Category Archives: FAMILY

BULLIES and the BULLIED

Posted by weng on

I hate kids that bullies their classmates. I think they need medical attention. My daughter’s been a victim of those. Bullies should not go to regular schools. They must have a proper school where all of their kind undergo a different disciplinary approach.
I am not an “overprotective” mother. But as a parent, we want our kids to study in a school where they can learn the right values and proper behavior w/o bullies that distracts them from learning. Parents who have bully kids must know that they have a bigger responsibility to discipline their child.
It all boils down to the parents.. Bullies are kids “nurtured” by their parents who spoiled them extremely during their toddler years. They are unaware that they are teaching their kids on how to be arrogant and insecure at a very young age.
We all love our kids that’s why we want to give them almost everything that they wish to have when they were still small. But we have to know that, there are factors that might affect their attitude and behavior as they grow and becomes a school child. Parents who spoil their children and always giving them what they want means showing a perfect” world to their kids. Which is contrary to our reality.
Parents must be aware that kids should learn how to live in an “imperfect” world as all of us lives in. That there will be times, that what their kids want, they will not have even if we really can provide them. Toys are cool, but playing is more important. Anyone can play with a toy. But imagination will never exist without thinking.
Parents must encourage their children to play with other kids as they grow rather than playing with a lot of toys alone. With that, kids will develop how to deal with different characters of other kids that they play with. They will learn the value of giving, humility and friendship.
Everything that a child learn starts from home. Let’s give them a better one. Cheers to us, parents! :)

CLASSES STARTS!

Posted by weng on

1st day of classes has always been exciting for me since i was still studying. But today, i get more excited for my eldest daughter who is now on her 2nd grade in elementary!

Here are some of her photo snaps on their 1st day of classes before going to school with her cousin, Emilio. They both go with the same school now.. ;)

We were’nt able to take some photos in their school because it was already late, and raining. But the two were very happy meeting new friends from their new school.. ;)

BULAWAN FLOATING RESTAURANT

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Front Gate

It was Good Friday when our family decided to have a long road trip.. We wanted to have our lunch somewhere far in our place that will give us a different restaurant dining experience. We searched in the internet for a floating restaurant that caters Filipino dishes which we truly love. We drove along Rizal province, and found the resto that were looking for.. Bulawan Floating Restaurant. It is located in the long road of Manila East Road National Highway in Pililia, Rizal. It was a long drive but became worthwhile as we came there.

Cottages in a Pond

Bulawan is called as a “floating restaurant” because of its isolated cottages within a pond that has fishes where anyone can go fishing just for the fun of it. They serve Filipino dishes, especially seafood. This restaurant is perfect for big family dining, because most of its dining area are in big cottages.

Walkway

The only thing that dissappoints me when we we’re there was the customer service. I dont know if they are understaff at that time, or maybe because of the huge dining crowd that just wants to have lunch that made us have our lunch a bit late. The food that we ordered took over an hour to be serve, which was frustrating for hungry people like us.. huhu.. :(

view from our table

Fresh Young Buko Juice

But then, glad that they thave a nature themed dining area, that makes us feel more relaxed because of the fresh breeze of the wind. They first served the young fresh buko for our drinks.

Mixed Seafood Sinigang

Grilled Fresh Tilapia

Then of course, we craved for their mixed seafood siningang that truly relieved our hunger. It’s best served with the big grilled tilapia with soy sauce and kalamansi. It was just a simple home-style lunch that really made our day.

Halo-Halo

We also had a halo-halo for dessert, that tastes like ordinary halo-halo sold on streets. but then, it was a refreshing Good Friday lunch for us! We will try to go back there to try some other Filipino dishes that they have.

Venice enjoying the pond view

UNCLE CHEFFY BRICK-OVEN PANIZZA

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Uncle Cheffy is one of the newest restaurant to check out in the beautiful place in Solenad NUVALI, in Sta. Rosa Laguna. It was an unplanned lunch that our family had there, because we were suppose to have a restaurant hunt in Tagaytay. It was Maundy Thursday then, that the road from Sta. Rosa going to Tagaytay is in a tremendous traffic, due to tourists that wants to have their vacation.

Solenad, Nuvali is just along that road going to Tagaytay so we decided to just have our lunch there. There were new restaurants that have opened, and Uncle Cheffy catched our attention. There were a very few people in Solenad that time, because of the Lenten season.

