SEPTEMBER

It's September already. I might be giving birth in a couple of weeks, I might not. Who knows? But the baby has been really active these past few weeks. Even Ruther sometimes gets surprised at his movements because it would feel like he could just burst out of my tummy at any moment. I'm just hoping that the baby will come soon because we're all quite excited to see him...

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I watched Prince of Persia the other day and I liked it. I find the story engaging and I liked the relationship of the brothers in the story. We also got to watch Karate Kid and I dunno, I didn't like it as much as other people I guess. I suppose I expected more from it because of the positive reviews from friends but after I watched it I was left wanting. It did entertain, of course. I would love to watch Inception though. I missed that one at the movies! Had to settle for Salt. But I enjoyed that one too. Would love to watch more movies in the next few weeks...

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The baby's drawer is now ready. I already fixed all the clothes and stuff neatly and it's all ready. Am still wondering if we ought to buy a bassinet. When Nikki and Ethan were babies they had cribs but they hardly slept in them. They usually slept with us on the bed (which is pretty normal in our culture). Since I'm planning on breastfeeding I don't think I would need a bassinet or crib for the baby because he'd be with me most of the time. So maybe I'll just get the baby something else, like a baby bouncer.

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Our friend from Japan, Yuko came to Manila for a business trip last August 19 and we met up with her one weekend (21st and 22nd) to take her places. She's the person in charge of accommodations in Yokohama so I know her pretty well. It was wonderful to see her and meeting up with her made me miss Japan so much. We took her to Tagaytay (Saturday) which is south of Manila and she got to try some Filipino foods, fruits and delicacies, and she also got to see Taal Volcano and to ride Zipline, a popular ride there. On Sunday, we took her to Intramuros (a historical place in Manila), the Rizal Monument and Mall of Asia. It was a pretty tiring weekend but it was wonderful to spend time with her. This weekend, Asuka, another Japanese friend of ours will be coming and we'll be meeting up with her on Saturday. I can't wait!

SUMMER, SCRAPBOOK, SO MUCH MORE...

It's been really warm these past weeks. We've been making shakes and smoothies like crazy, been taking frequent showers and having brownouts because of the heat. We're surviving though. We turn on the AC when it gets really unbearable, which usually happens when there's no breeze at all. And it's not even the summer months yet! Sigh. Been getting some headaches from the heat but not too frequently. I just hope this El Nino goes away soon!

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Today is the Pacquiao-Clottey fight for all you boxing fans. I'm quite sure everyone in the Philippines are glued to their tv sets waiting for the bout to begin. And I'm sure the streets and highways will be empty once more because people will all be tuned in to the fight. Well, Good Luck Manny! I know you'll make us proud!

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My tummy is getting bigger. A bulge is forming and I don't know how to feel about that. Some people might think I look somewhat pregnant but others might suspect that I just came from an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not pretty. Sigh. And I think I'm starting to get fat! Sigh. I hate it. I've had issues with my body since I was little. With a petite sister AND mother, I've always been reminded to "lose weight" or "don't get too fat" or "remember our family's medical history" or "you gained weight again" or "don't eat too much". And now I'm pregnant again and sure to gain even more weight!! I've been doing light exercises and I stare at the mirror sometimes and look at myself critically for flab and fat and all those. It's really depressing, I know. But I can't help it! I have a difficult time losing weight! I guess I'll have to watch my diet more closely now.

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I've started a pregnancy scrapbook. I figured, if this is going to be our last baby I might as well document everything. So it's going to be like a pregnancy diary. I'm done with the first 2 months but have yet to add the ultrasound and lab results which I'm going to have next week. Then in a couple of weeks I'm going to start on the third month. At least this keeps me busy.

I also started crocheting again. I'm making this blanket from granny squares. I hope it'll turn out nice. I have some difficulty joining the squares together. I guess I need more practice. I also made a little hat but it looked too small so I think I'll need to make a bigger one. Anyway, more crochet projects coming up...

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I've been craving for durian lately. In case you didn't know what it is, it's a fruit that looks like this:

It's somewhat hard to find this time of the year but a nearby supermarket sells them fortunately so I buy some there. It's really yummy (in my opinion) and everyone in my family love to eat this (when I say my family, I mean MY family. Ruther's family are not so fond of this fruit since it's predominantly found in the Mindanao are of the Philippines where I grew up.) Anyway, this is the first time I've had food cravings. When I had Nikki and Ethan I didn't have any particular craving. So I find this weird coz when I crave for something I usually want to eat it right away. And if I can't get it, I have difficulty sleeping. Am I weird or what?

