BP CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

At this year’s Christmas celebration, we had a special guest in the person of Inang’s sister, Lola Bebe. She had been sick for quite some time already and had been visiting her sister quite often lately and expressed happiness at the thought of spending Christmas here with us and so on the day of Christmas eve, she came to our place early and busied herself just looking at the preparations and the kids dancing. We had our usual simple fare of spaghetti, grilled hotdogs, fried chicken, fruit salad, biko, potato salad, ham n cheese cordon bleu, choco fountain and a newbie – grilled tuna panga. Well, once again despite the small space everyone that mattered was present. Everyone had fun and enjoyed a noisy but still blessed Christmas!

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS - Movie review

The movie starts with Justin Timberlake (Dylan) presiding over a creative meeting with his staff then he runs off to meet with his ‘supposed girlfriend’ who initially I thought was Mila Kunis (Jamie) since she was the one talking on the phone but apparently the two are with different partners – Justin with Emma Stone and Mila with a guy I don’t really recognize. Both of them got dumped by their partners on that same night and so they both decided against having any future complicated relationships.

Jamie meets Dylan, for the first time when she picks him up at the airport. She apparently works for a recruitment agency and is hoping to convince Dylan to work for GQ magazine. Dylan is hesitant at first since he does not want to uproot his entire life in L.A. for a new job. So Jamie takes Dylan on a fun night tour of the city to convince him to move to New York which includes having drink in a bar, going street dancing (with a flash mob) and gazing at the stars and New York’s beautiful skyline from the top of a building.

Dylan finally agrees to take the job and at his first day at the GQ office, he meets Woody Harrelson (Tommy), the sports editor who thought he was gay. Jamie arrives at his office and presents him with the contract which he must honor for a year otherwise she will not get a bonus. Since she is his only friend in New York, he has lunch with her and while eating discover that they have both been emotionally damaged and vowed to shun having complicated relationships altogether. Jamie invites Dylan to a party at her place so she can introduce her around to different people. They hang out a few more times together until one night while watching a romantic comedy they started talking about sex and relationships. They end up deciding that they can have sex without any strings/emotions attached.

The next day, Jamie visits Dylan at the office and both of them decide that last night was a mistake and they should both stay as friends but that same afternoon they ended up having sex again and many more times after that. After awhile, Jamie realizes that she wants to start dating and they decide to stop having casual sex. They take a walk at a park and they take turns getting to know other people and she ends up meeting Parker and they start dating while the woman Dylan approached ended up going off to meet with her husband.

Jamie continues to date Parker and on the fifth date, they go to bed. Dylan meanwhile accepts Tommy’s invitation to go to a bar and hooks up with some lady who was too forward/aggressive for his taste. Jamie, meanwhile, separated with new guy Parker who tried to sneak out on her after the fifth date, saying he was not meant to be her Prince Charming. Dylan helped her get over the pain of being dumped by Parker and gifted her with a street art painting that she totally loved. Then, when she got home she found that her mom bailed out on their supposed weekend trip so Dylan invited her to go to LA with him to visit with his family for the 4th of July holidays.

They fly to California where she meets Dylan’s older sister, Annie, nephew Sammy and his dad who now has Alzheimer’s. Dylan’s family had a pretty house on the beach and that night while the two hang out together talking about Dylan’s childhood they get emotionally close and spend the night together. Jamie sees how difficult it was for Dylan to see his dad getting worse with Alzheimer’s. Then, when he takes her up to the mountain to have a close look at the famous Hollywood sign, she asks him why he never talked about this mom leaving. Dylan says he doesn’t want people to pity him and Jamie tells him that what he needs to do is to act towards his dad like nothing has changed. But Dylan refused to talk about it and so they leave it at that.

Then, Jamie overhears Annie and Dylan talking about ‘their relationship’ and Dylan quickly denies that anything is going on between them, that they are just ‘friends’ though she did see him creeping out of her room the other night. Annie tried to convince him that they are perfect for each other but to no avail. So that same night, Jamie decided to leave telling some lame excuse about work. She ignores his texts and calls, still hurting from his comments to her sister. He finally found her at the top of the building, at her ‘thinking spot’ and asks her why she had been avoiding him. She ended up telling him that she overheard their ‘talk’ and he admits he only said it to get his sister off his back. Jaime countered that she thought they were friends and that friends weren’t supposed to say those things against each other. So she doesn’t want to be his friend.

They go on with their lives until Jamie discovers that Dylan may be leaving GQ for another company which would affect her commission so she confronts him and this leads to another argument. Jamie and his mom have a talk about love and she advised her not to repeat the same mistake she did – not to run after a fairy tale Prince Charming, find someone to take on the world with. Dylan, on the other hand, meets his dad at the airport and over lunch his father thought he saw a girl he once knew. He tells her about a girl named Diddy, the love of his life that he met while at the Navy. It seems he never really got over her and maybe it was partly why his wife left him. He was too proud to tell her how he really felt, he just let her go and now he lives with that regret for the rest of his life. His dad told him that life is short and he should not waste any minute of it. Dylan finally admitted to his dad that he feels he messed up with Jaime and so his dad told him to fix it.

Dylan asks Jaime’s mother’s help to make her go to the Grand Central Station and he arranges a flash mob scene. He admits to Jaime that he missed her, he is all he thinks about, and wants them to be best friends again. He says he wants his best friend back because he is in love with her. They kiss and Dylan then suggests that they go on their first date, at a cafe across the street. The film ends with them stopping pretensions on their ‘date’ and passionately kissing inside the cafe. The movie is in fact pretty good! I like the palpable chemistry between Mila and Justin and their characters are just so relatable particularly by this generation of commitment-phobic millennials. They try their damnedest to act cool about sex when in fact they are still both romantics at heart. The movie is very funny and the acting so natural. Furthermore, even though the plot was quite predictable, it was still pretty much quite enjoyable to watch. But definitely this is not a movie I can watch with my daughter since some of the scenes were quite explicit. Maybe when she is a bit older and more mature, I would recommend that she watch this movie someday.

[photo grabbed from IMDB]

WAIVED GLOBE BILL...FINALLY!

