Is having a Postpaid plan the way to live these days?

This entry is like a continuation of what I have written in my blog post, I think a month ago (read it here ).

Another issue we have now is if one of us should maintain a postpaid service to be in contact most of the time. What we have been doing for the past few months is to re-charge our SIM with credits from the sari-sari store or buy a re-charge card for us to use... for half of the month.

photo grabbed from www.globe.com.ph

To be honest, since I am at home most of the time, I do not need the charge unless of course I had to go out or I need to call someone who is not on Viber, Whatsapp or Facebook. Highly unlikely but that happens most especially when family members (like my mom) who frequents malls and is not home most of the time. Her not being home means she does not have wifi access around hence the need to call her from time to time.

I use this app a lot to communicate with my mom and relatives abroad 

Another thing is when you need to call landline numbers and I always end up going to the reliable sari-sari store to ring someone who doesn't have a mobile phone or does not allow us to contact someone directly (like going through a customer hotline).

A note I had for myself when I had to call a service hotline

A friend suggested to get the lowest postpaid package possible but should also be beneficial to us. I have been thinking about it because as I have mentioned previously, landline numbers and/or postpaid accounts can get you a credit card.

Not that we need it or even want to but there are times when the only option to pay is via a Mastercard or Visa.

Also, when we were in Dubai, I had a postpaid line because of the data package it provides. However here in the Philippines, the data package is quite expensive (I do not want to talk about that issue right now because that deserves another blog post) so that was the reason I hesitated.

Now, I have re-think our position about that front and maybe it will benefit us.

Twitter Lists

I have been a Twitter user for the longest time. I like the fact that I can express myself in 140 words but at the same time would rack my brains on how to 'really' express myself in 140 words?!

Over time, I have followed and unfollowed a lot of Twitter users because some end up ranting a lot that it's not healthy, others ended up being a tweeting advert of the products being promoted while some just do not tweet at all (I guess they got tired when the post button does not work if you go over 140).

I like Twitter because you get creative on how to say what you mean in that word count! To date, I think I am following about 200+ Twitter addicts and it is beginning to be difficult to keep track of the people you follow. Because aside from their usual tweet, you will also be getting the tweets they have retweeted and they have marked as a favorite.

That is a good thing too but at times, I feel that most of my timeline now is just about retweets, favorites and adverts :( No real person really tweeting about what they think or feel.

At times, I don't open my Twitter app anymore because no conversations are being made there anymore. While browsing through my page, I decided to explore the lists that I have made. Lo and Behold, I had a light bulb moment, I can use those to keep track of the things I want to read or know about. I decided to reinstate my "Twitter Lists" and updated the users on it too.

This got me excited that I have now found a new way to connect and re-connect! :)

You can see more of me at Twitter again! In case, you just want to chat or have a conversation, tweet me at @rach_alarcon.

Comfort and Style brought to you by Mandaue Foam

In order to get a good night sleep, you should be one with your mattress.

Our old mattress was a hand me down from my brother. Their family has been getting bigger and bigger every year and they needed to have a bed that can fit all of them should the kids decide they don't want to sleep in their own room.

I gladly accepted it because we were only vacationing once a year so I didn't think that we need to get a new mattress only for it to be covered with dust or household insects after a year. R and I were not that comfortable but it was better rather than not having a bed to sleep on. This was around two to three years ago.

Fast forward to October 2014, I noticed that I cannot sleep well at night. My back was always sweaty and R said he feels like he is about to fall from his side of the bed. We decided to do a bit of investigation to remedy the situation. We have turned our bed around and also checked why am I getting a sweaty back all the time.

It turns out the bed has a leather cover and on top of that a synthetic cover which is why it was hot when you lie on your back or side or front. I just shrugged my shoulders and say, okay maybe when the weather gets colder, it will get better.

It did not. I want a new mattress.

I have been eyeing the Mandaue Foam website when I was still in Dubai. I even followed them through Facebook and Instagram. Even before when they were not as famous as they are now, I do see quality pieces of furniture. I remember being told that their main selling point in their business is their mattresses and I kept that in mind till now.

So imagine my excitement and it really felt like God answered our prayers when they had a 20% discount sale for mattresses (Thanks to my mom). On the date that they started the sale, we trooped to Mandaue's newest showroom at Shaw Boulevard and checked their offers.

We went from one bed into another. Laid down side by side and moved around each bed they have to offer. We fell in love with this.

screenshot of the bed from Mandaue Foam's website

This is actually a late post because we have been enjoying this mattress for a month now. We made the right choice. When the mattress was delivered to us and we had it in our bed, I woke up at around 10 in the morning (in our old bed, it was usually 7:30 or sometimes 6am because my back was already sweaty since the aircon is on automatic switch off).

