Footprints in my heart

A friend of mine told me that a good friend may not always be with you 24/7, but will always be there during the milestones of your life.

I have believed this and taken this to heart. So, even if I do not see my friends so often, I try to be present in their lives as much as possible.

Back in the day, I have friends whom I have spent every waking hour with. We go to the same school, had the same classes, ate lunch together and even spend after school hours together... If we do not share the same classes, we would always write notes to each other and exchange notes during breaks. It was as if we cannot live apart from each other. As years go by, the letters become less and less. Then the time to enter college came, and then we had our own busy lives to attend to. Then eventually, we became strangers. For years, we were not even talking to each other. We did not know what is happening to the life of the other. It seemed far-fetched that for years you spent your life together and then just for a short while, you become mere acquaintances.

 But, as all good friends are, you find yourself back together again. All it took was one night, then it’s like back when we were in school writing letters to each other..

I cannot say that we are back to knowing each and everything that happened to the other person’s lives, but at least the communication is now open. And we try to be together in each and every person’s milestone in life.

To my dearest friends, you have all left your footprints in my heart. And I will never ever forget each and everyone of you. I may not be there every time, but you can count on me when you need me..

The Manila International Book Fair September 2010

Last Saturday, my family and I decided to check out the 31st Manila International Book Fair which was held for 5 days from September 15 to 19, 2010 at the Exhibit Halls of SMX Convention Center in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

view from the top

 The Manila International Book Fair is one, if not the biggest assembly of publishers and bookstores. Some of the exhibitors were Abiva Publishing House, Rex Bookstore, Adarna House, Alexan Commercial,  Catholic Book Center, Shepherd House Publishers, Shepherd’s Voice Publications,  St. Pauls, Summit Media,  Vibal Publishing, National Bookstore and Goodwill Bookstore, Anvil Publishing,Sinag-Tala Publishers, University of Sto. Tomas Publishing House, Ateneo de Manila University Press, University of the Philippines Press.

The tickets were sold for P20.00 per person and P15.00 for students and faculty members. You may buy these upon registration.

By the registration

Here are some photos of the booths:

Si kuya na um-extra.. may kagat-labi pa

On the booth of PSICOM, they were selling stuff at 50% off. Plus, the author of the comic "Chopsticks" was there to for a comic book signing and he will even draw a caricature of you.

The author of Chopsticks

There were lots of activities for the young and old readers.. There was a story telling that was hosted by Lampara Books.

Story telling

Me, Ethan and Mr. Rex. As usual, I can't help but take a picture with a mascot..

Hay, too bad we didn't bring that much money. I will make sure to bring money next year... Even though, we had a great time. Kaso, Ethan was already complaining towards the end because he wanted so bad to buy his beyblade. For my son, toys still win against books. Hay, kanino kaya nagmana yun... I wonder...

Who the h3ll is Justin Bieber???

Who is he? And why the craze??  I am dumb-founded...

My Baby is now a Boy...

I am not really what you would call a person who is always updated with the new music hits... I prefer old songs eh... but then while watching the VMA's, my son (who is 10 years old) knows all the songs!

And he is singing along with most of them...


Hay, my son is a big boy na...

Surprise... surprise...

On October 2, 2010, Mike and I will be celebrating our 10th year anniversary...

I plan to do something for him everyday until our anniversary... If you have any ideas, let me know... I will keep you updated as to what my surprises for him are...

Just Sharing: Cine Europa 2010

Hey guys, isn't it nice to sometimes try something new? or learn a new language? or immerse yourself in a new culture? Why not start with a movie?

The Cine Europa showcases different European films which are showed for 2 weeks in the Shang Cineplex. The admission is free. For those who would like copies of the synopsis of the movies, just leave your e-mail addresses and I will e-mail the file to you...

Happy Watching...

YES! WE ARE TRYING!!!

Ethan in the nursery

In the Filipino culture, people always ask personal stuff about you and your family life. It may look like gossip for the outsider, but it is merely a show of concern and probably lack of something to talk about...just like the weather...

