FROM YOU'VE GOT MAIL

Kathleen Kelly: Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

OFF TO FAIRYLAND

When was the last time you saw a dragonfly? A grasshopper? A firefly?

I can still remember the time I held a grasshopper in my hand. I was 9 years old. It was in the school grounds. My friends and I were running around in the grass that were a long as my ankles. I noticed that everytime we ran, these little green things would hop away from wherever we were. Curious, I approached one where it landed. I cupped my hand and cautiously crept from behind. In an instant, I caught it. I could feel it kicking in my hand, trying to get away. I gently removed some of the grass strands that I grabbed along with the insect. Eventually, I was holding it with only my thumb and forefinger. I looked at it closely. Its feelers were all over my fingers and I could tell it was as fearful of me as I was curious of it. I could see its yellow green body, the tiny hairs on its legs, the weird alien eyes and the length of its legs which seemed even longer that its body. It was not a big grasshopper but neither was it too small that I could not see everything about it. I loosened my hold and in a flash, it hopped away. I went back to playing with my friends but a few times after that, I still caught some grasshoppers for my brother who loved looking at them and setting them free. Sometimes, when I think about it, I could still see that little insect on my hand so clearly now, just as if I were 9 again. Lately, I have been thinking about this because I honestly cannot recall the last time I saw one. My mom has a garden here but I haven't seen any grasshoppers. Millipedes, yes. A lot in fact, even ants, but no grasshoppers. Our home in Manila does not have a garden but in the playground close to home, I also did not notice any grasshoppers there.

Dragonflies, I think I saw a few in some ponds both here and in Manila. I was able to catch some in my childhood as well but I always set them free after looking at them so closely. Fireflies I haven't seen for soooo long. I cannot even remember the last time I saw one. It seems like I was very young then because I feel like it's been forever.

Why have I started thinking about these things? Because I want Nikki and Ethan to marvel at nature. I want them to be fascinated about the world, to learn about it, not just through books, but by touching and seeing and feeling. Just the way I did when I was small. I think it would be a shame to deprive them of these things just because the world is changing and because these insects are slowly disappearing from our concrete world. That would really be tragic in my opinion.

Sometimes, when I wonder about where all these insects have gone, I would like to think that they have gone off to fairyland. I would like to imagine then flying around, going about their business in a colorful garden, protected by fairies. I don't think that's too farfetched, do you?

RAMEN

I miss eating ramen... =( Even in the picture, it looks so yummy, I want to get into it and have a bowl of hot, steamy noodles.

This photo was taken last Feb 2007 at Yoshimura our favorite ramen place in Yokohama. (Is the name right, sweetie?) =D

Read my previous post about ramen here.

A PEEK INTO THE PAST

This is a photo of me and my brother and sister and a cousin. I don't actually know when this photo was taken but I suppose I was still in elementary school here.

I am of course, seated on the leftmost swing. I already had long hair then and I suppose I have always liked having long hair. I did chop off my hair a few times but I always managed to keep my hair long after that. I think having short hair makes me look fatter. =P

My brother, Ernest, is the boy in the red shorts. The one seated beside him is my cousin (son of my mom's brother). His hair here reminds me so much of Ethan's hair right now. Hahaha! =D

My elder sis, Sherry, is on the rightmost swing. I dunno why she is all dressed up and my brother and I are in houseclothes and slippers. I also dunno why she was all serious in this photo.

My dad had this swing set made for us in our new home. When I was around 10, we transferred to our new home from my grandparents' house. But we live near them so I still got to see my cousins a lot. I found this old, old photo in the basement when the boys and I were searching for books to read. =D

CASTLE

Disney Castle, Tokyo Disneyland.

Ruther took this beautiful photo last year. =D

TGIF

As predicted, the whole election thing was pure and utter chaos. It was so disorganized it was almost hilarious. But it wasn't. It was embarrassing. Cheating, vote-buying, stolen election returns, killings, arson... No wonder a lot of people have very little faith in the government. This is so depressing...

.....

Ruther did not go to work today. He seems to be suffering from a headache that started yesterday afternoon. It's a good thing he stayed home today because I would have worried if he went to work and he wasn't 100% okay. I think he might have tension headache. I told him to simply take it easy, draw the curtains to minimize the light, not to strain his eyes too much and to take an analgesic if it really bothers him.

