in one word

In One Word (up)

Where is your cell phone?.......purse
Your hair? ..........black
Your father? ........Naga
Your favorite thing? .......rhett
Your dream last night?......none
Your favorite drink? ...........cocoa
Your dream/goal? ...........peace
The room you are in? .....bedroom
Your fear? .........claustrophobic
Where do you want to be in 6 years?.....happyland
Muffins? .............banana
One of your wish list items?.........laptop
Where you grew up? ...........naga
The last thing you did? .......concert
What are you wearing?.......silk
Your TV?...........sony
Your pets? ....... cat
Your computer? ......gateway
Your life? .........exciting
Your mood? ........hormonal
Missing someone? .......rich
Your car? .......suv
Favorite store?.....target
Your summer......outdoors
Your favorite color....black
Last time you laughed ....today
Last time you cried....yesterday
why......heartbroken

Another Mental Masturbatory Exercise

1. Do you like blue cheese?
yes

2. Have you ever been drunk? and doing what??
yes. the most was a drink called zombie(sweet, deceiving and deadly drink) from tia maria mexican restaurant in manila (greenhills) with my cousins and friends. i rolled the vehicle window down and was yelling. just being obnoxious. my cousins were so embarassed. they put me under the shower once home.

3. Do you own a gun?
no

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
not applicable.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
no.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
i like the street vendor hotdogs. like polish ones. or perhaps at the movies.

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
cannot recall.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
starbucks tall hot chocolate, no whip cream, hazelnut (and no cup sleeve either)

9. Can you do push ups?
yes but not with the correct position (i cheat and used to this in the navy)

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
silver or pearl earring classic pieces.

11. Favorite hobby?
blogging

12. Do you have A.D.D.?
no.

13. What's your favorite shoe?
my 4 inches red satin black white house black market shoe.

14. Middle name?
Chung.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
1. i need to get dress
2. i need to remove my makeup
3. the bed is so inviting to crawl in

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
1. water
2. starbucks hot chocolate
3. mcdonald's coke soda

17. Current worry?
you mean challenges. making it on time to work and school with a toddler and loads of luggages

18. Current hate right now?
nada. hate is such a strong word. what about dislike. still nada.

20. How did you bring in the New Year?
friend invite had white elephant exchange and watching time square ball drop on tv and champagne cheers (kids had apple cider).

21. Where would you like to go?
europe (paris, spain, venice, prague, etc.), indonesia, india, etc. and yes the spa.

22. Name three people who will complete this?
liz g., crystal and audra (they did)

23. Do you own slippers?
yes.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
none. imagine that.

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets?
bearable. it is sensual but can get hot.

26. Can you whistle?
yes.

27. Favorite color?
black.

28. Would you be a pirate?
no. perhaps a gypsy.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
i hum.

30. Favorite Girl's Name?
india.

31. Favorite boy's name?
rich and rhett.

32. What's in your pocket right now?
not applicable.

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
vicky cristina barcelona dvd. (scarlet johannson, javier bardem, penelope cruz. woody allen movie)

34. Best bed sheets as a child?
not applicable.

35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child?
ring worm infection around navel.

36. Do you love where you live?
yes-prime area location with great amenities and fast service to my maintenance requests.

38. Who is your loudest friend?
my mom. she is hard of hearing that is why.

39. How many dogs do you have?
none.

40. Does someone have a crush on you?
yes.

41. What is your favorite book?
awaken the giant within: how to take immediate control of your mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny by anthony robbins

42. What is your favorite candy?
dove and lindt chocolate

43. Favorite Sports Team?
none. they have to pay me to endorse them (hah!)

44. What song do you want played at your funeral?
i will think of something sometime...

Rhett's Classroom Observation

this leona lewis ("better in time") song is overpowering. tone it down duchesne. need some rhythm so here we go...


i vowed that i wanted to be a part of rhett's weekdays. his other world when he is in the "big school" at the montessori managed by sister rachel and sister maureen (sisters of charity). so off i go and made an appointment to visit for an hour. i didn't want to do it the whole day coz i am pretty sure it will be a distraction to rhett.

hit replay leona! youtube is such a blessing.

and sure enough he was pretty quiet during this visit. well, the teachers at school always tells me he is very well behaved and has moderate temperament. (oh yeah, please come to our home - huh!?).



his class is a huge class with thankfully three montessori instructors (ms. mariele, ms. zulema and ms. nicole). rhett belongs to ms. mariele when they are broken down in smaller groups. she calls the kids - ms mariele's friends.




they started in circle time where they discussed the weather, year, day. such as "today is tuesday, february 17, 2009; the season is winter and the weather is partly cloudy". they do group read aloud and also translate them in spanish.




rhett's class mix is almost like an international school with filipinos, chinese, vietnamese, mexican, italian and other hybrid students.

they then segue to classroom assignments for the day. they feel special when they are chosen. and also, jealous if not. why does giovanna got selected again? so the instructor has to justify and you know kids have tons of whys. so the one sentence becomes a parade of more lines. they have tasks like greeter, child of the day, lunch helper, librarian, playground helper and plant care helper.

