Thursday, June 25, 2009

Davao, Gen San UPDATED July 1

Seminar: Raising Sunshine Chicken from day1 to harvest.

DAVAO

Seminar July 11, Saturday, 2pm
Microtel Inn, Damosa Gateway Complex, Lanang, Davao City
Fee: PHP300, includes snacks
Speaker: Rey Itchon, DVM

GEN SAN

Seminar July 13, Monday, 2pm
East Asia Royale
Fee: PHP300, includes snacks
Speaker: Rey Itchon, DVM

Text (0917) 847-2639 to reserve slots, you may just pay at the door.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Variety

Am not talking about a variety of Tamarind.

When I saw this Sampalok tree in the farm, the idea of stuffing the chicken with flowers and young Tamarind leaves dawned on me.


I know, I know...the norm is using Tanglad or lemongrass. Cheaper and easier...but the Ilokano market where we are testing the dry run of Sunny isn't really keen on the damo smell nor taste.

What's the variety in the story? Well, there won't be a fixed marinade nor recipe for now for Sunny. We will offer variety in taste. Just like home cooking, you can't really predict what you will have for dinner...it depends on the mood of the cook.

Think its a good business idea?

I was with my supplier for the additional rotisseries and deliberated with gas fed or electric. Basket type or my original spit type. Decided on the spit type, after searching and reading about rotisserie cooking.

The point why it is supposed to be better? Because it keeps on turning and the chicken is basted by its own juices.

If it is meat you let sit on an oven...or one that you put on a grill, even when covered...its just roasting. So if I have it on a supposed to be rotisserie oven, but it goes on a merry go round basket, it is just roasting.

I like it hard to spell...rotisserie!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Clear The Way

New batches required new ranging areas. Also, segregation areas are in order because we have to separate sizes for Sunny and the vacuum packed dressed chickens.

Areas nearer to the entrance had to be cleared. Easier to shove them in crates and to carry them to the truck, even when parked by the roadside.

Life has to be easier for caretaker, driver...so clear the way for new netted plots that will act as holding areas. Accessible for me too, rather than walk all the way just to check on tomorrow's harvest.

Cleaning and clearing. You have an image of open space....allowing the grass, soil, insects and even the worms to breathe fresher air. Hidden in the ground are treasures. No chemicals, just good everything....I repeat...grow your own food :)

See what we found!


All young, short trees, giving us fruits. No commercial fertilizers used. Bear in mind, we do range rotations and so our areas are fertile from the compost rice hull and chicken manure.

Chokonan Mangoes....best when eaten green


Sweet Santol
Delicately flavored Atis....sarap
Because of these, I asked help to clean, clear and discard from cupboards and rarely used cabinets at home. I might just find some treasures....stowed and forgotten.

But then, things kept and forgotten are not that essential for you. Better to be given to someone who needs it

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Slippery


Are you scared to go through slippery mud because you may get stuck? Your fears are very well founded. But surely, you can't just stand there and not cross to get to the other side. Much like problems we have to hurdle in daily life...same thing with this mud.

You have to be well equipped, plan, and be brave :) then GO!

I was watching our old, battered L300 this morning. He can't hardly inch his way on the slippery mud. He can't do that by exerting all effort and throttling. The more he will get stuck and lose ground.

Move cautiously, maneuver firm, but sway with the mud. If you have the upperhand against competition, sure go forward fast. But, if you are an old L300, go slow and sway dance it. Don't be wary of the soft looking puddles...it means they have been used by others and safer to go that route :)

If you are a powerful truck, don't destroy the road too. You will have to pass by the same path on the way back and you will need it to be open to traffic.

After the hard work of the day and hiking through, you will need those puddles to cleanse :)


The same story in other aspects of life.

Freshest Best

It is said that is best to have fruits, first thing in the morning. What is better than having the freshest of them, first hour of the day :)

Last night I heard Doc Rey talking with the caretaker, about something that was smelling.....Didn't really bother listening as it may be a rat :(

This morning, as I was nearing the workhouse, I was greeted by an enticing smell.....freshly harvested Latexless Lanka!


I have a lot, that I will slice some and let it sit inside a bottle of vodka or GSM Blue. Read somewhere that the alcohol will enhance the benefits of the fruits, while giving you a delicately flavored vodka :)

Packed a lot in the ref, as I will take some to Manila for mommy.

