A lot of things have changed :-) Check out the new and improved Fort.5 !
Interior design by JC Gervasio and Associates
Mission accomplished. Fort.5 is now complete, now, let the living in begin :-)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
LTJG is (WAS) Home !
Had to edit this entry -- haha , because I only got around to posting it now...
As posted in our Multiply site , http://www.pacua.multiply.com/ -- yes, the husband came home lastJune 10th, to be exact. It was the first time he saw the Fort.5 fully painted and furnished. I guess God really gave us the right timing, just when the kitchen cabinets were installed and when I finally decided to buy the "very dear" (read: expensive) frame I've been crushing on. So, Sam saw our home in its full glory. Ah, but still minus the BED! We still slept on the floor. The bed came much much later, but that's another story.
Like all other previous homecomings, I always felt that everything passed by in a blur. A flurry of breakfasts and 'missed activities' and very fast weekends. Sigh. I long for long days spent with the husband!
The day Sam arrived he scattered shells on the floor to surprise me, then we also invited my best friend Gladys and her family to have dinner with us (so Sam could meet the family, finally!). Some of Sam's college friends visited us too! We also had the chance to have a simple house blessing .. more about that later!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Nangangapit-bahay
Last night I decided to take my "first solo drive" around the area. I went and visited my friend Kiel and her boys (and their ates, hehe) in their house! It was only a 5-10 minute drive away :-) Maybe less if I get more familiarized with the place.
She texted me the directions and yes, I was able to follow them! It was great catching up with Kiel and to see her two GROWING boys!
Another challenge for me was parking the car back at Fort.5 , where I should park it in reverse (I don't know how you call it, hehe basta ganun). Because if I park going forward, the underside of the front part of the car (doh, whatever you call it, I'm such a girl!) scrapes the installed parking slot lock. I never liked parking in reverse because it takes too much effort for me!
The rain last night did not help. As I was trying for the 3rd time to 'shoot' the car in the parking slot, the back up car of one of our "Very Important Neighbors" arrived and waited for me to park so he can park as well. PRESSURE! Good thing he was patient !
She texted me the directions and yes, I was able to follow them! It was great catching up with Kiel and to see her two GROWING boys!
Another challenge for me was parking the car back at Fort.5 , where I should park it in reverse (I don't know how you call it, hehe basta ganun). Because if I park going forward, the underside of the front part of the car (doh, whatever you call it, I'm such a girl!) scrapes the installed parking slot lock. I never liked parking in reverse because it takes too much effort for me!
The rain last night did not help. As I was trying for the 3rd time to 'shoot' the car in the parking slot, the back up car of one of our "Very Important Neighbors" arrived and waited for me to park so he can park as well. PRESSURE! Good thing he was patient !
The Fort Bus and other Modes of Transport
So I had my misadventure with the Gate 3 route, so I decided to try the Forbes/ McKinley route the other night. I was blessed with the presence of a friend who decided to go with me for the fun of it, (Thanks Mauster!) . The Fort Buses travel around the private area of the Fort and take people to and from EDSA.
We first boarded the WRONG BUS , where the driver so loudly pointed out that we have to get off and board the other bus. Blushing and laughing, we got off and went for the other bus. We didn't know that there were several routes! We had dinner at Market! Market! (Ineng's!), had a bit of kwento while we waited for Maui's fiance. I wanted to look for the jeep that would take me to Fort.5 but they offered to just take me home that night (Doy had a car) and told me that the jeeps will always be there :-)
So, Friday (a holiday!) became my official public transport exploration day. I now know the jeep route (and have decided that the McKinley route is probably the best , maybe not quicker - but it feels safer!) , and now believe that Market! Market! is a nice mall after all. I just have to figure out if these modes of transport are available 24/7 or would there be a certain hour that it is difficult to get home? hmmm.
Sunday, my dad arrived from CDO so I had more confidence to take the car and drive around with somebody guiding me. The one way streets of the Fort would take some getting used to :-( Good thing it's not yet crowded.
