Reunion at Mesa, Modern Filipino Cuisine!

My friends and their families decided that we meet at Greenbelt for a quarterly reunion. As we all know, Greenbelt is one of the nicest place in Metro Manila for its homey ambiance, nice place for chitchatting, and they have nice restaurants too. It is also known as one of the most expensive place for dining, but guess what??? There's this restaurant called "MESA". It is not the usual Modern Filipino Cuisine because they have a unique way on how to present it.

We ordered Kare-kare (Ox Tail - P280), Laing in Two-ways (Php120), Eggplant Salad (Php - 90), 4 pcs Pork Barbecue (Php120), and the Yummy Squid (i forgot how they call it but it's only Php280). I don't have the pictures now but I'm pretty sure we will be back again this week and I'll post some of it.

First, we do some 'window' shopping. Yup, that's really window and doors for you because the stores at Glorietta and Greenbelt are 'high-end'. There's the ever popular and eye-catching watch stores such as the recently 'broke-in' by holduppers 'ROLEX' stores and brands such as Omega and Philippe Patek. There are also famous bags and shoe store like Louis Vuitton, Prada etc. etc. So much for being brand-conscious but honestly its not the brand that made them popular but the quality of their product and the big money they invest in marketing this products. I bet Marikina can also produce quality stuff like the one in Italy but only if Filipinos put their heart to it. Anyway, after some strolling, we say a little prayer in the Church in the middle of the mall. The mass is already on-going so we just decided to come back after we are done dining.

The kids enjoyed playing at the water fountain near Cafe Havana (?) just outside Glorietta 3. Yohann, Eds' son had a wonderful time playing with water that after ten minutes, he was all soaked up. So her parents have to change his shirt and pants and diaper. The two little princesses also enjoyed walking and running around the fountain but we make sure that they dont get wet becauase they were not feeling well that time. Staring at them make us smile and tired. So we hit the Mesa for the sumptuous dinner.

Times like this really makes your life and day and appreciate all the wonderful things that God has given us. Consider this, we are around 10-20 percent lucky in this world to have internet and computer and even the basic necessities in life. We already consider this as luxuries. That's why we never forget to thank God for all his blessings.

Giligan's Sisig - The only sisig that my little girls eat.

Today is a holiday for us because both my husband and I were working with the US Government. We make it a point that we also celebrate "Thanksgiving" in our own way. But, instead of the traditional turkey, we decided to choose the best sisig that we have ever tasted... The GILIGAN'S SISIG!!! After we got tired from our little shopping at the Noel Bazaar at the World Trade Center, we decided to go to Giligans to feast for Filipino food because the price is very affordable without sacrificing the quality! You will never need to worry about what to order because you can never go out of your budget.

And so when we arrived, we ordered a bunch of food: Sinigang na baboy which can be shared for 7 persons (hubby, I, our 3 friends and our 2 girls), Kilawing Oysters, Shrimp Gambas, Pork Sisig and 2 platters of rice. Everybody knows how Filipinos love to eat rice :) Of all the dishes, the sisig probably was the BEST! Absolutely addictive! It was made from fried pig cheeks and possibly ears and they made it very crispy, they also put liver with a bit of mayo mixed in. Not only hubby and I liked it but also my 3 year old and 1 year old daughters too. I can say that the Giligan's Sisig is the only Sisig that my little girls eat :)

By the way, there are lot of Giligan's Restaurants we have been too, but the Giligan's at San Miguel by the Bay is very accessible to us aside from the fact that besides the affordable price, their staff were very accommodating.

All about YAYA!!! Whatever!!!

Just as I arrived at the office yesterday, I received a call from our landlady. She's telling me that our "yayas" (nannies) were fighting at home. I was really worried and wanted to go home immediately. But then, the good landlady told me not to worry and offered that she'll visit our house from time to time to check on our yayas and also to check on my precious ones.

Hours had past, the elder yaya (i'll just call her "Isabela") keeps on texting me and hubby a LOT of negative things about the younger one (or "Gabriela") so we decided not to answer the text until we get home because we don't want just to hear one side of the story. Also, we noticed that Isabela was a very good actress. If you can hear her and just listen to her... you'll believe everything that she says.