When we were young girls, we had these dreams of finishing college, having a job, getting married, having children and traveling around the world... in precisely this order (except for traveling around the world, which can either come after having a job or before having children). But in reality, it is not always so... I should know, I had Ethan when I was still in college, got married to my crazy husband when I was 8 months pregnant, finished college, found a job then started traveling to places. In this roller coaster life of mine, I have never regretted anything that happened to me.

Ethan around 4-6 months

Back when I was 25, my life was as perfect as it can be... I finished college and employed in a good earning job. I have a beautiful 5 year old son and a husband who inspire in me opposite feelings at the same time.. Let me explain, I love my husband with all my heart, but as a person he can be really exasperating.. but that is another story.

As I was saying, I have all that I could ask for. Not all... since Ethan is already 5, we started wishing for another baby. A little girl, perhaps... Or even another boy so that Ethan can have a playmate... so we started trying... and trying.... and trying... but still no baby..

The trying part you can handle, what makes it worse is that every time we meet people, they always ask, "Don't you want to have more children?" or they say "Ethan is getting bigger already... you should have children". "Sundan niyo na si Ethan." or "Wala pa ba?". It will even go to more personal comments like "Baka mahina na asawa mo.", "Sumubok na muna sa iba." or "Talo ka pa ni ___, naunahan ka pa"

Ethan in HK MTR 2005

It is just frustrating and tiring to explain that we are going through second infertility. Yes, that is right. It doesn't mean that just because you got pregnant the first time, it will be easy conceiving the second.. It is not... We have already been to 3 Fertility Doctors, drank medicines and whatnot, changed our diets, etc. And still... NADA...

A 9-year old Ethan

For a while, I was depressed, angry and sad. Why do people who do not know how to take care of their children properly, have dozens of them? They even resort to abortion. But women who want children so badly, have a hard time getting them. I didn't like seeing pregnant women, babies, baby stuff, etc.. But after a long self accepting contemplation, I have learned to accept what is in store for us.We wish to have another baby but if it is not for us, WE understand. But, people DO NOT...

But I guess, in our culture, this is always the case. There will always be tactless people who would keep on asking and giving their unsolicited advises...Hay, when you are not married, they ask "Why don't you want to get married?" when you are married, they ask "Why don't you have children?", when you have a child "When are you going to have a next child?". It is a never-ending tirade of questions. Sometimes, I guess it would be better if we have our profiles in our foreheads saying "Finding a Husband", "Wants a Long Engagement", "Trying to Conceive".

My Beautiful Family at HK Disneyland March 2010 with Rafiki

Asian Food Expo 2010

We love FOOD... And as an aspiring baker, any kind of food expo sounds like a theme park to me. So, when we heard about the Asian Food Expo to be held in World Trade Center, we decided to see what it's all about...

The Asian Food Expo is one of the most anticipated event in the Food and Beverage Industry. It showcases new technology in packaging, processing and handling of food and beverage. Raw materials and kitchen equipment and utensils were also on sale. The entrance fee for the expo was P100.00.

My mother in law erroneously registered my name with her last name... hehehehe... :-)

Here is my hubby checking out some cool donuts that looks like bracelets...

Outside the expo there were signs saying that proper dress code should be observed. No sandos, shorts and sandals... Uh-oh, hubby was wearing shorts and we were both wearing slippers... We thought that we wouldn't be able to enter the expo and it was a waste of our time.. But fortunately, since it was already the last day, they were very lenient with the dress code...

How they made the donut bracelets thingy

 Below you will see some raw materials that were on sale...Mike saw powdered food flavors, new ones like kebab, green curry, etc...

There was one booth there selling homemade peanut butter... they even have one with no sugar... absolutely no sugar and no sweeteners... perfect for people who have diabetes... 

Me and Mr. Peanut

I would certainly recommend people who are interested in starting their own food and beverage businesses to visit the Asian Food Expo. Too bad it is their last day today... but don't worry, there is still next year...

BOHOL: A city of the old and new

This post has been on my friendster account for years... let me just transfer it here to start of..

