Start of something new

Sharing of interests, stories of where I've been and what I did. Insights, thoughts, learning that may be applicable and helpful to anybody in this world!

Saturday 31 March 2012

Simple Meal: Pork Binagoongan





The first time was a blast but the second one is better!

My husband was browsing through our cook book, he saw the recipe for Pork Binagoongan and he told me that he wants me to try it.


Even if we have the cook book, I still relied on Google :)
I am cooking just for me and my husband and thus my serving is good for two.

Ingredients:
 
1/4 kilo pork (cut into cubes)
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 medium tomato (cubed)
3 tbsp salted shrimp fry
2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup water
15g sugar
1 tbsp oil







Process:


1. Boil pork until tender
2. Fry pork into pan until golden brown and until oil from pork comes out - set aside
3. Put oil into pan, put garlic, onion and tomato then mix until onion turns light
4. Pour in the pork, mix until tomato juiced up
5. Put in the salted shrimp fry, water, sugar and vinegar, mix and let simmer for 3 min.
6. Season so taste
7. Serve with steamed rice


Always worth the try! The one we had is not so salty because the taste was neutralized by the vinegar.

I hope that you will also enjoy this meal.


Friday 30 March 2012

Let's Go Bananas!

My husband is working at Scope International where they have a lot of GP2W  (great place to work) activities.  One of which is the free bowling sessions, tree planting activity, fun run and a lot more (well to keep employees engaged and I believe it is working :D).  If there are fun runs, I always ask my husband to join the run so that I can also join, but since my husband is not fond of running, I ended up not joining.  In any case that's not a problem to me at all.


One weekday, when I was planning to go somewhere else with my office mates, my husband told me that he and our friends (from Scope) will be doing something on a Saturday afternoon.  I immediately said "ok" and did not ask much about their planned activity since I also have somewhere else to go.

Now here comes Saturday, I got lazy to go out and join my office mates and then my husband asked me to join them instead.

"Okie, what is this activity?" I said
"Let's Go Bananas!" he said


Sounds interesting right... 
On the site, the girls were very relaxed to pose for photo opps before anything else..


However, right before the activity my husband and Karl was like... uh.. ahm..
Is there something in the sky?



They were actually concentrating and internalizing about what will happen in the next few minutes..

Watch the video...



Yes, my husband and our friends were in the video (watch closely :D).
This is the first time for all of us to attend in this kind of activity, although it is not usual but it was definitely exciting especially if your are doing something for a cause.


To learn more about this activity and to know "why banana?" click on this link --> Why Banana?

The after party was simple but nice.  Food were banana, banana cake, banana pudding and other pika pika.  There were performances to promote the Fun Run that will happen on June 2012. 


Yes, I am not from Scope but I believe that this activity is something that is worth sharing because of its cause!  Although I will not be able to join any run, I still wish "Happy Running" everyone!

Happy Friday: What makes the orange Sweet?

I was asked more that once: "You have been married for close to two years now and yet why are you like as if you were married just last month?"

There are many possible answers to this question but for me it's simple; I know what I want!  

For me every action that we take always starts from the basics "what do we want?" then everything else will follow.  If you want something to happen then you will definitely know what actions to take to make that "something" happen.


I want a happy and fulfilled marriage and that's why I make it a point to keep it burning.   Now that I know what I want, I now take actions to accomplish them.  It does not mean that I will continue to tell my husband to court me or for him to take me out for fancy dinners or the other way around, for me it is how I make myself continuously in-love with him.  See, Love is not just a word that we say, it is an action that we need to show.

A simple activity that I do, I have this notebook with me entitled "Reasons that I Love you" (no I no longer create journals :D) and every forth nightly I take this out and write the things that my husband did to make me smile.  It is not even a story, the notes are just bullet points to specify the things that made me smile.


- He gave me donuts
- He washed the dishes for me
- He helped me carry my bag despite the fact that he is already carrying a lot
- And so on and so forth


This notebook does not just contain the positive notes, I also include the not so good things that happened but still are part reasons that I love my husband.

I made this activity for myself as a reminder that I married and loved my husband not for only one reason but for MANY.  There were times wherein I got angry with my husband (breath in and breath out) and I just looked at my notes and instantly I will realize that one small dot cannot ruin a clear bond paper.  Sometimes I don't even look at the notes, I merely think about them and instantly all is clear to me.

