Holidaying at Fuerteventura

.. was fab! The weather was perfect. The nightlife was great. Nature was a-bounty. What more could we ask for?

It was a deal. I told L that we try to save for Christmas gifts which pile up in closets and drawers and generally left unused. With the gift money, we could probably offer ourselves a Christmas getaway and escape from the cold weather. Not to my surprise, L agreed at once.

From there, I've checked for travel deals which are not far from France, with day temperature >20°C, leaving preferably from Nantes (to be close to L's family) and destinations that won't require me any visa. Fuerteventura responded to all categories so off we went just after the Christmas eve.

Fuerteventura was just 3.5 hour-plane ride away from Nantes. We left at 2 pm and arrived there around 5pm (one hour difference from France). Our hotel, situated at Corralejo was just 45-min taxi-ride from the airport.

We started our first night barhopping with the kids (it was the night of December 25th afterall!). Yes, with the kids! Bars were all around town and like almost every country in Europe, smoking inside public areas were prohibited (or was it because the crowd was mostly from countries where smoking inside bars were prohibited?). You could count the number of strollers going in and out of bars! Amazing! The crowd was of course multinational - but the majority were from north of Europe. Live bands were setting an upbeat ambiance and the girls were dancing even after bedtime. In fact, barhopping became our nightly routine in Fuerteventura ;). Cervesa San Miguel Bar became our favorite!
Beaches of course was our favorite daytime destination. The girls busied themselves building sand castles while the parents busied themselves sunbathing and reading. It was a relaxing retreat from the busy daily routine we have in Dijon.
We once rented a 4x4 to visit the countryside to get closer to the volcanic (and the volcano too!) lanscape of Fuerteventura. And the posted pictures could resume what Fuerteventura is all about.
It was an untouched nature. Far from pollution. Far from the stressful feel of any city. It was simply heaven.

Note: Corralejo is a small town of Fuerteventura situated at the northernmost part of the island. Tourism is there but not as exploited as the cities at the southern part of the island. If you hate bunches of tourists, Corralejo is your place.

Day 5-8: Bohol

We've exchanged numbers and email addresses before we bid goodbye. The other frenchies continued their adventure in Puerto Princesa while we continued ours in Bohol.

We took the Cebu Pacific flight direct from Legaspi to Cebu, then the SuperCat ferry from Cebu to Tagbilaran. Transportation was A-OK! Efficient and on time.

Arriving in Tagbilaran, we took a tricycle to our hotel in Panglao Island. I've actually chosen a place which goes out of the ordinary - a sort of Bahay Kubo and the effect was great. We haven't thought about our work yet since we started our island hopping tour, lol. Since it was already late in the evening when we arrived in Bohol, we only had time to leave our backpacks in the hotel then we hurried out to scout for a good restaurant.

The next day was declared as scooter day. We rented one to be able to explore the island without any hassle - without being dependent to public transportation. We didn't want to rent a car either because we wanted to escape from the comfort of our everyday lives. And since we had no kids, it was feasible and highly recommendable!

We headed first to - where else - the Chocolate Hills. Then took again our scooter to have our lunch at one of the Loboc River's floating restaurant. Though the concept was more of an 'industrial scale' type of tourism and it lacked a local and natural feel to it, it was nevertheless fun. There was a group of musicians who serenaded us during a sumptous buffet lunch - who by the way sang not only Filipino songs but also Korean and Chinese songs! There were groups of folkdancers in different points of the river who incited visitors to try Tinikling and other local dances.

We again took our scooter to hunt for tarsiers.. then to check the Hanging Bridge.. then to different remote areas of the island just to enjoy countryside driving before we decided we had enough for the day and it was time to enjoy the seaside.

The next day was dedicated to dolphin watching, snorkeling and island hopping. We saw quite a lot of groups of dolphins in the area, but honestly, after swimming with the Butanding, the impact was much less.
I then asked the boatman to bring us to Balicasag Island to see the Fish Sanctuary and to snorkel a bit. I was very disappointed though because tourists and guides alike were standing on the corals to feed the fishes. I was snorkeling but all I could see were legs, legs and legs. These people were actually killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Too sad.

Last stop was at the Virgin Island. It was a tiny island boasting with a very white fine sand. The sand was immaculately white. It was really inviting but tourists were just all over the island, there were no space to swim!

It was easy to get bored when there's nothing to do so I asked the boatman to head us back to Panglao for lunch. We stayed along Alona Beach the whole afternoon - beach bummers! We walked along the beach with one objective in mind, check the hotels and see where we could stay the next time we go there - with kids!

The next day was spent at Bohol Beach Club. It was just to kill time before our flight back to Manila. 8 days without the kids was relaxing, refreshing.. 8 days which were sufficient enough for us to miss the kids. We were walking hand in hand along the beach, both impatient to hear our noisy girls - Louna with her endless stories and Kyla with her dirty diapers.

Day 4 - Mount Mayon Trek

Drrriiinggggg! 4:20 am. Frenchguy and I jumped off the bed and quickly dressed up and brushed our teeth. Our rendez-vous with the guide was at 4:30 am, there was no time to lose. We hurriedly took the stairs and met the other Frenchies at the reception area.

4:35 am. Byron, the guide was still not there (Filipino time?). He promised he would arrive earlier. The Frenchies started to ask me questions on how sure it was that we paid 50% of the fee the night before.

