The Parking Place

SNAPS FOR THE SEASON

2011-06-28T18:24:00.001-07:00

Personalize your own greeting card

What's itching?

2010-02-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Nikon D90

What's consuming my time these days is the new DSLR that hubby bought last Christmas is. The coveted Nikon D90 pulling the energy out of me. Which is great, it helps me in keeping my sanity as a busy full time mum. I admit I have to get myself crazy on something else than house works, otherwise I'd go insane.

The Nikon D90 is bringing me a new level of photography experience than the previous Sony DSLR that we own, which is now broken. It needs a serious repair of the mother board which will cost more than a new camera. Apart from being broken, i guess its time to upgrade.

So, this is what's driving me crazy these days and the more i get to know that gadget, the more I'm loving it! Expect more photos then!

Sunrise or sunset?

2010-02-11T00:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder which scene I like; sunrise or sunset? Sunrise wakes me up to my senses for the day... sunset rests my mind to wilderness what awaits me tomorrow!

Swimming through

2009-08-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

When I'm with my favorite element, which is water, I'm feeling relaxed specially when I'm floating on it. I can float for an hour day dreaming, watching the clouds passing by and listening the soft sound of water flowing in and out the pool. Just like laying idly on the bed. That's the way I cool down after swimming. I'm no-pro of the subject but since I'm swimming regularly now than before,(that's because I don't like to go to the gym, it bores me!) I think it's time to review my swimming techniques and other areas to improve, which landed me browsing on you tube's swimming tips.

Have to practice some of the tricks tomorrow and keep swimming!

For today, I find these videos helpful:

How to Swim Freestyle Stroke by JimmyDShea

Breast Stroke

Free Style Kicking

Top Three Swim Drills

How far can i stretch?

2009-07-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like I really in dire need to do something for my physical fitness regimen stuff... because I've done little enough! I swim, irregularly, I use the gym very sparingly, and got no time for sauna and I barely do yoga anymore. Needless to say, I'm feeling the bulge in my tummy and around my sides getting wider and wider. My time is consumed in taking care of my little one, driving around, and household stuffs... Now, I feel like my energy is depleting.... Guess its time to pump it up!

Well, I have to admit, I am not that stretchy but I'm going back to yoga. I am not into losing weight yet, but more on energizing myself to "feel good". As for me, feeling good needs a little effort in keeping up positive energies in you which means needs a little daily exercise that would lead to less back and neck aches which I often have. Having said that, what have I done so far?

My wish list goes like this; first i want to utilize the facilities that we have in the apartment/hotel, i.e. swimming pool, gymn, sauna, squash court. I think that is more than enough if I have the discipline to do so.

To start with, I've done yoga for the last 3 days at home. I had yoga lessons before my pregnancy and kept a CD to follow, now I'm back to yoga slowly until I keep a rhythm of the routine. To get splashing for 30 minutes, minimum of 10 laps, 2x a week and enjoy sauna after. The gym can wait... maybe after a month of this rhythm... I am more enjoying swimming than going to the gym.

That would be an effort, I guess... will start from that then we'll see. Diet is another subject to tackle. I'm not so strict but I restrain myself from unhealthy guilty pleasures. I'm glad that B. is conscious of his intake as he is really into fitness these days. We have cut cheeses already for the past few months. Salads at night on weekdays, hmmm but guilty pleasures on weekends.. He had lost weight already and I'm the one gaining.. Grrrrr... Get moving!

We'll see

still around

2009-06-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

ohh well it has been a long time... just to assure you that I'm here... Did I miss blogging? not really, coz I didn't had idle times. I've just been busy with something else ... I hope to regain my blogging momentum soon... anything goes.

Cheers!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

taken in KLCC

Let me grab a chance to greet you Happy Chinese New Year everyone! I'm only having short posts these days as I don't have a extra pair of hands and mind to get through my days and my 24 hours isn't enough... in short, "I'm just a busy mom".

taken in Pavillion

I hope everyone is having a good time this 4-day weekend!

Ox, give us a good head start!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

our princess turns 1!

2009-01-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and family,

Hear Ye By the order of the King & Queen you are cordially invited to Castle Maple Suite to celebrate the first birthday of Princess Leila located in the Historic village of Kuala Lumpur.

Royal Celebration begins at 12 NN on Saturday the 28th of February 2009. Please have your coachman deliver you to our address: Maple Suite, #1 Changkat Raja Chulan,Kuala Lumpur.

To prepare for your arrival

please R.S.V.P. by 20th February.

notes:

Actual date of birth of our princess is 26th Feb but since not everyone will be available on weekdays, we moved the date on a weekend. Those who love singing, unlimited Karaoke after lunch for your entertainment.

Party theme: Princess

Your Royal Highness,

The King and Queen

VISIT TO LANGKAWI

2009-01-08T21:11:00.001-08:00

Had a quick visit to see what’s at store in Langkawi last Dec. 6-8 2008. Langkawi is located around the northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia. We stayed at Berjaya Hotel which was quite a disappointment as it wasn’t the kind of 5star hotel service I’ve expected. Our activities were limited as we have baby around, so we went only to baby friendly activities, however there were so much to see in island to those who travel without little bundle to carry around. Well, I was expecting to be basking in the sun with a nice cocktail in a beach bed, but nope it wasn’t the case. First I struggled to be transferred to a chalet near the beach and when we got to the beach enjoying the sand, the rain poured down. Not a bit of luck for the sun. My sunblock was unused and most of the times we just stayed in our chalet. Anyway, it was good to have some time off the house works and spend some time with nothing else but family. We’ll try the fun next time, as we can’t do much with the weather condition. We had an afternoon tour of the island which reminds me of some places in Philippines. There’s nothing much difference. There were a bunch of activities in line which we were not able do due to bad weather. We've visited the underwater world, other beaches, eagle square, street shopping and ended the tour with local cuisine.

Travelling with a 9 month-old baby without a nanny around, it would have been great to have a comfort of good hotel service but it wasn’t the case so at the end, I was all stressed out. First, the chalet that we had was in the middle of nowhere in the jungle which, I wasn’t expecting in the first place. I have searched the net or maybe I should have searched further that when they meant garden facing room, I was expecting it to be a well manicured garden where we could have a peaceful walk around with nice landscaping and all, but it is exactly the opposite. There is nowhere to walk around because the surroundings are heavily-densed forest with slopes and dangerous cliffs. Somehow, after a few unpleasant conversations with staffs and the manager we managed to transfer to a chalet near the beach.

The spa is one of the few things I’ve enjoyed during our short stay. Had two hours of blissful aromatic massage which was so great. It was just what I needed.

Some great shots taken from underwater world which made the visit worthwhile and I’m just as happy as a bee. More pictures are posted in Multiply.

HOLIDAYS @ HOME

2009-01-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

It was our first Family Christmas at home so it was quite meaningful celebrating the season with dearest friends and family. It was so much fun having everyone around hyped with all the spirit of the season. My cousin Rey and Family and Dad-in-law came over after Christmas and celebrated New Year with us. We had blasting fireworks at home which was spectacular. I had so much fun but I haven’t took any picture of the Christmas and New Year fireworks.

Food was great with hubby as the chef. Everything was cooked in the brick oven which he made mid 2008. He cooked becoff which is authentic French cuisine, Pork Belly with super crispy crackling, roasted whole rack of pork ribs, roasted chicken, smoked tuna and marlin, home made ham and lovely bread. Wine and spirits were at hand all the time, nothing could I ask more for a feast!

……2008 that was…..

The year 2008 was the most significant year for me because it’s the year that I officially became a mother. Nothing can beat that feeling of fulfillment. Went home 3 times in a row this year in July, September and December. Had our first family Christmas and ended the year with a Big Bang @ home.

In some other aspects, or undesirable aspects I should say, some relationships had been chipped off from in-laws which I don’t know how it just happened. I wish I could just patch things up easily, but things went messy so quickly leaving me unjustified with painful allegations. I’m not really a big talker as a person and I do believe that sometimes the best answer is simply “silence”.

