Confessions of an Expat's Wife

Moving On...

2006-05-01T01:24:00.000+03:00

I don't want to feel nostalgic about it. In fact , I should feel happy. It's like moving to a brand new and better home but there's a part of you that wants to stay because you are so used to the ways of the old one.

I'm such a drama queen! Really, there is no need to...

I'm just moving to a new blogging home. Join me over there as this will be my last one here before I hang the C sign.

Kitakits!

http://www.suncatcherph.com

PMSing

2006-04-26T11:49:00.000+03:00

I am a woman. I am entitled to PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome). This means, I can get ticked off easily with small things and eat tons of potato chips the whole time.

This is how PMS gets into me. I hate it. The other night, Husband and I had an argument over how hollandaise sauce should be made and how the potatoes for dinner should be cut. He called me up early in the day to tell me that he will be cooking dinner that night. It was going to be some fresh Turbot (Halibut) fish with hollandaise sauce and roasted potatoes on the side.

When he got home, he said he was going to play football first at 7:30pm with the guys and will cook when he gets back. I offered to do the pre-prep for dinner and told him I will semi-boil the potatoes and chop the garlic (which I detest!) so it would be easier to cook. He asked if I was also going to make the hollandaise sauce. I said I knew how to make the sauce from my college years but I haven't done it in the loooongest time. He said it was ok and he will do it when he comes back.

I decided to surprise him and make a mock hollandaise sauce while doing the rest of the pre-prep. It wasn't anything but I thought it would be a pleasant surprise. He got back late - around 9:30pm and I was already starving. The waiting made me more anxious and annoyed. To top it all, when he hugged me and gave me a kiss, he was smelling like how athletes smell after a game---> really bad!

He went to the kitchen and asked me why the potatoes are cut. I told him, I was going to boil them and he said it was ok. Of course I cut them in halves to make it easier to boil. Apparently he had something else in his mind but he failed to mention this to me before he left for the game. Then he saw the sauce and asked me what was it and tasted it. He gave this blank face and said it didn't taste anything.

This just ticked me off big time. I told him to just throw the sauce away and I marched out of the kitchen and took a long shower. I totally ignored him the whole night until he got mad. Then, we had the silent war in the living room.

Who would have thought that I would make such a big deal and drama over potatoes and sauce?

We ended up not cooking, not eating dinner and miserable. Thanks to PMS.

Two to Tango?

2006-04-25T19:41:00.000+03:00

The past two weeks has been a blah to me. I was trying to be philosophical over things that I do not really need to worry about. I was asking myself beauty pageant type questions in the line of "what is the essence of being a woman ( but I couldn't come up with a smart Sushmita Sen-like answer)." I was thinking and worrying too much about trivial things. I guess, that's the result of having a lot of extra time to spare.

Funny though, I couldn't really remember how my day went. Time goes by so fast it becomes scary. I read tons of blogs and all sorts of crap in the internet and the next thing I know, three hours just went by. The thing is, when I go out for a walk,time seems to go slow.

I recently declined an invitation to go out for a drink with a group of people since I had my monthly bookclub meeting. My friend ( the one who invited me) remarked : " C'mon, there are more productive ways to spend your time than be in a bookclub." I honestly didn't know what to say and just gave out a weak laugh. Am I becoming a bore just because I attend a bookclub meeting? Is it better to party, consume barrels of beer, talk nonsense and get a bad hangover the next day?

I'm in need of a little bit of intellectual stimulation. It gets too easy and boring to do the same things over and over. That is why, when I watched my friend's dance lessons of Tango, Argentinian version, I wanted to sign up. I never took dancing classes. I firmly believe I don't have the body rhythm for it but, I wouldn't mind to take a plunge and see how it goes. I was already asking some of my Turkish girl friends to teach me belly dancing and I find myself struggling with it what more tango and all the fancy footworks.

I will try to convince my other half to go with me to this dance lessons. I have a feeling he will say no. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

By the way, I went to the bookclub and managed to convince my other group of friends to reschedule the night out and go out with them at the same time. I'm such a people-pleaser. I just can't say No!

The New Ipod

2006-04-20T15:26:00.000+03:00

I got this from a forum.

I wouldn't be surprised to find one in the stores soon... ouch!

Hunting Season

2006-04-12T12:09:00.000+03:00

Spring is here. The weather is just great. Flowers are blooming. Trees are becoming green again. Everything feels more alive. I also noticed that most of my friends over here has been bitten by the lovebug. Everyone's looking for that spring romance.

I went out last Friday, and had a blast observing the bar scene. The single girls scanned the place for good looking guys or potential "prospects" and the single ( or pretending to be single) men did the same thing. The married ones with their other half in tow pretended this was not happening. The not so attractive girls, decided to buy drinks for other guys ( hoping to get them drunk?) and the not so good looking guys decided to be wallpapers and admired their prospects from a distance.

The cultural differences didn't matter, nationality was not a question. The bar scene just looked like a hunting ground. I didn't go with my husband because he had to work but I had a great defense. I just raised my hand and did the show-your-wedding-ring trick and the guys knew.

From one country to another, some things don't change.

Hen Night Gone Bad

2006-04-10T10:17:00.000+03:00

A couple of girls wanted a Hen Night for Jo, a good friend of ours. We decided to hit the pub first and on the last stop, stay and sleepover at Jo's place. Of course, someone had to whip up something naughty but nice for Jo. A threesome of the girls hired a male stripper to do the usual dance and you can just imagine the big hullabaloo about it.

The guy, thought it would be sexy to dress as a cowboy complete with a big a$$ shotgun to show off. He even had leather handcuffs on his backpocket if he was required to be an arresting officer.

The show started in Jo's own living room. The lights went out and suddenly, the music started with a loud explosion. The girls started to scream. Lights on, Jo squeezed my arm and pointed at the half naked male stripper in front of us, his torso and back exposed hairy as a monkey. The girls are now screaming louder in disgust but the stripper continued to do his dance. Finally, I had the guts to politely ask him to stop and leave. We’ve seen enough hair for the night!

There you go 197 words in total. Done with the meme. Thanks K!
Now Pia, Meliza, and MrsPartygirl, you're it!

The instructions:
Write a short story of not more than 200 words, based on the following words which can only be used once!

The words:
1. sleepover 2. whip 3. handcuffs 4. leather 5. sexy
6. threesome 7. hairy 8. shotgun 9. squeeze 10. explosion

Surf's Up!

2006-04-07T11:41:00.000+03:00

During our vacation in the Philippines, we went on a weekend to do some surfing. It was the first time that my husband will try this water sport and I was quite excited to see how he will fare. It was also his first taste of "backpacking". Meaning, no car to pick us up or bring us there, no fancy room accomodations with hot shower, and of course, room service is out of the question. There were five of us who went to La Union including two friends of our and my brother. All of us were beginner surfers except for one who has been surfing for more than two years. I actually tried surfing a couple of years back with my friend and liked it. I probably would have continued it if I didn't leave Manila for HK. My first time to surf was an adrenalin rush. There was a certain feel of accomplishment once you get to stand on your long board and just ride the wave. To stand, you need to paddle as fast as you can before the wave wipes you out and just lift your whole body when the wave is about to catch up. It's like competing with the wave who will stand over who.

When we got to La Union, two of my friend's surfer buddies taught my husband and bro the basic of surfing. Just enough for them to be able to stand and (hopefully!) ride the small waves. It was quite a scene to see both of them getting wiped out and my husband's white torso standing out from the tanned surfers around. After a couple of minutes my bro could already ride the small waves with ease and my husband was still struggling. Then little by little, he got to stand on his own. After the "rides", the two boys were exhausted but had fun.In the evening, a bonfire was set by the beach and everyone just gathered around and started the drinking session. Mind you, this was the local surfers' drinking session and the alcohol that we consumed were a bottle of Grand Matador Brandy taken in shots, a bottle of Ginebra San Miguel Gin ( Quatro Kantos in Pinoy slang), and a couple of beers. The chaser was a a shot of sprite or seven up after each drink. We finished drinking by 12 midnight but woke up at 10 am the next day!

The next day, we just had enough time to bathe in the sun, eat lunch and then we headed back to Manila. It was quite a good weekend! Next time, when someone says surf's up! I wouldn't miss the opportunity..

That P Word

2006-04-05T10:50:00.000+03:00

One of the ultimate war tactics that generally works is the divide and control method. This is when a leader tries to divide a solid group, break their unity, and little by little gain control over them. Sooner or later, the group will realize that they are already under the same person they were all against to.Either they surrender and quit or they stick it out. I find this method very powerful and I think it works.

When I came back here in Istanbul, I was quite excited to go back to my volunteer work. It was a twice a week ESL teaching class to refugee children. When I got there I was quite disappointed and felt like I was again starting from square one. During my absence, my students didn't have a permanent teacher and forgot most of the English words they know. My main student is a 6-year old girl from Iran who only speaks Turkish and Farsi. Before I left, she was beginning to identify the letters of the English alphabet on her own. Now, she can't even remember half of them. I couldn't blame her or anyone since I know, at home, they do not use English and it doesn't really help that she wasn't going regularly to class.

I was also surprised to find out that most of the teachers I was with were gone. The overall atmosphere was bleak. The students were not responsive and the teachers' moral were down. After a couple of meetings, I find myself becoming uninspired to go and help teach. It's like trying to force yourself to go to a job you don't like.

Recently, I was having a discussion with a friend over here about the divide and control method.
This was her description of how the headmaster runs the school. Apparently, when I was gone, most teachers felt frustrated and tried to talk to the head of the program to ask for directions. Instead of getting encouragement, they got a load of "blame it on somebody" talk. Volunteers here and there were blamed for not doing a good job teaching their students and at the end of the day, they chose to leave. Now, people have to play their cards right to get into the good side of everyone.

Ahhhh politics, can we ever live without them? I thought, I was free of any politics the moment I left the corporate world. I didn't know that even in volunteer work, I would still hear that annoying term. Is it human nature to gossip and play politics everytime they can?

Le Taxi

2006-04-02T15:22:00.000+03:00

My husband and I never owned a vehicle. We fairly do not need it since both of us do not know how to drive. Moving from one country to another requires us to be mobile and never gave us the need to have a car of our own. Here in Istanbul, husband just walks to work since our flat is connected to the building of his workplace. I, on the other hand, enjoy walking through the parks nearby to get to the nearest Migros or Gloria Jeans.

My first few months here, naturally, I took taxis to get me to not so familiar places. Once I became more brave and adventurous enough, I tried taking the Dolmus which is the Turkish equivalent to the FX taxis back in the Philippines. I also tried taking the tram, the metro (subway trains),ferries, and even the fenicular. Of all modes of transportation, taking a taxi cab is always an experience. You will never know what to expect.

a typical Turkish Dolmus

Once I rode a cab here.The driver doesn't speak English and couldn't understand my limited Turkish. I needed to call a friend who could speak the language and explain where I wanted to go. This was also a very common situation when we were living in Hong Kong. I knew the English names of the streets but most of the time, the taxi driver would only know its Cantonese name. If it was somewhere in the outlying parts of HK, it would be best to have someone translate the English names of the streets and buildings to its Chinese counterpart. Here, there are no English names but I always find it hard to say the street names in Turkish.

Another thing I noticed, here, once a driver understood what I said in Turkish, he would suddenly speak the language so fast assuming that I could speak it and understand it fluently. Then he would see the helpless look on my face having no idea what he said and realize I was lost in translation. He would apologize and our conversation will rewind and play in a slower pace until I understand what he means.

Once, I carried on with a Turkish conversation with a driver not really knowing what we were talking about. All I knew was I got to the place where I wanted to go and had a pleasant conversation whilst on journey. Sometimes, it pays to bluff!

*photo swiped from this site.

Dreamt

2006-03-29T22:11:00.000+03:00

I was watching The Weakest Link today ( Brit Ed.) and found an interesting info.

Did you know that the only word in the English dictionary that ends with mt is the word Dreamt?

Not bad eh?

And you know what is Anne's favorite quote ?

"Your mind will explode doing something it's not used to doing - thinking. "

Pardon me. I just find that wickedly funny!

Total Solar Eclipse

2006-03-28T16:55:00.000+03:00

Today, a hotel staff rang our flat,handed me two 3D glasses, and said something about the solar eclipse tomorrow. Then I realized, I totally forgot about the TOTAL Solar Eclipse happening here in Turkey tomorrow, March 29!

I really can't remember the last time I saw a total solar eclipse. I remember seeing some partial eclipse in Manila when I was young but not one where the sun is totally covered.

Tomorrow, apparently, at between 1054am-1057 -Universal Time ( 3 minutes) the new moon will directly be in between the earth and the sun. Istanbul is not directlyi n the path of the eclipse but hopefully, we will see a partial of the whole thing. If we were in Antalya tomorrow, we will be able to see the whole process but this will take a 2 hour plane ride from here.

You can find more info about the eclipse tomorrow on this website or here. I hope I get to take pictures if it is visible here!

Should you be in the following places tomorrow, prepare to witness a total solar eclipse.

Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Niger
Chad
Libya
Egypt
Turkey
Georgia
the Caucasus
Caspian Sea
Kazakhstan
Russia
Mongolia

If not, you can still find some live webcasts on the net or simply watch the news tomorrow. I'm sure it will be on.

Happy Viewing!

Manila.. Manila...

2006-03-26T17:04:00.000+03:00

Most of our time in Manila were spent eating, playing bowling, drinking and dancing. Husband and I wanted to relive the good ol' days of going out when we were still living and working there. We touched based with our closests family and friends and went out almost every night. In those three weeks, we just didn't think of any form of diet and did what pleased us. We really indulged ourselves with all the Pinoy food we could muster. Husband ate all the sisig he wanted and finally figured out that for him, the best sisig is the one with egg on top. Ironically, this sisig was served at a billiards place somewhere in QC. We both forgot the name of the place but we knew how to get there.

We played bowling every week of our stay. Our good friends, husband and wife, C and J played against us all the time. Coronado Lanes is non existent anymore as the site is being developed into one of Ayala's Residential Condominiums ( The Residences Greenbelt). We played at the Powerbowl in Rockwell. This gave me opportunity to shop around and look at the new Zara store over there. I wasn't really impressed with the number of collections of Zara over there since there aren't a lot compared to the ones I saw in Singapore and here in Istanbul. One good thing though, over there, they have smaller sizes ( 1, 2, 3). Translated : easier to shop for me!

Being such creatures of habit, our night outs were mainly in Greenbelt 3. I finally got to eat Not Joes from UVA again and enjoy the panfried gooseliver in Nuvo. I also discovered that Cafe Havana's Mangojito is a great drink and Cena's Frozen Zombie is a bargain at Php 225 per pitcher. Another great reason to go to Greenbelt is the opening of our favorite Thai restaurant, People's Palace. We didn't have to go all the way to Malate ( like we used to) just to have our servings of sumptous Thai dishes.

We knew we will be going back to our old "home" and check out how it is doing. We had dinner at Circles at the Makati Shangri-La and met up with friends who are still working there. We enjoyed one Thursday night singing and dancing with The Spirit of '67 Band in Conways courtesy of our Godmother, MS. We also checked out the newly renovated Shang Palace and Inagiku Restaurant. I would love to get hold of that Kimono display on that Japanese Restaurant!Our usual night place, V, is now aptly named Citrus. The regular night owls and familiar faces were nowhere to be found anymore. Most of the crowd were dancing the night away at The Embassy Bar in Fort Bonifacio. We went there with a couple of friends and had a good time taking silly pictures of us. I guess it was all the booze that we consumed. At the end of the day, it's ok. We were on HOLIDAY anyway!

Airline Blues

2006-03-24T09:52:00.000+02:00

I woke up today still thinking of the humid summer heat of Manila only to find out that I am back here in Istanbul. Looking out, the sky is very cloudy. The sun refuses to shine and the remnants of winter's grip is still trying to hold on as spring tries to break through.

Our flight back was alright except for some issues with Singapore airlines who produced our baggage totally ripped-off from the top. The odd thing is, they can't seem to give us a concrete reason what happened to our luggage, who did the damage, and from which airport did it happen. We started our journey in Manila going to Singapore, then Dubai and finally arriving in Istanbul. They made a report and offered to pick up our bag in our flat to initiate an investigation and a replacement if necessary. I'm still not happy. I wasn't happy with the whole flight from the moment I checked in online.

Normally, I check in online so I can choose the seat assignment that I want. Being in economy class is not a walk in the park for my husband who feels uncomfortable with the small leg room and this adds up to his anxiousness and fear of flying. Our ticket did not allow us to upgrade to Business class and required us to buy a new set of tickets to fly BC. My only hope was to be assigned in the aisle seat in front- the 31st or the next available front row of the plane. Imagine my frustration when SQ automatically assigned the seats and put us back in almost the last few rows of the plane. I was able to change the seat assignment but the first row was blocked already.

Checking in at the airport was our only hope. Normally if there are no babies on board or priority passengers, they would allow this kind of request. The Manila to Singapore flight, we were able to get the seats the last minute. The ground crew explained that they couldn't change our seats for the Singapore Dubai route and asked us to double check with SQ when we arrive in Singapore.

Arriving in Changi Airport, we proceeded to the Transfer Desk and checked with them. To our dismay, they said the flight is already full and they couldn't change our seat assignments which was in the rear part of the plane. So off we went through the 10 hour flight all the way to Istanbul in our assigned seats on

I Keep Coming Back To...

2006-02-24T01:30:00.000+02:00

First there was the Wowowee Tragedy, then the landslide in Leyte, and now it's the State of Emergency back home.

The Philippines always has something going on.

Will this stop me from coming home tomorrow? Not at all!

Be back in three weeks. Don't count the days coz' I won't (winks!).

Red Wine Stains?

2006-02-23T01:07:00.000+02:00

I just learned a new trick on red wine stains. A friend of ours was so drunk in our flat that he spilled his wine on the carpet. Someone suggested I put some salt immediately on the spot and leave it for the night.

I have had a nasty experience with red wine stains in our flat back in HK. Same situation. We were drinking in the flat and a friend accidentally spilled his wine. I ended up going to the grocery looking for the best stain remover. Someone suggested I put some soda water and it will all be gone but this didn't work for me. I bought this nifty spray that claims to take out all kinds of carpet stains. So much for truth in advertising. I still had a brownish spot on the carpet after.

This time, I tried our friend's suggestion and placed some iodized salt on the red wine spot. I left overnight and was excited to see the result. It really does work ( jeez... I sound like a commercial spiel). I took out the salt and just rubbed the stain with plain water and voila! stain gone! I was ecstatic!

Ahhh the joys of being a wife.

It's good to discover new things in our daily lives.

No More Casino For Me!

2006-02-21T15:41:00.000+02:00

I'm not a gambler. I hate taking risks especially financial ones. My long time friends always remember me as the square girl. It is only in recent years that I've become more "relaxed" with my risk taking ability.

My husband got a CD mailed by William Hil l. It's a disc that opened the doors to online casino gambling for us. At first I was watching the games and playing some of the with my husband. We were winning! I was beginning to love it.

Then I had this idea of surprising my husband with more winnings so I went on and gambled online yesterday afternoon.Three-card Poker and Carribean Stud were my games. I won a couple of hundred dollars but due to my greediness and lack of control, I ended losing two thirds of what I won.

With that. I had my taste of fire and now I know better that it burns. I hated how I felt and I knew if I carried on I would have felt worse in the end.

No more casino for me. Thank you.

SAMARKAND

2006-02-20T01:11:00.000+02:00

Pray tell, wh o has not transgressed Your Law?
Pray tell the purpose of a sinless life
If with evil You punish the evil I have done
Pray tell, what is the difference between You and me?

OMAR KHAYYAM
(adapted from Samarkand)

I was never interested in Islamic studies. A new found Canadian friend invited me to join in her book club and lent me a great book written by the award winning, Lebanese author, Amin Maalouf.

I just finished reading Samarkand . It is the story of the Persian poet Omar Khayyam and his famous quatrains written in the Rubaiyaat. This book transported me back in time and made me see clearly how the Orient was in those days. More importantly, it introduced me to the literary genius of Omar Khayyam.

I once heard a poem read by a boy from in Iran in two languages. He read the original text in Farsi and the English translation after. It was sweet music to the ear and the words were all in the right places. After this experience, I took it upon myself to discover more about the poets and literary genius of the Middle East.

I can't wait for my next book!

Kurtlar Vadisi-Irak

2006-02-16T10:29:00.000+02:00

There is a movie being shown over here in Istanbul that is generating mixed reactions and is becoming a topic of conversation. It's called Kurtlar Vadisi Irak ( Valley of The Wolves- Iraq). Rumour has it that US and British troops are encouraged NOT to watch the movie. I haven't seen it personally since it is in Turkish but I would like to watch the English version.

I think the showing of this movie is perfect timing. Especially with the new photos of the treatment of Iraqi soldiers in Abu Ghraib.

A lot has already been said about the US invasion of Iraq. Saddam's "weapons of massive destruction" has yet to be found (or is it because there really aren't any?!). When will this all end? Aren't we supposed to be more wary about Iran's nuclear weapons ? Surely, there's more to life than fighting wars.

Topkapi Palace

2006-02-11T12:37:00.000+02:00

In the mid 1400's Mehmet the Conqueror ended Christian rule in Constantinople by occupying it. He then started rebuilding the city and changing the religion to Islam. Two of his famous projects were the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace.

Topkapi Palace finished its construction 25 years after Mehmet occupied the the city now known as Istanbul. Instead of a single building, they built Topkapi Palace as a series of pavilions within four large garden courts.This became the Sultan's official residence.

