Celebrations..celebrations.!

Hay . naku. tagal ko di nag update ng blog ko. kaya eto, naipon lahat ng mga news ko...=)
Well, I think you will agree that December is the most celebrated month of the year!. pano ba naman.

Christmas party. New year party, at kiddie party atbp. na most of the time sa month na ito na ce-celebrate. Plus dami rin yata wedding this month! Congrats kina Jamie, Eman, JD, Mara, hmm.. sino pa ba? Rhea! he.he.. nde ako kasama!! joke lang! at sa bagong baby ni Germaine at Lorraine-si Gerlaine!
I am going to list lahat ng celebrations na na attend -an ko at kahit na yung hindi!

(sensya na kung hindi nakarating...tao.. lang... marupok..mahina...)

December 1: Birthay ni Jowel!! yippee! ang friend ko na gwapo! na may pusong girl(?!) 28 na cia!!

December 6: Birthday ni Mimie! yahoo! 28 ka na rin! be firm and stay humble!

kaya mo lahat ng mga trials!! andito lang kami!! fighting!

December 9: Christmas party ng Analog !!

December 11: Joseph and Clemz's 1st year Wedding Anniversary !! Congrats!

December 13: Gen. Trias Day!! (ala pasok!!)

December 16: Start ng Simbang gabi! nag start na rin kami na gumawa ng belen namin!!

(ala pa si baby Jesus dito, kasi sa Christmas pa namin ilalagay!)

December 17: Glitz & GLamour :Christmas Party ng MBA class - DLSU Dasma

( nde ako naka attend!he..he.. sensya na!)

December 20: ADWil Christmas Party! - nainvite ako !!

December 21: birthday ni Jolens!! Happy Birthday Jolana!!!

ADSiv Christmas Party - lunch time sa Magdaragat!

December 25: PASKO na!!! Happy Birthday Jesus!It is also my Father's Bday!

Christmas Party ng tropa nung gabi!

here's the picture of my "few" inaanaks last Christmas sa bahay!

December 26: Birthday of the little girl with a big smile! : Sheila!

December 27: Bday naman ni Markie! yehey!

December 29: Anniversary ni Rey and Elanie! All the best!

Haaayy... minsan maiisip mo sa dami ng pupuntahan mo pag December nakakapagod.. pero come to think of it.. its the favorite time of the year! and there is always a reason to celebrate that, once again, we are reminded of God's abundance love that we felt eveytime we celebrate it with our friends and loved ones. =)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!

A Nice Sunday Lunch!

I dont appreciate cooking before. Maybe because i thought that it wasn't really interesting. When I went to the US back in 2003 and left alone in the house, I feel the need to learn how to do it. In fact, I was the "cook" of my colleagues there, and they have no option but to eat the food I prepared eventough at times they cannot recognize what it is .. (hehe..)

It all started there. When I went back, I thought it would be worthwhile to cook food for my family even on Sunday only, where most of us are in the house. With my collection of menus, I decided to make things happen. I must admit that my mom is a good cook and I cannot compete with her.. (ha..ha). You'll see different facial expressions from them while trying to taste my menu, but would conclude that " this is ok for a start!" . whew!! I knew it doesn't taste good!! =(

Since then, when i'm in the house and is not that busy, I'll make sure that I cooked a menu I found interesting in the cookbook or internet and share the meal with them.

I can hardly remember the last time I prepare the food for lunch on Sunday, for i'm always out for almost 6 weeks. yeah!, really busy with school and church activities!
At last, I had the whole day with my family last Sunday, and with whatever food present in the refrigerator, I prepare a menu that I'm really proud of! At last, I made my family smile !! yehey!!!

And my recipe...........tsaararaaann......(drums rolling....)

STUFFED PUSIT ! ( stuffed squid!)

(I must learn how to make better food arrangements next time!)

And of course, this recipe goes well with chopsuey, which I also did. Guess what ? I have used the squid heads and shrimps with the veggies. Hmmm...delicious!!!


