Pebbles After Tears

Have you ever felt the urge to just breakdown and cry because of the sudden emptiness and the pressure that you feel? All those loneliness, troubles and problems that were bottled up for too long suddenly bursts out and spills. These are what the tears are really for. It cleanses and releases whatever negativity there may be whether they be big or small. It happened to me. This feeling became too overwhelming that I have to cry for no reason at all. This may sound strange but truly, if you keep and store all those unsaid words, that needed to be told; for too long, one day, they'll find their exit route and have their great escape. But after all those tensions were released, you'll feel free and smooth all over like the pebbles by the shore.
 



Talk...




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/09/05/13

A Few Seconds of Sunlight

Sometimes, to me, there are days that seemed to drag on, hours that seemed to never pass, minutes that disappears, seconds that seemed to play tricks on you, times that fogs your memories; making it almost impossible to see the silver lining behind those big, dark clouds and uncertainties that leave you nothing but doubt. It is at this point that when you could think of nothing to cheer you up anymore and things had gone completely wrong that a ray of sunlight suddenly lit up, makes you smile and let you forget all your worries just for a little while. A laugh from a child, a chat from a friend, a warm smile for a greeting and a simple thank you for everything. These are my few seconds of sunlight bathed on a tired and weary day.


Good night people. A stressful day on a Manila Day.




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/06/24/13

Independence Day Vacation

After a three-week straight of work, it's good to finally have a day off especially when it's a holiday. Goodby stress, goodby work, goodby pressure and hello couch/bed/food and fun. So, here goes.

"Mga anak, makinig kayo mabuti. Noong buwan ng Hunyo ika-12 ng taong 1898, idineklara ni Emilio Aguinaldo ang kalayaan ng ating bayan sa mga kolonya ng Espanyol. Doon narin iniwagayway ang ating pambansang watawat. At yoon na ang naging Araw ng Kasarinlan o ang Araw ng Kalayaan..."                     - from the stories of dear Lola Tasyang  : )

The Philippines Independence Day was celebrated every 12th of July. Filipinos would go to parks, watch parades and have a great salo salo afterwards; and that is exactly what we did, a great big salo-salo.
 
Menu for this day: Grilled Chicken, Pancit Canton and Four Season Gulaman juice.

It was our first time to actually grill in the open with live charcoals and all. It turned out great and even better than we had expected. Marinating of the chicken proves to be the most crucial point and calamansies help add that Mang Inasal taste. Starting up the charcoals is actually harder than it looks, promise. Good thing, we got some help from some good samaritans.

Almost done grilling the chicken

The Grilling Place

Finished products

The heat and coals underneath

Four Season Gulaman Juice. Cheers!

Grilled Chickens sa Kaldero

After a hot and hard day of grilling, it's nice to cool down and have some fun with family and friends. So, Upwords me, baby! : )

Battle of the Brains

UPWORDS!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/06/14/13

Refresh, Rewind, Relax and Recall... Yeah!

Last night was so much fun! It had been educational, relaxing and a great time for group-bonding (ooh, it rhymes). We had been invited to attend a symposium on Hepatitis at the Crowne Plaza in Ortigas and yes, I'm back to working my bones off again 24/7 (exaggerating, of course). I felt I was really a part of something when they asked me to participate in the event. The repertoire started with the usual opening ceremonies and when speakers started their lectures, we learned a great deal of knowledge about Hepa A, B, C and D. The event was organized by the Abbot Lab.; a company specializing in medical researches, to promote their new and developed product or assay in determining HCV. Last night, I felt like a health professional but today, I felt like a real Med. Tech. Being able to brainstorm and debate on the topics that were discussed last night really boosts my confidence level. We talked about how some patients were being misdiagnosed because of lack of confirmatory tests performed, how important HBVDNA is, the effects of vaccines and how it can affect the virus (which is very confusing), the mutations on proteins that were perfectly accomplished by the virus, the sensitivity and specificity of the assay, the occults and the carriers and how HDV can turn out negative in HbsAg (the key diagnostic test of HepaB). It was such an experience being able to learn, debate, brainstorm, share jokes and laugh with my fellow colleagues. The share-jokes-and-laugh part begun when the speaker's lecture sounded more like a thesis complete with its feasibility studies and computations that totally made no sense to me... shhh. and when their slides looked like they copied and pasted from each other and the font size was no more larger than 10 in Calibri style. Oh, how they hurt my eyes.   O.o


Doodling, table napkin folding, tea and sandwiches, lectures and friends...




