First Off, Wash Hands!

Well, I guess I was not washing my hands well or I forgot to wash my hands that's why I got this flu. But then, here's a little reminder for us. Swine flu can be prevented, and as to how, get back to the basics! Wash hands!

A delicious warm pizza, a good-luck gem, or a friendly pat on the pet dog are just a few of the presents kids love to bring home to Mom and Dad. But behind these adorable gifts, millions of germs could be lurking.

Kids don't always listen when you tell them to wash their hands before eating, but it's a message worth repeating. Hand washing is by far the best way to prevent germs from spreading and to keep your kids from getting sick.

Germs can be transmitted in many ways, including:

* touching dirty hands
* changing dirty diapers
* through contaminated water and food
* through droplets released during a cough or a sneeze
* via contaminated surfaces
* through contact with a sick person's body fluids
* via handrails and other things you are touching
* via dusty rooms and stuffy environments

When kids come into contact with germs, they can unknowingly become infected simply by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. And once they're infected, it's usually just a matter of time before the whole family comes down with the same illness.

Good hand washing is the first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses, from the common cold to more serious illnesses such as meningitis, bronchiolitis, influenza, hepatitis A, and most types of infectious diarrhea.

Washing Hands Correctly

Here's how to scrub those germs away. Demonstrate this routine to your kids — or better yet, wash your hands together often so they learn how important this good habit is:

1. Wash your hands in warm water. Make sure the water isn't too hot for little hands.
2. Use soap and lather up for about 10 to 15 seconds (antibacterial soap isn't necessary — any soap will do). Make sure you get in between the fingers and under the nails where uninvited germs like to hang out. And don't forget the wrists!
3. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.


To minimize the germs passed around your family, make frequent hand washing a rule for everyone, especially:

* before eating and cooking
* after using the bathroom
* after cleaning around the house
* after touching animals, including family pets
* before and after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives
* after blowing one's nose, coughing, or sneezing
* after being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)

Don't underestimate the power of hand washing! The few seconds you spend at the sink could save you trips to the doctor's office.

Sick Days Suck

For those visiting my place, you may have noticed my long silence. It's just that I am so sick. It all started when we were busy preparing for a family outing, we did the groceries last Friday, i did all the cooking and the food preparation so i was so darn tired and stressed the whole day last Saturday.

I dunno what happened to me but I was sore all over, my body does not seem to cooperate, I have sore throat, and I am suffering from splitting headaches.

Haaaaay...when the bug bites, it saddens me, so I might be away for a few days, i don't want to contaminate the blogosphere...

For the mornings, since I have sore throat, I just want pancakes...

You want? Yummeh!

A New Way of Scouting

When i was in grade two, i had my first try at camping and scouting. It was the best scouting I have ever experienced. Since it was the first, it was awful at first, that for the first time, my lola was not with me in our sleep, but i was with classmates and other campers trying to figure out life on our own, with the aid of our scout masters and our instincts.

Scouting today is very different. There was this camping/scouting event at a school near our house, a few months back and we had a chance to see the campers and their activities inside. We had to compare today's camping activities from what we have experienced.

1. Before: I remember having to wake up early because of the blasting siren, and all has to stretch and wash and prepare for the day's activities.

Now: There's the scoutmaster shouting and waking up the campers, and there's the yaya (househelp) nudging the campers to move their butts and prepare. Ugh.

2. Before: I remember having to look for firewood to use for cooking.

Now: The yaya comes to the rescue of the campers, and they brought portable LPG tanks in aid of campers' cooking.

3. Before: We had to look for malunggay leaves, camote leaves, raw papaya fruit so that we can have them added to what the scoutmasters brought: sardines.

Now: The campers brought with them their househelps to cook for them, others just called Jollibee and had their orders delivered. Toinks!

via

4. Before: We had to learn to sew, we had to learn to cook, and we had to start fire. We had to climb a steep hill to get firewood.

via

Now: They have face painting lessons, and they have wall-climbing activities... They have their led flashlights.

via

5. Before: I remember when one of my co-campers got a tummyache, we had to squeeze all we know about first aid, and we had to get leaves too.

