Sunday Pancakes

Today is Sunday and I decided to whip up some pancakes for morning's breakfast. Instead of the usual regular pancakes, I gave in to my demolition team's (my kids) request to try the chocolate flavored pancakes. Most of my kids, as you know, have food allergies, and chocolates are included in the list of foods that should be avoided. Thus, the grocery list was revamped with all chocolate based food products removed. Still, I settled in buying that chocolate flavored pancake sitting in the grocery shelf thinking that it wouldn't hurt if they eat this. Besides, moderate or controlled exposure to it would help them get over their sensitivity to chocolates.

So, they watch in full force as I cook the pancakes taking turns dipping their fingers in the batter. They even requested baby pancakes. Once cooked, they gobbled it up with every bite saying "yummy", "mmm".

Children are so easy to please. They take pleasure and appreciate the small things in life that we, as adults, tend to dismiss. Perhaps, if we could only rekindle the "children" in ourselves then happiness would not be so hard to find.

Pet Flowerhorn

One of the things that relaxes me is our pet Flowerhorn. I like staring at it and admiring its vibrant color and hump. Our Flowerhorn has been with us for close to a year. We bought it when it was just little and now it's bigger than my hand.

This is our second attempt to take care of this kind of fish. The first one died because of overfeeding. My kids would take turns feeding it, not being being conscious that it is already overfed. After having suddenly a dead fish, I searched the Internet as to proper ways to take care of it.

They say that owning a Flowerhorn brings you luck depending on the patterns on its body. The patterns, when seen up close, resembles Chinese characters. The more pronounced the patterns are, the better. The hump, on the other hand, signifies long life which is preferred by Flowerhorn breeders. It is also a solitary fish by nature. You can't mix it with other fishes. Abrupt changes can bring stress to this fish which could make it ill. However, once it has adjusted, taking care of it will be a breeze. It thrives on fish food made especially for Flowerhorns and worms are given as a special treat.

Well, for me, luck or no luck, I don't care. I still love our fish. He's a part of our family and looking at him for a few minutes is enough to find a moment of tranquility.

Marketing Trend

My friend contacted me last week asking if they can get me and my daughter to join a focus group discussion for a chocolate drink company. They were looking for moms with a 7 to 9 year old child and somehow I fit the profile.

So yesterday, at 5 pm, they came into my house and posed all sorts of questions mainly focusing on my relationship with my daughter and what sorts of things do we do together. They presented to me pictures of prospective packaging for their product and asked what appealed to me most and why. They also showed various pictures of what would describe my relationship with my daughter. The discussion lasted for about 2 hours wherein they ended it by giving a token of their appreciation for the time I spent with them.

It was a breeze and surprisingly I enjoyed the whole thing. Today’s research companies use a lot of these focus group discussions to get a feel of what consumers want in their product. Gone are the days wherein they would do the surveys via phone. They would rather spend time and resources on really getting to know their market before launching a new ad on TV or print.

A wise decision, I would say. It would definitely save them heaps of of money.

A Merge of Colors

Above is the picture of an opening decoration of the Landmark supermarket in Trinoma mall. It was so eye-catching that a lot of people stopped to admire it. The artist who did it was good since he was able to transform the simple balloons into a striking ornament.

The balloon decoration mixed in two shades of green and orange colors complemented everything, even the red background wall. It is similar to 2 people in a relationship having different personalities, beliefs and attitudes. No two persons are alike and this definitely makes us more interesting than our animal counterpart. Imagine the balloons all done in the same colors. Would it have been attractive? Striking? I don't think so. It would be bland and monotonous; the same way when two people living together have the same viewpoint and behavior.

Yes, there would be less friction, less conflict but it would definitely be dull, uninteresting and worst, mind-numbing. Our creator intended to have variety in His human creation. We have to believe that out of another person, one can learn and that the weakness of another person can be the strength of another. In the end, we may have different, sometimes opposing views but it adds flavor and spice to what we call LIFE.

Linking Halfway Around the World

Staying connected with friends and family is just a click away. With the boom of technology comes the ease of communication. There's texting, email, chat, Friendster or Myspace, and blogs that comes into mind when you want to connect to basically anyone halfway around the world. Mobile phones are really sticking to their names... mobile. Phone manufacturers are quickly coming up with new models of phones that lets you do other than just talking and texting. Features such as WiFi are now installed that lets you access the Internet and watch television shows anywhere using your phone.

Since my line of work is in the Internet, my laptop is the thing that I can't do without. It's the first thing I open when I wake up. Of course, after the bathroom door, ha, ha... I check my mails and see what's up. Regular errands like paying the bills, making fund transfers, downloading lab results are some of the things I use it for. Aside from this, I check the movie schedule, do research, look for places (thanks, Google Earth) and much more are some of the things that I do. I can go anywhere as long as there is Internet connection and bring my laptop with me.