And so we arrived at home at 6pm due to heavy traffic. We asked them where it started but both of them won't stop talking. Each of them has something to say about each other but Isabela always have +2 points. She always make it a point that she hasn't done anything wrong and that she was only following my instructions. Then I found out from the conversation that we had that Isabela was making up stories about me. She keeps on dragging my name to Gabriela. Since, Gabriela was younger and its her first time to work as a nanie, she believes everything that Isabela says. To make the story short, Gabriela thinks that I am bad because i have soooo many rules at home which is not true. I told them from the very beginning that the most important thing of their job is to make sure that my kids are well taken care of (food, clothing, hygeine) and next will be the household chores.

We were caught by surprise what had transpired. In fact, we were made to believe that both of them are getting along too well. If we only knew right from the start what is the problem, we could be sure that this have never happen, both of them fighting each other. Since the bubble have already burst, there's no other way than to contain the situation. We have no other recourse but to make a drastic action and a tough decision. We know that if both of them will stay together while both me and my husband are away from the office, we will still get worried that they will clash again.

So we agreed that we have to let go one of them. We know it's very tough since it is really hard to find somebody who will help you in your daily chores but the situation was too traumatic not only us but also the kids, we have no other choice. This morning we dropped her off at Buendia. So goodluck to her and hope she change for the better. For now, life at home is peaceful and less worries.

A Close Encounter at KFC Mall of Asia

It was a gloomy day when we woke up this morning. Nobody wanted to wake up until we realized that it was already late for breakfast. After our brunch (breakfast & lunch) we decided to go out for the usual family day because our supposedly lunch date with our family friends was cancelled today due to health reason. Hubby and I wanted to watch "New Moon" but also wanted to bring the kids with us. So we decided that we will leave them at Dave's Play House at the Mall of Asia while at the same time hubby and I would watch the movie. But when we came there, we were shocked to see a lot of people falling in line for that movie so we decided to watch "2012" instead.

While we were waiting for the scheduled time (3 hours more), hubby and I decided to ran some errands and buy some stuffs at the grocery. We didn't realized that it was already 1 hour before the show so we hurriedly decided to pick up the kids (and their yayas)and bring them to a fast-food so we won't be running out of time. Our eldest daughter Peachy chooses KFC because she likes chicken with gravy and mashed potato. We waited for about 15-20 minutes to be seated because KFC was a 'blockbuster' during weekends any time of the day. All of us were done eating and just waiting for hubby to finished his chicken when this tall man wearing a barong instructed the waiter to clean up our table. I told him that my husband is not done yet with his food and the this tall man who instructed him scolded him and i heard him say "Bakit hindi mo nilinis yung lamesa?" (Why didn't you clean the table?) Poor waiter keeps on explaining that my hubby isn't done with his dinner yet. Then I ask the guy why is he instructing the waiter to clean the table? He answered impolitely "Ano bang masama dun?" (What's wrong with that?) I knew why... because a woman was standing beside our yaya was waiting for us to leave and the man wanted her to be seated in our table. I told the guy, whom I thought was the supervisor that we waited for 20 minutes to be seated and we were just 10 minutes being seated because we don't want to be late in the movie. But the man was still raising his voice. Then a lady in a uniform , May Flor Celis, supervisor, approached us and ask what the problem is... we told her what happened. We asked who the man was, she said he was just a security personnel. The guard's name is Alexis Steves, who acts like a supervisor. The way he talked to me made my husband more angry. My husband's point is, provided the seurity guard made a mistake, he could have asked for 'forgiveness'. Not that we wanted him to kneel to us but a simple ' sorry po maam/sir' will do. If only that we realized that the movie is about to start, we could have stayed there for a long time and give this guy a hard time. Oh well, good thing me and my hubby are not in a fighting mood otherwise he'll get what he asked for. It's just so disheartening that a customer will be treated like this not by the management but by employees or contractual who doesn't value the word customer service.

No more red spots :)

My little Trishia is getting better everyday... Her skin is soft and smooth again (no red spots). She just finished her one bottle of her prescribed medicine, 3 more to go... As always, she's still very active and super hyper. Though she's ok now, she still have colds. I have to abide with her doctor. We still don't give her food that will trigger her allergies again like seafood and poultry products and food that have preservatives. I wish that when we go back to her pedia on the 27th, she will tell us that she can eat again anything that she likes. Thanks to the Anti-histamine product that she prescribed for us. But for all the mothers' beware. You still have to consult with your pediatrician before giving your baby with this kind of medicine, hers got steriods content. First, you can not buy it without a prescription. Second, it can cause drowsiness and sleepiness to you kids and third you don't know if this is compatible with your kids. It is still safe to consult a doctor if you suspect that this is caused by allergy. Don't mind the long queue to the doctor or the money that you will spend, what matter most is that your child is safe and healthy. Dra. Principe of Perpetual Help Hospital is really very good aside from the fact that she gives free medicines. She always made us comfortable and calm.

