Sardines, Filmpacks and Notebooks.

I did it. My new hobby. I've decided that shopping is not a very worthwhile hobby after all. I'm excited. I'm just sooo glad there were piggies and it's National Heroes Day, I got them for cheap.

My husband is a Civil Engineer

... and yet I am the one in charge of the kitchen renovation. After all, it is gonna be my kitchen. Where I'll cook and stuff. So right now, I'm the appointed pseudo-architect. Anywhoo... my husband did all the measurements and scaling and what not, but the design... that's me, and the idea where to use slide doors, drawers and hinge doors, that's me too. Here's the draft design:

Click photo to enlarge

3D version, click to enlarge

Don't diss, I'm no Autocad expert. I just did this with all the passion I have for arts and design and whatever-you-may-call my tendency to be visual about things.The bottom part is still TBA because I want to buy the plate wire basket fixture in Ace hardware first because the measurement of the drawers and whatever will be dependent on the size of the fixture.

I've done window shopping on the materials for this kitchen renovation project and I have a vague sense of what I want in terms of 'the look' that I'm trying to achieve with the kitchen. We already have the person who'll do it booked, he's just waiting for this design.

I hope it'll be a success. Having a really functional kitchen has been my frustration since when my parents designed our kitchen, it was 20 years ago and 'fixtures' aren't really the in thing yet. So really I hope this works.

And for the record, this isn't the hobby I've been talking about in the previous post.

Here are tips to make a small kitchen work, if anyone else is doing kitchen renovations right now like me.

Hobby

My husband has his 'specialty hobbies' and I for one, am envious.

I have never really had real hobbies apart from reading just about anything that I can get my hands on; and writing which I have been doing a lot less compared to say, 5 years ago. And to be honest, reading and writing is a tad boring compared to my husband's airsoft, online games and gym-ing.

I used to draw and paint and do other forms of visual art, but that stopped during college, too (Maybe I should get back to that when I have time. I have more money now than I ever had in highschool and college, so I think I should be able to finance my 'art' better now).

While planning our church wedding, my hobby was my DIY crafts - the beads, sewing, glue-gunning, ribbon/bow-tying, among others... which ended soon as the wedding was over.

So I'd say since March 2012, I don't have a 'special' hobby. Well, shopping doesn't really count.

But now, I have decided to start a hobby... one that is productive, worth sharing to others, and so I'm really hopeful that I'll excel in it. I have done my research on just about every aspect of it and I'm starry-eyed-eager to get started.

In the meantime, I need to do my first step. Which is to get/buy my materials.

Bogart the Explorah!

Bogart is all the rage lately with his Steve Irwin inspired quips. He'll tell you about rare species of creatures that reside in the Philippine archipelago.

And whaddyaknow, he is now the newest 'it boy endorser'. Watch it here...



...or here... And if you still can't have enough of Bogart, why don't you check out his band as well. Learn more about Giniling Festival.

Photo credit: Rakista.com

Thr(3)e

Husband and I will be celebrating our 3rd Wedding Anniversary on December 18th (Confused? we had our civil wedding 2009 and our church wedding just last March 2012). As early as now, I want to plan a getaway for the two of us. Though a bit torn, I know that I want it to be an escape. No big adventures. Just rest and relax (I feel like we're starting to get old, we used to like outdoor activities and now, we just want massages and staying in).

I initially wanted to go to Thunderbird Resort -- Poro Point in La Union or Rizal, but I tried booking both and they're both booked to the brim. I want to go some place cold (conducive for cuddling) so I'm looking at Tagaytay or Baguio. Though a city-based getaway is just fine too, so I'm looking at Marriott-Resorts World.

Any suggestions?

Sakae

Went to the ONLY conveyor-belt-sushi-buffet-resto in the Philippines. Sakae Sushi in the SM Mall of Asia (though I believe there are branches in BGC and SM North EDSA too, I think). Went with my officemates, yesterday, on a Friday afternoon(ish).

The All Day Sushi Buffet is worth PhP399, which includes bottomless green tea. Sushi/makis, if to be bought ala-carte is priced at PhP39, PhP59, PhP 79 and PhP99, which depends on the color of the plate. The blue plates are the cheapest ones and the red and pink/purple plates are those worth PhP99.So if you were able to finish at least 4 PhP99 peso plates, it's sulit already.