I love the comfort this mattress brings and their delivery service was also exceptional. They have been giving us updates about the delivery schedule. I know I might sound like a commercial to you but I do commend them for their service at the showroom up to the delivery.

Now you do not have to just take my word for it but you can also have the Mandaue experience as they are now having another sale!

It's not too late for more Christmas shopping for your home! :)

You can also visit the Mandaue Foam website (https://www.mandauefoam.ph). Please note that this is my personal post and is not an advert.  

Finding your Focus and Purpose

I now have a normal routine that I kind of want to break... yes, sadly I need to.

My morning starts with me saying a prayer to the Creator followed by browsing through Facebook and Instagram.

the two social media apps that make people around the world stay up... all the time!

If R does not give me "that" look, I can probably end up going through these two social sites for the rest of the morning.

After that (depends on my mood), I will again start bidding for projects online. Hoping to finally get some work that does not let me leave home.

So, whilst doing my routine, I chance upon a website that was shared by one of my Facebook friends, theprayingwoman.com

It drew me to read more about the devotional for today (imagine, I saw that post in the morning and up until tonight - time check 10:45pm, I still have the site open).

The title of the devotional is 'When God's Reasons Become Oh So Clear'. As I read through the devotional, I time travelled to when R and I were discussing about our "for good" plan. I have been putting it off for the longest time, almost 5 years to be honest.

click here to read the devotional

I keep giving R reasons as to why we can't go. It was because we were still paying off the house... then I said maybe we can wait for me to reach a certain tenure in the company... then I said we need to save up because we will need X amount of money in order for us to survive without employment and my list goes on and on.

Despite all those, we still went with our decision to go home and we did. I believe this chapter in our life involves God. When we were still in the Middle East, I keep praying and asking God if this is also what He wants us to do. Is this His plan for us, to go home?

In the devotional, one of the points mentioned was to keep our focus on God and not to lose faith on Him. I think as human beings, we always want to be able to have a fool-proof plan of our future. However, this is not the case with God. He wants us not to lose sight of Him and in turn, He will lead us to the place of our milk and honey, our paradise.

It was said that if you have a peace of mind on the plan that you have decided on, it means that it is also God's plan.

That is what I felt.

Right now, I am still trying to understand what is God now trying to tell us about the next step. What are we meant to do here in the Philippines.

I want Him to guide us on what and how we should lead our lives. I am seeking for wisdom and courage to understand and know what is in store for us. I also ask for patience because believe you me, it is hard to be idle when you know you want to do something!

images were grabbed from the following:- 
http://www.forbes.com/companies/facebook/
http://busyevent.com/unleashing-power-instagram-event/

screenshot was from:-
http://theprayingwoman.com

Raving for Rita's

I have been reading about Rita's and actually saw the sign being set up a few weeks back when we were in Greenhills. The place where the store is situated was not a fortunate spot for the previous store so I was actually thinking that Rita's might have the same fate.

I guess I was wrong.

I passed by the store again and there was a long queue of people wanting to try what they have to offer. I said to myself, it can just be a fad like some of the little shops that have sprouted before.

I was wrong again!

Reading from Spot.ph, the store was a hit in the United States. It started out as a small store which has expanded all throughout the country. The co-owner, Ted Castro says there is nothing like it in the country. Very true.

My sister, being a foodie herself (I think) asked my mom and I to try Rita's. To be honest, the stingy side of me was contemplating whether to give it a try or not. I was thinking if the PHP 130 was worth it for an ice cream custard?

Eventually, we reached our destination and good thing there were not a lot of people inside. There was a good flow of customers coming in and out of the store. It only has a few seating inside but they have extended their seating outside (behind the store, away from the car pollution - a plus point for me!).

I decided to stick to the basics and ordered a Gelati. I tried their mango ice with vanilla custard.

This was my order

The size was actually reasonable for its price. Obviously not reading so much of the write-up on the website (teehee), I thought that the base was all ice and the custard on top. I was surprised to see that the base was actually custard too! It was not that sweet for me, it was just right. However, if you think you need to watch your sugar level, they also offer sugar-free Italian ice (I might try that next time to try if it will sacrifice the taste of the whole ensemble). 

My sister had the Blendini. 

I wasn't sure what her set of order was because I only heard the bit about the chocnut or was it choc full of nuts but it sure did taste like chocnut to me! :) 

It was nice and very light (we had those before dinner, imagine!). 

When I reached home, I still want to have some more of Rita's! Now, I wonder how I can convince R to give it a try... (",) 

#FeelingHappy

Pardon for the hashtag title but I am really feeling that right now! :)

I have been on a short break from my laptop (had to sort out something about our car and at the same time, had to carry out daughter / wife duties -- gorcery!!) so imagine my excitement / surpise/ joy when I saw that I already got a +amount in my Nuffnang account. 

