Bang and Blame

It's been a long road, friends

2011-12-27T15:18:00.002+08:00

I started this blog way back in 2002. I was a few months shy of 21 and just graduated from college. In a few months my life turned topsy-turvy: I had my first job, left that, moved to my second, got married and then moved into my own place with my son and husband, where I experienced firsthand what "keeping house" really meant -- and no, it was nothing to sniff at. Since then I've been through a

Chug-a-chug

2011-10-10T11:24:00.004+08:00

Woah, a whole month without updates! Am busy as a bee. And stressed as hell. And always with little niggling worries fluttering about my head. Sometimes I feel like I can't enjoy the moment anymore, because as I'm physically present the back of my mind churns on and on with the to-do list that never ends, and I feel like "shouldn't I be doing this? or that? this one needs to be done too?" etc. At

sssssiiighhhh

2011-08-26T10:26:00.000+08:00

I'm pulled in so many different directions, it's crazy. All I know is that the status quo's gotta end soon, and it'll demand me to hold my breath and plunge into a terrifying leap of faith.

Outrage

2011-08-23T11:38:00.002+08:00

OK I'm going to break a standing rule with myself not to post about politics because did you know that yesterday, during the Senate's RH Bill hearings, Tito Sotto laughed -- LAUGHED! -- when presented with the statistic that 11 women die everyday of pregnancy-related complications. Laughed and asked for those women's names like the kind, compassionate stateman that he is. PEOPLE OF THE

Breastfeeding: half a year (!) on

2011-08-22T10:32:00.003+08:00

My baby girl is about five and a half months now and it's interesting because I'm at that point where I hypothetically told myself that I'd be ready to stop breastfeeding back when I was pregnant and still mulling this decision over. The funny thing is that I don't want to stop! I want to breastfeed until she reaches one year old, but I'm sure that when I get there I still wouldn't want to stop.

fashblog flash

2011-08-19T11:15:00.003+08:00

Some fun stuff on Plus Size Fasyon Mudra: - Dressing for a children's party: easy breezy and ngarag-free - A color-blocked, print and accessory-party-rich lunch out post with my girls - A tribute to Diana Vreeland - Wearing my love for Liverpool FC - Layering for tropical climes - Trying to fash-up the short-sleeved blouse and trousers combo - A guest post from Currystrumpet: full of color

Quick update and fashion blog flash!

2011-08-09T13:40:00.005+08:00

CRAZY TWO WEEKS I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU. I mean. Ngarag to the highest levels! But anyway, I'm dealing with it and I've got some stuff up my sleeve. It's just crazy sometimes when three or four things are all at the starting point and you can't seen where the finish line leads and I'm tempted to drop one or two to focus more on what's up, but then again, a little time invested here and there is

Fasyon Blog Flash

2011-07-26T14:47:00.002+08:00

What went on at Plus Size Fasyon Mudra:- Playing stylist with some luxe pieces from Net-A-Porter- Showing off my wild side with a leopard-lined blazer- Three ways of wearing one white tunic: which one worked best?- How to wear purple chiffon ruffles and still be taken seriouslyKeep on reading my style blog! *besos*

Katrina Ramos Atienza Facebook author page

2011-07-22T14:24:00.004+08:00

Hi friends! I've finally gotten my act together and put together a Katrina Ramos Atienza Facebook author page. My personal profile is private and I've gotten friend requests from the past from readers looking for an author bio or story backgrounds, so this should be the best and most accessible way for you to find that info out. Or ask away! I will also keep this page updated with my upcoming

Writing meaningfully

2011-07-21T09:53:00.003+08:00

I've written here over and over how hard it is I find to write "creatively" nowadays. I put it in quotation marks because I know "creative writing" conjures up images of artsy fartsy and often near-unbearable literature types who take their "craft" very seriously and sometimes behave like an overwrought clique; so just to say what I mean with creative writing is writing to express myself...er,

odds and ends

2011-07-18T16:13:00.003+08:00

First off: IT ALL ENDS.Finally saw HP7.2 last Sunday with D. Yes, I cried. Huffpost sums it up:All this makes it easy to warm up to this film. But what this series wasalways about -- and what takes up the second half of Book Seven -- is beyondthese nostalgic draws. It's about losing your innocence, as you literally watchHogwarts, your childhood school, fall to pieces.HP first came out when I was

Breastfeeding = weight loss?!

2011-07-13T10:35:00.003+08:00

Ayt, so when I started breastfeeding every casual observer who knew about my decision would say, "Girl you gonna lose weight like crazy!" (or not exactly like that; I don't have a lot of Sassy Black Girlfriends). I was like, mm-hmm, yeah, but not really believing them 100%. See, I've been fairly active and healthy for the past four years, but ever since I stopped using the injectable

Guilt...

