Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 8

Okay, back to the hotel! Their pool was looking nice that we all had to change to our swimwear and take advantage of owning the pool to ourselves! lol. It’s not really a big one, it’s more like a lap pool. We played a little game on the pool and just talk about the adventures of the past days as we about to get close to ending the epic trip.

With all the food we ate at lunch we thought we would not need to have dinner. But it’s our last night and we wanna make use of the time left. We went to Joe’s Cafe, one of the most popular bar/restaurant in the strip. We listened to their performer as we wait for our food. We cannot see the guy singer as we opted to sit outside so we can only hear the sound. Then we’re suddenly silenced by this familiar resonance. As we try to apprehend its intro, our eyes got bigger and bigger!

Swimming!

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 7

We drove for 5 minutes and we got into this seafood restaurant but before anything else the ocean view was so enchanting we just had to take some pictures! lol. We’re so glad that the weather was being so concurring with our trip that it didn’t rain that day. It was awesome!

Ocean view at Cay Bang restaurant

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 6

The others didn’t sleep at all (I think..) but my roommates and I had to sleep even if it will only get us 3hrs of it. I woke up at 3:30AM as our rented shuttle for Mui Ne will arrive at 4AM but for some reason our shuttle was late. So while waiting for it, I went to this convenience store to satisfy my cravings.. ice cream. lol.

Money money money. Sleepless in Victory Hotel. (Photo credit: Mark Veneracion)

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 5

Back to the hotel to rest but we didn’t have lunch that day so we decided to eat at least. While the others were satisfied with sandwiches, I ordered chicken amok which is a popular Khmer dish. It has coconut milk and I think it also has ginger or turmeric and I can also taste a lemongrass (I love lemon grass!), it really smells good because of the lemongrass, it’s mildly spicy but citrusy, served with rice and a fish sauce on the side. The best!

I went back to our room after lunch and rested for a while but we have to get up by 6PM to have a buffet dinner and watch an Apsara show  at Koulen II where we have a reservation.

Cambodian Chicken Amok

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 4

When we got to Bayon temple a number of elephants all lined up waiting for visitors to ride them for a fee (USD12) welcomed us. It was surreal for me because it’s the closest I could ever get with an elephant. It’s not like everyday I get to see an elephant on the roads of Manila. We only got one elephant in the Philippines and she’s in the zoo, her name is Mali and the last time I saw her I think I was in grade school.

Bayon Temple

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 3

Just like any other travels that we had, being a morning person, I get to wake up first. At 4AM, after I took a shower, I woke up my two room mates to remind them that we need to be at the lobby by 5AM.

5:00AM our tuk-tuk is on the way to the temple gates but before that we had to stop at the nearby ATM. You got two options when withdrawing money in Cambodia either getting Riel or Dollar. Back to our tuk-tuk about 20 minutes drive from the city proper we arrived at the temple gate to buy a one day pass for US$20.00/per person. A picture of you will be taken which is imperative for your one day pass, so, SMILE!

My friend’s Angkor One Day Pass

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 2

By 9:30AM we arrived at Moc Bai border belonging to Tay Ninh province of Vietnam. The bus conductor will collect all the passports and you will be asked to depart the bus and be screened or frisked by the vietnamese authorities then back to the bus and about 5 minutes drive to the international border gate of Bavet belonging to Svay Rieng province of Cambodia, you have to vacate the bus again but this time with all your luggage and be screened by Cambodian immigration, you wait on the line and wait for your bus conductor to call your name, the conductor will be the one to bring your passport to the immigration officers and have it stamped.

**Be wary of your things, with so much tourists in there the place gets to be so packed**
**No fee for entry visa**

The process actually took about an hour. I wish they could do something to make it not burdensome for the tourists. There were times that Passports of the people way at the back have been processed first than us who have been there like forever. I felt that they need to organise more their system on providing visa. I have no discontentment on the place because it is incredibly neat and I felt like the facilities are so modern its just their system that bothers me truly. Oh well!

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 1

 “To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen

Traveling has always been a great experience especially with friends. There would be non-stop and I mean friendly bashing and endless banters! So when I found out that the group will be traveling again, I cannot help but to get excited!

48hrs before the flight me and a couple of friends, who I will be traveling with, met up for a cup of coffee and finally talk about the last minute things to do before this epic trip. And that 48hrs has left me sleepless.

