tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84175104233687305972011-09-23T02:04:18.491-07:00Writing is my escape from the regimented and simple life. Although marriage and children will always be my top priority, it's nice to channel your energies to other things once in awhile.32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comBlogger541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-45183569616105868722009-03-08T03:51:00.001-07:002009-03-30T06:38:50.810-07:00

We usually find excuses not to go to mass when we travel but on this particular trip, we found the time to fulfill our Sunday obligation. Lucky for us, Alicia researched in advance for the directions to the Don Bosco Church. We arrived early for the 1030am mass and so we had to wait downstairs. No problem! The great thing about Don Bosco is that it had a huge covered playground where the kids

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-2032528465612656162009-03-04T06:44:00.000-08:002009-03-05T19:08:18.423-08:00

Joan's sister, Marjorie, lived in Taipei for a decade or so and this was initially the reason we chose to go there. We figured we had a local that could guide us to the best places to visit, best places to eat, could be our translator, etc etc. Imagine my shock when in June 2008, Joan tells me that Marjorie is back in Manila for good. Patay, sira ang masterplan. What I didn't know was that Joan

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-80212183904250464432009-01-18T23:37:00.001-08:002009-03-05T05:37:22.446-08:00

Why not! I had half a dozen people ask me why my family chose Taiwan as the destination for our annual Christmas Vacation. My simple reply is because we've never been there. As a family, we like to explore places we've never been to so that we can have a unique experience to share amongst ourselves. And more often than not, we really end up having experiences that are truly unique and weird and

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-91416509820662744882008-12-01T22:59:00.000-08:002009-01-07T17:51:27.034-08:00

Well, at least that's how he appeared to us. Mr. Yearbook Yourself Hairstyle No. 2 was rude, abrasive, self-absorbed and really, a pain to deal with. We knew our luck would run out sometime during this trip since we had such a worry-free adventure yesterday and so we just sat back, relaxed while listening to him chat away during the 2-hour trip to Melaka. Of course we were careful not to let him

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-51210505387404499122008-11-03T16:55:00.000-08:002008-11-04T01:56:54.012-08:00

In my younger years at CSA, we were usually arranged alphabetically and so it was no surprise that V would always sit side by side with W. This is how I met my good friend Nena. We were classmates in pre-school, hung out in grade school, grew apart in high school, reconnected in college, was sidetracked by work and law school then finally met up again in 2006. But in all our years as friends, we

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-34083304310614482912008-10-30T01:13:00.000-07:002008-11-05T00:31:43.483-08:00

Last October 18, Mom and Tata invited me to watch the dry run of my Tita Bebe's Velada at Assumption in San Lorenzo. Tita Bebe is my Mom's first cousin who is not married and has no children. We are her family and so I was more than happy to see her in 'action'. Tita Bebe is a Diamond Jubilarian -- 60 years since she graduated from Assumption Herran. What a feat! Of course I just had to be there!

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-38294049113051489122008-08-26T22:54:00.000-07:002008-09-28T22:13:33.587-07:00

Ria has a new baby! Not the human kind though. Heehee.My friend recently launched www.mommypads.multiply.com to cater to all the busy moms out there. I love the goodies she made for me! On my notepad, Annika is the little hip hop dancer, Alessi is Dara Torres in the making and Im the facebooker este blogger. She also had calling cards done for my family which included Reymond and myself in a

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-49630680392090691592008-06-29T18:59:00.000-07:002008-07-07T03:59:10.524-07:00

I've been so busy with 'other' things that I've neglected finishing my Hanoi series. We're now down to our last two days here. After visiting all the points of interest around the city, we now have enough time to relax, unwind and EAT. This post is devoted solely to food and the restaurants that served them! Heehee.May 12 was my Mom's actual birthday and so I made sure we didn't rush her. Day 4

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-70373903177301995832008-06-01T22:49:00.000-07:002008-06-12T16:14:27.689-07:00

