I'm Single and I'm Happy

I'm Touched

2007-06-03T10:03:00.000+08:00

To everyone who remembered my birthday last Friday...

Ms. Japan Is The New Ms. Universe!

2007-05-29T16:37:00.000+08:00

I must admit that I'm a beauty contest junkie since I was a little girl. It's rare for me to miss a telecast of our local Bb. Pilipinas Pageant where the winners get to represent our country in 3 major international beauty contest ~ Ms. Universe, Ms. World and Ms. International.

It was more exciting to watch today since our country's representative happens to be the bestfriend of a fellow CloudPH member Malou. So it was a disappointment for me when she didn't land in the top 15 semi-finalist. She ended up winning a special award, Ms. Photogenic.

But since Ms. Korea, Japan and Thailand made it, it was still worth watching with the first two being my favorites. It was too bad that the question to Ms. Korea Honey Lee got lost in the translation and probably from the stress of being watched by millions of people worldwide. In the end it's Ms. Japan Riyo Mori who won the crown.

Just love her gown which was made by Gucci. The asian inspired cut suited her body type. Sure she was not as beautiful as last year's Ms. Japan but she has her own charm.

Well, we still have Ms. International and Miss World to look out for so there's still hope for beauty contest fanatics like me.

It's Bye bye Time For My Fave Girl Melinda

2007-05-18T16:01:00.000+08:00

Last nights AI elimination was a big shocker for me. I was really expecting my fave Melinda to be in the finals but the unforseen happened. Maybe Blake and Jordin's fan's voted like crazy to ensure either of the two to be in the finals and all those votes totalled more than those in favor of the most consistent singer and the best in the bunch.

Now I lost my excitement in watching the finals...good thing Sanjaya will make an appearance of I would totally miss out on it.

Scattered Thoughts #8

2007-05-15T14:34:00.000+08:00

I've been planning to go out and exercise my right to vote early yesterday morning to avoid the crowd at the polling place in the afternoon when the weather is at it's hottest but I don't know what got over me and ended up waking at nine in the morning. But later I found it to be a blessing in disguise becuase most of the voters in my area had the same plan and there was a huge line when the polling place opened at 7 a.m. I already prepared a list of who I think are worthy to be in the senate so it took me only 5 minutes to finish the entire exercise. Too bad I forgot to bring my camera today because I took a few photos, maybe I'll just update it tomorrow. And as the unofficial media results are coming in, I'm satisfied that 90% of my senatorial bets and 100% of my local bets are on top of the tabulations. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that no magic will be done at the canvassing in the municipal level and the nationwide tally for the senators.

I was able to watch Spiderman during it's first weekend run two weeks ago. I was a huge box-office hit here since ALL the cinemas in the city only screened that movie. We opted to watch at Glorietta 4 which has 8 movie houses, there was a very long line to get tickets which I expected since we arrived at 4 pm. The 6:00 to 7pm screening time were all booked so we waited until 8pm but it was worth it. I think it was the best out of the 3 installments so I'm sure another sequel will be in the works.

It was Mother's Day two days ago and the flower I got was from our church. Our parish priest gave flowers to all mothers who attended the service. My daughter gave me a hug and a kiss and Charity came over with ice cream and pansit for my mom, my sister and me (sweet of her).
I also received a lot of sms greetings from friends so to everyone who remembered thank you.

Reminder to Self...

2007-05-02T10:58:00.000+08:00

Don't ever, ever, ever attempt to join the kids in swimming especially in a kiddie pool. Too much noise, too little space, not much challenge even for a non swimmer like me.

Idol Gives Back

2007-04-27T10:32:00.000+08:00

That was the theme of last nights AI show and what I show it was. Not only were they able to raise more than 60 million US dollars for charity, they were successful in giving us a night of good entertainment.

I had a blast laughing when Eric McCormack urged those who voted of Sanjaya to donate because they are a force to reckon with in keeping him alive for weeks. Good thing the boy took in all in stride enjoying everything from his seat in the audience. And Jack Black was a riot when he asked to judges to give him an honest critique on his singing. I knew Simon will take say what he did.

I was surprised at Kelly Clarkson's weight gain considering she's endorsing a water energy drink that helps her keep fit. Carrey Underwood made me tear up with her pre-taped performance and Josh Groban never fails to mesmerize me with his voice. Celene and "Elvis" duet had me wondering if it was just an impersonator or Elvis himself on CGI.

The most touching part for me were those scenes they showed of orphaned kids in Africa living on their own. They are so young but the hardships of life robbed them of their childhood. I just hope that the money they were able to collect last night will make a difference in their lives.

photo credit: i.usatoday.net

Adobo Went Wrong

2007-04-26T15:47:00.000+08:00

Cha, Lai and I met for dinner the other day just to unwind after having a stressful day. We all wanted rice and upon further discussion we decided to have pork barbeque to go with it. I reminded Cha about the place near her office but because we took a wrong turn somewhere along Washington we ended up at a restaurant that specializes in adobo, or so they claim. It was an easy choice for me, I had their "adobo diablo" a spicy pork adobo while Lai had "adobo sa gata" which later turned out to be a copycat of chicken curry. It was Cha, our resident cook and master chef of adobo who was having a hard time deciding on what to have. Finally she ordered the only non-adobo meat dish in the list ~ pork barbeque.

Verdict? We are not returning to sample their other abodo versions that's for sure. The food was too salty and even their dalandan juice and cold green tea tasted like medicine. The only thing that made our day was the ice cream stick we had after. Just your regular ice drop that we use to enjoy as kids. I had a mango with big chunks of sweet ripe mangoes; Cha had a buko (young coconut) ice drop with red mongo on top of the stick. I forgot to ask Lai if her avocado stick was good. Now these I can have everyday for the rest of the summer.

Why I'm Not Blogging

2007-04-25T11:23:00.000+08:00

Some of you may be wondering what's up with me cause I've been quiet for a while now. It's the heat!!! I know I already mentioned that summer is not my fave season so yeah I'm feeling gloomy for a while now. Just getting ready to go out drains me of energy and the thought that I'll be walking for 10 minutes just to get a ride while the temperature is at 36C is enough to make me feel down. Now the weather bureau is telling us to expect May to be hotter than what we are experiencing now.

Makes me wish I can to Tagaytay every night and just enjoy the cool breeze of our country's summer capital but it's a two hour drive from the city with heavy traffic along the way. Or indulge in a tub of ice cream everyday without getting fat but tha's just wishful thinking.

Bye Sanjaya!

2007-04-20T10:25:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, Sanjaya Malakar said his farewell to the show that made him a household name not just in America but all over the world, or at least parts of the world that broadcast American Idol.

Sure he was never my favorite contestant but he has that charm that makes you look forward to what will he do next. Too bad that he has missed out on the disco theme, I would have loved to see him belt out a fast number. Oh well I'm sure we are bound to see more of the guy in other shows.

Bye Sanjaya and thanks for making us happy with your brand of entertainment.

Photo credits: usatoday.net

My Warmest Easter Greetings

2007-04-08T10:08:00.000+08:00

Scattered Thoughts #7

2007-04-03T15:05:00.000+08:00

It's really hard to move around nowadays because of the scorching heat. Summer is definitely here to torture me. How I wish I can afford to have a long vacation somewhere colder but I have to make do with an electric fan.

I like hearing mass in the morning before I do any household chores. I tend to feel tired and more likely to skip mass if I do it in the afternoon or evening. But since I've been having a hard time sleeping last the past two nights I woke up just shortly before 8:00 am, too late for the church service near our place. I ended up going to the church in Guadalupe a short ride away from our place where the mass was scheduled 30 minutes later. Being Palm Sunday there are more people attending the service. It was already 10:00 when I headed home and it was a torture to walk home even with an umbrella. But one thing I noticed was the lack of people doing the "pabasa" or the Passion of Christ usually sung in age old melodies by people in makeshift chapels. In our area they usually start it on a Palm Sunday and end on Good Friday. Is it one of those old traditions that is slowly dying because to the ever changing times?
Yesterday was the birthday of one of the most important man in my life. Happy birthday Dad, I hope you are in peace.

Creepy, creepy Friday

2007-04-03T14:46:00.000+08:00

I'm a believer in the presence of unseen spirits co-existing with us. I have "seen" a few and I can sense their presence on certain occasions. So I'm one of those people who are not scared easily of horror movies or when scary stories are exchanged between friends. But last friday was an exemption...

I'm a light sleeper so noises from outside can wake me up in an instant. I felt something move in our room so when I opened my eyes I was surprised to see what I assumed was my nephew, having the same height, hair cut and shirt. His back was turned to me and was facing my dresser but was just standing still. I was about to stand and ask what he was doing when I felt something was not right. Goosebumps appeared on my skin, and it suddenly dawned to me that that being isn't Lance but another being. I immediately turned by back and covered myself with a blanket never mind if it was hot. I also started praying the Lord's Prayer over and over again. But while I was at it, that being is doing it's best to catch my attention. I can hear him walking back and forth near the bed and when I refused to have another look "he" started to flip the pages of the book that I left at my bedside. It went on for about 15 minutes which felt like an eternity to me. I only felt him leave shortly before sunrise. It was only then did I stood up, opened the lights and checked on my mom but everyone else in our house are deep asleep. I was the only one up and awake. It was hard to get sleep after that so I just waited for everyone else to wake before going down and having breakfast.

It's been a few days since but thankfully I have not seen nor felt his presence again. I just hope it was just passing through and won't return to haunt us.

One Happy Mom

2007-04-03T14:27:00.000+08:00

It's been more than a week since my last entry so let me get started with a good news. My daughter Mae finished 3rd in her year level (2nd year h.s.) last Thursday.

We were supposed to be at the venue by 8:00 am, we were just in time until we were stopped at the gate fronting the Philippine Army Officers Club the venue for their Recognition Day. The guard on duty told us that the entrance is close to traffic and that we should turn back and take the main gate a block away. Because we are running out of time my mom said that we should just pay the cab and just walk to the venue since we are already in front of the gate. Never did we thought that they won't allow even people to pass by, oh bummer! We ended up walking three blocks with the sun beating down our backs. Not my type of exercise that's for sure.

The awarding for both the elementary and high school students were combined so by the time that she was called it was already 11:00 am not that I'm complaining because it was worth the wait. Suddenly all the hard work of making ends meet so she can have the best education was oh so worth it. If only I can scrape more to pay for another year, keeping my fingers crossed.

Scattered Thoughts #6

2007-03-23T18:09:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I last did an entry here, I guess I ran out of things to say. Nothing much is happening to me.

Last Saturday I just attended the graduation ceremony of my nephew. I pity their teachers who were always on guard on what those small tykes (nursery) will do while the ceremony was on-going. Lance wanted to remove his white toga which he refers to as curtains because it's hot. Then when a little girl went up the stage to sing, not wanting to be outdone he also went up and started testing the mike. My sister has to run and get him down. All the noise just got to me and I left the venue even before they finished.

Since it's Idol season once again I ended up parked in front of the television to watch the contestants belt out songs from the British Invasion of th 60's. First up was Haley Scarnato, and like Simon said, naughty girl!!!

Love her outfit which had me wishing that I had her body to carry it well. Good song choice so I was not surprised to see her stay for the next round.

Though Lakisha is a one of the better singers in the bunch, I was not taken by her performance that night. She should have taken Lulu's advise and sang her other song choice cause she can do more to it to make it her very own.

Scene stealer for the night is that young girl who cried when Sanjaya came out to do his jig. It had me laughing hard especially when Simon came up with his one liner on what he thought of his performance..."the little girls crying says it all"

Melinda, did another stellar performance that night so I'm happy. At least I'm assured that I'll see more of her next week.

Got another batch of dvd's to watch for the weekend. I'll let you know what I think of it once I'm done.

Melinda Made Me Cry

2007-03-15T14:49:00.000+08:00

I watched the primetime telecast of American Idol last night with the final 12 singing a Dianna Ross song. I had to agree with judges to the ladies are the only ones who gave a strong performance. The guys were simply forgettable, with their weird song arrangement and weak vocal rendition of their song.

But the stand out for me has to be Melissa with her superb rendition of Home. A song which I loved way back when I was in grade school. I felt the song while she was singing it and never realized that I was crying until after Simon Cowell laughed at Paula who was also touched by the song. I just hope America will choose wisely by voting for her.

Who do I think deserves to go? Sanjaya Malakar but unfortunately it’s Brandon Rogers who bid us farewell today.

Boring, boring days!

2007-03-12T14:22:00.000+08:00

You might be wondering why I'm not posting for a while, well I've been sick for a couple of days now. My ulcer is acting up again, my fault so I'm being a good girl now. And since my resistance is at an all time low, I catched a fever and cough from my daughter who came home sick last Thursday. I feel bad for her because she had to go to school the following day to take her final exams so that her adviser can already compute her grade point average and see if she makes it in the top three students for the year. Keeping my fingers crossed that she does so that I can get a discount on her tuition fee next school year.

So basically I stayed mostly in bed last Friday and Saturday or watch television or dvd. Sunday was the same except for the cleaning that I have to do.

Now I'm back to work and hoping that the week will be trouble free.

Ouch! My Legs Are Killing Me

2007-03-06T15:23:00.000+08:00

Lot's to do this morning that required me to go out of the office till lunchtime. I haven't hit the gym in 6 years so I'm the first to admit that I'm not physically fit to do long walks which I just did. Now my legs are killing me, can't wait to go home and lay flat on my bed.

