playing for keeps

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for other people, is to stay out of their business.

 

 

 

 

Oftentimes, just when I am about to go into a deep slumber, I open my eyes a bit and I see you sleeping soundly beside me. Suddenly--despite all the arguments that day brought us--in the haze between my sleep and my dreams, I try to remember whether I've told you today that I love you. And just to be sure, I hug you and whisper my sleep-induced words of "I love you".

You probably don't remember it anymore when you wake up. But just so you know, in that haze between your sleep and dreams, you always manage to answer "I love you, too, Honie."

And that is how my day would officially end.

This has got to be my longest blogging hiatus thus far!

I still write in my personal journal but I suddenly miss blogging! I think now that I'm kinda getting tired with FB, I'll go back to blogging again :)

Gosh, ang tahimik sa multiply!!!

So which one/s do you agree with?

21 UTOS NI BOB ONG

1. "Kung hindi mo mahal ang isang tao, wag ka nang magpakita ng motibo para mahalin ka niya."

2. "Huwag mong bitawan ang bagay na hindi mo kayang makitang hawak ng iba."

3. "Huwag mong hawakan kung alam mong bibitawan mo lang."

4. "Huwag na huwag kang hahawak kapag alam mong may hawak ka na."

5.. "Parang elevator lang yan eh, bakit mo pagsisiksikan ung sarili mo kung walang pwesto para sayo. Eh meron naman hagdan, ayaw mo lang pansinin."

6. "Kung maghihintay ka nang lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo...Dapat lumandi ka din."

7. "Pag may mahal ka at ayaw sayo, hayaan mo. malay mo sa mga susunod na araw ayaw mo na din sa kanya, naunahan ka lang."

8. "Hiwalayan na kung di ka na masaya. Walang gamot sa tanga kundi pagkukusa."

9. "Pag hindi ka mahal ng mahal mo wag ka magreklamo. Kasi may mga tao rin na hindi mo mahal pero mahal ka.. Kaya quits lang."

10. "Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, piliin mo ung pangalawa. Kasi hindi ka naman magmamahal ng iba kung mahal mo talaga ung una."

11. "Hindi porke't madalas mong ka-chat, kausap sa telepono, kasama sa mga lakad o ka-text ng wantusawa eh may gusto sayo at magkakatuluyan kayo. Meron lang talagang mga taong sadyang friendly, sweet, flirt, malandi, pa-fall o paasa."

12. "Huwag magmadali sa babae o lalaki. Tatlo, lima, sampung taon, mag-iiba ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong hindi pala tamang pumili ng kapareha dahil lang maganda o nakakalibog ito. Totoong mas mahalaga ang kalooban ng tao higit sa anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan nagmumukha ding pandesal, maniwala ka."

13. "Minsan kahit ikaw ang nakaschedule, kailangan mo pa rin maghintay, kasi hindi ikaw ang priority."

14. "Mahirap pumapel sa buhay ng tao. Lalo na kung hindi ikaw ung bida sa script na pinili niya."

15. "Alam mo ba kung gaano kalayo ang pagitan ng dalawang tao pag nagtalikuran na sila? Kailangan mong libutin ang buong mundo para lang makaharap ulit ang taong tinalikuran mo."

16. "Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa paggawa ng wala."

17. "Hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohanan, at hindi lahat ng hindi mo kayang intindihin ay kasinungalingan."

18. "Kung nagmahal ka ng taong di dapat at nasaktan ka, huwag mong sisihin ang puso mo. Tumitibok lang yan para mag-supply ng dugo sa katawan mo.
Ngayon, kung magaling ka sa anatomy at ang sisisihin mo naman ay ang hypothalamus mo na kumokontrol ng emotions mo, mali ka pa rin! Bakit?
Utang na loob! Wag mong isisi sa body organs mo ang mga sama ng loob mo sa buhay! Tandaan mo: magiging masaya ka lang kung matututo kang tanggapin na hindi ang puso, utak, atay o bituka mo ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari sayo, kundi IKAW mismo!"

19. "Pakawalan mo ung mga bagay na nakakasakit sayo kahit na pinasasaya ka nito. Wag mong hintayin ang araw na sakit na lang ang nararamdaman mo at iniwan ka na ng kasiyahan mo."

20. "Gamitin ang puso para alagaan ang mga taong malalapit sayo. Gamitin ang utak para alagaan ang sarili mo."

