My Sweet Haven

Regine Velasquez tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) virus

2009-07-09T19:55:00.005-05:00

Waaahhh! The songbird was infected with H1N1 virus. She's supposed to be the special guest of Charice Pempengco's first major concert in the Philippines but she was hospitalized and couldn't make it to the said show. I just found out tonight on T.V. Patrol that she indeed got the virus but thankfully she recovered. She's not certain where she got it but her immune system must have been pretty low considering that she was overworked from a series of concerts here in the U.S. then she went straight to work right away when she got back to the Philippines. I'm glad that she's looking healthy and pretty again. It just shows that anybody could get the virus so we really have to be extra careful. Tsk. tsk. tsk.

The easy way is not necessarily the best

2009-07-09T18:14:00.001-05:00

Perhaps, it’s really human nature that we rather succumb to fast and easy ways of getting our problems fixed than work it out slowly but surely. I am particularly talking about my battle of losing weight. The natural way of doing it is still the best option but when you have a wedding in 6 months, you think about whether there’s an easy route out there. I’ve read some diet pill reviews over the internet, and quite honestly, it’s hard to tell which product is worth it. Not to mention my reluctance to resort to any kind of diet pills for that matter. Needless to say, I know I should double my effort to lose weight before the big day comes.

The heat is unbearable!

2009-07-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

Are you enjoying the summer heat so far? Well, to me it's no fun. It’s sooo hot today I think my head is going to explode while I walked my way to the parking lot after work. If I’m not mistaken, it’s over a hundred degrees here in our place and the heat is just so unbearable. Yeah, I am from the tropics but I think it’s hotter here than it is in the Philippines, however I think it’s more humid there. Anyway, I’m not wild about summer here in Arkansas. When I got home I feel weak and lose the interest to treadmill anymore. I’m going to research about Costabella and Liporexall while the chicken is baked in the oven. I’ll just eat chicken, boiled egg and veggies tonight, that way I don’t feel guilty even if I didn’t exercise, lol.

King of Pop is on my IPod!

2009-07-07T20:16:00.005-05:00

I'm not a Michael Jackson fan but I must admit that I like most of his songs. However, I didn't own any of his album but I grew up liking Heal The World, Billy Jean, We Are The World, Bad, Beat It, Thriller, She's Out of My Life, I Just Can't Stop Loving You and so much more. Now that he passed away, I have this sudden need to at least have these timeless songs on my IPod, so I downloaded them from ITunes and I listened to it while I walked on the treadmill today. Too bad he passed away at a young age. While I was watching the memorial service, I'm thinking it seems like he's much appreciated now that he's dead than when he's alive especially after a quite scandalous phase of the pop icon's life. Anyhow, I'm saying my goodbyes to the King of Pop! May his soul rest in peace.

Looking for stands and mounts?

2009-07-07T20:03:00.003-05:00

Flat screen TV seems to be a part of every American household. I would like to have one myself but hubby thinks it’s not a good idea to get one yet since our Sony Wega is still working great. But when the time comes that we badly need to get a new TV set, it has to be a flat screen and as early as now, I found a pretty good site to look for LCD mount. They have all kinds of stands and mounts for your video and home theater entertainment equipments. You might want to check it out yourself and enjoy free shipping on all items.

The Many Faces of Regine

2009-07-04T21:21:00.006-05:00

Obviously, she is my most photographed Diva. I didn't want to miss anything while she's on stage, whether she's singing or just talking to the crowd at the concert. Every time I hit zoom on my camera, it's because I wanted to focus on her. Gosh, do I sound like an obsessed fan now, lol! Nope, not quite! I'm just fascinated with the way she dresses, her complexion, her tiny face (yep, I think she has a very cute and small face in person) and of course her undeniable singing prowess. For me, she's incomparable and she deserves to be called the Asia's Songbird.

