He or She?

This is already long overdue but I thought sharing something that made me & hubby happy will also make you smile somehow.

This was taken during my 3^rd visit (12 July) to my ob-gyne. Our baby on his/her 3^rd month (12 weeks)!

The moment for me was very surreal. My doctor even laughed at me when she saw me teary-eyed while viewing the scan. Kaloka di ba? I just can’t help it.

I’m a proud Mama!!!!

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Last 6^th of August, I had my 4^th visit because I wasn’t feeling well. Me and hubby are so worried because I am feeling some small contractions on my belly, which at first I thought, was normal. There was no pain.

Anyways, the doctor said that I don’t have to worry that much as long as I don’t have any bleeding or spotting and/or not feeling any pain. We had a short session of scanning the baby again to check for vital signs like heartbeat and fetal size whatever. She was also trying to verify the baby’s gender but she’s only 80% sure that my baby is a boy!!!!

Well, 80% is a lot already and I’m so happy and excited for a baby boy but hubby is still a bit hopeful that our baby is a girl. He’s got this mind-set already as he is, most of the time, unaware that he calls our baby on its girl name.

You see, we’ve thought already of a name for a baby girl (like 2 months before pa) but still can’t decide a name for a baby boy. Until now.

Sweet & nostalgic

Sheesh!!!! I’ve been away for too long. But that doesn’t mean I forgot about blogging. The mood isn’t just kicking in.

I’ve been doing blog-hopping, though. Hehehe. Just to keep up with what’s happening around the blogosphere.

Lately, I am getting so addicted with one of the blogs in PEP.ph particularly Korek Ka John by John Lapus a.k.a. Sweet. Try reading his or HER entries and you’ll find yourself laughing and learning at the same time kasi may sense naman. I am currently back-reading all his entries since I want to know more about him and I am truly enjoying it. Parang stand-up comedy na rin in the form of blog. Although sometimes may mga kadramahan din, mas maraming funny entries. Grabe talaga kasi there are times na di ko talaga kinakaya. I just don’t know if you’ll feel the same way kasi mababaw lang ako when it comes to comedy. I find it therapeutic kaya siguro I got inspired to update naman my blog. Hahaha! After 48 years of katamaran!

In a way, his blog heals my homesickness na rin.

Swey & Sir Dhan

It reminds of my gay friends/former officemates especially Sir Dhan and Swey. I miss our posing sa mga pictures at mga rampa-rampa whenever we have events coming out in the resort/hotel/golf club. Funny moments din when we have beach outings na pabonggahan sa pagmodel sa beach or on our videoke gimiks na pabonggahan naman sa biritan. They have extra-ordinary singing talents kasi. I would surely visit them on my vacay by the end of the year. Hopefully!

with my sisters Leslie & Lassiel

It also reminds me of my Jollibee experiences especially when I was still in Pinas since super dami ng kwento ni Sweet about his connection sa Jollibee. Way back home, my little sisters would always text me on my way pauwi (after office) to order some take-outs in Jollibee near our place when they don’t like our dinner or when my Mom doesn’t feel like cooking for the night. On their text messages, they would always say, “Ate bili mo ko ng spag & chix sa Jollibee tonight. I’ll just pay later sa bahay.” But I never asked them to pay me since I was the one working naman and it’s my way of treating them in a small way. If I am in the mood and bagong sweldo naman, I would buy Jollibee meals for all of us sa bahay which includes my two Titas, my Mom, my two sisters and my cousin Pia.

When I buy so many meals like that, kandaugaga ako sa tricycle or sa padyak. I used to ride on tricycles nung una kasi mas mabilis. But there was this “bwiset” moment sa tricycle when I bought some meals from Jollibee. Since it’s very tiring holding up all the 3 Jollibee plastic bags plus my bag plus my wallet for the fare, I’ve put down the softdrinks next to my feet and the other bags on my lap. Habang gumagana ang trike, I heard some “thug!” noise but just ignored it since we were on the highway and I just wanted to be home the soonest time possible. It was just a 3-minute ride. After paying kay Manong, I can’t find the softdrinks! That’s when I found out na walang harang sa baba yung trike! Nagshower tuloy ng free Coke ang highway. From the next day on, loyal “padyak” passenger na ko. Kahit mabagal, at least kita ko ang mga dala ko kung mag-disappearing act na naman.

Kaya ngayon, my sisters and Titas miss me so much that when I call them up they’ll say, “Ate miss ka na namin. Pati yung Jollibee treats mo namiss na rin namin.”

Minsan napapaisip ako, “Ako ba talaga o ang Jollibee?”

Happy Birthday Mama!

her latest pic

my last New Year with her, 01 Jan 2008

It’s my Mom’s birthday today so I called her up this morning to greet her. She just turned 49! Shocks! She’s nearing her golden age nah and I hope makauwi na ko soon.

You know how much I love you and how much I care for you. I can’t say in here how much you’ve done for me and for us in the family coz you’re not reading my blogs naman and knowing you, you appreciate more the actions than the words. Hehehe. But I soooo miss you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Baby Update

i want to thank God that by this time, my third month (Yay!),
the morning sickness is almost gone.
although i still can't have my stomach suuuuuper full.
i can only eat smaller meals but more frequently, according to my ob-gyne.

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i had my first "official" prenatal check-up last 20 June. i'm so lucky to have found a filipina ob-gyne here in UAE as it is much difficult dealing with doctors who are not "kabayan". during the check-up, i had my blood tests done and also an ultrasound scan.

for the second time, i saw my little angel with tiny legs and arms. the head was already showing too! i was super ecstatic. my little angel is already 9 weeks 5 days & already 3 centimeters in length (wow!), according to the scan. and my expected due date is on 22 January next year, plus/minus ten days. can't wait for you to come out little angel!

i was prescribed prenatal multivitamins, Duphaston (pampakapit) and Navidoxine, which i can take if i feel like throwing up again. in my mind, i have to gain as much weight as i can. i know it's a bit difficult since i'm still having "morning sickness".

next check-up will be next week!

