Saturday, December 31, 2011
Last of the Christmas Notes :)
I didn't have any problems hunting down gifts for my kids this Christmas because they all wanted money: E because she's dead broke, S because he's still paying off his Tita B for his expensive Experia phone, K because he cleaned out his savings account, and F. Well, F is the saver among the four. He has the most of the four, but he just wants more.
Good thing there's Baby S. Because of her, I still have an excuse to go to the toy store. Because she so loves ice cream, I got her a Play-Doh ice cream maker. I love Play-Doh, which is so not the clay of my childhood, the kind that lodges inside fingernails. Nope, Play-Doh smells nice, comes in neon colors, and is so easy to clean!
Mom said she wasn't going to cook, but when we arrived, there was ham on the table and chicken in the oven. Mwahahahaha Sarap ng ham with bread and potato salad! Winner!
After mass on Christmas day, the only time of the year that I ever go to mass, we had dinner out. Could you see the guy behind my Dad and K? He gifted that girl with the long hair a MacBook Air!!! As in!! Right there in Gloriamaris, they opened their gifts for each other, and he gave her a MacBook Air!!! Waahh!! Sino siya?!
And because everybody wanted to celebrate, even those of us who didn't get a MacBook Air for Christmas (Mwahahaha), almost every table, I think, ordered Peking Duck. The result: Naubusan ng litsugas! Mwahahaha I wanted to run to the supermarket just so I could make myself another duck-lettuce sandwich :)
Hope you had as much fun over the holidays as we did! :)
Good thing there's Baby S. Because of her, I still have an excuse to go to the toy store. Because she so loves ice cream, I got her a Play-Doh ice cream maker. I love Play-Doh, which is so not the clay of my childhood, the kind that lodges inside fingernails. Nope, Play-Doh smells nice, comes in neon colors, and is so easy to clean!
Mom said she wasn't going to cook, but when we arrived, there was ham on the table and chicken in the oven. Mwahahahaha Sarap ng ham with bread and potato salad! Winner!
After mass on Christmas day, the only time of the year that I ever go to mass, we had dinner out. Could you see the guy behind my Dad and K? He gifted that girl with the long hair a MacBook Air!!! As in!! Right there in Gloriamaris, they opened their gifts for each other, and he gave her a MacBook Air!!! Waahh!! Sino siya?!
And because everybody wanted to celebrate, even those of us who didn't get a MacBook Air for Christmas (Mwahahaha), almost every table, I think, ordered Peking Duck. The result: Naubusan ng litsugas! Mwahahaha I wanted to run to the supermarket just so I could make myself another duck-lettuce sandwich :)
Hope you had as much fun over the holidays as we did! :)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Christmas Notes 4
With my kids all grown up, I get to let them help me out in my little projects. Actually, it's more like forcing them than letting them; that's just one of the benefits of being The Mom. And that's how the boys and I set up our little lasagna factory at my Mom's on the eve of Christmas.
Making lasagna is one major production. I never attempt to do it unless I am physically and mentally prepared. I've got to have lots of time on my hands and my mind has to be in the right place, the I-want-to-cook-my-ass-off place.
For starters, there's a lot of slicing and dicing of the ingredients for the red sauce. Then you've got to storm up the white sauce while cooking the lasagna. Afterwards, you've got to combine all the components together, layer after layer. Whew!
Fortunately, I had three pairs of hands to help me out. While K and I took care of the slicing and dicing, S prepared the lasagna. Afterwards, K cooked the white sauce. Together, the three of us made our own lasagna assembly line. Because F had a bit of a cough, he was relegated to covering the trays with foil.
That afternoon, we were able to make a dozen trays of delicious lasagna. We could have made more but we ended up eating some of the pasta splashed with globs of the two sauces while putting them all together. It was good!
F wrapping 'em up
Part of the lasagna assembly team
Baby S nibbling on the pasta
Making lasagna is one major production. I never attempt to do it unless I am physically and mentally prepared. I've got to have lots of time on my hands and my mind has to be in the right place, the I-want-to-cook-my-ass-off place.
For starters, there's a lot of slicing and dicing of the ingredients for the red sauce. Then you've got to storm up the white sauce while cooking the lasagna. Afterwards, you've got to combine all the components together, layer after layer. Whew!