Inside the Palace grounds, there are many buildings to visit. There is The Harem which is the palace built with rooms and baths ( think Hamam or Turkish bath) for all the sultan's wives and concubines. The Treasury where you can see gold, silver, and precious metals and jewel-encrusted ornaments in exhibit. They even have a Circumcision Pavilion where they hold and witness the act in the olden days. The Kitchen is another must see visit with it's amazingly huge collection of chinese and japanese flatwares.

There was also a building full of exhibit of the all the Sultan's Costumes, another for all the arms and armour used in war, and a building miniatures and manuscripts of Islam.Topkapi Palace ceased to be the Sultan's official residence after Dolmabahce Palace was constructed in the 1800s. Even with this, In its almost 600 years of existence, it still holds the grandeur of the past. As we walked along the corridors, looked at the exhibit and strolled in the park, we realized how Istanbul will always remain a must-see city.

Discovering Istanbul

2006-02-07T00:26:00.000+02:00

Back in the Philippines, before I came to Istanbul, a friend of mine asked me which country I will be living in. I told her, I was on my way to live to Istanbul, Turkey. Her reaction... " Yaaaaakkk! kadire! di ba puro mabuhok mga tao doon at mababaho? Malapit pa sa Iraq!" I did not know how to react and answer her question. I asked her if she ever went there and she said no. She has never been to any part of the Middle Eastern and European side of the world except for a couple of places in Asia and the United States. I was annoyed at my friend for passing judgement so quickly without knowing what is in this country but then again, I cannot blame her. I also do not know whether what she said was true or not.Then she started rambling about how nice it would be to go to Europe and shop in Dubai plus do bargains in Bangkok, Thailand. Hmmmnnn.. so much for being fair and open minded, I was thinking.

At the back of my mind, I was already wondering how is it in Istanbul, Turkey. I looked at a map and checked if it was near Iraq. Apparently there are still some brave Pinoys who illegally cross the border to find work in Iraq ( makes me wonder, is it worth it?heck! they even stamp the new Philippine passports with "not valid for travel to Iraq", but I digress...). It turns out, Istanbul is the modern name of Constantinople and the great Byzantine empire. This brought me back to my world History classes in high school.Constantinople was then conquered by the Turks and introduced Islam as the religion replacing Christianity that was being spread by Constantine.

Turkey itself is a big country and it is bicontinental. Most part of it lies in the Middle East and a portion of it is located in Southeast Europe. The capital, Ankara is on the Asian side and Istanbul is divided into Asia and Europe. It has two European neighbors mainly Greece and Bulgaria. For its Asian neighbors, it has Georgia, Armenia,Azerbaijan,Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Well, that's basically the facts I know about Turkey. Other than that, I learn more and more about this country by living here. Below are some things I learned while staying here in Istanbul.

1. Merhaba literally means "hello". It's the equivalent of "Mabuhay" in Filipino.

2. The traffic in Istanbul is as bad as Manila. The drivers are mostly Schumacher or Alonso wannabes!

3. The food is fantastic even without pork. I've never eaten so much eggplant in my life ( and they cook it really well!).

4. The city is a mixture of up and down roads. Sometimes while walking in the street, you will feel like you are hiking a steep mountain.

5. Do not expect to find tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, and bananas. They are mostly imported from South American countries ( thus, the exorbitant prices). The fruits to go for here are cherries, quince, oranges, and apples.

6. There are quite a number of Turkish who can speak German and French. It is not hard to find a bilingual and trilingual Turk. There are many turkish universities that has French and German as the mode of communication.

7. Pirated DVD's already has found it's niche in Istanbul.

8. There are many beautiful ( and I mean beautiful) women here. I believe they are greater in number than the men. Although some ladies have a tendency to put on heavy make up ( think drag-queen do) , brown themselves in a tanning salon and dye their hair blonde.

9. There are many cheeky cab drivers. Just like anywhere else in the world, if they can milk money from tourists, they would. It helps to know or pretend that you know how to speak Turkish.

10. Almost everyone in this country can dance! It's a national past time. Turkish music has these irresistible beats that just make you groove. I love the way the women do their belly dancing and the black sea dance of the men (moving their shoulders up and down while they are all in a line) .

11. Turkish hospitality is phenomenal. They would go out of their way to invite you for a cup of coffee or tea in their homes even if you are a foreigner. Shops would offer you some turkish tea when you come inside.

12. The nightlife is awesome here even if the alcohol is expensive (being a Muslim country.. it makes sense). Bars are packed on weekends not just with yabancis or foreigners like us but with locals as well. The best of it all, we all just blend in and have a good time!

On Choices

2006-02-01T01:37:00.000+02:00

Life priorities always vary with people. I know some friends whose lifelong dream and priority is to get married and have a family. Some value their career more than anything else. Others wouldn't care less as long as they are famous and popular while there are those who will do anything within their reach to earn all the money they can.

Everyday, from the moment we wake up, we are presented with choices and decisions. They range from trivial matters such as bacon and eggs for breakfast, coffee and cigarettes or just plain skipping morning meals to the more difficult choices such as firing thousands of employees in a company, choosing the life of a mother or a child during birth, or deciding when to start or stop war resulting to thousands of lives changed forever.

When we reach a certain age, we start realizing how all these little things matter. That every little choice we make contribute to the bigger picture no matter how trivial they may be. Conscious or unconsciously done, these choices change the outcome of our priorities.

When I was younger it was so easy to list down my priorities. Now, I need to weigh in a couple of factors before I give an answer. I guess now I know better that the world does not revolve around me just like when I was a child. I am now part of it and I need to make my own decisions just like everybody else. I'm just grateful that I never had to make choices that will affect more lives other than the ones within my circle. I'm just a small potato compared to everybody else. My everyday decisions involve going to the grocery, choosing the right cheese for pasta, deciding whether to take a taxi or a dolmus, or choosing which book to read for the day.

My life is not complicated and my goals and priorities are more simpler than I imagined when I was younger. No matter what our priorities in life are, it all goes down to us being happy or unhappy with the choices we make.

Am I happy with my choice? I would never trade it for the world!

New Snow

2006-01-27T15:22:00.000+02:00

The past days, I did not have internet access. The lines for our cable internet broke down because of the heavy snow. I was glued watching the quarter finals of the Australian Open. I couldn't help but notice how hot and sunny it is in Melbourne right now while we are at below zero over here in Istanbul.Since I had no connection to the world wide web, during husband's day off, we decided to stroll in the park and and play with the snow. The snow fall was at 60cm and it was a lot of fun running around and goofing about.Now the sun is shining but the snow is still coming in trinkets. I'm becoming park addict!

Incidentally,Belated Happy National Day to my Aussie mates and Independence Day to my friends in India! Enjoy the sunny weather over there! I'm literally freezing my arse off!

Hair Talks

2006-01-22T20:03:00.000+02:00

One of the perks of living in another country is having friends of different nationalities. This becomes the door to a whole new culture exploration. Never did I expect to have friends from Georgia, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, even as far as the African country of Eritrea.

I remember, when I got introduced to some people from Eritrea. When they mentioned that they are from this country, I tried to remember my history and geography and figured out which part of the world is Eritrea. Obviously I was not as familiar as I thought I was with African Geography and History. I just smiled and pretended I knew where the country was. In the course of the conversation, I was able to ask some questions that lead me to knowing that Eritrea used to be a part of and was at war with Ethiopia and the capital is Asmara.

Here in Istanbul, one of my good and closest friend,S is originally from Poland. S and I have so many things in common despite our different backgrounds. She's my constant shopping partner, lunch date, and drinking buddy. Physically speaking, we are opposites. She's as white as paper and I'm chocolate brown. Her height is considered average in her country which is around 5'6" and my height is considered average in the Philippines which is basically anything higher than five feet. The most striking difference between us though is our hair color. S is a natural blonde and I have the typical Asian Black Hair.

Once we were at lunch, we started talking about our hair and hair products. During the course of conversation we ended up touching each others mane and comparing the texture. It was hilarious!

Down at the restaurant, we looked funny comparing each other's hair. She couldn't believe how think my hair was and I couldn't believe how thin her hair was. One strand of my hair is probably equivalent to 15 strands of her hair. Then we wondered, it's either I have really thick hair or she really has thin hair.

We then exchanged haircare tips and shared brands of shampoos and conditioners we use. I for one, am a fan of Citre Shine. We had a laugh learning the name of my friend's shampoo.

It's aptly called Dumb Blonde!

Now This is Weird

2006-01-20T00:51:00.000+02:00

As I was writing this post. I realized that most of the weird part about me is my eating habits. What can I say? I am just a different diner. It's such a shame for my husband who is a chef but hey, when you get married, you get the package---> warts, weird eating habits, and all. I try not to do this in front of him though because it drives him crazy.

The birthday guy tagged me on this one. I will not elaborate and justify why I do them. It's just me and my quirky( sometimes gross) choices.

1. I eat potato chips with chocolates.
2. I love bananas with soy sauce.
3. I dip my fries in ice cream.
4. I eat tomatoes like apples ( it's a fruit anyway).
5. I like eating dessert before and after the main course.

There you go. Food and non-food bloggers alike are probably gasping with this horrendous eating pattern of mine. It's the perfect recipe to shoot up your calorie and cholesterol level. I say, Ho-hum. Guilty as charged.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith's Baby etcetera...

2006-01-16T15:27:00.000+02:00

It is confirmed that Angelina Jolie is pregnant and she is expected to give birth this summer. Now Brad Pitt is really fulfilling his dream to have a family. Apparently, he just adopted the Tomb Raider star's two kids , Maddox and Zahara. I'm sure there are thousand of broken hearted men and women with this news. On the other hand, the soon to be mom, Jolie still looks gorgeous ( as usual...).

***
I just learned the hardway not to wash wool clothing with hot water. The effect: My sweater shrunk fifty per cent. The size is now for a three year old kid! grrrrrr....

***

My favorite Stricker does it again!Arsenal at 7-0 against Middlesborough with a hatrick from Thierry Henri, header from Gilberto and Senderos and one for Pires. We weren't able to catch up with giant Chelsea but it the last game boosted our spirits up! hoooraaaay!

***

It's the start of the Australian Open and Venus Williams is already out thanks to newbie Bulgarian Tszvetana Pironkova. Dementieva is out as well.There goes the number 9 and 10 seed of the women. I'm still for Henin-Hardenne and Davenport.

Pinoy Style

2006-01-15T11:47:00.000+02:00

I got this from my mailbox. I could totally relate to this story and I am sure many Pinoys have had the same experience. It may not just be the Bureau of Internal Revenue but other government office as well. I had my twilight zone moment a few years back when I was arranging my Marriage License at the Quezon City Hall. Our plan was to get married in the Philippines before we leave for HongKong but this didn't happen. With all the frustrations of arranging it and not to mention the stress of talking to these brain dead officials , we packed our bags and got married in HongKong instead.

Another one. At the immigration counter in Manila when I was on my way to Istanbul, Turkey. The immigration officer stopped me and asked what will I be doing in Turkey. I told him I was going to visit and live with my husband. He asked why I would want to visit Turkey and I explained that it's mainly because my husband works there and I plan to join him. He was not content with the answer and asked me to step aside and go to their boss' office. Their boss asked the same question and I gave the same answer. Then they looked for bank statements and my marriage certificate which luckily, I have with me. Then he asked me to go back to the officer who brought me there. I went back to the booth,but alas! The officer was gone. My passport was with him so I asked the next officer where the other guy went.

" Nag break yung kasama ko. Pakihintay na lang" (He just went on break. Please wait for him.)

Oh yeah... the moron had the audacity to go on break and left my passport in his booth. Not one single officer offered to get the passport from the twat for me. The just made me wait even if I had a plane to catch. I swear, I was happy I was leaving the Philippines at that point. Mainly because I've had enough of people like this immigration officer.

Now now.. here's a story about a guy who tried to get a TIN number from the BIR. It gets a little long and it's in Tagalog but it's worth the read.

Disclaimer: Read this at your own risk. There are parts of the content you may find objectionable.
=============================================
ADVENTURES SA KAWATANAN NG RENTAS INTERNAS
ni Jol Ong

Okay. So natanggap na ako nung November sa NCCA bilang researcher. Contract employee lang. 3 months. May Yearbook project kasi sila at kailangan ng extrang tao.

Okay lang ang bayad, kaso may 10% withholding tax, at siyempre, dapat may Tax Identification Number ako. So tinanong ko yung boss ko- "Sir, di po ba yung employer ang maglalakad ng TIN ng employee?"
Sagot ni bosing- "Di ka kasi regular employee kaya dapat ikaw ang maglakad ng TIN mo."Assurance nung assistant ni bosing- "Okay lang yan, one-time hassle lang yan."

Ala akong problema. Sige, ako maglalakad ng TIN ko. Tutal, ano ba ang worst case scenario? Mahabang pila? Red Tape?

Naknamsiomai,sanay naman ako sa UP e- kuhaan ng classcards, pila sa registration,pila sa graduation,etc.

Ako rin naman ang naglalakad ng registration ng beetle ko, at sa pagrerenew ko ng lisensya, so okay lang.

Sabi ni bosing, dun daw ako mag-apply ng TIN sa BIR Main, sa may QC,para mas konti ang pila! . May BIR din naman sa labas ng Intramuros,walking distance para sa mga sanay maglakad, pero mas konti raw ang tao sa Main.

So, sige,nagpaalam ako, isang araw mag-aabsent ako para lakarin yun. Dun ako sa Main, dahil malapit lang sa amin, tapos plano ko,dadaanan ko yung ilang research materials sa UP. Solve!

Pagdating ko sa BIR Main, nagulat nga ako dahil wala ngang katao-tao. Ni wala akong nakitang pila, maliban lang dun sa pila sa harap, dahil tsinecheck nung sekyu yung bag ng mga tao. Nung pagpasok ko, wala pala silang TIN forms. Wow. Naubusan ng TIN Forms ang BIR Main.Hanep.

Tinanong ako nung lalaki sa desk kung para saan yung TIN application ko, sabi ko, para sa work. Tinanong kung saan ako nagtatrabaho,sabi ko sa Intramuros.

"Dun ka mag-apply sa Intramuros." sabi nung lalaki.

"Di po ba puwede talaga rito?"

"Hinde, kasi sa Intramuros ka e, sila ang may hawak sa 'yo."

Okay lang,although medyo naburat ako sa efficiency nila. Ibig kong sabihin, wow, Main BIR sila tapos una, naubusan sila ng TIN Forms,pangalawa, ewan, ang laki-laki ng saklaw nilang lugar, ang laki-laki ng mga building nila, tapos hindi nila ako ma-accommodate.

Taragis, e malamang sa kanila rin naman mauuwi yung records ko kung sa BIR Davao o BIR Batanes ako mag-apply, dahil tutal,Main sila e,di ba? So ala na akong magawa, ala rin silang TIN Forms, so useless din kung magprotesta pa ako dun. So pumunta na lang akong peyups(U.P.) for official business,for the first time. Hehehe!

Pagpasok ko sa work, sinubukan kong lakarin yung TIN application ko sa BIR sa labas ng Intramuros, yung malapit sa port area.Pag-akyat ko sa taas,hinanapan ako ng certificate of employment, at barangay clearance.
At dahil walang nagsabi sa akin na kailangan ko nun, lalo na yung lalaki sa BIR Main,wala akong bitbit na requirements.

Pagbalik ko sa opisina, inexplain ko sa bosing namin yung problema.Nakatingin sa akin yung bosing ko na parang nawe-weirdohan din at di maintindihan yung paghihigpit ng BIR. Lintek, sabi nga nung isang workmate ko, the fact na nag-apply na ako for TIN, dinedeclare ko na sa gobyerno na puwede na nilang kupitan, err, kaltasan ang maliit kong suweldo.

Ako na nga ang magbibigay ng pera sa kanila, ako pa ang hinihigpitan. Tanginang gobyerno yan, kahit kailan talaga pahirap sa mga tao.

Anyway,pag-aaralan pa raw nila kung mabibigyan nila ako ng certificate of employment. Yung barangay clearance, ako na ang maglalakad. Plano kong bumalik ulit sa BIR Main. Hindi ko na lang sasabihin na sa Maynila ako nagtatrabaho. Yung ninang ko na may business, binigyan ako ng TIN Forms. Form 1901, take note. Para sa mga regular employees. May pipirmahan sa likod ang employer ko.

After nito, dumiretso ako sa barangay hall namin para sa clearance.Hiningan ako ng CV para sa file. Medyo naiirita na ako sa puntong ito. Isipin mo naman kung gaano ka-hassle ang buong prosesong ito,para saan? Para gawin ko ang aking role bilang mabuting mamamayan sa pagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Anyway, tinanong ako nung babae sa barangay hall kung may TIN daw ako. NaFafalo ako sa noo ko.

Whoooooo!!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!!!

Okay! So may clearance na ako! Humingi na ako ng certificate of employment sa bosing ko,at pinapapirmahan ko na siya sa likod ng Form 1901 ko. Kaso sabi niya, hindi raw puwede kasi wala ako sa roster of employees ng NCCA. Project employee lang ako e.So tinanong ko kung puwede ibalik yung mga kaltas sa akin,tutal ala naman akong TIN e, at ayaw akong bigyan ng BIR,kaya pu@#$%*na sila,di ko bibigay pera ko sa gobyerno!

Ang problema, hindi raw puwede yun. Tuloy-tuloy ang kaltas sa suweldo ko. Kapag hindi raw kasi kinaltasan, sila raw ang malilintikan kapag nag-check ng expenses ang NCCA, makikitang hindi binawasan ng suweldo ko. So tinawag ngayon yung isang accountant ng NCCA para tulungan kami sa aming munting problema. Hindi rin maintindihan nung accountant kung bakit hinihigpitan ako ng BIR.

Putsa, ako na nga ng magbibigay ng pera sa gobyerno, may gana pa silang magpakipot. Sabi nung accountant, yung kinaltas sa akin, mapupunta pa rin sa gobyerno,may TIN man ako o wala, at hindi sa bulsa ng kung sinoman sa NCCA.

Well, dadaan muna sa gobyerno, sa BIR, bago mauwi sa bulsa ng isang congressman, pero technically, alang problema dahil pagkahaba-haba man ng prusisyon, sa simbahan pa rin ni s~tan~s ang tuloy.Ang difference bale,kapag may TIN ako, dinedeclare ko lang na sa akin galing yung kakaning-ibon na baryang portion ng pang-tip ni Mr.Congressman sa p*kpok niya sa Pegasus.Otherwise, mula kay Mr. Anonymous yung pang-tip niya.

Advise sa akin, sabihin ko na lang na freelance writer ako.Tutal may kaltas din naman daw kapag nag-freelance ka sa mga diyaryo.Tapos i-assert ko raw na ako na ang pagbibigay ng pera sa kanilang mga letse sila kaya dapat bigyan pa nila ako ng libreng chocolait at biskwet out of gratitude mga hayop silang mga impakto sila.

Okay. So bumalik ulit ako sa BIR Main. As usual, ang pila lang ay yung sa harap, kung saan nagtse-check yung sekyu ng bomba sa mga bag ng mga tao. Anyway, babae na yung nasa desk ngayon. Pinakita ko na yung baranggay clearance ko, at yung accomplished Form 1901 ko.Nung tinanong sa akin kung saan ako nagwowork, inexplain ko na freelance writer ako kaya wala akong regular employer, kaya walang nakapirma sa likod.Okay?

Okay. Hinde. sabi nung babae, since hindi ako regular employee,ibang form dapat ang finill-up-an ko. At bigla siyang naglabas ng Form 1902 at binigay sa akin.Whew, kinabahan ako dun a.Yung Form 1902, sabi niya, ay para sa mga "mixed-income individuals," para sa mga taong hindi regular ang kita- professionals, businessmen,at sabi niya, freelance writers.

Okay! Fill-up dito, fill-up dun, okay lang!!! Magkakaroon na ako sa wakas! Inaabot ko na sa babae yung Form 1902! Eto na...

"Ummm, okay na? Ngayon, punta kayo sa West Ave.....Branch namin."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Wow, nasira agad ang aking moment of triumph.

"Err! ,hindi po ba puwede rito sa Main?"

"Hinde, kasi sa Project 6 ka nakatira. West Ave. Branch namin ang may hawak sa inyo."

Naramdaman ko, parang umiikot-ikot ang paligid ko. Parang gumagaan ang ulo ko,nanglalambot at naghihina ang tuhod ko. Bigla kong naramdaman ang isang matinding pangangailangan na i-headbutt ang kausap kong babae sa desk. Sa halip na isang headbutt,nagtanong na lang ako.

"Puwede po bang ibang tao na lang ang maglakad nito para sa akin?"

"Oo, gawa ka ng authorization letter..."

Ah! Para akong nabunutan ng tinik sa dibdib! Fafalakad ko na lang ito sa nanay ko. hehehe. Paglabas ko, marami pa ring tsinecheckan ng bomba sa bag sa harap. Ngayon alam ko na kung bakit. Ako rin gusto ko rin silang bombahin.

Hindi ko pa rin mawari, nung araw na yun, kung ano pa talaga ang purpose ng BIR Main.Nakangsiomai, dun sa maliliit na branches nila,siksikan ang mga tao, milya-milya ang pila. Sa Main, ang lawak-lawak, pero di sila nag-a-accomodate ng applications!

Sa kasamaang palad, hindi ako nakapagsulat ng authorization letter,at masyadong busy ang nanay ko para ilakad ang TIN ko. Anyway,sabi niya sa akin, may kaklase yung tita ko sa BIR West Ave.Kapag nagipit ako, hanapin ko na lang yun. Okey. Sige. Isa pa, may Form 1902 na ako, baranggay certificate, at yung excuse ng aking pagiging freelancer.Pila lang siguro ang problema, pero okay na.Putsa,dapat okay na.

