busted flat

I was driving my mother to work yesterday when all of a sudden the car was making a flopping noise at the back and the car slanted a little bit downwards to the right.  I stopped the car to the right side of the road only occupying one lane so the traffic can still flow at the other lane.  When we got out of the car to check the damage, this is what we saw.  There's only been a few times when I felt helpless, this is one of those.  And this has happened twice to me.  The first time was different.  My father was still alive and I was only like 2 meters away from the house, so no trouble for me.  This second time was so much of a hassle.  I dont know how to change a tire!  cannot even lift one!  My mother was just as helpless.  
We sat in the car for the first few minutes trying to figure out what we would be doing.  I called up the mechanic from the service center but he didnt answer the phone.  My mother called up my aunt and asked her to send my cousin over to help us.  After these calls my mother and myself got into a little spat as she was blaming me for causing this.  I was driving too fast she said.  This is not the first time I get into trouble with this car.  And I get the major events of this car.  First was when a jeepney drove past me and hit the side mirror, we went to the LTO for that.  Wasn't my fault at all and the jeepney driver has had a little bit of alcohol before he went out to drive.  My mother ended up paying for most of the bill as the driver couldnt really pay for the damages.  Second was when the car overheated on my mother's birthday last year and because of this the mechanic gave it a major overhaul.  I dont know what it means but he replaced lots of parts at the front.  Third was when I was driving it and I noticed it was going to overheat again.  I brought it to the service center and they found that the waterpump was leaking and needed to be replaced, I ended up paying for it to shut my mother up.  I couldnt believe it.  It's always me.  I always get to be the one to handle these stresses.  It's not the car itself breaking down that's stressful, it's listening to my mother nag about it!  hihihi  
It's not my fault!  This is my plea, most of the time.  I mean, how can I have caused it?  If we talk about long term bad habit leading to the breaking down of the parts..  I come home on vacations for 2 months each year for the last 2 years and I dont use the car everyday.  If i do use it, i stay in the city.  i dont go to offroad adventures with the car.  It just so happens that everytime it breaks down, Im the one behind the wheel.  
My arguments why I couldnt have caused this flat tire and why my road speed didn't cause it: My mother thinks that because I was driving too fast, the tire got busted and it's probably more damaged because of this.  First of all, we're in the highway, you can't drive 30 kph in the highway, there are other vehicles behind you.  Second, I know I wasn't driving too fast because there was a car in front of me.  I wanted to get past him but just waited anyway thinking maybe he'll pick up his speed.  Third, I didn't use the car the week before this happened except for one time when I used it to drive myself to the review center.  Fourth, this is what cars and other things in general do..they break down, get stolen, lose their strength over time..they don't last forever.  I dont know Im just saying.  Maybe if one can learn to accept the nature of things, then it would be easier to just move on instead of nagging about it.  Like I said it was just a little spat.  We made up after a few minutes.
The highway police patrolling the area came to our rescue.  My cousin Neil arrived and then left to get a block of wood to put the jack on to give it more height and then came back with three pieces of wood but it was really no use anymore because the police had helped change the tire.  So he gave me a high five and then left.  The police were very nice to us.  I was so happy about this.  :)
It was kinda embarrassing because we were stuck there for over an hour and you can see the traffic jam behind us..  it was over one kilometer long.  Some of the drivers of the vehicles that pass by would give us an angry look.  Yea.  Well, sorry grumpy old man.  It's not like I wished for this to happen to me.  Yea.  you should just give yourself a bath, you look like you smell hehe.  But really I felt sorry, but like I said, we didnt wish for it to happen.  Some people must have been late for work on that day.  :(
Kudos to the SRP police for their help.  It was really appreciated.  I really don't like the police, they made a bad impression on me when I was 16.  But this time, this group has vindicated their profession , their image in my eyes.  I have a fresh new look at the police now.  At that time, I felt like I was with heroes.  