When Is It Enough

2007-03-05T14:33:00.000+08:00

For the past three weeks the story getting the most media attention in our country is not politics which is a surprise since the campaign period for national post has already started. But rather it's the life and love of Kris Aquino, youngest daughter of former Pres. Corazon Aquino.

His husband is accused of having an affair with a receptionist of a known beauty center which the couple patronize. A marital problem that should have beeen kept between them but is now the talk in all newspapers, tabloids. The entertainment shows of rival stations kept playing it up causing more hurt to all parties concerned.

I was also guilty of wanting to know the latest but only for a while. Hearing and reading about it day in and day out is just too tiring. The stress in already affecting her pregnancy, the risk is simply too costly just for the ratings game of tv stations. I am really hoping that it would stop. Let's give them some peace and privacy and move on to more important issues that needs to be addressed.

The Card Says ....

2007-02-27T09:27:00.000+08:00

I just visited Shelly's blog and took a test she posted. I'm sharing my result here.

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

It's A Party!!!

2007-02-26T10:49:00.000+08:00

A dear sister decided to throw an advance birthday party last friday night at our fave korean restaurant. The place was full so we had to wait a while before our big group was seated. Food was overflowing and the company was great and soju kept our spirits high.

While we waited for the latecomers to finish their meal, some of us headed to a nearby korean store to buy some instant noodles and ice cream which the younger group ate while chilling outside the restaurant.

It was still early so we headed to Tiendesitas for coffee and more talk. Hiroko's driver was fast so our group (Rizza, Pau, Hiroko and I) has to wait for about 15 minutes before the cars driven by Janice and Charity arrived. The band that night was very good and they had us grooving to their music. It's been more than a year since we frequent that place but it was the first time that we had an uncontrollable urge to dance. Was there something in the coffee or the soju we had earlier??? Shortly before midnight we (Rizza, Tita Remy, Janice, Lou, Pau, Cha and I) found ourselves infront of the stage jampacked with people dancing. It was hot and sticky but we had no care as we partied the night away.

Tong Yang Restaurant

2007-02-23T13:24:00.000+08:00

I thought I was just having rice topped with egg and some cured meat for dinner last night but an angel drove and her car and parked in front of my fave shabu-shabu restaurant, Tong Yang along Jupiter St. in Makati. Shoot there goes the weight I lost the other day...

We started off with tuna sashimi, very fresh and high grade. Then after choosing two types of broth we started picking the ingredients that we want ~ crabs, shrimps in all sizes, fish and shellfish, tofu, dimsum and all the vegetables that will go nicely in a soup.

And if that's not enough they also have a wide selection of meet and poultry for barbeque.

For desserts, they have fruits, sherbets and ice cream. It was truly a gastronomic feast, the only thing that bothered me was their music. We stayed almost two hours and endured listening to Piolo Pascual's album over and over again. We were really tempted to get some cd from Charity's car so we can have a breather.

On the way home we passed by Metrowalk, watched a cute guy ride an electronic bull ~ no he did not embarrassed himself by falling then checked out the arcade and saw a karaoke machine. Too bad they were about to close so we only got to sing 2 songs each before calling it a night. But we are already making plans of going back and singing to our hearts content, hehehe.

Chilling It Out In Tagaytay

2007-02-19T11:56:00.000+08:00

I'm usually just home on a weekend but what was initially an invite for lunch in Tiendesitas turned into a daytrip to Tagaytay about 60 km. from Manila and is best known as the second summer capital of the country for it's crisp and cool climate all year round.

We arrived in Tagaytay shortly before lunch and decided to have lunch at Viewpoint. The fare was simple but the company and the conversations that we shared are simply the best. While waiting for our food to be served we took turns having our pictures taken, you should be aware by now that we are never camera shy. We stayed for another hour just to relax and enjoy the view.

Viewpoint has outdoor huts for customers to dine while enjoying the view
Taal Volcano from a distance
Just before leaving Viewpoint

Then it was off to Calaruega Church, one of the most popular wedding churches in our country. I've heard about it from Charity and Lai but I've never been to the place.

The reception hall situated near the entrance

flowers abound as you we make our way to the church

The facade and interior of the church

No wonder these two ladies dreamed of having their wedding there. The church and it's surrounding invoke a fairytale ambiance that every bride dreams of.

All those walking made us hungry again so we found ourselves at Taal Vista Hotel's Cafe on the Ridge. Last minute preparations were being made for a wedding reception near the viewing deck and it served as our visual entertainment while feasting on huge serving of spaghetti bolognese, seafood pasta and clubhouse sandwich.

We then proceeded to the viewing deck to have our photos taken. We had fun teasing Charity who was busy emoting for the camera, and according to her the people around us were having fun watching us. Not yet ready to call it a day, we lounged around the pool area, had more photos taken and just enjoyed our surroundings.

We left just after sunset, tired from all the walking but happy nonetheless because we managed to unwind before starting another busy week.

My Valentine Movie Marathon

2007-02-15T11:06:00.000+08:00

My V-day celebration started two days ago (13th) when Charity and I decided to watch the last screening of The Holiday at Greenbelt 3. We have seen the trailer a few months back and almost forgot about it, luckily we passed by the same place a few hours before and saw that it was still showing so we made a date to meet later that evening.

If you just want to be entertained for a few hours then the movie is worth your time. It helps that the two woman portrayed in the movie are both in their 30's so we can relate. The plot is simple enough, they both needed a break from their lives and upon searching the internet Amanda (Cameron) from L.A. found a vacation home exchange site and decided there and then to exchange houses with Iris (Kate) from Surrey in London. The movie's timeline is just two weeks and in that span of time they both managed to make some sense of their problems and fall in love. Charity and I kept gushing on how good Jude Law appears on the screen. Jack Black was also witty without overacting. It was officially Valentine's Day when we left the movie house at 1:00am.

The rest of the day was just like any other day. I heard mass during my lunch break and then met Charity and Pau after work. Dinner was burger and fries from Hungry Hippo, the food was highly recommended by Charity because she usually dines there when she was still staying in Batangas City.
And for dessert we had Mango Bravo from Conti's Bakeshop. A side story on the cake, Cha waited a good hour and a half just to get her hands on that cake. Apparently it's a best seller and yesterday being Valentine's there were more people making their way to their place to give the cake as a gift. As you can see on the photo it was big, I still have some left at home.

Before and after shots of the Mango Bravo

Our original plan was to watch The Curse of the Golden Flower but when I searched the net on the screening time and movie houses that still screens it here in Makati it was no longer available so we opted to watch Music and Lyrics instead. With just a few minutes to spare before the movie starts we rushed to Greenbelt 3 but almost all the seats were taken the few left are miles apart so we decided to check Greenbelt 1 instead. Good thing we managed to get seated together before the movie started.

For those who lived through the 80's you will find the movie very entertaining cause you just can't help but think of the good old days. We think we were the only ones laughing like crazy when the first scene showed Hugh Grant's character singing and acting in a music video that has all the vibes of the 80's british boyband videos ~ tight pants, glittery belts and weird hairdo's. Check the video yourself...

He's a former singer of an 80's boybond Pop but lost his career when his partner suddenly went solo. He's given another chance to revive his career when he was asked to compose a song for Cora the new music icon that looks like a hybrid of Madonna, Britney and Christina. He was only given 36 hours to do the song but with the help of Drew Barrymore they managed to do it. I won't say more so as not to spoil it for others but we went home still singing a few lines from the movie and promised ourselves to buy a dvd so we can watch it again.

Surviving Valentine's Day

2007-02-13T15:22:00.000+08:00

Just a few hours more and it's the dreaded time of the year, at least for unattached male or female out there. Yes, it's that time when that cute cherub makes an appearance everywhere your eyes may lay upon. From those hallmark cards in bookstores, to those decorations in malls and restaurants that you frequent. It's enevitable, Valentine's Day is here whether we like it or not. Not that I'm sourgraping but ever since I can remember I'm not too fond of Valentine's. In fact I don't recall ever agreeing on a date that falls on the red day itself. I'd rather have dinner or movies with my girlfriends that join the throngs of lovers holding hands and having a romantic dinner with candlelights. I'd rather go out with a significant other before or after the 14th. So how to I plan to co-exist with those lovers doing their thing tomorrow? The same as the years gone by, having dinner with friends or we may even sing our hearts out at a karaoke joint. Or for others out there why not have a party at home with your friends and do a movie marathon while pigging on junk food and all the alcoholic beverages you can imagine. It's just one day after all, it will soon pass.

The Art of Writing Letters

2007-02-13T11:33:00.000+08:00

With a cough and a headache still throbbing, it was a blessing to just go home early and just lounge around the house. The problem was there's nothing really interesting to watch, I don't follow the local dramas being aired nor do I take notice of game shows so I decided to organize my closet instead. Stuck at the back of my overflowing dresser is a bag full old letters that I received through the years...cards written by my best friend in grade school. Letters and cards from suitors during high school and college, my friends and office mates, and those from the men in my life. It was a treasure box full of memories.

I started going through each and every letter in that bag. From their thoughtful holiday greetings to warm greetings on the birthday. There are letters that updates me on what's happening in their lives beautifully written on stationery's to short notes to comfort me when they know that I'm feeling down.

And of course those love letters that guys give to you to confess their feelings. I had to smile when I imagine how much effort it took for some of them to write what they want to say because they are not comfortable in expressing their thoughts in writing and committing them on paper.

Sadly our modern world riddled with text messages, email and online cards make the art of handwritten letters sealed in an envelope a lost art. I know I'm also guilty of making an excuse that I don't have the time and that emails are faster anyway. But looking through each and every handwritten letters that I have last night is inspiring me to pick up my pen and just write a note to my family and friends after all Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Busy, busy weekend

2007-02-12T16:26:00.000+08:00

We had another successful fun meet for Rain last Saturday but that story belongs to my other blog, what happens before that and after deserves a space here. Let me recall what my weekend was like...ok we checked in some of our things at the venue last Friday night before having dinner at San Juanito's Panciteria because Pau is craving for pansit (stir fried noodles). You have to pass by their bakeshop before entering the dining hall and their no bake freezer cakes looked so delicious we decided to sample them for dessert. Their oatmeal cookies were to my liking too, crisp and thin yummy! We finalized our plans for the following day over coffee before heading to our respective homes.

I hit the supermarket before 9:00 am to get the ingredients for spaghetti that I volunteered to prepare. Then my mom helped me to prep the ingredients so I can be done cooking before 2:00pm. Good thing Kharen came over to our house so I have help in transporting the food to the venue, 4 kilos of pasta and and 2 overnite bags are just too much for me to handle alone.

The started serving food by 4:30 in the afternoon and after an hour we had the program proper that ended after 2 hours. Then it was time to chill out and enjoy the rest of the night. Alternating between two units I chatted with members who were staying for the night because they are from far-away places. One even flew in from Davao bearing with sweet lanzones and durian tarts and candies as gifts. We also have 3 bottles of red wine to share amongst us to loosen up the mood and late into the night our japanese sister Hiroko came back and bought half a dozen San Miguel Super Dry beer which we chilled in the freezer for a good 30 minutes before drinking. The beer made me so relaxed I was one of the first who called it a night at one in the morning, Rizza, Chie and Pau were last at five in the morning.

We stayed until late in the afternoon yesterday as we were still exchanging stories and making plans for the next event. Then it's back home for everyone, till next event...

Not Feeling Well

2007-02-12T11:26:00.000+08:00

I'm having an asthma attack since this morning maybe from the dust that gathered on the tube where I kept my collection of posters. I knew I should have worn a mask but I was too lazy and I just wanted to keep the new poster of Rain that I have won during last Saturday's event. I will be back soon to post once I feel better.

A Night of Good Music...Freestyle

2007-02-07T11:25:00.000+08:00

I went with a friend to a hospital somewhere in San Juan before heading to Tiendesitas to unwind and I was happy to see that one of my fave local band will be performing that night, Freestyle. Though Top was no longer around as their male lead vocal Jinky made up for it with her impeccable vocals. It was nice to listen to them singing familiar tunes that we can sing along with. Jinky belted out one of my fave songs "One Hello". Their new male vocalist was also good and he knows how to get on with the crowd. I hope they can come out with a new album soon. And here's one of their songs for you to enjoy.

Yeah, It's Dinner Talk Again

2007-02-06T13:45:00.000+08:00

I can almost see the reaction on my fave uncle's face when he reads this entry...food again!!!

Last night, Charity invited me to have dinner with her, Chris her sister and Ryan her nephew who will be leaving tomorrow for Toronto after spending the holidays here. I was reluctant at first but I'm glad I chose to join them. Food was korean, same place same menu but we had fun exchanging stories. Ryan was as kind as the two sisters and I felt right at home. We had coffee at our usual place and had peach mango and durian ice cream for dessert. I only ate the mango because I'm not a fan of durian though I was told countless times that it's delicious.

Have a safe trip to Ryan, see you in 3 years? Hopefully by then your dear aunts will be happily married.

Scattered Thoughts #5

2007-02-02T14:06:00.000+08:00

I'm so loving the cool weather that we have now. The crisp wind that envelopes me when I go out at dawn to buy bread at a nearby store. The icy cool water coming out of the shower that wakens every nerve ending of my body. The gentle breeze that accompanies my walk during lunch break and early in the evening while walking home. How I wish it will go on forever...

Hurray girl power prevailed at the 1st season of the Amazing Race Asia with Zabrina and Joe Jer winning the race.

