Friday, October 28, 2016

A beautiful morning

It was a beautiful, beautiful morning. Our hearts were full of gratitude.

October 21, 2016

Finally, everything is falling into place. Maraming salamat Po.


Tuesday, October 25, 2016

I want to go back to Edmonton =(

Disclaimer: Please note that I recently moved here in Surrey from my comfort zone (Edmonton). My views are premature and may change in the coming days. I have no intention of putting Surrey/BC in a bad light. I guess I just miss Edmonton so much. 

Twenty-three days. We've been here in Surrey for twenty-three days. How are we doing? The husband is ok, he easily copes with things so wala siyang issue. Ako lang naman daw ang maraming hinaing sa buhay. To be honest, if I will only be given a chance, gusto ko ng bumalik Edmonton.

Funny, I used to call that place Deadmonton. Complain ako nang complain na boring dun, na walang masyadong magawa. I first visited British Columbia in 2012 at talagang pinangarap kong tumira dito. Ang ganda kasi ng impression ko dito, ideal place to live in talaga. Pero ngayon na nandito na ako, parang gusto ko ng magback-out. Hay buhay nga naman!

Anyway, ito ang mga disappointments ko as of now sa pagtira ko dito:

(1) I loathe our apartment. I hate hate hate our apartment! Ang hirap magdowngrade ng housing. We used to live comfortably in a brand new 3-bedroom town house kaya talagang sobrang adjustment ito. Even though I know that this is just a temporary thing, nahihirapan pa rin ako (#bourgeoisieproblems!).

Also, the other day, we received a complaint from our neighbor on the lower floor (we're on the second floor) that we are "too noisy." They even accused us of having a party. My husband got agitated. He reasoned that we have a toddler and some noise can't be avoided. We live in an old building so talagang konting galaw o ingay lang ng kapitbahay eh magkakarinigan na.

By the way, we ended up in this apartment because we had no choice. Ang hirap maghanap ng apartment na maayos dito sa BC, lalo na at nasa Edmonton pa kami that time. Grabe ang demand. We want to move to a different place kaso pauwi na kami ni Nathan sa Pinas on November 7. Also, magpepenalty kami ng $1200+ kapag umalis kami in less than a year. Hay saka ko na nga lang iisipin pagbalik namin. If there's any consolation, we live just across a mall at super ganda ng location kaya keri na rin.

(2) Edmontonians are "nicer." In Edmonton, almost everyone you see will say "hello," or "hi, how are you doing?" Dito hindi eh. Parang lahat me pinagdadaanan haha!

Drivers are somewhat rude, too. In Edmonton, pedestrians are the bosses. Pagtapak mo pa lang sa kalsada, hihinto talaga ang mga sasakyan kahit malayo pa. Dito takot ako lalo na for my son. Dire-direcho talaga ang andar ng mga kotse eh.

(3) There is no Lucky Supermarket here (or its equivalent, in my opinion). Akala ko talaga mas ok "mamalengke" dito, mas mura at mas madaming choices. But for me, the best pa rin mamili sa Lucky Supermaket (na sa Edmonton lang meron). I am not a fan of T&T eh. I never thought na mamomroblema ako sa presyo ng karne dito. At galunggong -- di ko alam kung saan ako hahanap ng matinong galunggong dito (na paborito namin ng anak ko). Pati calamansi, mas mura sa Edmonton. Waaah!

(4) There's too much rain. My husband "warned" me already that it's too rainy in BC. I told him it's ok, that I love the rain. Kaso sobrang hassle din pala, lalo na since we have no covered parking. Tapos may little boy pa kami, mahirap siya isakay at ibaba ng car kapag umuulan.

(5) There is no snow. Snow is so beautiful, nakakamangha talaga kapag puting-puti ang paligid. Feel na feel ko ang Canada dahil sa snow. Kaso sobrang minsan lang daw mag-snow dito, tapos tunaw agad kinabukasan. Less than 3 years pa lang ako sa Canada kaya hindi pa ako quota sa snow. Gusto ko pang maglaro ng yelo!

