Gender Predictor – Will Your Baby Be a Boy or a Girl? – Results

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Yey!!!

I finally got a new computer chair today!!!  No more backache for me – I hope.  It was a long journey to get this particular chair.  I went to several computer stores but had no luck.  I had to place a special order in Abensons because they ran out of stock.  I can now spend more hours in front of my laptop blogging away!  Now, if only I had a home-office like this I would be in heaven….

…or maybe a set-up like this…

Pretty eh?  A girl can dream:)

 

The Answer to the Asian Rice Crisis

 

The Old Spaghetti House

Cute noh? 

I love pasta!  My husband and I love Cibo’s Rigatoni Alfonso. I swear I could eat this everyday!  Since I can’t have it all the time, let me share my spaghetti recipe.  Actually, it’s not mine, it’s Del Monte’s (hihihi).  But this is what I cook at home and my PG husband loves it!  Feel free to try it for your special someone.  You know what they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach

Ingredients:

makes 4 servings (but since my husband is PG, it’s only good for the two of us)

250g ground beef
200g spaghetti noodles
200g Del Monte Sweet Style Spaghetti Sauce
1 small can of sliced mushroom
3 pcs. Purefoods Regular hotdog
1 small red onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
grated Quickmelt cheese for topping

Saute garlic, onion & beef.  Add button mushroom & hotdog.  Pour spaghetti sauce.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

I Pray For…

… perseverance and determination.  It’s the 2nd half of the year and we’re halfway to reaching our financial goals for 2008.  There are days when I just want to go out and reward myself (for being so diligent in putting away money) by buying something pretty and expensive.  But that would be counter-productive, wouldn’t it?

… more faith and hope.  It’s so easy to get discouraged especially when you feel that you’re doing everything you can. 

… a miracle.  PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility.  Although I am not infertile, I have a harder time getting pregnant.  But it can happen.  And it will happen.  In God’s perfect time.

 

Love Your Country as You Love Yourself

In reaction to GMA’s SONA (which leaders of political opposition called Same Old Nonsense from Administration) I would like to share with you an essay written by Korean Jaeyoun Kim.  For some of you who have read this before (as it was passed around via email several years ago), I hope you can still find time to read it and reflect on it.  Pls. excuse the grammar (I’m posting it as is).  The content is what’s important:
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MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
by Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about corruption in the Philippines.  Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines?  I do not think so.  I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea.  It might help you to understand my point.  After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world.  Koreans had to start from scratch because the country was destroyed completely during the war, we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia.  We envied Filipinos.  Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos.  Many Koreans died of famine.  My father’s brother died because of famine.  Korean government was awfully corrupt — and is still very corrupt beyond our imagination — but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.  Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country.  Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

Forty years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea.  He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan or attract foreign investment because the economy of South Korea was so bad.  Korea had only three factories.  So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so they could send money to Korea to build a factory.  They had to go through a horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money.  Hundreds of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw President Park.  They asked him, “President, when can we be well off?”  That was the only question everyone asked him.  President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone worked hard for Korea.  The president of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea.  So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea.  He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in the US came back to Korea to help in developing the country because they wanted their country to be well off.  Though they received very small salaries, they did their best for Korea.  They always hoped that their children would live well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people lived.  They wanted me to understand their life and help them.  I also worked for the Catholic Church when I was in the army.  The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood.  And I loved my neighborhood.

Have you cried for the Philippines?  I have cried for my country several times.  I have also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people.

I have been to the New Bilibid Prison.  What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country.  They go to mass and work for the church.  They pray everyday.  However, they do not love the Philippines.  I talked to two prisoners in the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they were released from the prison.  They said they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so we can share our wealth with our neighborhood.  The owners of factories and corporations distributed their profits to their employees fairly so that the employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wated to be a priest.  However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith.  I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines.  Street kids always make me sad, and I saw them every day in the Philippines.

The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many people here.  People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has changed.  My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation.  They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young.  They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids.

When we went to Pagsanjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would be fun.  However, they were not happy after taking the boat.  They said they would take the boat again because they sympathized with the boatmen, who were very poor and had a small frame.  Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it.  But my parents did not enjoy it because of love for the boatmen.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just went to Mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic in deed.  Faith should come with action.  She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received great love for God.

I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.  I am sure that love is the keyword that Filipinos should remember.  We cannot change the sinful structure at once, it should start from the person.  Love must start in everybody on a small scale and have to grow.  A lot of things happen if we open up to love.

Let’s put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.  I discover that every person is worthy to be loved.  Trust in love because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me.  It changes people, contexts and relationships.  It changes the world.

Please love your neighborhood and country.  Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him.  In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned.  There is God who is crying for love.

