Quick Breakfast

I chanced upon Weekend Snapshot as I was blog hopping yesterday. Since I love taking pictures, the point and shoot kind, I joined this photo meme. Some participants I recognize in the weekly Photo Hunt too. Don't we just love taking pictures of just about anything? Definitely. :)


Normally the family takes breakfast at home but I had a quick breakfast last Sunday at McDonald's while waiting for my daughter from her Sunday worship service. I only eat at McDonald's when I'm left with no other choice. McDonald's has a very good drive thru service and that's a plus point for this burger chain. But then there are only three food servings from this fastfood restaurant that I order, not necessarily all at the same time - sundae hot fudge, quarter pounder (but this one will soon be off my list), and the picture I posted, longganisa (native pork sausage) with scrambled egg.

Check out other snapshots here.

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Mood: Sleepy.
Music: Lisa Loeb, Stay

A Scrapbook, a Sheep and an Afternoon Snack

I spent two hours on the internet for some good finds. I downloaded around seven zip files for my digital scrapbook templates and kits. I am immensely enjoying it. It's not as easy as I thought it would be. There are tons of revisions until I am finally satisfied with what I am able to produce.

To make my life easier in my first attempt in digital scrapbooking, I used the templates from Shabby Princess' site. No sweat! That is the first picture to your left when reading this post. That's my daughter with the mirror to her back that's why you're seeing double. :) The picture on the right I did from scratch. Nothing magnificent but well, I had my first piece. That's my daughter again reading her Amelia book taken at Five Cows after our movie date. :D


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My daughter is currently a great fan of Shaun the Sheep. I have not watched this yet so I couldn't relate when she keeps on telling me about it while waiting for the start of the movie, Bratz. It's shown in the Philippines at Disney Channel, 5:30 PM. I am still at the office at that time.

I did a little research on it. The website looks cute. I learned from Wikipedia that Shaun the Sheep has an inquisitive, mischievous nature which distinguishes him from the other sheep, and leads him into tricky situations from which he usually recovers. He is popular, and is a natural leader. He is also a moral character who will try to "make things right".

That sounds good. This animated series has no dialogue but only sheep sounds. Like my daughter puts it, it's a "silent movie, only "meee". I'm off to You Tube now to check this out.

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I decided to have a half-day last Friday at the office to have a movie date with my daughter. We had our snack at Five Cows. I enjoyed their aglio olio. The mix of olive oil and garlic are just perfect to my taste. No aftertaste. My daughter had her cookie fudge. It's tall and looks really appetizing. My daughter said it's good. Proof is she consumed it all. I find the smoker's cake cute so I ordered it. It's just a chocolate ice cream with graham crackers as base. Lots of marshmallows on top which look like cigarette butts hence the name of the cake. I guess what is lacking is a creamier ice cream for my not so-ice-creamy taste buds. :)

Being Grounded

I can't help but notice one of my unit managers when she walked towards me to greet me. Nice hair...no, great hair. I asked her if she had it permed. She had it layered and she spends time to set it and blow dry it before leaving her house. She has a well proportioned body even then but she still lost a lot of weight looking at her. Looks really good on her. She had just given birth to her nth child, she's in her late 30s, and I know she is having personal and professional concerns at this point. Looking at her, I was asking myself, is this the one beseech by problems? I am amazed. She can still manage to glow in the middle of a pending decision that might cause her her job for some issues about proper implementation of SOPs and people management.

I was fixing myself up in the powder room when she came in. As we have some small conversation about the weather, I was observing her. She puts on her make-up elaborately but effortlessly. She was putting on her mascara when she was telling me how their sales performance is very much affected by the erratic weather. That unlike in Manila, if it rains, the malls benefit, etcetera. I wanted to stop her from giving me all these updates. #1, I know all about their report. #2, we were in the powder room and doing her make-up and relaying a report just do not match (it's not like we're talking about our next spa appointment or next trip to the mall). #3, I wanted to ask her how she does it.

How can she manage to look fabulous in spite of her major personal and professional concerns? I may have questions on her work attitude and people handling but I admire the part of her which seems to be undaunted in the face of what could be life-changing situations. Her perks, her hefty salary will go kaput and our decision on her case could put a dent on her career. Maybe deep inside she's really hurting and worried. My point is she carries them very well. Maybe she is still the biatch that everyone says she is but looking good and projecting a confident stance amidst uncertainty are the things which I admire about her character.

