Happy Valentine's Day, Coblancs! (A Repost)

This is a repost from my old private blog. Haha, sana makagawa uli ako ng updated list.  =)                                       

                                                                                     February 14, 2013

To My Dearest Pod Pod,


The past days, we've been talking about "kilig." And I've been complaining a lot about how unromantic you are, that you lack the 'grand gestures', that you're complacent and all. Well most of those times, I was just being a drama queen. Alam ko naman na mahal mo ako, that you are willing to give me 'everything'. Accepted ko naman na kulang ka lang sa creativity, haha!

Pero sige na nga, tutal Valentine's Day, aamin na ako na napapakilig mo naman ako sa mga simple gestures mo. Now let me enumerate those recent times/instances that you make/made me feel the big K word...


-- Nang dinala mo yung wedding ring mo pabalik sa Canada (kasi sabi mo you won't) at syempre kapag sinusuot mo every weekend.

 -- Whenever you carry my purses and shopping bags. Really, pag ginagawa mo ito, palagi kong naiisip na ang swerte ko kasi ang gentleman ng asawa ko and ayaw niya talagang nahihirapan ako.

--- Whenever you cook for me. Haha, natatawa talaga ako!

-- Kapag pinaglalaba mo ako. None is sweeter than having a man who does your laundry.

-- Whenever you tirelessly drive for me. Walang simangot, walang reklamo. And let me add, you look so cute pag kumakanta ka na lang para aliwin ang sarili mo pag natutulog na ako. Super sweet din pag inaabot mo na sa akin ang neck pillow pagsakay ko ng car. Dami mong pogi points ha!

-- Whenever you accompany me to the mall/shops. Again, walang reklamo. Lahat ng gusto kong puntahan, pinagbibigyan mo. Very few guys can tolerate that.

-- When you gave me my sustento haha! Syempre sweet and touching!

-- Whenever you tolerate my cravings for frosty, mocha frapp, and other fattening food. At least di mo sinusumbat na tumataba na ako.

-- Whenever we would go grocery shopping and you would still consult (read: ask my permission) me if you want to buy something even though it's you who'll pay for everything.

-- When you sent money when I got hospitalized last year. Noon ko unang naramdaman na may asawa na nga ako who's willing to provide for me.

-- When you bought a house in Secord and said that it's "ours" kahit wala naman akong kahit singkong contribution. Lalo na when you agreed that I'd get the whole house at yung garahe na lang ang teritoryo mo.

-- Whenever you insist that I drink my medicine at halos isubo mo na sa akin.

-- Nung nakikipagkwentuhan tayo sa Luna and you insisted na sa may bubong ako umupo kasi mahahamugan ako. Sweet!

-- Nung ikaw ang nagsuot ng shoe plastic sa akin sa Madame Chiang's Shilin Residence kasi hirap akong yumuko. Dagdag pa kapag itinatayo mo ako pag di ako makatayo.

-- When you bought this Michael Kors purple tote bag because you missed buying stuff in our wedding motif color.

-- When you 'surprised' me with this gift (3 breads equals i love you) hahaha! Corny!

-- Nang pinagtiyagaan mong buuin ang IKEA storage boxes ko even though masakit na kamay. You never really let me down, Dear!

-- Whenever you would kiss me before going to work. This truly makes my mornings!

-- Whenever you eat my luto and assuring me that it's good.

-- Whenever you would hug me before going to sleep.

 -- Whenever you answer "eh san ka naman pupunta?" when I say "pano pag nagkahiwalay tayo?" It's you who's always sure that we'll always be together no matter what - even if we'll not have a child.

-- At may mas kikilig pa ba when you asked me to marry you and gave me these two beautiful rings?

Hindi ko siguro namention lahat ng nakakakilig na nagawa mo for me but let me assure you that those things are never unappreciated. Everyday I am grateful that I have you, that you chose to make me your wife.

Happy Valentine's Day, Dear! I love you very much!

This will be the last February 14 that we'll celebrate apart. I promise, babawi rin ako kapag magkasama na tayo.

Mahal na mahal na mahal po kita! I miss you!