Parties :)

Today was such a very busy day... Early this afternoon, we celebrated the birthday of our Big Boss. It was fun and we're all stuffed! Then, brother surprised me by texting me that he's in town for a few hour visit, then late at night... we fetch Teacher Nhorie, Luisa (yaya) and our two kids (Peachy and Trishia) at home to celebrate Nhorie's passing of the board exam at one of our favorite restaurants! Such a fun day today! I almost forgot that it was just Thursday. Tomorrow, we'll have a BIG DAY again because our Department will host an Awards Ceremony for the employees who have done a good job for the past 6 months:) A way to recognize their excellent performance and reward them for a job well done.

Good news... or Bad News!

I don't know where to start but most of us wanted to hear the bad news first before hearing the good news. So here it goes... The BAD NEWS is that sooner or later, our Teacher Nhorie will leave us. For almost 3 weeks now, she's been taking care of one of my two daughters while waiting for the result of her Board Exam as a teacher. And the GOOD NEWS is..... SHE PASSED THE BOARD!

When we woke up this morning, she mentioned with a teary-eyed that her friend texted her informing her that her friend saw her name at the http://prcboardexamresultsph.blogspot.com/. We were very happy to hear that because she was the eldest in the family and of course the first to graduate, now board passer. But also, we felt sad because of all the family help that we had, she was the only one who is soooo patient in teaching and at the same time taking care of my little ones. As much as we wanted to keep her forever, we also wanted her to grow and be of help with her family. Congratulations Nhorie!

***The picture was taken at the Pink Sisters in Tagaytay. BTW, Pink Sisters help her pray!***

My Poor Little Trishia

I have a latrophobia, a fear of going to the doctor or doctors. When i was a child, I had a traumatic event at my Pedia's clinic when he gave me a negative outcome with my labtests that results in undergoing several procedures or test. Since, then, I hate going to any hospitals or doctors (even for annual check-up). Well... I cannot tell you how the doctors and nurses handled me when I gave birth to my two little princesses.

Anyways, when it comes to my little princesses... going to the doctor is an exception. Trishia needs to rush to the ER to check the rashes that has worsen for the past 3 days. The resident Pediatrician said that she needs to undergo certains lab tests and x-ray. She even advise us to confine our little one for observation. But then, they called the Trishia's real pedia and advised us to go home instead and come back later today to see the rashes before complying to the resident Pedia. And so we came back with a heavy heart waiting for the results.

As we were waiting for our turn, we are trying to read the lab results and a lot of possibilities are crossing to our minds. And then the doctor said, she has an acute bronchial asthma with hypersensitivity reaction. Well, its not that really that far so serious like dengue or pneumonia or super allergy but the doctor assured us that allergies are common things in babies as they have sensitive skin and all of that. We were relieved that even that she had this kind of rashes, she have no fever nor experiencing pain and its not that itchy for her.

Tonight we gave her Iterax, an anti allergy syrup which is the same as benadryl. After about 30 minutes she already fell asleep. Thats why anti allergy medicines are very popular with those suffering with insomnia. They really make you sleepy. Good night readers! no we didnt also take benadryl but the stress you experience whenever you worry about your child make you so tired and sleepy.zzzzzz

Note: Tomorrow, my poor little Trishia needs to take five (5) more different kinds of medicines.

Z Gorres in Coma

The King is a big fan of boxing and upon visiting manny pacquiao's website we found out that one of our Filipino boxer Z Gorres is in state of coma. This after he won his fight against his opponent as a prelude to the manny pacquiao's fight for tomorrow. Its such a pity to see our Filipino fighters suffer this fate. I guess these boxers will not go to this deadly? Sport if they have receive college degree or if they have decent work in our country. I think this boxers will not make fights as a form of living. Boxing should be a passion. Let us pray so he could recover from this sad state at the moment.

