Birthday Wish 2018

Good health for me and my loved ones. That's my only birthday wish this year.

Courtesy of Bitmoji

I am not the one who usually wish for good health during birthdays. Siguro kasi taken for granted ko talaga ang health matters na yan dati. But now that I am nearing 40 (I'll be 39 this year), iba na talaga ang pagtingin ko sa buhay.

It was around this time last year when I learned that I have diabetes. Tapos ang dami-dami ko pang ibang sakit, pinakyaw ko na yata lahat. Every day, I am living in fear na baka hindi ko na makitang lumaki ang anak ko kasi nga I feel so weak. Parang I have a body of a 70-year-old na (seriously).

I really am wishing and hoping now for a longer and healthier life for my husband and son.

I also wish good health for them syempre. At sa mga mahal namin sa buhay, most especially to our parents who are in their prime na. My father-in-law was recently diagnosed with a serious illness and we are praying that he'll get through this. My son needs his grandpa and we are hoping that they can spend more time together pa.

Camera dilemma

I thought I'd never (badly) want a camera again --- well not until the super blue blood moon phenomenon last January 31.

That day, I went to SM Marilao in the afternoon and when I came home and it's dark already, I got mesmerized with the beauty of the moon. Ang ganda grabe. My very first impulse was to take a picture syempre (because I love documenting and preserving memories through pictures) kaso hindi kaya ng phone camera ko (I am using iPhone 6 Plus).

Later that night, nung nag-red na ang moon, naisip ko: "Bakit nga ba wala akong maayos-ayos na camera?"

You see, I first had a digital camera in December 2001. Binili ko from my 13th month pay (parang Php12k yata). It was a Sony and it really served me well. Ako ang naging official photographer ng barkada. I was able to document all events, lagi ko nga kasing dala. I've had several other digicams after that, the last was a Canon Powershot G3 which was given to me by my then-fiance Ford. I brought it with me in Canada when I migrated in November 2013 but I never got to use it there even once. Kasi nga may phone camera na.

Una akong nagka-iPhone 5 in May 2013. Prior to that, I was using blackberry na malabo ang kuha. Kaya nung nakatikim ako ng shots sa iPhone, my life changed forever. Sobrang nagandahan ako sa quality pagkatapos ang dali pang iupload (and edit) ang pictures sa social media. Maka-capture mo pa talaga ang moments kasi nga hawak mo palagi, unlike sa camera na kukunin mo pa from the bag etc. etc. Since then, hindi na yata ako nag-take ng pictures from a camera.

Actually, there were times naman in the past na ginusto ko ring magka-DSLR. Sino ba ang ayaw nang mas malinaw na pictures (lalo na at ang photogenic ng anak ko)? Kaso tamad akong magkalikot, hindi nga kasi ako techie na tao. Masipag akong magtake ng shots pero wala akong interes mag-ayos ng camera settings. Lalo namang walang interes sa pagkuha ng pictures ang asawa ko kaya wala akong maasahan dun. Kaya hindi ko na nga pinursue ang pagbili ng camera. Tutal solved na naman ako sa iPhone. Saka magpapalit na rin naman ako ng iPhone soon (3 years old na nga kasi ito) kaya for sure mas maganda ang camera quality ng bago.

Pero yun nga, dadating pala talaga sa point that you will have a change of heart. Na-trigger nga kasi noong super blue blood moon. Tapos nabasa ko pa sa IG ni Neri Miranda na meron siyang bagong camera na ganito from Chito. Lalo akong na-agit lol.

Picture taken from the net (credits to the owner)

I sent a picture of this camera to my husband last night and asked him to research on how much it costs in Canada. And when we talked this morning, he said it's around CAD800.00.

CES -- $800?!? Ang mahal naman!
FORD -- Ganun talaga ang presyuhan niyan. Ano ineexpect mo, $400?
CES -- Akala ko nga mga $200 lang kaloka.
FORD -- It actually has very good reviews. Gitna siya ng digital camera at DSLR. Mirrorless siya.
CES -- I don't even know what a mirrorless camera is. *kamot ulo

My husband is actually just waiting for my instruction if he will buy one. Ganun naman yun, madaling kausap lol. Lalo na kapag gadgets, bibilin niya talaga agad.

But I find $800 too much. Well it's actually not that much if we are not planning to buy a house soon. Ford has just booked an appointment to view a townhome in Aldergrove so medyo alanganin talaga ako. What if magustuhan namin yung bahay? We'll be needing a lot of cash for downpayment saka sa paglipat. Saka sana kung talagang masusulit ko yung camera, baka mamaya tamarin din ako lalo na at pagod na ako sa pagsunod pa lang sa very active kong toddler.

