The post is inviting…  who wouldn’t want to leisurely spend their vacation in an island paradise… away from the polluted air of the city, the hustle and bustle of the ever busy streets.   A week end get away is the perfect answer.

I momentarily closed my eyes and think of a refreshing place where I want to spend my 45 days holidays andthe picture of what I had in mind immediately shifted when I saw the post of a friend.   Undoubtedly, since he is working in a travel agency and maybe he have heard that we are coming for a vacation, he made an interesting post that really caught my attention.

promo vacation package….

Ah… such a relaxing place… and I want to spend dreaming on the hammock… fresh air… calm sea and serene place.    I phoned my friend June to book us for 3D2N on that island and I even asked for some discounts too because I know that we will definitely extend our stay there.

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My daughter in her late teens can’t contained her excitement upon  knowing from a press release of the group 2NE1 that they will stage a concert performance in Manila.  It was  months back after the news of the concert came out she and there she goes, noticeably goody goody girl and “Ms. Nice girl so to speak”.  Obviously… and we know that there is a hidden motive behind that for everytime she writes to us, she never fails to mention about the concert and would always speak about her wish to watch the live performance of the Korean hip hop girl group called 2NE1.

We challenged her that if she will do good with her studies this current term (which she always does), her Papa and me will be willing to send her money to buy ticket….Actually, rarely that we allow her to go and see concerts because we were always worried for her safety… fear about stampedes, long lines, pick pockets and all forms of cheating.  Actually, it was no surprise at all when she got good grades and a promise is a promise.. so she received money for VIP ticket purchase.  She was really estastic and surprised that she will be on the front seat and will be seeing the performance up close.  We received a million thank you’s (exaggerated huh !) Though the ticket is pricey , we really don’t mind at all as long as she will not wait on long queues, braved the summer heat and inch her way with thousand of screaming and enthusiastic fans who too were eagerly waiting to reach the entrance gate.

She is really a fan and kept mentioning about the group and sometimes, I would tactlessly asked her what good she can get from those Korean girls… But well, I should have not asked at all because she wouldn’t listen.   So, I just did my little research to get ideas about the group and how it had even influenced the manner and style of dressing of my daughter.

So this is the group 2NE1….(have you heard about them?)

taken during the concert…

Korean hip hop girl… what’s in them ???

enthusiastic fans and my daughter was  one of them…

Since she was seated in the VIP row, she had a vantage point.. close to the stage but arms and hands with cameras somehow blocked her view.   No doubt, she too was among those who clicked her camera endlessly.  

Soon after the concert and on her way home, she called and recounted that she really enjoyed it and again reiterated that it was  dream come true for her..  

Oh well, I believe you… you are a great fan!

OMG.. I can’t believe it … the stark truth that those laugh lines, brow lines are getting to be too prominent on my face.. so it is confirmed that my youthfulness is lost forever.  But who wouldn’t be.. at the age of 51 what else can I expect to happen on my face.. forever young???   I guess, I should start to psyche myself that it is perfectly alright and that I can still be beautiful with lines everywhere.   I should also learn to face the realities that there is no stopping now of getting older each day.  No amount of creams, make up can camouflage the signs.. yes, signs of aging…  Invasive procedures promises temporary solution …Yah.. botox as whispered to me by a cousin will be of help but it would mean regular injection … like every 6 months of injection… I did not not pay much attention before because I was confident before that I won’t be needing it, but now, I might consider it ,if I have already conquered my fear of  injection.  The thought made me cringed….

oh me.. oh my lines….

Well, there is really no use of sulking and wishing for the impossible… the best thing to do now is to help oneself to grow old gracefully.  How?  They say that diet and exercise can somehow delay the aging process….enough sleep and rest and the much sought stress- free life  is of help.

There should be acceptance….everybody will pass this phase of life, it just happened that I was born earlier and have to face the truth ahead of time. But, I am thankful that I was able to reach this age.. for there were some did not even manage to celebrate their golden years.

Indeed.. life is good!  Even if my mirror is really telling the truth….

Yeh… I wanted so much to have our bathroom renovated soon….I want something new… something different.   I did only some touch ups by buying colorful shower curtains to add new look to a place where we go in first thing in the morning and the last room we visit before retiring to bed.  I yearned to have a complete make-over and I’ve got some good inspiration of what exactly my dream bathroom when I visited Jason’s home.

Since the budget will be too tight if I will make a complete make-over, I will leave the bath tub and fixtures as it is…but the bathroom walls and floor tiles, I will surely bid good bye … Even the plumbing will be replaced since some portion especially the one connected to the sink is already a bit rusty….new electrical fixtures will be installed to give bright lighting to the room.   I will particularly take special attention to details with the ceramic tiles on the wall and on the floors.. something bright and stylish and yes affordable.

And yes, sunshiny plastic shower curtains to complete the make-over.  That would be good enough for me (for now).   Hopefully, the project will start very soon and I can’t wait for the day!  I know it would mean inconvenience on our part as the work progresses but I will leave it up to our much trusted designer friend who will take care while we are away for a month’s holiday.

She knows my taste and besides, my endorsements are clearly listed down.  For other inquiries.. I am just a phone or text away.

Just last night, I chanced upon a friend in a birthday party  and you bet the excitement grew more when we both recounted how was our lives during the past years of not hearing from each other. My friend Lilly enthusiastically  introduced her family and I had seen how timid and painfully shy her daughter was.   She was about my daughter’s age who  is the exact opposite of her… being straightforward, leader and love to be with people.    The girl was just sitting in one corner unmindful of the people around her.  She shyly reciprocated when I give her a hug and did not even looked at me.  You can see that she is avoiding people.

