Happy Birthday...

…to my cousin Jopie.

She is one person whose talent and personality I truly admire.

She is smart and pretty, stylish and classy.

She is graceful and refined, yet she isn’t shy to speak her mind.

She can bring life to pretty much anything she photographs,

She awakens the senses of whoever reads what she writes.

She is a dreamer!

She is good at everything she is passionate about.

She is a good singer like her mom,

She cares and worries about her dad more than he knows she does.

She is married to a man who adores her and whom she adores back.

She is a fighter who strongly defied challenges and roadblocks.

She is one true friend who is forgiving for the wrongs that you’ve done.

She is no less than beauty, brains and character all in one!

So dear cousin, I want you to know,

How special you are and how you truly glow.

And on this very special day,

I wish for lovely surprises to come your way.

And may each and every passing year,

Bring you more love, peace and cheer!

May all the dreams you dream come true,

Happy wonderful Birthday to you!!!

Lots of Love,

Liza

A Different Kind of Sweet

I failed my first glucose test. I might have Gestational Diabetes, which I heard is pretty common to pregnant Asian women. Somehow I expected this. My father is diabetic and so it's already in our blood. My sister had Gestational Diabetes when she was pregnant and she was on Insulin until she gave birth. Yet I know that having the disease is not completely inevitable. I could have done something to prevent it. I could have watched my diet closely the moment I knew I was expecting. Needless to say, I did not.

Tomorrow I go through a more intensive test called a "3-hour Glucose Test". I have to fast for 10-12 hours and be at the lab as early as 7am. They will have me drink a very concentrated glucose solution and they will draw my blood 3-4 times within 3 hours. This test will determine my body's tolerance to sugar. If I don't have the disease, my glucose level will rise after drinking the solution then fall quickly. If I have it, my glucose level will rise above normal and fail to come back down as fast.

I am a bit worried. I mean, I'm really worried. But if I have it, then I have no choice but to deal with it. If I don't, I put myself and my baby at a significant risk. I could pass on the disease to him or I could keep it even after the pregnancy. This time, I think it's too late to undo what I have already done so I can only hope for the best. And pray, pray, pray...

New Christian

I dedicate this page to my little nephew, who recently became one of the newest members of the Catholic church and the Christian faith. His baptism was a very proud moment for his loving parents and for all of us.

Congratulations, Nathaniel John!

Dear Nathan, gift from above

May the joy you bring us never stop

You are an angel from the very start

Bringing us all together and touching our hearts

We thank the Lord for giving us the chance

To hold you dearly and love you so

To gaze upon your wondrous smile

To share your dreams and watch you grow

This day of your baptism you may not recall

But the essence of it be in your soul

Someday you will come to know

How you warmed our hearts this day and made yourself glow

My sister decided to do the traditional baptismal rites of immersion, where the baby's body is totally submerged in water. But I think the church attendant forgot to turn the fountain's water heater on--water was so cold so the minister decided not to do total immersion.

In his cute little baptismal outfit

For Lynette...

This Palabok is actually not made from scratch. I used Palabok mix but improvised and added other ingredients to give the dish a more "home-made" taste and feel. So here you go...

PALABOK

You will need:

1 8-oz. pack Rice Stick Noodle (Bihon)

1 Pack Mama Sita Palabok Mix (or any other brand will do)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)

1 can smoked oysters (you can also use smoked fish or "tinapa" if you can find one), minced

1/2 lb. medium-size shrimps

1/2 lb. ground pork (optional)

1 handful of shredded squid (optional)

3 hard-boiled eggs for toppings

crispy pork rinds (chicharon), ground

chives

For the noodles:

Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt and 1 tbsp. of oil. Put the rice stick noodles in the boiling water (just like cooking pasta). Keep stirring until noodles soften. Rice stick noodles cook so fast--do not overcook.

When done, take noodles out of the boiling water and wash with cold water so the heat stops cooking the noodles. Keep cool in a strainer.

