joyce meets world

Most awaited sequel

2009-09-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

bibingka of the year

2009-05-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Was shoe-shopping in Liliw last Saturday when I passed by a street stall selling bibingkas and other delicacies. The stuff looked like they came right off the claypot kaya tinanong ko agad how much one bibingka was. P60 daw. So I had one pie sliced into 6 pieces and individually wrapped in banana leaves. When I got back in the van, we all bit into our slices. MY GOODNESS!!! Nakarinig yata ako ng music sa sarap! Hahaha!!! Turned out kasi that the bibingka had macapuno filling! First time for me to taste something like that! YUMMY!!!

Sayang medyo malayo lang ang Liliw....

... ang halaman doon, ay sari-sari...

2009-05-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

While my folks were talking to the guy with the orchids in his head (long funny story, hindi ko nakunan ng picture so hindi ko na lang ikukuwento dito, hehehe), we arrived at Ming's Garden na so dun na lang namin sila hinintay.

While waiting for the parents to catch up, kodakan muna. Me inside the gazebo. Check out the bag. Bought it at Step-Rite (sa Pagsanjan ha).

There's also a coffee shop at Ming's Garden. The wooden tables and chairs used to be on sale pero they're now part of the resto. Masarap ang suman and bibingka nila ha. Sorry di ko na nagawang kunan ng picture. Hehehe.

Man with a mission. Dad went straight to the garden to check out plants he can bring to the farm.

My dad bought pots of this kind of orchid. I said I'd put a petal in boiling water to see if the blue color will come off. Hehehe. Bag of Beans also had this in their courtyard, remember? Maganda pag bukang-buka na ang flowers...

... pero pag bubot pa, it looks like this. Mukhang Christmas lights. Hehehe.

Flowers and plants everywhere. Would have loved to check out all the plants kaso medyo madulas. Hehehe.

Walang connect ito sa halaman, pero the ladies' room is sooo cute. Very girlish and very whimsical. I just had to take a picture. Hehehe.

It's never too cold to pray

2009-05-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

This place is a must-visit whenever we are in Tagaytay.

Ugali ng Pinoy to take pictures of themselves in front of buildings (check out those dark clouds!). So here's Seoul Sister and Pics...

... and there's Auntie Lei and my mom.

One of the coolest church bells ever. They sound like windchimes.

This is where people reflect and write down their prayers for the Pink Sisters to read.

Cousin Pics posed na kunwari good boy at prayerful siya...

... but I said he should pose this way. Hehehe.

Haaaaay.... hindi lang halata kasi hindi kami naka-jacket...

... pero super lamig that day. It was supposed to be the middle of the summer season kasi noh!

guess who was born on Labor Day

2009-05-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

It was my mom's birthday last Friday! Since my dad also wanted to check out the nurseries in Tagaytay (nursery ng halaman, hindi ng mga babies. Okay, fine, gardens na nga lang), we had lunch there sabay pasyal na rin. First stop was Bag of Beans.

Last time I was there, umuulan at parang may bagyo. This time, makulimlim ang panahon. Since there were several typhoons in the country, super lamig sa Tagaytay, parang Baguio. Masarap mag-kape.

Kodakan muna habang wala pa yung food. Only my young cousin Wig was missing that day.

The food? Masarap lahat ang na-order namin. Hehehe. Mushroom soup, steak ala pobre, grilled tanigue, fish and chips, chicken ala kiev, etc. These are definitely not fastfood menu. Pati presyo, hindi rin pang-fastfood.

After eating, I finally had a chance to take a short tour of the place -- never got to do that the first time I went here in 2007. Sturdy-looking picnic table and benches. Take note of that blue orchid thingie na nakasabit sa puno. You'll see it again.

This door leads to a new covered area. When asked by my dad, the staff said they usually transfer guests eating in the courtyard there kapag bumuhos bigla ang ulan. Nice.

These pocket resting areas in the courtyard remind me of Sonya's Garden. Parang maganda magkaron ng ganito sa farmita.

I really liked this tree with the red and yellow orchids hanging from the branches.

Another nice place to hangout. Love the bench. That's my Seoul sister trying it out.

A small Bag of Beans. Cute noh? Found this inside the bakeshop / coffeeshop.

Sa Bag of Beans... may bags of beans! Hehehe. Their coffee was good, but we didn't buy one bag though.

Tinapay, made in Tagaytay. Mom liked the dinner rolls served at lunch so she bought the last availale dozen (not seen in picture).

Okay, where to next? Pink Sisters or Ming's Garden?

bagong ligo ang pakiramdam...

2009-04-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

We named him Homer, after a male character in a local drama series. But I thought he looks more like Homer Simpson -- darker kasi ang fur niya sa nguso eh. Hehehe.

ano ang nasa dako pa roon...

2009-04-23T12:58:00.001-07:00

My bro and his friends spent a weekend at a resort a few weeks ago. Before heading back home, a friend of his decided to take a picture of his child, with a cluster of trees as the background. He only used a cameraphone, and the picture below was directly taken from the phone.

Ngayon, tingnan niyo mabuti ang background sa litrato. Can you see anything... or anyone?

What can you see in the background? We've all been to the resort before, and have taken pictures of these trees, none of our pictures ever looked like this one.

(Note: As per my bro's friend's request, I've covered his little girl's face to protect their family's privacy.)

chocolat!

2009-04-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Remember this? Its seeds have already been dried and grounded. Kaya ngayon...

Cocoa na! Ate Lydia (a cousin-in-law) painstakingly transformed the seeds into this. Bonggacious!

Final product. Mainit na cocoa para sa mainit na panahon. Hehehe. Malamig naman sa farm so puwede na.

Perfect partner. Ensaymada talaga daw ang dapat kasama ng mainit na cocoa.

It's not the chocolate drink kids are used to having, pero at least sinubukan pa rin nila. A tip from me: isawsaw ang ensaymada sa cocoa. Super sarap, promise.

goodnight, Good Friday

2009-04-20T04:05:00.000-07:00

Twilight. After the procession, Dad and I hung out at the river deck. Sobrang bilog ang buwan and super liwanag.

We were all wondering where young Lance was while we were watching the procession. Nasa ilog pala, naglalaro.

prusisyon

2009-04-20T03:46:00.000-07:00

Spending Holy Week in the province wouldn't be complete without watching the usual procession of saints.

Pieta. Iconic image used countless times. Still quite haunting whenever I see it.

This one always gives me pause. As a child, I found it quite scary. Pero kapag nakikita ko ito every year, it always reminds me what the Holy Week is really all about.

"wala lang" tour

2009-04-19T13:31:00.001-07:00

Bigla kong napag-tripan mag-tour ng farm mag-isa while we had guests at the fishpen. Dahil siguro Good Friday, trip ko lang magkaroon ng "alone time". So I started the tour at the entrance of the fishpen. The buri hat above fell in the water (the kids were playing with it) kaya pinapatuyo near the entrance.

Always loved this cluster of trees. Perfect place to set up the duyan na binili namin a long long long time ago.