Finally! After so many attempts/calls made, I was finally able to get my first globe bill waived. Imagine my surprise since I was expecting a bill of PhP500 for my first monthly payment and getting a humongous bill amounting to almost 2K! Because of data that I did not know I was unknowingly using! WTF!@#$%??!! But it seems I was not the only one, since I soon heard/read about some people complaining to Globe about the exact same thing – data charges suddenly shooting up their monthly bills for no reason! When I was able to talk to a Globe customer service officer, she willingly agreed to waive the data charges and advised me how to turn off the data function of my phone so that I would not anymore incur additional charges. I would just need to turn them back on whenever I need to go online...whew! Thank God for small favors like these. Next time though, Globe told me I would have to pay the bill accordingly since they have already told me how to use the phone properly and so it would be my and my fault alone if ever my data charges still remain high.

VMS SPORTSFEST

It’s my daughter's school sportsfest today and though I do not usually watch their sports competitions, I opted to watch today since it will be her first performance as a member of the drum and lyre band. Here are some of her pictures when they practiced before the actual sportsfest since I wasn’t able to get close when they actually performed.

ANOTHER NEW SAMSUNG GALAXY Y PHONE!

After eight days of letting him stew without a phone, I finally decided to go ahead and get a new plan from Globe for only 500 which had a free Samsung Galaxy Y handset. I didn't have the cash to buy him a new phone so I got him one that is offered for free, although I would have to shell out a monthly 500 at least I can use said amount for texting and calling Globe and TM subscribers in my phonebook. It was amazing that Globe was able to grant this application of mine quickly. On Monday (21 November), after the weekend that Kuya lost his phone, I browsed Globe plans and saw one that advertised an online application. The next day I filled up an application form online and the day after I submitted the requirements thru fax. Then today, Monday I got the phone already! Hurrah! However, I decided not to give it to him just yet and instead I would take the gadget for a road test and use it myself for a few days...

A LOST PHONE...AFTER JUST TWO WEEKS!

Two weeks ago, around November 5, my son was the proud owner of a brand new Samsung Galaxy Y phone. But then yesterday after eating lunch and as the rest of us were busy doing our regular tasks – Ditse with her laundry, the hubby with his smaller TV rack, K and I fixing toys and books to determine which ones to clear out and give away – bad news came. We learned that my son’s phone was missing. He was at the internet shop at around 12 noon and there were just a few of them there at the time. He stood up for a bit to borrow a card reader from the pc shop helper and when he remembered his phone, it was not there beside him.

In truth, I do not know what to feel. The hubby was obviously angry and took it out on the aluminium screen door, kicking it thus creating a dent. He talked to the two guys who were with my son at the PC shop and he deduced that my son’s friend was not lying when he said he did not see it but the helper obviously was. But then, there was nothing we could do much about it. I guess it was ultimately my son’s fault that his phone got lost. Though I wanted to comfort him and let him know it was OK, I knew he had to learn his lesson. He had to continue paying for his half of the phone with his allowance money, even if the phone is no longer present. Oh well, even if I had wanted to buy him a new one, I don’t have the extra money to pay for it. He would just need to be more responsible with his possessions and so I would let him stew without a phone for now.

ANOTHER TV RACK!

Early this month, we received a second-hand JVC TV from my brother. He had it shipped about a month ago and it only arrived on the first week of thIS month and just in time for us to get it during Mama’s birthday and my sister’s despedida. It was his old TV in Abu Dhabi, 29 –inches with a flat screen but its back is still so big which made it quite heavy. He tried to sell it at first but since flat screen TVs are so cheap there he had difficulty finding any buyer and so he decided to just give it away, thankfully he gave it to me! So the hubby and I just decided to put it in our room upstairs but since we didn’t have a TV rack there and we wanted also to have something quite sturdy to hold it, he decided to do another smaller TV rack for our room.

This time, he’s definitely faster because the first pic was taken on the 20th. He constructed the rack in just one day. The second pic was taken just 4 days later and the third pic, a mere 6 days, on the 26th, the rack was already upstairs in our room with the TV on top and the computer below it. It’s just so nice to have my very own handy man around the house eh!?!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 40: CHICKEN TERIYAKI

For the kids baon today, I decided to cook chicken teriyaki. But my daughter is not very fond of viands with different sauces and so after I fried the chicken fillets, I reserved some for her baon and just continued cooking the rest of the chicken for my son’s baon and mine too. The dish is quite easy, I simply marinated the chicken fillets in some salt, pepper, and calamansi the night before. Then, the next morning, I fried the chicken fillet after rolling them in a bit of flour/cornstarch mixture. Once fried, I set aside the chicken and proceeded to sauté garlic, onions and ginger in a little oil. Then I returned the chicken and the marinade, added more soy sauce, a bit of water and let it simmer while covered. You may add sugar, salt and pepper if needed. Finally, you may add cornstarch dissolved in a little water to thicken the sauce. Just top it over steaming hot rice and it’s ready for the kids’ lunchboxes!

BONE SCANNING

Today, we took advantage of free bone-scanning sponsored by a popular milk brand. It was held at the office clinic and there was a bit of a line but not really so long and it was moving quickly. First, they washed my right foot with alcohol and placed it in a contraption that seemed like a foot spa although it wasn’t wet at all. After a while, I felt it tightening a bit and within a few seconds it gave out a reading and the results showed I was at high risk for osteoporosis???Really now… I don’t think it was truly accurate since even if I don’t take calcium tablets, I take my milk sometimes and even yoghurt. I guess it comes with age and the fact that the sponsor of the event needed to sell their product. So I decided to buy the milk they had on display outside the clinic (with free taste!), both in vanilla and chocolate flavors just to ensure that I would get all the calcium that I need!

TV RACK UPDATE

Just a quickie - an update of the TV rack he started doing last week. After we bought some black paint at Ace, he was finally able to paint the TV rack in the color we wanted. All that’s lacking now are the glass doors but he still doesn’t know where to buy them and how to place them. He has definitely improved since this one was completed in just one week! Here’s how the new TV rack looks now…




We decided to start using the TV rack, even sans the glass panel so we could give the old one to Ditse when we go home to the province - very pretty indeed!

A REGISTERED VOTER AT LAST!

At long last, after forty (40) years of existence and twenty two (22) years as a legal-aged citizen, I am finally a registered voter! And why did it take me so long??? Well, to tell you frankly there are just a myriad of reasons – at first when I just turned 18 and thereabouts, our family was always changing residences – I remember turning 18 at Matapat at Sikatuna Village but our place there was quite small and so the next year, we moved to Project 7. Then, I guess the fact that we changed residences so often made me unable to establish residency anywhere that would allow me to register in that particular place to vote!