Yours forever,
Bim Bim Blanco

A New Beginning in British Columbia

We arrived in Surrey at around noon of October 2, 2016. We had lunch at Guildford Town Center (the mall just across our new place) then proceeded to the apartment to meet the building manager. We've managed our expectations naman kaya hindi na kami nagulat upon seeing na old building na talaga siya. Medyo nadaaanan na rin naman namin yung area during our August visit eh.

Sobrang kaba ko habang papunta na kami sa unit, I was hoping na sana maayos naman. Imagine, we would have to live there for at least a year as per our contract. Or we could leave earlier but w have to pay $1500 yata as penalty.

The unit was actually big (malalaki ang units sa mga lumang buildings) but it only has one bedroom. Wala kasing bakanteng two-bedroom. The stove and refrigerator are old, really old. Gusto kong umiyak talaga. We came from a brand new modern townhome, malaking adjustment talaga ang lumipat doon. But I chose to be grateful, at least nga makapapagsimula na kami. Inisip ko na lang din na pansamantala lang naman, na bibili uli kami ng bahay. Isa pa, pauwi na rin kami ni Nathan sa Pinas in a month (for a five-month vacation) kaya saglit lang ang ipagtitiis ko.

Ford took some of our essentials on the storage para may magamit muna kami. Haha, para kaming mga basang sisiw. Grabe, ang hirap palang magsimula uli. Again, the experience was so humbling. Pero what mattered naman was that magkakasama kaming tatlo. Through thick and thin.

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A few days later, Ford submitted his resume na in an engineering consulting firm in Langley. He chose to apply there first because of its proximity to our current apartment. Mas ok daw doon, pasaliwa sa traffic kapag rush hour. Last option na niyang mag-apply sa Downtown Vancouver kasi at least one-hour-per-way commute doon. Tapos mahal pa ang parking fees kaya dapat mag-skytrain na lang. Sobrang hassle.

Luckily, he instantly received a reply from the firm, asking him of his availability for a personal interview. After the interview, he was asked to produce some things and submit copies na rin of his previous project reports. Sinabihan na rin siyang ayusin na niya ang paglipat ng professional engineer's license niya sa BC.

So basically, he already knew that he'll get hired. Very positive nga kasi ang interview. In fact, instead of him convincing the interviewers that he's fit for the position, it was the other way around pa. Yung mga bosses pa ang nagmemention sa kanya ng mga benefits and how fun it would be to work in their company haha. Siya pa ang hinikayat!

The hubby received the good news (via email) on that beautiful morning of October 21st. May trabaho na siya! And with a salary that's way way higher than what we were expecting! Sobrang saya talaga grabe! Ang gaan-gaan sa pakiramdam kasi tapos na ang 9-month "ordeal" namin. And I love seeing his confidence back. Ibang-ibang aura ang nakita ko sa kanya.

He was asked to report to work on November 1. Ang bilis talaga ng pangyayari, many were surprised kasi nga nakakuha siya agad ng target job niya. Tapos after a few more days, licensed professional engineer na rin siya sa British Columbia.

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So there, it's been more than a year since we moved to BC and we are doing ok. I am back to being a stay-at-home mom and the hubby's back to being an engineer lol. Pero madalas nagbibiruan pa rin kami on how we miss those days na nagtatrabaho ako at siya ay panood-nood lang ng TV sa bahay. Looking back, I think that episode in our life had truly made us stronger. And humble to the core. Mas naging appreciative din kami sa kung ano ang meron kami sa ngayon. 

Just a couple of months ago, Ford told me: "Ok na tayo dito noh? Bahay na lang ang kulang."

Yes, bahay na lang talaga ang kulang. Pero hindi "lang" yun ha, given the real estate situation dito sa Metro Vancouver. Ginto ang presyo ng bahay dito haha. I've already accepted the fact na hindi na kami magkakaroon ng malaking bahay dito nang kagaya sa pwede naming mabili sa Edmonton. Basta ang gusto ko na lang ay magkaroon uli kami ng sariling place, kahit na condo na nga lang, para totally makapag-move on na kami. We decided to stay na lang din muna sa current apartment namin kahit lagpas one year na kasi nga ang hirap maglipat na naman. Gusto namin kapag lumipat kami, sa talagang amin na.

