Welcome 2013

Welcome...

Since yesterday, I can't send my greetings, our Internet connection's "super, dooper, mega" slow.

It took many hours to open, to upload and send.

Actually I'm just sharing my simple cake but photo's so bad, no flash, he he.

And aside from my new Hello Kitty bonnet that was given to me just yesterday by Stephannie, you can't see clearly my hair. Well it just about my hair, yes, my hair was cut short again. For 3 long years I let my hair grow but now I'm done with my long hair style.

I have absolutely no regrets. I've save much shampoo & conditioner. My hair now  dries in few minutes and I can style it in just few strokes of a brush and of course hair fall reduced.

So happy to think how much time I've saved getting ready for work or any event that I'm going to attend… really no regrets about what I've done.

Some say men love women with long hair, for young ones yes, but for my age it doesn't matter and I don't care anymore, what is important I love me more and I have to take care of myself too.

Anything I do with joy will not run me down but build me up & refresh me. It's New Year again so I must have a new look too. And I've regained the confidence I once had.

How about you? Have you done something new too?

Again, Happy New year everyone, best wishes for your health, wealth, happiness, success, and peace of mind.

Merry Christmas Everyone

May the Christmas season

fill your home with joy,
your heart with love
and your life with laughter. 
 

EDSA Revolution 25th Anniversary

Today, my country - Philippines, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the so-called bloodless revolution, called EDSA People Power’s Revolution. A political upheavals occurring in EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) in 1986. A significant national event that has been engraved in the hearts and minds of every Filipino.

In Edsa highway now around 50thousand people (more or less), politicians, celebrities, media, ordinary persons, rich and poor are joining the celebration, attending parties and participating some programs.The center of the celebration is in Edsa shrine. After the mass was held there,the program started.They even did the renactment of some sence of the actual even.

I could still remember that time, it's just a month and a half that I gave birth to my eldest. I thought it's gonna be an all war in the Phils. already. I was so afraid, so worried for my son, I don't know where to hide him if everything comes worst. I saw soldiers and tanks everywhere even here in the Bulacan (even after several years past you could still see the marks of tank trails on asphalt roads.) But thanks God, He heard the Filipinos calling Him that time. It ended in a short time bloodless.

Please read the link for the complete history:
http://www.philippine-history.org/edsa-people-power-revolution.htm

These songs would be continuously played every year during Edsa Revolution's anniversary as it reminds us of the finest hours of the Filipino People, showing the world how to bring back democracy through peaceful means.

Magkaisa- was composed by Tito Sotto of the fame Pinoy comedy trio "TITO, VIC AND JOEY" who also became a Senator.

Cr: YT byjsoria30ver2

'Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo,' (The Gift of the Filipinos to the World), was composed by Jim Paredes of the APO Hiking Society shortly after the revolt in 1986 in honour of the People Power Revolution which toppled the repressive dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Cr: YT by kenjigraphics

The Edsa Shrine

The Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA, or more popularly, the EDSA Shrine is a small church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila located at the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City. The shrine, built in 1989 originally to commemorate the memories of the People Power Revolution and its peaceful outcome, stands on the site of two peaceful demonstrations that toppled Philippine presidents Ferdinand Marcos (the People Power Revolution or EDSA I) and Joseph Estrada (the EDSA Revolution of 2001 or EDSA II). It is officially called the "Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace" or "Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish", although these names are seldom used.

Source: Wikipedia

The Laban sign is a Filipino hand gesture made by extending the thumb and index fingers pointing up, leaving the other fingers closed to create the letter L, hence "laban" (or "fight" in English). It is sometimes mistaken for the "loser" or the "raised gun" gesture, and is generally given as a demeaning sign.

The gesture was popular in 1983 during the funeral of Ninoy Aquino, and in the People Power Revolution in 1986, and it became popular again during the funeral of President Corazon Aquino. This sign was also a common signature of Noynoy Aquino's campaign during the 2010 Philippine elections.

Source: Wikipedia

Note: Our President Binigno (Noynoy) Aquino III now is the only son of the late couple: Sen. Binigno (Ninoy) Aquino,Jr. and Pres. Corazon (Cory) C. Aquino.

