Before you think that I'll now break into that famous song from "Sister Act", do not panic... I have enough sense in me NOT to.  I just wanted to let you know that, being the "submissive domestic (diva)"  I have since become, I must now bid my Yahoo 360 site adieu too and follow the lead of my dear hubby. 'Ika nga, kung nasaan si "koya", dapat kasunod na din si "Inday"!  Seriously, though, I have also been convinced that WordPress has more of the features that I am looking for in a blog. So, most logical step would be to move my blogsite there too! I will be retaining my 360 site so that all you 360ers may still know my blog updates in my new home via a link (thanks to my cousin-in-law Weng for showing Keith and I the "light"!). See y'all soon in WordPress! 
 Have been in a somber mood pretty much since yesterday afternoon since my eldest son, Luigi, told me that one of his schoolmates died last Thursday from a car crash. Turns out that she was about to go malling with her family when the tragedy occurred. Though her whole family was also hospitalized due to the accident, it was only her who suffered the ultimate misfortune. L
As it is, death is something which a lot of us dread. When it happens to one so young, healthy and full of life, it just feels like the burden becomes greater to bear… I could only imagine the grief that her parents must be going through right now. I totally agree with the person who said that we grieve more deeply when a child precedes a parent as this does not follow the “natural order” of things. After all, how many times have we heard of parents working so hard to try and make the world a much better place for their children? When children pass on before their parents, like what happened to this 8 year old, it just does not seem fair.
I pray that peace comes out of this tragedy and that a deeper understanding of a loving God comforts all of us in the face of such seemingly inexplicable loss. God rest your soul, Mahnoor, and may angels welcome you to your everlasting home.
Life is not always fair, but God is always faithful.
Happy to be able to keep my promise to Weng to share my desktop view after she tagged me  . I very rarely use this desktop. By force of habit, I normally just click on Keith's (the path of least resistance, ika nga...  ). My desktop looks like it has been stuck in Disney limbo... I actually have had it since the time I was surfing the net for a theme for Marga's 1st birthday (which, as most of you know by now, was "Jasmine/Arabian-inspired"). Obviously, it has been A WHILE since I used my own ID to log-on. Anyway, here goes... Enjoy!  
Guess now it's my turn to return the, ahem, "favor"  , by tagging the following people as well: Millie, Martie, Claire, Ge and Jenny Here are the simple instructions: A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by: [1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key). [2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V). [3] If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it. B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that. C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well. D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants. Thesserie; Dom Lawrence; Rebecca; Blue Panjeet; Rose; Beng; Knoizki; Sardonicnell; Weng; Pinky Join in, guys, for whatever it's worth, it was fun! 
 Before I had a daughter, the only “DQ” I was fond of was the no-spill-when-turned-upside-down creamy concoction called Dairy Queen…  now, DQ takes on a totally new meaning for me… For you moms out there with precocious little daughters, this one’s for you…
After her recent bout with some gastro problems, I can say that my daughter, Marga, is sooo back with a vengeance! The past few days, she has literally driven me up the wall in a hodgepodge of surprise, frustration and outright hilarity. Let me share with you some recent events to prove my point: my little princess is a “certified drama queen” (takes one to know one, I guess! Hahaha!):
Ø EVIDENCE 1: Every morning, as Keith is preparing to leave for the office, we are very careful not to wake Marga up lest she gets into one of her moods again. Today was no different. Unluckily though, the princess was needlessly roused from her slumber…so with loud protests of “Papa, waah!” and “Dan” (her version of “down”, when she wants to get off the bed), Keith painfully extricated himself from the tearful clutches of our wailing daughter  with promises that he’ll be back soon (Hon, how come I don’t get the same response when I make drama???). Ø EVIDENCE 2: Last night, we had a follow-up visit to Marga’s pedia. For some reason, Ramadan season contributing, probably, the hospital was packed!  What normally took 3 mins to an hour took an excruciating 2 hours! Needless to say, the princess got tired and upset by the time we got home. What followed was classic: Setting her down the bed while she was already screaming and throwing a fit proved no easy task especially when I still had to get out of my “costume” (i.e., abaya) and eventually still change her to her sleepwear. Taking a quick stop to the bathroom to fix her stuff, I was surprised to see our little diva heading right at me (yup, she got off the bed pretty quick even in her “highly charged emotional state”!)and whaddyaknow! The minute she saw me, she let out a piercing wail of protest enough to wake the dead  before walking out towards the living room! What a night! What a girl! Ø EVIDENCE 3: Never thought being a SAHMMY (that’s “stay-at-home mommy”) could be both a boon and a bane especially when I am the only one taking care of Marga for most of the weekdays. Now that she’s walking, she manages to find me wherever I am and wants to literally “stick to me” like the proverbial Elmer’s glue! Imagine my consternation when, while trying to cook lunch, she practically wedged herself between me and the stove!  It must’ve been hilarious to see, I’m sure (na-practice na naman tuloy pagka-contortionist ko! ) yet at that time, I certainly had a hard time laughing! Don’t get me wrong, though, despite her recent antics, Marga remains a sweetheart nonetheless.  She never ceases to amaze me! From how she manages to name practically all her body parts to how she can mimic almost everything I do or say, I cannot thank the Lord enough for giving her to us. True, she might be one crazy ball of energy and be very expressive of her emotions at times yet everytime she “tummy kisses” me at night  or blows me a hearty “Mwah!” for no reason at all, I am reminded that life is good and that I am blessed.  I love you my drama queen! 
