Tax Hurts!

I was checking for airfares on one of the European destinations and found this:

Airfare : 38.00€
Taxes : 140.56€
Charges : 0.63€

Taxes represent 78% of the total price. Arrrgh!

One, T...

Having a baby is a no joke. It demands YOU, as a whole. No part-time or full-time parenting. There's just no rule. I don't consider myself a part-time Mom because I'm with my daughter from 6 to 9pm everyday. I believe that parenting has only one common goal - to give the best for their children - whatever their means. And again, there's no rule.

Frenchguy and I lived for more than 4 years together before having Louna. And it was a common decision. Our 2 years of long distance relationship was not enough to really know each other so we agreed to take our time. We wanted to explore our life together without a kid. And when the time came to have a baby, we both knew it. It was instinct. We were ready to become parents.

But second-time parents? Errrr... He's ready. I am not. That's the problem.

For Moms out there, how did you know that it was time for the second one? Do you consult your Chinese calendar? Do you do it by vote? Because your horoscope says so? You toss a coin? You ask a fortune teller? Or you just wake up one morning and feel ready?

Well, I'm quite lost. I don't even know why I am not ready? And me thinks it's important for a happy pregnancy. Yelp!

Why I Love My New Toy

I'm quite ecstatic to discover my new toy. I was so used to drive my old 1992 model Peugeot 106 that changing it by a 2006 model seems to be a big promotion for me. Contrario to what we dreamt of, we ended up buying a car which was, for us, a car for Monsieur Tout-le-Monde (Mr Everybody). Simply because we find a lot of these cars on the road (8 out of 10 in its category, we learned - but ain't it a good indicator of good quality and good customer satisfaction?).

It was not on our list, never considered as a potential candidate, and not even our dream car. We wanted something different... till we did the road test. We were awed. We were seduced. We wanted that same car.

Here are some super cool options I find great:

Hands-Free Card = Key : The car opens automatically when you approach it. You could keep the card in your pocket/bag forever as you don't even need to push a button to open the car. To start the car, you just have to push a button and off you go. To close it, simply push the button on the car door. I know, this little gadget is an electronic concentrate... but it's just so cool!

Big Boot Capacity and Handy Drawers in Every Seat : Women. You should understand me. By the way, the glove compartment serves as a 'refrigerator'. Cold drinks you keep inside remains at the same temperature throughout the ride. Cool!

Cruise Control and Speed Limiter/Regulator : Ok, this thingy, I hated it when I first drove a car with this option on the roads of America. Imagine me driving, alone on the road, on the long straight roads of the West, without the gears to change or the gas to accelerate - it was boring - nearly pushing me to sleep. But with the fixed and mobile radars roaming around France, we better have it.

Consumption Display : Ang saya. Who drives better? Moi or Frenchguy? Hehe.. it's our new toy, I tell you.

Special Edition : Who wouldn't want it?

PS: No regrets. My dream mini consumes 6.7 L/100km (42.2 mpg) compared to 6L/100km (47 mpg) for my Renault Scénic II. Not a bad deal. Be earth-friendly. - now, don't call that sour graping, OK?

Carte de Résident

Visa, resident card, green card.. the nightmare for all immigrants. I finally had mine so I thought I should share at least my experience so it could guide other resident card aspirants here in France.

In my case (PACSed), I had to wait 5 years before the obtention of this resident card. For those who are married, the waiting time is reduced to two years.

As usual, the request for visa renewal is 2 months prior to the validity date. Aside from the usual paperasse, namely:
- valid passport
- old visa card
- 3 months address (electricity bill for example) and salary justifications
- PACS certificate - not more than 3 months (from the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris)
- 3 recent ID pictures
- 1 envelope with mailing address and stamp

I also provided the following papers:
- birth certificate of Louna
- family book (livret de famille)
- motivation letter justifying my request for a 10-year visa

When my visa expired, the Prefecture issued a récépissé (receipt) valid for 3 months which is sufficient enough for travel (I was able to travel to the Philippines with the récépissé) and other administrative needs (CAF et CPAM). Before the end of the récépissé, I was asked to present to the Prefecture for an interview on Proces Verbal d'Integration Républicaine. And here are some sample questions:

- How would you prove that you're well integrated to the French Republic?
- What are the 3 symbols of France?
- What do they mean for you?
- What are the roles of the President? Prime Minister? National Assembly?.... Prefecture?