Now: A doctor is just a text away.

6. Before: We were told to always wash our hands, so we have to manually pump water from out of a well, in order to clean ourselves and wash our hands.

Now: There's always this alcogel or something... teehee...

Scouting is a good activity. Scouting and camping has been a major fun activity when i was in my elementary years, and even in high school. I would love to say I'm proud being a Girl Scout, but i find today's scouting/camping activities so hi-tech, and so uninteresting because of the aid of househelps and their LPG tanks, and other sorts of easier access to life. It could have been more interesting if our campers started with the basics, and have them try the experience of climbing hills for firewood. I don't know why camping today is, i'd hate to say...lousy.

Generation gap, maybe? But then again, let me think, do i still want my kids experiencing Scouting/Camping? And maybe, the basics will just have to be learned from home.

Jammin' at Jams

Last Friday was a nice day for us to be relaxing. It was also a very cool day to be jamming with some visitors from Davao. They were bloggers we have already met during the DFAT and Zipline Outland Adventure in Maa, Davao City. Two of them were here to judge a certain resort's Bikini Open 2009.

After they were fetched from the terminal, we met at Genee's, introduced ourselves with each other before we proceeded to...

Located at Nunez St., Prk. Malakas, General Santos City

Jam's Entrance Hall

The place is so warm and cozy, well-lighted, a very attractive resto a few minutes out of the city's busy business perimeters.

With well-manicured and nicely decorated garden, Jam's offers a great way
to spend a relaxing time after a long stressful day.

We were welcomed with this scenery, meaning, food is at hand. The owner, Madam Sol Mananquil is in the tuna fishing industry for years and has been dealing with tuna customers in the Gensan fishport in the mornings, a queen in the tuna cuisine during nighttime.

Here's a pic of what they served us during the night. A well-deserved applause to the chef and those who prepared for this gustatory enticing dishes.

Sizzling Tuna Tendons

Just enough to be called sweet and spicy, this dish is a conservation of food, sometime ago, when tuna was not a well-known food element, some of its insides and those uninteresting parts are just thrown away for feeding the pigs, now, it's a food for the gods.

Spicy Sauteed Tuna Lamanloob

Interesting dish, not so spicy, just enought to make me say oooohhhh...

Deep-fried Tuna Buntot

Provides the same story with the Sizzling tendons, the Tuna Buntot once was thrown and even given to people who cannot affor to buy the belly and meat. Once, according to Madam Sol, they were just P5.00 per kilo. They are now priced at more than a hundred per kilo considering they do away just the same with tuna meat and other tuna parts, that though,
depends on how you cook tuna tail.

The chicharon is also made of tuna skins, whew, and yes, the fried tuna tail is so soft that when you see the outer skin, you'll surely go against it, but try a forkful, and you'll get another helping.

Tuna Kilawin

One of the best I have by far tasted, this tuna kilawin is a must-try at Jam's. This tuna tendons created as kilawin is prepared similar to pork kilawin. Tuna is just a bit healthier.

Tuna Sashimi

Wherever you go in Gensan and Davao, this is gonna be served in your table, the favorites of them all, tuna sashimi is best served with Kikoman's sauce, and the ever sarap to the tongue wasabi sauce.

Tuna Kebab

Just delicious, I loved the taste, so mouth-watering, not so salty,
not bland, very much satisfying taste, this is tuna belly at its best.

Grilled and Glazed Tuna Belly

The belly is a sensational part of the tuna, because the belly is the most oily part and the most tasty part of all tuna especially that of the yellowfin and big eye.

Tuna Fish Roe (Bihod)

Now this is my favorite among them, I was having second and third helpings when this was placed on the table, the taste was that of sweet and spicy beef steak, only that the fish eggs are what you feel in the tongue, a very dramatic dish.

