My Weekend Journal

I was looking for my poem notebook when a yellow book caught my attention. It was my college yearbook. I eagerly scanned the pages searching for familiar faces. There they are on nice prints - our mentors and instructors, our beloved Dean, Engr. Virginia dela Cerna and the sweet faces of my classmates, schoolmates and FRIENDS! After college, we said our farewells to everyone. We were so grateful because finally, all the years of hard work, not only on my part, but for my parents, siblings and relatives as well, have certainly paid off. Like most fresh graduates, we were so eager to explore the world outside the university on our own. We feel more than ready to face the new challenges and frightening uncertainties ahead of us. I have not seen my friends for years. Thanks to the great technology this modern world offers, we're still able to connect with each other through computers. That's why I love my computer. Most, if not all, of my friends are there.

I made biko on Good Friday. I did not follow any recipe and made my own measurements. I was short of latik so I made two kakanin - biko and puto maya , lol! The cooked malagkit rice without the latik eventually turned puto maya , hahaha. Here are the ingredients I used on my biko : 1 kilo malagkit rice 1 medium size coconut (grated) 3 cups water 1/4 kilo moscovado sugar (you may use brown sugar if you want a lighter color for your biko) 1 cup white (or brown) sugar 1 small box raisins I was short of latik with this number so, the next time I'll do biko I'll have twice the number of coconut, sugar and water. I also forgot to buy kalamansi and butong (young coconut). These are great additions to the contemporary biko . The kalamansi rind adds a certain kick to the flavor and the grated butong adds texture. This is how I normally prepare my biko - with raisins, kalamansi rind and butong . Here's how to prepare the biko. 1. Put the grated coconut in

Hubby and his friends had their night out party last week and I also went along out of a sense of duty and respect (as if I don't want to go and unwind, lol!). We went to an " eat all you can " food establishment because that's all we can afford considering their large bulks. The foods were great and we left the place with heavy stomachs! After a long and entertaining conversations or should I say humorous nonsense talks, they agreed to go to a videoke bar to sing their hearts out and burn the calories they just earned. We went to a restobar in Cebu City. The place was simply cool and it's not crowded. You could enjoy the night without worrying much of your safety because there were guards visibly posted on their places. Their singing machine karaoke system was great! You could sing like Jason Mraz or Jojo without burning your throat. Your voice comes out neatly even if you are not musically inclined. You'll get a feeling of singing like a pro (at least)! H

As May 2010 approaches, more and more politicians are taking advantage of the campaign period (and some even before the campaign period) to gain more popularity and get an edge over their rivals. An increasing number of political campaign advertisements are scattered anywhere. Photos of politicians are seen on street lamp posts, walls, ad spaces, bridges, trees, house gates, garbage cans, electric posts, electrical wires - name it; they are just everywhere! Their campaign banners come in different sizes. You could easily identify politicians with high financial resources just by looking at their banners. There are guidelines for ad or banner posting but they seem disregarded. How could these people better serve the community when even on their campaign for service, they are already spreading their garbage? There are proper places for these banners or posters, and politicians (and their men) ought to follow the guidelines. For sure they have lots of greens to finance their campaign.

March ushers the start of the hot summer months! It's summer and it’s about time to take that long-awaited vacation. Make sure to enjoy your few days of pleasure and do not forget to bring the following: Sunglasses Cool shirts and vacation wear Sunblock, cosmetics and skin care products Digital cameras Swimwear Footwear Headgear and hats Diving Watches Luggage and travel bags Travel guides Spend more time to rest, relax and enjoy your summer vacation. Go on and take that well-deserved summer break!

I got goose bumps and was teary-eyed while watching her perform. She has wasted so much time but I believe it is not yet too late for her to show she has talent. Josephine Aton is a single mom from Cebu City. Her only dream is to sing, perform on stage and show her talent. Now, what can you say? Isn't she amazing?