I also circled around the main cottage to see if I can capture the changes my dad made. Kaso against the light pala ako. Hehehe. Plus maraming nang nakaharang na foliage so hindi makita masyado ang house from where I was. Maybe next time.

Here's the new grotto. Hindi ko nakunan yung image sa loob kasi medyo madulas paakyat. Maybe next time.

And then I found cousin Wig in the main cottage. Actually, I found him in this pose halos throughout the entire weekend. Yan ang "alone time". Hehehe. His face was so funny when he woke up to find a lot of people -- unfamiliar faces -- roaming around the farm.

Blockbuster Friday

2009-04-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

After Chetski and her family left, akala namin walang bisitang darating na since it was Good Friday. However, Lola Nora came an hour after Chetski left. Then 30 minutes later, my mom's friend said her family will be dropping by in the afternoon. 30 minutes after that, my cousin and her family came!

Lola groovy's here! My mom's age-defying Tiya Nora's in the country for a long vacation. Sayang hindi ko nakunan ng pic but she brought puto that was really really really HUGE!

Cousin Lena, her hubby and her son surprised us with a visit in the morning!They haven't been to our Pagsanjan house for over a decade, and they have never been to the farm pala!

While most of the guests were inside the fish pen area, the kids roamed around the farm. Here's a picture of my pamangkins looking at the place where the ducks usually swim.

Mga Bulaklak ng Cavinti Jail. My mom and her friends decided to chat with me while they were inside the "pagcor" area. Took me a few minutes before I realized na parang dinadalaw ko sila sa city jail. Hehehe.

Holy Thursday

2009-04-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Martinez family. Chetski's family spent the night at our house in Pagsanjan before going home the next day. First time ni Chetski to see the farm after all the recent additions have been made.

Discovery #1. Having kids at the farm made us realize a few things. The first is: Remind the kids not to over-feed the fish. Better yet, hide the fishfood. Hehehe.

Halo-halo talaga. May halo-halo na, may kakanin pa. Not to mention may videoke at walang katapusang kuwento ni Tito Bob. Haaay. Sarap tumawa. Even though we shouldn't have kasi Holy Thursday. Hehehe.

Visita Iglesia 2009

2009-04-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Original prayer leader. Chetski's back! After several years of not joining our Visita Iglesia trips, nakasama siya this year, together with her cousin, sister and pamangkin. Since 1999, ngayon lang yata nagkasama most of the original group -- me, mom, Auntie Lea and Chetski!

Pangil (That's the name of the church). No matter how many times I've been inside, the impact of the altar and the ceiling never get old. Umm, I mean, the place is old, pero... heck, you know what I mean. Hehehe.

Mom, Auntie Lea, and some members of our Pagsanjan family.

The Last Supper. I've been going to this church every Holy Week but this is the first time I've seen a replica of the whole Last Supper on display! Too bad walang side na magandang kunan 'coz the disciples surround the whole table.

I've always wondered why there are people-shaped candles being sold outside a church. Para kasing pang-kulam eh. Hehehe.

First time! When we reached the parking lot, we found a huge crowd watching something. Turned out may senakulo pala! Haven't seen one before so I immediately whipped out the digicam.

You need to squint your eyes for this one. There are two guys on the stage na mukhang taong-grasa.

SAPAK! At first, hindi ko naintindihan what in the world they were re-enacting. Hehehe. I mean, the centurions just rushed to the two people na mukhang taong-grasa and started beating them up! Turns out the two guys were playing the two thieves who were crucified alongside Jesus. It was a bit strange though na parang the soldiers were fighting among themselves too. I think the heat made the actors a bit crazy.

KAPOW! Chetski and I were shouting "Totoo na yata yan ah!"

Paete. This was the only picture I took while we were in Paete. There was quite a walk to the church, 'coz they weren't allowing cars to enter the church compound anymore. Too many people in one itsy-bitsy town.

Pagsanjan. The most interesting part of the church this year was that a lot of previously sealed areas became open to the general public. Such as this chapel somewhere on the right side of the church. Turned out mas luma itong part ng simbahan. From that chapel, we went out a door that led to an old courtyard.

On the left side of the old courtyard, meron palang smaller chapel. It looked like something you would see in San Agustin Church. Very very cool.

Their 38th!

2009-03-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Twas my parents' wedding anniversary a few days ago. We were supposed to eat at this new resto somewhere in Greenhills but the place was fully booked on a weekday! Grabe. Then we planned to eat na lang at Boni Highstreet. Kaso umulan bigla. Grabe. So we checked out the restos in the new atrium of Megamall. Ended up at Bigby's (of CamSur origins).

Worth the price. Every single thing we ordered tasted great!

cutest steamer ever

2009-03-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

My bro came into our room Tuesday night carrying what seemed to be a steamer in a box. Seoul Sister and I looked at each other, super puzzled. I was thinking to myself, alright, it's a steamer... so what? A few seconds later, this tiny head popped out of the box... then his tiny paws. SOBRANG CUTE, NOH????

People, meet Homer... the newest member of our family!

farm news

2009-03-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Huangcholi and I went to the farm to check out the fruits for an "idea" we've been thinking about for almost two months now. Will tell you what it is soon. Here are some of the fruits. May hula na kayo what the "idea" is?

Mainit na ginataan on a hot summer day. Wow.

The mahjong area is fully furnished already and ready to use. Kaso, masyadong mainit sa loob in the middle of the day. May "greenhouse effect". Hehehe.

Kaya, dito pa rin sila naglaro.

Something new! It's a fishpen in the farmita! Under construction pa, but may mga isda na, and the cottage on top is almost done.

This is one side of the cottage area.

Here's the other side.

Grow up to be yummy tilapia, okay? Here are some of the small fish in the fishpen.

I'm going for an animal theme now. May rally yata ang mga pato. Shot this from a distance coz I got a feeling masama ang tingin nila sa akin eh. Hehehe.

Ilan sa inyo think naging hardboiled na itong mga itlog under the sun? Show of hands, please. Hehehehe.

Poor duckies. Most of them hid na lang in comfy little shelters. Note the sun's rays. Kung puwede lang pahiran ng SPF30 ang mga pato. Hehehe.

Love the rabbits. Hindi naman malamig ang weather, but they are all huddled together in the big cage. Awwww.

pedi na

2009-03-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

It was Auntie Lea's birthday yesterday so we all decided to treat her to a sosyal na pedi at this hand and foot spa place in The Podium.

Come to think of it, yesterday was the first time I went to this place without a painful ingrown that needed removing. Hehehe. It is the only time kasi I would allow myself to spend so much money for a pedi -- their staff can actually remove ingrown without me realizing that they got it out already!

choco fruit

2009-03-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

First time kong makakita ng cacao. It looks strange, noh? First thing I asked my mom (who got it from the tree itself by "going over the bakod" to the undeveloped lot -- I don't want to label it as trespassing, hehehe -- beside our farmita in Laguna) was how can this thing be the source of my beloved chocolate? So she said, tikman ko daw muna. It kinda tastes like santol. Still, where was the chocolate there? Yung seeds daw. I tried to bite the seeds, thinking that it would taste like chocolate already. Pero siyempre, matigas yung mga buto. Hehehe. Turns out kailangan daw ibilad muna daw sa araw para mag-dry. Then dudurugin daw ang seeds. Dun daw nagsisimula ang paggawa ng chocolate. Ah okay. You learn something new everyday. Hehehe.