*the tire has been retired since yesterday.  there is a big cut on the side after the incident.  the mechanics said that it was probably a cut from running against or in and around a curb or something, maybe metal scraps on the road, things like that.    my mother had bought two new tires for her car as she wants to ensure her safety in it.  i think she had been convinced that it's not really my fault.  i just always happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

mindanao, the land of promise

my boyfriend is on his way to me now.  im excited!  we will be going to davao.  go to an island called samal.  on a road trip to bukidnon.  travel to cagayan de oro.  on the road again to iligan city and then back to cagayan to catch a fight to cebu.  im very excited about these travels.  im also getting married if everything is in order, documents etc.  im very scared of this.  for so many reasons.  i think it's weird that i should feel this way.  it's not supposed to be like this and i didnt dream of my wedding to be like this.  i imagined myself getting married and happy and excited about it from the planning all the way to the altar.  i love my fiance.  ok whatever.  im just soo happy to be going to mindanao with my fiance and enjoying the time there with him.  i just hope that the peace situation is okay and that the roads will be accessible (low pressure area readings in recent days).

an overview of the activities i have planned to do in mindanao:

we will be visiting 4 cities.  davao (davao), malaybalay (bukidnon), cagayan de oro city (misamis oriental), and iligan city (lanao del norte).

1. in davao we will go to samal island, see the bats as they fly out of their caves and get some tan on the white beaches of the island.  
2. in mainland davao, we will go to the crocodile farm.  we will be there by 4pm when the animal show will start.  you get to pet the animals during the show. some of them are known to be dangerous creatures like the snakes.
3. early morning travel to bukidnon passing by provincial sceneries.  go up the dahilayan park where we will ride the longest dual zipline at almost 1km long.  also gonna try the pendulum drop.
4. travel to iligan city after half a day at the dahilayan park.  we will visit the maria christina falls.  a beautiful and big waterfall.  then go to visit tinago falls, which means hidden falls in english.  
5. on our last day we will get on a white water rafting adventure for half a day before rounding up the trip.  we will need to check in for our flight back to cebu around noon.

ive been to these places before except for samal island and dahilayan park.  i want to show to my fiance the beauty and diversity of the nature here in the philippines.  even if i had been to different places in the philippines, i dont really feel like its redundant to see similar sites or tourist attractions.  one place is often always so different and unique from another.  unique in so many ways, could be the food, the way of living, the language, the nature, the belief, the way people look and the manner carry themselves in their everyday life.  im proud of this place.  this is my home.  im sure iceland is nice, nature and such; but nothing can compare to the warmth of the people here.  that's why i'll always choose to live here.  

feline etymology

Here is a photo of one of the cats who lives inside the compound where I used to live in Jeddah.

I don't know how exactly we started but maybe it was one of those days when he was just passing by and I happened to be there in the backyard and took notice of him.  I probably gave him some attention then, that's why he stayed.  That really isn't a very sweet, touching story but I honestly don't remember our first meeting.  

I named this cat Tomas.  Everytime he comes to the villa, I call out to him "Tomas" and after a few more meetings, I actually thought that he had accepted that name.  I give him some food or milk when he comes over.   I've never really been a cat person but I've had some moments with Tomas where I rub his fur or just give him the pleasure of watching me do some chores in the house (in the villa).  I called him Tomas after the one and only cat that we had ever had in our house.  

The original Tomas was an orphaned cat in the street that a family friend's nephew took into their house.  They live 2 cities away from us.  The little boy who was only 4 or 5 at that time was actually allergic to cats.  So they came to our house with the cat and asked if the cat can stay with us.  And he did.  After a few months, the cat was no longer with us.   The original Tomas was named after the mayor of Cebu City at that time when he arrived in our house.  A big tempered, individual (with lots of pimple scars on his face) who managed the city.  (I can't help it with the pimple scars thing..call me shallow but I find it funny just to mention it).  In fairness to him, he was an effective leader and has a clear vision for the future of the city. 

The compound Tomas is selfish and he's always out somewhere except for the mealtimes.  He's a social butterfly.  I don't know what happened or what I had done to him when one day he no longer came to visit the villa.  For months he was gone.  Everytime I come back to the compound after a vacation, I get to stay in a new villa (against my will, but that'show it is).  So it seemed that my relationship with Tomas has ended.  We had a new adopted cat in the new villa that we had stayed in and we called him Rhitu, one of the senior flight attendants in Jeddah who is the actual owner of the cat.  That Rhitu was sooo lazy and walks proudly.. almost flirty.  Thus because of the latter characteristic, Rhitu was the perfect name for him.  We learned later on that his name is actually Ken, but who cares, he responds to his new name anyway.