it was wet outdoors so am sure the playground helper will really not be busy that day. plant care is really cool coz rhett himself volunteers at home to water his mommy lily's (grandma) plants.

everybody stands for the pledge of allegiance with their hands across the chest. rhett being quiet again. see what i mean by distraction?





they all breakdown to three small groups with the three instructors. at this time, the instructor provide simple direction on what they are supposed to do. rhett was listening up to this point and then decided to hangout with his buddies - salvatore and peter.



he was supposed to get his own activity from the center and do it. he was really distracted by now. by me. by the momma. ms. keturah (music resource stand in for ms. mariele) had to redirect him several times to stay on task. he did the building blocks that stacks and becomes a tower. this teaches him sorting, logic, classification, and fine motor skills. montessori philosophy is learning by doing. very tactile.



mason who is from the other group wisely tells rhett that he is not supposed to do the activity by himself. i have never heard of such. so i brought this wise coaching to ms. keturah's attention who flatly denied of such blah. mason was told to go back to his own group and rhett was allowed to build the tower on his own. mason is now blacklisted in my black book. i have become a stage mother.



the class have snacks served on the round table. they are free to choose two types of the veges. healthy healthy healthy variety.

leona lewis is giving up on me. do i have to hit "replay" multitude times. somebody get me a leona lewis cd pllleaaasssse!




this was a very productive day with my unico hijo who was very proud to show me their mini american standard trio potties. he felt special and valued. it was like letting me in his secret world. now if we can get daddy to go!

my first lani misalucha concert (encore!)

lani misalucha with arnel pineda (of journey)
feb 8(sun)@6pm jenny craig pavilion
university of san diego
5998 alcala park
san diego 92110

http://www.lanimisalucha.com/

there is this cd that was given to me a few years ago with songs by lani misalucha. a local filipino talent with a powerful voice that reminded me of celine dion. i must admit that i have not heard of lani at that time though i was impressed by the range of her voice.

she has performed in san diego in the past and i missed those opportunities. this time when it came and even without my concert buddy (sunday is family day for her) i proceeded to go.

the tickets were pricey ($61.50/$81.50/$101.50) but almost all is in san diego. a big change from the east coast. i got the tickets from badua travel in mira mesa where the owner happens to be the front act of the concert - amy badua.







she sings like dulce. deep voice but quite sultry. when i spoke to her she said that she used to sing full time but her travel agency has gotten more busy.

http://amybadua.com/myblog/






another performer was ashley robles. it looks like she is popular among the filipino crowd and is a budding artist. in 1998 she signed her first record contract with first avenue records (UK) and later release her first recording, “God’s With Us”, under sony/epic records. in 2000, she signed a recording contract with RCA Records in NY. she has done a duet with ne-yo and writes/produces her own song. very petite, sexy and attractive singer that comes with new generation appeal.



lani performed at 110% performance peak level. can't complain with the way she delivered her pieces with such gusto. she can hit those notes. what i enjoyed most was her sense of humor that appealed to market a-z. i would go back for just the laughs.




she did a fantastic imitation of renditions from famous american singers like beyonce, britney, tina, etc. she did her italian opera song that i hardly understood but hey there was a filipino comic version. how's that for originality?





arnel pineda of journey is a true definition of big things come in small packages. you would wonder where that powerful voice is coming from. he is a natural rock artist. he makes it so easy. hard to imagine he had to wait 25 years to get discovered in you tube and made it to the international scene.

it makes me so proud to watch filipino talents with very down to earth attitude. sharing their gift and people gravitating to the beat.

so kailua (Day 4)

Day 4 January 18,2009

key words=bike tour base, beach, l&L, ross, trek, dinner

this was my last day in hawaii (ha-va-eeee!) and what was surprising with this visit was it wasn't my normal go go go route. it was just enjoying what i was doing. planning(am such a planner!) for the next activity and if it doesn't happen - all is swell. and i basically just enjoy the island's spirit. it was pure relaxation.





i went to the marine base in kaneohe bay. mostly hangout at their beach which had a surfing event. people watching was a trip. checkout the base exchange store. the merchandise prices were much lower from the outside. what a difference! a few floral sterling hawaiian inspired jewelry caught my eye. and yes those macadamia nut chocolates. and proceeded to witness a bike tournament. the participants were from all over the island with their sponsors. i am finding hawaii to be so much into fitness. this was a perfect sunday to spend.



though we have l&l hawaiian barbecue in san diego i still had 'em for lunch. musubi was being offered. musubi is sticky rice with spam almost like sushi. spam is such a popular food choice here that i had ordered spam for breakfast in mcdonald's. (remember try everything local).

www.kailuafirststop.com
(homemade musubi/my first = Yeah!)



