Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Chris Matthews Show and Starbucks

Do you enjoy watching the Chris Matthews show on TV? How about coffee? I guess sipping your favorite cup of Starbucks coffee is perfect for the Chris Matthews show! Why don't you grab one before sitting in front of the TV? You will definitely enjoy both since the US Presidential Election is just days away. What more can I say but "God Bless America!"


Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Eight Wonderful Things


My slice of strawberry shortcake! Look, I'm already 8 months old!

My baby Samantha Ysabelle, a.k.a. Sam is now eight months old! Amazing how time flies! So most of you must probably know how much I adore my little girl. Who wouldn't be crazy and madly in love with this very wonderful and beautiful gift from God? And here are some eight things about her that are just so heartwarming and even funny.

1. Sam is now capable of emotions. She cries when she is afraid especially if she senses that no one is in the room. And she showers me and her dad with her wet kisses whenever she feels like it... Yes, she would lick you if she is in the mood, which is most of the time!

2. She has got two teeth now. She is just so cute with her teeth now visible and shiny. And she like to nibble. And if she is up for it, she would bite too! Yikes!

3. Sam is one techie baby. She loves to play with the remote, the cordless phone, our mobile phones and the digital camera. She knows how to hold them even if she doesn't know how to use them yet. She loves to push buttons and we would soon discover a feature of the phone or the remote control because of her. It's funny how babies can sometimes show you how it's done.

4. Sam likes to play with her feet. She bites and nibbles on them every chance she gets. And there is a belief in my home country that when babies start eating or biting their feet, that means that they want a little brother or a little sister! Oh no! You are still too young Sam. We want to enjoy still...

5. Sam loves to have her pictures taken. She would smile, and giggle, and laugh once you aim the camera her way. Pretty cute eh! She is not camera shy.

6. Sam loves to watch TV. She especially loves watching Madeleine, The Triplets, and Jori. Everytime she hears the intro song, she would kick her legs as a sign that she is excited. I would then put her on her baby seat so she can enjoy the show. I don't know if you are familiar with them since these shows are shown on Cartoon Network Japan. And she also loves it when the credits are flashed after every show. She just loves watching the contrast between the black screen and the white letters that are flashed to give credits to the people behind the show.

7. Sam loves to travel. Whenever I tell her that we will be going somewhere, you are sure to get her attention. There are times when I would tell her the night before our outing day that we are going somewhere and she is sure to wake up early and wake us up with her waking wail. And what does she do during our drive? SLEEP! Hehehe!

8. Sam loves to sing! Yup, you heard me right! Whenever she feels sleepy and mommy is not singing her a lullaby, she would sing herself to sleep. Whenever she hears me sing, she would sing with me. Whenever we go for a drive, the first thing she does prior to sleeping is sing! Now, isn't that cute?

Well, that's about it for now for my Sam. Happy 8 months little one. We love you so much!


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

One Sporty Woman

I do not consider myself as sporty or athletic or active. Don't get me wrong but I do love sports... spectator sports that is. In my younger days, I tried a couple or two of ball sports... volleyball, ping pong, and yes even basketball but I guess I have two left feet and two left hands because I never can aim right! You may call me lousy then. But I was good in badminton, even won champion twice, thanks to my badminton partners who were so competitive and very good at it! I guess I was just one lucky person to be partnered with the best badminton players in the company where I used to work.

I always admire people who know their sports... more so if it's a woman. And I know of just the one person who knows and have been closely following some popular sports known to man: tennis, formula one, football, and martial arts. Meet Svelte Rogue, the lady behind svelte sport, a blog that reveals her sporting interests, favorite athletes and her own sports adventures. One thing that I love about this blog is the way she writes about sports events and then analyzing the outcome in her own special way. And I guess we share the same interest in F1, which I just got interested in because the hubby is so enthusiastic about it and I just can't help but be piqued too! Yep, Formula 1 indeed is a very exciting game! It is a shame that Svelte Rogue as of her last blog post dated October 3rd wrote: "I realised that this will be my last month of blogging. Svelte sport is going off the air by the end of this month. unless something comes up, of course."

Well, I hope she continues this blog of hers. It is one very informative, one-of-a-kind sports blog!


Saturday, October 25, 2008

Hellos and More

Hello to everyone! Thanks for taking the time to visit this blog. It has been a while since my last post. Pardon my absence but I have been quite busy lately with baby, teaching, house work and maintaining my main blog, Just About Anything. And the laptop has been pretty slow lately... Ugh! If only I have a new one... Anyway, if you do have the time, please come and visit me there.

