Word for the Day

Our Li'l girl never ceases to amaze us. I'm sorry for being redundant, if I've said this before.

We were all in the car and on our way home. Tricia, baby Lyle and I were seated at the back. Lyle was already so uneasy as we were in Tesco for quite a long time for we did our monthly grocery. Tricia was playing with Lyle, while Jesu and I were talking. Suddenly, Tricia said, "Amma, Lyle looks 'fe-rious' . " I was not so sure of what she was saying , if it was 'serious' or 'curious'. So, I asked, "What's that Trish?" "Lyle looks fe-rious!", she repeated. Still not sure, "Fe-rious? What does that I mean?", I asked her. I wanted to check whether she meant serious or curious. I know she knows the word serious, but not curious. Then she said, " Fe-rious, Amma, means Angry. Oh no! Jesu and I were shocked, she meant FURIOUS!...hahahah!! Such a big word for a small girl. Then I wondered, where she got that word when we rarely use that in conversations. Then I remembered that word comes out a lot from her storybooks. Wow! We could never underestimate the 'power' of books. I could really see Tricia's vocab widened because maybe we've been reading to her since she was 5 months old.

Haay.. speaking of books, I'm still thinking a lot of the books we saw last weekend. I hope we can get the set of Grolier Books. The 'Words, words,words" set where kids can get up to 6,500 useful words, I Wonder Why Series, would just be in time for her curious mind too (and oh not to forget our future chatterbox, Lyle), and the Children's Enyclopedia.

We're Back

Yes, we're back home now.

We had a great time with family and was able to accomplished our 'mission' which was to do Lyle's passport (more from My Li'l One) and my check up too.

The whole train journey was a breeze. Lyle was so cool while Tricia was so excited the whole time. When Tricia's excited, she'll be her bubbly self and couldn't keep still. She went up and down the bunks, danced on the aisle and noisily chatting away. Good I brought some coloring books for her, so there were also some quiet times for us when she did her coloring. ( More from Tricia's Diary)

When we arrived Taiping, it was already 12midnight. Amma ( my hubby's mom) didn't know we were coming. We wanted to surprise her. Our brother told her that a couple from JB are going to stay in the house for the night. So, when we came inside the house, Amma was jumping up and down with glee. Hahahha!

The rest of the days were spent doing our 'mission' and spending time with family. Of course I was able to eat most of the food from my wish list. Yum! THe only thing I wasn't able to eat was the Kuaytiaw Goreng, Popiah and pizza. But that's okay, if not then I would have some calorie overload over the weekend.

Tesco didn't have any MPH bookstore too but they had they Groiler's shop where they were offering excellent books for kids. It was really a book haven for Tricia. When we were there and the salesman was introducing their package, Tricia was with the other salespeople and 'reading' with them. Their books were just excellent but it was also quite expensive since they only sell in sets. I would say it's worth it but the problem is we don't have that much $$$. Hahahah! But I would really want to invest in good books just as how my Nanay did for us when we were still small. I remember that my favorite was the Children's Enyclopedia (24 volumes) and Book of Art (10 Volumes). And that was from Groiler's too. Anyways, when it was time for us to go from the shop, Tricia refused to leave. She also loved their books. Hmmm..what to do lah! hahahah! I myself couldn't stop thinking about the books and how to buy them. Hahahha! Why don't I monetize my blog and maybe earn extra cash? hmmm...esep, ...esep....but have to ask my friends first if they really do earn from this and how to do it...heheh!:) Calling Noemi, Janet and Ruby...need help! ;)

Okay have to go now..been babbling about different topics already. Still have to unpack.

Weekend in Malaysia

We're going to Taiping, Malaysia tomorrow! Yeah, we actually just decided on this a few hours ago because we found out that I needed to have a medical check-up urgently ( for insurance purposes) and the check up must be done in Malaysia.

