The White Rose Award!

Thanks to Pat for this! I appreciate it! :)

What can I say about white roses? I think anything white signifies only one thing… purity. It’s a great indication of one’s sincerity and good intentions.

title change...

I have changed the title of my blog. Thanks to Abby for the idea! This was how she referred to my blog from the start and I just find it more personal so I'm stealing it (if that's alright with Abby?!).

The GIANTS won!

NY Giants... CHAMPIONS of the XLII Super Bowl!!!

I never enjoyed watching sports till last night. It was breathtaking! The "Giants" fought till the end. I still couldn't believe it! At first, I was even saying I would bet for the Patriots who were unbeaten for the last 18 playoffs. I know it's a shame but in fairness, they are really good in football so I thought the "Giants" couldn't really win. But I was wrong... the "Giants" proved it and made all New Yorkers happy!

8 things I am grateful for...

a tag from Caryl...

1. good health
2. a loving and caring husband
3. a family who stays together
4. work
5. vacation in “Pinas”
6. thoughtful friends
7. having the “means” to help others
8. being blessed with so many more

Christmas Tag!

Somehow I’m having a problem copying and pasting the original post of Caryl. I don’t want to re-type the whole thing so I’ll just copy Caryl’s personal definition of Christmas.

Rule:
Make a paragraph or two regarding your personal meaning of Christmas below the paragraph of the one who tagged you and you may put your name at the end of the paragraph linking back to your blog or right to the post of this particular tag. Then you tag as many as you can.

Christmas is annual festive that celebrates the birth of Christ with the tradition of gift giving and celebrating the day with the whole family. - A Mother’s Horizon

It is the season of giving, commemorating Jesus’ birth and the best time for family and friends to get together. - It’s All About Me!

"Ninang" tag!

... and another one!

This meme was created to remind us “Ninongs” and “Ninangs” the number of our godchildren and our responsibility towards them as they grow and mature as better Christians. Here are the rules:
• List all the names of your godchildren
• Tag at least 5 bloggers
• Update the Tag Train

The following are the ones that I can remember:
Kyle
Aldrin
Jonathan
Pia
JR
Janice’s, Lerma’s and Lyn’s daughters (sorry I can’t remember their names)

The Tag Train Started Here - Bluepanjeet - Joy - Scarty - Yen - Peachy – Abie - Kitts – Irmee - Faye - "You" {you put your link here}

Tag for New Year!

another one from Ate Irmee...

Here’s the rule: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

1. What color do you like most? White
2. If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one? I Love you
3. Where is the place that you want to go the most? Europe
4. Which part of you that you hate the most? My tummy
5. When you encounter a sad moment, what would you do? Eat
6. What are you afraid to lose the most? Family
7. If you win $1 million, what would you do? Buy a house, invest, and share some of it to my family
8. What do you loved the most last year (2007)? “Pinas” vacation
9. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you. sweet, creative and thoughtful
10. What is your new yrs resolution for your behalf? To be fit physically
11. Till now, what is the moment that you regret the most? Been in the US for almost 6 years and I haven’t pursued getting a CPA license.
12. Which type of person do you hate the most? Phony
13. What is your ambition? Travel
14. If you had one wish what would you wish for? Baby
15. How did you celebrate new year? We went to Tita Gie’s house.
16. It is already 2008, do you have a new year’s resolution? Save more. And I want to look more presentable by making sure that I always fix my hair and put a little make up.
17. What do you look forward to in 2008? “GC”
18. What is the only thing you've done in 2007 that you wish won't happen again on 2008? Shopped too much
19. Describe year 2007 in one word. Content
20. What is one thing/gadget you can’t live without? Computer

I can’t think of a question so I just answered Ate Irmee’s # 20…

Name Tag

This one is from Ate Irmee!

F : People wild and crazy adore you
A : Gorgeous
Y : Loved by everyone
E : deeply in love with his/her gf/bf

What a great description of my name huh! :)

Name Meaning Here:

A: Gorgeous
B: Loves people
C: Really easy to fall in love with
D: Is great in bed
E: deeply in love with his/her gf/bf
F: People wild and crazy adore you
G: Never let people tell you what to do
H:Freakin’ beautiful eyes
I: Loves to laugh
J: Makes people laugh
K: Really silly
L: BEST SMILE
M: Makes dating fun
N: Sexy
O: Has one of the best personalities ever
P: Popular with all types of people
Q: A hypocrite
R: Good bf/gf
S: Lives life for fun
T: Great kisser
U: Gets blamed for everything
V: Not judgmental
W: Very broad minded
X: Never let people tell you what to do
Y: Loved by everyone
Z: Lives life for fun

airline experience!

I would like to share with you our airline experience/s but I’m going to make this some sort of a “blind item”…

Our tickets were purchased 8 months prior to the scheduled departure just so we could avail of the (I thought cheapER) price. This airline is cheaper by $360 per person compared to (my “fave”) Korean Airlines. We thought that this is kind of a significant amount to sacrifice. $360 x 2 for both me and IFC can just be added to our pocket money.

