my birthday-holiday

I was born in summer when kids don't have to wake up early to go to school or stay a bit late to finish their homework. My birthday also happens to bea national holiday when people take a day off from work and just relax. So since I was a child, I have enjoyed all the perks of having been born in summer, on a national holiday!!! I always feel so grateful that mom gave birth to me at a perfect time -- a beautiful, summery holiday.

But what exactly is the national holiday for?

According to history, April 9 is the Day of Valor. It commemorates the bravery of all Filipino soldiers and civilians who fought and died during World War 2. It is such heartbreaking to imagine all the struggles and cruelty that happened during this period.


Aside from declaring a holiday, a national shrine was built to remember the heroism and sacrifices of the prisoners of war, who walked all day for six days taking the "route to death".

A month before my birthday last year (2013), my friends from Ateneo planned a trip to Mount Samat in Bataan for us to have a look at the famous shrine. 

This is me, looking at the view from one of the cross' wings. 

Cielo and I trying to copy the poses of the men above us ;)

A closer look at our silliness. haha
The gigantic shrine made me look so miniature.
Quirky poses with Corinne and Ms. Lucy
Defying gravity with Corinne.
With my dear friend Rea while waiting for the others. :)
The marble altar with stained glass mural on the walls.

After exploring the Dambana ng Kagitingin, we then headed to Subic for a quick sidetrip. Everyone chose to have some adventure. ;)

Are we ready to get some adrenaline rush? I guess so!!! haha

This tree drop adventure really made my heart beat so fast!!! I did not exactly feel like Lara Croft here! Instead, I was so damned scared and got the cold feet. Good grief I was able to get over and done with it. haha

This is what they call the "Interactive Free Fall" ride, which I tried with Rea and Corinne. Guess what? I screamed "I'm scared" all throughout the ride. What was wrong with me? Was I supposed to be an adrenaline junkie?

(Credits to Cielo for the photos)

wander: Dambana ng Kagitingan 

            (Pilar, Bataan)

            Treetop Adventure 

            (JEST Area, Upper Mau Cubi Point Subic Bay Freeport Zone)

           

wonder: 

rolling spring rolls

My good friend Mansy invited  me to join an art flea market she organized with her friends and I happily participated. I did not make any craft/artwork worthy of display, but I made something which the tummy would surely appreciate. ;)

So I woke up quite early Saturday morning to hunt for the ingredients: mint, cilantro, and basil leaves, green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, lime and lemon, shrimp, chicken meat, etc. I enjoyed shopping for the ingredients despite the "busyness" of the farmer's market. I want to buy all spices and herbs that I saw but the practical mind said "you won't need or use all of them". So I stepped back and just bought what I needed for the spring rolls. Good choice! :)

After shopping, I started prepping the ingredients. I sliced the cucumbers and carrots, washed the herbs and lettuce and cooked the shrimp and chicken meat.  So happy to come up with minty, flavorful spring rolls :) I was able to finish rolling around 50 pieces before the start of the market fair. Ideally, I wanted to make 100 but thought it would be just too many. 

Take a peek at what's inside the roll. :)

"We are ready!", said the spring rolls. haha

ready for the #bringyourownbenta

Look who came and checked Ninang's foodie! The fluffy kiddo!!!
Thank you to my dear friends who came and tried the spring rolls -- Janie, Tin, Li, Kea, Corinne and Yagi! Til next time guys :)

Spring rolls all sold out :) Merci beaucoup :)

After the fair, I felt so dead-tired and very hungry. Hence, I met up with my friends Corinne and Yagi and had dinner together. See my healthy (?) meal? I was able to finish it despite the "overly" well-done meat. :p

spontaneous big day

April 9, 2014

It should have been a day with nature but something came up that made the plan be postponed. Hence, there was no pressure to wake up so early to prepare for the climb (like what I did last year with my sibs and friends). I felt thrilled of what would happen though and allowed the spontaneity of this big day do its tricks. I was also so relaxed and sluggish that I woke up at around nine o'clock but shortly went back to sleep. Then, when the tummy started growling and in the verge of shouting "dans la rue!", I finally decided to get up and go out with my cousin Van to grab some brunch. 

