Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Genealogy, My Family Tree, Old Filipino familes

Obsessed now, and I'm unapologetic about uploading 52 priceless photos. Just found within last 2 years by my Tito Jojie (was with my Lola Zon's possessions during her wake). Commentary on each photo included (thanks Tito Jojie).

I am sure there were moments of light in the family's dark past.

I stumbled across this Blog entry on the Families of Old Cebu.  I wonder if the blogger (Toto Gonzales) has information on the Marzos. I left him a comment.

This is so surreal. The family had a store in Cebu! And our name on signage.

My dad's mom Corazon Razon (aka Lola)

Dad's parents @ their wedding. Lola & Artemio Marzo (aka Lolo). Don't know who the kids are.

Lolo & Lola are the first two on the right. The rest of the people are Razons (Lola's family)

Lolo (left, w/ Hawaiian shirt), Lola to his left

Lolo, Lola, Tita Lulu (Lola's sister)

Lolo's side of family (Razons) and some other family (Gonzales)

Lola with Tita Lyn maybe? Halcon house #1.

Tita Maribel (dad's sister)

Tita Lyn (dad's sister)

Lola & Tita Maribel in Halcon house #2 - I think this is where I lived for a bit

Lola at Halcon house #2, 2nd floor sala (living room)

Tita Lulu & Tita Lyn

Tita Baby, Tita Chari, Tita Lulu (Lola's sisters). Think the baby is Tita Lyn, with her Yaya (nanny).

Lola & Dad's brothers/sisters - Luneta in the early days

One of their cars. Tita Maribel & Tita Lyn. Not sure which Tito the little boy is.

Tito Freddie @ Congress. I called him Tatay (dad) - he raised me for a few years. Kyklos gang leader.


Lolo and Lola in Cebu - Talisay beach. Not sure which Tito the little boy is.

Lolo at Congress

My Lola and Titos @ Hinulugan Taktak, Antipolo

My dad's family and their car #2 in Antipolo

Antipolo Plaza with Dońa Rufina Nebres (Dad's Lola, my grand Lola Pinang), together with Yayas and Lola Zon.

My Titos in Antipolo. Original Gangsters.

I think 1 of the boys is my dad - with his brothers & sisters and Yaya

My dad

Novaliches lot survey where the Marzo's compound was built

I think this is my Tito Ernie (dad's oldest brother)

Tito Ernie celebrating after Lolo bought the land

Land buying negotiation

Lolo @ Lourdes Church during wedding of Tito Ernie and Tita Leovy

Wedding of Tito Ernie and Tita Leovy

Marzo's Residence - garden under construction - grotto in corner (I think this is a must have for Filipino Catholics)

Lola and unidentified relatives

Lola entertaining guests

Tito Boy and PAL Flight Stewardess Girlfriend

Lola and Lolo

House blessing

Priest socializing

June 1966 Blessing at the Garden

Long queue to visit Grotto

Lola and guests

Lola and her guests and "Our Lady of Fatima"

Old School partying

Tita Lyn's first communion

Lola and Tita Lyn - Feb 1967

Lyn at the arcy overlooking the other sala

Unidentified relatives

Mom and Friends at the colonial style sala

Tita Lyn and Tita Maribel

Believe it or not, the girl looking guy with pale legs and black boots is my dad

Swimming pools at that time are a big deal

The band. Sitting (L-R): Tito Ernie, Tatay Freddie. Standing middle: Tito Boy.

AYCE Review: Dragon Pearl Buffet

For our traditional Easter lunch, we went to Dragon Pearl Buffet in North York (Leslie and York Mills).

The verdict? I've had better food and cheaper lunch at other similar places.

The decor is over the top, albeit dark-ish. Lots of really nice wood that I wouldn't mind using in our house.

My mom thinks the restaurant is owned by the Triads! We are a family of conspiracy theorists and lovers of the underworld.

Source:wikipedia.org

Monday, April 25, 2011

Damn You Allergies

First, I'm writing this post with Common's "Reminding Me (Of Sef)" off-the-hook track playing in the background! And "C.R.E.A.M." by Wu Tang Clan just finished! I hate Lauryn Hill so I'm skipping her ass. Erik B & Rakim's "Know the Ledge" just started... soo soo soo good. It's making me feel all urban!

Second:

I've been using Burt's Bees products for a very very long time. I started when I stumbled across the product in Stratford, Ontario during one of many road trips.

I am in the process of eliminating a whole bunch of stuff from my diet / lifestyle as for some reason my body has developed allergies to certain things - wheat in particular. And metal - can you imagine? And no, sorry, Greggy can't start a whole new non-metal business.

One of the items I've eliminated is Burt's Bees products, as they contain beeswax. According to my self-diagnosing via Google search, two causes for Perioral Dermatitis are steroids (I don't take them) and beeswax (guilty).

Last night, after weeks of not using Burt's Bees lip balm, I figured - hey, I'm probably over this whole allergy bull. My body has developed antibodies (so I theorized).

Guess what? I'm wrong.

Three applications of Burt's Bees lip balm prior to going to bed last night = Lips like Mick Jagger and Angelina Jolie's freak daughter. It'll take 24-48 hours to get this out of my system, and lots of Green Tea.

