It's A Dream. It's A Nightmare!

Shocking! I had a nightmare last night. The whole Vancouver island is covered with taro leaves. Would you believe that?

Hawaii. The island looks like Hawaii with all those vibrant green taro leaves. What a taro leaf? Or leaves as in plural.

Taro leaves are from the taro plant native to tropical regions of the world. The leaves are water repellant (like a heart-shaped umbrella). The plant has tuber or roots that are edible and can be used as substitute for grain crops because it has the same nutrients of a carbohydrate. This tropical plant grows abundantly on swampy area.

 You wont believe my father owned a small pond with taro plants before. There are three types of special viands that you can cook using taro leaves: 1. pinangat or bicol express, 2. laing and 3. pinais.

With lots of tasty, spicy delicious stuffing inside such as:
Coconut cream, shredded ginger, sliced onions, chopped garlic, salt, ground blackpepper, smoked salmon - sliced, scallops, shrimps, sliced pork meat

Simplicity Is Beauty

 I love beautiful shoes. It doesn't matter if they are expensive or cheap as long as I like the style, design, of course the shoes should be fashionable and not old fashioned.

When I first saw this old  Sears catalogue, I told myself one of these days have to order the shoes that I like or go to Nanaimo and visit the Sears Department store right there at the mall.

I was reminded of my old pair of shoes, the natural snake skin that I had which I bought from Clark's in Philippines. Did you know that Greenbelt is becoming to be the mecca of shopping in Asia? It looks like little Hong Kong there now. Actually, I had another pair of natural  snake skin color tone created by Rusty Lopez. Costly! But very durable. Durability is the name of the game when it comes to wearing shoes in Philippines because walking is part of life. Walking long distance and carrying medical products inside a heavy leather medical bag can be a super pain, can make your hands and palms sweaty, aside from having sweaty brows, face, everything sweat when you live in a tropical country like Philippines.

Yup, sweat it out pops!

Wearing my pair of snake shoes made me looked-like true reflection of a medical representative. Snake symbolizes medicine.

To tell you the truth

I don't know what happened to those two pair of shoes.

My mother told me not to bring those two pairs when I went to Hong Kong.

Anyway, those were the days

At my age now over 50

have to deal with being comfy

by just wearing slippers.

I'm not going anywhere

I'll be at

H O M E

most of the time

One pair of beautiful slippers for my daughter and another pair of slippers for  me

Good enough

Life's like that

Be happy by being simple, modest and natural

Landlocked or Landluck?

It was Black Friday sale yesterday in the US and Canada. Yep, Canadians also recognized the Black Friday sale too. Why? Because there are so many department stores legitimately rather legally  owned by our American neighbors that's why.

Surprised! There are American celebrities out there shopping who I never recognized at first until I stared at their face twice. It's good to see Americans visiting Canada because I know so many Canadians frequently visit American borders for their shopping spree. Maybe if they can't find what they like at their own country they have to find and search it at the other side of the border. No problem with that. Shoppers are always welcome in any commercial centers and business establishments. Native Indians are the most privilege nationalities (citizens) in Canada and America and why not we all should have their rights and privilege?  Actually, when I first arrived here in Canada, there's really no border territory between Canada and the US. You can pass freely from Alaska to British Columbia without hassle or no problem. You can pass with much ease freedom from British Columbia to  Seattle and California. Those were the days...I feel so old and I felt older than the Queen of England. Ahahahahaah! The map of Canada, USA and Alaska are just one continent joined together by land. It's landlocked. In Europe it's the same landlocked joined together and that's why Eurodollars are their one combined currency (medium of exchange)  for trade and commerce.

I don't know why have to segregate ourselves based on the color of our skin. You have dark skin, then bleach your skin or always swim everyday on the chlorinated- sanitized swimming pool. Too pale? Try sunbathing. Not contented with your skin's color? Cover yourself with the right proper clothing from head to foot.

By the way, I was able to purchase the black high-heeled shoes that I saw from the flyers and the pair of shoes seem stylish and fashionable. So I'll go with it, my Christmas shoes. For a good price, I should have bought two pairs of shoes but I have other plans.  I bought everything in my list except hairspray. I forgot to buy hairspray. I'm forgetful nowadays. No I'm not forgetful it's just that hairspray is not in my list. I can't or wont go out today to buy the hairspray, darn it's frigid cold outside and too frosty. Most of the rooftops of the houses in my community  are covered with frost. Probably slippery ground, so be careful when you're out there and drive carefully please.

Happy Thursday!

My husband went to work early today at the Village only to find out that the gutters are frozen cold. Pressure washing is postponed for the time being. Dry leaves were raked and down to the bin and collected for compost by the collectors. The weather is cooler than usual outside, warm inside.

I started my ironing (flat-iron press of clothes) schedule today and have to hurry up having our lunch of just plain batch of deep -fry spring rolls... my husband's favourite of course. Yummy stuffing inside: Shredded ingredients of garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, chopped shrimps, ground pork, salt, pepper, mrs. dash, sprinkle of chilli pepper.

Superbly spicy delicious spring rolls made the day. It takes a lot of work in the preparation of fifty small pieces of this Chinese appetizers. I had at least 7-8 pieces of spring rolls and my tummy is good for the next 5 hours. Members of my family do not eat much at breakfast time and or at lunch but our dinner is bigger than usual. It's more like smorgasbord.