*Fast forward on the date of departure*

It was like forever at the check-in counter. I can hear other passengers behind us complaining and giving a big sigh. The group before us was having difficulty on their baggage allowance. They must have to pay an excess baggage that they had to unpacked their luggage right at the check-in counter and maximize the allowed check-in baggage.

When It was finally our groups’ turn I’m proud to say that it didn’t take long for us to get our boarding pass, I didn’t see people behind us raising their eyebrows or even rolling their eyes on our group because it’s taking so long or whatever. lol.

How Do I Prepare My Things When Traveling?

Over a year ago, I woke up from a call of a friend at dawn. As I said hello, the person on the other line told me that I have a confirmed flight to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on July 2013. I got confused and extremely fazed as I don’t recall any reservations I made for Vietnam.

“What do you mean?” I asked. My friend said there was a seat sale in a particular airline and the roundtrip only costs a little less than Php1000. Roundtrip! So she already booked the people who she thinks would love to see Vietnam… and that includes me! lol.

Fast forward to June 2013. In almost a year a number of people we knew have asked if they can join us, but of course! The more the merrier!

Boracay 2013 - Happy Birthday, Jaydee!

A friend wanted to celebrate a birthday in a beach. So she had to fly us out of Manila to the island of white sand beach called - Boracay. Situated on the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, you will see hailed by many travel blogs/publications/agencies a paradise.

How to get there: 

By Air: 

Boracay, being part of the province of Aklan, has two airports. One in Kalibo (province capital) and Caticlan airport in Malay. The following domestic airlines fly to Kalibo and Caticlan: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Zest Airway and Seair.

Tip: Some domestic airlines offer seats sale every now and then. You just have to be quick in booking a seat because the place is so in demand, seats may not be available sooner than you thought.

By Sea: 

Several ferries operates from Batangas to Caticlan port. From Manila you have to travel 2hrs to get to Batangas port and from there, travel time to Caticlan port is about 9 to 12hrs. So far the best ferry to take is 2GO (www.2go.com.ph)

Hotels, resorts or even transient houses have filled the shores of Boracay. For reference, you may want to visit http://www.myboracayguide.com/beaches-resorts-rooms-accommodations-boracay-hotels.html

The crew!

Davao 2013 – Day 6 (Lake Agco)

5:00AM call time as agreed, we're bound to the capital of Cotabato province - Kidapawan City. The city is found at the foot of the country's highest mountain, Mt. Apo making it a great spot and first-rate tourist attraction. Mom said that it's first settlers were predominantly Manobos but right now Cebuanos, Ilonggos and Ilocanos are the major ethnic group.

Travel time from Davao City to Kidapawan  will take around 2hrs but it felt like more than it because the local government was having a road widening construction on the major roads tendency to have a one lane road.

Anyway, we arrived in Kidapawan at around 9 o'clock. Originally we're to stay at the Grandshine Hotel but since Mindanao that time was having a crisis that during daytime they got no electricity and the hotel does not have a generator, it will be really difficult to stay in that hotel on that condition so my brother transferred us to AJ Hi-Time Hotel - Address: Laurel Street, Poblacion, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, Philippines. Phone:+63 64 288 1811 which is just a block away from the previous one, good thing they have their own generator and their staff is very friendly and accommodating.

Davao 2013 – Day 5 (Mall Day)

Not so much to do on that Thursday, after three consecutive days of activities my brother decided that we stay home for that day. Made me think that it’s a perfect time to explore the city myself. lol.

We had lunch and our nails done at home. In the afternoon my brother and his wife went to the mall, they invited me to join them but I didn’t feel going out.. until I grew bored. lol. So I’ve decided to visit our Davao office which is just near the mall (I heard).

I asked my brother-in-law the right way to the mall and he was telling me to just take a cab, but I felt the need to try taking the jeepney. So I insisted the one I wanted. lol. I took a bath, fixed myself and said bye-bye to my Mother. My sister-in-law’s father got worried and said that I should call him as soon as I got lost and he’ll pick me up with his car. lol.

So my brother-in-law brought me to the jeepney terminal just outside the village going to the mall. And while going down of his car he kept reminding me of the jeepney I should be taking when going home. lol.

I took the jeepney, from Wellspring, Catalunan Pequeñno to Ecoland where SM City Davao is located. The fare is like Php10 it’s quite far at first (it’s always been) from where we’re staying but going home was a jiff but… (we’ll get to that later. lol.)