Never thought Windows came up with such an addictive concept when it introduced me to its movie maker!  Now, I have this highly unnatural urge to document even the simplest of experiences with it... oh no! Well, without further ado, may I present, in collaboration with my dear hubby (who acted as musical director, o di ba?  ), our second foray into the WMV World! Disclaimer: Please be kind and lower your standards a bit... after all, we are still amateurs!  ">WMV Project#2
It’s been exactly 2 weeks since we arrived here in the Kingdom and I’ve been practically on my toes doing God-knows-what most of the time! It’s only now that I can actually sit back, catch my breath and relax somewhat… What have I been up to exactly? A quick run-down follows (drum roll please!)… 23 Aug :The plane has landed! 1.5 hours drive to the kingdom after touchdown in Bahrain. Five checked-in, 4 carry-ons, 1 pram, 1 humongous baby bag, 3 kids – exciting, di ba? 24 Aug: Pantry and fridge wiped-out. Drop off kids at Megas (thank God for them!) while Keith and I do major grocery shopping. After stowing the stash away, quick lunch (again courtesy of Ge – love you guys! Mwah!) then back to HQ to start unpacking suitcases… 25 Aug: Keith back to work. Me back to the grind too – some cleaning, a lot of cooking, refereeing (2 pre-pubescent boys with a lot of unused adrenaline rushing through their veins can do wonders on your weight loss programme, not to mention, your sanity too!) and baby-watching (my, Marga can now strut her stuff – go girl!). Still unpacking… sigh! 26 Aug: Saw boys off for their 1st day of school. They seem excited – me too – at least some moments of peace and quiet while the “cool” (as in kulit!) kids are away J. More time too to do my dreaded Cs in relative quiet… 27 Aug: OMG! Woke up to find Marga has a fever. Tended to her practically the whole day. Temp’s been going up (high 39s) inspite of round-the-clock meds and sponge baths… extremely anxious again! How I hate illness… Grrr talaga! 28 Aug: Fever no let-up. Had Marga checked by our Pinoy pedia – said all seemed normal – chest, throat and nose all clear – he had hunch that ears may be the problem. Too bad he couldn’t check ‘coz he didn’t have equipment at home. Observe her more daw… so I did. Stressed out na ako! 29 Aug: Day 3 of high fever. Went to the ER na. Otitis media daw (ear infection) so antibiotics again. What a week! Two more suitcases to go… 30 Aug: Marga still sick! What’s happening??? I’m literally on the edge na… Keith reminding me as usual to keep a lid on it – but how can I ??? 31 Aug: Went to ER again. Ears have cleared yet she still has high fever up until yesterday. What gives? Doc suggests stool exam to find out (hope they do this time!). “Effi” pedia rings us well into the night to say initial results are normal yet will have to do culture to be more conclusive… New antibiotics given to rule out diarrhea-causing effect of previous one…Haay, when will this end? L 01 Sep: It’s a new month! Can’t believe we’re into the “Bers” already… Marga’s fever gone down – yahoo! Some good news at last.. Things looking up J One more suitcase to go… 02 Sep: At last, able to do my long-overdue laundry! Something about washing things off is extremely therapeutic for me… Whaddyaknow? Able to squeeze in reading Harry Potter Book 7! ALL suitcases unpacked at last! God is good! 03 Sep: Marga’s appetite has improved and she’s been fever-free for 3 straight days! Realized good health is really the greatest treasure we should always pray and be thankful for… 04 Sep: Had quite a scare again… received a text from Marga’s pedia that she has something important to discuss with us… if we could please call her. Heart pounding… what could it be now? L Got through the dreaded phone call. Apparently, SALMONELLA was the culprit – good news is that the strain she contracted is the one treatable by antibiotics. We shouldn’t be worried daw… Well, I hold on to God’s promise to restore us each new day(got inspiration from an email from Bro Cuz today – how timely!). Almost finished HP7 – highly recommended reading – what a cliffhanger! 05 Sep: It’s a new day! Just finished HP7… too bad it’s the last book (sigh!). Marga still on the up and up while the boys are now out. Happy to have some “breathing time” at last. “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.” How true! A blessed day ahead!
