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Dec 16, 2012

Plants are Social Beings

I'm no plant / agriculture expert. Thus having no idea about growing plants, I just take care of them based on trials and instincts and pure luck.

One of the things I observed about them is that they tend be more lively when they are grouped together. Their branches usually grow and bend to the side where there are other plants. They hold hands (stem intertwined each other). They kind of protect each other by giving shade or a support. And, having a very small space at home, they don't really mind being crowded with each other.

In this pic are oregano and tarragon (the long-stemmed one). I bought them together, and so they became some sort of partner. So every time, I rearrange the plants, I always put them beside each other. It's because I notice oregano loves to reach out to the very prim and proper tarragon. And, somehow oregano's 'messy-looking' trait has rubbed on tarragon. Tarragon used to be this with straight tall stems, now it's like going and pointing anywhere like the oregano.

Dec 1, 2012

Withdrawing


becoming jaded?

I don't think I have the habit of having year-end review of life or something like that. I guess because I'm a blabbermouth -- every eeny weeny pathetic detail of my life is broadcasted online, from twitter to plurk (yes, it still exists) except for tumblr because I really have not figured it out. 

But I feel like doing one tonight. From all the writings about running the past months, I need to write something non-running related. In my case, I miss writing about me, myself, and Rose. =)

Life has been good. I think however bad life is, I always see it as beautiful. So my good might be different from other's standards.

I guess my only qualm for this year is that I kind of grow into something I'm not. It's not that I stop being myself. I guess, it's just I tone down.

I always think of myself as a cheerleader -- giving out true and not-so-true compliments, trying to make around me comfortable, and pushing them to their best. But lately, I find myself withdrawing from this. 

I felt that motivation always comes from within. Although my cheering and half-truth compliments may be a boost but I realized it's just temporary. Or, I need to keep cheering to not lose the enthusiasm. Therefore, it's ineffective. 

And, I'm tired. And, I have enough of it.

I'm now a strong believer that it's only us who can help ourselves.

So if you come to me whining you cannot do it or that your life sucks, and hoping that you would get a sympathy. Sorry, but I have 3 kids, a husband, a mother, a mother-in-law and myself to tend to. 

Nov 7, 2012

Davao Itenirary: Tech Start-up and Running Scene

This DVO trip is unexpected. Davao city is something far down in my places to visit for the reason that it's always being described as the biggest city of the Philippines. The word 'big' just scares the untravelled smalltown girl in me. I'm scared in a way that it's too biG, I might end up doing nothing as the bulk of my time will just be spent figuring out how to navigate around that place.

Anyhoo, a chance to visit it came up when Mark will be attending the Startup Weekend Davao (SWDavao). It's a 3-day meetup where participants would conceptualize a business / product / service, then build a proto-type of it over the weekend. Then, it's a perfect timing that Milo Marathon Davao leg will also happen on that weekend. The more I want to tag along.

Thinking over the stay there, I really have not much idea on what places I'll be visiting except to be at SWDavao. So going around Davao will be based on people I have become fond of online.

So my itenirary will look something like this:

* Piclyf team
I could no longer recall how I ended up signing up for twidl.it, the piclyf before it became piclyf. It's been that long, it would be nice to finally meet the whole team behind it.

* @tweetitow friends
I could still remember the first few usernames, outside my circle of friends, who used @tweetitow.

@ariannechan was one of those first people. I think we met online as we're figuring out a way to use another SMS twitter client at that time. I think it was isip.ph or maybe a different one. Then @tweetitow was released, I then contact her back or something like that. Anyhoo, she's one of those few who I would always bother to check on some functionality or bug or whatever.

@liezlfabian. We call each other imaginary friend, because well we haven't really meet in real life. Hope, we will no longer be imaginaries.

* Team Davao Runners (TDR)
I met them first at Mt. Kitanglad Race. They're for sure busy with the Nov. 17 CUC 100k leg 2 race. So I'm hoping I'd be able to meet and run with them in their territory if their time permits. :)

* Then I'm really wishing I'll be able to find a person or a place that sells herbs and plants, and some exotic concoctions. :)

* Come Sunday, we'll join the Milo Marathon Elimination Davao leg. I'll be in 10k as I couldn't run a 2:30 21k. Mark will be in 21k. So i'm looking forward to running a place outside Cebu again. :) This will probably be my last race for this year.

