Posted by Sander in Technology, Travel | 0 Comments

Bohol – Things To Bring

Tomorrow is the big day that we’ve been waiting for. All our things are packed now, we are just trying to decide on a few more things to bring, like should we bring our favorite iPad – which claims to be the Best tablet? Or should we just leave it behind and bring a laptop instead?

Hopefully security in the hotel that we are scheduled to be on will be good. Tonight will be an important time to have a family prayer so that we may enjoy our stay at Bohol.

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Posted by Sander in Events and Holidays, Family Moments, Travel | 0 Comments

2012

Compared to 2010, 2011 was a bit uneventful in terms of my music projects – which was mostly my fault due to being busy with so many things. What dominated 2011 is first our new baby who is now 1 year old, church ministry work, my new work at home job and a bunch of new gadgets and gears. I didn’t even have much time to play games!

This 2012, we have laid out our plans and it looks like I’ll try to shift my energy and focus back to music and hopefully finish the project that has been years in the making. Health is also a primary concern for my family as well, adding more physical activity to our daily routine.

I am sure this year will be much more blessed, and a few weeks from now, we are planning to have our family vacation at Bohol. We are praying that the weather will warm up and cooperate so we won’t have to wear heated clothing at the beach. And hopefully our health and our kids health will stay up throughout our stay there.

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Posted by Sander in Anything Under the Sun | 1 Comment

Christmas Gifts

We have already bought some of the Christmas Gifts that we have to give and ofcourse we did not forget to buy the special request of our beloved first born. I bought his toy and hid the gift for a while so he would not see it. A few days ago I decided to put it under the Christmas tree which he immediately noticed because his name was written on the gift card. Thankfully Kuya is able to control himself from opening and with some luck he will patiently wait it out till Christmas.

Now we just need to buy a few more gifts and we are all set for Christmas. I’ll probably just get a few Kangol hats which will work for boys and girls – in case I forgot someone.

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Posted by Sander in Events and Holidays, Family Moments, Travel | 1 Comment

Revisit Chateau Royale Batangas

Since we enjoyed our last visit at Chateau Royale Batangas, we are hoping to go there again this coming summer.

It’s a nice place for meetings and for family gatherings. My son had fond memories of it, including the mini zoo, the lunch area that was on top of a pond, the pool, the playground and the nice country side breeze that envelopes the place.

I saw a number of rooms and “mini houses” there which I believe are available for rent for those that want to enjoy a quiet family time. So if you are within the area of Batangas, or you want to go out of Manila and enjoy a peaceful and serene retreat, this would be a nice place to look at.

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Posted by Sander in Internet, Technology | 0 Comments

Work At Home Perks

There are so many work at home perks, but the most important and valuable of them all is more time with my family.

While working at home, I still get to be with my family the whole day, though they are not to disturb me when I’m at work, they still get to hug me and get my attention a few minutes at a time. During breaks I can rest on my bed with my sons and I can also enjoy a lunch time bonding. My family “visits” me at my work area at home to greet me good morning every day which is very sweet and was next to impossible before when I was working at my old office. Things are going well and thankfully my boss is a family man who encourages and even reminds me to prioritize family over work.

Just a few minor qualms worry me, like PLDT’s inconsistent connection and my back up ISP – Sun Broadband’s- poor signal and slow internet connection. Hopefully faster cable internet or 4G internet will be available here soon so I can rest knowing that I have stable connection everyday for work. For now I will have to look for a good cell booster that might help my backup 3G wireless modem connection.

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Posted by Sander in Cars | 3 Comments

Ride on Toys for Our Boys

I always delight in giving my eldest son toys. His favorite are cars so that’s what I usually give him. Now at 6 years old he must have hundreds of toy cars already.

Among his toys, his most favorite and most valuable are the ride on toys. We bought him not one, not two, but three!

I know we might have overdid it but I assure you it was all worth it. Our little one spent a lot of time with his ride on toys and imagining he was a real driver.

The black car on the left side we bought just before his second birthday. It has a manual pedal that has to be pushed to move. It was too heavy for his little feet at that time but he had fun with the steering wheel, anyway.

The atv in the middle is motorized. I think we bought it for his fourth birthday.

Finally, the last and biggest (not to mention most expensive) is the red Audi. We bought it as a gift for his graduation from Kindergarten. It was love at first sight for him but we resisted and didn’t buy it on the spot. The next day we went back and bought it. My wife and I figured he deserved it after all for being good at school.

And then last year, we had an addition to our family – our youngest son. So look who can’t wait to play on his brother’s ride on toys?