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we also have to find a prenatal milk for me. Anmum!!!! i thought it's easy to look for this one. but hey, this is the Middle East and Philippines is like miles miles away. we can't find Anmum anywhere. some of the supermarkets that Hubby called almost everyday for like 3 weeks always have the same line of excuses.

"Dubai Customs blocked the Anmum shipment. Maybe we'll have them next week...blah blah blah...."

------------

Last night, after almost two months of searching, we found an alternative for Anmum which is called Daily Mill. Hubby found it in a pharmacy some two blocks away from our building. had the first taste before going to bed. i'm not the powdered-milk type of person but it was good enough naman. Chocolate flavor kase. =)

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i need to shop for a new wardrobe! i should have done the shopping last weekend but my laziness is on the highest level that day. i even rejected the idea of watching Transformers 3 that day.

anyways, my office pants won't fit me anymore!

would you believe? right now i am wearing my gray pinstriped pants for work and it's unbuttoned and unzipped!

sssshhhhh!!!!

i used a safety pin just to pull it together. anyways, my top is long enough for people not to take a peek of what the color of my undergarment is.

cenxa nah....all my leggings are up for laundry and i just forgot about them last weekend!

i'm setting this errand as high priority to-do after work. as in, seriously!

Hubby: The Jinx Master

Last night conversation with hubby:

hubby: Bakit nagdadownload ka na naman ng The Corrs? Di ba andami ng ganyan sa phone mo? (Why are you downloading songs of The Corrs again? So many of their songs are already on your phone, right?)

yummybite: ***no answer***

hubby: Sabi ko bakit yan na naman dinadownload mo? (I said, why are you still downloading them?)

yummybite: Eh di ba nasira last year yung phone ko kaya nabura lahat? (My phone crashed last year so the songs were deleted.)

hubby: Wag ka na lang kasi magdownload. Magkakavirus pa yung laptop eh. (Don't download anymore. Our laptop might caught some virus.)

yummybite: Namiss ko na sila eh. Basta! (Yiih! I miss them so much!)

hubby: Sa My Music natin meron namang The Corrs eh. (In the My Music folder, we have some of their songs.)

yummybite: Tatlo lang na kanta yata. (There are only three songs, I think.)

hubby: Pwede na yon. Mavavirus tayo nyan. Careless ka pa naman. (That's enough already. The virus will get into our computer with your carelessness.)

yummybite: Heh! Ang kulit mo naman eh. Di nga mavavirus. Kuleeettt!!!! (Stop pestering me! There will be no virus!)


then a pop-up window from the anti-virus software came up flashing infront of me with that disturbing "police-like" sound, saying:

"Malware Alert! Recommended Action: Repair blah blah blah...."


hubby: O ano? Kulit mo kasi eh.

yummybite: Oo nah. Quiet na ko. Jinx ka talaga.

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***currently listening to The Corrs' Only When I Sleep (which is one of my favoritest favorites!)

all-day sickness and more

Since that day I came to know that I’m “expecting”, I’ve been very neglectful of my blogging and plurking activities.

I’ve been missing a lot lately.

I have known from other pregnant women how difficult pregnancies could become. But I never ever really thought that it is THIS difficult. It surely needs a lot of sweating and crying and flushing.

In the onset of my 6^th week, I started feeling very uneasy in my stomach and some cold sweating EVERY morning. Medically, it is called “morning sickness”. On my part, it’s an all-day 24/7 sickness that can be triggered anytime, anywhere.

What causes my “all-day sickness” and vomiting spells:

1. Waking up in the morning or while taking a shower in the morning

2. After travelling or while travelling

3. The smell of anything being cooked

4. When feeling so tired

With the first one, it’s a real hardwork that every time, the task leaves me so weak to my bones, and tired (first thing in the morning!). I’ve tried sitting up first and eat some crackers before I leave the bed. I got this advice from a lot of pregnancy sites. Result: I don’t feel nauseated anymore but I still throw up the moment I go for the shower. And even if I my stomach is uber empty, I can’t help running to the nearest sink.

With regards to travelling, I thought that eating before or while travelling could help. I’ve also tried eating citrus fruits just to ease the queasy feeling. Result: It’s a hopeless case. The moment I reached my destination, I would run for the nearest toilet again or take out a plastic bag I always carry with me. Even at work, walang patawad (“no mercy”).

The third one is of course the most common among pregnant women. Like other moms-to-be, the smell of garlic cooking is very offensive. When I’m at home, since anything being cooked in the kitchen brings a pungent flavor around the house, I just usually stay in our room, lie down and cover my nose. Just to make sure I don’t smell anything. For me, anything being cooked is offensive on my ultra-sensitive nose. I don’t think there’s a cure on that but just to avoid it. This why I also don't cook lately. It's hubby's major responsibility now. Hehehe.

With the last one, I never knew it would be possible until last Saturday when me and hubby went to Sharjah City Centre. We arrived at the mall at 6.15pm and headed to Carrefour, the supermarket, for some stuffs. By 7pm, we were having our dinner at Pizza Hut, just because I was craving for pizza the other day. There is a mall-wide sale of up to 70% discount so we started strolling around the shops at past 8 o’clock, bought a pair of Nike for hubby and a blouse for me at Sun & Sands then started our way to the ground floor. We went to Splash for some super discounted clothes and goodies. I have found a dress, a pair of leggings and a nice comfy blouse. But when I saw the super looonnggg queue, I instantly felt tired and uneasy again. I was so sure I won’t be able to wait for my turn even if hubby could do it for me. From that very moment, I just wanted to go home and forego the opportunity of buying very nice and very cheap goodies. I was right anyway coz when we got home, the moment I changed my outfit to something more comfortable, I caught myself running to the nearest sink. Dinner wasted. It was very draining and “Eeewwww!”

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Pregnancy surely gives anyone a new experience. I am right now on my 8^th week (yippee!!!) and I just wanted to share some of my aversions and cravings.

Cravings? This is something very inconsistent to me. Today I like to eat mangoes, as in the Pinoy small green mangoes, with bagoong! Tomorrow might be a different craving. Some days I like balut or tukneneng or pancit palabok or malunggay with kalabasa leaves & flowers or KFC fries and chicken strips (Filipino version please). Or maybe I am just craving to be back home in the Philippines and enjoy more of Pinoy foodies. I miss home!

