Thursday, February 28, 2013

Follow Up

Remember my bangga? The one with hardly any dent but left a suspicious hole? Well, I showed it to my neighbor who is a SOCO (scene of the crime operative, think CSI) doctor. Sayang, I wasn't able to show him the bangga earlier. He said that he could have swabbed the hole and sent it for testing (cue music, "Who are you, who, who, who, who...") but the 72hr window has lapsed. Here's the clincher, from what he saw, it does look like a bullet hole!

OMG.

The car, my cute little blue car, may have gotten shot accidentally. Woah.

And I was in it. Double woah.

I still get the shivers every time I think of how close that bullet hole was to me. Yes, there was about 3, maybe 4 feet between us, but come on, that was still 4 feet closer than I would have liked. And I try to block out the many what ifs that run through my mind each time I think about the accident.

Jojo's theory was that the gun could have been inside the car, possibly on the floor, and the impact of the bangga set it off. And the driver could have hurried off because of the gun ban. Had I filed a complaint with the police, the investigation would have caused serious problems for him. Lucky for him, I was in an idiotic frame of mind.

I am now even more thankful that I got out of the accident just shaken but blessedly unhurt. But it scares me to think that such a minor vehicular accident (he just failed to stop in time when I stopped) could have resulted to so much worse, just because the driver had a gun in his possession. He was not a policeman, and he didn't look like a politiko who would think that it's part of the image to have a gun. He didn't look like somebody's bodyguard or hired driver/assistant. He looked like a regular maangas thirty-something guy. I am willing to bet owning a gun makes him feel slightly more powerful and seemingly intimidating. He was on the short side, you see, hence the need for something to provide the needed sindak factor.

I have never truly understood the need to own a gun, much less bring it with you on your day-to-day life (unless you are a policeman or a security guard, of course). In my opinion, a gun would never protect you from harm. It would just increase the likelihood of someone getting hurt or worse, killed.

So for you "responsible" gun owners out there, please take a moment and really think of what a gun can do to you, to your loved ones, to other people. Accidents always happen, but once a life is snuffed, that's it. And even if there wasn't any physical harm done, as in my case, you should be responsible enough and man up to whatever damage your gun may have caused. Responsibility does not mean running away from the scene and hiding like a scaredy cat. Oh, and also follow the law. It is election season. There is a total gun ban that should be implemented. The gun ban rule (or is it a law?) is mandatory. It is not a mere suggestion. If you are "responsible" enough to own a gun, be "responsible" enough to follow all the regulations/rules/laws governing it.

I know I've complained a couple of times about my life bordering on the boring side. Well, this incident certainly added some excitement. But I sincerely hope this is the first and last time I get somehow involved with bullets and guns and anything related to them.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

OOTD Feb 23

Got to wear my super cute Sperry shoes today, and I love them! I kept the whole outfit neutral to put the spotlight on the shoes. Aren't they just fab?

Friday, February 22, 2013

Bangga

My car was bumped from behind this afternoon. The impact was quite strong that my rear view mirror flew across the car and landed at the front passenger seat. Thankfully, I had no passengers with me, otherwise that would have caused a seriously nasty bump.

Now I've been in a handful of car accidents before, twice with me driving and twice as a passenger. While today's accident wasn't the worst, it was the first time I was alone in the car. To say that I got affected would be an understatement. I was literally shaking and I got disoriented and didn't know what to do. I tried calling Jojo but he was out of network coverage (tsk, tsk, Globe sucks big time). I was totally out of sorts and I think the guy who bumped me realized that and took advantage of it. He claimed to be in a hurry and just gave me his number and took off. I sat in my car for about 5-10 minutes (until I couldn't ignore the cars honking all around me anymore) just trying to calm myself. And that's when I realized that I didn't get the guy's surname or the car plate number. Heck, I can't even say what the car's make was. Argh. Kill me now.

It was hard to explain to Jojo what happened and why I reacted the way I did. I think he still can't believe how stupid I was. Even I can't believe how stupid I was. Where did all my common sense go? Sheesh.

My takeaway with all these?

One, I am not as strong as I thought myself to be. I wasn't hurt physically but I was on the verge of tears (and to think the accident wasn't my fault at all). I wanted a hug so bad, and I wanted someone to take care of me. Because I really couldn't.

Two, now that I realize how I can be such an idiotic pushover, I should learn to take care of myself more. I know I am more than capable of that. After all, I know I can and will fight anyone who harm my kids and loved ones. So I ought to learn to protect not only themI but myself also, right? I can't always rely on my big and strong husband to defend and take care of me. I really should be able to do that on my own.