Fort neighbors! Who's up for a drive one weekend? ... Just so I can familiarize myself with the place!! I really need to learn and I don't want to keep on bugging my dad hehe. You just make sure you're insured for the ride with me ;-) hehe.
We first boarded the WRONG BUS , where the driver so loudly pointed out that we have to get off and board the other bus. Blushing and laughing, we got off and went for the other bus. We didn't know that there were several routes! We had dinner at Market! Market! (Ineng's!), had a bit of kwento while we waited for Maui's fiance. I wanted to look for the jeep that would take me to Fort.5 but they offered to just take me home that night (Doy had a car) and told me that the jeeps will always be there :-)
So, Friday (a holiday!) became my official public transport exploration day. I now know the jeep route (and have decided that the McKinley route is probably the best , maybe not quicker - but it feels safer!) , and now believe that Market! Market! is a nice mall after all. I just have to figure out if these modes of transport are available 24/7 or would there be a certain hour that it is difficult to get home? hmmm.
Sunday, my dad arrived from CDO so I had more confidence to take the car and drive around with somebody guiding me. The one way streets of the Fort would take some getting used to :-( Good thing it's not yet crowded.
Fort neighbors! Who's up for a drive one weekend? ... Just so I can familiarize myself with the place!! I really need to learn and I don't want to keep on bugging my dad hehe. You just make sure you're insured for the ride with me ;-) hehe.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Taxi!
Took the cab to work today. I was so lucky that a cab was just right outside the building!
Cost me P85.00, hmm steeper than I thought! But hey, I got here in the office in less than 30 minutes!
Cost me P85.00, hmm steeper than I thought! But hey, I got here in the office in less than 30 minutes!
Whistle while you work
The evolution of Fort.5...
(1) Our cabinets were constructed in Laguna...
(2) They were transported to Fort.5 for final finishing ,,,
(3) Note the tiny strokes of blue in the corner... They couldn't get the paint color right, which annoyed Tita Myrna (the interior designer)
(4) Finally got the right color! And the latticework turned out great (in my opinion!) .. Mr Efren the painter was so happy. It was so funny that they were so scared of Tita Myrna.
It's "Rowboat Blue" from the Ralph Lauren paint collection (but our brand is BOYSEN!) -- we opted for accent walls so the color won't eat up the space of our small unit. I love it!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
To and From Work
Lessons learned today
- No elaborate breakfasts when Pepi is not here to drive the car to work. Takes too much time to prepare, wash, clean and wipe everything dry. There’s no point for a nice breakfast if you don’t have the luxury of time to savor it (I happen to be a breakfast person!)
- Leave at 7 am. It takes 2 hours to get to the Makati Central Business District via public transport
- Bring an umbrella so you don't have to worry
I timed it. It takes 15 – 20 minutes to walk from our place to the compound’s gate. Around 10 minutes to get a jeepney to an intersection where I get another ride. It was hard to get a ride there, took me 20 minutes of waiting and “managing the crowd” time. The traffic was bad going towards the MCBD, which was like, another 30-40 minutes. I got off at the jeep’s last stop and decided to walk to the office, cutting through
This evening, I decided to wait for Pepi (he had dinner with some frat brods) so we can go home together. His evening ended at 10PM (don’t worry I also had my own social life while my dad was enjoying) and it took us 15 minutes to get home via private car. Sheesh.
When we boarded the lift going to our floor, there was a foreign guy (probably British, because of his accent) who smelled strongly of alcohol riding with us. "Y'all just moved in?? I telll yahhh, a loot of people moving in this building!!!" -- with matching shaking of head. Hah, parang ayaw? Good evening, neighbor!
Side note: Pepi also brought home ulam good for 4-5 meals…. Hmmm… looks like one night of my cooking made him miss his “real food” and Milky Way Café .. hehe. He told me that he ordered them because they didn’t consume the consumable amount (just an excuse??? Hmp!)