Pasta for brunch with cousin Van.

After our healthy meal, we did some food shopping for my afternoon picnic at UP with friends from work. My undergraduate university has this nature-like vibe to it which makes it a perfect venue for picnics. I was glad that my friends joined me in my "unfussy" birthday wish to have a simple picnic at UP. 

At the beginning, the weather did not seem to cooperate. It was a bit cloudy and there was lightly drizzling rain. The falling flowers from the cotton trees made it a bit autumn-y, but I liked it. Finally, the drizzle stopped (thank God) and we set up our picnic party. :-)

It was a lovely and simple picnic with people dear to me. I must say, I am such a happy-lucky person to have great friends! They cared about my big day and really went out of their way just to spend it with me. :) 

with Yagi and Corinne plus our "very-UP" backdrop: "SAGOT SA KAHIRAPAN AY DIGMAAN"

with Cielo deary :)

Rea, moi, Corinne and Yagi. We gave in to eating junk foodie
on my birthday. Yey and Yay!

Spotted some birthday balloons on our way to the restroom. Perfect timing!

Mirror shot with my great friend, Rea :)

seriously candid shot #1

seriously candid shot #2

It's a happy picnic day :)

Merci beaucoup mes amis! 

mirasol + sablay 2014

Going to UP for the sunflowers is becoming an annual tradition and I am loving it!

After our barre3 class, Janie and I went to UP again to see the beautiful sunflowers. Last year we were just two, but now we got the fluffy lil kiddo plus the ladies of Maplewood with us. Fun!

Like last year:

-We wore the sablay with our casual outfits.

-I also took photos of the bees flying around the flowers. I love chasing them as they flutter from one flower to another.

-We again greatly appreciated the beauty of the summer bloom :)

Unlike last year though:

-We had the photo shoot on a Saturday. I think the day is better than Sunday as the university avenue is not too crowded.

-The fluffy little kiddo joined us in our sunflower craze despite his "I-don't-feel-like-being-here" face. haha

Looking forward to next year's Mirasol+Sablay Day!!! :)

the chase

"Keep your face to the sunshine..." -Helen Keller

shy sunflower

the trio

with our sablay and the fluffy lil kid :)

wander: University of the Philippines
              Diliman, Quezon City

wonder:

jogging on Sundays

March 16, 2014

My jogging buddy (aka Janie) couldn't make it but I still pushed through with the Sunday "fitness" routine. Glad to have made it. :) 

The past few weekends, I started jogging at Ateneo as well with Corinne, my friend from work. I have yet to explore the Blue Eagles campus but I find jogging there a bit thrilling and kind of... spooky?! The place is a little bit dark (it's a night jog, of course Angela!) and not so many people jog there (it's not as open to public as UP). Oh well, as long as I have a jogging buddy, I must not be scared! Must jog for fitness' sake! haha

Runkeeper kind of kept me company *wink*

The jogging feet

a bit of a health buff (?)

My cousin Van and I went food shopping and ended up cooking chicken adobo and fresh spring rolls. We had a healthy lunch indeed. :)

a leaf and an insect

“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” – Henry David Thoreau

at mommy's garden

Mom's garden has such a therapeutic vibe in it. I don't know, it could be the positive energy coming from  the vibrant and flourishing plants or maybe... the believers in supernatural creatures are right, there are good elves thriving in the garden, taking care of and keeping it healthy. Why not? *wink*

It's just funny though that one time, while mom was watering the plants, I told her, 

Mom, your plants are full of zest whenever you provide them water.

And she replied,

Of course, I am like their mom too and I have to take care of them. When I do, they become livelier.

My mom is indeed like a mom to all the plants in her garden. Or maybe, she's more than a mom to them as she tends to them early in the morning and right after when she finishes her work. (Do I have the tone of a jealous daughter? Uhm, not exactly!) Anyhow, the result of her tender, loving care for the plants is a perfect ambience to relax our minds when we want to be alone or to add a nature-like feel when mom and dad set the place up for breakfast or dinner when all the kids are home. 

And just now, I came to take beautiful photos of plants from mom's garden. Happy and proud of the unfiltered pictures. Enjoy the snapshots :)