Wig's 19th

2009-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

He's no 5th grader, Chetski. To my friends, my cousin Wig would always be this little kid drawing pictures of X-Men characters. Kaya nagugulantang sila when they see the tall and scrawny college man in person. And yes, Huangcholi, even if we all don't look it (ssshh! walang aangal!), if we all had babies in our teens, those kids would be around Wig's age. Imagine that!

Special request. Wig wanted to have dinuguan on his birthday, that's why his mom made enough for an entire barangay (don't base it on the picture though, hehehe.) Naturally, pag may "chocolate stew"....

... siyempre, may puto. In different colors and sizes pa! Yummy!

Sabi na nga ba eh. Pix would be present on Wig's birthday. Still, we were all surprised to actually see him come out of the pedicab, luggage and all. He came straight from the airport!

There's always time for mahjong. Kaya nag-volt-in ang regular classmates for a session. Hehehe.

11 to 11

2009-02-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

On a dare, we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day by celebrating Chetski's birthday (Dec.26) and mine (Feb. 7). Chetski promptly picked us up at 11 am, before meeting Huangcholi in front of her condo in Ortigas.

Chetksi treated us to lunch at her newly-discovered favorite resto in San Juan -- Cookbook Kitchen. After a dizzying search for the place, we finally found the resto she's been raving about. Turns out ilang beses pala naming nadaanan yung streetcorner! Hehehe. Huangcholi and I had to take some Bonamine to calm our queasy stomach -- seriously!

Masarap nga ang pagkain dito. We got parmesan-crusted fish, adobo pasta, CBK chicken and honeymustard porksteak. Good luck nga lang sa paghahanap sa resto. Hehehe.

We rushed to Makati after lunch to catch the matinee of Rep's latest musical. Siyempre romantic comedy kasi Valentine eh. The production wasn't that good. Sayang. But the two female leads sang really well. And a couple of songs were quite catchy.

China red. Huangcholi bought this red number while Chetski got stuff too at really good prices. Sale pa kasi in most shops!

We had dinner at Cravings -- my treat naman. Nagpa-reserve muna kami ng table, fearing that the tables will all be filled with couples once we finish windowshopping. Ganun na nga ang nangyari.

Chetski was the only one who ordered a Valentine special na may kasamang dessert.

Sinubukan naming magkape sa Edsa Plaza but apparently, EVERYONE'S there. Too crowded. Not a place to park our butts and mock the lovebirds passing by. Hehehe. We ended up at Dome sa Shangrila.

Kahit medyo pagod na, nag-order pa rin kami ng baklava and flourless chocolate cake bago umuwi. There's always room for dessert. Hehehe.

We got home at exactly 11pm -- 12 hours pala kaming namasyal. How's that for a Valentine's Day?

x'mas / birthday / pre-V

2009-02-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

Finally saw my MA classmates after 3 months. Kaya naging combination of x'mas / my birthday / pre-valentine celebration of sorts ang nangyari. This reunion has been postponed so many times kaya kahit na Friday the 13th, payday at Valentine weekend, we all braved the traffic and the crowded Glorietta mall para lang magkita-kita.

Egg dishes. The H&E branch in G-4 had a facelift. No more clouds, no more white swings, no more yellow anything. For some reason, it now looks like a real bar. The menu's still filled with egg though. Masarap pa rin ang food.

Had coffee at a Starbucks inside Rustan's so we can chat some more and ogle Cheeky Girl's ring.

A closer look at the engagement ring. Nice, noh? Really nice.

nasa cone?

2009-02-11T01:58:00.000-08:00

First time ko bumili ng pizzang ganito. Masarap naman. I got different flavors para matikman lahat.

tour of Rizal

2009-02-07T03:36:00.000-08:00

Yep, birthday ko today. Kaya instead of just having dinner somewhere, my family and I had an impromptu tour of a place that's practically our backyard ---- Rizal province.

1st Stop: Angono. It's been years since we last ate at Balaw-Balaw. Kaya I thought it would be fun to have lunch there today.

Very Filipino ang atmosphere. Very provincial pa. Nice. And nope, hindi kami sabay-sabay nagpunta sa CR kaya mag-isa lang nakaupo si Seoul Sister sa table. Hehehe.

While waiting for the food, the waiter suggested that we tour the gallery and museum muna. Buti na lang, matagal bago dumating yung food eh.

Ma-art. The original owner of the restaurant was a famous artist in Angono. Kaya ayun, more than half of the place is a gallery/museum of various kinds of art. Even the waiters are artists who have their original works displayed in the gallery.

More stuff upstairs. The waiter/guide told us to check out the exhibit of sculptures on the second floor. We all got dizzy taking the winding staircase. Tapos bawal pala kumuha ng pictures dun. Sayang, marami pa namang blog-worthy pieces dun!

Body Art? Aside from paintings and wooden sculptures, there are lots of "people" on exhibit. Look at these two in the small pocket garden.

Hagrid Head. The town of Angono is known for its Higantes Festival. The resto staff makes some of these higantes. Strangely enough, we can't find the body of this head.

Actually, we can't find the bodies. Puro ulo lang talaga. Look closely. Walang magkakamukha. Ang galing noh?

These masks are everywhere. If you look closely, each mask contains messages and autographs from celebrities who have been to the restaurant before.

My dad and someone's head. Me and little higantes (wait, that doesn't make sense).

Fear Factor. Even though merong soup no.5, palaka, crickets, worms, bayawak, bouganvilla, etc. sa menu, we decided to try the safer ones like (clockwise) Balaw-balaw, rose petal tempura, ginataang hipon and crispy kangkong.

One green thing. Yeah, I know it's orange. But the napkin holder is actually a recycled Coke bottle.

Party of 9. Hindi nasama si Jun the driver sa pics, kaya talagang 8 lang ang mabibilang niyo. Hehehe.

2nd stop: Binangonan. Instead of checking out the church, we decided to check out the Thunderbird Resort, which boasts of the Fiesta Pavilion casino and the Eastridge Golf Club.

Waiting area. We tried entering via the casino, kaso they wouldn't let my teenage cousin in. Kaya ito, hanap muna ng matatambayan. Obviously, sa reception area kami napunta. Hehehe.

Infinity pool. Ang sarap siguro maligo dito sa pool. The "infinity" edge actually has the best view of the mountain and the lake.

Coffeebreak. My dad tried to look for a coffeeshop inside the hotel, wala pala. Merong restaurant na puro buffet lang (we ate there years ago pa). Turns out, kahit coffee lang ang order mo, you have to pay the full buffet price. Good thing I asked the frontdesk. Meron naman palang coffeeshop dun sa may pool area.