21. "Ang pag-ibig parang imburnal...nakakatakot mahulog...at kapag nahulog ka, it's either by accident or talagang tanga ka.

Hi mommies and mommies to be. Nikki, pakiforward to kay Abbie, I don't know her email ad e.

I was reminded of this issue when I read one of DOP's recent posts and I wanted to share them with you because I know you are preparing for your baby's stuff.

It's about this BPA issue, it was proven toxic and is commonly found in baby stuff like mga feeding bottles. In fact, it has been banned from some countries na. In the Philippines ata, it is not yet banned. I am not sure lang if it's banned na in Singapore. So if it's not banned, you may probably be buying things that has BPA in it :(

Daphne mentioned (and she IS a reliable source) that Philips-Avent is not releasing BPA-Free bottles and breast pumps markets except in North America!!!

Here's an excerpt from her blog:

Most people in the Western world don't have to worry about BPA in their children's plastic bottles. BPA is bisphenol-a found in clear hard plastics like baby bottles. BPA has estrogenic properties and has been found to cause the following problems (and more):

- prostate and breast cancer
- uro-genital abnormalities in male babies
- early onset of puberty in girls
- metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes
- obesity
- neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Canada took the lead in banning BPA in baby bottles. The industry responded. Most baby-product companies developed BPA-free baby bottles. Some retailers offered refunds for old BPA Bottles. I wrote about the BPA issue last year.

Technically, I can give birth safely in four weeks. I had been preparing the little details. I don't need much - no baby gadgets and toys. This is my third baby. But I do need newborn clothes and a whole new system of breast pumps and bottles. All my old bottles had BPA, so they went out the window last year.

I wasn't going to mention it but I will. Philips Avent, as a company, sucks big time. They are not releasing BPA-Free bottles and breast pumps markets other than North America. While North American babies can be assured of safety, our babies will have to use up all the old stock toxic bottles. So those of us who want to still use Avent will have to order through relatives in the US or Canada. Or through some enterprising "importers" and resellers in Multiply or Ebay. Or as my friend Ingrid and I found out (the hard way), you can buy it at Baby and Co -- for P1799 for two 5oz bottles... that's USD 37 for two small bottles.

I've used the Avent manual breast pump for both kids. It worked fine for me. I can't the say the same for Medela electric. I went all out during my second baby and bought a double electric. It ended up giving me mastitis. I almost had to have breast surgery during that time. So I went back to manual. I was looking for BPA-free Avent manual pumps here. They're not being sold by the official distributors because of that awful policy of Philips Avent. So I had to be resourceful and order it directly from the US.

What the local market lacks in non-toxic Avent bottles, it gains in this new product called Tommee Tippee. I got a few bottles. I looove the shape and design. The teats are wider and softer. It seems more "natural" than the other brands. And... the price is friendlier. I'm getting more for sure.



You may want to read the rest of the entry, because Daphne suggested some sources where you can buy BPA-free products.

http://daphneosena.livejournal.com/88083.html

Hope this helps!

There are still some studies and press releases supporting the safety of this chemical, that it is not considered toxic. But those are still just draft assessments. Plus the fact that when marketing and profits are concerned, some companies don't lay down the whole truth to their consumers. In my opinion, it is better not to take that risk. If there is a better and safer alternative, then I'd go for that alternative.

Hope you have a safe delivery! And for some of you, enjoy your new-found momminess. Sana ako rin soon na :)

The first words I heard this morning from another human being: “Michael Jackson, die o-ready.” That was from the taxi driver. I was shocked and just stared at the Uncle.

Thinking I didn’t understand him, he explained further, “Michael Jackson. King of Pop lah. Heart attack one."

To confirm the news, I quickly went to my Safari, but I didn’t go to CNN’s website. Instead, I went to Chuvaness. I’m sure CVS has written something about it, or at least posted some other links, if it is indeed truelala.

What a sad day. Michael Jackson. An icon of my generation. Despite the controversies and what-have-you’s, he is still the King of Pop. The most talented and creative singer to have walked the face of the Earth.

How do you make a tribute for such a great talent? How do you even start?

My favorite MJ song is Man in the Mirror. What’s yours?

Blogging hiatus. I blame it on FB. I haven't blogged as often as I used to because I'm too busy answering quizzes, writing on others' walls, updating my status, writing senseless comments, etc.