Hopefully mangyari iyon this year. Sa pagbalik namin ni Nathan sa Canada this April, sisimulan na talaga namin ang house-hunting. Please wish us luck.


--- To Be Continued ---

Two Years Ago in Edmonton (Part 2)

Sa una biru-biruan lang: "Tara lipat na tayo sa BC! Malapit ang Jollibee doon!" But on April 2016, we found ourselves talking to a realtor. On the first week of May, for sale na ang house namin.

I've always wanted to live in (Metro) Vancouver. When I first visited Canada in 2012, dumalaw kami sa Tita ko sa Surrey at nagandahan ako sa place. Hindi gaanong malamig (bihirang mag-snow) saka ang daming pwedeng gawin at pasyalan, hindi kagaya ng Deadmonton. Tapos cross border ka lang, Washington na. May Seafood City doon at Jollibee, Red Ribbon, at Chowking. Isa pa, mayroon nga akong Tita doon (na sobrang ka-close ko dati) kaya talagang na-engganyo ako.

Pero syempre hindi kami pwedeng lumipat noon kasi settled na si Ford sa Edmonton. May magandang trabaho siya, may bahay na kami, at may malalapit na kaibigan na rin. At mahirap din kasing iwan talaga ang Alberta kasi nga mataas ang sweldo doon (prior to recession) kasi nga mayaman ang probinsya. Tapos 5% lang ang sales tax  (sa BC ay 12%) kaya mas mura ang cost of living.

Pero by April, we realized that we had to leave Edmonton already. We already knew for a fact na matatagalan pa bago maka-recover ang Alberta. Ford's employment insurance will only last until February 2017. Sure, we could get by later on kung maghahanap muna siya ng kahit anong odd job tapos tuloy ang work ko, pero we had to consider his career. Hindi siya pwedeng ma-stagnate nang matagal. Yung ex-officemate niya na nalay-off din, nagrelocate na sa Ontario and found a job there.

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It took a while bago nabili yung house. Again, recession. Sino ang bibili ng bahay sa mga panahong iyon? Medyo skeptic nga ako eh, pero sige lang, wala namang bayad sa realtor. Magkakaroon lang siya ng commission kapag naibenta na niya.

At dahil matagal nga inabot, medyo naipit din ang job-hunting ni Ford. He couldn't apply in Vancouver kasi nga paano ang bahay kung hindi pa naibebenta? Hindi naman namin pwedeng iwan syempre. Hindi rin naman pwedeng mauna siya sa Vancouver, paano naman kami ni Nathan sa Edmonton? Ni hindi ako nagda-drive doon. So we had no choice but to wait.

My cousin in Toronto once asked me, "Buti hindi umiinit ang ulo ni Ford? Buti hindi siya nai-insecure na ikaw muna ang nagtatrabaho?"

Actually hindi naman. Hindi talaga. Una, mas malaki pa nga ang nakukuha niya sa insurance kesa sa sinusweldo ko noh. So mas malaki pa rin ang share niya sa household expenses namin haha. Pangalawa, mataas talaga ang EQ niya. He knew na temporary lang naman ang sitwasyon, that everything will be back to normal once na nakarelocate kami at nakahanap na uli siya ng work. At pangatlo, I would like to believe na hindi ko naman kasi siya dinown during those times. It wasn't his fault na nawalan siya ng trabaho, usaping ekonomiya yan. I reminded him that when he was earning well, he's been so good and generous to me. Kaya walang rason para maliitin ko siya sa puntong iyon ng buhay niya.

Pero minsan nang sabihin ko na pagod na ako (physically tired), he said: "Sana magkatrabaho na ako uli. Kasi pagod ka na." I assured him that I wasn't complaining, na wala naman talaga sa akin yun. Pagod lang talaga ako kasi may physical aspect din naman ang work ko.

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After what seemed to be an endless home viewings, we finally got an offer on August. Syempre we didn't get the amount that we initially stated, nagtawaran pa kami. In the end, break even lang kami. Pero ok na rin, at least makakapagsimula na kami uli sa BC. Saka two and half years pa lang naman kami doon, kaya wag magexpect ng equity. Masuwerte pa nga kami kasi nabenta, ang dami-daming properties (both old and new) that time na nakatengga kasi nga walang pambili ang mga tao ng bahay.

