Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Farewell to 2014 ...






Dec. 30, 2014 ~ It was Dec. 26th when I was excited to get home to my native town in the Philippines to be with my family after Christmas and before new year.


 My flight to Manila from Singapore was via Singapore airlines and I didn't have a heavy baggage with me when in fact I could take in at least about 60kg of check-in baggage allowance being a business class traveller . Yuuhhooo ... It was My lucky day ! Despite of the stuffs in my 2 bags, my 2 checked-in  bags only weighed less than 30 kg and my handcarry was not even 10 kg so I was on a light weight side to travel that day. Good for my troubled back to be able to get rid of my 2 checked in baggages and get into the lounge for some light brunch before boarding .



The flight wasn't that full in the business class. In fact I had all 3 seats in the front row all for myself. I got a lot of space all around me. I can raise my feet on it,,, lay straight on it or jump from 1 seat to the other LOL! Nobody would care coz there's hardly anybody in there anyways !

Over 3 hrs later, the flight arrived in Manila without any hassle at all. I was in Manila after 3.5 hrs of flight.  It was late afternoon and  I took a taxi from the airport where I have to argue with some airport transport personnels before boarding a taxi they had provided for me Frankly speaking, these people were there for a rip -off ! Again, a new racket to get money out of our pockets as soon as you land in the airport. No joke ! Lucky my brains were fast enought to know the type of system they're trying to put me into. I can smell their bad intentions from miles away. Good to have myself programmed in a defensive mood at all times.  I told the driver to drive me to the bus terminal where I can get my final ride home... yes.. me catching a local bus ... for like 2-3 hrs depending on traffic to my province that's exactly 100 kms away from Manila passing on the South Super Highway. Even the cheeky taxi driver tried to take me somewhere else. He thought I was a newbie in the city so I asked him point blank how long he had been driving around in the city of Manila. He replied just 3 years. I told him no wonder you still don't know your way around coz you are taking me on the long road to nowhere. I directed him the fastest way to my destination. He was quiet after realizing I know exactly my way around the city. I grew up in this city man ... I know the type of people and what people do to survive around here. So don't fool around with me !

So from a convenient plane ride of 3.5 hrs, here I go again in a bumpy ride trying to get to my bus terminal passing through all the hassles in a crowded , traffic congested city of Manila. But for me it's ok coz I don't come here that much anymore and I now live overseas. Experiences like this is not for everyday life of mine for the moment anyways... although somehow, the system still sucks and no progress at all to correct even a minute part of it, that's the fact I hate the most.

So, I arrived in my hometown finally around 7pm. I immediately wondered what's for dinner ? Of course... nothing... not until I forked out some well hidden peso bills and directed my relatives to buy some food somewhere. Haayyzzzzzzzzz ... welcome to the Philippines ! What else is new ?

The following day of my arrival was a bit more fun than the previous day. Thank God ! My eldest daughter came with my 2 grandsons . They came to visit and stayed for a few days with me. Yehheeyyy. My youngest grandson Raphael Adrienne can now walk on his own. He just turned 1 yr old and so adorably cute ! Mind you, he knows how to bribe me too. With a kiss ! Ha ha..

 I had tagged him as a cheeky monkey playing hide and seek with me all the time ... I can see you little one .... peeeeeeppppppp !


... you little monster with a cheeky smile



 or a crossed eyebrow look when you're mad .. see ? LOL!
 Isn't he so Cute ?



I always make sure I take my family somewhere for a feed when I'm in town. Of course to a place where I could surely eat a local delicacy I'd been craving for. . I had been looking forward to eat what we call " Puto- Bungbong " . Oh dear... I miss this stuff big time !









It's only available during Christmas season so I hurriedly went to eat some of it together with my visiting father, my brother and his daughter, my daughter and my 2 grandsons, another brother and my son. Geeezzz... that's only a few to mention about my family coz the rest were scattered somewhere else . LOL.. The delicacy we ate was made of  Bamboo Steamed Sticky Rice flour with purple coloring eaten with a spread of butter, Freshly scraped coconut meat and white sugar mixed with some roasted sesame seeds.  Yuuuuuummmmmmmmmy!


