Drove from Hanam to home yesterday!
Hubs drove from home to Gwangju, then Gwangju to Hanam earlier but he keeps saying he was sleepy on the second drive. We managed to take a nap after lunch but I got to drive the whole trip home out on a fly. I was trying to open the trunk and arrange our stuff that they thought I already assumed the role of driver for the trip home. It helped that my SIL was there. haha!
Hubs kept saying that we can switch on one of the rest areas after he does the bathroom stuff. So I waited patiently at the rest area but at the last minute, I ended up driving again since the car beside us parked so close that he can only get in after I drive the car out of the parking space. Then there were other cars following behind so it was pretty tricky to still switch drivers.
The starting part was quite a challenge as I there was a lot of traffic so I had to do a lot of stops and go for a while. Add the unfamiliar route but after we got to the "go straight" part, it was not that bad. It was a bit tiring still, but fun.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Skillet Pizza for d Holidays err..Coming Days
We tried making a quick pizza on the stove using my first cast iron skillet recently and my son is finally eating homemade pizza again.
It's his own style of toppings though...onion and cheese and nothing more. I try to squeeze in a bit of minced garlic if I can. We have this like once or twice a week especially when it's just us for dinner. So since I got my whole wheat flour delivery this week, I got into making dough mode. My oven is partly broken so I cannot bake a decent loaf for almost a few weeks now so I make pizza dough instead. I really like playing around with dough. Its like I never had enough playdough when I was younger so I am just enjoying it now. It used to intimidate me before but now..I'm on a roll when I'm in the mood.
And since the pizza sauce being sold in the local nearest mart is pretty small and pricey...I insisted on going back to making one from scratch again. It's all trial and error though. I only got oregano and basil for herbs so not sure about the consistency of the taste. I also try to add onion powder and garlic with olive oil plus pink salt and pepper now.
The 7 pieces of thin crust I made tonight will only last for like two meals. P eats at least 2 rounds and one for me. Let's see.
I still got a few doughs planned up my sleeve...the burrito wraps. I know I can buy tortilla at the store for a pretty price but I think I can save a bit if I make my own plus it's not gonna be all white flour. I can make a mixed one with more fiber tucked in it. Then I'll also freeze it so it will be handy when I have the fillings already.
Oh..I also tried my third attempt at gluten meat today..using room temp water instead of the hot water initially found in the recipe I got. It was way softer. I will have to marinade it soon as I wasn't able to do it today. A friend has inspired me to look more into it earlier today.
It's his own style of toppings though...onion and cheese and nothing more. I try to squeeze in a bit of minced garlic if I can. We have this like once or twice a week especially when it's just us for dinner. So since I got my whole wheat flour delivery this week, I got into making dough mode. My oven is partly broken so I cannot bake a decent loaf for almost a few weeks now so I make pizza dough instead. I really like playing around with dough. Its like I never had enough playdough when I was younger so I am just enjoying it now. It used to intimidate me before but now..I'm on a roll when I'm in the mood.
And since the pizza sauce being sold in the local nearest mart is pretty small and pricey...I insisted on going back to making one from scratch again. It's all trial and error though. I only got oregano and basil for herbs so not sure about the consistency of the taste. I also try to add onion powder and garlic with olive oil plus pink salt and pepper now.
The 7 pieces of thin crust I made tonight will only last for like two meals. P eats at least 2 rounds and one for me. Let's see.
I still got a few doughs planned up my sleeve...the burrito wraps. I know I can buy tortilla at the store for a pretty price but I think I can save a bit if I make my own plus it's not gonna be all white flour. I can make a mixed one with more fiber tucked in it. Then I'll also freeze it so it will be handy when I have the fillings already.
Oh..I also tried my third attempt at gluten meat today..using room temp water instead of the hot water initially found in the recipe I got. It was way softer. I will have to marinade it soon as I wasn't able to do it today. A friend has inspired me to look more into it earlier today.
posted from Bloggeroid
Friday, September 14, 2018
Mom Diaries (Teen Years)
We were killing time at the park yesterday and I saw a couple of families with young kids. A thought came to my mind and I asked my son.
Me: Do you have any plans of getting married someday?
Son: Yes, of course.
Me (surprised with the immediate reply): Really? Why?
Son: I like kids. I want also want to know does it feel to raise kids just like how you are doing now.
Me: Wow. What an interesting answer.
Then I started chuckling, itchy throat started and so is my coughing. I had to reach for a sip of water but it went haywire and choked to the point of almost not being able to breathe.
Oh boy. I had better be careful about asking my son questions nowadays. It's always quite amusing to pick his brain and hear what his thoughts are during this phase of his teenage years, 14 at that.
Me: Do you have any plans of getting married someday?
Son: Yes, of course.
Me (surprised with the immediate reply): Really? Why?
Son: I like kids. I want also want to know does it feel to raise kids just like how you are doing now.
Me: Wow. What an interesting answer.
Then I started chuckling, itchy throat started and so is my coughing. I had to reach for a sip of water but it went haywire and choked to the point of almost not being able to breathe.
Oh boy. I had better be careful about asking my son questions nowadays. It's always quite amusing to pick his brain and hear what his thoughts are during this phase of his teenage years, 14 at that.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Eats around Sun Moon Uni - Asan Campus
Here are just 2 of the many possible places to grab a bite in the area...not exactly Korean cuisine but meals that can be easily taken out and eaten outdoors for a picnic of sorts.
