All About Moi.... Tag From Gwenz

 Thank you to my dear Gwenz of Gwenz Heart for this lovely meme. Have fun and feel free to snag =)



Where is your cell phone?
on top of the dining table

Your hair
...is at its longest. can't be bothered to get a hair cut waaah!


Your father?
is happy with his new family. Thank you, Lord.

Your favorite thing?
fragrant body moisturizers


Your dream last night?
I don't remember. I slept like a baby as I had too much white wine. Hubby insisted we consume it all but after two glasses, he was down snoring hahahaa!

Your favorite drink?
Americano with warm skimmed milk, avocado milk shake, water

Your dream?
 That we should be together, always as a family.

The room you are in?

How do you divide a studio?hahaaa

Your fear?
 Hubby's health.....he is such a bloody workaholic and I am seething he is skipping meals. He lives on sandwich for lunch!

Where do you want to be in 6 years?
 Still here in Dubai...and probably visited new cities as well.

Muffins? 
Blueberry muffins...hmmnnn.

One of your wish list items?
To stay in Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa

Where you grew up?
Mindanao and Batanes.

The last thing you did?
Went out to buy vegetable pulao for Andreas. Omg, he has so much love for Arabic food!

What are you wearing?
white peasant blouse and white skirt
 
Your TV?
Its broken hahaa

Your pets? 
 None. But I want a dog =)

Your computer?
Acer.Always an Acer. My reliable Acer who has never let me down for five glorious years!

Missing someone? 
My grandparents and my siblings.

Your car?
 Flabby and aging (according to Amit) Fortuner, but we love it so much and we won't sell it.

Favorite store?
Koton

Your summer?
 Hopefully discover new place.

Your favorite colour?
 white?...and  cheery lavender

When is the last time you laughed? 
 Last night. Hubby and puns!

Last time you cried? 
 Yesterday while watching Glee hahahaaa

Three people who texted me? 
 Hubby, Etisalat (my service provider), Emirates NBD (my bank)

Three of my favorite foods? 
 baked salmon (I learned the recipe from Gwenz), vegetable pasta, and chicken pandan.

Three people I think will respond? 
.... those who need blog fillers hihihih.

The Grocery Meme

I snagged this Mommy-apt meme from Beach Treasure. Feel free to do it as well when you have time and do let me know so I can come visit.

1. How often do you go to the grocery store?
 **Well, if we didn't do groceries on weekend, I am sure to be going to the nearest grocer everyday.

2. Do you love or hate going grocery shopping?
**loveit!!!! just not on the wet market okay?

3. Where do you go?
**We buy our fresh frozen pork supply (as well as Spam, Chunkee Corned Beef,  bacon, etc.) in Spinneys and Waitrose. Here in Dubai, pork is sold only in select supermarkets. or all the rest, we buy them in Carrefour, Union Coop, and Al Manama Hypermarket. The latter two are just across the street.

4. Are you a faithful list writer
**Hehe. I do ahve my grocery list most of the times but then, I always find something to buy that is not on my list!! It defeats the purpose lolzzzz!

5. Do you write it but never remember to bring it?
**Ah yes, it happened plenty of times now

6. Do you use coupons?
**Oh yes if I am lucky to have some.

7. What do you ALWAYS have in your fridge?
 **yoghurt, butter, eggs, and parmesan cheese.

8. What is the thing in your fridge that is a "guilty pleasure"?
**Strawberry flavored Activa!! I can't get enough of them these days.

9. What is that one or two things that you feel like you buy every single day?
 **yoghurt and banana

10. What items do your children consume in ABUNDANCE?
**My son has to have yoghurt everyday. He is crazy about soyamilk as well, and pasta with parmesan. No sauce, just plain penne or tricolore and parmesan.

11. What's on your fridge?
**Ammmm, a cut out recipe of apple crumble (but then i realized Hubby does not like cooked apples so never gpt the chance to do it. A Del Monte Fridge magnet that reminds to eat fruits and veggies everyday, a PADI sticker (Hubby was having his advance scuba diving lessons when he bought the fridge), and an Emirates Diving Association sticker. We moved four times and we thought, the fridge is the only thing we could bring along with us anywhere we move hahahaaa

12. Are the fridge magnets special, or random?
**Random. I just use them to hold up recipe cut outs.

13. When you go to the store do you just throw things into the cart, or do you stack them neatly
**I separate the dry and frozen and the laundry soap. other than tht, i pretty much throw everything in the cart.

