How are you during first dates? I bet half of them were disastrous. I could tell. I’m one of those people who aren’t themselves when on dates. I’ve figured out why first dates don’t work any better than they do. Why? Because it almost always involves eating.

I’m uncomfortable showing my true appetite on first dates. Normally, when the waiter appears, my date orders a medium rare steak or a hamburger with home fries. He does this all without looking at the menu. Now it’s my turn. I look at the menu, I consider the chicken but I just settle for the house salad with dressing on the side. Then, I would tell my date that I had a late breakfast or something. Just so he wouldn’t think I’m weird.

Does that scenario seem familiar? There’s more. What do I do with complimentary bread basket? I take one and tear the roll into little pieces without eating it. I bet my date thinks I’m on a diet.

Good thing I came across this website, Are You Normal or Nuts? Now I know I’m not alone. There are many women out there who, like me, don’t eat much on dates. Men may consider it odd but we’re actually doing it for you. We want to make a good impression. You might find it funny but it’s considered normal. If you want funny, go check out this website, Reader’s Digest Laughs and have a good laugh.

But if you find yourself asking if you’re normal, just go to Are You Normal or Nuts? and ask the experts.

I thought I was finally through with the rituals of back-to-school days. No more terror teachers. No more rude classmates. No more exams. However, having children, I’ve discovered that you have to relive back-to-school blues from a different vantage point. It takes on a new perspective and meaning.

Back in high school, the clothing of choice was a pair of Guess jeans. This Paris-based jean brand was the hottest item of clothing a girl can have in those days. I can still remember my pair. It was tight-ankled and rugged. At fifty bucks a pair, it was a status symbol and a necessity of life.

Now that I’m a parent, this is my message to my kids: Clothes, particularly the branded ones, aren’t everything especially at those prices. But kids will be kids and I was once a kid and I know how I can be so stubborn. Although my teenage son is not brand-conscious, I don’t know how my little one will turn out.

But I know what wearing the wrong shoes or sporting the wrong brand of bag could mean back in school. It was tough and costly. I was expected to contribute my share to the billion dollar industry of fashion. It was stupid, that I’ve come to realize now. Now that I’m the one spending for that extravagance. When that time comes, and it’s my daughter’s turn to experience insomniac nights about what to wear the night before school opens, I just have to find a way to argue my daughter out of extravagance and stupidity. Good luck to me!

photo: blue1987tail

It’s a typical day in my neighborhood, a place I’ve known barely two years. There’s Manang who gets my trash daily and who is my second wake-up call each day. She rings the doorbell at exactly 9 each morning except Sundays. I sometimes wish she won’t be as punctual because I would like to sleep a little bit more.

The park is coming alive now with people of all ages walking their dogs, letting their toddlers play and just hanging out to smell the morning breeze. One by one the parking area is emptied as the cars, SUVs and vans are flying up the main street as if the drivers had never learned to stop and breathe in and out.

Moms and maids are busy doing their marketing and shopping for ingredients to cook for lunch and dinner. And my neighbor, the short guy, is busy revving up his motorcycle with speakers as loud as the sound of that engine. I’ve never seen or heard a motorcycle with an elaborate sound setup. Oh well, that may not be a typical neighborhood for you, but it is for me.

I think I’ve been walking and driving these streets long enough, playing the same old song in my stereo and I even know every howl of the dogs here. I know which one to avoid and which one to have come near me. This area is known as the shopping mall area. We have 2 large shopping malls and a few smaller ones. Perhaps that’s the reason why my wallet is always empty. I’m a “prisoner” of shopping here, unable to control the card swiping and flashing.=) But there’s more going on in this neighborhood, things strange and things mundane.

I can tell who from my neighbors are coming and going by the sound of their footsteps echoing in the hallway. You see, this place made me some kind of a security guard. I can even tell who goes to the grocery everyday and who goes once a week. And about once a week, I do my usual pilgrimage at a nearby Pancake House to have my fix of cappucino and banana walnut waffle. And today, people are swarming in front of the resto to get their morning fix. Some of them are regulars and some of them are newbies. Pancake House is the closest thing to a community this neighborhood has.

People here still smile at you like they did when I was younger. But it’s rare that someone stops and talks to you when you see each other on the street. “Hi” is good enough for me as I’m not always in the mood for conversations. The bank line has not yet formed outside Banco De Oro, though the parking in front is already full. An elderly woman sits on the bench reading her paper while waiting for her turn at the ATM. And I’m just wondering why she even needs money so early in the day. Perhaps she is one of those people who got bitten by the shopping bug.

Despite the obvious fastfood trend, there are still some nice restaurants here. On this morning, the chef in the little Italian restaurant is probably preparing his pasta salad and famous cheesecake. The restaurant has perfected a cuisine that can only be described as delicious and creative.

Some people probably don’t appreciate the fact that this neighborhood is also a commercial area. Every kind of institution is here. From restaurants, banks, bakeries, and even high end salons. Some people probably want a gated community where every which way you turn is a house one after another. Still, I like this neighborhood just as it is.

In my two years here, I’ve seen stores and shops fold up and give way to new ones. The changes and the different characters have made it possible to walk these streets day after day without getting bored. The time I get bored is the time I move out, head south, some place where a swimsuit and mai tai in the morning is considered normal.

photo: stefan’s page

Parents, that includes me, have a hell of a time feeding our kids these days. From meal planning, preparation, the actual cooking and kids actually sitting down and eating your masterpiece. I wish it were that simple. But with TV around, the abundant choices of fastfood and my time management, meal time is a chore and a challenge at the same time.

