biancariously

Am sad :(

2008-06-23T12:33:00.000+08:00

From Entertainment Weekly

George Carlin, Pioneering Comedian, Dead at 71

The stand-up comic, whose ''Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television'' became a cause celebre in the debate over censorship on public airwaves, died of heart failure in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday

by Steven Korn

George Carlin, the famously acerbic stand-up comedian, has died. The pioneering entertainer succumbed to heart failure in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday, at age 71. Carlin, who began making TV appearances in the 1960s with a conventional comedy act, emerged in the 1970s with a style much more reflective of the times, pushing into more sensitive areas of social criticism and language, a favorite topic of his over the years. Most notably, his recorded routine ''Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television'' became the center of a landmark Supreme Court case.

As the years passed, Carlin solidified his status as a curmudgeonly elder statesman of alternative comedy. Having hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975, he starred in a number of HBO comedy specials in the 1980s and 1990s. He also appeared in occasional movie roles, including Kevin Smith's Dogma (1999), and he lent his voice to Pixar's 2006 release, Cars. In the past decade, he found success as an author, publishing three best-sellers; the audiobook of his most recent, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, was nominated for a 2006 Grammy in the Spoken Word category. Just last week, Carlin was named the recipient of the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. (CNN)

I found you (again)

2008-05-29T09:26:00.000+08:00

I came across a French poem by Jacques Prévert (1900-1977) back in the 1990's (high school? college?) and was so moved by it that I remember writing it down in many of my notebooks. I even tried memorizing it, with feelings, haha! Well, I thought about it this month and decided to 'Google' it (french poem/cups/sugar/cries). Today, I HEART Google...

DEJEUNER DU MATIN (French) BREAKFAST (English)

Il a mis le cafe He put the coffee
Dans la tasse Into the cup
Il a mis le lait He put the milk
Dans la tasse de cafe Into the cup of coffee
Il a mis le sucre He put the sugar
Dans le cafe au lait Into the cafe au lait
Avec la petite cuiller With the little spoon
Il a tourne He stirred
Il a bu le cafe au lait He drank the coffee
Et il a repose la tasse And he replaced the cup
Sans me parler Without speaking to me

Il a allume He lit
Une cigarette A cigarette
Il a fait des ronds He made rings
Avec la fumee With the smoke
Il a mis les cendres He put the ashes
Dans le cendrier Into the ashtray
Sans me parler Without speaking to me
Sans me regarder Without looking at me

Il s'est leve He stood up
Il a mis He put
Son chapeau sur sa tete His hat upon his head
Il a mis He put
Son manteau de pluie His raincoat on
Parce qu'il pleuvait Because it was raining
Et il est parti And he left
Sous la pluie Under the rain
Sans une parole Without a word

Et moi j'ai pris And me, I placed
Ma tete dans ma main My head in my hand
Et j'ai pleure. And I cried.

Where's the Love? Pre-weekend drama

2008-05-23T07:03:00.000+08:00

My sister and I stayed home yesterday morning to catch the live telecast of the American Idol Season 7 Finale. Call it a Poor EQ Moment, but the suspense from the previous night's show was killing us. Both finalists did so well that we couldn't tell who would win the fight and take home the title (Sorry, I just read so many allusions on this finale being a boxing match that I just had to get that out of my system, hehe) Suffice it to say, we were ecstatic to learn that 'our' David prevailed c/o 12 million votes more :D Waiting with bated breath now for his post-Idol album.

During my free time that followed, I surfed the net for articles and images on the AI Finale. Aside from my bookmarked favorites, I googled a bit to see what else was out there on the subject. People were talking about how this was a better finale than the previous Season (Almost the equivalent of watching Sophia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette"). IMHO, I really enjoyed the Season 5 finale (Taylor Hicks: "I'm living the American dream, people!", Me at home: Sniffles of joy) It came to my attention though that maybe out of 10 online articles only two mentioned that a (little known) Canadian artist named Bryan Adams performed with the Top Six guys :( No photos either...this one is from http://debasish.wordpress.com (The travails of Access Denied surfing).

