Aoûtiens

We've always been juilletistes rather than aoûtiens. But since we are obliged to synchronize our vacation with our yaya's, we are then subjected to hotter climate and more expensive everything on the month of August. Itinerary is limited to short trips, promenade in shadowy areas, swimming preferably in shaded pools and probably island hopping. Our target destination is La Bretagne, where temperature is normally lower than the rest of France. Well, we hope.

It will be Louna's first real vacation with us. My little mermaid could finally spend more time in swimming pools with Maman and Papa. Look at how she loves being in the water.

With that said, this blog will be signing off for vacation.. even blogs need a break!

Juilletiste - people taking their vacation during the month of July.
Aoûtiens - you got it right, it's August.

Let's Get Bilingual

Frenchguy was again in turmoil. He was with 2 french couples and the subject of conversation was focused on how to teach a child two languages at a very young age. 5 french people who learned but french at home and school, who had collections of VHS of disney movies in french, who watched everything on TV in french, who listened to the radio in french... of course, the topic was quite disturbing. Too big a deal.

I'm no expert in languages nor do I have the right method to teach my girl any. To have a quick background, I learned Zambal because it was the dialect spoken at home. I learned Tagalog at the same time for obvious reasons. It's everywhere. I learned English from TV, I was the Scooby Doo fan. So even before kindergarten, I already spoke 2 languages (considering Zambal is another thing to be learned) and understood English. But like any other kid in the Philippines, at that age, I knew how to present myself in English too.

At Grade 1, we changed our yaya, and this time, she was an Ilocana. It didn't take me long to understand her secrets shared to our neighbor's yaya, who was herself Ilocana. They didn't even knew I understood them (tsismosa).

During those times, 2 languages spoken fluently and 2 other languages being understood, I didn't even notice that I was actually learning. I don't even remember any moment of confusion between those languages.

5 years ago, I was forced to learn French for obvious reasons. And I tell you, it was difficult. No more sponge-like brain willing to absorb another language. I guess the secret to learning several languages at the same time is a constant contact with the language. I know that it will be difficult to implement that concept here in France, where everything is in French. English DVDs, English-speaking moi... oh well, can I just cross the bridge when I get there?

Ok, all that being said, let me update you on Louna's language update.

In fact, I hardly speak the english language at the moment and I'm supposed to be the teacher. If occasional call conference with some non-french colleagues counts, then that's about it. My conversation with my 8-month old doesn't really progress. First, because I don't even know if she understands me, second, because I don't understand the response that I get. Here's one of our one-on-one conversation.

Me: Repeat after me, Louna. I - LOVE - YOU.
Louna: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! (high-pitched, of course).
Me: No Louna. Let's do it again. I - LOVE - YOU.
Louna: BOOOOOOOOO! (with a mischievous smile).
Me: I - LOVE - YOU.
Louna: KKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! (with e pronounced in french).
Me: Naman si Louna e. Serious na. I - LOVE - YOU.
Louna: Pft.

End of conversation.

Optimistic me thinks I'm on the right track.

On Football and Racism

Sports should normally unite people regardless of origin, race, politics, beliefs or religion. There's only one rule applicable.

The headbutt done by Zidane was a result of provocation. This guy isn't stupid. When he engaged in the act, 10 minutes away from his retirement, at the World Cup finals, don't you think there's something serious behind?

Here's his explaination.

The declaration done by an Italian senator was even more uncalled for, calling the frenchies 'black, muslim and communist'. Ok Mr Senator, let me explain it to you :

Black - Mr, you should review your neighbor's geography. France has this so-called DOM-TOM, overseas departments and territories, lovely islands I should say, where populations are mainly black. So these blacks are in fact, French.

Muslim - Franck Ribery? His wife is Muslim, so I guess he converted to this religion out of love. What wouldn't you do for love, hmmm?

Communist - Errr, I should search more. The whole www cannot provide me the name of the communist french football player.

The controversy has gone worldwide. TF1, one of the leading channels here, will present the 8pm news tonight with a black newscaster. A way to show their stand to 'SAY NO TO RACISM' campaign.

Picture from Fotothing.

It's not either you win or loss baby, it's how you play the game.

The Good Frenchguy's Guide

Have dinner ready. And that's applicable even if you are out of the country. Fill the fridge with ready-to-cook meals. This is a way of letting her know that you have been thinking about her and are concerned about her needs.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to take a shower, shave and brush your teeth. She has just been with a lot of odd-smelling work-weary people.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for her. And please, don't talk about work. Her boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. A general cleaning of the house and garden plus the laundry at least once a week suffice. Your wife will feel she has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for her comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Prepare the children. Leave the office and fetch your child before 6pm. This will prevent you from paying extra hours to your nanny and will give more time to your wife to finish her work.

Minimise all noise. At the time of her arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum.

Be happy to see her. Greet her with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please her.

Listen to her. You may have a dozen important things to tell her, but the moment of her arrival is not the time. Let her talk first - remember, her topics of conversation are more important than yours. She also has the right to talk about work, all you have to do is listen and agree to her.

Make the evening hers. Never complain if she blogs all the time. Instead, try to understand her world of strain and pressure and her very real need to be at home and relax infront of the www.

Your goal: try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your wife can renew herself in body and spirit. Don’t greet her with complaints and problems.

Make her comfortable. Make her lean back in a comfortable chair or have her lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for her. Arrange her pillow and offer to shine her shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don’t ask her questions about her actions or question her judgement or integrity. Remember, she's earning almost as much as you do. You have no right to question her.

A good husband always knows his place.

The Good Wife's Guide

Apparently, this is an article published in 'Housekeeping Monthly' in 1955. Read on.

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. and then run a dustcloth over the tables.

Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by.Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

Your goal: try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Don’t greet him with complaints and problems. Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Make him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgement or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

I just love the phrase highlighted in red. Excellent! The french translation added some more biting twist. Here's the french version re-translated.

After dinner, clear the table and do the dishes at once. If he suggests to help you, decline his offer because he would risk to feel obliged to repeat it afterwards. After a long day of labour, he doesn't need additional work. Encourage him to be engaged in his favourite pastimes and to dedicate himself to his centers of interest. Show yourself interested without giving however the impression to trespass his domain. If you have small pastimes yourself, see to it not to annoy him by talking about it because the centers of interests of women are often rather insignificant compared to men's.

On intimate relationship, be guided by your wedding obligations and in particular your obligation to obey him. If he considers that he needs to sleep at once, then be it. Be guided by his desires and never provoke or stimulate him for a sexual intercourse.

If he needs sexual intercourse, accept it with humility while keeping in mind that the pleasure of a man is more important than that of a woman. When he reaches orgasm, a small groan on your part will encourage him and will be completely sufficient to indicate to him any kind of pleasure you were able to have.

If he has extramarital affaires, be obedient and resigned, but indicate your possible lack of enthusiasm by keeping yourself silent. It is likely that your husband will fall asleep quickly.

You could then reset the alarm clock so you could wake up earlier than him. It will allow you to prepare his morning cup of tea ready when he will wake up.

Haha, this is hilarious!

Life of a Working Mom

I'm no neophyte in the work environment. I dream big no more. Corporate ladder not attractive anymore. Finally, life thought me to evaluate priorities. Balance, balance. I already resigned from my ambitious self, enough stress from work, thank you. Promotions, big responsibilities, big salaries...there's more in life, ya know. All that, just to say, I want to spend quality time with my daughter. Honestly.

Today's Status: Frenchguy on business travel. Moi on an early meeting in Paris tomorrow. Louna staying in her yaya's place for the night. Next rendez-vous with her tomorrow afternoon. Poor lil girl...

Nearing the Finals..

Portugal vs France

5th of July at 9 pm.

0 - 1

On to the finals... everybody's celebrating outside; car's hooting, people running, jumping, shouting.. and me trying to simulate a soundproof room for Louna ..now, tell me how the heck could I sleep.

Anyhoo.. Allez les bleus! France vs Italy on Sunday, July 9 at 8 pm.

The Pope and the President

I don't normally read news about the Philippines. First, because I have no time. Second, because I just feel down and disappointed on what I read. The least I could do is read the headlines listed at the right corner of this blog without really getting into the details. Today, my eyes were caught by this headline: Pope's reaction drew interpretations over Arroyo administration which led me to click on the link at once. What the heck are they mixing again? Politics and religion, don't you think they have to be tackled separately for the betterness of everybody?

Here's a quote from the article:
Malacanang officials and proponents of Charter change were elated at what they believed was the blessing the Pope gave to the Arroyo administration's campaign to revise the Constitution.

That sent them to euphoria, people. Blessing from the Pope! Onli in da Pilipins! Do you really think Berlusconi (from Italy), Zapatero (from Spain), De Villepin (from France) or any other political figure from a dominantly-catholic country would ask blessing from the Pope for a revision of their constitution? I guess they react mainly in function of their current social, economic and political situation. They use intelligence and not prayers.

And what's with this Parliamentary form of government they want to propose? I only see a grand mafia behind that slogan and an infinite power to those who are already in political position. I can see my dear Philippines dying because of the Filipinos. I don't think that kind of government is adopted to a corrupt country like ours. This would just boil down to a big corporation of few selected people who would rule the country.

Kawawa naman si Juan de la Cruz.

Allez Les Bleus

I have predicted the elimination of France this afternoon, and no wonder, I couldn't pass for Madame Auring. France won over Spain 3-1, winning goals courtesy of Frank Ribery (41'), Patrick Vieira (82')and Zinedine Zidane (92+').

I could still hear cars hooting outside 15 minutes after the match! I'm sure it will be in the headlines in the office tomorrow. Expect low productivity.

But the game isn't over yet. Still a long and hard way to go before the finals. Will they beat Brazil this Saturday? It will surely be a much-awaited match! Rendez-vous infront of your television set on July 1, 9pm.

More news on FIFA World Cup 2006.
Picture courtesy of FIFA site.

Spot The Difference

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

I'm in deep merde. Bad luck, mistake, missed train.. always come when they shouldn't.

I'm working as a support on a priority and strategic project for our company. To have an overview, there are 3 main steps in our workflow. First, we produce the material. Then we add a 2-step technology for the added values which makes our product more sophisticated and of course, more expensive than our competitors'. My job falls on the first phase of the 2-step process and the project concerns the final step. That means that I'm not directly working on it , I just supervise the process prior to the final step. Easy, right?

The problem is, the final step won't run without our precious intervention on phase one.

Yesterday, operator 1 came back from vacation. She thought operator 2 did her job well while operator 2 actually relied on her. Me thought, everything was ok as usual especially that operator 1 was back. Confident me did not even check the work area, thinking two operators are better than one. Today, there were no processed product for the final step. And the products in question were to be used for customer survey - ya know, the products that should be processed with no mistake! I guess I'm really in for a deep merde.

Bonne Fête Papa!!!

My Little Nomad III

The doting and ever loyal mamarazzi followed this little nomad as she explored the world of bigger people. The presence of her Mommy and Daddy from the Philippines obliged her to pursue her adventures at a more accelerated pace resulting to more discoveries, not only on her part but also for the mamarazzi. Follow me as I follow her...shhhh.