4:40 am. I started to call him up but nobody was answering. Ok, alright. Keep cool, Ana. He must still be cooking our chicken adobo for lunch.

4:45 am. Byron called me up to inform me that he'll arrive in 3 minutes.

He arrived after 5 minutes. It's been almost 9 years that I live here in France. I almost forgot what Filipino time is, lol.

Well enough with the rant. The 4 Frenchies and I cramped ourselves inside the tricycle with the driver and our beloved guide. The joyride up to the jump off point was around 15 minutes. It was drizzling when we arrived there, must be the morning dew. 2 other guys met us on our way to Camp 1 - Byron's brother who is a guide himself and a younger one who carried our food.

It was still dark when we started the trek so head lamps and flashlights were more than necessary. I was wearing a short and it was actually a bad idea since the trail was quite narrow and dense with tall weeds, I had a lot of wounds and cuts after the trek.

Byron explained that the trek to Camp 1 should take us around 2 hours, but it would all depend on our pace. From there, we would then decide on whether we continue the hike or not to Camp 2. Few minutes after the start of the trek, the morning dew started to get higher intensity - it somewhat reminds me of rain. A what? A RAIN?

No. That's not the Hunchback of Notre Dame. That's me trying to protect my camera in my backpack.

Yes. It was rain. We hiked Mayon Volcano under the rain! But that didn't stop us from tracing the trail and arrive at Camp 1 an hour and 20 minutes after the start. It was even too early to take our morning coffee but since it was raining and we had nothing else to do, we decided to take our coffee in this half-finished shelter in Camp 1 while waiting for our shirts to dry.

The youngest guy carrying a big backpack was actually carrying everything! Even a thermos full of hot water for our breakfast!
The carpenters who apparently stayed there for the night told us that it won't be prudent to hike up to Camp 2 since it had been raining up there for 2 consecutive nights. The trail was slippery. And anyway, with a weather like that, we won't be able to appreciate the beauty of Mount Mayon.

I explained to the Frenchies and hardheaded as they were, we decided to wait a bit for the rain to cease. The rain of course continued and even increased its intensity (sino kaya sa mga to ang may balat sa p*wet?).

Byron, concerned about satisfying our quest for adventure asked us if it would be appreciated if instead of hiking up to Camp 2, we would rather take another route and approach the lava from the last eruption barely 2 months ago (December 2009!). The answer was of course unanimous.

It looks so close but it was in fact far and almost inaccessible. Byron said that they couldn't go that close just a month ago since it was still hot and fuming.

The trail going in that direction wasn't really a "trail". At some point, it was us who did the trail with the help of a bolo knife.

That's me and our guide on top of the lava. Nakukulitan na sa kin, lol. As you can see, the weather wasn't at all cooperating!But we patiently waited.. (we had our lunch up there!)

And the wait was all worth it! The tip of the cone.. at last!

The group was of course happy and satisfied with the hike. We stayed more than an hour on top of the lava to get a closer look of the tip. We never looked at the clouds that close all our life, lol.

We started our descent around 1pm. We decided that the day wasn't over yet so a quick shower at the hotel and off we went to the Cagsawa Ruins. Again, clouds were there to hide Mt Mayon but no worries, we're patient ;).
There were some kids in the area advicing picture tricks to tourists and even explaining to us the history of Mt Mayon.. and even what type of rocks Cagsawa Church was built! Wow! Saludo po ako sa inyo.

Even if we haven't had enough of Mt Mayon yet, it was already time to take the jeepney back to Legazpi. And since it was our last day together with the Frenchies, it has been decided that we all take the ultimate challenge - eat BALUT !

After 4 bottles each of Red Horse beer and a bit of local delicacies here and there, the Frenchies were still hesitant to take the challenge. But a challenge is a challenge. So on our way back to the hotel, we stopped a balut vendor and ta-dan.. yes people, Frenchguy ate his first balut of his life, lol. After that experience, all agreed it was good to rinse off that irky taste (for them only of course) with another bottle of Red Horse beer.

We agreed to take breakfast together the next day.. I could already feel the mighty Red Horse kicking me off to bed...ZZzzzzzzzzz.

Next: Day 5-8 Bohol

Day 2-3: Donsol, Sorsogon

Day 2 : Catanduanes to Donsol, Sorsogon

We had to wake up early that morning to catch the first jeepney going from Virac to San Andres. Then the ferry from San Andres to Tabaco, Albay at 8:30am. We had our coffee at one of the carinderias at the pier while waiting for boarding. It was actually my first time to ride a ferry in the Philippines and I was quite curious how it would be like. The 3-hour ride must be fun.

It was a fine day, the sky was blue, but the beautiful Mount Mayon was teasing us, hiding behind the clouds. I was contemplating on a picture format - clear blue water with Mt Mayon at the background. But all I got was this - a big ship and a hardly recognizable Mt Mayon at the background.
Frenchguy was equally impatient to see the cone. He was insisting that Mt Fuji is more perfect than Mt Mayon (he by the way saw Mt Fuji behind the clouds - may balat yata to sa p*wet!) and though I never saw Mt Fuji, I was trying to defend Mt Mayon's reputation, lol.

