I’m taking a break from the usual food blogging and surfing to get this tag done – one I got from somebody who has left me a threat on my YM that started with “Oi you’re TAGGED!” then blah-blah-blah (ha-ha!). Truth is OK lang talaga. I have plenty of spare time right now, so busy with not being busy and it just feels so great at the moment. Savoring it while it lasts.

So this is how my desktop looks like. I thought about changing my wallpaper but the guideline says I shouldn’t alter anything the moment I read the tag. Nagmumura ang pagmumukha ng anak ko dito e pero sige na nga I decided to show off his perfect buck-tooth smile. When I get tired working I just look at it and I feel better right away. Bago yan kase may ngipin na sya. Those of you who have seen my old blog theme might remember his toothless laugh. And there goes my sidebar with the gadgets that are helpful and important to me especially the currency one. Also, note that I have two clocks, each with a different time zone; so that I know what time it is back in Beijing. Another gadget is a slideshow of our family photos.

Update! This is my Mac desktop. Nice and clean (almost!).

Who to tag? Ces, Thess, JMom, Zita and Mike!

Tag starts here:

____________

My Desktop Free View Instruction

A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun.

You can do a screen capture by: [1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key). [2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V). [3] If you wish, you can edit the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.

iRonnie
skippyheart
thesserie
dom lawrence
bluepanjeet
knoizki
rose
beng
rino
jeprocks
jon
vegan momma
r playground
laketrees
manilenya
beingjaja
nika
kath
sheila
marni
vanidosa
speedcat
francine
girlie
lizeth
dicey
thomas
kk
aunt jackie
emmy rose
vera
AZRAEL
M A R U
JeanGrey
Kengkay
Kiko
TinTin
jojitah
bursky
iska

Iska

I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.