I rented the video of the movie  "Aloha." It was long time ago that the actors and actresses in this American movie were so young, vibrant and young girls and boys swarmed at them like crazy. Well, it's year 2015 and ten to 20 years ago they were really so young and their roles are simply not so inspirational because of the theme or part they played as young rebels with no care about the world. In this world, and in reality, you should grow up, show some maturity  before you are called adults and responsible. You can't be a juvee or juvenile for the rest of your life just like Sam pizza Pocket. LOL. J/K


I think we'll have roast chicken instead of roast turkey for dinner. Happy Thanksgiving Day to my relatives and friends in the United States of America.

Opinion Matters

Thanks to Campbell River Mirror newspaper for this informative news. Their opinion matters. Learn from it and share the news and knowledge. Pass it on.

                                                        ~>>><<<~

How you can be QUALIFIED for the work you are doing right now? Is it based on credentials, certification or based on years of experience from that one job you are in for the time being?

EXCELLENCE in WORK, specialization and knowledge for that particular work only proves you are OVERqualified for that specific work.

OVERQUALIFIED WORKERS are workers who are working minimal lame job that they are not supposed to do for example: You are a nanny, babysitter or domestic helper working for a family of five, you are a College Graduate from prestigious University and you have a Bachelors Science degree in Chemistry. You worked as a chemist in a laboratory in a textile factory, a medical technologist for the hospital's  laboratory for 4 years and suddenly you called it quits and went to work in another country as a babysitter. That is what you call OVERQUALIFIED. There are so many overqualified workers in different parts of the world. Let say you are a grad. of BS Nursing and you worked in the hospital for ten years, achieved so many medical seminar and symposium to upgrade skills and then you went to Dubai. In Dubai, you are only to work as caregiver. The nurse is therefore overqualified as a caregiver. This is the same as a Doctor of Medicine with specialization in Pedia. That doctor is called a pediatrician. You have to have at least hundreds of patients you have cured and treated before you can be accepted as highly skilled and showed excellence in that particular field of medicine. Doctors cannot be overqualified simply their work is a constant learning and the risk involved in such field of medicine can make or break you in the most unexpected  situation wherein God is the "hands that guide you whether your patients will live, survive or succumb to death." Then you applied for another job as a gardener. Are you overqualified as a gardener?


When you graduate from a College or University with special Bachelor's degree without experience just a credential of sort, and you decided you have to grab one and only opportunity to work as a bartender you can't be called OVERQUALIFIED because you don't have any experience from working in the degree you accumulated or achieved from that University. You are just a recent graduate without experience in other words "you are not yet overqualified." What you acquired is just on basis of theory. If the basis of experience is theoretical you might at least be a teacher and pursue career in Education.


Let say, you watched the movie of Steven Segal as a cook at the Navy carrier ship. It turns out he is a black belter, US Navy Seals and a highly decorated soldier. Is he overqualified as a cook? DEFINITELY.


I watched too much TV and movies. certainly you can learn too many things  from these two mediums. Most of the highly intellectual beings on planet earth love watching TV and movies. You can learn on these mediums that you don't learn from schools. Truth is there are plenty of TVs at Canadian schools just to provide more source of knowledge for their students. Students pay attention to TV more than their teachers. gattaca?

24K

Facing the mirror while I snapped myself under a low beam light without flash. November 2015. Do I looked like from the Brown race now? I'm not from the Yellow race that's for sure because I'm not Chinese. I am not a  Vietnamese, certainly not a Chinese. I'm a Filipina.

 This is how I am way back year 2014. I think black solid colored clothing looks good on me. It shows my true skin color and it makes me looked so slim and petite

 It has something to do with the light bulb above the ceiling that brings glow on my face plus the value of Cover Girl foundation helps too. Of course every woman around the world  loves make-up. Photo image: Year 2014

 Year 2013. I surely love my buri hat and it covered my long black hair plus silver hairs.

My husband R. Lorne and I on our wedding picture in the year 1991. We celebrated our 24th Wedding Anniversary this year. Imagine... 24 long years!

Nowhere To Hide?

On TRUST ISSUES again. How many people on earth had liposuction? How many people had face-lift? How many people who never grow old even if they are over the hill already? True people changed on anything including personality, mood, status and age is a matter of numbers. When you are over 40 years old somewhere along the way, you had at least one or two or three white hair on your scalp maybe dozen gray hairs, others probably are bald. I had my first gray hairs when |I was in High School. Shocking eh? I don't even know it until my classmate who was above me, standing on the concrete bench while we're watching the popular TV show on our school stage. Marissa Tubig was singing her song that time and my classmate and good friend Violeta (she's now a doctor) blurted " Hey, Verna You have white hair (gray hair). " I was embarrassed because too many High school students on that concrete bench under the tall, shady acacia tree ( Buhay pa ba yung acacia tree?) where we stayed to watch the live show of Mr. German Moreno. But God knows, I probably inherited those gray hairs from my Mother. Who knows probably I had blonde hair when I was a baby. Ha ha ha! At least she was not one of those people who used to collect my hair for souvenir. Truth is I used to call my gray hairs SILVER HAIRs. H A I R as in literally...

 You probably have few lines on your face or forehead. You probably have sagging skin on your neck, you look-like a turkey. You probably have blotchy patch skin on your face, freckles, pimples or any kind of  mark on your face aside from tattoo or wart. Some people have cold sores on their lips or some smudge that wont go away.

