The 3rd Time is A Charm

Orange Poppy Seed Muffins!

2010-05-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

Ever since I tried Starbucks' Honey Orange Poppy Seed loaf, I've always wanted to bake it at home. And that desire to bake it grew stronger when I tried Figaro's Orange Poppy Seed Muffin. Given the situation, I asked my husband yesterday to buy me some of ingredients we lacked like orange extract and several oranges (what's the point of baking Orange Poppy Seed Muffins without 'em, right?).

They're now in the oven and is smelling pretty awesome. :)

Here's the recipe from Mr. Breakfast that I followed, only I had to cut the ingredients in half because we only had a half cup of sour cream left in the fridge. :)

Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

(24 Servings)

3 cups flour
2 and 1/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 cup orange juice (with pulp preferred)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup poppy seeds
3 eggs
2 teaspoons orange extract
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt

- by the Wife

Lee Min Ho

2010-05-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh.. I'm so glued to this Korean drama series. I don't usually find myself watching Korean series but when Lee Min Ho plays a part in it, I have to at least check it out. Lee Min Ho is so hot in this series because he's always acting so cold (but warm on the inside, gets?). He's like this too in Boys Over Flowers. :) I'm on a break now because I can't seem to find episodes 12 and 13 with english subtitles. But I'm watching other Korean series to pass some. I'll ask my husband to download the whole series someday, I'll settle for streaming internet streaming in the mean time. :)

Oh oh oh, the title of this series is Personal Taste! I almost forgot. :)

- by the Wife (obviously!)

Updates.

2010-05-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sovi's schedule has been changing a lot lately.. and so has ours.

For the past two days, here's her schedule:

11:00AM - wake up

11:30AM - breakfast

12:30 - 1:00PM - shower

2:00PM - nap

3:30PM - wake up from nap

4:00PM - eat LUNCH!!!

6:00PM - milk

7:30 - 8:00PM - dinner

10:30PM - milk and sleep

We as parents now sleep at 3AM because since the whole day is composed of taking care of the whole household, including Sovi, the only time we have to ourselves is when we've finally put Sovi to sleep. It's a good thing she sleeps for 12 straight hours so we have a couple of hours to spare before we need to get ourselves some shut eye. It's Day 15 of not having a yaya (yaya/labandera, cook, and maid all decided to go on their annual vacation on the same month.. great.) and I can pretty much say that the past two weeks have been a challenging task for me and my husband. Our mornings are usually spent in front of Sovi, the washing machine, and the stove for specific reasons they hold: to be taken care of, to do the laundry, and to cook lunch. And afternoons are.. well, they're pretty much about spending time and playing with Sovi. :)

Looking at how much she has grown up makes me realize how amazing it has been for all of us.. Yesterday we noticed how talkative she has become, blabbering who knows what the whole afternoon. And today, she'd make a couple lot of sign languages just so we can understand what she wants to say. We're not strict on wanting to teach her ABC's because we know she'll eventually learn that in a formal school some day, but we do encourage her to be expressive and teach her the do's and don'ts as to how to be a good and obedient daughter. With God, my loving husband, and our Sovi, I know I can't be at a more perfect place. :)

God is good, ALL the time. :)

- by the Wife

Did YOU Rock the Vote?

2010-05-11T03:26:00.000-07:00

I always hoped for Filipinos to miraculously become a bit wiser, a bit smarter.. so that somehow, our country would be a little better. Yesterday, I wished that miracle would happen. But it didn't.

I didn't get to vote.. because it was too late when I realized that I have to be a registered voter to be able to do so. As results came out from the hourly updates through the internet and TV, I was saddened to see that the people have voted for the presidential candidate who had the most number of influential celebrities who campaigned for him. And next in line to him is the ex-president, and ex-celebrity, who was ousted by the people themselves several years ago because of all the corruption and other malicious allegations towards his administration. What the heck?!

And what's inside the house of senate? A whole bunch of laughing stock.

I'm giving our next president the benefit of the doubt. Let's hope he gets to do some drastic changes to our suffering country.

- by the Wife

SUMMER.

2010-05-11T02:58:00.000-07:00

The other day, we brought Sovi to Edsa Shangri-la for a short afternoon swim (Thank you, Ninang Ainee and Amma Lydia!).. and the hotel's flower centerpieces caught my attention. They had the most striking summer colors I had ever seen on a vase: bright yellow, bright pink, bright orange, peach, royal blue.. Yes, happy summer colors, the colors that would make you happy despite the wish-you-could-get-rid-of-the-heat feeling outside your air-conditioned room.

Oh summer, if only you don't cause such headaches and sticky feeling on the skin, maybe I'd somehow wish you would stay longer.

- by the Wife

Happy Anniversary, ChiLyn!

2009-06-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

In the real world, marriage is not always about rainbows and butterflies. It's not always about a prince finding his princess and living happily ever after. However, when the two people who have decided to bind themselves together agree to work on their marriage for better or for worse, and dedicate their union to God, marriage CAN be about rainbows and butterflies. It can be perfect in so many perspectives you look at it.

Like a lot of couples, my husband and I started this relationship wherein we had to deal with a lot of positive and negative situations.. But we strive to stay with the good ones and learn from the bad. We communicate; we don't just talk, we listen. We engage ourselves with couples who we can learn from. We respect each other. We never cursed at each other, ever. We put eagerness on learning the other half's likes and dislikes. We give, and take. We don't point fingers on who's right and who's wrong. We say "Sorry". We say "I Love You". We say "I'm proud of you". We say "I appreciate you." We say "I support you."