Monday, April 27, 2009
I Came, I Read (a cookbook), I Cooked (bistek)
I am a fan of clichés , better get used to it.
One of my top worries moving to Fort.5 was how we were going to eat for our dinners. Back in SanLo, we were close to everything: the grocery store and all the takeout places. I walk home and reach home early enough to FRY my food (yup, except for the occasional Picadillo, which is the only viand I can prepare, I lived on processed meat , boiled noodles, and bread!). It’s not because I’m lazy. It’s because (1) I haven’t had time to practice my “hidden” cooking talent and (2) My small electric stove just couldn’t handle that much.. I once tried to cook “sinigang na baboy” (that’s pork in tamarind broth) and had to wait TWO HOURS for the meat to soften. There goes my carbon footprint and electric bill!
Now, Pepi can’t eat fried food (1) because of his health and (2) he’s just a picky eater. My dad likes either Pinoy fare or high end cuisine, which I cannot prepare and cannot afford. So back in San Lo, we were basically independent when it came to meals. He goes out with friends or buys from the nearby Milky Way Café (mmmm…)
Moving to Fort.5 is like being in the middle of nowhere. We’re like a 15-20 minute walk from the main entrance and one jeep ride away from the nearest fast food place. Also, the house amortization prevents me to indulge in eating out… so I will have to learn how to cook real food if I really care about mine and Pepi’s health.
Good news: I got myself a nice La Germania range (a white one - LPG 2-burner + 1 electric hotplate + oven, 12 months to pay, yes!) I first got a 2 burner La Germania cook top (cheaper and I’ve always wanted to have a built-in cook top) – only to find out that it will cost more to install it than to just buy the full range with the baking oven. So good bye cook top, hello range!
I am determined to learn how to cook and be able to feed Pepi (and Sam, whenever he’s here) decent meals. The Bistek Tagalog (Sirloin Steak, Filipino Style, page 46 of the Periplus Mini Cookbook “Home Style Filipino Cooking, P129.00, Powerbooks) recipe looked simple enough so at 7pm this evening, I was cutting onions and sirloin beef.
I think I squeezed in too much of the calamansi (Philippine lemon) that I was ashamed to have my dad taste it (in my opinion it was more of a Kalamanstek instead of Bistek! I just thought that the 12 pcs the cookbook mentioned wasn’t enough for the marinade) … but Voila! Pepi ate 2 cups of rice and almost cleaned out the bowl if I hadn’t told him that I have to save some for my baon!
I don’t know if he was being polite or what. But there you have it, my first cooking adventure at Fort.5. Took me just an hour to prepare and an hour to clean up. I can get used to this.
One of my top worries moving to Fort.5 was how we were going to eat for our dinners. Back in SanLo, we were close to everything: the grocery store and all the takeout places. I walk home and reach home early enough to FRY my food (yup, except for the occasional Picadillo, which is the only viand I can prepare, I lived on processed meat , boiled noodles, and bread!). It’s not because I’m lazy. It’s because (1) I haven’t had time to practice my “hidden” cooking talent and (2) My small electric stove just couldn’t handle that much.. I once tried to cook “sinigang na baboy” (that’s pork in tamarind broth) and had to wait TWO HOURS for the meat to soften. There goes my carbon footprint and electric bill!
Now, Pepi can’t eat fried food (1) because of his health and (2) he’s just a picky eater. My dad likes either Pinoy fare or high end cuisine, which I cannot prepare and cannot afford. So back in San Lo, we were basically independent when it came to meals. He goes out with friends or buys from the nearby Milky Way Café (mmmm…)
Moving to Fort.5 is like being in the middle of nowhere. We’re like a 15-20 minute walk from the main entrance and one jeep ride away from the nearest fast food place. Also, the house amortization prevents me to indulge in eating out… so I will have to learn how to cook real food if I really care about mine and Pepi’s health.
