Updates from Humid Manila

I've been neglecting this space for quite a while now. I just can't seem to squeeze in an hour or two to blog about our adventures in the midst of our hectic schedule here in Manila. I've been out and about everyday since we arrived and I'm quite surprised with myself, instead of getting dismayed with the intermittent rains that pour here, I've been quite thankful for them. They have made the scorching heat a lot more bearable.

Honey and I have visited a lot of families and friends, the details (and pictures) of which will be following very soon. We've dined on some of our old favorites and we've tried some new restaurants as well. Most of all, i've also had an appointment with an OB here in Manila and I've had another ultrasound. We've heard our little baby Bee's heartbeat for the first time yesterday, I almost cried. It was the sweetest sound I've heard. Everyone in our family is so excited with the coming of our little angel very soon.

Of course, no vacation here in Manila is complete without shopping! I've bought baby Mozart (which i can't find in Amsterdam), a couple of baby books and other stuff.

Next week we'll be in Bohol and I'm so looking forward to it, although the OB said I shouldn't swim :-) Oh well, dipping my feet on the cold water is better than nothing.

Our girl is now a Big Girl

Cute!!!! Imagine me shrieking this word with a decibel that hurt my brother in law’s pet cats’ ear. Sorry, I can’t help it. The moment I entered my sister’s kitchen and saw her feeding her little angel, I just yelped out the word.




Now that I’m thinking about it though, cute doesn’t begin to describe our little Alex’ big hazel eyes, her dark brown curly hair and her hypnotic smile. Indeed she does. No wonder all my sisters in the Philippines went gaga over her during her one month visit to Manila. She’s simply captivating. She started to cry the moment honey and I entered because she doesn’t recognize us anymore. It figures, the last time we saw her was six months ago. However, after just half an hour of trying to woo her, she gave in. She’s much bigger now than the last time I saw her and she is starting to become prettier as opposed to just being cute the last time we were together. Her plump pink cheeks are now more defined, our Michelin girl is now gone, in her place is this big pretty girl.






She loves to turn and twirl and tumble in the bed, when I carry her around she turns around as well. She is very curious about anything and everything around her. And when you ask her to give you a kiss, she sticks out her tongue and touches your lips or cheeks with it. Honey quipped by saying “she gives you an authentic French kiss.” Hehe. Indeed she does. She doesn’t like to sit long on her stool and would look at you with pleading eyes to take her from the stool, which of course I can’t ignore. Honey and I enjoyed Alex’ company over the entire weekend, we can’t seem to get enough of her.



As they say, all things must come to an end, with heavy hearts we had to say goodbye to Alex on Sunday morning to embark on another seven-hour drive back home. I sure hope to see her again very soon. I do hope and pray that Alex grows up to be a good, loving, God-fearing kid.

Sunshine and meadows

Apart from seeing my family, especially my angel of a niece, Alex, one of the things that I enjoy immensely each time we go to France is the long drive, that is, when the weather is nice. Such was the case last Friday. When we got in the car to start our long haul journey, it was raining a bit (which is very typical Dutch weather) so my hopes were not that high. What do you know? Less than an hour later, the sun decided to show himself and shone majestically on the fields and meadows that we passed through, the sight was breathtaking.



The change in landscape between Netherlands and France is quite dramatic. I can readily tell that I’ve entered French territory the moment we saw up hills and down hills on the road. We see mountains and cliffs as we drive through the express way of France, whereas, the land is as flat as a ruler in the Netherlands.



My favourite site in France is this towering bridge and a viaduct. I don’t know why but this viaduct reminds me so much of the one in Ilocos.



It was a pleasant seven-hour drive. I had picturesque views to entertain me as we go through the long trip.

Dilemma

via

I know it’s still like a gazillion months away before we go back to Manila, but honey and I are already trying to make arrangements for the trips that we want to make when we’re in the Philippines. The reason for this is because we wanted to take our entire family to a trip. This is where our dilemma begins. I really have two destinations in mind for our family holiday, Ilocos or Boracay. I’ve been in both places before and I remember having a grand time. I was leaning towards Ilocos because honey has never been there but honey is inclined to choose Boracay because he knows that the kids and the kids at heart would have all sorts of stuff to do.