Nikki's new accessory. Hubby bought a new accessory for his toy (Nikki). An external flash. About $350. Really makes a big difference to our shots. But I do hope he gets the hell out and start shooting again. I noticed all he does lately is just tinker with his gadgets. (Yes, I do name my favorite things).

Our move. We've settled in our new place already. All bags and boxes have been emptied. Stuff has been put in their proper places. Just a little bit more organising and I guess we're all set to organise a housewarming.

New kitchen. I'm settling into my new kitchen as well. I am still adjusting though because it is smaller than our previous flats'. When we were at Ikea the other day, I told him we should buy the kitchen trolley already so I can at least clear up some countertop space. Instead of following his wife's advice, he proceeded to buy the futton frame instead. I DID NOT like him at all at that moment.

New phone. After having to swear that I will not leave my phone unattended while the whole office is moving to a new location and that I will not put my phone into washing machines (or indirectly do anything that will make other people put it into any kind of household appliances), Hubby finally got me a new phone. Initially, I wanted a Nokia E71, but after waiting almost two weeks for the color that I want to arrive, I changed my mind and decided to go for an iPhone instead.

iPhone convert. I didn’t like iPhone when it first came out. I even called it ‘a snobbish phone’—hello, you can’t forward messages then. However, now that I have mine, plus with the recent upgrade, I totally totally love it, mainly because I get to download cool applications. Hehe.

Cooking for two. Been cooking everyday since we moved to our new place, and I’m starting to enjoy it again. Masarap magbaon, eh. Iba pa rin ang lutong bahay. Once again, I’m discovering the joys of cooking for my husband and discovering some nice simple dishes. Or how to make them more yummy—like what a few drops of calamansi can do to your sweet & sour pork, or how mushroom soup from scratch is so much better than the canned version.

Lister. Some things on my list now—go to the driving range with hubby at least once a week to practice my swing, cook and master some new dishes, go to mass every Sunday (we are facing so many challenges now but God has been good to us, I don’t want to miss Sunday masses na so I can properly thank him), do my HHA (guess what this is) at least thrice a week, fix our home office and organize my accessories and knick knacks, learn how to mix some cocktails, finish my childhood scrapbook, and also miko and nixxie’s scrapbooks, and finally, WORK HARDER (I feel I am so petiks at times, lol).

Yun lang pow. Baboosh. Lol.

 It was good and fun while it lasted.

See you in Marine Parade!!!

I haven’t blogged for a looong time. So it’s just right that I write a long entry about our house-hunting this year. This is going to be quite a long read…

 

Because our contract for our Holland Close flat is expiring in June, we already contemplated as early as January whether we should renew the contract or not. For one thing, our housemates will be moving out already and unless the owner is willing to meet our price range, then we’d have to move and find another flat.

 

As we had expected, the owner (more like the agent, I think) did not bulge to our tawad. The agents that we had then, let’s call her “Agent L”, talked to us about finding a new place by June. We told her our requirements (budget, location, interiors, etc) but she was quite negative (i.e. Ay naku, wala kayong mahahanap na okay sa ganyang price range!), and I didn’t like it one bit. She kept telling us our budget is not enough and we won’t be able to find a place within that range. We didn’t believe her because we’ve done our research and we know that our price range is just reasonable for a studio or a one-bedroom flat. Plus the fact that property rates went down this year. And so, I told my husband I didn’t want to have her as our agent anymore because I don’t like dealing with negative people. I believed that the reason she didn’t like our budget was because, the lower our budget, the lower her fee would be (In Singapore, you need to pay your agent half of one month’s rental rate for a year of their services).

 

So who became our agent? Eian, wife of one of my paddle-side brothers here, is a property agent and so we asked her to be our agent. She’s really good because she understands what we want, what we need, and how much we can really afford. In fact, there were times during our viewings that I was about to make an offer already, but she would be my “voice of conscience” and ask me “Sure ka, Mitch, okay na sa’yo to?”. (Jun, who had higher standards than me, was away on vacation a few weeks ago, I was the only one who went with my agent for the first two viewing sessions.  Thus, the low standards and low expectations hehe)

 

When I viewed the first few studios, I thought “Yikes, our things won’t fit in here.” I also noticed that most studios here in Singapore are in private apartments/buildings. Most of the studio units in HDBs are allocated to older people without any families. And because most studios are not in HDBs, their locations are a bit far from the MRT or bus stations. If you look at the city lay out of Singapore, you’d notice that government-owned properties (e.g. HDBs) are the ones near the MRT and bus interchanges.