23 Aug : 23 Aug
23 Aug
Just wanted to share with you the finished product (Strike a Pose! ) of what I had been dabbling with practically the whole day yesterday... Many, many thanks to Keith for guiding me through! Mwah!   Though I'm still no "Rina Veguillas" (i.e., expert) at this, do give me time and I'm sure I'll get better at it. One thing for sure, though, it was FUN! Enjoy!
Pardon me if it took ages for me to get to the blogging groove again. Ever since my last post, things have been really hectic that I literally felt my head spinning!  In fact, I even went to the extent of consulting a neurologist a few days before we left for the Kingdom since I felt pain on the right side of my head and some numbness on the right side of my face. The verdict: Stress Headache - I wasn’t imagining the pain after all…
Believe it or not, towards the tail-end of our Manila holiday, it felt as if I already needed a “vacation from our vacation”! Nevertheless, despite the stress of it all, Keith and I were glad that we were able to do most of the things we set out to do – the most notable among these would be:
- Being able to celebrate (never mind if it was 2 months late!) Marga’s 1st birthday at the Palms last 05 Aug 07 – thank you to all our family and friends who made time to be with us during this special day! Special thanks go out to Ninang Rina for the lovely party invites, name tags, loot bag tags and directional signage as well as to Uncle Jamie, Ninong Manny, Ninong Mark and Tito Benj for rendering their “professional photo services” free of charge! Thank you too to Ninang Millie who braved Divi with me just so we could complete the party stuff. I’ll always be grateful to Wowo, Wiwa and Tito Pippo who accompanied me to Palms for the pre-birthday arrangements. Love you guys!
 - Celebrating Mommy Dollie’s 60th surprise birthday party (please check out Keith’s post on this -A Totally Retro Night - for more details)
- Having a “Grandparents’ Day-Out” Down Under as we celebrated Rafa’s 7th birthday in Australia from 07-18 Aug 2007 (I promise to post pictures soon!) together with Wowo, Wiwa and Grammy.
 - Touching base with our MWG and HSBC friends. We miss you guys! Tess and Boboy, the La Pampanguena stuff were just heavenly! Taps and Karen, thanks so much for hosting us at the very posh Vivere executive lounge... May and Derek, Allan and Peachy, thanks for squeezing us into your ever-busy schedules! Marge, Anna, Val, Trina, Gigi, Charles and Anna Chinj - it was great to see you guys again! Mina and Tessa - setting-up the Masas lunch was much appreciated... so happy to swap stories with you, Karen, Jeff, Anj and Anna GDL after such a loong time...
- Luigi and Rafa receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and holy communion for the first time
 . Since freedom of religion is not something we enjoy here in the kingdom, the first holy communion we so took for granted as 7-year olds has become something quite difficult to arrange from this part of the world. Thus, after personally supervising catechism lessons for the two boys (Auntie Barty would be so proud of me!  ), good ol' Lolo Kit was able to arrange for the boys to have their first confession and communion with him at the Salesian parish churches of Don Bosco Makati and San Ildefonso, respectively. Thank God for uncle priests! Kudos too to the Salesian community for supporting this endeavor .
Now that I am back to my “diva-ness” here in the Kingdom, I can say that, stressful as it was, it was definitely great to be home again and that we all look forward to our next Manila holiday in December!
Ciao! The dreaded Cs await…
 I know, I know… I said that I wouldn’t be blogging until after our home leave… Well, don’t blame me – I’m a woman – I have the right to change my mind!
This won’t be long though, I promise. Just wanted to let you in on what has been happening to me so far during my 1st month of chillaxing in Manila. Here goes: o Finished my 8th session with my personal gym trainer (yes, I have been trying hard to get back in shape!) – 12 more to go! Don’t ask me how the results are thus far  as that is worthy of yet another post o Successfully weaned Marga from breastfeeding  - did I just hear applause from my dear husband? Am also getting her to drink non-sterilized (but purified) water… Major project is how to convince her to walk! o Regularly been having weekly massages to get the circulation going and to bust those darn nodules. Thanks to Ma and Pa for sponsoring my weekly sessions! Aaah… this is THE LIFE J o Did my long-overdue salon visit the 1st week of my leave – yes, I feel human again! Too bad, though, that my fave stylist Melanie has left the salon I frequent – boohoohoo L o Completed all medical procedures I intended to do: pap smear - check… sebaceous cysts removal – check! As the late James Brown sang, “I feel good!” o Was able to go to confession after a long 15 months. Thank God! o I’m a Divi convert – thanks to my sis-in-law Millie who has opened my eyes to the wonders of Divisoria
Yup, the first month has definitely been good. I look forward to the coming month as well when Keith can finally join us. Am so lovin’ it!
