hi mommies and daddies! its been months since my last post which was last April or May. dami na kaya nangyari di ba?

well for starters, it took me 6 months to finally had my breasts checked (last week of August) kasi may bukol akong nakapa na hindi gumo-away since October 2012. Had it surgically removed--the cyst, on the first week of May then recuperated for days. Pinagbawalan ako kargahin si baby Dean or any accidental bumping sa area inoperahan.

pagpasok ni June 2013, I was called to work in an office! so that means, I actually have to manage or juggle my time with my kids, business (canteen), and work. 

I must admit that on the first month i was really thinking of giving up my work kasi i was having a hard time adjusting...well, its more of I miss my kids so much. but my hubby was telling me to stick longer kasi nasa adjustment stage pa ako and I might changed my mind after another month. 

well, I did.

I was thinking that this job is actually something I can fall back on since my canteen's contract is till March 2014, after running for 4 years (my mom ran it on the first 2 years then I took over for another 2 years), I am expecting of the possibility that the school board wanting to try new concessionaire applicant over us. 

so far I am liking my work in the office, it never occur to me that I would still be working in an office again at my age (I'm 35) and my very long absence from office job stint (my last office job was before I got married).

I'm no superwoman that's why I am thankful that:

my husband for always understanding and supportive every single time. he now make it as his part on parenthood duty to help with the kids more seriously this time than ever.

my boss is lenient whenever I have to be absent because of the kids (Cholo was rushed to the hospital because of pneumonia).

as for my canteen employees, I know that I have to just trust them that they can run the canteen even without me.

The balancing act of motherhood and a career, and being a wife, is something that I don't think I'll ever perfect, but I love the challenge of it. -- Kerri Walsh

Small changes on your habits can bring you big savings.

• Bring Bottled Water as a mom I always bring a bottle or two of refilled water from home with me when I bring my kids or not. I get to save at least P15 per bottle. 

• Newspapers/Tabloids/Broadsheets can be taken off from the daily expenses list since we get to watch news when we get home at night or listen to the radio, right?

• PUJ over Tricycle or Taxi I admit that going around it is easier when we ride in the tricycle or taxi than jeepneys, and more pricey though. However, we must realized that if we hailed down the jeepney, we not only get to save money but we also have a short exercise which is beneficial to our health. Example here in our city, from Tetuan to Mindpro a tricy fare would be around P35-40. But when we ride a jeep, it would only cost us P8.00. Of course we have to walk for a few blocks more. But then again, walking is good.

•  Wear it Out I don't buy new shoes or pants or anything unless it worn out. I only have a pair of feet, so I only have a pair of flip flops (for at home), sandals (daily use), wedge (party). 

• Grocery buy only what you need or what's being listed down on your grocery list. Don't buy bulks if you have only a family of four and doesn't being used or consumed often. Most of the items purchased that bought in bulk goes to waste.

I don't need to give up what makes me happy. There are other more practical ways even for a woman with so many bisyo like me. :)

• Movies and Series -- I love watching Series more than Movies. And I used to visit my suki dvd stall twice a month to purchase not less than 5 dvds per visit. So that means I get to spend P500 a month! So when I got my postpaid Smartbro, I just downloaded all my favorite series, movies, and not to mention do other things via internet (work, social, surfing etc) with just a monthly payment not more than P999.00

• Nails Done -- I won't let a week passed without having my nails done. Lyn, the manicurista, only collects P100.00 (mani and pedi), no need to give her tip, which is cheaper compared to going to a salon. Going to a salon means I have to pay for the fare back and forth (P8 + P35), mani (P75), pedi (P75), tip (P25 or P50). I don't need to do the math to know which saves more.

I also saved a lot when I gave up 2 tutors (Cholo and Derek), and decided to do it myself, didn't look for a yaya (for Dean) or another extra hand in the canteen when one resigned to get married. I mean, even though its stressful and exhausting, but hey at the end of the day I not only get to save but I also get to spend my time with my gremlins. Be part on their growing years.

I heard about Instagram since last year, but I wasn't curious or bother to know what is it. All I know it has to do with photo uploading or something. Last night (April 18) I downloaded the app in my newly bought Samsung android phone...and I got hooked.

Below are my first few photos touched by Instagram. :)

Different

Meeting and reading different mommy and daddy blogs I realized that I am different. I wish I could sing the same tune as them, dance the same steps...but again, I don't.

Does that makes me a lesser mom?

A month before the wedding I resigned from my work. I mean, I've been working since 2nd grade (8years old) at the family business didn't enjoy my childhood my age, until I graduated from college where my dad finally gave me my freedom. Hooray!!!!

No more waking at 6 am so I can be ready at 7 am every single Saturday. No more running, cashiering, selling, cleaning...