Camping at Collioure - at 6.5 months! With the duvet and contoured changing pad in tow, sound sleep on the go. This changing pad has actually found another function, it will surely be added on our to-bring list. Bath time was a guaranteed intimate moment with mamarazzi and papa Frenchguy (yes, we were 3 inside that 1m2 shower cubicle! ... red tub no more.

Sunbathing - Lil nomads suggestion is to pamper lil nomads like her with sunscreen creams with at least SPF 50 with wider spectrum (Sun Protection Factor which could block UVB and UVA). Well, at least in France where UV index is quite high most of the time. The cream pampering session should be repeated every 2 hours to ensure good protection and TLC from mamarazzi. Sun exposure should of course be taken with moderation.Mountain Hiking - Not more than 1500 meters altitude for babies less than 6 months. But what about babies living in high altitudes? Anyhoo, I caught this lil nomad having great time with her papa Frenchguy while climbing the Pic du Canigou (2784m). They stopped halfway at around 1800 m alt, because like sun exposure, adventures should be equally taken with moderation.Night Partying - and this lil nomad had the energy to feel the Barcelona life up to past midnight. I guess she was caught in the ambiance, with people walking everywhere and talking out loud.Kayaking - ehem, she just had the feel of it ... out of the water. .. and contented herself watching her papa Frenchguy as he glided into the waves.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video Sharing

Enough for a 7 months old little girly... more of her next time ;)

Tax Season

It's tax season again. The nouveauté this year is that we received our tax declaration file already filled up. A little modification here and there and voila, it's done. But that didn't add a single bit of motivation to declare our taxes earlier. Is it because it involves money going out of our pocket? Probably. Those blue documents have been messing up our to-do files since early May so I decided to look up on it last night.

Another nouveauté this year is the coming of Louna. I did two computation simulations to check the benefits of having her around, financially speaking of course. Aside from the happiness and fulfillment she brought in our life, she also let us save 1,500€ from our taxes. Not bad, you say? Well, I thought we could save bigger. Ok, ok, I'll keep my mouth shut and stop complaining!

Related entry: Tax Me Not

Life's Simple Pleasures

Nao asked me to list the Top 10 of my life's simple pleasures. Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait. You name it, you got it.

1. An afternoon nap with Louna, preferably on a hammock - I start dreaming of being a SAHM so we could do it everytime we want. If you give me even around 80% of my salary, enough to pay my monthly amortization for the house and some pocket money, I won't think twice, I sure will give that a shot.
2. A look from her trying to get my attention - yes, this little princess starts to have her own trick to charm everyone.
3. Playing with her and watching her grow (especially while she's sleeping) - add to that the sweet little smile she generously gives when she wakes up.
4. Sitting on frenchguy's lap - I'm actually her original bébé!
5. Arriving at the summit (during a mountain hike) - what a pleasure to reach the goal inspite of the difficulties.
My Little Geisha
6. A walk in the park - after a day's work, this sure changes the atmosphere.
7. A smile from a stranger - Throw me a smile, it doesn't cost a cent, ya know.
8. A phonecall or an email from family and friends - it's always a pleasure. Tho it seems that I'm receiving less and less..or is it because I communicate less and less because of tight schedules of being a working mom?
9. Receiving pictures from my niece and nephews - these tiny monsters (and their parents) are lazy farts. I still should beg them before they send me one. Well, they don't realize what homesickness means.
10. When somebody who hadn't seen me for quite a time tells me that I gained weight - That would surely make my day ;)

Rediscovering France

An overview: My oldies are both retired elementary school teachers living in a little farm, in a house situated in the middle of our ricefield. Habitants of our little barrio are mockingly called taga-bukid or taga-bundok due to the hills around the area. They are first-time travelers outside the Philippines, both on their 70s and are religiously catholic.
(Our house in the province hiding in the middle of our riceland)

Their arrival in France made me rediscover this country I now call home. Allow me to introduce to you France as I rediscover it from my parent's naïve and uncorrupted eyes.

Paris, Walang Kaparis: Have you ever heard about this? My mom said she's been hearing that line when she was a kid. And indeed, for her, it's Paris, walang kaparis.

Tourism: According to them, France could live with tourism alone. We've been to Paris, Lourdes, Midi-Pyrénées (mountains) and La Vendée (facing Atlantic Ocean) and we never ceased to bump into tourists of different nationalities. If only we could do the same in the Philippines, that would translate to more jobs and more income to the government.

Houses and Hotels on top of the mountains: So now they understand why Frenchguy loves to stay in our little farm. It's his dream to have one like ours. Taga-bundok ka dyan!

Streets of Cobble Stones: So for them, France is really rich. In the Philippines, they put stones inside the house, here, even on the streets. And when they arrived in the centre ville of Dijon where streets are covered with Burgundy stones, grabe daw talaga hehe (Burgundy is also known for its white-pinkish stones).

Map Reading: So there's the driver..and next to him, the map reader. And yes, all of the houses we've been are equiped with at least the map of France.

French Dining: It lasted 4 hours during bébé's baptismal party. Busog na daw sila, kelan daw ba matatapos? By the way, we had 5 servings from starters to dessert.

White Dress for the Baptismal Ceremony: Not anymore. French people don't invest anymore on white ensembles which is destined to be used once. Bébé was the only one on white gown. Pinay pa rin yan.

Pain or Baguette (French Loaf): Parang unan na daw kalaki. And these frencies just place them anywhere.. iniipit pa nga sa kilikili hehe..

Prices: How many times should I tell them stop converting before they actually stop?

Flexitime: Now they're thinking that I'm a big boss because I go and leave my office anytime I want. Pass 8:30, they start to worry for me because they're thinking I'll be late. [Moi] I don't badge nga My. [Mom] Uy, big boss ka na talaga ha... that's almost everyday! Alam ko na bat makulit ako..

