Baby's First Trip to Manila Oceanpark

My ten-month-old daughter has an uncanny fascination with fish. I first noticed this in Gloria Maris Gateway. She was drawn to their aquarium with live fish. So much so, she forgot about her desire to grab all the napkins and her favorite siomai.

We tried showing her other aquariums of Chinese restaurants. She laughed at eels, got scared of shrimps, and gasped at other unfamiliar creatures. It was cute how she would gaze at the creatures with innocent wonder.

One day, we decided to treat her to Manila Ocean Park and availed of the 580php promo. We thought she might like the Sea Lion Show and the fountain display.

But to our dismay, she got bored with the Sea Lions. She thought the baby nearby who drank formula was more interesting; she still thinks that the baby bottle is a joke. She also slept through the fireworks while drinking breastmilk at the Symphony Evening Show. Luckily, I recorded the nice parts on video and she happily watched those at home. Touching the manta rays also frightened her; but she watched other kids do it with interest and peered at the shark that refused to be disturbed.

What she liked were the jellyfish and the sharks! We spent an hour at the Jellies Exhibit and two hours in the Oceanarium (although she didn't enjoy the Back of the House experience; pipes don't interest her). She adored the chandeliers that looked like jellyfish. She gestured jellyfish with her hands and pointed at the lights. Really cute.

Manila Oceanpark is a cooler experience when you have a baby to tag along with you. Catching her smile is just priceless.

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Piece of Serenity

If you could buy peace of mind, you would right? If nature calms you, why not have it break the mundane tone of your room or office? 

If you can't manage to plant or travel as often as you would want to, you may want to have a picture to comfort you at the very least... Or a picture that would remind you that you are but a mere speck in the greater scheme of things.

Martial Jeudy's "Humility" at Kulayara in San Juan reminds us of this. Our ocean of emotions, no matter how vast or complicated it may seem to us, is but a mere part of a greater whole. 

Showcasing the resilience of the bamboo and the gentle grace of the alps, it attempts to quiet our soul and aid us not to overthink in this great hullabaloo called life.

It suddenly reminded us of our recent art class in Glorietta. Leji and I couldn't help but be amused.

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ToFarm Film Fest!

The first ever filmfest showcasing the lives and stories of Filipino farmers opened last night at SM Megamall Cinema 7. Everything was fresh and green at the entrance and even the cocktails matched the theme.

Premier director Maryo J. Delos Reyes serves as ToFarm Festival's director. He says this is a unique project and he's happy to be part of it.

To stir about nostalgia, an exclusive screening of a LVN's 1959 classic "Biyaya ng Lupa" marked the opening of the festival. Produced by LVN Pictures and directed by Manuel Silos, it was the most nominated film in the 1960 FAMAS Awards where it won Best Picture and Best Original Story. It was nominated for Best Film in Berlin that same year, and bagged Best Supporting Actor (c/o Leroy Salvador) in the Asian Film Fest.

It was so cool Rosa Rosal, Marita Zobel, and their other co-stars were present for the mini-reunion. 

I hope the entries in this new festival could be as successful as "Biyaya ng Lupa" 

You may catch your favorite entries at SM North Edsa and SM Megamall at 11AM, 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:30 PM & 9:00 PM. You only have to pay 750 pesos if you want to see all the entries (via e-pass); you'll get to save around 500php.  

So take your pick! Vote for your favorite film for the Audience Choice Award on July 20th. Simply drop your movie tickets at drop boxes at SM Cinemas (bonus: 11am tickets are worth 2points! So it's better to watch the brunch show if you intend to vote. haha)

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Acupuncture Day

My little princess is now clingier and droolier (if there is such a word) than ever. I'll always cherish this stage. Two of her baby teeth popped up recently so she's testing how to soothe her itchy gums best. She chews on my clothes, my hair (yup, even when I tie it up in a ponytail), and even the floor puzzle. Strangely, she thinks the pacifier is a big joke; she just laughs and pokes at it while looking at my chest :/ Similarly, all silicone teethers land on the floor in less than 2 minutes. So much for the vain effort in keeping her toys sterilized and germ free :/ --I think antibacterial wipes and the Cradle spray are psychologically comforting. 

