Day 151: DVBS 2010

Every year, towards the end of summer and just before the start of the school year, my son's school hosts DVBS - Daily Vacation Bible School. For 5 straight days, they attend bible studies that are creatively-themed and filled with fun activities, songs and dances.  Fresh from her summer lesson stint, I let little Cailie join her Kuya Jarred for this event. From the minute she was handed her theme shirt, I knew it was a good decision to let her join. Even though there were a lot of preschool kids in her group, Cailie didn't go through the usual "separation anxiety" mode when I had to leave her during the first day. She just went about her activities and joined her class. Oh boy, my baby is indeed growing up!

Day 150: The Balanghay

This is a replica of the Balanghai boat which is the vessel used by the Malay settlers in the Philippines during pre-Hispanic times. It was the first wooden watercraft discovered in Southeast Asia and of the specimens unearthed in Butuan City, the oldest was dated back to 320 A.D. This meant that trading between the Philippines and the world had existed as early as this time. Most Balanghais were used to transport clans and families from the rest of the world into the Philippines. These watercrafts were entirely made of wood, including the pegs (nails) that were used to hold the planks together. The existence of the Balanghai showed the life of the early Filipinos which centered around fishing, trading, warfare and communication.

Day 149: BCLP 12

After attending BCBP Breakfasts since late last year, hubby and I are now eligible to undergo the Brotherhood Christian Life Program (BCLP). It is a 9-day journey consisting of 11 talks to reacquaint ourselves with our Christian life and the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP).

So for the next 8 Saturdays, we will be attending 3-hour sessions together with our BCBP brothers and sisters. It will be a wonderful journey for both of us.

Day 148: Philippine National Flag Day

Today marks the Philippine National Flag Day to commemorate the very first time it was displayed in battle back in May 28, 1898. 

From today until Independence Day, June 12, we are enjoined to observe flag days wherein all government offices, business establishments and private residences are encouraged to display the Philippine flag. 

Let us pay respects to our country and to the flag we have sworn allegiance to by remembering all those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and democracy we have now.

Day 147: Doe-eyed

There's so much to be seen in our eyes...they are truly the windows to our soul. For this one-year old little lady, there is so much confidence and innocence behind those round orbs. It's as if CeeJae is telling me, "I can handle it, Mom. I'm made of sturdy stuff, you know."

Yes, my sweetheart, I know how a strong and advanced baby you are...but it's still a dangerous world out there. I need to protect you until you're ready to make it on your own. Until then, baby girl, rest assure that Daddy and Mommy will keep you in the secure fold of their love.

Day 146: Home

The reality of leaving the home I've known for the last 3 years hasn't really sunk in yet and I don't expect it to ever sit well with me. Ever since I left my parents' home  12 years ago, I've been someone who is NPA (No Permanent Address) and although we've managed to settle down in a nice house in General Santos City from 2001-2007, it never  felt like home...and I always preferred those out-of-town stays in hotels more. It was only when we moved to this handsome duplex in 2007 that I felt truly at home. 

It isn't something I can probably explain in words...it's just how I feel in my heart. I've found peace and tranquility here...a place to call my own (even though we're just renting).

Day 145: "Chloe" makes my day!!!

My day has been made very early this morning...at 2:56 am (MNL time) in fact.

I dozed off around 10:30 pm last night, and made a mental note that I had to wake up around 2:00 am to catch Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian in the Fox series 24) in a Twitter chat. It was 20 minutes past the hour of 2 when I finally roused from sleep. When I rushed to the computer, there were already tons of questions posed to "Chloe". It was fun reading all the fan comments and q's. I posted several questions, hoping and praying she'll eventually be able to answer even just one of them. 

One of the questions I posed was this:

@rajskub #dammitchloe What was the hardest thing you had to do as "Chloe"?about 7 hours ago via web
I was about to lose hope that she'll answer any of my questions when at around 5 minutes before 3 am, I found this update on twitter:

I was totally over the moon!!! I was starstruck!!! You rock Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub)!!!
It'll probably take the whole afternoon before I can download the series finale of 24 (episodes 23 and 24) and it'll be so hard to stop myself from watching it until hubby comes back home...I can feel the jittery fingers already. Hmmm...I'd have to go dark from most 24 sites until then so as not to come across spoilers.
24 has been a part of my life for several years now. It was one of the great bonding times I got to do with my hubby. For an hour every week, we get transported into the world of underground intelligence and terrorism. We have moments that keep our breaths held in and those when we can't help but curse. As the curtain falls on this great tv series, I'd have to say I learned a lot about the harsh realities of life and politics while watching it. In a sense, it made me understand why country's leaders do what they do and it doesn't exempt a country like ours.

Day 144: Self-Portrait

Believe it or not, I took this photo myself. With the  help of a small tripod, I propped my point-and-shoot on top of the television and made use of the timer function to click the shutter.

Since I couldn't get a perfect angle and distance, it took several tries before I decided I had enough decent shots. This "photo shoot" was done right after midday during a brownout. The room was like a sauna hence the sweat marks on my blouse and on my face.

Well, for a shoot that took less than 30 minutes to complete, I came up with some pretty good shots. 

Day 143: Hawaiian Tuna Melt

After nearly two months of non-food posts, the foodie in me couldn't resist but feature what we had for breakfast today. Tuna is a well-loved staple in my household. I reckon it was a taste acquired during our 5-year stay in General Santos City, the tuna capital of the Philippines.  I make it a point to serve tuna-based dishes to my family from time-to-time. One of these is a regular breakfast or snack-time favorite - Pan de Tuna. 

Here's my quick and easy recipe...

HAWAIIAN TUNA MELT

3 cans Century Tuna (Solid in Water), drained and flaked

1 small can pineapple tidbits

1 pouch Mayo Magic or Salad n Sandwich spread

1/4 cup grated cheese

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

pandesal

Cheez Whiz

In a bowl, mix together the flaked tuna, pineapple, mayo and cheese. Season with Italian dry herbs, salt and pepper. Spread tuna spread on one side of slitted pandesal and Cheez Whiz on the other. Toast in the oven for 3-5 minutes. 

Day 142: Endangered

On my way back to the car after grocery shopping this morning, I chanced upon a small crowd along the sidewalk. Curious about the apparent commotion, I eased my way into the throng and discovered these animals being shown off by their handlers. When I saw these poor things being paraded for all to see, I had a sagging feeling inside. My first thought was that these may well be endangered species and shouldn't be peddled along the streets. I saw two uniformed policemen looking over from afar and decided to approach one of them to ask whether they knew which agency I should contact to report about the incident. Well, of course, they didn't know and I wasn't surprised that they didn't seem bothered by what they were seeing.

Further research online revealed that out of the three species above, the Philippine Sailfish lizard has been classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as threatened or having high risk of endangerment in the wild. On the other hand, the Asian Palm Civet (Alamid) was categorized under least concern by the same entity and there wasn't any conservation status tagged to Monitor lizards. My primary fear about the Alamid is that there have been studies that have linked it to the SARS virus outbreak some years back. Regarding the Monitor lizard, their predatory nature and large size are factors that can hinder having them as pets.

For most people in the crowd, these animals seem to be some form of entertainment for them and it didn't seem they were concerned about their status. Personally, I think it really should be the lookout of every Filipino to be more conscious about our natural resources and ensuring their safety and care.

If you have any information about which government agency I should deal with to report this incident, please feel free to leave comments on this page. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.