no celebration...

last april 28 was our anniversary as a married couple, i can't really say 'wedding anniversary' coz we never really had a wedding...... yet! ours was actually a marriage consecrated between two matured individual consented to a lifelong commitment of loving and taking care of each other and our future family.... [hanep, beri deep!]

what we had 11 years ago was a 'secret' civil ceremony officiated by a judge... the only problem was, the judge was drunk errr, 'slightly' under the influence of alcohol, to say the least, lol! [i don't think anybody actually knew about our story, we never really told anyone about it on fear of being laughed at i guess... i'm sure it would be immortalized at family gatherings and reunions... and now, my sis (who's an avid follower of this blog) would know and she'd tell the whole family and i'd never hear the end of it! "what? you were married by a drunken judge? what were you thinking?" lol!] and it's not just it, it was a day full of fun and adventure, just thinking about it now puts a smile on my face already... i knew i had to tell this story and relive it once more...

flashback to 1998...it was a lovely tuesday morning when we met at our shop{dot.com}... what i don't remember was how we meet up with my bff KEI and hubby's friend MONSA, i just remember that we started at 10 in the morning, and went to the judge's office in Morong in Monsa's beat-up white VW, but were told the judge was in a hearing somewhere... hubby {then BF}, who was so determined for us to be married that day, doesn't want to postpone it for tomorrow or any any other day any longer, so we decided to wait for the judge... his secretary doesn't know what time he'd be back so we were advised to just come back and check every now and then... we waited at this restaurant called Emma's [coz it's near and so we can eat lunch as well] it turned out, we would have to spend the whole afternoon there waiting... there was this particular moment that we got so tired of waiting already {coz it was already 3 in the afternoon} that we decided to 'hunt' for the judge, looking everywhere for him... there was this time we saw his car {or we thought it was 'his car'} we followed it like mad everywhere it turned lol! we even had to go to Teresa, Rizal where he also holds office in Munisipyo ng Teresa to see if he was there! then, we also went to his house, [which was near hubby's {then BF} house] and ask if we could wait there, the family was kind enough to welcome us after telling them that it was really very important... while waiting there we were able to watch the live telecast of Goma & Lucy Torres' wedding on tv, which made me a little emotional, by this time it was already 6 or 7 pm and it was already dark... a phone call from the judge to his house informed us that he was in his Teresa office and was about to come home... so we waited... only to be told by the judge that if we really want to get married at that moment we had to go back to his office in Teresa because all the documents needed were there... and so we went, by this time it was already past 8 pm... when we got there, the judge (who was drunk errr slightly under the influence of alcohol) forgot that he doesn't have the keys to his office...

to be continued...

after 11 years...

it still feels like it's only the beginning...

finally, SPRING!

remember this? i've been secretly loving them for a while now and have been so wanting for SPRING to finally come just to be able to wear those pretties, and now that spring is finally here, there's really no stopping me now! {even rain} lol!

how i love that i can wear them with anything, jeans, shorts, dresses[maxis], skirts, denim minis, leggings, as in ANYTHING! it's so versatile and comfortable! definitely a spring must-have!

and then this bonus...

i just can't decide between the two, so i said, what the heck! i'll buy both! lol! i am one happy girl!

now, all i need to do is have a DIY pedi! if i'm brave enough to wear brights, i'm thinking of maybe fuschia or turquoise blue, idk! i just might, what do u think?

[Q. of the day]

why doesn't TARZAN have a 'beard'?


come to think of it, he lives in the jungle and he's clean-shaven?


hahaha!

confirmed!

*[excuse the photo, taken from my fon...]

jollibee closing?

the thought makes me sad, just the other night i was drooling while looking at their brochure brought home by hubby from the store 2 wks ago and was mentally making plans to take a trip one weekend to satisfy the cravings...

why are they closing? it's just been exactly a year [this march] since they opened! and we haven't hang out that much...

apparently, they can't keep up with the competition [KFC and McDonalds]... heard they are moving to a place where KFC and McDonalds are nowhere near... where could that be? as far as I know, there's a KFC and McDo in the city, anywhere I turn...

add to that, the fact that the 'tsekwas' are not ready yet to give up their mian bao, rou bao, dumplings, noodles and what-have-you's in exchange of the panlasang pinoy {e.g. 'sweet' spaghetti, 'salty' chickenjoy} anytime soon!

it is really too bad... i'll miss you... we will miss you, jollibee! come back soon....

what? those are buildings?

seriously looked like stacks of crates and boxes to me! {what a great imagination and creative minds these chinese have!} i am in awe!

what do you think?

