Thursday, January 9, 2014

What a long Thursday night!

Ford picked me up at around 5:40pm this early evening and we headed to Westmount to get that most dreadful flu shot. Last November ko pa gustong magpa-vaccinate pero umatras ako dahil takot talaga ako sa injection. But with the latest news that many Albertans are getting the H1N1 flu strain (and at least 10 have died already), I panicked. I don't want to get sick. I told Ford we have to get immunized.

Too bad na sobrang haba ng pila kanina sa clinic. As in the longest line I've seen here in Edmonton! It was past 6pm already so we decided not to queue anymore. I've heard that they are running out of flu vaccines already. Alberta Health has been offering this flu shot since October 2013 yata pero ngayon lang dumagsa ang tao. Very few Albertans availed the flu shots before. Ngayon dahil sa takot, ayan talagang pumipila na.

Di bale, I am sure the government will do something about it. Hope makapagpasaksak na rin kami ni Ford soon.


Our next stop was at Pier 1 Imports in the north area. I've browsed their website and I found so many interesting house items, particularly accent chairs.

I like the feel of the store, sari-sari eh. It reminded me of Regalong Pambahay in Pinas. There are so many decorative pieces. Babalik ako doon definitely pag kailangan ko na ng abubot sa bahay.

Hay, if only their chairs are less expensive, andami ko na sanang nabili! I am into accent chairs nowadays, ewan ko nga ba.

This chair costs $700+! Ford asked me if I want it, I said yes. But I do not want its price noh! Bye bye, chair!


This one is a bit cheaper. $284 if I remember correctly. This would look perfect on our guest room kaso sobrang mahal pa rin talaga.


But I won't give up. I will have nice chairs at home PERIOD. Hanap hanap uli ng ibang stores.

And since we are already in the north area, we ended up having lunch at Beijing House again. Kakakain lang din namin dito last January 1 kasama si Ate June.


When you're hungry, better na talaga mag-buffet dito. We paid a total of $36.85 (with tip na yan ha) and we were so full. I remember us paying $38+ at a Pinoy restaurant na dalawa lang ang ulam (na hindi pa masarap).


At dahil busog, we of course wanted to go home immediately (the hubby had to do some 'releasing' lol!). But we were surprised when we saw lots of firetrucks near our building.

Ford instantly said: "Nakow, malamang sa building natin yan!" I got so worried, inalala ko kung naiwan ko bang bukas ang kalan or something. Nang matapat kami sa building, we looked up on the 12th floor, mukhang tahimik naman yung unit namin kaya nakahinga na kami.


We parked near our building and observed. Mukhang di pa rin naga-alisan ang bumbero kaya sinabi ko kay Ford lumapit na kami. I hate the idea of not knowing things, especially if it concerns me/us.

Bumaba si Ford ng sasakyan at medyo lumapit. I was waiting for some news pero mukhang wala siyang balak magtanong. Bumaba na rin ako at sakto nakita kong bitbit bitbit ng isang fireman/security ang isang babaeng tenant na nagpupumiglas. Ayaw yatang mag-evacuate sa building so she was carried in her pyjamas!

I approached one Security and asked what happened. He said there's fire in the dumpster area. Again, I was relieved. At least malayo sa unit namin. We were worried because many of our important documents are there. And aside from cash, nandun din ang engagement and wedding rings namin!

The Security informed me that a bus is coming to keep the tenants warm while waiting for the go signal kung kelan makakapasok sa loob. We are thankful kasi we have our car with us, hindi namin kailangan makipagsiksikan sa bus. Uso pa naman ang flu virus ngayon, nakakatakot. Saka sa totoo lang, marami sa kanila ang may di kaaya-ayang amoy (kaya ko ito Tinatagalog!) kasi tamad na tamad silang maligo pag winter kaloka!


Anyway, Ford suggested that we go to Walmart para magpalipas ng oras. Walmart is open until 11pm so pwede!

It's so difficult to kill time pala in a supermarket. Ayaw na ayaw ko pa naman ng hindi bibili. Hindi ako mahilig magwindow shop. We are still fully stocked so we don't need any.