Bourgogne Escargot (Burgundy Snails) and Frog Legs: Sosyal daw ang kuhol at palaka dito, sini-serve sa restaurants.

Condom Automatic Dispenser: In almost every corner, be it in Paris or in small villages in France. Immoral daw pala ang mga Pranses. (Hyper catholic nga sila di ba..).

Nudity on Commercial Ads: Immoral daw pala ang mga Pranses Part II.

French Kiss Everywhere: Immoral daw pala ang mga Pranses Part III.

Modern Farming: Alleluia for what technology could do. Would you believe that they had as much interest in this field as what they had for the Eiffel Tower. I guess my father was dreaming of having one for his farm.

Beggars: Most of them don't speak French, they don't look kawawa at all, some even looks macho and able-bodied to plow our ricefield, iuwi na lang kaya sa Pinas at pag-araruhin.

Lady Bus Drivers: My father was amused to see that. Wala daw ganun sa Pinas.

Old People: Old and yet still climbing mountains, still driving cars, still gorgeously living their life!

Mc Donalds: [Moi] My, ano gusto mo? [Mom] Yung me rice. And I was wondering why they push me to eat in McDo instead of other restaurants. Miss na pala nila ang rice.

My Little Nomad II

From timba

to jacuzzi.

Bébé will be meeting Daddy and Mommy from the Philippines tomorrow. Another nomad life surely awaits her. Aside from the SPF 50 cream and the water vaporizer to protect her from sunburn and dehydration, the red timba surely comes real handy for us. Hmmm, actually, I long hesitated to bring that jacuzzi, what do ya think?

Oppps, by the way, aside from my parents, Zambales mango, dried bangus, dried tilapia, and dried pusit fresh from the province are on rendez-vous tomorrow, can't wait!

Bébé's One Minute Fame

I haven't any slightest idea about this till TheFamilyC dropped by to say hello. Cheers!

Finally..

My parents got their visa. Wohoo!!!

My Little Nomad

Spring is in the air. Time to breath fresh air and enjoy what this season has to offer. Little bébé, who is now a budding 5 months old (almost) has just joined the club of nomads.

With her unbeatable 4x4, papa frenchguy on the wheel.

Having great time with Maman in Autun, an old village in Burgundy.

Lunch time. Yep, she already had her first spoon of carrots!

Zen while having some tan.

Nomad life isn't easy.


And a little stop in Paris. Whew, that was a tiring week.

Today's Weather Report

Video Sharing at DropShots.com

Good News!

Have you thought about your future? Your retirement, in particular?

In France, this subject has had its share of polemics when the government suggested a 160-trimester (40 years of service - effective 2008) minimum requirement instead of the 150-trimester (37.5 years) existing right now. With this figures, I already pictured myself as an old not-too-dynamic woman, still working day in to day out to have a correct retirement pension. Plan B would be to stop earlier, have a lower pension and spend my older days in my beloved Philippines with my family and friends - where the cost of living is normally lower.

This morning, another picture had just popped up - a not-too-old woman enjoying her correct retirement pension with her family all over the globe. Yes, with the energy and the means to enjoy life.

In fact, our HR Department had just asked me to procure them my certificates of employment - from my jobs in the Philippines! I didn't know that counts. That would mean I could retire earlier!

• Know more about Retirement à la Française
• Retirement Plans for non-EU citizens
• International Bilateral Agreement on Social Security

Retirement Pinoy Style: My mom, who has been playing jetset between Zambales and Manila since her retirement just had her monthly pension stopped few months ago. Prior to that, she forgot to liquidate 3 checks (or simply because she didn't need any cash). GSIS probably thought she was DEAD. They stopped the pension without any notice.

Dyan lang po sa kanto..

I was in search of a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) of a certain product and I accidentally stumbled on this company named KANTO . Gandang tambayan nito sigurado.

That is to say, I’m back to work.

*Bébé and I were both sick on my first day of work. Blame it on winter.

Weird Tag

When I saw Ka Uro's message that I was tagged to enumerate my 5 weird habits, the first thing that crossed my mind was 'Do I have one?' Well, you see, I'm a boring old fart. I do things like everybody else does. Standard. I don't break rules.

Ok, well, as I was strolling with Bébé around the park / lake near our place yesterday, I was actually thinking about the tag. I was obsessed by the question actually. There must be something. I cannot be that standard, naman. Standard = Boring. Yoko nga.

So, here's my list. Most of them actually fall on my 'Bad Habit' category (pinaganda ko lang, that reads katamaran in tagalog hehe), but heck, I should come up with something.

Weird Habit Number 1: I hate to shop. Well, this will normally fall on the 'Good Habit' category for guys. But for gals, they just find it weird. Or they just couldn't understand why I get severe headache when I shop. Dami kayang choices, di ba nakakasakit ng ulo yun?

Weird Habit Number 2: Frenchguy is my personal cook. Not that I hate cooking, I simply don't love it. And when he's not around, my microwave oven does the works.

PS to fellow mamans: While breastfeeding, I do make extra effort. Yep, I cook healthy foods. Weird!

Weird Habit Number 3: Frenchguy does the cleaning. Not that I hate cleaning, I simply don't love it (Part II). I hate it when it's messy tho, so to avoid cleaning, di na lang po ako nagkakalat.

Weird Habit Number 4: Frenchguy does the laundry. Not that I hate or love doing it, di ko lang feel. En revanche, I do the ironing. Weird no.

Weird Habit Number 5: I prefer looking at girls rather than boys. Basta, ganun. Nope, I'm not lesbian!

Now, I'm tagging Linnor, Haze, Makis, Kala and Sassafras. Just curious to know their weird side too..

10 Weeks After...

A doting maman. That's me. That's my new ME. It's as if I was born to be one. If only I could just stay at home and be a mother 24 hours a day - but hélas, I soon have to resume life as I left it to test another life's experience...my best experience so far..

