Our Discoveries about The Netherlands

Sharing our best discoveries - food, people, places and memories - aboutThe Netherlands during our European summer tour last May 24- June 7, 2017. We were at the Netherlands on May 24 - 28 and June 7. Watch the slides of our Best 12 discoveries about The Netherlands.

Our Discoveries about the Netherlands from andyoreta

Rock Art rocks!

Our first rock art products" "Star Face" by Julia & "Lady Bug" by Andy

Apple gave a set of acrylic paint and a canvas to me encouraging me to start painting on my birthday last year but I found no time and inspiration. My cousin, Ramil, brought a half sack of rocks supposedly for Apple for our garden. While browsing at Book Sale, I found a book on "Rock Art!" and I was inspired to try this craft. So this summer break, Julia and I tried rock art using the rocks in our garden and the unused acrylic paints. Rock art is fun and keeps you busy. However, it requires patience and some basic skills especially when you need to draw circles and fine lines. Painting with acrylic is not a problem since you can always repeat the process by overlaying to improve the design. What's nice with rock art is that your product can be good souvenirs to give away or even sell. Rock art really rocks! :-)

Painting "Fishy"

Painting "My Yellow Sub"

Julia painting her "Star Face" rock

My rock art#1 - "Lady Bug"

My rock art#2 - "Fishy"

My rock art#3 - "Stuart - the minion"

My rock art#4 - "My yellow sub" = a birthday gift to retired US navy, Matt Lutao

Rock art rocks!

Imagine the floor if painted with various colorful designs! Awesome!

Mini Pinchers!

Our mini-pinchers, Pepper, Bruno and Luna are Julia's favorites pets. Luna, the super mini-pincher passed away on Sept. 2016. Pepper, the cutest minpin got sick and left on Jan 2017. And now we have just Bruno, the hairy minipin, the dad of the new minipin, Lulu.

Lulu

Farewell, Zoey, our smart & lovely dog

Zoey, we will miss you!

Zoey was born from two breeds, a dachshund (dad) and a labrador (mom). She arrived in our house sometime in December 2011 It was actually a gift to Geof on his birthday.  But it's Julia who's grown more attached to her.
Zoey watches the house diligently, always alert for strangers. However, she hates loud fire crackers. During the New Year when fire crackers are noisiest, she trembles and insist on hiding inside the house. She gave birth to puppies - Seria, Mojo (+), Rango, Jupiter and Hachiko (+). Before she left us, she was pregnant with who knows who (maybe Oreo - the puppy of Seria). We really don't know when the event happened. :-)

Zoey always greets me in the morning waiting for her prize of bread or chicharon. He is the smartest dog in the house. We will miss you Zoey! :-(

"The look you gave just as I was about to leave this morning (22 Feb 2017)... I was arranging for a homecare for you - dextrose and all. I know that a liver desease in dogs is fatal, having lost 3 dogs already just last year, including my best friend Luna. Still, I was banking on your strong constitution and will to live. But the desease is treacherous and cruel. It didn't even give us the chance to say goodbye. Goodbye my baby. I will terribly miss you." - Apple
 

Zoey as a puppy in 2011

Zoey (2011-2017)

by Andy Oreta (1 Dec 2023)

Zoey, may lahing Dachshund at Labrador

Regalo ka para kay Geof na napamahal kay Julia

Sa garahe, isa kang bantay na matapang at siga

Subalit takot na takot sa paputok at iba pa

Nagbunga ka ng limang masisiglang tuta

Mojo, Rango, Princess, Hachiko at Seria

Mga alagang tunay na nagbigay na ligaya’t tuwa

Maraming salamat, patuloy pa rin ang aming saya

Ristorante delle Mitre - where the Cardinals dine!

Just infront of San Agustin Church at Intramuros, Manila is Ristorante delle Mitre, an establishment under the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). I have been dying to eat here because it serves the sun-dried beef tapa which I came to love when one of my graduate student gave me a sun-dried beef tapa box from Quezon. So after attending the "Walk for Life" rally at the Quirino Grandstand, Apple and I went ot this resto for breakfast. We even met Cardinal Oscar Cruz when we dined there. The place is indeed holy and blessed. That's why the food tastes great!

Apple ordered the crispy tawilis

Sun-drief beef tapa! Crispy! Read related blog about Sun-dried tapa!

Rustic, heritage ambience with religious relics and images of saints

Guisados - Taco and Grill

The Taco Look

When GMA7's Taste Buddies featured Guisados Taco and Grill, I got interested to visit the resto since it's very near our place. Guisados is located along Congressional Ave., QC. So one Sunday, after hearing mass, I suggested that we try Mexican food at Guisados.And we were not disappointed with the food that we ordered below. Price ranges from P100 to P300.

The Mexican Wings is spicy. Taste good with the white sauce.

