a flower and a mini filmfest

An officemate and I sometimes sneak off to a nearby mall during lunchbreak. And that's just what we did today.
And while walking towards the mall we saw a filmfest banner infront of Union Church of Manila. It seems that it will be held in April and thats days from now!

The banner of the Metro Manila Christian Film Festival at Union Church of Manila

Photos of the films in the MMCFF are posted on the board before the church's glass doors

This is the church,

it is located at the corner of Rada St. (formerly Thailand St.) and Legazpi St. in Makati (near Greenbelt 1 and nearer to the Washington SyCyp Park).

I love looking at flowers. This bunch of special leaves better known as bougainvillea "flowers" were planted along the fench of the park that we passed on our way to MCS. It amazes me sometimes that the flowers of this plant never seem to wilt even in the hottest of days.

swimming with the kids

Holy week this year is so early. The days are too hot more so at night.

My husband thought of taking the family to a pool, somewhere in Dasma. My kids were so makulit for days na, even before the semana. So the hubby acquiesced.

The kuripot me choosed the resort (with pool) at Guevarra St. (near the E. Aguinaldo H-way), since it's a lot more affordable there and there's a water slide for the kids. Luckily my goodhearted husband asked me again where should we go swimming. Siempre! I eagerly asked for Volet's! It's the biggest water resort in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Check its website at http://www.voletsresort.net/

Here are some of our photos.

JB poses stiffly (above) as if he is posing for his school pic or school ID (hehee). Joy is more relaxed here. No need to say that they want to test the water pronto!

Elmer got swiped by a wave here. The kids liked the wave pool so much they kept on returning, with us in tow (ngok!baliktad?!). They were sunburned to an itchy reddish brown! eeekkk! I had to make them take at least 2 showers at home and splatter them with lotion (ugh!) to relive them of the itch/burn.

Hubby and kuya tries to teach Joy how to float, hehee

The wave pool is really that wide (and a lot wider pa nga e!)

Yup! Modest (eheerm!) me just won't take that shirt and shorts off! I wore a bathing suit underneath, but hello! I won't wear it with all those people swimming in the same get up! Besides, I'm too chicken hearted to wear my suit...heheheeee

Dad and Joy at the kiddie pool

Yaya

A lot of us, before, more so in the provinces, thinks that having a yaya is a status qou speller. But that was before. Now, a yaya may also spell the difference between a working mom and a stay at home mom (because of the lack of a yaya!).

Hay naku! If not for the yaya I wouldn't be able to help my hubby with the bills, surely going out making pasyal in Tagaytay, the zoo, occasional vacations up North (Ilocos Norte) and down South (Quezon), malling and some shopping, and a lot more of our kids' "kapritso" certainly will be turned down.

The newest yaya was just over 2 weeks long in minding the kids when I received a phone call from her brother (who I haven't met yet). The brother asked that the yaya be permitted to go home and attend a "meeting" of some sort at the local police station. It turned out that the yaya's (an unwed mom) former flame wants to take their son with him. It seems that the former flame is married and he and his wife are childless, so they want to take the child to live with them. As much as we don't want to take frequent leaves of absence since our corresponding jobs are strict with their rules on leaves, we don't want to make things harder for the yaya, so of course we let her go.

My son and I took her to the Maria de Leon bus station in Dapitan (back of UST hospital) last Sunday afternoon. Yaya told me that she left most of her clothes and things at our home because she plans to come back to us. She promised that she'll get back as soon as the "meeting/agreement" is over. I doubt that. Things like her case takes longer than hours or days to finish.

29 February 2008

A lot of people are writing about it, so I decided not to mention it here. I don't want to politicize my personal nook. But, I am not indifferent to whatever ails the country.

I am angry at the way the government is being run. I am very angry at the way candidates turned elected officials forget, set aside, their promises of reform and progress for the people, for the country. I am so disgusted with those I voted for in the last elections. They were only after the power and privileges associated with the positions they coveted.

I joke around but I know when to do what is right and when to stand by my own ideals.

I can't understand why most of us seem to forget our reasons for living. Living the life we all want. For me at least, I want one solid, healthy, and happy family. Wealth is a big plus. But to what extent are we willing to change the serenity we all want to enjoy so we can have "more" extras hidden for tomorrow?

It seems to me that, most people are so attached with material wealth or possessions. So hungry for power, that they just don't know where to draw the line.

Life does not go on forever. We have to make the best of it while we can. Our families are the answer that keeps eluding us. Turn to the family, give more time to your family. Let us ask ourselves, "Which is the most important? what does our family value most?"

Let us not throw away what is most important.

where's the creek?

I was raised by my grandparents. And when you say grandparents more so in Ilocos Norte, the word "discipline" is not far behind.

At a young age I learned to wake up early 'coz when you wake up late they say you're "sadut" or lazy. After changing into day clothes, us kids were expected to sweep the yard with coconut brooms. At that time in my mind the yard is really soo "dakkel" (a "big" lot, which is common in provincial lots even in fenced in private lots like my grandparents').