We had an option to do it at the border and come back immediately but then we're worried about leaving Baby Lyle with my cousin for a long time because he has really been a cry baby lately. (Oh, we can't bring Lyle with us outside Thailand since he will only have emergency exit with no visa yet.) There was this time we left him with our friend and he was crying the whole time. Oh it just broke our hearts when we came home and he was sobbing. And we were just gone for 2 hours! So, I won't risk leaving him again because the whole border trip with the check up might take the whole day. Pity Lyle and pity the one who'll be watching him too!hehehe!

The trip to Taiping will just be in time too since Lyle's Ammachi ( Grandma) already missed him so much. ANd this time we'll need to get him a Malaysian passport so he could travel with us anytime.

I love going to Taiping (my Hubby's hometown). Aside from the loving family we have, the place is also beautiful. It's laidback. It's always cold since it rains all the time there. And you have to try bathing in Taiping water, it's icy cold! Nice!

Now, I'm already excited to meet the family, smell the Taiping fresh air, eat some Curry Mee, maybe go to Pizza HUt (yes, because their Pizza is much cheaper there than in Thailand), and guess what Tesco has opened in Taiping! I heard they have Secret Recipe inside Tesco too..wow!! I just love their cakes...so, which means I won't be thinking of my weight or diet or healthy food for the weekend lah! hahaha! So, it'll be an eat-all-you-can weekend! Eat-all-you can Roti, Apam, Poppiah, Kuaytiaw Goreng and etc..hahaha!! Anyways, I hope they also have MPH bookstore there. I'd like to get some books for the school, for Tricia and maybe for us too.

Okay, have to go now. Still have to pack our things. I just pray that we'll have a pleasant journey. We'll be riding the train. Tricia's sooo excited for the train ride but I hope Lyle can take the travel. Since it'll be his first time to travel 'abroad' ;)...

Good night for now and see you next week!

WHY why why???

We were having worship last Sunday and we sang the song " Shout to the Lord" where there's a portion there that says.."mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your Name."

THen, after the worship we all sat down and saw my daughter, Tricia thinking deeply...and asked, "Why the mountains bow down Amma?"..." Because the mountains worship God too" , I managed to answer but somehow I knew there will always be a follow up question. With her eyebrows crossed from thinking, she retorted, " But the mountains are hard Amma, they can't bow down!!" Good the Pastor was already starting his sermon so I told Tricia to keep quiet and listen to the Pastor..hahahah!! Nakalusot!

That's the challenge now of having a 3 yr going to be 4 year old child. THe questions are never ending, the reasons , excuses are limitless and at the end of the day I just get tir ed trying answer all the questions, listening to all her reasons and excuses. Hahahahah! I can't imagine if my Li'l boy will be like his Ate, maybe I'll grow old fast...LOL!

Nice Matters Award

I got this award from Ruby. Thank you so much Rubs for this award. :)It's really encouraging.

Now I would like to pass on this award to:

Ate Litlit who's not just my friend but family as well.

Noemi who writes interesting blogs about her adventures in US

Tabitha who make me laugh and smile whenever I read her blogs. It's like she's just talking in front of me!

Janet who's been an inspiration for us to blog too. Yeah, I know you've already received this award so many times but you deserve it that much that I'm giving you another one.

Because of the Crab Curry

Remember my coke free resolution?? Well, sad to say it has already been broken because of my favorite crab curry..YUM!

Last friday our ANneh came with some friends and they treated us for dinner. We went to this Seafood shop at the Plaza. This used to be our favorite shop when Jesu and I were still 'singles' or I mean without kids. And our favorite dish would be the Thai crab curry. So that's what we ordered. And when you eat some yummy spicy dishes it's always best to have it with coke. SO, there goes my coke free resolution. And not to mention I ate so much!! and broke my promise to myself again, which is not to eat white rice for a month. Yeah, I'm really trying hard to lose weight.

Then when Saturday came, my hubby called me and gave me a good news! Our Anneh cooked Indian Crab curry for us! We were in a meeting when he called and I couldn't wait to go to the center to eat the curry. So, we all feasted on the delicious curry. I ate 3 servingsof rice and drank so much of coke!! When we went home we were so full but I was still dreaming of the curry.

