Monday Madness #33

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1. Do you have children in school?
Yes, my son just started attending pre-school (Nursery) at 3 years old.

2. Are YOU currently in school (any level)?
No, I'm not anymore.

3. Did you (or your children) attend a public or private school?
I attended private school from Kindergarden until Graduate School. My son also goes to a private school.

4. As far as formal education, what level have you completed?
I finished a double degree in AB psychology and marketing management. I have yet to finish my MBA.

5. Do you, or did you have loans out for your (or your children's) education?
No, I did not avail of any loan. Instead of a loan, I availed of an Educational Plan (EP) for my son (High School and College). An EP is a savings program that guarantees the availability of funds for the future education of children.

6. What are your thoughts on the cost of tuition for colleges and universities?
I couldn't believe how tuition fees have dramatically increased over the years. It's quite shocking to know that pre-school tuition fees in most international schools in the Philippines are actually higher than some college tuition fees.

Monday Madness #32

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1. How many desktop computers in your home?
We have one desktop at home.

2. How many laptops?
I don't have one.

3. What kind of internet service do you have? (i.e. phone modem, dsl, etc.)
DSL

4. Do you tend to use more than one email account regularly?
Yes, I have several email accounts but I use two of them actively.

5. Do you use email as a main source for communicating to your family and friends?
Yes, I do especially for family and friends who live outside the country.

6. What kind of computer monitor do you own (flatscreen, or other)?
I still have a bulky monitor and I'd love to have an LCD. They say an LCD is kinder to the eyes.

Monday Madness #31

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Please fill in the following blanks, to make a compound word:

(my answers in blue)

1. GROUNDLESS
2. FIREFLIES
3. HOUSEGUEST
4. OVERTURE
5. SUNKISSED
6. UNDERTIME
7. OUTBACK
8. SOMEDAY

Monday Madness #30

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1. What ONE thing would you like to accomplish before the end of the day?
Finish watching DVD of Conversation(s) With Other Women starring Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter.

2. What one goal would you like to attain before the end of the month?
Lose ten pounds.

3. Are you a "to-do list" writer? If so, do you stick to your list and cross things off as you complete them?
Yes, I love making a "to-do list" and it always feels good when I cross things upon accomplishment.

4. In general, how organized do you feel you are?
From 1-10, ten being the highest, I give myself a 5

5. How many piles of papers/junk mail/etc. do you have laying around your house?
Countless! I have to file a lot of things but I always find myself procrastinating lately.

6. Which ONE surface in your home do you have trouble keeping clean?
The screens. I vacuum it regularly but I feel it's not as clean as I want it to be.

Monday Madness #29

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To my fellow MM participants, sorry I haven't played for months. I'm happy to resume playing today. It's a pleasure to get in touch with familiar people and look forward to meet new ones too.
1. Do you do your own laundry or do you send it out?
Our household helper does the laundry in our house.

2. Do you laundry at your home or a laundromat?
Our laundy is always done at home.

3. Are there certain articles of clothing that you need to have dry-cleaned on a regular basis?
Yes, there are a few items we send out for dry cleaning such as formal clothes and some delicate items.

4. How often do you do laundry? Is there a certain day of the week that you consider "laundry day?"
I'm not exactly sure because someone else is in charge of doing the laundry.

5. Do you iron your clothes as you pull them out of the dryer or do you wait until just before you wear the clothing to iron?
Once the clothes are dry, they are properly folded. Those that need to be ironed are set aside. Clothes are ironed at least once a week.

6. Do you hang your clothes outside to dry or do you dry them in a dryer?
Our washing machine has a spin dry feature but the clothes are still hung at the back of the house to dry.

7. Do you own things that need to be hand-washed or do you try to avoid buying things that you can't wash in the washing machine?
Yes, there are a few pieces of clothing with delicate fabric that are handwashed.