Good news: I got myself a nice La Germania range (a white one - LPG 2-burner + 1 electric hotplate + oven, 12 months to pay, yes!) I first got a 2 burner La Germania cook top (cheaper and I’ve always wanted to have a built-in cook top) – only to find out that it will cost more to install it than to just buy the full range with the baking oven. So good bye cook top, hello range!
I am determined to learn how to cook and be able to feed Pepi (and Sam, whenever he’s here) decent meals. The Bistek Tagalog (Sirloin Steak, Filipino Style, page 46 of the Periplus Mini Cookbook “Home Style Filipino Cooking, P129.00, Powerbooks) recipe looked simple enough so at 7pm this evening, I was cutting onions and sirloin beef.
I think I squeezed in too much of the calamansi (Philippine lemon) that I was ashamed to have my dad taste it (in my opinion it was more of a Kalamanstek instead of Bistek! I just thought that the 12 pcs the cookbook mentioned wasn’t enough for the marinade) … but Voila! Pepi ate 2 cups of rice and almost cleaned out the bowl if I hadn’t told him that I have to save some for my baon!
I don’t know if he was being polite or what. But there you have it, my first cooking adventure at Fort.5. Took me just an hour to prepare and an hour to clean up. I can get used to this.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The First Night
I'll update this post with photos once I get them downloaded!!
The whole day of yesterday my mom came over and helped clean out the San Lo place and help us get settled at Fort.5 - the process took one trip of our Van and 2 car trips back and forth Makati and Taguig. When I got home from the office, the San Lo place was almost empty (I felt like I have been evicted!) . I helped load the car and was squished in the backseat.
Amidst the mess, we had our very first dinner at the Fort.5 :-) cold Thai Bagoong rice and cold Chicken Basil. Cold because we didn't have any way of heating them yet (no microwave, no gas for the range or maybe I was just too lazy to suggest!) I chewed right into a long strand of green chili (because I thought it was some kind of vegetable!) augh.
I am a true KAPAMILYA, and I was so sad that our old TV can only catch the KAPUSO channel . Augh. Cable TV is still out of the question at this time. Now I have to miss my occasional Santino, Betty and Tayong Dalawa and my daily favorite Umagang Kay Ganda!
With all the bustling our standfan of more than 2 years ( a gift for our wedding) suddenly "lost its head" - literally! It just fell off! Looked like the crack was already old and just gave way that day. Couldn't help but be superstitious about it, I really hope that it's not bad luck??
Good thing it was cool last night because our weird summer weather that I didn't have to have my electric fan in my room. My parents slept in Pepi's room (he has a bed already) and I slept on my mattress on the floor :-)
Turns out Fort.5 has built in alarm clocks! Starting at 4 am , the roosters in the nearby compund (right outside my window!) started crowing! Concert talaga ! Pa-isa isa muna, then sabay-sabay!
Pepi says, "Wow. Ayaw mo nun, parang probinsya!" Ha ha.
Malapit nang maging bahay talaga ang Fort.5 !
The whole day of yesterday my mom came over and helped clean out the San Lo place and help us get settled at Fort.5 - the process took one trip of our Van and 2 car trips back and forth Makati and Taguig. When I got home from the office, the San Lo place was almost empty (I felt like I have been evicted!) . I helped load the car and was squished in the backseat.
Amidst the mess, we had our very first dinner at the Fort.5 :-) cold Thai Bagoong rice and cold Chicken Basil. Cold because we didn't have any way of heating them yet (no microwave, no gas for the range or maybe I was just too lazy to suggest!) I chewed right into a long strand of green chili (because I thought it was some kind of vegetable!) augh.
I am a true KAPAMILYA, and I was so sad that our old TV can only catch the KAPUSO channel . Augh. Cable TV is still out of the question at this time. Now I have to miss my occasional Santino, Betty and Tayong Dalawa and my daily favorite Umagang Kay Ganda!