After Paranaque, I moved in with the hubby and it heralded another round of moving in and out of just too many places until we finally settled down in 2000 at San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. By then, you would probably ask, why did I still remain unregistered when in fact, one of my sons registered to be able to vote for the SK. But I decided not to because I figured if I would go out and vote, I would much rather have it at the same place as the hubby so we could go vote together. It would be quite difficult for me to stay here at SJDM while he goes home to vote in his hometown. And so I waited until the right time came when I could register as a voter in Pampanga. But many elections came and went but almost always their registration period is only for Mondays to Fridays and I couldn’t very well absent myself from work just to register and so my waiting continued. I thought I would end up not being able to exercise my right to suffrage but at long last the long wait is over! Today, my brother-in-law texted that they’re having a special registration for new voters and so I would finally get my chance!

It was mid-afternoon already when we finally got to the barangay hall to register. I went with the hubby and a niece who would turn eighteen next month. When my turn came, the guy looked at me weirdly and asked? New voter? And I said yes, I just turned 18!!! So I explained a bit of my history and after some time he seemed to believe me. Anyway, I told him he could go and check the records at Comelec and he would see I have never been registered in my life. And so in just a little like thirty minutes – I AM NOW A REGISTERED VOTER! Now all I have to wait for now is for the next elections to come around and I would soon be able to see what a voting precinct looks like!

[photo from clipart]

NEW SAMSUNG CORBY PHONE FROM SUN!

Today, I got my new Samsung Corby phone from Sun. Well, actually they got it from SM last night since they availed the extension promo that comes with a new phone if we renew our Group Plan 999 with Sun. And since the hubby and I were on leave, they still went ahead and got it. I actually, would’ve wanted them to wait a bit until I could go with them and help in choosing a good phone but it seems they were in a bit of a hurry because one of my boss' kids insisted on a new phone ASAP! And so we had no choice but to go along since the plan is in her name after all. Anyway, I went up to the SUN shop yesterday after Ditse and I bought a cake for the hubby at Goldilocks and I saw that only the Samsung Corby II phone looked better in the SUN’s line-up of free phones in the Plan 350. It’s not yet Android but it’s the next best thing available. I only told them that I wanted white – not yellow or hot pink, just plain white! And thank God they have it in the color I wanted.

P.S. The only problem was that I got a text from SUN on Saturday, November 12, just 3 days after they got the Corby phone from SUN informing me that they are now offering the Samsung Galaxy Y at Plan 350 - oh no! I just knew we should have waited! My original plan kasi was to get a new phone when we pay on the 15th but they were in such a hurry! Now I won’t have the phone of my dreams just because they couldn’t wait. Now I guess the old adage is true - good things come to those who wait. Just too bad for me huhuhu!

A NEW PROJECT – TV RACK FOR THE NEW TV!

After about a week of rest, the hubby once again embarked on a new project – this time to construct a new TV rack for the new TV, but of course! The old one just won’t do since we would have to remove the top shelf just so our new 32-inch TV would fit in the old rack. He started making the rack yesterday from leftover wood that he scavenged. And today, he finished assembling it and had even painted the cabinet with white primer before he came in to dinner tonight. I guess he’s getting quite good at it because he seems to need less time to accomplish the cabinet itself. It helped, too, that he used a mechanical saw to cut the wood into the size that he wanted. Aside from being quicker, it was less strenuous than using an ordinary saw. Well, here’s a picture of the cabinet. He planned to paint it black but we still have to buy the paint. He also wants to install glass doors for it, but we have to find where to buy it and have it made by someone else coz he sure doesn’t know yet how to make that kind of a door, will provide more updates soon…

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 39 – Turbo chicken in Rosemary and Garlic marinade

This is actually a very easy one because I kinda cheated a bit. Before Ditse and I left for the hospital at around lunch time, I marinated the chicken legs in store-bought Rosemary and Garlic marinade from McCormick. Then, when we got back home at around five and after having a bit of coffee, I simply popped the chicken legs in the turbo broiler and after about 20 minutes I flipped it over and then 20 minutes more … voila it’s finished!

A NEW SAMSUNG GALAXY Y FOR MY SON

The hubby and I decided to give our son an advanced graduation gift – his very own Samsung Galaxy Y phone! Actually, he had long been hankering me to buy him a new phone but aside from not having the budget for it, we didn’t think he was already responsible enough to take care of it well. This time, though, since he’s already in fourth year, we figured he may be old enough to take care of his things. What’s more the hubby and I decided that we would not be paying for the entire thing, we’ll just give a down payment for half of it while he pays for the other half with his allowance. That way, he may be more mindful of where he places the phone knowing that he’s paying for it with his own pocket money. Anyway, he never had a new phone yet. Ever since he has learned to text and go UNLI his phones are usually hand-me-downs from me or the hubby. In fact, his last phone is the free one I got when I availed a SUN plan last year.

And so after our short visit with Mama, off we went to SM Fairview to finally buy the phone of Keith’s dreams. Actually it took us awhile to browse for phones that he wanted – at first he said he wanted the Samsung Champ or the Corby but thankfully we waited a bit and this month, Samsung introduced a new Android phone that particularly targets the young – Samsung Galaxy Young! It’s not exactly at the price range of the regular smartphones but it has already a Gingerbread OS so it’s actually a very good buy indeed! The suggested retail price is PhP 5,850 but since we’re gonna buy this with a credit card it has a different price tag at Php 6,200. Of course, they keep saying that it has absolutely zero interest but not really if you consider the different price if you pay for it in cash or with a card. And so after a bit of browsing in the numerous shops at the Cyberzone, we finally settled on buying at BSD, the same shop the hubby bought his X2 because it offered the least interest. We then made our purchase and went home with one very happy child in tow!

P.S. Just too bad though coz after just 15 days, he lost his new phone to a heartless thief. Well, not really all his fault because the thief took advantage of his preoccupation with something (borrowing a card-reader) while at the internet shop. Turns out that my son is just too trusting and that the people whom he consider his friends may not really be his friends, after all…

A DOUBLE CELEBRATION FOR MY MOTHER’S BDAY AND A SISTER’S DESPEDIDA

We left the house at 11 am to visit Mama at Project 4. We’re having a double celebration of sorts since we’re celebrating her birthday (which is actually last November 3) and also a sister’s despedida since she would be leaving (finally!) for Abu Dhabi tomorrow. Thank God for this since I know she has long wanted to leave. She has been out of a job for a few months already and only last month I learned my brother is financing her visa to go to Abu Dhabi and search for a job there. Good thing too that she was finally able to complete all her requirements (including her school documents which had to be taken from her old school in Bohol) But at least, she can now breathe a sigh of relief that everything is finally in order and she can now leave. I just hope she gets a job soon as she only has one month to go out and search for a job otherwise her visa would expire and she may be forced to return back home…oh no!