Who cares?

HOWEVER when it comes to modern technology, instagram, tablets and modern digital camera with megapixels there are special effects that cover blemishes, pimples and wrinkles. Some people's face can turn into mestiza looking-face even if they have dark skin. That's over fixing! You are a black woman with white face?Uhm...weird!  Who will believe that? But that's how face are being fixed by modern cameras. There is something wrong with your camera if you looked younger than your grandchildren. OMG!

In this world, no matter how you hide, no matter where you run, you can always be discovered.

Lying is such a bad word and you only end up taking for cover every time. Be true to yourself. That's the only way to happiness.

T R U S T

My husband thought the jacket being sold in Costco has better quality than the ones in big department stores and retail outlets with "popular brand names" and I thought am the only one who can see the difference. Their yoga pants "Mondetta"  are of better quality than lululemon. The price of lululemon clothing grabe super high but the quality? I heard too many complaints already. There's no pair of yoga pants that's worth over hundred dollars. Sobra na yan. Over pricing can be condemned you know?

Truth is you are paying for the "name" only but the quality of the textile and stitches are low grade. I preferred the lower price but the quality of the fabric is super great and comfortable to wear, that what is more important. Forget the name or label just consider the fabric, the stitches, style and and over all quality. Who will ask if you are using or wearing an unknown jacket, pants, dress or skirt. Why bother?

There are certain people who will starve themselves just to purchase $500 or $5,000 worth of dress and starve themselves thinking they have  bulimia or anorexia. It's all on expensive clothes and accessories and nothing for food.

I don't mind wearing non-popular brand named clothes as long as the fabric suits my body, as long as the quality is not degrading of good quality, clean and neat (hindi mabaho) in conformity with today's standard when it comes to style (not old fashioned), most of all not too expensive something that you can afford. Wag ka nang magpasosyal para masabihan kang sosyal kung wala ka namang makain at ibang tao pa ang magpapakain sa iyo. Magkaroon ka ng delikadesa dahil hindi lahat ng oras may trabaho ka at higit sa lahat hindi sa lahat ng oras may mauutangan ka. Hindi masamang mangutang kung may pambayad ka pero kung utang ka ng utang at hindi ka marunong magbayad sino ang magpapautang sa iyo. As usual it's always trust and who can we trust nowadays?

I TRUST THE ONE & ONLY GOD that I KNOW.

Shepherds' Pie?

Something weird happened to us while we're at Costco. My daughter and I were looking for shampoo with conditioner at the Pharmacy section, you know that area where good grooming products are also located, so we were in search for the better quality product shampoo and I left our grocery cart at the aisle of that section, we turned right in search and when I returned to my cart holding it on the handle, I was surprise that my cart or buggy has been half emptied. I know that our shopping cart was full of groceries.   I was speechless for a while then the woman yelled that I'm holding on to her buggy or cart. I looked around and my shopping cart was relocated on the right hand site beside other boxed products taller than me (over 5'8 ft.) then I heard loud  laughter. I laughed for a while and then later blurted there's nothing to laugh about. It's not a laughing matter. We're already queuing for the cashier's booth and I can still hear their laughter. My God, they were so ridiculously annoying. So weird and so strange! If they are young people it's okay to laugh but they looked like older than me. They are probably over the hill (60 to 75 years old) and they think that's funny eh?

What happened here yesterday at my blog is not a laughing matter either. I was posting three images of  $5, $20 and $100 (Canadian money) and publish those photos and what happened after on the front blog surface only $5 was seen. What happened to the photos of $20 and $100? I don't know. Got no clue where they go. Do I have to blame the hackers? Ah, what the hell, forget about it,  just photos and they are missing.

Fishy? I found that fishy. How many people knew my passwords here? How they know my password? Kataka-taka!

At the cashier's booth or counter after paying for the products, goods whatever those two carts we had which are PAID by my husband, later on the cashier named (withheld) a Hindu, informed my husband that he can get  a cash back from $910.00+ worth of groceries that we paid at the till. Kerry the supervisor at Costco accompanied us to the customer service department and Kaya assisted us and through the computer information that a cheque was sent worth $83 was sent through our address, we didn't receive  that cheque and the previous cash back or cheque they told us before by another clerk named Julia and Paul. I haven't seen Julia and Paul anymore. Too many new clerks in Costco now. Seasonal job maybe. Kaya asked my husband to sign another information form and they took another photo of my husband for another card. My husband has an executive card already from that Costco why they need my husband to fill up another form? Very strange! What's wrong with them? My husband showed his ID and Driver's license is that not enough? Who are these people at Costco? They don't even look -like Canadians ( Original Canadians). Thomas is there at the exit door. I remember that guy who has resemblance with TBBT's Sheldon Cooper who is every bit a mix of Canadian- American- Chinese or Jew. I mean they are somewhat of mixed racial origin. The girl, she could been Syrian. But hard to tell really because the clerk named Kaya could be Russian or Turkish. Who knows? Her make up is so thick. Where's that blonde-haired  clerk who looks like Emma Stone? At least emma Stone wont drop her fake diamond ring on the ground eh? Darn! That's ZOMBIELAND. Absent? On leave? Darn, sorry hate to be using the racial profiling technique when you are having doubts on true-real Canadian born, who was born in Canada in 1945.

