The Friendship of Tropang ET

On this day in 2007, the friendship of Tropang ET started.  And since it's our 9th year today, I'm sharing this poem that one of our friends made back in 2008 when it was just a few of us and we had just celebrated our barkadahan's 1st anniversary.

Our Postponed / Extended V-Day

I know the Day of Hearts was a week ago, but I wanted to share how ours went. Humor me, ok? =)

Valentine’s Day fell on a weekend (for most) this year. It was a working Saturday for me, so while I was stuck at the office, Hubby was at the KFC monthly activity. At around 10:30am, he called me to go down the office building and I just knew he had something for me. I was right.

cronuts at mellow yellow

Up until last week, Hubby and I had no idea what a cronut was or that it even existed. Fortunately, we received an invitation from our friends to dinner in Uptown Mirdiff so we got the chance to sink our teeth into the latest pastry craze.

Upon entering Mellow Yellow, my first impression of the café was “cozy.” It would be a great place to sneak away to for some quiet me-time with a good book, or somewhere to hang out at to chat with close friends. I especially liked that they had a shelf full of books and games that could be borrowed by the diners to enjoy.

So anyway, when we asked for a menu of the food, there wasn’t any. Instead, our server pointed out to us the realistic-looking models of their dishes that were displayed. Since we were the only diners in the café, we didn’t have to wait too long for our orders to be served. I had the Turkey Wrap, Pia had the Chicken Quinoa Salad, and Hubby and Eugz each had the Roasted Chicken (or was it Turkey?) in Focaccia Bread. They were ok; nothing outstanding, but not disappointing either. What amazed us were the vegetable sides. Looking at them, I thought they were a serving of Pinakbet which is a Filipino dish that’s made up of lots of vegetables. But to my surprise, they tasted like air-fried vegetables that were really crunchy…parang chichirya. They were pretty tasty and I actually finished mine off.

Finally it was dessert time and our cronuts were served. Hubby had the one that had a cinnamon glaze and mango cream filling, while the rest of us each had the one glazed with chocolate and coffee cream filling.

Okay, we’ve never tasted a cronut before so we didn’t have anything to compare them to, but they were really delicious!  A flaky pastry oozing with glazes and fillings that were just right, making us bite into our cronuts practically nonstop.  Yummmmy!  According to our server, what made theirs different than the ones by Chef Dominique Ansel (the genius behind the croissant-donut hybrid) was that they bake their cronuts while the original ones are fried. However, being the pioneers (or are they still the only ones?) in Dubai to sell cronuts, you can expect the price isn’t too cheap. Imagine, they cost Dhs10 each!

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening filled with great conversations with our good friends. Mellow Yellow is definitely a place I’d love to visit again, and you can be sure I’ll order their cronuts when I do.

Mellow Yellow
Uptown Mirdiff
Phone: 04-2591500

bulong ni mama

Three years ago, during our vacation in the Philippines, our friends from Dubai who also happened to be vacationing at the same time spent the night at our home in Parañaque. That time, two of them (husband and wife) had been praying for a baby because months earlier, the wife had a laparoscopy due to an ectopic pregnancy. So, Mama joked that she would whisper to the wife’s tummy so that she would get pregnant soon...and amazingly, within a few weeks, the couple found out they were going to be parents soon!  Ann gave birth in February 2011.

When our family went to the Philippines for another vacation in 2011, my SFC baby who had left Dubai the year before visited me at home so that we could catch up. Ever since I knew her back in Dubai, her lovelife was always complicated and full of problems. So when Mama happened to listen in to our conversation and I mentioned to my SFC baby about Mama’s effective “bulong” to our friend last year, she asked Mama to do the same. But what she requested was for the perfect man to come into her life and that she would get married within 3 years. And, wouldn’t you know it...the wedding I attended last May was the result of that whisper.

