Christmas 2019

Christmas & Boxing Days are over! Looking forward to a happy, blessed New Year. But what really happened before Christmas?

It was such a joyous Christmas Eve with my whole family: loving, thoughtful husband who provides well, the company of the members of my family, my 3 children, my sister and her husband and daughter with her husband and a family friend. Our kitchen and dining table is not that large but we managed to fit in and enjoy the foods.

 The usual, we had our yearly Christmas Eve turkey. My sister said it's the best turkey and the stuffing is soooooo good. Better stuffing and lots of spices. We also baked coho salmon topped with mayonnaise and few garnishing, vegetable salad will dill dressing, steamed brusselsprouts, prawns, crabs, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pancit with vermicelli, shrimps and pork, springrolls (springrolls from my sister Ems). My sister used to have secret recipe stuffing for her springrolls. Yummy good.

 Mussels cooked with garlic bean sauce, celery, spring onions, lots of ginger, & onions (mussels courtesy of Andy). Thank you Andy!!

blueberry banana muffins.

Appetizers: Mushrooms stuffed with true, real crab flakes and cream cheese. Scallops wrapped with bacon, large size shrimp ring.

 Desserts: Strawberry cheesecake, fresh fruits with cool whip, chocolate mousse cake

 The next day, on Christmas Day is unwrapping of gifts but before that, we had our happy hour of scratching tickets. I won!

 I had winning tickets! OMG!! LOL.

I love what I received on Christmas Day! Thanks husband for wonderful gifts, sure... I will wear these lovely tops (blouses), coat, cardigan.

My children received what they need not what they want. No need to give them any kind of electronics because they had those new laptops and tablets last year. My children was thankful of the gifts they received from us. I hope they are more happier than me. It is what it is, my children first before me.

At first, my husband Lorne was eyeing on huge flat screen television because the price tag has been lowered (discounted for the Holidays) but we already have 50" flat screen TV, we don't need another one when ours  still functions as it is ... if you know what I mean.

Thank GOD everything's OK. Christmas happened within a blast and what will happen this coming New Year is well, we don't know yet. Hoping for a peaceful, wonderful, happy, prosperous, New Year. Do you have firecrackers? I don't have those loud banging sounds that can miraculously put the deaf in the state of confusion, uproar and cursing. For the regulars, loud sounds might ruin your eardrums and spread your beeswax if you're not careful.

Now is the time to load some laundry. My housework is waiting, thanks for new turbo vacuum my work is easier and faster.

Very Catchy 22

For whatever reason that there is that annoying bot that keep pestering my blog post for no apparent reason other than to annoy me. I wonder who that bot is. Very persistent. Oh, I know it's the 22nd day of December. 22. Catch 22?

BB = Bagel & Butter the usual breakfast for me and my daughter. I could cook a better quality breakfast meal such as fried rice, fried sunshine eggs and  sausages or ham, however I don't like heavy meal at breakfast.

By the way, my Japanese origami boats are finished and put on display on the TV stand. I couldn't make origami cranes, sorry. What is this for? Secret!

Four Days Before Christmas

End of School , College & University yesterday, for the year 2019. Vacation time for the Holidays up to January 5, 2020.

The weather is most desired today.
Officially, the first start of Winter. At the island is only 7 degrees Celsius.

Lorne's friend Andrei has given him a bucketful of fresh mussels.

 Thanks! A bucketful means there are at least 100 to 200 pcs. of mussels in that stainless bucket. Maybe. I'm planning of baking or broil those mussels with special ingredients mostly spices for appetizers. We'll also have shrimp rings and scallops wrapped with bacon. Ha ha! Wait for the Christmas Eve. Yum-yum.

Just right now, we had springrolls for lunch and had finished boiling the wonton dumplings for supper.

 Not satisfied with just dumplings? So I decided to cook wonton soup with thinly sliced of pork, added some clams and shrimps with noodles plus cut and slices of bokchoy and brocolli. Wow! Lots of nutrients in this awesome hot soup with chicken broth.