And lastly, I strongly believe that my cute blue Chevy Spark (no matter how small and seemingly fragile it is) protected me. I am not kidding when I said the impact was quite strong (seriously, naalog ako ng bongga) but surprisingly (and amazingly) there was very little damage to the car. I am so thankful that the car and all my guardian angels kept me safe from any harm.

So yeah, I am thankful that I am safe and well, and that my takeaways are lessons that will help me be a better version of myself. I am still bummed about the accident but all things considered, I already consider myself pretty lucky.

Ps. Look at the bangga. There is hardly any sign of impact right? But I am boggled by that round hole. The other car didn't have any protruding fixture that can cause that. What came to my mind (and to Jojo's too) was that it looks eerily like a bullet hole. Yikes!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Family Vacation: Hong Kong (Part 1)

I have no idea how to make kwento our family vacation in Hong Kong. I don't know where to start! I can't do a day-by-day kwento like what I did for our Baguio trip because it would be to cumbersome. We stayed there for 6 days and there was a day or two that what we did was so blah, it'll bore you. Weird naman if I do just the days we actually did something kwento-worthy right? My OC-ness will not allow entries for days 1,2, and 4, and none for the other days. It would bother me to no end.

So, back to my original problem, how do I tell you of our Hong Kong trip? My solution is to distract you with nonsense rambling as an intro, then jump straight to the juicy parts. Did it work? Aren't I sneaky-clever? Wahaha!

The whole point of going to Hong Kong is to bring our daughters to Disneyland. We brought Ally there once before but she was only 14 months old then. While she had a fab time, she hardly remembers the experience. Now that she's older and more vocal of her wants, she has been wanting to go back for a while now. We originally wanted to time the travel on my birthday, like what we did for our Boracay trip last year. Kaya lang the airfare was on the expensive side because it was too close to the holidays. It was still peak season kasi . We chose to postpone the trip to the last weekend of January. By doing so, I saved us about 50% of the total airfare. My kind of deal!

We flew on Air Asia via Clark Airport to save another couple of thousand pesos, even with the additional cost of toll and gas to and from Pampanga as well as the airport parking fee. And I was pleasantly satisfied with Clark Airport and Air Asia.

The airport personnel (the porters, people manning the x-ray machines, immigration people) were all so attentive and accommodating. They greeted us with smiles, which I appreciated a lot given that we were at the airport before 5am. They helped and assisted us in even the littlest things like looking for a vacant chair to seat on while waiting to be checked in. The queues for check in, travel tax payment and immigration were not bad at all! I also like that the airport was much smaller than the ones in Manila so there was less walking. The airport still had some parts under renovation, and they still haven't used the second floor departure area, which looked a lot like the Centennial Airport (NAIA 2). I think when they finally use this area, there won't be any need to walk to the airplanes on the ground anymore. There would be tubes connecting the terminal to the airplanes! Bongga!






The first and only time I flew on Air Asia was way back in 2008 from Jakarta to Bali. It was a much shorter flight and not memorable enough. This time however, I noticed that the airplane was new and the flight attendants were attentive and friendly. The food wasn't so bad and were priced reasonably enough. We were seated on red (premium) seats, even though I did not pay for that when I booked our ticket. Our Clark-Hong Kong flight left on time, and we arrived 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time. Not bad, right?  







Watch out for more kwentos and blog entries about our Hong Kong trip soon! :)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Chief Justice Paras


Feb 17 was my great-grandfather's birthday. I have no clear memory of him (I was just 4 years old when he passed away), but I got to know bits of him through stories Papang, my mom and other titos and titas shared through the years. And, in doing this blog entry, I googled his name, and what do you know, Lolo Ricardo has his own Wikipedia page. How cool is that! Such a rock star!

Lolo Cardo was the 8th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He served for almost 10 years and swore into office Presidents Ramon Magsaysay and Carlos Garcia. He was widely credited at having a frugal approach during the post-war years. His advocacy was to rid the Supreme Court of case backlogs, and by the time he retired in 1961, he succeeded in doing so. 

