Disheartened home-seeker

My husband is not a fan of second-hand, be it on cars at lalo na sa bahay. We are not on the same page nga when it comes to house preference. Ok lang sa akin ang hindi bago basta maganda ang loob (renovated as much as possible) at ok ang location. I've been trying to convince him na kumausap na ng realtor pero talagang gusto niya ng bagong gawa. Kahit maliit, basta bago.

There's this new townhomes development in Cloverdale (Surrey) na namataan niya. He was positive na within our budget ang price doon so we signed up. It took a few weeks bago nila na-email back sa akin ang presyo (nag-finalize pa raw kasi sila). To Ford's dismay, ang pasok lang sa budget niya ay yung 2-bedroom - 1 bathroom 990-sq ft unit (the cheapest unit). Expected ko na yun kaya hindi ako nagulat. Binigyan ko na lang ang asawa ko ng "I told you so" look.

To give you an idea kung gaano ka-crazy ang housing market situation dito sa Metro Vancouver, take a look at this brand new 3,990 sq ft house in Las Vegas. Yan ang kaya naming bilhin  sa budget namin. Seriously.

So disheartening noh?

Ok na sana ang buhay namin dito sa Metro Vancouver eh. Bahay na lang talaga. Pero hindi "lang" yun, di ba? Napaka-basic sa buhay ng tao yun kaya no wonder many people are relocating to places na affordable ang bahay.

Bakit naging ganito kataas ang presyo ng bahay dito? Kasalanan ng mga foreign buyers (mostly chekwa) yan. Yung pera nila from their country, dinala nila dito at namili sila ng namili ng properties. Tapos fini-flip nila, pinapataas ang presyo. Hanggang sa dumating na sa point na hindi na ma-afford ng ordinaryong Vancouverites ang magkaroon ng sariling bahay. It is now nearly impossible for ordinary workers to own a laned/detached home, lumang townhomes at condos na lang ang mabibili nila. Luma, as in 20 to 40+ year old units. Objectively, hindi malaki ang sweldo ng mga tao rito ha. Marami lang Asians na may mga baong pera from their respective places of origin kaya may disposable money sila.

Nakakalungkot talaga. Paminsan-minsan sumasagi pa rin sa isip namin na bumalik sa Edmonton kasi nga doon pwede kaming magkaroon ng malaking bahay. Or we could just buy another townhouse (tulad ng bahay namin dati) and have more extra money for travel and other leisure things. Kaso nandito na kami eh, mahirap na uling bumalik doon.

Ayoko na. Sabi ko sa asawa ko mag-condo na lang kami. Mahal din pero I want a slightly bigger space than 990 sq ft. And we need at least 2 bedrooms + 1den just in case may bisita. Pumayag na rin siya, basta bago. The other day, he informed me na may project sila na itatayong condo malapit sa office nila sa Langley, abangan daw namin. He already checked the site plan at malalaki ang units. We already signed up kaso by spring pa raw sila magrerelease ng presyo at magsisimulang magbenta. Ford heard from their office na March daw to be exact. Oh well, let's see. Baka mamaya ma-disapppoint na naman kami. But just in case magustuhan namin at bumili kami, ang drawback is that we would have to wait for another year bago ma-turn over. Hay, parang ang tagal pa. Kaya ko pa bang mag-antay??? =(

Thanksgiving Dinner 2017

Our original plan for the Thanksgiving weekend was to do a staycation somewhere. Naaliw yata ang husband ko sa Victoria trip namin last August kaya gusto niyang umulit, pero dapat daw two nights na para hindi nakakapagod. Ang mga choices naming puntahan were Kelowna, Seattle (again!), Oregon, and Whistler. But after giving it much thought, I convinced him na huwag na lang. Hindi rin naman kasi biro ang gagastusin sa plano niya. We are scheduled to go back to California this November 4 to 14 na to celebrate Nathan's third birthday kaya sabi ko masyadong maraming gastos na. Buti at pumayag naman (as if may choice siya haha).

