Southampton Celebrates Chinese New Year

Southampton celebrated Chinese New Year last last Sunday. There was a 2 hour program inside the West Quay mall, before they joined the other dragons that were outside the mall.
There were way too many people & I didn't bring my camera (don't ask why! lola na e) so these ones that I took with my phone would have to suffice.

They had dragons dancing on the high street as well, stopping in front of shops. 

They promised that there would be Chinese market stalls on the day selling Chinese products and food. I have to say that I was a little disappointed coz there were very few Chinese stalls and it even felt as though they were drowned by all the other bigger stalls out there. But hey ho, we still had a mini- food trip. It was freezing but still ate al fresco! Haha, lahat titiisin sa ngalan ng gutom, lol =)

Siopao, duck noodle soup, pansit, prawns, satay chicken & a sweet round cake (which I thought was buchi, but it's not)

The celebration was well organized and everyone was in high spirits. The food that we tried were simple but yummy, just how they should be.  At sabi nga ni Poj "i like it!" =)

Ikaw Ang Una Ko

Before I end my blog anniversary, I still have to thank one special blogger friend. I love her blogs coz her posts are always well written. She writes about a lot of different topics and also shares her reviews of restaurants she has visited. I love the little details she adds in the end, making her review informative as well. 

pic from PicSearch iPhone App

She is special because we have become friends in blogsphere. She inspires me to make my posts and blogs better. She is also the very first follower of this blog and my Project 365 blog! - Akala nyo kung sinong Una na ano?
So Marge of Coffeehan and Piso Fashion, many many thanks to you! I am so happy that I have met you here and I am hoping to meet you in person, go out for a cuppa & eat in one of the restaurants you've reviewed the next time we are home. 
But for now, I have a little pressie for you that I hope you would like.

Pink Spot Kikay Bag =)

Blog's 1st Birthday

A year ago today ay nagka-bright idea ang inyong lingkod na magstart ng bagong blog. Ang gusto ko lang ay magshare ng kung ano mang pumasok sa isip ko at mga pakulo ni Poj. Di ko alam na bukod sa mageenjoy ako sa pagboblog ay makikilala ko kayo na kung saan through your blogs ay nakasama ako sa mga pamamasyal nyo, nakitawa sa mga jokes, nakisalo sa mga experiences at masasarap pagkain. Natututo ako ng iba't ibang bagay at higit sa lahat ay may naging mga kaibigan. 
Ang bilis ng panahon, I can clearly remember typing the draft of my first post, Sino Kaw? on my phone in a coffee shop at eto, 1 year anniversary post na ang tinatype ko!
Many thanks for reading my posts, for following my blog and twitter na rin and for all your comments and emails. I truly appreciate all of them.
And as I celebrate my blog's first birthday, I'd like to thank everyone who've shown interest in the Snail Mail Project/game via pageviews, comments, emails and tweets. Click here to see the names of the 3 amazing bloggers who would each be receiving a Cath Kidston purse/case. Thanks a lot for everyone who took part.

My little helper picked the names of the winners for me=)

  Here's to many more years of blogging and exchanging stories, cheers!!!Mwah mwah, chup chup =)
Lots of love,

PS

I changed the name of my new blog to It's Our Life 365

Cath Kidston Giveaways

Here are the pics of the Cath Kidston goodies that I'll be giving away for my blog's anniversary. For those who've already put their names down, thanks a mil  =) But if you still want to take part or know more about it please click here for the mechanics =)

These are just little things (to make it easier to post) but they are special to me because Cath products are one of my favourite things.

Phone case - Tiny Rose

This phone case can hold a slim mobile phone, I tried my iPhone 4S and it was a perfect fit.

Coin Purse - Electric Flowers

 This one says it's a coin purse, I have one of these and they're perfect for your debit/credit cards. It has a clear plastic at the back so you can put a wallet size pic or your driver's license etc. 

Gadget Case - Prairie Flowers

 This one is big enough to fit most gadgets, making it a real popular buy. It's not only cute but versatile too =)

Zip Purse - Cut Roses

And this little purse is big enough to house a few of your kikay possessions or can also hold your pens and other office stuff.


