January 25 - 31, 2010: All Within the Family

I was looking forward with anticipation to this week because my friend V........ will be returning from her visit to her family in Canada. It's been a month. She actually extended her stay because she's been missed much. It is a very painful set-up for her and the family. She goes to Canada at most twice in a year. The longest she stays with them is about a month during the Christmas season. It's been like this for her the past two years since her family migrated to Canada.

I was both happy and sad. Happy to see her again. My social life has somehow slowed down in her absence. We live close to each other so it's easy to make plans when boredom eats us. We usually get a night cap as the week draws to a close. It's unfortunate that one of my classes falls on a Friday. So we have to do this in the middle of the week as things are heating up.

I am sad because I know she will be missed by her loved ones. I know how much she misses them. I know how painful that can be...... It's gonna hurt when she finally joins her family for good. But that is the best that can be for my friend V...... and I want her to be happy.

I was supposed to fetch her from the airport but she changed her mind at the last minute..... Always like her....... she doesn't want to bother anybody. I was actually looking for an excuse to take a leave from the office..... Didn't work..... I realized, however, I have classes on that day and I don't take time off from school. There is too much to miss in a three and a half hour class. Perhaps, it's providential or I would be cramming next week.....

I reconnected with some family members I lost contact with for the past years. It's good to reestablish contact and hear from them again. I feel inclined to reconnect and trace my roots as time goes by.....

I was looking forward to the weekend because we are having a special family gathering at home. My brother's family is coming over. I made arrangement with my youngest brother to bring his family too. The family gathering also served as an impromptu birthday celebation for hubby who would be celebrating his birthday on Sunday. There have been so many things that happened the past few months and this reunion is meaningful to each one of us. During the Christmas season, my children were asking me if my brother and his family were coming for our traditonal reunion. I wasn't sure...... Recent events have scarred this family. I blame it on the frailties of human nature.

This weekend, we were trying to heal wounds we have inflicted wounds on ourselves. Some wounds, however, would take time healing.....

In what was to be an important weekend for our family, our water pump would experience trouble and need rehabilitation..... We're in serious trouble (a.k.a. deep shit) this weekend.....

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Healthiest Foods on Earth

Note: To vindicate myself, having written earlier a post on my current affinity with unhealthy comfort food, let me share this article I got from an email. It was lifted from Live Health Club. Some of the food are everyday fare. Glad to know that my favorite versatile food for all seasons, egg, is there : ) It's good to know it doesn't take much to eat healthy.

1. Berries
All berries are low in sugar and high in fiber. Blueberries have been shown to increase memory in lab studies, and raspberries and strawberries are loaded with ellagic acid, a powerful antioxidant that seems to have some anti-cancer properties, according to the American Cancer Society.

2. Beans
Beans are extremely high in fiber, which helps to control weight, prevent or manage diabetes and blood sugar, and may help prevent colon cancer and protect against heart disease. The National Institute of Medicine recommends 25-38 grams of fiber a day. The average American gets only 4-11 grams. One cup of beans provides 11-17 grams.

3. Nuts
Some of the largest and most important long-term studies of diet and health have shown that eating nuts several times a week is consistent with a risk of heart attack and heart disease that is 30%-50% lower than the general population. Just one ounce of nuts-almonds, macadamia, Brazil , walnuts, pecans-eaten three to five times a week seems to be the magic number.

4. Wild Salmon
Fish is the ultimate anti-aging food. Cold-water fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring contain omega-3 fats that protect the brain and the heart, improve mood, and lower blood pressure and triglycerides.

5. Raw Milk
Raw, organic milk nearly always comes from grass-fed cows and contains high levels of cancer-fighting CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) as well as a rich assortment of vitamins, minerals and beneficial bacteria (like Lactobacillus acidophilus)

6. Grass-Fed Meat
Meat from grass-fed cows has a much different fat profile than ordinary supermarket meat: high in omega-3s, lower in potentially harmful omega-6s and loaded with CLA, a kind of fat known for its anti-cancer activity. A superb source of protein and vitamin B12, it's also missing the antibiotics, steroids and hormones found in the meat that comes from feedlot farms.

7. Eggs
Considered by many to be nature's most perfect food, the egg is high in protein and relatively low in calories. The yolk contains choline, one of the most important nutrients for the brain, as well as lutein and xeazanthin, two critical nutrients for eye health. Brassica Vegetables Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale all contain plant compounds called indoles that help reduce the risk of cancer. In addition to a stunning range of vitamins and minerals, they also contain sulforaphane, an important plant chemical that helps the body detoxify health-damaging chemicals.

