Photo-Hunter: furry

Here's my furry boyfriend who got home from the hospital yesterday after an overnight stay with other furry friends. I brought him to the clinic on Thursday night after I noticed drops of blood coming out of his nose (I was scared to death!). I applied an icepack to stop the bleeding, but there were still droplets every few minutes. At the clinic, blood tests were done to determine what's causing the nose bleed, more blood tests to check his liver and kidneys. Fritz is so gentle he didn't even protest when a dextrose was attached to his foreleg and a cotton soaked in epinephrine was stuck to his nose. He was wagging his tail when I entered the examination room, and I almost cried when I left him there. But he growled at everyone while he was being kept in a cage, the vet told me.

Fritz was released on Friday afternoon---thank God, his liver and kidneys are OK, but he has an infection, the reason why his platelet count was too low. The vet suspects Ehrlichia infection, a bacteria from ticks. Although Fritz has no ticks, my landlord's askals have ticks so they're the culprit. Fritz was prescribed a cocktail of meds that he will be taking for a month---an antibiotic (doxycycline) to kill the bacteria, vitamin K1 (for blood coagulation), multi-vitamins and a supplement for anemia. There goes my weekend shopping budget...oh well, I'm just glad he's home and getting better.

Posted for Photo Hunt

Sky-Watch Friday: clouds over Cebu

Sky-watching a few minutes after take off from Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

My trips to Cebu these past 10 years have always been a source of fun and excitement. Even when I go to Cebu for work, it always feels like a vacation. I return to work rejuvenated, creative juices flowing again. It's probably the unhurried pace in Cebu, and there is a calming effect at the thought that at the end of the day, one could sit back and sip mojitos by the sea, or luxuriate in a 90-minute massage at 300 pesos, or enjoy fresh oysters under capiz lanterns. I got back from Cebu late Tuesday afternoon...but here I am, already looking forward to my next Cebu trip.

Posted for Sky-Watch Friday

Pizza craving - Food Friday

I was feeling conscientious last weekend when I ordered this Roasted Portobelio Mushrooms pizza at Chelsea Market & Cafe-Serendra. I had a pizza craving but instead of the usual Manhattan Meatlovers, I had my very first vegetarian pizza---loaded with asparagus tips, artichokes, mushrooms and tomato comfit, topped with fresh greens and olive oil. For somebody who binges on all-meat pizza, this vegetarian pizza wasn't half bad. It's a healthy alternative to the usual pizza we enjoy.

More scrumptious food at Food Friday

Litratong Pinoy: lila (violet)

death by chocolate

Kapag iniisip ko ang kulay lila, Cadbury Chocolates ang pumapasok sa isipan ko! Dahil siguro matagal-tagal na akong hindi kumakain ng tsokolate, at dahil ang kulay ng Cadbury ay isa sa mga marangyang kulay, pang-royalty 'ika nga. At ano pa nga ba ang karangyaan para sa isang karaniwang tao kung hindi ang magpakasawa sa tsokolate?

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of violet is Cadbury chocolates! And rightly so, because Cadbury's shade of violet denotes luxury and wealth. What could be more luxurious to an ordinary person than binge on chocolates?

violet flower

orchid, a light shade of purple

More violets at Litratong Pinoy

Wordless Wednesday: Betis church

Photos outside Betis church in Guagua town, Pampanga. The church was close as well as the church museum when I dropped by last week (I thought churches do not close!). The owner of the furniture company I visited nearby told me that their church has picturesque interiors, with beautiful painted ceiling comparable to Sistine Chapel's ceiling and intricate wood carvings. Baroque-inspired Betis church was built in 1660 and was completed in 1770. Unfortunately, it was the museum's caretaker's day-off so I drove off without seeing the inside of the church. Betis is known for their woodcarvers and wood sculptors, with wood carving industry as the main source of livelihood. Religious images, frescoes, retablos, and ornate furniture are Betis artisans' expertise.

Oh, not wordless after all.

Posted for Wordless Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday: tikoy

A red box for Ruby Tuesday, the purple tikoy inside was a pleasant surprise. I've never seen a purple tikoy before, or tasted flavored tikoy for that matter, so I'm pretty excited to try this one. Tikoys usually come in white (with white sugar) or brown (with brown sugar).

Tikoy is a popular give-away from the local Chinese community during the Chinese New Year. It is made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and coconut milk, a sticky glob offered to the Kitchen God one week before the Lunar New Year to ensure good luck and prosperity. It is also a way of ensuring the Kitchen God's mouth is too crammed with sticky cake to articulate a negative report to heaven. Called Nian Gao in Chinese, it means progress in the new lunar year.

