We're home!

At long last, after more than a year of waiting... we're finally home!

Lucky Cessie

What will you do if one lunch time, a crisp $20-bill magically appears in your paanan? This happened to me last January 11, 2014 (a day before our second wedding anniversary) at T&T Supermarket in West Edmonton Mall.

I was waiting for Ford near the dining cashier area while he was getting our food at the barbeque station when my huge tote bag accidentally bumped a stack of chips. I picked the pack of chips up and voila, a 20-dollar bill was also there on the floor!

I looked around, searched for anyone who might be looking for it. Nada. So I decided to keep it. I can't do much, right? I felt sorry for the owner though.

So back to my question. With $20 at my disposal, I of course went to Dollarama for my guilt-free indulgence!

You see, if I spend $20 on food, that would just be 2 burgers, 2 fries, and 2 drinks. In Dollarama, I was able to take home a lot - glasses, soda, tissue, kitchen clips, socks, measuring tape. At may sukli pang $3!

My good fortune in two plastic bags!

To the owner of $20, again I am so sorry. There was no way  that I can find you so I decided to keep the money.

Please be assured that your $20 made a 'jobless' person very happy.

Weekend shopping cramming

We had an uber tiring weekend. All we ever did was shop for house stuff.

Last Saturday, we went to South Edmonton Common and spent so many hours in these stores: Dollarama, Marshalls, Sofaland, Home Outfitters, Ikea, Walmart.

And on Sunday - Costco, Walmart, Lucky Supermarket.

We'll be moving to Casa Blanco in a few days and though I am very much excited, napapagod na ako ngayon pa lang.

We still need to buy a lot of things in the coming days, especially the major ones like bed, mattress, shelves, dressers, mirrors, lamps, etc. We are all the more cramming because Ford's parents are coming by the end of the month and we want them to have a comfortable stay with us.

Puno na ang storage namin.

With nobody to help us move, goodluck sa amin ni Coblancs!

Veggie, why so expensive?

I was still in the Philippines when I saw a post in Facebook that Lucky Supermarket now offers veggie mix pack. I was so happy that I even showed in to my mother. Asian vegetables kasi are pricey here in Edmonton, plus they come in huge packs. This hinders me in cooking sinigang or kare-kare or even nilaga often, sobrang mahal kasi aabutin because of the vegetables. Ok sana kung malakas kaming kumain ng gulay ni Pod, kaso hindi (we're such bad kids!). Marami talagang masasayang. Vegetables also wither easily (probably because they were imported and not that super fresh) so storing them for long is not a good idea.

I really thought veggie packs is the solution but I was wrong. Sobrang mahal pa rin pala. Around Php500 na agad ang gulay pa lang ng kare-kare.

Same with sinigang.

I've never appreciated the freshness and "cheapness" of vegetables in the Philippines until I moved here. Though one may argue that people here earn dollars, the price of Asian vegetables (plus all the other ingredients that a complicated Filipino dish requires) I guess is still high by Canadian standards. Kaya mas malaki ang grocery expenditure ng Filipino immigrants kesa ordinary Canadians eh, kasi puro "imported" (from their home country) ang gusto nilang kainin syempre.

Oh well, tiis-tiis muna nga kami ngayon na walang kare-kare. Pag-uwi na nga lang sa Pinas kami magpapakasawa.

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NOTE: I thought it was best to just eat kare-kare in a Filipino restaurant but I was wrong (because of this and this experience).

KFC's Toonie Tuesday

I kept on saying that even fast food here in Edmonton is very pricey. So pricey (in my Standards) that I don't eat them at all, except for occasional burgers at Wendy's.

I am happy though that once a week, I can eat fried chicken (we Pinoys love fried chicken!) guilt-free!

Thank goodness for KFC's Toonie Tuesday!

For only $2.99 (hindi na nga lang exactly toonie talaga) plus 5% tax (or $3.14 to be precise), you can get a 2-piece fried chicken and a regular fries.