This is just one of that ways I do to keep it all burning. Not sure if this is something that will work for others but for me it does well :D

xoxo

Sunday 25 March 2012

Weekends for me is... the light!

Photo by: Noel Fernando
Location: Titiwangsa Lake Park, Malaysia
Whether you are a student, employee, entrepreneur or housewife / househusband -- we all look forward to weekends!!  

Weekend is where our official duties (whatever our duties are) comes to an end and we finally have time for ourselves at home.

For me, weekends is spending "more" time with my family and now that I am here in Malaysia, weekends is spent with my hubby.  I know! I know! We are always together so what's the difference right? 

Weekend is the time where both of us are not thinking about work and we can do extra activities for the rest of the day.

I am not a big fan of out of towns or dining outs.  Aside from the fact that this is an extra expense, it will still take some of your physical energy (energy in walking out and traveling) just to go about a certain activity.  Besides there are a whole lot more weekend activity that we can all enjoy without risking our budget (if budget is not an issue then by all means, loh and enjoy a whole lot :D).



Here are some of the things that I liked doing during weekends:


1. Cooking - I plan my weekend by looking out for possible recipes that I can try, whether this is a meal or a snack.  I believe that spending your time together (your family / your partner) in the kitchen means interaction and teamwork.  Good bonding moment and source of fulfillment if the meal is yummy for the tummy!


2. Cleaning - This is definitely a scheduled activity.  This activity is actually double purpose,  you can clean the house and at the same time assess how you (as a couple) take charge for house chores.  Splitting the chores and having some fun time together can also be your bonding time.  You will also get to know your partner more, if they find cleaning interesting.


3. Do some fun activity outside - An activity need not be expensive.  I remember one time when my husband and I had "Kite Flying" during sunset, we added some bubbles to make it even more fun-filled -- it was a good experience because of the fun of it.  There was also this one time when we played with his remote control helicopter and had some frizbee.

I also remember, playing "Jenga" and "Pictionary" with my friends.  Very fun activities and worth the time spent. 


If you are living in a condo / subdivision where you are privy to use the pool,  have some time to take a dip with your partner.  If there is a tennis or
badminton court then one Saturday afternoon game should be interesting.


4. Movie Nights - Although nothing will beat the movies in cinemas, sometimes, it can also be nice to see one at the comforts of your own coaches at home.  There are a lot of materials that can be seen on the internet and I know there will always be something that will interest both of you.


5. Communicate - Whatever it is that you are doing, make it a point to communicate with your partner or family members.  This will make each of your weekend worth the wait!

Now, who is excited for the weekend? :D

Remembering our Pre Nuptial Pictorial

Exactly two years ago, my husband and I had our pre-nuptial pictorial!

I don't know where the idea of pre-nup all started but it was a cool idea to have one before getting married.  They say that you have your pre-nup pic together with your photographer for some important reasons:

1. For your photographer to establish rapport and to get to know the couple better - This way your photographer will have a hang on how the two of you relate with one another and will know how to beautifully take your pictures at your wedding.  Remember that wedding pictures are the one thing you can reminisce on and therefore we have to make it worth.


2. For the couple to be comfortable in posing for "a lot" of pictures!  Some people does not want to be photographed (well that's not a challenged for me at all) therefore, this activity will get them used of smiling and posing for a pictures.

At first I thought it was luck but over time I realized that we were blessed to have found the perfect photographer for our wedding.  I will never get tired of bragging about this one because I was greatly satisfied and I will always remember our wedding day every time I see the pictures.
Today marks the second year of our pre-nup pictorial, not a very significant event but for me it's important because this is where we met our friends.

This is the original photo.. nice blur!



 This is a taste of our Pre Nuptial Pictorial -- Noel's Blog!
 Here are some other pictures from my facebook -- Pre Nuptial Pictorial

Saturday 24 March 2012

I will always be like A!

It has been 9 months now since I left Accenture and I cannot deny the fact that what I learned from Accenture is still within me (and I guess will always be with me), engraved in my professional self.  Wherever I go and whatever I do, doing things the Accenture way is always what I prefer to do.