JEEPNEY DRIVERS

I commute to work everyday now and I can't help but observe the many jeepney drivers that ply Dr. A. Santos Avenue daily. I am simply amazed at how they multitask. Unlike bus drivers who only have to pay attention to the road and drive, jeepney drivers have to do a whole lot of things. They have to:

1. drive
2. collect the fares (which are passed to him by passengers)
3. compute payment/fares from one point to another and then return the change to the passenger/s (which is passed from the driver to the said commuter)
4. keep watch for commuters eager to ride (unlike buses, jeepneys have no designated stops)
5. take note of passengers who don't pay

If I were a jeepney driver I would probably go crazy in a week or get into an accident. I mean, who could do all these things and still manage to drive straight for goodness' sake? Some drivers however have a companion who collects the money and computes the fares. Then all the driver'd have to do is keep his eyes on the road. This is probably safer for jeepney commuters.

Anyway, despite my misgivings, I have no choice but to ride jeepneys to work still. It's convenient because jeepneys abound the avenue, it's cheap (I only pay P8 or approx. US$.17 and taxis would cost sooo much) and it's fast. But maybe I'd have to hold on to my seat (and say a litany of prayers) while drivers do what they do best.

LUCKY... AND NOT

We (people in Manila) are lucky that the typhoon did not hit us as expected. However, I cannot say the same for other parts of Luzon that were affected by the storm. People still need a lot of help so I hope that good-hearted citizens will continue to give and share to these people in need.

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I have decided to cut down on the number of tv shows that I've been watching lately. I feel as though I'm spending too much time watching shows and not doing anything else. Now that most of the tv shows have new seasons, I'm thinking of only watching those shows that I really want to and perhaps watch the others next time. With all the things I need to do right now, I think this is a good decision.

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It's October. Can't believe how slow time can be. Been trying to keep myself preoccupied and so far I'm doing okay. But then again, despite being preoccupied, I still can't sleep at night. I'm still wide awake at 3am and I still feel as though I need to do a lot more to let time fly by. Sometimes I have so much in my mind I feel I need a personal secretary so I could just dictate my thoughts and have it written down. I don't like recording my voice because I don't like the way it sounds. I wish I could organize my mind and my thoughts like a perfectly-labeled planner. I wish I could shelve some of my emotions and distance myself from those that affect and hurt me on a daily basis. I wish I had the tenacity to be strong and hard and callous when the situation calls for it. I don't know why I was created with a sensitive soul and I don't know if that'll be the death of me. Sometimes I look into the mirror and I once more don't recognize the girl in there. Sometimes, she's lost, sometimes she's drowning. And I'm not sure if anyone is paying attention and willing to save her.

BEING PREPARED

The super typhoon Pepeng is expected to hit Manila today. As of this minute (514pm), it's really dark outside and it's starting to shower. According to news reports, this typhoon is almost as strong as Hurricane Katrina, will hit Manila around 9pm tonight and will probably last til Saturday morning. I do hope that people will be more prepared this time. We cannot stop typhoons and storms from happening but we surely can prepare for disaster.

I've already stocked on food and necessities here at home. I've prepared batteries, made sure everything that needs to be charged has been charged, and I've somehow done something to minimize the leaks in the boys' room (although I have yet to see tonight how effective my makeshift receptacle will be). I am still hoping that the super typhoon will not be as devastating as everyone believes it to be...

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My mom and sis watched the So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 Concert Tour in Canada!!!! Oh I am SOOO jealous!! They were seated quite close to the stage and it was wonderful to see the Top 10 dancers do their well-loved numbers. I just saw the photos and they were wonderful. According to my sister, that was the best experience she had in Canada so far. Well, yeah!!! I would too if I watched the tour!!

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I feel so bad for the kids who are suffering from the recent Typhoon Ondoy. I watched the news last night and a boy was crying because he lost all his books and supplies for school. He then proceeded to say that he can't go to school anytime soon because they lost their home and needs to help his parents earn money. Imagine that?!? A little boy thinking about things like that?!? It was so sad. He said that he helps his parents by pumping water for people who need it and gets paid P20 (approx. US$.43). He also sold his rubber band collection just so they would have extra money. Isn't that absolutely sad? Anyway, the news story goes on with a foundation giving him new school supplies and books and some food and money for him and his family. I hope that good souls will help the poor people here in the Philippines who have been affected by the typhoon. I know very well that we cannot rely on our goverment anymore so I'm hoping that other people with kind hearts and a good lives could give a little to help them.