Since we knew we would be dog tired from the day before, we decided to go on a private tour and start at 9:30 instead of the typical 8am pick-up time. Today, we had the pleasure of meeting Henry our tour guide and Charlie our chauffeur. Both had given us their Vietnamese names and seeing that we had a hard time pronouncing it, they gave us the option of using their English names. Charlie was a

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-52072846324616375742008-05-25T23:55:00.000-07:002008-05-26T23:30:55.306-07:00

Today was very stressful for me as I had to play timekeeper for my Mom who has a history of tardiness and failing to keep her appointments. When I opened my eyes, Mom was wide awake making koot-koot (slang for fussing around aimlessly) and was ecstatic to see me awake. She had already been up for an hour and was anxious for me to get up so she could converse with someone. I asked her what time it

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-40882007283590622492008-05-21T00:50:00.000-07:002008-06-05T01:02:28.101-07:00

In 2005, my Mom decided that instead of spending money for a lavish party to celebrate her birthday, she would treat her girls to a trip in a foreign destination of her choice. We enjoyed HK so much that year that Mom decided she would make it an annual event much to the delight of her beneficiaries. In 2006, Mom had hip replacement surgery and so that year was left blank. In 2007, the tradition

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-6601464809272252132008-05-16T23:18:00.000-07:002008-05-21T00:50:25.879-07:00

From the enchanting paradise of Pagudpud, we now make our way to Chavit Country. Vigan City is about 3 hours by land from Pagudpud. On our way there, we stopped by the Pasuquin Bakeshop found in the town with the same name. As usual, it was Nena who led me to this one of a kind bakeshop that serves the softest biscocho around. Let me just tell you, soft is an understatement! We're talking melt

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-21841080420342668112008-04-27T23:13:00.000-07:002008-04-29T09:23:11.724-07:00

After being obedient and dutiful children, we were now off to enjoy some downtime in the Boracay of the North. On our way there, we stopped by a few important Ilocos landmarks for some kodak moments. First stop was the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, a very popular tourist spot that sits majestically on a hill overlooking the South China Sea. It was built in 1892 and is still impressively functioning.

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-20068450971090367152008-04-24T20:36:00.000-07:002008-04-25T21:28:32.696-07:00

When Reymond and I first got together, it wasn't ideal at all. He had just come off a 7-year relationship and I was in the middle of a stormy phase in my life. Reymond was quite persistent and determined and I was of course drawn to him almost immediately. Ika nga, I was swept off my feet -- literally. It was truly a whirlwind romance that raised a lot of eyebrows and we had a number of critics

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-13459719026200712162008-04-16T19:54:00.000-07:002008-04-17T21:56:07.136-07:00

M's creative juices are on overdrive again! My good friend gifted me with this beautiful card set that's supposed to be an animated figure of myself. I love it! From the shoes to the bag to the blog --- she was right on target. You can actually order one for yourself! Just go to www.mybabycakes.multiply.com and she'll guide you on how to get these personalized cards.Enjoy!

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-23039362152785680172008-04-03T02:23:00.000-07:002008-04-08T05:22:44.169-07:00

Waking up and looking out your window at endless rows of plants and trees really does wonders for your soul. I was feeling really upbeat and ready to head to our next destination!Despite its namesake, the Taytay falls is not found in Rizal. Its located in the town of Majayjay in Laguna, just at the tip of Quezon. Since the roads were narrow and winding, we had to leave our buses behind and hire

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-24279925942337631762008-04-01T23:43:00.000-07:002008-04-02T19:04:25.598-07:00

This time last year, my PATTS family had gone on a beautiful trip to the North which I had the opportunity to chronicle in my very first post here on blogspot. For our summer outing this year, we decided to go South so that we could spend less hours on the road and more time admiring the sights. After numerous retreats at the Assumption and even after all my teen-age drinking sprees in Antipolo,

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-78726104168737245512008-03-30T22:48:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:16:45.657-07:00

