Fast Forward Sunday

If you've had one of those days where your is day packed solid with activities to make your head numb, then you'd know how yesterday felt like for me. There was the Adidas run with gun-start for the 10k event scheduled at 6am, and J's all-day long soccer competition. Two very tiring and strenuous events, both under the glare of the unforgiving Manila sun.

There were times during the run that I felt my legs would give way or my lungs would explode if I didn't stop. In all sports that require hours of training to develop endurance, such as running or long-distance swimming, if your body tells you to stop - dont! Simple as that! The mind fully controls the body.

Having said that, let me clarify that I am so not talking about my own body. For the first 6k of the race, I kept on visualizing myself running all the way to the finish line. Repeating one mantra after another in my head, as I push myself forward. However, I am disappointingly sharing with you, that, yes, I did stop to walk in the middle of the 10k route.


On the upside, C and I are both happy making our PR's this time. We both beat our previous time by about 5 minutes. So that's something to celebrate for. I will be continuously training till the end of the year as there are a lot of good races coming up this Novemeber.

We did not have the luxury of time to look for friends to have the usual photo-op after the race, but it is a good thing we ran into Carole, who took the above photo. Otherwise, we would not have any picture to keep for posterity sake.

As soon as we crossed the finish line, flushed faces and sweaty bodies notwithstanding, we went straight to Nomads Sports Club in Paranaque to meet up with J. Her team won enough matches to qualify for the semi-finals. Observing that she has been consistently called on by the coach to be in the starting line-up in all the matches gave me a reason to smile inwardly. Money spent on all those training sessions did not go to waste, after all. :)

And so it came to be that they were up against one of the best girls' team in their age category. As J kicked the ball that scored the winning goal and made her team qualify for the finals, everyone gathered around her, jumping with joy and hugging her. Too bad, everyone was too busy cheering that no one was able to digitally capture that euphoric moment of victory.

We all know that winning is addicting; here's hoping that there will be more trophies and medals to come her way!

King of the Road 2009

After taking a hiatus from running road races for about 2 months, I am looking forward to the Adidas run this Sunday, October 25, 2009. I have been doing my usual 3k runs, and I think that is sufficient enough to make me finish the 10K race still running... as opposed to panting and out of breath.

But what I am really happy about is the race singlet. This is the best that I have ever gotten. The fabric is soft and made from a dry-fit material to ensure that moisture is drawn out of the body for a comfortable and dry run.

race singlet for the men

race singlet for the women

I am sure I am going to wear it again after the race.

Nutrition and The Young Athlete

With the kids all engaged in numerous activities and with J playing competitively for two sports, I have took it upon myself to research on the proper nutritional requirement for a young athlete.

Here are some guidelines that I found to be useful before, during and after training:

} Make sure kids arrive to practice well-fed. They should eat a meal that contains sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, 1-2 hours before the practice session or competition.

} During training, kids should be encouraged to take "water breaks" every 20-30 minutes even when the young athletes do not feel thirsty. Research studies have shown that providing a cooled and flavored beverage produces greater fluid consumption among children and helps prevent dehydration.

However, it is in my belief that while sports energy drinks taste good, the best source of hydration is still good old fashioned water. As stated here, kids do not need the additional sugar in their tiny active bodies.

I have found a natural alternative by making my own sports drink. I simply mix a few tablespoons of honey and a pinch of salt in a cup of warm water. Let the mixture dissolve well, and mix it with cold water and a couple handful of ice cubes. You can also follow the recipes here and here.

As you might expect, since honey is sweeter than table sugar, it also has more calories as well -- 22 per teaspoon compared to granulated sugar's 16 per teaspoon. However, it is healthier in that it is a natural form of sweetener; thus there are trivial amounts of minerals and vitamins in the bee product while white sugar has none.

} Let the kids eat carbohydrate and protein within the first 30 minutes after practice. Replacing carbohydrates that were used during training within 30 minutes is essential for repairing muscle tissue and preparing for the next athletic training period. This is perhaps the most important time to eat to maximize body recovery!

Just the other week, I made granola bars for my kids to enjoy.

It is relatively easy to make and is also nutritionally great just about any time of the day. The rolled oats provide an excellent source of fiber and are a good source of complex carbohydrates. The raisins, dried blueberries and dried cherries are a good energy source, and the almond, sunflower nuts, and wheatgerm provide protein. The flax seeds are a good source of omega3.

High-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, low-fat, and moderate-fiber. Granola offers more bang for the buck, so to speak.