I do not need to elaborate how Accenture molded me as a professional person; but here are some of the things that from time to time makes me smile because I will always do these things whether I am in or out of Accenture.

These are just me, whatever I say may be different from what other Accenture people may think.(I haven't started my list yet but I just did one A-thing, which is making sure that we provide disclaimer and manage expectations).


1. I summarize it - I just want to make sure that we are on the same page. After every discussion, I am always itching to summarize.


2. I document it - If I was talking to someone and I know that whatever we discussed is something that has to be done or has to be completed in a certain period of time; I make sure that I document it.  Not just making sure that we are "again" on the same page, so that, at the end of the project, if there is anything that will go wrong, we have paper trail to look back to.


3. I avoid using RED AND BOLD - If i need to emphasize on something in my email, I make sure that I don't use this font.  For me it says that one person is angry and yelling. This is something I was not used to do and am still practicing in not doing it. I know that this is one net etiquette that we need to consider.  Anyways, if I want to say a point, there are a whole lot thousand colors to use out there to make sure that what I am saying is emphasized. 

4. I confirm - If I send emails, I want to know to know that the recipient got my message correctly.  If I do not receive any response, I call and ask them to confirm.  Since they are used to it, I don't need to call, they automatically confirms. :)


5. I make things complicated - If I were asked to create a report I do not rest in just providing the information needed in an excel file.  There has to be a Pivot Table, several tables that shows different cuts of the report.  I want to make sure that the person who will read the report will be able to analyze it in one looking.  No need to move back and forth to each of the tabs, one summary tab is enough to see the big picture.


6. Confidentiality - Whether it is an email, a meeting, a document or a phone discussion; being cautious has always been my twin sister.  I need to make sure that what goes out in writing or in a discussion will be addressed to the correct people.

7. Process - I always tend to look for processes. :D


These are just some of the things that I can think of now but I know there is a whole lot more. Don't know if there is anyone else like me but again, this is just me.

Happy Friday: Note to Self!

Sunday 18 March 2012

Are you Giver or Taker in a Relationship?

Photo by: Noel Fernando at Melacca Malaysia

I've been with a lot of relationships, whether it is love, friend, family or working relationshipsWe've been all through these types of relationships and what do we do when we are in it?  The famous line says, one should have a "Give and Take Relationship".  I can never agree more that this is something that we all should have. 

One cannot stand a relationship by being selfish and self-centered.  In a relationship, it is not about "YOU" and "ME" anymore, it is about "WE" and "US". It is always easy to tell but is sure hard to do. 


As a starter, I have found one test that can help us assess where we are in terms of having a "Give and Take Relationship"

I got this test from CLEO - September Edition (don't know the year).

1. Do you donate a part of your income to Charity?
    a. Never
    b. Rarely
    c. Regularly

2. When you go shopping, do you buy small presents for others as a surprise?
    a. Yes
    b. No
    c. Sometimes

3. When it comes to making a decision with your partner about where to go on a holiday or what to do on a weekend, do you:

    a. Usually get your own way
    b. Leave it eventually to your partner
    c. Make it a joint decision when possible


4. When you find our your neighbors are ill, do you:
    a. Send them a "get well soon" card
    b. Make a meal and take it to them
    c. Keep meaning to visit when you can


5. Do you get upset if you don't always get your own way or not given first choice?
    a. Sometimes
    b. Always
    c. Never

6. At the end of the day, when somebody comes and talks to you about their problems, would you lend them a sympathetic ear?
    a. Probably
    b. Not if I'm tired
    c. Yes

7. Do you feel that other people tend to take advantage of your good nature and kindness?
    a. No
    b. Yes
    c. Sometimes

8. Do you feel that the things you do for other people should be reciprocated by them?
    a. It would be nice occasionally
    b. Not at all
    c. Yes

9. When you do a friend a favor, are you hurt when he/she does not thank you or show any gratitude?
    a. No, it doesn't bother me
    b. Yes, but many people say thanks these days
    c. It can hurt if I have really put myself on for them


10. If one of your colleagues makes a mistake at work, would you cover up for them?
    a. Yes
    b. It depends how serious the situation is
    c. No

How to Score:
1.  (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3
2.  (a) 3 (b) 1 (c) 2
3.  (a) 1 (b) 3 (c) 2
4.  (a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 1
5.  (a) 2 (b) 1 (c) 3
6.  (a) 2 (b) 1 (c) 3
7.  (a) 3 (b) 1 (c) 2
8.  (a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 1
9.  (a) 3 (b) 1 (c) 2
10. (a)3 (b) 2 (c) 1       

10-16 
It's all take and no give in your relationships.  If you attempted to be more generous and put yourself out there a little, you could be pleasantly surprised by the rewarding actions of the people towards you.

