This is a journal of what is happening in my life, things I want to do, places I want to visit or have just visited, new and old experiences/adventures, people I have met and who have made a difference in my life, thoughts, ideas and dreams. My struggles, disappointments, failures and successes. This is my world, my life and you're welcome to share it.
Our company's head office is in Vancouver and there is close to 50 staff there. The Alberta office is a lot less smaller. Less than 10 staff member.
So at Christmas time, they fly the Edmonton and Calgary staff to Vancouver to attend the Christmas party.
We leave Friday morning and we get to Vancouver by lunch time. We check in at the hotel which is located close to our head office, in fact it is walking distance. There is a nice mall close by so we go shopping as well.
The celebration is held at a very nice Italian restaurant.
We are lucky as we get a short break. We can stay the whole weekend but I'm going back the next day in.
Here is another song from Morissette, a cover of Rise Up.
This is not one of my good memories of Christmas past. In fact I think this counts as one of my worst Christmas memories.
Our Christmas celebration always includes a program from the grandchildren. There was singing, dancing and skits. After that, one of the uncles would be dressed up as Santa and he will hand out the Christmas presents to the grandchildren.
One particular year, you have to sing before you are handed your present. Well, I could not sing nor would I sing if my life depended on it. So when I was called, i remember I tried a few words of one Christmas song and I started crying. Of course, the mean uncle did not give me my presents. I went to my mom and told her, I don't really care if I got my presents or not but I definitely will not sing. For the rest of the evening, I was not really interested in my presents.
After a while one of my aunts finally gave me my presents. I believe at some point in my life I really disliked that uncle and when I was an adult I tried to get even as now I can say something. Even at times insulting him even if it sounded li
This is not a Christmas song but I saw the movie on Netflix last night and I like this song.
When I was thinking of what to have for Christmas dinner, I tried to remember the menu of Christmas .eve a long time ago. We usually celebrate Christmas eve with my maternal side of the family. It was always held at my aunt's house which is beside my grandmother's house.
I remember there is always ham, macaroni salad, embutido or pork roll. There were a few times we had pork barbecue. We had the usual dinner buns which we ate with cheese like gouda. I remember one of my aunts making hot chocolate which was so good.
Desserts are native rice cakes, fruit salad, all kinds of cakes made from rice four or glutinous rice.
She is one of the best singers in the Phillipines today and she represented the country but not as a contestant. This is 2 songs and she is really good.
And also very beautiful.
I don't know what brought this on, but I just thought of past Christmases in the Philippines. One particular memory is about this time our group of friends will start planning a Chritmas party. It was usually held on December 21 or 22.
We will plan our menu and how we plan to fund it. Most times we would go caroling. And it is always held in our front yard. The group is divided into smaller group and each is responsible for part of the menu.
One year we had a group of students doing community work and we invited them. It was a lot of fun, there was singing and dancing.
Eve now when we see each other, we talk about it and have good memories of it. I found this video and it just reminded of it.
It is less than a month till Christmas and the stores are getting crowded. Whatever Christmas shopping I had to do, I'm done. I have bought all ingredients for my holiday baking. Only exception is the cream cheese for dessert for Christma dinner... white chocolate cheesecake with caramel sauce.
I will order my prime rib a week before Christmas. I went out shopping on Friday as I we have Black Friday. But of course not as big as in the US. I found a few things I need for my kitchen. And good price too.
I have my first Christmas decor....a poinsettia plant!!!! I also have Cristmas decor on my balcony door. I have a big clear glass bowl and I had put gold Christmas balls in it. I had taken out my Christmas dinnerplate set.
I was busy today making part of my laundry/storage room into part pantry as well. My sister showed me an apron she had done in colours of my kitchen which is white, black and red. I saw an apron in a music video I like which is simple.
I baked oatmeal date bar as I found out I have lots of dates.
I think this
Is the video with the apron l like. The apron is in the kitchen scene.
I also like the song as it is upbeat.
Thanks for stopping by.
