HOLY COW!!!!!

What I Ordered.....




My Fizzy Drink.....




Tabasco, Anyone?




The Decor.....









Every once in a while, I crave to eat steak. There is something about the smell of newly charred, succulent meat with mushroom gravy that makes my appetite going and my mouth water. And for all you steak lovers out there, I think to have your meat cooked medium rare is the best way to cook a steak. The meat retains its juices and is not dry. Yummy!

So I just had to give in to my craving one day after attending a private function. I was so hungry that to take pictures of the food I ordered was just an after thought, an exercise I suddenly remembered doing before I devoured my steak since I brought my camera with me. The best part was also having a thick slab of battered and fried cream dory to go with my steak. It was so satisfying. Burp!

A BOY NAMED ADAM.....

This little boy has grown up quite fast from the last time I saw him seven months ago. No more chat, just photos for this....

REVIVING A FAMILY TRADITION.....

Even before my family transferred to our present residence here in Las Pinas, I am no stranger to this area. My cousin, Manong Kelly and his family was one of the early settlers during the time when going to Las Pinas was such a tedious journey. The coastal road did not exist at that time, the main road in Baclaran ended at MIA Road and the area of Pulang Lupa actually smelled of the sea because of the sea salt being laid out in front of the houses to dry and be sold as table salt. My cousin would actually pick my family up in our rented apartment in Sampaloc and we would stay in his new (at that time) house to usher in the New Year. My aunt who used to sell meat and meat products in Central Market would be the one who would cook the food for the media noche. It was a tradition that my paternal relatives observed until everyone grew up and led their own lives and my aunt stopped selling and passed the business to one of my cousins.

A lot has happened since then. My father's siblings have been succumbing to illness, particularly to different cancers one by one. From a brood of six, only three remain. Majority of my cousins are now based in the U.S. And even my nephews and nieces who I used to carry or even play with are now grown up and have kids of their own.

I guess the recent death of one my father's sisters prompted my cousin and my remaining living aunt to revive the family tradition of spending New Year at their place. So right after observing mass for New Year's eve, my brother and I went to their place. Now, the gathering is not about the food and merrymaking anymore. It has evolved into a coming together and keeping in touch with one another.

Just as the clock struck 12 midnight, I went to the second floor and took pictures of exploding fireworks. This proved to be more challenging for me. Unlike the fireworks during an organized show like the pyro olympics where in I can actually see the barge from which the fireworks are set off, I had to anticipate for the area where the next explosion would be. Not all firecrackers are created equal. The ones that actually form glorious light patterns in the sky are more expensive than the ones that just produce a blasting sound. And it is these expensive ones that I looked out for and tried to photograph.

Here are samples of the photos I took. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome 2012!

LOOK, IT'S HEDWIG.....

I saw a figurine of an owl in the house and thought that the statuette reminded me of Harry Potter's owl, Hedwig. So even if I was about to go to bed tonight, I delayed it for a few minutes and took pictures of the owl in the dark. My intention was to simulate night time (well its actually night time) hence the low key photo and dark background. The light I used was my small led lenser.

Goodnight.....And don't let the bedbugs bite! c",)

AT THE END OF THE DAY.....

Rest In Peace.....






Final Viewing.....






The Family Left Behind....






His Loved Ones.....






A Pensive Mood.....






I may not be seeing what is left of my close friends in PGH that often nowadays but that does not mean I do not care about what goes on in their lives next. From a group of 11 people, only three of us have remained here in the country and the rest have established their lives abroad. A text there, a message in Facebook or a chat here keeps me updated about them. Before, I used to be able to go to PGH and pay them a visit. But since both have become settled in their married lives, priorities have shifted and going out like we used to do when everyone was single is now a rare occurrence.

Early this year, I was shocked to learn about the deaths of the loved ones of these friends of mine. One lost her husband to leukemia while the other lost her father to a presumed heart attack. I wasn't able to attend the wake of the husband of my friend since it was in an area I wasn't really familiar with (Pagbilao, Quezon) but I sent my condolences. But when the other pal lost her dad, I made sure that I would attend his wake out of respect for the family. After all, the man welcomed me, (and the rest of the gang when we were still complete) to his home years ago and I was grateful for that. Ate Rose joined me as we traveled to Lani's hometown. Since we arrived at sunrise, we felt we just have to be with Lani's family for the burial, which Ate Rose and I did participated in.

Right after Lani's dad was laid to rest, a sudden downpour occurred. It was the most disrupting event to happen. I hate traveling while it is raining. I don't want to waddle in flooded areas; I don't want to get wet if I have not set my mind to be. All I want is to return to my home as soon as possible. This is me being tired, I longed to be home. Also, this is me being mindful of contracting leptospirosis.

But I liked returning to Lani's hometown, even if it was for a sad occasion. My first and only visit was a decade ago. The three of us reconnected as we were able to engage in some serious conversations. I found out about the progress of Lani's kidney transplant journey while Ate Rose regaled us with stories about her daughter, Precious. I updated the both of them of what I have been doing this past few months. And we would fill each other about news concerning our other friends if we knew something new about them.

If ever the time comes that some of our friends return for a vacation, we would suggest a trip back to Lani's hometown. Besides, we would be occupying a huge house, just for us, the girls!