While at it, Doc Rey brought me a big bowl of Aratiles. I love these. Even as a kid, Aratiles makes my day and makes me look forward to provincial trips.
Aside from tall grasses, Aratiles trees make perfect companion shades. They grow well, multiply fast and the fruits make good eating for your Sunshines....wehehheeh but in our farm, it's Sandy's food.

Checking a new ranging area, see what lies hidden among the leaves. It was enough to quench our thirst after the hike :)

That is called Macopa.

It wasn't too long ago that I was buying seedlings and hauling them to Isabela for transplanting. Forgot all about it and just wished them well. Now, they are serving us healthy breakfast.

The caretaker's wife has her vegetable garden. So between the two of us, we are harvesting our meals.

Easy to eat, even without washing....why? Because no chemicals are used here.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I Agri With Less Antibiotics

And more of probiotics :)

I was advised today that one of the Sunshine growers, TJ Gonzalez, will be featured in the July 2009 Agriculture Magazine again.

Again, because in 2008, he had been featured several times about his finding and developing his niche market for the Sunshines he grows together with his partner Jop.

Sometime about 2 months ago, Zac Sarian featured TJ again because he is one of the growers who opts to raise our line of Naked Necks. This July, he gets featured with his Sunshines, because the cover features are on "less antibiotics, more on probiotics".

We are happy to have had TJ with us from the start. He has had the opportunity to try other breeds as he was asked to foster care a flock for a friend....good for all, as he was able to compare.

Actually, breeds aside....I am more proud of how we market our growers. Hopefully our growers are aware at what they are offered.

Given that the different chicks are all pure and from Certified Parent Stocks, the bottomline will be the chicks' growth will depend on the care that was given to it :)

We have seen TJ from good weather to stormy ones. He loves what he is doing, plants, animals etc. His passion is seen in his produce.

Less antibiotics, more probiotics.....less talk, more TJ of Baliuag Bulacan.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Catch The Sunshine, If You Can

We now catch, slaugher, dress, dry rub and roast Sunshines daily.

My two best tools at 5:30am for this task....a truck and my dressy rubber boots. Syempre naman, even if farming, you can look good.

Getting to the farm at sunrise, we see chicken crates near the 1st ranging area. Since the caretaker now knows that we dress daily, he has learned time management and segregates as seen, the roasted chicken and the frozen dressed chicken required sizes.

We are now on triple number from the 1st dry run day of Sunny, so he was still catching them when we arrived.

How do you catch the Sunshines?

1) You have a smaller netted area, where you guide them to entering. Of course before that, you have sort of pre judged them by eyes already if they are in the weights you want to harvest.

2) Excercise time....you run around with them. Practicing poker face and your peripheral vision, faking that you are looking left, when you are targetting to grab their legs :) That is good if you are experienced. If not, you end up looking a taong grasa after a rainy night, running in paddies.

3) Aha, they haven't had their grains...its just sunrise! So, you spread out a mat and sprinkle feeds on the ground. They all run around your legs...it can get ticklish, that is when you thank your boots again.

By now, you can just carefully pick them from the back as they eat. No stress :) They are still pecking and as they are weighed before loading up in the colorful chicken crates.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Dwarf

Last week, Doc Rey brought home from the farm a small basket of Green Mangoes. Next day I asked that is be peeled and made into buro. I was told that they were yellow and ripe already. Went to the kitchen, as I can't believe those were to be ripe already.

Very well ripe and perfect eating stage! Sweetest I have had in a long time too! No fibers that get caught in-between your teeth. It was smooth, chewy, juicy, tangy and sweet....best part, no chemicals were used to have the tree induce flowering, nor was chemicals used to hasten ripening. Good thing I thought about buro, if not, we would have waited for it to turn yellowish and will be to late to appreciate it.

At the farm this morning, I asked to be shown the tree. Oh yes, I got several of these varieties.

Short nor small things don't appeal to me. Well, OK, I can get it working and use it to my advantage. The height of the tree makes it very easy to trim and havest the fruits :)

And see how perfect the shade was for the Apples, or rather the Mangoes, of the farm's eyes.

Sunny This Morning

Every morning, Sunshines are freshly slaughtered, dry rubbed and roasted to give you the 100% lasang native Sunny.

