Happy Valentine’s Day! I have no photos to share about my day today. The three of us were busy bees–at church, at home, with online choir rehearsals, ballet class, etc.

But it was a fun day, it was just busy. And I received the best gifts–the gift of music and service during the Mass, a surprise email from my little darling, and a bouquet of flowers from the man of the house. We had a hint he’s getting us flowers because he went missing after we finished online rehearsals! My mom and sister, and one of our co-volunteers gave chocolates, too.

How about me, you might ask. Of course, I got them something! Yesterday, I gave them tikoy and hopia (post-Chinese New Year treats) while today, I got them a box of brownies–the same first gift I received from my husband back when he first said he loved me.

It all began with a brownie. A box of six brownies was his first “gift” to me back when he first courted me. So, this particular store has a special place in my heart (and in my tummy!).

He loved giving gifts. He made sure I get something during special occasions. He’s the same with Aria now, so he also gave Aria flowers to celebrate today.

Having him as my husband is the best gift. I really wouldn’t ask for more. I appreciate him more everyday, especially the past year facing this pandemic. My daughter and husband are the best quarantine buddies.

Happy Valentine’s Day again, everyone! Especially to my one true love and my little lady love. I am so blessed to witness God’s love through the two of you.

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And, that’s it for my short Valentine’s Day post. Keeping up with the blog with one post a month (at least!), but will try with all my might to blog as often as I can. Until the next!

~ Touringkitty

Hello again, blogverse! It’s been a long while.

Holidays schmolidays are once again over, and we have to begin another year of work…all the way to the next holiday season.

2020 is definitely one for the books for humankind. And as I was not able to write yet a proper 2020 roundup on Facebook, I shall just do it here in my blog.

Pandemic. Quarantine. Face masks. Face shields. Ayuda (or the lack of it). Rapid or swab test. Isolation. Death. Not to mention typhoons, fire, crimes (in whatever manner). Those are just some of the words that permeated the most part of 2020. That clear cut vision the year suggests didn’t seem so, not for most of us, for sure. But perhaps looking at it from another perspective can make things crystal clear.

Stay-at-home. Work-from-home. Facetime, Messenger, Viber, Zoom, whathaveyou. Online classes. Online meetings. Online chikahan (and e-numan). Online concerts and virtual choirs. Online Masses and rosaries. Netflix and chill. Family. Bonding. Love.

It can also be…

Home cooked meals. Instant bakers and cooks. Home and balcony gardening. Dalgona coffee. Salamat, Shoppee! Salamat food delivery! And new businesses sprouting because of this pandemic, even my sister began her own late last year (support Rae’s Gourmet!)

But for me, music became my catharsis. I sang, taught, shared music, in so many ways last year.

Also, music was my catharsis as we grieved for the deaths in our family. My cousins did a musical tribute for our uncle. I prepared a musical tribute for my grandfather. All these were done online. It was quite a challenge for tech challenged me, but it was definitely my catharsis, my sadness translated into beautiful music. I was lucky that family and friends supported and contributed to this mini online concert.

20 days into 2021. Here’s hoping this will be a definitely better year than last year. We set our expectations too high for 2020, as it seemed so confidently a good year. But yeah, here’s hoping everything would go well for the world.

Check out my cathartic videos, I mean, online productions during the quarantine on my Youtube channel. More to come this year!

~ Touringkitty

Did we just blink and it was suddenly November already?

I have been long wanting to create an entry here, at least once a month (which I am kinda keeping up with, hooray!). But I would have wanted to write more, especially with the many many things–both good and bad–happening in my life.

So once more, it’s already November first! We would have gone to the cemeteries around these days to visit our beloved departed. Sadly, because of the pandemic, we can’t. So here we are, stuck in our homes, and settled with praying and lighting of candles.

What’s making things more complicated is the upcoming typhoon. Have you been preparing, too? Please do now and include prayers while preparing your mind, body, and soul for it.

Anyways, going back to the title of my blog. Last two months before the year ends. And if, you were given a chance to say something, perhaps encapsulate the first ten months in under two minutes, what would it be?

Hmmm let me see. Can’t think of any now, but probably in a vlog. Don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

I’ll see you there. Or through the other social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, and Kumu. Follow @touringkitty on all social media.

~ Touringkitty

2020 is such a…weird (?) year.

We began the year on a not so good note, with the three of us going to separate ER visits from New Year’s Eve 2019 to the first week of 2020. I was sick the longest, for almost a month, but we pushed through with this trip to Baguio which was likewise rescheduled twice from last year.