Yan na siguro ang cheapest food court meal na maooder mo dito sa Edmonton.

The drawback?

• The meal doesn't come with drinks. If you're buying pop (i.e. soda) from them, then tataas ang total meal cost mo. I suggest bringing your own drinks or buying at Dollarama.
• We Filipinos are gravy-loving people loving as well. Kaso wag ng mag-attempt bumili pa ng gravy kasi around $1.89 siya. Not worth it. Here in Canada, we should just be contented in pairing our fried chicken with ketchup.
• The chicken pieces are small (one thigh and one leg) so if you are really hungry, you won't be satisfied. 

I am amazed though that despite its 'cheapness,' di pa rin masyadong mahaba ang pila sa mga KFC kapag Tuesday. Siguro kasi sawa na ang mga tao? This promotion has been running for so many years now. Or baka naman hindi lang kasi talaga mahilg sa fried chicken ang ibang lahi.

KFC's chicken here tastes so differently from what we have in the Philippines. For one, wala nga silang regular or hot options. Iisa lang talaga ang timpla ng manok -- take it or leave it. If I am to be asked, parang similar sa KFC Malaysia / Singapore ang chicken dito. Oh well, kahit ano pa man, we Filipinos are still grateful for KFC because it's the only fast food chain (similar to what we have at home) that serves fried chicken.

Crazy for Pandora

One of the first things I bought when I came here in Edmonton was a Pandora bracelet. I know I am such a late-bloomer when it comes to collecting Pandora charms, but I guess it's better late than never.

Bought on November 11, 2013

I am a very sentimental person and I want every milestone to be celebrated. Pandora charms are indeed perfect to commemorate those milestones.

This January, Pod bought me two more charms (my first was flowers for you, purple murano glass charm because purple was our wedding color motif):

• Mr. & Mrs. - to celebrate our second wedding anniversary last January 12, 2014
• House - to symbolize our move to our new home this January 24, 2014

Haha, I am now more excited to collect charms! I've noticed that a lot of Canadians are into Pandora. Ang cute naman kasi.

And by the way, I think I won't be able to resist din their rings. Stackable pala sila.

Bagay naman, di ba? Haha, I need to find a job soon para masustentuhan ang sariling luho!

T&T Gourmet

Dining out is very expensive here in Edmonton. Unlike in the Philippines where I eat out almost everyday, I cannot do that here. A normal foodcourt meal costs $10-13 and it's way too much for me. Yep, I still convert currency until now. I also am not yet working so I cannot afford to splurge. Nakakahiya naman sa asawa ko.

Eating at McDonald's or Wendy's is a bit cheaper but we Filipinos prefer to eat rice most of the time, right?

Now the cheapest rice meal that you can find here in Edmonton is in two giant Asian supermarkets - Lucky Supermarket and T&T Supermarket. Let's focus on T&T Gourmet on this post. 

There are two T&T Supermarkets in Edmonton, one in the North side and the other in West Edmonton Mall. Both serve Asian hot meals for their customers.

T&T Supermarket - West Edmonton Mall

Though they serve Chinese dishes, ok na rin. May Chinese influence naman ang Filipino cuisine. Plus we are all familiar naman with Chinese food.

They do ala-carinderia style. Choose your own combo, turo-turo lang (hirap ngang umintindi ng ingles ang mga tsekwa).

Their combo meals are reasonably priced. For $5.99 (+5% tax), you can already have rice, soup, and a viand of your choice. Add a dollar more and you'll get two viands. Sulit na.

And they give generous serving. Mabubusog ka talaga.

Empress Meal Combo

I love their food, especially their barbeque. I am not Chinese so I don't have high standards in Chinese food. Basta super satisfied ako kapag kumakain ako dito.

Bar-b-q Meal Combo

My only suggestion is that don't buy your drinks there because the total cost of your meal will rise up of course. What my husband and I do is take the meal out, buy soda in Dollarama (a bottle only costs $1), and eat in the foodcourt area (you cannot bring your own drinks in T&T's dining area). I am telling you, we are able to save a by lot doing this.

