Monday, February 29, 2016

A Love Story on a Love Month

"Although God had told me to be single, there is still this hope within me for Him to change His mind.  Could God change His mind?  Has there any written instance that He did?  If you ever know one, can you please pm me?" 
- Excerpt from On Waiting..... (Dec. 29, 2013)  

Fast forward 2016 and I got the answer to my questions last Saturday, February 20.  On a love month, God gives me the love story of a promise to hold on to.  Oh, how sweet my God is!  He's stirring up something inside of me, the matter of my heart that I had shoved away for already a year.  So I now have a hugot post this last day of February for I already thought I couldn't have one.  This could have broken my tradition of posting melodramatic stories of my "love" travails as I always do every love month.  But good thing God has me in His remembrance by giving me the answer to my questions!

Could God change His mind?

Yes, God could change His mind!  Scripture has it that God is an unchangeable God ("For I am the Lord, I do not change." - Malachi 3:6) but He can and will change His mind!  

Has there any written instance that He did?

Plenty!  First is Abraham's plea for Sodom and Gomorrah.  He reasoned in prayer for God not to destroy all of the two evil cities and to spare the righteous ones.  (Genesis 18:16-33)  That's why Lot and his family were saved from the catastrophe because God remembered Abraham's beseeching for the righteous people. (Genesis 19:29)

Second is Moses' plea for the people God brought up out of Egypt.  God was so angry with his people because they had created a golden calf for them to worship.  In God's wrath, He said to Moses that He will wipe all his people away but Moses appealed and God relented with His plan.  (Exodus 32:1-14)

Third is Jonah's mission to Nineveh.  God commanded Jonah to warn the Ninevites of the punishment He will bring to the city.  Fortunately, the people of Nineveh turned away from their sins, repented, fasted, and prayed so God changed His mind and didn't destroy the city.  (Jonah 3:1-10)         

If you ever know one, can you please pm me?

And I got all these answers through FaithGateway's Devotionals Daily I made a subscription with a year ago.  The article is entitled "Why Keep Praying? God Changes His Mind" by Robert Morris which is an excerpt from his book, Why Keep Praying When You Don't See Results.  It was on a Saturday morning right after opening the store on my mobile phone when God talked to me about praying without ceasing.

Yes, I did pray for my situation yesterday, today, and forever as I may say.  I prayed, stopped praying, prayed again, stopped praying again, cycle!  But when I prayed before, I had it at the back of my mind that God won't answer my prayer.  I always thought that He's gonna make me into an old maid.  I ranted, I complained, and I blamed Him for all the misfortunes I had when it comes to my love life.  I rebelled, got bitter, and got hopeless!  Though He told me to wait, still I dejected.  Though I understood a bit, still I didn't accept what He wanted me to do.  

Then God revealed something for me to have a change of heart.  Step by step, from denial to anger to bargaining to depression, then back to denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, cycle again!  Sometimes I'll be okay with it but oftentimes I'm never okay!  I dreaded to reach the acceptance part.  Until everything in between, I said to myself not to yearn for things I cannot have and that's the time when I slowly accepted.  Accepted the will of God for my life.

So I also understood how to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4) and how to delight in Him (Psalm 37:4)!  I've memorized these verses for so long and even shared 'em to console friends but this is the only time that I'm living it.  I've learned the hardest way and I've come a very long way.  I am now embracing and maximizing my season!

Now I don't have to be the first to show interest to a guy.  I don't have to stand in front of a boy, asking him to love me.  And I don't have to "buy" a man just to make him mine.  All those unreplied text messages, seen chat messages, rejections, and unrequited love have come to nothing.  'Coz all I have to do is to wait for the Lord and to put my trust in Him (Isaiah 8:17)!  It may be written in my palm but God changes His mind!  As long as I keep praying and this time as I pray, I truly believe that God will give me the answer to my prayer in His perfect time (Ecclesiastes 3:11)!