At nakarating din ako, isang araw, sa BIR West Ave. Sa second floor sila nag-oopisina sa isang building. Masikip yung elevator dahil sa dami ng tao.

Narating ko na rin yung desk para sa TIN. Nung chineck nung babae dun yung papeles ko, hinanap nila yung pirma ng employer.

"Ay. Wala po. Freelance Writer po ako e."

Napatingin sa akin yung babae, tinitigan ako sa mata na wari'y tinitimbang ang mga salitang aking nasambit...

"Ano yung Freelance Writer?"

NaFafalo ako ulit sa noo.

"Ma'am, freelancer po ako. wala po akong regular na sahod.Binabayaran ako per article na sinusulat ko. Hindi po ako regular employee kaya wala akong certificate of employment."

Nung makitang Form 1902 ang dala ko, sinabihan pa akong maling form ang bitbit ko, kaya inexplain ko pa na nanggaling na ako sa BIR Main, na Form 1901 ang dala ko dati pero sabi dun, mali raw ang 1901 para sa akin kaya binigyan ako ng 1902 dahil freelance writer ako,at inirefer ako sa branch nila.

Nakatitig sa akin yung babae, ninamnam ang bawat salitang sinambit ko...

"Ano yung Freelance Writer?"

Okay! Kulang ka ba sa iodized salt?

Ipinaliwanag ko ulit kung ano ang freelance writer, at nakatingin pa rin siya sa akin na tila nambubullsh~t lang ako.

"Punta ka na lang sa Officer of the Day."

"Umm. Saan po yun?"

"Sa Seventh Floor."

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10... ayan... kumakalma na ko...
NAKANANGTOKWA!!!! ANG DAMING TAONG NAKAPILA SA
ELEVATOR!!!

$#@*^%$%#!!!!!!!!Alang choice, tumakbo ako paakyat sa hagdanan mula 2nd patungong 7th floor. Hingal na hingal ako nang lapitan ko ang Ofiicer of the Day.

"Ma'am, pinaakyat po ako mula sa second floor..."

At ipinaliwanag ko yung nangyari, mula yung pagpunta ko sa BIR Main,hanggang sa pagpunta ko sa ibaba kanina.

"Umm... at anong gusto mong gawin ko?"

Gumuho muli ang mundo ko, pero buti na lang may upuan sa likod ko.Ipinaliwanag ko ulit.

"Oo nga. Sa second floor ang application ng TIN. Bakit ka pinaakyat sa akin?"

Halos nagmamaka-awa na ako. "Ma'am, ala po ba talaga kayong magagawa?" At inilahad ko ulit yung masasayang adventures ko sa BIR Main, sa BIR Port Area, sa BIR Main, at sa BIR nila.

Awa ng diyos, may kinuhang chart yung ale, hinanap yung kategorya ko. Nung makuha yung code, sinulat niya sa isang espasyo sa 1902 ko,sabay tatak.

"Ayan. Okay na yan."

Namagandai ako. Sincere!!! Halos mapaihi na ako sa tuwa. Matatapos na!!!

Kaso, putsa, ang daming taong naghihintay sa elevator. Walang choice, takbo ulit ako sa hagdanan pababa. Pagdating dun, lalaki na yung nakaupo sa desk. Pinakita ko ulit yung mga papeles ko.

"Saan ang Certificate of Employment mo?"

Nammannnnn!!!! Ano ba'to? Twilight Zone? Napasok ba ako sa isang loop?

"Bosing, hindi po ako regular employee e. Freelance writer po ako."

"Ano yun?"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At ipinaliwanag ko ulit kung ano ang freelance writer, at ikinuwento ko yung episode kanina, at yung episode sa BIR Main, etc.

"Ito kasing Form na ito, itong 1902, para sa mga may negosyo ito e."

"E yan po ang binigay ng BIR Main sa akin, dahil hindi regular ang sahod ko!"

"May mayor's permit ka ba?"

Pikon na pikon na ako nun kaya hindi ako natawa, pero,talaga, grabe,comedy ito, men. Wow.

"Hindi ko po kailangan ng mayor's permit! Writer lang po ako!"

Ineksamin ulit nung lalaki yung papeles ko.

"Ummm, propesyunal ka ba?"

"Opo."

"Anong propesyon mo?"

"Writer po."

"May lisesnsya ka ba?"

Sa isip ko- "HU-WAAAAAAATTTTTT!!!????"

Kung kumain ako ng bulalo kanina, malamang na-stroke na ako ngayon.

"HINDI NYO PO KAILANGAN NG LISENSYA PARA MAGING WRITER!!!"

Sabay follow-up ko ng:
"ANO BA KAYO? AKO NA MAGBABAYAD NG TAX SA INYO, PINAPAHIRAPAN NYO PA AKO!"
Deadma si lalaki. Nakatingin pa rin sa papeles ko, iniisip kung ano gagawin. Kung pinapunta pa niya ako ulit sa
Officer of the Day, i-he-headbutt ko na'to talaga. Buti na lang-"O sige, irereceive ko ang forms mo, pero ang alam ko dapat may kasamang papeles pa itoe. Pumila ka na lang dun..."

*haaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy.......*

Kaso, sobrang haba ng pila, at sa takbo ng mga pangayayari ngayon, ayoko nang maghintay ng isa't kalahating oras para lang mag-replay ng kuwentong kung ano ang freelance writer, at kung bakit hindi ako regular employee. Lumabas ako, pumunta ako sa corridor. Pikon na pikon. Tinawagan ko nanay ko, tinanong
ko yung pangalan ng kaibigan dati ng tita ko sa highschool na nagtatrabaho ngayon dun. Okay, nakuha ko na yung pangalan. Balik ako dun, tinanong ko yung sekyu kung saan ang opisina nung babae.

"Sa seventh floor po."

Hindeeeeee!!!!! Pero sige, para lang magkaroon ng bunga ang paghihirap ko ngayong araw na ito- may exodus ng tao sa harap ng elevator, kaya ayun, inipon ko ang natitira kong lakas at hininga,at aking tinakbo muli ang second to seventh floor sa hagdanan.

Pagdating sa taas, halos bumagsak sa lupa ang baga ko.Nagtanong-tanong ako ulit kung saan ang opisina nung
bes-pren ng tita ko, hanggang sa mapunta na ako sa gitna ng opisina nila. Sa wakas- "Ay! Diyan yung opisina nun, pasok ka diyan."

Yehey!!!

"Ha? Ay! On-leave siya ngayon. Babalik siya sa January 2."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hindi pa rin nauubos ang mga tao sa elevator, hindi ko maalala kung paano ko tinakbo pababa ang first floor. Pikon na pikon ako, grabe.Pag-uwi, nakaubos yata ako ng isang pitsel ng gulaman. Hinintay kong humupa ang tila-nuclear holocaust ng galit sa loob ng dibdib ko.

Punyetang gobyerno ito!!! Letse!!! Hindi mahuli-huli yung mga tax evaders,hindi mabigyan-bigyan ng TIN yung mga nagmamagandang loob na magbayad ng buwis!!! Tangina, no wonder may lumolobo tayong mga deficit!!! Syet!!! Ano nangyari sa iodized salt campaign ni Ramos!!!

Nung gabi, tinawagan ko si TJ, yung kasama ko sa trabaho,at kinuwento ko lahat. Lagi ko kasing kinukuwento ang bawat installment ng aking BIR adventures, at tulad ng isang epiko, grabe ang climax nung hapon na yun.

Syet. Hayop sa climax. Tinatawanan ko na lang, pero nung hapon na yun kaya ko sigurong mangagat ng leeg. Tawa rin nang tawa si TJ, at ngayon, kuwento niya,tawa rin nang tawa yung mga pinagkuwentuhan niya. Pati yung mga tao sa tambayan namin, nung kinuwento ko,di rin makahinga sa katatawa.

Langya,baka maging urban legend pa ang buhay ko, in which case,sana puwede kong i-video lahat, at lalagyan ko ng sumpa-ala "The Ring", tapos Fafadalhan ko ng kopya yung mga tao sa BIR.

Naisip-isip ko na lang ngayon, paano nga kung kailangan mo ng lisensya para magsulat.Isang physical manifestation ng concept ng poetic license? haha! Kung sa driver's license, may mga restrictions tulad ng "Vehicle up to 4500 KGS GVW" o kaya "Automatic clutch above 4500 KGS GVW", etc. paano kaya yung sa "Poetic License" o "Writing License?"

I.Restrictions
1. Haiku and short essays only
2. Essays up to 500 words and Freeverse up to 5 stanzas
3. Essays above 500 words and Freeverse above 5 stanzas
4. Critical Essays,Short Fiction, Poetry ...etc.

Pero nag-digress na naman ako. Isang hapon, pagkatapos nung BIR episode, dumaan ako sa tambayan namin sa UP.Nung makita ako ng mga kasama ko - "Jol!Pumayat ka a! Grabe!" hehehe. Naalala ko yung jogging-jogging ko sa building, at yung stress, at namagandai ako.Isang mapait at matamis na ngiti.At kinuwento ko kung bakit.

ps:
hanggang ngayon, wala pa akong TIN. Kuwento ni TJ, si
Santi Bose raw,namatay nang walang TIN. Nakakatakot.

Sacrifice Feast

2006-01-10T11:04:00.000+02:00

Yesterday marked the beginning of the second bayram here in Turkey. Two months ago, they had Ramazan (commonly known as ramadan in other Muslim Countries) and now they have the Feast of the Sacrifice or the Kurban Bayrami.

Kurban Bayrami this year is from 1o-16 January. This is considered as one of the longest religious and secular holiday here in Turkey. In short, NO WORK. During these days, the Muslim families re-enact the sheep sacrifice made by Abraham in place of his son Isaac, better known as Ismail tothe Muslims. According to their faith, A ram fell from the sky just when the prophet Abraham was about to kill Ismail as a sacrifice to God thus, he killed the animal instead of his son. As a tradition, Muslim families buy a live sheep and kill it in the morning with the supervision of a butcher. The killing is done in public, so you would hear the poor cry of the sheep and if you happen to walk around the city, you might find yourself witness to the sacrifice.

Tradition also dictates that once the sheep is killed, the owners must cook 1/3 of the meat immediately. The other 1/3 should be given to neighbors and family and the last portion should be distributed to the poor and needy.

The bayram holiday actually has a cheerful atmosphere but not as festive as the Ramazan. The people still go visit their respective families and give each other sweets ( chocolates, candies, turkish delight or lokum) and a portion of the meat they killed for sacrifice. Apparently, this holiday also gives way to forgiveness amongst enemies and dispute settling.

I've never witnessed a sacrifice feast before. My Japanese neighbor witnessed one last year and she said it was not for the light-hearted. Early in the morning today, I woke up with the call to prayer by the mosques and today was particularly long compared to other days. It's freezing cold outside. I have a feeling most of the sacrifice feast will be done indoors this week. For the Turkish family who strictly follow tradition, there will be many visits of relatives and exchange of sweets and meat. For the others, the bayram, is another opportunity to go on holiday or visit their hometowns. The highways are jampacked. The shops are closed. The city is quiet but the individual Turkish families in their homes are celebrating the feast of sacrifice.

Kota Kinabalu

2006-01-05T18:49:00.000+02:00

The last stop of our pre-Christmas 2005 trip was Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. We went here primarily to visit our good friends, Mr. and Mrs. G. The second agenda was to re-discover the beauty of nature at its best.

Kota Kinabalu is very near the Philippines via Mindanao. The island itself is eighty per cent rainforest. Most of the tourists who go here do nature trippings. Either they want to unwind, do some diving, or climb Mt. Kinabalu. We had our share of wildlife and nature during our one week stay in Kota Kinabalu.

For me, the highlight of our trip was the Wild River Rafting in Padas River. We took a train from Beaufort going to the mountains and did the rafting. The train was no BTS, MTR, or MRT. Inside it, we were together with a motorbike and some cows ( yes.. the ones that go "moo") inside. There were no seats and we were just seated on the floor for 2 hours. The rafting took us about 45 minutes to one hour. It was really fun. The boys had the courage to try body rafting and us girls were content with our high pitched shrieks everytime there was a big wave coming in. At the end of the adventure, we got a certificate making us officially able to conquer a Class 3 river (moderately difficult).
We went to Pulau Gaya which is beside Pulau Manukan. It's an island 20 minute via a motor boat from Kota Kinabalu. We had a good barbecue lunch over here. Since we came there on a low season, there aren't a lot of people around. We basically had the island for ourselves. The boys were busy playing petanque by the beach and us ladies played UNO and enjoyed the sun.

We spent one day nature tripping and went to see the Proboscis Monkey. They are the only monkeys I know who are allergic to bananas and they can actually die when they eat them They live on trees and eat leaves , fruits and branches. We went to Klias Wetlands on a sightseeing adventure to see these nearly extinct monkeys only found in Borneo and witness thousands of fireflies at night. This was fun although we needed a telescope to see the monkeys hanging on the trees. On a lighter note, did you know that these monkeys have pot bellies and the male's organ is red in color---> as in ferrari red. Plus, the older these monkeys get, the bigger their noses become.

Our days in Kota Kinabalu were well spent getting in touch with nature and just having plain fun. We didn't want to leave the place but husband needed to go back to work. I actually have tons of pictures but they might not interest you much since most of them are photos of monkeys, birds, trees,the sunset, beach, and wildlife.
At the end of 2006, we will be going back to Kota Kinabalu.It would be another visit to our good friends and hopefully, we get to climb Mt. Kinabalu this time.

* photo of the proboscis monkey was swiped from Labuk Bay Proboscis Sanctuary website.

Chatuchak 101

2006-01-03T12:13:00.000+02:00

January is one of the best times to shop. Most of the shops are cleaning out their christmas stocks and getting ready for spring and summer. I did not do a big Christmas shopping last December but I made up for it when we went to the Chatuchak Market in Bangkok, Thailand in November.

Chatuchak is the largest weekend market in Bangkok. It has around 10,000 to 15,000 stalls inside. For a shopping enthusiast, this is a paradise. Aside from the fact that the price of goods sold are relatively cheap, you can find almost anything you need in this market. In the Philippines, this should be a hybrid of Divisoria and Greenhills Shopping Center but it's only open Saturdays and Sundays.

From the center of Bangkok, it's easy to go to Chatuchak. We took the BTS or the Skytrain from Chitlom Station to Mo Chit and it cost us around 35 baht and 15 minutes to go there. The market is a 5-minute walk from Mo Chit Station. It's quite easy to find it, you just need to follow the crowd since majority of them are also tourists and locals heading to Chatuchak.

Arriving in the market, you might get overwhelmed with the crowd and stalls everywhere especially if you go in the afternoon. Mornings are better since there are lesser people and it's easier to find your way around.

The market is divided into sections depending on the goods they are selling. They have all sorts of things, from plants, furnishing, thai decors, pets, clothings and apparels, children's clothes, toys.. and the list goes on. Husband and I decided to be organized and identified what we wanted so it's easy to find them. Even if we did this, we still got lost inside the maze-like alleys of Chatuchak. We refuse to ride the touristy transpo that goes around and picks up people who didn't want to walk thus, we ended up having a good amount of exercise just by going around the place.

We didn't bring any camera and took no pictures of the Chatuchak. We were in for some serious shopping and we felt that bringing a cam could be more of a liability with the amount of crowd going in and out of the market. We went there empty handed and went back home carrying loads of plastics with all our buys.

If we didn't have to think of over baggage, we could have shopped more. We wanted to buy a lot of those cool Thai home decors but it was too bulky and heavy to bring them back home. We ended up buying some (well.. a lot of..) clothes, funky bags, accessories, birkenstocks (very cheap and good for walking) , and thai silk scarves.

This was how we ended our trip in Bangkok. We spent 6-hours walking around Chatuchak, haggling prices, and finding good buys. After this, we were off to the beautiful sunsets of Kota Kinabalu.

The Last Hooorah!

2005-12-31T08:48:00.000+02:00

Being the last day of the year, I can't help but look back what 2005 has brought me.

Here goes...

1. This year, I lived in three countries. The first few months in France, second in the Philippines and the then finally here in Istanbul.
2. I went back to school with my good friend, Tessa while I was in the Philippines. It was all because I miss my alma matter (and had nothing better to do). I found myself sitting in class re-learning my french and german during summer.
3. I spent two summers and two winters this year.
4. I realized how I value my family ( especially my parents) and miss them much.
5. I discovered the joy of blogging.
6. I reconnected with long lost friends both elementary and highschool.
7. I found new friends from different parts of the world.
8. I had my first Ramazan, Iftar, and Bayram experience.
9. I flew EasyJet and Airasia the first time.
10. I became more OC with things. I never stopped cleaning our flat.
11. I decided to teach in a refugee school. It was my first time to meet children from Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan,Somalia,Uganda, and Ethiopia.
12. I realized that BBC does better news report than CNN and FOX is just so annoyingly Pro-American.
13. I stopped reading news on Philippine Politics.
14. I discovered that there is always a Filipino/a every country I go and it helps to know them (the Pinoy mafia!).
15. I've mastered the art of converting currencies!

These are only the first few things I remember. I'm sure there are still a couple of entries I can add. This year was not the best of the lot but I had my defining moments. One of the things I learned just recently is the fact that people are more drawn to other people who do not give a darn on what they say. For some twisted reason, people nowadays are more drawn to negativity. When you are angry and you express it, you are said to be cool. When you say what you want without being sorry, you are regarded highly and sometimes thought of as somebody important. With the influx of information everywhere, it seems so hard to keep track of the truth and the ones that are valid. Everyone just wants to be the center of the show. Everyone has something to say about everything. It doesn't matter if it's useless info or not. (Note: I'm talking in general over here not just with blogging.)

2005 has been a year of contemplation for me. It was nice to step back and look how things were. I just hope, this coming year, there will be more people who will pay good things forward and just stop being angry.

As Master Yoda says...
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Cheers to a New Year!

A Pleasant Surprise

2005-12-28T14:22:00.000+02:00

I was cooking lunch today when I got a package delivered at my door step today. I looked at the stamps and saw it came from Greece.I immediately knew that this package came from my blogger friend, wanderlustsha herself. I haven't met her personally yet even if Greece is just a train ride from Istanbul and it's one of my goals this 2006. I felt my heart beat faster and was so excited to open the package. You see, when it comes to presents, I become giddy, ecstatic and just plain happy.This really made my day extra special. Forgive me for being such a child but I just can't help but be a show off. I haven't eaten Nagaraya, Oishi and Jack and Jill's Pretzels in the loooongeeeesssst time and my dear blogger friend made it come true plus there is a bonus of Goldilock's Cashew Flavoured Polvoron! Just the mere thought of it made me smile from ear to ear.

Thanks, Sha!

Cheers!

My Christmas (hic!)

2005-12-27T11:48:00.000+02:00

Christmas is just an ordinary day here in Istanbul. Good thing I found some people I can share the spirit of the holidays with... the only down side of it---> the amount of alcohol my husband and I have consumed the whole night is enough to make us still drunk the morning after.

As a result of our Christmas celebration, I came up with a perfect new year's resolution for myself.
1. Lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle ( no more popcorns for me and lesser beer intake. Note to self: switch back to gin!)

Movies

2005-12-20T10:20:00.000+02:00

It's been cold and dreary the past few days here. My husband and I decided to catch up on cuddling and put a notch up on our movie/DVD time. We go bitten by the Star Wars Bug and just watched the whole series (Episode I-VI). This is my fifth time to watch Star Wars and still, I watch it like the first time. Still excited with every scene and amazed by the power of the force.

Speaking of StarWars, Revenge of the Sith is the top grossing movie of 2005 in the US. 'Want to know the top ten? Go here.

The All Time International and Worldwide top grosser is Titanic followed by LOTR, Return of the King.

During this holiday season, if you plan to buy or rent out dvds, this list and this one is a good start. Better yet, you can just go here for a comprehensive list.

Oh, and by the way, If you haven't seen The Notebook, do get hold of a copy. You might end up shedding a tear or two... It's better to watch this with someone you can hold hands with.

Ok,I'm going back to my dvd watching and pseudo christmas shopping... ttfn ( tata for now)!

That Asian Connection, Kanchanaburi

2005-12-15T14:46:00.000+02:00

After a couple of days in Bangkok, hubby and I met up with his bestfriend, J, and headed to Kanchanaburi for three days and two nights.For us, there were two options to reach Kanchanaburi, one is via private transfer (e.g. car or van) or by taking the bus. Apparently, it would take us around 2 to 3 hours to get there. I wanted to take the bus but my other half wanted to take a car. Once again, we found ourselves presenting the pros and cons of both arguments and unfortunately, I was outvoted 2-1 to take a private car.

All throughout the trip ( going there and back), I was asleep. I guess there was nothing much to see since we were traversing on a highway. My two companions were busy catching up on each other's stories and football stuff so I was left in peace with my 3 hour nap.

We stayed in Royal River Kwai Hotel. It's a very quaint hotel which was not near the center. It was just perfect for us since we wanted to have a peaceful and quiet atmosphere. The keyword on this trip was RELAX.

After checking in,we decided to go to the tourism office, to check which places and activities we wanted to see and do. After a couple of brochure analyzing and understanding Thai english we managed to arrange a couple of things for us to do. We hired a boat to go about the Kwae River and visit some places. The first stop was the buddha/s inside the cave. It was a good half hour walk in and out of the cave.There are a couple of Thai kids who will ask you if you want them to tag along and help you find your way inside the cave. If you are a little bit scared and would like someone to "guide" you, the closest you can find will be these children. You will find it easy to discover the cave though, since there are signs all over the place (I've seen so many signs like the picture above and in the end I wasn't minding the grammar anymore).The cave was well lit ( flourescent lamps inside) but it gets a little bit tight at some point. If you are claustrophobic, you would want to get out as fast as you can. There are several buddhas in different parts of it. Some strike me as quite eerie just finding them little ones sitting there inside the cave.You would wonder though how the Thais were able to put the biggest Buddha inside this cave. It being huge and the cave quite small.