From Tabaco to Legaspi, Frenchguy was focusing on the volcano but the clouds were really thick at that time, we can hardly get a glimpse of the tip. But once he saw the tip, he suddenly fell in love, he forgot how uncomfortable it was inside the van. He never quitted it with his eyes so I started to remind him that the volcano erupted barely two months ago and alert level was probably still up. I think he wasn't listening to me. He was there, admiring the beauty of Mt Mayon.

It was lunch time when we arrived at the van terminal so we reserved our place in the van going to Donsol and hurried at the nearest carinderia. Legaspi to Donsol was around 45 minutes ride at P65/person.

Arriving in Donsol, we headed at once at the Tourist Information Center for the registration. Registration fee was P100 for locals and P300 for foreigners. Snorkel and fins rental was p300/day. Boat rental with guide for the Butanding encounter was P3500, generally shared by 6 visitors. And at that time, there were no problem searching for other visitors to share the fee. I was quite surprised by the number of tourist in that area. I thought it was low season.. but then, it was also Chinese New Year and winter vacation in Europe.

After gathering all necessary information about the Butanding encounter, it was time to find a resting place for us. Most of the resorts near the Tourist Information Center had no available rooms anymore but we were still lucky to find one in Casa Bianca. The rooms were not really extraordinary but I don't intend to stay inside the room during my stay there so i didn't really care.

After a quick shower, we continued walking along the beach to wait for sunset. The beach wasn't really inviting so we contented ourselves with a glass of halo-halo in a nearby resort.

At 7pm, we decided we'd end the day with a firefly watch at the river. Frenchguy and I were engaged in an uncensored close-to-horny conversation while waiting for the start of the visit when we realized that the Filipino family near us could understand French! Yay! And since the youngest was currently learning French, we finally decided it would be great if we share the same bangka with them.

The firefly watch wasn't really spectacular but it was a good way to while away our time before dinner. We had our dinner at Baracuda Bar and it was G R E A T (must try!) - ambiance, food and of course it's infront of the beach!

Day 3 - Butanding Encounter - Back to Legaspi

We arrived at 7am at the Tourist Information Center. There were already a lot of people waiting to be registered but luckily (that's the advantage of being a Filipina), a guide approached me to propose his boat because he lacked 2 more people to complete it. He then did all the registration in no time and off we went before the other tourists were even registered.

The guide explained to us all that was needed to know while we were on our way to the whaleshark watchpoint. There were already few boats roaming around the area when we arrived. We started to clean our snorkel, fit the fins and prepare the camera when suddenly, the guide asked us to get ready. When he shouted GO, we got off the boat one after the other. I couldn't find Frenchguy anymore, selfish little b*stard. He knew that swimming was not my strongest point. When I submerged my head under the water, the Butanding was there just infront of me, swimming on my direction. I swear, I was there, paralyzed, not knowing how to react (I even forgot how to use my cam!). We were warned to keep at least a 2-meter distance but the Butanding seemed to be too close I could almost touch it.

Frenchguy with the Butanding. Until now, I still don't know how to express how I felt when I first saw this harmless whaleshark. It was surreal!

When it finally passed my way, I started to swim in its direction (with I don't know how much pair of snorkels and fins around!). It was approximately 5 minutes of overwhelming experience before the Butanding decided to swim deeper.

The experience was awesome. We did 6 encounters in 3 hours and saw 4 different Butandings ranging from 6-10 meters long.

We met 3 other Frenchies staying in the same hotel as us. Conversation was of course focused on Butanding and what activity should we do next. Everybody voted for a cockfight session but unfortunately, it was quite too late so we finally packed our stuffs and agreed to start heading back to Legaspi.

Arriving at the terminal, we learned that there was no more van travelling to Legaspi so we were obliged to take the jeepney instead. Countryside viewing is much more fun of course if you travel up the jeepney!

Since Frenchguy and I, the adventurous and well-organized backpackers, had no hotel reservation, we just followed the 3 Frenchies with their Lonely Planet guide. Arriving at the hotel, I asked the receptionist if they're organizing a trek to Mount Mayon the next day (it was Sunday, Tourist Information Center was closed). She called up an accredited guide and in no time, the fees were fixed and we were told to sleep early as the climb would start at 4:30am!

We haven't even digested the aftershock of the whaleshark encounter and here we are again, getting excited to the idea of hiking Mount Mayon.

Next: Day 4 - Mount Mayon Trek

Naturalization: First Interview at the Prefecture

Patience is a virtue. If you want to be French, then be patient.

For the record, 14 months had passed between the moment I applied for naturalization and the moment I was interviewed at the Prefecture. I'm not surprised tho. I was told that they're already submerged of 10 months equivalent of files to process when I submitted my documents. Good thing, I wasn't in a hurry.

When I received the appointment at home, I asked my Filipino friends living in France for some typical questions asked during this much-awaited interview. I prefer attacking a battle armed! Each of them of course had their own experiences so here's mine:

I had my appointment at 11am but that didn't mean I was received at exactly that time. There were 2 girls before me so I waited like around 30 long minutes before the interview.