Nov 6, 2012

Christmas wish list: Vermi Compost Soil

Vermicultured soil is shit from worms. You feed worms your scrap, they eat them, and then shit them back as earth. (note that scrap means uncooked fruit / vegetable etc). It's nutritious because imagine the nutrients from the scrap.

Anyhoo, i made an experiment if vermicompost, worms' shit, is better than cow/pig's shit.

Using the 2 passion fruit seedling 'gifted' to me from Esel of Loboc, Bohol, i use pure vermicompost on one, and the typical garden soil made up of cow shit / tipasi (rice husk?) on the other.

And, voila! The one on the left side is the vermicompost, and on the right side
Is the typical garden. You can no longer see the passion fruit as spinach (kulitis) invade the pots.

Obviously, basing on the pic, worms' shit is the big winner! It made the spinach obese. :) Buyag!

So all i want for Christmas is vermicompost soil. It's P10/kg at Barrio Luz Barangay Hall, look for Purita.

It's definitely more expensive than the regular garden soil. But then remember that they're going to end up in our body. As they always say, if we aim for the best fuel for our car, so much more with our body. :)

Nov 4, 2012

transplant

I've been waiting for another episode of rainy days before I'd transplant the new seedlings I bought, and some other old plants we have. But it looks like hurricane sandy took all the rain. So I decided to go on before they all become trees.

I transplanted the parsley seedlings. I guess it was not a good idea to get a packet of seeds. There's no problem in germinating them into seedlings. Parsley was easy to grow. Problem came when there were 101 seedlings sprouting. I just have no space for them, and I don't know how to handle them when they're still these tiny little seedlings. And so a lot of them just died. :(

Then there were 2 seedlings I got from Super Metro's grocery. One is Vietnam coriander. I think coriander and parsely are the same or maybe related. But this Vietname coriander looks like it fit better our tropical climate. It's more sturdy. And, it looks like it propagates like mint. Bu it smells exactly like a coriander / parsley.

The other seedling I got from Super Metro is that I forgot what it is it. I'm confused between thyme and marjolen. But I think this is thyme.

Then, I rearranged the other hers I have into hopefully putting them in a shadier place. The heat the past days was really really bad, the thai basil looks like it's dying. I'm depressed as it was very blooming before that. Anyhoo, I placed it under one of our malunggay plant, which will hopefully give it shade.

Then I placed the italian oregano and tarragon beside the gumamela. Hoping the gumamela will help in lessening the effect of heat.

I also have a few tiny seedlings of siling kulikot which I got from our home at Badian.

Oct 29, 2012

SD Cards

I went thru all the SD cards I could find as I'm looking for some files, when I found this particular Canon SD card. I think this came with our very first point and shoot digital camera, Canon AS something model.

When I checked it, it's indeed with our very 1st digicam basing on the pics stored there:
Meg w/ our 1st TV, a wedding gift

the crib my uncle Wawis made filled with trash =)
it looks like the box contained a new aircon.

yagit meg

fatso migi

migi 

Oct 19, 2012

Of not being alone

It makes me wonder if there's really a big difference if we are single or in a relationship. While, some of my single friends are pining to get married. I sometimes also fancy the thought of being single. Of being able to go any where, join races every weekend without no one to worry about. 

I can go in and out in any kind of jobs or wishes as no one will be affected with my decisions.

A familiar Usher song blasted on our ride on our way home yesterday, when Mark and I found ourselves singing along with it together without cue. Yes, we both love hiphop but we don't openly admit it. =) Yes, I fancy that Mark is my Usher.

Being in a relationship has those kind of moments that I'd probably not have when I'm single and alone. 


Sep 25, 2012

Of Yet Another Baby: Just Publish it!

I often find myself involved, without much choice, in Mark's different projects. I guess, sometimes, people would probably wonder what exactly I'm doing to be always beside Mark. I guess it's just in this year that I stopped being around.

It's hard to explain what I do. But most of the time, I'm the taker of the unfilled position. In rare times, a project would succeed then I would exit. Sometimes, they failed, then, again, I would exit.

So now I'm yet in another new project. This time, I felt I'm really old. Gone is my naive-ness. I kinda have a blueprint of how things will start, will work, and will go through "throes of sorrow," will go big. There's no success, as there will always be bigger success. I guess we can define success as being able to pass "throes of sorrow," of getting that traction. But then we all know, after that, more hardwork will come.

