Mika

..our lovely Mika, Dom, or Dominique is turning 5 this year. 

this talkative niece of mine is a bright little girl and has a really kind generous heart. (whatever she has, she always shares it and gives it to anyone who aks for it).

i am so thankful to have spent time with her this year, and i just fell in love with her even more.

she can carry a tune,too. oh, my heart. she definitely captured it.

a photo of her doing her favourite activity: swimming! 

i miss her. i cant wait to spend time with her again.

happy birthday baby sister

"you will always be my baby..."

*inside joke between Ana, mama and i.* When she (ana) was young, i always was her baby sitter, and PTA attender. by the time i started working, i used to take her everywhere i go, whether i was shopping, in the spa, in the gym and even on my dates (to my then boyfriend's amusement).
she was my pretend baby/child. i took her to see her first cinema (Lion King), her first disco, her first drinking spree and cigarette puff (i was a cool "ate",lol).
so when she was about 11 or 12 years old, my mom and i played a prank on her. we sat her down for a serious talk and told her in my dramatic voice that in reality,she was my daughter and had my mom pretend she was hers because i was too young for a scandal. Ana didnt know how to react whether she wanted to be happy or to be sad, she looked at my mom for comfort but my mom nodded in agreement to my faux revelation..but then we couldn't stop laughing, and i'm sure Ana heaved a sigh of relief when she realized it was one (ugly) prank we gave her.


on mother's day this year, she sent me a message online to say " happy mothers' day Ate..love, your pretend daughter".. this made me laugh out loud.

This entry is to say how much she is treasured and adored by everyone in our family.

More than anything, she is a gift to my life...in fact, to my entire family's life. Needless to say, Ana, Angkai, Tita Nana, -- is loved by her ate's, kuya's , cousins , mama and im sure, papa in heaven is missing her too.

***

***

I was so happy that we had the opportunity to skype tonight (which is her birthday already as its already the 24th in cebu). Adrian and i sang "happy birthday" to her while she was at work.

Grateful for technology-- which makes distance seem a lot bearable.


and grateful for this space where my heart can load off some of the giddiness it could not handle.

have an awesome day, loves. 

a tale of two cities

Adrian celebrated his birthday in Manchester City and London over the weekend (from Friday the 25th  plus Monday and Tuesday).

It was a meaningful celebration as his son was just recovering from a recent accident. It was about family and close friends.

Although i did not take pictures of the city (we have been to Manchester many times before, and took many photos then), both Manchester and London are ties Adrian and i could not break away from. 

He has and all of his families are there. And our closest friends in the country live in London.

Just like my umbilical cord is tied to Cebu forever.

some pictures over the weekend of the beautiful places we have been to. 

the Trafford centre in Manchester is one of England's biggest shopping malls.

on a weekend, you are more likely to bump into a footballer's wife or girlfriend

or a reality tv star in this massive shopping complex.

We went there for lunch, and for me to buy some toiletries which i forgot to bring with me (i know!).

I never ever forget toiletries, but the bag, which holds all my toiletries, my hairdryer, and all bits and bobs for self-preservation (from moisturiser, to eye make-up remover) was still left in the frontroom when Adrian was loading the car. 

So it was his fault basically. My fault too, because i didn't check if he loaded the car with all the bags i needed to take. moral lesson: whenever he says, "all bags are in the car, always check,lol".

On Monday, Adrian's real birthday (28th), 

we went to London to renew my passport and to have lunch and tea in the city.

This is what greets you when you get off Tower Hill station. 

Another addition to the skyline is the very tall The Shard (that pointy glass building).

Im tempted to show old photos from before where that building wasn't in view at all. 

Maybe some other time.

Around lunch time, Adrian and i had to dash to a quick lunch, as i was given an hour out of the embassy for lunch and come back for the biometrics.

So we decided to go somewhere quick (Yo Sushi to the rescue!). 

So much for romantic birthday lunches. 

We made it up by having tea at the charming cafe in The National Gallery. 

And browsed their bakeshop,too. And bought some nice stuff from the gallery shop,too. (LOL)

After the tea, we headed back home to meet our friends. 

We had reservations to eat at a local steak restaurant, 

but our friend C was still recovering from jetlag from her recent holiday in Thailand, 

and she also was feeling fluey.

We ended up getting chinese takeaway and ate in their house. 

It was unexpected, spontaneous and just felt right.

Most of all, Adrian was happy.