We arrived at the house in time for lunch. The pasta was still cooking and my other sister still hasn’t arrived with the cake and so we waited a bit. I served the bbq and inihaw na bangus that we bought from Vanmicks. I went upstairs to help my sis sort out the clothes that she would be bringing. The others she would be giving away but they were all too small for me so I just let her do her thing. Ditse and the kids were in Mama’s room playing and hiding out from Gustav. After a while, when my sister arrived, we went down to eat. We had a fun time just eating and talking but as the usual case when we visit with Mama, there was just no space to hang out and rest after eating and so we are usually left with not much option but to leave early.

My brother called up twice and we were able to thank him early for the advanced Christmas gifts. The TV he gave us was so BIG! And heavy too but it was still a welcome gift nonetheless. He also had some old shoes and pants for my son ad the hubby and some lotion, bath soap and dishwashing liquid for me. He said the real Christmas gifts shall be sent after Christmas, a bit delayed since he needs to save up a bit for it due to the expenses he incurred but that’s OK! What matters is that he’d be sending us more gifts -yippee! Another Santa from the Middle East. Thank you Lord for the blessings!

THE TOWN (A Film review)

This one of the few good action movies that I have watched for the year since it had a good plot, the characters were developed very well and the ending was quite poetic – not so romantic like Filipino movies with a happy ending but not tragic either. It was just right! It is actually a story about four men: Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James "Jem" Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert "Gloansy" Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond "Dez" Elden (Owen Burke), from the dangerous streets of Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. The town is known for being a breeding ground of bank robbers and these 4 friends are no different since they belong to a generation of bank robbers in their town. The first scene shows them robbing a bank, and taking bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) as hostage. After Claire's release, Doug follows her and soon develops a relationship with her.

FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) investigates the crew and soon finds out that they work for "Fergie" Colm (Pete Postlethwaite), a local florist. As Doug’s relationship with Claire progresses he becomes hesitant to undertake their next assignment, and his fears are confirmed during the robbery in the North End, where gunfire erupts. The police arrive quickly, a chase ensues, and the team barely escapes.

During a visit to his father (Chris Cooper) at the local federal prison, Doug reveals he is planning to leave Charlestown. So when the florist approaches Doug with another job he turns it down. He tells Fergie he will not do the job, but Fergie reveals that Doug's mother never left the family but committed suicide after Fergie got her addicted to drugs in retaliation for Doug's father attempt to leave (like what he is trying to do now). He threatens Doug that he will kill Claire if he does not do the job so Doug finally agrees.

The gang’s next job is at a baseball stadium at Fenway Park, they get in disguised as Boston police officers, trick the guards and counting room staff, steal millions of dollars, and prepare to leave in an ambulance dressed as paramedics. But, the FBI got info from Jem’s sister and Doug’s ex-girlfirend who got hurt that Doug’s left her for Claire so they were able to surround the building. They get into a gunfight with police officers and two of their friends die while Doug and Jem put their cop uniforms back on and slip out. But Agent Frawley figures out the ruse, catches sight of Jem, and tries to arrest him. Jem is cornered by the police. Knowing there is no way out, Jem chooses to let the police kill him in suicide by cop fashion, rather than go to prison for the rest of his life.

Doug escapes in a police cruiser, heads to Town Flowers, and kills Fergie, the florist. He calls Claire and asks her to come away with him, but he is watching from a house nearby and can see the FBI are in the same room with her. Claire, though she has learned of Doug’s lies to her at first tells him to come to pick her up, but in the end her love for him wins out and she gives him a coded message to warn him that the FBI are there. Doug escapes from Boston. Later, Claire finds a bag buried in a community garden containing money, a tangerine and a note that ends with "I'll see you again, on this side or the other." Claire uses the money to finance the renovation of a local hockey rink, and dedicates it to Doug's mother.

Nice ending eh - although Doug doesn’t get caught for his crimes he gets to turn over a new leaf and still he doesn’t get the girl. Overall, it was good directing by Ben Affleck. He's clearly a smart and avid student of the medium and in this second outing as a director, The Town, he has created such an enjoyable and exciting movie. With this crime drama, he more than proves that he also deserves to sit behind the camera.


[photo grabbed from IMDB]

A DAY TO HONOR THE DEAD

Every year, Filipinos set aside the first few days of November to pay their respects to their departed loved ones. During this time of the year, many take the opportunity to go home to the province and be with their families for some sort of reunion at the cemeteries. Others, however, opt to go on vacation to take advantage of the long holiday break. When I was younger and lived with my parents, we usually go to the Holy Cross cemetery to visit my mom’s mother and father. But we never really go with the crowd since my dad hates the traffic and so we usually end up going there the Sunday before Nov 1 or the Sunday after. We bring our mats, some food (usually rice and adobo), snacks, drinks, some playthings to keep us occupied (like cards or Frisbees) and spend the entire afternoon there (like a picnic). I liked the solitude and peace we enjoyed then since we were almost always the only people there. I remember going once to Holy Cross at exactly Nov. 1 and we had to walk about a kilometer or so because cars weren’t allowed to enter the compound. But it was fun, too, seeing all those people there and meeting up with relatives who also come and visit.

But that seemed a long time ago … when I got married and lived with my husband I was introduced to the way they spent their time for their dead but at a public cemetery this time. There were no large trees nor soft green grass where we could spread our mats to have a picnic or take our afternoon naps – just hard concrete tombs and a sea of people that seemingly just never ends. Admittedly it was a big adjustment for me since I have been used to the peace and quiet of Holy Cross. And so instead of going there in the morning or afternoon, we opted to go at night time where there are less people and we can still savor the peace and quiet that I so crave. Besides, it is hot and humid in the afternoons even though their place is covered and had a roof. It was also quite fascinating to see a multitude of candles lit up on top of different shapes and sizes of tombs.

