welcome to my wacky world!!!

me: (testing kuya) kuya do you know what to do in case i collapse and dad is not here?
kuya: yeah ate you call 000 and ask for an ambulance, cedric call dad and i will administer cpr.
me: no need for a cpr kuya...
kuya: but mum the school taught us how to do cpr. it's a waste of skills if i cannot apply it...
me: ok. kuya do you know what to do if someone is choking?
kuya: yes.
me: even if a dog chokes?
cedric: mum that's easy.if a dog is choking get a gun if you have one and shoot it...
me:ah....
cedric: mum what am i good at?
ate: making stories and cruelty to animals.

Kapamilya or Kapuso?

Back in the Philippines, I seldom watched local TV shows. But after living in another country for more than a decade, I realized how much I miss the shows aired only in my home country :)

There are several local TV networks in the Philippines. The most popular ones are the channel 2 (Kapamilya) and 7 (Kapuso) in which you can also subscribe if you are in abroad. Our household have tried both networks. They are good but of course have their pros and cons.

Most of the actors and actresses I knew back home are from the Kapamilya Network (a.k.a TFC or ABS-CBN). They offer heaps of soap operas that can make you laugh, cry and sometimes go insane ;) My favorites are the MMK, SNN and The Buzz. However, with so many actors and actresses in this network, those who are my favorites often have less exposure. I also noticed that some soap operas lost its substance in the long run. The more they tried to make it perfect and beautiful the more it becomes dragging and eventually boring. Take for example the Lovers in Paris, this was the reason why I decided to subscribe with TFC. The beginning was great but its ending was very disappointing.

On the other hand, my husband prefers the Kapuso network or GMA. He still can't get over with the Eat Bulaga and Bubble Gang which were already being aired when I was still young. I only knew a few of the actors and actresses of GMA that's why I am not too keen when we switched to this network. But as the saying goes, expect the unexpected, it turned out that the shows offered by GMA are heaps better and always something to look forward to compared to their rival network.

Simplicity is beauty...if you asked me to describe each network in one word Kapamilya is elegant and Kapuso is simple :)

Thinking to Drive?

One of the things I learned after living in another country for more than a decade is that driving is essential, especially if you have kids. Being a novice when it comes to cars, its parts and how to look after it, any input from friends and work colleagues is truly a blessing. Of course, I also do my own research about the best quality and low-maintenance cars that are available in the market nowadays.

Fortunately, I came across this site which gives you ideas about cars, Dallas Auto Repair. This is somewhat like an Auto Encyclopedia which is very useful for beginners like me. It contains handy tips and helpful information from insurance to car brakes.

The Dallas Auto Repair site also has a column for Car Info which contains informative reviews of different car brands and models, from everybody's favorite Honda to the infamous Chevrolet.

Trim and Proper

A big beautiful house with spacious kitchen and dining area that overlooks to a large, flowery and green garden...this used to be my dream house when I was still young. But living in a foreign land with no relatives around and juggling motherhood and work, I rather settle for a small and low maintenance place.

The house that we rented, before we moved to our own place, has a huge front and back yard. The house itself was not really difficult to maintain but the outside was a nightmare! With grasses everywhere and big lawn to tidy up, a good mower was a MUST.

Nowadays, it is so easy and hassle free to shop for a good and high-quality mowers via on-line. The question now is what site to check and mower brand to select. While surfing the net, I came across these two brands of mowers both with positive reviews; Ariens and Gravely Zero. To those people with big lawns, having a good quality mower is a necessity especially if you live a very busy and hectic life.

Whatever the future may hold...

On December this year we will be celebrating our 13th Wedding Anniversary. Time goes by really fast...It feels like it was only yesterday when me and my husband exchanged vows.

Married life is not easy. In fact it is full of surprises and obstacles. We have been through many rough times, especially our first 5 years. Glad to say we surpassed them somehow :) The saying "it takes two to tango" perfectly applies to married couples. Marriage is a two-way process. If you want it to work, you have to cooperate with each other.

It is not only love that will keep two people together. Constant prayers and making God the center of your lives are also important factors that contribute to a successful relationship. A priest once told me that if you want to have a successful relationship, you must learn how to love unconditionally. We can't expect our partner to be perfect and we cannot tell him/her to change the things that we dislike from that person. The priest also told me that it is wrong to only think of what can make me happy. I have to be selfless. I have to put my kids' feelings first before mine. And what enlightened me most was when he said that God did not ask me to change in order for Him to love me. God loves me for who I am and He does not expect anything in return from me. So I have no right to tell my husband that I will only accept and love him if he will change for me...of course physical abuse and infidelity is another story ;)

Oh well that was many years ago...I am just happy that before I made my decision , I solicited advises from the experts. Prayers truly make wonders and that is something I am 100% sure of. To my husband thank you for being so understanding and patient...rest assured I will love you and be there for you no matter what the future holds for us :)

What I learned today (2)

Today I learned to never give up and put my trust in GOD... :)

My Other Mum...