First one is Dos Mas for burittos -- Korean style. Drinks available are softdrinks so either that have your own water bottle.
The space is a bit limited with only a few tables cramped inside. Not exactly a place to hang out for a big group unlike the one near Soon Chun Hyang Uni. The owner speaks a bit of English.
The choices for these burittos are beef, pork, chicken and beans. Take note that the beans used are like the Hunts' pork and beans kind of thing -- not exactly my kind of beans personally speaking.
The other one is the dosirak kind of place. They have a lot of things one can choose from that it would take a bit of time to pick one from their menu below. I haven't tried any but I will if I happen to be in the area next time.
(Note: This post was written a couple of years ago but got buried in drafts. I'm not sure if these are still as they are as they were back in 2016 or 2017)
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Summer 2018
Aug 4
It's August and it 's been sweltering hot for almost 2 or 3 weeks now!
Sweltering is really an apt word for what it is like this year's summer. It wasn't this hot previous years. Even a tropical girl like me finds this weather challenging so that is really something.
We've manage before without hankering for an aircon at home but this one is really something else. And there aren't any rain forecasts coming as it usually does to break the increasing temperatures. Hubs came home early last week trying to find a small aircon that he almost bought but lucked out with the payment system. Ha! He tried to pay sometime in the midnight when all the online banking are off, then when he finally got thru, it was a wrong account number as he realized a few days later. Then he had to first get a refund but got it AFTER the deadline for the payment passed. He lost the on the good deal and reasonably priced unit and I just glad that he didn't get into the desperate mode to splurge just to get through this insanely hot season.
He is now on a 6-day-off from work and won't be able to enjoy the free aircon at the office unless we go to the library, where he now works, and just hang out there even if hes not supposed to be there at all. hahaha! What an irony of life!
I did plan on doing my own adaptation modes like going to church today and maybe hitting the bookstores these following days. I'm also looking at going to other libraries in the nearby town as I had heard that there is a new English library that opened recently. Unless my husband has other plans or actually do some stuff he had planned before instead of just trying to beat the heat and stay home without stepping even a foot outside our door for the following days until he needed to go back to work again. Oh my..
I have to make my own plans even small as it would be more than hell if I just stay home with these Koreanos who wouldn't want to face the kitchen but demand food and stuff. Good thing the kid listens better a bit but they both can be too much. I just wanna get away, really.
It's August and it 's been sweltering hot for almost 2 or 3 weeks now!
Sweltering is really an apt word for what it is like this year's summer. It wasn't this hot previous years. Even a tropical girl like me finds this weather challenging so that is really something.
We've manage before without hankering for an aircon at home but this one is really something else. And there aren't any rain forecasts coming as it usually does to break the increasing temperatures. Hubs came home early last week trying to find a small aircon that he almost bought but lucked out with the payment system. Ha! He tried to pay sometime in the midnight when all the online banking are off, then when he finally got thru, it was a wrong account number as he realized a few days later. Then he had to first get a refund but got it AFTER the deadline for the payment passed. He lost the on the good deal and reasonably priced unit and I just glad that he didn't get into the desperate mode to splurge just to get through this insanely hot season.
He is now on a 6-day-off from work and won't be able to enjoy the free aircon at the office unless we go to the library, where he now works, and just hang out there even if hes not supposed to be there at all. hahaha! What an irony of life!
I did plan on doing my own adaptation modes like going to church today and maybe hitting the bookstores these following days. I'm also looking at going to other libraries in the nearby town as I had heard that there is a new English library that opened recently. Unless my husband has other plans or actually do some stuff he had planned before instead of just trying to beat the heat and stay home without stepping even a foot outside our door for the following days until he needed to go back to work again. Oh my..
I have to make my own plans even small as it would be more than hell if I just stay home with these Koreanos who wouldn't want to face the kitchen but demand food and stuff. Good thing the kid listens better a bit but they both can be too much. I just wanna get away, really.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
House Helper
Episode 13-14
This series has a title that is a bit too bland and not really that exciting. The lead guy, which is the title role, is a good one but the female lead just doesn't match up. Sorry. Good thing there are other supporting female cast which can rightly steal the show.
What made me stick to this is the decluttering aspect. Forget about the shallow love storylines since I have this impression that those were just after thoughts in creating this series. Tongue in cheek here. The tips and reminders on decluttering sprinkled here and there were one of the things I look forward to. It gives inspiration without overloading the senses. And to have a man actually do that is a big plus! There's less underlying condescending tone as a woman would have plus it's about time that we see men not only cooking but doing chores as well.
I just love the idea that it tries to go against the grain of men doing housechores which is still relatively not the norm in the whole kimchiland. That itself is really worth the airtime it gets. So big step for gender equality!
What got me to write this post is this episode 14, I think. There's this scene in the car with the two leads and a lady after they visited a single-mom-of-two-kids. The lines on the struggles, triumph, reasons, and stigma of being a single parent were rolled into that short scene. Why would a woman choose divorce? What goes inside her to bravely go against everybody's rules and expectations? Sure, it was just a slice of the many probable reasons for such but this is one of the not so controversial and obvious ones. And it kind of ends with that vacuum cleaner. ^^
On that note, I'll end my post with one too! Gotta get the vacuum to work. (albeit an inferior one)
This series has a title that is a bit too bland and not really that exciting. The lead guy, which is the title role, is a good one but the female lead just doesn't match up. Sorry. Good thing there are other supporting female cast which can rightly steal the show.