The question is “what kind of service did we really get?” Let me just enumerate some specific instances…

1. I-94 is usually surrendered whenever you leave the US. The attendant (upon check in) just said “Whatever you want! I’ll take it it’s up to you!” It’s not that I’m expecting everyone to know everything but I think in this case, he should not to mention that he also asked someone else. And guess what? We were questioned by the immigration officer at the port of entry why we still have it.
2. No english newspaper
3. The plane had an unpleasant smell.
4. No toothbrush and toothpaste in the lavatories
5. All flights that we took had some delays considering that the weather was in good condition.
6. IFC was coughing really bad during the flight back. I asked for a bottled water but the stewardess said they don’t have any. I told her “My husband is coughing… are you expecting us to keep asking you for a cup of water?” Her reply? “Next time you can just bring an empty bottle of water.” Great! How can they have no bottled water? They have 1st class passengers. I would have been pleased had she told me I’ll have to pay for it. Not only that! I saw her gave one to a Chinese in the same row we were seated.
7. They only offered water for all those times that they were not serving meals. I’ve been to other airlines which offered nuts or even bananas at those instances.
8. It was also the 1st time for me to have had something like this for breakfast on a flight. And since IFC was coughing, his throat was dry that he didn’t want to have that. I requested for noodles. That same stewardess in #6 said “they’re already given out”. 2things… 1) I saw her gave a cup to a Chinese seated behind the person I mentioned in #6; and 2) I saw one box under a seat near the lavatory with 1 cup still there. And these happened after I asked. What the hell! Argh!

Hmmm… what else? Well, these are all I could think of so far. Overall, I’ll give them a 2 out of 10 and that 2 points is only because they’re price was cheaper. Hmp!

recollection of sorts

I know this is long overdue... and please, bear with me if this is some sort of jumping from one topic to another. Another post will be made for our “airline experience”.

Anyway, we had a big storm (as mentioned in an earlier post) the day before our flight. We were so worried that we might have some delays or worst, cancellations. Thank goodness the sun came out! :)

The plane landed around 1020AM and we were cleared at the immigration in just half an hour. It felt good being “home” again. And you can definitely tell as it was very hot that we were sweating like crazy. IFC started sniffing and sneezing (allergic rhinitis which he doesn’t have here) as soon as we got out of the airport. His parents and sister was waving… his mom crying with joy as they approached us. But my family was no where in sight and my brother Adoy wasn’t picking up his phone when I called. I just started feeling annoyed! It wasn’t that long and I saw Papa and Mama walking towards us. I was just happy to see them. We had a quick stop at Duty Free and bought some chocolates, cookies, cigar and liquor.

Lunch was at Seaside, Mall of Asia. What a nice way to start our vacation! Different kinds of grilled seafood in front of us! Oh I missed that tuna belly! It was just full of fun… everyone was all smiles. We were so loud for all you know it! One funny thing was we didn’t have the appetite to eat because of the hot weather! But hey, sweating like a dog is really an effective way to lose weight! I mean we’ve eaten salad for almost 3 months but I don’t remember ever dropping the pounds. So much about that… I’m also glad they liked our “pasalubongs”. And if ever you’re wondering, I didn’t have any jetlag but not with IFC! He was actually asleep during the day and awake at night for the 1st 2 days at least.

IFC and I were mostly at our respective parents’ houses. We separated upon arrival which was earlier agreed on the fact that our vacation was only for 2 weeks.

I had my 1st taste of Jollibee when Daighne and I went to see Tita Aba in Marikina the next day. Hmmm… if only I could eat everything at once! :) I also got a Starbucks 2008 planner without having to complete the stickers required. Thanks to my cousin Gail!

Nanay stayed with me in San Andres till Christmas. IFC even made me feel guilty saying I asked Nanay to stay and yet I’m always out! I think Nanay was ok. I just made sure I was home come night time. Of course I didn’t forget to visit Tatay at the cemetery. IFC and I were off to Laur on 12/21 which happened to be Tatay’s 10th death anniversary. Tito Erik cooked grilled bangus and “tiim” as requested by IFC.

I did see some of IFC’s friends/former officemates from CBC Paranaque. We also visited “Ninong” Anson and “Ninang” Nene at their shop who in turn invited us for dinner that same day at Saisaki Restaurant in Alabang Town Center.

Tita Necie has prepared “merienda” for us (different kinds of “kakanin”! Oh I love that embutido with “pandesal”) when we paid a visit. She also asked Kuya Louie to get us some sweet delicacies.

It was also nice to have spent time with my friends from Castrol.

1st round: Lunch at Max’s on 12/20 with Mars, Ernie, Ruby, Fhatty and Dudes. Vel and Jing later joined us.
2nd round: Lunch at Italianni’s on 12/22. Vel, Joey (thanks for arranging that!), Daisy (with her son Sean), Jing, Noel, and Dudes (with hubby Chris and son Bo) were all there. To Daisy and Dudes… I really enjoyed your kids! They are so cute!
3rd round: Lunch at BP office on 12/27. Thanks guys for the promo items…Ruby for the planner, Fhat for the vintage shirts and Badoodles for the mugs. Yey! :)

We also had a fun day at EK! It was a perfect time of bonding with our siblings. I may have not enjoyed the rides (since I can’t anyway) but I had fun taking pictures.

Ate Irmee even suggested that we go to Sonya’s Garden but believe it or not, it rained during midday… the exact time that we originally planned on going. We had lunch at Barrio Fiesta instead.

Christmas celebration was great too! I was at Pilar for lunch. Mommy’s barbeque is really the best! IFC was counting how many sticks I had. Dinner was at San Andres. It was some sort of Christmas cum Reunion celebration. Many relatives came but it could have been better if everyone made it.

There were actually so many things that we wanted to do or could have done if not only for that short time that we had. It was literally like meeting different groups of people almost everyday. The kids… Miggy, Daighne, Kyle and my cousins were just all fun to be with! I exceedingly enjoyed the company of our family… which also left me thinking why we haven’t done these things before! Anyhow, we still tried our best and made the most of our trip. I guess it’s going to be another 2 years (minimum) for us to go back there…

Give me the enthusiasm to blog! Please!!! Please!!! Please!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

"Pinas" adventures!

Christmas in Pilar

Family Reunion

happy times with family & friends

@ Tito Paqui's house

The Fort

EK

"Dampa"

bpocp

Story to follow...

it's a little "hot" here!