To all the men and women who dedicated their lives to serving their country in order for all of us to live free and safe. We salute and thank them for their ultimate sacrifice.
I was away for 11 days to visit my sister. I celebrated my birthday there. We had a lot of fun and I came home with lots of stuff.
Ramekins from a garage sale.
Red creamer and sugar. My kitchen is white, red and black.
Red butter holder with lobster spreader from one of the stores.
I also got a red oven mitts.
We also tried a few restaurants and I enjoyed the walk walk shrimps at a brewery pub in Salmon Arms. It is with mango sauce and garlic bread which was really good.
I'm on vacation but not on break from cooking and baking. As soon as I got to my sister's place, I had to cook two things for her that she would freeze.
Then I had to cook a few more times. I came thinking I would not be shopping as my sister warned me there are better stores in Edmonton. But on the day we went shopping I found all kinds of stuff on sale and fit me well.
I bought two pairs of boots. My pants were $5.00 each and one top was $3.89. We also went to garage sale which I find different as garage sales end in August in Edmonton. One thing we found was a Port Merion jam pot which I can add to my collection. And 4 ramekins. And all for $1.00.
Back to baking...I made cinnamon buns and my brother-in-law baked an artisan rustic beer bread.
Cinnamon bunsh
Rustic Artisan beer bread made by my brother-in-law
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends, relatives and readers from Canada.
This is the first time in 30 years that I am not cooking or preparing anything. I am alone now and will be ordering take out from a restaurant close to my place.
I even slept in Sunday but did bake buttermilk biscuits for brunch. I will watch a movie on Netflix and enjoy my well deserved break from cooking.
This restaurant/diner opened two blocks from where I live and 3 blocks from work. My officemate went to have lunch here when they could get a table. Or they leave for lunch early.
A few months ago, I went with them and had the basa fish and Chips. One officemate had the seafood chowder. The other two had fish and chips as well.
The fish is lightly battered and not greasy. So i can have it while on a diet. I went there for supper with a friend. Their kitchen is in front and it is decorated nicely. It is annoying that I still can't download pictures. You can Google it and look at the decor.
The servings are big and it is mostly busy at night as well. I have eaten fist and chips in the UK more than a dozen times and the fisd and chips here are better than some of the places I have tried in the UK.
Now this is a go to place for us for a fast meal after work. I order the haddock mostly and tried cod as well. They have also special fish some days. Next I will try the oysters.
We watch terror attacks on tv and we are thankful that it has not happened where we live.....until Saturday night. I actually did not find out until early Sunday morning.
I was awakened by a phone call from a friend who has been calling me since Saturday night. Actually I had 4 messages on my phone. They are friends who know that I walk every night on Jasper and the side streets of downtown.
The attack first happened on the north side of the city when a car hit a police car and a cop who was doing traffic duty outside the stadium where our football team was playing. The cop was thrown up in the air and was stabbed later.
Then the U Haul cargo van that drove through downtown and hit pedestrians. The cargo van overturned in front of our office building. The suspect was caught a block away from my building. Lucky for me, I had gone for my walk earlier or I would have personally witnessed this.
Later Saturday night I have seen police cars on the intersection of Jasper Avenue and 109 Street and thought something happened in one of the bars. Sunday afternoon I was thinking of going for a walk and noticed very few people were on the streets. It was very windy and cold. I walked for a block or so and came back.
Now, maybe I should join a gym. There are 3 close to my place. It is getting colder and snow will be here soon.
I was just thinking after I visited my brother that since we moved to Edmonton, I had been looking after and had been guardian to my parents and now my brother.
And it is stressful at times or should I say most times, especially if the person is stubborn. I don't know if they even realize that you are giving up personal time to assist them.
Sometimes I just don't feel like doing anything but then I remember that I need to get something for my brother and I have to drive and get stuff. Lately he has been having problems with controlling his blood sugar and it is difficult to talk to him to make him understand that he would have serious problems if it continues.
