Schuester

Meet our cat, Schuester.

He is a Turkish Van and is one year and 3 months old.

We adopted him from a lady who works with an NGO here in Doha.

Their group takes care of abandoned pets and then they look for new pet owners.

I named him after the character in Glee, the American TV Series, Mr. Will Schuester.

Schu has a brother who was then adopted by a friend and we named him Sylvester.

Schu wants to play and cuddle a lot.

Whenever I and Hamode are sitting together, he would come to us meowing and sit on our laps too.

He is the jealous type, I can say.

We had gone through a lot.

I fought with him before and let him go out of the flat.

I know it was so mean of me, but that time, something snapped at me and all I know was I can no longer take care of him.

Having a pet is not just as simple as having one.

One should also be responsible and is willing to give him time, can look after his health, feed him on time, bathe him at least once a month, make sure that his nails are not too long and the list goes on and I thought that I am not fit to give all of these.

He was missing for 2 days and Hamode was looking for him.

Then one night, when I arrived in our building, I saw Schu sitting by the main door: he was like waiting for me.

I was a little teary-eyed and I carried him back to my room and gave him shower and food.

His color was a little lighter because of the sun.

He was staying again with me from that moment on.

His favorite past time: sleeping and watching near the window for the birds that are dropping by.

I love him, but I admit, Hamode loves him more.

Schu accompanied me when I was staying alone in my flat.

During my sad times and whenever he sees me cry, he would come near me and kiss me like saying that everything’s going to be fine.

I am praying to God will continue to let him stay with us as long as he can.

-Ber Months = Christmas is Near

Are you as excited as I am?

September is coming in and so is Christmas!

It's been years since I had spent the holidays back home with my family.

I am always working during this season and is hoping that next year, I will be able to go home.

My original plan was to go home this year but due to some events and changes on the plans, I had decided to move my vacation to March next year just in time for my beloved Grandmother's death anniversary.

Christmases always make me happy - from buying the perfect gift for the Monito/Monita, family members, godchildren, and the like; putting Christmas Decors; preparing food for Noche Buena; seeing my cousins and relatives; Christmas Carols; new Peso Bills to be given to kids; Evening Mass - uplifts my spirit.

I had noticed that last year, there are many Christmas Decors being sold in the shops unlike the previous year.

Being in a Muslim country for almost 4 years, makes me miss the holidays more.

Anyways, there's no room for homesickness.

I know, someday, I will be home for Christmas too.

Photo Credit: http://www.uimages.org/christmas-candles-wallpaper/

Eid Mubarak!

Ramadan is officially over!

That was a quick month!

I will be on off for two days and I am really excited.

It’s been awhile since I had enjoyed two consecutive days off.

Relaxing…

Unwinding…

Spending quality time with my special someone and friends...

Life is so good!

May you all have a good and blessed long weekend!

Sweets...and More Sweets

Friends brought in sweets when they had eaten dinner with us.

Aren't they cute to be eaten?

Vincci...not Gucci

Girls and shoes are really inseparable!

Most girls I know have more than 3 pairs of shoes.

Yes, I got myself a new pair.

My office shoes already gave up.

After almost a year of walking and wandering the malls, of giving me my much needed comfort...I will definitely miss you!

I got my old office shoes from Vincci, their shoes are manufactured all the way from Malaysia.

They have good shoes and at very good prices!

I got a new pair which is a little bigger than my size but with the help of some stuffs that you can put so that your foot would not slide down, it fits perfectly well.

I tried the other size but it's killing my feet so I got the next size and it's a little loose.

Anyways, I love it still!

Blackberry...not the Mobile...

Interesting...

Yes! Victoria's Secret has a branch here in Doha!

I got a body mist from there and the price is reasonable enough.

Suddenly, I missed a friend who used to go with me in the malls and dig in sales and promotions.

I had chosen the scent of the Plum Drop and I got the lotion as a gift!

They do have a lot of scents to choose from.

You can also check this should you want to check the other scents that they have.

They may have a new look but still the same old, good quality!

Rush now to Landmark Mall to get yours!

Have a Taste of Lemon!

Baking 101

Do you know how to bake?

I am still trying to learn now.

When I was younger, I always assume that those who can bake are the ones from rich families who can afford good quality ovens, tools and the ingredients needed for baking.

I have always wanted to learn how.

So, with the ready mix muffin powder, some nuts and chocolate chips, I had started to combine them all and pop them inside the oven.

And it was a success!

Here's my Choco Muffin with Cashew Nuts:

I had also tried to do Lemon Bars but it ended up as Lemon Cupcakes too as my baking tray was a little big so I decided to bake it on the cupcake molder too.

Nonetheless, it's A-ok too.

For more yummy receipes that you, yourself can try, you can visit The Joy of Baking site.

They do have instructional videos and very easy to follow steps.

Happy Baking!

Dry Hair No More

Do you also experience dry, tangled and frizzy hair especially during these days?

I love the sun but too much of something is bad enough.

I normally trim the ends of my hair, about an inch or two to avoid split ends but constant blow drying plus the summer heat made my hair so dry.

Just recently, I had discovered ways on how to keep my hair moisturized without having to spend a lot as having a trip to the salon is a bit costly nowadays.

Here are some “hair therapy” that you can also try at home:

Olive or Coconut Oil

You may apply warm Olive or Coconut Oil to dry hair and let it stand for 20 to 30 minutes before washing with shampoo.

Mayonnaise or Egg

Try applying mayonnaise or beaten eggs and let it stand for around 20 to 30 minutes before washing your hair with shampoo.