Ysabella's Bithday Party

We attended today the birthday party of Ysabella, daughter of Howell and Abby at Jollibee Macapagal. It was a blast! Well, its not that we enjoy the party more than our kids but seeing your two princesses enjoying the party is more than enough to make you happy. We arrived early and the venue (kiddieland) was big. There were lots of officemates present but the star of the night was Ysabella. She was pretty in her ballerina dress. The gang of Jollibee was a show stealer- Popo, Hetty, Yum, Twirlie and Jollibee himself. Our two little princesses had a great time today. Jollibee made their day:)

We then went to Mall of Asia to catch the fireworks and brought some stuff. We're very excited for tomorrow's Pacquiao and Cotto fight. We are going to watch at Cash and Carry Care of Fairy Godmother Tita Lennie! :)

CEBU PACIFIC TWO DAY SALE!

I Know Im blogging this too late and you have to kill me for that but still there are more hours left for you to book and buy. We learn this just about yesterday. The airline is offering 50% on all their routes, that's right and the whole royal family have availed the big discount they offered. Imagine four of us for just less than 15k. It could worth 30k if it is not for the discount and also this is an international round trip ticket fare. The sale started yesterday 11/12 and will end at 11:59 PM today 11/13. Yup this Friday the 13th. For all those who are free-spirited impulsive buyers, go ahead and book now. www.cebupacificair.com is their website. We are so excited to travel and looking forward to a nice vacation.

Pink Sisters @ Tagaytay City

Do you want your wishes to come true? Do you have problems and/or petitions that you want to be answered? You dont have to look for a Magic Lamp or a Genie or go to Madame Auring or to Charms and Crystals or consult the Tarot Cards. All you need is God, that's right and lots of prayers, aha, but of course you need a brigade of 'pure' ladies to help you out with these. No, Not the old ladies in Quiapo who does the prayers for you but its the Pink Sisters. For those who still doesnt know, they are not members of the BIO-MAN TEAM (Red-1, Green 2... :) ). If you still dont know them well maybe 1. You don't have problems 2. You are filthy rich hehehe 3. You are not Catholic or 4. You dont care.

They are normally called Pink Sisters because literally they wear pink. These nuns are locked in the Altar whenever they pray, well, they are all locked when they made their vow. We don't know if there are some other places where they can be found but we always find our way in Tagaytay. Oh and we also went to Baguio Pink Sisters before maybe more than 3 or 4 times.

They work wonder for us and maybe it will work wonders for you too. No they are not like in the fairy tales that they grant anything you wish. As I said earlier it is still God who will do this for you, however, they can help you pray and help you make that direct connection with God. If praying is like calling through phone, they are the hotlines. They answer fast. How it works, attend the mass (I suggest, than go there and wish immediately, no need to rush), then after the mass, grab a piece of paper and an envelope. Ballpen is hard to find there so bring your own. Write your petition or wishes and drop it off in the slot near the altar. Wait for sometime, I don't know how long for you, but for us, It was fast! How fast, it depends what you wish for. Don't wish for the million bucks, Im sure you need to work on that everyday, God will not give you that instantly.

As we preach to trust God with all your heart, it is still HE who is up in above who really answered our prayers. It worked for us and it might work for you but we dont 100 percent guarantee that everything you wish will be answered.

Its is always good to always put the Pink Sisters in your itinerary whenever you go to Tagayatay. You will feel the serene place with the cold ambiance. Just don't go too late because they close at 6 in the evening.

2009 Veterans Day Memorial

The U.S. Veterans Day is always celebrated at the 11th hour at the 11th day of the 11th month of the Year. It is celebrated to honor those who die in battle especially during the World War I and it is the counterpart of the Araw ng Kagitingan of the Philippines which is celebrated every April 9th of each year.

We woke up at 8AM to catch up the ceremony that will be held in the American Battle Monuments Cemetery (ABMC) located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. After choosing which dress to wear, the two princesses chose the denim jumpers which prove to be a wrong choice given the heat that Day.

As we were coasting the Coastal Road, we realized that It was Coding Day as the charriot's (aka Toyota Revo) plate number ends at 5. Worse, we will be passing by EDSA where MMDA and corrupt policeman abound. After hiding and tailgaiting to different vehicles, we arrived at the cemetery safe and sound, whew. The attendees were at least more than 200 but there were notable persons there. The Ambassador, the Former President, the AFP Chief of Staff, the VA Regional Director and other uniformed officers of the AFP and the US Armed Forces.