We arrived at Sakae around 5:30 pm and stayed until around 8(?). So... prior to going to Sakae, we first read reviews in EYP.ph, juice.ph, blogs, etc. as it's gonna be our first time to go there (yes, we're not trendsetters, early adopters, deal with it!). There were bad reviews saying that there were only 4-5 types of sushi revolving, and bad service, so we went with very low expectations (and hopes that there's at least cali-maki).

I'm surrounded by sushis. Gotta catch 'em all! (Pokemon!)
Sorry for the horrid hair, I think I was on my 6th plate here and I was a
little high and too happy and starting to feel full and tired.

To clarify things, it's not just 4-5 types of sushi. There are LOTS of them if you'll stay for longer than 30 minutes.  Sushis and makis are made in batches, so you will find that there's about 4-5 type of sushi are going around the conveyor belt at one time. But after 15 minutes or so, the types of sushis/makis made are changed and you'll have roughly about at least 20 types of them going around after 2 hours. We stayed for about 3 hours, with friends to chat with, 3 hours isn't so long and so we were able to catch all (or almost all) of the sushis. 

California Maki isn't as elusive as other reviewers made it seem like. There was salmon, maguro, ebi, yellowfin, octopus, squid and egg sushi. There's also futomaki, tekkamaki, and one with the sesame seeds. There's 6 caviar-based sushis too and there's also the one which seemed to be covered in dumpling wrapper and deep fried, and there's like barbecued salmon with spicy sauce too. There's a few more others that might have slipped my mind too, or those which I don't know what the fish/filling is.

7 plates only. I know, disappointing ;P

Sure, there might be a little bit too much rice in the makis, but I couldn't care less, as long as I have my soysauce and wasabi and lots of green tea to drink, I'm fine. 

For someone who loves sushi, PhP399 was defo worth it. I was able to eat 7 plates. (2 greens, 3 yellows, 1 red and 1 purple/pink). But my friend, was able to finish 14 plates (yeah, she's a girl). We'd say we're good with just paying PhP399 for THAT much :) Dieting and healthy lifestyle went out the window yesterday, since it's the start of a long weekend and yeah, YOLO!

PS. If you're wondering why I didn't go with my husband to Sakae, it's kinda frustrating but he's not a fan of Jap. IKR?!

Post-Wedding Mileage

k by Cunanan usually posts their clients' weddings in their FB page. Since they did our wedding, that meant our wedding was featured. Guess who noticed our "unique" set up? Patty Laurel!

Patty is getting married too and is looking for wedding reception theme pegs and she decided that our wedding theme is cute enough for inspiration. Our wedding is the 'Blush and Glass'.

The idea of bottles and jars and glasses is something that I just pitched to Kar of k by Cunanan. Personally, I  looked for wedding ideas in Green Wedding Shoes for indie-esque wedding themes and saw the idea of recycled bottles. Kar promised me during our wedding meetups that she'll karir the hanging bottles and she did. And the effect was something totally unique and customized.

I'm just soooo happy about it because I've been trolling Patty Laurel since college days, and the fact that she liked my ideas meant a lot to me. Big deal.

Now let me just jump up and down and do rythmic gymnast-esque twirls.

We Practice Natural Family Planning. We're Married. We're Young Urban Professionals. We're Pro-RH.

I love the fact that it is women who have children who support RH. Something that anti-RH people will never understand is the risk mothers go through giving birth. I, who had a miscarriage, and did not have the child, experienced the verge of flat-lining while the doctors performed D&C.

Ask women who sacrificed their lives for the lives of their yet-to-be-born child. Ask husbands and fathers who were left by wives giving birth. Ask children who grew up without a mother, because she died giving birth to them or their siblings.

I hope people will choose the educated choice, not the merely self-righteous one.

For one, me and my husband are using the natural family planning method because we know how it works and it works for us. But there are women who have irregular cycles, making the natural method an unfit choice. I'm not gonna shove down their throats the method that we're using. It's about choice. About people being able to choose what is most convenient and what will work best for them. Forcing them to practice one method alone, when there are options defeats the purpose of DEMOCRACY.

People who use condoms or any artificial contraceptives ARE NOT PROMISCUOUS. They are SMART. They are the ones who are responsible enough to have foresight of what having a brood of children requires. Money to feed them, to clothe them, to put a roof above their heads and to send them to school.

Tell me that money isn't all that and I'll tell you to ask the Vatican to sell all their properties and use all that money to support all the families who cannot feed, clothe and educate their children because the natural methods failed, and they don't even earn enough have access to cheap artificial contraception, or aren't learned enough to know about artificial contraception because they weren't educated as well.