(6) I have a feeling it's harder to find good friends here. In my less than 3 years in Edmonton, I am happy to have found really good friends there. Barkada talaga. Dito mukhang mahirap. Sa Edmonton kasi karamihan ng Pinoy ay TFWs (Temporary Foreign Workers) na naging Permanent Residents. Mga walang kamag-anak, lahat open for friendships. Saka mas relaxed ang buhay doon, palaging may time for get-together.

(7) Ang dami-daming chekwa! Maaming nagsasabi na mukha daw akong chekwa at hate na hate ko ito. I know it's bad to generalize pero hindi talaga ok ang experience ko with our Asian neigbors. Ayaw ko sa ugali nila.

At this point, I have no choice but to embrace our life here in BC. Sana talaga maging masaya kami rito.



Saturday, October 22, 2016

Random Chika # 7

1. Buck or Two Plus! I discovered this store last week at the Surrey Central Mall. Matalas talaga ang mata ko sa mga dollar stores. I went inside to survey their items. Ok naman, lalo na yung mga balloons nila. Ang daming klase talaga!

When I googled this store, I learned na may ganito rin pala sa Edmonton. Meron yata sa Londonderry Mall! Kaloka, bakit hindi ko alam?!?

Anyway, happy na rin ako. Another wasteland for me!


2. Happy Meal. Whenever Nathan would see McDonald's, ayun magtuturo na. Hindi titigil hanggang hindi kami bumibili ng french fries.

Kaso mas mabisyo si Mommy. Di mapakali pag nakakita ng cute na happy meal toys.


I used to collect happy meal toys when I was in college. As in lahat talaga ng lumalabas eh binibili ko. Now that I have a child, may legitimate reason na ako na mag-happy meal uli haha! Pero mas magandang bumili ng happy meal kapag may coupon, mahal din kasi kapag regular price.

It's my mom who likes/loves Snoopy!

3. Fried Squid Again. We didn't know where to eat dinner last Wednesday night so rushed to the Richmond Public Market again for some cheap Chinese fix. But it was past 7pm already and there's no more fried squid in the stall where we get it. Buti na lang meron pang natira doon sa isa (Captain Wa) or else maglulupasay talaga ako. Masarap naman din, pero mas masarap talaga sa Asian Foods.



4.  Filipino Version. I got so kilig when I saw a Filipino text version of PC Plus' (Real Canadian Superstore's rewards card) ads. Nakakatuwa kasi acknowledged nila ang malaking Filipino community dito.


5. Motorcycle Accident. It was my first time to see a motorcycle accident here in Canada. Kapag summer lang kasi may motor sa Edmonton, kasi nga sobrang lamig doon at ma-snow.

When we were planning to move here in BC, Ford kept on telling me that he would buy a motorcycle because he can use it here all year round. Wala nga kasing snow at hindi kalamigan. Ako man, I want to get a small motorcyle, a Vespa perhaps. Haha, asa pa.

But I am amazed talaga sa rescue system dito sa Canada. Kung sa Pinas ka nadisgrasya, goodluck na lang sa iyo.


By the way, first to rescue daw ang bumbero dito basta tumawag ka ng emergency. Kahit ano pa mang kaso, mauuna ang bumbero kasi trained sila for first aid. It didn't make sense to me, sabi ko sayang ang resources at manpower. Tsk, third world mentality pa rin talaga.



Thursday, October 20, 2016

Thanksgiving Day 2016

And I thought this year's Thanksgiving Day will pass without us doing anything.


As I've mentioned before, I am a fan of celebrating occasions. Gusto ko lahat talaga sine-celebrate kahit papano. That's why when I came to live here in Canada, natuwa ako. Nadagdagan nga kasi ng "Thanksgiving Day" ang listahan ng mga dapat i-celebrate.

I've always had this vision of a  'sossy' Thanksgiving dinner table (complete with all those autumn trimmings) pero di ko pa nae-execute. My first Thanksgiving here in Canada was in 2014 , I was pregnant kaya simpleng celebration lang. Last year naman (2015), Nathan and I were in Pinas. This year, lalong hindi feasible. We just moved here in Surrey last October 2 and we are practically living in mess (as in until now!). Our things, including the furniture, are still in storage.

Anyway, happy pa rin ako because Ford came home last October 10 (Monday) with a pot and portable burner! Tapos may mga ingredients na. Haha, hindi na niya talaga napigil ang craving niya. Napabili na talaga siya ng pang-hot pot!