2011-07-12T10:32:00.003+08:00

...is yo momma's constant companion. Let me list the ways I'm wracked by guilt each day:- I'm guilty that I bought another pair of shoes when immunization is coming up (and that's about 8K a pop)- I'm guilty I'm so tired after work, that I...*don't feel like cooking dinner*when I do cook dinner, is something quite simple or instant*don't feel like doing the dishes afterwards*sometimes tune out my

Fasyon Round-up

2011-07-11T09:37:00.003+08:00

Last week on Plus Size Fasyon Mudra:- First things first, SOMEONE NOMINATED ME TO THE PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS! AAAGHHHH!!!! It wasn't my sister and it wasn't my kunsintidora teammates, so whoever it was, THANK YOU! What a lovely email to read first thing in the morning. Now (*backpedals furiously*) any blog can be nominated and it really doesn't mean super much until the finalists are announced

Plus Size Link-o-rama!

2011-07-04T11:20:00.002+08:00

What went on in my fashion and beauty blog?-- A missed opportunity to wear opaque tights (or, if it rains, up the boots!)-- One day my friend Cha asked me out to lunch. We couldn't decide where to eat, so we...went to Forever 21 instead. GOOD TIMES!-- <<--When Typhoon Falcon hit, I was dressed like Aubrey Hebpurn. So I was stranded at work till 9pm but I still looked fierce, innit?-- Here's a

Three months, three weeks

2011-07-01T16:58:00.004+08:00

At five days old 10 days laterWasn't just a few days ago when Elise was a newborn? There's something so wonderful about newborns...the way they look around, even if it's because their eyesight is still quite poor; the gliding movements of their limbs, like they're swimming; the odd noises and burbles they make -- there's such innocence and wonder, it's amazing to see. I'm reminded of this line

Plus size fabulosity

2011-06-28T11:27:00.002+08:00

Last week was a three-day workweek thanks to the holiday and the Fury that was Falcon x Habagat (parang design collaboration lang!), so only a couple of posts on Plus Size Fasyon Mudra. The Make Up post though was a huge hit!- Dressing to emphasize the waist- The Make Up post: a step by step guide to doing natural make up with a bonus of freaky expressions.Keep checking out my fashion blog for

Fasyon roundup

2011-06-21T11:51:00.003+08:00

What's up with the Fashion Blog: Ginormous belts - they have a purpose!What's in my bag (or, Why I Am Developing Scoliosis)Dress taller, then eat caramel sundae - check!Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, as reinterpreted for the office.Keep on checking out Plus Size Fasyon Mudra for lusciously fun fasyon!

moms are insane

2011-06-17T09:19:00.002+08:00

yes, we are all crazy. I find myself talking to my breasts - chiding the left one for taking too long to pump and praising the right one for always being up and ready to feed.this public service message is brought to you by me, the one-handed typer (while pumping milk at her desk.)

Fasyon Blog

2011-06-13T10:42:00.002+08:00

Keep on checking out Plus Size Fasyon Mudra for light posts and adventures in budget, plus-size dressing! Last week: Decent enough for Church, accessible for nursing, deploying the vest and synchronized fashion sense - just like your period!

simple vs complicated

2011-06-13T10:22:00.002+08:00

Aliw post on Divasoria re: The Simple Girl. You all know her: calm, composed, silent, never a hair out of place and always neat. In my case, she's the only girl that really ever makes me feel insecure. Because I feel like I am not unattractive (though not model-pretty, like my mom and sister and aunts - such is my great tragedy, to be in proximity with such symmetry and not attain it, but I've

Not that person

2011-06-02T15:36:00.004+08:00

I need to remember that I am not that person. Not the one who spends her mornings deciding on what eyeshadow to wear, and what lipstick goes with that, and whether to go with just bronzer or add cheek tint. Not the one who goes through three outfit changes before heading out the door.Not the one who distracts herself with following the latest, the in things, stuff like that.All of that is a

Time flies when you're growing old

2011-05-30T10:40:00.000+08:00

The other day I had a conversation with a young man, fresh out of school, about his love woes. His girlfriend of several years was to return to the country after an extended internship abroad, but he had to wait a while before seeing her because they were in an 'illegal' relationship - her parents didn't know about him. Yes, for almost half a decade, the two dated and the parents were oblivious.

pump up the volume

2011-05-24T10:13:00.005+08:00

Wave your pumps in the air like you just don't care!Because I like to overthink things and believe that research is ever my friend, I read A LOT about how to be a working, nursing mom. And somewhere in there I read that one should choose their breast pump wisely, as she would develop a love-hate relationship with it. My reaction was: "Huh?"How little did I know.I dunno, before I started on this

Plus Size Fasyon Mudra

2011-05-20T11:36:00.002+08:00

I created a style blog! Trip lang. To document my outfits, keep me inspired not to be a losyang, and share my "knowledge" (chos!) on dressing while being fat and poor. Hahaha! It's called Plus Size Fasyon Mudra. Oo, yun ang pangalan ng blog. Don't jduge. Come visit my new digs! Two posts palang but I'll probably add more if I get down to downloading pix this weekend =). Hopia enjoy!PS - Grabe ang