This morning, I went to the farm and was there in time for the selection. Some were under tall grasses....yes sir, these are just tall grasses. Seems like small trees to big chickens wehehehehe. Come to think of it, those types of grasses are nice to have around as shades.
These batch walked themselves to the cage. Maybe they saw what the modus operandi were for the past days, and decided that they won't bother tiring themselves running around...only to get caught later.

Its past 2pm now. The signs in the outlet is partly up. The signs people had to stop as operation of the rotisserie is soon to start. I thought I'd be abe to show off the Sunny Store today to you :)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Rule #1, Look After Health

We are the first to always say that our Sunshines are not for breeding, they are raised for meat purposes.

Inspite of all those....we still get the so-called "dispersals". The group who will buy "ready to slaughter" at live weights. They then "disperse" what they may term as breeders or the layers.

If meant as layers, that is OK. The Sunshines are dual purpose...meat and table egg production.

I remember once that I got a comment on this blog and a text on my phone, about our selling breeders when we say they are not for breeding....or something to that effect. Doc Rey called the person.

We can't think of any such transaction, until we traced it to a branch of ours who had a recent sale on live weight transaction. Supposedly for the purpose of slaughtering. Surely, breeders can't be bought for PHP150/kg :)

The person turned out to be a veterinarian so they were talking on the same level. This veterinarian wasn't party to the term breeders etc. He was just the recipient. The guy the project was turned over to. So, he knew exactly where the problem was :(

Two months after, he calls Doc Rey. The chickens were thin and lost a lot of weight.

Were they being taken cared of?

Were they being fed?

Veterinarian talking to another veterinarian. Surely, even if it was hog grower that was being fed to your chickens, they will still GROW...delayed yes...but as long as being fed, they won't decrease in weight. At the very least, they will not gain, but not lose :(

He will look into the management...

Next sentence. They haven't laid eggs.

Please don't forget that we say chickens don't need roosters to lay their table eggs. They don't need layer mash to lay. BUT, bear in mind...they need to be healthy chickens, to be able to lay eggs.

Malnourished hens will probably not lay eggs. You will have to condition them and bring them at par with their healthy layer counterparts :)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Sunny, Ang Manok Sa Damuhan

Signs are being started by my contractor today...last minute changes by me this morning....

Meet Sunny, Ang Manok Sa Damuhan .... you like his name?


Last night was really good:

1) We got two (2) repeat customers
2) The others were first timers, BUT, referred by others from the night before

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

You Will Meet Sunny Soon

Last night we had a soft opening of the rotisserie chicken outlet in Santiago City, Isabela.

No signs yet, as we just thought about opening two nights ago. Yes, read right. Two (2) nights ago, we decided to open the box of rotisserie oven, had electricals installed pronto and just did a salt and pepper rub on some of our chickens. Tasted good...so we decided to roast some more last night.

Yesterday, we ran live ads on the radio. By the time we were cooking, we got inquiries already from drive bys! The few we roasted gone :)

Today, we finalized our radio ads and had it voiced over. Gave a GO on the outdoor signages.

Deliberated last night on initial taglines to be used for the radio and outdoor ads....came up for our intial outings:

1) Meet Sunny :)

2) gala sa damuhan

3) walang anibiotiko

4) pinasarap ng panahon

Come to think of it. We really had Sunny all the time. We called our small truck wrapped chickvan as Sunny, if you remember our previous posts wayback 2007! We've always said our Sunshines do range on living grass (gala sa damuhan), no antibiotics, and had been using the tag "pinasarap ng panahon" in our long standing brochure.

We have just recycled ideas? Nope. We are just doing our step by step outings in marketing...to always give you something new and better.

This morning, we had our fill of high spirits from the wonderful comments we got on Sunny. From people who knew and loved their food.

Doc Rey just showed me what he had been working on since lunch time. A more cheery area :) Last night we had no signage at all, we were close to invisible and lighting was bad. What sold us were our uniformed personel outside and the radio live ads.

I will let you meet Sunny when they put up the signs. It will be up before the week ends. Things is, I don't think I might be around to take photos.

Oh...the place is nothing fancy. It was all do-with and diskarte.

Simply....Its just down to earth real good tasting chicken.

Food & Drinks Asia

Septemeber 17-20 are the dates to calendar for the Food & Drinks Asia & Food Franchising 2009. This show used to be part of AFEX (Asian Food Expo) but the organizers decided to separate the finished food products from the equipments.

We will be joining with a corner booth, across the Activity Center.