When my turn came, I was asked first for some additional papers:

- Kyla's proof of French nationality

- Louna's proof of scolarity

- my pay slip for the last 3 months

- my pay slip for December 2008

- latest CAF certificate

- tax revenue declaration for 2007 and 2008

- frenchguy's pay slip for the last 3 months

And then the questions. I was practically asked the same questions already asked on the documents I furnished. Like when did I arrive? When did I start working? etc. Other questions were: What language is used at home? Am I part of any association? Do I frequent French communities or rather foreign communities? Why do I want to be French? Why didn't I apply earlier? etc.

The questionning part was rather cool and stress-free. But the announced waiting time wasn't cool at all. Apparently, the police department will do their investigation thing, then after their official report, my file will be forwarded to the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères before the countdown begins. Count 15 months, I was told.

Wow!

Kidney For Sale

I'm currently watching evening news and current events start to scare me. It started talking about Continental shutting down production in Clairoix. Then Dexia offering 8M€ bonus to its big boss despite the fact that it was saved from bankruptcy by the government. The heck!

And now, I've just heard that Spaniards start to to put their organs up for sale on the internet to overcome crisis. I've watched almost the same scenario last week, talking about Indian woman putting their womb for rent to couples with reproduction problem.

When I hear the same news coming from India, it's some kind of a déjà vu for me. I know that it could happen in that part of the world. But Spain!

Don't you think that poverty is like a plague? Then "almost" exclusive to Thirld World Countries. Now gaining more territories in Europe and God-knows-where-else.

Visa Extension No More

I'm quite disappointed today. We had been checking our calendar this week and I felt a bit sad knowing that March 15 is nearing. That's my Mom's departure date. Sad because we really hadn't visited that much because of the cold weather, Kyla's age, and moi busy at work. All I could offer her was a freezing day at Paris Disneyland a day after her arrival here, a weekend at Bourg St Maurice next week the mountains. no, she won't ski, don't worry, a weekend in Rome end of February and a busy daily schedule with the two girls.

With my boss' question whether I could go to the Philippines in the coming weeks just for a week and I could say NO because of my family situation. he told me he would understand, I thought I'd take a chance and ask for a visa extension for my Mom. It would be more comfortable if my Mom's here while I'm on travel, considering Kyla's age. I asked Frenchguy to go the Prefecture because I know they'll be more honest with a French citizen to see any possibility but the answer was negative. The only possible reason for a visa extension is if my Mom's seriously sick. Ayoko nga!

Anybody here in France who had the same experience recently? So the news is true? It's really that strict here now? How is it in your country?

The Power of Osteopathy

Kyla's arrival had certainly changed our life. The joy of finally having her around and cuddle her anytime we want is unexplainable. But to say that she brought but joy at home is an exaggeration. She brought more than that.

She'd been fussy. She had been regurgitating a lot, even close to vomitting sometimes. This disturbs her even when asleep, thus, not sleeping a lot especially at daytime. This is also one of the reasons why I started mixing between breast and bottle feeding - I thought my milk wasn't enough and good enough.

But there must be something more aside from regurgitation. She's too sensitive. She could be awakened by the smallest of noise and movement. She cries not even 5 minutes after I lay her down on bed. The only solution I found was to carry her almost all the time so she could get the dose of sleep she needed for her age. At first, I thought, that must be her reaction to what I had undergone after giving birth. Afraid of separation, she wanted to keep me this time.

Her behaviour had made our organization at home off balanced. Louna's jealousy had been intensified by the fact that I was needed by Kyla 24h a day.

When my FIL went here to pay us a visit, I was indirectly criticized because of my method (MIL in particular). They thought I was instauring a bad habit to Kyla. But after days of stay with us, they finally understood why I had to resort to my method. Kyla was crying a lot.

Her fussiness made me a worried mom. I unintentionally repeated several times to Frenchguy my hope that nothing is wrong with Kyla days before her 1st month visit to the pediatrician.

During those rare free time that I got, I search on the net for solutions. When my SIL talked about an osteopath and after reading reactions from the net, I thought I need to give it a try.

It's been 5 days now after our visit to the osteopath. Kyla regurgitates less, sleeps longer and could stay awake for an hour, observing things around her. Whoa! That's a big change. She still cries of course, but I could now decode the meaning of her cries. I could now attend to what she really needs. Calm is slowly gaining place at home. Louna is now enjoying her sister's company. What a joy!

The Long Road to Being French

Quite a lot of people around me ask why I don't request for the French nationality yet to which I reply I dont feel the need to be French.. yet. At work, I could go to most of the destinations without a visa. Or if needed, visas are easier to obtain from here anyway. I already used my 10-year US tourist visa to go to work without any problem.

But vacations start to be restraint because of my green passport. I need to prepare everything in advance (in destinations where I need a visa) whilst I could play my luck with last minute reservations which are cheaper most of the time.

