blur...

happy 35th birthday...this was what's left of my birthday cake from red ribbons, a gift from my mom. next to the cake is a number five candle which i saved from my son's 5th birthday last april 20. it took me this long to write about what happened during my birthday. it was a birthday celebrated with mixed feelings. i celebrated my birthday with my extended family the day before my actual birthday, which was a holiday since the independence day was moved to this day, because of the holiday economics proclaimed by the president. my brother was leaving for Pagadian City the next day, that's why we decided to celebrate it a day before. For my actual birthday, I filed a privilege leave from work and spent the day with my husband and children.

the two days seem like a blur, just like the photo of my birthday cake. the day before my birthday, i had a vertigo attack. i had these attacks before but this one was worse. i felt my head spinning and losing my balance. i went to store to buy my son a bag for school. the good thing was my father was in the same store. he took me to my cousin, who is a doctor. after a thorough check up, she concluded that i had benign positional vertigo and i had to see an EENT doctor for further test. in the afternoon, my husband was free, so we went to a specialist. after the check up, he gave the same conclusion and prescribed SERC for two weeks. since we didn't have time to cook, we just ordered take out for the party.

it was a simple party. we had beef with broccoli, seafood roll, buttered chicken, pansit canton, fruit salad and the birthday cake from my mom. my mom was not able to attend because she was not feeling well. my father, sister, brother and cousin were there. we took pictures from my father's digicam and ate the simple feast. i forgot to take a picture of the food. all i had was the picture of the cake.

it seems that the cake symbolized what i felt that day. i can't believe that i've reach 35 years. i thank God that I'm given another year to celebrate life, to share my blessings and love to my family and friends.

on the day of my actual birthday, i wen to to mass at the Cathedral and spent some time at the Blessed Sacrament. in the evening, my family had a simple dinner. i started writing in my journal, but up to now i only have two entries since that day. it seems i just can't make myself to write in my journal often because of the hustle and bustle of everyday life...

i just hope that everything will be clear in God's time...and with God's grace, the truth shall set me free...

xxxoooxxooxoxo

yummy seafood

On a recent trip to Dipolog City for an official travel, our team was fortunate enough to dine for lunch at Ann's Seafoods. We were actually planning to eat at Grandma's, another cozy resto that serves continental fare such as pasta and sandwiches. Upon the insistence of our teammates and hosts, they took us to Ann's. The place at the ground floor was full, as it was past 12 noon when we arrived. We headed upstairs to their conference room.

Our group ordered grilled blue marlin, kinilaw, calamares, chopsuey, and fish tinola. It took a while before our orders arrived but it was worth the wait. I even forgot to take pictures before we devoured the food. Boy, were we hungry. I can see by the look on my friends' faces that we were more than contented. Thanks Mam Evelyn for bringing us here. Thanks, also, Mam Meriam for the libre.Hehehe...

For all you travelers out there who will pass by Dipolog City, do try Ann's Seafood. It's the best tasting, freshest seafood dishes I have ever tasted. Bon Appetit.

happy birthday...no rice?

happy birthday placido...hehehe. last april 21, my eldest son doldy celebrated his 4th birthday. my mom and i planned the occasion weeks ahead. placido is an endearment we gave him since he was born through ceasarion section due to placenta previa totalis. his birthday is actually the day before. we attended mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral after having lunch at McDonald's. he asked me to buy him the teenage mutant ninja turtle toy.

since the party was set at 4 p.m., we had plenty of time to prepare. i helped my mom prepare the ingredients while she cooked the dinuguan, indulsao (humba type of cooking pork), and fried the fish for the fish fillet. then i went home and prepared the utensils, tables and chairs. i headed back to my parent's house, since it was just walking distance from us. my mom then cooked the spaghetti, fish fillet, friedn chicken and squid balls. i went back home to finish arranging the tables and chairs, and utensils. since i thought there was plenty of time left, i fried the hotdogs and cheese sticks.

the menu was simple : spaghetti, fried chicken, hotdogs on stick, squidballs, cheese sticks, chocolate cake for the kids, and dinuguan, fish fillet, indulsao, rice, fruit salad for the adults. we invited around fifty people composed of his playmates from our neighborhood, his ninongs and ninangs, a few of our officemates, and our family. i prepared assorted candies for the kids and some balloons.

it was nearly 4 p.m. and i was still frying the cheese sticks. my brother helped me finish the rest as i rush to dress doldy and his little brother, kyle, with their new tshirt courtesy of their papa don, my brother. some guests started to arrive and i was waiting or my mom to help me plate the dishes. she was so exhausted, so i had to do it myself. my sister in law, angging, helped me. lo and behold, as i was putting the food in their serving platters, there was no rice. aarrgghhh...we forgot the rice!!! hahaha...i instructed my father in law to cook rice and told my husband to buy some at the nearest restaurant. as i completed the buffet table with all the food, i mingled with the guests. it was nearly 5 p.m. when the party started. so far, so good.

i entertained the guests while refilling the serving platters. the children got their bag of goodies and balloons. my husband was watching over them. he said that the children were chanting, 'vote doldy for vice-president.' they gave candies to the other children who were playing outside. the party mellowed down at around 8 p.m. although very tired, i was so happy since the party was a success and my child was happy...well, time to prepare for the next party.

WELCOME to My City, My Kitchen...

Hello, dear friends. Welcome to my city, Zamboanga City, Philippines, the City of Flowers; and to my kitchen, the World...

I am a thirty something working mom who is passionate about food and travel, thus the name d' hungry traveller. I am always hungry for new tastes and new places, and would love to be adventurous without breaking the bank.

I hope to share with you my food and travel experiences, and anything under the sun, which may either interest you or bore you to death. Having a blog is life saving since I can share my mundane experiences which helps me cope with everyday life and may save me from being depressed. (What? Me, depressed?) I know others my age are experiencing it so I might as well prevent it before it happens...

So, my friends, here's to a journey full of unexpected and wonderful experiences. Take care and Godbless...