Tikoy can be eaten straight from the box, or dipped in beaten egg and fried. My box of tikoy is a gift from a Chinese friend. So here's to a prosperous year of the Ox! Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Enjoy Ruby Tuesday

Weekend Snapshot: hot Sunday afternoon

It was warmer than usual this weekend. Downcast skies but suffocating heat. I wonder where did the cooler winds go. Pag-asa predicted colder weather this weekend but it looks like temperatures continue to rise. Oh well, it'll be summer soon. How about a tall glass of iced tea under the shade on this hot Sunday afternoon?

I won't be able to visit your blogs on Monday and Tuesday because I'll be in Cebu for work. Will bring danggit for everyone when I come back.:D

Posted for Weekend Snapshot

Photo-Hunter: chipped

Time has chipped away the grandeur of the White House, a historic landmark in Samal Island. Built in the 1930's and overlooking Davao Gulf, the White House is the headquarters of the Moncadistas, a religious cult founded by General Hilario Moncado, a self-proclaimed 5-star general and supreme commander-in-chief of the Filipino Crusaders World Army (FCWA). There are about 2,000 Moncadistas still residing in Samal---a small group but very close-knit, peace-loving and law-abiding with their own brand of culture and religious practices.

More photo hunters here.

Food Friday: Chinese food

Lechon Macau Hotpot

Kung Hei Fat Choi! If you're looking for something fast, inexpensive and tasty, a Chinese restaurant is the best place to go. My friend S and I were so hungry the other night that it took us a split second to decide where to have dinner at Megamall. The newly renovated Mann Hann was full as usual, good thing we saw two friends already dining so we shared their table and didn't have to wait for a table. We had a bowl of the potentially deadly Lechon Macau Hotpot and Spicy Squid made interesting with its fish sauce and calamansi dip. I enjoy trying new dishes each time I'm in Mann Hann---they serve delicious food, reasonably priced, not boring and unpretentious.

Spicy Squid with fish sauce dip

Posted for Food Friday

Litratong Pinoy: kahel (orange)

Isa sa mga paborito ko ang masigla at masayang kulay na kahel. Ang tingkad ng kahel ay nagbibigay buhay at ganda sa kalikasan---mula sa pagsikat hanggang sa paglubog ng araw, iba't ibang shades of orange ang makikita sa kalangitan; mga nalagas na dahon, ang makukulay na balat ng carrots, bell pepper, ponkan, papaya, tiesa, persimmon at mga bulaklak katulad ng matingkad na African daisy sa itaas. Nakakapukaw daw ng damdamin ang kulay na ito, pati na gana sa pagkain, kaya madalas natin nakikita ang kahel sa mga restaurants, comedor, kusina at playrooms. Sa mga gustong magpapayat ngayong taon, umiwas sa kulay na ito!:D

Sa taglamig, ang kahel ay nagpapaalala ng kapanahunan ng tag-init---ng mga sandali sa balkonahe habang palubog ang araw, ng payong at ice cream, ng matamis na buko juice at siesta sa ilalim ng puno ng mangga.

persimmon, "fruit of the gods" at the Market! Market!

The vibrant and cheerful orange is one of my favorite colors. Its intense color gives life and beauty to nature---from sunrise to sunset, the skies are painted in different shades of orange; the fallen leaves, citrus fruits and veggies, and flowers. Orange is said to stimulate emotions and even the appetite...reason why we usually see this color in restaurants, dining rooms, kitchen and playrooms. To those who wish to be slimmer this year, stay away from this color! :D

In cold weather, orange reminds us of our summertime dreams---of moments at the porch during sunset, of umbrellas and ice cream, of sweet buko juice and afternoon naps under the shade of a mango tree.

Posted for Litratong Pinoy

Wordless Wednesday: wishes

Mayumi's wishing well at Eden Nature Park in Davao City


You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.


~ Abraham Lincoln


Posted for Wordless Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday: red petunias

Petunias are colorful flowers in the Solanaceae family where tomato, potato and tobacco also belong. It has trumpet-shaped flowers that comes in a wide range of colors including pink, white, yellow, red, purple and mixed hues. They look wonderful in hanging baskets and window boxes. Petunias are normally propagated from seed, they are low maintenance and do well with plenty of light and sun.

The specie was discovered in South America in the 1820's by explorer James Tweedie. I found these petunias at the garden section of Market! Market! while looking for a cactus specie for a friend who collects cactus.

Posted for Ruby Tuesday

Weekend Snapshot: shrine in Davao City

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague

These were taken many weekends ago---one weekend in August last year to be exact when I visited Davao City. My cousin who is a Catholic wanted to attend mass that Sunday so we visited this shrine on top of Matina Hill, near Jack Ridge. The green rolling lawns and ancient mango trees give this shrine a tranquil ambiance, a perfect place to pray and meditate.

Enjoy Weekend Snapshot

Photo-Hunter: hat

This is my friend, Petra, wearing a raffia hat when we visited Luli Island in Honda Bay,Palawan. It was a hot summer day and I brought the hat for protection. Petra wore it as a fashion accessory.:D

These make me look forward to summer!

More photo-hunters here.