And I swear, I wasn't able to answer half of the questions, especially on the last part. The interviewer filled-up the questionnaire while explaining to me the different roles of each government entity. I was half-joking half-anxious that I hope I won't be judged because of my ignorance. And he seriously said YES. So I was actually negociating for another interview so I could review each of the questions before the D-day when he said 'Don't worry, you will have your 10-year resident card soon.' Yohooo!

By the way, I was asked to read an article and write a sentence before the interview. During the first exchange of conversations, he told me that I should speak a lot more with my daughter, indirectly telling me that I speak shitty French. How to destabilize an enemy. I swear, he was the first ever to tell me that. Good thing he told me I speak really well before the end of the interview. That's an additional ego booster.

Ober da Bakod

No trespassing: Except for those who cross the border at daytime, by foot or by bicycle, with proper documents and goods not exceeding the tolerated limit. The Customs.

Hiking at the border ain't that easy. You have to bring your papers, or else...

To France or to Switzerland?

F for French Border.S for Swiss Border.

Torn between two borders..

Co-Sleeping

What seems to be so natural for us could be completely absurd to other culture. Co-sleeping is one of them. Some would chose not to co-sleep with their children but never would they incite other parents to do the same. I still remember our supersize green mosquito net for the whole family (of six children). It was the haven of pleasant childhood memories - the joy of playing with my siblings before bedtime, the race to get the best place beside my mom, the big fat mosquitoes in the morning that we had to capture one by one, and so on.

And that doesn't end after childhood. The last time I was in the Philippines, the whole family (after the departure of Frenchguy) occupied one room out of four. Syempre pa, we couldn't resist to midnight kwentuhan, asaran and tawanan.

But here, I had a first hand experience of total refuse. First, it was at the maternity clinic. The nurses wanted to take Louna from me for our first night of finally being together. Their reason was for me to take a rest after a tiring labor (I gave birth at 3pm) and for Louna to feel the separation. I found the 2nd reason too brutal so I persisted that I wanted her in my room for the night. And anyway, there was no way I'd leave my newly-born child sleep somewhere else but beside me. They said ok but Louna had to stay in her crib, just near the door so she won't see me and smell my odor. What a way to reject a child on her first day in this cruel world. So I said ok just to finish the discussion but I actually slept with her. In fact, I was probably branded as a bad Mom when I left the clinic. E ano ngayon?

Then came my inlaws. Dangerous. Ridiculous. Destabilizing. Confusing. For them, those were the words to describe co-sleeping.

Last month, Louna was very ill. High fever followed by vomiting so I had to co-sleep with her while Frenchguy slept on the floor. When my inlaws knew about it, they laughed and found the act ridiculous. They even adviced that it has to be the other way around, Louna on the floor, Frenchguy on bed. Ridiculous. That time, I hated them 100%.

The ordeal of co-sleeping. I'm glad Frenchguy willingly discovered the joy of co-sleeping that I sometimes find Louna on our bed even on weekdays. Love it. Happy heart's day Frenchguy!

Note: We only co-sleep with Louna on weekends as I have sleeping difficulties. It's the best balance we found and I swear, everybody's excited every weekend.

Why One Prevention is better than a Thousand Cure

We knew that it will come one day, but not this soon.. we always reasoned out the lack of finances, that it's not our priority, that everything seemed to be working well, that she's running a-alright.

But too late now.. my Peugeot 106 is seriously ill!

And it came barely 2 months before the arrival of the new car. Bad timing. We actually brought it to the garage for the technical control so we could sell it afterwards. The bad news came when the garage manager informed us that he couldn't release the car. That we need to have it repaired for 350€ when the car value is barely 500€. Darn!

