Czeched!

(Un)officially silent

2009-01-24T21:43:00.006+01:00

Isn't it obvious, the title? I just have to write it here, to (un)officially declare that I might or might not be back to writing for a long time.

I have been silent for over a month, a first since I started this blog. There's no explanation other than the fact that I just don't want to write.

I'm back to reading this time. When I was constantly updating this blog, I was shoving books on shelves, banishing them to oblivion. I guess it's the other way around now. Now that I'm back to reading, it's the writing that has to be silent for an indefinite period of time.

Or maybe this isn't the only reason why this page's been so quiet. I'm also bored with blogspot. I wanted to give this page a new skin, a complete makeover so to speak, but I just don't want to spend time going through the process.

Oh, I'm hopeless when it comes to patience. It's never been my virtue-- not that I'm claiming to have some, haha.

Yeah, so it's me and the books these days, and music, too. I got a cool Walkman from Santa last Christmas so now I'm obssessed in filling its gigabytes to full capacity with my favorite music.

Enough blabbing. Whenever I'll feel the urge to blab and write some blahs again, I think I'll do it on my multiply account. Catch you there.

High. Busy. Duh

2008-12-02T18:51:00.004+01:00

I'll write more after December 10. It's our big day at school-- Christmas play, projects, party with the parents all happening in one day. One week to go before the Day, I hardly have the time to pluck my eyebrows.

These days I bring home things to do for school. This drive to excel and this quest for perfection can be one's enemy. I just hate half-baked stuff. Everything has to be well done. The downside is I work myself to exhaustion.

To chill, I plug my headset and listen to music. Below is one song that always gives me a natural high.

Then I look at the table and see a pile of papers waiting for my attention. The high naturally descends and completely dissipates to oblivion.

Duh.

Resurrected

2008-11-17T17:37:00.004+01:00

Hello world!

I'm still alive, just sooo lazy and really have nothing interesting to write about.

And my life these days is pretty much uninteresting, too. I go to work, I go to my Czech lesson, I see my friends now and then. It's pretty much the usual round-running-cycle-continual stuff.

Who could have thought equanimity can be boring? Well, it can, but I'm not complaining. That's basically why I've been absent here in blogosphere for so long-- because I have nothing to rant or complain about. I've been busy counting my blessings, hehe.

Anywho..

We have been scouring Prague for a flat for my sister. It's actually an interesting experience. You get to meet a lot of people, different people, and I mean different in every sense of the word. Come to think of it, flat hunting can probably be a way to improve someone's social life. I mean, if your social life is pretty much nonexistent, why not?

Expats.cz is a place for whatever you want to hunt in Prague. It's where I found my job. So now I'm lurking there so often hoping that we could find a flat for my sister. There are a lot of people advertizing for a flat-share and these people, ladies and gentlemen, can be very interesting.

How interesting? I'll probably save it for another post since it's a long tale to tell. I'm signing off now. Got a lesson to plan and a loooooong Czech homework to do.

Mysterious neighbor/s

2008-10-20T14:41:00.003+02:00

We've moved into our new flat more than a year ago and I still haven't had the honor to see our neighbor/s' face, not even his/her/their/its shadow. At first I thought this particular unit was empty. I didn't even give it a single thought, but lately it started to become a mystery. I mean yeah, it's normal not to know your neighbors here. We didn't know them in our previous flat even when we lived there for two years. I wouldn't find it queer not seeing our new neighbors now if only; (a) the blinds weren't always down and (b) the lights weren't on every night.

With the lights on every night only means someone must be living there, but why are the blinds always down, as in day in, day out down? Even now when our laptop says 3:05 pm CET, his/her/their/ its blinds are strangely down.

Agoraphobic? Nah, that only means someone who's afraid to leave the house, and not someone who seems to be extremely afraid of daylight.

Calling Buffy. Maybe she has a job to do here?

Or maybe our neighbor is just another Boo Radley and I'm acting like another Scout Finch. With that said, I might as well take it, this whole thing about blinds and lights, as it is and mind my own business.

Toes, trek and Samaria

2008-10-12T09:46:00.007+02:00

The pain in my big toes continues. I mean, seriously, it's been ages since Crete and my toes still have a hangover, big time. If you're interested to know the whole story, check out my multiply.

This morning the pain on my right big toe woke me up. Waitaminute, it's the left which has been such a pain, and now the other one is joining the wagon? Darnit, sometimes I wish the nails would just fall off so I could finally look at my shoes without feeling a tiny bit of dread. That's just the start. The main dreadful event is when I put on my shoes and walk on them---and in autumn when the temperature outside is getting chilly, there's just no way to bail out from shoes or boots.

This is Samaria National Park in Crete, Greece, home of really gorgeous gorges. I say you haven't been to Crete if you haven't trekked here.

A and I trekked for 6 hours, covering about 16 kilometers. It was mostly going downhill so the combination of wrong pair of shoes and not so short nails made my big toenails slowly die a very un-natural and painful death.

I remember I was near tears when we reached this part of the park. The pain was just so nagging it was too much to bear especially when I knew there was about six kilometers more to go. Still I stood there for a full minute forgetting about my toes, forgetting about the long and painful way ahead, and just being in the moment. I even managed to snap a picture of A.

It was beautiful there. So untouched and so tranquil. The only sound you'd hear is that of the stream's. I would still go there even if I knew I would kill my toes in the process.

So now two months after Samaria, I still walk with a bad bad baaaad limp and with a facial expression that seems like I'm suffering from chronic constipation. I wonder if it will ever end.

Fall

2008-10-04T13:59:00.003+02:00

I just can't write. I don't want to write. My brains refuse to dictate words for my fingers to type. I'm hitting the phase when I just don't want to write anything. The funny part is, what am I doing here now?

One month since the schoolyear began and I'm hitting low point. I'm bored. There's nothing new at school anymore. I guess I shouldn't be saying that, it's only been a month since work started but seriously, I find myself constantly searching for a way to spice up my days just so I would have a reason to ignore boredom. Sometimes I think of my paycheck on the 15th. It's my first as a headteacher and it's kinda exciting but other than that, it's getting more and more difficult to get up in the morning.

Maybe it's just autumn. Maybe it's just hormones. I'm usually the most positive person you'll ever meet on earth, that is, except these days.

So I guess it's just autumn. It usually has this kind of effect on me. I'll let my emotions slide now and then but I know I need to get a grip on them soon, otherwise it would be self-indulgence, just a wasted way to indulge myself.

What's up?

2008-09-23T17:02:00.002+02:00

I've been so swamped lately. There's my Czech lesson that's keeping me busy twice a week. It's been what, centuries since I took up something? The reverse role in the classroom is kinda strange for me. Not being in charge makes me feel somewhat helpless.

I chose it this way. If I had a private lesson, I could and I know I would, cancel the lesson whenever the little devil whispers at me to just chill at home or go somewhere else. I also wouldn't be pushed to learn. I mean, I couldn't care less if my teacher would find me slow, but being in a class, with ten other people who might think I'm hopeless, makes it too much for my ego to take. I gotta fear embarassment in order to learn.

I feel like I kid. I often kick my cohorts' feet whenever our teacher would ask me something and I didn't know the answer. Same with them. One guy from Turkey would poke my back with his pen whenever his brains refuse to switch to Czech. My life, ladies and gentlemen, is like this every Monday and Wednesday.

Speaking of brain-switching, my sister has been here in Prague since last week. Now I converse to someone in Surigaonon on daily basis. I don't mind, it's actually nice, but when I have to talk to husband in English then talk to sister in Surigaonon at the same time while I try to finish my Czech homework, I just get so mentally constipated.

So if you wont see me here often, blame it on constipation.

One fine day in Prague

2008-09-14T10:20:00.005+02:00

We went rowing in Vltava one fine summer day here in Prague. I think it was two weekends ago when A and I decided to play tourists.

New teachers at school would often come to ask me about the best places in town to wine and dine, to explore, to visit. Most often than not they come out empty-handed. You tend to ignore what the place offers when you live there. Such was, and I'm afraid still is, how it is with me and Prague.

You can find lots of boats (row) for rent especially near Charles Bridge. They are for 150kč/ hour. A warm day on a weekend usually means waiting for a while for one to be available. Now when it seems fall has come to kick the summer out, you probably wont have to wait at all.

Our conversation was just me asking where we were going. A said "to Karlovy Lazne," which is a popular discoteque in Prague. It's one of the buildings before (from the Old Town) Charles Bridge.

Sometimes I stop in my tracks when I walk in Prague's center. I still get amazed at how picturesque this city is, but I'm also guilty of ignoring its beauty now and then.

Busy. Crazy.

2008-09-08T22:44:00.010+02:00

Teacher by day, student by night---that's me these days. Yup, I've been having Czech lessons since last week.

It's great, I'm enjoying it so far. The language is so complicated but I'm not in a hurry to learn everything right away. One word at a time and I'll get there someday. At least now it's starting to make sense how the words change like a chameleon.

My classmates are mostly Asians. Three Vietnamese, three Chinese, one Korean. Judging by the accent, one is American, and judging by the looks, one is maybe from Spain or Portugal. One Chinese girl doesn't speak a single English and doesn't understand Czech at all. She cried on the first day --she didn't understand when the teacher asked her to fill up a form, you know, just for her to write her complete name and address. I thought that was it for her, that she wont be coming back, but she's still hanging around. I admire her courage.

So now the words are all jumbled up in my head. Czech will be my fifth language (well, two are considered dialects but still they're participants in the chaos that's been going on there). I wonder which one will have to go. I have this feeling my Tagalog will get worse when my Czech will get better. Oh well, I've never been really fluent in Tagalog but still I don't wanna lose it.

A few weeks ago it took me more than a minute to remember "bacon." I was like "slanina, anglicka slanina.....darn it, what is it called in English!" For a while I panicked. Help, I'm losing my English! Then I rememembered the word but this paranoia just wont go away. Now I try to translate words in my head in five languages, just to make sure I still have a grip on them. I am like " cat-kočka-pusa-iring-miya. Dog-pes-aso-iro-ido..."

*Sigh.*

Welcome to my world.

Crete, Greece: Misiria-Platanes

2008-08-31T17:21:00.011+02:00

My first impressions of Crete were: the ocean was electric blue, it was so dry and hot, and it looked similar to Mactan island in Cebu. Later I realized it was no way near like Mactan, but two things were right; it was hooot and the ocean's blueness is something that would set Crete apart from all the beaches I have been to.

We stayed in a place called Misiria. I'm not so sure but I think it's part of Rethymno, a big city in Crete. We wanted a quiet place where we can soak up the sun, embrace the sights and sounds, without having to trip from and bump into a lot of people doing just the same. We were very lucky. The hotel and its location provided us everything we ever wanted for a holiday.

There is no nightlife in Misiria but there's plenty in Platanes which is 5-10 minutes walk from the hotel. It's also a lot busier than the former. Bars, restaurants and cafes are open till the wee hours of the morning. We usually took our lunch there. Grilled swordfish was our pick of the week. If you're into hardcore partying, Rethymno is about 10 minutes by taxi, 20 minutes by bus.

The hotel from the back garden. I totally recommend May Hotel for everyone who's thinking of going to Crete. It's super clean, plus the fact that Nikos and Maria, the owners themselves, are working in the front desk. Requests for anything like early breakfast, late pick up, whatever reasonable thing you want to make your stay pleasant, they will give it to you without questions asked.

The beach in Misiria was a delight, not because it was exceptional, but because it wasn't packed with near naked bodies. I don't like crowd, period. I'm too particular about my personal space so it was a joy to have that there.

For someone who grew up and lived most of her life a mere five minutes away from the Pacific Ocean, it is very ironic that I can't really swim. I don't know, the sea was always there so I didn't really care about it much and about learning to swim. I wish I did, though. The sea in Crete required a bit of swimming skill so I didn't linger much there.

The beach. Couldn't find a single shell there, which reminds me to google out the reason for the lack of them in Misiria and Platanes. The waves were kinda big on our first day. I chickened out from swimming

In some parts of Crete like near Spinalonga island, the beaches were sandy. The water was also calm and crystal clear. I have a thing about crystal clear waters. When I swim, I need to have a clear view of my feet. If not, I'd rather take a shower at home.

I wanted to post lots of pictures here but I think blogspot is possessed. I'm seriously contemplating moving to multiply for good. Anywho, just click below for the pics of this trip:

Crete, Greece: Misiria/Platanes

I would surely want to go back to Greece. Maybe not in Crete but in one of the other islands there. Santorini, Thassos, Corfu... the list just goes on and on....

Busy

2008-08-26T19:45:00.003+02:00

I know I know, I'm super delayed with my Greece post. I've just been so swamped since yesterday so hopefully by the end of this week I'll find time to get back to writing long posts. It's been like running, running, and chasing time since I got back at work yesterday. I wish I still had another month of paid holiday! Just a thought-- are there schools that give teachers three months of paid summer vacation?? Email me if you do know one so I could send my CV asap!

Sigh.

I'm back at work.... Make that a double sigh.

At least I'm happy about our new teacher. He seems to know what he's getting himself into. I'm getting good vibes so we're off to a good start.

Good vibes. Good start. Hope it will be a good year just like it was, and maybe even better.

Back

2008-08-20T20:06:00.001+02:00

We're back from Crete after one week of absolute sun and fun. It was scorchingly hot hot hot there were four things I couldn't live and leave the airconditioned room without; hat, shades, sunscreen and a bottle of water.

It was a phenomenal week. This part of Greece was a beauty. The beaches were nice, clean, and thank God, not littered with half-naked bodies all over the place. The Greeks, like the place, were very warm and always had a smile ready for anyone. The service at the hotel where we stayed was a ten-- I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Will post pictures and stories soon. I need to snooze for now. Zzzzz..

To Greece

2008-08-12T07:24:00.003+02:00

Apollo, Adonis, Achilles. Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis -- guys, I'll see you soon!

Yup, we're off to Crete, the biggest island of Greece in the Mediterranean. I. am. so. excited!

More ramblings

2008-07-28T19:34:00.004+02:00

I've realized I like Multiply. You can have your blog, vids, pics, friends, all in one, so I decided to create my own virtual hangout there. If I wouldn't be writing much here, it's because I'm happily stuck somewhere.

No worries, I wont foresake this blog. This is my first, my oldest and I wrote a lot of memorable experiences here. I'll still be updating this now and then.

Speaking of updates, the universe probably heard my plea for the weather to be warm in Prague. It's been really summery here since the other day. Hope it will last for long, until I get back to work at least. It's not so much to ask for, universe, is it? Keeping my fingers crossed.