It happened in Costco. A Canadian born is being questioned for being a customer for so many years at Costco! A customer with an EXECUTIVE ACCOUNT and already had IDentification information in their computer. I asked the clerk Kaya what is her surname or family name because certainly we have the right to ask her too. How long she is working at that store and what's in the details in her personal resume. As I'm writing this I know that the owner of Costco is reading this info. Anyway, Kerry the supervisor knew the whole drama and I don't have to be dramatic about this.

 My husband's parents owned a logging camp in Vancouver island during the years when pulp mills and the forest business were very in demand. Way back then racism is not heard of. My parents- in- law hired so many workers mostly loggers for their company. There was no space for racism, bullying and other form of discrimination after World War II. Canadians are Canadians and Americans are Americans. They are all "Whites." That's what it is you have to be loyal to your own RACE. Anyway, we don't care about that cash back or cheque they were trying to fool their customers. How many were fooled anyway? What $83 dollars could buy you at present time? You can buy a gold plated wristwatch. You can have a gourmet dinner for two at Painter's Lodge. You can buy gas for your van or pick up truck. That's an equivalent worth of a thermal Gortex jacket. That's the price of a brand new pair of Nike shoes. My husband needs a brand new shoes for work and he's denying himself of a new pair of shoes. Tsk! tsk!



I'm not cheap. It's just that too many unemployed people in Canada and money is so tight and wasting money is such a bad idea in our generation. I don't know how rich you are but if you are working for just minimum wage or working $20/hour ... $83 means a lot! And another cheque from that "cash back offer" is great if not good. I hate too much fraud and scam in our time and age. Too much to trust and distrust.




It's not April Fools Day but you know that here's the catch, try your trick on some people that will not racially profile your face or what you look like because let me tell you, carding is a technique used by the armed forces and police force and we're all gonna be carding whatever wool there is on planet earth.

Abba Abracadabra!

Money, money, lots of money and my other bills of money were not accepted here for post because they have the face of Borden and her majesty Q. E. What's with Google nowadays? They have  a mind of their own now?

Let's investigate the feature of the FIVE dollar bill, Canadian money. Look, stare and click to enlarge. Anything out of the extra-ordinary?

I have to leave you with the mystery. tata. ciao. arividerci. von voyage.

The Value of Happiness

I don't know how I can entertain myself because of boredom. It's getting so boring lately. TV shows are redundant because of same kind of theme, nothing's new, same old redundant plays... repetition. Maybe I should try the "puppet master" technique with hand gestures just like those of my dolls above. LOL. I know they are look-alikes of Wendy's. Remember Star Wars' Padme acting as a decoy and wearing such costume of a royal jester turned out to be a decoy. Did it ever occur to you that the decoy was actually a decoy and the queen is the real queen and Padme was just lying? Because she likes the handsome young man named Anakin and   she lied to steal him from the real queen. Just kidding. Who would have thought that the young man has dark side and he became Darth Vader, wicked like evil but who we have to blame when there are too many characters in that movie story that will corrupt a young man's mind. Only Yoda has one ultimate function and purpose in this fantasy movie to rescue the righteous.

A true novelist or author of books represent different but interesting characters and you'll find out what's in that person's heart and mind as in transparent from how story is being represented and how it will turn out in the end as having a happy ending or sad ending. Sometimes, the authors would rather prefer happy ending however through conspiracy and meeting of other minds they would rather have a commercial standpoint wherein the story must relate to the feelings of every readers or viewers if its created for movies. It must have an amazing appeal that will make money for all of the people involved. Of course a work with pay should be the main event. Money, money...always money makes the world go round and money can unite people from all walks of life.

Value of money = Adds Happiness

You give someone a $20 or $50 dollar bill (for no apparent reason) and that person will be happy for the rest of the week but you give that person with a t-shirt or a piece of scarf do you think that person will have that same happy face?

The value of happiness is represented in the amount of money you have. Money is not evil after all.

Dream On

Monday! I should work on Monday. Isn't it amazing that I keep working on my blog? Let me tell you about today's weather: Cold wet drizzles outside and it's windy. Know what it doesn't stop the construction workers from building houses right there at the back side of our house. Right now, they have the cement  truck pouring concrete cement on the foundation of the new house. I wonder if the developer will build a rancher or two storey house. I hope the developer of that house will have a better choice of color for the sidings instead of those gray-colored house that's boring. You have to know that you are blocking the sunset view and to see grey houses will only mean you have provided me with the stumbling block.

Note: Just as when I'm writing this blog composition suddenly... the wind blew as fast as flash and the hurricane like scene made those workers run for cover in their vehicles. They drove away, just like that, instantly. That's what you call timing. I should have recorded that on my video camera.

Uhm, what a coincidence eh? Am I a witch? Ha ha ha ha ha! Anyway, I am not the one who made that "wicked wind driven to shoo them away from their unfinished business." They are the same developers who did the foundation of the house where we are residing right now. They can't blame God either. I think it has something to do with circumference. It's so boring right here at my place and the satellites up there gets bored too. Unbelievable?

I wont be able to see the house that looks like the familiar  house in the movie "Color Purple." I wont be seeing the green forest. It will be a wider view of many houses being built at the back side of our house. That's the next scene.

OMG! Where to go? Where to live where I can see the view of mountains? The scenic view of the ocean and the lighthouse? I want to see the passing of cruise ships and sailboats everyday. Oh well, I'm always day-dreaming.

At least DREAMS are also subjected to demand curve and dreams can be sold nowadays. You want to buy my dreams?

