Jumpstarting the Year of the Wood Horse!

The year of the wood horse had finally and officially kicked off!  To invite abundance and prosperity, we had a little family dinner in our humble home.  Though the preparation is not as lavish as we always have every new year's eve (Dec. 31, that is), at least there is food in the table to be shared with the whole family! 

With Guests Auntie Lourding, Tatay Bong, Taweng, and Marvel

And what better way to welcome the Chinese lunar new year than to celebrate it with the Chinitos and Chinitas.  So we headed back to MUHS to celebrate the festivities with them!  We were so happy seeing our little children again who had now grown up so tall, handsome, and pretty!  Until now, I am still amazed on how kids grow up so fast!  We are really thankful that they still remember us and still fuss over us whenever they see us!  Thank you so much for the warm welcome, MUHS! :)

Chinese New Year Celebration at MUHS

After the show, we (me, former MUHS teachers, and current MUHS teachers) had an after-party at Rusty's after having balut outside Greenwich!  We were just there for about 15 minutes or less and left to go home before 12 midnight.  Cinderella lang ang peg!

Outside Rusty's

Then today, we (me, Mama, sissy June Ann, storekeeper Tata, and cuz Michael) went to Cotta to distribute snacks to the Cotta kids.  It's been a while since I haven't visited them and the official first day of the horse year is just right for a visit!  Doing cotta kids for two years now makes me hope that I'm still gonna do it in my remaining years.

Distributing Snacks to Cotta Kids

Indeed, the year of the wood horse have its good start!  With positive vibes, sharing, loving, family, and friends, I'm pretty sure that we're gonna all have happy lives!  Gong xi fa cai, everyone! :)  

Related Posts:

Chinese New Year

Get Fenged Up!

When I Spent Chinese New Years with You

#celebratingnotcelebrating the Year of the Sheep 2015

I Heart MUHS

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Whimsical Wednesday: When I Spent Chinese New Years with You

Whimsical Wednesday shows my fancy in a myriad of beautiful things.  

When I spent Chinese New Years with you, you taught me how to make dumplings......  

Laoshi Zhu Jing and Her Dumpling Tutorial

Dumplings are cooked balls of dough with meat, vegetables, and sweets filling.  These are traditionally eaten on new year's eve which symbolizes wealth because these are shaped like ancient silver and gold ingots.  These can be cooked in a variety of ways, may it be fried, steamed, or in stews and soups.  These are like empadas in Filipino cuisine if fried.

When I spent Chinese New Years with you, you taught me how to perform wushu sword.....

Laoshi Jack and His Wushu Tutorial

Wushu is an ancient Chinese martial art.  Nowadays, it is considered as an international sport and competitions are being held globally to promote agility and finesse to anyone who are into this sport.

When I spent Chinese New Years with you, you taught me how to carry the lion head.....

Little Yanyan and the Lion Head

The lion dance is being performed every new year to chase away evil spirits and call happiness and longevity instead.  It brings prosperity to any business establishment, the reason why the lion dance crew of MUHS roam around the city before the new year comes to invite and welcome good fortune!

When I spent Chinese New Years with you, you taught me how to wear the cheongsam.....

Chinese New Year Cultural Show 2010

Cheongsam is a traditional Chinese costume being worn during special occasions.  In this event, I had worn a golden cheongsam which symbolizes well of course, gold for prosperity and abundance!

And these were my memoirs when I spent Chinese new years with you.  Though I am not Chinese, you had shared to me your rich culture and beautiful tradition.  Until today, I still remember the Chinese name you gave me, still talk the language you taught me, still sing the songs you sang to me, still eat the food that you let me tasted, and still observe the practices you imparted to me.  

Still it is, "Wu xiang ni and wu ai ni, MUHS Guang Hua!" 

