A step closer to our dream wedding!

We finally mailed our papers to the Philippine Consulate in Chicago this morning. I've been working on it for over a month and we just couldn't find the time to send it. What it contains were application to amend my last name on my Philippine passport (from being a Hisoler to Lord), Report of Marriage form and Jeff's application for a single entry Philippine visa valid for 3 months. All of these are part of our plans to get married in a church in the Philippines in January. It may not be necessary for me to amend my passport since I could still enter the country even if it still has my maiden name on it but I just wanted to make it easier for us to get married in a Catholic church. They won't require us to attend Pre-Cana seminars and all that stuff since we are already married here in the U.S. and the best way to prove that is to have my passport amended and have our marriage recorded in the Philippines through the Philippine Consulate in Chicago. Now as for Jeff's Philippine visa, this part surprised me at first. I thought there's no need for him to secure a visa since he's married to a Filipina but I was wrong. A foreigner can enter the Philippines without a visa required, if he intends to stay there for only 21 days or less, the nature of the trip is for tourism only, and he is a holder of round-trip airline tickets. He does not meet the first requirement, since he'll be staying there for 31 days. If we choose to go without securing a visa first, it'll still be okay, he'd still be allowed to get into the country but he has to process a visa application while he is there in the Philippines before his 21 days expire which I think is such a hassle that's why we prefer to do it this way. However, no visa is required for former Filipinos who are naturalized citizens of the U.S. and this applies to spouses and children below 21 years old of former Filipinos who are U.S. passport holders as well, but they have to present a copy of their marriage certificate (for spouses) and birth certificates (for children) upon arrival in the Philippines. I thought I'd mention that because my sister may read this blog and I didn't want her to freak out since she and her family will also be going back home to attend my wedding. She's a naturalized U.S. citizen already so she need not worry about getting a visa for her American husband and son. Whew! It's really not easy being married to a foreigner, what with all the never-ending Immigration processing of papers and all that, not to mention the never-ending cultural adjustments that both party has to make. It's really a decision but we still think it's worth it! We would not have it any other way!

Is your insurance affordable?

I was surprised when I first learned that not all people living here in the U.S. have health insurance. It’s wrong for me to assume that since America is a wealthy country, it follows that all its inhabitants are being taken care of as far as their health is concerned. Insurance can be expensive and confusing. Lucky are those people who have good employment and of course the affluents, for they can pay their own health insurance. But what about those who are leading a meager life? Aren’t they supposed to have at least an affordable health insurance? I’d like to believe that the government is working on getting bills passed on health insurance that would benefit everyone. After all, health is wealth and everybody has the right to get taken care of when they get sick.

What's your favorite footwear?

I don’t own a whole lot of shoes like many women but when I choose my footwear, comfort and style matter to me the most. I have a few very comfy Skechers shoes for casual activities like shopping, traveling and even just strolling anywhere. But like many fashion-conscious people out there, I love to wear high-heeled women’s wedges. As a matter of fact, when I was still in the Philippines, these are the only types of shoes that I love to wear. I am short so I think I need heels and besides I really think wedges look trendy. I’ll definitely buy more trendy shoes and sandals when I go back to the PI in November. Ladies who like to wear flat shoes, you might want to check out juicy couture flats online.

I realize that the weather is another factor to consider when choosing footwear here in the U.S. Of course, you don’t want to wear open-toed shoes in the cold winter days. The same way that flat sandals and flipflops are most sensible to wear in the summertime. I have yet to get my own pair of uggs boots for winter. I’m not really wild about getting one but I guess it’s a must to protect my little feet from the cold. I know these and more can be bought from Jildor Shoes, a popular store on the internet. I do some of my shopping over the internet and I know most of you do as well. It’s really convenient, easy and fast to shop online. Thanks to our cyber technology!

A weekend with Harry

Have you watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yet? Well, me and hubby watched it last weekend. We both have read the HP book series and we were excited how was it transformed into a movie. I still think the books are wayyy better than the movies but actually, this latest installment is the best of all HP movies in our opinion. I enjoyed the special effects and the main characters have grown to be really good-looking teenagers. I don't hate Snape in this movie as much as I used to, despite the fact that he did the "Avada Kedavra" curse on Dumbledore, probably because I've known that he's not really on the dark side. I know how the series would end and that must have influenced my thoughts on Snape. Anyway, I was entertained by the movie, I love the Harry Potter series and this installment hasn't changed that a bit.