And this is God's love story for me this love month.  A promise of giving me my heart's desire if I pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  So I press on praying because all the people around me have been praying for me so I join them in praying seriously for "the one" to finally come my way!  And this time as I pray, there is a change of heart.  I am now claiming the answer to my prayer without second thoughts.  Oh, God.  I just can't fathom Your thoughts and Your ways and I thank You for the divine intervention and for giving me the peace of heart!  And I am now very excited for the continuation of this love story, our love story for it's only You who can make me whole!
@chekakramer via IG
                     

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*In memory of Percival "My Kuya Bebong" Onod, one of my disciplers next to Ate Mydel "My-My" Bangcong and Kuya Rio "Taz" De Barras during my baby steps as a Christian when I was in third year high school.

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Thursday, February 25, 2016

The Foodtruck at Big J Ranch

With Chef Jong and His Foodtruck Crew
I'm always, always a big fan of Travel and Living Channel even before it rebranded as TLC and was still Discovery Travel and Living.  So now you know where I got influenced with my travel, DIY, food, and more and more food frenzy!  Too much TV-ing, huh?  Anyway, one of the reality TV shows that was aired in TLC from Food Network is The Great Food Truck Race hosted by Tyler Florence.  It is a showcase of various food trucks in the US, each competing with the other in coming up with a new twist from the usual recipe of American staple food.  Food trucks have always been a big hit in the US, bringing in comfort food to people anywhere.  It got its roots from Texas' chuck wagon which was used as a mobile kitchen for cowboys in the olden days.

In the local scene, we have a Texan-style resto that has been serving the big OZ with its grilled goodies, the Big J Grill House.  As I've featured here, I always come back to Big J for their Hungarian sausage and fish skewers.  They serve really good food, super delish yet affordable and word of mouth has it!  People flock to the place especially the boarding students for their unli rice.  The place is always packed so they moved to a bigger field, the Big J Ranch at Maningcol Highway, Ozamiz City about a couple of years ago.  And just last year, they added up their Foodtruck for another "something new" in the city!

The Foodtruck serves on-the-go American food but in Filipino-style of Chef Jong's original recipe like the Big J Burger, Fish and Chips, Chicken Wings, Roast Beef Sandwich, etc.  Fish and Chips and the Chicken Wings became my instant favorites!  The cream dory is perfectly coated and fried, crispy on the outside and soft and creamy in the inside.  The potato wedges that come with it is distinctly flavored that I wish they also have a serving of only potato wedges alone.  Oh, I'm just a sucker of potatoes!  And what I love most of their Chicken Wings is that it comes in different flavors and sauces.  You have three of each to choose from.  Cheese, sour cream, and barbecue for the flavors and another barbecue, hot garlic, and teriyaki for the sauces.  All you have to do is pick as you please the same as their iced dessert, halo-halo.  This is another new experience 'coz you'll also get to choose what condiments and ice cream flavor you want in your sweet mix!  This is so awesome 'coz you'll also have the chance to experiment with your very own food.  As an adventurous foodie, this gimmick works very well for me! 
          
So aside from Big J's original dishes, there are now new varieties to drool over as well as other Big Catch's specialties that they are also serving.  A trip to the ranch is always worth it not only for the more than good food but also for the very festive ambiance every night.  They have different fun activities to entertain their customers and the atmosphere is just so homey.  They have the most accommodating staff in town spearheaded by Chef Jong's mom, Mrs. Helen Tang.  The place is always too crowded and always too busy. They have too many diners to serve but the food. Oh, the food. Then and again, the food is still the best!  Moreover, you know when you're really a lumad of Ozamiz if you bump into friends from 3-5 tables in only one setting at the ranch.  So for movie date night, jammin' with the band night, or stand-up comedy night, visit Big J Ranch!
Now I'm gonna flood you with more photos of my various Big J Ranch check-ins with family and friends for this is my favorite hang-out in the big OZ!

Familia Olandesca
Familia De La Torre
JCI-Ozamiz Red Rose Family
Justice '99 Family
Pamilat Agency Family
With my LSU Engineering Students
With my Not-So-Baby-Anymore EJ
Take-Out for my Other Kids
Our Family Always Enjoy Dining at Our Second Kusina
     

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Saturday, February 20, 2016

Oak and Beans

Oh, how I miss my most favorite couch in town!  With all honesty, I had a hard time accepting that Café Eduardo has changed into Oak and Beans.  I felt like I was being robbed out of my fave hang-out, my fortress, my place of solace.  I so miss my best friend and where is she now?  She's gone in just a blink of an eye, carrying all my secrets away with her.  My couch!  I haven't even said good bye to you, my friend.  So as a protest, I never checked Oak and Beans until I had the courage to face the newly refurbished Time Square complex months ago.

