quality time

Ace Water Spa

D and i, along with my brother Hans, spent the day at Ace Water Spa. : ) they have more than 20 unique and fully automated Ultrasonic Massage System equipped with therapeutic aquatic jets to relax and soothe tired and aching muscles. each system massages specific areas of the body categorized as soft, moderate, or hard massages. i enjoyed their hot herbal pools and sauna rooms, also the lapping pool. : ) from the last time i visited, they increased their rates to php550 for adults and php250 for kids for four hours. i find it a little bit expensive and not so worth it anymore. good thing i have my Belle de Jour coupon, so we got one free pass. : ) when you're done, they'll give you a free soup at their own Ace Coffee Lounge.

im hungry already by the time we finished. so we dropped by somewhere before coming home and found ourselves at Station 54. : )

i find this a cute idea - it's their address. : )

potato balls

baked macaroni - this is delicious and their pasta is cooked al dente. : )

according to my brother, the place is owned by a couple who are fire volunteers. and goes to the same church where he attends. they have decorated the place with many picture frames, hose, fire extinguishers, helmets.. you get the picture. : ) here are some of the cute firetruck miniatures. : )

goodbye Mr. Fireman! : )

so there. i went to church tonight and im sleepy already. tomorrow we have Sunday School again and i can't wait to see my kids (students, i call them my kids hehe). they are always full with energy and have alot of questions for you. sometimes they are stubborn, sometimes loving, sometimes really really noisy too.. but i still love them. : ) and Jesus loves them too. just like what the song says.. red and yellow black and white, all are precious in His sight. : ) that song reminds me of our class singing it for a contest. : )

that's all folks.

how about you? how'd you spent your day? : )

02 . 26. 09

tonight before going to church, Grace, Judith, and I went to the hospital to visit Atsi Lydia. she gave birth yesterday noon to a 6.11lbs healthy baby girl. : )

Jade Crystal Ng De Los Santos

we think that she looks like Bro. Allen. : ) she's adorable and has lots of hair unlike the other babies in the nursery. someday, i hope to have my own baby girl too. *wink*

tomorrow's Friday already. and im glad i finished my case study, i'll pass it tomorrow. : ) i was feeling sick when we came home from dinner last night.. very dizzy and almost vomited. but im okay already. : )

i want to try zipline. have you heard about it? : )

mark

Happy Happy 7th Birthday Shoti! : )

Ahia and Achi will always be here for you.

beating deadlines.

hello everyone! : ) lately, i've been busy doing my case study and module which is both due this week. glad there's coffee to keep me company.. i try hard not to fall asleep. especially during HOT afternoons where all i want is to go to my room, turn on the aircon, and drift off to dreamland. our finals start next week. it's earlier because we're graduating students. after that.. i wish to catch up on my reading, tidy my table, my bookshelf, and watch movies again! haha. : )



then i saw this beautiful sky outside. so i grabbed my camera and went upstairs to take a good shot of it. its view is completely relaxing and soothing.. i wish i could just stare at the skies forever. God forms shapes and sizes of clouds when He wishes to put a smile on my little face. : ) i also noticed some birds flying up there while i was shooting, i wish i could live in the clouds with them.



i continue to read about people dying, suffering.. i don't know why. but despite all this, these people still have great faith in God. : ) and so they have become inspiration to many, myself included. i realized that love, after all has been said and done, still is what makes life important and that it is the only thing that allows a person to survive despite one's physical death. we may not stick quite long enough to make it to fame, but even before we cried our first cry, we can be assured that we got to be remarkably special to someone, and that already is enough reason to make our life count for something.

final edit tomorrow then we can hardbound our thesis already. : ) goodnight people! busy week ahead.