Read all about Sen. Ninoy : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino,_Jr.
Read all about Pres. Cory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corazon_Aquino

Why Yellow - color motif came from the yellow ribbons that were tied around trees to welcome the return of Ninoy Aquino from exile in 1983. The inspiration came from the song “Tie a yellow ribbon.” But sadly the time he stepped down from the plane he was shot to death.

Yellow accessories

Happy Valentine's Day

Carry a heart that never hates...
Carry a smile that never fades...
Carry a touch that never hurts...
and always
Carry a LOVE that always gives.

Welcome 2011

Before Christmas came, my Steph and Denmark got sick due of changing climate every day. Came next my youngest Mycah. But thanks God they’re all well now. And still we attended several parties these past Holidays.

(See my Mycah got new T. bears again from her friends during their Christmas

Party at school. We’ve got an avalanche of T.bears already in the boxes)

Got time too to prepare our own Christmas celebration. Went shopping gifts and foods for our festive Noche Buena.

My sisters and Brothers came with their own families starting Dec.24.Reunion time. The house again was so messy. So many scattered shoes and slippers down stairs and at the door step. So many dishes to be washed on the sink. Toilet was so smelly and always wet 'coz children played even there.

So noisy and crowded that in one corner some were singing with loud Karaoke, in one corner men drinking alcohol and have fun of their own. The women were chatting in one corner too including me. While children were so busy too playing with their new received toys likeBarbie, remote control cars and music playing toys or toys with loud sounds.

My son who doesn't like noise, patiently played with his cousins, shared his collection of transformer robots and other toys and PSP and play station 3.


Some of my nieces that got new Barbie dolls, still asked for my collection too, so again my collection was deducted about 9 dolls now. :(


Looking at them, I found so many changes. Some come thinner; some come stouter and grows bigger. The children came "tween or tweens" (in between 9 to 12 yrs of age), the “tweens” come teenagers. Voices changed too.

Signs of aging can be seen to my brothers and sisters too, like the appearance of silver hairs and slowly balding.wearing of Eye and reading glasses. The invading of melasma on the skin and wrinkles of course. Boys got bigger bellies and girls got bigger hips too ha ha ha,but I thank God that still we're all healthy.

And other members of the Family were added. My youngest brother got married just this last Dec. 6 at the age of 29. And came new babies from my nephews and sister in law. One of my sister got pregnant again (her 4th, but sad to say her eldest died after birth).

We have almost 50 nephews and nieces and 3 grand child already :)

Others stayed in my house for 3 days while others that lived nearby went home but the following day came back to continue our chatting and fun, he he he

At night during sleeping time everybody spread their mats and comforters and slept everywhere. Every room was occupied, in the living room, dining room and even in the kitchen under the table, and in the terrace. My brothers in law slept inside their cars, worrying that their cars might be stolen too.

After the 3rd day they're all gone home. My house again was so quiet.

I was so tired and exhausted but I was so happy too that once again we're all reunited and have a big, big fun celebrating the birth of Christ.

I rested for while but again did general cleaning of the house and prepared for the coming of New Year. Went shopping again for our “Media Noche" (New Year midnight meal).

Bought lots of fruits. It's a tradition to have lots of fruits on the table during New Year celebration ( at least 12 kinds of fruits).And I really enjoyed buying fresh fruits you know.

Before New Year came, outside (our house was just along the busy street) it's so traffic. Everybody was so busy shopping. All malls, super market and wet market were so crowded. Even along the road, you can see vendors selling different foods, fruits, fire crackers and trumpets of different styles and sizes, and even lucky charms for the houses and accessories.

New Year came, of course early morning we went to church to thank God for all the blessings.

Epiphany time came too. To other countries, I learned that it's their second Christmas celebration and it's their time of gift giving, following the “Three Kings” that gave gifts to Christ.

After the 3 kings day ( Jan. 6), it's my time again to change my home decor. My Christmas decor and my Santas will sleep again for another 10 months in their boxes. Again it will take me several days to finish cleaning and packing them safely.

