BIKES - Crashing into love from Raoul Paulet on Vimeo.
OK, I'm not a cyclist, but seeing this video made me smile. It reminded me so much of A! Miss you, girl!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Bike Crash
OK, I'm not a cyclist, but seeing this video made me smile. It reminded me so much of A! Miss you, girl!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Art & Ravioli
Every so often, my bestpren J and I would meet up to talk about anything and everything: work, family, life, love. Nothing is off limits! These meet-ups would usually last a couple of hours, sometimes the whole day even. And always, we learn something new about each other.
A couple of days ago, we wanted to meet for lunch at Gourdo's Cafe. Last time we were there, we had beer and pizza. Unfortunately, the cafe is now closed (Why so?) and so we hopped on the next restaurant, Tourne. Only a couple of weeks old, Tourne has a nice vibe to it. I love the all-white interiors, kinda reminds me of my bedroom. Tourne's chef is an advocate of the slow food movement. Everything served here is thus prepared by hand. Sort of reminds me of Ms. B's Tuckshop but more upscale.
J wasn't too hungry so she just ordered a shrimp and pesto pizza. Because I was hungry, I had a couple of slices of hers. The crust had the right kind of crunch, but I found the shrimps a bit dry.
I had some tomato soup to start. It was OK. The ravioli with ricotta cheese was delicious, but I was disappointed with the portion. There were only three pieces of ravioli topped with baby sweet potatoes. They just looked so lonely on the humongous plate. Since the dish was P308, it came out to P100 per ravioli. When I had dinner at 8 Spices a couple of days later, we had this lovely slow-cooked pork ribs in honey sauce. There were about five ribs in there in one order, which was priced at P320. I know it's not fair to compare, but I can't help it!!
Although my stomach was far from satisfied, my spirits weren't. J was handling the gala night of Manilart and I was able to get in before everybody else. While I was feasting on works of art, a choir was practicing for their number later on. Because their maestro was such a perfectionist, they kept going over and over Ikaw Lamang with their awesome voices. It was heaven!
Walk with me :)
Red roses
Embrace me
Yellow
Words
A couple of days ago, we wanted to meet for lunch at Gourdo's Cafe. Last time we were there, we had beer and pizza. Unfortunately, the cafe is now closed (Why so?) and so we hopped on the next restaurant, Tourne. Only a couple of weeks old, Tourne has a nice vibe to it. I love the all-white interiors, kinda reminds me of my bedroom. Tourne's chef is an advocate of the slow food movement. Everything served here is thus prepared by hand. Sort of reminds me of Ms. B's Tuckshop but more upscale.
J wasn't too hungry so she just ordered a shrimp and pesto pizza. Because I was hungry, I had a couple of slices of hers. The crust had the right kind of crunch, but I found the shrimps a bit dry.
I had some tomato soup to start. It was OK. The ravioli with ricotta cheese was delicious, but I was disappointed with the portion. There were only three pieces of ravioli topped with baby sweet potatoes. They just looked so lonely on the humongous plate. Since the dish was P308, it came out to P100 per ravioli. When I had dinner at 8 Spices a couple of days later, we had this lovely slow-cooked pork ribs in honey sauce. There were about five ribs in there in one order, which was priced at P320. I know it's not fair to compare, but I can't help it!!
Although my stomach was far from satisfied, my spirits weren't. J was handling the gala night of Manilart and I was able to get in before everybody else. While I was feasting on works of art, a choir was practicing for their number later on. Because their maestro was such a perfectionist, they kept going over and over Ikaw Lamang with their awesome voices. It was heaven!
Walk with me :)
Red roses
Embrace me
Yellow
Words
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Shooting Lexi
When you're a mom, you cannot help but be opinionated. After all, you are responsible for the lives of your children. If there's something that needs to be said, you'd blurt it out. That's exactly how my interview with Lexi Schulze went. She has very definitive ideas about how to raise her daughters and how to live her life. I love her!