I'm finally here in "Pinas". We arrived yesterday... had lunch with the whole family including IFC's at "Dampa". This place is well known for great selection of seafoods. The weather is kind of uncomfortable though. I never had jetlag whenever I travel but I was having such a bad headache yesterday PM. I had a good night sleep. It was cooler this AM when I woke at 5. Yes that early! :) But an hour hasn't even passed and I'm starting to have head pains again. Oh I will have to deal with this for the next 2 weeks but it's ok! I'm still glad to be here!

wishing for a "nicer" weather tomorrow!

We have a big storm coming around noon today. The forecast said it’s going to be a “wintry mix”… snow, sleet and rain. It has started actually. I can hear the sound of the sleets as they hit the window. I’ve been keeping track of tomorrow’s weather forecast. It’s supposed to be the only nice day of the week a few days ago but now seems like we’re also getting few snow showers tomorrow. I hope it doesn’t get worse than that. I don’t want to delay our trip to the Philippines. We’ve waited long enough for that!

5 things to look back tag!

Got this from Ate Irmee...

instruction:***
1. posts 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. the posts have to relate to the 5 key words given below.
2. tag 5 other friends to do this. try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.
3. don’t forget to read the archived post and leave comments.

link 1 must be about family - "Nanay" as I call my grandma…
link 2 must be about friend – be happy, Malu!
link 3 must be about yourself – my 2007 birthday!
link 4 must be about your love – It’s been 2 years!

Feel free to tag yourself... :)

8 more days... and counting!

I have not updated this blog lately. I’m too busy at work aside from the fact that we’re leaving for the Philippines next week. I just can’t wait! IFC and I are just excited… even the people back home. I’m sure our Christmas this year will be full of fun knowing we’ll be with our families and friends.

damaged after being washed

We went shopping with Manang Fely’s family last Saturday at Tanger Outlet. I badly need pairs of jeans as I can’t fit into my old ones anymore. It’ll be great to have sweat pants too (since winter is almost here) I thought. Anyway, I was able to get those.

I also got a knit sweater from DKNY which was damaged after being washed. It has become a habit for me to wash new clothes before wearing them. Even the label says “machine wash cold” so I didn’t have 2nd thoughts of throwing it in the machine. I was so disappointed that my money was wasted for something I haven’t even worn. Tita Laling suggested that I call the customer service. She said sometimes they accept returns without the tag so long as I explain it to them. I did call them and I am just happy that they are going to take back the item for an exchange or possibly a refund.

Tag from Caryl

5 Things Found In My Bag
- wallet
- umbrella
- keys
- cellphone
- lip balm/tissue/hand sanitizer

5 Things Found In My Wallet
- credit cards
- driver’s license
- atm card
- some cash… bills & coins
- receipts

5 Things Found In My Room
- bed
- closets
- laptop
- side table
- mother & child image

5 Things I’ve Always Wanted To Do
- photography
- digital scrap booking
- culinary arts
- travel
- bar tending

5 Things I’m Currently Into
- learning photography
- holiday preps (cards & gifts)
- will try to make a cheese cake
- Blogging
- packing for “Pinas” trip

5 People to Tag for This Meme
you, you, you, you and you!

my two good friends...

L-R: Tima & Bibay

childish?!

I threw a tantrum yesterday because I wanted to go see the tree at Rockefeller Center… only to find out that it won’t be ready till Thanksgiving Day. *Toink* I feel bad for IFC though. Hehehe.

CR-V wanted!

We’ve been planning to buy a new car. We always end up saying it’s not really a necessity for now not to mention the fact that new cars are very expensive. Nevertheless, we still check out for deals from car dealers regularly. IFC has been thinking of buying a CR-V so he specifically said the other night to get a Honda Car Quote. I found this website where they give you 2 quotes on the spot for free. They will help you find the best car for you from the specific model down to the auto insurance. It even gives you some tips on how to maintain your car like oil change which doesn’t have to necessarily be done at a service shop. This will definitely be a big help for us to save some money.

moved back!

While the office renovation is not yet finished, we finally moved back to our room. It’s much brighter and really looks spacious. I’m definitely more comfortable now and can actually concentrate better with work.

Tutorial Help

Kids nowadays are so engrossed with computer games, going out with friends, etc. It’s not that they’re not interested in school but they just need some extra help especially if both parents are working. My cousin (who is 14 years of age) for instance, is very impatient when it comes to Math. I told my Aunt there’s a lot Math Tutors out there who can really help… and for a fact that most kids tend to like the subject.

Liberty... for the 3rd time!

I went to the Statue of Liberty yesterday with Ate Bebeth. I made the reservation online just so we could go in the monument. There were many people in line as usual. Security check was tight and the wind was freezing too. Glad it was sunny which kind of helped ease the cold weather. We were there almost the whole day. I had a barbeque pork sandwich for lunch which was ok. We also went to Ellis Island and… that was it!

new "toy"

As per my previous post, here are some pictures of the Nikon D40x that we purchased recently...

I still have to read the manual though. And I know there many things to learn. :)

digital photography

I have been using a digital camera for some time now. I remember my 1st one being kind of thick and heavy. It is the most practical way. Just imagine if you have a film camera… you still have to scan them one by one so you could e-mail them to family and friends. Digital photography is way much convenient that you have the pictures at an instant. And with the fast changing technology, they’re getting better and better. I used to be happy with the compact digital camera until I realized I should start learning different techniques. This will only be possible with a DSLR. I’m glad IFC agreed and so we bought a Nikon D40x last Sunday. I haven’t played around with it as I just received the SD card today. I have to learn a lot of things. I have always been fascinated with a picture where the background is blurred. Also, the quality is superb.

