The people close to my heart in the States: Part 2

July 10, 2014 by feyma

The people close to my heart in the States: Part 2

The people that I’m describing right now were really one of the families that Bob and I will never ever forget in our entire life. It all started when we moved to Ridgefield from Vancouver in Washington State. We used to live in a very nice subdivision in Vancouver. We were house sitting the house of my in-laws while my father-in-law transferred to Canada for his job. Before living in my in-law’s house we used to live near the downtown Vancouver area. Really just 5-7 minutes away from Sylvia’s house (She’s like my sister there). It was really convenient for me to be going to Sylvia’s for a visit. When we transferred to the other part of Vancouver, it was harder for me to see Sylvia more often. She’s kind of scared driving on the freeway by herself. But guess what I learned easily on driving around the area. Being far from Sylvia I had to learned to drive the freeway quickly and liking it a lot. Going to her house through the back way takes way longer. Driving the freeway it’s much easier than going through the busy streets of Vancouver with so many traffic lights to go through. IMHO.

So we transferred to Ridgefield in 1993 just a few months after my father-in-law passed away. We had to find a house because Mom is moving back to Vancouver. So we found a house in Ridgefield. It was a nice acreage subdivision with only 8 houses inside the subdivision. Really it used to be farmland. Even the original farm house was still there. In every house it has 5 acres. So that’s what we had. Our house was one of the newly built house in the subdivision. When we moved in the next door house was about to be finished. When the owner moved in we don’t really know them. Both husband and wife usually were not home during the day. Seeing them sometime we just say hi whenever they pass in front of house . Just months after moving in, they sold the house. The owner moved away, the guy was transferred somewhere for his job.

After a few months of the house next door being empty, we saw some Middle Eastern people with their 4 kids going through the house. the kids were playing outside. We thought they’re just looking at the house. The next day they came back, so we went there and say hello and just being a friendly neighbor. They informed us then that they already bought the house and they will be moving in in a few days. They’re just waiting of the moving truck that’s carrying there stuff all the way from California.

I was so ecstatic having them around they’re so nice and loving people. The kids ages at that time, the youngest must be like 3 or 4 years old, the oldest I think like 8 or 9 years old. The husband he owns a few gasoline stations in Portland area, the wife she’s just a stay at home mom. She already finished up college just didn’t work because she concentrated on taking care of the kids. Both husband and wife were very generous people. The kids they’re loving and thoughtful kids too.

I will give the names of my ever so favorite neighbor.

Nader, the dad (very generous & thoughtful man)
Dalal, the mom (very kind and very generous)
Julia, the oldest child (the reader)
Zade, the second child (the serious one )))
Keith, the third child (the studious one)
Namer, the youngest and the naughty one (his eyes gives it away… LOL)

We do a lot of fun stuff with them like going to the Oregon Coast for a day or two just hanging out at the beach and see the aquarium, eating at the restaurant after Sunday church. Go with the kids games in school or during summer games. Going to see some Disney on ice show in Portland. Going shopping at the mall or go to the play area like Discovery Zone or Chuck E. Cheese or the Clark County Fair and many others.

Chris and Aaron really adored those kids. They thought highly of those kids. They really want to hang out with them almost everyday. Ha ha ha, really we go there to there house every night during summer. They always invite us for BBQ. Dalal wants that we’ll be at their house, her statement would always be “Feyma it’s better that we’ll hang out here at our house, I had 4 kids and you had only 2 kids. Much easier for me here if they messed up something, easy to clean up”. But when I’m baby sitting the kids they’re at our house. Bob and I fed them Filipino dishes. They liked it, especially the lumpia. Sometimes me and Dalal would go out just the 2 of us for some girl time. Bob & Nader and one of our friend from church Randy go out together too, sometimes they went out of town for some conference. It was fun for everyone. It’s really a good bonding.

