Renxkyoko Iglesias here… Hello, 2017 !
I’ve been very busy these past 2 months, so pardon me for being AWOL from your blogs. As you know, I work at a dairy company, and the demands for our products this past holiday had kept me insanely busy. We have our own brand, of course, but for your information, we also produce for at least 50 other companies, different labels, from just one dairy manufacturer, and that’s us. Delivery trucks from Wal-Mart ( we make their Great Value dairy products, their house brand ) , McDonald’s, Target, and so many others came at least twice a day during the holidays. My eyes were kept glued to the microscope , checking out for microbes from samples every 15 minutes ….. with engineers breathing down my neck, to hurry it up. ( production is stopped while I check for microbes ) The heck ! The pressure was so exhausting. There is a constant struggle between production people and the Quality Control staff.
Of course,that’s not the only reason why I haven’t been reading blogs. My brother ‘s X’mas gifts to me are a PS4 and 4 video games…. Ratchet and Clank, Bloodbourne, Doom, and Batman.
The gamer in me has been resurrected, so instead of reading blogs, I spend my free time playing nowadays.
“ponders”
You know, I watch how other gamers play on You Tube…… their style is chaos and mayhem, they charge forward and shoot, shoot, shoot….. it’s awesome .Mine is quite different, it’s boring, actually. My style is stealth. I check out the area, look for a place where I can take cover, check out my weapon and ammo inventory, strategize, then, slowly but surely, take down the enemies one by one . I wonder, does the way I play reveal something about my own personal character ? I mean, I’m a sniper, but , I don’t really like snipers. ( in movies, they are usually the bad guys, that’s why )
Also, I promised I’d post a pic of our Christmas food.
Pancit Malabon ( noodles ), Paella ( rice with mussels, chrimp, chicken, pork ), pork barbecue, roasted pork, fried chicken, ham, stir fried vegetables, sweets, cakes, etc. ( cassava cake, fruit cake, almond jello /lychees , rice cake, red velvet cake, and desserts/cakes from our favorite Filipino bakery, like ….
Ensaimada ( sweet bread with cheese on top )
Pichi-pichi ( steamed cassava with grated fresh coconut )
Ube Roll (purple yam cake )
Cuchinta ( steamed rice ? I don’t know why it’s orange in color ….. that is so yummy !)
Mocha cake with coffee butter icing ( what’s with Filipinos and mocha cakes ? he he )
And now for the best part….Tadaaaa ! My Christmas haul from the family … ( besides the PS4 from brother )
From my mother, a Marc Jacobs watch
From my sister, Sperry sneakers and Michael Kors handbag
From my cousin, a Hillfigger handbag and assorted make-ups
Ahhhhh, how juvenile of me…. showing off my gifts. Ha ha ha !
So, what else …… okay, I got a good job in 2016…. thank you….. otherwise , 2016 to me, is such a disastrous year , what with Trump’s election as President of the United States of America . My good friend blogger @Cassie ( Hi, Cassie ! ! ) says some of her friends feel suicidal with Trump’s election….. And I thought no way a person could feel suicidal about Trump being President…. then , I realize I feel that way , too. Don’t get me wrong….. this is just a a figure of speech….. but my feelings are definitely visceral, and the thought of him and his wife living at the White House, and Trump taking charge of the US ‘s national security , and being the Chief of the Armed Forces make my stomach churn. America, what have you done ?
This is all for now….sheesh. Anyways, may 2017 be an interesting year.
Am a Molecular Microbiology student, love to read books, and I play the violin. 
dreamsending
renxkyoko
renxkyoko's space 
Posted by Masoom Jethwa on January 12, 2017 at 2:10 am
Great post. 😀
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Thanks, Masoom ! !
Posted by Jim on January 12, 2017 at 2:13 am
it’s OK that you showed your gifts. you showed pics of the food so it’s all good with me now. 😉
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:53 pm
Excited like a kid, ha ha… especially the game console. It was a promise, and so I waited for that for almost a year * I even nagged my brother about that , he he *
Posted by disperser on January 12, 2017 at 2:16 am
Snipers are good guys (watch Patriot Games and Shooter for two movies with good-guys snipers). Also, I don’t play games, but your approach seems better than to just run in there and getting yourself killed (we might be training a number of generations to get wiped out during the first insurgence of The Machines).
That was a lot of food . . . what did the rest of your family eat?