Ramon Magsaysay was sworn into office by Chief Justice Ricardo Paras on December 30, 1953. After the inaugural ceremony, President Magsaysay led his adoring crowd to Malacañan Palace—where, among others, 10,000 sandwiches were waiting.
Source: http://tumblr.malacanang.gov.ph

Vice-President Carlos P. Garcia was inaugurated as the 8th President of the Philipines upon the death of President Ramon Magsaysay on March 23, 1957 at the Council of State Room, Executive Building, Malacañan Palace. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Ricardo Paras.
Source: http://filipinopresidency.multiply.com

President Carlos P. Garcia was inaugurated as the 8th President of the Philippines for a full term on December 30, 1957 at the Independence Grandstand (now Quirino Grandstand), Manila. The oath of office was administered by Ricardo Paras.
Source: http://filipinopresidency.multiply.com
It is an amazing feeling to have an ancestor who was part of Philippine history, to see his name, his photos, his accomplishments in history books and digital media like Wikipedia and official Philippine government websites. Even seeing Lolo Cardo's name in an excerpt from President Ferdinand Marcos' diary was quite thrilling! Lolo Cardo was such a big kahuna back then! He even has his own commemorative stamp! How totally awesome is that?

He was a member of the first Supreme Court of the Philippines (all Filipino) under Chief Justice Manuel Moran, whom he succeeded as chief justice
from the diary of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jan 22, 1970, page 45
...We have organized the panel of lawyers to handle the defense in the protest filed by Osmeña. They are Ex-Chief Justice Paras, Ex-Justice Ozaeta, Don Quintin Paredes, Dean Vicente Abad Santos, Joe Africa and my classmate Ramon Aquino
Source: http://philippinediaryproject.wordpress.com
Date of issue: June 3, 1991
Source: http://vincemd.blogspot.com
A few other trivia I found out about him - he was an alumnus of UP (which makes me fourth generation UP student. Even if Papang did not study in UP,  my paternal lolo, Atty Manuel Macias, was also a graduate of UP. And since my mom is an alumna, it makes me the fourth generation, with just a slight mejo pilit twist). Lolo Cardo took the bar exam in 1913 and placed 2nd; bar topnotcher that year was Manuel Roxas (who later on became president) with a score of 92%.

My mom and titas all told me stories about riding Lolo's official car (a Cadillac) with license plate number 5. They used to be picked up from school on Lolo's birthday and brought to the celebration in Paco, where the ancestral home was. It was such a treat for them, and one they still have fond memories of until now. 

I wish I had met him and had known him at the height of his illustrious career (prior to his stint as CJ, he was an elected member of the House of Representatives, a judge, one of the pioneering justices of the Court of Appeals, and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court). It would have been so cool to say "that's my big lolo!" or watch him swear in a president or even just see him don the judicial black robe and enter the hall, like in the overused clip the tv networks use of the High Tribunal. I just have to contend myself with seeing his name in the archives, or, if I am ever in the Supreme Court building, view his bust there. Not quite as grand but still surreally cool.

But no matter how big of a deal in the political scene Lolo Cardo was back then, his greatest legacies were his family, his children and the values that he instilled in them and in us.We are still a tightly-knit clan, and some of the credit goes to him for this.

Happy 122nd birth anniversary, Lolo Cardo! You have given us, your descendants, so many, many reasons to be proud of you. May we live up to the Paras name with all the dignity and humility that befit it.





Post VDay

I sort of ranted here about the photos on FB and Instagram that people posted on Valentine's Day. It was partly because it was really cheesily annoying and partly because I was attacked by the green-eyed monster. You see, I didn't get anything from or do anything special with my husband. He is such a workaholic that he gets a bit too focused sometimes on his work and he tends to overlook some trivial things. And since I am not one for cheesiness, going out to buy a gift was not a priority. Yes, I am mature enough to understand all that, which was why I wasn't annoyed at him (that much). 

Jojo's work schedule freed up late afternoon of the 15th, and he went to the mall wanting to surprise me with a pair of shoes I once mentioned I liked. However, he wasn't too sure about my preferred color choice, so he had to call me from the store to confirm. The Trinoma store didn't have the color I wanted, but my favorite online store www.zalora.com.ph had it. So Jojo went home empty-handed and we bought it online later that evening.

And I now present to you my post Vday gift from my husband, who knows me well enough not to buy me flowers. 

Amazing how receiving an awesome gift from the most important person in your life can make all those Facebook and Instagram photos less annoying! 





Friday, February 15, 2013

Overgram

Posting my all-time favorite photo of Sofia and me, edited in my newly downloaded app Overgram. Still trying to figure out if this app is a keeper and if paying to remove the watermark would be worth its price tag.