See you at World Trade Center in Pasay City, on those dates.

As usual, our growers are most welcome to display and market their products :)

Prepare

Often times we are asked when can we deliver. I always ask if they are prepared. Ordering day old chicks is easy. All you have to do is call and book an order. What's most important is that your brooder is prepared and your caretaker is psyched for the cradling of the chicks :)

See how nice it is when before the chicks have arrived, the brooder is all set.


The chicks transfer from their chick boxes to the brooder, gracefully and no stress :)

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Sunny

It is for Isabela. At least for Santiago City, this morning.

Remember back, I bought a rotisserie oven meant for the chickens? It was never started, not even opened. Yesterday, while toying with something new to do....we made a call to an electrician, and yes he can install pronto. Made a call to the farm to slaughter ten (10) chickens weighing 1.5kg. Instructed to season with salt and pepper and to bring it at 6pm to the proposed outlet.

By 5pm, the proposed outlet was being swept....it had been abandoned for sometime. By 6pm, the chickens were being inserted into the bars.... YIKES, it wasn't a simple task to just put them into those rods. It needs experience and know how. Easier said than done! But they are machines, and we are humans. After several trials and errors, we got them going merrily around without falling wings nor legs :)

By 7pm, we got it broiling....to perfection till a litle after 8pm. Hey, they taste great. That rotisserie looked intimidating but was simple to use.

How are we going to call the chickens? Because the sun was up this morning.....I am inclined to call the SUNNY.

Taglines? I have several now in my little notebook. To be discussed with my sign printer who I am meeting later today. Don't want to preempt my AD taglines now.

So there, we had been equipped for a while. Had to wait for proper timing and motivated personnel.

Actually, we are just setting this up and turnkey operation to a loyal staff of ours. It was offered to others, but some people don't have the talent to spot opportunities nor business ideas.

Welcome to Sunny!

Thank You Ho

In an e-group I frequent, I replied to a topic on Bamboo. Soon after, I got an email from James and gave me the idea of making my bamboo into a walking stick. Yes, it will look suave, quaint, naturally practical :)

I played with that idea as I do a lot of walking in farms, my uniform is color green....and the look is very me!

Lately, I had a compelling need for a long hooked thing. There is a noose to the rolldoor of the truckbed. The bed is high for me to reach in for that noose. I need something to hook it closer to me.

Well, I needed a walking stick too...and won't settle for an ordinary looking one...

Buddah Bamboo, Bambusa Ventricosa



I can't wait for Doc Rey to smoothen it for me!

Thank you HO! I think I'm getting hooked and will want to get hold of other varieties.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Colored Range Broilers

Those are perfect descriptions to what Sunshines are.

1) The Sunshine Chickens are colored Brown Red, Black, Grey and we also have the Egyptian looking Brown striped chicks. The Naked Neck is a strain we have, predominantly for growers who have seen the stability and hardiness.

2) They are meant to be free ranged on open areas, thus termed "Range".

3) Broilers yes. They are raised for primarily for meat purposes.

In short, broilers are meant to be eaten. We are used to seeing white industrial chickens, but there are colored ones. The colored range broilers are raised the way chickens are really meant to be. Free ranging on open fields, fresh air, foraging and a lot of sunshine!

Aesthetically, lovely to look at....running on the range as they fill up your eyes with our different colors.

Taste buds wise....let your tongue do the talking. Am sure that as you eat, you will let your fingers do the talking...doing the THUMBS UP!

888

There was an interesting AD I saw just now...Should have tickled the superstitious for 888! The developer must have grabbed this property with the primary reason for the triple 8.

8 houses on #8 8th St. New Manila


Well, I like the curves on the 8s....but what will I see as special luck for me?

If every one ATE, ATE, ATE Sunshine Chicken :)
Well, even if regional dialect pronunciations... am still OK

If everyone will EAT, EAT, EAT!


Veggie Congress, GENSAN

Just got a call for an invite to the Veggie Congress in Gen Santos City on July 14-16.

What is most interesting is also an opportunity to visit Pacman's farm and he is hosting lunch for a Veggie Derby! Wehehheeh he can't get over the derbies huh? The farm was planted with several kinds and different varieties of veggies...to see which are the fastest growing ones.

Time..if only schedules can be held in one's palm for a day longer. It will coincide with a trade show we are attending. Well..maybe we can all go to Davao, then Gen San. I fly earlier to ingress for show and Doc Rey and company stays behind.