So there you go. I hope you like them.  Little Poj will pick the names and I'll announce them on the 24th January.


Thanks again everyone =)


You've Got Snail Mail for My 1st Anniversary

My blog is turning ONE on the 24th and I want to do a little something to celebrate it's birthday. And remembering the wonderful reaction of two of my blogger friends (Sey and Mayen) to the cards I sent them, I decided to do a similar thing for my anniv. 
I am so glad when I read this blog contest from Sey of 14th Street (the contest was created by Tb of Year 31).  Now I don't have to think of the mechanics coz it's all here! 

To join, simply read the instructions below. The rules are simply awesome. And there's no limit to how many blogger friends you choose and what you send them. With this game, it's the thought that counts =)

1.  Write a blog post announcing that you're participating. 

2.  Copy these rules and the above icon into your post.

3.  Ask people to comment if they are willing to participate on their own blog.  Sorry, but you MUST have a blog to join in on the snail mail action.

4.  Choose a winner (or two or three) from your comments section. You can choose your winners however you like--at random, first comment, whoever lives the farthest--it's your blog, do what you want!

5.  Go shopping (or scavenging)!  Pick out items that are easy to mail and cost under $5.  Be thrifty, be creative.  Got something good lying around the house?  Send that!  Mailing your gift to another country or region?  Send a local candy or snack item!  In this case, it really IS the thought that counts.

6.  Mail those items to your chosen winner(s), and one to the person who sent you a gift (if you received one).  Send a little note with the gift--show off your (little-used) handwriting!

7.  No need to tag other bloggers.  The game will be passed along through the posting of snail mail.

8.  You don't have to be chosen to participate.  If you want to join in the fun but nobody mailed you anything, just start with #1 and away you go!

VERY IMPORTANT:  By commenting and saying that you are willing to participate, you are promising to pay it forward.  Please only join in if you are willing to give your address (through private email) to the blogger whose blog you are commenting on.

I'll be sending Cath Kidston stuff, pics of which I'll be posting on my other blog on Wednesday the 18th. I will choose three blogger friends in random and would ask for their postal addresses (via email, of course) after announcing their names. I will reveal those names on my blog anniversary post.

I'm looking forward to my next trip to the post office =) Thanks everyone in advance! 



PS

 I am not requiring anyone to send me anything in return, I appreciate that postage to the UK is expensive. I would be happy to know that you received the gift and that you carry on with the game =)

New Year, New Project

Hindi ko agad ito pinost dito in case I change my mind and decide to delete my new blog/project. 

Yes, yours truly have decided to start a new one. I can say that it is still similar to Kalokang Pinay blog by still being personal - the twist is it'll be a short daily post consisting of one picture a day with a short description. 
I don't want to call it a photo blog coz I'm not a photographer & I've still got a lot to learn to be able to understand light, settings etc. This blog is more like a photo diary to remind me of what I was up to for the year 2012.
And everyone's got a digital cam & phone cam nowadays, it's also a good way to make sure I put my gadgets to good use.


So here it is, wala ng bawian, my new project for the New Year - It's Our Life 365! 

My Phone Saga

Dahil sobrang naging stressful & frustrating, I've decided to write it here para naman may closure na sya. Madrama ang intro ah, pagbigyan nyo na ako, hehe. And yes, tungkol lang sa cellphone ang kwentong ito!


Ive been with this provider O2 for a long time. I was happy with them coz I get good value for my plan. I get unlimited data, 600 mins calls and texts plus unlimited picture messages. I don't shop much nor do I go out often - mga gadgets ko lang talaga ang hilig ko. I read through my phone, blog and tweet na rin specially when I'm waiting for the work bus or Papa Erick. I get to YM, Skype and iMessage my family through it as well. Not to mention the thousands of pics and videos of Poj that I take & keep on my phone. So when November came I was so excited to upgrade my contract.


I rang them and asked what my options were. I was surprised when I was told that my unlimited data will be taken away when I upgrade because they don't do this anymore. And worse, they told me that they can't give me the new iPhone 4S for free. The best offer for the handset was for £75 (PHP 5,128) not bad, I know and would  have been okay if I know that's the best they could do.


