I'm Back!! Well, sort of

I know I am now one of the many notorious, delinquent bloggers who fail to update the site. Pitiful it may sound, but I may have been overwhelmed by the recent things that happened. This just goes to show that I have a life too!

With the rise in popularity of social networking sites, as well as micro-blogging sites, a quick status update seems to be enough to keep people on the loop. I don't know about you, but posting a single or a bunch of photos, status updates, and quotes can solicit a lot of responses and "likes" almost in real-time, making it a whole lot easier for me to interact with viewers. Moreover, posting the very same things in my blog can make it seem redundant.

Anyway, that's not why I am here right now. I am posting an entry simply because I have this luxury of time, which by the way, should be put in sleeping.

Notice the entry before this, it was in January 2011 and now it's already almost the end of August 2011! So what the heck happened in those 7 months?

To those who care enough to even want to know, or just to the plain curious, I would like to show all of you the product of my silence in burberry cheesecake:

My pride and joy: baby-d 

Isn't he a cutie patootie? 

But this doesn't mean the end of my blogging career (if we can call it such). I just felt like taking a very looooong break and focus more on my little angel. To those who have been waiting for my semi-useful posts, I apologize. I will try harder to see to it that I keep everyone updated. For now, I will try at least a post per week. :) 

Awakened and jetlagged

Okay. I am a delinquent blogger.

Technically speaking though, I never considered myself as a blogger because I never liked blogging, (well, not really) but it's kind of an occasional thing. I only write to my heart's content, and when inspiration calls for it. 

One of the reasons why I wasn't able to update this page is because my laptop broke down, setting my blogging mood down -- suddenly not inspired to write anything unless I wanted to join some sort of ridiculous contest. Apparently, some of my blogger friends seem to feel the same, so I'm not exactly alone in letting cobwebs grow out of my blogs.

Aside from which, I also got too busy with other stuff, which includes my preps to see my husband once again. Remember how I tried to document my US Immigrant Visa status? And now - I'M FINALLY WITH HIM in beautiful Oceanside! I am just in time for our 111th month as a couple. Who knew we'd end up together, rather, begin life with each other? 

 

And after unpacking my stuff, de-cluttering the apartment, and coping with the jet lag (pretty much on it still),  I am now finally able to post an entry! Now ain't that quite an accomplishment after 5 weeks of not being able to blog? lol 

So in my spare time, while waiting for my Social Security, I will just be chillaxing and will probably post an entry or two about random stuff or stuff that could be informational in nature. Who knows? 

That's all for now!

Backlogged!

Status: In Process...

icon by tuziibanez

Okay, I’ve been saying since February that I’ll be posting a series of entries related to my overseas trip to the vibrant, enchanting Okinawa (okay, let’s just skip the drama). I’m sooooo sorry for not bringing myself to do this. 

Though it may sound as an excuse, but I’ve been nothing but busy with our paperwork, and with spending all nights Skype-ing before he finally takes off to San Diego for his next duty station. 

Believe me, I am also backlogged in updating my albums and videos to be archived in my Multiply and FB.

So here’s the deal. I will still be posting any random stuff here, while my trips will be published in between, or whatever I feel like doing..sabi nga ni K Brosas, “kayo na nga lang nakikibasa, kaya kayo ang mag-adjust” hahaha!
 

Since we’re on the topic, check her really hilarious entries on her blog (and her take on jejenism). Grabe kal0wkaH! cGueH bUhbuY… jejejeje!

 WTF!!!!

Okay, catch you all later!

 

My Lakbayan Grade is C!

I have yet to trek the remaining islands of the Philippines.

Bora 2008

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Created by Eugene Villar.



What about you? How do you fare in exploring the PI?

Landing Soon!

Some have already been wondering when I will be posting stuff about my recent trip!

If I get more time on my hands, I’ll start posting my Japan adventures, maybe within the week. Hehe! It’s been almost a month since I went to see D, and I could still taste that onehelluva trip -- how I conquered the island (well, most of it), how I spent Valentines, and some tips for a first timer -- these will just be some of them. I'll try as hard as I can to be detailed too!