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Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in the Philippines... Earthquake in Indonesia... Tsunami in Samoa... Is Mother Earth trying to tell us something??

Think about it.

YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE JACQUE BERMEJO

A certain Jacque Bermejo is now the brunt of the Filipino community's ire because of a comment she posted pertaining to the situation Typhoon Ondoy has presented to the country. She said: "buti n lng am hir in dubai! Maybe so many sinners der so yeah deserving wat hapnd.” And that not only made her the perfect person to hate in this troubled time but well, let's just say she got more than what she bargained for.

Reading the many hate comments directed at her, I suppose she deserved them all for casually dismissing her suffering countrymen to the elements. Just because she's far from disaster doesn't mean she should harden her heart and turn a blind eye. Just because she may be earning money in Dubai, doesn't mean she's better than all the rest of us here and abroad. Besides, I've always learned and been taught that it's not money that makes the person and in her case, she fits the shoe perfectly. And my dear, who's to say you aren't a sinner as well? Don't pretend you are as clean as you think you are.

Now, this Jacque Bermejo is being attacked by Filipinos everywhere. Her Facebook and Multiply sites have become an avenue for hate messages. So far, there hasn't been a reply from Jacque Bermejo. I don't blame her. With all the comments I've read, she SHOULD hide, both from the Philippines and in Dubai. Really wouldn't want to be her right now.

Sorry girl. You brought this upon yourself. You made your bed, so lie in it.

WOW

Apparently, someone is using my blog to attack me and my family.

Wow. This is an all-time low if you ask me...

TALK THE TALK

Another thing I have yet to master while in Japan is learning how to use my kawaii voice. In case you didn't know, kawaii in Japanese means "cute". My regular speaking voice is probably lower than a typical girl's but definitely higher than a guy's deep voice. However, here in Japan, a girl's speaking voice is really high-pitched and well, girly. I may sometimes pass off as Japanese-looking (because I am so Asian) but once I speak, the cat's out of the bag.

I try really hard to speak in a kawaii voice but it's harder than I thought. There's a typical kawaii voice and then, there's someone trying to speak in a sweet, lilting manner - which can be so nauseating. I, of course, don't want to be the trying-hard version. But again, it's really difficult. The first few times I used my regular speaking voice at the supermarket and said arigatou to the cashier, I sounded really well, masculine. And I almost cringed at the sound of my voice.

Anyway, several times after that, I've tried changing the tone of my voice and so far, I've still been unsuccessful. I still haven't gotten the right kawaii note. I wouldn't want to raise my voice a full octave higher because for one, it wouldn't suit my look (I'm definitely NOT petite) and two, I would look, sound and feel reeeeeally stupid. So, I'm still hoping to be able to get that right girly voice eventually. I'm sure a few more practice sessions in front of the mirror mumbling sumimasen, arigatou gozaimasu and gomen nasai would enable me to find my very own kawaii voice.

Wish me luck.

WHEN IN ROME...

Well, not exactly Rome. But while I'm in Japan might as well try some Japanese "things".

I bought a pair of false eyelashes the other day. If you didn't know already, I hardly have eyelashes on my eyelids. Okay, that's an exaggeration but really, my eyelashes are almost non-existent. It's actually a crime for one eyelash to fall off despite being a natural physiological thing. Ruther's eyelashes are longer than mine and I suppose it's a good thing the boys got their eyelashes from him.

Anyway, here in Japan, I'm suspecting almost all the women have tried using false eyelashes at one time or another. So I thought, why not? Might as well check the "used false eyelashes" on my list of ___ Things To Do Before I Die list. Anyway, I got the simplest pair of false eyelashes I could find. I mean, I'm willing to try it but not necessarily experiment, if you get my drift.

The kit I bought even came with a small tube of glue. Convenient.

That evening, I tried putting one on just to see how easy/difficult it would be to attach it to my eyelash, and of course, to check my initial look. After a minute or two of glueing one onto my eyelashes, I asked Ruther how it looked. At first he said he couldn't tell but after batting my eyes he said it was okay. Looking carefully at my right eyelid, I must admit, I felt really girly. Although after blinking rapidly for a few seconds the lash started to come off, I'm pretty sure it's because I put too little glue on it (was afraid I would have an allergic reaction).

Anyway, trying on one eyelash wasn't a complete success but give me a few more practices and I'll be walking the streets of Yokohama with long curly eyelashes.

Can't wait.