Ooooopps.... I missed my blog; I’ve written so long already, I have to stop here. He he he he.

Bye....

Hi, I’m back!!!!!!!

Well, I may not be blogging everyday but promise to visit often. Since we moved I missed blogging so much.This fast 4 months, here are some of my activities….

April 11 – the first night we sleep to our new rented place. It’s an old wooden house, but its 2/3 cheaper than our previous house. It’s a walking distance to the church, market, schools, groceries, banks, hospitals , beauty salons and restaurants because we’re now living at the heart of the town proper. My whole month of April was so busy fixing and organizing our stuffs and furniture

The first week of May, we went to several town fiestas.

May 9 - we attended the funeral rites of my best friends’ only daughter that died suddenly by car accident in San Francisco, California at the very young age (25).

May 10 – The first automated election here in the Phils. was done and to my disappointment it was not easy and organize. We wasted our whole day lining up under the blazing sun just to vote. It’s so tiring.

-Mothers Day - my children gave this card to me.

May 19 - I enrolled my 2 daughters for the next school year.

June 9 - alas the new Pres. and V.P was proclaimed successfully.

June 12 – Independence Day

June 15 - first day of school classes. Again, have to wake up as early as 4:00 am to prepare and cook foods for breakfast and bento of my children.

- It’s my deceased mom’s B-day, we went to the memorial park to visit my mother’s grave and later we offered a mass in the church for her.

- On the same date the K-pop U Kiss group came here in the Phils. to perform.

June 16 - The Beast arrived

June 17 - Kim Hyun Joong of SS501 arrived too and did Mall shows and concert last July 19 with the Beast.

June 19 – The last presentation of HHC under Mayor Toti Reyes administration. He lost this last election and the previous Mayor won again (Mayor Arnel Mendoza).

June 30 – The inauguration of Philippine 15^th President Elect Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and V.P. Elect Jejomar Kabawatan Binay at Quirino Grandstand, Mnl.

July 17 – The first presentation of HHC under Mayor Arnel’s administration. But our title was change to HJC which means Happy Joggers Club, because before Mayor Toti’s term, our club was called Joggers Club then changed to Happy Hearts Club. And now since the club members are mixed of Toti and Arnel’s loyalist, they mixed the title too to make it even, Happy Joggers Club. Well for me, whatever, it’s no problem ‘coz both elected Mayors are my friends.

With Ex Mayor Toti Reyes last March 20’10



With Re-elect Mayor Arnel Mendoza last 1998



And for the month of August…… hmmmmm…. I’ll write later. For now this is enough..^_^..

Pancit Palabok

Usually every Good Friday aside from going to church though there's no mass, we always watch where there's a Penitencia (devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses) or watch any Passion play called Sinakulo, or listen the commemoration of Jesus' Seven last words (called Siete Palabras). But seems like I'm so tried that I don't want to go out and my children too.

We missed the long street procession the other night, I thought there's another one last night but they changed the schedule ( how come I didn't heard that, I'm so damn). But if you want to review just visit the link, I posted it last year...

http://mychikara.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-friday-penitent.html http://mychikara.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-friday-procession.html

We're just watching TV to know watch the happening to other places, no regular TV shows, all local shows are religious related except cable channels.

Most people in the cities head to the provinces for the long Easter weekend, most stores and malls are closed. I can hear here in our house the voices of the people singing the Life story of Jesus Christ (Passion of Christ) from the church, we called it Pabasa. Some family do it to their own place, they sing the whole 'Pasyon' book for 24 hours - nonstop, of course not by one person only but alternately and visitors and volunteers are allowed to read, I mean to sing too. And foods too are offered to the readers and visitors.

Around 1:00 pm, the phone rang and on the other end was my friend, asking me why I didn't come to their place and watch the "Penitencia".

I told her that I was not in the mood to go out and it's so hot outside. She got mad at me (not seriously) because she said she prepared a "Pancit Palabok "for us, and it's so scrupulous to make and who's gonna eat that noodles.

I answered, Noodles again, I cooked stir fried noodles today too but... Owkie..Owkie... we go na, just to eat her Pancit Palabok, he he he.

