Odd

I had to make an advisory to other editors that our Philippines reporter and I will take the day off because idiot president hastily declared a holiday late Thursday afternoon. We could have made better plans for the long weekend.

Despite the declaration of a holiday, the event at the central bank pushed through. Of course, you can’t reset a thing like this without making a mess of bank presidents’, CEOs and conglomerate owners’ schedules.

The good thing here though is that the roads are less congested. Wohoo!

On the way to Makati to pick up another journo. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I worked for a bit at Starbucks in G5 because of companies (or rather pushy PRs) that insist on their own way, forgetting that there is such thing as editorial independence. Diva execs, pushy PRs, and unreasonable company policies–what a way to end the week.

A bit of a pain to work with MS Outlook on Android because it doesn’t have a search function and html formatting editor but it will do because my Samsung tablet is much lighter than my laptop. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Upon arriving at the central bank, I noticed there were new paintings at the 3rd floor lobby. One staff member told me they have just acquired the collection of UCPB and that is now scattered all over the main building. Unfortunately, I only had time to see three paintings when there must have been hundreds of them. I had to work my butt off last night.

I will never probably understand or appreciate an HR Ocampo piece. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
1898 by Edwin Wilwayco. I like this take on the Philippine flag. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Jose Joya, an artist that I could not appreciate when I was younger but now I do. It’s not about what you need to see but how an artwork makes you feel. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

One time I will tell my friends at the BSP comms dept I will drop by to see the sculptures and paintings in their collection during one less hectic day. It’s not easy to gain access there and I had been going in and out of their premises regularly for years as a reporter. Might as well take advantage of that.

They gave me this uncut live currency to add to my collection of like items and commemorative coins. I’m still looking for the uncut 20-peso bills where I had former central bank governors sign their names. Two of them sadly passed on. That item is one of the, if not the most precious souvenir I had kept as a banking reporter. The girls’ dad must have it with him, including my analog cameras.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Forward march

One of the fountains I bought from Farmers. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

My kids and I welcomed 2023 with our neighbors and we shared sparklers, fountains and fire crackers.

It’s kinda bittersweet. This is the last new year’s eve with the neighbors. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

My girls enjoyed the evening, which was capped by viewing the fireworks of central QC from our neighbor’s roofdeck.

360-degree view of fireworks in central QC. Video by CallMeCreation.com

So for 2023, we will be embarking on a new adventure… Sort of. We’re going back to the place where my girls were born and where I grew up. Very familiar ground and yet it’s full of uncertainties. I will be in danger of making my world smaller because I will be back to my old stomping grounds. I’m in danger of regressing and throttling the growth that I had painstakingly nurtured. I’m scared of stunting.

But I’m doing this for my kids. They will benefit from growing up in a more protected and unpolluted environment. They’re now the priority, it’s no longer about me.

I say, I need to go forward, march to the tune of the band, and hope for the best. This new year will be a transition period for me, not only because I’m moving houses; I feel there’s a bigger shift that’s going to happen. I don’t know what exactly that is.

I’m out of therapy for 6 months now and 2023 will be a new start for me. I’ve been held back for two years and it was like I was loitering around purgatory longer than I should.

What will I be targeting to do this year?

  • More diving; it will be easier since travel time will be cut because I would already be in the south
  • Learn kiteboarding in Boracay
  • Go to Moalboal or Coron
  • Go surfing in Siargao, La Union, Zambales, or Baler.
  • Go camping again with my kids either in Caliraya again or Tanay, Rizal
  • Prepare for travel to Morocco or Spain in 2024; in the meantime I will bring my kids and mom to Singapore since it’s the easiest place when I have a brood to herd.
  • Travel to the Bangkok, Hi Chi Minh, and Phnom Penh for work.
  • Push for promotion of my two or three reporters
  • Build my small homestead
  • Start court proceedings for my annulment as I’m already out of therapy. I can finally battle it out in court

I’m sleepy.

Wishes

At JB Music Store in Araneta Center, Cubao. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Twin I finally bought her acoustic guitar that she has been wishing for half a year. She saved up her weekly allowance and her Christmas money and deposited everything in her Maya e-wallet/bank account. She had applied for a Maya debit card and got it a week or two ago. Today she proudly used her very own debit card to purchase her guitar.

I was the one who chose the guitar (a mid-priced Fernando) and it sounded good, even better than the RJ guitar I tried at the Guitar Center in Mall of Asia.

Good luck to your future callouses! Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After the guitar business, we went to Farmers Market to buy fruits and veggies for tonight’s media noche feast. I’m supposed to grill some marinated porkchops later.

Then off we went to buy sparklers/fireworks. Over PHP 2000 worth of them.

At Parolan, Farmers Market, Araneta Center, Cubao. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Of course, for maximum noise, we bought horns for the three of us.

Toy horns for PHP 50 apiece. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Went back to Gateway Mall where we parked to buy a cake from Conti’s. However, they ran out of cakes. 😑

Let me nap first…


Burgers and pork chop for dinner. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Drinks after cooking. Whew!

The cold has bothered me

This is a romantic site. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

❄️ It’s cold here because of the breeze coming from the lake. ❄️🌨️ And we’re at the foot of the mountain.

This morning at 6 am, I cleaned the cat litter box, refilled it with fresh litter, filled up my cats’ drinking fountain, filled their plates to the brim with kibbles, and off I went to drive south.