The thing i hate most about having an evening flight is that you have to check out at 12 noon, deposit your luggage at the concierge and be left with no bathroom for the whole day. Hassle. I can't even believe I shared that bit of information with you---heehee. Anyway, Maja and I took our time in the morning before checking out at 12 noon. We separated ways with Jaz and Ria as they wanted to have

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-3655541299858712392008-03-12T22:37:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:19:14.267-07:00

Feeling rejuvinated after my 8 hour sleep courtesy of Stilnox, I prepared for another shopping marathon and was ready by 9am sharp. Today, our first stop would be the H & M store at Central. Because we are overly ganado, we get there before the shop even opens! Jazmin and I decide to make short trips to Page One (naku, I think we entered every available Page One store in HK!) and to my favorite

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-74636434274625526102008-03-11T20:08:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:22:56.332-07:00

In the past, I used writing to relax me and to take me away from the stress of office work and family duties. But during the last few days, my stress reliever and guilty pleasure has been reading some heavy gossip on the net. I have been consumed by the Brian Gorrell blog and his outrageous stories about members of the Gucci Gang. At first, it was interesting but now, it's just turned into an

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-67542588987510462682008-03-03T20:12:00.000-08:002008-04-02T06:25:23.866-07:00

Let me first introduce to you the Cast of Characters:Ria - marathon walker, obsessive compulsive shopper, light packer and stilnox survivorJazmin - page one afficionado, tiger skecher, Zoie's personal shopper and my drinking partnerMaja - roommate, outlet researcher, injured foot and happy camper plus Me!The four of us left our hubbies and children in Manila for 4 glorious days in Hong Kong! It

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-7559089478699216942008-01-08T20:34:00.000-08:002008-01-10T00:34:43.922-08:00

KB warned us that Saturday and Sunday would be the coldest days in our entire trip and his weather forecast proved to be accurate. During these days, the highest temperature was 5 degrees and it dipped to as low as zero degrees in the evening. My gaaaaad, it was freezing!As mentioned in the last post, we decided to head back to Yuyuan since we were pressed for time during our first visit. We

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-40997326992811774422008-01-03T22:25:00.000-08:002008-01-10T00:40:53.844-08:00

It's not very difficult to get around the city because the taxis here are affordable and as long as you ask the concierge to write your intended destination in chinese characters, you will have no problem directing the driver to where you want to go. BUT since we were a group of 25, there was a degree of difficulty in gathering everyone and moving from one place to the next. Fortunately, our

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-55674935283896407452008-01-03T00:23:00.000-08:002008-01-11T01:59:42.798-08:00

I did not find a single restaurant in this place serving my daughter's favorite lumpia. Instead I am greeted by the coldest weather I have ever experienced in my whole life! I had the bright idea of taking my family for our annual Christmas vacation to Shanghai without fully understanding the situation I was getting my entire clan into. As Maja would say, JUSKO. Shanghai was freezer temperature!

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-81603169312187416682007-12-03T01:20:00.000-08:002007-12-03T21:52:33.472-08:00

The four of us were supposed to fly to Dumaguete to celebrate my thirty-something birthday weekend. Instead, I spent my special day at the Asian Hospital looking over my daughter who was vomitting uncontrollably since Wednesday because of her stomach flu. Also on my special day, Senator Trillanes decides to throw me a surprise party at the 2nd floor of the Manila Peninsula. That day also happened

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-29708878726788402412007-11-25T23:22:00.000-08:002007-11-27T00:27:52.079-08:00

Joel Daradar is one of our proud alums, a 2001 BS Tourism graduate now based in Abu Dhabi. He works for the National Health Insurance agency of the UAE government and AVV Jr. (aka Dad) teases him always as being the highest paid PATTS Alum in the UAE (they met last February on a previous trip he had with MFV). He was the one tasked with organizing our graduates and what a great job he did!With

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-31328951826430970382007-11-21T20:42:00.000-08:002007-11-22T00:06:27.789-08:00

Abu Dhabi is a much gentler and calmer city compared to Dubai and yet I find myself very drawn to its old school charm and laid back trance. We arrived in the city in the late afternoon and checked in immediately at the International Rotana Inn (IRI) at the corner of Salaam and Hamdan. It is crucial to memorize this as there are about 5 other Rotana hotels in the immediate vicinity of our hotel.

