home alone

For five months me and the kids were inseparable --- at home. Them doing their own business with their ipad and xbox and me with the chores, books or just inside my room "sleeping". Or sometimes we'd just goof around.

But a week ago, the inevitable had to happen --- school!

So nowadays at around 7:30 the house is in dead silence.
The family room which used to be the busiest and the messiest room has become the quietest and neatest space for several days now. Everyone is holed in their own room after school.

After everyone is gone, these are my companions :)

and this is when I miss this lovely creature. Seriously.

As of now, temperature in Dubai still hits 40 degrees C. Yessss, it's still hot! At night, it's usually 38. I am waiting until I can start planting some flowers and vegetables. The gardener said he will start next month.  Ok then. But shhhhh, he is soooo lazy. grrrrrrr. 

Look at my flowers --- a lot of them gave in to the heat. At least that's what I was made to believe. But when I looked at the villa next to us, their plants look healthy and their flowers are blooming. grrrrrr again. 

My bougainvillea plants have yet to bear flowers. Oh boy!

I am giving this lazy gardener a second chance this cold season. The problem is I hate talking to him because he barely understands English. He just kept on repeating what I was saying. What the heck!!! 

Anyway, i better go back to my regular programming before the pump repairman comes. He needs to check if there is a leak somewhere because our attention was called recently by the office of hubby, asking us if we have a pool.  Our water consumption according to them is unbelievably high. Not that they care but they just couldn't believe that a family of five with just three kids and without a pool could consume that much. For the past four or five months they are paying 7,000 dhs for our water bill (Php84,000?) combine with the electricity, it's around 12,000dhs monthly. See how expensive to live here? Tsk... tsk... tsk... It's more fun in the Philippines, really. 

Gotta go.  God bless everyone. 

on our desks and others

At this time of the day, our study table is like this, just my laptop and our  e tickets on it.

but it's a different story when my roommate comes in the evening :)

But can you see how plain our table is? In fact only tables are allowed inside our room. Even if we have a space for a TV set, we preferred not to have one. Bedroom is for quieting your soul and your mind.

Our side tables.
Dar's side.

Mine.

I don't know with my "bedmate", but these two books are taking me forever to finish. 

Our other space.

This is a walk in closet right? The reason why our bedroom looks neat is because of this space. Inside these cabinets are the files, documents and books of my husband. 

This also serves as the extension of my shoe cabinet. I hate this place, though. It reminds me of something I hate to do - diet. 

It's a different mood in our children's rooms.

Just like in Laguna, Abi and DJ share one bedroom.

This is Abi's study table

Our bookshelf in the family room is already full so I told them to take out their most favorite books and use the space in their study table. These are Abi's "favorites" with an unwritten rule "Do not touch". 

Abi and Anjo don't have school books, that's what we were told. No notebooks too. And we were not even required to buy writing instruments. When I look into their bags, it's only their sweater and their baseball caps. I wonder what they do in school. 

That's why their study table looks organized until they go to bed :)

 This is DJ's.

 At night, it's just his laptop and nothing else. In their school, a lot of activities and assignments happen in their laptop. We didn't buy notebook and there were no books too. Only ballpens/pencils were asked from the parents. 

This space belongs to Anjo. Obviously.

A sucker for anything pink and purple. In her drawers are her art materials for her hobby. She is the very opposite of me - she is artsy, crafty and everything that is not me. Except reading. 

We warned her we couldn't put a lot of stuff on the wall because it will be doubly hard for us to clean the house when the time comes. That explains why her wall is almost bare. Actually, only this room has something on the wall. The rest of the house are just walls, no pictures, no painting or whatsoever.

I am glad I am raising a "reading generation". Although Anjo is more into the creative side, she has her own book collection and she is keeping some of them in her closet. She didn't like to crowd her study, that's what she told me. 

We are blessed to have been given this chance to live in a house with  some space for our "little comfort and enjoyment", although I still love to imagine how it is to live in "huge villas" that look like an office building already. Whenever I am on the road, I am always in awe because of the sight of those magnificent villas. I never get tired staring at them. And I am just so happy that way.