Now we're blocked with only one car available for at least a week, obliged to have the car repaired, need to expedite the buying process of the new car, and stay calm to avoid friction at home.

If only we decided earlier to buy a new one, considering that we knew that both cars were almost dead, we could have saved ourselves from all this mess. Sigh!

Note: Peugeot 106, 1992 model, 187,000 km, pawis-steering. She's been my constant companion for almost 5 and a half years.

Sunny Weekend

There she goes.. like a big girl.. taking a walk at the park like a grown up..

Decisions

How do two engineers at home deal with important decisions?

- First, they stablish a CdCF, the functional requirement.
They would list down all criteria possible then weigh each of them according to the defined objective and needs. He looks for performance, she looks for comfort. He looks for energy, she looks for consumption. He looks for prestige that goes with the product, she looks for functionnality.

- Then they compare and analyse different solutions.
By internet. By visiting different boutiques.

- Then check if they are within the target budget.
Hello banker? We need cash. Deal or no deal?

- Finally, they negociate.

The most difficult part, the first one, has already been defined. Finally. After having consecutive headaches (thus, expenses!) with our old Peugeot 306 and 106 (yes, the two cars!) and after having endless discussions on which car we will keep (for me), we finally decided to entertain the option of buying a new one. But who would tell that this experience could become a getting-to-know each other's preferences stage for us?

Frenchguy dreamt of having a big BMW, Audi or VW. The problem is, we have a very narrow garage. Built in the 30s, the proprietors at that time didn't anticipate the idea of having cars as big as what we have now. And he even thought of buying a 4x4! Asus! Probably 85% of our time is spent driving in our little Dijon, we don't need a 4x4. Add to the fact that the energy consumption of such car is way out of my take on the environment. Scratch the idea.

Moi wanted a Mini. Hehe, syempre pa, scratch kaagad ang idea.

CdCF says: family-friendly car, big trunk, bigger sitting capacity but relatively small in size, low fuel consumption (low C02 emission), diesel, good performance (110 hp mini), silver, affordable price. After comparing different brands and models, we ended with one car in mind. It's in fact a very common car which we totally ignored but finally seduced us with all its functionalities and options. Hope the banker says 'deal'. Hmm, I'm quite impatient to drive it now..

I Love This!

Credits: Word Art by Tina Chambers from DSP

I had myself an Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 for a Christmas gift and I start to love it. Just starting to learn the twists and turns, lurking for freebies, checking for tutorials, making scrappy scraps. This one's too neophyte probably, but I just love it.

While-You-Shop Nannies

Thought of shopping but nobody to take care of the kids? Come on, accept it. Sometimes you want to have a time for your own, sans the kid howling at the back because he wants to buy a new costume of Spiderman, right?

Try the playground in SM Malls. They are often found near the SM Department Store entrances or hair salons. There must be one playground on each floor of SM San Lazaro where you could leave your kids while you shop. Prices range from P50 to P100 for half an hour. Not bad.

I must have ignored them before, or I was simply less sensitive to such places but I find the idea really cool. Louna loved the place. At her age, I was of course obliged to stay with her so we played together inside the playground. There was one moment where I kept distance from her so I could observe her interactions with other kids. Well, she's not playing with them but she was attentive to her environment. At one point, I caught her eating popcorn because another kid was handing her some every so often. I guess, for Louna, it was the best part of the stay hehe.

The nannies seem to take good care of the kids, they even have first aid kits. I give them two thumbs up for that! Way to go!

This is a Special Announcement

Louna, our unica hija, finally walked today, at 1 year 2 months and 18 days old. The most awaited milestone has finally been accomplished.

It started with inciting her to walk hand in hand with her favorite toy (which she call Tetite). She just had her milk so she was actually on play mode. We walked together with Tetite in the middle, me barely giving any support to her. Then, little by little, I let go of Tetite and she continued walking. At first, she wanted me to hold her toy, to which I obliged. But 3 to 5 turns of the dining-room-turned-playground after, there she was, living the new adventure on her own. Obviously happy of her new discovery.

