Apparently, it was because of this car - the Hyundai Tucson turned Hyundai Zombie Car which was on display at the SM MOA.
Meeting the Hyundai Zombie Car at SM MOA
October 12, 2013
Sometimes, Patrick just tells us to get dressed and we do without even knowing where we're going. That was the case today when we went to the SM Mall of Asia.
Apparently, it was because of this car - the Hyundai Tucson turned Hyundai Zombie Car which was on display at the SM MOA.
Apparently, it was because of this car - the Hyundai Tucson turned Hyundai Zombie Car which was on display at the SM MOA.
We got a new Condura Negosyo Ref 5G!
September 22, 2013
Last August, our 20+ year old Goldstar refrigerator died. I didn't realize it was weakening and should have turned it off (as the repairman said later) so that I could save it. But, as it is, it would still have cost P6K-P7K to repair it so we decided to just buy a new one. It took longer to get the money to actually buy one and I also had to do my research to get the best one. We finally narrowed it down to the Condura Negosyo Ref 5G and I'll tell you why.
Last August, our 20+ year old Goldstar refrigerator died. I didn't realize it was weakening and should have turned it off (as the repairman said later) so that I could save it. But, as it is, it would still have cost P6K-P7K to repair it so we decided to just buy a new one. It took longer to get the money to actually buy one and I also had to do my research to get the best one. We finally narrowed it down to the Condura Negosyo Ref 5G and I'll tell you why.Dana's 2013 Buwan ng Wika Presentation in school
September 04, 2013
It's Dana's turn for a Buwan ng Wika presentation. Preparations for her school activity were a bit tedious because we had to create the props that she used for her performance. All the girls in class had the same headdress, bracelet and skirt but they had to source out their own black leotards and props to give the performance a colorful diversity.
It's Dana's turn for a Buwan ng Wika presentation. Preparations for her school activity were a bit tedious because we had to create the props that she used for her performance. All the girls in class had the same headdress, bracelet and skirt but they had to source out their own black leotards and props to give the performance a colorful diversity.Dylan's 2013 Buwan ng Wika presentation
August 31, 2013
Remember the Filipiniana costume that Dylan wore to the Nutrition month activity that I posted about here? Well, this time he used it for the Buwan ng Wika celebration in school. Buwan ng Wika is that time of the year when schools focus on celebrating the Filipino language through poetry, songs and dances, choric recitations and more. It is an expanded form of the "Linggo ng Wika" when the activities were celebrated for a week.
Remember the Filipiniana costume that Dylan wore to the Nutrition month activity that I posted about here? Well, this time he used it for the Buwan ng Wika celebration in school. Buwan ng Wika is that time of the year when schools focus on celebrating the Filipino language through poetry, songs and dances, choric recitations and more. It is an expanded form of the "Linggo ng Wika" when the activities were celebrated for a week. Dylan's celebration of Nutrition Month in school
July 20, 2013
One of the more recent school activities that I've experienced is Nutrition month. It's a very practical demonstration of health and fitness that makes it easy for students to understand its value. Teachers, though have to be creative when they plan their class programs.
In Dylan's case, their preparations included making the hat with plastic veggies on it at home and practicing their song and dance number in school. Now, our part wasn't so hard to accomplish. It just meant that Dylan and I needed to take a trip to Quiapo and buy our materials from there. Interesting enough, even the sellers at Quiapo were attune to the needs of the schools and already had a bunch of veggies packed and ready to sell. Others also had the ready-made hats with the veggies! Dylan and I chose to create our own so we bought the separate hats and veggies.
One of the more recent school activities that I've experienced is Nutrition month. It's a very practical demonstration of health and fitness that makes it easy for students to understand its value. Teachers, though have to be creative when they plan their class programs. In Dylan's case, their preparations included making the hat with plastic veggies on it at home and practicing their song and dance number in school. Now, our part wasn't so hard to accomplish. It just meant that Dylan and I needed to take a trip to Quiapo and buy our materials from there. Interesting enough, even the sellers at Quiapo were attune to the needs of the schools and already had a bunch of veggies packed and ready to sell. Others also had the ready-made hats with the veggies! Dylan and I chose to create our own so we bought the separate hats and veggies.
