Leyte 2013

November 8, 2013 Typhoon Haiyan struck the Visayas Region with sustained winds of 315 km/h (195 mph) (unofficial) making it the most powerful to hit land.

A week after the typhoon struck, we were given a chance to help those who were badly affected by the devastation. The company where my husband works arranged a relief & medical mission, rescue & relief mission. There were 3 groups sent via land, air and sea all equipped with relief goods, medicines and extra transport particularly for the relatives of the employees who resides in the affected areas.

My personal contribution was to gather clothes and food that can last for months. I asked my family and friends for donations and my husband was the one who personally assisted with the repacking and of course, who went to Leyte to extend a helping hand.

Please bear if I didn't mention any names, particulars even the town's location, this is in respect to the privacy of the individuals involved in this mission. Let the pictures tell the story of my husband's life- changing experience when he joined a team of experts for this trip.

Relief and Medical Mission: Haiyan 2013

Briefing by the Mayor in one the towns of Leyte

The people gather at the town's park at night.

The municipality was able to preserve some fuel to run a generator that gave light around the small park where the residents gather. This was also for security reasons since there was no electricity, and  at that time, in other towns, there was rampant looting.

Medical Assistance

Haiyan may have destroyed houses and other structures that served as shelter and security to the people.

The only source of livelihood --- gone.

With the immediate help that came from the private sector and aid from around the globe, the people of Leyte and other affected provinces was given a chance to start all over again.

There's Hope

Time To Rebuild

A New Beginning Awaits

I know God will never let the Filipino people down. Even if reconstruction is slow, in our hearts we've already stood up the moment Haiyan left the country to build a stronger foundation and keep faith as a firm source of inspiration. Moving forward.

Collecting Legos

My husband and I began collecting around 8 years ago. We feel like it has been that long because we were already buying Lego toys for our eldest son. Then comes the Duplo for our youngest. Frankie is very fond of Lego because he can literally create things with bricks without following any instruction manual. Watching my son build and create what he once imagined brings an amazing feeling for a mom like me.

From then on, we're on the look for Lego sets, mostly boxes of bricks. Since it's for playing, there are times when we lose bricks, and that's when we buy another box until the collection grew bigger. Our love for Lego expanded as we meet people with the same interest, and that's how we found out about PhLUG and other Lego items for collecting--- Legos for the young at heart.

Next on our list are Lego Books which we can display in our new home. We just found one or two that can also be useful in creating stuff, but we didn't buy it yet.

When The LEGO Movie came out, that's the time when we just want to gather what we feel we need to  collect. What we have is nothing compared to those who have been doing this for years.

The Lego Movie mini- figures was a set that's a bit hard to complete especially that toy stores here in the Philippines doesn't sell mini- figures as much compared to other countries. But we have our sources and we even got more than what we expected. There's a batch to be kept and there's a couple of mini- figures on display.

This is a must! An original The LEGO Movie: Everything is Awesome Edition (Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Combo Pack + Exclusive Minifigure + Exclusive Content + Bonus Blu-ray 3D)

We bought our copy from a Lego collector. I drove all the way to UN Manila early in the morning  just to meet up with this guy. I was with my husband of course and we know the guy, so safety on meet- ups (check!)

 1980's Vintage LEGO Spaceman in Red, White, Yellow and Blue

We're now looking for a black classic spaceman.

 Benny the Blue Spaceman in The LEGO Movie

The Blue Spaceman is said to be the last color to be released. Benny is a special character in The Lego Movie representing the 1980's Classic Space Astronaut. Only, Benny's suit is scratched and his helmet is broken and has an excited turn- around face.

Lego sets from The Lego Movie

These were the first box sets we had from The Lego Movie. We only purchased one from a mall, the rest were ordered online from fellow collectors.

 Shell Station has released a new set of Shell V- Power LEGO Collection. The rules state that for every 1,500-up worth of Shell V-Power Nitro fuel you can buy a toy from the set for 150php each and you can only purchase 1 toy for every receipt. That's a full tank for most cars. You see, we can't burn fuel just to be able to fill up our tank again and buy another toy. So I asked my dad if we can take turns and whoever will go first to gas up a car, must buy a toy until we complete the set or even get 2 sets of the whole collection. We did this with Shell's previous promos. So, our car's tank is full and we got the Lego Shell Station. My dad messaged me and he got gas too and bought the red Lego car. In a week, we now have 2 from the 2014 Shell V-Power Lego Collection.  Ha!