When we got out of the cave, we found a path leading to the chubbiest buddha I've ever seen so far. From this point, you can see a good view of the horizon and the kwae river. A nice spot for photo ops! :D

Next, we went to the war memorial cemetery-- Chongkai cemetery. Here you will find, beautifully manicured gardens with hundreds of epitaphs of World War 2 soldiers. Not Thai mind you, but more english,australians, new zealanders, dutch, and other foreign soldier captives who died during railway construction or staying in the concentration camps during those years. The POW average age of death? 22 years old. In their epitaph, the youngest person I saw was 17 years old. Out of respect, I couldn't bring myself to take some pictures of the cemetery.The famous Bridge over the River Kwae was our next stop. Thanks to the movie starred by Sir Alec Guinness and the novel written by Pierre Boule (the author of Planet of the Apes). I wasn't born yet when the movie was released but I remember my father raving about it when I was a kid. It was one of my movies to watch but I couldn't get hold of a copy until now. I'm sure in one way or another, you've heard that famous whistle and knew it's about soldiers. The bridge nowadays, is still used but you will find tourists ( including us) walking along the bridge and taking pictures like there's no train that will pass by any moment. After the whole boat tour, we decided to head back to the hotel and eat dinner. As usual it was hot, spicy, and delicious! There are a couple of non spicy thai food as well like khao pad dishes (usually rice meals with pork, chicken or beef). But I love green curry the most. The spicier the better. My husband had the audacity to spread the sauce of his curry in his rice and ended up having numb lips after. Now, he knows better, he tastes the sauce first before putting it in his rice.The next day, we booked a tour to go to the elephant camp and do some river rafting. This was amazing. Elephants are just such cool animals. At first I was a little bit scared with them. I didn't want to end up being stepped on by an elephant. I saw an episode of Monk wherein a circus elephant stepped on his trainer's head during a rehearsal. Leading to a squishy squashy brain on the floor. My first elephant kiss was with a baby elephant. He extended his trunk on my cheeks and made a vacuum like kiss that tickles. So cute! We then had a 30 minute elephant ride along the river and fed them after. It feels weird to be sitting on an elephant's neck. their skin is really thick and they have all these stubbles ( imagine the hair growth after 2 days of not shaving) and you feel their neck bone on your tush while they are walking. It's like having a tush massage with stubbles on the side ( Yep, I'm the bozo who decided to wear shorts on this trip).The last part of our trip was the river cruise with a raft. Our boatman was just lovely. Like any Thai, he had this sincere smile all the time even if we couldn't understand each other much with the language barrier. It was almost 45 minutes of quiet river cruising and pure relaxed moment. The two boys, decided to take a dip and just enjoy the scenery. Really, it was the perfect ending for another day in Kanchanaburi.Since it was our last night over in Kanch, we decided to celebrate and went to Felix River Kwai for dinner and drinks. This place is quite famous for tourist. It's the more upscale hotel in the area and the place is quite big. they also have many facilities available and the worst karaoke lounge singers I've heard my entire life. The ironic thing is, there were quite a number of people who were sitting down and listening to this male and female thai duo doing some baaaaad rendition of english songs. We decided to stay outside and enjoy our drinks in each other's company until we decided we've had enough and head back to our hotel.

The next day, just before leaving kanchanaburi, we've managed to lay a couple of hours by the pool and get some sun. Then off we went...

back to Bangkok...

next on my list : Shopping 101 in Chatuchak Market.

All I Want for Christmas

2005-12-12T18:34:00.000+02:00

Just a short break...

Sepik mom, Alma just did her Christmas wishlist. I'm talking about the material kind. I love doing lists. Whether it be grocery list, to do list, and the best of them all is a wishlist. I do have a froogle list in case you plan to send me presents but you can also look at this main list for my other wishes!

This Christmas, here are my top 5... ( at random)

1. Nissin's Yakisoba ( spicy chicken ----> I miss this so much!)
2. A hefty serving of foie gras avec les blinis...
3. An Apple Powerbook G4 17inch ---> Santa Baby, I've been a good girl! Please be nice to me!
4. The complete DVD Set of CSI LAs Vegas Season 5 ( not yet released???)
5. Myst IV - Revelation and Myst V End of Ages ( yeah... I still do pc games..)

Well, there santa, I've written down my list. It would be good to get at least one of them ( the yakisoba maybe?!).

Happy Holidays!

That Asian Connection, Bangkok Part 1

2005-12-09T15:35:00.000+02:00

A couple of weeks back, I suddenly announced in this blog that I am going on vacation. It was an unplanned vacation and it was actually a 15 day recuperation of all my husband's overtime work. Originally we wanted to travel somewhere near which basically sums up to Europe and the Middle East. Since I was holding the ever so limited green passport and my Schengen visa already expired, we both came to a conclusion to visit the place we miss the most other than the Philippines without the hassle of visa applications. Just an impromptu trip. We finally decded to go to the first two countries we visited together when we were still going out ---> Malaysia and Thailand. On top of it, we realized that our good friends in Hong Kong are now living in the above mentioned countries and it would be a good idea to touch base with them again.

From Istanbul, we took Singapore Airlines with a stopover in Dubai and Singapore and, after almost 22 hours of travelling and waiting in between airports, we landed in Bangkok. The first thing that greeted us was the morning traffic. What a lovely welcome! We weren't annoyed a bit with the traffic jam. We were just so happy to be there. Arriving at our hotel, we ended up falling asleep the rest of the afternoon. Thanks to the six hours time difference and the head spinning jet lag we had.

Come late afternoon, we met up with our old friend and colleague in HK, Monsieur and Madame D and their beautiful bebe toctoc. Madame D was already pregnant when we left HK last year and the last time we saw her was in Paris when we met up and had lunch together minus Monsieur D who was busy working in HK that time. Bebe toctoc was born early January of this year and it was so good to see him for the first time in person already crawling everywhere.

We then went straight to their flat and had dinner with the whole family. After hours and hours of chatting and wine drinking , we called it a night at half past one in the morning and went back to the hotel to get some shut eye. We had a long schedule the next day and needed to wake up early.

Grand Temple and Wat Phra Keo

Wat Arun

Our first trip to Thailand, we only stayed one night in Bangkok and went straight to Krabi Island for one week. This time, we decided to explore the chaotic and exciting city of KrungThep and enjoy all the Wats ( or temples) that we can see. The first thing on our agenda was visit the three Major Temples Bangkok is known for. These were the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. Armed with a touristy map and infos taken from Virtual Tourist, we spent one whole day discovering and taking pictures of these Wats. Unfortunately, Wat Pho was closed on the day we decided to do these three temples and so we ended up walking around the area discovering other buddha images.

Pooh Khao Tong and Wat Indrawiharn

One of the highlights of our day was a tuktuk ride all over the place and a pleasant surprise from husband dear who bought me a ring with ruby (my birthstone) and diamonds. I felt like a teenager and the gemologist even thought we were on honeymoon. As corny as it may sound... love was in the air ( I can't believe I just typed that!).

Come dinner time, husband and I decided to try out mahanaga. It was a thai fusion restaurant with very nice ambience. The food was good although the quantity was not enough for voracious eaters like us. We then went to Brown Sugar, a small bar that plays superb jazz music live. After having a couple of drinks and good beat tapping, we headed back to the hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel, husband was again hungry and said he would like order something to ( take note) nibble from Room Service. He ended up eating a steak with french fries! i couldn't care less I was too dead tired and excited for our next day travel to Kanchanaburi...to be continued

Next Stop : Kanchanaburi, Thailand
-Buddhas inside A cave
-Acrophobia with the Bridge over the River Kwae
-our first elephant's kiss
-hotta hotta thai food
- river rafting

Up and Running Again

2005-12-07T07:54:00.002+02:00

I don't know where and how to start with my super fun and fabulous vacation. Until now, my mind is wandering off and someone needs to put my feet back on the ground. I still feel the sun and sea in Kota Kinabalu, taste the best streetfood of Bangkok, feast my eyes on thousands of trinkets and what have you's in Chatuchak Market, and savour the lovely Christmas decors along Orchard Road of Singapore.

I have so many stories to tell. From our first Airasia flight, wild river rafting, Temple Visits, Buddha watching, Romantic Dinners by the beach, meeting and having good laughs with old friends, dibidi hoarding, rustic train rides ( ala Amazing Race train ride in India), and even Monkey spotting in the wetlands.

I have hundreds of pictures to share but I also have thousands of things to do now that I am back. First on my list is the gruesome task of unpacking and doing laundry. My body is still on vacation mode especially while listening to this track. Afterall, The Killers became our holiday band of choice for some bizaare reason!

Stories and pictures to come after my laundry... Enjoy the Video!

Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

Hop Hop Skipitty Hop...

2005-11-19T00:35:00.000+02:00

"eeerrr... uuhhmmmnn.. hello? hello? is the mic on? ahhhh test mic.. 1,2,3..."

Ok ready...

I would like to inform you that this blog will be on vacation mode for 15 days.

Yes, you read that right. Before I celebrate my white chilly christmas here in Istanbul, dear husband and I are off to ( I dare you to read it loud...)

Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphop
nopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharn
amornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

In english it translates to...

The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.

Well, enough of the tongue twister and let's just call it by its more common name which is Krung Thep or Bangkok, Thailand.

Then we will be off to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia (truly Asia). To enjoy some good fun in the sun with some of our friends living over there.

If I have enough time, maybe I can sneak in Manila through Airasia and give some hugs and kisses to family and friends.

There's one more hurdle though. Just the looooong flight ahead. I need to deal with hubby's panic attacks. I think I can handle this one pretty well. I basically know the drill and nothing can stop me from getting that tan!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Pride and Language

2005-11-16T00:51:00.000+02:00

Since last week, I found myself busy doing so many things. I've been meeting lots of new people and even got to chat with two Pinays who were visiting Turkey en route to Greece on a cruise. I stumbled upon them while doing my laundry in the common room. It was nice to get to talk to someone in Filipino again. I'm glad I got to chat with those two ladies. They are based in San Francisco now and are living there for more than a decade but their Tagalog was impeccable! Really impressive. You wouldn't even think they are living in the US.

This is what I don't understand with some of our kababayans though. I've met quite a number of Filipinos who suddenly can't remember speaking tagalog just because they went on a short vacation to the US of A. Suddenly, they all start having that twang together with the normal tagalog words. I mean, how can that be possible? If you grew up hearing and talking Tagalog most of your life and then went on a short vacation abroad (meaning 2 - 3 months, or even a year) I don't think you will suddenly be at lost with Pinoy words and start talking Tagalog with a certain twang. One more bizaare thing I noticed, that this normally happens when Pinoys go to english speaking countries. I mean, I never hear a Pinoy speak English with a Japanese, Indian, or Chinese accent after spending his vacation days in those countries. I've met some Filipinos who suddenly acquired the Aussie twang just because they went on vacation to Australia, or the British accent ( to- mah- to as opposed with American to-may-to) just because they stayed there for a month.

Sadly, there are some Filipinos who are not really proud to speak Tagalog and would rather much prefer speaking in English. Yes, English is the most spread language and the more common language of people but it doesnt necessarily mean that we should forget Tagalog.It's part of who we are, our identity as Filipinos. We pride ourselves to be an english speaking nation (and sometimes) to a point where we shun our own language. Don't get me wrong though, I don't have anything against expressing oneself in English ( heck! I do it too!). There is also nothing wrong in knowing how to speak Tagalog and showing it.

If I remember it right, this line from a famous Pinoy commercial says it all...
--->magpakatotoo ka!

An Eager Beaver's Christmas

2005-11-11T11:57:00.000+02:00

I've been playing Christmas songs the whole week and eagerly excited to put up our Chrstmas tree. I would love to put up a freshly cut pine and savor the aroma of pinewood inside our flat but I'm such an eager beaver that I am settling for my reliable plastic tree bought in toys 'r us way back in Hong Kong. When you step out of our flat though, you won't feel any christmas atmosphere. It all looks like an ordinary chilly day. People go about with their daily lives as usual. The highlighted event of the year over here is Ramazan and it just ended with bayram during the first week of November.

I've been reading Philippine news and can feel Christmas in the air. Pictures of lanterns or parols for sale, santa items, etcetera etcetera are highlighted. Even the stories and articles in the lifestyle sections are starting to have a christmas theme. I'm getting excited.

I love Christmas not just for the gifts but mainly for that certain warmth in people I feel. Take out the commercial aspects of it and you will see how people tend to become more loving,caring, thoughtful, and forgiving this time of the year.

In some countries though, especially the ones who experience winter, this is also the period when suicide attempts soar high. From what I understand, this has something to do with depression and the cold weather doesn't help much in alleviating it. In warmer countries like the Philippines, even if majority of the population are not so well off, I don't think suicide attempts soar high during Christmas time and being a Scrooge is not fashionable. You see, it's all about family and shiny happy people way back home. Sure, people get depressed over money and other material stuff but when you have a family who shares the burden with you, it makes a whole lot of difference. It's easier to get over depression over material things than deep sadness caused by being alone, cold and rejected, unappreciated, and unloved.

Below is one of my favorite Christmas songs. This was originally sang by Big Crosby but I'm listening to Diana Krall's version now. I would like to share the lyrics with you and wish you all a Merry Holidays!

Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

Why I Love My Husband So Much...

2005-11-07T22:58:00.000+02:00

Why I Love My Husband So Much...

1. He never fails to kiss me goodbye and say I love you before he leaves for work.
2. He adores my cooking and would finish his plate all the time to show his appreciation.
3. He knows and feels when I am upset without me saying a word.
4. He never fails to make me smile,laugh or burst into giggles with his silly antics.
5. He brings me flowers on ordinary days (and it makes my day!).
6. He always warms my side of the bed before I sleep.
7. He never forgets to throw the trash.
8. He listens to Pinoys songs I love and loves them too!
9. He snores but when I wake him up to tell him it's bothering me, he tries his best NOT to.
10. He feels thinks he is half Filipino by heart ( yet he can't speak Tagalog).
11. He patiently teaches me the French language complete with textbooks and workbooks an hour everyday after his work.
12. He gives me warm hugs all the time!
13. He always saves the last cookie for me.
14. He shares washing the dishes with me.
15. He holds my hand all the time especially when crossing street.
16. He lets me do what I want to do and go where I want to go even on my own.
17. He dances with me at home even with no music playing.
18. He can calm me down when I am in a bad mood.
19. He calls me up just to say I love you.
20. He brings out the best in me.

Artsy Fartsy

2005-11-04T00:34:00.000+02:00

I'm not an artist. I do not have the special ability to create extraordinary things through my thoughts and interpret it in an artistic fashion. I am a fan of art though. I'm talking about the museum kind of arts. One of my most exciting trip last year was my visit to the Louvre in Paris. I, like many, wanted to see the actual works of famous artists and the vast collection of artifacts through the ages. Who wouldn't want to meet La Joconde and see that mysterious smile in person or examine the great Egyptian civilizations. I saw thousands of artworks ranging from the famous Da Vinci,Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonardo,Rafael and Bernini of Italy to France's Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, and Matisse. There were also some contributions from the the Dutch painters Van Gogh and Rembrandt plus Germany's Albrecht and Hans. The list goes on and on. It would have taken me a week at least to admire all items at the Louvre and yet I only had a day to feast my eyes on these masterpieces.

I consider my taste in art quite simple and a little bit conservative. I like works that are easy to understand. I am open to any form of art though. I just don't like art that make me think too much or make me feel like I'm stupid for not understanding the whole point of it. This is the reason why I am more inclined to admire renaissance and old world arts. Those times when they paint and sculpt everything to the minute detail with such fine strokes. How they managed to express their emotions through colors, textures, and hues and how their art mirrored the beauty of life.

Recently, I went to Istanbul Modern with my husband. Since Turkey is well known for it's surviving old world feel, I was thinking it would be refreshing to see what's inside this musem. The first level was all about paintings by Turkish artists. It ranged from still life modern, and abstract painting. Hubby and I went through them telling each other what we like and don't like. We had fun trying to understand the logic behind some abstract paintings. After, we had lunch at the museum cafe and proceeded to go one floor below to continue our tour. The staircase leading down had a glass panel on the side which was covered with cracks that seemed to be a result of damage done by a bullet. It was filled with it. It looked like it was a bulletproof glass shotdowned by an armalite. Apparently, this was part of the exhibit. It had a "wow" factor but I must admit, I forgot what it meant.

The next thing that caught my attention was the library. Hundreds of books were hanged on the ceiling and served as a marker for the library. It was a nice and impressive artistic show but again, I forgot the logic behind it. All I remember were the poor books destroyed by a single hole in the middle where the string was attached and connected to the ceiling.

Then there was a photo exhibit. This one was interactive. Basically, anyone who wants to contribute to the exhibit can post their photos. All the pictures should be a photocopy. There is a photocopier near the exhibit were people lined with their family picture, mementos , or what have you's. After reproducing a copy, they put their contribution to the art on the board . It was a long board full of photos of people. It looked more like a big billboard of missing persons to me than a photo exhibit. I wanted to join the fun and put a little piece of me in the board but the line to the photocopier was long so I decided against it.

We then proceeded to the temporary exhibits. My husband and I felt at lost here. We just didn't understand most of the works of art. Either it was too deep and abstract or we were just so dense and shallow to understand them. There was a short video of a girl dancing in tribal beats wearing a flamenco dance costume and holding a sheepskin flask filled with blood. As she was dancing, the blood was coming out of the flask. This runs for about a minute and is on repeat mode. It was a "duh" moment for me and my husband after watching it. What in heavens name was that about? I really had no clue even after reading the briefing.

After three long hours of walking and our attempt to understand modern art, we left Istanbul Modern and decided to walk home. For some reason, holding hands while walking was simpler for us to understand and grasp than watching that video of the lady dancing. Enough of the artsy fartsy!

Girlfriends

2005-10-30T23:44:00.000+02:00

We've been friends for more than ten years now. All girls who started out as lunch mates in highschoool. Then came college. Most of us went to the same university. Some went to neighboring universities and yet, we still found ourselves entwined in one way or another. Now we are scattered all over the globe. Some are climbing the corporate ladder. Others like me chose to be with the one we love and some managed to do and balance both poles. We've also gone through many birthday surprises, debuts, sleepovers, past boyfriends, petty and big fights.

Thanks to technology, I get to chat with some of them every now and then. These are my long lost girlfriends. I would never exchange all those years full of adventures, fun, and sometimes bland moments.

Recently, Pia got married in Manila to her long time boyfriend, Aldo. Since I am in Turkey, I only got to see the pictures of the wedding. Looking at it made me reminisce the good 'ol days. How we always tried to predict who was getting married first, who was to remain a "manang", and who will be the first to have a baby.I remember the days when J and Z would plan their guestlist for their future marriage to their prince charming (normally the current boytoy or crush) and their supposedly wedding gowns. There was also the time when the girls slept over my house and we decided to sneak out and take my dad's car with us only to go to a karaoke place in Timog and sing and dance the night away. We used to write small notes to each other all the time. Over here in Istanbul, I found this dark brown paper folded neatly and tucked in one of the pages of a dictionary. I opened it and realized it was a note written by C to me in college. The note was something about her asking if she could hitch a ride after class going to a retreat. Such a trivial note but it brought back lots of good memories.

Oh how time flies. We used to celebrate debuts and now it's all about weddings and baptism. Now, four of us are married. Two are planning their wedding this November and in January of 2006. One has a healthy baby boy. The rest are single but attached and some are single and looking. It will entail 4 airline tickets and quite a number of appointment cancellations to have a picture of us in complete attendance these days. No matter where we are though, how we have "tampuhans" and proud moments, I for one ,consider these girls as my girlfriends for keep.

Iftar Dinner

2005-10-26T16:15:00.000+03:00

October is an important month here in Istanbul. It's not Octoberfest as it is now in Deutschland but it's the Ramazan Period. This is my first time to experience Ramazan here. Basically, if you are Muslim and practice Ramazan you must fast ( meaning you're not supposed to eat,drink, and smoke anything) within a certain time. It starts at around 430 am until 6pm. The end of fasting for each day varies. The people who are fasting have the schedule of the ending. They also get reminded of the beginning of the fast in the early morning with a drum beat serving as a call to fast.

Ok. So what happens after fasting the whole day? Well, they then go to an Iftar (the breaking of the fast after the sunset) Dinner. I got invited to join an Iftar Dinner last Saturday.Majority of the people who were going are expatriates here in Istanbul. I didn't know any of them. I didn't even know the place and what kind of food they serve during Iftar. These reasons were enough for me to say ---> Sounds like a good plan! and so I went to the Iftar Dinner.

The place was in a Turkish Police Building.It was supposed to be a famous Iftar place for the high ranking government officials of Istanbul. I came just in time for the dinner to start. I met a Turkish couple, an American lady working in Istanbul, an Englishman who has been living in Turkey for 20 years and is a Muslim convert, a Dutchman married to a Polish girl, and a Swedish guy with Turkish roots. The Turkish couple were the ones who arranged the dinner and it was fantastic. It seemed like a normal turkish dinner with abundant food. I like the mezzes or the Turkish appetizers since they comprised of a platter of mini pizzas ( as call it since I can't remember their turkish names), cheese breads,tomatoes, some olives and Turkish charcuteries which was mainly sucuk ( looks a lot like salami but doesn't taste close to it).There was also this orange looking soup which I think had some lentils in it. It tasted a little bit like pumpkin soup but this was eaten with a few drops of lemon. The main course was a big slab of roasted lamb. This was a big problem to me since I do not eat lamb (I have nothing against it. I just don't eat it). Since I was invited, as a sign of gracious manners, I tried eating the lamb. It was not bad at all. Actually, it was really tender and juicy and it helped that I ate each piece with a slice of tomato. The dessert was called Gullaç. It was a layer of thin pastry sheets with milk and rosewater. I was not really a fan of this one since I am lactose intolerant but the taste of rosewater was interesting. Sweet and light. To finish the dinner, we all had Turkish Coffee. This coffee is not for the lighthearted. You need to get used to the taste to appreciate it. I can compare it to an espresso or a kapeng barako plus the "mud" or the residue of the grinded coffee beans.