I moved to Manila to work and after months of staying at my dad's youngest brother's family me and my younger sister found a place of our own.

I was 25 years old the time I walked down the isle. I was too excited about the whole idea of jumping off the working wagon and add to the already high unemployment statistics.

As much as my husband doesn't trust my cooking, he knew very well how he can trust me in being able to earn my own money even though I don't have any allowance from him or kung kulang iyung binibigay niya. That, people, thanks to my dad who never gets tired of dragging me to the store for 12 FREAKING YEARS! lol It is definitely given that I would learn some things from him, from the store, from the people I met everyday, and from the constant change of situations our family was in. I learned how importance Perseverance is.

In my early months of marriage I was totally dependent from my husband because I had no work, no money (duh!). I couldn't buy things I like and I couldn't just ask money, right? So that's when my new life as a "mama maraket" goes life.

I became a/an:

Cholo at 2months

Then on 2011, I was pregnant with Dean I started to focus my earning energy towards running the canteen or be a canteen concessionaire. At that time I was staying at my parents' house along with my kids, while my husband at his mom's. Its the setup that was best for me. My parents' house was just five minute away from the school, while it's difficult for a pregnant woman to travel to school everyday with 2 kids. Baku-bako pa ang daanan as seen on the picture.

on our way to school

At my parents house I can rest because they have house help that can pitch in anytime I needed one. Unlike sa house nina biyenan na wala talaga. 

Two weeks after I got birth via C-Section, you can see me going to the canteen na. They thought I had the baby via normal section kasi I resumed my work load (grocery and all). 

In my 8 years as a mom....I can pretty much say if I didn't strictly imposed things to my children, something worst could happen. Remember my Our Mama is Missing post? Yes, thanks to the experience I have with my gremlins I can surely say, "I've been there, done that."

As much as we wanted to, we can't tie our children like dogs so they won't get into accidents. They will get into situations that we consider to be our worst nightmares, right? I always being asked by parents in school how I could handle my kids' uber hyperactive? How I was able to handle when Derek fell down from stairs and had to endure 8 stitches just an inch above his eyebrow.

Accidents happen to anyone and anywhere. Derek in his first few months in school comes back with a cut on his lip because he was running on top of the tables.

Cholo wasn't exception.

I was 7 month pregnant with Dean when I was informed that Cholo met an accident while playing with friends. My heart fell as I saw a huge nasty violetish covered 3/4 of his back, I had to bring him to the hospital and had his back xray-ed. Thank God, it was nothing, but the doctor advised us that he should be resting for 2 weeks at home just to be sure. I remembered, two months before that he was running inside the classroom and tripped his face got hit on the table, so his mouth was bleeding profusely.

Those accidents are product of extreme playing. I wish I could stop them so I won't die early due to heart attack. But then there are accidents that can be avoided.

Consistency and telling them why we are doing it makes it successful.  

• Hold and Never Let Go. 

          As early as 2 years old we should start teach them the importance of holding and never letting go.

Hands, Pockets, or anything they can wrap their fingers/hands around -- I always hold my children's hands whenever we are outside the house, especially inside the mall, or on the streets. When my hands can't do the holding, they know that they should wrap their hands around either the hem of my blouse or they slip their four fingers inside the pocket of my pants. 

Hand Grip -- here in Zamboanga, aside from jeepneys, we also have tricycles.  Just like in jeepneys, tricycles also have handles where a passenger have to grasp for support. My boys are trained to not only hold on with one hand in the handle but also with another hand in the other hand grip. 

Derek has just turned two years old when we joined my husband in his area assignment. So anyway, just like any other going-to-school days, we rode on the tricycle. Derek was sitting facing me (green covered seat) and he was holding to the iron hand grip (behind the seat) while Cholo was sitting beside me.

A day before Derek had a taste of sitting on that make shift sit part of the tryc, and he loved it, so he wanted to sit there again.

My hands were on his knees supporting him even though his tiny hands were on the hand grip. Before I pulled my hands so I can pay the driver I reminded him (the same with Cholo as I always does) about never taking his hands off the hand grip.

Derek at 2 years and 5 months

Just then--

Derek: Weeeeeee!!!!
Me (shocked) : hah!
Driver: Diyos ko! Kuyawa!

Know what happened?

I was looking for my wallet when the driver made a U-turn, Derek literally flew for a couple of seconds from his seat and back. If it weren't because of his tight grip he would have flown out the tricycle!

It was really, really, really scary! I was literally shaking and I know so was the driver.

and my two boys?

Well, Derek was jumping up and down with excitement and adrenalin. He kept on saying, "weee!!!"

Cholo was pouting. "Mama, kere yo bula tamen." (Mama, I want to fly too.)