Time management

2011-05-17T08:42:00.005+08:00

See, I knew there'd be an adjustment period. I also know I don't do well with adjustment periods. As a sullen, troublemaking teen I didn't know I'd turn into a slightly OC adult with a thing for organizing trips and settling things down into a routine, but here I am, eagerly trying to settle things down into a routine so I can manage my day easier - even if part of my brain is screaming, darling,

At work

2011-05-12T16:29:00.002+08:00

First day back at work is now winding down. Had to dive into the thick of things - wading through more than 500 emails, meeting with the team, and even a quick performance evaluation (the more casual, less legalese language evidencing the preceding maternity leave therein should bring a smile to a reader's face).All in all it's been OK. Woke up and crept around the house to no avail - the baby

cool parenting

2011-05-04T22:18:00.003+08:00

I'm addicted to the show 9 by Design, which aired its season 1 finale today at ETC Second Avenue. The show features a husband and wife interior design / builder team, Bob and Cortney Novogratz...and their seven kids. The Novogratzes are the anti-Jon & Kate Gosselin. (As far as watching the first season is concerned, haven't seen the second yet.) The couple buy properties, design them and sell

girlie

2011-04-24T19:13:00.002+08:00

I'm blogging with one hand, my (fast becoming far too heavy) six week old sleeping over my shoulder, and I came across this poem by Tina Fey from her book Bossypants over at Daphne Osena's blog. (sorry for the absence of links, it's hard to encode urls using one hand). It captures what I feel, not only for her but for Kuya as well.("Although I'd be OK with a small, tasteful tattoo in a discreet

31 days

2011-04-11T17:09:00.007+08:00

She turned a month old on April 9. Still tiny, but gaining weight now. Can't wait to dress her up (see photo). Going out is still a challenge because we're still in the bootcamp phase of nursing - it's still hard to gauge when she wants milk; plus often she wants to nurse to sleep or to just get comfy. Yesterday I had to nurse her in a restroom during lunch. (I'm nursing her now as I type!) But

Things I Didn't Think I'd Post, vol. I

2011-04-06T15:58:00.005+08:00

Saw it on the wall/Motherhood means mental freeze/Freezeheads...-- The Breeders, "No Aloha". From the "Last Splash" album.I kinda miss being pregnant. First off, I've been quite blessed to have relatively "easy" pregnancies. Despite the difficulties moving in the final couple of months and the icky bloated/nauseous feeling in the first trimester, mostly I've been fine and free from morning

Normalizing

2011-04-04T22:22:00.002+08:00

It's been almost a month and little by little we're emerging from the chaos and starting to normalize. This weekend we took Elise to her first evening family reunion/party at my aunt's place, and the little darling slept through the whole thing. The next day we were able to have a (relatively) peaceful Sunday lunch. Yep she did kick up a fuss at a couple of points, but was quickly soothed and (

Shingo, March 2005-March 2011

2011-03-27T10:45:00.005+08:00

In the midst of all the changes happening in our lives right now, one has been most unwelcome: Shingo, our beautiful dalmatian mix, passed away yesterday.A few days after she joined our home.My son went biking one afternoon as me, D and the baby napped. When I woke up, he asked me if I heard the dog whimper. He said that as he was opening the gate to bring his bike in, she rushed out across the

two weeks

2011-03-27T10:40:00.002+08:00

Baby turned two weeks old last Wednesday. It's weird because time seems to go so fast, but each day seems to take long. We've got our routine down now - up between 7 or 8am, out the house to get some sun for 15 minutes. Then back inside to change her diapers, feed her and hope she settles into a nap so that I can gobble a quick breakfast. While she's asleep, it's chores galore, preparing lunch,

blues

2011-03-15T20:43:00.002+08:00

so yesterday I had my first post partum crying jag. for no real reason, and while hubby and baby napped, i broke down and cried while cleaning the house. my head's been full of really silly worries lately - like incredibly mundane, looping thoughts of "should I pump milk today or offer her the breast? but I need her to get used to the bottle. but I miss holding her. but I can breastfeed tonight.

A baby story

2011-03-13T22:10:00.008+08:00

In the days before delivering, me and the hubby became sort of addicted to watching A Baby Story on the Discovery Home and Health Channel. The show follows different couples as they give birth and gives an update four to six weeks after delivery. It sort of helped us focus on what we were about to go through, or at least gave us something to relate to as we anxiously waited for the day we were to

Due date

2011-03-07T09:30:00.002+08:00

So today's March 7 and I'm officially 40 weeks pregnant, plus today's my due date as well. I've been on maternity leave for more than a week and I thought I'd've given birth by now. It's funny 'cause my eldest came a week late and I wasn't too nervous about it - I was just all "man, being pregnant this long sucks!". But this time I'm feeling quite anxious. I'm worried about all sorts of things.