Life after school

2009-07-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

What could be the best career field to get into? I’ve asked myself that question. With the economy in its lowest, is there still a good career opportunity waiting out there? It seems that the medical field is still holding on, if not growing despite the economic crunch. However, not all of us are inclined to become health care professionals. I was a graduate of Management Accounting back in my country. I took the course hoping to find good finance jobs when I graduate. But perhaps, it’s not meant to be since I’ve never had one in my entire working experience. I may be working in a financial institution right now, but ironically, I am in the Information Systems which I am proud to be part of. Nothing is really certain, you know. Be it in medical, business, industrial, or any other profession for that matter, the most important thing is you're happy with what you're doing and it pays the bills so to speak.

Addicted!

2009-07-03T19:54:00.001-05:00

It started when I downloaded a demo Game Apps for my IPod Touch that had me literally going gaga over with. If you’ve heard about Sally’s Spa and actually played it, you would know what I mean. It’s one of those Time Management games that you could find all over the internet. Unfortunately, I only got the limited free version on my ITouch, but I was seriously considering buying the full version of the game. However, when I tried to download a free trial and played it on my laptop, I realized that I’d like to play it better on the computer because it has a wider screen and better resolution. It’s quite addicting I tell you. I couldn’t get myself to stop playing and before I know it, I find myself searching for all kinds of Time Management games online. Oh, boy, I got hooked! I’ve played Cooking Dash, Wedding Dash 2, Jo Jo’s Fashion Dash, Miriel the Magical Merchant to name a few of my favorites, and of course Sally’s Spa. The 1-hour trial version is definitely not enough so I’m going to buy the unlimited full version of Sally’s Spa and Cooking Dash tonight.

TGIF!

2009-07-03T19:34:00.002-05:00

Are you excited with the 4th of July fireworks display in your cities or towns? Well, I am. It’ll be my second time this year to witness the said activity. We live in a small town and 4th of July is probably the only time of the year that you can see heavy traffic here in our place, that’s when everyone wants to go home after the fireworks show. That’s one of the reasons I’m excited, lol! On a different note, I’m inspired to use the treadmill lately. Guess why? Ok, never mind, I’ll tell you why. I lost another 1.5 pounds this week, so that makes it 3 pounds for the last 2 weeks. Not bad! I didn’t starve myself, neither did I meticulously choose what food to eat. I just got serious with my walking routine on the treadmill. I tried not to cheat for 2 weeks now. With the rate things are going, I may not need to take even the best diet pills at all.

Sonata serenades us on The Big Day

2009-07-01T18:32:00.006-05:00

I am a self-confessed hopeless romantic. It has always been a dream of mine to get a balladeer to sing for me and my guests on my dream wedding. Someone who can sing the songs of Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera from the heart. I was lucky that my good friend Joanne actually know of somebody who can do it for me. The group had sung for her wedding and she highly recommended them. I’ve checked their website and listened to a sample of his songs and right then and there, I knew I'd have to have them on my wedding. I didn’t wait long enough to contact the group and finally last weekend, we’ve made it official! I booked Sonata Singers for my upcoming wedding in the Philippines. Woohooo!

Someplace like home

2009-06-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

Ozark has been my home for almost 2 years now. This is where I’ve learned to drive and found my first ever job in the U.S. It’ll always have a soft spot in my heart. However, it has been a plan of ours to look for another place to settle in. It may be in the next few months or couple of years, we don’t know yet. It all depends on when will hubby be able to find another U.S. Corps job in another powerhouse. Even so, we already made plans for a future move. Of course, you have the moving expenses to think about so we’ve already anticipated that. I’m sure it’s not going to be easy to uproot yourselves and your belongings from one place to another but we take comfort with the fact that we can always use the skills of expert cross country movers. Unlike in the Philippines where you can just ask your family and friends to help you move, here in the U.S. it's either you do it yourselves or you pay someone to do it for you. I think the latter sounds good!

Blessing in disguise

2009-06-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

There is a new romantic comedy show in GMA Pinoy TV that started airing 2 weeks ago. It’s a Jolina-Marvin starrer with Dennis Trillo and Jennica Garcia. I’ve always been a fan of Jolina-Marvin so I make it a point to watch the show marathon every Saturday morning. Unfortunately, they moved it to an earlier timeslot so I missed it on Saturday. Thanks to the power of Internet, I was able to watch one week's worth of episodes today. The downside is that the website of the videos has lots of advertisement pop-ups to the point that it kind of get annoying. But of course, it’s what keeps the website going, the commercials. Actually, not all ads are worthless. My attention was caught by a small ad about Dansko. It’s quite perfect since I’m looking to buy for a new pair of good quality footwear.

