Washington DC 2009

Judith was quite excited on our trip going to Washington DC. After meeting my relatives in New York, it is now her chance to meet her relatives in US.

Before leaving New York, Tito Bobs bought us food from NY Chinatown for baon in our bus trip. As much as we would like to bring all the food, we brought fried rice, chicken and pork asado. We ate some during the bus stop over somewhere in Maryland.

After a 4 hour bus ride, we reached DC and just like in Boston and New York, once we alighted from our vehicles, our relatives are already there, ready to welcome us. Judith's cousin Karen and her husband Bodgie helped us with our bags then asked us where do we want to go first. Our answer: SHOPPING!

Our schedule in DC is quite limited. Karen and Bodgie have been lobbying for a longer stay for us, but we can only stay there for 4 days and 3 nights. Judith and Karen have not seen each other for nearly 4 years. They are quite close, like sisters, practically growing up together in Pinas. So after leaving our bags in their home, we went to go shopping. Bodgie drove us to an Outlet Store in Leesburg, an hour's drive from their home. We reached the place at around 6PM, we left when they closed at 9pm.

Judith and I were surprised how low the prices on these stores. The stores are branded stores but the prices are really low. Judith's smile never left her face, as if she hit jackpot in a casino. She knows the range of prices in Manila, so the items she bought (shoes and bags) were really priced better compared to those back home. After a 4 hour bus trip, 3 hours of shopping and 2 hours of car trip in DC, we were all hungry and tired going home. We were planning to buy food then eat back home, but, as if a bad joke was done to us, ALL food places that we visited was closed or closing. So, when we reached home, we ended up eating the food Tito Bobs gave us from New York! Buti na lang marami talagang pinadala si Tito, masarap pa. Tawanan na lang kami habang kumakain.

The next day was TOUR day. We went to the National Mall of DC wherein we visited the National Air and Space Museum, National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Natural History, the Hirshhorn Museum, the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Veterans Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol and the White House. Pictures galore on every stop, as we were accompanied by Karen and Bodgie. The National Mall was really a tourist haven for all the famous landmarks of DC. As usual, Judith and I enjoyed the artworks from the museums. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials were magnificent structures. The Washington Monument was very imposing, along with the Capitol Building, but the White House is really an awe-inspiring building.

We capped the day by going to the nearby National Harbor, a newly built marina where shopping and dining places are present. We were feted by Tita Raquel (Karen's mom) to a hearty Chinese banquet. The servers on that restaurant were quite queer-looking since most of them were chong-sam wearing caucasians! However, the food and the service were excellent. Then we watched an open-air jazz concert nearby. Coolness! Upon reaching Bodgie's home, we played some Wii Sports games in their den.

The next day was again shopping day. We went back to Leesburg for another round of Outlet Store buying spree. This time, the whole day was alloted for shopping alone. We bought stuff for the kids and for pasalubongs back home. We ate dinner in a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, again for free courtesy of the Dioquinos.

In our last day in DC, we were a bit sad because we will leave Karen, Bodgie and specially Roen, their cute daughter. During our stay, she would love to show us her stuff, her shoulder bags, her toys, her make-up, her toy car, her shoes, her room, etc. She reminds us of Zia. There was an instance when we were talking with Zia via Skype, Roen was smiling when she heard Zia singing one of her favorite songs as well. Actually, Zia has many similarities with Roen, hopefully someday they would be as close as their mothers.

We left DC with many smiles, many shopping goodies and many good memories.

To view our pictures, please click HERE

New York 2009

We left Boston quite in a nick of time!

I booked a bus trip from Boston to New York online. BoltBus is the name of the bus line. Our schedule was to leave Boston South Station in 5PM. We never realized that the South Station was a large station with many gates and terminals. All along I assumed that the bus will pick us up outside the station, so JR and Rainier dropped me and Judith outside South Station. Lucky for us, Rainier thought otherwise, he checked inside the station and found the right gate for us to board. Judith immediately ran 3 floors up the terminal and found the bus dispatcher, pleaded him to wait for us before the bus leaves. As we boarded the bus, it began to move out. Whew!