Pancit is a Filipino term for noodles. And there are lots of pancit variation Filipinos have. Me I cooked today a Pancit Bihon Guisado (stir fried noodles). And my friend cooked a Pancit Palabok - smothered with a thick, golden shrimp sauce and topped with: Shrimp, ground pork rind (she mix the shrimp and pork with the veggies), hard-boiled egg(sliced), tinapa (smoked fish) flakes, freshly minced green onion, pork sitsaron (coarsely pounded) and fried minced garlic(but hers was a bit burned :)

See my Shirt... so nice isn't it.

Need to recharge

Today Sunday.... still sleepy, I over time the curtain of my friend, I should deliver those this morning.

Early evening last night my 3 children helped me cut the cloth for the ruffles. First they cut it in half then they cut again the 2nd half to half.The first half was done by my son and the 2nd half that was divided were done by my 2 daughters.

They're always like that, every time they did something, they do it together, helping each other, sharing everything.

Then after a while my 2 daughters went up stairs to do their own stuffs and sleep but my son watch me the whole night 'til morning. He didn't sleep too.

By 5 am I was finished and I rested for an hour. Then took a bath and prepared to go to the church because today is Sunday and not just a simple Sunday but a Palm Sunday. We attended the 8 am mass.

Lots of people, the church was 'full pack', no vacant sit, so we were just standing hearing the whole mass outside the church. I decided outside 'coz inside the atmosphere were suffocating already, outside although we're standing the air was fresh and still we can see the altar and the priest 'coz there's a monitor every where.

This is our new Palaspas (blessed palm), much simple than last year.

I posted Palm Sunday last year.... see the link ...
http://mychikara.blogspot.com/2009/04/palm-sunday-tradition.html

After the mass we went home and took our breakfast.

Then me and Stephannie delivered and fixed the curtain in my friend's house. It's so simple, soft, light and freshly looking in actual. Glad my friend like it so much. She want's to pay me cash but I refused 'coz she's my friend and that's one way I could help her (actually she's my best friend and no pix of her published here yet).



Then I helped her in assisting her visitors during lunch time since I know them all too. By 3 pm we went home 'coz I'm too sleepy and energy no more... really need to recharge :(

My Purrfect Valentine's Day

Me..having a Purrfect Valentines day!!!!

See ... My adopted "Market" have grown up so fast.

Happy Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year In Chinese

The Chinese most important traditional holidays is the Lunar New year (also called spring festival). It begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as chu xi ("Year-pass Eve").

Concerning the celebration, the people will buy presents, food, clothing and lots of decoration and materials for good luck. Thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red color paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of “happiness”, “wealth”, and “longevity”. And during the Eve of Chinese New Year, a festive supper with families. All special foods and sweet delicacies on the table. And lightning with firecrackers will end the night.

In the next early morning, children will greet the elders by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes (known as Hong Bao in Mandarin, Ang Pao in Taiwanese Hokkien and here in Philippines too and Lai See in Cantonese, and li xi in Vietnamese) .

Chinese has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors too, like Koreans (Seollal), Tibetans and Bhutanese (Losar), Mongolians (Tsagaan Sar), Vietnamese (Tet), and the Japanese before 1873 (Oshogatsu).

Seol-nal In Korea

Note: "Seol-nal" pronounced as “seol-lal”.

This holiday started today and will end the next day (3 days holiday - Feb. 13-15) but the actual "Seol-nal" is tomorrow, Feb. 14'10, same date as Valentines day.

They said that"Seol-nal" or the Lunar new year is one of the two biggest holidays in Korean and the other one is the Thanksgiving day or “Chu-seok”, that is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar (Sept. 21-23'10, 3 day holiday too). These holidays are based on the lunar calendar, the dates on the Gregorian calendar changes every year.

It is said that the wife of the first born son of the family are the ones who will prepare foods and everything for the celebration of the holidays. And as I've heard that made most Korean women hate the holiday.

On the first day , they do all the cooking and preparations for next morning’s offering for the ancestors in the eldest son's house. They had to make “tteok” or rice cakes, “mandu” or Korean dumplings, “jeon” or panfried food and “banchan” or side dishes.

