Baptismal and Reunion

Vacation mode is not yet over but work mode is definitely on!

We did not have enough time to rest from our vacation from HongKong.

The following day, we have to attend the 9am mass at Bulacan, coming from Paranaque. So we have to wake up early again just for the mass. And we have to pack our stuff since we will be staying at Bulacan until New Year.

Then I have to get the documents needed for me to prepare my payroll. We went back to Manila to attend a Baptismal of our office mate's grand daughter and I'm the ninang. We weren't able to make it at the rites but followed at the reception instead.

We then went to Omar's lolas near Banawe to meet the other relatives to give courtesy for the holidays.

Then back to Bulacan, not to rest but to finish my payroll.

Happy New Year!

Booboos

The night before, I deleted all the photos in my memory card so I would have enough space for our HongKong trip.

And guess what? I left the memory card in my laptop and found out about it at the airport.

Therefore, no photos for me on our first 2 days. Still, we have enough cameras to use - Mommy's, Kuya's and Jenny's.

Since I'm 1month pregnant and will be growing big soon, no shopping for me. Good thing that almost all items on sale were Winter clothes so it doesn't feel really bad at all. Still, I took the rides even if expectant mothers were not allowed to take the ride, as long as Summer will be allowed to take the ride. Summer was my gauge.

It was tiring. Summer had fun. That matters most.

HongKong Day 4

It's time to go home.

We were picked up from the hotel at 11:30am to catch our 2pm flight. Flight was delayed to 3:50pm and we were given vouchers for meals while waiting for the flight.

The flight was so booked that each was seated separately, including Summer. We do not mind not seating next to each other but definitely not for Summer. They posted a message in their computer to look for 2seats available for me and Summer and will just inform me at the gate.

At the gate, still no seats for us. They asked us to stay at the gate while everybody boarded for they will still have to ask the passengers seated next to Summer if they would allow us to change seats. At past 4pm, we were able to board the plane and we were seated, all three of us - Omar me and Summer, together!

Back to work mode. Enough vacation mode.

HongKong Day 3

It's Disneyland Day!

Oh I'm so excited! Not just for myself, but for Summer and Omar too. It's their first to be at Disneyland. How I love Minnie Mouse!
First thing I did when I stepped into Disney was to buy Summer her Mickey Mouse ears.

We took the Jungle Cruise ride and saw Lion King, and went to the Buzz Lightning. Summer cannot take the Space mountain yet so I took her to the Orbitarium. After having lunch, we went to Autopia. It was a long line that Summer fell asleep. Good thing she was excited enough to wake up when we got to ride the car. The attendant gave her her driver's license as a reward for waking up and not crying.Summer loved watching the parade, waving left and right to the mascots and at the floats. I then brought her to the characters for picture taking. We saw Belle, Mulan, and Minnie Mouse. She took the carousel ride too. Then, we just have to watch the Parade once again and they had artificial snow. We also went to see Santa's workshop.We saw Mickey opening the lights of the ice castle and stayed to wait for the fireworks. Right after the fireworks, Summer leaned on her Ninang Jenny to sleep. She was just so dead tired!

Up to now, she just can't stop telling everyone how she saw Minnie Mouse and doorBELLE. She is that silly!

HongKong Day 2

We had our city tour.

We went to the fishing village to see the Jumbo Restaurant, to the peak to see the cityscape of Hong Kong, and to the jewelry factory and bought their magnet bangles.

We bought our digicam on our second day too.

We were just too tired walking along Nathan, we did not go to the Harbour Center anymore and at Mongkok for their night market. We went to bed early for our Disneyland tour the following day.

Ocean Park

It was jammed packed!

It was a holiday, so many tourists and residents went to the park. The hot air balloon was closed for the day due to strong winds.

We had our lunch first at the Lowlands. Tried some soup and rice topping - the only available hot food yet.

We took the cable car ride to the High lands and Summer had fun! So fearless! She was even laughing at her Ninang Bing who was shrieking from fear.

We took the River ride too. Summer laughed when the log ride reached the water. She got wet.

We went to see the Dolphin show, the aquariums, and the panda. She learned something new at Hong Kong - panda bears.

