12th Sanctuari

its been light years..

2009-09-09T08:15:00.001+09:00

hopefully i could write again soon. miss blogging.

decisions

2009-04-17T07:04:00.003+09:00

Decisions are tough. Tougher than any leather a hungry predator can devour to chew. It is even tougher to be mindful whether to gobble and ingest or to cough it out. The endless regurgitation is a race in concert with seamless doubt. That is, whether prey is abundant or scarce. To consume is to wander with thoughts towering as the canopy in the damp woods; except when finding your place to consume would paradoxically consume your thoughts.

There will be no looking up. Visions are only limited to the horizon; to graze after the winter withers and savor the springtime? To bathe in the muddy puddles in sweltering summer? Or delight with the colors of fall that would blind the hunger come another biting cold winter nights. Yet there can always be barnyards; readily available pastures as fresh as a decaying log unnoticed even by the quaint rivers. This refuge will open the gate to warm nights touched not by a single rain drop falling from the grinning skies. Could half the sunshine suffice to combat your hunger for freedom? Life is too short and decisions has to be made...now.

Going Thai with Pad Thai

2009-03-18T17:31:00.001+09:00

I noticed that every time I put a number to my blog title it always ended up in unsuccessful trail. So I'm omitting the digits and just move on with my kitchen escapades. This time I wandered at something Thai.

Pad Thai (Thai fried noodles)

Following instructions at a thai cookbook, it was a lot easier for me to share this recipe

prep time 25 mins. <--------- so true!
cooking time 10-15 mins<----- i made it around 10 mins

250g rice stick noodles
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic minced
100 g peeled prawn chopped into bits <---- i used the regular shrimps which are quite big and I cut it some into half to create curls
2 tbsp. fish sauce/nam pla <----- adjust according to taste as long as its equal proportion with lime juice
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 med eggs beaten
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
150 g thinly sliced pork
1/2 bunch garlic chives chopped <---- I didnt put any
2 tsp. red chillies <---- i used chili paste/tobanjang instead
half medium onion julienne

Make sure you prep all ingredients first coz this is cooks really quick.

Boil water in a deep pan (this is for the noodles). On a separate hot frying pan with oil, saute onion, garlic and meat. Watch when the meat is about to cook, its the right time to boil your noodles so it will not overcook when its time to transfer to the frying pan. When the meat is cooked and you already placed your noodles in the boiling water, add the shrimp to the frying pan and wait till shrimp turns pink. 2-3 minutes probably had elapsed so drain your noodles and DIRECTLY put it in the frying pan, this will keep the noodles fresh and it will prevent from sticking. Put the liquid ingredients and adjust to taste. Put the sugar, bean sprouts and peanut last. Serve immediately. Best eaten hot.

I tried draining the noodles and letting it stand at the colander for 5 minutes before putting it with the rest of the ingredients, it greatly affects the quality of the noodles.

REPOST: UPLB reacts to ABS-CBN's Maalala Mo Kaya episode

2009-03-10T07:05:00.003+09:00

Mar 9, '09 4:06 AM
Written by the Office of Public Relations
Friday, 06 March 2009 15:10

UPLB has issued an official statement to ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation in light of a recent episode of their Maalala Mo Kaya program which inadvertently cast a bad light on the University and its constituents.

The complete letter is as follows:

Our attention has been called by constituents and alumni to an episode featured in Maala-ala Mo Kaya entitled "Blusa," which was aired on ABS-CBN on Feb. 28 and on TFC recently. Our constituents and alumni were concerned whether the episode was based on truth.

The story was of a woman who allegedly graduated BS AgriBusiness, summa cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños or UPLB, who could not find a job, and ended up a stripper. We tried to find out who the subject was by tracking all 27 of our summa cum laude graduates from the time the University was established in 1909. We could not find anyone matching the subject as portrayed in "Blusa."

Whether or not the subject was a UPLB graduate, we deeply sympathize with her and her family. However, in the interest of maintaining its reputation as a truthful storyteller, the MMK should have a mechanism to validate claims by letter senders especially those that require a stretch of imagination as to be believed.

While indeed touching and a perfect example of a human-interest story, "Blusa" regrettably affected the reputation of UPLB as an educational institution and its constituents and alumni. We therefore request ABS-CBN to set the record straight and correct the wrong impression that it created among its viewers. We also make an appeal to producers of similar programs to be more prudent in reporting stories with claims that would affect the reputation not only of a school but also of its alumni in the Philippines and abroad.

Thank you.

http://uplb.edu.ph/index.php/news-and-announcements/79-uplb-reacts-to-controversial-maalala-mo-kaya-episode

needless to say, no matter how long my absence is in the cyberworld, i would resuscitate this blog if it could contribute to the call of perpetuating the good name of our university.

2009 kitchen experiment 1: Strawberry cream cheese puffs

2009-01-26T08:09:00.000+09:00

Happy 2009! It’s a little bit late but better than never eh!

Not long ago I found myself playing in the kitchen with my latest toy... the puff pastry. Its versatility compliments my craving for all things sweet, salty, creamy and what-have-you! So I tried it and the success of every dish was well appreciated by the only man who still can’t get enough of my cooking

Here are cute bites that could easily fit into your petite fours.

Strawberry cream cheese puffs

Preheat your oven 200 C. Cut the pastry in desired size and put in a tray brushed with butter or margarine. Brush the puff pastry with beaten egg to give it a golden brown finish. I tried brushing it with milk but it didn't color much. Put in the oven for 20 minutes or until it turned to the right color.

In a small bowl mix softened cream cheese and heavy cream; Amount depends on how much you need but I prepared it with 1:1/2 ratio. If you want it extra sweet, add granulated white sugar in increments until the desired sweetness is achieved. Cut strawberries into small pieces.

When puff pastry is done, remove the middle part or just poke a hole and stuff the cream cheese filling then top with strawberries. Drizzle with chocolate ganache or syrup. Cool before serving.

untitled

2008-11-16T14:34:00.004+09:00

Food break.
As I usually did in my journals, back in my writing days, metaphors were my allies. I reserve details to keep vultures from picking on the obvious. I am quite hesitant to post this. And if you have come to reading this far, please do not forget the footnote after this.

From my side of the world, exploring jungles are inevitable. So far, what I learned were these. It was like a battle of survival for some, and paradise for another. Some would rather live in the adventure of the woods, while others prefer the calmness of a river. Some would hunt to preserve themselves during hibernation, and others prefer to live every morning sunshine. The difference seems irrelevant, yet somehow the relationship is linked by known streams which make them connect with each other.

I don’t want to make this long. So I will be straight to the point metaphorically. How ironic.

My dearest, it is not all about how you survive the wilderness, its knowing that you are still human and the roles you have to play to stay human. The stock you mustered does not amuse me, neither does your tales of incompetence. Do not dig a beaver’s dam unless you heard the sound of the running water the way it did. If the vastness of the dam amazes you, keep it, you wouldn’t know the benefits by horribly blowing your trumpets. Bliss silenced the juvenile. Domestic harmony is not shaped in the clouds to peruse all life forms. It is written in the wind and recognized by the blinds. The constellations are not made for lies. We do not own our lives hence it is bound to be shared. Share your bounty and misery, one cannot have too much of the other. I do not bear the wisdom that you seek, nor the ammunitions for your hunting. I may let you get in my nest, but I urge you not to trust me.

**the writings may translate to fair number of interpretations. Coincidences are not intended by the author.
**batobato sa langit ang tamaan wag magagalit
**stone stone in heaven, when you’re hit, don’t get angry!

Kyaraben contenders

2008-11-11T01:35:00.005+09:00

As posted below *turo sa baba* there were only two of us who braved the challenge *lol* and here were our entrees
Hers was Currypanman, Anpaman, Shokupanman kyaraben.

guess who won

what surprised me with this was that jap parents didnt just judged it according to how kawaii or complicated the product was.. they actually judged the contents and said something about "balance of protein and carbs". If this was an anime popularity contest, i wouldn't know who would've won.

this is Raqx hibernating.