Till next post! 

what i'm missin

1. It's been more than a year, yes. and I'm secretly yearning to be tall again

If not wearing sandals, it's just flats or espadrille now. but no worries. i'm giving my varicose veins great favor.


2. My skinny tops and blouses. Actually, I miss being on the properly curved" side. Oh well...
(images from www.pinterest.com)

a happy thing of the past :)

nowadays it's all loose fitting blouses (preggy look) and cardigans.

3.  my chunky necklaces which were all left at home. There is a lottttt here. everywhere. from kiosk to boutique.

(images from www.moolanstyle.com & www.yabuss.com)

but again, it's really not my everyday look. It's just not me anymore. If God willing, I plan to invest on precious stones this time.

4. Oh! and Socials.

(www.splatter.com)

Oh yes, there is nothing like talking with an old friend, a cousin, or former office mates who take their time to say hello to you (it means a lot to a person who lives so far from the rest of the "world"). Until now, I smile everytime I'd remember chatting with Pritz ( a former officemate) a couple of weeks ago. He reminded me about that Christmas Party where I had icing all over my face and hair (strands standing up). Thank you Mark Christian Cusi. That was so thoughtful of you to put those icing to me. Until now, Naughty Pritz could still vividly describe how awful I looked like that night.

uhmmmm, what about ****Work pressures? Somehow. but not so. It makes you old and wrinkled :)

But then again, as they say, Go where life takes you. and be thankful. always. 

my bag journey

I am sharing this so called "bag journey" for no particular reasons. I just thought maybe I could inspire someone who are into bags also and give her an idea on how to start and end that journey with a happy and contented heart.

Not to sound defensive, but this is the truth. I am not bragging my bags (and this is not a collection, it's my journey) because compared to the people I know, these are nothing compared with what they have in their closets.Also, I have friends who are far more moneyed than I am but they choose to live their life as basic and simple, and they are genuinely happy. 

I was not really into bags. i remembered my first "branded" bag, it's a maroon Messenger bag by Lacoste, followed by red Lacoste back pack which I happily parted ways with in 2013. It was only when I began living alone in Batangas that loneliness started to kick in and suddenly I found myself "loving bags" as a way of making myself happy. I started buying coach bags, michael kors, nine west, charles and keith, mango, esprit, anne klein and a few of butterfly by debenhams. Prior to relocating to Dubai, I sold most of them because certainly humidity will just break them into pieces.  I gave away the rest to my mother, aunt and cousin. I was left with just two coach bags and one MK. 

But you know in my heart, I was not yet done with bags. So I set my "list of wants" but with an "end" as well.

In January, hubby got me my Louis Vuitton during our short visit here in Dubai, a Never Full bag which has become my everyday bag. I love this bag, roomy and light.

Paper bag & dust bag were left behind in the Philippines.

Last May, I got my wish for Mother's Day. A Prada. I like Prada because of Anne Hathaway's movie, "The devil wears Prada". It's a reminder of how I was perceived in the past by a lot of people, haha. Until now that impression amuses me rather than offends/affects me.

 This is Prada's dust bag.

The bag

 I chose the classic Saffiano leather bag over the more trendy and fashionable Prada. If you dont have plan of buying a lot of luxury bags like me, it's safer to go for classic bags like this Saffiano. Anjo says it's more of an office bag, but when you are in Dubai, you would see this being paraded casually in the mall.

 It's paper bag is quite sturdy compared to the LV and looks immaculate. and I love it.

Chanel
I said, Chanel will be my ultimate bag, the end of it all. But you may say, "Wait, there is still a Birkin Bag or a Kelly Bag." But as I have said to my friend, "at some point, you have to stop and see what is enough and what is too much". Happiness lies somewhere else too.

 This is the dust bag of Chanel. Classy.

Again, I chose the "classic". This is the timeless flap bag, in caviar and in gold hardware. Actually, there is a lambskin flap bag which looks more classy than the caviar. But upon checking in the internet, the lambskin is more prone to scratches which was also confirmed to me by Chanel staff. I found it hard to decide because basically they cost the same (at least here in Dubai Mall of the Emirates),but in the end, I became practical - more durable, less maintenance and less heartache. I gave in to the burning desire for caviar.

