Proud to be a Filipino!

Although my children were born and grew-up overseas, me and my hubby see to it that they will uphold the values we learned back home...from basic things such as food to the most important ones like values and manners, the Filipino culture is very much evident to them.

For example my eldest son, Joseph, who was born in the Philippines and grew-up in New Zealand/Australia prefers rice over bread. He always insists to have rice for his lunch at school. When asked why he likes it instead of bread he will simply answer "because I like it". Except for one instance...

My youngest son's friend one day asked Joseph why he likes rice so much. For a change he replied "because I will be a disgrace to the Philippines if I will not eat rice"...hehehe...my eldest son is always like that...very spontaneous!

Daddy's Girl

I never had the chance to fully bond with my father during my childhood and teenage years. He is a Marine Engineer and hence most of the time he's miles and miles away from us. I vividly remember when he came home for a vacation (I was 3 years of age then) my younger siblings, especially the twins, did not want to come to him because they do not know him. But no matter how seldom we see him back then he taught us the true meaning of the words "sacrifice", "selflessness" and "unconditional love".

The only thing that matters to my father is us, his family. He wanted to give us all the best things that this world can offer. Yes, when we made mistakes he gets angry but after that he'll accept our shortcomings with closed eyes and open heart. Even now that we are all grown-ups he never stop thinking of our welfare. He is happy when he sees us happy and never gets tired of helping us in all aspects of life.

Two things that I truly admire from him is his capacity to give without expecting anything in return and to love... He loves not only us but also those people who are dear to us. My mother is surely a very lucky wife and I am a very blessed daughter to have a father like him :)

:)

I still can't believe that I'm turning 34 tomorrow...time flies so quickly. It seems like it was only yesterday when I graduated from university, met my husband, got married and have kids. But I guess no matter what my age will be what matters most is that I lived each day to the fullest...to live as if today is my last...to dream and never stop dreaming...to always give my best...to always aim for excellence...and most of all to love unconditionally :)

34 great, wonderful and blessed years! From the day I was born up to this very moment I am so blessed and thankful. Life is bitter-sweet but one thing is for sure it is only me who can make it beautiful...

A Gastronomic Experience...

I love food so much and one of my favorite dish is the butter chicken. Back in New Zealand there is an Indian food stall that has the best butter chicken I have ever tasted. It's creamy, a little bit spicy, tangy and sweet.

When we moved here in Adelaide the very first thing I did was to look for an Indian food stall or restaurant that offers a butter chicken similar to the one in New Zealand. I thought I will never find one but I did :)

The restaurant is called Royal India and it's along Woodville Road. It's close to home and transportation would not be a problem for me in case I crave for some Indian food ;). The butter chicken there is very nice compared to the others that I have tasted. But the vegetarian dish Malai Kofta is the best! The taste of this dish is the same as the butter chicken in New Zealand only that this has potato and cottage cheese instead of chicken. Yummy!

Thanks Daddy for giving in to my desire! I know that you are really not a curry lover person but you still took me there. I truly had a great evening :)

And he said so...

Let me described to you plain and simple my first born child...A Happy Go Lucky person. Indeed, that's my "Kuya" (that's what we usually call him at home)!

I was surprised (very actually!) yesterday when I heard his comment about his sister's opinion. My daughter asked me and her brothers what would be our wish if Genie is real. My youngest said that he will wish for infinite times to beat his big brother in basketball...mine is world peace...hehehe...then my daughter said that she wanted to have a never ending wish. She will wish for a unicorn, a toy and so on and so forth...then Kuya said that this is boring. I never expected him to say this because I thought that his sister's idea is cool. Out of curiosity, I asked him why he made a remark like that and this is what he told me..."It is boring to have never ending wish because you will have no more options, nothing else to do if you have everything".

Good on you Kuya! Hope you will always remember mine and your dad's constant reminders. Always keep in mind that material things will only give you temporary joy and pleasure. Be a good boy always and stay cool...mwah...

Just trust HIM...

So many horrible things happened this past few days... typhoon and flood in the Philippines, tsunami in Samoa and earthquake in Indonesia. In times like this we cannot blame people, especially those greatly affected, for questioning God why He let these things to happen.

Lord, may Your light shine upon those people affected by these calamities. Make them feel Your love and presence. Give them strength to move forward.

These natural calamities (and illnesses) are things impossible to control but I know that with You anything and everything is possible...