Every year that passes by doesn’t only make me realize that I’m getting older but just a little bit wiser. Oh well.. yes, I do tell myself I’m old when I see my nephews and nieces growing so quickly. It was just like last year when I enjoyed annoying them with their innocence but now, they’ve gone wiser. They make fun of me instead of me making fun of them and I just settle in a fake smile telling myself they’ve known much already. I’m somehow quietly glad.

What’s at store for us for 2009? We don’t know and nobody knows, we could be moving somewhere… prospects, Singapore or Australia… dunno. We live with plenty of uncertainties.

Snorring blog

2009-01-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

This blog had been sleeping quietly for the last two months. Hope everyone had a great time for the last holidays and though its quite late but let me greet you a pleasant new year 2009. Been busy moving around visiting places and having a good time, so good that I can’t post anything here. Hugs and Kisses

Box of Chocolate

2008-11-13T18:37:00.002-08:00

Box of Chocolate with 32 pieces bite size seashell semi-sweet chocolates filled with almonds.

Treat your loved one a chocolate bliss. These home made seashell chocolates are intricately made for your indulgence. One bite is not enough! How about 32 heavenly bites? It's at its best when chilled.

PRE-CHRISTMAS GIFTS

2008-11-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas is fast approaching! Since we will be away for Christmas, will be giving our gifts in advance. What would it be? Can anyone guess? The wild guesser will get a special one!

These were my give-aways last Christmas, I only knew a few since we were new in KL that time, I had everyone I knew back then a taste of home made cookies.
Take me back HOME

Leila's Photo Shoot

2008-11-09T03:28:00.000-08:00

I had these photos last Sept but haven't posted them yet. I love taking photos of little human beings and my baby is no exemption.

the picture below was taken last June when she was 4 months old. She's such a poser!

Take me back HOME

Hybernating from posting

2008-11-09T02:55:00.000-08:00

Whoah... its been a while I haven't posted anything.. its not that I don't have anything to write about, its just that my times just flew so quickly. In between making chocolates and cakes, baby,hubby,household chores and tea time with friends, I didn't had much time to blog. I have a lot to catch up reading others' posts as well. I've been left behind. tsk..tsk...

Take me back HOME

Heart Cake for your special loved one

2008-10-29T20:24:00.001-07:00

Model Cakes for Valentine's day or engagement ...

or do you need an occasion to give one?

for engagement

Jan Schenker's Birthday

2008-10-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

Clown Cake

I was pleased to make the birthday cake for Janet-Peter's son Jan Schenker who just turned 4 the other day. I also made some customized give-aways. It was fun making them and it was a team work between me and hubby.. I do the stuffs and hubby is the critic. I had fun during the party though I left early to attend to my princess.

Birthday give-aways

Melamine Tainted eggs! what's next?

2008-10-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

The food supply is getting scary! First, hundreds of pets died because of tainted pet food products from China tainted with melamine two years ago. Secondly, last September, thousands of babies died because of tainted milk and dairy products from China tainted with excessive melamine. So come with cereals, noodles etc. And now, lately, tainted EGGS! As I watched CNN's news on the latest melamine scare I was wondering, what's next? Tainted Fish? Chicken? beef? How sure are we that what we put on the dinner table is safe? Then I console myself... if people will take it seriously then we don't eat anything! unless if you grow your own food! i.e. you have free-range chicken to lay eggs for you, you grow your cows, plant your vegetables! etc. This can't be serious!

Melamine tainted eggs are said to come from Chickens fed with melamine tainted feeds. Fish could possibly get melamine from the fish food or pillets to feed the fish. And so with cows, then we get melamine on our beef! How scary is that? So watch out for the eggs you buy. Check if they are from China.

Take me back HOME

Doll cakes for your girls!

2008-10-22T20:14:00.001-07:00

Experimenting on doll cakes.. and I finally made it. I've been wanting to do this ages ago but didn't had a chance, until I saw some pics of my friend Joan , in Abu Dhabi, and finally I have made some. If you guys want to order this for a present, just give me a buzz ahead of time so I can make it for you.

Hometown is where my heart is

2008-10-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Dumaguete City is where my heart is. These are latest photos of the boulevard around six in the morning. I love to drive around, while the city streets are less chaotic, my morning routine is to pick up newspaper, fresh bread and cheese. A quick coffee in Why Not gets me going for the day ahead. The boulevard is still half asleep before rush hours and I enjoyed my cup of coffee with the scenery and reminiscing college days where boulevard is just a stone throw away from Silliman University. We used to hang out here after exams whether just to hang loose or have a drink or two in nearby pubs and restaurants that lined along the boulevard.

Quiet streets early morning before rush hour.

A ship came into view, about to dock in Dumaguete Port. I'm guessing its from Cagayan.

My frequent passenger every morning. Yeah, its my dog, sitting quietly while I'm having my coffee.
Although I have lived in big cities, I still long to be in my small home town from time to time. Every time the plane lands in Dumaguete airport, there's always a sigh of relief "whew I'm home!". Dumaguete City is known to be the city of gentle people and as a university town. The former is becoming unpopular these days with the consequences of a growing city, the crime rate had risen enormously like any other growing city.

Lunch date with Pinoy Expats in KL

2008-10-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

Photo by Walter... eyyy, thanks for this one big happy family photo!

Finally we came to meet in a group with fellow pinoys and had a great Lunch at Steph's. Thanks Steph for hosting such an event. I look forward to meet you all guys again and maybe more peps could attend.. the more the merrier! The foods were great! For those who missed the fun, we had Pinakbet, fish relieno, adobo, spaghetti, roasters,minced meat, leche flan, custard cake, brazo de mercedez, chocolates, wine ,... what else? did I forget to mention something?? I can't remember everything as I had so much fun and so with my daughter playing with other kids. I Look forward to more get-together with everybody again.

Sea shell chocolates

2008-10-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

Sea shell chocolates comes in a bar or in individual shell. I love how they came out! If I did made you salivate you can order here and I'll make it for you. Suit your taste from regular, semi-sweet, white and dark chocolates. These chocs are stuffed with almonds.

My Little Feet

2008-10-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Leila was deeply sleeping while I am busy with all-in-a-day's work and a pleasant view stopped me from my day errands and paused for a while, took my camera and enjoyed shooting her little feet that are peeking at me. Seven months ago, these feet are kicking inside me and oh how I loved that feeling since she first kicked. During the last trimester, she was kicking everytime DH (Dear Hubby) is around, every time he comes home from work and she hears his voice, she is greeting him with kicks. He then talked to her "where is my little foot?, How's my little foot?" Her right foot was just below my ribs and the form was very obvious. At times like this, makes me realize how fast she is growing. Now she loves biting her foot.

Now, I love smelling her tiny little feet.. Yeah, I'm enjoying it while I still can... before they get smelly! Lols.

Looking back.. here's a repost from multiply..

... ON BEING PREGGY ....

It has been an amazing journey for the last 8 months being preggy. It's a lifetime experience on all corners of my life and most of all being loaded with responsibilities laid ahead of me and the challenges of parenting. All these can wait until the time when I will be a mother, and this brings me back to being pregnant for the first time. As the old saying goes "You will never understand your mother unless you become one" the same thing goes with being pregnant. And I do agree, you will never understand a pregnant woman unless you become pregnant yourself.

Though I've never grown up in a normal life with a mother figure at home coz Mom died when I was five, I've had a lot of things in my mind like what should I be as a mother or what should I don't want to be. The society had been my laboratory. Observing how somebody's son or daughter end up with such a misery because of luck of parental guidance or how somebody's son/daughter could be successful even against all the odds financially, and loads of other examples that I can pick randomly around me. Having these things in mind, I can put aside the matter of parenting and focus on where I am now.

Firstly, I appreciate my hubby for all his support on this amazing 9-month journey, (1 month to go). I'm so thankful that he had been very supportive emotionally. I relied on him on all the anxieties I had during the first trimester, bearing with me with all the mood swings that goes up and down like a roller coaster ride.