Combo meal#1 : Chopsuey with stuffed pusit!


Actually, I knew you can find this recipe on cookbooks, but what makes me happy, is that for the first time, I got a thumbs up from my customers (my family), at last!!
Before I forgot , I'd like to thank Mama Sita's oyster sauce!! it helped a lot!!

In the end, all of us are happy, and as usual, no left overs....=)

To a good Shepherd.....

Hmm.. It's been a long while since I updated my blog site. I'm really busy these past few weeks....my work projects are outpouring plus my studies have been eating a lot of my time..tskk.tskk. well, anyway the 1st semester is over and the next is coming this week. =) So, I need to save the few days to relax and have fun! ( is that possible?)

Today, September 26, is a very special day for someone whom I'm really thankful of ----showing me the right path, inviting me to work in the Lord's vineyard and setting an example on how it is to be a good shepherd.



Fr. Ollie, during a break in a convivence at La Salette, Silang Cavite - March 2004 with me and Ate Baby


To Fr. Ollie, thanks for all the good things done not only to me but for all those in need of a guidance. We thank God for giving us a good shepherd in your presence, who tends the sheep like what Jesus Christ did.

We all wish good health, courage to withstand the pressures from the community and, continuous God's wisdom for right judgment and discernment for the years to come!!!










Community of Amaya with Fr. Ollie on his early bday celebration last Saturday, Sept.24,2005

..Sunday at zoobic!

at last ! our long wait is over. after several plans disregarded due to different schedules...just last sunday, when we finally agreed to have a long trip to subic,to treat ourselves from stress and relax with one of the finest spots in the north--- SBMA(subic bay metropolitan authority)..

Bebeth, our friend, got some information from her officemate that its worth visiting the zoobic safari adventure, just a few miles away from the Ocean Adventure.So, without anyone of us, getting there --all are excited and have their bags ready. We left 4:30 a.m and expect to be there by 8:00, but we dropped by a church in Calo,Bataan, to attend a Sunday Mass. We were exactly at subic 10:00am, just in time to catch up the start time of the tour.

The group: Emma,Romar,Gigi,Richard,Nancy,Dustin,Baldwin,Jowel,Bebeth

sila pa rin kasama naman ako!

While waiting for the start of the tour!

Tiger Encounter: grrrrr!! nasa cage kami tapos may trip sa habitat ng mga tiger!! ngeekk.. kakatakot, pero masaya!

This is the picture of San Guillermo Church in Bacolor, Pampanga, greatly devastated by lahar flow from the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo wayback September 3, 1995, buried the church at half its 12m height. A museum was built inside, and the parish had just elevated the altar, keeping everything the same as it was flooded with lahar.

The Church before affected by lahar..

Everyone was tired that day, but not being together always, we enjoy this long trip and hope to have more in the future.=)

......at 28!

Whew... its 12:00 a.m, July 15, 2005..... I'm officially 28 years old!!. yipeee!!!

Unfortunately, I'm here in my office. =( I decided to extend my working hours to do some extra tasks assigned to me that needs to be done immediately.. haaayyy....

Well anyway, I decided to temporarily stop working at our lab by this time and take some moments to reflect on the 28 years of my life... i cant imagine that this is going to be this fast, without knowing that few more years and my age will not be reflected on the calendar...
When i was in my highschool years, I was thinking of what will I be--parang gustong gusto ko na mag mature at maging grown up. And its good to see that its really nice to be an adult---though there's a lot of worrying (!), responsibilities, success and failures.
And now, I'm thinking of what will I be 10 years from now?.. parang nakaka-pressure, kasi , parang 'ito na ito!!' ...Actually, what i'd like to point out is that my vocation should be clear to me by this time----
I was very fortunate and I'm really grateful to God for all the graces He has given me--all these years. I often felt that I was always protected and saved by God. What can I offer him?? I can only offer a prayer of gratitude for all the things He has done to me..

