Hobbies - Accessories

I like to keep my hands busy. One of my passions is making accessories (and source of income too- albeit, very, very, very small income). It's also a stress-reliever for me.

And yep, baking, though I am not too keen in making frostings/ icings, since nobody in the house eats them anyway...

If there is one thing I am very thankful for (aside from my family and friends), it is the ability to create things from scratch with my hands.  

What are your hobbies?

NU Cheerdance Champs

Last Saturday, I was so lucky to be given a chance to attend Foton's Big Show 2013 at the World Trade Center, which I blogged about here.

Thank you Nuffnang and Foton, for choosing me as one of the 11 winners of GC's from Foton (Sayang, I didn't win the Ipad Mini) but still, I'm blessed.

Anyways, when the doors were opened officially declaring the start of the event, who would welcome the guests but the NU Cheerdancers who were the recent champions in the recent UAAP Cheerdance Competition.  And some of them were my former students!!  And what's nice is that they performed at a very close distance!!! It's such a visual treat to watch them! And I'm so proud too!

So, I made sure I took a video of them and I had a picture with them (Kahit blurred!).

With the cheerdance stars!

Ang lapit diba?

                                     

I would have wanted to upload the other video - their complete performance, but Blogger won't allow me to upload it. Hayyy...

We Will Swap Our Beloved Kit for a Foton

Kit has been with us since 1996.  She's our family car: a red and silver Lancer GXL then. She's fully automatic and she looks super cool. 

When my siblings and I started to have our own families, Kit no longer functioned properly.  She gulps gas like a camel gulps water from an oasis in the dessert. Her windows no longer open, and her airconditioning goes haywire when you start driving.  The aircon works properly only when Kit is in neutral gear.  Imagine the torture when you ride her, without any windows opening, and with no airconditioning: yep, slow death.

 

We've been looking for a good family car since Kit started showing signs of old age in the middle of 2000.  Sadly, we have been unsuccessful because we were looking for the following in our future family car:

   1. Affordability

It should not be prized like a luxury vehicle, because we have to take into consideration the needs of the family first (the child is the number one priority, and mind you, that could be costly), before spending on a car.

 

   2. Fuel Efficiency

 

We don't want to spend too much on gas for obvious reasons.  We don't have money all the time for fuel, since we have to really follow our budget.  I've had my share of being broke when I drove Kit, which was nearly empty at that time, and I only had P150 pesos in my wallet. Imagine my embarrassment of gassing up for just P100.00! Arggghhhh!!!

 

We also don't want to add to the load of Mother Nature, so we would like a vehicle that would assure us of fuel economy.

 

   3. Size

 

In the Philippines, family could include someone from the next barangay since he/she is related to your aunt's nephew's cousin, or something.  So our future car should not only be spacious for our own family, but should also have ample space for extended family (not the entire barangay though).  Outings are more fun when more family members join them, right?  And besides, in the Philippines, when we see someone we know walking in the street (with a companion/s), we call them and say, "Lika, sakay na!", even if there is only space for one, that someone would tell his/her companions, "Tara, kasya pa."  So, you know what I mean about size.

 

   4. Cargo Capacity

 

I am a "Jack of all Trades", the female version. I bake, I sell stuff, I do catering on the side, I teach, I join bazaars, I go everywhere. So the cargo capacity of the vehicle is one criteria that was solely given by moi, not the hubby.  I need a place to put my stuff in. Example: There are times when I have to deliver at least 5 dozens of cupcakes. Imagine how I would have to fit that in a car... Or I have to cater food somewhere and I need to bring with me chafing dishes, plates, what-have-yous. It's so hard to fit them all in a car, that sometimes, I have to make several trips to complete my delivery. 

 

Oh, I remember, there was one time that when my kid was still small, and we have to go grocery-shopping and after loading all the groceries into Kit, upon closing the trunk, we discovered that we forgot to load his stroller.  I could not describe how we managed to put his stroller inside. Suffice it to say that, my dad squeezed the stroller onto his lap, with his head at a strange angle, just so the little boy would be safely tucked in his baby carrier, and would not be bothered by the stroller.

 

   5. Make

We would also like to have a car that is "pogi".  Period.