Guys, as all of you pretty much know, the kids and I are now in Manila for our annual home leave. During this time, will just take time off from my blogging duties as I savor "life as I know it" so pardon my self-imposed blogging hiatus. Promise I will more than make up for my absence when I get back to KSA in August (waaah!   ). Till then, will just relish my "lurker" role and stay in the blogging sidelines. Keep those posts coming!
 Yup, as many of you may have already read from Keith's blog, we're left with only a week till we plane in to our beloved Manila - woohoo!  We just finished our pasalubong shopping earlier tonight and my next problem would be how to fit all the stuff in into our suitcases   without going over the weight limits (thank God for the additional 10kg per person courtesy of our Gulf Air frequent flyer membership)... Please note though that I am worried about exceeding the weight limit not because marami kaming pasalubong but moreso because maliit lang suitcases namin - hahaha! Sorry guys...  Papa, Ayn and Ivy, I so miss you and your world-class packing skills!!! What's more, with three kids in tow all by my lonesome, am sure my trip back home will be, to put it in the most politically correct manner, "most interesting"... I am very sure this coming week will go by so fast that my head will surely spin but am definitely looking forward to my "abaya-less" two months  . After 10 months here in the kingdom, going back home even for a short while is such a welcome treat. Bring out the vintage Hotdog music and join me in singing "Manila, Manila... I keep coming back to Manila!".  Sa lahat ng aming mga minamahal na kaibigan at kamag-anak, kita-kita tayo! Mabuhay!
 To my dearest baby daughter Marga It’s been exactly a year now since we welcomed you into this world with so much anticipation and joy. I remember being quite anxious (forgive me, as you may have already sensed by now, this is one of Mama’s least-liked traits J) when Wowo and Wiwa had to bring me to Asian Hospital so we could already have you – exactly 14 days BEFORE your expected due date and 6 days BEFORE Papa could fly in from KSA to be with us for your birth… I guess even then you already had a mind of your own and the makings of being a strong-willed, independent “woman in a hurry” (can’t deny you got this from almost all the women in our family – especially Mama and Grammy J). God has been very good to us, my dear baby, since even without Papa being physically present for your birth, everything went smoothly and any worries I may have felt before you were born were gone when I saw you for the first time – my, as an added bonus, you even had your father’s hairline! I have always said that you are our “bonus baby”. Why so? Papa and I never really expected that we would still be blessed with a daughter after 6 years. We honestly thought that your Kuya Luigi and Kuya Rafa were going to be our only children. Truly, the Lord cannot be outdone in His generosity since He has given you to us on top of Him blessing us with two already wonderful sons. With your birth, our cup truly “runneth over”! Since we have been so richly blessed, we can only pray that we also be blessings to others and reflections of God’s goodness and generosity. Aside from being our dear “unica hija”, there were also many firsts that Mama experienced when you arrived. For one, you are the only child whom Mama took care of full-time without any yayas (since we had to move to KSA to be with Papa when you were just 2 months old). Also, you are the only baby that Mama has managed to breastfeed for a longer period of time. True, this tested Mama’s resilience and patience at times – especially during times when you were sick or when you would cry for no obvious reason – yet I still feel that this has brought us even closer. With you, Mama has had the chance to truly feel how it is to be “hands-on” and despite many challenging instances, feel truly fulfilled to be a mom. For this, my dear darling, I thank you very much. Today, as I look back on the past year, my heart is truly full. You have enriched our lives in more ways than you can ever imagine. Your innocent smiles, precocious laughter, silly antics and even your “now-and then” tantrums have made me see that there is so much beauty in living. Every milestone that you reach in your young age does us proud. Being with you most of the time has certainly lessened the loneliness and homesickness that our being away from home brings. I cannot say it enough – you are truly one precious gift that the Lord has lovingly entrusted to Papa and I. I pray that you grow up to be a loving, responsible, charitable and God-fearing woman. Know that we will always love you and that we will always be there for you. Happy, happy 1st birthday, dear Marga! Your number one fan and “fashion stylist” J Mama
