Harvest Time Again

A visit to opa's mountain garden brought us this bounty yesterday: grapes, apples, peaches, pears, dawson plum, tomatoes, zucchini and cucumber. Harvest time again!

Dots

Another experiment done by IC while nobody was looking -- using a pen to put dots in her face so it would look like those freckles in the face of her fave Pippi. I heard my husband exclaiming about it but we were running late as we wanted to shop; I didnt get a good look before we drove off. It was during the lamp's deciding moments that I got the chance to really see her. I took a deep breath and ask her with dismay, 'why did you do that to your face?' Of course, she simply smiled and asked to be photographed!

Lamp

IC cannot resist this lamp. She just got to have this. Saturday was a visit to the home and garden depot, IC was promised she can choose a lamp for her room. I kept on urging her to go for the lamps shaped like a sun or a balloon or a beetle; they are cute and most important, cheaper than the rest of the lamps at only 15 - 25 euro. But she's already focused her attention on this lamp and another one like the one in photo, but only in a ladder. The price? More than 50 euro, arrgh. Papa's girl got her wish of course.

I am Keng, Keng I am

Baptized Raquel, aka Raquel Welch. Di ko alam kung bakit!Dahil kaya my parents have a wish na maging beauty rin ako. Or kala nila nakakahawa ang fame kapag same name?

Tapos nung maliit ako, nickname ko naman, kengkeng. E dahil baby ka pa, papano ka naman aayaw? Kaya naman nung kindergarten, balik na naman ako sa Raquel. Kase official name yon sa application ko, di ba? At sempre, sabit na rin yung sa grade school.

Pero dahil nagkaron ka na rin ng konting barkada, edi may I asking na rin sila sa nickname mo. E ang usual nickname sa Raquel edi ba Quel or Kelly? Naku, naging Quelly pa nga e. Pero dahil sa mga bookstores di ako makabili ng stickers na Quelly, may i change ko sya sa Kelly. Ayun, yun ang naging nickname ko dahil yun ang may stickers. Although konti lang ang naka-alam. Kahit yata yung mga nagtanong ng nickname ko, di rin nila nalaman eh. E pati nga sa bahay namin di alam e. Goodbye, Kelly nobody.

So nag high school. Barkadahan. Sempre tawagan sa telepono, bisitahan sa bahay. Ayun na. Lumabas ang katotohanan. Nakakadismaya man. Ako eh si Kengkeng nga. Pero may karapatan na akong medyo pagandahin ng konti kasi nga teen ager na ako di ba? So pina-iksi ko sya, Keng! Nagkaron pa nga ng time na naging Kheng sya. Di ba, may H!! Nauso yan dati ha. So anyway, patuloy akong naging Keng or Raquel depende sa level ng closeness.

Ang highlight ng pagiging Keng ko e ehem -- pati si Kris Aquino nakyutan sa name ko. Pero di ibig sabihin non na close kami ha, kasi humingi ako ng autograph sa kanya (mwahahaha!)! Cheap thrills. So sabi nya, anong name mo, sabi ko naman, KENG! Kris said, ang cute naman ng name mo! Sabi ko din, name mo, cute din, huh! O anong say nyo, siguro mas makyutan sya kung sabihin kong may H yun ha, heheh!!

Anyway, nagtrabaho ako kung saan-saan, naging Keng na rin ako sa mga big bosses ko. Minsan din akong naging Dokleng. Ewan ko ba. Naging expression ko kasi sya. Pero isang mabuting kaibigan na lang ang may bitbit nyan. Na nahabaan din sa Dokleng, kaya shortened na rin sa Dok.

Pero nung lumipad ako ng Thailand, bumalik ako sa pagiging Raquel. E ang mga lintak na Thais, di nila masabi ang Q! Kung ano anong version ang lumabas kaya sabi ko ako e si Keng. Na hindi naman nila din ma take kasi ang ibig sabihin naman ng Keng sa Thai word eh intelligent, clever, superwoman -- Di ba nila alam na ako nga lahat yon? Kung di lang ako sobrang humble, hmp!

Ayan na naman, nag mutate na naman ang aking pagiging Raquel while working in Thailand. Tinawag akong Raki kasi daw mas okay daw ang tunog. O sige na nga, para lang kumita at di pauwiin ulit sa Pinas. E biglang na meet ko naman yung aking future husband na nung una kaming nag meet e wala naman akong balak na maging future wife nya. Kaya nung tinanong nya sa akin, how do you say your name Raquel? Ang tunog nya eh Rachel. Sabi ko, no problem. American version di ba. E malay ko bang magiging asawa ko pala sya? Kaya eto ako ngayon, Raquel na naging Rachel. Rachel sa mga close ko, at Raquel sa mga kakilalang pilit. Pero sa karamihan ng populasyon dito sa Germany, ako si Frau Erhard. OO, sobrang pormal sila dito. (Kung sa atin baga, Aling Keng)

Sempre sa mga closeness ko eh Keng pa rin ako. Di na double kengkeng, mabuti naman at marami ng nakalimot. Yan e kung kalilimutan ko ang mga kamag-anakan namin sa Taytay, Rizal. Dahil hanggang ngayon eh tumataginting na Kengkeng pa rin ang tawag sa akin. Wish ko lang, iwan nyo na plis ang double Keng!! Eto na nga si ako, si Keng, kengkerengkeng pa rin.