Bye, Old SPCB!

It's just sad seeing those old structures go.

Picture taken from a classmate's FB account. Credits to her.

Especially if you've spent so much of your childhood there.

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I am thankful though that I had a last glimpse of it last November 1, 2013 (before I left for Canada). Salamat din at napicturan ko.

Old elementary building of St. Paul College of  Bocaue

The next time I go back there, parking lot na lang ito ng simbahan.

I guess there are things that we have to let go. After all, the only constant thing in this world is change.

The Bag Snub

The first time my husband saw me using this, tumaas ang kilay niya sabay hablot sa bag para tingnan ang tatak.

FORD -- Grabe, anong bag yan? Anong tatak yan?

CES -- Haler, Mango naman yan. Binili ko sa Pinas bago ako umalis kasi walang Mango brand dito sa Edmonton, mami-miss ko.

FORD -- Ay ang cheap! Ayaw ko nyan! Wag mo na gagamitin yan.

And he was semi-serious.

Then one time, he questioned my frequent use of my Kate Spate tote bag..

FORD -- Yan na naman ang bag mo? Puro yan na lang ang ginagamit mo eh andami-dami mo namang bag.

CES -- Eh kasi nga di ba maliit sa place natin, ang hirap-hirap maglabas ng maraming bag kasi kakalat. Saka ok gamitin 'to kasi malaki, kasya ang mga scarf, bonnet, gloves. Pati jacket kasya.

FORD -- Ok. Pero pagkalipat natin gamitin mo na ang ibang bags mo ha.

OMG! What happened to Pod? How did he end up being a bag snub???

Okay, okay. I take the blame. My husband is an Ilocano and is not into material things. He's the simplest person I know, with no interest on any expensive stuff whatsoever.

But then he had me. I admit to being 'shallow' most of the time. I find happiness in buying and hoarding things. Shopping became the central activity of my life. And as I get older, my taste and preference for everything leveled up as well. I no longer wanted a Nine West nor a Coach purse. My heart now beats Louis Vuitton.

My husband, who's always been supportive of my kababawan, has probably internalized by brand-whore attitude kaya ayan, binalikan na ako! Ako ba naman ang araw-araw niyang nakakausap kaya talagang mai-imbibe sa kanya ang attitude and values ko. I always tell him: "Hay naku, creation lang kita Pod!" Ayan na nga ang proof.

The drawback though is that I am now obligated to use ALL my bags often kahit na nakakatamad magpalit -kasi under scrutiny pala ang bags ko hahaha!

Ooops, before I forget, sa bags ko lang naman siya particular at hindi sa kanya. Would you believe that he still uses this "unbranded" backpack after more than a decade. His only one. I kept on telling him to throw it out already but he refuses. He reasoned na matagal na ang pinagsamahan nila ng bag na ito, through thick and thin, and ups and downs. Kaloka.

Thursday night unspecial -- again!

Hindi pa kasi natuto. Sinabi ng huwag ng kakain uli sa mga Pinoy restaurants dito eh. Ayan, we ended up with same fate as last time. Tsk.

After going to The Brick (for our endless furniture hunting expedition) last night, Ford suggested that we have dinner at the nearby Filipino restaurant because he's starving already. He kept on mentioning sisig so I gave in na rin. But before agreeing, I asked him: "Masarap ba dun?" He said yes.

Ford was actually torn kung doon nga ba kami sa Filipino restaurant kakain o sa malapit ding Chinese restaurant (where we had our Christmas lunch) kung saan tested na naming masarap ang food at hindi pa kamahalan. Nanaig ang sisig.

We were surprised na walang katao-tao sa loob ng restaurant when we came in. Oh oh, I wanted to back out. Kapag wala kasing tao, it's indicative na hindi ganun ka-ok ang kainan di ba? Plus the reason I want to eat out is to be surrounded by people sana. Palagi na kasi akong mag-isa sa apartment namin.