I wish I were with him right now...

.....

Whaddya know? I finished the book On The Street Where You Live last night. It was such an interesting book and I wasn't able to guess who the killer was in the end, much to my chagrin. I stayed up all night trying to finish it because it was such a page-turner. I'm really happy with the story. Still dunno what my next book will be. Will keep you posted. =D

LEMON SQUID

6 servings

2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium white onion, sliced into rings
1/2 C diced bell pepper
1/3 C water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
1 kilo squid, ink sacs removed, cut into rings
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

In a pan, heat oil and saute onions until transparent. Add bell pepper and cook until tender. Stir in water, lemon juice, garlic, lemon peel and salt.
Add squid and cook-stir about 1 minute. In a bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix until smooth.
Stir dissolved cornstarch into squid. Bring to a boil then simmer about 1 minute or until liquid is thickened.

ALBERT SCHWEITZER SAID...

It is not enough merely to exist. It's not enough to say, "I'm earning enough to support my family. I do my work well. I am a good father, husband, churchgoer."
That's all very well. But you must do something more. Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. Even if it's a little thing, do something for those who need help, something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.

ETHAN'S SLIPPERS

I took this photo last month.

HEALTH-CONSCIOUS

For the past weeks, I have been trying to be more health-conscious. I suppose it's because of the availability of fruits around the house (papayas, bananas, marang, mangoes, buko or young coconut, etc) and the fact that my parents eat lightly in the evenings. So, I decided to exercise more, increase my juice and water intake (Ruther always reprimands me for not drinking a lot of water everyday) and eat less carbs and lessen my servings. Unlike my mom, I am not gifted with a slim body. I am big boned. When I am placed between my mom and sister, I look like an Amazon. I'm not kidding. The only way for me to lose weight is to work, and work hard. I know life is not fair but it's okay. I like it when the boys see me exercising. When I announce to the boys, "Mommy is going to exercise" you could see them bounce up and happily come with me to the basement for 20 minutes of workout. For them, exercise is fun and that is exactly the attitude I want to see in them.

Anyway, I have been drinking a lot of juices lately. The Del Monte Pineapple Orange drink is one of my favorites (see the big mug? Might as well drown myself in it. =D). One can costs around P43, so not bad. I also like the Sweetened Pineapple flavor (I can't take it too sour because I get acidic), Four Seasons and Mango flavor. Ruther loves the Sunkist Mango and I used to buy the big tetrapack for him before. (I can't even recall the last time I did that for him, since he's been away for so long.) Nikki likes orange
juice and the dalandan (that's Philippine orange) drink from Jollibee (a fast food restaurant here) and Ethan doesn't like any juice at all. =D I love taking juices. Since we arrived here in Zamboanga, I think the only times I drank sodas were during my Tita Josie's 80th Birthday celebration and a few weeks ago when I bought a can at the supermarket. And that's it. Mighty proud of myself for that. =D Oh yes, I'm also fond of shakes. This one in the photo is mango shake that I ordered when we were at a family restaurant. Really yummy and very refreshing. I also love other shake flavors: banana, avocado, apple, kiwi... LOTS!

I've also cut down on chocolates and candies. With diabetes as part of our family medical history, I suppose it's time I became more careful of my sugar intake (well, maybe cotton candy every other week. hehehe.) My paternal grandfather lost part of his leg (shin, below the knee) because of complications from diabetes. He also passed away the year my grandmother (his wife) died.

Veggies, well, I've become quite accustomed to eating vegetables so that's not a problem. But my 3 boys (Ruther, Nikki and Ethan) are not too keen on veggies. But I still try to serve them some greens once in a while.

I'm also a coffee lover (i love cappuccino and Ruther loves the caramel macchiato) but still, I'm trying to cut down. I drink 3 cups a week now unlike the 2 cups a day when I was in college. Yup, I was a coffee addict then. Coffee was my stimulant so I could stay awake all night to study... I'm also trying green tea now, after reading about it's many benefits. I'm not too fond of the taste but I figure, I could get used to it later on.

Thankfully, I don't drink alcohol and smoke. And neither does Ruther although he does occasionally drink beer with his friends from time to time. I've only drank tequila thrice in my life and it was all during a party so I had very little.