2008-11-10T06:54:00.009+09:00

I didn't realize its been a month since my last post. I think my body and mind is currently undergoing an unconscious hibernation. Our metal sliding doors and windows are now shut, effectively shielding us from the cold and simultaneously blocking the light. So even at a broad daylight which is already short as it is, my house appears to be at night time when it is best to be lazy...sleep..and.. eat. yah yah! I can paint the mountain of unburned calories in my head alright. So i tried.. not to be a bum. Last weekend was way beyond unsuccessful since I only got up from sofa to go to coin dryer. But weeks before that..i think I made a pretty good job. :)

here's why

I made KYARABEN for the first time! and it was my entree to our friendly competition with my work partner. Actually there were only two of us..for fun. But there were more judges than we thought. Kids' moms did the informal judging. Plus some more of our co-workers too. My work-partner really did a neat job I'll post her entry later.

I agreed, or we actually mutually challenged each other to take our bento-making into the next level- the Kyaraben. I've never done this but always wanted to. Without any idea what to make, I surf and surf for vector images until I found none (thats easy enough to interest me anyways). Luckily, the day before the "judgement day" I was on my way to Tokyo when I texted a friend and asked for directions going to a filipino store, thats when I noticed my totoro bling hanging tightly on my cellphone..and there flowed ideas.

I opted to make a "grinning totoro" with makkurokurosuke and chibi-totoro. I always wanted to go to ghibli museum and if you have no idea who totoro and other characters are... you can check this site

Save yourself from asking...it took me 2 hours to make all these. I cooked everything from scratch including the rice so I can have a good gauge of the prep time :)

Random 8's since I've been a wife

2008-10-07T22:16:00.002+09:00

Got this from april. I just found out that I already did this couple of months back, so I'll make a tiny change by making this as "random 8's since i became a wife"

First, the Rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My 8 random facts

1. My sporadic OC mood was reversed! I now have a sporadic "tamad" times and my being OC has become endemic. Note the terms.. I still regard being OC as an abnormality. Not being able to sleep because of an undone chore isn't a bit fun :(

2. When I got married it became a highly difficult task to go on a diet, hence, my narcissistic photography was dramatically changed to a "photography without me".

3. My alcohol tolerance became low, and the last time I tried to puff some nicotine, I coughed.

4. I have a "kimochi blanket" (feels soft and good)thats intended for winter use. I bought it from US and I never want to depart from it even in sweltering heat. I only have that kind of relationship before with my pillows :P

5. I don't put make-up as much. But that doesn't excuse me from buying my mac ;)

6. I still haven't memorized the basic japanese characters (katakana and hiragana..dami eh :P) but I think I can somehow survive living in japan.

7. I have an almost 10 kilos worth (or more) of beads and accessories in pinas, now I only have 2 big drawers full of scrapbooking materials (and still remained unused up to this time).

8. My first domestic plane ride was 2005 going to Davao. My first international flight was 2006 going to Japan..and then I got hooked after that :D

I dont have much to tag.. I'd like to know your random 8's too Bill and Saj.

Raqx Project 365

2008-10-04T10:25:00.002+09:00

I just posted the 1 of 365. This hopefully will be completed as my Project 365. I've been wanting to make this kind of project before but I cant decide if its gonna be a bento box or a recipe or just a journal. I guess photos are easier to share since its already clogging my hard drive. I chose friendster because thats where my network of friends from the Philippines are. Try finding them in facebook or something alike and you'll only get a handful. And even though the features are far from being dynamic and close to being a d-u-h and the word that fits according to my friend is b-o-r-i-n-g, thats the closest site to home.

I know those tiny snippets captured in lens would translate to how me and my friends usually spend hours and hours talking or texting about everything under the sun. *Sigh* i miss my friends back home.. and i love them as much..this project is dedicated entirely for them.

15 minutes bento

2008-10-04T08:49:00.001+09:00

Setting laziness aside, its nice to take advantage of ready-made eats that lined grocery stores. It sure cut my bento prep more than half.

for honey romar

for raqx

Salmon onigiri needs about 3 minutes for the salmon to cook inside a microwave. Simply put the salmon, some garlic powder and pepper and its good to go. No need to put salt coz salmon meat are already a bit salty. Once the fish is ready, mash till the desired texture and mold using rice ball shapers and wrap with nori or sea weed paper. It takes about 5 minutes for the entire rice ball to finish (dont count the cooking time of rice syempre) I found really cute nori cut to different animal shapes. While waiting for the fish to cook start chopping the cucumber.

Usually rice balls have fillings inside. For the sake of color I put it on top. It wasnt messy to eat so I guess it was okay. Feel free to experiment with how to put your fillings.

Heat sausage and the fish fry for 1 minute or according to package directions if you are using frozen foods. At the same time warm the bread pocket in the toaster. Then assemble sausage pita, cut up some cherry tomatoes, spread mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper and add lettuce and onion if desired. This will take another 3 minutes.

Assemble all in bento boxes then add the vegetable roll. Ang bilis!

My new bento box

2008-10-01T18:09:00.001+09:00

...is actually three months old.

And I filled it with these

a garden salad, fruits and salmon for me and egg and jam sandwich with salmon sushi for honey.

This is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get post. Lets just let the pictures speak for themselves this time. :)

Sabado fried chicken nights + cooking tip

2008-09-30T15:01:00.001+09:00

You know those lazy Saturdays where you just want to curl in the sofa and watch one thing after another in your tv or in our case from our pc monitor? (uhm, while waiting for the laundry- realistically speaking). I have this simple recipe to top these times with smothering calories! lol.

I made these chickens during one of our Saturday nights movie and alcohol marathon which turned out to be just a movie and chicken marathon.

All you need are

Chicken wings or any part you like

Oil for frying

For coating:

I used 1:1/4 ratio of flour and cornstarch

Iodized salt

Freshly ground black pepper

White pepper

Garlic powder

Dashi

100 ml water. Amount varies on how thick you want your batter. I don’t want it to be runny so I used around this much.

Super simple. I didn’t even marinate the chicken. Just put all coating ingredients in a bowl and dip your chicken with it before frying. Here’s a frying tip though. We found it best to use a pressure cooker to cook fried chicken! Just put enough oil to cover the bottom of the pressure cooker or if you have lots of oil about 1 cm from the bottom, bring it to heat, and when its ready put your chicken and cover, set in low fire for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the fire. The pressure is high inside, it will make your chicken soft to the bones without burning the skin and coating. Open only when safety valve -the thing that pops up and down (that small thing that indicates if pressure is still high so don’t force open or you’ll regret it..I guess you know what im talking about) is released. Do this again for the next side. But if you do this using a lot of oil to deep fry your chicken you only need to do this once.

Time for ... cool change..

2008-09-28T01:20:00.004+09:00

At least a bit. I changed the template and crop a photo of a japanese maple leaf (momiji) to fit in the banner. I took this photo last year when my EOS baby was a shiny new toy. We've come a long way surviving Japan life for another autumn season. Indeed its fall and the cool wind is seeking the warmth of my faithful sweater. Change clearly is inevitable and the more I think about it, the older I feel. Yet I have to suck it up, brave a smile and greet each morning..we've got a long way to go.

July 6, Kitchen experiment

2008-09-23T15:24:00.001+09:00

I remember we were on the course of Heroes marathon when I made these. We wanted something to munch while we were bumming around. Now that Heroes had just aired its season premier, I have to wait in vain for my download to finish. So I guess blogging is a good way to fill the unbearable waiting hours.

Bruschetta

I tried making a different one to see which one is the best. All were baked in the oven 200 C until cheese bubbled.

Combo 1. baguette French bread slice, freshly sliced tomato, olive oil (brushed on top of the bread), mozzarella cheese, dried parsley

Combo 2. baguette French bread slice, freshly sliced tomato, pizza sauce+olive oil (brushed on top of the bread), mozzarella cheese, dried parsley

Combo 3. baguette French bread slice, halved cherry tomato, olive oil (brushed on top of the bread), mozzarella cheese, dried parsley

Combo 4. baguette French bread slice, cherry tomato, pizza sauce+olive oil (brushed on top of the bread), mozzarella cheese, dried parsley

Combo 5. baguette French bread slice, olive oil (brushed on top of the bread), mozzarella cheese, dried parsley

Combo 6-10: repeat all, minus the parsley. Use dried basil instead.