Lemme think.....

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Sandy, Home On A Sunday

The weather had been really bad in Metro Manila, that we decided to head back for a few days in Isabela. Doc Rey's radio segment as Vet ng Bayan was done by phone patch at 5:15am...thank God for telecommunications.

Very off to be in a sunny place, different work to do...but take the chance to do wonderful lovable things:

Had oatmeal for breakfast.

Since there is a truck ban for big trucks inside the market road where Solraya Santiago is located, Doc Rey drove the feeder truck between the stores to deliver the stocks from the big truck to the branches. Boy, that was a long time since I have seen that scene. Timing of arrival of our stocks from Manila are days that we are in Metro. So today was a rare Sunday in Isabela.

Farm cooking....THE BEST! By 12noon, Doc Rey suspends his delivery trips and said we will go to the farm. I was excited to wear my new raindrop boots to the muddy farm...oh of course to see the Ilokano Sunshines too.

As I walked past the bunkhouse, the smell....aroma...of???? Can't tell...but, there on the farm table were fresh Green Papaya peelings and bare stalk of Malunggay. Can it be Tinolang Manok????? YES! Little did I know, Doc Rey called to the farmhelp to slaughter a Sunshine. He called at 9am, they caught, slaughtered...and now at 12noon, the freshest Malunggay leaves from one of the fence trees were dropped. Everything in this dish, except for say salt and pepper came from the farm. Sunshine and veggies.

What's good about home cooked food? No extenders, no scrimping. It was slow cooked to perfection. The soup was creamy and thick, although clear. The Papaya was fresh an crispy and soft all at the same time. Not mushy. The Malunggay leaves you know were just off the tree, dark dark green, all whole leaves and it slightly tinged the yellowish color of the soup stock.

Oh, I shouldn't forget my treat. The blood of the chicken is poured over "bigas", then left to curdle, then lowered into the soup stock to cook.

I commented that it is far far far better than the tinola in our favorite resto. I also had an answer....it was done without profit in mind :) We didn't have to extend the servings to 12 people. There was just enough water for a soup base and not for 12 servings to fill up bowls and have chicken pieces float.

The soup here was a meal by itself!

Tonight I meet with my staff for a rotisserie chicken we are opening. Hmmmmm, this meal made me have 2nd thoughts about doing a tinola, arrozcaldo place. Good old Chicken Soup!

WHY? The location will be beside hospitals, great drive thru access....The kind of food that will be great to take home or to take to hospital. Let me think about it till dinner.

Even in provincial settings, niche marketing is the way to go. Niche is not about being big, its about FOCUS.

I act fast...but cooking or working, its best to have low fire while slow cooking :) You reap more in all aspects.

Manifestations

Difficult to answer a general question of "Why did my 3 chickens die suddenly last night?"

Hopefully, you complied and dutifully did your flock report...that gives us a better picture.

So when you call us, be prepared with ideally, ALL or at least SOME, of the following :)

1) daily flock report
2) what were the irregular observations lately
3) do they have colds?
4) what is the color of the manure?
5) was there a sudden change of temperature the past days? nights?
6) how were they acting the past days? night?
7) what have you been giving them in terms of treatment?
8) was there a change of caretaker?
9) change in feeds?
10) did you vaccinate recently? medicate?

Actually, we suggest that you be in touch with us with your WEEKLY weights. These help us both monitor developements and problems at the onset...and it builds a very good rapport between you, caretaker and solraya :) These weekly talks almost always, are able to nip at the bud of problems. Send us pictures and what have yous! Pictures MAY tell a lot of truth.

Remember the "K" in the seminar check list? KEEP IN TOUCH

Friday, June 05, 2009

Be Fit, Be Prepared

Doc Rey always talks about "What to prepare before the arrival of chicks"....

On top of the standards in poultry management, biosecurity included, you should also be prepared to go around the farm....that's the only way to go to observe. You can't just trust stories handed to you, can't rely on CCTV...you have to go out there :)

Dry or wet season, we need to be well equipped and clothed. Not all farms are flat, no tall grass, nor no insects and predators. I feel secure going around in boots, walking stick (not just to ward off danger...but to help me climb) gasp gasp.

Posted previously about my penchant for colorful boots. These rainy days make me enjoy them more even in the city. Today, when I visited Mabol and her aunt farmers, they were all so "aliw" at my black and white colored boots with dog prints.

