EM's latest photos...

dressing up as a little mommy

eating her first lolly pop

what a cute little helper

mama...brushing my teeth is easy

singing & playing guitar

play dough is fun!

Bubble bath

Our little girl loves bath and likes a lot of bubbles in the water. Here you can see how she enjoys herself at bath time.

Dutch visitors

We invited some Dutch friends at our place last night who are visiting Haifa, the Kouchekzadehs (Monib, his parents and grandmother) and the Lie-Tahzib family (San, Bahia, Nadia & Amy). We had dinner together and we got to know a bit more about these two families.

Welcome Baby Nayriz Keanan!

Here are few photos of the newest member in the Balundo family, baby boy Nayriz Keanan!

one week old


with open big eyes


baby Nayriz has a lot of hair like Ate Enna-Marie when she was a baby

Hanukkah program in Gan

Enna-Marie, together with the rest of her class, performed during the first evening of Hanukkah for all parents. Singing songs about the festival of Hanukkah and doing dances, eating 'Sufganiyot' (jelly donuts), and providing entertainment to the parents. Below are a few video impressions.



Song about Hanukkah. Enna-Marie is seated third from the left.

Chag Sameach (which means "Happy holidays"). One of Enna-Marie's favourite songs. She is 3rd from the left in the middle row.

Musical performance. Enna-Marie is leftmost in the second row.

Christmas & New Year Festivities back home

Being a Filipino and had lived in the Philippines most of my life, I always love the holiday seasons. Maarten, Enna-Marie & I were one time vacationing during the month of December & we enjoyed the spirit of Christmas season. People living & working in the capital city would usually go home to their respective provinces to spend time with their families, also lots of people are shopping in the malls & supermarkets preparing for noche buena, Christmas & New Year's days. Well, here are some facts about celebrating Christmas & New Year in this country taken from one of the sites about Philippine customs during these festive seasons...

The Philippines is known for celebrating the longest Christmas season. You know the season has started when you hear the sad ballad "Pasko na Sinta Ko" playing over the airwaves in Metro Manila. As early as October, western Christmas carols are played in malls to lure early shoppers. Soon after, streets are lined with bright "parols" (lanterns). Thankfully, these momentarily provide motorist visual relief as rush hour traffic builds to a standstill, peaking a day or two before Christmas. Malls and supermarkets are mad houses. Shoppers stand in line for hours to check out and have gifts wrapped. Finding a parking slot is a no small feat; while getting a cab is next to impossible! Perhaps its the countless Kris Kringles (exchange gifts) and Christmas parties adding to the season's chaos. Or we just have to look long and hard for appropriate gifts our incredibly shrinking peso can buy. Or perhaps, many are drifting between sleep and consciousness as they attempt to get up before sunrise for nine straight days to attend dawn masses.

Simbang Gabi
These nine-day dawn masses, known as Simbang Gabi or Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) starts on December 16. Many Filipinos believe they will obtain special graces by attending all dawn masses. For those wondering, historians trace the Simbang Gabi's origin to Mexico. Spanish missionaries brought the tradition to the Philippines in the 17th century when masses were held as early as 4 o'clock in the morning to accommodate farmers who needed to tend their fields early. As they presumably were during the Spanish era, December nights are about as "chilly" as Philippine weather gets.

The aromas of native Christmas delicacies outside tempt churchgoers. Piping hot bibingka (rice cake), puto bumbong (a purple sticky rice delicacy steamed in wooden tubes), salabat (ginger tea) and thick cocoa are among the traditional breakfast treats for sleep-deprived devotees. The start of Simbang Gabi also marks the start of Christmas caroling in the Philippines. Cool nights come with bursts of firecrackers and kids' shrill interpretations of familiar western and local Christmas songs like, "Jingle Bells", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Pasko Na Naman!"

Noche Buena
After the nine-day dawn masses, the Misa de Gallo is celebrated before midnight of December 24. Then its off to the Noche Buena (traditional Christmas Feast after the midnight mass) to celebrate with the rest of the family. This much-awaited family reunion typically finds excited kids playing and opening gifts. Traditional Noche Buena fare is Queso de Bola (ball of cheese) and Hamon (Christmas Ham), usually served with hot chocolate.

