carol finds

When in Tokyo...

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:19:00 +0000

My fight to the US had a brief stop over at the Narita Airport and it was enough to get me excited. My friend had fallen asleep throughout the flight from Manila and had completely missed all her meals, so she wanted to grab a bite at McDonalds. I was mortified at the thought and insisted on getting a 'proper' Japanese meal. After all, it was going to be my first meal in Japan... it's got to be the real deal, kahit fast food lang noh!

My Chirasi up close.

And on top.

A wrong order mistakenly served to my friend.

My friend's Japanese steak.

I spent the rest of the three hour-stop over ogling at Japanese goodies and marveling at the intricate origami... photos in the next post!

I bagged it!

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:07:00 +0000

I didn't like it that I had to wait till my last day in the US to go to Barnes & Noble. Sadly, a trip to the bookstore was not on the priority list of my companions. But I could not leave without visiting one. And so I kindly asked a good friend to take me. And I was not disappointed.

Wheeeeee!

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:54:00 +0000

I got this on my recent US trip, packed it in a balikbayan box and is now on its way to my kitchen! Been wanting this for the past five years. I can't wait!

Now I badly need to get a copy of David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop.

The Ukay-Ukay Adventures of the Shopaholic Twins

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:08:00 +0000

It all began with Candy Magazine. Their friend Jasmine came out in several spreads in the July issue. Jas, 15, a student in Melbourne and younger sister of actress Anne Curtis, was Budget Babe, with clothes scored for P100 from a Cubao ukay - ukay. Inspiration! Lust! Envy!

And so Cara nagged me endlessly to take her and shopping twin Bea there. After a night of surfing for Cubao ukays, we finally knew where to go. Sus, dun lang pala. Off 'thrifting' we went – as Jane of seaofshoes calls this fascination.

(Senior shopaholic's note: these juniors have recently discovered the highs of shopping and together can be a very dangerous combination: so full of energy yet so nonchalant about cost, oh well, they knew it was dirt cheap anyway.)

A strange, musky smell greeted us the moment we entered the cavernous hall – literally filled to the rafters with previously owned clothes. And bags. And shoes.
The girls had a single-minded search objective: boots. They attacked the racks and were quickly disappointed to discover that absolutely no pair fit their gigantic feet (size 9 for Cara and 10 for Bea). And so they vented their passion on the jackets instead.

One hour and four stores later, we had a haul of eight jackets and sweaters, 1 hoodie, 1 blouse and one bag among the three of us – everything for less then three thousand pesos.

The most fab find of the day – Bea's cropped red leather jacket: P250 from Fashion Delight.

Cara's Gossip Girl top: P250 from Dezibel.

Now, bring out the Lysol :-)

The Sampalok Tree – a story of giving back

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Rewind. On my first trip to Bangkok in 2002, I brought home a few kilos of sweet and juicy sampalok for my Mom to enjoy. I remember the sharp look I got when I offered some to my Titas. "Akin yan," her eyes firmly said.

Fast Forward. Seven years later (and six years after my mother died), I am almost surprised to see a graceful sampalok tree standing right by her old bedroom window. Unknown to me, she had planted a seed from that bunch, and it has grown and propagated not just the fruit, but the memory of that day, her joy and her generosity as well.

Pause. Seven years ago, I brought my mother a pasalubong. Seven years later, she gave it back to me.

All dressed up

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:57:00 +0000

After months of going around
a) naked
b) in an ill-fitting striped red distressed bag
c) in a no nonsense reversible green and brown sleeve...

I am excited to announce that my MacBook has found the perfect outfit!!!

She now sashays around wearing a zebra patterned sleeve in pink and black. No, it didn't come from a high tech Apple store or a designer techie boutique.

I got it at SM Department store for P299.75. Eyeloveit!!!

Becoming them – an update

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Yay! I'm giddy with excitement:

• J won as Department Representative in his college's student council elections. He actually ran unopposed – the two other parties (both of which asked him to be their rep before he announced his candidacy) were not able to find suitable candidates.

• C was named "Rookie of the Year" of her volleyball team in the Varsity Dinner at her school tonight.

Priceless.