Pero dahil Pinoy kami, nahiya naman kasi sa kaisa-isang staff na nag-assist sa amin. Nakakaawa naman so we ordered na rin kahit pricey ang dishes. Ang sabi kasi ni Ford, masarap naman. Naisip ko rin na weeknight kasi kaya siguro walang ibang tao. Sige sige, benefit of the doubt.

We asked for sisig...

At kare-kare.

Were we satisfied?

The sisig wasn't crispy and was not as delicious as Ford described it. Kumain na sila dati at iba daw ang lasa ngayon. Honestly, the taste of lime was lingering. Bakit ba kasi hindi sila gumamit ng calamansi? Sa totoo lang, sa mahal ng ulam nila, they can afford naman to put in a calamansi para maging Pinoy na Pinoy naman ang lasa.

The kare-kare, on the other hand, was too peanut-y. It tasted a bit better than the one we had somewhere south pero hindi pa rin talaga siya masasabing masarap.

Now the worst part of the night was having to pay $50.48 (or approximately Php2,100) for these. Yep, just these. Plus one extra rice pa pala (because the hubby was very hungry). A cup of rice alone is worth $3. Tsk. Para na rin kaming kumain sa isang fine dining restaurant kaloka!

We were full of regrets after eating. We kept on thinking kung ano ba ang makakain naming iba with $50. Fifty dollars in an equivalent of four pax buffet at Pinoy Grill, or three dinners for two at Wendy's, or two meals at Denny's.

For $50, I could have bought a lot of loots from Dollarama or food items from Lucky 97.

Hay, nakakapanghinayang talaga.

We've finally agreed never to eat ala carte at Filipino restaurants here in Edmonton again. Ok lang kung buffet - mas mura na, sulit pa.

Again, I won't be surprised if this restaurant will close down in a few months. Understandable na mahal ang tinda nila because of rent and labor costs, but it's unforgivable that they serve not-so-good food with that big amount. Sayang na ang pera, sobrang nakakainis pa.

My in-laws are coming!

Ford texted me yesterday morning informing me that Mama and Daddy (his parents who live in California) are coming over this January 30! OMG! That soon???

Picture courtesy of Bitstrips

Don't get me wrong. I am happy that my in-laws will be visiting us here in Edmonton. I just had a few concerns though...

First, sa January 24 pa lang kami lilipat ng bahay and I feel that we are not ready to 'accept' guests yet. By January 30, wala pa talaga kaming furniture kahit isa (as in nada!). I want my parents-in-law to have a comfortable stay here so I am really worried.

Second, they'll be staying here for 21 days and I don't know how to 'entertain' them especially when Ford's at work. This will be the first time I'll be staying under one roof with my biyenan so I am a bit scared (haha!). I mean, I don't know what the arrangements will be.

Third, I really am not domesticated (yet). I am not good with house chores, especially cooking, and I know na hindi ako papasa sa standards ng oldies. My own mother could attest to that. I remember her always telling me na mapipintasan ako ng biyenan ko pag nakasama ako sa bahay. Naku, eto na yun! #praningako

Forth, Ford's car is only good for two people. We are contemplating on buying a new one come spring time but now that we have the parentals coming soon, what do we do? The only option aside from renting (which is costly, of course) is borrowing Ate June's sedan car. I honestly feel uncomfortable borrowing. Hindi talaga ako mahilig manghiram, and so is Ford.

Fourth, I have plans of starting to work this February and I don't know if I have to delay this since we have guests at home. I would like to believe that I am hospitable, I really don't want my in-laws to feel neglected nor taken for granted when they visit (that's why I am concerned on how to entertain them).

Fifth, I intend to do a lot of shopping days after we move in to our house and I don't know how to do that when they're around. I always shop alone, kahit nga si Ford madalas ayaw kong kasama eh. And oh, kailangan na rin pala naming mag-advance shopping ngayon pa lang para may konting gamit na pagdating nila. Hay, I do not want rush shopping pa naman.

