Wishing You ALL, Dear Family and Friends, A Blessed Season and A Properous New Year!

This year had been full of changes, family and friends lost but more family and friends gained. We thank God for his undying faithfulness to our family. May He keep us all well and safe in the coming years.

Nail Art

I promised to treat Jus (now in high school) to a nail art experience. She had been wishing to have decors on her nails (something I did not allow when she was younger) and since school doesn't allow it also, her only chance is during the breaks. Well, her semestral /health break passed and no nail art because I was too busy to go with her to the nail spa.



This week we had a long weekend (no, it's not Thanksgiving here but Bonifacio Day on November 30) and she was bugging me to try it with her as she would be able to enjoy her fingernails for the next three days, so we went to Quetex Nail Parlor, just across the street from where I work. We had a relaxing and enjoyable mommy-daughter time and had the whole place to ourselves.

It made me miss my Christmas Party dance practice and late for my Anak Board Meeting (Happy Birthday Nonoy M.!) but it was worth it.

Updates on the Computer Donations from Japan's Rotary Club of Hiroshima SouthWest

Two years back, I was a member of the Rotary Club's GSE (Group Study Exchange Program RI D3850 to D2710) to Japan. The objective of this exchange was multifaceted, from cultural to professional, personal and international fellowship. One major advantage of this program it usually opens a chance for a certain club to make projects geared toward helping different sectors in the community. The enrichment of our personal experiences and gaining new friends during the program was the cherry on top of the icing.

I was lucky enough to be hosted by then Chair for International Projects, Dr. Shigeo Tsuchimoto of the RC Hiroshima South West during our exchange. Besides being a surgeon like me, he also spoke good English and we were able to communicate well. He showed me that walking beside one of Hiroshima's rivers was good exercise and a relaxing activity at the same time.

Last September, I was very happy to get an email from him. He was asking me to look for a club or group to which they could donate second hand but well conditioned computers and laptops. I did not have second thoughts to refer the foundation I am involved in. Stichting Anak Negros, Inc. (SANI) was founded by two Dutch students who used to study here in Bacolod City, Philippines and made efforts to gain sponsors from the Nederlands to help financially deprived but deserving students to finish schooling and improve their way of living. To date, we have 33 regular scholars (formal high school and college education), 13 scholars for skills training (short term technical courses) as well as a group of 20 street children regularly visiting our public reading library for reading and learning activites. Currently, it is being run by a group of professionals as a Board. (click here to see the Anak Negros Board)

Soon enough, a flurry of email exchanged between me and Tsuchimoto Sensei, and the first batch of boxes arrived containing the nine laptops. With a little arrangement from the Customs, we were able to transport them to our office. Sensei sent money to cover for whatever expense we needed. That very evening, all nine laptops were reprogrammed and running smoothly.

With the success of shipping using our own postal system, Sensei decided to send the next batch of desktop computers, monitors and keyboards. It arrived last February and we had to borrow the delivery van of then SANI Chairman, Marius Hechanova's business. We were quite overwhelmed with the number of boxes we got.

Two of the computers were tested and we had a little problem with the electrical requirements. It took quite sometime for this to be fixed as the summer season brought about two batches of scholar exchange from Holland and the reoraganization required of us by the Dutch Board. One of the new projects we were tasked was the Skills Training Program. The first of the series, Cell Phone Repair Training has started the last week of October 2009. This is a free course for interested individuals from any age. We found the need to fasttrack the reformatting of the desktop computers so that the trainees will each have a computer to work with. We are so glad all of the computers were working. Finally, aside from just scholar research and school projects, we were able to put the computers to a better use for skills training.

This report is long overdue, but the wait was worth it. I am very proud that I was able to be a part of this. Thank you very much Rotary Club of Hiroshima Southwest and Dr. Shigeo Tsuchimoto! I look forward to taking a walk beside the rivers of Hiroshima again.

2009 February

Visit of Mr. Hiroshi Oka(click here) of RC Hagi City

Stichting Anak Office, Bacolod City

Just Wishful Thinking...

It's good to have nice things. Some things are worth having and some things are not. I'm thankful I'm free enough to just wish and dream..

I love all this calendar notebooks but I am still looking for "the one" notebook which can fit in all my schedules/ notes for the family, my work, the organizations I'm working with and research data for traveling (another wish area). Add to that lists for birthday party plans, birthdays, people to send letters or cards, christmas gifts, pantry and household needs, bills to pay, etc.etc... Ahhh... the joys of being a working mom.