I have also been thinking of digital picture frames. This is also a great idea of seeing more pictures at once not to mention that you can easily change the pictures stored in it. I see quite a lot of good deals for this from many stores. I wish someone could think of this as a Christmas gift for me. Haha!

not so "well"

The office is undergoing renovation since last week. I would say I was fine at 1st but it's already been 2 days that I'm feeling sick. I always get dizzy. My back neck hurts and I feel like throwing up. *sigh*

Real Estate

My aunt has been encouraging us to buy a house. She asked me if we are already settled here in NY. I told her IFC prefers a suburban area… some place where it’s more of residential and most importantly, cozy. I, on the other hand, don’t really care as long as the state still has 4 seasons. I think a Real Estate in Maryland isn’t a bad idea at all!

I find “DRodio’s” website really useful. They actually offer a lot of pertinent information on buying or even selling a house. And you can also have access to real estates in Virginia and Washington DC. There are many cities to choose from. This site offers video tutorials that would really help you before you jump into that biggest decision of your life. In all honesty, I sometimes hesitate to go through a realtor. More often than not, they just show you what they want you to buy. But this one seems different in a way that they will try to help you at your best interest. You, as the customer, are still in control. There is nothing more I could ask for!

we need to relax too!

Our apartment needed some fixing again so I took the day off on Friday. I also did the laundry and cleaning so we were kind of relaxed on Saturday and Sunday. IFC just had to go to a friend’s birthday but we literally stayed home the whole day yesterday. We just need to do this at times you know.

credit history

Lately, we’ve been using our credit cards a lot for our spending. We’ve been buying gifts for our trip to the Philippines. And suddenly I asked myself… what if we can’t pay all of those?! A good credit rating is very important in the US. And I definitely don’t want to ruin mine.

I was browsing the net this morning for bad credit loans and found a website which helps people get back to their feet. I could actually apply for a new credit card in case the need arises. I have quite a few to choose from. More importantly, they will help you regardless of your credit history.

"date" with Ate Bebeth

We had lunch with Ate Bebeth (who’s actually in town for a vacation) at Olive Garden in Times Square yesterday. I also met her older sister, Ate Aida who’s been in NY since the 80s. After lunch, we went to see the Brooklyn Bridge where we took some pictures (since it was also our 1st time to go there). We also took her to Ground Zero. She didn’t get to see much as they already took out those picture frames showing what happened during 9-11. That was actually it! We parted ways at 5pm or so.

More pictures here…

Tag

Tag from Caryl…

1. What’s your favorite color? - White

2. What’s your favorite quote? – Live life to the fullest.

3. Favorite television show? - Prison Break

4. What part of the chicken is your favorite? - Thigh

5. When you get a cold or the flu are you tough or a big baby? - Both

6. Are you more serious or a big dork? – Both

7. Use one word to describe how you are feeling right now. - Bored

8. Name your worst habit. - Pricking blackheads

9. Name a book that you could read over and over again. – None

10. Are you a collector of anything? – I have a lot of shoes if that qualifies.

11. What’s one of your favorite blogs to read? - Pinoy Expats

12. Name one thing you are passionate about. - Computer

I’m tagging YOU!

Have fun!

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mall explosion

I just don’t understand why many people do evil things. There was an explosion (which they suspect was a bomb) on the ground floor of Glorietta 2 in Makati at around 130pm, Friday. 8 people were killed and 129 others hurt. I have sent a text message to Mama but no reply yet. I just want to make sure no one from my family got hurt or involved in any other way.

really tired!

IFC and I have been really tired these days. As mentioned in my previous post, we’ve spent the last weekend in NJ. We decided to just send “balikbayan” boxes (one for each family) so we won’t have too much to bring on our trip. We started packing Monday night and finished last night. The earliest that we went to bed for the past 3 nights was 1200am. I feel bad for IFC as he gets up an hour and a half earlier than me. Anyway, the boxes will be picked up on Sunday but we have to go to NJ again tomorrow night. *sigh*

Costco

Costco definitely offers more affordable prices compared to the regular stores. It’s just that they come in bulk. We wanted to finish our “pasalubong” so we could send it via cargo services. I wouldn’t want to have a lot of things with me during the trip.

And so we asked Tita Gie the favor to take us there. I already prepared a list of what to buy but we just went over board when we got there. There were so many things that we want to buy for the family. Bottom line is we went way over the budget. IFC and I were so overwhelmed about it that up to now I feel like I’m worried or something. Oh well!

La Communidad de Zamboanga

Natives from Zamboanga City (where my mother is from) celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar (city patroness) annually. So this year, we were invited by Tita Gie.

It started off with a mass. Messages from the city politicians were addressed before dinner was served. Food was good except for the “buko pandan” which I think had some vanilla syrup in it. Then, there was the dancing… or should I say “line dancing” which Filipinos here basically enjoy.

I must admit though that it wasn’t really fun compared to the 1st time I attended such. We went home with Tita Gie to NJ and stayed overnight.

Riodizio

We went Riodizio (a Brazilian Restaurant) for the company dinner on Friday. They offer a fixed-price (which is not so expensive) continuous tableside service. Salads and starters among others are in a buffet table. Then they have this sort of like a cup holder where one side is green and the other is red. This gives the signal if you’re ready for the meat to be served or not. Servers go from one table to another with different kinds of meat (sirloin, plank steak, sausage, rib eye, etc.) in skewers.

Overall, the service was great and the food tasted really good that I went home so full.

Funny or Embarrassing?!

I remember when I first came in the US I stayed at Tita Laling’s in Massachusetts. And since I was new here, I wasn’t really familiar with the coins. I mean which one is the “dime” or the “penny”. Identifying a “quarter” was a no-brainer. To cut my story short, Tita Laling practiced me on how to count US coins faster before I moved to NY. Oh and she even brought me to the Laundromat so I could be familiar with the machines.