I showed them the site where they may surf for their chosen design - just search for "plueys manila". In two hours, we were on our way to pick up our orders.

I fell in love with these colored rain drops....


New working shoes are in order. I have to be safe when doing farm visits. If you are prepared, work is done easier and faster.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Grow Your Own

From the very start, we had been advocating for the backyard and weekend farmers to grow their own food....mostly chicken :)

The restaurants and food service industry had been primarily a customer for the small commercial growers.

Recently, maybe because of volume needed, logistics...some restaurants have decided to grow their own Sunshines.

You say they can't do it because they don't know how to raise? That was what I thought so too at the onset. But I realized, they had been growing their own white chickens to make sure they get constant supply...so they do have a team of poultry men. Most see the logic of getting a good brooding man, then the feeders and rangers are new hires.

Where's the logic to that? They don't have bad habits on raising chickens. weheheheheh

"Growers don't fret :)" You are not losing a market. It should be opportunity for you to be creative and get several steps more up the ladder...or several steps sideways, where there is a lot more elbow room for play.

Honest, if I was a grower...serving the restaurants is hard. It's OK if they have minimal requirements, but if they are big? Let them grow their own, and you will be led to something better.

Now when we go around, we don't just do farm visits...but taste tests as well!

Working On What Makes You Chirp

Much like praying, meditating and exercising....they all work for something that in whole, totals you to a better person.

Today is my day3 of working on myself. Monday was day1..that for mommy. Day2 was for mommy and Rocky. Today day3 is for errands for Doc Rey. Tomorrow is Zac and my barkada day. Friday will be Rocky day again.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself. See that when you decide to relax and play...you have a different sense of return.

The only Sunshine things I did were answer inquiries, book orders and while playing...placed an ad at Facebook!

Well, I was so surprised at the response weehehhehehehe....that wasn't working huh. See what I mean?

Monday, June 01, 2009

Globe Duo

Time away from shows, seminars and farm visits makes me get a hold of small talk and chats... good I waited for my sister and brother-in-law to get to the hospital today as our conversation got to Globe's Duo.

You send the message [Duo mm on] to 8888. You get a 2nd line (landline) on your cellphone post paid line, that allows you to call and be called by Metro Manila (02) numbers for free. I presume that is what "mm" stood for. Makes me assume that this is also available for other key areas, that you register to also, IF you are there often enough.

I was running low on battery...so I called Doc Rey asap to tell him to forward whatever message I send him, to 8888. He didn't click REPLY to the msg he got from 8888 right away. By the time I was able to instruct him to do so, he got a landline number two numbers away from mine. Pity, we could have had numbers in succession. Not possible to choose, so you will have to be quick to get neighboring ones.

Why didn't he REPLY right away? The message to be forwarded [Duo mm on] looked satanic or at the very least, like a joke to him. He expected that 8888's reply to him had to be inverted to read, or encrypted :)

Argggggg....almost always, a technical mind can't just accept instructions....they can't simplify their minds!

Much like taking care of free range chickens...let's simplify our ways and go back to basics. Take things as it is.

Globe Duo...s0me things are free. Or fairly priced. You pay additional PHp399 for the value added service.

Cardinal Santos

Hospitals and medical doctors are two things I stay away from. I can't point to what brought about this phobia, but its real :(

It is double whammy when family is sick because you tend to think about your fears and think that they are experiencing that too.

Tripled when you can't be there because of work. Priorities weighed and since I was just in Metro Manila, I had to be away when my mother was sick since the start of a show last week. That experience stressed me a lot and my tummy had just been acting tightly.

We were just waiting for the last test done yesterday. All other vital tests were ok....so the worst news are over.

Today, I go into Cardinal Santos.... excuse my long absence from the hospital scene...but valet parking, very cheerful lobby, no medicine odor at all....the doors of the patients' rooms had no names (was it for security reasons or for it to un-look like the normal hospitals?), the room was very comfortable, wide scenic window....


Mommy was sleeping well. Looked well. A second after, my tummy started to feel better! The stress has started to leave me too. Though she complains of hip pains, we are more than happy that vital tests are passed.

What was the best test? She talked a lot, asked for the bad food, made "bilin" (sounds scary? but its just naturally being a mother). Anyway, she is set to go home tomorrow. Decided to rest myself and will stay in Manila for the week.