Life goes on and a chapter could end, another one will definitely start. Go girl, but please play your cards well.

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I was having small conversation with our newly hired Regional Manager about how she's doing so far. Though she still has a lot of things to learn in terms of the company's culture, I admire her energy! She's a mom of two and has a provincial assignment. Since we are in the middle of a big project in her region, her schedule is so full that she spends 90% of her time in North Luzon. Her farthest area is a twelve hour drive from Manila. She was telling me she left the other night and it was really raining hard. The mother in me was touched.

Ever since I started working, even during my college days when I had a part time job, I don't like leaving the house at night to go to work. I had a stint in a fast food chain as one of their crews. During our training days, I had a three-night schedule but I did not attend any of them. I forgot what alibi I said but the real reason was I don't like leaving home at night. Night time means I should be home within the comforts of our home, with my family, having dinner with them and watching television and then sleep. Maybe this is a peculiarity but it makes me sad to leave home at night.

As a mother, the thought that after a day's work I will go home to my daughter and have dinner with her, go over her lessons and tuck her to bed are the most comforting thoughts. It greatly balances my day.

I have been in the leadership position for a couple of years. I have my mentors and I thank them for sharing their knowledge with me. But the things that inspire me most I see from the people I work with everyday. The people who do the nitty gritty of the job are the people that motivates me. I get inspired by the strength of character I see and feel in most of them. That is why I enjoy having casual conversation with the people in the department. I get to have a peek of their personalities, their character, their beliefs. They help keep me grounded.

Indulge

Work load both at home and at the office test my patience these days. We're in the middle of corporate planning for 2008 and it's my daughter's first trimester examinations. I take a leave at the office whenever she has scheduled major exams, to guide her on three subjects which require a great deal of time to review - Math, Science and Sibika (Araling Panlipunan). I get stressed when I feel my daughter is starting to get stressed studying all these. But I try my best to hide what I am feeling. The reason why I am just a room or a few feet away from her while she is studying is to give her moral support. A stressed out mother is not what she needs. I let her rest, I comfort her, I motivate her. So how am I?

I can feel tell tale signs of being stressed. It's a roller coaster ride actually. I try to control them. I give in, I rant though I murmur things only to myself just to release my anxieties at least for the moment. And then I try my best to compose myself again. Think positive thoughts after releasing toxic thoughts.

What is that song which tells us to think of our favorite things and then we don't feel so bad? Let me think chocolates then! Chocolate cakes specifically. They are just so appetizing. Even a simple presentation makes me salivate so I try them - a cake with thick chocolate icing no matter how plain the presentation is wet my appetite. But what's ironic is I cannot even consume a regular slice of cake. But I love tasting them and looking at them. They look so delicious. I have to say there are some chocolate cakes which looks so promising but I was disappointed upon having a bite.


A few months ago, my husband mentioned a cake house and a dining place he watched on television. He said I will definitely want to try it from the name alone. The cake shop is called In Love with Sweets (and their sister restaurant which serve full meals is called Salt and Pepper which I will post about one of these days). It's located in Rufino St., Makati City. The cake above served as our dessert. It's huge. We were not able to finish it off. It tastes fine but nothing to rave about. I guess what is lacking is the soft and tender chiffon one should experience at the first bite. Since it's been months, I forgot the name and the price. I am not good in names really.


This one I can definitely recommend to someone who loves chocolate cakes. It's decadent chocolate which is my favorite among all chocolate cakes. It's always a treat for me and my daughter to go to Fully Booked at The Block (SM North Edsa) because after happily indulging ourselves on our latest book finds, we have our dessert at the bookstore's restaurant, Press Cafe. It's small, almost bare but it's clean and it's very convenient for their customers. It's a great time for me and my daughter to talk about the books we bought while relaxing our feet and share our chocolate cake and pasta.


I dropped by Trinoma today at lunch time before heading home with one thing on mind. I know it would be a challenging study time for me and my daughter. I have to have something that will help lighten my daughter's mood while in the middle of reviewing.

I have to bring her some cheese rolls from Mary Grace. And since I am there already, I bought their famous brownies and why not try their chocolate cake? I bought a slice for myself. I am the only chocolate person in the family if I may say that. The cheese rolls made my daughter's day. I have to say the chocolate cake is good too with its thick caramel filling. But the best is still the brownies.

