good news!

A Saudi prince from the House of Saud in partnership with Ayala Land purportedly will erect three hotels in Ayala’s commercial center. The hotels will rise from the former site of Park Square that fronts Landmark Department Store.

the hole is surrounded by green fence (at the center of the photo)

It has been months now since workers started digging/preparing the site and from the looks of it they are not yet through with the digging. The depth of the hole somehow can give onlookers the idea of how tall will the buildings there be. I am quite excited about it, ‘coz I was still in high school when my attention was caught by magazine tidbits about this business force ( a real prince too!). I read that he rose and got to where he is through hardwork and persistence.

the prince, surrounded by bodyguards, in a photo taken when he participated in a traditional festival in Saudi Arabia

Prince Al-Walid bin Talal is a big influence not only in the Gulf but to businesses around the Globe. I am hoping that his decision to invest here in the country will help boost our economy and encourage other investors to set up here.

a mom's soft side

 

my joy with her classmates

My youngest child is somehow a bit more sensitive than my eldest. So her preferences are always considered. She’s very assertive at home, to us, and even around the neighborhood but she is quite the opposite at her school. Meldy told me that she still talks a lot with her classmates but is shy when asked to answer in front of the class or during school presentations. Like when her class was tasked to present something about nutritious vegetables and fruits during their Nutrition Month program. She was on the second line, sniff* She’s kind of tall for her age. She’s taller than most of her classmates in nursery so maybe that’s how she got to be in second line (sniff* sniff* –– stage mother here!).

 

with Alexa her close friend in school, during their Nutrition Month program

Anyho! I get mushy everytime I come home these days ‘coz she’s been telling me that she misses me whenever she wakes up and can’t find me beside her. That she sometimes cries ‘coz she wants me beside her and misses me a lot when I’m at work. Then she proudly tells me that she doesn’t cry at class anymore! She says these everytime I get home from work. And her lines makes me feel guilty each time I hear them. But times are hard, some moms just have to work.

 

friends

winding road

Whenever I am running late I always take the shuttle that passes through Daang-Hari. The shuttles winds along middle-income to upper middle income Cavite subdivisions,

one of the upper middle class subs, that the shuttle passes by

these upper middle income subs have high voltage electric wires on top of their fences

posh Alabang subdivisions, the ritzy Ayala-Alabang village itself, Ayala-Alabang Commerce Avenue, past the Fil-Invest Mall, then on to the South Super Highway, then the Skyway, and the shuttle may then enter Makati at various entry points.

One of the main entrances to the ritziest ville in Ayala-Alabang (AA)

some of the mansions at AA can be seen from the fence fronting Commerce Avenue

the high fence is the outer fence of the ritziest ville in AA, the high rises are of the Ayala Alabang business center

Here are some of the potshots I took while riding the shuttle this morning. Bikers ride along Daang-Hari ‘coz the wide open road is not yet traffic clogged.

one of the bikers at Daang-Hari, a lot of fenced wide tracts of land are being readied for real state projects

I noticed though that vehicular density is increasing each month, more so when the Pasong Buaya portion of the Daang-Hari road was finished. I was not able to take a shot of the Bureau of Corrections gate. It would have amused some to know that it is only a couple of kilometers away from the big subs! And not that far from the ritziest ville of Alabang! Lolz!

inverted tomato planter

I've had my share of gardening and I do love to tinker in our pocket garden. I've planted roses, eggplants, chilis, tomatoes, even eggplants. I am even a bit familiar with hydrophonics - where plants are grown with water mixed with the necessary nutrients for growth. So, I'm a bit surprised when I chanced upon this inverted tomato planter.

In this planter the plants grow downward. The hanging stems or vines need almost no attention as fruits ripen in the air (not on the ground) where they wont rot. Plants like basil, parsley, rosemary, and peppers can be planted on top. The top part can hold up to 80 lbs. of topsoil. The compact planter can fit in any space with ample sunlight, even narrow balconies. A hollow base filled with sand (not included) keeps it stable and upright. The plastic planting bed, supported by PVC pipes, has openings for four tomato plants (or any recommended plant recommended by the manufacturer) underneath, with pop-out perforations for four additional openings. The planter is worth $79.95 and can be ordered online at hammacher.

mmmmmasarrrappp!

"In Tagalog masarap means delicious."

On Fridays and Saturdays you will notice some stalls near the entrance (parallel to Ace Hardware) to SM Department Store’s Makati branch. Those stalls sell baked goods to complete meals. You may find tahong (sea mussel) chips, chicharon or crispy pork skin, cakes, pastries, pastas, Japanese meals, and natives dishes like ginataang tulingan.

these ensaymadas are from Moms, i love these ensaymadas. they're so fluffy and soft and freshly baked

sushi anyone?

ginataang tulingan

the best gift

It seems that as time passes even the simplest things makes us really happy. I am happy whenever I am with my kids and happier when our family is complete. My heart overflows with joy with the simplest gesture from my kids and husband.

I would love to keep the rich moments to my memory but I don’t want old age to muddle it. Somehow I want to post it here for posterity (or until it is allowed to have it’s place online). In my last birthday, I did not expect anything fancy from my family. We just hurdled the usual financial duties for the kids’ education – school fees and everything upon enrollment. So I told my husband I wouldn’t mind if I’ll have a small cake only on that day.

When I arrived home, I was happy that my kids stayed late so they can greet me. Their greetings were more than enough to fill my heart with joy and contentment. More so when my son sheepishly gave me his gift.

wrapped in pad paper heheee

It was so simple and yet he made it for me thinking that it would make me happy. And that thought alone made me very very happy! So very happy! I hugged my son soo tight that night, I hugged my kids at the same time so nobody gets jealous, ‘coz I love them equally!

mini bus Cavite style

 

you may take a ride on these buses if you're planning to visit Emilio Aguinaldo's house in Cavite

Here are some photos of the unique looking mini buses of Cavite. I've only seen these type of buses there, that when I first saw those buses, I thought that they look a bit weird.

 

another mini bus along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway

 

one even plastered my name on its back! hehee

pearly memories contest!

Sometimes, the past looks like it happened years ago, more so when you look at pictures. But your memory sometimes makes you feel as if it only happened yesterday. Like my memories of my high school days, most of it are still so sharply etched. How time flies! Really … I smiled when I saw the pictures that Joan Jeanos posted in our yahoo group. I was a lot leaner then. I look sooo different now…

this was taken during Joan's birthday (where do you think was i in this photo? if you can guess it right a pearl string bracelet (white and done by me of course :)) is waiting for the first 2 correct guess! so hurry up! this fun game will last until 30 July 2008) just post your guess thru the comments and please include your email adds and contact number. this fun game (for now) is valid only in the Philippines. the winner will be posted here on 3 August 2008. former classmates are barred from entering the game though hehehee...)

We also have our girlie group. We called it DOMAJOLAVICE! It may sound corny now, but when you think of it naming the group that way was a fad then. It was never corny then to name a group after the first two letters of each member :-) . DO stood for Doreen J., MA for Maritess F., JO for Joan J. A., LA for Lani V. V., VI for Vida, and CE for Cecile. Here’s some of our high school photos during high school at the MMSU-Laboratory High School in Laoag City.

marjune and Irwin clowning before the camera, Joanne with her wave, ...

3 joan's in the pic

smooth sailing weekend

neighborhood kids spending their Saturday afternoon the way other kids want to ... play!

Last weekend while the kids were having a great time with their (neighbor) friends, I took some photos (blurred again, sorry!) of one of our rose plants infront of our house. The locals call it pitimini, I don’t know why.

piti mini blooms

I like it ‘coz it blooms in profusion. All you have to do is to cut the dried flowers for it to bud and to encourage the flower buds from coming out. I also took a shot of Nanay Ila’s (our neighbor) pot of the flowers below. The flowers of this plant usually bloom when the humidity is higher, like these days.

do u know the name of these flowers (plant)?

Meldy likes the pitimini flowers, she kept on telling me that. Even my daughter loves to pick ((&&%^$#@!#$) the flowers...

on my way home

That is how the Emilio Aguinaldo (EA) Highway looks like, still too far away from home...(this was taken in the Imus, Cavite part of the EA h-way)

Traveling from our home to my work each day is so stressful. Maybe my aging muscles are making me dislike it more (huhuu, is this how to accept the onslaught of old age?) I am still in my early 30s and I DON’T think that I am in that phase! Yet…! Heheee…Well… When you often see something you tend to dismiss it as another one of those things. Other passengers would read, play with their PSPs and other portable gadgets, or gaze into their sweetheart’s eyes – PDA galore! Quesehoda na makita ng ibang pasahero!

Not me! Even when I’m too sleepy, I try to keep my eyes open while I’m on my way home specially during weekends. We only live once and life is just TOO short. So I try to take in everything that I see whenever I’m on the road. I would like to share here some of the photos I took last Saturday (19 July 2008) afternoon. I took the ordinary bus so I can take better photos along the road. You will see from most of the photos how enterprising Filipinos can be.

A lot of shops like these abound along the EA h-way (in Talaba, Bacoor)

These men are fried peanut sellers, the adobong mani they sell is a taste apart from the peanuts being sold in Metro Manila. It has a distinctive and crunchy taste.

These pedicab drivers are waiting for passengers (Bacoor area)


This stationery shop which makes invitations for different occasions and also sells souvenirs for any occasions is in Bacoor Cavite along EA highway of course, heheee...


This shop sells second hand automobile parts, also in Bacoor

This man is selling bananas and other fruits infront of the entrance to Camella subdivision. On the other side of the highway is the Revilla's ancestral house in Imus.


Shops selling second hand cars has mushroomed around Cavite, this one is in Imus

Maybe because these are affordable and the demand is high in Cavite so there are also a lot of motorcycle stores (shop is in Imus)