Missing my hubby!

Last night was the first time in two years of being married that we didn't go to bed together. Hubby had to work on a night shift this week and the set up felt weird. Thank God it's not permanent. I don't think I would ever get used to him working at night. I've worked in a graveyard shift for 2 years back in the Philippines and I couldn't get used to it. No matter how many hours of sleep I get during the day, I'd still feel weak and didn't have the energy to do anything fun at all. It was hard back then when I was still single, I'm sure it's tougher now that I'm married. Anyway, I just wanted to share some mushy notes from hubby. I was browsing through a stack of bills that we received yesterday when I found a green envelope with a message that says "Mahal Ko" on it. Of course, I was surprised, I never thought he'll have the time to get a card, let alone sit down and think of something sweet to write in a middle of a weird work schedule. But he did it anyway and it made me cry when I was reading it. He said it's supposed to make me smile, but for some reason, it struck me that I'm actually alone in the house and that I'm going to go to bed alone as well. Haay! It's okay, we're going to make it through. He called me 30 minutes before my usual bedtime and he tucked me in bed on the phone, lol! Charing jud kaau ni si bana oi! But I love it anyway! Atsus!

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla!

This is Google's logo for the day. In remembrance of Nikola Tesla, an Austrian-American inventor, mechanic and electrical engineer. Last February, I got the privilege to see one of his famous inventions, the Tesla Coil when we visited Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs. It's a 1.5-million-volt conical Tesla Coil which is also known as "Caged Lightning". Amazing, isn't it?

Exercise can be fun

I did not walk on the treadmill today but I did a 35-minute fat cardio hip-hop workout instead. It was fun, I like it! It’s more like dancing to the tune of hip-hop music but you have to squeeze your abs the whole time. I just thought of incorporating a different routine in my exercise and I enjoyed it so far. We have a WII but I have yet to buy WII Fit. It might add more spice to my exercise routine. I remember those days back when I was going to the gym. There you can always vary your exercise routine for they have treadmills, stationary bike, elliptical, weights, boxing and of course they have aerobics classes as well. They sell protein drinks, bottled water, multi-vitamins and an assortment of fat burner pill. Then, there’s the fact that it’s much fun since you’re not exercising alone. But I think I’d like to exercise at home for I don’t have to worry about commuting to and from gym. Not to mention the monthly payment. How about you? What’s your exercise routine like?

Regine Velasquez tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) virus

Waaahhh! The songbird was infected with H1N1 virus. She's supposed to be the special guest of Charice Pempengco's first major concert in the Philippines but she was hospitalized and couldn't make it to the said show. I just found out tonight on T.V. Patrol that she indeed got the virus but thankfully she recovered. She's not certain where she got it but her immune system must have been pretty low considering that she was overworked from a series of concerts here in the U.S. then she went straight to work right away when she got back to the Philippines. I'm glad that she's looking healthy and pretty again. It just shows that anybody could get the virus so we really have to be extra careful. Tsk. tsk. tsk.

The easy way is not necessarily the best

Perhaps, it’s really human nature that we rather succumb to fast and easy ways of getting our problems fixed than work it out slowly but surely. I am particularly talking about my battle of losing weight. The natural way of doing it is still the best option but when you have a wedding in 6 months, you think about whether there’s an easy route out there. I’ve read some diet pill reviews over the internet, and quite honestly, it’s hard to tell which product is worth it. Not to mention my reluctance to resort to any kind of diet pills for that matter. Needless to say, I know I should double my effort to lose weight before the big day comes.

The heat is unbearable!

Are you enjoying the summer heat so far? Well, to me it's no fun. It’s sooo hot today I think my head is going to explode while I walked my way to the parking lot after work. If I’m not mistaken, it’s over a hundred degrees here in our place and the heat is just so unbearable. Yeah, I am from the tropics but I think it’s hotter here than it is in the Philippines, however I think it’s more humid there. Anyway, I’m not wild about summer here in Arkansas. When I got home I feel weak and lose the interest to treadmill anymore. I’m going to research about Costabella and Liporexall while the chicken is baked in the oven. I’ll just eat chicken, boiled egg and veggies tonight, that way I don’t feel guilty even if I didn’t exercise, lol.

King of Pop is on my IPod!