Sigmund Freud had a book about dreams entitled, "Interpretations of Dreams." Whose dreams he wrote in his books? I don't know. What kind of dreams. I don't know. I haven't seen Sigmund's book. I could only guess that his book is about the dreams of those patients he cured out of depression, mental malady and for those who were mentally challenged then only God knows what's inside their mind.

In Reality With Myself

For God sake it's the 15th of November 2015 and I should blog something interesting. 40 days to Christmas! How wonderful life is ...

I was dreaming already and have something in my mind to open up anything of an idea that makes me open up my eyes.

I don't know why my daughter always snap a photo of me while my eyes closed or it was a time that my eyes blinked and or the flash of the light is blinding and there 'ya go with my eyes closed. Hey at least I'm smiling.

Thanks my daughter Tam, you are becoming a great photographer!

 

Have you seen those old ancient photographs taken during 18th century and in those old photos most of the people have their eyes closed? Well, as you probably had known that the old cameras were really unsophisticated way back then unlike the modern digital cameras that we are using in our generation. In the old days, the camera man can't control the light properly so there's so much radiation coming out and there's that blinding light that struck them as if they were being x-rayed. Old photography is like facing the X-ray machine then leaves everyone with black scattered ground coal on everyone's face after every shot.

Weird!

Nowadays, the pulsating light is faster than lightning. There is so much radiation but you wont even feel it because too swift and too flashy.

Just one click and it's ready.

There's no need to use darkroom because with digital camera

you can see right away if the photo is properly been shot or there's a need to delete it.

Instant gratification that's the formula of photography

in our time, in our year 2015

which started in the year 2000

The millennium

Can't photoshop myself here. There's no use cheating on how I look. Old and fat! LOL. Really why photoshop an already good image. Ha ha yabang! I'm not a supermodel. I am not a movie star so really I do not need to have a photoshop image of myself. I don't even know how to do it because my skills are different from what other skilled artists are doing. Good for those artists who can photoshopped their idols and they should be compensated for their creative work. You know what I mean? Movie stars, TV personalities, politicians should thank or pay their "image photographers and photoshopped artists" because they are benefited from them. Their images are their bridge to stardom so you guys should thank your skilled "creators."

Time to go?



Food Brings People Together At The Table

 We have so much ham for the month of November. Shocking! However so many different kind of viand and soup that I produced, created and made into recipe for special kind of ham. Glorious!

Right there above, is the photo of shredded  cabbage and carrots sauteed with ham, garlic and onions mixed with oyster sauce and teriyaki sauce. Good for plain steamed rice or kaiser buns. Simple interesting meal.

 Tired of the roasting of whole  pig or chicken? Try roasting pork loin. Pork loin's good substitute for the ordinary lechon kawali. Loin's always tender and meaty. Prepare your bottle of "mang tomas lechon sauce" or make a simple sweet and sour sauce from scratch.

Awesome combination: Pork tenderloin, steamed brocolli, steamed rice, boiled potato and small bowl of tasty creamy mushroom soup.

If you are looking for recipe? My blog is not for such thing. For the most veteran cook or chef, just by looking at certain food on the picture they can manage to cook the same kind of food. Every cook  has that special technique or method on how to begin with first thing first.

Just let the veteran cook know if the viand is to be prepared or cook in the following procedure: Saute', skillet, fry, boil, steam, simmer, stir-fry, deep-fry, roast, broil, bake >  and they know right away how to begin.

For the beginners it's always from the beginning of teaching them from the top to the bottom of the numbered procedure then to follow and remember the right ingredients (from the small spicy ingredients down to the main ingredients).

I should rename my blog: F O O D instead of The Conscious Mind (Mind Over Matter)

What do you think?

Who Said You Can't Learn From The Movies You Watched?

I knew that I can get by without dryer machine for clothes as long as I have an electric flat iron. No problem. Maybe it's economical cheaper that way. However, my husband called the WPA Centre so the techguy appeared at our doorstep and fixed the dryer amounting to $20 service and thermostat replacement.

I first thought the element is the problem again. For that small part called "thermostat" which is costly worth $25. Well, at least this time there's no need to order it from outside British Columbia, because before most of the machine's part whether they are famous brand names or what they have to order them first in Ontario or from China.

As usual, aside from the normal housework at home, my daughter and I managed to watch a movie rather rented a video entitled " Ex Machina" for a change. I saw the trailer of this movie, at first glance first thought it was a foreign movie with subtitles. Because in the trailer, the movements of the mouth of the characters do not match the words being uttered. It was a science fiction movie based on a smart nerdy guy who won a prize to travel to certain destination. Only him was selected or chosen to travel alone. It's weird that the helicopter pilot landed his helicopter in a very remote area in an island not airport or hangar for airplanes, nobody there. He waited for a while for somebody to pick him up, he got tired, tried to use his cellphone but his gadget is useless in that very remote place called wilderness, out from nowhere. He walked and walked and then saw a satellite dish from top of the hill and then right there at the gated compound, weird building, layered at the slope of the mountain I think, at last there's that security clearance that managed to take his photo and right away he was given a "pass card" to enter the building. Imagine the nervousness of such human being, alone in such remote, tranquil place, without people, without movements, until the leading character saw a man doing his yoga outside the glass paneled walls. It was a glass house with concrete basement without windows. Why he was chosen for this kind of "test" or sort of "vacation as a prize for what?" No ones knows until you have seen or watch the whole entire movie. What is his purpose, why he needs to be there and who had chosen him? If you love long conversation with intelligent humans then this is your kind of movie. If you can manage to sit down talking to one person and never realizing about time keeps passing by, you'll never know what's happening outside, your own domain and you don't care if there are other people around you or you can live without civilization then this is your kind of movie. The moral lesson for this movie is never under estimate the power of women especially if they are robots. Who knows, maybe the robots are created with the same mentality as Eve. Another lesson, do not fall for a scam. Be careful out there. Do not trust everybody or everyone. Who knows they are just after your body parts. They just want a piece of your lungs, your heart, and maybe your liver. Too many scams already. Scientific scam! Free holiday, free travel for two? uhm, too good to be true. Yeah maybe travel to be kidnapped. A lot of news about kidnapping and they are true. They are in the NEWS.  Beware!