JULY

It's July. Can you believe the year is halfway over? I used to get so excited about such things but now, it's like everything's new again. Or rather, different. My perspective in life has changed since last year and sometimes I wonder about how things can change for one person in an instant. It's like one minute you're asleep and the next you're suddenly awake. And it's strange and so new and so... disturbing. It's hard actually.

July. Summer for some countries. July has always been a rainy month for me. It's always been like that, I guess. Maybe this month will be different, who knows? Life can be so unpredictable.

I hardly ever get a good night's rest these days. There's just too much in my mind I suppose for my poor brain to shut down for a moment's peace. I suppose that's really my fault but it's not like I can help it. From the time I slept til the time I got out of bed, I woke up at 6 different times. SIX. I'm a light sleeper but I know that's not normal.

This is the only year I guess where I did not make any resolution. I usually have a plan or two (or four) once January sets in, sort of a reminder of what to do/expect for the coming year but this year, I didn't even bother. It's just a whole lot of different this year I guess. Yup. A whole lot of different.

The year is halfway over. And I can't even tell if the first half was all right. I guess I was in limbo most of the time to notice. Maybe one of these days I'll snap out of this weird funk. Who knows? Maybe the 2nd half of this year will be good, maybe it won't. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. After all, what else can I do, right?

SAD DAY

I was so sad to hear about Michael Jackson's death. I know probably a million people out there will be blogging about this but I just can't help but feel terrible about the news. He's been a great music icon, probably misunderstood most of the time and criticized terribly for deeds he's done but no one can deny that he's transformed music in his own way. And despite all the negative publicity that surrounded him, he really was the "King of Pop".

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And then Farrah Fawcett was also in the news. This is turning out to be a sad sad day for fans. I know she was a great fashion icon. I didn't know about the cancer though. I wish the television networks would bring back the original Charlie's Angels tv series so I could watch it.

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Been thinking about a lot of things today. That pretty much kept me preoccupied. Hopefully 5-10 years from now, I'll be able to say definitely that everything's A-OK in my life.

We'll see.

PAINFUL

Sometimes I wish some things never occurred in my life. I'm only human. I'm not one to admit I have the perfect life. I also know that I am someone so easily affected by things that come my way, especially things that affect me emotionally. I have never been a strong person. Of course, I hardly ever show my vulnerability to other people but when I am alone I sometimes feel so overwhelmed with emotions and I feel as though I am alone in the world. Yes, I know. I'm a crybaby. That's who I am. I'm the type of person who cries during touching commercials, while watching sad movies, while listening to sentimental music, while reading romantic stories, while watching really expressive dancing or even watching my loved ones sleep. I cry. And I get hurt. And I don't know why it's hard for me to let go of things that weigh so heavily in my heart but it's just so hard. It's like there's this thorn lodged deep inside my heart that there's no way of removing it without dying. That's how I feel. And the only respite I get from the pain is when I'm asleep because when I'm awake, it's like a fresh wound everyday. And I have no idea how to escape from it. Sometimes I look outside the window and wonder about life in general and the answer is lost in the chasm of uncertainty that hounds my future. Sometimes I wonder about my purpose. I used to think that I somehow figured that one out but of course, life throws you a curve ball. And along with the surprise comes hurt and a lotta pain. And I don't know what to do and I don't know how to get rid of this pain. I try to be strong for my family. I know I need emotional support (a whole LOT of it right now) because I know I'm prone to depressive moods and who knows when I'm going to snap out of it. But it's really really hard. I sometimes just hear a word and then shooting pain rips my heart in two. I hear a title of a song and I recall the painful things almost instantaneously. There's just no stopping it. I'm just really helpless when it comes to my emotions. I have tremendous love for the world. But I also feel tremendous pain when things take a wrong turn. I can't say "life sucks" because I know that that's how life is. I just want to know "Why"?

CRAZY WORLD

What is happening to the world these days? First, there's the H1N1 virus, then the really stupid constituent assembly in the Philippines, then recently, the really chaotic elections in Iran (which I sincerely hope wouldn't happen here) and now, it's the threat of nuclear war from North Korea!! I mean, seriously, what is happening to the world?!?! Shouldn't we all be more concerned about more important things? Like poverty and the environment and PEACE? Why again this thirst for power and greed and selfishness? I mean, didn't history already teach us enough? My goodness! What kind of world are we creating for our children?

Enough already you power-hungry @$*^@^%$#*!!!!

Grrr...