Rock Radio. There was piped-in music all over the resort. My bro couldn't figure it out at first, until he went near one of these rocks. Hindi pala bato. Hehehe.

The view from the top. From the coffeeshop, yung golf course. Sa malayo, yung Laguna Lake na ang tanaw, complete with fishpens.

Luno Mystico. My brother in silhouette. Seoul Sister took this shot.

Last stop: Taytay. Promised myself na I won't go to the mall on my birthday. Pero nagpunta pa rin kami sa SM --- sa Taytay naman. Hehehe.

guilty-pleasure-to-be

2009-02-06T02:29:00.000-08:00

I've seen the original Japanese anime, the Taiwanese version and the latest Japanese version (nope, hindi naman ako masyadong na-obsess, hehehe). Heto na naman at may Korean version naman. For those who haven't guessed what this is yet (i.e. those who have a life -- hehehe), it's Boys Over Flowers (a.k.a. Hana Yori Dango, more popularly known as Meteor Garden). Para sa may mga SkyCable na koreanovela fans (EYK, di ba you said I should tell you when, hehehe), the drama will start airing on kbsworld on Feb.16, 9pm.

good idea, Balb

2009-01-30T06:09:00.001-08:00

It's a week before my birthday, and people have already started asking me what I plan to do on D-Day. I tell them that I want to curl up like a fetus and hide in the bathroom all day. Hehehe. But I thought my friend had a better idea...

Hmmm... now how do I get myself some snow?

pic of the day

2009-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Kung hei fat choi! I heard somewhere that pink (aside from the obvious red) is a lucky color to wear today. I'd like to thank Balb for the pic and the suggestion. Hehehe! I told you I'd think about it!

pic of the week

2009-01-13T10:28:00.001-08:00

For those who wanted to do something different with their hair. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Posted with full permission from the alien, este, lady, herself. Just like me, she's always good for a laugh -- even if it's at her own expense. Hehehe.

highschool reunion

2009-01-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

We finally saw Min after three long years. At kahit na para kaming nag-tour of Metro Manila sa kaka-decide where to meet and eat, natuloy din ang very very very short reunion with our balikbayan friend. And if all things go as planned, Min promises to come back with her hubby later this year.

ayoko ng atis

2009-01-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Thank God this is just a hoax. Thank you EYK for forwarding this to me. Hehehe!

happy bagong taon!

2009-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

The rainy New Year's Eve called for lots of vitamin C (hence the orange juice --- check out my dad's cool new dispenser)...

... and soup --- very very very hot vegetable soup.

The confetti shower officially started the "hanapan ng barya". Of course...

... the kids preferred to play with the kalat first.

Treasure hunt extreme. Basta hanapan ng barya, walang kama-kamag-anak, walang kaibi-kaibigan! Even the kids eventually got into it!

The show must go on! Despite the rain, tuloy pa rin ang putukan and fireworks. As usual, super mausok at super maingay!

A confused Father Time... kinda wearing the wrong sign.

Kids will be kids. Kahit madami ang handang food, they really prefer hotdogs. Hehehe.

First family pic of 2009. Young Toot2 couldn't be coaxed to face the camera. Di bale, next time na lang. Hehehe.

Kawawang Santa. Look at what we found during clean-up time.

pumatak na naman ang ulan...

2009-01-05T08:58:00.001-08:00

It rained last Christmas Eve!

It still rained on New Year's Eve!

We weren't able to turn on the Christmas lights outside the house due to the rain. Haaaay. Delikado kasi.

swimming in December

2009-01-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

One day last week, Huangcholi and Chetski kept the jokes coming in this 7-hour mahjong session with their hilarious banter and commentary. Panalo ang comedy act nilang dalawa!

Rudolph, Prancer... sino pa nga ba ang mga reindeer?

2009-01-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

We found quirky-looking reindeer horns at Market Market a few weeks ago, and thought they will look great come kodakan time on Christmas Eve.

Toot2 and Lance tried them on for fun...

... then posed with their dad...

... while I tried it on something else.

Uncle Mau tried it on his head... then on his chin...

... while Lance tried them all.

tick... tock... tick... tock

2009-01-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

After the evening mass, super tagal ng paghihintay for midnight. To pass the time, Toot2 played with the Thomas Train towelsl he got, Curt kept on reaching for candy, the kids passed the time making faces for the camera, while Wig and I talked about... nothing important.

boredom-proof

2009-01-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

While waiting for 12 midnight, we did our usual Christmas "intrams", but this time, with newer games (thanks to korean variety shows and Chetski for the ideas!).

One game involved twin popsies and whistling, while the other game, "dibidibidip" involved a lot of cross-eyed looks and blinking. Hehehe.

Exchange-gift with a twist. We tried Chetski's game, this time with more than 10 people. Sobrang saya! Never saw kids and adults fighting for chocolates! Preggy Teacher and hubby got most of the toiletries for obvious reasons, while Mom and J took most of the hangers (nobody wanted them although they were nice naman!)

nonstop kainan

2009-01-01T01:56:00.000-08:00

Menu highlights. Seoul Sister's famous lasagna, Ablana favorite tacos, Christmas staple queso de bola, recipe-based molo soup, and Auntie Lea's laing.

Christmas Day was also Lola Auntie's 40th, so Brother, este, Uncle Mau led a short prayer for her, pati na rin for Auntie Kris and my own Lola. A lot of relatives and friends came to pray and of course, eat. Hehehe.

Nephew Toot2 wanted to go home pero his dad wasn't around yet. Mom sat beside him to entertain him. I sat behind my mom to entertain myself. Hehehe.

2 mrs and 1 miss

2009-01-01T01:43:00.000-08:00

Bihira kami magkita ng highschool barkada pero we make sure we see each other during the holidays, kahit hindi kami complete. Same time -- lunchtime. Same place -- my house.

Haaaaay, my inaanaks are growing cuter and bigger every year. And it's really good seeing them getting along so well.

Santa to the max

2008-12-31T02:06:00.000-08:00

May Santa kaming nasa swing at may dalang gift...

... meron pang ibang version ng naka-swing, at meron ding nakasakay sa reindeer...

... meron ding nagrarapel paakyat ng bubong, at meron pang ibang version na nasa swing...

... at merong naka-swing pero hindi na sa kahoy, at meron ding naka-parachute...

... at meron ding aso na Santa. Hehehe.

paluto at pa-game

2008-12-31T01:13:00.000-08:00

Chetski, Huangcholi, Seoul Sister and I met up for our annual Christmas night out two weeks ago. Since walang tenant sa condo ni Huangcholi, we stayed there for the entire night. Tawanan galore.

"Saan tayo kakain?" We started the night by braving the traffic to eat seafood. Grabe, it took us 30 minutes to get to the resto, which was less than one block away from the condo!

Paluto. Seoul Sister treated us to seafood at Pasig's own version of Dampa. We had calamares, halaan soup, shrimp in garlic and butter sauce and of course, kuhol. Guess who ate most of the kuhol?