See their packaging? It gives you the feeling that you are special :) and they also the Chanel manual. Mine is still sealed. Never bothered to read it. haha

So this is it. I reached the finish line. I am grateful for my husband for "tolerating" me. :) and for making me really really happy."Happy wife, happy life?"

Oh, a word of advice for those who plan to buy luxury bags - keep all related documents (ORs, authenticity cards) and if possible dust bags. You will need it in case you may want to sell those precious possession of yours.

Till next post.
Stay happy.

his list

My husband is a cheapskate guy. That is as far as his own whims are concerned. He has a short list of material things that he wants to have in his life. Some are for short term, meaning he wants to get it within months, and the rest he has his mind set for the next couple of years. 

Oh I have my own too but mine is a longer list of my wants and almost all of them I want now. Haha. Yes, you guess it right. It's an endless enumeration of bags, shoes and jewelries (wink). Mahaba haba lang ito ng konti sa listahan ko ng utang :)

Last week, hubby made one of his wishes come true. A Rimowa trunk. God knows how many times in the past we visited Rimowa stores just to admire and sigh, admire and sigh. He wanted to have one so badly but he couldn't for the love of his life buy a bag for himself. "But you bought me my LV and Prada, so why not indulge yourself on a little luxury?" That's my standard litany every time we would leave the store empty handed.  Oh, he said that's quite natural. "It's really easy to buy things for your family than for yourself." For that matter, I have a quick retort, "Buy me that Chanel bag then!"

Maybe he got irritated by my Chanel Chanel, so finally with his eyes closed, he took out his dear cash from his wallet and got himself this Rimowa luggage.

He went home with this super sleek trunk but with a guilty conscience (lol) but I told him to just feel good about it. Everyone has his own dreams, wishes and wants. God is giving you the opportunity now, maybe it's time.

Next on the list please...! :)

(I am in the middle of something not so good so I am writing this to ease my pain a bit. I am thanking my children for taking over the chores - cooking the rice, feeding themselves and cleaning the house with happy hearts). 

Here comes school

After a very muscle flexing trip to Singapore, all I wanted was just to rest, sleep and stay in the house. But you know, school days are just around the corner. So after accomplishing (naks!) my mountain of laundry and baskets and baskets of clothes for ironing, I immediately set my mind into school mode. Major tasks:

1. Uniform

2. School service

3. Shoes, bags and other school supplies (still pending)

4. Housemaid (stress... stress... stress...)

Since I am not exactly in the pink of health nowadays we have decided to ask the official uniform supplier of Gems World Academy (ZAKS) to send us a personal shopper for my three children. Besides, everyone now is back from their vacation and all of them I am sure are Zaks bound. You see, Zaks supplies more than 27 schools so I can imagine the chaos and endless queues inside their branches in the UAE. Yes, schools here have a store for uniforms and they can provide you their personal shopper for your convenience. 

They were quick. Upon my request, the next day uniforms samples were brought to our house and fitted in the comforts of our home. They also brought almost all the accessories (optional and required) so I was assured I wont be missing anything. Alterations took 24 hours and Presto! Everything was ready for delivery. That was fast, precise and stress free.

 Blouse and pants for Anjo and the boys too. The boys have clip tie, anjo has the bow.

 Blouse and skorts for Anjo. 

 sleeveless sweater 

 with sleeves

 PE Uniform

PE bags, baseball cap and bathing suit. The two boys have swim shorts.

School service is done and I am just waiting for the school bus details. Good thing, pick up and drop off point is right in front of our residence. Thank God.

However, I am a little bit stressed nowadays because our applicant for the housemaid from the Philippines backed out two weeks ago. Actually, she didn't back out, the husband here asked us to sponsor his wife instead of him sponsoring her which was our original agreement. So we immediately dropped her like a hot potato. Not a good omen.

Now we are back to scratch. Hope we find the ONE for us. So for now, it's just me and me alone. :)   

Eat,Pray, Love

Learn and Enjoy!

That's how I would sum up our Singapore trip. It was not really a vacation, you know like the R&R that we'd usually imagine. We were literally tired every single day. Vacation in Singapore means walking and walking but it was worth it.