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Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have another kid. Okay, fine. Another baby. I mean, my boys are already preschoolers and I really do miss taking care of a baby. But then again, I know my limits. I know that 2 is the maximum number of kids I could devote my whole time and attention to without going crazy. Don't ask me how I know that, I just do. I think it would be wonderful to have lots of kids but I like being a hands-on mom. And the only way I could be an EFFECTIVE hands-on mom is to be able to have and give enough quality time and love and understanding to the kids. So I suppose I'll just have to get used to the fact that maybe Ruther and I won't get to have another baby. I guess I'll just have to wait for my sis to make one soon. But knowing her, good luck with that. :P

NEW CASES

I watched the news tonight and new cases of the A(H1N1) virus still keep coming up. So the Philippines now has 77 confirmed cases which means we have the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia. Although the Department of Health has reported that 23 of the 77 has recovered, it's still alarming that new cases keep cropping up daily. There are now 6 schools/universities affected by the virus and classes in those schools have been cancelled until the 22nd of June. Now, not only is this virus affecting the health of people, it's also affecting the education of students. It's really sad... I just hope that this virus stops spreading or that scientists finally find a vaccine for it.

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I am saying NO to charter change! I am saying NO to this constituent assembly! No more Gloria in 2010! Enough is enough!

RAIN OR SHINE?

For the first time in three days the sun finally came out. I was expecting a rainy weekend but when I woke up this morning, it was bright and sunny. Although it is sunny right now, I'm sure we will be having rains again because June to August is when typhoons come into the country. Hopefully, there won't be devastating storms.

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I watched the news the other day and I felt really bad for the kids who had to go to school when it was rainy. I mean, the chances of them getting sick was high and at the same time, I'm quite sure those poor families don't have the money to buy medicine should that happen. While I was watching that I somehow felt glad that Nikki and Ethan are homeschooled. I mean, we won't have to go through all those problems. Rain or shine, we could do our lessons safe at home. If ever we planned an outing, we could always postpone it for another day and know that we could always do that some other time. Also, we don't have to worry about getting sick and missing school because even if they do get sick, they still could read books or do simple activities at home. So yeah, I think this is another plus in our homeschooling decision.

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Also in the news, some moms were complaining about the announcements coming from the Department of Education about the suspension of classes because of the rains. They were saying that either the announcements were too late and their kids were already in school, or that they were confusing because during suspended days, there would be no rains at all. I perfectly understand their irritation. When I was in college, that happened often. Sometimes my classmates and I would not know whether to go to school or not because we weren't sure about the announcements. One time, it was reported that there would be suspension of classes but it was a sunny day so my friends and I went to the mall instead. Sigh. If only the weather bureau here in the Philippines were as reliable as the one in Japan. Ruther and I would check the weather everyday and if it usually says "rainy" we're sure to bring an umbrella. Sigh. Anyway, I just hope that PAGASA (the weather bureau here) would do a better job in predicting the weather. Otherwise a crystal ball would be a better option for us.

FLUSTERPATED AND FAHOODLED

At last I finally got my PRC ID (professional ID) today. (I applied for a renewal a few weeks ago.) I left the house at 715 this morning and got there just after 8am. I thought all I had to do was submit my claim stub and get the ID immediately. But no. I had to wait for a while. Bummer. I don't understand why there's only one Philippine Regulations Commission office here in Manila. There should be mini-offices per city for convenience. In Japan, there are government offices in every ward. It's very very convenient. I wish the government here was as discerning. (But what else is new here...)

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Lately, I've been finding blend words really neat! The other day after mentioning in my Facebook account that I was worried about something, one of my friends replied with "Chillax!" This brought a smile to my face. I think that was cute. Haha! "Relax" and "chill" together. Then I also encountered "fantabulous". And the other day "ginormous" and also "doddler" (dodder and toddler). Haha! So cute! I also found "hugantic" (huge and gigantic) and confuzzled (confused and puzzled). Creative, don't you think? Here's a list I found in the 'net (love number 7):

Top Ten Favorite Words (Not in the Dictionary)

1. ginormous (adj): bigger than gigantic and bigger than enormous
2. confuzzled (adj): confused and puzzled at the same time
3. woot (interj): an exclamation of joy or excitement
4. chillax (v): chill out/relax, hang out with friends
5. cognitive displaysia (n): the feeling you have before you even leave the house that you are going to forget something and not remember it until you're on the highway
6. gription (n): the purchase gained by friction: "My car needs new tires because the old ones have lost their gription."
7. phonecrastinate (v): to put off answering the phone until caller ID displays the incoming name and number
8. slickery (adj): having a surface that is wet and icy
9. snirt (n): snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots that have been plowed
10. lingweenie (n): a person incapable of producing neologisms

P.S.
flusterpated - a state of being flustered that's so intense, one's actions and words become bound up
fahoodled- confused, esp. when trying to think of too many things at once

WISHING...