It’s just too bad that there are errands for me to run and appointments to keep, which is why the things I've posted so far were stuff from the not-so-very-distant past. Ugh! Sometimes I wonder how I could still keep up. I still owe it to my youth and vibrant memory to keep this going. Well, thank God for that!

Well, it’s off to the bank for me! Of course, I couldn’t say which one.

Later!

Coming soon!

Poweplant Malling -- again! -- 09.16.09

After going through the pre-marriage counseling, we went to his place to get some rest and to leave our paperwork behind. The day was indeed ours for the rest of the afternoon. 

Although I have nothing much to rave about Sumo-Sam, we went there to have our early dinner, before the crowd kicks in. Even if D already lived in Japan for almost 2 years, he still wanted to give Sumo Sam a go. So there.

A colorful Team Manila jeepney, with Rizal on the exterior, was also "parked" on the activity area. We took some souvenir photos for D to take back in Japan. He even tricked me into smiling for the camera when he intentionally set it in video mode!

"Rockwell Ikot" Jeepney

After fooling around and trying different clothes from the different boutiques, we finally landed at Lulu Belle -- the frozen yogurt (fro-yo) place affiliated with FIC -- that one with the "Pink" Christmas tree (I could have sworn the tree came from the Dimensione store within the mall! lol). It was newly opened at that time, so we gave it a whirl.

The counter's white cow coin bank "moo-ed" when fed with coins!

This is D's first try of the Japanese "mochi". Ironic for someone residing in Japan. Since then, he's been eating mochi whenever we have fro-yo. 

For the complete pics:

Pre-marriage Counseling at the Mandaluyong City Hall -- 09.16.09

So what is this about?

Before getting married the legal way, couples must attend the family planning orientation, or known as the "pre-marriage counseling" c/o the Mandaluyong City hall's City Health Office (CHO).

Some people would "skip" it and go ahead with their wedding. We didn't. Aside from the fact that we have no choice because our license will not be released, Dave and I were curious as to how folks here conduct counseling in our hometown. We find this also as a "rare" opportunity -- rare in a sense that we can only do this once in our lifetime. After all, there is and will only be ONE wedding.

Here's a sneak peek on how this thing goes:

Pre-marriage counseling in Mandaluyong only comes once a week at a certain time (Wednesday, 1:00PM). The session is only good for couples aged 25 years old and above, but those who fall below this age category must instead attend the DSWD seminar.

Seminars are usually done in CHO. However, since we had quite a number of couples attending, the venue was moved to a courtroom-like area. I forgot though the actual name of the room. lol.

The first guy who spoke actually started to give an orientation about the process of getting a marriage license, and other how-to's.

What other people don't realize is that there are really important reminders out there that are not really new to most of us. However, hearing it from a 3rd party professional would get the message across the soon-to-be-wed couples.

City Health Officer teaches the "natural" method of family planning through a marker, 

similar to that of a rosary.

After discussions on reproductive health, different methods of family planning and the importance of foreplay before the intercourse (oh yeah, no holds barred on the terms used), the seminar ended at 4:00pm. Since everyone in the venue were deemed to be "mature" audiences, no censor was necessary.

Just right after the entire thing, we received the certificate.

Next, we would be getting our marriage license!

Couple's Foot Spa at Wow Salon -- 09.15.09

Dave always wanted to have his feet done.

When I first met him, with matching pinkish merthiolate-made toes (sorry baby, can't resist!), I knew that he would enjoy pampering his feet.

So for this day we became Spartans as we trudged Greenhills. One of our pitstops everytime we visit the mall is DnD because of the super-sulit siomai all-you-can. As a dimsum-lover, this is a steal! :) 

After a sumptuous fill, we walked around some more and tried to ride an FX that would go to Ortigas. How convenient it was! For only PHP10, you could get to Galle, The Podium, Megamall or even Shangri-La via crossing. So we decided to get off at Megamall since Dave has this craving for Mang Inasal. 