Place:
Ayala Center Cebu

Year:  
May 2012

Characters: 

                                   Philip (my 20 year old youngest brother)

    Cholo (7 years old)

     Derek (5 years old)

We just had our lunch inside one of the big malls in Cebu last year (my first vacation alone with my gremlins) when my youngest brother asked me money so he and my kids can play inside Time Zone. We were on our way to Dunkin Donut for a coffee (my dad is coffee addict).

I shook my head and said no. We can go after coffee. But he was insisting that he and the kids will be bored watching old folks like us killing time sipping coffee, talking.

Anyway, thirty minutes after, I was sipping my coffee with (baby Dean strapped with me) my parents when I noticed my brother wandering around not far from where we were.

OMIGOD!

My heart was thumping so hard that it felt like was going to jump off my chest. I didn't know how I told my parents that my boys might be missing without raising my voice. I texted my brother (no, he didn't came to us, I think he was trying to look for them on his own). I was really trying not to hit his head when he stood in front of me with his so clueless facial expression and kept on saying it wasn't his fault. He told me they were on their way back to us when Derek ran. Instead of running after the 5 year old like any responsible adult, he instructed my eldest son Cholo, who by the just turned 7 year few weeks ago to run after his younger brother and bring it back to him.

WTF!

Okay, I think this time I did knock his head. Mentally, he was already bugbog-sarado. I was so angry at him. My mom was trying to calm me down.

How could he tell my eldest son to run after his brother when he have no clue about the mall? This was their freaking first time in the place!   

Well, what should we do, right? We had to dispersed on different directions so we can find the kids faster. 

Yes, my head was swirling with crazy thoughts as seconds gone by. I had no idea how scared or scary I must have looked at that time since I can see people were staring at me. Was I turning into a crazy person? Was the line Irresponsible Mom Lost Her Children written with bright neon pen on my forehead? Should I care? No, what I wanted most at that was to find my kids back.

"oh God, is this really happening to me? I just gave birth six months ago and now I lost 2 his older brothers!"

"my husband is going to kill me when he gets I couldn't find the boys. will he leave me? how about Dean?"

I was talking and asking God how are the boys.

Were they together?

Will any crazy couple bring the two at their house? Then I remembered about group of people kidnapping kids and opening them up just to get their hearts, livers..

"oh God, oh God, oh God!"

Dean was sleeping so soundly while his mother was freaking out. 

Just then, I couldn't remember how long I was searching for them until, I heard my name on the speaker. It was choppy, so I wasn't able to get where to pick my kid(s) up. At this point I still have no idea if my boys were together or not, but what I am sure of the one who was calling my name was no other than Cholo. Because I kept on wrecking my head trying to remember if Derek knew my real name or will he choose the names he heard like;

• Mama
• Dedeng
• Tere
• Mama Bear

On our way home I asked Cholo what happened. 

Mama, bien kore gat si Derek (mama, Derek was running so fast). But I was able to catch him. *proud of himself*  Then I grabbed his hand and turned around. Nuway man si diku (but I didn't see uncle). So I looked around for guard and approached him. He kept on babbling things I don't understand. I waited for him to stop and said, "guard, our mama is missing."

School is over and vacation is just on the corner. I can practically smell the excitement from my hubby as the nearing of April 5, the day of our trip to Cebu. Can't blame him, he gets all the kicks and got hit all the time by my gremlins when sleeping in a bed that is too small for us. If only my children doesn't do martial arts while sleeping it, a 60x60 wide bed won't be the small.

I, on the other hand, has this mixed feeling of anxiety, excitement, fear, and all sort of things. Trust me, when you are traveling with children especially boys who are below 8 years old and active you need all the luck, prayers, miracles, and my Sanity-Savers Tip when you're inside a waiting lounge of the airport, ferry, or bus terminal.

1.  What Entertains Them -- My gremlins are different. PSP and cellphone can tame the playful Cholo. Derek is kind of tricky though. What keeps him entertained is constantly changing.  So I usually try to watch a week before what he usually is holding and remember to bring it with me or with him.
2.  The Power of Snacks -- I always have a bagful of chichirya. I also bring bottled water and other snacks so they won't getting of their sits.
3. Don't forget to bring an extra plastic bag -- I always have extra plastic bags with me. I used it as my mobile trash bag. 
  

How about you, mommies?

Every weekends this is what I really wish I have.

Happy Weekend, mommies and daddies!

Have you watched this video? I don't know if I admitted that I am a confessed K-Pop addict as much as a Koreanobela addict. lol Yup, I remember I was bitten by it way back in 2008, where K-Pop wasn't that huge a deal with Filipinos, only Koreanobela was making its wave.

So anyway, watch this classic music video from G.O.D with their one of their best songs. 

