Thoughts between Christmas and the New Year

 

 

Thoughts between Christmas and the New Year

The holiday celebrations this 2012 weren't as hectic as the past years. Only  got to see three "balikbayan" friends who are here for the holidays; only the Hubby attended Christmas parties of different dental societies; and I survived the three events held at our home in a span of eight days.

Lunch with dear old friend Debbie and some travel buddies.

http://chicsanders22.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-lunch-dec-18-2012.html

Post Christmas dinner with UPSCAn's

http://chicsanders22.blogspot.com/2012/12/post-christmas-dinner-with-upscans-12_26.html

San Andres Annual Christmas Dinner

http://chicsanders22.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-family-dinner-2012.html

 

Weng dropped by one Sunday afternoon.

Cesbau, the Hubby and I visited Dr. Joni Martinez's home in QC.

My best friend Dr. Aimee arrived on the 20th.

We were at her house the night she arrived.

Welcome home!!!

With my bbff's, Dr. Aimee, Dr. Olive, Dr. Butch & Aya.

... at Thaipan Restaurant. 

I started the  2013 by being with my bbff's.

It'll be a lovely year!!!

******** 

 

I survived but I am very tired. Aging is catching up on me. Eight hours sleep is not enough. I need 12 hours, another day's rest and a massage to recharge, recover and recuperate.

The time between Christmas and New Year is my quiet time. We spent a couple of nights in Fontana: Just lying around all day, with hardly any Internet connection, no cleaning, no baking and no cooking, just complete bed rest. Hubby, as usual, was at the Flying Club for his flying lessons as early as 7 am. Nobody wanted to go with him. I went to Puregold, hoping to buy Christmas decors on sale but I was an hour late. :(



Back to my thoughts........

There are three stages in my life. Santa Claus is real and I believed he did exist. My mom was Santa Claus… and now, I am Santa Claus. ... I even weigh as much as he does.

I believed in Santa Claus, though I never really tried to be nice all year and had been quite a naughty little brat, Santa Claus still came every Christmas Eve until I was eight years old. I hated my older cousins for telling me that my mom was Santa Nanay. Hmpf! *^%##}{][=+¥£€ o well ..

 

 

A monstrous thought ...

Don't you just hate it when you see someone wearing the exact same dress or shirt? Or when someone, somehow, sometimes, just seem to be a copycat? Another Hmpf! *^%#}{][¥£€! What Charles Caleb Colton refers to as the best form of flattery is actually the purest form of annoyance, and when this line within me is crossed, it tests my patience and utmost tolerance.

Here I am again with such negative monstrous thoughts. But as I always say and write," these are just monstrous thoughts. They do not deserve a reward or a reprimand... " 

More thoughts….

What shall I wish for in 2013?

I only pray for two things, that my loved ones will always be healthy and safe and for God to take me first. Since this is my daily prayer, then they don't count as wishes for the new year right?

So, I get to make three wishes.
First wish ... inner peace, and how do I do that? I always read Paulo Coelho’s blog and here’s a link. http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2012/12/28/closing-cycles/  
Do read the comments posted by his followers. I posted one. Hmmm i am such a fan of PC. As I read the comments at the bottom of the page, I saw a comment that I posted sometime in August.  The article gives me the proper encouragement, explains and justifies what I had done and why I closed a lot of doors, kept them shut and kept them that way for a long long time.

My second wish … for the Hubby and the Son to continue to love me and tolerate my mood swings. They give me space, they leave me alone when I become a fire breathing dragon, spewing out ‘evil’ words, that is fiercer and more deadly than the  fire from a real dragon’s mouth.  They patiently wait for me to be ready, to be pain free or to wake up  after noon, since sleep  (again) evaded me the previous  night.

My third wish … is  to pursue my dream to be  a successful artist/painter. I shall finish the painting that I have started last November 2012. I will try  to inspire some people with the things I write, [ simple essays that I publish online with my paintings].  Art of Calm 2012 is posted at scribd.com!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/117062760/Calm-2012

 ... I will continue cooking and baking for my loved ones, not for commercial purposes to enrich myself and share my recipes and food blogs in my new blog, http://chicsanders22.blogaspot.com 

Happy New Year to all... Hubby and Son, my friends, real friends, cyber friends,  FB friends, acquaintances, relatives, neighbors!  May we make new and beautiful memories this   2013.

