Shattered Day!!

I woke up with headache this morning so i got up to take my medication and a pill for headache. Hubby still at home and advised me to stay in bed as it was only 7:30 AM but as soon as he left home,i remembered to do something in the living and dining room to prepare and organize it in advance for the birthday party of hubby next week.

I immediately started my household task and was so concentrated with my work that when i heard a loud CRASH!!!??? made me turn my head and headed to the kitchen. To my surprise i saw shattered dark glasses on the floor.Thingking they were from an empty bottle of wine,i looked behind the door where hubby put them from last nights dinner,they are intact!!

This was the CULPRIT, THE OVEN GLASS DOOR!!! Broken!! Caputtt!!





Just like that with out being used since last week. How is it possible!??? I called for assistance as it was still under garanty. Unfortunately,i was told that oven door glass has no garanty cause it´s possible that the cause may have been from the way i used the oven that it may have suffered damaged from shock , Im the one who suffered a shock i said. An oven not even two yrs of use, this never happened to me before!!

Got so nervous that my headache worsened. Im going to prepare so many things for the party next week and i´ll be needing an oven. Service center cannot garanty that the glass can be replaced by next week.What should i do?? Hubby already invited friends!!

I will be gone for a few days with hubby starting tomorrow..I will try to relax and hope for better days next week!!

Wishing you all better days than mine!

Visit to the Orient Foundation Museum

Sorry for my long absence..Im still around,im still visiting and reading friends blogs but its just me....I sometimes like to just be on my own or be invisible at times.

Last week,hubby and I visited a newly inagurated building which hosted a Museum of the Orient Foundation.As a token, entrance fee for the museum was open and free for public during the weeekend.



Weather condition here still unpredictable... a bit cold ,cloudy,gloomy for this time of the year.It seems that we´ll be experiencing this kind of weather till the 21st of this month.

Anyway, we went to visit the museum last week at about 10:00 in the morning.At the ground floor was a showcase of all mask used by the previous and present generations of Asia.Another floor are showcases of costumes,religeous altars and Gods in Asian countries. We were allowed to take photos but not with flash,so some photos that i will post here are clear and some will be dark as it depends of the lighting in every showcase.



The first and second batch of photos are mask from India, cant explain so much for what porpose they use them for but as i remember from what i read that they are for ceremonies or rituals.



The more elaborate mask was being used by the Prince of Seraikala( State of Bihar)in the beggining of the 20th century. Aside from the Gods,ritual dances are presented during full moon in order to seduce young girls



Some mask from Java and Indonesia



In Bali,the barong Landong represent a couple from the habitants ancestor, Jero Gede & Jero that protects the comunity.The are carried and used in a ceremonial cremation during New Year



The above photos are mask from Thailand



Can no longer remember from which country these mask are from but all i can remember is that they are used during the dance of the lamas that shows the divinity that the dead will find before reincarnation.The other photo is a mask of Yak and the Queen of Demons.



I have many more to show but for now this will be all.I hope you enjoyed the tour..

Media and Events in Philippines

Whenever I see or hear news about Philippines, i get upset and feel sad and angry because the international media would only report and show footage about disasters and exploit about poverty and sufferings of the people.

WHY PICK ONLY OF THE POOR COUNTRIES??!!DONT THEY HAVE POVERTY IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD TO SHOW ??!!

I have also been around in most of the so called developed countries,i´ve also seen people living in degrading conditions, homeless people braving the cold winter sleeping on the street pavements or in the park.Young or old people requesting money to buy food, alcoholic drinks or drugs.We dont see them much during the day because the police authorities would´nt let them camp on public places.Its what the media here call the " HIDDEN HUNGER & POVERTY OF THE PEOPLE " People are ashamed to tell.

Whereas in a country of almost 90 million population like philippines,it´s not an easy task to take care and control the homeless or anyone who lives on the street .Police can get them out in one place in one day but they will be back the following day or others may come and take their places.

But one thing i can say about the Filipino people, even in times of crisis like the rise in prices of important commodities like rice. They still know how to live with what they have and enjoy life.

With the permision of a dear blogger friend in manila Señor Enriqueof Wish You Were Here, I copied some of his beautiful photos of the event few days ago in Manila. The ALIWAN FESTIVAL 2008

"Aliwan" means fun or enjoyment.This yearly event is the counterpart of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil. The only difference is that, women are well covered :),they dont dance the samba,and singing during the presentations is not also included. Its more of a choreograph dance skills in tune with the drum beatings. The representives usually comes from different provinces/regions dressed up in their ethnic costumes.There is a prize money too for the winners.

Here are some of the photos:



A young lady with a beautiful smile in her native costume,(not sure if this was the native dress of the Ifugaos in the Mountain province)And again a young boy that seem to be wearing a native dress worn by the muslims in Mindanao



Young girls that maybe waiting for their turn to represent, and the street dancers already on the move.



Feel like joining??!! I do!!

Related link

http://senorenrique.blogspot.com/2008/05/smiles-of-aliwan-fiesta-2008.html
http://senorenrique.blogspot.com/2008/05/aliwan-2008-festival-street-dancers.html

Time to Relax

Im not on to writting these days... Its not i have´nt got any topics to to write about.Its just that the house keeps me ocupied most of the time!

I sometimes wonder why there is so much to do at home when in fact, im all alone all day in my own house? No vistors,no hubby to tell me " When im home i dont want you to do anything. Just be here near me!" ( Which i cant obey most of the time:) because he likes to watch tv and i dont,i prefer to listen to music)

Anyway last Thursday,May 1st was holiday and as i know hubby has been under stress lately, fresh air and a walk will do him good so i told him that we should go out and walk in the park nearby. We prepared and when we were out of our building,he went straight to the car.I already understood..no walking for him, instead we went to Belem which is not far from our house, parked the car facing the Marina ( his porpose was just to sit in the car and admire the Tejo River ,breath some fresh air and listen to the radio) but not its not what i have in mind and as i brought my digital camera, I told hubby that i would go out for a walk and take some photos. As expected,he would come and accompany me.







These were the first photos taken by hubby.The marina, not much yatchs anchored these days.The building ahead still under construction i guess will be a hotel.







Busy tourist shopping for souvenirs while the others are waiting in line to relieve their bladers.







Passing thru the souvenir shops,this is what you´ll see further ahead. A replica of the first plane that cross the atlantic ocean and the crown of the jewel in this area is the 500 year old Tower of Belem which has been a declared cultural heritage by Unesco. The small building among the palm trees and olive trees is a place where you can get informations about the place and also coffee and other vending machines .







A closer view of the beautiful Manueline architectural design of the Tower and next is a Fort which now functions as Museum.Their is also an Leonardo da Vinci exhibition going on.







Here ,what you can see is the Monument in memory of the Combatants who died overseas in service. Dont know how many died here but i can see thousands of names written on the wall.

And lastly on our way back to the car,I felt envious of the guy with the bycicle just resting,sunbathing while admiring the tower. Its what i feel to do as well. Just relax, do nothing and enjoy life and admire nature!!


What about you? How was your holiday?