Again, this is heartbreaking and something to remind us about Mother's Love.

 I couldn't remember the last time I cried so many times as much I read this book. Normally I finish read a book within five days, yes, I just can spare a few minutes to pick up the page where I have left when I have an extra (extra) time, however with this one, I literally chose to push other things aside, carry this with me along with a box of tissue. 

Every page was heart wrenching to say the least. I couldn't help but to related to the book not as a mother which I am now (obviously), but as a daughter who often times neglected owns mother at times. You will never think of your mother the same way again after you read this book.

 update: 

I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. I have the hard copy of the book because my Singaporean friend sent it to me. I just Google(d) the book hoping I could download the soft copy so it would be convenient for you, mommies and daddies, to read it. currently I'm looking for it. :) found one!

Download Please Look After Mother (PDF)

please wait for the counter on the upper right to appear SKIP THIS AD then click. It will direct you to the download page.

Derek's class is only half day unlike his older brother na whole day. Its expected that he gets bored in the canteen and I don't mind him turning the whole space his play area as long as he wants.

One day he brought back in the canteen's sleeping quarter secretly a kitten. At one glance you wouldn't even noticed it because it was covered with other dolls and teddy bears (when my parents moved to Cebu most of our family's old stuff were left here) on top of my cousin's sleeping bed. 

Before anything else, I need to say I am not a cat lover. Ugh! just kill me. 

Anyway, so I have this sudden itch on my arms when I saw the kitten (when I feel weird my body gets itchy). I don't want to imagine where in the world the kitten was staying before Derek pulled it out and turned into his playmate. 

Our conversation isn't English. It's a mix of Chavacano (our local dialect), broken and simple Chinese and English.

Me: Derek! how many times do I have to tell you that this bed is where your auntie Sha is sleeping! Don't bring anything that is dirty here. Please. That is dirty (pointing to the old dusty wall clock), that is dirty, too (to the kitten who by the way so comfortable snuggling in between the teddy bears)

Derek: But--But--He's my baby Budoy! I want to keep baby Budoy!

I turned around and before leaving I told him to take the kitten out and just play alone. But what I didn't expect was after five minutes was...

--Derek was all wet because he personally bathe the kitten using Sha's shampoo, cleaned it up using Sha's towel and now Budo licking its legs on top of Sha's pillow.

Derek: Mama, Budoy is clean. Can I play with my baby now?

 

Have you watched I Don't Know How She Does It?


It's a movie starred by Sarah Jessica Parker the famous Carrie of Sex and the City. As of this writing I'm still downloading the movie but I read it somewhere that it's a movie about us--the mommsies. I watched the trailer. Its enough to spark my interest to really watch it.

I am a multitask-er since I could remember. I think being an eldest in the family so much expectations were thrown at me. Then after I graduated I found myself working as a secretary and had no difficulty in meeting the expectations from all the boss I've worked with, I really have to thank my dad for the "training". lol

Those were the days that mothers role was confined in the four corners of the house. They clean, cook, do the laundry, take care of their children's needs, and husbands. Their best friends includes an apron, a pair of gloves, kitchen utensils and cookbooks.

Now, we see that most of the mothers are working, helping their husband in bringing home the bacon and still doing the house chores or prepare dinner. Yes, the mothers now doesn't just rely on their husband's salary/income every pay day. In fact, most of them actually earn more than their husband because they still manage to squeeze in doing some sideline like selling of cookies, beauty products, and other things to their office mates and friends.                      

             

Mothers are professional jugglers. They can juggle their careers--whether its going to the office or home-based, or business, children, and marriage. Its like we are wired to those things automatically.

Men, Fathers, Husbands are expected only to work and bring home the bacon. They can use the excuse of not helping the house because they are tired. Women, Mothers, and Wives on the other hand, that works the same number of hours in a day, the same intensity, and even they are stay-at-home mothers, they can not use that excuse even if we wanted to, right?

I love to exchange dialogues with my kids while my husband was driving us to school.

Mama (joking): Cholo if you grow up and with a nice paying job, I want you to buy me and your papa a house. I want to have our own house and not still be living with your Lola Chichi and Uncle Coy.

Cholo: Okay, mama. 

Mama: You, my dear, will be in charge of buying us new cars. Baby Dean bahala for the daily expenses.

Derek: Okay, mama. (Turned to Cholo). Mama is going to drive me to work.(Proud)

Cholo (shaking his head) :No! Mama, is already old. She can't drive.

Papa interrupted: Your mama doesn't know how to drive. 

Derek: But--but, mama will learn how to drive and she will drive me and ahya Cholo to work. Nusabe etu?

Cholo: I said, mama can't drive when we have work, because she's already old. Nusabe etu? She's be full of white hairs and wrinkles. She will even have a hard time walking and you expect her to drive you to work?