The Post Christmas Calm
The streets are normally free of traffic on Christmas day and the few days after as many take extended vacations. It's the time adults rest their weary bodies and empty wallets! On the other hand, its time for kids to visit carnivals and malls. It's also time to pay their favorite ninongs and ninangs (godfathers and godmothers) fruitful visits!
Oh my, how would one describe Christmas in the Philippines? Warm, festive, crazy, impractical perhaps? One may even argue the essence of Christmas is largely lost in all the frenzy. But that's another story. Whatever it is, it seems to reflect the Filipino's spiritual yearning and fondness of family, food and all that's western! To some extent, it also reflects collective hope, resilience and ability to cope even in the most trying times.

New Year
In Philippines the families gather together at midnight on New Year and eat a midnight meal. This is believed by the people in Philippines would ensure plenty of food in the coming year. The children follow a custom of jumping up and down 10-12 times to grow tall in the coming year. This custom is believed would make the children taller for the coming year. Fireworks are an important part of the New Year celebrations. The people set off fireworks as a symbol of happiness on New Year. The fireworks are seen as a traditional way to greet the New Year with joy. The preparations begin a few days ahead of New Year.

The custom of wishing everyone luck and happiness and seeing off the old year and welcoming the New Year is still prevalent in the country. Dance music and other amusements are the other customs that the people follow on New Year. Media Noche or midnight is an important custom that is followed. On New Year's Eve families gather to have this midnight mass. This midnight mass is believed to symbolize their hopes for a prosperous New Year and to thank God for all His blessings. The custom of making noise and merrymaking is not only meant to have all the fun on New Year but also to drive away evil spirits. The people believe banging on pots and pans and blowing on car horns to be the safer methods of merrymaking on New Year.

The wide populaces in Philippines believe displaying colorful fruit and wearing clothes with dots and other circular designs would be lucky as they symbolize money. Just like the New Year custom of other countries, the people believe in following the custom of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year. This would also bring them good luck for the coming year. Opening the doors during the first day of the New Year is a custom that is followed to bring good luck as well.

Birthday Party in Gan

Here are some photos of my party in Gan last Wednesday, 17 December. I thank my teachers and friends for all the preparations and surprises.

I am turning THREE!

I have been SOOO excited about my upcoming birthday, every day I would ask my daddy to please make my birthday come now, as I still find it very hard to wait. My real birthday is this Wednesday, but my mommy and daddy invited my friends to celebrate it with me yesterday. When I woke up in the morning, there were colourful banners accross the living room, and a LOT of balloons!! My daddy made a delicious carrot cake, which made the house smell very nice, and my mommy prepared spaghetti and pancit, and then finally all my friends came for the party! There was a puppet show, which was a lot of fun, and then after that we had a little dance party, which was also really nice! A lot of mommy and daddy's friends also came, and so the house was really full! But everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and because it was good weather we could also play on the balcony. Auntie Negeen beautifully decorated the cake that daddy made, and there were three candles in the cake that I got to blow out, because I am already turning three!! And I got lots of presents from all my friends that I got to unpack after the party was over! Thank you everyone, for making this such a special day! I really had a great time, and I hope you enjoyed it too. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy :)!

Dinner with the Klapps and Schramms

We had some guests at home from Germany this evening, they are Jorgen & Thorle Klapp together with the Schramms. The Klapps are parents of our friends Karsten and Josa (opa & oma of Ruhi & Naysan), they are visiting the Holy Land for few days.

Dress-up

I love dressing up, especially if I do it with my friends...so here are some of my photos all dressed up...

with Carmel

with Aliyah

wearing my new cinderella outfit




















Sometimes I wear fun outfits or play pretend like these...

posing like a model

getting ready for winter

preggy look (he..he..influenced by some aunties who just had their babies)

Manila Regional Conference

We would like to share with you a note about the Regional Bahá’í Conference in Manila written by Chana Johnson, one of the Bahá’ís from Macau who attended the Conference...enjoy!

Also pls. visit Bahá’í World News Service for the official report and some photos.