Trip to UST Museum
June 28, 2013
The trip to the UST Museum was initiated from a simple FB post made by my High School friend Maita who wrote about playing Chinese Garter in the College of Science. Since I was from the College of Science, I immediately thought of the egg sandwiches that I used to have for lunch and snacks there. I asked Maita if they still had them and they did!! That prompted me to meet up with her and combine a trip to the UST Museum since that's where she works.
Just for fun, here is the FB post where we were discussing the food at the UST Varsity Canteen :) The truth was, we've been planning to meet up for so long but we never quite managed to make the schedules work. But in this instance, fate was with us and we were finally given the chance to see each other!
After our merienda, we went back down to the UST Museum and Dylan and I were given a guided tour by Maita. There was a new wing to the UST Museum called the Hall of Philippine Religious Images that wasn't there when I was a student (okay so it was a long time since I've been back). This consisted of religious artifacts brought by our Spanish colonizers and some which were locally-made in celebration of the Catholic faith.
Dylan was especially fascinated by the Natural History collection. Who wouldn't? Even I was particularly interested in these specimens of Philippine fauna.
If you want to visit the UST Museum, they're open from Tuesday to Saturday, 830AM to 430PM but are closed during Public and University holidays. Thomasians may enter free of charge upon presentation of UST I. D. or Alumni Card. Non-Thomasian Professionals will be charged PHP50.00 each while Non-Thomasian Students will be charged PHP30.00.
Just for fun, here is the FB post where we were discussing the food at the UST Varsity Canteen :) The truth was, we've been planning to meet up for so long but we never quite managed to make the schedules work. But in this instance, fate was with us and we were finally given the chance to see each other!
By the time that Dylan and I arrived, it was already snack time so we trooped first to the 4th Floor of the Main Building and had our snacks there. Naturally, I had egg sandwiches and they were still the best. Sure brought back memories!! Dylan loved them too and it was an eye-opening experience for him to be eating at the top of a building hahahaha
After our merienda, we went back down to the UST Museum and Dylan and I were given a guided tour by Maita. There was a new wing to the UST Museum called the Hall of Philippine Religious Images that wasn't there when I was a student (okay so it was a long time since I've been back). This consisted of religious artifacts brought by our Spanish colonizers and some which were locally-made in celebration of the Catholic faith.
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| From the UST Museum website |
We were also fortunate that at the time we were there, students from the Conservatory of Music were holding their recital and we were treated to really good classical, symphonic music. The acoustics in the Museum were exceptional.
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| Maita, Dylan and I |
Pio's 1st Birthday at Ristorante Bigoli
June 01, 2013
It's always a pleasure and a privilege to be invited to someone's birthday celebration. This time, we were all invited to Pio's first birthday celebration at Ristorante Bigoli. Pio is the son of my cousin Cathy and her husband Ian.
At first, we weren't sure where Ristorante Bigoli was until we reached Eastwood and we realized it used to be called Fazoli's. I remembered we ate here before and we really loved their food especially the bread sticks. Suffice to say, we were already drooling even before we set foot through the door hahaha
It was good to be with family and the kids had a great time as you can see. The master of entertainment was indeed a Master since he was able to keep the kids' attention throughout his performance. The kids participated in the games and other activities and even won some prizes :)
It's always a pleasure and a privilege to be invited to someone's birthday celebration. This time, we were all invited to Pio's first birthday celebration at Ristorante Bigoli. Pio is the son of my cousin Cathy and her husband Ian.
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| Dylan at 4 years old eating at Fazoli's |
Happy birthday to Pio and thanks to Cathy and Ian for a fun birthday celebration! :)
Feature article on Smart Parenting magazine is OUT!