 

Here are the units that I have shiortlisted after four sessions of viewings, which spanned two weekends:

 

@Tanah Merah

The first place I “shortlisted” was a studio apartment in Tanah Merah. It is actually a landed property converted into a number of studio apartments. The house has its own small elevator! Nice! It’s not an open-space studio concept—which means that there is some sort of a dividing wall that separates the living area from the bedroom. It was really cute (literally cute actually, because it was so small). I can see the potential of the place in spite of the messy unit that we viewed (there was still a tenant occupying it during our viewing). The downside is, it’s far from the MRT station. There are also no buses because it’s a road of “landed properties” which means that people staying there have cars so the government probably thought “Oh we don’t need it to be a part of the bus routes then.” How much is the rent? It’s priced at $1500 (negotiable).

 

And so I e-mailed the pics to my hubby (who was in Manila that time):

My hubby’s verdict: Not good enough. He said it’s too far from the MRT (which means I will end up complaining to him everyday about the walk). It’s too small and cramped. Plus, Tanah Merah is too far from the city. And there are no nearby convenience stores, etc. The $1500 is just not worth it.

 

@Balestier

I viewed this unit twice—first time, it was just me; then second time, I was with hubby. It’s a private building with studio units inside; walking distance to Novena MRT station. Jun and I liked it because all the fixtures and furnishings were new and of good quality. It’s priced at $1400 inclusive of PUB, Cable TV and internet. Not bad, huh. The downside is, it’s an open-concept studio and we don’t think that our stuff would fit in that space. After viewing it with Jun, we decided that if we really cannot find anything for the next two weeks, then we would make an offer already for this place. In the event that we stay at this studio, we’d have to think of some way to keep (or dispose) some of our bulky stuff).

 

If you are a couple (pwede ring single) and you are just starting it out here in SG, I highly recommend this to you. Most probably you don’t have your own furniture and appliances yet so this set up is just right for you. The fact that the rental price is inclusive of PUB, Cable TV and internet is really a good deal. They have different studio layouts, so you can choose which one you prefer. Took some photos of the studio unit:

 

 

@Guillemard

A little backgrounder: Our soon-to-be-ex-housemates will be moving to a 2-bedroom private apartment in a building called Guillemard View. It’s located at the “quieter” side of Geylang, adjacent to Guillemard Road. Like other private apartments, the layout was spacious. And so, when Mommy Eian told me that there is a unit up for rent in that same building, with the same layout, and is within our budget, I got really excited!

 

When I first viewed the Guillemard unit, I was shocked because it looked so different from what I expected. It was a bit run down, and the owners had too many furniture that they didn’t want to move out. So the “spacious layout” that I had expected, became very cramped and baduy. I told myself that maybe when Jun sees it for himself, he’d decide that the price of $1500 is worth it because of the space and the location (it was walking distance to my office) and that we’d just fix the place up.

 

On my second viewing of the Guillemard unit, this time with Jun, he took one look and he didn’t like it. It was not “magaan sa loob”. He always believed that once you step inside a unit, you’d know if you will like it or not once you feel that it is “magaan sa loob”. I was already panicking a bit because nothing seems to be within our requirements. I wanted to settle with the Guillemard unit (thinking that it was worth it because of the size and location).

 

@Marine Terrace

By this time, we have already viewed the flat at Marine Terrace, and it was out of our budget. But since we really liked the Marine Terrace unit, we made an offer for $1500 (vs owner’s price of $1800). I told Jun that it is most unlikely that the owner will give way (yes, I was being nega at this time because I was too scared we might not be able to find a flat in time for our Holland unit contract’s expiration). Our offer was $300 below the rental price! We made the offer around 6pm and we didn’t get any reply from the owner’s agent at all. We thought, maybe it wasn’t really for us, then. But lo and behold, Jun woke me up the following day with very good news: Mommy Eian called him to inform him that the owner accepted our offer. Woohoo!

 

Why did the owner accept our (low) offer? It must have been our charm! Haha. Actually, the other prospective tenants had higher offers than us. But the owner thought that we would be able to take care of the flat better, and it’s just the two of us so there won’t be much wear and tear. She’d rather rent it out at a cheaper price than spend a lot for the renovations/repairs when the tenants move out.