The bus ride was quite nice. The bus has a wifi connection, it has electrical plugs and the leg space is roomy. We enjoyed the scenery from Boston to New York. We even talked to the kids using Skype inside the bus. As we see the skyline of New York coming near, our excitement also grows bigger.

We reached New York City at around 9PM. The moment we alighted from the bus, I already saw Tito Bobs and Tita Josie waiting for us in the station. Again, it was very gratifying to see familiar faces especially relatives in a big new city. We rode a cab going to Tito Bobs' apartment in Manhattan, and enjoyed the night scenes in the street. Tito Bobs' place is like an apartment with a DVD library. His collection of movies, musicals, concerts and other videos are things to envy. The apartment reminded me of my Lola Taba's place (Nanay's, Tito Bobs' and Tita Josie's mother) in Makati when I was still a small boy. The arrangements of the appliances, its designs and its stuff look very familiar. The best part of the apartment is the view outside the bedroom - the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Of course, once we set foot in his apartment, Tito Bobs (and Tita Josie) began to be our lifeline. Tita immediately gave us our subway ticket pass good for a week, Tito Bobs went to shop in the nearby grocery for food and other stuff - all for me and Judith. We talked and talked until the wee hours of the morning.



Our first day in New York began with a Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Conception just across the street where Tito lives. After the mass, we ate our breakfast in a diner nearby called Ambrosia. Well, the food is quite heavenly-filling and a good preparation for our long day ahead. When Tito and Tita asked us what do we want to see first, we opted to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So we rode our first subway ride with them and walked until we reached the museum.


The Met is a huge place! Tito bought us the tickets and we REALLY enjoyed our visit there. The Egyptian exhibit is a grand one (as if we were in the pyramids), the European sculptures were very exquisite, the African and the Latin American artworks are very exotic, very mysterious, but the paintings on the second floor are our favorites. Works of Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Manet, Picasso, etc., were there for us to wonder! We took lots of pictures and bought souvenirs (actually even the souvenirs were bought by Tito so we did not spend a thing there). Me and Judith were worrying for Tito and Tita because the two of us are prepared for such long walks, and they might be tired with us, but to our surprise, we were tiring ahead of them.


After almost 4 hours in the museum, we went to Times Square to buy Broadway show tickets. As we walk towards Broadway Ave we saw parts of the street closed for vehicles to accommodate people, mainly tourists. We took pictures of people, buildings, interesting sights, etc. As we reached the ticket place, Tito Bobs again bought us tickets to watch Mamma Mia. Because the play is still 3 hours away, we decided to go to the Empire State Building. We had snacks first at a nearby McDonald's again courtesy of Tito. Upon entering the Empire State, we found that the queue was long but once we were on the viewdeck of the famous building, the scenery was breath-taking. Well, actually breath-taking for me since I am afraid of heights. Even inside the building, we were all amazed of the classy designs from the walls to the floors. Of course, the viewdeck was paid by Tito Bobs.



We reached the theater just in time, and Tita, me and Judith enjoyed the play. Judith was dancing at the end of the show to her delight. We walked back again to Times Square to see this famous place at night time. It was truly a plaza with a nightly light show. A sight to behold and a grand way to finish the night.



The next day, after breakfast, we rode the Circle Line. It is a tourist ship which routes the whole Manhattan Island. Along the waters, we saw the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge and the other famous and interesting sights of New York. There is a tour guide annotating some facts about the famous places and it is quite informative. Tita Josie, Tito Bobs and his friend Keith were with us during this 3 hour trip. Afterwards, Tita Josie accompanied us going to Queens. We rode the train to reach her son and my cousin, Chris' home. Chris is also a doctor, his wife Iris is also an ophthalmologist. They have a son, Ryan, who is as old as Enzo.


