Christmas in Philippines

Christmas is unique in the Philippines.  It starts once the months end with "ber"  That means starting September 1, you will start to hear Christmas carols, watch Christmas commercials, and observe malls decorating each corner. As for me and my family, we set up two weeks before December starts.

Aside from the fact that it starts early, some ornaments and decorations are also very "Pinoy."  First is the Christmas Lantern as what we call "Parol."  It is either made out of colorful paper or pearl shell or what we call "capiz"The best parols can be found in Pampanga which is Central Luzon.

Next is the manger or what Filipinos call the "Belen."  The manger is a small farm stable that has the baby Jesus and his mother, Mother Mary and father, St. Joseph.  In our family, this is the most important decor since we are devout Catholics.

Manger or Belen

We also go to church for nine days before Christmas and that is what we call "Simbang Gabi" This is in preparation to celebrate Christmas Day, the birthday of Jesus.  It is usually at around 4:00am or 10pm.

Another tradition is Noche Buena which is a spanish term that means feast before Christmas.  Families gather around the dinner table to eat a lot of food and thank God for the beautiful year.  Since I got married, I celebrate Christmas eve with my in-laws and Christmas day with my family.  Christmas day is a family reunion for my mother's side of the family.  My mom is a good cook and she prepares a feast for 20-25 people every Christmas day.  I will tell you more about that in my next post.

My dad, me, and my mom in 2010

Typical Filipino Noche Buena

This is my Christmas tree this year :)

Basically, Christmas in the Philippines is a very happy one that is filled with joy, lights, and most importantly, food! :)

Japanese takeout

My husband loves Japanese food.  Today, he called to say that he will be going home (after 30 hours of duty at the hospital).  He asked me to deliver sushi and chapchae.  I called Gryn Wasabi Sushi Bar and ordered.  This was our first time to order from this Japanese restaurant.  The service was great except for one thing, they got the change wrong (actually they placed the wrong price and order on the receipt so that's why the change was lacking) but I was too lazy to complain.  Nonetheless, the California maki was good.  I liked the chapchae but my husband didn't because there were shitake mushrooms in it.  Maybe next time we will try other dishes soon.

Gryn Wasabi Sushi Bar
http://www.sushidelivery.com.ph/wpccategories/products/
just text the branch nearest you to order
P50 delivery charge

We started eating before we realized we haven't taken a picture yet! haha!

Private Fieldtrip to Manila Ocean Park

My son loves water and everything that has to do with water.  That includes fish, jellyfish, sharks, sea lions, and crocodiles.  So it was a no-brainer for me to bring him to Manila Ocean Park.

 I have been to Manila Ocean Park once when I was single.  I reminded me of Sentosa Island in Singapore.  It was smaller but still impressive especially the big aquariums in the "Laot" (deep sea) section.

I, together with my son and mother, trooped to Manila City (2 and a half hours of driving because of traffic).  Manila Ocean Park is located just beside Manila Bay at the back of Quirino Grandstand.  It's a massive building that showcases an open park for the sea lion show and a closed park for the aquariums.

We were lucky enough to catch the first show of the sea lion show.  My son was psyched! He was soooooo happy to see the sea lions dance and clap and swim effortlessly.

At the sea lion show

After the show, we went into the indoor aquariums.  My son didn't know where to start looking.  There were fish everywhere and he loved it so much.

At the Jellyfish Aquarium

Deep sea (Laot) Aquarium

Big Aquairum

Aquarium Tube with sting-rays and other fish

After all the aquariums, we relaxed our tired feet by using the fish spa.  I loved it but my mother was so scared of the fish so decided to just watch Jared as I had my feet exfoliated by doctor fish :)

Fish Spa

My mom is firm believer in investing in experiences rather than material things.  I believe that too and that is why I think bringing him to this park was a good birthday gift for him.

My mom explaining the sharks swimming

Happy 2nd birthday anak (son)! I hope you enjoyed :)

My attempt to make chawanmushi

I enjoy teaching a lot.  In fact, I see myself doing it for the rest of my career life.  I love interacting with my students.  One of the greatest achievements for me is when a student says he or she has learned something new.  The amazing thing is that in the process of teaching, I learn something new too.  This leads me to my post for today.