So I fixed my objective. I need to file my application for naturalization during my maternity leave. And so I went yesterday. With me is a 1-cm-thick file comprising:

- Cerfa n°12753*01 : Request for Acquisition of French Nationality by Naturalization / Reintegration in 2 copies
- Photocopy of valid Resident Card
- NBI clearance : legalized and translated by the Philippine Embassy in Paris at 20€/page
- 2 ID pictures 35x40 mm with name and date of birth written at the back
- Birth Certificate (moi + my parents) : Original + photocopy, legalized and translated by the Philippine Embassy in Paris at 20€/page
- Photocopy of my passport + all pages with stamp
- PACS certificate : latest from Tribunal des Grandes Instances de Paris
- Birth Certificate of Louna
- Photocopy of Passport: Louna and Frenchguy
- Health record of Louna (vaccination)
- Certificate of Ownership (Acte de propriéte) + EDF/GDF bills
- Academic Certificate - Louna
- Job certificate
- Job contract
- Payslip for the last 3 months + payslip for the month of December for the last 3 years
- Diploma which I obtained here in France
- CAF certificate : any monthly financial aide obtained from government organizations
- Certificate of Tax on Revenu for the last 3 years
- Fiscal Situation Statement (revenu, propriétary and resident taxes) for the last 3 years obtained from trésor Public

But married individuals have other requirements to file. Please check out this site if you're interested.

As for my application, I was told that my file won't be opened in a few months. No surprises. My colleague has just obtained her French nationality after 2 years. She was interviewed prior to the obtention of her papers but apparently, the questions were the same as what I had during the obtention of my 10-year resident card which I wrote here. And future applicants, don't worry, you won't sing La Marseillaise.

PS: Ma Crèche Privée has just been updated - 8th Month Visit.

A Tragic Death for a 3 Year Old

I was listening to the morning news on my way to work yesterday and I was again caught by this disturbing incident seemingly propagating like a plague across France. It's the 3rd incident I heard in less than a year.

A father forgot his daughter inside the car leaving her for a day under the scorching heat of the summer sun. The little girl died of dehydration. Worst is that, the father left his son at school that morning, then drove his way to the nanny's place to leave his daughter. He passed infront of the nanny's house but did not stop. He continued driving till he arrived at work. At midday, he took his car for a quick lunch nearby without noticing his daughter. Afternoon came and his wife called him up to check if he already fetched their daughter as she's not at the nanny's place. The father then realized that he forgot his daughter inside the car. He quickly ran to his car only to find his daughter dead.

Such incident would surely change a man's life for forever. I wouldn't like to blame or to judge that father. He surely didn't do that on purpose. Who would, anyway. I would just like to share the story to all moms and dads out there. To warn them that such incident could happen. Be careful with your little ones. At that age, they're not capable to open cars yet. And with car security measures nowadays, they couldn't open it anyway. And to those who see babies and toddlers left alone inside the car, that they call proper authorities for intervention.

Thanks.

Le Congé Maternité

Paid maternity leave in France stretches from 16 to 46 weeks depending whether it's your first or third child or you're carrying a twin or a triplet. A pathological leave could even be added - 2 weeks prenatal and 4 weeks postnatal, if the attending gynecologist judges that a mom needs additional rest. A mom could choose nonetheless to take only 8 weeks of maternity leave with the approval of her gynecologist.

In my case, I'm supposed to stop 6 weeks before and 10 weeks after the D Day. This rule has apparently changed since February 2007. Now, moms could choose to take a minimum of 3 weeks prenatal leave and the rest of the weeks not taken before the D Day would be added on the postnatal leave. That's cool! That would give me more time with my 2 girls.

The end of the year announces a lot of roller-coaster ride at home. We need a breather and this news is really a great one. Louna will start pre-school this September. We will need to change our nanny (we will look for somebody not far from our place). Then the coming of the little girl.

All that looks simple but if you know how it works here in France, you would surely wish me goodluck. Great nannies are rare gems here in France. Much as we wanted to keep Louna's nanny, her place is just too far from our place. Louna's pre-school is just 4 blocks away from our place and it's just logical that we search for a nanny (for the 2nd baby) nearby. The nanny should be able to fetch Louna from school too, in case we're blocked. Thus the necessity that she be just around the area. Louna's pre-school have a nursery which could keep kids from 7am - 7pm so that's pretty comfortable.

Well, all that talks about logistics. But the real big change is that Louna will be a big sister and will start pre-school. How will she react to that change? Nobody knows.

We would certainly need to take a closer look on our time management. Work travels should be organized carefully. I would certainly ask not to travel till the little girl turns one (I did that for Louna) and we should find a nanny who could offer a lot of flexibility.

Well, I know that everything will fall at the right place at the right time. There's always a solution to every problem, right?

Breast Cancer Awareness

Help spread the awareness on the Breast Cancer Awareness month of June. Please help convey the importance of regular examination and early detection of breast cancer in order to catch this disease when it first erupts, maximizing the chance of survival and recovery.

These are the some information/symptoms that I’ve got upon searching the net regarding Breast Cancer.

• A change in how the breast or nipple feels
• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area
• Nipple tenderness
• A change in how the breast or nipple looks
• A change in the size or shape of the breast
• A nipple turned inward into the breast
• The skin of the breast, areola, or nipple may be scaly, red, or swollen. It may have ridges or pitting so that it looks like the skin of an orange.
• Nipple discharge (fluid)
• Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. Still, a woman should see her health care provider about breast pain or any other symptom that does not go away. Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer. Other health problems may also cause them. Any woman with these symptoms should tell her doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Source: MedicineNet.com

Help spread awareness. You can help the lives of many women by spreading the word about The Breast Cancer Site. If The Breast Cancer Site receives 8 million clicks on the pink button in June, their premier sponsor -Bare Necessities- will donate $10,000 for more free mammograms. CLICK the pink button today!

Please click. Or better yet, do the tag for the whole world to know ;). My nanny's mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer just recently and though we're not related, it was just too painful to learn such bad news.

