Kalidadis

Life As I Know It

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

There are three persons inside me. These are them:

(Awesome illustrations by my awesome daughter, JAS)

1 - Casilda, a.k.a., Dang, Mommy Dang, Ate Dang, 'Nang Dang, Sis Dang, Danggit, etc. She is wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. She talks a lot, laughs a lot, cries a lot. She always wants to do the nicest things... she tries, although sometimes in vain.

She can cook... that might be what everyone thinks... but if she gets in a pickle, ready made food can taste just as good. She is patient, always trying and trying, until... yey, success!... well, not all the time, and she can get really frustrated and angry when things don't go as she would want them to... but, oh well, nobody's perfect!

She is the one to call when you need a little advice on how to sew, embroider, cook, craft, or whatever else... she might not have all the answers but a little chit-chat with her can be fun. She's not rich but she'd be happy to share with those in need. She is what everyone expects her to be.

2 - Super "C". She is what everyone expects her to be... and MORE.

She can definitely sing and dance at the same time.... that is, in her own private time and place. She is a multi-tasking, confidently calm, do-it-all, she-can-do-it, she'll-find-a-way, go-get-her, she-knows-what-to-do, she's-here-and-there-all-at-once, never-tired type of a gal.

Though, sometimes she needs help with something she needs from the upper shelf of the cupboard. This is because, it's really no big secret, she has yet to learn how to fly. She asks people to wait and be patient because, it's really no big deal, first things first, then on to the next.

She can remove any type of stain from any type of clothing... or can she really? She can do laundry while she's cooking the perfect dinner and do a little embroidery on the side... how hard can that be?! Whew! that is quite a task in one normal day.

3 - Casilly-dilly. She is a little girl who loves to have fun. Being silly and disorganized is her specialty.

She can be very forgetful that she cannot even remember being angry with anyone. She is afraid of being alone in the dark and much more, of scary movies.

She gets a little cut here, a little bruise there from being so sloppy with doing things... but there's nothing that a band-aid and a little XOXO can't fix.

Beautiful things in display windows at the mall make her eyes twinkle... ahhh, dreaming makes them hers.

She doesn't like making her bed or cleaning the house... but that's what mommy Dang wants. Sad movies make her cry... even sad songs make her cry. She can't help being sluggish sometimes, she just wants to curl up on the couch and watch TV. She does not care about everything that's happening around her, she's just so happy and thankful that she is being loved.

Super "C" and Casilly-dilly do not get along well, while Casilda just sits back and watch this conflict. But in the end, they have got to somehow be in agreement with each other, otherwise, you know where to find me.

This is my crazy existence, I call LIFE. What is yours like?

My Golden Boy!

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Half a century! Bong celebrated his 50th birthday a year ago today. We were in the Philippines for Thaad's graduation and this is how he spent his birthday...

Waiting for his guests, the less-fortunate kids of Nonoc.

Please fall in line....

Packed Spaghetti lunch for each kid.

A little sometin'-somethin' for each one.

Bong's little buddies, helping with the drinks.

KB Kaye, in-charge of the guest list.

Psssttt.... focus on the guests, not on the camera.

... more guests, will there be enough?

No child left behind... everyone gets a present from Tito Bong.

Even the little helpers had fun!

Not even the rain could stop the party.

JK and Jojo, errand boys.

Hungry helpers did not mind left-overs.

That was a milestone marked with a lot fun... and love. Today, he celebrates another birthday. I thank God everyday for the gift of his life. Happy Birthday to the man who makes my life special... Happy Birthday, my darling, Bong!

I Bid You Adieu

2011-10-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last year, Thaad, Bong and I spent Christmas with Mommy Tit in Zamboanga City. We missed Jas and Gem who stayed home in Michigan with Lolo Buddy and Lola Fe. But that proved to be a most precious Christmas since it would have been Mommy Tit's last and we had that chance to celebrate it with her.

She spent her last years in the house that she raised her family in... where every little corner reminded her of her children's resounding laughter... where all the walls witnessed her joys and pains... where it was home.

Very strong willed and opinionated, she was often misunderstood and misjudged. Yet, for those who truly know her, she was encompassed in kindness and compassion. She might have had a different way of showing affection but she loved so much, her woes were made insignificant.

To my children, Jas, Gem and Thaad... Lola Tit's gift to you is your daddy. He is what he is is now because he was raised by a great woman that is Lola. Her kindness shines in daddy everyday. Her strength is manifest in how daddy deals with all of life's stresses. Her inner beauty glows in daddy's good works.

To Mommy Tit... I shed a tear for you today because you have left. But your life here on earth was never in vain. I thank you for Bong. I thank you for the love you gave me. I thank you for the lessons you have taught me. I thank you for the family I am blessed with thru you. You will be missed, but for now, I bid you Adieu. It was a pleasure knowing and loving you... until we meet again.

A Piece of the Apple

2011-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

Some 56 years ago, way way before 'Roe v. Wade', a woman's choice was always life. So when graduate student, Joanne, learned of her unwanted pregnancy, she had no choice but to proceed with it. She gave birth to a little boy and gave him up for adoption. The new parents, Clara & Paul, named him Steve. The rest is history. We all know Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs. News of his passing a couple of weeks ago saddened many. People remember him as the great entreneur who revolutionized personal computing. Some, who worked with him, have stories to tell, nice and not so nice. But I remember him everytime I open my iPad, thank you Stevie!

If abortion was legal 56 years ago, and Joanne would have opted to kill that baby she was carrying, would we think differently now?

Luggage?.... or Box?

2010-11-09T20:06:00.001-08:00

I already had my extra hour of sleep on Sunday, when the DST ended and we had to set our clocks an hour back. Three days later, mornings are still lazy... but hey... sleepyhead me has gotta get going!

Opening the blinds of the kitchen window to let the autumn light in, my eyes found the large dial thermometer outside... 40 deg. F... not bad, this means no frost to scrape off my car windows today, but that fog tells me that I may not be able to get to work on time if I dilly-dally. Sigh... very soon it will be winter... Brrr....

On my way to work, I can't help but think of our trip back home to the Philippines come December. Ooh la la... goodbye cold... hello sun, even for just a few weeks. Bong and I are so looking forward to seeing Thaad after a year of him being away from home while he works for his diploma in Film Making at the IAFT. I will miss Jas and Gem... this would be the first Christmas that we will not be spending together... maybe next year, we can all be together.

Packing for the trip is another story... two luggage each, or is it one luggage and one box each? Ha ha, everyone in the Detroit airport can spot a Filipino traveler from the boxes they bring with them. What about this set of orange luggage that have been popping in and out of my head since I saw them? They are the perfect orange that I love. Thanks to my friend blogger Chic In The Tropics for introducing me to the site, now I can't stop thinking about it. To buy... or not to buy... that, remains the question.

Meanwhile, gotta plan which things to pack... including pasalubongs, of course!

FB Trasher

2010-07-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Who does not have a Facebook account in this day and age? FB is fun & entertaining... reconnecting with old friends and family, re-establishing ties however remotely... back and forth comments as if in a conversation, albeit dawdled responses... a venue to share photographs with friends and family... oh, what fun!... until...

Trashing a culture in FB is not at all fun. I chanced upon this posting on Kwing's page. Kwing, my sister, is a nurse working in London. For her and all the other Filipino nurses working abroad, this blog is for them.

One of the greatest icons of modern medicine, Sir William Osler, said, "The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.... ". Beside... on a par with, not in a higher place than... the doctor. Surely, a nurse can offer her/his solution for consideration, with utmost respect for the doctors and not referring to them as morons, as this FBer, who calls herself Dana Groulx, does. Filipino nurses, whom she targets, are naturally caring and respectful. I am sorry that she despises these attributes, but these make them what they are... would've made Florence Nightingale very proud.

Filipinos have an accent when they speak English, as do other peoples who do not have English as their first language... duh! They speak with frequent pauses, always to refresh the thought and prevent the tounge to outrace the brain, hence be not a fool. Pronunciation?... not perfect!... but who has anyway? If a nurse has difficulty pronouncing the name of a medication, it does not mean that she/he cannot pass this medication to the patient properly. The only things that the Filipino nurse can dispense without prescription are comfort, compassion and caring. I am proud of my Kabayan nurses!

To Dana Groulx... the mouth does not have a backspace key. The words you choose to say are just as important as your decision to speak. You have upset a whole culture... demeaned a noble profession by your irresponsible remarks... bite your tongue because one day you might need a Filipino nurse to be your caregiver and friend.

Stainless... Harmless.... Spotless....

2010-05-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

My name is Dang Sabolboro and I sell pots (kaldero, for us Pinoys)... It is a career I have chosen for fun. I team up with my friend, Chit, and we cook for a living... and if we sell some, then it becomes really fun! I should write my nameplate: Engr. Dang Sabolboro, Kalderologist.

I have been a Saladmaster owner and user for over a couple of years now. Due to Chit's insistence, I became a consultant myself. Because I am a chemical engineer by training, it became my mission to explain the composition and construction of our pots and pans at every cooking show.

Stainless steel is a steel alloy with at least 13% Chromium (Cr) content. Cr is the element that is responsible for the steel being rust or corrosion resistant. Sometimes, Nickel (Ni) is added to make it more shiny for the rest of its life. But while Ni makes the luster last, it also destroys the steel's magnetic property. With this base knowledge, you can decide which flatware to buy. Flatware, if not rated, is 13-18/0. This means that Cr is 13% to 18% and none of Ni. If you see 18/10 on the box, then it is 18% Cr/10% Ni. If you test both with a piece of magnet, you will find out that the magnet loves the 18/0 but not the 18/10. Your choice... easy to find with a magnet or bling-bling shine forever?

Stainless steel type 316 is susceptible to sensitization - the formation of grain boundary of chromium carbides at temperatures between 900º F and 1500º F - which can result in rapid corrosion. With the addition of Titanium (Ti) in type 316Ti to stabilize the structure against chromium carbide precipitation, resistance to sensitization is achieved. Simply stated, the addition of Ti makes it more resistant to general corrosion and pitting/crevice corrosion.

This is why I love my Saladmaster cookware....
Inside, where it touches the food, is made with 316Ti... I am sure that there is no leaching of the metal into the food, making it taste what it should taste like.
Outside wall is made with a stainless steel grade with some Ni... thus, every time you wash, it will always look like new.
Bottom is made with a stainless steel grade with no Ni content... thus, making the cookware induction ready. Induction is cooking different from our usual, i.e., applying heat. An induction cook top is a strong electromagnetic field that when a magnetic material comes in contact with it, heat is generated. The advantage of induction over heat is less power usage, therefore, cheaper... and earth friendly.

You think the cookware is interesting? Wait till you see the cooking! Book a show now and see the difference!

Oh My Lefty!

2010-05-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

I may belong to a family of artists but I do not have the hand of a painter like my Lolo and some uncles & cousins did/do, instead, I show my artistic talent in my cake decorating, among other things. It is a hobby that would sometimes generate some income.... not a lot but the satisfaction, pricless!

Back in the day, when Iligan was home, I teamed up with my friend, Lally, and we had fun making wedding cakes for friends. We agreed on everything.... well, except for one.... I cannot finish icing a layer if she starts it. Oh, my lefty! I cannot go counter clockwise like she does!

On May 25th, Bong and I will have been married for 25 years... yes, silver it is! We are celebrating on a weekend so very good friends from Canada can be with us... and this time, I will be making my own wedding (or is it anniversary?) cake.... watch out for future postings to see how well I have done!

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

2010-04-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

YenYen and Anika were playing in one corner of the almost empty waiting lounge at the doctor's office. Roselle had gone in with Uncle Naldo and Auntie Nita to see the doctor and I was left to mind the kids. As I was going through the pages of some old magazine, the two girls came and found their places on each side of me. They got tired of the game they were playing and decided they want to do just as I was.

Silence.... but not for long. Anika started asking me... too many questions I can hardly keep up with her. YenYen, sitting next to my right, was swinging her legs while flipping the pages of an old magazine, as if to some kind of rhythm. Every now and then I would shush Anika to keep her quiet, even just for a little while. And then YenYen was done with her magazine... but her eyes were transfixed on the back glossy cover page. As I leaned towards her to take a look at the image, she said with excitement, "Mommy Dang, when I grow up, I want to be like this"... Seeing the very pretty face on the page, I replied, "You mean you want to be a model?". "No, no, no... I want to be able to put make up on, like her, and be pretty!".

Advertising success! ... or at least, it was for a 9-year old girl. Vanity has taken over little girls... their young minds swindled into substituting powder and lipstick for the fresh and natural, mascara for naive composition, contents supplied in those jars and bottles for the mystery within.

To be or not to be... only she can determine. My part was assuring her that she is pretty as she is... just as her mom tells her everyday. Good nature will always supply beauty but beauty will never supply good nature... que sera, sera!

e-Starved

2009-12-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

December 20th was a big day in the Sabolboro household. It was Bong's birthday and Jas's graduation. Now, I am a proud momma of a U of M graduate... yay! A party was planned for these milestones, including a despidida for Thaad who's going back to the Philippines to study film making at the IAFT. Long-time friends and their families who now reside in Canada came to Michigan to celebrate this joyous event with us. The Sabolboro home was transformed into the Sabolboro Hotel. As I always say, my house is small but everyone is welcome. Unlimited internet access is one of the ammenities that this little hotel brags about. Brice had with him his own Macbook and so with Dennis. Ervin brought his own PC notebook. All these equipment, in addition to what was already available... the front room desktop, my notebook, Bong's notebook, Thaad's Macbook. Everyone was ready to read and answer e-mails, harvest e-crops from their e-farms, surf and have fun. Uh-oh... we got disconnected!... of all the time to get internet trouble! Even the phone was not working!... and my ever-reliable and beloved techie guy was not able to do anything about it. Well, oh, well.... If there's one thing we learned about this whole experience is that we have proven that nobody ever dies without the internet or the phone because here we are... alive and still internet-ing.

My apologies to those who lost a lot from wilted e-crops and to those who missed watching their pinoy drama on-line... better luck next time.

P.S. After hours of troubleshooting, Bong finally figured it out. Thank God for husbands.

Ding-Dong

2009-12-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

My parents named me Casilda, pretty name, according to them. I grew up getting used to be called by name's shortcut like, Casil, Cas, or Sil.... so then, my nicknames.

As a little girl, my older... and bigger cousins would tease me, they would call me "Indang"... may I say, they murdered my pretty name. I would get mad and cry over it but soon I got used to answering to that monicker. Now, without hesitation, I can say that my name is Indang, call me Dang for short. Except for my parents, everyone calls me Dang.

This is my story. This is how I got my nickname, but every Filipino has one. The joke is "Filipinos have doorbell nicknames." My husband's name is Renato and his nickname is Bong. I would say it is an appropriate handle because he's a big guy and Bong sounds like a big bell. Kwing is one of my sisters and yes, her name sounds like a small bell... and yes she is small... small but terrible, that's what she is. Her size does not prevent her from fighting with anyone who gets in her way. Mirzi is my godaughter. Her nickname is Ting-Ting. Why? Only her mom has the answer. There are a lot of other doorbell nicknames.... Bingbong, Ding-ding, Kong-kong, Yang (my other sister), Bibang (my grandma), Peping (my grandpa), Neneng, Miming, Soling (my other grandma), Leoning (my other grandpa), and so on and so forth... Filipino strangeness!

I know a girl whose nickname is Klang-Klang. I guess it depends on how you say it... then you can see the semblance to the actual person. Can you guess?... big girl?... small girl?

Car-Napped!

2009-10-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Cold and rainy, yet I went and drove myself to the mall... not to shop but to do my walking exercise. I usually park in front of Penney's but this time, I decided to park at the other side of the mall and go through the back mall entrance. Lucky me! I got to park 2 spots from the blue parking for the handicapped... right straight to the doors!

One round takes 17 minutes... that is, brisk walking with my short legs and no shop stopping. On my second round around the mall, I decided to stop by the hair salon and get that haircut I so long needed... done and feeling, oh so, pretty, I continued on to finish what I came to the mall for.

Exhausted... but not to forget, pretty... I headed for the doors and to my car. But alas! wha?! where is my car?! It was still drizzling and I was walking back and forth from one lane to another. Oh, my new do... where is my car? Cold... frantic... almost hysterical... the Mall Police stopped by me and asked if I was looking for my car. "Yes, sir... and I am pretty sure I parked it here", was all I could mutter. "Hop in", he invited me into his police car... and so I did.

He drove around, talking on his radio to report the loss, yet still being very watchful. He spotted a parked car with an unlocked trunk, quickly made a little note for the owner and proceeded to shut close the trunk. We continued to browse the other lanes when I said, "I don't even remember my plate number. Do people lose their cars in the mall?". "Oh yeah", was his quick reply. Now I am really starting to get nervous.

Lane by lane we searched... there was a red mini van... no, not mine. Next lane.... there was another red mini van... mine!!! Right across from the mall doors... the other set of doors that are exactly the same as the other doors I came out from. Despair to excitement... I thanked the security officer... his wide grin exposing some missing teeth. No room in my heart for embarrassment, just gratefulness. My car was not carnapped, thank you, God!

Bloom Where You Are Planted

2009-10-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

(The following is a talk I gave to the YFC in Detroit, edited to fit as a blog)

An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything is withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely smell of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden. Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life. “Well, little flower,” said the monarch, “I’m glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden.” “Oh king,” she said, “I know I’m little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized, that if you planted me here, you must have had a good reason. So, your majesty, I’ve decided and I’m determined to be the best little flower I can be!”

God, our King has planted a beautiful garden. Not one of us is greater than the next. Each of us is His perfection. God has a reason for creating us the way He has and has planted us in just the place he desired.

We can’t always choose where we live, and we can’t control the exact circumstances of our lives, our health, our work, or our challenges. We can, however, choose our reaction to them. In gardening terms, we can choose to bloom where we are planted. Or, we can choose to resist and mentally or verbally protest our circumstances, which only results in our unhappiness and a failure to thrive. Our reaction is our choice.

In Mark 4:30-32, we are likened to a mustard seed in God’s kingdom, we start as very small seeds… and we are expected to grow and be small no more. We are called to grow in our families, in our community, in our studies, in our jobs, and in every aspect of our lives.

God planted us here and He wants us to bloom here. He can see us right now, in whatever situation we are in, we might not understand why, but the purpose is for our good and for His glory.

God tells us, “You have gifts that I have given you, you have interests that I have placed within you, and you have Me in your hearts, so bloom where I have planted you… bloom and do the very best you can whatever it may be… grow as My child and produce good fruit that will bring glory to Me and that will serve as a witness for others.”

To bloom fully as God’s children, we must continually be watered with God’s word and love through prayer and through service.

Matthew 5:13-16 (New International Version)
Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Bloom where you are planted….

Theodore Roosevelt’s translation would be...
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

A is for Avatar

2009-09-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

From the heavens, the Gods come down to earth for special purposes.... a Hindu belief translated in English as 'Incarnation'. The Avatar or Avatara, Sanskrit for 'descent', is the personification of these Gods. I do not know if the Indians mind or not, but the same word has been borrowed in this modern day of computing. It is now the term used for one's digital persona... a computer alter ego. Avatars live in virtual communities in the on-line world called the virtual universe where they socialize with other avatars.

One can make his/her avatar as he/she pleases. if Jake, a paralyzed ex-Marine, is enabled to walk and serve in a mission once again, why can't I be an awesome farmer and grow beautiful and healthy plants when in the real world I cannot? :)

Meet my friends....
Miss Randomness

Miss Blah... Blah...

Sir Sprig a.k.a. Mister Techie

The BIG WINNER is...

2009-08-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

$207,000,000 is the new jackpot prize! Whew! What am I going to do with all that money, i.e., if I win it? I may not win it but I sure can dream about it. I have a small house --- friends and family come over a lot... hmmm, maybe a bigger house with a big porch and a beautifully manicured yard with a flower garden on every corner would be a perfect welcome for visitors. Perhaps a new car to replace my 10-year old Ford Windstar, not a fancy one, a Ford Edge complete with all the upgrades will do for me... but no leather seats.... they get really hot during the summer and really cold during the winter. Shopping? Yes... yes... yes... who does not need it? These are a few of the external things that will give me temporary delight. I say temporary because after a while of living in a brand new house or driving that brand new car, they will have become my new ordinary and the thrill would have already faded.

Money will buy the things that make one happy but between the things that money can buy and spending happy times with friends and loved ones, I would still choose the latter... temporary delight against lasting memories. Have you noticed how sour the grape is?

My silly family

Smile power... LOL!

My Heritage

2009-08-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am proud to say that I belong to a family or artists. My grandfather, Jose Tr. Alcoseba, was popular in Cebu during his time. I remember being to a few of his shows, mostly at the then USIS building in Jones Avenue. August is my grandfather's birthday month. Lolo Peping, as we fondly referred to him, should have been a hundred and nine. I dedicate this blog to him whom my kids, as so with some of my uncles and cousins, inherited this special talent.

My son's, Thaad's, first painting.... his present to us one Christmas.

Another painting by Thaad... a birthday present for me.

My daughter, Jenna, has also the hand of a painter... her favorite subject being fairies.

My other daughter, Gem, on the other hand tries very hard to be an artist... but in vain. She is convinced that she's got the bad genes. I tell her she is special in many other ways!

Check out my cousin, Tony and his son, Darby...

As for me, I can only appreciate their creations and be proud that they are my family.

Happy Birthday Lolo Peping!

Based on a True Story

2009-08-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Life is a story book...
Each day is a page... a new paragraph for the quiet morning... a sweet entry for the delightful afternoon... a can't-wait-to-read romance winding its way through the darkness of the night...

Still another page...
Sun peeking through the clouds... blossoms, chirps, breeze... laughter, chatter, at last a reverie... crimson on the horizon... what does the morrow bring?...

Flippity-flip... another page...
First light... a distant horizon... a journey... long, winding, steep... tears, aches, sweet sweat... searching, searching, searching.... darkness looms....

On and on...
No empty pages... day and night... sun and rain... glow and gloom... a lifetime... a gift I share with my one true love...

Enterprise

2009-05-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

I was expecting the movie house to be full but alas! a lot of seats were unoccupied. Five minutes before show time, Bong and I still got the best seats. This is why I love to watch movies when everyone else already has.

I am not a big movie fan but this movie, I enjoyed a lot. Having watched Star Trek movies when I was growing up made me really appreciate the storyline of this new movie... and the new cast was great, my favorites being Spock and the Russian kid.... and the visual and sound effects, amazing!

Day for MOMs

2009-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all moms!

I learned something from Father Bill today... sure, our dads bring home the bacon but without our moms, we would have been hungry, naked and stupid. Thanks to my mom who fed me and saw to it that I have my baon everyday when I went to school. Thanks to her for shopping clothes for me.... there was a time in my young life that she had her own dress shop, and boy was I lucky! If not for her constant nagging... "wake up and get ready for school", "make your homework", "study for your test", "prepare your things for school", "blah...blah...blah", I would have been stupid. Thanks Mommy.

Today, Jeff, Inday Ling, and the rest of the family from Saginaw came down south to have a Mother's day lunch at the Chinese dim sum (probably the only one in Michigan that I have ever been to). We drove northwards and met them there. The restaurant was packed but thanks to Jeff's brilliant mind, he had a reservation called in before we all got there, so we were able to skip the waiting part. Having not eaten dim sum for a long time made me realize how much I missed that kind of dining... oh, forget the diet. To make lunch better, Jeff took the bill and paid for everyone's meal... Thanks a lot, Jeff! And what better way to burn those calories than to walk... walk around the mall... hmmmm.... I want those shoes on the top shelf... and ooohhh... I need a new dress for these shoes... and a matching purse....

Gem vs. Dad

2009-05-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

This was how the scoreboard looked like after the game....

Was it Gem's....

.... or was it Bong's?

Fight Night

2009-05-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

May 2nd was Andrew's birthday party and we all went to Saginaw.

Outside the Afante residence were vehicles, big and small. The subdivision road was lined with them. Those who came earlier and had to park first in the big driveway would have to be the last to go home. OOpppsss..... somebody's tires ran over the neighbor's grass.

But guess what?! It was also the night that every Pinoy, and even the not-so-Pinoy, was anxiously awaiting---Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight night.... and there was pustahan.....

and food galore...

The first few minutes, all were intently listening to the introductions... then commotion as the fight started. I had my bet on the first round KO and I was jumping in excitement as the fight, I thought, was progressively in my favor. Suddenly... deng, deng, deng..... round one was over. Second round--- fight!... What?! It's over?! Hatton was KO'd. The actual fight lasted just 5+ minutes. :( I lost ten bucks.... but the big winner was Inday Ling. That, I considered a fair game... the owner of the house.... the one who prepared the meal... the one who had to clean up after.... the one who paid for the 'Pay per View' fee got everyone's money.

Young and old had so much fun! Find your shoes guys... show's over and it's time to go.

Birthday(S)

2009-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

How many birthdays can one have in a year? My actual birthday is April 9th but my official birthday, as registered, is the 10th... thanks to the hospital staff who did this. This year, as in some other years that passed, the day fell on a Holy Thursday (and/or Good Friday) which means no meat, no merriment. That is alright because I didn't want to have a birthday party anyway, if it only meant that I will be the one cooking and cleaning up afterward.