By the way, ang nakabili ng townhouse namin ay isang matandang mag-asawang Intsik yata. They used to live with their child (and his/her family) in one of the units din in the complex, pero gusto na nilang humiwalay. Kaya bumili sila ng unit (cash ha) doon din para malapit lang din sa anak nila. We were thankful kasi nga kung hindi sila tagadoon din, I doubt kung bibili sila ng second hand house. There's a new array of townhomes just across our street na marami pang vacant units, pwedeng doon sila bumili kung tutuusin.

We agreed to turn over the house on the last day of September. We thought that should give us ample time to look for an apartment in BC, pack, and bid goodbye to our friends.

Pero kaloka ha, mid-September na eh wala pa kaming malilipatan. On my birthday weekend (August 27-29), we drove all the way to Surrey to check a townhouse-type rental apartment that's big enough to accommodate all our things. Akala namin makukuha namin, given my husband's good credit history and our savings (that will prove that we are capable of paying), kaso we got declined. We were shocked, ang sakit palang ma-reject. Ang only reason na naisip namin is because Ford was jobless at that time. Our savings (plus the sale of our house) didn't count. We really never saw it coming, we were too confident na walang magiging problema sa paghahanap namin ng matitirahan.

We searched and searched online pero walang vacancy sa mga apartment complexes sa Langley, Delta at Delta (iyon kasi ang mga target cities namin). Mukhang booming talaga ang BC, naisip namin. Marami nga rin kasing naglipatan doon from Alberta simula nang mag-recession. I tried emailing / text messaging yung mga homeowners na nagpaparent ng basement but nobody replied. Mukhang hindi ako sineryoso.

We were getting desperate. Malapit na kaming maging homeless. Ang tindi ng pressure. Thankfully, meron isang nakausap si Ford na apartment manager who was willing to take us in kahit na hindi na namin ma-view ang apartment. When Ford informed her na wala pa siyang trabaho, enough na daw that we email to her our bank's statement of account para lang masigurado na may pambayad kami sa mga susunod na buwan. I guess she took us in when she learned na Filipino kami, marami raw kasi silang tenants na Filipino. Gusto siguro nila ang Pinoy kasi maayos sa bahay.

The only problem though was that we could only move by October 1. The only solution was to rent a huge storage in Surrey (hay, gastos!) and dump our things there at least a week before September ends kasi we needed to clean the townhouse pa before the turnover.

My parents-in-law came over in September and helped us pack the house. I quit from my job na rin (my last day was September 17). Then Ford rented a truck and they brought all our things in the storage on September 21.

We stayed at our good friend's (Mylene and Obet) house for a couple of days before the townhouse's turnover. We spent those days with our distant cousins and closest friends who became our family in Edmonton. It was bitter sweet. We were excited because a new adventure awaits us, but it wasn't easy to leave the life that we've built in Edmonton.

With a heavy heart, we left on the night of October 1st.

---- To Be Continued ----

Two Years Ago in Edmonton (Part 1)

Want to know why we left Edmonton?

It's because my husband lost his job there two years ago.

January 26, 2016 (Tuesday). Ford went home on lunch time, as usual. But when he mentioned that two officers from their Saskatoon head office were in their office, I suddenly felt nervous. Alam ko may male-layoff na naman. Marami-rami na rin kasing nalay-off the past months, yung iba matatagal na sa company saka matataas din ang puwesto.

In less than an hour after he left the house to go back to work, I received a shocking message from him: "na-lay off ako." Biglang umakyat ang dugo ko sa ulo. I was hoping na nagbibiro lang siya, pero alam kong hindi. Hindi siya nagbibiro ng mga ganyang bagay. Saka alam kong may problema na sa office nila, wala na silang masyadong projects. I just didn't expect na male-layoff siya ahead of other employees. You see, he's the MOE (most valuable employee) in the office. He's the owner's "right hand" in Edmonton Office (that owner unfortunately died just four months prior). Akala ko mala-last man standing talaga siya sa opisinang yun. Yun din ang akala niya.