Having the thought of this little creature inside me will change our lives forever had brought us closer than ever. So, I would say "we are pregnant" rather than saying "I am pregnant" as he had been an amazing father-to-be. We are enjoying being pregnant and now he is unbelievably close to baby. She recognizes his voice when he is talking to her, his massage and his body temperature when he touches or massages my belly, she seems to be excited, flickering, punching or kicking, or somersaulting inside me. I think it's because I've been playing his recorded voice message for baby when he is not around. Somehow, they bonded together.

Looking back on how it has been, I can't sum up everything but I'll try to enumerate what I've learned.

1. I learned to appreciate my body more and more with the growing bump. Looking at the mirror would tell me how much she had grown and I cant be prouder with a bigger belly each week.

2. My likings on food is not my priority anymore but I have to consider the health benefits as well as its dangers for the growing fetus. I am not eating smoked salmon (which is my favorite), Soft cheeses / smelly cheeses (another favorite), avoiding cakes which I crave from time to time.

3. I've never been swimming more often than before but now with with my big bump, I can do 8 laps and enjoyed swimming than ever before. I think its safer than walking in the streets, but I do walk a lot with extra care. For the sake of exercise.

4. I learned how to monitor my sugar level as I had developed gestational diabetes, which is common during pregnancy. So I have to dig in what is GD and found out that the pancreas is not secreting much insulin during pregnancy because of high level of hormone "relaxin" which relaxes or reduces the function of pancreas, and that there is less insulin causes diabetes coz its the one responsible for breaking up sugars that we take. Even if I didn't had much sugary foods, I have developed diabetes. Hence, I have to cut down my intake of sugar than my normal diet, which includes cutting on fruits. I thought fruits are good during pregnancy but too much of it could accumulate sugar badly. therefore, a slice of fruit, not 2, not 3, but just a slice is enough and should be taken with a meal. Before I was snacking on 2 bananas or 2 oranges when I'm hungry coz I thought I needed vitamin C. I have to admit, I was completely wrong about that! Okay, Now I know, and it's good to know!

4. The Aches!!!!! Headaches for the first trimester, my left wrist is aching occationally, backache when I'm not walking or swimming, so I have to exercise to minimize backaches and avoid long sitting, leg cramps during dawn, but I learned that putting a pillow inbetween my legs at night and taking calcium before sleeping reduces cramps, and it works well with me, thankfully, now I'm not having leg cramps anymore.

5. Varicose veins are becoming unbeareable, I can't stand that long in stationary and have to elevate my legs up whenvever possible.

6. Sleeping is becoming more and more difficult as baby is moving in the middle of the night waking me up. Even lying down on bed at night and getting up in the morning is not that easy anymore as my bump is quite heavy now. I have to move very slowly like a crawling worm. Sleeping on one side is more comfy than lying flat but I have to shift from one side to another.

By far, that's what I've been dealing with and as they say each woman has a unique pregnancy experience.

Looking on what I love the most, I have as much to say as well.
1. I love my bump! Love the flickering movement from the very first kick until now. We kept on guessing which one is the baby's bum or limbs or arms everytime my tummy waves with her movement. Which one is a kick, or a punch? or maybe she is just showing her bum!

2. I love hubby doing massage on my bump and as he talks to baby, its like this baby is driving us crazy!!! I love him kissing my tummy and loving him more each day.

3. I love it when almost everybody is saying to me "you take care" even a stranger would say such lovely words and offer some hefty help.

4. I love shopping for baby!!! Preparing for her arrival is such a thrill. I get tempted to grab some lovely pink clothes, her beddings, bottles, toys, etc.

5. The more I appreciate mothers that I see around carrying their babies.

6. I love day dreaming what she would look like, if she gets my eyes or hubby's, or I wished she will get dad's hair coz I dont like mine, or she might get my fingernails and go crazy with day dreaming on the looks, but most of all dreaming of raising her as a composed well rounded person, or she'll be as genius as her dad or would she speaks eloquently.

As far as knowledge on being pregnant is concern, we didnt had experience before so, we had pregnancy books to read and research on the net, but despite all these, we are still not confident of ourselfves, so we enrolled ourselves to "Parent Craft" classes, in which we were taught on some issues concerning pregnancy, what to expect during birth, breathing techniques and positioning for birth as well as breastfeeding. But we will keep on learning as we get there, atleast to have an idea on what to do wouln't leave us like idiots, but would diffinitely help us get there and coping with it makes easy.

Hand crafted chocolates

2008-10-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

I, as a self proclaimed chocolate addict, am taking my addiction to a different level. I love coffee and nice and bitter chocolates, they are just a perfect match made in heaven for me. What kept me busy for the past few days is making my own chocolate. What??? Yeah, I am falling in love making chocolates. Designing and experimenting on flavor combinations gives me thrill. The pleasure of designing them is giving a different thrill handling paintbrush again is tickling my hands to do it.

It is such an expensive vise to indulge in but in order to finance my newly found passion, selling them would suffice my needs. They are home made chocolates ranging from regular, bitter-sweet, and unsweetened chocolates. These chocolates are readily available in our house for an affordable price. I would also be pleased to accept orders from you for your chocolate cravings or for party flavors. These chocolates can be customized for giveaways for weddings, birthdays, baptismal, personal gifts, etc. Designs for kids are bear lollipops and for everyone, there are floral designs as well. For real chocolate lovers (hardcore chocolate lovers) novelty designs will soon to come.

I'm still developing new flavors and a distinctive taste that I can call my own. Contrary to my Kitchen Journal, where I always share recipes but I will take the liberty to keep my chocolate recipes as they are highly confidential. It is only shared between me and my sister Delia who is a Nutritionist Dietecian. Thanks to her, she was the one who awakened my senses on chocolates and tickled my hands for painting again.

I'm back!

2008-10-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

Whew! where have I been? feels like I've been disconnected for ages. We just went home to Phil for a week but it feels like months away from my blog, unsurprisingly time just slipped so quickly while at home.. Yeah, lots of goodness yet not enough time. It was stressful in a way specially for me as I am always the runner on the go whatever is lacking for our menu plus a little bit of pick up here and there; but I generally enjoyed my busy days there even if I cought flu now as a result. What have we done?? a lot of experimenting on french cooking with the brick oven that hubby made during our last visit last July. Whew.. A genocide of "baboy" he he... Yup, you know what I mean and I guess I gained weight for that quick trip at home... (dunno how much, dont want to know; I'll surely will feel guilty of those pleasures)..

Got so much to write about. Others are way back overdue.. but still have to organize my thoughts like how the brick oven was made.. Chocolate making at home.. etc. Will soon post them.

getting more and more frustrated

2008-09-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

Duhhhhh! I think I don't have that much patience tinkering my cam. I'm not getting perfect pictures. Some blurred, some unfocused and grainy. I'm still tempted to use auto mode whilst I'm trying to do it manually. I guess those skills are just gone, rusted, unused for years and years... Well, what is digicam for eh? Auto it girl! ha ha! Why do I have to be tough with myself and oh, what a waste of time. Grrr! Or hey, maybe I'll spend more time tinkering on photo editing softwares rather than moving backwards?

Water Tap

2008-09-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

NOTE: EP:A; MM:PATTERN; SS 1/160; AV:F2.2

This shot made my day. I was washing baby's bottle then I suddenly paused to take some shots of the tap as my subject, hoping it would turn out good. It's not perfect but I'm quite happy.

Frustrated with my shot!

2008-09-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

note: EP: A; MM:PATTERN; SS: 1/15; AV:F8; FLASH ON

I had a gorgeous subject, but my picture is grainy!!! What went wrong? I'll try to go get another shot in the morning with the mighty sun! Maybe because it lacks light coz I shot this around 5:30 PM.

Getting Back to basics on photography

2008-09-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have lost my focus on photography for a while now. Nope I'm not leaving it behind, who would? Once you fall in love with photography you'll get hooked to it but I just had so many detours in my life recently...We've been moving a lot plus my pregnancy and now on baby stuffs, motherhood, etc. Did I mention we're nomads? We change home address from almost every year and hopefully we'll put here in KL for couple of years or even more.

Back in India, I had some experiments on flowers as my subject. Hence, I called it FLOWERS OF THE EARTH. After that, my practice continues with food photographs with my KITCHEN JOURNAL where I post all recipes and anything about food. Now that the dust had settled so to speak, I'm putting my feet back again on photography (crossing my fingers). I have so much areas to work on. I'm not a pro nor I don't have a pro camera either.

