Dad's Day

Today we celebrated the 40th day since my dad's passing. Technically my dad's 40th day is not till Wed, (the 24th). But we wanted to celebrate with all of us present and with a mass - so we agreed to do it the Sunday before the actual day. Coincidentally today is also Father's Day. So there are two reasons to celebrate my dad today.

We went to the 11 AM mass at St. Margaret Mary in Lomita, then had lunch at Macaroni Grill. Here are some pictures right before we started eating.

Atsi and Mark

Jojo, me and Jules

Happy Father's Day to all my uncles, titos, in-laws and friends who are now proud members of the Dad Club!

I'm Hungry

Like my sister, Joy, I have an obsession with taking pictures of really good meals I've enjoyed. Which is why I found myself getting hungry while browsing through pictures on our camera. Let me share them here and I'm sure you'll find yourself getting hungry too:

This is the shrimp scampi I made the other night when we had Auntie Julie, Uncle Raniel and my cousin, Vince, over for dinner. Yes, I made this dish and it turned out very well (you can all get over your shock now).

Minced pork in lettuce cups (Jasmine Restaurant, San Diego). I love lettuce cups and have had some really good ones from all over. I think it's really the hoisin sauce that makes it so good though.

Thai Chicken Curry (Soho Fusion Restaurant in Lomita). So yummy cause it's spicy too.

Nachos (Cozymel Restaurant in El Segundo). Really good when shared with friends or not. =)

This is a chili overload - chili cheeseburger and chili fries. Surprisingly this was really good considering we had it at the cafeteria at the Reagan Library. Good food for a "museum" cafeteria is pretty surprising.

Tomato basil soup and grilled tomato and mozzarella sandwich (Panera in Sta. Monica). Mom's ultimate comfort food.

Our family favorite. Soon Tofu Soup (Tofu House in Torrance). Perfect on a cold and windy night. Just crack an egg in it and you're ready to go!

Paella from Cafe Cuba (down the block from where we live). But for even better paella, I love the Spanish version from La Espanola in Harbor City.

So, did I make you hungry or what???

Junarakasa's Story Take Two

I have purposely not written anything for my blog during my dad’s illness, hospitalization and passing. It was a decision that stemmed from just being plain preoccupied with taking care of my dad. But more than that, I was simply waiting for my dad to get better before posting again. In many ways, this blog has always been largely about my dad and me. In fact for those that don't know or who are new readers to this blog, "Junarakasa" was my dad's nickname for me. That's why I decided to use that name for this blog.

Dad has been my biggest fan in everything I do. And this blog was no exception. He would visit my site more than once every day and would send me emails whenever a few days would pass and I would not have any new entries. On the days when I did have something to write about, he would never fail to post a comment, no matter how short, to let me know he had read what I had written. Not only that, my dad would “advertise” this blog to everyone he knew so they too could read my thoughts and experiences. We would have marathon phone conversations and even emails back and forth discussing a particular blog entry. It was in many ways one of the reasons why I felt so close to my dad even if I lived so far from home. Because of this, I wanted to wait till dad got well again before I resumed blogging, so he and I could go back to the way things were before he got sick.

When dad passed away 4 weeks ago, (dramatic as it may seem) I thought to myself that there was no way I would blog again. It was painful for me to even visit my own blog and revisit posts about dad and comments from him, much more continue posting my thoughts and feelings about him and other things. But the more I think about it and the more I remember the kind of person my dad was, the more I realize that I have to continue doing this. I know dad would not have wanted me to stop doing something I enjoyed and that was therapeutic for me. I know I owe it to him and to myself to continue writing and to move on with my life doing what I enjoy doing. But most of all, I know that even if dad is no longer with me physically, he is still reading this blog from up there and that in his own way he’ll find a way to “post a comment” and let me know what he thinks of the things I write. It still will be a way for me to be close to him.

So this blog continues … Junarakasa’s story goes on … and it is written in the memory of the man who inspired me to start this all almost 4 years ago.