"Can I finish that?" Enough said. Hehehe.

Cheap thrills. Turns out we don't need cheap wine for laughs. Plus, we realized we were too old, este, mature, to get drunk just to have fun.

Lasheng? Nope, hindi naman. Although it didn't take much to convince them to try on the gifts they got from us. Hehehe.

Game na! Chetski said we should each bring 5 gifts worth P30 or less and make sure that they are wrapped in newspaper. Tapos, dapat daw yung gifts are stuff you wouldn't normally buy as gifts. Nakakatawa nga naman yung game. Huangcholi and I ended up fighting for one cheap gift. Hehehe. Curious ba kayo how the game was played?

Lazy Wednesday. Sarap tumambay sa condo at humilata. Hehehe.

KKL. Kanya-kanyang lakad na after a very late lunch together. Chetski was going to a Christmas party, while Huangcholi, Seoul Sister and I were going to the mall for some Christmas shopping. It took us 1 hour to get from the condo to the mall that was only two blocks away!

A condo with a view. Too bad there's no Julian Sands around. Hehehe.

channeling his inner ET ... or is it his inner Kenny?

2008-12-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

18th Christmas with college friends

2008-12-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

The college barkada met up for the annual Christmas reunion at Luisi's house again. Kids and spouses came as well, making for a fun and crowded party!

Potluck party. Luisi's family prepared a lot of food already but we all brought some more. Sa sobrang dami ng leftovers, we got to take most of them home! Parang piyesta!

Christmas reunions are for chikahan sessions. In our case, very loud chikahan sessions.

Pam and her youngest. Napakabait na bata. Was in dreamland during the entire reunion. Hehehe.

Sally's first baby is no longer a girl, not yet a woman. But will always be my inaanak.

While their moms gabbed up a storm with the girls...

... the kiddies decided to play the piano -- broken keyboard and all.

Poncho pals. Bagong barkada uniform? Nah. I just gave the same gifts to everyone. Wholesale price eh! Hehehe.

Paparazzi Hubbies. That's what they're there for. Right, ladies?

if you build it, they will come

2008-12-19T10:39:00.000-08:00

30 minutes after we first turned on the lights on our outdoor Christmas display, sunod-sunod nang dumating ang mga bata para mag-caroling. Since we live in a relatively small subdivision, we were pretty sure that the same kids would be coming back every single day till the 24th. So I decided to take pictures of these kids -- just to scare them into thinking that hindi na sila puwedeng bumalik kasi naka-record na mga mukha nila sa amin. Hehehe. Naka-blotter na sila kumbaga.

This enterprising lonesome kid tried to squeeze her body into the corner of the gate. Hehehe.

These kids smiled when I called them from my post on the 2nd floor terrace, but they quickly shielded their faces when I said "Smile!". Hehehe.

Pero iba itong grupong ito. As soon I raised the camera and shouted "Smile!", para silang nagvolt-in and gamely posed for me! I loved them!

Seoul Sister's Special Day

2008-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Birthday ni Seoul Sister last week. Since she loves steaks, we ended up at one of her favorite restos.

We toasted her special day with... well... corn. Hehehe.

Under Construction

2008-12-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

Auntie Kris' precious Christmas Village is now here at our house. Am trying to remember how she set it up. So far, this is what I've come up with. Ang hirap pala ilagay ng lights inside the little houses! All I need now is some fake snow. Hmmm... what material should I use?

Pasko na sa Vatican (Street)

2008-12-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Instead of one big Santa this year, isang barangay ng mga maliliit na Santa ang nakasabit ngayon all over the facade ng house. Will feature photos of each Santa next time....

An outdoor belen on top of the grotto. The makeshift barn is actually made of coconut leaves from the farmita in Cavinti. The pink flowers are actually from the Dona Aurora tree outside our house. Hehehe.

Week 3

2008-12-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Our real Christmas tree? Well, as of today....

... is now on the bad side of green. And Christmas is still 10 days away!

It still looks good... as long as we turn on the Christmas lights... and turn off the other lights in the room. Hehehe.

Blog-worthy Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

I've seen the store sell trees smaller than 3 feet, not to mention trees cut in half -- vertically. But this... this is just weird.

good times with the marketing peeps

2008-12-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

Met up with former Viva officemates last Wednesday for our annual Christmas reunion. Was also our chance to have dinner together na hindi sa Ortigas, Greenhills and Quezon City. Hehehe. Plus, former boss Leo got to catch up with the group after so many years. Good times.

Almost complete. The artist from Ortigas arrived just in time for dinner!

Kodakan galore. Bihira kasi magkita eh.

Strawberry Margarita. Just because I like strawberries and the color red. Pasko eh.

Yummy talaba. Too bad I can't eat them without the risk of an all-nighter in the bathroom. Haaay.

The ultra-talented creative director (with a notorious history with the color violet)...

... apes his designs. Haaaay, ang kulit! Hehehe!

* Some photos courtesy of EYK (Thank you!)

Oo nga pala...

2008-12-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

... part of my blood is still green. Hehehe. Thanks, EYK!

Malcolm's Outliers

2008-12-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

I just started reading this guy's latest book. The prologue was enough to keep me intrigued. Sana it will be as good as his first book. I like the way he writes though.

Will just ignore his hair. :-D

Week 2

2008-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Yep, our real tree is still alive! Yehey! Kahit na parang nabibigatan na sa dami ng dekorasyon. Hehehe.

The question now is, ano na ang itsura ng puno sa Week 3? Keep your fingers crossed!!!

heto na naman kami

2008-12-01T06:03:00.001-08:00

For those who read my blogs last Christmas, naaalala niyo pa ba ang Oplan:Christmas Tree entries ko? Well, heto na naman kami!

We got the new and fresh-from-the-freezer Christmas tree today! We are so ready this year! Praning na kasi!

And here it is! Oh yeah, this time we remembered to cut about a quarter inch of the trunk before putting it on the stand!

Step 1: Read all instructions! As in pati dun sa tag na nakakabit sa puno!

Basahin ang kailangang basahin! Read the back of the gamot again!

Step 2. Make sure that the liquid mixture in the pot is warm and ready. Naku, we hope this does the trick this year! Hehehe.

Step 3. Untie the tree. Remember that it is not plastic so let the branches relax on their own. Unless gusto mong kalbuhin ang puno today, of course.

Step 4. Check if it's a good shade of green. Check! Let's hope it stays in the good side of green till January 1!

Step 5. Start decorating. Let's see... with a bigger tree, do we need more lights and more trinkets? Yup!

The tree looks great though!And the smell is amazing! Amoy Baguio na naman ang buong bahay.

SPOILER ALERT: Twilight didn't suck... that's the good news

2008-11-26T05:13:00.000-08:00

Plus it had an interesting indie film vibe to it. Hmmm. What else? Pattinson really looked like the Edward Cullen in the book. Except for her pointy chin (yup, I'm nitpicking), Kristen Stewart was okay as Bella. The cinematography was pretty good. Loved the actor who played Charlie Swan. The songs in the soundtrack really -- no pun intended -- rock.