Around mid-September, my aunt invited us to join them for the Thanksgiving dinner on October 9. Ayun, problem solved. May gagawin na kami for the weekend lol. Ford was just a bit "sad" though because the dinner was on a Monday, may pasok kinabukasan. Technically kasi, second Monday of October talaga ang Thanksgiving day dito but Canadians may celebrate on any day of the long weekend. So pwedeng Sabado o Linggo.

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The dinner was at 6pm so we spend the afternoon at Guildford Mall muna. Then we went to Henlong Supermarket to buy some fish (haha, namalengke pa talaga). After that, we picked up the cake that I ordered from a homebased Pinay baker. I couldn't think of anything else to bring eh.

We arrived at Tita Che's house at 6:25pm. Maganda ang weather, buti hindi umulan.

Kami na lang pala ang inaantay so start na agad ng appetizer pagdating namin.

Trust my aunt to always have the best food presentation. Very impressive.

Instagram-worthy talaga. No filter needed.

This is the 4-in-1 cake that we brought. Haha, napadpad sa table ng appetizers.

Peechur peechur before eating.

Picture taken from Tita Che's Facebook account

And look at the long table that they set up para kasya kaming lahat. Bigla ko tulog na-feel ang essence ng Thanksgiving.

My aunt is currently into all things dainty. And she's started collecting pretty teacups since a few years back.

There were just 13 of us -- I, Ford, Nathan, Tita Che, Tito Harold, Angel (my cousin), Raf (Angel's husband), Blessi (my cousin), BF of Blessi (I forgot his name), Johnny (my cousin), Tita Bing (Tita Che's bestfriend), Rosabella (Tita Bing's daughter), and Allison (Tita Che's ward).

Very western ang dinner namin that night.

My cousin Angel cooked everything. She took her cooking skills from Tita Che. Too bad she forgot to bring out the soup from the basement!

This is my first Thanksgiving with a whole Turkey. Sumaya talaga ako, feel na feel ko.

The turkey was soooooo good (even the gravy)! I loved the pasta too kaso nga Ford and I are watching our carbs-intake.

Pero nang dessert time na, di na ako nakapagpigil sa cake. Ang tagal ko ng gustong tikman yun eh. Ang sarap nga grabe! Thankfully, hindi naman tumaas ang blood sugar ko (kasi nga turkey lang naman ang dinner). The chocolate cake was perfect, kung wala lang kaming diabetes eh oorder ako uli agad ng one whole cake at uubusin namin ni Ford.

Picture taken from Tita Che's Facebook account

I love nice table settings talaga. When we have our own place again, mag-iipon ako ng maraming gamit.

Picture taken from Tita Che's Facebook account

Thank you for having us, Tita Che and family!

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Oops, I would have to commend this little boy nga pala for being so behaved the whole time. Nakakain kami nang maayos ng daddy niya.

Dahil yan sa toys that Tito Harold always lends to him whenever we are at their house.

I am extra grateful to Tito Harold for being so nice to my son.

Nathan has loosen up na rin. Hindi na siya shy and intimidated to other people. Ayan nga oh, nagpapapicture na with his titas and titos.

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What are we grateful for this year?

• Our son is healthy and happy
• Our parents are ok (despite their respective health issues kasi syempre may mga edad na)
• We are living comfortably (thanks to Ford's new job!)
• We have gotten used to living here in Metro Vancouver (naka-adjust na kami kahit papano) 
• We were able to travel (California, Seattle, Victoria)
• We have more scheduled travels (California, Whistler, Philippines, etc)
• We've met new friends -- Juris and Tess and their families
• We've managed to maintain our friendships with our Edmonton family
• Though we got diagnosed with diabetes, at least our disease is manageable 

Ang dami-daming challenges as usual, pero kinakaya naman. My major wish for now is to have our own home so we can have a place to celebrate Thanksgiving day na. =)

First Uniqlo in (Metro) Vancouver

We were at Metropolis at Metrotown (or simply, Metrotown Mall) last Saturday (October 14) so we finally got to "experience" the hype on the newly opened, first ever Uniqlo in Vancouver.

This store is actually not in Vancouver but in Burnaby. But I read somewhere that they are looking na rin for a Downtown Vancouver location na may malaking space at di gaanong mataas ang rent (haha, meron kaya nun?).