Top pick for Romar: combo 2. although its more pizza-ish than bruschetta

Top pick for Raqx: Combo 1 or 5.

Note: Sliced tomatoes are way better than cherry tomatoes. Parsley enhance the flavor more than basil.

Baked white fish

I needed something that will go well with bruschetta. With limited foodstuff in my fridge I made this.

All you need are:

White fish meat

Olive oil

Dried parsley

Mayonnaise

Cheese (any cheese as long as it melts. Combination of cheeses are also good)

Black and white pepper

Simply lay all fish meat in the dish and top with mayonnaise. Salt is optional because cheese are already very rich in flavor. Put the rest of the ingredients and bake in 200 C until the top turn golden brown.

Stuffed chops, oriental style

I called it oriental because the “usual” stuffing would be mashed potato, but I used rice, and rolls usually are chicken breast yet I used pork. It may seem nakakasawa or nakakaumay but tiny bites, tapas (Spanish) style did the trick.

For this I simply reuse some of the ingredients that were already laid at my kitchen counter plus some addition.

Pork chops sliced thinly (thin porkchops are everywhere in japan)

Cooked rice

Mayonnaise

Parsley and basil

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Put mayonnaise in the rice, amount varies on the thickness you want to achieve. I put about 2 spoonfull just to make the rice stick together. Put the rest of ingredients and stuff it in porkchop. Secure with a toothpick. Brush the roll with olive oil and bake for 190 C until the porkchop is cooked and gives a golden color. Cut into round portions.

TOP 3..

2008-09-21T09:50:00.006+09:00

things that caught my attention this weekend.

Since my last visit to a Kawachi, a store that sells mostly dry goods, from food to cosmetics to toiletries to bento stuff… I knew there are some goodies begging for me to take home. And I just can’t help but imagine having all these things on our walk back to our house. To cut the chase and imaginings I asked my hubby what he’ll get me for Christmas! And I think he knew where I was heading…so when we got home I browsed and found these online. I can’t wait!

After the cuteness encounter, we went to kathy’s house for her despedida. We were greeted with lush green scenery with mount Tsukuba and perfect blue sky as backdrop. Right on 8th floor, I knew there was something good inside. Food was great, conversations were interesting and the cherry to the cake was Wii.
I never really liked gaming because I had this past where I would ditch everything else to play pc games (Sims City, Battle Realms) the whole day. Thing is, carpal tunnel syndrome plus my eye problem and minimal burning of calories weren't actually ideal for me nor for anybody. So i guess a Wii would fit in lazy winter weekends and good for bonding too!

Last that caught my attention doesn’t need a funding campaign. I always have this trouble of setting the language of blogspot from Japanese back to English. No matter how I save the settings it just keeps getting back at a kanji galore page. This morning is beyond any of those days because I leisurely scroll on other languages apart from English and I found FILIPINO! So I set it up to this.

I know it will probably be changed back to jap again…but I can always find comfort in scrolling and choosing the language knowing that it can, in its tiny ways, lead me back home.

i wanna..

2008-09-19T06:42:00.003+09:00

change my outline AGAIN. i dunno why i feel distracted with the swirls and paint blots i cant seem to find the words to write anything. *me so blah* even though i already mapped everything in my head, my fingers refused to type along! lol. weird. so i want a change of layout. ill stick to blogspot anyways even if wordpress has really nice templates. aesthetics matters a lot to me *shrug*. guess ill have to blog a little sensible later! lol. have to run and make lunch and be early at work. its friday hooorraaayyy!!!

Hisashiburi!

2008-09-13T19:24:00.005+09:00

Long time no see!! whew! never knew I set this blog aside for a very long time! I really need to update my links..

Anyways, you probably know how tough it is to write when there is so much to write about! so let me write back to my darling blog with a tickle.

The joys and pains of freelance english tutoring in Japan. The student is instructed to listen to a song and write down the lyrics.

The student's rendition of Everything I Own by Bread

This post does not mean to offend or whatsoever. :P

Side dish recipes from our kitchen

2008-09-07T12:23:00.001+09:00

Pesto and bacon roll

This one is really fast and easy except that maybe I should put milk and create custard first before baking. Anyways I’ll do that next time. What are trial and errors for?

I used:

Bread slices, sides removed

Bacon strips

Ready made pesto

1 egg

I simply flatten the bread slices using a bottle. My kitchen lacks rolling pin :P

Spread thin amount of pesto, laid the bacon strips and roll. I obviously secured it with a toothpick and roll it in a beaten egg. Then baked it 200 degrees or until it turned golden brown. Best to eat this when its still hot.

Onion marmalade

I got this idea from 101 Cheap Eats by GoodFood magazine. It’s a book of compiled recipes that I bought from Page One in Hong Kong. Although it clearly listed the ingredients, I still made something that suits our palate at that time; the later meant only one thing—no more Chinese food or anything that resembles it.

This is a tipid recipe and you will need:

Apple juice (amount depends on the sweetness you want to achieve)

Tomato ketchup (I used Heinz)

Onion cut thinly

Soy sauce (amount depends on the color you want to achieve)

Parsley chopped

Salt and pepper

Cook the onions in a pan with olive oil until softened and lightly browned. Add the tomato ketchup and balance the sour taste with apple juice. Adjust the color by adding soy sauce. Sprinkle parsley, salt and pepper. Top with sesame seeds if desired.

Have this as a topping to any kind of baked, grilled or shallow fried meat. It even went well with mojo potatoes. It was also a good filling for onigiri. It’s very versatile you might want to eat it by itself as a main dish!

When is busy really "busy"?

2008-02-18T11:05:00.003+09:00

After about six hours of sleep I will wake up to prepare our lunchboxes and start getting ready for work. I will probably check mails or websites or weather or news if I could squeeze it. Then it will be ten hours in the workplace, driving to and from included. Work includes mostly my right brain plus some cardio from running, walking, hopping, skipping…all the joys of preschool! But hey, don’t kid me, I barely have time to eat my lunch at work. Working with children surely isn’t a walk in the park. And then back at home I have to prepare my lesson for an hour of private tutorials, let’s say it takes about two, travel time included. After which I will pick hubby from his lab and we will either catch dinner out or I will cook in, the latter collecting the most frequent vote. On board our sanctuary a few episodes of downloaded TV series will glue the munching of food and day stories in between bites. Come weekends, it will be a whole lot of household chores, kitchen experiments that mostly include a lot of baking, cyber chat with friends, grocery, gizmos scouting, combing stores in different streets, long drives, gas refill… oh the works! I never usually finish one whole week without someone commenting on how I managed to do this and that.

Yet still, yesterday as I was checking the boxes right next to my to-do-list, it felt like I’ve done nothing. So I drove to the biggest mall here in Tsukuba and picked up cardstocks and button fasteners and it didn’t take me a long time to compute the ridiculously priced stuff so I stepped out, and head straight to my favorite 100yen shop. There I bought more stickers, ribbons, blings, cutting boards, pens, craft scissors, origami paper etcetera… Now I have all these cluttered in my living room.

Hubby told me that I should have bought a craft drawer to fit in all these. Oh well.. I do hope scrapbooking will keep me “busy”.

So again, here comes the question...when are we truly busy?

Birthmonth meme

2008-01-21T11:46:00.001+09:00

I initially made this blog to document my own making as a “wife”. Along the way, I ventured to a daily obento making and it is one of my fave craft that I intended to refine. It was fun posting it here and virtually sharing it too. However, lately the food blogging is taking much space and totally displaces lot of things I wanted to write about. So I decided to relocate the bento posts to our multiply site. After all I registered it to be our “family” site where our friends and families can connect with us and peek at our “homemaking” wherever we may be.

