Loving Hong Kong

Manila International Airport

Harbour City Plaza

This is how we sleep during our stay in Hong Kong

Ocean Park Hong Kong

a photo with Swift

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Having snacks outside the Bakery

Black Sesame and Walnut Soup

   

    I was in Hong Kong recently with my husband and my three boys. My sister-in-law, Princess Ching, joined the trip with us too. It was her first time to go to Hong Kong. The PAL flight to Hong Kong was relatively full. Hong Kong is about one and a half hours away from the Philippines.

   

   Hong Kong hasn't changed much. It has always been one of my favorite places. I have been going there since I was eight years old. I remember my dad telling me that he will bring me to Hong Kong if I will get first honor from first to fourth quarter during the time when I was on my third grade. And fortunately, I did! I was so happy that time because it is going to be my first time to travel outside our country. And since then I've been going there at least three times a year because we have a family business there. It became a second home to me.

   Well, we normally stay in Park Lane Hong Kong which is situated right in the heart of vibrant Causeway Bay. This time around we found ourselves in Kowloon at the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. The hotel is built on the Ocean Terminal, a pier which is frequently visited by Cruise Ships. The whole complex is part of a huge shopping center with lots of branded store names and restaurants which we find very convenient for us especially that my husband and I brought our three boys with us. We don't have to go outside the hotel to shop or look for food outlets.

    We opted to have lunch first at City Super food court which is located inside Harbour City Plaza. I love to eat there because it showcase an international fusion of freshly prepared, restaurant-quality meals - at fast food prices! You can take a break from shopping, relax and enjoy a refreshing drink with something delicious to eat. My kids ordered pastas at Te. Te is not a fast food, not a standard restaurant. Their pastas and herbal teas are so good. I ordered my food at Takomaru, the expert of making Japanese octopus ball in town. My meal will not be complete without my favorite dessert which is the  hot black sesame soup and walnut soup. You can order it at Honeymoon Dessert. They provide ranges of choice to serve the dessert-lovers in the city. It is so good that for us a visit to Hong Kong will never be complete unless we have at least a couple of meals there. An even nicer thing about it is that we always see familiar faces because the servers and waitresses from five years ago are still the same ones up to now.

      

    We got there on a Saturday and left on a Tuesday.  We went to Ocean Park on the second day and Disneyland on the third day. Ocean Park is still the same but Hong Kong Disneyland has changed a lot. They added new attractions, entertainment and spectaculars for the whole family to enjoy. Tomorrowland was expanded to incorporate three dynamic new attractions - the exciting Autopia experience, the fun Stitch Encounter (my sister-in-law got to participate in the encounter with Stitch and it was so funny), and the UFO Zone adventure. We rode the indoor roller coaster in Space Mountain and I swear that it's going to be my first and last time to ride on it. It made me dizzy and I was scared that my three boys won't be able to handle the warp speed of the roller coaster. We also went to Tarzan's Treehouse which was beautifully decorated with trees and all those things that appeared in the cartoon. We took the jungle river cruise along a river and there was like fire and gushes of smoke along the way. It was really fun.

    I have no doubt that Hong Kong is close to my heart because it consistently only takes a couple of hours after arriving there for me to already wish I would have an upcoming trip back. Can you imagine already planning to go back when you haven't even left yet?

    I will always love Hong Kong so alive. I love its skyline, food, shopping and the bargains. I love the way the people dress up and am ceaselessly amazed at how working women can run through traffic stops in their spiky heels. I love taking the ferry because there is an Old-World charm to it that you cannot shake off and even miles and miles of walking is pleasant when capped off with a refreshing bottle of sugar can juice available at practically every sidewalk. Well, I'm thinking of going back there again but this time it is going to be with my baby boy!

    

   

How to keep the music playing?

   All too often, we see women who, in the hustle and bustle of striving to be good homemakers, forget themselves and their personal needs. Specifically, they forget to pamper themselves and in the process end up looking unkempt, plain, and sometimes even disheveled. I'm not saying this is a bad thing but when something can be done, why settle for looking ordinary. Looking good does not have to be expensive, what with the multitude of products available on the market to fit every need, every budget. Before being a mother, remember that you are a wife first. Your husband was and should still be attracted to you.

