It's a MelloYello Life

Normally, going to the hospital is my least favorite activity.  I usually expect to wait for hours for my turn to get a consultation from the doctor assigned by the company HMO. Well, that was the case for this particular visit. I had to do a 12 hour fast for my blood test at the Makati Medical Center , so I went at 7:30am so that I can have breakfast early as well.  I looked around the newly renovated MMC and found some familiar food stalls: Pizza Hut, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Seattle's Best and Mary Grace. However, I was really looking for, you know, BREAKFAST. So I asked the guard and he recommended the Floating Island which served all kinds of meals. Situated on the 3rd level of the MMC, it greets you with an aroma of Lavazza, a brand of coffee I first had the chance to taste while in Italy with my host family from Mel , in the province of Belluno.  Immediately, I decided, this is it! The staff seemed attentive and friendly and gave us the menus right away. I ord...

Out of necessity and fear of being helpless (and foodless) once the gas runs out, I decided to get an induction cooker . An induction cooker cooks/heats food faster and is more energy efficient only because you are supposed to finish cooking meals faster than over a fire. The induction cooker only works with any stainless pot or pan. If you place any other cookery with it, it simply won't heat/cook the food . The price for an induction cooker ranges from as low as P1,000 to P15,000. I got my Hanabishi induction cooker for P2,300 at Automatic Center in Cubao (Quezon City, Philippines). It came with a free stainless steel pan so it was ready to be used in case of emergency. The day finally came when I ran out of gas while in the middle of preparing our breakfast (thank God it was a weekend!). I took out the manual, skimmed through it and was eager to start. I put some oil in the pan, since the manual said "never put an empty pot on the stove", placed it on top of the hea...

A lot of parents know this: the first day of school can get a little crazy. For my son K, it was just that. All throughout the week he had been wondering which class he'd belong to and who his class adviser would be. So when I told him that he'd be in the same class and under the same teacher, he was pacified. You see, people with Asperger's Syndrome need to be aware of their schedule for the next day. If changes occur unpredictably, it would be very devastating for them. We started the first day of school morning like we had during the school year before: we woke up at 5, I cooked breakfast and prepared his lunch while he got ready for school. We chat for a few minutes during breakfast, he brushes his teeth and goes downstairs to wait for the school bus. Everything went smoothly and I was assured that he was ok until his teacher sent me an SMS saying that he had been transferred to a more mainstream class. I knew I should be ecstatic. I had been excited for the day w...

Some will say that giving birth to and living with a child with Asperger's Syndrome is a curse. Imagine teaching someone how to look at people in the eye, or, how to crack a simple joke, better yet, understand one. Or think of how you can work on conjuring an "acceptable" smile, or teaching him how to pause between sentences as "normal" people would. Let me tell you, it's hard. Most parents are concerned with their child's bad behavior, worrying about peer pressure, or being too independent, too early. Parents of kids with AS worry about totally different things. I've consulted several books on how to understand, help, and live harmoniously with my child who has AS. The books all helped but I believe the best way to go about it is to listen, observe, and remember. You have to listen to him and try to "get" him. He doesn't talk like other normal/neuro-typical people. He talks like he was reading off an encyclopedia in a monotonous...

I make it a point to go out and treat myself to something nice every Friday night. Be it a movie, eating at a new restaurant, buying my favorite magazine, or shopping for simple toiletries, it makes me feel like I'm doing something nice for myself and I deserve it after a hectic week at the office. Last Friday, my friend and I decided to treat ourselves to something sweet. It was something we rarely did as we are always on a diet and are very conscious about the calories we take in. However when we passed by Gelatissimo in Greenbelt 5, we just had to give it a try. Gelatissimo, Greenbelt 5 Stepping inside, you will be confronted with an array of flavors which can be quite overwhelming. You can ask to taste any flavor before making your choice. You pay for it at the counter: P110 - 1 scoop/flavor in a cup. You can also choose to have your gelato in a cone (I'm not sure how much more you have to pay, but it isn't too expensive ...

I went shopping with Alice last Saturday and was looking for a comfortable pair of shoes I didn't need to worry about wearing while walking the rainy streets of Manila for the next three or four months. Slippers are allowed where I work but I just don't go that far...Good thing I chanced on these inside Chocolate boutique in Robinsons Galleria: Sandals/slippers are priced P1000 - 1500. But the best part is, they'e all completely 100% biodegradable! Isn't that neat? I'm so looking forward to wearing this today. :) I'll tell you how it goes once I continue this post later. :)