Thursday, February 19, 2015
Gong Xi Fa Cai
~ 2015 ~
February 19, 2015 ~ My-SECRET-Corner is ringing in the Lunar New Year — in Chinese astrology, the Year of the Goat —
Today marks Chinese New Year - the longesr and most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year is the longest national holiday in China, spanning a total of 15 days.
Here in Singapore, the celebrations had already started since last night. Parts of Chinatown located in Northbridge road were so colorful. Adorned with well lit lanterns as well as chinese themed red and orange decors. The streets of Chinatown were beaming with lively colors and Goat lanterns adorned a major float situated right in the middle of a junction of 2 major street roads. The views were just spectacular especially during nighfall.
Goat or sheep?
2015 is the year of the goat, but you may see it referred to as the “Year of the Sheep” too.
The confusion stems from the Chinese character “yang”, which can translate in colloquial Chinese as either sheep or goat.
Those born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003 are goats, who can count their lucky colours as brown, red and purple.
Their characters are supposedly kind and peaceable, while their best months are supposedly August and November and their lucky flowers are primroses and carnations.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by dinners , parades, dragon dances, reunions and gift exchanges .
Red clothing and elements are essential for Chinese New Year, as the mythical monster at the centre of the New Year, Nian, was supposedly scared of the colour red and fireworks, which have also become a key part of New Year celebrations.
Cleaning the house on the twentieth day of the second lunar month before the New Year, and subsequent house decorating, are both major rituals in the run up to New Year.
Each day has its own celebration: while on Day 2 it is traditional to visit friends and relatives, on Day 3 people tend to stay at home as it is not seen as auspicious to socialise.
The final day, Day 15, sees the Lantern Festival, where red Chinese lanterns are released into the sky.
( Part of an article in The Independent )
Sunday, February 01, 2015
February 1, 2015 ~ Good morning everyone ! 1st day of the month again. Sunday, 1st of February 2015. I had awakened to the barking of my neighbor's Husky puppy dog replacing my usual weekday alarm . But it's ok... time to get up anyways and do my normal routine of houseworks even on a Sunday ... feed my doggie ( Gabby ), wash dishes from last night, mop the floor to remove muddy paw prints, do all the laundry so on and on . Haaaayyzzz... I wonder how I could still sneak into my beadroom to update my blog LOL!
Today I don't know what to tell you except that I am now looking at my table top littered with all sorts of beads and rubbish while I sip my morning coffee. Uuuufffffff ...
It's kind of messy around here ... see what I mean ? Awwwwwww ... decisions to make on new projects for competition. Yup... you heard me ... now I am in the mood to compete again for the upcoming Fire Mountain Gems Seed Bead Contest 2015 ( Wish me luck again please ! ). But first, I need to sort out and clear this table top to have some space for my new project. Then later, I do my house chores of course.
My goal for this month of February 2015 is to come up with a new design . I'm sure you're about to ask, A new one again ? I would gladly reply ...Yes, Something that would kind of stand out from the rest. Unique will be the perfect word to describe it. But then, I will have to provide lots of patience and time making it for sure. Loads of patience to tolerate the many times the beading needle is gonna poke my poor fingers.
I often get hit by needles while I am beading. One particular time about 3 years ago, I was hit in my nerve that my finger got a feeling of being electrified everytime I moved it and it lasted for about 6 months. I feared and thought it would never go back to normal again. It really hurts and it affected my beading for quite a while. Luckily, my finger got over the pain and is now working as good as ever. So now, I always take care with needle works and never force the needle again if it won't pass thru the bead anymore. Experience had taught me to be more observant and careful nowadays.
I make use of a beading needle in almost all my beading projects except when I do wiring.
Size 12 beading needle is my favorite one coz it is very flexible and it can pass through to just anything. The "PONY" brand is good and sold in a pack of 12 pieces for as cheap as Php45 -50/ pack in the Philippines.A Very good 2.25" long quality needle for seed beads 11/0, 15/0, 18/0 and pearls with fine holes. I buy loads of them everytime I come home to Manila. It's a very good size thin stainless steel needles that is very flexible to go even thru curves but it bends easily after going through the beads several times. It looses its form after a while and I always have to straighten it with a flat pliers.Another flaw I find with this needle is, the hole is quite small so I spent so much time trying to get the thread through the hole. I need a threader to direct the thread into the needle hole just to make it easier. But still, despite of its flaws, it's my best tool when it comes to beadworks. I just keep a bunch of them ready in my Needle Nest in case I break or disformed the one I was using. So problem solved... easy !