Related Posts:

Chinese New Year
Get Fenged Up!
Jumpstarting the Year of the Wood Horse!
#celebratingnotcelebrating the Year of the Sheep 2015
I Heart MUHS

   

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Feeling Old and Sentimental on Catholic Teachers' Day

"Becoming a teacher was the least mental imagery I ever had in my entire being. I never wanted to become one because I never wanted to be like my old maid teacher aunt. She always complains about her job. She complains about her students, her paper works, her lesson plan, her principal, and everything! She always grumbles about her fate and tells us never to become like her."

- Excerpt from I Heart MUHS (Oct. 1, 2011)

But I did became like her!  And like her, I also complain a lot, grumble more, and rant some more!

"After all the denials, I had accepted the more-than-fact/truth of me being a teacher.  But for the longest time, here I go again doubting!  Why on earth did I ever involve myself into this very dreadful fate that I had kept on running away from?  God, I don't wanna regret forever in this decision that I had made.  What should I do?  Is it too late for a change?  But I swear, I had done things to let me learn to love my rightful profession (From One Career To Another To Another).  Or maybe I'm just paranoid with fear.  I don't know.  I really don't know...."

- Excerpt from Smart But Unwise (Aug. 20, 2012)

However, I had found meaning in this career path.

"Without our teamwork, Science Week would have not materialized. All activities were because of the kids, by the kids, and for the kids. It was a tremendous success for the whole school. And as for me as a faux science teacher, it was a great achievement!  Nothing is impossible if you just have a willing heart. Thus, I became one of the nerds who learned to love science as my model students had. And this post is for them, my Besties in Science."

- Excerpt from Reminiscing Science Week (Nov. 15, 2011)

Despite the complaints, grumbles, and rants, I found fulfillment deep in my heart.

"Teaching for quiet sometime now had given me my ups and downs.  It has been a roller coaster ride to me - being mad, being happy, being annoyed, being playful, and being exasperated with students!  But as I go along the way in this career, there are also surprises which keep me going." 

- Excerpt from When Their Success Becomes Also My Success (June 2, 2013)

But tonight I'm in doubt again.  With more than half of the two sections that I'm presently handling right now having failing grades for midterm, the regrets creep in again.  

"Maybe because I'm getting older that's why my patience is not that much as I had before.

Or maybe because of my boring subject that kids had already mindset-ly and honestly loathed. 

Or maybe it is because of my negative attitude toward the kids that kept them from liking me.

Or maybe because I had promised not to be over-emotionally attached to my students anymore.

Can I still turn back the time when I was once called a Ma'amy, a Ma'ama, and a Ma'amsky?"

- Excerpt from Looking for a Reason to Stay (Jan. 29, 2013)

Then I'm starting to question myself again.  Am I still eligible to become a teacher?  So here I go browsing some old photos to remind myself and encourage myself to go on.  

The First Rose I Ever Received as a Teacher
Teachers' Day (Sept. 28, 2009, MUHS)

First Set of Gifts Received
Teachers' Day (Sept. 28, 2009, MUHS)

First Set of Love Notes Received

First Set of Presents Received from My Pharmacy Students
First World Teachers' Day (Oct. 5, 2012, Medina College)

Some IG photos of the pahabol presents for World Teachers' Day 2012:

Surely, gifts can't buy grades but these photos of such so-called "gifts" remind me of the beauty I had found in teaching.  I admit, I cannot be a great teacher but I am doing all the best I can to become good.  It just aches me to fail students, you know.  So I will just credit their failing grades to the subject which is of course, the dreadful Physics!

Happy Catholic Teachers' Day to all my colleagues! :)

Program at the Arts Center

Lunch at MatSci Department

Purchasing Lasallian Items at the Bookstore

Related Posts:

On Being Destined to Be a Teacher

World Teachers' Day 2014
When Teaching Was So Hard Yet Super Fun For Me!

When I Was Pharmaseeing
Whatta Labbing Feeling

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Shoturday!

I barely hang-out with cousins but when cuz Karl comes home from the land down under, there ain't no excuses!  So after closing the store yesterday, I showed up to his afternoon snacks invitation at Mom's Eatery.  

The Bala Cousins

The afternoon snacks turned into dinner and after dinner were the drinks and the works!  