Aversions? I used to like porkchop A LOT! And now, I don’t even like the smell or the sight of it. Weird? But this one is the “weirdest” as my friend P calls it. I’m having an aversion to our laptop. I’m okay with my office PC or other people’s laptop. But when it comes to our own laptop, my blood boils. When I’m at home, I don’t like to turn it on or even see it lying on the table. When hubby uses it, I tell him to position it where I won’t be able to see the screen. And when hubby listens to songs, I ask him to shut it down or use the headphones instead.

It’s still normal right? LOL

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Nevertheless, me and hubby are always excited about our little baby. Most nights, hubby would have some baby talks with my tummy. I do that too! Even if I am not feeling okay most of the time, the joy and happiness brought by "him/her" is just exhilarating. I once told my friend P in an email that I so wanted to just scream out of joy.

it's positive!

just a quick one here before i go to bed.

i know. it's crazy.

super happiness makes us crazy too.

i tried two pregnancy test kits last night and this morning. all positive! =)

and to confirm it all (before i blog about it), we went to an ob-gyne this evening.

i can't describe the feeling when i saw my tiny baby through the ultrasound. sorry if we weren't able to take a picture. it was just so fast and we were so happy and excited.

mixed emotions, i say.

this is why lately ---

i've been feeling a bit dizzy in the morning...

i've been having some crazy uneasiness in my stomach...

i've been having the urge to throw up...

i've been having aversion to some food/dishes that i usually like...

i'm 14 days delayed...

i am so laaaaazzzzzzyyyyyyy...

i am sooooo sleeeepppyyyyyy...

and

patience is not my virtue a.k.a. "irritable"...

a glitch in procreation

this is a repost from neri. very funny indeed!

love in the sand

I don’t know if you’ve seen this one but I just so wanted to share it to you. I’m still amazed every time I watch it. It's a work of art by Ilana Yahav, a world-renowned sand animation artist. Hope you’ll like it too!

Source: Sandfantasy.com , Youtube

bloggin vacay!

Dear Blog,

I am sorry for neglecting my blogging duties lately.

EXCUSE #1:

Husband had been sick last week and who else would take care of him but me? As soon as I get home, our kitchen is already waiting for my cooking acts. There was a time that I was sooo tired from work that I just ordered a take-out dinner for the two of us. Maybe that one will count as laziness for hubby but I just didn’t have enough patience and enough energy, even if I try to. Anyhows, hubby was able to eat his fried chicken, chicken shawarma and potato wedges without further complaints because I shut him up as soon as he attempt to. He’s just being stubborn that he wanted to sleep more than he wanted to eat.

Haler! He’s been sleeping the whole day already! What a sleepyhead!

His fever is already a bye-bye by Friday but his coughing remained up to now. Good thing I was kept unharmed by the virus!

EXCUSE #2:

It all started when I had BitTorrent installed in our lappy. I just can’t stop downloading movie torrents so I also can’t stop having movie marathons.

Sssshhhhh! I had around 8-10 successful movie downloads already in just one week!

Thursday night – The Pursuit of Happyness

Friday – I Love You Man, Marley & Me, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Saturday – You Changed My Life, Tropic Thunder

Sunday night – I Am Sam

It was the cheapest way (it’s free, right?) to watch flicks instead of grabbing cinema tickets for two. Of course we wanted to cinematic effect of watching a movie in the wide screen and with lights out. But lately (again), I just had to consider EXCUSE #1 aside from I AM TOO LAZY TO GO OUT!

This kind of internet habit is also the dirtiest (it’s illegal, I know, sorry) and most risky because you wouldn’t know if you’re downloading something un-safe to your PC. I just hope that the regular runs of my anti-virus software won’t fail me, or at least, warn me of signs. Also, you wouldn’t know how poor the quality of your downloads are. Of course, it would still be great having it on a wide screen. Maybe when I’m no longer too lazy.

By the way, tonight will be Gran Torino!

EXCUSE #3:

After reading my excuses in #1 and #2, it’s now very evident that my #3 excuse is so much like the reason of #2.

I AM JUST TOO LAZY!

Or maybe not….

…because I just enjoyed wrapping my arms around hubby when he gets cold.

…because I just enjoyed my time being with hubby for the whole weekend.

…because we had our time to relax while eating, laughing, watching movies and joking around.

It was sort of catching up even if we almost always do it everyday.

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Okay, I am being a bit mushy and cheesy here.

Bear with me.

I’m a bit demented at the moment.

Yours truly,

yummybite

p.s. i hope edu and his anti-piracy team won't hunt me down, just in case "my new-found curiosity" was found out and is considered piracy (tell me how ignorant i am here, lol).

my weekend roundup & emails

It has been a busy week and I was hoping that I could catch up with my blogging last weekend. I’ve got so many things to blog about but I didn’t have enough time. One thing are the loving goodies I received from Odette. I received my orders of lunchcards about two weeks ago. I’ll blog about it maybe this week if I have some spare time.

What made me busy aside from work?

Hubby was sick all weekend. It started last week Thursday when he was having persistent colds. Friday came, he was having slight fever and some dry coughing. Saturday, he’s feeling all sore and chilly that he needed to wear his pajamas and a sweater with fox fur to keep him warm.

Our Friday and Saturday were spent with foodies, DVDs and lots of sleeping. Just looking at Hubby dozing off after taking his medicines, my eyes also get droopy at the same time.

Last night, I was so worried of his rising temperature. Every two hours or so, I would suddenly wake up to check on him, like if he needs a new shirt as he sweats heavily even if he’s telling me he’s cold. I gave him a cold press on his forehead to minimize his temp. After several cold presses, his temperature finally came to “almost normal” (as I don’t have a thermometer at hand).

I feel relieved this morning when I touched his neck and forehead. It was a brand new experience for me as Hubby seldom gets sick.

Luckily, I still managed to grab some 5 hours (all in all) of sleep throughout the night. It’s not really good to have your first day of the week, at work, feeling all sluggish then dozing off to your desk by noontime. It’s global crisis everywhere and there is no complete assurance that your job is still there when you wake up from your “dozing off to your desk” moment.

