Last Weekend
21 September 2011
We went to a lunchroom called Bagel Bakery & Burgers in downtown Rotterdam last Saturday. It's quite a cozy place with a modern eclectic decor. The place is partitioned in two eating areas big enough for groups and is child-friendly. If the weather is nice, you can also opt to sit outside but it was rather chilly then so we stayed in.
Mike and Maya both had
mini bagel burgers with a side of homemade rosemary fries while I chose a salad meal. The salad wasn't really all that, though. I thought it was a bit bland. I expected the 9 year old balsamic vinegar to have more tang but I barely tasted it so that was somewhat disappointing. I'd rate it 2.5 out of 5. The burgers, however, were a hit. Definitely a 4, says Mike. Next time, that's what I'm going to try!
They have a lovely selection of cakes, too. That's actually what we went there for initially. I really like the lemon curd pie. It's subtle but rich in flavor. It's also not overly sweet; just the way I like it.
Then last Sunday, we visited a couple friends who live a bit outside of Rotterdam. I met her in school two years ago and we stayed in touch since then. It was a relaxed afternoon of friendly games of Mahjong and chitchats over sweets and snacks.
I met their cat called
Sausje and it made me want one, too. I'm not much of a pet-person really but I would want a cat that is as cute as this one. Isn't she lovely?
It's been a while since we had a weekend like that and it was nice.
Fleeting Summer
11 August 2011
I think summer skipped us this year. We only had two weeks of good summer weather since June and even that wasn't straight. It has been wet, windy and dreary ever since and in between sunny days. It reminds me a lot of autumn and, quite frankly, it's very uninspiring. Staying in has been more comforting and appealing than going out most days. It is frustrating, though, when the mood strikes and I want to capture beauty in the light and I'm confined inside because outside it's pouring and glum. Grey is not my favorite color. I want more sunshine!
But we have had a bit of sun last weekend and I took advantage of that by taking pictures. Flowers always make me go "aaaahhh" and sigh. They make me forget about my worries. They bring smiles and joy that resonate from within, like butterflies in your tummy. They are truly wonderful and beautiful things; even in their imperfection, they are perfect.
Sometimes it's easy to drown in our insecurities, the ugliness, the darkness, the failures, the mistakes, and all the bad things, but when you look around and see all the beauty that is there, the wonder of life and the magnificence of it all and everything in it, it makes you think and realize that life is too short and too beautiful to waste on such things.
It's like the nature's way of checking me, opening my eyes and making me reflect on things about myself like my habit of worrying too much, stewing on things and dwelling on them for a long time that cause me to miss out on the good stuff.
So this is me learning to keep a positive outlook and appreciating the good things in my life. This is me taking a step forward to change how I think and how I deal with things. This is me embracing the good, the beauty and the happy. This is me taking chances. This is me going on a journey - and one that I am willing to embark upon.
My Past Three Months in Pictures
16 June 2011
So this blog needs some dusting off. I have been neglectful, I know. It has been quite an eventful (and not so) couple of months, and I am only now feeling the itch to write about it.
We spent most of the month of April in the Philippines to visit family and friends, and for my family to finally meet Maya. It was one of the main reasons for our visit so my 96-year-old grandma could meet her great granddaughter. It was emotional seeing her again. Time definitely has changed her. But I'm thankful that she's still alive and healthy.
Went island hopping with mates from high school, ate out a lot, and spent loads of money on shopping and going out. I gained 5 kgs. in those four weeks doing nothing but eat, sleep and meet up with people!
We stayed in Davao where my family lives. Celebrated my 30th birthday there, too. Got a new haircut then cried a bucket of tears afterward. I did grow it for 4 years. *sniff*
Stayed for a couple of days in Manila and saw my bestie, Rex, after so many years. Bless him, he took days off to spend time with us. Gail, together with her husband Owen, also met up with us there. The last time I saw her prior to this meeting was in Cebu and that was a very long time ago! We're talking almost a decade here. Time surely flies eh. Also met up for the first time with the lovely
Caryn. It was a fun afternoon of good food and conversations. Shame you weren't able to join us though,
Toni.
We had a lot of dining in and out with family after we got back. Had some needed girl time with my friends and sister-in-law. Signed up for the gym again and have been trying to eat healthy and working on getting fit. Finally shed off the weight I gained during vacation within three weeks since we got back!
Mike and I also got some alone time while Maya was having a sleepover at her grandparents' and guess who cried the first night she was away? Me. Haha!
Got a new camera for mother's day, but I haven't really played much with it yet. I think it's a lot better than my old one, which got stolen from our luggage on our way back. Sigh. Even if it was broken, I wanted to keep it for sentimental value. It was my first dSLR after all.
I also volunteered for the charity my friend organized for Japan. The last event was during the Dunya Festival where I helped out with the kids making musical instruments out of recycled materials. But most of my days are spent taking care of Maya, playing with her and teaching her new things.
After we came back from our holiday, it was a challenge to get out of vacation mode. I am still not out of it really, but you can't take many breaks when you have a toddler to look after. I am loving being a stay-at-home-mom though. It gives me freedom while I relish the joy of seeing Maya grow but, I must admit, it can get a bit tiring and limiting too, especially when you want to do something else but don't really have the time. I am still not a fan of routines, personally, but she needs it.
So that's about it really. I made new friends and caught up with the old, and established better relationships with family.