Recently, she expressed her dislike for bottled pumped milk. She would rather have it with cereals. She merely plays with the silicone nipple & spills gargled milk on her pillow. Then she turns to me with a face that says: "you insult me with that. I want it fresh!" She verbally adds: "Ma, miii (milk) De-de!"

She clings on to me as if her survival depended on my visibility. She would even watch me shower & poop. I used to carry her in a sling while doing chores, but now my back and arms suffer. People ask me how I lost all the baby weight--the answer is simple: we don't have a yaya.

To aid me in my plight, Doc Philip Tan-Gatue came to the rescue. As Leji watched close by, I had eleven needles today in Maginhawa. He avoided using too many needles on the sore parts; so I had some in my leg & hand. I need further treatment, but the procedure lessened the pain almost instantaneously.

Thank you, Lord.

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Little Lady in Little Tokyo

Leji had so much fun in her yukata the other day playing with her toy seal shinkanzen from Tokyo (thanks to her doting Tita Ninang Abby & Tita Lindsey)

So much so, we decided to take her to Little Tokyo.

She was amazed with all the colorful lanterns hanging outside highlighting the clear blue sky. When we went in one of the restaurants that opens early at 4:30 (most of the restaurants open at 6 or 6:30), she carefully observed how tempuras were battered and fried.

She's not yet allowed to eat shrimps so I ate the shrimps while she chomped on some breading. I'm happy she's not scared of chopsticks! hihi

After trying their sushi and yakitori, we capped off our meal with some ice cream in exotic flavors.

We tried Dojo Miso Sake (yes, it has a bit of a kick so I didn't allow Leji to try this one), Seaweed (it's like salted cream cheese; I wish it had more seaweed bits in it), and Black Sesame (our favorite!)

It was really one fine day; wish we can fly to Tokyo with her next time.

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Pack Light

Otherwise you'll end up having sore muscles (from carrying all your stuff) or you'll have to pay for pricey add-on luggage when you board the plane. What you bring can make or break your perfect holiday.

But others (especially women like me :p) complain: "It's not my fault. My bag alone is heavy already...even when it's empty!" So they end up using boxes that they can only use once (because they have to seal it all over with masking tape). Or they just pay for additional luggage/ pay other people to carry their bags for them. 

Quite inconvenient if you would ask me.

The solution? Invest in lightweight luggage that's functional and fashionable at the same time. Japanese Luggage Brand Ace offers fresh new designs inspired by nature.

Rock Paint-Z comes in various bright colors that would be easy to spot in a sea of black bags and brown boxes in an airport terminal. It also adds a cheerful youthful vibe to any outfit.

The Palisades-F inspired by the resilience of the bamboo is lightweight and durable.  This would match any power suit and it comes in various sizes which you could use for 3nights, 5nights, or for month-long holidays. You could also bring them all for longer vacations so your stuff would look uniform. Or you could go twinning with your kids! The possibilities are endless. 

The Ripple, inspired by water in Zen gardens, is also sleek and lightweight. It has an added feature of "Stop&Go!"... it has built-in breaks! It's cute; and you don't have to trouble with a zipper. Modern technology allows you to seal your stuff in (it's waterproof!) with a TSA-lock without the bag getting deformed. Plus, all the bags have a 5-year warranty.

Pretty cool right?:) Hop of to your next destination in style!

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Heaven in Eggs

After our affair with art at Glorietta, Leji declared she was already hungry. We ran to the most colorful restaurant near where we parked-- Heaven N' Eggs!

Famous for its unli steak and eggs, here are other reasons why Baby Leji loved it:

1. Fascinating carvings on chairs

My daughter loves fine woodwork. Our bed's headboard is actually adorned with carvings and anything that reminds her of home is comforting.

2. Mashed potatoes!

She appreciates the sides more than the main entree haha. If only they have unli mashed potatoes :p

3 Discounted coffee

For those on graveyard shift or students reviewing for exams, you could actually take advantage of this! We just enjoyed the scent of it with banana loaf.

4. Grilled Scampi

I ate the prawns, Leji had the bed of mangoes! It was delectable.

5. Pancakes!

For your all-day breakfast fix. We had fun with their Oreo Pancakes with unli syrup. Leji played with the whipped cream after munching on her share--too bad we weren't able to get that on video.

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