own goddamn business?!

Okay. So that was the scene inside my head. Unlike them, I do have manners. So I just smiled back, shut my mouth and went on with my business.

Maybe they should’ve attended the Parenting seminar I went to last week so that they could tell their parents to teach them some manners. Their parents might have missed out on that part.

I think I’ve vented out enough. Now where is that paracetamol…

DMV

February 13, 2013January 5, 2016

What are you willing to Give up?

Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.
— Genesis 3:19

For the Catholic Community, today, Ash Wednesday, marks the first day of the Lenten season. The season is for repentance, meditation, and abstinence which prepares us for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.

Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are all flawed and journeying to the grave. All year round, we dodge the reality of mortality. Life is our path, Death is our destiny. As the 14th Century writer Thomas a’Kempis counsels: “Presume not to promise yourself the next morning, and in the morning, consider you may not live till nightfall. Many die when they least think of it. A man is here today, and tomorrow he is gone. And when he is taken out of sight, he is also quickly out of mind.”

Some Facts about Ash Wednesday:

1. Its official name is “Day of Ashes,” so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross.

2. Since it is exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday, it will always fall on a Wednesday—there cannot be an “Ash Thursday” or “Ash Monday.”

3. The Bible never mentions Ash Wednesday—for that matter, it never mentions Lent.

4. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not observe Ash Wednesday; instead, they start Lent on “Clean Monday.”

5. The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense.

6. In the Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one’s transgressions.

7. In the Republic of Ireland, Ash Wednesday is National No Smoking Day. The date was chosen because quitting smoking ties in with giving up luxury for Lent.

So LENT is about sacrifice, giving up luxury, spiritual discipline, self-denial, abstinence, fasting, repentance, reflection…and this goes for forty days. That’s technically a month and a half(?).

I do remember not eating meat during lent when I was younger. Even the food at the cafeteria at my school was limited to tuna sandwiches and orange juice. But as I grew up, I kind of just stopped practicing “lent“. The last time I remembered fasting was fourteen years ago and the last time I remembered going to confession was ten years ago (before I got married).

I don’t have perfect attendance in Church but I do make it a point to go every Sunday if I can. My faith in God is strong and firm and we often talk.

As I was coming into the office this morning, I noticed a couple of co-employees with ashes on their foreheads and I said to myself maybe I should start practicing Lent. It might be good for me and my spiritual relationship with myself and my God. After all, I’ve been so blessed and the blessings just keep coming.

What am I willing to give up this Lenten season? Okay, I do realize forty days is quite long so I’m gonna list down what is achievable.

1. Online shopping. This will be forty days worth of savings.
2. Alcohol. Forty days of sobriety (FYI: I don’t drink everyday and no, I don’t have a drinking problem).
3. Meat, chicken and rice. Goodbye US Roast Beef Carving on Valentines day. On the brighter side, this will be good for my diet. I’ve been trying to lose weight since forever.
4. Junk food. Will just have to find another way to deal with stress.
5. PROCRASTINATION. I don’t think I need to explain why. I NEED to give this up not only during Lent.

I also think that Lent is not just for sacrifice but also for giving. I’ve given up grudges, animosity and revenge earlier this year so I’ve decided that this Lent would be a good time to start paying it forward, doing even just one good deed or act of kindness everyday.

Ashes are traced in the form of a cross on foreheads today. “What is the meaning of our strange behavior?” asks Anglican archbishop of Canterbur in his 2011 book: Writing in the Dust. “Three things, I believe. With these Lenten ashes, we confess. We promise. We hope — in a journey towards renewal.”

Crossing my fingers…I can do this…I can do this…I CAN DO THIS!

To God be the glory.

DMV

Wow, I actually researched about Lent and Fasting. I will do my penance this Lent. Good luck to me for forty days.

January 30, 2013January 5, 2016

Start.

Starting out fresh.

She’s isolated herself enough. Three weeks of no calls, texts or social media. Three weeks of drowning in books about serial killers and gore. Three weeks of listening to endless despairing songs on YouTube.

I guess she was just trying to cope up with something the best way she knew how.

She’s sitting on her desk, finishing up some presentation for her Masters class on Saturday. She zones out, again. Her colleagues says something to her but she doesn’t hear them. She stares back at them, smiles and nods, not having an inkling on what they were talking about. She wants to get away, she NEEDS to get away, but she doesn’t know how.

Needs a distraction. She’s so used to running but she can’t always run.

What she needed was someone to talk to, someone that just listened and absorbed everything (like a sponge maybe). Someone (or something) that gave comfortable silence. Not that she doesn’t have any friends, she actually has a large network. She writes sometimes, seeing it as an alternative realm to express herself freely, unashamed, naked and stripped to the core of her being with no fear of being condemned because of her pretensions. Her life is a sham.

Meet her here.

DMV

(Photo courtesy: Tumblr)

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