Monday Madness #28

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1. Currently, what television commercial is your least favorite?
Election time is nearing in the Philippines and there are too many commercials endorsing candidates. I'm not fond of watching them.

2. And which commercial is your most favorite?
Dove Self-Esteem Fund TV commercial (although I don't think it's aired anymore)

because every girl deserves to feel good about herself
and see how beautiful she really is

click here to see the video

3. Of the sitcoms that are on during "prime time" how many do you watch on a regular basis? Please share.
I don't watch TV that often anymore 'coz I'd rather be on my computer.

4. Is there a television series that you enjoy watching that is ending this season?
Nothing in particular.

5. Is there any type of program you'd like to see more of on television?
Programs dedicated to help the less fortunate people.

6. Is there any type of program you'd like to see less of on television?
Showbiz talkshows that thrive on malicious gossips about actors.

7. Is there a series that is no longer aired that you wish would come back?



8. Do you watch re-runs of anything on television?
I don't mind watching re-runs of Friends and Grey's Anatomy.

Monday Madness #27

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Pardon my late MM. I couldn't connect to the internet yesterday but things seem back to normal today.

1. Name a song you know most (or all) of the words to.
Towerblock by Julia Fordham. I love this song. I watched Julia Fordham's concert twice and in both concerts, I waited anxiously for this song. Let me share the lyrics.

You make me feel vulnerable and totally exposed
You make mefeel like a teenager dressed in a woman's clothes
And I ask you, and I ask you, where do we go from here?

All my life, I've been the one who's bigand strong for everyone
Then you come along, a towerblock for me to lean on.
And I ask you, where do we go from here?

You've got me so I'm curling like a kitten in your hand
You've got me so I'm clawing like a tigercaged and bound
And I ask you, and I ask you, where do we go from here?

All my life, I've been the one who's big and strong for everyone
Then you come along, a towerblock for me to lean on.
And I ask you,where do we go from here?

All my life, I've been the one who's always there for everyone
And now I know you've let me down, will it always be
That I'm the only towerblock for me

2. Name a movie that you have watched more than once and would watch again.

I have many favorite movies but I never get tired of watching A Walk in the Clouds.

3. Have you ever read a book more than once? Please share.
I've read the Little Prince several times. I've read it first in grade school. I felt moved by it and it has been special to me ever since. I have my own copy of it at home.


4. Share an inspirational quote with us.

Friendships require nurturing - even when other things in life seem more
important or overwhelming. The results are worth the effort. - author unknown

5. What day of the week does (or did) your birthday fall on this year?
My birthday fell on a Thursday this year.

6. Have you ever bought a book or cd or movie more than once because you forgot you bought it already?
That hasn't happened yet.

Monday Madness #26

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1. Where did you go on your last vacation?
My family went to Balai Beach Resort at San Juan, Batangas (Philippines) early last month.


2. Would you go there again? Why or why not?
Yes because it's just two hours away and it's a beautiful place ideal for some family bonding.


3. How many vacations do you take in one year?
At least one to two vacations in a year.

4. Where would you REALLY like to go on your next vacation, if money was no issue, and how long would you stay?
I'd love to go to New York and visit my parents and my brother and shop 'til I drop. :)
I would also like to bring my son to Disneyland California or Disney World in Florida.

5. Do you put a little money aside each week (or month) to save up for your vacation?
No, I don't but I think that would be a nice idea.

Monday Madness #25

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1. What kind of automobile do you drive?
My husband is always in charge of driving. We have a Nissan Sentra sedan.

2. What kind of automobile do you WISH you drove?
I've always pictured myself driving a small SUV, like a Honda CRV or Nissan X-Trail.

3. When is the last time you bought a vehicle (new or used)?
Four years ago.

4. What is your color of choice as far as vehicles go?
White because it looks simple and clean.

5. Do you regularly have your oil changed?
Yes, my husband attends to it regularly.

6. How long do you generally keep a vehicle before thinking about buying a new one?
Ideally 5 years or so.

7. What kind of automobile will you buy next?
We want an SUV or a nice pick-up truck.

Hi to my fellow MM participants. I might be late on my visits but I promise to visit you soon.