After the event, we head towards MOA to eat at Guilligan's. Yumyum. Its our second time here and we say that the sisig is one of the best. Their price is also cheap. After the meal, we are all stuffed!!! Then we head to S&R, its just like Costco in the U.S. and bought some bacon. FYI, they have the best bacon in town for only P300. Their price is better than Purefoods. Here is free marketing, I guess S&R should pay for my lip-service.

We then proceeded to Baclaran. After hiding for so long to the MMDA, guess what, a lady officer flag us down in Baclaran. So I open my window and use my wit and charm, and it works, she let us go. Well, not really, I cant divulge to you how I did it but somehow it is really inappropriate hehehe. I guess I dont have a choice. Just to let the readers know, we are proud to say that the King and the Queen has never missed a novena on the entire year of 2009 and we are about to make that accomplisment a reality. 1 more month to go!

The Knight

Our very reliable, dependable and courageous knight guards our castle night and day. He came from a not so rare breed of bloodline that pass on from generation to generation where their loyalty can never be questioned.

He is very disciplined but you cant hide his fond for the outdoors. His name is Brandon. We chose his name so that people will get scared of him. We know that he will protect us from the evil people that may harm us.

Oh yes he is a Rottweiler!

Recently, he bit all sides of his cage and the King had to fix this with aluminum wires (alambre hehe). Now, we are trying to find a bigger cage to house him up. I guess hiring a welder will not do the trick since Brandon can easily bite this railings. If you know where to find a cage that can house a guard which if he stands can reach 5 feet tall, please drop a message.

Princess Trishia

Princess Trishia was born July 20, 2008. Trishia joined his father as July celebrants, along with his Lolo (the Queen's Father), and Uncle (the Queen's Father) as well as her departed Lola (the King's Mom) and her departed Great Grand Lola (the King's Grandmother). Named Patricia Charlotte, Princess Trishia is already 1 year old. Right now, Trishia is into sports: Golf and baseball (hitting anything with a stick), Basketball (shooting any things that she may grab into any holes she may find), Bowling (sliding any things that may roll) and finally Boxing, well she literally boxes her sister anytime she wants aside from hitting her parents if she likes too.

We havent found out yet what food Trishia likes but she love to drink water and juices and BANANA!!!!. Sometimes she can eat 2 to 3 banana a day. That explains her having a hard time doing her thing in her diaper. If you see her quiet and teary eyed, you bet she already made a Banana Cake hahaha, one that is so hard it can be mistaken as a rock haha.

The youngest of the princess never get tired to hug us each day to show her love and affection. I guess we could spend more time with her...

Princess Peachy

Princess Peachy a.k.a. Penelope Charlotte was born March 11, 2006. Yes, she is currently three years old. We remember when we first saw Peachy when she was 1 month old. She was always circling around. Always in a jolly mood. If your confused, what I am talking about is when we have her 3D ultrasounded at San Juan De Dios. There she was circling around inside the fertilized egg just 1 month old. Too bad the queen has excitingly deleted the file, tsk tsk. We could have somehow shown her and tell her "look Princess Peachy, this is you when you are 1 month old inside your mother's womb."

Princess Peachy loves too talk a lot and she is very picky on food. Her favorites are spaghetti, pizza and soup. She also likes siyawpao and jampong - her term for noodles hehe. She always sleep late and as all other kids, she loves to watch cartoons all day long. Dora, Up, Hi-5, Bob the Builder, Little Einstein, Mr. Bean and Spongebob are her favorites. She dominated all the TVs in the house. Nobody could watch news when she is around but not when we insist that its time for the King and the Queen to watch the latest events in the country.

You'll get more of her royalty traits and tantrums as we go along with our days....

Bibidibobidiboo

• Do you recall where this famous word 'err' song youve heard it first? For those children and those young at heart, your guess it right. This word was taken from the song of Cinderella, the movie. Actually, it was the Fairy Godmother who sang this song while doing her magical thingy.
• This word has stuck into our mind as the constant playing of DVD in your living room and in your bedroom night and day all day long. And when your daughter is singing this all day, you also get infected with the disease. You dont realize that you too is already singing to the tune :)
  
• With these, we are inspired to make this blog to chronicle the life of our two princesses who are inspired with the fairy tales, the life of a king and a queen (in our dreams!) who guides this two princess, the struggle of everyday life in our castle or should i say rented apartment, to the pains of not having a fairy Godmother to look out for our kids as we manage our kingdom
  
• As the birth of this blog is 11/09/09, I want you readers to enjoy the different post we have and welcome you to our world