Hello SM Davao

Davao 2013 – Day 4 (Samal Island)

Fourth day of our trip in Mindanao and we were enjoying every minute of it. Thanks to my brother and his wife for an all expense paid trip! A visit on the second largest island in the Philippines will not be complete without seeing a beach. One of the famous beach spot in Davao is the Samal Island, home of one of the reputable resort in the Philippines, where thousands of white-lipped oysters (transported from the Sulu Sea), were cultivated for their pink, white and gold pearls – The Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

Welcome to Bluejaz

Davao 2013 – Day 3 (Davao Crocodile Park)

Day three was all about the kids meeting the animals at the zoo particularly, crocodiles! The kids were very excited. We went to Davao Crocodile Park, one of the major tourist attractions in the city.

Located inside the Riverfront Corporate City along diversion road, Ma-a Davao City. The park may not be a fully engaged zoo with gigantic mammals and all that but it does have exotic animals from birds to reptiles.

Having being named a crocodile park, the place showcases a 'state-of-the-art' crocodile farming system in the country, equipped with modern facilities. For visitors like us who wants to be educated about the animal’s life into the wild and in captivity, this is a perfect place.

The park is open everyday: Monday to Thursday - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM // Friday, Saturday and Sunday - 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Davao 2013 – Day 2 (Rya's Barbie Party)

Never seen a girl been so Barbie fanatic but my niece, Rya. Everything from clothes to her water tumbler it's all about Barbie and pink! By the way, I love pink too! lol. So definitely the theme of her Jollibee party was nothing else but Barbie! There's no Jollibee (or it used to) in Dubai so you could just imagine how excited my niece and nephew that day.

April 15 at seven in the evening we headed to Matina Square where the famous fast food chain is located. The space allotted was really big and I thought it's quite too big for a typical children's party. Wrong!!

In the beginning..

By 7:30PM guests started to arrive and eventually filled the room. It was packed that some guests would have to occupy the tables outside the party room. All in all the guests were like more than 80. lol.

Never thought there would be so much kids as my niece does not go to school in the Philippines nor have that so much mates in here too, aside from her cousins. It was lovely to see kids running around in their pink tutu though. lol.

Parlor games

And the classic parlor games started - Trip to Jerusalem, Bring me.. , Simon says.. It was fun! My niece was not in the mood to join the games probably because she didn't get much sleep in daytime where as the baby brother, Regu was all smiles with the guests!

Things turned around when the main character arrived, Jollibee! My nephew cannot believe he's seeing a real one, because back in Dubai he can only see a picture or a statue. My niece, Rya, started to show some interest in the party too! lol. It was priceless!

And everybody wants a picture with Jollibee.

In our table I met an adorable girl named Lyka, her parents are good friends of my brother in Dubai, she was a bit shy at first but when the games started she was so thrilled! Too bad she's scared of mascots. When Jollibee came to the room she hurriedly went under the table and started to cry.

Mother and Son

The party finished at around nine-ish in the evening. Mom and I saw a coffee shop from a far. We decided to check the coffeehouse. They got a lot of extra ordinary flavours going on in there but what caught my attention was the Durian Arctic Blast. lol.

Mom loves Durian while I'm a bit neutral with it. Mom loves coffee while I do not drink coffee (I palpitate and get shaky) doctors prohibited me on having some but for the sake of experiencing Durian in your coffee and as a frap, I gave in. lol.

Mom loved it and I don't! I'm sorry but I just really don't. I'll stick with the basic. I would rather eat Durian fresh than be blended with coffee. lol.

with my brother's precious toy.

My brother is an engineer/accountant but has a knack with photography, I must say he takes a good picture. He asked me to take care of his precious toy as he had to stay at the square to party with friends. He  invited me to join them but was too tired so I forbear. lol.

The day was so fun! I cannot believe I turned down some fast food party invites when I was a kid. lol. To tell you honestly, I was once afraid of mascots. That's why I can so sympathise with Lyka when she rushed down under the tables and hugged the legs of her nanny crying. Good thing I was able to struggle through while growing up and I'm pretty sure Lyka will do too.

Back to my brother's home I cannot wait to get into bed, problem was - I started to palpitate and get shaky because of the coffee. lol. Mom told me to do not go to sleep yet and drink a lot of water, after a couple of hours i was good to go so I went to bed and hugged my mom tight! lol.

Davao 2013 - Day 1

My first day here in Davao has just ended. And this day was all about food! lol. The first reason why Mom and I are here is because my brother and his family came to visit from Dubai. My they have been very kind to invite us to see them in Davao. Note: This is a chance for Mom to see her only grand kids.