Another Tree in our Garden

Planted by DH Lex about five years ago, we were finally (and really) enjoying our Rambutan Tree's fruits. Last year it started growing flowers but due to poor weather, we were only able to get a bunch of fruits (less than twenty) and as always, I was the last one to get a taste. This summer, we were very excited to see young fruits but worried at the same time because of another stretch of early summer rains.

So that I will be able to get my fill of these rambutan fruits, I had to make a LAW that no one can get a fruit (yes, even only one piece!) until it ripens (or at least shows its reddish coloring) and we can harvest a good number of it at one point. And with special instructions to keep the kids away from the tree until then (BAD Mommy!). I was imagining a "christmas tree-like" picture of the green rambutan tree and its red fruits.

But who could resist? The young tree was gradually growing ripe fruits at waist level, and of course, did not ripen all together at once... After a while there were evidences of rambutan peel in various levels of ripeness found in the lawn and inside the house (bathroom trash can, under the beds, dog trays, etc..), all pointing to my twelve-year old Jus. When asked, the reply was only a wide-eyed, face of innocence. And more peels were eventually found in even more unlikely (and uncanny?) areas (soiled uniform pockets, school bags, sofa nooks).

Thus from the previous Saturday, I finally allowed them to get only (AND ONLY) fruits that are red, and on weekends only. To give the other fruits time to ripen (and for me to be able to eat my share too, hahaha). Looking forward to more weekends of fruit.

Fruits of our Trees

Finally! Getting the first taste (actually leftovers after the kids' harvest) of the mystery tree in our garden. Seedlings courtesy of my mother who said they were "green Tambis". DH Lex planted them as soon as we finished building our house, together with the mango, tamarind, calamansi, rambutan and "batwan" seedlings given by friends and grown from seeds. We waited and waited for it to fruit but when the first few buds started showing last year, the intense heat of the summer dried them all away. This year it was promising a bumper crop but as the fruits were slowly growing, it mysteriously disappeared one by one (rather bunch by bunch). We would see remnants of the unripe fruits a few yards away under the mango tree. The bats were feasting on it every night. Wow, urban bats! It was when there were only a few blooms left that we decided to wrap them one by one with plastic bags lest it will remain a mystery tree until the next fruiting season. This was how the ripened fruit looked like- . It tasted soooo dizzying sweet (kinda like having fruity cologne in your mouth) so we all voted that the best time to eat them was when they were green, almost ripe ("manibalang" in pilipino) and tasted like guavas at the same stage. We were able to get a total of ten (gid!) ripe fruits. We hope we can get more next time.

Baby Things

It was out with the old and in with the new last christmas. I was overwhelmed with the old baby things populating the children's closet while I was storing the new things they got for presents during the holidays. Most were mainly kept for sentimental reasons rather than practical. Although it brought a tug to my heart to give them away, the Winnie stuffed toys and baby bags would find better purpose to whoever we will pass them to. I had to forego asking the kids' permission as I know they would not part with them just yet. We need to move on but it's good to take a look back. I know I could use some shots for future reminiscing.

Scrapbooks and Memory Making

If you would ask me what I really want to do with all of my waking time, I would rather take pictures of my family, my friends, the world, and scrapbook all of it. Well, aside, of course, of reading my magazines, books and watching tv and spending it infront of my computer. Seems dreamy enough but it would make me fat... and hungry.

The picture is of my award-winning scrapbook (hehe, very proud) which I submitted for a mini-scrapbook challenge locally. It was judged best by the US K&Company scrapbook supplier. My DH said I must have won because I was the only entry, (huhuhu :-P) but he knows I put a lot of effort in it (I'm sure he is secretly proud of it too) because half of our 4-day vacation was spent on making it and passing it a few hours before the deadline.

It's an "ALL ABOUT YOU" scrapbook for my daughter, Justine. (See entire album by pressing the link: Kate News and judge for yourself :-) ).

Watch out for the "ALL ABOUT YOU", JOM Edition.

How To Eat Rambutan (by Jus)

First, ask mom to make a clean cut on the hairy husk, slice it around all over to cut it in half. Remove the top portion to expose the juicy flesh and plop in mouth. Enjoy for a while. Then chew to get more juice. Clean up the pit... and spit!

Taken at JKN Farms last October 2006. We were served 4 species of rambutan (malay for hairy) and enjoyed eating it from the trees. By the time we left we filled up one kalat (big native basket) of skin and pits.

Little Zen Buddhist

He has claimed this as his own little corner for contemplation.... actually on how to make many more interesting ways to spout water from the blue and green frogs.