Nicely wrapped in real banana leaves for a real authentic look of a local tasty food . So yummy ... I wanna eat it every single night while I was there . How I wish I could make and cook that myself. I would be in cloud nine ! Haayyzzzzz

Aside from eating non- stop over there, I had also seen some quiet activities happening in my home aside from some house mess here and there of course..



My son Meier was a gifted artist  since childhood. He's been drawing ever since he had learned how to hold a pencil on his own. His drawings are the product of his fertile imagination and artistic hands. He only uses Staedler colored pencils and a few colored pens to draw these marvelous characters out from his mind. I made sure I got him an ample supply of good quality papers and pens everytime I come home to encourage him to draw further more. I always told him his talent can be his means of living in the near future if only he would learn how to paint on a canvas. If he can draw, he can paint easily !



Geezzz... isn't that marvelous ? Done just by colored pencils alone. Wow !




I love looking back to all his drawings ... they are all fascinating.
If I could fascinate people with jewelries I had created thru beading,






 my son on the other hand could fascinate everyone with his drawings. I can proudly say Between him  and I, we have 1 thing in common. We  both similarly  shine bright through the artworks we make.

 Being blessed with talent not all people could have makes me look up and be very grateful to someone up above looking after us. Someone whom I always visit in Quiapo church to thank for all the blessings he had bestowed upon us.


The Black Nazarene of Quiapo
for many years now you had always been part of my heart ..
no matter what I do ..
no matter where I go ...
I would always and constantly be here, grateful to you .



Many many thank you for all the blessings this year 2014.
Now I'm Looking forward to the new year of 2015 with greater abundance and luck to every endeavors me and my family take.
It's probably farewell now to the Year 2014 . Forget about the bad times but carry on with all the good happenings and great memories done . But good or bad,  these shall never be forgotten . They shall all be my stepping stones and carried forward unto the new up coming year 2015.

I am now on my way back to Singapore again after few days of bonding with my family. Leaving my cute grandsons and family makes me walk away from them with a heavy heart coz it would mean I won't be there near them to see them grow in the next 6 months , maybe a year. Sad isn't it ?


Well, life is tough sometimes.
We all need to be strong at all times ...
We all need to learn how to accept what we can have and what we can't.
Learn to let go of other things and hold on tight to somegood ones.
Life is always full of surprises !

Anyways, In behalf of my whole family, we all wish everyone out there a blessed and joyful ...

Happy New Year  !








Monday, December 22, 2014

A Christmas Wish ...





In few days time, it 's gonna be Christmas. Oh dear...I hope my plan of oven-cooking a Turkey would yield positive results just like before. The fact is, it would be my 2nd time to cook a Turkey in my entire life ! But mind you, my first attempt was so good that we had been nibbling on that 3kg turkey for days literally ... Yes, it was a big round 3 kg Turkey,  no joke ! Although after about 4-5 years, I had forgotten now how I had cooked it and with what sauce. All I could try to remember is,  I had slowly cooked the whole turkey for 2 hrs in the oven and had made cranberry sauce... maybe apple sauce ? I couldn't recall LOL! Sign of getting old on my part I guess... my brains a bit stucked ha ha .
Anyways, my plan of cooking with the use of a different oven ( much smaller this time to accomodate a 2kg Turkey ) would push through in about 48 hrs ! Ohhhh... time ticks too fast these days , isn't it ? So please wish me luck that it would again be a success !

Talking about success , I'm very grateful for all the ladies who were able to get some pieces from my creations the last few weeks. Now I could say that I had again made some interesting custom made designs guaranteed to have given the wearer a memorable time.




















Many many thank you's from the bottom of my heart for your continous patronage of my items!





Well. now, changing the topic from my cooking to my jewelry creations into something else different but most likely of the people these time of the year, I also have some travelling to do after Christmas. Destination ? My original place of birth ... Philippines ! Purpose ? eerrr ... well.... to see my 2 little munchkins grandsons to deliver their much requested M&M's and Nutella ! Yehheeeyyyyyy




 Isn't it so obvious that kids these days got good taste for chocolate stuffs and they're quite lucky to have them too ? I never had these yummy stuffs when I was young,  huh !



But I will surely enjoy eating it with them too .. so .. kiddos.. don't cry... make way coz grandmommy is coming your way soon... a few more days ... ok ?

So for now all I can do is greet and wish you all a ...

Merry Christmas !


Friday, November 28, 2014

Look Me In The Eye ...