After 40 minutes of loitering, nag-diet coke and sundae cone na lang kami sa McDonald's.

It was my first time to eat sundae cone here in Edmonton. Mahalaysia din, $1.46 (or approximately Php60.00) siya! Sabagay, lahat naman dito eh mahal kaloka!

Keep calm and eat sundae cone.

We left Walmart at 10pm hoping na makakapasok na kami sa building. Swerte naman at ok na.

Or so we thought.

Akala namin we'll have a good night sleep na when Ford learned that there is no water in the bathroom. Yari! When he asked the Management, ayun 4pm pa raw bukas magkakatubig kasi nadamay pati yung main water line. OMG! A day without water!

I panicked immediately! How can we survive without water??? That's one of my daily fears, ang mawalan ng tubig dito. Unlike in Pinas na maraming kapitbahay o kamag-anak na mahihingan ng tubig o mapagpapaliguan, dito wala. Kaming dalawa lang dito eh. It was so frustrating! And how will Ford go to work? Hindi pa naman yun sanay ng hindi naliligo twice a day.

The hubby sounded desperate too. He suggested that we go to the nearby motel. I refused, saying that aside from it being so magastos, how the hell will I check out if he's at work? Hassle pa magpack tapos sandali lang din dun. Sana kung parang motels sa Pinas na 24-hour ang system, kung 11pm ka magchecheck-in, kinabukasan ng gabi ka pa rin pwedeng lumabas. Yun ang sulit.

Ang sabi ko makiligo na lang siya kay Ate June pero ayaw naman niya. Thankfully, he was able to google (yep, we rely on google all the time) a "Truck Stop" near his office where he can take a bath. He called and was informed that it'll cost 8+ bucks. Not bad. Hay, problem solved!

Now ako na lang ang problema. How can I survive the day? The good news was that meron daw water tank or truck sa baba where we can get water. Pero wala naman kaming maraming container. We only have one small pail and two empty 10L distilled water container. Pwede na rin kesa wala.

So there, nag-igib si Ford at 11pm!

A PEng's life -- taga-igib! 
Ford was worried for my lunch tomorrow. Haler, I can cook and eat with minimal water. Sakto na ang naigib niyang tubig, titipirin ko na lang. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that water will be back by 4pm tomorrow. Or else yari na talaga.

Hay it was such a long night. I called Mamoosh and relayed to her this night's incident.

I am tired but I don't wanna sleep yet. I want to wake up late tomorrow (since Ford won't be having lunch here of course) para di ko maramdaman ang kawalan ng tubig bukas. Sana meron na paggising ko.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Second Month

And I thought time slows down when you are doing nothing... who would have thought it's been two months since I landed here in Canada...

I was feeling extraordinarily low (again) the whole day. For the past 60 days, all I ever did was cook, eat, shop, sleep, watch Netflix, read, surf the net, chat/videocall. It's becoming tiring and frustrating. Inasmuch as I love to be with my husband all the time, I also want to become productive again. I wonder when will that be.

Anyway, since I was feeling sad tonight, Ford asked me out for a little ride. We passed by our townhouse to look for some latest developments. We are excited for Wednesday (January 8) because we are scheduled to inspect it (prior to turnover). For the first time, makakatapak na rin kami sa bahay namin.

We had dinner for the nth time at Wendy's. Really, it has become my "comfort" fast food restaurant here in Edmonton.


My reasons?

  • I love their meat-only burger Son of Baconator (I hate tomatoes, onions, cabbage, etc. on my burger).
  • I love the taste of their fries, frosty, and diet coke.
  • I believe their meals are cheaper than McDonald's, A&W, etc.
  • I grew up eating in Wendy's so it's "familiar.

Cheers to my second month here in Edmonton!

It's just sad that Wendy's is not accessible to "carless" people like me. There are no Wendy's in malls eh.

