Frannywanny

Times like this, I really wish I was just having a bad dream..a really really bad dream. This is because, in dreams, you eventually wake up and realized that nothing has changed. Sadly, when Super Typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda) hit my dear country, the Philippines , last Friday it surely wasn't a dream nor was it even a terrible nightmare. It's an awful reality leaving thousands (and I'm talking around 10,000+) dead and a lot more missing. Families were torn apart, children separated from their parents, parents looking for their children, pets, homes, even public structures and farm lands were not spared. I honestly didn't know much about the gravity of this disaster up until I watched our local news the following day. As scenes unfold before my eyes, I felt my heart crushing into tiny pieces. Tears started to flow as I watch the survivors crying in anguish as they continue to search for their loved ones. It has been 5 days since Haiyan left the country yet the pain...

I'm taking a break from my regular food blogging to talk about an urgent matter that's happening right at this moment. Since last Monday (last week even), various parts of Luzon especially Metro Manila has been hit by non-stop rains which eventually led to terrible floods and a series of damages. Hundreds...maybe even thousands have lost their homes, some lost their loved ones and the worst thing of all is that the rain hasn't shown signs of stopping. More and more roads have began to become unpassable to vehicles big or small, a lot of families have evacuated their homes and there is a GREAT need for HELP. As I am thankful to have a roof over my head and a good spread of food for every meal, I would like to do my part in making it easier on the lives of the victims of this nameless rain and thunderstorm. In our own little way, Paul and I will be volunteering our time to a relief goods center near us the same thing we did during the height of nasty Typhoon Ondoy. You ...

As the saying goes, There's always light at the end of the tunnel . For those who knows someone or is actually a victim of Typhoon Ondoy, join the latest contest from Real Living and who knows?! you might actually win an entire home makeover!!! Click for more details Good Luck!!!!

There's still a lot of help needed by the victims of Typhoons Ondoy (and Pepeng). This time, my favorite doughnut store is stepping up by organizing an Ondoy Fund Raising activity tomorrow, October 11, 2009 . It's so easy to participate: Simply purchase an Original Glazed Doughnut (or a box would be great too!) and Krispy Kreme will donate the entire sales generated from this to the Philippine National Red Cross - Rizal Chapter and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya . Let's go spread more sweetness around and most especially to those who needs it the most.

It was a couple of minutes past 9PM when Paul and I took a very short drive to Xavier School to drop off two plastic containers of crispy chicken nuggets and a cooler filled with C2 Lemon and some Mineral Water. I also brought a bag of crackers and candies for the victims. It wasn't much really...I was disappointed that I wasn't able to buy much since most of the supermarkets are out of canned goods. Still, we wanted to help in any way we can and so we thought of bringing cooked food and some drinks for the hardworking volunteers. After a series of text messages sent back and forth between myself and fellow bloggers Jane and Christa , Paul and I finally arrived at the Angelo King Multi-Purpose Hall of Xavier School. After dropping off our items, we stood around and surveyed the area while watching the busy volunteers sorting, packing, boxing and sealing boxes which will be dispatched to 5 key areas namely: San Juan, Malabon, Quezon City, Marikina / Rizal and Manila. A couple ...

"Health is Wealth." This has been Papa's favorite saying every time my sister and I are down with a nasty cold or we would need to take a day off from school because of a bad tummy ache. He would shake his head and give us a stern look just so we won't see how worried he really was about our sick condition. Oh I totally dislike going to the hospital..the smell of sanitizers makes me nauseous and needles and blood give me the creep. Friends, a little boy named Mio was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia . It's a really nasty type of cancer that spreads rapidly, attacking this 5-year old boy's body f-a-s-t. His mom, Jasmine, is a former colleague of mine. Though we were just introduced once, I would like to dedicate this entry to call out to everyone who can help. Here are some ways on how we can give our love to Mio: 1) Financial help BDO (Banco de Oro) Savings Account # 0670385018 Account name: Charisse F. Espinar Branch: SM North Edsa B If you'd lik...