And oh, speaking of slow laptops, what happens if you are in the middle of something and then poof! suddenly your computer shuts down or worse, your hard drive crashed? AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!! That will be the end of it! Oh no! It took me ages to make that program, presentation, report, photoshopped photo, etc! Aw gawd!

So I guess we must always back-up our files. Take advantage of the auto-save features of your softwares. It may be disturbing sometimes but I guess it is all worth it. Better to have a few seconds of disruption than to lose everything in the end!

As a bonus, here's a dNeero conversation for you:


Happy Sunday to all! God bless!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Food Friday: Seafood Pasta

food friday

Who doesn't love pasta? I guess everybody does! This one's Japanese style with red sauce and all your favorite seafood: shrimp, mussels, scallops, oysters, tako (octopus), and yes, uni (sea urchin)! It's got the unique rich taste of the seafood blended together. This very healthy and generous serving is perfect with a glass or two of ice-cold cola and some sweets on the side! Itadakimasu!

Happy Friday everyone!

Join the Food Friday meme here!


Depression... Do You Have It?

I was browsing through the net today when i came across this site which tackles about Depression in adolescents. It is alarming to note the depression has become very common for people of all ages. It is very prevalent in adolescents aged 12 to 18.

As parents, it is a challenge for us to detect depression early in our children. And for us to be able to detect the signs of this problem, we must educate ourselves and be vigilant in reading the signs. And it would be best if we give our children enough love and attention and quality time so that they would not feel rejected and withdrawn to the whole world.

While the signs of depression are common and seem "ordinary", it is best that we know what they are. A depressed child may have one or more of the following symptoms: sadness, hopelessness, anger or hostility, tearfulness, withdrawal, loss of interest, changes to eating and/or sleeping habits, feeling worthless, lack of motivation, and having suicidal thoughts.

So before it is too late, let us be aware of our children's feelings. We wouldn't want to end up blaming ourselves, our spouses, even our own children because it was too late to help them. While it is true that we should treat our teenagers with respect and give them a little bit of freedom, we must not ignore the "changes" that they are going through. After all, they are still children and are not yet quite prepared for the many harsh realities of our world.


Thursday, October 23, 2008

For The Techie in You

Many technology blogs abound in the blogosphere. Most of them cater to the latest gadgets, mobiles, laptops, and other hardware. And these are really very good resources in terms of product specifications and availability, usability and other information that a techie would need. Then I chanced upon Tech Review and this one's different. Not only does it offer the latest reviews on gadgets, it also gives you information on some of the most useful and practical software available in the market as well as the latest in the financial market.

If you are trying to save disk space and buying another hard drive is not an option, it would be good to read about Deskspace. If you want to learn more about the latest in mobile technology, they have tons of it too! If you want to avail of freebie downloads, they are available in this site too! Plus some of the latest computer hardware to upgrade your existing one. The posts are very easy to read and understand too. If you are not very computer-savvy, the downloading and installation instructions are generously provided!

Tech Review's blog loads very quickly too and its very simple and cool layout gives you a feeling that being computer-savvy is not that very complicated after all!


Exothermic or Endothermic?

I received this email from Ate Shal and can somewhat relate to the story because I myself spoke the language of Chemistry when I was in college.

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term.

The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?


Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Old and Weak


A photo of me and my dear Lola taken way back in 2006 during her 83rd birthday. She is already here and her sight was failing her. She can only recognize people through their voices.


Lola and my favorite nephew, Miggy. We were celebrating our late Lolo's birthday last May 2007.

I just called my mom early this evening and found out that they were at grandma's for a visit. They have been there since morning, she said. I asked how Lola was and said that she was not so good. Then she handed the phone to Lola and I told her that it was me, and asked how she was. Then I heard a soft voice saying, "Ana?", and then silence. Mama talked to me again... this time with a shaky voice. I knew she was crying and I was crying too. She told me that Lola was crying too. And that she is now very old and weak.

She has been calling out her children's names lately and they fear that she would join Lolo anyday soon. She had a mild stroke stroke weeks back and I all I can do here is pray that she will recover. But I guess old age had taken its toll on my dear Lola. And I just feel so helpless to be here. Right now, I am already grieving on the account that I can't visit her and take care of her in her remainign days. She is turning 86 in April 2009. We are planning to go home in February 2009. But I guess it will be too late by then. It pains me really but I can't bargain with God if He wills it. So my prayer now is that He will allow Lola to live her remaining days here on earth in peace and happiness. I know that she has lived a full life and raised her children and even grandchildren well.