Yesterday we went northeast to marvel at the amazing, overwhelming sandstone rock formations in Adršpach. It's about 160 km from Prague. I can't believe at why I haven't heard of this place before when I'm still virtually a tourist in this country. The sights that met me there are totally spectacular. I'll post about the trip when I'm not feeling lethargic anymore, but of course you can view the pics in my multiply.

Oh, why am I lethargic? I'm a bit drugged, I guess. The annoying cyst on my neck got inflamed that it had to be removed this morning. Yay, finally. I mean, it had to be inflamed before I would have the drive and the courage to have it incised. Tsk tsk.

Hormonal

2008-07-25T08:17:00.005+02:00

I am very hormonal these days. Prague's shi**y weather isn't helping. It has been cold and rainy since the start of July so it's not doing any good to my sour mood. I have been dreaming of sun and sea since last year but I guess I have to put this dream on hold.

It's the perfect time for sun and fun, at least somewhere far from Prague. I still have one month of holiday left. The beaches are just at our fingertips, but something in the family came up that going to indulge ourselves in a well-deserved holiday by the sea seems wrong.

What am I going to do for a month in this horrible weather? This, among some other things, is what makes me very hor-mo-nal.

Bratislava

2008-07-23T08:17:00.008+02:00

It's the capital city of the Slovak Republic. We were there last Sunday. It's small, it looked smaller than Brno, CZ's second largest city.

Here's a vid taken at "Obchodna Ulica" (rough translation: Business St.). I was surprised at how quiet it was, how only a few shops were open and only a few people were around. It really gave a Sunday feeling-- you know, lazy and quiet-- something you'll never experience in Prague's center.

Ooops, sorry for the shaking effect. I was walking when I took the vid. Not a very smart idea.

Another vid taken at the city's main square.

I wish Prague was as quiet, not teeming with tourists all year round. But Prague is beautiful, and beauty is almost always meant to be shared.

Few days in Paradise

2008-07-21T19:25:00.012+02:00

They call it "Slovenský Raj" or Slovak Paradise. It is a mountain range in the Slovak Republic known for its waterfalls, deep ravines and a huge, very impressive ice cave. It is wild, untamed-- a perfect place to commune with nature.

The road to Paradise is long and winding. It is a back-aching, gas-spending 9-hour drive from Prague.

When I asked A why it's called such, his answer made sense; It's maybe because it's the closest a place could get to the paradise Adam and Eve once inhabited-- natural, unspoiled, simply beautiful.

A few days there made me experience not just the hits but also the misses. Nothing is perfect, not even in Paradise. Let's start with the hits:

1. The place itself. It's awesome. The ravines, the crisp fresh air, the clear clear streams, everything is awesome. Make sure your boots are made for walking as you will surely walk a lot. Not just walk but climb those steep hills and rocky mountains. The view from the top of those rocky mountains will surely give you a feeling of natural high.

It was raining hard the day we arrived so the next day the trails were slippery. Thank goodness my Adidas, though made for tennis, held on.

Tourists I saw were mostly from neighboring countries. How it stayed under the Western radar is beyond me.

2. The Dobšinská Ladová Jaskyňa (Dobsinska Ice Cave) is exceptional. Whatever I'll say about it may not give justification to the place so I'll leave it to your imagination. I'll just say it's certainly worth a visit and that I have never seen anything like it. However, how tourism there is handled is for me not a hit but a clear miss.

MISSED ME

I'm not a fussy traveler. I get easily pleased, but this time I just can't help being irked at some things I experienced there.

1. The hotel service. It wasn't the Ritz so of course I wasn't expecting top-notch service. We stayed in Cingov Hotel which charged us 1,500sk/night. Not high-end but not low-class, either. Then there was this 90sk parking fee per day, 150sk if you eat breakfast and surprise surprise, when we received the bill we realized we got charged an extra 30sk for "bathroom tax."

Okay, let's get this straight. Shouldn't hotels provide free parking for their customers? What happend to good ol' customer service?

Bathroom tax? I haven't heard anything this ridiculous before. Is this an EU/Schengen shenanigan or is it simply a Slovakian thing? Yes, it's just 30sk but the whole idea makes me silently scream WTF. (What's The Fuss, children. I'm a preschool teacher here.)

2. At the Ice Cave, the entrance fee is 200sk per person. It was A who bought the tickets so I didn't know they charge another 300sk extra for taking pictures inside. A also said he wasn't asked or told about it. I snapped one and was immediately asked by the guide if I had the ticket for it. Boy, was I pissed to death. No, make it livid. One from not knowing I had to pay extra and two for the fact that you had to pay extra. I mean 200sk is not cheap for a 20-minute tour. On top of that, the guide spoke Slovak so I didn't understand one darn thing.

Of course it's their language and whenever they want to use it is their prerogative. Point is, shouldn't you be given the choice if you wanted an English tour or not? Shouldn't you be asked or told at least? Nobody said anything at the ticket counter. The guide fired away in ratatatatat Slovak and most of us, the Germans, the Polish, the Hungarians, and of course, one livid Filipina that is me, were lost in our own translations.

That's not the end of it all. I was badly in need for a toilet but boy oh boy, the toilet available was one hell of a kind, pun intended. It definitely deserves a separate post in this blog.

3. The road directions. Or simply the absence of them in some parts of the country. Take this as an example; you see a crossroad ahead and you don't see a single sign where the roads will lead. You cross your fingers and turn left and voila, 100 meters later you will see the sign. Lucky you if you wanted to go that way. What if not? Then you would cuss and swear, cuss and swear. I swore so much there that I was afraid the ground would open and swallow me whole. If you're a Catholic, I'm sure you'd get my drift...

Another problem wasn't the absence of sign but its presence. On our way to Stratena from Cingov, there was a fork which said Stratena to the left and Poprad to the right. We went left only to find out 15 minutes later a NO ENTRY sign for motor vehicles. Bummer.

That's not all. I'll rant some more. Sometimes you would find a fork which has a sign to the left but not to the right. The greatest mystery of all was our map indicated there should be a big road to the left before Dobsina from the cave that would lead us to Spisska Nova Ves then back to Cingov. Nada. There was only one small road and the sign said a name of a small village's. Either the road directions malfunctioned again or the publishers just made up the road and the towns along it.

"Hala, posing Inday kay panagsa ra ni..." At Tomasovsky Vyhlad after an hour of walking and climbing the slippery trail. Of course I struck a pose as a way of proclaiming "Heya all! I came, I slipped, I conquered!"

For more pictures of this trip, please click HERE.

Each travel experience gives you something to cherish or to forget. The Slovakian trip gave me one thing I'll keep-- the picture of Paradise in my mind. I'll even cherish the experiences I just ranted above because I realized I can really laugh at my own misfortunes and misadventures, and that alone made the Slovakian trip quite unique.

Fruit dumplings

2008-07-16T07:45:00.007+02:00

When you say dumplings, the first thing that comes up your mind is those small rolls of meat wrapped in super thin dough, served dim-sum style-- that is, if you're Asian like me. Certainly dumplings in Asia aren't sweet and they are usually steamed, not boiled. Well, not in CZ. Here, dumplings can be sweet and yes, they are boiled-- and the filling is not of meat but of fruits.

They call it "ovocné knedlíky" or fruit dumplings. They usually make this in summer when the fruits are aplenty. That's exactly what I did after coming home with baskets of them from my in-laws' garden a few weekends ago. I used raspberries and strawberries for the filling.

OVOCNÉ KNEDLÍKY

Dough:

1/2 kg. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 sachet dry yeast ( 3/4 small fresh yeast)
a handful of crystal sugar
250 ml milk

- Mix everything with a wooden spoon. Add flour if too sticky. Let stand for 45 minutes.
- Knead and let stand for another 45 minutes.

Punch dough and knead for a few minutes. Flatten a small amount and put about 5 raspberries ( about 2 sliced big strawberries) in the middle. Sprinkle fruits with powdered sugar before wrapping them with the dough.

You can wrap them in a way that would make them look nicer than the ones in the pic above. I was just in a hurry to finish making them. Excuses, excuses. :)

Next step is to boil a pot half- full of water. Put dumplings in boiling water for 3 minutes then turn them over and boil for another 3 minutes.

Your dumplings are now ready for eating! For toppings, Czechs usually shred ginger cake and mix them with powdered sugar. Melted butter is almost always present in every meal, including this one. Yes my dears, this is considered a meal here, not a snack.

Me? I call it a snack. And since I'm just getting Czeched, I don't follow the usual way of eating it with shredded ginger cake. I usually eat it with cottage cheese. It's actually up to you what you want for toppings. Let me know if you come up with something really yummy.

Tak, dobrou chut!

Note: Makes about 10-12 dumplings. Thanks to Mamka for the recipe.

The cook and I

2008-07-13T17:18:00.010+02:00

Přichovice is where I was last week. It's up in the highlands of CZ very near the Polish border. What was I doing there, having sun and fun? Far from it. I was there as one of the teachers/nannies/mothers of 21 kids ages 4-10 for our school's annual summer camp. How I retained my sanity is beyond me.

Actually, it wasn't so bad. Kids can be really hilarious. What's more, they don't know that they are. Everything they do is purely innocent or spontaneous, without any intention to hurt or to deceive someone. In a world of wasted lives, being with them is very refreshing.

DRUNK COOK

On our fourth night there, the cook got drunk. He was this sixty-ish man who had been giving me odd looks since the first meal was over. That night his tongue got loose and my suspicion was confirmed. He came upstairs giving a speech on how he was annoyed at me for not eating much of the food he prepared. He was very unhappy that I didn't like his cooking, and that not eating well is not good for the body.

I had to grope for words in Czech to explain to him I love the meals but the portions were just too big for me to finish. "Jsem malá, mám malý žaludek ," ( I'm small, I have a small stomach.) was my plea for a truce. He was having none of it.

Fine. There's just no instant remedy for bruised egos.

Then he changed tactics. From lecturing, he was now on to cajoling. He was like-- "What do you want me to cook tomorrow? Do you want rice? I'll cook something special for you just so you would eat everything." I said I'm eating, I love the food here, just give me smaller portions, but he was in la-la land that there was just no way of hitting the point.

The next day he was back at giving me odd looks. I have no doubt he was glad to see me board the bus this afternoon. Finally we can both get on with our lives.

Macro mania

2008-07-04T21:11:00.011+02:00

I have this thing for macro photography. I like it when a subject is captured in details. Whenever I have our digicam with me, I'm like a woman possessed, snapping away randomly. When it's time to upload the pics, of course you'll find several of them in macro shots.

Here are some taken last weekend:

The cherries were all ripe at my in-laws' garden. I'm not so crazy about cherries but the ones above were very succulent, thus very irresistible, even for me.

Of course, the strawberries were ripe as well, not to mention the raspberries and currants and blueberries. Last weekend was like a smorgasbord of summer fruits for me. I stuffed myself with strawberries after strawberries that I ended up having a bloated stomach full of water and gas. Ugh, the gas. You just touch my stomach and some place down there would right away go pffffttt...

Yey, my calamansi is resurrected from the dead! It appeared hopeless for several months that I was actually contemplating euthanasia. This shot was taken by A. Guess I'm not the only one afflicted with macro fever.

Another one of A's macro shots. I really love this one, the colors and the details. This is one of the flowers I received from my students. A took several pics of the flowers but this is my most favorite.

Ok, this is it for now. I'm hungry looking at those strawberries. Oh yeah, we still have a lot of them in the fridge so I better fix myself some smoothies. Yum!

Thin is in?

2008-07-01T16:39:00.010+02:00

Two years ago I chatted with my friends from PI. I think there were five of them scattered around the islands. We were on conference. They haven't seen me for over a year at the time so naturally they asked me to send them a latest picture of myself. So I did.

Two of them said I gained a lot of weight. Translation: I was fat. I said it couldn't be so bad since I think I only gained a kilo. They insisted I gained a lot, that my cheeks made me look like a blowfish, that I was no longer as slim as they remembered.

I'm 156 cm and at that time weighing 46 kilos. How can I be fat?

And how can we women be so paranoid about our weight, myself included? That chat made me literally run for a weighing scale. It made me change my diet and lost three kilos. Now on hindsight, I couldn't believe at myself for falling prey to society's wiles.

Who started this idea that to be beautiful is to be thin? Years and years ago all the images of gods and goddesses were fat, so when did society start dictating that thin is aesthetically better than otherwise? Beauty is always subjective yet for most women, thin is in.

I'm surrounded with women who are eternally dieting. I mean, it's their business, it's their body, but when do you draw the line? I think it's when you stop eating what and when you should, and when you constantly berate yourself for eating what you think you shouldn't.

From the words of Paulo Coelho with minor modification, " Forget about getting thin. You can do all the exercise you want, punish yourself as much as you want, but you will still have only two choices-- either stop living or get fat."

Me? I think I'll live.

Sunscreen

2008-06-24T18:50:00.004+02:00

There are so many names for it; sunblock, sun cream, sunscreen-- your choice. It's my must-have in summer. I just can't do without my Bioderma SPF 50.

There's also another sunscreen that I really really like. It's this:

I'm sure you know that Baz Luhrmann is the voice behind this, but do you know the pen behind it? According to Wiki, it was Mary Schmich, a columnist of The Chicago Tribune, who wrote it in her column. In 1998 she published her column as a book titled "Wear Sunscreen." A year later she gave permission to Baz Luhrmann to release this as a song in which it is read word for word.

I wish I could write like that. Dream on. :)

I like this part best:

"Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and in the end, it is only with yourself." Amen!

Click here for the complete lyrics. It's worth reading. Trust me on the sunscreen.

Note: Thanks to maximoox for the vid.

On spring allergies

2008-06-15T20:13:00.003+02:00

This year I have the worst bouts of spring allergies. I can't count how many boxes of Kleenex I've consumed since April for my super runny nose and super teary eyes. I'm sure I'm single-handedly killing the forest.

My doctor prescribed Livostin nasal spray and eyedrops. No effect. My eyes were still very itchy and watery. My nose was falling apart from constant blowing. Then there was this box of tablets he prescribed that I didn't want to take at first. The box had been sitting in our cupboard for a week before I finally decided to pop one. Well, I'm simply paranoid about drugs.

It's called Aerius. Now why didn't I throw away my paranoia sooner? It's certainly helping me. I still sneeze now and then, my eyes are still sometimes itchy, I still have to blow my nose occasionally, but I do feel like a normal person again.

The baker

2008-06-13T22:52:00.006+02:00

Time is a constant challenge for me now that the school year is about to end. There's a special party we're throwing for the graduating kids next Wednesday, there's another camp I'll be going to with the kids in the second week of July which requires me to finish my lesson plan asap, there are plans to prepare for the next school year.......All these are crammed between now and next week. These and the fact that next school year means more responsibilities for me (hint, hint. :) don't really give me time to even pluck my eyebrows.

