Mother's Day 2012

I know that I shouldn't expect any flowers or surprise from Mike for Mother's day even though I've been dropping hints here and there...he's really bad at special occasions. I didn't expect anything from anybody but I was surprised how the day turned out. Random people and random things surprised  me in their own little way.

When I woke up, the first SMS I got was from my boss "Naa moy bonus next week, Happy Mother's Day!" Hurray! My boss sure knows how to surprise us. This is our most awaited yearly bottom line bonus and there were rumors that we won't be receiving any for the year so yehey!

Mike and I were thinking of eating out but we we thought that the restos would be full so for lunch, we decided to order in Pizza and Pasta from Yellowcab.

May 13 is my Kuya Edwin's birthday, he passed away last 2010, so Mike and I went to St. Joseph to light candles and offer our prayers. Afterwards,we went to buy Ice Cream at Merco Lanang but we ended up buying the elusive Magnum Chocolate Truffles which I really wanted to try for quite sometime. We wanted to go to a nearby beach for fresh air but we ended up at Waterfront Hotel Parking Lot :)

For Dinner, we assumed that the in laws would be inviting us over at their house but surprise2x, they decided to bring food and have dinner at our house instead.

I was really happy how the day turned out and the biggest present came from my one and only ...Kulay. I've been teaching him to kiss me on the cheek but he wouldn't and would give me a flying kiss instead. But today, he gave me a wet and noisy kiss on the cheek. A Perfect Mother's day gift.

DFAT 2012

What have I been up to for the past few days? Well, I was part of the Davao Food Appreciation Tour 2012 (DFAT) which started last Friday (May 4) and ended yesterday (May 7). DFAT as the name suggests is about bloggers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao gathering to visit places around the Davao Region and trying our the best dish each cafe or restaurant has to offer. We went to Kapatagan, Davao Del sur and Island hopping in Samal. I really enjoyed the 4 day food tripping though I missed out on some restaurants. Mike was also able to join the last 2 days of the tour and we worked up a tight schedule with our parents for watching over Kulay. The food we ate was really overwhelming and I felt really gluttonous! Eating even when I'm still full! I really enjoyed the tour not just because of the food but because I was able to bond with really cool and fun bloggers who are really inspiring esp. those travel bloggers. 

Mike and I will be posting the details of the tour on The Kulay Project blog.

Group Picture infront of Piyesta KTV and Resto Bar. Photo courtesy of Anj Nacorda

The Avengers Movie

Watching movies in the cinema have become a luxury for Mike and Me as I mentioned before. But thanks to   the Davao Bloggers community (esp. to Andrew) and Globe who cooked up a free movie screening of The Avengers at Abreeza last Friday, we were able to watch the movie. Lucky for us that there were still slots left. We immediately contacted our parents to babysit Kulay so can watch the movie. 
Okay enough of the intro and into the movie. IT WAS SIMPLY AWESOME!!! I have such high expectations about the movie and I wasn't disappointed...it even exceeded my expectations. What I love most about the movie was that aside from the superb cast, action scenes, effects and story line , the dialogue and exchanges between the characters were so witty esp. those that involves The Hulk! I wondered a bit why they didn't cast Edward Norton who originally played it in the solo movie so I Googled and learned that it was due to financial issues between him and the makers. Oh well, Mark Ruffalo though not as as famous as Norton still gave justice to the role. I am looking forward to watching the movie again and again and will be counting the days for the next Avengers movie.I have read that Keanu Reeves and Angelina Jolie will be on the next Avengers so more reasons to be excited!

Earth Hour 2012 Davao City

Last Saturday, March 31 people from all over the globe celebrated the Earth Hour. This is an event organized by the WWF with the aim of Uniting the people to protect the planet. Everyone was encouraged to participate by turning off their lights from 8:30pm-9:30pm Philippine Time.In Davao City, the government, various sectors and private companies organized several activities. One of which was the lantern (biodegradable) releasing at Magsaysay Park. Mike and I wanted to pacticipate and witness this event so we brought Kulay along. We arrived at Magsaysay at around 7:30pm and the park was already in a festive mood with lots of people and various food stands. People can buy the lantern at P150 and join the release, we just opted to watch though. Unfortunately at around 8:20pm it started to rain that everybody ran for cover and the lantern release was postponed. Around 8:30pm or so the rain let up so the lantern release went on. It was really beautiful to watch as each of the lantern was lit up and released to the sky. I felt like I was in the Tangled movie. Even Kulay was mesmerized at the lighted lanterns filling the dark evening sky.

My Friend Tayn with Sleeping Zac and Me with Sleepy Kulay

The Earth Hour Celebration in Davao was a success not just because of the beautiful and fun activity releasing of lanterns but in making Dabawenyos aware. Making us all aware of the effects of global warming and the call for us to do our share.The call to go beyond turning off the lights for an hour and releasing lanterns. The call to take serious and concrete actions to save our planet. We must all review our lifestyle and see what we can do in our own way.We only have one planet so we must do everything we can to save it for our children and future generations.