Even the staff at the home are at their wit's end getting him to understand how serious the problem is. I am sometimes ready to give up and maybe get him a public guardian. It is not easy as i am the only relative here. And i am still working.
I guess I am just venting. For the next few weeks, I am giving myself a break and will not be visiting. Maybe then, he will get the message. So to those who are guardians, and do not complain, I salute you.
This afternoon at work, my officemate told me that the son of our company lawyer has passed away tragically. I have met him a few times but since he was the leasing executive of one of our tenants, I have spoken to him a lot and we email a lot as well.
I believe he would be in his early thirties. I think he was 32 years old. He was a very nice young man and very professional and always willing to assist.
And a very handsome man!
I am sure he will be greatly missed by his friends and officemates. I'm sure the family is very devastated. With stories like this, I remember my nephew who died tragically as well. It took so long to get over the grief.
Rest in peace, James.
I think this is the song that is meant for something like this story.
A month or so ago, I got a call from my ex-husband telling me that our adopted son was in the hospital and in a very serious condition. He tried to bike to the hospital but passed out on the side walk close to the hospital.
Instead of passersby helping him, they stole his bike and backpack. But luckily one guy asked him if he needs help and by this time he cant see as his eyes closed up due to an infection.
So I decided to visit him. As in my old post, we are estranged from each other. I entered his room and his dad told him your mom is here. I got a blank stare from him and I was ignored for about 20 minutes. I then decided to just leave and not visit again.
A few weeks after that, I came face to face with him at a street downtown and he did not seem to recognize me. Then it happened again and same reaction. The third time I saw him, I was sure it was him. I turned around and called his name. He said hi and he looked hungry so I gave what was in my phone case and told him to buy lunch. I have seen him a few times since then. As his father mentioned he is good with computers, I asked him to check my laptop and paid him for it.
We have not communicated after that. He had told me stuff about his natural parents but I just found out he has not communicated with his mother lately.
His natural mother wants him to go to the Philippines but he is not sure. Besides, he has some legal issues he needs to sort out before he can apply for his passport. Who knows what will happen?
Gary Valenciano - I Will be here/ The warrior is a child.
A few days ago while I'm on my last few blocks of walking, I was asked by a person if I have spare change. He did not look like a homeless person. He was not carrying anything. I told him I was just out for a walk and not carrying money.
He asked me if I am from the Philippines and I replied yes. Soon he told me he has not eaten in two days. I felt sorry for him and told him I will buy him a meal at the 7 Eleven across the street. By the way, I always carry a debit card with me when I go for a walk, plus business card and my bus pass.
He then said that he wanted rice with meal and they sell them at an Asian grocery store too far away from where we were. I said that I am sorry but I can't do that. He refused the free meal even though he has not eaten in two days. I'm just wondering whether he wanted the cash so he could buy something else.
I remember a friend of mine who told me that a homeless person asked her to buy him lunch so she said - I will get you burgers at Harvey's but the guy told her "No, I want to eat steak". OMG, what is happening to the world we live in. A homeless person getting too picky when asking for help. No wonder, people just ignore them and don't bother to help.
I have been diabetic for 30 years and have managed to control it by diet and two pills. All those years my blood sugar has been ok and on the normal level. On my last A1C test it went up ba a point which is really not good.
So now I am on strict diet and exercise regimen. I usually walk a lot - I walk to work and go home at lunch to add more steps on my fit bit. I also volunteered to do our banking which is walking 17 city blocks. Next week is my second month of doing it and I hope it is enough that I won't be put on insulin.
I will have my next lab tests mid September. I hope by then I would have lost the weight since as diabetic we cant carry extra weight. I do 20,000 steps most days unless it is raining and lately we've had thunderstorms. My highest has been 27,000 steps, more than 10 miles. Now when winter comes i might have to go down to our fitness room.
Here is my playlist when I'm walking which I have only done last few days. Before I always felt I will be listening and get engrossed by the music so I just did it while I'm walking along the park close to my building. But I only have put it on my one ear.