{buildings outside WOTW}

caricature

while walking around inside the window of the world, we chanced upon this chinese artist at work, doing a caricature of a male chinese... gabe {as expected}, was amazed and doesn't want to leave until the artist is done...

and here is his work... with the model...

amazing talent!

{he did it in 15 mins.}

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the signage says: {as translated by gabe}

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portrait done in charcoal/pencil is RMB50(yuan)

colored portrait is RMB100(yuan)

[that's x6 in php, in rough estimate]

homefront

still here! nope, i haven't abandoned my blog, how could I? it's just that unfortunate string of events had happened in the homefront the last two weeks... the reason i was experiencing recurring headaches {or maybe it was the crazy weather we're having? yeah, maybe...}

just a recap of the last two weeks:

washing machine breaking down.
no, the washer is working all right, but the dryer isn't.
not good, sun is currently AWOL in this part of the world.
calling friends for help.
friends contacting repairman.

repairman coming.
looks at the machine.
dragging the machine in the terrace {through the living room}.
making a mess.
sigh!

pretends to repair.
cannot repair.
aaargghh!
i'm left with the mess.
dryer still not working.

calls the manufacturer [haier].
repairman coming.
checks the machine.
old model.
calls company..
will come back tomorrow.
frustrated.

meanwhile.
water heater decides not to work as well.
dryer + water heater.
WTf**k.
boils water in the stove.

ask friends {again} for help.
calls the manufacturer.
will come tomorrow.

w. machine repairman arrives.
repairs the machine.
removes a broken part.
replacement.
working.
YAY.
too much noise.
oh well.
as long as it's working.

water heater repairman arrives.
inspects the machine.
points out a few things.
in chinese.
explains what's wrong.
in chinese.
friend translates.
it's now working.
thank goodness.

in frantic search for the receipt.
otherwise i'll pay.
found receipt.
goodness.

now, its the water pipes turn.
calls village management office.
sends repairman.

needs to replace everything.

kitchen sink faucet.

bathroom sink faucet.

had to buy new ones.
fine.

replacement done.
everything's fixed.

that's what i thought.
a few days later.

on a friday.
no dialtone.
intermittent internet connection.
waits.
tired of calling friends for help.

monday.
cannot wait any longer.
asks gabe to report to china unicom.
calls 10000 help hotline.
nothing.

decides to 'sms' friend.
somebody comes.
checks the lines.
after few minutes.
finally, dialtone.
whew.
how i've missed that sound.
funny.

FRAGILE - handle w/ care...

gabe just trippin' one morning...

agahan...

sunday.7:23am


dahil pupunta kaming jongkong at mejo late na bumangon, e2 ang agahan namin today...

buti na lang nag-jollibee myhun kagabi [met up with pinoy friends] at me uwing 'burjer at prays' kaya me instant breakfast kami!

hiking in heels...

feel kong magchika lang ng bonggang-bongga ngay-on, hayung para bang may ka-talkies lang akong friend hahaha! ganare ah, gusto ko lang maniste kc! lumalabas ang pagiging taga-cardona ko... hahaha!

remember my previous post hiking, i was supposed to do a part 2 of that post but, you know, 'life' got in the way, haha! but anyway, i was so bored with surfing the net today {yes, that happens! believe it or not!} so i decided to browse my 'My Pictures' folder and i happened to see an interesting photo/s which i totally forgot that i took ala-paparazzi! well, as you may have guessed, it should be posted here definitely! so, here it is!

we saw 'this girl' when we went hiking in Wu Tong mountain, aba naman! subukan mo kayang umakyat ng bunrok ng naka-heels! try lang! para ka talagang nagpenitensya niyan! {tamang-tama for mahal na araw!}... in all fairness naman to her, baka nga pag 'fashionista' to the nth level ka, wala kang pinapalampas na pagkakataon to dress up kesehodang aakyat ka ng bunrok!

at korek ka, sinunran ko talaga para makunan ng pic hahaha! bang-bad hane, eh sabi ko nga taga-cardona ako eh! second-nature na ang maniste!

kayo kaya? kaya nyo kaya yan?