From a cutie patotie and pa-tweetums 60's-themed café, the place turned into a sophisticated  La Vie Parisienne-inspired winery/café.  The whole rendezvous got a total make-over, an overhaul as I might say 'coz there's never a remnant of  Café Eduardo left.  However, I was glad that my first visit was with my Junior Jaguars+Kring2x+Myki so things were still light as I faced my letting-go process.  We just had quick drinks before rushing back to school last special term after goofing 'round at Fascino.  I tried their health drink, an energy booster which I forgot the name that's made of pechay and pineapple juice.  It was such a nice mix that I couldn't tell that there's green leafy vegetable added into it.  I gulped down the whole big glass in only 3-4 minutes 'coz I was already running late for my 5 PM class.  The drink was refreshing, giving me another dose of energy for my night class.


My second visit was also having quick drinks after a very heavy dinner at Big Catch for Ruth's birthday.  This time, we had nightcaps to digest the gluttonous feast we unguiltily devoured.  Though our time was limited, it was still quality.  I always look forward for quality time filled with laughter with these quality friends I rarely bond with.

So there was the follow-up bonding and this time with my chogs, Ruth and Cherry Ann!  A year end catch up with my most favorite people is always my most wonderful time of the year though I was feeling sick at that moment.  Just physically sick of very long days, short sleeping hours, and having too much to do 'coz I always have plenty on my plate every December.  Thank God for always making ways for me to occupy myself though.  Hehe.....
  
Anyway, we had some wine and 'twas my first time to try Oak and Beans' food.  I instantly fell in love with Aglio Olio, a spicy pasta in olive oil which according to them, tasted like pancit canton.  But pancit canton no way for me!  It's foreign to my taste buds, Italian that is.  Delizioso!  On the other hand, the second love I had was the Paratha with Pineapple Chutney.  As with any other Indian food, the paratha is filled with spices that I'm not able to name each one of 'em.  But for sure, there's cumin, paprika, and oregano which make up a chili-con-carne-flavorlike masterpiece that I always go gaga over with.    
    
And what a surprise when Mr. Pastillas, Richard dropped by just to say "hi"!  Thank you so much, Aido dear for bringing your cousin over.  And thanks, Chard for always being accommodating for photo ops! :)  The ladies went even more gaga over you!  Haha!!!

Sideways, I also had the opportunity to make kumusta my babies no more, another set of chi school kids.  Then and again, they've grown up soooo fast.  College kids already, making and not breaking into big universities which makes a proud momma here!

From one check-in to another, I'm getting accustomed with hanging-out at Oak and Beans.  Bringing friends over just like old times during Café Eduardo days is now back to life.  When partner in crime, MM and I dated here last month with Tita Lilibeth and Tita Maricar, we had a blast welcoming the new year!  

We had a pasta feast with wine for dinner and stayed late until midnight having tea as our nightcap.  This time, I was surprised by Oak and Beans' servings 'coz it's more ample, fancier, and tastier.  Their Pasta in Tomato Sauce with Sardines is heaven!  It really is Italian-style like puttanesca.  Their Carbonara is so creamy but just too sweet for me up a notch.  Aside from the pasta, we also had Mozzarella Sticks that were crunchy and chewy.  I never had mozzarella this good my entire life.  Oh, that was glorious!

Another sideways, I also had strong wine with Sandy and company in the other table for he was absent during our "sort-of" batch reunion.  I couldn't miss catching up with him 'coz laughter with this guy is also unlimited!  I'm always happy hanging-out with you, geng! :)

Then checking-in at Oak and Beans is slowly getting into my system.  Just like outgrowing toys during tween years, I have to grow up with changes.  Truly, change is the only constant in this world and to accept change is to embrace reality and learn to love it wholeheartedly.  As the famous quote in Oak and Beans says,
so wine please!
Oak and Beans is the only wine shop in the whole province.  They have wine of any variety, hard liquors, and beer of famous brands aside from their frappes, coffee, and tea.  Name it and you'll have it.  So come and visit them at Time Square, Juan Luna Cor. J. Sanciangco Jr. Sts., Brgy. Aguada, Ozamiz City when good talk and good times happen everyday!
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Thursday, February 18, 2016

Feb-Ibig Wins at Fascino!