All things work out for our good
Though sometimes we don't see how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what is best for us
His ways our not our own
So when your pathways grow dim
And you don't see Him
Remember you are never alone

He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hand
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him
We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He is weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart...

(from the song Trust His Heart)

Hot Seat

Each suburb here in Australia have their own scheduled organic day. That's when people place their unwanted stuff or rubbish that cannot be recycled in the kerbside. People who pass by are free to get the stuff that they want. And my hubby is no exception to them. He likes to bring home things he sees in the street that he thinks he can still use.

Of all the things he brought home, one stood out from the rest. Somewhere in West Hindmarsh he found a stool...no scratches...still in an excellent condition...simply perfect like a brand new one! We wonder why the owner of this "stunning" chair threw it away. And we ended up with a conclusion that maybe the color does not match the house motif ;)

It surely was a lucky day for my hubby...how we wish we got a pair :)

Almost there...

I slept with a heavy heart last night after watching one of my favorite team, the Adelaide Crows, lost the game against their opponent. They were almost there...so close to winning...but that one touch...a hold that shattered not only them but also their fans and supporters :(

Oh well that's life. On the brighter side there is always a next time. At least, it was a good game last night...a very exciting one. My husband said that he heard our neighbor cheered every time the Crows scored. A game truly worth watching (even worthier if they won...huhuhu...)

And it goes a longggggg way ;)

There are times (or should I say most of the time) that I tend to be very impulsive especially in buying stuff for the house, be it food or appliances. The price does not matter sometimes if I see something new and attractive. I just want to buy it without thinking if it is worth it. And so the Nuffnang competition "Nuffnang Coles Group & Myer:How Do You Turn $10 into $100?" truly challenged me.


There are 2 challenges - the 1st challenge how to spend the $10 Coles gift card in the most creative, interesting or fun way. Well, this surely is not for me. I am not a creative person. The 2nd challenge is how far you can stretch the $10...hmmm...this sounds more interesting... perhaps I can be frugal even for a day :)

So, off I went to Coles to search every aisle to find the items that I need at home and that are worth buying for. Of course I need to keep in mind that I only have $10 to spend. And guess what I made out of my $10 Coles gift card? A yummy treat for my family especially for my 3 kids and a healthy treat for myself!

I bought 3 Cottees Jelly (Orange, Lime and Strawberry flavor) for 95 cents each, a Coles condensed milk for $1.89, a Liddells lactose free cream for $1.59 and a San Remo Cous Cous for $3.56. All in all, it costs me $9.89 for all these items! So, proud of myself :)


Now, time for some little magic...I used the jelly powder, condensed milk and cream to make a delicious jelly for my kids.


As for the Cous Cous (which by the way is 98% fat free and rich in fibre!), I added some leftover sultanas and slivered almonds and had it for lunch and dinner as an alternative to rice.

I have a dream...

When I was young, I have dreamed of becoming a doctor. And this never change until I graduated from high school and set foot to a world where the only language spoken is 0 and 1. With some mind setting and a little bit of tweaking I started to dream another dream...someday I'll be having my own IT consulting firm.

But lady luck is so not on my side and with twist of fate I embarked on a more adventurous path (and that was motherhood!), I painfully admit that my second dream will soon be "just" another dream :(

I love what I am doing...I love my work...but I love the most my family and my 3 beautiful angels that I need to balance my time for work and my family very well. And so I need to have a more realistic dream.

Good for me that dreaming is free. Otherwise, I will already be in debt. So what am I dreaming nowadays? I want to have my own food business. Indeed, I want to become a cook (and maybe a well known chef!).

My Mum...my inspiration...my confidence booster...she is the one who encouraged me not to be afraid to try new dishes. She once told me that I have a very good palate and that cooking will not be a problem for me. And my husband as my best critic I think my third dream will not be that far from reality.

Now, my only question is "When?". This will now depend on Him. If entering the food industry is the right path for me, God will surely find a way to make it happen. As the ever famous cliche goes...Do your best and God will do the rest.

I Am Sexy!

For more than two months I have been carefully watching my diet. Yup, I'm trying to loose some weight...heavy breakfast, bread for lunch, vegetable salad and some viand for dinner and of course 15 minutes exercise in the evening. My hard work did pay-off because I now fit in size 12 pants and shirts (believe me I was size 16 before lucky if I can fit in size 14!). Recently, I came to realize that I am depriving myself of the only thing I loved most...FOOD!