  

   Try remembering the first date with your spouse (then boyfriend) when, hours before he was scheduled to arrive, you preened precariously before the mirror making sure that you looked just right. Go back to the time when just thinking of him made you smile, when you couldn't wait to see him and when simply being together was enough.

  

   I have heard of stories that the most common complaint of wives is that their men don't bother to take them out on dates anymore. To this the men almost always have the same answer: "Our wives don't bother to fix themselves up anymore, secure as they already are that we married them." Marriage should not be a license for us to just sit back, relax and to let nature take its course. One has to constantly work at keeping herself good - in all aspects.

   

  Of course, there will be times that he will catch you at your unglamorous looks. To think otherwise would be unrealistic. Nonetheless, this should not be the norm. Continue to make an effort to keep yourself  desirable and attractive. In short, don't be a losyang. Stay fit ( by this I don't mean you have to look like a model) and healthy. Take care of your skin. But more than that, please smell good. You owe it to your husband, but more than that you owe it to yourself. 

   

  Remember to make coming home a pleasant experience for your husband, so much so that he will not dread seeing you at a day's end. Okay, maybe dread is too harsh a word but one should have the right attitude in handling time towards spent together after a long day. It should be relaxing, not stressful. I know it's such a cliche to say that woman shouldn't nag but really, we should not. Talk to your husband but don't whine or complain all the time. 

 

  Romance shouldn't end where marriage begins. The jaded would probably scoff at my optimism. "Wait till you are 25 years married!" they might say. When we see an old couple holding hands our mindset should not be one of surprise. We should not marvel at how and why they stayed that way, rather we should acknowledge that it is but natural for them to be the way they still are-affectionate toward each other, not marred by time or age.

  

  Your husband should be the highlight of your day. In some way, however good my day already is I feel better when my husband is home and we have the whole night ahead of us to wrap up the events of the day. We don't sleep angry at each other and never has a day passed when we don't say "I love you" and mean it. We are in our tenth year of marriage and some may say it's premature for me to talk about how to keep the music playing. Idealistic, I maybe. But I have high hopes and I'm going to take it step by step, one day at a time. More importantly, I am going to face the tune and enjoy the dance.

   Marriage is not a bed of roses-I've seen enough break-ups to last three lifetimes but by and large I believe that if there was reason to get together, there must be enough reason, too, for a couple to stay together. All in God's plan all in God's time. True love should bring out the best in you. And while physical beauty should in no way subsist as the be-all and end-all of a happy marriage you owe it to yourself and your spouse to make the best out of whatever attributes God has blessed you with. For beneath the individual layered with stress, responsibilities, mommy-duties, busy schedules and tight workloads lies the woman that your man fell in love with.

  

   Surface and shine! 

Reasons To Love Summer

    Summer is here again, and it's a sizzler. While a lot of people I know dislike summer because of the unbearable heat, it happens to be one of my favorite season. Here, I give you reasons why:

1) Having a picnic and flying a kite. You would think nobody does that anymore in a busy city like Manila. Think again. The Fort can be a good place for it. 

2) More quality time with your child. The enthusiasm of a child is contagious - I feel blessed with their wild-eyed innocence and total appreciation of things, be it in something as trivial as cracking the shell of a hard-boiled egg to trying to catch small fish with their little hands.

3) Staying in and watching your favorite show or DVDs.

4) Makeup-free days when your skin can really breathe.

5) Buttered corn on the cob.

6) You can enjoy halo-halo anywhere. It does not have to be anything fancy - you can make your own(after all, every Pinoy household has its own version). Milky Way and Razon's are legendary for their halo-halo. If you'll find yourself anywhere near Razon's or Milky Way,  do yourself a favor by indulging in at least one serving.

7) Milkshakes. Any kind, any blend. As long as it tickles your fancy.

8) The long days are a perfect excuse to stay in and catch up on your reading. For me, one of life's simple joys is curling up with a good book.

9) The hot weather is the perfect reason to wear white. It is also a great excuse to wear your man's big white cotton shirt.

10) It's a great time to have outdoor barbecues with family and friends.

11) The summer heat is the perfect excuse to dig into a big bowl of your favorite ice cream.