Since we’re talking of a very big group here (around 20-25 people) and of different age brackets, honey and I would have to consider a place where everyone would have something to enjoy. Another factor to consider is the package deals that are offered, since we’re a big group, might as well make use of the purchasing power and make sure that we’re getting the best value for our money.

I know that honey and I are looking at a big project but I’m really hoping that we pull off this entire shebang coz I know it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

If you have any suggestions on where best to eat, stay or any spots that is a must visit in these two places, it would be greatly appreciated as it will help us make the final decision. Thanks

Special Day.... Tough Day...

As far as I can remember, I have always looked forward to this particular day of the year, October 28. Most often than not, even days before, I would be emerged in deep thoughts, planning a surprise I can conjure simply to make this day extra special. I even remember, when I was still in elementary, I would start saving money a couple of months ahead so that I am able to make this day more extravagant. Then when I lived abroad, there were even times when I specifically nominated to go back home just so I can be in Manila for this particular day, sans all the rain that would meet me there. My heart fills with so much fondness by merely looking back at how we spent this day in the past. Unfortunately, this year is enormously different from previous years, not because it has become less special or less memorable. This day, for me, simply became difficult.

Today is the day that my mom was supposed to celebrate her 63rd birthday. As early as the beginning of this year, I was already thinking of ways to celebrate it. I was thinking that maybe this year, I could bring her hear to Amsterdam so that she could see our place or maybe bring her to Hong Kong so she can meet some relatives living there or simply make arrangements so that she can visit a province in the Philippines that she has never been to before. I had so many plans on how to make this day extra special for her.... And it is difficult for me to know that none of them will ever materialize. It pains me that this special day, a day that had always been filled with joy, now evokes a pinch to the heart.

This day, no doubt, is truly special for me. The happiness that normally fills me on this day may be smeared by a gut wrenching pain of missing my mom but still this day is her day and I will try my very best to remember her during her happiest moments.

Happy Birthday Ma, I miss you and I will love you with all my heart… till the end.

Can't hold it off any longer!

The moment I peeled off the August leaf from our calendar to show the month of September, Honey has already been bugging me to bring out our Christmas tree and to decorate our windows with the twinkly lights that he so loves. I had to hold it off as long as I can, I had to remind him that we’re not living in the Philippines where Christmas is a 4-month event. I was actually surprised that Honey gave in and I was able to hold off the Christmas decorations for almost 2 months.

Yesterday, though, after going to church, we passed by IKEA and they already have Christmas trees and decors on sale. The moment I saw their display, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it off much longer. True enough, honey bought several rounds of tinsel and some other Christmas décor and told me “we should really put our decors out, we’re already late!” haha. No, I couldn’t hold it off any longer.

So here he is again, our good old, cute, pink-cheeked, plump Santa Claus, out from his hiding place. The characters from the nativity scene that we will put on display are next in line to be taken from their slumber box and dusted off. The Christmas tree and lights will be put in its place hopefully by next week. Initially, I planned to put all the decors when I get back from my business trip to Singapore but as honey said, “we’re already late!” so I’ll start next week and do the finishing touches when I get back.


I am so excited to start decorating the house! This is actually one of my most favourite events during the holiday season. I love how the décors create an ambiance of warmth and coziness, it helps elevate the merriment and builds up the anticipation for the special days to come.

Have you started decorating your homes yet? Or have you done it several weeks ago?