Fortunately, I had three pairs of hands to help me out. While K and I took care of the slicing and dicing, S prepared the lasagna. Afterwards, K cooked the white sauce. Together, the three of us made our own lasagna assembly line. Because F had a bit of a cough, he was relegated to covering the trays with foil.
That afternoon, we were able to make a dozen trays of delicious lasagna. We could have made more but we ended up eating some of the pasta splashed with globs of the two sauces while putting them all together. It was good!
F wrapping 'em up
Part of the lasagna assembly team
Baby S nibbling on the pasta
Christmas Notes 3
Overheard after the screening of Tom Cruise's Ghost Protocol.
Guy 1: Naku, siguradong may MI-5 pa 'yan.
Guy 2: Ha?! Eh, baka mukha na siyang lolo non!
Guy 1: Ikaw naman!
I totally understand Guy 2. No amount of concealer could hide those double bags under his eyes, especially when magnified a hundred million times. Of course, Tom will always be a cutie. But methinks his days as an action star in overwrought, over-choreographed, over-extended blast-my-ears kind of movies are numbered.
I was actually excited to see this one because I like Jeremy Renner. But really, it was just exhausting to watch. There was so much running all over the place. At one point, I closed my eyes for a few seconds to rest. When I opened them, there was Tom, still running after the bad guy. Hay! I miss the elegance of the original Mission Impossible.
P.S. D pointed out: There wasn't anybody taller than Tom. Or if they were, they'll be sitting like Ving Rhames Mwahahaha
Guy 1: Naku, siguradong may MI-5 pa 'yan.
Guy 2: Ha?! Eh, baka mukha na siyang lolo non!
Guy 1: Ikaw naman!
I totally understand Guy 2. No amount of concealer could hide those double bags under his eyes, especially when magnified a hundred million times. Of course, Tom will always be a cutie. But methinks his days as an action star in overwrought, over-choreographed, over-extended blast-my-ears kind of movies are numbered.
I was actually excited to see this one because I like Jeremy Renner. But really, it was just exhausting to watch. There was so much running all over the place. At one point, I closed my eyes for a few seconds to rest. When I opened them, there was Tom, still running after the bad guy. Hay! I miss the elegance of the original Mission Impossible.
P.S. D pointed out: There wasn't anybody taller than Tom. Or if they were, they'll be sitting like Ving Rhames Mwahahaha
Christmas Notes 2
A few days before Christmas, my Mom calls me and says, "I won't be cooking this Christmas. You have to cook." Of course, I've heard her say this a thousand times before, but this time I kinda sorta believed her. She was tired, she said.
I was planning to cook lasagna for Christmas, but I didn't want it to be the centerpiece of the Noche Buena. I was thinking that it could be the afterthought dish, when everybody has had their fill of the main event. But Mom's voice sounded threatening. When I said I was cooking lasagna, she immediately agreed and added that I should make my potato salad as well.
Oh boy! To say that I was nervous is an understatement. My parents are good cooks. And there have been a number of times that they've made some cute comments about my cooking. Once you're tagged as the incompetent cook in the family, there's no crawling your way out of it. Once, when my Dad found out that I was cooking dinner, he pointedly said, "Eh di sa labas na tayo kumain." Mwahahaha
Anyway, when we arrived at my Mom's on the 24th, the stove was already bursting to the seams with all sorts of dishes. There was Morcon and Embotido and Roasted Chicken and Baked Ham. I should have known that Mom wouldn't be able to keep herself away from the kitchen Mwahahahaha
I was planning to cook lasagna for Christmas, but I didn't want it to be the centerpiece of the Noche Buena. I was thinking that it could be the afterthought dish, when everybody has had their fill of the main event. But Mom's voice sounded threatening. When I said I was cooking lasagna, she immediately agreed and added that I should make my potato salad as well.
Oh boy! To say that I was nervous is an understatement. My parents are good cooks. And there have been a number of times that they've made some cute comments about my cooking. Once you're tagged as the incompetent cook in the family, there's no crawling your way out of it. Once, when my Dad found out that I was cooking dinner, he pointedly said, "Eh di sa labas na tayo kumain." Mwahahaha
Anyway, when we arrived at my Mom's on the 24th, the stove was already bursting to the seams with all sorts of dishes. There was Morcon and Embotido and Roasted Chicken and Baked Ham. I should have known that Mom wouldn't be able to keep herself away from the kitchen Mwahahahaha
Christmas Notes 1
I'm enjoying today. I woke up past ten in the morning, and apart from whipping up some savory fried rice out of the bunch of leftovers in the fridge, I haven't been out of my room since. Mostly I've been lounging around my bed, occasionally checking my mail, occasionally trying to get some work done. But generally, I've just been lazing about. What is it about Christmas that could turn even the most workaholic of creatures into the softest of slouches?