Seeing the kids on Facebook now really makes me happy. They’re all successful kids. I’m so proud for all of them. So thankful of the Facebook. I’ve been hooking up with all of them. So happy seeing all of them still so loving and so thoughtful.

To you our Best Neighbor Ever, I really missed you guys. Thank you so much for the friendship and the love. I do appreciate a lot what you guys did for me and Bob. I really treasure you guys forever. I love all of you!!!

Cheers!

July 3, 2014 by feyma

New show on E News Channel-Asia!

I was just surfing through our TV in search for a good show. I stopped on one channel; 608 on our sky box, It’s the E News Asia. On screen the teaser of their upcoming line-up for there month of June shows. I saw one of the famous families here in the Philippines. That Pinoy family will have a show on E News-Asia. That really surprised me that they’re going big in Asia. I just thought that there just big in the Philippines only. I guess I was wrong on that. LOL. Well, I think Filipinos will be proud of them being famous in Asia. The show called “It Takes Gutz To Be a Gutierrez“.

It Takes Gutz cast

It takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez geared up similar towards “Keeping Up with The Kardashians” in the USA. That show’s been going for its 9th season. My understanding from the one of the Gutierrez they will copy the Kardashians being family oriented people like they will be all together as family through ups and downs. But I don’t think the Gutierrez will copy the way the Kardashians dress up and behave in public like going to some events just wearing almost nothing. Few stars did that and they were criticized badly. I think Filipinos are still not so open yet to wearing almost nothing in public. Thank God for that. Luckily few girls on the Gutierrez clan compared to the Kardashian clan. I guess the viewers can compare the Asian reality TV family life to the West reality TV family life. It’s really similar because the matriarch woman, she’s a momager to her husband and her kids and other famous stars here in the Philippines.

One of the big thing that came out on the first pilot of the It Takes Gutz, one of the main guy there ( he’s a big actor here in the Philippines), he announced that he and his girlfriend already had a love child that they keep from the public for over a year. We’ll see what the people think of that, him being so famous with the girls, would they still follow him? Are they going to be criticized having a child out of wedlock? We’ll see in a few months I guess on that.

Honestly, it’s so common nowadays to have kids without marriage. Even the momager she wants that her son should just live-in together for awhile first with his girlfriend before getting married. I can see her points on that since it’s hard to get an annulment here in the Philippines. It took forever for her oldest daughter to get one from her Turkish husband. Geez, now you guys are confused who these people that I’m talking about. Ha ha ha… I do encouraged you to watch the show “IT TAKES GUTZ TO BE A GUTIERREZ” every Sunday 9:30 pm. I saw part of the first episode and it’s a bit slow, I think because it’s new to them. Give them time to adjust to having people follow them around. My daughter and nieces keeping up with that and they will just tell me what’s going on.

I hardly watch local TV shows, I’m not a soap opera fanatic. I just know that there’s new soap because I saw on my news feed o my FB wall. At first I don’t know what my friends were talking about until I asked my niece or my daughter. Ha ha ha. They know better than me. If it’s cooking shows or building shows I’m in for it. LOL. You know what I mean. I like the cooking show mostly in US (Top Chef) & Australia (My Kitchen Rules/MKR) when it comes to cooking competition. Any cooking shows that interest me , I’m going to watch it. Then I’m so into the new show from Australia “House Rules”. I also like decorations and renovation shows like “Treehouse Master”, “Flipping Out” and others.

Have fun watching your show. Cheers!

May 29, 2014 by feyma

The people close to my heart in the States: Part 1!

I was just looking at my FB feeds when I came across the headline in-front of me that read:

“So many things to look forward to this month! With all the birthdays, my bachelorette party in Vegas, getting married and honeymoon in greece, I can’t contain my excitement!”