My camera, (technically its not mine; its DH's) has some limitations and I don't have a powerful lens but before getting one, I have a lot of work to do to maximize its usage first and master the skills. Believe me, this camera has been around since for 4 years, but some functions are still unknown to me, so now, I am flipping through the pages of the users' manual and experiment more and more. Before, my shots are in AUTO mode which does everything for me. I guess I have to do some more tweaking jobs. I need some refinement of my work. I’m quite happy with it and I guess this cam will be sufficient for my experiments.

Now, I feel like getting back to basics using its manual mode, which is quite challenging. Back in my college days, I don't have digital camera, it wasn't a fad during the time and I have worked on manual SLR cameras where we have to develop our photos manually in black and white in a dark room. Gosh I miss those days back then. During that time, it was expensive for me because I have to spend much on photo paper and film plus developing charges in studios. Now, I don't have to spend anything on or at least at a very minimal expense with digital camera and PC.

Will be posting my experiments to keep track on my progress, if there's any. Sigh... I expect frustrations though... double sigh!

Bisdak Entertainment

2008-09-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

So what is that Bisaya music that my previous post I was talking about? It's music from Enchi, a local band from my place. I like the band not only that they are from my home town Dumaguete of Negros Oriental but their kind of music. The lyrics are crazy and funny in deep cebuano dialect. Sorries for those who can't understand, but I think I have to post a little entertainment for BISDAK readers out there. Take time jamming HERE.. some lyrics of the songs are there. eNJOY!

A Sunday that was...

2008-09-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning while I was cooking crepe for breakfast, hubby came to the kitchen to prepare for lunch. A dish that we have been contemplating to do since last week. A recipe inspired by Gordon Ramsay. Yes, we are such a big fan of him even with all the F words he is saying every F-ing sentence. We both love Ramsay's cooking. I've posted what hubby's recipe in my other blog "The Kitchen Journal" Anyway, back to the kitchen setting, so I was busy doing my crepes and hubby was busy preparing his ingredients for his dish and baby joined us in kitchen gliding on her walker with a teether in her hand. I was playing this music from on my ipod on a portable speaker, songs that nobody understood completely except me. Why? because the songs are in BISAYA! My french hubby knows some lines so he was singing along with tune making funny faces while baby is banging the table on her walker with her hands out of timing of the beat. The kitchen went alive! There were music and giggles and funny lines.

The lunch was phenomenal! We will do the same when we get to Phil next weekend and we will do it in the brick oven that hubby made. Ohwz, havent posted about the brick oven yet. It was a lot of work but will soon.

I've spent afternoon with some with some friends in Pavillion and had fish spa again.

Snaps of KL #001

2008-09-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

Will be posting snaps of KL from time to time, hence will be numbered in series. I'll start from my first few snaps..

Jammed!

Raja Chulan - obviously not rush hour! easy traffic.

KLCC Tower on a cloudy afternoon

A view from KLCC park

Am I just Lucky or Have I done something just right?

2008-09-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

I’m not an expert in the world of motherhood; in fact, I’m a first time mom and I can’t compare my daughter to others. Having said that, I am not in a position to tell you what a new mom should do when it comes to dealing with their infants. I know that every baby is unique. When somebody tells me “your baby is so quite” and usually this is followed by “you are lucky with your baby” and I don’t really know what to react. I just usually say “Thank you” with a little smile. At the same time, I don’t want to sound hypocrite to tell anybody that she is not used to crying. Literally, she is not used to crying and whining because I usually make sure that she doesn’t cry. As long as her needs are being met on time i.e. feed, nappy change etc. she is not complaining. She is sleeping well at night straight from 9:00 PM to 6:00 A.M, since she was 2 months. Am I lucky? Maybe. Or maybe I have done something just right. I don’t really know or maybe a combination of effort and a little bit of luck? But I’m quite confident it’s because more on effort.

Establishing sleeping Pattern

I started establishing her sleeping pattern when she was 5 weeks old. Technically, she is a newcomer to us couple and we would like her to adjust to our sleeping pattern not us adjusting to her sleeping pattern as much as we can. Infants don’t just do that automatically because they don’t know what is night and day. There is not much difference of day and night when she was still in my tummy. Logically I have to introduce the atmospheres at night like closing window shutters, dimming the lights in the room, no activities, no TV, no music, and only soft talks. We do the opposite during day time, open the window shutters, TV on, lively conversations and activities are as usual even if she’s napping during the day, business as usual around the house. Noisy. She got used to sleeping even if it’s noisy. I make sure she’s not napping on late afternoons. At 5 weeks , I keep her awake from 4 p.m., her last feed at 6 p.m. then a warm bath before bedroom time she sleeps at 7 wakes up around 9-10 p.m. for her feed, I feed her with dim lights to avoid her being stimulated and fully awake. She usually feeds with eyes half closed and go back to sleep right after. She will then sleep longer until 5am. Until it became a habit and her feeds are getting less and less. It became a routine for her and her system as well, she got used to it and since 3 months old, her sleeping pattern is just like ours. That means I'm no longer sleep deprived since then. teee heee! We sleep around 10pm wake up at 6am. But, she didn’t change overnight. It takes dedication to do it. It wasn’t an easy job, I should say.

Putting to Bed

Now at six months, she is sleeping on her own, with out dummy or pacifier. I didn’t introduce her to pacifier ever since. A little bit of but-tapping and lullabies would help her fall asleep. No swinging on the arms just lay her on the bed with her sleeping buddy then she will just fall asleep. In the beginning it was tough to leave her crying but then she later learned to comfort herself. But this didn’t just happen magically. Again it takes dedication and perseverance. She got certain cries that meant “just calling” or if you answer literally by carrying her and she shuts up, she is the one demanding you to come and pick me up and I would shut up. But then it has to stop otherwise she will get the idea that every time she cries, she gets carried so she will associate sleeping with carrying and swinging. Nope, I don’t want to do that. I would like her to sleep on her own on the bed. So I just leave her crying but if she really is very upset with tears, I pick her up. I guess it is really hard for a mother to watch her baby screaming to certain extent. Now, she can’t sleep on my arms or somebody else’s she needs to be laid down on her bed to go to sleep. This gives me freedom and more time to do other jobs as well.

It was really tough but I knew I had to do it from the very beginning and now is definitely a harvest of those sacrifices.

Yes she seldom cries and when she cries she really means it.

Having a baby and when you are on your own without help from family around, like in our case, it’s just the two of us; hubby and me. In times when you need some information on how to deal with baby’s issues, it is really handy to have internet access to do research on issues to focus on that needs urgent action. I found a forum where mums hang out and air out their concerns regarding parenting stuffs. When I had a hard time how to establish sleeping pattern, I had no idea what to do. Thankfully I came across this discussion which was really helpful. There I have read their concerns and solutions. Reading books and Mother and Baby magazines were really helpful. Noting that every mother and baby is unique, I start from there and figure out what works for me and baby. It is really up to you and do whatever you feel helpful to you and your baby.

I am such a newbie to this whole perspective of motherhood and I still have a long way to go. My daughter is still 6 months and so far so good. I’m loving it and cherishing every moment. Despite the fact that it’s heavily multi-tasking job I’ve ever done, I feel fulfilled as a woman.

Thumbs up for Starbucks Honest Staff

2008-09-17T03:02:00.000-07:00

I had a really heart throbbing incident yesterday that left me feeling "hanged up" for few minutes. I left my wallet in Starbucks in Aquaria KLCC. I usually pass by there for my cup of coffee on the way back home as this route is a short cut for me, passing through Pavillion. My usual drink, a mug of low fat decaf latte. See why I like Starbucks more and more? They are the only one who has decaf and low fat coffee latte. Now I like Starbucks even more because their staffs are honest, or maybe one in a million cases, I got my wallet back! Thank goodness!