i was bent on trekking the lush green mountain behind rex place except for one little issue - i did not bring my outdoor shoe. off i go to ross to get a keds shoes that will do for a day trek. the top of the mountain has a pillbox from past wars. this was really a cool climb and just the view on top is worth the trip. saw some kids climbing barefooted and as young as my son rhett. isn't that just what matters -nature and you.

i have been evading thai food since my husband got back from a thailand holiday late last year. thai food is one of my fave foods. not for the spiciness of it but i guess i like the coconut flavor, reliable pad thai noodle and sticky rice with mango dessert. why the evasion? that is another drama. anyways, it was time for the big step and took a deep breath and said i can do this?! had thai dinner with my host and wonderful conversation.

so kailua! (Day 3)

Day 3 January 17, 2009

key words=kailua beach, ala moana mall, north shore, marine base kaneohe bay

this was actually a better day. friday (as in yesterday) was rainy and the school establishments were closed. anytime the wind is strong - the school closes.



i ventured out by the beach. had some photo ops. and was in sheer bliss with starbucks hot chocolate at the beach. there were paddlers that dance on the water. the wind still a bit strong and kept brushing my hair all over my face.



rex is a budding photographer trying to make me stand still for poses. there i was making an effort to disguise the luv handles in my tankini brought about by age, crazy schedule, motherhood, laziness, what have you excuses. i swear am gonna have that tummy tuck.

with my effort to sample everything local (i.e. shampoo, bath products, fruity drink, food, etc.) i found a swimsuit design locally. they make the products in los angeles, ca. the material is durable and the price average. it is very hawaiian (ha-va-eeeeeee) in flavor. i luv it! check out their website:

http://www.oiwioceangear.com




swung by pali lookout ("cool height cliff") which is a long pali highway. it provides a panoramic scenic view of oahu. it is overlooking the 985 foot cliffs which is absolutely breathtaking. still chilly with the gusty winds. awesome awesome view.



time to see lena. we met up originally in florida many years ago. she worked in the airline industry so is very mobile. hawaii is her retirement place by fate. like the last tour of duty that became the final stop. detest the sun and now has grown to luv alohaland. we met up in ala moana mall and lena was in her hawaiian shirt. she has adapted well to paradise. had hawaiian lunch (remember the local flavor i wanted for this holiday...) we had catching to do with the changes in our lives. her new digs and job (primerica). it was good to listen to the wise. that's lena.



north shore is popularly known for its wild tube ride. winter wave heights can get as high 20 feet, with faces up to 50 feet! this extreme surf is for experts only, and even then conditions are considered highly dangerous. this wasn't my first visit to the north shore but as always the danger is imminent in the air. tons of spectators and my camera was busy. a few surfers dared to ride gigantic ocean waves. a traditional stopover.



now marine base kaneohe bay is the closest base to kailua. very quiet. and the merchandise prices are well worth the trip. i wonder how people are able to afford those grocery prices offbase.

so kailua! (Day 2)

Day 2 January 16, 2009

i could only go by my planner and some key words written (rhett is forever interrupting me to watch him do his puzzles)... this one says - "kailua beach" and "buono sera". (time out. rhett wants me to sit by the chair and physically watch him in action. wood puzzle mania)

rex who happens to be a friend of mine for over ten years has been giving me invites to hangout in his home in hawaii in kailua (other side of waikiki). and of course, my other friend lena (waikiki) has an open invite. i thoroughly enjoyed kailua since it is pretty quaint, has its own character and guess what... has a starbucks store. it is small and the beach access is semi private.

from the first time i visited hawaii many moons ago i avoided waikiki beach. i only stayed there for a few minutes and found it too touristy with almost everyone trying to sell something.



kailua was warm, peaceful and has a quiet confidence. my elements were there - beach and the mountains. i found its simplicity touches the inner self in a very calming way.




we had dinner at buono sera which is a tiny cozy italian restaurant. it has chianti wine bottles you can purchase and autograph/design as you please. they had the warmest bread i can remember. the calamari appetizer were in strips and tender. quite unique.



lanikai beach ("heavenly sea")which is next to kailua beach has powdered-sand and turquiose clear water. considered by many locals to be the best swimming beach in hawaii. it does not have tourists as much since it is by the residential area. you can see people running, strolling with their family/dog, paddlers, kayaking, outrigger canoeing, sailing, surfing, and windsurfing, etc.

the mountain in close proximity is so oh oh green.

so kailua!

this is an entry from a recent hawaiian holiday to visit friends...

so kailua! i could not resist saying happy friday. i can hear peaches (co-worker) saying this.

took a full flight from san francisco. first class was cool with cocktails. they even hang the coats for you in the closet. nice. you feel so pampered. and the legroom is most welcome.


windy in kailua (other side of honolulu). bad bad weather. did grocery at safeway last night. everything is pricey. you have to shop on base to manage. tried local maui chips and ale beer (corona is better) and had my wine and cheeses. had papa john's for dinner.




today, i will be out and about exploring. this is a quaint community. awesome with the lush green mountains and beach paradise.


so far being sober (hah!) and drinking my local pass-o-guava nectar juice. i want to try everything local.