On the 29th of July (just last month), we attended the birthday party of our friends’ daughter (not the one that Mama whispered for in 2010, though). While we were chatting with another of our couple friends, the wife was carrying (or playing with) Sophie and she wistfully mentioned that she would like to have a baby soon. Since Mama happened to be nearby, I told our friend about the two success stories of Mama’s powerful whispers and asked Mama to do the same. As you can probably guess, our friend is pregnant...she just found out today! Isn’t that great news?!

Honestly, I couldn’t believe it at first. When Dencio and Ann told us the good news, I thought it was a miraculous coincidence. Then when Gracie told me she was getting married and I remembered Mama’s whisper 2 years ago, I thought it was another funny coincidence. But this afternoon when I found out Pia’s condition, I couldn’t believe this was just another coincidence. There must really be some power in Mama’s voice when she whispers those words of hope and longing for those who asked. But when you come to think of it, this is just a perfect example of the effect and power of positive words, having faith, and simply believing.

our eid friday

 A day of ET bonding, yummy food, and a sudden road trip to Outlet Mall to try out Nyco.

super sarap Filipino brunch

say EEEEETEEEE!

baskin robbins treat in celebration of nyco
thank you, Mabini's!

blue bubblegum sprite and the smurfs

 

full body massage at oxygen spa

Last week, I had a full body massage at Oxygen Spa in Marriott Executive Apartments in Deira. This was supposed to be an all-girls group bonding activity with the rest of the ET ladies, but it was only after we bought the vouchers for the deal from one of the group-buying sites that we found out that they could only accommodate two at a time because they only had two therapists. In the end, we planned a different activity (we had dinner and then watched Man of Steel at Al Ghurair) so that our bonding pushed through and later paired up to book the massages.

Since we had to book an appointment in advance, and there were only 2 days in a week that both our schedules were free, and Ann really wanted needed a massage, she called the Spa. We thought we could easily book it for that same week (she called them mid-June), but they were so full. Finally, they had an opening for the 30th of June and that night after work, we headed to Marriott Executive Apartments.

Upon arriving at the spa, we gave the receptionist our printed vouchers and then we were told to go into separate rooms.

The therapist assigned to me was a Filipina (I forgot her name) and she did a good job in massaging my whole body, managing to remove the “lamig” from my back (I asked her what it translates to in English, but she also didn’t know; anyway, at least we understood each other). She used a lot of oil which was just fine with me because it helped her hands glide over whatever part of my body she was massaging. Before starting with my legs, she wiped my feet with a moist towel (most probably to remove any dirt); and every time she finished a part, she would use a dry towel to wipe off the oil.

Her light pressure (my preference), the dim lights, and the soothing background music were just right. But before I had a chance to fully drift to sleep, the one hour was already over. Bitin! Although the therapist was a bit talkative, I managed to drown her voice out most of the time and just concentrate on relaxing. All in all, I enjoyed the massage. My body felt light and tension-free after the session.

see my sleepy eyes?

Ann also had a good experience. She had asked her therapist to apply hard pressure, and by the time the session was over, the back and shoulder pains that she had been complaining about for two weeks were gone.

For Dhs79, a full-body massage of your choice of Moroccan, Thai, acupressure, or whatever was definitely sulit. I hope they offer this deal again soon.


Oxygen Spa
Ground floor, Tower B
Marriot Executive Apartments
Maktoum Road, Deira, Dubai
Tel: 04-2222920

bonding

Life’s simple pleasures of spending time with people who once used to be strangers, but are now very good friends.

Pinoy Mafia Christmas Party

Gutierrez Home

23 December 2012

Family, food, games, prizes, and exchanging gifts

posh weekend: the farm, al barari

A few weeks ago, we received an invitation from our friends Eugz and Pia to their Breakfast Engagement. Of course, since they’re part of our barkada and considering that we wouldn’t be able to go home to the Philippines for their wedding in December, Hubby and I just had to attend. Little did we know that the venue where it was going to be held was a beautiful place hidden in the outskirts of Dubai.

e...t...

