Priceless Christmas for Us

Christmas is supposed to be a time for merrymaking but for us it meant a time of reaching out, of extending helping hands and helping others see that beyond the clouds, the sun is still shining.  

My husband and I were tasked to assist in the activity spearheaded by the Local Government Unit of Gensan for the benefit of the dependents of missing fishermen due to Typhoon Pablo on December 23, 2012 at the GSC Sports Complex.

I was with the team who assisted little children of those missing fishermen find a little joy in spite of what's happening around them.  There were storytelling, playing games, and giving of gifts for the kids. Added bonus to the activity was the presence of mascots Jollibee and Hetty that really brought excitement to our young spectators' eyes.

The innocence of these children is simply enviable.  They still managed to give all of us a smile and were very willing  to seize the moment.  Their fathers are all missing for almost a month now and yet their families together with government agencies and NGOs are still not giving up in the search and rescue operation.

I was happy and sad at the same time doing the job of making these children see that there is still a glimmer of hope. Deep inside I know that survivors at this point in time is already nil.  I am just praying for God's mercy for the children and their families.  

We made the kids so happy that day . . . I just hope that in our own little way we still can in the days to come.

A day after, the whole family had our gift-giving for the wards of Maria Goretti's Home for Girls.  My girls were more than happy to share our blessings with the girls under the care of the Passionist Sisters.

 Many thanks to our friends and Olaer Development Corporation for helping us with the goodies we gave to Maria Gorettti's girls.

 What we've done may be temporary in nature but we hope it  made a difference in the lives of many.

Merry christmas, everyone!

A Biko With a Story

The cooking mom got the time to prepare something special for our noche buena. Prepared a good amount of food to feast on but I've got a piece I considered extraordinary - the biko (glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar).  What makes it so special?

Well, basically it's a simple delicacy but it was embedded with so much love and passion from the mountains of Capas, Tarlac to our kitchen here in General Santos City.

The Aeta foster family of my daughter  during their immersion program in the mountains of Tarlac gave her a  bagful of mountain violet sticky rice as token. These good Aetas were the former settlers around Mt. Pinatubo who resettled in Tarlac to find a living. Aside from the sticky rice, they also gave my daughter sinfully delicious newly harvested brown rice.  It was so generous of them.

the so unselfish, so generous foster family of my daughter
 (Nanay Melinda, Tatay Gaspar and their kids with my daughter and other ADMU students)

Rafee handcarried the gifts all the way from Manila to Gensan.  I was almost in tears when I heard  her story of where these products came from. I wanted very much to say THANK YOU to her foster family and let them know how I appreciated their gesture but it's impossible to get through them.

So on christmas eve, I cooked the very precious gifts from our Aeta friends and shared these with people dear to us whom we requested to say a little prayer for this family who epitomizes the true spirit of christmas - to give and share without expecting anything in return!

To you, my dear friends from the mountains of Tarlac, our paths may not cross very soon but you will always be included in our prayers for God to keep you safe and healthy always!

Thank you for reminding us the true essence of Christmas!

Perfect Breakfast

freshly picked mangoes sliced into bits 

and steamed fresh from my garden camote tops 

with sinamak(spiced native vinegar) as dip -
pair this with plain rice
and fried daing (dried fish) 

Oh my! 

Family Bonding

bonding time with my hubby and kids

It was my youngest daughter Jasmine's 7th birthday last Monday.  A day before, we had a pre-birthday bonding at SM City Gensan.  It was a blast going out on a date with my hubby and six bubbly kids.  Hoping for a repeat soon before my eldest daughter leaves for Manila for her studies.

Raising Itiks

What's keeping me busy nowadays?  watchamacalitiks ;-D

Looking forward to sell balut (fertilized duck egg) soon . . .

S'more Party by the Pond

exciting Saturday afternoon with my kids

Merriam-Webster Definition of S'MORE: a dessert consisting usually of toasted marshmallow and pieces of chocolate bar sandwiched between two graham crackers 

Heavenly!

SM Supermarket Committed to Cold Chain

Here's a birds-eye view of what SM Supermarket has to offer!

As it opens on August 10 in the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, SM City General Santos brings you a consumer-safe and hygienic retail service with SM Supermarket.  For 27 years, SM Supermarket provides consumers with quality products processed and treated with utmost concern for food safety.

