Are You a Cookie Monster?

A staple in my food budget.
Left: Oreo's Copycat, perfect to pair with a glass of milk
Right: My Daughter's Favorite, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since my daughter started eating solids, cookies and biscuits have been a steady resident of our fridge. We stock up on the traditional and culturally-famous Marie. And since then tried out other variants such as animal-shaped biscuits, graham crackers, and even iced gem. But nothing beats the classic chocolate chip cookies. My husband loves monster-izing on it, too, after having a hearty lunch or heavy dinner. As the budget manager of the family, we need to cut down on some expenses as we already have a preschooler (she'll be taking ballet classes this summer!). Yes, including food. So instead of buying Chips Ahoy or Chips Delight, we buy the "rejected-but-still-great" version. The vendor said that they got it from a dealer who has a connection with a biscuit factory in Laguna.

I ♥ Hello Kitty

I gasped & giggled like a 10-year-old when I saw the Downy Innocence Hello Kitty Limited Edition TVC. My love for anything Hello Kitty started when I was in 5th Grade. Yes, a lot of first encounters happened during that time. Maybe because I was transferred from a private Christian Academy in Quezon City to a public school in a semi-suburbs part of Marikina City. Oh dear, I knew that I did some sort of reflection at age 10. So much soul, isn't it? It slightly contributed to my being a drama queen and makes my daughter a drama princess.

Bebeng Cooks

My Little Kitchen Helper: Mixing the Buko Salad with Exaggerated Cream

I started cooking when I was in fifth grade. My mom was at the office and I needed to cook for me and my younger brother. Since I was rushing to go back to school for the school paper meeting, I scoured our fridge to check on what's available and I saw togue (mongo sprouts). I sauteed it. It has almost-burnt garlic, almost-raw onion and a sugary taste. You can't blame me, I didn't know how to use condiments then. But from that experience, I knew that cooking will always be a part of my life. Okay, no more nostalgic stories. Let me share with you the product of my recent post. Note: We are not members of the Catholic Church, thus the existence of pork.

It's Over & Done: Update to Does My Dress Look Sexual to You

I was shaking, hands so cold & what, actually felt like a beautiful princess in distress saved by a knight in shining armor. Husband came at the office today to have lunch with us. It was his plan to "talk" to the harasser because there were no apologies offered. I will not elaborate on how husband talked to him. Say, my colleagues were in shock to see that my soft-spoken-seemingly-timid husband isn't what they think he is. I am not bragging or whatever, but as a wife of a man like him, I felt that my womanhood has been given justice. I know that some of you will say that I should have let this handled by an administration conference, but I like it more this way. This event made me realize that the man I married was really the one for me. Like what I have put in our little wedding souvenir, "MATCH KAMI!"

Our little souvenir 10 Dec 10

Bebeng Goes to Market

Armed with my 3-year-old bayong & a purse from Davao

When I was a kid, my mom used to tag me along with her during her weekly wet market trip. We went to Nepa Q-Mart in Quezon City. I remember one time that she didn't, because she said I have the tendency to be "bilmoko" (short for BILI MO KO), a Pinoy pun for one who wants anything seen bought for her. I cried with my monologue "Mama, sama mo 'ko!" And when I realized she's not at home and left already, I just cut my bangs really short. Rebellious act, indeed. She didn't scold me though when she got home but after that incident, I can't find the scissors when I was doing a project for school! Well, this isn't about how I was as a kid, but how I started my love for shopping, wet market included.

Update: Does My Dress Look Sexual to You?

Lent is all about forgiving. This is the perfect time to reflect on the things that we have done --- good or bad; and that He has made us all sin-free by dying on the Cross of Calvary. However, I won't speak like a hypocrite religious lady here. Honestly, I still have grudges. Forgiving those people who have done me bad big time isn't an easy feat. Especially if they have not apologize for it. Being an obedient child of Christ may sound simple for some who can. But for me, I don't know.

Okay, no beating around the bush here, let me update you with my recent post about sexual harassment. I told my husband to visit my blog and read the post. I don't want him to know it from a third party, anyway. I used my blog as a bridge. As much as I want to drive him away from these kind of issues, he has always been my kakampi. So, he asked me who the guy is and even asked for my supervisor's cellphone number. I was half-nervous, half-kilig (oops, my hair). He has a statement via text that went something like, "If he won't say sorry to my wife, I will personally talk to him."

Until now, I have not received any apology from this harasser, verbal or non-verbal. So I guess what my husband had told my supervisor was not just a threat. I know him too well that I foresee what may happen. That is the main reason why I can't tell our VP about it. I don't want to make a scene. And I don't want random people talking negatively about me. Worse, to judge me as if they have shared with me the bad experience. Oh well, we really can't expect "prairie dogs" to behave the way purring kittens do. I just wish that the harasser will talk to my husband decently. 'Cause if he won't, he has to prepare himself for something any protective husband can do.

Ladies, do you agree?

Behind the Blog's Name

BEBENGISM is a straight-in-your-face imitation of MELANISM. No, not the dark pigmentation of the skin that is the opposite of albinism, but coined because of Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez's quotable quotes. Ten of the most memorable melanisms can be read here. As a stay-at-home mom then, Facebook was my only social life. Status updates were my micro-blogs. Whenever it's something quirky (or so I thought), I put the word bebengism prior the post. For example, "Bebengism: Breakfast cereals can be eaten any time of the day." But if my memory serves me right, I have only posted three updates containing the word. Well, it doesn't stop me from using (and abusing!) it, bebengism now holds a special place in my FB Photo Albums. The album mostly consists of photos of food I have prepared over the months as a SAHM and some random things my frustrated photographer's eyes had seen.

Our Newly-Renovated Room

This room had cost us my husband's midyear bonus. To date, the room's a bit messy, full of my daughter's toys and its two pin lights aren't working anymore. But we barely care about it 'cause it serves as our home for almost a year now. It witnessed my little giggly girl's shrieks when I tickle her, my bouts of emotional arguments with my "virtual" husband and the solace of being alone, reading (and re-reading) all my magazines and books.