P.S. i saw someone visiting my blog anonymously. please leave a comment or two to let me know you've visited. ok? thanks! : )

much better now

okay, so my post last night is quite sad. at that time, i really am. but now, i feel better. : ) so let me share some pictures from yesterday. here i am at Timezone, playing my all-time favorite - MarioKart. : ) D and i played this several times and i just loved it. : )

pictured below is what i cooked for our dinner - Shrimp Creole. : ) it is tasty and very easy to do. all of us loved it and finished it right away. : )



here's the recipe, try to make one and im sure you'll love it. : )

Shrimp Creole
4-6 servings

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 medium green pepper, diced
3-4 garlic cloves
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
500 grams medium shrimp, peeled

- in a large casserole, melt butter and saute onions, celery, and green peppers until almost tender, about 2-3 minutes. add garlic and saute until garlic begins to brown.
- stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, and water. taste the sauce and add more water if sauce is too thick.
- add sugar, salt, and bay leaves. cover casserole partially and bring sauce to a boil. let boil for one minute.
- add shrimp and simmer until shrimp until shrimp are fully cooked, about 3-4 minutes. stir occasionally. serve with steamed rice.

after lunch today, D went out and played computer with his high school friends Bentong and Alvin. : ) i slept for an hour. im so sleepy (again) and it's just so HOT that i don't wanna go out anymore. D came back and we ate yummy asado pao from my Auntie Beng. : ) while im typing this, he's out and is playing basketball with some churchmates at YMCA. : ) it's been awhile since he last played.

now i have to go back to work on my module. good luck to me. im happy that there's no classes tomorrow. : )

no words.

just came home from piano practice in church. and i just feel soo sad.. and disappointed. : ( hay. i can't put into words what im feeling. but even if i can, i just can't write down all the details of what happened.

how can you do that? knowing that THAT would hurt me. is it too much to ask?? i don't think i deserve this. *sigh*

short and sweet

this Monday, while im out with my family for a dinner, D came to my place and left a bear and a rose for me. : ) it made my heart smile. : )

tonight, my cousin Hannah, got some coins from her piggy bank and asked our new maid to buy Sprite for the both of us. how sweeeet and thoughtful. : )

what a great way to start and end my week. : )

tomorrow's my favorite day! the day i've always been looking forward to. : )

Becky's Kitchen, and Mom

Lemon Squares

this morning, i passed my resume somewhere in Makati. : ) then i dropped by at Becky's Kitchen and bought lemon squares, oatmeal cookies, and brownies before coming home. : ) their lemon squares is one of their best sellers and it really is delicious. : )

i also had lunch with my (real) Mom at Tasty's just near our house. im still not so comfortable being with her. sometimes i just don't know what to say. good thing my brother came and joined us. they're closer.

i slept for two and a half hours this afternoon! what's happening to me. hm..

goodnight! seminar tomorrow in school. *Thursday na pala bukas. bilis. : )

today

i think our prof really wants to give us a hard time. he gave us what he called the "last task" - to do a self-learning kit. a module for three different lessons. tsk. i slept during the afternoon when i came home from school. i'm so sleepy that no matter how much i want to start doing the things i have to finish, my eyes just won't cooperate with me. and i'm still sleepy as i type this.. hay.

my uncle and auntie came from Taiwan yesterday. : ) we had dinner at seaside along Macapagal last night. i love the tempura, CRABS!, and baked scallop with cheese. : )

during the prayer meeting tonight, we prayed for sister Rich. she's in the hospital having heavy contractions. she's 8 months pregnant. i hope nothing bad will happen to her and to the baby. it's dangerous for the baby to come out during the 8th month. hay. Lord, bring healing.

and please pray for my Ama, she didn't go to church with us because she's having a slight fever.