36 years.....

Tatay & Nanay,

Happy Anniversary!

{with LOVE and thanks!}

the {lefty} artist

we got up early eventhough it's a saturday because it's the first day of gabe's art class [every sat-sun]...

he exhibited great passion for the arts as early as 4 years old, his dad [then working as designer] would draw during the weekends and we would see him sit beside his dad with a pencil in his left [he's a lefty] hand trying to copy whatever his dad is doing...

and that's how they 'bond'.....

up until now...

[both still in their jammies!]

this is his sketch of 'CONAN' [the cartoon character] ... well? whatchuthink huh? you gotta agree with me he's quite good! i'm not trying to brag or anything but i really have to say he's one budding artist, yeah? [...this coming from 'one proud mama'!]

more artworks to come [mostly are still in his sketchpad] ... if and when i get around to scanning them...

so try to check up on us again...

NONGNI & TITA JEN

You know, the secret to a happy marriage is how often you say those three little words...

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***

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***

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"let's go SHOPPING!"

Happy Anniversary!

{love you}

...and the OSCAR goes to...

i figured you already know who won, so i wont talk about that anymore...

i planned to watch the OSCARS yesterday morning here but right after the ACADEMY AWARDS ARRIVAL OF STARS, the 'live' telecast of the awarding ceremony unfortunately was cut off , so i had to watch [the replay] last night ... it was a great show all in all! i think this year's Oscar was the best I have seen for a long time... [not that i've been religiously following the past Oscars]...

here are some of the highlights of the show that i truly enjoyed...

- particulary because of HUGH JACKMAN... honestly, he did great as host and his opening number [with special participation of ANNE HATHAWAY] was awesome!

- unlike the past oscars, the presentors this year were past winners of the categories [such as best actor/actress, best actor/actress in a supporting role]

- whoopi goldberg, hugh jackman, cuba gooding jr., will smith delivering funny remarks!

- the part wherein HEATH ledger's family accepted his award [tho' they were very calm and composed while giving the speech, i still think it was very emotional!]

- the top winners' speeches esp. kate winslet, heath ledger's family and sean penn [never mind penelope cruz', it was hard to understand what she was saying!]

random comments:

best hair: halle berry

there were lots of whites, wedding gown kinda dress this year, but i liked best the dresses that evan rachel wood, anne hathaway and penelope cruz wore...

i love JENN aniston's dress and the braid in her hair [i said BRAID not 'brad'] looks cute but i think it was inappropriate for the glamness of The Oscars, don't you think? ...and i so love her but i think she looked a bit conscious up there presenting with jack black, was it because 'brange' is basically right in front of her? what the heck? time to move on girl! they already have a basketball team in their family!

i saw the signs! {say what!? part 2}

{taray na suplada pa! lol!}

please read and follow the signs {if u can understand them!}

{I SAW THE SIGNS at wutong mountain}

this valentine...

we had dinner at home, handed to my 2 boys my handmade cards & gifts [nothing fancy or extravagant tho', just things that i know they needed that i can afford, but it was wrapped exquisitely, true labour of love] and then took pictures!

'twas nothing special, but i wont have it any other way...

HAPPY HEARTS DAY

eve of valentine

and i'm home all alone... my two guys are out on their own respective dates, hubby to a buffet dinner [his treat to his staff] and gabe to a friend's birthday party @ KFC... sad huh?

but it's ok, i don't mind, i'm used to being alone and having the house all to myself anyway... and i had the chance to do some valentine crafts...

and when gabe came home, he brought home cake from the party and handed me a long-stemmed single red rose! [na binili nya from downtown with the money i gave him, with clear instruction of not spending unless it's really really important] such sweet boy! talo pa daddy nya! {sorry hun, but i'm just telling the truth!} his dad doesn't bring me flowers {in our almost 13 years of being together, minsan lang nya ako nabigyan ng flowers, galing pa sa garden ng tita nya!} - he's not the type, i guess... but he brings me LOVE... SWEET, SWEET LOVE! and as long as i've got his love, who needs flowers?

but thanks son, i looove it!