The brown room

One of the first things we conceptualized before we finally started decorating our home was the color scheme. We have decided that each part of the house would sport a different color palette or motif so that it would be easier for us to decide which furniture, décor and textiles to buy. We decided a black and white palette for our living room, the bathroom on the ground floor would have a beach motif, our bedroom is a display of various shades of blue and the kitchen is in natural wood and burgundy tint. When Mama Lita came here for a visit, we dressed up one of the guest rooms in brown and earth shades. However, during those times, we haven’t had any curtains made for the room. In anticipation of Ate Nicky and her family’s visit, we bought several curtains while we were back in Manila for our holidays. We finally found the perfect curtain that would go in each of the spare rooms.

Over the weekend, Honey finally managed to replace and install new curtain rods on both the spare rooms and we were able to drape the brown room with these beautiful curtains. I had to laugh when honey said “I can’t stop looking at the (brown) room, it’s just so pretty!” haha. I think Ate Nicky and her hubby would be very comfortable in here on their week-long stay.


Hopefully, we could manage to clear up and prettify the other spare room over the week, if only it’s not Honey’s month-end. Ahh, accountants and our month-ends. Stay tuned, we will be creating a green space out of the other room.

Mi casa es su casa

Prettifying a home is a never ending process. That is what I have learned when we moved in to our own home last year. We would set small projects every now and then to further make our home more comfortable, cozy and of course charming. One of the first projects that Honey ever conceived when we moved in was to replace the wooden shafts in the roof terrace with new ones but since we moved in during autumn going to winter months, the weather was not conducive to start the project.

Finally after months of planning and dreaming, Honey, with the help of a very good friend, is almost done with the project after working over a couple of weekends. They even took a step further and built a proper fence that avails us more privacy and a trellis of some sort where I plan to let some rose bushes climb up to (who knows how long my next project would materialize but there you go).

We are expecting some visitors in the next weeks to come, my sister is coming in two weeks time with her hubby and baby Alex and they will spend a week with us and a very good friend from Dubai will come several days after that and finally another good friend from London will be joining us several weeks after that so our home will be packed. Yey!!! To prepare for that, we shopped for a bed over the weekend and lo and behold, we saw this swing. The moment I saw this magnificent piece of furniture, I knew exactly where it will go in our home. The roof terrace! I already imagine myself lounging in the terrace lying lazily on this comfortable swing as I take in the view of my growing rose bushes. We just have to have it! Finally honey caved in and we went back home with a big box in tow. He was able to fix the swing last Sunday afternoon and it was just perfect. I tried it out and almost fell asleep as I lay there while the soft wind was blowing on my cheeks.


Hopefully, we will still experience more good weather over the next weeks before autumn rain kicks in and we can still enjoy the swing and the roof terrace with some barbeque and drinks overlooking our nice neighborhood and we could share all of these with our family and friends. Good times ahead!!!

Where do we go from here?

It was a couple of years back. I woke up from a good night sleep in my own bed at home after weeks of sleepless nights in preparation for our feasibility studies presentation which was finally over and the semester was at its end, I was back home at last. I went straight to my parents’ room as I was so accustomed to every morning that I was at home. There I found my mom still sleeping so soundly, maybe she was as tired as I was because each night that I have spent at my classmate’s house where our feasib group was preparing our presentation, she would come at 12 midnight bringing us food thinking that we might be famished with all the work that we were doing. I remember my heart was filled with so much love and gratitude for having a mother so caring, so selfless, so like herself.

She was never a stage mother, my mom. I remember my elementary teachers asking for her during our annual recognition day when my parents were supposed to come to be presented with the medal that I have earned each year for ranking first in our class, but my mom doesn’t like going to such assemblies, not because she didn’t appreciate my effort or that she wasn’t proud but because, as she would always put it, “Your teachers will not see me basking in your glory but they sure as hell would see me in your times of need.”

True to her word, my mom has been with me in all aspects of my life. She was there to lift me up when I fell down and failed to achieve a dream. She fought my battles for me when I was too weak to do so. Her eyes glimmered with pride when I told her that I was to graduate cum laude and that I was chosen to be the Presidential Awardee among all the graduating students from our university. She prayed for me and with me each time I implore God’s intervention for any petition particularly for the CPA board exams. She cried with tears of joy with me when I triumphed over the licensure tests. She was supportive of me when I told her the career path that I wanted to pursue. She shared my joys when I told her that I was getting married. Through it all there was only one person who stood by me, my mama.