The whole Arboleda clan had a mini reunion in Chris' house because of us. My uncles Francis and Lito were there. Tito Francis came with his son Wesley. Tito Lito's family was complete - Tita Lorna and the kids (well, big kids) Matthew and Mike. We had dinner together and watched the Baseball Home Run Derby. My cousins except for Chris, are all huge, they probably outweigh me at least 50 pounds. But being with them, having fun with them makes me realize how lucky I am to have relatives like them. After the mini-party, Tito Francis even drove us to his home, maybe an hour away from Chris' place. Tito and Wesley were very comfortable during the car trip, but Judith and I were so cold since Tito's car is a convertible, running in a highway at 10PM. Because of the trip in his home, we were able to see my other cousins, Jeffrey and Tiffany, who missed the get-together. After one round of beer, Tito Francis brought us back to Chris' place.


The next day, me, Judith and Tita Josie were fetched by Tito Francis to go to upstate New York to visit Tita Madre in Maryknoll Sisters, Ossening, New York. Tita Madre was diagnosed to have lung cancer last year, and since then, no relatives have visited her yet. After an hour and a half drive, we reached the place, and we were so amazed how beautiful the compound of the Maryknoll lay people. Once we reached the building of Tita Madre, she accompanied us to their dining area and she gave us a feast for our lunch. She just finished a tiring diagnostic exam during the morning but she was so excited and enthusiastically introduced us to ALL people in the building. She even gave us a tour of the place, showed us their museum, their big chapel and their beautiful courtyard with plenty of flowers. She was so thrilled to see us that she was so tired when we reached her room. Of course I was so thrilled as well to see her up and about than languishing in a hospital bed. I gave her some advises regarding her condition, got some medical information from her as well so that I can ask my doctor friends who are pulmonologists and oncologists. As much as we would want to stay more and longer to Tita, we still have to go back to Manhattan, so in the mid afternoon, we bade Tita farewell. Before we reached Manhattan, Tito Francis passed by Coney Island. It is one of the popular beaches in NY. After some pictures, we retired to Tito Bobs place. Judith cooked dinner for all of us to finish the memorable day.


The next day Tito Bobs and Tita Josie let us see NY for ourselves. Of course, before we left the apartment, they even gave us pocket money! Judith and I went to the Central Park, the Chrysler Building, Macy's, the Apple Store, Rockefeller Plaza, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Philippine Consulate Office, the Disney Store, the NBA Store, and took pictures and shopped for pasalubongs. We returned to Tito's place just to change clothes because we were off again to see my friends from high school. They booked a Japanese restaurant near downtown called Megu, and we (Yeng, Leslie and Jude) had a grand time talking about the younger years. Of course, it was a free treat again for us. Another great way to end the day.

After breakfast the next day, we packed our bags and Tito Bobs accompanied us for our bus trip going to Washington DC.

Next stop: Washington DC!

For more pictures, click HERE.

Boston 2009

My wife Judith and I went on a trip last July to the United States for the first time. The long plane trip was also our first time, and it was really not a comfortable experience. The plane of Northwest Airlines is cozy, the food is great, our seat mate (a Canadian pastor) was very accommodating - but the mere fact that we were seated for almost half a day is very unnerving. After a nearly 20 hour flight (with stops in Nagoya, Japan and Detroit, USA), we reached Boston, MA last July 6.

When we arrived in Logan airport, we were expecting to ride a taxi going to the home of our hosts, but to our surprise, they were actually waiting for us in the airport already! Our welcoming committee - Rainier Covar, my partner in Eye Republic Clinic and his brother-in-law JR Lacson (who is also my fraternity brod) - were already there. It was so gratifying to see familiar faces in a practically new and unfamiliar world.

It was the start of the Lacson family's very generous accommodation to me and Judith. JR and Rainier toured us immediately to downtown Boston coming from the airport. We arrived around 5 in the afternoon, the weather was great, so we had a nice introductory tour of Bean City riding in an Audi Quattro Q7 SUV. Boston is calming, very urban yet homy. The Lacson residence is in Lexington, a suburban area of Boston. Once we reached their home, we met Rainier's sister, Ron (who is also a sorority sis) and her 2 charming sons Eddie and Roger. They gave us their spacious guest room all for ourselves. Once we were settled, they treated us with a steak and lobster meal for our first dinner. So far, we were enjoying our vacation, big time!