The dinner lasted for 4-hours. I was happy with this since I eat slow. It was just right for my eating pace. Enjoying the company of new friends, four of us decided to go have a few beers at Taksim after dinner. We ended up meeting more people for drinks and my Iftar dinner turned into a night of drinking and dancing. Finally at 3 am I decided to raise the white flag and went home ahead of the rest. Now this coming weekend will be an interesting one again for me. After trying out the Iftar dinner, I am off to try and get myself acquainted with a couple of night spots here in Istanbul. Wish me luck. I hope I won't be raising my white flag as soon as last week...

*Gullaç photo is a snippet from ShowTVNet.

At Random

2005-10-25T16:11:00.000+03:00

I was tagged by Neng with this meme.
Here's the opening sentence on Rackyroad's site.

" 20 random facts about me then tag the same amount of people
as minutes it takes you to write the facts "

I don't want to complicate my life and contemplate what random facts are.Bottomline is, the next 20 items you will read are all about me. I guess I need to do this as fast as I can. So here goes.

1. I don't know my blood type and I always forget what it is.
2. I eat S-L-O-W. I am always the last one on the table to finish my food.
3. I don't have a driver's license and I can't drive a manual car( a driver or an automatic car please!).
4. I used to have a big crush on Steve of Voltes 5.
5. I am a gin and vodka person but I can live on beers as well.
6.I never cheated ( and don't plan to) in any of my relationship.
7. I cannot tell a lie ( I tried a couple of times but I ended up telling the truth).
8. I never had any( major or minor) operation in my life.
9. I hate being a creature of habit. I always want to do something different.
10. I collect ( and use) scented candles.
11. I have around 500 DVD collections.
12.In the name of fashion, I tortured my poor feet wearing pointed stilettos ( but I love them so much!).
13. I buy shoes that I like in the same style and different colors.
14. I used to laugh at people who mix their f' and p's.
example:
A: can you flease fass the pork!
B: Huh? What pork?
A: the pork! as in spoon and pork (nyahahahahaha!)
15. I do not have a premanent handwriting. People think I'm from a certain girls school in Manila when they see my penmanship but I am not. I'm from the other girls' school with the Benedictine nuns.
16. I'm claustrophobic.
17. I like events planning and throwing a surprise party for someone.
18. I never mix my passions and pleasures.
19. I wanted to dye my hair blue in college.
20. I believe in John 3:16.

So there. Now I pass the baton to the ff:

1. Meggyjelly - the wife of Mr. Marvin Agustin in the philippines ;)
2. Pia- the new Mrs. Rivera in Canada
3. Lars- the Wandergurl from Down Under.
4. Jayred - the Suisse Mrs. Pinay
5. Gracita - the bored engineer in Bahrain looking forward to her wedding day :D
6. Prettytin - the soon Birthday Girl.
7. Laineybaby - my Startlite friend in Manila ;)

My Fat Cells and Winter

2005-10-21T01:08:00.000+03:00

I finally packed up my summer clothes and prepared the heavy winter outfits. The weather here is just becoming chilly and whenever I go out, I can see people wearing leather jackets once again. This to me is a signal that I need to say TTFN ( tata for now) to my very casual slippers, sleeveless and the rest of my sunnier clothes. Incidentally, I also noticed that I am gaining weight. I've been eating lots of junk food recently because I was too lazy to cook and wash the dishes. I felt that my hands were getting dry from the very hot water I tend to use when washing. This is not good news. The weather doesn't help at all. I feel lethargic and lazy going out when I know that my face will be feeling the chill of winter. I couldn't even go to yoga class since I did not want to walk and freeze!

I decided to do a plan just so I wouldn't allow my fat cells to sleep and be stored as another adipose tissue. I needed to exercise more! Tennis was not an option since it started to rain the past days. Then I decided to go and continue my gym sessions but I got bored doing the same routine.While I was in the gym,I realized that the solution to my plan was actually right in front of me ---> Indoor Swimming! Yes, I have been trying to relieve my summer doing a couple of lapse in the heated pool for a week now. Then I go straight to the sauna just to feel the heat that I miss the most. (I'm such an island girl!)

I think I have found a way to awaken my fat cells in this sleepy winter months ahead. Now I just hope these little cheeky cells will cooperate and work its way out. Well, I guess that means I should start cooking again and stop eating all the junkies. Alright, I'm going back to my brocollis this weekend.

Have a good one y'all!

I'm A Stage Wife (again!)

2005-10-18T01:55:00.000+03:00

I just can't help it. If my husband was in a band, I would probably be a groupie ( hihihi). Well, it was always my plan to create a portfolio for dear husband's work but it never came together.

I was looking at some photos of his desserts and was inspired to create a photo blog for it. I couldn't put the ingredients though since I have no idea how he did those desserts at work. I just have all the pictures. I asked permission if I could make a photo blog with the pictures I have and my dear chef agreed. So now, feel free to take a look at some of my bébé's works here. There's more to come!

Enjoy!

The Stork Has Arrived... with the H5N1 Virus

2005-10-16T21:05:00.000+03:00

Last week, news came out that the deadly H5N1 virus found among birds has reached Turkey. Now, chicken and chicken eggs are scratched off my market list.I saw on CNN Turk the Prime Minister eating chicken with his cabinet members to prove that they are safe for consumption but then again, who would take the risk of buying them now? I know that most of the people who died from the bird flu had direct contact with the poultry but one can never be too complacent on these things.

Imagine how I felt when husband became very ill last week. He had high fever for three days. He did not want to eat any food. He has stomach cramps and sore throat. Then I hear on the news about the bird flu. It also did not help that my husband managed to make a lame joke that he probably has the avian disease (a very very bad joke!). I could not sleep properly the last couple of days until I finally was able to confirm with the doctor that it was not avian flu that was causing husband dear to be sick. After almost eight injections of antiobiotics, my other half got better. It turns our he had the flu combined with some viral thingamajig and swollen tonsils. I'm just glad he's better now and it wasn't THE flu.

On BBC, they reported that there might be a flu pandemic in the near future especially now that winter is around the corner. Oh my! What is happening to our world?I still dream of waking up to a clean, pollution less, and peaceful world. Well, maybe I am dreaming too much...

Now back to my marketlist. I don't eat lamb. Pork is not allowed here. Chicken is possibly cotaminated with the H5N1 virus. I am left with beef, fish, and vegetables. I can live with it but for the first time in my life, I feel sad knowing that a stork has arrived ---> carrying a deadly virus.

*Photo is a snippet from BBC News.

My Distraction

2005-10-12T13:52:00.000+03:00

I have three unfinished posts the past days and I just couldn't finish them. I easily get distracted and I venture on doing other things instead of finishing a task. I think I have the attention span of a 10-year old (please! let this not be the case!).When I put my mind into doing something, I give my full attention to it for about 8 minutes. After this, I become bored or agitated that I need to find something new to do. This is why it worked well for me in college to have different tests on different subjects on the same day. I like getting information in small doses. Some people can concentrate on a problem as long as it takes to arrive at a solution. I am the cheeky one , who will go for a drink and some snacks here and there while trying to find a solution. I am also the person who will listen to music while doing some research or reading information on the net. I like multi tasking. For me , it's a good feeling to be able to do as much tasks as I can in a little amount of time.

I guess, now you can picture my style when it comes to doing things that require utmost patient and concentration. I'm so bad at it that I lose over a 5-year old kid in a do-not-blink-your-eye contest (hihihi). Imagine my frustration and impatience in trying to get out of the crimson room. One part of me wants to be methodical and as thorough as Gil Grissom of CSI Las Vegas and the other part of me just wants to give up and get a nice slice of apple pie in the fridge. But then again, my pride prevailed. I just had to get out of that room and I did! After almost 2-hours!I just had to give myself a pat in the back for figuring it all out.

Now now, are you up for the challenge? If you need a distraction. You can go to the crimson room and try to get out of it. If you need some help, leave a comment . Enjoy! If you can't get enough of it,there are 2 more rooms to follow.

We missed the bus

2005-10-07T13:15:00.000+03:00

On my husband's one day off a week, we often plan to do something. Normally we go on touristic ventures and visit places we've never been to. Here in Istanbul, there's quite a lot of places to visit and it takes us forever to finish our "to see" list. This week, we planned to go to Rumeli Hisari. This is a fortress built in 1452 by Sultan Mehmet II. If you've watched Lord of The Rings, it looks like Helm's Deep with a view of the Bosphorus.

Being the backpacker that I am, I suggested to my husband that we take the bus to go there or the ferry for more adventure. The thing is, husband dearie is the total opposite of me when it comes to being "tourists". Comfort is always first in his list. He'd rather take the cab or taxi to get there so he can sit comfortably and we arrive faster. As for me, I don't find any excitement in taking a cab to get to a new place. I find excitement in finding out which transportation to take and figuring out how to get there with my limited knowledge of Turkish. For me, it's not just the place but the whole package.Now, I see how different we view things when it comes to this. He'd rather not waste his time getting lost in transit because the goal is to see Rumeli Hisari in the first place. As for me, I consider the means as part of the end!Oh well, seeing that I can take the bus on my own anytime anyway, I reluctantly agreed to do the 15 milyon cab ride from our place to Rumeli Hisari. Sure we got there faster and easier but the fortress is closed on the day we went. It's open everyday except for one day which is Wednesday and this is the day we chose to go. Obviously my other half was the one in charge of logistics and he said he did his part and checked on the net. Only thing is, he check on a site that is not updated!
Since it was also the start of Ramadan or Ramazan as they call it here, most of the shops and restaurants are closed. We then decided to go for a long walk until we reach the ferry terminal and catch a ride going back to our place by ferry. It was a romantic sidewalk journey with the cool breeze of fall and the occasional dodging of speeding vehicles on the street. To capture the

moment, I took some pictures along the way. So, we missed the bus, took a cab ride and ended up walking to the ferry terminal. What happened when we arrived at the terminal? We missed the ferry and it was the one and only ferry to take. For the second time, I reluctantly agreed to take the cab home with my husband. In the near future, we will have this Rumeli Hisari visit complete with the bus ride!

My New Found Friend...

2005-10-04T13:59:00.000+03:00

Two weeks ago I met a new friend. Her name is Ellie. It all started when she rang the doorbell to our flat. She went inside and we had some chat then watched some DVDs. From then on, she comes everyday after lunch. This new found friendship came as a pleasant surprise to me. Then one day, she came in when I was having my lunch. I was eating chicken with leeks and buttered broccoli. She then invited herself in and ate lunch with me. She even finished half of the broccoli I was eating! It turns out, just like me, she loves this green vegetable! We had a fun afternoon just eating and watching one of my all time favorite Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast.

Last Saturday, Ellie had her birthday party over here in Istanbul. Before her party, she passed by my flat the minute she woke up and told me how excited she was. Then she saw my birthday gift and I had no choice but to give it to her in advance. She was smiling and said thank you then off she left to dress up for her party. I then went to change myself and went to her party thirty minutes after.

Then the party began and it was so much fun as Ellie turned three!

Indulge me...on my football feelings

2005-10-03T14:01:00.000+03:00

My mind has been wondering what will happen with football this week. I was watching the Chelsea- Liverpool game last night and I just couldn't help but blog about this.

So dear friends... indulge me in this little thing of fancy called football.

In the Premier League...

Chelsea beat Liverpool yesterday at 4-1 ( sorry Luke!).

Arsenal beat Birmingham at 1-0 ( whew! hooray!)

Chelsea is really becoming unstoppable. Sometimes I can't help but admire Frank Lampard and his team in having an unbeatable fete this season. My heart though is still for the gunners even if they aren't doing as good as Chelsea.

I'm getting scared for the Champions League. Lyon is good and Juventus just beat Inter..

Ahhh enough of this. I am becoming more like my husband worrying about football!

* photo is copyrighted by Getty Images for UEFA.com

My Numa Numa Thoughts

2005-10-01T10:01:00.000+03:00

The week came by so fast! Not that I had so many things to do but even for me, who have all the time in the world to spare...time flies fast! The whole week I had U2's "Stuck in A Moment" song in my head. I think it perfectly blends with the cloudy skies, the drizzle and the cool temperature over here. What is it with music and the weather anyway?

When you are in the beach, in my opinion, the best thing to play is Reggae. Something to the tune of Bob Marley and the Wailers or any Jamaican inspired music. When you are in the mall, it's all about standard pop music. Not so upbeat but just light music to provide as background I guess while shopping. Even an elevator has its own type of music. Elevator musics are normally the piano enhanced or some symphony in G, A or B minor or what have you's . Elevator music also translates to instrumental sounds. Why is this so? Is this purposely done to prevent people from singing along when inside the elevator?

Summer brings all kinds of music to my ears. I literally mean music genres like Rhythm and Blues or RnB, Hiphop, Dance ( ahhh all the Macarena, Spaghetti Songs, La Chupeta and the likes). There is this one particular summer dance song though that became my winter song. Everytime I hear it, I just can't help but smile and remember good winter memories watching Jean-Luc Reichmann of Attention à La Marche , Arthur of A Prendre Ou a Laisser on TF1 with family last year. Want to know the song? heck, it's not even in English, Tagalog or French. It's Romanian.

Click here and enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

P.S.

I recently shared my thoughts and fears on hamams, cutters,credit cards and churches in the Pinoyatbp website. Feel free to visit and read on!

What You Won't Do ...

2005-09-25T21:05:00.000+03:00

What are the things you won't do for love?

I was an independent woman trying to climb up the corporate ladder back in the Philippines. I had a goal and tried to work hard to achieve it. I came from an average family and just like every Pinoy son or daughter, I wanted to see my parents and family live comfortably as a way of thanking them for all the years they took care of me. It was my time to take care of them. I stayed focus and sometimes learned things the hard way but still I was set on my goal to be a successful career woman. This was how I measured success. If I had a management position, a high paying job, and enough money to take me out on night outs with friends even if I had to set aside some to take care of the house bills. If I was really successful, then I would be able to travel and visit different countries on vacation through the money I saved without worrying about the bills at home.

If you are Filipino and lived in the Philippines most of your life, you will know what I mean. It is quite normal for us to "contribute" financially to our family ( meaning parents and siblings) especially since we find ourselves living in the same house even if we are over the age limit ---> Read: 21 years old and above. Plus of course the fact that we normally cannot fend for ourselves at such young age(??!) and will rely heavily on our parents still.It is not unusual to find an underpaid and overworked Pinoy in and outside of the Philippines and yet we still manage to hold on to these jobs to make ends meet. If given a choice, of course we would rather have a better job and provide more for our families but there aren't many choices around!

Extended families are always part of the Pinoy culture. Lolo and lola stays with mommy and daddy together with the kids. Sometimes, even if the kids get married they still stay at home with the whole family together with the new addition ( meaning wife or husband and future babies). It is seldom that we find a family that will volunteer to have their grandparents put in a Nursing Home. That is tantamount to being not caring ang loving enough or like what we say in Tagalog "walang utang na loob". We just do not do that to our family no matter what and I am darn proud of it. We have strong family ties and no one can take that away from us. Sometimes, this also becomes a reason why we never succeed. We get stuck in the moment and find ourselves living and working in gratitude for our family.

So again, what are the things you won't do for love?

As for me, I left my job, sacrificed my career or whatever future I might have with work to marry the person I love. I swallowed hard and left my parents in Manila to see the world outside the Philippines and be with the one I love. At one point, I felt guilty leaving them behind. I owe them so much to just turn my back at them but I knew just by seeing the loving look in their eyes when my husband talked to them and asked their permission to marry me that they are willing to let go of me. They love me too much to make me stay.

I can never say enough thanks to my parents for the life the have given me and even if I am thousands of miles away from them, I still have them in my thoughts each and every day.

Now, I don't earn my own money. I am relatively "new" in this country and continously struggling to find my place in this world. Life is just full of surprises. My measure of success totally changed.

Do you think it's worth it?

My goal in life now is to see my love ones happy with or without money. Happiness and contentment is bliss but don't get me wrong though, I still would not mind winning the Euromillion or any lottery for that matter! It can be a lot of help in attaining my goal.

"Some people go around the world for love

But they may never find what they dream of

What you won't do, do for love

You've tried everything but you don't give up

In my world only you makes me do

For love what I would not do

But then I only want the best it's true

They can't believe the things I do for you

What you won't do, do for love

You've tried everything but you don't give up

In my world, only you makes me do

For love what I would not do

Makes me do for love what I would not do..."

-- What You Won't Do For Love by Bobby Caldwell.

About Me

2005-09-22T13:26:00.000+03:00

I was tagged by Nao with this one. It' just a short one. Read on...

TATLONG BAGAY TUNGKOL SAKIN NA HINDI NYO PA ALAM:

1. I was a fat/ chubby kid when I was in elementary/ gradeschool. I was also a bully.

2. All my ex boyfriends were "chinito" or chinese looking except for my husband.

3. I was part of the choir that sang for the mass with Pope John Paul II during the World Youth Day in Manila, Philippines back in January 1995 ( siyet! ten years ago!).

Just a short one. I won't pass the thing this time... Whoever wants to reveal three things about themselves.. Feel free to post :)

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

2005-09-20T21:23:00.000+03:00

This was a popular game show a couple of years back in the Philippines and around the globe. Being here in Istanbul, I couldn't help but think again of this game. If this show was held here in Turkey before January of 2005, for sure no one will want to participate. Do you want to know why?

Look at the old Turkish currency --> the Turkish Lira.

As you can see and count the zeroes in each currency, you will notice that the money goes by the millions! The smallest amount in paper is one hundred thousand Turkish Lira ( 100,000) which is equivalent to approximately 8 cents. The first time I got here, I was so confused counting all the zeroes in their money. Since I was not acquainted with this kind of currency I always panic when I pay. One time, I went to an "Eczane" or pharmacy and bought a nail polish remover. I was thinking it would be less than five milyon lira so I gave the guy my five milyon lira. He started speaking in Turkish telling me something obviously I couldn't understand that I ended up paying by credit card instead. When I got home I realized what he was telling me. The item I bought costs 1.50 YTL or 1.5 milyon lira but I gave him 50 milyon not 5. He was asking if I had a smaller bill but since we couldn't understand each other and I was panicking I ended up using my credit card to pay for approximately one US Dollar!

Ahhh the joys of discovering things! Good thing, Turkey just implemented the New Turkish Lira or what they call Yeni Turkish Lira which got rid of all the zeroes in the money. The old ten milyon lira is now just Ten Lira and the five hundred thousand is simplified into 50 cents. Easier, no? Imagine working in a bank here with all those old system of currency. You go by the billions counting money! Whew!

For the first time in my life I am millionaire here in Turkey (through their money) together with the rest of the population. The thing is, I am just a mere millionaire in a billionaire's lair..

So now, who wants to be a millionaire here in Turkey? Be my guest...

*Photos of the YTL are snippets from Turkey Travel Planner.

UP Naming Mahal....

2005-09-16T22:27:00.000+03:00

I got this from Meeya's page. It's generally written in Filipino (warning to my non-Pinoy readers e.g. Luke !)

Have a Nice Weekend Everyone!

.:. ANO’NG STUDENT NUMBER MO?
95-29614

.:. NAKAPASA KA BA OR WAITLISTED?
Pasado!

.:. PAANO MO NALAMAN ANG ENTRANCE EXAM RESULT?
Tinawagan ng upper batch mate nung high school na nag- aaral na sa UP Manila. Tapos nakakuha ako ng letter from the university( Si Sergio Cao pa ang Registrar noon!).

.:. FIRST CHOICE MO BA ANG UP?
Of course! at ng tatay at nanay ko ;)

.:. ALAM MO BA ANG UPG SCORE MO?
Siyempre! pero secret..walang clue.

.:. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE?
Actually wala akong direction that time so pinili ko BAA ( sabi kasi ng mga pinsan ko ok daw 'to).

.:. SECOND CHOICE?
HRA. Sabi naman ng tatay ko ok din daw ito. Kasi may Business side din parang BA or BAA.

.:. ANO NAGING COURSE MO?
ano pa eh di HRA. feeeling glamorous ako sa course ko! (lol)

.:. NAGPLANO KA BANG MAG-SHIFT?
ng school.. at one point. kasi na frustrate ako sa tagal ng enlistment ng Chem 16. One Week tapos ang gulo gulo. Pila dito.. pila doon kahit alas singko ng umaga may pila na. Tapos minsan last digit or first digit of your student number or EPN ang siste ng enlistment minsan naman bunutan ng ID! naloka ako! sabi ko sa mga magulang ko buti pa sa DLSU or ADMU computerized! So napaisip ako na lumipat.

.:. NAKAPAG-DORM KA NA BA?
Kind of. Pero hindi sa loob ng campus. Sa Xavierville nung freshie pa ako kasama mga atenista kong friendly friends.

.:. NAKA UNO KA NA BA?
OO naman! P.E. ---> Camping!

.:. NAGKA-3?
hay! oo .. Chem 16.

.:. HIGHEST GRADE:
Uno!

.:. LOWEST:
4 needed to do the removal exam for Math 100 ---> Math is my Waterloo...