Anyway, I felt a little better after eating. I kinda burst my sentiments to Ford, too. I told him that at this point in my life, I feel like I am at the crossroads, very much unsure of what direction to take. Am I going to study? Work? Both work and study? But what if we get pregnant? Ahh, so many things are running in my head right now.

FOCUS. I guess ito talaga ang kailangan ko sa puntong ito ng buhay ko.

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NOTE: Sabog-sabog din ang blog post na ito. Reflection ng magulong utak ko.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Opposing Weather

Haha, not so long ago I was in Manila experiencing a 30+c weather.

And now I am in the opposite side of the earth haha!


I am not sure if I will ever miss the Philippine non-summer weather (summer weather will definitely not be missed!). But I sure miss wearing sandals and shoes! Imagine, I've only worn boots the past two months!

Friday, January 3, 2014

My 2014 Planners

In my attempt to become a more organized person this 2014, I plan on using these three daily.


A stationery lover that I am, I admit to always having a new shiny planner (Starbucks planner for the last few years) at the beginning of every year. However, I normally end up abandoning it even before the second quarter starts. Yes, nakakatamaran ko na. I am sure many can relate to this.

Well I realized that at 34, I am not exactly young. Admittedly, I tend to forget a lot of things already. Sumasabog din tuloy ang utak ko. I have so many plans for this year so I better list everything (I am non-techie so an electronic planner won't work for me).

My three 2014 planners have different purposes:

The Red Planner/Journal will serve as my diary where I would write everything that happened on each and every day. Again, makakalimutin na ako. I have to start documenting my 'everyday life' again (because nobody else will). I can not blog everyday so  mas kumpleto ang documentation sa written diary.

The Hello Kitty Monthly Planner will be my "everyday bitbit" planner. It's small and thin so I can bring it anywhere. It will serve as my scheduler and "quick look" reminder. It obviously lacks space so I will just use post-its for extra notes.

The Weekly Desk Pad Calendar will be placed in our kitchen area (that is, when we move to our town house later this month) which I will share with my husband. This is where we'll put everything that we have to be reminded about - menus, things to buy, house repairs, bills payments, social activities, etc.

By the way, I bought the first two planners in the Philippines. The red one in SM Department Store and the Hello Kitty in National Bookstore. Bringing these planners was a good decision because I found it hard to find a nice but cheap planner here. I am not sure if I am ready for Filofax na (I am not sure if I am a Filofax girl).

I bought the desk calendar at Target. I had to get it because it's 50% off (haha!) and I love its floral design and colors.

I am keeping my fingers crossed na mapanindigan ko ang mga planners na ito this year. Goodluck to me!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

It's a brand new year!

We woke at noon of January1st and immediately dressed up to pick Ate June in St. Albert. The weather was pleasant, a nice way to start the year.

As expected, all the roads were devoid of people. I wonder what Canadians do on the first day of the year. Just sleep?


I've been in Edmonton for almost two months now and I am still in awe of the beautiful surroundings. Very picturesque talaga!


We currently live in the downtown area so we don't see that much white snow. Palagi kasing nililinis at shino-shovel. That is why I love going to St. Albert. Very Canadianish ang palagid.


Ate June handed us a gift again. She's so sweet! Andami na naming utang sa kanya haha!

Thanks so muchie, Ate June!

I still can't believe I am now having a white new year!


And because it's a holiday, many establishments are closed. Only Chinese restaurants are expected to be open.

We had buffet lunch at Beijing House.


Ate June is our only family here. I am glad we got to celebrate this new year with her.


Everyday I am grateful na nagkatagpo silang dalawa dito sa Canada.


We went to West Edmonton Mall afterwards to do a bit of shopping. Naghabol kami ng sale. Then we dropped by Walmart to shop again lol! It was a tiring yet fun day.

Again, from us here in Edmonton, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Cheers!


New Year's Eve 2014

A non-traditional new year's eve celebration. That's exactly how I would describe what happened to us last December 31, 2013.

Except for our 13 fruits and one giant round coin-like chocolate,our night can hardly be called a 'celebration' at all (in my standards haha!).