Then today, when we went to the center we found out that there were still some more crab curry leftovers. And the 'beauty' of indian food is it tastes nicer when it's older..heheheh!! So, immediately I cooked rice and guess what? Ate the crab curry for LUNCH and DINNER with so much of rice!!! and syempre with coke!! hahahaha!

So, now while I'm typing this I could still smell the crab curry in my fingertips ( since we used our hands in eating) and maybe I'll dream about more crab curry tonight...haaayyy..it's just soo yum!!!

So, tomorrow is a start of my coke free day again and I'll have to eat less rice..unless someone brings or cook crab curry again..hahahah!!

Ms. Lonely

My heart just breaks for my Li'l girl.

I think aside from the fact that my Li'l girl is sociable ( like her Appa) she must also be in the stage now where she wants to play with kids her age. For many afternoons now, we've been going outside the house for her to 'play' with other kids. Everyday she will be looking out in the window and wait for her 'friends'. Our neighbor's kids are mostly grown up (age 7-12 years old) and they're all usually outside during the weekends.

So yesterday afternoon, a few kids were biking outside the house and my Li'l girl asked me if she could go out and ride the bike with them. Baby Lyle was sleeping so, I told her she could'nt go out because I couldn't watch her outside coz Lye's asleep. It's dangerous for her to be on the street with her bike because cars and motorbikes come and go. "But I'll just go to the side when there are cars and motorbikes, Amma", she reasoned out. Yes, my Li'l girl is very good in reasoning out, it's like I'm already raising a teenager when she's barely 4 years old! "No, Trish, it's still dangerous", I repeated and gave my reasons. "I'll be careful Amma.", she reassured me. But I remained firm and told her "NO". Then she started to cry. With tears in her eyes she said, "How can I have friends Amma if I don't go out?"..then it hit me, she badly wants to have friends.

I remembered a few nights before when we were outside. Our neighbors had children visiting them and Tricia went to the group to play with them. When she started to talk to them, they all ran away and tried to avoid her. Actually, this happened a lot of times with other kids too. Anyways, their Mom told me that they're shy to speak English. She was encouraging the kids to still let her join their play even if they could'nt understand or speak to her, but still the kids did't want to include her.

Then there was also a time when one of our neighbor's kid tried to mimic Tricia in a jest. Of course, it was okay for Tricia but as a parent I didn't like it that she was making fun of her just because she doesn't understand her. It's good that they are some kids who still try to 'talk' to her and include her in the group.

I don't know if it's just age gap ( as I said the kids in our neighborhood are much older than Tricia) or mostly language barrier.... But anyways, from yesterday afternoon I realized that I have to do something for my Li'l girl. We've already set up actvities for her so she won't get bored but most of these activities are with us or with her Teacher Jun ( read: all adults) BUT I think what she needs most is FRIENDS her age whom she could play with and have fun.

I'm still going to let her play outside with our neighbors kids (coz maybe then she could pick up the language).We've thought of letting her have Thai lessons. Our neighbor is willing to teach her but I'm not sure how long she'll last. But then we'll still have to give that a try and see. For her to truly assimilate in this place and make Thai friends , she must learn the language. But for now, I think I'll have to seriously set a weekly playgroup with other foreigner kids for her to fully play, be herself and enjoy.

Weekend Snapshot 4

Yesterday we went to a trade fair called, IMT- GT International Fair. It exhibited different products from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Their displays and goods were beautiful.

The 'wyeing' statue, little girl with palms together. This is how Thai people greet each other.

This wind 'chime" caught my attention, it's nicely made.

Here they are all together. Nice to bring them all home.heheh!!

Everybody loves weekend, it is the time for leisure, recreation and other religious activities. And when everyone is having a grand time, you want to capture it and share it with others. That’s why Weekend Snapshot is here for you. Come and join the fun here.