Derek: White hairs like white lady? (His eyes were as huge as saucers) Nah! White lady ya si mama!

Cholo: Hinde white lady! Kere etu dead ya si mama?

Derek is one misunderstood kid. His uncle Coy always complain that my son likes to play water at sinasayang niya ang tubig. But what he didn't know and doesn't accept that Derek and water can mix, too.

Uncle Coy: What the--?! You're playing with water again! Halika nga!

Derek: Hindi ako play water. Toothbrush lang ako. 

Uncle Coy: Sasagot-sagot ka pa! Gusto mo ba ng palo?

Derek: Hindi! Ayoko ng palo! Gusto ko clean teeth.

I read many articles from the net about child rearing. And many times I see myself shaking my head and sighed, "this is bull." I mean, I tried all the experts advices on how to deal on certain situations, and most of the time it isn't effective.

No, it's not. 

Why?

Because, every kid is different. They are their own individual. Of course, just because it reaped good result in one hundred kids doesn't mean it will be on the next.

That's why I don't think they can just write an article and simply say, "this will work on your child".

My children for example are different. I know they are different compared to their classmates or kids their age. Parents of their classmates usually can trust them enough to leave them to school for the whole day expecting them to eat buy snacks during recess time, and eat their lunches at noon. My kids however, should still be guided, reminded on this area. They could not be trusted to be left alone at school. 

Unlike other parents who can practice new school style of disciplining, I better stick the old school, because it works for me.

                "Respecting Elders" and "Don't Answer Back."-- I am consistent when it comes to good manner and right conduct. I make it a point that my kids never fail to say "Please, Thank You, and Sorry" with their normal tone. Always talk to elders with respectful tone. Though I don't have a problem on this area whenever they talk to me, they tend to forget to apply this to other people. So whenever I get to overhear them crossing their lines, I remind them.

                "No Cartoons During Weekdays." -- Cholo used to sleep in my husband's aunt bedroom. And since she spoils him, he can get away with anything when it comes to her. He can watch as late as he wants to watch cartoons and wakes up to, again, watch his favorite cartoons. So his grades plummeted. So I pulled him out from her hands and squeeze him to fit our bed in our bedroom. Now, he sleeps early like his younger brothers and myself at 8:30-9:00pm. His grades improved.

             "My Word is My Law." --  When I say no, that means "no". When I said jump, just "jump." Of course, I'm sure many of you will raise an eyebrow on this one. I sound like a dictator. Children's understanding about life or what's good for them and not isn't as high as ours. 

                  I know that mother-in-law's discipline and my dad's were similar. My husband used to tell me that they experience being spanked or hit, just like me and my younger siblings went through before. So I used that method if every possible punishment fails. But when she started living in the States, she was transformed. She tells me the line, "bawal gat pega alya." 

                   If I were to compare the children then and now, I would tell you that children from the olden times grew up to be better good-mannered individuals and more filial, because of strict discipline imposed by parents. No Bantay Bata or DSWD.

                   Children in the States who grew up in a more democratic environment with parents giving in to their qualms grow up to be quite different, they don't feel guilty of leaving their parents on the institution for old people. They don't care to point out what they feel even if it meant they have to shout back to their parents.

                  In Asia you don't see much of children shouting back at their parents, and if we do, we certainly blame it on the parents for not correcting this habit earlier. In Asia where parents are not guilty of invading their children's privacy, or even hitting their children. But aren't kids grow up still having utmost respect to their parents? Instead of leaving our "papa" and "mama" in the Home for the Aged, or alone at their house, we either move in with them or let them live with us with our new family.

• Rewards

                  Reward system is a given. My rewards doesn't entails toys, cookies, or any tangible things per se. My rewards for them when they are good is I let them play longer hours with their friends after we finishes his homework or if he has higher test scores I hug tightly.

                   

                     My lovable gremlins doesn't demand or expect more than I can give. They know that whatever I say and do, it always for their own good even if it means they will get hurt or feel unfair at times.

What's funny is that in spite of me being one tough mama, my kids are known to be happy, active, and confident children.

Among my three boys, the funniest one would be Derek. He is funny without breaking a sweat and his favorite lines would be "remember?" and "nusabe etu?" (means don't you know?) 

A  day wouldn't end without him saying those words at least twenty times. Yes, he always, always injects them in his dialogue.

Last week, he returned with a cut right under his chin and I was really angry coz literally every time he escapes from the canteen he would end up with a cut or scrape. 

I automatically grabbed the alcohol.

Me: Eeee! Derek! Come here!

Derek (covering the small cut) : Mama, no! Not the alcohol, its painful remember?

I was at this time trying hard not to smile. His facial expression, his lines was starting to be funny. Still sporting an angry face and serious tone.

