Top: OLD NAVY; Jeans: LEVI’S; Shoes: NINE WEST

It warms my heart to know that I have 20 something year old blog readers too. I love getting messages from them saying they aren’t moms yet but they like reading this blog. They learn a lot from me daw. Yan talaga ang gusto ko for my blog. Gusto ko makatulong in any way to my readers. Kaya sige, bira, kwento ako ng kwento ng mga experiences ko in the hopes you guys can learn from them.

One of my bagets blog readers requested me to write about what advice I can give to my 20 year old self.

I got excited. Grabe, I have so much things to say to my mid 20 year old self. That time, I was so eager to conquer the world. I was so determined, anxious and excited to work and make something out of my life. I had a lot of accomplishments however, ang dami ko din sinablay. Ganun talaga kasi ang life. If learnings lang ang paguusapan, I have tons. Here are some of them.

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Dear 20 something year old Nana,

I hope you enjoyed college. Wag kang magmadali to grow up, work and be super independent. Savor the time you are living with Mama, Toots and Noel. You will miss it. Even though you get annoyed with each other often, you will actually miss being with them everyday. You will also miss not being responsible for paying for the bills or doing the groceries. Magegets mo din si Mama why she gets mad when she buys food pero wala naman kumakain sa bahay. Lelz. And you will realize eventually na hindi pala cool yung araw araw ka magiisip ano uulamin niyo for the day. So chill at home. Savor the times you all still live in one house. Hahanap hanapin mo din yan in the future.

Next, enjoy your college barkada for as long as you can. Watakwatak na most of us now though I’m happy that some of the boys still see each other often. This is my only regret in college. I wish I took extra effort in taking care of the bond we had after we all graduated so we’d all still see each other ng madalas. It would have been nice if we all still go out regularly with our families. Nakakatuwa pa naman kasama ang mga yan.

Lemme tell you also about your grades. I know you stressed so much about it back when you were still in school. Hindi pala dapat. Well, you needed to pass to graduate. You needed to study so you can pass the board exam and have a leverage for a good job. Pero almost everything that I’m doing now and what I know now at work, I didn’t learn from school. Napulot ko na lang along the way. The learning never stops, that’s what’s great about all of it.

You will pass the board exam but not without hard work and help from special people.

You will have your heart broken and break hearts too. Okay lang being heart broken. Madami kang matututunan from it. Welcome it, wallow, cry, learn from it then move on. Be gentle though in breaking hearts. I wish you and I didn’t have to go through that. But you are young and immature. You will take people for granted. Kung kaya ibahin ang tadhana, I hope you will realize earlier that there are people there in your life right now na hindi ka na makakakilala pa ng katulad nila. Take care of your relationships with these people because you will only know what you have until it is gone.

Magsawa ka na gumimik. You will have to leave that stage when you become a mother because all your selfish priorities in life will go away when you meet Anika.

Take care of your body. It is true what they say na sisingilin ka niyan from all the abuse you did with it when you were younger. Relish this time too na ganyan ka ka-payat. Magtwo piece ka na ng magtwo piece! Hahaha! Metabolism won’t be your bestfriend as you age kaya mahirap na magpapayat.

Take plenty of photos… and keep them.

Wag ka nang kumareer ng boylet na may nakapila na. If gusto ka talaga niyan, wala ka dapat pinipilahan pa.

Finish your MBA. Mawawalan ka ng time when you become a mom.

Travel. God, I wish I traveled more when I was still single. Wala pa kasing mga piso fare that time. However, you are lucky because you have airline benefits c/o papa. USE THEM! Go around the country. It will be difficult to travel when you have all these responsibilities already.

Don’t stress about not having the right man with you now. Love and fate will surprise you. The man you will marry is the one you knew all along. Pero while nagpapakipot pa si Sombrero, you will meet and be with different kinds of men. Wag ka mastress in dating. Magdala ka ng pera and pay for your own meals. Be your own self. Do not change who you are just to please a man. Do not take yourself for granted. Wag kang magpaka-baba para match kayo. A real man will support you in whatever you will do and will be happy for you. Also, guard the vajayjay because you will meet someone who wants to date you just because he wants to get in your pants. Ma-oobvious mo naman kung sino. Don’t be fooled because ang pogi niya and talks well. Don’t worry, in two dates, dedeadmahin mo na yun. You will also meet and love someone who you’d think is the one. Pero hindi nga siya yun. You will learn a lot from him though. Tatawa kayo ng madami. You will have a lot of crazy fun together. But he will make you cry too. It will not be his fault if he’s not ready yet and that will cost you the relationship. I know it will feel like it’s the end of the world but do not worry. Alvin will arrive back in your life in the right time and you will forget bakit ka nga ba naging malungkot.

With all the hard word and diligence that you will put in your future jobs, you will ultimately land in a job that you love. Continue being passionate in what you do. Continue mo yung gusto mong nakakatulong lagi sa kapwa mo. You will start a hobby that will evolve into a passion. You will love it.

Lastly, wag mo muna isipin paano ka yayaman. With the right attitude and concrete goals, dadating ang moolah sayo without effort. Trabaho lang ng trabaho. Love what you do and money will just follow. Believe me. Don’t get insecure with your friends na ang lalaki na agad ng sweldo. One step at a time. What is important is that you have continuous learning. Maginvest ka muna sa sarili mo ng mga natututunan and experiences. Before you know it, mabenta ka na.

Madami pa akong advice but the bottom line is, enjoy the ride. Pray and trust in God that He will bring you to where you want to be. Be positive. May dadaanan kang lowest of low but you will rise from it. You will always will so just have faith.

Love,

The 30-something year old Nana

Last Sunday, I saw Anika taking photos of her Tatay. When I checked my camera, ang ganda ng kuha ni Alvin.

Ang pogi lang.

Anika and Alvin tease me all the time because I keep on whining why parang ang effortless nilang dalawa magpose in front of the camera and yet, ang photogenic nila tingnan. Hindi daw sila conscious like me. Lelz.

Anyway, I posted that photo here also because it’s our 9th wedding anniversary.

9 years married! Imagine?!

But that was not without those fights na akala mo talaga katapusan na ng pagsasama niyo.

Though I know there are married couples out there na halos hindi talaga nag-aaway, I think for most couples, it is inevitable na may mga ganitong fights talaga. Lalo na if ang asawa niyo like me na medyo mahirap mahalin. Charot. Alvin said that he gets frustrated because hindi siya manalo-nalo sa akin during discussions. I can’t help it. May sagot kasi talaga ako with everything. I have a rebuttal for every argument. Masyado daw akong madunong, ika nga kay Wowa. But after 9 years, nare-realize ko that harmony in the relationship is more important than being right. Pipili na lang ako siguro nung mga hindi ko pwede i-let go versus those things I can let pass. That is a challenge for a person like me who has a Type A personality but for the sake of world peace, I am trying it out. Napansin ko din kasi mas mabait sa akin si Alvin if hindi ko siya masyadong kinokontra.

Being married this long (maka-long akala mo silver anniversary na eh), requires the couple to work hard in keeping the passion alive. We need passion in our relationships. Hindi lang sa sex but generally, we also need passion in how we deal with our spouse. That is my point when Alvin tells me bakit kami nag-aaway. I fight for the relationships I want to keep. Kung wala akong pakialam, oo na lang ako ng oo. I want to have discussions kasi I want to know where he is coming from and I want to make him understand where I’m coming from. Ayoko naman din ng asawa ng oo na lang ng oo sa akin. Hindi partnership yun for me.

Having kids do not make it easy either. Ang busy ng buhay ng isang magulang. It’s a challenge to mind the kids, make them feel loved all the time, mind the house plus maglovey-dovey pa sa asawa. Ang energy minsan kulang. However, we need to make an effort eh. Buti nga ngayon malaki laki na ng konti si Anika. Hindi na siya alagain like before. Pwede na kami ni Alvin mag-pay more attention to each other more.

Remember guys, natural nagaaway sa mag-asawa. If hindi kayo nagaaway, medyo for me, hindi normal yun. Pero like I said, kanya kanya din. Baka that works for you, hindi naman natin alam. The important thing is kahit nagaaway, dapat walang bibitaw. I am guilty of minsan nakakasabi ako ng ayoko na. Masama yun. Masakit for the other one. Pero I say it because of frustration. Ganun ako pagfeeling ko hopeless na and parang hindi na ako love ni Alvin. Pero sa isip ko lang daw pala yun. As long as one person is willing to still work out the marriage, may hope.

Also lastly, walang problema ang hindi napaguusapan. You can always agree to disagree. Okay lang yun.

Oh sorry, isa pa.

Hindi always bright and burning ang fire sa isang relationship especially if matagal na matagal na. You need to keep it alive. Find ways to do it. Don’t give up as much as possible. Remember, happiness is a state of mind. Hindi mo yan makukuha sa ibang tao. Sa sarili mo mismo manggagaling yan.

So yun ang aking mga advice for today.

Pero anniversary kasi talaga namin so lemme leave a short note to Mr. Sombrero.

Dear Babe,

Thank you for your patience all these years. I know it’s not easy being my husband kasi I’m a very stubborn woman but thank you very much for sticking with me. Thank you for taking care of us. Thank you for being our go to man for anything. You make us feel safe and we love how you always make us laugh. I love you, Babe. Madaming madami.

Love,

Nana

When we were kids, my brother and I plus Faye, would expect pasalubongs from Lolo Papa whenever he comes home from work everyday. He never fails to bring us each a small packet of nuts, marshmallows or gelatin. Nothing big or extravagant but he doesn’t miss a day without pasalubong. Yan na ang lambing namin kay Papa ko that time. It’s consistent ha. After arriving home from work every day, we will kiss him and one of us would bring him his house slippers, after which he will hand over his daily gift to us. We’d start jumping for joy as we indulge in his treat while spending time together. Life was so simple then, wasn’t it?

Fast forward to 30 years, things have changed quite a bit.

Unlike when we were kids, it’s not often that Anika gets a pasalubong whenever we get home. We do not want to spoil her too much with gifts, and therefore, we only do so during special occasions or when she does something that deserves and reward.

When I started bringing home pasalubong, I noticed that she gets really excited when I get her Kinder Joy. Even now when she’s older, she always requests for it as well. It’s funny ‘coz she never fails to ask me for a Kinder Joy whenever she sees one in stores. Hehe.

Firstly, Kinder Joy consists of 2 delicious creams (milky cream & cocoa cream) with 2 crispy wafer balls. They’re so good that they’re my favorite too! They’re delicious! I would always share a Kinder Joy with Anika. Lol! Anika also knows that she can only eat chocolates in moderation so it’s nice that the serving in each Kinder Joy is just right, not too much and not too little either.