Nostalgia aside, Bryan Adams' music is great (driving music) and his skin seems to have improved since the 1990's (although this could be attributed to technical matters such as camera angle, lighting, etc.). So I'm a little bummed out that his AI performance was mentioned on a music fan site, but clearly missing from an established entertainment site (Clue: EW) which dedicated four pages to the finale—with paragraphs on Donna Summer and George Michael plus a parting question on the Jonas Brothers (Jonas who? Just kidding!)—as well as a photo album on the event (It seemed that every guest performer had a picture except for Mr. Adams).

Sigh.

Anyway, I must agree with shellybean of www.curlio.com who says, "Okay I will be honest, once Bryan Adams took the stage this became the best finale in AI history. Bryan Adams could 'sing the phonebook' as far as I am concerned. That man is AWESOME! (enough school girl)"

To end (useless information that may one day save your life), www.wikipedia.org states, "

Adams released his new album 11 internationally on March 17, 2008. The album will also be released in the U.S....on May 13, 2008. The first song released from the album is called "I Thought I'd Seen Everything". Adams also is planning a 11 days in 11 cities tour to promote this album...Many critics consider 11 his best and most successful album since the groundbreaking Waking Up the Neighbours, released in 1991.

On May 21, 2008 Adams sang on American Idol during the season finale, joining the top six males in a medley of his songs. His appearance coincided with the US release of his latest album."

Happy weekend, keep smiling and God bless!

Kewl ;)

2008-05-19T13:22:00.000+08:00

From the 2008 Time 100 Most Influential People Issue (12 May 2008), yahooey!

Summer activities

2008-05-16T13:24:00.000+08:00

As the month of May crosses its mid-point, I find myself contemplating on the Summer 2008 my family and I gave my niece. We tried to fill it with fun-filled activities such as swimming lessons, baking sessions, DVD viewing, car rides, visits to the vet with Maximus the Destroyer, family breakfasts/lunches/dinners, sleepovers and much more. I'd like to think that we did okay, but I'm determined to make Summer 2009 more enjoyable and educational for her.

Here are some photos she took with my mobile phone over the Summer ;)

I liked the last the last five lines of this Neil Gaiman poem ;)

2008-05-16T13:14:00.000+08:00

The Day the Saucers Came

That day, the saucers landed. Hundreds of them, golden,

Silent, coming down from the sky like great snowflakes,

And the people of Earth stood and stared as they descended,

Waiting, dry-mouthed to find what waited inside for us

And none of us knowing if we would be here tomorrow

But you didn't notice it because

That day, the day the saucers came, by some coincidence,

Was the day that the graves gave up their dead

And the zombies pushed up through soft earth

or erupted, shambling and dull-eyed, unstoppable,

Came towards us, the living, and we screamed and ran,

But you did not notice this because

On the saucer day, which was the zombie day, it was

Ragnarok also, and the television screens showed us

A ship built of dead-man's nails, a serpent, a wolf,

All bigger than the mind could hold, and the cameraman could

Not get far enough away, and then the Gods came out

But you did not see them coming because

On the saucer-zombie-battling gods day the floodgates broke

And each of us was engulfed by genies and sprites

Offering us wishes and wonders and eternities

And charm and cleverness and true brave hearts and pots of gold

While giants feefofummed across the land, and killer bees,

But you had no idea of any of this because

That day, the saucer day the zombie day

The Ragnarok and fairies day, the day the great winds came

And snows, and the cities turned to crystal, the day

All plants died, plastics dissolved, the day the

Computers turned, the screens telling us we would obey, the day

Angels, drunk and muddled, stumbled from the bars,

And all the bells of London were sounded, the day

Animals spoke to us in Assyrian, the Yeti day,

The fluttering capes and arrival of the Time Machine day,

You didn't notice any of this because

you were sitting in your room, not doing anything

not even reading, not really, just

looking at your telephone,

wondering if I was going to call.

Long term manicure :(

2008-03-06T19:51:00.000+08:00

Work has been so crazy lately that I started cutting my fingernails on February 27 and finsihed all 10 just last March 3 :P I tried to take a photo of my hands, but you couldn't really see the four long nails and one cut fingernail with my 1.3 or 2.0 megapixel cameras.

Anyway, hopefully things will slow down since Holy Week is coming up :)
Before then, happy weekend and keep smiling...