17-23
You are about average when it comes to giving and taking in relationships.  You have a healthy balance and believe that as you give, you receive.  But do not think of "Give and Take" as being a bargain.  Giving is "pleasurable" -- and sometimes the reward is somebody's happy face.


24-30
There is such a thing of giving too much.  It's not a bad fault, but if you are honest, you must often feel that you are being taken advantage of.  Remember that it's perfectly fine to say "No" every once in a while.  Always saying "yes" can sometimes create more problems, both at home and at work.

-------------------
So how did you ranked in this simple assessment?  Whatever the result maybe, it is always up to us on how we should act on things.  We can always feel good or bad but it is how we react on each situation.  It is what will matter most and it will build the person that we are.

Saturday 17 March 2012

How to Find the perfect one for you!


I never thought that in the most unexpected time and place I will meet the man that I will spend the rest of my life with.  In truth, even before I was in Highschool, I never had any dream guy or the perfect guy that I want to be with.  I do not want to draw this Prince Charming in my head and eventually end up with a frog! 

In reality, we all want something; but for me wanting something is just an added excitement in finding the right one.  It will be your baseline.

If you deeply search for your one and only true love as if you make sure that each tiny criteria that you have is met; you are helping yourself become blind of the things unseen. You are being unfair and subjective. Give yourself the opportunity to learn more about someone.  If you learn something from a person it might interest you and that will eventually lead into a deeper relationship. I believe that everything starts from there. 

There is this saying that "Love isn't finding the perfect person, it's seeing an imperfect person perfectly".  In all essence, this does make sense! 

Friday 16 March 2012

Happy Friday: Who is protecting you?

Burburry Collection

We are human beings and we are all vulnerable.  We need something to protect us from the cold or hot weather.  We always need to protect ourselves.

As we all know, it does not just rest with physical protection. It is always important for us to think about our well being, our feelings and emotional need.

I feel very blessed with the protection that I am receiving.  First I am very blessed to have my family with me, lucky to have two families now because I am already happily married and enjoying it! No one will ever receive the same kind of love and protection from our families.  When all else fails, our families are and will always be there to the rescue and I believe that it is JUST that we reciprocate the same love to them.


Protection from our friends are also one important thing that we should also appreciate.  You can have many friends but only few will be there to protect you.  I have tried this test already and can proudly say that I know who from my friends can protect me and who from my friends I will protect till the end.  

Happy to feel blessed and lucky for the things and people who are protecting me.  Protecting my being.  I will always be thankful and will always appreciate the things and people around me.

True with the saying: What goes around, comes around!  If you plant seeds of joy, love and happiness, you will sow 10x more!



Saturday 10 March 2012

What's in a W-E-D-D-I-N-G?

Wedding is my favorite topic.  When this is being brought up its as if my brain cells are into fast forward motion and sends a signal to my mouth to talk as fast as it could.  I love to talk about weddings, I am energized and I can talk about it all day long.











Wedding is:

1. A fairy tale -- it is "Happy Ever After"
2. Every woman's dream -- to walk down the aisle and say "I Do" to their Prince Charming.  
3. Every man's fulfillment -- to give the woman they love their dream wedding and their surname :)

In short, wedding is a special occasion for two persons, their union as they both share their dreams and love for one another.  They are united in marriage.

When I hear that someone is getting married, I feel excited for them because it's in those times that I again remember my own wedding.  The things that we have gone through, the excitement and the kilig moments, they are inevitable for me.


Wedding is a very sweet occasion, however, we also need to prepare ourselves for the unexpected.  With my own thoughts and realizations I have came up with my own scary moments to look forward / expect during weddings.