Seasons. The moment I turned the calendar to the next page two weeks ago, I realized that there are indeed, seasons!  Lenten season, season to remember the dead, season to be jolly, and season of love.  And this latest season caught us by surprise just like falling in love in an instant!

The Samples
The Approved Design
The Mass Production
Then the week before Valentine's Day came into a blur.  Busyness business, always on the go!  Thank you, Lord for closing doors to make way for even wider windows of possibilities!  My dream fragrance and soap factory turned out to become a balloon home factory which I'm having fun experimenting with.  Hehehe.....
The Finished Products
Thank you so much, Goldilocks Ozamiz, Oroquieta, Molave, and Dipolog for trusting Fascino's Balloon Art Deco! :)

In addition, we also had our own design for our store.  Thanks to our valued customers for dropping by at Fascino last Sunday though we rarely open on Sundays for business.

  
Thank you, Lord for the seasons because Fascino has never gone out of season!  All praises and glory be unto Your name for apart from You, we can do nothing and we are nothing.

Sending all our LOVE from #FascinobyMariaRosalia #Balloons #Ozamiz.  Happy love month, everyone! ❤

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Sunday, February 07, 2016

Hey there, Monkey Year 2016!

MUHS Lion Dance Crew 2016
'Coz I'm bitter no more, I'm celebrating Chinese New Year today! :)  Thank heavens my phone came back to life so my mood shifted again!  Haha!!!  What the hell with these whimsical mood swings!  Well, at least I'm feeling better so a happy Chinese new year we have for the whole family!


Singapore's heritage product is the bak kwa for tonight! ‪Lim Chee Guan's‬ ‪is ‎one of the finest I've ever tasted!  Paired with‬ ‪Edam cheese, it's beyond compare!  Aside from the bak kwa, we also had tikoy.  It's said to bring luck, unity, and sweetness to the relationship between family members so I got 3 flavors of it - original, pandan, and ube.  Tikoy nowadays are evolving with varieties of flavors and colors.

Thanks to the Putis family for joining us in officially welcoming the year of the fire monkey 2016! :)


Xin Nian Kuai Le, everyone! :)
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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Family Sunday Roadtrip: Rodolfos Cuisine and Mon's Grill

On the second Sunday of the new year, we had our first family getaway!  The quickest we managed, off to Pagadian and Mahayag we went just to eat!

 First stop, Rodolfos Cuisine at F.S. Pajares Ave, Pagadian City.  It was Papa who recommended the place for he already tried it out with friends and he wanted to eat their tinola again.  Yeah, right.  Fish tinola again and again.  No matter where we are, it's the tinola he always wants to eat.  In contrary, the rest of us had an over indulgence of pork.  We had pork Bicol express, pork sinuglaw, liempo, and chicharong bulaklak.  Gosh!  It was like, cholesterol check don't care.  Haha!  We just didn't realize that what we ordered were all pork until the food came in to our table.  But we enjoyed every bit of 'em!  It was like "fiesta!" as Rio often says fondly of.  Hehe.....

 On our way home, we dropped by at the fruit stands to get a load of sweet melons.  Price check, cheaper than what we have in our market.  Quality check, ripened in its own time.  Just so fresh from the farm!  

Then we hit Mon's Grill at Mahayag for their now getting famous halo-halo!  Word of mouth has it!  Perfect perfect halo-halo all worth the long drive!  It's not that grand as what other halo-halos are but it's just a quite simple mix of "a little of everything", as Auntie Bebot quipped.  It has langka, ube, macapuno, sweetened banana, leche flan, sago, garbanzos, gulaman, etc.  Topped with cereals, a scoop of ice cream, and grated cheese, well, well, well, it is just so mouth-watering!  This reminds me of the halo-halo I had in Naga a long, long time ago which I considered as the best halo-halo ever!  Now it's a great thing Mahayag has a version of it already.  I've tasted it once again!  Additionally, the crushed ice is really fine that you'll not have a hard time chewing it which also adds to the tempting taste of the halo-halo.  And the secret ingredient is so so secret because it is there at the bottom.  Maybe it's the condensed milk which gives it sweet consistency or maybe it's the all-purpose cream which makes it creamy.  I really don't know.  So we just ate up to our mouth and stomach's delight!     
Hay, unplanned family outing like this is just as sweet as halo-halo.  Visit Mon's Grill just along the highway to Mahayag's bus terminal/market.  You can barely see or notice the place for it's just a humble grill house but mind you, plenty of cars park outside 'coz they are now renowned to be visited by customers from far-flung places just to have a taste of their halo-halo.  So here's how the outside of the resto looks like for you to be guided.