Secondly, one gets a surprise toy inside each Kinder Joy. There are actually 90 new and exciting toys for kids. They’re fun and they encourage creativity. You can get a mini game board or figurines that you and your kids can assemble together. This is one of the things that Anika looks forward to. I am happy because she gets not just any ordinary toy but something that encourages creativity in her.

This is a great opportunity for us to spend quality time together too! As a parent, that is something that draws me to purchasing Kinder Joy. It’s not only a delicious treat, but it is also something that Anika and I can bond over. Spending time with my daughter is one of the most important things for me. I know all moms can relate to this!

There’s no surprise that Kinder Joy is the most requested pasalubong and why I give in to her every now and then.

A delicious treat inside that Anika and I both love, check!

A surprise that encourages Anika to be creative, check!

A unique bonding experience for the both of us, double check!

Thank you Kinder Joy for having a product that we can actually enjoy together.

Kinder Joy is available in all leading retailers / supermarkets in the Philippines.

Follow Kinder Joy at https://www.facebook.com/KinderJoyPH/ for more details.

#KinderJoyPhilippines
#WorldofKJ

Swimsuit: I LOVE KOI; Slippers: HAVAIANAS; Sunglasses: RAYBAN

Hi guys! Alvin and I just got back from our trip to Siquijor. I had fun. Ang sarap mag-adventure adventure dun. I’m uploading the photos for my blog now. While waiting (ang daming photos, promise!), I came across my swimsuit photos. Thank you for the nice comments and all the likes. I really appreciate them.

Pero hindi kasi ako mapakali mga bakla. I feel like an impokrita to just sit back enjoy all those flattering comments like as if natural na natural sa akin ang ganyang katawan.

To tell you the truth, my tummy is big and definitely not photogenic. Halos pulikatin ang tiyan ko kaka-stomach in just to tuck in my tummy at its flattest. That photo was taken after I ate a big lunch and after I’ve had a few drinks. Kita niyo naman sa sides, kita yung taba pouring out of the bottom of my suit.

Why am I telling you this?

I want to tell you this because not everything you see in photos of other people are the way they are. Don’t think that. May mga exemptions of course diyan sa mga talagang gifted na mga tao pero many of the sexy photos out there are edited. I have been very transparent that I edit my photos using Beauty Plus. I make myself longer kasi normally, my head looks a lot bigger than my short body. Lagi pa akong naka-ponytail so mukha akong alien in photos.

Also, I’m not naturally thin. One thing na maganda with the anxiety depression that I recently went through was I lost 12 lbs. Kaya ako pumayat. For me to maintain that, I have to not eat as much as I like. Malakas ako kumain before as in like 2 rice levels. But now, I don’t eat rice. I try not to eat sweets or anything na mataas in carbohydrates during the week. When I eat a lot like what I did this weekend, I feel like throwing it up. I don’t though. Bulimia na yun. I feel like it lang meaning I’m not happy when I eat a lot. I feel guilty. I feel like running a marathon afterwards para lang ma-burn siya. May ganyang effect na sa akin because I’m conscious about re-gaining all the weight I lost before.

I don’t want naman to be stick thin. Alvin doesn’t like it too. Ang gusto ng lolo niyo is yung mga cheerleader type na katawan. May laman pero medyo athletic ang built. Ganun din ang gusto ko. Fat and muscle in the right places. That’s why I exercise at least 3x a week. If I don’t get to exercise, ganun din. I feel guilty. Nakakapagod but I have to do it if I want to maintain my weight and for the happy hormones.

What I’m saying for others is don’t feel bad if you don’t look as “thin” as those other women in social media. I receive messages like that. Gusto ko sabihan sila na sa totoong buhay baka hindi naman talaga ganyan hitsura nila. Don’t beat yourself too much about it. As long as you’re happy and healthy, it should not matter what you weigh. Confidence in oneself is the key. Hindi naman lahat ng tao diyan nagagandahan sa katawan ko pero wapakels sa kanila. I’ll post what I like. Nakakadala yun, mga bakla. Besides, if they don’t like, they are super free to unfollow, right?

Don’t get stressed or inggit (I feel that sometimes) with the sexy photos of people around us. But if naaapektuhan na talaga yung happiness mo, I guess it’s time to check the diet. Eat healthy and exercise. It’s attainable.

Osha, basta ganun. Again, the important thing is that you are happy and confident with your body no matter what your size is. Don’t compare yourself to others. You’ll feel bad lang. Hindi mo alam baka yung kinakainggitan mo eh photoshopped pala. I’m not saying na lahat ha? I’m just saying not everything in social media is what it seems. Alam niyo na din yan.

Good night everyone. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

It took Alvin and I awhile to decide where to go for our 9th wedding anniversary getaway.

He said wag daw muna out of the country because tag-tipid kami ngayon. We have travels next year that we are hoping to push. Ipon ipon kami ngayon.

I asked him where he wants to go. Cebu daw. I said we’ve been there. Siargao daw. Ang mahal ng airfare. I said Bohol. Pinagtawanan niya ako. Remember our naudlot na vacation in Bohol because I was having hard core LBM? And then Alvin suggested Siquijor. I checked out the airfare sa Philippine Airlines. Php 7,500 per person via Dumaguete. Pwede na.

I just had second thoughts because isn’t Siquijor famous for mangkukulam and aswangs? Ang duwag ko pa naman sa ganyan. I agreed still kasi it’s an adventure.

We left for Terminal 3 early in the morning for our 9am flight. We had breakfast at one of the restaurants there. Ang gaganda na pala ng mga stores dun ano? They have a Bath and Body store! I wanted to hoard hand creams kaso nakabantay si Sombrero so I just bought two tubes.

Anyway, thankfully, our flight wasn’t delayed. We arrived at Dumaguete at around 10am.

From the Dumaguete aiport, we had to rent a tricycle to take us to the Dumaguete port. Php 120 ang bayad sa tricycle.

It was a 30 minute ride to the port.

When you’re going there, ask the tricycle driver to take you to the Ocean Jet ticket office first so you can buy your tickets. Nasa harap lang yun ng port.

We chose Ocean Jet because that was the fastest boat to Siquijor daw. A one way ticket costs around Php 250. You’d just have to pay Php 14 for the terminal fee and Php 50 for the luggage fee at Ocean Jet upon check in.

You can check out the different Ferry Schedules of the other ferries here.

The Dumaguete port was nice. It was airconditioned and maraming nagtitinda ng food. I was so happy they were selling Silvannas so I bought myself 2 pieces at Php 20 each.

We were asked to board around 12noon. The ferry leaves at 12:20 pm. On time sila. I love it.

Top: MYKA LIMCHOC; Shorts: STRADIVARIUS; Sandals: HAVAIANAS; Bag: KATE SPADE; Sunglasses: RAY BAN

The ferry was airconditioned. Ang sangsang nga lang ng air freshener. I slept in that 45 minute trip. Nahihilo kasi ako.

At last, we arrived in Siquijor. I was praying wag sana ako maging victim ng “pitik” or usog while I was there. I made it a point to be nice to the locals. Ayoko sila ma-badtrip sa akin.

But you know, I have to say, the locals in Siquijor are all very friendly and nice. They are very helpful and makikita mo talaga na sincere sila. Nakakatuwa.

A little further from the boat, I spotted the Coco Grove Beach Resort representative who was fetching us.

Fleur and party talaga?!?!

ALVIN: Sino si party?

ME: Ikaw.

Bwahahahaha!

I booked Coco Grove Beach Resort because based on the reviews, that resort is the best one in Siquijor. Sabi din ng mga locals dun, it was the nicest resort na. Dun daw nagse-stay ang mga artista. Tamang tama, kasama ko si Dingdong.

In the lobby, you will meet their talking bird, Macky.

Check in was a breeze. Mababait yung mga nasa front desk until I asked to be transferred to another room. Naging indifferent sila ng slight. I requested for another room because our terrace was facing trees. As in madaming madaming tall and big trees. Takot ako.

Wala na daw standard room na available. So sad. So never mind. Our room was a Sunset Villa room. It costs Php 3,500 a night. We went there after they gave us the welcome drink. This is how our room looks like:

Nice din naman siya except we would have appreciated it more kung may view siya nung beach sana.

After settling in, we went to one of their restaurants to have a late lunch.

I ordered butter garlic shrimps (masarap).

Alvin ordered grilled mahi-mahi.

One meal costs Php 1,000 for two pax.

Mura ang beer kaya natuwa naman si Sombrero. What I like there was their frozen Strawberry Margarita. Ang sarap ng timpla, promise! I’m craving for it tuloy right now.

The beach had a lot of seaweeds when we were there. Maganda sana yung sand: fine and almost white.

Here are the other photos of the resort:

Ganito hitsura when low tide.

We saw three girls picking out something from the ocean late in the afternoon. It turned out, they were getting sea urchins.

Did you see my IG videos that time? The girls taught us how to eat fresh sea urchins. Ang dala lang nila si rice and suka with sili. Galing. Island life!

You can have scuba lessons there too.

Wala masyadong tao when we were there. I would have loved to hang out dito sa pool bar nila. Bakit nga ba hindi ako nagswimming? Naka-ilang palit ako ng swimsuit, ni hindi naman lang ako nabasa. Lelz.

The sunset at Siquijor was gorgeous.

Swimsuit: I LOVE KOI

We stayed in at the resort that day. Hindi na kami gumala. After watching the girls catch and eat sea urchins, tumambay kami sa beach ni Alvin. Naglatag ako and we sat there until we got hungry for dinner time. Alvin drank beer while nagkwentuhan kami. Okay din going out of town just the two of us. We rarely get to this na magkwentuhan ng matagal when we’re at home because Anika keeps on getting our attention.

After dinner, I had foot spa at their spa for Php 300 for 30 minutes. Alvin played billiards while waiting for me. Nung matapos na ako, I ordered their Frozen Strawberry Margarita. It’s one of the best margaritas I have ever had. Winner talaga. Nagpustahan kami ni Alvin sa billiards. Talo gagapang sa ilalim ng billiards table. I almost won. Buti hindi na niya pinush yung bet. Hahahaha!

We called it a night at around 9:30 pm. Lolabelles na! We were puyat naman kasi and we wanted to be up early the next day for our tour of Siquijor.

Stand by for the part two of my post! =)

Before our trip, I browsed the places we can go to in Siquijor. What I learned was that Siquijor is an island lang pala and you can tour the whole island in a day. Perfect.

There are two kinds of tours: the Coastal and the Mountain Tour.

For the Coastal tour, you will be taken around the island. Babaybayin niyo yung coastline, bale yung perimeter ng island. You will stop over the tourists spots including the different beaches. For the mountain tour, you will go up the mountain sa middle ng island papuntang Cantabon Cave and Bandilaan Park. I suggest that you list down all the places you want to go to before going to Siquijor. And then, discuss this with the tour guide.

You can either book your tour with the hotel or hire a tricycle to take you around. From what I’ve read, Php 1,200 yung sa tricycle. We booked our tour when we arrived on our first day sa hotel. It costs Php 1,500. Mas mahal pero keribelles kasi ang cute nung tuktuk and the drivers are endorsed by the hotel. Sure ako na maayos.

So before breakfast on our second day, rumampa muna ako while wala pang lamang ang tiyan ko and acceptable pa siya mapicturan ng naka-two piece. I loved my outfit for that morning.

Bikini top: SALT SWIM; Skirt: STYLE ANA PH

The tour was supposed to start at 10am pero since thanders na kami ni Alvin, we were up at 6am already. I asked to have the tour moved earlier at 8am instead. Okay naman daw.

Here’s the tuktuk that I was telling you. The rent was Php 1,500 for the day. This includes the driver and the gas.

It’s so comfy inside. Our driver’s name was Jetoy and he’s really nice. Major plus points pa kasi ang galing niya magtake ng photos! If you’re going to Coco Grove Resort, ask for him sulit siya.

Here are the places he took us in order.

BALETE TREE
Entrance Fee: Php 20

First, he took us to the 400 year old Balete Tree. Initially, I wanted to forgo this place na kasi masyadong touristy however it was along the way so game.

I’m glad we went here because the tree was a sight to see. It was huge! It was scary and amazing at the same time. There was a pool in front of it full of small fishes and giant Tilapias. You can put your feet inside so that the fishes can eat your kalyos away.

Sobra siya nakakakiliti, the fishes.

Medyo masakit when they bite on that part of your feet na wala namang kalyo. Nakakatakot when the Tilapia comes near you. Parang pwede niyang kainin buong paa mo. Hahaha

We stayed for around 10 minutes in that place.

On the way back to the Tuktuk, I saw this stall there selling Love Potions.

Totoo pala may mga ganito! Take note, never bring to funeral, wake or cemetery. Bakit kaya?

HAPITANAN CAFE AND RESTAURANT
Entrance Fee: none

You can skip this. Akala ko naman kung anong coffee shop or whatever that has witches. It’s just a small open air restaurant (similar to a carinderia) with a spot where you can take photos your yourself riding a broom. Naka-elevate yung stage where you will take photos with the broom so it has an effect na parang lumilipad kang parang bruha. Hahaha!

LAZI CHURCH AND CONVENT
Entrance Fee (convent): Php 20

Our next stop was the Lazi Church and Convent. Lazi Church is also known as the San Isidro Labrador Church. Too bad the church was under renovation. I wanted so much to go inside this 18th century church because it was declared as a Natural Cultural Treasure.

In front of the church is the Lazi Convent which is also a Natural Cultural Treasure. It is said to be the biggest convent in the Philippines.

When we went upstairs, we were shown the different documents, furniture, robes and statues that were from the 18th century pa. The ladies who were touring us were so nice. Ang gagaling din nila magconceptualize ng mga shots.

LADY: Sir, ma’am, tingin po kayo sa malayo.

Click!

Pak!

LADY: Sir, ma’am, diyan po kayo sa gitna ng hagdan. Talikod kayo. Parang aakyat. Yan. Yan. Ganyan. Sir, hawakan mo kamay ni ma’am.

Click.

Pak!

CAMBUGAHAY FALLS
Entrance Fee: none (donation to your lifeguard only)

Our driver took us to Cambugahay Falls next. I have not seen that many falls yet. Actually, wala pa ata akong falls nakikita upclose and personal eh. But I appreciated the three tiered falls in Cambugahay.

However, if you want anything that is beautiful, dapat paghirapan mo daw di ba? Cambugahay Falls is an example of that. From the street, our driver/tour guide endorsed us to our lifeguard. After than, we went down quite slippery steps made of irregular shaped stones to the falls. Hindi biro yung binaba namin ha? Pagthunders ka na, medyo magrereklamo yung knees mo. While I was walking down to where the falls was, sabi ko not bad. That was until I realized, we need to climb up these stairs afterwards to go back to the main street. Hindot na yan.

But it was sulit.

The falls was beautiful. The water was blue green. The sound of the water was super relaxing. There is no entrance fee sa falls. You just need to pay around Php 20 a person for an unlimited “tarzan” jump to the water.  You’d just have to give a tip na lang to your lifeguard as donation.

You can swim there. That’s what the lifeguard is for. He will also be the one to guide you when you jump. There are life vests for rent for Php 100.  Ang sarap when we jumped! Nanginig legs ko for a while but I was a great experience. Naisip ko bigla. We should travel talaga while we are young. If we wait when we are older, magagawa pa ba natin itong mga fun stuff na ito?

So after Alvin jumped for the second time (I begged off because I was wearing contact lens), we went to explore the rest of the place. Ang daming tao. After a while, we decided to go back na to our tuktuk. That meant climbing that steep, slippery steps again. It was very challenging. Nakakahingal. Partida batak ako ha?

SALAGDOONG BEACH
Entrance fee: Php 100 (with parking)

I was excited to see the Salagdoong beach. Sa totoo lang, I was disappointed with the beach at Coco Grove Beach Resort. Hindi naman siya maganda. Salagdoong beach looked promising in the photos.

And nagdeliver naman siya.

The water was aquamarine! The sand was fine and white.

There was a cliff there na overlooking

And you can cliff jump too! Wala nang bayad. Unli-cliff diving.

Grabe, crystal clear yung water. You can the fishes and the pawikan swimming. Chill na chill lang sila.

I didn’t jump anymore. First, I was already hungry. It was already 12:30pm that time. Second, I was wearing contact lenses nga. Third, tama na yung 12 meters cliff jumping na ginawa ko dati sa Boracay. Once is enough. Lelz.

I was pushing Alvin to jump so he can experience. May gusto siyang gawin na shot that took us minutes to plan how to do it. Parang cliff hanger. Kaso mukhang hindi daw kaya ng upper body niya to hang dun sa ledge with me taking a video of him falling. I was so happy when he decided not to do it. Parang aatakihin ako sa puso sa plano niya. Pabaliktad yung fall na gusto niya. Eh if he lands ng mali with his back to the water, inaykupo. So scary.

So our driver/tour guide took photos of us na lang. Ang galing niya talaga magdirect. Pro na pro. He has been doing this for quite a while already kaya kabisado na niya.

I was so hungry already so we asked the driver to take us to the best restaurant there is in Siquijor.

MT. BANDILAAN PARK
Triad Restaurant

I was actually surprised when we reached the place where we were having lunch. It was at the Triad Restaurant at Mt. Bandilaan. Kasama na kasi ito sa mountain tour, hindi na coastal tour. But I was so happy he took us there.

The view was awesome! It gives you a panoramic view of Siquijor.

The food was delicious.

We ordered Butter Garlic Shrimps (of course)..

Lechon Kawali…

Stuffed squid which I think was the best grilled stuff squid I have ever had. Ensaladang onions and tomatoes ang nasa loob with bagoong. Hanep talaga.

I forgot the name of this dish though pero specialty daw nila. Parang kilawin..

After stuffing ourselves with the fresh sea food and extra rice, tumaba ako ng 3 lbs, I swear. Lelz. After eating, our tour guide told us that we can go to Cantabon Cave. I said yes right away kasi I have never gone speleunking (I don’t even know how to spell it!) — spelunking. I’ve never gone spelunking. Si Alvin madalas bilang isa siyang outdoorsy na tao. Ako, girl scout for how many years pero ako yung tipong ayaw maniwala ni Alvin na tumagal sa pagiging girl scout.

The Cantabon Cave is near the Mt. Bandilaan Park so keribelles.

On our way to the Cantabon Cave, I asked Alvin if pwede ko bang ipa-faith healer yung right arm ko. Parang may permanently naipit na ugat na since I served overhand sa volleyball 3 weeks ago. Hindi na nawala yung sakit. As in never na ako naka-pag over hand serve ever after that. Hindi na din ako maka-spike. It makes me sad because I’m good at serving. I was awarded Best Server in one of the volleyball leagues I joined before.

Our driver suggested to take us to Mang Edol, a well known sorcerer. Kilala siya even by the Filipinos abroad. His healing method daw is bolo bolo. I never knew how it is done kasi hindi na pumayag si Alvin. I don’t know why.

We passed by the way to Mang Edol’s house. Apparently, there is a village there sa may Mt. Bandilaan where people still practice dark magic. Eh duwag nga ako so I agreed with Alvin na lang. Hahaha! Try googling Mang Edol and read about him.

I asked Jetoy, our driver, bakit kilala yung Siquijor sa mangkukulam/faith healers/albularyo. Dati daw kasi wala naman doctors dun sa island so people go to faith healers if may sakit sila. Gumagaling naman yung mga patients so naging famous siya. Kasama na din diyan yung kulam. I know you know what that is right?

We went straight na lang to the Cantabon Cave.

CANTABON CAVE
Entrance fee: Php 500 for 3 pax which includes helmets, flashlights and a tour guide

We went to the barangay office first of Cantabon to register ourselves, to pay and to get the helmet and flashlights. We were also introduced to the guides. Ang babata ng mga tour guide. They are actually students and they do the tour guiding during weekends.

I wanted to go inside the cave to conquer my being a claustrophobic. Imagine, diyan sa maliit na hole ka papasok to get inside the cave.

And then, you have to crawl your way inside. I kept myself busy looking at where I was walking to take my mind of the enclosed space. Buti may helmets kasi I kept banging my head sa mga stalactites.

I was scary inside, to tell you the truth. The water was up to my thighs and it was murky. Hindi mo alam ano yung mga nasa ilalim. There were bats. Wala pang 5 minutes I wanted to go home na.

After wading for like 5 minutes, we need to climb and go down high rocks. Talagang adventure siya. I asked to stop na when we reached the waterfalls.

It was raining outside so the water inside the cave was rising. Grabe.

Sabi ko ayaw ko na talaga. Baka ma-Thailand boys kami! I asked if we can go back na. The tour guide asked if I was sure.

