Facebook Status Rant

I've already mentioned how ridiculous I find some of my friends' facebook status posts. Some need to post a status about every little thing they've done in a day. Some write very long status messages that describe in detail what is happening to them. Still others post cryptic messages like, "just checked into medical city" prompting everyone to ask, "Why?" Ang dami talagang KSP sa mundo :)

One such FB friend posted a photo of himself on a hospital gurney. So everyone jumped in and asked, anyare? I guess he had his mobile device in his hand because he immediately replied in one word, GERD. I would think this prompted a lot of people to Google GERD. Yeah, okay, me included :)

According to medicinenet, it is a condition in which the acidified liquid content of the stomach regurgitates up into the esophagus. Okay. That's gross but it's simply acid reflux. 

 I've actually learned a lot of new things from those Facebook status posts especially when I encounter posts like this. So, okay, it might not be so bad after all. I will just have to learn to ignore those posts that are just too ridiculous and pathetic.

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Meralco's Maliwanag ang Pasko and Liwanag Park

Meralco,  the power company, usually has really nice light displays during the holiday season and this time they had the Meralco's Maliwanag ang Pasko and Liwanag Park. We went to see it last night. Free entrance, anyone can just go in. I brought my camera to take photos but guess what, after a few shots the battery ran out. I forgot to charge it. So some of the pics are not that clear because I took them with the camera on my mobile phone. This is the entrance here. I took this photo as we were leaving actually.

There was a train ride, again FREE! The train seats 16 people and goes round the track about 5 times or maybe a little more. It sure was fun.

There were several structures made to look like houses and churches.

Meralco's Maliwanag ang Pasko and Liwanag Park is really a great place to relax and enjoy the cool night air. This nativity scene is huge and this it the last photo I took with my digicam before it ran out of battery.

And....here it's time to go home because Via stepped in some mud and got here feet and shoes soaked in mud. But we had fun at Meralco's Maliwanag ang Pasko and Liwanag Park. I am looking forward to next year's light display.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

C

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Do You "Feel" Christmas?

I have seen a few status of my friends' status on facebook that they do not yet feel Christmas even if it's just one day away. What is it to like to "feel" Christmas? I suspect that what they are talking about has nothing to do with what Christmas is about. I am guessing that the Christmas "feeling" that they are hoping to experience is all about the excitement of gifts and parties and Noche Buena preparation and such things. I admit I used to be like them until than a decade ago and maybe it all started when we were little and believed in Santa Claus.

But really, these FB friends who are my grade school and high school classmates are now approaching middle age like me and they are still talking about that Christmas feeling. I have stopped "celebrating" Christmas more than ten years ago. By celebrating, I mean stressing myself with buying gifts until the 24th of December, standing in line at the grocery for the Noche Buena, doing a lot of cooking and pushing ourselves to the point of exhaustion just to keep up with tradition not to mention spending tons of money to have that Christmas "feeling."

Of course, I always went to mass on Christmas day and for some people, completing the Simbang Gabi gets them into that Christmas spirit as well as celebrating the real reason for Christmas, which is the birth of our Savior. All those other things we do are mostly from tradition. That we should do this and have that. It took a lot of hardship and trials to make me realize that what some people do to celebrate Christmas does not really mean anything and has nothing to do with what it is about. And sometimes what it is all about is forgotten amidst all these preparations because we get carried away by the "feeling."

My life is a lot better now but I continue to not "celebrate" Christmas. I have no decoration at home. I haven't bought gifts. We do attend parties and take them as that, parties the way we have the rest of the year.

P, being of a different faith (although he is also a Christian) from me has a different belief about Christmas. If I had not gone through what I have, I would not now have shared his view of it which is all centered on Him. I am considering converting to his faith next year. What did we do? Christmas eve is on a Saturday this year and Christmas day is on a Sunday. Via and I went to church just like we always did on Saturday to worship and on Christmas day, well, my Aunt whose husband passed away recently, has invited us for lunch. So we went and visited her.

I have not told Via about the Santa Claus of my youth. How I used to think that all those gifts were really from Santa Claus and he was real just like other children. Such fairy tales make it more difficult to deal with realities of life. Especially now, we are celebrating all these things that are just driven by big businesses like halloween, etc. Halloween never used to be celebrated in this country. Malls and hotels started promoting it in the 90s I think. So what do I tell the Twerp about Santa Claus because she does see him at the mall and on TV. I say he's a cartoon character just like Winnie the Pooh and Micky Mouse. I don't think I'm depriving her of anything by doing this. She is a happy and well adjusted child and very perceptive.