When I realized that my wallet wasn't in my bag, that was when I was about to pay some stuffs in Mercato - Pavillion, I run my hand unconsciously to the pocket in my bag where I used to place my wallet, and it was not there! I blushed in dismay and my thoughts are in panic. I lost my wallet? That is so unacceptable! How could it happen? I ran my memory recall to where my last stop was, when I used my wallet, and hurriedly said to the cashier, I’m sorry I had to rush back, I just lost my wallet and check it out. It was in Starbucks, where I paid my last bill, had coffee, read a magazine, made some phone calls and topped up my phone credit. Yes, it was definitely there in Starbucks, but I checked my table before I left and found nothing of my belonging left. It was just then I figured out that my wallet must be under the magazine and wasn’t able to see it. I rushed to the elevator and traced my footsteps on the way back to Aquaria KLCC. Doubled my steps but I can’t go faster than that pushing my baby’s pushchair. I’m becoming reckless, on my steps thinking that I just lost my wallet, I wished I haven’t withdrawn some cash, but I just did. I had everything in there, my ATM card and other cards. I am so dismayed with myself being careless. I reached the Convention Center building my heart was beating faster and almost breathless. From the escalator, I nervously peeked at my table and the magazine isn’t there anymore! My mug wasn’t there anymore! My table is empty! I almost lost hope, but thankfully, a miracle that I prayed for exist!

Luckily, Gee, the store manager, was smiling at me saying "I know what you want" Oh, what a relief to hear it from her. A staff came handing over me my wallet and I was more than glad to have it back. I had everything in my wallet and I can imagine the mess I will have to go through losing it. I was so thankful to the Starbucks staff. Actually they were searching for me around but couldn't find me anymore. According to Gee, she went through my wallet to search for my contact number but couldn't find any. Okay, I should put my contact number now, I usually don't but now I have to. It's my first time with this kind of incident.. leaving my wallet on the table! Actually I checked before I left. I had a look on the table if there's any of my belonging left and I just saw the magazine that I was reading. It was the magazine from Starbucks that I borrowed and I intend to leave it there. What I didn't see is my wallet under the magazine. There it was! Thanks to Gee and Starbucks staffs that became a fan of my daughter after.

Fish Spa

2008-09-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Fish Spa? what is that? I've seen it once in Time Square, here in KL, when I was with Josiet and was so curious to try yet I'm also hesitant to do it in public place where everybody is watching your reaction as you dip your legs into the fish tank.

I'm not quite sure what my reaction would be. Is this fear factor or what? It was like an exhibit for people to try this fish spa experience, I think it was an introductory thing to promote the fish spa. They set up a fish tank with benches where people can sit on and soak their feet in the tank with tiny fishes that are nibbling on their legs just below the knee. Didn't dare myself to do it until I got a granny neighbor who wants to go and this time, I didn't hesitate to go with her.

We went to Kenko fish spa in Pavillion, my favorite mall, and this time, it is not an exhibit, it is the real spa. I was quite relieved thinking that there would be no passersby to stop and watch me giggling to death if in case. We got ourselves in and a friendly receptionist guided us to wash our feet and proceeded to the fish tanks where we can soak our feet in. The fish tank is filled with tiny fishes called called Garra Rufa. What these fishes do is exfoliate the dead skin on your feet and legs by EATING them! They are commonly known as “Doctor Fish” for their effectiveness in assisting eczema and psoriasis patients in their healing process.

The moment I dipped my feet into the fish tank,I was giggling and a little bit scared of these little creatures gathering themselves waiting for their snacks - my skin! Ohh My God... Holy Fcuk! ... Gosh... that tickles!!! Name it! I can call names! Granny, who was sitting next to me seems to enjoy it. I'm taking my feet on and off the fish tank wanting to enjoy it but I was a little bit scared. But then when I got over with the ticklish sensation, I started to enjoy the experience. A little bit ticklish with pleasure. Yeah, thats the right description.. Ticklish yet pleasurable! The next thing I know, I'm watching the fishes closely as they nibble on my skin taking pictures and video.

It feels like they're gonna bite you but nope, they are not really biting. These fishes would be more than glad to eat your dead skins only. There were other tanks to try on with different sizes of fish. The tiny fishes feels different sensation from the first tank where fishes were about 2-3 inches long . I like both sensations, and I regretted myself in the end because I wasted much time giggling putting my feet on and off the fish tank.

Here's a video clip of these little creatures enjoying their snacks! My legs!

Should I do it again! ohh yes! My skin felt really smooth. It was relaxing. I miss that "ticklish yet pleasurable" feeling.

Kenko fish spa is in 5th floor in Pavillion. This relaxing fish spa costs RM38 per 30 minutes

Chronicles of Leila 0-6 months

2008-09-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've got loads of photos and video clips of Leila since day 1 and compiled into one in a total of 10 minutes. Will be chronicling my daughter growing up from now on. Compiled Video clips from my phones Nokia N90, HTC and hubby's blackberry and camera Sony DSC -F717. The challenge was to convert the files into compatible files for my Video Editing software. Luckily, I found this Prism video converter that comes in handy for free. If you like editing your home videos this is very useful indeed.

Viewing this feels like she had grown up overnight... forget running the household (sigh) aaahhh...The joys of motherhood.

P.S. Lower down the volume of your computer, there's a baby screaming.

Child proofing

2008-09-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Our daughter ,Leila, is on her walker nowadays and before any accident could happen, we paid attention to child proofing the house. Our first step is to protect sharp edges and table corners with these rubberized corner edges.

KL Tower Lunch

2008-09-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

We had lunch in the revolving restaurant in KL tower at the height of 276 meters above ground level. It was nice with malaysian cuisine for main course and western appetizers. I would have loved to stay further for coffee but hubby wanted to go home and baby was becoming a little bit fuzzy. I'm not so thrilled of the view because we had lived in high-rise apartment before which top view becomes ordinary view for me. I was thrilled though, to see our building from there. The KLCC looks magnificent at your eye level. In the revolving restaurant, it is the floor which is revolving so slowly that you can hardly notice it, no worries of getting dizzy while dining, you get to see the view of Kuala Lumpur in 360 degrees. If you like to take your dining experience to a different level, I would recommend the revolving restaurant however, you have to book atleast 2 days before as they are always packed. They also do Weddings in the sky. Or if you just would like to visit and see the top view Kuala Lumpur, there is a viewing deck as well. Cheers to 4 years, Margarita for me, beer for him

While dining, there are some jumpers who jumped from the top, above the restaurant and see them landing on their parachutes. How cool is that? I would love to dare myself to do it! KL TOWER at night, taken from our apartment

I can compare my experience my visits in two towers I've visited. The Eiffel and KL towers.I wish the Eiffel tower have the same idea but the restaurant in Eiffel tower is at the 2nd floor.

FANTASTIC FOUR

2008-08-29T02:05:00.000-07:00

Had it really been 4 years already? Fourth Wedding Anniversary that is. Hubby arrived last night, soaking wet with the rain had been heavily pouring since afternoon, with a huge bouquet of flowers. Damn, so sweet. Hmmm that's my man. Since, cooking something special for dinner is becoming ordinary, we went to a restaurant nearby. Wanted to go to KL tower but was packed already, I booked for Saturday lunch instead as an extension of the celebration.

I took time to have a look on our wedding pictures and realized I gained weight a lot! OMG! I dont mind, I gave birth! (a good excuse)

Looking back then, fantastic four years had past...

**** had lived in 3 countries together; Angola, India, Malaysia up to present. Been moving a lot!
**** Countless good times and a handful of few fights! Yay!

**** Four years as a housewife and getting used to the hang of it.

**** Blessed with a lovely daughter

**** Good health and I can't count more blessings... so grateful for everything.

Cheers for more good years!

Mumbai, India

2008-08-28T02:58:00.000-07:00

When asked by friends who knew that we had lived in India, what is it like living there? Well, the experience can not be described in a few words.

When we came to

India

, though I have read about the country’s multi cultural diversity, I had no idea that we are up different journey. A journey that got me lost my identity and somehow I have to sink into thinking that I am just too ignorant of so many things and made me rethink how little did I knew about diversity of human nature. Conflicts between human to human, human and nature are just very visible in front of your very eyes. I silently wished I'm insensitive to what I see.

Well, I can only relate my experience living in Powai,Mumbai, India in an expat’s perspective. In Hiranandani Gardens, where we reside while there, it wasn't much of a problem to move around as almost all basic needs can be found within the town center. We lived there for a year, quite short stay but it was a different experience. Now I’m getting to understand better what CNN’s advertisement on India “Incredible India” It’s either incredibly good or incredibly bad. I had experienced both extremes. Didn’t had much culture shock being Asian but I’m so overwhelmed with vast incomprehensible religions. Maybe because I’m only limited to exposure to Christian and Muslim countries but in India, I was lost in religion… yes, my mind is sing the lyrics of R.E.M.’s “Losing my Religion”. I was literally totally lost. But well, yes I do respect their religions but my understanding is limited to what I can fathom. To understand India’s immense cultural mixture, I paid a visit to some Cultural Museums and different Temples but the more I see, the more I get lost. I’m so amused how this such race of people come up with there own beliefs, hundreds of Gods and Goddesses. I came to learn some few of their God images like Ganesh, an elephant God, Shiva, Lakhsmi, and ohh so many others that I can’t remember, I got a memory of a goldfish, I admit. LOL.

Visits to nearby tourist spots kept us busy during weekends. Plenty of places that we should have been but we didn’t had a chance because we didn’t know that we are leaving so soon and it became inconvenient for me to travel when I got pregnant plus the monsoon rains that is flooding Mumbai every now and then made it almost impossible to visit far places.

Some Shots of Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai

A killer view from our apartment overlooking Powai lake... Relaxing view day and night
A visit to Ganesh Temple

In the town where we lived, there is a Ganesh Temple that I always pass by from the hotel going to the town center, with loads of people queuing to pay a visit. I was hesitant to go in at first so I let the days go by noting that maybe someday, there is no queue I will have a look. That day came, so I ask the driver, who is local, to make a detour and accompany me to the temple. He was stunned in awe; maybe he was thinking there must be something wrong with me. When we got there, there was almost nobody around and so quite, I was guessing I came too early, which was a relief. I wasn’t looking to go for the ceremony; I just would like to have a look anyway. The entrance is very nice garden, well manicured and I saw stairs made of stones to the temple. Santosh, the driver, told me to take off my shoes. I then said asked why? The pavement is quite dirty and uneven and… and..(Signaling him with my hands like do we have to be barefoot?) before I could finish my complain, he said; Madam the temple is Holy and we don’t bring our slippers there because its dirty. I’m speechless, quite annoyed but okay I was there to understand something. We climbed all the way to the temple barefoot. The temple is so quiet, adorned with lots of yellow gold flowers that formed a curtain. I stood beside the doorway, observing like a curious child lost in wonderland. There is a huge altar a picture of a topless man full of flowers on his shoulders. People brought some tray of flowers as offerings, flowers tied in strings, murmur something, and stay in one corner for a little while and leave. So after a short observation, I irked to leave.. I still don’t get it.

So? What did I learn? I asked myself. I liked how everybody showed humbleness that everyone showed by removing their footwear but I was concerned of hygienic issues. Maybe I was just too keen about it but I didn’t mind this time.

Visit to Canheri Caves

Canheri caves are located in Borivli, outskirts of Mumbai. These caves carved in the hillside of a mountain of rocks dates back from 1st century BCE to 9th century. Until now they still exist. These caves were Buddhist monasteries during that time. The stoned carvings of Budha and some scripts intricately carved on the walls are still preserved up to now. They are gorgeous works of art that depict stories of how they lived way back then. Such a breathtaking experience. Going there was a challenge. You must have strong knees because it involves climbing in a rock mountain where the caves are located. We’ve been to the top of the hill and what a view up there. It was a stone-age experience! Yah-ba-ya-ba-doo… yup it felt like flintstones.. After the visit, you can’t help but think how difficult life must have been during that time compared to the convenience we have now. I can’t help but think, gosh I’m so lucky to be born on modern days. J

Caves that used to be man's house
this is how men lived centuries back...
These caves were know to be monks' temple during 100 B.C.

Women are so colorful

I can’t help but be in awe of the colorful saris women are wearing. Shades of light green to neon green with mixture of pink to blue, from red to yellow, embroideries to bead works with glitters or laces at the border of their saris. Most colorful women I’ve ever seen in my life. Very contrasting combination is such a fad everywhere. Decorative bindi on their foreheads, from round to sharp, matte to glittered of all glitters that matches their well defined thick eyebrows. A friend of mine says, if it doesn’t glitter, it’s not from India. Yep, I can’t disagree. Even shoes and jeans are heavily decorated with glitters. Love it or hate it everything just glitters! It may not look good on me but for Indian ladies, they look gorgeous with it. It’s not uncommon to see ladies across the mall with nose ring or pierce. I would love to have a pierce on my tongue! How about that?

Come again please?

I don’t speak Hindi, but most Indians speak English so language wasn’t a big deal. Though if I encounter instances that requires a translator, I will ask Santosh, the driver to negotiate things for me, otherwise, I’m screwed. The only thing is, even if they speak English, they speak way to fast. Although I have worked with Indians in my previous work in Abu Dhabi and got used to the way they talk, but I’m still lost. I’m amazed how they talk so fast. I think they can say a hundred words in a split second. Well, ummmm, can you talk slowly please? We are not in a speedy talking contest, I say to myself.

Spicy Food Anyone?

Ohhh, love spicy food? Being in India, the land of spices, you can’t resist the aroma either you can’t resist to rage, or you can’t resist craving. I love spicy foods but moderately. Here, my meter level of spice is not even spicy for locals. Some foods I love but some foods are way too aromatic for me. Well, there’s always a wide array of choices. Love to explore different flavor combinations, personally, it was like a gastronomic adventure, no I’m not in France where all the presentation and detailed cooking is such a craftsmanship where every little detail of ingredients is being carefully laid on your plate. Here, colors comes to play. For example for pasta dishes; I can pasta dishes with colorful sauces; may it be dark green, bright yellow, yellow orange, bright red. Pasta with Curries, green curries, yellow curries or what so ever curries. Having said that, other foods are very interesting to my palates and challenging to my stomach. So, LOVE it or HATE it, local foods are just way too spicy for me. But I learned to love one thing and it is a confession: I love curries.

Appreciating Indian Art

One thing I love being in India, the touch of craftsmanship is quite distinctive. You can tell that this is made from India when it is shiny, or heavily hand carved with plenty of curves, or heavily embroidered or heavily beaded. Talents that rooted from ancient technique of doing crafts do still exist with a mixture of modern touch.

INDIAN DANCE

I think I got plenty of souvenirs from India without knowing that I have collected them. I mean, when I see exhibits I take one item, when I see something nice and very Indian from a craft store, Oh how lovely to take one, and then it got plenty and although they are collecting dusts I still want to keep them as a souvenir. I took plenty of cloth materials that are very Indian. I got hand painted stuffs. An Incense burner which is heavily carved a set of family of carved elephants from baby elephant to adult in wood and in stone which I intend to give to my friends but didn’t had a chance yet.

My unforgettable souvenir: I got pregnant in India but gave birth in KL.

Cost of Living

As an expat’s point of view, it is relatively low cost. Almost everything is cheap. Goods and commodities are averagely priced. Depends on where you shop or dine. If you wanna be treated like a King or Queen, you may go to five-star restaurants, otherwise, loads of street foods are easily available. There are a number of restaurants to choose from around Powai ranging from local to foreign cuisines. Chinese take-away is my all time favorite. They deliver.. whoooaaaa… I love deliveries. Almost all shops do delivery. I think this is the only thing I’m missing in India. They deliver without a minimum cost. One time, we needed a cable plug and I tried to call the electrical shop, and whoa, I got it on my doorstep with just 10 Rupees, I was more than glad to pay double for the tip. There is no hassle if you run out of milk, you are just a phone call away. No more beer? You’ll get it right on your doorstep, chilled! Ohhh, and how can I forget, they pick up and deliver laundry with a minimal cost which was so great! Who loves ironing huh? I don’t!