75th Araw ng Dabaw Blog Contest Winner

I usually don't participate in contests because I always thought that my talents or skills are not good enough to compete. I hate losing and have this imaginary L on my forehead. However, when I learned that there will be a blog competition for the 75th Araw ng Dabaw and the theme is Davao Life is Here, I decided to join. I said to myself that I have no reason not to join because I love blogging and I love Davao and usually my blog topic is about Davao anyway, contest or no contest. So I wrote and came up with the entry My Davao City. And last Monday, Mar 19 I was announced as the 3rd place winner. I was deliriously happy that I skipped work! I went to the Davao City Hall and attended the awards ceremony where Mayor Sarah Duterte handed out the award. 

Fellow Winners Leah,Karla and Me With Mayor Sarah, Photo Courtesy of Rudolph Alama

I received a plaque and cash. How cool is that! This is my first plaque ever that it is proudly displayed in our living room for all to see.

Now I'm inspired to join more contest because I realized that I don't have to be concerned  with winning or losing because doing something that you're passionate about and the joy of doing it is enough reward.

Staycation

It's been a while since Mike and I traveled. The last adventure we had was our Surigao del Sur Escapade which seemed ages ago. We do have family outings with Kulay at local pools and beaches but Mike and I wanted to have a family trip ideally outside of the city. Some place close to nature where we can conveniently bring our son and some place where he would enjoy at his young age of 1 year and 3 months. We were thinking of Nature Parks like Eden, Malagos Garden or Philippine Eagle Center but we're still waiting for our car to get fixed. In the meantime we thought of an activity to bond as a family. We have an inflatable swimming pool we use as Kulay's play pen and we filled it with water and invited a couple of kids over and we had an instant pool parteeey right in our own backyard! Street Smart! We actually enjoyed it and took turns bathing in the pool because it has limited space. 
I realized that for those like us who are budget conscious, one need not go far to bond and have a good time as a family. One can always be creative in finding ways to spend quality time with people they love.

P.S. After the pool partey...Mike and I recycled the pool party and used it for our laundry :)

My Davao City

One of my fondest childhood memories of Davao is every 16^th of March. I remember that every Araw ng Dabaw my mother, father, brothers and me of course would troop downtown to join the festivities and watch the parade. We would find a good spot along C.M. Recto or at San Pedro St. and my father would carry me on his shoulders so that my tiny self could watch the parade. I would watch in awe at the colorful floats passing by and be entranced by the street dancers with their spectacular costumes. My heart would beat in tune with the drums and my hands would clap in glee. After watching the parade we would usually have Halo-Halo at Merco Bolton. Afterwards, we would visit the Agricultural trade fair at PTA Grounds (now People’s Park) and buy orchids and plants that my mother would fancy. That was around the 80's and after a while when I grew older we just watched the Araw ng Dabaw  Festivities on Television at home.

Fast forward to present, it’s 2012 and the 75^th Araw ng Davao is fast approaching. I am married and a mother myself and I am smiling as I recall those memories. I am planning to bring my 1 year old son downtown and watch the parade amidst the heat and the crowd. I understand now what my parents were trying to instill in me then, appreciation of Davao and our culture.  It is also a good time for us Dabawenyos to gather round and celebrate. And there are a lot of things to celebrate about our city.

 Davao is Philippines' Most Livable City. Davao was recognized by Asiaweek (1996-1999) as having the highest quality of livability as a city. After I graduated from College I worked and lived in Laguna and Makati for a couple of years and have travelled to other places in the country but still I return to Davao.For a Dabawenya like me, nothing compares to Davao. This is the perfect place for me to settle down and raise a family. We have an outstanding water utility system and a stable power source. We are typhoon free. Our city is clean and green, peaceful and safe. What more could one ask for? Davao is simply an ideal place to live. 

Davao is a Top Eco-Tourist Destination. One often hears the tagline “From Highlands to Islands” to describe Davao. This is simply true because Davao is an expansive city that boasts of beautiful mountainsides and at the same time beach shores. All the tourist destinations are just within the near proximity to the city. Visitors can have extreme adventures such as zip lining to simply relaxing activities such as lounging by the sea all in one day. On top of our nature parks we also have malls, cinemas and restaurants and one can enjoy the nightlife of a metropolitan city as well. 

Davao is rich in Natural Resources. We are known as the Durian Capital of the country because we are famous for our Durian. We are rich not just in bountiful fruits but also in flora and fauna which we give thanks for during the Kadayawan Festival. Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the country is located between Davao City and Davao del Sur. Its peak overlooks Davao City (40 km) just like an Apo “ancestor” watching over its people. We are also home to Philippine Eagle, an endangered specie. Our city is blessed with  Mother Nature's abundance.

Davao is home to the most beautiful people in the world. This is not based on any survey but this is simply based on my personal opinion which I know other Dabawenyos would agree.  Davao is home to at least 11 major tribes, Lumad, Christian, Islam and migrant settlers from all over have made us very diverse.  our city has been through a lot of adversities and we have overcome all of it and became stronger people.  Our inner strength and cultural pride have made us beautiful inside and out. Our hospitality and warm smile  makes our visitors at home in Davao. 

I could go on and on about how amazing our city is. Our city has grown a lot compared to my childhood days and I know it will continue to grow and improve. Living here and our wonderful life here are my legacy to my son and his future children. I know that someday they can say with all pride and sincerity that LIFE IS HERE IN DAVAO.

                 Submitted as an entry to the 75th Araw ng Dabaw Blog Competition

Author's Note: This is my entry to the 75th Araw ng Dabaw Blog Competition.Photos are  used with permission from the Photographer my Husband, Michael Balgos