A Lesson on Love From Lola

NOTE: The Average Jane blog will be inactive for a while in order to pay respects to our beloved Lola who has passed away yesterday afternoon.  New entries to be posted next week.  Thank you for your kind understanding.

Two in a year when 1 was certainly more than enough.   =(

The one thing I remember about my Lola was her holding hands with my Lolo while they were sleeping.  That memory will forever be ingrained in my mind and serves as a reminder of faithfulness and everlasting love and devotion to one's partner in life.

Whatever your plans may be, Lord, we are heartened by the fact that Lola is in the best hands.  She is now finally reunited with Lolo, holding each other's hands again.

Lola with Tita and the Little One during the latter's baptism

Be happy now, Lola.  You will be forever missed...

Meiji Low Fat Fruit Yogurt (A Singapore Food Post)

Before I gave birth to the Little One, I actually listed down some habits/traits that I wanted to instill in her as she grows up.  One of those is to ensure that she follows a healthy diet.

Having undergone the exact opposite as a kid, I learned through the years that all it takes for one to live healthy is to simply start doing it and pretty soon, it becomes a habit.  Don't get me wrong, she still enjoys the occasional fast food and chocolates (although I put my foot down on hard candies.  I am strictly against them.), but for most of the time, I make sure that the food she eats is enough to give her the nutrients she needs everyday.

At this early stage (she's now 14 months old), it's really a wonder how fast she picks up on good food.  Great thing she also developed a taste for these -- Meiji low fat fruit yogurts.

Meiji low fat fruit yogurt

PR: Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass Products Now Available at Select Robinsons Supermarkets

Rejoice, my fellow wheatgrass consumers!

Easy Pha-max wheatgrass products in Robinsons Supermarket

PicaPic's Retro Game & Watch Electronic Handheld Games

Children of the 80s, and perhaps the early 90s, would be all too well aware of Game & Watch electronic handheld games.  In a time when the internet was still in its early stages and computers were big, heavy boxes of equipment you use at home only, these small handheld consoles served as the unofficial time wasters of our youth.

Game & Watch Merry Cook game 
(photo source: Pica-Pic.com)

Yummy Recipe Books are Lifesavers

I was never much of a cook.  Oh sure, I know how to prepare the local staples like tinola and chicken afritada, but other than that, I find my culinary skills to be sadly lacking.

Now that I am married, I suddenly realized that I was in-charge of the meals at home.  No more dad to cook for us and we sure can't be having fast food everyday.  So one fateful day at Robinson's Imus, I was quite lucky enough to have come across a Yummy recipe book.  And boy!  Was it ever a lifesaver.

Yummy recipe books

Hawker Food Centre Dining at Makansutra Gluttons Bay, Singapore

I've always believed that one of the best ways of truly trying to understand a certain culture is by having a taste of the local dishes.  As much as it is tempting to stay true to familiar fast food favorites when traveling (you can't be having McDonald's every time, you know), going local and eating the same stuff they do is all part of the experience of being in new places, in different surroundings

And here in Singapore, one of the best places where we usually bring in out-of-town guests for a night of good food is at Makansutra Gluttons Bay.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay

Crime Alert Signs: A Way of Combatting Misdemeanors in Singapore

Singapore is a relatively safe country to live in.  In fact, it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.  In a 2009 Strait Times newspaper article, author Kishore Mahbubani attributes this astounding statistic to the fact that, among other things, there is trust among the public and the police, there is the creation and enforcement good strong laws, and there is the presence of strong government support for its people.

Low crime rate does not, however, mean that misdemeanors are not being committed in Singapore.  In fact, you'll see these Crime Alert signs around the country from time to time.

Crime alert signs in Singapore

Blast From the Past: Harvey Comics

I love books!  They're my heroes, warding away the evils of boredom.  Through the years, I learned not to be so picky when it comes to authors or titles.  As long as it sounds (reads?  looks?) interesting to me, then I'd definitely buy a copy.

My love for reading, I guess, stems from the fact that my mom is a lover of books too.  That being said, it's no wonder that she used to buy the Bro and me tons of titles to read.  And although we were not as showered with toys much, I could clearly remember our childhood never being left for want of a good book.

Like most kids, we, too, started out reading story books and of course, comics -- specifically Archie comics and these pretty little wonders...

Sneak peek...

We Call for a Review of the Cybercrime Prevention Act (Republic Act No. 10175)

  

We call for a review of the Cybercrime Prevention Act (Republic Act No. 10175).  

I'm not saying to junk it all out entirely.  There are definitely some really good points that we need in effect now.  But please review the harmful ones and ensure that it is for the betterment of our society.

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

My name is Towner Whitney.  No, that's not exactly true.  My real first name is Sophya.  

Never believe me.  I lie all the time...

- Brunonia Barry, The Lace Reader (2008)

You know the feeling when the first few sentences of a novel get to you that you realize the next chapters are worth reading too?  Well, that's exactly what I felt after going through the first few lines at the start of Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader.

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry