Amelia's Nest

Just got another interesting book from hubby entitled The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho. My hubby knows me well. Isn't sweet? What makes it even more sweeter was that my son, Ralph was the one who handed me the book while saying "present for you mum". My heart fell upon hearing those words coming from my son. Isn't it lovely? What a sweet child. And that deserves a big kiss and hug from me.

This is the latest book from Coelho which was published last year, 2008. I am looking forward to have this book and now it's in my hands. Thanks so much dear and to my son!

Have you ever asked someone why he/she loves you or probably a reason from him/her to love you and vice versa? What are some of the answers or reasons that you get out of that question? Let me guess, some will probably say your pretty, smart, handsome, kind, easy to be with, honest, has a good sense of humor, understanding and the list goes on and on with so many positive reasons that uplifts your soul and makes you feel more loved than ever before. Isn’t a great feeling hearing those words from your most significant other?

I asked this because backed in 2003, that was six years ago when my then boyfriend now husband also asked the similar question. Why do I love him despite of his not so good looking physical appearance (that’s according to him) but mind you I find him gorgeous and handsome. But I will not praise him here might be on my other post. Kidding aside, would you want to know what’s my answer to that question? Well, honestly I didn’t have the list of reason for loving him. I just told him “I love you because I love you and that’s simply is.” Those were my words to him. No explanation or whatsoever. I felt that I love him the moment I gave my attention to him. The moment I allow him to come and be part of my life. There were no reasons as a common individual may say. I just felt the love and the feeling of euphoria every time I am with him that makes me love him even more. That holds true up until now. I may sound melodramatic here but that's true.

And a month ago after reading Paulo Coelho’s book, which was published last 2007 that discusses about finding one’s self, religion, rituals, and how the author interprets love in an unconventional way. Surprisingly I read on a line on that book the reason that I uttered six years ago.

And instead of getting annoyed, she said that she respected my decision. When I reread the statements made by her friends, I feel really proud, because Athena doesn’t seem to have respected anyone else’s decision.
Months later, before she set off to Dubai, I told her that I loved her. She said that she felt the same way but added that we must be prepared to spend long periods apart. Each of us would work in a different country, but true love could withstand such a separation.
That was the only time I dared to ask her: “Why do you love me?”
She replied: “I don’t know and I don’t care”
Now, as I put the finishing touches to these pages, I believe I may have found the answer in her last conversation to the journalist.
Love simply is.

--Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello, 2007, page 268.

Is it a coincidence or just a similar belief or feeling about love? Have you figured it out why you love the person you are with now?

Just recently I added someone in my Facebook account then this afternoon he sends message asking if am the one whom he knows and I said yes. Because I was not using my complete name in my account that’s why he asked and then we started to have a little chat. Saying our hi’s and hello’s and asking each other’s current status. It was so nice that despite of distance I was able to communicate with the person who in one way or another has inspired and taught me to believe with whatever I have.

He was one of those people who inspired and believed in my talent. He was our school theatre teacher back in high school. Yes, I was a member of our school theatre club. Because of my love for theatre arts and Lea Salonga, I joined in the club and luckily I was chosen to be part of them.

After a small chat with him I looked back and recall those memories I have with the club. It was fourteen years ago, where after the class we need to meet in our rehearsal place for our vocalisation and internalisation. Memorising lines and doing those pre-practice activities. The long hours of practice and up to the day that we have to perform in-front of all of the students, teachers and what-not in our school and other school. And felt triumphant every time we were able to deliver and brought home an award from the inter-school competition or just merely invited to perform. It was physically and emotionally tiring juggling my academics and extra-curricular activity but at the end of the day I was socially happy and fulfilled. It was in the club that I have gained much of my confidence and started inter-acting with different types of people. It teaches me to become a gregarious person who is at ease and in no doubt individual as I am right now. I have a lot of fond memories in that club that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

“A good traveller has no fixed plans,
and is not intent on arriving.”
-Lao Tzu, Chinese Taoist Philosopher

It's been a week since I craved for a banana split and last Sunday my cravings was satisfied. After attending a church service I went to the market to buy ice cream and the things needed for making a banana split while hubby went to Pizza Hut nearby to order two (2) boxes of pizza for our supper. After which I go straight to our house to prepare the banana split I so wanted to eat while waiting for hubby to arrive.