It was a world-shattering text message. Sobra ang takot ko. Ang nareply ko lang: "Paano na tayo?" I remember crying so hard while waiting for him to come home. My then one-year old son was somewhat aware of what's happening. He quietly sat on my lap and hugged me while I was sobbing.

What made the situation worse was that my parents-in-law were already in our house that time and in three days, Ford's sister from California and brother from Qatar (and his family) are also coming for vacation. Ang gara talaga ng timing.

Ewan ko ba pero parang nase-sense ko na rin na mawawalan ng work ang asawa ko. Just a week before it happened, nag-blog pa ako on how scary the Canadian economy was na that time. Alberta was badly hit by recession because the prices of oil continued to drop in the world market. Fully dependent ang economy ng Alberta sa oil kaya talagang bagsak na bagsak ang probinsya.

My husband is a licensed Professional Engineer (a Geotechnical Engineer to be exact) at talagang apektado ang industry nila. Bagsak ang ekonomiya kaya no new projects, no new constructions. Many engineers, who were being paid well, were laid off.

Ganun pala yun. Uso pala talaga ang lay-off lay-off na yan sa North America. At yung recession na nababasa ko lang dati, na-experience talaga namin.

I was so scared that time. Paano na lahat ng bayarin namin? I suddenly looked around and regretted buying so many things that I didn't really need. Bigla akong nanghinayang sa pera. To be honest, hindi na ako sanay maghirap. When I came to Canada, everything has been served to me on a silver platter. Hindi ako nahirapan. My husband has been a very good provider, naibigay niya talaga lahat ng gusto ko. Ang komportable ng buhay namin and I took pride on that. Imagine, we were living comfortably on a single income. Not many families in Canada could afford that.

Then I realized na kung mabigat para sa akin ang nangyari, mas mahirap para sa asawa ko who has taken pride in being a good provider as well. Mas mabigat ang dalahin niya, sa balikat niya nakasalalay ang pamilya namin eh. Of course hindi niya pinakita pero alam ko na sobrang naga-alala rin siya. Sino ba naman ang hindi?

As a wife, all I could do was give him words of encouragement. That everything will be ok. That we will get through that difficult situation. But as two realistic individuals, we knew that it might take some time. Again, recession eh. Hindi naman basta nagclose lang ang company at nawalan siya ng work. Kung ganun lang kasi ang nangyari, ang bilis niyang makakahanap ng bago given his credentials.

I mentally assessed our finances. Kahit paano medyo kumalma ang pakiramdam ko kasi aside from our savings, meron naman siyang makukuhang severance pay from his company tapos may Employment Insurance (o EI) naman where he paid the highest contribution so he'll get the highest benefit din.

I called my mother that night and cried on her virtual shoulder. She said she'd send us money (initial reaction syempre) but I assured her that we're still financially ok, that we could manage in the coming months.

The following day, I remember modifying my husband's resume. Di ko talaga maisip na balik na naman kami sa paggawa ng resume. Nag-apply na rin siya agad sa mga nakita niyang openings online (na parang mga old posts na) tutal wala namang mawawala.

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The next three weeks was extra difficult because we had a put up a brave front in front of my husband's family. It wasn't easy to smile and laugh when all you wanted that time was mourn and wallow. We also became cautious na of spending siyempre. Before his siblings came, sinabi na niya that he's lost his job kaya sila na muna ang bahala sa gastos. Syempre as the manong (or kuya) and host, that was so hard on his ego. Kaso no choice, we had to preserve whatever money we had for the rainy days ahead. Biglang naging mahalaga every dollar. Buti na lang nakapamili na kami ng groceries and other things bago nga ang lay-off.

Thankfully, money was no problem naman with his family. His siblings generously shouldered all the expenses sa mga trips and dine-outs namin. They also offered us financial help just in case we need it (na sobrang na-appreciate namin siyempre).