Computer Knowledge is Power

2009-06-27T20:09:00.003-05:00

In this time and age when almost everything has been run by computers, you'd feel such a loss if you are not computer literate. I must say that my computer knowledge has been enhanced because of my job as a PC Support Specialist in a bank, but I still don't consider myself an expert in this field. Just today I was researching about how to add some third-party apps on my IPod Touch, particularly the Game Boy Advance Emulator, but the tedious task of going through each and every step in the installation and downloading process kinda turn me off. I'm sure it's very frustrating to encounter terms and processes that you really have no idea what's it all about. The same is true in the IT field. Every computer issue is a challenge. Never in my wildest dream did I think that I can work in the IT department. I haven't even tried doing any IT job search in the past, but as what they always say, opportunity knocks only once, so I grabbed it and it has been beneficial to me so far.

Slowly but surely

2009-06-26T19:55:00.001-05:00

I see a little progress with my effort to lose weight. I weighed myself at work and it tells me I lost 1.5 pounds. Darn! Not much I know, but enough to keep me motivated each day to walk on the treadmill. Earlier today, I walked for about 2 miles for 45 minutes and it felt good. I had to be very careful with my diet though because there's no point in exercising if I wouldn't be cutting back my calorie-intake. I'm really taking this seriously because I still don't like the idea of resorting to diet pills. It may sound like the easy way to do it since you can just buy diet pills online, but I still believe in the healthy and natural way of losing weight. So goodluck to me!

Vacation in Branson: Part III

2009-06-24T18:22:00.000-05:00

Our Branson adventure continues...

at least here in my blog through our photos. One of the many attractions in the city of Branson are the different kinds of shows that you can watch all around the city. Since I really don't know any of the performers there, we chose to be entertained by the Chinese Acrobats. It turned out that we made the right choice. The fee is a little pricey but it was a money well-spent so to speak. I've seen a show like this back when I was 10 years old in the Philippines, and the little memories that I had from it got my hubby convinced that it'll be a good show. It rained for the most part of our stay and we haven't anticipated the number of tourists that would watch on the day that we chose to go. We arrived just in time but the queue area for the tickets was ridiculously long and I didn't want to be seated on the last row so we took a rain check. It was really a plus that I bought my laptop with us for we were able to check online the show schedule for the next day. I wish I have photos of the show to share with you but of course, photography is not allowed during the show. Besides who would want to take photos and get distracted from the awesome and breath-taking display of gymnastic moves onstage of the teenage Chinese acrobats. They are just simply amazing. I even wonder if these people have bones, see how silly my thoughts were, hehe. I mean they can really stretch themselves to whatever position or style they want. I know it took them long years to practice those skills but still not everyone has the talent and ability to do that. I would never hesitate to watch them perform again next year.

The bad weather on our last day in Branson had prevented us from visiting Silver Dollar City or White Waters theme park, so we went to the Table Rock Lake instead as soon as the heavy rain stopped. I get to see how boats and jet skis were lower down to the river. On our way home, we dropped by at The Battle of Pea Ridge. Hubby has always wanted to go and we took the chance to do it during our Branson vacation. Anyways, here's our last set of Branson pictures!

Moi at Table Rock Lake and Dam

I wanted to sit in one of those benches right there for a photo opp but it was raining and neither of us wants to get wet so I just took a photo of the view minus the model, hehe!

My History buff lovey at The Battle of Pea Ridge

Exploring the battle field in bicycle, how romantic!

When Filipinas Get Together...

2009-06-20T16:15:00.007-05:00

...it always means great food..lovely pictures..and pure fun!!!