Anyway, some quick notes on Christmas.
My daughter E, who's doing her internship at Starbucks, invited me to one of her Christmas events. And there, I saw a bunch of angels with really cool wings.
Santa D, please give me some wings :)
Some of the stuff that the angels had us munching.
My daughter E, feeling busy like a real marketing executive.
Almost forgot that on her first suweldo, she treated us to McDonald's (Bakit hindi Starbucks? Mwahahahaha).
Where Baby S ate a bunch of fries, became friendly with the teens on the next table, and took off her shoes :)
Anyway, some quick notes on Christmas.
My daughter E, who's doing her internship at Starbucks, invited me to one of her Christmas events. And there, I saw a bunch of angels with really cool wings.
Santa D, please give me some wings :)
Some of the stuff that the angels had us munching.
My daughter E, feeling busy like a real marketing executive.
Almost forgot that on her first suweldo, she treated us to McDonald's (Bakit hindi Starbucks? Mwahahahaha).
Where Baby S ate a bunch of fries, became friendly with the teens on the next table, and took off her shoes :)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Sparkly Streets
Oh Christmas! If not for the hellish traffic and the wall-to-wall people at the malls, it's definitely a most magical season. Every year, I look forward to all the twinkling lights that dress up the streets. I love walking down those streets, bathed in their shiny sparkle.
Unfortunately, there's none of that sparkle at our home this year. By the time I realized that I should be putting up Christmas decorations, I was at the hospital with my youngest son. When we got home, I remembered that the Christmas tree got lost in the move to our new home. And I was just too exhausted at the time to go hunting for the box that says "Christmas decor." Oh well...
To be honest, Christmas caught me quite by surprise this year. The season was already right smack in my face when it dawned on me that I should already be doing some shopping. And so, in between meetings and deadlines, I've taken quick trips to the malls, hoping to finish my list a week before D-day.
Yesterday was supposed to be my last day of Christmas shopping. Because I was going to be in the city to pick up stuff for a shoot on Monday, I thought I could finish my shopping then. But when it took me 90 minutes to get to White Plains from Makati, I knew that I wasn't going to make it, and that I would have to join thousands of other people dashing to the stores a few days before Christmas. And so, not wanting to go back to the sparkly streets and face mind-numbing traffic, I went to the salon and had my nails done. The shopping would just have to wait :)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Summer in December
Is it really December?! Well, you could have fooled me because I'm sweating like a pig here. But truth to tell, the year felt like one endless summer. Having scored a gig at a travel zine, I got the opportunity to visit some glorious destinations. My favorite thus far? Eskaya, definitely!
For the three days and two nights that I was there, it felt like I was in some kind of posh deserted island with room service
... where you can order this delicious Tuna Tartare with some wasabi mayo
... or take long walks around the resort, getting glimpses of Bohol Sea. Ang ganda talaga ng Pilipinas!
... or order up some cocktails at the pool bar. I didn't get to hang out there so much though
... because my villa had its own pool, and jacuzzi!! It was insane!
... it was heaven!!
For the three days and two nights that I was there, it felt like I was in some kind of posh deserted island with room service
... where you can order this delicious Tuna Tartare with some wasabi mayo
... or take long walks around the resort, getting glimpses of Bohol Sea. Ang ganda talaga ng Pilipinas!
... or order up some cocktails at the pool bar. I didn't get to hang out there so much though
... because my villa had its own pool, and jacuzzi!! It was insane!
... it was heaven!!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Flannel Pajamas
At the hospital, K and I caught City of Angels, a sob-fest of a movie with Meg Ryan as a stressed-out surgeon and Nicolas Cage as a cutie pie angel. Although I love the soundtrack, I found the movie sappy and predictable. However, there is that one scene right at the very beginning where Cage asks a little girl, who had just died minutes ago, what she liked best. And she said simply, pajamas.
