halloween newbie

We don't celebrate Halloween ever! I mean never as of yet. I don't call a few isolated celebrations to be a real Halloween season...but we're getting there, don't worry kids we will have Halloween within your lifetime!^^ What we have is "Todos Los Santos" or All Saints Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2, where people spend time going to cemeteries, lighting candles, and bringing flowers for our beloved dead, usually just a quiet time for prayer and family reunion. I don't have anything against these things that I wanted to have a halloween ball or anything loud and rid of the solemn tradition, but what I want is to make these holidays less SPOOKY. It's a holiday for our beloved dead and not for the evil things that lurk in the dark or the paranormal things that give me chills. Maybe a "Halloween Party" could at least make the celebration light and less scary... even if the whole idea of Halloween is to scare, the stillness and smell of burning wax- from the candles scare me more ...and you can add the tales of ghosts and the unseen forces being told on TV documentaries! great. I now feel very uncomfortable, I don't like the dark and scary stuff, BUT maybe... if there'll be a hundred Edward Cullens out there in the dark and I'm Bella, I'd be happy to have Halloween all year round! har.har.har.

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'Good thing, it's beginning...the whole Halloween Trick or Treat-ing is happening, little by little we will have our kids be doing this, instead of being outrightly spooked without the drama... at least they will be observing the old tradition while adopting a new one and wont be treating these holidays as "plain" scary as I do!

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Anyway, here are some photos of my hubby's FIRST Halloween ever! Lucky him, he went to the US just in time for the Halloween last two-oh-oh-seven (2007!) yikes. Oh sshh... no one's too old for Halloween! I'm so jealous!






boo!
Sassy.

happier today!

Oh this is such a wonderful surprise! I was not planning to be on the bloggie world for a while since I'm working on some new "craft skill" which! I'm NOT getting good at-as-of-the-moment by the way.

It hates me like Martha Stewart have never started at the basics! But I'm no giver-upper! 'Practice makes perfect' and that! I'd bet to tattoo on my forehead if that doesn't work for me!!!

Anyway, at least something is making my day right, the lovely Debbie @ SINGLE Mom in a complicated world gave me this! I'm so happy, I'm brilliant. Like a ray of hope this gives me a chance to re-evaluate myself on what things I've been writing you about ... this blog is all over the place, but I assure you everything is REAL, HONEST and WARM. I am for peace, hope and love! This blog is about human life with a SOUL. So everyone who's for all these deserves a nomination too!

BUT, I must...I must adhere to the rules that I should just pick 7 to be named ... don't worry "others" I'm sharing mine with you!

here's my 7:

1.Erin @ From Miss to MRS...., she's got loads of fun read! Honest and Sincere. She's like your girlfriend that lives on the other side of the fence and you can come over to chat and have martinis. She's fab! ^^

2. Matthew @ Resurrected Ramblings, he lures you into his world when he writes. Such talent, I hate him! ^^. I wont be surprised if one day he'll create a new blog dedicated only to his awards, because I can sense there'll be more coming his way! I'm truly happy for him he deserves it all.

3. Luke @ Bath Artist's Blog, I've followed him for a while now and each time he features his art, I'm awestruck! His artworks are vibrant. He's got an eye to make a subject out of something ordinary and comes out brilliant in his interpretation.

4. Kinha @ Amiga da Moda, Because I love colors and life, she make palettes of lovely, happy colors in her style. She recently featured a collection of clutch bags and that! made me love her blog more! ... I'm so biased when given an eye-candy!^^

5. Stephen @ Nikon Sniper, his aim is to capture life and nature's wonders, he is doing a good job at it... it's the heart that makes his photos beautiful.

6. Renee @ Circling My Head, I just met her, NO she's not a follower... but I'm sooo glad that I found her, actually ... I stumbled upon her blog 'can't remember where, but you'll see why I like her, she is such an inspiration! I love people who loves life. I need people like her, whenever I feel down and I'm whining so much about it, reading through blogs like hers with so much passion for life and beautiful things, makes me feel better...that at least, if I don't see the world as beautiful as it is for a time, somebody does.

7. Cinema Obsessed.com, because I'm a movie junkie, their features are fun and informative to people like me. It also brings nostalgic memories of when the movie came out, I like bringing back good 'ol memories of how they used to make movies.

Now, here are the rules for the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

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oh gee! I still have the 7 interesting things about me to write, do I even have one?! I'm boring as a plank....hmmn... I'm digging through memory lane, but if there's anything extraordinarily interesting about me....I may have to say these:

1. I was born in the Province where the Mayon Volcano is seen from my backyard. Lived there most of my life, 'til I'm 24.

2. My years in highschool were spent studying triple maths, triple science and triple literature, part of an "experimental" curriculum that includes College subjects. talk about Lab rat. ^^

3. I joined a rock band in College! I was singing. WAS singing.

4. My first ever SNOW experience was in Italy, I was already 26.^^

5. I work as a curtainwall designer. Curtainwall, the glass/granite/aluminum cladding you usually see on skyscrapers. I'm with the company that will do the four diamond towers on the ground-zero in New York.

6. I love sketching, my hands know what to do when given paper and pencil, or crayons or oil pastels, it moves without me controlling it!