The little girl was so happy, dancing while walking around. Sulit na!

HongKong Day 1

We left our house at 4am to catch our flight to Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific.

Mr. Lee of Continental Travel picked us up at the airport and brought us to our hotel, The Kimberley Hotel. We checked in to our room but we got a smoking room so we returned our keys and requested for non smoking rooms instead. Rooms were not yet available so we deposited our luggages and off we went to tour Hong Kong.

Here are some photos from Manila airport to Hong Kong airport.

Christmas Lunch

December 25, 2007 2pm
Tita Susan's house at Paranaque

From breakfast at Bulacan to lunch at Paranaque with Omar's clan.

After lunch, we had our gift giving. We placed our gifts in one place. The assigned Santa then got a gift at a time to distribute the gifts, announcing for whom and from whom the gift was.

Summer had fun looking forward for her name to be called. She had fun receiving all those gifts. She got a toy from her Ninang Ana and a dress from Ninang Kathy.

Then back home to stuff our things for our trip.

Christmas Breakfast

December 25, 2007 7am
Santiago's ancestral house at Bulacan

We had our breakfast at Bulacan with my Dad's clan. They were 9 in the family, each having their own kids, and kids on their own too, and some even with apos na. So, imagine how riot that would be.

Gift giving was loud! We grew up receiving gifts not only from our Ninangs but from all our Titas as well. Now, we just don't give gifts to our inaanaks but to all our pamangkins as well. So considering how many Titos and Titas I have, with their children, and their children's children, and some with their children's children's children, that was a lot! We just have to look for our own corner and shout for the recepient of our gifts. So you just have to listen for your name to be called while calling on the recepients of your gifts. It was riot and so funny!

Tito's and cousins drank the red wines they received. Kwentuhans left and right. Uwian na.

We went home at Bulacan, Summer opened her gifts from her lolos and lolas, and from her titos and titas, took a bath, then off we went to Paranaque for our Christmas lunch.

Christmas with Omar's family

December 24, 2007 11pm
Mama and Papa's house at Paranaque

We were so full from dinner with my mom that we weren't able to eat with my in-laws anymore. So we went ahead with picture taking instead.
We had our gift-giving! Summer got a dress from Mama and Papa, clothes from Ninong Olejoe, a toy piano from Tita Yang, clothes from Tito Odie and Tita Carla, toy from Ninong Orland and Tita M, and a Dora pillow from Ninang Onnie and Tito Andy. As usual, she was shouting for excitement!Orland, from Canada, spent Christmas with us through Skype. It was his first far from us but he survived.

Then we went home for a long day the following day.

Christmas with my family

December 24, 2007 7pm
Mommy and Daddy's house at Paranaque

We had dinner with my family. Mommy served nilagang baka and manok, turkey, ham, mashed potato, minced pork asado with fried vermicelli noodles wrapped in lettuce, fruit salad, and minestrone and turtle pie from my in-laws. It was simple, as compared to the previous years, but we liked it for we got to taste everything. Summer loved the mashed potatoes.Then, came the most-awaited part, the gift giving! Summer's a big girl! She was so excited receiving gifts, opening them, and really loves getting toys. She got a pair of clothes from Mommy and Daddy, sets of pajamas from Ninong Dojoe and Ninang Bing, Ratatouille and Madagascar cartridges for her Leap Pad from Ninang Jenny, and stuff from relatives from Canada. Omar and I gave her a toy microphone stand for she loved to sing.Of course, we wouldn't let the night pass by without having our photos taken.We attended the 10pm Christmas mass at Mary Help of Christians. After the mass, each went to their own in-laws.

Christmas gift

With Summer sitting at Ninong's lap,

Ninong Dojoe: Summer, what gift do you want for Christmas?

Summer: Christmas Tree!

Ngyah! Anak may Christmas tree na tayo!

She's back!

Ninang's back! and with lots and lots of pasalubongs!

Thanks Ate for the toy and lipgloss and for the wallet and for the massage cream!
Thanks Ninang Lynda for the cartridge and for the bag!
Thanks Nana for the chocolates!
Thanks Tita Turing for the shower gel!
Thanks Tita Jack for the clothes, for the chocolates, and for the lip gloss and perfume!
Thanks Tita Daisy for the clothes!