But whatever the method that we choose to honor the dead what matters is that we do whatever means possible to remember them - with candles, with flowers, with lots of food and love for those relatives still living and get to meet only during these times of commemoration…

CLOSER – A film review

It’s a long holiday weekend to celebrate the Feast of Saints and the Dead and what better day to stave off boredom than to have a movie marathon!!! But alas the DVD player inside the room won’t play almost all the DVDs I brought only the Julia Roberts collection played and since there wasn’t any remote I had no choice but to watch the first movie in the collection – a movie called Closer. It was topbilled by Julia Roberts but it felt more like Natalie Portman’s movie to me because she had more meaty parts in the film. But if there was one word I could use to describe the movie, it would be – weird! The storyline was a bit confusing since at first I thought I was watching a flashback but it turned out to be the ending of the film, now I’m really confused?!?

Let me start at the beginning, the movie starts with Jude Law and Natalie walking opposite each other across a busy London street. They gaze and smile until Natalie gets hit by a car. Jude Law (Dan) takes her to the hospital where they get to know each other. They ride on a bus where Dan reveals he is an obit writer and Natalie (Alice) says she is a stripper from New York who left to escape a bad relationship. They separate upon reaching Dan’s workplace.

Next scene shows them one year later – Dan and Alice are already a couple and Dan is shown having his picture taken by Julia Roberts (Anna) a photographer, for his recently published book’s dust jacket. Dan kisses her but tells her that he has a girlfriend. So Anna decides to stop whatever was ‘starting’ between them. Then, Dan’s girlfriend Alice arrives and she asks Anna to take her picture. Dan goes down to leave the two of them alone and Alice reveals that she heard what happened between them thru the intercom downstairs. Anna apologizes but Alice turns away with tears in her eyes.

Next, Dan is shown in his computer in a sex chat room, pretending to be a girl. He meets a man on the web named Larry (Clive Owen) He’s a dermatologist and also a sex addict and they began exchanging ‘hot messages’ with each other. They agree to meet the next day at the aquarium and Dan told Larry to look for Anna. Coincidentally, Anna is there at the aquarium, and they soon realize they have been played with but still they hit it off and begin to date.

Four months later, the two couples meet again during Anna’s photo exhibit. Alice and Larry meet for the first time and flirt mildly until Alice learns that Larry and Anna are dating. Larry and Anna reveal that they call Dan their cupid because it was through him that they met at the aquarium. Dan leaves Alice in a taxicab to go to his father’s funeral but in fact, returns to the exhibit to talk to Anna.

Next scene shows Dan and Alice one year later. Dan says he has been on a business trip but later on admits he had been seeing Anna since the art exhibit and that they have been having an affair. At about the same time, Larry comes home to Anna after a business trip (they are married now) and he confesses that he slept with a prostitute during his trip. She says it’s OK and admits her affair too with Dan.

Six months later, Larry walks into a strip club and sees Alice. He gets into a VIP room with her and she plays a part saying her name is Jane Jones. He admits his frustration with the divorce proceedings from Anna and tries to sleep with Alice but she won’t let him. Next scene shows Anna rushing to meet Dan at a concert. She was late because she met earlier with Larry to get him to sign the divorce papers. Dan guessed that she slept with Larry just to get his signature and she regretfully admitted doing so because it was his condition before signing. Dan becomes upset and they get into an argument.

A few more months later, Dan is seen storming into Larry’s clinic angry because Anna has left him to go back to Larry. Larry reveals to him that Anna is a depression junkie and never really filed the divorce papers. He felt pity for the poor guy however, so he reveals where Alice is but at the same time he tells her that he also slept with her. Dan goes to the strip club, sees Alice and they get back together again. Next, Alice and Dan are shown at a hotel room near Heathrow Airport. They are quite happy and are on their way to New York. Dan started to question her, however, if she slept with Larry and at first she said no. But Dan kept on insisting that she tell the truth and when she finally did admit it, she says that she has stopped loving him already. Dan admits he has known all along and has forgiven her already but Alice refused to re-consider. She’s fed up and tells him to leave.

Dan remains in London and passes by the park where he took Alice the first time they met. He notices that one of the names on the wall is Alice Ayres, the same name that Alice told him. Meanwhile, at Heathrow airport, Alice is going through immigration, when she hands in her passport it shown that her name is Jane Jones – the name she gave Larry. Alice/Jane is then seen walking out into the busy street, reminiscent of the opening scene, where she faces an uncertain future… alone.

So there, what do you make of it??? Kinda weird, huh? Because it never really reveals the truth - is her name really Alice? Or Jane? And what’s behind her hiding under different names. The story in a nutshell is about betrayal – how they use sex to hurt the other partner which makes their values quite disturbing. It’s an unconventional story that makes you hate the characters instead of love them. Besides, it’s really about Natalie and not Julia, right? Oh well, why bother, suffice it to say that I felt disturbed by the movie and wouldn’t want to watch something like it again.



[photo grabbed from IMDB]

THE KITCHEN CABINET IS FINISHED!

Here are just some updates on the hubby’s cabinet-making project. After three weeks of sawing and sandpapering and hammering the cabinet mostly at night after eating dinner and also during weekends, he was finally able to complete the cabinet construction including the plywood at the back and the cabinet doors which he had a bit of difficulty making. Then after another week he finished painting it and so here’s a picture of the cabinet and how it looks inside the kitchen. I thank God for my husband for being a true handyman around the house. In all we spent just something like 2K for the wood and the paints, such a cheap amount to spare to create something so beautiful and useful. If I were to buy something like this at a furniture store, I am sure it would cost so much more than that!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 38 – Broiled Liempo

Since my sister-in-law, who usually cooks dinner for us each night, is still on an extended vacation, I decided to marinate some liempo last night that my son can cook using the turbo broiler for our dinner today. I got the recipe for this Turbo Liempo from Dennis’ Lutong Bahay blog and you may browse his site for the exact ingredients.

What I do remember is that I marinated the pork slices in a mixture of calamansi, patis, pepper, rosemary and garlic overnight. Then just pop them into the turbo broiler and brush some soy seasoning over the meat (to brown them a bit) about ten minutes before the liempo was cooked and voila! Delicious, fuss-free dinner!

DANGER SIGNALS

Shortness of breath when I walk a short flight of stairs or even just a few meters, tightening of my clothes, a sudden loathing to look at myself in the mirror. Yup I guess I’m beginning to experience it. I admit I have all the danger signals but still I refuse to admit it – I am indeed overweight! Well, actually I have been made aware of it for quite some time now,the hubby has called my attention many times already and even my daughter has joked about my widening frame but the sad thing is I can’t seem to do anything about it!

