Rainy Days are Here

Well, what can I say, living in Canada is a real blessing! However, there's one thing that I am actually getting tired of hearing not that I don't appreciate it or understand but at some point you get exhausted when all you hear from friends and strangers alike is TALK about the weather...You know what I mean? (:

Today, is another example. Autumn is here and I love this season! The leaves changes it hues and colors...It's quite a scenery. But today, not to dampen your spirits, it's actually raining quite a bit to the point of making you not wake up from your bed and just stay there for the rest of the day...And people's complaints and comments like,"Oh, gee the weather is messy and crazy today!" "I hate the rain", and other stupid comments that you can think about. It's getting boring you know...But as for me, I try to enjoy the coolness it brings, the cleaning agent as it is and just washing the dirt away from the face of the earth...Sometimes, there's part of rain that I like about...CRAVE for comfort food...hahaha! And with this kind of weather? Count on me, I love to eat like really enjoy the food on the table.
So, let's enjoy the rain while it lasts...When it was hot and humid during the summer we were dying for it and now that it's here to join us, we complain! Oh, human beings!!!

"I am getting so tired of our winter and our rain and the gloominess of our days. I wanted to find an image that described my day today and this is it. Painted by L C Neill of North Carolina, United States. This little quote on her blog turns my negativity into positivity:
“Fish dance, swallows sing.
Thirsty roots soak up relief;
the drought is over.”
I need sunshine."

Sushi Night

  Oh, how I am thankful to have finally met new friends who share the same interests with me and laughters and drinks after a long day at work.

  So, we agreed to have a buffet sushi dinner at KANDA located at 2045 Bishop St
Montréal, QC H3G2E8
(514) 845-8868

Subway: Station Guy-Concordia

 Since I'm Asian, I am into seafood and things like that...It's just a great treat...You can eat-all-you can and if you can't finish your food, then, you gotta pay for a buck for each piece you can't manage to swallow..I'm a fan of this restaurant and they have one located on Queen Mary and St. Jean's Blvd. in the West Island. So, there's no excuse not to check this one out! The price is affordable.

   

  Awesome!

 

 

A Sweet Reminder

How easy it is for us to complain about anything that irritates us may it be the traffic, annoying people around us, boring jobs, winter, frustrating life, injustice, poverty around the world, etc...But little did we know that the more we exude negative energies towards the universe the more it would add up to the already chaotic mess that mother earth is experiencing, sounds weird but true...So, if we find ourselves in situations like the above-mentioned, may we have the courage to become grateful for the life that is being bestowed amongst us, the air that we breath, the food on our table, the roof above our heads, the great environment that we are in, the wonderful and meaningful relationships that we have with our family and friends, the blessings, big and small that we are getting and enjoying, how about think of the good and positive things that would help impact our world...

One thing I love is the fact that I am being blessed beyond measure and hope that my life would become a blessing to anyone that I would bump into the next minute to come, the weeks to come, the months and years to come...And touch people's lives that words can't describe. That would be really awesome!!!

Yours truly,

HLF

Thank You by Dido

Love this song and when I think of that special someone who loved me, encouraged me and supported me all the way to becoming a better person each and everyday...

This song is for you...xxx ooo!

Amazing Race (Watermelon Launch)

I watched the episode of Amazing Race and this just blew my mind away...

Watch this!

Karaoke Night

 So, my friends and I planned on going to have a Karaoke night at Pang-Pang located on 1226 Rue Mackay
Montréal, QC H3G 2H4
(514) 938-8886

We are reserved a good two hours of pure fun of singing our hearts out and just relax!!! As for me, I had a blast because karaoke singing is huge in the Philippines. A few booze and a microphone and a good song selection, then, you are good to go!

You should check this one out! If you are visiting Montreal.

Juliette et Chocolat

 

 Strawberr and Banana Crepe with a Scope of Ice Cream

     Today, I went for the first time with my girlfriends at the very infamous Juliette et Chocolat Resto on 3600 Boulevard, St. Laurent and I had this...Yummy!!!

     After all the time on the road and how to get there...It was all worth it. Fun times!

     Deep down, I was also celebrating for my someone's special day today!!! (;

Glee with my Girl Charice!!!

I am proud to be Filipino!!

You rock, girl!!

Simple Ways to Get Closer to your Partner

Couples in intimate relationships have some things in common. Much of the time it's not about what they do or don't do; it's about who they are as people and how they behave with each other.  

Here are some of the many ways the happiest of couples interact with each other. Try them out.