Pigeon Droppings Everywhere!
Powai is such a nice place in Mumbai. Rich in old acacia trees in the streets and everywhere but there is such an enormous population of pigeons. I have been a constant victim of pigeon dropping! Gosh! Poor me! I want to have pellet gun and shoot them. Kidding, I don’t do that.. they are nice creatures, I love to see them hanging around in our window sill even if they leave their droppings. I dunno much about pigeons but when they are mating, they make this annoying noise! So I kept on driving them away, why can’t they stay overnight in somebody else’s place? Not in my kitchen’s window near the exhaust! Damn pigeons, go away! Shhoooooo Shoooo!

The Streets of Mumbai
This is not a pleasant memory to recall… It is chaotic suicidal kind of driving. Thankfully, I’m still alive but I lost count of how many times I closed my eyes hoping this wouldn’t be the end of my life! You won’t feel bored if you are travelling.. Plenty of things to see... nice elegant building with a cow next to it. Cow’s are just everywhere in the streets and nobody is doing something… If the cow is in the middle of the road, nobody makes a move, wait until the cow decides to give way. Honestly, I really pity those cows who are eating garbage when they are supposed to be in the green fields eating grasses. I just don’t understand why some people are domesticating this kind of animals in the city. They should be on the country side living peacefully as vegetarians, not scavenging and eating spoiled leftover human food. Holy Cow!

Cows hanging around in the middle of the street.

Taxis in look like vintage cars.. they are locally manufactured but they have stood the test of times.

Heavily decorated elephants paraded in the streets during festivals.

This girl was selling books in the street during heavy traffic under the scorching hot sun with all her smiles.

What’s keeping me sane?
We lived in India for 6 months, not quite enough time to absorb the country’s culture. I usually spend my time in the Renaissance Club, where I could escape from chaotic roads, it has the best amenities I could find in town. Nice pool, spa, gym, restaurants and cafes. In the gym, I attend yoga sessions everyday which is cool. The hotel has the most relaxing view of the Powai Lake. It is just located next to the lake, actually, the only downside I could see is that there are crows everywhere. If you like outdoor, there is an outdoor bar where crows love to hang out with you with your favorite drink. If you want to dip yourself in the pool and leave your favorite buffalo wings or margarita, don’t be surprise if crows will take over your table. I’m amazed how wise these crows are. I was there having my drink, others are sun bathing reading their favorite vacation book maybe, while I was under the shade enjoying my drink in a hot summer day, a man just left his table with some finger foods, the moment he stood up and turned his back on the table, these crows just took his remaining food! Clever crows!

A man's music that lingers in the hallway of Renaissance Hotel one rainy day...

One thing I can’t forget in Renaissance is the most relaxing Swedish massage I ever had. I tried so many massages but nothing beats. It is the masseuse who can make you scream in pain with her finger tips if you like your massage hard and softest if you like it soft. I like the medium, in between soft and hard massage. Damn, she knows what she is doing! She then became my friend eventually. Her name is Tenzin. She speaks Hindi fluently, I’m sure I won’t get screwed when I’m with her. Me and hubby always fight for a slot with her on weekends. And I know somebody as well who is a big fan of her, George, a colleague of hubby who just loves pep talks with the hotel staff joking with everyone. Everybody loves his Charm.

To occupy my time, I often grab hubby’s camera, and roam around the streets to take pictures. My favorite subject is flowers. I play with my camera with different lovely flowers that I see on the roads and some in the Renaissance Garden. They just bloom everywhere.

Across the building is the Hiranandani Jogger’s park where sometimes I go for a walk to keep fit. Quite nice park, it’s just that it is quite crowded during afternoon when the sun is down, to avoid the crowd, I usually go on mornings. More often than not, Lee, wife of hubby’s colleague come to our apartment with her lovely kids Paris and Anique. They love to play in the Glen’s children’s park, exclusive for Glen Buildings’ occupants. Once, I took them to picnic to the jogger’s park. On weekends, hubby and some colleagues play cricket. We just go to join the fun.

I didn’t close my mind of finding a job in India, but I realize that the highest salary I could get couldn’t even pay our monthly food consumption neither pay our house rental, thankfully it is provided by hubby’s company. I was scouting for some good jobs and when I found one, the manager wants to hire me for a permanent post which is one of my problems finding a job. We are not permanently staying in India, that’s for sure, and worst we don’t really know when we are moving out. The nature of hubby’s job involves travel and families moving from one country to another. Leaving me with no choice, but to stay as housewife, which I came to learn there is nothing to be against of.

Exploring of ways to entertain myself rather than staying at home alone, Sophia, who is Columbian and wife of hubby’s colleague, and I usually go malling. Getting tired of exploring malls in Mumbai, we tried involving ourselves with crafts. We tried candle making which was quite an experience. We exchange candles books and ideas about candle making. I have to stop candle making when I knew I was pregnant because I can’t take the smell anymore and paraffin wax is not good for pregnant women.. Still hungry for things that would keep us busy, we scouted for more. We found a lady who teaches crafts at her home which is just a few buildings away from ours. Great! So we go to her place and learn some crafty things. Sophia took glass painting course and I took soap craft which is molding soaps into different shapes which is ideal for gifts and bathroom decorations. We were planning to take more courses but that was the time when we knew that will be moved to Kuala Lumpur. Yehey! Happy I was!

THE BETRAYAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY

2008-08-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Do you think my baby is really drunk?? hell no! not a drop of SMB on her lips... but this picture says so... LOL She was 3 months old in this pic.

Happy Birthday - Josiet

2008-08-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

It was Josiet's Birthday yesterday so I made this cake for her, and had a good bottle of cabernet sauvignon. We had a good time together with our kids. A good drink with a good company. Didn't had much drink though because I got a baby with me to go back home... not enough to get tipsy at least.

Don't have baby yet? Get a DOG

2008-08-22T03:52:00.000-07:00

I should say, having a dog and having a baby is more or less the same. Things like:

1)socializing, dogs need to socialize and so with babies in order for him/her not to have stranger discomfort or anxiety when around with strangers.

2)Impose proper discipline from the very beginning. It's hard to teach new tricks to an old dog. Same with a person.

3)Dogs are cuddly just like babies and they are still cute even when they are upset.

4)They know how to give you a look that melts your heart... and you can't resist.

5) They chew everything when they don't have toys.

6)They demand your attention at all times.

The only difference is that you can leave the dog whenever you like but you can not do that to your baby.

For singles or new couples out there without a baby, having a dog is good practice. It stretches out your patience very well. Raising a dog is not an easy responsibility. You have to train the dog according to your lifestyle, not you adjusting to his. Choose the dog that fits your lifestyle, not the dog that you like but don't have enough time to spend on him/her. There are so many breeds to choose from.

******** REMEMBERING IVOR ******

Writing this, remind me of my days with our first baby... a baby dog.

Before we had our baby we had a dog. A Rotweiler, a robust breed and known to be notorious in many countries. Little did everyone know, this breed is so loving and loyal to their masters.

Ivor, our first Rot when we were in Angola, unfortunately we have to leave him behind due to travel restrictions. Yes, I cried a bucket! I fell in love with him so badly.Sadly, we left him to a friend. I hope he is in good shape now. As I recall our days with him, makes me a little bit teary. hu hu hu... Nope, my chest just gets congested! LOL. I got another one in Dumaguete and named him "PROXY" literally proxy to Ivor. But Proxy is really different. Why? because he is not well trained as Ivor because we are not there. No matter how I ask my sister and brother how to train him, its just not the same.

Ivor, Christmas 2004

We chose to have a rotweiler because we needed a guard dog. We are losing some cash in the house every weekend and nobody else lives there except me and hubby. There are on-duty guards 24/7 and during their shifts, they use the back toilet to do their business. The helper is known for her honesty as per referral by other expats she had worked with before. We can't point a finger who is stealing money from our wallets. We just leave our things downstairs because we are confident that the doors are locked at night. Our things like camera, cell phone, laptops were not stolen. Just cash that you may or may not take notice of. Until it became a pattern every Sunday, we are losing some cash, we can't tolerate it anymore and to solve the problem, we got a dog which became my best friend, protector and my buddy.