Seafood Tom Yam

We were the only customer of Uncle Cheffy during our visit, so we owned the place for the moment. Their crew are very courteous and assisting. Since it’s Lent, we ordered non-meat dishes. To start with, we ordered the Seafood Tom Yam that boosted our appetite beacuse of its spicy flavor, and all of our favourite seafoods are there.

Larry's Craving Panizza

Then we tried the Larry’s Craving Panizza, which is a very healthy pizza that has mushrooms, salmon, escargot and also snails on top. It was a perfect seafood pizza! It came with some arugrula leaves and some alfalfa sprouts on the side that makes it more appealing to look at. The taste is superb and will definitely be loved by seafood lovers!

Fish Barbeque Platter

Then we ordered the Fish Barbeque Platter these are grilled fillets Cream Dory, Garoupa, Salmon, and Tuna Belly served with Tomato Salsa, Teriyaki, Creamy Garlic and Balsamic Sauce. The fish will taste tastes even better when dipped of drizzled with the sauces of your choice.

Water Melon Shake

Of course, dining in a resto for me woul’dnt be complete without ordering a fruit shake! I just love the natural and refreshing taste of their Water Melon Shake topped with a slice of it and a cherry!

Choco Roulade

And to finalize our delicious lunch, we tried their Choco Roulade which was offered to us by their dining crew. She told us that it’s their best seller dessert. And we believe she’s right! The creamy mango ice cream inside a roll of chocolate cake really wrapped up our lunch with a smile..

Happy Venice :)

TOOTSIE’S in TAGAYTAY

Posted by weng on

Last weekend, our family decided to go out of town to have lunch, and we chose Tagaytay because I’m craving for a bulalo dish. We came to see and try a Filipino Cuisine restaurant that has a bulalo in their menu. It was in Tootsies restaurant in Tagaytay. It is located along the Aguinaldo Highway, near the Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

It was past 1pm, when we arrived there, and there are only a few eating. They have a very hospitable reception staff who greeted us as we walk through its French inspired doorway. When we got inside, we saw a not so old lady reading a newspaper together with her son, and surprisingly they greeted us with a smile. I’ve found out that the woman is Tootsie herself, the owner of Tootsie’s Restaurant.

The theme of the interior of the resto is very homey, with  couches and medium tables that are designed for families who dine together. We ordered of course, the bulalo which i was craving for, pinakbet, turon, pineapple shake and their authentic comfort food, pancit buko.

Their bulalo is served on a small palayok, where you will feel the native taste of the beef. Their bulalo is different from other bulalo dish because it has langka and tomato sauce in it. But entirely, the taste is awesome. I am a “soupy” eater so, i really enjoyed it. The pinakbet is also satisfying, as well as their turon with langka syrup poured on top.

We were so full then, that we cannot eat the pansit buko. So we just took it out and ate it for merienda as we got home. We were amazed by the comforting taste of the buko, that has a pansit canton in it. I love the Filipino dishes in Tootsies and we will definitely pay a visit again there. ;)

NICE, MERALCO!

Posted by weng on

It was not so long ago, when i experienced one of the best customer service from a utility company in one of their branch. I just want to commend their good service to their customers so, they deserve a nice review here in my blog.

I was with my eldest daughter, a seven-year old kiddo when i went to Meralco’s Calamba branch to pay for our electricity bill. There were long queues for each counters, so i kinda got irritated because i hate waiting. Much to my surprise, a customer service lady approached me and told us to go to the “express lane” because I am a customer who’s with a child. The personnel told me that the express lane is for customers who has a child with them and also for senior citizens and pregnant women. So, i feel good that i dont have to wait for the long queue to pay for the bill, and in just 2 minutes, I’m done!

I hope that all of Meralco’s customers would be able to experience that convenience when needed and of course if eligible. Other utility companies should follow that practice too. ;)

MANILA OCEAN PARK VISIT

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Well.. My youngest daughter, Venice turned 2 last Thursday. So as our birthday treat to her, our family decided to go for a kiddie adventure. Our destination? Manila Ocean Park. This was our first time to visit the place, so everyone’s excited even us, parents..

We arrived 15 minutes earlier, just in time for the opening of the theme park. We took some pictures on the entrance and bought their 500 peso per head promo package ticket. It includes 4 attractions to visit, the Oceanarium, Dancing Jelly Fish, Marine Life and The Sea Lion Show.