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:57 pm
Patriot Games ! * read the book, saw the movie ……in fact, I’d read all of Tom Clancy’s books, except the latest ones….. his novels have deteriorated….. wait, he’s deceased. T.T
Posted by Cassidy Frazee on January 12, 2017 at 2:17 am
Look at all that food! I like all the gifts you got, particularly the top siders: they look perfect for going down to the store or coffee shop. And now I know why I haven’t seen you on my blog that much: you’re busy being The Batman. 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:00 pm
Ha ha ha Now you know…. Playing games can be a bit addicting… and it so happens I’m a completionist……….. I won’t stop until I get it done.
Posted by Cassidy Frazee on January 12, 2017 at 6:39 pm
At what point do you flip the table? 😉
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:46 pm
An open space where I have no control and I get shot at from everywhere…. I am now on a final boss fight and died 5x already. My PS4 controller is failing me. The game has switched the control buttons, up is now down, down is up, and Im trying to get used to the switch….. I have flipped the table on Resident Evil, ha ha ha !
Posted by Cassidy Frazee on January 12, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Time to snap the controller, which I saw someone do once.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 8:23 pm
Eh. The controller alone is $ 64.00
Posted by Cassidy Frazee on January 12, 2017 at 8:33 pm
If it ain’t working right, time to snap it. 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 9:42 pm
It’s an in-game switch . ratchet and Clank does that. The developers just want to mess up the players’ game.
Posted by Cassidy Frazee on January 12, 2017 at 10:18 pm
I see.
Posted by madreceiver on January 12, 2017 at 2:23 am
I want to have a holiday meal like yours! Looks absolutely amazing (I’m a little bit of a “foodie”)! Nice post!
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:02 pm
They taste amazing too, madreceiver . have a good 2017 !
Posted by aysabaw on January 12, 2017 at 2:30 am
Happy new year Ren…nice gifts…specially the shoes haha
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:32 pm
I haven’t worn the shoes yet. It’s white ! ! It’s been raining here for months. ( Good for California…. we have been suffering from drought for 4 years now )… I’ll wear it in summer. Hey have a good 2017 !
Posted by aysabaw on January 13, 2017 at 2:31 am
Awts! Keep it then for summer 😊😊😊
Posted by joey on January 12, 2017 at 2:31 am
The food looks Amazing! I think it’s fine to share your gifts 🙂 I like the watch and shoes 🙂
They’re saying the next first lady will not reside in The White House. Instead, we’re going to spend a bloody fortune on protecting his family in NYC.
I can’t stand him. He had a press conference today, and he was such a big freakin baby. I don’t understand how people are so gullible.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:28 pm
* shakes head * It’s a nightmare. What happened is beyond comprehension. Unthinkable. ( I haven’t been reading now watching the news since Nov. 8…. I get snippets from bloggers, though.
Posted by nepaliaustralian on January 12, 2017 at 2:36 am
Wow, the variety of food is making me hungry. Lucky you with awesome gifts :).
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:22 pm
I’m so happy with my gifts ! * especially the PS4 , ha ha ha *
Posted by nocturnalmomtalks on January 12, 2017 at 2:46 am
Filipino food, especially sweets! Glad you always have our own delicacies whenever there’s an occasion. Happy new year!
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:21 pm
The place is a bit far from our house, like a 30 minute drive at 55 miles/hour, ha ha. That place is for the Filipino community in the city….. there’s a huge supermarket, a few restaurants like Chow King, Grilled City , Jollibbee, and 2 more…. and 3 bakeries… Red Ribbon, Starbread, and another one. It’s a pity Goldilocks is not in the vicinity. I think Goldilocks’ baked products are better than Red Ribbon’s…. just my opinion, though.
Posted by nocturnalmomtalks on January 12, 2017 at 9:27 pm
I prefer Goldilocks’ mocha cake than Red Ribbon’s 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 9:37 pm
Same here ! Also, I prefer Goldilock’s ensaimada and mango cake over Red Ribbon’s , especially the ensaimada. ! ! We bought mango cake for Christmas,, and , no weren’t bowled over. It was like meh. But the mango cake from Goldilocks was so much more delicious. It’s a pity Goldilocks moved to another location, and we have not bothered to find out where, but after tasting Red Ribbon’s ensaimada, I think we need to search for the missing Goldilocks. lol.
Posted by nocturnalmomtalks on January 13, 2017 at 1:58 am
Find out where Goldilocks is 🙂 Their macaroons and puto are delicious, too.