  
Witch - As you go along with your wedding, there will be a lot of guidance going on. A lot of friends and relatives helping out (of course they are all excited about the big day) but one must be wary.  A witch is someone whom you think is helping you but might work the other way around.  Say for example: someone might say that this "Venue" is nice with all the perks and stuff but you have already decided your own venue, in the end you might be picking the idea of others without proper thought and discussion with your partner.

POINT AT HAND - Decide what you and your partner have came up with.  Suggestions are good, but if this is something that will ruin your budget or pre-arranged plans then stop listening to this person.

Envy - Being envious is a normal thing to any human being.  However, in this kind of situation, being envious can be a good thing in such a way that you can be creative (like copying an expensive gown and letting your own inexpensive couturier do the thing ), but being envious to the point that you also want to have a five star hotel wedding but your budget does not allow you to is beyond the line.


POINT IN HAND - Do things in accordance to your specified budget.  There are a lot of wedding budgeting tools around there and from my own experience, reception is biggest cut of your budget pie.  Thus, think about your guest list, again and again and again. Hint: Ask yourself: What is their significance to both of you? as you go along with your relationship as bf-gf?


Danger Zone - This is like a manhole in the middle of the road.  Do not let you and your partner fall into this trap.  More often than not we want to please everybody but this should not happen.  

POINT AT HAND: This is your day, this occasion should be all about you and your partner.  Not about how many guests you have invited, not about the fancy cake that you cut and not about how expensive your souvenirs were.


Doomsday - In a horror movie, this is like your worst nightmare! Remember that nothing is perfect in this world and that unexpected things will happen whether we like or not.  Thus, you need back up and the best back up that one can ever have is to remember that you are doing this wedding to exchange vows in front of HIM and receive HIS Blessing and not about the flowers that didn't arrive or the music that didn't play for your reception dance.

POINT AT HAND: It is the Wedding Eucharist that is the most important aspect of your wedding day. 


Intrigue - This is one hell unavoidable situation.  A very real life scenario is if you decide to stick to your budget and cut your guest list, you will hear a lot of "you don't wanna hear things" but hey, let me remind you again that this is your wedding.  Another classic example is hearing your relatives forming the entourage for you when you have your list already.  Yes, we do not want to hurt feelings, but we just need to remind them that again, this is your wedding and you and your partner have already decided on the entourage.

POINT AT HAND: Whatever other people say, it should not matter because this is your ball game. 

Nagging - This will definitely happen to the couple themselves.  Planning a wedding is not like planning a BBQ party, it is a whole lot more. There are a lot of factors to consider and thus discussions (a lot) will happen hear and there.   

POINT AT HAND: Nagging will be there and this will just test your patience with one another.  If you cannot stand this nagging during your wedding preparations then maybe you should think again before plunging into marriage. 

Goose bumps - We generally feel this if we are scared. It will always be your first time to get married and thus this is a very normal feeling (unless you Wed a couple of times then that should be an exception). This might distract you to lose focus in what you are doing and planning; so the best thing to do is to accept the feeling and do something about it.

POINT AT HAND: Normal to be scared, it's not normal to linger with it.


I am not trying to scare the soon to be married but I just would like to emphasize that these things do happen and being prepared is the best weapon a couple can have.


After all is set, your Wedding will definitely run smoothly.  It may not run the way it was perfectly planned but both of you will have the marriage that you all wanted.  Basically that's what is important!

Friday 9 March 2012

When it Rains; It Pours!


When it rains; it pours! A metaphor that means; when something came up, a number of things will also come up.  

Now, whether it's a positive or negative thing it is up to the person saying this metaphor.

In any case and opportunity it is how we see "Rain" that we can make it beneficial for us.

For me, if it is something that frustrates me, I take it as a source of my motivation to move forward.  I take it as a black stone that I can step into in order for me to reach the golden stone.

Sometime it's how you make the "not so good situations" to your advantage and how you handle yourself.  

Good thing that I have my husband to always remind me of the things that I need to see, i need to appreciate and realize.  It's a good to have someone who is not in your situation and can see beyond the things that you are blinded of.