I don't know why but I do remember the whole yard is always litterred with lots of leaves. To think the yard is sweeped each morning. There's a lot of fruit bearing trees in the yard. There's mangoes, avocados (3 varieties), langka, bananas (5 var.), guavas(3 var.), dalandan, calamansi, duhat, macopa, guayabano, balimbing, papaya (2-3 varieties), coconut (2 var.), and there's "rimas" also known as seedless breadfruit. The variety of fruiting trees in the backyard kept me from getting sick while I was in the province. My Uncle who planted most of the fruit trees, now and again asks members of the household why the ripe or ripening fruits of certain trees seem to disappear sometimes even before he can have his first taste! Who could the culprit be? Hmmmmmmm...

A creek also runs between the lot of my grandparents and that of the neighbor. That creek had crystal clear water. I remember my lolo "planting" bamboo and string fish baits late in the afternoon then he goes back and gathers/checks the baits early in the morning. He never came home empty handed, and the fish were almost always still wriggling. Us kids took our baths in it and a lot of people from nearby barangays pick freshwater shells along its banks and among the stones. The women also do their laundry there. These days the creek is but a stinky garbage dump.

I was saddened when I last saw it. Some families directed their sewage or dispensed the dirty water from their backyard piggery to the creek. Some even dump their daily garbage there. The creek is dying and out of pakikisama others just don't have the nerve to speak up against those who are polluting it.

I'll post some pics of the creek, upon receiving some files from my cousin.

tug of war sculpture by the Greenbelt chapel

Have you seen the sculpture of children playing tug of war at the Greenbelt chapel grounds?

They sometimes look so alive to me as if they're going to fall or break up any second.

Try to go near their statue, i feel so much animation from that inanimate thing. huh? well, that's my thought...

off the rack at Landmark

I often pass by Landmark and I can't help but wish for some of the dresses hanging on the racks.

Well, I like shopping more so when things that I like to buy fits me!

I love bags! These bags are very affordable and I like the embroidered design. You can find these bags at Landmark.

edsa!

The photos I posted here happens everyday at EDSA. That "tunnel" with lights is actually the MRT -Ayala station where below it are the bus lanes.

Those people standing at the foreground are passengers waiting for their bus. yonder is the EDSA-Ayala overpass. Yup these people do wait for their bus rides where it is prohibited "bawal (nga e!)" zone! The MMDA can't do much about it 'coz these passengers are waiting for provincial buses that do not pass through the appointed bus lanes. I think those provincial buses don't want to stay longer than necessary at the long ques made by other buses. Most (city) buses at the Ayala-EDSA zone line up for passengers longer than the time allowed by the MMDA.

to Greenbelt

the sight of plants relaxes me

From work, Greenbelt is about 2 to 3 minutes walk lang. And along with some officemates we usually go to Greenbelt during lunch break. More so when work is neck deep, we just have to go down and try to absorb some oncogenic sunlight and inhale some of Makati's vehicular pollution.

Here's another shot of the same park (SyCip Park along Legazpi St.).

I was pleasantly surprised when I first passed by Greenbelt 5 (G5), and saw the 2 pools (low lying "fountains"). Those pools gives the shopper or passersby a refreshing view amidst concrete and glass structures. You can see beyond the pool the pocket garden in the middle of Greenbelt. The pocket garden is surrounded by G3, G4, G5, and the Greenbelt chapel.

Here's another shot where you can see G3 beyond the greens.

Next are some shots of the path to the Greenbelt chapel from G5.

The Greenbelt chapel. I sometimes spend some of my time here. The chapel's location is very convenient for Makati workers not to mention the serenity it imbues to whoever seeks solitude inside.

swarovski bracelets and pearl accessories

I am posting pics of some of the pearl earrings I recently sold. I ran out of time then, so i wasn't able to post the Swarovski bracelets pics ordered by some friends and officemates.
Well, here's some...

Yeah, the resolution is indeed poor. The light where I took the pictures is poor din. But, you know I like that feeling of knowing that what you have created/made is appreciated and was/were actually bought! Yup, my simple "creations" were bought and I also am receiving orders, that somehow gives me a nice feeling :).

I welcome suggestions... My creations are very affordable at very low low prices. And if you would like to order, you may contact me here just use the comment post or txt me at 0910-3492214.

I was able to sell the blue and white crystal bracelet (see pic below) sometime in January (2008) and since this is one of the few pics I took of my creations I think I'll just post this and also of some (again blurred) pics of a double rainbow Swarovski bracelet on 10K gold I made for an officemate (he gave it as a 2008 Valentine gift to his wife).

Below is the white Swarovski bracelet (double rainbow) in 10K gold that an officemate bought for his wife as Valentine gift.

Yup, the resolutions are really bad, not to mention that I did not present the pieces in better settings/background(well...) well I am trying to save up for a better camera (an SLR maybe?)