Everytime I receive an SMS message from the Philippines, I always find myself fearing of what the message will contain. Because I fear that one day, I will be reading of some grim news. And all I can do now is just pray. And hope and pray again. Please help me pray for my Lola. I will appreciate it a lot. May God bless her.



Join The Digi-Camera Mania

The wonderful people of Techtod are holding their third contest and they're giving away a Sony digi-cam and a total cash prize of $225! A very generous one, eh?

Prizes are:
First Prize: A Sony Digi-Cam and $100 in cold cash
Second Prize: $75 in cold cash
Third Prize: $50 in cold cash

It is so very easy to join and the contest is open to all! Please visit the contest rules here for more details. Contest will run from October 15 to November 25 so you still have ample time to join and gather points!


N is for "Nosebleed"!

No, it is not your physical NOSEBLEED! I am talking more of the metaphorical one...

For a country that boasts that English is their second language, it is a surprise that only a few Filipinos can speak the language fluently and effectively. It is even more surprising to find one who can speak it straight without stammering and with very good choice of words! So I am bringing you the story of Inday, a young Filipino who is a promdi (a person from the rural areas). For Filipinos just like me, reading about her reasoning and explanations using the English language will definitely make you feel overwhlemed... and thus will want to make your nose bleed. Hence, the expression "Nosebleed!"

While the story is amusing and funny, I posted this with the intent that you will find the moral of the story as I have. That is, to Never underestimate peoples' capacities because you just might find yourself Nosebleeding!


Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Blog Blast for Peace

This is BLOG BLAST for PEACE. Will you join me?

I grabbed this tag / meme from Yen over at {Me and Mine} because I too would like to participate come November 6. I guess it is about time that we do something to advocate about peace. Our voice as bloggers can really make a difference as we can reach different peoples from different parts of the world through the world wide web! And it is in the hope that all of us will have made a difference just by posting about peace. May God's peace be with us all!

**start copy**



Join The Revolution

Here are the rules and the story.
  1. Copy this into a post
  2. ADD YOUR NAME to the bottom of the tag list
  3. Tag at as many people as you'd like.
The Peace Globe project began in the fall of 2006 with a simple post from one blog, Mimi Writes. The post ignited a flame in the blogosphere. The flame became a passion. The passion became a movement. It amazingly traveled from blog to blog to blog across the globe. Bloggers wrote passionate articles on what peace means to them, along with the promise of three Latin words scribbled on a globe - Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) - branded with the integrity of their names or blog names. It was positively inspiring to watch. And it began to happen all over the world - from Singapore to China to Afghanistan to Brooklyn.

It was simple. And powerful.


In less than three weeks bloggers from all across the globe will blog for peace.

We will speak with one voice.
One subject.
One day.
Won't you join us?

November 6, 2008
How To Get Your Peace Globe In 4 easy steps!

Visiting the Yokohama Red Brick House

Last Sunday after church, we stopped by the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse for lunch and a little sightseeing. I have been curious about this structure that is located in the Minato Mirai area because it is a very prominent one: two three-storey bulding that is made of red bricks! Now, who would not be able to notice that?

The Red Brick Warehouse (Warehouse #1 and #2) dates back to the 19th century and was used mainly as a customs building. Today, it has become one of Yokohama's landmarks. Warehouse #1 is regarded as a cultural facility where art exhibitions, film festivals and musical competitions and plays are held. Warehouse #2 houses antique store, knick-kanck shops, restaurants and Motion Blue Yokohama. The warehouses itself are standing on the edge of Yokohama harbor and is considered a heritage site.


This was the closest I can get to them cars... And the only ones caught with this photo are these two Japanese women and some small cube cars selling some refreshments. The cars that participated in the show were still farther right.

When we visited last Sunday, there was a Car ShowUp Show that was held on the warehouse grounds. Many cars that are reminiscent of MTV's Pimp My Ride can be found exhibited. The car used in the movie Tokyo Drift was even lined-up for the public to see. If you are a car fanatic, you eyes will surely pop with the feast of cars lined-up for your inspection. And I can say, all of them were deliciously customized! - from lavish leather seats to turbo engines to complex speakers and subwoofer systems and yes, even a theater system! The Japanese really know their cars! My only regret was that I was not able to take pictures. Dad made it clear to not go clicking away because the cars' owners were also there. Too bad!

Anyway, here are some of the photos which we took on our afternoon there:


Warehouse #2 where the shops and restaurants were housed.