Top 20 signs of a Pinoy flick

[copied from Philstar article by Ricky Lo]

so funny and very true!

So how would you know that you are watching a Pinoy movie?
Here are the “Top 20 Signs” according to a reader who didn’t identify him/herself (thanks to you!):

1. Sasayaw ang loveteam sa likod ng puno ng buko kapag nasa beach ang eksena. Alternate na lalabas ang ulo nila from behind the puno.

2. Ang kontrabidang babae yayakap sa bidang lalaki, sabay taas ng kilay at ngingisi.

3. Ang pansit, nagdadala ng malas. Uuwi ang bida na may dalang pansit para sa kanyang nanay na si Anita Linda. Tatawagin ng bida ang mga bata para kumain at kukumustahin niya ang pag-aaral ng mga bata habang kumakain sila. Biglang may titigil na sasakyan sa harap ng bahay at pauulanan ng bala ang pamilya. Mamamatay si Anita Linda at sisigaw ang bida ng “Inaaayyyy!!!” at mangangakong ipaghihigante ito. Moral of the eksena: Ang pansit ay nakakamatay.

4. Kapag may magkaribal na babae, ‘yung mabait derecho ang buhok at may bangs. ‘Yung salbahe, laging kulot.

5. Sa Pinoy action movies, ang bida hindi nauubusan ng bala.

6. Sa Pinoy action movies, kapag tumakbo ang bida, sa lupa lahat ang tama ng bala ng kalaban.

7. Kapag may mob na pupunta sa bahay kubo ng manananggal, si Vangie Labalan ang laging lider.

8. Alam mong moment of truth na kapag sinabi ng bida ang title ng pelikula (sample: Isang Bala Ka Lang or Kapag Puno na Ang Salop).

9. Ang tawag ng kontrabida sa kanyang mga goons, “Mga bata.”

10. ‘Yung nakababatang kapatid ng bida habang naglalaro, mabibitiwan ang bola at mapupunta sa gitna ng kalsada. Pagkatapos, may darating na sasakyan at itutulak ng bida ang bata at ‘yung bida ang papagitna ng kalsada. Naka-cross ang arms ng bida who is covering his face. Sisigaw ang bata ng, “Kuyaaa!” Next scene: Nasa ospital sila. Simula na ng drama.

11. Kapag bakbakan, hindi nasasaktan ang bida pero umaaray siya kapag ginagamot na siya ng leading lady. Next scene: Nagla-love-making na sila.

12. Kapag sinabi ng kontabida sa bida ang masama niyang plano, sasabibin ng bida, “Hayop ka!”

13. Ang bidang babae, kapag katulong ang role siguradong iri-reveal ng amo na anak siya nito.

14. Ang nanay ng mayaman ay laging may pamaypay na pang-mayaman at ang nanay ng mahirap ay laging naka-duster.

15. Ang hideout ng kontrabida ay parating mansyon na may chicks na naka-hilira sa paligid ng pool.

16. Ang mga bida sa drama, kapag nakatanggap ng masamang balita laging may pinto sa likod nila para puede sila sumandal habang nag-i-slide dahan-dahan pababa, todo iyak at kung minsan with matching uhog.

17. Kapag hindi nahuli ng mga goons ang bida, sasabihin ng boss sa kanila, “Mga inutil!”

18. Laging nakakapulot ng baril na may bala ang bida kapag kinakailangan niya.

19. Laging mas maganda ang yaya ng bida kaysa sa kontrabidang anak ng amo niya.

20. Kapag ang ending ng movie ay song-and-dance number sa beach o sa resort, ang huling frame shows the cast na tumatalon, sabay freeze.

welcome to blogland, li'l sis!

i knew it! i knew it! that sooner or later she'd give in...