On new year’s day, the adults wake up early to prepare the table for the ancestral rites called “cha-rye”. Foods to be offered are prepared and place properly and attractively on wooden containers (“je-gi”). Every food group has to be represented. There should be food taken from the land as well as the sea. Everybody wears a “hanbok” (traditional korean clothes). Only the men are allowed to do the offering for the ancestors, but the women in my family also pay respects by bowing (called “jeol”).

The men of the family offer the food to the ancestors by placing the spoons in the rice. They will also fill the wooden cups with wine (“sul”) and place them on the stand. After the offering, a white paper with the ancestors’ names written on it is burned. The descendants then bow (men first then the women) and after wards drink the wine and eat the food on the altar.

Then the juniors bow to the seniors and receive their new year’s “sebe ton” (money). And after the ceremony, it's the only time that the whole family can eat thier breafast in the table full of foods same as what they offered in the altar for their ancestors.

Then, they would have to visit the tombs of the ancestors.

Three Kings

Christmas season traditionally ends on this day, Jan 6 here in the Philippines. We called it "Tatlong Hari", in English as "Three Kings" or Epiphany Day. Also known as El Dia de Los Reyes (Feliz Dia de Los Reyes!), a holy day for Eastern Christian and Western Christian churches.

The 3 Kings were known as Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh as a gift to the new baby born Jesus.

Gold was the gift given by Melchior, a king of Arabia. He is said to have been the oldest of the Three Kings. The spiritual meaning of gold is as a symbol of kingship on earth or symbolizing virtue.

Frankincense was the gift given by Balthazar, a king from Saba - present day southern Yemen. Frankincense is resin from the dried sap of the Boswellia tree – a tree that has grown on the craggy slopes of the Arabian Sea for thousand of years.
Frankincense (an incense) was given as a symbol of priestship, or prayer.
In ancient times, Frankincense and Gold were equally valuable.

Myrrh- The gift given by Gaspar, a king from Tarsus – present day Southern Turkey. Myrrh is resin from the Commiphora tree and is harvested by cutting slits in the bark of the tree from which Myrrh resin hardens into dark red crystals.
Myrrh (an embalming oil) symbolizing suffering or death.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A1-12&version=NIV

Filipino children leave their shoes out, so that the Kings would leave behind gifts like candy or money inside.
But most people on this day just simply greet one another with the phrase

"Happy Three Kings!"

In some places, there is the practice of having three men, dressed as the Tatlong Hari, riding around on horseback and distributes candy to the children.

Read more about Epiphany here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28holiday%29

Welcome 2010

New Year will never be New Year without the fireworks.The louder the fireworks are, the better.

Before and after the count down the house should be well-lighted to invite good luck in every corner of the house. All windows must be open to allow good spirits enter the house.

As New Year comes, the whole family should make any kind of noise like blowing horns and trumpets, banging some still utensils, pots and pans (my pans now are not in good form anymore :( ) or anything that could make a sound while going around the house to prevent bad luck from coming in and to drive it away.

And of course the highlight of New Year are the abundant foods. There's 12 kinds of round-shape fruits for good luck, egg and noodles for long life, glutinous rice for luck to stick around and family always together and fish to avoid scarcity.

And chicken is not serve because it signifies hunger and scarcity.

After the fireworks and making noise, me and my kids started to eat . I eat a lot and I'm showing you what was it he he he.

I prepared 3 kinds of pasta because my Stephannie wants a Carbonara and my Mycah wants the Spaghetti and I want the Macaroni salad too, because I can stock it in my fridge.

Carbonara

Spaghetti
Macaroni Salad
The forever Buko(Coconut) Fruit Salad,
holiday is not holiday without it to my kids
The sticky Ube cake but I just ate a little of it
and the Graham cake
This photos we're all that I have eaten during our "Media Noche".
Excluding the fruits and some foods.
Oh my God, there's a lot to burn again :(

Btw, Media Noche is the term we called for our midnight meal during New Year's Eve,
this meal symbolize our hopes for a prosperous New Year.

The midnight meal during Christmas eve, we called it "Noche Buena".