The perfect time

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Under my pillow lies a rosary. Every night in the recent years, I have made it a ritual to pray until sleep dictates what comes next.

I once read a priest's advice to someone who said she'd fall asleep while praying: "If that's how the rosary comforts you, then let it be..." And so, I took it to heart.

That's because these days, I go to bed only when my eyes begin to see double. My prayers have since become shorter and shorter, the decades unfinished, the words garbled, jumbled, mentally mumbled. I'd always wake up feeling guilty and promising to pray longer the next evening.

But yesterday's homily during mass at the Holy Family Chapel in Eastwood changed it all.

The priest talked about not waiting for the last minute to say your prayers. He said that at night, after spending the day doing everything we have to, it is normal that the only thing our body wants to do is sleep. And so he suggested that we say our prayers in the morning. "It will energize you," he promised.

It was one of the first things I remembered as I woke up. As my hand crept under my pillow in search of the beads, I also anticipated the extra minutes I could spend in bed.

Moments later, I felt like I've splashed my face with faith, or even taken a quick shower of blessings.

I AM ready to begin my day.

Becoming them

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:00:00 +0000

As our children grow, we parents become amazed spectators to their transformation as their own person – each one a unique blend of our own genes yet perfectly different from the other and from who we are.

This year is an awesome time for us, seeing J & C carve their own path to find out what makes them whole and happy.

J, 19, is running for a slot in his college's student council. It gives him (and his party) a tremendous boost of confidence that he was recruited by ALL three parties to be their representative. The campaign preparations are intense and tedious, so we are ready to support him 100%. This thing is quite new to us, but we are basking in the joy of seeing this shy boy emerge from his sheltered Jesuit upbringing to become a charming, self-assured young man who is deeply admired by his university peers for his intelligence and sincerity.

C, 14, has found her own comfy place in her new school. The adjustment

period was not as difficult as we had expected. She is in the Math enrichment program, to which she had always belonged in her old school. She has above average grades and enjoys being with her new-found friends. And now, as part of the volleyball varsity team, she

is competing in three simultaneous tournaments. Training and games rob her of weekends but she enthusiastically prepares for them, making sure she is ready, never late and her gear, always complete. Gradually yet consistently, as her playing time increases and as they notch more wins, so will her discipline, confidence and competitiveness.

All these mean waking up earlier, watching less DVDs in bed and practically having no meals eaten together. But this an exciting time for our small family, as we watch our children grow into the wonderful persons they're shaping up to be.

You are what you write

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:18:00 +0000

My career as a writer has been defined by my journey as a woman. Let me show you how.

I started in advertising as a chic gym rat with long permed hair who wore Esprit and Anne Klein jeans in every color. I wrote product claims for brands like Lux, Sunsilk and Creamsilk and lines for celebrities like Sharon Cuneta, Kuh Ledesma, Kris Aquino, and international hairstylists Allen Edwards and Tovar.

A few years later, I had gotten married and had a child. Giddy with the joys of motherhood, I plunged deep into kurot sa puso moments for Kodak, Gerber, Ovaltine, Tang, Cheez Wiz, Kraft Cheese, and fun and games with Chippy, Jack n Jill Pretzels, Piattos and a whole bunch of snacks.

Motherhood sucks you in, and it's all up to you if you'll end up either a hip mama or a hip manang. Somehow, I got caught in between, and so while I dabbled in the techi-ness of Dream Satellite, Samsung, Nextel, iAcademy, StarWorld and American Eye Center, I also hit the kusina with Payless Instant Noodles, 555 Carne Norte, Angel Condensada and Blue Bay Sardines, plus the labahan with Budget Bareta and Winrox Bleach.

Hitting midlife and limping past it a few years later, the connection seems totally lost, the concept suddenly off-strat.

This is because during the past year, I have written, or am now in the process of writing for: Monark-CAT Heavy Equipment, the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), Shell, Quezon Power Ltd., Saggitarius Mines, the Department of Energy and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Sometimes it's brainless but at times it's a struggle – for insights, for familiarity, for words.

Did I cross the gender boundary unknowingly... while I was texting on my cellphone or updating my blog? Did I get a testosterone transfusion? How did I become macho overnight?

