CHRISTMAS 2011

It is  Blue and silver Christmas for this year.  Our tree is covered with ornaments made of dry leaves that I painted with silver and I used the old blue Christmas balls just to have a contrast to the all silver Christmas tree.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

f

 For the food in our table, Nadine brought ham for the appetizer. Then the main dish were crispy pata, chicken with chili sauce and pork barbecue. For our desserts I bought a chocolate cake while Nadine brought "pannacota".  We also have fruits as the usual Christmas tradition to have fruits in the table.


Gift giving time

Arrons request for this year is a collection of hotwheels. 
 His uncle barnard grant his 

request. Arron was super excited to received his more than a hundred of hotwheels and got more excited when I surprised him with a hotwheel launcher..Aside from the hotwheels he also got a mcqueen pillow book from his lolo Pamboy and lola Thelma..Christmas indeed is for kids

Standard of life

Outcast in a society where discrimination prevails
It is a poor principle that I detest
I ask you do u agree?
So sad If your are a victim of this.

Attractive is when you are pretty

Suitable you are if you have the money

Recognized if you are a cumlaude

Commendable the moment you stepped out from a university.

Why do I have to conform?

To a standard that is corrupt it ruins our lives

Why should pretend to be somebody we cannot be

It will just deprive our capacity.

I am poor no richness in me

I am broke I do not have the money

I am just but a humble being

Believe me goodness it is in me.

The peril is always present in our minds

Intuition is not always right

Do not be guided by a wrong standard

You have a choice you make it right.

ESTRELLAS DE MENDOZA PLAYA RESORT

Brett and Nadine planned an out of town treat for auntie Mema and tita Edith while they were in Manila.  Came Ate Lisas suggestion of checking out the Estrellas de Mendoza Playa resort in  Batangas. Together with ate Lisa and kuya Ed, ate Roselyns family, Nadine and Bretts family, we travelled one weekend to Laiya Batangas.
 Drive to Laiya Batangas will take two and a half to three hours from Manila. Having Arron around and the scenery along the way, made us forget of the long ride.
A grandiose skycraper in the midst of nature, the gigantic infinity pool, the italian inspired cabanas distinct Estrellas de Mendoza from the other resort in the area. Where else to go, surrounded by nature, one side of the building is facing the sea and on the other side , the view of the mountains and green trees of the town is as marvelous as the ocean view too.
Aside from the breathtaking view, there are other activities to enjoy while you are in the resort.  Water activities like snorkeling, diving, or rent and ride on a boat, there are small islands that you can look at or you can simply relax in their enormous infinity pool.
Food is great. we got to try most of the filipino  dishes they serve in the hotel.  Even for our afternoon snacks, we were served with pansit, maja blanca and other yummy kakanins.  The owners took time to join our group too.

My aunties dipped in the pool. The kids too..and they had fun playing in the water. We left the resort early evening. Such an enjoyable treat for the balikbayans and we gave thanks to the resort owners for the accommodation

. Wonderful people and wonderful place.

Standard of life
Outcast in a society where discrimination prevails
It is a poor principle that I detest
I ask you do u agree?
So sad If you are a victim of this.


Attractive is when you are pretty
Suitable you are if you have the money
Recognized if you are a cumlaude
Commendable the moment you stepped out from a university.

Why do we have to conform?
To a standard that is corrupt it ruins our lives
Why should pretend to be somebody we cannot be
It will just deprive our capacity.


I am poor no richness in me
I am broke I do not have the money
I am just but a humble being
Believe me goodness it is in me.


The peril is always present in our minds
Intuition is not always right
Do not be guided by a wrong standard
You have a choice you make it right.

why i love sulat????

these are just few of the reasons why

 1. This is where my home is. I love being home because whenever I am there I am reminded of my childhood. The happy memories spent in our residence together with my siblings my parents and the people who one way or another became part of my childhood.

sulat residence

2. Family. Our family was established here. My siblings and I all grew up here. This is where we had some of our firsts, as kids. I remember playing in the streets of Tabi when I was younger.  Most of the memories were being with siblings, cousins, being with friends in the streets or river, all just happy memories of playing and getting silly as kids.

salog

3. Salog. My fave spot. I used to swim in this river. I love watching the boat passing through here or watching the sunset here.

nilupak

4. I cannot leave sulat not having a taste of nilupak. Nilupak have different versions, but in Sulat we use saba(banana) pounded with the brown sugar and small amount of butter added to it. Today some use grinders to make things life easier. But theres a different yummy taste when nilupak is pounded in a lusong(wooden mortar) with the bayo (pestle).