Congratulations Louna! We're very proud of you.

La Femme de Ménage

Frenchguy was ardently cleaning every angle of our house last night. Guess who's coming.. yung tagalinis namin!

Well, actually, to justify the act, it was our first meeting with la femme de ménage. It was to show her how clean we want our house to be. But me thinks, we could have left our house as it was and let the femme de ménage evaluate how much time she would need to clean it. Afterall, she's the expert, right?

Ako ba o si Frenchguy ang tama? Or tamad lang talaga ako?

I just hope Frenchguy won't do it everytime our femme de ménage comes. May pagka-pasaway din kasi to minsan e hehe.

Why I wanted to bring him to Pagsanjan Falls..

My frenchguy is a man of adventure. He loves taking risk, it's his stamina booster. He would rather do something exciting outside rather than stay at home. His first love is his kayak, not me. Before our vacation, he made me promise we'd do something else rather than eat and sleep the whole day with the family hehe. So, kayaker as he is, I thought Pagsanjan Falls might be a good getaway. To our disappointment, of course.

So I told him, he could have his one-week sortie kayak with his friends in May. Sans us.

Here's frenchguy in one of our sortie kayak in Queyras, south of France.

Pagsanjan Fell

Do I have to be ashamed that I worked and lived in Laguna but never visited the famous Pagsanjan Falls? In fact, this place frightens me. A Thai colleague was asked to pay a $50 tip after the ride. A pinay friend, with her Frenchy, backed out when upon arriving in Pagsanjan, they were harrassed by fellow pinoys haggling over exorbitant prices. Another french friend was asked to buy food for the two boatmen who asked another fee at the middle of the adventure to continue the ride and then another P2000 for the tip.. bat di na lang kaya sya nagpaampon?

But okay, I have to see it for myself. After an overnight stay in Pansol, Calamba (to celebrate Louna's birthday), we decided that a tour around Pagsanjan should be fun. Along with my whole family, off we went to that place. Just as we entered the town center, our vehicle suddenly transformed into a human magnet. At least 10 men followed us, putting both hands around their eyes then sticking them on the vehicle window to see the people inside. What a show! They already started to get on my nerves. I then asked the driver to move out of that area so I could ask Frenchguy to move at the back of the van just so I could get Filipino prices. But I told you, our vehicle transformed itself into a magnet. These hagglers suddenly became our escorts.

So, okay. What's the price? P660. Per boat? No, per head. Huwaaaaaaaaattttt?

Mga kababayan, with that amount, you could go up the Eiffel Tower - one of the most visited towers in the whole world (30,000 daily visitors during peak season). You could visit the Louvre Museum, the biggest museum in Europe where you could see the original Monalisa - me sukli ka pa nyan. You could visit 13th century wine caves in Burgundy with free wine tasting. So why the f*** should I pay equivalent amount in Pagsanjan?

Ano? Because the boatmen should consume all their energy just to bring you there? Oil ba na galing sa Iraq ang nananalaytay sa ugat nila? Sobrang mahal naman. E pamasahe na yan for two persons papuntang Zambales e. Me pambili ka na ng chitcharon nyan.

Natural park kasi. Ngek. Sige, go to world renowned natural parks like the Grand Canyon and see if you pay that amount.

My point is, why do we have to kill tourism in the Philippines? Why do we have to make the Philippines inaccessible to the Filipinos? Why do we have to level the prices with the prices practiced outside? Are we contented with 500 visitors daily ? Don't we want to aim more and create real jobs for Filipinos?

Call me kuripot or whatever but I don't support this kind of tourism (or however they may call it)!

Any violent reaction is accepted.

Picture taken in Jura, east of France.

Travelling with a Toddler

I should have known better. A business travel experience is nothing compared to travelling with a toddler. On a business trip, I only worry about wifi connections, miles upgrades and which film worthy enough to be seen onboard (moms don't have time to watch films anymore!).