For the sauce:

Dissolve Palabok mix in 2 cups of cold water. Stir until free from lumps. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil. Saute minced garlic, shrimps, shredded squid, ground pork and half of minced smoked oysters (keep the other half for garnishing). Drizzle with fish sauce. Pour the Palabok mix dissolved in water. Simmer and stir until sauce thickens.

Serve:

Place the noodles in a platter. Pour sauce over the noodles. Garnish with ground pork rinds (chicharon), the remaining half of the minced smoked oysters, sliced hard-boiled eggs and chives. Serve and enjoy!

Weekend Thoughts

I am having such a blessed weekend...

It's been rainy since three days ago, and I think it's just the perfect time to rain! It's the weekend and we didn't make any outdoor plans. I don't have to drive in a watery, murky freeway to work, which I find really dangerous.  Few weeks ago, I heard from a local news that our county reservoir is running low on water and if it doesn't rain, our county might have to instigate water rationing. So thank God for rain!

***

My parents are back from Missouri. Although it was rainy when they arrived, they are ecstatic to be back in the moderately cold climate of California.  As for me, it's always great to have my parents around.

***

Valentines Day was made extra special with the presence of my family. We treated them to a nice dinner at our new favorite Filipino restaurant Patio Filipino. This place is awesome! Food is delicious, service is great, place is clean and very well kept (I'd probably consider this one of the more upscale Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area), and most of all the price is reasonable! This place is frequented by Filipinos and foreigners alike.

Last night, we ordered one of their specialties Paella Valenciana! It was delish and very well presented. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me.

***

This weekend has been all about good food--and I mean good Filipino food! For some reasons I've been craving for food from home. So I started out by making Pancit Palabok on Thursday, followed by our Pinoy dinner at Patio Filipino. On our way home, we dropped by my favorite Asian bakery and picked up my favorite cake. While grocery-shopping at Costco, I came across a pack of Cornish Hen, which I heard is the closest to "Manok Bisaya" (native chicken) in terms of taste. I grabbed some and made chicken adobo today. Indeed, it tastes like native chicken--still not as good, but pretty close!

***

Our friend Jim stopped by for tea. It's been a while since he paid us a visit. It was great catching up with him. This man has a lot of insights on pretty much everything--from electronics to relationships to politics to business and the economy.  He is someone we can learn a lot from.  I learned that he is planning to marry his girlfriend this year.  Good heavens!  It's really about time, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

***

My sis wanted to buy her colleague a retirement gift so we decided to go shopping. Guess what--it's the perfect time to shop!  Lots of great deals everywhere! I guess it's because we're almost at the change of a season. I left the mall with a few new tops and dresses averaging less than $20 a piece. Sis also indulged in new designer handbags. The price she paid would normally just get her one handbag, but this time for the same price she got three.

***

This has been a long, relaxing weekend thus far.  I took last Friday off and tomorrow, Monday is Presidents' Day--a federal holiday!  Normally, we would make plans when we're off this long, but this time we decided to just stay home and not map out anything at all.  I am really liking it!  I think I'll be back to work on Tuesday fully recharged!

My version of Palabok Fiesta

A slice of goodness!