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-12215561071463803262007-11-14T19:45:00.000-08:002007-11-15T05:19:48.979-08:00

The Sheikh Zayed Road is the major highway in Dubai lined with most of their skyscrapers, residential buildings, major business establishments and shopping malls. Johnson, our new tour guide, says that Zayed is their Ayala Avenue. Just one hundred times longer and wider!Yesterday, I made a statement that the Madinat Jumeirah was the most beautiful mall I had ever been to. Well, I take it back.

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-32983393857413678372007-11-11T21:19:00.001-08:002007-11-13T23:32:37.626-08:00

Our travel consultant assigned us a chauffeur/tour guide to take us to wherever we wanted to around the city. She turned out to be another kabayan, Heidi, who is actually in the catering business but was free on that day. Our first stop of the day was the Central Souk in Sharjah. We chose to go there first since it was the farthest from the city. Central is their version of 168. Pero what a

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-74529369781002930402007-11-09T21:49:00.000-08:002007-11-11T20:48:29.156-08:00

Being given the opportunity to travel to the Middle East for both business and pleasure comes but once in your lifetime. So when it does, you grab the bull by its horns and let it carry you to wherever it may be. Such was my experience when broached with the idea of travelling to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to attend an Educational Exhibit. While there, I would also be given the task to organize the

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-53545363499776165692007-10-07T22:35:00.000-07:002007-10-09T02:03:16.796-07:00

I've been to Boracay a number of times and each time, the trip has always been safe and hassle-free. So when Joanna asks me to join her at the wedding of her little brother in Boracay, I willingly obliged. We were going to stay at the very posh Discovery Shores and it was going to be my first out of town wedding. How could I say no? Even if it was raining a whole week before the wedding, it

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-20113659143674281572007-09-18T16:57:00.000-07:002007-09-19T21:09:25.425-07:00

Yesterday, I was grinning from ear to ear after DLSU escaped with a 1-point victory over arch-nemesis ADMU to take the twice to beat advantage in the UAAP. It was certainly worth the heartaches I had to endure from the two previous losses to the same school during the regular season. UST will now battle against ADMU and the winner will meet DLSU who, as i said earlier, will enjoy a twice to beat

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-75765541784247186642007-09-03T00:05:00.000-07:002007-09-03T08:03:28.514-07:00

Last year, we had our first taste of the Cebupac mania. We made our way to the beautiful city of Davao surrounded by our closest friends. This year, Maggs was busy with her CISV duties and Vice-Mayor Concon also had his hands full. We would have to take on this vacation 'alone'. So minus our entourage, we headed south once again to celebrate Reymond's 36th birthday and found ourselves a paradise

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-71426151185036430092007-08-07T21:54:00.000-07:002007-08-22T08:57:06.354-07:00

After reading this: http://cathychronicles.blogspot.com/2007/08/noli-eala-scandal.htmlI wanted to give my two cents worth on the scandal that is rocking both the legal profession and the basketball world, both of which are close to my heart. So here goes....In high school, the teacher I looked up to the most was Ms. Maryann Tantoco. She taught English Literature and in the one year that I was

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-12609824359257648302007-08-06T02:03:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:27:40.203-07:00

No matter how hard we tried to resist, we just couldn't bring ourselves to go on another tour. Instead, we give in to the temptation and spend our last day here at the mall. For someone who takes pride in immersing herself in culture and history, it was a letdown of sorts. But then again, I'm sure I'll get over it soon.The day began with our appreciation lunch for Mom. It was held at the Liyen

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-57719335764791197222007-08-05T21:32:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:29:43.918-07:00