Ondoy: The Tragedy and The Aftermath

Nearly a month’s worth of rain fell in just six hours over Metro Manila last Saturday, September 26, 2009, triggering the worst flood in nearly 40 years. The unexpectedly massive flood turned extensive areas of the metropolis virtually into a sea. Cars stood at a standstill, people were left stranded on rooftops, wide-spread blackouts were experienced all over and at least 100 people were killed, and many more are missing.

They say that death and tragedy are the greatest equalizers, and this is none more true than during the calamity last weekend. Families from various economic sectors were not spared from the flash floods entering their homes, many were forced to retreat to their roofs, until rescuers came. The moneyed inhabitants of Forbes Park and Dasmarinas Village, the middle class living in gated villages, as well as the squatters living near the "estero" had their homes violated by the sudden, uninvited gush of murky floodwater.

One person shared his testimony at church yesterday, testifiying how he had two vehicles with a combined worth of PHP ten million submerged in flood water. One of C's good buddy from La Salle who had just moved into a brand new nome in Loyola Grand Villas with her husband and young daughter found themselves homeless, although temporarily, as floodwater flowed into the house's first floor; destroying the new and expensive furniture.

Just as I was checking my inbox this morning, I received an email informing me that a grade two co-parent at my daughters' school was one of those unfortunate victims of the flash flood, as well. Details are not clear, but from what was relayed to me, as water quickly engulfed the vehicle he was in, he moved out and held on to a tree or lamp post; it was at the same time that a nearby wall or post got knocked out and fell on him, pinning him to his untimely death.

My own brother-in-law was stuck in the gridlocked area of Buendia, in the vicinity of the Cash and Carry from the early afternoon of Saturday up to the early morning of Sunday. Flood water had risen neck-deep rendering the road impassable to motorists. My sister-in-law, was likewise stuck in traffic. After not moving an inch for an two hours, she sensibly decided to head to their ancestral house to spend the night. Leaving her two young daughters, one still an infant, at home alone with just the yayas.

I saw many videos posted on YouYube taken during the typhoon; but none scared me more than this. The UERM students, who were stranded inside the campus, shot this video using a mobile phone. It scared me because of two things: first, seeing the dangerous extent of nature's wrath; second, that one of the spectator had the capacity to laugh while being witness to this harrowing event.




A slideshow taken also from YouTube that shows the many faces of the tragedy that is Ondoy.

A biblical passage to lift up our spirits during this depressing times.
Taken from the book of Psalms, chapter 40, verses 1 - 3:

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our GOD.

The Day Ondoy Went To Town

I remember going to sleep Friday evening, the sound of the heavy rain gently lulling me to sleep, a persistent white noise. My thoughts turned to XS’s soccer field; if the rains continue unabated, the field will be unplayable again for the fourth Saturday in a row.

I woke up Saturday morning still hearing the same sound that lulled me to sleep the night before. Only now, the force of the water that pounded on our windows had a furious beat to it. Tropical storms, and the heavy rains and strong winds that come with them, are nothing new this part of the world, where there are about 20, more or less, typhoons and tropical storms that lash out at the country annually.

Moreso, PAGASA has only raised signal number one over the metro. I have a full day planned… pay a quick visit to the pediatrician, then off to buy a nice birthday gift for a friend whose son was celebrating his first birthday, head back home for the requisite afternoon nap ( for me, really, more than the kids), and then go to Makati for a kiddie birthday party at 4pm.

First off, bring B to the pediatrician to find a way to treat the rashes that have started to develop on her body. Initially, we all thought they were nasty mosquito bites until the spots started growing all over her body. Doctor said nothing to worry about, just rashes secondary to a viral infection. Viral exanthema, is what he called them.

I continued to go to Megamall to shop for the gift. Violent reactions were made by the 2 girls, who wanted to go to Shangri-la Plaza, instead. But I had a few errands to run, and no one can beat SM with the diversity of choices that their department store provides. As the mall’s slogan says… “we’ve got it all for you!” And they truly do!

There was a slight feeling of uneasiness as I saw the 2nd floor deck parking filled with numerous puddles. I remember thinking that the mall should have their flawed sewerage fixed. I hurriedly went about to do my errands, buy some hose nozzle and sprayer, new eco-friendly non-stick pans, muffin pans, yada-yada-yada. After lunch and doing the last task on hand, I finally noticed that the mall was missing its usual throng of shoppers.

While choosing a gift for the birthday boy in the toys department, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation that the two sales staff were having.