I don't even get this demonizing tactic and all the scapegoating. Sorry for the long-ass post, but I really have had enough of this debate. It shouldn't even be a debate after all. I hope people will start thinking and stop being a bunch of rigid, prude, virginal and self-righteous blind followers.

Honey and the Moon

The boy and I celebrated our late honeymoon in Plantation Bay Cebu. Since we had our 'lavish' wedding March 1st - my birthday, we decided to do the pseudo-honeymoon on his birthday - July 22nd.

We booked the Spa Indulgence Package in Plantation Bay's Mogambo Springs. The rates in their website are updated. Here's the details of the package:

Zen-inspired room located inside Mogambo Springs' stunning 18th century Japanese village setting. Lose yourself in an immensely rejuvenating experience that is one of its kind. The new Mogambo emanates a magnificent sanctuary fit for an intimate lover's haven, capturing the essence of what a spa truly means. Go ahead. Spoil yourself and satisfy your hunger for that healing touch.

Bed Configuration : 1 queen bed Maximum Capacity : 2 adults. Children 17 years and below are not allowed. Not suitable for persons with disabilities. Extra Bed : Not applicable. Inclusions : Overnight stay at the Spa Indulgence Room Welcome leis and tropical drinks upon arrival Seaweed Salt Bath Aromatherapy Oil Massage for two persons Complimentary use of spa facilities Spa products as souvenirs

Mogambo springs is set like a Japanese village during the what-have-you-shogunate with bamboos and the pagodas - which are actually spa rooms.

You'll see me here amidst the japanese garden with bamboos, the bamboo bridge and the pagoda. NVM me.

We were greeted by PB staff in Mogambo with our welcome leis and drinks.

The rooms are very zen-ny with yellow lights all over and still jap-inspired with the lowered beds and tables and chairs.

They have lots of spa-zen-mode facilities, there are cold pools and hot pools. Here I am in the hot pool/jacuzzi with the extra cold water the spa attendants served without me having to prompt them and cucumbers in my eyes, while he is in the cold pool with waterfalls. It's quite fun to jump from cold to hot intermittently. 

They have a dry sauna and a steam room. I stayed inside the dry sauna but found myself parched after a few minutes, there is an hourglass inside the sauna which says the prescribed time I guess and to sort of track your time inside, I was only able to stay half of the time.

We had aromatherapy massage and the floral bath . We both had relaxing swedish massages.

Couples massage room and couples floral bath

There are lots of other activities you can do inside the resort village, there are lagoons - freshwater and saltwater, slides, floating restos, secret caves, jacuzzis, fountains and waterfalls. One can even do lots of other aquasports/ activities. We are just more into rest and relax and not so much adventure in this trip that we weren't able to do a lot.

Couple size jacuzzi

There are places to lounge surrounding the resort and there's the giant water slide and waterfalls in Mogambo Springs. There's a cliff-dive point as well in the saltwater lagoon where people can jump and dive into a 4-meter trench. One will never run our of things to do in Plantation Bay. 

There are tandem bikes, archery and firing range, a mini-playground, a botanical garden, a salon, a pool hall and gym as well if you want to do that.

They have shuttles (golf-cart type) that can take around the resort if you're too lazy to walk - which we never are. There are nightly themed parties where they serve buffet dinner, which we passed on because we opt to do spa-stuff.  So there. That was our stay in Plantation Bay. Definitely highly recommended for couples who want to escape.

THE SUN IS GONE BUT I HAVE A LIGHT.

What Motivates You? A simple 3-word-question to which I didn’t have the answer when I was asked. The five-minute chance has passed.

An hour after the question was asked. I was still filled with rage as to why I was being asked such in a moment when I might have been clearly losing sight of what it is I am slaving myself for. It made me sad, maybe I don’t have something that motivated me anymore. Worse, I might be turning into -what I perceived 5 years ago as the lowest form of life, an apathetic. 

No. I’m not turning into an apathetic. If I was, I wouldn’t have been thinking of what my answer is or should be. Let alone deciding to write what I am thinking.

“The Sun is Gone, But I Have a Light”

A phrase that is stuck between layers of my consciousness, subconsciousness, unconsciousness… A phrase that partially embodies my music taste and my personal mantra (as that phrase came about after years of research on Kurt Cobain, as I only get to know him when he was already dead).

I guess that is what is happening now. 