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Even before my in-laws left, I already toyed with this idea na ako na muna ang magtrabaho while Ford is under EI. You see, when you're receiving insurance benefits, lahat ng magiging sweldo mo from any other part-time job ay ide-deduct. My husband that time had a part-time job in Lowe's (he applied when Nathan and I were in Pinas for our first long vacation and he got bored) but he had to quit dahil nga ang useless lang kung yung kikitain niya doon ay ibabawas pa sa monthly cash benefit na makukuha niya sa EI. Parang nag-aksaya lang siya ng pagod at gasolina.

The best solution was really for me to work muna para may pandagdag kami sa EI at nang hindi maubos ang savings namin. Nang sabihin  ko yun sa asawa ko, I felt his hesitation. Syempre pride pa rin kahit papano. But after explaining to him na susubukan ko lang bumalik doon sa dati kong work at talagang gusto kong makatulong sa finances namin, he gave in.

I immediately contacted my former co-worker-turned-good-friend Cristy and asked her if there's an opening in the store (I worked there pala for only six weeks in 2014 kasi I got pregnant na). She excitedly said yes, kulang daw talaga sila ng keyholder/supervisor kaya mag-apply na ako agad. Sabi ko pagkaalis ng in-laws ko, pupunta ako agad doon.

After Ford's siblings left, sumunod na rin ang mga biyenan ko. They rebooked their flight a week earlier, probably para makapagsimula na kaming makadiskarte sa bagong sitwasyon namin. Before taking them to the airport, hinatid muna nila ako sa store early morning so I could submit my resume.

Cristy accompanied me to the assistant manager (the manager wasn't there that time) so I could personally hand to her my resume.

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To cut the story short, I got rehired and started working on February 29 (just over a month after Ford lost his job). It wasn't easy at first kasi nasanay na ako na pahiga-higa lang sa bahay but I got used to it eventually. After all, sabi ko nga kay Ford, I may not be masipag in the house pero masipag akong magtrabaho. Lahat ng extra hours kinuha ko. Kapag may absent, willing na willing akong sumalo ng shift.

Ford became a house husband for several months haha. Tapos personal driver ko pa kasi hatid-sundo niya (nila ni Nathan) sa trabaho. Sa totoo lang, nag-enjoy pa nga ako. Finally, I was able to work again!

Ang drawback lang siyempre is the salary. Maliit lang ang sweldo sa retail. Saka hindi naman ako full-time kaya hindi malaki ang take-home pay ko. Pero ayos na rin kasi at least nakukuha na ang pang-grocery at gas namin. Yung insurance ni Ford ang naging pambayad ng house mortgage, car, and other bills namin. Saktong-sakto lang talaga.

I am telling you, it was the most humbling time of our married/family life. Kinailangan din talaga naming magtipid kasi we weren't comfortable na mabawasan ang savings namin. Kung dati panay ang kain namin sa labas, syempre hindi na pwede. Walang shopping (except for essentials), walang luho, wala lahat ng nakasanayan namin. Nanahimik kami sa bahay. Buti nga one year old lang si Nathan noon, hindi pa demanding sa toys at McDonald's.

Kapag inisiip ko na minsan yung isang araw na sweldo ko ay isang oras lang dati ng asawa ko, napapailing ako. Malalaman mo talaga ang importance ng isang bagay kapag wala na sayo. Basta, nakaka-humble. Nakakawala ng yabang. It took a while pa nga before we informed our closest friends in Edmonton about our situation. Syempre ayaw namin ng "awa" o kahit na anong judgment. Pero hindi naman sila ganun. They, of all people, will understand our situation kasi nga taga-Alberta rin sila at nakaka-experience ng impact ng recession.

Ford continued to apply pero wala talagang hiring (yung mga nakapost online ay parang joke lang talaga).  He's had one job interview from a relatively "new" company pero sobrang weird daw ng owner. Ang taas ng vision, ang daming demands, pero $18 lang ang offer sa isang professional engineer. Sobrang shocking, really. It's expected na given the bad economy, hindi talaga makakapag-offer ng malaki pero $18 per hour lang talaga? Mataas pa ang sweldo ng cleaner? Big joke talaga kaloka.

Then one time, he contacted his former officemate who was then employed in a bigger engineering firm. That officemate promised to help him, tutulungan daw siyang makapasok kapag may opening. Sadly, only after two weeks, he got laid-off, too. More than half na pala of professional engineers in Alberta have lost their jobs.