Grilled Tuna Panga with Veggies on the Side

I love grilled panga, and everytime i pass by the tuna market, i crave for this and ask the hubby to buy panga, this is a specialty of the Generals especially during beach outings.

Jam's rendition of the Tuna Panga is somewhat different, the blend of pepper accentuated the glazed soy sauce around the neck part, just lovely.

Delectable dishes from Jam's Resto Bar made our night more enjoyable. Jam's provided us a wonderful evening of bonding time with other bloggers visiting in Gensan. The tuna dishes surely is the best Gensan can offer to its visitors.


After the sumptuous dinner, Jam's Resto Bar gives you a relaxing night to unwind at their veranda, where you can sing your hearts out to a night of videoke and hearty laughters.

Prices are very reasonable, as per answer from the owner herself. All of us were so busy to try all the dishes we forgot to ask how much each costs, but considering Gensan being the heart of the Tuna Industry, i know it is but AFFORDABLE.

Jam's Resto Bar,

5 stars for you too.

Tuna, anyone?

All photos courtesy of the great lyle santos.

Thank you's and a lot more...

To all who sympathized with what I and my family has been through last Holy Week, thank you very much. I am very thankful that I have friends like you who are more than willing to lend an ear but also to give me spiritual uplifting in my down times. I am just so thrilled that I have a lot of you to tell me nice words in order to cheer me up in such a trying time.

I am so over it, I know it will not benefit me if I dwell with what we lost, so I and my family have decided to move on with our lives, and try to earn more, and save again to regain that which was lost. A thousand times have I thought of why these bad people could not have come up with things more moral to do, than take away other's stuffs. Well, it's life I guess, there are just people who don't understand the value of hard work and just too lazy to work for what they need. Another man's loss is another man's gain.

But thanks so much to all of you, you have cheered me up and made strong. Your prayers are very much appreciated. I thank God for friends like you. So in return, I share to you this flower, a start of a new beginning and much happier days ahead for all of us.

Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also.
He attracts and the other follows.

Jean Paul Richter

On a lighter note, I want to let you know that the kids have adjusted to the daily arrangements we have. In the mornings, we bring them to the in-laws' house, and we proceed to our respective offices, by lunchtime, we go back to the in-laws' house and have lunch with them, it makes them feel as if we are still together and nothing has changed. In the afternoons, after office hours, we fetch the kids from the house and go back to our new home.

Although I pity the kids for waking up so early just for us to get to the office on time, and considering this is summer time, I guess it is also one training for them come school days. they will really have to adjust their time and must manage their time well in order for them not to be late for school.

So, all things really work together for good, right?

Enjoy the day.

I will post another interesting blog within this week.

Love,

sHenG

All Instant

I am so tired. The Holy Week was holy for others but not for some evil minded people who don't have the heart to repent and for the holy week reflect on God's mercy, rather, they go about snatching things and stuffs away from people and getting them for their own selfish desires.

The last weeks of March happened to be a very busy one for me and my hubby, we were busy printing certificates for graduating students in our place, and some souvenir programs have been making our time for kids and family super limited. Yes, sure money, because if not for the earnings we would get, we won't be limiting our sleep to 2 hours only if not for the desire to grant our family the much needed comfort we can ever give them.

After April 3, we have enjoyed longer sleeps, we have promised some bonding moments with the kids and so we went out to watch Monsters vs Aliens, and did some mall shopping.

I was actually looking forward for the Holy Week because it is a long holiday here in our country, and I have brought home some office works hoping when i get back to the office, i would have enough time concentrating on some other projects left pending for me.

Ecstatic I was when I went to Davao last Tuesday, I bought three sets of new curtains to bring to the new house because the long holiday would have meant arranging the house and getting ready for the MOVE, which was supposedly scheduled at the end of this month.

Last Holy Thursday, I woke up early to check on the things we will be bringing to La Cassandra: the new subdivision. I woke up to see MIL up and about and changed on her outdoor outfits. I asked her why she is up early and to where she was going. She said she was going to Malungon; the hubby's family have a house in Malungon, 50 kilometers away from where we are. She was going there for one reason: the house there was ransacked and three watches and some cash were taken away by robbers. She is going there to report the incident to the police.