It may not have started with big bang and fireworks, yet I still foresee that 2008 will be a promising year for everybody and ME. The later by definition means never shelving notable nor trivial thoughts.

So here is a trivial something about ME. Needless to say I have one meme overdue where Saj tagged me.
Meme rules:
1. Pick your birth month.
2. Bold the 5-10 that best apply to you.
3. Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months (click this for the list).
4. Tag 12 people from your friends list.

Birth month: February
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

That was just 9! Although I wanted to highlight sexy, haha! But nah, I had enough spills of pheromones I think the lid is now on. The darling word I was actually looking for is “closet deviant” which is why more than half trait of my birth month just doesn’t apply to me.

Speaking of deviant, i can only tag a few since i have a few on my list. Please join this bandwagon Ced, Bill, Karmi and Herb. :)

photo nicked from here

bento muli

2008-01-11T08:08:00.002+09:00

Good morning. I woke up 5am today. At this time I’m supposed to be preparing or should have finished preparing our bento for today. Yet instead I turned my back at my kitchen and went to open my computer. I’m currently in a state of denial that for the first time ever I actually made a mistake in cooking pasta sauce. Okay. I said it. Now I want to run away from typing this too.

Argh. I’m not quite sure yet but I think the cream of mushroom leftover that I stirred in my red sauce mixture is already spoiled. I did check after opening but I didn’t smell anything off. And now I am about to blame my impaired olfaction. Shheeeesshh!

Whew! Scratch that. I went back to check if my suspicion was correct and it failed me. Thank heavens! My hormones are really raging bananas for some time now, and I give myself some credits for breathing in and out instead of going nuts.

So anyways I have the whole December obento backlog plus this week’s. I will try to post them all as soon as I can and I dearly dedicate my obentos to my old friends who recently got married, moved in with boyfriends, had a child, on the way, and of course to new friends who loves good food whether or not they have it on their plates on a dinner table or just munching on a cold pizza on their bed ;).

This was the one I was talking about.

And this is our bento today.

Easy macaroni with mushroom twist

Since I still have some leftover ingredients I used to make medya noche I decided to free more fridge space by combining it to make a macaroni sauce. I started with the basic sauté of onion, garlic, red bell pepper in butter (all minced). Add the ham and mushroom which was cut to tiny pieces. Next I poured in the canned chopped tomato and added salt, freshly grounded pepper and dried basil. When the mixture started to boil, turn down your stove fore and let simmer for 10 minutes. This will let all your ingredients to blend well and create that distinct taste. Then I stirred the campbell’s cream of mushroom, about half a cup of it. Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, sugar and parmesan. I used sugar to balance the sourness of the canned tomato. I also prefer to put the parmesan while simmering the sauce to enrich the flavor. Let cool and add your cooked macaroni.

Peanut butter sandwich

I initially thought of making a club but I have to cut short the prep time to blog this :P
Cut the bread loaf in desired shape, spread the peanut butter and arrange.

new year.

2008-01-07T10:54:00.001+09:00

Time is up. My ten-day vacation meets its end. Bum days are over. Seeking refuge from the fridge, pots and pans, from the microwave is so over. Endless watching of TV series has to be moderated once again. Early morning to late afternoon sleep is unacceptable. This whole inactivity is over.

It’s the time to shed off the excess, fill up the lack of it and have it just right enough. It’s the time to pick up my book and prepare for a possibility of considering more options. It’s the time to read so I may read. It’s the time to accept that the “benefit of the doubt” was actually a mislabeled cynicism. It’s the time to go with the flow and not complain. It’s the time to liberate the times of yore and fashion a new one.

December is gone. The month reserved for reminiscing good and old memories trotted away. The dreaded urge of pouring emotions to writing should long been gone. Hormones should be excused from blame this time.

The time is up…and it’s about time…eventhough I know that I will probably have this kind of entry again, next year.

bento by sick raqx

2007-11-22T19:49:00.002+09:00

Its been a week since my last blog entry. As my current mood (turo sa gilid/point to the side) would give away, I’ve been terribly infested by viruses. Lots of it! I tried to make bento despite of but I just won’t trust my taste buds at this point in time. I also use a lot of olfactory when cooking, but that too is impaired. Therefore I will not blog how I did it. I’ll show some images though. I think even my digital camera is sick. Auto focus was bad.

Tuesday, November 20

herbed potato

honeyed pork

fried rice

Wednesday, November 21
Pardon the miserable photos carelessly taken because raqx is late to work again.

Pork and shrimp with basil

baked eggplant

I’m blogging this on a Thursday night and I just confirmed from my husband that our flight to SG will be on Friday which is..tomorrow!! Yay! We’ll be there for two days and then we’ll fly to Bangkok to meet up with mom-in-law. I better get packing!

I’ll end this post with a little jap humor that I haven’t noticed until Maui saw it on her paper bag where she (and we) brought the SLR. I guess they meant “just for you” modified it a little bit probably to be more unique and thoughtful.

rushed bento part 2

2007-11-17T08:00:00.001+09:00

Bento Thursday, November 15

If late, be efficient.

Shepherds pie

I boiled potatoes and mashed it after it softens. Put a tsp. of butter and salt and set aside.
Stir fry ground beef and add about 2 tsp. rice wine and 2 tsp. soy sauce and season with salt and pepper. In a baking dish lay ground beef and mashed potato to make two layers. Then bake 170 degree Celcius for 20 minutes.

Garden fresh salad

While baking the shepherd’s pie I proceeded to tearing and cutting of vegetables for salad. Then I peeled the egg that was boiled with potatoes and put them all together. I used cheese, carrots, turnip, tomato, lettuce and one more leafy thing that’s a frequent find in jap market. I will id as soon as possible. Whip mayonnaise with ketchup and assemble in the bento box.

Cold cuts

These are just combination of hotdog, ham and a shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper. Kitchen saver!

Rice balls

I first lay saran wrap and sprinkle with nori and the other one with sesame seeds, put the rice, wrap and shape it. Both ready to go!

there goes our bento for the week! no bento last Friday, coz after 2 weeks of eating homecooked food we somehow missed eating out!

two days rushed bento part 1

2007-11-16T07:15:00.001+09:00

I recounted the time I have to spend preparing a simple bento versus the time of making a bento with added “fun stuff” to sound a more appealing package. One hour for both. Considering the timeframe, I fancy to do the latter. So I have to wake up only one hour extra early to make not only his but my stomach turn giddy at lunchtime. The sleepyhead that I am who almost always leisurely avail my 5 minute snooze trip at least few days a week do oftentimes turn up late in my kitchen. And it happened again two days in a row.

Wednesday, November 14

This was what he had because I have to rush. I have no bento that day coz I was craving for seafood cup noodle.

Ground beef Szechuan

Easy and fast! Julienne onions, and red bell pepper, mince garlic and slice eggplant diagonally. Put them all together in a heated pan with oil, add ground beef and wait for the pink color to turn brown. Add oyster sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Sausage wrap

We have some leftover pancakes from Tuesday’s bento so I reheat it and wrapped it on sausage and secured with toothpick.

Fill in spaces with mikan slices and shower the rice with shredded nori and let the entire pack cool down before placing the lid.

i was supposed to blog the Thursday bento too but decided against it because I'm running late again!!

His anniversary bento

2007-11-14T07:08:00.001+09:00

13th will always be special in our hearts. While some people would be spooking over the number you can probably find us celebrating on this date. It was the 13th of February when we confirmed to ourselves that we’d finally be a couple, that we entered a commitment. Even as just boyfriends and girlfriends. I can’t speak for him but I was never noted to be good at commitments…until that day. *wink*

Thus another bento unfolds with a touch of my specialty. Pasta mia!

Baked Penne in tomato and cream

I set the pasta to boil while preparing for the sauce. Cut the ham or bacon into strips and upon hubby’s request add some shrimps, I used the market prepared mushroom so I don’t need to cut it anymore. And hmmm yeah that’s about it. In a heated pan stir fry the ham bits, shrimp and mushroom. Pour the contents of 400g can sliced tomato in tomato juice. Add 1 tbsp. tomato paste and a pinch of dried basil (fresh is always preferred) some salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for 5 minutes in very low fire just so flavors would blend well. Then add 150g pack whipped cream. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Lay penne in a baking dish, pour the sauce and top with parmesan. Bake in 170 degree Celsius for twenty minutes.

Home made mcgriddle

Its one of our favorite breakfast at mcdonalds. Since its only available until 10 in the morning I prepared one for us to eat for lunch. So easy! Cook ready-to-make pancake, fry some round ham and egg, stack them together and that’s it!

Sausage onigiri

To fill up spaces both in hubby’s bento box and his stomach I added two onigiri. Just ball Jap rice and stuff sausage with mayonnaise in the middle. I sprinkled some shredded nori and some sesame seeds for additional color and flavor.

till tomorrow!

bento and more autumn in Tsukuba

2007-11-13T07:18:00.001+09:00

Yesterday was my day-off. Monday, November 12.

I woke up few minutes past seven in the morning and I headed straight to my kitchen to prepare my hubby’s bento. I have no idea what to make. That morning was one of those rare times that I have to succumb to recipe books for aid. Hubby said he wants something salty and sinful. And I picked one which doesn’t quite match but I know he will like. Here is how his bento box looked yesterday.

Pork Humba (Pork stew)

Since I needed to make one only serving I have to divide the measurements to its smaller proportion. But of course I didn’t do that. I went directly to cutting the pork into strips, and combined it in a pan containing one clove of garlic crushed, one medium sized bay leaf torn to smaller bits, one pinch of dried oregano, two tbsp. soy sauce, six tbsp. vinegar, 5 tbsp. water, half tsp. brown sugar and one tbsp. peanuts. I set it to a very low fire and let simmer until all the liquids dried up and the flavor absorbed by meat.

Sotanghon Guisado ( Sautéed glass noodles)

It was the smallest amount I have ever cooked my entire life! I only cut about 25 grams sotanghon noodles and soaked it in hot water. In hot pan with oil I simply sautéed one baby prawn with shells removed, one octopus ball cut to quarters, two short string beans sliced thinly, carrots, brocolli and drizzle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. I arranged the sotanghon underneath all vegetables and top it with shrimp to avoid the noodles from drying up.

The dilemma of giving in to the cravings of my brat is how not to compromise nutrition despite his food being sinful. So I tucked in some fruits for fiber and endlessly remind him to finish his vegetables.

And so my day went swiftly. I cleaned our house, do laundry because weather forecast said its gonna be sunny, arrange clothes in the drawer and of course a bright day merits a picture perfect moment. The wind was cold and its slowing down my bicycle so I parked under the dampness of a tall tree. Look whats right behind and above me..

Finally I have to attend to an English tutorial duty. It went okay and when I got back home I prepared dinner and came another time to think for the next o bento…

oh bento!

2007-11-10T08:04:00.002+09:00

One of the Japanese practices that I learned is they prefer to do most of their personal stuff in the evening. Few examples are taking a bath, cleaning their house, laundry, and even preparing food for the next day. Unlike most Filipinos I know who do the same in the morning. This habit of theirs may be more convenient sometimes but it is difficult to breakaway from my own. Since I was here for almost a year I noticed that I do clean the house and do the laundry after work but I would still rather bath in the morning. Guess I am not an old dog who can’t learn new tricks after all. One more trick that I submit myself into is to prepare most of our food bento at night. It happened again last Thursday, November 8.

Grilled pork

This was what we ate for dinner the night before. I grilled an extra for hubby’s breakfast and bento. He initially had a semi-violent reaction why I didn’t use the marinade mix that we’ve been using ever since. I told him its home made and asked him to taste it first. The entire batch almost didn’t see the light of day.

The fresh pork was very generous in flavor. I only marinated it for about 10 minutes with lemon juice (commercial, not even freshly squeezed) salt and pepper, a little garlic powder and tsp. of soy sauce to give it some color. Set it on a grill and wait till both sides are done.

Ginisang Sayote (Sautéed chayote)

One of the filipino’s home table basics. I sautéed onion, garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, sayote to make it. We usually put shrimp at home but since I don’t have any in my fridge I used a little pork and add half a cube of shrimp cube instead. Put a little water, soy sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Stuffed green bell pepper

The stuffing I used were still the parent of the meat balls and burger patties in my previous post. I just stuff half of red bell pepper and bake it for 15 minutes. Then top it with cheese and bake again for 20 minutes. The cheese didn’t melt because its cheddar. Mozzarella is the best option but obviously missing in my kitchen. :)

Semi-ohm rice and plain rice
I used the concept of ohm rice to separate the rice with sabaw ng sayote (soup of sautéed chayote) and plain rice.

Sooo I scooped the half amount of rice that can fill his bento box and put sabaw in it and mix. Pour a beaten egg on a hot pan with oil and swirl the pan to create thin egg layer. Put the rice (with sabaw) and fold the sides of the egg. Easier said err typed than done. It wasn’t easy since egg was too fragile. It almost cracked open when I placed it in. Then I filled in the other half of the box with plain rice and sprinkled it with sesame seeds.

There was still a little space left so I just chuck in a halved snicker for our dessert.

If you come to this point without noticing that hubby used a different bento box (because he left it in his lab) you were not looking at details close enough. :P

No bento last Friday, November 9.. November..November! I edited the previous posts coz it says October! Darn I’m so behind time!!

oh bento!

2007-11-09T05:35:00.001+09:00

Because of my uncooperative digicam that ran out of battery and me running late for work I only have limited shots of our lunchbox. This was what I packed that went with us last Wednesday, November 7.

Rice (topmost)

I cooked an extra the previous night and the morning bahaw (leftover rice) was just modestly topped with the almost empty purikake that’s been sitting on my cupboard.

Burger patties (bottom left)

It was just an encore of yesterday. I merely changed the shape this time. Cheese was still stuffed at the middle. Hubby requested for this because he claimed that he so loved the meatballs from yesterday *weee*. I spread some mayonnaise to break the dark color and it also tasted well with the patties.

Eggplant omelet (bottom middle)

I softened the eggplant buy passing it over through the fire until I can peel off the skin. This is a shortcut. I know I should have grilled the eggplant first like how my mama does it. Pour 1 beaten egg flatten and stuff a little bit of meat mixture (still the parent of meatballs and patties) before folding the sides, dash with salt, pepper and parmesan and fry. Because I was lazy, the egg burned so fast, the eggplant took its time to cook and meat inside cooked slower. Maybe I will try to bake it next time.

Vegetable appetizer

I cut a few piece from the broccoli head, carved some carrots (what was left from carving I placed in the ref) pinched some salt, pepper and parmesan with half a tsp. of butter and shove it inside a microwave. That’s it!

I cut some slack I know. Maybe the next bento will be better.

oh bento! ang pagbabalik

2007-11-08T07:44:00.001+09:00

For few days now I have been spending more time in my kitchen than I usually do. And all we were having for dinner are home cooked meals! Some would be spilled for bento the following day although some were also made fresh. I wasn’t thinking of blogging our lunchboxes that’s why I don’t have all their pictures. But I realize that someday when my brain shunts to a different direction I can just do an encore of my husband’s obento. And always the better way to keep files tidy is to dump most of it online. Heehee!

Tuesday, November 6

You know when sometimes you have a little bit of everything and you don’t know what to do with it yet you don’t want to chuck it away in a bin? Plus by force of nature you are again procrastinating on some assignments? *wink* .This was the aftermath of that!

Fried Rice:

I sliced one sausage into bits and the same for the spinach. Heat the pan with oil. Put in the sausage until it brown and add the rice. I made a mixture of 1 tsp. tomato ketchup, 1 tsp. oyster sauce and 1tsp. of soy sauce and poured it on the rice. Season with salt and pepper then add spinach and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Meat balls:

I prepared the mixture night before and just ball and fry the following morning.
It was a combination of singkamas or yam bean, carrots, onion, garlic, leeks and ground beef all made into tiny pieces by my handy food processor. Oh its soooo helpful! I put in one egg and one bread slice to make it sticky and season with salt and pepper. Before frying I balled it with my hands and stuff a cheddar cheese inside for an extra surprise.