Speaking of Internet connection, we recently jumped into the wireless thing. Our house is now a WiFi area! I can access the Internet anywhere in the house and not be tied down to a cord. More reasons to do multi-tasking. It's so convenient.

With this fast paced, technology hungry society, can you still imagine life without cellphones and Internet? Ask yourself, when was the last time you went to the post office to mail a letter to a friend or relative? For me, it's been like ages since I last received a letter. Mostly all I get in the mails are bills, solicitations and unwanted advertisements. Besides, why mail a post card when you can just email, chat, view one another through the web cam? All that.... just a double click away.

Of course, not everybody embraces technology the same way that I do. Some would still prefer the good ol' letter since it is much more personal and intimate. And I respect them for their choices. There's no harm in adhering to what was done before. But the world is moving forward, not backward. It's either you keep pace with it or be stuck to where you are. Resiliency is the key word.

So, a life without the World Wide Web? Whew! I can't and I wouldn't want to.

Reminiscing Daddy

September 20 is a significant day for me. It was my dad’s birthday. He passed away a long time ago back in 1996. If there are words that could be linked to him, it would be discipline and temper. Discipline because he wants everything in order. Clutter irritates him so our house is spic and span. Neither can we have sleepovers with our friends or go home late at night.

My dad also had bursts of temper that we all feared. I never directly experienced his temper as compared to my brothers who would from time to time do some mischief. He had a bad temper that we all knew not to test or provoke it. It is this temperament that I think brought about his stroke. He survived 3 strokes mainly because of his willpower.

But today, on his birthday, I choose to remember my father not of his fiery disposition nor his being rigid but rather, his soft side that I knew and love. On the days when he was at home, I would sit comfortably on his lap. I would tag along with him whenever he went to the bank, park, movies or to his favorite restaurant.

As a child, I was sickly and would be in and out of the hospital. He would sit by my bedside when my mom was not around. He would give me hugs and kisses and assure me that everything will be alright when I am feverish. Thanks to his dedication in bringing me to a specialist all the way to Makati, my asthma was controlled even before I reached my teens. It could have gotten worse if the treatments were not consistent.

There was also this instance wherein I was 5 or 6 years old, he promised that he would buy me an ice cream the moment I got well. And he did buy me an ice cream the day that we left the hospital. On our way home, he stopped at an ice cream parlor, asked me to wait inside the car. When he came out, he had a big ice cream cone on his hand!

He sent us all to good private schools and provided well for our family. In my growing up years, I never experienced being deprived despite him being very frugal. We would always have new clothes and shoes for the holidays, new bags and uniforms at the start of the school year.

He instilled in me assertiveness and having my own opinions. He said I should learn how to drive when I grow up and should make my own money. He told us that having your own business is better than being an employee. He told me that every five years, there should be a positive change in myself.

My father has an influence as to who I am today. He may have had his unpleasant qualities but I know that he tried his best to do what is right for us. And for that, I thank him.

Slow Afternoons

What’s you favorite part of the day? For me, it’s the early afternoons wherein the house would be really quiet. Around this time of the day, only my youngest son, Aaron, is at home. Being 3 years old, he is the only one among the siblings not going to school yet.

My son & I pretty much have a routine during school days. We bring his older brother to preschool at 12 noon, back in the house by 12:30 pm then we eat lunch together. I then let him watch his favorite cartoon show of all time, Tom & Jerry, which lasts for 30 minutes then I make him take his afternoon nap.

With him sleeping, I have the house and my thoughts all by myself. I can easily finish reading the projects I have to submit or answer emails. If time permits and if my creativity cooperates, I also update my blog. But, if I am feeling lazy or nothing much to do, I cuddle with my toddler who looks so peaceful taking his afternoon respite.

Around 3pm, I wake him up so we can fetch his sister and brothers in school. He enjoys the car ride so much that I take him whenever possible.

Kinda simple, huh? Some may shrug it off, but for me, it is the reason why I do not want to be an employee again. I can’t do this if somebody else owns my time.

Wouldn’t exchange my slow afternoons for anything.

A Hug for a Bad Day

Have you ever had a bad day? A day wherein everything seems to go wrong? I did and it was a relief when the day was finally over. Just like when you have a bad cold and a warm chicken soup makes you feel better, a hug from someone dear to you can make you forget the bad things that transpired. It makes you appreciate the little things that we take forgranted and that life is still good.

So, when did you give someone you love a hug? Go ahead hug someone. That someone may just had a bad day.

Need for Growth

Listening to the radio, I heard a Christmas song being played. Since it is already September, they were already making a countdown to Christmas. Whew! Time flies so fast.