And so I said okey, I might be staying in the house since she is not around, will just visit La Cass at a later date or time. I went about my way and checked my phone for messages. I was aghast at what I read: the SMS was from the developer's admin and prompted me that the house in La Cassandra was also burglarized. Dang!

I was speechless, didn't know what to do, i nudged the hubby to immediately change and ready the car for the immediate visit to La Cassandra which is 10 kilometers away from the in-law's house.

When we got the kids ready, I was praying so hard that I could not talk, i never listened to the conversation ensuing inside the car, I could hear my heart beat at its fastest. Imagine, the house was almost full, aside from us residing there, the house was just literally waiting for us to live in it, and it was burglarized?

When we reached the house, we checked the doors, and it was the rear door's locks that was literally smashed into pieces, the reinforced bolt we placed there was lock-picked. And through there, the burglars got in the house and got my brand new electric fan and a king-sized 4 inches rubberized bed foam, a small caserole including the cover. The guards not knowing the incident because only the neighbors noticed the rear door's smashed locks reported the incident to them and they to the admin.

only memory of my electric fan...

Darn right, so there, we were supposed to move in by the end of the month, but with no bed foam and electric fan for the kids. Grrr... I was so angry at the burglars, they were so heartless, little did they know we worked so hard to buy those stuffs, only to give us freedom and a certain level of togetherness as a family.

the bed foam they got...

So there and then, we decided on the spot: we are MOVING IN. We thought that if we do not move in yet, however secure our locks would be, they will find ways to repeat the same and gather all things inside. As if they shopped for brand new stuffs inside my house, only, they did not leave the credit card.

the white caserole, near the refrigerator

Notice the rest of the kitchen stuffs? All of those were retained, they only got and hand-picked the three stuffs, yun lang siguro ang kulang sa kanila...

So gathering all strength, we went to the city proper to shop for locks, groceries, 2 electric fans and a bed foam, we are definitely not leaving the house anymore; lest they be given another chance to rob everything inside the house. All savings and earnings spent because of the robbery. We could have used it for a vacation, *sigh.

I have not talked with my MIL yet, she is still in Malungon. She still doesn't know we have MOVED, we went back home yesterday to gather additional stuffs. The instant move kept me busy the rest of the week, when I was supposed to be enjoying the long vacation on a beach somewhere near. Ugh.

No more savings left in my ATM, and the hubby's pay all spent up for locks and instant needs.

The Friday was good, we spent the day arranging everything in the new house, added stuffs were put in place, and the backyard was cleaned, lots of grasses were enjoying fertile soil there so we hired a gardener to clean it up.

I placed a few plants which I asked from the neighbors, had them arranged as landscape to the small lawn I have. Today, the hubby placed dead bolts on the front door and will hopefully place a customized burglar alarm system soon.

The instant move gave way to instant adjustments; the kids having no aircon, only electric fans, no ironing stuffs yet, instant clotheslines, instant gardening tools, and an instant LCD TV for the kids.

There goes my savings, and now I AM BROKE. But it was all worth it. The decision to move in is a painful process I have skipped experiencing, we moved in without tears, and without waving sad goodbyes, the burglars decided for us: MOVE IN or forever hold our peace.

The arrangement though is this, in the mornings, we travel to the in-laws' house to bring the kids, they will be staying there during daytime while we are at work, and after office hours in the afternoon, gather them up and go home, to La Cassandra.

Wish me luck with this new life ladies and gentlemen, and be with me as we enjoy the new house.

As for the burglars, *makakatulog kaya sila nang mahimbing sa bed foam na iyon? At kung may hangin man silang malalanghap sa electric fan ko, langhap din kaya nila ang sariwang simoy nito nang hindi sila kinokonsensiya?