Posted by Steve.... on January 12, 2017 at 2:50 am
Ren, lovely pictures and the kind of person you are, very simple and open, I have always liked you for what you are……
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:15 pm
Thank you so much , Steve ! ! May you have a peaceful and prosperous 2017. Cheers !
Posted by Steve.... on January 12, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Ren….you always have a standard reply☺️, anyways, I seriously like you, Cheers….
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:49 pm
Omg, thank you for the kind words, Steve. I hope that’s not a standard reply.
\( ^_^ )/
Posted by Steve.... on January 12, 2017 at 7:07 pm
I said that coz there is always a formality in what you reply…….I wish I was in Philippines or born as a Philippino…..Anyways, some things are more valuable from a distance……. You take care of yourself……and have a great time ahead😘
Posted by Steve.... on January 13, 2017 at 8:35 am
Oh…. I didn’t know you have settled in the US, just read your about me section, so I have to edit my last reply…… I wish in the US and offcou born as a Philippino….😘
Posted by Sreejit Poole on January 12, 2017 at 2:53 am
If I wasn’t a vegetarian, I’d try and get invited over. Reminds me of my childhood holiday parties, though my own house never had spreads like that.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:04 pm
The stir fried veggies with shitake mushrooms is the only dish without meat, Sreejit Poole. You’d go hungry. lol That plus the cakes and sweets. I have to look for some great vegetarian recipes. I seriously want to eat healthy from this year forward . But I don’t think I can be totally vegetarian. I love pork barbecue and bacon too much. Ha ha
Posted by Sreejit Poole on January 12, 2017 at 5:40 pm
I could live on stir fry and a bunch of sweets. When I first became a vegetarian ( oh my god, almost 30 years ago) the only thing hard for me to give up was bacon. But now I can’t imagine eating it. Plenty of other things for me to go crazy over… like donuts and ice cream! Now, in India, there is all kinds of Vegetarian food, so not as intimidating as being a vegetarian in the US and sticking with sandwiches or whatever.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:53 pm
My sister is partly vegetarian, and likes Indian vegetarian dishes. Sometimes, she cooks for the family, and they’re all Indian dishes. We like them, as well. They’re so savory.
Posted by Rebecca Dawn on January 12, 2017 at 3:24 am
lovely post Ren!
gah! all that yummy food! I am hungry now! I am eating apple sauce! 🙂
Oh the handbags! Hee hee I was just shopping online for one. Fangirling of course. I wanted a sherlock one. of course i am a noob and I cant for the life of me order on line. I am so envious of your handbags!
i was going to post a conversation i had about trump last night, but it was really a downer ooh just makes me so upset that people actually voted for him. is ignorance that blissful or they just wear rose colored glasses!
well I hope you have a wonderful evening Ren!
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 10:12 am
OMG, Rebecca. The only true statement Trump ever made was when he said he could shoot anyone of 57th Ave. in New York, and his supporters would still vote for him.
Posted by Rebecca Dawn on January 12, 2017 at 1:28 pm
Yes he is a buffoon and people fell for his bs 😕
Posted by Wendell A. Brown on January 12, 2017 at 4:08 am
Happy New Year, I see all is well! It is nice to be finally able to leave you a message my sister! Hugs and blessings always!
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 10:09 am
Happy 2017 to you , too . I hope all is well with you and your family. Take care and cheers !
Posted by My little simple thought on January 12, 2017 at 6:05 am
[…] via My First Musings in 2017 — renxkyoko’s space […]
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 10:07 am
Thank you very much ! !
Posted by 25pesocupnoodles on January 12, 2017 at 8:44 am
haha napa-isip ako kung ano ingles ng kuchinta. hahaha. kamusta ka naman sa bago nyong presidente?
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 10:07 am
Ouch , ouch, ouch ! Kadiri to death , omg. I just want to erase his existence from my thoughts.
Posted by 25pesocupnoodles on January 12, 2017 at 10:09 am
HALA masarap kaya ang kuchinta, hahaha
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Mas masarap yung cuchinta nung puto vendor in the morning. Also the taho vendor….. we wait for these guys every single day when we were there….. especially my cousin ! ! It was so unusual for her…. like food vendors walking around the neighborhood ! !
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:04 pm
By the way, why is the cuchinta’s color orange ?
Posted by 25pesocupnoodles on January 16, 2017 at 3:55 pm
nako wala akong idea kung baket, haha. try ko i-google baka may sagot dun. haha.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 16, 2017 at 8:05 pm
I looked for the recipe and I found out one of the ingredients is lye ?