3 kg. Concentrated you-know-where! A reason to keep my favorite pants and skirts at the hardest-to-reach part of my closet. That's 2 weeks before seeing once again my table, my laptop, my chair, my laboratory gown, my safety shoes - my office! ... now, writing that made me realize how soon that is!

* * * * *

Bébé's Growing Curiosity

Did you know that the best way to have a fan club is to have your own baby? Bébé could stare to the person carrying her for long minutes. I bet Bébé knows every line of my face now.

I once tried to stand infront of the mirror with her. She looked at my image, then looked at her own image and started to cry. Is that the first sign of jealousy?

She loves observing the objects around her and she prefers them when they move. She sometimes move her hands and touch her toys unintentionally and that amuses her. Yesterday, at 2 months and 1 week old, Bébé started to put her right hand on her mouth. I guess she's close to thumbsucking now. She finally discovered her hand. Yey!

She could play with different emotions on her face lately, she smiles and communicates in a very attractive way. I've heard other mamans say that we shouldn't carry our bébés everytime they cry, baka daw masanay sa karga.

Could you resist?

Changes..

Did I ever really realize how time flies too fast? Or is it just because of bébé’s fast development that I have to stay awake longer hours and be more observant to keep pace of these changes?

8 weeks had passed. A lot about her had changed: the sound of her cry, the way she looks at me, the way she communicates, the way she wakes up, the way she spends her day…

Frenchguy and I had somehow changed our old habits too.

Never had we imagined how a diaper change could be so fascinating. Pipi or caca? What colour, quantity, consistency, frequency… a funny subject which became part of our daily conversation.

Going out is not as easy. Bébé has to be fed and changed prior to that. Stroller has to be in the car. A complete set of clothes and diapers should be prepared. Add to that a ready-to-mix bottle in the bag. Going home is ironically the first thing we have in mind upon arrival to destination.

No more staying late in bed on weekends.

No more sleeping 8 hours straight at night.

No more uninterrupted phonecalls.

No more long hours of uninterrupted chat (or no more chat at all!)

Washing machine at work full time.

I still love to read. I have loads of Infobébé, Famili and Parent magazines. I have some collections of bébé books of different authors too.

I start to love shopping. Favorite boutiques: Aubert, Bébé 9, Autour de Bébé, Vertbaudet. Favorite place in supermarkets : Rayon Bébé.

My Christmas gift: CD (for bébé). Frenchguy’s Christmas gift: Book (for bébé).

The A (apprentice) sign at the back of my car has been replaced by Bébé à Bord.

I guess frenchguy and I are becoming addicted to bébé..

Be more organized! That would be my new year's resolution.

Acquiring Bébé's Filipino Nationality

On to administrative stuffs.

Aside from concerns about bébé's health and development, breastfeeding and/or bottlefeeding, and other maman-bébé related stuffs, the administrative side of all these scenarios should be one of those on maman's priority list. Me, being a certified pinay, sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa, pati na rin sa papel, bébé automatically gets dual nationality - French and Filipino. Yes, that's included in the package. All we have to do is to get the necessary papers registered at the Philippine Embassy in Paris, who in return, will forward our papers to the National Statistics Office in Manila.

So for déjà mamans who haven't registered their babies yet and for future mamans, getting the application form for the Report of Birth is the starting point. For mamans residing outside of Paris, just send a letter asking for the said application form with enclosed self-addressed envelope (do you really think they would pay for your stamp?). And don't even bother to call them up, they're almost unavailable and it seems that there's only one person capable of answering your nationality-related questions. The thing is, you would stay on the phone for minutes just to be asked to call up again after so and so minutes...

So to save you from hypertensions, here are the requirements:

- Filled up application forms (3 pages)
- Original and 4 photocopies of birth certificate
- Original and 4 photocopies of marriage contract
- 4 photocopies each of passport of father and mother
- 3 pictures of the child
- Affidavit of late registration for children more than 12 months old (€32.50)
- Affidavit of acknowledgement of paternity for an illegitimate child (€32.50)
- Registration of birth (€32.50) plus (€6.00) for mailing

For applications mailed at the Philippine Embassy, all payments should be made through Mandat Poste only, payable to Ambassade des Philippines.

I just hope bébé could be proud of being a certified pinay..(I was checking on pictures which I could use for her application form, pede na kaya to?)...

Merry Christmas!

Enhanced Natural Defense

Yesterday was bébé's first pediatrique check-up. She was super cool. I thought she will burst her heart out with her loud cries just like every time I give her a bath. To my surprise, she was the complete opposite. In fact, she found another tactic to defy her enemy: she did pipi twice and prout thrice! Laban ka?

Obviously, all these blahblahs bore bébé, my sleeping beauty.

Bébé turns one month today!

getting - to - know - you - co-bloggers

Haze, I know, this is long over due..but better late than never, right?

1. What time did you get up this morning? Woke up at 5am, bébé was calling asking for her milk. Got up at 8:30am to join papa frenchguy for breakfast.

2. Are you a morning person or night owl? A night owl

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? That dates back before bébé, I can't even remember what was it hehe..

4. What is your favorite TV show? Les Infos..and then, kahit na ano. I'm not really a TV addict..

5. What did you have for breakfast? Café au lait, tartines and my vitamines..

6. What is your middle name? Moselina

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Filipino, French, Italian, Spanish...

8. What foods do you dislike? Errr..I like everything e..

9. Favorite day of the week? Weekends!

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Nothing in particular

11.What is your favorite sandwich? I don't like sandwiches...I eat sandwiches when I have no choice.