Then Papa E showed me this website dedicated to NHS (National Health Service) employees. All the dealers/shops on the site offers different discounts for all staff. They are offering employees the iPhone 4S for £37 (PHP 2,529) as a business customer with double the minutes/data that my old provider is willing to offer. So I rang O2 to cancel my order. And when I rang them again to get my PAC (Port Authorization Code) to port my old number to my new network, they offered me the phone for FREE and promised to deliver the next day. I decided "great! I don't need to go anywhere, sure I won't get my unlidata which means I just have to make sure I switch 3G off when I get home & use my home wifi - no big deal. And I don't have to do anything else, though I also thought - pwede naman pala ibigay ng libre eh". 
I rang after 2 days to check why I've not received my order. The rep on the phone was surprised & told me that there is a 14-day wait for the said phone. I told them about the "next day delivery promise", they apologized and gave me a £20 credit as goodwill for being "misinformed".  But 2 weeks later I'm still waiting. When I called to complain, they told me that they have problems with their stock, they can't give me a direct answer when I asked them what's taking so long or when they could actually deliver. At that point I decided to just cancel my oder. They again tried to stop me but I said I'll just take my business elsewhere.


I went back to my computer to searched for a mobile package suitable for me. I found one, & decided to ring them instead of ordering online. The chap I spoke to told me that they can offer me the same deal that I saw online. And the best part is not that the iPhone 4S is free, or that they have it in white. No, the best part is that they have it in stock and they WILL deliver the next day. So I did get my phone of choice in the end, for free with a better deal, with free calls to one number of my choice, sympre si Papa E, and 2 for 1 movies voucher every Wednesdays. Don't think it gets better than this!

And I love my personalized phone case

Lesson learnt? Perseverance do pay off. I know it's taken me a long time but I got the phone that I wanted & got the deal that suits me and I need not pay a penny for it is just the icing on the cake! 

Celebrating the Holidays!

We're lucky that we got the time off this Christmas week. It's always nice to spend time together as a family without the pressures of work etc.
We started Christmas with cooking and tidying the house for the Big day. We wanted to welcome Christmas and our guests with a sparkling clean house, hehe. Then we went to the midnight mass - we were actually surprised that Poj was up for this. The mass was lovely and everyone was in good spirits until 3 men decided to come in and ruin the Christmas mass. What was meant to be a joyous occasion became one of the scariest. I was worried that Poj might get hurt. We were sat on this 3-seater pew on the left isle and was trapped by this huge pillar. We managed to move to the centre isle somehow before one of them reached the area where we were seated and started throwing chairs at people! It's a good thing that the police arrived and arrested the 3 men and no one was seriously hurt. We were all shaken but Our priest calmed us all and finished the mass. Everyone went home a bit more Christmassy even after the incident. ( Here's a link of the article from one of the newspapers - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2078727/Midnight-Mass-brawl-Chairs-fly-punches-thrown-hell-breaks-loose-400-strong-congregation.html) 

Jace opened one gift when we got home but was too tired and went straight to bed. Papa E & I enjoyed our traditional Noche Buena of ham, queso de bola, bread & hot chocolate =)

We Skyped with our families in the morning, then some of our friends joined us for Christmas day which made it more special. There were lots of food, kwentuhan and tawanan! Just how Christmas should be =)

Some of our friends during Christmas lunch

New Year started at 4pm on the 31st as we again Skyped with our families. We shared not just greetings and kwentuhan but also the menu & the noise! We did not have guests for New Year so our celebration was pretty laid back. We went to church in the morning and stayed at home (and ate lots of food, hehe). 

 "it's noisy Ina" nung narinig nya ang mga paputok sa Pinas via Skype

Our humble Media Noche

Our 2012 toast

Feel na feel ni Poj, parang nakawine din sya, lol =)

Cheers, Ama =)

Gifts, gifts, gifts!

Poj must've been a good boy as he received a lot of pressies. 

And Santa gave me my wish - a pair of  Ugg boots

I always love receiving cards for Christmas =)

I always get a Starbucks mug for Christmas =)

We have received a lot of lovely gifts but it's the gift of family, friends and good health that we are most thankful for. Again I'm wishing everyone a very happy new year. All the best for 2012!!! Xoxo