What made me stick to this is the decluttering aspect. Forget about the shallow love storylines since I have this impression that those were just after thoughts in creating this series. Tongue in cheek here. The tips and reminders on decluttering sprinkled here and there were one of the things I look forward to. It gives inspiration without overloading the senses. And to have a man actually do that is a big plus! There's less underlying condescending tone as a woman would have plus it's about time that we see men not only cooking but doing chores as well.
I just love the idea that it tries to go against the grain of men doing housechores which is still relatively not the norm in the whole kimchiland. That itself is really worth the airtime it gets. So big step for gender equality!
What got me to write this post is this episode 14, I think. There's this scene in the car with the two leads and a lady after they visited a single-mom-of-two-kids. The lines on the struggles, triumph, reasons, and stigma of being a single parent were rolled into that short scene. Why would a woman choose divorce? What goes inside her to bravely go against everybody's rules and expectations? Sure, it was just a slice of the many probable reasons for such but this is one of the not so controversial and obvious ones. And it kind of ends with that vacuum cleaner. ^^
On that note, I'll end my post with one too! Gotta get the vacuum to work. (albeit an inferior one)
posted from Bloggeroid
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Beat the Heat with Korean Kong Guksu
This one has been on my list for a while and it was just waiting for the perfect chance to try out at home. I've seen this dish in menus along with the other cold noodle Nengmyon before but never got the chance and courage yet to try making one until today.
It so happen that we have the cukes and a bit of leftover watermelon, along with the ever present noodles, that all I need is the bean milk. And I chanced on a store in the downtown market yesterday that sells fresh stuff of everything soy and noodles so it was a no-brainer. I got a 500 ml of unsweetened soymilk at 3000 won that quenched my thirst at that moment and completed my bean noodles today after a day of sweating while doing my batch baking. (Oops! I sure like extending my sentences with conjunctions. ^^)
Oh..on a side note..I tried out my newly acquired pyrex loaf dish with one of the loaves I baked today. It just arrived on time when I was about to punch down the dough for the second rise so after a few moments of hesitation and more minutes of rinsing and drying, the first loaf went in it. The bread rise too much though that it was jard to get it out of the oven without hitting the heating lamps. It will have to be adjusted next time.
The Pyrex came with the Dutch oven and I was almost tempted to try them both today. But no...I would have to save the artisan bread trial for next time. It fits my small oven but I would have to put it in the lowest rack. I may try it with a 3 C loaf next time but that will be a bit later...when the temps gets a bit kinder coz it will need to preheat the pot and not only the oven. Then I need to take it out to slide in the dough and figure out the temperature with only the top heating on.
I will have to think about other stuff that I can use that thing for the time being. It's pretty big to make soups in this sweltering summer but maybe I can try the good old rice and maybe even a decent burnt rice. We'll see when that pot gets tested out in my kitchen.
posted from Bloggeroid
Saturday, July 21, 2018
House Chores
Chores and me are not meant to be. I am not that good in an arranging things and keeping them at that so this is really something that I always struggle with. I can deal with people better than things. Truth of matter is my life is full of things. Well, back track on that. It's just hard to let go of things.
One thing hit me today is as I've been brainstorming how to de-clutter and arrange and keep at it, albeit slowly, because it has the problem-solving appeal.
My main task now is the freezer. I really love freezing but hate my freezer. It only has 2 shelves and I've tried to arrange my ziploc bags and whatnot time and again but maintaining it is never easy. It's really frustrating when I want to buy a few more blocks of cheese and packs of ice cream but I can't coz I'm not sure if I have enough space. hahaha! I cannot plug into making my frozen burritos because of that.
Last week, I managed to experiment making space in the refrigerator area and it has helped a bit. It did cost a bit of extras to buy a few organizing containers but I think that is easier for me than buying a new fridge itself with all those nice drawers and shelves. (Yea, I'm preparing my case now if my husband starts to notice how much I'll be spending in Daiso.)
So onto my next task.
How do I arrange that freezer? Googled and found some hack of using magazine holders but I can't picture out how that will wok unless I use flat freezer containers which is not quite appealing to me. I'm all for flexibility of ziploc bags since they can folded when the contents had decreased or such.
L. First point:
A. What's typically in my freezer?
frozen fruits: tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, chokeberries, and maybe some blueberries?, persimmon juice
II. What's the problem now?
One thing hit me today is as I've been brainstorming how to de-clutter and arrange and keep at it, albeit slowly, because it has the problem-solving appeal.
My main task now is the freezer. I really love freezing but hate my freezer. It only has 2 shelves and I've tried to arrange my ziploc bags and whatnot time and again but maintaining it is never easy. It's really frustrating when I want to buy a few more blocks of cheese and packs of ice cream but I can't coz I'm not sure if I have enough space. hahaha! I cannot plug into making my frozen burritos because of that.
Last week, I managed to experiment making space in the refrigerator area and it has helped a bit. It did cost a bit of extras to buy a few organizing containers but I think that is easier for me than buying a new fridge itself with all those nice drawers and shelves. (Yea, I'm preparing my case now if my husband starts to notice how much I'll be spending in Daiso.)
So onto my next task.
How do I arrange that freezer? Googled and found some hack of using magazine holders but I can't picture out how that will wok unless I use flat freezer containers which is not quite appealing to me. I'm all for flexibility of ziploc bags since they can folded when the contents had decreased or such.
