The World of Second Chances

Road Accident

August 17, 2017

Life & Love

I’ve always been paranoid about road safety that’s why I am always alert whenever we are traveling. Yesterday, netizens and tele-viewers were glued to their phones and TV to witness the rescue operation of a family of 5 that was trapped inside their car when a cement mixer fell on them after it tripped over the center island. Looking at the picture above, one would assume that nobody made it but as of last night, the mother and her three children were declared out of critical condition. The father, whose rescue operation was witnessed by many, did not make it. Time was a critical factor to his rescue because he was trapped for at least three hours. Meanwhile, the cement mixer driver has been arrested and put in jail.

How can we really avoid road accident? As a person, we know our capability. If you are a driver, don’t drink when you will drive. Drive within the speed limit. Check your vehicles if it is in good condition for long travels.

As a pedestrian, use the footbridge and cross on the right lane. Don’t assume that your body is made of steel.

As a would-be driver, learn how to drive defensively. Learn the street signs. Learn the traffic rules. Don’t get a driver’s license because you want to drive. Get a driver’s license because you are capable and competent to drive.

As a co-passenger, avoid sleeping on the car. Four eyes are better than one so be alert on the road as the driver. If you are seated on the back, behave. Don’t make a distraction because the driver might miss something on the road. Accidents happen in a split-second.

As a public official and somebody in authority, do your job! Review the traffic route of heavy vehicles. Repair damaged road and as well as broken traffic signs.
The Party, The Mommies and The Writer

August 17, 2017

That’s Entertainment

Ricky Lo is on the hot seat these days for his controversial write up about Bimby Yap’s no show at his half-brother’s first birthday party. He could not understand why Kris Aquino was fuming mad at his article when he just wrote the truth that Bimby did not attend despite Mic’s invitation.

One would not understand Kris’ over-reaction to the article unless he or she is on the same situation as her.

First, it is obvious that Kris and Mic are on the stage of getting to know each other as parents sharing the same father to their children. Hence, as much as possible, they want to clear the path for a healthier relationship with each other.

Second, we never know if Kris has really earned Mic’s trust and an article with a headline like that might trigger Mic to question Kris’ sincerity about their agreement that Bimby would rather not go to his baby brother’s party.

Third, while Kris is pointing out that she is just protecting Bimby, it is also obvious that she is protecting her relationship with Mic and there’s nothing wrong with that. It is also obvious that Mic is protecting her relationship with Kris that is why her “Italian temper” got into Ricky Lo’s nerves.

On the other hand, I also believe that this issue was blown out of proportion. Had Kris sent a public message to Ricky in a different tone, this issue would just be considered another none-issue or an attempt to sensationalize a tabloid article.
Heart Don’t Change My Mind (My Version)

August 14, 2017

Life & Love

I said we’d try again
But tryin’s not enough
Acting like strangers ain’t no way of saving love
It’s never gonna work
It’s time to stop pretending
Time to turn the page
All stories need an ending
It makes no sense to stay
Livin’ my life in yesterday
I’m leavin’ I’m leavin’ and I’m beggin’ you

Heart don’t change my mind
Oh heart be strong this time
And try to help me tell her goodbye
It’ll only bring pain for me to stay
Oh heart it’s hard for you I know
Let me let him go

Don’t let me think about
How good it was before
I know you’ll try anything
to keep me from that thought
It’s hard to leave him when
You’ve loved him for so long
Now how can I walk away
If you’re still holdin’ on now

I finally found the strength
Look at me I can finally say it’s over, it’s over
So I’m beggin’ you

It makes no sense to stay
Sad that it has to end this way
It’s over, it’s over
Easy Milo Cupcake

August 7, 2017

Wedding & Family Life
Disclaimer: I am just an average cook. The reason why I decided to make my own cupcakes is because the ones available in the market are very sweet!

What you need:
- baking pan (in the absence of baking pan, good old leche flan llanera will do)
- mixer (hand mixer, electric mixer or even fork will do)
- bowl
- steamer and pan or oven
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3-4 tablespoons of sugar (brown sugar will do)
- 3-4 tablespoons of powdered Milk (I prefer Alaska)
- 3-4 sachets of Milo
- 3 tablespoons of Star Margarine (any butter will do)
- pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 5 tablespoons of water
- grated chocolate (I use Beryll’s)
- Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, Milo and salt in a bowl.
2. Mix.
3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
4. Pour the egg in the mixture then mix until smooth.
5. Low heat the pan to melt the margarine.
6. Pour the margarine in the mixture and mix.
7. Put some water on the mixture for a smoother effect.
8. Put the grated chocolate on the mixture and mix.
9. Put some chocolate syrup on the top of the mixture.
10. Put the baking pan on the steamer and steam for 20 minutes. If you have an oven, you can set it at 5-8 minutes. Don’t forget to test the baking by picking a toothpick on the cake.
Others like moist cupcake while some prefer a dry one. If you want it super dry, you may extend the steaming to another five minutes.
BFF Goals

August 4, 2017

Life & Love

Steph and Annie used to be my officemates in my first job. The pair was inseparable then and you could feel genuine friendship between the two. Steph migrated to the US sometime in 2005, leaving Annie devastated. Annie was happy for her bestfriend but the reality of living without her was just hard to accept at first. A month after Steph’s migration, Annie sent us an inspirational chain message about the good in good-bye. I felt sorry for her because just five years earlier, I was in the same position when my best buddy left the country to settle in Canada. I did not expect that Annie and Steph’s friendship would survive the test of time and distance.