And you know what, we found all of that in Foton's newest models.




http://foton.com.ph

The Thunder and Blizzard Pick-ups best meets our criteria for purchasing a new family vehicle. It is, indeed, value for money!

 

To see what Foton has to offer, attend Foton's Big Show 2013's Grand Launch at the World Trade Center on October 25.  

And you can test-drive a Foton during the Big Show. Just register here so you would get a chance to experience easy-breezy driving with a Foton. You will be convinced that Foton would meet your requirements for your next vehicle purchase.

Please come, because hubby and I are going, and we hope to see you there.

Kit has been with us for decades and the sentimental value we have for her cannot be replaced. But we really need a new car.  So, even if we love Kit dearly, we would let her rest and would gladly swap her with a Foton Thunder Pick-up (or Blizzard Pick-up), because we know that the Foton brand offers quality vehicles at affordable prices.  I think it would not offend Kit at all if we replace her with something much, much better.  Anyway, she had served us for a long time already. 

We also feel that Foton's pick-up trucks have both met all our requirements.  I have also heard that Foton offers great after-sales service.  Now, isn't that what everybody is looking for in a vehicle? Quality + Affordability + Pogi Points = FOTON.

Here's a message from Foton: Join Foton's Big Show 2013's Grand Launch at the World Trade Center on October 25 and witness the launching of the new FOTON View, the 1st dancing wheel loader in the Philippines. Get a chance to trade-in your old vehicles from October 26 to 27. Avail of BIG DISCOUNTS and BIG REWARDS when purchasing FOTON vehicles at the event. Receive amazing giveaways just for coming and you get even more when you test drive our passenger vehicles or attend our forums and trainings. No entrace fee!

 

 

My kid was bitten by a dog

My kid was bitten by a neighbor's dog yesterday.  He was bitten on the left thigh and he had scratch marks on his right leg. He said that he and his playmate were outside the house, playing, when the dog suddenly bit him.   Hubby and I were so p*ssed when we saw the wounds on our little boy. He immediately looked for the owner of the dog.   After a few minutes, we were ready to go to the hospital. We looked for an Animal Bite Center nearby where the little boy was given anti-rabies and anti-tetanus shots (for a whooping price of P2,400 for the two shots).

 

I learned a few lessons from this incident:

 

1. Do not panic.  While I pacified the little boy, hubby was the one who "hunted" for the dog's owner.

I brought the little boy to our room, dressed the wounds, changed his clothes, and told him to wait for me while I take a quick bath and get ready to go to the hospital.

 

2. The City Hall has an Animal Bite Center. They charge a minimal fee for the injections but I was not able to learn how much because it was a holiday. So, it was closed. Darn!

3. One has to clean the wound right away, even if it hurts a lot.

4. It is best to find the owner of the animal right away, to discuss the responsibilities of the animal owner, such as payment for the shots, medicines, if any, transportation costs, and to be reminded that he/she should ensure that his/her pet remains inside his/her property to avoid a repetition of the incident, and to observe the pet too for any changes in the behavior.                  

5. A friend told me that the little boy should not be eating eggs, fish, energy drinks, chocolates within the period of vaccination. That is within thirty (30) days from the day he was bitten.

6. There are Animal Bite Centers that offer cheaper shots (P600 for the first shot, P300 for the succeding shots= four more visits to the clinic). But we only learned of this after the little boy had his shots.  The succeding shots in the Animal Bite Center we visited was P1,800 for both the anti-rabies and anti-tetanus shots.

Still, I have a lot to be grateful for. 

1. It was a holiday so both hubby and I were home.

2. Hubby and I didn't panic.

3. There were construction workers on the lot in front of our home who saw what happened and immediately pointed out the dog who bit my little boy. It was a neighbor's dog, which escaped their home.

4. A neighbor was able to identify the owner of the dog.

5. We had money to advance the payment for the injections.  Good thing, the neighbor immediately reimbursed the payment for the injections.

6. Despite the ordeal, my little boy is still A-Okay.

Let me just add that the darn dog also bit my little boy's playmate. We belatedly learned this, because the playmate didn't say anything when my little boy was crying.  We learned this after we got back to the clinic and after we gave the receipt to the dog owner.   The dog owner wasn't at home, according to her daughter, because she accompanied a little boy, who was also bitten that time by their dog, to an Animal Bite Center, aka, my little boy's playmate.  Later in the evening, when I asked the little boy, he said narrated that his playmate was bitten first by the dog, then he was bitten next.
 