To My Everyday Valentine

Love is when you chose me over somebody more familiar, somebody perhaps more secure.
Love is when you endured criticisms and rage from people you care about for making such choice.
Love is when you left behind the comforts of home to be with me in a strange, foreign land where you pretty much have to do everything on your own.
Love is when you work tirelessly to provide the kind of life that I want to live.
Love is when you always wear for me a big smile and open arms despite rough times at work.
Love is when you embraced the ugly fraction of my being and made me feel more secure and confident about myself.
Love is when you adopted my faith and submitted yourself to more than a year of evening classes so we may worship together.
Love is when you value my family and friends like they are your own and always remind me to stay in touch with them when I start showing signs of neglect.
Love is when you share my passions and encourage me to pursue them.
Love is when you tolerate my silly and childish habits even to the point of treating a “thing” or a “character” as if it truly has a life.
Love is when you laugh at my jokes even when they’re not funny and even if the very person I am making fun of is you.
Love is when you grip my hand and say “thank you” each time I make dinner because you appreciate all my efforts.
Love is when you put me to sleep every single night like a precious little child though you know you don’t need to.
Love is when you struggle to stay awake so you could listen to my blabbing and endless stories.
Love is when you tug me close to you to keep me warm when I’m cold because I refuse to wear the right clothes.
Love is when I never hear a word from you when I get excessive on my spending because you think I deserve to have the nicest of things.
Love is when you even get them for me when I could no longer pay for them myself ;-)
Love is when you trust my judgment, protect my interests and help me become more prudent.
Love is when you console me and say “it’s going to be fine” when things start falling apart.
Love is when you say you’re sorry even when you’re not at fault.
Love is when you say you are so proud of me and always show it.
Love is when you support my dreams and make my happiness your own.
Love is coming home to me everyday.
Love is simply being yourself.
Love is YOU!

I don’t care if you don’t often say the words “I love you” because everyday I feel it with every little thing you do.
You have redefined Love for me, and gave me the kind that I don’t know if I truly deserve.
I guess there can never be enough words to say, or things to do to let you know
That of all the things I have, your love is the one thing I don’t ever want to be without.

And I know that I don't always say it too, but do know that
I love you more—more each day and more than ever before.
And I have but one greatest of dreams and that is to spend the rest of my life loving you.

Last Days of Winter

A cloudy yet beautiful day is just what we needed

We don't experience snowy winters where I live. During the winter season, our temperature could go down to the twenties but it doesn't stay that cold long enough to freeze water or form snow.

So for us to enjoy winter, we have to drive three hours up to Lake Tahoe where snowy slopes and developed ski resorts abound. Every winter, we try to make it up there and we'd go with friends to make the trip more exciting and worthwhile.

In Tahoe I learned to ski. The last two winters I went up there and took some lessons and I was looking forward to going back this year to practice more and hopefully advance from the bunny slopes. However, skiing or any form or snow recreation is off-limits for me right now--for obvious reasons.  

So this year's trip to Tahoe I was a mere spectator--enjoying the sight of our friends and their children gleefully playing in the snow, gliding down the icy hill with a sled, throwing each other snow balls, lying down on the ground making snow angels and covering themselves with soft, powdery ice.  

Even if I wasn't able to join them, I had fun just watching and taking pictures.  It was also a very good photo opportunity for me.  At the very least, I was able to capture their excitement and give them something tangible that will remind them of how much fun they had.  For some of our friends who are just visiting from Cebu and may not be coming back on a winter, they'll have something to bring back home that's reminiscent of the happy experience.

Val and daughter Gabby getting ready to play

David throwing snow balls at everybody

Vangie and Charmaine hit the slopes

Hitting the road back home at sunset

More photos of the trip at my flickr.

Bigger and Shorter

I chose this photo because it showcases both my tummy and my new do.  Pardon the shadows.

BIGGER.  I am getting bigger and bigger each day! In fact, I feel huge and I'm only on my 26th week! I wonder what it will be like 10 weeks from now--I'll be humungous!

SHORTER.  My hair was getting longer and harder to maintain. On busy days when I had to leave home early, I just couldn't find enough time to style my hair. So each time I went to the ladies' room, I saw somebody scary. I felt old and ugly! So today I decided to chop my hair off! The stylist took more than half the length and I thought I was going to feel bad about it. But I actually really like it--I like the feel of it more than the look! My head feels very light, and the hub thinks I look 15 years younger, hehe!

CUSTOM CLOTHING.  I don't like wearing maternity clothes.  I'll be wearing ordinary clothes as long as I possibly can!  I guess I don't have much choice on the pants as ordinary pants no longer fit from the hips up, but I'm still trying to squeeze myself in to my other clothing!