The main reason for our trip in Boston is to attend the World Glaucoma Congress. It is a biannual convention of glaucoma societies all over the world, and as a member of the Philippine Glaucoma Society, I decided to attend the event, having attended the convention 2 years ago in Singapore. Since the start of the convention was July 8th, we were still free on July 7th the whole day, and Ron toured us the whole day in Boston. She gave us our week pass tickets for the Boston T, treated us for lunch in a Japanese buffet restaurant, showed us the good sights in downtown Boston riding in her Benz E class car. We went to the Harvard Square and marveled at the serene campus of the school grounds. Once we reached their home, we were again full in our stomachs with their sumptuous meal specially prepared for us.

We were also adjusting to the extended daytime. We were accustomed to the 6pm night time back home, but since it is summer time in the States, night time starts at around 9pm. We found it also very amusing to see caucasians taking advantage of the sun on every chance they can have. We see them on the street or on the park sitting or reading or eating under the sun. Of course, me and Judith will go to the shade every time there's an opportunity.

The glaucoma convention was great. I attended most of the symposia and lectures, learned new ideas, took down notes, took pictures and recorded videos. In the interim, Rainier and I would meet Judith in the mall near the convention area, and again do sight seeing. Judith had this fixation to the death of Michael Jackson that she has read most of the magazines featuring him to pass the time waiting for us. She was also able to meet one of her childhood friend who was now based in Boston with her family.

Prominent places we saw in Boston: Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Harvard Campus, Brigham-Young Hospital, the Apple Store, the TD Garden and most of the Freedom Trail via the Boston Duck Tour. I enjoyed the Fenway Park Tour being a sports fan. We were able to go down the batting area and all the way up to the Green Monster wall - Judith even met a young Fil-Am woman working in the Tour; we got some souvenirs from the park as well. The Duck Tour was also great. We rode an amphibious vehicle which traversed the downtown streets of Boston to tour the tourist spots, then transformed into a boat to see the tourist spots while on the Charles River! Kung may ganyan na sasakyan sa Pinas, ok lang ang baha.

One thing we really miss back home are the kids. This is the first time that we were away from them for this long. So before we left, I have set-up 2 computers to access Skype, a computer program wherein users of this program can communicate via the internet for free, with video. I have taught our helpers back home how to use the computers, so the longing to see our kids were lessened whenever we see and talk to the kids. They were excited to see and talk to us, and they believe that we were not really away and we're just inside the computers!

Of course, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. Our last day in Boston was July 11. Rainier and I still attended the morning sessions of the convention, then the Lacson family again feted us with a despedida Brazilian steakhouse late lunch. We barely reached the bus station in time going to New York. But with help from JR and Rainier, we made it to our bus, thus ending our wonderful stay in Boston. I mentioned to JR that the best part of our Boston trip is not the sights of the place but the hospitality we received from their family. We will be eternally grateful and will cherish them always and hopefully we can return the favor in the near future.

Next stop: New York!

To view pictures of our Boston Trip, please click HERE.

38

I'm 38 and I'm one happy fellow.

I don't feel like 38 though, maybe it's just denial. But the happiness I feel is real, no denying about it.

I am a father of 2 wonderful kids, a husband of an even greater wife, a son of two ever-proud parents, a brother of 4 helpful siblings, a doctor for my needy patients and a friend to many individuals.

I have a car, I live on my father's house, I work in my clinic, I can eat my favorite food, I can wear my preferred clothes, I use my different gadgets, I am relatively healthy, I can travel to far places, I belong to different organizations and groups, and I am in a position to help people.

So, what's up for me?

Many things I guess. I still have lots of plans, things to do, things to finish, things to dream about.

Hopefully, for this coming year I can still share my happiness to all I know and care about.

Tagaytay 2009

Every Holy Week time, Judith's family makes it a point to have a reunion, sort of an annual tradition. So Last April, we went to Tagaytay to spend an overnight stay in a rented house. Joy found a great house just right for 3 families - Judith's, Joy's and Candee's.