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/06/04/13

A Drop of Life

It was a little pass 2 o' clock in the afternoon when I find myself staring at the ceiling doing nothing except squeezing a stress ball for every 5 seconds. I'm actually experiencing this for the first time. The blood bag beside me is quickly fattening up and all the while I was thinking "Hey, I really could save a life." I could feel a little tingling sensation in the puncture site where my blood is being drawn out. It's a little odd but painless though. Of course the insertion of the needle is always a hateful part of extraction but after that I felt nothing; which is weird and creepy because I'm quite aware that a 19 gauge needle is sticking inside my arm. Now, how I ended up donating my blood all of a sudden? Well, thinking back now, I think I was being childish and adventurous at the same time. Haha. It was after a Sunday duty's work and while I was walking home, I passed by Lorenzo Ruiz Academy, which is beside the Binondo Church; and tents were set up and lots of people were rushing about. The colors attracted me more than what was really going on. Purple and yellow everywhere! So I said why not be a part of it. The first step was to weigh yourself... and I pretty much failed on that one. Haha. The required weight needed was a healthy 50 kg but I was only 48 so I lied to the guy taking my weight and told him that I had already donated before. Being such a bad liar that I am, I actually convinced that guy and he wrote on my form a realistically good 50.1 kg. ;) Haha. Ok, Step 2, fill up the form given. It was a check-yes-or-no questions and I was thankful enough that there were no boring-essay-type answers needed. Yes! Time for step 3, blood pressure me away, Baby! Surprisingly, I passed this test. 120/70! Wow! I really was feeling great and healthy that day. I'm usually a 110/70 or even lower. Step 4 was a consultation with the doc. The doctor whom I was appointed to was funny and kind. He asked me lots of disturbing but necessary questions which I remembered correctly answering some of them with evident shock. Step 5 is for the ID. I got a cute violet-colored blood donor card. It even has a my picture printed on it. Step 6, the last but definitely not the least, drum roll please... the extraction, which will bring us back to where we started. It is really not that painful plus you get to renew your blood (which is good), help other people (which is also great) and get a lot of snacks (which is even better)! The blood donation was sponsored by the "Eng Bee Tin" and "Mr. Ube" and their fire station. This had been a great experience for me. Being spontaneous had never been this fun! Thanks guys for reading this. Hope it had encouraged you in some way. God Bless!


Take care my little ones. Mommy knows you can be the hope to others.




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/05/29/13

In Stranger Tides 2

Poppies... 
Daisies...
Butterflies...
Hey, don't go...
Come back here, Princess...
Her eyes glittering like the sun, so blinding yet captivating, and the air just seemed so strangely sweet like jasmines and shampoos. Where do you think you're going? Thump. Thump. As I run through the soft grass. I could almost reach her... just a little more closer... could almost--- BLAG!
All the flowers suddenly burst and popped up like bubbles as I opened my eyes and glared at the glimmering sunlight. It took me awhile to figure out the where; which is on the floor in my hotel room, and the when and a little while longer on the tangle that I'm in with the blankets that seemed to be like strangling me with every move I made. At last, victory is mine. I stood up and looked around. Did I threw a party last night or was there an animal rampage on the loose? My eyes couldn't get anymore bigger as I absorbed the scene in front of me. Every window smashed, couches ripped, furniture bamboozled, curtains... never mind, and to think that I slept through all these? What on earth happened? My mind is racing a million GB per millisecond and suddenly I thought of my satchel. The thieves must have been after that! Yes, but how did they know? I upturned everything in sight as I fervently searched for my beloved satchel. No, they must not have it. They must not--- Aha! Argh, the look on their faces must have been priceless. In the middle of crisis, I completely forgot that I; a master thief, never failed to secure my things. I leaped gingerly from broken chairs to another and finally reached my hand inside an opened vent and voila! My medallion, safe and sound. Those nasty thieves must have been after this, the Golden Talisman of the Dead Knight. But how did they come to know of this? The medallion was from our last expedition. The search for this was thought beyond capable but we go for the impossible. We did this in secrecy and when we finally found the Golden Talisman of the Dead Knight, the duty of keeping it safe was imposed on me while we locate the next clue to the hidden treasures of the knight. This talisman would serve as the key to wherever passage the knight hid his treasures. Right now, well, we're still figuring. I was still looking at the medallion when a I heard a knock on my door. 
"Sir, room service..."
Room Service? But I didn't order anything. I was about to open the door when a thought came into my mind.
"Oh, please wait. I'll be there in a sec..." I said in my most casual tone. I dashed to one of the broken windows and looked down. Heights were never my favorites. I bit at the medallion and eased myself off the floor. The only escape route from here is a narrow pipe connecting to each room of the hotel. I balanced myself and walked slowly with my tail swaying back and forth all the time. Just as I was about to reach the window to the next room, there was a loud noise behind me. I supposed it must have been the door. I leaped from floor to floor down and as I landed on the ground, the smirk on my face never left me. My hunch was right, those thieves trying to steal this medallion was gravely disappointed as they found out the contents on my bag was just a few copper coins and a piece of gum and so they came for me again. But then, why would they need to trash the place? Just as I was deciphering this out, sirens from the police cars where blasting from everywhere. Great! Now they think I'm the bad guy. I quickly turned my heel and run for my life.