Monday Madness

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1. How many times do you wake up during the night?

I sleep very late so when I hit the bed, I sleep soundly until the following morning.

2. On an average, how many hours of sleep do you try to get?

At least 7 hours.

3. What day of the week do you do your "major" housecleaning?
The maid does the cleaning on a daily basis but I personally like doing a major housecleaning with my husband once a month. It's a time when we get rid of some clutter especially things that we don't need. It's like a monthly purging so to speak. :)

4. How often do you move your furniture to clean behind it?
We try to move the bigger and heavier pieces of furniture once a month during our major housecleaning but lighter pieces are moved daily.

5. Do you do your dishes by hand or do you own a dishwasher?

We don't have a dishwasher so dishes are done by hand.

Monday Madness

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Once again, our good friend tricia has offered some questions for our answering!

1. Do you believe in reincarnation?
I find the concept of reincarnation interesting but as a Catholic, I do not believe in it.

2. Do you own any anime figures?
No, we don't have any in our house.

3. Are you one of the fanfic writers over at www.fanfiction.net?
No, this is the first time I've heard of it. I'll check it out later to get an idea about it.

4. Do you review stories which are posted in www.fanfiction.net?
No.

5. Are you looking forward to seeing the third Spider-Man film?
Yes, especially my husband and my son. They love Spider Man.

6. Are you looking forward to seeing the Fantastic Four sequel?
Not really.

7. Do you like "Deal or No Deal"?
I enjoy watching it from time to time.

8. Are you a television watcher?
Not much but I enjoy a few like Grey's Anatomy, Lost and Smallville.

9. Do you write letters to people?
I love writing letters and cards to family and friends. Even though it is so easy

to send e-cards, I still prefer sending cards the old fashion way (snail mail).

Monday Madness

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1. From beth:
What's the most unusual hobby you have? How did you get started with it?
I don't have any unusual hobby.

2. From briar:
How many different kinds of music do you listen to? Name a few favorites, if you please.
I love different kinds of music. My favorite singers are Julia Fordham and Everything But The Girl.

3. From iris:
Do you take advantage of the outdoor areas where you live? What's your favorite thing to do outside? What's your favorite local bird?
I love a good walk around the village. We have a spectacular view of Mt. Makiling. I enjoy spending time with my son at the park or at the playground.

Summer is already here and we're off to the beach this Wednesday!

I like king fishers. They are lovely birds. I always see one or two resting on our fence.

4. From kristy:
Children: Do you have any?
Yes, I have a 3-yr old son. His name is Yohan.

5. From amy:
What is your favorite part of spring?
We don't have spring here but I love the idea of wonderful flowers in bloom. Must be a wonderful sight.

Monday Madness

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A message from Otto: Sorry, folks! I'm running a bit late (again)! Hope all is well and you all have a wonderful week. Thanks for playing Monday Madness. The following 2 questions come from our friend, tricia... Thanks, Tricia, and thanks for the idea!

1. Do you ever use all caps when typing online messages?
No, I don't. I wouldn't want to be misunderstood in any way.

2. Does it bother you when other people use all caps in their messages?
It does especially if I don't know the person too well.

3. Do you use abbreviations (i.e. lol, brb, etc.) when typing email messages or text messages?
I use a few like lol, brb and btw in instant (IM) and text messaging but not in email.

4. Do you ever receive faxes or other correspondence from a professional office that are typed in all caps? If so, what do you think of that?
No, I haven't. If I did, I would have to think that the person was trying to deliver a strong message of some sort.

5. Do you rely on the computer program to catch your typing errors, or do you proofread your material before sending it out?
I proofread my material before sending it out, however, there are times when I overlook certain mistakes.