I had to read it again and double check. My goodness the kid that used to be toddler when I first arrived in the States, that person that wrote the message on top, she turned 2 at that time. My gosh now she’s getting married. Her name is Shaina. A beautiful girl. I asked Bob right away if he saw the news feed of Shaina that she’s getting married? He told me no. I immediately told Bob that we are getting old already. I said look at Shaina, she’s one of the kids that we knew there and when we left she’s just a tween, now she’s getting married. Big sigh, its depressing, it just shows we are already over the hill now. LOL

Close to my heart

When I met the mom of Shaina I was just on my few months living in the States. Bob knew her dad Steve, but didn’t know that he was married to a Filipina. When I went to work with Bob and helped out, that’s how I met Steve. He asked me if I’m a Filipina or a Chinese? Ha ha ha, he can’t figure it out. I told him I’m a Filipina, and told him that Bob is my husband. He was shocked. He told Bob that “Oh, I didn’t know that your wife is from the Philippines. My wife Sylvia is from the Philippines too”. He then told us to come to there house that weekend, which we did. I was so happy seeing and knowing Sylvia. Sylvia’s husband Steve, he is an engineer, and a retired worker from Boeing. Sylvia was really like a big sister to me there. She’s the one person I can really be proud to have known in the US. I’ve never had any issues with her. Sylvia and I used to get together fairly often twice or more a month. More often during summer time with family. We had a few parties with our Fil-Am friends during summer and Christmas party during winter time. Few places for venues; either our house or at Sylvia’s or at one of our dear friend Connie from Oregon.

Shaina has a little brother name Patrick. He’s just a few months older than Chris. That’s one reason that Sylvia and I met up almost every week for the kids to have playtime together. Shaina was really a good big sister to Patrick and to Chris too. Very talkative, playful and funny. She’s also close to my mother-in-law. She’s just like a grand daughter to Mom. Sylvia and family including Shaina are still close to my mother-in-law. They visit mom when they have time.

I also met Sylvia’s sister Bebe when she first came to the States. Bebe was engaged to a guy from Oregon. Mom was the god-mother during her wedding. We all became close and more when Bebe became a mother of 2 kids. So we all get together at Sylvia’s house almost during weekends so that the kids will bond and play together. I saw them (Sylvia and Bebe and Bebe’s kids) when they came here to the Philippines for a visit. They’re from Cebu, so I flew there to see them. It was really nice bonding with them again. I really told Aaron to see Sylvia & Steve when he goes to the States.

To Sylvia and family, I really miss you guys. I will never forget you Sylvia no matter what. To Shaina & Michael (husband t0 be of Shaina): Congratulations to the 2 of you. Wishing you both the happiness in the world. I’m so happy for you Shane. Have fun on your honeymoon in Greece. I hope to see you all again someday.

April 10, 2014 by feyma

Introducing our new baby “Blue”!

I think some of you here are aware already who our new baby is? If you happened to be the Facebook friend of Bob, you would know then. Bob posted on his wall a few days ago that we had a new baby here in the house. We named her Blue, because she has blue eyes. That obvious. LOL

Really it all started with our helper Joy, her daily routine sweeping the front yard and outside the gate of our front yard. So a few days ago while she was sweeping she could hear a meowing outside our gate. When she went and looked outside the gate she didn’t see anything but the voice of the kitty continued on. So she heads out and follow the sound, she could hear that the sound was under our pathway. well it’s really in the canal, on top of the rock inside the canal. So she ignored the kitty at first and continue on sweeping. A few minutes after sweeping she just could not bear letting the kitty meow, she got the dust pan inside and got the kitty and brought it inside near our turtle area. She then got our water hose and bathed the kitty. She washed it thoroughly with soap. She then showed it to me and the kids and told us she found the kitty outside. I can’t decide yet of what to do with the kitty because Bob was not home at the time when I saw the kitty. He has a meeting every Monday. So I told Joy and the kids to just wait when Dad comes home, then we will decide what to do. Then when Bob came home, I was out for a meeting. So same thing, Bob can’t decide either on what to do since I’m not home yet. So while waiting for me the kids and Bob were playing with kitty then. When I arrived we all decided to keep the kitty (Blue). Makes the kids happy and us adults too here in the house. … Ha ha ha…

Baby Blue, just a tiny baby!