Spirelli as an appetizer

This one is so easy! I boiled the spirelli in cooking directions drizzle with olive oil sprinkle some tuna, chopped nuts and parmesan cheese and finish!!

Rolled scrambled egg

I only did this for purposes of presentation and color! Hehehe. Scramble one egg, season with salt and pepper put in a heated pan with little oil, spread thinly then roll and cut to pieces.

Excesses are good for hubby’s breakfast plate and I still have my usual green tea. Hmmm my dear friends who knows me from head to toe might find one of their eyebrow ceiling high.. but yeah…I’m having green tea and not coffee for some unknown reason.

ps. pictures not taken with my EOS kiss for a very frustrating reason.

better late than never..

2007-11-06T07:56:00.001+09:00

Because its autumn and everybody who’s into this season seem to upload some one or two pictures then I’ll join in the bandwagon and post one or two myself (of course more on my flicker)

And because autumn falls on October and I haven’t uploaded any blog entry for a month I obliged myself to fill this space with my progress, frustrations, acquisitions, things I have done and more things I should do..

I initially vowed to study religiously and take an exam by spring 2008. The indicators I set however were blinking in red that I was so preoccupied (read: lazy) the entire month and I have decided to move taking the exam to fall of next year instead.

My Nihonggo lesson started October 2 and as far as speaking I’m okay. But I sucked big time at reading and much more at writing! My assignments are also piled up since I already missed one session because I have to attend a teachers meeting at Tokyo.

The beginning of October was also the beginning of more work since I landed as an art class instructor…a stint which towards the end of the month I gratefully handed down to the new caucasian teacher. It will still be my brainchild though. I will still design all crafts and art activities and the new guy has to do the demonstration. My plate is already full to accommodate another class. My hands have been numb from decorating our building that happened to be a one woman show. No complains coz I somehow enjoy doing and conceptualizing stuff. What better occasion can land on October calendar but the Halloween. So my class made these.. I’d probably blog how we did all these sometime. Unfortunately I don’t have photos of kids in action and some more of their projects. And oh! Our Halloween party at Planet Hollywood was a blast! I came as Snow white’s evil step mom.

Plus plus plus my hubby finally said yes to buy me an SLR! My precious Canon EOS 400D kiss so far has been my favorite frustration. Yeah its true. I’m totally learning on my own and nobody said its gonna be easy. I made very little progress and I don’t have the luxury of time to practice. Sadness! Some of the shots are already uploaded in my flickr.

To this point I have a pile of clothes to fold and assignments to furnish and more on my list that needed a check on the box next to it. I better get going. Belated HALLOWEEN!

Romar's Japanese television debut

2007-10-03T07:56:00.001+09:00

From "maglalatik boys" to "pokpok boys" Romar (my brat err husband) leaped to a more mature role of "tinikling" main man in this video (the one in red puruntong or shortpants). It was bared to Japanese public yesterday October 2, 2007 on (ehem) a PRIMETIME! (6:30pm) I know I am basically cutting our era of romanticism by uploading this... but I cant help it! :P details will follow IF I can juice him to spare me some. but for now this will do..

ps. im encountering errors in uploading this to youtube so our multiply is my second best option.

Seven days ago..

2007-09-23T10:30:00.001+09:00

Last Sunday, I was still half asleep and I had to feel my husband’s neck to check if he still has fever. And that was all I needed to know to cut me away from my 5 minute snooze habit every morning. The day before, I already listed down his palate’s cravings (a privilege bestowed to sick brats). So I head straight to the kitchen to hit the first in his list.

French Toast. This is a very easy “di sing hirap at di sing mahal” recipe (not as difficult not as expensive).

Whip 1 large egg, one yolk and a cup of milk (evap is preferred, if you’re going to
use fresh milk add more brown sugar to taste, if condensed milk is all you have, dilute with water about 1:1 ratio). Don’t be afraid to taste the mixture. Add sugar and salt to taste. Your bread slice is ready to take the plunge. Saturate it before frying. On a frying pan, put some butter (or margarine) plus oil to prevent the dairy from getting burned. Fry till your desired color.

I fried sausages in one batch, pour a glass of vegetable juice and ONE DOWN. He ate heartily, drank his meds, complimented me and went back to bed.

Second on the list was Pancit Sotanghon (Sautéed Vermicelli or glass noodle). I know my preferred ingredients would be a rare find so I just blindly check about 4 grocery stores to complete the ingredients “that will do”.

To save time, I boiled water with chicken cubes while slicing my vegetables and other essentials (carrots, string beans, cabbage, leeks, onions, garlic, shrimp, pork/chicken). Removed the boiling broth from heat and soaked to soften the noodles and to absorb flavor. I Scooped about half a cup of broth and soak achuete seeds for coloring. In a heated pan with oil, I sautéed onions, garlic, meat, carrots and beans, add shrimp cubes and the noodles. Season with salt and pepper and added the coloring. Paprika can substitute for achuete coloring. Then I added all greens last. Squeezed some calamansi or lemon before serving… and TWO DOWN.

On number 3 was a merienda mainly aimed to recycle the stale breads that occupied the fridge, hence the name Stale Bread Pudding.

I am well…lazy and I prefer things the easy way around. So I just tear about 3 slices of stale bread. Made a custard by putting together 1 whole egg, 2 egg yolks, 1 250ml evaporated milk, brown sugar and a dash of salt. Put the torn bread in the custard, let it stand until completely soaked, whip to homogenize and bake 270 F for 40 minutes or until nothing comes out with the toothpick test. I honestly don’t know any measurements apart from what was written in canned goods. I figure it mostly by tasting and trusting my instincts. Hehe..

His entire wish list made him well, there was some leftover pudding for breakfast and we ate it on the terrace while greeting the autumn wind..

There goes easy weekend recipe treats for your brats, boyfriends, or yourself!

Happy Birthday Mama!

2007-09-16T11:14:00.001+09:00

Today is my mama’s birthday. Actually yesterday, but we don’t dare greet her on the exact day coz there seem to be some jinx and she’ll come down with something if we do that. Hopefully by this time she’s all warm and cozy sipping her morning coffee and biting on some crusty pandesal with crumbs falling down the table linen.

Sunday morning is always me and my brother’s favorite. Mama will do her gourmet style cooking while humming with the 60’s classics beating on the radio. She would sometimes cross her kitchen to watch an early morning cooking show while waiting for her dish to simmer. Oh how I miss that!

For your birthday ma, I’m sending this yellow tulip from across the cyberspace. I know you will like it. I also know that you like red roses better. I took the picture myself. And like the way it is in our family, you would gladly accept what me and kuya made of ourselves, yet there will still be red roses for your children to choose to take..

Thank your for walking with us in every step, for smelling every flowers that come our way, for taking out the thorns so we can held out each stem easily, for healing our wounds even if you’re bleeding.. we love you so much.. lets celebrate more birthdays okay?

Okaerinasai! (welcome home)

2007-09-12T22:15:00.002+09:00

when I got back from work, hubby pointed me towards a package which contained this..

I fiddle the plastic wrapping before actually exposing it to the atmosphere my house afforded tonight..it seems distant yet it felt real. the day has come for me to breakaway from procrastination and embrace a mission.

Happy 50th to mercky!! always been our bible.. and will still be.. and oh, i did miss the patients who cannot read...

Never thought I could get this

2007-09-10T10:57:00.001+09:00

70%

Mingle² - Free Dating Site

I may be thinking a lot of topic to blog but the procrastinatress in me just cant find the keys to do it.. anyways by virtue of "like-ing" to blog i got this score!

oh bento! part 2

2007-09-03T07:41:00.002+09:00

This pic was taken few months back.. i miss having time to prepare lunch the jap way.. this one was easy to whip, heavy on the stomach and taste good too (well at least for me and my hubby)

To make rice balls you only need to spread rice (amount depend of how big you want it) over a cling wrap and put a thin layer of mayonnaise, tuna flakes and some salt and pepper to taste. Roll it to make a ball and sprinkle some sesame seeds. You can depend on this to extend the little rice you have left on your cooker.