And, there's no failure. Cliche! =)

Somehow I also have a pseudo blueprint of what type of people will make a project thrive. Passionate is one. Another one is shrewdness. The latter part is actually a bit of a surprise to me, and you might disagree with me. I guess the passion keeps the fire burning, while shrewdness helps in moving things forward, to a different level.

So anyway, I'm actually getting far from what I originally thought to write about. For a project to succeed, just publish it. Which literally applies to our new project, runroo.com, an online multi-media mag or whatever you call it.

Sometimes, we get entangled with best practices and right practices or whatever those rules and policies and other pressures that we get so hold-up and end up with nothing. I guess this is where shrewdness applies. We just have to have this unbelievably huge faith in ourselves that whatever stuff we shove to people will work. If not, then create and again hit the publish button.

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I just have to note here that much credit should go to Armie Garde for the runroo.com, as this is originally her brainchild. =)

Sep 24, 2012

down

I was (am???) feeling low today -- some nothing-new major downer which I was just hoping to just pass by on its own. But then I learned of someone young passing, and good old friend's broken relationship.

As much as I don't want to take comfort from others' miseries, but, yes, I have more reasons to be grateful about.

Sep 23, 2012

butter

We watched "Butter" movie last night. It's a so-so movie if you're expecting some kabooms. But I love it.

I love the message.

We know that any one can create art or any thing, like a business. But it's just rarity that someone can create something with a soul, the WHY; that factor that we cannot see but we can FEEL it that there's more to what is tangible.

The thing is this is not limited to art or other human creations. It's happening to us, the humans. I guess we can conclude that superficial humans = superficial creatures.




lazy sunday

testing the 'blogger' app i just downloaded on mark's ipad. i hope they'll make an ipad version of this.

lazy sunday - mark watching kawasaki talking about startup. nothing changes.

Sep 21, 2012

My Obsession: I Could Write a Book About It

So many things to write that I'd end up writing nothing.
All the different thoughts wooshing and speeding in different directions in my head.
My different thoughts are like kids, all screaming wanting my attention.
Sometimes, I felt like crying of why can't they tone down, and stay in one corner while I tackle one topic.

But on another note, I felt more crying of why can't I just let go all of them.
Why can't I just NOT write them down.
Seriously, I'm the only one who cares about my pity thoughts.
But probably it's my equivalent to other girls' obsession over shoes, bags, and such.

I'm obsessed with my thoughts!
They may be pity.
But they're my most prized collection like that scary looking useless antique jars of an aunt.
I must must MUST HAVE them all.

See how I love my thoughts -
I could even write a book about my thoughts.

Sep 18, 2012

Housewife To-Do List

It's almost the end of the year, and, I have done nothing much of some to-do stuff I have mentally think of years ago. So I'm writing this one, as they say, broadcasting  what you want to the universe will increase its probability of becoming realized.

* Weed out clothes that are no longer used. Mark had already done a lot of weeding out his stuff so I only have to do mine, and the kids. We do not have much stuff but we have very small space.
Mark's
This is my whole stuff. I don't really have much. I have, either, threadless shirts or free singlets and finisher's shirt from the races I joined.
I certainly need new "smaller" sizes of clothes. The safest size for me now is medium, though I have a few small sizes. I think I lose weight. I really have no idea since I haven't weigh myself.

* Fix our screen doors. Seriously, I would be such a fail if these screen doors would not be fixed before the end of month. This is the topmost priority.

* Add more hanging bagol (empty coconut hust) pots therefore buy more bagol and driller "ammunition". I had one side of our fence already completed with hanging bagol. I love how it feels. Though, planting lettuce and kale was not a good idea. I think I'll use more traditional and warm-loving plants on the nexts.
ate Mona. this area is already filled with hanging bagol
* PASSPORT. I don't know how many times I attempted to process our passports in between the years that there there was NO piso fare yet, and now that probably the whole Philippine population except us has been to Disneyland HongKong already.

The things that stop me from perseveringly(?) completing it are:
* I'm generally not interested.
* Mark does not want to line for NBI clearance in lieu of a baptismal certificate, as he's baptized somewhere in Metro Manila. And, I don't feel comfortable cheating for it.
* Going to government offices depresses me!!! Don't let me start with how they love unnecessary queues for every little thing. end of story

* Cabinets / organizers closet. Our house looks like one garage. Bicycles and kitchen stuff sprawling around. As I said, we don't have much but we have a dollhouse.