We were invited to a birthday party of a Filipina friend in Sallisaw, Oklahoma last Sunday. I've met her through Friendster, and I'm just so glad that I was part of her birthday party. It was an hour drive to their place but it was all worth it because I get to eat my favorite Filipino foods and bond with Pinays in Arkansas. These photos are taken at the party and you might wonder if it's an all-Filipino party because you couldn't see husbands in the pictures. Actually, it's not. The husbands went with the wifeys but they hang out in the back patio while we were in the kitchen and eventually had invaded the host's bedroom doing what we love the most, posing for the camera, lol! It was only my first time to meet these girls but I really enjoyed their company and bonded with them so well. Sa uulitin!!!

*Jowen Whatley, the birthday girl is the one in a brown top.

A Picnic in the Park

2009-06-16T19:14:00.011-05:00

One Saturday afternoon, we took advantage of the beautiful weather. I was bored and burnt out from work, so hubby took me to a lazy picnic date in the park. We've been wanting to do this ever since I got here over a year ago, but just didn't get the perfect chance. I was happy that finally we were able to try this activity. The closest park from us is like three-fourths of a mile, but it was jampacked with picnickers that day, so we head out to Reed Mt. instead which is about 6 miles from the house. It looks like we have the whole place to ourselves, doesn't it?

I enjoyed the green surrounding, the smell of the air, the cool breeze, and even watching the few kids play. If we would buy our own house, we'd like to have a patio, or a porch or sundeck where we can just relax while admiring nature. Of course, a beautiful set of patio furniture is a must to make the whole experience fantastic. I never would have thought that I'll enjoy the outdoors. I've never been the outdoorsy type back home. I'm surprised that I actually liked nature when I got here. It's a striking balance to my love for shopping, isn't it? At least, if we no longer have money to shop, cheap activities like this can be a fallback, lol!

Mr. Lonely?!?

some kids playing

Jen Paraphernalia

Grilled steaks, ears of corn and potatoes

The love of my life

U.S. Corps of Engineers Powerhouse Plant where hubby work (taken at the park which was quite a ways from Ozark Powerhouse...Thanks to the amazing zooming capability of our camera!)

Can you spot the difference?

2009-06-12T14:32:00.005-05:00

...aside from the face and the figure, of course!

Well, I'm talking about the blue top. Actually, there's no difference! Di ba?!? This pretty girl and Me have the same exact blouse. I bought mine at Dillards. I'm not sure where did she buy hers but she mentioned she's based in Texas, USA and just went over to the Philippines for a vacation. I was Entrecard dropping one night while watching Wowowee on TFC when this pretty face in a pretty blue blouse caught my attention. I readily grabbed the camera and took some proof shots, showed it to hubby and my family back home, hehehe. Wala lang! I'm just amuse that somebody pretty has the same clothing taste as mine.

Should I go for it?

2009-06-12T13:46:00.002-05:00

It’s a little frustrating that I have not been losing weight for the past months. I am trying to shed off some pounds for our Philippine wedding in January. But I guess I haven’t tried enough. I treadmill sometimes, but I was not taking it seriously. I also don’t watch out the food that I eat. There you go, it’s really just me whom to blame. I don’t know what should motivate me more to exercise. Should I give top diet pill a shot? I know not all of them works. Some of them even have bad side effects, so I guess I need to hear from people who have tried effective diet pills themselves.

Vacation in Branson: Part II

2009-06-06T19:27:00.027-05:00

I've noticed so many bloggers talk about vacationing in Branson, Missouri. I couldn't blame them, Branson has so much to offer for kids and adults alike. I've experienced it myself when we had our vacation there 2 weeks ago. As what the title suggests, this post is a continuation of our Branson escapade. The place has lots of museums of different kinds. We visited three of them. I'm gonna talk about each of them. Let me start with...

The Titanic Museum

Remember the infamous luxury liner that sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1912? Remember the love story of Jack and Rose? Well, there may not have been real Jack and Rose in that voyage, but the world will continue to get fascinated with the facts relating to the world's historic maritime tragedy. The Titanic Museum was filled with photos, memorabilia, facts, trivia and all kinds of exhibits both from the real Titanic wreckage and the very famous movie Titanic over a decade ago. But they don't allow photography inside so we only have this one photo of the outside of the museum building. It sure looks like a ship, doesn't it?

Our next stop...