This photo was taken last February 17 (the day Dubai was hit with a sandstorm, signalling the end of winter and the start of summer) during an SFC activity. Hubby had just given a talk and Mike and Tesha were next, and Joel and Lhen had just arrived for support.

their blessing arrived...

Last year in January (after months of trying), our good friend Dhenzio and his wife Ann found out that they were going to be parents soon. Of course, they were overjoyed! But, unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived because it was an ectopic pregnancy, and they had no choice but for Ann to undergo laparoscopy. You can imagine what a painful experience it was for them. It was really devastating.

et's january connection

6-7 January 2011
Archie, Jenny, Caloy, Jeanette, Eugz, Pia, Joel, Lhen, Dhenzio, Hubby, Me + Caila and Ate Cel (the others were in the Philippines or KSA).
Sinigang na Hipon, Chili Crabs, Tinolang Tahong, Rice, Fruit Salad + water, softdrinks, red wine and sparkling grape juice.

what happened during the weekend

Thursday night. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to apply for yaya’s visit visa because she is not my relative. I was really upset when the lady at Immigration immediately rejected our application without giving me the chance to explain. That’s our hard-earned Dhs720 down the drain! We were left with no other choice so hubby and I headed to the agency in Deira right away. We filled up the papers, gave the lady the documents and paid Dhs850. She told us that the visa would take approximately 3 to 5 working days to process, beginning Sunday. Once we get the visa, I’ll have to go to the Philippine Consulate for the darn authentication which will take up to 10 days (5 if I’m lucky, 20 if I’m not).

On our way to St. Mary’s Church, I kept fighting back my tears while thinking about my trip to the Philippines that has to be postponed. If only they hadn’t implemented this authentication rule, Caila would be with us on her 20th month-birthday (yes, we still celebrate it...coz it coincides with our wedding and boyfriend-girlfriend monthsary). Augh!

Trying to lift up my mood, Guchi said that there was a reason for what was happening. He recalled that when we had problems before with Yaya Cha-Cha, Our Lady of Guadalupe had visited us for a week, and then he received a good job offer. And now, we’re having problems again, and the Filipino Mission is all about Mama Mary. So definitely, things will work out in the end.

Anyway, once we arrived at the church, things started to perk up. We weren’t late (which was what I was worried about earlier) and we were able to sit at our regular pew. Then, Momsie, Popsie and his mom sat beside us, and they gave me and hubby two Dubai Mall movie passes as their thanks to us for hosting their daughter’s birthday last month. Before the final blessing, the congregation prayed the rosary which ended with the final blessing while everyone was holding candles around Mama Mary’s grotto. It was beautiful, and I remembered what hubby had told me earlier, so I just let everything go and lifted up all my worries and concerns to God and Mama Mary.

Almost the entire weekend was spent with friends. Thursday evening was our regular ET gathering. After the Filipino Mass on Friday, Lhen dropped by with Mike and Tesha, and we headed to Joel's apartment in International City. In the evening, Archie and Jenny arrived at our apartment with loads of food for his birthday dinner with the ET gang. As usual, our apartment was filled with laughter, conversations, and downloaded movies and tv shows, with a fun and hilarious game of Charades. Our friends stayed at the apartment until Saturday afternoon, when everyone had to leave because of their household chores or personal errands to run. I had my driving class at 4:30pm. After my 1-hour class, hubby and I rushed to Mirdif City Centre because it was my friend’s daughters’ joint birthday celebration. Fortunately, we arrived just in time (to eat!) because it was almost about to end. The good thing about it was I was able to see my SFC household sisters (Jhan, Ivy, Sheila, Jazz and of course ‘Nay Rose) with their families. It was good to be with them again after a long time and seeing how all of us have grown in our personal lives. Hopefully we’ll see each other again soon...most probably in December when Sheila’s baby boy celebrates his 1st birthday.