MANILA, Philippines Conference

On the way to the conference there were about 50 Baha'is from Macau all on the same plane! Walking down the aisle say hello to about half the plane is a very interesting experience. It gives you the feeling that half the world is already Bahá’í! When we arrived we were greeted by smiling friends with signs saying: "Bahá’í Regional Conference"! Seeing that and realizing that the expression and excitement that was arising in myself was showing forth in everyone else around me!

This was the largest amount of Bahá’ís to gather under one roof in the history of the Philippines! A large amount of people were from the Philippines itself but were also joined by a few hundred more people from Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Taiwan, the Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands. Such an amazing and diverse group of a little over 1,000 friends! A group so diverse that many times the only thing you could say to someone was Allah'u'Abha! In this single word smiles would fill peoples face, heart, and soul. So much love between people who had never met before but that obviously shared the same Faith, the same love for Baha'u'llah resulting in the same love for each other…meeting more and more members of our beautiful human family…there's nothing like it.

Being graced with the presence of Dr. Penny Walker and Mrs. Zenaida Ramirez as representatives of the Universal House of Justice we were guided through focused talks and discussions on the 20 October 2008 letter and a letter addressed to the conference from the Universal House of Justice. We also had the opportunity to hear real stories from some participants. These stories were very different from what I have been used to at least. These stories were filled with phrases like "I did" or "I am" not with the usual "I will", "I plan to". These stories were mostly told by young Bahá’ís between the age of 18 & 22. These were young driven people who went international or home-front pioneering. Youth that went into an area that had between 5-15 Bahá’ís and were able to enlighten and assist them in launching a full Intensive Program of Growth in just a few months. These are the flames that can and will 'illumine the whole earth'.

Some friends from Taiwan shared a story that involved all elements of the Institute Process. The part that I found amazing and heartwarming was about the Children Classes and those involved. The children in this community make sure to finish their homework early so that they can go with their parents to do home visits. If you ask any of these children involved three certain questions they all answer…Who do you love? - Bahá’u’lláh...Who do you follow? ‘Abdu’l-Bahá...Who do you obey? The Universal House of Justice...and these are children!

So pretty much if you don't find some way to make it to one of the 41 Regional Conferences you're going to regret it for the rest of your life!

Sinterklaas is here!

Also this year Sinterklaas and zwarte piet did not forget us as we received some goodies again from Holland! Thank you Sinterklaas!

Farewell Sisay & Laurel...

...and thank you again for joining us, Negeen and kids for dinner few nights before you left the World Centre. We will miss both of your radiant faces, take care!

Visit to the Monument Garden

The lesson at last week's Rose Garden class was about the Holy Family. The children had a special trip afterwards to the Monument Garden...here's what happened that morning.

singing songs before heading to the trip





















Selvi, the teacher of the day talking about the Holy Family & where their resting places are located.

getting the kids ready for the short tour

saying some prayers together at the resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf

holding hands

saying prayers at the resting place of Abdul-Baha's wife, Munirih

visit to Navvab & Mirza Mehdis' resting places

everyone

Latest videos of Enna-Marie

Enna-Marie loves singing and dancing, and since it has been a while since we last posted a video of her on our blog, here are two of her recent "performances":). In the first video she dances to a song called "A place in the choir" by Red Grammer; in the second video she sings a Hebrew song that she learned in Gan on the occasion of "Rosh Hashana", the Israeli New Year; and in the third video she sings the "ABC song" both in English and Tagalog.

Arnel's visit

Arnel Lejano from the Philippines is currently visiting as a consultant, he used to serve at the World Centre & left in 2002.

a gathering with the Filipino friends held at Remegia's place. Arnel shared with us about the status of the Bahá’í activities back home, he is one of the Auxiliary Board members there.

Our dear Counsellor Mrs. Zenaida Ramirez updating us on the upcoming Regional Bahá’í Conferences that will take place around the world. We are fortunate that our National Assembly will host one of these historical Conferences to be held in Manila...yey, so exciting!

us at home with Arnel and Laroya family

Moms night out...

A group of mothers are meeting every week for sometime now discussing and sharing various concepts such as creative goal setting, decluttering, law of attraction, parenting, raising children, motherhood, etc...For several Thursday evenings now, it has been a mom's gathering without children (what a good break for us moms ha!)...But just yesterday, the group decided to meet in Arcaffe for a relaxing evening...check out our group photo.