Let's start with our EAT journey

Part of our itinerary was to eat Singapore foods. 
I singled out two recommendations and made sure we tried visiting these places.

 This is Wild Honey. It looked high end. Sosyal. It's inside a mall in Orchard Road. Pancakes, coffee, bacon, sausage, french toasts. Ambiance was good but foods were just ordinary.

Singapore Food Trail. This was in Singapore Flyer. In every food trail you'd find old (authentic) recipe of Chinese foods, Indian food and street foods. Hainanese Chicken Rice, Noodles, dimsum, etc etc. I wish I explored more but I was too tired to go around.

This was how a food trail (Singapore Flyer) looked like. "Food court" kung baga. 

We stayed in a hotel very near the old Bugis Village and there they had a food trail too. I wasn't able to take pictures but it was more traditional and more crowded. But clean!
If I had to recommend a must go place for authentic Singapore dining, try their Food Trail. 

Of course, trip to Singapore wont be complete if we won't visit their Jollibee. Oh how we miss their burger steak and spaghetti.

We also had the chance to eat along Clark Quay (beside the river, near Fullerton Hotel) and we tremendously enjoyed their garlic and pepper crab. Definitely a must try.

My cousin Shiva and her husband also brought us to a Chinese restaurant and there we had a delicious Chili Crab. awwww! Happiness. Good food, good company!

PRAY

Well, we didn't actually pray, but this was a dream came true for me, to bring my children to a Buddhist temple. We were not able to go inside because when we arrived that week, there was a festival and Bugis St.was so busy and we felt like we were the only Christian people walking. But instead of chaos, I felt we were in the right place in the right time. I imagined getting the positive energy of the place.

We felt awkward taking pictures because everyone was praying. Look at the woman facing us, she was holding incense sticks while praying and seemed oblivious of the crowd.There was a Khrishna temple at the far end, I just couldn't find my photo of it.

LOVE
Family travel makes every member closer and more familiar with each other. We learned to be more sensitive to one's feelings and needs.

 Cable car going to Sentosa Island. Love is in the air.

 Cloud forest. Cold and mist. Singapore is a highly urbanized city state but they have a lot of nature parks and you'd see greens everywhere.

 Abi is temperamental esp.when tired and hungry. So we had to seize the opportunity that he was in his right spirit.

Singapore by night.Amazing view.Love love love in Singapore Flyer.

LEARN

I read in one blog that when one travels, visit to museums is a must esp. if there are children. We have two museums in our list but we got to see only one. Exhaustion and time constraint.

i told them that now museums may be boring but later on when they look back they will appreciate the learning they had from museum visits.

Travel to Singapore wont be complete without seeing their Zoo. We also went to Night Safari and Bird's Park.

Polar bear. I might bore you with pictures of the birds and the bees but I would suggest that when you travel with kids to Singapore, go to their Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Bird's Park. Great learning.

ENJOY
where else but in USS!
Queues were long so better get their express pass. we were able to go to the three major attractions of the USS: Transformers (2x), Mummy & Lost World. 

If you are in Singapore and you still have time to go to Legoland Malaysia, by all means Go! But I cannot promise you enjoyment because to be honest, our Enchanted Kingdom is far better than Legoland Malaysia. But for the sake of deleting items in your bucket list, then hop in the bus and experience Malaysia (kahit sa Legoland lang)

Our itinerary was full to the hilt. Nights ended at 11:00 and days usually started at 9:00. We didn't have time to adjust our body clock because we had a schedule to follow. Good thing their train was super efficient. We arrived on every destinations on time. Expect to spend a lot of money in Singapore.  Forget about the exchange rates and just enjoy. 

We scrimped by flying economy and we chose to stay in an inexpensive hotel. Ibis rooms may be small but they were clean and comfortable. They had connecting rooms which were really family friendly. From our hotel, train was just walking distance; McDo was 24 hours; there was KFC nearby; 7-11 stores were all around and most importantly it was just a stone's throw from  "pasalubong haven" - their Bugis Village.

This is it folks.  Till my next post :)