Here it is, part two of The Adventures of Tom. Stay tuned and part three is on the way.
Thanks for reading again fellow bookworms. :)




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/05/22/13

Never Too Old to be a Mom

Hey guys! This is just an article that I made and I want to share this with you (For no reason at all other than the mere pleasure of blogging). Here goes...

To all the Moms, Mama, Ma, Mamita, Mumsy, Inay, Nay, Nanay and Mother-to-be(s) out there. You're the best!

Pregnancy Over 40

“Get real!”, “Is it possible?” and “Won’t you be like a grandma already by the time your child reaches college?” These are just some of the questions that had formed in my earlier mind while I was still studying in med. school. The world where we are living in now is no doubt in its prime when talking about modern sciences and technologies. It can offer us almost anything from state-of-the-art architectures to advanced medical studies, and to hi-tech gadgets and scientific breakthroughs and nutritional innovations. It was only a matter of time when I completely accepted the fact that it is now possible for women over forty to get pregnant and conceive a child even while already in their pre-menopausal stage. Now the big question here would be “Is it worth all the risks?” Maybe? Or maybe not… But then there are people who would do anything just to complete their family, to have a child of their own and to hold the duties of being a parent. I have heard stories and testimonies of middle-aged women who bravely walked the path to motherhood and succeeded in defying the myth of aging. Now, let’s find out how.

Natural Ways to Get Pregnant

1.     No more barriers

The simplest way to get pregnant is of course to stop using condoms, cervical caps, sponges and other over-the-counter contraceptives. This barrier method is helpful in family planning and so the most obvious thing to do is to eliminate them first when planning to conceive a child. Though it does not guarantee instant pregnancy; so if plan A fails, it’s time for plan B.

Cutting off hormonal contraceptives are a bit harder for the body to readjust with because these steroids act directly to the endocrine system. They are highly effective birth controls but all with a cost. Studies show that using them can promote cancer on the endometrium, breasts and the ovaries.

2.     Start the count

This method is called the Calendar method and it literally uses a calendar to mark your fertility days. Now, how to do just that? Easy, just put an “X” on the first and the last day of your menstruation. An “O”, check, other letters or heart would also do as long as the mark is there. Do this for a couple of months and you would be able to have an estimate when your next period will arrive. Now, count 14 days forward from the first day of your last menstruation, if you are in an average of the 28 days cycle. If not, just add another day forward, if you are in the 29 days; and another if you are in the 30 days. So on and so forth.

You can also mark your basal temperature. Keep a thermometer beside your bed and record your reading every morning, upon waking up. Ovulation occurs soon after your body temperature was slightly increased. If you do this religiously with patience and good-timing, there’s a good chance of you getting pregnant. 

3.     Eat right and live well

Make stress your mortal enemy. If you are a workaholic, try to slow down your world for a while and start a little meditation, yoga, music sessions and food spree! Relax and eat right. It doesn’t mean you have to become a rabbit and eat only the greens, but a good variety of fruits and vegetables will help. Beans and lean meat can do well to your diet also and did I mention a whole lot of good old water?