I have said it before and it still remains true, I owe most, if not all, of what I have become to my mom who has filled my life with so much love, support, strength of character and faith in God. I have never fully understood how someone could give so much and expect so little, if not none at all, in return. Her love was a steadfast rock which has comforted me as I try to live my life knowing that although I may not be sure of whatever lies ahead of me, I am certain of her affection. And now that she has left us, I am not sure how to go on.

My heart is filled with a sorrow that I have no idea how to quench, in my mind there is a void that I know will never be filled again. When I saw the picture that Junfer took when we where having lunch for Father’s Day, it was a picture of me, my sister Miray and my papa, there was this overwhelming sadness from the thought that that picture will never be again complete.

Where does one go after loosing someone so dear, so important, so beloved? How could I surpass a challenge without the assurance of her voice, how could I overcome my fears without her hand to steady me and how could I go on knowing that she is no longer there to rescue me? How long will I allow my heart to mourn for her loss, for I know that if it were up to my heart, I will not stop lamenting? How do I move on?

During these times, it’s still my mama who gives me strength. The courage that she has shown me and the faith that she has instilled in me urges me to take refuge in the knowledge that she is now at peace and with our creator.

Mama, I know that wherever you maybe, you know how deeply we love you and how bereaved we are for loosing you but as you always say, I know that you will never cease loving us. As for me, I know that I may have lost the loving mother, a confidante, a dear friend and a knowing teacher but I have gained an angel who will watch over me till the last of my days are over. I love you mama and I miss you with all my heart.

Me and Manila

Oh how I love going back home. Although I do find a lot of glitches in Manila, the traffic, dirty pavements, undisciplined pedestrians, rowdy drivers, unemployment, corrupt government officials and heaven knows what else, I don’t think I can imagine myself not coming back home. As one blogger puts it, a lot of Manilenos have a love-hate relationship with the metropolis, I definitely think that I am one of them. However, living in a city thousands of miles away with oceans in between, I have become more focused on the splendor of the city, its scenic and historic spots, the warm and hospitable people and the scrumptious food that rivals any cuisine in the world, never mind the loopholes.

After months of waiting, booking and planning, my honey and I finally arrived at the Centennial Airport boarding a Philippine Airline-Flight from Bangkok where we had an hour stop over after a grueling eleven-hour flight from Amsterdam. I already felt at home the moment we stepped out of the plane and I felt a surge of humid warm air brush up on my face and I heard the pouring rain clashing to the roof. It was a pleasant surprise that it’s much easier to pass through immigrations and collect our luggage in the Centennial Airport as opposed to going thorough the long insufferable waiting line at the NAIA immigrations counter, like we normally do. Hmm, I think we made a better choice of flight this time around. Another pleasant surprise was how easy it was to find our families waiting just outside to welcome us and the how easily the car picked up our stuff just in front of the main entrance, pretty sweet this Centennial Airport, maybe because there are less international flights in this port, whatever it was, after fifteen hours of travel, my worn-out, exhausted body appreciated the ease of passage.

With only two and a half weeks, we were bent on making every second count that is why from the airport we went straight to Seaside Market in Macapagal road to meet the rest of the family to have a dinner/get together. Honey and Ate Ven went straight to the market to grab us seafood which the resto later on served as adobong pusit, steamed lapu-lapu, ebi tempura and sautéed shrimp with garlic, we also ordered grilled pork. It was a delightful meal and quite inexpensive, if I may add, and the food was fabulous. Tired or not, honey and I enjoyed every minute of the dinner. This is one of the things that I miss about Manila, restaurants offering unbelievably good food which are very reasonably priced and where the service is excellent are always just around the corner.