When we got home, Ann and Dhenzio were there. They had just arrived from her OB appointment and found out that they will be having a baby girl! Hurray...Caila will be having a playmate!

another crab-by dinner

This time, good friends Eugz and Pia cooked, and Dhenzio and preggy Ann were there to enjoy the meal with us.
Again, we ate with our hands. Once again, the food was yummy. And of course, again, we had a great time!
Hmm...I wonder who’ll cook our dinner next weekend. Any takers, anyone? :)

e.t. anniversary celebration

We were complete.

The ones who didn’t come really couldn’t because they weren’t here. The Tripod (Jap, Edmun and Chris) had left the UAE a long time ago, and Caloy was somewhere else in the Middle East because of his mission. So technically, it was another perfect attendance for ET.

This rarely happens (due to other commitments or activities in SFC or CFC), but because it was our anniversary, everyone made sure to come.

It wasn’t grand or anything. We had the usual food, conversations and movies until the wee hours of the morning.

But what I really like about our group is that despite our differences, we can really count on each other.

We have our regular get-togethers every first Thursday of the month and usually not everyone is able to come during these times; but for special occasions or when help is needed, that’s when all of us make it a point to get together.

And that’s what is really important...that’s the true essence of ET.

Unforgettable lines of the evening:
“PAAAKKK!!!”
"galit ako sa ‘yo”

three years

Happy 3rd Anniversary, ET!
(Guchi & Pam, Dhenzio & Ann, Archie & Jenny, Joel & Lhen, Mike & Tesha, Caloy & Jeanette, Eugz, Pia, Edmun, Jap, Chris)
Thanks for the laughter, food, movies, gimiks, games, conversations...
Looking forward to more years of friendship with you guys!

let's do this again!

Friday morning, while hubby worked out at the gym, Ann and I went swimming at the rooftop pool. I swam a few laps while preggy Ann floated and swam a bit at the shallow area.

After our swim and showers, Ate Agnes arrived and she gave me a really good full body massage. It was sooo relaxing! When she was done, I was too lazy to get up. Of course I had to because it was time for lunch, but right after we ate and Ate Agnes had left, I immediately went back to bed and slept for 4½ hours with hubby. Nice Friday huh? :)

Yesterday, CFC Dubai held the Abba Father Conference at Shangri-La Hotel for all the husbands and dads of the community. Weeks before that day, we (the wives and families) were requested by the coordinators to prepare letters which would be given to them during the conference. In addition, we were informed to be at the venue in the afternoon as part of a surprise to our husbands/fathers.

Tita Elvie, Ann, Jenny, Malyn and I arrived at the hotel a few minutes before the requested time, and they kept all of us (wives and children) in the other ballroom so that the kids could play and make as much noise as they wanted without the men finding out. Finally, we were called in to the other room where the conference was being held…upon entering the ballroom, we could see all of the men smiling. They had just received and read our letters a few minutes before we showed up, which made many of them really emotional. It was really nice seeing all the kids and wives kissing and hugging their fathers and husbands. Hubby, as always, didn’t cry (he was controlling his tears)...I on the other hand, kept having to reach for tissues...but I could see that he was thoroughly enjoying himself and he really appreciated the letter and my presence there. It would have been better if Caila was with us, but of course that wasn’t possible.

All in all, it was a great event.


In the evening after the conference, Ann and Dhenzio went home to the apartment with us. After a while, Tesha arrived carrying food and ingredients, with Mike following a few minutes later with a saucepan and mineral water. We let them take charge of the kitchen and by 7:45pm, the six of us were enjoying a sumptuous dinner of alimasag (crabs) courtesy of the Koi Team.


Hubby and I are certainly going to call Ate Agnes again in the future for another massage session to loosen up our stressed bodies.

The dinner we had last night was just one of the many we usually have from time to time with the ET Barkada; for sure, we’ll be having another one this Thursday night with the whole gang.

And I’m pretty sure a similar conference to the Abba Father for the wives and mothers isn’t far behind, which all of us are definitely looking forward to.

a nice night in

Hubby...Slurpee & Shake...Marrybrown...The Losers.
Enjoyed a great evening with all of them yesterday at the apartment.