When we got engaged, we spent more than 14 hours together in a day. And ever since we got married, we have been under each others nose for 24/7. We have become insuperable.. for 365 days today. And as expected, discussions, issues, fights, and problems have risen.. but never our voices. We have been blessed with the Holy Spirit to know what we are in this relationship and who we really are dealing with-- God. And I am grateful.

Happy 1st Year Anniversary to us, Love. You will always be the man I adore as I will always be the woman who will stand beside you, love you, support you, and care for you and our children all the days of our lives. :)

- by the Wife

-- Post From My wife's iPhone

Grab and Twist

2009-05-30T07:52:00.001-07:00

What were you thinking?! I was referring to Sovi who has already started to grab on things on her own (hand and eye coordination) as well as twist her body to the left and to the right while she's lying on the bed. Accomplishments not just for her but for us too, as her parents.

From Day 1, we have already been very excited of what's to come for us and this little fella. Lucky enough, we have witnessed the first time she attempted to raise her head, the first time she tried to talk, the first time she giggled and laughed, the first time she coughed, sneezed, and had hiccups, the first time she tried sucking her fingers, and the first time she tried to crawl.

We have also realized that babies are really smart.. they cry for you when they see you trying to hide from them, they automatically put their tongue out when they see their bottle of milk, they smile to make you smile after they cry their hearts out because they know one smile will take all that stress they caused you, and they can instinctively do something to make your world a better place. We hope we can do that for our Sovi too.

It's sad, and happy at the same time to see this little angel grow up this fast.. because in as much we want to keep on taking care of her, she'll eventually be exposed to the real world where she'll run around and experience the many beautiful things that God has instored for her.

-- Post From My wife's iPhone

Yummy Mag

2009-05-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

Long time no post. Sorry, been busy with being a new dad to our little angel, Sovi (will have to post stuffs about her and our parenthood soon).

Latest update? We're featured in this month's issue of Yummy Magazine: "Kings of the Kitchen"! Thanks again to our neighbor and friend Frances Haw, who's also an Associate Publisher of the said magazine, for this opportunity (to see our faces printed on a magazine being sold nationwide). LOL. Kidding aside, really, we're very much flattered.

-- Post From My wife's iPhone

Sovi's Stroller is coming!

2009-04-08T00:41:00.000-07:00

Here comes Sovi's traveling companion! Still fresh in the box :)

Thanks to Sovi's ever reliable uncle Bny for travelling all the way from North Point to Tsim Sha Tsui and back to pick up Sovi's Peg Perego stroller!

Pare thanks so much! I owe you one! :)

Thanks also to Canny from 0/3 Baby for reserving the stroller for us! and answering all my questions about the stroller. She even opened their online delivery service to Manila. :) I just didn't go with that service because it was expensive! Thanks again Canny!

Check 0/3 Baby at G08, G/F., Ocean Terminal, TST, Kowloon.

http://www.o3baby.com.hk/

Scallop Risotto with a twist!

2009-03-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Scallop Risotto with a twist. (my twisted mind)

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Shallots finely chopped

Garlic finely chopped

Arborio Rice

Dried Scallops already soaked in water

white wine

fish stock infused with Saffron

Parmesan cheese

butter

heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

dangit

Heat around 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot. Drop in the Shallot and then followed by the garlic. Pour in around 3/4 of Arborio Rice stir and coat the rice with the oil. When mostly all the rice turns pearl white, drop in the scallops and stir around and pour in some white wine. Reduce the wine and scoop in 2 to 3 full ladles of fish stock and continue stirring. Remember to regulate the heat. When the liquid in the pot is decreasing, pour in some more fish stock. Keep on stirring until the rice reaches al dente, and then pour in some heavy cream, butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with Salt and Pepper. Continue o

n stirring until rice is cooked and finally drop in some more parmesan cheese and serve.

For the twist, I didn't put too much salt in the risotto for this...

I cooked some crispy dangit and paired it with the risotto. That provided the saltiness for the risotto and that is the twist. hehe... It went well for my taste, so I'm sticking with my weird fusion. :P

Verdict... My wife and sister liked the taste of the risotto paired with the dangit.

Keeping myself Busy... Cooking! :)

2009-03-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I have been busy in the kitchen prepping and cooking. I miss being in the kitchen, I miss the smell of oil, I miss the joy of getting burned, I miss the splitter splatter of oil on your skin and I miss seeing my creations being munched by friends and family. :)

It started three days ago, I made some chicken stock and fish stock and cooked my mushrooms in white sauce pasta for two of my church friends; John and Jean, and my family. This was a very simple dish but I love cooking it and it is one of my favourite dishes. I am glad John and Jean enjoyed my cooking and commented highly on the pasta, thank you very much! :)

Ingredients:

olive oil

shallots small diced

garlic small diced

fresh mushrooms thinly sliced

white wine

culinary cream

milk

fresh Parmesan cheese grated

salt and pepper

thyme for garnish

Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot. Drop the Shallots then the garlic. Keep on stirring until fragrant and the onions become translucent. Drop in the mushroom and keep on sauteing until you see the mushroom become soft and cooked. Pour some white wine to deglaze. Reduce wine into half or until the smell of alcohol is gone. Pour in Culinary cream and milk. Keep on stirring until sauce simmers, put a handful of Parmesan cheese and stir. The sauce should thicken. Taste the sauce and season with Salt and Pepper.

Up Next... Scallop Risotto with a twist. hehe...

Happy 1 Month Sovi!

2009-03-22T09:15:00.001-07:00

Happy 1 month Sovi Caryn! Mommy and Daddy loves you!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Useless Tweaking...

2009-03-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

The speed tweak came out to be useless...

... same with my PLDT connection.