Grrr...

 

I still love pets: dogs, cats, hamsters, birds... But I hate it when they bite people. 

Pardon the typos, my emotions are running high as I write this.

“Real UnliCHAT Experience with Globe’s GoUnli30”

I love chatting.  It's a perfect venue to meet new friends and to connect with family and friends whom you don't see or talk with very often. 

 

I remember in the early 2000s, when I would have to buy internet cards with a P30.00-value, which is good for an hour, and the connection would be erratic. Sometimes, I am in the middle of having an engaging conversation and the card would run out, so I would have to log in again, and sometimes, I won't be able to log in anymore, notwithstanding that I'm using a new card, with a brand-new load.  By the time I've logged in, my "kausap" has already logged out.

So, it used to be that chatting or connecting with the internet really cost a lot, but with the advent of technology, and the awareness of the networks to the people's need to communicate with family and friends, this had been made cheaper and a lot more affordable.   Also, with the advent of smartphones, chatting is made much easier and more convenient. Imagine chatting without hooking up to your computer.  And now, with Globe GoUNLI30, it's not only more than affordable, it's a lot more "SULIT"!

How does  Globe GoUNLI30 give you the REAL UNLI chat experience?

With GoUNLI30, subscribers get unlimited texts to all networks, unlimited calls to Globe/TM, and unlimited chat with the best messaging apps like Viber, Kakao Talk, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Line and the telco’s very own messaging app GMessage without the need for Wi-Fi or additional data charges. Available for only P30 valid for 1 day, GoUNLI30 gives you no excuse to stay out of the loop and connect with more than 1 billion users around the world regardless of mobile network or location.

Againt, through this, subscribers get the following:

      1. Unlimited texts to all networks
      2. Unlimited calls to Globe/TM

     3. Unlimited access to messaging apps - Viber, Kakao Talk, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Line and GMessage without the need for Wi-Fi or additional data charges

 

Chat fanatics- this is perfect for you!

 

Imagine, for only P30.00 per day, that's real value for money! See, that's why Globe's GoUNLI30 is more than "sulit"!

Now, there's no more excuse for people not to connect online.

 

Go all-out unlimited with GoUNLI30 and UNLICHAT25 now. Register by dialing *143# and then choosing GoSAKTO on your Globe mobile phone or texting GOUNLI30 or UNLICHAT25 to 8888

 

The Right Way to Fly is with AirAsia

Around this time last year, I was looking for promo tickets to Boracay since I got a free accommodation there for three days. My kid hasn't been there yet and hubby and I were so sure that he would enjoy the sea and the sand.  

So for our trip next year, hubby and I came up with a wishlist of  our top three (3) domestic destinations from Manila:

     1.Puerto Princesa
     2. Davao
     3. Kalibo (Boracay)
          
Why?

1. Puerto Princesa

Hubby and I both hadn't been there, and so is the little boy.  I had a few friends from Palawan who regaled me with stories about its beauty, pristine beaches and amazing people.  I have tried many times to go to Palawan during my unmarried days, but the budget did not always seem to fit in my pockets!  It's also where the Underground River is, designated as a World Heritage Site right here in the Philippines, so who wouldn't want to visit that?  I can't wait to tell my kid how amazing it is, being home to a diversity of ecosystems, unspoiled caves, and the perfect home for: BATS. I can't wait to see the look in his eyes when I explain that to him.

Photo credit:  http://www.puerto-undergroundriver.com/    

2. Davao

Hmmm... Why? Because hubby and I are not sure what can be found in Davao... I know there's Samal Island.  Other than that, I don't have any close friends (even family/relatives) who've gone on vacation in Davao so I have no idea what beauty awaits us there.  Hubby and I love being surprised and sometimes, it is nice to travel to some place without any expectation so the surprise would be really amazing!

Photo Credit: www.davaotourism.com

3. Kalibo (Boracay)

Okay, so we've been there last January already and why am I thinking of going there again? Because, there's nothing like Boracay! I know it's overcrowded and all, but lying on the sands of Boracay reminds me of how lucky we are as Filipinos to have such a beautiful place like this within our midst. 