12) You tend to appreciate more of life's little pleasures, the very same things you tend to overlook the rest of the year. Like what? The cool breeze that seems to come just when you think you can't take the heat any longer. The shade that trees provide. The function of a big giveaway-from-the-bank umbrella. The wonderful invention that is the refrigerator. The blessedness of cold, clean drinking water and the ice cubes in any drink your heart fancies.

13) The beach. Although Boracay will always be a sentimental favorite, our country is rich with so many other beautiful beaches and resorts. It is amazing how much more there is to enjoy and discover within Philippine shores.

14) Tank tops and flip flops.

15) Board games.

16) Longer, more languid bathing rituals.

17) Ice candy. Any flavor.

18) A good foot and body massage.

19) The refreshing feel of baby cologne splashed generously on the body when the weather gets too, too hot.

20) Slices of butter and sugar toast. There are many ways of making this treat but at home we prepare it only one way: By spreading the butter generously on the bread,  toasting it, and as a last step sprinkling white sugar on it. Bite into it and the different textures that fill your mouth - the half-crispy, half-gooey, butter-soaked bread and the raw, grainy white sugar - is as much a pleasure as the homey, delicious taste you will remember from way back when you were a little child sitting in your mother's kitchen.

Couple time

Photo of my kids sleeping soundly

outside Beijing Foot Spa

my dear husband

  
    It was already past ten in the evening and after putting my kids to sleep and changed and climbed to bed, sleep still did not find me. I sat on the bed watching my four kids sleeping soundly while each of them curled like a shrimp under their own comforters. I always kiss and nuzzle them even as they sleep, whispering that I love them. They always smell of shampoo and rain. Often they will move and acknowledge with a sleepy smile. Tonight, I won't be sleeping beside my baby which is my permanent place but instead I'll be sleeping together again with my husband on a mattress that originally belongs to my son Andrew which is laid down on the floor. I missed the nightly sweet embrace that my husband and I used to have by the time we settled in our bed. We haven't been sleeping together in one bed for almost half a year. My kids sleep in our room and shares the bed with us.

    It's a ritual for Andre and I, lying in bed or just sitting on it, to talk quietly about the highlights of the day, sharing tomorrow's plan and schedule with each other, all the while talking in hushed whispers so baby Andrei will not be disturbed. We surf the Net together or individually on our laptop for a short time and finally settle into watching DVD movie. When that happens, we know sleep is near. But often, sleep still didn't find us. So it really is not long before we find ourselves going to our favorite spa to pamper our tired bodies.

     We love going to Beijing Foot Spa which is located at IL Terrazzo Mall, Tomas Morato. They've got a large team of well-trained masseuses who renders a vigorous foot and body massage. Their foot massage is so good and it is by far the best foot massage we ever had from our Spa hopping leisure time.

     More than the pleasure of the relaxing massage though is the joy of each other's presence and company that I savor. We both look forward to doing this together. While in the car on our way home, we talk and dream together. That is our favorite thing to do and we really go wild in that department. Why limit God when he can give all? What joy! Dreaming limitlessly allows us to take on wings and by heaven's name, do we enjoy the flight. My husband shares his own childhood memories with me and I know all these little stories behind his scar on the hand, on the leg that he got from biking with an old friend. We love exchanging stories from our childhood memories. 

      Finally and forever, this much I warmly hold on to: when the time came that we are both old and grey, when deep lines have settled in our faces and we have both lost our youth, I know we will continue to have and enjoy our quiet conversations as well as frequent quiet "date" nights. We will continue to hold hands and talk and live and love and that will be enough. As early as now it makes my heart do little pirouettes to know that far, far away into the future, way beyond our golden years when our children and grandchildren are all grown up and have lives on their own, and when we naturally don't have our crazy and busy schedules, it will again be down  to just the two of us. The prospect did not scare me because I know the hand I hold belongs to a man I truly enjoy talking to and being with, and that the ties that bind us and all the moments that will lead up to that were, in one way or another, reinforced by the many little quiet "dates" we had. For this particular phase in young, married life, this little pockets of time are what nurture and enrich us most.

        

What Women Want

  Nice clothes. Pampering products. Sexy shoes. Pretty little things. Nice bags. And of course, love. Lots of love.