Nooninooninoo

2011-02-28T13:48:00.003+08:00

Day four of maternity leave and I am Bored. Out. Of. My. Skull. I've cleaned the house several times over and even tackled the biohazard that is the refrigerator (yep I bleached the life out of that motherfucker before defrosting it to bits. Sorry for the profanity -- Generation Kill is the only show I can stand now and I've been watching it over and over. The other night me and my son were

All squared away

2011-02-24T11:40:00.003+08:00

Work stuff is done and turned over and loose ends are all tied up. I'm hoping for a few days of rest at home and then we're ready to go. Bring it on!***Still loving Generation Kill. Hubby watches it with me. The dialogue is priceless. Say episode 4 last night and this exchange was especially fab:Corporal Josh Ray Person: Technically speaking, Brad, but... didn't your biological parents disown you

Why so hot?

2011-02-22T11:34:00.003+08:00

Let's balance out all this fluffy-wuffy maternity hormones with some much-needed testosterone, shall we? I present to you my latest much-watch TV: Generation Kill.Foul-mouthed Marines in Iraq? Shooting guns and detonating bombs and taking names? Occcasionally fucking up utterly? In uniform? Did I mention the uniform? What is it about guys in uniform? (Rrowr.) (Uniforms also attract me to watching

cloth diapers?

2011-02-18T09:48:00.004+08:00

Huh. What goes around, comes around.My mom had me in 1981 - way before disposable diapers were the norm. Yup, I was a lampin baby. We used Curity and Bird's Eye diapers - gauzy, light and white. I don't know if my mom mixed up the diapers for wearing and the diapers for burping, because I had a habit of sucking on my burp cloths to get to sleep. (eek). Plus my mom had an idea na mas sosyal pag

awwww

2011-02-15T09:48:00.004+08:00

This post by Chuvaness made me sad...I can relate. I was the eldest and was thoroughly spoiled, being the solo grandkid (my cousin Stephen, technically the eldest grandkid, moved to the States when he was a wee one). AND THEN MY SISTER ARRIVED. Hahaha, kidding, Sam.But really, I had a hard time adjusting. Not only was she cute as the proverbial button, she was also a tad fragile, rather sensitive

love and thanksgiving

2011-02-14T09:55:00.003+08:00

God has really come through for us throughout this pregnancy. This has been a huge surprise for us (we literally did not expect it and had no reason to expect it, if you catch my drift) and the first few months were, to say the least, incredibly anxious. We were facing the huge expense of renovating our home to make room for the baby (not to mention that a renovation and clean-up was long overdue

Swag

2011-02-07T10:43:00.005+08:00

My lovely lovely officemates threw me a surprise baby shower a couple of weeks ago. What a blessing they are!Surprised me. No, really, I was surprised. It just took me a long time to process that they were really throwing me a baby shower, so my face took on its default neutral look while my brain struggled to understand what was going on.The lovelies, with the help of my hubby's texted input,

waddle

2011-01-25T09:48:00.002+08:00

I've mostly avoided the waddle throughout this pregnancy. Weight gain has been ideal on the 20+ lbs side, much better than the 40++ I gained with my eldest. Kept active as well until my last trimester, where - let's face it - it's just been really difficult to take long walks and do prenatal yoga as before. However this weekend me and hubby were going nuts fixing up the house. It's still a mess

infidels

2011-01-20T13:28:00.002+08:00

now first up I want to say that as despicable as it is, I still find it hard to be so very harsh on infidelity. let's just say I know the topic quite well (in ways you may or may not expect), and as cliche as it sounds, yes, it is quite more complicated than the black and white choices we are presented with, although, I also have to say, a lot of this heartache and pain COULD definitely be

33 weeks and counting

2011-01-17T10:08:00.002+08:00

With D at dinner at my friend Cha's place, and her adorable little SofiI'm overwhelmed with the clearing / cleaning / reorganizing going on in our home, and the unresolved issues with getting a new team member v. a temp at work / hiring a yaya / making an inventory of all our baby stuff and getting the things we lack / washing all Ynigo's baby clothes for our new addition. And so on.BREATHE.

The Apartment Book

2011-01-14T13:32:00.004+08:00

When I really, really think about it, my whole interior design aesthetic was shaped by one book: The Apartment Book, released in 1980 by the editors of Apartment Life magazine. This book fell into my hands when I was about nine or 10 years old, lent to us by an aunt (which we never returned). The book was all about maximizing tight spaces and using pops of color and inventive design to make your

the renovation diaries

2011-01-13T10:42:00.002+08:00

mega crazy past few days. we've been renovating the house to make way for our new addition - and also to improve our living state. see, our kitchen is tiny, we seriously lack storage space, which translates to using our windowless "third bedroom" as a catch-all for junk. stuff tends to pile up in that room, which hardly gets cleaned out.so exactly last week we began our home renovation scheme.

2011 started with love...