As Deo Macalma would say, first of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY muna to my dearest hubby Keith! Love you, hon!   Now, on to my answers... 1. Shampoo and Conditioner -> Body Shop Olive Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner or Pantene (pag nagtitipid) 2. Bags -> Charles & Keith, Nine West 3. T-shirts -> not particular – as long as decent, clean-looking, easy to mix-and-match and preferably in solid colors 4. Pants -> Giordano (only one which seems to go well with my pear-shaped body!) 5. Lotion -> Jergens, Body Shop Olive Dry Oil Mist 6. Shoes -> I love Charles & Keith pa rin! 7. Socks -> not particular basta hindi butas! 8. Toothpaste -> Colgate White (anything flavoured or minty gives me an allergy) 9. Facial Cleanser -> L’Oreal, Ponds 10. Make-up -> Neutrogena powder, Body Shop Lip & Cheek Tint, Estee Lauder lipstick 11. Wallet -> anything na soft/cowhide leather, preferably black with lots of space for credit cards! 12. School Bags -> Think I’ve outgrown this ages ago 13. Pens -> Free HSBC pens (o diba so loyal pa din? Hahaha!) 14. Slippers/Sandals -> Havaianas, Birkenstock 15. Underwear -> Hanes for Her (no bikinis for me!) 16. Watch -> Tag Heuer, Omega (wish list: Rolex, Philip Stein – did I get spelling right?) 17. Pillow Case/Bed Sheet -> Canadian 18. Furniture -> Casa Antigua, Our Home, Vigan wood furniture in Ilocos 19. Caps -> I don't wear them – feeling ko “La Aunor” ako when I do (yuck!) If really necessary, have to make do with fisherman caps instead 20. Magazines -> Our Home 21. Car -> Chevrolet Trailblazer, Honda 22. Chocolate -> Jewels (a Dubai-branded chocolate), Lindt and GuyLian – anything with plain milk chocolate, preferably Swiss or Belgian (yum-o!) 23. Candy -> Not a fan 24. Medicine -> Having a pedia for a mom-in-law and a “retired drug lord” (i.e., he used to work as a senior exec for Pfizer – hahaha!) for a dad - name it, we got it! 25. Popcorn -> Holy KettleCorn in ATC, Orville Redenbacher Butter Popcorn 26. Motorcycle -> Have to agree with Keith on this: his HS hopper (Pardon my bias but he WAS a cool dude then!) 27. Cologne/Perfume -> Bath & Body Works Cotton Blossom Body Splash, Clinique Happy To Be 28. Swimwear -> Speedo 29. Jewelry -> Diamonds are a girl’s best friend! Starting to like pearls too… Plain platinum jewelry are also nice J 30. Hotel/s (that you've stayed in) -> Mandarin in Manila (where we had our wedding/honeymoon, food is also so yummy), Bellevue in Alabang (where we spent many special new years with family) and the quaint mountain-side hotel we stayed in Igls Village in Austria
 Being the perpetual worrywart  that I am, I find myself returning to the vicious cycle of fear and worry everytime something is out of whack in my usual predictable life. Dreading any form of exercise,  especially the "spiritual muscle-strengthening" kind, I also find that factoring out the fear is easier said than done in circumstances which throw you off your comfort zone. That is why these excerpts from our Daily Bread which I will share with you prove so useful to me - they allow me to make sense out of the chaos that life's downturns sometimes bring. To all the worrywarts out there, hope these help you out in some way too. Happy reading! ü When something concerns us, what’s our perspective? It’s not what we see but how we see it that reveals our attitude. If we look at life through the lens of our powerful and good God, we’ll trust Him instead of fearfully worrying. When our perspective is right, we can see God and His faithful provision. ü More absurd are our thoughts of worry and fear when we consider that we have a powerful and good God who cares for us. Jesus said we don’t have to be fearful or worried, because our heavenly Father knows our needs, and we are valued by Him. He is perfectly willing and able to meet our needs. ü Let’s remind ourselves that fear primarily focuses on protecting and preserving “me.” Overcoming fear begins with deciding that some things in life are more important than ourselves. ü We need another ingredient to release the power of the love that conquers fear. That ingredient is trust. Trusting that God will protect you when you are fearful, that God will reward you when you feel at risk, that God will give you guidance and courage when you feel lost and intimidated is what it takes to defeat the fear that holds you back. ü When our lives are impacted by sudden change that turns life upside down, it can be spiritually dangerous. Ending up in the ditch can easily make us feel a little shaky about our faith in God. That’s the kind of change the psalmist wrote about in Psalm 11—the kind of change that threatened everything he believed. How do we respond when the foundation of our faith begins to wobble, when our troubling circumstances make us question God? ü Radical change can either foster debilitating fear or confident faith. Fear haunts our hearts when all we can ask is “What am I to do?” Faith cuts to the exclamation point: The Lord is in control! ü In the midst of the changing circumstances of life, we have a choice. We can live in fear of all the uncertainties, or we can cling to the reality of God’s sustaining and intervening presence in our lives. When we find our strength in the fact that our Almighty God is on the throne and has everything under control, the defeating question marks are replaced with the confidence of His exclamation points, and that’s a welcome change! And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? MT 6:27
Woke up earlier than usual today. After almost 10 years of marriage, it's funny how sleep somehow eludes me everytime I don't find myself beside Keith when I wake up in the morning... then I noticed how peacefully our three "gremlins" were sleeping, thus the inspiration for this post... Have a blessed day ahead!  
As they sleep, a flood of emotions surges in There is quiet. There is peace. In the stillness, I am made more aware of the hand of a loving Creator who has entrusted these angels to us so beautifully, so wonderfully made In their slumber, I am reminded of child-like confidence of total surrender to a Father’s will I am thankful. I am richly blessed.