No cars! Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Since today was declared by the governent to be a non-working holiday, people opted to stay where they were. This meant no private vehicles! Wohoo!

All the way to the south, still no cars!

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It only took me less than 1.5 hrs to reach my mother’s house. I then checked my house, which was devoid of workers since it’s a public holiday.

A locked front door. My door. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
It’s still a mess. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Since this bathroom gets adequate sunlight, I think I can hang some moisture-loving plants. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I edited some articles from China this morning until my kids were ready to leave at around 1 pm. We first went to a local park because I wanted to show the girls the former lake port where I boarded the ferry 🛥️ that whisked me away from my hometown to Guadalupe, Makati when I was in college. Because I wanted a more adventurous commute to Metro Manila. 😜 I did that several times when I had to go to UP Diliman.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Tres Marias. Photo by my sister.

After some photos, we went straight to the lakeside resort. It’s very windy.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
On the way to the cottage and the pools. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Work mode still. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Since there was no other editor around, I picked up more stories from China and India for editing. 😑 My kids and their cousins had played in the hotspring pool while I slaved away.

We had to bring our own food since this resort is the DIY kind. With Kuya P. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It was already dark when I finished work.

Would have been nice to walk around here with someone. But I guess not for me this time. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

They turned off the hotspring valve but the pool is still warm. However, I’m not enticed to dip because I’m cold.

I’ll just wake up early to have a dip when the pool man turns on the hotspring valve. Before I start to edit again. 😑

Deed is done

Traffic jam everywhere! Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I braved the horrible traffic today. First, I needed to fix my bank accounts because the bank has frozen them. Apparently, I didn’t do an update of my personal and professional info for xxx period… So I couldn’t withdraw from the ATM and couldn’t do online banking 🤦‍♀️. I have five accounts with them that needed updating so it took a while. But at least it’s done now. 😑

Then I braved Greenhills to sell my iPad. Finally, it’s done. I’m not really maximizing it anyway.

While I was waiting for them to finish testing the unit and for cash to be paid to me, I was flicking furiously on my phone and doing something sinister…

I finally pulled the trigger. 🫠

Now I’m waiting for it to get cleared… Hopefully by Dec 27 it’s on its way to me. Why did I do it instead of reinvesting almost 40k back to my house?

Because I’m a fucking tech junkie 🤦‍♀️ I need saving from myself.

Ok, I promise myself this is the last big-ticket item I will buy that is not for the house.

Gyoza for hunger pangs. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After having a very late lunch (almost 3 pm), I drove back home via the maze that Waze has directed me to use because freaking EDSA was not moving.

To come home to this:

Kimchi playing with a rubber band. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Sushi watching me watching over them. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

These cats are the crazy reasons why I’m spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day alone. Because of the cats that cannot feed themselves and clean up their poop.

I will be leaving early 26th because my family will be checking into this resort.

Hot springs in December!

The ponds become a lagoon from October (typhoon season) as these converge with Laguna Lake. Then these will go back to being ponds when the dry season sets in by Feb.

I will try sketching here but on Monday I’m on editing duty 😭

Hypergrowth

FB Memories reminded me today of this special photo. They looked so goofy here. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Pre-teens now, at their hypergrowth stage. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

As a mother, I can say that the hypergrowth stages of children are when they’re 6 mos old, 2-3 years old, 6-7 years old, and (*now*) when they’re 11-12 years—the time when they have their first period. My observation jives with the parenting literature I had read before). Since I had to buy Twin I again new sets of underwear yesterday because she has outgrown again the ones I bought her 6 mos ago. All the bottoms I bought for her in December can no longer fit her. *sigh* Good thing her twin is there to get all those clothes.

The whole weekend is about food. As usual.

Made three personal pizzas made of mozzarella, soft white cheese (queso puti Laguna), and cheddar, ham, and canned tomatoes. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It’s a hot mess but it’s lovely. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I was craving for spicy wings so we had several of those at SM Marikina after buying Twin I’s stuff. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Nilagang baka/beef stew, double boiled, cooking for 10 hours. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Now the pièce de résistance in my home cooking this weekend is this nilagang baka using the beef I bought from DTRI in my hometown and, double boiling it (first boiling is to get rid of the scum and impurities, dump and second boiling with new water for a clearer broth) and then I did not stop there—I used the bulalo broth (with the solidified fat skimmed off) that I froze two weeks ago as base broth and added the root veggies for a richer taste.

Let’s see how this will turn out tomorrow. I want some melt-in-your mouth beef with all the green, leafy veggies I can chuck in it.


NOW that the bad weather has eased up a bit, we’re thinking of going again to the beach at the end of the month. Hopefully, there’s no typhoon or else… sigh.

Calayo Green Terraces, Nasugbu, Batangas
I want to try paddle boarding. Calayo Green Terraces, Nasugbu, Batangas.

I should shoehorn again these mini breaks before I leave for either Korea or Japan (yey! they’re allowing individual tourists again) in October. But…it’s kinda hard to schedule things now because before All Saints/Souls’ Day weekend 1) Ate C is leaving for Leyte for the death anniv of their father; 2) the girls are leaving with their dad to go to Shangri-la Mactan, Cebu for their grandpa’s 90th birthday. That means I cannot leave the house because no one will be left with the cats.

I must arrange all travel concerns this week before the prices of hotel rooms and plane tickets jump.

Then in November I will be back in Singapore for 10 days. Werk.