Girl 1: nilusob ko na ang baha kahit na hanggang dito ang tubig (points to her waist), buti na lang may dala akong extra na pampalit. Tuloy-tuloy ang ulan!

Girl 2: Naku! Bakit di pa nila tayo pinapauwi? May announcement na ba?

Hearing this exchange… Panic! Safely ensconced in the mall’s massive structure, we were ignorantly unaware of the fact that the storm had quickly dumped unusually high amounts of rainfall all over the whole of Metro Manila, and in fact, the whole Central Luzon island.

A few seconds later, I got a SMS from my friend informing me that they were postponing the birthday party. This SMS confirmed that the situation outside has gone worse, and that the best thing to do would be to head home ASAP!

Alas! What was normally a 30-minute drive along EDSA turned into a three-hour journey, as we negotiated the few remaining roads that were still passable. We made a few u-turns as we witnessed how the floodwater reach neck-high in certain areas.

We got home to find the house pitch-dark, owing to the electricity being cut-off since early afternoon. The emergency light in the stairs, although still working, was dimly lit, showing signs of its batteries shutting down anytime soon. No sooner had I climbed a few steps than the faint light went out completely, and I find myself walking in absolute darkness. Then I felt my steps grow heavy, and then heard the splish-splash as my feet walked. WTF! Is this rain water???

The OC-ness in me wouldn’t let this pass. Flashlight on hand, I hunted down the source of water. Turns out, water seeped in through an opening that was left by a vacated a/c at the third floor entertainment room. Water slowly cascaded down the third floor onto the stairs. The half-done renovation of the windows on the third and second floor landing contributed to the water leak, as well. And they all together formed a waterfall on our wooden stairs. Thankfully, the water that gathered inside the house is just rain water, and not flood water. Whew!

We would not know the full ramifications of the storm until the day after, when electricity has been restored and we are finally online to see the full effect of the damage that Ondoy has brought.

Still and all, we remain thankful that all we had to endure from this is tragedy is coming home to a dark house full of puddles. Our possessions remain intact, our family complete.

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our strength and refuge, a helper ever near.
While resting in His shelter, no evil will we fear—
Not if the mountains crumble into the angry sea,
Nor if the surging ocean exceeds its boundary.

photo credits: Flickr photos uploaded by Simon Meisinger, Erwin Jason Mendoza and Cha Mercado

{ I heart mamon }

I grew up in love with the Goldilocks mamon during the entire duration of my childhood. I remember my parents would painstakingly hand-carry bags filled with these delectable, soft pillows of heaven back to Davao everytime they would go on a trip to Manila. My siblings and I considered these goodies luxurious items since these were not readily available in the province during those times.

The spongy cake is bitten into ever so carefully, and if we wanted to indulge our taste buds, we would let it melt in our mouths - savoring the buttery good taste.

It is with this tender memory that I set out to bake a mamon that’s as close to the original as possible.

And so off to the kitchen I went to do my experiment, with quite an armful of recipes. Some hand written, a few torn off from magazines, still a few from the back of the boxes of baking supplies. I carefully noted down the techniques of the different recipes, and finally came up with one that I call my own.

Everyone who tasted them, loved them!


They were soft, buttery, and with the perfect mixture of vanilla and lemon.

I made sure to put a spin to it by adding some grated cheese on top. In Goldilocks parlance, it is the grated cheese that makes it “espesyal”.

fresh off the oven...

brushed with butter...

dipped in sugar...

enjoy!!!

Following my writing dreams, Finding my writer's voice

My mornings start early, as in very early. The kids start waking up at 5:45, so I have to be up a few minutes before that. Things are very hectic up to the time the kids leave for school. A few days of the week, I try to run 3k after I bring them to school. On the days that I feel lazy, I do tae-bo or other aero activity for 30 minutes to an hour.

Mid-morning is usually the time that I can put my feet up and take it easy. It’s chill time. I check my inbox, surf the net, or start a new blog post, keep in touch with friends, read, clean my desk... oh well, you get the drift.

It was one of these relaxing mornings a few days ago. I received the usual bunch of email messages; a few from friends; some from Facebook informing me of a new comment to a thread I commented on; yet another from People magazine giving me my daily dose of celebrity gossip; one from Martha giving me my cookie recipe of the day, et cetera, et cetera. Then again, one stood out from the rest. It came from someone named Kat von Einsiedel. The European sounding name intrigued me, so I passed over the rest and clicked on this particular message first.