How funny huh? Or should I say embarrassing?!

Caryl loves my blog!

Thank you for this Caryl!

Going back to when I started blogging, I was just as ecstatic as you could imagine exploring everything to have a nice-looking blog. I also used to stay so late till I’m dead-tired. I would always make sure the thought of each sentence is complete. Blogging is important for me as it helps me keep in touch with family and friends. It’s my own space where I can share my thoughts on anything.

I must admit though that lately I don’t have patience anymore to keep on changing my skin. And I tend to cut the sentences short or should I say I use only phrases sometimes. Despite all these, I’m really happy that I still have frequent visitors.

Anyway, here are some of the sites I visit often… and like Caryl, I may not leave comments or shout-outs all the time but rest assured, I regularly visit your blogs for updates.

Abby
Caryl
Gracita
Marj
Pao

Weekend in MA

Tita Gie has been inviting us to go to Tita Laling in Massachusetts since August. I told her IFC will have a surgery so maybe we could go on the weekend after that as he will still be resting then. Anyway, Tita Gie made a last minute decision on Thursday, Sept. 27th that she’ll drive. So we went to NJ on Friday and by 730pm we were already on the road. Tita Gie accidentally took the wrong way and we didn’t know how to get back. She asked IFC to drive instead as it was already dark. To cut it short, we arrived in MA at exactly 1145pm.

Come Saturday, we went to Longhorn for a late lunch. I was also able to practice a little driving at the Clubhouse. But most of the day was spent eating and “karaoke” singing.

We went to attend a mass on Sunday. And went to Sholan Farms for the apple picking. It was IFC’s 1st time and we really had fun. We headed back home around 330pm.

The stay in MA may have been short but I’m still so happy we were able to visit Tita Laling. It’s been 9 months since we last went there.

pictures here…

IFC's surgery

IFC had a “varicose seal” surgery last Wednesday, Sept. 26th at the LIJ Hospital. It was just a 30 minute procedure… considered minor so we were also able to go home that same day. The nurses were all very nice and efficient. The facility is very clean and doesn’t even smell (like the typical hospital). Over-all, the service was excellent!

It was just kind of weird for me… the feeling that I was waiting in the lobby and suddenly, the doctor comes out uttering… “Mrs. Castillo! Mrs. Castillo!” Why? 1) I’ve never experienced such; and 2) I’m not yet using IFC’s last name. And imagine the way most Americans speak… fast and slang. In short, I didn’t get everything that he said. And when I reiterated some of them, he just said: “Don’t worry the nurse will go over it with you again in case you forgot what I said!” Yikes!

pictures here…

It's been 2 years!

How time really flies! It’s already been 2 years since we got hitched. But having said that, I’m still like an ordinary woman always reminiscing her very “big” day. Everything is so fresh and if I could just do it over again, I definitely will!

Anyway, I have to say that I am so blessed for having IFC as my husband. I may have said this before but I think he is the most understanding person I ever met. He very much know how to deal with my “so easy to get annoyed” attitude. And most of all, I am thankful for his unending love and support.

Happy 2nd wedding anniversary ‘Theart! Thank you for everything! I love you! Mwah!

An Empire State Love...

- Victor’s (former co-worker) wedding yesterday
- Held at Sheraton Hotel, Flushing
- No traditional Chinese wedding ceremony (wish I experienced this not to mention I wanted to see their Chinese wedding dresses)
- Bride changed gowns 3x
- Met new people (including Victor’s online gaming friends from Canada)
- So much food
* appetizer: a platter of roast pork, chicken and beef; breaded shrimp with walnuts in cream sauce; and scallops with veggies
* chicken soup
* main courses: fried chicken with prawn crackers; steak; lobster; steamed fish, lo-mein and fried rice
* desserts: red beans and dates in a warm sweet kind of soup; cake; and fruits such as grapes, raspberries, pineapple, cantaloupe and honeydew
* drinks: tea, red wine, soda
- Rice and noodles always the last ones to be served (kind of weird for me as we're used to having rice with something else and not just the rice alone)
- Bouquet throwing done one time for both single ladies and gents
- Parents join the newlyweds as they go from one table to another for a toast
- Picture taking with the newlyweds takes place on your way out (the bride holding a tray full of candies)
- Couple going to Spain for their honeymoon (How’s that huh!)

Anyway, congratulations and best wishes to you and Kelly!

jolly good!!!

This is rather late…

Anyway, IFC has received his EAD. This is really good news for him as he can now work legally in the US not to mention that he is now eligible to apply for Social Security #. He went to the SSA office on August 27th and received the card a week later.

And since we’re going for a vacation in the Philippines this Christmas, he said he’ll start looking for a job January next year. We are just so happy that things are getting better for us.

trying hardER

We are so desperate to lose some weight and we only have 3 months to do that. Why 3 months? Well we do not want to hear people say… “ang taba mo!” so we have to drop the pounds before we go for a vacation in the Philippines. *sigh*

So what are we doing to achieve our goal?
- The other night, we walked a total of 4 miles. That took us an hour. Not that bad huh?! We could have walked more… only if we have time though. I wish we have more time but we also need to rest especially IFC. I’m actually surprised I didn’t even feel tired or soreness in my legs. We plan to do this maybe 3x a week.

- Cereals for breakfast, cold-cut sandwich or the usual Filipino food for lunch and oatmeal for dinner. All three meals are with fruits. Sometimes we treat ourselves with something heavier for breakfast like ham/bacon/sausage with egg sandwich.

- Fruits (mostly) for snacks or nothing at all.

- We will have ice cream once in a while and 2 pieces max of bite-size chocolates like this in one eating.

That would be it for now. I wish I could do some exercise on the days that we’re not “walking”. Yeah… why not!

grrrrr @#$%@#$%

Why can’t some people follow rules? Yeah there is a so-called “exception” to the rule but if it happens all the time, it’s extremely annoying!!! Then they would think it is ok… just ok to do that!

on the contrary...

- I'm lucky to have a loving and caring husband

- being thousands of miles apart from family improved our relationship… made us close (not to mention my mom now being vocal on how she loves and misses me)

- having a decent job enables me to help family/relatives in times of need

- I'm healthy (well aside from my “allergy” which I have no control of)

- 3 months (or so) to go for our Philippine vacation

let me whine a little...

- 50s & 60s temp during the summer (not to mention wearing a sweater or a light jacket);

- Been raining a lot lately;

- Perennial rhinitis (spring is long over and I still have allergy attacks which gave my Internist the conclusion that it’s a year round kind of allergy);

- Gained 10 lbs in 4 months… total of 23 lbs in 29 months (so freaking hard to lose it);

- Grown out of my clothes (which means I need to buy new ones… bigger ones! IFC is right that instead of me going back to my original shape, I let the clothes adjust on me. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! )

- Gave up wishing for a smoother and clear skin (I guess it just can’t adapt to the US environment and climate)

- Been getting bad reception for the TV (which made us subscribe to “DVDs by mail”... added expense! *sigh*)

- Drinking coffee regularly (which I didn’t do before)

6 weird things about me!

I’ve been tagged by Dionne…

[Each player of this game starts with 6 weird things about themselves. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well and state the rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog]

• I like pricking blackheads. I just can’t resist it every time I see a black spot on my face. The effect? It leaves dark marks which take forever to come off.
• I’m a neat freak. I always want things to be organized. If I’m at home, I just couldn’t stop from keeping things together. I get so irritated if my surrounding is messy.
• My eyes get bigger (whether I’m happy, excited or upset) when I talk. I think it’s a habit that I developed when I was still young. The only downside of it is that sometimes I get misinterpreted by it. :)
• I hate okra. I eat “saluyot” (vegetable that’s kind of slimy when cooked), well known in the north, but I don’t know why I can’t eat okra.
• I can’t sleep well on a house or hotel that I’ve been to for the 1st time during the 1st night. Part of my previous job was traveling. I always had a hard time getting sleep during the 1st night.
• I really don't know how to say it but I sleep with my feet extended beyond the edge of the bed.

Consider yourself tagged!

MEANEST of the means!!!

IFC has been craving for “dimsum” for the last 2 weeks and so we went to Chinatown yesterday. So funny we had to travel that far just for that! Anyway, we dined in at Wonton Garden (this is where we always go) and ordered sui mai (known as siomai in the Philippines), roast pork bun (or siopao), sweet and sour pork chops and pan fried noodles with beef stew and vegetables. We really enjoyed the food and it definitely satisfied the cravings. I asked for a 2nd cup of tea while waiting for my turn to go to the restroom.

Until… one guy came and asked… “finished?” I just said we already have the check. And so he walked away. A few minutes later, he came back and asked the same thing again… this time with a comment like… “There are a lot of people waiting outside”. IFC got really upset and said, “We also waited!” I also uttered, “And I’m still drinking my tea!” He walked away shaking his head.

IFC being furious and all, took the tip that we were supposed to leave on the table, headed towards the door, kind of throwing the money on the cashier’s table, and walked out. He said “I’m not going to eat there ever again!”

Where is the so-called customer service huh?!

inappropriate?!

We went to a funeral last night. My co-worker’s (the one who gives me a ride home) father died. While it was IFC’s first time to have attended such, it was also my 1st time to have seen a traditional Korean funeral service. They spoke in their language. We didn’t even comprehend anything of what were said. We were there to pay respect anyway. IFC felt so out of place as he was only wearing jeans and white shirt and most people were wearing a black coat. I told him my co-worker would understand as he just came from work. I'm sure my co-worker has appreciated seeing us. I understand his position though...

i'm sick like a dog!

I could live with the hot and humid weather but having a cold with body pains and headache is a nightmare. At 1st I thought it was just my allergy but when I started feeling like I'm over-fatigue, I knew I’m catching a cold. IFC and I have been sick for 3 days now. And it’s just so freaking hard to deal with. *Sigh*

"Celeste"

I can't think of a better title...

Celeste is Papa’s cousin whom I don’t remember having met before. She’s mostly known as “Chillet” on my side of the family. Notice why I call her by her 1st name?! She doesn’t want me to call her “Aunt”. She said she feels like she’s too old for that. Anyway, it was her husband Bob’s 53rd birthday last Saturday. There were 16 people invited but only 9 (including us) made it. We just brought a Merlot wine that was recommended by the liquor store owner. She prepared really good food… beef caldereta (“probinsya” style), chicken adobo sa gata, chicken bulgogi (Korean dish), enchilada, lasagna, menudo, creamed spinach, chicken alfredo (without the noodles) and the best of all, blueberry cheesecake! We had fun though we only stayed for 2 hours.

Here are some pictures from the party…

TagS...

...from Caryl…

#1
The Rules: “Each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people and then visits those peoples’ sites and comments letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do.”

There you have it. And here are eight things about me:
1. I’ve been in the US since 2002. I was able to visit the Philippines in 2005 when I got married and that was it! I just miss “home”…

2. I miss my old job in Castrol. It was really fun meeting different people everyday. I also traveled a lot back then. I was given a great opportunity to prove myself by doing presentations and conducting seminars. Thanks to Marivel!

3. I always take photos of foods that we eat ever since I started blogging.

4. I now eat carrots, celery and cucumber like crazy… meaning I have them as a snack unlike before that I only eat them when they’re mixed in some other food.