Discussing this realization with a friend over Yahoo Messenger this morning, I asked, "Did I become flexible or desperate?" He said he was sure I had grown flexible or else I would be writing for taho instead. But hey, I can do that!

On my first month on my first job, my boss said, "to be a good writer, one should NOT have a style," I didn't believe her then but now I know that she did know what she was talking about. Even if it seems I'd need a lifetime of learning not to have a style.

Calamansi Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Calamansi Nip, that's how my Mom called it about two decades ago – long before eager entrepreneurs started bottling them commercially and calling them Calamansi Concentrate. But these bottled wannabes on supermarket shelves were either bitter, laden with preservatives or were too watered down to capture the real, the pure, the unique flavor so distinct to calamansi.

Of course to me, they were no way near what good old Mom used to make – instant, no-squeeze calamansi joy you just mixed with water by the tablespoonful. Naturally, it would entail hours of hard work at first – squeezing mounds of ripe and juicy calamansi fruits in the peak of ripeness, doubling its volume with the exact amount of sugar, stirring patiently until no visible sugar has settled at the bottom and then waiting a day to remove the bitter residue that has formed on top of the mixture. Simple, yes. Sweet, absolutely.

The rewards last for many weeks after that. When the craving arises, all you'd have to do is pour a dollop onto a glass, add cold water plus a handful of ice cubes to enjoy a refreshing and tingly beverage. Or on a cold and coughy morning like today, one or two spoonfuls stirred into a cup of hot water will warm you like a hug. Better yet, have a warm potful by your side.

Calming my day, soothing my throat, warming my heart with memories of my mother... this is my comfort drink. What's yours?

Our little Thai boys

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Twice a year, two little boys leave their spacious new home in Bangkok to hypnotize and entrance what can be called, in their miniscule standards, a box office crowd: two grandparents, eight aunts & uncles and ten cousins. Lovingly called the Choknut Boys, shortcut for their tongue twister of a surname, they are the children of my husband's youngest sister and her Thai husband.

As the boys babble in what must be tri-lingual baby talk (ThaiTagLish?), everyone is on the alert for a possible bump, an insect bite, a whine, a whimper. As the two tiniest leaves in the family tree, they are likely to be our babies for a very long time.

Food for thought

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:04:00 +0000

The books are piling up, like cans of Spam on a pantry shelf, waiting to be devoured all at once, or nibbled bit by bit. It's a growing stack of food lit old and new, a bit thin yet worth a buffet spread to a now occasional reader like me.

While I write for a living, the balance between reading and writing is no longer the way it used to be. But it is the reading that feeds the writing – the source of information, ideas, inspiration. And so a huge part of of my day is spent snacking on blogs, and in the process gaining pounds of knowledge while discovering a world wide web range of flavors I never knew existed before.

Back to the books, I do hope to do more nourishing reading this year. To me, it's eating vicariously: snooping into kitchens, stalking personalities, digesting their words yet avoiding impatso.

PS. It's my Mom's birthday today... she would have been 79. The third book from the top was a present I gave her a few years before she passed on.

24k Gold

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Yesterday, my in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary - a feat considering their failing health. Extremely hardworking and amazingly devoted to each other, they were firm in wanting to celebrate this milestone. The original plans had to be redrawn though, in deference to my mother in law's recent puzzling illness which made her lose her usual mobility. She was eventually diagnosed with Fibromalgia, which her osteopath explained as similar to Multiple Sclerosis except that it attacks only the muscles and not the brain. Last year, my father in law underwent radiation for his colon cancer.

Yesterday's plan was to attend mass at the ungodly hour of 6:30 in the morning, and re-convene for lunch. It was an epic day as the mass dissolved into breakfast, faded into lunch, montaged with meryenda and picture taking, and eventually had a dinner finale. In between, my family had to sneak in naps as we stayed up 'til the wee hours of the morning putting together a surprise newsletter for the occasion. Conceptualized only the night before, a core editorial and production team stole old photos, tagged and scanned them, emailed and texted relatives for greetings and messages, wrote their own messages, and did their own share of hard, pressure-filled and panicky work. In the end we filled up five pages and printed about a dozen limited edition copies, with the intention of releasing an updated, more comprehensive version in the coming days.