I'm not a Michael Jackson fan but I must admit that I like most of his songs. However, I didn't own any of his album but I grew up liking Heal The World, Billy Jean, We Are The World, Bad, Beat It, Thriller, She's Out of My Life, I Just Can't Stop Loving You and so much more. Now that he passed away, I have this sudden need to at least have these timeless songs on my IPod, so I downloaded them from ITunes and I listened to it while I walked on the treadmill today. Too bad he passed away at a young age. While I was watching the memorial service, I'm thinking it seems like he's much appreciated now that he's dead than when he's alive especially after a quite scandalous phase of the pop icon's life. Anyhow, I'm saying my goodbyes to the King of Pop! May his soul rest in peace.

Looking for stands and mounts?

Flat screen TV seems to be a part of every American household. I would like to have one myself but hubby thinks it’s not a good idea to get one yet since our Sony Wega is still working great. But when the time comes that we badly need to get a new TV set, it has to be a flat screen and as early as now, I found a pretty good site to look for LCD mount. They have all kinds of stands and mounts for your video and home theater entertainment equipments. You might want to check it out yourself and enjoy free shipping on all items.

The Many Faces of Regine

Obviously, she is my most photographed Diva. I didn't want to miss anything while she's on stage, whether she's singing or just talking to the crowd at the concert. Every time I hit zoom on my camera, it's because I wanted to focus on her. Gosh, do I sound like an obsessed fan now, lol! Nope, not quite! I'm just fascinated with the way she dresses, her complexion, her tiny face (yep, I think she has a very cute and small face in person) and of course her undeniable singing prowess. For me, she's incomparable and she deserves to be called the Asia's Songbird.

Life after school

What could be the best career field to get into? I’ve asked myself that question. With the economy in its lowest, is there still a good career opportunity waiting out there? It seems that the medical field is still holding on, if not growing despite the economic crunch. However, not all of us are inclined to become health care professionals. I was a graduate of Management Accounting back in my country. I took the course hoping to find good finance jobs when I graduate. But perhaps, it’s not meant to be since I’ve never had one in my entire working experience. I may be working in a financial institution right now, but ironically, I am in the Information Systems which I am proud to be part of. Nothing is really certain, you know. Be it in medical, business, industrial, or any other profession for that matter, the most important thing is you're happy with what you're doing and it pays the bills so to speak.

Addicted!

It started when I downloaded a demo Game Apps for my IPod Touch that had me literally going gaga over with. If you’ve heard about Sally’s Spa and actually played it, you would know what I mean. It’s one of those Time Management games that you could find all over the internet. Unfortunately, I only got the limited free version on my ITouch, but I was seriously considering buying the full version of the game. However, when I tried to download a free trial and played it on my laptop, I realized that I’d like to play it better on the computer because it has a wider screen and better resolution. It’s quite addicting I tell you. I couldn’t get myself to stop playing and before I know it, I find myself searching for all kinds of Time Management games online. Oh, boy, I got hooked! I’ve played Cooking Dash, Wedding Dash 2, Jo Jo’s Fashion Dash, Miriel the Magical Merchant to name a few of my favorites, and of course Sally’s Spa. The 1-hour trial version is definitely not enough so I’m going to buy the unlimited full version of Sally’s Spa and Cooking Dash tonight.

TGIF!

Are you excited with the 4th of July fireworks display in your cities or towns? Well, I am. It’ll be my second time this year to witness the said activity. We live in a small town and 4th of July is probably the only time of the year that you can see heavy traffic here in our place, that’s when everyone wants to go home after the fireworks show. That’s one of the reasons I’m excited, lol! On a different note, I’m inspired to use the treadmill lately. Guess why? Ok, never mind, I’ll tell you why. I lost another 1.5 pounds this week, so that makes it 3 pounds for the last 2 weeks. Not bad! I didn’t starve myself, neither did I meticulously choose what food to eat. I just got serious with my walking routine on the treadmill. I tried not to cheat for 2 weeks now. With the rate things are going, I may not need to take even the best diet pills at all.

Sonata serenades us on The Big Day

I am a self-confessed hopeless romantic. It has always been a dream of mine to get a balladeer to sing for me and my guests on my dream wedding. Someone who can sing the songs of Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera from the heart. I was lucky that my good friend Joanne actually know of somebody who can do it for me. The group had sung for her wedding and she highly recommended them. I’ve checked their website and listened to a sample of his songs and right then and there, I knew I'd have to have them on my wedding. I didn’t wait long enough to contact the group and finally last weekend, we’ve made it official! I booked Sonata Singers for my upcoming wedding in the Philippines. Woohooo!