Saturday, the 11th, seemed to be a good day to go to the mall but Bong was in a really good mood to do kitchen work and did not want to come along so I left him alone. Gem and I went to the mall. We bought a few things and I got a haircut (see photo). Contented and itchy from my new haircut, we headed for home. Surprise... surprise... family from Saginaw were in our house and the kitchen was really busy. Moments later, friends started to come, the 3E's from Canada even came. Yes, it was a surprise birthday party orchestrated by Bong and the kids.... thanks to them and all who came. You made my day!

The house, especially the kitchen, was a mess.... nobody knew where the right utensils or the dishes were. Three families had to spend the night but the house was not prepared for this thing to happen... so whenever and wherever one was and ready to get zzzz's, they just go. So.... until next year?

P.S. This is a very late publication (actual publish date: May 5th). Apologies to my readers who are now suffering from Kalidadis withdrawal.

My Favorite Thing

2009-04-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

I shall never run out of peanut butter. Last night, Derek came by to give me my birthday present... half a dozen of PB in 5-lb jars. Yeah, I am that crazy about my PB. Thanks a lot, Derek. And watch out family... this is what you will be eating everyday until it's all gone or until you get sick and tired of eating it, whichever comes first.

YEY!

2009-04-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

It is my birthday... yey! I usually announce its coming so friends will remember to greet me, but this year I did not have to since my friend, Ms. Randomness already did the honors, leaving my friends no excuse if they forget. My phone was constantly ringing, not to forget the e-mails, and I did not mind. So far, so good.... my list of friends has not been changed.

Jingle brought me an orchid plant. This makes me nervous because I am not a very good plant keeper. But this was not all... Arlene, Jingle's sug, gave me a call to give me instructions on how to care for the orchid. Oh God, help me!

I love my wii... will I love it more with this new game that Jas got me? I guess I have to throw a party and see how this works. Who's comin'?

Gem came home for their short spring break. It's 'no meat' day so I made some vegetarian wrap for lunch... yum! Gem was my kitchen helper even though she's not the cook in the family. To make up for our culinary boo-boo, she took the piece that we burned, which was no less yummy, of course... and she did the dishes, too, so who's complaining?

What were Bong and Thaad up to? Hmmm... in the cold outside, they did the oil change on my car. Getting their hands dirty, my sweet boys!

To Heather: yes, my family treated me great but my husband has yet to take me out somewhere snazzy.

I am 48 and I am content.

Be Modern!

2009-04-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

"Multiply inches by 2.54, and you get centimeters..... so out with the English, be modern at last... the system of metric is better!" This was probably the most played tune in the early 80's. It was all over the TV and radio stations in the Philippines, announcing that the whole nation was ditching the old English Imperial system in favor of the modern Metric system. This was also the time that I would be preparing for the board exams.... after 5 years of engineering calculations by the English system, now yet another set of computations to convert to Metric have I to master... length: yard to meter.... temperature: Fahrenheit to Celsius.... volume: gallons to liters.... energy: BTU to calories or joules... etc., etc., etc. Looking back, that was really a lot of complicated work for everything to be converted and for everyone to be re-educated. But that leap proved great for it made measuring easier.

I cannot say that the nation is not modern because, in fact, it is the seat of the hip and cool, but the US has remained an English system society and I have no clue why. Now, having moved to the US, I have to go back and revisit my once comfortable territory of English Imperialism. Today's temperature is a mere 50 deg... which bothers my Canadian friends because theirs is just 10 deg... silly! It is the same temperature except ours is in F and the Canadians' in C.

How about this? In 1975, an Australian news program revealed that the country would soon be converting to "metric time." Under the new system there would be 100 seconds to the minute, 100 minutes to the hour, and 20-hour days. Furthermore, seconds would become millidays, minutes become centidays, and hours become decidays. Are you kidding? Do the math! I would just be 21 years old... would I look the age? This one's a hoax... happy April fooling!

Tweedle Dum(b)

2009-03-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

I heard about Twitter when I first started blogging over a year ago. I suppose it was not that popular then because I did not know anyone who was engaged in it. Well, oh, well... What are you doing? This is what everyone is broadcasting over the net now.... as if anybody cares.... or maybe tweeple (Twitter users) really care. Some of my friends have started tweeting (act of posting to Twitter)... or is it twittering?... for fun. PDD and some other celebrities are also into it because they believe it is twitterrific (a really good Twitter thing) to let fans know some things that are not yet written about them. It has also become a venue for newscasters to broadcast news --- not about the world but about them! Even my tweetheart (special someone who makes your heart skip a beat) would take some slack from his busy schedule to join in the twaffic (Twitter traffic). In bettween his work and school, he wants to be in the twitterloop (to be caught up) with technology. As long as one maintains courtesy by not twitterlooing (twittering from the bathroom), I guess this new craze can be twittastic (fantastic)! Hmmm... it might be a good idea to be twaiting (twitting while waiting) at the doctor's office. Have fun but be careful not to be a twopsy (drop things because you are twitting)!

P.S. Didn't Jolina Magdangal already sing about tweet-tums in the late 80's? Might be a tweeterm (popular Twitter term) to mean cute.

Free At Last

2009-03-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

After four years of having them, Jas finally had those braces removed. The orthodontist first told her she'd be done in a couple of years, then extended for another year, and then another. Today, she enjoyed her first meal without the grill... without the pain. No pain, no gain, eh? Now she can show off those pearly whites without reservation, eat chicharon and ... freedom! Hmmmm.... this deserves a celebration.

Wanna be Pretty?

2009-03-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you had a face like this, would you consider yourself ugly? This is one of Jas's books that Gem was reading. I have not read the book but I asked Gem what it was all about. It is about the future... a future where everyone was considered ugly until they get to an age where they go under the knife to change their physical appearance. It becomes a society of "fixed" people. Vanity? Is that where we are headed? I do not know, but I am sure of one thing: pain is not my game... even if it is to make me "pretty".

Deblogged because...

2009-03-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Espinosas:
Jingle has been temporarily assigned in Michigan to help start up a steel mill. Arlene and Pongkee decided to come and visit him. They were the special guests of the Hotel Sabolboro during the weekend before last. And yes, I kept them entertained by showing them around the shopping places. The best buy they might have made was a Hannah Montana watch for Pongkee, which she got after a few back and forth showing of sweetness and bratness. What time is it now Pongkee?

The Ocampos:
Last weekend, the Ocampos were our guests. First stop: buy a skateboard for Keith. Whew! Finding a skate shop was such a chore!... well, it was for know-nothing-at-all-about-skateboards me. After he got the skateboard of his choice, he was content with just staying in the house with his Dad, giving Jette and Issa a chance to go to the mall without the boys. So, what kept Ver busy? He made adobo for the hungry shoppers... yum! 'sup Keith?

My Girls

2009-03-17T11:41:00.001-07:00

Gem goes to Michigan State University in Lansing. It is a 2-hour drive from home so she lives there. She shares an apartment with her friends, Heather and Emily. Last week, she came home for their spring break with a new haircut. Jas liked her new look a lot that she brought Gem to the salon with her so she can have the same haircut. It is still easy to tell them apart... braces-Jas... darker skin-Gem... taller-Jas... noisy-Gem...

Gym?

2009-03-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor recommended daily exercise. I walked in the park but the dogs being walked by their owners scare me. Aha! The gym! I signed up for a year of membership with FitZone with automatic membership fee deduction from my checking account. My membership was over in August but I was enjoying my wii Fit at home. Then Bong called my attention regarding a FitZone deduction from our checking account. I was not checking... it has been going on even after the end of my membership. I was furious as I went to the gym to complain. I signed the clause that allowed them to automatically renew my membership... this was their claim. Actually, I checked the box that said 'lock in membership fee at $36/mo'... and yes, the blah..blah.. before the 'check the box' portion was about automatic renewal, which I foolishly missed. Was I duped? Yes, I was! This is how they work... they tell you, 'oh, this here is just to ensure that your membership fee does not change'... they really don't care about the members, they only care about their business. So, do you wonder why these places seem to thrive even if you don't see a lot of people going?

Lesson I learned: Read... Read... Read.... before signing anything!

My TOBI

2009-03-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

"... but wait! If you call your order now, we will give you.. blah, blah... for free!"... yeah, we fell for this :(

Bong called the 800 number and spoke to a representative....
B: Does this really work?
R: Yes, sir.
B: Do you own one?
R: Yes, sir.
B: $99 for everything, right?
R: Yes, sir... plus $30 for shipping and handling.
B: Oh, I see. That would be $130 all together, huh? You know what, give me more time to think about it.
... and Bong dropped the call. I hate to put the clothes back in the closets after laundry without ironing so he thought this might make my life easier... but $130?... hmmm, maybe not.