  Fashion is a lot of fun, but it also compromises a lot of things, like form, function, and comfort.

  Shoes...name me a woman who does not love shoes. Charles and Keith, Aldo, VNC and Steve Madden are four of my favorite haunts. I like Aldo because even if the heels are sky-high, they are so comfortable and they do not punish the back. Nor do they ruin the feet. Charles and Keith have pretty, pretty choices at very affordable prices. VNC and Steve Madden have pretty shoes that comes in different styles. There is a lot to like in these shops.

   I have had a long-standing love affair with La Senza. What was there not to love? Lace, silk, satin, cotton- there was just so much to adore! I fell in love with the pajamas, in materials so soft you would want to lounge in them the whole day. The bathrobes are luxuriously plush and smooth, in white, beige, hot pink and blush. There are tops and loungewear that thankfully do not sacrifice style for comfort. The bras and panties are sexy and flattering and absolutely delightful, spiked with satin and lace, and studded with crystals, with surprising details like the animal prints on the underside of an otherwise very innocent color. Industry talk has it that Victoria's Secret and La Senza have one and the same manufacturer. That is not difficult to believe, and any Victoria Secret's fan will find that out for herself the moment she walks in the door.

   I love Evita Peroni! I think it's the prettiest thing to happen to hair accessories! I first came across this girly shop at Rockwell Power Plant Mall and was totally smitten. The whole ritual of keeping your hair off your face becomes such a pretty little thing to do because these accessories are just so lovely. Yes, they do not exactly come cheap but each item really works the way it was meant to, without comprising how adorable it looks. They have the nicest headbands. Accessories from Aldo and Cru are nice too. 

    Zara clothing has two basic product divisions: men's and women's apparel. It is known for its innovative designs around the world. Over at Zara women's apparel, it's all about being a lady and loving it. The pretty clothes are feminine but not saccharine. Debenhams, Warehouse, Promod and Topshop collections are great too. They offer effortlessly elegance with particular attention to co-ordination and comfort.

Must-haves

  Don't you find it exasperating when, on the day that you have set aside for rest and relaxation, you end up braving the rain and traffic just to go to the nearest hardware/grocery/mall to buy a set of batteries or some plug adaptors? Sometimes you have to buy some envelopes for some documents, or buy needle and thread to mend a shirt or tighten a button that has come undone. Now think of having to squeeze these errands, this time on top of all the other things you need to accomplish on a regular workday.

  Through the years I have discovered that a woman, as a mommy, as a wife or both would be better off when she has all the necessary things within reach at a moment's notice. Being prepared like a girl scout is an exercise that saves time, money, and trouble.

  Below is a rundown of essentials that, time and again,  I really have found indispensable. I am sharing them with you in the hope that you'll find them as useful as I have.

  Scissors- Have at least five pairs handy; one for the kitchen, the other one in your bathroom(you may think it's a weird place for scissors but for me it is not because then I can easily take off packaging of new toiletry products without breaking my nails), one in your desk drawer, one in the dining room,  another one in your sewing kit. That is how I distributed my set but feel free to strategically locate them based on your needs and habits. Make sure you always return them where they belong.

  Zip Lock Bags- Not only are they useful in the kitchen, they are just as useful to hold odds and ends. Especially when you travel it can help organize your toiletries and they unify a slew of small personal effects that otherwise get misplaced.

  Flashlight and rechargeable light- No need for an explanation.

  Batteries- I cannot say how important it is to have batteries on stock. I have a box where I store batteries in varied sizes, from triple A, to double A, to D. It saves a lot of frustration when my kids receives toys that requires batteries that they cannot wait to play with. It also comes in handy when our electronic gadgets and flashlight die on us.

  Mighty Bond- Don't underestimate what this little tube can do. It fixes your daughter's broken clips, your son's toys to religious statues, to bigger household items. Now what Mighty Bond cannot do, a glue gun and glue stick duo definitely can.

  Light Bulbs- Look around the house and check the kind of bulbs that you use. Make a list and stock on them. You never quite know when they will conk out on you.

  ID pictures and Photocopies of important documents- You can never have too many copies of ID pictures and birth certificates of all the family members, for they are always required when you apply for a passport, when your kids go to school, when you apply for insurance, etc. Have extra copies likewise of your marriage contract, car registration, and passport. The latter is almost always required for valid identification process.