5. Friends. I built good relationships with some friends here. In sulat u will hear the term batch often. This refers to your classmates could be in grade school or high school. I am glad I belong to batch 90. I treasure the friendship in this group.

6. Family gatherings. Its been in our family to gather often as much as we can. I remember when we were younger we usually get together in the beach with the bunch of baldados during weekends. I will never forget also the after Sunday mass get together in my grandmas house, again with the  Baldados. Nanay Pruden was always ready with her coffee and pandesal and most importantly the reason why I get excited of the after mass bonding was its my nanays imported corned beef which she would just serve during a family get together like Sundays gathering in her house.Up to this time whenever we go home to Sulat we make it a point to gather and catch up for the missed times that we were not around, wherever, could be in the farm or any Baldado residence, whenever.

my last "Sunday after mass" get together with Nanay Pruden

tabok with pau and eric may

7. Tabok. I love tabok. The long stretched gray sand. The calm water. With a lot of choices to go to for a swim in Sulat, Tabok will still be the more popular choice.  One thing it is the closest to the town proper. Tabok which the name implies is just across the river.  Another thing families prefer this beach because the water here is calm.  So its safer for the kids. One thing more unlike other beaches in Sulat, Tabok has a a finer gray sand so again it is safer to swim here.

tabok

luyang

8. Luyang. Another fave spot in Sulat. East part facing the pacific ocean.

9. Fiesta. Sulat fiesta happens every 31st of July. Long week of celebration and preparation. The festive mood, the costumes in the parades, the food served, guests, the sarayaw(dance party), shows every night including the singing contest, the basketball tournament, regatta, marathon, the tiange how can i forget these and more. These all had been a part of me and somehow makes me excited about fiestas.

square

10. Square. I cant figure out why we called this place square. But this place had been our playground when we were still kids. Every after school we the tabinhon kids would come here and play. Or sometimes I remember the older folks of the town would come here too to just talk. It was nice to see kids and the older people hanging out in the square. At 6pm the church bell rings, it was the signal for us to go home.

to be continued..

MY BIRTHDAY -2011

i just

                  turned 38!!

 To celebrate my birthday, we just had a simple lunch in Lagro.  I cooked buffalo wings, then steamed lapu-lapu, bought pansit for longer life. There were rolls of cake for dessert. That is all for this years birthday.

What is more important for me, is to be able to thank God for the blessings and for keeping me safe throughout the year.

CHRISTMAS 2010

Its Christmas time again...one thing that excites me about this season is our themed Christmas lunch in Lagro.
I would be the one busy preparing the menu. Well, it had been always simple and economical preparation, for it was just five of us who will satiate over the food.

 what we got..

Our theme this year is blue and silver. So for centerpiece I used blue and silver Christmas balls piled in a silver basket. Then I spread crunches chocolate bars and silver Christmas trimmings all over the table.

the food..

For appetizer we had ham and cheese and some "kakanin" (ube jam and suman). Then for the main dish we had pork steak with buttered mixed veggies... and for dessert I made a fruit salad.

opening of gifts..

Arron was delighted in the opening of his gifts. At the age of 2, he already appreciates what he gets. This year my gift for him was a set of books.  Arron loves books. I gave him a toy story book cos I want to introduced him to my fave woody and buzz lightyear.  He loved it.  I got flip-flops ,bath stuffs and some kitchen wares from mama Inda and ate Lisa.

 













We missed our parents and other siblings who were not around but then it was a happy 2010 Christmas celebration and looking forward to next christmas lunch in lagro.

SULAT RIVER

salog..is the waray word for river and refers to my favorite spot and will always be my forever favorite place to go to...and it is just at the back of our residence in Sulat.
This is where I spent most of my childhood..I remember I would sometimes have an early swim before going to school.  Then after school, would again dived here with friends.  Then weekends the kids of the town are mostly here to swim and I was one of them.  Lots of happy childhood memories happened here..how can I forget the busu busuhay(diving) from the breakwater..the busuhay from the tulay(bridge)..tarabok(to swim across the river) just going along with the current of the water and or having some patawans(plastic containers use as life vests)..or sometimes we do borrow bangka for boating.. or just be with cousins or friends in the breakwater wall.. and most of all how can I forget ..this is where I first learned how to swim...


Another time...

now that I am grown up..the salog serves another purpose to me now..I no longer swim in the river..I no longer do the busubusuhay..but I still go sit in the breakwater wall to relax..to be with nature..and be peaceful..I remember watching the last sunset of the century here(dec 31, 1999) with friends (michelle and jasmin)..this is more of my solitude now..
 
 In this life..wherever I go..i will still keep comin back to sulat and to sit in the sulat river wall after all this is my all time favorite place..