On the other hand, maganda rin naman na may maayos na camera sa paglipat namin, di ba? Saka what if mag-enjoy ako sa photography? Mas magandang libangan yun kaysa shopping lol. Once kasi na makabili kami ng bahay, we'll be on a very strict (my imposition) budget na kasi nga doon na mapupunta ang bulk ng sweldo ng asawa ko waaaah. So baka last chance ko na ito na magkaroon ng camera for now.

Dilemma. Dilemma. Kasalanan ng buwan yan eh haha.

O siya, pag-iisipan kong maige. Kapag sa Mother's Day o sa birthday ko ay gusto ko pa rin, I might as well give in na nga rin.

Christmas Wish List (Exchange Gift with The Girls)

Since Nathan and I will be going home in the Philippines this January 8, I suggested to 'the girls' (my college barkada and my core group in Pinas) that we make a list of what we want to get for Christmas para may guide kami sa pagsha-shopping. Barkada tradition kasi namin talaga na mag-Christmas dinner then exchange gifts.

I know na tapos na ang pasko pagdating ko so sabi ko ihahabol ko na lang ang gifts ko. But they said aantayin na lang nila ako. Na-touch naman ako.

Usually pare-parehas ang binibigay namin to all the girls but I thought that it will be more practical if we give (and get) something that we want/need/like. They all agreed naman. Haha, partida nga pala sa akin yan kasi I have a lot of time to shop lol. Mageenjoy pa ako sa paghahanap!

By the way, we don't give expensive gifts to each other nga pala kapag Christmas. Though they are all earning well (ako lang ang jobless kaloka!), syempre may kanya-kanyang family responsibility na kami. Kaya usually "token" lang talaga ang inaabot namin. Cliche as it may sound, it's the thought naman talaga that matters di ba?

So you want to know what their requests are? Paper weight, blanket, USB, Johnson's Baby Lotion, ref magnet, clothes travel organizer, bath/hair towel, travel bag tag, Human Nature Night Cream / Sunflower Beauty Oil, lip balm, scotch tape dispenser, continuous ink refill for canon, pencil sharpener. Ang sisimple lang di ba?

Eto naman ang wish list ko:

• Rich People Problems book  -- meron nito dito pero mas mura sa Pinas haha!
• University of the Philippines (UP) mug -- medyo nahihilig ako sa coffee mugs ngayon kasi paminsan-minsan ay nagkakape nako
• Bento-making tools -- marami nito sa Pinas at usong-uso
• Cute post-its, note pads, stickers, washi tapes (planner paraphernalias) -- marami rin nito sa Pinas 
• Pastel Stabilo highlighters -- dream ko magkaroon nito, as usual wala dito at meron sa Pinas
• Universal USB socket -- gustong-gusto ko ring magkaroon nito kahit mukhang di ko naman magagamit dito sa Canada

I am so excited sa exchange gifts namin haha! It will be fun to know kung anu-ano ang mga nahanap namin for each other. Parang bata lang kami uli. I'll surely post later kung ano ang mga nabili ko. =)

Jollibee in Edmonton (Waaah!)

Six months before I migrated to Canada, I wrote this "wish" in my previous (private) blog:

I can still remember Ford laughing that time, "Haha, asa ka pa!"

Pero grabe, in four years nagkatotoo ang wish ko! Imagine, sa may tapat pa ng West Edmonton Mall siya tinatayo (na super lapit sa bahay namin) at magbubukas this 2017.

Yun nga lang, wala na kami sa Edmonton. Asar-talo tuloy ako!

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I have reasons to be bitter, I swear. When we were contemplating to move in BC, Jollibee in Seattle was put into consideration. As in seriously. Isa siya sa mga pros. Naisip namin na 3 hours lang na cross border, makakapag-Jollibee na kami. Hindi na kami made-deprive kasi pwede na nga kaming magdrive lang para makapag-chickenjoy. Iniinggit ko pa ang mga kaibigan ko, at tinatakam.

Who would have thought na kung nag-stay lang sana kami sa Edmonton, less than 10 minutes away na lang ang Jollibee! Ang saklap talaga!

As of now, wala pang balita kung kelan magkakaroon ng Jollibee sa Vancouver area. Mukhang matatagalan pa kung magkakaroon man. Kasi nga raw aside sa mataas ang business costs dun, meron naman sa Seattle kahit papano. Saka although maraming Pinoys sa BC, mas marami pa rin ang chekwa kaloka!

Pic taken from the net (credits to the owner)

Fine, sige I'll be happy na lang for my friends in Edmonton. At least sasaya ang buhay nila doon.

And for me, eto na lang uli:

             WISH: Jollibee in Surrey / Metro Vancouver

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NOTE: The first Jollibee in Canada opened in Winnipeg last December 2016.