  First-Aid kit and medicine kit- Have a well stocked kit always available and make sure to replenish supplies as needed. The former should at least include anti-bacterial ointment, sterile gauze, betadine wound cleanser, a box of band aid, disposable urine or fecal container( this is very useful for me especially when a member of my family has diarrhea or UTI). The latter should be replete with paracetamol, aspirin, medication for diarrhea, colds, coughs, allergies, stomachaches and rehydration salts.

   Digital thermometer- We use this when someone in our family has a fever. It is very handy especially when checking the temperature of your sick baby.

   Screwdriver, duct tape, hammer- You need not have a full of carpenter's kit but you should at least have a set of screwdrivers and hammers in two sizes. The former can help you open electronic gadgets and toys when you need to change batteries. Duct tape is very versatile. You can use it to pack boxes, temporarily seal off leaks, etc.

    Ready-to-go toiletry bag- When packing haven't you notice you spend half the time running back and forth trying to put together a very efficient toiletry kit? If you have this ready at a moment's notice, packing will be a breeze.

    Other things necessary to have around the house are plug adaptors and extension cords, filing supplies such as bond papers, envelopes, fasteners, rubber bands, markers, paper clips and many others.

    So there you have it! Enjoy the process of gathering what you need to be totally efficient as much as you would enjoy using them.

How I became a pack rat

  I am just their junior. My mom and dad are the original pack rats. It was from them that I learned not to throw away anything.

  If I have boxes like odds and ends that might seem like junk to someone, blame it on them. If I take time to pick up one little hairpin, one little button, or a piece of rubber band that I could have otherwise just easily kicked away with the dust, it is an offshoot of a habit I cannot shake off. 

  Growing up, I remember how my dad's big desk looks like. There were piles of office papers which he turned into note pads and scratch papers. Every time I want to draw, he'll give me at least two pieces of his scratch papers instead of giving me a new bond paper. He doesn't like throwing things away because he believed that someday, someone will have a use for it. As with my mom, I remember once I was in dire need of just one safety pin and I can't find a piece from my sewing kit. So I went to my mom's room and, true to form, she has packets of sewing kits that she had saved from all those hotel rooms she stayed during her travels. She even has disposable shower caps!

  I've been a pack rat ever since I got married. I love to keep a scrap of foam and bubble wrap, dozens of tiny bottles that ones contained the essence of chicken, old toothbrushes, plastic containers, a lonely Christmas ornament, tacky plastic ribbons, a string of beads that had come undone, pretty greeting cards that were as ancient as our cook back then, old magazines, socks with missing pairs and old towels, and many more. My husband kept on asking me why I still keep all those junks. I would always answer him: we'll need and use it someday.

  Well, you're probably curious. How else were the pieces of junk I mentioned above put into good use? Foam, for jewelry like earrings. Bubble wrap, to protect delicate items that need to be shipped. Old toothbrushes for cleaning the tiles in the bathroom. Socks that are missing a pair and old face towels, I give it to the house girls to use as basahan.

   I used to like everything to match. Not anymore. Instead of buying uniform multi-purpose containers for a myriad things I need to keep handy, I look no further than home. I make use of what I have lying around the house. Sometimes it's square plastic container which used to contain cookies and pastries from bakeshops( now holds erasers, pencils, and other school supplies for my kids), pretty tins of Chinese tea, mooncake, and chocolates( they are home to craft tools, pens and markers). They do not go with everything else on my supplies' cabinet but they serve their purpose and they have a lot of character.

   There is a difference between keeping things just because you're attached to them and keeping them because you believe that you or someone you know will have a use for them, perhaps not immediately but surely in the near future. I'm a staunch advocate of the latter. This is my second nature already.

    Now when my kids need this or that, chances are I will have them in one of the many labeled boxes I keep on my cabinet. I don't have to go to a nearby bookstore or send out my husband to just buy what they needed for school. This is but one of the many things that they did not go out of their way to teach me but I have picked up the practice. To this day my parents unconsciously coaches me, in both little and big ways, the value of prudence and forethought. Thanks to my beloved mom and dad!