Before Bob arrived, my thoughts right away, who do I know here in Davao that I could give the kitty to. We already had 3 cats in the house. I’m just so worried that these 3 cats would devour this kitty alive. I already saw before one of our cat almost rip open the tummy of the kitty that we had. so I just don’t want to see that happening again here in my house. Not a scene I want the my kids to see.

Funny thing is, when we let Blue play with the dogs my gosh she hissed them. We were all laughing because she’s so tiny compared to the dogs and she’s so brave and tough of hissing them. Our dogs can easily tear her apart. Our dogs I guess knew that were there watching, they just left her alone and went to the back of the house. Luckily I had lots of baby sitters here in the house that the kitty was pretty much safe while the other 3 cats were watching. We are slowly introducing them to the new kitty, same also with our other 2 dogs.

We brought her to the vet clinic and they gave her de-worming medicine and they gave her antibiotics since we just found her in the ditch. She also had new formula. She’s going to start the vaccination routine next time she visits the vet clinic again in 2 weeks time.

Anyway, its another baby here in our household. Jean is really wanting a puppy. Holy smoke our house might turn into a zoo pretty soon here. LOL

Have a great day everyone!

December 26, 2013 by feyma

My homemade pumpkin-kalabasa pie!

I am giving you now the recipe for my pumpkin-kalabasa pie, Feyma’s style. It’s really a simple recipe. You also just need another local ingredients here in the Philippines. The main ingredients would be the kalabasa (a local squash). You can buy the Kalabasa in any malls here. Of course a good and cheap kalabasa can be found in the palengke (public market). At least there you can really choose the size of the kalabasa that you want. We are so choosy with ours. We want it the outside will be on the almost orange side. It means the kalabasa is ripe and good to cook for the purpose of making pie.

Pumpkin Pie in the Philippines

My niece Glenda is the expert of choosing ripe kalabasa, since her parents, they had a whole farm of it. She’s trained by her parents to harvest and choose the ripe one. So when it comes to buying our kalabasa here, I am sending her. Now our helper is good too. But I am learning in that department. I’m kind of good on doing that now too. I’ve seen butternut squash here in some of our malls. But I am not using that for my pie. It’s more money than the kalabasa. So for sure we will never use butternut squash.

“First job before making the pie is to make the squash (kalabasa) puree”:

Pies galore

To boil the squash:

1 whole ripe squash (kalabasa) – cut into cubes
Pinch of salt
Brown sugar

Procedures:

Wash the kalabasa and peel off the skin. Make sure to not leave any of the skin and the seeds and the stringy fibers before cutting into cubes. If skin not properly remove it might give a bitter taste. And it will ruin the taste of your pie.
Put water to a big pot and put a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
Add the kalabasa to the boiling water and cook for about 40 minutes or until its tender when pierced with a fork.
Puree the kalabasa in a blender, or food processor or in a food mill or with a hand held blender or potato masher or by hand. Giving you too many options there. LOL
Let it cool. Save the extra for kalabasa bread, cookies or a pancake.

***** Kalabasa (squash) – Pumpkin Pie *****

Thanksgiving fun isn’t complete without pumpkin pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pureed kalabasa
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk (Alaska, Alpine & Angel brand or other brand is good too)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A pinch of allspice
A pinch of ground cloves
A pinch of ground ginger
A pinch of nutmeg
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
In a mixer: combine the squash, brown sugar, cornstarch, egg, milk, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Mix until combined and smooth (might have to use strainer to make sure it’s not lumpy).
Pour into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake in a preheated oven for an hour or more, or until when you insert in the middle of the pie with toothpick it comes out clean.

Let it cool before serving. When serve put whip cream on top. Yummy for your tummy.

Have fun eating. Maybe you will make kalabasa pie for your Noche Buena.

Merry Christmas To All Of You LIP Family/Reader!!!