I'm in a feel-good mode, so here, just some of the things that I like best--so far :)
... biting into the sweet, soft flesh of a ripe, yellow mango
... the smiles and the slurps of my kids when I've prepared a particularly delicious meal
... playing with words
... curling up with a book
... the classics
... the smell of newborn babies
... holding hands
... sharing silences
... my mom's embrace
... my kids
... lying on the beach, listening to the crashing of waves, the sun beating down on my face
... laughing
... eskaya
... drowning in music while writing away
... chocolate
... finding a new TV series for lazy Sunday marathons
... Christmas
I searched for the particular clip with the flannel pajamas, but couldn't find it, so the trailer would have to do.
I'm in a feel-good mode, so here, just some of the things that I like best--so far :)
... biting into the sweet, soft flesh of a ripe, yellow mango
... the smiles and the slurps of my kids when I've prepared a particularly delicious meal
... playing with words
... curling up with a book
... the classics
... the smell of newborn babies
... holding hands
... sharing silences
... my mom's embrace
... my kids
... lying on the beach, listening to the crashing of waves, the sun beating down on my face
... laughing
... eskaya
... drowning in music while writing away
... chocolate
... finding a new TV series for lazy Sunday marathons
... Christmas
I searched for the particular clip with the flannel pajamas, but couldn't find it, so the trailer would have to do.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Thank You
And so there we were, my youngest son K and I, sitting on a hospital bed. That morning, he had been playing with his friends in school. He ran towards something, I don't know what, and to everybody's surprise he slipped and fell, his forehead first hitting a table before the back of his head hit the cement floor. They all heard a loud thud, and when his classmates tried to help him up, K experienced some kind of seizure. His teachers immediately rushed him to the ER.
There is no greater nightmare for a parent.
I still cannot describe how I felt at the time, which is surprising because I'm supposed to be the one with the words, but when I eventually saw K in the hospital bed, smiling, my heart leapt. I would have wept, if not for the presence of my sister, her husband, and my eldest son F.
And so there we were, my youngest son K and I, sitting on a hospital bed. His X-rays and CT scan had come in clear, but his doctors wanted to observe him for the next 24 hours. At first, he didn't do much talking, but eventually, he did a lot of questioning. Because he couldn't exactly remember what happened, he asked me to tell him what his teachers told me, and I did.
As we talked, I could only thank God and the heavens for the gift that was my son. In my head, over and over again, I was just saying thank you, thank you, thank you. Once again, I was overwhelmed with the thought of how precious life is, and how unexpected things could happen, just like that. And that's when I hugged my son, and said once again that I love him.
P.S. The next day, K's classmates visited him and told him what happened. They told him how everybody prayed for his swift recovery and how their Facebook walls were filled with news of what happened to him. When he was finally discharged, one of the first things that K did when he got home was check his Facebook account.
There is no greater nightmare for a parent.
I still cannot describe how I felt at the time, which is surprising because I'm supposed to be the one with the words, but when I eventually saw K in the hospital bed, smiling, my heart leapt. I would have wept, if not for the presence of my sister, her husband, and my eldest son F.
And so there we were, my youngest son K and I, sitting on a hospital bed. His X-rays and CT scan had come in clear, but his doctors wanted to observe him for the next 24 hours. At first, he didn't do much talking, but eventually, he did a lot of questioning. Because he couldn't exactly remember what happened, he asked me to tell him what his teachers told me, and I did.
As we talked, I could only thank God and the heavens for the gift that was my son. In my head, over and over again, I was just saying thank you, thank you, thank you. Once again, I was overwhelmed with the thought of how precious life is, and how unexpected things could happen, just like that. And that's when I hugged my son, and said once again that I love him.
P.S. The next day, K's classmates visited him and told him what happened. They told him how everybody prayed for his swift recovery and how their Facebook walls were filled with news of what happened to him. When he was finally discharged, one of the first things that K did when he got home was check his Facebook account.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Red
The other week I went to my hair colorist. It's been quite some time since my last visit, and she gently chided me about the sad state of my hair color. Apart from my natural jet black hair, there were the whites and grays of my forty-something years, the deep brown from my last coloring session, and the light brown from I-don't-know-where.
I was feeling a bit adventurous that day and so I said, "Let's make me a redhead today." Of course, I know that I can't really make my hair red, but something a bit brighter than deep brown would definitely be more exciting. She asked, "Wouldn't you want to be blonde?" "But I'm not maputi!" I told her, as if being red is exactly natural for a morena like me Mwahahaha
Anyway, we looked at the color chart and decided that a shade of Copper Mahogany, whatever that is, would suit me fine. I wouldn't become a redhead, that's for sure, but there would definitely be shades of red. As it turned, there were more than shades of red, and when I'm out under the sun, I am some kind of redhead!