The bad news? The mushiest dialogues in the book were also in the movie! Sumakit ang mga mata ko 'coz my eyeballs kept rolling. Ang dami kayang nag-snort sa sinehan. Hehehe. My Seoul Sister said the emotional struggle Edward and Bella went through in the book didn't translate well in the movie. I agree. The casting of some Cullens disappoint. The author made a cameo in the film. Ugh! She's no Stan Lee so the stunt was unforgivable.

Still, the film was worth one tumbler of popcorn -- if I actually bought some.

be careful what you ask for

2008-11-25T08:28:00.001-08:00

For a long time now, I've been annoying my Seoul Sister with crazy questions like: "Puwede mo bang balatan ang pakwan na buong-buo at bilog na bilog pa rin ang itsura?"

Well, I guess she had enough of my stupid questions. Hehehe.

Maybe we need a smaller bowl... or a bigger pakwan.

bite-size treats

2008-11-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to fellow blogger EYK for these butterscotch minis! Loved them! Very very very yummy!

Schooldays with Glory

2008-11-22T02:20:00.000-08:00

My favorite tutor left us peacefully last Sunday morning. For the next three days, all I kept on thinking about was how she helped me with homework every afternoon after school (from gradeschool to highschool, she did that with me). What a great lady.

This was how the sky looked when we had to say our final goodbyes to her last Wednesday. Hmmmm.

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child." -- Carl Jung

Thanks for everything, Lola Auntie.

Her name is Moore, Rose Moore

2008-11-22T01:40:00.000-08:00

The former NBS officemates met up last November 14 coz Rose was in town!

Major catch-up session. Rose gave use the highlights in her life since she left: getting married, being a local Maryland hero, moving to Texas, changing haircolors, etc.

Here's what she looked like when told of what's been happening to the country and to everyone she knows since she left. Hehehe.

Roselle wasn't able to make it that night. Sayang. Still, we had fun. Sa sobrang daming kuwento, I forgot to take a picture of Rose's hubby. Ngeh!

It's been 10 days...

2008-11-22T01:27:00.000-08:00

... since my dad's birthday. Here's a pic taken that day. Happy birthday, Dadoo!

the next Leo di Caprio?

2008-11-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

Nah, too early to tell. Unless Twilight becomes the next Titanic.

Bautista Look-alike Meter

2008-11-14T12:36:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

"comeback party"

2008-11-12T06:17:00.000-08:00

Met up with Davao-based Mommy EO and busy lady Roomie (We used to call each other Roomie ever since we shared a hotelroom while visiting EO in Davao in 2001) in Eastwood last Sunday night. Super Mommy Sally used her superpowers to invite everyone in such short notice. Hindi nga lang nag-work this time coz only 4 of us were able to make it. Well, Sunday is "family day" kasi. Hehehe.

Mommy EO and Roomie. It's been 4 years since we saw Mommy EO and 2 years naman since we saw Roomie. It was really great seeing them again.

As usual, hindi ko matandaan ang mga inorder namin for dessert. Very chocolate-y yung isa, while the white one was supposed to have mango bits on top pero ubos na raw ang stock. Nagmukhang puto tuloy.

my Mom and SamSoon

2008-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

My mom and Seoul sister bought this stuffed pig from a store in Eastwood. Koreanovela fans and Kapuso viewers might recognize the pig from the popular Korean drama. Siyempre, we had to christen the pig "Samsoon". Hehehe.

21st century chicharon

2008-11-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, like popcorn, meron na ding microwavable chicharon. There's a stall in Tiendesitas selling them for P40 per pack. Okay naman ang lasa, it isn't salty at all. The packaging promises that the stuff has less fat. Pero naumay pa rin ako after a few bites (I didn't dip them in vinegar kasi). But it's worth a try, believe me.

3rd of a series

2008-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yup, saging ulit from the farm. Senoritas naman. Cute noh? Who wants some? :-D

art imitating life imitating art

2008-11-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

My sister and I have noticed the similarities between the storylines of the last two seasons of The West Wing and what was happening in the US elections. Turns out that the writers of the show actually patterned Jimmy Smits' character after Obama talaga, circa NDC 2004. Ang galing noh?

What's even more amazing is that the fairy tale ending of the show's fictional elections actually happened last Tuesday. Bonggacious!

sometimes I think this doggie is human

2008-11-02T01:10:00.000-07:00

Late nights keep this doggie sleepy all day.

Kung sumalampak sa sahig, you'd think he was drunk.

Haaay, kung matulog, parang tao. Hehehe.

kiddie meal

2008-10-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mini burgers from Ruby Tuesday. Too cute to eat. Too yummy to ignore.

patikim ng p...

2008-10-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd feature some of the fruits na puwedeng pitasin sa farm...

Saging. Can you spot them?

Rambutan, Bayabas and Ponkan. Kaunti na lang ang rambutan but marami pang ponkan. Hindi lang halata.

Rambutan when it is still attached to the tree...

Balimbing. Mom says they sell for P35 apiece in the supermarket. Never tasted one pero masarap daw. Parang peras.

Papaya tree. Wala lang. Hehehe.

farm face-lift

2008-10-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Renovations are being done in the Cavinti farm. Here's what's been happening so far.

Ilaw! Yep, may kuryente na sa farm. Hence, the capiz light fixtures. Puwede na mag-overnight!

A work in progress. My dad is adding this place to the cottage area, so my mom and her "classmates" can play mah-jong and tong-its to their hearts' content.

The centerpiece. The faucet is the jar from Vigan, the sink is this really cool green glass bowl.

Calling Pagcor. The cottage extension looks like a casino gameroom at night. Hehehe.

The cottage in lights. Nope, walang fog that night, shaky lang ang kamay ko when I took the shot. Hehehe.

oasis?

2008-10-12T06:06:00.001-07:00

If you will take the more scenic route to Laguna, you will see this quaint coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. Well, not nowhere exactly, but nasa highway ito sa Pillila, Rizal. My folks are regulars here.

Cute and colorful ang decor. Ang view? Yung highway on one side, a plant nursery and rice fields on the other. Yung menu? The usual coffee products, pastry and sandwiches. Okay naman ang lasa.

The place looks really modern and clean. The bathrooms even have toiletpaper! Favorite stop-over ito ng weekend travellers like my mom and dad. Biker groups also like to leave their vehicles here before they go up the mountains.

Not a bad place for a bathroom / yosi / coffee break.

my new baby

2008-10-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on my T, but I'm mobile now! :-D

excellent empanada

2008-10-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

We've been buying this empanada from a kiosk at the Baker's Fair in Powerplant mall for the past month. Super sarap siya. Expensive nga lang kaya dahan-dahan ang nguya dapat. Hehehe.

can't wait!

2008-10-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

I know where I'll be on Novemer 21...

she's back!