 

Yes, it’s worth every penny.

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Posted by Sander in Zachary | 0 Comments

Our Precious Gift Last Christmas

It’s the middle of November. During this time of the year people are already thinking of gift ideas for their loved ones. I’m sure my wife is also racking her brain for some christmas gift ideas for dad. I’ll make it easier for her and will give her some hints on what I want this year. It’s a phone that starts with an i and ends with a 4.

Kidding aside, I remember last year we got a gift that is so precious. It’s no other than our youngest son, Zack, who is the family’s apple of the eye. We have waited six long years for him to come into our lives. Had we known that he would be such a pleasure to be with we wouldn’t have had delayed his coming that long.

I took this picture one night while I was watching him sleeping.

Thank you for coming into our life little one. You made me, your mom, and your kuya so much happier just by coming along. We love you.

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Posted by Sander in Daddy Essentials, Health | 1 Comment

Bonding with Erpat and Utol – Massage

When my dad, my brother and I go out, it would almost always be going to a sauna / massage venue. We do this every month, relaxing and getting our backs straightened out by the masseurs.

It used to be that we play sports like ping-pong or basketball when we go out, but now we don’t have access to a decent basketball court or table tennis that is nearby, so we make do with a relaxing massage. The venue we normally go to is called Trimline Spa, the place is well taken cared of and has a lot of ammenities – hot pool, sauna bath, steam bath, body scrub and ofcourse a great massage. The attendants are also nice so we have been quite a patron there for a while now. I highly recommend it, although it would be better if we could hire our own Recreational Therapist Jobs who can service at home, but that would be too lazy.

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Posted by Sander in Anything Under the Sun | 0 Comments

King of Fighters XIII

I finally got a copy of the latest KOF (King of Fighters) Game – KOF XIII. I remember how much time I spend just playing the older KOF games. And now that I have the copy of the latest version, it no longer appeals to me as it did years back.

Looks like I’m now a retired KOF player… don’t get me wrong though, I can probably still beat the crap out of some players – but I guess burning flames and titanium rings no longer hold the same excitement as it did. I guess Iori Yagami was right: “Asobi Wa Owarida” – Play time is over.

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Posted by Sander in Daddy Essentials | 0 Comments

Giving My Kids the Best

Being a dad of two young kids means I always love splurging them with gifts. My wife said I live my childhood fantasy through them but I say she’s just jealous! LOL!

My bonding time with the kids consist of going to the toy store and picking the best toy. My eldest loves trucks and cars so our house are now filled with all kinds – Peterbilt, Mustang, Audi, Bugatti Veyron – you name it, we got it. When we already bought too many toy cars I bought him cartoon figures, beyblades, train sets, and Legos instead.

Meanwhile, my wife wants to buy a doll house but can’t because we don’t have a baby girl yet. She says I have all the fun and she’s right.

The truth is I love giving them toys more than anything. Growing up I never had a lot of toys and I don’t want my kids to grow up feeling the same way I did. I may overdo it sometimes but pretty soon when they’re all grown up I won’t be able to give them these things anymore. Time flies fast and the last thing I want is to regret is making them feel loved and cherished when they needed it most.

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Posted by Sander in Events and Holidays | 0 Comments

Remembering John Mayer in Manila

It’s been a year now since John Mayer came to Manila. It was a very memorable night for me and a few of my friends that got to watch the concert up close. Aside from great music from the main man, the night was memorable because of the heavy rains and the umbrellas that occasionally block our view.

I am thankful that some of the people in the audience brought their HD camcorders and recorded the entire concert. At least we could relive the concert anytime we want. I did bring a digital camera but the video I got pales in comparison with videos like the one below.

Hope that when Mayer releases his next album, he adds Manila to his tour again.

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Posted by Sander in movies | 1 Comment

No other woman

After consistent prodding my wife and I watched the movie “No other woman”. Actually I didn’t watch it as much, because from the start we were bombarded by the typical “sex sells” motif of movies. I’ve read a lot of good reviews about the movie but I think they were all just being polite and politically correct. I wasn’t too impressed with the acting, it wouldn’t stand compared to real filipino classics, or even independently released filipino movies.

Sadly the story was too bland and stereo typical. You can summarize the story in one sentence… I guess they just wanted to showcase some sexy looks and add a story in the background.

Hotblooded teen boys will probably enjoy this, but the producers should have let the mistress wore sexy bunny outfits to emphasize the point of the movie, which is – it is a “sexy” movie.

To be fair, my wife kinda liked it. But honestly this will be one of those movies that you will easily forget about.

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