This was one hectic vacation with my lasik eye surgery, my mom’s constant trips to the hospital for her check ups/laboratories (which she wouldn’t go to if I wasn’t there to push her), dinners and get-togethers with families and friends, catching as many movies as we can, a wedding of a good friend, a Palawan exploration and of course shopping for all kinds of knick-knacks from the Philippines.

With a very limited time, it was bound to miss meeting up with a couple of well loved friends and families. To all those who are very dear to Junfer and myself whom we were not able to visit/see on this trip, please accept our apologies and we do hope and pray that we’ll be able to do so the next time we’re in Manila, or better yet why not come and visit us here.

Happy Mothers' Day to All

Mother's Day is one of my most awaited holidays in a year, I don't really care if some people might think that this is just one of those made up and commercialized holidays by Hallmark (same with Grand Parent's Day or Valentine's Day) to increase their sales. What makes it even more spectacular is that I am celebrating this very special day with my mom! How great is that.

Honestly, I want Mother's Day to be an every day event so just to make an excuse to do something special for my mom. That's how awesome she is. I feel that making her feel extra special (if its even possible to hike up the notch of her "specialness") in more days in a year is a very little way to repay my mom for all her sacrifices, hard work and love in rearing me into the person that I am today.

And if that's not enough reason to celebrate this day, I was even blessed with more mother's (my mom in law Mama Lita and my hubby's aunt Mommy Zennie. Who have taken me into their families and treated me as their own daughter. God has indeed been very good to me.

I dedicate this space to all Mom's who have raised, are raising and will be raising the future leaders, the next artists, or just the next fine person that anyone can meet. Kudos to all you moms who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of their children and for those mom's who have given nothing less but unconditional love. All of you have made this world a better place to live in.

And to my mom, Happy Mothers' Day, I love you and may we celebrate more special days together. I owe the person that i have become to you. Thanks for everything.

A Girl Named Alex

Ever since Ate Nicky delivered her baby, I have looked forward to the upcoming long weekend to visit her and her baby. Finally, last Good Friday, we dumped our luggage at the back of the car and started our supposed to be 6 hour journey to France. It was a weird journey, it took us almost 8 hours because of the heavy traffic in Antwerp, when we left it was sunny and then an hour after that it was raining hard, a little over 2 hours after that we were driving through very strong winds, still after half an hour we were driving through some snow and then finally as we reached our destination, it was bright and sunny again. It was like experiencing 4 seasons in 8 hours haha.

At around 5:45pm, we finally managed to pull over the garage. I was very excited to see the baby but she was still fast asleep so I couldn’t take her from the cradle. So after settling in, we decided to eat first and right after dinner, asleep or not, I decided to take her from her comfortable crib, poor little baby.

Her name is Alexandra Josephine Ligaya Danet, so we call her Alex, she was born on the 6th of March. Her name was taken from my brother in law’s mother (Josephine) and my mom (Ligaya) and Alexandra simply because it’s a beautiful name. She has really plump pink cheeks and cute little pouting lips and her eyes are blue gray – just beautiful. She is quite heavy and long for a three-week old baby. I guess my sister’s breast feeding every hour does the trick.

She’s a very good baby girl, she didn’t even cry when my sister gave her a bath at 10am the following day, in fact, I think she enjoys her bath. After bathing, she would just eat and then go back to sleep, oh isn’t a baby’s life very nice, she just eats and sleeps and cries when she’s wet or hungry.

Time flew so quickly, came Sunday we were already preparing to go back home. I think Alex would be glad that I would finally leave her alone in her sleep, hehe. I just couldn’t get my hands off of her while I was there. I just couldn’t help but pick her up and cradle her in my arms. Even Junfer, who loves kids but is afraid to hold very small babies, couldn’t help himself and held Alex while we were there.



Junfer and I are going to miss that little angel. We look forward to our next visit to her, otherwise she should visit us next time.

Rediscovering Amsterdam – Final Leg

It’s been almost 2 weeks now since Mama Lits took a plane and went back to Abu Dhabi, ahh her visit was too short. Nonetheless, she had a blast on her last few days of stay here in Amsterdam, all of us did. We have taken her to tourist spots that Junfer and I have never been to before as well.