 

********

My Christmas 2012  

I took photos of Christmas trees and started with mine. I wanted to post them in Facebook and do my countdown til Christmas Day. But somehow, I lost momentum when the dad of my dear friend passed away.  I had to put all holiday photos or blogs on hold to honor this sweet sweet man. 

Here are just some of the photos of Christmas trees.(I wanted to take photos of all the Christmas trees in hotels and restaurants, but didn't have enough time.)

My Christmas Tree 2012

Robinson's Magnolia

Richmonde Hotel Eastwood

Eastwood Mall

Fontana Lobby Tree

Trinoma

Trinoma / Top Floor

Christmas Tree at The Manila Peninsula

********

Happy 2013 to all!

 

{I'd like to thank my sister Maria Yabes for my holiday shirt & Betsey Johnson bag;

DF Jannette for my snowman leggings;

 my Dad for my watch:  the Hubby for my bracelets and earrings

and myself for my hair and makeup!}

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAppy New Year!!!!!!!!

/ betsisanders 2012

 

 

 



 

 

 

Christmas related activities on hold ...

My Christmas related activities had to be placed on hold for a while.

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year... 

 shopping for Christmas gifts starts as early as September.

Christmas songs are played in the malls once the -ber months start.

I put up my Christmas tree on the latter part of August,

 to give me enough time to add decors,

 remove some, even change trees.

  I need the tree to be ready by October, for my Nanay's birthday.

After shopping, I become a Santa Mom. 

This was my Nanay's official role every Christmas.

My cousins would tease and say that Santa Nanay

went up to my room on Christmas eve.

I saw several party dresses, an instamatic camera, a portable phonograph,

several silver dollars. and a net bag, which she said was Santa's bag that he left . ..

and I truly believed my Nanay.

 I was eight years old then and it was my happiest Christmas,

something I will never forget til my last days on earth.

We all want a Happy Christmas,

where we spend time with our loved ones, with my two boys.

I cannot be with my Dad and my best sister in Roseville this year.

My sister inlaw, my  friends and their families have adopted the three of us.

They sure make up for the emptiness and sadness

that I feel during the holidays.

 

********

I told myself that I will not be blogging til next year.

But here I am again at the wee hours of dawn, typing away. 

Blogging is my way of life.  It lessens the load that I carry . 

By writing, that heavy lump on my chest is relieved. 

********

Last week was spent  with a very close friend, my friend for 35 years.

I needed to be present during his family's saddest moments.

Tito Nards, my friend's Dad passed quietly in his sleep

and claimed his eternal prize, reward, which is heaven.

I would have wanted to go to the wake everyday,

every night,and even attend the interment, but,

my spirit may be willing yet  my body is tired, weak, and in pain.

 

I had hoped to see old friends, those guys I used to hang out with in Coco.

But I never got to see them.  Maybe they didn't want to see me.

But thanks to Eric Pe Benito, who has always been consistent,

staying up late during the wake, keeping each other company. 

 Maybe that's why he has thousands of friends in Facebook,

he values friendship very much.

Be well my friend, and maybe we can see each other

 on happier occasions and circumstances.

 

*******

I couldn't stop my tears. I was watching this movie 24/7 in love,

 when Butch sent me a text saying that he is the one oveseeing

 the embalming of Tito Nards, his Dad. 

 Oh my ....  when my Nanay died 12 years ago, I was spared  this task.

 Our long time loyal helper was the one with Nanay during the embalming process.  

  When Butch sent the text, I started crying in the movie house,

 being careful that my companion and the other people in the theatre

will not see me crying, and think of me as a looney.  ......... 

 But when I got to the chapel at Funeraria Paz, in Manila Memorial,

 Butch started narrating how several cuts were made on his Dad's body,

 probably to drain out the blood and inject embalming solution.

He further added that he had to straighten his Dad's arms

 and that glue was placed in between the lips to permanently close the mouth.

.... that was the cue for the avalanche of tears. 

 I was close to Tito Nards. He was our patient in the dental clnic. 