I wonder when will PLDT change their copper wires to optic fibers or something much more advanced... paying 2000php for a month with this kind of service is a rip off but what can we do, right? For my opinion the internet has become a need not a want and service providers are taking advantage of that need.

Connection Test Pldt MyDSL

2009-03-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Prior to my tweak...

Let's see if the tweak really works...

update in awhile.

What a Day!

2009-03-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

I am ending this day with a blog post... I think after this I'll hit the showers and call it a night.

1. I started my day printing stuffs for Slip Strap.
2. Went to Shangri-La Mall to meet with Eva at iStudio. Slip Strap will be officially in iStudio Shangri-La Mall and Bonifacio High Street.
3. Ate lunch at Wham Burger.
4. Rode the MRT Shaw to the EDSA station. 12 php.
5. LRT EDSA to Carriedo. 15php.
6. Met up with Nick at Henry's Photo; praying that our product will be in their stores at Hidalgo and Vmall Greenhills.
7. Decided to take the Jeepney to Tutuban. 7.50 php.
8. Went to Centro to meet with Aimee; pick up some swatches for Arlyn. (Upcoming Project)
9. Surprised friends at Master Textile; picked up some more swatches for Arlyn.
10. Took the jeepney back to Recto. 7 php.
11. Rode the LRT back to EDSA. 15 php.
12. Rode the MRT back to Shaw. 12 php.
13. Bought a dress for my wife and Red Ribbon cake "Smores".

What I experienced today was that 100% pinoys are generally helpful. I am not really a commuter but some days I just go crazy and decide to use the public utilities of our country. When I get lost or wonder if I was taking the right train, the right jeepney, or even asking if I was on the right directions; the only thing I have to do is ask the person beside me. To the laid back Manila Officer on his scooter who taught me where to take the jeepney to Tutuban, to the old lady that I sat beside with going to Tutuban, to the people in Master Textile, to the man carrying a manequin inside the jeepney going to Recto, to the lady I sat beside with in the LRT; Thank you very much! :) You guys made my day easier and lighter :)

What I also experienced was that it's really tough taking the Philippine public transportation... but it was an experience that I can do over and over again... just not everyday! hehe... :)

Also to the kid that lost his slippers at the MRT station, I hope you are okay! :) FYI. This kid's leg fell between the platform and the train, because of all the pushing!!! To all Pinoy's the train won't leave you... it has a sensor on the doors, it will never close and crush you! :P hehe... so relax... board safely and enjoy the ride! :)

Fallen Umbilical Cord

2009-03-07T09:14:00.001-08:00

Sovi update...

Today Sovi was relentless!!! She has been crying the whole day... sorry love for not being able to help with Sovi today... I know you did a great job without me! :) I love you mommy! :)

I know why Sovi was so rowdy today... She was celebrating the falling off, of her umbilical cord!!! So that means, tomorrow Sovi can take a bath in the tub!!! :) Exciting! I'll be sure to take lots of photos of Sovi playing in the tub! :)

Gloria-Consunji Wedding

2009-03-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs! :) Thanks for the awesome wedding celebration had a blast seeing all my old high school friends in one room! :)

To Karlo and Maoui, have fun tonight! It's time to make some babies! :) hehe... may God always shower His blessing on your family.

Mabuhay ang bagong kasal! :)

Sovi Update

2009-02-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

Today...

1. We had our first sunshine. check!
2. We had our first bath at home. check!
- We noticed that we need two water basins.
- We need two sponges one goes in the soap and one goes in the clean water.
3. Sovi loves taking a bath and likes to be squeaky clean! :)
4. Sovi is tired after taking a bath. -- good chance to get some sleep. :)

Things we noticed...

1. She is fuzzy around 5am to 9am.
2. She is angelic around 2pm to 6pm.

Sovi is a real bundle of JOY! she likes it when you talk to her about anything; her eyes doesn't wonder around if you talk to her. She even likes it when you tell her she's pretty and smells good :) I was talking with her last night while my wife was resting and she gave me a smile :) I was telling her that she needs to be a good girl, a child of the God, to be funny and always smiling. I also told her not to grow up too fast or I'll miss her like this, as a baby... and I cried; so this is how you feel when you are a parent. Sentimental. haha...

Oh by the way, My wife and I have been very busy lately in taking care of Sovi, to all the people that are texting and calling we are very sorry if we don't get to answer your calls and text you 10 hours later... hehe it's Sovi's fault! :P Our phones are on either beep or silent mode. Hope you guys understand! :)

My date

2009-02-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

Here's my date every night when my wife is out having dinner...

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Alive and Awake and Watching Over Sovi...

2009-02-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yes... I am still up and watching Sovi Toss and Turn! :)

hmm... she moves ALOT! and drinks ALOT! and poops ALOT!

hehe that's my BABY GIRL! :)

Yawn... I hope I can keep this up! Right Sovi? hehe... be a good girl and don't give daddy a hard time. Okay? Love you! :)

Chi and Sovi at 2:30am

The Family is Finally Home!

2009-02-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

After staying for 2 days in the hospital...

WE ARE FINALLY HOME! :)

Chi Lyn Sovi are home...

ChiLyn and Sovi's Firsts...

1. Car Ride - puked when we got home... hehe...
2. Make Poopie and WeeWee at the same time - Success...
3. Clean Poopie - Success...
4. Clean WeeWee - Success...

Happiness!!!! :)

Welcome to the family

2009-02-22T19:17:00.001-08:00

My wife finally gave birth to a happy healthy smiling baby girl! Welcome to the world Sovi Caryn! Seeing my wife giving that last push brought mixed emotions rushing all over my body. I couldn't explain it but it was pure joy hearing Sovi's first cry! All I could say was WOW! Amazing! I couldn't stop staring at my baby girl... I love you so much Arlyn for enduring 9 months of keeping Sovi safe in you. The sight of you on that operating table was enough for me to truly say I respect you and that I love you so much! Thank you love! I love you Lyn I love you sovi!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Waiting...