But I make time to bake. Last night I just wanted to try my luck in baking "Medovník" or honey cake. Mamka lent me the recipe a few months ago and I've been itching to make it myself. Yes, it's borrowed so that means I can't publish it here or I might get excommunicated.

Medovnik is basically layering the dough and cream. I finished baking at almost 11pm. It took more than an hour for the cream to cool. Note to self: I'll prepare the cream first next time. I was about to call it a night when A asked me if I mixed the crumbs for the topping with cocoa. Darnit! I thought I would fall asleep with a big smile of contentment. Bummer. Still my first try was a success. The cake tastes good. I actually like it better than the commercial one. The latter is too sweet.

Life never ceases to amaze me. A year ago the mere sight of a wooden spoon still scared the living daylights out of me. Now I can finally put on my hat and proclaim myself a baker. :)

Summer scare

2008-06-09T17:55:00.008+02:00

I say summer is absolutely, hands down, without any doubt, my favorite season. I like spring, too. After the gloom of winter, it's like a manna from heaven...but the allergies it gives me are certainly not. I love autumn, the combination of romance and melancholia it gives in the air, but I dread the coming of the winter so that spoils autumn for me. So yeah, the time of flip-flops and super light clothing is what I look forward to every year. Not to mention that summer also means a two-month paid holiday for me.

But there's one thing about summer that I so dread. It's not the burning sun, no matter how many freckles it adds on my face, SPF 100 notwithstanding. It's not the suffocating heat even if it reaches 40C. It's.... drums rolling.... the attack of smelly armpits.

Seriously, they smell. By "they" I mean those people here who have a terrible falling out with the innocent shower.

I'm not generalizing. Some do smell good no matter what time of the year it is. Thing is, a lot of the shower haters occupy those little space in the metro and trams that you'd rather share with the shower lovers. When I'm unfortunate enough to be in this situation, I often hold my breath until I'm about to pass out from the lack of oxygen.

Shower haters are one thing, Poison/ Eternity/ Boss lovers are another. Combine these two and you'll get one formidable smell that doesn't just make you sneeze but will surely give you a splitting migraine that lasts till the end of summer.

How can you possibly not love to take a shower? Or to bathe? Fine, maybe you don't have to do it everyday like I do, but seriously, what is there not to like about soap and water? They wont kill you, and the more you stay away from them, chances are, you'll soon kill the person standing next to you.

Purely random

2008-06-02T22:32:00.003+02:00

I'm back! I'm amazed at how I survived the previous week unscathed.

Last night, I watched KC Concepcion's "Mansyon" on YouTube. It wasn't the story or the acting that made me glued on my seat for a while. It was her prettiness. She's like a breath of fresh air. Then halfway through the episode I switched to watching music videos. Tearjerkers are not my thing anymore.

Almost half an hour of watching music vids I noticed I was stuck on the 90's hits. I don't know about you but I think it was the era of great music, at least till 1997. There was Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, and who could forget Jewel? Then came Britney.

Yeah, this entry is purely random. I guess I keep on writing, not so much from having so many things to share, but from the paranoia that I'm losing my English.

At the camp I shared this to my co-teachers and they, too, have exactly the same sentiments. The Brazilian-American, raised in America almost all her life, couldn't remember the word splinter. She also said " I don't see" and couldn't believe she just said that. Me, it took me almost five minutes to remember the word "convenient." Oh, for crying out loud!

Can someone be really fluent in several languages? I certainly start to doubt. Trying to learn Czech for me means losing my Tagalog and unfortunately, my English is declining as well. The Finnish co-teacher said she lost her Swedish and French already, and that she is starting to speak Finnish with an English accent. Talk about Jill of several languages, master of none.

Today, the nurse at my doctor's clinic was annoyed that I still don't speak Czech. "She's been here three years and she still doesn't speak Czech?" So sue me. There's a time for everything, Czech included. For now, just let me be without it.

Golf Club Konopiště

2008-05-24T10:51:00.004+02:00

I'm just killing time before I'd head to the school where a bus will pick us up for the camp. Oh the camp... I'm dreading it and can't wait to be done with it.

Anywho...

I've agonized for a while thinking the right gift for A as it was his birthday last Sunday. Then I remembered he wanted to try driving. He's been translating this monthly golf magazine for CZ subscribers that he knows all about golf theories than you could ever imagine. So it wasn't a surprise when he wanted to put the theories in action.

Golf is "for the rich" here. The golf clubs are mostly for members only but we (my co-teacher helped me) were able to find a few that welcome beginners. Among them is Golf Club Konopiště. It's about 50 km away from Prague and is very near Konopiště Castle.

To learn about Golf Club Konopiště, visit http://www.gcko.cz/. You can set for an appointment with a trainer if you want to play it right from the start. That's what I did. I called them and they gave me the mobile number of one of their trainers. The fee is 600 kč/ 30 minutes. The first lesson usually lasts for an hour. The fee already covers for a club, balls and of course, the use of the driving range.

A liked it. I think he'll be good at it. He was already hitting between 70- 100 m when it was just his first time. Me? I think I'll pass. I tried it back in Cebu but I was terrible, a consequence for not really having the heart for it.

Out of Prague

2008-05-23T22:38:00.002+02:00

I'll be out of the city for a week starting tomorrow. It's the school's annual Spring camp again, which means I'll be tortured for a week being around with pumped up kids. It's just for a week, it's just for a week... this I'm chanting in my head over and over again.

One more month, not counting the camp, and the schoolyear will be over. Can't wait, certainly counting down the days....

What gets your goat?

2008-05-19T16:10:00.008+02:00

Here's my quick list today:

1. Rudeness. There's always a nice way to say things or to stress your point. Yelling, calling names, and making faces go back to the stone age.

2. People whining at and about work all the time. Quit your job then. No one is forcing you on it.

3. Backbiting. Either you have the courage to spit it out in my face or forever hold your peace.

4. People who react strongly to being corrected. I'm sometimes guilty of this, I have to admit, but at least I don't take it personally. Everyone's flawed-- yourself included.

5. Temporary amnesia. If we're going Dutch, don't hide behind the convenience of temporary amnesia when the bill arrives. And if you're supposed to chip in, don't wait till I smack you in the head to remember.

St. Wolfgang

2008-05-09T17:25:00.006+02:00

When we were driving towards Salzburg, we saw a huge lake with houses around it. I looked at the map and thought it was Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang). It was so picturesque that we decided to drop by before driving back to CZ. We did just that except that I was wrong. It wasn't Lake Wolfgang. It was actually Lake Mond. A quick browse on our guide book made us decide to head for the real Lake Wolfgang. It was said to be a place worth visiting for.

Here's a video taken from St. Wolfgang, a town at the far end of the lake and which is 50 km from Salzburg. It's quite dark because I took it at twilight. The whole place just swept us off our feet. I can't think of an adjective to describe it, it would be like an understatement. You have to go and experience the place, breathe its crisp air, feel the warmth of its people, and maybe, just maybe you can find the right word to describe it.

We would like to go back asap. There are hundreds of pension houses, B and B's, and hotels. If you'd like to visit in summer, you have to make a reservation at least five months in advance.

We stayed at Haus Zimmermann. The view from our room was breathtaking. It was for 27 euros/person which comes with free breakfast. The owner spoke very good English. Room was very clean with TV, hot/cold shower, a telephone, hairdryer and of course, the amazing view of the lake from the terrace. She said if you'll stay more than one night, the price will be only for 24 euros/person.

Here's how to contact them:

5360 ST. WOLFGANG Ried 110
Austria
Tel: +43 (0)6138/2461
Email: haus.zimmermann@gmx.at
www.tiscover.com/zimmermann

Salzburg, Austria (part 2)

2008-05-07T19:46:00.005+02:00

The best thing about Salzburg is its alpine setting. The closest peak is only a few kilometers from the center. When we were nearing the city we were all oohs and aahhs at the breathtaking view of the mountains.

This photo was taken from "Festung Hohensalzburg." The view gets better and better as you climb higher and higher. Prague also has a magnificent view of the city from the castle. If you take away the Alps and put red color on the roofs, the view would be more or less the same. But Salzburg does have the Alps and this alone gives it an edge from other beautiful European cities.

To quote A, "Mozart is so omnipresent here." From chocolates to magnets, he is indeed everywhere in Salzburg. The house where he was born is well preserved and was swarmed by tourists when we passed by. We also passed by his monument (in pic) on our way to the fortress. There were benches in this square and lots of flowers in their full glory.

For Christmas addicts like me, this city is the place to shop for ornaments. Yes, they have a shop called "Christmas in Salzburg" and it's open all year round. It has everything you could ever imagine buying-- angels, stars, wreaths, they've got it all. They also ship your orders if you want them to. A few meters from "Christmas in Salzburg" is "Easter in Salzburg." Eggs with intricate designs, bunnies, anything you want for Easter, they have it there as well.

The old town has stores where you could shop till you drop. I didn't shop because everything was drop-dead expensive for me. I just bought a magnet for our fridge, which is a current hobby-- adorning it with magnets from our trips abroad.

Now you know where to shop. But where to stay?

There are lots of hotels, hostels or pension houses in the city depending on your budget. We ended up at this pension house right smack in the center, just a few minutes walk from the old town. I forgot its name but it doesn't matter. I wont recommend it anyway. The price was only 46 euros for two people and we thought ok, that's affordable considering its location. But dang, in our room the floorboard creaked on each step, the bed squeaked loudly each time we moved even just a teeny tiny bit, and since we were very near the cathedral, we were at the mercy of its churchbells. They rang every 15 minutes ending at 10pm and waking us up at 5am.

So what's my verdict? With its beauty and charming people, it's hard not to heart Salzburg.

Salzburg, Austria (part 1)

2008-05-04T15:21:00.007+02:00

Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria. It is very close to the German border, only 150 km away from Munich. From Prague, it is a gruelling five-hour drive, but the beautiful Austrian landscape, uncompromised by irritating billboards, makes the aches and pains worth it all.

The city is noted for its Alpine setting. The old town reminds me that of Prague's, dominated by baroque buildings. The huge "Festung Hohensalzburg" or "High Salzburg Fortress" sits imposingly on a hill. It is massive. It's the biggest castle I've seen, and I live in CZ where castles are almost everywhere.

Like anywhere else in Austria, the city is very clean. I hate to admit it but it's starkly different from CZ where you can see a plastic bottle here and there, graffiti hurting your eyes and ruining the view, garbage disposed where it shouldn't be. Austria is first world at its best.

Here are some pics from our trip:

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens. It was a delight to find this place when we were actually looking for a WC right after arriving in Salzburg. We were like, "Oh, this is pretty! Wonder what this place is called?" It was only later when I remembered it from a scene in the movie. (The Sound of Music, of course.) I rummaged for the travel guide inside my bag, and there it was, written as one of the must-see places in the city.

The massive Salzburg Fortress sits imposingly on Festungberg Hill. It's easy to find because the city is quite small and the tourist attractions are mainly in the center. You can climb the fortress on foot or you can use the funicular railway available with a fee, of course. We chose to climb it on foot but didn't enter the castle. We aren't great fans of castles' interiors so we just marvelled at the view below. I have no doubt the view is even better from the tower. Maybe next time, if there will be a next time, we'll enter it. Entrance fee is 7 euros/adult.

The streets of Salzburg are narrow, like in Prague. The locals go on a bike to get around. Bikes are parked everywhere. It's a healthy choice or is it a choice at all since driving in Salzburg is a challenge? Parking is another story. It took us almost half an hour circling the city just to look for a parking space. You can park along the streets for 1 euro/hour. We were lucky because it was a holiday on our first day there so parking was for free.

Each place has a charm but what makes it more charming and your visit memorable is of course the people. I loved it there. The locals are friendly, very polite--- and customer service is everywhere! This is something I really missed, something that is sorely lacking in Prague.

In a pizzeria there, the waiter/owner asked me if I didn't like my pasta because I didn't eat everything. I said it was good but the serving was just too big for me. He then good-naturedly reprimanded me for not telling him earlier to give me only half of the serving. He said he didn't want me to waste money on food I couldn't finish eating. It was amusing. First time in Europe someone made a fuss about me wasting money, hehe. What's more, he actually charged us only half of the price for my food! Now that's what I call customer service.

More to come about Salzburg and St. Wolfgang, another place in Austria we visited. Till then.

Prelude to Salzburg

2008-05-04T00:02:00.004+02:00

I took Friday off from work so I could have a long break since Thursday was a holiday. We drove to Austria and spent three days there. The original plan was to drive to Munich in Germany, then head to Salzburg in Austria before driving back home to Prague. I wasn't really sold out in going to Munich because I've never been crazy about big cities. Count me in only for off the beaten tracks.

A had been so keen on visiting Salzburg. I was kinda lukewarm about it at first but a click on wikipedia changed the whole temperature. I was suddenly burning with excitement!

Some facts about Salzburg, courtesy of Wikipedia, which really tickled my pickle:

1. The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg, for whose archbishops he worked from 1769 to 1781. His house of birth and residence are tourist attractions. His family is buried in a small church graveyard in the old town, and there are many monuments to "Wolferl" in the city.

2. Josef Mohr was born in Salzburg. Together with Franz Gruber, he composed and wrote the text for "Silent Night". As a priest in neighbouring Oberndorf he performed the song for the first time in 1818.

3. Maria Von Trapp (later Maria Trapp) and her family lived in Salzburg until they fled to America following the Nazi takeover.

4. " The Sound of Music," The phenomenally successful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was shot on lots of real locations around Salzburg.

Number four sealed the deal for me. The movie was a huge part of my childhood. I watched it numerous times, memorized the songs by heart. "Edelweiss" was my most favorite and of course, the immortal "Do Re Mi." So we totally scrapped Munich off from the itinerary. We were set to visit the place which unknowingly contributed so much among the best memories of my childhood.

Here's the video of "Do Re Mi" from the movie. You betcha we've visited and seen those places for real. :)

Will post pics and write about Salzburg soon. Ta-ta for now.

Paranoia

2008-04-30T20:23:00.004+02:00

The more I watch TV, the more hesitant I get to have a baby. People killing people, global food crisis, violent videogames accessible even to minors-- the list just never ends. I'm not sure if it's a world fit for a child anymore.

I had a great childhood. My parents rocked, especially my Mom. She moved heaven and earth for us to be shaped into good individuals and I'll always give her credit for that-- that, plus the fact that the world two or three decades ago, was probably a saner one than what we have right now.

Maybe I'm just paranoid. Maybe I just watch too much TV. What I'm sure about is that I'll be a good parent. I know I will be able to take care of my child the way she deserves. The question is, will the world be able to take care of her?