My daughter disliked the long conversation of this movie "Ex Machina.". At first I felt so bored too because I like action movies. As you probably know that the kind of movies I used to watch are filled with adrenaline rush. I was raised in a home where all of us watch military inspired movies, detective stories and mysteries. My father loves watching the all time high ultimate COMBAT series (starring Vic Morrow, Rick Jason, etc) then RAT PATROL, we watched Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson in HARDY BOYS and Nancy Drew Mysteries. We watched PLATOON, Bridge On The River Kwai, We Were Soldiers, and other war stories. We watched so many of those Chinese movies of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. At a very young age, I used to watch the weekly TV series of Shintaro (the blind samurai) and Kobe of the famous Tokugawa Empire. For sci-fi inspired TV series, childhood reminds me of Mekanda robots, Mazinger Z and the original Power Rangers. So any other movies seem so slow compared to my favourite movies and television series.

The Will To Survive Depends On Your Choice

You have University diploma, you have a College degree, you are a scholar but that's not enough. Because in reality, employers always looked for EXPERIENCE!

There,  that's the most important thing in search for work. Can you do it? Can you do that? How you can do it? To see is to believe. The world is watching, everyone is watching. there's always people watching at what you are doing. They listen, they watch, they make records and they are supervising.

Experience is always the best interest and the best teacher. It is the only way and reason why you can be employed. It's not only about words. It is also about action.

And you think it's about CONNECTION and references. You'll find that out for yourself.

TV or television series portrayed so much of the FBI or Federal Bureau Investigation, FBI (Blindspot, Quantico, X Files, etc) the Army (Tour of Duty) , the Navy (NCIS) the police force (The Rookie, Walking Dead, ), and all detective stories (Gotham) so many of them now that maybe it's the highly in demand job nowadays? Or only in Hollywood? How many movie stars and television stars now? So many of them that everyone feels insecure. Fear factor employed contestants mostly stunt men and women who are pretty good looking and handsome people who can double for Hollywood actors in a glance. How these stuntmen risked their lives just for the training is unimaginable and very risky. I wonder how much they are paid for their death-defying jobs?

Life is very precious. Risky works in a unprecedented environment and unexpected situation pays so much but to risk your life is more than crazy. Choice?
Happiness is a choice.


Tomorrow, November 11, 2015 is the celebration of VETERANS DAY (United States of America) and Remembrance Day for Canada. Lest we forget. Remember the sufferings and sacrifices of the gentlemen and women of uniforms during World War II and who provided us with world peace so that we can all survive and protected, safe from harm. PEACE!

Bowls of Soup For All Seasons

 You know that I like soup too because it's the easiest to cook, the inexpensive food and most of all the ingredients, nutritious as it is,  there for the whole family to share with any time, any day.

The above image: One of the most delicious soup I ever cooked recently. It's the ham, tomato, onions, celery mushroom soup. Rich and creamy. Combine all the "necessary ingredients" in the boiling chicken broth in a casserole: chopped garlic, chopped onions, tomatoes, chicken broth, chopped celery, chopped mushrooms. Add sprinkle of salt, ground oregano. Let it simmer, taste it again to find where perfection should be. It depends on what kind of taste you have. You want flat, bland soup because salty foods not good for you? It's really up to you to minimize the saltiness of any soup. Other people would drink sweetened juice to augment the saltiness.

 Cream of mushroom soup with ham. Simple yet delicious.

 My husband cooked this split pea soup with ham. Great! Only if it's hot. When it's cold it's not really that good or because my husband cooked the split-peas too long that was grounded. The next day, the soup thickens and if only I know how to make hopia I can use the thickened soup for stuffing, yeah hopia stuffing. Bakers used thickened ground brown beans for hopia stuffing or sometimes ube yam is good replacement.

 Something easier? Instant chicken noodles soup. You can boil the cup or bowl of soup with water in the microwave for three minutes or boil water and pour it unto the bowl of noodles. Follow instructions from the bowl's cover. Add fresh brocolli or any other veggies available from your fridge, or add boiled eggs or cooked seafood.

 Cream of mushroom soup with caulliflower, shredded carrots and spring onions.

 For any other kind of soup, prepare to boil the ham (with bones) until the meat comes off from the bone. Add spices, onions, oregano, spring onions and celery. From that broth you can figure what needs to be combined or mix it with other suitable veggies to go with it. Simple as that.

Boullabaise!!!!! Awesome! This is my favorite soup. Delicious and costly! All the seafood that you can imagine from prawns, shrimps, mussels, clams, scallops, white fish or halibut. Add spices: chilis, pepper, salt, onions, leeks, celery and don't forget the saffron. So yummy delicious soup ever!

