Pixels For Four

The kids and I will be leaving in a few hours to go back to the Philippines. And I’m not sure when we will be back again here in Riyadh. I just hope it will be before July, or just a few weeks after the school starts here in Saudi. Or else, Gabby and Sunday will have a lot of catching up to do again.

My hands are full with many things I pretend to successfully juggle but frustratingly leave half done most of the time. But don’t get the impression that I leave them undone, or half done, or three-fourths done, or not even including them in my to-do list, because I don’t love doing them. I love doing my job. God uses my job to bless me with a salary that augments our daily expenses. I love doing the chores at home. Though I really get tired because of my broken shift at work, I just look at them as a form of exercise and love-filled service to Fred and the kids. I love having my quiet time.

Just when I thought I would be able to fulfill the promise I made to myself last week, I failed again. I promised myself that I would exercise last week for at least 15 minutes everyday and would not eat dinner when I arrive from work at 10:30 pm. But lack of motivation and too much chores at home and tasks at work prevented me from shedding off those unwanted fats. I gained so much weight when I arrived here in Riyadh and I don't like what it did to my face. I am genetically predisposed to double chin so I tend to shy away from camera shots of friends when that unwanted body part appears. That explains why I don’t post many photos of myself lately, except those that caught me in really good angles. As much as I want to run like what I did back in the Philippines, I cannot do that anymore here, unless I enroll in a gym – which is expensive and doesn't fit in my schedule. I haven't seen any women here donned in their abaya, running on pathways designated for walking...

I didn't have time to blog last week because I spent it at work, house and other activities. If only I have more time, I would've done more things that I enjoy doing. And blogging is on top of that list, of course. But last Thursday, I did so many things I never thought I could accomplish in a day. Fred has to bring us to his workplace at 2 pm to meet his employer. I work from 12 noon to 5 pm on Thursdays so I decided to work on a morning shift. I left home at past 8 am and tried to finish the work assigned for the day. I worried about how I will look for the meeting later. I know I must look presentable. So I asked one of my workmates if she can curl my hair before I leave. She readily said yes and in minutes, I was out of the door with freshly done, still hot curls. Fred's workplace is located in Riyadh Industrial City 2, a hub for all things industrial and manufacturing. Like most industrial zones, it is far from the main residential areas of the city and if not...

Call me outdated or so behind-the-times but that’s what I am when it comes to watching documentaries. It was just a few weeks ago when I watched the 2008 American documentary film Food, Inc. which changed the way I view fast food. Not that I didn’t know how unhealthy they are. I already know that from watching Supersize Me, the 12th highest-grossing documentary film of all time. Food, Inc. just validated my past knowledge of where fast foods come from, how they are treated , processed prepared, and in the end, inspired me that I can do something about the dilemma. I didn’t promise myself that I won’t let my kids eat fast food anymore. In fact, we just ate some last night. They like Double Cheeseburger. McFlurry, and Mixed Vanilla and Chocolate Sundaes so much. We’ll just try to lessen our visits to these restaurants and eat meals cooked at home. Since I am the cook in the family, I always browse the internet for recipes of meals that I want. Honestly, there are many simp...

I didn't know what came into me but I was feeling a little bored one morning while at work. Maybe, it was the monotonous task assigned to me. Or maybe it was the overcast sky suggesting a brewing sandstorm. Bored and gloomy, I decided to call my Abu Dhabi-based BFF and chat for a little while. When she came home for a vacation last year, they treated us to a day tour of Tagaytay. It was her treat to her family but since she considers us family, we tagged along. It wasn’t my first time there but it was the kids’. Gabby and Sunday have been asking us for the longest time to bring them to Tagaytay so when their Tita BFF invited them, they were so excited. Too bad, Fred was already in Riyadh then. I totally forgot that Tagaytay is considered as the second summer capital of the Philippines. The cold wind was blowing hard when we arrived and I forgot to bring the kids’ jackets. They didn’t seem to mind though. Upon arriving at the Picnic Grove, they ran off, left me without a word, ...

Working in a company has many perks and one of them, which also happen to be my favorite, is the company outing. I have so much respect for management of companies who make sure that their staff gets to unwind, relax and bond with each other at least once a year. Usually, for free. And here in Riyadh, or Saudi Arabia in general, I don't think it is included in the list of company perks. Sigh. One of the summer outings that I like happened back in April 2009 and held at a resort owned by the company president. We went to Pisa Dive in Tingloy, Batangas. Fred and the kids tagged along and even though it was quite far, the island was worth all the hours of traveling: three hours by car to Anilao port from Manila and another hour or less by boat from the port to the island. The HR staff went a day ahead to prepare all the food and lodging so when we arrived, we just ate, played, swam and slept. What an idyllic way to bond with co-employees! We stayed in a two-level house w...

It was our 11th wedding anniversary last February 17. We decided to celebrate the day before because our anniversary fell on a Friday where shops, restaurants and most establishments open at 4pm. We cannot stay out late on Fridays. I have to get up before 6 am the following day to prepare our breakfast and the kids' and hubby's packed lunches. Saturday is like Monday in the Philippines, the start of school and work week. We decided to eat at Pizza Fusion , located along Thalateen (30) Street. It boasts of fresh and delicious food made from organically grown ingredients. We ordered Banana Berry Shake and Strawberry Frost but they were not offered at that time. The wait staff explained that when the organic ingredients are not available, they'd rather not serve the order than make them from inorganic produce. Wow, hats off to their strict compliance to their slogan: Fresh, Organic and Earth Friendly! It's responsibility first before profitabil...

Whenever summer comes, I always get anxious about giving my kids activities that will pass their time and enrich their experiences. It could be going somewhere they haven't been to, attending crafts classes or just bonding with their friends or relatives. It must be the stage mom in me, but I want to fill my kids' childhood years with a chestful of good experiences. A local told me it's still spring but I can already feel it's almost summer. The kids are beginning to ask when and where they can swim here. I told them I don't know Riyadh well yet. A friend of Fred invited us to their villa for a dip at their pool and we might go there when we have the time. Too bad, there's always sandstorm when we have the time. That's when they miss the Philippines. Sunday even told me she wants to go back home. She misses the times when they were invited by their aunts and uncles for short vacations. Just like when my sister invited us to spend Good Friday and half of...

It's been a while since my last post here. I work on a broken shift so it's kinda difficult for me to still find time to blog. But since it's Hajj next week here, I hope I can post an article or two. Hajj, by the way, is the largest pilgrimage in the world. It is a religious duty by Muslims who can afford to go to Makkah or Mecca. But for us non-Muslims here, Hajj means vacation from work and school. Taken during my second week in Saudi Arabia, in one of the parks in Dammam. I don't know a single Arabic word that time! It is also my short break from learning Arabic. Yes, I'm trying to learn a bit of this country's language. I learned to read Arabic numbers on my third week here. I had to learn because I need to layout a charge slip with code numbers written in Arabic. Though most of the materials here are also translated in English, I think knowing how to read numbers in Arabic will still benefit me someday. I mentioned break from learning Arabic becau...