As you can see I just don't easily give up on anything ..especially when I'm having a new project , obviously !
By the way, check out some real good discounts happening nowadays to some of the most reliable beading sources online.
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| $59 off $499 sitewide coupon(code:AFFFEB59), ends on Feb 15, 2015. @PandaHall.com |
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| $33 off $299 sitewide coupon(code:AFFFEB33), ends on Feb 15, 2015. @PandaHall.com |
Thursday, January 15, 2015
January 14, 2015 ~ Hello everyone. Today is my "special day" and I don't know if I should rejoice about it or not. I feel happy coz I had reached this stage so far but I'm also sad to realize I'm getting old . Oh nooooooo .....
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Raphael : Hey Grandma don't be sad ... you look great at 50 and you're super cool ! Ok, let me check with bigger bro if he agrees to that ! Rhendolf, isn't grandma super cool ? Look at her !.jpg) |
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| Rhendolf : Only thing I could say is .. our Lola Wella is super fun and she looks great aside from being a grandma. When I grow up, wanna be a party animal like her too.! It keeps her young at heart and in looks . Cool .. tee hee ! |
So nice of my grand children to greet me on my birthday. Muaaahhh to you little ones and to all my friends and loved ones all over the place. You all made my day so special.
Eventhough today is a proof that I'm getting older by a year again and oobviously, I cannot hide the fact anymore .. waaahhhhhhh !
But, listen to this...everyone gets old right ? Good thing is, being 50 means a lot and an advantage as compared to being in the 20's. Why ? Now I can say I'd been here , there, everywhere and I had learned so much lessons in life through the years. I had matured well in many aspects except for my looks, ok , maybe a bit LOL! Daughter says I look half my age. Ohh yesssss ! Frankly speaking, I don't feel and look old though. Do I ? Tell me the truth please ... but do it slowly ok ? I don't wanna pass out on hearing the truth from you ... LOL!
Now let's go back to my blog and read some history about my birthday month. January is the start of the year and is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the lenght of 31 days. January ( in Latin Ianuarius ) is named after Janus the God of beginnings and transitions; the name has its beginning in Roman mythology coming from the Latin word for door ( janua ) since January is the door to the year. A door, hmmmm... ok, let me do knock knock... who's there ? Garnet !
Garnet who ?
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| " The Red Angel " |
Garnet is the birthstone of January.
Garnet is mined in a rainbow of colors. From the fiery orange of Mandarin Garnet to the rich green of Tsavorite Garnet and to the most widely recognized color of Pyrope Garnet. This stone in particular is considered a great gift to symbolize friendship and trust..
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| This item was already SOLD ! |
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| #CD250G= CRYSTAL GARNET earrings SGD$45 ( Matching Bangle & Necklace also Available ) |
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| Item was already SOLD to a dear friend of mine. ! |
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| Happy new owner of my created earrings ! |
I just love my Garnet birthstone . I love its striking red color and its physical properties.
The January Birthstone, garnet is a deep red crystal, a revered and popular precious stone. The Garnet has long been used as a talisman for protection by tribes and sects. According to legend, possessing or wearing a garnet ensures success and health, for the stone is believed to possess curative powers.
Garnet signifies victory, truth, purity, friendship, faith and protection. The January birthstone is said to symbolize happiness, deep and enduring friendships. The stone has been associated with awareness, commitment, insight and regeneration, countering black magic, negative forces and dark energies.
So there you go my dear friends and readers. The story , history and facts about my birthday month,
So now I guess I can for the moment go and buy myself some well deserved gifts ... don't you think it's about time to spoil myself for a bit now that I am 50 ? OOOooopppssssss ...
So see you later !
Tuesday, December 30, 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.
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 !
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 !
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 !
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