Zia and Enzo enjoyed the change of scenery and the cold weather, being in the middle of summer. They played with their cousins, and the adults had their soul batteries recharged.

Easter morning, we went to the Tagaytay Church to hear mass, then the kids had an easter egg hunt. Great fun for everybody.

For more pictures, please click HERE

Enzo's first hospital stay

Last February 6, 2009, Enzo was admitted in Las Pinas Doctors Hospital. It was his first time to be admitted since he was born. He was diagnosed to have mild dehydration due to acute gastro-entiritis.

Sometimes, being a doctor can be disadvantageous specially if you are a parent doctor. The first day Enzo had diarrhea, Judith and I were already entertaining so many possible diseases and worst scenarios in our mind. Between the two of us, Judith is more of the worrier, maybe one of the roles of mothers is too worry all the time. Based on Enzo's signs and symptoms, 2 doctors - graduates of UP College of Medicine and of Philippine General Hospital, are having difficulty treating their patient because the patient is their son.

Eventually, we decided that Enzo need intravenous fluids and further tests, thus we went to the hospital early part of the morning that day. Our attending pediatrician is of course our friend, Dr. Ces Alinea. In the ER, our main concern is the insertion of the IV on Enzo. We know how strong and likot he is, but the insertion was just one try. The hospital is quite familiar to us because Judith is a practicing doctor there. We chose it over PGH because of its proximity to our home.

Enzo was quite grumpy in his room during the early hours, he would try to remove the heavily bandaged IV line on his arm. Eventually, he got what we were hoping since the previous night - a peaceful sleep. He was so masungit and crying the previous night because his sleep would be interrupted by his diarrhea and vomitting spells. So when we were in the hospital, he just slept the whole time. In fact, when he woke late in the afternoon, he was eating some bread and cakes, and walking around his bed na. So at around 10PM we were already heading home the same day.

Stress galore but eventually, seeing your child smiling and well - priceless!

Avilon Zoo

Zia and Enzo enjoyed their visit at Ark of Avilon Zoo that we decided to go to their main site, the Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Rizal.

I went to its website and downloaded the map going there. Since May 1 was a holiday, we thought it would be perfect to go there. It was quite a long trip from Las Pinas, nearly 2 hours of travel. We were quite worried before the trip because the weather was quite rainy, but eventually the weather cooperated. Locating the place is not that easy, and the road going there is still rough and muddy. Once we get there, it turned out well.

The place is 8 hectares, so one will have a whole morning or whole afternoon to see all the animals. We opted to hire a tour guide, and it was worth it since the guide had a systematic route and stories on each segment of the tour. It is a walking tour so it is quite tiring. There is a segment for reptiles where different crocodiles can be seen. They also breed crocs there. For bird watchers, this is a good place to be. Their collection of birds are great. There is an area for big birds - flamingos, peafowls, all kinds of parrots, birds of paradise, birds of prey; an area for small birds - colorful, singing ones. There is an area for apes, a spacious area for wild cats - tigers, leopards, jaguars, lions, lynx, pumas; for hyenas, wolves, bears, tapirs. There is a snake area, a lizard area, an amphibian area, horses, ostriches, deers, llamas, rodents, big fishes - ANG DAMI TALAGA!

Enzo was so tired during the tour that he even took a nap during the tour, when he woke up, played with the animals again. Zia was so enthusiastic, she was so active throughout the tour. She played with the orangutan, took pictures with an owl and an eagle on her arm. The guide mentioned that the zoo is still developing some of its parts. They are preparing provisions for elephants and giraffes. It is one of the better zoos I have visited. The trip was so worth it. The kids have a grand time. We had a great time.

For pictures, please click HERE.

Ark of Avilon Zoo

Zia and Enzo love to watch animals on TV. Even on books, they would identify the names of the animals and the sound they make. As seen from my previous post here in this blog, Zia uses one application in the iPhone to identify animals and listen to its sound.

So when an opportunity comes for us to visit a zoo, we always accompany the kids for these animals. We have gone in Tagaytay a few months back, in the Residents Inn, but the animals were not as interesting, and they all look cramped.