My Hometown Under State of Calamity

So you probably heard the news. Mang Cosme has hit Northern Luzon and left thousands of families homeless. My hometown is apparently the most ravaged in Zambales - Sta. Cruz. Indeed, I saw the news, saw familiar landmarks, even saw my cousin's internet shop with computers drenched, all houses roofless, no electricity.

I was trying to call up my parents for no particular reasons this weekend. I wasn't informed, I hardly keep up. But they were unavailable. Apparently, their mobile phones have no charged batteries anymore. And with the damage Cosme had caused, it would probably take them a month for electricity to go back to normal.

My sisters in Manila just informed me that our parent's house lost its roofs, our car was hit (Don't know if the insurance would handle the reparation expenses), all trees were broken/fallen (Including those mango trees that my Mom planted ages ago. They just started to bear fruits.) and our ricefield was flooded, and so, damaged (Meaning all investments washed away, no harvest this season). The only good news is that my parents are safe. Which is the most important news.

As far as I could remember, we already had the same calamity ages ago (I was probably 7 years old) but we only lost our roofs. It was during the night and we woke up floating on our instant swimming pool. We in fact slept in the basement, on a bamboo bed, so it floated. I could remember how happy I was playing with our swimming pool.


Rip-Current Deaths

Raqgold's entry about a drowning incident in one of the beaches in Zambales disturbed me. It's a story which is a déjà vu for me. I felt a certain familiarity to it. Aren't these the kinds of incidents where oldies would say Marami talagang na-eengkanto dyan. Taon-taon may kinukuha dyan. Aren't these the kinds of incidents why my parents always warned us against going to the seashore?

There was never any scientific explanation to it. Province people has always relied to kababalaghan, sa sabi ng matatanda, sa tadhana. But as I said, I was kind of disturbed. Me and my siblings, inspite the warning from our parents, are beach lovers. Philippine beaches are there to indulge to, and lifeguards are almost nowhere. We need not rely our lives to life security which is not there. We need to be responsible. I found this link which explains what this phenomenon is and how to avoid it. And why not, save lives. Please do me a favor. Read it.

Passport Renewal - Update

I called up the Consular Section this morning and you wouldn't believe this - I had helpful and kind employees. That is a real picture of To the service of the Filipinos. I spent like 20 minutes on the phone with Mr. Helpful explaining to me why we need such a list of requirements. In fact, it's to track illegal aliens and was implemented since 2005, the arrival of the new Ambassador.

So to recap:

1. BC with red ribbon authenticated only by DFA.
3. In the absence of voter's ID, an NBI clearance could do the deal.
4. Yes, baptismal certificate is required.
6. Sworn statement is also required.
8. Valid visas will be spared in the cancellation of the old passport.

Additional info: Passport issued would still be in the old format, not the brown with microchip.

In fact, with people like that, I just realized that I wouldn't mind providing them with the necessary papers. It's really how we convey the message that counts.

I have a bad news tho. After the conversation with Mr. Helpful, he transfered my call to Mrs. Kind so I could verify the status of Louna's registration at the embassy. I wrote something about this here. After minutes of looking into her files, she was still calm and not mataray at all. But it seemed that Louna is not yet existing on the list. They received the mandat cash but not the documents (They should have informed me, right?). Darn. Now I have to check the bank if the fee I transfered was withdrew by the embassy or not. If so, I have to go through all the paper thing again, but without re-paying.

Are your kids registered or do they have the dual nationality? How important is it to you?

Passport Renewal

My passport is expiring end of this year and I'm so glad that I started the inquiry this early. My goodness. I still can't believe the list of requirements.

The paper says - Issuance of Passport : Requirements for Passport not Issued in Paris with Schengen Visa. I asked for a Passport renewal.

Here are the requirements:

1. Birth Certificate (with red ribbon) - which means it should be issued by NSO and authenticated by Malacañang and DFA. Wow. Can't I present the NSO certificate without the authentication? Anyway, NSO's using a particular paper to avoid copies, right? So why the double authentication? And do I really have to send that? I'm just asking for passport renewal and not a new passport.
2. Marriage Certificate (with red ribbon) for married woman applicant
3. Certified true copy of voter's registration record or certificate of non-registration as voter issued by Comelec or Voter's ID. I don't have this. Where will I get this? Comelec? Would they issue such paper to a family member for example?
4. Baptismal Certificate or Certificate of Dedication - ??? What's the link?
5. Identification card with photograph - Errr? A passport is the best ID to testify your identity, right?
6. Sworn Statement - They sent me the paper to be filled up. It demands information on my true identity and the identity I used to enter France, including the agent's name and address and the amount I paid to falsify the documents. What if I entered legally, do I have to fill this up and pay 32.50€ (below)? I know this is a stupid question but who knows.
7. 4 copies of new photographs
8. Original Passport

Now, on with the Consular Fees - 123.50€! Ano daw? Ang sakit nun a. 65€ for passport fee, 32.50€ for sworn statement fee and 26€ for passport verification fee. Do I really have to pay all of that?

Ok, ok. I'm not that naïve. I know that there are Filipinos who entered illegally to France, thus the security check. But ain't this too much?