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In the office, first thing I do among my morning routines is to open my Outlook and check for incoming mails. I had five in my Inbox:

1. First one was sent by a colleague last Friday (8 May). So that means she went to work on a Friday? (which is equivalent to a Sunday). Anyways, it was about me moving on the other side of the building where I’ll be sitting next to this colleague. New office. New seatmate.

2. Second mail was sent by my guy friend P yesterday (9 May) at 1:58 AM! P works for an audit firm and the reason he’s still awake at this hour is because of audit deadlines. We were supposed to go out last Friday but he cancelled it since his manager had asked him to work in the weekend.

3. Still on 9 May, third one was from my boss. This, of course, is work-related.

4. Fourth one was from my other guy friend who is love-struck to my other girl friend. He just sent one of those forwarded mails with big “.wmv” attachments. Subject: The VocaPeople. I haven’t opened it yet due to the fact that the speakers of my office PC are disabled. I dunno why.

5. And the last one was from a former colleague who now works in the island of Cayman. She sent me an invitation to twit with her in the Twitter world. Unfortunately, Twitter is blocked in the office. “Tin don’t worry, I’ll twit you na lang sa Plurk. Lol”

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Right now, I am waiting for the IT guy to get my things (PC, files and office thingies) moved on my new office with my new seatmate.

And I hope I won’t forget to send an invitation to Tin (to plurk instead).

Happy Mother's Day!

I sure miss my Mama.

Here are some hugs and kisses to all Moms out there!

Have a happy day!

[Photo Source]

Boston Celtics Moving on to Semi-Finals!

[Photo Source: Yahoo! Sports]

If you’ve been reading my previous posts, you surely have now an idea that I’ve been following Boston Celtics Playoff Series this year.

Me and hubby weren’t able to watch Game 7 this super early morning due to time zone difference. We have calculated that the game should have started at 3AM, UAE time, so I have assumed that the game is over by the time I wake up. I woke up at 6.50AM and I immediately checked the result online.

Much to my surprise, time left is still 2 minutes and 45 seconds. I forgot the score as I was still so sleepy but it gave me a good feeling knowing that Boston Celtics are over by about 6 or 8 points. I went to take a bath and when I checked back, final results were 109-99 with Boston Celtics finally relieved to move forward to second round!

It was a long journey for them on the first round. And KG is not yet back, maybe for the whole playoffs season.

But I’m still so proud of the Celtics team for bringing out their best even if outnumbered by much younger and much energetic opponents.

For the first round of the Playoffs Series, they had 7 games and 7 overtimes! With all the hype and everything, it was so amazing.

Off to second round on Monday, they’ll be playing it off with Orlando Magic.

I am hoping against hopes!

Mabrook to Pacquiao! Mabrook Pilipinas!

[Photo Source: Yahoo! Sports]

CONGRATULATIONS TO MANNY “PACMAN” PACQUIAO for another bout he won yesterday night, Saturday, 2 May 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

After all the news coverage about Ricky “Hitman” Hatton before their fight, I thought that Manny has finally found an ultimate match that would put to test his power and strength.

This morning, as I do my usual browsing with Yahoo Sports, I saw this headliner: Brilliant Pacquiao cements legacy with win

“I am surprised this fight was so easy,” said Pacquiao. “I did work hard in my training camp and it paid off. This is as big a victory for me as when I beat Oscar De La Hoya.”

I am not sure if the above statement was directly from Pacquiao verbatim or if it was edited. I’ll go for the latter. Lol

Nevertheless, what matters most is that Pacquiao made another victory not only for himself but for all Filipinos!

Kitchen Experiment #2: Grilled Stuffed Squid

Hubby and I miss eating seafood so much. It was like months ago since the last time we bought fish or shrimp or crabs. So last Sunday, I headed to Kraz Supermarket after work to buy some fresh goodness prawns, squid, 1 big lapu-lapu and 3 big tilapias.

That night I have prepared Tempura shrimp for dinner. It was also a kitchen experiment but I chose not to post about it coz I wasn’t able to take pictures of the output. Besides, it was a bit of a disaster for me. I should have opted for buttered shrimps instead.

I have sworn to myself that next time, I should be more prepared with the recipe on my mind.

So yesterday, I was trying to remember that grilled stuffed squid we ate in a company party in Mimosa. All I could remember is that there is bell pepper and cheese in the stuffing. I’ve asked a former colleague about the recipe but she did not reply. Then I searched the recipe online but I can’t find the same stuffing that I like.

In the end, I just decided to stick with what I can remember.

What it’s made of:

10 pieces squid, 4-5 inches long

1 big tomato (depends on your liking)***

1 medium size yellow bell pepper***

1 medium size green bell pepper***

1 onion***

Cheddar cheese in small cubes

Soy sauce

Lemon or calamansi

Salt and pepper

Chillies

Toothpicks

Aluminum foil

***Note: tomatoes, onions and bell peppers here in the Middle East are bigger than the usual sizes in the Philippines. It’s up to you if you want to add the amount of veggies or other fillings you prefer.

How it is made:

1. Clean the squid first, remove innards if you like. It was actually my first time to clean a squid so I wasn’t sure what to remove or not. Hehehe.

2. In a big bowl, marinate the squid in soy sauce and lemon/calamansi juice for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Mince the tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Put them on a separate bowl and mix. Put salt and pepper.

4. Get one marinated squid and start putting the mixture inside. In my case, cheese first, then veggies, then cheese, then veggies. So as to spread the cheesiness while grilling.

5. Seal the stuffed squid with a toothpick in the opening.

6. Put the stuffed squid over a sheet of aluminum foil. Before covering it, put some of the veggie mixtures on the sides and pour a tablespoon of the marinade sauce. Cover squid and veggies in aluminum foil. Make sure that you have also cut out the pointed parts of the toothpicks so it won’t make holes in the foil.

7. Then grill it on a live coal (or a stove, just like me!) for 4-5 minutes on each side. Don’t overcook so the squid won’t have the rubberized feel.