14. Brand name or generic?
** Except for milk that my son drinks (that's because he refuses to drink any other brand),  I always opt for the cheaper, generic brand.

15. Do you read labels?
**Yes I do, when the product is new or unfamiliar.

16. Do you use paper or plastic?
**Plastic. Sowee. but we do reuse them.

17. Any words you live by when doing your grocery?
**Do not hit the supermarket hungry or you will end up hoarding. And half of what you bought will only end up in the rubbish shoot.

The Travel Meme

Tis' the season for travel! It is getting hotter and hotter here in Dubai that I am fervently wishing the government will install giant ACs everywhere. Pretty soon, locals and expats will be going away for summer breaks and Eid Holidays. 

While we have no plans yet as we have more important things to save up for, I share this meme to everyone interested.

Where, of all the places you have never been, do you want to go to most?
The Big Apple. We all do =)

"In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There’s nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
lets hear it for New York, New York, New York"...~ Alicia Keys

Where do you most want to go back to?

Batanes.Where life is simple and I can fall in-love over and over again! It is probably my most romantic place on earth...

And Dubai. I will always want to come back here. The safest, cleanest, ambitious city you could ever get. And frankly, there are just no dull moments here!! It's amazing how religions, races, and cultures can co-exist. The ultimate East meets West.

Favourite City?
It is excruciatingly difficult to choose just one so I will choose from the three countries.

In the Philippines, it will have to be Puerto Princesa in Palawan for bikini weekend get-away (lolz). And Baguio City for ukay shopping!! Kidding! Baguio will always be close to my heart because that is where we got married. Also, the city's nightlife is the one I enjoyed most.

In Italy, I had a grand time in Rome. And for United Arab Emirates, I am definitely curious about Abu Dhabi..........I will add to this list as I live it.

Least favourite city?
I am torn between Manila or Venice hahahaa. God forbid but Venice is the place I would never want to spend the rest of my life. Yes, it is a must visit before you die... but for me, it is not worth going back to.

Do you speak other languages?
I will never be fluent in them but I tried to learn useful phrases in Arabic, Spanish, and Italian.

How do you get by without being fluent?
Smiling, sign language, and some key phrases. Smiling is the most effective.

Best airport?
Dubai International Airport. Boy it's like a huge sprawling shopping mall. Very posh! You wouldn't mind waiting with so much to keep you busy. And shuttles are everywhere for your convenience.

Worst airport?
Malpensa International Airport. I complained to Hubby how old looking it is considering that Milan is a very famous city.

Best travel tips?
Bring plenty of toys to keep kids busy although a DVD player is your best bet.Pack light and bring enough cash.

Biggest travel mistake?
One huge, heavy luggage. lolzz!

Best coffee outside your city? Best coffee in your city?
There are no Starbucks in Italy so anywhere you go, one is sure to get a delicious coffee.

Arabs are traditionally tea-drinkers but Starbucks is everywhere here. There is also the Italian coffee house called Cafe Nero (we saw one in Milan) and the Armani Caffe but we have not tried it. Coco's serve a good cup of coffee also but for us with a tight budget, nothing beats the bottomless Ikea cappucino or cafe latte or black coffee for 5 dirhams =)

Best meal while on travel? Best meal in your city?

A get-away to Puerto Princesa is not complete without visiting Ka Lui Rstaurant. The whole place is made of native wood and bamboo. We walked in bare-footed and the place was packed with tourists indulging in seafood fiesta. We admit we had no idea about the place beforehand. We were just lucky to be touring with Fil-Am couple who treated the honeymooners for a sumptuous dinner.

Food in Rome in incomparable anywhere else. If you are up to spending more, try the legendary Cafe D' Paris in Via Veneto.

You get the best mix of culture cuisine in Dubai with so many expatriates to please. From Lebanese to Mediterranean, Cantonese to Indian food, all American to Italian, one is spoilt for choice. In fact, no tourist leaves Dubai unimpressed with its Friday Brunch culture. Hotels and restaurants throw open their doors for a four-hour lunch buffet with free flowing alcoholic drinks that even the most gluttonous person would beg for the food to stop.

Recommended Friday brunch are Spice Island, Planet Hollywood, JW Marriott, and Al Muntaha.