 He would even bring  some goodies and chocolates for my Son

everytime he visits.  He was  mild mannered, soft-spoken,

always proper and very very thoughtful. 

 Tito Nards and Tita Chit  send me birthday and Christmas cards. 

 I will really  miss this sweet man.

.............   I'll see you again someday, Tito Nards.

 

P.S.    Today is also the death anniversary of an old friend, Bobbet,

the brother of my BBFF, bestest best friend forever, Dr. Aimee. 

 Bobbet died 33 years ago.

He was my constant phone pal, prom date, personal dress maker,

stylist and friend.

You will always be remembered fondly!

/ betsisanders 2012

 

 



Blogging



There are about 156 million public blogs, probably more today, since its emergence in the late 1990's. I started this blog, (www.betsisanders.blogspot.com) in May 2009, to showcase my paintings and insights. I shared photos (photolog), more personal blogs, food/restaurant reviews in my premium ('paid') multiply account, which I started in December 2007. Unfortunately, my multiply account will cease to exist tomorrow, December 1, 2012. I transferred most, if not all, about 200 albums and blogs to this blogspot account last September. I should have just created a new account, which I eventually did, a couple of nights ago. (www.chicsanders22.blogspot.com)

The personal blog is the most common type of blog. It is like a diary, a journal or commentary. My blog is seldom read, until I posted it on Facebook. Blogging has become a daily habit, my way of life for the past six years. It is my way of keeping in touch with my sister, my Dad, relatives and friends. It is a personal account of my life where I share my thoughts, insights, feelings, paintings, photographs (of places I've visited, restaurants & foods I love, even people who matter).

According to Oriah, "we are the primary source of information about who and what we are", and that we get frustrated when others do not "get" it, when they have trouble seeing truths about ourselves." True, but I try not to get frustrated. This is what I believe and write all the time. "Very few appreciate what I write, share or do. If anyone does, then I am grateful. If no one appreciates, that's alright, because Someone does, and He is more than enough."

 

/ betsisanders 2012






there's a lot to be thankful for

Dad & Pocholo's joint birthday party at Sushi One.

Thank you to my best sister and brother in law for this fabulous

and memorable celebration of life and love.

My BBFF bestest best friend forever Dr. Aimee and her family ,

with Dad, my best sister and Pocholo

Dad's thanksgiving lunch prepared by my best sister.

This must taste heavenly, prepared with care , patience and much love.

I would have wanted to spend thanksgiving with my family in Roseville,

but circumstaces beyond my control prevented me from being with my family.

You are always in my thoughts and prayers.  If all goes well,

I'll see you in September. Hmmmmm, sounds like a song, or maybe in November

when summer is gone. Smile smile smile!!!

********

The Hubby and I had thanksgiving dinner with DF Jannette, Daddy General and her son Vinni

at my favorite Chinese restaurant which happens to be Daddy General's favorite too.

I did not take photos of the food, was a bit shy with Daddy General.

It is during the holidays that I miss my family so much.

Thanks for filling up the emptiness.

You are the sweetest, Daddy General.

Thanks DF Jannette !!!

"Gratitude starts with a feeling in the heart, then, an expression in words

and a giving in return."  Next time, it is our turn to treat!

Love lots, betsisanders 2012

it's my Dad's 83rd birthday today

It's my Dad's 83rd birthday today.  I phoned him as soon as I woke up this morning. I usually get the machine when I call but this time, Dad answered the phone.  He was probably waiting for his daughters to greet him on his special day. He said he was having dinner but it was only five o clock in Roseville. Hmmmm, he must we waiting for us to call him.  He said, "It isn't my birthday yet."... I said, "Dad, it is your birthday already in Manila." He laughed.  So glad to hear his voice.  Sorry Daddy, we can't be with you on your birthday and on Thanksgiving, but I will do my best to see you in the spring.

This blog is a small tribute to my Dad. It is about our summer vacations in his hometown.

********

"How I spent my summer vacation" ... that was always what our Language teacher in Grade School would ask us to write about. I've always dreaded Theme Writing. During the start of every school year, our English teacher would always require us to write about our summer vacation and we had to write it on a special sheet of paper, with proper margins, written with a fountain pen using the Paulinian handwriting.