Meat dish is a simple assembly of pork, asparagus, red bell pepper plus oyster sauce.

Yakisoba and dimsum can be found in the ready-to-eat section of your grocery store. heat and boil it and you're done!

bugger blogger!

2007-09-01T18:32:00.001+09:00

geezz! there are really a lot to do when you're procrastinating. I'm not even halfway done with my study plan for this weekend when the biggest procrastinating bug infested me to the bones. Now I have a mood indicator and a new blogger skin!! I don't feel like it looked any better though.. but its still a bitten apple from eden..

Eight

2007-08-24T04:05:00.001+09:00

Got tagged by Karmi. This time I have to write 8 random things the reader doesn't know about me.. hmm.. I bet I haven't told enough about myself apart from my friendster profile so here’s a bit more about me.

1. My heart belongs to science. It still does. I thought I "was" a veterinarian because my license expired in the Philippines and I'm currently not touching any animals. I'll be working on this soon..

2. I am a sucker for nude art. I like human forms especially female forms. I don't have any preference be it a painting, sculpture, photography, cartoon or what have you. I don't even have a favorite artist I just really like it. But I can't pose for one, I had an offer before (decades ago when insulators are lacking in my waistline) and i simply can't bring myself to do it. oh well!

3. I belonged in Robert Kiyosaki's "S quadrant" this is the self employed bracket. Just google this one if it interest you or better yet read the Cashflow Quadrant book by Robert Kiyosaki.

4. I can't survive without a goal. I always need to know where I'm heading. The "cross the bridge when you get there" doesn't work for me.

5. I grew up knowing more friends than relatives. I don't have any close cousins like most people I know. It doesn't bother me though coz I am blessed with friends, and I told them not once that "blood may be thicker than water, but water is the universal solvent".

6. I don't own any blue colored stuff. I can't wear one either.

7. I have an allergic rhinitis so I sneeze every morning and night for no apparent reason.

8. Printers don't work on me. I don’t know if there’s a magic but I can’t seem to make computer printers work. I know how to use it but it always breaks down if i'm gonna use it. That’s how I got a husband by the way. I didn't like him at first but he always repairs my printer. So there!

I'd like to hear you random 8's too Bill!

work detour

2007-08-09T00:14:00.001+09:00

I should be working as of the last two hours. I kept granting myself with the sheepish 5 minutes excuse. I already tidy my baito stuff, run over my to do list a couple of times and in fact type my way through half of the page that I should be working on. Yet I'm still not done, not even halfway. Since caffeine is already kicking in my veins i nick a few more minutes to blog since I haven't done this for few months now.

In exchange of the the item that topped my wishlist, my most drooled over Canon Rebel Xti, I wholeheartedly and voluntarily agreed to my husband to fly to US instead. We got our 10 years multiple entry US visa few weeks ago with an agreeable reason that we're going on a trip primarily because my hubby has to attend to a convention and secondly because its our first year wedding anniversary. Contrary to the popular mendoksai (troublesome)and musukashi *difficult)ways of acquiring a US visa in the Phils, we got ours after a congratulations greeting from the immigration personnel with few more seconds shy of one minute. That fast!

So for my first trip (its my hubby's second so he's no virgin!yay!) we decided to hop around Southern California and Nevada.

From Santa Barbara to Las Vegas Nevada to San Diego to Long Beach! whew! just thinking about it makes me want to buy a pair of crocks! harhar! I cant wait to get reunited with my bestfriend, hopefully my sorority sister and colleagues.. much more i cant wait to give ourselves an anniversary treat!melt away!!

2007-06-27T20:33:00.001+09:00

just trying out this test which i got from kathy's blog.

p>

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Day 1: Weaning Time

2007-05-19T20:52:00.001+09:00

The night before I fly to Japan I typed some of my thoughts and then emailed it to myself. Here is an excerpt …

CHANGE
A LOT has happened. And a LOT will happen still. I can’t stop things from happening. Like this is all a strong flow of current pulling every drift wood from the lost forest, I let it conquer my own.

I am like the seed that was nurtured and challenged to become a sturdy canopy. Proudly I stood to bask with the glares of the sun yet shelters what’s behind- the understory of the thick damp, sometimes muddy yet calming forest floor. The stability and mystical appeal of the scenery is good enough to capture a lens eye and be immortalized in a postal card—like it will never change its ways. Never did I imagine how this picture perfect canopy has volunteered itself to be uprooted to serve a better purpose…

Six months after, I found myself driving on the highway without a lump on my throat, gas my own car, go places without my husband, pick up and drop off friends at wee hours in the morning, spend a day at the park, watch movie with Herb, do the groceries and check the wholesale shops, short to say, do stuff without my husband looking after me. And not one of these moments passed me without getting secretly or deliberately thrilled that I was able to do it on my own.

I am weaned. I can somehow say that I overcome weaning stress.

This morning I drove almost 50 kilometers to the airport and managed to get back in Tsukuba in one piece, fulfill my 3 hour work load, had a superb lunch with Herb, march on the mall, pick few treats from grocery and truly enjoy myself. I should be happier than I am now. But when I got back home and turn my key and open our door, suddenly I can see so much space. Though I have a mental note of things that I should accomplish while my hubby is in France, I know I can only be half occupied.

Funny how a one tarot card session with Herb got me to wrap up what I used to do and how different I am now. Before, I thrive under pressure, I depend on caffeine and nicotine, I give solutions to problems, I think about other people, I study, I influence, I learn, I earn and I was good. But it was never enough to satisfy me. Now, I induce pressure, tone down on caffeine, give up nicotine, suggest options to solve problems, think about myself and my family, I urge myself to study, I make friends, I earn and try to make good and I feel gratified. Herb told me to coast along with changes. Wait and see what’ll happen next. I think I have no choice but to leave it at that, especially at this time when I have to wake up 18 mornings without my husband. I’ll get by…one day at a time.

So I decided to upload pics during my pinas workdays plus my current pics. Don’t mind me, the background spells the difference. Cut off from “before” pics are my lucky strike, and coffee cup.

getting Japanized: Ikebana

2007-04-26T20:25:00.001+09:00

Finally! After weeks of getting nicked from the cyberworld, our modem started flashing its red and green lights once again. Been offline for three weeks I think but it felt like 3 decades! This, my friend was only one of the aftermaths of moving from one house to another. Oh yes! We are finally settled in our new abode. Not quite though coz our bedroom (read: b-e-d-r-o-o-m! we have one now, unlike the studio type where my hubby and I lived for 4 months) is still jammed with partly opened boxes, trashed canisters, soiled mattresses etcetera etcetera..but it is still a bedroom! Its really a relief to have one.

Now I only have to post what I should have bloged decades ago-- my own ikebana experiment.

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“Ikebana” or the Japanese art of flower arrangement translates to embody heaven, earth and man through the linear and coordinated assembly of all the materials being used. In the olden days ikebana are mainly taught to women who are about to get married. Now however, it is practiced at the convenience of anyone. Ahem! Fortunately for me, a friend received sayonara bouquets from his colleagues. Needless to say, I bargained to salvage his wilting petaled glories (because of lack of water supply). Though I think my creation were more western than local (im Japan based at the moment), my inspiration all stemmed from ikebana books I borrowed from Tsukuba public library. I figured that since I am here, I might as well learn its culture, afterall its omoshiroi! (interesting)

Oh bento!

2007-03-08T20:58:00.002+09:00

Few days ago i started sporting a more "eye-ppetizing" packed lunch for me and my husband. I was like my students (aged 3-5) who proudly beamed after each craft project that was finished. But after browsing through bento blogsites, i now feel so juvenile. I have to wake up one hour earlier than I usually do just to do all these, so I guess it will just be the effort that will count. I dont want to accept that the first batch of my products sucked. *sigh* . but now I feel that they do.. waaaahhhhh!! on a positive thought, I still would like to try.. again.