ME: Yeah, sure na. Malamang halfway na din tayo.

TOUR GUIDE: Ate wala pa po tayo sa 1/4 ng cave.

Lekat na yan. 800 meters daw yung buong cave.

And so we went back with Alvin laughing at me. Hindi ako tinigilan asarin.

Ganyan talaga if tumatanda na, ano? Bumababa na yung risk tolerance.

Ang iniisip ko naman kasi dalawa pa kami ni Alvin nandun. Paano na si Anika if things didn’t go okay?! Ang morbid! Lelz. That’s the mom in me speaking.

After that we went back na to Coco Grove. We rented a scooter for Php 300 for 4 hours. We went around. Tuwang tuwa naman ang Alvin.

Nakakapagod yung day but it was really fun. Ang gandang bonding experience. We chilled sa beach na lang when we got back until gabi.

Here’s the list of the total expenses that we incurred in this trip:

Airfare (Manila-Dumaguete-Manila): Php 7,500 each = Php 15,000
Coco Grove Beach Resort accommodation: Php 7,000 for two nights
Ferry fare (Dumaguete-Siquijor-Dumaguete): Php 500 (for two) + terminal fee = Php 528 x 2 = Php 1,056
Balete Tree: Php 20
Cambugahay Falls: Php 40 (Tarzan Jump for 2) + Php 150 tip
Salagdoong Beach: Php 100
Triad Restaurant: Php 1,300
Cantabon Cave: Php 500 + 100 tip = Php 600
Tuktok rental with driver: Php 1,500
Tuktok driver tip: Php 200
Scooter rental: Php 300 for 4 hours
Food and Drinks at the resort (2 lunch, 2 dinner): Php 3,600
Foot massage: Php 300

TOTAL: Php 31,166 for 3 days and two nights for 2 pax

That’s it! I hope you guys find this post helpful!

For some reasons in these past few days, I feel so sleepy. As in antok ako all the freaking time! I think it is because of the fatigue from all my extra-curricular activities like boxing and volleyball plus yung isip ka ng isip sa mga gagawin ko at work and the things that I need to do at home. Because of that, ang sabog ko tuloy. Nakakasira ng bait yung antok ka lagi tapos ang dami mong iniisip na need gawin.

Today is a perfect example of that.

I knew Anika was going to dance in their Teacher’s Day program today. How can I forget eh she practices the dance every night? She also kept on making sure I’d watch. When I brought her to school this morning, she made me pinky swear na sisipot ako to watch her. I said yes. I was planning to file a half day leave at work.

However, after I left her school to go to one of our project sites to have a walkthrough, my boss called me up. Na-busy ako ng bongga to a point that hindi ko masyadong ginagalaw yung head ko because I was scared maalog ang mental list ko of the things I needed to accomplish.

So walkthrough the whole morning.

I got hungry around lunch time so I asked my officemate (Mami A) if she wanted to have a lunch out. We met at Magallanes in a Japanese restaurant. While I was waiting for her, viber ako ng viber sa mga tao para sa mga need gawin. Busy talaga sobra. Ang daming reports eh.

When Mami A arrived, we ordered our food. 3 minutes after ordering, bigla ako nagjolt upright! I remembered Anika’s school performance at 1pm! I looked at my watch and saw that it was already 12:35pm! Shetpaks talaga! For a second, I thought of not going anymore. Anika will understand. Pero hindi ko maatim yung disappointment ng bata if hindi niya ako makita there. Nagpromise talaga ako eh and pinky swear is very sacred to us. I said a lot of sorry to Mami A and left ng sobrang bilis (kaka-order pa lang namin)! Mami A later commented on my IG post that Anika should have seen my face when I remembered her program that afternoon! Panic attack talaga!

I texted my boss. I needed to make paalam that I’m going to Anika’s school for a bit kasi baka hanapin ako. Inamin ko na I forgot that her presentation was today. Good thing he understood naman. Nakakahiya kasi to ask permission ng biglaan eh alam naman nila na scheduled lahat yung mga programs na ganyan. So I really was supposed to ask permission at least kaninang umaga pa, hindi yung papunta na!

I arrived just in time. I kept mumbling “Thank you God” every time I pass a green light on the road.

I saw her looking around when I arrived. Nung nakita ako, laki ng tawa! She pointed me to her classmates with matching clapping of hands and dabbing pa. Millenials! Lelz!

Seeing her super happy validated I made a right choice of going despite doubting if I can make it. Buti Formula One driver wannabe ako. Charot.

And then Anika danced. I’ll show you her video. Ina-upload ko lang. Balik kayo here ulit please, ha? =)

I was so proud of her. She’s really talented. I told myself, maginvest na talaga ako sa dance lessons dito sa batang ito. She stopped kasi last year when she got pneumonia. I’ll enroll her back. Dancing is something she loves doing. Walang sinasantong lugar yan. She will dance in the car, street, mall, restaurant, and even sa banyo.

Naluha ako while I was watching her. I was so proud of her. Grabe.

One of the mommies behind me commented “Ang galing sumayaw ni Anika.”. I turned around and said, “Thank you. Naiyak nga ako eh.” Apparently, she’s the mom of Anika’s classmate last year. Tuwang tuwa talaga ako.

I left her school right after the program ended. As usual, I was rushing back to the office because I had a 3pm meeting pa. Why I’m always rushing, I don’t know *rolls eyes*. I have to do something about that.

I thought okay na. I worked and worked when I got back to the office. Hindi ko namalayan past 6pm na. Nag-jolt upright na naman ako! Wala nga pa lang ulam na sa bahay! Gusto kong sabunutan sarili ko! Hahaha! The plan nga talaga kasi di ba is magpapaalam ako ng half day (which I forgot to do) and do the groceries after watching Anika. When I say wala nang ulam, as in wala nang laman yung ref. No more dinner for that night.

So ayun, nagmadali na naman ako pauwi. Ang sabog ko talaga. Sabog na inaantok lagi! Hahahahahaha!

I need a break to recharge. Yung tipong naka-upo lang without thinking of anything that I need to do.

Ang sarap siguro nun.

Oh well. Maybe I will be able to relax after all these presentations of reports. I’m so looking forward to it!

Osha, I’m super sleepy na again. I hope you guys are having a fab mid-week!

How’s life, mga bakla?

Have I told you that I’m already weaned from my anxiety meds for a month now? So far so good naman. The whole medication and therapy process took me 10 months. Less sana if only hindi ko pinaki-alaman yung dosage last December. What does this mean? To those of you who are battling anxiey and/or depression, put in your minds that you will get better. When you’re down, there’s no other way to go but up. You just need to seek treatment and gagaling kayo. It happened to me in 2005 and it happened again in 2017. Gumaling ako on both periods so don’t lose hope. Wag niyo lang tiisin yan and see a professional for it.

Next, I’m happy to report that Anika brought home 3 short quizzes with perfect scores this week. One of them was Araling Panlipunan which was her lowest grade in her recent report card. The 4th short quiz was her English subject. 7/10 yung score but when I checked it, tama her answer dun sa isang question. I wrote to her teacher and her teacher confirmed na 8/10 nga siya. Tutukan kamo eh. Hahaha! Ever point counts sa akin ngayon. This is notable because ang sagwa talaga her grades last term. Although no line of 7 naman, they’re not acceptable. Kilala ko si Anika. She can do better than that. We just have to work extra hard to pull up her grades. Tinutukan ko starting 2nd term and there nga, perfect scores. It’s been a while since she last perfected a quiz. I hope derederecho na ito like, forever.

Next is my weight. May hanash ako. Since I stopped drinking may anti-anxiety meds, I’ve been craving for different food especially sweets. Ang laki ng tiyan ko. I expected to gain weight but surprisingly I didn’t. So weird. Ano ito, nagrerecycle lang ang mga fats sa katawan ko and nagsesettle sila lahat sa tiyan ko? Naka-ilang palit na nga ako ng weighing scale eh. Ganun pa din: fatter tummy but same weight.

Anyway, moving on. I frequently receive questions why I don’t blog that often anymore. Napansin ko din yun because parang may kulang na sa life ko. Hinahanap siya ng katawan ko because heller, I’ve been blogging almost everyday for 8 years now. It’s just that one of my learnings since I had my anxiety disorder last year, dapat daw wag masyadong madaming ginagawa. Be at the moment more. When I was blogging often before, hindi ako maka-concentrate that much on the present. Parang gusto ko lagi may fresh kwento for you guys to a point na hindi ko ma-enjoy na that much what I was doing at that moment. Blogging eats up a lot of my free time too. Alam niyo naman my blog, it’s not yung parang kung ano na lang ang masulat. The entries that you read here are very personal and comes from the heart. Kaya kumakain talaga siya ng time.

Ngayon, I’m more mentally present at home. Actually, a lot more present. Kailangan din kasi and it’s what I want. I cannot describe to you how daldal Anika is. Araw araw – minu-minuto may kwento or questions! Since she’s the only child, wala talaga yan kausap sa bahay except us. I decided to lay low a bit in blogging and instead spend more, more time with her. I really enjoy this stage where we’re in. She’s so curious about everything tapos nakakatuwa makinig sa mga kwento niya. I am able to see how her mind works and validate na napapalaki nga namin siya with the right values. So ang gusto ko when we talk, feel niya na 100% ako and hindi like thinking about stuff to blog about next. You can’t get back lost time. They grow up in a blink of an eye.

I don’t have plans of stopping to blog. Hell no. I am very happy doing this. I know hindi naman mawawala yung magbabasa eh. As long as may mga moms out there who can relate and mga chikadorang women with the same wave length, we will still see each other here in my small space in the internet.

Yun nga lang, as a homemaker (whatever, Mommy Fleur) and a working mom, kulang ang 24 hours if I would want to fit the things I want to do all in a day.

I want to make more Mommy Fleur videos kung hindi nga lang 20 years ang inaabot sa editing.
I want to be able to shop for Christmas gifts already. I rounded up a list of my suggested Christmas gifts! I have to write about them soon! Soon like before Christmas, hahaha!
I want to finish reading a book. I have a lot of half read books at home. It’s such a pity I can’t find time to finish even just one. I was at the bookstore with Anika the other weekend. I saw a lot of books that I wanted to get. I stopped myself kasi, ang dami pa nga talagang libro dun sa bookshelf ko na mga unread.
I want to spend time just walking around leisurely in a mall. Yung katulad dati na na you’re there and wala ka naman talaga ng sadya. I miss those times.

Basically, I just want some more free time.

But we shouldn’t complain. We should just make the best the most out of it.

Right?

I sprained my ankle playing volleyball yesterday.

Ang sakit pala ng hindot na yan!

I was getting the ball and hit my teammate. I stepped on her foot and twisted my ankle. Hindi kasi pang volleyball yung shoes na gamit ko kaya hindi okay. When I fell, I felt bilgang uminit yung ankle ko then biglang sumakit ng todong todo. I couldn’t move. I heard people shouting “Wag niyong galawin!”. And then I heard Anika beside me. Apparently, she ran inside the court. She was shouting, “Nanay, what happened?!” “Babe!!!!!!” “Nanay, are you okay?!” “Baaabe!!” “Nanay, are you okay?!”.

Thank God, Alvin watched my game that day. Ang dalang niyan manood ng laro ko. I am very, very thankful nandiyan siya. While writhing in pain sa court floor, my eyes were shut in agony, I heard Alvin say “Ano nangyari?”. I grabed him and sobbed at his shirt. The medics got me para matuloy yung laro.

My ankle looked like this.

Tragis. Napaka-sakit sobra. Buti walang video kasi ang pangit ng face ko siguro while they were putting ice for the swelling. I stopped crying when I realized Anika was behind me sobbing. She was scared daw. I had to suck it up and stop crying kasi natatakot yung bata. Pero hindi pa din ako bumibitaw kay Alvin.

We went to the ER after so they can Xray it. Good thing that there was no fracture. Na-sprain lang daw.

May comedy pa nangyari because the nurse asked when was my last period. Bawal kasi magXray pagbuntis di ba? Dun ko lang narealize I was delayed so they needed to do a pregnancy test first. Sabi ko kay Alvin, pregnancy test pregnancy test pa eh alam naman natin hindi tayo nabubuntis.

After 30 minutes the nurse arrived with the results. She looked at us and beamed. Nagthumbs up sign pa!

Biglang sabi,

NURSE: Okay na po. Hindi po kayo buntis.

Leche.

ALVIN: Umasa ako dun saglit ah.

ME: Uyyyyyy.. Umaasa ka pa pala!

Hahahahaha!

ALVIN (to the nurse): Nakangiti ka kasi eh! Tapos may thumbs up sign pa. Bakit ka nagthumbs up sign?!

NURSE: Ibig pong sabihin go for Xray.

Bwiset.

Hahahahahaha!

So there, I’m home and I’m instructed to rest for 3-5 days. Ang tagal. God, I hope the swelling goes down by tomorrow.  Maybe I’ll go for 3 days lang. Ang dami kong kailangan gawin at work!

And Alvin’s nagging me so bad! Ayaw ako pagalawin! Nakakaloka! Akala mo baldadong baldado ako.

I’m happy Anika and Alvin are here to take care of me. Si Anika talagang todo din. Napaka-bait. She never complained the whole day today even though utos ako ng utos sa kanya.

Osha, I wanna get well so I can exercise again. Thanks for your well wishes guys!

Having a sprained ankle meant I needed to stay home this weekend. Sayang because I wanted to go with Wowa to the new Uniqlo Flagship Store in Glorietta 5. Ang tadhana nga naman. It made sure hindi ako gagastos this weekend. Lelz.

I realized importante paa ko talaga for me #SayWhut?

I should be more careful in playing and exercising next time otherwise #TeamBahay ako lagi and I don’t want that.

Anyway, lemme tell you na lang about my weekend last week.

Nung Sunday, Anika and I went twinning in our @StyleAnaPh skirts.

We went to SM Aura super early so I can exchange the clothes that I got for Alvin at Levi’s. He needed to bring them in his business trip to SG last Saturday. We had coffee at PAUL.

Their salted caramel coffee was so delicious that I didn’t mind even it made me palpitate.

I ordered this thing and I will never order it again. Sobrang tamis and sobrang mahal. Not again.

Anika’s Strawberry tart was sulit though. It was good.

Our bill for that 15 minute morning merienda was about Php 600. Ka-sayang. I shouldn’t have ordered the white pastry na yun. Sayang.

We were able to exchange the items I got for Alvin. I was able to buy him also polos at Uniqlo.

ALVIN: I cannot believe XL na ako.

Yes Babe. I’m sorry. Lelz.

We had a quick lunch at Rockwell. We went there because I thought that the Par8de Trunk Show was until Sunday. Hindi pala.

We ate at Zaifu and Anika and I ordered a California Maki each.

The day before that, I met up with Anika, Wowa, Faye and Isabel in Glorietta. I had work so I asked Wowa to pick Anika up. Girls day out ang peg. We missed LT though.

Isabel was in her cute, adorable self. She borrowed Anika’s phone and kept calling her imaginary friends.

She also just learned how to walk and cuteness overload talaga. I love babies who just learned how to walk. Ang cute nila panoorin.

I wish we can do this every weekend. Kagigil si Isabel, ano? =)

I love attending kiddie parties. Inaabangan ko yung mga decors and yung cake. That was why I was excited to attend Vivian’s daughter’s 7th birthday party. Ang OC kasi ni Vivian sa ganyan. Ma-detalye ang lola niyo. I think it comes with her being intelehente and everything. When she does things, sure maganda, above average sa expectations mo and fantastic. Character na niya yan, mga bata pa kami. When she puts her heart into something, asahan niyo tagumpay yan. Kita niyo naman how successful The Soshal Network blog is. Nakapag-launch pa sila ng libro ng lagay na yan.

Anyway, the theme of the party was Vintage Mad Hatter Tea Party. Gusto daw kasi ni Addie ng tea party. Iba na mga bata ngayon ano? Ang sophisticated ng mga alam! Hahaha! Nung panahon ko, basta may trip to Jerusalem and pabitin, party na! Hahahaha! Anyway, a few days before the event, Vivian showed me the invitations and headbands that she DIY’ed herself. In fairness, may talent ang girl! They all turned out parang done ng professional! Hahaha!

When we got there, it was amazing. The details were on point! Ang galing ng nakuha nilang event stylist: Shaz Events Styling.

This is what will greet you when you arrive at the venue.

May wreath eklaver pa ang lola niyo hanging on the event place door. Details! Details! Details!

Before we went to the party, Anika and I went to the bookstore so I can give her a book. Alice in Wonderland ang pinili. Partida she didn’t know the theme yet of Addie’s party. Ang cute tuloy picturan kasama ng mga decors.

This was the main backdrop. Magaling. Maganda. Ako, hindi ko maiisip how to put all of that together.

There were “hanging cups” for the kids’ tables.

The cake was so adorable too!

Mommies…

… and kids!

Happy birthday Addie!!! I hope you had fun on your special day! Stay sweet and adorable! =) We love you!

If you wanna see more fabulous details of the party, Vivian blogged about it here: http://www.thesoshalnetwork.com/2018/10/06/addie-in-wonderland/

One thing I pray for Anika is that she’ll have long time friends like mine.

Back when I was younger, I wanted to have so many friends. It a sign for me kasi that I belong. I felt that time, the more friends I have, the more likable I was.

I was wrong.

Time showed me that not all friends are true friends. As time passed, I lost some of them. Ibig sabihin, hindi ko talaga sila friends. The ones I have now are the tried and tested na. They were filtered out by circumstances and events. Sila yung nagtagal talaga.

I have Alvin who not only was my friend since my high school days, he became my husband as well. Sabi nga nila di ba, dapat ang papakasalan mo is a friend, first and foremost. Yung romance kasi dims pero yung friendship hindi.

I have my best friends. Actually, kaya ko sila best friends kasi sila na talaga yung natitira kong mga friends na I believe would never sell me out to anyone. They are the ones I trust with my life. Ride or die. May ganun. However, they didn’t become my best friends over night. Again, tested by time, distance and good and bad events. Matatag. Sila yung mga kaya akong pagpasensyahan and mga kaya ko din pagpasensyahan. Kanya kanya tayong quirks kasi di ba? They have accepted me for who I am and I have accepted them for who they are.

I wish when Anika grows up, she will have friends like mine. I know in the process of finding real friends, she will get hurt and get betrayed by fake ones. I think that’s okay kasi pain will lead her to her truest of true friends.

Finding real friends is important because they are the family that we get to choose, right? This is also important for Anika because she’s the only child. Apart from her Tatay and I, I want her to have friends who are good influence because I know she will run to them someday instead of sa amin. It is inevitable. Sana lang marunong siya pumili ng kaibigan.

Where will she copy the values of finding true and good friends? First, sa atin siyempre, right? What we are, they copy. How we are to our friends, malamang ganun din sila. Second, Anika seldom watches TV. But when she does, I make her watch The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants in Netflix. Magandang cartoons ito because the value of friendship is evident. It teaches her empathy, patience and love. Okay din.

Any tips mothers how you teach the value of friendship to your kids? Yung tipong magiging good friend din sila pero hindi to a point na aabusuhin. Ganyan kasi ako dati. When I have friends, nagpapa-abuso talaga ako. All out kasi ako. Good thing natuto din ako to choose kanino lang ako magiging ganun.

Please feel free to comment below!

Top: LABLE.PH (check out their instagram account); Pants: UNIQLO; Shoes: NINE WEST

I have to get something off my chest.

You know that when I blog, it actually makes me think so please bear with me.

Nagiisip ako if I should keep blogging or stop altogether na.

One of my blogging idols, Chuvaness, has stopped posting blog entries for quite some time already. Napaisip tuloy ako bakit hindi na siya nagbablog. As you have noticed, dati I was blogging very frequently. Minsan twice or thrice a day pa ang mga blog entries. Ngayon, padalang ng padalang na.

Hindi ko alam if nawawalan na ako ng gana or maybe because I got sick lang of this anxiety disorder or hindi ko na alam if may sense pa ako in this blogging world. Napakadami na kasing nagsulputang blogs out there. As in madaming madami especially celebrities. Iniisip ko if nakakasabay pa ba ako. May relevance pa ba tong mga pinagsusulat ko or mga pinagkukukwento ko sa inyo? Did I lose my blogging mojo already?

I’ll have to admit, dumating yung time that I got very conscious of the numbers of hits. Bumaba siya ng di hamak last year. It affected how I saw myself as a blogger. But my friends reminded me that I never blogged because of the hits. I blogged because gusto ko magkwento ng magkwento ng kung ano ano about my life. I never blogged because of the money. However, napaka-impokrita ko naman if I’ll say wapakels ako sa income na nagegenerate ng Mommy Fleur Blog. For years nasusustain niya yung mga luho ko. Dumating yung time na nagipit kami ng bongga ni Alvin and yung income ko from blogging helped us in paying for the monthly expenses.

Pero bakit nga ba talaga ako nagbablog?

I’m blogging because as morbid as it sounds, I want Anika, Alvin, my family, friends and those who know me to have something to read about me even after I die. I don’t want them to forget me. I’m blogging because I want Anika to be able to recall how much I love and cared for her. I’m blogging because I want to have something to read about when I’m old and gray. Gusto ko mabasa yung mga kalokohan ko nung bata bata pa ako. I’m blogging kasi I know I am able to help other women out there. Kahit na ba comic relief man lang sa buhay nila ang macontribute ko, masaya na ako.

I remember blogging kasi sobra kong daldal and kaysa mga dingding and halaman ang kausapin ko, dito ko na lang kinukwento.

I need to go back siguro to those basic facts, ano?

As long as blogging makes me happy, I should continue.

What do you think?

Top: KAMISETA; Pants: UNIQLO; Sneakers; KEDS

Naalala ko na naman that nurse at the ER when I had my Xray. Umasa talaga kami ni Alvin.

Lalo na ako. Even days after that incident, umasa ako. Kunwari deadma lang that I’m almost 10 days delayed. Hindi ko masyado pinagkakalat. Sinabi ko lang kay Alvin, kay Janis, kay Pineda, dun sa isa kong friend, dun sa isa kong staff and dun sa mga volleyball team mates ko. Konti lang sinabihan ko kasi ayaw ko kumalat.

Kinikilig ako because I wanted mangosteen so bad. And then I craved for lanzones. And then I ate isang bandehadong kanin with a lot of shrimps last Monday when Pineda came over. I felt hindi ako nabubusog. I ate a lot. As in non stop ang kain ko. I gained 4 lbs since coming back from Siquijor. Success na nga talaga ito. Tapos I remembered pa one of my officemates telling me that he got his wife pregnant nung napilay yung wife niya. Nakapagpahinga daw kasi yung girl kaya nabuntis. Baldado din ako ng ilang araw kaya this is it. Ang laki laki din ng tummy ko. First time I didn’t care.

Taba lang pala lahat, mga bakla.

I had my period this morning. If my foot wasn’t maga lang talaga, nasipa ko siguro yung inidoro sa bwisit.

Paasa talaga tong tadhanang ito.

Binalikan ko tuloy yung 4 lbs that I gained because of my imaginary paglilihi. Iba talaga ang feeling masyado na buntis agad.

Ewan ko na talaga. Kinareer naman talaga namin ni Alvin dun sa Siquijor. Wala akong napala. Katabaan lang.

I can’t wait for my sprain to heal and get back to exercising. My foot looks like parang bagong sali lang siya sa fraternity now. Kakatapos lang niya i-hazing. It’s color violet. It still looks like a baby dinosaur’s foot. I can drive na though. Ang sakit lang pag yung biglang break. Nakakaluha. But I am thankful I can walk na.

Osha, mageexercise na ako starting on Monday whether magcooperate tong paa ko or not. Hindi naman paa ginagamit sa sit-up di ba? Lelz.

Enjoy the midweek guys!

Ang bilis ng panahon! It’s almost Friday and when I checked my blog, last week pa pala my last entry!

Shoree, hindi ko man lang namalayan, mga bakla.

This week has been so hectic. We have been preparing for a lot of reports. Year end na din kasi tapos asse-assessment eklaver sa mga nagawa ng 2018. Pasukan pa ng monthly ManCom reporting. Tapos Mastery Test week pa nila Anika. Kinakareer ko ang pagturo kay Anika on top of her tutor. I admitted that halos napabayaan ko talaga siya during the last term of her Grade 2 and the first term of Grade 3. Ngayon, tutok. Let’s see what happens.

Anyway, I wanna share with you this nice nail salon where I go to.

Sa totoo lang, as shallow as it sounds, women seriously need to set a time for themselves para sa manicure/pedicure, facials, massages, hair cut, hair color and kung ano ano pang pwedeng magcontribute sa well being nila. Bakit? It’s like wearing kasi a nice pair of underwear. Nakakasarap ng feeling. Pansinin niyo, after a good massage or after a session with your facial specialist, parang you can conquer the world. Tama? Parang nabubura ng diamond peel or ng Brazilian waxing yung stress and worries away to a point na after the session, tara world, ano ba kasi ulit problema mo?!

You might also notice that your mood instantly feel a lot better pagfeeling mo ang ganda mo. Maybe it’s the equivalent of men naman after they go to the gym. Feeling nila sila na si Derek Ramsey tapos ang happy nila.

Anyway, I go to BASK Nail Spa in Merville here in Paranaque.

Ang cozy ng place.

They have a wide range of different nail polishes to try. Imported pa lahat. The prices of their services are set na. Hindi ka na tatanungin if local or imported ang ilalagay sayo tapos bubulong ka ng “Local na lang, teh.“.

They also have nail spa services that are kid friendly.

Have you tried the nail salons where yung mga manicurista is parang galit na galit sa pagkalkal ng nails mo? I remember going to another nail salon. After my pedicure, parang kumonti yung nails ng toes ko. Ayaw ko nun mga bakla.

Here at BASK Nail Spa, they know what they’re doing. Hindi sila magkakalkal ng ingrown. They also do not touch the shape of your nails so maintained yung shape ng nails niyo. Sa kids also, you won’t have to tell them na wag kalikutin yung gilid ng nails ng mga bagets. Alam na nila yun.

The nail specialists or therapists pa are all so nice. Para silang long lost ka-chikahan niyo in your past life.

Anika likes it here because they’re very patient with her. Buti nga the last time we went, two colors lang ang bitbit ng lola niyo for her nail polish colors. Minsan kasi may dalang 5 colors yan plus may specific instructions where to apply each color. Hindi impatient ang mga Ate there. They understand the kids and accommodating sila.

That’s why Anika and I like going here.

They also offer home service if talagang busy kayo. They can do your nails or massage you in the comfort of your homes. Merville, Moonwalk and Multinational Village peeps, try niyo =)

BASK Nail Spa
Address: 3270-C Armstrong Avenue, Merville Access Road, Parañaque City
Telephone Number: (02) 552 3754

For Maeko’s 7th birthday celebration, Pineda and JR planned a surprise for her. They gathered their families and close friends and treated us to a unique experience at The Dessert Museum.

The Dessert Museum pala is at the S Maison Mall at Conrad Hotel near Mall of Asia. I was wondering for the longest time nasaan ang museum na yan.

I have been curious ano ba tong Dessert Museum na sinasabi nila because I’ve been seeing it in my IG feed. Being a person who loves sweets, I got excited when Pineda told me about their plan. Akala ko kasi parang Gingerbread House ng Hansel and Gretel story or the chocolate factory in the Charlie and the chocolate factory where you can eat all the donuts and marshmallows and chocolates na naka-design dun. Todo na kako itoooo!

Hindi pala hahahaha! Pero super cute pa din. Here, lemme tell you about that day.

The call time for the guests was at 10am. We were rushing because we came from the Parent’s Day celebration at Anika’s school. The Parent’s Day ended at 9am so we had breakfast na muna at Conti’s after. We arrived a little past 10am at The Dessert Museum.

This is what the lobby looks like.

All their staff are in cute costume mala-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory levels

You need to leave your diets sa door before you go inside. They give out free treats kasi in some rooms.

I don’t know who these people are and I forgot to ask the Dessert Museum peeps. Baka sila yung mga nagimbento ng mga yan?

When you get inside and after paying (Php 799 per person but cheaper if you book online at their website), they will put a digital bracelet on your arm. This digital bracelet will enable to you to avail the 5 to 6 treats they will give you during the tour. The Dessert Museum has a total of 8 different rooms. You will be ushered from one room to another by their staff. It’s very organized. You get to spend 15 minutes in each room. After 15 minutes dun ka lang pwede lumipat ng kabilang room.

We were ushered to the first room which was the Donut Room filled with donuts with pink frosting and candy sprinkles!

Careful din because these are hard donuts. Masakit pagtumama sa head

I took charge of organizing the kids so that when Maeko arrives, nandun sila lahat in line.

They looked so cute! I couldn’t post the photos here nga lang because I don’t have permission from their parents. They all lined up each carrying unicorn and letter balloons that spelled M-A-E-K-O while facing the entrance where Maeko will be coming from.

When Maeko arrived, the kids and adults sang happy birthday. Maeko got stunned and was teary eyed. Naiyak na din ako, si Pineda, her lolas and the other guests there. Iba talaga din if you throw a surprise party for a kid. Iba yung feeling while watching them kasi hindi nila ma-explain ano nararamdaman nila. Remember at Anika’s surprise party? She got so overwhelmed to a point na napahagulgol siya. Hahaha! I was asking her why she was crying, she doesn’t know daw. Dito naman, Maeko kept on saying that she can’t understand her heart and she was so happy daw. Best day daw niya. I told Pineda, sulit na sulit na yung surprise nila for their first born.

There was a slide going down from the entrance to the Donut Room. We saw in one of the IG stories of the guests, pagka-slide ni Maeko, sinalubong siya ni Anika and hugged her tight. It was such an “awwwwww” moment. Supportive na supportive ang Anika and she was so happy for the surprise for Maeko.

They gave us a treat at the Donut Room. It was a cupcake ata yun.

And then after 15 minutes, we went to the Marshmallow Room where there were fondues!

Yan ang sense nung digital bracelets. They will scan it before they give you a treat.

The third room is the Naughty or Nice Room where it’s filled with huge hard candies.

In this room, you get to choose a treat from many choices. Best to buy na here a bottled water kasi di ba you need to drink a lot of water when you eat sweets? =)

In this room, there were slides and seesaws. No more photos kasi umiiyak na si Anika and Maeko kaka-sabi ko na picture here and picture there. Hindi daw sila makapagenjoy and makapaglaro! May point nga naman. Pineda and I agreed na we’d come back na lang here to take photos naman.

The fourth room is the Ice Cream Room.

This room has a ball pit na parang gusto na ata ng mga bata na dun na tumira.

This was my favorite room because of the ice cream that they gave out. It was yummy! You had a choice of either Avocado or Mango. Panalo yung Avocado!

The fifth room was the Gumball room. No photos here mga bakla kasi I was busy finishing off my ice cream hahaha. Basically there was a big gumball machine filled with balloons and a lot of strong air. You can go inside and makipag-ikot ikot ka din dun kasama ng mga balloons. Imagine ang wildness ng mga kids! Tilian ng tilian eh!

The sixth room was the Gummy Bears Room.