2011-01-06T10:40:00.007+08:00

...and laughter. One of my closest friends from college and senior year housemate Chiqui (aka Aussie Adobo) tied the knot a few days after the New Year. It was a lovely, meaningful wedding; the bride was gorgeously blooming; the groom touchingly in love; and the guests all nuts. I had so much fun!The gang's all here!My lovely family (plus one on the way)Me and the brideBuko pie beautiesReenacting

Bitten

2010-12-30T10:45:00.002+08:00

Oh oh oh nooooez. This post. THIS POST!My New Year's Resolution is to save money, because a.) there's a baby, broo and b.) I want to move to a bigger space soon, and it's no secret to any of you that my biggest luho is travel. I don't do spa or salon, I love books but I don't buy that often, and my clothing purchases are never expensive. No, it's travel that always gets to me.And THIS POST, which

Bah humbug

2010-12-23T09:48:00.003+08:00

I love Christmas and I've been in a Christmas-y mood and that's great and all, but there are just some things that irk me. Like, I know this sounds really bad, but sometimes even when the kids out front sing well enough I still don't give them caroling money because they're singing *THIS* song, which gets on my last nerve. I mean, every single kid that's caroled in front of my house for the past

today in hotties

2010-12-22T16:29:00.004+08:00

Yikes, Ryan Gosling! When did this happen?Yowza!I hadn't seen what everyone else what seeing in the dude, but now I do. Boy do I see it. (I've yet to come over the Mark Ruffalo train though. Seriously people. Explain the Mark Ruffalo fappping to me. I've seen three or four movies featuring they guy and I don't get it. If I want a guy who looks like a plumber he better look like a plumber who can

Starvation

2010-12-20T16:02:00.003+08:00

Loved loved loved this post in Jessica Zafra's blog: The Story of the Hard Boiled Egg. (Jon is a member of the Volcanoes, the Phil. Rugby Team. Who are awesome. As are the Azkals, who fought with heart against the Indonesians. I love our boys! OK, ending digression now...)Anyway, this post made me remember my own starvation story. You know how people talk about the Freshman 15? Well I lost 15

Expanding on my current status update

2010-12-14T12:02:00.013+08:00

In 2010 I: Fell for CambodiaSaw a lot in AuroraWas charmed by BoholReturned to ChicagoCared more about the outcome of the World Cup than the Philippine electionsReconnected with family and friendsMourned the end of Lost and NU107and oh yeah, expected (is expecting?) an addition to the family.All in all a great year. Thank you Lord!

holiday bug

2010-12-13T11:05:00.002+08:00

I caught the holiday bug early. By the last 10 days of November, I had put up our Christmas tree and done most of our shopping. I like turning the garland lights on at night and watching Christmas movies with my kid. Except that...well, by Dec. 1 I caught a cold. No biggie, colds happen, right? And I'm all vitamined up the wazoo, so I didn't mind it much. It certainly seemed to clear up after

Another one bites the dust

2010-12-07T11:59:00.002+08:00

This week, one of my favorite blogs, Blue Arden, shut down. Just one more in a long line of blogs that closed their doors, were deleted or were simply not updated anymore. Of the long list of links I have in that left column blogroll, there are only four that I read all the time - and I remember fondly when I used to read every single one of them, every day. I was never big on reading "pro-blogs"

AXA Philippines - Metrobank update

2010-12-02T13:59:00.002+08:00

So about a couple of months ago I had a problem with the billing of my AXA insurance. The issue took so long to resolve and I got so frustrated that I took my frustrations out on the Internet and posted this angry blog post. I also reposted it on Facebook. I also took the advice of the CSR I had spoken with and wrote a letter / requested for a copy of my payment history, which was coursed through

Gratitude

2010-11-30T15:09:00.002+08:00

first off, regarding this: we're sloooooowly working towards a resolution. Here's to efficiency, and that's all I'm going to say till it's all tidied up. Anyhoodle, I had a great, fuzzy, feelgood long weekend that just fills me with the hot cocoa warmies. Hubby had to drive for his mom, who was a sponsor at a silver wedding vow renewal thingie, and neither me nor the Kuya were up for it, so we

AXA Philippines and Metrobank

2010-11-24T09:47:00.003+08:00

I really don't want to do this in my blog but I am just so frustrated and maybe by making this public and GOOGLEABLE some action will be finally taken by AXA PHILIPPINES and METROBANK.I took an AXA Saver Plan in 2009 as a means of investing some of the little savings I had. I chose to pay my premiums annually and as for the payment method I selected auto-charging from my BPI Mastercard, thinking

Loved it!