Anyway, isn't Sofia too cute in this photo? I can't help but smile every time I see it.

Hope you guys have a great weekend ahead!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Hearts Day

I was (and still am) never a sweet-cheesy person. I rarely get kilig at movies or tv shows or even books, much less in real life. I don't need or want to receive flowers at any occasion. I was not a girl who got tampo when a boyfriend forgot a monthsary.

So obviously, Valentine's day is not a holiday that I celebrate and enjoy.

This year however, I got a teensy bit disappointed that my husband didn't do anything cheesy for me for Valentine's. I didn't get any flowers or card or any gift from him. We didn't go out on a date or eat out or do anything special. Nada. It was just an ordinary day like any other.

I was perfectly okay until I opened FB and Instagram. Why do people need to post photos of their bouquets of flowers or their ridiculously overpriced gift or their date at some fancy restaurant and the food they ate there? And why am I so envious? This is so not me!

Valentines's day 2013 wasn't a total bust for me though. I did get the sweetest little handmade card that Ally made at school. Awwww.

Happy Hearts Day everyone. May yours be envy-free and full of cheesiness and love!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

2010 and 2013

While I'm still trying to figure out how to write about our Hong Kong trip, here are some then and now photos. Enjoy!

Family Vacation: Baguio Day 3

Our last day in Baguio started with hotel breakfast, where I found out that the peanut butter was not homemade after all. One of the waiters told us that it can actually be bought at any local store. Yay! The brand was Baguio Best , in case you are wondering.

We checked out of the hotel around noon and proceeded to Wright Park for lunch. There was this place there called Ketchup, which was sort of a group of restaurants in one area. You can sit at any restaurant and order from any of the other restaurants and they would deliver the food to you. Nice concept, especially for a big group like ours with different food cravings. Jojo and I chose Malay food. Pepper and her family chose Thai food and my parents and Benj chose grilled food. Price wasn't too bad but the service could be better.


at Ketchup
After lunch we went to Le Monet for some ice cream and for some horseback riding for the kids. Well, that was the plan, but Ally (literally) backed out once we got to the horses. Typical Paras, all bravado disappears once close to an animal. So we just got the ice cream and went to a people-free pine-sy area for some family picture taking.



We went our separate ways after that. Jojo decided to use Kennon Road going back. It was picturesque and all, but the traffic was terrible! There were roadworks so there were areas where there was only one lane passable, and for some reason they prioritized the cars going up to Baguio. To make matters worse, the 3G signal in between the mountains was so bad, I couldn't even use my phone to pass time. Thankfully though the kids were asleep. Scary the thought of entertaining them in the midst of that traffic! Being cooped up inside a non-moving car and kids seriously do not mix!


It took us way longer to go back to Manila than it was to go up to Baguio, including our mass stop at Manaoag. But all in all, the short vacation was fun and we all had a good time.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Les Miserables

I watched Repertory Philippines' production of Les Miserales back in 1993 (I had to google the year) and I absolutely loved it - the story, the drama, the musical score, everything! It was, and still is, hands down my favorite stage play ever. I loved it so much that I read the book for pleasure, and I enjoyed that too. Oddly enough, I have never even attempted to watch any movie adaptation, which a quick google check lists as having 10 versions already. This time however, I made sure to watch the movie. Hugh Jackman is a good enough reason to watch it. That the movie also has Anne Hathaway and a couple of Oscar nominations is additional incentive.

I liked the movie. The acting was great. The singing for the most part were at par with the Broadway versions. The cinematography was great too. The final scene where everyone who died was singing Do You Hear the People Sing gave me major goosebumps (kinda like the ending of Titanic when all those who died were there when Rose, Kate Winslet's character, finally joined Jack, Leo DiCaprio's character. I'm a sucker for scenes like these. Btw, sorry for the Titanic ending spoiler, in the rare event that you haven't watched the movie yet).

Hugh Jackman did justice to the role of Jean Valjean. There were moments there where I actually forgot that he was Wolverine, which was quite challenging especially in the earlier scenes because of his beard and crazy hair. His haunted and hollowed eyes gripped me. His singing voice wasn't too bad, too. I hope he wins an Oscar for this role. He totally owned this movie!