" Lord, maraming salamat po sa lahat-lahat.., sa paggabay sa aking mga desisyon, sa pagaalaga sa akin, sa pagtatama sa aking mga pagkakamali, sa pagkandali sa mga oras na wala akong matakbuhan, sa laging pagbibigay ng paalala sa mga pagkakataon ng ako'y nagkakasala...

Salamat po sa pagiging isang kaibigan, kapatid at higit sa lahat , sa pagiging isang ama na laging nagaalay ng kanyang pakpak upang maging aking kanlungan sa oras ng kapahamakan.....

Patuloy mo pong ituro sa akin ang bagay na laging maglalapit sa iyo at ibukas ang daan ng isang bokasyon para sa akin kung saan matatagpuan ko ang tunay na kaligayahan, makapapamuhay ng may dignidad , at magiging kalugod-lugod sa paningin mo...

Katulad ng ginawa mo sa akin sa loob ng 28 taon, ipnagkakatiwala ko sa Iyo ang aking buhay, kasama ng aking pamilya, kaibigan , at lahat ng aking mahal sa buhay...

Amen.....

Tying the Knot!

Last Saturday, I was able to attend the wedding day of my friend, Rose.

Rose and I are room mates when we were sent for an offshore training in Sta. Clara, CA, USA back in 2003. Since then, we shared different stories about almost everything-- sacrifices, family situations, trials, happy moments and of course .. lovelife (ha..ha..ha..)

I knew Evar from her stories,he..he.. and also because she kept a picture of him on her room(he..he..). We always teased her nga, if she was able to talk and pray to her "anito". From her stories, I knew how Evar loves her and how she also shared the same feelings with him. (haaay!!!).

They both fulfilled their promise to one another last Saturday, June 25 in St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Manila.

It was a simple wedding, yet, a very meaningful one. I was the commentator (for the nth time) in the mass and since I was standing beside the altar, I can clearly see the faces of almost every people present. I can feel the happiness that's both within the two newly weds, and Rose kept on making signs to me that she's very nervous.. pero I feel that she's really, really , happy :) The words from the priest kept in my mind . He said ,"Let this day be a day of thanksgiving, as you both find the very source of your happiness. Even if you face a lot of trials in the future,always keep this in mind. That you marry today the person you love--as in the PERSON, and not the material things around him/her.With that, even tough there are fights, struggles, you would not look at the limitations outside the person, but rather look on his presence which includes the weaknesses and strengths, para you may be reminded that he/she is the same person that you marry, ready to accept and live with him/her through the rest of your lives. That, amidst her/his limitations, you'll still be able to find happiness in him, that would further strengthen your marriage and family life".

To Evar and Rose, please keep the promises you made to God and together, build a Christian family.

I wish you all the best!!

DIFFERENT VOCATIONS

I was about to make a post two weeks ago, but because I have my hands full of so many work to be done, I missed publishing these news immediately.

I just like to share two different celebrations I am part of---- where each one leads to fulfillment of their own chosen vocations.

Ang BAGONG PARI!

I attended the ordination of my long lost friend, Kuya Ronel last May 20 at the Imus Cathedral. It was actually my first time to attend an ordination having a friend ( which I personally knew) entering the religious life. I really felt happy for him. Bishop Tagle has given inspiring thought of how is it to be a good shepherd. I cant forget these lines"Ang Mabuting pastol handang magutom para sa kanyang kawan, handang magdusa, handang magparaya , at laging handang maghanap sa nawawalang tupa"...Simple pero mabigat... To be a priest is no joke, all your life is for the church--for the people. It is self-giving!!

Congratulations, K' Ronel!! (este., Fr. Ronel na pala!)

Fr.Ronel with his mom and brother in law in procession

BALIK -PAMILYA

Last May 23, Howard, my officemate gave a lunch treat at Yellow Cab-Tagaytay as despedida. He is moving to Ireland to finally join his family , after long months of waiting!