Hopefully, by December, we can get started with this. Note to Mark's bonus if ever he still has. =)
  

Sep 13, 2012

13th Anniversary: Relationship for Convenience?

Mark: Bati'g nawong!
Me: Nailad! =)

It's our usual "tease" to each other. We can actually be more brutal than that. But it's our way of expressing "love."

Mark never sugarcoats.

I'd  been asking him if I'm her moon, her star, her sun? And, he always said NO.

I'd been asking him why cannot he say he'd cross the mountains, and swim seven seas for me just like in the songs and in the movies; why can't he say I'm the center of his universe. He'd reply because he'd never do that to any one.

When we're still gf-bf, I'd be hurt a bit because why he could not say sweet stuff like in movies / books / songs even if he would just fake it. But came marriage and 3 kids in-a-row, there are more things to sweat about than me being more beautiful than the moon and the stars, and the Miss Universes combined in his eyes.

But from time to time, I would ask him just for fun, to tease him, and still I got the same answers. Then, we'd agreed that since he does not see any thing special about me, we're probably having some relationship for convenience. It means that the love universe did NOT connive that we got into a relationship. It's just that at that moment, it's the most convenient thing to do -- he was single and I was single, and we happen to like the idea of having a relationship with no particular type of person. It's not because there was some love at first sight, or that he saw the stars and moon in me. And, we're still together until now because it's convenient thing to do. As Mark would say that why would you make it complicated and difficult.

Last week, I asked him again as a way to remind that September 10 is nearing, which is our anniversary as bf-gf. I got the same answer.

AHA! Then I thought maybe that is what is TRUE LOVE. True love is when you just simply love someone for no reason at all; stick with someone though you don't see any thing extraordinary or special about him / her.

Love is like that tattered smelly ugly stuffed toy you cannot live without, who you wouldn't trade for any thing better or worse. =)
Photo by: anador Rose
Happy 13th year of convenience, Mark John! Because love is passe.

Sep 5, 2012

The Week That Was 3

I have to do this in a hurry as I will not be back until Sunday, and I don't want to leave without posting this.

I brought the 2 boys to a barbershop before their Buwan (or is it Linggo) ng Wika culmination so they would have a clean cut for their presentations.

This pic was taken while Meg and I were waiting for the boys to be done with their haircut. I realized how I'm so "dark" already. I don't have problems with it though.
We made some DIY pizzas. I used the pita bread as the dough the kids would deck with whatever toppings they can think of. The winner for them is the hotdog/cheese/spag sauce. With Meg is chocolate spread and choco bits for cookies.



Finally, I got started making the "vertical garden" using coconut husk (bagol). Meg helped out in making holes on them.
Migi harvested again 2 peas from his monggo plant. He'd been eagerly waiting for them to turn black and dry.
showing off the monggos he got
I'd been starting to review Mati for his 1st periodical exams this week. And, Migi was doodling again on Mati's paper.

Sep 4, 2012

Meg's 7th Birthday (09/01/2012)

If our whole house looks like a mural (but more of vandalized gheto alley), it's because of Meg. 
all her random artworks sticked by her to our walls 

As I said, birthdays in our family are quite templated. It's spag/chicken/cakes/ice cream then add in some neighborhood friends and / or relatives kind of celebration. And as special request by Meg -- it should be white rice.

Before her birthday, we went to SM Consolacion to get her birthday gift, a new school bag, which is the same with Migi except it's PINK!
pangbalay ang wosh
Then, Saturday, we got her cake. She wanted a "cookies and cream" cake, but, unfortunately, it was NOT available on that day. She went for a chocolate cake instead. I was a bit surprised that she no longer ask for a "cartoon character-themed" cake.
It was raining hard on that day so the neighborhood kids were not much of an attendance. The note posted on the door definitely showed who's having the party!
No boys allowed! Only Girls
(Will update more pics from the camera...)

Sep 1, 2012

Sick-cation



Mark has been sick since yesterday, or actually the past days. But he was staying at home since yesterday, and he has done nothing but does the same thing he always do -- glued to his laptop or mobile device.

Aug 29, 2012

Sounds Familiar

someecards.com - I'm on pre-vacation vacation


How about adding post-vacation vacation, and it's already Mark John.