To be quite honest, it is not a big amount (I don't think I can even buy anything from the amount that I have received but seeing that just means, there is something to look forward to in my blogging career! Hahaha!! 

I am not sure if I understand it right... if I divert readers to their websites or they do to me but in case, it just means that someone / somebody (thanks to you) visit/ visits my blog!! 

How cool is that?? 

Can you imagine people reading about me... about my thoughts... about what I think about the current events or just about anything! :)

Teehee!!

I am over the moon right now :)

Thanks viewer(s)! Hopefully, I can see you comment or post something in my blog. I already know I have one reader... still wishing and hoping that more people will be interested to read about what I have to say.

image grabbed from http://www.allgraphics123.com

Mas #MerrySMChristmas dito sa Pilipinas!

A few months back, my husband and I have decided to pack our bags and return to the motherland - the Philippines.

After a decade of working abroad, we thought why not try out and live our dream? All we have in hand were our savings and lots and lots of baggage :) Kidding aside, during those years of working abroad, I have always avoided going home for the holidays. I always tell myself, I cannot bear being happy for a few days and be miserable for the next 11 months. So I never went home.

I would always see my colleagues at work be excited as they do their own countdown of going home to be with their relatives and enjoy the festivities. I end up covering for them for a month or more so that they can be with their family.

When my husband has announced that he had enough and would want to start anew in the Philippines, I said yes but made him a deal - we would do it during the -ber months! I reasoned that at least by that time, the weather would be a bit colder and he will have less asthma attacks by then. He gave it a thought and shook my hand to seal the deal! However in reality, I really want to experience Christmas in the Philippines.

Once we reached home, I would always be in awe of department stores like SM Supermalls that will have Christmas trees decorated in various themes - white, blue, gold and red (I think this color is really for Chinese celebrating the season, but that's me). I would observe sales consultants and decorators cheerfully commanding their team on how the store or tree should be decorated. Christmas carols being played over and over. The holiday cheer (even though it's only October / November) is infectious!

The #MerrySMChristmas spirit found me!

You see in the country that we have been, Christmas is also being celebrated but you don't feel the spirit of Christmas. A country that is affluent in almost everything yet the vibe is not there. I think the expats in that country make do of what they can get.

Sabi nga nila, iba talaga ang Pasko sa Pilipinas and it is true.

Now that we are back home, I intend to spend this holiday and make it a memorable one for us and our families!

Like how the people behind the SM Supermalls tries to give a smile to every young children this Christmas. As part of their SM Cares program, they have introduced the 'Give a Bear of Joy Today'. For just PHP 200, you get to keep a bear for you or your kid and you or they get to share it with other children in orphanages or institutions who are in need of someone to cuddle :)

In the spirit of the holiday season, I know we all tend to more giving so if you want to find out more about SM's other MerrySMChristmas events, visit their website (click this  >>> http://bit.ly/MerrySMChristmas) 

To give more of the Christmas cheer because it's a #MerrySMChristmas, view this short video of how the SM elves continue to work so that you and your kids can be part of Santa's NICE list!

Now, let me go back to my own Naughty or Nice list! ;-)

 

I appreciate you and other thoughts about our journey

Often times, when things don't go your way (*gulp* guilty), you tend to concentrate your irritation or frustration with the people around you.

You would look at them as if they have disappointed you when in reality, they didn't but since we have a lot of pride in our heart and mind, we tend to always point the finger at them and shriek that it's their fault, not ours.

I think this has been me for the past few days. I guess, not having anything to bury your head into (like work or stuff) kind of ticked me off. Yes, there are household duties that I need to fulfill but since I have the time in my hands... I kind of do it s-l-o-w-l----y.

Last night while we were in the Victory church service, it was like God nudged me and send the word "appreciation". To be honest, this was not the series we were tackling but it hit a spot (you know like cupid hit me straight to my heart!).

I look at my right side and there he was, looking very mysterious (but I guess he is troubled of what's happening with me for the past few days). Lost with his own thoughts, I uttered the word "thank you".

He looked at me and gave me a tight side-hug.

It felt good but I know it was not enough so after the service, I told him that we would have a light snack. He has mentioned a few days back that he has been craving for palabok (Filipino dish that is consists of rice noodles with a special thick orange sauce that has crushed pork skins as toppings, you can get it from Jollibee). Good thing, even at my stubborness, I know how to listen and remember.

He ate his palabok whilst I had my burger sandwich. I can feel that the mood had already lightened and his mysterious look was slightly being altered of his usual "smirk-smile" trademark.