 Ever since the major lifestyle change we adapted (i.e, having to run a household by ourselves) when we moved here to the kingdom, weekends have always been jam-packed. Keith and I would want to think of ourselves as slowly being able to perfect the “art of the weekend warrior”. Somehow, we have managed to do a major part of our chores (house cleaning, grocery shopping, babysitting – name it, we’ve done it!) during weekends with enough time left to spend with the kids. Of course, due credit have to also be given to our two boys, Luigi and Rafa, who have their fair share of the “dreaded Cs” (aka chores). Sadly though, this weekend would be slightly different as I go solo. Yup, we are officially one weekend warrior out – ouch!  Keith is in Bahrain this weekend attending their company’s annual summer outing. So, while my hubby is grudgingly enduring (?) the time away spent apart from us (he never liked the beach – or so we’d like to think!), the kids and I would still have to brave the “warrior’s way” this weekend (sigh!). Good thing that we have the reliable “Mega-Mags” to see us through this weekend. Ge, Rinel and Ira have been so kind to let us tag along with them this weekend so we don’t quietly lose our minds at home… Let’s face it, weekend warriors need some R&R too, right? So as Keith “binges in Bahrain”, Marga, the boys and I will also make the most of the “delights of Dammam” and the “allures of Al Khobar”. Weekend warriors, unite! Let the party begin! 
 Came across this amusing piece which I found so appropriate for Mother’s Day. To all the dedicated and untiring moms out there, this one’s for you! Have a chillaxing day! It was Sunday morning and her son still had not appeared at the breakfast table. She had tried yelling up the stairs: “Wake up and get down here!” But there had been no response. Finally, she went up the stairs and opened the door to her son’s room and said, “You need to get up and get dressed. It’s time to go to church!” “I don’t want to go to church,” her son groaned from under the covers. “You can’t give me a good reason not to go to church, so get up!” his mom replied. “Actually, I’ll give you three reasons. Number one: it’s boring. Number two: the people there are gossipy and critical. And number three: no one likes me. So why should I bother?” “I’ll give you three reasons,” retorted his mom. “Number one: the Bible says you should go. Number two: you’re 45 years old. And number three: you’re the pastor! Now get out of bed and get dressed for church!”  Where would we be without the tireless urging of our mothers to do what is right? Truly, very few roles demand such unconditional, self-sacrificing perseverance and commitment as that of motherhood. So, moms, take a bow, we deserve it!   PS I was delighted to discover that Keith, the boys and Marga actually had flowers and cards for me for Mother's Day. How sweet!  I attach the pics below - hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed receiving them   
Very touching hand-made cards from the boys, Luigi and Rafa  
The full package - loved the Stargazers! Luigi even prepared a Book of Poems especially for the occasion (how sweet!).
 Last night marked another milestone for Keith and I. After what seemed to be ages, we finally had the chance to go out to dinner by ourselves* (translation: without our three active yet endearing children). Hip, hip, hooray!  *(Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the “loving support” of “brother and sister cousin” (Rinel and Ge) who have agreed to baby-sit our three gremlins, este darlings, for us. For this, Keith and I owe the Mega-Mags our eternal debt of gratitude! What do we do without you guys?)  The restaurant of choice: Orient Restaurant in Al-Khobar.  This place was recommended by Keith’s local officemate, Hakeem (God bless him!), after Keith complained that there was a serious lack of Japanese restaurants in the kingdom. In fact, before this pleasant discovery, we only knew of one Jap resto and we weren’t really too keen on visiting it for two reasons: (1) the Japanese food really was only part of an international buffet spread and not an entirely separate restaurant; and (2) the restaurant is located in the compound where some terrorist action happened a few years back (scary!). Pardon the digression. Back to the “main event”. First off, the interiors of the restaurant came as another pleasant surprise for us. After coming out of the elevator (since the place is on the 4th floor of a building), we were ushered in to a very Oriental-themed (i.e., Japanese-Chinese) resto environment where the furnishings, china and flatware all blended very well together. Attention to detail was also very evident since the place settings all matched, down to the chopstick rests and the yin-yang shaped ceramic salt and pepper shakers!  We later learned that the owner is also actually an interior designer to royalty and dignitaries both here in the kingdom and abroad (kaya pala!). For its ambience alone, the place truly is a cut above the rest here in KSA. Of course, the most important part of a restaurant is the food it serves. Thank God they got it right in this area too! Keith and I started off with miso soup and crunchy California maki – both “delish” (as our friend Rachael Ray would say) – which we downed with our equally refreshing “mocktails” (alcohol is prohibited here, remember?). Keith had a mint-lemon concoction while I chose a strawberry-melon-yogurt delight (yum-o!). Come the entrees. Keith had a 250-gram steak (sliced in five portions) with white sauce and steamed veggies and rice while I had the “Orient Land and Sea”, a flavorful combination of beef, chicken and seafood teppanyaki with stir-fried vegetables and plain rice on the side. The portions were just right and allowed room for dessert.  Due to the reliable “kabayan connection” in the restaurant, Keith and I were even treated to dessert “on-the-house”! We had something like fried ice cream (where the ice cream is inside a tempura-like batter with sesame seeds) except that instead of ice cream, we found sweet bananas inside. This was then topped with vanilla ice cream. Definitely a delightful way to get the “ulam” taste out of our mouths!  Lastly, we were served house tea (again in a very impressive ceramic pot with a bamboo-designed spout) and assorted candies to cap our meal. The tab may be a bit pricier than usual but truly worth every riyal!  Our verdict: Five-stars!!! A place where we would definitely come back to and recommend to our friends.  Our only regret is that we weren’t able to take decent pictures to share with you. Well, there’s always a next time, right? Till then, bon appetit! 