If you have children, teach them to love the Philippines.  Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country.  You know that God also will be very happy if you love others.  That’s all I really want to ask you Filipinos.
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MY THOUGHTS:

Jaeyoun Kim makes a strong point.  We Filipinos have a deeply ingrained colonial mentality.  We love all things foreign more than we love our country.  We treat foreigners better than we treat our fellow countrymen.  Many dream of migrating to other countries for a better life.  If everyone had that mentality, who would be left here in the Philippines except the poor?  What will happen then?  The poor and marginalized need the educated to fight for them.  The worst thing we can do is be apathetic because we feel that there is nothing we can do to change our country.  We have become anesthesized and numb from all the corruption that we don’t care to do anything about it anymore.  Change will not come if all we do is complain and point fingers.  We cannot control other people (that includes our politicians) but we can control ourselves.  Change must start from within.  Let’s take baby steps.  It might seem small to you but little things like:

• Not bribing government officials or police officers.  We wonder why corruption is widespread yet we perpetuate it by offering bribes to process our license, business permits, etc.
• Going through the legal process and not doing things “under the table”.
• Being vigilant.  If you know of anomalies going on, report it.
• Registering to vote.  Many (I’m ashamed to say that I’m part of the statistic) do not even bother to register because they feel that their vote won’t make a difference.  I now have a change of heart.  I hope you will to.
• Supporting Filipino products instead of imported goods.  Filipino products and Filipino craftsmanship are world-class!  We can compete with the best of them!
• Donating money for the education of the poor.  The only way we can fight poverty is through education. 
• I feel the need to highlight the last paragraph of the essay.  Parents, please take the time to instill in your kids the love of their country.  Love for country begins at home.

The road to change will not be easy but anything that is worth having is worth fighting for.

 

This I Know is True

More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. – Doug Larson

In a world where divorce and annulments are on the rise, I thought of writing about marriage and what I have learned so far…

Our 2nd year wedding anniversary is just around the corner.  How time flies!  I can still remember our first year.  Just like any marriage, we went through an adjustment period.  Considering we had been together for more than 6 years when we decided to tie the knot, married life was still a shock to both of us.  Suddenly the little things that you found so endearing turned into nuances.  You fight over the remote control, the mess in the bathroom, dirty clothes on the floor, not turning off the light and every other little thing.  This is the reality of marriage:  There will always be something that rubs you or your partner the wrong way.  If you want to make your marriage last, you have to pick your battles.  You have to learn to talk about your differences.  For everything else that cannot be solved by the two of you, you have to entrust it to God. 

As we near our second year anniversary, I’m happy to report that we have grown closer and we have learned a lot about each other. Now we don’t get annoyed with each other as often as we used to.  We have learned to approach our differences with humor (this is very important). 

For all of you who are in your first year of marriage, don’t stress.  The first year is always the hardest but I promise it will get better.  So hold on and enjoy the ride!

Sharing pictures from our first wedding anniversary:

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It’s Raining Men

Forget Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon.  Here are my top 3 picks for sexiest men alive (in random order):

• Robert Buckley - Aka Kirby from Lipstick Jungle.  Gorgeous face and a body to die for!  I am crushing on him in a major way.  What’s not to like?

• David Beckham – The pretty face doesn’t hurt but I am more attracted because of his dedication to his children and his wife.  And can I just say that no one wears a plain white T like him:)

• Patrick Dempsey – Last but definitely not the least, McDreamy!  He’s definitely come along way from Can’t Buy Me Love.  I could get lost in those eyes!  Must see him in Lucky 7.

Disclaimer:  Yes, I am happily married but married women can still look (funny how my husband gets jealous as though I can actually get these men!  He said he should be #1).  There’s no harm in looking so go ahead and feast your eyes on these hunks:)

 

The Week That Was

My week was pretty normal and uneventful.  The main highlight of my week was Wednesday.  We had a small get together to celebrate (in advance) my father-in-law’s birthday, which was on the 25th.  Dinner was at Red Kimono, Fort Bonifacio.  Eat-all-you-can sit-down buffet for only 500++/person!  Yum!  Talk about gluttony!  We ordered everything on the menu except Tonkatsu – all kinds of sushi, teppanyaki, teriyaki, sukiyaki, etc, etc.  To make the long story short, we were bursting at the seams at the end of the evening.  Here’s my father-in-law blowing the candles on the cake:

 

My Kind of Love

Grabbing this from Mich’s blog.  This is my kind of love.  Read on:

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80′s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.  He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 a.m.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him.  I saw him looking at his watch, and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.  While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. 

I inquired as to her health.  He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s disease.  As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.  He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him for five years now. 

I was surpised and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?”  He smiled as he patted my hand and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left.  I had goose bumps on my arms and thought, “That is the kind of love I want in my life.”

True love is neither physical nor romantic.  True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

P.S.
This is especially poignant to me because for more than a decade, I watched my grandmother take care of my grandfather as he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease (they are now reunited in heaven).  Doctors say this disease runs in the family (God forbid!).  I am not afraid for I know I married a good man who will take care of me till my dying day.

 

God is GOOD!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of your past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie

Since I started blogging and taking note of the blessings that come my way each week, my thinking has shifted from “The grass is always greener on the other side” to one of abundance.  I have come to realize that everything I have is what I need.  By being grateful for what I already have, God has blessed me with so much more!  I am able to find pleasure and satisfaction in the simplest of things like:

• An inspiring & invigorating sermon in Church
• A loved one visiting me in my dream
• A craving that was satisfied
• Seeing my goddaughter Thea
• Spending time with my good friend Kim
• A doctor who is patient in answering my questions
• My doctor’s secretary who wishes me well
• An unexpected message in Friendster & catching up with my friend RC (even if it was just thru text)
• And last but definitely not the least, I’m grateful for a husband who is also my best friend.  We laugh more, we understand each other more and most of all, we love each other more and more every day.  With him, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world!:D