Hollywood Wax Museum

I'm not sure who they are supposed to look like!

The entrance to the museum

Of course, I had to have a photo opp right here in front of the building

Flirting with Captain Jack Sparrow of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Would you smile like that if somebody pointed a gun at your head?
These are Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson of 'Shanghai Noon'

Hmmm...What am I doing here?

Hello, Forrest Gump!

Are you kidding me? You're not trying to stop 'SpiderMan', are you?

Gone with the wind

Welcome to the 'Planet of the Apes'

The Terminator 'Arnold Schwarzenegger'

Nicholas Cage

Mr. James Bond 'Pierce Brosnan'

Nacho Libre...I saw this movie, hubby talked me into watching it.
He find it very funny, but I hated it! We have different levels of humor, I suppose.

Our last stop...Veterans Memorial Museum. Hubby is fascinated with History. He loves to read books about history and culture of different countries. This is the only reason why I included this in our itinerary. I may find it boring but I know he will find pleasure in viewing exhibits from historical museums.

"I Shall Return." - American General Douglas MacArthur on the shores of Leyte, Philippines

The world's largest war memorial bronze sculpture (over 70 feet long, weighing 15-tons). The life-size figures were modeled after a combat soldier from each of the 50 states.

I hope I didn't bore you with my photos. I just love to photograph all of our travels. I enjoy it when we visit places and no matter how busy we are with work, we try to find time to take vacations. I'd like us to explore the western region of the U.S., so I am considering Vegas vacations in the near future. My newly-wed cousin had been there for their honeymoon and I'd love to see Las Vegas, as well. We could swing by the city when we visit them in Colorado soon. Awesome!

Keep the love alive

2009-06-05T20:51:00.002-05:00

It is every woman’s dream to be loved and constantly pursued by their husbands. The dating stage should not end even after you get married. Showing your partner that you care and love them by giving them small surprises like flowers and chocolates or taking them out for a movie date keep the flame of the relationship burning. I am no expert when it comes to love and relationship, but I would say my hubby has always made me feel special and loved in his own special ways. We find time to go out and date, and I’d get flowers from him even without any special occasion. It’s always a great feeling to know that your hubby still cherish you just like when you first dated.

There’s so many ways to express how you feel towards your loved ones. Lori’s Hearts & Flowers can help you in showing your love any time of the year. On special days like birthdays, you can pick the perfect birthday flowers for the people you care about. You don’t actually have to worry where and how to get them because you can rely on Oshawa Flower Delivery online. They charge no service fees with exquisite floral designs. The internet is not just about technology, it’s also a way of letting them know you’re there and you care.

Save your precious time...trust the experts!

2009-06-03T20:01:00.004-05:00

My sister in Illinois has considered getting a camcorder for future trips and her son’s school activities. But she has no clue as to what brand or model to buy. I’ve tried to help her by doing some research online but I haven’t had so much time lately to really do a thorough research. As a consumer, it is important to be very sure of the product that you’re buying, so I’d really recommend to visit the internet and check out consumer reviews to aid with our decisions. I remember when I bought the Canon digital camera for my mom last year, I did my research and was able to find good deals without sacrificing the quality of the product. But I understand that not all of us have the patience, desire and time to do this, so I believe a website that offers concise recommendations from experts comes in handy.

BestInClass.com helps you quickly find the best digital camera that suits your budget and preference. The experts do the research for you. You can easily find them in just a click of your mouse. If you’re the type who googles basically anything, then you’ll find this website as the #1 result when you search for “best digital camera” or “digital camera recommendations”. They also have reviews and facts about almost all types of Sony camera. I’ll definitely use them when I decide to update our Canon Powershot S2.