8. For the sauce, put in a small bowl the soy sauce, lemon/calamansi juice and chillies.

We don't have live coals so i used the stove! 4-5 minutes for each side please!



Cooked already, this is how it looked like when I opened the foil.

My finish product: Grilled Squid Stuff plus some garnishing effects!


Serve it hot and creamy with this!

I grilled another batch for our lunch pack today!

yummylicious!

My Mom will be proud of her undomesticated daughter.

it's the same crisis

Here’s another Quarter-Life Crisis article e-mailed to me by a friend last year.

Beware: Long read!

Quarter-life crisis
By Gena Valerie Chua

I first heard it three months after graduation, over lunch with college blockmates.

Blockmate 1 (earns twice as much as any of us): I'm depressed. Work sucks. Is there any job that sucks more than mine?

Blockmate 2 (recently quit his job): Mine did. I was bored every day. I'm applying abroad. Do you know how much you can earn there?

Blockmate 3 (confessed bum): Money isn't worth your unhappiness. You should be dating more, I'll set you up with a friend.

Blockmate 1 says: But how can I be happy without money? Great dramatic sigh, I'm having a quarter- life crisis. Who are you setting me up with?


And there it was, the mystifying term that single-handedly captured our 22-year-old chaos. At first it sounded funny, but when the thought sank in, we were all quiet for an uncomfortably long period of time. Did we have it too?

Since then, I've heard the phrase thrown around a lot. After graduation get-togethers have been surprisingly frequent. It could be a withdrawal symptom, you're all desperate to hold on to the certainty you had in school. Now that everything has become so unstructured, we cling on dearly to the people whom we shared such carefree, and sometimes
careless days with. We reminisce about how our lives used to be, and how they are now. Many of us are in our third or fourth jobs. More and more are leaving the country to "find greener pastures," joining that ever-growing diaspora like spores drawn to more fertile ground.

There is a shared sense of "lostness," not because we have nowhere to be. No, we are all lucky enough to be somewhere, but most want to be somewhere else. Everyone tells us we are meant to be great, or at least achieve a slice of greatness. We are of that generation, the generation that has it all. The generation that never had to work for anything because it's all instant and automated. The natural expectation to surpass those before us poses an unnerving problem: What happens if we don't?

Maybe the pressure has been there for centuries, but never like this. The world used to be enormous, a planet of rocks we only see in science books. But now the world is shrinking.

Everything, everyone is within reach. The overwhelming proximity of it all has turned us claustrophobic. Wherever we find ourselves becomes too small a place. We are always looking for that something, the thing that will supposedly match our destined greatness.

Upon writing this article I decided to Google the term. Lo and behold, the omniscient Wikipedia had some interesting answers. Quarter-life crisis is a medical term for the phase following adolescence, usually for ages 21-30.

Some "symptoms" include:
(1) feeling not good enough about one's job
(2) frustration with relationships
(3) insecurity about life goals
(4) nostalgia for school
(5) a sense that everyone is doing better than you.

Furthermore, the stage occurs shortly after young, educated professionals enter the "real world", when they realize that it is tougher, more competitive and less forgiving than they imagined.

So it's not a 21st century thing after all. Ah, but Wikipedia doesn't stop there. It goes on to say that today, "the era when having a professional career meant a life of occupational security has come to an end." Indeed, it is no longer enough to get a well-paying job and do it for the rest of your life.

The lines used to be clearly drawn: you were a dentist, a doctor, an engineer, a businessman. Today, things are not as black and white. Our "real world" is now literally the entire world. We take our internships in multi-national corporations, study abroad on exchange programs, and attend art seminars in New York . We find worldwide options exceeding the imagination of those before us: techie jobs in Silicon Valley, trading in the Hong Kong stock market, even advertising for Google in hidden GoogleLand. I had a classmate who took up forensics in Maryland, while another one graduated from a famous fashion school in London . We are constantly considering so many options, debating which ones we can qualify for and which ones will ultimately help us define ourselves.

Older folks say this is generation me, me, me. We want it all now, now, now — even when we really have no idea what we want. So we end up wanting it all. They (my parents, friends of my parents, parents of my friends) shake their heads in disapproval at our inability to stay in one job.

They say we can't stand any ounce of discomfort, any morsel of unhappiness. It's true. We are impatient, always fleeing from one place to another — because that is what we grew up doing. Change has always been inevitable, but if there was ever a time when each year sees changes that used to span a century, this would have to be it.

As adolescents, none of our music icons had the longevity of The Beatles — every three weeks it was a new genre of sound. One minute we were shrieking fans of the Backstreet Boys, and the next we were cult followers of Matchbox 20. We have no memory of dinosaur computers; to us everything runs at 5Mbps. Our shelves of Britannica have gathered dust; we only have to go to YouTube and streams of video would unravel. We had the networking craze Friendster, but even that didn't last.

Soon we were creating separate accounts for Multiply, Facebook and self-blogs. We shop on sites of local strangers and order via cellphone banking. Oh yes, don't even get me started on cellphones. They have rendered everything else useless: watches, cameras, music players, calculators, dictionaries, even mirrors.

Every time the world changes a part of itself, we've had to change along with it. I'm not saying we should go back to the era of i'll-be-waiting-two-weeks-for-your-snail-mail. I cannot leave the house without my phone. Maybe we've become little brats of technology, the spawn of an age always trying to outdo itself. If patience is a virtue, then the remarkable deficiency of it has become our unconscious vice. Our adult lives are an extension of our adolescent years, when coolness was attained by downloading mp3s of a newbie rock band before everyone else did. We are always on the move.

We are fickle-minded, discontent and extremely volatile — which according to Wikipedia, are natural to those in their 20's. But to be in your 20s at a time when clients at work are Australians you will never see past email correspondence, then it becomes a world that gives you only two choices: move, or get left behind.

We are expected to march out into the world with iPod in backpocket, one earphone pounding against an eardrum. With our bountiful gifts from mother technology and our cross-cultural media grub, we're supposed to find a way to make ourselves great. Now more than ever, we have to prove ourselves worthy of the time we were born into. So who can blame us, for wanting to run all the time? The pressure is immense. So much is running
after us and worse, there is so much we are trying to keep up with. Like the reluctant monster Incredible Hulk, we are always growing out of proportion, our clothes tearing as we expand. And so we run, gasping for air, looking for a place that can contain us.