I was wrong! Very wrong! A few days ago, I saw them TOGETHER in the US through Annie’s Facebook post. I was ecstatic to see them together and I realized that there are really some friendships that are meant to stay, no matter what.

Some friends will be there for you as long as they get something from you.

Some friends will dine with you as long as you have the money and fame.

Some friends will forget about you as soon as they leave.

Some friends will claim that they love you though you can hardly feel it.

I am glad because my faith in true friendship is back. To be a good friend to others, you must accept the other person’s flaws and weaknesses. To be a good friend to others, you must be there during his highs and lows. To be a good friend to others, you must open your heart and soul. Steph and Annie made it and will continuously make it. There’s just so much love to share between them. 🙂
Look Back, Move Forward

August 3, 2017

Wedding & Family Life

I just learned that one of our long-time neighbor in the province moved to another barangay. I could not believe it at first so I sent a private message to the matriarch. She confirmed about their transfer last summer and told me that it was probably just right timing when one of the big-time developers bought the large idle land at the back of the family’s ancestral home. The land was unintentionally enclosed by the houses stretching two barangays thus leaving it idle for almost 4 decades.

Our barangay has always been affected by flood during the rainy seasons. I grew up walking through makeshift wooden bridges because of the floodwater inside the compound. Street children loved to play inside the compound because it looked like a big fishpond with milkfish and small fishes.

I stopped appreciating the flood in our area as soon as I hit puberty. It was just uncool to be walking along flooded streets and then crossing through an old makeshift bridge just to get home. I dreamed of college and getting a job after graduation. I dream of buying a new house elsewhere where typhoons and storm surges would never be able to intimidate me. That start of my life journey started in 1994 and since then, I became distant to my own place.

“Actually, another neighbor will transfer soon, too. They have sold their house to the developer” our neighbor’s mother added.

What?! Why are they leaving? How much was the deal for them to just give up decades of living in our beautiful barangay? Hey, those houses are the landmarks of my childhood!

Wait! I stopped thinking to start feeling how I really think of the situation. I was sad for their exodus not because I would miss them because it has been ages since I settled in another place. I was sad for their exodus not because I was jealous of their new home but because I wanted to see their old homes just as they have always been. Then I realized, it was all about me. The sadness was all about missing my childhood. The pain came from the realization that the place would never be the same again on my next visit.

“Mare, it is better to leave the house. It’s old, anyway, ” PM’d my friend.

Yes, it is better to leave the house. It is not practical to live in an old house with flooded streets when your parents are old and vulnerable. The sadness was all about me, my feelings, my memories, my childhood.
Our Tiny Home

July 20, 2017

Wedding & Family Life

Our house hunting journey started in 2009, just a month after I gave birth to our elder son. I wanted a second-hand house and lot with a lot of space because I’ve always dreamed of having bermuda grass and roses in the garden. Our efforts were futile and it took us another five years to finally decide on where to buy a house.

The reason why we chose to buy a house in a gated community was because of security reasons. The downside of this decision was, the cost of the houses were much higher and we felt that it was impractical to be paying a high amortization for an overpriced house so we decided to get a townhouse first and then upgraded to a duplex later on.

Home improvement started in December 2016 and then ended in April 2017. We moved in on the 4th week of April and so far, everything’s fine. Moving in was a piece of cake because our apartment was almost the same size as our house but we decided to let go of 50% of our things to make a fresh start in our new house.

Being a minimalist, we regularly give away clothes, shoes and bags to make a room for the new ones. Old textbooks go straight to the garbage pick up area for junk and scrap collection. We don’t have any figurines or displays at home; we adorn a portion of our wall with our pictures. Being avid fans of red floors, we selected red tiles for our living room so that there would be no need for red waxing—if you’re familiar with old Filipino living room with red floor, then that’s it. I realize that sofa is prone to dirt and foul smell so we bought a hard wooden sofa without the cushion. To date, we have not yet installed curtains at the living room area to make use of the natural light in the morning and afternoon. I am looking for a nice window decal instead.

Maybe, in the coming months, my favorite spot of the house would be the mini-garden that my husband is working on. My request two months ago was to plant ivy plants on the fence because having a green fence is not only cool to the eyes but also unique in this age of wall tiles and decorative stones. He got the ivy plant from his “suking-talyer” when he dropped by for vulcanizing. He also made concrete pots for growing calamansi, papaya, chili and tomato. My next request would be to have a yellow rose garden and bermuda grass for our tiny garden.

I used to say that living in a 50sqm house is not possible. Now that we are in it, I can say that a tiny house is much cheaper and more manageable. 🙂