Howard has been my groupmate when I was just starting to work in Analog. Actually, he just came 3 weeks before I reported for work ( year 2000). I knew him as being friendly, helpful and religious, too. We often called him "Air Howard" for his breathtaking basketball stunts and shooting ability. He got married year 2003 with a Filipina nurse working in Ireland, the girl he met when sent for an offshore assignment in Limerick, Ireland. (lucky guy!).

Well, there's really a reason to celebrate!, Good luck, Howie!!

Howard (wearing the orange checkered polo, seated) with the ADSC family and friends

Ako naman kaya, ano vocation ko??!! =)

S e n T i =(

haaayy.. at last !!I was able to sit on my chair and rest for a while.. whew!!

I did report tonight coz I had an appointment in the morning. My boss allowed me to finish my task because I need to present the evaluation results early Friday morning=( and as of this writing (now at 3:15am), I did not have a reliable experiment data to present.
I was so tired and a little bit frustrated with what I'm doing. wheww... huh!! the results arent ok!!
Setting up using the handler isnt really a funny thing. I dont have a technician and I need to do it by myself. In times like this, I do realized that there are really some things that women can hardly do and that men's help is needed.. My back aches ..uuhhh!! The handler is too huge for me. hu..hu..hu...
Well, I dont have anyone here to talk to and listen to my sentiments... thanks to blog! I can express myself through writing.. =)
After this, I'm going back to the laboratory to seek for more possibilities and hopefully get better results..May God help me !!! :-)

BuOnG BaHAY ! ! !

I was really not fond of watching telenovelas, specifically, those that are dubbed for Philippine TV viewing. But when I watched Lovers in Paris, having almost perfect dubbing which I found very suitable for Filipino audiences, hmmm..its okay naman pala.=). I began to like also Save the Last Dance for me, huh!! made me cry!!. And just recently, I really liked the Korean telenovela "Full House". I was really eager to come home early to watch it. Even if the last episode was shown, a week after, I felt like seeing Justin and Jessie (Filipino name for Han Jin-Eun and Lee-Young Jae) fighting again and reconcile afterwards.

I'm browsing some reviews on the internet and found out that this mini-series started out as a comic book back in 1993 where it gained ratings on Korea,HK,Taiwan,China, and Japan - and learned that the house used on the shooting was really meant for that purpose. Imagine that it cost approximately $1M dollars ??!!? whew!! Well, it really pays to invest such amount to a very good mini series. J

"Full House"

You know what I like most on this mini-series?? It makes me smile due to the weird fighting scenes of Justine and Jessie. The story was light and the romance is unique J . Imagine yourself going home tired of office works and watching dramatic telenovelas?? Unlike, other telenovelas this mini series was full of sense of humor that would lighten up your mood. I love the ending and I hope there would be a part2, which I figure to be showing how that two (Justin and Jessie) lived a family life taking care of their kids (hmmmh..can I write the script??!!)

the characters(L-R): Lorraine (Gong Hye-Won),Luigi (Min-hyuk),Jessie (Han-Jin Eun),Justin (Lee Young-Jae)

I was now watching the Korean version of Full House (thanks it has an English subtitle!) and I kept enjoying it. I missed some of the episodes shown before and my friend told me that there are some scenes cut during on the TV version that I would like to watch. I just finished 5 DVDs and there are 3 more:) And I hope to finish by this weekend. Whew, my DVD player seemed to complain about over usage. I might need to cheer up my DVD player by saying " Aza,aza, fighting!!"

HABEMUS PAPAM !!!

Pope Benedict XVI

With the event of Pope John Paul II's death, it seems that the whole world was in a mourning. Everybody is waiting for another shepherd that would carry his flock to God. Actually, I was praying that may God grant us a pope who's very firm in implementing the doctrine of the Church because today, we face a radical social transformation brought by new technologies.

And God has been very good to us. With less than 1 week, He bless Cardinal Ratzinger, to continue Peter's apostolic work. I was very happy! =)

With so many challenges facing the Church today, it's really difficult to carry the "sheeps" on Pope Benedict XVI's back. Our prayers are really needed to lead his decisions, strengthen his faith that he may truly be a "humble labourer in the Lord's vineyard".