Dessert : Assosted doughnuts from Tim Horton's

Yeah, yeah the kitchen is a little bit messy for all the works done. The kitchen's counter top is cluttered with kitchen utensils and platters. The stove is oily and the kitchen smells of cooking oil. It is not pleasing to look at as if its a scene from a busy restaurant. That's how it is. A not busy kitchen is not messy. If you are not cooking, baking or not doing anything in your kitchen then it is very clean, and not so oily and doesn't smell food. Good for you. You wont smell garlic or onions because nobody's cooking. Sometimes, would like my kitchen smelling fresh and not so clutter with food. That time would be when we just dine out somewhere in a very special fine etiquette dining restaurant with all the formalities that you can't hardly move because you are being treated like royalty. Uhm, makes me wonder. lol


Christmas is that time of the year when families and friends get together, united for the festive holiday full of  (filled with)  happy memories, surprises, lavish delicious foods, games to partake, gifts to give and receive and most of all a time to remember that it was actually the birth of Jesus Christ whom we have to celebrate.

Whatever is your definition or delightful meaning for Christmas let us just rejoice and stay united.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Cheers!!

SURVIVOR is Over!

The season finale of  the famous show SURVIVOR is finally over last night. It started at 8pm and ended at 11 pm. It was such a big surprise that Tommy won the game show. How could that be? Most of the time the winner should be the person who won most of the immunity idols, legacies, immunity necklace. What happened? When you think that either Noura or Dean will win the contest. However, the decision was made by votes from the members of the jury. Maybe some of them had close alliance with Tommy who is a school teacher. Noura is an entrepreneur and Dean a sales tech. Dean who won the fire technique against his opponent didn't win the game? Something is wrong with this stupid show. Oops. Sorry. lol. It's a trickster's game. Aiming for jokers out there or they are just in a hurry.

Winning over the Survivor contest is no longer about winning the games and immunity idols but to win the hearts of the survivor contestants who will become members of the jury is the next best thing as a strategy. Smart strategy of playing their emotions. Social skills played a part in this season's game. This game is more than controversial when Kelly complained about inappropriate touching or sexual harassment that happened during the filming of the episodes of such show SURVIVOR and she was given a one on one interview with Survivor host Jeff to air her grievances.

I think contestants in that show should be background investigated first or should have police clearance. How could harassment happened in that show when contestants are mostly professionals, one is a lawyer, one woman is an Olympic athlete, one is a hockey player, one is a teacher, there's a cop, some are movie stars, and God knows who they really are. Dan the offender was movie director? Always touching the hair of Kelly. Maybe he is a hairstylist or make-up artist.  Or he once worked for film production? Who knows Dan?

Anyway, sexual harassment is prevalent in the movie industry, in the media, everywhere where those A-H! are. To think that some of them wear skimpy, sexy swimwear or swimming suits that show off their almost naked bodies. Maybe next time they have to wear "sarong." No one is allowed to wear briefs, bikinis or bras. All contestants must wear sportswear. I don't know why some of them have to wear underwears only. Strange! Could it be so hot at the island where it was filmed and they have to be in the theme of survival.

Whatever! Watch the continuation of NOVOLAND: Eagle Flag at OMNI TV.

Buyers' Beware

Food affordability in the news again! WTH! Okay have watched this show on TV with modern family and their extended families and friends gathered  together for Christmas dinner. The beautiful home was adorned with lavish, colorful Christmas decors all over the house, on the walls, doors, arches, windows, inside and outside with sparkles and Christmas neon lights. The family and friends gathered together for drinks of wine and champagnes, yapped as if there's no tomorrow. After wine bottles are emptied they gathered together at the dinner table and munched on green leafy vegetables. That's all. No turkey, no meat of any kind. Nothing. No food. Just the spirit of wine, vegetables and expensive Christmas decors.

FOOD IS VERY EXPENSIVE?

When you spent too much on thousands worth of clothes, shoes and jewelries... and decorate your house with pricey colored lights as if you owned the Hydro Corporation and drink expensive wines, champagnes and brandy then you will only see  empty plates. And if you are too drunk you wont see anything, nothing.