Me and Mom's day started with an early flight out of Manila, 7:30am. We arrived in the crowned jewel of Mindanao at nine o'clock and my brother was sooooo early at the airport to pick us up. He was like 2 hours earlier! Lol.

Mom posing for the cam on board

Outside the airport there was a media interviewing a man which made me and mom wonder who he is. Not until my brother recognized him and started taking pictures of him. The guy is one of Philippine boxing's fastest rising star, Boom-Boom Bautista, which was on the same plane that we were.

Then we headed to Cataluna Pequeño where my brother and her wife bought a house. I was excited to get inside the house to see the kids, and when I went to their room I saw the eldest,Rya crying for I do-not-know reason. lol. She was so not in the mood when we saw her. lol. Then I saw the youngest, Regu who I think is the cutest baby ever with the rosy cheeks and naughty smile. I saw Mom is so happy to finally see her grand kids,

By lunch time we went to this place where they are known to serve catfish - Sumague's Ihaw-ihaw. We ordered tons of catfish because my brother missed it so much. They had it grilled, deep fried and cooked in coconut milk but I prefer my catfish fried. To be honest I am not a fan of catfish but I tried it and it was delicious! In my opinion, its meat is so soft and taste like chicken. Lol.

After we had lunch we went back home and rested for... I do know! lol. Mother woke me up at around six in the evening because she said we're going somewhere.

Me, mom, my brother and his brother-in-law were in his car and went to a quite famous mall in Ma-a, The NCCC. We were told to meet my sister-in-law and the others there. So after we meet up, we went to a church somewhere in the area, the St. Paul church to give thanks and light a candle.

At Saint Paul's Church

Then, it started to drizzle.. just drizzle. We went to one of the famous eating place in Davao, the Penongs, famous for BBQ and seafood grills. We had chicken and pork bbq. I cannot stop laughing seeing my brother who cannot seem to get enough of his pork bbq. He was telling how much he missed eating pork! lol.

Dinner time!

After that lovely meal, we headed home this time it's just me, my brother and his brother-in-law in the car, mom went to the other car to be with her grand kids. lol.

As we headed home, rain started to pour in. Then my brother fully opened the car window and telling the rain will not bother him because he missed it too! Then on the radio a Philippine slow rock classic was playing, all of a sudden he and the brother-in-law started  singing their guts out with my brother acting as as if he was strumming an invisible guitar and with the rain kinda pouring inside the car, it was an epic scene! lol.

Mom and Son

So now I am here in the guest room, sitting on the floor facing the bed with the laptop and beside it is mom snoring.. lol. From Mom's snoring I can say she enjoyed the day like I did.

I cannot wait to see what will happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after it and the day after that day. lol. In short, spending time with your family is always the best thing it could happen to you.

Puerto Galera Birthday Getaway 2013

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. ~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Galera Easter Weekend

Easter weekend!  I got an invitation from my friend over the phone for an all expense paid vacation somewhere in down south. I thought they were just trippin' because it's gonna be April Fool's the following day so I did not take it seriously. Until I realized that it was actually for real. lol. They said it's like their birthday gift for me since it will be my birthday two days after that.

So the following morning, I found myself packing up things for the getaway. It was so spontaneous that I forgot to bring IDs (Note: I never go out of town w/o my identifications)

Located on the south part of the Philippines, Puerto Galera known to be one of the top diving destinations in the Philippines. It is the northwesternmost municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro.

We left Manila at 8AM - took a bus ride to Batangas port which is 2hrs away from the country capital. We hitched on a boat which took us almost 2hrs and I was just appalled to see the number of passengers waiting to get on board and be back on the city. Remember this was a holy week getaway so it was pretty much expected that people will be flocking on the beach for the weekend.

From the boat docking station in White Beach, Puerto Galera, we went to White Beach Hotel, where we rested for a while and had our lunch. It was almost lunch time when we checked-in.

We fell asleep after we had our delightful meal. I woke up at around five in the afternoon. I changed to my swimming clothes and headed down to the beach with Jose so I could take a glimpse of Puerto Galera sunset.

They said all sunsets are just the same. But if you're someone from the city and never really get to see the sun kiss the horizon that much any ordinary sunset would be a spectacular one.

It was my first time on that place. I have heard a lot of things about it from something teasing to fabulous but most of the time teasing, lol. Knowing that the place is most of the time populated I never really included it on my "Places-To-Go-list". However, this experience have changed it.