Průhonice

2008-04-27T08:50:00.007+02:00

Průhonice is a town about 6 km from Prague. It's very near our apartment since we are near the city exit. What's special about this place is its huge park right in the middle of the town. The park has a chateau, ponds and hundreds of flowers now in full bloom. It's a great place for a picnic, biking or to simply commune with nature.

Entrance fee is 40kč ( about 3USD). I've read online that it's open daily all year round.

Here are some pics taken when we went there last week. I also tried to upload a video so many times last night but without any luck. YouTube was probably possessed with an evil spirit.
A bird's eye view of the pond taken from the chateau's terrace. I've read that this and two others are used for fish production. They also serve as a refuge for many water species for birds and animals.

The chateau. Isn't it pretty? We didn't go inside though. Maybe next time we will.

The park has a collection of local and exotic plants. This looks like an exotic one. Then again, what do I know about plants?

The park area covers 250 hectares with about 25 km of footpaths. It's surely a place made for itchy feet like mine.

So is this place worth the time? Absolutely. It's worth even a second or a third or a fourth, make it numerous, visits.

Today

2008-04-23T21:42:00.005+02:00

Snippets of my (mis)adventures today:

1. We got stuck in a traffic today on our way to the farm for a field trip. We took the public transport. The traffic was moving in a snail pace similar to the horrible Manila jam. Suddenly the door near the driver opened and the driver himself got out. All eyes zeroed on him wondering where he was going. Guess where he headed? To the bushes along the road in the middle of the city to pee. One of my kids, who is four, exclaimed in a scandalized voice; "He's going to the toilet?!"

Welcome to the Czech Rep! I guess here the motto is " You gotta go when you gotta go."

2. Still on the bus, it was hot so my Brazilian-American co-teacher rolled up her sleeves. One of our kids, who is already very much showing signs of following the footsteps of Dolce and Gabbana, was horrified to see that my co-teacher has faint dark hair on her arms. In verbatim the next D&G exclaimed "Your arms have hair. Not nice. Like man's!"

3. You'll be surprised at the things you experience or see when you're stuck in a bumper to bumper jam. Today we also saw a man apparently sunbathing on the rooftop of a three-storey mall. He had a towel on when he stood up, but for some reasons, be it the wind or a sudden inspiration to flash, the towel came off. The Brazilian shrieked behind me but the Europeans on the bus took the show with a bored look on their faces.

4. At the farm, I got attacked by a bee. It dived into my hair and claimed residency right away. It took a huge amount of energy to finally flick it out of my crowning glory. It then showed its annoyance by getting into my co-teacher's ear (the one who flicked it out of my head) and leaving a sting so bad she had to be treated right away.

5. Rudeness is common among shop assistants here. Customer service is nonexistent in some stores, especially this one near our school. I can't count the times I felt like smacking them but what do I get from stooping to their level?

Today I bought food for my cooking afternoon with kids. It was only worth 50kč. I asked the cashier for a stamp on my receipt (the school's accountant requires it if you use the petty cash) and he freaked out. He was like swearing and rolling his eyes and saying something like why on earth people need a stamp for a 50kc purchase. Worse, the tall, dark but nevermind man behind me started laughing. I was fuming mad but couldn't articulate hell in Czech so I fired back in English, calling him a fool and a rude ignoramus.

The nevermind man behind me wanted to show off that he understood English and said to the ignoramus, "She's saying it's alright."

"What alright are you talking about?" I was on the verge of swearing to them in Czech (this I can say fluently) but really what's the point? I can't change the rudeness, this attitude about work I can't define, by joining their game. So I gave them one last dagger look and marched out of the store.

There. That's how it was for me today. Now I'm sleepy so dobrou noc (goodnight) from bush-peeing, rude swearing, bee stinging, hair raising, and yet exciting Prague that I come to love.

Spring thing

2008-04-17T18:20:00.002+02:00

Spring isn't my favorite season anymore. With the buds blooming, it means nonstop sneezing for me. I'm allergic to virtually everything that blooms in CZ. Usually the torture would start in late spring and ends mid-summer, but obviously not this year. As early as now my nose already feels like it will fall apart soon from constant blowing, and my eyes? Oh, I look stoned, courtesy of myself constantly rubbing them.

This means I need to pop in my doctor's clinic soon. When I came to see her for the first time, she rubbed liquids on my arm to determine what I'm allergic to. Out of probably 15 samples, 12 turned red! The three non-reactive musketeers were dust, molds and cats. The ones I remember which my skin really had violent reactions from were wheat, rye and barley, even feathers.

Well, we don't grow wheat in Cebu or Surigao, do we?

As for dust, we breathe them all the time in Cebu. Molds sounds gross but well, my immune system is apparently cool with them.

And I love cats, hands down.

Spring allergies can be really bothersome. So now I'm allergic to spring as well. I've decided my most favorite season is- what else- summer!

"Zlatý Déšt´" in bloom

2008-04-14T15:25:00.003+02:00

It's 22C in Prague today, the first real warm day without the clouds gate-crashing now and then. Earlier I was out in the garden with my kids soaking up the sun in just my shirt and leggings. Finally, no more bulky coats or jackets for the next few months!

And zlatý déšt'? It means "gold rain." It's a kind of shrub, called Forsythia in English, which blooms prettily in spring. They're blooming everywhere here now.

Better off without

2008-04-10T19:25:00.008+02:00

My co-teacher last week ranted about her friend who just couldn't get herself out of this hopeless relationship with someone. This friend's boyfriend apparently has a wandering eye and his eye wandered not once, not twice, but three times in their three-year relationship.

One affair each year. Quite a record. It's a no-brainer that one day he will wander off again.

I wonder which is worse, to turn a blind eye on what's happening in your face or to be so clueless about not so teeny-tiny indications that Romeo indeed has another Juliet and be the last one to know?

--------------------------------

On breaking up and moving on, the most important thing I learned from my one and only experience is you gotta have friends to save you from severe self- esteem malfunction, especially if you got dumped. Directly or indirectly dumped, it doesn't really matter.

I call these friends "band-aid brigade." They are the ones who would pat your bruised ego and deflated self-esteem by telling you that that other girl looked like a long-lost member of Phylum Mollusca, in no way near your allure level. Nevermind if it's untrue, you need all the leg-pulling for the healing to start.

These are also your friends who will throw you these predictable questions; "Geez, what in the name of Gulay did you ever see in that guy?" "Didn't you get repulsed with his ginger-like toes?" The list will go on and believe me, total band-aid brigade brainwashing will make you start believing you're better off without him.

And you're right. You are.

Joyride

2008-03-31T21:59:00.008+02:00

A drive without a certain destination in mind, only for the pleasure of it. Online dictionaries may have different definitions, but this is how I say joyriding is.

Spring is finally here. The sun's been out and the sky's been blue since Saturday. To celebrate this re-birth, A and I went for a joyride last weekend. We ended up circling a part of Prague 4 called Šeberov.

Some snapshots taken during the drive:

Didn't I say before that I'm a sucker for sunsets? There's something romantic, at the same time melancholic, about them. It's like letting go of something you cherish yet waiting and hoping for something more beautiful to come soon.

Which way to go? To the left or to the right? Neither. We went straight ahead where we circled Šeberov for several minutes.

Less than an hour later, we headed home giddy with the experience. (Yes, mundane things done spontaneously usually make me giddy with happiness. ) We weren't ready to give up the day yet so we strolled around the apartment complex. We have been living here almost a year but it's only now when we knew that there's actually a mini park with this man-made pond just a few meters from our flat. At night, the view just gives you a feeling of peace.

Sunsets and spring. Happy days are here again!

Moonriver and me

2008-03-27T21:28:00.007+01:00

One afternoon I came home from work with no gameplan in mind. Usually I would be running crazy with list of things to do. From watering the plants to cooking dinner, my hyper self would always find something to do. Not this time though. I found myself staring at the ceiling until I got bored with its whiteness.

So I hit the keys and surfed away.

YouTube is one of my faves these days. It's like a manna from heaven. With just one click I can find the music I'd like to hear that goes with my current mood.

I was in the mood for Sarah Mclachlan. Her "Surfacing" album is simply timeless. When I searched for "Last Dance," it led me to a video of a guy (or a kid?) playing it on piano. He did it so well that for the first time ever I left a comment on Youtube.

His profile says he's up for requests so I wrote " how about Moonriver on piano or violin?" His reply came just a few days later:

FYI, "Hlodavecvodni" means water rodent. I don't know what YouTube was thinking or why it felt free to give me this awful nick.

Anyway, me and Moonriver go a long way back. It's been a favorite since time immemorial. At least that afternoon didn't go to waste. Moonriver got played for me when I least expected it. Ha!

More rants

2008-03-19T19:17:00.006+01:00

I haven't forsaken thee, my blog...

I have been just busy with the day to day life, and lazy as well. I just couldn't bring myself to write. Mentally constipated is how I was, and I believe, still is.

I also believe I'm suffering from the downside of getting off the pill. I decided to give my body a break from it after almost three years, and what do I get? Dizziness, depression, and bouts of lethargy are just some pains my ungrateful body is giving me in return to my taking care of it. And oh, this bloating that just appeared overnight which gives me a distended belly I so abhor, is also a part of the most unwanted list, thanks to my ever going ballistic hormones.

Unsolicited as this is, if ever you're thinking of being on the pill, really really think again. You might not feel any side effects when you start on it, but you might feel a lot when you stop using it. Like me.

A said I might as well go back to it. Very tempting but no, thank you. No wonder some people get hooked on drugs, and I don't just mean the ones being sold in the streets. Prescribed drugs are just as addictive. Who wants discomfort? Not you and I certainly wont buy it. But I refused to bow to my body's immediate need which is to alleviate whatever discomfort it is feeling by taking the same drug that caused it in the first place.

The rough drive to wellness is just starting. Hopefully the road isn't long and winding...

Speaking of long and winding road, I just remembered a line from a Filipino movie eons ago. This is total digression but what the heck, I'm entitled to write in random thoughts once in a while.

In the movie, Rene Requistas (RIP) was pissed big time with someone and he said to him:

" You're very rude! Capital RIP, rude! The long and winding rude!"

There. If that was like "huh?" to you then I can only blame my hormones for my flat sense of humor.

Just ranting

2008-03-08T07:29:00.012+01:00

In one of my previous posts I wrote that it takes several Murphy's law incidents to get me really annoyed. Most of the time I just laugh everything off. When I'm annoyed, it's because something or someone is really pushing it too far.

"Why don't you have a baby now? You're not getting any younger. The clock is ticking. Is there a problem? When you're past 35, better not have one..."

These are just some lines or questions that have been irritating me like a wart on a skin. I absolutely don't mind those well-meaning friends who probably think I'm not doing the world a favor by not producing an offspring now, but virtual strangers who fire me those lines just for what, for the sake of conversation or just for the heck of making unsolicited advices, are another story.

I don't owe them an explanation but if that's what it takes to shut their mouths up, I'll give them some.

A baby isn't the be-all and end-all for me. It's my relationship with my husband that is first in line. If a baby happens along the way, I would be happy and would consider it as another blessing that came our way.

We want to enjoy as a couple first before plunging ourselves into a long-term responsibility. We want us to travel and explore the world , be silly together, and when we've had enough of that, be serious in raising a family together. I've heard enough whining from friends, who right away had babies, to last me a lifetime. I don't believe in that crap that someone can complete you-- even a baby, especially a baby. You have to be complete first before you have one. That way you can give your all without expecting something back. So age notwithstanding, I'd rather be silly and be free for now, not break free from it all later.

Lastly, I believe when something is for you, it happens to you. Everything great that happened in my life was something I didn't look for. It was just handed to me when I was ready to take it and take care of it the best way I can.

Almost three years

2008-03-05T20:18:00.003+01:00

On Saturday, the 8th of March, it will be my third year here in CZ. Time went by so fast. I still remember how cold it was when I got here, how homesick I was, how I longed for sunny PI and its yummy food. After three years the longing is less frequent. I can finally say I've adjusted here so well.

March 8 is also International Women's Day. They celebrate it here though it's not a national holiday. Women usually receive flowers, chocolates or something to let them know they are appreciated. We thought of celebrating my third year anniversary in CZ and the Int'l Women's Day in Budapest. We were all set but then we unexpectedly bought an expensive, brand-new toy last Friday. I'm suddenly dizzy from spending hard-earned cash. I guess Budapest has to wait.

They say home is where the heart is. PI is a place I will always, always heart and yet Prague has also managed to win my heart.

Where to go this summer?

2008-02-27T22:13:00.007+01:00

For weeks we have been wondering where to go this summer. Being in the heart of Europe, one can easily go somewhere around the continent especially now that aside from being an EU member, CZ is also a part of Schengen. The big question is not how, but where to go?

We will be tagging A's parents with us this time, that is if Tatka could bear it to part with his beloved cats for at least a week. It will be our way of saying thank you to them for everything they are and everything they have done for us. We thought of Switzerland, of its picture-perfect mountains and lakes, of the Alps. And once we'll be there, why not head for Italy, too?

Then, I remember "Cool." I'm sure all of you have seen this Gwen Stefani music video. I love her vids, this one in particular because of the picturesque place where it was shot. I immediately googled it and found out it was shot at Lake Como in Italy. Great, Como is actually near the Swiss border! Then again, traveling by car may be exhausting for the parents.... Hay pastilan....

Anywho, enjoy this glossy vid.

New obsession

2008-02-21T22:48:00.004+01:00

It's not really new. Food has always been one of my loves. The most amazing thing, even for me, is how I eat almost ten times a day and still remain a skinny bean.

Anyway, this new obsession is the Indian restaurant at the top floor of Palladium mall. (Palladium is a newly opened mall by Namesti Republiky.) It's called "ChanChala." It has a nice ambience and of course, great food. We had lunch there for the first time on my birthday and we got hooked right away. I love spicy food. Thai, Indian or any cuisine that guarantees chilli on each dish, you can surely count me to gobble it with gusto.

"ChanChala" and its staff also know customer service, something that is virtually non-existent here. This, coupled with great food and great ambience, makes me hooked maybe for life.

Tea for me

2008-02-18T17:49:00.004+01:00

Paranoia is my middle name when it comes to popping pills. You cannot make me take one unless I'm almost unconcious from pain or practically moving in the bathroom or, well, you get the point. I don't know, I just don't trust these little white objects that promise instant relief. You can't really tell what they contain. I feel like each time I pop them in my mouth, I kill some cells in my brain and I'd be brain dead soon.

I turn to tea to ease discomfort or to shoo the pain out of the door. At least I know they are just leaves and no other twenty thousand chemicals mixed in them. These three kinds of tea in the picture above have a special place in our cupboard as I use them often:

1. "Medovkova"- or Melissa herbal tea. There was a time last year when I suffered from insomnia. I was sleeping only two hours a day for two weeks straight. My boss told me to drink this tea three times a day and voila- insomnia was history! I still drink it when I have trouble sleeping and it always works.