2009-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Waiting for my lovely wife and our baby girl... My wife has gone into labor and I am currently having the longest day of my life. I have tons of emotions stored inside me. I have been endlessly walking around and moving around the room. It's exactly 12mn and still no word about my wife. I pray to God to keep them both safe and give Lyn the strength to push!
I'm so excited to see my wife and daughter! Keep on praying with me for a happy and healthy mommy and baby!

I love you Love! We love you Sovi Caryn!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

You just have BEAN BOOZELED!

2009-02-20T21:47:00.001-08:00

You guys have to try this for fun...

Much better if you have lots of friends with you... :)

Get the Jelly Beans at all Candy Corner or at Sweet Factory for 50% off :)

Noby Noby Boy

2009-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

Happily playing my new downloaded game from the Playstation Network, Noby Noby Boy. This is from the makers of the game Katamari Damacy, which I followed from the PS2 to the PSP. Now instead of a ball that grows BIG, you are now a worm like character that eats and poops to become longer. If you get constipated your lower part explodes hehe... The goal is pretty simple, help Noby Noby Girl become longer so she can reach the moon and to other planets. While playing the game online you can also help the online community to elongate Noby Noby Girl. It's quite a fun and relaxing game and very different from the usual games. Actually it's a game unlike any other, it's weird and pure senseless that's why I love it!!! :)

The game only costs 4.99USD. It's a steal! :) Buy it now on the Playstation Network! :)

I wonder when will my Boy will reach the moon...

Eiffel Tower

2009-02-19T04:29:00.001-08:00

Last night, my wife and I thought of visiting our good friends from church, John and Jean, and their 3-week old baby Benjamin. When my wife came out from their comfort room, she commented on this..

the Eiffel Tower (rings not included).

Let's find out why she commented on the Tower..

The other day, while walking around Powerplant Mall, we saw something exactly like this.. except that their colors were of bright pink, aqua, and green I think. And they each had a heart springing from their top most part (for the Valentine's probably)... my wife thought they were lovely. She wanted to ask if the jewelry store was selling them, then hesitated because she thought that would be a silly thing to ask.

So Going back to the brown Eiffel Tower.. our friend Jean said it was just a gift from a friend who came back from Paris. And now knowing that my wife was so fascinated with it, she grabbed it from their comfort room and handed it to my wife. Oh that smile that flashed from my wife's face; it was like giving a little girl that birthday gift she has long been requesting from her parents. :)

Thanks, Jean! And thanks for preparing dinner for us. :)

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Parable of the Sower

2009-02-17T20:19:00.001-08:00

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

Mark 4:15-20 (NIV)

Sovi's first toy

2009-02-17T10:46:00.001-08:00

This is Sovi's plush toy. From Kaloo

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Chinese Practices After Pregnancy

2009-02-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

These are the things we need to remember after my wife gives birth:

After Pregnancy:
-- When there are still signs of blood.
> Seng Hua Teng (3 to 5 Thiap:Recepies) = This should always be in odd number.
After 3 or 5 days depending on how many thiaps you purchased:
> Ocho Tong Sim + Kiu (Ginger Slices) -- Drink this as much as possible instead of Water for a Month.
> Seravallo Tonic Drink -- Drink 1 to 2 shots before lunch and before you go to sleep.
-- When there is no more traces of blood. On the third week:
> Pho Ge Lai

Things to Eat during Pregnancy

A. Special Black Chicken:"Pina-upong Manok"

- Stuff the Unfrozen (Fresh never been freezed) Small Black Chicken with lots of ginger.
- Rub the chicken with Mua yu (Sesame Oil).
- Wrap it with aluminum foil.
- Place it on a pot that is full of Salt and bury the whole chicken under the salt.
- Heat the pot and let it cook for an hour... (am not sure about the time of cooking.)

B. Castro's Exage Ginger Black Chicken

1. Saute Billions of Ginger w/ Sesame Oil until ginger are golden.
2. Add chopped Black Chicken and add around 1/2 cup of water.
3. Pour some soy sauce around 2 tablespoons.
4. Check if the chicken is already soft and pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of Rice Wine.

** All Pinyin is from what i heard awhile ago and is not the exact pinyin of the Chinese words.
** The Spelling of the Caravalio Drink will be edited once I get the drink.

C. Twice Boiled LapuLapu with Tong Kui

1. In a pot boil some water just enough to fit the lapulapu fish that you bought.
2. When the water is boiling dip in the whole lapulapu 10 times to take out the fishy taste.
3. Wash the lapulapu again.
4. Pour out the water where you dipped the lapulapu and boil another batch.
5. In the pot put in 3 tomatoes that are quartered and 5-8 slices of ginger.
6. Drop in the lapulapu and bring to a boil.
7. Once the water is boiling drop in the Tong Kui.
8. From boiling put the pot into a simmer.
9. Cook until the bones of the fish becomes very soft.
10. Season with salt and pepper.

Secret Spanish Chocolate

2009-02-16T09:33:00.001-08:00

Our family's secret spanish chocolate.

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Street Fighter 4 for PS3

2009-02-16T07:10:00.001-08:00

Feb 15, 2009, hearing that Capcom's Street Fighter 4 for the Playstation 3 was already out, I went to EYO to use my free game receipt from him and got the game. At first, I was juggling between two games, NBA 2k9 and Streetfighter 4, but hearing great reviews on Street Fighter 4 from different game websites helped me on which game to acquire.