8. Apples
Not only do they keep the doctor away, they also appear to do the same for lung cancer, diabetes and asthma. An apple contains five grams of fiber and a rich blend of nutrients including the bone-building vitamin K and the anti-inflammatory nutrient quercetin. And there's no better way to control your appetite than an apple eaten about half an hour before a big meal.

9. Onions and Garlic
In an impressive number of published studies, the consumption of onions and garlic has demonstrated protective effects against stomach, prostate and esophageal cancer. Along with broccoli, tea and apples, onions and garlic are among a select group of foods found to reduce mortality from heart disease by 20%.

10. Pomegranate Juice
Called "a natural Viagra" by researchers at Tel Aviv University , pomegranate juice is loaded with antioxidants. Studies show it can reduce blood pressure and plaque in the arteries. New research indicates it also slows the progression of tumors.. Four to eight ounces a day is highly recommended.

11. Green Tea
Though all teas are great for you, green tea has a unique profile of plant chemicals that have anti-cancer activity. It's now fairly established that green tea may help prevent the following types of cancers in humans: bladder, colon, esophagus, pancreas, rectum and stomach. If that's not enough, it also appears to help with weight control.

There you have it. The choice is yours.

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January 18 - 24, 2010: Strange Cravings

I lost about ten pounds in the last couple of months not from any physical regimen or strict diet. I simply lost the appetite. Ironically, it was a season of celebration and food was everywhere. I just didn't bite into it. Thank goodness...... This may be part of the reason why I never really put on the weight. I can easily gain weight but lose it just as easily. In the past few years, however, I noticed that I don't lose the pounds as quickly as I did in the past. Age indeed slows down metabolism.

I am not dieting, never had..... maybe choose certain food over others. When I don't have the appetite, I crave for simple food... really simple devoid of any fanciness. My favorite comfort food is boiled egg that is cooked just right..... not too hard nor liquidy soft with yolk bordering on yellow orange, not yellow. It's actually boiled egg that just set in..... it jiggles once the shell is removed. It's not an easy task to boil this egg. It posed quite a problem for my helper everytime I request for this fare whenever I don't like the food prepared at dinner. One time, she consulted MIL who came up with a formula. As I was happily eating my egg, MIL revealed to me the secret formula..... She counted up to 150 right after the water with the eggs in it started to boil demonstrating even the pace of the count. I almost choked on the egg.

This week I reached a point of satiation on the eggs and I would just not like to have it anymore, not see it or even hear it. I still have not regained my usual appetite which is a good thing. My cravings nowadays are convenience stores fares .... food served or rather, available for picking up at the shelf (because it's unlikely that the shopkeeper will fuzz over you) at Mini Stop and 7-11 in particular. These food are actually microwaveable TV dinners and they are now available to us. These convenience stores used to be just like sari-sari stores of old selling basic commodities that we need on those times. But they have evolved into an all-around shop that caters to our every need because times call for it. The emergence of call centers must have contributed to the resurrection of convenience stores.... just look at how many are being established at each corner of commercial districts. These establishments have also been refurbished and enlarged to accommodate customers who want to dine in or hang out.

At Mini stop, my favorite is their hot chicks which I always order with rice. I got introduced to this to this fare by my students who share the same liking for this food. I used to fight off hunger to have dinner at home. But it's a losing battle whenever my cravings are acting up. Lately it always has.... The aroma of the crispy chicken nuggets dipped in hot spicy gravy is just too much to bear for this moonlighting craver. This week I had it both times I was in school..... bad!

I also would discover by accident another would-be-craving. Sometime in the week, I left the office hungry and would like to take a bite. I was looking at my options..... the siomai, HK-style noodles, or shawarma which I get at the street kiosks where I take the bus going home. They used to make my mouth water and from time to time form part of food of my queer desire. But not this time..... I am tired of these fares and I want something else. I remembered the newly-opened 7-11 near my office. I decided I would go there. I was thinking of hotdog or franks. Indeed, I went to 7-11 and was surprised to see a number of hungry commuters like me taking refuge in the pleasant looking outlet. I decided to eat there. I ordered hotdog sandwich and french vanilla capuccino which I saw on a signage on the counter. Unlike in Mini stop, it was totally self-service here. I was fumbling as I was putting the hotdog inside the bun. I made it though. I nearly burnt my hand filling up the disposable cup with steaming capuccino. I sat and enjoyed my hotdog and capuccino. The capuccino was good that it would fuel yet another craving for me. I had it my mind until the next day.