I again uttered the word "thank you" and it felt good because he smiled back.

The service made me realise that we do not always get the things we want in a snap. It has been said many times by various inspirational speakers and entrepreneurs that going for your own business takes time.

Not because nothing is available for you but because this is hard-earned money that you want to make sure it will click. Yes, taking risk is required but you need to have the right head element to go with it and gut-feel too.

I guess, we are not there yet... We are still on the market research phase (this is what I tell myself, hopefully I am right). However, I hope and pray that our perfect timing will come because I truly believe that our 'jump' will not be wasted. The Might Provider has something in store for us... greater than what we imagine.

To you, thank you and please know that I appreciate you. Always.

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” ~ Cicero

1 Thessalonians 5:11 
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (NIV)

The verse and quotes were taken from http://www.jollynotes.com/inspirational-verses/appreciating-others/

Are you a Pocket user?

Since I am still waiting for our stove (thanks again for my sponsors - my friends), I have been browsing the internet for various recipes that can be done when the stove arrives (yes, that is how excited I am!).

Initially what I have been doing is saving/ adding bookmarks into my webpage which is now looking a bit heavy and to be honest, I don't browse a lot anymore.

A friend (or was it Itunes) introduced me to Pocket.

This app lets you save or bookmark a webpage that you want to read for later. I think I have used a previous app before (aside from bookmarking) but it did not satisfy me.

With Pocket, it allows me to also tag my recent finds so that it will be easy to search :) or if you cannot really remember how you tagged the article, you can also search it via the keywords on the title (which is what I do most of the time).

all of the Chicken recipes that I have saved appeared! :) 

Apart from recipes, I also save news or feature articles in this app which I want to read when I have the leisure to do so (which is supposedly now but I still do not do it boo!).

I *heart* this app :) 

#justsayin' 

Am I creative enough?

Back when we were kids during my playtime, my cousin and I will have different activities. She will be busy with her crafts or she is downstairs helping out cooking. As for me, I will either be in our room, reading books and when the internet was available - chat and email my friends.

Today she still does her crafts and incorporates it with her baking or when she does her once-in-a-blue-moon creations (invitations). Sad I do not have any of her creations with me. I guess moving around a lot and not having a permanent place to put keepsakes does this to you. 

As for me, I try my hand in crafts from time to time - like my cross stitch obsession and then now to baking.

I have seen a lot of people and some my friends who can make something beautiful from scratch.

Am I creative enough

This is the question I ask myself and so since I have a lot of free time, I thought I will start with sewing things just basic stuff. You know things you have learned in your Home Economics class. Most probably, throw pillow covers... or table runners... or I don't know but something.

Let us see if I can make this happen ;)

Thankfully, I still have our old sewing machine with me (a shopping splurge that we did not intend to do but bought it anyway since we were influenced by a good friend....)

I think my sewing machine looks like this 

(photo grabbed from http://www.overstock.com/Crafts-Sewing/Sewing-Machines/19182/subcat.html)

Now, where to set it up... hmmm... 

Moving Forward

Do you recall when your boyfriend or girlfriend have parted ways? The only way for you to move forward is to either return the things he / she gave you (though I am told this is not the norm because you do not return stuff given to you willingly) or you delete them (slowly) from your life. 

I have just braved my emails and started unsubscribing (slowly) to newsletters and deals that I have been receiving regarding the UAE. 

A few weeks back when I was browsing through my email, I told myself that I will just keep them for now because maybe (just maybe) there might still be some items that I will want to buy in Dubai then I can have it delivered to my friend's house or office. 

I keep opening deals and newsletters which eventually made me feel miss the country more. To be honest, it made me feel sad. 

It felt like I was missing out on a lot of things because there were still some activities that I want us to try. 

Can't move on

So tonight, I have decided that I will unsubscribe to these newsletters and deals (okay, maybe about 3-4 of them) so that I can look forward :)

thanks for the memories!! 

Air Drop and its Hulaboos

I hate to admit that I have been bitten by Apple and is actually beginning a fan of their devices. Though I have to say the battery life of its devices is still considered to be one of the down sides, I still am all for it (hey, that's why powerbanks were invented right?).

It got me a bit excited when they started mentioning about Air Drop. You see when you have different devices on hand, having a way to share your files between devices is really a plus. You would usually take photos using your phone and want it to be shared on your computer so you can blog about it (ahem) or just save it in your photo library.

So when Air Drop was available, my colleagues at work (or should I say ex-colleagues) decided to transfer files via this application.

The verdict?