With all the bustling our standfan of more than 2 years ( a gift for our wedding) suddenly "lost its head" - literally! It just fell off! Looked like the crack was already old and just gave way that day. Couldn't help but be superstitious about it, I really hope that it's not bad luck??
Good thing it was cool last night because our weird summer weather that I didn't have to have my electric fan in my room. My parents slept in Pepi's room (he has a bed already) and I slept on my mattress on the floor :-)
Turns out Fort.5 has built in alarm clocks! Starting at 4 am , the roosters in the nearby compund (right outside my window!) started crowing! Concert talaga ! Pa-isa isa muna, then sabay-sabay!
Pepi says, "Wow. Ayaw mo nun, parang probinsya!" Ha ha.
Malapit nang maging bahay talaga ang Fort.5 !
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Moving Jitters
Aside from the huge responsibilities of the monthly ammortization, association and maintenance dues, I have a lot of uncertainties re: moving to our new place.
1. I'm not 100% sold . I was just convinced by my husband, my dad, my uncle that it was going to be a smart move especially if we're getting a 'family loan' for the equity plus a government loan for the rest. I am not a financially savvy person, so I am so scared of the monthly obligation. But since marriage is a partnership, I decided to heed my husband's advice and reassurance!
Add up to the fact that I read from a friend's blog that "owning your own home" is a liability (? how true is that ? anyone ? ) unless you get a little bit of income from the rental. Well, we're striving to make it nice so we can rent it out for a higher price in the future, if ever.
2. I love convenience. Our new place is far from everything. Far from the gate of the compound, far from grocery stores and shopping malls, far from the office (takes 3 jeepney rides), far from the bus going home to Laguna. I have to get used to the commute since I won't expect my dad to always follow my schedule. (I am not planning to drive any time soon) . The San Lo apartment spoiled me so much because I just walked everywhere.
3. It seems like we're neighbors with some important people and it just gives me goosebumps to see the whole entourage standing by the hallways giving you the once-over everytime you pass by. :oP Maybe we should make friends with the motorcycle escorts so we can avoid traffic, hehe.
So there. Now I am learning , the hard way - that there should be a lot of things to think about when getting your own home beyond "simply wanting to have one" -- the additional costs of maintenance and association dues, convenience factors (accessibility, etc consider this because of the transport and opportunity costs) , the neighborly-ism of your neighbors and the ease of dealing with your developer!
1. I'm not 100% sold . I was just convinced by my husband, my dad, my uncle that it was going to be a smart move especially if we're getting a 'family loan' for the equity plus a government loan for the rest. I am not a financially savvy person, so I am so scared of the monthly obligation. But since marriage is a partnership, I decided to heed my husband's advice and reassurance!
Add up to the fact that I read from a friend's blog that "owning your own home" is a liability (? how true is that ? anyone ? ) unless you get a little bit of income from the rental. Well, we're striving to make it nice so we can rent it out for a higher price in the future, if ever.
2. I love convenience. Our new place is far from everything. Far from the gate of the compound, far from grocery stores and shopping malls, far from the office (takes 3 jeepney rides), far from the bus going home to Laguna. I have to get used to the commute since I won't expect my dad to always follow my schedule. (I am not planning to drive any time soon) . The San Lo apartment spoiled me so much because I just walked everywhere.
3. It seems like we're neighbors with some important people and it just gives me goosebumps to see the whole entourage standing by the hallways giving you the once-over everytime you pass by. :oP Maybe we should make friends with the motorcycle escorts so we can avoid traffic, hehe.
So there. Now I am learning , the hard way - that there should be a lot of things to think about when getting your own home beyond "simply wanting to have one" -- the additional costs of maintenance and association dues, convenience factors (accessibility, etc consider this because of the transport and opportunity costs) , the neighborly-ism of your neighbors and the ease of dealing with your developer!