The graphics of the game was very different compared from previous Street Fighter games. My wife didn't like it, it was too "drawing-y". The legs of Chun-Li were enormous, made me think of women in China that did too much Bicycling and commuting.

Capcom also added new characters in the game, and brought back chracters from other Street Fighter games. I was able to bring out Dan, Fei Long, Rose, Cammy, Gen and Sakura. You'll also be able to bring out Akuma and Gouken (master of Ryu and Ken; older brother of Akuma). I wasn't able to use much of the new characters, because I was stuck using Ryu and Ken. Their controls were the easiest and I still remembered a few combos from the old street fighter that still worked in this version.

I also tried the game online, there was some lags because of the internet connection and I was getting hit most of the time without me noticing it. Needless to say, I took a beating from the people who were playing and I had the audacity to put a slogan with my name "SELF PROCLAIMED BEST!" I blame the lag! hehe... PLDT DSL it's all your fault! But the truth is... I suck at these 2 player fighting games! The only fighting game that I mastered was Tekken and that was it.

The game was really great, if you are a fan of fighting games and you miss the hadooken's and sharyooken's. But for me... am not really a fan and I still suck at it, so I sold my 1 day old game to my cousin, who I bet is enjoying it right now and unlocking all the chracters from the game!

I won't be rating the game because I was only able to play with it for a night. As I have said if you miss 2 player fighting games, you have to buy the game! :) Ready... FIGHT! :)

Eleventh Hour Episode 4

2009-02-14T09:26:00.001-08:00

If you have been watching the series titled Eleventh Hour and you have finished watching the 4th episode. That means you have been refraining from eating stuffs with the word "naturally" in it. Because naturally means anything natural even bugs that can make your orange look more orangy and your grape look more violetly yummy. You also know that margarine is also called soft plastic and is toxic. And that the word non-toxic is for advertising purposes only and is not FDA approved.

So be careful what you eat organically because it might be too organic for you!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Free upsize today! + more!

2009-02-14T07:04:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's everyone!

It's free up size today at Starbucks and it's 59 minutes left!

Starbucks is also giving away buy 1, take 1 coupons! If you are a generous giver you'll be getting one! So buy your significant other or anyone, even manong guard and you'll be treated to a free drink from Starbucks!

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Sick

2009-02-13T06:35:00.001-08:00

I hate being sick. I think I have stomach flu. Crap I should not have ordered the intestine soup in 168 I think that did it. I have been sick the whole day with a painful headache with a sudden tummy ache which I will just fart out! At least it's better than LBM which I had yesterday. I hope to get well by tomorrow. Happy Valentine's everyone! Happy Valentine's to my wife who's taking care of me now. I love you so much! I'll be well in time for your labor! I hope! hehe...

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Ping.fm

2009-02-12T06:15:00.001-08:00

Testing using Yahoo Messenger 1 2 3

update: Ping.fm is working well... very nice! :) The only problem I have is cross-posting with multiply. It is not working for me... I wonder if facebook has a cross-posting feature :)

Eating at 168 Mall

2009-02-12T00:10:00.002-08:00

Lunch with Jackie at 168 Mall; the place to be. Just didn't get to eat some takoyaki balls from chopsticks and spoon.

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Black Out Curtains

2009-02-12T00:10:00.001-08:00

Went to Binondo to pick up our Black Out curtains from Centro Curtains. Thanks Aimee for the great curtain! :)

Sovi can now sleep easily even during the day. These kind of curtains are used in hotel rooms and it guarantees no sunlight coming in! Amazing!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Mint Crisp M&M's!

2009-02-11T04:19:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago from today, my mom and sister went on a trip to Canada... and from the many many things they brought home like the free coffee from the hotel, herbal essenses shampoo, and the different flavors of trident gums, they also brought home a pack of this:

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Successful Networking of PS3 x Laptop x Router

2009-02-11T01:53:00.000-08:00

Ever since I bought my PS3, I wanted it to play all my downloaded video's from the internet. With a few internet searches and tweaking, I was able to network my PS3 with the router and we are now able to view movies and tv series in an instant! Amazing! It feels so good that I am able to do this! No more moving of laptop near the Screen to connect it with the HDMI cable, blah blah blah... takes out the clutter of wires! Anyway, here is the step by step process i followed, just click on the link:

Steps to get Nero MediaHome Running
--------------------------------------------------------

1. Purchase/Obtain a copy of Nero Ultra Edition 8

2. Install Nero Ultra Edition 8 using custom settings, just choose the Nero Burning Rom and remember to include the applications that you need with media-related applications (Transcoders, Streamers, MediaHome, Nero Scout).

3. Nero MediaHome and Nero Scout should be INSTALLED!

4. Once the installation is complete run Nero Scout.

5. In Nero Scout, select the folders you wish to share once selected, make sure to click Index Now.

6. Once the indexing is complete, run Nero MediaHome.

7. Shared Directories: Check to see if the share all content indexed by Nero Scout is ticked.

8. Options: can be changed to your liking.

9. Network: Tick the network interface which your Computer and PS3 belong to.

10. Devices: Make sure your Playstation 3(UPnP/1.0) is turned on, and the access control is ALLOWED.

11. Transcoding: No changes needed.

12. Click on Start Server

13. Browse your media from your perfect Playstation 3 and Enjoy!

Green Maris Hot Pot Greenhills

2009-02-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

We were supposed to meet with a couple of our Beijing friends today. However, we had to move it to some other day because a lady named Francesca Yao couldn't make it. So, rather than driving all the way to our planned restaurant for the night Aresi, we decided to eat at Green Maris instead.