This is the first fire to hit Mandaue City this March. Over a thousand families lost their homes during the fire. [photo from philstar.com ] March marks the start of hot summer months and the Bureau of Fire Protection declared it as Fire Prevention Month. This is a nationwide campaign and various activities and information dissemination were conducted for the safety of all concern. However, despite all efforts to prevent fire from destroying properties and lives, the hard-headed glowing gas always finds its way. The dancing flame gutted 221 houses across Pilipinas Makro Cebu in Sitio Aroma, Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City Monday afternoon including the house of our officemate, Eric. In our desire to help Eric, friends and officemates shared some old clothing for Eric and his relatives. Hope these would, in some way, ease out some of their basic concerns. If you wish to reach out, any help you could extend or share to the homeless victims would be much appreciated. You may shar

Summer is here! I already feel the summer heat pricking my skin. My skin is now extra dry I could even spell my name on it! Is this really caused by the summer heat only? In this extra hot summer, I crave for the comfort of a cool place. How I wish my home has an air conditioner. Since we don’t have one, a dip at Obong Spring in Dalaguete, Cebu would surely cool my skin. In this overly hot summer, traveling to Obong Spring through public transportation could be so uncomfortable, unless you will be riding in an air-conditioned bus. It is best to leave early morning beating the sunshine. However, if you have the luxury of owning a car, you could always enjoy a comfortable travel. Since I do not own a car, I will just stay at home and maybe have a sip of an ice cold orange juice or ice tea. I can not bring my family to such a long travel especially when my baby just recovered from fever and is still suffering from cough and colds. Wish we have an air conditioner at home with the pow

At last, the long wait is over. Last February 21, 2010 at about 11:00 am our little angel, Walter Jared was finally baptized in San Roque Parish (Poblacion, Cordova Cebu) and now he is a full-bloodied Christian. My husband and I were actually planning this event last September 2009 but due to financial constraints, we had postponed it many times. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all who attended and who became part of this important chapter of our child's life. To all our family and friends who were always there to support us, morally, spiritually and financially, a million thanks to you all!

This is an old photo taken during our Christmas Party when I was still in Grade 4 but the date on the picture does not show the exact date of the event. I found this photo from a friend's Facebook account. Unfortunately, we do not have digital cameras yet when this was taken. The photo could have been clearer and the images would be much more defined. I have only but a vague memory about the things that happened on the party but I do remember the faces and names of my classmates.

Summer is almost here and there is no better time to bond with the whole family than summer! The kids are on vacation from school and they have all the long weekends throughout the summer months. Make this summer a memorable one by planning a family outing where everyone, especially the children, can look forward to fun activities and interesting places to visit. It is important to have a plan however simple it may be. Raise your family’s anticipation for the outing by getting their help in deciding where to go and what to do. Involving the children in the event planning is a good training for their decision-making skills, while compromising and arriving at a common decision brings about democracy. Choose your destination considering the expenses involved and set your budget ahead. Get as much information on the place, the accessibility and available facilities especially those that will interest the kids. The children can be a great event planner and even help make an itinerary they

  photo from LA Times An escaped circus zebra in Atlanta galloped along a busy section of interstate highway on Thursday afternoon with police in hot pursuit. The rush hour traffic came into standstill and the busy interstate turned into a circus. After a 40-minute chase through downtown to the interstate highway, the Atlanta police captured the 12-year-old zebra, named Lima, along the Interstate 75-85 downtown connector. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus spokesperson, Crystal Drake, told the Associated Press, police cruisers blocked off all southbound lanes of Interstate 75 and were able to herd the zebra over to the right shoulder and off an entrance ramp, where his trainer was on hand to capture and soothe him. This incident seems to be the real-life version of the movie "Madagascar". Marty, the zebra lived a life of comfort in the zoo but it led to boredom. Marty, never having seen the wild wished that on his tenth birthday, he must travel to the w

"I Love You" You can say these three very strong and powerful words in many meaningful ways. In celebration of the month of hearts, what are your ways of breathing life into these three magical words to the people you love?

We welcome the Chinese New Year 2010 on Valentines Day! This rare event only happened three times since 1900 and would not happen again until after 2030. Red is the color of the New Year and so is Valentines Day. The color red symbolizes love and it is a lucky color on the New Year. Would this mean something on the year of the metal tiger? To see our fortunes this year, we shall look at our horoscope based on the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs and its predictions for 2010. The Rat The Year of the Rat 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Year 2010 promises to be an average year for you, while you may suffer from melancholy from time to time, the positioning of the planets in 2010 will benefit the rats and they will most definitely be more self-confident, and be more innovative than before. Year 2010 promises a great love life for you. You will definitely find a lover within the year, and for the ones that are blissfully married, the year will be filled with romantic joy. The Ox

Fourteen-year-old Lydia Ward from New Zealand was bodyboarding at Oreti Beach near the Southern City of Invercargill with her brother when a shark attacked her in waist-deep water, biting her hip. Lydia defended herself by repeatedly hitting the approximately 1.5-meter (4.9ft) long shark with her bodyboard until it let go. Explaining how she had read about a surfer who fought off a shark attack with her board, Lydia said, "That's what she did, and that's what you're meant to do." Lydia added, "I showed Dad and he didn't really believe me. But then I showed him my wetsuit, with all the blood coming out, and he believed me." Lydia survived the attack without serious injuries and suffered only several wounds that required medical treatment.