2. "Heřmankový" or Camomile. This is good to settle any upset stomach or to ease menstrual pain. If you suffer from dysmenorrhea, (I can't believe I spelled this out right without checking Ms. Webster first haha) this is the tea for you.

3. "Migrenan"- It's obvious it means migraine. For me, migraine is the flag bearer of discomfort department. I have it too often especially before or after my period. This tea is a concoction of several herbs that include melissa and even dried nettle. I drank this during the weekend because I had a nasty migraine again. After several mugs, I felt better.

So there. Take tea if you're paranoid about pills like me.

Feeling (not) good

2008-02-17T08:54:00.003+01:00

There are two songs that alternately play in my head when I'm feeling good; U2's Beautiful Day and/or Kevyn Lettau's Sunlight. I call them my feel good songs because they do play on cue when I feel fantastic about something in me or around me. Today I had to summon all positive energies to hear them. Not my day. I don't hear anything. Not a single chord.

I've been having this splitting migraine since yesterday. I woke up with the right side of my head throbbing with intense pain. I knew immediately this was the kind which would pull me down to the couch the whole weekend. Still I wont give up without a fight. I've uploaded one song below to convince myself it is indeed a beautiful day.

Speaking of U2, there are rumors that they will have a concert in Manila sometime in October. I wish they would have a concert here in Prague asap. I'd be the first one to dash for a ticket. Oh well, right now I could only wish this migraine would leave me in peace.

Baking mishaps

2008-02-16T18:20:00.008+01:00

The kids and I baked carrot cake at school last Wednesday afternoon. I brought my own round pan but the crazy thing about this pan is it leaks a bit if I didn't use an electric mixer for the batter. True enough, it started dripping the moment I put it in the oven. This oven, by the way, is a character. It looks like it belonged way back to the jurassic age. Small, stained, scratched and rusting, it certainly had seen better days. It still works, which is what matters, but a single drip from the batter landing on the sooting wire at the bottom would mean smoke coming out from the oven.

I solved the problem by getting rid of the wire rack and using the rectangular baking pan for support. I was about to give myself a pat on my shoulder when I realized it would take time for the cake to be done this way especially the middle part. What the heck, I'll put it over the wire rack again in a while when it has hardened a bit, this I told myself. That's exactly what I did except that when I put the wire rack with the pan on it, the right edge got dislodged. To my horror, almost half of the still liquid batter was spilling all over the bottom! Sure enough, the entire school was right away profused with smoke. It was everywhere even when we opened almost all the windows to let the fresh air in.

Then the school's caretaker rushed inside with this wild look in her eyes. She was yelling something like "where is it, where is it?" in Czech. Where is what? In her barrage of words I only caught one that sounded like electricity and got it. She thought the school was on fire! I shook my head and tried to tell her in my elementary Czech that there was no fire but there was no stopping her from running around the room desperately looking for the faulty wire. I stood in the kitchen waiting for her to come and calmly opened the oven when she did. Next thing I knew, she was bursting in hysterical laughter.

In between fits of laughter she told me the teachers from upstairs were alarmed of the smoke and called her to check. When I told this to A, he said it would have been really something if one of the teachers called the fire brigade and they would come to hose the school down with water. I'm glad all the drama didn't end this way.

Despite everything, our carrot cake still emerged near perfect and was a hit among everyone who tasted it.

Lesson learned

2008-02-10T19:20:00.001+01:00

Are you a shopper who can't wait to get out of the store? I am. I don't even bother getting my receipt sometimes much less bother looking at it. I always dash off from the counter and out of the store in record time.

The other week I was mechanically shoving my groceries in a plastic bag when I glanced at the screen. Waitaminute, how come there were two boxes of fiber crackers listed when I only had one? And three cans of spicy sardines? I only had two! I groped for words in Czech and told the lady of her mistakes. She had to call somebody to help her delete those items.

On the bus on my way home, there was this nagging feeling that I was still a bit ripped off. I scanned the receipt and there it was-- "Norsky salat" for 25kč. I have no idea what it was and it certainly was not in my bag. Too late for me to complain, but for sure there wont be a next time for this. Now I monitor the screen like a hawk because hmmm, you'll never know.

Raine

2008-02-04T16:36:00.000+01:00

I'm suddenly having thoughts of Raine. They say I have her smile. I remind them of her. But I'm just me, a reminder of her.

Beautiful, perfect Raine. In my eyes she was everything. Freckles and all. Though maybe she loved too much.

Raine swinging me up in the air. Days spent in total abandon. Laughters mingling together. Running around fields of gold in Tabon-tabon.

Then, calachuchis... In the end, was it worth the living and the loving? Or the color tangerine? I know I promised her birds of paradise, even storms and thunder.

I'm having thoughts of Raine. Pens, tongues, papers-- they wont be enough, but I can bring her back by just closing my eyes.

They say I'm like her. I blink, I'm unsure. My world crumbles every now and then, but everyday I try. I try to be like Raine.

Tomorrow is my Mom's 18th death anniversary. I was in my teens when she passed away. I used to doodle or scribble something about her to deal with it. This was one of those scribblings which I found in, where else, but the journal I gave to A many many years back.

The largest malls in the world

2008-02-02T14:10:00.000+01:00

One of the very first few things I noticed when I moved to Prague was the size of its malls. I was expecting "megamalls" like in PI but was either relieved or disappointed to realize malls here are like smaller department stores back home. I don't like big malls and malling but when I shop, which is once in a technicolor moon, I'd like to find everything in one place.

So this question struck me as really funny. You know, when you are from the third world and you move to the so called first world, it's expected to be at the receiving end of stupid questions. I've been asked if PI is where cannibals still live, or if we catch mice and make adobo out of them for dinner. I don't get offended though, I just marvel at how ignorant we people tend to be at times.

Anywho, the funny question I'm talking about is, Do we have restaurants in the Philippines? I don't exactly remember what my answer was but I think it was something to this effect; Last time I checked we had millions of them. Maybe it was too much for the ignoramus to believe but I couldn't care less. A fact is a fact, something that can't be changed-- same as ignorance by choice.

What does this have to do with the title of this post? I just found out today that among the 10 largest malls in the world, Philippines has three of them. I bet there are restaurants at least in one of them, wouldn't you think so? :)

Wastage

2008-01-30T20:26:00.000+01:00

In Haiti, some people are resorting to eat dirt as desperate measures to fill their bellies. The country's poorest can't even afford a plate of rice. At school, we throw away loads of food each week-- from candies to bread to pastries to pasta to cakes to meat-- you name it, we toss quite a lot of it to the nearest bin almost all the time. Our kids' usual line at the table is " I don't like it," so we throw away the food because no one else will eat it and will just go stale.

Such wastage was hard to get used to. I'm still not used to it, and probably will never ever get used to it. I think of the street children in Cebu everytime I dump slices of strawberry cakes in the bin, of faceless and nameless children who probably will never know how a chocolate tastes like.

I remember my Mom used to tell us she and her two other siblings only get to have margarine on their bread at Christmastime. Even A's grandma has a story to tell. They used to be so poor they couldn't afford to have foil-wrapped chocolates hanging on their Christmas tree, a Czech custom. These stories, along with the thought of those millions of faceless and nameless children, flash on my mind each time I take hesitant steps towards our orange bin.

Our kids at school are oblivious to how fortunate they are. I wonder, if miles away from here like in Haiti, the less fortunate ones have any idea that a world where such unimaginable wastage on food does exist.

St. Vitus Cathedral

2008-01-26T18:32:00.000+01:00

I was browsing our picture files when I saw these photos of St. Vitus Cathedral I took in August. A, the parents in law and I went to Mala Strana for a stroll one hot Saturday afternoon. It was my first time to be inside and I was awed by its magnificence.

These stained glass windows caught my eyes the moment we entered the Cathedral.

St. Vitus Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague and the place where saints, kings, princes and emperors of Bohemia are buried. The coronations of the kings of Bohemia were held there until 1836. It’s one of the best examples of Gothic architecture.

To get there, take Metro line A to Malostranska and walk your way up to the Prague Castle. (This cathedral is a dominant part of the Prague Castle complex.) There is no entrance fee. Opening hours are:

Monday- Saturday (November-February) - 9:00- 16:00
Sunday - 12:00 - 16:00

Monday- Saturday (March-October) - 9:00- 17:00
Sunday - 12:00- 17: 00

Fruit and nut bars

2008-01-23T21:13:00.001+01:00

I think my baking is getting popular among my kids' parents, hehe. Wednesday afternoons are cooking time for me and my kids at school. I have to say cooking is their most favorite activity. All playing, yelling and even bullying with each other will cease whenever they hear the most revered line-- "Cooking time! Go wash your hands with soap, kids."

Today another Mom asked me for the recipe of these fruit and nut bars that I baked with them last week. The same Mom was raving about my experimental (because I didn't even measure the ingredients it took me sometime to write down the recipe for her) banana muffins and how happy she was to bake them with her kids at home. Sometimes feedbacks like this gets me high. As in feeling pud ba, hahaha....

With these fruit and nut bars, the credit goes to the baker behind this website. I came across her blog when I was searching for Christmas cookies to bake last month. I tweaked the recipe a bit by substituting the dates with dried plums and raisins. I got a huge pack of dried fruits from one of the parents for Christmas so they came in handy when I decided to try to bake it. I also used two eggs instead of one because I found the mixture kinda dry. I guess it was because the eggs I had were quite small. Anywho, aside from a lot of chopping and slicing, this recipe is so easy to follow. What's more, it's so healthy you wont feel any bit guilty for eating quite a lot of it. Enjoy!

A hell of a match

2008-01-20T11:40:00.000+01:00

You missed a huge deal of great tennis if you failed to see the match between Roger Federer and Janko Tipsarevic at the Australian Open yesterday. The Serb was playing exceptionally well that for a while I thought Federer had to prematurely leave Melbourne. Federer held on and won but with great difficulty I must say.

The match was so thrilling I wonder how the families and friends of tennis stars can watch matches like these without experiencing a bout of diarrhea. As for these two, Federer and Tipsarevic, I wonder how they stay composed all throughout the game. I can well relate to Mary Pierce. I'd be a nervous wreck,too, if I'd be in situations like this. I don't blame her for losing so many matches that she could have easily won.

Click on the video to see Federer's latest glorious moment.

I have no doubt the last 15 players were rooting for the Serb to win. If he eliminated Federer, each would have the chance of winning the first Grand Slam of the year. Fat chance, guys. He doesn't seem ready to relinguish his crown yet. Oh well, let's see next week.

Soap, anyone?

2008-01-16T20:29:00.000+01:00

We have a new teacher at school. She's Brazilian-American. Yesterday she cracked me up with her tales of (mis)adventures here in CZ. Here's what she told us:

1. Her boyfriend's parents don't take a bath everyday. I mean, this is not a crime but for OC people like us, getting cozy with your dead skin is a no-no. What's more, she said, his mom thinks when you take a bath you shouldn't use soap all the time. She believes some dead cells have some minerals or whatever she calls them that are beneficial to your body.

I wonder what benefit you can get from not taking a bath often and from condemning an innocent soap for doing its job except, of course, some serious case of B.O.?

2. She attended a Hunters' Ball in a town where the candidate parents-in-law live. In verbatim: " They had prizes like dead hare, dead deer and the biggest prize was a dead wild pig! They put the dead animals on the tables! There wasn't any food on those tables but.....they really aren't so much into hygiene here."

I said well, different strokes for different folks... Just that I don't buy that c_*p about not using soap when you shower. Do you?

Massaged for free!

2008-01-12T17:45:00.000+01:00

One of the few perks I enjoyed in Cebu before I moved to Prague was my monthly visit to Ruiz Derma and Spa. After a month of nonstop travelling around the country, I often looked forward to a day of body scrub, sauna, manicure-pedicure-- the works. You name what that spa had to offer, I had it. I even had a "brazilian" several times just for the heck of it. Ha!

Getting pampered this way in Praha means you're totally loaded or you are going to burn some seriours cash. I never entertained the idea for obvious reasons. It was a great surprise when Lillian and Daisy decided to give me for my birthday an hour's session of whole body massage at this classy Thai wellness club where Lillian works. It was only yesterday when I went to enjoy the gift as we couldn't squeeze it in our crazy schedules last month.

This wellness club is actually one of the amenities Ambassador Hotel offers. It's right smack in the center of the city where shops, hotels and restaurants are expensive. The moment you enter inside, you'll forget you're in the heart of Europe. The interior is all-Oriental, the furnitures were carefully chosen to give the place an authentic Asian look. The smell of incense and scented candles made me giddy with excitement.

My masseuse was a Thai named Kat. She was excellent. I was actually tensed at first because I'm ticklish on my knees. Anything But The Knees, this would have been my band's name if I had one, haha! I think she felt how tensed I was but I eventually relaxed-- and dozed off! It was only when I heard a voice from faraway telling me to turn over that I woke up. It was soooooo good, especially the shoulder part. I was like, hmm this is heaven. But the trip to heaven ended after an hour.

Too relaxed, I was completely useless afterwards. I thought I was ready to go outside with Lillian to eat somewhere when I noticed I didn't zip up my boots. Then when I was on my way home and wanted to call A, I actually dialed Lillian's number and got confused when she answered the call. I was like-- wait, you're at my place? It was a relief to get home unscathed. I zonked to oblivion until 9am the next day.

Thanks again to the sponsors. Can't wait for another birthday. Maybe I'll get another massage for free again? :)

It's too loud. I'm too old.

2008-01-11T21:53:00.000+01:00

The Cure, Korn, Metallica, and Smashing Pumpkins are just a few bands that will rock Praha this year. I was a hardcore Metallica fan and once upon a time "Unforgiven 2" was my national anthem. Then there was a phase when I thought Billy Corgan was the coolest...How our preference changes through time. Now I reminisce the 90's, the decade I was rocking and rolling, and surprisingly the songs that drive me hard to nostalgia are the sort of mushy ones. My soundtrack of years gone by doesn't consist of rock music. I can't even listen to rock anymore.

They say if it's too loud, you're too old. Oh well, I guess I'm getting old. But for those who are still headbanging, this is the site to check out for concert schedules in Prague.

Pasta Arrabbiata

2008-01-06T10:03:00.000+01:00

Pasta has always been a fave of mine. When I was still living in Cebu my most favorite place to get my pasta fix was Don Henrico's. Their "grand emperor's pasta" is top-notch. But in Cebu my pasta plate was kinda limited to the sweet Pinoy spaghetti and super oily carbonara. A whole wide world of choices awaited me in Prague the moment I learned to shop and read Czech labels on my own.