What great news! Turns out Kat is the managing editor for Good Housekeeping, informing me that:

Hi Tina! I'm not sure if Jing mentioned that we'll be printing your Bee article in our September issue.

Here it is, my very first published work:

Follow Your Nose

Hmmmm! The highly addictive chocolate aroma that comes out from the oven as you wait for the brownies to finish baking is an indication that the powerful gustatory experience with this simple dessert starts even before you taste it.

This pleasurable and rewarding olfactory experience alone should be reason not to settle for store-bought. Turn yourself into a home baker, dash to the kitchen and make yourself a batch!

Brownies are easy to make from scratch and are perhaps the most forgiving of all recipes. You only need one bowl to mix all the ingredients and a spatula. Brownie ingredients, chocolate and/or cocoa, flour, butter, sugar and eggs, always seem to be readily available in all pantries. The brownie batter is simply mixed by hand, and when done is scraped into the baking pan. Brownies can be served as is or eaten warm with ice cream (ala mode). I prefer to eat my brownies off my hand with a tall glass of low-fat milk.

The more experienced baker can try to experiment with it; making its density fudgy, chewy or cake-like. If you are feeling adventurous, you can embellish it with a variety of toppings such as walnuts, marshmallows, choco chips, and even cream cheese.


I was feeling adventurous, so my brownies did not only see the addition of cream cheese and choco chips, I added a huge scoop of Nutella, as well. The resulting brownies are similar in texture to a fudge candy - dense, moist, chocolatey. As I lick my fingers to clean off the remnants, I find myself reaching out to get one more. And another. And still another more. It was that good!

A Great Beginning

If you have a scrumptious breakfast to start your day, then everything else that follows can only be wonderful!

Getting my gustatory inspiration from the successive food postings of Michelle over at Mom-Friday, I have decided to make my own version of her kesong puti and sardine bruschetta.

My version used milkfish marinated in olive oil, a couple leaves of arugula, a slice of tomato, kesong puti, a dash of salt and pepper on a slice of grilled baguette.

Everyone in my family agreed it is a great start to a Sunday!

What I Would Do for A Handbag

Where have I been? Even I couldn’t believe I’ve not written anything for two months!

Since school started, life has been crazy bringing the kids to school and to their various after-school activities. With three kids growing up very fast and starting to find their own interest, I find myself like the proverbial headless chicken as I scurry back and forth to bring them to different locations all over the metro. There’s swimming, soccer, gymnastics… and still they want to add piano, painting. To add, since R started big school, homeworks are being given everyday. Can you believe that? I don’t remember doing any homework when I was in nursery.

Having been driven near the point of exhaustion by all these activities, to which I am just a passive participant, mind you. I found it particularly important to reward myself for my - ehem, "hard work." So I went bag hunting! :)

I searched online for about two weeks, looking for that perfect everyday bag to keep me in sartorial company as I go about my daily routine. The LV’s and Prada's are perfect for lunch with friends but totally out of place in the pool’s waiting area. I always do a double take everytime I set them down, lest they unintentionally sit on a dollop of water, which could damage the sensitive material. The Nine West bags are perfect for running errands and picking up kids from school but the synthetic leather have a limited life span in my perpetually sweaty palms.

I wanted something durable to last me forever (is that too much to ask? :) ) and yet something mid-priced that will take the beatings of the everyday routine of a mom with three active kids.

A bag can go as far as to tell the kind of person we are; telling others of our interests and creating a strong statement of our personality. No matter what bag you carry, shabby or chic, your handbag definitely says a lot about you. Choosing the right piece will keep us looking effortlessly well put-together, while we savor the appreciation from others.

Longchamp tote is a fave among Manila’s fashionable set, but it doesn’t do wonders for me. I find the bag’s flimsy material insufferable, considering the price-point set for it. A recent incident wherein my sis’ bag was slashed at Powerplant did not do anything to improve my impression of it.

I have always admired the colorful arm-candies at Kate Spade. They can brighten any outfit easily and even if it’s made of nylon, the fabric seems thick enough not to give way easily to any mugger. However, I quickly did a turn-around when C pointedly opined that they looked much like the freebies that cosmetic companies give out.

And so I tried searching under the “fine leather” category. And I loved what I found:

Kate Spade Park Slope in Black

Kate Spade Park Slope in Saddle

Coach Madison Julianne in Black

Finally, here is what I decided on. I just fell in love with the bag’s timeless design and its rich full grain leather, accented with gold tone hardware. Do you agree with my choice?