Sixth, I thought I could do something highschoolish this Valentine's Day (since it's the very first Valentine we'd be celebrating together physically). Oh well, better luck next time.

Pero katulad nga ng sabi ni Ford, there is nothing we can do anymore. And we can't say no, right? Ford's been reminding me yesterday that they are not "guests," they're parents.

I have to embrace the fact that they're will be living with us for 21 days. Period.

In fairness, I am grateful to Mama and Daddy because I know they are coming with very good intentions. Daddy, a more experienced handyman, only wants to help his son fix everything in his new home. With nobody else to help us, talagang it will be a struggle to do things on our own. We need extra hand.

Also, I admit that deep inside, I am longing for a company of family. For the past two months, it's only been just me and Ford. It will be nice to have the parents around. I know Ford misses them so much.

My husband has a good set of parents, I am sure that I'll never have problems with them. I always say that I am lucky because unlike other in-laws, mine are not child-dependent and pakialamero/a. They let us be. They're just there if we need them.

Having the parents here would definitely entail a lot of personal sacrifice on my part (i.e. goodbye for now, "me" time!) but it's ok. I will try my very best to be a very good daughter-in-law to them. I owe them that.

2nd Anniversary (Cup)Cake

Hindi ako napakali.

I promised myself last year that we will have a cake on our every anniversary and I forgot! Si Ford pa ang nagpaalala sa akin on our way to State & Main (where we had dinner).

So we crammed and searched for a cake. Sadly, we ended up with cup cakes kasi wala talaga kaming magustuhan. We are not into eating cakes kasi kaya masasayang. Cakes are expensive pa naman dito sa Edmonton.

I convinced myself na ok na ang cupcakes. At least meron. I wanted to primp the cupcakes sana para maging espesyal naman kaso closed na ang Dollarama. It was past 7pm already and most stores here close early on Sundays.

Pero yun nga, two days later, hindi pa rin ako mapakali.

We still had three uneaten cupcakes so pwede pa akong humabol!

I went to Dollarama yesterday afternoon and was able to buy some foam letters/numbers and hearts (buti na lang Valentine season). I remembered having a red plastic heart plate at home (bought at Dollar Tree) and I knew na what to do.

Without further ado, I now present our second anniversary (cup)cake!

Haha, I loved it! Ayan nagka-idea na ako. Since hindi kami mahilig ni ford sa cake, pwede na rin pala ang cupcake -- lagyan lang ng konting accent!

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To recap, here's our very simple (and cheap) first year anniversary cake. I also wasn't prepared last year because Ford was only in Pinas for less than three weeks and I was so ngarag! I am glad that our second year (cup)cake turned out better haha!

And here's our beautiful wedding cake -- the reason why I want to have a yearly anniversary cake...

I promise to have a really nice and well-prepared cake next year. Excited na ako!

Excited for Vday

I am not normally excited on Valentine's Day. Feeling ko pang-highschool lang. And would you believe that in our almost 11 years of being a couple, Ford and I were never together physically on a February 14?

But then I keep seeing lots of Vday items everywhere, especially on dollar stores! I never thought Canada is this big on Valentine!

I wonder if only kids and teens buy these stuff.

I love dollar stores! I am such a "maabubot" person and I really enjoy spending some "me" time in Dollarama and Dollar Tree. Where else can you go for some cheap thrills?

I easily get swayed by things I often see. So here I am now, quite excited for Valentine!

I still have a month to prepare! Poor hubby, madadamay na naman sa kababawan ko. =)

Mr. & Mrs. Blanco, Year 2

Our second year wedding anniversary celebration was quite modest as compared to last year (we went to Taiwan for 4 days) but it's nevertheless as memorable. We are now together here in Edmonton and we are grateful.

Inasmuch as we want to travel, we are preparing for something big in less than two weeks so we opted to save our energy and resources for that.