I can’t help but keenly observed her from afar… Beatrice (her name) is pretty, tall, with  physique of a developing woman with long silky hair that framed her pretty face.   But wait…her hair should not cover almost half of her left cheek…. When I asked Lilly, I found out that there is something hidden beneath those hair that causes Beatrice to feel inferior and afraid of being rejected.  Her left cheek was full of acne scars since the girl suffered severe case of acne when she was 16 years old.   The acne were successfully treated but the scars remained forever and that made her totally hated her  looks especially when people are around.

this is milder case of acne than what Beatrice has

According to Lilly, she and hubby are bent in working double time to save for her daughter treatment.   She heard that there are procedures available to lighten the scars and fillers of sorts to even up the deep scars on her face and she will exhaust all possible means to help her get out of her shell.

A mother’s heart goes for her daughter… she will do anything for Beatrice just so she will not forever live in a life full of insecurities and that she can face the world again.  And I assured her that I am also willing to help by asking around from friends and perhaps be able to get referrals for best dermatologists to alleviate the girl’s sufferings.

Delay in the release of our  passports renewal halted our plans to travel to Canada.  We received an invitation from my SIL (sis in law) to visit them for an exciting reunion with some of my hubby’s other siblings and relatives who will also also coming over (from the States and Korea) but the plans went kaput.   As we eagerly planned and prepared our documents we had already set our eyes for the travel but the passport renewal did not blend much with our supposed to be smooth sailing application.

It took almost 3 months (yes.. that long) that we decided to make alternative plans just in case it will not still be released on the date that we hope it will be… since our scheduled vacation in the office is getting near… we need to take it or else we will lose our chance since it was earlier on, the staff turned in their schedules to avoid overlapping of leaves….

Checking the consular office website did not help much.. most of the time their site is not working or cannot be found  (as an escape to some irate applicants and hopefuls that their passports are already in the embassy?) because true, it was not only us who were bogged down with worries…. the Embassy’s advisory is to understand the technical problems they’ve been experiencing and they are doing their best to serve us….

Yah… they’ve been serving us but with much delay….painfully so.. for the nth time that we had checked for our passports that did not come at all.  The embassy staff for sure is all prepared to hear bombarding complaints….  We visited them once again not to check for our renewal but to extend the passport for a year but lo and behold.. OMG… the passports were there!!!

precious passports… took 3 months to renew…

What a heavy sigh of relief we had that afternoon…..while it is  true we might not be going to Canada for now but still,  we will be bonding with our children back home… Everything really happens for a reason….

Yehey…. it will be vacation time once again…..

Getting a bit melancholic today because sometimes you can’t help but looked back and trace the life you had the years past.  Hubby and I only had each other when we started to weave dreams and build our family.   One by one, our children came to complete our union and we had 3  (2 boys and a girl).   Parenting is not that easy… from conception to toddler.. to adolescent years and presently 2 had gone past their teen-age years, and the youngest will soon be 19 years old.   Time flies so fast and now we can’t help shed tears as we recall wonderful moments with our children… good times, trying and difficult times  which made us stronger even more.

Now… in the end it will only be me and hubby once again… the children are living far from us as they pursue their university studies in the city.. the beauty of modern technology and social networking is commendable because there will be no excuses now not to keep in touch with families overseas.

I guess,  today… I am missing my children terribly today… sigh****

We went to the Eastern province on a mission trip…. me and hubby had to avail of promo fares and luckily despite the hassles of getting a booking, we were able to get 2 tickets.

OMG, it was my first time to board a 2 seater aircraft and I was whispering to hubby that the plane might be blown away by a strong wind.  Well, now that I had experienced the promo ride, then I have something to share with friends… that no food or drinks served and if you ordered, it will be for a fee.  So better fill up your tummy before boarding the aircraft and in case hunger pang strikes, just sleep during the flight…lol.

Still I enjoyed the ride…. and was sure glad to landed safe to our destination…

Our photography class wrapped up 2 weeks ago but we never stopped shooting and aiming for  picture perfect shots with elements of photography used on the subject.   We’ve learned the basics and hopefully if an advance class will be offered, we will surely grab the opportunity to be part of the Circulo In light workshop once again.

Taking pictures is only one welcome hobby but we have realized that if you will really put your hearts and minds into it you will be amazed on how exciting and fulfilling photography is.  And that is why, hubby is really bent to make good on it.   He never leaves home without his gadget and always ready to shoot an interesting subject of interest.   During our closing ceremony, even though he was a novice in the field, it made him proud that he was included among the top 10 photo entries.  (sigh..I was not among them… ).

Posting here the top 3 pictures and the entry of hubby.

Arches by Angel Tugado

Red flower by Bobby Ikram

drop by Michelle Bollough

Honorable mention (among the top 10) – by hubby

And not to mention... my entry…  lol!

I am not losing hope… achieving the best picture is only within arms reach… just keep shooting and believing… Never surrender!

Missed blogging for some days!  A colleague was away for 5 weeks holidays and who else would be the best coverage for her work but me.   We called the arrangement “back to back”.. all administrative works are passed on and these would mean handling the whole section during her absence and vice versa.

Really I don’t mind but sometimes there were days that most physicians are “toxic” (irritable and unreasonable) who would demand unnecessary requests.   Currently, I am handling 3 sections, CSICU (Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit), Perfusion Section and Pediatric Cardiology Section (which was endorsed to me).   Aside from that, I am dealing with the Recontracting of all staff  and Physician’s Clinical Privileges, Overtime and Calltime entry, Payroll of  Cardiovascular department .  Whewww…. such heavy load!

I am looking forward to my summer vacation next month.   Now it’s pay back time.. back to back…