2008-10-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

There are only a few chick-lit authors that I really like and Ahern's one of them! She lost her touch for a little while with her last two books, but the magic ingredient that made her first two books PS I LOVE YOU (forget the movie adaptation please) and LOVE, ROSIE, absolutely lovable is back in her latest book! NAKAKATAWA ito, promise!

It took me some time to finish the book (busy-busy with the T, you know), pero I'm happy to say that nakakawala ng stress ang story.

Favorite ko pa rin ang first two books niya, but this one is a must-read for chick-lit addicts everywhere!

camera-shy

2008-10-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Am in thesis proposal hell. At mukha ngang andun ako. Shy ako ngayon. Hehehe.
:-D

Happy Happy Huangcholi

2008-09-17T08:33:00.003-07:00

Huangcholi's birthday was last week pa pero kagabi lang kami nagkita-kita. She treated us to dinner at C2-Shangrila. Yummy Filipino food done a different way. While waiting for the food, kodakan muna. We also got to try Chetski's healing spray. Plus nakapag-negosyo pa si Huangcholi ng Sophie stuff. Multi-tasking. Hehehe.

Before and After Pictures. She ordered tilapia with creamy coconut sauce and potato strings, spicy pork barbecue, crispy squid, fresh lumpia and sabaw ng tulya. Ang dami noh? Pero naubos namin. Siyempre.

Coffee at the Dome before going home. Chetski was already sleepy pero ayos lang. :-D

sold na sold kami

2008-09-17T08:33:00.002-07:00

Want to get rid of headaches, depression, exhaustion, etc.? Just ask Chetski! She shared this amazing oil-based spray she got called Lyf Saver. Ang galing! You just spray some on your hand, rub your palms together and inhale the scent! Nakakawala nga ng headache! It's an all-organic product so it is totally safe. Chetski just shared some with birthday girl Huangcholi last night. Ayun, tinaob na talaga ang White Flower, etc.! Hehehe!

Super Mommies Night

2008-09-17T08:33:00.001-07:00

Two of our Super Mommy college friends (Sally and Cathy) threw a joint birthday dinner at Recipes in GB3. As expected, my favorite dish General's Chicken was a big hit among first-timers to the resto. Di ko na nakunan ng picture kasi gutom na kaming lahat. Hehehe.

Super Mommy Cathy used a tealight candle as her birthday candle. The candle's small but all our wishes for her are big. :-D

Masarap ang fondue sa Max Brenner, although mas masarap yung crepe nila (not in photo).

bagsak presyo

2008-09-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

Bought this from the annual sale at NBS. Original price was P1795. Got the whole thing for only P200. Now that's what I call a very, very good deal.

fresh from the farm

2008-09-15T01:53:00.001-07:00

Hmmm.... ano nga ba sa english ang "rambutan"?

sa piling ng mga saging

2008-09-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

Guess which one came from our farm?

posers or serious researchers?

2008-09-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

Spent hours at the library last Friday.

Did we:

a) discuss our thesis topics

b) research for our RRLs

c) just pose for pictures

d) all of the above

got them

2008-09-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Salamat, friend!

ang kyut!

2008-08-28T08:46:00.001-07:00

First time kong makakita ng tiny, tiny, tiny grapes. Champagne grapes daw ito, according to my Seoul Sister. When she handed them to me, first thing I asked was, "Seedless ba ito?"

buti pa pag biglaan, natutuloy

2008-08-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

Chetski called for an impromptu catch-up session last Friday night. Good thing Huangcholi's family condo is currently tenantless. We all missed that place.

Sabi ni Huangcholi, mura lang daw sana ang budget for the take-out dinner. Kaya my Seoul Sister and I got yummy and cheap food from Mario's Kitchen. Clockwise: lumpiang ubod, baked tahong, pancit guisado, chopseuy and...

... tortang talong. Gutom na ang lola mo kaya inupakan na niya ang favorite niya.

Masarap na ang pagkain, mura pa. Kaya smile kaming lahat.

The self-confessed janitorfish. Sa hirap ng panahon ngayon, you can always count on Huangcholi. :-D

As usual, antok na ang lola mo. :-D

We all loved Chetski's new toy. We were surprised to get a wi-fi signal from Huangcholi's couch. Kaya yun, mega-viewing kami sa youtube.

There's a huge mirror in the condo. Siyempre, mas type kong kunan ang paa ko than my face. Hehehe.

There's always room for ice cream. Hindi namin naubos ang share namin... well, except for one person. Hulaan niyo kung sino. :-D

silver lining? not really

2008-08-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

So the release date of HP6 has been moved from November 21 this year to July 17 next year. Bad trip. But then...

... the producers of the movie version of Twilight decided to move their release date from December 12, 2008 to November 21. Taking advantage ha.

Childhood Favorite

2008-08-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Remember Magnolia Ice Cream House in Aurora Boulevard? After being closed for so many years, nabuksan na ito ulit. And they even have a branch at San Miguel By The Bay! My college friends and I had dessert there last Friday night -- kahit na malakas ang ulan!

This is the one item in the menu that everyone remembers. Kung nakapunta kayo sa Aurora branch when you were young, I'm pretty sure na-order niyo ito. Tiff and Mommy Sally got to share this one. Can you remember the name of this dish? :-D

This one is their version of mudslide ice cream. Luisi and I shared this one, right down the middle.

Maricar and Cathy ordered this one. Can't remember the name of the dish. But it's berry delicious. Hehehe.

Parang eskimo roll itong wheel na ito. Cookie yung crust, ice cream ang filling. We had it cut into six para hating-kapatid.

Actually, yung pictures ng ice cream ang kinukunan ko. The girls just got in the way. Hehehe.

We were all glad Mommy Cathy was able to make it that night. (Tingnan niyo rin ang posters ng ice cream sa background. Hehehe.)

who are the people in your neighborhood....

2008-08-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

Pauwi kami from the supermarket when we saw this:

Una akala namin yung naka-yellow raincoat lang ang sakay ng motorsiklo. Pero, why were her feet dangling in the air? And how can she see anything with that huge package in front of her?

Bwahahaha! Only in the Philippines! Note the "seatbelt" a.k.a. lubid looped around the driver's waist! Genius!

2008-08-17T02:28:00.000-07:00

Our college barkada was supposed to meet for a surprise baby shower for our friend Pam but she had to beg off due to doctor's orders. But since everyone already agreed to come, tinuloy pa rin namin ang dinner at Hawaiian Barbecue sa San Miguel by the Bay -- minus the buntis mommy, of course.

Yup, there was a ginormous silver pineapple in the middle of the resto. Hawaiian kasi ang theme. Oooookay.

Kakaibang appetizer. Sweet corn with slightly spicy coconut sauce. Yummy.

One of the best baby back ribs I've ever had, promise.
Kahit bagyo, everyone who promised to attend the "baby shower" came naman kahit na-late na because of the floods.

