Monday Madness

This week's Monday Madness is about holidays. It's a great way of learning how others celebrate holidays in other countries.

1. Which of the holidays that you celebrate, do you feel is the most important? I believe Christmas season is very important because it's a time of sharing and rejoicing among family and friends.

2. Which holiday do you most enjoy? I enjoy Christmas the most because everyone seems to be in a festive mood. I love this time of year, because of the colorful lights and beautiful Christmas decorations everywhere I look. I love the spirit of giving and how it touches the lives of many people.

3. Is there one holiday that your family tries to get together every year? If so, which one? Our family tries to be together in most holidays namely: Holy Week, All Soul's Day, Christmas and New Year .

4. Share one special memory from a past holiday. Last Christmas, Yohan was old enough to really enjoy opening his presents by himself (see photo). I loved seeing his expression of happiness as he opened every gift under the Christmas tree. It was a memorable time that I will always cherish.

5. Name one holiday coming up, that you're really looking forward to, and why. I'm looking forward to this year's Christmas and New Year. I'm excited to see my son eagerly unwrap his presents. I'd like to see his face lit up with joy when he sees the great fireworks display this year.

Grotto of Healing and Purification

This is the Via Dolorosa Grotto of Healing and Purification found in Barangay Tinamnan, Lucban Quezon. I took this photo when we went there last September 2006.



The beautiful Via Dolorosa Grotto of Healing and Purification has life-size statues of the 14 Stations of the Cross. It has 292 steps, leading to a 50-foot statue of Christ. It is said to be the third biggest in the world which can be seen miles away.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to climb the top because it started to rain and we got worried that Yohan might get drenched in the rain. We hope we can go there again and have another chance to reach the top of the magnificent grotto.

At the foot of the grotto is the famous Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church. It has become the country's famous center for the sick (physically, spiritually, mentally). I was amazed when I found out that everyday, this church is visited by thousands of people searching for miracles.

Chili Peppers

These siling haba (chili peppers) were recently harvested from our farm. Jules brought some home and made Bicol Express (pork strips and chili peppers cooked in coconut milk). It is best served with rice.

I love spicy food although in reality I have low tolerance for anything spicy. My taste buds can only tolerate mild spicy food. But when I smelled the Bicol Express that Jules made, I just had to taste it. It was bursting in flavor and aroma. It was really good. I just had to drink 1/4 glass of water for every mouthful. :)

Overcoming Fear

Yohan had persistent fever accompanied by cough for several days. We brought him to the doctor for a check-up on the 3rd day. Dr. Silva gave me a prescription of medicines for Yohan. He also advised us to nebulize Yohan to ease his breathing. Good thing we were able to borrow the nebulizer from Jules' cousin. I realized that a nebulizer is an important must-have for the house because we can all benefit from it when we have stuffy nose or congested lungs.

I was a bit apprehensive about nebulizing Yohan at first because I remember when he was younger, he was totally scared of it because of the sound. He cried so much the last time we used it on him.

Jules decided to let Yohan get comfortable with the nebulizer by letting him inspect it while it was turned off. We let him play with the nebulizer mask and told him that it will make him feel better. He was in a listening mood so we took advantage. We practiced putting the mask on Yohan's nose and mouth while the machine was turned off. Giving him time to get used to the machine was a great help. It somehow prepared him for the actual thing.

He was still a little scared at first but this time he didn't cry. When he showed fear, I demonstrated that it was harmless and there was nothing to be scared of by putting the mask on myself. When he saw that it was not going to hurt him, he gave it a try. He quickly realized that it felt good. He wanted to hold the mask by himself. Yohan was even smiling. It was a good sign that he lost all his fear about nebulizing.

My Friendship Virtual Pinboard

Hi friends. I'm inviting you to add pictures to my virtual pinboard. You may add your own photo or a picture of something that holds a significant meaning to you. You can tell me the meaning of the photo by adding it as a comment on the pinboard. This is a nice way to get to know you better. It would be nice if you pin a small picture because some pictures may be covered by others if it's too big (a slight limitation of the site). Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing your pictures soon.

Thanks to Gabrielle for sharing this cool site.