1. Be best friends.
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg both say that their wives are their best friends. People who think that having a best friend as a partner is unromantic are usually single and bitter. Having a best friend in your heart and bed is the best part of a loving relationship.

2. Be able to laugh at yourselves.
Maintaining a sense of humour about your life and your relationship is one of the keys to thriving. Life can throw many curves and without the ability to see and appreciate the irony, you could end up hating the world and each other.

3. Be open to new ideas and experiences.
If your partner only wanted to do the things you like to do, life would soon become dull and uninteresting. Having a partner who exposes you to different perspectives and dreams will make your world and soul fulfilled.

4. Be willing to be willing.
When change or compromise is called for, you don't have to accept it immediately. Just being willing to look at things from another perspective can often be enough to help you resolve most differences that occur in an emotionally fit relationship.

5. Be kind.
Kindness and courtesy are perhaps the most undervalued and underused of human virtues. Courtesy, communication, and kindness can turn conflict into consensus.

6. Be able to give all of your attention.
Giving your partner 100 per cent of your attention when they want to talk to you is one of the most bonding and powerful things you can do. Put down the remote control or whatever you're reading, face your partner, and say, "What would you like to talk about?" It will make your partner feel loved and important.

7. Be demonstrative.
Couples who often touch and hold each other often have fewer arguments, enjoy life more, and stay healthier. Touching is one of the deepest forms of communication.

8. Be trustworthy.
Never give your partner any reason to doubt your loyalty or devotion. Whenever you are away from each other, check in regularly to let your partner know you're okay.

9. Be available.
If your partner has a problem, be the one they call first. Commitment means that you can count on your partner to be there for you when you need them.

10. Be proactive.
Couples who take a relationship inventory and see what they have as well as what it is they might need in the future are much better prepared for difficulty and have longer lasting, more successful relationships.

As for me, I will TRY HARDER this time!!! (:

Digital Shadows

  As I was reading the newspaper and keeping myself abreast of what's going on in the world and my environment, this section hit me and really caught my attention. Digital Shadows???? What the hell is this?

  It's a new thing to my ears. So, here you go....

   "In our daily life, there are dozens of ways you transmit personal information-without ever logging on to a computer-from using your credit card, to walking down a city street. Taken together, that information is called a person's digital shadow."

   "It's the sort of trail that you may not be aware of, because you don't have physical contact with the machine that maybe collecting the information," said Colin McKay, the director of research, education and outreach with the office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

    Geez, I really find this very creepy. I guess, this is one downside of living in a highly advanced technology..All our personal information is being shared and transmitted online without our knowledge. No wonder the number of stalking, identity theft and many more is rampant nowadays.

    So, check this one out and be aware of your own digital shadows. Below is the link where you can apparently calculate your daily digital shadows.

      www.emc.com/leadership/programs/digital-universe.htm

Call Center Joke (Directory Assistance)

I dunno if the guy was trying to be funny or if he was really hilarious and annoying and plus his thick accent didn't helped his cause...(:

Laughter is the best medicine! ENJOY!

Beet and Carrot Cake Recipe

Beet and Carrot Cake Slice

Beet and Carrot Cake

 Icing:

125 ml Philadelphia Cheese (light)
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp  vanilla

3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cooking oil (I use canola)
1 cup shredded raw beets
1 cup shredded raw carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 egg whites

Procedure:

1. Beat together egg yolks, sugar, oil, and vanilla.

2. Add beets, carrots and walnuts.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and mix altogether.

4. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

5. Bake in 350 C. for a good 45 minutes or until ready.

6. Add icing and bon appetit!!! (;

Something to Ponder

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'  When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.  Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

There comes a point in your life when you realize:

Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

Visualizing

My Dream House

Nuff said...(:

Work Hard and Play Harder

Someone dear to me once said, you go ahead and go for what you want and you will have them.

After a long day, I said to myself, I need to unwind and just chill and relax! Here's some snap shots.


We ate at Koka-Loka Restaurant on Mont-Royal. I ordered the "Camarones ala Diabla". It's yummy and spicy.

Camarones a la Diabla

Koka-Loka on Mont-Royal

Hihilarious and Smart!

I cannot contain myself from laughing upon listening on this 911 call. It was a serious problem for a man who has his 5-year old daughter who took control throughout the call. No words can describe my appreciation for this young lass!