I love eating hot pots and it's just sad that Gloria Maris has already ended their eat-all-you-can promo. So since the best hot pot is still all the way in Macapagal Avenue, that's King One, I guess Green Maris can suffice for our hot pot craving for now.

Ratings:

Quality of Food: 3/5
Quantity of Food: 3/5
Service with a Smile: 3/5
Ambiance: 3/5
My Taste for the Food: 3/5

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Avent Sterilizer Testing

2009-02-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

We are now initializing the Avent Sterilizer that we bought in HK. So far so good, am just waiting for the initial sterilization to finish.

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

What a glorious day!

2009-02-10T06:09:00.001-08:00

This morning my wife told me she dreamed that she was already undergoing labor... so I thought, hmm.. it must be a sign.

My wife is scheduled today for a check up with her OB Gyne Dra. Pauline Candelaria-Chan in Cardinal Santos. She was scheduled for an IE (internal examination). It was just then that we found out that Lyn is already dilated by 3 centimeters. WOWOWEEWA! What great news! Am I seriously going to be a dad already? We are already excited to see Sovi Caryn! Dra. Pau said that it's just a matter of days till Sovi comes out and I get to see my beautiful baby girl and my wife going back to be her super sexy self again!

Take care of mommy, Sovi! I love you both!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Burger Cooking

2009-02-09T21:48:00.001-08:00

Testing my Burger cooking...

1/2 pound of Ground Beef
1/2 cup of Beer
1 Onion small diced
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

-- Taste test only. Not the actual burger :) I'll plate this tomorrow because today I'll be trying out the return of the comeback, my favorite restaurant Aresi. :) I hope it's still has the same quality taste.

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Cross Posting Test

2009-02-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

Testing 1 2 3

Cross Posting Blogger+Multiply

Alyanna and Mikaela's Birthday and Dedication Party

2009-02-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am attending a birthday and dedication party for our pastor's daughters! Happy Birthday to Alyanna and welcome to the Christian world, Mikaela. May the Lord bless you always. I pray that you'll become a great women when you grow up and if you need any guidance, remember to go to your other Ninongs, not me... haha... just kidding! Of course I'll always be here, and your Ninang Arlyn too. I pray that you'll always follow the footsteps of the Lord, like your mommy and daddy.

I am truly honored to be one of Mikaela's. Thanks Pastor Dennis and Thammie. I hope I can live up to being a good Godfather, a.k.a. Don Corleone! :)

Yahoo! Children party! It's feels good to be a child again!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

It's Going to be a Busy Week!

2009-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to log-in to my blog and say...

IT'S GOING TO BE A BUSY WEEK!

I hope I get to do everything that needs to be done:

I hope that the building space that we are applying for will contact us this week.

I hope my partners and I will be able to meet this week.

I hope everything runs smoothly with our businesses.

I hope that I can push myself to the limits.

I hope everything is okay with my wife and our baby.

I hope that God is listening to our prayers.

It's going to be a hell of a week but...

It's a joyous Sunday! :) Back in church praising God and worshiping Him is really a gratifying feeling! :)

Thank you Lord for always being there! :)

AMEN!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Surprise!

2009-02-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

I love giving my wife surprises. It has been so long since I/we gave her one. This surprise was planned and organized by her best friend Noi! I just kept my wife from figuring out what were planning to do. There were some slips but all was good she still got surprised!

It was so heart warming to see lots of friends took time off to celebrate with us. Thank you for bringing food! It was all so yummy! Thank you for all the gifts for our baby Sovi. Thank you Noi for opening your house for us and preparing all the things for the shower! Sovi's really going to love you so much auntie Noi! Hehe!

Thank you again and we love you all!

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

Testing

2009-02-07T19:47:00.001-08:00

Testing of BlogPress application for the iPhone. Let's see if this will work! It actually works perfectly! I can now blog instantly on our dining adventures! :)

I am also doing a picture test! It works well too! Not my usual high resolution picture though but it will do :)

-- Post From My Wife's iPhone

February 5, 2009 Three Years!

2009-02-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

For the past 5 minutes, I have been typing and deleting over and over again. I just can't think of a way of how to start my entry. Anyway, I'll just type what comes into my mind :)

My February 5 started with quite a laugh when my wife surprised me with a letter. :) While I was playing with our PS3, I found her biting a ribbon and rolling a couple of papers... I caught her by surprise and she started laughing and crying. It was really funny how she had her "little-girl-I'm-not-doing-anything" facial expression on. I immediately read her letter and hugged her. :) I LOVE MY WIFE very much, and even though I always spoil her surprises, I still love the fact that she always tries to surprise me! :)

I Love you very much, Love! :)

We celebrated our 3rd year anniversary of being Boyfriend and Girlfriend last February 5 at the Sofitel Hotel. :) Thanks to one of Arlyn's auntie's, we were able to stay at the hotel for free and thanks to Arlyn's uncle John, we had our dinner at Spiral at a discounted rate! The food was really overwhelming!

I won't go into details about the food anymore. Let's just say that we ate like there was no tomorrow! :) Imagine opening and closing the buffet for Spiral! I can just imagine how the weighing scale will react... :P

I Love you Love so much! :) I guess this will be our last rest and relaxation before Sovi arrives! :) It has been a quick and fast three years, time really flies when you're having fun! I love being married and I love my wife so much! :) Thanks for changing my life from what it used to be, I like it better now with you and with God. Again, I love you so much! Thanks for always being there and for always praying for me. I love you, Love! Thanks for the wonderful day!

I LOVE YOU! :)

Happy Anniversary Love!