How simple it was when we were still kids when people knew nothing about McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and the science of “grab and go” lunch and we just had to eat whatever it was on the table. And we actually sat down to dinner and talk–without watching TV or texting our thumbs off.

Today, it’s so normal that one of your kids hates Chinese and the other Italian. One won’t eat vegetables, the other won’t eat meat. The outcome of too many choices. Even babies are faced with too many choices. Milk formula has evolved into soy, lactose-free, DHA, etcetera. What happened to breast milk? It remained in the breast and was processed into cheese. I wonder what it tastes like. Care for mammary cheese anyone?

Well, I’m still trying. Maybe it’s hopeless. In this crazy supersized hamburger and fries world, it’s hard to feed our children nutritious meals. I mean, I hardly know what to eat between low-fat, hi-protein, high-fiber organic foods. I just never forget my vitamins. That’s a surefire way to feel wholesome these days. But even that didn’t escape our choice-filled world. There is the synthetic type and there is natural.

Maybe there’s still hope to abate our kids’ need to consume junk. One unmistakable approach is to let them eat healthy or die. It’s that or nothing. No choice. No wimpy parents for this kind of approach. Or bribe them approach. Eat your vegetables and then you can have that lollipop. And finally, the stand back and close your eyes approach. This approach lets them choose whatever they want while the parent crosses her fingers and hopes against all hope that her kids choose the right thing.

photo: studiosushi

I would be a spinach. It’s not only as nutritious as other greens, it’s also a versatile vegetable. It could be made into soup, bread filling, omelette, side dish and any other way or dish you can think of. And just like Popeye the Sailor Man, it makes anyone who eats it stronger and healthier.

That’s why the sproutwells are a welcome addition to the neighborhood of greens. Who are they? Well, they’re just your normal fruit and vegetable family trying to fit in our world. Now, who wouldn’t want them around? Watch the video and find out how adorable the sproutwells truly are.

One of the things I least like about myself is my unholy passion. When my friends or strangers talk to me about the occult, witchcraft and the horoscope, I have the choice to either pretend I don’t know such things or be truthful that I’m a bit of an expert.

I have tried, naturally, to suspend my pesky disbelief or knowledge, especially about reading my horoscope in the paper or the internet. To tell you honestly, it’s the first thing I look for when there’s a newspaper around. That and the gossip section are the only ones that take my interest. Well, can you blame me? It’s the only section in the whole paper that talks about me and what would happen to me during the day. So, I read it religiously.

I did have some instances when I realized that my horoscope was going against me. Like some kind of bad luck or a series of bad relationships. Those times I wished I were a Gemini or an Aquarius rather than a Pisces. That way it would be easier to enjoy reading my horoscope and I would feel more comfortable because people under the Aquarius sign tend to have more fun. By the way, Pisceans are emotional, to say the least.

So I would sometimes pretend to be an Aquarius or a Gemini knowing all too well that my birthday month is February. But it didn’t work. Because believe it or not, my horoscope had its way of making me realize that I’m a true-blue Piscean. Besides, I couldn’t stop myself from peeking at my old horoscope and anticipating my own “real” events.

Some days there would be hints of romance. Other days would be to take precautions on business dealings. Other times would talk about family and problems in the homefront. And some about travel and leisure. See, my life is full with horoscope around.

I’ll never stop reading my horoscope. Not until something comes along that would tell me my luck is changing for the better.

photo: by daxster78

Five hours on the plane. Five toilet trips. Three styrofoam cups of coffee. Listening to Elizabethtown movie soundtrack for the nth time. One fussy kid who would rather stay home in bed.

A vacation from hell.

And to say that we do this every year and look forward to it would not be the whole truth. We would rather skip the actual trip and with just a snap of a finger, be at our destination and just relax. But that’s just wishful thinking.

But there’s always Cabin Cuddler to make long trips more comfortable and bearable. This product comes with its own inflatable pillow and blanket and folds into a tote bag so it’s always easy to carry and store. It has a patented pocket that always keep your feet warm which is nice because socks can be irritating sometimes. And this is what I like best, it’s made in such a way that it covers every inch of your body, even your head. So there’s a pretty good chance my sinusitis problems won’t get in the way of a perfect vacation.

Now, we can go on vacation every year with little less worries and hesitation. The open road or sky is looking more and more enticing. Thanks to Cabin Cuddler.

Girl bonding over facial masks, toenail painting, alcoholic drinks, and cigarettes…I miss this. When was the last time you’ve done this with your friends? No matter how busy we are, a night or day of female indulgence with friends would surely put everything in perspective. Maybe. I mean, even for just a short while.

We’ve all had moments when we would rather be with our gals than anyone else. Perhaps it’s the need to connect to our womanhood or beauty addiction without being judged by our hairstylist, manicurist or facialist. Who can be self-conscious when you’re all covered with green tea masks?

There’s even a new fad like putting together a spa night if you’re into massages. Or if you’re into makeup and skincare, just hire a makeup artist to teach you basic everyday makeup.

Whatever it is you and your friends are into, we all need female bonding and girl talk from time to time.

photo: shadphotos