Anyway, I like Uniqlo. I used to buy shirts and a lot of fleece jackets from there before. Gusto ko rin ang tela nila for kids' shirts. Kaya natuwa talaga ako nang malaman ko na magkakaroon na sila ng stores dito sa Vancouver. Ang alam ko may dalawa na silang naunang stores sa Greater Toronto Area eh.

I was so excited to look at their merchandise kaso sobrang dami talagang tao, nakakahilo! Kasama ko pa ang mag-ama ko kaya hindi ako makadiskarte. I want to compare prices din kasi, kung mas mura pa dito o sa Pinas. Ang hula ko ay sa Pinas, cheaper labor and business costs.

No doubt na dadagsain talaga ang Uniqlo kasi napakaraming chekwa and other Asians dito who are familiar with the brand. Parang wala akong gaanong napansin masyado na Caucasian.

Pinaikot ko lang ang mata ko sa prices and my conclusion -- MAHAL! Mahal sa standards ng Canadians/Westerners na sanay sa outlet stores at sale items. Kung taga-Pinas ka at gusto mo ng winter jacket kasi magta-travel ka, bibili ka sa Uniqlo kasi saan pa ba? Pero kung taga-dito ka, andami-daming pwedeng bilhan ng jacket noh. Nandyan pa ang pang-masang GAP at Old Navy.

Oh well, marami nga palang mayayamang chekwa dito. Siguro sa kanila, kebs lang ang presyo haha. pero sigurado ako, mamamahalan ang mga puti sa Uniqlo.

October 6 lang nagbukas ang store (one week pa lang when we visited) so talagang nandun pa rin yung hype. I wonder kung hanggang kailan kaya. Parang nung nag-open ang Muji, ilang weeks na pipila ka sa labas bago makapasok.

I'd probably go back on November na to further 'observe' lol. Maga-antay din muna ako ng sale bago bumili. As far as I know, ok naman ang prices nila kapag nagse-sale.

#LatePost: Nathan's First Halloween (2015)

Halloween is just around the corner and I am so excited. Then I realized that I haven't posted Nathan's first and second Halloween experiences pa pala. Sobrang dami kong kailangang ipost, kailangan lang ng time haha. So please bear with my #LatePosts every now and then.

Anyway, we were in the Philippines on October 31, 2015 and I wasn't happy. Mas masaya kasi syempre ang Trick-or-Treating sa Canada, mas authentic kumbaga. Hindi naman kasi uso ang celebration ng halloween noong kapanahunan ko sa Pinas eh, medyo recent lang sine-celebrate due to western influence. Kung nasa Canada kami, we would have had a lot of fun because I have so many friends there with kids. Sama-sama kaming rarampa at mangongolekta ng M&Ms at Snickers.

I regretted din not getting a nice Halloween costume in Canada before we went home (on July 2015).  Konti lang kasi ang choices sa SM. I didn't look anywhere else kasi SM girl lang talaga ako.

I remember getting Nathan a cute french fries costume which was on sale but he refused to wear it. Nang makita pa lang, nagwala na. Nasayang tuloy, buti na lang Php150 lang. My son wasn't the type to wear anything "bulky" or "weird" so I had to look for something that has a 'normal feel' for him. When I saw this pumpkin outfit, sabi ko pwede na ito. Maiisip niya na sando at pajama lang ang suot niya. Di ko na maalala kung magkano ito pero basta namamahalan ako, parang Php600-700 yata. Eh very simple lang naman ang cut at tela.

No shoes or slippers because he was naiinitan. Mainitin si Canadian boy!

Objectively, Nathan wasn't looking at his best that time. His hair was too long na but we couldn't cut it yet because we were waiting until he turns one (his birthday is November 13). Alam nyo naman, wag daw papagupitan ang bata kapag wala pang isang taon. Sinunod na lang namin kahit hindi naman talaga  kami naniniwala.

Also, three weeks before his first birthday, sinimulan na siyang atakehin ng lamok. Ayan ang dami-dami niyang insect bite marks sa face hay. Talk about timing talaga.