Not even 3 minutes, the phone rang...
R: Sir, my supervisor wants to give you the item for just $99 in 3 easy installments and the shipping and handling is free.
B: Really?
After some thought, he finally gave his credit card number and the Tobi was sold.

Who got who?

P.S. I still prefer my old iron, although the TOBI works when you are in a hurry. It is also best for delicate materials like silk.

Recipe?

2009-03-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

I like cooking. There are no secret recipes that is why I share my recipes with others... and sharing is contagious... if you share, others will share. I have this recipe notebook since my children were little. Now that they are all grown up, this little book has also aged. A lot of the pages are loose and frayed on the sides. Smudges and stains from ingredients are all over each page... more on the pages that were probably used a lot.

Last year, I decided to put the recipes in my computer... slowly, a recipe a day. I had a lot saved in my recipe folder when Bong had to refresh my computer to get rid of viruses and whatever else that was making computing so slow. Okay, I backed all my files. He did his thing and my computer was good as new.

One day, I had to print out a recipe for a friend. Here was I on my computer, proud that I can now just do this instead of having to write it down in one of those index cards. OOhh la la.... or not... I couldn't open the files! Why? I used to have Open Office, Now, I have Word. Now, what? Just Grrrr#@*&%^....

Hearts

2009-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Thaad and Jessica got matching shirts which they wore to school on Valentines Day. The hearts light up... all six, when they are together. When they start being separated from each other, the hearts, one by one, turn off. In separate classrooms, all the lights are off... at break time, they see each other and their hearts 'glow'. Hmmm.... that's kind of cheesy but a really good idea... it's fun to be young!

Another Bird

2009-02-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when you run to get your camera to take a picture of some instant and random thing and then the camera couldn't because.... "Shutting Down.... Batteries Discharged"? I am a victim of this situation, not just once but a few times. This morning, back to garage after driving Thaad to school, there was a little bird (again!) who wanted to get out of the garage, it almost hit me in the face while I was acting like a crazy paparazzi who's having some mechanical trouble.... but that's not the end of it.... I heard chirping around the yard. Aha! birds! I did not see them but the sound of them brought me a renewed hope.... SPRING!... it is almost here.

Bird, Oh Bird

2009-02-24T11:32:00.000-08:00

One day while at work, I got a call from Jas. She was freaking out, telling me that a little bird was flying around the house. The bird was probably also freaking out and trying to find its way out. Since it is winter, all the windows are kept shut. I told Jas to open the deck door and let the poor bird out... and that was exactly what she did... after a while of chasing it around and creating a big mess with tangled thread and all... which has left me wondering--- how did that little bird get in the house? Do you have an answer... or maybe a guess?

<3 <3 <3

2009-02-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

Bong is busy with homework everyday that I [lovingly] kid him that he's not fun anymore. But the fact is, he is the most loving person in the whole wide world. He has been recently reassigned to the Ford Engine Plant in Romeo, about 1.25-hr drive from home.... wakes up early and even leaves while I am still busy dreaming... comes home after work &/or school and diligently does his homework for his masters program... never complains with being served left-overs for dinner... and ends his day with his special time with God. All these, he does for us and I can never be more proud and blessed. Valentines Day is over and done. I was too busy being sick and worried and upset about a lot of things that I totally forgot to even greet him.... no complaints from him... it's either, he's too nice, or he also totally forgot. My friend, Sharon, told me that she insisted that her fiance, Chris, take her out on a date because next Valentines, they would then be married and it will be different. Why? Is marriage an excuse not to celebrate? Well, it is actually the reason why everyday, we celebrate!

To my Bong: Thanks for the love! <3 <3 <3

For Lyndon

2009-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Death comes like a thief in the night... Lyndon passed away on Sunday, February 8th. Even in his last moment, he was of service to his loved ones. He just got in the church to pick up his little princess, as they would refer to her, YenYen, from her catechism class, when he collapsed. He never got back. On Valentines Day, we will be saying goodbye to him for the last time. Everyone will miss him. He always found something funny in everything and everyone. He did not need to think twice, he was just always willing to help. Two little girls just lost their daddy and it breaks my heart that they will grow up waking up each day that daddy's side of the bed is not warm at all. I am sure though that they will always remember him for his gentle caress, his loving yet commanding voice when he summons them and his warm hugs and kisses. I will especially miss him for his laugh and for his constant invitation to watch a funny youtube video or listen to a funny song. Uting, being his wife for almost a decade, will be the one missing him the most. Love will keep him in her heart forever. His memory will keep her strong for the sake of their princess, YenYen, and their little fairy, Anika. Instead of celebrating the birthdays of Anika and Yen, we will be celebrating Lyndon's wonderful life. He is going home to his Creator and one day, we will all join him too. For now, we have to go on living, putting our trust in God... for His ways are not our ways.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:6-7

Bahay Kubo

2009-02-06T12:35:00.001-08:00

I have been thinking about vegetables. Not the ones that I can easily find at the nearby grocery store. I was longing for the ones that I used to cook and eat in the Philippines. After 25 miles or so and fifty bucks from my debit card, I got my vegies.... and a couple pounds of pork belly and fresh shrimps with heads on and some salmon heads, from a Vietnamese store. With all my compra and some culinary skills.... that's what's for dinner tonight!

My Little Calendar Girl

2009-02-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

There were no digital cameras yet. Bong was just a budding photographer. It was one hobby that cost a lot. But since it made my husband happy, I agreed to buy his first camera, a Canon EOS, which he still keeps. This is one of his first photographs of his favorite subject, my daughter, his daughter, Jas.

It is an old picture, frayed and scratched, it is a reminder of the art that has been put aside to make way for some other things that can't be put off for now. He says, "someday....".

2009-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

"Tuesdays with Morrie"
Starring : an old man- the professor Morrie Schwartz
Also starring : a young man - the author- Mitch Albom
Plot : Life as it should be lived.

I started reading this book in September and because I was "too busy doing things", my reading was suspended for a while. Now, jobless and bored at home, I picked up on my reading. I finished the book with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Let me just quote Morrie....
"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

Today, Thaad asked if I wanted to go to Denys for food. The restaurant was giving free breakfast. I brushed him off by saying, "it's too cold to go out and eat. I'd rather cook food and stay warm at home". Derek and his mom came by to pick Thaad up. After an hour of waiting in line, they finally got to eat. Meanwhile, alone at home, I felt a little pinch in my heart. Maybe my son just wanted to hang out with me and I was not paying attention. And Morrie said, "the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." Today, I got an 'F' in Morrie's class.

Spell Check

2009-02-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

While browsing over some clearance items at the Home Depot, I overheard a couple talking...
Wife : This tool caddy is really nice and it is just ten dollars.
Husband : Where was it made?
Wife : I think it was made here in the US.
Husband : Let me see... (after examining the item) does C-H-I-N-A spell USA?

I thought that was funny but that has really made me to pay attention to the items on the shelf. If this is how we can help the economy in our very little way, then so be it! Buy American! Clinique instead of Lancome.... Ford instead of Toyota.

Can I still shop at the Dollar Store?

Getting to Know Me

2009-02-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Not to bore my readers, here are 10 things about me....

Everyday, I have peanut butter sandwich and coffee for breakfast... and anytime during the day, I still crave for peanut butter. If I sleep over at a friend's house and I could not find peanut butter in the morning, I really get frustrated :( ... just kidding, friend.
I was diagnosed with diabetes last year. I take my medication regularly, although sometimes I need to be reminded by Bong. But it is not the diabetes that worries me... it is not knowing what really is happening inside my body... is my liver functioning well?... are my arteries not blocked with fat?... etc. etc... this makes me really nervous.
It is just soooo cooold in the winter that sometimes I even wear my heavy coat (the one I use outside) inside the house.
My sister, Sybil, passed away in September last year but every now and then I still think about it in disbelief... that she will really not be there anymore when I go home to the Philippines. I guess I miss her.
I celebrate my birthday twice every year. When I graduated from HS, I (including my parents) found out that my birth was not registered at all. The hospital corrected this error and made a veerryyy late registration of my birth. Nice... Here's what they did: Date of Birth-April 10, 1961... Date of Registration: April 9, 1961. Would this mean my birth was reported first before I was actually born?
I am not married to Renato. I am married to Baby Boy. Oh, how lame! Another birth registration blooper. Who should we blame?
My name is Casilda and I do not drink alcohol at all. When I was in college, I drank a bottle of beer. I was red all over for 3 days. This why I keep myself away from alcohol.
I never watch scary movies because I get scared (duh!). So when my kids watch one at home, I stay in another room... but then I keep asking them, "What happened?".
When I was younger, my two front teeth were really bad. It was such a pain (literally) that I had them pulled out. So, don't be fooled by this smile...
It took a really long time for me to do this list. I was really careful that nothing that I listed would incriminate me in court. :)

To The Academy...