Change of Plan? Why Not!

My son Cade loves soup, different kinds of soup as long as it's soup. I told him to enrol in the art of cooking, be the next soup chef because his young life is just wasted on computer games and computer graphic arts wherein dunno if he can sell those arts. I was thinking that he is probably doing works for free to people I don't know. His computer workstation boast expensive machines for his art, graphic arts and illustrations. He's too shy to apply for any other kind of job that doesn't interest him. Why a handsome young man with lots of artistic talent would rather spend his time inside his bedroom and touch computers?

Know what? Too many artistic talented young teens and adults in Canada but there's really no outlet to manifest their creativity. I mean to compensate on their talents? Where? You gain nothing but maybe appreciation of  arts have time warped consequences just like what happened during the Medieval period.

How Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, Michaelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh and other famous artists made their arts famous and why they are famous until now? Truth be told that during their heydays, their art works are not really popular, well, only when they died (but dying or death wont give you wages and compensation, simply you're dead, so think about that!) and after hundreds of years their arts are resurrected. Artworks are similar to wines, they only are remarkably amazing after many long years of being hidden in the cold cellar.

Think of dinosaurs that are only popular when after thousand of years the archaeologists dug deeper through many geological earth dumpsite or "archive sites" and exploit them for all eternity to make lots of money.

Weird!? So bizarre that people appreciate things of value as time passed by. Thank God my eldest son Tyrel was able to reimburse half of his tuition fees from Douglas College. He didn't accept the last offer from BCIT. I don't really know what's going on, instead he is working at his Dad's now. Wishing they get more business contracts from homebuilders and developers. Be reminded that it's hard work that pays. Better work now than study. Earn now than wait longer period of time studying then graduate without work which you know that's the problem nowadays with newly university grads. Yeah better have role models like Mr. Bill Gates and Mr. Mark Zuckerberg. Rich college drop outs.

However, when it comes to people close to us we always appreciate their importance to our lives and the  great values they taught us everyday.

I will cook special pancit again today for the birthday celebrant. Happy birthday Nanay! I hope  Tatay cooked something special for you on your birthday other than noodles (chow mein). I should teach my son to cook pancit guisado. But I think he knew already the method of cooking noodles. I saw him cooked a homemade pasta noodles with ham and cream of mushroom. Looks like an Italian cuisine. Good for him. He should try some other menus and really he should attend College and trained to be a Chef or gourmet cook.

Hollywood UnOfficially

It's only the 7th day of November and you know that there are bills to be paid: hydro (electricity), internet, telephone, gas, vehicle's gas, food( groceries), rent for the house , cleaning supply, miscellaneous bills, there's really nothing spare for anything of excess. It's always paycheque to paycheque kind of balancing the budget. What about the middle class and the millionaires? They probably wont divulge their own limit. They are the people who have enough money to splurge on anything. We never have vacation to Tahiti or Barbados. We can't afford holidays in Europe and California not even in Mexico. My husband can go fishing and crabbing in another island through the Pacific with his friends while my kids and I stayed at home. I'd better stay at home all the time simply there are once again tell-tale signs of our doors being forced open. It's crazy right? I am being suspicious again. Why not? Our house was burglarized before. Hard to believe but who should you believe until it happened to you.

I keep myself wide awake at time watching movies to keep me sane. How about these Jackie Chan's movies: Jackie's First Strike, Condor, and Police Story III-Supercop? Movies that made me realized that there is always that "dark side" that keeps coming back and forth to make us paranoid. While zombiestories are just too lame now compared to the incredible stunts those Chinese and other asian men endured because of too much rapid fire, bombing and blasting. Zombies are just "walkers" you can't be hurt or eaten by zombies if you can run fast as you could and if you have a fast car or any fast running vehicle away from walking zombies. Zombies walked, you can run and you can drive what's to be scared about? The most frightening situation is being haunted by evil humans who never stop pestering or bugging us just because they want to steal. That's the problem.


7th day yesterday and 8th day today. Nothing much to reveal, just movies we watched last night. It was a marathon of Mark Wahlberg's movies: Max Payne and The Italian Job (starring: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, John Statham, Donald Sutherland, etc) Lots of gold bars in this movie worth 35 million dollars. Heavy gold bars. Wow! Did you know that I met Charlize Theron before? She's pretty in person. She knocked at our door before looking for a place to rent, it was at night. Shocking! Maybe she was on a holiday? Or there was a "movie shooting?" That was more than ten years ago. There are  so many Hollywood celebrities in our city, actually you wont recognize them until you see them on movies and on TV shows and point hey, have seen them in the downtown area or in the McIvor lake... blah, blah, blah. Funny eh? Sometimes you wont really recognize them because they don't have make up or they don't wear wigs or glamourized outfit.


I was at Wamart at one time and on the line (queue) leading to the cashier's counter there were two ladies before me. Surprise!! One of them was the leading actress in "The Walking Dead." Guess who? It was "Maggie" (Glenn's gf in TWD). Also, I have seen Victoria Justice (Tori Vega of Victorious) in person. I never thought "she was that girl" I mean she's no longer a girl. She's already a woman and she's got that californian complexion "tan" not fair skin "white." I'd like to think that where we live is now unofficially Hollywood. Great! As a matter of fact I would rather have white people or Americans in the city where I live.