To be honest, hindi ito ang na-envision kong first halloween ng anak ko. I wanted a very fancy costume for him that will match his cute flawless face. Oh well, things do not always go as planned. Pabayaan na nga lang.

We live in the province so we had very little choice on where to celebrate Halloween. In fact, sa SM Marilao nga lang talaga. I know that there are places in Manila that held fancier celebrations (like in hotels, for a price of course) but TanTan was too young then so naisip ko keri na sa SM na lang (saka super trapik pa noh at wala rin kaming kasamang ibang bata). Basta mairaos lang namin ang Halloween.

We were at SM na by the time it opened. Sobrang daming tao. Talagang kinakarir na rin ng Pinoy ang pagti-trick-or-treat.

Some shops were giving out candies. Syempre pinagkakaguluhan. My son was so serious the whole time, nakapa-oblivious sa paligid haha. Mas ako pa at si Ate Lani (our kasambahay who helped me take care of TanTan) ang na-excite haha. First trick-or-treat din kasi namin lol.

There were so many kids who were in costumes, pero marami ring hindi (and I could see envy in their eyes). How I wish all Filipino kids could be whatever they want to be during Halloween. Ang saya kasi nun sa pakiramdam di ba.

 The ambiance at the mall was very festive. Naisip ko, ba't nga ba walang ganito noong bata ako?

Nathan wasn't walking yet so he was in the stroller the whole time.

The lines to the stores that hand out treats were very long. Pinakamadaming tao sa Jollibee, as expected. Hindi na kami pumasok kasi siksikan talaga. Hindi ko na tuloy nalaman kung ano ang meron sa loob haha.

If only Nathan could already recognize candies that time, bibilhan ko na lang siya para mapuno ang basket niya haha.

SM Marilao isn't big at hindi lahat ng stores ay nagbibigay ng candies kaya ilang piraso lang talaga ang makukuha ng kids. Sobrang dami pang bata kaya talagang malaki ang demand sa maliit na supply kaloka.

I seriously had this thought pa nga -- sana bumili ako ng maraming candies tapos umupo ako sa may foodcourt at nagpapila ng mga bata. Pwede kaya yun?

After going to just a few stores, hindi na kami nakigulo. Nag-window shop na lang kami. 

Buti kasama namin si Ate Lani or else hindi ko kakayaning mag-isa.

We got hungry after 1 1/2 hours so we searched for a place to eat. Kaso sa sobrang dami ng tao, wala na halos kaming makainan. We ended up at Wendy's na lang.

Lalong dumami ang tao later that noon. I felt bad for kids who came in late, lalong wala na silang naabutan. If your are going to 'public places' like SM for trick-or-treating, dapat nandun ka na agad pagbukas pa lang.

change-outfit na :)

I know wala pang appreciation ang anak ko sa Halloween that time pero kaya nga may pictures naman. Someday, he will go through all these photographs and and learn that once in his life, he became a little pumpkin. :)

And if you are curious, here's what Nathan took home from his trick-or-treat adventure. Three candies, toink! Awang-awa tuloy ang daddy niya haha. Even his Ninang My felt bad for him that she promised to fill his bag/basket the next time they see each other haha.

My Sugar Pouch

Meet my sugar pouch. Ang cute noh haha. My husband has been teasing me, aliw na aliw daw kasi ako sa pouch na ito.

I bought this pouch at Daiso for $2 (plus 12% tax)

You see, hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is a common yet scary effect of diabetes. In my case, there was this certain medication (Glyburide) that throws my sugar off balance. Simula nang inumin ko yun every morning after breakfast, ayun palagi na akong nanginginig sa gutom, nagpa-palpitate at pinagpapawisan. During one hypo attack, I tested and my glucose level was only 2.2 mmol/L or 39.6 mg/dl (normal must be at least 2.9 mmol/L or 70 mg/dl)! I literally ran to the refrigerator to get a regular pepsi! I was so nervous, nakakatakot sa sobrang baba. And to think na hindi pa ganun ka-severe ang pakiramdam ko noon ha (kaya nga nakapag-test pa ako). There were days na hindi na talaga ako makapag-isip nang tama at parang magko-collapse na ako.