A lot of people will not agree with me and that is all right. This is my opinion and that I find some of those FB status really absurd.

Wishing you all happy holidays!

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Mercy is Underserved Kindness

A nagging question in my mind has always been how to be kind to bad people or even those who beg in the streets seeing that they are strong and healthy but prefer to beg. 

Today I got this on my email and wanted to share:

The Bible says that God is kind to bad people (see Luke 6:35-36). We somehow know this already, but it still jars our sense of “justice.”

One day, some brilliant men were debating about what makes Christianity different from other religions. The discussion was heated and lively, with all sorts of answers being raised.

That was when the great thinker and apologist, C.S. Lewis, entered the room. The men turned their attention to the late comer and asked him, “So Lewis, what makes Christianity different from other religions?”

He looked at them and said one word.

“Mercy.”

When he spoke, everyone remained quiet.

The debate was over.

What is mercy?

Mercy is undeserved kindness.

We believe God is kind to those who do not deserve His kindness at all. In another part of the Bible, it says, When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:4-6).

Now I know what to do.

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Amici at the Atrium, SM Megamall

Last Friday, my friend Pearl and I wanted to treat ourselves to a nice lunch. But where? We seemed to have gone through all the food places in SM Megamall. Then she said, I'd like to eat pasta. That decided it! I suddenly remembered Amici at the SM Megamall Atrium. It's been ages since I last ate there. I was also in the mood for gelato :)

I had Spinach Ravioli, I think it's new. Wasn't on the menu last time. I forgot how much, about P230. Yummy, I loved that it was creamy with some sprinkling of parmesan cheese, love cheese. The waiter placed it at the center of our table, he thought it was for sharing. I said, no I don't share, it's just for me  :)

 

We did share this Al Quattro Formaggi (Four Cheese Pizza), P290. Did I say I looooove cheese?

 

Pearl had Spaghetti Al Pomodoro, P175. I like that one too.

 

Of course, must not forget my gelato, Mint with Chocolate, one scoop, P60.

 

Pearl had Choco with Nuts.

 

I also had iced tea, bottomless at P90 and Pearl has a coke. Always happy to eat at Amici. Linking up with Food Trip Friday!

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Fried Crispy Salmon Skin Crackers

When our division has a cause to celebrate, we always, always have lunch at Summer Palace in Edsa Shangrila Hotel. You can imagine we've probably tried almost all their dishes by now. Yesterday though I noticed a new item on the menu...or maybe I just never saw it before? In any case, I added it to our lunch menu as well as an interesting vegetable dish.

 

Fried Crispy Salmon Skin Crackers (P300/order). Delicious! Really crispy and not greasy at all. Great dipped in vinegar with some chopped garlic.

 

 

Sauteéd Diced Vegetables with Pine Nuts on Lettuce Bed (P870/large order). Really good, a little sweet for me but good just the same. To eat, roll it up in the lettuce and take a bite :)

 

Summer Palace, Edsa Shangrila Hotel, Garden Way, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

 

Linking up with Food Trip Friday and My Sassy Chef!

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Pepper Lunch at SM Megamall

I was eager to eat at Pepper Lunch in SM Megamall when I saw it open last month but it was only yesterday that I got to have lunch there with my friends. I was expecting it to have a long line at lunchtime like Bon Chon when it opened but there were only few people eating. Good for us we didn't have to wait in line to eat. There's my friend Bex, first in line :)

The place is spacious and I like the layout, simple and very minimalistic, very Japanese. I like it when the look and feel of the restaurant matches the origin of the food like New Bombay at the Podium which serves indian food. You seldom find places like these especially in malls.

 

We had to study the menu quite a bit because everything looked delicious. If I could I would have it all at once  :) And there' s what they called the bonus meal, with drink plus a choice of soup, mashed potato or ice cream. The cakes looked good too. Here's the gel who was first in line, happy to have finished ordering :)

 

I had Beef Pepper Rice (P215) and Miso Soup (P55).

 

Beef Teriyaki with Egg (P325) plus bonus meal of P60 (coke and ice cream)

 

I didn't notice they had Double Beef Pepper Steak (275). That always happens to me. I would have ordered the double.

 

The ice cream was not sweet at all. It's the chocolate syrup that made it sweet. Perfect for those who are dieting. Btw, I didn't order a drink intending to ask for water. A server gave me water without my having to ask for it. Good service and great food!