Pregnant at 50

They say life starts at 50 and to become pregnant, wild and free, I say you couldn’t ask for more. In reality, fertility stops when menopause starts but then as I have said before, this world can now offer us almost anything. From in vitro fertilization to cryopreservation to intrauterine insemination and many more, all are now within our reach just to promote pregnancy even if some are artificial. This issue had become a subject of controversy, especially with the churches; and many had argued that older women wanting to conceive are going against the natural way of life and the design God had made. But I can’t blame them, because I know a woman isn’t complete without a family of her own.

Reasons to be Pregnant

For some women, not wanting to get pregnant is the hardest thing they could ever do; but for others, trying to get pregnant could be their worst nightmare. So, I say the first reason to be glad that you are pregnant should be this: “Count your blessings”. Because being a mom is a gift that should be treasured and cherished. And also, it’s time for shopping! This is the time that you will love being heavy and not care a thing about it. No more diets and say hello to lovely bosoms. Stay pretty and healthy. Always eat right and plan ahead. You are now entitled to nine months of baby dreaming, name picking, nursery decorating and free food cravings. Plus you get your entire husband’s undivided attention so spoil yourself and make the best out of everything. Have fun!

How to Get Pregnant at 40

The scenario here is a distressed damsel already in her forties, wanting to get pregnant but Prince Charming simply lost his way in the forest. But never fear for he might have a GPS installed in his horse somewhere. Or not…

Plan B, a distressed damsel already in her forties, wanting to get pregnant but consulted her doctor first and found out that she can have a child by doing the following listed slightly below.

1.     Live right… as always

Eliminate stress, take vitamins, eat balanced diet, exercise, quit smoking, no to alcohols, cut back caffeine and did I already mention eliminate stress?

2.     Have your blood tested

A quick test on your hormones could conclude how your hormonal levels are doing. This can be followed with a dose or two to pills that can enhance your sleeping-beauty eggs. But be on the guard for likely side effects such as headaches, dizziness and multiple births.

3.     Perform natural ways to get pregnant

Keep your hopes up because it is not too late for you. Prince Charming might really get a GPS installed and he is somewhere out there still looking for you. And if you found him (lucky for you) and you really really want to have a child and you think your clock is ticking fast, why not do it the old fashion way. Do it naturally and don’t forget to consult your doctor from time to time. If all fails, assisted pregnancy is always available.

 Thank you so much for reading and remember, have fun and do it the right way. 