Oh, and another thing. When we were setting up the interview, she asked if we would be done before lunch. I assumed that she had another appointment and so immediately said yes. After the shoot, as we were packing up, I thanked her for having us, adding that I hope she wasn't late for her next appointment. As it turns out, she didn't have anything scheduled after. She just wanted the shoot to be finished by lunch so that everybody could get on with their day. So nice of her to be considerate like that :)
Here, a couple of lines from Lexi's story:
It’s almost twelve in the afternoon. Lexi Schulze and her hubby Javi Berenguer Testa along with their daughters Alba and Bruna are sitting under a giant of a tree. True, the tree provides more than ample shade, but it’s almost noon. You’d think Lexi would complain, and rightly so because she has a six-month-old daughter to think of, but she doesn’t. Ever the professional, she smiles, asks her six-year-old daughter Alba to sit with her, and gamely poses with her husband. This is just another day in Lexi Schulze’s blissfully jam-packed life.
Shooting Lexi
Lexi just recently started painting. Here, one of her works.
Our makeup artist wanted to join Lexi's beautiful family ;)
Catch Lexi at Urban Mom :)
Oh, and another thing. When we were setting up the interview, she asked if we would be done before lunch. I assumed that she had another appointment and so immediately said yes. After the shoot, as we were packing up, I thanked her for having us, adding that I hope she wasn't late for her next appointment. As it turns out, she didn't have anything scheduled after. She just wanted the shoot to be finished by lunch so that everybody could get on with their day. So nice of her to be considerate like that :)
Here, a couple of lines from Lexi's story:
It’s almost twelve in the afternoon. Lexi Schulze and her hubby Javi Berenguer Testa along with their daughters Alba and Bruna are sitting under a giant of a tree. True, the tree provides more than ample shade, but it’s almost noon. You’d think Lexi would complain, and rightly so because she has a six-month-old daughter to think of, but she doesn’t. Ever the professional, she smiles, asks her six-year-old daughter Alba to sit with her, and gamely poses with her husband. This is just another day in Lexi Schulze’s blissfully jam-packed life.
Shooting Lexi
Lexi just recently started painting. Here, one of her works.
Our makeup artist wanted to join Lexi's beautiful family ;)
Catch Lexi at Urban Mom :)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Stranded on a Hill
Twice a week for the past year or so, I’ve found myself in Katipunan. When my dear friend R asked if I wanted to be a consultant for AHEAD Tutorial & Review Center, I agreed immediately. I am a nerd at heart, what can I say? Plus, it would take me back to the playground of my youth—the hills of Loyola.
I have many fond memories of Katipunan. Because my family lived all the way in Las Pinas, I had to live in a dormitory for most of my college years—first in a ladies’ boarding house in Esteban Abada, then inside the Ateneo at Eliazo Hall.
I remember when Katipunan was still a quiet haven of a community. My classmates and I would go to this carinderia beside a vulcanizing shop for a lunch of inihaw with rice; dinners I usually had at Anne’s, something with buttered beans. We would drink at this rundown place called Ambrosia’s. Shakey’s and KFC were the only fast-food joints thereabouts.
In the afternoons, we would run from Colayco Hall all the way to the University of the Philippines, first touching the Oblation before trotting home. In the middle of the night, my roommates and I would sometimes step out of the gates of the Ateneo and cross Katipunan to get us some siopao at Kowloon House.
That Katipunan is long gone.
Today, Loyola Heights is crowded with condominium buildings and mini-malls, banks and fast-food joints, and enough traffic to rival the streets of Bangkok. Progress has its price, I suppose, but the prize ain’t always pretty.
I have many fond memories of Katipunan. Because my family lived all the way in Las Pinas, I had to live in a dormitory for most of my college years—first in a ladies’ boarding house in Esteban Abada, then inside the Ateneo at Eliazo Hall.