If the metaphor is the other way around, meaning the positive one.  This is when I take this one as blessings from HIM and something that I should be thankful for.  These things can happen maybe because of luck but most of the time I believe that they are a result of hard work, perseverance and faith.

To end, whether our "Rain" is a positive or a negative one, it does not rest on us getting wet.  It is how we dance with the rain!



My Bubble Theory

Photo by: Noel Fernando

"Bubble lifetime is a VERY complicated phenomenon.  It depends on the size of the bubble, the bubble formulation, the relative humidity (and so indirectly upon the temperature), the viscosity of the bubble film, air convection near the bubble surface and many more..(Newton Dep)

When I was a child, I was so amazed about how bubbles work. I used to create my bubbles from Gumamela Flowers and it was quite fun to do.  It's relaxing to see bubbles fly and pop them up one by one! At that time what I care about is just how bubbles fly and pop out.

It's a bit different now. Blowing and popping bubbles does not matter most to me; I now compare it to my life.

See, a bubble's lifetime depends on so many factors but regardless of the factors surrounding the bubble, it will eventually pop.  Very similar to how I view my life.  I know that every single moment that is happening has something to do with these three factors; 
(1) Me 
(2) Environment and 
(3) People around me.


Then for me every situation is a result of something.
Now I see them as an opportunity for me to learn, love and live with; because these things can considered as "once in a lifetime experiences".


I agree with the statement that;
"we need to live each day as if it will be our last".


Like the bubble, you will never know when it will pop and thus once it's still in it's beautiful form, we should learn to appreciate them!

Tuesday 6 March 2012

What do you see outside


I always tell myself that there is no easy work. You have to experience all the hardships and challenges to say that you are able to cope up with work and then eventually love it.  As we go along, there will be times that we will feel that it's as if everything becomes monotonous, work just becomes so boring that we drag ourselves everyday to work -- but wait!!!

Just today, I had one wake up call from my boss.
He said "If you want a brand new and fresh environment then we have to make our place new and fresh!"

What does he mean by this statement.  For me, leaving for another work place is not always the answer to make our work life exciting.  Sometimes or I'd rather say most of the time it is how we approach our work that makes it exciting.

It is not just about the work that we do, the boss that we have, the requirements we were asked but it is how we see things.  We should always see things in a positive manner.  That everything is a learning process and that it will all make sense if we focus ourselves to our goals.

It will always boil down to our behavior, attitude and personality on how we view our work in our lives.

DISCLAIMER: Although, there will be times that we need to sea the other side of the fence.  This will always be depending on the situation that we have.

Saturday 3 March 2012

Another side of the Sun


I used to say that Life is like Sunrise, you know that there is always something new to look forward to.  Everyday is a brand new day, brand new story and brand new learning to live with but I just realized that there is something about the sun that makes it even more special for me.

"Right now I feel that I am at the tip of an Iceberg and that a single miss in my step, a single uneven breathe will leave me drawn into the freezing water.  I can feel my heart pumping at it's peak."

Pufff!! A dream it was, a bad one for that matter!


Dreams are part of who we are, but it is just a part of our unconscious self showing us the things that we are afraid to do and accept.  This is the reality but is something that can make us move on.  There is always something to look forward to than be drawn into our dark selves.


Like sunrise, there is always a brand new day and in LIFE it should always be our way of thinking. Whatever happened in the past is something that we all should learn from.  Whatever will happen now is something that will be part of our future and who we are as persons.


But, how do we think about NOW?  How do we take each moment as precious as the sun?  

One afternoon, while in our room, I was watching the sun set and was so amazed about its beauty!  I just stepped out of our room to get something and boom, it was gone. So fast!

Another aspect of life that I can compare with the sun is SUNSET. In silence I have realized that as we go along our lives sometimes we tend to focus more on what will happen tomorrow. We have this positive outlook in life that we are always forward looking(which I definitely agree!), but as we think about tomorrow we forget to cherish each second of our lives TODAY.  

Cherish the time that we are with our family and friends, cherish the time to be happy, to laugh, to cry and to live.

It was then that again I realized that if we want to make the most of our lives, we need to  enjoy every single second of it, savor each experience as if it will not happen again.  We should not let is just pass by us and for me that's how to enjoy the LIFE that we have now.