Stranger Passing-By

SP-B/05/22/13

In Stranger Tides

"Ahoy! Land Ho!" his voice thundered through my ears as I watched him climb down his post. Land? Is it really true? After all this time. Shiver me timbers! Yes, I see it! There it is!
Everyone around me had suddenly sprung to action, shouting and running. Their voices may be muffled by the crashing waves yet their excitement can clearly be heard.
"Starboard! C'mon, lad, hoist the colours! Prepare the anchors." barked the captain; his voice booming across the ship, as he made his way through the sea of people. "Aye Aye, Captain!" his crew answered back to him almost happily. We have been sailing the oceans in search for treasures for too long, I have almost forgotten what it felt like to be in dry land. But as we neared the port, countless of memories flood back into my mind. Ah, Aye, the food, the fine wine, the music and the merriment. How can I forget? As I stood on all fours, a sudden drift cleared a low fog and dampened my fur. I watched as the splendor of the city came into full view and excitement took hold of me as we drifted nearer and nearer. Oh! Did I forget to mention that I'm a cat? The name's Tom, after my father, Thomas the Great. I'm not really a pirate, I was just here for the action though it's really hard to live up to the expectations when your father had already accomplished almost everything. " A skilled pirate who was ever as tough and ruthless, Arrr!..." that's how they'd describe me dad. Ok, back to me. I'm your dashingly handsome, young, brave warrior out in search for danger, adventure and love. Meow! And speaking about love, ladies, here I come.
The ship have finally landed. I stretched from head to tail. Ah, the sun is high, the catch are coming in and men and women are bustling everywhere. It's another busy day in the market. Perfect for a starving cat. Rawl! This needs a well-constructed plan. First, locate your target. Done. Second, silently approach your prey. Done. Third, distract the human and focus her attention to you. Done. Lastly, let out a deadly purr. Bingo! Arrr, this is what life is all about, a deliciously fat tuna. I haven't eaten a live fish for ages. My stomach needs some readjustment now from all those dried and pickled fishes that I ate on board. Yuck!
" Hey, pretty boy..."
" Woow! Who said that?" I asked in astonishment as I whirled around. Standing behind me was the most gorgeous feline I have ever laid eyes on.
" How 'bout you and I have a lil nice chat?" her voice luring and so feminine.
" Well, will you look at that. You know I can't deny a pretty lady like you. Why don't ya come near me, me beaut."
Her steps slow and graceful as she inched close to me. I felt my insides churning as I closed my eyes and reached out to kiss her. Her perfume so sweet, I could almost tas---
"Hey! WHAT THE!"
Like lightning, she grabbed my fish and bolted away.
" THIEF!" I snatched my sword and run after her. Oh, you're gonna pay for stealing me lunch! Now, where did you go? I searched everywhere. Every alley, every street and every corner but avast, there was no sign of her. The sky is getting dark and I should be looking for a place to stay.
" Thirty silver coins, sir."
" THIRTY SILVER COINS?! What's that? Your room's made of gold?" I asked in bewilderment as I reached for the coins in my satchel.
" Thank you, sir. That will be room 301." The hotel clerk cheerfully said. I glared at him and wondered how he still managed to be in his best manner after I shouted at him. Guess, it's his job. Anyway... I rolled my eyes and followed the bellboy to my room. I was so tired that by the time we got there, my eyes were already half closed. I shut the door right at the boy's face as he finished putting my luggage in. No tip for you. Geez, the room's already so expensive. I thought I'll be up the whole night but when my head touched the pillows, well, goodnight. What a day. I slept soundly without knowing that a pair of eyes had already watched my every move.



To be continued... This is another story I'm writing. Hope I can actually give it an ending. Wish me luck and thank you for reading : )




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/04/12/13

Another Yet Random Questions

40 Random Questions

Another set of random questions grabbed from the Tumblr of blissed-souls out of boredom. :D

1. How many pillows do you sleep with? = Three! One for my head, one for my feet or back and the other one is for my death hug! >:)
2. Do you have a tattoo? = No, but I fantasize for one... a dragon on my back! Shhh  ;)
3. What are you listening to right now? = The stupid buzzing of the flies!!!
4. What's your favorite number? = 27
5. What was the last thing you ate?= Tinola chicken soup with malunggay ^_^
6. If you were a crayon what color would you be? = GREEN
7. How is the weather right now? = As humid as always... what a surprise.
8. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? = My mom < 3
9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? = Eyes or smile... *^_^*
10. Right-handed or Left-handed? = Right. :)
11. Favorite TV show? = Still "Whose Line Is It Anyway"...WOOHOO
12. Siblings? = A sister
13. Height? = 5' 4"
14. Hair color? = Naturally, it is black but I dyed it Ginger last August : >
15. Eye Color? = Dark Brown or Black... I don't know... Hahaha
16. Do you wear contacts? = No
17. Favorite Holiday? = Christmas!!!!!!
18. Month? = Favorite month?... February :)
19. Have you ever cried for no reason? = Yesssssssss... ssss... sss...ss... s.. weird...
20. What was the last movie you watched? = Hansel and Gretel!!! OMG!
21. Favorite Day of the Year? = Dec. 25!!!
22. Do you like to travel by plane? = Yes, please...
23. Can you do a headstand (not using the wall)? = Aww... no -_-
24. Hugs or Kisses? = Hugs!!! and kisses!!!
25. Chocolate or Vanilla? = CHOCOLATE!
26. Do you want your friends to respond to this? = Yes? hahaha
27. Who is most likely to respond to a text from you? = Friends and my mom... and dad, I think.
28. Who is least likely to respond to a text from you? = My sister!!!
29. What books are you reading? = Last book I read was Vanished by Karen Robards! Cool suspense and romance :)
30. Piercings? = Every kikay girl have a pair!
31. Who would you like to see right now? = MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!! < 3
32. Favorite football Team? = Azkals? They're the only ones I know... 
33. What are you doing right now? = Multitasking!
34. Butter, Plain or Salted popcorn? = BUTTER... er... SALTED... er... CHEESE!!!
35. Have you ever fired a gun? = Yes, during my counterstrike sessions :D
36. Are you still friends with people from kindergarten? = Uhm... Yes? I think... One or two maybe? ^_^
37. Dogs or cats? = DOCTS!!! Please don't make me choose...
38. Favorite flower? = Rose! Jasmine! Orchids!!!
39. Been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to do? = Next question...
40. Have you ever loved someone? = Yes, in my own special way >:D

Once again, please feel free to tag yourselves and grab these questions because as usual I don't know how. :)


Happy Answering!