I learned, I cried, I loved, I laughed and I grew up.
xoxo
Expanding my horizons
20 October 2010
I have been living here in Rotterdam for six years now, but I never really went somewhere by myself that I haven't been before yet. I guess you can attribute it to my fear of getting lost, as I am directionally-challenged, in a country where English isn't the first language. Gone were the days where I lived a spontaneous and daring I-can-conquer-the-world lifestyle; when I trusted people easily and saw the world with different eyes. I rarely venture out by myself when I am not familiar with the place but, now that I am a mother, I am beginning to learn to be more independent for Maya's sake.
So, yesterday, was a day of many firsts for me and Maya. Firstly, we went to the Mom & Tots group we have recently joined. We made quite a few friends and are looking forward to seeing them again next week. I think it was just the right time to expose Maya in the company of other children as she is now more aware of her surroundings and can somehow communicate clearly what she wants, while I got to hone my rusty social skills to my new acquaintances. It helps that everyone there speaks English. I feel more at ease than if it was in Dutch.
Secondly, I have never been out alone with Maya outside our home for more than two hours, much less to a place that's 45 minutes away. To say that I'm proud of myself is an understatement. It was an accomplishment! It is much easier for me to take Maya out now that she is used to her buggy again and I can distract her without picking her up when she cries. But she didn't cry at all yesterday! She was all smiles and giggles, and slept without any fuss when she was tired. She was a doll!
I, on the other hand, was socially awkward when I interacted with the other moms there. They were a welcoming and friendly bunch, no doubt about that. It's just that I haven't really met new people lately without Mike as a buffer. It threw me for a loop... having to be social to people I don't know. Most of the women there already knew each other and were a bit older than me so I mostly observed when I wasn't watching Maya play or when no one was talking to me. It made me realize how my life is severely lacking, socially-speaking. I suddenly felt the overwhelming need to make new friends and get out more; to venture outside of my comfort zone and see the world out there, because I feel like I didn't grow at all. You could say that I've practically lived under a rock the past few years. It's time for me to spread my wings, so to speak. And having Maya is giving me the courage to do just that, because I want to be a better person for myself and for her.
My January
29 January 2010
What? January is almost over and I'm only just updating? Bad me!
So here's what I've been up to...
This month has been quite hectic for us after all the December merriment and unexpected hospitalization. Thank you, by the way, for all the well and kind wishes. I did get to go home on December 31st just in time to celebrate New Year's eve with Mike as we watched fireworks through our window and toasted with pear juice. New Year's day was spent with his family as we gathered in his Grandpa's home as per tradition and had dinner with his parents and sister.
Then M&M and godson, Kevin, came back from their long vacation in the Philippines so we spent a day with them to catch up and semi-celebrated Kevin's 2nd birthday.
I think after that weekend, my body was telling me to slow down when I came down hard with the cold for a week so I stayed home and in bed to recuperate. It was an overwhelming couple of weeks. December is just the prelude to the crazy month that is January.
Then came Monique's birthday which we celebrated at her place, followed by a weekend getaway in Eindhoven, perhaps the last vacation we'll have before B comes, with the family.
The day after we got home from the said weekend, Mike and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. He left for work at 7 in the morning and came home at 10 in the evening with a dozen big white roses and large strawberry milkshakes. He had to go to a training for work that day when all he wanted was to take me out on a dinner date. He was rather bummed about it but I did give my consent for him to go so I didn't have room to complain though it sucked when the day came and I found myself entirely alone especially when it started getting dark and we were supposed to be celebrating our marriage of 7 years. I didn't let it deter me though so I welcomed him with a candlelight picnic in our living room while I played our wedding song on repeat in the background. We cuddled and reminisced. I may have shed a big happy tear or two. His bosses and colleagues surprised me with a bouquet of pink flowers to congratulate and thank me for letting them borrow Mike for the day. So it wasn't so bad. My dining table looked pretty with the new centerpiece. They compensated his not being home by allowing him to take a day off two days later on short notice, which brings us to his 28th birthday.
I treated him to a movie, Avatar, (finally saw it and loved it!) and a Mexican dinner in the same restaurant where I spent my 28th birthday last year. He's been raving on wanting to eat Mexican food for weeks so I thought it's the best choice. I did have a morning fail because I wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed but I overslept so I took a raincheck for the weekend instead. I'm carrying his child in my belly so at least I have an excuse. Justify much? Haha. :D
After ALL that, we got a breather. No planned engagements or anything in the weekdays and weekend. We decided it's time to finish what's left to be done upstairs. Our bedroom walls are finally (!) painted. Goodbye sunshiny yellow and hello olive green! Hopefully by this weekend, everything that we CAN do will be done and we can focus on sanitizing the rooms and wait for B to come. One and a half month more to go!
And now, I'm dreaming about being in the tropical Philippines to be with my family. My brother, Ian, is there right now and will be celebrating his birthday together with my other brother, Gary, on Saturday. I'm so so jealous and could only wish we were there too. It would have been another great family reunion. Sigh. I miss my family.
By the way, here's a fact about me: Do you know that we (my siblings and I) were born in consecutive numbers? (29 - Ian, 30 - me, 31 - Gary). Cool, huh? However, I'm the only one born in a different month.
So after the wallet-draining December, the month of birthdays and celebrations in our family follows. Cue Alanis Morisette song: I'm broke but I'm happy!
I hope everyone is having a great start of their new year.
Ah, fall is here..
05 October 2009
Time for coats and tights..