L. First point:
A. What's typically in my freezer?
frozen fruits: tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, chokeberries, and maybe some blueberries?, persimmon juice
- frozen vegetables: pre-sliced bell peppers, garlic, cucumbers, etc. , mashed sweet potatoes, leftover vegies fo vegie stock come colder days,
- meat/mock meat stuff: frozen mushrooms (pre-sliced, and stalks for stock)
- dairy: butter, mozzarella block, shredded,
- frozen bread of all shapes and sizes
- ice cream and ice cubes since it's summer now
Most of these are stored in ziplocs, some in small containers.
The zipbags are again in transparent boxes that opens on top. There's some sort of category going like a box has the frozen fruits, etc.II. What's the problem now?
- It's hard to get and put stuff back.
- It's not easy to take out the boxes to open and get some stuff.
- Not consistent labels.
III. Possible solutions:
- system/organizer that makes it easy to sort and access each bag
- mini drawers, labels,
- new set of zipbags to fit the drawers
IV. My course of action:
- measure my whole freezer space, top and bottom
- find those mini-drawers that takes up less space -- something that may be flat or tall enough to keep the bags vertical once frozen
- label each bag on what is it, how much, and when.
- find a pull out box that can hold irregular sized stuff like bread, etc.
There you are! I've got my plan of action out.
Oops! Before I forget, I must set a budget on how much it should cost me to get this plan in motion. Roughly 20k at Daiso or online soon!
Oops! Before I forget, I must set a budget on how much it should cost me to get this plan in motion. Roughly 20k at Daiso or online soon!
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Battling the Rainy Days
"Not a fan of cloudy days coz I'm a solar-powered person by day and moon-powered person by night. #earthfriendly#ecoperson"
This was my facebook status on a cloudy day last week. This week, however, I knew about how depressing rainy days can be so I had mentally prepared my mind on how to combat the sunless day.
I went out for a walk after my boys left. It was raining, and a little bit windy but I uncharacteristically went ahead with it. Just a short 20 to 30 minutes around the block and I even broke a few sweats. I guess because I was swearing a windbreaker since it was raining. I even had an umbrella on my hand as I trudge through the rainwater cover sidewalk. The route isn't exactly that fancy but a part of it is a small farming field filled with different crops that are being grown in the "illegal" farm area. There were peanuts, green peppers, sweet potatoes, lettuces, and I even spotted a small row of beets. It was really good feeling walking around these things and always makes me wish to be able to secure a small plot for myself one day. I have no idea how though. For the meantime, let me savor the good feeling even just looking at them every step of my morning walk.
My other plan for the day to combat the gloomy weather is to bake! I got some beets and carrots that are waiting to be used up so my list of kitchen stuff is pretty full now. How am I going to finish all of these, on top of other house chores and teaching on side, not to mention the supposedly prepping for my other goals, I don't know. Well, at least I've got some bread to eat now. And pink at that!
I'll just have to figure out what to prepare for dinner tonight. Sigh*
Sunday, April 8, 2018
When you were young....
Honestly, I am always thankful that I don't have a lot if memories of saying how unruly my son was when he was younger. It makes me reflect about it whenever I hear other parents with younger kids "complaining" about how "kulit" their offsprings are.
Don't get me wrong. My son was no angel when he was younger but he generally behaved well more often. There were times that he pushed our patience buttons and boy, did we ever feel helpless. It was during this time that we as parents felt we needed help. We scoured the internet and books for parenting tips and ideas.
One of the books we found was Nanny 911...mostly meant for taming down the little monsters. We tried some and lost some until our son aged-out the book.
Middle elementary flew by quickly without us needing a lot of reference books but adolescent rolled in and we are so in for another transition period to teenage years. This is the period of the battle between the parents and the child.
I try to remember how it was during my time but with the different environment we are in, it is almost impossible to just do how my parents did. How much more if combined with my altogether-different-decade my husband grew up in?
It is a constant struggle to bring together the combination and adaptation of how to raise teenagers in this day and age as one would always have different backgrounds and circumstances.
This is something that I have to be more open to proactively discuss with my husband continuously. I don't want for each of us to struggle alone. This can be pulled off with helping each other by knowing how we view every situation and how to cope or proactively deal with it.
We came to the point of going back to church for our sons sake but we just couldn't agree which one. We still haven't done so though. It's an inner battle for me.
We only have one son and as responsible parents, we just want him to be best that he can be and be a blessing to others. Well..that is what I think. I must actually have the husband state what his own idea though.
Oh well...we still have at least 5 to 8 years to hopefully do our job. There is no such thing as parents training before becoming one specially for the first-borns. It's an on-the-job training --- for life or until one sees that their offsprings can manage on their own..finally. Then, the tables can turn.
Don't get me wrong. My son was no angel when he was younger but he generally behaved well more often. There were times that he pushed our patience buttons and boy, did we ever feel helpless. It was during this time that we as parents felt we needed help. We scoured the internet and books for parenting tips and ideas.
One of the books we found was Nanny 911...mostly meant for taming down the little monsters. We tried some and lost some until our son aged-out the book.
Middle elementary flew by quickly without us needing a lot of reference books but adolescent rolled in and we are so in for another transition period to teenage years. This is the period of the battle between the parents and the child.