Fortunately for us, may trabaho ako kahit papano kaya hindi na masyadong nakakapressure on my husband's part. But for his ex-officemate, grabe ang pressure because he just had a baby and the wife couldn't work. And because it was futile to look for work in Edmonton, he tried applying in Vancouver where he received an instant request for interview.

That's how we got the idea na lumipat sa BC. Mukhang madaling makahanap ng trabaho doon.

---- To Be Continued ----

Happy three years!

Ford and I will forever be grateful for the gift of love, marriage, and family.

Happy 3rd wedding anniversary to us! =)

ForCes' Workshop

Haha, this best describes us!

Picture taken from the net (credits to the owner)

I've only experienced working here in Edmonton for six weeks (February 1 to March 17) and had to quit immediately because of my pregnancy. I was in severe pain that time (I had UTI pa pala) and I was scared of losing the baby. I am not exactly young and who knows, this could be my last shot in having a baby.

I am thankful that I have a husband who is a  very good provider. Not everyone can afford a 'lifestyle' that we have here, given that we are a one-income household.

And true to my nature, all I am doing the past months is shop while the husband works haha! I am a self-confessed shopaholic. My husband, on the other hand, is an industrious Ilocano who works a lot but shops nothing! I wish Baby Chicklet inherits his dad's traits (not mine) or else dadagdag pa siya sa kalbaryo ni Pod hahaha!

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.

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! 

My lunch, his lunch

Ford usually (as in 95% of the time) comes home every lunch time to eat with me. And often, I am extremely 'pressured' on what to serve him for the 15-to-20-minutes that he'll be staying here. Ford is kinda 'difficult' to feed eh. Though he would non-complainingly eat everything I cook, I know na merong mga hindi siya type. As a couple, we have lots of differences when it comes to food preferences so it's really hard to decide kung ano ang iluluto. I can't cook different dishes naman kasi dalawa lang kami, sobrang hassle and magastos pa.

Anyway, I was honestly happy when he told me last night that he won't be eating lunch here because he has to go out-of-town with his boss today. Yebaaah, another "me time" for me!

And so for my lunch, I finally got to fry the herring fish that we bought at Superstore last week. Ang alam lang kasing fish ni Ford ay salmon at tuna, he's not into galunggong or tilapia or sinilyase (which I super like naman). He doesn't like non-sossy fishes lol!

The fried herring was not that good. It was dry and bland. I was disappointed, I badly wanted it to taste delicious para hindi naman puro karne ang kinakain ko dito. So far, ang pasadong non-sossy fish pa lang sa akin ay yung daing at tinapang bangus that were imported from the Philippines and can be bought at Asian Supermarkets like T&T and Lucky.

Namimiss ko talaga ang sariwang seafoods sa Pinas. I kept on telling Mamoosh that when I come 'home,' ang ihanda niya para sa akin ay puro isda, tahong, pusit, at hipon. Ang sarap mangarap!

I was still contemplating on what to eat for dessert when Pod viber'd me his meal. Waaah, ang sarap naman! My fish fillet pa siya! I never expected him to eat rice for lunch since his boss is 'puti' and they usually eat burgers lang talaga pag tanghalian.

Ayan, nainggit tuloy ako!

Must take pictures (of him!)

I've been here in Canada for almost a month now and I sadly, I have very few photos of myself. It's my husband who actually has tons, thanks to my hilig in taking pictures!

I love documenting things and events through photographs. Pero di ba dapat ako ang kinunan niya nang dumating ako sa Edmonton Airport???

November 6, 2013

At nang kumuha ako ng Social Insurance number noong unang araw ko dito?

At sa grocery stores?

Sa loob ng mall habang namimili ng bibilhin?

Habang kumukuha ng phone line?

Bumibili ng chibog sa Foodcourt?

At naglalakad sa snow?!

Hay, sobrang lugi yata ako? Puro siya na lang ang may litrato!

My husband is not into taking pictures but he's willing naman if I ask him. Kaso the outcome isn't that nice (sorry, Pod!). He's left-brained and any activity that entails artistry is such a toil for him.