I enjoyed myself on the beach. The sand may not be a fine white one but the water is pretty clear. There are a lot of restaurants at the beachfront where you can have a drink or snacks while watching the some handsome dudes or lovely chicks. lol.

Dinner time was my fave, who wouldn't? lol. We had grilled pork, shrimp in tamarind soup base and my fave aubergine salad - it was perfect!

We strolled along the stretch of this party filled beach. We saw tons of fire dancers endlessly twirling around and manipulating the fire and it was awesome to see them forming the fire in different shapes, my fave was the butterfly-like shape.

There are also some gay performers who were really extra-ordinarily commendable doing stand up comedy. What's even more nifty about it was that you can watch it for free while you're on the shore as they perform outdoor in front of the restaurant! You do not need to pay for entrance fee just a wholehearted applause is enough but it doesn't hurt to give 'em a tip though. After all you've saved much from not paying anything to see them.

We ended our night having a bottle of beer and even though I am under medication, I felt like hanging out on a beach without a beer is like having a one night stand without protection.. It's a NECESSITY! lol.

Anyway, we went back to our room and tried our best to get a peaceful sleep as there was an event at the beach that night sponsored by a famous brewery in the country. Imagine the base of the music vibrating into our room. Luckily I got wasted with a bottle of beer that the noise didn't bother me already.

I woke up early the next morning and changed into my swimming clothes again to go for another dip. For 2hrs we enjoyed the water and went back to the hotel and fix ourselves and things as our check out time was 11am.

After check-out we had to stay in a restaurant wait for our boarding time which was 3pm. By 5pm we were already on a bus to Manila. We arrived in Manila at 7pm but didn't get home 'till 8pm 'coz of heavy traffic.

I would like to thank Joseph and JD for a very spontaneous and amazing treat. I hate surprises because I hate the feeling of being caught off guard. However, I appreciate that my friends are thoughtful enough to make me happy on days before my birthday. That's why I love 'em! Boy, I'm lucky!! 

BlackBerry French Toast

Found some slices of bread in a fridge. 

I soaked it in a mixture of beaten eggs and milk. 

I then fried it in a pan greased with a little butter until they are browned and cooked through.

Day-old bread is often used as dried bread will soak up more egg mixture without falling apart.

I'm a big fan of cinnamon so I sprinkled some of it and sugar. 

It was perfect!

Partner it with scrambled egg and bacon perhaps?

Eat well!

Green Breakfast

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”
― Ruth Reichl

Breakfast this morning was a bit on a theme. lol. We were going green! Using my so loved basil plant I made a spicy pesto pasta the night before for dinner from scratch (Basil, Olive Oil, Garlic, Chili and Pine Nuts). We got a little left over which I heated up for breakfast. 

Mom was nowhere to be found when I woke up. Then she arrived with some broccoli and asked me to steam it, and so I did. Then I saw the fresh potatoes we bought yesterday from the market. Made me think of making omelet! 

So with 3 eggs, butter, potatoes, sweet onion, cheese and herbs - basil and oregano - I get to make my favourite Potato French Omelet. 

Just for the fun of it, I put a show in front of my Mother, I was flipping the omelet from the pan without messing it! lol. She was pleased to see I was able to fold the egg perfectly! I bet she was proud! lol.

And where else can we graze all these grits but at the terrace! It was perfect! Definitely perfect way to start your day. Eating hearty breakfast with people you love most! 

Desserts with Mom

Mom and I have been very productive last Tuesday. We were able to sort out her clothes, clean the house, get my medical abstract from the hospital, repot the plants that are dying and we're able to FINALLY position mum's queen size bed, which turned into like a California king bed because of the  big bed frame, in my room (no more Japanese style bed) It was crazy.. And with today's weather I was sweating like hell! lol.

We finished at around 5pm. We had an early dinner at home and decided to have dessert somewhere. I remember going to a cafe somewhere near in the area when I was a kid and by 8PM we found ourselves in a jeepney going to Padre Faura.

Café Adriatico

As we were walking along the frisky street of Padre Faura, we saw a Japanese convenience store and saw a pickled ginger I love eating (Beni Shoga) So we bought a medium pack of it.

Finally we arrived at the Café Adriatico, an adored cafe in Manila, beautifully furnished with an old world impression starring Manila on its heyday.

It's been years since the last time I was here with my mother,  I have a bit of a blur idea of how their food tastes therefore I cannot really say much about all their food since we only went there to have desserts BUT judging their last course of the meal, I must say they were excellent.