I first tasted pasta arrabbiata a year ago (see, the years I missed) when M, a co-teacher, brought us to this Italian restaurant a few minutes walk from Zelivskeho metro stop. It was love at first taste. I love its being spicy. I thought it was something difficult to prepare so I perished the thought of preparing it myself until I stumbled on a recipe after a series of nonstop blog-hopping just to kill the time. It's actually from a food blog I frequently visit. This is the blog to visit when you want an easy to prepare but nonetheless yummy dish.

I got the taste that I wanted. This pasta is so yummy especially when you're a chilli and spice fan like me.

I've done 14 of 35 stupid things....

2008-01-04T23:25:00.000+01:00

Tekla tagged me to do this a couple of weeks ago but I've kinda forgotten to. Old age, hehe. Anyway, better late than never....

[ ] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were talking.
[ ] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were NOT talking.
[x] You have ran into a glass/screen door.
[ ] You have fell out/off of a moving vehicle.
[x] You have thought of something funny and laughed, then people gave you weird looks.
[ ] You have ran into a tree.
[ ] You have tried to lick your elbow.
[ ] You just tried to lick your elbow.
[x] You never knew that the Alphabet and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star have the same rhythm.
This is probably the most stupid-- I'm a pre-school teacher for crying out loud!
[x]You just tried to sing them.
Yeah, I sang it with three other teachers at school today who were as stupid as me, hehe. One was a music major in the university and was absolutely clueless.

[ ] You have tripped on your shoelace and fallen.
[ ] You have choked on your own spit.
[ ] Your hair is/was blond.
[ ] You've put metal in the microwave.
[ ] You have accidentally caught something on fire.
[x] You tried to drink out of a straw, but it went into your nose/eyes.
[x] You have caught yourself drooling when you wake up.
[ ] You've fallen asleep in class.
[x] You have tripped over your own feet.
[ ] Sometimes you just stop thinking.
[x] You are telling a story and forget what you were talking about.
[ ] You have forgotten to breathe. Is this valid? I bet everyone doesn’t think about breathing.
[ ]You are often told to use your "inside voice".
[x] You use your fingers to do simple math.
[ ] You have eaten a bug
[ ] You are taking this test when you should be doing something else. I am taking this test because I want to do something. Heh!
[x] You have put your clothes on backwards or inside out.
[x] You've looked all over for something and realized it was in your hand.

[ ] You sometimes post bulletins because you are scared that what they say will happen to you if you dont.
[x] You break a lot of things.
[ ] Your friends know not to use big words around you.
[x] You sometimes tilt your head when you're confused.
Not sometimes. All the time.
[x] You have fallen out of your chair before.
[ ] When you're lying in bed, you try to find pictures or words in the texture of the ceiling.
[ ] The word "uh" is used many times a day.

I'm supposed to tag some people but I'm not going to. :)

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T00:18:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year, everyone! And thank you, 2007 for:

- summer in the Philippines
- our own flat
- for A
- for families and friends
- good health
- for just the highs and no lows that I could remember.

Driving nostalgia away

2007-12-30T20:23:00.000+01:00

"One day more

another day, another destiny..."

-Les Miz

Another year will soon be over. How did it happen so fast? Nostalgia just hit me like a powerful kick in the gut. I don't need to close my eyes to see flashes of many happy Christmases in Carrascal, and to feel again the loss of something not mine when another year had ended.

An ending or a beginning? The new year is often a mass of conflicting emotions, like a rush of excitement to open a present but reluctant to put the beautiful wrapper away....I'll better contain myself. Who knows what terrible metaphors I would end up writing here if I wont stop being nostalgic right now? Besides, with nostalgia comes melancholia and I refuse to entertain it tonight.

Okay, just a little self- indulgence then. I will allow myself to travel down memory lane of 2007 but will only have four stops for moments or stuff that still crack me up. Happy happy, joy joy. :)

1. That woman who stole a tray of potted tulips along Francouzka here in Prague. As if the choice wasn't hilarious enough, she wore a pair of high heels for the job. Click here for the full story.

2. Hitchcock's movies. In just two months we covered 15 or 16 of his movies. No matter how packed with suspense they are, there are often scenes or lines that would make you howl with laughter. Unsolicited as it is, I do advice one who appreciates droll humor to see his movies. Start with "North by Northwest" and you'll know what I mean.

3. I've never read a book that is a masterpiece of unparalleled humor other than Roald Dahl's "My Uncle Oswald." One time I was reading some pages on the metro and I was trying so hard to stifle a laugh I was red-faced and near tears. I probably looked like someone heading for a mental facility.

4. The Fantomas* Chronicles. I have a kid at school, whom I will hide in the name Fantomas, who used to poop in his pants almost every day for one or two weeks straight. He was three at that time. The funniest thing about it was that he immediately bent like an acrobat with his palms planted flat on the floor everytime I wiped his bum. Regardless of how many times I told him he didn't need to, that I would see the target perfectly, he still bent as if his life depended on it. This never failed to crack my husband up. Usually A's first line when I got home was "So did Fantomas s*+@ in his pants again?" or "Did he bend 360 degrees again?" I probably have a weird sense of humor because for something that other people consider gross, I actually found those pooping episodes hilarious.

There, those four somehow drove nostalgia away. Happy happy, joy joy again. :)

*Fantomas is an old French movie that is dubbed in Czech and has been shown on TV here so many times. The absence of hair on his (Fantomas') head made A give my kid this monicker. And since we are on this topic, here's another funny moment with my little Fantomas at school; I made them listen to Simon Says and they had to touch whatever body part Simon was saying. When Simon said "touch your hair", my Fantomas didn't do anything. I asked why he wasn't touching his hair. He replied " Because Marielle, I have no hair."

I love this kid.

'Twas a white Christmas

2007-12-29T21:26:00.000+01:00

It's been so cold here in CZ. Everyday the temperature is something below zero. But those who dreamed of a white Christmas especially here in Prague was probably disappointed. Christmas came and went, Jezišek (baby Jesus) and Santa already came bearing gifts but snow is still sorely absent in the capital city. And to rub it in their faces, hehe, here are some pics of my Christmas:

'Twas white and 'twas beautiful, but for me snow doesn't make Christmas. It's only a much welcome embellishment of the real thing.

Hodgepodge, hotchpotch

2007-12-22T09:33:00.000+01:00

I woke up with a throbbing headache again, or the throbbing headache woke me up again. What did I eat? Did I lack sleep or overslept? Period? I gotta run to Interspar to have one last quick shopping for gifts, no time to ponder what caused this head to seemingly split. Green or "Dr. Migraine" tea? Do you know that lots of herbal tea are better than over-the-counter meds? Been drinking chamomile tea. No cramps during period but darn, this migraine is what I got. Cramps are better than migraine for sure. Six slices of toasted bread for breakfast again. This anaconda in my stomach will one day eat me. Have to pack, have to pack for Tisnov. Love Tisnov but always dreading the time spent carrying bags to catch the bus then the metro and spending three hours on a packed train. Gotta bake more cookies for Babi. Found a keeper recipe for a delectable and healthy nut and fruit bars. It will be a busy day for me. I look outside and all I can see is gloom, no streak of sunlight at all. The thermometer says minus 3 outside, which probably means it's minus 5. Cold cold day, warm warm hearts. Three days before Christmas. I smile as I leave the window. No amount of gloom outside can darken my day and my Christmas to come.

Finally, Schengen!

2007-12-21T15:31:00.000+01:00

Yey, today the Czech Rep is already a part of Schengen! That means no visa (I still carry a Filipino passport) for me anymore when I travel to most parts of Europe. I can't wait for warm weather so we can do all the traveling anytime, anywhere.

For more about Schengen and its member states, please click here.

Life is

2007-12-20T17:46:00.000+01:00

.. less complicated when you're older. I guess the hormones of youth can make one a drama queen. Found this undated "poem" written in my personal journal I sent A as a gift centuries ago. I barely recognized the "poet."

My lips taste like a hundred years
of bottled up bitterness
My ears hear cries of weary children
in agony of a life that shouldn't be
These hands I call mine
can only touch a world of wasted lives
Each bulging vein reminds me
of life spent in complete dissipation
including my own
My feet tread on acres of barren land
where the wind is chilling me to the marrows
of my breaking bones
My nose forgets the scent of a coming rain
in it permanently resides the acrid smell
of burning humanity
Dusk is settling to where my eyes see
a mass of vultures, of people
hungrily waiting for my fall
In the shallowest regresses of my soul
lies the shadow of a smile
And I wonder why did the love have to die
Why do we all have to sigh

Geez!

Calorific!

2007-12-18T17:19:00.001+01:00

Czech Christmas cookies are totally loaded with calories. This I learned just by reading Mamka's recipes. Imagine all 250 grams of Hera butter plus more or less 300g of powdered sugar, eggs, couple hundred grams of ground nuts in just two trays of cookies. Caloriiiiific, isn't it? But who cares, really? Certainly not me. Gazillion calories notwithstanding, the husband and I baked two kinds last weekend. Then, as if suddenly hit by a strong feeling of success, he announced he would like to bring his officemates the products of his own labor. This drove me to bake the immortal brownies and choco-chip cookies to add some variety and for the husband to be Mr. Popular the next day at work.

And he got the title, of course, hehe.... The cookies in a shape of a flower and moon are my most fave Czech Christmas cookies. They are called "Linecke" ( which doesn't mean anything in Czech according to A). The chocolate ones are called " Medvedi Pracky" or Bears' Paws. They look totally harmless because of their size, right? Now I tell you, if you're constantly checking your waistline, immediately put these cookies to a place where the sun wont shine---like someone else's stomach. But if you're all for the season of giving and eating, have one or two, and then some more. After all, Christmas only comes once a year so eat and be merry!

Last Wednesday......

2007-12-15T21:04:00.000+01:00

...was my birthday. Friends here and in PI are asking how I spent it. I was on day off that day so I enjoyed it more than I did last year. It was a quiet celebration, just enjoying the now..

- had lunch with A at an Indian resto on the fifth (?) floor of Palladium mall. Great ambience, delicious food, reasonable price. A must visit (again) place.
- bought a 6-foot pine tree and adorned it with "blings." I told you our tree will be up weeks before Christmas day.
- baked Christmas cookies with A. It was his third time to bake with me since my grand debut in the kitchen. Loved it a lot.

What did I get? Hmm... that's something for me to know and you to guess. :)

Making my own Christmas ornaments

2007-12-14T17:45:00.001+01:00

Those Christmas ornaments, they are so expensive! Sure you can store and use them for more Christmases to come but still.... So I fixed this problem by making my own ornaments. Below are some products of my "creativity." Anyone is welcome to copy. :)

The wreath. I just wanted something simple and cheerful hanging on our front door. The simpler it is, the more expensive it gets. The cheapest I found was for over 200kč and they did look cheap. So I bought the materials and made one myself. The damage? One hundred and nine crowns. Only.

The wand. Just look at them, any 5-year old can do them. I bought the red one from Obi for 27kč. Later I made some with my kids at school. The gold one is my example. I took it home to give the red one a partner. Really it doesn't look inferior at all next to the professionally made one considering I didn't spend a single crown for it.

Our fridge is no longer lonely as its whiteness is no longer unadorned. I made the star. M, my co-teacher, one day thought of making stockings with the kids. She made one as an example and later decided it was too nice or too complicated for them. She ended up making one for me and one for A, another co-teacher.

The "ball." This idea just popped out of nowhere. Last week we had to decorate our Christmas tree at school. I made my kids choose pre-cut shapes from a cardboard paper. They had to cover them with aluminum foil then glue green and red small pieces of colored paper to look like a poinsettia. One tiny piece of yellow paper completed the look.

Making ornaments is fun. I enjoyed it so much I may quit teaching next Christmas and start a career in it. :)

Feeding the world

2007-12-07T17:35:00.000+01:00

Hit by a cooking bug is how I am since learning to cook edible meals. I never pictured myself holding a spatula, not even in my wildest dream. So what happened to me? No one, not even myself, actually knows. I only know there's a force within me which drives me to whip, stir, steam, etc, as if I was on a mission to feed the world.

A few days ago a friend now residing in US left me a message on Tagged. I mentioned to her a day before the dinner I hosted for my friends last Monday. "Ug makabalo na diay kuno ka moluto ron?," she incredulously asked in Cebuano. (And you can cook now?) Well, I couldn't blame her for being skeptical. I was known in our circle as someone who couldn't even hardboil an egg. So Mama, below is for your eyes to feast on. To see is to believe, eh? He-he

Upper Left: Cassava cake. I found some grated cassava at the Thai/Asian food shop along Francouska. Upper right: "Bola-bola" is Philippines' answer to meatballs and Czech's "Sekana."
Lower left: "Siopao" or steamed pork dumplings. These are similar to Czech's "ovocne knedle." The difference is we stuff the dumpling with meat, they stuff it with fruits. We steam it. They boil it.
Lower right: The nameless starter. Maybe we can call it M's toast, hehe.

I also cooked fried rice but forgot to take a pic. Chef Lokreng prepared a very yummy tuna pasta enough to feed the entire Praha. Also not pictured are the chocolate muffins I baked. Two ended up in the bin later because the appointed resident pacman, A , couldn't eat them fast enough before they hardened like a rock.

How many were invited again? Only four and a 1/4 people. (Tekla has a 3-month-old baby.) Only three and one-fourth showed up. One was MIA so Mia missed the siopao!:)

Hambugera kaayo noh? hahahaha....

It's Christmas!

2007-12-04T15:22:00.000+01:00

I'm a certified Christmas addict so naturally I'm very pumped up now that the season to be jolly is here again. I don't know if I'm contagious or what but I've easily convinced A to have a Poinsettia in our flat two weeks before December even started. It's been sitting in one corner of our flat, so pretty in all its red and green glory.

The other day I searched its origin or how it was associated with Christmas online so I can tell a story about this plant to my kids at school. It's apparently named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant in the U.S. in 1825. Legend has it that in Mexico a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.

Aside from a poinsettia there was nothing else that made our flat Christmasy. I wanted to have a Christmas tree as early as today but apparently they are not selling them yet. Czech Christmas tradition means having and decorating the tree one day before Christmas, but I'm a full-blooded Pinay so my tree will be up and about at least two weeks before D-day. Hmmm, maybe this weekend then.....

So what did I do to put Christmas touch in our nest? I went to the bathroom and came up with this:
I hope I'd still be able to hold the handles to open this cabinet, and I hope A's initial reaction when he comes home later today wont be "what the h........?"