I guess I would have to accept that in the coming days, there will be very few pictures with me on it. Who ever said that life is fair? Kalurkey!

Welcome gift package from the Husband

This is such a late post. But it's better late than never, right?

I arrived in Edmonton last November 6 and when we reached my husband's place, this warmly welcomed me...

Isn't my husband the sweetest? We have no other family nor friends to help him welcome me here in Canada so he did everything by himself!

Let me briefly enumerate (and explain) the contents of his welcome gift package:

• PURPLE BALLOON. Balloons make me happy. I prefer balloons over flowers. He chose a purple one because it was our wedding motif. This color eventually became our official couple color.

• LOUIS VUITTON WALLET. He bought this wallet a couple of months ago (when he thought my visa would be released already) and had my initials CRB engraved on it. He said that since I'd be starting a new life here, I will be needing a new wallet to carry my new cards, etc. LV is my favorite luxury brand, by the way. 

• MICHAEL KORS BAG. He purchased this bag weeks ago at Cross Iron Mills in Calgary. I am a bag-lover and a purse never fails to thrill me.

• BMO CREDIT CARD. Ford is not only sweet, he is uber generous as well! He made sure that I'll have my own card (albeit an extension of his card) the moment I arrive. 

• STARBUCKS CARD. The Starbucks card was a recent phenomenon in the Philippines and I was sad that I wasn't able to enjoy it fully yet (I am a self-confessed Starbucks addict). Ford got me a Canadian Starbucks card to wipe away my bitterness haha! 

• DOLLARAMA GIFT CARD. Dollarama is my wasteland! I fell in love with this store last year when I came here in Edmonton for a six-week visit. Haha, my husband knew I would do some Dollarama shopping the moment I arrive so he bought a gift card for me. Aaaaw! 

• SHOPPING MONEY. I didn't have any winter clothes and boots prior to my coming here so the husband promised me some shopping money to buy what I need -- a sort of clothing allowance lol!

• HELLO KITTY COIN BANK. The coin bank actually came from the Philippines (I am a kitty addict, too!). When he went home last January to attend his brother's wedding, he asked me to give him a coin bank so that he can "deposit" a hundred dollar (which later on became two hundred) every pay check. This would be my bag fund, according to him. The day I arrived, that kitty coin bank already contained $4,600! I was amazed! 

• WELCOME BANNER. My husband is left-brained and never creative. Therefore this simple banner was already an effort for him. I can never ask for more.

Thanks so much, Dear! I really really appreciate this! 

I love you and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Mwah! 

Friday night special!

Ford and I have been married since January 2012 but this is the first time that we are actually living together. Hence, it is only now that we are developing new marital and household 'traditions' of our own.

Today is my second Friday here in Edmonton. And since Friday nights are important in saving any worker's sanity (I am not yet working here though), Ford and I have agreed that we should celebrate the succeeding Friday nights of our life with  each other's company and good food at home. Yep, at home instead of the usual going out. We are in our mid-30s and our idea of fun is no longer staying out till wee hours of the morning. We also need to be practical (and save) because of the so many forthcoming expenses we'll be facing in the coming weeks. We've officially became boring, I know.

Anyway, on our first Friday night together (November 8) , we had pizza (bought at Sbarro), chicken wings (cooked by me) and beer (Diet Pepsi for the lady!). We termed it as "inuman night" lol! It was a success, we feasted and had so much fun!

And tonight, we had steak!

  

Ford and I are huge fans of steak so we thought of having it for dinner. Ford picked me up after his work and we went to Safeway to buy some delicious Canadian beef.

We each had a 0.44kg of steak (imagine that!) that made us so full! We spent around $28 (including the drinks) for this meal and it was so masarap and sulit! Had we gone out, we would have spent more than a hundred bucks if we ordered steak.

I now heart Friday nights! =)

Finally, Ces is in the City!

And so I have finally reached Edmonton after so many hours of waiting at NAIA, two plane rides, and long layover at Vancouver.

LDR no more! :)

My husband was already at the airport waiting for me. At last, our almost 11-year LDR journey has come to an end.

It's time for new adventures. =)