**

I will post some pics from Adrian's birthday on the next blog. 

and so it is christmas

..and it is very merry.

this christmas had so many flops and mishaps that enumerating them is now just defeating the purpose of this entry.

this christmas as i was working on the eve (trying to be good, so i am allowed a LOOONG leave next year..*please cross your fingers for me). (the only good thing was, work wasn't too hard on the eve. there were no emergency catastrophes, nor a mass stroke epidemic in the county, so we were allowed to leave an hour than normal home time, or they were. i guess, the more your responsibility is, the last you leave the ship, so i basically left just about quarter an hour than normal..LOL).

we had my stepson Mark with us for the christmas period and will be delivering him back to Essex on boxing day,where we are spending back London way where my brother-in-law's house is.

so on the 24th, Adrian picked me up from work, and we went home, had a drink in the pub. the boys stayed longer in the pub while i went home earlier than they did as i had to freshen up and cook some of the noche buena food.

we stayed up til 5 AM. watched DVDs and drank wine/choco drink and ate chcolates til we felt like bursting.

this christmas, i am thankful for so many things/events and people. (i will do a separate "thank you" post for the pressies that my lovely friends gave me because i cannot give it to them personally).

for now, some photos of the night we welcomed christmas..

noche buena for three. 

cheese platter, pigs in blanket, gammon, salad, crisps,

smoked salmon, twiglets, 

assortment party food: breaded prawns, prawn toast, dimsum, cold cuts, 

sausages and steamed prawns.

(and chocolates, and cakes)

christmas tree.

blessings and love to you all.. <3 nbsp="nbsp">

**

let me wish you beautful memories to build on for christmasses to come.

people

 

people. aren't we a funny lot? 

we are bizarre, a mindfield, a science experiment of a higher being (kinda).

personalities. what about them?

there are more than what meets the eye. i bet most of us have been judged one way or another based on what they hear from other sources or second-hand information, and sometimes the mood they are in when they see us. their prerogative definitely is of no consequence to us at all or we try not to, but when we think about it, it's definitely not fair.

you cannot really say much of a person until you have dealt with them personally and or have been a beneficiary (or victim) of who they are. i am quite lucky that i have been a beneficiary of kindness and positivity and support in my thirty-odd something years in life. and i have had a few misjudgement of character from one or two, but very rare, and gave me the once-bitten-twice-shy kind of result. you live. you learn. all good.

this blog entry is just to declare that i am just grateful for the awesome inspiring people you get to meet in this lifetime, may they be from work (colleagues/patients/clients), from life in general (virtual or physical) or others from universal conspiration.

my heart is touched by kindness. i am humbled and taught everyday by other people's "schamazeness".


postscript: awesome news from my family are just one of the many wonderful blessings i am having trouble keeping at the moment. they are concerning around: babies, engagement/elopement/or wedding (who knows?hehe), moving houses, travels, new jobs, awards.

who am i to grumble?

besides, being mopey is so 2010. happy is the new hipster.


*

{photo: taken on my "Strangers" series of photographs as taught by Taylor Wessing Portrait awardee David Graham}

commitment

 

 "we accept the love we think we deserve "-- Stephen Chbosky/ The Perks of Being A Wallflower

the crossover

There was a time, many may moons ago, i was committed to be single forever, and be contented with life as a single, outgoing, financially independent career woman in-charge of her life, and to be with friends, male or female for my choosing to suit my carefree lifestyle.

Perhaps it was the heartache talking (from a traumatic betrayal), and the jadedness over how easily love and relationships need work and passion to be strongly built over time, yet broken overnight. Whatever it was, it was the focus. The conscious decision.

 I did not set out to meet Adrian. Sure, I was free, roaming the galleys of the dating world (virtual/physical), but i was not in the mood for a steady relationship. Romance,yes. Relationships, no.

Until a man who sounds and acts like that heroic, chivalric, antithesis to the bad-boy who broke your heart (and the many hopeless ones you kissed after him), arrives in your doorstep and grabs you in your waist , kneels infront of you and professes commitment and love and laughter in between, who wants to pass that up? It may not have not sounded as simple or overdramatized as that (in my experience, it wasn't and probably yours wouldn't be either), but indeed, when the chance meeting of the kindest, most charming and most intellectually stimulating person who can hold your defective attention span for far than anyone can, that was it for me. The deal-breaker as it were.