From my Friendster blog 9/19/2006

Bouncing Castle Asleep

The kids were fascinated to watch the bouncing castle slowly 'falling asleep.' The 11 year old castle is simply too old and too loved by the kids. It is now asking to be replaced, having holes and bumps in all places. After that day, the castle was laid to it's airless rest.

Red Tongue

Mommy, look at my red tongue! IC was proud to show off the result of her ice cream lolly binge.

Ice Cream Lolly

The kids discovered the refreshing taste of the ice water lollies while camping. At first they wanted to stick to the regular ice cream, when I got one for me; they just had to have one each, too.

Zum Schiff Restaurant

Zum Schiff Restaurant is located right in front of the Neckar River, in Neckarsteinach. Our chance to enjoy the view without being out in the open in that real breezy day came with a window table.

I had salmon filet with rice and salad while my hubby went for the unsurprising Steak. The kids goobled up the spätzle, a German pasta, with sauce.

Those Were Mine

I almost didnt get the chance to wear my slippers or my flip flops as they call them here in Germany. The kids love the flowers attached to it so much, they wont let it go. I had to walk barefoot the first few hours in the camping ground!

Kids Getting Busy

It was good to know that Odenwald Camping have a Kid's Club. The girls got busy with the big wadding pool, the bouncing castle, the chalks, the water toys available for them, the big playground located near where we camped out; they missed out on the scheduled activities but hey, they had a good time!

Neckarsteinach

We passed Neckarsteinach, the Vierburgenstadt (the city of 4 castles), during our drive to and from the Odenwald Camping. Of course, the castles are either ruins or simply walls; but for me, they are still curiosities. They were going to have a light festivities this weekend, we were really sorry to miss that spectacular display.

Showing Off

They showed off their acquired sweets, 'Hey mama, here are my licorice!'

Before running to papa's side. The train was only five minutes late this time!

Store

Tindahan sa kanto kumbaga. Here is the kid's favorite stop everytime we would be picking up papa from the train station - the little corner store. I would give them both 20 zents and they can buy what they want - usually sweets (gummibears or licorice); then it would not be boring to be waiting for papa's regularly late train.

How to eat a melon

Look at how IC seems to be enjoying her melon. This is actually her first time to eat it with the skin on -- she had to ask me more than once, 'mama, can I eat the skin?' I always told her no. That's because she loves eating apples with skin!

More Fruits

These are Mirabelle (yellow plums) which was harvested in opa's mountain garden. I dont know the name of the small fruits. My husband, always the sceptic, also asked me coz he didnt recognize it. He told me to throw them away for he dont think it comes from opa's garden. In which I returned back, 'your mother was eating it!' Let's see if he tasted it.

Papa's Childhood Toys

These toys are papa's childhood toys. Imagine, oma hoarded them up for more than 50 years now. There are more of them, some already found their way in our house. But the most precious would be his Märklin HO model train collection.

Noodle mit Tomatensauce

Oma's famous recipe: Noodle mit Tomatensauce (spaghetti).

Oma and Opa's Kitchen

Presenting, oma and opa's kitchen. Guess who cannot wait for food anymore?

Blackberries

My bro in law in action, picking blackberries along the bushes in my in law's yard.

Doggie Ride

IC (1 yr), trying to balance on a doggie ride. The dog was a gift of my husband to her niece years ago; we got this as a 'pahiram' since that little girl is now in her late twenties and is smoothly studying her way to law.

Winnie d Pooh

MC's 4th birthday was a deluge of Winnie d Pooh's. Actually, the other big one is a gift for MC to IC (we've created a tradition that each time one of the girls celebrate her birthday, she would have to give a present, to her sister, too.) Just look at IC being dragged by Pooh on the right photo:-)

As for the smaller Pooh on the left side, it was a gift from the toy store for splurging! We could have exchanged it for a different item; but the kids insisted. They didnt know that they would be getting bigger Poohs. So, there!

Watercolors

The products of my little artists imagination, every piece are titled. IC consisted mostly of different versions of a Kunterbunteshaus from Pippi while MC's works are more varied such as the sun, the garden, buildings, etc.

My Little Artists

Took a tv break and doned their frocks -- my little artists at work.

Exotic Breads

My husband was on a bread buying rampage again this weekend. On the left side are the white Turkish bread loaves and then the Iranian fladdenbrot (pitta bread). These would be frozen for future use (meaning, tomorrow and the day after). We love to eat them with barbecued items or as alternative to using pizza dough. Yum!