I still doubt if they sent me the right list of requirements. If I remember it right, I even talked in Tagalog on the phone. Di kaya nila ako naintindihan?

I actually inquired in the Philippines and it seems that they need the original passport (and not just the copy) and they also require personal appearance because of the new electronic system. I was actually planning to send my passport to a colleague and ask my sister to renew it, then send the new one back to France.

Now, if only a work opportunity that would require me to travel to the Philippines opens, I'd gladly comply. If only I knew, I should have worked on it last September when I was there.

Honestly, this list just motivates me to work on my French naturalization application. Hay buhay!

I'll be going to Paris tomorrow. Do you think it's intelligent if I go to the embassy and apply personally? I have documents 1 (not authenticated), 5, 6, 7 and 8. O baka matarayan lang ako? You know, I could hardly handle that.

If you have renewed your passport in France recently, kindly give light.

Philippines: A View From Outside

I have been bloghopping this weekend and I was caught by SexyMom's entry on Understanding the Bureaucracy - Is There A Way Out and RaqGold's A Call to Unite for RP. Like them, I care a lot for my country too. I want my country to be able to offer and provide opportunities to the Filipinos and to project a good image to the rest of the world.

Working in a central department where major decisions are taken gives me a good view of how potential investors consider the Philippines. Aside from the technical blahblahs, I sometimes work on some economic analysis which provides me better understanding on how such and such products go to such or such country - read: job creation on that chosen country.

Did you know that :

- Electricity is very expensive in the Philippines compared to most of our neighboring countries? Well, we're basically using coal-fired power plants and coals are being bought outside.

- Road infrastructures / Air connections has to be improved if we want to explore other provinces not only for industrial purposes but for tourism as well? There are a lot of islands to be visited in the Philippines but it takes a lot of time, especially for foreigners to organize everything. Travel packages is probably one thing that we have to promote more and more.

- Salary rate starts to be less attractive in the Philippines and Labor Unions scare away these investors too. Other emerging countries like Vietnam are already taking active participation in this new game called globalization. We have to wake up and think on how we could invite more investors and provide jobs to our fellow Filipinos - and better yet, support local entrepreneurs to promote our own products.

- Other countries, Thailand in particular have these big billboards promoting an opening of an industrial park which would certainly catch attention of investors arriving in the country. And comes with it are massive constructions of roads and other facilities to accompany this development.

- It is generally more complicated to establish a business in the Philippines compared to our neighboring countries (at least to the countries where our plants are situated). Admistrative stuffs, taxes, etc... add government stability, corruption.. and we're almost at the bottom of the list.

- Countries like China and India are the investor's haven nowadays. They offer cheap labor and most importantly, they also present as potential markets. With the economic boom they are enjoying right now, buying power is getting stronger by the second. Philippines is 'competitive' in terms of population but buying power is somewhat restricted to a limited percentage of the population.

Me thinks that the government should think about the Philippines for once and find solutions on how we could improve our economy. We could blog all we want but if the government does nothing, nothing will happen. Hey, we couldn't just stay as a Third World country for the rest of humanity. Naman, aren't we tired of being poor? Don't we want to alleviate our situation? Don't we have any politicians out there who have real concern about the Philippines? I mean, somebody who thinks about the Philippines before his own pocket?

It’s My Big Day Today

31 years. Wow. When I was still a student, I envisioned my 30th year with a lot of material successes. That’s typical, right? We want to finish our studies and have financial independence the earliest time possible. I dreamt about having my own car, my own house and a debit/credit card which I could swipe anytime without worrying for overdrafts. Know what? I have all of that now.

But real happiness for me is when my daughter asks me when she wants to go potty and does it, when she wipes the table and gathers food crumbles with her tiny little hands, when she requests for nose-to-nose and when she says av-you (I love you) during bedtime.

And now that I’m 31, and to be more honest, I’m happy with what I have, who wouldn’t? But I would be much happier if these freaking pimples stop popping out of my 31-year-old-freaking-face each time I lack sleep because my freaking job stresses me out! Hay buhay.

And oh, by the way. Now that I’m 31, and a responsible citizen at that, I’ve just registered My Hideaway at the Blog Action Day site. You know, I hardly am a member of any web organizations. Or if so, it’s because they really capture my interest. I am a member of PMN for parenting, and now Blog Action Day because I’m concerned with the environment.

So if you want to make me happier today because it’s my birthday, go click Blog Action Day and give it a thought.

PMN E-Zine's Up

The fast growing Pinoy Moms Network is taking another height by launching the much awaited e-zine. The sexy new look is of course a product of blood, sweat and tears as Sexy Mom describes it. Credits to the founder of PMN, Connie and Noemi, and of course the section editors, Sexy Mom, PinayExpat, FeistyMomma and AnnaManila.

PMN has become one of my favorite tambayan lately. It's there where I met interesting people with the same interest and love as me - our children. So once the e-zine project was announced, I was quite excited to be a member writer. Too excited that I have my first two articles published at the same day. Read my take on Toddler Management and what your kids could benefit from camping.

See you there.

Les Vacances en France

My vacation counter has been reset last month. On the list are:

Congés Payés : 25 days. That’s 5 weeks of Paid Leave.

Pont Payé : 1 day. Day between a legal holiday and a weekend. We have 1 day a year and we could take it anytime we want.