Not that I am not doing anything, of course not! I have tried everything – from a no-carb diet, to an after six diet, to jogging (occasionally!) But as it is nothing seems to work – not even an ounce or an inch is lost from my ever increasing weight and waist line – what am I to do now??? I think I have ran out of options or I guess it is my motivation that has ran out on me! I usually feel so tired to exercise and I find it too tedious to go and prepare a separate ‘diet’ food for myself so I end up just eating what’s on the table.

I think it was about ten years ago when I did the South Beach Diet. Back then I was quite enthusiastic in preparing my salads and other ‘carb and sugar-free foods’. I was even doing taebo then. But now, oh well, I guess that’s what I really need to do first - get the motivation, the urge, the desire – to go out and really LOSE WEIGHT!!! Maybe I need new rubber shoes or maybe a gym subscription or new gym equipment that I can use at home or even just a new gym partner??? Whatever it is, I hope I find out soon what kind of motivation I truly need. Otherwise, I would never be able to lose all these unwanted pounds in my body.

A NEW LCD TV!

It was exam day today for the kids so we just stayed at home – the hubby continued his cabinet project while I puttered about the house just cleaning a bit including the yard and the rabbit cages. Then, when the kids arrived after lunch we ate a late lunch then slept the afternoon off since it was a bit hot to do anything much. We decided to leave for SM Fairview at around 7pm and proceeded at once to the Appliance Center. We browsed first the Samsung units and saw that their picture quality is indeed very sharp as compared to the others. But their prices are just so steep! The Series 4 that we wanted costs 22K and didn’t have any freebie attached to it, not even a wall bracket! There was a slightly lesser version, their Series 3 but it doesn’t recognize USB playback of movies and so we opted to browse at other brands

Our next stop was LG (take note we didn’t anymore bother to look at Sony because we know they had a much higher price range ) and we saw a unit for only 18K, with a bit similar specs as the Samsung except that their screen resolution wasn’t as clear. And so we move on until we got to the last part of the showroom (we went past some unknown names like Changhong and Sanyo) until we got to Devant, it was also an unknown brand (well to me it is). The unit costs also about 20K but the good thing is that, it had a free HDMI player from NextBase (which costs about 3 to 4K), a free wall bracket, and a free appliance at the SM App Center that costs PhP500.00. We checked out the screen resolution and it was OK (still not as clear compared to the Samsung) but what the heck, there were lots of freebies and I guess it was enough. The TV itself can play movies thru the USB which only the higher (and pricier) Samsung units can do. Even the kids said we should buy it already. So we completed our purchases (bought an energy saving lamp for the PhP500 freebie), ate dinner at the foodcourt and went home so happy and excited as a family to finally have a brand new 32-inch LCD TV!!!

(P.S. Learned later on thru the net that Devant is actually a Singaporean brand and their products are being distributed here in the country by Techpoint, the same ones who distribute NextBase, a European brand…so I guess their reputation is solid.)

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 37 – Chicken and potatoes in creamy cheese

The kids are at school for exams so it is just me and the hubby for lunch (the hubby’s sis-in-law went home to be with her family). The kids will be arriving a bit later so I cooked something a little extra special which they may eat as a snack when they get home. I picked a dish which I am sure they will love – it had cheese! And I guess that’s all that truly matters to my kids - they love anything with cheese! The recipe was borrowed from Connie’s over at the Casa Veneracion blog so you may just browse her website for it. Thank you Ms. Connie for another wonderful recipe which my kids truly enjoyed!!!








P.S. So sorry about the quality of the pics, I only use my phone camera.

EXAM DAY TODAY FOR MAAP!

Today, I got up super early because it’s D-DAY for my son and his two friends who will be taking the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) examinations scheduled at 6 am at the Rizal High School in Pasig City. By 3:30am, I was finished cooking breakfast so I woke up the boys so they could bathe one after the other and eat breakfast before we all left (with my daughter in tow) at around 4:15 am. We were early because there wasn’t much traffic (at such an ungodly hour that is to be expected!) But that’s OK since there were already many students milling around the school building where the test will be held and so after buying them bottled water, we left them with the hope that they all do good on the exam so that they would go to MAAP together.

Meanwhile, off we went to Papa’s condo in Makati to while away the time as we wait for my son to finish his exam. Expectedly, Papa was already out even at 6am since its golf day today! Good thing Ateng was already awake and so we raided their ref and she rustled up some breakfast for us to eat. After eating, Jun slept a bit while I just chatted with the others while waiting for my sisters to arrive. We left at around 9 am and by then I woke up the hubby so he could come with us to Resorts World.

We watched the preview for the play – Sound of Music and I was surprised that my daughter enjoyed it! While the other kids did not, in fact, she asked if we could watch the play in full, but I saw the prices were sky high so I guess we won’t be able to afford it. Unless of course we would be able to get free tickets! After the preview, we ate our lunch at McDonalds then had a quick tour of the mall and even the casino before going back to the condo by 1:30 pm. The other cousins soon arrived in a while and we had a fun time eating pizza and chips with delish dips. Then, when it seemed we had no plans of leaving yet, Papa ordered Savory chicken for our dinner. We finally left the condo at 9pm, dropped my sisters off at Project 4 and the kids at Maryland so that we were able to go home at 11 but still it was a fun weekend well spent.

NEW BUNNIES…FOR SALE!

It is exactly one month since our new bunnies were born and I’m very sad to say that one more died a week after they were born so we’re now down to just five bunnies. But thankfully all of them are quite healthy and are eating quite a lot already so I believe it’s high time we dispose of them once again. Just too bad for us because they’re all so cute and we have grown quite attached to them already. Anyway, we decided to sell them this time so that we’ll have some money to continue buying feeds for their parents – Whitey and Brownie. I just wish someone would buy them. I asked at a pet shop at Robinson’s recently and they say they’re selling bunnies for 450 a pair - what??? That much??? I guess we’d just be selling ours for only 300 a pair or even 200 – that’s a reasonable enough amount, don’t you think?

NEW CABINET PROJECT

Today, I was surprised when the hubby arrived after buying some wood and begin another cabinet project for the kitchen. Last year, he started to make a cabinet for my son (I think it was around July) but when he had a huge gash on his right hand that required more than ten stitches (while he was playing with the cutter), I guess the hubby had a bit of a trauma and had refused to do anything at all that was related to carpentry. Well, that’s just what I thought we never really talked about it though. He just stopped making anything wooden after that.