Too bad I wasn't able to concentrate in watching how they did it cuz I was busy talking on the phone with R, my ex-boyfriend turned good friend. It's one of those rare "I missed hearing your voice so let's chat" kind of call. So for exactly an hour we updated ourselves with what's happening with our lives, our family and friends. I still bug him on his long awaited marriage to his long time partner because I've been hearing about the plans for more than a year now but it's yet to happen. His disbelief that I'm not dating anyone...he knows just how good I am as a girlfriend and how full my date book was before. And our never ending discussion on betrayed who when we were still partners. But honestly I'm happy that we managed to keep our friendship intact 14 years after we ended our relationship as lovers.

I just had fries from KFC for lunch today. I've been craving for it since yesterday when Lai and I were talking about food. I'll be meeting my friends tonight to discuss the event we'll be hosting next Saturday. I don't know where we'll be headed for dinner after but I'm sure what we are having for dessert, chocolates from two of our favorite friends in the states.

Lover

2007-01-31T18:08:00.000+08:00

The title has nothing to do with my personal life, rather it's the title of a song preview I'm listening to right now. The reason why there's a smile plastered on my face and it's about time.

I've been feeling down since Monday when I heard some sad news about the loveone of a dear friend. I feel her pain because I see her almost everyday and I know how emotionally tiring it has been to hope and pray for things to get better only to hear otherwise. I can only help her pray and that's what I've been doing for days now. She feels guilty when she saw me cry and I feel guilty that I added to her depression. So thank you to the song "Lover", you managed to uplift me and hopefully it will last till the end of the week.

Thought For The Day #2

2007-01-30T17:48:00.000+08:00

We can love someone and just be happy about it
even if we know it won't last forever or it may not even start.
It is not about having someone,
it is not about having a relationship.
It is just about being happy by the mere thought of him
and knowing that you have loved someone.

There is a purpose and meaning behind all events
and this purpose and meanings develop us as a person and a lover.
It's not important whether or not the feeling is mutual.
What matters is the happines that this person brings every moment of our lives...

Little Children

2007-01-26T10:10:00.000+08:00

Charity and I were intrigued by the poster of the movie when we saw it in the entertainment section of a local paper last Tuesday and decided to catch the last full show last night at Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas.

Little Children is based from a novel of Tom Perrotta about the lives of married couples whose lives intersect on the playgrounds, town pools and streets of their small community .

Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and Patrick Wilson stars in the movie. The movie title is not about the children but on the lives of their parents and their behavior as told by an unseen narrator giving the movie a different feel.

Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet),who has a degree from a graduate school is seen through the movie as living the life of a typical american suburban housewife who takes her daughter to the park every afternoon to play with other kids and mingle with the women in her neighborhood.

She is married to Richard (Gregg Edelman), whose profession is marketing and getting sexual release from masturbating to internet pornography. Sarah caught him in the act one time and for a woman who is already having insecurities about herself, such an act just fueled her desire to reclaim a life that could have been if she has chosen another path.

She found herself having an affair with Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson), the only weekday dad at the playground, a handsome former athlete known to the other playground moms as “the Prom King.” Brad who is married to Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a documentary filmmaker, and has an easy rapport with their son, Aaron, whom Brad cares for while Kathy is at work. The movie provides a glimpse of how stay-at-home dads feels about themselves and how society as a whole really percieve them to be.

Though the topic of infidelity was already used in movies like American Beauty, Little Children presented it in a different way. The actors were able to portray the emotions of those who are trapped in a relationship gone sour. Their struggles with what they can have and what they will lose if they let their feelings loose.

I have a feeling these movie will make rounds in various film festivals so do catch it if you have the time.

One Proud Mama

2007-01-26T09:46:00.000+08:00

My daughter came home last night happy after bagging two silver medals in their school's annual Brainquest. She competed in four categories and won in Biology and English. The winning will increase her chances of making it in the top two of their grade level by the end of the term.

She also competed last Saturday in a Biotechnology and Genetics Competion sponsored by the country's premier state university, University of the Philippines against students from science schools and private schools around Metro Manila. It was the first time that their school participated in the annual quiz so they were not as prepared as the other school. She did not win but I'm proud of what she has achieved. She even got the answers to physics questions right when it was not even part of the curriculum for second year students.

Her achievements make me proud because it's hard raising a kid alone. Just getting her into a good school is a constant struggle with the cost of education so high in our country. I know she's aware of the situation so she makes up for it by getting good grades. I just hope things won't change for us.

Shaken But Ok

2007-01-23T10:04:00.000+08:00

I've been taking an fx (mini van) going to work every morning and nothing untoward has ever happened to me until this morning. While we were on a designated stop along Buendia a bus hit us from behind. I was seated at the point of impact but thank God no one sustained major injuries. I just have a slight bruise on my left shoulder and my head bumped a little but nothing that needs immediate medical attention.

I was late for work though because it took time for them to open the door at the back so we can get out and take another ride. It's a small price to pay though, I'm just thankful I'm still alive.

Laugh Time

2007-01-22T12:47:00.000+08:00

Who doesn't get forwarded messages in their inbox nowadays, I normally delete them but there are times when I wanna say thank you to the sender for making me smile. Here's one sent by my friend Judy.

In case you needed further proof that the human race is doomed through stupidity, here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods.

On a Sears hairdryer -- Do not use while sleeping.
(That's the only time I have to work on my hair.)

On a bag of Fritos -- You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.
(the shoplifter special?)

On a bar of Dial soap -- "Directions: Use like regular soap."
(and that would be???....)

On some Swanson frozen dinners -- "Serving suggestion: Defrost."
(but, it's just a suggestion.)

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom) -- "Do not turn upside down."
(well...duh, a bit late, huh!)

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding -- "Product will be hot after heating."
(...and you thought????...)

On packaging for a Rowenta iron -- "Do not iron clothes on body."
(but wouldn't this save me time?)

On Boot's Children Cough Medicine -- "Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication."
(We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5 year-olds with head-colds off those bulldozers.)

On Nytol Sleep Aid -- "Warning: May cause drowsiness."
(...I'm taking this because???....)

On most brands of Christmas lights -- "For indoor or outdoor use only."
(as opposed to what?)

On a Japanese food processor -- "Not to be used for the other use."
(now, somebody out there, help me on this. I'm a bit curious.)

On Sainsbury's peanuts -- "Warning: contains nuts."
(talk about a news flash)

On an American Airlines packet of nuts -- "Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts."
(Step 3: say what?)

On a child's Superman costume -- "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly."
(I don't blame the company. I blame the parents for this one)

On a Swedish chainsaw -- "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals."
(was there a lot of this happening somewhere?)

Hail To The Globe

2007-01-17T09:51:00.000+08:00

I watched the replay of the 64nd Golden Globe Awards last night. What could go wrong with my fave George Clooney being first to present an award.

Now for my fave moments. Hugh Laurie, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama Series for "House, M.D." For someone who did not prepare an acceptance speech, he did an awesome job of making us laugh with jokes done in his trademark acerbic sense of humor.

Meryl Streep praised her colleagues, playfully dissed costar Stanley Tucci and—channeling her Prada-clad character—silenced a heckler grumbling about the length of her speech with a blunt, "Oh, shut up. It's not that long."
I love the tribute Tom Hanks gave to Warren Beatty, the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement, “What balls this man has,” Hanks said, citing Beatty’s work. “And by ‘balls,’ I mean artistic vision.” Yeah sure we got the joke Mr. Hanks, even Annette Benning had a few good laugh too.

Now I have to hand it to Sacha Baron Cohen of Borat for making the weirdest acceptance speech I have ever listened. “I saw some dark parts of America, an ugly side of America, a side of America that rarely sees the light of day. I refer, of course, to the anus and testicles of my co-star, Ken Davitian.” After which he proceed “When I was in that scene, and I stared down and saw your two wrinkled Golden Globes on my chin, I thought to myself, I’d better win a bloody award for this.” And still he continued “And then when my 300-pound co-star decided to sit on my face and squeeze the oxygen from my lungs, I was faced with a choice. Death, or to breathe in the air that had been trapped in a small pocket between his buttocks for 30 years. Kenneth, if it was not for that rancid bubble, I would not be here today.” He made too many references to the genitalia of his co-star he had to rush with his real thank you speech with music already playing in the background.

For my worst dress, I have to go with Cameron Diaz. Girl I don't care if you are wearing Valentino, that gown has too much of everything...ruffles, bows and ribbons all in one dress spells disaster.

And for my best dress, it Eva Longoria. Love the intricate details of her navy Ungaro gown. It accentuates her curves and makes her look taller.

photo credits: eonline.com and
golden globes official website

Scattered Thoughts #4

2007-01-16T15:26:00.000+08:00

My still unstable network connection is prompting me to compress my blog entries into just one entry so bear with me dear readers as I rant about my week starting last friday.

I postponed buying a bottle of Tanduay for my fave uncle till the last hour because I assumed I can get it from the supermarket near my office but boy was I wrong. The wine store inside Landmark ran out of stock but I just shrugged my shoulder, there's still Rustan's Winery and SM Wine Section, just a few minutes walk from my first destination. But after going to those two places and getting the same reply I was getting nervous. Did everyone in the city suddenly had a craving for Tanduay Rhum making the popular liquior unavailable just when I needed it. I was running late for a meeting with friends so I decided to check out the other wine stores tomorrow morning and just beg Charity to pick it up before heading for the airport for her trip to Australia. Good thing we decided to pass-by Timog because both Cha and Pau remembered there's a wine store in that area. Boy was I lucky, the store had one bottle left on their shelf though I was hoping to get two. We then had our usual after dinner coffee and headed home for a much needed rest.

Week-end was the same as the last one, waking up late and doing housework before parking my butt infront of the television for another round of korean drama marathon viewing. First up was Rude Wowen, highly recommended by Charity because "it reminded me of your life" her words not mine.
Inspired by “Desperate Housewives”, Rude Woman tells a story about Mi Joo, a divorcee who seeks revenge on her ex-husband, Jung Suk, a surgeon who had remarried with his beautiful wife, Eun Young and their daughter Ha Na. Mi Joo then meets Rookie, eight years her junior, a former baseball player who happened to be the owner of the house she rents in Korea upon her arrival after 10 years living in U.S with her son, Joon.

It was an interesting drama to watch even though I was not familiar with the stars except for Lee Kiwoo who played the role of Rookie. I can see why Cha thought of me when she watched it because my ex left me for another woman but I survived. Now what is the chance of me meeting a younger guy. I finished watching up to episode 14 up till 4:00 am then finished the last 4 episodes late in the afternoon.

Next up was another korean drama Go To The Beach that stars Charity's dream boy Junjin. This drama is about a hotel’s lifeguards. The story will be based on the love between an illegitimate son, Jang Tae-pung and his half brother (different mothers), Jang Tae-hyun and the hotel owner’s grand daughter, Yoon So-ra.

It felt like an attempt to copy the feel of the US series Baewatch with a more wholesome take. So skimpy bathing suits here for the lead females stars just the rudementary shirt and shorts. I just finished five episodes so I can't tell if it's good but so far I'm entertained enough to pop the next dvd and find what happens to the characters being portrayed.

I have no energy to go out and eat a proper meal today so here's what I had for lunch.

Scattered Thoughts #3

2007-01-09T14:22:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year, Happy Epithany and all the other celebrations that I've missed when I wasn't online to everyone! I swear I intended to post my greetings at the start of the year but my server won't allow me to do so. Still better late than never right.

Four pounds and one inch bigger from all those sinful food that I ate during the holidays, I'm now trying to be a good girl by eating right starting yesterday. I was thankful for those pounds I shed when I was sick a month ago or else I'll be having a hard time fitting into my clothes.

I just had a massage last Saturday to releave me of my aches and pains from making (halayang ube) yams for christmas and new year. Thank God I'm only obliged to make them during the christmas holidays because it's very tiring to make. A batch of five kilos takes me about six hours to make, from boiling and grating the yams to stirring them continously in a mixture of coconut milk, condensed milk and sugar until they are so thick you can't hardly take them off the wok. Talk about labor of love.

I did watch another filmfest entry, Mano Po 5. A movie about the love between a chinese lead character falling for a filipino guy. I've enjoyed the first and second installment but the latest saga was too bland for me storywise. The veteran actors did a good job but in the end it's the movie showcasing the country's hottest young stars and acting wise they have a long way to go.

Did another marathon watching during the holidays, these time it's Forbidden Love (korean drama) starring Jo Hyun-jae and Kim Tae-Hee. It's about a nine tailed fox (KTH) warrior falling for an ordinary mortal (JHJ) and the complications of their relationship. The story was engaging enough though the first scene was gory, the nine tailed foxes eats human liver to survive. Now I know why my good friend Charity fell for the second lead Junjin, he looks good and his character was so ideal for a boyfriend.

Then last weekend it was a Taiwanese drama "It Started With A Kiss" that had me glued to the screen. I'm not usually fond of love stories where the lead actors are in their teens but I'm making an exception on these one. The actors are so cute together (talk about chemistry) and the supporting cast are funny too. The only letdown was the poor english subtitle, sometimes even the names of the cast were translated literally but whose complaining when I just borrowed the copy, I can no longer wait for the local dubbed broadcast to finish, I had to know how it ends.

Now it's back to work for me ~ shala!

Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo

2006-12-28T12:24:00.000+08:00

Christmas in the Philippines heralds the start of the Metro Manila Film Festival, and like the filmfest in the past expect some good local movies to watch with family and friends. I watched the first film that catched my fancy last night with Lai.

Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo is a film that stars real life sweethearts Ryan Agoncillo (Jed) and Judy Ann (Angie) Santos focuses on the struggles, adjustments and problems encountered by newly married couple.