Here's a glimpse of my banana split. It's made up of three different ice cream, Vanilla, Strawberry and Yam (Ube) sprinkled with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips with banana on each side and topped with chocolate syrup to compliment. Am using Hershey's for both the chocolate chips and syrup.


We(hubby, me, my mum and especially the kids) are all satisfied with our dessert for the night, my banana split. Kids love it so much! It's like eating in a restaurant at the comfort of our house. It's a nice treat for everyone!

After submitting our documents in immigration last Friday hubby and I decided to have our lunch at Suntec City Mall and to catch a film. We arrived at the mall past noon and have our lunch at the favourite place then check on the movie screening time. The next screen will be at 4:50pm for the movie that we wanted to watch. And so we waited and purchased the ticket. Being clueless on the film we still decided to give it a view.

Starred by Nicholas Cage, plays as Prof. John Koestler working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rose Byrne played as Diana Wayland (daughter of the now-deceased person who prophesied the events written on the paper). This was directed by Alex Proyas and theatrically released last March 20, 2009.

The film started with the time capsule dating fifty-years ago (50), 1958 in a dedication ceremony of an elementary school. At first I was keen with the film as Prof. Koestler is deciphering the codes which his son received when the time capsule was opened fifty-years (50) after or in the present time. With all those codes matching the events and deaths happened at a natural disaster, accident and what-not. Presenting the theory of randomness and determinism coupled with the scientific explanation on the end of the world which makes it interesting at the start. It was too good-to-be-real but as the film goes-on it loses it story offering a non-sense end to the viewer. Sad to say, for me it was a real “scrap”. I can equate this film to the film made by M. Night Shyamalan’s, The Happening. With a good twist at the start but lost its story towards the end. I just could not agree on the story-line when the two kids, son of Prof. Koestler and daughter of Diana which was described as the “chosen-one” was abducted with these “whisperer” and then becoming the new Adam and Eve after the destruction of the earth. How does it sound to you?

In my general and honest opinion, the film Knowing was a science-fiction, fantasy, epic-drama and horror genre rolled-in-one shenanigan that has lost its value and meaning. Just another not-so good films in my list.

Seeing your kids growing healthy and normal makes a parent proud and happy. But what makes a parent even prouder is seeing their kids learning things that will put them in awe. That's what my son, Ralph is doing now. At the age of two and half years old he already know the ABC's. He doesn't just memorized it but he knows the letters even if you ask it at random he can surely answer. Me and hubby and even my mother was so very proud of our child, Ralph. As I mentioned in my previous post I exposed my kids at books and other educational materials such as VCD's of Brainy Baby, flash cards and puzzles. That at night we used to read books or play with flash cards. He is looking forward for those times that I asked him to go to my room and read materials.

Last Thursday he ask me to buy him more books probably he's not any more excited with his brainy baby books that he's been reading for more than two months. Though we have this kids encyclopaedia which we bought last year but I'm not introducing it to him. He might be overwhelmed and I want to make his learning step-by-step. And last Friday we bought him a Speller Jr., it's a combination of flash card and boggle.


I highly recommend this material. It's not that expensive. We bought it for S$5.00, not bad right? That's what we are doing now at night or even after play. Speller Jr. comes with a instructional guide, 32 cards with print on both sides (so this means you have 64 images), 8 letter cubes and a game tray. It teaches the kids on different things such as:

1. object and word recognition
2. Letter recognition and letter matching
3. Spelling
4. Sorting and grouping
5. Concentration and memory
6. Taking turns and sharing (when played with sibling and other kids and even adults!)

This is really nice and fun material for ages 3-6 years old.