The whole afternoon and evening were spent reviewing, and in between - taking a rest, dipping our fingers on the icing and the cheese. These things helped lighten our day. So maybe I will always try to make it simple and subscribe to the idea that "Chemically speaking, chocolate is really the world's perfect food"***.

***The Emperors of Chocolate

Dirty

In my recent trip to Bicol going to Cagsawa Ruins, I witnessed the mudflow which devastated the town of Daraga, a province of Albay. Typhoon Reming hit the province late last year. A few houses still stood there but half buried in the mud slide. A small river made Cagsawa Ruins accessible only by foot. One has to cross a wooden improvised bridge to get to the other side.


As dirty as it gets. I thought we were in the middle of a quarry. Mud flow devastated this once beautiful greenery. Can you even imagine that?

Walking to the ruins, a couple of young boys and a young girl followed us offering some photos of Mayon Volcano. They also serve as tourist guides for people visiting the place. I was surprised with the extent of knowledge they have about Cagsawa considering their ages - maybe 14 to 15 year olds. One can't help but listen to them as they articulate the history of the place. Obviously they have been well trained but the way they spoke matter-of-factly makes one give time to listen to the statistics they site - how many houses and bodies are buried where, how a number of families were miraculously saved seeking refuge at the nearby museum. At least their efforts are commendable.

The children also offers their services as your official photographer. They are well versed in using digital cameras and how to create an illusion that you are holding a big rock, embracing the church and giving you a triple background of the church, of Mayon Volcano and the religious statue near the entrance. We had fun taking pictures. I did not actually buy any of their photos but gave them a tip for being such great hosts. One even accompanied me to buy souvenir shirts and helped me in asking for a discount. ;)


The Stone Carver

The children also introduced us to a stone carver. Enteng Bato (Enteng, The Rock), as this man is called, now earns a living by doing some sculptures from stones spewed by Mayon Volcano. I learned that his first sculpture was an image of Jesus Christ which unfortunately was washed away by a flash flood.


Cagsawa Ruins

I was hoping to take a picture of Mayon Volcano which earned the title The World's Most Perfect Cone. But the clouds did not cooperate. Folk lore has it that Mayon Volcano breathe life, that even after more than forty eruptions to date, it goes back to its original perfect shape. It regenerates.

Based on history books, when the volcano erupted in 1814, more than a thousand people run towards the church to escape the lava flow. Unfortunately, the fiery flow buried and engulfed the church. Only the bell tower remained which is shown in the picture above. To this day, it stands as one of the main tourist attractions of the Bicol region.

Tag: PhotoHunt

I'll be out this afternoon. I'll be back later to continue my usual rounds of photo hunters. Am always excited to check on others' take on the theme.

Randomness

There are just some days (or nights) that you feel lazy just because. This is one of those days (or nights) that I feel lazy just because.

What to do, what to do. Nothing. Lazy mode on. Just blog. While the television is on. I don't even bother to look at what's on. The husband is playing Generals with earphones stuck in his ears. He still plays that in these times of DotA. Though he's a Need for Speed geek too. The daughter is sleeping in her room.

Lazy thoughts here. I'm looking at my dvd of Prison Break. Maybe I'll watch an episode. I need to watch Wentworth Miller. They said in PB forums that it might take a whole season before it's finally shown here in the Philippines. Eeewww! But then there's peer to peer sharing which will be very useful once PB3 is aired late September in the US. Hello torrent.

In an unrelated story, I tried downloading Joost the other day but the file was corrupted in the middle of downloading. I did not bother to continue because it said in the dialogue box that one possible reason could be a virus. So far the PC is working fine.

I'm currently reading H. Murakami's Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman - 24 short stories. Some of the stories I've gone over I find weird and gross with his standard deadpan humor. Murakami never fails to excite me. So maybe I am weird and gross too deep inside. I reread his books, there are some pages that I go back to because I want to savor his words, the way he describe emotions moves me. I am a member of the Murakami cult. One thing about him is he never explains his stories, there is no attempt to do so. Everything remains a mystery.

Page 341, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

Between the end of that strange summer and the approach of winter, my life went on without change. Each day would dawn without incident and end as it had begun. It rained a lot in September. October had several
warm, sweaty days. Apart from the weather, there was hardly anything to distinguish one day from the next. I worked at concentrating my attention on the real and useful. I would go to the pool almost everyday for a long swim, take walks, make myself three meals.