The plot is pretty simple, two young working people met through a common friend, hit it off instantly and fell madly in love with each other. Then four months into the relationship Jed is being forced by his parents to migrate to the States and the couple finds themselves debating on the merits of their current relationship. On the eve of Jet's departure he suddenly proposed to Angie and she accepted.

The first conflict they have to conquer is how to please both families in the wedding preparation. Jed is from a rich family and his mom wants to invite all their family friends because after all it's the wedding of her only child. Angie is from the province of Cabanatuan, her mom is a barangay kagawad and makes longganisa on the side while is dad is a policeman facing graft and corruption charges. Her parents are separated and his dad is now living with a former prostitute. Two worlds apart and with both parties making demands the couple ended up fighting but managed to get back together and get married without their parents.

Then comes the adjustments couples undergo which we have seen countless times but I have to give props to the cast and the writer for coming up with witty lines that had me laughing hard. Angie then became pregnant and a whole slew of problems pours in...insecurities, sex and womanizing. But in the end like any other feel good love story, love conquers all and the couple reunites and starts over again.

Gina Pareno who appeared as Angie's mom was magnificent all through out the movie. Her one liners are now being infused in everyday filipino dialogues. I was glad she won the best supporting actress trophy or I would have protested along with countless others rooting for her.

Judy Ann Santos also gave a good performance as Angie, I was seeing my sister in her when she talks and talks and talks non-stop.

If you haven't seen the movie yet I suggest you do so. I already seen it twice and I plan to buy the vcd when it comes out.

Another Christmas Gone By

2006-12-28T11:12:00.000+08:00

Before anything I would like to thank everyone who make time to check for my updates. Your comments inspires me to continue blogging. I wish everyone a Happy Holidays!

Our family had a pretty simple "Noche Buena" or christmas dinner eaten after the midnight mass since we only have one guest, my cousin Marc who I haven't seen for more than three years. In between eating and exchanging stories our fingers were busy sending and receiving christmas sms greetings from family and friends. Gifts were also exchanged and opened, then with nothing else to do we sat in front of the tv and watched "Duelist" a historical action movie until three in the morning. It was only then that we said our goodnight only to be rudely awakened early in the morning by our neighbor playing "Boom Tarat Tarat" by Willie Revillame on full volume over and over again. I seriously wanna shout out to keep that thing down but since it's christmas after all I resigned and just got up to clean the house before we are invaded by our godchilds for their customary christmas greeting before you give them their gifts.

Breakfast were just heated left-overs from last nights dinner because we had to prepare kare-kare, rellenong bangus and buko salad for dessert. One of my mom's sister-in-law came over so we had another round of storytelling. We capped our christmas day with the family going to mass early in the evening.

I Saw Kwon Sangwoo From Afar

2006-12-22T12:00:00.000+08:00

Korean actor Kwon Sangwoo better known as Cholo to a lot of Filipinos came for a short visit last Sunday to promote Face Shop.

We was scheduled to have a fan meeting last Monday at the Mall of Asia in the afternoon and the the Activity Center of Glorietta early in the evening. Since I was not really a fan I did not take a leave from work to stalk him but I do have some photos taken by Charity using my camera for my mom who likes him in the drama Stairway to Heaven.

a shot of the crowd who came to see him at the MOA

KSW being interviewed by Sam Oh

But I did manage to have a glimpse of him when I met Flor at Glorietta to get some gifts. I was surprised that he allowed himself to be kissed and hugged by fans who were lucky enough to win in the raffle. By the way it's not really the norm to kiss and hug korean actors, they just shake hands with their fans unlike here in our country. Now I do wish that if and when my fave k-stars comes over they will also allow us to give them a hug and a kiss.

A Voltes Christmas Party

2006-12-19T11:20:00.000+08:00

Last weekend was blocked in my calendar for the christmas party of "Voltes" so Charity and I rushed to do some shopping friday night to buy the ingredients for Cha's baked macaroni and my chicken macaroni salad (yes it's a macaroni festival), had dinner then rushed home to start prepping the ingredients. A few hours after, I took a shower and promised to wake up early because the girls will fetch me before lunch. Maybe I was too tired from all the walking I did that week combined to with my body clock used to waking up late during weekends that I ended up over sleeping. I was in panic mode, skipped breakfast and immediately started cooking the pasta and the chicken while preparing the other ingredients. I was so concentrated on what I was doing that I forgot that I promised to cook some fish for lunch...thank God for canned goods. I did finish everything, had a quick shower just before Cha, Lai and Ditchi fetched me.

I knew it was going to be a fun day but never did I imagine that we'll have something to laugh about immediately upon our arrival. See, I never took notice of the bellboy who was assisting us until Charity signalled for me to take charge of the tip. Holy Molly, he's got the looks of a korean movie star with a killer smile to boot! We had a laughing fit after he left because apparently I was the only one not aware of him. My companions were already stealing glances the whole time we were at the car park and at the elevator.

took some self portraits while waiting for the others to arrive

The rest of the gang came soon after ~ Pau bought our fave puto and kutchinta from Malolos, Bulacan while Janice andTita Susan surprised us with her potato salad. Lou who made a grand entrace and Flor came in later in the evening. We did our usual exchange of stories while watching clips of Rain and Daniel Henney's guesting in Heroine 6 (korean gameshow).

What's a christmas party without singing and dancing especially for us music loving friends. There was no need to force anyone of us to sing, just cue in the music and we'll start performing never mind if the people from the condo accross our's can see what we're doing. I never knew just how beautiful Pau and Lai's singing voices were until they did a duet on a couple of christmas songs. Indeed I was too mesmerised I forgot to record their songs on my mobile phone. Our baby, Lou did not want to be left behind and sang "Christmas In Our Hearts" then we all shake our booties as we sang "Last Christmas". Soon enough all that exercise made us hungry so we ate our dinner with gusto. Then it was back to watching dvd's and exchanging stories while drinking some wine. Gifts were also exchanged (thanks Janice, Pau and Cha) as we watch the finale of "Pinoy Dream Academy". We all slept late good thing Tita Susan woke up early to cook our breakfast.

It's time for some production number to add spice to our evening.

I'm really blessed that I have friends who find joy in simple things, after all Christmas is not about how expensive the gifts we receive but just the time spent together to assure one another that you are special and loved.

Dining With Friends and A Star Sighting

2006-12-15T13:10:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was another hectic shopping for christmas day so I just had a small bowl of soup then rushed to the supermarket of a large mall and ordered 6 boxes of grapes and got two more gift baskets for clients. Ordering those items only took me a couple of minutes but arranging for the delivery was another story. It took them forever to process my transaction and after what seemed like eternity to me, I was advised that they will load it immediately and get the goods in 30 minutes...shoot just a few minutes left to do some urgent personal shopping for my sister and my daughter.

So bought the first shirt I saw that looked good enough for my nephew and an exchange gift for my own daughter then hurried back to the office so I can prepare a gate pass for the delivery. One hour passed, then another and soon it was closing time but still no sign of the delivery. I was getting agitated because I'm meeting Cha, Lai and Pau for dinner. My stomach was already making noise from hunger so you can't imagine how happy I was to see the delivery men when they finally arrived .

We originally planned to eat at Han Pao, a chinese restaurant along Shaw Boulevard a good 30 minutes drive from my office but traffic was heavy and we are all hungry so we made a detour to our fave korean restaurant instead. It's been a while since I ate at Minsok, Cha ordered sangyupsal, kimchi chiggae and ojingeo buchimgae (squid pancake)... that's already a lot for 4 people but I had a craving for their yukkaejang kuk (a spicy beef stew) so I ordered one. It was one of the best meals I had in a while, the stew was hot and spicy just the way I love it. And in between we were busy exchanging stories about how our day was, what's the latest from Rizza in Korea and the latest clips we managed to watch on our fave korean stars. Then in came a group of korean businessman with a lady all dressed to the nines. She reminded me of korean singer/actress Uhm Jung Hwa but I knew she's in korea busy promoting her album and her movie with Danniel Henney so I scratched the idea. After they were seated, six bodyguards came in so I thought she might be a wife of a prominent businessman or a diplomat. It was only when we are leaving did we learn that she was indeed an actress in Korea named Hong Jin Hee. But we can't recall reading about her or watching any of her works so we let her be and went on our way. It would have been a different ballgame if one of our fave stars walked in.

Christmas Is Here #3 Brisbane, Australia

2006-12-13T15:33:00.000+08:00

My christmas blog will not be complete without sharing the photos taken by my fave aunt & uncle in Brisbane.

Here's their house all decked out for the holidays.

Which reminds me that my own humble home is without any christmas decorations...must add to my checklist of things to do these week-end.

Hectic Week

2006-12-13T15:18:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I've made an entry and check my blogroll ~ been doing a lot of christmas shopping. Nope nothing for me, my family and friends but for the office or to be more specific for our clients.

Such a long list with so little time to prepare and with the malls crowded with people doing their own last minute shopping it's no surprise that I'm tired and cranky by the end of the day. I can't wait for Saturday so I can have some R & R before I start another round of last minute visits to bazaars, malls and supermarket not to forget the endless hours in front of the stove cooking "ube halaya" a dessert most requested by my family and friends.

Yaaah!!! Christmas is really here...

A Quiz To Pass Your Time

2006-12-05T11:14:00.000+08:00

Things You've Done
Copy, bold the things you’ve done and post. Here are mine:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of the moon.
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Back To The Hospital

2006-11-28T12:18:00.000+08:00

I had another allergy attack yesterday afternoon, this time my face got all red and my right eyelid started to look bloated. I was really in a panic while on a taxi going to Polymedic Hospital but thankfully after 5 hours of stay in the ER and countless injections I was well enough to be discharged.

I have a new set of medications and my diet is still restricted but on the bright side I'm starting to lose weight.

What A Nightmare

2006-11-27T14:09:00.000+08:00

Before going to Policarpio, I passed by the hospital to visit my brother-in-law who is now confined for a broken thigh bone no thanks to playing basketball at their work. He'll be out of work for two months until he recuperate.

You know how hospitals are breeding grounds of various deseases just waiting for its next possible victim. Well I seemed to have acquired an airborne infection that had me itching like mad the entire night and lo and behold, my body was covered with red marks when I woke up in the morning.

I immediately went to a private clinic near our place and was told that it's very common nowadays and made me choose between an injection or plain oral medications to cure my allergic reaction. I was itching all over I immediately blurted I want an injection even if I have getting myself pricked. Good thing it took effect immediately but for 3 days my diet is restricted to just plain bread, a banana or plain rice... huhuhu will I turn into a monkey after a few days?

Christmas Is Here #2 "Policarpio Street"

2006-11-27T13:46:00.000+08:00

For the past years, Policarpio Street in Mandayulong City has been gaining a lot of attention for the lavish and beautifully decorated houses in time for the christmas season. I've been meaning to check it out but I never found the time until last Saturday night. With good friend Charity and her sister as guides, I was able to expecience what the buzz was all about.

Santa's House, and rightfully named with Santa statues gracing the gate, the terrace and interior of the house.

I wonder how much these house pays for electricity? Their human santa is nowhere to be seen though since it was still a little early.

A manger scene depicted on the balcony of another house.

Another house that looks like a nightclub from afar.

Good thing we went there early because according to my guide, the place is jampacked as Christmas draws nearer.

Christmas Is Here #1 "The Fort"

2006-11-22T15:44:00.000+08:00

I passed by The Fort last night on the way to Greenhills and saw the trees lining the road lighted up for the holidays. I just have to take a photo though please pardon the quality since I was in a moving car.

Midnight Breakfast

2006-11-20T10:40:00.000+08:00

All the walking I did with my friends last friday night made us so hungry that I broke my rule of not eating something heavy after 10pm. Burgers and fries just won't do it so we all craved for rice so we racked our brains on where to have our late dinner. Charity then mentioned "Something Fishy" along Libis that serves an eat-all-you-can breakfast buffet starting at 12:00 a.m. for just Php84.00 (USD$1.70) a bargain!!!

So we first dropped-off Lai in Cubao before heading to Libis and by the time we got there we still have 30 minutes before breakfast is served. So we checked out the bargains near the vicinity and came upon these very cute dog who must have sensed that Ditchi and Charity are dog lovers.
He asked those two to carry him, pet and play with him. It was really hard to say good-bye to this cute dog because he kept holding on to Ditchi's legs. But alas, we are really famished and buffet starts in 5 minutes so we made our way back to the restaurant and waited for the signal that we can start lining up for our breakfast. It seems everyone seated inside the resto are all waiting for the buffet so a very long line started once they announced that we can start our feast. Selection includes plain and garlic friend rice; hotdogs, scrambled eggs (done just the way I love them); tapa; dinaing na bangus; picadillio; pansit palabok; mami; chicken arrozcaldo and palitaw. Food was delicious and the place clean, another place added to my list of places to come back when I'm hungry.

Maybe I was so full that I ended up sleeping the entire Saturyday never mind if it was humid in the afternoon.

Another Round of Random Quizzes

2006-11-14T17:05:00.000+08:00

You Are Pumpkin

Realistic and practical, you see the world for how it is.
You know what it takes to succeed in life...
And you're happy to help others reach their goals.

What Color Orange Are You?

I love orange, or should I say I adore people who represent the color orange to me.

Your Love Style is Storge

For you, love and friendship are almost the same thing
And your love tends to be the enduring, long lasting kind
(You've been known to still have connections with exes)
But sometimes your love is not the most passionate
Leap before you look, and you'll find that fire you crave

What's Your Love Style?

I just believe that after the flames of passion burns down it's the respect that you have for each other that will keep you together. And yeah, I'm still friends with my exes.

And last for today and just because the chistmas season is starting make it's presence here

You Are a Self Help Book!