I remember when Katipunan was still a quiet haven of a community. My classmates and I would go to this carinderia beside a vulcanizing shop for a lunch of inihaw with rice; dinners I usually had at Anne’s, something with buttered beans. We would drink at this rundown place called Ambrosia’s. Shakey’s and KFC were the only fast-food joints thereabouts.
In the afternoons, we would run from Colayco Hall all the way to the University of the Philippines, first touching the Oblation before trotting home. In the middle of the night, my roommates and I would sometimes step out of the gates of the Ateneo and cross Katipunan to get us some siopao at Kowloon House.
That Katipunan is long gone.
Today, Loyola Heights is crowded with condominium buildings and mini-malls, banks and fast-food joints, and enough traffic to rival the streets of Bangkok. Progress has its price, I suppose, but the prize ain’t always pretty.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
10 Things I Learned from Breastfeeding 4 Kids
I breastfed all of my children. Yes, all four of them.
At the time, breastfeeding wasn’t the big thing that it is today. Still, I knew that I had to do it—something in my gut just told me that breastfeeding was the way to go.
And so, in a span of six or seven years (I had my kids about two years apart), I always had a little babe suckling on my teat. And here’s what I learned from all those seemingly endless days and nights…
1. Breastfeeding is still the best—and fastest—way to lose post-pregnancy weight. Forget about going on a diet. Breastfeeding your babe will help you shed those unwanted pounds. P.S. I was stick thin for most of those six or seven years.
2. Just because you have big boobs doesn’t mean you’ll have lots of milk—and vice versa. I think milk production has more to do with supply and demand than anything else. Your breasts will produce as much milk as your baby needs, so it’s best to keep your baby suckling. If you do it less frequently, it’s sort of a signal to your body to produce less milk as well.
3. Don’t ever forget to put on those nursing pads! When I started working, I’d sometimes forget to put on nursing pads. Lo and behold, I’d be in a meeting and I’d start feeling my milk come out, and I’d have to excuse myself and hurry to the bathroom. Boo!
Want to read more? Hop on to Smart Super Women
At the time, breastfeeding wasn’t the big thing that it is today. Still, I knew that I had to do it—something in my gut just told me that breastfeeding was the way to go.
And so, in a span of six or seven years (I had my kids about two years apart), I always had a little babe suckling on my teat. And here’s what I learned from all those seemingly endless days and nights…
1. Breastfeeding is still the best—and fastest—way to lose post-pregnancy weight. Forget about going on a diet. Breastfeeding your babe will help you shed those unwanted pounds. P.S. I was stick thin for most of those six or seven years.
2. Just because you have big boobs doesn’t mean you’ll have lots of milk—and vice versa. I think milk production has more to do with supply and demand than anything else. Your breasts will produce as much milk as your baby needs, so it’s best to keep your baby suckling. If you do it less frequently, it’s sort of a signal to your body to produce less milk as well.
3. Don’t ever forget to put on those nursing pads! When I started working, I’d sometimes forget to put on nursing pads. Lo and behold, I’d be in a meeting and I’d start feeling my milk come out, and I’d have to excuse myself and hurry to the bathroom. Boo!
Want to read more? Hop on to Smart Super Women
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Mom at 40
"I cannot believe you have twins!" I go. And A exclaims, "I cannot believe you're a Lula!"
A and I worked together years ago. When she took up a post in government, we lost touch. But fate has its way of bringing people together, and the other week, A and I found ourselves making chika in the middle of a rainy Wednesday afternoon. The hot topic, of course, was how she became a new mom at 40, and to twins no less!
I am thoroughly amazed whenever I hear of friends or acquaintances getting pregnant at 40. For me, these women are just incredible. At my age, I can't imagine going through the whole breastfeeding, waking up in the middle of the night, and changing nappies every two hours or so again. I can't imagine going through the panic and anxiety that comes whenever baby gets sick, or bumps his head on the table, or falls off the bed. Honestly, I don't really know how I survived all that four times over!