But even so, every now and then, I would feel a violent stab of loneliness. The very water I drank, the very air I breathed, would feel like long, sharp needles. The pages of a book in my hands would take on the threatening metallic gleam of razor blades. I could hear the roots of loneliness creeping through me when the world was hushed at 4 o'clock in the morning.

How can he be so good translating emotions into words.

Anyway, while I am typing this, as usual I am multitasking. I was browsing on some cartoon sites and landed on this site. It made me laugh.



And some food for your thoughts too like this one.

To the Land of Pili Nuts and Back

I was out of town for several days for a business trip. Since I've been traveling for years already, one would think I am so used to it by now. Somehow I am but there are still "interventions" I do to make my time away from my family more bearable. I have "concocted" plans to make me feel at ease while I will be away for some days and not directly managing the household. I have provided myself three major checklists - pre, during and post activities.

Pre-trip activities include two things: checking the school work of my daughter for the next days that I will be out. If there are major projects for submission, I note them down so I can call her about them and ask how she's doing. I also plan the menu. I make sure everything is on the refrigerator before I leave.

The previous years my list is up to the minutest details but I have to give credit to hubby and daughter and our help. They are able, functioning human beings, as my husband says it perfectly. There is no need to detail everything. Don't sweat the small stuff. Of course, of course. :D For one thing, my husband and I see to it that our schedules complement. We cannot have trips at the same time. That's a cardinal rule.

While I'm away, I call at least three times a day and text several times a day just because. Calling my daughter recharges me. There are nights I find it hard to sleep when I am alone in the hotel room so I also bring the book I am currently reading. Hitting two birds with one stone, I catch up on my reading and it makes me fall asleep faster. I used to bring a cd player (when iPod was still unheard of)/iPod because there are times I want to listen to the music I prefer. But I stopped doing this especially if I am with my team. Instead, I take the opportunity to have some conversation with them during long trips. It used to be that after updates and work related talks while on the way to our destination , I put on my music player. It's worth talking to the people I work with about other things that interests them than plug earphones in my ears.

Needless to say I bring my camera. Even during my pre-blogging years, I am already a picture buff. There are two of us at the department who are snapshot queens. I guess too it runs in the family. I remember an uncle always keep rolls of films so he can take pictures whenever he feels like it. Also, if time permits, while I'm in a certain place, I check out local dining places and their native delicacies. I am so Pinoy - I buy t-shirts and souvenirs the place is famous for.

The post-trip includes mentally accounting how much excess my cell phone bill incurred this time. ;) During the last day of the trip, I can't wait to be back home. I look forward to going home with all my "loots" for my family and friends at the office and having a really good rest. Normally after my trip, I spend a few days off from the office. I eagerly anticipate this. I have things on my mind what I will do together with my daughter - go to the mall, buy her some books, watch our favorite shows, those things.

Some of the goods I got when I was in Naga City and Legazpi City, both in Camarines Sur, Bicol. Pili - the number one commodity of Bicolandia. If I remember my social studies right, pili only grows in the Philippines. I was told the pili nut which is coated with honey tastes better than pili glazed with sugar. How to know if it's honey, it's easier to separate one pili from another. The pili nuts do not stick much.

There are loads of goodies with pili nuts I was able to buy. Luckily, the owner gave us discount and gave us side stories about their products. I bought pili jam which is a very good filling for very hot pan de sal (Filipino bread roll). Remember when we were kids (hello, late twenties and above), we usually have latik (jam) for our breakfast.

Of course, there is pili tart which is a good give away for colleagues and officemates for their dessert. Also the pili pudding which is a mixture of mashed potato, ground pili, butter, milk and sugar. I'm loving the polvoron though as I have always loved this product since I was a child. There are variants - chocolate, pinipig, cashew, etcetera. I like mine simple - toasted flour with butter and milk.

Will I ever leave Bicol without bringing home their famous laing (taro leaves with coconut milk) and Bicol express with its pork bits, hot chili pepper and coconut cream. The hubby loves them with steaming rice! When I am finally home, I set aside work. This is a pact I made to myself for more than a year now. I have been to a work-related trip already. There is no need to carry it back home but I see to it that there are no major concerns hanging. Updates from the team are fine. I have learned to delegate.

I got back last Saturday night after a gruelling traffic at South Luzon Expressway. So far the daughter and the hubby have been enjoying the different pili products and the hubby is feasting on the laing. :)