I have to admit I find it both weird and exciting earning from home. Well, I'm not really earning that much because paid ads are quite limited for non-US bloggers (I usually only get like 2 a week) but still, it's nice to be doing something I love (writing) and be paid for it at the same time. I just wish though that there were more offers for international bloggers. It would be nice to write about something and be paid $15 for it (rather than just $2.50). I really do put a lot of thought into my compositions and writing and I think that I deserve more than $2.50 for a 200-word review. I don't mean to sound pompous. I'm just saying that I wish those higher-paying ads were readily available to me. Oh well...

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Since I lamented about neglecting my Nihongo studies, I started reviewing my books again yesterday. As expected, I forgot some of the stuff I already learned while I was in Japan. Bummer. Now I have to review again. My main problem I guess is the sentence structure. Nihongo doesn't neccesarily follow the subject+verb+object pattern (as in English). It usually (more often than not) starts with the object first. So, "I would like some water" would translate to "Mizu ga hoshii no desu ga" with mizu meaning water. So yeah, the sentence pattern confuses me as well as a hundred other things (prepositions, proper word usage, formal/informal situations, etc.) but hopefully, I'm getting somewhere. I just wish that there will be some Nihongo classes offered in Yokohama so I could attend and even learn more Japanese...

SWINE FLU NOW IN JAPAN

Yesterday I read in the newspaper that Japan has 40+ cases of swine flu and I've been really bothered about it. I mean, this has been going on for a long time now and it's worrisome (but I suppose inevitable) to see the virus spread to Asia and to the country that we're planning to go to in the next few months. I've already warned Ruther about taking precautions and to always update himself with the news. Even if the outbreak is in Kobe and Osaka, that still doesn't mean that it won't spread to other cities in Japan. I hope the government will contain this outbreak and I hope this swine flu will just go away already...

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About H1N1 virus: (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm)

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the United States. An increasing number of cases are being reported internationally as well.

It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

It’s uncertain at this time how severe this novel H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death compared with other influenza viruses. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus. CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

BENTOS

I'm thinking of preparing bentos for Ruther for his lunch once we're back in Japan. I find those colorful and nutritious boxed lunches really cute. So I've been searching the net for some recipes and I found some easy and nice ones that I think Ruther will like. I love to cook. I used to love to bake but it's not easy doing that without an oven here. So my passion shifted to cooking and I like it. I have fun trying new recipes and altering some of the flavors to suit my family's taste. It's challenging cooking for my boys (Ruther included of course) because they are so picky but I want them to eat healthy so I'll try to find some creative recipes. I know it'll be difficult, especially if we'll be in Japan because the ingredients will not only be expensive but also hard to find. But I'm sure I could come up with similar flavors just to keep the taste familiar. I'm excited to use all those gadgets for making bentos. I saw some in Daiso and I can't wait to use them! I'm sure everytime Ruther opens his bento he'll find not only a yummy lunch, but a fun surprise as well. :D

HOT? NOT!

I hate calling those so-called hotlines in the Philippines. Whether I'm calling to make a reservation for a plane ticket or calling to inquire, it takes absolutely f o r e v e r for me to get through. And I'm a patient person! So what more if an impatient bloke (like my sweet husband) calls and he stays on the phone for more than an hour trying to get through?? It's just absolutely horrible!

Today I've spent such a long time on the phone my ears are hurting (still!) from transferring the receiver back and forth while waiting for my call to be picked up by a non-existent operator. I've been trying to call the PhilHealth office (ANY PhilHealth office) to ask about the application for reimbursement (regarding Nikki's hospitalization) but apparently, the only number listed with the operator was the main office. AND, when I tried calling that number, it just kept on ringing and ringing and ringing... I never got to talk with a single person. And I simply gave up. I mean, I didn't want to spend the rest of the afternoon on the phone. So tomorrow I'm heading to the Las Pinas PhilHealth office to make my inquiry personally. The thing that really bums me out is that I really HATE going unprepared. I want to always be prepared, you know? It's just who I am. Going to PhilHealth tomorrow with no idea what requirements or documents I need really irritates me. So now I'll be bringing all sorts of papers just to make sure I submit everything they ask for. I hope that I won't have to wait long there. Another thing I hate is unnecessarily long queues.

Wish me luck...