A few months later, I was walking in the compound and saw Tomas.  I recognized him from the black spot he has on his nose.  I called out to him, with his name..Tomas.  He just ignored me.  So out went all of my memories with him, he had probably forgotten me faster than I had thought.  He's a great cat and we had a great time together.  At that particular period.  He probably has a new family now.  He's moved on.  Cats are great at moving on, something we can all learn from.  Cats can go from one name to another and loving each moment the whole time.  The let you love them and they love you back while you are sharing the time together, but after that time is up it's a new life again for the both of you.  They understand it very well, they are always living for the moment.  That's pretty conservative thinking for an animal with nine lives to spare.  Lucky.

that day when you feel like everything is against you.

it sucks.

when it rains, it pours

This photo was taken on a January morning in Cebu City.

This sudden heavy load of precipitation happened on a gloomy morning in January in Cebu City.  I love rains but this one was so heavy it was more scary than enjoyable.  The sound of those giant drops of rain on the roof of the car and the windshield was deafening.  Even the sound of the windshield wipers were hurried and scaarrry.  I couldnt think of singing in the rain.

Sometimes rains like these are nice and it's good because it kinda washes away the dirt from the road, the garbage in the rivers are pushed further down into the system.. sort of like flushed down the big toilet that is the sea.  In Cebu City, I noticed during this 10 to 15 minutes downpour, the waters have started to pool on the roads especially filling up the craters and uneven areas of the road.  The canals or sewers were filled up with the waters from the sky and all sorts of garbage floated up and out into the streets.  Of course traffic jams are common on a rainy day like this.  Then there are those nasty vehicles that speed past people not caring if they splash flood waters on their faces.  I was still on the road when the rain stopped and the first thought that came to my mind was how muddy the road where I live would be.  It's dusty on a sunny day, muddy on a rainy day..either way is not nice.

I hope the government will be able to do something about this.  I am afraid that if rains like these would happen more than twice a month, the city would suffer greatly.  I am afraid that if the rivers won't be cleared of the garbage piled up there by people, we will have the same tragedy as in Manila.  I hope that people will stop throwing their trash wherever they want.  There's a little invention called a trash can for God's sake or if not you can use your pockets or your hands until you see a proper place to throw your trash in.  This is a small but very effective way to help prevent floods and tragedies like the Ondoy flooding in Manila aside from cleaning up the rivers and the sewers of garbage.

Hopefully the Holy Child Jesus will continue to protect the Cebuanos while they are still thinking about changing their ways.

ginger chicken

This chicken recipe is really just made up of sauteed onions, ginger and garlic and green chili pepper to make it hot.  a little bit of salt and vinegar.  and of course the chicken.

easy home made pizza

 

This homemade pizza can be made however you want to.  You can add as many or as little toppings as you want.  Here I have an arabic bread instead of a pizza dough.  Then I put the pizza sauce on top of the bread, added the sliced tomatoes and pepper.  I dont like onions for this cos i dont want my breath to stink later.  Then some slices of a sausage i found somewhere.  and then the mozzarella cheese.  Now the cheese isnt a lot.  also because i used the cheese block and i was lazy at the time to grate the cheese and also i dont have a cheese grater. So just put that in the oven and when you see the cheese melting, then that's done.  should be around 10 minutes. 

what you need:

arabic bread or any flat bread

pizza sauce

toppings:

sausages

bell peppers

onions

tomatoes

mushrooms

ground meat

cheese

really anything you want.

assemble everything and pop in oven.  Take out of oven after 10 minutes or when cheese has melted.  Enjoy!

betty crocker cake

Well this is really quick and simple.  Just open the package and follow the instructions :)

Just make sure you get the measurements right.

pinakbet

 

 Pinakbet is one of my favorite dishes.  

I have tried to cook this before but only now did I get it right.  :)  Here I will share what you need and how to cook this.

Ingredients:

bits of pork or any meat (sometimes i dont even add meat)

ampalaya or bitter gourd

eggplant

squash

tomato

okra if you want

string beans

shrimp paste

garlic 

onion

salt and pepper if desired

chop up all of the vegetables to desired shape, i just chop them into bite sized pieces.

It's so easy to do:

1.  Sautee garlic and onions on a medium wok or frying pan if you want, i like the wok better.  then add the tomatoes, add the shrimp paste.