Belated HVD!

2008-02-15T04:58:00.000+08:00

Just wanted to share a lovely poem forwarded to me by a good friend. Thanks, Kats ;)

Variations On The Word Love
(Margaret Atwood)

This is a word we use to plug holes with.

It's the right size for those warm blanks in speech,

for those red heart-shaped vacancies on the page

that look nothing like real hearts.

Add lace and you can sell it.

We insert it also in the one empty space on the printed form
that comes with no instructions.

There are whole magazines with not much in them
but the word love,

you can rub it all over your body

and you can cook with it too.

How do we know it isn't what goes on

at the cool debaucheries of slugs under damp pieces of cardboard?

As for the weed-seedlings

nosing their tough snouts up among the lettuces,

they shout it.
Love!

Love!

Sing the soldiers,

raising their glittering knives in salute.

Then there's the two of us.

This word is far too short for us,

it has only four letters,

too sparse to fill those deep bare vacuums between the stars
that press on us with their deafness.
It's not love we don't wish to fall into,

but that fear.
this word is not enough

but it will have to do.

It's a single vowel in this metallic silence,

a mouth that says O again and again in wonder
and pain,

a breath,

a finger grip on a cliff side.

You can hold on or let go.

A journal entry of a Journal entry Part 1

2008-02-06T05:40:00.000+08:00

From Jeanette Winterson (January 2008)

Honour the fate you are…

That’s from the Auden poem ATLANTIS. It seems like a good thing to remember, surfing into the New Year, with all its challenges and surprises, difficulties and dreams. I don’t want it to sound like I believe in pre-destination – fate is never that, but it is the web of possibilities from which we unthread our particular journey.

It may be that we don’t honour ourselves enough – in the sense of respecting our real nature – actual and developing. The business of trying to be ourselves is a full-time occupation – which is not to say give up your job and your family, but is to say don’t be troubled by the size of the task. Individuality is not a small thing.

I have said many times that I believe poetry can make a huge difference to how we feel about ourselves and about ourselves in the world. I have just been reading The Letters of Ted Hughes, really engaging stuff, and well worth getting hold of. He says somewhere what I have found for myself, that reading poetry out loud is revelatory. It is in part the incantation, which is ancient and mystical, something we used to do, and rarely do now. It is in part the sound and feel of breath, your breath mingling with the breath of the poet. It is in part recitation, the pleasure of pushing the thing out of your body at the same time as taking it into the body.

I find that if I recite something a few times, I can learn it without really trying – though I know this happens through habit, and won’t happen to someone straightaway. But it will fend off memory loss, and it will give you something to play with in your head the next time you are stuck on a tube-train, or in a queue, or any other situation that requires personal resources, great or small.

In any case, poetry is such an antidote to babble that a dose of it once a day reminds us what language is – and what it isn’t.

Try it for the New Year – a poem every day read outloud. It can be the same poem or different poems, or a sequence of poems, whatever you like. Think of it as a stretch exercise...

Career Opportunities...

2008-01-19T13:58:00.000+08:00

Don't laugh, but my ultimate dream job ever since I could remember was to be a Pinay homemaker ;) I'll expound on that further someday.

Since that hasn't happened, yet, my second dream job was to work at the Front Desk of a (five star) hotel :) I guess it's the thrill of meeting people from different walks of life during those moments of check-in / inquiries / check out. I remember being drawn to this line of work when I was in the Curatorial Department of the Ayala Museum of Philippine History training the Tour Guides on the visitor programs and initial interaction with the museum visitors...I was more comfortable at the Reception Desk than with being in my office brainstorming activities for permanent and changing exhibits.

In the previous century I REALLY TRIED to 'break into' the hotel industry, but I never got the chance to do so.

Then I was devastated...

Just kidding!

During the course of this month though (after 2.5 years in my present company and counting) I've realized—through two weeks of interaction with visiting French bosses and Spanish engineers—that I'm presently living out my second dream without having to stand up all day behind 'the desk'

I could live with that :D

Attached are photos of some people I've met on the job to-date (American secretaries, Spanish engineers, French bosses and kiddies of the secretaries).