It's my fault for thinking I'm superhuman.

Source:davidwygant.com
House of Pain's "Jump Around" is playing now. Hi Ms. Doubtfire!

Back to work I go.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Hanna and Eskrima

Watch it. Do it.

Eskrima (also known as Arnis and Kali, also spelled as "Escrima") is a weapons based martial art which comes from the Philippines. It is the national sport of the Philippines, and has a very long history of combat effectiveness. Only recently has this art become more conspicuous in many countries and enjoyed the popularity of other more traditional Asian arts. Its difference from other martial arts is that the student is taught to train with weapons from the very start, rather than starting on empty hands training (like many martial arts do). This type of training builds manual dexterity in the practitioner and also trains faster conditioned responses to various attacks. Although it is weapons based, it also includes striking (kicking and punching), wrestling and grappling, and even groundfighting, as well as teaching practical defenses against most weapons. In the Philippines it is referred to as Arnis in the northern islands (Luzon), is known as Eskrima in the central islands (Visayas), and is known as Kali in the southern islands (Mindanao).

Source: black-eagle.org

In Hanna, Eskrima was one of the techniques little miss Jason Bourne was playing with in the first few minutes of film.

There is an Eskrima school near me (also sometimes referred to as Kali or Arnis).

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Mother’s Prayer for Her Daughter (Tina Fey, Bossypants 2011)

A colleague sent this my way and I thought... HA. Too funny and hits close to home, so it's blogworthy for me. Some edits done to make it more Toronto-esque.

Thank you Tina Fey!



First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the Leafs logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half. And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her,
When crossing Yonge street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting, Singing, being in a band, but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes,
And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, dammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barney for much too long, For childhood is short - a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day - And adulthood is long, and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers,

And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a b**** in front of her girls, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into my car in front of her friends, For I will not have that, b****. 
I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Stop Working Now, says Derek Foster


The other day I went to the mall to get KFC because I worked late yet again and was in need of chicken for dinner.

They had a waiting period (10 minutes-ish) so I went to Coles. I hit the Business section, then Travel section. The Travel selections in that particular mall really sucked. So I moved on to the Business section, and this booked was literally right in my face.

I figured... I want to "Stop Working Now" too! I have been saying this for YEARS.

Paid for the book, picked up the chicken, went home and had dinner, finished the book at 11:30 PM same night, updated my investments based on the recommendations from the book by 12:30 AM, then went to bed.

It's a good book. One of those "wow I learned something new from this book" book.

Pick up a copy. But don't be obsessive and finish it on same day as you bought it (like I did). I'm a bit of a weirdo.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Antidote to Long Work Day

If you need some pep during a particularly long ass work day, listen to Slacker Radio.

Basic service is free, no installation required, listen using your Web Browser of choice (I prefer Mozilla).

My favourite station is 80s alternative. It reminds me of my childhood days back in the Philippines when I was between 4 yrs old to 11 yrs old and really into The Cure, Psychedlic Furs, Tears for Fears, etc.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Parenthood

SOMETIMES I REALLY SERIOUSLY HATE BEING A MOTHER.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Sloth, Gluttony

I'm back, but only for a bit. Because I'm exhausted.

I slept until 1:30 ish today to make up for a massive sleep deficit. I feel great. I don't care if you think I am a sloth. I am not doing anything today other than reading newspapers that I missed the entire week (and eating and watching TV). They pile up like crazy when I am working too much. Greggy doesn't recycle them because he knows how I like to read the newspapers even if the news is outdated. I like to go back in time.

(Tangent - It would be really great if I can cryogenically freeze my body when I turn 40 yrs old in 5 years. I would instruct to be thawed out 100 years from now. Kinda like Demolition Man. I would like to see if we would have flying cars and teleportation available in 2111. I hate commuting.)



 
Revelation: Nobody told me Liz Taylor died on Thursday! Not even my husband Greggy who is addicted to news radio (also his obsession with weather updates fascinates me).

I've been drinking all sorts of green tea as now I am convinced it has helped me get rid of some of the toxins in my body that was probably due to all the fast food junk food I have been eating over last few weeks. My favourite so far is Tetley Lemon Green tea which tastes amazing if you mix it with a hint of Splenda French Vanilla sugar. This replaced my morning coffee. I drink decaf green tea at night. Did I tell you I am a bit obsessive about things?

   

I've been having allergic reactions. Self-diagnosing courtesy of Google and obsession lead me to something called perioral dermatitis. It sounds scary. I had it for a week, now it's gone but I think it is a sign of something.

The above has not stopped me from getting Popeye's Chicken last Thursday which made T all giddy with excitement. It is a poor substitute for the New Orlean's grub we feasted on when we were in, uhm, New Orleans. But still, it brought back memories.

I'm too lazy to cook anything tonight and, well, I need to get groceries tomorrow since we are out of the stuff that I would typically "cook" for our meals (thank you President's Choice and M&M Meat Shops).

The alternative is Retroburger. My loving husband will go on a mission to get me a cheeseburger and feta poutine. Are you jealous?