Well, it worked on some of our phones but not on all. This bummed us (most specifically the person who cannot receive the files! That wasn't me!!!). After that, I lost interest with it. Fast forward to now, my sister and I have the same phone and decided to use Air Drop again. It worked and so this has been the best way for us to share files (especially when she takes better photos than I do... hmm, did I just admit that?! :p)

I decided to give it a try with my laptop but after XXX number of attempts, I decided to call for Google's help and see if other users experienced the same issues.

Oh yes they did!

And I thought my lone device has that issue. I decided to search and search. A lot of users were actually frustrated about it and one user even mentioned just iMessaging files to his other devices since Air Drop didn't work!

Viola!

iMessage? Decided to give it a try and it worked! Sorry but I feel giddy and excited because that is the work around I have been looking for! And here is the evidence of it! :P

Our first Christmas Tree... 

The photo above was sent through to iMessage! This might be a late discovery and people might be doing the face palm right now but hey, that's fine because this is something new to me :P 

So... expect more original photos from me now since I can just iMessage them to my friend, the laptop. 

The Infamous Weather

Last September, people have started tweeting, posting in Facebook their greetings about the coming Christmas holidays.

By that time, the cold breeze is already felt and you get giddy because you know that the festive season is coming! People are cheerful and are slowly getting into the spirit.

Being here in the Philippines now for more than a month now, I cannot feel the breeze during the day. The cold gust of the wind is only felt in the morning (not sure if this is because when pollution sets in, this kind of blocked the cold wind - am I right?).

The sweaty feeling is still there or is this just me adjusting to the weather? No, I beg to disagree!! A few years back when I went home during the latter part of the year, the weather was nice.

Could this be the effect of global warming??

grabbed from http://www.clker.com/clipart-215649.html

I wonder what the weather will be when summer comes? *gulp* 

Yours truly, 

Sweaty Me

Banking Woes

R and I went to do a long overdue errand - have our details updated with the bank.

Being an OFW before, you will always end up having a lot of half-used prepaid SIM numbers because your main purpose was to contact your friends in a few weeks before you leave again and come back the following year or maybe a few months.

photo courtesy of http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/07/21/sim-card-vulnerability-puts-one-quarter-of-all-phones-at-risk/

Others who knew they will be going home more often, invest on getting a roaming SIM which they ask their loved ones to top up when the credit is about to expire (yep, it only allows 75 days for Globe subscribers... not so sure about share-a-load credits... have to find that out).

Anyways, with any bank transactions, a contact number is required.

Now that we are back here (gulp!) for good we thought it is best to update the bank of our new contact details and at the same time, update any other necessary information that needs to be changed.

Upon coming in, we were greeted by a warm smile in our BDO branch. Immediately, we were offered to sign up a credit card. My mom informed us that there is a promo running right now regarding this and we thought

why not?! (BIG SMILEY for me)

After the initial purpose of going to the bank, I inquired about it and rightly so, we were provided with forms to fill in.

We obliged and fill in what we can. The customer representative was very patient and read through all the answers. She smiled and asked

Ma'am, we need to have your landline number so that the request can be processed.

Oh no (BIG FROWN-Y). I told her that we do not have a landline number as we did not think it is really necessary at this day and age. She offered to provide suggestions (like maybe we have relatives who have a landline or the neighbors!). We said there is really none.

She smiled again and said,

Okay Ma'am, let us see na lang po if they process.

So in the end, we do not have our hopes up about the credit card thing-y because they might not even give us a call because it's not a landline number.

Let us see how it goes... I will hold on to our bank's slogan (teehee) :)

photo courtesy of BDO

 

 

Memberships

Are they really worth it? 

A few days after coming back home, my mom and sister have been telling me to avail of the card membership from S&R.

I think I have only been to this store once or twice when I was still in my tweens (ahem! yeah, a long time ago). I have to say I like the idea that you can buy stuff in bulk. Another interesting fact is that I (and the entire family) like love their humongous pizza slices!

photo courtesy of http://www.istorya.net/forums/food-and-dining-18/335954-s-and-r-pizza-you-better-try.html

I also know that they have reasonable sale items for their members.

R and I had a talk. He thinks the idea of being member sounds like a good idea but then also asks me if the PHP 700 membership is worth it.

Please do not take this as if we snub these kind of privileges because we are also members of the Robinsons Rewards and BDO Rewards. These two only have a minimal fee. Apart from that, we frequent the places they offer rewards to (Hello! Robinsons and SM - wherelse!). So I mean you know, you will definitely reap rewards on these cards.

I am still contemplating on this because there are a few household items that can be bought in S&R that you cannot find elsewhere. I think this is the Philippine version of Target or Costco.

Though I have also read online in one of the women sites that buying in bulk has its disadvantages too. You do not maximise the use of your supplies because you know that you have enough to cover you till you need them. A wrong notion to be quite honest because that also means you are not getting your money's worth.