So ayun, we feasted na. Ang sarap, bagay sa rainy weather.  Happy Thanksgiving to us!



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Ooops, before I forget, these are the things that I am majorly thankful for this year:

  • I was able to help Ford even in my little way (too vague ba haha!)
  • We were able to sell our house (despite Alberta's real estate situation)
  • We were able to move here in BC (na matagal na naming pangarap)
  • I've made a lot of new good friends in Edmonton (who I will cherish in my heart forever)
  • My bond with the "Cuatro Hermosas in Edmonton" have strengthened and they will always be my core group here in Canada despite the distance
  • All of us in the family are in good health and we are happy
Marami kaming challenge na hinarap, hinaharap, at haharapin pa this year but we are grateful. Test of strength namin yan eh. 


Nathan is turning 2 next month!

For the nth time, I will be saying this: "Oh how time flies!" Imagine, Nathan will already be two next month!

Nathan and I are going "home" to the Philippines next month and we'll be celebrating his second birthday there. Kung dito kasi sa Surrey, hindi kami makakapag-party. Wala pa kaming maayos na place at friends dito eh. Yun nga lang, wala si Daddy Ford sa party. Di bale, in spirit na lang.

Anyway, unlike like year when we gave him a really big first birthday and baptismal party (which I haven't posted yet, sorry), we'll keep it simple this year. We'll only be inviting close friends and relatives. Sa bahay lang din namin gagawin ang kainan.


It will just be a simple salo-salo lang at home. Walang games, walang anumang arte. Parang Canadian party lang sa house. Basta marami lang balloons.

I chose a minion theme kasi gusto ko ng yellow motif naman (wala pa namang preference ang birthday boy kaya si Mommy na lang ang pumili). Nung 7th month kasi ni Nathan at naghanda kami sa Edmonton, Mickey Mouse theme na. So red. Tapos red na rin sa first birthday niya kasi barnyard. Kaya yellow naman ngayon para may distinction.

Plus may mga minion paper plates and other party materials na available dito. Ang sabi ko kasi last year when I had a hard time gathering stuff for a barnyard theme, ang next na party ni Nathan ay something generic na. Para hindi ako mahirapan.

So there, I will be bringing home some minion-themed party paraphernalias like plastic table cloth, paper plates, balloons, loot bags, etc. Mostly sa Dollarama ko lang binili.

Lola Mamoosh (my mother) will be shouldering the food (haha, ang sarap ng may nanay!). I have a cousin-in-law who cooks very well kaya walang problema. We will also have lechon courtesy of Nathan's Lolo Jim and Lola Elsie (Ford's parents). I ordered a small minion cake na rin from Box of Sweets (the same maker of our barnyard cake last year).

I wish lang na mag-cooperate si Nathan sa birthday niya. He's very shy of people kasi, Ayaw niyang lumapit (lalo na sumama) sa mga hindi niya kilala.

Oh well, excited na ako! Sana lang walang bagyo sa November 12.


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Nathan's birthday is November 13. Gagawin lang naming November 12 ang party para Saturday, hindi masyadong maha-hassle yung mga bisita na me pasok on Monday. =)




Sunday, October 16, 2016

Random Chika # 6

1. Hotwheels. Nathan's always been into "broom broom." Dugong Reyes nga yata talaga. Now that he's bigger, I'd start buying him metal match boxes na. Ok pala ang Hotwheels, made in Malaysia (at
hindi sa China). Mura lang sa ang mga ito sa Walmart ($1.25) at Dollarama ($1.50). Plus tax pa syempre.



2. Goldilocks Cake. We got invited to Tito Harold's "surprise" birthday party last October 7 (Friday). There's a Goldilocks branch in Guildford Mall so we went there to get a cake.

Their cakes are not similar to what are being sold in the Philippines. Ibang-iba ang itsura, di tulad sa Red Ribbon sa US na kamukha talaga (pati ang pastries).

There weren't much choices so I ended up choosing this round choco 'something' cake. It costs $23.25 -- not cheap considering na maliit lang siya. According to the friendly staff, it's a "thaw" cake. Kailangan palipasin ng one hour bago kainin.

They asked me if I want some flower decors for the cake. I was hesitant kasi nga panlalake. But they suggested a 'blue and yellow theme' so sige. Eto ang finished product.