I have yet to get a physical check-up when we go back to Manila. Hopefully, there will be no problems there. Then I have to schedule a dental appointment too to have some of my fillings redone. Some are deteriorating and I'm worried about those. Oh yes, the boys will need some cleaning as well. =D

I suppose being health-conscious takes a lot of effort but then again, it's always better to be healthy than to be sick, right? As my teachers used to say, "Prevention is always better than cure."

ULTRAVIOLET

I watched Ultraviolet last night on HBO. Ever since I saw Mila Jovovich in The Fifth Element, I really liked her as an actress. Moreso when she was in Resident Evil. Action movies suit her so well. Despite her wiry frame, she is a very strong woman in character. She does all the choreography well and looks very formidable.

Anyway, going back to Ultraviolet... It's definitely not her best movie. I still think her Resident Evil role was the best she played so far. I guess it's partly because of the Ultraviolet storyline. It was not developed well and made the movie a bit confusing. However, I really liked the part in the movie where she color-changes her costumes. That was pretty cool. Not to mention the futuristic concepts like disposable paper phones, anti-gravity belt, etc. Oh yeah, the action sequences also deserve some recognition. Some of the choreography really blew me away. Other things that caught my eye were her really cool shades and hot boots. Hahaha! Okay, didn't have to add those...

After watching the movie, I supposed that if Mila Jovovich was not the star, it would suck big time. I mean, only knowing that she's the leading character made me want to watch this. But other than that, I might not even bother. Watching this movie once is enough. But I still love Mila. =D

PIANO

A photo of our piano here at home. This piano was given to me and my siblings by my paternal grandmother when we were in elementary school. She was always proud when she attended our piano recitals, I suppose she realized this would make a great gift for us. I just cannot recall if this was a Christmas or birthday present but we were all happy to have this. It's a Trebel, by the way.

Our grandmother left us in 2004. I miss her.

FROM A FAVORITE MOVIE

A lovely quote from one of my favorite movies, Meet Joe Black:

William Parrish: Love is passion. Obsession. Someone you can't live without. Someone you fall head over heels for. Find someone you can love like crazy, and will love you the same way back. Listen to your heart. No sense in life without this. To make the journey without falling deeply in love, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try, because if you haven't tried, then you haven't lived.

NIKKI'S BOOBOO

The boys were watching Inai Inai...Guru Guru Dokkaan last night. That's a segment from a children's show in Japan that the boys used to watch every morning when we were there. Since Ethan loves that part of the show, I played it for him. Of course, Nikki danced along as well. While gyrating around the room, Nikki stepped on some crayons that Ethan left on the floor (which he usually does a LOT!) and he slipped and fell and he cut his upper lip. But Nikki tried to be brave and didn't want to cry but I told him it's okay if it really hurts. Then I told him that we'll put some ice on it. After a few minutes, he seemed okay while he was watching more of his shows. I took a photo of the cut for documentation and to show Ruther as well. I was glad when I saw his lip this morning and it looked less swollen and less scary looking. That was such a relief.

My brave little boy. Here he is, applying ice on the injury. And he didn't want my help at all!

The morning after. Still looking cute and charming. =D

FORT PILAR

My mom, dad, the boys and I wanted to take photos and go around Zamboanga so we decided to go to Fort Pilar yesterday. That's a centuries old Fort a distance away from our home and is located beside the sea. From vistapinas.com:


If Manila has Intramuros, Zamboanga City has Fort Pilar. The fort is officially called the Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, which roughly means the “Royal Force of Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza.” The Virgin Mary reportedly miraculously appeared on a pillar in Zaragoza, Spain, on October 12, 1492, the first time she manifested herself on the Iberian peninsula. This led to the Christianization of the Hispanics from the Moors and October 12 then became the feast day of Our Lady of the Pillar. The “Charter of Zamboanga City” was signed into law as Commonwealth Act No. 39 on October 12, 1936 and subsequently, the Our Lady of the Pillar became the city’s patron saint. A statue of the Lady is found on the east wall of Fort Pilar.
The fort itself was built on June 23, 1635 by the Jesuit Melchor de Vera as a military defense structure against the Moros and pirates. It was originally named as Real Fuerza de San José, before taking the name of Our Lady of Pillar in 1719. Today, the fort stands as a religious shrine and open air masses are held here every Sunday.





Close up of the image and the altar. When we arrived, there was a mass going on so we quietly waited for it to finish before we went around to take photos.
As was mentioned above, this is the east side of the Fort.