12. What characteristics do you despise? jealous, insensitive, mayabang, crab mentality, those who cannot feel happy for others, those who never stop comparing themselves to others..

13. What do you do most often when you are bored? I read, I go out, I surf the net, I watch TV...but actually, right now, I don't have much time to be bored, bébé's keeping me busy hehe..

14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Philippines of course. On top of my list is Nepal, just want to have a peek of Mt Everest..

15. Favorite brand of clothing? I was with Levi's, Marithé et François Girbaud, Kamiseta and Giordano when I was in the Philippines...can't afford na yata ako ngayon hehe..

16. Where were you born? Zambales

17. What is your best childhood memory? When I had my first wristwatch from my pocket money.

18. Do you have pets? Nada....

19. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? That bébé could sleep 6 straight hours at night! (she even slept 8 hours once but her pediatrician told me to wake her up, her system is not as robust as ours pa nga naman).

20. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher, like my parents.

21. Different jobs you have had in your life? I worked in the newest power plant of NAPOCOR before joining the company (in the Philippines) where I'm working right now.

22. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Depends on which angle you look at it..

Breastfeeding...

Motherhood is not as easy as we imagine, especially when we are far from our motherland, thus far from the culture and tradition we know, far from the caring presence of our parents and siblings, far from the comforting words of our friends... Unsolicited advices are just everywhere, advices which I filtered with vigilance. They are either contradicting from one person to another, or simply not compatible with my beliefs and culture.

I stayed 6 days in the maternity clinic, not because I or bébé had complications or problems, it's because breastfeeding wasn't well established yet. The first 3 days, my colustrum which should nourrish bébé was, hélas, not enough. Bébé, who was big at birth needed more than I could offer. I was obliged to give her milk complements. My breastmilk started to flow 4 days after the birth of bébé, when breastfeeding was close to impossible. I was aching everywhere due to fatigue - physically, morally and psychologically - breastfeeding became a veritable ordeal. I nevertheless continued breastfeeding. It was a choice I made which I will pursue no matter what the cost. I just wanted the best for my bébé.

On the 5th day, I finally slipped on my normal clothes and dressed up bébé, both excited and enthusiastic to find our very own place. Frenchguy was there early in the morning to drive us back. Bad news, they won't allow us to go. Cause: breastfeeding!

Fed up as I was, I finally decided to try breastpumps, thinking that they will finally allow us to go. Of course, I was dreaming. I again stayed one more day for them to teach me how to feed my bébé, criticizing me of my choice of pumping my milk. No matter how I explain that it would be temporary, just the time for my breast to heal, they nevertheless enjoyed the time talking to me like experts, treating me like a moron, traumatizing my still weak morale, adding to my already-high level of anguish.

Never had I appreciated home... but wait, my ordeal isn't complete yet.

Last week, my excited inlaws drived all the way from their region to see bébé. My relationship with them is very smooth, I could even consider myself as spoiled brat as they do everything to please me - especially in cuisine!

Hélas, my MIL's unsolicited advices just suffocated me! To my surprise, she is a die-hard fan of bottlefeeding! In fact, it was the time when Europe relanced their industries when she had babies. Bottlefeeding was of course prioritized during that time to enhance consumption, to the detriment of breastfeeding!

Imagine her watching me feeding my bébé, taking note of the time, telling bébé to speed up, asking me how I could measure the quantity, telling me I could switch to bottlefeeding, recounting to me her experience, almost blaming breatsfeeding each time bébé cries... I was stressed out! After 3 days of total torture, I talked to frenchguy about the moral harassment I've been experiencing. He talked to her maman and that end up my ordeal. She of course doesn't want any harm, she just wanted to help out, to share her experience, to participate in her own way... but no, thanks!

Breastfeeding is a challenge. It's a choice. It's a sacred moment between a mother and her child, a moment of satisfaction. I'm glad I continued with my choice inspite of the discouraging encouragement of some. It's a moment when I see my bébé change before my eyes, a moment of innocent smiles, a moment of communication... I love this moment!

My bébé at 2 weeks old...

Bébé's here!!!

It was the 8th of November, 6 hours and 3 consecutive painful pushes after they confined me in the delivery room when Bébé announced her much-awaited arrival into this chaotic world. A mix of unexplained emotions - a sense of completeness, happiness, responsibility... - the lack of words just translated to tears. Yes, we're parents now.

A healthy and very tonic bébé just joined us - 3.9 kg and 54 cm, she yells particularly loud keeping us awake till the wee hours. She has my eyes and hair and frenchguy's lips and nose. She also has a somewhat natural tan.

Newbie parents as we are, organization at home still means chaos. We're learning the ins and outs of parenthood little by little, trying to know each other better, trying to adapt with bébé's needs. So far, so good.

Bébé has been monopolizing my time lately and loving it! I won't say goodbye to blogging but my presence in the blogging world will surely be limited. Thanks for all those who prayed for me and wished me well. Bébé and I are doing great!

PS: Tata Bokskie, père Noël est passé très tôt chez nous et il m'a dit de t'envoyer un gros bisous ;). Mwaaah!

Nanny Blues

Frenchguy woke me up this morning with a bad news. I have actually asked him to call up the French Embassy in Manila to get the requirements for a long stay / au pair visa for my sister. We've long entertained this idea at the first stage of pregnancy but with the feedbacks that we received from fellow bloggers and friends (like Philippine Government banning the issuance of this kind of visa), our optimism on this matter just died a natural death. We therefore looked seriously on other options.