Clothing doesn't need to be costly. Clothes and shoes are human's basic needs. Clothing should be inexpensive not costly. Other basic necessities in life should be cheaper than food. To think that most designer clothes can be purchased now at thrift shops... or landfill. Not really funny. To read news about returned goods (online shopping) such as clothing and accessories are then set aside or thrown in the landfill. Wow! Is that news accurate? Where is that "landfill?" What kind of landfill? You know what landfill looks like? That put anxiety on every consumer whether what they are buying are known to be "secondhand sold as brand new."  Something is wrong. It must be stopped. Cheating consumers and buyers should be  aware of such illegal cheating consumers of their rights. Buyers' beware!

Ungrateful? LANDFILL is a landfill or dumpsite for garbage!! Just so you know that landfill is the source of rotten garbage of all kinds. Even third world countries wont accept.

What's New?

Always that rabid, rancid, smelly  question of "What's new?"

Even those robots are pissed of,  I think. Their hands acted like hackers through the internet always asking and hacking whatever is new. They got nothing to do. Their hands are so quick, fierce and ready to steal almost everything. I know them. ((They are those locals who are members of the thief of Baghdad. The 40 thieves!)) Darn! My blog post was hacked again. OMG! They never learn anything but to hack and steal. FGS! That same old story that is always been repeated. Why hackers, why? Ang bibilis ng mga kamay basta makahack lang.
 Grabe na.

Ok, what's new! New douglas fir tree for Christmas tree. New gifts to give. New snowflakes of gold and silver glitters. New red boats origami. New amazing, smooth, gift-wrapping papers and colorful
 bows. I asked my son to create some origami cranes but he doesn't like. He told me I can look at the internet and find out for myself how it's being fold.

 Origami is the Japanese art of folding special paper into different shapes of different form and shapes of creatures (animals and birds) great or small. However, I can only make boats and hats.

Other than that is semi-old. Nothing that can make other people happy during the holidays but "something new" to see, something of brand new stories to tell and rant about or the latest news to gossip and laugh about.

It's not only you who wants to know everything and learn something new. It's not only you who wants something new. All of us want something NEW. Because if its over and over again...OMG! Is the Earth dead? The Earth never spins anymore? What could be? Are you alive?

Zero to One

Don't worry, it's already Saturday in another part of the world: Dec. 14, 2019. Whew! And there's no purge whatsoever.

Purge is something we don't like to happen in Canada and in any parts of the world.

Now what? is there something NEW out there? Everything seems too old to even listen to or watch. It is really crazy and disappointing to hear the nonsense.

(((Here she goes, there she goes again )))))

Oh, I know. Not too many people have money. Everybody's poor in this time of the year. December is like reminding everyone about spending and over spending too much and sometimes unnecessary spending keeps adding up.

Nothing can make humans happy. Money makes the world go round and can move mountains as what they said but money in well developed countries are something you really have to work so hard, back-breaking work that leads to ... never mine. I should not think about negativity. No negative thoughts. It should always be positivity so that Nativity will always prevail.

Failures To Lures

Snowstorm is prevalent in the Atlantic and northeastern part of Canada. We could have those snowstorms here at the island but we are closer to the Pacific rim so that's impossible unless you pray for it to happen. Along the rims are volcanic zones of the rings of fires.

There are so many anti-social out there and there are too many "outsiders" who want to be insiders.
However the space is not enough for both of them.

I don't know them really well. I hope they are not mental because the hospital for mentally disabled (as in violently mentally disabled) is already "full of them and the Manson's still occupied that asylum."

It's only the 12th of December 2019 and almost everyone are in the very stressful mode and moods blaming other people of their failures. You can turn your failures into lures and maybe you can have school of fish to your advantage.