For more information: The New Shell V-Power Lego Collection

The fun of dressing up your Apple gadget. I particularly love this Original Belkin Lego casing for the iPad Mini 2. How I wish that they also have something for my old iPad 2... and sorry I need to emphasize on "original" because sad to say, fake items are everywhere in our country.

A Lego piece from Japan. For some reason, anything from Japan is always something to look forward to and worth collecting.

We're part of The Philippine Lego Users Group

We became part of PhLUG through a friend who is a super LEGO collector and enthusiast. My husband visited their exhibit once and he continued until he made friends and became part of the community. On a regular basis, the group organizes an exhibit where fellow collectors can display and sell their items for a more reasonable price compared to the ones being sold in malls. Some are from travelers who intentionally go abroad to buy Legos and other collectibles. 

It is a wonderful community. So if you're in search of some hard- to- find Lego items or any Lego set here in the Philippines, try PhLUG. It's a fun way to buy the Lego toys you want and at the same time, make friends.

Growing Hydrangeas

To be able to grow this flowering shrub has always been our dream. We had several attempts before and the plant won't survive after a week. At last, my mom's green thumb on growing Hydrangeas is finally working. First off, they bought the Hydrangeas near our place in Antipolo, Rizal. With that, the plant itself have adjusted to the climate and the total environment of the province. Unlike before when it was still being purchased from Tagaytay City, once the plant lands in Manila, it shrinks and it won't continue to grow anymore.

By the way, these were just bought from the marketplace (palengke). I must say that it's quite a find  for a public market. My dad bought a couple and to our surprise, it produced another flower and it continued. So they went back to buy some more.

 

The blue, lilac, and pink Hydrangeas were planted in front by the porch. The Hydrangeas we have are the "mopheads" and are branching out. Hopefully it turns into a Hydragrea bush, just like those in magazines and countries with cool conditions.

I have been doing a lot of research on how to grow Hydrangeas properly because I want them to last and I want this flowering plant to be healthy all the time.

Some things I learned:

• Hydrangea thrives with half sun and half shade treatment.
• It blossoms if the soil is fertile and with just the right amount of water and sunshine.
• It is not advisable to plant Hydrangeas near trees. 
• The color of the petals will vary with the pH level of the soil it's planted in.

Growing Hydrangeas here in the Philippines is not common except for flower farms which are located at the far off regions of the country. If you see a Hydrangea in full bloom from a local flower shop in Manila, that was probably ordered abroad. I'm just saying... and that's what I often encounter everytime I make an inquiry.

This particular Hydrangea was planted in a huge pot. It has blossomed a couple of times already.

 

These were the first ones that were used as basis if it will grow and survive in my mom's new home.

For the past month we have been feasting our eyes with the beauty of this wonderful plant. Of course, it made my mom very happy, because one of her dreams was granted again. Imagine, growing Hydrangeas in a tropical country!

Hydrangeas are so pretty. It's attractiveness is often linked to vanity with it's round shape and colorful petals. But for us, it symbolizes grace, serenity and simplicity. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time Ecclesiastes 3:11

Home Project Now Rolling

Moving forward towards happier times. One of the things that's been keeping me away from my regular routine online is furniture shopping. Finally, the moment has arrived when we get to choose the stuff for our new home. Personally, I don't want fill our unit in an instant. I want to do it slowly so that we can also get the furniture that is perfect for each room. And of course, we can't afford to buy and change and buy new ones again and again. I told my husband that if we're to rush things, everything else might go bonkers at some point.

It turned out that my husband had that same thought in mind. Planning was made easy because my husband and I are attuned with the same ideas, stuff we want to put in and certain themes for our new home.

The only request I have was a signature chair for myself. A high back chair. You know the idea, when guests will see that chair, they know it's mine and I own that small space in our home. Same goes with my other half, he requested for a LaZBoy, I didn't argue because he granted mine and I want him to get his too.

My chair was an easy find. SM Home World is now selling sleek chairs, home decor and other furniture. I was in heaven when I saw the line of high back chairs on display. It comes in different sizes, designs and colors. But it's a different story with my husband. Since a LAZBOY costs so much, he's still on the hunt "for the worthy recliner".

So we've settled our chairs, this afternoon, we went through the list of kitchen appliances we need. As much as possible, we want to go for things that are economical, environment-friendly, safe and easy to maintain. It's our own home, it's new, so why not make a good investment.

Still Coping...

The last time I found myself in this very position was when my father-in-law passed away 6 years ago. It has been weeks since we lost one of our most treasured friend. Life had to continue as if nothing happened, my husband tries his best to proceed with his daily tasks at work even if he is grieving inside. It's hard, very hard... 