I try to remember how it was during my time but with the different environment we are in, it is almost impossible to just do how my parents did. How much more if combined with my altogether-different-decade my husband grew up in?
It is a constant struggle to bring together the combination and adaptation of how to raise teenagers in this day and age as one would always have different backgrounds and circumstances.
This is something that I have to be more open to proactively discuss with my husband continuously. I don't want for each of us to struggle alone. This can be pulled off with helping each other by knowing how we view every situation and how to cope or proactively deal with it.
We came to the point of going back to church for our sons sake but we just couldn't agree which one. We still haven't done so though. It's an inner battle for me.
We only have one son and as responsible parents, we just want him to be best that he can be and be a blessing to others. Well..that is what I think. I must actually have the husband state what his own idea though.
Oh well...we still have at least 5 to 8 years to hopefully do our job. There is no such thing as parents training before becoming one specially for the first-borns. It's an on-the-job training --- for life or until one sees that their offsprings can manage on their own..finally. Then, the tables can turn.
posted from Bloggeroid
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Behind the Library
Five Minutes!
That's all I have to rapidly write whatever that prompted me to start this post!
Let's just say that this is an speed-writing entry. So what prompted me to do so?
All the behind story of what happens in a library. Yes, that old familiar place filled with books but has also now evolved into the 11st century of going digital and being the place to provide intellectual resources to the public. This is really not the one that will be left behind. Nowadays, it doesn't only provide books in paper but in various forms such as ebooks, audiobooks, and some for specially-abled people like Braille and text-to-speech technology. They even have DVD's that you can watch in the digital media area, along with the free use of computers where you can do your online researches, print and photocopy services to boot! (The last two are charged for the printer paper at the very least though.)
But not only that, they also have various educational and cultural programs that caters to kids to adults: storytelling sessions, debate classes, reading promotional activities and many more. There are study halls, seminar rooms for people to work in. They also have a small auditorium that shows movies regularly and can host other events.
The ancient library has long been the center for intellectual amalgamation of minds, along side schools and university but never has it been this much. If anyone has thought that it will be the thing of the past with the digital generation then it would totally be on the contrary.
Now! That's more that 5 minutes! Fail!
That's all I have to rapidly write whatever that prompted me to start this post!
Let's just say that this is an speed-writing entry. So what prompted me to do so?
All the behind story of what happens in a library. Yes, that old familiar place filled with books but has also now evolved into the 11st century of going digital and being the place to provide intellectual resources to the public. This is really not the one that will be left behind. Nowadays, it doesn't only provide books in paper but in various forms such as ebooks, audiobooks, and some for specially-abled people like Braille and text-to-speech technology. They even have DVD's that you can watch in the digital media area, along with the free use of computers where you can do your online researches, print and photocopy services to boot! (The last two are charged for the printer paper at the very least though.)
But not only that, they also have various educational and cultural programs that caters to kids to adults: storytelling sessions, debate classes, reading promotional activities and many more. There are study halls, seminar rooms for people to work in. They also have a small auditorium that shows movies regularly and can host other events.
The ancient library has long been the center for intellectual amalgamation of minds, along side schools and university but never has it been this much. If anyone has thought that it will be the thing of the past with the digital generation then it would totally be on the contrary.
Now! That's more that 5 minutes! Fail!
Have A Little Faith
First book I've picked up at the new library.
A lot of people chase happiness. ..
posted from Bloggeroid
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Nostalgic Mode
I'm in the middle of reading Young Sherlock, Black Ice when I had this nostalgic feeling of remembering the house I grew up when I was younger before starting school, to late elementary years and high school.
It's the house my father built literally in his own hands. It was a nipa house with a living, kitchen and dining area on right side, and the two bedrooms elevated on the other side. There was an elevated outhouse at the back and charcoal stove just behind the kitchen area. At one point, there were also a small chicken coop where my parent kept some for eggs and meat. Our water was from a deep well right outside the kitchen. We had to boil it all the time in a kettle that has very thick sediments because of the high acidity of the water in the area.
What prompted me to write just now is the memory of my room. It was a functional room next to my parent's room. I can literally climb over and get to the other side. I really don't remember much about that room except that it was the room where I had to stay for days when I caught the chickenpox. I had to spend my time coloring books, eating, sleeping and maybe there was a book that was made available at one point. It would have been a bliss if there were more though. The consolation was that I was able to eat my favorite store-bought bread, Skyflakes and RTO (Royal True Orange). Now that I think of it, most of those might have been on credit from the neighborhood store and that I had already consumed enough sugary drinks back in the days of my youth. The Coca Cola Bottler's company had a very bustling warehouse in our area.
Going back to my room, the bedrooms were just next to each other, with entrances at the opposite end of the small hallway. The wall that connects the two rooms had built-in closets on each side. Mine was a small one. I didn't have a lot of clothes so there were still a lot of space in each shelf. I could clearly remember that it was easy to shove the clothes off at the back of the closet so I can use it as steps to climb up the walls. That pretty fun except the top, which isn't really easy to clean, was a bit dusty. And not only that, there were always some lizard or gecko poops around. Yet, it was still fun to climb and look out at the other room.
The room has two windows, one on the neighbor's side and the other facing the outhouse at the back, along with coconut trees in the woodlands, where my parents would sometime plant cassava.
The window is a typical kubo window. It's basically just a simple opening with a retractable window held by a wood to keep it open and a big nail that one drops in the hole of the window to keep them closed at night or when it rains hard. The window is also made with bamboo mats as most all the walls of the house.