Hot Oil Creams from the Grocery

If you don’t have a steamer at home, you can try wrapping your hair with Cling or a hot towel instead.

Shampoo Usage

It is also not good to wash your hair everyday with shampoo. You can use it on an every-other-day basis. Do not also put the shampoo directly onto your hair. Dissolve it first in little water and make sure to use a penny-size drop when washing.

Use Conditioner

Just like the shampoo, choose a conditioner that suits your hair type. There is a wide variety that you can choose from your local grocery store. Conditioner should be used on a daily basis and leave it for around 5 to 10 minutes for better results.

Towel-Dry your hair

Try to skip blow drying your hair. You may towel-dry it instead but don’t rub it too much. If you really want to blow dry it, do not completely dry your hair, leave some for drying naturally.

Brushing your Hair

Hair should be brushed at least twice a day. When wet, used a wide-toothed comb to remove the tangles that we normally have after washing our hair.

Hope you find these tips useful enough.

See you and your gorgeous shiny hair later!

Birthday Candles

These candles are supposedly for Hamode's birthday cake.

Unfortunately, we forgot to give it when we were in the restaurant but the good thing is, they do have candles readied for such occasions.

Did you know that having birthday candles on the cakes are claimed to have originated from the Greeks?

They used to place candles on the cakes to light them up like the moon then they do offer these to Artemis - the Goddess of the moon.

Many of us makes a wish before blowing the lights on the candles and if we are able to blow the lights off all at the same time, our wish will come true.

So the next time that you'll blow off your birthday candles, try harder!

The Qur'an

A friend gave me an English version of the Holy Book, Qur'an.

I've been meaning to go to Fanar since way back I cannot remember when, to learn Arabic and more about Islam.

Inshallah, one of these days, I will be able to drop by.

Birthday Dinner @ Mamig

We had celebrated Hamode’s birthday at Mamig Restaurant in Katara Cultural Village.

We had difficulties in finding where the restaurant is exactly.

Thanks God as we met some of the kind-hearted staffs there who had guided us where the restaurant is!

Mamig serves Armenian and Lebanese dishes – think of Arabic dishes.

The place is cozy; they do have a veranda which is really suitable for those who are smoking Shisha or for those who are on a romantic date and wants to enjoy the view of the calm sea and with candle lights.

They also have smoking and non-smoking sections.

The service is also good: the attendant are checking if the dishes are ok, if we need anything else and the refilling of the drinks are timely.

The food that they serve are really scrumptious and comes in big servings so you can order variety of dishes.

I am a big fan of the Lentil Soup. Their version has more spices and an order can already be served for 2 or even 3 persons. On a rate of 1 to 5, I shall give their Lentil Soup a 4.

Check their dishes below:

Dates and Dried Fruits

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice

Something like Raviolli...

Aren't they tempting?

Fish Balls and Kikiam

Street Foods.

Yes.

These are amongst our favorite foods and I can say that we, Filipinos, can identify with.

Fish balls, Kikiam, Kwek-kwek, IUD, Betamax, Adidas, Calamares are just some of our beloved street foods.

These are normally sold on the streets, most of the times, vendors are using food carts.

I was craving for the good, old fish ball sauce, the one that is a little sweet and tangy.

Thanks to the power of the web and I had learned to do it.

You can also check this link for the full recipe.

Isn't it good and reminds us of home?

Green Pipes?

I'm A Little Teapot...

Iftar

I’ve been looking forward to Ramadan not solely because of the shortened working hours and a bit of rest but because of the food or dishes that we have to prepare or cook for Iftar or the meal after the prayer when the sun sets.

To be honest, I can cook but not too much of the Arabic dishes so it is Hamode who is cooking.

Yes, he can cook – with the help of the internet and his friend who can cook well.

This Ramadan, he is the Chef and I am the official dishwasher most of the time.

He cooked this one. It is Beef with Mixed Veggies in Lemon Sauce.

This one is Rice with Chicken in Curry.

"Kibba" - not sure if I had spelled it correctly. It has meet inside and rolled into sesame seeds then deeply fried.

"Sambosa" - we have it in cheese and chicken.

Hmmm...

I am very positive that I shall learn cooking these by the end of Ramadan.

What's your favorite dish during this season?

Bee Happy

Meet Schuester's new playmate...

Happy Feet (B&W)

Ed Westwick for Penshoppe

This may have been a late post but I can't help myself.

Remember Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl?

Yup, Chuck Bass played by Ed Westwick is also one of my favorite characters in Gossip Girl.

Ed Westwick was in Manila to do some modelling stints for Penshoppe, one of the famous local clothing line in the Philippines.

Feast your eyes on his photos below!

You'll have reasons to love him more!

Happy Birthday, Hamode!

To my precious boyfriend, best friend, confidante, provider rolled in the one, Happy Birthday!

I wish God will still grant you more years to live, better health than ever and more blessings to come your way.

Don’t worry if things don’t go just like what you want them to, or the way you planned it, always remember that God knows what’s best for you.

Don’t give up on hoping and praying as God is always listening.

Kisses, Hugs and Love,
Joana

Ramadan Kareem!

To all of our Muslim brothers and sisters, Ramadan Kareem!

It is once again the time of prayer and fasting.

It is also when we see dear friends and share dinner, modest foods that we were able to prepare.

I will be working on evening shift the entire month and I am so excited I don’t know why.

I shall try my best to complete the whole month of fasting too.

I used to fast for 1 week only so hopefully, God will guide me to fulfill it too.

Inshallah He will be glad as I look up to Him and I know He’s going to give me my heart’s desires and what He knows is the best for me.