Farewell Erica

It breaks my heart to hear about Erica's death. I weep for her parents whom I know are shattered. Just when we thought Erica has been gifted with a second chance in life, she was all gone in a snap. I know that the life we live is borrowed. However, knowing this doesn't make it easier for us, parents, to come into the realization that our children might go before us.

Weekend Recipe: Vietnamese Spring Rolls

My mom has been craving for Pho Hoa for a while now. However, the restaurant we used to go to at SM closed so we have no means of getting a Pho Hoa. As I was surfing the net the other month, I came across a post by MaketManila on how to do a Vietnamese Spring Roll (see the post here ). The ingredients were relatively easy to find. Also, we started growing our own herbs so the recipe is a perfect in enjoying the "fruits of our labor." MM's recipe uses shrimps in his rolls, and that I think is what the vietnamese really put in their rolls. I used that the first time but mama suggested I use imitation crab meat for the next batch as the shrimps are too expensive. Personally, I like the second batch even though it's not an authentic version of the rolls.

At mass today...

At mass today, just before the holy communion, a lady a few pews before us launched into a monologue. At first, I thought, our parish gained a female version of Carlos Celdran. After getting over my initial shock, curiosity (read :chismis genes) instantly kicked plus we're a good 10 feet away from her so we couldn't help but hear her speech. We (people within 10 feet) were not sure on how to react so we ignored her but her oration was growing louder by the minute. It didn't help too that when someone tried to stop her, she got even more louder. I got scared that she might turn violent. I sang louder to drown out her voice but silently I was calculating how much she weighed and my chances of winning against her should my children be harmed-- accidental or not. Thankfully and slightly disappointingly, nothing sort of news breaking happened within the next ten minutes. She was just escorted by two guards after she took the hostia and "shhhh" warning from the celebrating priest.

My Reading List for September

My love affair with books started when I was in Elementary. We were tasked to make weekly book reviews in our English class and so the habit of reading grew on me. Growing up, my closest friends were Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield of the Sweet Valley series ( a new book titled, Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later, was released this year. It follows the lives of the main SW characters as adults.). I tried The Babysitters Club and The Nancy Drew Series and even if they were equally compelling, I always went back to Sweet Valley.


I have long moved on from my Sweet Valley days but my love affair with books haven't diminished at all.   I'm sharing my reading list as well as a little preview of each book. I'll be reviewing these books too but that would be in another post.

Bombshell Wednesday: Coco Manila

I chanced upon a soap store in Camp John Hay on our recent trip to Baguio. From afar, I wasn't sure what the store's products are but upon getting closer, I saw different kinds of soap and other beauty products like body scrubs, hand sanitizers, lip balms and lotions. The store sort of reminds me of Lush.

Mischa's correspondence with Ninang Ams

From Mischa:

Dear Ninang Ams, 

      Thank you for the book. Mommy is very pleased that you gave me a book. She's intent on keeping me a nerd so I won't ever have a boyfriend before I get a driver's license (which she says would be when I turn 21). I love love love the moving objects in te book. I pray that my kuya and ate spare this from a brutal abuse. Again, thank you especially because you made it to my birthday even if you hate going to parties with more than 3 people in it. 

Love,

Mischa