While your advice is not always welcome...
It's always right on target.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

Numbers And What It Means To You

2006-11-14T12:50:00.000+08:00

I've been away for the weekend and I only started checking out my fellow bloggers posting today. I came upon sareeh link to a numerology site and gave it a try. Here's the result I got.

Your Inner or Soul's Urge: This is spiritual and emotional expression more than physical. It is your heart-felt desires, your incentive, how you look at life. Here are your areas of personal satisfaction.

Number: 11

You desire harmony, love, companionship, and peace with people; and you enjoy ease and comfort. You have great inner strength. You prefer kindness and thoughtfulness to the alternatives. As a dreamer and visionary, you desire others to know the necessity of living true to ideals.

Many people call themselves your friend. You are a natural peacemaker and diplomat.

You are often studious, attract many things to yourself, accumulate much wisdom. Spiritual and psychic sensitivity are available to you simply by your recognition of them. As such, you have the capacity to develop clairvoyant or other psychic abilities.

You try to reveal the beauties you have seen and known. You enjoy study and accumulating wisdom, especially with a background of music. You are capable of remarkable inventions.

Daily meditation may enhance your already considerable spiritual and psychic sensitivity, and this can allow you to cultivate more human understanding.

Your Personality: This is physical expression more than spiritual or emotional; your outer self, the way you express when meeting others. It may or may not be the real you.

Number: 6

Your thoughts are often on others and their needs, especially those close to you, and this is observed through your projected personality. You are seen as one who is responsible, in service to others, and trying to establish emotional harmony. Sometimes you are seen as a fatherly or motherly type. It is observed that you are capable of deep affection and sacrifice.

When meeting new people, you tend to be either suspicious or gullible, sometimes switching between the two in succession. When threatened emotionally, you can be seen as defending yourself to near irrationality.

You enjoy good clothes of good material, and like to be comfortably dressed. To enhance this personality, you should always be well-dressed and give thought to the way you look, rather than giving it the lack of importance or carelessness as is your tendency.

Your Quiescent Self: Stripping away all outside influences, aspirations, ambitions, "shoulds", and "shouldn'ts" -- this is you when you are alone; just you and your dreams..

Number: 6

Your family adores you; not only for the beautiful, artistic home you create for them, but also for the responsibility you assume for keeping perfect order. There are flowers in your garden, and music and artistic works are around you. You are known for your hospitality.

Your thoughts and pleasure are yourself as the comforter to all, and the adjuster of inequities.

Your Destiny or Ultimate Goal: This is your desired lifetime accomplishment. It is a key to a useful and happy life, and to feeling fulfillment during your latter days.

Number: 8

Your destiny is accomplishment that gives you authority, money, recognition, and/or professional position. Fulfilling your destiny depends much on your determination, knowledge of life and its spiritual relationships, and financial effort. Personal satisfaction is greatest when you accomplish your goals while having the good of others in mind.

Depending on education and experience, you are comfortable with finances, an effective leader, a master on all levels of management, and an authority on business. You are most successful with big business, and you nearly always win when you keep your broad outlook and admit no limitations. People respect you and turn to you for decisions. You have great potential as an executive.

You are attractive, strong, efficient, dominant, sociable, and inclined to pomp and display.

Your Life's Path: Here are clues to what fate has in store for you. It indicates the type of encounters, events, and opportunities you are likely to experience along your physical life path.

Number: 7

Your path is along the lines of research, investigation and mental analysis. This includes meditation and introspection. Your opportunities will often be brought to you without having to go get them. The manifestation of those opportunities tend to have something in common with quiet places away from bustle and confusion.

You work well with theories and fundamentals, seeking wisdom and hidden truths. When you use your own ideas and judgment, dedication, and scientific attitude, along with your intuition, your decisions will enable you to reach your goals.

You can be alone without feeling lonely. You respect intelligence and are continuously accumulating knowledge for yourself. You have an intense reasoning capacity.

Others will perceive you as having more warmth and less aloofness when you balance your knowledge and its pursuit with compassion and human sensitivity. That combination inspires wisdom.

This Year's Path: Here is what you are likely to encounter this year -- your feelings, your predominant perspective, and the type of situations, circumstances, and opportunities you tend to attract during the calendar year.

Number: 6

This is a year of service for you, a duty year. You feel you're assuming new responsibilities. People make more demands of you this year. You are needed in many directions.

Warmth and good will toward others, along with love and harmony, will make everything worthwhile. Justice, fair play, and honesty are important. It is a year for unselfish service.

Take care of your health because without it you cannot help others. Find time for rest and relaxation. This is a year to be thorough and conscientious about everything that you do.

It is a year of fine and friendly influence for marriage, tranquil home conditions, and traditional family activities. You may feel a strong desire to get settled.

Next Year's Path.

Number: 7

This is your year for personal reflection and perfection, a year of introspection. You feel like analyzing everything you have been and are doing. You think about beauty, love, perfection, and what life is all about.

You spend a good deal of time alone, getting acquainted with yourself and your new inner power. This year you gain a better understanding of your emotions and your spiritual nature. Take time out to rest, study, read, and travel, and to look at life from a different angle. Find outlets for personal creative expression.

If you have psychic, spiritual, new age, or mystic interests, this is the year to pursue those studies.

Quality is your standard.

Dimsum Night

2006-11-07T18:05:00.000+08:00

One of my friends was in a good mood last night and treated me, Lai & Flor to dinner at one of our favorite chinese dimsum house. The place is known for generous serving so I made sure I have the appetite for it.

Han Pao Tea House along Shaw Boulevard

Stuffed Tofu; Siking Roll; Hot and Sour Soup and Chicken Feet

We had our fave local brew after at Tiendesitas. Gosh I was so full I skipped breakfast this morning.

Hi Dad

2006-11-06T17:12:00.000+08:00

My mom and I finally made the trip to North Cemetery to visit my dad's resting place last Sunday. We left the house after lunch and since it was hot and the cemetery is far from us I opted to take a cab rather than use the public transport system.

The ride was fast and uneventful or so I thought. Just two blocks from the cemetery we encountered heavy traffic so we decided to venture to the side streets only to find out that the road leading to our destination is flooded. Where did the water come from, it was not even raining. We tried every shortcut we can think of but high floodwater made the cab driver hesitant to go through. He suggested that we take a tricycle instead and even hailed one of us.

We did manage to arrive at the entrace of the cemetery but after seeing the heavy traffic going in I decided to just walk the rest of the way. Seems we're not the only ones who opted to forgo the crowd last November 1 & 2. We just bought flowers and candles as offering and after 15 minutes of brisk walking we finally arrived at the street where my father's remains were laid to rest.

It was then that we got lost finding exactly where my dad is. His space is somewhere in the center of a very crowded plot of land so finding your way is like going thru a maze with walls and tombs blocking your way or what I remembered of it. My mom almost gave up and at one time said that maybe someone stole our gravesite because we kept going around. Finally after endless walking and jumping ever tombs, I saw my dad's resting place. We placed the flowers on a vase and lighted the candles. We stayed for an hour before we said our good-bye and went back home.

Bye-bye Messy Hair

2006-11-06T16:59:00.000+08:00

I've been meaning to have my hair cut and have it straightened for months but somehow I haven't found the time to have it done. I've been using barette's to keep it in order but having a clip on my head gives me a headache at the end of the day.

Finally with not much on my plate last Saturday, I went to my fave hair dresser and had my hair fixed. I was even convinced to color my locks to dark brown. I've been getting positive feedbacks from family and friends so I'm happy.

A HOT Evening With My Amigas

2006-11-03T14:53:00.000+08:00

My friend C sent me an email containing the full details of her dream ..... and boy what it HOT!!! I felt I was reading something straight out of an erotic magazine. It was so graphic I can't help but imagine her and her man doing those things she described. With her permission I forwarded it to a mutual friend and decided we just had to meet up that night so we can grill her about it. Another friend joined us and after she read it, she too became hot and bothered.... hahaha imagine how naughty our conversation was last night.

F was so high after reading C's dream she treated us to a sumptious dinner at Razon's along Pasig. We ordered sizzling bulalo (pork knuckles), sisig and halo-halo for dessert..... yummy!

C was not satisfied with her creamy dessert she ordered two extra serving of carabao's milk but with a side comment on how expensive it was as compared to just the regular full cream milk. With my mind still in overdrive, I reasoned that maybe the carabao was tied somewhere near and they still have to milk it before serving it to her fresh. L agreed and said that maybe the carabao was even protesting everytime the staff of the restaurant goes near her. And just as put a spoonful of halo-halo in my mouth, C started acting out what the carabao may be saying.... ayaw, ayaw, huwag po!!! (no, no, please no!) complete with facial expression. I was enough to send me into a coughing fit and the food in my mouth flying to the person in front of me (sorry F). The incident had us laughing like crazy!

Too bad we all had to work the following day so we said our good-byes but only for a day because tomorrow we'll see each other for a committee meeting for a project we are handling.

Pampering Myself

2006-11-02T15:33:00.000+08:00

It was a holiday yesterday as we commemorate our dearly departed ancestors on what we filipinos refer to as "Undas". It's a tradition for families to visit the gravesite of our dead relatives to offer prayers, flowers and candles.

A typical scene at cemetery here in the Philippines

But since my father is buried in one of the most crowded cemetery here in Manila I opted to just offer a mass at our church and our family will just visit his grave this week-end. I'm still nursing a bad cough and just the thought of pushing and shoving will a sea of humanity is enough to make me firm in telling my mom I won't accompany her if she insist on going.

So what a better way of enjoying a respite from work than waking-up late and then getting a facial and had my nails done. And to cap my day, I had a full body massage early in the evening..... heaven!

My Soul Where Art Thou?

2006-10-26T15:22:00.000+08:00

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are a wanderer. You constantly long for a new adventure, challenge, or eve a completely different life.

You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds.

You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you.

Your near future is likely to be filled with great successes and accomplishments. You just need to figure out how to get there.

For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

Name Game

2006-10-26T14:44:00.000+08:00

Since I'm lost on what to blog, let's just make fun of my name.

hahaha, that's interesting right, now let's try using my nickname

Tagged Just For Fun

2006-10-18T14:15:00.000+08:00

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up

I rather keep it to myself than risk being hunted by his followers.

2.You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be?

Regine Velasquez, I can't bear listening to her shrill.

3.Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

My ex-hubby just to get even.

4.What is your favorite cheese?

Ricotta cheese, I can eat it straight out from the tub.

5.You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make?

A chunky chicken salad on a wheat bread with all the trimmings.

6.You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex and it can only happen once. Who is the lucky celebrity of your choice?

Ok, I haven't paid any attention to our local celebrities since I'm into korean dudes for three years now. But if I really have to make a choice then I want to spend a night with Bae Yong Joon.

7.You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick?

My current oppa Shin Hyesung of Shinhwa and if possible can I bargain for a minimum of one week

8. Now that you've slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy shit, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it?

I'll go to my fave hair salon to have a hair rebond and a facial. Then off to the spa for a full body massage.

9.You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

South Korea

10.Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Shit! Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do?

Call my friend Rizza who is back in Korea so we can have dinner together then off to Nami Island for a day of sight seeing.

11.An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It is...?

Vodka

12.Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there?

To Israel during the time of Jesus Christ

13.You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

I want peace so all violent acts will not be tolerated.

14.You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what's the premise?

"Breathing Space" an magazine type show that looks into the homes of celebrities. Asking them about their fave room and why.

15.What is your favorite curse word?

Shit!!!

16.One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What do you do?

Close my eyes just to make sume I'm not dreaming and if by the time I open my eyes and the MUMMIES are still there I will scream until I wake the entire neighborhood.

17.Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don't worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely.So what's the item?

My my photo albums. I love looking at them when I miss my dad and those days when I was young with no cares on what is happening around me.All

18.The Angel of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. Whatcha gonna do in that half-hour?

Just take that time to kiss my love ones good-bye and then find a quiet corner and talk with my creator.

19.You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What's it gonna be?

The ability to be at a place of my choice at a flick of my fingers. The power to manipulate other peoples minds is another thing

20.You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

The first time I gave my all.

21.You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

The death of a special angel in my life.

22.You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit... you can move to anywhere else in the world! Bitchin'! What country are you going to live in now?

Australia to be with my fave relatives followed by Italy.

23.This question still counts, even for those of you who are under age. Check it out. You have been eternally banned from every single bar in the world except for ONE. Which one is it gonna be?

I've done my rounds so I don't care if I don't see another one. And I do have my lifetime supply of booze so nothing beats staying home and experimenting with my fave mix.

24.Hopefully you didn't mention this in the super-powers question.... If you did, then we'll just expand on that. Check it out... Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!! Whose house are you going to float to first, and be like "Dude, check it out...I can FLOAT!"?

My longtime friend and sister for life Elaine. I'm sure she will beg me to carry her and go scare some of our friends.

25.The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier has given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which celebrity will you bring back to life?

John Denver. I used to love his music a lot when I was a kid. Sunshine on shoulder makes me happy....

26.The Celestial Gates of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn't think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person, etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

My dad since I've always been daddy's fave girl. I'm sure he will enjoy spending time with his grandchildren especially my nephew Lance.

27.What's your theme song?

Fool Till The End by Garry Valenciano

If you've managed to read this far, consider yourself tagged. And if you're going to do this, let me know. I want to read your answers.

