The Process Before You Build a House

Oh boy, I completely forgot to write about what we went through before demolition started. It took more than a year before we started any work on the house. The first step of finding the right architect took us several years. We were scared of hiring the wrong one since a lot of people have shared horror stories on YouTube about getting scammed. 

Here are the steps we went through after finding the right architect (those I can seriously recall):

Step 1. The first thing we did really was to get to know each other. Our architect interviewed us about how we live, what's important for us and we talked about the planning process. When we decided to proceed, the architect sent us a proposal which included professional fees and a detailed bill of materials.

Step 2. After paying our downpayment, we sent a wishlist to the architect and a copy of the title of the house. We also had on hand the site survey since we had one done for the donation of the property. 

Step 3. The architect then made an initial design. We went back and forth on this until we agreed on the design. We took our time since we were also waiting for the new title of the property which is required to file a building permit.

Step 4. Once the design was done, the architect involved his team of engineers and other experts in putting together the detailed blue print required to file a building permit. 

Step 5. We then reviewed the blue print and once it was signed, architect's assistant did the back and forth in getting the permit. We were stuck here for awhile since the city engineers required a lot of changes. One hold-up was also getting a CAAP permit* which got delayed because of the original site surveyor. We ended up hiring another geodetic engineer to help get the CAAP permit. 

Step 6. Together with filing the building permit you need to also get approval from your barangay and homeowners association. Ahh, this also cost a lot of money to do but this was already included in the costings of our architect (whew!). 

Step 7. The building permit also required trips to the Bureau of Fire and purchasing fire extinguishers. By this time we were really grateful we hired a professional architect who had an expert in getting the requirements completed. 

Step 8. Once you get clearance from your barangay, HOA, CAAP, Bureau of Fire, and make the building official happy about your plan, you'll finally get your building permit (it took us 6 months including delays). 

Step 9. But, there's more. Before we were able to start, we had to file additional requirements of the HOA. They required a list of the workers, their NBI and police clearance, and individual photos for their ID. Aside from that we also had to pay for the required demolition bond and construction bond. 

Step 10. And just before we started, we paid for the next 10% of the contract for the mobilization fee. So, that's what happened before we started on day one of the demolition.

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Grief

We watched on the news what happened to the two basketball players. It is heartbreaking however which way you look at it. A child should never go before their parents. It is the most unimaginable situation for me. As a mother, I have lost a lot of sleep worrying about my child. I still do even though he's in his 30s already. 

Ateneo de Naga Varsity Team, c1950s (sorry I couldn't find my Dad's yearbook)

I have not made any comments about what happened. My Dad was a varsity player when he was a student for Ateneo de Naga and his coach was none other than Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ. Being a varsity player was my Dad's favorite memory to go back to and he taught all his grandchildren how to play basketball. He always spoke about those days fondly and he said their exercise regime was strict. They also had to be on top of their studies (my Dad graduated high school with honors). 

My Dad with Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ

My handsome Dad (he gave this photo to my Mom)

The best we can do is to pray for the families and everyone affected. They all need the strength and faith to overcome this huge trial. Losing someone means they have completed their mission. This is what my parents taught me. There will always be a part of you that feels the loss, but in time you will accept that their mission here is complete. The reason for the loss of the two young lives will eventually unfold. f

And for today, we pray.

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How Long it Took to Clear and Save Mom's Plants

Every plant on the frontage of my childhood home was planted by my Mom. It changes every few years. Everytime I visited she was doing some gardening. She was still gardening the day before she passed away. I knew it her plants are very important to her, so we've been doing the herculean task of saving what we could.

I tried to bargain with the contractor if we could leave the frontage plants alone. They explained that they had to construct a new front wall and it would affect the structure if they're not able to clear the area. I've been propagating some of the plants the past few months as back-up. Luckily, our gardener was finally available last week and helped set-up plants to propagate. 

It took three full days to clear the front lawn. My Mom packed in a lot of plants and some had poked the front wall already. We bought several large pots and soil and prioritized what plants to keep. The gardeners helped pot the plants and we hope they'll grow this rainy season. The back-up plants I propagated the past few months have rooted and are growing nicely. I just need to make sure they are watered regularly, so we can transplant them eventually. 