ENJOY! (:

God's Divine Connections

Last night, I shared my story re: my documents from the Immigration and that it would cause a little delay of my application for my open permit. Anyway, a friend of a friend told me that someone can help fix my problem. So, I didn't waste my time and call that friend and she told me that I can go ahead and call that "someone" right away. When I told him my case, he said, let's rendezvous tomorrow at around 5:30pm-6:00pm to discuss matters. Of course, I was running late and as I was on my way, I took my cellphone so I will call him and tell him that I would be late for a little bit because I finished work a little late. However, before I could dial his number, he's already calling me to confirm our meeting. So, I said, I will call him as soon as I will be around the area. To make the long story short, I was kinda lost and it's getting late already. What can I do? My things are heavy, too. So, I said, this will be a quick meeting and I will go home and eat my dinner. But something divine happened. He told me not to panick and not to worry and just relaxed. He was even helpful by double-checking things and really guiding me through the paperworks. As soon as everything is ready to go, he shared something that's really amazing!

"He told me that I have to follow the path that I want for my life and pursue my dream!" "Hazel, listen to me, you are an exceptional person, you are intelligent, you have the most interesting personality that I've ever met, you have the love of life and you are beyond blessed." I can go on and on, actually, I forgot some of it...All I knew was he seemed to know me before he met me. "I said, how come you are telling me all these things?" Do you know how to read aura or something? I can't help but be amazed and he was very engaging and so positive. It's almost too good to be true, I find. But at the back of my mind, I said, "God, thank you for making a way for me and for all these blessings I am hearing right now. Honestly, I am so touched! Need I say more? God has His own divine connections available to us who needs His help! Of course, I was available and ready to accept the help. He knows our desires and needs and He will supply all of it.

So, after everything I said, I gotta get going as I was about to reach my purse to pay him for his service and help, he said. I am blessed to have met you. Don't bother to pay me. In shocked I said, are you kidding me? I wasted your time and you won't accept it? He said, NO. It's a PLEASURE. (:
I'm very grateful and happy that things went smoothly and successfully! He even gave me a lift on my way home! Praise be to God!

 Right now, I feel so blessed and still in awe of what happened. So, I will just wait patiently for I know I attract what I believe I deserve!

 I can now sleep tight like a baby. I am counting my blessings!

 It pays to stay positive during the stormy night!

 I'm so AMAZED and I give you praise!

Life's Little Twist

When I got home from the West Island, my instinct tells me to check the mailbox and hope to see a brown envelope from the Immigration re: my application for my Permanent Residency. I do that EVERYDAY.

So, TODAY isn't an exception. Sure, I checked my mailbox and lo and behold! I saw ONE with my name on it! I say a little prayer, kissed it and with a big smile on my face I quickly tore it open...To my SURPRISE and a lil DISMAY. It was not the OPEN PERMIT that I was waiting for....;(
It was a letter asking me to UPDATE some information regarding my application for permanent residency. So, I calmed down myself and continued to stay POSITIVE. I told myself that this is just one little twist, the war is not over yet.

I believe I will win this battle!

Discovered a New Passion---BAKING.

  Banana cake with strawberry toppings!

Here are some of my passion creations when it comes to trying my baking skills...

Gateau Au Chocolat

Labor Day Weekend

I need to relax and just make something special for the Labor Day Weekend...
Raspberry Mascarpone Trifle....

Raspberry Mascarpone Trifle

    


foodnetwork.ca

The Miracle of a Mother's Touch

This is just an amazing story that needs to be shared and to celebrate a life the mere fact that the warmth of a mother's body engulfing a dead baby and bringing him back to life. Even if I am not a mother yet, I can very much relate to this story. The miracle and beauty of a baby said to be clinically dead and was brought to life by his mom is referred to in Australia as the "Kangaroo Touch". Read the story below...

"Modern medicine often works wonders, but an Australian mom now knows firsthand the true miracle that can come from a mother’s touch. Kate Ogg was told her newborn son Jamie had died after efforts to resuscitate the premature infant had failed shortly after his birth. But when Kate was given the chance to say goodbye to the apparently lifeless baby, she and her husband, David, found they were instead saying hello to the newest member of their family. Now 5 months old and healthy, baby Jamie and his twin sister, Emily, appeared on TODAY Friday with their proud parents, who told the amazing tale of what happened to them in a Sydney, Australia, hospital last March."Check out the video with the parents below and/or read the rest of the article HERE -->

CHANGE is a Great Thing and I am Grateful...

Blossom

So, today is a beautiful day to start with knowing that I am not going to start early at work.