Hence, I never leave the house now without my sugar pouch. Mas mahirap kasi kapag sa labas naabutan ng hypoglycemia, hindi laging may access sa food lalo na sa fast-acting carbs like candies and chocolates.

I always have something to eat naman dati pa sa bag ko but I just put them on the pockets, or minsan sa diaper bag ng anak ko. Ang problema, minsan nagkakadurog-durog o napipisa. Kumakalat pa sa bag. I also change bags often kaya ang hassle pa maglipat. So this pouch is the perfect solution. I like that it's transparent pa for easy viewing.

A small juice will fit pa nga in this pouch kaso ayaw ko ng beverage na hindi malamig kaya wag na lang.. 

Aside from chocolates (I wasn't able to buy candies yet), I always make sure too that I have crackers with me. Again, ang hirap kapag nasa labas at hindi ka makakain sa tamang oras. Kailangan ng pantawid-gutom.

And just today pala, I also added Twin Sugar (calorie-free sweetener) in my pouch. I realized na dapat laging ready just in case may gusto akong kainin/inumin sa labas na kailangan ng sugar, like coffee or mais con yelo.

So there, I guess I'll have a sugar pouch for the rest of my life.

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NOTE: I finally found the courage to stop taking Glyburide, since last Monday (October 9) pa. Thankfully, my numbers are still good. =)

Thankful

It's been (almost) four years since I came to live in here Canada... and I am still amazed by this...

My life here is Canada wasn't always fun. I've had my share of ups and downs.

But at the end of the day, I am thankful.Because with all objectivity, Canada is indeed one of the best (and beautiful) places in the world to live in.

Guilt-Free Pasta

I cheat when it comes to my diet, but I never cheated with carbs. Takot talaga ako dyan. I still eat a lot of protein because it doesn't raise my blood sugar level pero talagang maingat ako sa carbohydrates. So far, so good. My numbers are now very normal, normal for person without diabetes na nga.

Hencem I haven't eaten pasta since I got diagnosed with diabetes -- except just a few days ago because we found this nuPasta at Save-On-Foods.

Grabe ha, sobrang low calorie naman nito! Twenty-five (25) calories lang per pack! Parang too good to be true haha. (Please go to their website na lang to know why.)

And when we checked the nutrition facts, WALANG CARBS! Whooaaah!

It actually says 6g of carbs but when you deduct 6g of fiber, eh di zero na. I learned from my dietitian dati na kailangan i-deduct ang fiber (which is a type of carbohydrates) from the total carbohydrate count kasi included na yun dun. Our body can't digest fiber so it doesn't affect our blood sugar level.

This nuPasta is already precooked na nga pala. Nakababad ang pasta sa water so you have to rinse it muna bago haluan ng sauce at initin. Mukha siyang konti pero nararamihan na ako sa kanya (o dahil lang nasanay na rin akong konti kumain?). Half lang muna ang kinain ko (I put the other half in the fridge) so bale 12.5 calories lang. Guilt-free talaga.

Picture taken from nupasta.com

Yun nga lang, sagana naman sa protein lol. I deliberately put a lot of meat para nakakabusog. Dinner ko na yan so pasok pa rin sa calorie/carbs meal allowance ko (kasi may carbs din ang sauce di ba).

Taste-wise, parang medyo crunchy siyang kainin pero ok na rin. Daanin na lang sa sauce lol.

*For the sauce, I just used Del Monte Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce, ground pork, and Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs

Aside from spaghetti, my fettuccini at angel hair variants din sila (and organic and non-organic)

I am not into pasta naman talaga pero I am glad na meron na kaming option ni hubby everytime mag-crave kami. Sadly, my husband was also diagnosed with diabetes last September (waaaah).

One pack of this pasta costs $4.29, ang mahal kung tutuusin. Pero sabi ng ni Ford: "Mahal o patay? Dun na tayo sa mahal." Ang morbid ng reasonig ng asawa ko kaloka. Pero sa totoo lang, ang pricey talagang magpaka-healthy noh?