Thanks for the cards!

Merry Christmas!

Credit Score

With Christmas shopping, credit cards are over used. Paying it full come due date will give you good credit score. Failure to settle with drop your credit score.

Want more tips on how to have a good credit standing? Visit this site. This site will surely help you recover your good score. From this site, you get to compare among the long lists of available credit cards. You get to see which fits your lifestyle, gives the lowest interest rate, more accommodating.

Go and rebuild your credit score for your future use.

Christmas Schedule

I can almost feel Christmas.

Dec. 23 - host a wedding.
- wait for Jenny who will be arriving from Canada.
- go to SM San Fernando for our last-minute shopping. We're not done yet with our list.

Dec. 24 - hear the dawn mass here at Bulacan.
- head for Manila after breakfast.
- pick-up our order asado for our Christmas dinner.
- pack our stuff for our trip
- sort the Christmas gifts to be given away.
- dinner with my family, gift giving.
- hear Christmas mass with my family.
- go to my in-laws for the midnight Christmas dinner, gift giving.

Dec. 25 - go to Bulacan for breakfast with my Daddy's clan, gift giving.
- drop by Lola (Mommy's side).
- lunch at Paranaque with my Omar's clan.
- finalize packing for our trip.

Dec. 26 - have to be at the airport by 3am.

I think I'll be needing lots of Red Bull. Whew!

My Color

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

3 Kings

The 3 kings brought gold, myrrh, and incense to the child Jesus. I guess that's where gift giving on Christmas season originated.

Wouldn't it be nice to be getting real gold, silver, and other precious items for Christmas just like the old times? But, boy! They just cost too much.

If you have extra funds, you might want to think of investing it on silver. Coins used to weigh more before than today, that is because silver supply is getting low. My brother used to collect 1 peso coins - those big and heavy ones. Now, they even cost more than a peso. They get the value from the silver price. Just like how gold increased its value, silver is fast growing to increase its value too.

The site tells us the value of silver price. You can see from the site how even during the biblical times, gold and silver are so valued.

The 3 kings are always welcome to my house. Don't forget to bring your presents =).

7 Things

Grabbed from Ate Bing.

*Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
*Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
*Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


Here are random things about me.

1. I don't know how to ride a bike.
2. I don't know how to cross the street.
3. I don't know how to take the public transport here in the Philippines but can take the public transport at other countries.
4. I don't like tortang talong.
5. I hate being late.
6. I like liver - be it chicken, pork, or beef.
7. I'm smart but I'm lazy - comments of my Grade 1 teacher and college prof.

Love life secret

Snagged from Alpha.

Your Love Life Secrets Are

Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves. You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't? You expect a lot from your lover - you want the full package. You tend to be very picky. In fights, you are able to walk away and calm down. You are able to weather the storm. A break-up usually comes as a shock to you. You always think things are going well.

Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

Missing Summer

Jenny's missing Summer so much. She loves my baby. Jenny's taking her masters at the University of Toronto. She'll be back for Christmas and will go back to Canada at the second week of January.

She's having fun, only she's missing her family, not only Summer. I will have to tell her the good news. No need for her to go far to take her masters. She could even take it with Summer as her seatmate, for she can take it online. There is now an accredited online university.

Capella University is based at Minneapolis and the only accredited online university. The online university is offering conversation with the dean of the university online, and you can subscribe from podcasts or ITunes.

No need to go far. Get the best of the masters in your most comfort zone.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Party No. 5

It was Karcraft's second Christmas Party. Mama and Papa came to attend with Odie and Carla. Bong, Boss Jo, and Kuya came to celebrate with us too.Flor said the opening prayer.

I said the opening remarks. I was not prepared.

We had dinner.
We had raffle prizes and games.
We distributed the 13th month pay.

Omar gave his Christmas message.They sang and drank the night away.I'm done! Finally!

Outreach.

Omar, together with his family from Karcraft, reached out for the kids of Muntinlupa.Omar gave a Christmas party for the children of St. Jerome Foundation. We just prepared loot bags for 200 children and 60 prizes for the games. We went to 2 different locations, each catering to 100 children.