Posted by Tony Burgess on January 12, 2017 at 10:54 am
Welcome back. Hope all is well.
Posted by arlene on January 12, 2017 at 10:55 am
What a lovely Christmas spread Ren. Love your gifts. Have a blessed 2017.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 6:55 pm
Same to you, Ma’m Arlene ! Have a good one, too !
Posted by weekendotaku on January 12, 2017 at 2:52 pm
Your family’s feasts are always an amazing sight.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 7:06 pm
Thanks, weekendotaku ! Sometimes, our preparations can get a bit out of control. He he We get to eat everything, though…. nothing is wasted. ( We eat them for 3 days, he he )
Posted by Ste J on January 12, 2017 at 4:14 pm
If you fancy something more relaxing, check out Stardew Valley, its like Harvest Moon but more addictive, I’ve done 100 hours on the PC version and still done done everything and have recently started on the PS4 version. The food looks as delectable as ever!
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 7:10 pm
I’ve heard of Harvest Moon ! Okay, I’ll check out both.
Okay, so you have PS4, Ste J…… buy downloadable Ratchet and Clank from their store…. it’s a bit of a heart attack, but very enjoyable and exciting…. and Bloodborne, too…
Posted by Ste J on January 13, 2017 at 3:21 pm
I’ve played a bit of Ratchet and Clank before, as well as the older ones as well…at the moment I have to find time to play all those time draining games like Skyrim GTA V and FAllout 4, although I am still in love with The Unfinished Swan too,
Posted by renxkyoko on January 13, 2017 at 3:31 pm
This ” new ” Ratchet and Clank is a ” remake ” for PS4, with different battle scenes, and is so much more challenging. I have Skyrim, have played it, but dropped it. You’re right, it’s so time consuming…. and I find it boring.
How about Limbo ?
Posted by Ste J on January 13, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Limbo is a good game, not worked through too much of it yet but sylistically it is really good.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 13, 2017 at 4:25 pm
I ‘ve played just half of it on my brothers PS4 when he was here at home for the holidays.. He got the game for free from PS Premium. I don’t know when Im going to subscribe. I still have so many PS3 games unplayed.
Oi, Ste J ! I didn’t know you play video games ! Ha ha ha
Posted by Ste J on January 15, 2017 at 5:39 pm
I am a man of mystery! I’m not the most hardcore gamer but my flat mate is, so I set him as primary so I can download all his games. I need to get more involved with games, I wish the spectre of time wouldn’t appear so much!
Posted by andy1076 on January 12, 2017 at 6:41 pm
Damn, you always go all out don’t you Renx! whew! 😀 what a dinner AND those gifts! :O
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 7:14 pm
Ha ! Don’t blame me, blame my mother, ha ha ha ! She used to have a catering business in the Philippines, so cooking tons of dishes is second nature to her. Nothing is wasted though. It takes us at least 3 days to finish them all up, lol.
Posted by andy1076 on January 13, 2017 at 12:09 am
3 days! Yep next time I am coming down with a car full of tupperware heh!
Posted by renxkyoko on January 12, 2017 at 7:15 pm
The pork bbq, roasted pork and the fried chicken were gone in one day, though.
Posted by andy1076 on January 12, 2017 at 7:18 pm
Well, Not finishing the lechon first before everything would be disrespectful to the chef wouldn’t it? lol 😀
Posted by raistlin0903 on January 12, 2017 at 6:42 pm
Welcome back, and absolutely no apologies necessary. Life can sometimes keep us busy. Wow the food looks absolutely stunning indeed. Great post, and I hope you will continue to have fun with gaming 😀
Posted by renxkyoko on January 13, 2017 at 3:35 pm
The fun has certainly returned. I only have 4 games for PS4, but still have so many games for PS3 that I haven’t played yet. School and work got in the way. lol
The geeky me has reemerged. Ha ha
Posted by equinoxio21 on January 13, 2017 at 12:14 am
Happy New Year my dear.
Congrats on the gifts and the FOOD! Wow! Who cooked all that? My compliments to the Chef(s)
I was going to ask how the job hunting was going, (I remember you graduating last year) thanks for updating us. Getting a good job is increasingly difficult.
And as for the “Idiot”, I think Americans can start working on IMPEACHMENT. It has worked with Nixon.
(Wicked smile emoticon)
Be good
Brian
Posted by renxkyoko on January 13, 2017 at 3:39 pm
My mom did all the cooking. I was at work Christmas eve until 8:30 PM. I just bought the cakes.