2007 recap :D

2007-12-24T13:54:00.000+08:00

To say the least, this year was an out of the box / out of my comfort zone one for me...

Please find above some Christmas party photos (SE 12 and my High School barkada)

Please find below some milestones for 2007...

The Best Thing(s) I did this Year:

Paid the last premium payment of one insurance policy

Swam 100 laps

Fell in (an out of) love, heheh! ;)

Invited my French boss to an SE Beach Party, haha!

Attended a Neil Gaiman Press Conference at Fully Booked-Serendra

Put out a fire with a fire extinguisher during our office Safety Orientation, wild!

The Best Person(s) I met this Year:

Ramona Mae Deitrich (www.ramonamae.com)

My present immediate boss

The Best Place(s) I visited this Year:

Mond's family home in Canyon Woods

Tagaytay Highlands

The Lighthouse Marina Resort, Subic

The Best Movie I saw this Year:

300 (Wahoo!)

The Best Meal I had this Year:

Tagaytay Highlands Steakhouse grilled lambchops, yum-yum :)

The Best Drink(s) I had this Year:

GSM Blue with cran-raspberry juice, I think

White Sangria somewhere in Rockwell

That's all for now!

Wishing everyone a fun-filled, yet safe, new year celebration!

See you in 2008!

Happy Bee-day!

2007-11-13T05:32:00.000+08:00

Layla, my niece, turned two last 29 October 2007, Monday, so she had her birthday party in Jollibee-BF on 27 October 2007, Saturday. We were planning to celebrate in another venue, but for some reason she really took to Jollibee and kept telling her Mum on the week of the party that her birthday would be held there.

It was a small affair with family and close friends, but it was so much fun. The bee-day girl was starstruck when Jollibee came out...to give her a bike :) They also got to dance to a couple of High School Musical songs, nice!

I can actually say now that I'd recommend the place for a birthday party since they take care of everything, including a birthday gift from Jollibee. As a guest, I really enjoyed our two and half hours in that little air-conditioned room, and Layla's parents seemed pretty steady, too, during the festivities.

Anyway, here's to a wonderful year ahead for our resident bumblebee...

Ticket to Ride

2007-10-17T07:32:00.000+08:00

I FINALLY rode that choo choo train that goes around the basement level of Festival Mall. It's been there for more than a decade and I had no intentions of setting foot in it until I became a Ninang. Of course, Layla got to ride it three times so she's a veteran passenger now. With different people, too! It was actually a fun trip around the Mall. Even funnier were my comments during the ride: "Layla, look, it's Jollibee! And National Book Store! And Chowking!" Well, what else could I say to catch her attention. I guess it was the first of many more rides at Festival Mall.

Lulu reborn

2007-10-03T06:37:00.000+08:00

After more than six months...

Before

After

Yahooey! Misadventures, here we come ;)

Happy midweek, everyone!

My early Sunday morning affair :D

2007-10-01T06:27:00.000+08:00

I had a full Sunday planned out: have the car vacuumed, bring the dog to the vet, do an ocular of Manila hotels for the upcoming visit of our Global COO, attend a 3pm GK Med/Dent Mission meeting in Breton, hear Mass, clock in some OT work at the office, clean my room, stay up until midnight for Kiko's surprise party...my whole day changed when I turned on the TV in time for the replay of TODAY on 2nd Avenue for Bruce Springsteen was on :D So I said to myself, "Screw everything else!", took a seat on the couch for two hours (with yosi breaks) and just enjoyed the moment. I was so high after that, I had to drop by Music One and BUY a Bruce Springsteen album. Only to find out that they had ZERO albums of The Boss in the store (It's a conspiracy!) :( I ended up purchasing two new wave compilation discs and an el cheapo Best of Bon Jovi CD (which is actually not bad).

Here is a partial Entertainment Weekly blog entry on the event that I found this morning.

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/09/springsteen-tod.html#more

I can SO relate to the blogger, even if I was (tragically) in the comfort of my own home. Not that I'm a middle-aged fan; this man is old enough to be my father ;) It was so moving though to see the crowd respond to the songs he performed, regardless of their age, gender, or race.