My Heart Is Breaking for Ate H

2006-10-06T10:56:00.000+08:00

Woke up early in the morning and was surprised when the eldest sister of my brother-in-law came to our house crying. She just got a call from their youngest sister, a nurse working in UK who happens to be real close to us and especially to me cuz she took care of me when I was hospitalized for a month a few years ago. Ate H has been confined to the hospital last Tuesday and the finding is bone cancer which is also causing her liver to fail. They have been trying to reach their house and ours for the past 3 days but because of the storm all the phone lines are still out of order and the signal of our mobile phones are still erratic. It breaks our heart because it's impossible for us to be there for her like she's been there for us. Getting a visa here is like finding a needle in a haystack.

I know she longs for her family here because her husband is emotionally weak and she needs somebody to draw strength from. She is also thinking about the two very young daughters that she will leave behind. Now we are debating if we should tell her very old and sickly parents about her condition. We know they have a right to know but then we are also afraid that that it may be too much for them to handle.

I know God has plans for all of us so I'm praying that he give us strength to see this through. But right now all I can do is cry for a sister and a friend.

Finally We're Back In Civilization

2006-10-04T10:59:00.000+08:00

Five days of not having a good nights sleep was taking it's toll on me and I felt I was walking in air on my way home last night and we were told that I still have to endure it for four more days. I now look like a panda and since coffee is the only thing keeping we awake having a decent conversation with me is out of the question. On the way home I was already contemplating on taking up the offer of Charity to go to her house and iron some clothes, see I don't have any pressed clothes to wear to work and I hate the thought of going out looking like a flat iron is running after you. But lo and behold! As I approached our barangay I saw the houses are now with electricity. I was so surprised I asked a random guy standing near the security house how long ago was the power back. He said since lunchtime except for your street(you can imagine how my face sagged) and seeing my disappointment, he laughed and said good thing they fixed the problem an hour ago. I could have kicked him in the butt if I have some energy left in me but I just let it pass and walked a few blocks home. I had a quick shower and hit the bed for my first deep and restful sleep in like ages. If not for work I could have slept for another day. Thinking back, such experiences can humble you ~ exposing our inadequacies, our dependencies and our helplessness when nature becomes a determined foe. It made me realize how vulnerable I've become when faced with hardships, hopefully next time I'll be more accepting, flexible and prepared.

Why I'm Creating A Buzz

2006-10-03T11:17:00.000+08:00

Marissa --

[adjective]:

Full of bees

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Let There Be Light

2006-09-30T18:49:00.000+08:00

To those who are checking this humble blog sorry if I've been remiss in my postings. Our country just had another typhoon last Thursday and Metro Manila (our capital) suffered a direct hit. Good thing my boss told me not to go to work that day since it was already announced that the typhoon will make a direct hit by lunchtime. True enough cause a few hours later we were battered by winds so strong that branches of the santol tree in our neighors house came flying by narrowly missing my window. Then a tree in front of our house began swaying, and we started predicting if it will hit our house or the one next to us. It ended up in between, with some branches resting on one of our bedroom window.

Two days after, the tree is still left uncut, we have no telephone service, an erratic water supply and no electricity until Monday. OMG!!! I'm going nuts!!!

All condotels, apartelles and hotels near us are fully booked so we have no choice but stay home. We are back to using flashlights and candles at night and with no means of passing time but by listening to music using a battery operated radio. I haven't got a decent sleep for 3 days now and I don't know how can I bear it for two more days.

Even the business district where my office is located was not spared. Traffic was so heavy because there were a lot of fallen trees and other debris along the road. The building is using a generator so we are left with just one elevator working. The power supply was so erratic I can't barely go online. I just hope they can restore the power by Monday.

Thank God that a part of a mall here in Makati had their power restored this afternoon so I'm taking advantage of their free aircon. How I wish I can stay here overnight.....

"Lobat" Filipino Word Of The Year

2006-09-22T11:34:00.000+08:00

Declared "Word of the Year" at the annual language conference Sawikaan 2006 sponsored last month by the Filipinas Institute of Translation (FIT), Blas F. Ople Foundation and the NCCA was "lobat." It won over four other finalists chosen by the conferees: "botox," "toxic," "spa," and "orocan."

"‘Lobat’ made it as top choice because of its interesting and relevant review of literature, clear presentation, and the startling conclusion that Filipinos nowadays are much like cellular phones – the ubiquitous machines that symbolize modernity – that rely so much on the mini-batteries that discharge energy in no time. Filipinos go ‘lobat’ because of personal, social, and global pressure.

Now this is really interesting since I do use "lobat" to refer to my state of mind especially after being "toxic" with work and whatever is happening around me.

link:http://www.philstar.com/philstar/lifestyle200609220501.htm

Thought For The Day #1

2006-09-19T14:56:00.000+08:00

"It's funny how we set qualifications for the right person to love,
when at the back of our minds,
we know that the person we truly love will always be an exception."

My Childhood Dreams

2006-09-18T17:38:00.000+08:00

Remember those days when teachers always ask you of what you want to become when you grow up? Even then a lot of my peers wanted to be a doctor or a nurse, a police officer or a lawyer but I was one of the few who never entertained those thoughts. I hate the sight of blood and the smell of hospitals. Blame it on my being sickly kid so I was always in and out of my pediatricians clinic or confined at a hospital.

But going back to what I dreamed of the life I wil lead as an adult. I love books and my father nurtured that by buying an assortment of books that tackled different genres. I harbored thoughts of being an archeologist. Digging hidden treasures in exotic countries until age 9 when I took my religion class seriously and started serving at Santisimo Rosario Parish inside UST campus. I then imagined myself entering a religious vocation but that too took a back seat as I entered high school.

I became more realistic as I set my ambitions. I considered taking up foreign service or tourism and be a diplomat or a flight stewardess. But it's an expensive course so that too was scratched from my list. The close of the 80's saw our country experiencing political unrest and as the spotlight was trust on the media, I also considered taking up journalism since writing has always been one of my strong points, from essays on current political issues to poetry. In fact I've started reading broadsheets at an early age as a way to increase my english vocabulary and have an awareness of what's happening not just in my country but to the world. I would then discuss it with my dad when he comes home after work.

But in the end it was my mom who set the course of my career path. By then my fathers illness was taking it's toll on our finances she decided that a business course is a more likely option for me if I seriously want to go to college. During those times it was easy enough to find work if finish a four year business course. And to top it off, two of my older cousins were taking that course so if I opt to go to their school then I can use their books. Looking back, I wonder how different will my life be if I became of journalist or a diplomat or a steward. How about you? What did you want to be when you were just a kid.

Remembering 9/11

2006-09-11T15:31:00.000+08:00

I just arrived home on that faithful day (it was 9pm Manila time) and decided to switch on the tube and started channel surfing while having dinner. Suddenly I paused after reaching channel 28 (CNN). The first plane just struck one of the towers of the World Trade Center. Immediately I called my boss and asked her to tune in. She's got a lot of relatives and friends in New York and we have business associates who are also holding office nearby. I stayed glued to the screen praying and hoping that casualties will be minimal. Then the second plane strucked and it became clear that it was an act of terrorism. Pentagon followed soon and last was the flight that was supposed to be bound for the White House.

Dinner forgotten, I found myself crying as scenes of people falling from the building were being caught by the camera. Of wounded people walking aimlessly in the street. The hours ticked by but sleep is far from my mind, I'm haunted by what I saw and the realization that the world is not as safe as I assumed sinked in. As the world grieved for those who lost their love ones, consoled those who are still looking for people dear to them and rejoiced whenever a body is recovered alive, we suddenly found ourselves evaluating our priorities in life and making changes on what we thought should be corrected.

Five years later as we remember that faithful day, let us look back and say our prayers for the countless souls who perished that day and count our blessings that we are still here healthy and able. May we find our purpose in life and live it to the fullest.

A Gem Taken From My Inbox

2006-09-08T14:00:00.000+08:00

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see her sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

All In The Past, What Matters Is The Present

2006-09-05T14:26:00.000+08:00

We all go through our daily life meeting people and making mental notes of the impressions they leave on us. And at times impressions can be made because of opinions shared by others. Some good others leave something to be desired. But first impressions change as we take the effort to know the person better. Again some for the worst but there are those who become welcome surprises. Ultimately it’s up to US to take RESPONSIBILITY for our ACTIONS. Reach out and make an effort. At the end of the day ~ that person may end up as someone special or will just be an acquaintance. But never ever put the blame on others on why we missed a chance in finding a diamond amongst the rubble that is LIFE.

The Devil Wears Prada

2006-09-04T16:28:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was another movie date for my daughter and I and our pick was the Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway film “The Devil Wears Prada” based on a book written of the same title by Lauren Weisberger. It was a unanimous choice for us because I happen to love Meryl Streep and my daughter has dreams of working for a fashion magazine someday. The movie started with Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a small-town girl fresh out of college, applying for a job that "a million girls would die for." – 2nd assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile editor of Runway magazine. Her motivation? A recommendation from Miranda can guarantee her an entry to any respectable publishing house and pursue her dreams of becoming a journalist. She got the position to the utter amazement of everyone working there because the girl has NO fashion sense at all. Miranda only hired her because she’s had it with fashionable but incompetent assistants, and is hoping that the brainy newcomer will prove to be a less irritating and more resourceful. Andrea is sorely tested each and every day--and even late into the night with orders barked over the phone. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, like getting the manuscript for a still unpublished Harry Potter book in just 6 hours. As expected her relationship with her friends and boyfriend suffered as Andrea started to be absorbed with her work and without realizing she is slowly becoming as cunning as her boss. In the end she has to decide if her job is worth sacrificing her life and dreams. As expected Meryl Streep was awesome playing the role of Miranda Priestly. She doesn’t need to shout and bark her orders. Her look alone is enough to make you cower in fear. I enjoyed the transformation of Andrea from a dorky dresser to a fashion plate worthy of being featured in their own magazine.
Acting wise she is good but it’s hard to outshine or even be at par with Meryl. Overall it’s a good movie that I would love to watch again on DVD. I’m buying the book just to compare and will let you know if the movie came close.

"48"

2006-08-28T14:49:00.000+08:00

Sorry if I've been remiss in keeping an update here, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed last Friday and for some reason I was feeling so down I was not in the mood to go online. Don't ask me any specifics on why because I can't answer it myself. But looking back maybe it was just a premonition that a dear friend is going through a lot.

But back to what I really want to blog about... some of you may have been aware that Rizza came back Friday night after 3 months of stay in Korea. We missed each other so much that we arranged to check-in at a hotel for the entire week-end to catch up on stories. She made prior request on the food she's been craving so master chef "Charity" went ahead of us to do the shopping and cooking.
After dinner we started to watch clips of korean boyband Shinhwa and got so engrossed that we forgot about the time and panicked when Rizza called asking our whereabouts. She's already outside the airport waiting for us while we are still at the hotel. We felt so guilty we rushed out of the hotel still wearing shorts, old tees and sleepers and reeking from the smell of Charity's adobo. Good thing traffic was light so we were at the airport in less than 30 mins. We packed her luggage at the trunk and had our picture taken before heading back to the hotel.

On the way we did sing our welcome song to her and did a mini concert singing old (70 & 80's) Filipino songs. Not to be outdone Rizza started a" name that song game" by singing a line from a song that we can't remember ever hearing before. It was really a surprise because our combined memory bank of both local and international songs dating back to the early 70's is very, very extensive. We can even go on long drives without a radio on because we do an impromtu concert from ballad to disco to rap with vocal harmory to boost!

We arrived at the hotel past midnight and after Rizza distributed all the items we've requested a marathon story telling followed. It was no surprise therefore that it was already 4:30 am before we called it a night. Poor Charity, she has to wake-up 7:00 and make a presentation and briefing for a conference she will attend today (Monday). Breakfast and preparation for lunch was done in a hurry because we were scheduled to move-out of the room we occupied and transfer to the biggest room the hotel has to accomodate the rest of our friends who will stay until the following day.

what's for lunch

Being couped inside the hotel was too much for Flor that she decided to take a walk without telling us of her plans. Not wanting to be left behind we followed her example so we all went out of the hotel to walk but not together mind you. I guess we needed a break from seeing each other faces that we headed in different directions but 30 mins later we all ended up meeting at a nearby McDonalds panting and out of breath. Gosh, I really need to get back in shape. And Flor, why do you have to follow Papa Smurf's love for the outdoors. The only thing keeping my mind sane on the way back to the hotel was that liter of icy Sarsi I've kept hidden from the others.

Shortly after our return the rest of the gals came and more stories were shared. Dinner was served and a marathon video watching followed after. Only three ladies decided to sleep early but the rest still continued with our endless chatter about what life was in korea for Rizza and what's going on with our lives here that was not included in our combined blog entries.

ok people strike your best pose

Later that night I felt the need to go out so Lai and I went to get some soju and ramyon from a nearby korean store. I was hoping the alcohol will make us sleep but I was wrong ~ it was already 3:00 but Lai and I are still busy discussing a fictional story I've saved in my pc that I asked her to read while Rizza and Pau were planning for their October korean trip. Flor was making ramyon and our poor baby Lou has no choice but stay awake because her noona's are too noisy. Charity was the only one spaced out but provided us with more laughs by concocting stories on her possible dream basing on her actions while sleeping. It was almost 5am when sleep finally caught up with me.

more food

Not soon after the sunlight was beating on the window near me, it's already 8:00 am. Tita Remy came out and started preparing our breakfast. I stood up to help her and after an hour the rest of the ladies woke up. Only a few hours left before finally bidding each other goodbye but we were reluctant to do so. With just a look, or a song we ended up embracing each other and assuring one another that she is loved. The entire 48 hours that we stayed together was the most emotional one. It was filled with laughter and tears, of prayers coming from the heart and spiced with hugs, kisses and assurances of how much we care for each other. We came in as good friends and came out more like a family that will be there for each other in good and bad. Love you gals keep that in mind....

photos are taken by paulette and rizza

Wish Granted

2006-08-23T13:43:00.000+08:00

I had been envious of some friends for a month now because they all had "moments" connected to each other which I was dying to experience for myself. I did follow their advice on how to best induce that "something" to happen but I had no success until this morning!!! Now I can't get over the feeling and I feel like floating in heaven.