My boss told me that I can start my work day at 12noon everyday and it's a music to my ears...(;

I am indeed GRATEFUL and HAPPY for this CHANGE  because I just hate waking up in the mornings!

How easy it is for us to complain about anything that irritates us may it be the traffic, annoying people around us, boring jobs, winter, frustrating life, injustice, poverty around the world, etc...But little did we know that the more we exude negative energies towards the universe the more it would add up to the already chaotic mess that mother earth is experiencing, sounds weird but true...So, if we find ourselves in situations like the above-mentioned, may we have the courage to become grateful for the life that is being bestowed amongst us, the air that we breath, the food on our table, the roof above our heads, the great environment that we are in, the wonderful and meaning relationships that we have with our family and friends, the blessings, big and small that we are getting and enjoying, how about think of the good and positive things that would help impact our world...

One thing I love is the fact that I am being blessed beyond measure and hope that my life would become a blessing to anyone that I would bump into the next minute to come, the weeks to come, the months and years to come...And touch people's lives that words can't describe. That would be really awesome!!!

Happy Hazel

Dear God,

First of all, I would like to thank you for all the blessings and for surprising me today!

Let me recall the events that took place today...

I woke up for yet another normal day of work. Getting ready and grab a cup of my cappucino coffee and get on with my day. I must say, it was just a mundane day for me...Although, in my heart, I am full of great positivism, happiness and visualizing about the things that I need and I want. Literally, I am thinking and praying and waiting for some desires of my heart. Okay, okay, I sound to vague in here...(:

So, let me share something about one of my struggles, let's say CHALLENGES in my life. Months ago, I approached my employer for a raise because I wanted to UPGRADE a life here in Canada.
However, at that point in time, the answer was not to my liking but I hold up and it never stopped me from wanting about great things to happen in my life. No matter how we seem to view life that it's difficult or if we complain, blah, blah, blah! At some point, things has to CHANGE. It just has to if we really wanted something to HAPPEN! And as for me, I WANTED SOMETHING and I BELIEVE I DESERVED that something. (:

I prayed to God and I know that if He answers our petitions right away, then, we don't know how to APPRECIATE things and our CHARACTER wouldn't be strengthened at all. But He never DISAPPOINTS us. Everything happens for a reason.

Still unclear? Well, I was about to finish work and my boss suddenly told me---SHE WILL GIVE ME A RAISE! And she's offering me a condo she owned RENT-FREE! OMG! I have to keep everything in my heart and listened to the GOOD NEWS! My heart is definitely REJOICING! At last, my prayers are ANSWERED! I am soooooo HAPPY and I have no words to DESCRIBE IT! I worked hard, I fought for what I believed I deserve, I suppose.

Then, I went home and received a mail that says, I got a replacement of my KINDLE that was defective...It was all BRAND NEW and I can't believe it. TODAY, I can say that blessings were just too much to handle and up to this time of my writing things are not sinking in just yet...Veddy, veddy, SURREAL! Honestly! (;

I am very happy today! I feel blessed and loved!!!

I believe that in the saying that goes, "You attract what you believe you deserve."

Of Being Productive...

I just want to give myself a pat in the back for being able to tackle so many things in a given period of time.  It takes a heck of strength, love and passion to multi-task! Yet stay positive and beautiful.

I woke up early just because I have to go to work. Whew! It takes more than strength and positivity to be able to pull everything in a given situation. As for me, working as a caregiver is a MAJOR, MAJOR experience that I carry in this lifetime. I am able to take care of a LIFE, and that is a GIFT. I am happy to be able to take care of a little angel and be a "parent" to her..It definitely makes me EXCITED to have one of my OWN. In HIS time.

It's her first day at school and I was kinda excited for her and prepared everything that she needs..Talking about a stage mother, big time. (:

Anyways, today, my itinerary includes running errands, grocery shopping, playing a "CHEF AT HOME", is cool. I would never have imagined what it feels like to be really good in the cooking department. I can now say, that I LOVE BAKING. Long, long ago, I dread to be in the kitchen with my mom. I get a lotta insults from her. I love you, mom! You have a point and now I know...(:

Right now, I can say that I am happy for all these things made me a good cook. If you do things with love and passion from the heart, then, everything is just going smoothly according to plan. I am proud that I am able to follow recipes that I love and really enjoying the results of it. I am happy because it brings me to enjoy food and let others appreciate what I've done.

I am just amazed to be a blessing to others! Blessed to bless!