Me: I said, come here! You do know that's the reason why I don't want you to play outside this area because you always end up having an additional designs (I meant wound) on your body. Come here!

He was truly scared and slowly he approached me, with his hands not leaving his face. 

Derek: Mama, its painful. Really painful, nusabe etu? Remember painful ese.

Oh boy.

synopsis by Wikipedia: This is the story of Anna Jo (Han Ye Seul), a rude, feisty, and audacious American-bred heiress who can never be satisfied. She returns to Korea only to continue being a controlling wife to her already cowardly husband, Billy Park (Kim Sung Min). When her yacht gets stuck for repairs, she hires local handyman Jang Chul Soo (Oh Ji Ho) to fix her shower, but when they have a heated spat over her dissatisfaction and lack of payment, she pushes him overboard and dunks his tools into the ocean right along with him. Later, after a quarrel with Billy that threatens to end their marriage, she herself gets drunkenly pitched overboard and falls victim to a bad case of amnesia.
But in the hospital, she ends up beside none other than Jang Chul Soo, who's still recovering from his own swim in the ocean for his lost tools. Unknown to her, he's been raising his three orphaned nephews in their unkempt house and desperately needs a nanny. Taking advantage of her memory loss, he manages to convince her that she's his live-in girlfriend and renames her Na Sang Shil. But he didn't expect her spoiled selfishness to slowly turn into compassion. And he didn't expect to fall overboard again—this time, for her.


 I remember I bought the dvd because I found the dvd cover to be cute and yeah, it was obviously a rom-com (my fave genre), and I never thought that I would end up loving this series even though I had no clue who the lead actors were.

7.) Soulmate by Lee Soo Kyung and Shin Dong Wook (2006)

Story about 6 different people with different worlds yet without them knowing their lives where interconnected after all.
 8.) What's Up Fox by Ko Hyun Jung, Chun Jung Myung (2006)

Single 33 year-old Go Byeong Hee works as a reporter for a sex magazine. She wants more romance and a more respectable life but isn't sure how to get it. 24-year-old Park Chul Su, mechanic and world traveler, is the younger brother of Byeong Hee's best friend. He's a free spirit and not concerned with what the world thinks. One day Byeong Hee got tested to have life threatening disease and she was so down that she would die being single and all got drunk, woke up with Chul Su beside her.     


9.) Hong Gil Dong by Sung Yuri and Kang Ji Hwan (2008)    
 

Hong Gil Dong is the illegitimate son of a minister. He is very bright and smart, however was told that he could not accomplish anything in this world, due to his illegitimate status. Thus he grew up spending most of his time being lazy and causing trouble for the people around him. However, a local monk thinks he is destined to be much more, and has taught Gil Dong martial arts. As the series progresses, Gil Dong realizes the severity of the injustices of the ranked world, and starts to fight against these injustices, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

10.) Be Strong Geum Soon by Han Hye Jin and Kang Ji Hwan (2005)

 This is a story of a young widow, Geum-Soon, who never becomes discouraged or blames other people - no matter what happens in her life. The viewers will get both hope and comfort by watching her do her best in everything she does. It is also a story of a family who loves and takes care of each other. You can always turn to your family and their love gives you the hope to get through the tough times. Sometimes, they seem to make your life more difficult, but they will always stand up for you and love you whatever you do.

I've been totally quiet for centuries, I know. 

Now I'm back with a new layout and another random post. lol

My time mostly was spent on downloading videos of new episodes of Korean Series (7th Grade, Jeon Woo Chi, Flower Boy Neighbor), getting hooked in variety show like Running Man (I actually downloaded 87 episodes!) in my laptop to feed my viewing addiction. lol

I spent a couple of days downloading on How to Make Paper Flowers from the internet. And ended up just making one kind using tissue paper and a pilot pen.


 

So how do you like my blog layout? I downloaded the blog layout from http://www.blogskins.com/ but if you want something personalize you can actually request from Graphic Requesting sites.

xoxo

Today is Saturday and I usually spend my weekends watching Korean Series since 2007. For these past few years I couldn't count how many series I've spend my weekends with, but only few I can totally say my favorites.

1.) My Girl by Lee Da Hae and Lee Dong Wook. (2005-2006)

Synopsis: Hotel heir Gong Chan has been tasked to locate his missing cousin by his ill grandfather. Yoo Rin's appearance was in timed when Gong Chan was in the height of desperation, plus her huge facial similarities of his grandfather's daughter that made him propose to Yoo Rin to pretend as his cousin.

This is the very first taste of Korean series and fell in love with.

Personally the story was effective because the two lead actors' chemistry was undeniable. It was so effective that followers (like me) really hoping that the rumors of them being a couple were true. teehee!





