Life, Day by Day

Last Sunday my son was invited to a good friend's birthday party, but as he was to start his on-the-job training (OJT) the next day, he planned only to stay for a short while. So, I agreed to drive him after we heard mass and my brother and niece decided to tag along. When we got to Bacolod, it was raining so hard that we decided to just wait for him. We went to Robinson's Place for a quick pizza and pasta dinner at Greenwich but the service took longer than expected, so that we had to rush buying the things that my mom needed before the mall closed.  

Traditionally, Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) in the Philippines is usually equated with a Santacruzan Festival or a procession of "sagalas" with their consorts.  However, the real essence of the Flores is that it is a festival that is held for the whole month of May in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while a Santacruzan refers to the pageant on the last day of Flores de Mayo,  where pretty young ladies (usually from prominent families) dressed in traditional Filipino attire are paraded to represent the different virtues of the Blessed Mother. An Hermana Mayor, usually someone from the community or barangay takes care of the whole procession where devotees follow the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary praying the rosary and singing songs.  The Santacruzan was practiced more in the Tagalog provinces of Luzon than in the Visayas and Mindanao. And perhaps because of it's extravagance, this more than a hundred-years old cultural tradition done in honour of St. Helena...

A home is where the heart is ... One story of home that touched my heart was The Wizard of Oz. I loved how an orphan girl found her way back home to her family in rural Kansas and along the way learned important lessons in life. While the young Dorothy had dreamed of going home, I'm sure the adult Dorothy would find a good Kansas City real estate company to help her buy a new home for her beloved Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, no longer a farmhouse but one with a single-level ranch style perhaps, that would keep them safe and comfortable in their golden years.

Finally, Bo's Coffee has opened a new store in the City of Smiles, Bacolod. This new place is located at the Central City Walk in Robinson's Place, Lacson Street, Mandalagan. The Negrense Blogging Society, Inc. (aka Negros Bloggers) was invited to attend it's blessing yesterday, June 1, 2012.

When I went to Manila on May 22 to be a resource speaker for a leadership program, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the hotel where the venue was and where I was going to stay was an art deco mansion, built in the late 30's and converted into a hotel about 10 years ago. It was designed by National Artist for   Architecture Pablo Antonio Sr. whose prominent Art-Deco work includes Far Eastern University and the Manila Polo Club. The Orchid Garden Suites was the old Roces mansion at Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Extension (formerly Vito Cruz Extension) and was later acquired by Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Villareal as his family residence. A 14-storey boutique hotel was built connecting to the anterior part of the house.  The elegant hotel lobby, 3rd floor restaurant and the resto-bar on the 4th floor are all part of the original house. The swimming pool area used to be the garden and grotto.

I rarely if ever win anything. So when I was sent an email last May 17, by Globe Social Media that I was one of the winners of the minor draw for the Greatness Starts @Home Blogging contest, I was so excited!  This was the blogging contest conducted by Globe Tattoo which ran from February 25 to March 17, 2012.

I don't usually write a post about American Idol but after watching yesterday's show and learning about the result today, I could not help but say....whaaaaaat???  Like most Filipinos,  I hope Jessica Sanchez wins but to be really honest, after watching last night's performance, I thought Joshua Ledet was the best among them showing his wide range and versatility.  And to learn that he was eliminated is a great, great disappointment.  Because the brutal fact is, Philip Phillips does not even deserve to be in the top three!