Aside from the usual sanitary practices such as the use of gloves and tongs in handling fresh products and the strict implementation of proper grooming for employees, SM Supermarket is committed to a process called cold chain.

What is cold chain?

Cold chain involves the exposure of the perishable goods like meat, poultry, fish, and even vegetables to a constant low temperature starting from their harvest all the way to their display in grocery stores.  This process preserves the shelf life and prevents the thriving of bacteria.

SM Supermarket makes sure that their products are sourced from suppliers which employ cold chain.  Their meat products, in particular, are certified by the National meat Inspection Service.  The supermarket then continues to adhere to the process for the storage of products, storing them in state-of-the-art freezers and refrigerators to keep them fresh and safe for consumption.

The process of cold chain never stops until goods are purchased.  In the vegetable and fruit section of SM Supermarket, items are constantly subjected to cold temperatures while on display.  Meat products are kept on glass cases to prevent contamination, while fish products are iced and some are even alive and kept in aquariums.

Added safety features

There are "sneeze guard" glass panels that keep fresh items safe and prevent them from being exposed to bacteria or virus as shoppers go around checking the items out.

Also, SM Supermarket uses humidifiers for vegetables and seafood to trap moisture ad prevent dehydration to keep them fresh longer.

Furthermore, tongs, gloves and plastic bags are provided to assist shoppers in choosing and handling fresh items while store personnel are required to wear aprons, spit guards and hairnets at their respective stations.

Freshness delivered to every home

By adhering to cold chain and maintaining freshness of products from source to storage and display, SM Supermarket delivers to every home only the freshest foods families can enjoy.

(thanks to Nanards for this very beautiful pic)

SM City General Santos is Here!

August 10, 2012 will be a red-letter day for all the Generals.  It marks the opening of the biggest mall in this part of the country.

Chic, Check

I am in awe as I saw this very elegant setting for the wedding of a friend at Paseo del Sol.  Everything went smoothly during the ceremony and the reception.  Kudos to the people behind this event!

Stalker

I usually fall asleep while on travel.  On one occasion, saw this cute baby watching me during  my sleeping galore on board a YBL bus bound for Koronadal City. 

Eskaya

another place we visited in Bohol . .

a place so cool . . .

you'll surely drool . . .

upon seeing their infinity pool. 

ESKAYA!

Moment with Richard Poon

Our 20th wedding anniversary was highlighted by a personal greeting

 and a song from

 the crooner himself, Mr. Richard Poon.

'twas magical! 

Bohol Jump Shot

amazing crescent shaped sand bar of Virgin Island in Bohol . . .

had the privilege of doing a jump shot (well, almost!) with nice company around ;-D

want to do it again soon!

Cruisin'

sailed with friends on board a 40-footer yacht . . .

cruised cebu bay with the magnificent city and Mandaue bridge lights on the background . . .

watched cebu sunset before dusk sets in . . .

saw the moon rise while feeling the sea air kissed my skin . . . 

AWESOME CEBU EXPERIENCE!

B's

B - ohol

B - uco

B - each

B - lue waters

Koi

Please bear me with me my dear readers. Official business schedule and a whole lot of  other stuff make my life very, very busy now.  Meanwhile, I'll try to post every now and then  a picture or two of interesting things I got to encounter  in my damn busy everyday life.

My Small Steps for the Environment

Yours truly joined the mangrove planting in consonance with our women's month celebration. These may be just baby steps towards the protection of our environment but with your help and the assistance of other stakeholders, we can succeed in reforesting this denuded mangrove area.

Let us all go for a cleaner and greener environment!

Remembering my Father on his Birthday

I am sharing here the lyrics of a song that reminds me of my father:

"Dance With My Father"

Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around ‘til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved
If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end
How I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again
When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way, I would run from her to him
He’d make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me
If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end
‘Cause I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again
Sometimes I’d listen outside her door
And I’d hear how my mother cried for him
I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me
I know I’m praying for much too much
But could you send back the only man she loved
I know you don’t do it usually
But dear Lord she’s dying
To dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream

My father passed away thirty-three years ago. I was just an eleven year-old dreamy eyed girl then. The feeling way back then til now stays the same . . . I still miss him . . . but am thankful for having him as my guardian angel!