2009-01-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

I do this in my PJs, in my own time and leisurely. No deadlines, no pressures,... no pay. But to receive an award? OMG! Thanks Ms. ...Blah... for this honor. Thanks to Ms. Randomness, too, for giving the same award to my other blog An Angel's Whisper. Here's a list of my Super 7...

This Randomness. She never runs out of things to talk about. Although her interest in movies is not in my league, she does get me to pay attention to some of them.
Happy Slip. I enjoy her video blogs very much. She makes me laugh.
...Blah Blah... From a baby to a baby's mom, I have seen her life. And every time I read her blogs, I see her grow up. She is funny and clever and she reminds me that I don't want to grow old.
Close to the Heart. He is privileged to be in this list because he is my other half, the better one. There are things that we don't talk about, I just read about in his blogs. His wisdom shows in his writings and confirms once again that he is really the better half. As if he has all the time to blog, he has created other blogs, which I also follow...
Kalandrakas ug Rambol and Up Close and Personal. He just has a lot in his mind, he does not know when and how to put them in writing.
Sprig of Acacia. I like his stories. He needs to write more often though and be less concerned if he is being read or not. He maintains another blog, which I visit sometimes, Zamboanga State HS77. He put a lot of effort in making this blog and he deserves to be noticed.
Life After Steel. Ms. Randomness maintains this blog and I thank her for creating this blog. I find old friends there and I remember a lot of happy days when I read the postings. She gets an "A" for all her hard work into making that blog what it is now.

Now that I have posted my best seven reads, here's what my awardees need to do:
1) you are entitled to post the nifty icon on top;
2) inform your chosen blogs (by leaving them a comment) that they were prized with “Honest Scrap Award”;
3) finally, you should enumerate 10 honest things about yourselves (this will be in another blog).

Lastly, I thank all my readers. You make blogging fun.

Bygone

2009-01-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

Last year, Thaad got suspended from school for a day. He kicked a boy in the... you know where. Shock of my life! Ever since he was a little boy, he never got into a fight. He might have his moods but he's actually a gentle soul. My little investigation, asking the victim (in my point of view, Thaad) and some witnesses (neighbors/friends who go to the same school), gave me an idea of what kind of person this other boy was. Then, I marched into the principal's office to defend my little boy's case. The counselor promised that she would look into the matter.... well, school administrators really do not want to admit their fault and even if they did, how is a punishment undone, anyway? Let bygones be bygones... the incident is forgotten, but not with lessons learned.

Thaad is a senior in HS now and as usual, he has a lot of friends who come over to our house. There is one particular boy who comes almost everyday, I jokingly tell him to just change his last name to Sabolboro. I feed him at dinner time.... he has acquired the Filipino taste. A lot of times I talk to my kids in Binisaya and because he has a Spanish class, he catches some words, but most of the time, he just pretends he understands...or guesses.... until... "What?! You are the same Derek who got Thaad suspended?!... I shouldn't have let you in my house... I shouldn't have fed you... ", I started blabbing. I was kidding, of course. It turned out that they were just horsing around when that accident happened and was witnessed by a lunch lady who promptly reported the incident to the office.

Derek aspires to be a doctor someday. Derek, this blog is for you. Remember me when you have already affixed a MD at the end of your name... and keep reading my blog.

Flower Power

2009-01-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

This flower has lost its power!

What causes a flower to loose its power?

Drought. The flower needs water. The day needs sunshine. The game needs excitement. Life needs challenges. A blogger needs inspiration.

Is it the weather? Is it the absence of a job? Is it the lack of interaction with other people? Is it a fear of something? Is it the daily douse of worry? ... All these amount to only one thing: SLOTH!

Conquer sloth! ... and let the flower show its power!

Birthday Party Going On!

2009-01-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome! You are invited!
Someone's going to have a birthday tomorrow and we are celebrating here at Kalidadis. My friend, I'm not going to name her for fear of being disowned, is going to be forty-something.... but age is just a number, who cares?! To you, my dear friend, I wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I am not a poet but this poem I found is what I exactly would want for you...

Hold within your arms a sun
And let it smile and wish you well.
Play with it, and when you're done,
Put it where you'll never tell.
Your sun will smile just for you,
Being yours, and yours alone,
Inside your palace, out of view,
Resting in a place unknown.
The sun we wish for you is bright,
Happy doing what suns will:
Daring to hold off the night
As loves and dreams your future fill,
Your cares caress and sorrows still.

Cheap!

2009-01-23T05:20:00.000-08:00

When I get a haircut, I want to close my eyes. I want to be surprised when I open my eyes... or maybe I just trust my hairdresser too much that worry is not an issue. It 's more like having a head massage, I allow myself to get drowned in the pleasure, even for a moment. At the regular salon I go to, I pay twenty-five bucks plus tip. At the salon next door to where I work part time, it is just eleven bucks. A girl at work gets her haircut there and I do not remember her having any problems. What the heck! I may just have to try this salon... so I did. This is why it is just eleven: no shampoo before the haircut and no styling after the haircut... but most of all, I could not close my eyes during the haircut because I felt that there was just something wrong with what she was doing. Tense and unsatisfied with my new haircut, I drove home. I was so mad, I was almost going to cry. When I recounted my sad story to Bong at home, he added to my misery by laughing... but consoled me by saying that it's not as bad as I think it is and said, "we can't to anything about that anymore". So, I should just love this haircut?! Oh no.... no, no, no. I set an appointment for a haircut at my regular salon and had one the following day. Now, I am happier. Eleven vs. Twenty-five. Aggravation vs. Satisfaction. This time, I had my share of both.

This Blogger

2009-01-18T20:37:00.000-08:00

I am not a great writer but I like to tell stories, I like to talk about things that are dear to me. Thus, I blog. Here, nobody checks my grammar and spelling. I don't need to worry about my writing style and I publish the articles myself. I cannot be concerned about sales of my publications but by the comments that my readers leave, I take great joy. In fact, I have two blogs. This, Kalidadis, is my disorganized side... not that my life is in disarray. It is the lighter side of me, unscripted and casual. My other blog, which I have named An Angel's Whisper, is the focused me, the side of me that drives my whole being. It is where my own Jimminy Cricket lives. Being a fair person, I do not like one better than the other. They both make me me. If you like both my blogs, then you must like me! It's nice to meet you, you can call me Dang.

Whining?

2009-01-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

A view from my deck door.

I look at my big TV screen and the numbers 5 8 3 were flashed before me. They are not the winning lottery daily three numbers, they are today's temperatures, in degrees Fahrenheit, for AM, noon, and PM respectively. I look out my window and I see a very beautiful day: the sun up and everything dressed up in white, decorations of white on the green pine tree in my front yard, little rabbit (or squirrel) footsteps on the thin white coating on the pavement..it is such a sight to behold! So clean, so peaceful. This is the view I see from inside my house where it is warm and toasty.

Being outside this morning to drive Thaad to school was a different story. Brrrr... I was all bundled up, head to toe, yet all I felt was the chilly air. There was no 'sight to behold'... it was just soooo coooold.... sooo messy... sooooo slippery and my clothes, soooo heavy. Complain. Complain. Complain. Oh, little whiner me! Before I will even know it, it'll be spring again and winter will be forgotten.

I guess this is just like life. The reality is different from the expected. But in all the chaos that this world brings, God gives us hope. I hope you have a great day!

My Blog-o-shpere Angel

2009-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

I have started a new blog which I have called "An Angel's Whisper". I was so excited as I created my new space in the blog-o-sphere when my ignorance caught me. Doing the layout, I unknowingly messed up my Kalidadis entry. Aggravated and did not know how to proceed, I shut down my computer and decided I may just have to go to bed early. But before I did so, I gave my friend & fellow blogger, Ms. Randomness, and her hubby, the tech support guy, a call to get some help. I got it. It's clear, even in the blog-o-sphere, I meet some angels. Thanks, Randomness team.

Some Filipino Oddities

2009-01-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

Warning: The following information are weird and useless. Read at your own expense.