Darkness had already fallen by the time I took pictures on the third day of our trip. The whole day was spent exclusively inside the Suria KLCC Mall at the Petronas Twin Towers. Nakakahiya man aminin, it's true. I've fallen into the trap of going into a store simply because the word SALE is posted on its window. Even more embarrassing is the fact that I only saw the first floor of the mall and

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-63098663967528075762007-08-05T16:29:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:31:49.727-07:00

I think I forgot to mention that another facet to my Mom's personality is that she never appears in public unless she is in full battle gear -- full make-up, fashion outfit, jewelry and accessories. It's her thing. It takes her about 4 hours in the morning to get moving but once she does, she's good until the end of that day. Having said this, it's no wonder our day begins after lunch. So to save

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-50985730180428056312007-08-04T18:02:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:33:34.144-07:00

Let me first introduce the Cast of Characters:Mom/Nini - birthday celebrant and financierMe - daughter and roommate (together forever)Joan, Shyla and Cindy - Mom's DsIL and my SsIL (walang takas kay MIL kasi adjoining rooms kami)Tata - Mom's only sister but acts like her oldest child (spoiled just like me)T.Jean and T.Cora - the Kaladkarins (defined as those who have no hubbies with children

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-50334657531475323872007-08-04T16:35:00.000-07:002007-08-05T16:19:07.892-07:00

My Mother is one of the most unique human beings you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. She is as strong as a bull, with a mind as sharp as a person half her age. But despite her aggressive and head-strong demeanor, she is in reality a kind and nurturing individual to the ones she loves. She actually has a soft side, even though she hardly lets anyone get through that tough exterior. It is

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-54410682854583096392007-07-19T00:08:00.000-07:002007-07-19T08:20:26.124-07:00

My grade school years and first year high school were spent in CSA before Mom dragged me to Assumption to start my sophomore year. Paano kasi, the mother of my chinese boyfriend then had the gall to call my mother and accuse me of encouraging her son's obsession with me (in other words, kerengkeng daw ako). Apparently, at a very young age, I had the power and capacity to make this boy turn his

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-21929067099436929172007-06-25T07:17:00.000-07:002007-06-26T01:13:56.586-07:00

create your own visited countries map or vertaling Duits NederlandsGot this idea from my online buddy Carla (term borrowed from Multiply) and it's quite amusing. Instead of listing all the places you've been to, you sort of plot it in the map to see just how much of the world you've discovered. You think you've been around but my map tells me I've only seen about 10% of our planet. Imagine that.

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-584922344399007622007-05-23T20:15:00.000-07:002007-05-23T20:37:33.907-07:00

As a mommy reading knittymommy's blog, I have been tagged:1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? it's never planned2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? yes3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? i cried, screamed at hubby and called my mom in manila4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? no naman5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? i just turned 286. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? i took a pregnancy test.7. WHO DID YOU TELL

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-62941693428590379912007-05-19T00:43:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:35:35.454-07:00

Today is our last full day in Saigon. We leave for Manila tomorrow. Just when you thought naubos na namin lahat ng tour, our guide directs us to one more. We're now off to see the Mekong Delta River.On our way there, our new guide Vinh asks us to make a short stop at the Cao Dai temple in Ben Luc town. This sect is a product of religious and philosophical traditions from the West and the East.

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-84566568526036819352007-05-17T03:53:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:37:33.571-07:00

To see is to believe. The Cu Chi tunnels are a series of underground networks used by the Vietcong first against the French and later on to protect them against the Americans. Inside the tunnels, the Vietcong had their meeting rooms, sleeping quarters, water pits, kitchens, mess halls - name it, they had it. The Vietcong practically lived in those tunnels. Its no wonder these people were able to

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-27247077772798830992007-05-16T07:00:00.001-07:002008-04-02T06:39:38.687-07:00

Every morning here, We are blessed to have this beautiful courtyard as our backdrop to start the day. After my breakfast pho, eat all you can pomelo and heavenly Vietnamese coffee, we prepare for the long day ahead.We meet our tour guide, Sang, at the hotel lobby by 8:15am. We are assigned a guide AND a private car with a driver to take us around the city. Naxxxxx. Our first stop is the Notre

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-70275693982045920482007-05-16T00:45:00.001-07:002008-04-02T06:41:36.365-07:00

I've been enthralled with Vietnam ever since Mom took me and Paolo to watch Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane back in 1996. The play was sad and tragic and yet when the broadway production came to Manila in 2000, I chose to see it again. Since then, I have been constantly googling off the internet on any information I could find about Saigon. Its history and culture fascinates me.