I don't eat fruits (except bananas) so The Husband has no choice but to finish all these!

Bought last minute @ Dollarama 
I originally planned on having a bonggang bonggang media noche because it was our first new year together here in Canada but I changed my mind. Again, we are still living in a very small studio-type apartment with an equally minute kitchen so food preparation is kinda difficult. I've experienced it last Christmas eve. Also, because we lack dining stuff, I will only end up using the same table mat, plates, flatwares, etc. which I do not like. I am not fond of repetitions, especially when I'm posting pictures online haha!

At first I told Ford we'll just do take-out. I realized though that washing the dishes is more difficult when you're full so what the heck, we better just eat at the Chinese restaurant across our building. Ford learned that it will be open until 11pm of that night.

Oops, before I forget, Ford had to go to work that day (December 31 is not a holiday here) and he was only able to go home past 2pm. Then we left the house to meet with Modz, Ford's distant relative, who was stopping by here in Edmonton Red Arrow Bus Terminal (from Calgary) for 1 1/2 hours before proceeding to Fort McMurray. We took him to City Centre Mall to for snacks.


Going back, after Facetiming with my in-laws (Mama, Daddy, and Cil Cil) who live in California, we put on our coats again and walked toward Urban China. It was a very chilly night, -22 if I remember.


We've always wanted to try this restaurant kasi ito ang bumubungad na view sa window namin. Araw-araw naming nasisilayan. As compared to other Chinese restaurants around our area, medyo high end ito ng konti.


There were quite a few Chinese diners. Siguro nga wala lang sa kanila ang new year. Sabagay, may Chinese New Year naman silang sine-celebrate.

To give you an idea of how 'big' our toonie chocolate was, here it is..


We were both starving but then the drawback of having only a party of two is that you cannot order much. Chinese restaurants here are big on servings so be ready for left-overs.

So here's our new year eve's dinner...

Wonton soup 


Special fried rice


Sweet and Sour Pork


Chicken Hot Pot


The food were good albeit quite pricey. Pabayaan na nga, new year naman.

When eating in Chinese restaurants, I always look forward to these fortune cookies. It adds fun to one's dining experience, right?


My fortune was a blah. It read: "Getting away for the weekend will help clear your mind."


It's Ford's fortune that was interesting. I wish I had his! Haha!


He said this fortune was so appropriate. When I asked him why, he answered: "Haler, Ethan Allen!"

Oo nga noh! We'll be moving to our new home by the end of January and we've started buying house things (like an Ethan Allen bed) already. So yun pala ang luxury ni Pod haha!

selfie selfie!
We wanted to watch the fireworks display in the City Hall area but it was so freaking cold. I don't think I can take it.



When we reached our apartment, Pod immediately took a bath, said good night to be, and laid down on bed. It was only 11:15. I hysterically asked him: "What, matutulog ka na??? Hindi pa nga 12 noh!"

He reasoned that he's already tired and sleepy. Hay, I couldn't blame him. He woke up very early to go to work.

I stayed a bit longer in front of the laptop, enviously clicking the celebrations done by family and friends. I couldn't help but wish that I am in the Philippines that very moment. I missed my family, my Nanay's usual media noche handa, the fireworks (we're from Bulacan!), and all the noise and merriment in the Philippines.

My only consolation was that I am already with Ford. I finally gave in to bed at around 11:45pm. Di ko na rin inantay ang midnight. Haha, the irony is that I always sleep at 3-5am everyday but on new year's eve, I slept before 12am. Kakaiba talaga.

Oh well, it's a new year. I guess I should stop being sentimental and start living a real life here. I won't be living in the Philippines anymore and THAT'S A FACT. I have to go forward. I better get used to the "new normal."

I am aspiring to become more positive this new year. I know I can.

Happy new year, everyone! :)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!

Thank you, 2013... Hello, 2014!

Picture courtesy of Bitstrips

We are hoping that more happy things will come this new year!

Isang masaya, masagana, at mapagpalang bagong taon sa ating lahat!