November, 28 2014 ~ Weather has not been good in Singapore these days. It's the rainy season time of the year again and I'm not too fond of driving out in the rain that triggers traffic congestion and flash floods in some parts of this busy city. Road accidents had been very common lately everywhere and I try to avoid being caught in such accidents too knowing so many damn drivers lurking out there and I had met a few of them on the road while driving for errands. Mostly taxi and truck drivers who are always in a hurry to go nowhere ... slow down people. You're not on a racetrack you know . I even had a lady driver infront of me hugging 2 lanes as she drives with mobile phone on her hand. Geezzz, she even got 2 infants at the back seat. Hellloooooooooo , are you nuts ? Look me in the eye woman and I'll teach you infront of your kids how to be a responsible mom driver ! Jesus Christ woman,  in which planet did you come from ?

So I try to keep myself busy indoors most of the time away from these road monsters. Less nerve wrecking anger and stress. Better to give my naughty home buddy Gabby her much needed attention and company to keep her away from nibbling on remote controls and digging our poor grass garden  that had suffered a major blow from her itchy paws big time. My dog I can tolerate, but those called humans, I can't. Haayyzzz


Oh, by the way, I'm back and busy as ever doing my crafts again . You must have probably been wondering how on earth do I manage to have the time to create my itsy bitsy crafts when I have house chores and a 4 storey house to look after, 1 monster dog, 2 teenager kids and blah, blah blah, so on and so forth. Well, frankly speaking, I don't even know  how I do all of them too, and I can still manage to laugh ... and party with my friends almost every week... ( Thanks to the energy and blood boost from the Vitamin C and Ferrous Fumarate tablets I had started to take 2 weeks ago ) Now I got more strenght and I don't get dizzy spells anymore  . Even my back problem had gotten better too ... lucky me !

Trying to figure out what comes first in this design.. wheeewwwww 

Earrings were custom made  in a hurry for my friend Zeenat to match her gown in a beauty pageant this week. Good luck my pretty friend ....

For Sale !  Price =  SGD$45

Custom made for Rachelle matching her green gown in an event held last week.


 Good news is,  I am starting to sell a few orders to friends and displaying my new creations for sale in some chosen bazaars again. Tree Lizard@ Dempsey had been very generous to be giving a table where I can display my crafts for sale on Wednesday night from Nov. till December during the singing gig of Ms. Amy Bondi from 7:30pm onwards.




So don't forget to come on down to Tree Lizard @ Dempsey to wine, dine, chill, relax and shop on a Wednesday night this coming December 2014.






Geezzz, where else could you find a venue in lush greenery where you have almost everything right infront of you ? Away from the hassle and dazzle of the busy city life  ? Yes , only thing you can do is just make a sound of a contented lizard once you are there.. tsk tsk tsk . LOL!

Now here's even better, the  more you would chuckle if you see how much stuffs I had made just for you ...

Custom Made for Miko of Tree Lizard@Dempsey











So you better start your Pre X-mas gift shopping while I have the stocks. Some of my items were made only once and copied in a different color. So you better hurry to grab them.

 I'm also going to be at the following event :

 The German European School X-mas Bazaar
Where : Jalan Jurong Kechil Elementary Campus
When : 29th Nov , 2014 ( Saturday )
from 4pm -9pm.





It's Christmas time ...






..... Saturday, November 29th, 4pm - 9pm at the GESS Primary School campus at Jalan Jurong Kechil. You will not find frost and snow but there will be Christmas carols, you can try mulled wine, German Stollen and bratwurst. Many beautiful prizes can therefore be won at the raffle. Perhaps you'll find some early Christmas presents at the stalls selling handmade Christmas cards, jewelry, decoration and much more. This year, the handmade Christmas Wreaths of the German Association so will be sold at the bazaar. A musical and dance programs will Provide entertainment and children can have pictures taken with Santa Their, have Their faces painted or participate in other activities. All the proceeds will go directly to CARE @ GESS. Everybody is welcome!



Free Entry !




So please come by and say hello. Lots of other goodies would be offered for sale by different selected vendors. Don't forget to bring your purse, cash and husbands to boost your much needed purchasing power .. it's the time of the year they are much needed ... joke ... ha ha .

See you there soon ... happy shopping !!!

 
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