Off we went to Baguio on the third week of January, right on Chinese New Year weekend and before the Panagbenga celebrations began. At that time, COVID-19 cases have reached the Philippines, and warnings of social distancing, wearing masks, and hand hygiene were slowly introduced. Some Baguio events that time were likewise cancelled already, as to avoid mass gatherings.

We had second thoughts of pushing through, but we still did, and made sure to avoid crowded places and make trips outside the hotel as quick as possible. So blessed we were, we saw Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage along the way! Most of the time we stayed at the hotel, since I was also sick and it was terribly cold that time. Hello, post-Christmas winter feels!

We stayed in one of the best hotels in Baguio, Azalea Hotel. They’ve got the best room and the best service! Our daughter got to sleep on her own bed. The room was so spacious, it had areas where my husband set up his laptop for sudden work, and my daughter for her homeschool. Yup, we still have to hustle while on a trip! We got a discounted rate from Lander’s, and we booked for two nights. Plus, they have Kuya J’s restaurant, so you can really stay in the hotel, and just eat in your room. They catered our buffet breakfast, too!

It was also the first time that my husband is driving for a long trip as this one. We are so blessed to have Tomy our car, who celebrated his first birthday during the trip!

Watch this video to see what Baguio had for us. Details after this clip. Don’t forget to subscribe to Aria’s YouTube Channel! bit.ly/ariadnespeaksYT

Sleep: Azalea Hotel Baguio

Savour: Kuya J Restaurant, Pizza Volante across Wright Park, Bows and Whiskers Cafe, Bencab Cafe

Sights: BenCab Museum and Ecopark, Strawberry Farm La Trinidad, Benguet, Pony ride at Wright Park, Baguio Botanical Garden, Pilak Silver Shop

Where to next?

~ Touringkitty

Hello, everyone! How are you?

Back on the drawing board, and back to sharing through teaching!

If you’re interested, please drop by my Facebook Page, Let’s sing together with Teacher Em.

And watch out for our first online recital on the 13th of September! More details soon.

~ Touringkitty

Almost five months into quarantine. Still okay? I do hope and pray!

As we begin another homeschool year, and as I was doing some spring cleaning, I found an old notebook, from five years ago, which had an interesting poem I wrote for my daughter, who was at that time, HATED writing. Far faaaar away from what she LOVES doing now–writing essays, stories, and songs.

On our first year of formal homeschooling (meaning enrolled as Kinder under a provider), I kicked in homeschooling my daughter a month late, because I came from a Europe concert trip. Likewise, at that time, my daughter was just turning five, so writing did not come easy. In fact, we had accomplished writing very last minute–at the last quarter of that school year.

At that time, my daughter was having a hard time writing the small letter e, which is the last letter of her super long seven letter name. So, I had to think of ways to make her like writing it.

So, this story-poem came.

The story of the small e

Once there was a letter, a letter I always see,
It’s such a lovely letter,a nd it is called small e.
Small e is in bed, hen, and bee
It is also in pencil, and so is in sea.

Small e is easy to write, if you will just practice it
You start with a small c then put a line in the middle of it.
Or you can start with a sleeping line then finish with a c
That’s the trick of the small e, now, won’t you try it?

Feel free to share to anyone who has problems writing the small e.


~ Touringkitty

Hello, blog! It’s been a while.

And the comeback entry is–about this nasty virus that has invaded the world. Imagine, something so tiny will literally stop our lives.

Yet we continue, we carry on. We make do with what we have. We fight off negative vibes. We pray, no matter how difficult it is to pray.

For the past two weeks, my daughter and I have not gotten out of our condo unit. Praise God we have a balcony view of Manila, the skies, some trees, lots of buildings. We still get a grasp of fresh air (which is oh so fresh, thanks to mother nature for being clean without cars and pollution, hooray!

So, what have we been doing, then?

Husband has to work at home, a day a week outside, and do errands. Aria focuses on homeschooling, as well as online art and ballet classes. While I do the cooking, chores, and some work from home. Plus countless musical projects while quarantined. Check out my Facebook Page post with my mommy choir, the Nawtingales!

Likewise, for the past two afternoons, I have been singing arias and kundimans by the balcony, just to keep the music playing. I don’t care whether someone will listen or perhaps throw tomatoes (on the 7th floor!), but I had to do it for my voice and for my sanity.

Unfortunately, I had to postpone my March 8th concert, which was the week prior the quarantine began, and cases started to come out of the news. But the real reason was I lost my voice when the year began, so the concert had to be postponed at first. I was sad but God had a purpose on that one.

So, to beat the blues, I made playlists on my Youtube account (go subscribe now!) wherein you can check out my videos.

Hope you all keep safe and healthy and hydrated, and yes, stay at home!

~ Touringkitty