2010-11-22T11:19:00.004+08:00

Part 1 of the finale of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, that is. Here's an objective review from the Washington Post, which I suggest you read because my review is going to be a big fangirl hooray.Yes, some scenes were changed. Yes, some parts were compressed. But to those complaining that it was "ruined" for not hewing 100% close to the source material, I say come the fuck on. It's a

The royal we

2010-11-18T14:40:00.003+08:00

Ahhh...a royal engagement! I'm a sucker for these. I guess deep inside I'm really an old auntie who stacks her library shelves with Barbara Cartland and devours Hello! magazine.Specifically because I get to wonder how I'd be styled if (HA HA HA) if I get married to a royal. I love the sound of Countess Katrina Bianca von Liepesbingverchorva of Hapsburg. Chos! Or or or marrying a Spanish royal

Hildegarde Panzer

2010-11-18T10:28:00.002+08:00

Me: Guess what? I have an officemate named Enola Gay. Hubby: Really?Me: Except with an "e" at the end of "Gaye."Hubby: I wonder if her parents named her after the song, and if they are aware that Enola Gay is the name of the plane that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Me: I know right?! It's like being named Auschwitz.....Me: Or "Wermacht." OR OR OR you know what would be a cool

namey-names

2010-11-04T10:51:00.003+08:00

oh wait did you know? I *might* be having a girl. Which is to say that I *might* have a boy as well, but IDK. I feel like it's a girl. So there.We haven't decided what to call her yet. I have a name in mind, but you know us, it's not a name if it doesn't have a twin. We're the two-first-name crew, ya dig? I'm Katrina Bianca, my sister's Samantha Nicole, and my son's Ynigo David. So the name I

End of an Era

2010-11-03T14:12:00.001+08:00

NU 107, the home of NU Rock, closes after 23 years of broadcasts. Details here. I feel really sad about this, like a part of my life is ending. My *parents* would listen to NU in the car when I was a kid. NU kept me company in those high school nights when I'd lock myself in the room and play music full blast. Without the Internet and iPods and file sharing and aside from occasional purchases of

where are you from?

2010-10-28T23:15:00.003+08:00

I got that a lot this trip. Because I'm half and half (or as my friend Karl would say, "Kasi naman girl di ka maintindihan ng mga utaw kung Chinita ka ba or Latina") foreigners find it hard to peg that I'm Pinoy. Add that I don't have 'an accent' when I speak and they're thrown completely off the loop. (And until I say that I'm only here on a two-week visit most of them assume I grew up in the US

brrrrrrr

2010-10-28T22:46:00.002+08:00

After days of considerably mild weather (in the 50s as they say here, or around 15-10 degrees Celsius for us metric kids, which I learned is really not that bad so long as you have a good quality coat and a nice thick scarf) today the temperature dropped to 42. In Celsius that's 6 degrees. SIX. Since I want to avoid rude cabbies and the office is a bridge and two blocks away, I usually walk to

Chicago travelogue part deux

2010-10-26T00:41:00.002+08:00

This weekend I was able to cross off some of my must-dos: visit Hot Doug's, Franks n Dawgs and the Art Institute. These were facilitated by a purchase of a CTA access card: like HK's Octopus card, this one works for all of the city's buses and trains. Simply insert and go. The difference is that it's quite expensive ($14 for a three-day pass) although it's ride-all-you-can. Commuting in Chicago

travelogue part un

2010-10-21T04:32:00.002+08:00

So remember my stress nightmare about Incheon Airport (ICN) looking like the DFA? I could not be more wrong. You couldn't ask for a better airport to get stuck in. I know HKIA is pretty good but it's a bit too large and often hard to navigate, while I've never been to the main Changi airport (coz we're budget terminal beauties, yo) so I can't compare. But anyway, ICN is friendly enough but still

Windy City, Part Deux

2010-10-18T10:55:00.002+08:00

I'm just finishing up on a few things at work, grabbing lunch, going home to get my stuff all together and then I'm jetting off for two weeks in Chicago. I've a laptop so I'm going to be ~*connected*~. Why am I letting you know, Oh Anonymous Intrawebz? Let's just say I read too much Crime Library/watch too much Investigation Discovery and I'm rather paranoid about getting kidnapped by a rich

playmates!

2010-10-11T11:01:00.002+08:00

For the longest time, I was worried about my kid not getting enough "kalye" time. These past nine years he's only been interested in staying indoors with his toys. Trying to get him out our front yard was impossible, as "it's too hot." This worried me, because I was an outdoorsy child. As a kid me and my sister used to wander outside the house, visiting playmates, riding bikes, going to

In the works

2010-10-04T11:29:00.002+08:00

On my agenda these next few months:- Build a roof over the 'backyard' laundry area and a shelf for my son's and husband's bikes- Do a general cleaning of the house (as in general) and have a garage sale for the items we won't be needing anymore- Install seatbelts in the back seat of our car- Get ourselves a crib or playpen, a good qualiy stroller, a high chair plus all other baby-related supplies

Exasperation

2010-10-01T13:06:00.004+08:00

Carlos Celdran is in jail for disrupting a Mass or religious ceremony. (By the way, that article is rather poorly written - it goes with the hearsay from one police officer who quotes Carlos and, based on that quote, assumes him to be anti-RH bill. The writer than spreads that assumption all over the piece, as if repetition makes it fact. Ano ba, confusing the audience much? Carlos is and has

breathe

2010-09-29T11:46:00.002+08:00

I need a break, but good luck with that. It's ramping up towards THE largest event in the place I work for, one that I'm expected be hands-on-deck, and I don't think I'm going to get any rest till the end of that event, by the end of October. But more than the work, which is tiring, and a to-do list that ever-lengthens, and my pregnancy energy levels, which are not on par with what they used to