Guess you are not familiar with the way Paulinians write huh? The Paulinian handwriting has two strokes, light and dark. Light strokes are for upward strokes and darker  ones for the downward stroke.
 

Going back to my vacations. Summer breaks usually fall during Holy Week, or at the end of May and semestral breaks coincided with All Saints' Day. These were spent in the little barrio of Santor in the town of Bongabon, the province of Nueva Ecija, my father's hometown. My Dad was a farmer. He studied in a public school, 'several kilometers-walk' to the middle of town. His home was a nipa hut in the middle of rice fields, which was about 'several hundred giant-steps' near a river.

I have always hated going to Dad's hometown. The dirt roads were bad after Cabanatuan City. Even the MB's shock absorbers couldn't provide any comfort. My youngest sister would always throw up during the drive to the barrio, and when we finally reach Inang's home ( now a two - story concrete house ) the MB's white paint has turned into a light brown color.

I remember how excited and thrilled my Dad was whenever he goes home to Santor. We would leave Manila at around three in the morning and arrive at about eight or nine. Just in time for breakfast. Breakfast was the usual dried fish and native eggs. But there were these creepy looking black crispy bugs, called 'salagubang' that were ready to be eaten and waiting for my Dad. The salagubang were first cooked in garlic (adobo style) and then refried to become crispy. These insects (scarabs / beetles) live on the ground and during the first rains in the latter part of May or early June (that's probably why they are also called June- beetles), these beetles would fly towards the trees. That's when the farmers would be waiting with their nets to catch these bugs.

After breakfast, Dad would then go straight to the river with his brothers or nephews. Dad would dive and catch mudfish or catfish with his bare hands inside the 'baklad' or fish pens.

The live catfish (Hito) would then be bludgeoned to death with the dull edge of an 'itak' or a giant cleaver. A mixture of ash and rock salt would be used to scrub the fish clean of its slimy coating. The mud fish or snake fish (Dalag) would be impaled alive with a long sharp bamboo skewer. The fishes would then be grilled on live coals.   

 

                                                                               

Tiny live river shrimps, which my youngest sister called 'hipong-ee', would be sauteed in garlic and coconut milk (gata). A native chicken, Inang's pet, would be simmering in tamarind juice and tamarind leaves. I love this Sinampalukang manok, but I don't like the tough meat of the wild native chicken. Some tilapia would be inside big bamboos and grilled too. This style of cooking inside a bamboo is what's known as 'Binulo'

.

Dessert was espasol, the barrio's special dessert treat. I have always hated eating 'espasol' because the sticky sweet chewy beige rice looked like it was coated with the dust from the roads of the barrio.

Easter Sunday would be a fiesta. They would roast a black pig. ( The last time Dad visited his hometown was in 2004, he asked my aunt to roast a black pig, wild boar or 'baboyramo'. My aunt said that those pigs have become rare if not extinct.)

Our Recreation ...... That is if you call, going to the fields, pulling fresh onions, grabbing huge heads of cabbage from the ground and picking string beans from the vines, .... recreation.  It wasn't fun at all! It was hard work. Maybe Dad wanted us to experience harvesting fresh vegetables. Was just glad it wasn't harvesting season for 'palay' ( rice ).

Swimming or riding the banca ( small wooded boat ) was also quite an experience. The boat ride going to the other side of the river usually took about 20 minutes, but everyone hopped in the banca and it took us three hours to get to where my Dad was fishing. ( we should have taken the car ) My friend, Aimee, was with us. It was sooooo hot and humid, she just dived into the river. When she came out of the water, she said that the bottom of the river was full of long stemmed leaves/ river plants. ;-/

We weren't allowed to climb trees though, I guess that would have been more fun. The cousins would just pick the Santol, mangoes or guavas using this long bamboo pole with a basket at the end called 'panungkit'.

There were processions or some church activities but we never participated. We just heard Mass during Easter Sunday, and head right back to Manila after lunch.

That was how my summer vacations were spent in my Dad's hometown. The last summer break was when I was in high school. .. And the last time I was there was when my Dad's brother died. When Inang died, I had exams in dental school and couldn't go to her funeral. It has been more than thirty years since my last visit. Only the Hubby and Son accompanied Dad in 2004.