Sooner, we found ourselves walking towards Crossing (yes, we love walking together!) so that we can get to that tricycle terminal near Bermuda (Hahaha!). We asked the trike driver to drop us off at McDo Barangka (fyi, this was where we first met! Hehe! Mush much?!). From McDo we walked a few meters to Wow Salon.

This is a salon that Dave and I frequented because of the super affordable services, but no short in c-h-e-a-p from the satisfying results for each service availed. My family also would come here for our regular haircuts and treatments.

Their foot spa is an amazing PHP250, which is a combo of a foot soak, foot scrub, foot rub, a quick massage and a pedicure.

A colorful mural of all the services jazzes up walls on the foot spa area

Nothing beats spending time with your partner on simple pleasures like these. No matter what activity you both partake, but it's how you did it together counts.


Complete photos here:

Trip to the US Embassy and elsewhere -- 09.14.09

Like what was mentioned earlier, Dave went back to the Philies to have some paperwork done. Part of the many things we needed to do was to wake up on the break of dawn to get to the US Embassy, Manila. 

You see, since he became a naturalized US citizen only last May '09, the requisites for marrying a foreign national is not really as complex as it seems. The difference is only in the form of paperwork to be submitted. Also, make sure that the marriage is well-planned for smooth execution -- no shortcuts here, and it should not be something that you would just jump into, I may add.


For instance, in our case, we need to go down to the US embassy for him to get a "Legal Capacity to Marry". Actually, I don't have to be there for him to get this piece of paper. I only tagged along so that I know how the process goes. 

All I knew was we have to be early as the lines in the embassy could already be long by 5AM. We were correct! There were already about 20 people in queue at the gates by 5:00AM! Good thing, Dave already has a "blue" passport, which only means that he has a separate queue -- and he was first! Yay!

Things to know when going to the US Embassy, Manila:

1. Plan ahead - Some offices in the Embassy could only accommodate requests on a certain date or time. Sometimes, only a certain number of people can be accommodated. Be sure to contact first the Embassy for schedules, or check their website.
   
2. Always bring your passport. No passport, no entry -- simply put.
   
3. Be at least an hour earlier or 2 if you have an appointment.
4. If you don't have an appointment, it is advisable to go as early as 5:00AM to avoid long queues, and to avoid missing cut-offs for quotas or times.
   
5. Cellphones/cameras/electronics are not allowed inside. They are to be left on the counter upon entering the gate. You will be leaving another valid ID to deposit your gadgets. 
6. Gates open at 8:00AM, but they let in a few people by 7:30AM
   

I ended up waiting at the Yellow Cab pizza, which is open 24 hours, since I forgot to bring my passport. Dave then had to fall in line. 

Once I've finished the Charlie Chan Chicken pasta I ordered, I went to Starbucks just right across to have some morning coffee. By that time, it was already 6:00AM and Dave was still on queue. We were just exchanging text messages until the time he went inside the embassy, which was around 7:30AM. 

By that time I got really bored that I had to read ALL the magazines inside Starbucks. If you ask me whether I remember what I learned, I'll just answer no. Haha! 

After this, we decided to go home and relax for a while (actually naligo kasi we didn't have time to take a bath that morning coz we were rushing! Haha!).

So we then went to Trinoma and tried Steak Sizzlers located at the 2nd floor food court. The meal was very filling and very affordable.  I think the sizzling steak below was probably at the PHP100-130 range.

After walking around looking for a wedding band, and several pictures taken later, we decided to get some fro yo (frozen yogurt). And since we were already in Trinoma, the best way to satisfy this urge is to run down at Red Mango! 

Now that's some craving! 