Gummy bears room talaga yan. Hindi ko lang napicturan yung mga giant gummy bears because pagoda cold wave lotion na ang peg ko by this time. Remember to wear comfy shoes ha? Nakapagod nakatayo lang the whole time while the kids are enjoying.

May treat din here. There were unicorn sugar cookies that were being handed out.

The seventh room was the Cotton Candy Room. This was the room I liked the least. Hindi cool tingnan haha. Parang nasa nightmare ako na lahat ay pink cotton candy lang. No photos again. So sorry! They gave out cotton candies for everyone.

The eighth and last room is the Cake Pops Room. Nothing special in this room except for the basketball ring and it was here where we all sang Happy Birthday again for Maeko before she blew her unicorn cake!

Over all it was a pretty nice experience especially for the kids. I would suggest more interactive activities for each room pa. Or more trivia eklaver pa sana about desserts in each room. The rooms are pretty but majority for Instagram purposes lang talaga.

Thank you so much Maeko for inviting us! Happy, happy birthday to you! We love you!

I promise to take nicer and more detailed photos when we comeback here for Round 2. Hahaha!

If you will be going to The Dessert Museum, remember!

Wear comfy shoes!
Bring your cameras!
Bring your sweet tooth!

THE DESSERT MUSEUM
Website: https://thedessertmuseum.com/
Address: S Maison Mall, Conrad Hotel Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Last tickets are sold by 8:00pm)

When I reached my 30s, I never thought I would find new friends. I mean, I thought I didn’t have the energy pa na to make effort and establish like super strong friendship pa with other people. I was perfectly contented na with the very few friends that I have.

That was until I met some of the moms of the classmates of Anika when she was in Grade 1. We kinda clicked, all of us. Imagine me pero times 12 in person. Kagulo, promise! I don’t know ha but we don’t have the same personality naman. Ang nakikita ko, we complement each other. Nakakatuwa whenever I’m with them. We formed an unexpected bond na akala ko hindi ko na mahahanap at this age.

Literally hagalpak sa tawa whenever I’m with these women. Lahat kami maarte and kikay pero hindi kami na-aannoy sa isa’t isa. Gets niyo yun? May mga maaarte and sobrang burgis na nakaka-irita right? Hindi sila ganun. Natural na natural and walang trying hard. That’s what I love with these girls. We help each other out also even though our kids are not classmates na anymore. I call them my AMIGAS.

I might have told you na about them when we went out for drinks at Tomatito way before. Wala pang alak, mga loka loka na kami. Paano pa kaya pagnaka-limpak limpak na sangria na? Kinabag ako ng kakaiba after sa dami ng tawa.

Anyway, we have been planning to go out for quite some time already. And eto, as they say, the best times are the unplanned ones. We met up one Friday night at Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. Titas night out ang peg.

From L to R: Missy, Me-anne, Mel, Gwen, me and NicaHindi pa kami complete niyan. Biglaan kasi ang labas.

Happy hour at Long Bar starts at 5pm until 8pm. Unlimited drinks. It was my first time to try the happy hour so I ordered the Lychee Martini first. Ang pangit ng lasa because ang tapang nung vodka. I was there na by 5:30pm. Alam niyo naman ako, si early bird forever. Excited kasi ako. I’ve been looking forward to this lakad because I have not been out for the longest time eh. Napansin ko, ang aga na magstart ng gimmik ngayon pag certified Tita ka na. Malamang because by 8:30pm, antok na ako eh. Lelz. They all arrived around 6:30pm. They all ordered the Singapore Sling so I tried it too. Emergered ang sarap. Ginawa kong juice. So as expected by 7:30pm after having 4 glasses of Singapore Sling, ganito na tingin ko sa kanya.

I couldn’t feel my face anymore! The drink was so delish so if you’re going there, yan inumin niyo. Take care lang because traydor yung drink. It tastes like juice pero sisipa eventually.

Around 8pm, we ordered na our last round of Singapore Sling. By this time, medyo emergerd, manhid na talaga mukha ko sa dami ng ininom ko. Everything also seemed so funny!

The first band was good. Dance dance kami ng slight. The second band played songs from the 80s and 90s kaya naghiyawan na ang mga titas and titos who were there!

When they played We Built This City, akala mo nagcoconcert si Taylor Swift! Hahahahaha! Sorry sa mga bagets who are reading this right now. I know hindi kayo maka-relate but I love We Built This City na song. I remember playing Wowa’s cassette tape of this and me following it with the lyrics book that comes with the tapes.

Ayan kids, para alam niyo na ang We Built This City!

At around 9pm, I was yawning. By 11pm, naka-7 na ata akong yawn! So lolabelles! I can’t remember na how I was able to go gimmik until 4am nung kabataan ko!

Ito pa I’ve noticed. Look at my outfit naman mga ateng. Partida, I changed pa because I came from various site visits that day. Bakit ba ito ang napili kong top to wear that night?! Para akong pupunta sa meeting, amp. Ibang iba when I go gimmik before na pakontian ng tela ang suot. I remember wearing tank tops pero may decent top on top of it para lang palabasin ako ng house. May dala din akong pang tulog so I can change sa car on the way home. You know, in case someone sa bahay wakes up and sees me going home at 4:30am, they will think nagising lang ako from bed! Loka loka talaga!

Tingnan niyo yung mga glasses namin filled to the top pa with the Singapore Sling. That photo was taken at 11:30pm na. So natulong yung drinks namin from 8pm to 11:30 pm! Wengweng na kasi ang mga Tita!

We left Long Bar at around 12am. We went to this Japanese Restaurant in Pasay Road to eat recovery food. I was home by 1:45am. Feeling ko bagets na bagets ako ulit. Lelz.

It’s nice to have a night out like this every now and then. Nakakaumay din kasi yung work lang ng work and mind lang ng mind sa house.

Ano mga bakla, Long Bar tayo for the Mommy Fleur Day? =D Singapore Sling na ito!!!

LONG BAR AT RAFFLES HOTEL
“Happy Hour at the legendary Long Bar. Happening daily from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., partake in free-flowing local and imported beer, unlimited rounds of cocktail drinks and endless pouring of red and white house wine for PHP 840 per person.”

Address: 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue Corner, Makati, 1224 Metro Manila
Telephone Number (for reservations): (02) 555 9888

Hi guys. I’m Anika Summer R Sombrero. I am 8 years old. I study in csa. At school it was our un or united nation  day. I was dressed as a mecsican (Mexican) girl. My nanay brought me to school and she took photos of me after we went to the church. And i went to my classroom and me and my classmates were having so much fun and our adviser was in a Japanese costume. And after we had english and science time. Not at the same time ok and i went to the clinic after we took our photo for UN. There was no parade so i went to the clinic  because my head was hurting  and my temperature was 37.9 so i had a fever so i drank tempra and ninang or coach vita went to me and after a few minutes i got my things from the classroom. I waited for my  nanay  in  the clinic. She fetched me and we ate at lola idang’s and i went home and slept for 3 houers. Me and my nanay and tatay are watching hellboy part 1 and 2 now and after part 1, i started to blog like my nanay  and now we are watching hellboy 2 and my lola is here to sleep here. and we are gonna eat dinner and i am gonna sleep na so thats the end. I dont know if I’m going to school tom.  and my nanay is gonna make me some  lemon water if we have lemon!!!!!!

———————————————————–

So cute ano? Anika took over my blog for a bit to tell you about her day.  I corrected her spelling ng slight so you can understand her. She’ll start daw a blog as soon as she knows how to spell very well. Go. Ariba.

So last week, I was looking for a UN costume for her. Her previous yaya left na and she took with her the knowledge san niya pinagtatago yung mga costumes ni Anika dati. Kaloka. Hindi ko tuloy makita. I didn’t want to buy her a new costume because sayang nga naman sabi ni Pineda kasi once lang gagamitin. Buti na lang, I found this costume she wore…. wait for it…

..when she was in Senior Kinder!

Kasya pa! Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako or malulungkot kasi hindi siya lumaki in 2 and a half years?!

This was how it fit her when she was in SK.

Mukha naman pala malaki talaga sa kanya dati. Lelz.

She wore it for their field demo.

I happy because it was made in good quality. I don’t know where the teachers had that made pero buong batch nila ganyan. We paid them na lang and got the costumes afterwards. Sulit naman.

Ayun na nga, I brought Anika to school today. When she woke up this morning, Alvin told her not to go to school muna because she had low grade fever last night. Umiyak. Gusto daw niya magschool because she wanted to wear her costume plus it was her English oral test today. Ayun pinayagan ng Tatay.

On my way to the first project that I had to visit, kinutuban na ako. Magpapasundo ko si Anika in the middle of the day.

My #Momtuition was correct.

When I was at the walkthrough, around 1030am, tumawag ang Alvin. The school clinic called him daw. They were asking if Anika can be picked up na. 37.9 degrees Celsius daw yung fever. I asked if pinapauwi na ba or papainumin lang ng paracetamol then rest. I’ll ask kako the clinic. Before I can call, Coach Vita called me. Sunduin ko na daw. Pinapauwi na daw ng school yung mga ganun. So I finished the walkthrough and picked Anika up. We had lunch at Lola Idangs and took her home. I napped for a few minutes and then went naman to another project site for another meeting/walkthrough.

Before you judge me, wala nang fever si Anika by the time I picked her up in school. Ang daldal na. I asked permission from her if I can go to our site and be back later in the afternoon. Okay daw. I was home na before magdilim.

A working mom is like that. Through the years, I learned not to panic and be over acting about everything. Kung ako yan dati, nagmamadali na ako magpunta sa school with palpitations plus hindi na ako aalis sa bahay afterwards. But I learned that a working mom can balance everything. Hindi ka kailangan panic mode sa lahat ng pagkakataon. Iiksi buhay mo, ateng. Relax. Like today, I didn’t rush to her school when I picked her up. Anika was in the clinic with a low grade fever. There were nurses there and a doctor. She was resting in a very comfortable bed. I was able to finish my first walkthrough. On our way home, I saw she was feeling better. Ang dami pang kinain for lunch. Before we napped ng sabay, I asked her if it’s okay if I go to our nearby project very quick. She said yes. We raised Anika to say what she really feels so when she says okay, okay talaga yun. I left while she was napping. Nagmeeting and walkthrough ako. I was back home ng may araw pa. Alvin was already home and Anika was fine. I was able to balance things. O di ba? We, working moms, can do it like this. Hindi natin kailangan mabuang all the time. Pwede chill lang and the same time do the things that we need to do both in and out of the house. You should just know how to pick lang ano ipra-prioritize. To the new working moms out there, don’t worry, mapagaaralan niyo din yan over time.