2.  Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the ampalaya, squash, okra, eggplant and string beans.  cover the wok and just let the steam cook the vegetables.  you may add salt and pepper at this point. easy on the salt because the shrimp paste is already salty.  sometimes i dont even add salt anymore.

3.  After about 7-8 minutes, stir the vegetables in and then cover again for about 3 minues.

4.  Check if the vegetables are cooked and voila, you have pinakbet.  Best served hot!

coron

amazing coron!

i finally was able to go to the place dubbed as the philippine's last frontier palawan. my boyfriend and myself went to the town of coron and toured the island of coron and were overwhelmed by its seemingly untouched beauty and aura of innocence. we almost lost our 3 days 2 nights vacation, admittedly my fault, because i had mistakenly thought that our plane departs at 12:30..when in fact, it was supposed to leave at 11:30. so i had planned to leave the house at 9:30am, which we did. and blimey! when i looked at the ticket again i found that the plane is leaving at 11:30am. 

 we were in the taxi already by this time and asked the taxi driver to speed up. we arrived at the airport and ran towards the check in counter. but unfortunately they had closed the counter for coron. i begged and begged the attendant to let us in..we were only less than 10 minutes late before the 45 minute rule they have n closing counters..but still he wouldnt let us in. i told him that i had booked the hotel, i paid the tickets already and i have spent money on this vacation that i wont be able to get back if he wont let us in. and he just dismissed me just like that, not even offering to give me options on what to do. 

 i know it was my fault for not checking the ticket twice but they couldve been more considerate and at least offered me options on what to do next to save this vacation. my boyfriend and i stood at the airport for a few seconds and decided that we would go with our vacation. so i thought of getting the next flight to manila and then fly to coron from there. this whole scheme costed us 15,000 pesos at least. we took the same airline (cebu pacific) because they were the ones who have the soonest flight to manila. and what happened was that..they didnt even start boarding yet, 10 minutes before the flying time. check in was still going on at this time also. they were so strict about not letting us into the plane after check in counters for coron closed. they are not sorry when they get delayed and cause inconvenience to the passengers and make them wait unnecessarily. and they are also not sorry for a vacation that might have been lost and all the money you spent on that. again, i know it was my fault but some consideration would have been liked and just the fact that he dismissed me just like that without giving me choices on what other flights i could take. 

 anyway, coron was all worth it. the water is as clear as can be. the corals and life under the sea were amazing. i just dont think that the corals are colorful enough but then i havent really snorkeled in many places so im not really sure what corals are supposed to look like. i was quite proud with what i have done in this vacation. i bought a hotel called busuanga island paradise though agoda.com. they offered a great rate, breakfast included. for the airport transfer you need to pay 150 per person per way. you get a free transport from the hotel to the town proper and then back. i liked the filipino breakfast that they offered. my western boyfriend didnt like it as he feels he has had enough rice to last him his whole life. the hotel staff were very quick to attend to your needs however the rooms dont have a phone so youll need to walk to the reception or the restaurant to call some staff for whatever you need. they have a small sized pool that was alright and a bar by it. the rooms were nice and comfortable however the problem that we have is that the curtains are too thin, so that when you have a light on inside, whoever is looking from outside will definitely see you. there's a lack of privacy somehow. 

 the next day, we went island hopping around the island of coron. we went to the town proper to this shop called corongaleri. i found them by searching on google and the website name is corongaleri.com. we paid 650 per person for an island hopping trip with other tourists on the boat. you dont get an exclusive boat but you will share it with other tourists, which was great. i mean, it would be quite boring if you would go island hopping with just you and your boyfriend and the boatman. the tour is called the ultimate coron tour and included the entrance fees to the places we were going, the boat, and the lunch which was prepared by the boatmen. they rent out equipment like snorkeling gears and fins for 100 pesos. we spent the whole day in the sea and finally came back to the pier at around 4 or 5pm. the tour started at 9am i believe. i would love to go back there again with my family. 

 we didnt go to mt tapyas like we wanted as we were too tired and just reserved that for the next time we go again. on this trip was he night when my boyfriend proposed to me and showed me a ring that was actually too big for me so we had to get it resized when we came back to cebu. i like coron. i hope that this beauty will remain as wonderful as it is now or will only change for the better. as for those who plan on going there, please help keep the place as you have seen it. as what they say, take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and kill nothing but time.