I think there is an advantage in bulk buying because you and your family can share (though this can be a bit tricky especially if your siblings or family do not use the same brand!!).

The 'bugging' has stopped for now but I think I can be persuaded... most especially if my mom brings me inside the establishment. I swear I am such a fanatic now of supermarkets and homeware items. I have been transformed into being a gadget freak to a home freak (yes! cleaning items? COME TO MAMA!)

I will need to go through our budget and see if there is an excess... nuninuninu... excess? what excess???? :p

We have gone crazy at Krazy Garlik!

Since R & I have been back home, we now have these one-time family dinners with (of course) the entire family - almost (background: bro and his family are not here in the Philippines and have migrated to Canada).

I was searching for a place that R & I have not tried before that is unique to our palate and at the same time, a bit easy on the budget.

Yes, we are not OFWs anymore so we are a bit conscious on how we spend our money.

Since I am a coupon and deal freak when we were still in Dubai, I have tried scoring for good deals in the Philippines as well. I came to know about ClicktheCity and have downloaded their app to secure some good deals (I will have a seperate blog post about this wonderful app).

After downloading the app, I have browsed through it and ta-da, I have found the Krazy Garlik :) Initially, I thought okay maybe this restaurant serves most of their dishes with garlic (but this ingredient is a staple in almost all the dishes, right)?

Half expecting for the dishes to be garlicky, we all went and head to the restaurant.

First off, I like the ambiance. It has a very cheerful surrounding with the yellow hues all over the restaurant. There were not a lot of people that time (being a workday) so we were immediately seated. The staff were all smiles and attentive to what their customers need. Our server also gave us suggestions since we were kind of a medium-sized group (a total of 5 persons).

We ordered the Garlicky Crispy Pata (yes! pork!), Korean Style Sesame Beef for mom, their famous 40 Cloves Chicken and the Tofu and Baby Eggplant.

I am assuming that the dishes where made on order because it did take awhile before the food came which was okay because my mom was busy watching the finale of My Destiny (I resisted taking a photo because she will get very mad about it!)

(grabbed from my sister's instagram account)

Over all, the price was reasonable as they do have enough portions. The two men (dad and R) were so full (double thumbs up!). 

I would recommend you to try this again or if you did then come back and have some more! :) 

*The Krazy Garlik outlet that we have tried is at Greenhills Promenade, San Juan City 

The Weather

is something that I/ we need to get used to.

Yes, Dubai is known for it's extreme weather and when we left that city, it was still the dry season. Fortunately there, the electricity charge is not as exorbitant as it is here in Manila.

In Dubai, you can still enjoy the cool breeze of the air conditioner if the condition persists. Apart from that, it is the heat that is your enemy. Unlike here in the Philippines, you need to think a thousand (yes, a thousand times) before switching on the air conditioner (or is it just us being stingy?). More than the heat, it's the humidity that I think is causing a concern for me and R. That sticky feeling, you know (yes, that's the one).

Now it really makes me get very scared when the summer season kicks in.

I need to find alternatives to stay cool under the summer heat in the Philippines.

Mr. Sun 

(source: http://freedesignfile.com/13215-elements-of-summer-sun-vector-art-03/)

And so here we are...

It has been two weeks since we have moved back here.... yep, in the Philippines.

We were welcomed by traffic, endless sweat and nonstop rain! Hahaha but overall, it was a fun welcome most especially since I get to see my family (mom, dad and sissy).

Until this moment, I do not have any strange feeling about the decision that we have made. Friends have said (or actually analyzed) that it is probably because I still feel that this is a vacation.

I think so too...

I don't feel any fear to be quite honest. I am not sure why but it's like my doubts about how the financial aspect will turn out seems to be a distant issue now. It felt like the Almighty has given me the peace of mind regarding this decision.

I am still in touch with my friends and colleagues at work back in Dubai but have not touched base with my friends here in Manila. Not that I do not want to see them (of course, I do!). It is just that I want to savor this moment with R. I feel that finally, we are building our own home and not just a temporary one.

We get to decide where to put what. To let you in a secret (sort of), I think we still try to put everything in our room! I guess it is because in Dubai, we only have a room for ourselves (except for kitchen items, of course). Slowly, we now make use of the other areas in the house!

Our house is slowly becoming a home... though we still have a lot of stuff coming in the next few months (5 boxes!!)

I just have to say, it is hard to pack everything up and close a decade of your life in another country.... because you do not only temporarily close it but you have to familiarise yourself with what is in front of you, what is in store for you in the place you are in.

Slowly, we will get there but for now, I enjoy the peace (though at times, the bickering!!) our home brings :)

Series Addict (an uberly late post!)