Ever since, I love to go to different restaurants and try their specialties. I can finish 6 slices of pizza plus a bowl of pasta. Sweets alleviate stress from work and at home (STRESSED spell it the other way around is DESSERTS!) and a few pieces of potato chips help me have a goodnight sleep ;). What make me decided to cut all of these "good" stuff? Oh, I was so intimidated of this lady who in her late fifties can still wear body-hugging clothes! And of course she does not look like she's in her late fifties!

To Diet or Not To Diet? But come to think of it, during the Renaissance period, you can't find any paintings or sculptures of a woman who is skinny. Most of them have "curvy" bodies just like mine :). This thinking boost my confidence and self-esteem. If only Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Bellini, Raphael were alive today they'll surely be very eager to get me as their model...hehehehe...

Tell me Why?

"When you are down to nothing, God is up to something" - the line that caught my attention when I read my friend's inspirational email.

The very first thing we ask when things go wrong is "Why?". We all want some answers why some things happened differently and not the way we want it to be. I admit sometimes I can't avoid to ask God why He let it happen when He knew that it is not what I want. There was also a point in my life that I even questioned His existence. But lucky for me because I have a wonderful family whom I can always rely on...loved ones who are always there to help me be emotionally and spiritually strong again.

Now I can boldly say that my faith is a lot stronger than before (but still not enough to move a mountain!). I learned to trust God and be patient to wait for His perfect time. I want things to happen according to His will and not mine. And those moments when it seems things are getting out of hand I knew that He is up to something...and that 'something' is surely a very special one prepared just for me :)

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall...

While browsing the web I found this very interesting psychological tool - Johari Window. It is commonly use to assess how well an individual can relate to others. Try it and see how well you knew your self :)

Known to others and known to self
Most of the people I knew consider me a quiet and introvert person and I absolutely agree with them. I don't like to talk too much and whenever I have some time to unwind I prefer to stay home. My definition of fun and enjoyment - to stay home and read a good book while enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee (puwede na din ang instant...hehehe) with matching slice of a scrumptious chocolate cake!

Known to others and not known to self
Some say that I am snobbish, very reserve and serious. But the truth is I am not. I maybe serious but only when it comes to making a decision. Maybe because I am a homebody type of person and I am quiet that's why some thought I am reserve. Snobbish...definitely not! I have a very bad eyesight thus I can't recognise a person from a far but that doesn't mean I am unfriendly.

Not known to others and known to self
I am a great observer and a clown. Ask my mother and she will surely agree ;)

Not known to others and not known to self
Duh...of course I don't have a clue!

A Beautiful Prayer...

Oh creator of all things, help me. For this day I go
out into the world naked and alone, and without
your hand to guide me I will wander far from the
path which leads to success and happiness.

I ask not for gold or garments or even opportunities
equal to my ability; instead, guide me so that I
may acquire ability equal to my opportunities.

You have taught the lion and the eagle how to hunt
and prosper with teeth and claw. Teach me how to
hunt with words and prosper with love so that I
may be a lion among men and an eagle in the market place.

Help me to remain humble through obstacles and failures;
yet hide not from mine eyes the prize that
will come with victory.

Assign me tasks to which others have failed; yet
guide me to pluck the seeds of success from their failures.
Confront me with fears that will temper
my spirit; yet endow me with courage to laugh at my misgivings,

Spare me sufficient days to reach my goals; yet
help me to live this day as though it be my last.

Guide me in my words that they may bear fruit;
yet silence me from gossip that none be maligned.

Discipline me in the habit of trying and trying again;
yet show me the way to make use of the law of averages.
Favor me with alertness to recognize opportunity;
yet endow me with patience which will concentrate my strength.

Bathe me in good habits that the bad ones may
drown; yet grant me compassion for weaknesses in others.
Suffer me to know that all things shall pass;
yet help me to count my blessings of today.

Expose me to hate so it not be stranger;
yet fill my cup with love to turn strangers into friends.

But all these things be only if thy will.
I am a small and lonely grape clutching the vine yet
thou hast made me different from all others.
Verily, there must be a special place for me.
Guide me. Help me. Show me the way.

Let me become all you planned for me when my
seed was planted and selected by you to sprout
in the vineyard of the world.

~ The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino ~