Thursday, November 5, 2009

One Fine Day

When nature commands the sun to showers us tenderly with her splendid rays of yellow;  when she summons the wind to generously blow a gentle breeze, what else is there to do but to go outdoors and be one with her?









Trying hard to get at the ball, at all cost...



This is a hilarious pic of R sitting on the ball.  After successfully getting the ball from his big sis, nothing would make him let go of it...



And where do we find B, in the middle of this all?  Uncharacteristically, just watching from the sideline...


This is one day I would want to happen again soon...
Share

Monday, November 2, 2009

Bookshelf For A Song


I just wanted to share with you my happiness over finding a new bookshelf.  I did not want to invest so much in it, like the way I did with the custom-made desk and hutch.  I bought this at S&R for a song, practically.  While I see the hardwood desk staying with me forever, this new bookshelf will be with us only temporarily as C and I seem to suffer from bibliophilia. :)  Hence, I predict a need for a new one to house the growing collection in the near future. 

After 10 years of marriage, this is the first time that we will be consolidating our library.  There are still a lot of books in our individual bookshelves, but I am tired from moving books already so they will have to stay where they are till I find the time and energy to move them.




Here are some of C's selections:

 
Some of my favorite books:

Kulinarya ( A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine) is my preferred reading material at the moment.  Food styling is done by one of my favorite creative persons, Claude Tayag.  He is not only a fellow Cabalen, but a talented food/travel columnist, as well.

J’s favorite book in my library:

 "If you truly love a book, you should sleep with it, write in it, read aloud from it, and fill its pages with muffin crumbs."

Share

Busy November


November is a good and busy month for both running and soccer. There are a lot of running events the whole month of November, but I just made a short list of those that I am considering to join:  the 7th Animo LaSalle Run, the 2009 Timex Run, and the Race and Shine Charity Run for Autism.

The Animo La Salle Run holds a special place in my heart as the event that started my enthusiasm for running. However, the DLSU Run at the MOA and the Timex Run at the Fort are scheduled on the same day; I am biased to run at the Fort, owing to the better race route and scenery. In addition, with Rio at the helm of the Timex event, it is sure to be more organized.







If we decide to join Timex, it will be another back-breaking, leg-splitting and mind-numbing day for us as it coincides, once again, with J's soccer tournament. In the same breath, let me also mention that J and her teammates are looking forward to compete in the Alaska Football Cup, the RIFA tournament, and the Xavier Football Cup.

The Alaska Football Cup is happening on the second weekend of November. It is the biggest and most prestigious amateur football tournament in the country. The event has become even more exciting as the 2008 winning girls team got the chance to participate in the renowned Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden this year.

The phase 2 of the Rizal Football Association (RIFA) tournament will also be held middle this month.  


The 2009 RIFA Tournament Phase 1 (Midgets division) 2nd Runner-Up
Share

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A New Pet for Mei-Ya












Lately, my young ones are inspired to take up writing as well. None more evident than B's seemingly mad obsession with writing short stories. She would cut out paper and bind them together with a staple wire to make a book. She would write, illustrate and color her work; and when done, she'd run to me and present her "work". I can only encourage her creative musings by patiently helping her out with difficult words she cannot spell on her own and endlessly listening to her read the stories out loud to me.

Just the other day, after school, while we were walking to the car, she excitedly told me that she brought one of her short stories to her teacher. She had asked her teacher to forward her work to the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper



To B's creativeness, I say: "Nurture it! Protect it! Let it run wild! That's all you ever need!"

A New Pet for Mei-Ya
written 2009 by a little girl who just turned 6.
She loves to write short stories.


Hi!  My name is Mei-Ya.  I am 5 years old.
















I like gardening.  I like apples and bananas. 


 





She doesn't like leaves because green is not her favorite color.










She wants to have a pet.







Her mother said "no," because she is too young.










The next morning. . .













Her Older Brother said," I want a pet."






Her mom said, "yes."








 His mommy brought home a rabbit.










They put the rabbit in a cage.










Mei-Ya and her brother take care of it.










The End.





Share

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Oh! The Places You Will Go...

A few months back, I was searching for a multi-purpose, all-occasion bag that would fit my always-on-the-go lifestyle as a mom to three active kids. I have since found a perfectly functional and fashionably ferosh Coach bag. However, this post is not about that bag. It is apropos to my complete roundabout about another bag.
It is indeed ironic that about a month after I disapproved of the ubiquitous Longchamp for reasons specified here, I got one as a gift – an exact replica of this one.

I have been using the bag for three weeks now; and let me just say that I am a convert.

The bag is nothing fancy to look at, but its beauty is, without doubt, the kind that grows on the owner. The longer I used it, I gradually began to appreciate it and gave it a second look as I became conscious that it remained as light as feather, notwithstanding the fact that I’ve put my entire house in.

I am now humbly made aware that the bag’s lightweight material, which I previously found “insufferable”, is what makes it so endearing to many, particularly to pack-rats like myself.

The adorable factor increases even more as I take it around with me and discover its chameleon-like versatility to fit in its surroundings.

Off to have a Japanese lunch with friends…

To a soccer tournament…
to the G-league swimming competition…

to a kiddie birthday party…. to pick-up kids from school... grocery shopping... practically, everywhere.
Share

Monday, October 26, 2009

Fast Forward Sunday

If you've had one of those days where your is day packed solid with activities to make your head numb, then you'd know how yesterday felt like for me. There was the Adidas run with gun-start for the 10k event scheduled at 6am, and J's all-day long soccer competition. Two very tiring and strenuous events, both under the glare of the unforgiving Manila sun.

There were times during the run that I felt my legs would give way or my lungs would explode if I didn't stop. In all sports that require hours of training to develop endurance, such as running or long-distance swimming, if your body tells you to stop - dont! Simple as that! The mind fully controls the body.

Having said that, let me clarify that I am so not talking about my own body. For the first 6k of the race, I kept on visualizing myself running all the way to the finish line. Repeating one mantra after another in my head, as I push myself forward. However, I am disappointingly sharing with you, that, yes, I did stop to walk in the middle of the 10k route.


On the upside, C and I are both happy making our PR's this time. We both beat our previous time by about 5 minutes. So that's something to celebrate for. I will be continuously training till the end of the year as there are a lot of good races coming up this Novemeber.

We did not have the luxury of time to look for friends to have the usual photo-op after the race, but it is a good thing we ran into Carole, who took the above photo. Otherwise, we would not have any picture to keep for posterity sake.

As soon as we crossed the finish line, flushed faces and sweaty bodies notwithstanding, we went straight to Nomads Sports Club in Paranaque to meet up with J. Her team won enough matches to qualify for the semi-finals. Observing that she has been consistently called on by the coach to be in the starting line-up in all the matches gave me a reason to smile inwardly. Money spent on all those training sessions did not go to waste, after all. :)

And so it came to be that they were up against one of the best girls' team in their age category. As J kicked the ball that scored the winning goal and made her team qualify for the finals, everyone gathered around her, jumping with joy and hugging her. Too bad, everyone was too busy cheering that no one was able to digitally capture that euphoric moment of victory.

We all know that winning is addicting; here's hoping that there will be more trophies and medals to come her way!

Share

Thursday, October 22, 2009

King of the Road 2009


After taking a hiatus from running road races for about 2 months, I am looking forward to the Adidas run this Sunday, October 25, 2009. I have been doing my usual 3k runs, and I think that is sufficient enough to make me finish the 10K race still running... as opposed to panting and out of breath.

But what I am really happy about is the race singlet. This is the best that I have ever gotten. The fabric is soft and made from a dry-fit material to ensure that moisture is drawn out of the body for a comfortable and dry run.

race singlet for the men



race singlet for the women


I am sure I am going to wear it again after the race.



Share

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Nutrition and The Young Athlete

With the kids all engaged in numerous activities and with J playing competitively for two sports, I have took it upon myself to research on the proper nutritional requirement for a young athlete.

Here are some guidelines that I found to be useful before, during and after training:
} Make sure kids arrive to practice well-fed. They should eat a meal that contains sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, 1-2 hours before the practice session or competition.
} During training, kids should be encouraged to take "water breaks" every 20-30 minutes even when the young athletes do not feel thirsty. Research studies have shown that providing a cooled and flavored beverage produces greater fluid consumption among children and helps prevent dehydration.

However, it is in my belief that while sports energy drinks taste good, the best source of hydration is still good old fashioned water. As stated here, kids do not need the additional sugar in their tiny active bodies.

I have found a natural alternative by making my own sports drink. I simply mix a few tablespoons of honey and a pinch of salt in a cup of warm water. Let the mixture dissolve well, and mix it with cold water and a couple handful of ice cubes. You can also follow the recipes here and here.

As you might expect, since honey is sweeter than table sugar, it also has more calories as well -- 22 per teaspoon compared to granulated sugar's 16 per teaspoon. However, it is healthier in that it is a natural form of sweetener; thus there are trivial amounts of minerals and vitamins in the bee product while white sugar has none.

} Let the kids eat carbohydrate and protein within the first 30 minutes after practice. Replacing carbohydrates that were used during training within 30 minutes is essential for repairing muscle tissue and preparing for the next athletic training period. This is perhaps the most important time to eat to maximize body recovery!

Just the other week, I made granola bars for my kids to enjoy.

It is relatively easy to make and is also nutritionally great just about any time of the day. The rolled oats provide an excellent source of fiber and are a good source of complex carbohydrates. The raisins, dried blueberries and dried cherries are a good energy source, and the almond, sunflower nuts, and wheatgerm provide protein. The flax seeds are a good source of omega3.

High-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, low-fat, and moderate-fiber. Granola offers more bang for the buck, so to speak.
Share

Monday, September 28, 2009

Ondoy: The Tragedy and The Aftermath

Nearly a month’s worth of rain fell in just six hours over Metro Manila last Saturday, September 26, 2009, triggering the worst flood in nearly 40 years. The unexpectedly massive flood turned extensive areas of the metropolis virtually into a sea. Cars stood at a standstill, people were left stranded on rooftops, wide-spread blackouts were experienced all over and at least 100 people were killed, and many more are missing.

They say that death and tragedy are the greatest equalizers, and this is none more true than during the calamity last weekend. Families from various economic sectors were not spared from the flash floods entering their homes, many were forced to retreat to their roofs, until rescuers came. The moneyed inhabitants of Forbes Park and Dasmarinas Village, the middle class living in gated villages, as well as the squatters living near the "estero" had their homes violated by the sudden, uninvited gush of murky floodwater.

One person shared his testimony at church yesterday, testifiying how he had two vehicles with a combined worth of PHP ten million submerged in flood water. One of C's good buddy from La Salle who had just moved into a brand new nome in Loyola Grand Villas with her husband and young daughter found themselves homeless, although temporarily, as floodwater flowed into the house's first floor; destroying the new and expensive furniture.

Just as I was checking my inbox this morning, I received an email informing me that a grade two co-parent at my daughters' school was one of those unfortunate victims of the flash flood, as well. Details are not clear, but from what was relayed to me, as water quickly engulfed the vehicle he was in, he moved out and held on to a tree or lamp post; it was at the same time that a nearby wall or post got knocked out and fell on him, pinning him to his untimely death.

My own brother-in-law was stuck in the gridlocked area of Buendia, in the vicinity of the Cash and Carry from the early afternoon of Saturday up to the early morning of Sunday. Flood water had risen neck-deep rendering the road impassable to motorists. My sister-in-law, was likewise stuck in traffic. After not moving an inch for an two hours, she sensibly decided to head to their ancestral house to spend the night. Leaving her two young daughters, one still an infant, at home alone with just the yayas.

I saw many videos posted on YouYube taken during the typhoon; but none scared me more than this. The UERM students, who were stranded inside the campus, shot this video using a mobile phone. It scared me because of two things: first, seeing the dangerous extent of nature's wrath; second, that one of the spectator had the capacity to laugh while being witness to this harrowing event.




A slideshow taken also from YouTube that shows the many faces of the tragedy that is Ondoy.



A biblical passage to lift up our spirits during this depressing times.
Taken from the book of Psalms, chapter 40, verses 1 - 3:

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our GOD.


Share

The Day Ondoy Went To Town

I remember going to sleep Friday evening, the sound of the heavy rain gently lulling me to sleep, a persistent white noise. My thoughts turned to XS’s soccer field; if the rains continue unabated, the field will be unplayable again for the fourth Saturday in a row.

I woke up Saturday morning still hearing the same sound that lulled me to sleep the night before. Only now, the force of the water that pounded on our windows had a furious beat to it. Tropical storms, and the heavy rains and strong winds that come with them, are nothing new this part of the world, where there are about 20, more or less, typhoons and tropical storms that lash out at the country annually.

Moreso, PAGASA has only raised signal number one over the metro. I have a full day planned… pay a quick visit to the pediatrician, then off to buy a nice birthday gift for a friend whose son was celebrating his first birthday, head back home for the requisite afternoon nap ( for me, really, more than the kids), and then go to Makati for a kiddie birthday party at 4pm.

First off, bring B to the pediatrician to find a way to treat the rashes that have started to develop on her body. Initially, we all thought they were nasty mosquito bites until the spots started growing all over her body. Doctor said nothing to worry about, just rashes secondary to a viral infection. Viral exanthema, is what he called them.

I continued to go to Megamall to shop for the gift. Violent reactions were made by the 2 girls, who wanted to go to Shangri-la Plaza, instead. But I had a few errands to run, and no one can beat SM with the diversity of choices that their department store provides. As the mall’s slogan says… “we’ve got it all for you!” And they truly do!

There was a slight feeling of uneasiness as I saw the 2nd floor deck parking filled with numerous puddles. I remember thinking that the mall should have their flawed sewerage fixed. I hurriedly went about to do my errands, buy some hose nozzle and sprayer, new eco-friendly non-stick pans, muffin pans, yada-yada-yada. After lunch and doing the last task on hand, I finally noticed that the mall was missing its usual throng of shoppers.

While choosing a gift for the birthday boy in the toys department, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation that the two sales staff were having.

Girl 1: nilusob ko na ang baha kahit na hanggang dito ang tubig (points to her waist), buti na lang may dala akong extra na pampalit. Tuloy-tuloy ang ulan!

Girl 2: Naku! Bakit di pa nila tayo pinapauwi? May announcement na ba?

Hearing this exchange… Panic! Safely ensconced in the mall’s massive structure, we were ignorantly unaware of the fact that the storm had quickly dumped unusually high amounts of rainfall all over the whole of Metro Manila, and in fact, the whole Central Luzon island.

A few seconds later, I got a SMS from my friend informing me that they were postponing the birthday party. This SMS confirmed that the situation outside has gone worse, and that the best thing to do would be to head home ASAP!

Alas! What was normally a 30-minute drive along EDSA turned into a three-hour journey, as we negotiated the few remaining roads that were still passable. We made a few u-turns as we witnessed how the floodwater reach neck-high in certain areas.

We got home to find the house pitch-dark, owing to the electricity being cut-off since early afternoon. The emergency light in the stairs, although still working, was dimly lit, showing signs of its batteries shutting down anytime soon. No sooner had I climbed a few steps than the faint light went out completely, and I find myself walking in absolute darkness. Then I felt my steps grow heavy, and then heard the splish-splash as my feet walked. WTF! Is this rain water???

The OC-ness in me wouldn’t let this pass. Flashlight on hand, I hunted down the source of water. Turns out, water seeped in through an opening that was left by a vacated a/c at the third floor entertainment room. Water slowly cascaded down the third floor onto the stairs. The half-done renovation of the windows on the third and second floor landing contributed to the water leak, as well. And they all together formed a waterfall on our wooden stairs. Thankfully, the water that gathered inside the house is just rain water, and not flood water. Whew!

We would not know the full ramifications of the storm until the day after, when electricity has been restored and we are finally online to see the full effect of the damage that Ondoy has brought.

Still and all, we remain thankful that all we had to endure from this is tragedy is coming home to a dark house full of puddles. Our possessions remain intact, our family complete.

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our strength and refuge, a helper ever near.
While resting in His shelter, no evil will we fear—
Not if the mountains crumble into the angry sea,
Nor if the surging ocean exceeds its boundary.

photo credits: Flickr photos uploaded by Simon Meisinger, Erwin Jason Mendoza and Cha Mercado

Share

Thursday, September 24, 2009

{ I heart mamon }

I grew up in love with the Goldilocks mamon during the entire duration of my childhood. I remember my parents would painstakingly hand-carry bags filled with these delectable, soft pillows of heaven back to Davao everytime they would go on a trip to Manila. My siblings and I considered these goodies luxurious items since these were not readily available in the province during those times.

The spongy cake is bitten into ever so carefully, and if we wanted to indulge our taste buds, we would let it melt in our mouths - savoring the buttery good taste.

It is with this tender memory that I set out to bake a mamon that’s as close to the original as possible.


And so off to the kitchen I went to do my experiment, with quite an armful of recipes. Some hand written, a few torn off from magazines, still a few from the back of the boxes of baking supplies. I carefully noted down the techniques of the different recipes, and finally came up with one that I call my own.

Everyone who tasted them, loved them!


They were soft, buttery, and with the perfect mixture of vanilla and lemon.

I made sure to put a spin to it by adding some grated cheese on top. In Goldilocks parlance, it is the grated cheese that makes it “espesyal”.


fresh off the oven...



brushed with butter...


dipped in sugar...


enjoy!!!











Share

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Following my writing dreams, Finding my writer's voice

My mornings start early, as in very early. The kids start waking up at 5:45, so I have to be up a few minutes before that. Things are very hectic up to the time the kids leave for school. A few days of the week, I try to run 3k after I bring them to school. On the days that I feel lazy, I do tae-bo or other aero activity for 30 minutes to an hour.

Mid-morning is usually the time that I can put my feet up and take it easy. It’s chill time. I check my inbox, surf the net, or start a new blog post, keep in touch with friends, read, clean my desk... oh well, you get the drift.

It was one of these relaxing mornings a few days ago. I received the usual bunch of email messages; a few from friends; some from Facebook informing me of a new comment to a thread I commented on; yet another from People magazine giving me my daily dose of celebrity gossip; one from Martha giving me my cookie recipe of the day, et cetera, et cetera. Then again, one stood out from the rest. It came from someone named Kat von Einsiedel. The European sounding name intrigued me, so I passed over the rest and clicked on this particular message first.

What great news! Turns out Kat is the managing editor for Good Housekeeping, informing me that:
Hi Tina! I'm not sure if Jing mentioned that we'll be printing your Bee article in our September issue.
Here it is, my very first published work:




Share

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Follow Your Nose


Hmmmm! The highly addictive chocolate aroma that comes out from the oven as you wait for the brownies to finish baking is an indication that the powerful gustatory experience with this simple dessert starts even before you taste it.

This pleasurable and rewarding olfactory experience alone should be reason not to settle for store-bought. Turn yourself into a home baker, dash to the kitchen and make yourself a batch!

Brownies are easy to make from scratch and are perhaps the most forgiving of all recipes. You only need one bowl to mix all the ingredients and a spatula. Brownie ingredients, chocolate and/or cocoa, flour, butter, sugar and eggs, always seem to be readily available in all pantries. The brownie batter is simply mixed by hand, and when done is scraped into the baking pan. Brownies can be served as is or eaten warm with ice cream (ala mode). I prefer to eat my brownies off my hand with a tall glass of low-fat milk.

The more experienced baker can try to experiment with it; making its density fudgy, chewy or cake-like. If you are feeling adventurous, you can embellish it with a variety of toppings such as walnuts, marshmallows, choco chips, and even cream cheese.


I was feeling adventurous, so my brownies did not only see the addition of cream cheese and choco chips, I added a huge scoop of Nutella, as well. The resulting brownies are similar in texture to a fudge candy - dense, moist, chocolatey. As I lick my fingers to clean off the remnants, I find myself reaching out to get one more. And another. And still another more. It was that good!

Share
Related Posts with Thumbnails