I'm proud to say I learned how to make chawanmushi!I learned it from my Japanese student.  I teach her English while she teaches me how to make popular Japanese dishes the authentic way.  Sometimes she even prepares and cooks in front of the webcam which I think is really sweet. This also delighted me because my husband really loves Japanese cuisine and interestingly, one of his favorites is chawanmushi. While she tries to communicate how to cook the dishes in English, I sometimes correct some of her sentences and at the same time, take down notes of the process as well.  :)

I was surprised because it was really easy to prepare but very hard to cook.  After many attempts, I finally got it (I think).  I didn't have the traditional tea cups where the Japanese usually put it, so I simply used my own coffee cups. My husband loved it and so did I.  Even my in-laws thought so too and they were very excited for me to make more.  It was similar to the chawanmushi we order at our favorite Japanese restaurant.  The appearance was just a little darker because I used local soy sauce (a lot darker and saltier than Japanese soy sauce) but the consistency was just right (I think, hehe).

Because I was only practicing to get the consistency right, I did not add shitake mushrooms or shrimp yet.  I plan to buy some more ingredients soon. As of now, I am very satisfied with the outcome especially for a beginner like me. I know that there is still a lot of room for improvement and I am excited to make more! :)

DIY nautical themed boat

It's been more than a year since I last wrote here.  While I can list down a gazillion excuses, I've decided to get straight to the point of why I decided to resurrect this blog.

A few days ago, my husband and I celebrated our son's second birthday.  I decided to use the nautical theme since the boy loved everything about the sea - water, fish, and boats.  It was timely because he was gifted a red-white-and-blue ensemble a few months back by his godfather from the States.  Because I recently discovered the beauty of Pinterest (yes, I have been living under a rock), I decided to look for great pinterest ideas on a nautical-themed birthday party.  I had no intentions to make it a big one or invite other people due to my husband's erratic schedule at the hospital.  I just wanted the little one to feel like he was on a boat, dolphin watching.  As usual, Pinterest did not disappoint.  I saw many DIY cardboard boats that art-challenged moms like me can recreate (emphasis on art-challenged -- up until now, I only know how to draw stickmen.).  My very supportive husband and I trooped to the art supplies store and bought the needed materials to make my ideas a concrete one.

Materials we used:
-  one cardboard box
- nautical blue poster paint
- flat paint brush
- red construction paper - to cover the interior of the boat
- 2 inch masking tape
- 2 slide holders - one for the oar and one for the sail
- blue and red colored paper plates
- styrofoam for the float; you can use cardboard if you want it environmentally friendly and cover it
  with recycled white paper
- raffia twine or brown garden twine or jute twine - easily found in Daiso :)
- pencil
- pair of scissors
- 1 foot ruler

After two hours of conceptualisation, taping, painting and drying, the finished product looked like a nautical-colored, viking-shaped row boat with an oar and a sail.  The makeshift seat was a traditional seat my dad got from Thailand.

I didn't want the excess cardboard to go to waste so I made it into whales but my son declared they were dolphins, so dolphins they are!

One of the "dolphins"

The young one enjoyed it very much and kept singing Row, Row, Row your boat :)

There you have it, my first post for 2014, and hopefully not my last. :)

Happy DIY-ing!

Furniture And Light Shopping @ Mandaue Foam

As our house is slowly nearing its completion, we have officially started searching for affordable yet classy furniture.  I recently read Jenni Epperson's blog post on furniture shopping in Mandaue foam for her daughter's room.  I was intrigued and googled the place.  To my delight, there was a branch near our place.  Mandaue Foam got its name from where the company started, Mandaue, Cebu and its specialized product, foam.  Due to its dedication to make quality foam products, the business naturally clicked and soon ventured into pillows, sofas, and furniture for the home.  The store setup was like a showroom of different rooms of the house on the first floor, all of which were from sale from the rugs to the lights.  The second floor was more of dining and living room furniture while the third floor featured bedrooms and dressers.  Basically everything was proudly Pinoy-made and workmanship was impressively export quality.  (Photos taken from my Instagram account @sherimontana)

Customer service was also a major plus.  They had a lot of salesmen on standby to answer your queries but would gladly let you roam around at your own pacing.  This is major plus for me because pushy salesmen irk me.  Bigtime.

