TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

The Netherlands was recently rocked with family dramas when two families, which happened 1 week apart from each other, fell under the bloody and deadly hands of their own father. Forensics busy at the Hilversum house where the murder took place and two of the three bodies found in Brabants municipality Alphen-Chaam. April 16 Saturday: was the day when Hilversum went still and mourned. Hilversum is a charming suburb known for its international expatriate community. The father, a 46 years old head police agent, killed his 42 year old wife and his three sons, ages 3, 6 and 8. After he took their lives, using his service pistol, he ended his too. April 11 Monday: a 31 year old mother (she was an elementary school teacher) from Zoetermer together with her two daughters, ages 3 and 5 were reported missing. On 22 April, Friday, the husband and father of the two children who reported the missing incident confessed to the killing. He said he killed them a few weeks ago in 6 April. He lead the a...

It has been a week already of -ribbing on- with my feminine side, well I am a woman, so there’s got to be some way of releasing the strangled and suppressed femme endorphins in my system. Next week, I will start again my rants about them Dutch *wicked grin*. They are an interesting subject, so stay tuned. Bedankt! (Thanks!) The stacks of Cuisine magazine under my living room center table. The magazine is pure gourmet, I relish on it. I would like to thank my good friend Chef Doll from NZ. She gave me a 2 year CUISINE magazine subscription as a birthday and christmas all-in-one gift a year ago. It’s a quarterly magazine boasting the slogan of: food, wine, & good living and filled with all the desired goodies a woman who loves to cook and enjoy life can muster. I don’t really follow recipes, I am not the down to the last morsel of ingredient from the recipe book girl. I prefer originality --but I do admit, I check food pictures and use the visuals as aids in my food experiments....

I had those one of those days attacks today: nostalgia and this time it’s over Greece and the Philippines. I daydreamt sitting in the car with the Dutchman holding a map and wandering around in the little charmant villages. It didn’t that we got lost (we actually did, a couple of times), or sitting idly by the Malia coastline under the warm sun reading a book or just watching people go by, or walking in the busy streets of Makati, enveloped in the hustle and bustle of the city not minding that the air is actually not fit for breathing, or driving in the roads of Cebu City and everywhere I turn to, I get lost because so much has changed. This is me in Manila’s Centennial Airport (PAL/Philippine Airlines exclusive airport, *sarcasm on* DUH, I don’t understand this, anyone care to explain? *sarcasm off*) last December 2004 before we boarded going to Cebu. I wish someone waves a magic wand and transplant me from the couch where I am sitting to the picture above. SIGH. Are you there genie i...

Vacationing is an entrenched culture here in Europe, most especially with the northern Europeans, where they would travel at least 2x a year outside of their home country to unwind and enjoy life. For the Dutch, it is as anomalous as committing the most corporal sin on earth if you don’t go on holiday. Dutch labor law (I think it’s also with most EU lands) demands employers to give 1 month salary/holiday pay (+ a minimum 26 vacation days) to its employees every year, something like a 13th month pay that we usually receive in the Philippines, but here it is given on May, just right in time for summer. So after a REALLY BUSY 2003, we decided to take some days off, with great timing, during the meanest time of the year – January 1 (entrance of 2004). Yes I will spell it out for you, during N-E-W-Y-E-A-R! Whilst everyone was busy popping champagnes, lighting firecrackers, and greeting each other to the tune of proost (cheers), we, with our luggage at 2AM, went heading to the airport...

The in laws came over, had tea with us (we had Darjeeling) and helped install the 2-meter silver mirror in the dining area. While we were on the discussion of what’s for dinner tonight, we touched on the topic of salads. The Dutch father said that everyone in the Dutch family used to call the Dutchman konijn (bunny), pronounced as co - nine , because he cannot stop munching on carrots, lettuce and anything green. Upon hearing this, I wondered if the Dutchman had something to do with the last missing carrots in the fridge... hmm... Thus, every time I make dinner, I always make sure that I make a bowl of green salad, otherwise the Dutchman’s evening will not be complete. He might have salad nightmares haha. Here are some of the salads I made from the last week or two. The greens were almost the same because I normally buy 1 type of salad greens per week. Other times, I buy Romaines, Ruccolas, or something else. Exotic Mediterranean This one we just ate tonight together with our Burritos...

Blogs are personal virtual homes, so in this entry I will again indulge in MY personal girly shopping talk. Every girl wants to shop anyway and if you don’t, then there must be something wrong with you. I swear, ha-ha. But I confess... I can be a shopaholic... if let loosed. Luckily so far, my rational conscience is always hanging around my neck. Alrighty, let’s talk about the great finds we’ve had. An interesting subject for women, I guess not for men eh? Sorry guys, its still women’s time to gloat. So for the sake of girl-ness, all of you wimin out there, do come out forward and tell us your greatest find ever, from this year, last year or whatever year... Here is mine anyway: Wardrobe Accessory This Chick on a Mission leather belt bag is the greatest find I ever had so far this year. I bought this in Bijenkorf last January together with MadamE. When I first saw it, I was like, “ Oh, this is just so gorgeous!? ” Quickly, I looked around and realized that it was the last piece. A clo...

Bubbly When I am bored in the office, the BUBBLE WRAP serves as one of my favorite amusement and distraction. It gives me the pleasure and fills up the void when I have a doggone spiritless day. Can you say temporary bestfriend? I would usually sneak into the warehouse, which is in the other building, hoping to filch some left over bubble wraps. The bad news: there is this Dutch bulldog guarding the entrance, and based on experience, he can be pretty nasty. The bulldog had a row with one of my colleagues last week because he took the liberty of opening a box, kind of like pilfering, without his permission. So I know better not to cross his path. Hence, as stealth as a cat, I quickly abducted the bubble wrap laying in the warehouse table, fast before the Dutch bulldog sees me and roasts my small butt. If you have the same addiction as me, then let’s play. Click the BUBBLE WRAP picture above... and do not forget to put the sound ON.  I don’t know, but the act of popping...

While the loyal subjects of the Roman Catholic Church are still mourning for the death of their dear beloved Pope, the rest of the citizens of the world continue to labor and toil. Let’s hear some blundered ego’s... Blunder News last week: SPEEDING BLUNDER Aha, another Flitspaal (Police Camera) under attack in the south of the Netherlands! Firemen busy extinguishing a Flitspaal on fire. The Flitspaal Haters Club is a big lethal and rambunctious group in the Netherlands. And I dont think you and me are going to stop them, haha. But I do know many people who are glad of these type of news. The Flitspaal Hater Club main objective: BURN and DESTROY all the Flitspallen in the country. How courageous. These mean spirited Flitspaal Haters can make Football Hooligans look like sissy chickens. Blunder News this week: BOOZE BLUNDER The Dutch cabinet is on the roll again. Popular mix-drinks such as Passoa Orange, Bacardi Breezer, and Smirnoff Ice are not going to have a rosy sales future. The iro...