Stage MOM

Yes, I admit it. I am a certfied stage Mom and I just can't help posting videos, photos, updates and blah blah blah about my kids. hahaha!

Before I got married and had children, I couldn't relate with some parents who talk endlessly about their kids' seemingly 'significant' developments, their milestones, how cute they are, what they can do and etc.and etc and etc. Yes, I would listen to them still but at the back of my mind, I would say, "so, what's so special about that?" hahaha!

And now, here I am a member of the club...hahaha!

Anyways, enough of the long introduction. Let me direct you to the latest videos of my kids. hehehe!!

Check it out at My Li'l Princess Diary and My Li'l one.

I hope you'll have fun watching and be amused as I am..hehehehhe!!

Chocoholic

Haaaayyy.... I feel relieved and guilty at the same time.

Relieved because our box ( 24 pcs) of Ferrero Rocher chocolate is finished and therefore no more tempation for me everyday. But guilty because I was the only one who finished it! hahahaha!! I finished it off today . I ate the last 5 pcs. so that I won't have to think about it anymore. funny huh? I'm a certified chocoholic I guess. What happened to my New Year's resolution? That I need to be FAT-free..hahah!

I just love chocolates! I think people know that, that's why last Christmas we received a lot of Chocolates! Our friends from Singapore gave us (they sent by mail) 4 boxes ( about 16 pcs. each box) of Ferrero Rochers, our American friend gave us a big box Van Houten chocolates and my Hubby gave me a box of Baci. Don't worry, I didn't eat everything. In fact, I gave all the others away as a gift too, and I just kept ( and ate) the Baci. I didn't want to eat everything (even if I wanted to) since I know what I'd look like after consuming all those boxes of chocolates. :) But, surprisingly last week we received the 24 pcs Ferrero Rocher. My hubby said, "Oh, we received another box now, because maybe we gave all the others away." I was already tempted to give it away again but he said he'd also want to eat and he decided to keep it. And there, he decided to keep it but I ended up finishing it..haaaaayyyy... My hubby can eat chocolates but not as much as I do. I think he just said that because he knows I love chocolates and because of this 'diet' thing, I'm depriving myself of what I love - fatty, unhealthy food..hahaha!

Anyway, that's the end of the chocolate story. I'm just glad that there are no more chocolates that 'calls' me out everyday to eat them. So, tomorrow is a start of a brand new chocolate-free day. Woohhooo!! ( Unless, someone will give us another box of chocolates again..hahaha!)

* by the way I've been very good in the 'coke free' department. Haven't drank coke for many days now. I think the "NO coke allowed..." signage has really worked. I've been drinking fruit juices now ( my sis would be so happy to hear this!:) ) and just this noon I told my Hubby, " I think I like to drink fruit juices now" and his reaction? "Hahahahahah!" He had that "we'll wait and see" look in his face. Hmmm...he's challenging me huh? hahahahha!

The Future Athlete

As part of our new year's resolution to be fit and live a healthy life, last night we all went to the stadium for a jog. Yes, all of us went, even Lyle. :)

It was our second time to be there since, we came the day before to check out about Tricia's gymnastic classes (more on that later).

I didn't jog since I wasn't properly attired, so I was only the official babysitter and photographer. Here's a photojournal of that night.

The track.. it's all rubberized so it's safe for kids too.

First, they did some warm up exercises.

Tricia's so excited to RUN. Yeah, this is the place where she can really be her 'langas' self.

Ready, get set,GO!! Tricia did her first round with Appa and Ninong Jun2. Surprisingly, she ran all the way with them without stopping. WOW!

But then, after running for 1 round, she got tired and decided to stay while her Appa and Ninong Jun2 continued. But, I think she wasn't really tired. She was even still doing some stunts! Getting ready for her gymnastic classes next week?

And after seeing one man doing some push ups, she also followed and said, " Look at me Amma! I can do like the Uncle."

And when her Appa and Ninong Jun2 came, she asked me to take her picture with her wonderwoman pose....and then....