Crazy Roll

2006-08-17T15:00:00.000+08:00

I did promise you photos of my escapade with my friends but it so happens that I forgot to bring the USB port of my camera yesterday (pabo!) hence the late entry.

We are back at the Mall of Asia and because the place is packed with a lot of restaurants we had a hard time deciding where to eat. So we walked the entire length of the mall to check each establishments before deciding on a japanese restaurant named "Crazy Roll" only because there's a gentleman outside attracting the attention of passers-by to check out the menu and giving a description of their house specialty. I assume he's the owner and a very clever one at that. The interior of the place will fool you in thinking its an ice cream store rather than a japanese restaurant with the walls painted in vivid pistacchio and avocado green with strokes of flowers here and there.

The dining table is an art in itself with paper origami encased in the glass.

But what makes the place worth another visit is the food. From the appetizer they served to the main meal we ordered. How we wished we opted for the sample platter of their sushi roll so we can have more variety. Nonetheless their signature dish "crazy, crazy" is really mouth watering. The spicy tuna on top perks up your palate and just made me more excited about the main course.
Our meal clockwise from the top "bottomless" wanton noodle for Flor, yes you read it right you can have as much as you want for less than USD$3.30 including tax. Mine is oyakodon (rice toppings with chicken and egg) with miso soup (one of the best I had). Pau opted for "omuraisu" a japanese take on omelette. It passed her discriminating taste so I'm ordering that next time we go there and lastly an assorted seafood bento box for Charity. I was tempted to get a piece of her salmon because it really looks yummy.

The owner kept coming to our table to check if we like the food, I should have told him about mine and pau's blog so he can see how much we enjoyed our dinner. Who knows he may offer us a good deal for promoting his place, hahaha..... wishful thinking on my part.

It's friday so I'm off to Minsok for dinner tonight. Good since I haven't eaten any korean food for two weeks now.

The Seen Though My Window

2006-08-16T17:58:00.000+08:00

Here's some pics of what I see everyday whenever I'm at work.

On my left The Peninsula Manila Hotel

And just accross the street is the Makati Shangri-la Hotel

I'll be joining some friends for dinner so expect more pictures tomorrow. In the meantime I'm leaving you with a self-cam photo I've taken while waiting for the girls. See you tomorrow!

Whale Watching In Gold Coast

2006-08-15T16:53:00.000+08:00

My fave aunt & uncle in Gold Coast decided to go whale watching last week and sent me loads of photos. It was their long overdue birthday celebration ~ they had to postpone their earlier date due to bad weather. Why go whale watching when the whales aren't there, defeats the purpose right. Anyway, I chose a few to share here with their blessings of course.

a humpback whale breaking the surface expelling air

Another one swimming near their boat

The whales comes from Antarctica and they migrate north to Queensland each year to warmer waters to give mate, give birth and then they travel back to the souithern waters to feed. What a sight to behold. I hope I can visit Donsol, a province south of the country to have the same experience.

Wishing For A Dream

2006-08-14T15:10:00.000+08:00

I went to the newly opened Mall of Asia last Saturday with 2 very good friends. I was a spur of the moment thing because I made a major blunder with a cd I burned for friend #1 so she has to borrow the copy of friend #2. Good thing I joined them because friend #2 just dreamed about the whole group watching a concert of our fave boyband. The rest of her dream was so awesome all we did was ask her for more details as we had our dinner and while checking out the shops in that mall.

I've always wished to have a dream similar to hers. Sure I had one once that involved my current banchan but it was so sad. I can't even remember any romantic scenes only scenarios worthy of a "tv drama". I was so determined to have a good dream I immediately went to bed after I went home but my body clock is not used to sleeping early so I had another video marathon until my eyes can't take it anymore. I woke up with no recollection of a dream, darn!!! It only made me more determined to duplicat my friends dream so I planned on having an afternoon nap. Still no success, 5 of my friends found it to be the most convenient to chat using sms. Last night was also a failure, I only saw a flash of us together for a few seconds, no cheesy, romantic scenes. Guess it's not meant to happen so tonight I'll just immerse myself on the latest season of Dr. House.

More Online Quiz

2006-08-14T12:59:00.000+08:00

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you.
But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft.
You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily.
You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

Why Am I Not Surprised?

2006-08-14T12:52:00.000+08:00

You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming.
Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you.

You are best known for: your touch

Your dominant state: changing

What Type of Weather Are You?

I'm Turning Blue

2006-08-11T14:10:00.000+08:00

The airconditioning unit in our building must have undergone some maintenance check cause I feel I'm stuck in one of those cooling units found in kitchens of hotels. I'm not really complaining because I love it, it's just unfortunate that I have no coat with me now.

Oh well, three more hours and I'm out of here TGIF!!! I'll be meeting some friends tonight for our usual end-of-week get together.

I look forward tostaying in bed longer and waking up just in time for brunch. Ciao for now....

"Sukob"

2006-08-09T11:45:00.000+08:00

My daughter has been bugging me to watch the movie “Sukob” or The Wedding Curse, a suspense-thriller by one of my fave directors Chito Rono for a week now. She’s one of those who gets easily scared but still loves watching horror movies while I’m the exact opposite. It would take a lot to make me scream when watching said genres. So last Sunday, we headed to Glorietta 4 just in time for the screening, Seems the movie is doing good box- office wise, I had a hard time locating vacant seats.

The movie is about a superstitious belief among Filipinos that siblings should not get married on the same year or when a close family member dies. It's supposed to bring bad luck to the married couple.

Sandy (Kris Aquino) and Dale (Wendell Ramos) are both overseas workers who came home to get married. Upon reaching her home, Sandy learns from her mother, Daisy, what happened to her friend, Helen. A short time after Helen’s father died, Helen proceeded with her wedding. A few weeks after the wedding, Helen’s husband dies in a plane crash. As Helen goes to the crash site, she dies in a bus accident. A few weeks later, Helen’s mother suddenly disappears inside her house. Their bodies have never been recovered.

On the eve of her wedding, Joya (Maja Salvador)the daughter of Dale's cousin began seeing a vision from the house accross Sandy's. Sandy proceeds with her own wedding and during the ceremony, she suffers from nosebleed and starts seeing glimpses of a ghostly flower girl from the church up to the reception. She begins to feel uneasy especially when Joya confirmed seeing the ghostly apparition too. Tragedy starts immediately when her bridesmaids had a road accident but their bodies were never found, instead her bridal cord was recovered from the site. She immediately sought the help of Joya who told her about her vision of another couple (Claudine Baretto and Bernard Palanca) getting married and suffering the same fate.

Isabel (Claudine) lost her husband a day after the wedding and his body was never recovered. She also sees the apparition of the ghost at her wedding and everytime someone close to her dies.

Things become more mysterious when Sandy receives their respective wedding photos. The people who died are headless in the photos. They realize that all the headless people in the photos are bound to die. Joya tells Sandy that she is cursed by the “sukob.” Sandy is shocked – no one in her family has died recently, nor has anyone gotten married. In searching for the truth, Sandy unearths a family secret. I'll assume you can already guess what the secret is. And in order to end the curse one of them has to make a sacrifice.

Overall the actors gave a convincing performance but Claudine was the stand-out in this movie. The cinematography is good but the nitpicker in me will always find loopholes. I just can't see the connection of the ghost to Helen the neighbor who died, Sandy and Isabel. But if you just want to be entertained they go ahead to watch it.

Joyride

2006-08-07T14:52:00.000+08:00

After weeks of non-stop rain, I woke up last Saturday with what appears to be a bright and sunny day. A good omen for what’s to happen, a joyride with my friends.

We intended to leave the city by seven in the morning to avoid the traffic and since I have less than an hour to make it to the assigned meeting place (yes I woke up late) I skipped breakfast and just did my absolutions before getting to a cab. Flor was first to arrive and since it was just 5 minutes before our departure time we were wondering where the others are. Did we get the instructions right, so text messages were sent to the three ladies who will complete our party. Charity, our designated driver and tour guide arrived 10 minutes later just as Flor and I purchased a waffle to ease our hunger pangs. Thirty minutes later and countless dance tracks on the radio we started our road trip to Lipa City, Batangas.

First stop was the San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa with its circular dome and massive walls. The murals and stained glass windows inside the church are very impressive. After giving thanks and saying my prayers I took some photos of the interior but since they're not that good I'm posting the ones taken by Pau. More picture taking followed as we checked the sites along the compound. You can view them here and here. Then it was time to get back to the car, next stop is Batangas City.

Charity gave us a quick tour of the city that has been her home for a few years working as a medical representative. But with just a small hotdog waffle and chips for breakfast we all felt the need to be nourished ASAP. We found ourselves at T.O.P. otherwise known as "The Other Place" a Filipino style restaurant that boast of the best "crispy pata" (deep fried pork knuckles) in town. The lowdown was that it took them a long time to get the food at our table. I was really, really tempted to stand and check the kitchen myself and ask what’s taking them so long to get our meal done. Lai finally gave up and got some chips and chocolates for us to nibble and by the time I finished a small packet of M & M, our food was served. We were all so hungry we barely took noticed of the ruckus that was happening around us. Alvin Patrimonio, a basketball superstar of the 90’s and now a coach of a professional league team entered the restaurant and was shaking hands with the staffs and some guest who are looking his way. I had to admit I was a big fan of his during my college days. I even strained my vocal chords several times just by watching him play. So we just checked him out for 2 seconds just in time for him to notice us. I’m certain he was about to say hi but we are so hungry we’d rather eat than stare at him. I swear the look of uncertainty on his face was priceless, too bad I was not in the mood to take photos. By the way the food was really delicious; it totally made up for the long wait.

After paying our bill we decided to stay outside for a few minutes just to settle the food in our full stomach. But being the wacky bunch that we are, Charity immediately launched into her rendition of Shinhwa’s Perfect Man complete with choreography never mind if she’s in full view of the passing buses and cars along the highway. Pau, Lai and I took turns taking photos and videos of her performance while laughing hard. It was during this time that Alvin and his party came out of the restaurant where he was again mobbed by the customers in the nearby shop. His Manager noticed us and thought we are waiting for Alvin because I saw him calling his attention and pointing in our direction. Flor whispered “Alvin is coming our way. He thought we are waiting for him. Just take a photo and get it over with”. So I volunteered to take the first shot and then his manager offered to take another shot so I can be included in the photo. We went inside the car immediately after and laughed our hearts out. If only he knew that we have no interest whatsoever in him but in fairness we seemed genuine enough in acknowledging the people in that vicinity. Suddenly feeling drowsy from the combined effect of the weather and food, we decided to have a strong cup of coffee at Hotel Ponte Fino but of course we won’t waste such a good location without having our pictures taken, nice ones right?

It started to rain hard as we pass by Lemery on our way to Taal, one of the two most culturally preserved sites of the Spanish colonial era the other being Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Kudos to the people of Taal in making a conscious effort to preserve the old houses. I started to feel like we are doing a “Visita Iglesia”. A Holy Week tradition in our country where you have to visit 14 churches preferably on foot to commemorate the 14 Stations of the Cross. We made our way to the Basilica of Saint Michael De Tours which was first built in 1575 but was destroyed during the eruption of Taal Volcano in 1754 and was later rebuilt in 1755. It was once noted to be the biggest in South East Asia with its combined patriotic, religious, and artistic influence. Its façade is baroque and consists of a single mass of stone shaped into rich complex designs. We said our prayers and then off we went to the nearby Caysasay Shrine with a well that is reputed to be miraculous. Connecting the two is a flight of 123 rough-hewn marble steps. One look at those stairs and we immediately asked Charity if she really wants us to climb those steps because I’m the first to admit that I’m not up to the challenge. She never mentioned hiking was part of the day’s activity. Good thing we only have to climb about 20 steps before we entered a path that leads to the Santa Lucia well and the ruins of the Old Caysasay Church. The trail was muddy and with overgrown trees and grasses around, you can’t help but feel a little creepy. We kept chanting “tabi, tabi po, makikiraan lang sandali” excuse us; we are just passing through for those unseen beings that may inhibit the place. A group of young lads offered to get water for us from the well using a pail attached to a bamboo pole. It was getting dark so we did not linger and went back to where we parked the car and said another prayer at the new church.

Shortly after it rained really hard just as we are on a zigzag road going to Tagaytay City. You can hardly see what’s in front of you. We kept checking the fruit stalls along the road because we all wanted to bring home some atis. Batangas is reputed to have some of the sweetest variety. The heavy downpour worked to our advantage because we were able to get a very good price for the fruit and we even got some boiled corn on a cob to munch while enjoying the disco music from the 70’s and 80’s.

Too bad the rain did not abate so we have to dine indoors at “The Viewpoint”. I would have been better if we had our dinner “al fresco style” in one of their huts. We had our coffee at Starbucks near Taal Vista before heading back to the city and calling it a night.

Let It Be The End of The Day

2006-08-04T14:23:00.000+08:00

Why does time drag so slow when you're having a bad day.
I wish I have some magic powers to make the time move faster.
I need to unwind, I need good company, relaxing music and a very cold San Mig Lite.