Divas 4 Divas Concert

2009-05-31T14:46:00.023-05:00

Here we go...the photos during the concert. There were so much drama en route the concert venue. We expected that traffic would be heavy so we left the hotel two hours before the show starts. It was a very wise decision because we had a hard time looking for the venue. I have directions but apparently, it's not a very good one. After we were able to look for a good place to park, our next struggle is to find the Black Academy Arts building where the concert will take place. People of different races all dressed very nicely were coming in and out of the vicinity, so one would think that they are also going to the concert, but apparently, there was a graduation going on and most, if not all of the people that we've seen were attending the said event. After having to ask from a few security people, we finally managed to find the theatre. Now, our next problem is to look for one of the producers of the show, whom we've bought our tickets from. For some reason, our tickets got lost in the mail and a week before the concert, I've called the producer and she assured me that we could still get our seats even without the tickets. Thankfully, a Filipina from the production side helped us find the producer. Our tickets were replaced, everything was settled and we were part of the crowd that were first ushered in to the theatre. When we finally went in and got seated, all the worries and stress went away. I was just so extremely happy for the once in a lifetime chance to see my favorite singer Regine Velasquez in a concert with the other divas. I was glad that hubby didn't get bored at all. He was definitely amazed with how talented they are. He was also amused with the crowd. You know how it is with Filipino audience, all the screaming, shouting, applauding, clicking of cameras and videos, we enjoyed it all. We have front row tickets and at the latter part of the show, I was one of the fans who was able to shook hands with Regine! Nawala akong poise oi! Gibiya-an ang bana sa lingkuranan, hehe! Gosh! I can't thank my hubby enough for making this possible for me. It was fun and I enjoyed the chance to be with Filipinos and hearing them speak Tagalog and Bisaya again! Enjoy the photos, friends...

Why? Unsay drama? Naay ti-ki?!?

A pose before the concert

We have front row tickets

PRIMO band

The 4 Divas (opening number)

Their outfits underneath the cloaks

Divas in their red shimmering outfits

The elegant Divas

In their colorful gowns

The audience

Crowd jammin' with the Divas

The Divine Diva - Zsa Zsa Padilla

The Concert Queen - Pops Fernandez

The Pop Diva - Kuh Ledesma

The Asia's Songbird - Regine Velasquez

Regine internalizing her song

The show is over

Hubby after the show

A prelude to the concert

2009-05-30T21:18:00.012-05:00

To say that I was super excited was an understatement. I've been dreaming about this day eversince we bought the tickets. I'm talking about the Divas4Divas concert in Dallas, Texas last night. It was my first time in Texas and going straight to a big city like Dallas was overwhelming. Two important things that I noticed while I was there, it was hot and traffic was heavy. The heat didn’t bother me as much as the bumper to bumper traffic at 70 mph. If you don’t drive aggressively, you’re pretty much stuck with whatever lane you’re in. Luckily, I was not the one on the driver’s seat. Otherwise, we couldn’t have made it to the hotel in one piece. It was 3:00 P.M. when we got to Hyatt Place, the hotel where we stayed at. We relaxed a little bit and freshen up before we head out for the concert which started at 8:00 P.M. The room was very nice with huge flat panel TV, plush king-sized bed, cozy corner sofa-sleeper, granite kitchen sinks, wet bar and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access. The sole purpose of the trip was to watch the concert, so we didn't really intend to stay long and didn't get to do other stuff. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the experience minus the traffic, of course, hehe! Here are some photos of the hotel and our room. The official photos of the concert itself will be posted on my next post, I promise!

University of Phoenix (located right next to Hyatt)

Hubby is watching TV

Aww, cartoons, eh!

EC dropping even while on vacation!

A quick trip to Dallas, Texas

2009-05-28T20:37:00.006-05:00

The highlight of our one week vacation is going to Dallas, Texas to watch the Divas4Divas concert. I am definitely a fan of Regine Velasquez and watching her perform along with the country's top performers is a once in a lifetime experience. There's not much Filipino shows in the southern part of U.S., so I was really happy when I found out that the Divas will be having a concert in Texas. I'm super-duper excited, lol! Thanks so much to my Langga for putting up with me, hehehe! Actually, hubby watches with me sometimes when I'm glued to T.V. watching my Filipino shows so he recognizes Regine and Zsa Zsa. But his favorite is Wowowee, Game Ka Na Ba, and most of Sarah G.'s commercials. See! I've been an influence to hubby's TV viewing, hehehe. Anyway, the concert is gonna be tomorrow at 8:00 P.M. in Dallas. I can't wait!