Finally, I have written, (rather typed, not using the Paulinian handwriting), a 'complete', more or less, maybe less, account of my summer vacations in the rice granary, central plains of Luzon. This piece is a tribute to my Dad, Bentol, who turned 83 today. Happy birthday Dad! It took me forty years to appreciate those summer vacations in your hometown and the food you grew up with. Thanks Dad!!!



*********
Thank you to my fellow bloggers for your photos. / betsisanders 2012

1) http://dressupyourhandwriting.blogspot.com/2012/08/hows-your-handwriting.html
2) http://www.sibuyasrepublic.com/2011/05/11/salagubang/.html
3) Mr. Ivan Bautista for the photo of Binulo Rice.
4) http://sweetcherriepie.com/2010/05/30/espasol-filipino-rice-sweet/

uncle cheffy's panizza

 

For almost two months, since we had panizza at C' Italian in Clark (which I did not eat), I craved for Uncle Cheffy's Panizza. Finally, the Son and I had a late lunch at Uncle Cheffy's in Ali Mall,

 after we finished rebooking flights at the PAL office .

********

 

This is Uncle Cheffy's Medium All Meat Panizza / Php250, topped with generous amount of mozzarella, big chunks of barbecued pork and chicken, with lettuce, tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts and served on a flat wooden chopping board. This panizza's crust was very thin and crispy. Every bite of this panniza was pure delight. Crunchy on the outside, soft melted cheese as you bite on the 'rolled' pizza, with fresh flavor from the alfala sprouts, lettuce and the tomato-onion relish.  Yummy Yummy Yummy !!! (Btw. I took out the big chunks of pork and chicken, and placed them on Son's panizza. The barbecued meat was quite good according to the Son.) Panizza was very rich, oozing with mozzarella cheese and bbq flavor.  Love their panizza's.

This is C' Italian Panizza, only one size, almost the same size as Uncle Cheffy's,

with very thin slices of pepperoni, or whatever meat on top...

and where's the cheese? This costs Php 910., which is php660 more than

Uncle Cheffy's panizza. Btw, I didn't even dare taste C's Panizza.

Pork BBQ Spare Ribs, served with rice, noodles and side salad.

The Son gobbled all these in a very short span of time.

/ Php 160 

Chicken BBQ and Tuey noodles.

I only ate the smaller piece of chicken and had this placed in a take away box,

 / Php 150. 

For dessert, Son and I shared Uncle Cheffy's Cheesecake.

  / Php 150.

********

Our total bill was Php 710, much much less than the cost of the  Panizza at C' Italian.

We only ate half of the panizza I had the BBQ chicken and noodles wrapped for take out.

Son finished his set meal. We shared and consumed the delicious cheesecake.

*******

We shall be back soon!

/ betsisanders 2012

 

 

ride the car to ongpin

"Ride the Car?" .. a phrase we often used with the kids when they were little. Today, I still use it with the Hubby when I ask him to dirve for me. So, off we went to Ongpin on a Sunday.  You'd think there won't be much traffic since it is a Sunday. On the contrary, it still took us an hour and a half to reach Binondo.  The early Christmas shoppers are all in Chinatown.

We passed by two churches, the Binondo Church and Sta. Cruz Church.

I wanted to buy some ube hopia, but we couldn't find a parking space.

You'd think that the color red will be the dominant color in Chinatown.

Wrong. It is the color purple, ube, purple yams, the flavor that made Eng Bee Tin famous.

Even Chinatown's firetrucks are violet.

 

Saw this restaurant. Now , which is the original one?  Sa Lido or Lido? Hmmmm

********

When I visit Ongpin, I  go to the grocery that sells Hok Shu Chinese Ham and the siomai, siopao, kikiam vendor across this store.  Didn't see any Chinese ham when we passed by the grocery. But there were lots of people across the street. 

Couldn't resist biting on this newly cooked fried siopao. I burned my lower lip, but it was worth it.  This siopao tastes really really good, with bits of kutchay (garlic chives) in it. 

This is dinner, siomai, siopao and kikiam. 

It's been two days of Chinese food.

********

/betsisanders