Modern Machines Are Great but some Machines Aren't Reliable

Unbelievable but it's true! Some machines are not reliable. I couldn't believe this new digital age modern machine will fail again. This is the second time that the dryer or dryer machine broke down probably the element is burnt out again. Nakakainis na. Gastos ulit. Sayang! $178.50 (P6,247.50) for repair service and installation + price of element. Then double that money  is simply irritating. Pang shopping ko na lang sana mapupunta pa sa kenmore dryer na yan.

I never had problem with old washing machine and dryer (white metal machines without the LCD, old style) in the Village before. It has automatic time off and the clothes are dried perma press (wrinkle free) properly, no LCD.

With this new LCD modern machines as if there is that control outside that sets off whether it will heat up or not. Well, that's crazy to think right? Outside control like drones. OMG!!!!!

You may ask me what the "element" looks like so I'd better post it here for you to see.

Element for the Dryer Machine

Suggestion: I asked my husband to just buy the new element which is available at the WP Appliance Store. The element costs $75.00 and if he will install it to our dryer then we'll be saving $103.50. He wants the appliance tech guy to install the new element instead. That's not his job. Okay, whatever. For the meantime I will have to hang dry the wet clothes and bed sheets or coordinates through the wooden pole and cord. I will just use my electric flat iron to flatten (perm and kill the bugs or bloodsuckers or germs from hanging it outside) the clothes and coordinates once they are dry (air dry at the garage). The weather outside looks grim and wet from the heavy rain last nite. Is that good? It's the same economic solution.

For the most thrifty or stingy people they will just hang dry them outside their yard when the sun is out. They will fold the dry clothes when it's ready and place them in their closet. No ironing whatsoever! The bugs stayed on the clothes and they wonder where those bites on their skin came from? The red rashes, skin allergies and other maladies are out, they appeared like you know "contact dermatitis" and the medication is worth how much? Frequent visits to your doctor or dermatologist will be a weekly routine. Monthly routine visit to the dermatologist if the medication (topical solution) is effective. How to eradicate skin allergy? It would be impossible if its in your blood already and the environment is not suitable for hanging dry clothes outside. But to prevent more allergies coming out, then better to have control. Prevention is better than cure.

Why some people are not bothered about this problem? They are "used" to wearing clothes that are not pressed. Unlike other people who have delicate skin. Majority of people do not have the skin of animals, their skin are so delicate. Some people are "immuned" about external forces. Better stop from this explanation before several people misunderstand my point and they become pointless.

06112015

TGIF. Friday, the sixth day of November 2015.While OFWs are spreading the news of the "Laglag bala in NAIA" (Philippines). I don't know the whole story of such "fallen bullet" Ano nga ba ang tutuong story na yan? I'm not in my native land Philippines to be the "reporter for such news.

 While the whole week of news in Canada is the recent swear-in or oath-taking of the new Prime Minister of Canada, Justin P.J. Trudeau at Rideau hall. Two days after the oath-taking ceremony and what else is new? It's really good to be aware of the latest news that having television is a great convenience. Yesterday, one of the members of the Liberal cabinet proposed the long form Census for all Canadians (which you probably knew that was scrapped during the Conservative party due to negative feedback from Canadians).

Next? What is new, real new? They are talking about the dirtiest oil on planet earth? What 's the dirtiest? Crude oil? So dark and stinky? Expensive oil. You know that you can make gas from dirt right? You can produce oil and gas  from cattle and pigs poop and that's make oil so dirty. But humans have poop too. Robots? No poop from robots.

Do you want robots running our government? Wow! Mr. Roboto it seems like will have iRobot in the factory somewhere.

I first thought I wont blog for the whole seven days but you know my sugar (glucose) has been lowered to the level that I can now go back to my work without compensation or pay because nobody's perfect. That doesn't mean I am perfect. I'm just here to add righteousness when humans are committing so many mistakes. Like, they think they can promote war and war can benefit them. All is fair in love and in war? NO WAY.  Nowhere man.

It is better to work with pay and compensation, it makes us humans.

Keep On Reading. Keep On Watching!

 Keep on reading. It will keep you aware and alert. Of course you will become smart and knowledgeable, you will become informative. Will you be the bridge to Terabitha? Or the bridge to Mansbridge? Bridge to River Kwai?

Although, don't assume that you will be a constant guest at any party. Elephants have that wide ears for information but seldom been invited for any parties. You know people would rather invite who are less fortunate than them.

 Ahahhaha, so crabby eh?  Crabs are so special and even more special when they are cooked with rich-creamy coconut milk. I added green beans and spices (sliced of ginger, garlic and onions). My favorite viand. My husband caught ten big healthy crabs from the crab trap when they went crabbing in the ocean. The five extra crabs were given to my sister and brother-in-law.

The rest of the crabs were prepared for crab salad, mushrooms with crab flakes and crab sandwich.

 Another viand that keeps me alive. Menudo-curry combination. It's not bad! It taste so delicious. The two viands" crabs and menudo" need a lot of rice consumption.

Keep on watching. TV News. Movies. VOD (Video On Demand) for this time around, I watched the new movie of the highly acclaimed actor Robert Downey Jr. The movie, The Avengers: Age of Ultron didn't really strike best this time. But there are certain highlights of the movie that made you think twice because they have hidden theme or goal. Find it out for yourself because I wont reveal it to you. SECRET.