If you're furniture shopping, this is definitely a place that's worth visiting.  Check their online catalog here and head to the many branches strategically located in different cities of the Philippines.

Happy furniture shopping!

Jared's First Summer Part 2

We arrived at Romblon port at around 7am.  Just like the ride form Batangas to Odiongan, the sea was calm and serene.

Romblon, Romblon: View from the ferry

The ferry we rode from San Agustin Port to Romblon Port (Taken from San Andres Fort, Romblon, Romblon)

We have officially arrived at Dada's hometown! :)  Jared looking in amazement towards the ferry we rode

I loved the vibe of Romblon port.  It was very laid back and Spanish era.  Like all ports, it was a busy place but somehow cleaner, friendlier, and had marble.

Gates are only open when a ship arrives or is to depart

Tidy stalls neatly lined outside the port

The tricycle trip to J's home took about ten minutes and once we finally arrived at the home where J grew up, he excitedly showed us to their receiving area where Jared finally saw his paternal great grandmother. :)  It was a meeting that was seven months overdue!

Jared and his great grandma :)

Define love

Jared with Yaya Biring, J's yaya and before that, my mom-in-law's yaya :)

We settled in our room, got the needed sleep, and ate freshly caught fish.  The next few days were dedicated to enjoying the beautiful beaches (and fort) of Romblon.

1.  Tiamban Beach Resort  - Just pay an entrance fee of 40php then you're good to swim until 6pm.  They used to have hotel rooms to accommodate those want to spend the night but they stopped that part of the business and made it a day-only beach.  You have the beach all to yourself on weekdays (yes, even during the summer, something unheard of in Boracay)  because most locals flock this white sandy beach on weekends.

The beach is pristine, virgin, and the sand is fine. 

Tiamban Beach Resort:  Panoramic View

If you walk along the shoreline, you'll arrive at Bonbon Beach which has a sandbar and sand comparable to that of Boracay

See my foot? That's how clear the water is :) 

2.  San Andres Fort

Eerie fort with all its Spanish Era glory

Colored Mosaic Marble

Romblon, Romblon:  Panoramic view

3.  San Pedro Beach Resort, Talipasak, Romblon

San Pedro Beach Resort is a 30-45 minute tricycle (yes, that's the mode of transportation in Romblon) ride from Romblon Port.  Most foreigners flock this resort due to its diving and snorkeling spots and sheer privacy.  A standard room per night here is only 800php! But the stay is exceedingly worth more than that.

Panoramic View of San Pedro Beach Shoreline

San Pedro has more grainy sand but is a better snorkeling beach.  It's swimmable even at low tide.

Jared's epic (and first) underwater shot.  I am in love with this photo!

Married bliss :)

Mom, I think I drank too much saltwater, hic!

Corals 30 feet deep (zoomed in)

San Pedro in the morning

San Pedro at noon:  Look at those corals underwater.  That's why it's a perfect snorkeling and scuba diving sanctuary.

San Pedro at sunset

Jared exploring a coconut

Marble benches (and marble anything for that matter) are a common site here in Romblon.   That's one big slab of marble right there!

Hammocks free for daydreaming

Resort Lobby |  Miss Mina, the owner well traveled and displays her foreign finds in the lobby. That's authentic African tribal art displayed all over.

Resort Bar

Hanging plants

To top it all off are the coastal roads around the beautiful island of Romblon.  Everytime we drive by to our destination, we are faced with the mountains on the left and the sun and sea on the right.  I get awestruck every single time and that's considering I stayed there for a month.

I had to ask our driver to stop even if it was a blind curve because it was simply breathtaking.

How awesome is that!

We left Romblon with a heavy heart.  It's a paradise within a paradise that a typical Manileño doesn't know about. I honestly hope the local government keeps it that way so that its natural resources stay untouched.  The people, the food, and the views made Summer 2013 a summer to beat. I can't wait to build sandcastles with Jared when we go back next year :)