7. I'm scared of reptiles ... lizards, snakes ... 'gators. I don't hate them, I just don't want them near.

Thanks, that's all. I hope that is interesting enough. My seat is heavier than I thought, so I wouldn't do that much lifting!


Anyways, thanks again to Debbie for the award. I truly appreciate it! *hugs*

Have a good week everyone!

your favorite season begins here first!

Time flies is such a cliche. I've heard my first Christmas song today on my way to work. For the season...season? oh well, we love to go over the top on everything around here, that we have the longest Christmas season ever! Starts from the beginning of the -ber months, September and runs up to February the next year! Ain't that long?!!! ...and Grand! We love Christmas, that's why. Little by little Christmas decorations will be put up on the streets, tiny golden lights that blink in sync around shrubs and trees, huge, colorful "Parols" (colorful lanterns) hanging on every lamp post and the malls, yeah the MALLS will be filled with the season's festive mood, SALE!SALE!SALE! is in the air! ^^

yay!

There'd been hints of "Christmas" as of last night, when we came around a steaming "Puto Bumbong" while strolling the busy streets of Pasig, we noticed a whistling sound and realized that it's Puto Bumbong!!! Purple sticky rice, stuffed in a bamboo shoot to steam... when done, the "puto bumbong" is shaken off the bamboo shoot and is topped with shredded young coconut and sugar, folded into a banana leaf for wrapping...mmmnn... yummy!!! Husband asked me if I want some but I said "NO!" We're breaking traditions here! This is too early for Puto Bumbong, they can't be making Puto Bumbong just yet, but there they are already making some and it's just August 31 yesterday! phew! I guess some people are little too excited than me! I still refused to have some, it's meant to be eaten by December especially after the "Simbang Gabi" ... (nine nights/dawn of novena prayers for your Christmas wishes), it's one of those traditions that I grew up with, but if others want to have them as early as September they're NOT breaking the law, it's just the whole wonderful meaning and memory attached to it that's being broken! You can't give away Christmas cards in March, that's what it's like... and I'm just a sentimental fool, that's why!!! ^^

Anyway, we do so many things about this season that's why we have it as soon as the -ber months come. We just love festivities! We just love making reasons to gather and eat! To bring out the lights and outdo our neighbors with the grandest decors! haha...

So,The season have started from where I am and you're certainly invited to join! ^^

Traditional Parol made of bamboo sticks and colorful paper

A modern, parol with programmed lights made of Capiz Shells and wire

Puto Bumbong (is prepared only within the Christmas Season)

Simbang Gabi, (nine nights/dawn of novena mass, Dec.16-Dec.24)

P.S.
Not to worry, we still have time to celebrate Holloween in between all of these!!!

Home for a Week!

After days and days of nadaaa, I'm back in the cyberworld. As I have completely disconnected myself from the world outside Bicol (my hometown) I didn't even use my cellphone to contact anyone too! haha... no wonder if I'll get "who are you?" looks when I'm back to meet my friends at work! =P

Well, there were two days squeezed in between 3 holidays, so me and my husband filed a leave of absence for those 2 days and was gone for a full WEEK!!! (how fun is that?!) So, WE went home to my province went to the beach, ate out, joked around, grilled some fish, planned an extension room at my parents house, played with my niece and ate, a lot!!! Now I have to go to the gym and work it out seriously!!! But I could never realize that while at home, my mom and dad would never tell me anything about weight, they always think that I'm way too thin and keeps feeding me loads of delicious food to put on some pounds! tsk.tsk.

Anyway, it was great fun to go on a feeding frenzy with my 6 feet 1 inch tall of a brother and a very pregnant sister whom I'd leave very disappointed if I went out there only to eat like a bird! I was very happy to be there. I was well reminded of the good, old days when I was still in school, still living with my parents, everything seems easy ... well, I can always come home whenever I can, right? I get the best of both worlds ... as my 3 year old niece would say in a Miley Cyrus way. Yeah, the best of both worlds ... The BIG City with my career and ambitions and The Good Old Town where my heart and home is.

'Can't wait till it's Christmas!!!

ticket and stuff

Today we went to the BUS terminal to get tickets for the road trip home, as I've been working in the Big CITY for 4 years now but for most holidays I try to go home ...Home is where Mayon is ... (the world's most perfect-cone volcano!) hehe... well, just the very sight of it is "home", I mean ... I grew up in the Province, until I had to work and now live in the BIG city ... but home is home ... I love my family, my highschool friends are there and ... just the mere simplicity of the place is what I miss the most ... clean air, 20 minutes to the beach ... aaarrrggghhh ... this is why I have to set a goal with my husband, we have to live and work here for a while and save enough money so we could invest and go back to the province! That should be the plan!

haha...it's just a ticket that we bought that made me feel sooo happy and excited that I made all these musings! I mean ... you know, FAMILY first. What's money? There will be money until the end of time, it's the TIME that we all have to decide on where to spend ...

hmmnn... anyway, were still lucky to get tickets 'cuz most of the BUS lines had their tickets sold out! The rush during Holy Week is like Christmas and New Year's ... it's just that Holy Week (Lent) is supposed to be spent for fasting and reflection but ... a lot of people take this holiday as an opportunity to go to the beach or touring ... mmmmm ... no comment.

So, after getting the tickets, we rewarded ourselves with ICE CREAM!!! It's a hot, hot, hot Sunday, we NEEDED ice cream ...