Call me Ronald! Mwahahaha
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Teysi ng Tahanan
It was probably one of the most exhilarating interviews I've ever done. One minute she was bawling her eyes out, the next she was singing a track from Evita. I am talking about the wonderful Tessie Tomas.
I was speaking with her son Robin, when she walked in. And immediately, she said something like, 'Hay naku, Robin, be careful. Ang YES!, pati mga ah at eh, nilalagay.' Mwahahaha I could only laugh in agreement.
I love this woman. She's very sharp, and very witty, and I could so relate to her single mom stuff. And guess what? Her son Robin is just as witty--and hilarious, too.
Here's an excerpt of that interview from the December issue of YES!
It’s a story straight out of the movies. A young fashion designer, who’s only in his thirties, wins a design contest. As part of his prize, his work gets to be sold at Bloomingdale’s, the iconic American department store that features an extensive selection of the latest designer fashions.
For any fashion designer, to have work displayed and sold at Bloomingdale’s is a big deal. Bloomingdale’s, after all, is where you find the wares of such globally recognized designers as Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors.
For an unknown fashion designer, to be at Bloomingdale’s is nothing short of a miracle! And that’s exactly what happened to Robin Tomas, the only son of celebrated actress and comedienne Tessie Tomas.
A fine arts graduate of the University of the Philippines, Robin always knew he’d make a career in the arts. He just didn’t imagine that he’d be dressing beautiful women in the process, and doing so in New York City!
I had a video of Ms. Teysi singing a number from Cats. Sadly, one of my sons deleted it from my memory card. Sayang!
I was speaking with her son Robin, when she walked in. And immediately, she said something like, 'Hay naku, Robin, be careful. Ang YES!, pati mga ah at eh, nilalagay.' Mwahahaha I could only laugh in agreement.
I love this woman. She's very sharp, and very witty, and I could so relate to her single mom stuff. And guess what? Her son Robin is just as witty--and hilarious, too.
Here's an excerpt of that interview from the December issue of YES!
It’s a story straight out of the movies. A young fashion designer, who’s only in his thirties, wins a design contest. As part of his prize, his work gets to be sold at Bloomingdale’s, the iconic American department store that features an extensive selection of the latest designer fashions.
For any fashion designer, to have work displayed and sold at Bloomingdale’s is a big deal. Bloomingdale’s, after all, is where you find the wares of such globally recognized designers as Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors.
For an unknown fashion designer, to be at Bloomingdale’s is nothing short of a miracle! And that’s exactly what happened to Robin Tomas, the only son of celebrated actress and comedienne Tessie Tomas.
A fine arts graduate of the University of the Philippines, Robin always knew he’d make a career in the arts. He just didn’t imagine that he’d be dressing beautiful women in the process, and doing so in New York City!
I had a video of Ms. Teysi singing a number from Cats. Sadly, one of my sons deleted it from my memory card. Sayang!
Love is Love
Baby S wasn’t feeling well the other day. She woke up with a fever and slept the entire morning. When I visited her in the afternoon, all cuddled up in bed with a blanket, she held my arms and said, “Lula, sit.” And so, despite the fact that I was in the middle of deadlines, I sat with Baby S and eventually cuddled up to her until she fell asleep.
A couple of hours later, just before sunset, Baby S was feeling much better. She was able to eat, watch a little TV, and play with my son K. But when it was >time for bed, she didn’t want to leave our house. She insisted on going upstairs with Lula. And so we climbed up the stairs to my room, she with her milk and her “pampin” (her nappies, which is her security blanket of sorts) and me with my book and a glass of water.
Scoot on http://www.smartsuperwomen.com/2011/11/love-is-love/ for more :)
A couple of hours later, just before sunset, Baby S was feeling much better. She was able to eat, watch a little TV, and play with my son K. But when it was >time for bed, she didn’t want to leave our house. She insisted on going upstairs with Lula. And so we climbed up the stairs to my room, she with her milk and her “pampin” (her nappies, which is her security blanket of sorts) and me with my book and a glass of water.
Scoot on http://www.smartsuperwomen.com/2011/11/love-is-love/ for more :)
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