LCPO.  Somebody asked me what LCPO in my copyright marker means. Well, I wanted to use something that I can apply to both Charles' and my photographs. When I decided I was going to use LCPO, what I had in mind was Liza Charles Pestillos Ocat--a combination of our first names and last names. But it can also mean Liza & Charles Philip Ocat--afterall, I'm an Ocat now. 

Of Cooking and Loving It

*Preparing one of my specialties, "Embutido" for Christmas dinner*

I once dreamt of becoming a chef. I love to cook, experiment, try something new and different in the kitchen, and divert from common recipes. I love food art and I admire people who find passion in everything they put in the dinner table. Food Network is one of my favorite channels, Iron Chef is one of my favorite shows and I have foodnetwork.com bookmarked in my computers at home and at work. Sometimes when I’m in the kitchen cooking, I’d pretend like I was in my own cooking show.

I must have gotten this from my mom, who happens to be a very good cook. But for the longest time I thought that between me and my sister, I was the one who couldn’t carry out a task in the kitchen. My mom tried to teach us both, but while my sister graduated my mom’s cooking class with high honors, I flunked. Let’s just put it this way—everything my sister touched in the kitchen turned to gold, everything I touched turned to disaster!

One time we prepared dinner for a group of priests and seminarians—my mom assigned me the fried chicken—the easiest of all the menu items. I had a list of ingredients and the exact steps from the marinating to the frying. Well…just imagine how everyone who took a bite at my fried chicken turned red from coughing and choking. It was the saltiest fried chicken ever made and everyone who tasted it described it as “murag tinabal (salted fish)” or “something marinated in a whole sack of salt”. It was a traumatizing experience for me. Until now, I still cannot forget how furious my mom was and how she almost threw the entire platter of chicken in front of me saying “Bantay ka ug dili na nimo hutdon ug kaon ha! (you better eat all of that or else…)”

It was only when I moved to the US that I found cooking to be quite exciting. It started when I was a trainee where I lived in a corporate house with other trainees from the Philippines and China. We would take turns cooking and feeding fellow trainees. Some trainees were very good cooks so when it was my turn to cook, I would try the hardest to impress or at least not embarrass myself. That was how I learned and as time went by, I tried to get better and better at it and loved cooking in the process.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a chef. Going to culinary school is not in my agenda. But if I can turn a simple dinner to a lovely feast for my family, and I can entertain my friends with a sumptuous meal once in a while, then I am happy! For now, I’ll be the executive chef in my own kitchen where I have one big fan—the hubby who I fill almost everyday with good food and lots of love!

*Served for dinner last night - Herb-crusted Mahi-mahi with rice wine sauce*

*Vegetables is good for you, but this one is cooked with a little butter*

Godparenting

My sister has asked me to be her son's godmother and I'm ecstatic! Actually, I was kind of expecting it but it felt even more exciting when she finally asked me.

I didn't realize we had to attend a "discernment process" or what they often call a Baptismal Preparation seminar to become godparents. I've been a godparent before--to four other kids to be exact, but I've never been required to attend a seminar with any one of them.

In the past I was told that when asked to become one, you can't say no. If you're a parent and someone wants to be a godparent to your kid, you can't say no either. But why not? What does it really mean to become a godparent? To me, accepting an invitation to be a godparent means accepting a massive responsibility--responsibility to support and help the parents as they raise the child, responsibility to guide the child as he/she journeys through life--through Christian life, and responsibility to be there for the child when he/she is in need. Having said these, I find it perfectly OK to decline an invitation to become a godparent if I'm not ready to fulfill these responsibilities towards the child.

Of course, with my nephew I am ready and I am deeply honored to have been given the task.

The seminar that we attended today confirmed my beliefs about godparenting--or at least most of it. I am happy we went through it because it made me think about what I have done for my godchildren and whether or not I have carried out my responsibilities towards them. But as a future parent, it also made me contemplate about how to choose my child's godparents--who do I give the responsibility to and will they take it on? I grew up not knowing any one of my godparents, so I guess my parents didn't choose very well. I wish they did, now that I know what it really means.