Upon the recommendation of one of our friends, we went to Zaanse Schans, this is a place just outside Amsterdam where traditional Dutch houses still abound. One of the main attractions here is the oldest Albert Heijn shop (this is like the 7-Eleven of Holland) ever built. There are also old windmills that are still functioning as well as old clog (wooden shoe) makers. We also sampled various types of cheeses from one of the shop that makes and sells them. My favorite was the white goat old cheese, it’s just so tasty.

Junfer also took Mama Lits on a cruise to the famous canals, I think no trip here in Amsterdam should be concluded without doing so. Both of them enjoyed the sights as well as the history of the places they were passing by.

Come Mama Lits' last Sunday here, we headed off to Volendam. This is an old town on the northern part of Holland, a tourist attraction that has become popular because the center of the town is lined with shops that offers quite a unique service. Each shop offers every interested tourist a photo op wearing the traditional Dutch costume in a traditional Dutch backdrop. It was fun dressing up really, we all enjoyed it immensely, although, I can’t imagine myself wearing those clogs everyday. It’s just too heavy and tough for my liking.

We are already looking forward to Mama Lits next visit here. However, for now I think she has enough fond and fun memories to last her till the next time. I am quite sure that she has loads of stories to tell her friends and colleagues once she gets back to work. As for me and Junfer, we are already missing her but were surely glad that she had fun here with us coz we certainly had a grand time during her visit.

Our Home has been Blessed!

If there is one thing that Junfer and I are, both of us are dreamers. I remember that very early in our relationship, we were already dreaming of someday raising a family of our own in a land full of opportunities not only for ourselves but also for the little angels that God will send to us. I also recall that one of our biggest dreams is to have our very own home that we will fill with love and laughter.

Through the years, God has been so kind to both of us. He has turned a lot of our dreams into reality. One of the most recent gifts we have received from him is our very own home here in the Netherlands. Naturally, the very first thing that Junfer and I thought of after having bought our home was to find a priest who will do the house blessing.

Finally, we managed to have the house blessing last Sunday. It was also God who paved the way for us to meet Father Jacob. We met him through couple’s for Christ, we were introduced to him by other couple-friends and he willingly obliged when we requested him to perform the house blessing. And as icing to the cake, Mama Lits was here to witness this important celebration!

Father Jacob was scheduled to arrive at five in the afternoon and so Mama Lits and I labored the entire day to prepare the menu that we will all feast on after the blessing. Meanwhile, Junfer cleaned the house and was in charge of finding coins that will be thrown after the blessing is over. Most importantly, we set the altar at the center of the living room where we placed an image of the Holy Family (a wedding gift that we brought all the way from Manila) and St. Therese of the Child Jesus (an image that we got from St. Therese’s Cathedral in France). Bouquets of flowers and candles completed the altar.

At exactly five in the afternoon, guests started to arrive and a little after five came Father Jacob. We immediately started the house blessing. I got goose bumps all over my arm as Father Jacob started praying, the entire celebration was so solemn and so symbolic, I couldn’t ask for a better house blessing. All of us even sang as Father toured the entire house sprinkling holy water in every corner.

Of course traditions were followed, we threw coins mixed with petals of red and yellow roses from the doorway to all the guests who eagerly picked them. After all coins were picked up from the floor (they ignored the petals…. Haha), we all shared a sumptuous meal. It’s always nice to have the food that your labored to prepare appreciated.


Our house blessing, as simple as it may be, have etched fond memories to me and Junfer because it’s not only a simple gathering of friends and family but a symbol of giving thanks and welcoming our creator into our humble abode – another one of our dreams, realized. It gives me peace just to think that finally… we have made it official, God is now not only the center of our lives but also of our home.

When two become one

After getting married and moving here in the Netherlands, my husband and I have shared a mutual account where all or our income are deposited and all of our expenses are disbursed. This works for both of us really, we only have a separate account for our savings but this account is also mutual.