We met the staff at SM Bicutan at 9am and left for Vivere to meet Ojay.
The kids were singing Christmas songs when we got there. We played three games - inserting drinking straws in a bottle relay, balloon passing relay, and calamansi relay.
Summer helped in distributing the prizes, greeting them once in a while a Merry Christmas. I just hope she would learn the value of sharing and giving.
The staff happily handed the kids their loot bags.

A group from the second location even rendered us a dance number.It was so heart warming seeing the smiles on the children's faces. It was even touching when some kids would even approach us to say thank you. We had a Merry Christmas!

Ola!

I'm so tired!

After beating the Christmas rush shopping with heavy traffic from all directions, overspending your Christmas budget, attending all the Christmas parties, preparing 13th month pays, waking up really early for the Christmas dawn mass, I need a break!

I wish for an All Inclusive Mexico Vacation.

Have you seen their site? They're right! It's a WOW!

They have a wide range of resorts to choose from - for adults resort, family resort, and even for naturalists ones. They not only offer a breathtaking view of the beach, they offer mouth watering menu, thirst quenching tequila, fitness class, scuba diving, parties, entertainment, yoga, massage, you name it! They have it! It's such a heaven!

Diet? Low-carb? Southbeach? You can have it while you're on vacation. They can serve it to you. They're that sensitive to the needs of their clients.

That's what I call a dream vacation.

Dinner

We did not have a party for our Makati business. We just had our dinner.

Mommy brought packed dinner for the staff. Daddy said his Christmas message. We also had raffle prizes for the lucky ones. Then the distribution of their 13th month pay.

I'm almost done!

Party No. 3

This is my third Christmas Party for the year, our company outing.

After how many years, everybody gets to win in our raffle draw. Looks like they are more happy having small and more gifts over big and few gifts. Mommy prepared a lot plus we solicited some from our generous suppliers.

Jenjen led the opening prayer.

Kuya said the opening remarks.

We had our picture taking, dinner, then games and exchange gifts. I got a pink shirt =)

Mons, with the RCM sisters, led the Thanksgiving Mass.

Then, we distributed their 13th month pay and Daddy said the closing remarks.

No photos for I was so busy. Will try to grab some from Mommy or from Ate Bing. Looks like they had fun! Whew! 1 down, 2 more to go!

Pacer Performance

My hubby is a car enthusiast. It is his passion. It is his career.

I do not appreciate cars before as much as I do now. He taught me how. I have to learn, it's my business to learn.

We have a car shop catering mechanical, electrical, aircon repair, underchassis, body and paint repairs, restoration, detailing, and accessories. Since then, he's been bringing me to car shows, teaching me to appreciate cars.

I learned to value old cars. Before, I used to ignore those with plate numbers starting with letter N, now I would even take a second look at them.

He taught me how to distinguish a basic cars from those with full accessories. Teaching me to see mag wheels, body skirts, and even car lights.

He changed our car head lights. According to him, it was for all seasons, using LED lights. He used pacer performance brand. It was the best brand, he said. He saw it at this site showing all kinds of lights for trucks and other accessories at its best price. It's a one stop shop.

Go check it out yourself.

Too much emotion

Harassed - too busy, too many christmas parties, too much work to do. christmas shopping not yet complete, traffic everywhere.

Sad - page rank is still down to 0. Not much opps.

Happy - finally got approval from blogitive, payments for paid posts starts coming in.

Excited - for our trip to Hongkong.

I just want to get over this week.

Jim-Edhel

Dec. 16, 2007

Edhel, the bride, is my niece to my cousin. She is a resident doctor at PGH.

St. Rita Church, Phil Am VillageGazebo RoyaleThe bride and her parents had the same celebrant on their wedding day. Fr. Albert, a family friend, is the official priest of our family. There was never a wedding in our family without him at the altar. He wished not to be the celebrant for Edhel's first child's wedding.

The wedding was attended by almost everybody in the family. Some even came from the US just for the wedding. We had fun eating and laughing the night out.Omar and I had our wedding reception at Gazebo Royale too. I just had to have our photo taken at the rotonda of the place.
Congratulations Jim! Best wishes Edhel!