Northbound

Quick visit at The Shire to recharge.

Ang tagyawat...
Tinanong ko si Bennet kung ano ito.
Sabi nya, "DIMPLES!"
Hahaha! :)

I LoVe yOu, CoOkiE bUtTeR!!!

:)

Salamat, Karla! :)

pLaYgRoUnD tiMe!

Can you spot my magic milktea wand? :)

http://www.themindmuseum.org

Sunny Day! :)

I miss nanay and kuya.

But today is a sunny day! (literally and figuratively).

I met kuya at the terminal before he went home to Bulacan

(meet and greet lang talaga).

We have not seen each other since we moved in to their unit

(just two blocks away from our old place).

He asked me to make kwento but I can't.

Because there's just too much to tell and with so little time.

So he just told me about how he has been at his new office.

Kuya is so cool and funny just like daddy and nanay.

:-)

Then, I realized I also miss one of my favorite activities in the world:

going to the grocery (in the midst of randomness).

Such a lot of amazing stuff there.

Good night!

Thank you very much, Kuya for being my encourager,
for teaching me how to drive,
and for letting me navigate through life's transitions.
Happy it's almost our birthday!
Daddy and Nanay super love you! :)

SOY What You Want!

Bon Chon-ly yummier!

:)

it's happening...

amidst the weather...

:)

summer, summer, summer!

in every season of my life, YOU remind me of your promises, your love, your grace.

Curiosity Got the Gourmand (Penne with Fresh Tomatoes Episode)

nothing beats fresh tomatoes!

I Miss My Apron! (Part 2)

Overripe bananas are best for banana cakes.

Overripe mangoes for smoothies.

Overripe tomatoes?

This is another exciting "curiosity got the gourmand" moment!

I cooked pasta using half a kilo of overripe tomatoes.

The simplest pasta recipe ever!

Just dance the kamatis (rinsed, seeded and quartered) around the pan until they morphed into

sweet, soft and pulpy fruit.

(Hmmm... Food for Thought: Sometimes, second chances can be the most significant turning point

in our walks. I could have just discarded the tomatoes. Oops! Stop me now!)

Add mushrooms.

Season.

Add a cup of red sauce.

Toss in penne.

Top with cheese.

Smile and serve.

yum!

:)

connecting the dots

moment by moment...

spared for the nth time

This is what almost happened last night...

:(

REROUTING

“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.”
-Yann Martel, Life of Pi

imissyou

23 adorable faces

23 ear-splitting laughters

23 pairs of eyes that watch me dance and make funny faces

23 pairs of ears that intently listen when i tell stories

23 hearts that never grow tired loving me

i miss you.

Afternoon Delight!

Hi! I just arrived here at the Shire (Camiling).

Ninang greeted me with my paboritong Sinigang na Hipon.

The hobbits (Bennet and Ivan) waited by the door and

welcomed me with all their bursting energy.

More tales to come...

Prelude to Good Night!

Weekend Runs, FSL Class, Canvas, and Overripe Tomatoes

Be Still and Know

Saturday runs/walks have been a great source of "pause" for me this past months.

The distance, the weather and the fresh air that gently brushes against my face 

each time I run along the old pavements of the campus 

let me rethink and reflect on so many things. 

It's really a heart workout!

Let's run soon!

:)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I Miss My Apron!


Overripe bananas are best for banana cakes.

Overripe mangoes for smoothies.

Overripe tomatoes?

This is another exciting "curiosity got the gourmand" moment!

I cooked Ispageti using half a kilo of overripe tomatoes.

The simplest ispageti recipe ever!

Just dance the kamatis (rinsed, seeded and quartered) around the pan until they morphed into

sweet, soft and pulpy fruit.

(Hmmm... Food for Thought: Sometimes, second chances can be the most significant turning point

in our walks. I could have just discarded the tomatoes. Oops! Stop me now!)

Add meat or chunks of tuna.

Season.

Add a cup of red sauce.

Add pasta.

Top with cheese.

Smile and serve.

yum!

:)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FSL Class

Teacher Rommel is a gem from the College of Fine Arts.
An amazing painter.
An incredibly humorous person.
A dad, husband, friend.
He is Deaf.
Thank you very much, Teacher Rommel for sharing your life with us!
You rock! :)

-=(.")(",)=-

One day, there was a prince.