To visually mark the occasion, we all wore yellow (since gold may not be feasible for all, or at all) and had three sets of family photos, which made up for the two years we didn't have one.

Below is the front page article I wrote for the Gold Times, my own tribute to my children's only surviving grandparents.

FIL AND ZENY GO FOR THE GOLD

Golden couple Dr. Filomeno a.k.a Totoy and Zenaida a.k.a. Ada celebrates their 50th wedding anniversary with a Thanksgiving mass and a family get-together today, January 3, 2009.

As the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold… and yet their enduring love continues to shine through – 50 years after they said their vows at the National Shrine of St. Anne in Hagonoy, Bulacan. This century-old church is the only one in the Philippines where the relics of Saints Anne and Joaquim, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are venerated.

Fil and Zeny first met in their twenties when a cousin asked Zeny to work as a dentist’s assistant. A twist of fate occurred when the said dentist did not come to work, and instead, the dental board topnotcher from Limay, Bataan was on duty.

It was inevitable that love bloomed among the cavities. In no time, and without sedation or anesthesia, “Doc” was able to extract Zeny’s matamis na oo.

Through the early years of marriage, they continued their respective careers – Fil as a teacher at the University of the East and Zeny as a secretary at her uncle’s law office.

They were immediately blessed with five children whom they sent to Catholic schools as an affirmation of their faith.

Distance never really created a strain in their relationship as Fil’s job took him back north to Bataan, first as company dentist at Planter’s Products, Inc. and in the recent years as Town Administrator of Limay.

Meanwhile, Zeny kept their Quezon City home neat and always bursting with the aroma of home-cooked meals. Every single day was spent doing house chores and attending to the needs and demands of their growing children. She most certainly looked forward to the days when Fil came home by hydrofoil to pick up the rod a.k.a. walis tambo.

Recent illnesses allowed them to use their Senior Citizen’s privileges more often than they’d like. But their state of health only brought them closer as they dutifully and lovingly attend to each other’s needs. And this time, they have their grandchildren to count on – nine boys and three girls between the ages of nine months and thirty two years – each of them a source of pride and joy in their own little way.

Twelve grandchildren plus five children plus five sons- and daughter-in-law plus Fil plus Zeny equals a 24-carat family!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:26:00 +0000

Enjoy a cholesterol free Christmas!

Pan de Lechon from the StreetCorner Bakery at SM Hypermart, P69.75

What's brewing: STARBITES COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:03:00 +0000

The idea was conceived around July, and was put in the back burner, er, brewer, for some time. A few weeks ago, after some brainstorming (my left brain vs. right) I decided to get it brewing. And so today, 12 days before Christmas, I am finally launching - with much excitement - STARBITES COOKIES. That's about week and a half for you to order and for me to panic!

STARBITES COOKIES is a collection of bite-sized chewy sugar cookies flavored with your favorite hot beverages: coffee, tea and chocolate. (Shown in photo: coffee)

They are sealed in air-tight bags and packed in handy, lightweight, hot beverage paper cups with lids.

They come in three sizes: Tall - 12 oz @ P125; Grande - 16 oz @ P150; and Venti - 22 oz @ P200.

With STARBITES COOKIES, you can have your brew and eat it, too!

For orders, please email: starbitescookies@gmail.com or call/text 0922-88-22-765.

Settling for blue and white

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:06:00 +0000

More than a month ago, I was stopped on my tracks by a fabulous white Christmas tree bedecked with brown ornaments. It took me almost another month to accept and realize that a) the brown ornaments will only look fab on a white tree b) I will not buy a white tree c) I will not buy new ornaments.

In keeping with the times, and the wisdom of recycling, I simply settled with what I already had. To achieve a more stylized tree, I sorted out the trimmings I've accumulated through the years and picked out only the blue and white ones... and, okay, a few browns. Blue tinsel balls, white angels, glass ornaments and an odd but pretty assortment of trinkets.

It's 17 days before Christmas and my tree is not done. It needs more blues, more glass to reflect and refract the lights. Everyday, I string some beads and hang them like icicles – little multi-faceted orbs dripping on the branches. In time, my tree will be fully bejeweled in sapphire and crystals.