I also enjoyed Anne Hathaway's performance. Although her singing voice wasn't the best (it is hard not to compare her version of I Dreamed a Dream against Lea Salonga's), it was the most heartfelt in the movie, in my opinion. You can almost feel her desperation and sadness in each note. And her acting? Hu-wow! I just watched Princess Diaries yesterday so I am doubly amazed at how far she has improved her craft. In this movie, she was clearly an actress who was singing, as opposed to the others who were singers who were acting. Hmm, I hope I'm making sense. Whatevs. She also deserves an Oscar for this role.

As for Russel Crowe, oh my. I still don't understand why he was cast for the role of Javert. Yes, he acted the role quite well, but by golly his singing was laughable compared to the rest of the cast. I spent the better part of his singing scenes trying to think of other actors who would have been better choices for the role. I first thought of Neil Patrick Harris (too skinny) and John Stamos (too baby faced) before I came up with who I think would have been a more suitable actor for the role - John Travolta. Think about it. His built, demeanor and kontrabida looks would have been perfect for the role. We all know he can sing well too. Oh well, what do I know anyway, right? But it is interesting to think of the possibilities.

A revelation for me in this movie was Sacha Baron Cohen. I have never watched any of his films and I have little tolerance to watch him when he is interviewed or when he guests at any talk show. But I enjoyed his portrayal of Monsieur Thenardier immensely. His timing and screen presence with Helen Bonham Carter was truly pleasant and fun to watch.

As for the others, Amanda Seyfried (Cosette) was pleasant to watch. And Eddie Redmayne's (Marius) voice was great, but his face was a bit too skinny for my liking. His sunken cheeks and narrow nose bothered me. Samantha Barks' (Eponine) voice was great too. But her face reminded me too much of someone and I still can't figure out who. Oh, and Daniel Huttlestone (Gavroche) was adorable.

I'm so glad that the movie lived up to my expectations, and that it didn't ruin any of my thoughts on Les Misrables, Russel Crowe's singing parts included. It is a movie I would gladly watch again and again.








Thursday, February 7, 2013

Big Girl, Big School

I am so pleased to tell you all that Ally passed the admissions test for the big school! And while I know that she is a smart little girl, I have to admit that I was such a worrywart the past couple of months. You see, I took a huge risk by not reserving a slot for her in her current school for next school year. And then she refused to take the big school's test last December. Ayayay! Thankfully, they allowed her to reschedule to a later date (Feb 4). So I used the two months to condition Ally into taking the test. My efforts paid off! She not only took the test, she aced it! The guidance counselor told me Ally did very well in her IQ test but she also pointed out Ally's shyness. We are currently working on that.

Anyway, come June my little big girl will already be going to the big school. Ack! Where is life's pause button?

Monday, February 4, 2013

Final Thoughts on Princess and I

I wrote about my thoughts on Princess and I here, and it was two months before the series ended. As I mentioned before, this was the first local teleserye I got hooked on. The story was compelling and the cinematography in Bhutan were breathtaking. Gretchen Baretto has never acted better and her outfits and jewelry were fabulous. 

However, things took a turn for the worse the last two months. The story took a crazy weird turn, and it was as if they took the original story and threw it out the window. I do not believe that the ending that they gave the viewers was the original ending the writers envisioned when they drew up the storyline at the beginning of the series. I am no writer, but I have read a lot of books and I know how good stories are developed and written. It was obvious to me that the writers of the teleserye have laid a lot of very good plot foundation and dialogue the first 8 months. It was so disappointing to see that they did not make use of those and there was no follow up made. The last two months of the series were pure teeny-bopper fluff that had no foundation and added little weight to the story.

The main conflict of the story, the East-West war was not resolved at all. True, the series ended with peace reigning in the country of Yangdon, but there was no unity between the East and the West factions. The throne went back to the West after a short and not-so eventful civil war. The East leaders went to jail and to the monastery, so they didn't have/hold any position in the government. There was repentance and acknowledgement of wrongdoing from Jao, the prince of the East, but there was no admission from anyone from the West that they too have been in the wrong. It was just so one-sided and so wrong. 

Is this really how ABS-CBN end their teleseryes? That they would sacrifice the story just to make sure the more popular loveteam end up together in the series? Such a big disappointment! Bleh. 

Family Vacation: Baguio Day 2

Our day started with breakfast at the hotel, where I had the yummiest peanut butter ever! I asked the waiter about it and he said it was made by the hotel kitchen staff. I wanted to buy some but they don't sell it. So sad! It really was the yummiest I've tasted. Oh well, I must think of what it would have done to my hips had I been able to take home some.

We went back to our rooms to relax and planned to regroup at the lobby for lunch. Did I mention that my mom got three rooms that are beside each other? So we were able to hear when my sister and her family had arrived, just in time for lunch.