2. Coffee Prince by Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo (2007)

Synopsis: It all started with maling akala. Gong Yoo's character thought all the while that the small-framed boy he hired was a he. Because of Yoon Eun Hye's character's dire need of income that she actually had to go all the way of pretense so she wouldn't get fired.

Gong Yoo was literally a "hunk" on this series. Even though he wasn't as eyecandy as Lee Dong Wook in My Girl (and Wild Romance) damn(!) his sex appeal was totally all over the screen. Yoon Eun Hye was really professional and really able to pull her character off as a tomboyish with strong character. I love, love, love the OST White Love Story, it was on the background when the both leads kissed.

3.) My Name is Kim Sam Soon by Kim Sun Ah and Hyun Bin. (2005)

Synopsis by Dramawiki: Kim Sam Soon (Kim Sun Ah) is a baker who has a talent in making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she caught her boyfriend, Min Hyun Woo (Lee Kyu Han), cheating on her and breaks up on the same night. On that same night, she accidentally went into the men's restroom and met Hyun Jin Hun (Hyun Bin), a somewhat callous fellow but sometimes considerate guy. By sheer coincidence, Jin Hun needs a baker for his restaurant Bon Appetit and Sam Soon is unemployed. Sam Soon is hired as the restaurant's chief baker and the two fights like cat and dog. Nevertheless, they started to have feeling for each other and Sam Soon agreed to post as Jin Hun's girlfriend so his mother would leave him alone. Things got complicated when Jin Hun's ex-girlfriend Yoo Hee Jin came back from the States intending to win him back.

Here in the Philippines, My Girl was shown at the same time as Kim Sam Soon on the other channel. So I obviously didn't watch it until few years later. Anyway, I think the theme about older woman and younger man made this series stand out.



 


 4.) Princess Hours by Yoon Eun Hye and Joo Ji Hun (2006)

Synopsis: Grandparents of Chae Kyung (Eun Hye) and Lee Shin (Ji Hoon) vowed to have their grandchild to marry each other.

 This is one of the K-series has quite a number of good songs like "Perhaps Love" by HowL & J. , "You & I Are Fools" by Stay, "Parrot" by HowL.






5.)  Get Karl Oh Soo Jung by Um Jung Hwa and Oh Ji Ho (2007)

Synopsis: Fat guy Man Soo was left on the altar by his girlfriend Soo Jung. 7 years after, Man Soo returned as a well known golf player, good looks, money, and all sexy. When Soo Jung learned that he was her fiance she left, she tried everything to win him back.

I learned from this series the lesson "its not all what it seems." Soo Jung isn't a typical lead who is all goody, instead you get to be pissed by her actions, cringed at how her head works. But as the series progresses, characters unfolding I can't help but to like Soo Jung. She is a human after all.

This was one of the series I never get tired of watching over and over...FYI I watched this like five times. lol

I also love the songs Marry Me by Kan Mi Yeon and Sarang Han Da Myeon - Tree Bicycle





The Part 2 of My Top Korean Series will be continued.

Different people have different things to combat whenever they are down. Some would see themselves splurge with new shoes and bags, others would pig out with chocolates, ice creams, and food. I myself, though head straight to my laptop and go surf...yes, I even see myself either doing some Photoshop.

I was 30 years old and already a mother of 2 boys when I decided to learn how Photoshop works. It took me a month to at actually say I know the basics. Three months after I started to receiving requests to make posters for their stories in our fanfiction community.

Last week I searched in Youtube how to make small box for my bracelets.


I was literally drowning in self-pity when I kept on making the boxes, and as I moved on I was getting better and better and yes, I felt a little better emotionally as well.

Who would expect that my learning how to make small box would be therapeutic for me just a few days after?

Yes, the past two years would mark the "Let's Scare Mama Gremlin" Year led by Cholo (2011) and Derek (2012). Its like they planned this one day while watching  Phineas and Ferb episodes.

Last year, Cholo was playing inside the room and tripped. He bit his lower lip and it was swollen and so nasty to look at. As if that's not enough we went to have his back x-rayed after the iron post dropped and slid off his back and foot, while playing with his school mates.

This year, Derek was like, "wait a minute, why can't I have my "Scare Mama Gremlin Year?"

Last year, Derek was like his Teacher Eusie's monster student for being uncontrollable, he would spend more than half of his time in school playing outside the room. He would just behave when I was inside monitoring him. He wanted me inside the room with him, but I have to be firm and left him on his own after four months. 

Yes! Freaking four months! At the end of the school year he graduated Nursery with definitely didn't learn how to write his alphabet and had to learn how to write on summer vacation with me. Sigh!