Our anniversary this 2014 fell on a weekend and we were glad that we had lots of time to spend together (sabagay, palagi naman!). To be honest, I was quite unsure on what date to celebrate our anniversary with. The Philippines is 15 hours ahead than Edmonton and we got married there, hence my inclination to celebrate on Philippine time. But of course, we now live in Edmonton so we have to also 'respect' the date and time here. Oh well, sige na nga... isang mahabang selebrasyon na lang!

We spent the Saturday eating out, malling, meeting up with a friend, and video chatting with our BFF Raxie. It was a fun day.

And on Sunday, kaming dalawang lang. We woke up late and we were starving so we went to Pinoy Grill for a cheap Filipino lunch buffet. We went home after visiting a furniture shop and slept again.

In the evening, we headed South for our anniversary dinner.

Ford has always been curious about State & Main (located in Southgate Mall) so we wanted to give it a try. He's read so many good reviews daw. Also, we are steak lovers so all important occasions in our lives must be graced by presence of some steak lol!

We always choose different entrees and we share.

The Empire State

Kansas City Back Ribs

We are happy that the food and service were good. We liked the atmosphere too. Thankfully I had the guts to ask our server to transfer us to another table. We were originally seated in a not-so-nice area of the restaurant and I wasn't comfortable. It felt like we were isolated. When you dine in a restaurant, you also pay for the ambiance so you better assert your rights.

One of the things I've noticed here in Edmonton is that very few people are taking pictures. When I asked a server to take our picture, he was a bit surprised. In the Philippines, all waiters and waitresses are used to requests of diners to take their pictures.

This was our one and only decent picture of the night. State & Main is a bar so medyo madilim.

I asked Ford to pose for me outside. Kaloka, parang walang katao-tao noh? And it was only 8pm!

After dinner, where else would we go but Starbucks?

I promised myself that we will have a yearly cake to commemorate our anniversary but I wasn't able to plan it well this year. Lipat-bahay mode na kasi ako kaya nakalimutan ko talaga. Si Ford pa ang nag-remind sa akin.

We dropped by Saved-on-Foods to buy a small cake but we ended up buying chocolate cupcakes na lang. Sayang kasi ang cake, walang kakain. Ford and I are not into those types of sweets eh. Ironic, I know. I love looking at cakes but I don't like eating them.

And so just like that, January 12 is now officially over. Ahh, I still couldn't believe it na nakadalawang-taon na kami!

I am blessed to have a very good, responsible, and gentle husband. I couldn't ask for more.

Cheers to our two years!

Two Years!

To have that balance of love and friendship, dreams and reality, coupled with a lot of laughter - that is how we make up a marriage. 

Happy second anniversary to us! 

Casa Blanco: Initial Inspection 1.8.14

January 8, 2014 (10:30am). Sa unang pagkakataon, nakatapak na rin kami sa loob ng bahay namin. =)

Just when we were losing hope, Ford finally received the 35-day notice letter from our townhome's developer last December 23, 2013. It states that we can already move in by January 24, 2014 and that the initial inspection would be on January 8, 2013. We were so happy!

And so last Wednesday, hubby picked me up at around 9:50am (nag time off siya from work) and we excitedly headed to the west!

A guy named Travis gave us a tour of our new home and explained everything we need to know. We were given the chance to pinpoint all the 'flaws' we've noticed. Minor lang naman, usually paint chips at mga gasgas.

I instantly fell in love with the interior color of the house. It's exactly what I had envisioned it. Maputi, maaliwalas!

In just a few more weeks, literal na magiging "may bahay" na ako. I admit that I am a bit scared. All my life, it has always been my Nanay who's in charge of everything about the house. I never had to worry about electricity, water, cleaning, repairs and maintenance, and things like that. Now it's my turn to take care of our home. It's such a big responsibility but I will try my best to become a good (if not the best) homemaker. I owe it to Ford who worked and saved hard just to be able to provide our family of two a nice house (Thank you, Dear!).

I am not sure if this house will be our "forever" home. Circumstances in the future might lead us to transferring to another dwelling. But one thing is for sure, this house - our Casa Blanco - will always be special to us.

Oh, we can't wait for the 24th!