Pineapple Juice with Cinnamon. Refreshing!

Sisig with Rice. The pork sisig is well cooked and the veggie was crispy.

Five Tacos - Beef, Pork, Sisig, Lechon, Chicken. Serve with soft tacos. Although I preferred crispy tacos.

Grilled Chicken Burritos - big serving, good for sharing

And the dessert, my favorite - the Cinnamon Chips ala mode. Fried tacos with cinnamon, chocolate and ice cream. Super!

Guisado's serves Mexican food at reasonable price!

Garage Sale!

22 Jan 2017 Garage Sale

 

 January was house cleaning month and we need to dispose of too many clutters - collections of books (pocketbooks by Andy, Kid's books by Geof and Julia and Filipiniana by Apple),  toys that our kids enjoyed playing with when they were toddlers and old clothes. I suggested to Apple , "why not hold a garage sale?" A garage sale or book sale is one experience that I want to try either at home or any place like school. So while packing the books, toys and clothes, we separated the good and bad ones for the garage sale. Before the big day, we posted in facebook some of the books we plan to sell - my pocketbooks of mysteries, the kids' books and Filipiniana. Surprisingly, we got quick messages from friends who are interested with the books and even my music cassette tapes. Hence, we had early reservations and purchases before the big day.

Welcome to our Garage Sale!

The big day - garage sale - was on January 22, 2017 at our residence. Tables and tarpaulins saying "Garage Sale: Books at Iba Pa"were installed. Even music was played to attract attention. We opened at 9:00 AM and waited for the possible buyers. The first curious potential costumer was a a lady jogger. She just looked at the items and passed by. Then one guy who is a collector asked if we wre selling old vinyl music records since he saw my old music cassette tapes. Unfortunately we don't have the vinyl records. Then the first break or "bwena mano" came when a couple in motorbike drop by and got interested with household items. Two guys walked-in and purchased my t-shirts at a bargain (3 for P100.00) and more stuffs. The costumers were happy with the free give away. We noticed that the passers-by were more interested with old clothes and household items. Only one school teacher was interested with the books. In the afternoon, we had visitors (Gerry) who purchased some of the books - they were the ones who had earlier committed to drop-by during the sale. We closed at about 5:30 PM with our cousins - Ate Dina and Peewee as our last costumers. Wow, the garage sale was an experience!

Our first curious costumer

The best seller in our garage sale is not a book, but Andy's used T-shirts! 

Dec. 29, 2016. Our family organized for the second time our "Paskuhan sa Don Bosco Calauan" to share our blessings to the kids of the NHA-Southville Kids at Calauan, Laguna. Supporting this outreach activity was Tetet Pineda and his family. We sincerely thank the donors of this event. Watch  the slide show below.

Paskuhan don bosco calauan 2016 from andyoreta

A Taste of Singapore at BUGIS, Banawe, QC

The best Singapore Laksa in town!

Wow. Dining at Bugis at Roxas St., Banawe QC area is just like tasting Singapore's hawker delicacies. Their Laksa was really awesome. We requested mild spicy version and the lasksa soup, noodles and the stuff inside like shrimp and and the fish cakes were really good. The stir fried vegetables was a delight. The Hainanese chicken was also good and thir num nums on sticks were ok.  The place was really full on a Sunday. If you crave for the unique Singapore taste, go to Bugis. You will not be disappointed. Good food, Fast service. Cool place. The price is also reasonable!

Num Nums on Stick

Hainanese Chicken

Stir Fried Veggies!

Luna, the mini pincher

Luna, was the name Julia called her pet

Luna, our mini pincher was the family's baby pet. She was Mommy's favorite baby after the kids of course. And Mommy was Luna's favorite also. She gets excited and barks whenever Mommy arrives from work.  She was Julia's playmate inside the house. They chase each other with Luna in her sexy clothes. She loves to sit on Mommy's or Julia's lap. She thinks she's not a dog but a baby.

Why do you have to leave us so early in your life? Thank you, Luna for the joy you gave our family. It was short but very meaningful for us to take care and pet you. We will miss you so much. :-(

Luna was Mommy's favorite.

Luna at UP Sunken Garden

Partners in Fun!

Luna is Julia\s baby!

Ranchy, our loyal pet dog!

Ranchy, was the name given by Geof to our pet dog.

Ranchy, a Pinoy Askal from Floridablanca, Pampanga which was given to us by Rayfer sometime in 2005. She has been our pet and guard dog ever since. When Geof had dengue, we believed she took some of the pain from Geof because she suddenly had an ear infection when Geof was in the hospital. Today, July 28, 2016, I still had the chance to pet her. And then she had her last breath and send her farewell to us.

Goodbye, Ranchy, our loyal dog for more than 10 years. Thank you for keeping us safe. Rest in peace. :-(

 

Sleep well our loyal pet.