This year, I was doubly concern of him carrying off his keber-ko-attitude with his pregnant Teacher Len. I was scared that he would be the reason of miscarriage. But then in fairness, Teacher Len seemed to know how to handle him better since this time he likes to go to school compared to last year.

So the scare mama gremlin comes in when he came back with a nasty cut (same reason with his older brother) on his upper lip. Before that students came running to me to inform that Derek was bleeding. I was like GOD! We brought him in WMMC (siguro we can avail SUKI CARD if the hospital has one) and have him checked, fortunately uppat that time no stitching required. But what was scary was after when the nurse asked if his immunization was complete specifically the Anti-Tetanus Vaccination. 

To make the long story short, after he was being injected with anti-tetanus I thought it was the last time. I thought he learned his lesson well, besides after all the screaming, shrieking, freaking out inside the ER was enough.

Until a month after came and this time it was notch higher than the last time. I was in my afternoon nap with Dean when I heard soft knocks and the head of our hired labandera popped in. "Anti, ya kay si Derek na hagdanan."

Seriously, I was awake but my brain was still sleeping coz I didn't freak out like I was used to. Hello?! The stair was steep and its not wood.

I walked out and saw him standing in the middle of the comfort room with the blood dripping like mad. I was angry, brain sleeping, pissed off. How could he forgot that he was strapped down by four guys in the ER the other month just to have him injected? I wiped the blood and covered with a band-aid and before heading to the hospital, again.

As expected when we walked in the OPD of ER the nurse remembered him. Duh?! While cleaning off the blood, which was now a dried streak on the left side of his face, I could see that this was one deep wound. My eyes almost popped out. Remembering that while he was waiting for me he was playing around with Cholo like nothing happened. God, this need stitching! 

"Ma'am, can he sit still while stitching his cut?" The nurse asked. 

I was like screaming in my head, "seryoso ka, neng?!"And I heard myself replied, " Didn't the last time 4 people or nurses including my husband was needed to strap him down?" 

"Amu gane." She replied. "So it leaves us no choice but to have him sleep and instead of being an out patient he would be admitted."

I was pondering and entertaining that thought. I was scared that he would be too uncontrollable and something worst would happen while stitching.But then no room available so we said that we had to try Ciudad.

It was my first time to walk in not as a visitor but as a (parent of the) patient.

Anyway, I was kind of clueless coz I am really a WMMC suki patient (all my three babies were born there, when Derek suffered from amoeba he was confined there, and yes when I was a victim of Dengue I was their patient) and was kind of used to how long I have to wait for the Cocolife office to approve the request. Kaya nga I was kind of surprised, in a very good way of course, how it was so easy Cocolife beneficiaries like me to walk in Ciudad Medical's front desk (I don't know what to call it.) and have all the things done in less than five minutes...definitely far cry different from WMMC. All I did was hand in the id card, signed, and done.

Unexpectedly, there's no room available in Ciudad, too, I guess its because of the high rise of Dengue patients kaya puno ang mga hospitals.

The nurses in the ER told me that there's no need for Derek to be stitched in the OR and it can be done with the help of local anesthesia. I was thinking, "damn, you don't have a clue how my kid can do his karate moves." But I gave in. I kept on texting my husband to hurry coz we need manpower to keep little Gremlin from doing his "parang sinaniban".

In fairness with WMMC, after all the waiting in approval from Cocolife office, the service in OPD was faster compared to Ciudad considering of how busy the prior ER compared to the latter. WMMC ER are always busy with patients swarming in and yet, they were able to tend to out patients with their needs.

That's why when I agreed for him to be stitched using local anesthesia I was expecting wow the prepping would be faster since there was only two patients. But I was wrong, we waited longer. I had no clue why it takes them longer to prep.

When my husband arrived after more than thirty minutes of waiting (or was it almost an hour?) they handed me the form to fill up and started to prepare the things needed...then off we went to the battle. lol

One male nurse were holding his head/face, the other was his shoulders, then my husband his arms, while I on the feet (my husband and I swapped midway coz kasi yan cramps el mano).

Yes, we endured Derek's screaming of , "OH MY GOOOODDD!!!!" to, "I wanna go home na!!!!" and, even, "Sorry na, mama! Please, sorry na! Last ya ste. Ende na. Ende na!!!!"

I guess we're too hungry that day that we three went to Greenfield and had our dinner there. We were laughing about Derek's pleads and all. 

 A month has passed and nothing happened to Derek, but I know for sure it wouldn't be that last time.

Two years ago, I would have passed out with the sight of the blood...but now I am a little stronger. My insides doesn't do somersaults or my nose doesn't pick up the "ironish" smell of the blood...and yes, thanks to Dean, I can actually suck it in everytime needles are needed to be pricked--coz he can take the pain, why can't I?

That's for another post. :)