For complete pics: 

R&J's bulalohan atbp. -- 09.13.09

Contrary to the previous post where we need to be prim and proper, we now dine at a more low scale, casual setting. Situated across the Mandaluyong City Hospital, along Boni Ave., R&J's Bulalohan is one place where Dave and I would usually dine out because of the proximity -- since both of us live in Mandaluyong. On top of that, it offers mouthwatering local cuisine. No wonder local celebrities flock to the place as its walls covered pictures of some famous people who have tried their bulalo. 

So to start the day, we ordered the following: 
-bulalo -rice -tocilog -large fries -iced tea

Total bill: around PHP250-300 for the two of us. Not bad for a "heavy" breakfast.

Note: A platter of fries here have a huge serving (unlike most fastfood chains)

Dave then went to visit their cousins while I went home so I could prepare for later's date: Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme at G4.

I must say, no disappointments here! This is the only local film where I really laughed! Eugene Domingo really hit it big time, and this film surely showed how versatile she is in acting. It's not like those no-brainer comedy films out there that is practically called "a waste of time". For those who haven't seen it and needs a good laugh, this is the film for you. I have already bought a pirated copy for Dave because the original one was not out at the time he was here. But I plan to buy the original copy some time this week. :)

After the movie, we went to Jollibee in G4. Yes! Dave missed Jollibee so much that he had to buy 2 Jolly Spags for himself. Now that's what I call appetite! After all, is there a Jollibee in Okinawa?

We did a little window shopping around Glorietta and we also checked out Nike Stadium where the "Team Pilipinas" jerseys were sold. Good thing we still had one his size! He said he already has basketball shorts so we didn't buy the matching shorts. However, I am currently tasked to look for shorts since the ones he had were given away. So it's up to me to get the shorts, also sometime this week.

Of course I never thought that women could get bored while their partners shopped. Hence, a few pictures it took to ease the boredom (sorry baby, but it was fun being with you! haha!).

After shopping, we decided to unwind at Timezone to do our usual videoke sessions. I always enjoy taking videos of him. Some clips below:

Cravings for more R andJ's grew. So again, we went there and ordered other bestsellers there like the sisig, lumpiang shanghai and garlic rice. Oh, did I mention that they always serve soup with any order and still request for more, if desired? I guess I didn't. 

Truly it was a day of fun and food, or I must say R&Js! Need I say more?

RJ's Bulalohan

Boni Ave.
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

(02) 533-4811

Circles Event Cafe -- 09.12.09

Okay. On with the posts...I am way behind schedule. Haha!


Date -- September 12, 2009

This was the day that Dave went back home before getting married the following month -- the week where a lot of tasks were at hand before our solemnizing day. With that, I meant A LOT.

This only means that we did not really plan to use up his leaves for leisurely trips, relaxation and fine dining -- only for him to find out that I had something up my sleeve...

What led me to this plan? Well, it was my fault because of a previous argument that made him spoil a surprise he had for me. Tsk tsk. So girls, if you're man is not telling you everything, he has reasons, especially if he really plans to tell you some other time. Trust okay?


Now back to my surprise treat.


I called up Circles to make reservations. Good thing, they are currently running a promo for the entire month of September (50% off/pax for a minimum of 2 persons). 

Great! 

He told me that he will be arriving from Japan in slippers, shorts and a t-shirt. I asked him to dress up because we needed to pass by a "friend's party". So after picking him up from the airport on that rainy Sunday, we went to his house so that he could dress up. Here were the first pics of us since his arrival from the airport.

  

He was quite baffled when I started to park at Makati Shangri-La Hotel as he only knew that we were going to Glorietta for this "friend's" party. 

 

I then told him that it was actually at a resto where the event will be held. He just went along with it and when I entered Circles, I told him to tell the attendant about  the reservations for Dave Balahan. That's when he probably knew by that time that I tricked him into the whole thing. Weeee! 

 

Anyways, we both enjoyed the international cuisine till our belly's delight! Thanks also to the chamomile tea that did the trick! 

For the complete set of photos, just go to Surprise Treat at Circles Makati -- 09.12.09.