I decided to do something about it. I called my friend and invited her to lunch at 7-11. I told her I'll treat her for a cup of capuccino. That must have been a good bait because she agreed. I actually didn't care much about the food. I ordered paksiw na lechon with rice and my friend had tapsilog.... These are microwaveable ready rice meals. We enjoyed our tete-a-tete over our capuccinos.

I finished the speech with nary a word from the boss or the people ...... Silence was the response to my work. Either it was a perfect job or it was junked....woohoo! Worse that could happen is my work could be given a fancy repackaging and claimed as someone else's work. It is not actually a remote possibility. Stranger things have happened in this office.

Over my cravings and thoughts on plagiarism, the weekend came. I happily alternated between resting and doing errands. I am looking forward to the next weekend.

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January 11 - 17, 2010: The New Becomes Old

The new year feels old on its second week. The honeymoon period is over. There is no turning back nor stopping it. Yet, somehow you still feel attach to the old..... Like when you write the year on dates of transactions with banks or dates on reports, I am predispose to writing the old year. Well. I have written that year for the last 365 days. Writing a new year takes getting used to.......

I was assigned a speech to write for the Secretary this week for an upcoming Department-wide activity.... just as my lazybone was just about cracking out of hibernation but not really out of it yet. It was not exactly unexpected as I have been given the unenviable task before. In one such assignment, the Secretary raved about how much he liked a speech I wrote. That makes me a natural choice for this assignment.

I have been slacking off writing lately. My blogging suffers. The initiative is just not there..... I thought that pooling my daily journal into a weekly thing would free up time for me to write on things I really care about because there would be less pressure. It backfired..... I used to be able to manage writing a daily post and at my worst be two days late tops. Now, my posts are three week late. Blame it on my lethargy fueled by the cool weather of the Christmas season .......or more correctly my laziness.

It might take a jolt to to rekindle my fire. I think I work best with pressure. Be it school or office work or a hobby or errand, I accomplish a whole lot more under pressure. This would explain why I have to pile up or bunch together activities. I am sure I would do something about it but right now, I just like to get back on track.

On a personal note, this week saw some old wounds reopened due to an altercation between family members that turned ugly. I have not spoken to one of the protagonists for a long time and it just validated whatever animosity I have for this person with this latest caper. What's worst is that this person has the nasty habit of letting anyone who care to listen into the whole mess dragging innocent people in the process. The other protagonist would confide to me how he pities the other inspite of the strained relationship. Sadly, this other person can easily put on a sheep's clothing in front of other people. This person also gravitates towards people who welcome intrigues and controversy and take pleasure in other people's pains and misfortunes. Well, predators of the same mold hunt for the same prey.....

It seems like the new year would soon be just another year. We would keep on getting the same hits, the same misses, the same crap ....... Even if the new year takes time getting use to, it loses its novelty in time and we will all fit into a pattern of ease.... and just like old habits, it becomes familiar......

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January 4 - 10, 2010: Fresh Start

After my luxurious treatment at the spa, I am ready to face a new day on a new year.....

I am hoping that feeling good at the start of the week would somehow rub on people and things you encounter. It's a brand new year, a brand new week, a brand new day..... I was feeling good going to the office.

Last year's change in schedule proved hard to hurdle. I face the same challenge every morning. On some days, I would succeed...other times not so. I notice that I am coming to the office much earlier than my previous record. I see this as a small step that leads to the right direction. I just have to try much harder each day.....

Part of the reason I arrive in the office earlier is the change in the mode of transportation I have been doing since the last months of last year. I cannot battle with the monstrous traffic in SLEX. I studied my options and tried and tested all sorts of combinations of vehicles when I commute to the office. The uncomfortable jeepney ride to Alabang and the ride in the spacious bus (provided you sit in the middle of a three-seater or beside the window) would be the fastest route to my office. I have been making use of this route more often than not. I noticed that a number of my co-riders in the shuttle service in the village have been doing the same. Could it be because of the shorter travel time or just hard times? The fare is much lower with the public transport system.

I have been thinking a lot about my passion lately. I have been enjoying mingling with my pets. The long vacation gave me the time to reflect on the kind of life I would like to have in the immediate future. My mindset has somehow changed about the kind of things I would do when I finally decide to retire for good. I retired prematurely early on in my career thinking that I want to live a quiet life at that time. It proved to be an undoing and I had to reenter the corporate jungle another time. This time, however, I am yearning for a peaceful existence. It feels like I have been inching closer and closer to my dream....

The year is still young. I would like to face sunrise as each day unfolds and see through the day every time the sun sets......