I'm grateful for being born in an era that constantly pushes itself forward. But we were raised in a period long past mere survival, where the worst blunder you can commit is not so much failure but mediocrity. And so we make this plea: don't be so hard on us. It may now be less challenging to defy boundaries, but the world out there is still as tough as ever. Let us have our little crisis; spare us the time that we never seem to have enough of. Give us the chance to find our own corner, where we can dig and shovel and bury ourselves in.

Because when the clouds clear up — when we can finally stop twiddling our thumbs and wringing our hands in restlessness — you will see what we have built out of our chaos, and you will be damn proud.

lost his topspin?

stumbled upon this article on my sports widget about my beloved Roger Federer:

Nobody Can Shine Brightly Forever

Dominance: Roger Federer has lost his topspin, at least according to one weekly magazine. There wasn’t a better tennis player on the planet from 2004-2007. He’ll go down as one of the best three ever to wield a racquet, and likely tie Pete Sampras for the Grand Slam record this year. Nobody can stay on top forever. Nadal’s the best now, and maybe he’ll enjoy that spot for a year or two before some other hotshot emerges. The same’s going to happen to Tiger Woods. And LeBron. And Pujols. (Newsweek)

i really hope not...

Come on Roger! Get the next Grand Slam!

Although it would be a bit tough thinking that the next Grand Slam will be on Nadal's territory...

A Friend in Quarter-Life Crisis

One of my guy friends recently came here in Dubai, barely three months ago. Before and after P came here, for several times he had asked me and nagged me about his career life going “what-ifs”, his decisions being uncertain and his happiness nowhere at sight. I have jumpily concluded that he is actually having the “quarter-life crisis”.

He knows it!

He was the one who actually sent an e-mail to me 2 years ago. It’s the same e-mail that witsandnuts received and posted on her site.

And just minutes ago, my girl friend G messaged me about going to Spain or just going to any place where she could take a rest. That she feels so old and bored and needed to take a break. That if only she’s got the bucks, she would travel all around Europe and tag us along.

Hey, we’re just 25!

Same with my guy friend (who is a common friend), I told her that she’s having the same crisis. Then she was like “I’ve never heard quarter-life crisis. Is there such one?”

Yup G! E-mail sent to you just now!

Tuesday Night Gloom

Last night, me and hubby were watching the live telecast of Game 4 – Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls at NBA Channel 55. It was rather late. 10.30pm to 12.30am.

Two OVERTIMES!

It was so tiring, with all the nerve-wracking, reactive hitting and bone-crushing “hawak-kamay” of me and hubby throughout the game. Add to that the rash comments we throw out to Bulls players.

e.g.

”Bakit foul si Perkins [Celtics player]? Eh tatanga-tanga lang yang si ----- [Chicago player I forgot the name]! Di tumitingin sa dinadaanan!”

“Shiyeet! Bakit nila hinayaang makapuntos? Bwiset!”

Bulls’ player having a free throw: “please don’t shoot, don’t shoot, don’t shoot…..[long silence habang di humihinga]…..whoohoooh!!! [nakahinga na ng maluwag dahil dininig ni Lord ang aking munting hiling]”

My Celtics were doing great but the Bulls were catching up fast and furious! I was heavy with emotions (also hubby, I think, because he grips my hand so tight on every “shooting” moments).

The last one minute of the second overtime, I decided to leave hubby on the telly coz I thought I needed some time to calm my “hyper” self. I have prepared myself for the bad news.

Ten minutes have passed, I was still waiting for hubby to come to our room and make the brutal announcement that the Bulls have won.

After another five minutes, hubby came in the room and I realized that my heart was still beating so fast. I have not calmed myself at all! Anyways, the inevitable was announced: the Bulls won but not without the Celtics shining in their last minute. Too late though.

[Photo Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba]

Score: Boston Celtics (118) – Chicago Bulls (121)

Next: Game 5 on 28 April 2009, 7PM EDT, Boston homecourt

-------------------------

P.S.

because of our agitated-state-of-mind, it was sooo late already when we came to dreamland. 2am!

Kitchen Experiment #1: Broccoli with Mushroom & Chicken

since me and hubby came here in sharjah, we have assumed independence from our parents. not total independence though. hahaha!

what i'm really trying to say is, back home in pinas, we don't do the cooking. we both have an idea how some dishes are being cooked but we haven't actually tried doing it in the kitchen. why complicate things when we have the best cooks at home?

that was before.

now that our parents/sisters/brothers are not here to serve us good food when we get home, it's quite a responsibility for the un-skilled like us to come up with a yummylicious food to serve on our dinner or to pack for our lunch.

we now just rely on our "basic instincts". not the R18 movie of course.

*blush*

i'm not really thinking about that so let's skip that one. lol.

okay, moving on. me and hubby are being creative everytime. twisting some original recipes into what is just available here. for your info, the middle east is not as abundant as our pinas when it comes to the range of veggies available. even sayote (or chayote), in its super rarity in the supermarkets, costs 10 dirhams per kilo (1 dirham = 13 pesos). it's my favorite gulay pa naman. and i also miss the dahon ng malunggay!

anyways, today is Saturday and it's my off. since morning i've been thinking what to cook for dinner coz it feels nakakaumay if i cook fried chicken again or sauteed string beans. i remember that yesterday, hubby was eyeing that beef steak from our flatmate. it's a very rare occasion that hubby would crave for beef coz it's not really his most fave meat but i want to give him what i saw in his eyes yesterday.

we still have broccoli in the fridge so why not have Beef Broccoli for tonight. i went down to the supermarket right after i took a shower. i have gone into two supermarkets but no beef is available!!! i ended up buying oyster sauce, chicken and cauliflower, wondering what in hell will i do with the combination. i'm gonna reserve the cauliflower for tomorrow coz i'm still using the broccoli.

so here's my output for tonight:

Broccoli with Mushroom & Chicken

what it's made of:

1/2 kilo broccoli, sliced
1/4 kilo chicken breast, into small thin strips
2 cups chicken broth
2 gloves garlic, crushed & minced
sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoon soy sauce
salt & pepper for seasoning

how it's done:

1. first, bring to boil the chicken in 2 and half cups of water to come up with the chicken broth.
2. in a hot wok with cooking oil, cook the garlic until almost golden on its sides. then put the chicken and stir fry for about 10 seconds.
3. add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and mushrooms. stir fry again for 20-30 seconds or until the chicken has absorbed the flavors of the sauce.
4. put the broccoli and chicken broth. add salt and pepper to taste.
5. let it simmer for 5 minutes then serve it hot with rice!