5. Computer and telephone are my 2 great friends ever since I came to this country.

6. I am a VERY transparent person. I say what I want to say and show my emotions which I must admit are offensive sometimes.

7. I gained 20 lbs since IFC joined me here and it’s so freaking hard to lose them.

8. I love sweets. It doesn’t “really” matter if the main course is not good as long as the sweets are superb.

Please tag yourself for fun…

#2
Two names you go by: Faye, Pepay
Two things you are wearing right now: shirt and pants
Two things you want in a relationship: trust and love
Two of your favorite things to do: eat and eat
Two things you want very badly at this moment: new laptop and iphone
Two pets you have had: none
Two people who will fill this out: Aou and Gracita
Two things you did last night: cooked dinner and prepared IFC’s clothes for today
Two people who live at your house: me and IFC
Two things you ate today: chicken sandwich and Korean pastry
Two people you talked to last: just IFC
Two things you are going to do tomorrow: work and cook (again)
Two longest car rides: Manila to Vigan and Manila to Laur
Two favorite holidays: Christmas and Independence Day
Two favorite drink: raspberry iced tea and café mocha from Starbucks

my 2007 birthday!

I just turned 33 (yesterday)… not getting any younger... but happy. I am so blessed with such a loving husband, family and of course real friends. There wasn’t really any grand celebration, IFC and I just went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

lobster tail


14 oz ribeye with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and fresh steamed veggies


no rules pasta


tassie's buffalo strips


raspberry iced tea


outback's loaf bread starter with butter



Gift from IFC…




What more could I ask for, almost everyone remembered my special day! I got phone calls from Aou (also spoke with her husband Dun and my niece Daighne), Mama & Papa, Tito Ariel, Tita Baby Evelyn, Tita Laling and Tita Gie. I also got birthday greetings through friendster, text messages and emails from families and friends...

Hi faye! Wishing you a happy birthday. May ur wishes b granted. God bless! Take care.

Ellen

***

Happy Birthday!

Malu

***

my friend!
Happy, Happy Birthday to you!
kumusta na?
God Bless!

Pat, Sheh,Nui and Nina

***

happy b-day classmate...
GOD BLESS YOU....

Aristotle

***

Hey Pepay

Maligayang Kaarawan sa iyo. Many more to come. Painom ka!!! Regards to your hubby. Ingats

Umlas/Marnie

***

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST!

DAHLIA

***

happy birthday faye..!

our warmest regards...

dick and Elena

***

Happy Birthday, Faye!!! :)

God bless.
Weng

***

wish you all the best!!!!

have a wonderful birthday...

love yah,
caryl

***

happy birthday!!!!

Jane

***

Hi, Ate Faye!

Fionna: Knock knock
Ate Faye: Who's there?
Fionna: Honda
Ate Faye: Honda who?

Fionna: Honda-ran dan dan!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to you!

I pray na lagi ka maging safe, healthy and happy with kuya irvin.
God bless.

Love,
Fionna : )

***

Happy Birthday Faye!

Hope that all's well.

Take care.

Regards
Herbert

***

Happy Birthday! Wishing you more blessings. Enjoy & happy 4th as well.

Regards,
Tzie

***

MALIGAYANG BATI! :)

Adoy

***

Wish u all d best on ur b’day! Khpon p bnbngit ni na2y n bday mo today ok na cya ngaun check up nya uli sa ktpusan. Rgds to irvin.

Tito Paqui

***

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & WISHING U SUCCESS, take care. Regards 2 irvin. PRAY & TNK GOD 4 D GIFT OF LIFE

Papa

***

Sup dude? Hapi bday… ingat kyo dyan…

Mickey

***

Hapi birthday po :)

Glen, Hazzel and kids

***

Hapi bday pepay! May d Lord richly bless u n ur fam alwyz!

Ella

***

Hi Faye,

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Many happy returns!!! Take Care!!!

Best Regards,

Lito Castillo

***

hi!!!!..happy berday po!!!!...churi po, di kta nabati nng tumawag kaw....
ehehehe..muah muah!
GOD BLESS

Sha-sha

***

Happy natal day Faye ! Have an awesome one !

Cielo

***

hallo faye.happy happy birthday to you.more to come,happiness.good health and good luck.may all your wishes come true 

tita baby

hello geburtstag kind!!!!
HAPPY HAPPY BITRHDAY TO YOU!
May you have a wonderful day.

titababy and raphael

***

Dear Faye:

"Happy Birthday To Faye " 05/07/2007
God Bless U

Love Tito Toni/Tita Winnie/Johana/Erika/Mahendra

***

Hi Faye!!!!

happy happy birthday!!! ayan tama lang ang greetings ko ha, ngayon pa lang July 5 dyan sa New york, hehehe....

hope you have a blast.. more birthdays to come...

greetings from us:
roland, caryl and Migs

***

Hi Faye,
Happy Birthday to you my friend. May the blessing of our Lord be with you today and everyday.
We miss you...

Penny Lagrimas

***

Happy Bday Pepot! Tara Lunch tayo libre ka namin...

Fatima

***

Happy Birthday, Faye….. Wishing you all the best!
Jeng

***

Happy birthday Faye !!

Hope to see you soon..

Thank you and Warm regards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
Sarah Joy M. Villaor

***

Hi Pepay! Happy Sweet 16th Bday!

Dapat nagla-lunch together tayo pag merong me bday satin, kahit pa nasa abroad, para me excuse tayong mag-lunch out. KKB para fair =). What about next week, July 10? Try natin ung Earl's Deli dyan sa may Columns...sarap na sarap sila sa paninda nito e. Me dine in area naman daw sya.