My current small garden is now full of Mom's plants. The gardeners said we look like we're selling plants (haha). I know it's just a small fraction of what Mom had in her garden. I'm just grateful we're able to save her hardwork. She loved her plants dearly and she'll be happy to know we have a starter set we can bring back when we move back home. 

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Frankenstein with a Heart

Miggy and I watched "Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein" on Netflix the other day. It was a 2 and a half hour film that made us enthralled while watching it.

I first saw Frankenstein at Universal Studios when I was a child. He scared me a lot, so I avoided anything related to him. Miggy chose the film, so I agreed to watch it. I basically had no idea what to expect, but I've always been fascinated by films made by Guillermo del Toro so I knew it would be good. 

Conquering my fear of Frankenstein. I was very freaked out on this day.

I realized I never really watched a Frankenstein film. I only knew he was put together using different parts and was given life through lightning. Miggy said the film was made very close to how the story unfolded in the book. We saw how Dr. Victor Frankenstein created "the monster" and the film showed further how the creature developed. The creature who'd never die grew a heart and can live forever.

The film was made really well. Kudos to Guillermo del Toro, the actors and the whole production team who put the film together. It's a masterpiece and the best so far of all the Guillermo del Toro films I've watched. It's still on Netflix and go watch it this weekend if you haven't seen it yet. 

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Visited DLSU as a Child

When I was a child, my siblings would bring me with them to school. Both were enrolled in engineering courses at De La Salle University and were active in their organizations. I'd go with them to ensure they went home early (haha).

The flour game

I remember one visit so well. My sister had an org activity at the College Canteen. What I remember most from that day was a game where they had to find coins hidden in a pan full of flour. Ate explained that they disinfected the coins since the players had to find it with their mouth. It left a lasting impression on me and I had no doubt I'd eventually study at La Salle. 

c1996 (?) Me and Tappy in the CR, haha

True enough, I eventually walked the same halls and ate at the College Canteen, ten years later. By this time both my siblings were already professionals and had their own families. Everything still looked the same by then, but eventually new buildings were built and the College Canteen was painted. 

2011

The last time I visited a few years ago, I barely recognized some areas of the campus. The College Canteen was gone and the library moved to a new building. I'm sure a lot more changes have been made in the past few years. 

2018

*I still have to scan photos when I was a student

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Anakin's Second Gotcha Day!

Yesterday, we celebrated Anakin's Second Gotcha Day! He was a surprise since at that time the only kitten around was Bailey Boo. We suspected that Grey brought him in. We originally planned to have him adopted since we had at least 10 cats and kittens. Luckily, the adopter backed out. 

The kitten was darker than the rest of the brood. I decided to name him Anakin since he reminded me of Darth Vadar, haha. He's the complete opposite of the character though since he's very vocal and affectionate. He originally looked like a rat though, but with TLC and lots of food, he grew up to be a handsome boy. 

Anakin's quite a climber. I've seen him run up the neighbor's tree when he's going after a bird or a lizard. He's also very chatty and never fails to greet me by rubbing my legs when I go out to water the plants. I'm actually glad he came to us since he became Bailey's playmate and bestie. At 2 years old, they still play like they're kittens. 

To our bunso, Anakin, thank you for coming into our lives. You certainly changed the force in the cat-fam and you made Meredith a full time mom. She's very fond of you and Bailey. We love you to Dagobah and back! 

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Made a New Quilted Bag

It took over a month to finish this project, but it's finally done! It's been over five years since I made myself a proper bag. I realized I've come a long way since I made this bag. The last one I made was mostly hand-stitched and back then I didn't know how to use fusible interfacing. 

I wanted a bag that would remind me of the sun and lemon flavors. I gathered yellow scraps and cut to make small squares. I decided to use them for huge pockets as additional storage. I matched it with denim fabric to bring out the happy color. 

Luckily, my Mom left a lot o zippers and I was able to use one for the bag. I just DIY'd the handles with interfacing. Using interfacing for the handles makes a huge difference. I didn't put any in my previous bag and I had to add a new handle to make it sturdier. 

I like the size of this bag (9" x 3" x 12") since it fits my prescription envelope. I thought it was too slim, but it fit my stuff perfectly. Now, I can't wait to bring it to town, LOL. 

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