Green Tea Commercial

2006-08-03T12:53:00.000+08:00

Charity sent me a link to this very cute Green Tea commercial. Good thing there's youtube to bring relief to my otherwise boring day.

Best Halo-Halo In Town

2006-08-02T14:10:00.000+08:00

Liam Fitzpatrick of Time Asia Magazine named Manila Peninsula's "Halo-halo Harana" as the best in town. The said dessert is a must try for everyone who visit the country. It's a welcome relief after spending a few hours in our tropical weather.

Halo-halo is made of shaved ice, egg-yolk custard, chickpeas, sweetened kidney beans, colored gelatin, red, green and white sugar palm, nata de coco (or coconut gel), purple-yam preserve, sago in syrup, jackfruit, makapuno (a rare variety of creamy coconut), purple-yam ice cream, toasted rice crisps, about an inch of evaporated milk and sugar ~ lots of it.

But for me the best and most convenient way to get this treat is from your nearby chinese fastfood "Chowking". Here's a look at their recent commercial, isn't it tempting?

"Yeonjiri" My Take

2006-08-01T14:17:00.000+08:00

With nothing to do on a Saturday night, I decided to look into my collection of still unwatched korean movies. I decided on Jo Han-sun and Choi Ji-woo film "Yonjiri"/Now and Forever.

Min-su(Han-sun) is the CEO of a gaming company who loves to play the field even when it comes to women. All will change after he meet's Hye-won (Jiwoo) while he's on his way to a hospital for a routine check-up after he met a minor road accident. Hye-won is also going to the same hospital and in her rush to leave the car she left her mobile phone. Minsu thought she was a nurse and tried locating her but due to a twist of fate Hye-won herself showed up in his room clad in a hospital gown.

Here's where the story lines inconsistencies started and ruined the whole thing for me. Girl shows up in your room dressed like a patient when you assumed all along that she's a nurse but Min-su never even blurted out "Oh, you're also a patient here" or maybe "what wrong with you". Instead she asked the girl out the following day so he can buy her a cellphone because he pretended to have lost the one left in his car. While on the way out Hye-won keeps hiding her face so as not to be recognized by the hospital staff. Mission accomplished they return to the hospital.

Hye-won is supposed to be afflicted with a terminal illness *yes it's the same scenario again* hence her confinement to a hospital but she goes out whenever she feels like it under the noses of the entire hospital staff.

They continue dating but not once did the guy exert any effort to know why she is staying in a hospital. Is love that blind that you tend to lose any common sense. Then the girls doctor finally talks to Min-su and the next scene shows him getting depressed. Hye-won left the hospital so she can avoid Min-su but typical of a melodrama the guy comes back professing his love no matter what the circumstances are. Girl says no but after seeing how the guy is suffering will give in.

Next are scenes of them making the most of their time together and falling more inlove with each other. Now here comes another twist, the guy is also dying from brain cancer but is keeping it to himself or so he thought. Unknown to him, Hye-won was informed of Min-su's condition by her doctor *so where's the patient - doctor confidentiality here*.

To make the ending more dramatic the couple went to Hye-won's hometown. The scene showing Hye-won and Minsu up on a hill hugging each other under two trees with brances entwined to each other with the sea, and a clear blue sky as a backround is breathtaking. Soon thereafter Hye-won dies and leaves a message to Min-su thanking him for the love and that he was a fool to think she was not aware of his illness.

I was hoping Choi Ji-woo would show some improvement in the acting department since she's portrayed this kind of role countless times before. She can shed tears without looking like a crumpled piece of paper but she lacks depth. Jo Han-sun was ok but not outstanding. Overall it a mediocore film with a very predictable ending.

10 Things I Can’t Live Without

2006-07-28T14:50:00.000+08:00

Mobile Phone. I feel incomplete without having it by my side. In fact, there are times that I go back home just to retrieve it even if I’m already running late.
The internet. It’s not that I’m super techie but I feel my day is not complete unless I check my email, blogs and the forums I normally visit.
Cable tv. Call me 10pm onwards and chances are I’m watching one of my fave American or Korean television shows so having a cable connection is a must for me.
Reading material. If my senses are still alive and kicking before midnight then a good book or an interesting magazine must be at my bedside. Beats counting sheep anytime.
Pillows. Big fluffy pillows, the more the better.
Music. Can’t imagine life without songs to sooth my soul.
Good Food. Do I need to elaborate.
Good companion. Our family will always be there but having good friends who will stand by you through the highs and lows of your life is a treasure beyond compare.
A good pair of jeans. Nothing is more comfortable to wear than a denim that fits in all the right places.
Coffee. black with just a teaspoon of sugar is how I like it.

I'm sure I can think of more things to add but I'm giving the chance to you my friends to create your own list. TGIF!

Can Friendship Bloom From A Broken Relationship?

2006-07-27T12:50:00.000+08:00

I can't remember how many times I've been asked by friends about the possibility of having a platonic relationship with an ex-lover. In fact majority of the people I know would prefer a clean break.

But there are those who we still remember with fondness. Like someone whose got a great sense of humor, an exceptional cook who can whip up your favorite dish in an instant. Or a man who sings for you whenever you feel down and blue. So when the relationship ends should good-bye be forever or could you salvage what is left and become friends.

I'm lucky enough to have one of my ex-boyfriend as my best friend. My pillar of support during some of the toughest times in my life and someone who can knock some sense in me. But it takes a lot to reach the level we are right now.

Although we kept tabs of what is happening in each others lives, we never actually made the effort to talk in person. We all need time to find ourselves again and get over the excess baggage of that past relationship. Go meet other people and enjoy life as a single person again. Only after you are confident enough to say it's really over can you start contemplating on the possibility of having him/her back in your life.

Now are you sure you can make a go with friendship, simple no frills kind of a relationship? Or maybe you are still harboring thoughts of you getting back together again. What about getting intimate for old times sake. Do you still feel a twinge in your heart if you hear that he/she is dating someone else. Are you checking if that person is better than you and if not do you feel like a celebration is forthcoming. If you do then hold your horses and stay away. You are not being fair to yourself by pretending you are over when you are not.

For me real friendship can only flourish between ex-lovers when they've truly forgotten and forgiven each other for whatever mistakes they have committed in the past and is ready to there for each other. And lest we forget, such friendship must no hinder whatever relationships you might have now or in the future.

Next Time I'll Have It With Bread

2006-07-26T13:12:00.000+08:00

Went to the deli here at our building for a quick lunch and since I've tasted all the possible sandwich combinations they have, I opted for the newest product in their menu - german franks. The counter clerk asked me if I want it with bread or rice and the asian in me blurted rice! So here's what it looks like..... Suddenly it doesn't look appetizing at all. Next time I'll keep it in mind the franks are best eaten on a bun.

Scattered Thought #2

2006-07-25T12:52:00.000+08:00

Follow your instinct and just don't watch shows you don't like in the first place because you'll end up calling yourself stupid e.i. Wowowie last Saturday when Willie murdered the names of his foreign guest. People please, you can fumble your way in saying places, food or other random things but make an effort to ask around how to say a name you are not familiar with. It's the polite and proper thing to do.
Be extra vigilant when you are in the company of the V-team. Make sure that when a punchline to a joke is forthcoming, food and drinks are not to be touched and be aware that others are doing the same.
Reading is a good way to pass your time but stay away from Harry Potter Book 6 when you are already feeling blue because of the non-stop rain. I just can't imagine Harry without Prof. Dumbledore
I'm afraid, very afraid.... why you ask? Because my niece just got conjunctivitis and now her younger brother has it too. My daughter is always with them even if I ask her to stay away so now I'm turning into a paranoid.

Bento Boxes, Green Ice Tea and Kimchi

2006-07-24T14:45:00.000+08:00

Erli and I made a date to see each other last Saturday because it's been a while since our last meeting. And because she will be coming from Pampanga we decided to meet late in the afternoon at Powerbooks, Greenbelt. Certified book lovers that we are, you just can't leave the place without buying something and what caught her attention is a book by Prof. Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo entitled "Skyscrapers, Celadon and Kimchi". It's a autobiographical/travel journal of her three-and-a-half years stay in South Korea with her husband who works for UNICEF. I grabbed my own copy and then we proceeded to nearby Glorietta because she's craving for japanese food. We ended up having our early dinner here at Sakura

with me having a chicken teppanyaki bento meal while she ordered one with ebi tempura served with green ice tea (forgot to take a photo though).

We were so engrossed with our conversation that we were oblivious to the heavy rain pouring outside. I'm always grateful that I have friends who may differ in a lot of ways from me but still take the time to keep in touch and spend a few hours of their very hectic schedule to assure one another that we are just here for each other. I just wish that next time other bae sisters can join us.

Face Shop Is Now In Town

2006-07-24T14:41:00.000+08:00

I took some photos of the facade of the newly opened Face Shop in Glorietta 2 last Saturday. The place is very light and welcoming and the prices very competitive. And with two standees of Kwon Sang Woo and more pictures of him inside the shop, it's no wonder the place is jampacked with curious onlookers.

Scattered Thoughts #1

2006-07-20T16:43:00.000+08:00

My fave make-over guys Kylan Douglas, Tom Felicia, Ted Allen, Carson Cressley and Jai Rodriguez from Queer Eye For the Straight Guys are in Manila right now. I'm planning to see them tonight but I forgot my camera ~ what a bummer.
White chicken never tasted as good as what I had last night. Or was it because I was super duper hungry.
Strong brewed coffee is still best for me if I don't want to end up when I have something good to read before bedtime.
Stalking a korean movie star or any other star for that matter is not that interesting if you don't dig him in the first place.
I wish money grows on trees so I can travel to Singapore this September and to Korea this October.

2006-07-13T16:16:00.000+08:00

It's been raining continuously for the past two days and I'm so loving the cool weather. It makes me want to stay in bed under a thick comforter while reading a good book or listening to mellow music on my radio. And my ultimate comfort food? champorado with tuyo. To my foreign friends ,champorado is basically glutinous rice cooked like a porridge with chocolate powder and sugar added and a drizzle of milk. Such a sweet treat is best eaten with dried salted fish *yummy*

Once In A Lifetime

2006-07-10T15:03:00.000+08:00

Now make way for another music video here in my blog. This time it's the song "Once In A Lifetime" by Shinhwa. I heard about them but never took noticed of the group until I saw them in a game show not singing but playing games and fell hook, line and sinker. They are so much more than friends and more like brothers. Each have their own charm but I do have Shin Hye Sung as my fave.

Once in a Lifetime
Shinhwa

(Eric) Everyday I pray to help me through the day
to make myself stronger...and I pray

(Minwoo) geu oraen ggumdeuri jogeumsshik dagawa
nun ape pyolchyojineun jigeum

(Hyesung) nan nuneul gamgoso gaseum sokeuro
jonhae oneun nugungaee gideul dedgo isseo

(Junjin) syumanheun byoldeulgwa yaksok haetdon
modeun ggumdeureun
onjengan irwojindago mido

(Dongwan) ddamgwa, ee nunmulgwa sojunghan
sarangman itdamyon
urin muoshideun haenaelsu isseo

(Shinhwa) Once in a lifetime fly to the star
(Hyesung) Byoldeuri noee ggumeul jiggyo julgoya
(Shinhwa) Once in your lifetime uri geunalwihae
Yongwonhi hamkke mandeuro gayahal
(Minwoo) Love for your dreams

(Andy) seulpeugo himdeun naldeureul da
jinadorokhae, OK
open up your eyes to the sky
then you can find the way
for then better days
ije uri sesangeul modu gatchi da hamkke halsu itge

(Eric) himdeulmyon swiogado OK, yo jamggan take
a second
geu oraen ggum sumanhen star I know that you
can take it
hamkkeramyon jomdo nalgoya ni ggumdeureun
passion it’s all yours there's no question

(Junjin) syumanheun apeumeul gyondyonaetdon
modeun ggumdeureun
onjengan dora ondago mido

(Hyesung) ddamgwa, ee yoljonggwa sojunghan
sarangman itdamyon
urin muoshideun dwil goya

(Shinhwa) Once in a lifetime fly to the star
(Hyesung) Byoldeuri noee ggumeul jiggyo julgoya
(Shinhwa) Once in your lifetime uri geunalwihae
Yongwonhi hamkke mandeuro gayahal
(Dongwan) Love for your dreams..yeah..oh..

(Minwoo) ddaeron salme jichyo uljiman
(Dongwan) no, baby no more cry
(Minwoo) noee himi dwijulke
(Dongwan)I ’ll pray for you and me tonight

(Hyesung) noreul dalmeun byoreul bolsu itdamyon
naee sarangdo malhalgoya..oh..oh

(Shinhwa) Once in a lifetime ...

(Shinhwa) Once in a lifetime fly to the star
Byoldeuri noee ggumeul jiggyo julgoya
(Minwoo) jiggyo julgoya
(Shinhwa) Once in your lifetime uri geunalwihae
Yongwonhi hamkke mandeuro gal
(Hyesung) everything for your dreams

(Shinhwa) Once in a lifetime fly to the star
(Hyesung) fly to the star
(Shinhwa) yongwonhi noee gumeul giokhalgoya
(Dongwan) giokhalgoya
(Shinhwa) once in your lifetime uri geunalwihae
yongwonhi hamkke mandeuro gayahal
(Hyesung & Minwoo) love for your dreams

thanks to my friend lou for taking pity of me and actually romanized the song so I can sing along.

How Do You Sleep?

2006-07-04T14:48:00.000+08:00

I'm posting another one of those forwarded emails that I get which I end up keeping for reasons still unknown to me but since it's interesting enough I'm posting it here.