He went to the village and met a beautiful and kind young

lady.

The prince likes the lady very much.

Then, the two became friends.

One morning, the prince asked for the young lady’s

hand and told her that he wanted the two of them to live in

his castle.

The young lady said no.

And they live happily ever after!

:)

chill! :)

Prelude to a Grander Plan

"We are so going on an adventure!"

Sovereign

Sovereign in the mountain air
Sovereign on the ocean floor
With me in the calm
With me in the storm

Sovereign in my greatest joy
Sovereign in my deepest cry
With me in the dark
With me at the dawn

In your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you

In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

Sovereign in the mountain air
Sovereign on the ocean floor
With me in the calm
With me in the storm

Sovereign in my greatest joy
Sovereign in my deepest cry
With me in the dark
With me at the dawn

In your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you

In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

All my hopes
All I need
Held in your hands

All my life
All of me
Held in your hands

All my fears
All my dreams
Held in your hands

All my hopes
All I need
Held in your hands

All my life
All of me
Held in your hands

All my fears
All my dreams
Held in your hands

In your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you

In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

sweet endings...

!

Finally, the turning point I have long been waiting for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk_HBla7C28

sparedbygrace

Sometimes, the most exciting journey
is the distance between two people.

From Diapers to Dreams

Portfolios. I survived a month of sleepless nights writing each child's nursery journey, making layouts and rendering them into a sunny repertoire of milestones and snippets of teachable moments in and outside the classroom.

In a few days time, these children I played, cried, laughed with, dreamed and prayed for will move up to another chapter of adventures. 

Ten months ago, they were only a bunch of diapers grumbling to get my attention. 

Each day that passed was like no other. 

We journeyed.

I may not see the zenith of this yet but I strongly feel in my heart that when we really start caring for these little dreamers, we are, to the same extent nurturing solutions to this country.

There is just so much hope and exciting things to look forward to everyday.

I hope you too find your own "Portfolio moment!"

:)

"Nursery Dream Booth"
(displayed during the moving up program) 

The Tale of the Sun and the Moon

Durian! Durian!

:)

Food Renegades Meetup at Abe

Maligayang Kaarawan, Dante at Zyre!

:)

Where Good Friends Dine
:)

Super thanks to all your staff, Abe!
(Kris, Love, The Singers at sa inyong Kusina Master
 for the great food and superb dining experience! :) 

More laughters at CBTL
:)

Fall in love with Abe's:

Uncomplicated and cozy Azotea

Excellent service

Courteous staff

Great traditional Filipino food (mostly of Kapampangan origin):

Sinuteng Baby Squid (small squid sauteed in olive oil and seasoning)

Adobong Puso ng Saging (heart of banana plant stewed in palm vinegar)

Pork Sinigang sa Sampaloc (no explanation required :)

Pinakbet Wen Manong

Pancit

Halo-halo

Chocolate-eh!

Abe is at

Level M3, Trinoma Mall, North EDSA, Quezon City

http://ljcrestaurants.com.ph/abe/

:)

a teacup of random thoughts

- be ready for surprises

- you cannot rehearse sincerity

- children are little people who are candid, forgiving and loving

- i miss hannah, rafael and aidan

- butter ball and curly tops

Daghang Salamat!

Jaira, Hannah at Jam sa pagpapangiti sa mga panahong ito.

:)

snippets of hope :)

My students can't hold their excitement to learn more about the class' theme and meet the man himself. One child candidly said during our meeting time, "Teacher, I want to see the real Mr. Kenneth Cobonpue." We had a puppet show of him last week. They also had a chance to see, touch and sit on the Yoda chair. This week, they browsed on a magazine (ADOBO MAGAZINE) that featured him. Today, the children wrote/drew cute notes for Mr. Cobonpue. 

:)

Catching Up

How long has it been?

It was indeed a madagascar-funny and heartening reunion with you.

I'm sure nanay and mama are having a great time up there.

Take care always.

:)

what doesn't come from a store

Phoenix: "You're so funny Teacher!!!"
(while laughing his heart out)

That moment when children can just be uncompromisingly candid and witty.

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” 

- Dr. Seuss

Always Been You

God knew exactly what I needed.

:)