Judith then eventually booked us to go to Ark of Avilon Zoo, located near the Tiendesitas complex in Pasig. For P250 all-day entrance, we had a great time mingling with the animals. On the ground floor, there were spacious cages for the wild cats - a white sumatran tiger, lions, panthers, leopards etc. There was also a large koi aquarium where Zia and Enzo enjoyed feeding the fishes. Some lizards and reptiles can be seen as well. On the far side of the ground floor, we had some photo shoot with the orangutan and some birds. Zia enjoyed touching the ape and the birds, di siya natakot. On the second floor, giant aquariums can be seen and different fowls and birds. There is also a feeding area for rabbits where Zia had a grand time.

For pictures of our trip in the ark, click HERE

Coron, Palawan 2009

The Philippine Glaucoma Society held its planning session in Coron, Busuanga, Palawan last March 5-7, 2009. It was the first time I have visited Palawan, and it is really a beautiful place.

The plane trip from Manila to Busuanga was approximately 45 minutes. Busuanga has its own new airport. This place is located North of Palawan, quite far from the main city of Puerto Prinsesa. Because of its rich diving sites, it has become one of the popular tourist spots in the country. From the airport, our group was fetched to be billeted to a resort. Most of the roads are still not cemented but numerous construction areas denote progress on this islands.



The places to visit there are the picturesque coral islands offshore, the crystalline waters of the different lakes and the different dive sites. I was able to dip to a saltwater hot springs, quite an experience. We also went up to hilltop wherein a giant cross is located, all hundreds of steps along the way.

Coron is also near the Calauit Animal Sanctuary, wherein animals imported from Africa were put by an influential politician, to be his private zoo. Some of our group went there but I did not go anymore. I miss my kids and my wife. Maybe someday, we will go there as a group.

Enzo's second birthday and Manila Ocean Park

Enzo is growing fast! He is a very active boy. He doesn't smile much as his Ate Zia, but he is more excitable. He has this special kandirit, wherein he will do a hopping action on one foot, with hands outstretched and facial expression of excitement every time he sees a favorite TV show, or hears a favorite tune or when I or Judith arrive from work. Aside from these, he runs faster than Zia when she was at his age. Of course, he also mimics his Ate Zia a lot. He wants to be involved when Zia is involved. He has this knack of pulling one's hand, using all of his weight, to force him/her to go with him when he wants to go or do somewhere or something. His favorite activity at home is jumping endlessly on bed at nighttime. He knows how to count already, knows basic colors, knows the alphabet, even some numbers, planets and months of the year. Saka mas nagiging kamukha ko na siya. Pati paghilik at pagsasalita pag natutulog, kuha rin niya.



We celebrated his second birthday at home. On a cloudy January 17 morning, we gave Enzo a very subdued birthday celebration. Judith prepared some balloons and a birthday cake. He received a toy Diego as a gift. Even Zia was excited for her brother, so excited to the point that she wants to blow the candles in the cake. We really decided that we will not hold a grand party for him, Judith and I decided that instead of a party, we went to the Manila Ocean Park instead, the new big aquarium center at the back of Quirino Grand Stand in Luneta.

Enzo and Zia can identify animals. They love watching TV shows with all sort of animals. So once we got good feedback with the Ocean Park, the whole family went there a week after Enzo's birthday. The place is quite big, it was taunted to be as good if not better than the other aquariums in Hong Kong and Singapore among other places. In terms of diversity of fishes and other marine animals, the Manila Ocean Park is quite astounding. Both Enzo and Zia were so enthralled in seeing the sharks, the rays, the eels, the corals, the fresh water fishes, the salt water fishes, etc.

The aquariums were enormous and were designed very well so the viewing of the animals are maximal. The place is designed in such a way that a mall and restaurants are incorporated within the system. We stayed there for the whole morning, and even some months after our visit there, Enzo and Zia still remember their visit there.

To see the pictures of our visit there, please click this link HERE.