Our company team building was held at this park. This is a recreation of old Edmonton. There are a lot of activities to do here. We took the old trolley to go to the farthest part of the park and go back to the start.
I took quite a lot of pictures so I will let the pictures do the talking. I have had problems uploading pictures and so I googled the problem and looks like i am not the only one. It says to use Chrome which I did and the same. So i will try to try some of the suggestions i had read but will take time.
In the meantime, I will just upload some music I have found on my fave site.
This station is inside a bus which goes around the city and sometimes parks on the street. The artists do song covers and opm-original Philippine music.
I like this cover.
Four guys doing Bruno Mars cover
This young guy is a Canadian and from Calgary. I first saw him on The Voice Kids Phillipines.
He was the runner-up but is now more famous than the winner.
I hope you enjoy them. It's nice to see talented people from the Philippines.
I found this on Wish 107.5. I hope you enjoy listening to him.
It has been a while since the farmer's market opened downtown. I have been there a few times. I bought mostly vegetables and fruits. I tried one or two spice rub, one I really like, the other one not too much.
There was a stall for all kinds of nuts flavoured like coconut and cheesecake almonds. Pepper and dill nuts. Twice I bought sweet and salty popcorn.
Last week was long weekend for us, Victoria Day. On Saturday, a friend and I went to Camrose. This is a small town east of Edmonton. We had gone there a few times because there are a few nice ladies wear store and a nice shoe store. Every time we had visited there, I always come home with a pair or two of shoes. This time, it was a comfortable leather sandals and walking shoes. Both on sale!
On Sunday, I visited my brother who is in an assisted living after I got upset with him when he ate the snacks I had brought in just a few days and his blood sugar went to 30. Lucky for him he did not go into a diabetic coma.
Sunday afternoon, a few friends came by and we had nachos and margaritas. We started to watch Netflix and a few videos on You tube. We found one which was played on wish 107 5 bus which is a radio station in the Philippines.
The guy won the Philippines Got Talent and this is a compilation of all the fans who have their own You Tube channel and this was a compilation. It is a bit long but worth it.
It has been a while since my last post. But I had been really busy and having a lot of problems with my eyes. I got a different eye drops in addition to the two I am already using. I came back from my vacation about a month ago and it has been chaotic.
The two and a half weeks of vacation was needed. I had enjoyed the time spent with relatives and friends I have not seen in 9 years and longer for one of my friends. I still have about a week of vacation left to take this year and I would have used up my 2015 vacation days.
As usual I did some cooking and baking and they enjoyed it. I just started my spring cleaning and donating some of my clothes, shoes and purses to charity. I am also crocheting dish cloths for my sister and she also requested a blanket and I might have to find the instructions of the granny squares she likes.
I had a bit of a problem with my laptop and also forgot my blog password. So hopefully, I will be blogging and sharing all kinds of stuff.
I heard this song and it sounds like Filipino music. I have not seen this movie. I will wait for it at Netflix.
A big thank you to Grace, Tracy and Darron. Just before New Year's eve, I glaawent to my dental hygienist and while there and she asked me to wear the eyeglasses to prevent water and other stuff that could get in my eyes. As soon as I put it on, I became dizzy so I took it off and told her I will not wear, I will just close my eyes. I was ok after that. But after I was done and got up, I again felt dizzy. I stayed there until I felt better and went to the reception area. As soon as I got to deal with my account, I felt so dizzy that I almost fainted. They gave me banana to eat thinking my blood sugar has been low. I was only about 1/3 of a block away from home. I was scared to walk by myself and my son has already gone to work. I called one of the staff at my building and she sent our building operator and maintenance guy to pick me up and escorted me to my suite. They made sure I was ok before they left so I would like to give them my biggest thank you for the support and help.
I am glad I chose this building to live. I am still recovering from that and went to see a new doctor who was so thorough in finding out what was wrong with me. I had a special blood test done last October and just found out I have a hereditary blood disorder. I am in the process of the treatment I would have to take. Unfortunately, I could give this to my son. He will probably be tested sometime too.