After attending a Good Friday Service, hubby and I decided to have a stroll at the mall. Having no itinerary for the day we decided to ride a bus and head ourselves to Suntec City Mall. I was hungry then, but he told me to check first the movie screen time because he wanted to watch Fast & Furious 4. After we bought the ticket we proceed to our favourite fast food place and have some quick bite. Then bought toys for the kids, for Ralph a Speller Jr., which I highly recommend and a musical toy for Ria. Afterwards we proceed at the movie house. The movie was good enough and I was in awe with the stunts and the cars. I like Vin Diesel so much, a natural actor in him.

After the movie, hubby and I checked some of the stores at sale. Then passing this store I asked hubby if we can check the Lacoste store. We found some "kababayan" buying bags and the sales lady was also a Filipina. The scene was just like when we are in the stores in Glorieta or Rockwell in Makati. Funny, it's like your home. I even saw a high school batch mate...small world isn't it? Then hubby told me if I want something just let him know and he'll buy that for me. And I was so happy with that since I like Lacoste ever since. I checked and there's a bag that catches my attention. In short hubby bought it for me. A midnight black bag matched with a purse. What a gift!!! He told me it's his gift, a congratulatory gift.

Another gift on a Good Friday from a sweet, lovely and proud husband. Thank you so much dear!

In time for the Holy Week. The video shows how a father unselfishly sacrificed his son in order for the rest to be alive. This may served as a reminder to us to be an instrument of God's love.

"For God so LOVED the world, as to give his only begotten Son;
that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish,
but may have life everlasting."
- John 3:16

From the movie,"Most" is Czech for "The Bridge,". Read here for more of the details.

Every time I was asked for a conversation with a possible employer my nerves start to shiver. In the anticipation of the most intelligent questions that will be delivered by the interviewer. Anticipating a difficult question and preparing for the smartest answer. From time being anxiety sets-in. Anxious about what’s it going to be. Anxious in anticipating how the conversation will take place. Will I be able to drive the conversation or the other way around? But the most intriguing part is that a feeling of butterfly inside my tummy and is also anxious for the result. I guess I have given my best and that I just need to get this over with. That I have to write this just to end my quiver and simply say, "Thy will be done".

We've been eating salad for our supper for one week now. Since hubby and I wants to have a light meal at night so as not to over-indulge ourselves with the carbohydrates and protein that we are consuming during day-time I've come up with these salad. And so far we're doing good at it.


My home-made salad consists of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, Spanish olives and fried chicken nuggets for variations. Tossed over a herb light cream dressing. I also prepare toasted bread, cream soup(mushroom) and fresh orange juice to match the salad. A healthy food for a healthy life.

Living in Singapore is very convenient. Transport system is very much efficient, side walks served its purpose and people properly dispose their garbage to name a few. Another thing that amazes me is how people pay their bills. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. You don’t need to go to a bank or payment centre and wait for a long queue that most of the time consumes my one-hour break just to pay all of those bills back then.

Here people pay their bills and what-not through AXS Machine. It’s like an ATM machine, one just needs an ATM card, of course it should have funds, the bill itself then scan the bar code and presto everything is fine. You can pay your utility bills, credit card bills, government fines, top-up your EZ link card (people use it to pay for their MRT and bus ride) or even buy a movie ticket. And can even pay for the booked barbecue pit for any national parks for your weekend barbecue event with your family or friends. Isn’t great? You can also pay your credit card balance without the bill just insert the card in the machine and decide how much are going to pay for that particular card. One needs not to carry or withdraw cash in their payroll account just to pay all of those bills. And there are a lot of AXS machine in the country. You can see them mostly at the malls, petrol stations, convenient stores and nearby community centres. I admire how this machine gives convenience and is efficient in transactions, up-to-date and real time.

Isn’t convenience at your finger tips?

As a welcome gift for my in-laws I baked a fondant cake for them. Similar to what I have posted previously but I made a bigger one; chocolate cake with choco-frosting and has three pink teddy-bear with polka-dots design. Making it my second fondant cake.


Hubby was so amazed with what I did and he told me buy some baking tools so that I can come up with more designs. This makes me more confident since hubby likes what I did. By the way the cake were all consumed.