She said, " Okay, Amma will run now!". She just immediately left. We thought she was just kidding when she said that. But she was serious and ran, all the way ( one big round!) by herself!!! At midpoint, I was a bit scared that maybe her legs will get tired and she might fall, so I asked her Ninong Jun2 to follow her discreetly ( just in case). And we saw her from afar, running like a pro. She just ran, and ran, and ran without stopping. My Hubby and I can't just believe our eyes that she's running the oval (400 m) all by herself with such determination. We were just giggling and laughing to see how cute she looked from afar...the smallest and youngest runner in the field.

And as the official photo/videographer, we of course documented her winning moment in the finish line..

So, I guess we have a future athlete in the making. At least she'll have an output for all her energy and "kalangasan". I guess she really needs it. I can't wait for her to start her gymnastic classes. Tricia's very interested too. And guess what?! She'll be having her gymnastic classes for free! The assistant coach is very keen to teach her for free. He has two sons (age 7 and 10) whom he's training and has represented Thailand in a lot of competitions. Wow!! Do you think we'll have a future gymnast in the making? But what country could she be representing then? Thailand, Malaysia or Philippines?? Of course Philiippines lah! hahaha! OKay, enough of dreaming, first we'll make it a point to make some of our evenings free so that Tricia can start her classes.

Weekend Snapshot 3

Everybody loves weekend, it is the time for leisure, recreation and other religious activities. And when everyone is having a grand time, you want to capture it and share it with others. That’s why Weekend Snapshot is here for you. Come and join the fun here.

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, so we were just at home and it gave my li'l 3 year old girl a chance to just be outside and play with our neighbors and our neighbor's puppies which she just loves.

Such a cutee...It's a mixed breed and only 1 month old but it's huge!

It's such a pity for the puppies. They put them anywhere, from their bicycle baskets...
....to letting them ride their toy cars

Presenting my BIGGIE BOY

My baby is now like a big boy!

More updates in Baby Lyle's Blog. Check it out!

The Chosen Son

Supposed to be posted last night.:)

Last night we went to a friends' house to celebrate the birthday of their 12 year old son. The son's name is Sam. Actually, he's not their real son nor January 3rd is his real birthday. Sam used to live in the streets ever since he was small. He doesn't know who his real parents are , as he and his siblings (who are all missing) were abandoned by their parents when they were young. Sam doesn't even know when is his real birthday. They just celebrate January 3rd as his birthday because that's the date when our friends got him, brought him home and treated him as thier own.

When I asked my friend why they decided to adopt Sam, she said that they want to share their blessings to others and they can do this by loving and taking care of a child who has never have a chance to experience all these in life. And I was just so touched and impressed by the way they show God's love, it's something that you could say that's for real and not just for show. Everytime we see this family with Sam we're just so blessed as how they treat him equally and even more special than the other children. His siblings extend their love and extra understanding to him too. He has a totally different background, worldview, value system and even maybe many traumatic experiences. The whole family had to make a lot of adjustments in their life, routine, finances and etc to welcome Sam in their lives.

I could just imagine, what if no one ever found Sam? He could still be in the streets now. What if they never came to a decision to accept him as he is and make him as their son? He could be involved with other things now and live a wasted life. He couldn't have experienced how it is to be loved and to be cared for by a family. Most of all, he could'nt have experienced the life changing power of our Lord, Jesus.

It's a blessing to see Sam changed. He's a totally different person now from the first time we saw him several months ago. He used to be very timid, shy and insecure. Now, he's very confident, secure and his joy is just contagious. He's quite a smart kid too. He hasn't experienced going to school or studying for the past 11 years in hus life. But when my friend taught him to read, he learned it fast and now he's reading everything from books to street signs.