Pocket Rosaries

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:11:00 +0000

On the Cover

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:25:00 +0000

Vanessa Hudgens and bling in our December issue.

Sun sense, nonsense

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:19:00 +0000

Sunset = go home; sunrise = wake up... not!

(Photo taken shortly before six on a Sunday morning, as my editorial team was closing the December issue of CodeRED. That's Don Bosco Church bathed in golden light.)

The Death of Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Last year, our family officially retired from celebrating Halloween.

Our youngest child had turned into a teen-ager. In the last few years, she'd gone trick or treating in a black shirt. Choosing not to wear costumes made the fun wear off as well.

Her friends had moved to the States. The rest of the neighbors had grown up.

Our Halloween decor had gathered real cobwebs in its storage.

Our trick-or-treaters' drink station had gone dry. We're out of deathly-cold Vampire Juice.

The spirit of Halloween is dead.

Original image from www.hgtv.com; retouched via iPhoto

Finding X

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:36:00 +0000

When God showered Math skills over Planet Earth, my kids were up early and were able to gather more than a handful. (I was home solving a crossword puzzle :-) This diligence saved me from headaches, screaming sessions and major tutoring fees.

But after choosing a social science course for college, Josh was left twiddling his thumbs, itching to find x, y and z.

Frustrated over a no-Math curriculum yet aware of the credits needed to shift to a serious science course on his third year, he persisted and eventually convinced his department adviser to allow him to take up Math 11 and Math 14. He attacked these classes with enthusiasm, willingly spending time with friends and strangers who sought his help.

Without a higher Math subject this semester, he had to content himself with guiding his sister in her own advanced Math section.

Now if you have read this far, you are about to realize that this is actually a Classified Ad masquerading as a blog post.

A few weeks ago, Josh actually began something he had long contemplated on doing – Math tutoring. For a couple of hours once or twice a week, he sits down with a cousin to sort out visual theories in Geometry – earning professional, industry tutorial rates in the process.

Prepping himself for this new role, he dug out his old notes, and gave them a quick but thorough once over. Barely two years out of high school, he is reaping the rewards of his love for numbers while being a Math-man for others. Finding x has never been this cool.

If your child (grade school to early college) needs a hand in Math from a young, soft-spoken and patient Kuya, just let his manager, este, mother know, and she will link you up with Tutor Josh. Potential students from the eastern QC area preferred.

Josh's credentials (updated!):

3-time University Scholar (1st sem 2007-08; 2nd sem 2007-08; 1st sem 2008-2009), University of the Philippines Diliman

• Math 11 grade - 1.0; Math 14 grade - 1.0; finals exemption

2nd Honors, Ateneo de Manila High School

• Math grade - A; finals exemption

The Bomb

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:31:00 +0000

Spending over four hours walking and poking around Greenbelt, Glorietta and SM allows one to discover a few fabulous things:

Like this gigantic snow cone at the ground floor right outside SM Supermarket. The signage, the stall and the poster all grossly underestimate the ginormosity of it all.

I had to wait for my daughter to arrive before I could sample it. Holding it on one hand while scanning the bench for an empty seat so we can enjoy this iced monster together, a woman I passed couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! Sa'n mo kinuha 'yan?!?!"

"Doon, o! Twenty five pesos lang!" I replied. The price is an even bigger bomb. Of course, it's nothing but solidified water later shaven into snowy soft ice, generous amount of food colored syrup and a drizzling of condensed milk but this is THE BOMB.

I'll surely be coming back to try the other artificial flavors (hey, the ice is natural, so that evens it up, duh). Maybe next time, I don't have to share.

I want to cry

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:18:00 +0000

OMG. My three-month-old MacBook is now officially OLD :-(

One Big High!

noreply@blogger.com (carol) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:17:00 +0000

The Blue Eagles' win is nine hours old.

I wish I'd been there to taste this sweet victory, but the plans got screwed up and I ended up screaming One Big Fight at home.

Luckily, we had the chance to pray One Big Thanks at the Church of the Gesu two hours later.

PS. The Bonfire is on Tiu's Day, Sept. 30. Everyone is invited... it's Cara's birthday :D