I remember looking at the windows while listening to chirping birds on good weather, listening to the rainfall or thunders during storms. There's this feeling of security inside one's room while at the same time being aware of what is happening outside. There were also mornings when I would wake up and hear my folks already going about the day. Those were the days when I don't have a care in the world, not even having to go to school.
There's this part when I was really younger that I remember that we had a tenant in the house. And a family at that! I don't know what the father does but the mother was a doctor. There were three little girls, younger than me. They occupied the bigger room and now that I think of it, I guess my family stayed in the smaller room which became my own room years later. I guess we shared the rest of the house being that their mom is busy with hospital duties and the kids one of which was still a wee one. How it came about or how long it lasted, I am not sure. They didn't stay that long I guess coz I remember the guy coming home drunk one time and we were spared from the couple's fights after that to say the least.
How they managed to stay in the bigger room was a mystery to me. I mean it is spacious yes, but it's all there was except for the built-in closets and dresser. My parent's closet right by the door had the a-two-door closet and simple three-level shelf with doors. On the left side is a dresser that my father also built-in for my mother. There wasn't much there except for a mirror, a few powders, lipstick, a few others and that ubiquitous blue comb that I remember to have existed until I was all grown up. There were two windows, one looking out of the front lawn and the other facing our neighbors, my cousin's house. We can see each other through the windows and I remember making some can and string telephone to use across the bamboo fence as our toys. There was also a small balcony jutting out at the front corner where a tree can be reached to climb on if one dared to do so.
Hmm..time check. 4:30. I might have been writing for almost an hour by now and I'm getting hungry. It's time for something else.
Before I finish this one off...we lived in that house on and off starting when I was a wee one. We lived at my grandparent's when I was in early elementary (1987/88 to 1991/2) then back there again in 93 or 94. We had to move out to my grandparent's again to live with my grandma after my grandfather passed away. And had stayed there for the longest time til left and got married. So basically, around preschool years and adolescent years were spent in that childhood home. Those were all just good memories. I like the place better than the other one to say the least. The other one felt just ...a house. Cramped room, hardly any window with a decent view, except when my father built the roof deck where I was able to hang out with some friends back in my teenage years. Oops! That's for another post.
Signing off!
It's the house my father built literally in his own hands. It was a nipa house with a living, kitchen and dining area on right side, and the two bedrooms elevated on the other side. There was an elevated outhouse at the back and charcoal stove just behind the kitchen area. At one point, there were also a small chicken coop where my parent kept some for eggs and meat. Our water was from a deep well right outside the kitchen. We had to boil it all the time in a kettle that has very thick sediments because of the high acidity of the water in the area.
What prompted me to write just now is the memory of my room. It was a functional room next to my parent's room. I can literally climb over and get to the other side. I really don't remember much about that room except that it was the room where I had to stay for days when I caught the chickenpox. I had to spend my time coloring books, eating, sleeping and maybe there was a book that was made available at one point. It would have been a bliss if there were more though. The consolation was that I was able to eat my favorite store-bought bread, Skyflakes and RTO (Royal True Orange). Now that I think of it, most of those might have been on credit from the neighborhood store and that I had already consumed enough sugary drinks back in the days of my youth. The Coca Cola Bottler's company had a very bustling warehouse in our area.
Going back to my room, the bedrooms were just next to each other, with entrances at the opposite end of the small hallway. The wall that connects the two rooms had built-in closets on each side. Mine was a small one. I didn't have a lot of clothes so there were still a lot of space in each shelf. I could clearly remember that it was easy to shove the clothes off at the back of the closet so I can use it as steps to climb up the walls. That pretty fun except the top, which isn't really easy to clean, was a bit dusty. And not only that, there were always some lizard or gecko poops around. Yet, it was still fun to climb and look out at the other room.
The room has two windows, one on the neighbor's side and the other facing the outhouse at the back, along with coconut trees in the woodlands, where my parents would sometime plant cassava.
The window is a typical kubo window. It's basically just a simple opening with a retractable window held by a wood to keep it open and a big nail that one drops in the hole of the window to keep them closed at night or when it rains hard. The window is also made with bamboo mats as most all the walls of the house.
I remember looking at the windows while listening to chirping birds on good weather, listening to the rainfall or thunders during storms. There's this feeling of security inside one's room while at the same time being aware of what is happening outside. There were also mornings when I would wake up and hear my folks already going about the day. Those were the days when I don't have a care in the world, not even having to go to school.
There's this part when I was really younger that I remember that we had a tenant in the house. And a family at that! I don't know what the father does but the mother was a doctor. There were three little girls, younger than me. They occupied the bigger room and now that I think of it, I guess my family stayed in the smaller room which became my own room years later. I guess we shared the rest of the house being that their mom is busy with hospital duties and the kids one of which was still a wee one. How it came about or how long it lasted, I am not sure. They didn't stay that long I guess coz I remember the guy coming home drunk one time and we were spared from the couple's fights after that to say the least.
How they managed to stay in the bigger room was a mystery to me. I mean it is spacious yes, but it's all there was except for the built-in closets and dresser. My parent's closet right by the door had the a-two-door closet and simple three-level shelf with doors. On the left side is a dresser that my father also built-in for my mother. There wasn't much there except for a mirror, a few powders, lipstick, a few others and that ubiquitous blue comb that I remember to have existed until I was all grown up. There were two windows, one looking out of the front lawn and the other facing our neighbors, my cousin's house. We can see each other through the windows and I remember making some can and string telephone to use across the bamboo fence as our toys. There was also a small balcony jutting out at the front corner where a tree can be reached to climb on if one dared to do so.