2009-02-04T04:38:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the eve of our anniversary, not our wedding anniversary but the day she became my girlfriend.. I cooked this simple dish for my wife. She has been craving for a white sauce pasta for so long already that I decided to look around the stock room and the freezer to what I can use for the sauce. So, here is what I cooked for my wife...

Tuna and Mushroom Cream Pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 chopped White Onion
1-3 cups of finely chopped bacon
1 Can of drained Tuna
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom
1 small Can of Evaporated Milk
1 Cup of Water
250ml of Milk
Grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese
White wine
Angel Hair/Fettuccine Pasta

Drizzle some oil in a heated pan and drop in the 3 cups of the bacon. Stir around the bacon and pour a little water in the pot in order for the bacon to become crispy. Prepare a plate with thick tissue paper to sip the oil from the bacon. Keep on stirring until the bacon becomes crispy before lifting it out with a slotted spoon and transferring it to the plate.

With the pan glistening with the bacon oil, drop in the Chopped White Onion and cook it just until it turns golden brown. Pour in some white wine to deglaze and reduce the liquid until there is no hint of alcohol left. Drop in the tuna chunks and continue on stirring. Pour in the Cream of Mushroom, Milk, Evaporated Milk, and the Cup of Water. Keep on stirring while you put in some grated Parmesan Cheese. Season with some salt and pepper. Lower the flame and simmer the sauce until it becomes a little thick.

Taste the sauce, it should be a little salty. Remember that you are having pasta with this and the pasta has no flavor in it, so I suggest the pasta sauce to be a little saltier.

For the Pasta... You know how to cook the pasta! Just drop it in a boiling water with some salt. When it's already done, pour it out and drizzle some olive oil on the pasta so it won't stick together.

Plate together everything by placing the pasta first on the plate, then the sauce, and finally of the crispy bacon. Serve and Enjoy! :)

Happy Anniversary to us my love! :) I love you so much and I love you more and more everyday! :) Thank you for carrying Sovi in your tummy and with all the ache's and pain's... I'll always try to take better care of you! I love you so much love! :) Sovi Caryn is coming out soooooon!!! :) I love you! :)

Resident Evil 5 DEMO is OUT!

2009-02-02T05:15:00.000-08:00

For gamers out there reading my blog.

Resident Evil 5 for the Playstation 3 is out with a demo! You can download this on your Europe account. :) I am just too excited for this game! :) I am downloading 950+ mb of it now. Played the last 4 sequel's and number 5 is just too much for my nerves! :) YEAH!!!! :) Can't wait for the full version to come out this coming March. :)

I just hope the region 3 of the game will be in English! :) The equivalent of this game in Asia is Bio Hazard. If it will be in Japanese, I just hope that there will be subtitles with the game :)

For now I'll just be waiting for the Demo to finish and I'll be updating if it's worth all the excitement that I am experiencing right now. :)

Update:

The game was pretty awesome. I had a a few problems with the controls at first but you'll get a hang of it as you play along. There will be a lot of game over's before you master how to use the controls; I think Capcom ran out of buttons to assign. I got killed twice before getting a hang of the controls. My first kill was by a Axe wielding behemoth and the second one was by a crazed chainsaw wielding scarecrow.

I love the graphics of the game! Truly in High Definition; Quality at it's finest! You can see the zombie's facial features and the weapon's they are carrying are scary! The drawing of the area's are very realistic and their images are very crisp.

The sound quality is in Dolby Digital so pump up those Pioneer amplifiers and Bose speakers for high quality BOOM BOOM sound...

One thing that you'll need to get used to is having a companion with you around. (I hope not always.) You'll be passing ammo's, gun's, herb's and you might also be passing key item's as the game progresses. I think instead of a big chest where you can store you goods, they made it a human companion; a traveling chest.

Overall, I love the game and I won't hesitate in buying the game once it comes out the market. By the way it has an online play and a local multi-player game but I haven't tried it yet but I think it will be split screen, which I don't recommend.

Game Play = 5/5
Graphics = 5/5
Sound = 5/5

Lamb Steak and Onion Soup Dinner

2009-02-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight's Menu:

Pan fried Lamb Steak and Classic Onion Soup

Lamb Steak

3 slabs of lamb steak
lime juice
thyme
butter
salt and pepper
mint jelly or sauce

For my quick cooking stint, I just marinated the lamb with lime juice instead of lemon, and pinch or salt and a crack of pepper. I also sprinkled some thyme. I let the marinated lamb sit for a good 30 minutes.

Heat the pan and place a good amount of butter. Cook the steak one by one and turn after 2-3 minutes.

Plate and serve with mint jelly or mint sauce.

Onion Soup

2 to 3 cubes of butter
3 whole onions finely chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
9 cups of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of port
salt and pepper

Melt 2 cubes of butter in a pot and fry them without letting them get too brown. When the onions are getting there, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour and continue on mixing and pour in the chicken stock. Add 2 tablespoons of port. Salt and Pepper to taste. Cook for 30 more minutes.

ChiLyn's New Toy

2009-01-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

January 29, 2009 was the day that I will never forget... it's the day when it came... our new toy... a white shiny Sony Playstation 3 with 80gb of hard disk space and 2 button filled controllers! Thanks to EYO again for accommodating my console madness.

The first game that we bought is Little Big Planet:

It's a game of imagination and creation which you can upload your works to the Little Big Planet Network, where people from all over the world can play and wonder through your creation. You can freely create your "sackboy" = character; dress him or her up with different clothes and accessories. There are different items that you can get within the game. The fun thing with the game is that you can purchase some items for free (not everything) for the game through the PSN Store. We recently acquired the Chinese new year costumes for free through the PSN Store.