Monday Madness

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From sleeping mermaid:
If you could rewrite one pivotal moment in history, good or bad, to make a change, which moment would that be AND what are some of the consequences that you believe might come from that change?
It's a good question but to be honest, I'm too afraid to risk changing anything in history. I don't want to risk upsetting the balance. Besides, I don't want to risk changing my fate and not meeting my husband. I'd be devastated if I lose the chance of building the family I have now.

From beth:
What's the most unusual hobby you have? How did you get started with it?
It's not unusual but my latest hobby is blogging. I eagerly check my new comments and visit some of my favorite blogs the first chance I get in the morning. I also take time to read more blogs before I turn in for bed. I started blogging regularly middle of last year and I've been hooked since then.

From shelly:
Name one thing for each of the following:
Favorite smell - Freshly baked Cinnamon buns
Favorite texture - Satin sheets
Favorite view - City lights from afar
Favorite sound - Yohan's (my son) voice
Favorite taste - Blueberry cheesecake

Monday Madness

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How nice, Otto used my questions for this week's Monday Madness. Thanks Otto.

1. How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?
My husband and I usually celebrate it a few days before by having dinner in a nice restaurant. This year, Jules is thinking of cooking a special dinner for all of us at home.

2. Name a special gift you received during Valentine's Day.
A homemade card and roses from my husband.

3. Define Love using each letter: L.O.V.E.

L - Learning to accept someone for who they really are.
O - Overwhelming display of care, understanding and love for special people in your life.
V - Valuing the people closest to your heart each and everyday.
E - Embracing each day with your loved ones as if it were your last.

Monday Madness

This week's questions come from karen. Great questions, Karen!

Before anything else, I'd like to be honest and let you know that I rarely cook. My husband is the chef in our house. I'm hopeless in the kitchen but I'm glad my husband has been gracious enough from the start of our marriage to make the kitchen his domain. But I still think I can answer these questions based on my few cooking attempts. :)

1. What is your favorite main course to prepare?
I'm afraid my cooking prowess only includes side dishes, snacks and desserts but not main courses. LoL.

2. What is your favorite side dish to prepare?
Definitely, mashed potatoes. I love it and it's easy enough for me to make it.

3. Do you like to bake? If so, what is your favorite?
I love the idea of baking but I haven't done a lot of baking to qualify a "yes" answer. But I remember making caramel tarts. I made it several times for some friends and they loved it.

4. What one dish would you like to learn to cook?
My favorite local dish called Kare-Kare.

Kare-kare is a Philippine stew or curry. Oxtail, with the skin on and cut into 2" lengths and ox tripe are boiled until tender. In some varieties, other meats are used, such as pork or chicken. When the ox parts or meat are tender the soup becomes glutinous and to this is added ground roasted peanuts (or peanut butter), ground roasted glutinous rice to make the soup thicker. Atsuete (annatto) is added to give it color. The basic vegetables for kare-kare are the very young banana bud heart (puso ng saging), eggplant, stringbeans, and pakchoy (pechay). Kare-kare is served hot with special bagoong alamang (sauted salted shrimp fry). source

5. What is your worst cooking disaster?
I tried making lasagna before and it didn't turn out the way I wanted to. I never tried again. :)

Monday Madness

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This week's questions come from a faithful participant, sherle.

1. Do you make New Year's resolutions? If so, what is your most important one?
Not anymore.

2. Easter is coming. Many Christians give up something for Lent. Do you give something up for any reason (or season)? What is it this year?
I feel guilty of neglecting the real essence of Lent these past few years. I realized I haven't made real sacrifices except for abstinence from eating meat during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

3. Do you watch the Super Bowl? If so, do you watch it with a group? If not, what do you do while the game is on? Anything special?
No, I don't watch it.

4. Would you miss Monday Madness if it stopped permanently?
Yes, I would definitely miss it. I hope it will continue to run for several more years.