Most breathtaking view from your travel? Most breathtaking view in your city?

Yamashita Shrine in Ifugao. The view during Honda Bay island hopping. Butanding interaction in Sorsogon. The perfect cone of Mayon Volcano in Albay. View at the top of Mt. Makiling in Los Banos..

Venice early in the morning.

The view from the 27th floor of Burj Al Arab. Which reminds me that Hubby's been wanting to visit At The Top. Maybe I should agree so I can add to my list.

I am tagging Kayni of Kassidy's Notes and Artemis of A Charmed Life, my two blogger friends who have taken me to places through their writings and tremendously inspired me to save(!) and explore what the world has to offer. Feel free to do only when you have the time, ladies! xoxo

Have You Ever Tag

I snagged this from thoughtful blogger friend , Jean. Happy Thursday people!

1. Have you ever been on TV?
Yay. Yes back in my university days during a press conference with a Defense Secretary. I never saw the footage though, but my classmates and our neighbors did.

2. Have you ever sung in public?
Alone nope. as a group, yes.

3. Have you ever dyed your hair blond?
Nope. I once dyed my hair burgundy back in high school hahahaa

4. Have you ever eaten frogs' legs?
No. But i would love to try some.

5. Have you ever received a present that you really hated?
None that i can remember.

6. Have you ever walked into a lamp post?
No but a glass wall yes hihi.

7. Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 15 people?
yay! that is too much to do. i'll have Bento box to go

8. Have you ever fallen or stumbled in front of others?
omg yes. it was a conference in Baguio. The two ladies who saw me became my good friends.

9. Have you ever done volunteer work?
Yes. twice for Clean-Up Arabia.

happy and sad

I got this happiness and sadness taggie from Butchay. My Andreas is busy with his alphabet video so i grab the chance to do it . Sorry for the late posting but here it is.

Here are the Rules:

1. List the things that make you Happy and those that make you Sad.
2. Add your Blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other Blogs.
3. Tag other online friends you know.

Participants: T?ni’s Attachments, Cecile2’s-Small and Simple Things, Lara’s Pinay dot US, Lara’s My Blog Entry, Lara’s Byaheng Pinay, Living A’ La Mode, Bits and Pieces, My Life in this Wonderful World, My Online World, Ozzy’s Mom, Me,Myself+2, Kidd Designs, Fun|Fierce|Fabulous , Eds Mommy Life, Just Me.. Eds, My Precious Niche, Music of my Heart,Me and Mine | Creative in Me | For the LOVE of Food | Little Peanut | Pea in a Pod | It’s Where the HEART Is | Around the World | SugarMagnolias | Clark & Butchay’s Blogs |Butchay’s World | Oranges and Melons | Kero's Celebration | YOUR BLOG HERE

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY?

1. a healthy, happy family

2. hugs and kisses from hubby and my son

3. making new friends and hearing from old ones

4. when hubby and visitors appreciate what i serve

5. trying out new recipes

6. shopping teehee

7. bubble bath

8. book and brandy and jazz music

9. travel and vacations!!!

10. watching my Andreas sleep peacefully

WHAT MAKES ME SAD?

1. when things don't go the way i want them to be
2. Andreas getting hurt
3. hubby stressed out from work
4. enduring cruel and whiny people
5. when a schedule is disrupted

Now i am tagging Artemis and Joanne. Have fun ladies, and let me know when you are done so i can come visit.

coffee break #5

We are talking health this week on coffee break.

How committed are you to health and fitness?

Yay! My hubby is super disciplined on everything including what he eats. He eats anything and everything in moderation. Just don't hand him any junk food because they taste poison to him haha. As for me, I am a junk and fast food addict. I guess things just change for me when we got married and got pregnant. I had to eat vegetables, lots of fruits and everything healthy for my baby. Of course, i also want to live long enough to see my grand children so sweets and french fries (and anything else that feed the cancer cells) can reach my mouth only on weekends. Plus, alcohol maybe has got to go because a recent US study published says there is a huge link on alcohol consumption and breast cancer. I am still not drinking though because i am breastfeeding Andre but boy, i have looked forward to a drinking binge with my friends. I guess that plan has got to go. I have a family to take care of and i got two new bathing suits waiting on my closet.

Ciao everyone and thank you for dropping by. Visit Jan's Bits and Pieces if you wish to join our weekly Coffee Break.