Baha sa Pinas

Grabe ang naging baha sa Pinas the past days. I had a brief video call with my niece last Sunday (August 11) there and this is what she showed me.

Yan yung ancestral house namin (mother side) in Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan. Lubog talaga. Lahat ng kamag-anak namin doon talagang apektado.

Puro baha ang nakita ko sa FB newsfeed ko. Nakakaaliw lang tingnan na parang nakakainggit din. Sa totoo lang, ang saya-saya kasi ng pakiramdam kapag baha. Naalala ko ang kabataan ko, walang pasok at feeling holiday talaga.

Pero syempre I truly feel bad for the people there. Nakakaawa na talaga ang mga Pinoy na bugbog na bugbog na sa dami ng kalamidad na dumarating sa bansa every year. Kahit na sabihing sanay na sila sa baha, haler ang hirap-hirap pa ring maglinis pagkatapos. Sana nga kung once a year lang, pero hindi eh. Several times in a year. Lalo na sa Lolomboy (where I grew up) na maghigh tide lang eh nagkakatubig all around.

I am thankful though kasi mataas at hindi binabaha ang bahay namin sa Marilao. At least hindi ko na iniisip ang kalagayan ng nanay ko. Once lang namin na-experience ang bahain talaga, noong Ondoy in September 2009.

Hay, it is during times like these na naiisip ko na sana makuha ko lahat ng kamag-anak ko sa Pinas at madala ko dito sa Canada. Actually hindi nga lang kamag-anak eh, pati mga kaibigan at kakilala, at buong sambayanan Pilipino na nga kung maaari. Ang laki-laki ng Canada, kasyang-kasya pa ang 100 milyung Pinoy.

Last night, my husband informed me that there will be a water service interruption here in our apartment today (from 10am to 5pm daw) kasi may gagawin. Grabe ang shock ko, instant panic agad! Then later on I realized na ang OA ko. Ang mga kababaryo ko nga sa Lolomboy ilang araw (o buwan o taon?) nang namomroblema sa kawalan ng tubig tapos ako eto nagi-inarte sa sandaling oras na mawawalan kami (na with notice pa kaya pwedeng paghandaan). Tsk, first world problems talaga noh?

Macky's Birthday Treat 2018

I finally got to spend some time with my cousins the other night (February 11). One month na ako dito sa Pinas pero noon lang kami nakalabas, they're all busy with their own lives eh lol. Syempre naiintindihan ko naman. Saka dahil matagal ako palaging magbakasyon dito sa Pinas, they don't feel like they have to rush to bond with me hahaha.

Anyway, it was my youngest (maternal) cousin MacMac's birthday last February 10 kaya naawitan uli namin siyang manlibre. I thought hindi matutuloy kasi missing-in-action uli yung isa pa naming pinsan (busy sa love life eh!) pero gumora na rin kami.

I actually just wanted to make tambay (so conyo!) sa Starbucks because I was so full na that day (may pinuntahan pa kaming kainan that lunch time) pero gutom ang isang pinsan namin at gusto ng Japanese buffet. We ended up in Wakamatsu Yakiniku in Tambobong, Bocaue, Bulacan. Ayaw na naming lumuwas ng Manila kasi sobrang traffic saka medyo late na rin. Biglaang lakad lang talaga.

It was my second time in Wakamatsu and parang di naman ako impressed sa food (pero super love ni hubby ang sushi at sashimi nila), but since Php419/pax lang naman kaya keri na. Additional Php180 yata kung may unlimited sashimi and sushi.

Sobra sobra na ang carbs intake ko that day so nagpakasawa na lang ako sa inihaw na angus beef, pork short ribs, at shrimp. Kaso nagtempura rin pala ako waaah.

As expected, may sabit akong dala. Nathan wouldn't want to be away from me kaya lagi ko siyang bitbit. Buti na lang my cousins are all fond of kids. Inaanak nilang lahat si TanTan hehe.

It's good that Jim had some sense to buy surprise eggs muna sa 7-11 on our way to the restaurant, kasi talagang mabo-bore ang bata while we were eating. Hindi kasi siya kumakain ng food doon eh. Naawa nga ako kasi nung nagutom na siya, humingi na ng pagkain. Kaso ayaw naman nga niya, kaya pinangakuan ko na lang ng Jollibee chickenjoy pag-uwi.

And here's the busog-lusog team sans Sandoc.

Happy birthday, Engr. Otep!

Thanks for the treat, MackyMacMac! Sa uulitin!

NOTE: Ang hirap ng may kasamang batang bubwit. We had to go home early kasi gutom na siya saka bed time nya na rin. Namimiss ko ng gumimik ng talagang gimik lol.

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Oops, here's our last year picture pala. Sa Vikings SM Jazz Mall - Makati nagpakain si Engr. Macky. =) Hope makalabas uli kaming 5 1/2 (kasi kasama si TanTan hihi) before we return to Canada in April.

February 12, 2018

Random Chika # 8

1. Kidzoona in SM Marilao. OMG! As in OMG! Magkaka-Kidzoona na pala sa SM Marilao! I only learned about it last January 28 (Chinese New Year) kasi hindi ako nagagawi sa parteng iyon ng SM. I am so happy! Imagine, hindi ko na dadalhin si Nathan sa Robinson's Malolos para maglaro.