Recently, I wasn’t really sure how our “chika” shifted to bank accounts, but this colleague of mine was so surprised to learn that my husband and I actually have a mutual account. He even commented “so he trusts you huh”. The hell… of course he does! This discussion made me think of marriages and funds. As far as I could remember, I have always believed that when a couple marries, they are no longer two individuals but one. I also know that a lot of people believe this same ideology. If that is the case, does that mean that a lot of people believe that when a couple marries, they become one but their bank accounts remain separate and distinct from each other? And if that is so, when we marry, is there a silent rule that tells us which areas in our married life should be lived as one and which matters should remain separate? Another question that bugs me in this scenario is how you share your expenses if you don’t have a mutual account? Would you start accounting for the expenses in the house and split it between you?

While I was blog hopping the other night, another article relating to this same topic piqued my attention. The writer mentioned in her blog that a couple who keeps tab of their individual income is actually a sign of maturity. I was appalled, does this mean that Junfer and I are immature when it comes to handling our finances?

Ironic as it is being a CPA and all but I hate discussions about keeping tab of income and expenses. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for budgeting our money and saving for future needs but to actually discuss who should pay for this or that, I believe, is just so irrelevant as far as being a couple is concerned because at the end of the day, whatever is mine is my husbands as well and whatever is his is mine (although, I always tease him and tell him that what is his is mine and what is mine is mine alone… hehe). On some level, I agree with the blogger’s point when she said that keeping tab of individual income actually saves them a lot of discussions (and sometimes heated arguments), especially in that way, they can each spend on things that the other thinks is impractical. However, at the top of my head I just can’t help but feel that having separate accounts to spend on things that you like is just circumventing an argument by not disclosing a fact altogether (which in this case is the purchase however significant or insignificant it might be). It’s like saying that what one doesn’t know can’t hurt him. But, is that the right way to go? Junfer and I also have our share of differences of opinion in that respect. Some of the things that Junfer likes to splurge on are the very same things that I feel we should scrimp on, if not completely do away with (this scenario is almost never reciprocated with me since Junfer is almost always tolerant of me and the things that I like to splurge on – is it a woman’s thing – I don’t know). But each time we are met with this situation, we always find a way of compromising. If that’s not a sign of maturity, I don’t know what is.

In the end, the question on whether to have a mutual or separate account can only be answered by the couple themselves. What may work for one might not be effective for another. I think the important thing is that whatever choice a couple makes, it was made consensually.

Ahh, Its That time of the year!

At the corner of the warm and cozy sitting area stands a big sturdy tree decorated with colorful Christmas balls, sparkling tinsels, extravagant lights and covered with white artificial snow with gifts of all shapes and sizes resting beneath it. I stare out the window with a warm cup of coco in my hand savoring the wonderful sight of the moonlight reflecting on the snow covered pavement. I can hear the sound of laughing children running about in a cold winter night as they knock from one door to the next offering an angelic Christmas carol in exchange for sweet treats. Finally, when the group of kids buzzed on our door, Honey comes running with his jars and jars of chocolates and candies and would request the little pink cheeked darlings for at least three songs while showering them with his endless stocks of sugary treats – as he always does with kids. Then we hear the huge bells of the nearby church echoing through the dark streets, signaling that Christmas has come. We would at last settle at the dinner table laid with a feast that I know would have left overs to last for a couple of days and yet I just feel that to omit any part of the banquet would be a total disgrace so let there be left overs.

This is how I vividly picture me and my honey’s first Christmas here in our new home. Of course I’m not sure if there will be kids that will sing the Christmas carols in exchange for treats since I didn’t see them last year, although I’ve been told that in our area several kids would be accompanied by there parents as they offer there songs. And of course I’m not certain whether or not we’ll get to have the pavements covered with snow this year. But it sure mounts up all my anticipation for Christmas just by having this picture in my thoughts.