Meron pala fireworks display every 7pm pag Friday and Saturday sa MOA -- kahit na bumabagyo.

a glass shoe for my nose

2008-08-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Went to see Cinderella at the CCP last Saturday. On the upside, among all the foreigners in the cast, 30-something Lea still outshone them all as Cindy. And the costumes were really, really fantabulous! On the downside, a) we were seated at the NOSEBLEED section already at P770 PER TICKET; b) we whipped out our pamaypays since the AC in the theater wasn't THAT cold (or maybe hindi na kami inabutan ng lamig dun sa may bubungan); c) we didn't see the dramatic entrance of Cindy at the prince's ball and the kiss between her and Princey at the wedding because the beam above the stage cut-off the view of their pretty heads! Yup, we were seated THAT high!

lost in translation

2008-08-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

This film is probably one of the best Asian rom-coms ever. Great cinematography, catchy soundtrack, winning performances, quirky and witty script. It was the first ever Korean film I've seen. Even those at rottentomatoes loved it. A chick flick that even straight men would like. Kaso...

... the US version was released in local theaters today. Haaaay, like most adaptations of brilliant Asian films, this one also tried its best to adjust important scenes para mas ma-gets ng Westerners. Although I'm sure that those who haven't seen the original would like this version, someone who loves the Korean would be disappointed upon seeing this one. Good try though. Parang may kulang lang talaga. And to think this version was directed by the same person who directed the much acclaimed French flick, Love Me If You Dare (starring a young Marion Cotillard). Nakakaloka pa kasi...

... balita ko, may Bollywood version na rin daw! Hay naku!

andito na!

2008-08-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Days after I finished reading book three, the last Twilight book has finally been released in the Philippines today! Let me just give a short review of the books: Twilight (Bk.1) was good and quite interesting; New Moon (Bk.2) was really dragging; Eclipse (Bk.3) was action-packed and was (in my opinion) better than the first book.

So far:

1. I am trying to avoid spoilers as much as I can (am easily tempted to read reviews kasi)

2. My sister bought Breaking Dawn kaya she has the right to read it first. Works for me 'coz I really got to start cracking on that "thesis" (quotation marks will remain until I actually think I am working on one).

3. I am enjoying the trailers and behind-the-scenes of Twilight the movie.

4. I still think Twilight won't surpass Harry Potter (I intentionally ignored most recent comparisons made by the US media for the past week and a half).

5. I think Bella already has vampire blood somewhere in her family history -- that's the biggest bombshell in the fourth book, and that's why the title is "Breaking Dawn". Hula ko lang ito ha. :-D I hope I didn't get it right.

traces of the same DNA

2008-07-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

My dad recently discovered the wonders of the internet. The biggest discovery he has made so far was that he found a picture of his maternal grandfather -- a full-blooded German -- through the internet. His grandfather was a novelist in the early 20th century kasi. It was quite rare for us kids to see a picture of our European ancestor kaya, heto, we couldn't resist comparing the faces of my dad and my brother with the old man himself.

Magkakamukha ba? What do you think? :-D

just desserts

2008-07-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Presenting... three of the best panghimagas I have tasted in recent memory. Now if I can only remember their names...

This is Capuccino... something. Basta, super sarap nito.

(From L to R) Orange... something, and creme brulee... I think.

Two months ago pa kasi itong mga pics na ito. Hehehe. Some college friends and I had them at Sentro after watching SATC.

Thanks Luisi, for sending the pics. Better late than... later. :-D

Doc is in town!

2008-07-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

Hindi pa Christmas ha. Our highschool barkada had a quick reunion a few hours ago coz Dr. Richelle is in town! If it weren't for Doc's unexpected Manila visit, sa December pa kami magkikita-kitang tatlo. Hehehe.

Makati mommies. "Single" daw sila for a few hours so we can have some serious girl-talk.

Doc and me. Hindi kami nag-aaway. Lalagyan lang namin ng bags yung chair sa gitna.

Sunday at the Festival

2008-07-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

My MA classmate (Professor Jhen) asked me to accompany her to watch a film (she made it a requirement in her class, upon my suggestion) at the Cinemalaya Festival last Sunday. I was already planning to watch the films when they get eventually screened in UP later this month, pero the film she bought tickets for was one that wasn't in the line-up in the UP screenings. Since ililibre niya ako sa ticket, go na rin ako. Hehehe.

Asked Jhen to pose in front of the movie's banner. The story wasn't that good (Jhen noticed everything that wasn't "callcenter-correct"), and the technical aspect wasn't that polished. Nakaka-disappoint.

After the screening, we went to the San Miguel by the Bay area at Mall of Asia and walked the whole strip before looking for a place to eat. Sa sobrang init that day, ang sarap tumalon sa fountain.

Jhen and I ended up eating at Harborview. Ordered spicy squid and Brazilian steak. Not that yummy though. Gutom lang kami talaga. Hehehe.

There's a Hooters branch in the strip somewhere. Hindi ko lang nakunan ng pic.

Done with Book One!

2008-07-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

I thought I've seen and read every vampire-boy-meets-mortal-girl story in American pop culture, until my friend Ee Ya Kin told me to try the first book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. My verdict? It's good, really good.

Joss Whedon may have set the bar so high with the Angel-Buffy-Spike story arcs in his slayer tv show (I loved that show), but Stephanie Meyer may have created something a little bit new in the genre. Although there is still that usual action-packed theme of good-versus-evil (present in every sci-fi novel), I think Meyer's book stands out because it really concentrates on the intense relationship between the two protagonists, Edward and Bella -- it's teen-age romance with a lot of sweetness and angst. There is mush, mind you, but there is a lot of heart too.

Thanks Ee Ya Kin, for introducing me to the series.

Thanks to PDI, for devoting two full pages to the Twilight series and its upcoming movie adaptation. Thanks to an issue of Time Magazine, for saying Meyer could be the next JK Rowling (hindi naman siguro). These helped a lot in convincing me to buy the first book.

And thanks to the producers of Twilight the movie, for casting Robert Pattinson as the vampire boy. I thought we'd never see him again after he died as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Hehehe.

Will get started on Book Two, very soon. :-D

ensaymada encore

2008-07-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure kung na-feature ko na yung ginormous ensaymada ng Diamond Hotel before. But just in case hindi pa, here it is again.

korean food, finally

2008-07-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

After Mamma Mia, masarap kumain. We decided to try the Korean resto, Chosun. My Seoul sister and I watched a hilarious Korean film about a cooking competition (mala-Iron Chef, Korean version) last week kaya we thought it was about time we tried Korean food, just to know if it was as delicious as it looked in soap operas and films.

I've been craving for some chapchae for such a long time. This resto's version is good. But the best chapchae pa rin for me was the one I tasted in the old foodcourt of Greenbelt 4. I can't remember the name of the restaurant though.

Fried dumplings -- kakaiba ang lasa (not your typical dimsum n' dumplings siomai). Matamis and garlicky ang sauce.

Beef Bulgogi (yummy enough that my mom loved it), plus some kimchi (di ko tinikman) and egg rolls (to chase away the anghang).

Haven't done this in a long time. Bulgogi Veggie Wrap, Joyce-style. You like?