Boracay Father and Dad moment

My friends always ask me why I seemed not to have any plans to visit places abroad.  I always tell them that there are still a lot of places in the Philippines that I haven't visited, so that's my priority for now. Travelling abroad would just have to wait for awhile, until I've had my fill of the beauty of the Philippines (unless it's an office-related travel abroad which would probably happen in three hundred twenty seven years).

It's a good thing that AirAsia and Zest Air have now partnered to bring every Pinoy more choices, more affordable flights and better service with the now rebranded AirAsia Zest. The Civil Aeronautics Board (“CAB”) approved “AirAsia Zest” as the new brand name of Zest Airways, Inc. Now my "dream vacations" can now be achievable because of cheaper air fares and better service.  I won't suffer from high blood pressure anymore because of the hassles of travel that are usually caused by delayed flights, expensive fares and inefficient staff.  

I think you should try AirAsia Zest too.

If you think that AirAsia Zest flies from Clark, you are now mistaken. Honey, the lucky stars are on us now. AirAsia flies from Manila! It's no longer AirAsia in Clark, but it's now, AirAsia Zest, NAIA Terminal 4. 

AirAsia Zest Chairman Mikee Romero said, “We are excited to introduce AirAsia Zest, and what it represents. With our alliance, we are well positioned to offer our guests the strength of our combined network of domestic and international routes and unrivalled daily low fares, proving a world class travel experience that every Filipino deserves."

Just an anecdote on the side: during our Boracay trip last January, the flight was delayed for 9 hours or so. The airline (I won't say which one) couldn't give us any reason for the delay. Instead of leaving at around 3 pm, we left at 11 in the evening. Imagine travelling at midnight in Kalibo, with your backpacks, and with a tired four-year old in tow and with no boat available to bring you to Caticlan.  And you know what, I sent at least two complaints on the airline's website as soon as we got back a week after, and up to now, I have yet to receive any reply. 

But with the partnership of AirAsia Zest, this airline is committed to ensure quality service to its customers.

"We hope this brand new look is the first of many steps towards making AirAsia Zest an airline that continues to revolutionize air travel in the Philippines. We are geared up and committed to ensuring that AirAsia Zest lives up to the same incredibly high standards of AirAsia,” Romero said.

AirAsia Zest likewise boasts of its new logo: 

You can see that the "Zest" name 

has been incorporated in the red hot logo of AirAsia.

You might also think that AirAsia Zest is only for flying in the Philippines. Nopes! While it offers flights to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo (Boracay), Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Cagayan De Oro, AirAsia Zest also offers trips to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu  Shanghai, Incheon, so Asia is now within your reach. 

While my goal for now is to travel in the Philippines, my goal in the next few years would be to travel in Asia with AirAsia. Surely, it's the Right Way to Fly!

Now, who says it's too expensive and too much of a hassle to fly?

Funny Haha

The little boy was so excited to have a new "ate" (aka kasambahay).  The night before she arrived, the little boy kept on bugging his dad and I when his new ate will arrive.  When she finally arrived the next evening, the little boy said:

"Daddy, ilabas niyo na po yung litson."

We were dumbfounded because the new ate heard it... After a few moments, I realized what he was talking about and I said:

"Anak, kutson po yung hihigaan ni ate. Yung litson po, pig yun."


--- Pahabol: The kasambahay only stayed for four days. It turned out, she just wanted someone to sponsor her fair from Bicol to Southern Luzon. GRRRRRRRRRRR!

:P


---

The little boy never forgets to pray at night. But before meal times, there are times when he is already in the middle of eating and then suddenly remembers he hasn't prayed yet.  His prayer is the usual "Bless us o Lord..." and then followed by something that sounds like, "Mayie help o kischans...pray for us..."

So one time, I corrected him and said, "Babe, it's Mary, help of Christians."

He answered, "No mom. Sabi ng classmate ko, Mary, help a Christian."

So I told him that it's not right.  He insisted some more and I told him, "Mommy is teaching you the correct prayer."

And he said, "Oh alright. Wrong pala yung classmate ko."

:P

Hay, kids... They are so funny, and they need a lot of guidance.