5. Name at least one theme for MM questions. Share at least one question for that theme.

Valentine's Day
How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?
Name a special gift you received during Valentine's Day.
Define Love using each letter: L.O.V.E.

Monday Madness (late)

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Sorry I'm a day late on my Monday Madness.

1. Did you make any resolutions this year?
No, not this time.

2. If so, which one do you think you'll really stick to? If not, is there something you're going to try harder to accomplish?
I didn't make any resolutions but I told myself that I would do my best in all my endeavors this year.

3. Do you have a fear of any small rodents/insects/etc? If so, please share.
I'm afraid of cockroaches. I usually run for cover when I see a flying cockroach and I couldn't rest until I know that someone else in the house has killed it.

4. Share something exciting that's going on in your life.
I'm hoping to revive my career in marketing. It's been a while since I last worked. I'm excited to continue my career and meet lots of interesting people.

5. Did you wonder what happened to Monday Madness these past few weeks?
Oh yes, I did. I kept checking it now and then and hoping it will have new set of questions. I'm so glad it's back.

...and this question comes from one of our good friends, tricia:

6. Do you have a favorite gameshow announcer?
Locally, it's Kris Aquino. Her bubbly nature and sometimes frank manner of speaking makes her very interesting to watch.

Monday Madness

Here are my answers to this week's questions...

1. I get about 0-1 telemarketer phone calls on a daily basis.

2. I never call anyone after 10:00 at night.

3. I never call anyone before 9:00 in the morning.

4. I (please choose one) DO or DON'T screen my phone calls via caller ID.
I don't screen my calls on our landline because we don't have caller ID feature but I screen my calls on my mobile phone.

5. I really should call my parents and brother more often.

Thanks Otto for this year's Monday Madness. See you when you get back on the first week of January. Have a beautiful Christmas.

Happy Holidays to all my fellow participants!

Monday Madness

Message from Otto: This week's questions come from our good friend, and faithful participant, gabrielle. Thanks so much for your questions, Gabrielle!! And everyone, thank you for playing and have a wonderful week! (I may be taking Christmas Day off, which is in 2 weeks, so if you don't see questions posted that day, don't panic. I will certainly be back the following week.) =)

1. What song gives you the most holiday cheer?
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ... (not sure of the exact title but I love hearing that song). I always stop and enjoy it whenever I hear it being played on air. My son is learning to sing some lines of the song.

update: Dawn has nicely informed me that the title of the song is just simply "The Christmas Song". Thanks!

2. Who is the hardest person to shop for on your holiday list?
No one in particular.

3. When do you start your holiday shopping?
Last year, we started as early as October and we were done before the end of November. But this year, we're totally late with our Christmas shopping. I told my husband that we should finish our list before the week ends.

4. What food or drink do you love when it's cold out? (Recipes and recommendations, please!)
I love churros and hot chocolate. It's perfect during cold days. We've never made churros at home before. But I found this recipe that might interest you.

Churros Recipe

5 cups water
8 ounces butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups all purpose flour
8 eggs
1 pint corn oil
Cinnamon Sugar, recipe follows
Chocolate Caliente, recipe follows

Heat water, butter, salt, sugar, oil, vanilla extract and nutmeg to a rolling boil. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball (about one minute). Remove from heat. Beat eggs in all at once. Continue beating until smooth. Let the dough cool. Place dough in a piping bag with a star tip. In a large frying pan, heat corn oil. Pipe the churros in long rods directly into the hot corn oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Dust with Cinnamon Sugar and serve with Chocolate Caliente.

Cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Caliente:
1 quart milk
1/2 pound Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar

Bring milk to a boil. Add in chocolate and sugar. Stir over heat until chocolate is melted and sugar has dissolved.
Yield: 4 servings
[recipe source]

5. What do you do to get rid of a cold or flu?
I drink lots of fresh fruit juices especially calamansi.

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