I have no shame ;)

2007-09-19T06:06:00.000+08:00

One of my French bosses arrived in town last Saturday afternoon and will be working at our Mill until Friday afternoon so I decided to ask him if he wanted to go to a 'Beach Party' (PJ, Jose and Mael's birthday bash at NAX!). To my surprise (Really?), he agreed. Maybe the magical phrase was Open Bar from 9pm to 11pm? Anyway, come 9:30pm we were on our way to the venue, in our beach attire, where we stayed from 10pm to 3:30am, wild! In my defense, I just asked him to let me know what time he'd like to get back to the hotel and I think he was game to stay until sunrise :O It was a really fun party in general, but it was also so cool to know that my boss is such a cowboy: he joined a drinking game and pretty much got along with everyone (He could be left alone at a table and have animated conversation with whoever was there) + he wasn't drunk when we finally called it a night. We went swimming though on Sunday morning (10ish?) and we were pretty hung over then so siesta-sunbathing (+ more than 10 laps each in the pool) and mineral water nalang. Such a crazy weekend, haha! :D (The things we Executive Alalays do to keep our bosses in good spirits)

Photo c/o VinceL (Thanks-thanks!)

Waiting for October 2007

2007-09-14T08:58:00.000+08:00

I'm giddy...Bruce Springsteen will launch a new album ( Magic) on 2 October 2007 :) There is also a video for one track (Radio Nowhere) over at Amazon.com and it's kewl! He's really come a long way from singing in the N.J. bars. Hope he comes to Southeast Asia some time soon...Like before he can't fly on a plane anymore :( Anyway, check out some before and after photos from his website and around the web of him + The E Street Band.

My second home (1981-2001)

2007-09-03T10:22:00.000+08:00

I went to Alabang Country Club (ACC) last Saturday morning to indulge in a trip to the parlor. I decided to kill some time at the pool deck before going to Starbucks-Madrigal for SE Gawad Kalinga after lunch. As I sat in one of the cabanas, I got all sentimental when I realized that I spent 20 years of my life hanging out at the pool deck as a club member. Not to mention 16 of those years as a part of the ACC Gators (swimming team). We're now members in another country club, but nothing moves me the way that boxy 25m x 25m swimming pool does...

Generation Next

2007-09-03T09:45:00.000+08:00

My sister and I attended the birthday party of our former neighbor's son (Zye, son of Eric) with Layla in Ayala Westgrove last Saturday. It was neat to see our other former neighbors and their kids. Trying to get them to stay still for a photo was another challenge.

L-R: Mark, Mijo, Quito, Alia, Andrea, Layla, John and Alia

Last Song Syndrome...oh no!

2007-08-30T16:08:00.000+08:00

I don't know why I love you
Your face is a hammer in my head
I remember every word you said

I just don't know why I love you
I don't know why I care
I never even liked your hair
I feel like a seven heir

But I don't know why I love you
Television turns me on
When the summer's hot
And the spirit's thrown

How can I get close to you
When you got no mercy
No, you got mercy
No you got no...

I don't know why I love you
Your face is a foreign food
I really don't know if I should

I just don't know why I love you
I don't know why I care
I duck and I weave and I fight
I work just to treat you right
God, I don't know why I love you
Ha, ha, ha

I don't know why I love you
It might be your soul and your heart (?)
Maybe it's the way that you speak

I don't why I love you
Television turns me on
When the summer's hot
And the spirit's thrown

So, how can I get close to you
When you got no mercy
No, you got mercy
No you got no...

I don't know why I love you
I don't know why I care
I don't know why I love you
I don't know why I love you
I don't know why I love you
I don't know why I love you
And I don't know why I care

(House of Love)

Bad, like the devil

2007-08-30T15:46:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, I think I could be really evil...

What's in a name?

2007-08-29T14:10:00.000+08:00

I had a free moment this afternoon to google myself. And I was surprised with what I found...

http://biavargas.fotopages.com/

Clue: So not me ;)

Anything for the beach (and then some)

2007-08-27T05:33:00.000+08:00

I spent the weekend in Tali with eight SE friends. Came from a family reunion in Cabuyao so it was the first time I drove to Tali with just my bag. The trip down South was okay, just a little stressful inside the Batangas bayan because of all the tricycles :P The whole stay at the beach made it worth the travails on the road though.