Speaking of sick, eto sick na again ang Anika. Grabe her cough and colds. For sure, she got it in school because sa few weeks back, she was telling me about how a lot of her classmates and busmates daw are coughing. Alam na. It’s just frustrating because she eats well. She takes vitamins but ang hina ng resistensya. Grrrrr.

Osha, get well soon to the other kids out there.

Happy mid-week mga bakla.

“Babe, bumili nga pala kami ni Paul ng bar.”

Alvin told me that a couple of weeks back. Di ba nakakaloka?! Like what I said in my IG post, akala mo tsinelas lang ang binili sa kanto.

I didn’t mind because I know he has always dreamed of running a bar. Alam mo naman tayong mga asawa, dapat nakasupport lagi sa mga jowa natin. Ika nga nila, “Behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes.”

Hahahahahaha!

So push. Support.

Alvin, together with is brother Paul and 3 more partners bought an existing bar in Betterliving Subdivision in Paranaque. Luma na this bar, mga 10 years operating already. Super luma that the customers who frequent this bar are mga ka-age nina Lolo Papa. Ganun. Sabi ko yan ang challenge. How can you turn the bar into a hangout place of yuppies and the young eh kilala siya as a place ng mga mashonda. No offense meant to the wise. Kaya daw nila so, gorabelles.

The bar underwent renovations for a week to update the interior. Si Alvin ang namahala bilang he’s the one with construction experience. Ang hirap for me na hindi maki-alam even though I had so many ideas because (1) pakialamerang natural ako and (2) magsasabunutan lang kami mag-asawa. So hinayaan ko na lolo niyo. It turned out okay naman though ang dami kong comments. Hahahaha! Minsan hindi din cool if you are in the construction field! Ang daming nasisita. But as what Alvin said, they’re just starting. Ginawa niya munang presentable. Siguro daw if kumikita na yung bar, dun na lang sila magaayos ulit. Fine.

So last week, we went and tried the restaurant on a weekday. Siyempre, sino ba naman ang isasama kung hindi ang permanent cast.

I bought a bottle of Vodka Raspberry in the nearby liquor store. Magmixed drink kako ako.

According to Janis, masarap daw my drink! It’s refreshing and hindi siya matapang. I shall name it Mommy Fleur =) When you come visit, I’ll serve you one too ha?

The sound system was new too. Ang ganda. Sobrang ganda to a point na pati voice ko gumanda din. Napahanga ang Janis eh hard to please yun ha?

When we were there, kami lang customers apart from the 2 oldies that arrived and left din after 2 bottles. Mahina pa yung bar given that it’s still new. But the food’s good. Masarap nga pwera bias. The beer’s affordable. Yung Bailey’s, which is my favorite drink, is at Php 100 only a serving. Mura di ba? And they’re having auditions na for acoustic band performers. Sa tingin ko, with proper advertising, the Southern Kings OBT bar looks promising.

They re-opened the bar two weeks ago after all the renovations. And then last night, may re-launch celebration na naganap.

The guys invited two bands plus Kevin Roy.

Hindi ko kilala si Kevin Roy sa totoo lang. So when they were all excitedly talking about it, hindi ako maka-relate.

“Sikat kaya yun! Hindi ka kasi rakista eh.” sabi ng punks not dead ko na asawa.

Apparently, Kevin Roy was the former lead singer of the Razorback band. I googled and sikat na sikat sila nung 90s. Para na silang legends sa rock music industry. We are going to have a Philippine Rock Star legend play in the bar! Na-excite ako.

So last night, after eating at Samgyupsalamat with Pineda (and after swearing I’ll never eat meat muna for the next 2 years), Pineda and I went to the Southern Kings OBT bar.

There was an acoustic band playing na. Magaling din sila. At around 9am, the band who will serve as a front act for Kevin Roy and Kessenth Cheng (GAP), arrived too. Maya maya, ayan, dumating na si Kevin Roy. Rock star na rock star nga ang peg. You saw me siguro paparazzing him last night in my IG stories. Tawang tawa si Alvin sa akin because video ako ng video and picture ng picture eh hindi ko naman kilala daw si Kevin Roy.

Walang pakialamanan. Legend siya.

PINEDA AND I. Thank you mare for coming and for the support!

These are my childhood friends (L to R): Gregg, me, Alvin, Paul (photobombing in the background), Janis and Mark

Alvin and Paul with the vocalist of the HOTSKIN band

Don’t be fooled by that little lady’s charm (yung nasa tabi ni Alvin). She’s petite and may look like a doll pero pagkumanta, mapapa-nganga ka talaga. Parang rock and roll mixed with acoustic ang peg. She’s really good!

And of course, the obligatory photo with Mr. Kevin Roy.

He’s super mabait. Walang star complex. He’s very friendly and accommodating. He told us to encourage Anika to sing. Sabi ko, he should hear Anika sing Mad World. Magaling ang bagets.

Kevin Roy started his set at around 1130pm. Mga 1230am, nagpaalam na ako umuwi. Maaaga pa talaga pasok ko the next day. Alvin said that they all stayed in the bar until 2am! Super cool daw ni Kevin Roy. Sulit na sulit!

Southern Kings OBT are scheduling them again for another gig next month. Sabihan ko kayo ha? Even though hindi ako rock and roll, tuwang tuwa ako when Kevin Roy performed. Kessenth Ching was amazing on guitars. I’ve never seen someone play that good up close! And si Kevin Roy, kaka-iba talaga siya. To hear him perform is something else!

So there, before I end this blog entry, uulitin ko lang ang sinabi ko in my IG post last night before I went home.

Babe, kahit minsan nakakaloka, you are assured that I will be behind you to support you always in whatever you do. Basta masaya ka, gorabelles ako.

Visit the Southern Kings OBT Bar located at 90 RC Building, Dona Soledad Avenue, Betterliving Subdivision, Paranaque City.

May band there every Thursdays!

When Anika’s school’s second term started, we made a pact na babawi kami dun sa low grades that she got in the first term.

Tinutukan ko mga bakla.

Everyday, regardless how tired I was from work, I go through all the assignments and lessons with her. Partida, may tutor na siya in the afternoon ha pero inuulit ko talaga lahat with her. And in the evening, I make her read English and Filipino books. Kahit one page a night lang. It’s tiring. Ito yung tipong gusto mo na lang magpahinga after a toxic day pero hindi mo magawa because you have to go through the lessons for the day. Halos araw araw pa naman, they have short quizzes. I wanted to give up. Sinasabi ko pa sa sarili ko, hindi naman talaga grades ang batayan ng success and happiness sa buhay eh.

However, I stopped that thought and continued teaching Anika.

Babawi kasi kami.

I wanted Anika to feel the difference between her effort and performance from the first term to the second term. This is to show her that you need to work hard if you want to achieve something. If I just let it go, ano na lang ang ituturo nun sa bata, di ba?

I’m happy to report that so far, almost all short quizzes and spelling Mastery Tests of Anika for the first half of the 2nd term are perfect. We were amazed to a point that we tallied all her perfect short quizzes and posted it on our fridge door.

Nakakatuwa din. Malaking pagbabago from the 1st term.

ME (to Alvin): Perfect si Anika sa halos lahat ng short quizzes niya so far. San ka pa?

ALVIN: Ang galing ha. Kinareer mo talaga.

ME: Oo. Pagtinanong ako ng teacher niya ngayon ulit anong nangyari bakit ang laki ng improvement, ang sasabihin ko is “Teacher, ang theme kasi namin last term is bagsak. Ang theme for this term naman is perfect scores kaya ayan, perfect scores ba ang gusto mo?”

Charot.

Hahahaha.

In fairness to Anika, hindi nagreklamo yan. I know tamad na tamad na siya magstudy pero deadma. Aral ng aral pa din and you can see na she was really working hard.

Come her midterm exams, hindi ko din tinigilan. But since working mom akish, nahirapan ako. What I did was to make questionnaires. Tuturuan siya ng tutor niya after school and then I will make her answer the sample tests afterwards when I come home.

May isang beses during exam week, Alvin forgot (again 3x) to buy bigas. Wala na kaming bigas. I was so annoyed because I needed to teach pa Anika pero I didn’t have choice otherwise, no rice diet lahat sa bahay. Ayun, we brought the reviewer that I printed out to Puregold. Dun niya sinagutan while I bought what we needed. Buhay working mom talaga.

I’m sure if Wowa’s reading this magagalit na naman yun. I should tell her daw if I need to buy something from the grocery. Pwede naman niya daw bilhin para hindi na ako ma-stress. Minsan you really appreciate small things like that ano? Nakaka-bawas sa pagkawindang.

Some of the Mastery Test results came out already and the improvement on the scores is very noticeable. She didn’t fail any exams. Nakakatuwa. And Anika is now more conscious of what scores she gets. Dati kasi walang paki-alam yan eh. Parang hindi important sa kanya. I wanted to change that attitude in her. Hindi mo pwede basta bastahin ang pagaaral. Number one, ang mahal ng tuition, hindot. Number two, studying for the exams and getting good scores practice you on how you will fare in the real world. Akala natin walang connection yang grades sa totoong buhay pero hindi totoo yun. We may not be graded in all the things that we do pero yung perseverance, resilience and hard work, yan ang hino-hone sa mga bata sa school.

Kaya hindi ako masyadong agree dun sa mga nagsasabi that grades are not important.

True, hindi important siya 100%. Ang ichecheck mo diyan is yung effort. If full effort naman pero low grades pa din, okay lang. Hindi siguro yan ang forte niya in life. Again, I have a lot of friends who didn’t excel in school pero are very successful now. Masisipag kasi sila.  Pero if low grades and nakita mo tatamad tamad na walang ambisyon man lang to perform, that I will never tolerate.

Hopefully tuloy tuloy na. Nakaka-inis lang because she’s sick again now. She’s been absent from school for 3 days already. She’s missing a lot. Mahihirapan kami humabol.

They’re teaching them na long division pa naman in Math.

Engineer ako pero nawindang ako at the start. I forgot na how to do long division! I needed a refresher! Hahaha!

While I was waiting for Anika to answer the division questions, na-senti ako ng slight. She’s a big girl na talaga. It was just like yesterday I was teaching her lang how to walk and how to recite the ABCs. Ngayon, long division na. Ang laki na ni Anika. Napakabilis ng panahon.

Anyway, how about you guys? Kamusta naman ang studies ng mga bagets? Don’t forget to relax during the sem break!