T is for Taekwondo

Time to reminisce...

Clouds, Rain, Earth, and Tree

Angeles City, Philippines 2010

If the clouds are full of rain,

 they empty themselves on the earth;

and if a tree falls toward the south,

 or toward the north,

 in the place where the tree falls,

 there shall it be.

-Ecclesiastes 11:3

Sky Watch Friday

Scenic Sunday

A Glimpse of Terminal 3

At night, I'm waiting to board back to Taipei

Mellow Yellow Monday

Christmas with Family in the Philippines (2)

To continue the Christmas celebration,

my sister and sister-in-law were busy preparing food for lunch...

Most of us can't wait to try these home-made goodies :)

All set, family pictorial first...

Home-made ham, roast beef, corned beef, and ground meat (embutido)

Pork finely chopped (sisig), Koren Barbecue, Shrimp, and Sweet and sour fish

Fruit salad, macaroni salad, mix of brocolli and cauliflower salad,

and best of all my favorite cheese cake

After the blessings and champaigne, here we are - munch, munch...

Then, gift giving and receiving...

we have lots of Santa Claus in our family :)

The most awaited part, raining of coins ...

followed by paper bills, I can no longer run that fast and still I got almost

a thousand pesos :)... tiring but most of all it's fun!

Late in the afternoon, time to visit dads...
 He left us 9 years ago today (January 8).

We love you daddy!

Another memorable Christmas for everyone!

Luscious Saturday

Our Weekend Memoirs
Ruby Tuesday
My World Tuesday

Christmas with Family in the Philippines (1)

It's been 8 years since the last time I spent Christmas with family and relatives in the Philippines. I was so happy that I decided to go home and be with them. What will I share today is the 24th of December, the usual routine we're doing back home. I'm sure you'll agree with me that Food really touched one culture as I've mentioned in my food blog.

Anyways, photos will tell you more of the culture we have in my family:

The 24th of December, every house is busy cooking, baking and preparing for the Christmas Day. Still, we have to eat before that day right? I stayed overnight  in one of the sisters' house and she cooked this typical morning breakfast for us. Yes, we, Filipinos usually eat rice in the morning :)

For morning snack, her neighbor just came from the province of Pangasinan, we call this "Tupig", made of glutinous rice with fresh grated coconut. It's not that sweet! Yes, we, Filipinos eat morning snacks :)

My sister asked me if she will cook lunch that day, I told her I'm stuffed and I don't feel like eating. But then, her co-teacher went to the house and brought some food. Here we are, having abundant food at 3pm. W had pancit (rice noodles), aroz valenciana (sticky rice with chicken), ube cake (yam cake), fruit salad + soda.

Some of our relatives from the province of Lucena arrived, can't believed it's been 10 years since the last time I saw them. Time to go back to my older sister's house. Here, we attended midnight mass at Clark Chapel at 10 pm. Before that, we had a small dinner, eating rice and fried fish and mix vegetables using our hands to eat.

We went to Holiday Inn, Clark just for pictorials. They have real snowman and huge ginger bread house, we had so much fun. Time to go home and prepared for food.

Some of them, can't wait fo12 am, and just took nap wherever is comfortable :) Guess what?

At 12, they  heard the coins sound and all of us shouting, they don't need somebody to wake them up. It's raining with coins and paper bills :) This is just one of our family traditions...

Our simple get together meal known us Noche Buena, small prayer, hugging, and greetings. Not only the family and relatives, and everyone in the house. We had chicken noodle soup, ham, cheese ball, bread, and sweet glutinous rice (tikoy).

Then, the exchange gifts come this time...the time to reveal the whom is whom...

My nieces and nephews opening their Stockings, they have been doing this since they were little :)

That ends our first part of Christmas in the Family. The following day will be more meaningful :) I'm glad I came home!

Our Weekend Memoirs
My World Tuesday

I Love Christmas

No Comment :)

Rednesday

Guest Heart Thursday

Serve Yourself :)

juice, soda, wine, beer...

Watery Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Passing Along Rustan's

Rustan Department Store

Wordless Wednesday

Watery Wednesday

Look Up at Those Colorful Flags

The flags caught my eyes when my sister and I

were passing to a subdivision in my hometown.

Color Carnival

Skywatch Friday

Series of Clouds Along the Way

These photos were taken in Bulacan,

from Angeles City (my hometown)

to Manila on the day of my flight to Taipei.

Skywatch Friday

Three Days in the Philippines

First of all, I would like to extend my appreciation to all the prayers you've offered to my niece Kheila. The surgery was successful and she's now discharged from the hospital. Still, praying for her fully recovery. 

For this week I'm sharing with you the Baptismal of Liandrei Luis.

Father in Heaven,

when the Spirit came down upon Jesus  at His Baptism in the Jordan, You revealed Him as Your own Beloved Son. Keep me, Your child,  born of water and the Spirit, faithful to my calling.  May I, who share in Your Life as Your child through Baptism,  follow in Christ's path of service to people. Let me become one in His Sacrifice  and hear His Word with faith.  May I live as Your child,  following the example of Jesus. Amen.


I went home for few days to witness my niece's son Christening, that made me a young grandmother! I'm also a godmother, I preferred to call godmother :) I was so excited to see him, he's so cute!

Welcome to Christian World Liandrei Luis! I Love You!

Luis has a mixture of German-Filipino from his mother, Australian-Filipino from his father, and Spanish-Filipino from us... He's only 2 months here.

Although I missed my flight and that was forfeited, I bought another one way ticket that doubled the price of my original round-trip. It's a waste of money, but bonding with family is PRICELESS.

Welcome to our hometown, Angeles City, Philippines, I grew up in this house...

The day before Luis' Baptism, everybody's busy preparing for the event...

These are some of the give-aways for the sponsors and visitors...

All set up...

This is Luis on the day of his Baptism, he was asleep all along...

When the priest started to pour water on his head, he woke up and just looked around...

Pictorials with Family, and sponsors...

More captured moments with family from Lucena City...

At home at last, for the get-together... to find more about the

reception, just go to my other page Food: Cooking and Capturing!

The day after the celebration... time for me to go back in Taipei!

2 of a Kind - Up and Down

Up, down...

Up, down...

Finally, Up, Up, and Away!