Recent big news: That the Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer is steppind down as  Conservative Party Leader. Why? He did the good job of causing the Liberal Party into Minority wins instead of Majority. lol. So what's the fuzz? Don't tell me the Liberals can't do their job properly if Andrew Scheer is watching them? Why not bring Stephen Harper back to the limelight? You know, he should have continued his job as the true Conservative Leader. Ah, whatever, we don't really know for sure what's happening behind the scenes for they are not contestants for BIG BROTHER. Make me wonder if there are hidden  cameras inside the House of Commons and at the Parliament? I think it's a conspiracy, the gays don't like Scheer that's why.

Close circuit monitoring system or CCTV are everywhere now in Global City and other business establishments in Philippines, China & Hong Kong, in America, in Canada? I think CCTV are only visible in traffic zone area or above the traffic lights on roads and highways and commercial establishments. Costly, too expensive for taxpayers to pay for those monitoring cameras.  

The Charter is changing now as the Fishing Charter... did you know? So fishy!

Challenging Task Of Humans Vs Machines

Cooking up a storm?  lol. I don't know who cooked the storms. I don't know how. Anyway, everyday is a matter of challenging myself on what to start with the day without failures.

It seems that in today's world in our generation, failure is such a good thing.

Failure is such a trend and it's very trendy for most of us. Keep the changing  world more energetic, enthusiastic, and more challenging.

It's gloomy day today, most days on December are sort of "gloomy" because of cold if its not icy, snowy or foggy. Rainy days on cold December months are not really welcome in my point of view. I would accept a snowy, winter wonderland instead.

I know, you hate cold, winter weather. But if you are in Canada you must accept that fact check. You must learn to adapt and be cautious every time you travel and every time you walk outside. So be careful.

I'm doing my household chores when I'm not in front of the computer. Too bad, we don't have servants here at home. I have to do all the housecleaning, cooking, and laundry. I might as well thank some of the useful appliances to make my job easier and convenient. My husband asked me recently if I need a new vacuum because all of a sudden the vacuum doesn't work properly. Thinking how expensive vacuums are. The last of the vacuum we had is worth $500 (including tax) bought in the year 2012. You wont believe how many vacuums we bought and  used for the past 28 years. We keep changing brand names such as: Eureka, Dirt Devil, Cyclone, Kenmore, Dyson, Bissell and always had  those problems with the motor or "belt." Whatever! One vacuum had that annoying, loud sound that is so shocking as if its the sound of a super sonic jet. It was so irritating crazy and very loud. It was probably made for chainsaws then transformed into vacuum.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Last night after watching Novoland: Eagle Flag tv series, then time to watch the news... the latest of which the "haunting news of how childish the PM of Canada as he was televised yapping with other leaders (PM of France and PM of Britain) said to have mocked the POTUS. After that the Pres. Of the U.S. Pres. Trump heard as quoted him as "two faced." Okay, the PM of Canada is now "Janus."

What's new aside from that controversial news?

Here is something to think about. FOOD. The cost of food will increase next year 2020 as in 26 days from today. The question is why?

Don't tell me there will be less supply of food? Or the population will increase in certain demographic area in Canada because of  new immigration policies? More mouths to feed. More mouths to feed and where to live? Worry about the food and housing. Who will be booted off the island?

To think that there are billions of people around the world who are recipients of the food supply from agricultural countries therefore other industrial countries must produce their own supply so that they wont be a burden or would rely food consumption from other countries. Higher education will tell you that sometimes to survive in this world is not about acquiring higher degree of education but a steady supply of food. It is what it is. Without food on your stomach you cannot function and educate yourself. Your mind, body and soul will deteriorate and you will be eating your own brains.

What we have learned from World War I & II? What have you learned from the Korean, Cambodian and Vietnam war? No amount of weapons and ammunition can conquer hunger. No amount of royalty, education and culture can erase  and eliminate poverty, because when humans are hungry they will turn into cannibalism.

It's great that food in Canada has no tax. There are thousands of farmers with heavy industrial machinery in Canada. There are steady supply of agricultural and dairy products but for how long when other countries do not do their turn to go agricultural? Burden of truth would be a ration of food or less food intake? Or you should send those people of other countries to do their part in using their lands for farming and agricultural to maneuver that there is that powers that be of educating these human beings to eat the natural food instead of eating themselves?