After lunch at the Ham Kitchen. They serve yummy bacon, ham and sausages here!

Might as well get used to this fare for the Germans!


Up ahead is Minato Mirai where the Landmark tower, the giant ferris wheel and other attractions are located.


These are the foundations of the old Customs Building dated 1914 which were buried during the great Kanto earthquake. These were unearthed during the construction of the Aka Renga parks in the late 1990s.


Look who's having fun? Sam was very happy to be outside again after bouts of colds. She really enjoyed the afternoon sightseeing. This was taken at the parking lot with our trusty Lucy.


Celebrating 3 Years With A Bash

Yennygirl over at Me & Mine is now on her third year of blogging. And she is celebrating it with a bash by holding a contest that is oh sooo easy to enter and oh sooo easy to win! She must have made a lot of moolah over the years to be giving away a whopping $200 worth of prizes. And of course, she's got lots of friends to back her up on this one!

Below is a complete listing of what's at stake:

First Prize
$ 40 from Yennygirl
$ 10 and 500 EC From Swept Away
2000 EC from Indo Contest
1000 EC from A Life in Bloom
1000 EC from Affiliatizer
1000 EC from ThemeLib
125—125 ad for one month from Wonderful Things in Life
125—125 ad for one month from Creative in Me
Symphony of Love Pictorial Ebook of Love Quotations
~{values at $6.95} from Symphony of Love
Blog Review plus 125—125 ad for one month from Live From Waterloo

Second Prize
$10 from Yennygirl
$10 from My Happy Place
$10 from Suburban Sass
2000 EC Credits from WordPress for Beginners
1000 EC from Because Life is a Blessing
1000 EC from When Silence Speaks
1000 EC from Wiehanne Lounge
125—125 ad for one month from Music of My Heart
Symphony of Love Pictorial Ebook of Love Quotations
~{values at $6.95} from Symphony of Love

Third Prize
$10 from Fab Finds, Etc.
$10 from I AM DZOI
$10 from Mommy Talks. Wife Stories
1000 EC from Digiscraptology
1000 EC points from Wonderful Things in Life
1000EC points from Heart Random
125—125 ad for one month from LittlePeanut
Symphony of Love Pictorial Ebook of Love Quotations
~{values at $6.95} from Symphony of Love

Fourth Prize
$5 and 500 EC From Official Chosen Fate
$ 8 and 200 EC from Walk on Red
$5 from Living the Healthy Life
1000 EC from Etc-Atbp.
125—125 ad for one month from Around the World
Symphony of Love Pictorial Ebook of Love Quotations
~{values at $6.95} from Symphony of Love

Fifth Prize
$ 5 from Stripe and Yellow
$ 5 from Doll Me Up
300 EC From The Scrapaholic Me
200 EC From It̢۪s Where My Heart Is
125—125 ad for one month from Blogging for Bloggers
125—125 ad for one month from Pea in a Pod
RSS Text Link for one month from Blog for Beginners
Symphony of Love Pictorial Ebook of Love Quotations
~{values at $6.95} from Symphony of Love

To enter, click here! Be sure to submit your entries by October 24th or you will miss the fun and the chance to win some cash and free publicity and presence for your blog! It won't hurt to give this one a try. Who knows, Lady Luck might be on your favor.


Monday, October 20, 2008

Families Are Forever!


Just the three of us! Meet the Pera Family: Me, Sam, Vincent.

I know that it is quite late for Photo Hunt! But I am posting this anyway. This is my very beautiful family. There is just the three of us for now but who knows? We could grow into a big family in the future. Hubby Vincent is a very supportive and loving father. He knows how to take care of Sam when I go to work on weekends. They really have grown close because of the time that they have together and I am very happy about that. The only thing that he doesn't know yet is giving Sam a bath! He is afraid that he might drop Sam or hurt her while she is taking a bath and he just won't take any chances. Then there is Sam, our bundle of joy. We just can't get enough of her! She is pure innocence and love and peace and happiness! We just love her so much! Even the Japanese love her too. They envy her eyes and her long and curly eyelashes and her behaved attitude when we go out! And of course, there is good old me... I am just so happy to have them in my life it matters not if I am not practicing my profession or if I am a full time housewife and mommy! I love doing what I do... This lifestyle is the best there is! :D


And then there were 8 (minus 1)! My other sister was not able to come home for the BIG day! Too bad...


This is my side of the family. Hubby's is equally large!