Being the control freak that I am, I feel utterly frustrated (sometimes even to the point of feeling that I’m losing my mind due to stress) , whenever sickness takes hold of anyone in our family. Although my head keeps on reminding me that God is always in control, there is always this nagging portion in me which also always thinks of the worst possible scenario.  Blame it on my emotional make-up (as far back as I can remember, both my mom and maternal grandmother are this way too when faced with illness) or probably my innate aversion to any form of pain, but exposing me to any situation of sickness within the family always seems a surefire formula for chaos and disaster. Enter today’s devotional and sure enough, I am again reassured that no matter what happens, God will always allow only what he knows is best for us. All the pain and suffering will somehow make sense in the face of a loving God.  And I quote: “Perhaps, like David, you’ve lost the power of self-determination. Someone (or something) has seized control of your life, or so it seems…You may fear that circumstances have overturned your plans. But nothing can frustrate God’s loving intention. Tertullian (150–220 AD) wrote, ‘[Do not regret] a thing which has been taken away . . . by the Lord God, without whose will neither does a leaf glide down from a tree, nor a sparrow of one farthing’s worth fall to the earth.’ Our heavenly Father knows how to care for His children and will allow only what He deems best. We can rest in His infinite wisdom and goodness. Thus we can echo David’s words: “Here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” I honestly pray that I be given the strength to overcome this flawed part of my nature - that my faith be strengthened by Him who I try so very hard to hold on to and believe especially in times of weakness and doubt. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. —Psalm 73:26
Hope you all get inspired by this post. Any of you know how we could get involved in GK from outside the Philippines?
Tony Meloto, the visionary and driving force behind the Gawad Kalinga movement, is gifted with a Doctorate of Humanities, Honoris Causa, by the Ateneo de Davao. He then delivers a speech to the graduates of the university, a challenge actually, for patriotism and heroism. The same message will be given to eight other colleges and universities who have asked Tony Meloto to be their commencement speaker for 2007.
The Filipino Spirit is Rising
Antonio Meloto
2007 Commencement Exercises Ateneo de Davao University
Today, I feel intelligent. Not only am I addressing some of the brightest minds in Mindanao , but I am also being honored by this prestigious university with a Doctorate in Humanities, Honoris Causa. This is the first doctorate that I have received and I am accepting it in all humility and pride as a recognition of the nobility of the cause and the heroism of the thousands of Gawad Kalinga workers that I represent. Thank you Fr. Ting Samson and Ateneo de Davao for bestowing the highest academic degree on a man who was born without a pedigree- the "askal" (asong kalye) who went to Ateneo and came back to the slums to help those he left behind.
To a person like myself who did not excel in Ateneo in my pursuit of a college degree, receiving this Ph. D. is extremely flattering being fully conscious that my principal role in this movement is to be the storyteller of the many who put in the sacrifice and the hard work and yet have remained mostly unrecognized. It is also exhilarating because it builds on the growing global awareness, triggered by Gawad Kalinga and other movements that have not given up on our country, that the Filipinos can and will build a squatter-free, slum- free and hunger- free Philippines by committing their collective genius, passion and strength towards restoring the dignity and the potential for excellence of the poor, the weak and the powerless.
The Filipino spirit today is rising wherever he is in the world. He is starting to discover that he has the power to liberate himself from being a slave of the past… that he can remove the label stuck to his soul as a second class people from a third world country… that he can correct the scandal of history of being the most corrupt in Asia despite being the only Christian nation, until East Timor, in the region.
In the right setting the Filipino has proven that he can be law- abiding, hardworking, honest and excellent.
Over the years, I have not met a Filipino beggar in my travel to the US, Canada and Australia…not a single beggar that I have seen or have heard of out of more than 2 million Filipinos in the US; many Caucasians, Afro- Americans and Latinos- yes- but no Filipinos. Clearly, it is not the nature of Filipinos to beg if he is in the right home and community environment. The mendicant culture in his native land is man- made and artificial and can therefore be unmade and corrected if we give him back his dignity which is his birthright as a son of God.