Mostly TV Viewing

I was in search for something to watch last night at AMC, then I remember it was the finale episode of The Walking Dead last Sunday. It feels weird. Then what is featured are mostly Christmas movies of the comedian Chevy Chase which I happened to watched so many million times in another channel. One movie, old movie which made me see for the time being was the movie " Christmas with the Kranks." OMG! The movie is worse than any other kids movies. It was a story of  children who were "difficult" to manage or to babysit. Those kids lack the discipline they need. It was shocking! It's like every scene is a scene waiting to be an accident waiting to happen anytime. Good that the frozen climate, the soft snow on the ground keep them away from harm. The snow was the soft cushion keeping those naughty kids alive. This is the reason why moms would like to work out of the house instead and have somebody look after their own kids. This is also the reason why babysitting is the most challenging job in the world that $15/hour babysitting one child is necessary and appropriate. This is the very reason why some women are afraid to become a mother nor do they want the responsibility of a mother. To kid or not to kid, is that a question?

Nothing really interesting movies nor a good show to watch. My husband is paying too much for TV connection and all what we are watching are mostly garbage and reruns.

However, tonight would be a better show for THE GOOD DOCTOR minus Jasika, without the nonsense what lies behind the tattoo or whatever is there in front of Dr. Murphy's obsession. Tonight would be dramatic encounter between Dr. Murphy and his dad whom he never seen for such a very long time and this could be a very sensitive issue on Shaun's adult life. (( Shaun was blamed and disowned by his family because of the fatal accident that happened to his brother)).

There's no more Dancing With the Stars. Hanna Brown won the title and mirrorball trophy award last Monday. I don't know what replaced that very entertaining show.

HGTV's FIXER UPPER, that show keep us tuned in to our TV.

New NEWS ON TV? What else is new? lol. You have to watch the news network and find out.

What to look forward for? THE VIKINGS which will be premiered on Dec. 4, 2019 in HISTORY CHANNEL.

I want to watch SEE series but we don't have subscription on Apple TV.

Tomorrow features TV programs such as: FBI & Emergence.

Wednesday: SURVIVOR, SEAL TEAM
Thursday: YOUNG SHELDON, EVIL
Friday: Nothing
Saturday: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Sunday: ?

Every night: NOVOLAND: Eagle Flag starring Liu Haoran

Quid Pro Quo

Quid Pro Quo
quid pro quo
is a noun

Definition - a favor or advantage granted in exchange of something. It's more like a barter or exchange of goods and services in equal or proportion to the contract with the same value. It could be a trade off, switch or handover something that is best interest of both parties involved.

How many times you had heard of this latin version of "quid pro quo?"

So many times before?

Why this "tit for tat"  happening almost everywhere?

It would be happier if the quid pro quo resonates for both parties. Let's have that qpq at Christmastime, with exchange of gifts. Ha ha! Yeah just like those kids who are not satisfied with the the gifts they received and exchange it for another gift. However, would the gift be of equally worthy than the first gift given? I don't know. If the gift is already wrapped you wont know the value of such gift until you open it and if not satisfy will you ask another favor?

Let say, you cannot start being the leader of the Reds because your rival is there to haunt you. You asked for qpq that the rival leader of the Blues should resign so that you can begin with your work as a leader. Is that fair?  Why not the Red leader asked the resignation of the Orange, or Yellow or Turquoise instead? Why that Blue becomes a factor to dismantle any leadership? What are you up to? Why not dismantle the Reds. Why all these colors of association? Are you blind? I think the addicts should watch MIDSOMMAR movie and what to do with those addicts.Everybody should watch this movie so that you'll know the cause and effect of addiction, how to conquer addiction and what to do about it.

Tit for Tat asking for Tatiana? OMG! LOL. Seems absurd that some leaders had these meticulous, ridiculous favor of nonsense.  WORK with challenges that can determine who you are as a leader. You are better off with high pressures being put into place so that your level of determination will heighten and therefore increase your knowledge and experience.