Another year would end and another one would begin and let us ask ourselves, "Have we grown as a person?" Growth, intellectually and emotionally, must continue as long as we live. We have to continue to nurture ourselves by finding opportunities to blossom. It can be a simple task of learning something new like a language or a hobby or anything that catches your interest, or reading a book or visiting places that you haven't been to, or even learning a new dish.

Most often than not, we hate to get out of our comfort zones. We have grown so accustomed of our life that breaking the routine is unthinkable. It is a daunting task, I admit, to dwell on something that you haven't tried. But we have to overcome that feeling to be able to enhance what is inside us. We just have to trust ourselves and bring out that innate capability of being resilient.

Joseph Ejercito "Guilty"

Everyone was glued to their TV waiting for the verdict that will be given to former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada. The administration did an overkill preparing for the worst scenario should supporters of the Erap take it to the streets. Classes were also suspended in the areas where rallies are expected to occur. But even as the guilty verdict was given for plunder charges, sentencing him to 40 years in prison, there was no violent uproar from his supporters, thank God!

Perhaps, the masses were already jaded by the frequent rallies that occured before. People power has been abused, in my opinion, that its very essence was lost. Watching the supporters being interviewed on TV about their opinion or reaction to the guilty verdict of their hero, I saw resignation in their faces.

The supporters of the former president were mostly the masses. The poorest among the poor who hailed him before as their Robin Hood. They believed in him and for all I know may still believe in him but the fact remains that their lives will not change whether Erap is freed or not. One coconut vendor said' " I am sad that he is guilty but I have no time to rally on the streets, I have to sell my coconuts."

The very words of this coconut vendor reflects the people's worn-out attitude for the things concerning politics. He knows that his situation will not change whoever sits as president.

For now, we just have to wait and see if the term given to Erap will really be executed. Some say a presidential pardon is forthcoming.

Burrito allergy

Yesterday, while waiting for a late night movie, we grabbed a quick dinner at Mexicali. It was my first time to try this Mexican restaurant being a more regular customer of its counterpart Tacobell.

I decided to order a regular Chicken Bbq Burrito. It was tasty and delicious. The serving was huge. Unfortunately minutes after finishing my meal, I began to sneeze and suddenly have a runny nose. It all continued till I got home last night. I figured it must have been food allergy because when I woke up this morning, I felt fine with no evidence of any sneezing or colds. There must have been something in the Burrito, some spice that I was allergic to.

What a waste! I truly enjoyed their Burrito. Next time, I'll make sure to take some antihistamines beforehand.

Lost phone

I just realized how my life depended on my mobile phone. I know it’s exaggerated but losing mine last week was very difficult. It’s not much about the phone itself (it’s not the latest model anyhow, got it for free from my network provider and it’s 3 years old already) but the names and contact numbers stored in it are far more important.

I just felt at a total loss knowing that I lost important numbers that would be difficult to retrieve. And it’s totally a drag to input each and everyone’s name and contact details again. It is good that I was able to retain my same number since I have a line otherwise the difficulty would be twice.

You see, I store everything in my mobile no. My doctor’s & dentist’s details are there, the water station where we order our drinking water is in it, names of important clients are there. Golly, even the reservation number of Gateway movies is there.

Funny thing is, I keep on thinking where exactly in Baguio did I lose my phone but I still can’t figure out where. But I guess it would be futile to do so. Anyway, it surely did serve me a lesson.

Black or White

How come some people finds it difficult to say NO outright? They give non-committal replies, makes you hope then in the end bursts the bubble. Are they just too nice to say no or simply can’t make up their minds?

Personally, I would prefer that you refuse outright than be dragged into something you really would not want to get into. Worse, be an expert when it comes to saying yes but leaves people hanging. They would make delays, come up with various reasons but in the end doesn’t do anything.

Whether it’s a simple favor or a really BIG decision, one should commit to a side. Are you going or not going? Are you doing this or not? To an issue, there’s always 2 sides. You can’t be both.

I know it’s not that simple. I know life is not always black & white. There are room for grays and in-betweens, but mind you,... not always. And that is why decisions are not always easy to make.

Mobile Billboards

I've seen Mobile Billboards quite often recently. It seems to be the fad nowadays for advertisers. This makes me wonder if this is a cheaper or costly alternative for fixed billboards? Coverage wise, yes, I think it is more effective since you can reach any part of the city unlike if it is fixed somewhere in a highway. And with the recent clamour of some politicians making a move to remove huge billboards along the main road, this mobile billboard has grown popularity.

Environment wise, this mobile billboard consumes gas, contributes to the vehicle congestion of the city and adds to the traffic. Advertisers should think of alternative ways to drum up their business.