Now that I am slowly regaining my strength by eating the right amount of food (meaning no diets!) and drinking vitamins, I have converted myself into a series addict!

June 29 was the start of Ramadan here in Dubai and usually, this means that the working hours are now shorter (6 hours to be exact). We were given the 8am to 2pm stint and that means I am usually home by 3pm.

At first, I was thinking of something to do and fell asleep!! The second time I tried, I again fell asleep so I thought to myself, what should I do so I do not fall into this "routine"

Watch TV series

I have been watching a lot of television during weekends but do not really follow any series in particular. I said to myself, I do not want to be hooked however I weighed my options if I want to sleep throughout the afternoon or try to keep busy. I guess that was the reason I decided watching a TV series instead.

Now, I am more than addicted to watching this TV series, Bones.

(photo grabbed from Episode Generator)

This is a series about a forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent who solves crimes using what's left of the human remains, bones.

I like the series because it gives me a taste of the world of anthropology and a crime scene. I have been very fond of CSI so I guess this is just one of them however, the twist on this series is that they are also intertwined. Aside from the bones that they look at, their personal lives are also being discussed here to which I think this series evolves in the perfect subject --- LOVE.

I am still in Season 2 but I do sense chemistry on the two main lead characters, Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth.

A friend in the office said that she thinks they hooked up in real life and I had to check (not so sure if I am just a sucker for romance but I was really hoping they ended up in real life as well). Turns out, they are not husband and wives but are just co-workers.

Though most of the crimes are solved, they inject a lot of different topics in each episode like how Booth is a devout Catholic while Brennan is all about science. I thought this was just a one-off topic but it's not. Now, I am interested to know how this kind of faith rubs to Brennan since she always needs to have a rational explanation and does not believe in God.

Aside from that, it also gives me a picture of various types of American families on how they live their lives - individually or together.

Okay, I think I am being absorbed by their world on how I write this blog but I really find the series exciting. There are still hundreds of episodes that I need to watch and I am amazed how time pass by watching this.

I will let this series devour my time until the end of Ramadan which is two weeks away... better go back to my series!! :)

Lazy Me!

This has been my outlook for the past few... weeks months.

I always attribute it to the fact that I have been sick for the past few months (well... it was on and off) and the fact that the lazy weather (aka summer) has been creeping in slowly that I am not moving that much (translation: it's only my fingers who are the most active... by browsing online through my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more... if it's not that, it occupies its time browsing through channels on the telly).

The fact that I am sick is true.

I have been having colds that take forever to heal. I do not want to admit to myself that maybe the "age" is catching up you know but then again, I am trying my best to eat healthy (however does not do anything in terms of enhancing the body i.e. exercise).

Friends have been telling me that I have been sick most of the time they try to get hold of me and I, too, wonder why. R and I have been trying to research why am I getting sick most of the time. I don't think it's because of my inability to exercise because I am really not a 'gym' kind of person. So what we did was we kept on looking for sources e.g. we looked for molds because last time my ex-roommate and I were sick for about 2-3 weeks only to find out that our room was beginning to be moldy (kind of).

Molds out of the list.

Aside from that, I have also taken vitamins again to give my body the nutrients that it needs.

As I have said also, the summer season is coming!!!! It is here!!!! I love the sun but not this kind of sun exposure.

Though I have to say, it should have started in the month of May but the summer season is just about to start because during the night, you can still walk around and still feel a light breeze.

Not really sure why I am struck by this sickness (i.e. having a lazy attitude) when I have a thousand things to do --- one of the major thing is to start packing things up!!!

The D-day is very close to happening and I only managed to ship out one box... uh huh... just one box.

I hope this feeling goes off really soon... including my cold and cough so that I can concentrate on the important stuff...

Now, let me get back to my tea ;)

Busy

The past few months have been busy.... not because of work but because I have been sick for the whole month of March and a bit of April then shortly after regaining my strength, R fell ill as well.

It was very difficult. We had to take turns in making sure that both of us were okay which means waking up in the middle of the night so that we can drink our meds and all.

Good thing we now have a clean bill of health for over a month now. I don't think we have been bad with our eating habits. I guess it was just the change of season here in Dubai.

Summer is coming so this change can really affect even the healthiest of bodies. In our office as well, people have been taking turns to take a leave of absence due to sickness (boo!).

Now, apart from being sick and all, I guess you can also say that I have been busy tinkering our gadgets :D

I am hoping to break off from the gadget spell and focus on what I have loved doing even before -- read.

To be quite honest, I have not been reading a lot :( That is a very sad truth.

I think I have been on a reading hiatus for the longest time - both magazines and books! I just don't understand why but it has!!! I need to regroup and bring myself back into reading again.