Ivor was home trained; I had the luxury of time to teach him tricks since I'm just home most of the time. Training him was exhausting and rewarding.

If I may recall, the following are the tricks Ivor knows.

"Sit",which he is pleased to do so.

"Sit and Wait" - Usually during feeding time, he will wait for the next command which is "eat". He doesn't touch his food until you say "eat" no matter how long it takes even if he is hungry.

"Check" - when he hears a sound from outside or sensed something is strange going on.

"Out of the kitchen" - there is one spot where he is staying when I'm cooking. He wasn't allowed to be in the kitchen when the queen is cooking.

"Spit it out" - he spits out a palm nut that he loves to chew fresh from the palm tree out near the gate.

"Bizu" - He will give you a big nice kiss!

"Give me five" - He gives you a high five when you give your hand out as if you're shaking hands.

"Shower" - He automatically goes to the place where he is taking shower outside where there is the faucet with a hose

Where is the ball? - He looks for the ball for you to play with him.

he knows what where is inside and outside.

He knows very well the meaning of Yes and No.

He loves to sit in between me and hubby when watching TV.

He loves to be cuddled and be part of the conversation.

He has his own couch in the sala and he kicks you out when you sit there!

He is going ahead of me if I go upstairs.

He sleeps with me in the room if hubby having business trips out of the country.

He eats 1 chicken a day with rice, well cooked, not boiled but semi-fried like adobo. He is not eating cold rice from the fridge.

He loves to play basketball outside, running in the garden destroying my plants.

He looks so nice when he is upset with nose down the floor stealing looks at you. Just like a kid being scolded.

He jumps on Daddy every time he comes home from office

Gosh I miss Ivor while writing this!!!

********

Our Dogs are the Star of this show... they are funny, cuddly, monsters, sweet, naughty, clever and the list goes on..

Just refresh or reload the page if the slideshow stops.

Random Pics

2008-08-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

A collection of random pictures of nice places we've been..

Things you never knew your cellphone could do

2008-08-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

I never knew the importance of this email until one day I ran out of battery of my cell and I can't remember the number to dial to activate the hidden battery power. I was in a situation where I am waiting for a very important call and my phone was running out of battery. While waiting had a few drinks outside the bar where the car was parked and on the other table there were few guys drinking beer. I was so desperate to charge my cell phone so my Dad-in-law suggested charging it in the car. So he put on the engine, whilst parking, and kept it on for a few minutes. The guy from the other table approached me and said;

"Don't you think its wise to put off the engine to save some gas, you know everybody is concerned to save gas."

I was speechless. He was right and I got his point. But hmmm I don't want to elaborate my case. It was pretty annoying but I swallowed my pride coz in a way, his suggestion made sense but I just can’t miss the call I'm waiting. But my dad-in-law was quite pissed by his gesture. He murmured like "mind your own business”. Then, I thought of this email message I had long way back, so thankful I filed it in miscellaneous folder. I think it would be useful to keep this handy to some

THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELLPHONE COULD DO

EMERGENCY

The Emergency Number worldwide for **Mobile** is 112
.* If you find yourself out of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency,
dial 112
and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you,
and interestingly this number 112 can be dialled even if the keypad is locked.
**Try it out**

2
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does you car have remote keys?

This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call
someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person
at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on
their end. Your car will unlock.
Saves someone from having to drive your
keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away,
and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you
can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

3
Hidden Battery power

Imagine your cell battery is very low , you are expecting an
important call and you don't have a charger.
Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery.
To activate, press the keys
*3370#
Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.
This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.
AND

4
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone:
* # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your
handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. when your phone get
stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They
will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the
SIM card, your phone will be totally useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.

5
Be careful while using your mobile phone
When you try to call someone through mobile phone, don't put your mobile closer to your ears until the recipient answers.

Because directly after dialling, the mobile phone would use it's maximum
signalling power, which is: 2watts = 33dbi
Please Be Careful, Message as received (Save your brain)
Please use left ear while using cell (mobile), because if you use the right ear it will affect brain directly.
This is a true fact from Apollo medical team.

Please pass this around

A tale of Best Friends

2008-08-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

We have dogs in our house, yes, plenty of dogs. let me talk about the dogs who grew up together, the other one stayed small while the other became huge guard dog. When we had Proxy, a rotweiler, he was two-month by then, and at the same time my brother had Tom, Japanese Spitz 1-month old by then, they were best buddies. Wherever the other goes, the other follows and play around the vicinity of our house. These two, Tom and Proxy are the only dogs allowed inside the house, the others stay out in the garden at all times. Yep, we have favorites, lol. They were happy growing up together despite the fact that their breeds are way too different. Breed of toy dogs and breed of Huge, powerful guard dogs. But they were still the best of friends. Whenever one of them is being annoyed by other dogs, they defend each other.

Proxy grown up and became a huge powerful dog while Tom remains tiny. But their size didn't prevent them from doing something... something which ought to be done in private!...

One day, I witnessed something that must have been gone way beyond friendship! I didnt know what were on their minds... he he They are both male dogs, anyway, dunno which one is gay.

Here's what I've captured on the camera 4 a good laugh!

A Housewife UNDERRATED

2008-08-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I wouldn’t be ranting about being a housewife until I became one which I dreaded to be. I dreaded to be because I had a different outlook on housewives before and I didn’t wanna be “just a housewife” when I was a kid. Why? I don’t know.. Maybe because of this stereo type way of thinking that housewives are more often than not “underrated” because they don’t do anything except than taking care of household chores, taking care of children and their respective husbands. All this kind of thinking that I had, had changed now. It is the MOST DIFFICULT job in the world, as Oprah Winfrey always says it in her talk shows and I do agree, it is indeed the most difficult job in the world. In fact I find it way much easier to be in the office 8 hours a day than to be a housewife. Salute to all the women who stays home, keep things in order, take care of their kids and husbands.

Yes, I miss to be on-the-go always. I miss the making up and tidying my hair and making up my pretty face, painting eyebrows and eyeshades to look respectable and corporate career woman. I miss myself wearing my suites and high heels with my little shoulder bag with tiny survival kits which is more on lipstick and makeup. I miss the tight pressure in the office, exchanging smiles with colleagues you bump into and exchanging corporate jokes, little tales in the elevator, short hello-and-goodbye gestures if you see friends while rushing to the hallway, the lunch time with fellow office gals and finally home late afternoon and have no choice but to call-it-a-day. I was in this stage when you are home, alone with the TV or maybe on the phone with a friend. And before you call it a night, I silently wished that I had a family of my own. A kid welcomes you home with a hug and full of stories, a child of my own and calls me mom. Yeah, I was talking about being single career-oriented woman that was me.

Now, I have moved on, I got a family of my own, but I had given up my career because hubby’s work have to transfer from one country to another, which left me following wherever he goes, and a HOUSEWIFE.

Back to the subject, being a housewife is the most difficult job in the world! Yes indeed. It is a multi task job. First of all, as a MOTHER to your child, a WIFE to your husband, a Housekeeper, a TEACHER to your child, a BABYSITTER, a COOK, and a MANAGER to all of these tasks. That is a job of every woman on earth! Each duty entails loads of responsibilities. Motherhood is such a very complex subject, and on top of that, you are a

WOMAN to yourself, you have to look at your very best at all times. That’s what its like to be a housewife. CHALLENGED?

Before, I hate to fill up forms, you know everywhere you go when you have to fill up forms, the bit that says, OCCUPATION: ________ this really brings me to frown and write housewife, now that I came to the realization what its like to be one, I write it with a smile in my head. Having said that, I’m happy to be a housewife now. I manage my time and I run the house the way I like it. Provided that the needs are met, then I’m a happy woman. The time I spend with my daughter is so precious… I’m enjoying to see her growing day by day. She drives me crazy with new developments and tricks. A sweet smile throws my back pain away.

Welcome to Parking Place

2008-08-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, welcome to THE PARKING PLACE! It's a place where we can chit-chat on things.. everything under the sun! Yes, I said it right!

Got loads of ideas to blog about but haven't organize them yet, hoping that I'm making the step to do so... We will start from here on!