On travelling with a toddler, I was preoccupied by the diapers, fresh wipes, feeding bottles, milk, food, updated vaccin records, vitamines, medicines with doctor's prescription, toys, extra clothes, baby bassinet availability and a lot more. Add to the fact that I instinctively add more than the normal dose to be sure I've got everything onboard. I also brought my cam to catch those precious moments on board, so add to my worry the batteries and the extra gigas to bring with me. All I thought was everything would be a breeze..

But moi is far from being perfect. If only I could rewind my travel, I would:
- not bring my 500-page pocket book which weighs half a kilo. Arrgh! - Yeah right. I had no time to read!
- pack all our stuffs in one small rolling suitcase. I had one very light backpack and another one for Louna's stuffs, all of which I could pile up on one stroller. But imagine once the airline staffs take the stroller. I had everything stack up on my tiny shoulders. Waaah!
- explain to all other passengers that when airline staffs announce that passengers accompanied with babies should board first, it's a no joke. Nakikipagsiksikan pa kasi ang mga mokong, parang wala pang designated seats sa loob. Ano ba yan.
- knock myself down (whichever way possible) to be able to sleep while Louna's sleeping

Buti na lang...
- Dubai Airport provides strollers to passengers. Pierre Cardin pa yan. Ain't that cool?

before / after

- Emirates planes have a long list of Disney movies. Louna adored the Bug's Life! That's luxury!
- A doll stroller comes in real handy. Louna could stray around the airport while Mom's resting.

Globalization

When I first saw HSBC's print ads, I thought I should blog about it. Not that I want to promote it here (it's not even my bank), I just find it excellent and I want to share it with you. For those who never saw the ad, here's the work and play version of the ad.

It's actually a matter of how we view things. Each person, depending on his culture, environment, upbringing.. will see exactly the same thing differently. The magic of globalization is seeing and respecting these differences.

Globalization means competitivity. How could we propose the same product at a lower price? It also means working with different nationalities. We should then think locally and act globally.

Working in a multinational environment, I'm sometimes tasked to do an economic analysis on a certain product. Objective: Cost Reduction. Being Asian, of course, I would prioritize workloads going to this region. Here's some pictures I use to convince big bosses to caution my project - to a promise of lower cost (well, at least, for delivery cost!).

Special thanks to the unknown photographer. Must be a tourist.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! HAVE FUN!

Let Me Out

This picture was taken in one of the carparks in Bangkok. I've travelled quite a lot and for me, this one is a certified 'only in bangkok'. If my car is the one with the red arrow, could you figure out how I could move out of this chaos?

The Solution

Well, I guess nobody will find the solution so here it is. In fact, these Thais don't use their handbrakes when they park their car, so you could actually push these cars one by one without any problem till you get enough space to glide your car in between. But imagine pushing two rows of cars just to move your car out? Well, I saw one lady who pushed probably 5 cars each row to get her car out.. but I have to admit, I had a difficulty figuring it out too.

My Bangkok Experience

Prior to my travel to this lovely country, I had already painted in my mind my own vision of Thailand. I have heard a lot about it and worked with its people that I know almost exactly where Patpong is and how the Thais feel about it. But let me repaint my vision. Travel with me.

The Arrival

My arrival was a mix of positive and negative vibes. I waited 30 minutes to get my luggage and hurriedly hopped into the limo to get to my hotel. Yes, you got it right, a limousine! But in fact, it was just a big Mercedez. Me, who, upon receiving the confirmation from the hotel, dreamed of that big long car.

The big, wide roads of Bangkok, though not flooded when it rains, provoke long queues of impatient Thais on the road and I didn’t figure out why. Probably because almost all of the toll gates are manual? Instead of 40 minutes travel time from the airport to my hotel, I was stocked for almost 3 hours inside the limo. Traffic jam was worse compared to Manila.

I spent half of the 3 hours sleeping inside the car. I needed it because I wasn’t able to sleep in the plane and I had to work that same day. The rest of the time was spent observing Bangkok and its people. From the airport to the hotel, I saw but new cars driven by young women in their 4 to 6-lane motorway. King-size roads! But hey, where are the guys hehe?