Before we start the attraction hopping, we had our early lunch at Northpark, had 2 roasted chicken, Canton noodles, Fried shrimp in sweet and sour sauce, java rice and a tower of iced tea. After our delicious brunch, we stroll around the mall inside the Ocean Park to check on some stores and souvenir shops. The kids were able to buy two Dora umbrellas!

Then we headed to The Sea Lion Show, where the two Sea Lions from the US, Vincent and Isabelle showed us their wonderful tricks that really entertained us, especially the kids. Then we proceed after to the Oceanarium, which is my favorite attraction in the Manila Ocean Park. As shown on TV whenever it’s being featured, it has a huge aquarium, where you can see the hundreds of different species of sea creatures. The aquarium tunnel gives us the feeling of being inside a submarine, and under the sea!

We took a lot of pictures and videos almost everywhere we can. But inside the Oceanarium, camera flash is not allowed. Anybody can take pictures, but without using the flash of the camera. Anyway, it’s part of protecting the sea creatures not to get distracted by the sudden flash of light, so it’s for their own good.

Inside the Oceanarium, there is a kiddie library area, where kids can read a lot of books about the different sea creatures. There is also a puppet show area, for students on field trip. We stayed there for a couple of minutes, to take some rest.

My husband and I tried the Fish Spa, wherein small fishes bites your skin, as you dip your feet into the pool. They call those little fishes, Doctor Fish because of its healing power. They eat the dead skin of the area that is near to them and at the same time healing them. We really felt invigorated after, though it’s tickling on the first few minutes. It was a real laugh trip for us, because we where laughing the whole time when those fishes tries to bite the parts of our foot.

Then we visited the Dancing Jelly Fish where the transparent jelly fishes changes its color everytime their aquarium light changes. It’s very relaxing to watch, that relieves stress. There were tubes of aquarium where different types oy jelly fish smimming around to show their beauty. We took some lovely pictures of them everytime the light color changes.

The last attraction that we visited was the Marine Life, where we were able to see the Sea Lion up close. Funny thing that we think they knew that somebody’s watching them, so they showed us some tricks even if their trainor is not around. Synchronize swimming everywhere and even creating some noise.

The Manila Ocean Park adventure was great, and the kids loved it, except not totally, by the birthday girl, because she was afraid of the big fishes inside the Oceanarium. But along the way, she was able to enjoy some of the attractions. Till next family adventure!

KARATE KID, a review

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When we tried to watch A-Team last week at Festival Mall in Alabang, a long queue for KARATE KID was overwhelming.. There were so many movie goers especially a bunch of kids along with their families.

Last weekend, we were able to watch this Kung Fu movie of the great Jackie Chan, and the cute lil boy, Jaden Smith who is the son of the very proud dad, Will Smith! Who also, happens to be one of the producers of the movie.. Great break they did for their son, which his mother Jada Smith was also a part producer.. :)

This is a story about a young boy, who grew up without a dad due to a demise. But his loveable and caring mom was still able to make it on their own.. Moving to China, where most of the kids knows how to “Kung Fu”, made “DREW”, Jayden’s name on the movie, fearful of the “karate kids” that always try to bully him.

With the help of his mentor, Jackie Chan, who played the role of Mr. Han, made it possible to conquer his fear. With determination and discipline that Mr. Han has taught him, Drew made it to win as the Champion, that made him, THE KARATE KID!

With a great sense of humor all throughout the movie, anyone will really enjoy watching this with your family and loved ones! An inspiring movie for the kiddos! Thumb’s up for Jaden Smith!

ON MOTHER’S DAY :)

Posted by weng on

mama, mom, nanay, inay.. whatever name we wanted to call them, they are all the same kind.. they are our mother. when all of us were still at our tender age, we were just kids waiting for our mother to cook our food, tuck us in bed, and do most of the things for us.

in most of us, “mama” was our first word to say when we were just babies.. i guess we dont have to wonder why, primarily because, all of us children came out from our mother’s womb. and the very first heart beat that we had, was inside our dearest mother. she was there during our “dependent times”.. and when we reached the point that we think we can make it on our own, she’s still there to support us, and pick us every time we fall. she never misses to care about our feelings, our problems, and who always wants us to be happy to see the beauty of being a child.
i remember when my mama told me, “when you will have a child in the future, when you become a mother of your own, you will understand me.” well, what she has told me was very true, and all the parents would agree. i realized that it was a tough job for her to be a mother to us.. i was not even on the half of her motherhood, but i am experiencing how hard it is to be a mom, but on the other hand, it is more rewarding and joyful to be a mother..  to raise your kids, seeing them happy and innocent yet fragile.. the completeness of being a woman could not be attained unless she becomes a mother of her own.. yes, it is true.

we all have to celebrate being a child, and being a mother.. love your mom and be grateful that she’s one of our beloved parents, who never gets tired of protecting us, loving us, and accepting us. they are gifts from God, as well as our children making our stay in this world worth living.. :)

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL THE PROUD MAMA’S IN THE WORLD!