*...will they be able to sleep soundly on the bed foam, and if ever they get air on my electric fan, will they be feeling fresh cooling air, or one that gets to their conscience?

PS.

I will post pics of the new house when we are fully settled and all arrangements are ready. Pics here were taken after the stuffs were delivered a few months back after the purchase.

I hope you enjoyed your Holy Week. =)

Love,

sHenG

Tell Me a Love Story

Tell me a love story greater than His love for us, and I am sure that that one could never encompass the love Jesus has shown us, a gift for humanity - His life.


When I was still a child, I wondered what is the meaning of the cross that I see in churches. I was then very small that I could not understand what the old folks have been trying to let me know.

But when I grew older, I have already understood that I was and am a sinner and He is the one who shed His blood to wash away my sins.

This Holy Week, let us join the Christian world in celebrating God's goodness. I am so awed by His love for me that Lent in the Philippines is not only a reason for rejoicing because of the long holidays but the day to rejoice and reflect on God's unconditional love for us.

I am so blessed the previous year and this year, a clear manifestation of God's love for me and my family. A proof that His love for us is way beyond borders of sin, that even if we do things unpleasing in His sight, still, His love is the best He can give us.

What's the best love than God giving His only Son to die for us in the cross?

So tell me, do you have any love story greater than this?

A Decade After

Ten years ago today, April 2, I graduated in college. I marched my way to get my diploma in this gymnasium. I was given a round of applause by my friends and family, and I remember having fun years of PE classes here.


The school's main entrance where jeepneys pass and make ikot in the whole campus. I remember when this road was not cemented yet, and we were covering our heads with tubao, or bandanna. Lucky for me because I do not pass this entrance because there's some wing entrance areas that are capable of entrance and exits to students and motorcycles; that one near the flat where i stay. The building you see is called Y building because of its structure, this is the administrative building where we line up for payments of tuition (which I don't pay at all, being a priviledged student). You can just imagine how long the walks are when you are in our school. From buildings to buildings, you have to suffer walking a good distance of 500 meters or more just to get to your class' building.


We call this the H building, here is where Accountancy and Management, also Marketing students and Engineering and Education students are hibernating during classes. Odette's building, she's from the same university where I came from. I remember walking from our Agriculture building to this building, and MSU is a super HOT place, now, it is easier, the administration allowed motorcycles for transpo from buildings to buildings. And students are very much at ease now with the long covered walks. But during our time, ack! You are literally walking in the desert.


My girl friends stay in the dormitory so I frequent this building, I always bring food when I feel like sleeping overnight in their quarters. i love the Girl's Dormitory, although there are stories of ghosts because of aborted babies and stuffs spooky, I still enjoy bonding with friends and barkada here.


This is the infirmary. Many of our friends have experienced visiting here for unexpected sickness but not me, I am friends with the resident physician but I have never ever been admitted here.


This is a new building, we call this the BA and A building. Now, marketing and Management and Accountancy students reside here, separated from the Education and Engineering department.


Our Arts and Sciences Building. Odette and I have been frequenting this building before we graduated because this is where our Darangen room is located. Darangen is a Maranao word for "chant". And Darangen is the name of our school yearbook. For two years, I have been part of the school's yearbook staff.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the building for Agriculture students. Yes,my building. And yes, I am an Agriculture student. I earned a degree of Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management in 1999. Thank you very much. Oh well, my job now is very much in consonance with my degree, isn't it?


I miss my Alma Mater, ten years ago, I still remember walking to and fro just to finish my thesis and to just get all things done and over with.

All the walking, all the dust, all the scorching heat, all the tired sleepless nights, all those strict and ever all-knowing professors, they are all noteworthy experiences for my four years stay in this institution.

And I am what I have become because I have surpassed Mindanao State University.

Ten years ago, I was a 20- year old lass trying to conquer the world, now I am a mother trying to conquer life's struggles.

Hail Mindanao State University!

PS. I hope you enjoyed touring MSU in this post.

photo credits: msu.edu.ph