Last year of the 20s in T-minus 13 hours

2010-09-20T11:24:00.002+08:00

Around this time last year I thought that I'd be gearing up to spend the last year of my 20s in wild fashion. I reasoned that the last year of the 20s would be the perfect time to do one last reckless thing, some sort of youth recaptured thing. In fact around June this year my friends and I were talking about going on a wild adventure in January 2011 - the year most of us would turn 30. We'd meet

IDGI

2010-09-15T10:00:00.003+08:00

I don't get it. All the love for Glee, I mean. I'm sorry, about 90% of the people I know not only sorta like the show, they really, REALLY love it. And I just...don't...understand. The show has its merits, yeah. Joyous singing and dancing by cute, telegenic kids in poppy bursts of color is always a welcome sight on television. When the show had yet to take off in Manila I'd seen the online buzz

That's not a 'maternal glow', that's make-up

2010-09-07T10:00:00.005+08:00

Since the preggorzy my skin's been really diva-like in its drama. It's now blotchy and dull and I have these annoying tiny bumpy zits on my forehead, chin and even a couple on my cheeks! The oiliness quotient has also gone up. (I've been very lucky, even in my teenhood, not to have been attacked by acne, save for a couple of zits on my forehead every now and then, so this sudden tiny bumpy

Teamwork

2010-09-03T16:24:00.000+08:00

So you know how I can be blunt sometimes (all right, ALL THE TIME), right? And how I'm also quite irritable? And how that gets me into little petty tampu-tampu sitches with people, usually those whom I'm not super close to? Well when that happens what I do is tell Hubby all about it. And then I ask him, "Should I talk to them? Should I clear the air or whatever?" or if they're being extra

Happy thoughts

2010-09-02T11:17:00.006+08:00

Somethings I just can't resist, expectin' or not:Hot & Sour SoupSpicy, thick, sour, piping hot: my favorite soup to order at Chinese restaurants. (Eat Well's version is my current fave). Presents a dilemma because some days I also want beef brisket soup, and isn't that weird, a soup appetizer for a soup main course? Screw it and just order away, yeah?KimchiI know not a lot of people like this,

Thoughts on what everyone's talking about

2010-08-26T16:14:00.004+08:00

I came across this article reposted several times on my Facebook feed: The Philippine Bus and Miss Universe by Daniel Wagner at the Huffington Post. I think it's an excellent article and makes good points (even though Wagner goes off on Venus, which I think is sort of a non sequitur). I particularly like this:If the Philippines wants to get its act together and live up to its potential, it needs

belleh update

2010-08-24T09:57:00.004+08:00

That thing about the munchiesThe first few weeks of The Great Belly Blow-Up of '10/'11 were marked with, aside from extreme fatigue, a huge appetite loss. There were a few weeks there when I couldn't abide the thought of cooked food and lived on cereal, whole wheat bread, cream cheese and Sunflower biscuits. Some days when I wasn't too acidic or bloated I'd have kiwis and grapes. But otherwise,

snuzzchle

2010-08-20T10:24:00.002+08:00

Yesterday by four or so I was feeling really ill. I felt short of breath and had a slight headache and was tired and bloated and a tad nauseous. (I kind of feel like this everyday. My energy now just lasts to around 4pm, and then I start feeling like death.) I took a walk around the office block, thinking that being out of an airconditioned shoebox would help (it did a bit) but I still felt

The Becky World Cup (cage fighting edition)

2010-08-18T17:34:00.007+08:00

Inspired by an email thread between officemates JF, Abbie, Em and Fran, and Fran's comment that this year's Miss Universe National Costume competition will be decided by how lethal the actual costumes are, I present to you: The Becky World Cup Cage Fighting Match-Ups!Round 1:Miss Albania vs. Miss USAAbbie sez: Miss USA (She has an arrow for a sword and a feather?!? for a shield. Plus, stars for

Spend smart, be happy?

2010-08-10T17:34:00.003+08:00

Interesting article from the NY Times: Consumers Find Ways to Spend Less and Find HappinessSome parts that I liked most:One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.Thomas DeLeire, an associate professor of public affairs,

Green kitchen

2010-08-09T12:07:00.002+08:00

I have a recurring dream that I live in an old, vintage-y house. It's like my current house but as I walk in it is deeper, bigger, older; with a mezzanine and old wood and heavy furniture. Maybe it's a subconscious throwback to the houses I grew up in - the old compound in Heroes Hills where I was born, the lovely Spanish house in Marcelo where my maternal grandparents lived until 1999. (That was

sniffle and pop

2010-07-28T13:15:00.002+08:00

I'm having a terrible allergic reaction to work right now that makes me extra irritable (I'm sure the preggo hormones are helping that along quite nicely as well), but here are a couple of stories that help me get through the minor irritations that make up the day. They don't exactly make me feel better in a "cheer up!" sort of way, but they're touching and lovely and you should read them!First

b word part 2

2010-07-27T14:03:00.003+08:00

The answer was under my nose all along: La Leche League! I love the way the content is written - straightforward, practical, no excessively mommyish tones (no pink too!) and considerate about the modesty needs of breastfeeding in public. Plus it has a handy guide for storage, which I was really apprehensive about. Hooray! I don't feel quite as lost anymore. :D

the b word

2010-07-26T16:19:00.002+08:00

No, not bitch. "Breastfeeding." So I'm around 2 months along. (Yup yup!) Found out about a month ago. And part of all the thoughts that need to be thunked along with a situation like this is, well, feeding the baby when he or she comes out. My eldest was on formula. I was a student then who only came home on the weekends (later on, taking him with us to LB from Wednesdays to Fridays and spending