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December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010: A Toast to a Brand New Year

It sucks that I had to go to the office on Monday disrupting what is supposed to be part of the Christmas season. I don't mind not having to benefit from holiday economics any other time but this time P/GMA should really be declaring the entire Christmas season as one long holiday for the benefit of the lazy bones. Of course, it's not gonna happen. Holidays are very bad for the economy.... But isn't tourism part of the economy too.... so with consumption......

Being the responsible adult that I am supposed to be, I reported to work not only on Monday but also on Tuesday. My mind was on anything but work though. Thank goodness, school is off. I consoled myself with the thought of a long holiday beginning on Wednesday.

Miraculously, I started feeling good as soon as the long holiday started..... which is actually good as I want to exorcise the bad vibes and karma of the past year and start with a clean slate.

On new year's eve, we went to hear mass. Then, we feasted on our Media Noche. As midnight drew near, we went out to join the neighbors in welcoming the new year. Firecrackers turned the neighborhood into a virtual warzone even if the fireworks appear to be getting smaller each year. As midnight stroke, we would be toasting to a brand new year with our neighbors. Kids and even oldies would be jumping up and down in the hope of getting taller or perhaps to symbolize aspiring to get closer to one's goals. As the firecrackers died down, we would get back into the house with empty wine bottles and wine glasses.

Before finally hitting the sack, I started sending my greetings to friends and foe on my phonebook. It might be worth mentioning that I seem to have mended fences with a bitter enemy..... I hope I did. She actually initiated the gesture by sending me a an unexpected gift before Christmas. I was actually taken by surprise with her gift but felt good about her gesture. I had to thank her which she acknowledged. She was among those I sent greetings to on this new year's eve and she greeted me back. Could this be the start of a new year for us?

I had to finish off the weekend with a feel good day at the spa before I go to work the following day. The spa has a promotional offer on its services and i just have to avail it. Carting MIL and MD, we trooped to the spa for a pleasurable time. MIL was given with a gift certificate at the spa by the kids. I gave her another treatment as my gift. MD also availed of a number of services. Of course, I had the most treatments and services. Well, I deserve it. It took us all of seven hours to complete all treatments and services but it felt very good afterwards. I swear I could skip dinner to avail of more services but MIL and MD were probably raring to go home.

With an eventful week, I am ready to face a new day on a new year...........

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December 21 - 27, 2009: It's Christmas Time

This week marks the most awaited event for Christiandom, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At home, I hurriedly spruced up our home, brought out the Christmas curtains, put up the remaining Christmas decors which we have not yet put up in the weekend when we started decorating the house. I was just supervising and our helpers were the ones who put up the tree. I am not sure why I am not as enthusiastic as before in decorating the house for Christmas. I told MD that I am getting bored with the old decors. I actually bought additional trimmings for the Christmas trees and some wreaths. Somehow, our home looks festive enough for the season this week.

There is still work in the office but it's the start of the Christmas break for school....ya'y. Going to the office becomes a drag as people's minds are on parties and celebrations.

After office on Monday, my friend V....... and I together with another college classmate went to a party with batchmates at a diner in QC. It's good enough to see old and not so familiar faces anymore. It was a party for three batches which somehow made the affair a little uncomfortable for some. We don't know each other. The consolation was that everyone brought home raffle prices.

On Tuesday, I had to squeeze in shopping for the food packs we distribute to carolers and kids who roam the village on Christmas day.

I had plan to meet up with two friends, one has been long lost, on Wednesday, which went awry. I went home disappointed because I was in party clothes looking forward to a night of fun.

Christmas eve was spent preparing for Noche Buena. MIL was at the helm. I have been so lazy preparing meals lately. I am also not feeling well. We went to hear Midnight Mass in the village chapel. We partook of our Noche Buena. Afterwards, everyone went to bed.

On Christmas day itself, we are expecting hubby's brothers and their family. MIL would be at the kitchen supervising the cooking. I spruced up the house and put on some scents for a Christmassy air. In time, my two BILs would arrive with their family. My youngest brother and his family would also visit as they were not able to go home to his wife's province. There would be dining and some drinking; chatting, and laughing.......... until it was time to go.

In the weekend, we had the traditional family reunion on hubby's side again in QC where there would be gift-giving and kids and anybody without a source of income or those with less which would include the senior family members, household helpers, drivers would line up for money. Earning family members would serve as Santas giving money to those who are lined up. When the party is over, kids are observed to be in high spirits smiling sheepishly with their loot, I mean aginaldo. The designated Santas, on the other han, look like they have just been robbed.

As a country known to spend the longest Christmas season, our celebrations with families and friends would attest to this observation. However, let us not lose sight of the reason for the celebration. Tis the season to be jolly because Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born.

Merry Christmas to One and All!

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