I just came back from BOHOL. I never imagined that one small island in the Philippines can have so much history! I have travelled abroad and have joined city tours of these countries.. sometimes i wonder what would it have been like to tour your own country. Finally, i got the chance to do that… i went to Bohol to do an ocular inspection and see what is there to find… basically, in my type of job, you just go from one resort to the other… get the details, which i tell you can be searched through the net, then say thanks then leave… make a report about the amenities of the resort and do a presentation in front of the company.. that was that… i never really have time to write about stuff (not since my younger days when i used to keep a journal) but now, amazingly, i am writing…again…



My flight to Tagbilaran was at 6:20am via Cebu Pacific… Normally, i would prefer PAL but Cebu Pacific was not bad… in fact it was great.. the planes were all new, the staff were all friendly, they even have games inside the aircraft to keep you from being bored. the best of all is that it is NOT LATE! we even arrived at Tagbilaran 15 minutes ahead of time. The plane landed abruptly since the runway was short so the plane had to cut its cruising time hit the brakes…


The weather in Tagbilaran when we arrived was a bit cloudy. We were checked in at Bohol Beach Club at Panglao Island, which has the longest beachfront in all of Tagbilaran which is 1.5 kilometers..whew! We arrived in the morning and decided to go through the whole job of doing the ocular inspection… we finished about lunch time and we were so hungry… since we didn’t have enough money to but food inside the hotel, we then decided to go out of the resort and look for food… unfortunately, there was none in the area… so we decided to go to the city. Public transport is a bit hard as buses pass by the area every hour so you’ve got to wait until one passes… though there are a lot of tricycles in the area and also the local mode of transportation which is habal habal (a hitch in a motorcycle) but they would cost about P200-P400. And the buses!! wow.. they are literally cramped inside… a 30-seater bus accommodates about 50-60 passengers there are people on the roof and hanging about by the sides of the bus… it was really an experience.


I have noticed that Bohol is the city of the old… old churches, old schools, old trees, antiques and even old people.. maybe its the way they live there… i’m surprised that people probably the age of 80 are still commuting. and there was this one old man from a prominent family in Bohol which was a warrior in his time, at the age of 96, still can beat the hell out of you… amazing isn’t it?


Bohol is an enchanting place… simple and serene… i fell in love with it… I like the old churches especially.. The beach with fine white sand, the waters crystal clear.. i often go there in the evenings for walks and just watch the waves and feel the wind…


This would seem like work to me, here is a summary of what i thought about the resorts in Bohol.. these are my top resorts…

Panglao Island Nature Resort: it’s more like a small village… very high end if you ask me… nice thing about it is that the rooms and even bathrooms have full length windows! As in when you take a bath people can see you from the outside… literally… that’s what i like about that…though the bathrooms are situated in closed areas but still you can see the outside world from it… very nice…

Ananyana Resort: We weren’t able to see the rooms of this resort but from what i have seen, this resort is more like a spa resort. the aroma of oils are around the place… very relaxing… I have nothing else to say… it is definitely a spa resort.

Flushing Meadows: I’m pretty sure you have been to a sports club, right? well, this one looks like a sports club. With villas inside… they’ve got a playground for kids, videoke, darts, name it they have it… i like their tennis court especially… it’s very beautiful.

Amarela: This one is dear to my heart. It’s a fusion of old and new…i love the antiques in this place, you’ll be amazed at how they made everything fit in… not that i’m a connoisseur of antiques… i just like to know the story behind each thing and in the process making up some stories about it… ok, back to the resort, once you go inside, you feel as though you are coming home… it doesn’t feel like a resort at all… and the furnitures! it’s breathtaking… how one can have both the luxury of modern technology and simplicity of old times….

The stretch of Alona Beach, it’s name came from the movie star Alona Alegre who shot a movie there wearing a bikini(and in those times it was a taboo to wear bikinis) with Fernando Poe Jr., is where the life of Panglao is… for us Filipinos who are not used to quiet time alone on a beach.. the Alona Beach is for us… here there are barbeques on the beach, freelance ‘masahista’ and foot spas, more like Boracay. The nice thing about the Alona Beach is that outside the resorts there are ‘carinderias’ where you can buy food… especially when resort food is very expensive…

You know the song, i left my heart in San Francisco? well, i think that if Frank Sinatra saw Bohol, he might’ve sang a different tune…