Note: for a much creamier sauce, you can add a tablespoon of cornstarch. (i just forgot to buy one, hehehe)

--------------------------

i also cooked some beef kebabs but i was so focused with the broccoli thingy that i forgot them for some minutes. it was a disappointment. really.

burnt beef kebabs

hubby liked the broccoli blah blah blah but when he saw the beef kebabs, he turned cynical with my cooking skills.


hubby: nagluluto ka ba talaga? bakit sunog? (were you really cooking? why are these burnt?)
yummybite: ahmmm...sorry, i forgot eh. [while making pacute na naman]
hubby: *sigh* buti na lang masarap ang broccoli. (good thing that the broccoli were good)



on my mind while we were eating: "sunog daw pero naka-dalawang servings ng rice?"

going green, going boston!

A very good news this morning for me and hubby. We weren't able to watch Game 2 of Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics as it started at 7pm EDT 20 April, which is 3am of 21 April here.

I checked it out at Yahoo Sports – NBA this morning and I was so relieved that they won last night’s game.

Game 1 last 18 April gave me frustrations especially when Boston already had the chance winning through Pierce’s second freethrow: scoring 97-97!

The overtime game resulted in favor of Chicago Bulls at 105-103 (at Boston’s homecourt!).

So now I am so glad that Boston Celtics have tied it up with the Bulls. Big thanks to Ray Allen’s shooting skills.

[Source]

Allen gives Celtics shot of confidence
By Peter May, Special to Yahoo! Sports

BOSTON – There still is no Kevin Garnett. There may be no more Leon Powe. Rajon Rondo is playing on an extremely gimpy ankle – and Paul Pierce loves where the Boston Celtics are in their entertaining first-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls.

“I think we feel very confident because we feel like we haven’t played good basketball yet,” Pierce said on Monday, after the Celtics eked out a 118-115 victory over the Bulls to square the series at 1-1 on a Ray Allen 3-pointer with two seconds left. “We win [Game 2] and we feel like we should have won Game 1 and we just say, ‘I feel like this is pretty much our ‘C’ game. We are not a team that gives up 100 points in consecutive games. I think our best is yet to come.”

Read full article here

Next game: 8pm, 23 April at Chicago's homecourt.

my youngest sister

my most favorite picture with Leslie taken at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

My sister Leslie and I are super close. Back home, she's my roommate, eating mate and "gala"-mate. And just like her big sister, she also loves reading. During her younger years (and until now, I suppose), she’s addicted with Tagalog romance pocketbooks. Then came Harry Potter (through me, of course) in her high school life, she started reading English fiction.

Her latest obsession today is none other than TWILIGHT! And since Twilight has been a big time craze among teens and women all over the world, my sister can’t find the book on any bookstore in Pampanga (my hometown). I can’t tell her to go to Manila for the book instead, lest she’ll get lost in such an unfamiliar jungle. So I asked her to wait for me to finish the books then I’ll send them to her.

That was December last year.

After that, every time I call her, she keeps on nagging me like “when are you sending the Twilight books?”

My younger brother Levi came home from the US last month so he bought the first two Twilight books as pasalubong to our youngest sister. Now I only have to send the last two.

As of today, I STILL haven’t read the fourth book, Breaking Dawn. Last week, I was already thinking of sending it (as brand new) off to her this week along with Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella, which I still need to buy.

I have all Sophie Kinsella’s books back home, except for this one because it was the first Shopaholic book I’ve read and I just borrowed it from a colleague 3 years ago. I felt no need to buy it that time so now, my sister can’t read the 3^rd Shopaholic book, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, unless I buy the 2^nd book.

However, as I just found out from courier companies online, airfreight charges would cost me some 1,200 dirhams (equal to Php 15,600) for express delivery of 2-3 days. Waaaaaaay too expensive! I can opt for the 150 dirhams (equal to Php 1,950) with some local freight companies here but my sister is not too willing to wait for 30-45 days for it to come. You see, I have delayed it already for nearly four months.

This morning, as I was going through my normal routine of browsing the internet for some useful stuffs and readings, a “lightbulb” came flashing on my boredom. Why not search an online bookshop and make them deliver the books right at my sister’s doorstep? And make that an online bookstore in the Philippines.

I thought of National Bookstore and Powerbooks so I browsed through their webpages. For no other reason, I have decided to go for Powerbooks and checked the availability.

[Picture Source: Breaking Dawn, Eclipse, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan]

After some minutes of adding my chosen books into my cart, I have checked out a total of three books (Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan), provided the shipping and billing address, wrote a short message for my sister then paid for only Php 1,273 including the shipping cost of Php 250. The whole transaction for just 15 minutes.

A time-saver!

And soooo cheap!

I haven’t told her about this one but it will surely surprise her.

I soooo miss her!

screwed up

while i usually enjoy a short relaxing nap on the bus, last night was different. one of my bus-mates forgot his shot of depressant that he got so hyper he won't let anyone in the bus to sleep. he kept bugging all of us with his jokes, non-sense blabberings [since he speaks Hindi most of the time] and loud singing.

the bus was also on a happy state last night on our way home but we got caught up in a heavy traffic after some 15 minutes on the road. what more could get worst on my excited weekend happiness. the usual one hour ride home took us two hours! it has dampen my spirits in the end.