The present can’t give me convincing or worthwhile answers. I am looking forward to long sleeps, weekends, reading more books, vacations, blogging again, going to the gym, toning my arms and butt, going to a new place, buying new shoes, eating good churros and nachos, catching reruns of 90s Nickelodeon shows, this weekend dysmenorrhea to be over… I am screwed. These motivators are so arbitrary (Well, my friend Twilight was a Program Motivator in the old office. She motivated me to go to work by telling me the juiciest gossip). Unacceptable. Inappropriate. These aren’t professional answers. Though I don’t wanna coerce myself to give an answer so professional, I might as well be putting a bullet through my head. 

(So Nea, you are smart, or were… doesn’t matter… you can come up with an answer the way you were able to come up with pretty convincing if not, witty essays about rule of law, the Leviathan and Scorpion Nights back in college. So what motivates you?)

I am clearly not getting any good ones if I look at NOW, because now I am jaded and I couldn’t care less about anything and everything, I am just living the moment and my happiness is gauged by the shallowest of things right now, trivial what-nots that make me happy for 2 hours tops.

Maybe by looking at THEN, I can catch a better view? How was I so god-damned driven back in highschool and in college to the point that I more often than not end up in the top 20 of almost anything I do?

I was never the I-need-to-be-the-best-bitch-in-everything. I will not wake up extra early to study, take memory supplements, chummy with the teacher/professor nor kill and spread nasty rumors against competition so I can be the first in class back in school. I was always second or third in grade school and highschool. I was not part of the GCs in college.

In my 5 years in the “corporate scene”, I was never competitive, I never got the ‘Best Agent’ award when I was still in the call center, nor did go extra mile and fish for compliments from the bosses. If I ever get promoted, I did not think I was the best, I just think that everything is a game of chance, and it just happened to favor me that time. 

In general, I never wanted to be the trailblazer, I often kept a low profile, that way people will set less expectations out of me and in effect, less disappointments for them and me, and less pressure for me. While achievements may come and I accept them if it is being handed to me, it was never the core of my existence. I don’t need to earn the most money, get the highest grades, be the boss of everyone, and be the expert of everything. I am driven by a force much bigger and stronger than all those.

FAMILY.

I did good in gradeschool and highschool so my grades will be worthy enough of a State University. I wasn’t born to a well-off family that can send me to Ateneo, but it was a family that gave high importance to education so I kept good grades so I can qualify for PUP and UP.

When I made it to UP, I made sure I don’t waste time by flunking on courses and scribed a good flowchart-type-gameplan to make sure I graduated on time, and be able to help my family by earning money - which they don’t force me to give them this much and that much; the giving back to the family - that is intrinsic (They gave me food, clothes, a decent house, allowances when I was little and helpless, now that they’re old, they shouldn’t be burdened as much as they were to keep us alive).

After graduating, I took the first job that called as I know that I can’t delay pitching in to the family expenses. I never stopped working and earning so I can make sure that they will never need to go back to the days when they had to make ends meet to make sure we’re fed and educated. I am happy if I get a promotion or when the annual salary appraisal period comes because it meant I will be able to provide not only needs but also a few simple luxuries for my parents too.

Then I get sick, it annoys the crap out of me that I can’t work and provide. During the times when I don’t have savings or HMOs, it meant my parents will need to shoulder the meds and the doc-trips. So I make it a point that I don’t abuse myself, don’t overwork, under-sleep and under-eat. As I have often been rushed to the ER because of fatigue. (I have the worst illnesses-combo that just entails that I don’t over-exert (motion sickness, astigmatism, vertigo, chostochondritis, hyperventillation, anxiety attack).) Me sick equals my parents worrying, since they’re old and they might get sick too (hypertension) worrying too much.

I got married, and is looking to starting a family of my own, while my husband may be earning enough to keep the two of us alive. I keep a job so I can save a little for the future-family and rainy days and still be able to support my parents  steadily (I don’t want my husband to feel like after marrying me, he now must support my parents). 

That’s what motivates me, my family, my parents and the family that I will soon have with my husband. Money, career, prestige - those are all nothing but means to me. I have Socialist tendencies and embrace the hippie lifestyle too much to be pre-occupied with them. In the end, it’s just family for me.

But when the MEANS is jeopardizing the END, I’d rather not do the means at all. If having work means getting sick overworking, being rushed to the hospital and using a big chunk of my earnings for medicine instead of better food for my family. If earning more means more pressure causing me to be unhappy, stressed and tired when at home, causing me to lash-out unexpectedly on the most important people for me, I can give it up. 

P.S. Our family is not the I-love-you-goodnight-sorry-take-care-sweety-bitsy-mushy-huggy-kissy type of family, but we know our PRIORITIES… most of the times.