For the Car Novice

With just few more hours of driving lessons to complete, I’m now getting excited to get my “P” license. Most people I knew are encouraging me to have my own car once I received my ‘P’ license. Of course, deciding what model of car to buy is not an easy task for me, considering that I am a novice when it comes to cars. Luckily, there are now plenty of websites that provide car reviews and information.

One of the sites that I found very useful is the RepairPal. The site contains helpful and informative reviews about different car models, tips about how to repair a car and plenty of helpful hints for a beginner like me.

Another thing I like about this site is the Q&A section. This is found under the ‘Car Info’ tab. It contains useful tips and advices about cars from the RepairPal community.

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... :)