Kneading the Frustrations Away

(08.28.2012)
That weekly cravings that got botched makes me want to throw tantrums like a kid. So it was my fault that I got late again for the yoga. It's just it would take too much of my time just to be in the city to get my dose of weekly yoga, and I still mess it up definitely frustrates me like I want to bang my head on the wall for being so lame.

So anyway, I just picked up the "wheat grass" kit by Cebu Hydrophonic Garden from Chez Toztar hoping it would shoo away the BV-ness (Bad Vibes). 

But I'm still angst-y when I got home so I proceeded to get some flour, and knead my frustrations away.
I hope to produce some decent pita breads from the above dough, which is "sleeping" for now. A few of it, I plan to make some mini pizza for the kids. Then, the rest will be pita bread like duh. 

I love pita breads. Most of the time, I use it to wrap veggies ala Taco / shawarma. It's the easiest way to shove vegetables to Mark's throat. (Note that I don't always use home-made pita breads. I'm still far from perfecting it. I usually got mine from Village Gourmet which you can usually find at Rustan's, Robinson's at BTC, SM Supermarkets.)
For pita bread recipes, I'm lazy so I follow recipes which do NOT need oven cooking. So I cook my pita bread like pancakes. So I follow either of the following no-oven pita bread:
* for all-purpose flour, I follow Munatycooking's Pita Bread - Oven not needed recipe here >>. I used this on my first tries as all-purpose is cheaper than whole-wheat flour.

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What has become of my frustration?



Aug 28, 2012

Acquiring New Tastes

What they said that once you have a taste of the "real" version of the foods, it's just totally different from grocery-brought versions.

One of those is the cheese. Once I started getting my cheese from Cebu Dairy Fresh, which is actually already a bit processed, and the Compostela keseyo (another white cheese version) (which for me is less processed), the Magnolia quick melt cheese just loses its appeal to me. You can somehow differentiate the add-on ingredients they added tothe quickmelt cheese that you can't help but feel that probably only 20% of it is real cheese.
white cheese from Cebu Dairy Fresh sprinkled
Then, I happen to chance upon a recipe and instructions on how to make butter from scratch. Looking at it, it's not really that difficult. So I bought 1L raw milk from Cebu Dairy Fresh to experiment making butter from scratch.
raw milk from CEFEDCO / cebu dairy fresh
raw milk from Cebu Dairy Fresh at P45 / liter

You only need to let the raw milk sit at the ref overnight, then there will be these "elements" that would float at the top of the container. Scoop them up, dump it at your food processor. In my case, I use a food chopper. Then, just pulse it until some of them solidified.

From the 1L, I only managed to squeeze these much butter from it. And, the result is home-made butter is just delightful. It melts with an attitude in my mouth.
It brought life to the boring Batard bread. And, it just tastes lovely eating just the better alone.

For a more detailed instructions on how to create butter from raw milk, click here >>.

Aug 27, 2012

Craft?

Yesterday, I watched 2 documentary films -- Bob Marley and Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

10,000 Hours
And, just with other successful people, it takes years for them to reach some sort of "success" level on their crafts. Though, according to Jiro he could not say he's already at his best as every day is a chance for him to be better.

The Dirty Part
Sometimes, we had this thinking that we wish to be successful so we will no longer be doing the dirty work. But looking at Jiro, he only stopped going to the fish market when he collapsed from some sort of heart attack. But then the fish marketing was never delegated to their interns or other stuff, the job was then inherited by his son.

In case of Bob Marley, he went through the phase of performing in cemeteries to overcome stage frights, to distributing their music on his own.

Soul and Passion
It might be just the documentary film's director trying to make Bob Marley look good but all the clips of his performances showed how soul-ful his expression is when performing. Or, maybe it was just my impression.

From the different biographies I read about extra special "successful" people, when they describe their craft, you can always feel a special connection between them and their craft that goes beyond what we can physically grasp. It's far from what is typically described by hollywood movies as successful -- the blings and the $$$.

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Anyway, after watching the films, it made me think what is my craft. What is that one craft that I could relentlessly pursue to perfection and beyond?

Migi's 8th Birthday (08/10/2012)

He asked for a lunch treat for his classmates. But we settled with afternoon snack's treat.
Then, at home, we had some spag and chicken.
with the boys
with the girls
This Saturday will be Meg's. Then, we'll just repeat the formula again. =)