.:. WORST EXPERIENCE SA UP:
Walang katapusan na Pila---> UP = University of Pila!
Umulan ng malakas isang beses. Wala kaming kotse. Kailangan naming maglakad or sumakay ng jeep papuntang Math Building from AS kaso wala ding jeep so lakad kami kaso bumaha! Ayun...naglakad kami sa ulan. Basa sapatos pumasok for Math 17.

.:. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
Hmmmnnn... depende sa klase. Madali akong ma BI (Bad Influence) tumambay, kumain, or manood ng sine :)

.:. ANO’NG ORG MO?
UP JMA ---> da best!

.:. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA BA?
Wala. Di ako kasama sa bracket ng STFAP ....

.:. PINANGARAP MO BANG MAG-CUM LAUDE?
Bago ako pumasok ng UP, Idealistic pa ako pero nung pumasok na ako .. hindi na!

.:. KELAN KA NAGTAPOS?
1999

.:. FAVE PROF (s):
Dizer ( P.E. ---> ka drinking session din namin!), Villanueva ( HRA subject), Guggenheim

.:. WORST TEACHER (s):
that maniac Philo 1 teacher! laging girls lang ang tinatawag for recitation! Palileo--> Chem teacher na walang ginawa kundi manindak ng mga estudyante!

.:. FAVE SUBJECT (s):
HRA's Beverage Class ( all we did was study different kinds of beverages and taste test them! lasing pagkatapos ng class but we learned a lot!)

.:. WORST SUBJECT (s):
Math 17

.:. FAVE LANDMARK:
AS 101 near the pond, AS Steps...

.:. BUILDING:
H.E. , A.S., and BA

.:. PABORITONG KAINAN:
pag may pera Chocolate Kiss! pag normal days Tea Room sa H.E. --> Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Iced tea for 20 pesos!.

.:. NOONG ESTUDYANTE KA PA MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
P 1.25

.:. LAGI KA BA SA LIB?
Yes... sarap matulog lalo na sa Econ Lib! Pero nag research din ako for thesis sa H.E. lib---> nagbasa ng mga fashion magazina at lumang issue ng Woman Today at Liwayway pero on the side nagbasa din naman ako ng Hotel journals !

.:. NAGPUNTA KA BA SA CLINIC NUNG MINSANG NAGKASAKIT KA?
Never! Pumunta ako sa infirmary once para tingnan kung anong oras and derma ( kaartehan ko!)/

.:. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
oo naman.. guapo ni mike templo..

.:. BF/GF?
Yes pero not from school. Nasa high school pa bf ko non.

.:. MAY BALAK KA BA MAG-MASTERS O MAG-PHD?
dati oo. pero ang layo ko na sa UP .. wish ko pa din mag MBA.

.:. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING PE MO?
Bowling, Camping, Running for fitness , Weight Training

.:. KAMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO?
nye! napunta ako sa Computer Science na block for some weird reason. Di ko na sila nakikita!

.:. NAKAPANOOD KA NA BA NG GRADUATION SA UP?
Nope. Never.

.:. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG ALMA MATER SONG?
hanggang UP Naming Mahal lang alam ko kahit every 8pm may flag ceremony....

.:. MEMBER KA BA NG UP VARSITY TEAM?
Nope.

.:. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
OO naman!

.:. ANO’NG AYAW MO SA FINALS WEEK?
Kapag hindi ako exempted for the Finals...

.:. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
sama mo na ang Aperitif, Wines, Spirits, pati Basi!

.:. ANO’NG GUSTO MO SA UP?
ang mga acacia trees, ang walang pakialamanan ng trip, ang Oblation Run, ang Lantern Parade, ang mga Promil kids ko na kaklase na nakapambahay or pantulog minsan kung pumasok sa klase.

.:. ANO’NG AYAW MO?
ngayon, ang mga nagbebenta ng Dried Mangoes na kakatok pa sa klase to interrupt para lang magbenta.

.:. MAGANDA BA ID PIC MO?
Red and suot ko na T-shirt sa picture. Nakalimutan ko red nga pala ang background color kaya mukha akong floating face!

.:. MAY GINAWA KA NA BANG ILLEGAL SA LOOB NG CAMPUS?
Wala naman akong matandaan...

Kung ikaw ay naging Iskolar ng Bayan, malaya kang sagutin ang mga katanungang ito :)

Spoon and Fork Please!

2005-09-13T11:48:00.000+03:00

Growing up in the Philippines, I was so familiar with the typical dining set up at home a plate, spoon and fork , bowl of rice, viand or "ulam" and a glass of water ( on special occasions coke).We were a normal remote happy family who all skipped breakfast or maybe eat a piece or two of pandesal with coffee and then have a hearthy lunch and dinner. Being in this kind of set up I underestimated the use ofthe knife! For some bizaare reason, we seldom have a knife set up in our dining table and I never asked my parents why. I looked in the cupboards and see that my mom has the whole set of cutleries but the star of the dining table was always the spoon and fork. I figured with my little mind then that the knives were only used for special occasions.

Then things got complicated, I went to hotel school and learned that there were more to the family of the Spoon and Fork. From the spoon alone there's the soup spoon, dinner spoon, dessert spoon, teaspoon, demi spoons to start with. Then I had to learn the rest of the itsy bitsy relatives of the fork and the knife plus the plates and the different kinds of glasses ( heck I only knew the water glass and the coffee cups we used at home).This is where I was introduced to the array of choices one has to make in wining and dining. Oddly enough, when I eat at home, we still have the same spoon and fork set up. I was thinking, how would I eat rice without the spoon?

The first years of marriage are the discovery years and true enough you still find something out about your partner no matter how long you've been together before getting married. One night, my husband and I were about to eat dinner when he made a comment.. " Babe, I'm not Filipino, I don't use spoon and fork for dinner. I need the knife!" Then I realized that old habits are hard to break. Here I am with all my knowledge on food and beverage still setting up the same spoon and fork my mom used to set up at home! Is this a Filipino thing? what is it with Pinoys eating with spoon and fork? I am pretty sure the knives are of help and serve their purpose but we just don't use them enough, do we? Or is it a French thing to have a complete set of cutleries and dine in complete style from aperitif with a few glasses of pastis to entreé or appetizer and le plat principal or main course. Then end with a single or double espresso in a demi tasse with the appropriate demi spoon and some digestif ( alcoholic drinks to help in digestion) .

After that incident,when I set up the table, I do the whole nine yards everyday.I even do folded napkins just for a normal dinner or lunch!I told myself, it wouldln't hurt to retrain my brain that the dining table at home is not all about spoon and fork only. There's a whole set of cutleries waiting to be unleashed not mentioning the flatwares and glasswares. But lo and behold! just the other night, my husband said " I think I'm becoming more Filipino. I don't use my knife that often anymore".

Oh I just laughed and realized, spoon and fork is not so bad at all depending on what you eat and where you eat. I have good lunch and dinner memories in the Philippines with spoon and fork used at the dining table sans the whole hulaballoo. At the end of the day, aside from the meal itself, a happy dine in experience for me will not be complete without the company of friends and loved ones to share the meal with. So I can live without the knife unless of course we have steak to serve ( winks).

Children of Beslan

2005-09-10T11:17:00.000+03:00

I woke up today, turned on the television and found myself watching a BBC documentary about the Beslan School Hostage/Bombing last Sept 2004.It was actually filmed for HBO and was aptly titled Children of Beslan (or click this for a synopsis). They were interviewing some of the children who survived the three day hell. Chechenya claimed responsibility for this attack and it was one of the biggest and horrible news I have heard.This documentary was really really chilling and sad. Grief, agony, pain, suffering , joy, and even harry potter prove to be universal in this film.

I'm still recovering from watching the show. If you do have the opportunity, please watch it.

Shit Happens

2005-09-07T09:12:00.000+03:00

Yesterday afternoon, I was full of joy knowing that it's my husband's birthday. Now, I'm the total opposite. Eager beaver that I am, I was patiently waiting for X, my husband, to come home from work so that we could have at least a nice dinner together on his birthday. Since there was a big party at work for the General Manager by the pool, he could not leave early and said he'd be home around 10pm or maybe 11pm. That was fine with me and I figured I will just put on a couple of DVDs and kill time by watching the whole Season ender of Sex and the City. At around six o'clock, X came home to change his contacts and I reminded him to bring our camera to take pictures of his dessert buffet since he made an "under the sea/coral" theme. You see, X always forgets to take pictures of his work and yesterday since I reminded him to bring the camera, for the first time, he was able to take pictures of his buffet.

Then the evening came. I was in the company of four Manhattan girls who had a fabulous friendship and had to deal with the changes with their respective lives when I got a phone call from X. It was already 930pm and he said the function is very busy and his boss asked him to have a beer or two after work just to unwind and celebrate his birthday. I urged him to go since they will just be inside the hotel and his boss is one door away from our flat anyway but he insisted on not going and said he wanted to spend time with me even on the fewremaining hours of his birthday. The conversation went on and we decided that he was going to call before he comes home so I would have time to cook or prepare something no matter how late it was. With that, I went back to watching Carrie being swept away with Romance from her Russian lover that she decided to go with him to Paris.

At 1:30 am the doorbell rings. I opened the door and see X in front of me soaking wet from head to toe. I was in shock. He said, his staff threw him in the pool after the party because it was his birthday. I kissed him and realized he had drunk beer already. In my mind,I was seeing the red light alarm going off with big flashing letters TIPSY in front of me. I told him to change and asked him again what happened. Then he repeated what he said. He was thrown in the pool by the waiters and all his staff after the party. Plain and simple. I asked him if he was ok and he said he was. Then I asked him what happened to his mobile. He said his boss conveniently borrowed his mobile just before he got thrown in the pool. Then I asked about the camera. Of course it was in his pocket and swam with him in the pool. I checked the cam and it wasn't working anymore. Then I saw his mobile in separate pieces. He said when he came up from being thrown he decided to push his boss in the pool after. And so there goes his mobile in the pool as well (unconfirmed info) .

I could not help but get confused. I did not know how to react but then I realized my husband is not a teenager anymore and this kind of stuff normally happens to boys not men and heck! it was MY camera, a birthday gift from him from last year! Just because they decided to be kids things turned out to like this.

So what happend last night? Three things.
1. I spent the night alone eating chips and watching SATC during my husband's birthday.
2. My camera is now officially dead.
3. My husband is pissed off with my overall reaction on the whole thing and the remaining days of the week will be spent in cold silence.

Shit happens...

joyeux anniversaire

2005-09-06T12:32:00.000+03:00

still smiling after two years of marriage

Joyeux anniversaire mon mari!
(Happy Birthday, my husband!)

The Palace Next Door

2005-09-03T21:47:00.000+03:00

Dolmabahçe Palace

This is the famous Dolmabahçe Palace, my next door neighbor. It is located on the European side of Istanbul along the shores of the Bosphorus . This palace used to be the residence of the Ottoman Sultans in the 1800s and was the residence of the founder of the Turkish Republic , Mustafa Kemal Ataturk . It has 285 rooms , 43 salons ( which are basically waiting rooms for guests of the Sultans or the former president) and six Turkish Baths ( hamams as they call it here) . On the other wing, almost two thirds of the whole palace, is where the women's quarters are. This place is where all the mistress and ladies of the Sultans stayed.

In English, the word Dolmabahçe translates to "filled garden" as the palace is surrounded with well manicured gardens similar to the luscious ones we can see at the Château de Versailles in France. Actually the whole interior of this palace is very french in style since it was designed by the famous French decorator Sechan, the designer of the Paris Opera. You can easily get lost inside with all the rooms and salons. The furniture are still intact, even the carpets. The highlight of the whole palace is the room where the world's largest chandelier hangs, the State Room. As the name suggests, this room was used to entertain foreign delegates or dignitaries and it is HUGE!

As my husband and I walked along the corridors of this palace, I couldn't help but imagine how grand this place must be in its glory days. Ordinary people like us would probably not even get close to the area where this palace is, but now, I am neighbors with it (as in 100 meters away from it). I feel privileged to have a palace just around the corner but I'd still prefer the good ol' neighbors whom I can go to when I run out of milk or eggs...

Right now, I'd settle for the guard standing patiently at the Dolmabahçe gates, constantly reminding me that my neighbors are not the ordinary.. they were great sultans and president...the only thing is, they are all dead.

The Art of Unpacking

2005-09-01T14:05:00.000+03:00

If you went to our flat the last three days, you would not imagine it as a place where people stay. In fact, you would probably think you are in a warehouse. Boxes stacked on top of each other are in every nook and cranny of our place. Our shipment has arrived! FINALLY... after 10 whole months of living on a suitcase, now we are reunited with our old sofa, TV set, and all those kitchen appliances and gadgets that we have ( not that we have a lot!).

For the last three months, I was eagerly waiting for that knock on our door from the shipment company with all 40 boxes we have and now it is here. I cannot express the joy I have seeing our stuff but I was going crazy over the fact that I will have the lone task of unpacking everything. The shipment company asked us if we would need help in unpacking our stuff but husband dear refused the offer because he said it was more fun to unpack by ourselves. He just forgot to mention one thing. Most of the time he was busy at work and I was left on my own doing all the unpacking. Boy was I so anxious to get to the last box and just finish the whole thing so I can go to our pc and do my blogging ( hihihi) but unpacking proved to be an art that needs to me mastered.

First, you need to gather your essential tool which is your handy cutter or a paring knife( the little one you use to peel a fruit). This will be used to cut through the tape on top of the box. You need to do a fast and straight cut just betweent the tape so it directly opens the first two flaps of then box. After this you just need to do a swift motion to cut the tape that holds the reamining two flaps and voila! your box is open.

Next thing to do is to take out the gazillions of paper stuffed inside ( which basically served as a cushion to the things inside the box). I felt bad for all the trees cut just seeing the amount of paper they were able to stuff inside. I could fill a small room just with the paper alone.

At last, I saw my precious shoes. The ones I bought in Manila ( thank God for Janylin!) and our precious dibidi which is basically a mix of originals and Greenhills buys. Then I just couldn't stop opening one box after the other. I felt like a machine doing this but after opening quite a number of boxes, I decided to stop and slack a bit. Then the sentimental in me kicked in and I felt nostalgic looking at at all the two-hole electric sockets we have over here in Istanbul and the mostly three pinned sockets of our appliances. Weird as it may sound but it made me realized that my sockets need to be adjusted ones again to what is acceptable in the place I am living in.

I am still not finish with unpacking. I left two boxes unopened.One with the microwave inside and the other with a case full of chinese flatware.I feel I have no need to open the now. I have no plans of holding a lauriat party in our flat anytime soon and we have a microwave oven here compatible with the socket of this country. So... as the need will arise, that will be the time I will open those two boxes or when I want to practice the art of unpacking! hehehehe

Allow me to be a Stage Wife...

2005-08-28T20:18:00.000+03:00

Yes.. Please allow me to be a stage wife in this post of mine. I have always been proud of my husband and his work that sometimes I really feel like a stage wife! This week my husband was featured in two food magazines over here in Istanbul and one daily newspaper. Of course the article was all in Turkish but I was just happy to see my husband's picture on the article and his desserts... He has always been camera shy and to see his picture in a magazine with a four page article and half a page in a newspaper makes me really proud of him.

I tried to find the web address of the said mag but I just couldn't find it so I took my reliable cam and took a picture of the articles ---> that is the stage wife in me working! Goes to show how proud I am of my chef.

So you would ask, who cooks at home if he is the chef? Of course I do the cooking now! Before I was scared to cook for him thinking he might criticize the food but I learned a little secret. I just need to kick him out of the kitchen when I cook so I won't hear any side comment or "helpful" tips from him. Lastly, I never do desserts. I always live this up to him. This is his specialty anyway.

Since I was a good stage wife, I got a creme caramel ( leche flan in Pinoy terms) and some chocolate truffles filled with lemon, banana, and raspberries ( no picture coz I ate them all!I am a petit kochon!).

Fruit Sushi

Chocolate Bownie

ahhh men...

2005-08-24T20:08:00.000+03:00

Got tagged by Bel with this picture...

I showed this picture to my husband and asked his opinion about it. He gave me this weird stoic face and said, this could apply to women as well. Then I said... OF COURSE NOT!!!! First of all, women will always know if their socks are clean or not and we will defintely know where we placed them( since most of the time we do the laundry!).

My husband's reaction? A sheepish smile...

See it is always the little things that matter when you have become too close and familiar with each other ( meaning.. lived together or has been husband and wife ). There isn't a lot of mind games to play anymore. Instead, both of you deal with your everyday life discovering the quirks of each other.

During our first weeks in Hong Kong last year, husband decided that we go and visit Pacific Place because he wanted to do grocery at Great Supermarket. It was my first time to go to Admiralty with him and he acted like he knew where we were going.We took the MTR and got off Central station for some reason and ended up walking our way to Admiralty. All throughout the walk, I kept on asking husband dear if he knew the way and he always answered yes with such confidence. In the end, I found out the we were lost and ended up walking in a parking area. Good thing was the parking area was somewhat connected to Pacific Place and we managed to get to the mall after 45 minutes of walking.

I was so annoyed with the whole scenario at that time. I asked my husband why he had to pretend that he knew where to go when in fact we were lost but he just gave me the same sheepish smile and said " I told you I know how to get to Pacific Place. I just didn't tell you that it was not the fastest way to get there coz I wanted to spend quality time walking with you..."

My reaction... "Yeah right.... "

It was our first year of marriage at that time. Now I know better when I see those sheepish smile...

Timeline

2005-08-20T19:04:00.000+03:00

Now it's my turn to present you with a timeline of my life... Tagged by the Math Wizard bonne maman to be... Analyse

20 YEARS AGO:
I started going to Kindergarten class. I was put to school at a later age and never went through Nursery and other pre-school stuff. I was excited to go to school and learn at that time but didn't realize how mean other kids can be... you see.. was a big fat kid with a cleopatra like hairstyle ( eeek!)

15 YEARS AGO:
I graduated from elementary and was transferred by my parents to an all girls school. It was a totally different world for me suddenly. Me and my tomboy self became more refined and kikay later on. I missed my old school though and the friends I had. My mom enrolled me and my brother to an acting workshop where I met the coolest people ever. I was with the Cultural Center of the Philippine's Tanghalang Pilipino Teen Theater.

10 YEARS AGO:
I was actively involved in a Catholic Charismatic Community for teenagers and loved every bit of it.Saturdays were reserved for prayer meetings in Santuario de San Antonio activity hall. I was a freshman in college and it was my first time to live on my own. I was "dumped" by my parents in a townhouse with other college girls sharing the place. I used to go out most of the time with my room mates. Studied in Mac Donald's Katipunan all the time for Math 17. I was active in the university org -JMA. I discovered I like bowling and took it for my Physical Ed. Class.

FIVE YEARS AGO:
I was working in a five star hotel in Manila. I had the weirdest shifts but I loved it. I worked from 3pm-11pm or 5pm-1am or 6pm-2am. I became the president of the Employee-Management Council of the hotel.

THREE YEARS AGO:
I went to Hong Kong with colleagues from work on a vacation and a week after I went to Singapore. When I got back from my vacation I met X- now my husband. He was the new pastry chef of the hotel.I was promoted in my job and got TONS of workload. I became a certified workaholic and yet I was partying til the wee hours of the morning to de stress.. Result- I was at 95 pounds in weight.

LAST YEAR:
I had my church wedding in Manila and had a total of 26 guests.I planned all the details of the wedding from HK. I was living and working in HK but moved out at the end of the year.

My husband and I went to France and stayed there for three months. It was my first time to go on a long haul flight ( europe). I decided to grow my hair long. I went to Manila twice not counting the one this year.

THIS YEAR:
I was living in France for the first two months of the year.Got back to Manila from France. Took summer classes in my old school. Learned basic German and advance French. I was constantly living with my suitcase and finally landed in Istanbul,Turkey. Been to three different countries in the last 8 months.

I finally went to SAGADA in the Philippines and tried Spelunking ( cave exploration).

Here in Istanbul I became more fit. Little by little I have acquired the taste to brocolli ( I never eat vegetables!) and find myself get bored with meat dishes. I have decided to go to the gym regularly and enrolled myself in tennis.

YESTERDAY:
I had a haircut. My first haircut in Istanbul. The experience was kinda weird. I found myself doing acrobatics during the haircut. The hairdresser asked me to stand up at one point and then bend forward while he'she was cutting my hair. I felt like I was in the mercy of Edward Scissorhands! The end result - not bad at all but it was quite heavy on the pocket( uh oh.. here I am computing again...)

LAST NIGHT:
I cooked dinner. Lamb chops with mashed potato for husband and Chicken Adobo for me!--->( coz I don't eat lamb). Watched The Missing on TV and ate an orange for dessert.

TODAY:
I was supposed to play tennis but it rained just on the time slot I reserved ( grrr!) . I went to the gym instead. Now, I am at the business center doing my blog and all my internet stuff (we still don't have our stuff).

TOMORROW:
I will go and eat at the brunch buffet of the coffee shop. I like Sunday brunch because they have a sushi corner and ice creams!

NEXT YEAR:
Hubby and I will have our grand vacance! Hopefully we were able to invest on something by then. I should have something more concrete to do ( spells like J-O-B) but by next year I have targeted to learn conversational Turkish. Hopefully we won't be moving to another country by then.

FIVE - TEN YEARS FROM NOW:
Hopefully, husband and I will be living permanently in a country by then and have a house and business of our own.

Wow, that wasn't hard at all. It was actually fun doing this meme... So now I nominate the following to experience this journey....

1. Knoizki- my colorful blog friend who grows in me.. makes me want to go back to HK and meet him for real.. a long lost friend..
2. Gracei - my former colleague now wifey and mother in the land of Taj Mahal
3. Isay- A very down to earth pinay in OZ
4. Jeff - who does the Dubai Chronicles with two thumbs up!