May God bless us all!!

Goodbye.... Karol !!!

The first time I heard about the Pope's death, I felt that I lost a father, and I can't stop crying. In some discussions with a friend, we are wondering what keeps us shedding tears for him, --- he's not our relative, neither a Filipino, not even someone who we can chat with about our problems , yet we feel affected about what happened to him. Seeing him alone in TV, moved me, in some way or another which I can't explain. Maybe it's because, I met in him a shepherd who always finds his flock, always willing to leave the 99 and look for the one mis-directed. His smile is enough to tell me that there indeed is a God who always watches over me.. J

I am a Neo-Catechumen, walking in one of the parish here in Cavite, Philippines. I knew that he is very close to the way. There are several gatherings where he personally appeared to send his blessings. I won't forget a video coverage about sending of family missionaries where Kiko, as a final song, sang "He Rose From Death". He was about to leave and upon hearing it, he got back, clapped his hands and joined the families in singing together the song. He was the one who approved our statutes, blessed the Domus Galilee for the baptismal renewals, and make Neo-Catechumenal Way known throughout many parishes in the world.

I thank God for giving him to the world , for giving us such a holy man, which makes me feel that it is really not impossible to follow Christ. He served as an inspiration to me, to offer my life unselfishly, so that others may live. J It is hard ,but is totally possible.

With him are my prayers that he may rest peacefully with God, and continuously pray for us that we may be able to fight evil and be real imitators of Christ.

Goodbye for now Pope John Paul II, and please bring with you my love and prayers as you enter the gates of heaven and meet God!! J

True L O V E !!!

Today marks the last day of February. I haven’t updated my blog for a while, since I have a lot of work to do these past two weeks. Huh!! At last! I can now have my 2nd post uploaded, hopefully =)
February is often regarded as the month of love. When I was in my teenage years, I view this month as something romantic! As in .. love is in the air!! He..he.. I created valentine cards for friends, for my mom, obviously none for my boyfriend !(since I still don’t have one now! he..he..) cut out cupids in a red cartolina , post it at the door of our classroom, prepare for senior proms…. Whew! It seems that everybody is in love during this month!!
But at my age now, things changed. Now, this season is unusual … without a card, without hanging cut-out hearts and cupids, without roses… but I feel something extraordinary. Un explainable ….but, because I’ve given LOVE with a new definition.

Have you heard the gospel this week, 3rd Sunday of lent? About the encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in Jacob’s well? This is one of my favorite gospel =)

Why?! Because, I see myself present in the Samaritan woman. Like her, I also want to dig into the well to get water to satisfy my thirst. The water signifies all my dreams – of being known, of being rich, of being loved by someone. Without knowing that even if I have it all, I will be thirsty again. Knowing Jesus, who spoke to me in front of my “idols” which was killing me, I was enlightened and the love that I’m longing for was already given to me --- in the presence of my family, officemates, friends… the thirstiness I felt was filled with God’s love, shown to me EVERYDAY!!!. Imagine.! I almost don’t realized that before.??!?

With this reason, I believed that love really is in the air!!!, and it happens not only in the month of February but everyday…every moment. So, when you feel this kind of love, there’s no reason to frown! , keep on smiling and share it to others, too!

H a P p Y V a L e n T i n E !!!
Today, I was able to make my first post at my newly created blog. Hmmm... thanks to Elanie for pushing me to draft my own blog... ha!!ha!!! I should have done this before, =) cause I feel that I had a lot of kwentos to share...=)
Well anyway, this is just a start and you would know more about me on my next posting. I chose my blog title to be Shema! It's a Hebrew word which means listen !!! --its because we discover many things upon listening. And through that, we may be able to respond, act and produce results when we listen attentively. I hope that you will benefit on my insights, experiences , stories which I planned to post on this blog !
Stay happy =)