May 23, 2013
After the much-awaited arrival of the magazine (for me, at least) I was able to get my hands on the April Issue of the Smart Parenting magazine that we were featured in. It was puzzling why I wasn't given a complimentary copy though I'm not sure if the other moms had gotten one either but anyway, as soon as the issue became available, bought a few copies to spread around hahaha Sheesh! it's not everyday we get featured in a magazine so .....
Naturally, I immediately scanned our page!! What do you think? :D Reading from the acknowledgements on the page, the Photo was shot by Dakila Angeles and the make-up and hairstyling was done by Pipo Santos. But honestly, there was nothing to change with the hair LOL Prior to the shoot, the team at Smart Parenting asked me about the kids' sizes. The dress on Dana and the button-down shirt on Dylan came from Elle Kids boutique at Glorietta. They only wore it at the shoot hehehe Oh and the shoes I was wearing belonged to Maika B. who was the sittings editor. I had slip-ons and she suggested that closed-shoes looked better hahahaha I agree! :)
The thing to remember here is that we had fun. It was an extraordinary experience for me and the kids. Dana even brought a copy of the magazine and showed it to her teachers and classmates in school. I guess this one was for the Bucket List hahahaha
After the much-awaited arrival of the magazine (for me, at least) I was able to get my hands on the April Issue of the Smart Parenting magazine that we were featured in. It was puzzling why I wasn't given a complimentary copy though I'm not sure if the other moms had gotten one either but anyway, as soon as the issue became available, bought a few copies to spread around hahaha Sheesh! it's not everyday we get featured in a magazine so .....
Naturally, I immediately scanned our page!! What do you think? :D Reading from the acknowledgements on the page, the Photo was shot by Dakila Angeles and the make-up and hairstyling was done by Pipo Santos. But honestly, there was nothing to change with the hair LOL Prior to the shoot, the team at Smart Parenting asked me about the kids' sizes. The dress on Dana and the button-down shirt on Dylan came from Elle Kids boutique at Glorietta. They only wore it at the shoot hehehe Oh and the shoes I was wearing belonged to Maika B. who was the sittings editor. I had slip-ons and she suggested that closed-shoes looked better hahahaha I agree! :)
The thing to remember here is that we had fun. It was an extraordinary experience for me and the kids. Dana even brought a copy of the magazine and showed it to her teachers and classmates in school. I guess this one was for the Bucket List hahahaha
Traveling to Tarlac in the Hyundai Sante Fe
May 18-20, 2013
Last April, we had the privilege of meeting up with Uncle Bebot and his family in Tarlac. This time, we took them up on their offer to stay a while at their home. Patrick had another test unit to drive - this time it was the Hyundai Sante Fe so it was perfect timing for a long road trip. Kids were comfortable at the back and enjoying the "arm rest". They kept asking for drinks so they can use the cup holders haha We had lunch at Zapata's in Clark (though I think it's called Iguana now).
When we arrived, we took some time to get settled but the kids wanted to swim immediately. So here we are!
When everyone got tired of swimming, it was probably evening by that time. We had dinner with the family and then it was sleepy time! We were given our own room and the kids shared a bed.
The next day dawned bright and early and I took the opportunity to take pictures of our ride, the luxurious Hyundai Sante Fe. The pictures look foggy because the camera was cold haha
When everyone had breakfast, we took a trip to the family's rice mill where Kuya George gave us a tour around the place. The kids were content at the back of the Sante Fe while the adults were talking.
Naturally, when you have a pool at your disposal, you'll take advantage of it and that's what we did hahaha
Dylan kept swimming with his floatie while Dana found out that she liked to dive from the edge of the pool.
Meanwhile, Patrick and I were relishing the soothing calm of the place :)
Last April, we had the privilege of meeting up with Uncle Bebot and his family in Tarlac. This time, we took them up on their offer to stay a while at their home. Patrick had another test unit to drive - this time it was the Hyundai Sante Fe so it was perfect timing for a long road trip. Kids were comfortable at the back and enjoying the "arm rest". They kept asking for drinks so they can use the cup holders haha We had lunch at Zapata's in Clark (though I think it's called Iguana now).