Happy birthday, pa! Your little girl is now a woman . . . a woman who never forgets that she's got a father who cares, who guides her all the way . . .

note: image from iclipart

House Pets ( in pictures)

Dory the flowerhorn

Tweety the bird

Donkey the goat

Koi 1 and Koi 2

Koi 1 and a golden tilapia

golden tilapia fingerlings

The Dill From a Scientist

It has been eight months since I raided the kitchen and garden of my scientist friend, Gay. Eight months of exerting efforts in nurturing the herbs I looted ;-D For me it has been a challenge and now, a challenge I gladly conquered.

So far, none of the plants coming from her garden went in vain under my care ;-D. Kafir, lemon grass, oregano, and dill are now all thriving enormously around our simple abode.

Just like the dill on the picture above, I was so amused seeing resort customers having their pictures taken with those dill plants on the background and I was tempted to do the same thing too ;-d.

I am the proud mom who did the planting of all these shining herbs and I usually use dill when I grill bangus and tilapia. It adds flavor to grilled dishes as well as to soups and pasta. It also has medicinal uses. Can be used as tea to soothe aching stomach ;-D

So if you wish to have some dill, please feel free to visit us . . . thanks to Gay!

My Garden's Lean Harvest

The erratic weather condition we are experiencing lately has finally taken its toll on my tomatoes. Yeah, am blaming the extreme day-to-day weather for the very few fruits I managed to pick yesterday. Hope the weather's be more fine now and in the coming weeks as I anticipate for the fruiting season of my other veggies.

My tomatoes may be a few in numbers but just the same, they're yummy and went well with the fresh camote tops salad. :-D

Our First Tilapia Mini Harvest

We decided to check on the growth of our tilapia in the backyard pond. It was five months ago when we put there several fingerlings. Now, our pond is beaming with several dozens of almost half a kilo, fat tilapia . Judging from the looks of it, these fishes are now ready for the meatless Lenten celebration ahead.

my first catch for the day - three beaming in freshness tilapia

We caught six tilapia (three - mine:-D) and the way I cooked it will be featured in my other blog soon.

This harvesting activity brought me to my childhood world once again. The glee, the excitement, and the thrill were all present. It was one significant moment I'll surely treasure and would like to pass on to others . . .

So if you have some free time this coming holy week and you are just around the vicinity - please feel free to join us as we set out for another harvesting spree.

The Garden Bench

Decided to procure a wooden bench for my sideyard garden. It still needs varnishing to be more presentable but it's already a sight to behold for me. Got to save more to buy another one ;-XD

I sit in my garden, gazing upon a beauty that
cannot gaze upon itself. And I find sufficient
purpose for my day.
~Robert Brault

For Jobseekers

looking for jobs?

Please be at the Robinson's Place in Gensan on March 2, 2012. Goldenstate College, PESO, and DOLE XII SARGEN Field Office will be having a one day Job Fair for Gensan and nearby municipalities' constituents. Both local and overseas vacancies will be available for the jobseekers.

So what are you waiting for?

Get ready with your documentary requirements and prepare yourself for interview during the Job Fair . . . remember, the best applicants get hired on the spot and you could be one of them! ;-D

Good luck and see you there!

Happy Hearts Day!

Happy hearts day,
everyone!

note: image from clipart

Pre -Valentine Musing

Hearts day is almost here and I'm in a very pensive mood. So many what ifs and buts running in my mind and am sort of a bit scared . . .

Figured in a bad fall this week and for me it was the most scary experience I've ever had. Last thing I remembered before I passed out was praying so deeply to God and begging Him . . . not now, Lord, please . . . my kids are still young . . .

With God's grace and mercy, I was declared out of danger and now starting to savor each day of my life as if it is my last.

Yes, friends! In a split second, we may or may not be around our love ones anymore. This can't be avoided but can be remedied. Time is of the essence here. Let us allot more of it for our dear ones before it's too late.

Let us continue spreading cheers and love! Happy hearts day, everyone!

Six, Sixty and Counting!

I am a proud mom of these six young ladies . . . who wouldn't be? :-D

It has been seven months since we moved into our new home. Within this period, my kids' proof of doing good in their academics were just tucked inside a box and kept under our bed. It's a good thing that a mall here in Gensan offered their display cabinets at 20% less the original prices. Our cherished possession is now proudly displayed in the living room. :-D

Medals of all sizes and colors numbering around sixty and hopefully still counting . . . now make me the proudest mom in this part of the universe. :-D