DENTISTANBUL

2005-08-18T15:52:00.000+03:00

A trip to the dentist is something that I love doing. For some reason, I feel at ease with dentists. I never feared or felt pain when I go to one. Unfortunately, I was not the one who needed to go to the dentist but husband dearie. He is basically the opposite of me. Fearing to go to a dentist for soooo long that he sometimes opt to take out his tooth by himself! ( not really a nice idea and a nice sight!) Since he had a very bad case of toothache he finally summed up the courage to go to the dentist. I went with him for moral support.

The first time we went to the dentist over here in Istanbul, we both could not believe our eyes. They have a dental HOSPITAL ( as in with nurses and a 24 hour service wher eyou can get confined etc..)!And the name, they could not be more imaginative... DENTISTANBUL. All of a sudden, husband felt more at ease and confident in going to the dentist. They have an in house English translator making it easier for us to explain what is aching my hubby's sweet tooth. Next thing I know he already has an appointment not just to have a tooth extraction but to have his whole teeth examined and the works!

I was very impressed with how this hospital managed to turn my husband's fear of dentist into a tooth fairy's nightmare! Now, he just couldn;t wait to go to the dentist and have his daily dose of what have you's ... he's not afraid to show off those pearly white teeth all of a sudden too :)

2 Pinays, a foreigner and Pansit...

2005-08-13T22:06:00.000+03:00

A few days back, a friend of mine volunteered to introduce me to her Filipina friend who has been living in Istanbul for quite sometime. I thought it would be a good idea since I basically do not know any Filipinos personally over here and that would be a good start.

So off I went to my friend's house at the Asian Side and semi excited to speak Pinoy to someone again.

My friend is a foreign language teacher over here in Istanbul and her Filipina friend whom we shall call G is an English teacher at the same school. She said G just recently got married to a Turkish guy and had her vacation/honeymoon in the Philippines. We were waiting by the pool and chatting when the Pinay, G, arrived.

Here's how our conversation went...

My foreign friend B - "duke this is G."

Duke - "hi G.. nice to meet you...kamusta?"

G - "ay bata ka pa pala.. hello...foreigner asawa mo?anong nationality?matagal ka na dito? kelan pa? saan ka nakatira? "

Duke - "mabuti naman ako... kakadating ko lang dito last June. sa kabila ako nakatira ( meaning across the bosphorus) .. .ay oo French po ang asawa ko.. kamusta bakasyon mo sa Pinas?"

G- "anong bakasyon? nagpa-opera ako ng cyst...ayun we went to Boracay after." Then turning to our friend B... " I can't stay long. I have my period and I want to rest at home. " and again to me. " ilang taon ang gap nyo mag asawa?so, mabait naman asawa mo?"

B - ( smiling) "you're the one who chose the date for the meeting and made us wait and now you say you can't stay long...I met Duke's husband and he's a good guy"

Duke - " bakit mo naman nasabi yon? oo naman mabait asawa ko. We have a nine year difference.. So matagal ka na sa Istanbul?"

G- "kasi bata ka pa para mag asawa. I'm 41 and just got married last year. 11 Years na ako sa Istanbul but I always choose my friends over here. I don't mingle with the Filipinos and Filipinas here since most of them are Domestic Helpers... you know how these connotations on Filipinos in other countries...So I keep my distance"

Jeez!! I did not expect that answer at all... here I am meeting a Filipino who thinks high of herself over other Pinoys and Pinays who are also working overseas just like her. I am beginning not to like this girl but I kept my manners and carried on with another topic of conversation.

Next topic...

G - "saan ka sa manila nakatira?anong probinsya mo?"

Duke- " Sa Q.C. ako nakatira dati. Pinanganak ako sa Manila so wala talaga akong probinsya pero kabalu ko mag sulti ug bisaya.. konti nga lang .. mas nakakaintidi ako...kasi mommy ko ay taga Misamis pero father ko taga Bulacan"

G- " ahh hindi tayo pareho kasi ako Ilonggo and hindi tayo magkakaintindihan. " then she turns to our friend B and says with a Miriam Santiago accent... "She only knows to speak the national languge which is Ta-gaa-looog and I speak Hiligaaaaynon but I can also speak Tagalog. She's a city girl that's why she can only speak one dialect. I can speak Tagalog but she cannot speak my dialect"

I was thinking.. WTF is wrong with this girl? She really has a bad case of superiority complex and now she is taking it against me that I am a city girl and she is from the province. She was even implying that I don't know much compared to her. But hey, I was stilll trying to keep my cool and just give her the benefit of the doubt.. Maybe she was just plain tactless and didn't mean for it to sound it that way.

We then went off to our friend, B's house and to B's request cooked pansit. G was the cook since she was the one who introduced the dish to them. I just went with the flow. Pansit is an easy dish anyway, I was there to help. So chop the vegetables we did. Since our friend B is Belgian, she really don't have much idea how to cook Asian cuisine but she likes the food. I was holding the chopped carrots and helping her while she sautéed the rest of the vegetables. As I was about to pour the carrots in she said.. " Ay wag mo lagay.. separate natin lutuin ang bawat gulay para mas masarap"

so I said.. " anong pinagkaiba non? eh lahat ng gulay sa pansit ginigisa lang naman?"

G said... " akala ko ba cook ka? dapat alam mo! ganyan kami magluto sa Iloilo ng pansit.. baka sa manila ganon kayo magluto"

my answer to her... " hindi ako cook kung nakikinig ka sa sinabi ko kanina.. ang asawa ko ay pastry chef. sa pagkakaalam ko , ang generic na pansit pare-pareho ang luto... you can do whatever you want..."

Then our good friend B and her husband butted in..." Ah you must be a rich girl since you do not know how to cook pansit. "

I said to them , " Of course not. I am a normal person in the Philippines and I know how to cook pansit but not the way she(G) insists on doing it..."

At this point, I just wanted to go home and end this weird encounter with this Pinay.Luckily I had to catch the five o-clock shuttle and left earlier. I was grateful to my friend B for giving me that opportunity to encounter this girl but I think that would be the first and last. I never expected to meet a fellow countryman who regard herself so high above everyone else but if you really look at it, she is also one of the overseas filipino workers that she detest so much. What right does she have to look down upon the domestic helpers and other Pinoys who are trying to make a decent living abroad for their family. How dare she say that she chooses her friends here because most of them are DH and she does not want to be associated with them...

My oh my.. that Pinay has a lot of issues to resolve within her especially her superiority complex. No wonder she married when she was already 40 years old!

tagged

2005-08-13T17:36:00.000+03:00

I gott agged by abaniko, noemi, and teacher sol...

So, here goes:

Seven things that scare you:
1. The Unknown
2. Snakes and worms
3. Drownıng
4. Death of a loved one
5. takıngs risks
6. gıvıng birth ( the act...)
7. natural dısasters lıke hurrıcanes or cyclones and all the wrath of mother nature

Seven things you like the most:
1. Travel
2. Readıng a good book
3. Cuddle with my husband
4. Listening to music
5. Solving a puzzle
6. Chocolates with vodka
7. good conversations

Seven important things in your bedroom:
1. my current book read
2. moolah
3. passports
4. magazines
5.pillows
6. the sheets!
7. Trash can

Seven random facts about you:
1. I’m petite :)
2. I like toasted bread with butter and orange marmalade
3. I laugh easily
4. I’m not pushy
5. I’m sometime OC with things
6. I’m a size 2
7. I like the color green

Seven things you plan to do before you die:
1. bungee jump at Victoria Falls
2. Wear high fashion as in costume fit and watch a Valentino runway show
3. Watch an Italian opera
4. Join a group that saves the environment
5. Do volunteer work for the poor
6. Invest in something
7. plant a tree

Dreams 6 and 7 mean that I need to get filthy rich before I die!

Seven things you can do:
1. Eat dessert before a meal
2. Sleep long hours (>12 hours)
3. eat chips and chocolates at the same time.... I'm a junk food addict!
4. Ride a plane on a long haul journey and sleep all throughout the flight
5. Sing!
6. Cook a nice meal when I want to
7. Take a really hot ( and boiling) shower

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:
1. Beautiful Eyes
2. ABS
3. voice
4.fashion sense
5. Fresh Breath
6. good pair of shoes
7. hairstyle

Seven things you say the most:
1. c'est vrai?
2. f"@%%^£ Shet!
3. uh huh..
4. oh well
5. sure thing
6. jeez!
7. oh really?

I guess that's it.. couldn't finish the rest :) sorry guys ...hanggang dito na lang kaya ng powers ko ...

Boat Party

2005-08-13T16:40:00.000+03:00

Recently, I dragged my husband to go with me to an Expat Floating Party a.k.a. the Boat Party. I wanted to go and meet new people but my husband was quite reluctant to go but the last minute he agreed to go with me.

It was a fun night and we met new people and had a blast laughing,drinking Efes Beer and dancing while the boat went on a cruise along the bosphorus. The only thing that bothered me was the wind blowing so hard that I had a mahangin ba sa labas look ---> Vanity is my favorite sin...

Well I thought I would share wıth you some pictures of the boat party...

Robbed!

2005-08-09T20:40:00.000+03:00

Last night, my husband went out for dinner with his colleagues sans moi. They left at 8 pm and went to this place I have never heard off but apparently is a good place to find a variety of Turkish and non Turkish food. Husband was calling every now and then to tell me how good the place is and how nice the atmosphere and the food until his last call. He got robbed. He was standing in line for a cab and a man "accidentally" bumped into him. Next thing he knew, his money is gone. He was a pickpocket victim! He was fuming mad and tried to find the guy but he could not identify him in the sea of Turkish people around.

This was the first time I got scared for my husband going out here in Istanbul. I was hoping and praying that he just get home safe and let go of the situation. I did not want him to go look for the person who did it. With my mind going on overdrive mode, I was thinking of scenarios that were not really pleasant and just gave me more to worry about.

What if he found the guy who did it and suddenly, out of anger, he punches him in the face? I know my husband very well to determine when he is really angry and frustrated and I know he will not be forgiving on a person who does this kind of stuff to him. I was scared that he might hit the guy only to find out that the person is not alone and has other "accomplices" near him who would readily go over to the rescue of their friend. What if the guy or those guys are armed with a knife or a gun? One can really never know. My mind was just going crazy. I was begging my husband to just get home and let go of it.

After a heated discussion over the phone. my husband agreed to go home and so I waited.

The waiting was killing me!

He said he was going to be home in thirty minutes but an hour has passed and he is still not home!

I tried calling his mobile and it was ringing ( whew!). Then he answers the phone. He said he was already in the cab and he will be at our doorstep in 10 minutes.

Finally, he arrives home. Safe. Then he started to narrate again what happened and confessed that he still did try to find out where the pickpocket guy could have gone to but had no luck in finding him and so he gave up.

The mother in me just started to calmly reprimand him of his actions and just hugged him. I asked him if he knew by any chance the turkish word for "help" and he answered -No. So I told him never to challenge a situation like this again. If something happened to him no one will be able to help him and understand him. We are indeed in a foreign country and just like any other place, we are the foreigners here, not the other way around.

Like in any other country, things like this happen. Heck! Even in the Philippines, that pickpocketing "technique" was one of the oldest trick in the book. I knew that too well way way back then.I would have been not as scared if it happened in Pinas but my fear doubles knowing that this is not my country and my husband and I need to take care of each other to survive situations like this.

Well.. There are always two sides of a coin, the good and the bad and last night, we experienced for the first time the not so good side of living in Istanbul.

bosphorus bridge

2005-08-08T19:24:00.000+03:00

This bridge connects two continents. Asia and Europe...

Yes.. two continents in one country

Istanbul, Turkey
snippet from the best turkey tour website.

I WON!

2005-08-04T22:03:00.000+03:00

Today, I lost again in a game of dominoes BUT... I was able to beat my husband in a game of DARTS!!! Nothing really much to brag but I know he will be reading this post and am darn proud to say Darts is not my husband's game!

And that goes to show.. I am more accurate and precise, mon bébé?

on mangoes and pork

2005-08-04T21:49:00.000+03:00

Yesterday, I had pork for dinner. Whew! It has been more than two months now since I last ate pork! Since Turkey is an Islam country, pork is not allowed for sale anywhere unless the restaurant or market has a special license for it. I never thought I would miss the taste of pork since I do not eat pork that much anyway, but having roast pork once again suddenly was heaven!

A couple of days back, my husband also brought me mangoes from India. A Sultan who was checked in the hotel gave his personal chef a box of mangoes.My husband in turn got some and brought them home for me. I was ecstatic to have mangoes again! Also here in Turkey mangoes are VERY RARE. When you eat in a Japanese restaurant and order for a california maki, instead of mangoes inside the maki, you will see avocado as a replacement. They have many different kinds of fruits but NO MANGOES anywhere. Having to eat a nice and sweet mango is indeed a luxury here.

Looking back at these two situations, I suddenly miss the Philippines. All summer long , I was eating mangoes and was even complaining that they were expensive at Thirty Pesos a Kilo and my mom would always cook "lechon kawali" ( roasted pork Filipino Style) . These words are probably overused but for the millionth time, I would say it again... You don't know what you've got til it's gone...( well not really gone but non existent in the place I am living in...)

Right now, I am savoring the last two pieces of mangoes I have in our fridge and some roast pork...I wouldn't really know when I will have them again...

SHORTlisted

2005-07-30T18:13:00.000+03:00

Why do we love tall men?

Click here for the answer.

When I was in college, one classmate of mine asked our professor if, by any chance, will we have problems getting into our practicum and even landing a job just because we weren't tall enough. We thought at that time that it was sort of a trick question and more of a joke but looking back, I now know that, of course, she had a valid question and I was quite interested with what our teacher had to say about this.

Actually, this question concerned me as well. Like most Filipinas, I am on the shorter end of the rope when it comes to height. Height plays a very important role in my course being Hotel and Restaurant Administration. Like what every one else was saying, to get a job in a deluxe hotel in Manila, you have to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. Jeez! I was at least 2 inches shorter than the required height! At that time, I felt empowered and didn't feel that my height would hinder me to reach higher grounds. I was very optimistic and proud then. I would always tell myself I'd rather be smart and cute than tall and dumb( ok ok.. I was just some kid who knew nothing during those times!!).

Then I got into my first job interview. There were 3 girls in the room including me. Both girls were taller than me BUT they do not have any hotel background so I THOUGHT had an ace up my sleeve. To my dismay, their height was more of a consideration than my hotel background. I did not get the position and later on was offered another position which was in F&B ( Food and Beverage). Thus, I ended up waiting tables in a posh bar in one of the five star hotels in Manila. I got the job because of my people and bartending skills.

I enjoyed this job and I had a blast meeting new people every night plus watching all the top bands in the country perform for free but I had more in mind.I wanted to go up the corporate ladder so I applied for a position in Banquet Sales. I got a lateral move and became an "office" person stuck in front of a computer typing proposals for all upcoming wedding,birthdays, and what have you events in the hotel. I learned the ins and outs of Events Management here and went further by moving back to F&B once again. This time, I did not just wait tables, I made the agreements in the contracts between the hotel and the client happen.I was a Manager! I was in the physical side of Events Management making sure that everything turns out well in every function.

It ws not an easy task to be a manager.I found out that some organizers would not take me seriously thinking that I am too young to be a banquet manager and that my physical appearance ( picture my small frame in a corporate suit walking up and down a function room giving orders and sometime shouting at the waiters where to position the tables and how to put on a dance floor).Sometimes, they would ask me to get the person who was in charge of set up and would always be surprised to find out that it was indeed my myself and no one else.... Hahahaha! I love the look on their faces. The first reaction would be can this girl really command the set up for the wedding? or are they sure they put this girl to be in charge of the Prime Minister's functions?

Did I care? Not at all. I just did my job the best I can. For sure there will always be those little prejudice from people (e.g. you look so small and fragile and we don't think you can handle it) but even if there are more and more taller people who get shortlisted for the higher positions and get the better stuff in life, In my short little steps, I am meaning to get there.

Oh and by the way, if you were wondering what my professor said to my classmate's question..

she said...

" Height only becomes an issue when you make it an issue. In a normal work environment, people are chosen because of their skills and qualifications and height just becomes a factor when all things are equal between two candidates. Taller people will obviously get more attention but they also have to prove more."

But then again... Reality check please....
In the Philippines alone, I recently spoke to the HR Director of the hotel I used to work in and she said they now have an unwritten requirement of height for "frontliners"( meaning staff who interact with guests).The applicants should be at least 5'5" for the ladies and 5'7" for the gents. Jeez! If I apllied now for my old job, I wouldn't even pass the unwritten requirement! tsk tsk tsk...

dominoes

2005-07-27T18:37:00.000+03:00

A couple of days ago husband and I had an argument over a game of dominoes. Yes... a game of dominoes! You see we have been playing dominoes and trying to outsmart each other with it and I think it is not really a good idea to put us in a game together because we are too competitive. We are so alike in so many ways when it comes to competitions. He was a non-stop annoying teaser who would come up with every smart alecky remark in the world just to take your concentration ( hehehe I need to concentrate to play this game...serious!) out of the game and I was doing the exact thing to him. At one point, for the first time in our series of game, he missed out on a chip because he was too busy talking to me and giving me the usual remarks. I started giggling and he just got so annoyed and we ended up stopping the game. Jeez! after a couple of minutes we both realized how crazy we were for fighting over such a small thing and ended up laughing about it...

Ahhhh.. one of the perks of getting married... small fights over nothing! most of the time annoying but when you look back you just can't help but laugh about it.

Well, we are done with that phase and just back on our game mode over a game of dominoes...

P.S.

He is still winning!

On Weddings...

2005-07-23T13:23:00.000+03:00

I like couples who have a sense of humor when it comes to their wedding. It is hard enough to arrange a wedding and go into all the details more so, add a little something to spice up the event instead of the ever so used antics that we normally see in a wedding.

Now now now... how do you make of this picture? what was in the couple's mind?

Let me read your thoughts...

The Waiting Game

2005-07-22T19:05:00.000+03:00

Since November of last year, I have been living on a suitcase and the worst part of it, my suitcase was full of winter clothes.I have endured my Summer in Manila cramming to buy the lightest clothes possible that I can still fit in my suitcase when I fly to Turkey. It is just here in Turkey that I started to buy some summer clothes without worrying much about my beloved suitcase. I can safely say that I have mastered the art of packing and dealing my way out of overweight baggages in the airport.

My husband just told me the best news so far. Our shipment from HK will be arriving on the 23rd! I was so ecstatic not asking which month he was referring. I was already trying to picture in my mind where to place our TV. the couch, and how to arrange or DVDs. I was also trying to remember the shoes that I so missed and the clothes that I have not seen for half a year! I was trying to picture the shape and color of our hoover and was longing to see our own kitchen utensils and gadgets! I wait for the day that there will be a knock on our flat and when I open the door, will see the faces of the men who will roll out the carpet and bring in our precious stuff. Not much of a lot that we have but I just so terribly miss them. Then husband quickly pulled me back to reality saying that the shipment might arrive on the 23rd of AUGUST! It has not even left Hong Kong yet! It will be leaving on the 29th and start its long sea voyage to Turkey and then pass through the Istanbul Customs checking and thousands of paper work before it will finally arrive at our door step. haaa.. bubble burst again.. I still have to endure the waiting game til next month but looking at the brighter side of life, it is just one more month to go! then it might arrive at my doorstep sooner than I expected.

This waiting game is always a part of our endless journeys.In Manila, I had to wait three months just to have our marriage Certificate transcribed and registered by the National Statistics Office. I had to wait one week to get my Turkish Visa. I had to wait three weeks to get my residents permit, husband has to wait one month to get his carte d'identitié, and we have to wait one month to open a bank account over here in Turkey. I have learned to be patient and just look at the brighter side of it and don't take it too seriously.At least I know I am not alone in this waiting game.My other half shares the burden of waiting for all the good news possible!

In the mean time, I just sit back, relax, and enjoy my view...

Water System, Istanbul Style

2005-07-21T15:02:00.000+03:00

Last Tuesday,my husband and I decided to spend his day off as tourists around the old city of Istanbul. Our agenda was to go to the Yerebatan Cistern which was a water system established Emperor Justinianus in the 6th century. This is one of the famous tourist spot here in Istanbul since it is within what I can call the 'tourist belt area' which comprises the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sofia, and the whole area of Sultanahmet Square. I was excited to go to this place knowing that this is one of the few surviving cisterns here in Turkey. When I was watching The Amazing Race 7 ( Congrats Uchenna and Joyce!), when the team arrived in Istanbul (Episode 9), they went to two infamous places here. One is the Binbirdireck Cistern and the other was the Rumeli Hisari Fortress. Not knowing and still trying to figure out where the Binbirdireck Cistern is, we opted to go to the Yerebatan Cistern instead.

The Cistern was a very good experience. It was just amazing to see such structure that was built 1500 years ago!We went down and the air was cool. I felt eerie being underground looking at the columns with intricate decors knwoing that this was the MWSS system of the emperor at that time ( how grand!). There is still water inside just enough to have a big pond that now is a house to hundreds of fresh water fish.

Want to see how it looks like? Scroll down... Hopefully, our next stop will be Rumeli Hisari Fortress :)

REHAULED

2005-07-21T14:52:00.000+03:00

Today, my blog has been officially rehauled! If you are seeing the template with the orange theme going on, then you are looking at the work of my Jeff , author of The Dubai Chronicles. I cannot say enough thanks.. :)

On the lighter note, look who as a new blog. We started out as colleagues at work in Manila and we both got married to the 2 single expat chefs at work that time! Now she is in India and I am in the land of Merhaba! Welcome to the blogging world Grasya!