Hmm..time check. 4:30. I might have been writing for almost an hour by now and I'm getting hungry. It's time for something else.
Before I finish this one off...we lived in that house on and off starting when I was a wee one. We lived at my grandparent's when I was in early elementary (1987/88 to 1991/2) then back there again in 93 or 94. We had to move out to my grandparent's again to live with my grandma after my grandfather passed away. And had stayed there for the longest time til left and got married. So basically, around preschool years and adolescent years were spent in that childhood home. Those were all just good memories. I like the place better than the other one to say the least. The other one felt just ...a house. Cramped room, hardly any window with a decent view, except when my father built the roof deck where I was able to hang out with some friends back in my teenage years. Oops! That's for another post.
Signing off!
Friday, March 30, 2018
Bail Out
One thing I've learned about some pips here...they often bail out. I think it's a common nationality trait? Is it because we come from the same culture that we take for granted our fellow countrymen? I, myself, is a bit guilty of such sometimes. But not as often as some, I hope. 😉
I must try to develop the integrity of not going back on my word, however light a thing is. It's not a good habit to keep specially if something will take a bit more planning on the other person's part.
But living outside one's comfort zone does change a person's character or the way he views the world. It helps up weed out the the not-so-good cultures that we grew up in.
Well, it just came up again. I really don't mind much about today coz I kind of gotten used to such but there's this feeling of deja vu all over again.
More interesting ideas on culture here.
Friday, March 23, 2018
MS Mom Diaries
So I just got off the phone with the Korean English teacher and we spoke in Korean. I mean he did. And it's a he. Om..
So the salient points that I understood.
We live in the countryside. Most kids' English level are not really..well..let's just say that it's different from city kids.
Now, how can I give my son a chance to maximize his potential if the environment that we live in is like this without having the need to move? Or paying an academy to teach something that I can teach myself? I've already outsourced the math now and I think I really need to look into handling the writing skills as well as other life skills that he will need. There should be another way. And I don't want the factor of not having enough money to do so.
All I want is to let him be able to hone his skills to be a better student, a better person.
So the salient points that I understood.
We live in the countryside. Most kids' English level are not really..well..let's just say that it's different from city kids.
Now, how can I give my son a chance to maximize his potential if the environment that we live in is like this without having the need to move? Or paying an academy to teach something that I can teach myself? I've already outsourced the math now and I think I really need to look into handling the writing skills as well as other life skills that he will need. There should be another way. And I don't want the factor of not having enough money to do so.
All I want is to let him be able to hone his skills to be a better student, a better person.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Remnants of the Winter
Be a person like a fallen leaf
in the early morning frost
Amidst the cold and chill
Keep your sparkle until the sun comes out.
I took a quick stroll after dropping my husband off in the morning. I thought that it's already warm enough for morning exercise but I was wrong after one round. It is still cold as evidenced by the frost on the ground which I just noticed as I got to the shady area and saw the frosted leaf.
The leaf is not exactly in its pristine state and there are even holes but it still looked pretty. It managed to keep hold of the sparkle that the winter has left it. It reminded me of people who despite of "imperfections" in their lives still have the sparkle. There's still something good going for every person. It's just inspiring.
posted from Bloggeroid
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Lunar New Year Duty 2018
Notes:
Youngest DIL here and uses the foreign card most of the time since Korean hubby is not really that keen on attending these at least twice year things (fam structure is a bit complicated to say the least.) Went to the recent lunar new year and heard in the "family meeting" that the oldest son wanted to have everyone do more than the two basic. It seems that they have to do the "ceremonies" like more than twice a year before because they're trying to cover 3 generations of fore-fathers. And because BIL1 has one unwilling and complicated son, and both him and SIL1 are getting old, needs extra help to complete the ceremonies. But instead of doing at least 3x, on top of the regular 2x, he "proposed" to do it all in one. So that means, 2 regular ones plus at least 1 more. Other SILS were like, WHAAT? Me being the youngest and foreigner at that...well...These are all news to me.
That's how the lunar day summarizes. Ah..on another note..Even if I totally don't dig such ceremonies, I do like to be able to help my nice SILS and the entertain the MIL since they were just in the inconvenient culture to be born in. I don't think they expect much from me as I am pretty useless in the kitchen anyway, but I'd be a willing helping hand if available. I just don't like all the drama and the irony of all women doing all the work while the men just sit, talk and bark orders (at times.) The way I see it, the ladies are the power house so if they decide not to do any of those stuff all together, then I doubt if the men can manage all those food. Unless they choose to order-in everything.
Youngest DIL here and uses the foreign card most of the time since Korean hubby is not really that keen on attending these at least twice year things (fam structure is a bit complicated to say the least.) Went to the recent lunar new year and heard in the "family meeting" that the oldest son wanted to have everyone do more than the two basic. It seems that they have to do the "ceremonies" like more than twice a year before because they're trying to cover 3 generations of fore-fathers. And because BIL1 has one unwilling and complicated son, and both him and SIL1 are getting old, needs extra help to complete the ceremonies. But instead of doing at least 3x, on top of the regular 2x, he "proposed" to do it all in one. So that means, 2 regular ones plus at least 1 more. Other SILS were like, WHAAT? Me being the youngest and foreigner at that...well...These are all news to me.