We drove up to Mile Hi Center in Camp John Hay to eat at Little John's. However, the traffic there was bad and the parking was closed so we had to park further up the hill. The reason the parking was closed? It was because PNoy was scheduled to drop by that afternoon. Ngek! I once read about (and basically shrugged off) the inconvenience brought about by his advance party in establishments that he would be visiting. I didn't realize it was this bad. I mean, seriously. It was peak tourist time in Baguio! And it was not as if he dined there or had a meeting or something. He just visited the shops! Ai-yo! No disrespect meant but I think it was just too over the top.

The cordoned off parking area with lots of police and PSG around
Anyway, we dined at Mile Hi, a sort of throwback to the 60's American bistro days. The food wasn't all that yummy, and it wasn't priced reasonably either. We basically just had a long and leisurely lunch-merienda there.

It was mid-afternoon when PNoy arrived to visit some of the shops. My parents brought Ally closer to PNoy and actually got a photo with him. Me, I stayed at the resto, but I did get to see him from afar. I also got to see Rico Blanco (who looks a lot like Christian Bautista in my opinion) and Leo Valdez.
This was my view
PNoy up close and personal
We went back to the hotel after our long lunch to prepare for our 6pm family dinner at Hill Station, a fancy fine dining restaurant where Mama chose to have her birthday dinner at. The place was packed! And, as Mama was a bit chummy with the owner, we found out that aside from being fully booked (for the night we ate) by Dec 15 (we were there Dec 28), the owner also had to turn down PNoy's cabinet staff's request for the president to have dinner there. Wowzers, right? It was the place to be, I tell you. Aside from us (ahem, ahem), also dining there that night were Sen. Bongbong Marcos and his family (group of 30 pax, I think) and food blogger JJ Yulo. Anyway, the place was both homey and fancy, and the owner was very much hands on with running the place and entertaining her guests. She was a very charming hostess indeed! I liked the vibe of the place. There was a bit of a wait for our orders though, which was understandable given that it was full. But the food was worth the wait. I ordered the Moroccan spiced baby back ribs (very tender and oh-so yummy) and Jojo had the lamb. Sorry I don't have photos of our food. We were quite hungry by the time it was served to us, so taking a photo was the last thing on our minds! Entrees were upwards of Php400 each but the food was excellent. No wonder the restaurant is in the Miele Guide and has been listed as one of the best restaurants in the Philippines. I tell you, sulit sya. Their desserts were yummy too. We tried the Death by chocolate and the Chocolate lemon tart, both I love and highly recommend. 

love the hanging drapes and the Christmas decor
SMB - Sofia Macias Battung  
Family picture taking after dinner
We all headed back to the hotel after our long and relaxing dinner. Ally was in high spirits (quite possibly due in part from the chocolate dessert) so she obliged us with a mini photo shoot just outside the resto and again once we got back to the hotel. She is truly a funny little girl. I have no idea where she learns these poses and they are definitely not from me! Such a precocious little girl, no!

Impromptu pictorial at the poorly lit parking lot
...and outside the hotel
...and at the hotel lobby
Well, that was all we did on the second day of vacation - eat, rest and eat again. I should be concerned but I'm not! Vacations are supposed to be this relaxing!

Hill Station
Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road
Baguio City
hillstationbaguio.com


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Remembering Papang

My maternal grandfather Oscar Paras, whom we fondly call Papang, would have turned 87 last February 1. He passed on 3 years ago and I still miss him a lot. He was a great and kind man, a lolo who spoiled his grandkids with his time and affection. He was an easygoing man, always calm and always in the best of moods. He always had kind words to say to everybody, and he was courteous and respectful of everyone he met. He was a man well loved by his family and his friends, a man who inspired kindness and loyalty to those around him, a man who always sang "You'll never know" with minimum coaxing, a man who always ate Max's fried chicken with bread rolls and never with rice, a man who always had to have tissues on the dinner table, a man who used to say "break your sleep" when waking us up, a man who always joked about photographers and paparazzi when asked to sign for his senior citizen discount and benefits. He was my favorite lolo, and he made me believe I was one of his favorite apos. 

Happy birthday, Papang! Love you and miss you so much!



Saturday, February 2, 2013

Pepper's Birthday

Just sharing some photos of my sister's birthday dinner at Mom&Tina's last Jan 8.






Thanks for the dinner treat, Pepper! :)