Ok, he didn't look exactly like the knight-in-shining armour in my dreams (and by far no means, i am disillusioned to think i was the replica of the pin-up poster girl on his fantasy bedroom wall,either) but if he makes you feel like you are the that girl with the perfect bouncy hair in the pantene commercial, or gave you the swagger like that lady who was chased by a group of hunky lotharios from the sexy music video you longed to star in---then maybe, this is it, the man who makes you star in your own romantic lovestory.

Fantasy feelings achieved aside, if you had a go at giving people who didn't make you feel half as important and half as beautiful as this one, what is there to lose? Your heart? I thought to myself, damn me, so be it if it breaks twice. If it did, at least the one who broke it this time around totally gave you some good self-worth due you.

But 9 years after, so far, so good. Ego intact, self-worth solid and marriage stronger. I am sure along the way, hurdles are to come, but i know many many years may pass, he'd still be that dashing lothario who i end up with, hand-in-hand, in that make-believe music video. Song title under debate, however.


*
this is a badly written entry to say, i'm glad i decided to get hitched. for i, never intended to.

getting married was a perfect present for myself, because in reality, my husband is my strength when i'm a bit undecided, my voice of reason when i am incoherent, and the meaning to why i have to be awake on dull autumn rainy cold days. he is.

and i, (without an iota of a doubt), am to him.

**

(post dedicated to those who are having their carrie bradshaw moment of "will i, or will i not?" )

sister love, always.

My sister have been very very busy recently and although we Skype every week and an occasional Viber and Whatsapp during the week, i feel it's never enough updates from her.

Whenever i talk to my mom over the phone, i get an occasional update on what  Ana has been doing and i must say she lives a wonderful productive life.

So today over skype, i made her promise to update me with her life with all that she does, with a blog i can visit.  Reluctantly, she agreed, quite unsure whether she has enough time to do so.  But i asked it to be a birthday gift for me.

Here, she writes.

Ana is, (and always will be), a flighty blogger (just like her Ate). She cannot stick to one, and she is still finding her foot. Although there are some blogs i love to read, hers will always be something i especially look forward to read because she has a wonderful life, one i love to see and one i get inspired from.

I hope this one will be something she will stick to-- and update regularly.


(PS. she said,she had time to write because she just broken up with her boyfriend. Lets hope she doesnt find another one so she could stick to this bloody blog,lol..*joke,of course,Ana*)

**

Sending you tight hugs and beautiful moments with your sisters. 

birthday post (part 3 --the dinner)

After walking to the car, and took back the 'mini-shopping' i did for myself, Adrian and i had a glass each of a drink, at an acoustic bar.

a glass of lemonade for me, and a pint of lager for Adrian, we headed and walked back to the restaurant where we booked the meal.

***

The love for food adventures is something Adrian and i share, and what better way to celebrate my birthday but with food we both love.

**

Also, i am so blessed with lovely pressies and cards from the day. I am blessed. I thank my lucky stars.

my bestfriend K's birthday card. her present was so beautiful,too. she knows me too well.

my bro and sis in law's pressie...

my birthday card from my work colleagues..sweet.

birthday post (part 2-- the in between)

so we were in cambridge.

when we used to live in the outskirts of london, we are often in cambridge twice a year for Adrian's lectures. I go twice a year, but Adrian goes more than that. now that we are in Norfolk, Adrian goes every month.

so Cambridge is familiar and comfortable for him and for me.

Its a beautiful town with beautiful shops and history.

some pictures of the town/ quayside.

such beautiful canals

romantic punting opportunities 

The complex by the Quayside

Restaurants dot the quayside

coffee break, of course.

rebooked our table later than we initially arranged. 

we realised we were still too full from lunch

had some drinks at an acoustic bar. no camera/ camera phones allowed.

***

birthday post (part 1-- The Lunch)

i promised my sister that i will write about my recent birthday. although we chatted in the morning of that day over skype, the family want to know the details of the day. or see pictures. (as if there were not enough pics on facebook and instagram already).


i celebrated my birthday at Cambridge. Adrian thought of getting me to Cambridge as its the nearest place with  a japanese restaurant.

i took time off work since i had friends coming to visit for the weekend.

the day started right, and ended perfect.

**

red lips were in order 

Cambridge has beautiful canals

Cambidge has beautiful shops too.

where we had our lunch 

My attentive and lovingAdrian

Ebi Tempura

Salmon sashimi

Beef gyudon

tempura roll

cani tempura

the courtyard

**

more photos next blog.