Réduction Temps de Travail (RTT) : 11 days. The RTT is the equivalent of 35-hour workweek. With that regime, I get 11 more days of vacation a year.

Congé d’Ancienneté : 2 days. Days added related to the length of service in the company. What? Who says I’m old?

Report Jour de Repos : 2 days. The days I wasn’t able to take last accounting year which I have to consume till the 31st of August this year. Another way to keep unconsumed vacation days is to transfer them to the Compte Epargne Temps. It’s like a bank where you place your vacation days without worrying when you have to consume them. A quota of 18 days a year has to be respected tho.

Jour de Récupération : 3 days. These days are linked to the number of Saturdays I worked during my business travels which I have to recover upon arriving in France.

Add to that the official holidays which are:

January 1 – New Year’s Day
April N – Easter Monday
May 1 – Labour Day
May 8 – 1945 Victory
May N – Ascension Day
June N – Whit Monday (Pentecost)
July 14 – Bastille Day
August 15 – Assumption Day
November 1 – All Saint’s Day
November 11 – Armistice Day
December 25 – Christmas Day

Now, let’s do the Math. How many non-working days do I have? 55 days. Yipee!

Let’s get to the more serious topic now. Frenchguy, Louna and I need to take a 3-weeks summer vacation this August. We started to think about spending it in Italy, starting in the Vallé d’Aoste (to do mountain activities), then go down south to Pisa, Florence and Rome, then drive up to Venice and spend some time whiling away at the Italian shores, Mediterranean side. The problem was, we just started to organize everything last week, a month before our actual vacation. Since we’re running out of time, the best way to do everything quick was to ask people around us for some tips on where to park the car, which hotel to stay, what other small villages to visit, etc. But after hearing stories like August is the worst month to visit Italy because of too much tourists etc etc, we decided to think about Plan B.

Plan B is to visit something authentic or why not exotic. Egypt was long considered - cruise in the Nile River, a stop at the Hurghada/Red Sea then a day tour at Cairo. A perfect getaway. But I need a visa and we’re 3 weeks from taking our luggage off. Add to that the fact that the mercury will most probably display 40°C at daytime and Louna’s vaccines has to be reviewed. Ok, this destination - cancelled.

I again restarted to browse the net to search for Plan C while Frenchguy leaf through the pages of travel magazines. After minutes of thorough checking, I shouted ‘Know what? I won’t need a visa to go to Morocco’ to which he responded ‘Yes but you will also melt there because of too much heat.’ This destination – cancelled.

On to plan D. Plan D is … not yet finalized. We have an idea where to go and what to do, but nothing is reserved yet. And everything could still change at the last minute because of various reasons.

So expect for plan E. Hayy, ang hirap din ng maraming bakasyon!

Is Your Kid Safe Inside the Car?

Have you ever experienced being absorbed by something leading you to commit serious errors and problems? Even fatal consequences?

A 19 month old toddler was found dead inside a car after a day of non-surveillance. In fact, his father forgot to drop the kid off at the day care center so he unconsciously left his son locked inside the car at his office’s parking area. He only realized the error at 4pm, when the day care administrator called up to ask why the kid was absent. When the father arrived, the kid was already dead of too much heat and dehydration.

The accident happened in a town not far from Dijon. It happened two weeks ago, when I was in the Philippines on a business travel. Imagine my fear when I heard the news and the images that crossed my mind... remember, I was away from my daughter. My first reflex was to imagine myself on that same scenario.

Louna is of the same age and I know that she’s not yet capable to unbuckle her safety belt nor open the window, nor open the car door. Imagine how helpless the kid was, and imagine the feeling of guilt his parents are into right now.

I know that this is a horrible news but I need to share it with you and be warned that such thing could happen.

I am listing some kid-friendly measures that could save lives:

- Wear seat belts. They’re there to save your kid’s and your life. An abrupt braking could literally project your kids pass the car windows to outside of the car.

- Use a car safety seat. The built-in seat belts are designed for adults. In cases where no car seat is available, stay at the back seat with somebody holding your kid.

- Never let small kids stay on the passenger’s seat. They could disturb your driving concentration when they start to push all those buttons. In case of accident, it is safer to have them at the back seat. I once saw a kid displaying half of his body outside of the car window while his mom was driving. The kid was of course, not attached. I saw two risks. Either the kid will fall down or be hit by a car.

- Lock car windows and doors. Most of the latest car models provide automatic lock system. Don’t hesitate to use it especially during long drives when kids start to be restless and try to open windows and doors. You know, kids learn at a very young age how to buckle and un-buckle up their seat belts.

- Never stay inside a stationed car with the air-con running. You risk carbon monoxide poisoning.

- Bring some water (and water spray). Here in Europe, summers could be very hot and dry. I’ve heard a lot of stories of infant death inside a car during long drives because of too much heat and dehydration. Car air-con is not yet generalized particularly here in France. In such cases, schedule the long drive at night when the temperature is lower. Use water sprays without moderation.

- And yes, don’t leave your kid alone inside the car. During summer, the temperature inside a car could go up to 45°C or more.

Some parents could just take these details for granted, especially the first 4 points, reasoning that their kids are well-disciplined and would never try such crazy deeds. But remember, kids don’t have the same notion of danger than you do. One prevention is better than a thousand cure. Take your pick.

More on defensive driving here.