Linking up with My Sassy Chef and Food Trip Friday.

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Omigosh An Earthquake!

It's what I fear most because we live in a high-rise building that's 40 stories and we live on the 36th floor. In the aftermath of the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, I live in fear of earthquakes especially since the Philippines lies along the Pacific ring of fire that have frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Well, we just had a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Manila (according to the news) early this morning. I woke up at around 1:20AM because I felt our bed swaying a little. I sat up in bed thinking that maybe I was feeling dizzy from waking up suddenly. The swaying continued for what seemed like a very long time. The Twerp did not stir neither did Via's caregiver, her Tita Neneng.

When I felt the swaying stop, I debated whether to go down to the lobby. I waited a few minutes, then the swaying started again. I was praying that it would not get stronger than what I felt was a hammock slightly swaying. It stopped again after what felt like several minutes, although I guess it must have only been a minute. I thought then it would be a very weak earthquake. I logged online to check if there were any news of the earthquake but I saw none online. It just happened after all! It took a while for me to fall asleep again.

I was so surprised when my friend Bex sent me SMS about the earthquake at around 6AM saying there was an earthquake and it was a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Manila. I checked for news online again as soon as I got to the office and found out that the epicenter was in Zambales, a province about 5 hours away from Manila and that there were several aftershocks. So what should we do during earthquakes again? Here is a checklist I got from the Red Cross website. If inside the building like we were:

• Drop, cover, and hold. Move as little as possible.


• If in bed, stay there, curl up, hold on and protect your head with a pillow.


• Stay away from windows to avoid being injured by shattered glass.


• Stay indoors until the shaking stops and make sure it's safe to exit. If you must leave the building after the shaking stops, take the stairs, not the elevator as there may be power outages.


• Sprinklers and fire alarms may go off.

For more information, visit the Red Cross website.

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TGIF with The Green Tomato

Most everyone I know look forward to Fridays especially if they've had a tough week at work. My friends and I were especially looking forward to a get together after some of them came back from a trip to Hong Kong. We have a great system for traveling with friends. Everyone who's going on the trip put money in a "pot" which will be spending money of the group for the entire trip. Someone is assigned treasurer and does the budgeting. It works out great. Anyway, they had money left over and decided to treat the whole group to pizza to unwind after work.

We all met at our office cafeteria after work and ordered pizza from The Green Tomato.

Four Cheese with Cheddar, Mozzarella, Feta and Parmesan with Pesto. This is my favorite! So yummy and cheesy  :)

Margherita with fresh tomato slices and pesto. A little trivia, Margherita is what I wanted to name the Twerp but Daddy had other ideas. He was appalled! He said, how could I name our baby after pizza. Her name should mean something. So he named the Twerp and she ended up with very, very long name full of meaning :D

Pepperoni Feast with pepperoni, onions and bell peppers. Good, pepperoni is always good.

I brought along the Asti Martini my boss gave me last Christmas. It's been in my office drawer for so long.

We had a great time, talking about their recent trip and planning next year's trip. Voting is still open for Singapore, Taiwan or Hong Kong again. I voted Singapore because I want to bring the Twerp to Universal Studios. Crossing my fingers!

The Green Tomato, 6th Level Shangrila Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila

 

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The Secret to a Long Life

The Twerp and I went to my Aunt's birthday last night. It was her 80th birthday. She is my father's older sister and has the same birthday as my father who passed away about 8 years ago. He wasn't even 70. I said to my cousin how most of the sisters were still alive and all the brothers have passed away. He said that women usually live longer than men. Well...maybe. Below is a photo of three of my father's sisters: the youngest, 70 (second from left); the eldest, 85 (third from left); and the birthday celebrant (right most).

I'm not sure about my cousin's theory but on my mother side, I had a grandfather who lived to be 99. His eldest daughter, my favorite aunt is now 96, still strong, healthy and in command of her faculties. There many aunties that are 85 years old and more.

So what's the secret to living a long life? For me, it's a combination of the following:

• The lifestyle back then in their generation was much simpler and the kind of world they grew up in had less pollution, chemicals and processed food.


• A strong faith. My aunt is like a rock in her faith and accepts anything that comes her. Nothing fazes her and she never worries or fears anything.


• Being a giving person. She is not rich but gives generously of her time and money without expecting anything in return.


• She is also humble, never putting herself forward or over anyone.

In a nutshell, clean and simple living with no fears and worries. What do you think is the secret to a long and healthy life?

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