Just can't get enough ;)

2007-08-07T10:19:00.000+08:00

Wow, Star World is really my FRIEND :D

They showed Seinfeld Seasons 1-9 beginning last April 2006 and I was anxious by the middle of Season 9 about my life without my daily fix then they showed all nine seasons AGAIN. The second run ended sometime in July this year. Out of curiosity last night I decided to see what show replaced it only to find out that they're showing Seinfeld for a THIRD time, yahooey!

I guess the day that I decide not to catch a Seinfeld episode on cable would be similar to the day I decided that I could live without watching our VHS copy of Walt Disney's Peter Pan (The end of an era, not that there's anything wrong with that) ;)

Schengen cuisine

2007-07-29T18:14:00.000+08:00

On the way to my office this afternoon I noticed the sign of a popular restaurant...

Cafe Francais
We serve authentic Italian pizza

Huh?!?

Closing the books

2007-07-29T12:00:00.000+08:00

It took more than a week (4:00pm of 21 July up to 3:00am of 29 July), but I'm finally done with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7). I enjoyed it. Needed to stop and have a fag a couple of times before continuing a chapter. Tried to take in at least 100 pages a night (Midnight to 2:00am). I already invested eight years of my life into this saga and now I would like to re-read all seven books again :)

I must say though that I preferred the ending of The Dark Tower more, heheh!

My Seinfeld mood today...

2007-07-23T23:15:00.000+08:00

I've been trying to simplify my life by focusing on three things at the moment: work, Singles community and family. Unfortunately, these three things might be the death of me: my new boss is extremely dependent on his Secretary, I'm part of the community play for our August 2007 retreat, and we're organizing a family reunion in Tagaytay also this August. Maybe I'll be okay come September, but my present situation got me thinking about a Seinfeld episode (The Contest, Season 4).

Below is an excerpt from the episode which started with the four friends making a bet on who could abstain from 'you know' (m _ _ t _ _ _ _ tion) the longest. Kramer paid up within the day because there was a woman in the building across Jerry's apartment walking around her apartment naked. The following takes place a few days later (c/o www.seinfeldscripts.com)...

(Jerry's in a grouchy mood. Kramer enters)

KRAMER: (Singing) Goood Moorrrnninng!

JERRY: (Out of it) Yeah, good morning.

KRAMER: Ha, ha! Nothing like some good solid sack time. (Turns toward Jerry's window)

JERRY: She's not there. She's doin' her wash.

KRAMER: (Turning back to Jerry) Oh. So, did you make it through the night?

JERRY: (Over the top) Yes, I'm proud to say I did!

KRAMER: So, you're still master of your domain.

JERRY: (Nodding) Yes. Yes I am. (Kramer chuckles) Master of my domain. But I will tell you this: I am going over to (Gestures to the nudist) her apartment, and I'm tellin' her to put those shades down!

KRAMER: Woah, woah, woah. What-what did you just say?

JERRY: I can't take it anymore! She's driving me crazy! I can't sleep, I can't leave the house, and I'm here, I'm climbin' the walls. Meanwhile, I'm dating a virgin, I'm in this contest - something's gotta give!

What's your Seinfeld mood today?!? ;)

21 July 2007, 9:01am :)

2007-07-22T18:22:00.000+08:00

Okay, this is cheesy, and it will be brief, but I just wanted to post a photo of myself and my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Plus that guy from Powerbooks who's supposed to be our local version of Harry Potter (extra).
I was supposed to buy my book after our Singles Community Harana practice (at around 5:00pm yesterday afternoon), but it wasn't even 8:30am and my EQ got the better of me. I did restrain myself until after 4:00pm to check out the first paragraph...and be blown away.
Must go now and try to finish the book this evening...wishful thinking! It's just that there's too much to do during the week which will make separation anxiety from Book 7 probably unbearable. And, yet, I don't want this journey to end so abruptly. Will do my best to savor every word of every page of every chapter...Then probably reread all the books again afterwards :D

Tagaytay...Team Building...Two Weeks...Tahdah!