Well, that was until last week when I mentioned to him that the kitchen needed some redecorating, for instance, we need a new cabinet so that I would be able to fix some of the things that are just stocked underneath the sink – like the turbo broiler, the rice cooker, the blender and some pots and pans that are longing to be displayed. I wanted some new cabinets for under the sink too but I don’t think we already have the money to commission someone to do that for us. So I guess I’ll just have to wait until we have more money to spend. Meantime, I am thankful that the hubby has returned to carpentry once again and this has kept him busy puttering about in the garage with his tools and his paints. He keeps me awake in the afternoons with his banging and his electric grinder but I’m happy I would have a new cabinet soon.

Here’s a picture of the cabinet he made for my son last year. And the cabinet he has been doing for the last 2 days … I will post more pics once the kitchen cabinet is completed!

Oh No! No more Spiral!?!?

One of the places worst hit by Typhoon Pedring was Metro Manila, particularly those places near the Baywalk area or near the Manila Bay. At the time of Pedring’s wrath, we were ‘trapped’ in Tagaytay to facilitate a seminar-workshop for the office. So we were unaware of the havoc that Pedring was then wreaking across the country. It was only much later when we saw in the news what really happened. We saw Roxas Boulevard looking like a huge river so some famous establishments along it were expectedly also flooded – like the US Embassy and our favorite hotel – Sofitel! It’s like Manila Bay was trying to reclaim the sea that was originally part of it.

From the news feeds, we saw Sofitel’s pools totally flooded and what’s even worse – Spiral (its famous buffet resto) was totally destroyed. The people they interviewed claimed that huge waves crashed towards the hotel and so its glass walls just broke open and all their state-of-the-art kitchen equipment and wall-to-wall carpeting was just damaged by the sea water – oh no! Later on, when I was finally able to talk to my aunt she says even their entire offices (located in the basement) were affected. Good thing, though, that her car was saved when it was taken by the valet service to higher ground before the floods reached the parking lot. They said everything was just so unexpected and happened so fast so they didn’t have time to save much else. Their primary concern was the safety of their hotel guests so they immediately evacuated them since they had to cut the power off lest someone die of electrocution.

But I guess all of these would be rebuilt soon. My aunt says they’d be closing Spiral for good – and from its ashes a new restaurant shall be born. I just hope it would be as good or even surpass the old one! Go…go…go Sofitel! I hope you’ll be good as new the next time we go for a visit!

A VISIT TO PINK SISTERS

We have been to Tagaytay for countless times already and we have probably visited most of the popular sites there (although not all of it) but this time around I made it a point to go visit the Pink Sisters chapel. My visit there was actually not without a hidden agenda. You see my son is entering college next year and I was hoping and praying that he would pass the entrance test at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) in Bataan. Hence, I decided to seek divine intervention from the Pink Sisters of Tagaytay. We left early to hear mass and it was such an eerie and awesome experience being there. The sisters were cloistered at the front pews and they were separated from the churchgoers with railings (almost like a prison) but I guess that just shows how protected they are from the outside world.

After the mass, the others went out to take a look at the pretty surroundings while I went to the prayer area to write down my special petition. I enclosed some money which I explained to be not meant as a bribe but rather a way to seek some kind of favor, a means for them to sustain their activities as they go about being an inspiration for others. I shed some tears as I wrote my special intention because I truly want so badly for my son to enter MAAP. I vowed to the Pink Sisters of Tagaytay to return whenever I can (each year if possible) to give them some sort of donation to show my appreciation. I have been praying long and hard for this, I just hope that my son also does his part and do his best on the entrance tests.

FIELDTRIP @ ENCHANTED KINGDOM

I got up early today at 3:15 am because it’s the day my daughter had been waiting for – it’s their fieldtrip to Enchanted Kingdom! After I finished fixing our baon (which I pre-cooked last night!), I woke her up and we took a bath. Then, by 4:30 I awakened the hubby so he could take us to school. Thirty minutes later, we were leaving the VMS campus and were on our way to our first stop, Kulturang Pilipino somewhere near the Luneta compound. The place is really a fun place for kids since they would get to know about Philippine dances, songs, history, artifacts and even values. It was a bit small though so the students had to come in by batches and wait for their turn at each of the rooms that showed them a bit about our culture.













Next stop was the Light and Sound museum at the Rizal park, the only problem though was that it was broad daylight so the students weren’t able to appreciate the real show. There was only a tour guide who narrated the final events of Jose Rizal’s life including the final gunshot that killed him. It was around 11 when we finally left for Nuvali where the kids (and parents) had lunch (most of us ate at the bus since it was cooler) and only went down to use the restroom, visit the tiangge and check out the rest of the place. There were many fishes which the kids had fun feeding. By 1pm, the buses rolled off to go to the main highlight of their fieldtrip – Enchanted Kingdom!







But alas! Despite all their excitement it seems these girls are not really so adventurous after all! Because they preferred to ride the more conventional rides and wouldn’t dare to take on the more exciting ones. But I did not pressure them since it’s their field trip after all and so it is their wishes that should be followed. The girls decided to go and watch RIALTO first, a 3D type of moviehouse that has moving chairs to enhance the experience that the viewers are actually not just watching the movie but in the movie itself, well, almost! The movie that was currently showing then was Happy Feet and it was truly a riveting and jolting experience but still short since it lasted all of twelve minutes and yet we waited almost an hour in line to get inside. But then, I guess we didn’t have much choice since all the other rides have the same kind of long lines. The next ride they decided on was the Up, Up and Away. Afterwards, they went on a carousel ride and then ate some snacks at the food court there. We wanted to ride the ferris wheel also but there was just no more time since we need to get back to the bus already.








I guess we wasted too much time trying to decide which ride to take; trying to find something they would all like – others want the bump car but the others don’t; some want to ride the Roller Skater – which is a mini roller coaster actually but the others don’t; even the Giant Ferris wheel and Anchor’s Away were shunned by the kids, they think it was boring! I guess the kids failed to take advantage of the ride all you can ticket that they bought. Besides, all the other rides were not allowed to them like the Rio Grande, Jungle Log Jam, Space Shuttle Max and the Extreme Tower Ride. Oh well, I guess I shouldn’t have lifted my hopes up. Maybe when my daughter is a bit older we could go back and enjoy all those other rides we failed to take. That is, if I am not yet too old to ride!