With Niece, Leigh Getting Kilig Over G2B!

Then we had a Balut 101 Tutorial!  Karl was so hesitant to eat balut at first but with BJ's convincing powers, we made him eat the humble Filipino delicacy.

Master BJ Showing Karl the Step-by-Step Balut Eating Process

Balut Tastes Best with Sukang Pinakurat and Rock Salt

And There Goes Karl Slurping the Small Embryo of the Duck!

Congratulations, Karl!  You are now officially one of us!  Proud to be Pinoy, yo! :)  And these all happened under the Banyan Tree!  Wehe......

Ended the Night at Jollibee for Dawn Snacks

Thank you so much for a fun-filled Shoturday, cousins! :)  'Till next time!

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Weeklong Sinulog Special: How to Cut and Style Your Old Shirt

I've been fangirling Laureen Uy since I discovered her fashion blog last 2012 and here are some photos of the Laureen-effect on me!

Laureen's Neon Accessories

Laureen's Peplum Dress and Masquerade Mask

And my latest Laureen craze is the Islands Souvenirs Cut and Style Sinulog Shirt!  As I arrived in Cebu, I immediately checked-in into Islands Souvenirs main branch.  But it was already packed with people so I backed out and shopped for my store's supplies first.  After shopping, me and my cousins went back to Islands Souvenirs and girls were still queuing for their shirts to be done.  So I just decided not to get one shirt for I didn't have enough time to wait.  

However, in the evening after watching the fireworks compet at SM, I decided to drop by the Islands Souvenirs boutique.  The same story, still packed with people!  But it was a great thing that the shirts were being cut and styled by the store's window so we got to see how the shirts are being done.  Additionally, I felt so wise because I had brought my 2007 Sinulog shirt with me to Cebu meaning, I didn't have to queue just to purchase a shirt!  So, I did my own cut and style version at home!  Now here are the photos to tell you how to cut and style your old shirt!

My 2007 Islands Souvenirs Sinulog Shirt

Cut the Neckline

Cut the Sleeves

The Old Tee is Now a New Sexy Top

Cut the Hem

Shred the Bottom of the Shirt

Fold the Center of the Backside of the Shirt

Cut the Center of the Backside 

Even Cutting of the Back

Unfold the Backside of the Shirt

Stretch Each Strand of the Fabric

Overlap One Strand to the Other Starting at the Top

Evenly Distribute the Spaces in Between Strands

Cut the Last Strand at the Center

Make a Hole by the End of Both Sides of the Strands

Insert One End of the Last Strand to the Hole and Tie Into a Knot

Do the Same to the Other Side

Cut the Sides of the Shirt Just After the Braline Down

Stretch Each Strand of the Fabric

So there goes my DIY Sinulog shirt!  I was so happy for this accomplishment!  I was surprised that I had worked hard by myself to be stylish!  Weeeehhhhh!!!  And here's another evidence of my Laureen Uy fanaticism! 

Islands Souvenirs Cut and Style Sinulog Shirt

LIKE Laureen Uy here and LIKE Islands Souvenirs here!

Hope you had fun DIY-ing with me! :)

For questions, invites, and collaborations, direct message me on Facebook.  For updates on my whereabouts and whatabouts, follow me on Twitter and Instagram! :)

Related Posts:

Weeklong Sinulog Special: My Sinulog 2014 Experience
Sinulog 2015 Day 2
How to Make Double Cross Fishtail Loomies
DIY Christmas Deco
A Berry Cute Party Favor

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Weeklong Sinulog Special: Mardi Gras

Whenever you are in a festivity, take effort to look festive too!

cut and style Islands Souvenirs Sinulog shirt, masskara necklace from street vendor, henna tattoo by street artist, neon flats from me, flower halo and yarn friendship bracelets from FFF.  photos by cattleya may.  location at Cebu streets.  FFF

LIKE Islands Souvenirs on Facebook here! :)

Watch out for my Feature Friday post tomorrow on how to cut and style your old shirt!

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