We had our application for a crèche municipale (municipal nursery) registered since August but we had no feedback from them yet. The said crèche municipal is just four blocks away from our residence, open from 7am to 7pm, just the perfect comfort that we need. We tried to follow up our application a month ago just to learn that it's not a matter of an equitable 'waiting list' but evaluations are based on the age of the baby (whether they have an available slot for that age or not), the program we will adapt (part time or full time), and the financial status of the parents. Knowing how French Government works, I know that we are far from being the priority on the list. It's just raging to add that frenchguy had been paying taxes for xx years now, I've been giving xx% of my salary for taxes, we are considered middle class citizens and yet, we cannot even access to a minimum aide from the government!

With this, plan B was of course hastily considered. A good friend of ours recommended her nanny to us with whom we finally gave our word of engagement. Reliability is of course an important factor for us. We will not leave our much-awaited bébé to just somebody we don't know, right? The inconvenience of this option is that, the residence of the nanny is 15 - 20 more minutes drive between our house and our workplace.

Now, we go to plan C. Filipina as I am, I would of course prefer somebody I know, preferably from my family to look after my bébé. She'll have french lessons and leave the bébé at a halte-garderie during those times (sort of nursery but accepts part-time guard only). With the nature of my job wherein business travels play an essential part, I would be serene to leave my bébé in good hands. After using my convincing prowess to my sister, we finally started the processing here...till we get the bad news this morning.

I guess frenchguy and I should have 'You and Me Against the World' as a themesong. We cannot rely on French Government, and now Philippine Government just put a barrier on one solution we've been counting on to. Life is hard!

Bébé Update

Inside that big tummy is a 4.3 kg bouncing bébé. Induced labor programmed on Tuesday. Pray for me guys.

The Long Wait..

The countdown started on a per month basis and it flew pretty fast. The first trimester passed by without us really realizing it. No more tired future maman every afternoon but was replaced by an active fella always hurry to do outdoor activities. That was the second trimester - where countdown translated to a per week basis. The last month of pregnancy is definitely the longest one - counting by the day! What I particularly find difficult are the sleepless nights, scary stretch marks growing every second, heavy tummy, backaches, the long shower procedure with all those creams and the late pregnancy diet (yep, still with the less salt, less sugar diet!). I'm really impatient to tag my calendar D Day now.

On Wardrobes

To those who don't know yet, I hate shopping! Another pregnancy problem here in my ever beloved romantic France is that, you cross at least 2 seasons during your entire pregnancy. Luckily, I was able to fit in my normal clothes during the first trimester. The second trimester was another story, I was obliged to embrace shopping whether I liked it or not. The problem was, I didn't know where to go..and don't ever ask frenchguy, he knows nothing as according to him, he was never pregnant, darn!

So there you go, summer preggy clothes were added in my closet...and now, the weather's telling me I have to add up autumn wardrobes in my closet too - barely a month (or even days) before D Day! I guess I'll have to lock myself up inside the house..

For future mamans here in France: you could find preggy collections in H&M, C&A, Vertbaudet and Kiabi. But if you want to invest more, you also have choices in Natalys, Forme and Aubert.

Behind the Curtain Scenes

My aquagym courses will soon end. I've seen future mamans come and go. Now, I'm considered one of the seniors, I could even do pool exercises without my Physical Therapist. Lately, remarks like Toujours là? (Still here?) from other patients just add more weight on my already heavy tummy. Yes, I'm that impatient.

My backache obliges me to stay more for jet massage to soothe those aching muscles, time for other mamans to do their shower thing. Before, I was always the first one to go behind those curtains while hearing other mamans do their preggy blahblahs so I didn't really know what's happening outside. Imagine my surprise when I entered the room and see all the other mamans doing their casual preggy blahblahs totally naked? There are even those who do their shower with the curtains open. So what do you expect me to do? I just went straight behind my favorite curtain and thougt, Ok, I'm not in the Philippines, I'm in France.

Autumn Atmosphere

Autumn is in the air. The season has changed. From hot, sunny, festive summer, now it's more of a gray, foggy weather decorated with a colorful surrounding and a crunchy carpet.

I've been accompanying this season since the beginning, from adapting an autumn color at home to even changing my blog template. Isn't this new kick-off look cool?

If you're wondering who's behind this amazing change, follow him here. It just started with a mignon message on my tagboard:

jeff: my gift to you and your baby... contact me at zchizzerz @ yahoo dot com for details. thanks!

Hmm, not even out but bébé's receiving gifts na...good start hehe..

So, ladies and gentlemen, with open arms, welcome to my newly-decorated house, breath the burgundy atmosphere ;).

Bientôt Papa en permanence avec bébé et moi..

Frenchguy arrived from Thailand last Monday, and as we both agreed, that would be his last business travel till we get to D Day. Prior to that, he was sans cease with his work appointments in the four corners of the planet, leaving me and my big tummy to the mercy of the number 18 in case of emergency.

As usual, we (I mean bébé and I) had pasalubong (he knows this word by heart!) from bientôt papa. I had 5 ripe yummy mangoes and bébé had several bébé stuffs, ano pa nga ba..

After our birthing class last night, we decided to dine out to savour our last moments together before being officially tagged as parents. As usual, conversations were directed to work related topics, the latest news in France, and of course, my pregnancy...and then, he suddenly said that it's amazing how Thailand has transformed itself in a very short span of time. The infrastractures, the tourists-and-investor-happy atmosphere, the people...

That remark had of course made me thought about the Philippines ... what's up? Are we still scaring away tourists and investors? Do our newly grads land on well-paying, career-boasting jobs? Is the cost of living in equilibrium with what Juan de la Cruz has in his pocket? Is education still as inaccesible as before? Or even worse?

Just some thoughts..

I haven't been keeping up for quite a time, headlines about Arroyo impeachment and such kind of stuffs just don't motivate me..

At the last minute ...

