Typhoon Ondoy

We rarely go to the North; our life pretty much revolves
around the South of Manila. Unfortunately, we had a
commitment to be in Cubao. Who would have known that
Typhoon Ondoy (aka Tropical Storm Ketsana) would bring
about one of the worst floods in Metro Manila history?

Basically, it took us the whole day to get back home.
And we're one of the luckier ones. Countless others are
still trying to recover from the floods.

There are numerous relief centers out there. Do take the
time to help out.

My 090909 Day

Day to day life has it's regular rhythm and pace. Okay, that's a nice
way of saying that life can be one big routine. But routines are good,
they provide us with some semblance of order. However, every once
in awhile, doing something different can do one some good.

Yesterday was 090909. It was an auspicious date for some. Fo me, it
was a chance to check off something from the 101 Things to Do in
1001 Days List. 090909 was a chance for me to look for something
extraordinary from an otherwise ordinary day.

The day started where the previous day ended. H decided to work until
really late. At around 1:45am, H decided it was time to hit the sack.
Oh man, I had to get up as I was "resting". I had to do my night routine
as I was too lazy to have brushed my teeth earlier. Then I noticed that
the toilet did not want to flush; no problem, it just needed a minor fix.
And then, our roof started to leak from the heavy rain; no problem,
nothing paper towels couldnt fix. So before you know, it was 2:45am.
Okay, this day was not turning out the way I was expecting it to.

H and I were celebrating a birthday so we decided to take the day off.
We were supposed to just pass by the office. "Passing by" rarely or
never happens. So, I was not surprised to find ourselves there until
lunch time. For lunch, we decided to try the new Jollibee Chicken
Barbeque. Not bad. I have to hand it to Jollibee, they're R&D is pretty
good.

Tsk tsk tsk, half of the day had already gone by. We decided to spend
the rest of the day doing what needed to get done. Unfortunately, my
doctor did not pass by the clinic. H, on the other hand, couldn't have
his haircut as the guy had his day off. So, H worked on his paper. I
then decided to just kill the next few hours searching for a new baby
book. Before you know it, it was 6pm and we were off to mass.

Our day ended with a nice dinner at Crustasia. Boohoo, I forgot my
camera. We had Tom Yum Soup, Shrimp Pancakes, Singaporean
Chili Crab (Wow! Was that crab huge!) and Pad Thai (complimentary).
Yum yum.

As a whole, I'd say nothing extraordinary really happened in 090909.
But as a whole, it was a good day. H and I are in great shape. Sure, we
have our fair share of joys and "challenges/opportunities". But at the
end of the day, I'm glad everything is under His control.

Things to do this September

Today is September 1, 2009. In the Philippines, the start of the
"BER" months used to signify the start of the Christmas Season.
However, due to more financially difficult times, the Christmas
Season now starts at around November or December; depending
on whether it's a good year or a bad year.

Last year, I started preparing for Christmas as early as September.
It was our first Christmas as a couple. Suddenly, I had to learn
how to shop for 2! Of course, I had to make a "career" out of it!

As serendipity would have it, the 2008 Ramadan Season started
on the 1st of September. It was a Legal Holiday and I decided to
grab the chance to check out department stores in Makati.

I can still vividly remember the Christmas displays at Rustan's!
The Christmas decors just lifted my spirits and put me in a
holiday mood.

In the end, I made the right decision as I was on bed rest the
entire month of December. By that time, I was already done
with my shopping and was not stressed out over Christmas
preparations.

Here are a few things I picked up from last year's experience.
Spoiler Warning: this is not for those who enjoy the adrenaline
rush that comes when doing things last minute!

Things to do this September:

1) Start your "Spring Cleaning".

Spring Cleaning is not really a part of Philippine Culture. The
closest thing we have is the tradition of cleaning up the house
before Christmas and/or New Year's.

Starting this early will give you ample time to really assess your
home environment. Something you will not be able to properly
do if you start on December.

Do yourself a favor. Don't just do some cleaning. Go do some
clearing! If it doesn't work, doesn't fit, will never get used, etc
do dispose of it! If it is still in a decent condition, donate it to
family, friends or a charitable institution. Otherwise, throw
it away! Don't unnecessarily burden other people with your
junk!

2) Finalize your Christmas Shopping List.

Last year's Christmas Shopping was a breeze. It didn't feel as
"painful" as previous years. Firstly, my expenses were spread
out over a period of 3 - 4 months. Also, instead of buying things
at regular price, I was able to wait for sale events and bought
things at sale price.

I also had a "tea box" theme for a few relatives and friends. I
found a bazaar stall, with reasonable prices, to buy quite a
number of items from. This worked to my advantage as I was
able to bargain for wholesale prices.

3) Work on THAT SCRAPBOOK.

I have a few scrapbooks that I need to get done before the baby
comes. They're scrapbooks on stuff H and I did together. I'm
sure if I don't get these done within the year, these scrapbooks
will never see the light of day.

Each year has its own fair share of memories. You may want to
work on "documenting" this year's precious moments within
THE YEAR. Trust me, next year, you too will find yourself too
busy with other "more important" things to do. And do count
on next year to have its own share of adventures and
misadventures, wanting to be documented.

Let me know how things work out for you...

I hope these tips will help you experience the Holidays in a
a more enjoyable way!


I love lists... There have been so many that I can't
recall them all...

This is my ode to the humble list...