There were many cakes in the party but I was happy kasi yung dala namin ang ginamit for the 'blowing of the cake.' Siguro kasi personalized, saka the guests wanted to taste na rin the cake.

In fairness, masarap siya. Even Ford (who's not into sweets) liked it. Sulit na rin.

Happy birthday, Tito Harold! 

3.  Lakompake Book. This is the very first book na hahanapin/ bibilin ko sa Pinas pag-uwi ko next month. Sana may stock na by then kasi sa ngayon eh nagkakaubusan daw. Haha, tawang-tawa kasi ako talaga kay Senyora!



4. Food Trip sa Richmond Public Market. We regret buying combo meals at one of the food stalls in Richmond Public Market, hindi kasi ganun kasarap. Pero mura ha, $7.50 lang tatlong ulam na.

Pero the best talaga ang fried suid. $8.50 lang super dami na. Hay, I am craving for it now! Makabalik nga dun uli bukas.



5. Aling Mary's Kutsinta. Meron nito sa Edmonton eh, pero di ko pinapansin. Di naman kasi ako mahilig sa kutsinta. Pero dahil made in Surrey ito, sige tinikman na ng asawa ko.

Ang verdict -- hindi masarap! Sobrang artificial ng lasa, ang layo sa totoong kutsinta. I wonder kung meron ba dito talaga na me gusto nito? Oh well, siguro meron nga kasi ang tagal na nito sa market eh.


My husband tried to finish it kasi sayang, kaso di na talaga keri ng powers niya. Kaya ayan, tapon na ang tatlong piraso.




Friday, October 14, 2016

Missing Casa Blanco

It's exactly two weeks now since we bid goodbye to our very first home. I started crying the moment we left and closed the garage door for the last time.

I wasn't that sad when I left our house in Pinas, kasi alam ko bahay ko pa rin naman iyon. Makakabalik pa ako anytime. Sa Unit 99, hindi na.

September 30, 2016

We  only lived in that house for 2 years and 8 months but we've built quite a lot of good memories there. I was still in the Philippines when Ford "bought" it. Pre-construction. Lumipat kami two months after I immigrated here in Canada. I felt so lucky and blessed. Imagine pagdating ko may bahay na agad ako.

Ford gave me the full privilege of decorating it, of turning it how I wanted it to be. Noon ko unang na-experience maging "wife" talaga.

It was truly a lucky home for us. Imagine, in less than three weeks of living there, nag-conceive na ako. That house witnessed how we became a 'family.'

Oh, and we've had quite a lot of house guests in less than three years that we stayed there. Lalong sumaya ang bahay namin.


Pero sabi nga nila, walang forever. Lalo na sa bahay dito sa Canada. Don't get too attached daw, kasi unlike sa Pinas, normal ang pagpalit-palit ng bahay dito o pag-move. 

When we had Nathan, we planned on getting a 'bigger' house din naman eventually. A 'small' laned home with a basement would be perfect, we thought. We will need kasi a bigger space for Nathan's stuff. Tapos November pa ang birthday niya, indoor parties lang ang puwede kasi nga 'winter' na.

But things happen and we had to leave Casa Blanco sooner than we expected. Kelangan na kasi naming lumipat ng lugar. Hay, if only we could bring our house with us! =(

huling sulyap

And so here I am, watching the heavy rains outside -- badly missing Unit 99. It might take time bago ako makamove-on. Siguro kapag may bagong Casa Blanco na uli. Right now, we are renting a one-bedroom apartment and most of our stuff are in the storage. Pag nakapag-settle na kami talaga dito sa BC, sana makabili na uli. Sobrang mahal nga lang ng mga bahay dito so we might end up in a condo. I don't care, I just want to have my own house again.

We love you, Casa Blanco. You'll always have a special place in our hearts.


Thursday, October 13, 2016

A little update

It's almost 5am and I am still awake. I am feeling a little low. It's pouring outside and they say it'll rain straight till next week. Hell yah, welcome to Raincouver!


Just a little update after half a year of not blogging -- we are now living in Surrey, British Columbia! A lot of things have happened the past several months and I couldn't wait to write about it.

But first things first. I need to change my blog's description (or even title?). I'll do that soon.

Ahh, I miss blogging!