Families are not just those whom you were born to and grew up with. We also consider family those people who are close to us and have contributed to our being in one way or another. For each one of us, there is a family that we can call our own... where we belong and are accepted for who we are including our weaknesses and imperfections.


This is our SICO family - the people who brought us together and witnessed our journey.


These are my hubby's friends and classmates in college who eventually became
my close friends when he had to leave for Japan for his undergraduate studies.


Friday, October 17, 2008

Food Friday: Mung Bean Sprouts

food friday

Wow! It's Friday already. The week goes by with a flash, don't you think?

And since it is Friday, it is time for another Food Friday feature. This time, it's mung bean sprouts! This was served for breakfast... along with sliced pineapples and a glass of fresh milk. Just perfect to jump start the day!

The recipe was easy enough. I just sauted some garlic and onions and allowed ground pork to cook. Then I added some soy sauce and a little sukang puti to get that slight tang of sourness. Then I added the mung bean sprouts and allowed it to cook for a few minutes. I like my sprouts a little crispy so I did not let it stay long on the pan.

And would you believe that they don't sell whole mung beans here? They only sell the sprouts! Hmmm... It's been a while since I cooked whole mung beans! My husband just loves it, especially when you add dried fish into it. Just yum! Maybe we'll buy some whole mung beans when we get the chance to go the Filipino or Asian store.

Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy the day with some good food wherever you may be.


Thursday, October 16, 2008

And Then There Were Two

I have excitedly told all of you about Sam finally growing her first tooth! And yes, there is another one that has come out three days after the first tooth came out. I almost can't believe it! Way to go Sam!

But my little girl is sick... She had been since Friday evening. She caught a cold most probably because of the change in the weather... and because she is teething, she became more vulnerable. My heart cries out for her everytime she cries and wakes up in the middle of the night because her nose is stuffy and she can't breath well. Oh, my poor little baby!



She already saw her pedia and she was given medication for the cold and the fever. But the stuffy nose is still there. She did not lose her appetite nor her energy though. But when sleeping time comes, that's when the crying starts. I will ask dad that we bring her back to the pedia tomorrow for a follow-up check since she is still a little sick. And she already drank all of her medicine and then spilled some of it.




This is the first time that my baby got sick. But she is a strong and brave little girl. And we know that Papa Jesus will heal her in due time and make her good as new. Hang in there, Anak. Mom and dad are just here for you.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

M is for Mouse!

The kid in me just couldn't resist a trip to Tokyo Disneyland to visit my two favorite mice in the whole wide world! Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse.



It was one fine spring day when the family decided to visit Tokyo Disneyland. We were greeted by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the gang with a short welcome parade.

Beaver Monk gave us his blessings and posed with us. Behind us is the famous Merry-Go-Round.

Would you believe that this Mural is made of glass? Reminiscent of the story of Cinderella, this Mural depicts a scene from the Grand Ball. Cinderella was on the run, leaving behind her glass slipper.

Celebrating 25 Years of Tokyo Disneyland, the Jubilation Parade showcases your most beloved Disney characters from Mulan to Mickey and Minnie to DuMbo to the Mermaids and more... And here is Minnie in her royal gown. Look who is accompanying her! No other than her fairy godMother.

Of course, our visit will not be coMplete without visiting Toontown, more particularly, Minnie's and Mickey's houses. And because they are so famous, you Must wait in line for 60 Minutes or More just so you can enter their charMing hoMes.

First stop was Minnie's house. And while we were waiting in line, we decided to get a shot near Minnie's charming windows.

It was almost dark when we finished touring Minnie's house. And off we go again to stand in line for the next stop.

What??? We so badly wanted to Meet Mickey that day! But this sign says you Must wait for another 45 Minutes before you can enter and finally see hiM! Whew! At this Moment, I was all aching feet and baby Sam was getting a little gruMpy.

And here's Mickey's Mailbox! I bet it contains all sorts of Mail froM his fans around the world, not to Mention those Mushy love Memos from Minnie. :D

FInally, the faMily was able to Meet Mickey Mouse! Garbed in his wizard robe, it reMinded Me of Fantasia... And look at us - we were all beaMing and quite excited to have finally Met Mickey except for our baby, who at this tiMe was wailing due Mainly to exhaustion. Or perhaps she got scared of Mickey's big ears, big eyes, big Mouth, big nose and all.

So was it all worth it? You bet it is! After all Meeting Mickey Mouse was why we caMe to Tokyo Disneyland for!

Wanna join this Wednesday meme? Head on over to ABC Wednesday Anthology for more entries or to ABC Wednesday with Mr. Linky.


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