My pregnancy countdown's ticking slowly to its end. In fact, it could be interrupted anytime soon for an unexpected delivery, who knows. My maternity leave officially starts today, and I'm glad I took the two-week pathology leave prior to that, it's a big comfort for a semi-insomniac me. At least I could sleep up to 10am without worrying I'll be late...but heck, my agenda is nevertheless hectic, I didn't know pregnancy could get me busy full time...

Aquagym

I still have few remaining sessions. Doing it twice a week surely knocks me off to my bed big time. This afternoon, it was - deadly! The movements I was doing with ease before suddenly became complicated. Among the soon-to-be mamans present, I was the one who gained the most at 13 kg! And I'm not ready for a diet yet. I just had two meriendas this afternoon, before and after my sought after siesta. My respiration is getting better tho, I just hope I could practice it on D Day.

Préparation à l'accouchement (Birthing Classes)

It's funny how some mamans could ask ridicule questions when for me, it's just instinct or simply, logic! It's not a new technology anyway, experiences and stories had already been told - ask your mom. I don't think I'm really learning a lot from this class, the midwife is overly talkative, we always start and finish late..hmm, am I starting to hate her? Next time, I'd rather do yoga classes..

Monthly Visit to the Gynecologist

...which entails monthly blood and urine analysis. This week is more tedious, I had to do pelvic xray too.

Anesthesiologist

Yes, I just opted for epidural.

Room Reservation at the Maternity Clinic

Single room with private T&B + TV. Ok, ok, I have to calm down. Tomorrow, I'll call up my complementary insurance to check my expenses coverage.

Réconnaissance d'un enfant naturel (Prenatale birth declaration)

Done. In fact, we had to declare our baby before birth since we are under legal partnership (PACS). This gives her the legal rights as a daughter of frenchguy and I. Better be prudent with this, french law is just so complicated, better be careful.

Faire Part (Birth Announcement)

Yep, they announce the coming of a new member of the family as though, phonecalls are not enough. So to follow with the tradition, I'm busying myself preparing our faire part. I wanted it to be personal, with maman's touch..so with the scissors, glues, etc, I submerged myself into this new art project ;).

Stretch Marks

I guess I don't need to explain why I stay longer hours inside the bathroom since I knew I was pregnant. Anti-stretch mark creams has long been my after-shower buddy, but heck, yesterday, after close examination of my tummy, I knew my buddy has just betrayed me...barely a month before D Day...

Last errands..

Everything's ready except my...bag! Ok, I'll be throwing all necessary stuffs inside my bag tomorrow..

After that, the real wait for the D Day begins..

Who says 'like parents, like daughter'?

Preggy Conversations

My Physical Therapist arrives late everytime. And I mean everytime! The good side of this irritating habit is that I could chitchat with other fellow future mamans while waiting for that heavenly on écarte les jambes, on monte et on descend, les jambes tendus (legs apart, up, down with your legs tightened) which means that the session has just started.

Conversations are of course concentrated on pregnancy, labor, epidural, ceasarian, due dates, babies, nurseries, yaya hunt, name it! I meet new moms every session so I normally repeat the same stories and the same questions everytime. Boring? Nope, not at all. As they say, every pregnancy is a unique experience so I get new infos each time and learn from them.

This morning, the conversation started like this:

Nouvelle Maman: So, when will be your due date?
Moi: November 24, very soon!
NM (eyes wide open): Oh!
Moi: And you?
NM: November 3. Sooner than you.
Moi (eyes wide open): Oh!

And I thought I was a month or so earlier than her. The thing is, my baby weighs a bit higher than the average. She was previewed to be 4 kg at birth so I must do a pelvic xray to check if I could eventually do it by normal delivery. I try not to worry myself about delivery issues but heck, my weight gain curve starts to destabilize my zen attitude. So what-have-you? Less sugar, less salt!

I'm starting to complete my D Day checklist, and #1 on the list is ICE CREAM! Miss it! Miss it!

Gift Ideas

The countdown is slowly nearing its end. Frenchguy and I, inspite of all the worries of the unknown are of course excited with this brandnew event in our lives. Just a few minor stuffs to prepare while I'm on maternity leave and we're ready.

We have been discussing what kind of gift we could give to our bébé for her arrival. A nice out-of-the-clinic outfit which she could pass on to the next generation? Hmm, baka imbes na matuwa ang next generation e maasar pa. A jewel? Hmm, both of us are not much into this fancy. Plant a tree? Ok, frenchguy will add another one in our garden this November. Hmm, that's all? Oh well, I guess our bébé deserves more than that.

Domaine de Faiveley, Nuits St Georges. The wine cellar of this castle could be visited, dégustation (wine tasting) and wine shopping are the main activity in this area.

Last Sunday, we went to the long coast of vineyards in Burgundy hoping to see live vendange (grape harvest). The deal was: if we cross one, we will buy bottles of wine from that same domaine harvested this year (which will be commercialized a year or two from now). The number of bottles will be in function of the actual birth date of our baby: FYI due date is programmed on November 24, that makes 24 bottles if she arrives on time.

The idea behind was to show to our bébé that she was there, watching the vendange behind maman's tummy. The bottle opening is not decided yet, but we're thinking of her first communion, not a bad idea, the wine is just the right age for the dégustation.

So where were we last Sunday? Our afternoon leisure drive brought us up to Nuits St Georges, Domaine de Faiveley. Click this link to know more. You might want to do the dégustation with us ;)

There was a festive ambiance around the area with the wine gatherers and of course, the nombreuse tourists from almost everywhere flocking around the area (there were even some japanese!). This lady was kind enough to pose for a photo for me. But of course, pahuhuli ba naman ang beauty ko hehe.

So there you go bébé, you will have your gift in two years time, a real Bourguignonne (Burgundy habitant)! Oh well, you're not obliged to finish all the bottles, you could share them with papa and maman hehe. A ta santé!