NOTICE: When buying a PS3 game; if you choose to be connected to the network, I advice that you get a same region game with your log-in country. Let's say you created a PSN ID and you designated yourself from HongKong; which is region 3, you should also buy games that are in region 3 to access items from the Asia PSN Store. However, if you're not going to get the free goodies or buy items from the PSN Store, any region will play perfectly well in your Sony Playstation 3 console.

WALK-AROUND: Let's say you already bought a game and it's Region 2 and your PSN ID is Region 3. A trick to get your free items is to create another log-in name and then create a new PSN account and be sure to indicate that you are from the United Kingdom. After you finish signing up, get some items from the EU PSN Store, load up your game, and then quit your current game. Then, revert back to your Region 3 account and immediately all your items will be carried through your Region 3 account.

REMEMBER: Not all items are the same for the PSN Stores. Different countries:Different items. So explore! But for me I found that Asia PSN Stores have more items compared to Europe PSN Stores. I'll soon be exploring Region 1 Stores, I'll update this soon when I get to create another account.

Anyway! That's all the things that I learned from the first few days from playing our PS3. That's it for now... and BACK TO THE GAME! :)

playstation 3 id: chilynsovi ASIA R3
playstation 3 id: lynchisovi EUROPE R2
playstation 3 id: sovichilyn USA R1

Good Morning!

2009-01-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

I haven't been up this early for a long time and if everything goes well, I think I will be waking up this early for the years to come. Today, I will be having a meeting with a building manager at Jupiter Street in Makati for an upcoming project that I will be involved in. It will be a big step for me and my partners because we all come from our own companies and moving out from the family business is tough. It's like leaving your comfort zone and going into the wild where anything can happen, anytime. We had a taste of this last year, when we thought we already secured a place; by "verbal agreement" of a friend of my partner, but no... they gave it to a big company without telling us first. Anyway, that was all good, I just told my partner, that good things happen to good people and I think it's just a way of God telling us that, "it's not your place, it's not your time yet, just wait and I have something better in store for you," I hope this is the one. I getting excited already from the meeting. :)

I pray that good things will come from this meeting.

I am really keeping my hopes up for our company's idea.

We also hope that this will be the one that God has made for us.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

To everyone Happy Chinese New Year!!!!

Yesterday morning while I was walking to my mom's room she asked me if I could buy some fresh shrimp's and crab's so we could celebrate Chinese New Year. For me I could not turn down a request for some cooking action! I quickly imagined what I will be cooking tonight; hot and spicy crab's, boiled crab's, and beer drunken shrimp's.

So, after doing some morning errands I went straight to my friend's fresh seafood store in Wilson St. where you can find different kinds of seafood. The best thing is that you are guaranteed the best seafood there is in Manila; that's from my point of view. Anyway, I ordered 1.5kilos of fresh suahe, 3 ordinary crabs, and 2 live pampano fishes.

Immediately, when I got home I started to prepare the crabs. I gave them a quick shock of heat in a pot and then while they are incapacitated, I twisted and broke their claws. After which I asked some help from the maids to clean the crabs. While the crabs are getting cleaned; I followed by preparing the shrimps for the beer drunken shrimp's recipe.

For the beer bath:
1 bottle of beer
2 cups of H20
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 Bay leaves
5 to 7 pcs. of Whole peppercorn

Bring that to a boil and dump all the shrimps in the beer bath. When they turn orange give it approximately 2-3 minutes. Take them shrimp's out from the hot bath before they over cook.

For the boiled crabs:
Use the beer bath from above and pour it in a large pot
5-8 cups of H20

Bring the stock to a boil and dump in the crab inside the pot. I prefer doing each crab one at a time. Let the crab boil for 7-8 minutes and that's done!

For the sweet and spicy crabs:
Use the stock from the boiled crabs around 2-3 cups
100-150ml of pantai sweet chili sauce

Crack open the crab and chop the crab in two equal parts, remember to save the crab fat. In a wok pour in 2-3 cups of stock together with the crab fat and let it boil. Dump in the chopped crab, the claws and all the legs. Don't forget to include also the shell. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes and lift out the crabs. Continue to stir the sauce until it thickens and then pour it on the crab.

As for the pampano fishes I let my wife do the cooking for that dish and it turned out to be very tasty! :) She served the fish steamed with the basic chinese lapu-lapu sauce that is served on every chinese restaurant in town. But my wife's sauce was truly the best it had it's sweetness and saltiness with the smell of sesame oil and the green onions... YUM YUM YUM! :) Thanks love! care to share your recipe? :)

That's that for our Chinese New Year celebration!

How was your new year's celebration, I bet you also had a blast! :) Happy New Year everyone, and may God bless us this year with good food and healthy bodies! :)

For my friend's store:

Goldcoast Marine: Live, Frozen & Dried Seafoods
Laurence Tan "Mr. Suahe"
220 GP Wilson St., West Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
Tel. # 7272484; 727-7133

3rd Time is A Charm

2009-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hello internet world!

This will be my third shot at creating a blog.

The first one I got bored updating and the next one was with my girlfriend; now my wife which we were supposed to blog on restaurants and the things we ate, but got tired of writing. She has her own Multiply site and Facebook site which she updates all the time and we just forgot about having a page on blogspot. :P

I hope this 3rd one will be a charm, I guess this will also be a way to practice my typing skills and grammar skills, which I think are getting rusty. :) So, feel free to check my grammar and sentence formation, I am all ears! :) Violent comments on how bad my grammar is go ahead! :)

This Blog will be mainly about the things that are happening with me and my family and the things in life that I will be engaging this 2009.

Enjoy reading and I hope I won't be giving you headaches and nosebleeds with my English. Worse comes to worse I'll be back using the Filipino language which I am also bad at. Right Love? :)

Chinang