We have Baby S, sure, but I'm Lula. The nice thing about being Lula is that I get to return Baby S to her mommy when I start getting tired or irritated (Yes, Baby S is charming but she can be very makulit as well).
And so to A, I send all my hugs and kisses! You are one amazing woman!
A and her twins: Cuteness!
A and I worked together years ago. When she took up a post in government, we lost touch. But fate has its way of bringing people together, and the other week, A and I found ourselves making chika in the middle of a rainy Wednesday afternoon. The hot topic, of course, was how she became a new mom at 40, and to twins no less!
I am thoroughly amazed whenever I hear of friends or acquaintances getting pregnant at 40. For me, these women are just incredible. At my age, I can't imagine going through the whole breastfeeding, waking up in the middle of the night, and changing nappies every two hours or so again. I can't imagine going through the panic and anxiety that comes whenever baby gets sick, or bumps his head on the table, or falls off the bed. Honestly, I don't really know how I survived all that four times over!
We have Baby S, sure, but I'm Lula. The nice thing about being Lula is that I get to return Baby S to her mommy when I start getting tired or irritated (Yes, Baby S is charming but she can be very makulit as well).
And so to A, I send all my hugs and kisses! You are one amazing woman!
A and her twins: Cuteness!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Life's Too Short!
"We should start watching what we eat," K says this to me as I take a bite of my Crave cheese burger with strips of bacon on top. I go, "And you're saying that while we eat burgers?" K, "Well, tomorrow we diet."
Me, diet? Yeah, right!
I've known K for many years. And we always enjoy eating out together whether we're at a burger joint or a fancy hotel. Actually, it's not exactly the eating out that I enjoy, it's the catching up on each other's life that I find most pleasurable. K is the kind of girlfriend who'll always set me right in her own quiet way. She doesn't push. She just knows how to ask the right questions. And that's what I love about her.
A couple of years back, we were able to get away for a couple of days to Baguio. And apart from the long conversations, what I remember most about that trip was the food and the art (more on that when I get around to it hehe).
On our first night, I had a fillet of sole in saffron sauce with a side of mashed potatoes with spinach at the Manor. The fish was cooked just right, but the real winner for me was the mashed potatoes. It was just so flavorful and creamy. I was so impressed by it that when I went home, I made mashed potatoes and instead of milk, I used cream of asparagus. It was really yummy!
It was during this trip that I discovered my love for soup. I had the classic French onion soup. I had pumpkin soup. I had broccoli soup. This one is mushroom at the Mile-Hi Center. It was prepared with slivers of onion. And yes, that there is a can of San Mig Light I had with my soup mwahahaha
What would a trip to Baguio be without taking in some of its art. This is at VOCAS, and again, I ate: mango crepes with lemonade and fine art.
Look at that hunk of a portabello! This is at Cafe By The Ruins. Although I am a certified carnivore, I went all out green on this trip. The veggies of Baguio are just irresistible! Of course, today, I love my salads. Last night, we had pork steak and mashed potatoes and I prepared for myself some slices of tomato and dressed them with thousand island. Simple but delicious.
And this is the culprit: Crave cheeseburger with bacon on top. Although it was a big burger, I managed to finish everything and even got a handful of K's fries.
I'm in my forties. I should start watching what I eat, but hey! Life's just too short! Mwahahahahaha
Me, diet? Yeah, right!
I've known K for many years. And we always enjoy eating out together whether we're at a burger joint or a fancy hotel. Actually, it's not exactly the eating out that I enjoy, it's the catching up on each other's life that I find most pleasurable. K is the kind of girlfriend who'll always set me right in her own quiet way. She doesn't push. She just knows how to ask the right questions. And that's what I love about her.
A couple of years back, we were able to get away for a couple of days to Baguio. And apart from the long conversations, what I remember most about that trip was the food and the art (more on that when I get around to it hehe).