------------------

still on the bus.

an hour after we left the office, that hyper guy started a heated discussion with the other bus-mates on South Indian movies that for him are exaggerated and funny in a bad way. all of them are talking all at the same time. Mrs. S and I were wondering if they ever understood each other's opinion on the subject matter. it was like chaos. Mrs. S thought that we were on a fish market. I thought it was funny and irritating at the same time.

thirty minutes later, i was the one on the hot seat. Mr. S asked me to translate "sexy" to Tagalog/Filipino. I said it's also "seksi", just a different spelling. he wondered why it has to be the same. and i told him i don't know.

few weeks ago, this same guy asked me several words to translate in our Philippine mother tongue but i would refuse to do so on some words that are "bad".

anyways, this guy just keeps on challenging me so he came up with a phrase instead of words.

mr. s: so how do you say "life is screwed up" in your language?
me: what? ahmm, wait....
mr. s: "life is screwed up". you don't know?
me: [looooonnngggg silence]................[gawd! i'm struggling with words i can't find]
mr. s: are you sure you're a Filipino? [laughing]
me: yes i am but i don't know how to translate such a metaphor in our language. hmmm...can i have it as an assignment?
mr. s: oh my goodness, she's not a Filipino...hahahaha!
me: hehehe,,,bye bye! have a nice weekend [bidding goodbye to my busmates as i stepped out of the bus]

outside the bus...
me: whoooooooooooooooh! [long sigh]

--------------------

this afternoon, i sent text messages to my friends about my "assignment".

friend 1's translation: "palpak ang buhay"

friend of friend 1's translation: "magulo ang buhay"

friend 2's translation: "ang buhay ay turnilyo"

---------------------

how about you? can you help me please?

"life is screwed up"

it's just rubbish me

i am so extra happy right now.

:)

:) :) :)

:D

:D :D :D

and i don't know why.

feeling hyper for the coming weekend?

---------

currently listening to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis

ooppps!!!

it has ended already.

it's Sway by Bic Runga now playing.

a feel of india

this morning, Mrs. S hopped-in on our company bus wearing a nice striped yellow traditional dress for Indian women called Salwar kameez. and upon seeing her jewelries and bangles? Wow! all matching with the yellow golden color of her dress. including the bindi.


she asked me if i want to try putting a bindi on my forehead and i was a bit apprehensive about it since i don't want curious eyes to question me in our workplace. but anyhows, Mrs. S managed to pull out one long golden bindi from her purse and put it on my forehead. Mr. Sj approved of it as he thinks it's cute and pretty in me. but the other indian guy, Mr. B, argued that it's better if i have the round one with black color because the gold one won't be visible in a distance of 5 meters. anyhows, they still liked it and even took pictures of me to show it off with our officemates.


*shame*

i looked at myself in the mirror and i have admitted to myself that it really looks nice. but since the golden color complements my skin, it's almost unnoticeable.

some of my officemates actually took second glances when they noticed i was wearing bindi.

i took it off after lunch and decorated my puncher with it. :)

-------------------

bindi is a decoration applied on the center of women's two eyebrows. they have varying colors which you can match with your colorful Salwar kameez. they also have varying sizes and designs. you can have the bead-like, the plain ones or the studs. anyone can pretty much use the bindi as a fashion statement, unlike before when it's only meant to symbolize a woman being married or sometimes, as part of a religious affiliation or ceremony. [Source][picture]

Salwar Kameez [Source]

------------------------

Update: according to my Hindu officemate, the red round bindi symbolizes that your husband is still alive. if you're a widow, you only wear the black round bindi. she also said that there's a nerve in between the two eyebrows and so the bindi serves a protection from anything harmful. in addition to the bindi, Hindu married women also put red powder on their forehead where the hair parts. that red powder is called kumkum.

I Was Not Invited?

just got this happy news from my sports widget. i was a bit late but still i just needed to share this one [especially to KG].

Federer Marries Longtime Girlfriend last
Saturday, 11 April 2009 in Basel Switzerland.

the couple, Roger Federer & Mirka Vavrinec, are expecting
their first baby this summer.

read the full article from this link.

Princess

writing a review about the book titled Princess by Jean Sasson gave me second, third and so on thoughts for i'm not so sure how safe it is to post something so controversial and sensitive. i've got two important reasons for this.

firstly, a lot of controversies were raised upon the publication of this book. mainly because it was written in the perspective of a Saudi royal princess. as written on its book cover: "The True Story of Life Inside Saudi Arabia's Royal Family", it sure is very catchy especially on people who wants a glimpse of how a Saudi royalty lives her life. being a member of the royalty surely makes your life a glamorous one, as we commonly perceive with England's queen, princes and princesses. but hey, this is Saudi and that makes it a different story.

secondly, the book reveals sensitive issues on human rights, most especially, women in Saudi. it was difficult for me reading the book and absorbing its content at the same time. there are times that i doubt what were written in the book and that exaggerations were put into it. it was emotionally bothering for me that on that part of the world, women were treated like they are are just for "procreation" purposes. i know this is quite exaggerating but below are some facts i found. this text was provided for by Jean Sasson on her book as part of Appendix A: The Laws of Saudi Arabia. the same text i found at wikipedia regarding Saudi women's human rights.

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i am not a feminist or a member of such group but since i have grown up in a democratic country and on a different religion orientation, i sure want to defend women's rights. this is truly a sensitive issue in a very strict Muslim country but it somehow concerns the whole world. i cannot say that all women in this country or all Muslim women are living like this but they are surely defenseless.

---------------

Princess mostly depicted the hunger for a fatherly love of a young girl, her great envy for her brother Ali, and her most sought-after freedom of women from the bondage of their old traditions. she had devoted most of her time fighting against the will of the men in her household. but nevertheless, loves them.

there are times that i would laugh out loud from her mischievous antics with her brother Ali. and at the same time, i feel sad that such things happen in a family, like her father being indifferent to her, who is supposed to promote a union of harmony and love in their home.

i am glad that she still found a man whom she thinks can be instrumental in realizing her dream: that their society would find the worth of their women. still, her struggles has not brought much change in their society.

---------------

i am currently reading Daughters of Arabia which is the sequel of Princess. i have yet to see if there were changes on women's status after Princess got published.

---------------

Useful Links:

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Human Rights

Women of Saudi Arabia