Dad's Pasalubong

Jules went to the 40th International Bazaar 2006 at PICC last Sunday with his mom and sister. I was supposed to go with them but Yohan had fever so I decided to stay home with him. Besides, I couldn't enjoy shopping knowing that my son was not feeling well.

Jules thoughtfully brought home pasalubong (presents or treats given on the return home). Jules gave me Theobroma Belgian chocolates, a box of sinfully delicious cupcakes (Two Cups and a Pinch Bakeshop) and Pili sweets.

My little boy also received his own pasalubong. His Dad bought him a set of musical instruments. It has a drum, maracas, cymbals and a tamborine. Yohan loves to pretend that he is a member of a band so the gift is perfect. He knows that he cannot play a one-man band so he appointed me as the drummer and Jules as the maracas player while he played the cymbals. Yohan insisted we sing Santa Claus is Coming to Town while playing our instruments. We made quite a noise. ha! ha! But it was time well spent.

Monday Madness

It's fill in the blanks for this week. Pls. feel free to play along by visiting Monday Madness.

1. In order to protect my computer from viruses, I use Norton Anti Virus.
2. I also use Norton Spyware Scan for protection from spyware.
3. I don't spend nearly enough time exercising.
4. The first person I usually talk to in the morning is my husband.
5. It takes me about 1 hour to get ready in the morning.
6. I keep all my appointments in/on my cellphone calendar.
7. It takes me about a few hours (on the internet) to fall asleep at night.

Holiday Meme

I saw this meme at Stacy's blog. I told her that I might do it too and she said she'll be glad if I played along.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I haven't tasted egg nog yet so that leaves me with hot cholocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps every present that he leaves under the tree or inside the Christmas stockings.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? When I was younger, we had blinking colored lights. There was even a time when we had those Christmas lights with changing Christmas music. Now that I have my own family, our tree has white, non-blinking lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? My Dad used to hang them in our house before. We don't have one in our house now.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually, first week of December but we put up our tree and decors early this year because my son received several early Christmas gifts. We put up the tree so he could put his presents under it. :)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Every Christmas we always make sure we have ham and queso de bola (special kind of cheese). Every year, we have a different menu but ham and queso de bola are holiday staples.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: My dad, mom, brother, yaya and I would put up the tree together. It was a collaborative effort. It was always a great way to start the Christmas festivities.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My brother and I always wrote to Santa and he would often reply to our letters. We would get his letter together with his gifts on Christmas eve. One Christmas, I noticed that Santa wrote to us using my stationary. When I asked my mom, she told me that perhaps Santa wrote me a letter on the spot and used my stationary. My doubts started and I kept asking my mom about the truth. I guess she realized it was time to tell me the truth. I took it very well. My parents requested that I keep it a secret for my younger brother's sake so I kept playing along. It was fine because 'Santa' still kept giving me presents after that. :)

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, we wait until Christmas Eve to open all the presents.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? My husband sets up the tree and puts the Christmas lights. My son and I help him put up the Christmas ornaments. My son puts the last crowning ornament - the angel on top.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I haven't experienced it yet but I would love to someday.

12. Can you ice skate? No, not at all. Even though there are ice rinks here for ice skating purposes, I've never tried it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I can never forget the night I received my very first barbie doll. It was a present from Santa.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with family and close friends. Feeling the spirit of sharing all around me.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? My mom's Crema de Fruta.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? We have many holiday traditions that we practice but when I was younger, I particularly enjoyed going to Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo with my parents. Simbang Gabi lasts for nine consecutive days beginning December 16. Traditionally, it is held at dawn, but some parishes offer anticipated masses one night in advance. I remembering going to dawn mass with my parents and brother. We make a wish on the start of the Simbang Gabi because we believe that if we complete all nine masses our wishes will come true (and so far I always get my wish). After the mass, my dad would buy bibingka and puto bung bong (Filipino delicacies famous during Christmas season). Now that I'm married, I still carry on that tradition with my husband.

17. What tops your tree? An angel in white.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I feel more blessed when I give.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Pasko na Sinta Ko
It's a sad song but I like hearing it.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?? I like them because they are so colorful and pretty but I don't particularly enjoy eating them.

*** Anyone is welcome to play along. I'm sure Stacy would be glad if more people joined in the fun.