If the Mexicans have their Churros y Chocolate, Filipinos have their Pan de sal at Tsokolate (or sikwate in Binisaya). We love to dip our bread (pan de sal) in our chocolate drink (sikwate) before we take a bite of it. After the bread is gone, we gulp down the rest of the choco drink. Because of this strange habit, we make fun of ourselves... we are so obsessed with cleanliness, we wash our bread before we eat it... and we are so frugal, we don't throw away the waste liquid but instead drink it.
Two years ago, Jas, Thaad and I went home to the Philippines.. The Detroit airport was busy with travelers and workers alike. We were in the check-in line, pushing these big boxes that we were bringing with us when I began to notice that some people were looking at us surprised. Yeah, people, we travel back home not with luggage but boxes we call balikbayan box. May I refer you to this link on how a balikbayan box is formed because it is so true. Actually, this is a very practical way since the contents are never coming back with us, they are all homecoming gifts (pasalubong)... even the shoes, or perhaps the sunglasses, we are wearing aren't coming back with us either.
Ding Dong ... is that the door bell? Nope, that is just the nickname of a Filipino whose real name might be Ricardo (who would have guessed?). We are known to have "door bell" nicknames. Let's start with my husband, Bong. My sisters are Kwing & Yang. Everyone calls my lola (grandma) Bibang and my other lola, Soling. Ling and Ting are Bong's cousins. Ting-ting is my goddaughter. Bing-bing is my friend. Ding-ding is my friend's sister. Then there's a governor whose name is Bong-bong. Then there's Toting and Klang-klang and Bing-bong and Ging-ging and... I better stop. I don't want this post to be the reason why there's ringing in your ears. Oh, by the way, mine is Dang.

Meet FEFE

2009-01-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

One day in the fall, Thaad and Jas went apple picking with some friends. I was hoping that they would bring home some apples. But instead, a scared little brown furry thing with big brown eyes, cuddled in Jas' arms, was what greeted me. Meet Fefe, short for Josefina Sabolboro, the newest member of our family. This little bunny is our four-legged s#$!@ machine (thanks to my friend Mark for this new term). Isn't she lovely?! Except that she has been the blame of Bong's constant itch. Allergy or not, that is the question... a really big question since I have been scratching his itchy back everyday, even before Fefe. She has been living with us for the past 5 months or so, when suddenly, Jas and Gem thought maybe she is not a Fefe but rather, he might be a Fufu...

P.S. The original picture I took of Fefe has been replaced. The new photo is courtesy of my backseat of a blogger husband, Bong.

New Year Bloopers

2009-01-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

OOoopppsss....

I still have my 2008 calendar on the wall and I did not even remember to buy a new one. Yeah, I got a 2009 calendar from our church, St. Cyprian, but I have yet to find out where I put it. Not so long ago, everyone was giving out calendars... a little bit too many for all the walls in the house, you would rather want not to get one. In this age of blackberries, who needs a calendar anyway. My hand up in the air... I do!

I wrote my first check of the year... Yup, Jan. 6, 2008. What a fool! I need to practice writing that new year and as punishment for wasting that one check, I am writing "2009" one hundred times on my kitchen blackboard... starting right now!

Then one day Gem tells me, "Ma, go down to the basement and then look up!"... Oh no... a big, big mess made by a leak from the bathroom on the main floor. So, Bong has announced that we can only take showers in the cold basement bathroom... until this leak is fixed.

Even my first trip to the Post Office was a disaster! I got a book of stamps, then put my mails in the mailbox... with my book of stamps #@&*! ... so here I was, in front of the clerk, begging her to get me back my stamps, what an idiot!

Bong just learned that he'll soon be transferred to another plant... in Romeo, MI... about an hour and a quarter drive from home. That is bad. But the good thing is: he has still a job. Thank you God!

Living In My House

2009-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

My girls tell me that it is only right that I should be the one always cleaning house because I have the most visitors. "How about these people that are here everyday? They are your visitors!", I countered. "No, Ma, they live here."... Last night, they decided, was spaghetti dinner. Jas did all the cooking (Thank God for daughters!). I only got one meatball, so, who ate more than the quota? Burp! That was a good dinner! So where is Thaad?....

Here's my Thaad.... camera shy or just plain shy? Nah, he's just so full, he's ready to take a nap.

And here's Bong, my guitar hero hero...

Are you having fun yet?

Epiphany

2009-01-06T01:00:00.001-08:00

Picture of our belen before we put it away for next year.

Today is the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. Wikipedia defines Epiphany (Greek for "to manifest" or "to show") as a Christian feast day which celebrates the revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. Epiphany falls on the last day of the twelve days of Christmas which is January 6th. Sometimes, we call it the feast of the Three Kings, for it is by their gifts that we appreciate the reality of the dual nature of the child Christ:

human, son of Mary. He shares our earthly joys and sorrows.
divine, Son of God. He also shares with us His heavenly & eternal life.

Gold. For a King, not of this world, but of hearts and heaven.
Frankincense. The same one we burn at our churches, as a sweet offering to God of our prayers. We probably associate it as the scent of God.
Myrrh. A spice used in ancient embalming rituals, to signify the very real death that He would endure for our sake.

A few months from now, we commemorate His death on the cross... then we are reminded once more that Christmas was not in vain!

We're Coming Home

2009-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

From wintry London, ON to wintry Riverview, MI. This is a photo narrative of our drive back home on January 2, 2009.

After a very fun mini-vacation at the Gonzales', we are back home. With the year 2008 slipping quietly away, here we are suddenly faced with the uncertainties of the new year, 2009. New year... new beginnings... this, we hear every start of the year, but do we really follow through until the end? Good luck to you all new beginners. As for me, I am just thankful for the year that passed and hopeful for the year ahead.

with love from Technical Support

2009-01-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Bong's unpublished comments:

Picture posted is too dark. He sends me a new one and tells me to change what I had already posted. The blogger in me refuses to do so but instead creates a new one. I admit, it's a much better photograph, thanks, Tagamichi... or should I start calling you Kalandrakas?

The green alien's identity was never revealed. Now, I had to find out if I have a picture of him (or "IT") in my archives... and I did! His name is Kenny and he's the fourth from the left. He's one of Thaad's buddies who frequent our house. He usually drives a Ford Focus and sometimes a Mustang. In the summertime, he shows up in his motorcycle. You're a crazy boy, Kenny.

Say CHEESE

2009-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

Bong has always loved to take photographs. He has the necessary equipment and he brings them whenever and wherever there are special events. He is always glad to share his knowledge about his craft with other budding enthusiasts. I, on the other hand, am only interested in the photos and making scrapbooks and sharing them with friends and sending them to family... oh, and never to forget, using them for my blog and other internet purposes. In other words, he is the expert and I am the freeloader. So, coming home from our London New Year's celebration and not having been blogging for a while because of the holidays' craziness, I was so ready to be back on my computer and so excited to see those pictures that he took. Alas! These are all the pictures that he has in his camera, I even recognize some that I took myself... I am sure my friends took more pictures. There is only one photo with me on it... am I not his favorite subject anymore? Hmmm.... maybe he needs a new camera.

2009 with a BANG!

2009-01-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

We celebrate the coming of the new year with some of our dearest friends and their families. Last year, it was at our home in Riverview, MI. This year, the Gonzales' peaceful abode was the center of all the fun and noise of our little(?) group. Food was in abundance, kids were enjoying their video games without interruption (except to go to the bathroom or the dining room... but not for chores), moms soaking themselves in their favorite pastime of talking about important events and people, and dads taking pictures and discussing about their boy toys. One thing that everyone had fun doing together was watching the movie, Slumdog Millionaire and Happy Slip's video blogs. Everyone's looking forward to next year's celebration which will be at the Ocampo's. Hasta la vista! and have a very good year!

Kalidadis Chronicles

2008-12-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

Where in the world was Kalidadis?!

December 20 was Bong's 48th birthday. There was no planned party but I got out of bed early to clean house and get ready for the "surprise" that was so hard to keep. First, Sis Lourdes called me on the phone asking directions to our house. All this time he was listening and asking me who I was talking to... lie, lie lie... that was what I did. Then, I need to buy pop but I cannot go because there was something cooking on the stove and baking in the oven... so, I asked Bong to go to the store to get pop, which we buy only when we are expecting guests... he left the house wondering what's going on. When he got home, I forced him to shower and dress up... why?... "just go", i said. And then guests started coming with food and presents. Thanks to our brothers and sister in CFC, they made his day. Truly, the gesture lifted up his spirits because when he called mommy (my mother-in-law) earlier, she did not remember for old age has started to spoil her once sharp memory.