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| The sky from the sunroof |
When we arrived, we took some time to get settled but the kids wanted to swim immediately. So here we are!
The next day dawned bright and early and I took the opportunity to take pictures of our ride, the luxurious Hyundai Sante Fe. The pictures look foggy because the camera was cold haha
When everyone had breakfast, we took a trip to the family's rice mill where Kuya George gave us a tour around the place. The kids were content at the back of the Sante Fe while the adults were talking.
Dylan kept swimming with his floatie while Dana found out that she liked to dive from the edge of the pool.
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| That's Dylan's version of diving ! haha |
But eventually, all vacations must end and we have to go back to reality. It seemed like a short trip and they didn't want us to go too haha With the promise to return, we left the Tadeo abode and went on our way towards Manila. Since it was nearing dinner time, we stopped at Victor's Barbecue and Lechon Manok which had the reputation of being the best barbecued dishes this side of the North. It really was good!
Even with that full dinner, the kids got hungry again and we stopped for snacks. Now, the kids were happy they were able to use the cupholders in the Hyundai Santa Fe. :)
The Manila Speed Show with Marlon Stockinger and the Lotus F1 Team
May 4-5, 2013
Patrick's job as a writer for Top Gear Philippines takes him to many car events that sometimes it becomes boring for us when we have to join him. This is not one of those times. I'm not really a fan of F1 though I sort of know what it is and I'm also not knowledgeable about the players and teams so I won't even attempt to talk about that. But when Patrick mentioned that Marlon Stockinger was picked by Lotus to be one of its Junior Drivers to train and eventually compete for the team and they are here in the Philippines for a Road Show, well, I wanted to be there.
See, being there is like one step closer to the real F1 race and that's a world that not many of us get to experience. The fact that it's being held at the SM Mall of Asia grounds makes it even accessible to everyone. Patrick said there'll be an exhibit, a meet and greet and of course, Marlon will be driving the Lotus car around a "track" so that was exciting.
We first went to the exhibit at the Mall. I wasn't sure what to expect since I didn't know if there were a lot of fans of F1 in Manila. When we arrived, there was a growing throng of people around the area. Some were fans, some were curious passersby who were wondering what the fuss was about. Others were media men covering the event.
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| Play the racing game |
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| Chronicles of Marlon's racing achievements |
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| The line of people wanting to "drive" a Lotus F1 car |
There were other things to see and do while at the Manila Speed Show. There was go-kart racing as a precursor to Marlon's lap. There were also cars on display.
As a Top Gear representative, Patrick got passes to get inside the "inner sanctum". As his family, we also were given the same privilege :) It was quite an eye-opener to see these gear and equipment at the Pit Stop :) They had 2 cars here, one was a single-seater another was a two-seater.
Here are some animated gifs of the cars getting ready to run the track and returning to it. The sound that car makes is deafening! Roar!! :)
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| Moving out |
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| Returning |
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| Another lap in the afternoon |
The tent behind the car as it was driving away was for the VIP's.
After the lap, he took the time to walk around and thank his fans.
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| After a successful lap around MOA |
It wasn't so bad in the media tent. It was a cool break from the summer heat. There were cold sodas and snacks to give you that extra boost of energy. They also gave some swag like the caps and the bags with T-shirts inside :)
After a while, Marlon was in the tent and both he and his Mom were able to address the media. We were able to take pictures with him too :)
The afternoon showcased a different activity. We were able to see the pit crew in action as they showed us how to change tires FAST! :) As part of the fun, several media and celebrities got a chance to change the tires in a friendly competition. Patrick was one of the participants!! He felt so lucky because it was an opportunity of a lifetime. Never would he be able to do that thing again! :)
With the sun going down, the event wasn't over. We still went back to the mall for the meet and greet with fans. By that time, our energy level was getting low and it was just Patrick who went around taking pictures for the coverage.
It was such a wonderful time. Marlon is such a nice fellow and we wish him well! :)
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