About IMPEACHMENT…. * sigh * it’ll never happen…. all 3 branches of the government are in his hands.
Posted by equinoxio21 on January 13, 2017 at 7:03 pm
Your mother should open a restaurant. 🙂 (And at work until 8:30? Darn. Welcome to the working world. though when I had my own company, everybody was dismissed at 2:00 PM)
And I know about the 3 branches… 😦 But Hope is what dies last… Be good.
Posted by Norm Houseman on January 13, 2017 at 7:50 pm
I believe that I gained five pounds looking at your pictures of the food. Worrying about things you can’t change is normal, but doesn’t really do any good. I’ve learned that the hard way over the years. I hope that you have a happy and satisfying new year.
Posted by Purely Silent on January 14, 2017 at 8:49 am
Snipers are great! You’re very strategical, I don’t think much when I play so I always end up in a mess getting shot at etc. 🙂
The food made me drool a little…
I think the pressure between different sections in a job is always present no matter what. It must be the worst, but I don’t think there’s a way to get rid of it.
No matter what, have a great 2017! 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on January 17, 2017 at 9:27 am
That’s how I survive the game, it really works for me. It’s so boring to watch me play any game. ha ha
Have a great one, too. Cheers.
Posted by raistlin0903 on January 15, 2017 at 6:06 am
Completely off topic..but I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award: you can find it here: https://raistlin0903.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Posted by renxkyoko on January 17, 2017 at 9:22 am
Thank you very much, raistlino903….
Posted by artistbybeauty on January 15, 2017 at 1:08 pm
Great post 🙂 🙂 I wish you an amazing and successful year this 2017 x x
Posted by Asha Seth on January 16, 2017 at 7:05 am
I love food pics. I remind there’s so much to be happy about. Happy 2k17, dear Renx. And yes, have missed not having you around.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 16, 2017 at 7:40 am
Thanks, Asha Seth. May you have a happy and prosperous 2017, as well.
Posted by Asha Seth on January 16, 2017 at 8:20 am
Thank you so much.
Posted by The Otaku Judge on January 16, 2017 at 8:02 pm
I don’t think I would like your job. People peering over my shoulder makes me nervous.
Awesome gifts by the way. Bloodbourne is excellent and I hear Doom is fun too.
Posted by renxkyoko on January 17, 2017 at 9:20 am
I’ve been warned on my first day. I’m getting used to it. It’s just that the past holiday was pretty hectic and stressful.
I ‘m currently playing Bloodborne and so far ,I’m like this ——> O_O ” ….. I just finished playing the remake of Ratchet and Clank. I guess Doom will be next after Bloodborne. I still have so many unplayed PS4 games.
Posted by Peter Wells aka Countingducks on January 17, 2017 at 4:26 pm
Love the look of your Christmas feast and I feel just the same about Trump as you do. Can hardly believe it’s not just some nightmare I’m having and I’m not even American. Hope, Trump aside, that you have a truly lovely 2017. You are always one of my favourite and engaging bloggers
Posted by bacardi gold on January 18, 2017 at 2:50 pm
You have a long list of comments, so, I’ll mine short. Belated Happy New Year!
Posted by The Hook on January 19, 2017 at 1:18 am
Now I’m starving.
And I want to go shopping.
Thanks, lady…
Kidding!
You rock!
Posted by ambikabhardwaj on January 19, 2017 at 8:30 pm
Great food and those gifts! Now that’s a rocking start!
Posted by barkinginthedark on January 20, 2017 at 9:53 pm
u guys need to invite me to dinner. great spread. continue…
Posted by Moony on January 21, 2017 at 12:35 am
That is some really tasty-looking food right there! I’m Chinese, but my mum used to occassionally make Filipinx desserts for the Tagalog Bible study classes that went on next door, so I’m familiar with some of the treats you mentioned. Have a (slightly belated) happy 2017 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on January 21, 2017 at 6:38 pm
Oh, nice. So where are you now ? In the Philippines ?
Posted by Moony on January 21, 2017 at 11:43 pm
Nope! I live in Singapore. There’s quite a large Filipinx diaspora here though.
Posted by Everyone welcome on March 6, 2017 at 5:31 am
Yummy food
Posted by Akshay Iyer on April 5, 2017 at 8:14 am
Some really delicious food huhh..
Looks quite tempting.. pictures well captured.👌😎