Their food may be expensive but if you want an ambience close to an 1800's and experience a collection of divine Filipino and Spanish-Mediterranean dishes, then it is worth it.

Café Adriatico is known for having Chocolate Eh (thick and rich) and Chocolate Ah (watered and thin). Chocolate Eh has a bitter sweet taste while Chocolate Ah has more sweetness because of the milk added as per our server.

Mom had Halo-Halo espesyal (special), I asked Mom how was it and she liked it. She said that the amount of shaved ice, milk and other ingredients (fruits, beans and other sweets) was perfect. She was actually wondering what kind of milk was added as it was too tasty to be an ordinary evaporated milk. lol. Oh by the way, it was topped with vanilla ice cream too!

I had "Mango Jubilee" and "Chocolate Eh". The Mango Jubilee is basically made of mango balls with vanilla ice cream served in a glass. It was scrumptious in many ways. It may be too sweet because of the ripe mango plus the sweetness of vanilla ice cream but it's a perfect dessert for someone craving for something sweet.

I guess I made a wrong decision to order the "Chocolate Eh" for my "Mango Jubilee" but it cannot be denied that the "Chocolate Eh" is superior! I can already imagine pairing it with their "Kesong Puti with Pandesal" That could have been perfect!

What was entertaining was Mom, telling some old gossips of Manila on it's prime. From the enigma of some wealthiest family in Manila to the dirty world of politics. lol. I don't know how she got those classified informations but it was really entertaining. lol.

After settling the bill we bid goodbye to our server, gave him a tip despite our bill having a service charge and rode a taxi. It was a great night spent with my Mom. I cannot wait to have another spontaneous night out with her.

Happy Birthday Mom!

We celebrated Mom's birthday last March 10. The celebration also happened to be like a thanks giving for her, just this January mom was seriously ill that she needed 3 bags of blood for her transfusion.

Mom woke up at 5am to go to church. I woke up 30mins after to make a birthday breakfast. I made pancakes and some salad. I want to make the day cooking free for her. I manned the kitchen this time. lol.

Pancakes and Cucumber, tomato w/ egg salad

The celebrant.

My friends wanted to come and celebrate with us. Jaydee was the first one to arrive. She went straight to Mi Casa with a cake in the morning from her work.  Thank you Jaydee and Olive!

While waiting for the others I was pretty much busy cooking for the "feast". lol. I was cooking shanghai rolls, pasta, grilling some fish and asked a little help from mum on how to make her specialty, Pakistani Chicken. Then Jose chipped in some buffalo wings. Thanks Bang!

The second one to arrive was Valerie, she brought with her a chocolate cake and cutie cup cakes. They were very tasty I tell you.

Cakes and cup cakes! Yum!

Mum was so excited to blow the candles but then other visitors have not arrived yet. So we kind of bluffed the blow the candle scene for the sake of pictures. lol.

Act as though she was.. lol

Finally the visitors have already arrived. She got to blow the candles on her cake! She looked so happy! I'm happy too!

Taste testing time! The cup cakes that Val made were really tasty and moist. Love the cream cheese on top!

The colours of the icing are mum's favourite colour. The cake was topped with powdered sugar.

My friends enjoying the food!

The last one to arrive were Jody and Donna. They brought some cassava cake which was also delish! Thank you guys!

After a magnificent meal we stayed at the terrace, had some drinks and amazing chat. Mum was also joining us from time to time. It was a fun night.

The Austria couple

I can't thank my friends enough for spending their precious time with me and my mum that day. Mum said she was very happy that she get to spend time with them and get to know them more.

Mom is thankful for another year that God has given her. She was very thankful that we get to celebrate her day even in a simple way. After all the trials and struggles she endured the past year, I'm glad I can see her so pleased and joyous.

No daughter who would not want a good life for her parents and no parents who would like their child in a bad situation. I am lucky that she's not expecting much from me.  All she want is to see me settle down with the right guy. lol.

My relationship with my mum has been an open book to my friends. After what happened to her early this year, it just hit me that I am not ready to lose a mother. That I would do anything to give her a good life, which she has given me growing up. I felt like this time, it's my turn.. It's my turn to take care of her.. It's my turn to give her what she wants.. It's my turn to surprise her with good things.. It's my turn to be more caring.

It may sound a cliche but i can so atest to it - When everyone has turned against you... Our parents are the people who will always be there and love us the most in this world.