Kitchen misadventure series 36 – Mac and cheese for baon…why not?

Today, I decided to wake up earlier than usual because I wanted to cook something special for my kids’ baon – no there’s no special occasion, it’s not anybody’s birthday or anniversary - I just wanted to cook mac and cheese -that’s all! The recipe I used was a very basic one – I just boiled the pasta in water first. Then, while I was waiting I cooked the sauce – some basic red sauce recipe wherein I used some leftover ham and corned beef sautéed in garlic and onions before adding the spaghetti sauce. It took me a bit longer than usual though to finish cooking because there were just so many things I needed to do for the mac and cheese – like grate some cheese, chop onions and garlic, boil the pasta, etc. But I guess it would be well worth the effort knowing the happy surprise in my daughter’s face when she sees her baon!

MS UNIVERSE 2011 – Our bet made it to the top 5!

We spent the entire morning today just glued to the TV to watch Shamcey Supsup as she vies for the Miss Universe crown. Admittedly, the country is filled with citizens just waiting for the time when the Philippines will win another Miss Universe crown and I am one of those hoping against hope that Shamcey will be the one to finally break the lull. After all, she is beauty and brains rolled into one. But, despite being among the crowd favorites and despite her straight English and perfectly acceptable answer during the Q and A, she only got the 3rd runner-up crown - why oh why???

I think her answer was great! She stood by her beliefs and proudly pronounced that God comes first in her life. Well, the Philippines being a predominantly Catholic nation, that should be understandable to all, even the judges. But I guess they didn’t see it that way. The idea that Shamcey would impose her religion on the person she loved probably did not sit well with them. I guess they would have wanted her answer to be more on respecting the religion of the other and accepting the person you love for what they are, but hey that’s her belief! She should not have been judged on how she answered but rather on how she remained calm and collected while answering the very very difficult question they asked her. Oh well, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. What matters is that Shamcey once again made it to the Top 5! The Filipinos have shown (thru Shamcey’s victory) that we truly are indeed among the world’s most beautiful women! We’re so proud of you Shamcey!

Kitchen misadventure series 35 – Chicken curry

Here’s another favorite comfort food, which thankfully my son also shares. My daughter has not developed a taste for it yet since she says it’s a bit spicy but eventually I hope she’d like it. The hubby, however, doesn’t like it so I am only able to cook this dish for the kids baon (and mine of course!) The recipe is actually very basic – I just sautéed the chicken in ginger, onion and garlic then let it simmer until cooked. Then you add the curry and some patis for seasoning, milk or gata (whichever is available) and the carrots and potatoes. Let everything simmer for a bit longer until the vegetables are cooked and voila! Chicken curry!

MONA LISA SMILE – a film review

[photo/poster grabbed from IMDB]

Finally, here is one good movie about teachers – totally unlike Bad teacher, since this movie is about Kate Watson, an art teacher who had a very modern outlook and wished to imbue her passion not just for art but in life to her mostly conventional and traditional students of Wellesley College. Katherine soon learns that her students have memorized her entire syllabus through their textbooks so she decides to disregard her lesson plan and teach them in unconventional ways to let them start thinking for themselves. She gets into a conflict with some of her students and their parents not just for her teaching methods but for her beliefs that a girl should strive for more in life than just wait for the right man to marry.

The movie kinda reminded me of another film – Dead Poet’s society but this time the students are all girls including their teacher. But the similarity ends there since their storyline is totally different. Mona Lisa Smile was set in the 50s and it tackled the women’s need to gain more academic freedom and independence. And with a progressive teacher like Watson, they eventually manage to think out of the box, well, most of them. Betty (Kirsten Dunst) is highly conservative and failed to understand why Watson remains unmarried and is pushing her students to think beyond marriage and embark on ‘careers’ of their own. When her marriage fails near the end of the movie, she realizes that marriage isn’t everything and decided to pursue a law degree and enroll in Yale.

Joan (Julie Stiles), another student, is early on seen to have been influenced positively by Watson and inspires her to pursue a degree in Yale law school where she is eventually accepted. But in the end she elopes with her fiancée and instead asks Watson for understanding and to respect her choice. Watson is also shown here with an ex-boyfriend who flies in from California to propose marriage but she declines since she feels she doesn’t love him enough. Then, there’s another Italian teacher whom Watson starts dating but when she discovers that he continues to have affairs with his students and that he lied about being in the war, she breaks up with him.

In the end, the school realizes that Katherine’s course has become popular with students and asks her to return next year but imposes conditions for her to follow. So she decides to leave and explore Europe by herself. This is a good ending since it showed how she is unwilling to compromise her principles. Her students all cry upon seeing her leaving but she still dashes off, leaving them with her graceful Mona Lisa smile. Indeed, this is one movie that would make you smile and believe that there are still wonderful teachers out there like Katherine Watson. In the movie, however, the term Mona Lisa smile is made to refer to how the women in the 50s conspire to hide the lies and frustrations that they have in life - outwardly smiling even if deep inside they are hurting and totally unhappy with their lives.

NEW KITS FROM WHITEY (AGAIN!)

Since we bought the bunnies last year (around August), Whitey had given birth three times already - imagine that? Spaced three months apart, Whitey gave birth to five kits on her first pregnancy, then three on her second and you won’t believe this - eight kits this time around. I first heard her scratching wildly inside her cage at around 4:30 am so I went down and saw that she was once again already molting. I just made a makeshift nest for her using an old shoe box since her regular wooden box I found wet under the langka tree. I noticed a wide gash, though on Whitey’s left cheek, maybe she hurt herself while she was removing hair from her body to place inside the nest. I touched it a bit and saw it wasn’t bleeding and so I just let her be lest I agitate her further.

It was around 10am when Whitey started giving birth and at that time, Ace counted three kits all at the same time. I thought then that it would be the end but when we lifted her out of the box, it seems she was giving birth to one more, in fact, five more! But it was just too bad that two of them died quickly. I guess they were just too small when they came out – seemingly premature and unable to move so they can’t nurse properly. Or maybe mother rabbits have only six nipples??? I don’t really know, I never got around to checking but what really got me so excited was seeing Whitey give birth to eight new baby bunnies - hurrah for Whitey! Here are pics of her new babies.

P.S. Another one died a few more days later, so I guess it's now just down to five...