For us, we didn't lose a friend, but it feels like we lost a family member. 

There are moments when we look at old photos, we reminisce the old times, how this wonderful person has affected us through his principles in life... For some reason, the passing of this friend of ours was the hardest thing to accept. Maybe because it was very sudden and that until his time was about to end, he was still there thinking of our family's welfare and he stood strong being a mentor to my husband.

Maybe it will take a few more months to finally accept the reality that he is gone... but we will never forget the things that he has done for us...

This entry is going to be emotional...  for the first time I am pouring my thoughts and feelings out on this blog on how 2014 was made sad for me and my husband. Better this way, than writing about it when a new year is about to begin. 

It may look that I don't have friends or a "barkada" to hangout with... I do have friends and there's a handful whom I treasure simply because of their extraordinary way how to bring friendship a level higher than the usual. Same goes with my husband. 

We are surrounded by people who have accepted us for who we are, people who embrace every moment we spend with them, people who will never forget, kindhearted individuals that became family to us. I don't need to mention each one... We know how important we are to them and how special they are to us.

2014 began with the death of an old friend of mine. His passing was very sudden... I don't want to go into details, but few of us knew why and how his life was cut short. Second quarter came with the death of one of my husband's close workmate from a previous company. 

When I say close, even if they don't work under the same roof anymore, they still make it a point to keep in touch even with their busy lives. Knowing somebody is not just physical or through his/ her everyday life. We look deep inside on what makes up this kind person.

Following the losses was the passing of another... Mikah... 

It feels like for every quarter of this year, we lose somebody. We don't attend parties, we go to funerals instead...

And the latest news was the most devastating... Remember my post on owning a Volvo... Our friend who wanted to give us his car joined Our Creator last Friday... I haven't shed a single tear yet, though my heart's been crying since I found out about it... I'm still in shock, in denial... It feels like we lost a big brother. My husband's working off his feet just to be able to move on. I don't know how my eldest son will take it. My heart feels so heavy right now.

We owe our big brother so much... We wanted him see our new condo... he was a brother, a mentor, a friend... He is THE MAN! Nobody will ever take his place. He has always been there for us. He was the life of every party. He was the sunshine and rainbow in every gloomy heart.

It's such a great loss. The Holiday Season will never be the same again... our summer will never be as hot, fun and exciting... 

As his last words to my husband... "Whatever we have here on earth is temporary. Do or get whatever that will make you happy. At least when you go, you know that you enjoyed your stay, you made people happy, you're happy."

His life was very colorful. He lived a beautiful life. We know him for being happy, fun and adventurous. Now, life continues with him watching over us all the time. We move on as we carry his legacy to inspire others. Share his wisdom and inspirations, his love for gaming, his passion for work and his truthful side on being a good friend. 

Cheers to that!

We lost 4 of our good friends this year... I hope it stops there. Yes, we now know that we should give value to what we have in life and what matters are the moments we share with each other... but we pray Lord not to give us meaning by losing another good person again...

photo source

I Almost Owned A Volvo

That's right, I almost got a Volvo for my first car. Well, it's a second- hand car. The former owner is a friend of ours who loves European cars and all of his cars are well- maintained. So when the deal was offered to my husband he had a tough time weighing things out. 

Here's why. We just recently acquired our own condo. Next in our list is to get a second vehicle so both me and my husband will not have to wait on each other with 1 vehicle. Of course, the plan is to get a brand new car. Our minds were set for an SUV since we have kids and we like going on road trips. 

Then a sudden opportunity knocked and someone or let me say "an angel" gave us a ridiculously good deal on owning a Volvo. Come on guys, a Volvo is a Volvo. It's one of the best cars and not to forget, its safety engineering.  It's an ideal car for family adventures. 

Our friend who owns the Volvo mentioned that he chose to make the offer to my husband because he is a family man. Knowing our family, he trust that we will take good care of his car if we get it. So, my husband went for a test drive. True enough, it's a powerful car, very sleek and luxurious even if second- hand. Personally, my mind was made up to buy the car in cold cash, with my own money. I got overly excited and was easily persuaded.

To make the long story short, we turned down the offer simply because we feel that it's not for us. If we're going to look at it, maintenance is going to be hell, especially we're not too familiar with European cars. Japanese or American cars we will surely take it... but something we are not familiar with... we'll have to pass. We believe that in buying a car, a buyer should also gauge his or her capability on maintaining a vehicle. It's useless if one has a car but doesn't know the rules of maintaining one.

Anyway, having a friend who can make such offer is already a blessing. Besides, he's also into American cars (wink!) maybe one day he might just let go of some.