Cheers,
Dudes

***

Happy birthday Faye and belated happy birthday to Jonel...grabe 1 year lang pala ang tanda ni Faye sa akin....akala ko mas bata siya kay Kris Aquino......

Joey

***

Faye, happy 40th bday...

Cheers,
Rommel

***

Happy Birthday, Pepay!

Ruby

***

hey,

how have you been? dropping by quickly to say hello and happy birthday, of course. hope things are cool on your end. reagrds to irvin and hoping that family life for the two of you is great.

take care. have fun ;)

aileen

***

hello ate!!! july 5 n d2 ngyn...HAPI BDAY!!! Ingat and enjoy ur Outback..hehe!!

Aou

***

FAYE,

Happy Birthday, girl!!! May your life be filled with
joy, laughter and good health.

Wasn't able to send you greetings via snail mail, 'coz
I forgot to buy a card. tsk! tsk! With age, comes
forgetfulness. ...

Regards to Irvin.

Song

***

Hello Faye,

All the very best to you on your birthday Faye and Happy 4th of July na rin.

Malu

***

happy bday faye!! hope all is good with you.

Rachel

***

dear faye,

happy birthday!! wishing u only the very best and all the happiness this world can bring to u and ur family.

God Bless..

regards,

Indira

***

and to you too, Faye. Wow, pang ilang birthday mo na
ba dyan? See you soon ha, we'll have a blast pag uwi
mo sa Manila... Have a great birthday!

Marivel

***

Dear Faye

I wonder what's cooking for your birthday. Any plans since it's also a day after the holiday?

I hope you'll have a fun day. Share pictures ha.

Love you, miss you mwah mwah mwah....

Irmee

***

Pepay!

Birthday mo na. He he matanda ka na. How are you? Heard you're comin home for Christmas. Wow good for you. Cge nga uwi ka reunion ulit tayo. I am now working with Vel. Ok naman ang work , pati mga tao. Just like old Castrol days, parang isang maliit na pamilya. Maybe that's the reason why Vel fit in.

So how are you celebrating your birthday? Siyempre special, ikaw pa.

Take care,

Jing

tagged!

A tag from Litzie!

1. Food you hate - Okra!
2. Fruits you hate – Not that I know of…
3. Veggies that you hate – Okra nga eh! :)
4. Celebrities or people that you hate – P_ _is _ i l _ o _ & Jes_ _ c_ S_ _ _ _ _ _
5. Event/Incident/Situation that you hate – Late-comers
6. TV Shows or Movies that you hate - I can’t think of anything right now. In the 1st place, I can live without TV.
7. Type of Music that you hate - Heavy Metal just like Litzie.
8. Household chore that you hate – Washing clothes by hand.
9. Things you hate about the world - Corruption and Poverty. If I only have the resources to help everyone…
10.Things that you hate about yourself - I easily get annoyed.

I won't tag anyone but if you want to do it just for fun, consider yourself tagged. :)

"drenched"

We had a really bad storm yesterday. It was pouring and the wind was just unbelievable that my umbrella was useless. I just had to cross the bridge to take the bus (right after I got off my co-worker’s car) and it left me soaked. I was literally wet from head to toe not to mention including my “undergarments”. It was the 1st time I experienced that in this country… ever.

IFC called me around 841PM to tell me that the subway was down. He was at VanWyck Expressway and he didn’t know which bus to take. I told him to look for Queens Boulevard then I could guide him. But then I remembered it’ll be easier (I thought so) to just go to Sutphin which is nearer and take the Q43. The problem was there was a long line and no bus was coming. And that’s the only bus that he can take there going to our area. He decided to walk 24 blocks just so he could have more choices. Poor him! Well, he got home at exactly 957PM.

Here’s a related article courtesy of abcnews:

Severe weather leaves Tri-State in a mess
Flooded roadways, Transit problems, Airport delays & Power outages

(New York - WABC, June 28, 2007) - Heavy rain and powerful thunderstorms ripped through the area on Wednesday night causing heavy flooding throughout the tri-state area, especially Queens and creating a transit mess.

Powerful thunderstorms swamped roads and train tracks, tore down tree branches and knocked out power in parts of the city. Cars were stalled on flooded roadways in Queens, including the northbound Van Wyck Expressway, Grand Central Parkway and Jackie Robinson Parkway.

Long Island also took quite a beating from the thunder storms.

Read the full article here.

Excuses for not blogging...

1. There is something weird in my blogspot account for quite some time now. I can’t see my shout box when other readers can. I still have to go to my shout box account to retrieve the messages. Sometimes I also don’t see the links on the side but if I click the refresh button, it works. There are also instances that when I open it, you can literally see a "philips screw driver" and a "spanner"... that when you click the image, it says this:

Page Not Found

The requested URL was not found on this server. Please visit the Blogger homepage or the Blogger Knowledge Base for further assistance.

Notice the new template? I changed it thinking that it will correct the errors but it didn’t. I already asked Caryl, who said that everything seems to be working fine after she did some tests.

2. I ran out of topics. And even if I want to, I couldn’t come up with “good” titles for what I like to blog. I just feel like my mind is so stagnant these days maybe because there is too much going on in it.

3. I’m slowly losing the enthusiasm to blog. Hopefully I won’t lose it completely?! This is the best way so far for families and friends to get updates about me… us!

it's a girl "thing"

Did you ever experience something that you were so embarrassed about?! Not that it happened in front of other people but… simply because you were caught in a situation that you don’t know what to do unless someone gives you a hand!

Well, I had my most embarrassing experience (as far as I can remember so far) yesterday. I’m not going to specify it but just look at my post’s title and maybe you can figure it out. I made a total mess of myself that I had to ask a co-worker to take me to the mall to get this, this (in solid colors), this and this (in white). I really had a total makeover!

Thanks for being my savior Zaida! :)