I am learning a lot about Australian lamb. Aussie lamb is all-natural, grass-fed, and pasture-raised. In Australia, consumption of it is 30 kg per person. Whoa! The "Aussie Lamb" brand is actually a popular export product with various cuts and product lines available in many countries, including the Philippines.

If you are craving an Aussie lamb dish that will satisfy your palate, head on to Bondi&Bourke and enjoy the lamb dishes of award-winning Chef Wade Watson. 

And so one fine afternoon, I had the privilege to meet Chef Wade and taste his delicious Aussie lamb dishes. 

Ⓒ 30 August 2025

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My father worked for the government. He started as a junior architect and went on to become head of city planning and zoning. Growing up, I saw him signing papers and approving establishments to open in proper locations, and subdivisions to start selling lots. 

Every occasion, Christmas especially, we would have lots of gifts from different personalities. Truckloads of stuff would arrive at our doorstep. There were even envelopes with tads of bills inside. I remember vividly one turbaned man came to the house with a brand new car to give to my father. He wanted to have his vulcanizing business to be located along a creek/canal. Father said he couldn't approve it because the location he wanted was a waterway. If a structure were built on that spot, it could cause flooding. The turbaned man turned away, angry maybe. We were then scared of the repercussions. Thankfully, nothing happened to us. Later on, the turbaned man built his store in a proper location, and he actually became a good friend of my father, of our family. He would always tell his friends, and us, that he had high respect for my father.

Always, my father would turn gifts/tokens away, angry and berating the messenger. That was when I knew his post came with some power. 

If he were vulnerable, we would have a parcel of land in every subdivision in the city; we would have a bigger house. He could have built a two-story house because he had some shares of inheritance from his parents, but I overheard him telling my mother, "What will the people say? How can a humble government employee build a big house?" So, there was no special treatment. We purchased our lot, and we borrowed money for our house from DBP. We could have lived a life of luxury. 

Throughout his government service, we were in fact incognito. Many didn't know who his family was. We were never brought to the city hall for events/parties. I think only his staff knew of us. Ha ha! I think he was the only city official who didn't have a going-away party when he retired. He didn't like to have one. He was cleared from service faster than usual because he had a clean record. Such an admirable man, my father was! 

They only knew my father had a daughter when I had an encounter with a city doctor. I joined the DayangDayang Jaycees then, and I chaired the bedecking of the Tartanilla (horse carriage) project. I couldn't remember now the exact reason why I had that issue with the doctor, but when he knew of my surname and associated it with my father, he said, "Gil has a daughter? Your father and I are very good friends!" Ha ha, that solved the issue right away! 

  

I recall all this now, because of what has been uncovered in these flood-control projects. They call this sharing SOP, and believe me, it has been happening ever since I can remember. Gifts or tokens can simply appear on your table or doorstep without you knowing where they came from. 

I am glad that finally, it's all out in the open--though it has been an open secret--and a group is really pursuing it. I hope someone gets accountable. Because in the midst of these temptations, you can refuse. My father was able to because, as he would tell us often, he didn't want to feed his family with money from questionable sources. 

You can do it, too!   

Ⓒ 28 August 2025

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MommyMundo brings you this Mama Market Roadshow happening this weekend. First stop is in Eastwood Mall from 10:00 in the morning to 10:00 in the evening. 

The roadshow will provide mom entrepreneurs a venue to be discovered, to promote, and sell, as well as to meet and talk to customers and fellow like-minded mamas, and grow their businesses in a supportive environment.  

Come, drop by, and support a mompreneur! 

Ⓒ 15 August 2025

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We often hear about the importance of living a "reflective life." It's praised as a sign of wisdom, maturity, and depth. 

But what does it actually mean to live reflectively, and when does that kind of life begin? 

The answer isn't fixed. A reflective life doesn't begin on a calendar date or at a certain age. It begins with awareness. It starts when we shift from simply moving through life to questioning it. When we begin to ask not just what is happening, but why, how, and what does this mean for me?

So, when does it begin?

There's no universal answer. For some, it starts young. For others, it arrives much later, after years of simply going through the motions. But here's the thing: it can begin anytime. A reflective life is not something you stumble into. It's something you choose. And you can choose it today. 

Reflection isn't about having all the answers. It's about becoming someone willing to ask the questions and live honestly in the process of exploring them. Maybe that's where it really begins. 

Ⓒ 11 August 2025

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Ⓒ 08 August 2025

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Anything related to music makes me feel alive! 

I remember when I played the piano for hours, my father would say, "Trouble in paradise?" Ha ha! He knew me well because, yes, I play the piano or guitar/ukulele or sing or listen to music when I feel troubled. 

But dancing is different. When I dance, I am happy. 

Dancing for me isn't just an activity. It's a feeling, a form of expression. It gives me permission to feel joy, celebration, and, in rare cases, pain and frustration. 

I love to dance because it lets me feel. It connects me. It frees me. It reminds me that I am alive. 

Ⓒ 06 August 2025

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View of the Pasig River from the MRT

There's something deeply poetic about rivers. They don't resist. They flow. Through stones, around bends, over obstacles. Sometimes they roar (like the river near my Uncle's old home in Tulapos, Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor, where it felt like rain was falling all the time!), sometimes they trickle, and sometimes they just flow quietly, just like the Pasig River. But they keep moving. 

Rivers can teach us resilience. When life gets blocked, perhaps it's not about forcing our way forward, but about finding another path, one that curves gently and flows around what we can't push through. 

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Lamb Adobo dish: marinated eggs, garlic rice, pico de gallo

Ⓒ 01 August 2025

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Would you believe that's what holds me back? 

I know it sounds counterintuitive. Why would anyone be afraid of the very thing they are working so hard to achieve? Yet, for me, the idea of success triggers anxiety, self-sabotage, and even paralysis.

But I was never like this. In my younger years, I was always competitive, wanting to be first, to be praised, to be in the limelight. Is this what you call old age? LOL.

Or maybe because success now in this stage of my life means being in the limelight, to be invited to speak, to be emulated, to be praised. I no longer want that. 

I want to be in the background, silently making an impact. Another irony. I guess I am redefining success on my own terms. Success doesn't have to be overwhelming. My version of success now is quieter, more intentional, more values-driven--inspiring people through relationships that I've built with them.

I guess I don't have to be fearless to succeed. I just have to be willing to keep going, even when my own light makes me blink. 

Photo by Mathurin NAPOLY / matnapo on Unsplash

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