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/03/27/13

Coffee, your Highness?

I went to my sister's Grand Demo last Wednesday. She was taking up vocational classes for Barista and needed guests to grade their presentations. It was March 20, 2013 and finally, around 2:15 pm I get to be a judge for a day. It was hot and humid at that time and the electric fan behind me kept blowing my hair sky high. The judging criteria was composed of 10% grooming, 20% sanitation, 20% attitude, 30% taste and 20% presentation for hot and cold coffees. To order, they made us line up and the first thing that I noticed was the menu. There were actually none in sight. I asked my companion and he didn't know either. Then I saw the slides that were projected in a screen were moving too fast. Finally, someone froze it to the lists of coffees for selection. I chose Cafe Bon Bon for my hot concoction, Honey Iced Hive for the cold and Club sandwich and brownies for my complements. I had to ask the order taker what Cafe Bon Bon was and from the looks on her face, I knew she had no idea. Strike 2! Ok, after having placed my orders, we went back to our seats. Here, the madness begun. Almost all of our orders were jumbled and everything had gone haywire. The customer in front of me was the luckiest. He kept on getting drinks and food even if he didn't order them. The one next to him was the most unluckiest. His coffees came really late and the caramel in one of his drinks have not melt properly. Luckily, my hot coffee was the only one that was served to me wrong. My Cafe Bon Bon turned into an Orange Coffee and I even found a piece of plastic in it. The best part was the complements. I loved the Clubhouse Sandwiches and the brownie, though my water came really really late. My friend was not so lucky either. His Mocha Coffee turned out too bitter and his brownie became a cupcake. When everything was finally done, I was disappointed maybe because I was expecting something better. The coffees were bitter and too strong for me that I ended up drinking some milk instead. I never thought being a taster could be this dangerous. I felt a little sad for them also. I knew they worked hard and spent a lot of money. The best thing that I can do was to give them a fair grade. Judging everything without bias and commenting on their good and bad sides. The group before us was not so lucky either, one of their guests made some commotion, yelling and enraging others. Deep inside, I thought that it shouldn't be like that. We must deal with problems in a civilized way. Yelling at waiters or waitresses won't help solve the matter but peaceful arrangements will, especially when you are only a guest and you don't have to pay for anything.

Perhaps, I'm a little mad.

A judge for a day.




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/03/27/13

Everything Nice And Green

THUMP... THUMP... THUmp...THump...thump... goes my feet as I jogged and closed to a halt. There in the middle of a wet pavement ground sat a snail hardly noticeable to anyone. I squatted and looked at it curiously. I felt a little silly as I knelt there and almost anticipated for someone to pass by. I waited but not a single soul showed up. Finally, I decided to relocate the slug to a safer place. Now, how does one exactly do it? As I was thinking on how to accomplish the task at hand, I tried a direct approach. I lifted it's shell but the snail just curled deeper into it. Uhm... wrong move. Ok, Plan B. I looked around and I found a plant with long broad leaves. Hmm... I thought that this might work. I got one and put it close to the snail. After a while, the snail gingerly begun to move slowly again. I waited and as the snail's upper body was almost covering the leaf, I tapped the shell again and it curled back as expected. I got hold of the bottom of the leaf and with it, I pulled the snail up and put him safely on a garden bed. Mission accomplished! It was just a sweet little experience and though it happened days ago, last Monday actually, I still can't get it off my head. It had been ages since I saw a snail again this up close and it had refreshed my memories. Wonderful things, so small and almost insignificant, could easily go unnoticed but still a gift nonetheless.

.

Looking at all things bright and beautiful.




Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/03/27/13

Mixing Dreams, Birthdays & Wishes: A Party for Four?

I'm such a slowpoke, but here it is, after days of lazing around (I wish), I will now reveal my plan to you which has already transpired days ago... the CONSPIRACY OF WORLD DOMINATION!!! Mwuahahahaha...er... oh! sorry, that was my other plan. This was more like a surprise for myself actually, if there was such a thing. Something to spice things up and transform a just-another-ordinary-day into dreams, birthdays and wishes come true. You can also try this if you want to throw your own party or just turn a simple dinner into something special. Plus the budgeting is neat! So I say come in and welcome dear guests to a party of four. Please have a seat and dinner will soon be served.

Spicy or Sweet?

A dilemma that I will always encounter whenever I get to be in-charge of the cooking spree. Personally, I liked it hot and spicy, Yeah! but then the judges (mainly my mom) would sometimes leave me with no choice. So, let there be sweetnesses. ^_^

Pre-dinner Preparation:

Agenda # 1 : Arm your fly swatters and rid house from flies >.< Let the killing begin! (We are already living on the 34th floor and I still can't figure out how those flies could manage to get in! Such dark secrets of the universe)
Agenda # 2 : *My favorite part* Design the dining room!!! Style it up in any way you want. It can be a candlelight dinner, a rock and roll party or a waltz and jazz romantic ambiance set-up.
Agenda #3 : Barricade yer doors! I managed to keep everyone out of our house for the first few hours until all of my guests have arrived. (I really want to tell you how I did it but it was nasty. Haha. Kidding.)

Backbone of the Evening:
 
Let the sweat and hard work begin. The preparation and cooking for the dinner.

Menu:
- Simple Spaghetti
- Honey Glazed Pineapple Chicken
Ingredients:
> For Spaghetti
- (1) 400g Delmonte Spaghetti
- 100g Butter
- 320g German Franks (sliced) (optional: you can use hotdog or sausage instead)
- 250ml All-purpose cream
- 560g Delmonte Spaghetti sauce

- 340g Bacon SPAM! (optional: you can use ham, bacon or meatloaf)
- 200g Ground pork
- Spring onion (chopped)
- Onion (diced)
- Garlic (minced)
- Carrots (cubed)
- (1) whole egg (scrambled)
> For the chicken
- 4 pcs. chicken thigh
- Honey

This would how the ingredients would looked like

- (1) pack Pineapple tidbits

Saute sausages, ground pork, carrots, ham, onion and garlic in oil and butter first, then separate in a plate.

Cook sauce by putting in all-purpose cream first. Stir. Add the spaghetti sauce. Simmer and cover pot for 2 minutes then add in the previously sauteed ingredients and spring onion. Stir and wait till it boils then sprinkle sliced scrambled egg on top to capture that oriental style. Then Set aside.

My Spaghetti Sauce!

Boil 3-4 liters of water with salt and oil in pot and throw in the pasta. Stir occasionally. Cook for 10-12 minutes (depending on the type of pasta, read instructions at the back.). Strain the spaghetti in a strainer, let it cool off then set aside.


Heat oil and butter in pan again. Put in the onions and garlic left. Saute and add in the pre-marinated chicken thighs. Cook for 10 minutes then pour 3-4 tablespoon of honey and stir. Cover pot then simmer for another 10 minutes then add in the pineapples and serve.

It was so much fun planning and planning and planning and finally executing this little surprise. I hardly slept well for the last few weeks because of my excitement. My birthday was really on Feb. 27, but then I have to move the party to the 26th. I was a little sad then. But oh well, All's well that ends well. Time for Pictures and Bloopers!!!  < 3


Bloopers Caught From Behind The Scene:

 My Guests and Family : Normal photo...

 My Guests and Family : Not so normal photo...

 My Guests and Family : Close-up photo...

 My Guests and Family : Kunyaring stolen shot photo...

The Food : Simple Pasta and Honey Glazed Pineapple Chicken complete with presentation ^_^

  Close-up with the chicken...

My Evil Notepad where I wrote My Evil Plan!!! Mwuahahaha...!

Mr. Fluffy Pants! It was soooo hard to hang him up there!




All's Well That Ends Well. Thanks for reading! Enjoy your own party! ^_^


Stranger Passing-By
SP-B/03/07/13