Avilon Zoo

Avilon Zoo

if you know me well enough, you'll know that i LOVE to eat. it's one way to my heart haha. because i have to be home for dinner with my family, D and i went to Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Rizal for a change. : ) many people have been there.. mostly by field trips. but the only zoo i've been to was in Manila Zoo haha. it was farther than i expected. but the trip was worth it. it's more of an adventure. : ) and of course, D held my hand (if he was not taking photos) the whole time - could it get any better?

admit two

we arrived around 11 in the morning and was one of the firsts to get in. entrance fee is php208 per head. and if you want a tour guide, it's an additional php350. the zoo is a 7-hectare land that houses a multitude of different species. it is kept clean and very well maintained.


here we are with trixie the monkey. you have to pay php50 to take pictures with her. she is trained well and readily poses with us. : )


Valentine's day doesn't have to be extravagant to call it a day. : )

*i had so much fun. thanks dear! : )

Happy Happy Birthday Auntie Juanita!! : )

i love you.

quick

hi there! i'll write a quick update before going to bed. just got home from dinner with my family at Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant in Greenhills. it's Uncle Whitman's birthday!! : ) Happy Birthday!! yummy foods. it's also Hearts Day today. : ) D surprised me when he was beside me when i woke up.. and greeted me with a kiss. : ) oh well. detailed post when i got time. : ) i believe that it's not only today that we should show love to our loved one(s), but everyday.

cherish every moment.

off to bed.. goodnight everyone!

have a happy weekend. : )

job fair

yesterday, i went early to school for the UST Job Fair '09. i had breakfast with some friends before going to Plaza Mayor - the venue which is in front of our Main Building. almost everyone were in corporate attires. many wore black slacks and white top, including me haha. i passed my resumes to Nestle, Coca-Cola Export, Yellow Cab Pizza Co., Monde Nissin, Jollibee, KFC, San Miguel, and others.

today, i attended our PAFT (our organization) closing ceremonies. they also made a video for the seniors. : ) after, i passed again resumes to companies who wasn't there yesterday (because they have different exhibitors each day) like PAL, Unilever, and Philippine Seven Corp., also known as Seven Eleven. : ) i also finished applying for SSS, i'll have my number by March 2. : )

later this afternoon, i talked to someone regarding my application in their company. i'll tell you the name when i get hired haha. ; ) i'll pass my resume sometime next week. : ) we all want a work, a decent one at that. and of course a good pay. hearing and seeing the news everyday about people getting laid off, the global crisis.. i just get scared about the (my/our) future. we're living in such scary times. : ( so for now, i'll grab each opportunity and i'll make the most out of it. i hope that someday, i'll be able to help, if not provide, my Dad and my grandma. they worked all their lives to give me the best in life and i can't ask for more. i feel blessed. : ) signing off now.. bye!

poster presentation

here's our very own. : )

we had our poster presentation today. other group's thesis include Development of Squash-Based Cookies and Brownies, Stability of Amaranth-Based Vitamin-Enriched Coffee, Development of Reduced Fat Soy-Based Mayonnaise, Utilization of Coconut Flour in Pizza Dough, Calcium Fortified Green-Lipped Bottle Mussel, and many more. : )

Go Seniors! : )

seeing ours hang in there gave me and my groupmates a sense of accomplishment. after how many months.. all the time, money, and energy spent to complete our study were just worth it. : ) in less than a month, we will be having our final exams already. then we'll be having our practice for the graduation. i'll surely miss UST. : ) for all it taught me. not only inside our four-walled classroom, more than that, it taught me to appreciate wisdom and life itself. : )

02. 09. 09

today is the opening of our college week. i didn't join the parade though because i had breakfast with Jen and some friends at McDo. : ) it was hot today.. no wonder only a few stayed at the Plaza Mayor during the program. my groupmates and i went to a printing shop to print our tarpaulin for tomorrow. we waited for 3 hours! tsk.

anyhow.. im happy today because it's a 9. : ) but D and i didn't see each other because he was tired from work and i still have to tutor Hannah for her exams this week. im also happy because i finished my collage already, and it looked far better than what i expected. : )

my uncle is coming to visit next Monday from Taiwan. yey. : )

02. 08. 09

we had our Sunday School Teacher's Meeting this afternoon and it went well. we discussed about some things, mostly about the upcoming Vacation Bible School which is held annually in our church during summer. im part of the music/choreography and decor committee. i hope i'll be available that day because it's a weekday.. that is, if i still don't get a job. ; )

it's raining again as im typing this. i finished my resume already when i got home from the meeting. : ) i slept a little too because im feeling dizzy since last night. then i ordered Mapo Tofu for dinner. yum! : )

now.. i'll be finishing my collage which is due on Tuesday. im bad with art! tsk. goodluck to me.