How about you? What has been keeping you busy?

The Beach

R and I had the chance to wake up early and head to the beach!!!

Yes! It has been in the plan for weeks months now but it never happens. I guess this time schedule permits for us to visit the beach and it was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!

There were a lot of people in the beach... I think it is because the weather was just right. We arrived at about 10am and managed to secure a nice spot. Since we were in a rush to head to the beach, we were not able to have breakfast so we ate there before joining the other beach goers.

The water was uberly cold!!! You just need to take the plunge because eventually you get used to the water's temperature. R and I watched people's reactions when they take a step to the water and it was hilarious!

The whole experience was calming and fun.

R and I usually go out to be in the malls so this was another welcoming adventure. We do go to the beach but this happens once a year? Hahaha! So when he told me that we will be back next week! I am sooooo thrilled!!!

I hope to be reunited with the waters soon :) 

It made me think if we will be going back to the Philippines, most of the beaches are in the outskirts. You need to travel for about 1-2 hours before reaching the beach gem! Here in Dubai, it can take about 30-45 minutes to reach the beach or like what we did, we took the bus and it took us about 45 minutes (including the waiting time) only. 

Now, I am back to my thinking cap about 'the' options :)... I know you will not understand my readers (if I have any) or maybe you do... just cannot reveal it yet.

Crossroads

Am I really?

or do I just need to think about 'THE' game plan?

Bucket List

Do you have any? I don't :(

I wonder what does that make me? I do not have any desire to travel and now, I don't have a bucket list!!

Does this mean that I am satisfied with where I am now or I have already achieved most of my goals? Seriously?! at 16 years old (LOL!)

Hmmm... (long pause)

More long pause ...

Maybe I should really write a list...

Drool!

I was just browsing through my emails when I stumbled upon HomeDesign's newsletter.

Their feature on the newsletter was all about bedrooms... and being a wife who always wants to have a peaceful bedroom, this definitely caught my attention.

You see, R is a light sleeper which at times turn into an insomniac :( He has difficulty sleeping. We have tried various stuff (vitamins for him to sleep, melatonin pills, sleeping pills, milk with honey, etc) so as to cure this. It would work for say 1-2 tries and then after that, we go back to the same problem :(

From our room, I think about 3 to 5 years ago, we painted our room ocean blue. I liked it because of the calmness that it brings into the room while R likes it because he feels the colour lulls him to sleep!

I talked to him about it and we have discussed changing our room colour to ocean blue so that he can rest well and for the calm feeling to remain (being that will be our resting / nesting place).

I guess that is enough background about this newsletter! :p

I like this room because it definitely spells cozy!!! The browns and a touch of green gives you a feel of nature in your room. The colours are not that loud and there is still enough natural light that comes in to your room. I like the LED lights beneath the shelves because it already serves as night lamps for us both (me in particular since I do like reading and right now, we do not have night lamps). 

This is my second option

Again, I am lured to take the brown/ earth tones because I think this is what a room should be. Calm and relaxing. I also like the fact that outside, they have a small breakfast/ nook area where you can just type away or chill...

This I might discuss with R since we do have a small space where we can extend our room and maybe come up with this design. Not sure though if this is possible but it will be nice to have a space like this in your room. I think if given the chance to choose over a walk-in closet or this nook, I will definitely go for this one!! :) 

Check out Home Designs website to get more inspiration on what you can do to the spaces of your house. 

Note: All photos were taken from Home Design's website

On New Year Resolutions and Goal Setting

Today is the first day of 2014 and I am writing a post!!! Hahahha...! Well, to be honest, R and I didn't go out and painted the town red because they were not given any day off (boo! I know)... reason is the malls have been jam-packed because of the holiday season... oh well, the holidays are over but here comes the Dubai Shopping Festival and just like that, the bad schedule continues :(

Yes, I want to cry but hey, this (I guess) is far better than him being miles away from me. At least I still get to see, hug and kiss him if I want to (I just need to sleep late and wake up early!!).

So... this is the first day and I come to think about resolutions or goal setting for this year. I saw a friend post in Facebook regarding goals

(grabbed from my friend, MJ Ces)

I admitted to him that I am not setting any goals... not sure why but for the past years, I have been aiming on finishing the payment for our house in Manila... and now that it's finished, I keep asking myself - what's next? 

Usually, I make resolutions and stuff that I am thankful for... but never about goals. I am not sure if this is because I don't know how to conquer failure or rejection. This feeling is something that I try to deal with most of the time and if I can, I try to avoid it (hahha!). 

Though thinking about it, I need to have goals not to show off but more of to keep me focus for the year. 

Hmmm... now, let me go and write them down ;-) 

Happy New Year!!