This morning I was cooking breakfast in our San Lo apartment - only to find out that my coffee and my sandok are not there anymore :-( turns out my folks (in their excited effort to make moving easier for me) packed the contents of my pantry already and brought them to the new place last night.
I feel sad about letting go of my Makati convenience ! Stale air, car exhaust fumes, cockroaches and all!
New Floor!
Faux wood planks. They're VINYL! Nicer and easier to clean than the white vinyl tiles that came with the unit and not as tacky as I previously thought. Way cheaper than the Pergo wood planks (my ultimate "want" ) and other"laminated" faux wood planks. These were installed the last week of March. We got a discount from my dad's office's suppliers (he works for an architectural design firm, and it's fun because we're also getting free design advice from the resident interior designer!)When Sam was home a month ago, we also pored over perhaps a hundred swatches of paint colors. After 2 hours, I begged Tita Myrna (the designer) to stop showing me stuff. Whenever I decide on a color, she showed me some more - to which Sam always, always exclaims, "Maganda din yan! Yan na lang!" Mind boggling!
I wanted to finalize the colors before Sam left, so we got to pick some from the 'calm' color collection of Glidden (try going to their site and play with the "Color Visualizer" It's fun!) and the Ralph Lauren Home Paint(they really do have RL paint brands in the US!) -- but of course, we'll just use the local BOYSEN - the ingenuity of the Pinoy can match those imported brands at very low prices ! We'll just be painting "accent walls" to give character to our home - therefore we just need very little paint!
Starting from Scratch
It was a long, long process (with lots of stories in between) before we finally decided to get the condo unit. Up to now there are still glitches - but all tolerable (with a lot of belt tightening huhu!).
It's ready for occupancy, but we want to make modifications to suit our lifestyle and taste. I guess it would be nice to post BEFORE pictures, and compare it with AFTER pictures as soon as we finish :-)
Fort and a half
It was my dad who christened the area "The Fort and a half "- while our new home is actually in The Fort area, it doesn't measure up with our other high end condo counterparts like Serendra or Essensa. Hence, the 'almost there' name!
(I actually don't like it - but he insists! We love our Pepi.. )
We're moving in this month. Our 2-bedroom dwelling is still pretty bare as of this blog entry - but it's slowly taking shape! We've changed the floors , we're having our cabinets constructed and my credit card is slowly being saturated with home appliance purchases.
Since being married in 2006, this will be my first crack at real housekeeping. 2006-2009 found us shuttling to and from my parent's home in Laguna (my mom maintains that one) and a rental apartment in Makati (very minimal maintaining required, just clean as you go). The Fort.5, being our biggest purchase to date - would require utmost maintenance and care.
The Fort.5's household will be composed of : me (the undomestic goddess) , sam (the absentee husband), and pepi (my dad, the teenager hobbyist). Memi (my mom, the control freak) gets a supporting role because she'll most likely drop by as often as she wants.
With this mixture of personalities, "Living at the Fort and a half" may be comparable to a reality TV show. So, I start this blog to share our experiences in building a home. We're getting there!
(I actually don't like it - but he insists! We love our Pepi.. )
We're moving in this month. Our 2-bedroom dwelling is still pretty bare as of this blog entry - but it's slowly taking shape! We've changed the floors , we're having our cabinets constructed and my credit card is slowly being saturated with home appliance purchases.
Since being married in 2006, this will be my first crack at real housekeeping. 2006-2009 found us shuttling to and from my parent's home in Laguna (my mom maintains that one) and a rental apartment in Makati (very minimal maintaining required, just clean as you go). The Fort.5, being our biggest purchase to date - would require utmost maintenance and care.
The Fort.5's household will be composed of : me (the undomestic goddess) , sam (the absentee husband), and pepi (my dad, the teenager hobbyist). Memi (my mom, the control freak) gets a supporting role because she'll most likely drop by as often as she wants.
With this mixture of personalities, "Living at the Fort and a half" may be comparable to a reality TV show. So, I start this blog to share our experiences in building a home. We're getting there!
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