thoughts and updates

there's so much to do! i don't even know what to do first. we have to do our case study, poster, and collage. next week, we also have our college week, job fair, and a quiz too. our poster was due today.. and im glad that we were able to pass it this morning. thanks Reg! : ) after class, Jen and i visited Kara's niece - Cassie, who's confined at the UST hospital because of pneumonia and asthma (please pray for her.. she's only 8 months old). as usual, i picked up the groceries again and started doing Hannah's test papers because her exams will start next week. to have a little break, i went to Libis to see D at work. : ) im glad i found my way and didn't get lost. and he finished work earlier. : ) then we had dinner at Gateway before coming home. : ) it was raining today and i hate walking in the rain. glad it stopped before we left D's workplace.

***

last night, i was talking with a friend online. we were talking about random things then we were talking about death. that she wanted to die already to be with the Lord, and how happy that will be. because she's so tired of it all. i like that too.. the "putting an end" part. but something about death scares me.. not that i won't go to heaven. but im scared that when i get to heaven, i won't know the people i've known here on earth. that i'll forget everything that happened while i was still alive. im worried about my Dad.. it's funny but true, my Dad always gets worried about me when he can't reach me whenever he calls or text me. i remember when i was in my first year high school, i joined a youth camp in school. the place had no signal. i know my Dad was waiting for my text. and just when we were about to sleep, my Dad came to see me. from Manila to Laguna. haha. oh well, i can't blame him. sometimes i hate it, but alot of times, i appreciate his love for me. : ) okay so back to what i was saying.. im worried what would happen to my Dad when i die. worried about my Grandma, brother, and D. these are the people closest to my heart. the people i would give up anything for. of course there's my friends also. so there, im afraid to die. im afraid of the unknown.. and im also afraid of having someone close to me die. i just don't want to go through that kind of pain. : ( who likes? no one. so.. i just pray that the Lord will come so all of us can go altogether. if possible. ; )

but death is inevitable. it's just a matter of time.

i feel sad for Faith. a sister from our church who lost her baby Tuesday night. : ( she was supposed to give birth by the end of this month. but her baby died in her womb. i remember when we were in Tagaytay last December, she was showing us the picture of her baby and how happy she was. hay.. sometimes, the Lord just have other plans. and His ways are higher than ours. i hope and pray that the Lord would comfort her and give her enough grace during this hard time.

***
off to bed.. goodnight people. : ) may y'all have a happy and productive weekend! : )

shoot

last two weeks, we had our graduation pictures taken. here's some of mine. : ) i arrived a little earlier than my appointment, and luckily no one was being made up, so i was not in a hurry to finish my shoot. : )

my sweet escape.

i look fat here. ; )

i love this green dress from Sab's Cherish Closet. : )

a visit

Grace and i went to visit Atsi Joyce and Uncle Sam's little baby girl today. : )

Bethel Gail Ong - what a beautiful name. : )

here's Jonah (who was also there) and me with Bethel who is one-week old already. : ) i carried her once and she's so tiny and fragile. but she's a well-behaved baby. she looks like Uncle Sam. Joyce was joking saying that she keeps on looking at the mirror hoping that the baby would look like her, but to no avail. ; ) i love the photo mosaic at the back.. sweet. : )


Jonah, Bethel, and Grace. the baby is sleepy already. goodnight sweetie!

it's February

today is the first day of February. here are some highlights of my weekend:

Friday: dinner with Francine and Eman together with D at Pancake House. : )


Saturday: watched Saw V (so morbid)! dinner at Xiao's place with Daniel's college friends : )


Sunday: D and i got a new haircut. : ) what do you think? it's my first time to have bangs.. to cover my big forehead haha. i just want to have a new hairstyle. : ) and i thank Nelson Aguilar from Hairworks for doing it for me. : )