Anxiety and Stress Busters...

2005-07-17T12:45:00.000+03:00

I was tagged by my ka-chickahan fwend Bel.

There are only two questions so I figured I will answer them. :)

What are the things you enjoy, even when no one around you want to go out and play?

I have been alone most of the time the past weeks and suddenly I developed a habit of dancing in front of the TV when watching MTV. I would normally NOT do this way back then, but now when I look at the moves of Gwen Stefani in Hollaback Girl, Shakira in her new video, La Tortura( the booby dance! hahahaha) and Missy Elliot in Lose Control, I cannot help but ( take note!) TRY follow the dance steps.

Jeez..obviously I have lots of freetime and going crazy!

stress/blood pressure/anxiety level? Make a list, post it in your journal…

1. Walking - as in speed walking close to running. When I feel stressed I just try to walk as fast as I can until I feel tired. Then I am not stressed anymore just plain tired :)

2. Reading Entertainment Stuff- as in British tabloids like Hello and OK ( the US version). The are fun to read. When I miss home, I try to read the interesting Pinoy gossips ;) but I end up doing more research about the actors and actresses since there seems to be an influx of new stars in the Philippines every month. I cannot keep up anymore!

3. Sex - I agree with Bel 101 per cent!

4. Eating Chocolates - they just make me sooooo happy!

5. A pleasant surprise - from my husband, a fellow blogger, friends.. I just can't help but smile and my heart melts like M&Ms when I get a surprise :)I am just a kid at heart...

…and then tag 5 friends and ask them to post it in theirs.
Now it's your turn... You just got tagged!

special mention to the following though...

1.Sha

2.Atty Punzi

3.Nao

4. Jaleesa

5.Tintin

Yes I Am a Fan!

2005-07-17T12:26:00.000+03:00

Yes I am one of the millions who hurriedly grabbed a copy of Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. A couple of days back, I was discussing with my husband how I will get hold of a copy of the book here in Istanbul. I called several book shops over here and asked if they had the English version of HP and mind you, this was quite a challenging task. First you have to research the book shops they have over here in Istanbul.Then you have to determine which of these shops sell books published in English. After, you have to know the location and contact number of their shop, and lastly, give them a call. If it is your lucky day, the person who answers the phone can speak English. If not, well you have to wait and endure being transferred from one person to another until they ask you to call back after two hours when the English speaking staff arrives.

Well well well... I am a fan and nothing will stop me in buying the book. So yes, I bought my copy yesterday and I am savoring the first one hundred page read :) I am looking forward to a magical read this week!

The Simple Joy in Life

2005-07-15T20:23:00.000+03:00

I am not much of a poet but sometimes I have this urge to just scribble lines that makes some artsy sense to me... so do bear the pseudo writer-cum artist ( ehem! ---> e.e. cummings fan and wannabe!) in me.

The Simple Joy in Life

the joy in little things

as I realized

starts with accepting a slice of pie

a hand reaching towards

the one

you ought to give

the biggest of them all

the pie with all the meat

and then you see that he who accepts

with a wide eyed smile

made you remember

your glee as a child

If this happiness brings you warm feelings inside!

then it's not just the pie that gave you the smile.

Bastille Day

2005-07-14T16:29:00.000+03:00

BASTILLE DAY

Yes I know that this is not my country.I was not even born here, I am still a true blue Pinay but I also know that this is an important day for husband dearie. For people like me who are still in the process of understanding what bastille day is all about. Please click the "Bastille Day" below the flag.. Enjoy!

Grand Bazaar

2005-07-14T16:10:00.000+03:00

This is the precursor to the shopping malls we have nowadays but here in Istanbul, it is stil existent together with the commercial malls. They have ar ound 4000 shops inside this bazaar. Normally,they are divided into wings or hall area where you can buy from carpets, kilims, traditional Turkish cups and teas, turkish delights, women and men's apparel, not to for get the children'straditional clothing and of course the JEWELLRY! They just have the widest range.. the shop owners would even invite you for a cup of tea while you look for the right stones to match your mood :) of course me.. I loved the tea but just looked at those jewellry ...hihihihi what a cheapskate!

A Recurring Sickness of Mine

2005-07-10T16:54:00.000+03:00

I am always plagued with this disease! Every country I go visit or live in I have this undeniable urge to always convert the money of that country to our battered Philippine Peso!

For Example:

In Hong Kong, buying a can of coke will cost me 10-12 HKD. Automatically I will convert them in Peso and realize that this will be between 70-80 pesos roughly. I will then think twice in buying the coke and end up buying it but feeling a little pinch in my heart and wish I was buying the can of coke in Manila.

In Paris, a can of coke costs 3-5 euros. Again I will autmatically convert it to Peso and feel bad because this will be around 200-350 pesos. How I will wish I was in Hong Kong buying the soda or better yet back in Manila.

In Istanbul, A coke will cost me between 1.50-2.00 Turkish Lira. Not the cheapest of the three so far at 60-100 Pesos and still makes me want to buy the soda in Manila!

In manila...A can of coke wil cost me 15 pesos to 30 pesos. If I am in a hotel it will be at 120 pesos.

This has always been a sickness of mine. I cannot stop converting and sometimes I end up not buying anything. My husband always laughs about it saying I should get over it and just adjust my spending mode to the currency I am using. This proved to be quite a task for me and I am still struggling with it. Little by little I try to let go and just not convert about it. Being here in Turkey helped me a bit since their currency goes by the million ( as in 1 Milyon Turkish Lira is equivalent to 1.20 USD) and I do not have all the time to count all the zeroes in the money let alone convert them in Philippine Peso.

The first time I went on my own here in Istanbul and bought something, I was so confused with the number of zeroes in the one hundred thousand,five hundred thousand, one million, five million and ten million liras that I paid via credit card for an item that costs one hudred fifty thousand liras ( roughly around 70 pesos ---> here I go again converting!).

Ahhhh... money money money...I am trying to find a cure over this habit of mine. As of now, the closest cure I have is just converting my money on hand to the nearest Euro and US Dollar and then try not to think how much it will be in Philippine Pesos because I am sure it will break my heart again to know how much it will be and how cheaper will it be in Pinas ( sigh!).

A True Story of Karma

2005-07-05T18:59:00.000+03:00

As I was waiting for my husband get the key from our flat, I was suddenly reminded of a story of Karma that happened last year when I was living in Hong Kong.

Husband and I are both working in the hotel industry. Back in HK we were working in two different hotels. When we get back home, we would talk about, what happened with our respective days and the "regular" guests that were notorious or just a plain pain in the a$$. One night, husband began talking about Mrs. P. She was an American woman who had been living in and out of HongKong and China and was a loyal and regular guest of the hotel . She had a daughter, Ms. P who was also her partner in her Toy ( as in children's toys) import business. Mrs. P was always mean and angry. She was very arrogant and demanding. when she enters the hotel lobby every hotel employee has to be alerted so they can be prepared with the agony of service for her. When staying in the hotel, she would demand for the almost impossible things like milk warmed at a certain degree, certain fresh fruits cut in a certain way or fried eggs that must be cook by a specific person only etc etc. She was also always in a shouting mode. Her office is nearby the hotel and normally she will just request for a cab to take her there. When the cab driver could not understand her English, she would literally kick the back of the chair of the driver and start screaming at him telling him how incompetent he was blah blah blah... The daughter, Ms. P was a mini me of the mom in every way possible. She was a practising witch in the making.
Being in the hotel industry, we had nothing else to do but still give service with a smile. No matter how unreasonable the guests are we still need to have the patience and be as porfessional as we could. The closest thing that we could vent it out is to talk about it. One dinner with hotelier friends,the topic of Mrs. P and her daughter came up. Apparently, she died in a car accident in China in November last year. Well... not really a car accident but "an accident". Mrs. P needed to go to China to check her warehouses of stock and talk to the managers of the warehouse. Being insistent and persistent as she is, she decided to fly there in the evening and meet with the managers after 6pm. From the airport, she took a cab to go to the warehouse which was in the middle of nowhere. She started asking some questions to the cab driver who naturally could not speak as good English as she has expected. Therefore, being as she is, she began yelling at the driver and doing her usual kicking of the back chair antics. The driver, getting confused and scared of her put the car to a halt in the middle of the highway and Mrs. P not looking before going down, decides to jump out of the cab. Unfortunately, there was a truck coming on and before she knew it, she was hit by the speeding truck. Suddenly, the almighty Mrs. P was dead. The frantic cab driver, left her dead in the middle of the street and the younger Ms. P learned the news of her death a couple of days after. She was flown to HK and then the U.S. and Ms. P is now the one managing the Toy business.

I never imagined this would happen to Mrs. P. No matter how bad and mean she was I never wished her death but I guess for some people this was a story of Karma....

My New Baby!

2005-07-01T15:32:00.000+03:00

duke 014
Originally uploaded by suncatcherph.

My husband gave me a fabulous birthday present today.Meet my new baby :)
I was not expecting to have an Ipod even if I was drooling over it everytime I see it but then, not I have it.. yipppeeee!

Another year, another birthday.. I have nothing else to ask for. I am just happy with what I have in my life at the moment.

Je suis tres tres contente! Merci mon bébé!

Here's to more years of living and learning life! Santé!

Let's Talk About Sports

2005-06-30T14:49:00.000+03:00

Football

Confederation Cup Champions---> BRAZIL!

Brazil won the cup without Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo. 4-1 against Argentina. Not bad at all. Watching the game, I think they played very good defense against Argentina. Not their usual cup of tea ( defense... hihihi). Quite a solid game for Brazil. Adriano scored 2 out of the 4 goals for Brazil. This man is blazing hot this season! Looking forward to watching games like this in the future.
P.S. Coming in third is the host country.... Deutschland. 4-3 against Mexico on extra time. This was a good watch after a red card was given to the German Striker, Hanke in the second half.

Tennis

Wimbledon Semis today.

Men's

Federer vs Hewitt

Roddick vs Johansson

Women's

Davenport vs Mauresmo

Sharapova vs V. Williams

My bet is in Federer and Sharapova but anything goes at this point. Davenport seems relaxed and can win easy as well. Hubby is for the French gal , Mauresmo. How exciting this semis will be! Who do you think will play in the finals?

My non-expert opinion,the final match will be...

Federer vs. Johansson ( I have a weak spot for Swedish men... hihihihi)
Davenport vs Sharapova

Formula One

The FIA found the seven teams who did not compete in the Indianapolis F1 guilty of "acts prejudicial to an event and to the sport after failing to start the June 19 event". Are the teams really the one to be blamed for this fiasco? How about Michelin? Aren't they supposed to share in this "ride"?

I have mixed feelings on this event. Who should really take the blame for this one? My imagination runs wild at this point. Can this be a big conspiracy of sort that will benefit NASCAR in the end and never let Formula One dominate the US world of Motorsports? hmmmnnn... far fetched idea but can be a plausible one :)

Tour De France

Will Lance Armstrong win his 7th Tour De France title this year? T-Mobile's Jan Ulrich may be the one to be declared for 2005. I go for the German this year.

Paris 2012

On July 6. the official country for the 2012 Olympics will be announced. The Raffles Hotel in Singapore will be the venue for this good news announcement. The frontrunner of the bid is Paris. This is France's third bid in 20 years! The other competing cities are London, Madrid, Moscow and New York. Who do you think will it be? As for me, I think Paris est prête!

another football news...

Manchester United has a new owner in the name of America's Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Mr. Malcolm Glazer. Man U fans are not eaxctly happy with this development since it is rumoured that Mr. Glazer plans to increase ticket prices to Man U matches to a whopping 45 per cent in the next four years. Man U fans are feeling that the new American owners are treating their club as a business. Naturally, they were not very receptive with the owners three sons' unannounced visit to the club's stadium in Old Trafford last night.

Well, isn't that ironic? Man U, the team with gazillions of football merchandise sold all over the world is still not a business? hmmmnnn... I am not really very warm over Man U... I still prefer the Gunners :)

Circumcision Party, Anyone?

2005-06-24T17:31:00.000+03:00

Last night, my husband and I attended a party of one of his local staff, Hassan. You see, Hassan's son just got circumcised and they are throwing a big party for him. This is like the equivalent of an 18th birthday for a girl but here in Istanbul, it is normally for boys aged 7-9 years old. The guests of the party has to give the boy a gold coin which was worth around 50USD as a gift(This was a minimum gift .. take note!). I still do not know the reason behind this but I will research and see the whole story about this tradition....

It was my first party here and I as excited. It was held in a hotel which was situated in a 300 year old fortress and there were around 200 guests for the said party.When we arrived, most of the guests have arrived and we were the only foreigners in the party! We did not feel out of place since the people were very accommodating and helpful. The party was just like a normal birthday party but this time, they were celebrating the circumcision of their son.The boy's already in a happy mode. Probably his "patutuy" was cut a couple of weeks back! There was a live band and music was playing all throughout dinner. Dinner was of course Turkish cuisine which comprised of stuffed eggplant and bell peppers , some cheese, tomatoes, beef and fruits for dessert. After dinner there were lots of dancing ( and I mean dancing!!!!). Everyone just started to dance. It was more of a family thing to dance and the beat was just so lively that you will feel the joy they have while dancing! Around 11pm my husband and I decided to leave the party while everyone was still dancing the night away. It was definitely a good circumcision party!

How come we never had that in Pinas? No one threw a party for my brother when he had his circumcision! It was just our friendly neighborhood manong who did it and my dad was with him. After the incident, my bro waited for it to heal and we all went on with our normal lives... Here, they do parties for it! :)

The Blue Mosque

2005-06-21T16:08:00.000+03:00

Picture 021
Originally uploaded by suncatcherph.

Every Friday is worship day for the Muslims in Istanbul. This is one of the famous mosques and among the hundreds you can find here..

summer again!

2005-06-21T15:56:00.000+03:00

at the egyptian bazaar
Originally uploaded by suncatcherph.

my first glimpse of instanbul

2005-06-21T15:51:00.000+03:00

Originally uploaded by suncatcherph.

I took this from the cab we were riding when my husband picked me up from the airport. My first memory of Istanbul.

The Best Gift on Father's Day

2005-06-18T19:15:00.000+03:00

A friend of ours will be having the best gift ever on Father's Day. With fingers crossed, his wife might be giving birth today to a baby boy! My husband and I are so happy for them. He is just such a proud daddy to his 2 year old girl and now will have an addition to the family.. son petit garçon!

Happy Father's Day to all the proud and hardworking daddies in the world!

2 Summers

2005-06-17T14:08:00.000+03:00

This will be the first time I will be spending two summers in one year. Summer here in Istanbul will just start this end of June and I just finished one hot summer in Manila a couple of months ago. So again. I am packing my summer outfits and refillikng my suntan lotion anticipating summer like I have not experienced the scorching heat of the sun in Manila last March til first week of June.

Yesterday, I went out alone to discover the shopping in Istanbul. From where we were staying, the shopping area which is in the Nisantasi district is a couple of blocks away. I went ahead walking and discovering the shops. The shops were on SALE everywhere. Shops are emptying their spring items to make way for summer. I did not expect to see so many women in the streets going with the rush. It turns out, the Istanbul women love shopping! Think people on Midnite Sales in Makati and you will see the picture how they do their shopping over here at two o'clock in the afternoon.They know their stuff really well! From designer to bargains and what have you's, the place is a shopping mecca!

My next stop was the pool. Little by little, the flow of people in the flow is becoming heavy. Everyone wants to bathe in the sun but NOT swim! Just sunbathe! So, if you want some space in the pool area, just dive into the water since everyone is reading a book or a magazine lying lazily under the heat of the sun. Ahhh.. what a new way to spend summer all over again...

Chismis

2005-06-15T15:15:00.000+03:00

Hay.. everywhere you go, there will always be a juicy chismis around the corner. I guess regardless of nationality, people love rumors or "chismis" as we Pinoys fondly call it. While I was having lunch today, my husband passed by and told me that a friend of a friend of mine from my old work who is now working in a different hotel in a different country (whew.. talk about loooong connections) emailed his boss and told him that I was very scared to live in Istanbul. This caused a tinge of panic from my husband asking me if I do not like Istanbul and my stay here. This was a surprise for me since I was feeling quite comfortable living in Istanbul a the moment. In fact, I am beginning to love the place, the people,food, and everything about it. I have never encountered such warm people who really make you feel welcome and are sincerely nice. I assured my husband that I was adapting quite well to the environment and not to worry about that email his boss received.

I then wondered how news really travel and can be distorted after passing from one person to another. I was quite annoyed with the fact that I do not even know this person who sent an email to my husband's boss.Why would he/she care about my life and feelings anyway?Some people just have fun taking interests in other people's lives.I would understand if they take interest in the lives of celebrities or famous people but not mine! I am just a normal wife who tries to make the most of my life in the country where I get to live in. Just like other people, my feelings go from one end to the other and I find solace in blogging and sharing thoughts that matter to me. Of course I felt scared moving into a different country but I think that is quite normal for anyone who will live in a place for the first time. I do not think it is "chismis" worthy to people whom I do not even know first hand. Some people still need to discover how to get a life instead of talking about someone else!

After the long flight...

2005-06-13T10:46:00.000+03:00

Finally I am here in Istanbul! I arrived last Saturday evening just in time for my first year wedding anniversary :) My husband picked me up at the airport and we had dinner at this really nice restaurant called SUNSET which was overlooking the whole of Istanbul. To all my blog friends who posted comments on my last blog.. THANK YOU! I eventually looked forward to going to Istanbul instead of feeling "Senti" and true enough I was much happier coming over to this beautiful country.

I still have tons of stories to tell. From my 10-hour stopover in Dubai to the discovery of all these palaces and mosques here in Istanbul (not to mention the yummy food!) but unfortunately I still do not have a pc over here. All our stuff is in transit still ( sigh!). So for now, I will be frequenting my trips to the business center in our flat and blog as much as I can with this little time.

I still haven't Ruffa in my 2 days stay here ( hihi...). I still am trying to find my way around the place.So far, I discovered that this country indeed has a lot to offer especially in terms of culture and traditions. Even if it is a Muslim country, the people are quite open to other religions and nationals staying here. That's all for now, folks. I am still in a break in period. More to come...

Senti

2005-06-08T05:56:00.000+03:00

I will be leaving Manila in two days time. I suddenly feel nostalgic and sentimental. Amidst the last minute shopping and errands to do, I realized that I won’t be seeing my parents indefinitely. Unlike our last post in Hong Kong which was in the same time zone as Manila and only a one-hour plane ride, Turkey is a 13-hour plane ride with a 5-hour difference in time zone. I remember what my dad told me when I arrived here in the Philippines a couple of months ago. He said he is so happy to see me and he thought the last time he brought me to NAIA was the last time we will see each other. I said it is such a silly thought because I still go back to Manila to visit them every now and then but deep inside I felt scared. I dread that thought. I am scared to lose my parents. Maybe I am just becoming paranoid but I do not want this to be the last time I see them when I leave Manila. I still am looking forward to seeing them when I go back in time.

I am also a little anxious and nervous to go to Istanbul. Aside from my husband, I literally do not know anyone over there. As always, I need to start from scratch again. I will try to find my way first, as a tourist and then as a resident. This can be exciting as well since it is a process of learning, discovering and meeting new culture, places, and people. So, I will be leaving the jeepney, bus, and tricycle congested roads of Manila and my dear family and friends over here once again and feel my way to Turkey.

I have not left the Philippines yet but I am already missing so many things just thinking about it! From all the food and rice galore, to the videoke gimmicks, the out of town trips, the endless SMBs with friends to my mom’s great cooking, my bed in my room and all the books scattered around it. These are some of the things I will definitely miss but most of all, I will miss the feeling of being a daughter to my parents as I go and join my husband again.

Here is to a new adventure for my loving husband and me. Wish us luck!!

To Be or Not To Be.. Evil

2005-06-05T13:45:00.000+03:00

I just finished reading The Family by Mario Puzo. It was a very revealing and entertaining story about the life of the Borgia family in Italy and the famous Pope Alexander during Renaissance. With my fascination for the mob and their amazing stories by Mr.Puzo( think The Godfather --> Vito Corleone), I was hooked on every page of this novel. I was still surprised with how mean people can be when they want to and how love can be used to attain power and glory. A particular paragraph caught my attention and brought shivers down my spine. And I quote…

“ Even in the most treacherous of times, some men prove to be more evil than any other men. Cruelty pulses through their hearts and veins, bringing them to life and awakening their senses. And so they suffer the same exhilaration when torturing their fellow man that most men feel when making love. They hold a punishing and powerful God, one of their own invention, and with warped religious fervor create themselves in the vision of this illusion. King Ferrante of Naples was one of those men. And in an unfortunate circumstance for his enemies, he found even more rapture in mental torture than in physical.”

-taken from The Family by Mario Puzo

Wow! Ferrante is one mean and bad king.

I never met anyone in my entire life who fits this description but I have a good feeling that in reality, there are people who are mean and may compete with the above. They either take pleasure in bringing pain or suffering or just being their mean old self. Did they ever have a father or a mother who loved them? What happened? Sabi nga ng Blackeyedpeas ... Where is the Love?

I am still a believer and an optimist by heart. I believe that there is good in every person no matter how bad he is. Sometimes, we just need to discover it for them or find out by ourselves. No one just grows to become a monster. You are either forced or influenced to become one. But then again, the choice in the end is always yours. Ahh choices... We are always faced with them in our everyday lives. You can be good or bad, black or white, left or right, naughty or nice and the list goes on. There are moments when I choose to be biatch especially during those not so good days but I do not permanently choose to be one. I hope there will be less people who choose to become a King Ferrante in this small world of ours. *sigh*

Opened Windows

2005-06-03T22:00:00.000+03:00

Try to let the sunshine in...