My Hubby asked me this question again and again for 2 years now: Can we adopt a child? It's also his desire to bless other children. My answer would be," if God tells me so, then I will. " But honestly, I think I'm not ready for this kind of call. I know it entails a lot of adjustments, a lot of sacrifice and etc. Or maybe I'm not called to serve in this way. I don't know. But as what I said, if God tells me, then I will do it for I know if He calls, he will enable. But as for now, I'll have to pray for more strength and grace to take care of my two kids. Even as of now, I would want to say..huhuhuh! Two is enough! It is finished!...hahahah!!

Party Pictures

Tricia with her 'grown up' friends

The birthday boy. When his Mom asked him who he wants to invite for his party, he specifically asked our family to be there. So sweet of him!

Tricia with David ( Sam's brother). They said they're going for shopping.

Sam's Dad, Mom and sibling..and oh, that's my son they're holding. :)

By the way, please pray for Sam's processing of documents too. The process is a bit complicated since Sam is considered "invisible" in Thailand as he doesnt' have any documents and his parents are nowhere to be found. It's a challenge for the family and they even have to sacrifice going back to US as they don't want to leave Sam alone. They can only go back home to US once Sam gets all his paperwork is done.

Year 2008

I've been tagged by Janet on my Resolutions for 2008. Thanks Jan!

Yes, the New Year has come and once again it's time for our resolutions. I can't remember if I had any last year. But this year, we surely have quite a number since we made some realizations from our 2007 experiences that made as pause and say, we need to make some changes in 2008.

Here are some on our list:

1) Be more organized. From our overstay experience and my family's one-day delay flight experience(singapore-cebu) we learned our lesson :we have to be more organized again; organize our days, make schedules and put everything into writing (due dates, arrival and departure of visitors, meetings, and etc.) This also applies to organizing the things in the house, you can imagine how cluttered our house is; we were searching for our battery charger for weeks and found it just inside one of the baskets (under the stairs). We were a bit more organized a several months before, but with the baby's arrival everything has changed. Now, we won't have any more excuses as the baby has a more predictable routine and we have quite adjusted well already.

2) Strive to be fit and healthier. Hmmm...is this us talking or what? hahaha! I know many (esp. my family) will be quite doubtful on this resolution, but we are STRIVING. Hahahah! For many days now Jesu and I have been exercising. Then, I already have posted a big sign on our fridge: NO COKE allowed inside! hahahaha! (am I for real?). Instead, we'll only be drinking fruit/vegetable juices. Yes, 3 boxes of that are inside our fridge now. We came to this realization (finally!) that we're not getting any younger and we must take care of ourselves. In other words, we've already felt the signs of ageing..hahahah!

3) Spend more quality time as a couple. We've been doing this regularly but somehow when people come ( visitors from other countries) our routine gets disrupted and my Hubby becomes so busy and we even don't have time to talk much. To achieve this, we added a time for us as a couple. Every morning, while all kids are still asleep, we'll try to have breakfast together, spend time in prayer and talk. We didn't use to eat breakfast together as we wake up at different times. We also have tea-times now. During some days, whenever my Hubby comes back home early we make it a point to have tea and talk with our little girl who's a tea lover (as she said, she's an Indian that's why she likes tea. Hmmpp..bantay lng ka mangayo ka ug Kape sa ako ha?)

4) Go out more and meet new friends/neighbors. This is only applicable for me since my husband has already mastered the art of making friends..hehehe! I'm quiet a shy person but it's a must for me to go out, meet some of our neighbors to simply make friends and practice my Thai too. I've made quiet a lot of friends from our old neigborhood but not much in this area since I seldom go out. Reason?? Contented to chat with family and friends and oh, blogging too. hehehe!

5) Last but not the least, try to save up money for Philippines Homecoming 2008! This means, I need to cook more often so, we eat out less and therefore, we can save. Most of our expenses go to food shops and restaurants. We just love to eat out. It's one of our outlets and our way of unwinding but I think, we can still achieve that here in our house. Just need to be more creative and motivated to cook everyday. If we eat out less, we don't just save money but we also have healthier food alternative...imagine the amount of calories for pizzas, burgers, and of course coke?!