WHEN PROBLEM BECOMES A PROBLEM

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In times of trouble, how do you survive? How do you deal with the problem that comes into your way? Are you the “passive” type? Or the “active” type? From the famous tagline, “different strokes for different folks”, we deal and treat with our problem depending on our capacity to think and analyze things.

There are 2 kinds of problems, the unexpected and the foreseen. Problems that happens accidental and is beyond our control can be categorized as the “unexpected problem”. These are scenarios that  just pops out suddenly in our life that we cannot do anything but to deal with it. An example of it would be, a loss of a loved one, a demise. Although all of us are expected to die eventually, but we don’t  expect it to happen soon! So when it happens, although it’s painful, we must deal with it.

The next kind of a problem is the foreseen. Well, we don’t need to be like Nostradamus, or a psychic to predict things to happen. Actually, in reality, most of our problem falls in this category. We tend to do things that are not very well thought about before executing it. If you may notice, there are problems that happen in our lives which should not be happening at all. Because of our carelessness, and passiveness to a potential problem that may occur, it evolves into a certified “mind-bugling” scenario without us noticing it. Then there goes the problem.

Another tagline, “paralysis of the analysis”, when you keep on thinking about a certain situation, that suspends your decision, the execution just hangs in somewhere. You cannot figure out a certain direction that will lead you to decide whether you want to do it or not.

Thinking three steps ahead before making a decision would be the best tool to come up with a great outcome in decision making. It’s like a chess game, that every move you make is three steps ahead of your goal. It is like preventing a potential problem to happen. If you can make yourself to have that kind of ability, life will be so easy. And you would have a lot more time to enjoy it, rather than spending most of your time in thinking about your problem and the solution to it. As we all know, PREVENTION is better than CURE.

Life is what you make it! Why not make it fulfilling and happy. Life is too short, people! (^,-)

BORN TO BE A MISTRESS?

Posted by weng on

in reality, people have been naming names to women who has an intimate relationship with a married man, to whom they are not legally binded by the law of mankind and the law of God.
hooker, kabet ( for filipinos), home wrecker, bitch and other not so good to hear names.
well in legal terms, the right word for that would be an adulterer, that of which should be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt through evidence. and also, it must be presented on the judicial court, by the complainant. but for as long as it is not in the legal manner of presentation, the person cannot be called as an adulterer.
in Godly manner, yes it can be. the person can be called an adulterer through the eyes of God, depending on the religion and belief of the concerned person. Like in Muslim culture, it is acceptable to have multiple wives as their partners, provided that they can maintain and sustain the needs of their family with the other wives. But in the Roman Catholic Church, it is forbidden and sinful to have another woman, other than the legally binded wife. so what this is all about?
either way, whether you are the mistress or the legal wife, everything would be an argument. there are a lot of cases where, a married man or a woman is intimately acquainted and related to another person, by choice. and the complication goes everywhere within the relationships.
i do not endorse that the idea of having a mistress or multiple partners is justifiable. i only want to emphasize that we should not judge anybody by the choice that he made, for as long as it does’nt give any harm to others who are not concerned about.
respect is the key. because we all have the 3 F’s.. flaws, faults and failures. we will all be liable to whatever 3F’s that we have. we just need to learn to understand and accept the 3F’s that we see in each other.

LANCE’S CHRISTENING

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(inside the photo: me-ann with daughter seline, nanay mau with grandchild yumi, me with venice, and yumi’s cousin)

last weekend we went to binangonan to pay a visit on venice’s lolo and lola. we ended up going to cavite because it’s lance’s christening, venice’s cousin.
we had our lunch there, and bonded with other cousins of venice and other siblings of his dad.
everyone was enjoying the whole celebration, having all the kids sing nursery songs.
venice was also clapping and shouting and all her cousins as well.
it was a great family day!