Fashion cheapskate

2007-11-30T18:07:00.000+01:00

I know when it starts to get so cold because I start to see my breath. Fall has long been gone in Czech Rep. I have this feeling it's going to be a long winter and for once I'm hoping I'd be wrong. This is the time when I miss sunny Cebu and the eternal sunshine in P.I. Even when it's the rainy season in some parts of the country like in Surigao, you can still get out in shorts and flip-flops--absolutely something you CANT do in Prague at this time of the year.

You have to wear eighty thousand layers for you to dodge off hypothermia. For some reason Hulk Hogan always enters my mind every morning when I can barely bend to zip my boots from the layers of clothing I'm wearing. Warm winter clothes and boots are quite expensive in Prague. But shhh, I'll tell you a secret. I buy scarves, gloves, even boots from a really cheap Vietnamese store. My boots have been the rage at school since last year but only one teacher knows that they only cost 450kč. Knee-high ones, mind you!

So if you're a fashion cheapskate like moi, checkout this place. It's on the ground floor of OC RUZE building right across the (grocery) entrance of Centrum Chodov. I don't know its name (what a useless blogger, hehe) but I'm sure you wont miss it. And please, don't forget to haggle! They actually expect you to.

Oxford university press training

2007-11-28T18:29:00.000+01:00

I just finished attending a training/workshop given by Oxford University Press. I thought I would be bored sitting there for hours and hours. My attention span is half an hour, max. I was dreading of drifting away and coming back to school with nothing new to share with my co-teachers because I wasn't paying any attention to the lectures at all. It was just the opposite. Naomi Noir and Kat Kinsella, the lecturers, were so good that my ears were glued to every word they said.

The training was for teachers of very young learners (ages 3-8). There will be a part 2 of it I guess sometime in January next year. For those who are interested to attend, check out their website for training/workshop schedules right here. You'll get handouts, a free book and a training certificate from them. It's definitely worth your time.

Miss Saigon in Praha

2007-11-20T19:15:00.000+01:00

I've long wanted to watch musicals that I'm familiar with such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. I missed Miss Saigon when they staged it in Manila so I'm thinking why not watch the local version here in Praha? Problem is, I don't know if I'd be satisfied with the performance. I wont be satisfied if it wont be no less than Lea Salonga performing as Kim anyway so maybe I shouldn't bother.

Stumbled on these vids after a series of relentless YouTube searching for a different one. This was what I missed in Manila-- Lea performing as Kim with mostly the orig cast of MS minus, of course, Jonathan Pryce as the Engineer....

Totally mind-blowing performance! Robert Sena as Thuy was phonomenal and Lea... well, she earned a Tony for this so I need not say more. But for those who would like to catch MS in Praha, here's when and where it's at:

GOJA MUSIC HALL
Prague 7 - The Prague Exhibition Grounds Výstaviste, Holesovice, www.divadlogmh.cz
Box office: Yamamusic, Prague 1, Jungmanovo nám. 17, tel. 224 236 303. Box office open Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tickets also available at: Ticket Art, Ticketpro, Ticketportal, Cedok and Sunny Days travel agencies.
23 Fri. Miss Saigon - 7 p.m.
24 Sat. Miss Saigon - 2.30 p.m.
30 Fri. Miss Saigon - 7 p.m.

Mightier law

2007-11-18T21:17:00.000+01:00

A told me a few weeks ago that the law on getting a permanent resident permit here in Czech Rep will change soon. No longer will spouses of Czech citizens be instantly eligible for permanent residency. He also said something about eight years of continuous residency in the country before one can have a maroon card. (EU passports are maroon in color.)

Yesterday while browsing for Italian restaurants in Prague, I stumbled on an article about this law. Here's an excerpt:

Presently — as the law stands — spouses of Czech citizens are eligible for immediate permanent residency (trvaly pobyt) and within five years are eligible for full Czech citizenship (without voting rights, naturally). Newcomers to Czech society in this way merely have to demonstrate a passive knowledge of the Czech language in order to qualify for that same citizenship.

Under cover of the slower holiday season, Parliament is attempting to hustle through ammendments to the existing law. No longer will spouses of Czech citizens be eligible for instant permanent residency. And under the current proposal presently kicking around the Czech Senate for final approval and signing into law (following President Klaus’ rubber stamp), it will now take prospective Czech permanent residents eight years of continuous residency in the Czech Republic to qualify for citizenship with Czech language fluency.

Eight years is a long time. Then again their country, their law. Besides maybe eight years is the minimum time you need to learn their language. I've been here for almost three years and without a proper course in it I'm still struggling past hi and goodbye. Two more to go and I will be eligible for citizenship. The ultimate question now is-- to be or not to be?

Paid to be silly

2007-11-16T17:27:00.000+01:00

We had our first concert at school last Wednesday. When I say concert it means parents of our kids will come to watch them sing and dance, do fingerplays and say rhymes. They (the parents) are still raving about how cute the kids were and how they enjoyed the show. Well, 3-5 years old kids (the age bracket I'm teaching) can never do wrong. Everything they say or do always earns them a chorus of "ohhhh, she's/he's so cuuuuuute."

Our director jokingly said A should come watch me and my kids next time we "perform." Not a bad idea. A once said I have a great job as I get paid to be silly. So true. Oh the inumerable silly things I do everyday at school to make my kids get into it. Though sometimes I feel like a glorified nanny, preschool teaching is actually a lot of fun. So if you want to join the pack, I'm sure there are a lot of teaching jobs posted here.

Remembering Raine

2007-11-14T18:30:00.000+01:00

Raine is my nick for my Mom. Nobody, until now, knew this but me. It started two decades ago when she told me a story about one of her many Mills and Boon heroins named Raine. The name just stuck in my head, I guess. She was so moved with the girl's plight I swear she was fighting off tears while telling me the story. My Mom was a certified Drama Queen.

Like mother, like daughter.

This was my tribute to her on All Souls' Day. She passed away when I was 15. Each passing year my memory of her gets blurred but there are things I will always remember about her. Such as how she loved the color tangerine and how she was a sucker for sunsets.

This montage is a compilation of sunrise and sunset pics from our picture files. I made this specially for Raine.

One of my many quick fixes

2007-11-09T17:30:00.000+01:00

Nachos are my current favorite. This dinner requires a 10-minute preparation which is perfect for Wednesdays and Thursdays as these are my longest days at school. When you work all day the least you'd want is to work in the kitchen when you get home.

What you need:
a ripe avocado
onion
tomatoes
grated cheese
chips
salsa

As simple as chopping the vegetables and scooping out the avocado, sprinkling them with grated cheese, adding a tablespoon or two of salsa and putting them in the oven or microwave till cheese is melted, you'll have dinner ready in ten minutes or less. I eat by spooning the delectable mixture and topping my tortilla chips with them, then rolling my eyes upward in bliss as I take a bite. Each bite is coupled with agreeable noises....hmmm...hmmm....hmmm....this is good!

Note: In Prague, you can buy salsa from any grocery store. It's usually at their international section. The brand I buy is Vitana. Same goes for the chips though I prefer the one that Albert has.

Hitchcock marathon

2007-11-08T17:51:00.000+01:00

I've never been into old movies. Let me rephrase that-- I've never been into movies. I've been living in Prague for almost three years now and I haven't been to the cinemas here. This indifference has a simple explanation-- I'd forget the scenes right when the credits roll so why bother?

Having a fast internet connection made me think twice. Why not bother? I mean, if we had to pay 800Kč/month for the subscription, might as well take advantage of all its perks. A found this website www.rapidshare.com where you can download hundreds of movies for free. The catch is it takes hours to download one because of its size so we opted to get a monthly subscription for 200kč. This way we can download several movies in less than an hour.

It's worth it. I don't know how I shifted gears from latest releases to classics but I'm glad I did. We have been watching a marathon of Hitchcock's movies since last week. Now I understand why he remains one of the most popular directors of all time. That man was brilliant. His movies are full of droll humor I couldn't get enough of. Start watching one of his films like, say, "North by Northwest" and you'll be hooked.

In the land of women

2007-11-03T07:47:00.000+01:00

When women are together, they usually talk about food, men and fashion. I have no problem with that. I love food, I love my man, and fashion, well, I'd like to try wearing those black leggings that just refuse to die. Problem is, in between these immortal topics, gossiping rules. Sure I do gossip, I'm a woman after all. But I prefer not to do anything about it.

I work in a place ruled by women. Naturally, the gossiping also just refuses to die. I couldn't care less if people gossip about me because I know my worth. What I don't like is being the sponge of all these talks about each other. It gets pretty boring when nothing is new except another round of "she did this and said that." It gets annoying when your patience is hanging on a thread and your hormones are making your moods go ballistic because of bad energies surrounding you.

What to do about this? Sign up for yoga with Monica again? Re-read Thich Nhat Hanh's "Peace is Every Step" to get enlightened? Ignore it? Scream shut up when I feel my daily dose of gossip is coming? Women! Oh well, I'll better get back to my laundry and sleep on it. For now.

Same clothes

2007-10-28T08:20:00.000+01:00

In PI, wearing the same clothes the next day is a crime. It makes us assume you didn't take a shower in the morning (another crime) or got drunk the night before and went straight to work in the same clothes, therefore committing two crimes in one day beyond a shadow of a doubt. We are a country obssessed with personal hygiene.

So it's been my observation that it's not the same case here in Czech Rep. When one co-worker showed up the next day in exactly the same outfit, I assumed she would recite a litany of excuses. She didn't. Then I noticed another Czech co worker doing the same pattern. This leads me to assume this is the norm here.

Of course I'm just assuming. I could be wrong. And even if I'm right, there's actually nothing wrong with wearing the same clothes. It's one's prerogative. Just as long as you wont pollute the air you and I will co-exist in peace.

Leche this flan

2007-10-26T20:44:00.000+02:00

Forgive the other meaning of the word if you speak Spanish. What supposed to be a very easy dessert to prepare gave me nightmares- figuratively and literally. Leche flan or custard is ever present during fiestas and noche buenas in PI. I thought it would be a good dessert for the dinner with my co-teachers last Monday though it isn't actually all-Filipino. It's a Spanish legacy to the Philippines.

I wanted a lighter version of the heavyweight 12-yolk original recipe. Twelve egg yolks made me visualize the clogging of the girls' arteries and I refused to be responsible for that especially when two of them are trying hard to kick out so much unwanted flabs. I also didn't want to steam it because we don't have a steamer. Through constant food blog-hopping I found just the right recipe here. I'm not sure about the caramel though. It's the reason why I had nightmares but I'm not going to relive the experience here. Another blog gave me the solution: Caramelized Sugar--1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup hot water. Melt sugar in hot water and boil on low heat until syrupy. Pour in mold and let cool to harden.

Ta-dan, leche flan galore! The girls were all praises. This flan was gone in less than five minutes but sweet of them, they actually left a small slice for A. Dinner was a success. Now they are craving not just for glass noodles but for springrolls, adobo, and this custard as well.

In two weeks it will be the Aussie's turn to feed the hungry. And I'm hungry already.

Snow in Sahara...er Svatoslav

2007-10-21T18:43:00.000+02:00

Mamka called to tell us it snowed in Svatoslav today. It's a tiny village near Brno where the family has a weekend house. Snow in October?

With the accelarating rate of Mother Nature's inconsistencies, I wouldn't be surprised if snow would fall on the Sahara. This thought reminds me of Anggun's song from way back. I searched it at You Tube and voila!

I love this song but honestly, I shudder at that thought that it would snow where and when it shouldn't. Now snow is falling in October. What's next?

What to cook?

2007-10-20T11:23:00.001+02:00

This Monday I'll be cooking for four people from different countries. My four co-teachers are coming to our flat for dinner and they requested me to prepare an all-Filipino/Oriental meal. This, plus the fact that two of them are trying to eat only healthy food, makes me virtually hyperventilate. What in the world am I going to prepare?

One of them is craving for glass noodles. That means cooking "bihon" is a done deal. The others said they will eat anything I prepare, which even makes it difficult to narrow down the list. One thing that's sure is they will appreciate to have a healthy meal on their plate.

This drove me to experiment in the kitchen last night. Adobo is the "national dish" in PI. Everyone eats or cooks it, but it is mainly meat and spices. I wanted something with veggies in it. What about adding veggies in adobo? Now that's an idea! I immediately raided our fridge and found carrots, beans and broccoli. The result?

Adobo with a twist! Having basmati rice to go with it was perfect. To cook or not to cook this on Monday? Hay, kakapoy baya....

Adieu to summer...and fall?

2007-10-19T18:25:00.000+02:00

It's Friday! Fridays are the best days of the year. They were so insignificant to me for five years in Cebu because I didn't have to follow usual office hours then. I couldn't relate to The Cure's song. Now it's the one going on and on in my head the moment dusk settles in on Thursdays.

What's so exciting about this weekend is we are just going to stay at home and do nothing. No shopping for furniture at Europark or Ikea. No friends to come over from Brno like last weekend. No long train ride to Tisnov to visit the family. Don't get me wrong though. I like hanging out with these friends and of course, it's given that I love the family. You just need to be a couch potato sometimes especially on cold days like this weekend.

It's mid October and it's already 1 to 8 C in Prague. This morning I had to don my long coat and knee-high winter boots to fight off the cold. Last year October was so warm I remember I was wearing flip-flops at this time. Fall is supposed to be the season in between summer and winter, meaning it shouldn't be too warm or too cold. Mother Nature must be menopausing for her to have hormonal imbalances and I'm afraid we are the delinquent children to blame.

So I'll be a potato for the weekend. What will you be? A carrot?

Asian Food Shop's new address

2007-10-17T19:21:00.000+02:00

From Palackeho Namesti they are now located at Francouzska 466/66, Praha 10. To get there, take tram number 4, 22 or 23. Tram stop is Krymska. You have to walk back a bit from the stop.

Take note of their opening hours:

Mon- Sat : 10am to 8pm
Thurs : CLOSED
Sun : 3pm to 8pm

Visit http://www.asianfood.cz/ for more details.

I already went there a few weeks ago and hoarded once again. The dried mangoes are a bit more expensive now but at least you can buy them when you have the craving. I'm thinking of asking the owner if she could import MILO from PI. From dried mangoes and Funchum, A's now longing for this tonic food drink.

The Queen incarnate

2007-10-15T16:21:00.000+02:00

Do you believe in reincarnation? I'd like to. The idea of coming back rockin' and rollin' once more is very tempting. I mean, my life hasn't been groovy all the time but it's obviously a good one for me to be tempted to, hypothetically, come back and dance to the tune again. What bugs me is Jesse's line in Before Sunrise; "Fifty thousand years ago, there were not even a million people on the planet. Ten thousand years ago, there was like two million people on the planet. Now, there's between five and six billion people on the planet, right? Now, if we all have our own, like, individual, unique soul, where do we all come from? Are modern souls only a fraction of the original souls?"