So, that's our list of realizations and resolutions for 2008. Have a blessed 2008 everyone!

Balulang :(

There was this time that I missed home so much that I asked my family to send me pictures of the kids, our house, the river near our house and etc.

So, finally today I received the photos and when I saw it, I missed home more and more. I showed the photos to my HUbby and he also felt the same way.

Our home is like a like refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city life. It's a place of rest and relaxation. Oh how I miss the rushing sound of the river which can be heard all day long. How I miss the times when I wake up every morning and feel the crisp,cool morning air. I could remember my unhurried breakfasts in our dining area and just enjoy the scenery outside. How I miss to see the swaying of the trees and tall grasses. How I miss to see the chameleon who'll be showing itself at the river banks from time to time. No matter how we much we disturb him, he'll just be still and go away on its own will. How I miss the TUkkko sound which the giant gecko (?) makes every night. How I miss the cold during the rainy season and the wind during the summer.

Cagayan River as seen from our house.

Used to bathe here when we were small. Now, I'm not sure if the water is still clean.

Our humble abode

Most of all , how I miss all my family residing in that compound. Both my sisters' houses are just a stone throw away and when we're out of load (cellphone load) we'd just shout and call them out ( hahahah! mga taga bukid gyd!) without worrying about disturbing our neighbors as they're far away.

My family during NEw Year 2008

Haaayyyy.... I miss home...I miss my family .....hope Christmas and New Year 2008 will come fast..heheheh!!

*Photos courtesy of Emmanuel Acedillo (my bro-in-law) . Thanks Man for taking your time in taking the pictures even to the point of almost being bitten by a snake. hehehhe!

About Me

About Me and this Blog

Hello, I'm Lalaine, I'm a Filipino married to Malaysian ( of Indian descent) with two Pindian ( Pinoy-Indian) kids and living in amazing Thailand! God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and adorable kids, I can't ask for anything more. Take a peek at my wonderful world as I talk about my daily experiences as a mom, wife, friend and a blogger in a foreign land (which we actually now consider our home) This blog will just tackle about everything from kids, books, faith, places, food, everyday living and anything under the sun.

I hope you'll be blessed and enjoy your visit!

You can visit my other blogs too:

From Asia and Beyond
Day to Day Miracles
My Li'l Princess Diary
The Li'l One

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First New Year in Thailand

We've been living here in Thailand for 5 years now and this is the first time that my family spent our New Year here.

To make the welcoming of the New Year more special, we invited some friends over to our house. When we asked some of our friends what they did in the past year/s for New Year's eve, some of them said, they just slept and didn't do anything at all. So, that's why, we thought of inviting some Pinoys. So, we had New Year Celebration Filipino style :). I think it's not really common for all the Thai's to celebrate and wait on the New Year. Last night, our neighborhood was sooo quiet the whole night. There were fireworks at 12 oclock from the other areas but it didn't even last long. Or maybe, their way of celebrating the New Year is just different from ours. Oh how I miss the amount of food and noise we make in the Philippines when it's already New Year. All the stereos will be blasting, cars will be honking, children blowing horns/trumpets, the men lighing up the firecrackers and etc. And I remember when we were kids, we would be jumping up and down so we would grow taller. Hahaha!!

Anyways, back to Thailand, New Year's eve : We had a great time of fellowship together. We started with food, then worship, testimony and prayer for 2008. For a complete and more detailed entry, check out Ate Litlit's blog. She's one of the guest-host and did an excellent blog about party. :) She even advertised my lasagna. hahaha! Hmm..I wonder how much I need to pay for that blogvertise huh?

Anyways, all in all, I'm glad we decided to spend our New Year here in Thailand. There is indeed a purpose for everything and I'm glad that this party has been used to be a blessing for others. We have been tremendously blessed too through the presence of our friends.

I'm looking forward for next year's Christmas and New Year celebration, as we're planning to be in the Philippines that time!! WOOHOOO!!!