P.S. I want to take this time to THANK everyone who helped my dad and my family during my dad’s illness. THANK YOU to all of you (you know who you are). Thanks to those who donated blood and platelets, those who helped us man the bloodbank and exhaust all means to find donors, those who helped us get supplies and buy hard to find medicines. Thanks to those who visited dad in the ICU, the private room and at home. Your presence no matter how brief made him so happy. Thank you to those who sent flowers, cards, balloons, food, and inspirational books and music. Thank you for your letters, emails, text messages and phone calls.They did help give us comfort. Thanks to those who prayed with us and celebrated mass with us. Thanks to those who stayed up late with us on nights when we needed someone to talk to, those who took us out when we needed a break, those who lent us a shoulder when we needed to unburden, and those who cried with us when we needed to let go. My dad and all of us are blessed to know who our real friends are and who we can really count on when the going gets tough. On behalf of the original 7 J's, thank you all very much.

10 Gift Ideas I Love

1. Smartshopper Grocery List Assistant - voice-activated grocery list maker
Why I love it: I am the quintessential "to do" list person. Which means I also love making grocery lists! The only problem is I usually forget what needs to go on my list when I'm actually making them. This new gadget allows me to record what I need when I need them and come grocery day, I press "print" and an instant grocery list is printed for me (arranged by category too!).



2. Rishitea (Tea-on-the-go) - home-made, all-natural chilled tea with the shake of a bottle.
Why I love it: It has several flavors including my all time favorite genmai (roasted rice). Yummy, refreshing and good for you too!



3. Sunscreen wipes - easy to apply sunscreen protection
Why I love it: When you live in LA, which is sunny almost year-round, you need some type of sunscreen protection that's easy to bring along, doesn't take too much space, and that you can lather on in a hurry. Plus since I don't like staying under the sun more than I have to, these wipes provide me just enough protection from when I'm crossing the mall parking lot to get to my car!

4. Stemless wine glasses - the "non-goblet" glass.
Why I love it: I think it looks so modern and sleek. Plus it fits in the dishwasher too (unlike most wine glasses).


5. Edible Arrangements – fresh fruit bouquets for every occasion.
Why I love it: Well, it’s a beautiful bouquet … that you can eat … need I explain more??? BTW, it’s not as easy to make as it looks (believe me, I tried!).



6. Revashelf - pull-out stainless steel panel organizer with shelves and hooks to keep cookware organized and out of sight.
Why I love it: Anyone who has seen my cupboard for pots and pans will know why I need this!



7. Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop and Stack - modern ice-cream scooper that allows you to stack ice cream.
Why I love it: For the non-bakers like me, this is a wonderful way to make desserts look like works of art.


8. Toastess Cordless Warming Tray - heats food for up to 60 minutes (after an 8-minute charge).
Why I love it: Whenever I have buffets at home, my food always tends to turn cold before the last guest has helped him/herself. I don't like the "clunkiness" of usual chafing dishes and I hate the tangled cords of traditional food warmers. This is both a sleek and tangle-proof option.



9. Bath Bees from Gianna Rose Atelier – bee-shaped bath capsules which contain a soothing blend of sunflower oils, extracts off bee balm, royal jelly and bee pollen.
Why I love it: It’s supposedly great for your skin and the little bee shapes are so darn cute too! I also love how this company markets their products as “couture soaps”.



10.. Tsp Spice – pre-measured herb and spice packets (30 varieties to choose from including coriander, fennel seed, cumin, thyme, allspice, turmeric, sage, etc). Each tin can has 12 one teaspoon packets.
Why I love it: Pre-measured spices that are kept fresh in individual packets. Every time I cook, many recipes require several “exotic” sounding ingredients. What’s worse, most dishes need a teaspoon or just a pinch of each ingredient. I have countless bottles of dried spices lying around my spice cabinet - most of which are still full. And whenever I need to use them again most of the spices have gone stale.
Can you think of anymore great gift ideas???

To My Mom!

Happy Birthday, Mom.

I know that heaven is shining down on you right now. Many thanks for being such a strong and calming presence in my life. I would be lost without you. Have a wonderful birthday as you celebrate your special day. You deserve to be happy today and always.

Love you lots!

XOXOXO