 

So here is our new home w.e.f. 13 Jun 2009. The pros and cons:

 

PROs – $1500 for 2 bedrooms; corner flat; super well-maintained as the owner is always abroad; we are the first tenants; renovated; owner seems nice; nice view of the sea and trees; near restaus and bars at East Coast; there’s a direct bus going to my workplace and Jun’s workplace; quiet neighborhood; walking distance to a food court and market; toilet and bath is in good condition—very clean, no stains, etc; near the airport; playground (for my future babies), badminton and basketball court just beside our building; CCTV cameras in the lift and other common areas (not all HDBs have this—it’s a special installation because GCT is the MP in this area; and finally, Goh Chock Tong is the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for this constituency—yay!

 

CONs – it’s not near an MRT station; no supermarket (like CS or NTUC) nearby; the unit is not on a high floor (it’s just on the fifth floor); travel time taking the direct bus to city (Suntec/Orchard etc) is more than 30 minutes; other CONs shall be discovered as we go along but hopefully it won’t be a lot.

 

So here’s a sneak peak of the next Tuloy ang Ligaya residence:

 

"Sometimes, we need to be apart to see the wonderful things we have together."

--

The longest time that we were apart was nine months. When we finally got together and started living under one roof, we told each other: We will never be apart. Where one goes, the other goes. For whatever reason it may be. When we need to travel, we travel together.

A week after we said that, I had to leave him for a two-week business trip to East Malaysia.

 

Huh! Such sweet words that only newly-married couples can utter. When reality bites, you learn that there are some things that you have to do alone, that there are times when you need to be away from your partner.

 

It’s no big deal for most people, I guess. What’s one- or two weeks’ away from each other, right? Some would even see each other every two years.

 

This past week that he was away, I felt that there was nothing to look forward to everyday because I know I wouldn’t see him when I wake up nor would I see him after work. And at 29 years old, it is actually a new feeling for me. Yes, I’ve been into other serious relationships before I got married, but I was NEVER dependent on a man. I am happy with or without them. It was like my own personal adage: “Never put your happiness in the hands of one person. You have to learn to be happy on your own, before you can be happy with someone.”

 

Not that I am miserable without him. Okay, I do feel miserable without him. I didn’t know I was actually capable of missing someone this much. And we’ve been friends, best friends, lovers, etc for more than a decade!

 

So this week, and probably for the rest of my life, I specifically thanked God for this chapter in our life in which we are away from our old friends and family. I don’t think we would be as close and bonded as we are now if not for our situation. Like other loving couples, we become each other’s strength, our problems make us stronger (or for other couples, break ‘em up), we learn each other’s importance at once, we see each other’s bad side but the acceptance is always there (albeit the arguments and interrogations). The difference, I guess, is that those things are more magnified.

 

I believe this is yet again another confirmation that I married the one I truly, madly, deeply love. And that the one I married truly, madly, deeply loves me too. I just know. Because despite all my mood swings, long-term PMSing and other neurotic tendencies, illogical demands, radical views and some other unpleasant changes in me, he still makes me feel like a 15-year old girl, experiencing love for the first time. No partner is perfect, but if we’re blessed, we find the perfect partner for us.

 

A week or two before he left, I got mad at him. I was so mad at him that I thought, upon waking up one morning, I couldn’t feel the magic anymore. You see, although I am crazy when it comes to love, I do not wear rose-colored glasses in my relationship. I love deeply but I have no ambitions to become a martyr. In as much as I shout to the world that I love someone, I also shout it out to the world when I am hurt.

 

For me, that thing they call "magic" in a relationship comes and goes. It’s just up to us to bring it back when troubles & hurt steal it away. And as for me and my one great love, the magic is definitely back.

It's all because of Chuvaness! Haha. I suddenly felt homesick because of all these SM talk at CVS' site. Got worse when I saw this. Huhuhu!!! I want to have this as my ring tone!!! I miss SM, really!!! The theme song reminds me of my mom, especially when my sisters and I were still kids and we'd have our weekly trips to SM, Cinderella, and the old "outdoor" Glorietta (after my Saturday ballet class--yes, I took up ballet haha). My mom is an SM fanatic. I miss SM. I miss my mom-my Super Mom. Wahhh!

Watch this, ang galing. I wish my piano teacher didn't walk out on me.