The following days, I spent finishing up all the embroidery orders so that my holidays will be worry-free. Christmas was in Saginaw with the Gumbans, the Abelgases, and the Afante kids. Early Christmas morning, Gem left with Brandon to go to his house. So when Anika awoke and couldn't find Ate Gem, she asked me, "Tita Dang, where's your other sister?" I love that girl!

We got home early evening on the 25th and a few minutes later, the Aspirases arrived from Toronto. A little later, the Espinosas arrived from Ohio, where they spent Christmas. Holiday or not, Hotel Kalidadis is always a busy place. The Espinosas left but the Aspirases stayed and helped the MI economy, even for just a couple of days. Oh, what fun!

Aside from the people who came to wish me a Merry Christmas, it was not Santa nor any of his elves, but a green alien from I don't know what galaxy also came to visit. He did not bring any presents but his presence amused us.

My Wish

2008-12-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

Jas & Gem did a really good job putting up the tree and belen today. In 9 days, it will be Christmas! In In 4 days, it will be Bong's birthday! Isn't it unfortunate (fortunate for me) that he has to be content with one present for Christmas and his birthday all his life? Actually, let me correct that... he gets one present but he gets the most attention and love.

The struggling economy has slowed down shoppers. But this has not prevented the stores from enticing buyers. Their antics include ridiculous sales, free stuff and food tasting. Last Sunday, I went grocery shopping and Bong tagged along. The store was bustling with people. I tell Bong not to wander around and get lost. I tell him to stay close to me or people will think that he's only there for the food tasting. In 2 minutes, I lost him, so I went ahead and finished my shopping. Amid the crowd of busy shoppers, I spotted him. Like a child left alone in a candy store, he was happily munching on some food unmindful of the activity around him. That is my Bong... no big wishes, just a big heart.

My wish? They are like lyrics of this Christmas song by Amy Grant/Kelly Clarkson...

My Grown Up Christmas List

Do you remember me, I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown up now and still need help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish, my grown up Christmas list
Not for myself but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up Christmas list

As children we believed the grandest sight to see
Was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree

Well heaven surely knows that packages and bows
Can never heal a hurting human soul

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up Christmas list

PEACE!

Life

2008-12-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

There are three persons inside me. These are them:

1 - Casilda a.k.a. Dang, Mommy Dang, Ate Dang, 'Nang Dang, Sis Dang, Danggit, etc. She is wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. She talks a lot, laughs a lot, cries a lot. She always wants to do the nicest things... she tries, although sometimes in vain. She can cook...that might be what everyone thinks but if she gets in a pickle, ready-made food can taste just as good. She is patient. Always trying and trying until... yey, success!... well, not all the time. She can get really frustrated and angry when things don't go as she would want them to... but, oh well, nobody ever gets everything they want! She is the one to call when you need a little advice on how to sew, embroider, cook, craft, or whatever else... she might not have all the answers but a little chit-chat with her can be fun. She's not rich but she'd be happy to share with those who need and then suddenly feels like just a penny shy of being a millionaire. She is what everyone expects her to be.

2 - Super "C". She is what everyone expects her to be and MORE. She can definitely sing and dance at the same time.... that is, in her own private time and place. She is a multi-tasking, confidently calm, do-it-all, she-can-do-it, she'll-find-a-way, go-get-her, she-knows-what-to-do, she's-here-and-there-all-at-once, never-tired type of a gal. Sometimes, she needs help with something she needs from the upper shelf of the cupboard. This is because, it's really no big secret, she has yet to learn how to fly. She asks people to wait and be patient because, it's really no big deal, first things first then on to the next. She can remove any type of stain from any type of clothing... or can she really? She can do laundry while she's cooking the perfect dinner and do a little embroidery on the side... how hard can that be?! Whew! that is quite a task in one normal day.

3 - Casilly-dilly. She is a little girl who loves to have fun. Being silly and diorganized is her specialty. She can be very forgetful that she cannot even remember being angry with anyone. She is afraid of being alone in the dark and much more, of scary movies. She gets a little cut here, a little bruise there from being so sloppy with doing things... but there's nothing that a band-aid and a little XOXO can't fix. Beautiful things in display windows at the mall make her eyes twinkle... ahhh, dreaming makes them hers. She doesn't like making her bed or cleaning the house... but that's what mommy wants. Sad movies make her cry... even sad songs make her cry. She can't help being sluggish sometimes, she just wants to curl up on the couch and watch TV. She does not care about everything that's happening around her, she's just so happy and thankful that she is being loved.

Super "C" and Casilly-dilly do not get along well, while Dang just sits back and watch this conflict. But in the end, they have got to somehow be in agreement with each other, otherwise, you know where to find me. This is my crazy existence, I call LIFE. What is yours like?

Journey

2008-12-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

Call me Dang. Better yet, don't call me. At least, not until this everyone-wants-their-stuff-done season is over. Is it almost Christmas? Yeah. And everyone's rushing to get their embroidery order done. Then my machine starts acting up. I am mad and frustrated and really stressed out now. I need to have these jerseys done for a hockey team's first home game in a couple of days... what am I gonna do? Panic! The day's almost over but I am still far from done. "Honey, please make dinner. I am going to church for the Advent by Candlelight affair", I tell Bong and off I went. Thank God for husbands! On my way, my mind was working... think, think, think.

This is my first time to join Advent by Candlelight at our church, St. Cyprian. I entered the warmly lit room with tables gorgeously set for the guests by the hostesses. I was right away welcomed by my table hostess, Laura. We know each other casually because our husbands are K of C brothers. At the center of our table was a little iced cake topped with an angel figurine. Around it was a wreath of pine greens adorned with shiny fuchsia and purple balls and ribbons. Candles in crystal holders around the wreath made made the centerpiece more festive. Fine china and silverware were delicately set for each guest. All the ladies were now seated and the program began with a wonderful rendition of some favorite Christmas carols by young girls from a nearby high school. Soon everybody was singing with them. Kaye, was the speaker of the evening. Her message was clear... Life is a journey... and right now, I am in a very busy hi-way and I am trying to pass some so I can get to my destination as fast as I can. But am I being careful? Over speeding, that's what I am doing. After some thoughtful reflection, I reached a decision. I'm going my journey in the most graceful manner, not in haste but in certainty.

The jerseys, 2 sets of them, are all done and now I am proceeding to fulfill other orders. And yes, you can call me... call me Dang.

Gold or Siver

2008-12-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

2008-11-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

I run an embroidery home business which I have named Sew Perfect. Customers are people who know me and those who got to know me from the rumor mill. Mr. Hall is a sweet old man who comes to my house through my deck door (because he is sure somebody can hear his knock from there) to have something embroidered. He has kindly given out ads so I can get some business from the parents of the other boys who play baseball with his grandson. Tonight, he brought his sport jacket so I can sew on the buttons on it. My business does not offer this kind of service but this poor guy thinks I can do everything. I am now "Wonder Sewer Woman". When we got rid of big old TV, he bought it... then he was asking if there was a dresser that I was disposing. Do I look like junk dealer? I like Mr. Hall.

A follower of my blog was asking what luddite meant. From Wikipedia, the term Luddite is a political/historical term relating to a political movement during the Industrial Revolution; it is primarily used to describe those perceived as being uncompromisingly or unnecessarily opposed to technological or scientific innovations. My craft is high tech... the embroidery machine cannot run well if I do not make a good digitized art... all these are technological innovations that run through my veins... so am I a luddite? I beg to disagree.

Day After

2008-11-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

History is made... Obama becomes the first African-American president of the US... and I say no more.

Just yesterday, I started blogging when Bong called me "old" because, according to him, everyone else is twitter-ing while I am still blogging. HAH! I have Friendster, not Facebook. This makes me baduy. Sometimes, I really get frustated when I cannot work the TV right because it is connected to the cable box, DVD, Wii, receiver, etc., etc., etc. Oh for goodness sake, I just want to watch TV! A lot of times, I would need help with the computer. Does this make me a luddite? That's just not my department. My area of responsibility is the kitchen, the laundry, the housekeeping, and all other things that nobody wants to do... expert? Yes, I am!!!

Election Day

2008-11-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

My family got our American citizenship in May of 2008. Today is Election Day and my first time to vote! Bong decided that walking to the Riverview Memorial Elementary School to cast our precious votes was best in order to avoid parking hassles. But alas! there was not a crowded parking lot and surprisingly (?) not a long line in the poll center. One problem---- my name was not in the list....oh no.... To make the story short, they made some calls and finally apologized for their error and there I was, carefully blacking out those ovals opposite my candidates and of course NO to proposal 2.