Stay tuned for other local eats adventures only here on The Other Side of Mae!  #tosomtravels #tosomeats   
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Thursday, January 28, 2016

On Being Destined to Be a Teacher


This was our board at the MatSci Department yesterday.  I was not there when these words were written.  I wasn't there to contribute any of these sentiments and realizations.  I wasn't there to pour my heart out but these were more than my very own hugot lines!  Because first and foremost, I did NOT choose to become a teacher.  I never ever wanted to be one!  However, I already had this gut feeling when I was still in high school that God wants me to become a teacher.  So I left Ozamiz, studied in MSU-IIT, took up Chemical Engineering, became a licensed Chemical Engineer, landed an engineering job in Manila, and had another in an industrial plant in Cebu.  I wandered far and long from the will of God.  I tried everything just to keep away from what He wants me to do.  Long story short, I never felt at home in all those places I went to.  My ending, went back home and did nothing for 7 months!

Then I still didn't want to become a teacher.  I did data-entry encoding, call center, secretary, online writing, and entrepreneur wannabe (now wannabe no more).  I tried all jobs not related to my field, kulang nalang was to apply as a domestic helper.  Promise, I was also willing to be one if only I had my own money to pay for the placement agency at that time.  Kaloka talaga my tambay days back then!  Until came such a time that I suddenly went to MUHS and applied as a secondary science teacher.  So I did become a teacher!

Teacher, teacher, teacher!  I was already a teacher but I didn't act like a teacher.  I just did the profession out of necessity so I've got something to do because at that time, I didn't care if I have money or not.  I'd rather not have money than do things I hate.  But I had nothing else to do and I also didn't want to forget what I've learned in college.  Blood, sweat, and tears lang naman ang ipinuhonan sa IIT, noh!  So I also wanted to share whatever knowledge I have.

Then off I went from school to school!  From MUHS, Medina College, to La Salle University.  OMG!  I just realized!  I am now on my 7th teaching year!  On my first job, I only spent 10 days.  Second job, 11 months.  And now, it already took me years in this teaching job?!  Oh, what a surprise!  Isn't it obvious that this is where I should be?  In 7 years, quota na ako!  Well actually, when a high school batchmate visited me at the store last Monday and asked me why am I settling for less here in Ozamiz 'coz she knows my potential earnings when I do a chemical engineering job abroad, it was my very first time to finally give an answer!  With conviction, I told her that this is where I'm meant to be!  First time ever, through my words I've come to realize that I had already accepted that I am a TEACHER!  This is my fate.  This is my calling.  This is my vocation.  This is my mission.  Though it took me 7 years to understand, I now have the heart for teaching!

Anyway, you might be getting me wrong in this.  I am not only saying this because my energy is still too high from yesterday's celebration of Catholic Teachers' Day.  I'm not only saying this because I was super happy during the celebration and super delighted with my students' surprises.  But I am saying this to officially decide to myself that I'll keep teaching until there are students who are willing to be taught.  When momentum gives way to gravity, I fall!  Fall in love with the teaching profession because I am destined to become a teacher!

The Day Started with This
And This
And This
Then Ended Up Like This!
The friendship I have with the MatSci Department keeps me going through these years!          
Once again, thank you so much to the Supreme Student Council for the very bongga Catholic Teachers' Day celebration!  And to my Physics majors who never fail me all this time!  Thank you so much, guys for the effort, hard work, thoughtfulness, and love.  Your love notes truly inspires me to continue being a "mother" not only to you but also to all my other students as well.  As always, it is my students who are my dear inspiration!  :)    

Balloons by Fascino

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