Home Sweet Home

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I woke up to the sunlight streaming down my face. A bit dazed, I thought “Where am I?” As the bay window shape loomed in front of me, I smiled and realized I was back home. Oh home sweet home, back to the arms of my sweet husband despite the sore right shoulder. I felt I never left home. The vacation in America felt like a brief respite from the humdrum of my daily grind in Manila.

The day after Lauren arrived in San Francisco, she wanted to spend her time with her good ole mama at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) instead of the malls. I yelled “let’s shop at the Sephora!” but she refused. This good ole mama just had to agree with her daughter. But the MoMA was closed on wednesday.

The Golden Gate Park was a better plan because it was a few blocks away from her friend’s pad. I just knew there was something for young and old alike from the green oasis of gardens, museums, and over 1000 acres of flower beds, meadows, lakes, playing fields, hills and forests.

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US Elections, Obama, Proposition 8 & Serious Catholics

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US elections is just a few weeks away. As a tourist, US politics is all so new to me. I see the American flag and candidate signs in front of homes and certain spots of each city and state. I like that the signs are not littered all over the place. It is quite neat actually. Conversations in dinner table are now centered on the upcoming elections and some propositions that one needs to answer on the ballot. It’s my first exposure to US politics. Normally, I just read about it in the newspapers.


Sunday mass and the Catholic church in Northern California is a revelation in itself. After the mass, a group passed out brochures on Proposition 8 and a “Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics”.

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I Support Reproductive Health Bill & Population Development Act of 2008 (HB 5043)

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Not all husbands (except for my readers) are responsible and understanding like my husband. My husband never took it against me if I refused sex because he knew there was more to sex than the act itself. Usually the “no” is because I wasn’t ready to be pregnant at a certain point in time. When I say “sorry dear, I think I am fertile”, he will either abstain or use birth control methods like the condom which is in itself is a violation of the Catholic doctrine. (We have since stopped believing in the Catholic Church especially when it has not responded well to current issues of the populace.) I have never used the pill either. Yet, I wished we had more children though because I can certainly afford the means to provide for their future.

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Living in the Countryside, My Brother & Telemedicine

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I love countryside living. This is my third visit to mid-west Missouri but in the past two visits in 1998 and 1999 (with the girls to visit Lauren’s online friend), we stayed in hotels never really basking in the beauty of the surroundings. Missouri never fails to freak me out. My arrivals always happen at night. Driving along the lonely dark road at night is like being in Twilight Zone. Think “Jeepers Creepers” and you will understand why that movie was filmed in Missouri. Whenever I vacation in the US, I am contented with big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago or Florida but Missouri? If it weren’t for my brother, I swear I never want to visit Missouri until…a week ago.


Here I am in a part of rural Missouri with a population of 18,000. I am taking in all the goodness that countryside living has to offer sans the high pollen count. The first thing I did the next morning was walk around the private park surrounding my brother’s residence. The chilly weather didn’t stop me from walking the dog and enjoying the new sights like the cows in the perimeter fence.

And a lake and trees in Autumn. It is just so pretty!

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Long Distance Loving

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My husband’s email the other day said something like “surviving here but missing you”. I’ve been trying to reach him via Skype but never got to. Finally at around lunchtime (Philippine time) he managed to get on Skype with the help of Lauren.

It’s his first time to use Skype so he has this huge smile written all over his face. I panned my macbook around my sister’s home so he could say a quick hello to them.

Then we got to talk.

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Future Bloggers, My Blogging Goals

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In the photos are FUTURE Bloggers who are active Filipino American leaders such as Yolanda Stern (President, Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce), Jose Pecho (Chair, Regional NAFFAA Northern California) Larry Flores (Seattle Transportation), Maurese Owens and more!

My sister, Lorna, is quite active in the Filipino-American community . It is no wonder that she initiated a workshop, How to be a ““Techy” Non Techie with Internet and Technology Tools to Effective Communication for the National Federation of Filipino American Associations’ (NaFFAA) 8th Empowerment Conference in Seattle on September 26-28. The goal of the workshop was to provide a quick overview of “techy” stuff for the emerging or seasoned community leader to complement their grassroots efforts in advocating social change by using some of the exciting and simple internet and technology tools.

The thing was she didn’t feel confident about the blogging part. I taught my sister to blog in 2004 even way before I started my personal blog but she felt I could best handle the techy part.

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2008 Philippine Bar Exam Results on April 3

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Results are out!

Click this > 2010 Philippine Bar Exams Results

Here is the list. Toggle to a full screen by clicking the square graphic on the upper-right corner of the table.

click here for the list of the 2008 Bar exam results (text file)

Source: Inquirer


For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Congratulations to 1,310 examinees who passed the 2008 Bar Exams. The stress of waiting is over.

Congrats to Judy Lardizabal from San Sebastian College who garnered an average score of 85.70 percent. I know that all Lardizabals are related so am I am happy for my distant relative.

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My husband wrote a series of interesting entries on the Philippine Bar Exam this year:

The 2008 Philippine bar exams composed of a record-breaking 6,533 examinees. Each examinee harbors in his or her heart the burning wish to be among the 20% or so who will make it or roughly 1 out of 5. While the arduous trek is done, the takers are in the unenviable position of not knowing whether they have arrived at their longed-for destination. The results will not be released until another 6-7 months and the agony of waiting is oftentimes more painful and distressing than knowing the news outright, whether it be good or bad.

Update: Results will be released on April 3. See News below from the Supreme Court.

Be updated for the List of the 2008 Philippine Bar results when it arrives:

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Sleepless in Seattle

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I missed the return of Grey’s Anatomy tonight. The 5th season! My crazy sister brought me around Seattle with her even crazier friends that I forgot all about it. I’m just kidding. My sister isn’t really crazy. She’s just fun loving, vibrant and noisy. It reminds me of old times when we first traveled together and we’d flirt ( or rather she’d flirt) and I’d pull her away. I wish we had gone back to the hotel earlier because now we need to cram for saturday’s workshop presentation on How to be a “Techy” Non Techie with Internet and Technology Tools to Effective Communication

It is almost midnight here in Seattle and my mind refuses to work. Jet-lagged and still on vacation mode, I’d rather curl up in bed and zone out in front of the TV or walk around downtown Seattle. Oh sleepless in Seattle, I tell you.

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