The Celestine Prophecy

2007-03-05T21:42:00.001+09:00

Synopsis
The Celestine Prophecy renders the adventure and/or misadventure of the nameless american lead character where he unconsciously volunteered himself to be involved in a search for the manuscript. The manuscripts were the scrolls that dates back to 600 BC was said to contain predictions that can change human transformation dramatically towards the last decade of the 20th century. The predictions in turn were written through nine insights. Each insight was obtained by those searching for it after a plethoric understanding of every coincidence in their lives. For most part of the story, understanding is parallel to being visually literate where one can actually see with their naked eye the amount and shade of energy being emitted by interacting living beings. Therefore through this energy can they decide whether they will head on to a journey towards finding the succeeding insight or otherwise. The twists that constitute to the so called adventure were the brimming conspiracy of the Peruvian government and Catholic Church to banish all the circulating copies of the manuscript and to discredit those who speak about it. Towards the end, the anonymous American lead found his way through the nine insights yet managed to go back to his country alive to search for a trailing hint about the 10th insight.

Lost thunder

I don’t really know where to start with this review. It was easier to go light on the synopsis, but to declare antipathy to the near death experiences of the main character makes my keyboard go out of board! First of, the book may sit atop a bestsellers list in its own blissful time..but I really think it’s a futile attempt to visually define what exists within the spaces of interacting life forms! Not to name its main character and give a meek background of him being American carrying a credit card only adds up to its sinking plot. James Redfield also attempted to merge the conflicting bodies of science and spirituality. The point from where scientists expend their energy to make plants healthy reminded me of how my mama or lolo used to talk to their orchids and expect more blooms. The syndication of church and government is expected when its authority will be threatened to go under boiling waters. But to hoard photocopied sheets and merely detain manuscript believers doesn’t quite coincide with sending troops to kill people for the same end point. The series of events should have created a flow, I think it was a coincidence that it didn’t! (harhar) While the author struggle to sustain the climax of the series of events, he failed to sustain consistency and flow which dulls the story. I can only credit the book through the good image it created of the scenery of Peru-- which makes me crave to visit machu pichu! I know this is one lousy review, but who can blame me..ive read a one lousy book! and i think im not the only one who still wonder why this book made it to the big screen.. help yourselves!

TAGGED! ... better late than never!

2007-03-05T21:04:00.001+09:00

there maybe a lengthy time lapse when kathy tagged me.. so here it is!

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Mark the fifth sentence. Pick up the next three sentences and post.
4. Acknowledge the book and the author.
5. Tag 3 people in turn.

and within my reach is... (grab the topmost book sitting on my table)..errhhmm... so i leaf through page 123 and this is what the fifth sentence said..

..Cook 2 red bell peppers, cut into strips. Add to eggplants. In the same pan, cook 2 small sliced zucchini.

there! the lines belonged to the directions of how to cook sauteed vegetable and mozzarella sandwich. the book is a compilation of Easy Everyday Meals from the best of Good Housekeeping. there is no author but an editorial staff that I might as well name a few. EIC- Cris Abiva, Art Director- Cheryl Baldovino-Reyes , Photographer- Rene Mejia. There are over 100+ recipes that come in handy each time I need to exercise FIFO (first-in-first-out) in our ref. I guess that is one challenge of being a wife or a mom, you have to do variation of good food at the most economical price! by the way, this book comes with a picture per recipe, just what I need!

i dont have much on my list to tag.. im left with yunis and joy.. you're next!

Belated BIRTHDAY post.

2007-02-15T22:08:00.001+09:00

I am a walking paradox. Born under the sign of water, I can’t even tweak my arms and stretch a decent freestyle. Well.. at least I can float! Harhar! So I figured, I will never ever receive a boat on my birthday (dream on girl!) haha! Lucky for me, as a birthday treat, husband gave me a new baby that goes by the came of Carrie, which pronounced itself on the world of arts through the immortalization of Herb (wink). Thankiieee!!!

Belated Happy V Day!

2007-02-15T21:34:00.001+09:00

Its the V day! whilst Japanese girls maybe hovering for last minute chocolate wrapping to give to their boyfriends, me and my husband maintained our conventional valentines day celebration where men favored the ladies with flattering sweet nothings. Yesterday i got a bunch of overwhelming pink roses while I prepared chinese dinner for us. Although it doesnt quite match the celeb we had for the previous years we still enjoyed snuggling while watching Friends, afterall its our first V day as husband and wife!

Chinese on a budget..
Since I remain under the unemployed bracket, I have to make do of what we have inside the fridge. I was able to knock down a bit of luck by putting together random stuff to come up with chao fan rice and a dimsum!

directions for chao fan rice:

I used cooked rice, shredded cabbage, cubed chicken tonkatsu, minced garlic and onion, 2 beaten eggs, worshestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Put everything in a nonstick pan, mix well and season to taste.

The shomai dimsum and peppered chicken were bought cooked from dayztown and kasumi hurrah!

Shame guard temporarily off. Sorry for the inconvenience.

2007-02-05T15:47:00.001+09:00

I snore. Apparently, it caused my husband to shove me every few hours which drag us both to lack of sleep which is already two days in a row. And it drags me further to being a cranky irritable kettle pot that would snap at my husband because I haven’t slept for more than two hours when he hadn’t had any. A day ago, I justified my snoring as a cause of exhaustion. This morning, I have a lousy excuse of blaming it to staying up late to study hiragana (?) Err.. duh! For consolation, it doesn’t happen everyday (whew!) so we are now theorizing on what may have caused it.

1st theory. Bed position. This can be easily ruled out since I changed position each time he woke me.

2nd theory. Bad cold or allergic rhinitis. I haven’t had this for a long time. But it did return when I got here in Japan.

So with lazy eyes and fingers I googled “snoring” and this is what I’ve found.

The physiology behind snoring starts when a sleeper progress from shallow sleep to deep sleep where the muscles in the roof of the mouth, tongue and throat relax. If the tissues in the throat relax enough, they vibrate and may partially obstruct the airway. And the more narrowed, the more forceful the airflow becomes the more forceful the vibration hence the louder the sound it makes. Dr. Woodson from Medical College of Wisconsin said that when it happens the brain has to respond by waking up, which last milliseconds to a few seconds so people don’t remember it. The waking up is to reestablish breathing, and because of this and breaking up of sleep, they never get into the deeper levels of sleep they need to be rested and therefore are tired during the day.

Research named the causes of snoring and/or sleep apnea as: nasal congestion, anatomical deformities, obesity, asthma, hidden food allergy (according to John Kernohan, Director of the York Nutritional Laboratories in Hollywood, Florida)

Other contributing factors are mouth anatomy, alcohol consumption, airway obstruction or apnea.

for more readings you can check http://www.helpguide.org/life/snoring.htm

readings in a tow

2007-01-29T17:08:00.001+09:00

These were the books we scored from someone who charitably left boxes of books and cd's at Corkheads (bar owned by Australian guys where most gaijins hang out too!). Its a common practice for those who finished their university program or those moving out to give away things or throw away things or kick in a few bucks by selling things through the local ebay counterpart, the taira mailing list. Good for me since I haven't got the chance to drop by at the library yet.

first to second attempt

2007-01-24T10:43:00.001+09:00

This is my first entry for my second blog attempt. Errr.. second account on blogspot or blogger.. whatever. I’ve written a more successful blog (me think) but wasn't able to continue perhaps because of lack of time. It was months ago when I can justly say lack of “time” (oohh how I miss those days!). Now that I am graced with more time than I ever needed, I figure to log whatever I feel like just to revive my wedblog. Now however I will no longer prepare for a big “W” day—instead I am now the “W”.

Talk about “W’s”.. what happened to my wedding is uploaded at http://romarandraquel.multiply.com/

And being a “W” or wife.. I think It’ll be the bulk of this blog.