On our first night, I had a fillet of sole in saffron sauce with a side of mashed potatoes with spinach at the Manor. The fish was cooked just right, but the real winner for me was the mashed potatoes. It was just so flavorful and creamy. I was so impressed by it that when I went home, I made mashed potatoes and instead of milk, I used cream of asparagus. It was really yummy!
It was during this trip that I discovered my love for soup. I had the classic French onion soup. I had pumpkin soup. I had broccoli soup. This one is mushroom at the Mile-Hi Center. It was prepared with slivers of onion. And yes, that there is a can of San Mig Light I had with my soup mwahahaha
What would a trip to Baguio be without taking in some of its art. This is at VOCAS, and again, I ate: mango crepes with lemonade and fine art.
Look at that hunk of a portabello! This is at Cafe By The Ruins. Although I am a certified carnivore, I went all out green on this trip. The veggies of Baguio are just irresistible! Of course, today, I love my salads. Last night, we had pork steak and mashed potatoes and I prepared for myself some slices of tomato and dressed them with thousand island. Simple but delicious.
And this is the culprit: Crave cheeseburger with bacon on top. Although it was a big burger, I managed to finish everything and even got a handful of K's fries.
I'm in my forties. I should start watching what I eat, but hey! Life's just too short! Mwahahahahaha
Friday, August 12, 2011
Where I Was
Was out of sight for the past few days, went somewhere almost heavenly where one can...
Sit by the sea
Go down the beach
Take pause
Breathe
Sit by the sea
Go down the beach
Take pause
Breathe
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Messy Babies
Baby S is one messy two-year-old. Baby S and I are at home, quietly watching a movie. And by the time the film credits start rolling, my once-neat living room has been turned into some kind of preschool war zone. There are cookie crumbs all over the rug, wooden blocks strewn over the floor, and milk stains on the sofa bed. Oh, and let's not forget the colorful doodles all over my thighs. Baby S has recently discovered writing.
But then, most babies are messy, or at least my babies.
When they were little, E loved tearing up paper, F playing with food, S flinging his toy cars, and K hurling his blocks. At first, I remember being all Martha Stewart about it, cleaning up after them. But then, as the years progressed, I realized that the mess will never end, and that I was outnumbered four to one. I'll never have my home as neat as I want it to be, so I grew wiser. I learned to accept that which I cannot change.
But at the end of each day when all the kids are asleep, I do a quick fixing up of the house, cook some popcorn, grab a beer, open a book, and enjoy the peace and quiet... because tomorrow it starts all over again! Mwahahaha
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Praning Nation
Metro Manila may already be half-submerged in water, but on our little corner of this megalopolis there was a different kind of frenzied worrying that went down. Actually, I was the only who did most of the frenzied worrying and my daughter E, I suppose, who's also already a mom.
As fate would have it, we misplaced our keychain which had with it all the keys to our house. We don't know exactly how long it's been gone. But early this afternoon two kids returned the keychain to us, saying they found it by our lamp post. Of course, this prompted some big time worrying on my part, and I scurried home from Katipunan to Alabang.
I tried to figure out how the keys went missing in the first place, but not being able to do so, all I could do is move forward. That's how I've survived all of the little and not-so-little dramas that I've ever encountered in life, by moving forward.
And so, I went to the hardware store, bought new sets of doorknobs and deadbolts, and pad locks too, and then asked our carpenter J to work overtime. He's still at it.
As fate would have it, we misplaced our keychain which had with it all the keys to our house. We don't know exactly how long it's been gone. But early this afternoon two kids returned the keychain to us, saying they found it by our lamp post. Of course, this prompted some big time worrying on my part, and I scurried home from Katipunan to Alabang.
I tried to figure out how the keys went missing in the first place, but not being able to do so, all I could do is move forward. That's how I've survived all of the little and not-so-little dramas that I've ever encountered in life, by moving forward.
And so, I went to the hardware store, bought new sets of doorknobs and deadbolts, and pad locks too, and then asked our carpenter J to work overtime. He's still at it.
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