They have impressive wide roads but they’re not done yet. Infrastructures are just about everywhere. Ready for economic expansion, I should say - both for investors and tourists.

Arriving at the hotel, I was informed that there was no executive room available for me so they’re upgrading me to first. Tatanggihan ko ba naman? And since I was already way too late for my appointment, I asked them to prepare a taxi for me in 30 minutes. Bilis no. After a quick shower, I went down hurriedly to the lobby, and guess what, the company driver was already waiting for me. Sarap buhay!

The Stay

I just stayed for a week so I only had all the evenings of the week and one whole Sunday to get a feel of the Thai life.

For the first evening, I was too tired that I just contented myself for a feast of soft shell crabs (as in kakainin mo lahat, pati shells) at a good restaurant just a block away from my hotel. The good thing about having business travels is that I could taste the good life without worrying for my pocket hehe.

The second evening was of course, fiesta! Accompanied by my colleague, we dined at the Silom Village where traditional music and dances are being performed permanently. A line of art and jewellery boutiques are also present which makes the place extra special. Sayang, I forgot my camera.

We then walked up to the famous Patpong (well, everybody talks about it at the office) but nothing shocked me really. A mix of night market and bars.

The next evening was spent in Siam Square. A chic and cool place, I should say. After a little window shopping, we then joined the Thais in this cool and hip street party. What a night!

Since I only had one Sunday to visit, I decided to go and check the Grand Palace. Wow, these people have something to boast to.

Thai people put coins in this line of pots for long life, I guess. The last picture shows me while praying infront of the Buddha ;)
We ended the day with an intense shopping spree at the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Akala ko kung ano na, parang Divisoria lang pala hehe. One difference probably is that, wala tayo nito:

Security Insecurities

Travelling regulations had changed a lot lately that I sometimes get goosebumps when I board a plane. I once asked to remove my shoes. That was just after the attempt of terrorist attack in England. After that, removing my coat and belt has became an SOP. I'm afraid they will soon ask me to get all of my clothes off!

Travelling for me has to be cool, my luggage, in consequence, has always been light (add to the fact that I don't really know what to put inside). I probably have an average of 15 kg per travel, the heaviest was surely when I decided to migrate here. I had a 30-kg luggage then and I told Frenchguy that I had all my life in there. Needless to say that I never knew what a balikbayan box was all about. I was even travelling with just my backpack then (the immigration officer even asked me kung wala daw bang mabibili sa France hehe). Now, I have my petit cabin luggage which I carry with me everywhere I go. Not that I don't like my backpack anymore, it's just that I have to be proper (for whatever that means) when travelling, minsan kasi me nakakabangga akong big bosses sa airport hehe. I board with my cabin luggage inside the plane without any problem. I was always at the top 10-earliest-traveller who reach the EXIT sign.

But that was history.

Starting November 6 of this year, all of the flights from the European Union, wherever the destination is, will be restricted of liquids, powders or gels inside their cabin luggages (that includes toothpaste!). If you really need to bring some with you, you will have to transfer them in a small transparent sachets, not exceeding 100ml each (or use small containers). These small sachets will then have to be sealed in a 1L sachet. If you have to bring your medecines, be sure to have your doctor's prescription. If you buy some liquids (whisky, etc) in a duty-free, be sure to have the plastic sealed too. And oppps, if you're on transit within the European Union and you bought a bottle of whisky outside the territory, this bottle, even if you buy it in a duty free inside an airport, couldn't be accepted in the next flight. Better drink the whole of it or it will be confiscated (I just saw a pile of alcohol behind the controller's desk the last time I travelled!).

Baby products, buti na lang, are acceptable. But better not fool them, because they might ask you to taste the product (in case of food products) infront of them.

With all that, I'm now obliged to bid goodbye to my cabin luggage for each travel. I will be part of those people crowding the bagage conveyor system at the airport. I won't be at the top 10 anymore.

I was just thinking, we're like prisoners in a free world. Sigh!