In the same vein, we know that the Filipino is not lazy. Time Magazine in its 2006 article on Happiness identifies the Filipino as one of the ethnic groups in America least likely to go on welfare. How many of us know of friends and relatives who would take on two or even three jobs in pursuit of their dreams for a better life. Hardworking when motivated, resilient when tested- that is the Filipino…that is us. It is no surprise therefore that the average income of the Filipino- Americans is higher that the US national average; the former slave is now richer than the master in his master's home country.
We must believe that we were designed for excellence. World- class Filipino doctors and nurses are healing the sick of America and Europe. Our sailors dominate the seas in every mode of marine transport for commerce and pleasure providing every imaginable form of service- and often always, they are the best navigators, the best chefs, the best entertainers. Thriving economies in Asia carry the mark of Filipino managerial expertise in their start-up stage. Filipino CEOs, CFOs, COOs captain top multinational corporations carrying on the proud expat tradition of SGV's Washington Sycip, PLDT- SMART's Manny Pangilinan, P&G's Manny Pacis and many others.
Sadly, we are top of the line, crème de la crème, the best of the best elsewhere in the world except in our homeland. While the Jews and the Arabs were busy building abundance out of their desert, we were busy creating a desert out of our abundance.
Let us put a stop to our inanity and hypocrisy. Let us stop cracking jokes about our shame and misery. Instead let us celebrate with our hard work and integrity the return of our honor and pride as a gifted people, blessed by God with this beautiful land. Let us honor every great deed, every sacrifice, and every kindness that we extend to our disadvantaged and needy countrymen.
Let us put an end to our lamentation. We have suffered long enough. For 400 years, we have been gnashing our teeth, blaming one another, stepping on each other and yet have the temerity at the end of the day to ask God why this is happening as if it was His fault. It is now time to hope, to care, to work together and to rejoice.
Yes, we will rise as a nation if we nurture this emerging beautiful spirit of the Filipino and cultivate an intelligent heart. How? When we show our love for God by being our brother's keeper- giving land to the landless, homes to the homeless and food to the hungry. This is about love and justice in a country where the majority of our people are landless, millions of them living in shanties and slums and 17% of them experiencing hunger in a rich and fertile land. This is not about charity but about authentic Christian stewardship and nation- building.
We will rise as a nation when rich Filipinos will consider the poor as an heir, like our youngest child, equal in worth and dignity with our own children, deserving an equal share in our children's inheritance. A beautiful spirit and an intelligent heart consider the poor as family, see the face of Christ in them, and see the paradise that every slum community can become. That is why every GK home is beautifully painted and the standard of landscaping of every GK village is Ayala Alabang or Ladislawa in the case of Davao .
When we build first world communities for the poorest Filipino, we give them dignity and first world aspirations that will motivate them to dream bigger and work harder with support and nurturing. A recent study of GK Brookside, Payatas conducted by the UP Diliman College of Economics revealed an amazing result – the confidence and self-respect of the residents, many of them former scavengers, rose from 17% before GK to 99% after GK; 93% consider themselves better off in terms of quality of life and 96% believe that their economic situation will improve in the future. Clearly the spirit of the poor is rising because those with the most share their best with the least.
This nation will rise if her sons and daughters abroad will see wisdom in helping not just their relatives, which is an admirable Filipino trait, but also the poor they do not know who need help the most.
Last night, I arrived from a 1- week trip to the U.S. for the world premiere in Chicago of "Paraiso", the Gawad Kalinga movie, and to attend GK events in Los Angeles and Las Vegas . The movie was a big hit but the bigger hit for me was the phenomenal response of our patriots in America to help the motherland by building self-reliant and sustainable GK communities. The UST Medical Alumni Association of America Board was planning not just building more houses but also hospitals and community health programs through Gawad Kalusugan. USTMAA president Dr. Primo Andres is building a beautiful GK Village for his wife, Sylvia in Panabo, Davao where she comes from as an expression of his deep affection for her. Another Davaoeno, former Cabinet Secretary Cito Lorenzo, joined me in booming Las Vegas to honor Filipino entertainers and realtors who are investing in the rebuilding of their home country.
Passion for the Philippines was evident everywhere I went. From successful young San Diego businessman Tony Olaes who spoke about sleepless nights in his excitement to help fund 20 new GK villages with his Filipino business partners to the SouthCal Ancop Sikad Bikers pedaling to build Sibol Schools and the Bayanihan Builders who are retired professionals in Los Angeles repairing homes of neighbors to raise resources to build homes in Bicol, to the 8 nurses in NorCal working extra shifts to fund their individual GK villages. The Filipino exile is waking up and starting to unleash a stream of Patriot Funds that will augment the OFW flow in fuelling the Philippine economy. |
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