Hall of Mirrors

One of creative attractions to see in City Museum, St. Louis, MO

Boracay Island, Philippines

Breathtaking view from a helicopter

My First Snow

A peaceful snowy day of early 2012

This is default featured slide 4 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.

This is default featured slide 5 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.

May 25, 2012

Silly Sleep Positions by Ninja Cat!

oh yeah!

Such a hard day today

A big leap of faith

 I grew up going to airport waiting areas to either meet or see off my mom, aunts, their husbands, and cousins. I've had always wondered what it's like to be behind departure doors, take care of luggage and all airport transactions for the flight. I thought it must be exciting to board a plane, leave to a different country... leave everything behind instead of being left behind.

Leap of faith

Six months ago I took a leap of faith and was aboard this plane. A choice that changed my life in just 24 hours. I remember the mixed emotions and I was right it was exciting to do all the airport stuff, however it felt odd that I'd be the one leaving this time. Excited and sad at the same time.

Anyways, I arrived right in the middle of Fall so it was very cold for me. That was the major adjustment I had to deal with and I hated the bitter winter coldness. It was the mildest winter I experienced so imagine that.. Pfffft.

Half a year away and am still adjusting to everything... Taking it all one at a time. My new life now  is like a blank sheet of paper waiting for me to write on and I hope to write good things on it.

May 23, 2012

Introducing a new cat

This post is about Spider's progress as he adjusts in our home. Introducing a cat to its new home is stressful for it especially if you don't understand their needs.
I have had searched articles and tips on how to introduce cats into the house. Here is one article I read:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2072459_introduce-cats-each-other.html
I didn't and couldn't follow all the tips but it was helpful in understanding cats' behavior.

Day 1 - Spider was very scared and skittish; he was able explore the whole house though; he hid a lot; hissed at the towel which has Ninja's scent.
Spooky Spider!
Day 2 - Spider survived his first night. He seems to hide in the basement, still a little skittish
Day 3 - Both cats have been touching noses in greeting; unsuccessful attempts in sniffing Ninja's butt; Spider's hissing stopped
Day 4 - Spider walks around the house casually; placed both bowls of cat food across each other
Day 5 - More nose touching in friendly greeting; Spider still tries to sniff Ninja's butt (LOL!)
Day 6 - Both cats are familiar with each other's scent and can be close to each other

Day 7 - Spider has been running around the house and is now comfortable with his new home
Day 8 - Starting today they share a bowl of cat food and so far no growling or hissing

Day 9 - Successful butt sniffing! Well, Spider did it while Ninja was busy eating
Day 15 - They chase each other playfully. Yay!

We're so glad both cats are getting along quite well. They're not yet buddy-buddies but I'm sure it'll happen soon.


May 17, 2012

Getting married on a K-1 Visa

After two vacations to the Philippines, Greg and I decided to start the K-1 process. It is also known as the Fiance(e) Visa, a faster visa process than the Spousal Visa and it requires the applicant to marry the U.S Citizen fiance(e) within 90 days after the applicant's U.S entry.  This way we weren't rushed into marriage first  -- main reason why we chose it. 

We waited seven months from date of filing to visa approval but average wait time is 4-6 months. We wanted to make sure we were ready for the interview and everything fell in place like a puzzle. Surely good things do happen to those who wait. :-) It was a stressful wait, somehow we saw it as a blessing in disguise. We were tested by distance, how far we could endure being apart from each other for a year.

I was quite proud with how we filed the paperwork because there were no lacking documents plus the fact that we didn't hire an immigration attorney and I recommend NOT to get an immigration attorney because you are going to save a lot of money, no arguments and some of them aren't sure of the process itself or even lazy to file your application promptly. For us, the tedious hours of gathering all paperwork were worth it.

So this is just a summary of my whole experience as a K-1 Visa Holder. Below is my K-1 Visa timeline:

03-24-2011 Filed i-129F Petition for Fiance(e)
04-06-2011 NOA1
07-11-2011 NOA2
07-15-2011 NOA2 (Hard Copy)
11-02-2011 Visa Interview
11-25-2011 POE (Chicago)
01-27-2012 Civil Wedding

Related Topic: What is a K-1 Visa?


May 15, 2012

Online Shopping: Wholesale-dress.net Review

Two years ago my Facebook News Feed was full of  friends being tagged with pictures of fashionable clothing with prices that ranged from Php 400 - Php 1,000 plus which is ridiculously pricey. Curiosity got the better of me so I searched on the internet and found the site Wholesale-dress.net They offer a wide range of products from women's clothes to Cosplay costumes. The prices aren't too bad either.

I ordered a few times but I got disappointed with most of the dresses. Well, I should have known better -- they're made in China! Made of cheap fabrics and just copies of dresses in magazines which the company uses as product photos. I guess you get what you pay for.

The chat support was bad too because of poor customer service and bad communication skills. I remember I complained to this chat agent about a rip in the dress when I received it. She just told me to sew it because it's just a tiny rip. I got mad of course there shouldn't be a rip in any dress  you bought!

Anyways, below are pictures of some stuff I purchased from them. I still have some $7.00 credit but I don't know if I'll purchase again. Also, I purchased enough items that I got access to their database of product photos.












May 13, 2012

Mother's Day 2012

"Shoutout to all the moms out there for the undying love for your child. No one can fathom that love unless you're a mom yourself."

I searched for Mother's Day quotes but I couldn't find an appropriate one which doesn't sound too proper so I just wrote my own. This year is quite a different Mother's Day celebration for me. Most friends I know back in the Philippines just had babies and I have a mother-in-law now. 

At my age I still could not fathom how it is to become a mother. It is more than providing for your child it is when you realize in your heart you are ready for this kind of love that binds with the responsibilities. I see the happiness in some of my friends' faces after giving birth. I see the new strength and it is amazing. But I cannot picture myself in that scenario... maybe one day it will come. Maybe not. 

All I know for now is that I am enjoying my time with my hubby. There is so much to see, so much to do to build our future. Only time will tell if I find in my heart that I will be ready to give a mother's love.


CD-R King USB Flash Disk Durability

A week ago I found my USB Flash drive in the dryer and I was like "Uh oh this is definitely broke." I tested it right away and to my surprise it still worked like it didn't get machine washed and tumble dried. I wasn't only surprised because it just got washed but because the brand is known for cheap product parts. I was glad that for the value of money it is durable.

CD-R King is a media & technology provider in the Philippines. Their computer related products are affordable so they are a known brand although some of their products have less life span.

Here is the link to the flash drive that I own:
CD-R KING 8GB ALLOY FLASH DRIVE

May 3, 2012

New member in our home

On April 25th we welcomed a new addition to our family. His name is Spider and we got him from my hubby's friend. He is very friendly and affectionate but he dislikes being picked up. A toughie but a sweetie :) 

Now, our Ninja cat is opposite he likes to be picked up but not cuddly. He won't even come to you if you call him he has a mind of his own. I think he was an old aristocrat in his old life. He looks tough but actually a coward. 
Do I look proper in my fur coat?

May 1, 2012

About Me

This is my nth attempt in blogging over the years. All of my blogs never got updated and got stale. I had no internet at home so it was difficult and inconvenient when I needed to check on my blog. This time should be different now I have all the resources. 

So my blog is all about my insights in my everyday life, experiences,  information or just anything I want to share.


#PinayScribber