That's how the lunar day summarizes. Ah..on another note..Even if I totally don't dig such ceremonies, I do like to be able to help my nice SILS and the entertain the MIL since they were just in the inconvenient culture to be born in. I don't think they expect much from me as I am pretty useless in the kitchen anyway, but I'd be a willing helping hand if available. I just don't like all the drama and the irony of all women doing all the work while the men just sit, talk and bark orders (at times.) The way I see it, the ladies are the power house so if they decide not to do any of those stuff all together, then I doubt if the men can manage all those food. Unless they choose to order-in everything.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
My Mini Project for Feb
Completed my mini projects last night. I brought over my favorite crochet string from home when we went last month. It took me a bit to get around to start it.
Did the lip balm holder over the weekend but I had to pull it apart quite a few times to match the size since I really don't folllow any pattern. It's just basically do as you go. Good thing that it's small so an hour or two is all I need to complete it.
It's another story with the hand sanitizer holder. I had a jard time starting it since its a bit bigger but just pulled it apart once. It was already too late in the night and I just had to finish it however ugly it is. I also tried a few kinds of stitches but ended up doing the verticals to make it quicker. It was done and can function as it should. Not perfect but usable.
They are both hanging with my sole house key now along with the rolled measuring tape. One more missing in this bundle is the emergency whistle. It keeps getting heavy. We'll see if I decide to add it later. For now, it is as colorful as it is.
Did the lip balm holder over the weekend but I had to pull it apart quite a few times to match the size since I really don't folllow any pattern. It's just basically do as you go. Good thing that it's small so an hour or two is all I need to complete it.
It's another story with the hand sanitizer holder. I had a jard time starting it since its a bit bigger but just pulled it apart once. It was already too late in the night and I just had to finish it however ugly it is. I also tried a few kinds of stitches but ended up doing the verticals to make it quicker. It was done and can function as it should. Not perfect but usable.
They are both hanging with my sole house key now along with the rolled measuring tape. One more missing in this bundle is the emergency whistle. It keeps getting heavy. We'll see if I decide to add it later. For now, it is as colorful as it is.
posted from Bloggeroid
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Don't be sad, you're not alone.
Since I borrowed my husband 's car today, I had to drive him around after I'm done with it. No logic at first glance but yeah...
We were driving and about to change to another lane but didnt make it and I remarked "don't be sad, you're not alone" at one point. Then husbsnd replies "Im not sad, I should actually be happy if I'm alone." BOOOM! Thats not exactly far from what I would like to actually say myself.
Later after eating dinner when I had to pick him up again, we had to stop by at his workplace but there were still people coming in going when we got there. He was a bit surprised and seem to back off and said "why are there still a lot of people here? weren't we the last one from the resto and people are also showing up at the office?" He even took the time to "hide" in the car and wait til the other cars got settled or left. That is just so funny. He doesnt want his other coworker to see him show up there at night, after the office dinner, and ask him what are you doing here? I told him to just echo back the question along with a surprise look as well. Oh boy! Their work system is really something. This is just a common government employee. The private company employee would be more of a challenge.
We were driving and about to change to another lane but didnt make it and I remarked "don't be sad, you're not alone" at one point. Then husbsnd replies "Im not sad, I should actually be happy if I'm alone." BOOOM! Thats not exactly far from what I would like to actually say myself.
Later after eating dinner when I had to pick him up again, we had to stop by at his workplace but there were still people coming in going when we got there. He was a bit surprised and seem to back off and said "why are there still a lot of people here? weren't we the last one from the resto and people are also showing up at the office?" He even took the time to "hide" in the car and wait til the other cars got settled or left. That is just so funny. He doesnt want his other coworker to see him show up there at night, after the office dinner, and ask him what are you doing here? I told him to just echo back the question along with a surprise look as well. Oh boy! Their work system is really something. This is just a common government employee. The private company employee would be more of a challenge.
posted from Bloggeroid
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Telemarketing
Vent Blog
I just have to write this down.
1. Hindi lahat ng wife ay di nag-iisip. If you want to get to the husband through the wife for business or whatever, make sure you know your products or services well and be able to explain it to the wife first. Just telling the wife to just let the husbands talk will get you nowhere even if your business is up and up. Long-time married couples usually would have already developed an unlabeled dual protection. We don't just pass off information of our spouses just like that. If you cannot explain it to the wife, better luck getting to the husband.
2. People who pass off info without giving you any heads up...specially if it will sound like a telemarketing thing. Come on..some decency please. I try to understand any possible circumstance that might have caused some people to do that but one should be aware.
Oh well...I've been married long enough.
I just have to write this down.
1. Hindi lahat ng wife ay di nag-iisip. If you want to get to the husband through the wife for business or whatever, make sure you know your products or services well and be able to explain it to the wife first. Just telling the wife to just let the husbands talk will get you nowhere even if your business is up and up. Long-time married couples usually would have already developed an unlabeled dual protection. We don't just pass off information of our spouses just like that. If you cannot explain it to the wife, better luck getting to the husband.
2. People who pass off info without giving you any heads up...specially if it will sound like a telemarketing thing. Come on..some decency please. I try to understand any possible circumstance that might have caused some people to do that but one should be aware.
Oh well...I've been married long enough.
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