I still remember what Mommy (my father's mum) told me when I was in my last year in highschool. She said to me that if I am confused or unsure of what to do I have to stop, pray and ask for guidance. She also told me to never forget to pray to the Mother of Perpetual Help for assistance. Since then I keep in mind her advice.

Very seldom that people who are closed to me will notice if something bothers me. Very seldom also that I will tell others what's on my mind. My solution to the problems I had encountered and will be encountering is prayer. Like what Mommy told me , I stop, preempt all the things in my mind and pray. And when things are really getting out of hand I say a novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help. Whether it was a coincidence or meant to happen, almost all the things that I prayed to Mama Mary were answered. Of course it did not happen in my time but in God's perfect time :)

I'm forever thankful to my parents and grandparents especially to my grandmothers for introducing Jesus' mother to me and my siblings. Many may not understand what I believed in. But one thing is for sure, I am spiritually happy and complete :)

Bonding Time

Back then in NZ we used to sleep in 1 bedroom...daddy and baby in the double bed...me, kuya and ate in the bunk bed. Since we are all in 1 bedroom, the night was always filled with laughter and giggles, songs and stories :)

Fast forward, the kids now sleep in their own bedroom except the youngest who claimed our bedroom as HIS bedroom ;) Anyway, last Friday my kids asked me if they can sleep in the living room to watched the opening of the World Cup 2010. Since the following day is a no-school day I gave in to their appeal. Of course, I have to sleep with them to make sure that they will not stay-up too late. Even though it's too cold to sleep in the living room we did enjoy sleeping together again...a truly special family bonding moment :)

Who's responsible?

I was so annoyed of the blue team's leader at today's Master Chef challenge. When they were asked to choose who amongst the 7 of them should go to the elimination round, the team leader has no guts to volunteer himself. Yes, he did his best but at the end of it all he is still the one responsible for the outcome of his team's action.

The scenario above is similar to a ship that's about to sink. It is the norm that the captain should be the last person to get out of the vessel. That is what leadership means...being responsible.

The blue team's leader proves that he only cares for himself and that his mind is already set to bringing home the Master Chef title. I agree we all are after for something. However, in every competition we need to keep in mind that ability can take us to the top but it is always the character that will keep us there.

Reflection

Our puppy had its first haircut today. The groomer said that for a first-timer he's a well-behaved and smart dog. To think that we have not send him to a dog school yet, his comment made me very proud of our puppy and of course of myself being its master :)

Anyway, while our dog is being groomed we talked about other dogs that he had previously groomed. He mentioned that he once groomed a Maltese and it bit him. This really surprised me because I thought that Maltese dogs are gentle and do not bite. I asked him how come a Maltese dog bites? And this is what he replied, "All dogs bite. If a dog has angry owners expect that the dog will be snappy and difficult to handle. The dog reflects its owner. A happy dog means it has a happy owner. It's like having children, your kids reflect what kind of parent you are". And so this explains why our puppy is well-behaved and smart...it reflects as clear as a crystal it's owner...ME...hehehe ;)

Chelsea

It's truly amazing to experience having a pet that you can play with and cuddle. Our first pets were two fish which we named Tim and Tam and gave them to our friend when we left New Zealand. Here in Adelaide my youngest son asked me if he could get another fish for a pet, so I got him another pair and named them Salt and Pepper. Before we moved to our own place the two fish died, Pepper first then Salt followed.

Middle of last year, my daughter asked me if she could get a puppy for a Christmas present and I refused because having a dog as a pet here in Australia is very expensive. So I suggested some alternatives to her and we both agreed that I will get her a small animal such as a hamster or a guinea pig.

It was the 16th of October 2009, while waiting for my kids' class to finish I decided to drop by to a pet shop close to my children's school. And it was in there that I saw a 9 weeks old female guinea pig whose fur is different from the rest. She has a black, long and curly fur, just like a poodle's fur! She was so tamed and I fell in love with her at that very moment. The kids were also very excited to see her although at first they wanted a male one because the name that they had in mind is for a male guinea pig. It was my youngest son who suggested that we call our new pet Chelsea.

At first, Chelsea was scared of us. She froze when she hears our voices but later on, she become accustomed to us. She knew mine and my daughter's voices very well (some people said that guinea pigs have poor eyesight but very good hearing). Whenever we call her she runs immediately to her cage door and will let us pat her. She likes being cuddled and loves having a bath. She loves lettuce, eggplant and grapes leaves and carrots with the skin peeled off! She is also very gentle to small kids...a truly adorable little creature!

My daughter once told me that she wish that Chelsea will stay with us for a longer time...one, two or five years will do. But sad to say we only had her for almost 2 and a half months. She left us last Wednesday, 30th of December 2009. Others may find it odd, but I cried heaps when I found her dead.

She may be small but the joy that Chelsea gave to us was so enormous...