... and i was right! my li'l sis is now bloggin' away! [i was as excited as she was when she told me, I had to click on the link right away only to be disappointed to see a blank spot, she claims she already finished up typing her very first blog post only to be erased later by her sweet son, my nephew Deion aka The Li'l Menace, lol! wuv u deion!]

she was so excited she actually started doing it in the wee hours of the morning as in 3-4am...

so, welcome to blogland, sis!

LOVE

[1.] i love being married to this awesome man [2.] i love doing crafts
[3.] i love taking naps [4.] i love seeing this little man laugh

[5.] i love being kissed [6.] i love the internet

[7.] i love my new phone [8.] i love my laptop

[9.] i love these two guys [10.] i love travelling

[11.] i love the beach [12.] i love flipflops

[13.] i love my life and the people in it

cad-bury in the sand

an unfamiliar sight

-- an empty bus --

this is a very rare scenario,

this doesn't happen all the time here in China,

buses like this are always full of people, and seeing this

made me want to inhale the fresh air! hahaha!

sorry

i apologize for not updating my blog as regular as possible, i don't have enough time to sit down and collect my thoughts and post all our activities of this CNY holiday yet since hubby is home and i don't want him to think that i prefer to spend time in front of the pc than cuddle with him...

we've also been taking advantage of the long break exploring places... we've been to a friend's BBQ party in Dong Hu Park [i'll post about it later], been to Dameisha beach, went hiking, shopping and visited an art gallery...

i plan to consolidate all the photos [it's just taking me more time since i still edit it in PS, all 648 of them!] and try to post it all in my next entries... soon, fingers crossed!

hiking

we went hiking to Wu Tong Mountain in Lian Tang yesterday and today i am aching all over... it was quite random decision, our friends karl & colin rang us up the night before and asked us if we want to go, unaware of what was awaiting us there made us say yes... now i'm wishing we just stayed at home or went shopping in Dongmen instead, my legs and thighs are very sore and swollen for whatever it's worth... i think i'm going to stay home for the rest of my life....

we started our ascend at almost 10 in the morning

gabe was hard to please at first, but seeing that he got no choice but to climb, he conceded and carried his skateboard...

we reached the top of Xiao Wu Tong at exactly 11:25...

that was approximately 2,400 steps! whew!

next entry: [going down the mountain]

beach

i've got tons of things to do today...

laundry to load in the washer, blog to update, thank you message to be sent, photos to upload, house to clean, husband and child to feed, clothes to fold, phonebook to update, songs to download, emails that need to be answered..

in the meantime, take a peek at some pictures taken yesterday at the beach...

the year of the [rockin'] ox

Ox [me]

The ox may be quiet, but this natural leader is not easily swayed, and may even be ruthless when it comes to getting his or her way. The upcoming year will be stressful, with relationship problems emerging. People with ox spouses should understand that the ox will be particularly hot-headed this year. *watch out hun*

Famous Ox: Barack Obama

Rabbit [hubby]

Rabbits are tactful, diplomatic, optimistic and eager to please. Money will flow in and out easily this year *gasp*. Hard work and determination will be needed to combat work and financial setbacks. The rabbit's love life, however, will be peppered with good humor.

Tiger [gabe]

The tiger is impulsive, thrill-seeking and passionate. He or she is also energetic, gutsy and exudes confidence. The year of the ox will be a mixed year. The tiger should be on alert for litigation and gossip. He or she will spend this year hard at work in preparation now and will be reaping the benefits the next lunar year.

* words in italics seems to be true *

day before yesterday...

went to salon with colin, she had color and curl, while i opted to have 'bangs'... new year, new look, hehehe!

afterwards, gabe and i braved the traffic and the throngs of travelling 'chekwa' and meet up with hubby in king glory plaza, proceeded further to crowded louhu to buy gabe's skateboard...

then back to king glory to have dinner...

arrived home at half past 8... stayed up to watch ghost whisperer and desperate housewives...

yesterday

hubby was home, it's the beginning of their almost 3-wk [paid] vacation for CNY... we spent the whole day sleeping, eating, lounging around, surfing the net and watching a marathon of dvd's... a good day!

...and gabe played outside the whole day, i wonder where does he get all the energy...

and did some artworks in photoshop while he took a break! LOL!