Zia's first school

Last November 2008, Zia's developmental pediatrician has cleared her to enroll on a preparatory school. Her doctor has noted improvements on Zia's development, although there are still points to be improved. The speech and occupational therapy have to continue but we were advised that regular school can proceed. Judith and I scouted schools in BF Paranaque, looking for a school ideal for her speech condition, near our home, near the therapy center and of course not too expensive. After trimming the number to three potential schools, we eventually picked Child's Home School. Judith was very picky - she looked at the size of the rooms, the number of children per class, the schools where the teachers graduated, etc, etc.

Zia's class would be from November 2008 to March 2009. Her class was in the morning, from Monday to Friday. Seeing her in a school uniform for the first time is a sight to behold. It's a mixed feeling of glee - "my daughter is so cute" - and of gloom - "I'm getting old, my baby is now in school." Zia was enjoying her class. She was always excited when she was preparing going to school. Occasionally, she was accompanied by her Ate Cris to school, to be brought there by Manong Archie. After school, she would eagerly read her books and practice homeworks. Her speech has improved significantly. She has consistently expressed her feelings and sentiments, unlike a few months back wherein tantrums would be frequent because she cannot communicate to us well.



Of course, with school works come school activities that include family activities. By December 2008, Zia was excitedly practicing her Christmas class number. It was a dance number to the tune of Little Drummer Boy, with a costume of Little Santa. So when her school Christmas party came, all of us were there, happily cheering Zia and her classmates for their dance number. It was a cute number. Zia was dancing with her classmates, although sometimes, she has her own choreography different from her routine. Everybody enjoyed the party afterwards.

The other main school activity was the graduation. Again, some musical numbers were prepared. This time, Zia's class performed "I'm a Believer" from the Shrek soundtrack. Zia did another good dance performance. Her Ate Cris modified her costume which made her outfit better-looking. The other musical numbers were very entertaining as well. However, as her school was ending, Judith and I were deliberating wherein we will continue Zia to Child's Home. After balancing the pros and cons, we decided to enroll her to Montessori de Manila next school year.

Macau 2009

My christmas gift to Judith was a vacation trip in Macau. She deserves all the credit being a very good mother to Zia and Enzo, and keeping our house a good home for all of us.

So after the parties have finished, we flew first day of January, 2009. We stayed in the very magnificent Venetian-Macau Hotel, believed to be one of the biggest hotel complexes in the world. Macau is the equivalent of Las Vegas here in Asia. Numerous casinos and hotels are scattered throughout the small colony, and our hotel is the biggest of its kind. The hotel has the biggest casino land area I have ever seen. Maybe at least 10 basketball court-wide are the sizes of the casinos, and all of them are full of customers! Within the confines of the hotel is a shopping complex, elegantly located with a man-made river where gondolas travel to and fro. The ceiling is even painted with sunny, cloudy skies, giving the illusion of eternal daytime. The artwork in the hotel lobby is a sight to behold, and the hotel room exudes class in every aspect.

The sites in Macau are also good for tourists like us. Being a Portuguese colony before, this has aggregated to the Chinese culture beautifully, making its sights truly unique. We visited old piazzas, old temples, museums and different places of eating. The most famous landmark there is the Ruins of St. Paul Church, and one of the most popular food is their egg tart.

Travelling with Judith is such joy. Kahit lakad lang kami ng lakad, ok lang sa kanya. Siyempre, magkasundo pa kami sa food so kahit saan kami kumain ok lang. Kapag nasa ibang lugar kasi kami, mas gusto naming kumain ng mga local food kesa doon sa mga fastfood. Kahit hindi kami maintindihan ng mga tao doon, ok lang kami.

Na-miss lang namin ang mga bata. Apat na araw lang kaming nawala pero parang ang tagal-tagal na naming di sila kasama. Pag medyo mga 6 or 7 years na sila, isasama na namin sila sa mga biyahe namin.

Here are the pictures of our trip, click on this LINK.

Revival

It has been more than 8 months since my last update on this blog. I could have posted earlier but due to various reasons, nothing was posted.

There have been many activities in our home since then - Christmas 2008, Macau trip, Enzo's birthday, Zia's graduation, family outings, etc.

I will try to post each activity to update this blog. A new and hopefully better blog from moi.