Giant squids are invading the California waters off Newport Beach and fishermen are having a field day attempting to reel in the unusual catch. The squid, some up to 60 pounds and 4 feet long, were first caught Thursday afternoon, and anglers began making twilight expeditions Friday night to catch the nocturnal sea creatures, which spend daytime close to the ground and rise to the surface at night. “When they’re lifted out of the water … they become a giant squirt gun. Chances are you’re gonna take a faceful or a chestful of water – and probably ink – when you pull them out … everybody laughs.” While the arrival of these amazing giant squids sparks excitement to some, the mystery behind this, I think, should create high level of concern to anyone. Where did these creatures come from? Why are they appearing on the beach? What must have caused them to leave their home? Maybe we might want to consider some good reasons before hunting them down and wiping them all out? Source: Los

It is almost February and I could now smell the sweet aroma of Valentines Day. Sweet love is obviously in the air. I plan to give Hubby a big surprise but I am lost with some creative ideas. Might as well visit my partner, Article Alley Article Directory for some useful Valentines Day promotions and fancy. Last Valentines Day, Hubby and I celebrated love over a simple yet romantic dinner. I would count that very day as the most memorable date we had within our ten years of marriage. This was the first Valentines Day that we had a real date and the very first Valentines Day that he gave me flowers and chocolates. Though they are not the typically expensive ones, his act of thoughtfulness really caught me by surprise because even when he was still courting me, he had not given me any flowers or chocolates a man courting a woman usually brings. Well, Hubby is not really the stereotypically romantic type of person. I kept the flowers and dried them to keep something that would remind

The couple Sergio and Ma. Socorro Bodiongan holds the Guinness Book of World Records' Biggest Mango in the World. Photo courtesy of Sikat Ang Pinoy. The Guinness Book of World Records has certified a 3.5-kilo mango from the Philippines to be the world's biggest mango. It has a length of 30 centimeters and a diameter of 50 centimeters and comes from Florida Keitt variety. It surpassed the 2.4-kilo mango from Canada. The world's biggest mango is a product of the couple Engr. Sergio B. Bodiongan and Mrs. Ma. Socorro M. Bodiongan from Iligan City. The said mango was displayed at the Sundayag 2009 Festival in Cagayan de Oro City and won in the "PINAKA" contest as the largest and heaviest among the other crops displayed. This only proves that the Philippines could grow humongous mangoes. This is the first time the Philippines breaks a record for the fruits category in the Guinness Book of World Records.

We are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary today. Ten years had passed since we exchanged "I dos". Ten years of sharing love, affection, happiness, pain, dreams, frustrations and struggles to keep our marriage untarnished, vibrant and scintillating. Like most marriages, we also had our shares of misfortunes and misunderstandings that challenged our relationship. Through these challenges, we learn the value of patience and sacrifice. I would say it was not easy. Keeping the dynamism of our marriage required so much hard work from both of us. However, it was worth the effort otherwise we would not be celebrating another wedding anniversary and every year we always go back to the basics to keep our marriage fresh. In keeping our marriage fresh, it is important to understand why we entered into it in the first place. Why did we have that all-consuming, ecstatic, heart-stirring experience when we get married? What did we want out of the relationship? What did we want to gi

Last Christmas, my kids handed me a handcrafted Christmas Card. They designed a very simple card on their own. Simple it may be but the efforts they exerted made the card more special than store-bought ones. Their thoughtfulness touched the mother in me that I would love to treat them to a movie; but no one would look after my now six-month old baby. I checked our DVD collections but they have watched everything we have. So I checked for some of their favorite movies on the Internet. Through Rapidshare Search Engine I was able to find what we were looking for with less effort. Thanks to their numerous lists of movie files, I was able to reward my kids for their thoughtfulness and they were able to enjoy the holidays. Have you ever thought how you felt when you received a surprise gift last Christmas or when somebody handed you a present on New Year's Day? Receiving a gift is something that gives anyone pleasure and joy. It makes you feel good that someone cares about you. Howe