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-62864718551531849282007-05-08T21:28:00.000-07:002007-05-09T01:55:42.726-07:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Alessi is one of those little girls that should come with a CAUTION label. When she doesn't want to do something, she lets it be known and is quite adamant with her refusal. So when it finally came time for us to bring her to the dentist, we opted against Annika's dentist (family friend Georgia) and decided to go with our neighbor Jill. Jill is a dentist by

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-71541226897040297542007-04-23T20:10:00.000-07:002007-05-19T07:05:28.188-07:00

My parents are celebrating their 38th year of marriage today, April 24, 2007. 38 years! That's a long time by any standard. Theirs was not the conventional love story and they had their share of rough spots over the years. But they withstood all the challenges and remain together in spite of.Mom met Dad through her cousin, Al Santos. Tito Al actually brought 3 of his friends over to choose from!

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-61565410427674146002007-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:002007-04-18T01:22:36.574-07:00

Check this out! What a cool invitation! In Filipino lingo, kina-career na rin ng sister in law ko ang children's party! Heehee. While we were celebrating Summer's 1st, Tristan was having the time of his life with Spidey on the other side of the world. We missed the party and the pics made us feel even worse. Boohoo. Actually, we would have given an arm and a leg to be with Tristan on his special

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-74457489199126815192007-04-15T22:24:00.000-07:002007-04-15T23:18:47.066-07:00

Our Samantha Victoria recently turned 1 so despite the sweltering heat and humid conditions, we all came out to celebrate with her last April 15. Summer was sick on that day and was really not in the mood to party. Kawawa talaga! But Joaquin took charge of entertaining her guests and he did a pretty good job. Summer also had an inflatable party, similar to what Annika had a few months ago. But

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My girlfriends and I got together to celebrate Maja's upcoming visit with the Stork in June. Finally, finally, we'll be having another boy. Maja is due to give birth to 'F' on June 6. Food and drinks were overflowing, conversation was endless and we were just munching at everything placed in front of us. And what would an evening with my girlfriends be without the usual ranting and bitching about

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-86576410512394536332007-04-10T19:34:00.000-07:002007-04-11T23:45:58.436-07:00

Matuod is our refuge from the maddening crowd that takes over all the other more popular destinations during the Holy Week. In my younger years, my parents used to take us to Green Valley in Baguio up until the major earthquake that hit in 1990. In na in kami nun. We would hang out in the clubhouse, play in the arcade and wear our cardigans for everyone to see. I felt bad then because I didn't

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-19783260687487984292007-03-29T21:04:00.000-07:002007-03-30T23:18:18.499-07:00

Tito Monet (Dumlao) perished in a plane crash some eight years ago while flying on a UN mission in war torn Angola. I never really knew the importance of his job and the eventual price he had to pay for helping complete strangers. All I knew then was that he was a pilot. I didn't realize he was actually a modern day hero.Tito Monet was an employee of Transafrik, a South African aircraft leasing

32 flavorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05125148265953981693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417510423368730597.post-62242948315632359392007-03-25T23:24:00.000-07:002007-05-19T06:53:49.103-07:00

PATTS Summer Escapade --- Ilocos 2007. Since I'm still a novice blogger, please give me time to figure this out. Ilocos is scenic, serene and rich with history. I hope to visit again next year but next time around, I will have Reymond and the girls in tow. Love the food, love the architecture, love the churches, love the people and........did i already say love the food? Eh masarap talaga! The

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