With the Kids last Weekend

Having the kids with you during weekends is priceless. Yes, priceless. Kahit magastos, okay lang, basta happy sila.

Last Saturday, I picked them up from Malabon and we had dinner at Burger King at Welcome Rotonda where they also had several hours of internet surfing (libre ang WIFI sa Burger King.)

We then went to tiangge at Divisoria at the Tutuban Center. Grabe ang tao! Super dami.

Then Sunday, we had lunch at Mang Inasal at Retiro. We then went to Greenhills, grabe ang tao din! "Akala ko ba, walang pera ang tao!" Ang hirap ng parking (calling Ogie, oo nga pala, wala na si Pareng Ogie sa Ortigas). Grabe ang hirap ng parking, isang oras, bago kami naka-park.

Yun nga lang, wala naman kaming nabili masyado. Comment ng mga bata, mas mahal daw sa Greenhills, sa Divisoria na lang daw. Marunong!

We then went back to Banawe area. Drive-thru muna sa McDonald's for some snacks and we went to Dapitan for some tiangge. Ang dami nilang nabili. Si Camille, nahihilig sa "bumble bee." Si Tintin naman, bili ng pangregaldo daw sa friends. Malas nga lang ni Vincent, medyo sinusumpong, may ubo at sinat, kaya di masyadong nag-enjoy.

Tapos, nagrequest ang mga bata, punta daw kami ng Divisoria ulit, to buy ng pang-Xmas party nila. So takbo ulit sa Tutuban. I bought Vincent a polo and pants. Sina Camille and Tintin, bili din.

We went home around 9:00 pm, tapos inuwi ko na sila sa Malabon.

PS. I won a Winner Take All last Saturday sa Santa Ana Races.

WTA 1st set - 4 - 7 - 4 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 9 (six points), dehado yung TREASURE HUNT at QUEEN, di namin nakuha yung 3 na Commodity sa Race 4 (dehadong dehado), taya namin dun OUR SACRED PRAYER (outstanding natalo.) Ang ganda pa ng dividendo, Php 3239.80. I won two (2) tickets. Yung isa, pareho kami ng taya ni Mang Arman - Php 96.00 ang puhunan. The other taya ko, Php 48.00 ang investments ko. Sayang nga lang yung mga double at forecast, tumama pa sana ako.... pero ok lang. Yun, naubos sa mga bata. Ang dami nga humihingi ng balota.

Vincent at a Bday Party

Saan Masarap ang Chicken?

Saan Masarap ang Chicken (Lechon Manok, ha?)?

Andok's
Baliwag
Saan pa?

Mcdonalds vs Jollibee

Saan mas masarap? Saan mas sulit?

The New Ferrari

The DB 83 Officers

Latest Pictures ni Vincent

Cabernet sauvignon

Cabernet sauvignon(Ca-burr-nay so-veen-yaw)

Widely accepted as one of the world's best varieties. Cabernet sauvignon is often blended with cabernet franc and merlot. It usually undergoes oak treatment.
Food pairings: best with simply prepared red meat.
Districts: cabernet sauvignon is planted wherever red wine grapes grow except in the Northern fringes such as Germany. It is part of the great red Médoc wines of France, and among the finest reds in Australia, California and Chile.
Typical taste in varietal wine: full-bodied, but firm and gripping when young.
With age, polyphenols polymerize: the grip fades away. The rich currant qualities of the Cabernet Sauvignon wine change to that of pencil box. Bell pepper notes remain.
Another article deals with the health benefits of polyphenols.
Vanilla notes if present come not from the fruit but from the oak treatment. They increase review ratings but may overwhelm the varietal taste.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

A lesson in Catholic History: Twelve Days of Christmas Explained

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Today, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

1 - The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

2 - Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

3 - Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

4 - The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

5 - The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

6 - The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

7 - Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

8 - The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

9 - Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

10 - The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

11 - The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

12 - The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostle's Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol .
Nice to know the meaning and now sharing it with you!

Simbang Gabi 2008

Misa de Gallo is the Spanish phrase for Midnight mass, more literally translated as "Rooster's Mass".

It is said[who?] that the "Rooster's Mass" owes its name to the idea that a rooster would have been among the first to witness the birth of Jesus, and thus be the one to announce it.In most Spanish speaking countries, Misa de gallo entails a typical midnight mass, starting at around 12:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve.However, as practiced in the Philippines, this custom lasts for nine days, starting on December 16 up to December 24, during which Filipinos attend dawn masses, usually starting at around 4:00-5:00 a.m. This practice started centuries ago[vague] during the Spanish colonial period when priests held early dawn masses for the farmers who wanted to attend Christmas mass but could not leave their fields. These masses were held before daybreak, hence the Filipino term "Simbang Gabi" (Midnight Mass).

Even today, Filipinos wake up very early in the morning to attend the Misa de Gallo as an expression of devotion to God. It is also an expression of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.One of the customs related to the Philippine Misa de Gallo is the selling of traditional Philippine food, such as puto bumbong (a purple colored rice pastry, seasoned with grated coconut and brown sugar),tsokolate (a hot cocoa drink), bibingka (flour and egg cakes cooked on top and under), and salabat, or ginger tea, which are sold by vendors outside churches to the faithful.

schedule:

http://www.rcam.org/simbang_gabi/quiapo_church.htm

http://www.rcam.org/simbang_gabi/manila_cathedral.htm

http://www.rcam.org/simbang_gabi/binondo_church.htm