This was our topic one morning while me and my other four co-teachers were sitting outside for our kids' playtime. If there's such thing as reincarnation, what would or who would you like to be when you come back? The Aussie wanted to come back as a seal. I bet she had her reasons but I didn't dare ask. The Czech was toying on the idea of coming back as a man. The two Americans were unsure, but one wanted to be a man just for a day, just to know what goes on in a man's head.

Me? I said I would be the Queen, and those who annoyed me to death in this lifetime would be my slaves in the next. It takes time for me to be annoyed these days though, the bonus of growing up or getting old, so I guess my staff wont be that extensive. But if I had the honor to handpick them, they would be:

-people who line up at the grocery express counter at 7pm when I'm starving to death and pay for 2 or 3 rohliky (rolls) with a credit card.
-smokers who are purposely blind, puffing away right next to a disapproving NO SMOKING sign. I can never forgive them for contributing to my future demise and for making me smell like a stale ashtray.
- people who.....I can't think of anyone else anymore. The thought of cigarette smoke makes me mentally constipated right at this instant. I'll get back to this post when I can think straight again.

Sorry, I'm drifting. We were talking about coming back, weren't we? So what or who would you like to be? A said he would probably want to be a tennis player. Oh well, if he would be famous I would definitely work my way out to get hitched with him again.

Going veggies

2007-10-12T23:16:00.001+02:00

It's cold and it's gloomy, these surely are signs that autumn is here. Wonder if we'll ever have indian summer this year...

The cold weather sent me cooking this vegetable soup which is a recipe borrowed from Mamka. I always go for something warm to eat or drink after coming home from outside. Czech cuisine is basically complicated to prepare but this one is easy and a lot healthier compared to what usually lands on Czech dining tables.

Can you imagine a week without eating vegetables? I can't. This soup and I immediately hit it off the moment I tasted it at Mamka's kitchen. Recipe is available upon request. Remember it's borrowed and the owner might not approve of me sharing it to the rest of the world here. :)

Getting "Czeched..."

2007-10-08T06:35:00.000+02:00

...means joining the rest of the country in scouring the woods for mushrooms. You have to dress the part, too-- you have to look like a mushroom yourself.

My CV

2007-10-07T09:36:00.000+02:00

I had to laugh when I was about to update my CV. My previous and recent job titles are so starkly different I find it very amusing. From Immigration Consultant to Preschool Teacher, life certainly moves in funny ways.

The job titles are just the start. The meaty part is really the job description. My previous job description includes "handles Dumaguete satellite office, supervises two assistants, meets a Php 2M monthly quota, etc." I had to stare at the ceiling for a while with this bewildered look on my face thinking how to add my recent "accomplishments" to my CV.

Should I write that I sometimes have to hold a wad of tissues for my kids at school when they blow their noses because they don´t know how? Should I add that aside from wiping noses, occasionally wiping bums is now added to my repertoire?

Let me digress. I can´t help but share one of my toilet stories; This new kid is four and all the four year old kids at school can wipe their own bums with finesse. This one just refused to do it himself. I don´t know who spoiled him rotten because his parents certainly don´t look like the culprits. Anywho, with the help of a co-teacher we somehow managed to convince him to try and we would help him if he really couldn´t. He awkwardly wiped his bum but then showed us the browned toilet paper after. I told him to just drop it in the bowl but he did it again the second and the third, and even the fourth time he wiped it. The paper was less brown each time but really I didn´t need to see it.

Back to my CV, I guess I just have to do it sans the gory details. I actually don´t miss the fast and furious pace of my so called career back in Cebu. Been there, done that. Now I´m fully in control of my time and work finally feels like a breeze.

"Two words"

2007-09-29T20:36:00.000+02:00

I stumbled on this video of Lea Salonga's wedding when I was searching for the movie soundtrack of Mulan. I saw the ABS-CBN special three years ago and was truly wowed by her wedding vow. She didn't just say it, she also sang it.

Last Thursday was mine and A's third wedding anniversary. I will always have the same words like Lea-- "I do."

For those who never heard of her before, (really, are there some?) she is a Filipina who is behind the singing voice of Disney's Mulan, Princess Jasmine, among others. She's also the original Kim of Miss Saigon.)

P.I. in pics (last part)

2007-09-28T08:25:00.000+02:00

PALAWAN

Where to eat:

I'm glad the tricycle driver insisted we try eating at Kalui. It was lunchtime when we arrived in Puerto Princesa from Cebu so I told him to take us to Chowking if they had one. His answer was to ask me and A if we liked seafoods. That was my mission in life during the whole trip, to gobble tons of them. "Well then please try the best seafood restaurant in our town," he said. And so we did. And we were so glad we did.

Spicy clam soup is served for free during lunch and dinner. This poor prawn eventually landed in A's stomach. Kalui is open daily except Sundays.

Another must visit place in Puerto is Kinabuchs Bar and Grill very near Kalui (upper right pic with me looking like a native mushroom myself). Puerto Princesa has virtually no night life and the only place, aside from the perennial videokes, where you can hang-out is at Kinabuchs. Great food and live bands are their selling points.

Where to go:

Butterfly Garden- you can hire a tricycle to take you to this place. I forgot how much the entrance fee was but foreigners are asked to pay more than the local tourists. Talk about discrimination in another form.

Crocodile Farm- is quite far from the center but you can drop by Butterfly Garden first then head to this farm or the other way around. The very helpful tricycle driver who insisted we eat at Kalui offered to tour us around Puerto the whole afternoon for Php 500.00. He helped us so much without ripping us off. (Note: 1 USD-Php 45-46)

Sabang Beach and Underground River- the same driver recommended us to get a guided tour package from Topstar. He said it's the most reliable and the cheapest, and of course, he was right. The package was for Php 1,200/pax, all inclusive. Sabang is awesome, the kind of place which you'd like to visit again and again.

What to do:

Island-hopping. Honda Bay is relatively near the city center. You can get a package from travel agencies like Topstar to go island-hopping there for PhP 900.00 all inclusive. It includes boat rentals, lunch, pick-up and drop off at your hotel. We opted to go independently because Topstar didn't have a tour scheduled for that day. The greatest thing about Puerto Princesa is the tour packages, boat rentals, etc, are somewhat regulated by the local goverment complete with a receipt. In most parts of the country expect to be ripped off if you're traveling with a foreigner.

Above pics: 1 and 2. A hammock in Panda Island. Not a single soul is at the beach.
3. How Snake Island got its name. It looks like a long snake during low tide.
4. A resort under construction. This wasn't a planned stop but on our way back to Honda Bay A still wanted to explore more. Fortunately our guide knows the owner of this island so we were allowed to roam there freely.

Palawan made it to the very short list of the places in P.I. that I truly truly heart. My only regret was we were not able to go to El Nido. We were suddenly tired of traveling to different places in barely four weeks, and we thought we could only go to El Nido from Puerto by land. It's a 9-10-hour trip, so we were told. We only learned there are SEAir flights twice or thrice a week from Puerto when we were about to board our flight back to Cebu. Maybe next time we are in P.I. we'll finally be able to visit El Nido and its much talked about natural grandeur.

Templates and tennis

2007-09-24T18:22:00.000+02:00

I'm so bored with my template but have no time nor patience to do something about it. I don't do pink much but the other colors blogspot offers are too unappealing to even deserve a second glance. Sigh.

Anywho...

What an afternoon it was yesterday at Sazka Arena. The match between Federer and Berdych was so thrilling. First two sets were on tie-breaks. Berdych played brilliantly but of course it was not enough to crush Mr. Swiss down. Federer won three sets to love. This guy is so great at tennis I can only wildly guess he probably sold his soul to the devil. Either that or the universe is gay and has a serious crush on him.

The deciding match was played by Stepanek against Warwinka. If Stepanek would win then he would secure C.R. a place for the World Group next year. Just when he was close to locking it in the third set, he started badly cramping and called for a medical time-out. It was so emotionally excruciating to watch him limping back to the court, but he pulled it off in a tie-break which sent the crowd roaring and the Swiss team packing.

Oh I so love tennis and I so loved that match.

Davis Cup Weekend

2007-09-22T17:30:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we dashed off to Sazka Arena from work to watch the one and only Roger Federer play against Radek Stepanek. Prague is host to Davis Cup's World Group play-off between Czech Republic and Switzerland. The match was predictable at first-- Federer won the first two sets without much sweat, but Stepanek made the match more entertaining when he beat the world no. 1 in the third set; 7-6. Federer finished the match in the fourth set in another tie-break.

The Czechs cheered hard for their own though they knew that beating Federer was wishful thinking. To his credit, Stepanek fought hard to the end, earning the loudest cheer from the crowd after the match.

I can't wait for tomorrow. Federer will play against Czech's number one, Tomas Berdych. I'm sure it will be one h of a match.

MG2

2007-09-13T18:26:00.000+02:00

The text below is in Surigaonon. This vid is most requested and much awaited by my elementary batchmates so I specially uploaded this for them.

Ay-ay si Clarence, grabe man magpakiay-kiay. Lupos ako kay di mak gani mahibayo mag swing. Pila kaha ini kabuyan na pomraktes? Kalaong nak amo nay modaug sa Best in Talent, na ija gajud mabutang an Brgy. Embarcadero sa mapa kay tiaw mo di Venus nan outfit? Pero nalupos paman gihapon sa pakurog-kurog ni Febe pagkanta. Pero si Rodel gajud an winner bagan dinhi na parte. Intawon an toyab na walang kamalay-malay, na igo da unta mag assist sa make-up artist ni Clarence, imbira pa gajud para makig duet sa ija? Ingka bayran ba kaha ini nan talent fee?

Na hala, pipol, enjoy! Hinaut unta di ini makit-an sa ila mga bata kay basin magduda unoy tinuod na gender nan ila papa.

That week

2007-09-09T16:33:00.000+02:00

Didn't I say that there was a week I was like a woman possessed in the kitchen? I was beating, whipping and mixing as if these activities were the sole purpose of my existence. I wonder if A was happy I was finally off my undomestic goddess gown, or was he extremely horrified at the thought that he had to eat everything I baked? I have this suspicion it was the latter. Good thing there was this timely baby shower for Tekla and A was spared of having to eat all these:

Finally I baked my first blueberry muffins. This is another easy recipe courtesy of the internet which I tweaked a bit. I finally found baking cups of the right size at Hypermarket-Chodov after searching high and low for them for days. Then last night, while we were at Interspar for something else, we saw like a gazillion of them in all different sizes and colors. Really, the universe has a sense of humor that I sometimes don't find funny.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh/frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons sugar, for topping (optional)

-Preheat oven at 375F or 175C.
-Cream together butter and sugar.
-Add egss and mix well. Stir in milk.
-Combine dry ingredients and add to the mixture. Stir to combine.
-Gently fold in blueberries.
-Fill greased muffin cups or paper about 2/3 full.
-Sprinkle tops with little sugar. (optional)
-Bake for 20 minutes.

Note: You can also use canned blueberries. I only had a cup of frozen blueberries the second time I baked it so I mixed it with canned ones instead. There's no difference in the taste, only the muffins are bluer than these ones in the pic.

P.I. in pics (part 3)

2007-09-07T18:23:00.000+02:00

PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL

Bohol has always been one of my favorite places in the Philippines. It has everything you can feast your eyes upon-- hills, beaches, waterfalls, caves-- you name it, Bohol has it. The people are sunny and chirpy. You ask one for directions and the entire barrio will be glad to help you. Its being so accessible from Cebu is a plus. I simply heart Bohol along with Surigao and Cebu.

Panglao is its answer to Boracay. This was my third time there but the first two were spent in Dumaluan Beach where on my second stay I had difficulties in maneuvering my kayak and almost hit an entire family with it. It's open to the public though Bohol Beach Club is off limits to non-guests. However, one can pay for the entrance for you to use its facilities and it's also consumable. I remember Dumaluan having places devoid of people, but this time when we dropped by, it was teeming with them we had to go somewhere relatively quieter; Alona Beach. It's more or less 3kms. away from Dumaluan and it's far more expensive than I thought.

When I say expensive, I mean it by Filipino standard. July is off-peak season in P.I. but the cheapest double room we found at Alona Beach was still for Php1,600. Breakfast consisting of toast, butter and jam with your choice of instant coffee or juice is for Php150. I guess this means it would cost twice more during the peak season. Of course, if you have dollars and euros to burn, these prices don't really count. (1 USD- Php45 or 46)

At Alona Beach, the sea is crowded with boats like these all the time. These boats will take you to the neighboring islands of Pamilacan where you can go dolphin and whale-watching, and to Balicasag which is considered one of the best diving spots in the country. Boat rental for a day ranges from Php 2,000- 5,000.

These girls were all smiles while selling fresh fish, fruit and veggies. Notice the blue fish? It's called parrot fish but seriously I've never eaten it or heard anybody ate it all my life. I thought they were just for aquariums? But what do I know about them except the fact that fish used to be my daily diet?

Alona Beach at dusk. These coconut trees were heavy with thousands of birds (I'm not sure what kind) settling in for the night.

Wow, brownies!

2007-09-02T09:41:00.000+02:00

I was like a woman possessed two weeks ago. I was baking like there was no tomorrow. I baked blueberry cake, and before all slices were eaten by the unfortunately appointed (or forced) lone consumer that is A, I noticed the bananas in the cupboard were close to rotting -- I had to bake banana bread as well. Still I was driven by unseen and unknown forces in the kitchen to bake some more. I decided to try my hands in making brownies.

I found an easy recipe from southernfood.about.com. I think I´m beginning to really love this website. The recipe is called Nutty Brownies because of the walnuts. I had to substitute them with roasted cashew, though. There wasn´t a single walnut available at the grocery near our place. When I had my first bite I thought I had to lessen the cocoa next time because it kinda made the brownies bitter. I was wrong though-- I´m not a lover of chocolates and coffee, hence the initial reaction. I noticed they taste better after a day or two, and it´s good to pair them with my ever favorite green tea.

NUTTY BROWNIES

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or cashew)

- Cream butter and sugar until well blended. Add vanilla and eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Add cocoa, mixing in well. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture and stir until well blended.

- Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or cashew). Spread in a buttered and floured 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts. Bake at 350°F or 180C for about 25 minutes. Cool in pan then cut in squares. Makes about 16 2-inch brownies.

M.G.

2007-08-30T20:14:00.000+02:00

CCES Class of '87 staged a "Ms. Gay" contest when we had our grand homecoming reunion in Surigao last July. It was for the sole purpose of having fun. The contestants were real men. By that I mean with wives and children-- well-- most of them. Here's a part of it captured forever for their children and future grandchildren to laugh or shudder about. :)