A doctorate in pink

2010-07-23T10:25:00.002+08:00

Last week as part of my college org's anniversary activities, I was invited to give a talk on chick lit. I had a blast putting my presentation together and talking to the students who (the picture below notwithstanding) were into the talk and produced some good work for our workshop.I must say though it was harder to give them references when I was describing an ideal "kilig" scene or common

Cringe

2010-07-13T18:04:00.002+08:00

I've kept a diary since I was nine years old. WHOAH MIND BLOWN: the current age of my son was the same age I started writing tortured crap like "Why am I so unattractive? Why doesn't [redacted] like me more than [redacted]?" and, like, "I hate my mom, she ruins my life." I started diary writing because we had the Reader's Digest condensed book version of Anne Frank's Diary of Anne Frank. Of

Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year

2010-07-13T10:31:00.001+08:00

Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye.And thus concludes the 30 days of music experiment.

Shoebox living

2010-07-12T11:11:00.002+08:00

I live with my hubby and a nine-year-old boy in a "three" bedroom duplex (I put it in quotes because the third room is an airless, windowless cell we use as a walk in closet/laundry area/storage space.) With just the three of us we have mounds of stuff and lots of kalat. I really admire people who are ingenious enough to make a small space work for them - in a chic and lovely way.House of Onika,

Day 29 - A song from your childhood

2010-07-08T17:11:00.000+08:00

My mom and dad used to play this ALL THE TIME on the ginormous stereo we had when we lived in Heroes Hills, QC (aged 0-4 years; yep, I was not an original Southie). The stereo was so huge it doubled as a couch when my parents moved out.And this video was like the pinnacle of awesome in the 80s and the one that I always waited for when watching Video Hit Parade or Video Hot Tracks or America's Top

Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty

2010-07-06T10:52:00.001+08:00

Julie Delpy - An Ocean ApartThere's something heart-wrenching about the way she sings. :(I really don't have a song that makes me feel guitly per se so this is the closest feeling I could approximate.

yeah, I guess I do take this way too seriously

2010-07-05T09:24:00.002+08:00

Listen, I'm glad that the World Cup is getting more people into football. Hey, maybe you don't know what team to support so you latch onto the team kit worn by whichever star's being posed up on whatever ads you see. But I'd had hoped that had you watched the games and seen how they were actually played you'd have the good sense to actually see which teams are good and which teams...are not as

The End of Men (?)

2010-07-02T17:30:00.001+08:00

Thought provoking article from The Atlantic magazine, The End of Men.Yes, women still do most of the child care. And yes, the upper reaches of society are still dominated by men. But given the power of the forces pushing at the economy, this setup feels like the last gasp of a dying age rather than the permanent establishment. Dozens of college women I interviewed for this story assumed that they

World Cup: Japan

2010-07-01T19:23:00.009+08:00

Paying picspam tribute to a team who deserved to go farther than they did, the brave blue samurai, Japan. Penalty shootouts are a cruel way to go (theirs was particularly heartbreaking), but these guys played with spirit.Star forward Keisuke Honda with capt. Hasebe (don't ask me about that ghost hand, I know not what or why.)Their lovely Toyota-District-4-Senior-Sales-Manager-esque coach Takeshi

Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play

2010-07-01T17:03:00.000+08:00

Led Zeppelin's Lemon Song. I can't listen to this without imagining how awesome it would be, being able to sing do the guitar / bass or drums. Just a GAH moment each and every time.

Still on a Mannschaft high

2010-06-28T11:49:00.007+08:00

The power of Nutella compels you!I love the German Football Team. They were my pick for the Euro 2008 Championships. They were responsible for my monthlong-footie hangover. (So much so that I downloaded and constantly rewatched, the documentary on their 2006 WC campaign, Deutschland. Ein Sommermärchen, despite being unable to understand German.) Aside from being an incredibly good-looking bunch (

Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument

2010-06-25T15:15:00.001+08:00

heheheIn high school I used to hang out with these band types a lot and took ~*classical guitar*~ lessons when I was 13. (Etude in E Minor was my bitch). At one point I could do several songs like "Ang Huling El Bimbo" and "214" and "Prinsesa." A friend and I also sussed out the chords to much of the Cutterpillow album. And then we all got into Silverchair when I was 15 and the band types I hung