Mommy took this photo. Looking at my hair I could say that the hair vitamin capsules work, wouldn't you think so? =D Anyway, Nikki is clutching a bunch of candles (which I bought for only P10). We will light those later on...

By the fountain. My mom had to get several shots because the first ones were blurry. A few years ago this fountain did not exist. I must say it's a refreshing addition to the place.

By the cross. This is where people pray first before lighting the candles. A prayer is engraved onto a tablet at the foot of the cross. This has always been here for as long as I could remember but the cross has been wonderfully redone.

After saying our prayers and lighting the candles. Sometimes, there would be soooo many candles it looks like this whole stretch would be on fire. Now there are only a few. Maybe because it was a weekday. Nikki looks so worried about getting too close to the candles.

More prayers before the image. There are a lot of people at the altar. Some of them say their prayers in front of the image of Jesus and sometimes wipe the image with their hankies for blessings and luck. You could see how Ethan is quite attached to my dad (literally and figuratively as well).



By the bells. And there's my mom. Nikki didn't want to go up the ledge. He was scared and was telling my mom to put him down so he wasn't smiling at all in this photo.





We had to go home after this because it was getting dark. I had fun going back to Fort Pilar. Too bad the museum was closed. It would have been nice to take more photos in there. Well, maybe next time. But we did have a lot of fun. Maybe next week we could go to Pasonanca and take photos there as well.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I'm done with By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie. Wonderful story. Like I said, I could never go wrong with an Agatha Christie (right, Jane?). =D

On to the next book! I decided on a Mary Higgins Clark book titled On the Street Where You Live. This is my mom's book and she bought it at Booksale, a secondhand bookstore in Manila. I figured that since I was still hung up on murder mystery novels, I might as well make the most of it. Might be done with this is a few days as well since it seems to be quite interesting.

FLAMES

I took this photo this afternoon. When I look at this picture I could actually feel the heat from the burning candles. Love this photo. Wasn't expecting it to turn out like this but I'm quite happy with the result. =D

COTTON CANDY

I have always loved cotton candy. Whenever I see a cotton candy stand, I could just feel my feet move on their own volition and pretty soon I'll be standing in front of the cotton candy stand waiting for the woman to hand me the sugary fuzz. It doesn't matter what flavor it is. As long as it's cotton candy, hand me one right now, please.

I don't know exactly when my love for cotton candy began. I suppose it started when I was in Grade School/Elementary. Every afternoon after school, these cotton candy trolleys or carts would be waiting outside the school, preying on hapless school children with their colorfully spun sugar. A pack of cotton candy costs P5.00 today. It was a lot cheaper before of course. But despite the price change, the taste remains the same. After all, what's so different about sugar? At the malls however, the prices are heftier. I suppose it's because of the rental fees, the flavorings and the size of the cotton candy. Each bag costs around P25.00 to P30.00. I would still buy one of course even if I have to lug it around the mall.

There is something strangely comforting when I eat cotton candy. When I pick off a small piece and put it in my mouth, the sweetness is just right and the melting sensation always makes me smile. After eating the floss, I usually look at my tongue afterwards and I see a color blue or hot pink or bright orange. It's really fun to eat and I never regret buying a bag when I'm at the mall. Sometimes, Ruther would buy me a bag and well, all I could say is that it doesn't take much to make me happy.

Now, Ethan shares my love for cotton candy. When he sees me with the candy floss he would say, "Gimme!" and "Eat!" and at the same time reaches for the bag. So we share the cotton candy and it's gone in an instant. Nikki on the other hand is not a cotton candy lover. I let him be. Some love it, some don't. But Ethan and I definitely are full-fledged cotton candy lovers.

.....

And while we're at it:

Cotton candy is also called fairy floss, candy floss and spun sugar.

Cotton candy is a light and fluffy sugar confectionery which resembles cotton wool. It is made by melting a sugar composition and spinning it into fine strands. The strands are then collected on a cardboard tube or bundled in a continuous mass. First developed over 100 years ago, cotton candy remains a favorite summertime candy at carnivals, amusement parks, and baseball stadiums. With the development of more efficient, automated machines it is expected that the market for cotton candy will substantially increase in the coming years.

source: http://www.answers.com/cotton%20candy