Akala ko exclusive lang sa Robinson Malls ang Kidzoona. Ini-invade na rin pala nila ang SM.

Too bad sa March 4 pa ang opening. Kung kelan malapit na kaming umalis. Grrr.

2.  Happy Chinese New Year! I urged my mother to buy this. Mahilig siya sa mga ganyan eh.

CES -- Mamoosh, kain naman tayo sa labas to celebrate Chinese New Year.

MAMOOSH -- Bakit, Chinese ka ba?

CES -- Hindi po. Pero lagi akong napagkakamalang Intsik! (Which is true!)

We ended up eating dinner at Chowking (plus Master Siomai!).

3. Jollibee Supermeal. I am glad Jollibee came up with this. Para sa mga katulad kong matakaw haha! Php125 only!

4.  Kiddie Meal Toy Set. I've completed this set in 3 days. Pero mas natuwa pa yata ako kaysa sa anak ko haha!

There was a time in my life when I collected ALL happy and kiddie meal toys that were released in the market. Hoarder lang ang peg. But I am happier now kasi may anak na akong makikinabang haha!

5. My cousin's funeral. Another first cousin of mine died last January 25. The last time I came home, may namatay din akong pinsan (November 2015). Both were in their 50s. Hay, maikli lang yata talaga ang buhay ng mga miyembro ng pamilya namin.

We had to drive to Hagonoy for the funeral. Konti lang ang nakipaglibing because it was too far.

We were all hungry after the libing so we dropped by Pat's Palabok House in Guiguinto before going home. There were 15 of us.

We had palabok and lugaw.

6.  Miss Universe in Pinas. Sa wakas, natapos na rin last January 30 ang Miss Universe. Umay na umay na rin kasi ako talaga. Miss France won.

Naalala ko pa nung unang ginanap sa Pinas ang Miss Universe (1994). Grabe ang hype, Parang sobrang big deal talaga. Parang sa event na yun umikot ang mundo ng mga Pinoy for several weeks. Ngayon parang ordinaryong pageant lang ang dating sakin nito. Baka sa akin lang naman, kasi nga KJ ako.

7.  Balatski's visit. Balatski and her two kids came over to our house for a few hours to visit me and Nathan. They were just here in the Philippines for a week kasi may kailangan silang lakarin.

Balat is like a sister to me and I've missed her so much! The last time we saw each other was in January 2013 pa.

Too bad we weren't able to make chika talaga because of our kids! Ang gugulo nila haha! Sana makapagkwentuhan na kami nang maayos next time.

Pic courtesy of Balatski (It was so hot that day kaya hulas na hulas ako huhu!)

8. Fruit and Nut Chocolate. I am a very boring chocolate-eater. I only eat those plain ones. Yung secretary na lang namin ang nag-enjoy hehe. Balatski never fails to bring me some pasalubong whenever she comes home (they're based in UAE).

9.  Jollibee at 12:30am. I am so thankful that we have a 24-Hour Jollibee and McDonald's nearby. May nakakainan ako kapag tulog na si TanTan hehe.

Sakto one night that I was so hungry, pauwi from work ang pinsan ko. Nalibre tuloy!

Thanks, MackyMacMac!

10. Ten-Peso Ride. I was so happy when I discovered this "ride" in SM Marilao (near the foodcourt). Imagine, two 5-peso coins lang ang kelangan para umandar. At matagal siya ha, around 3 minutes yata.

My little boy was so happy the first time. Naka-two rides siya. Nung bumalik kami after a few days, di na siya ganun ka-happy. Saglit pa lang siya sa second ride niya eh umayaw na.

Nung huling punta namin, nakita nya yung rides pero dedma na. Nahilo yata siya noon kaya ganun.

Sayang. Akala ko nakatagpo na ako ng cheap entertainment for my son. Tsk.

Goodbye, Tita Mareng! =(

Another very sad news from home. Tita Mareng, one of two surviving sisters of my mother, passed away last December 16, 2014.

I cried hard. It was a sudden death. Her family just brought her to the hospital because she couldn't breathe. But just after two days, she passed away because of pneumonia and heart attack.

I feel for my cousins Jemma and Mac Mac. I can't imagine losing my own mother so I know how tragic this must be for them.

I also feel sad for my Mamoosh and Tita Oya. They love their sister very much. Now it's just the two of them left.

I am full of regrets. The last time I saw Tita Mareng was on the day I left the Philippines for Canada (November 5, 2013). Together with my Nanay, she and Tita Oya sent me off. I will always remember na pinagbalat pa niya talaga ako ng hipon sa huling lunch ko noon because I was already in a hurry and didn't want to get my hands dirty. I hugged her before I left, asked her to take care of my mother while I am away.

She was "arboring" one of my bags but I told her na koleksyon ko iyon. Na bibigyan ko siya ng bago pag-uwi ko. I meant it talaga. Sayang hindi ko natupad. Sayang din hindi na niya nakita si Nathan.

Again, one of the saddest things that can happen to a person while he/she's abroad is to be told that a loved one from back home passed away. I felt so helpless. I want to see her for the last time and thank her for all the good things that she's done for me but I couldn't. Ang nagawa ko na lang ay magpadala ng kaunting halaga para makatulong sa burial expenses niya (thanks to Ford).

Rest in peace, Tita Mareng. I may never have told you this ever, but I love you. And I will miss you.