2007-07-08T10:35:00.002+08:00

I've been to Tagaytay four times in the past two weeks. That's a personal record since I've been content these past two years enjoying my BF-Alabang-San Pedro, Laguna travel radius. Three out of four of those trips were for team building purposes so I guess someone figured it was time I got out of my comfort zone, took stock of things on a personal and a professional level, and made some exciting action plans.
The first trip was for a church community team building session. St. James Singles Encounter 12, our class, spent a Saturday and Sunday at a quaint country home (in Canyon Woods) to prepare for the upcoming Singles Encounter 13 weekend which we are sponsoring in August 2007. I've been a part of this class since our weekend back in December 2006, but it was only during the team building weekend that I actually got to sit down and really hang out with these people post-SE. Even the car rides to and from the venue were so entertaining. Suffice it to say, I got a second chance to connect with my friends (Gathered in God's love) so I'm going to make more time for them this year. Here is a photo of me with one of our class heads. The focus of the shot was supposed to be the output of our afternoon activity, but I think we were too photogenic to pass up on the opportunity to pose for the camera, too!

The second trip to the area was for an ocular inspection of Tagaytay Highlands for a July 2007 office team building and strategic planning activity. No photos of that trip, but it was an all too brief visit that evoked a lot of fun memories (Weekend trips to Highlands in the 1990's with Alabang friends) Good thing we decided to reserve the place for our activity.
My third encounter with Tagaytay was with family. Jorge B. Vargas, my great-grandfather, would've celebrated his 117th birthday this 24 August 2007 so the generation of my Dad decided to plan family gatherings in Bacolod, Tagaytay and Sta. Elena during Lolo Jorge's birthday week. Calai and I went to the family home (appropriately named "Ohana") in Tagaytay with our Tita May (Dad's cousin) and our cousin Jackie Lou + her friend. The place is on the main road overlooking Taal lake and the experience of just taking in the view cannot be described in this blog ;) We also visited a school donated by Lolo Jorge as well as a Japanese Buddhist Center (formerly family-owned Villa Adelaida) that used to be our family weekend getaway. All in all, it was a productive Saturday that will hopefully help us come up with great activities for our August 2007 Tagaytay celebration.
So my last encounter with the place was also my return trip to Highlands. I spent Tuesday to Thursday of last week running around like a headless chicken for our office team building and strategic planning. We had a number of exercises, including an Amazing Race around the venue, that will guide our Management to closing the year on a high note. Check out my photo with fellow headless chickens (Facilitator, Driver and moi).
Anyway, time to forget Tagaytay (for the time being) and live in the present. That doesn't mean I can't daydream about my next visit though...

The Bad Boys of my youth :D

2007-06-07T21:44:00.000+08:00

I got nostalgic from this list by Dalton Ross (The Glutton on Entertainment Weekly)...

THE TOP FIVE MOST AWESOMELY PREPPY '80S MOVIE VILLAINS

1. James Spader in Pretty in Pink
The white suit.
The dangling cigarette.
Quite simply, the prep villain against which all others must be measured.

2. William Zabka in The Karate Kid
More of a lifetime achievement award for his jerk work in Karate, Back to School, and Just One of the Guys.

3. Ted McGinley in Revenge of the Nerds
The notorious ''show killer'' simply kills as Stan Gable.
The sweater-tied-around-the-neck look is classic McGinley.

4. Craig Sheffer in Some Kind of Wonderful (It's Hardy Jenns, with two Ns!)
He's ripping off my boy Spader a bit.
Which could be why Lea Thompson dumps him.

5. Aaron Dozier in Better Off Dead
The thinking man's preppy '80s villain, he even comes complete with the totally badass name of Roy Stalin.

What's wrong with this picture?!?

2007-06-07T21:17:00.000+08:00

Like many others out there, I was anxiously waiting for the reality show "On The Lot" to begin. A survival of the fittest series by both Stephen Spielberg and Mark Burnett? To quote Bania from Seinfeld, "It's gold, Jerry! Gold!" Three weeks into the show and I've got a bone to pick with the people behind this show...using CBS' Rock Star as a reference:

Why does only America get to vote?
They're not the only ones who watch Hollywood films.
It sucks not to have a say in the fate of the contestants.

Why couldn't it come out twice or thrice a week again but with substance?
Weekly Episode 1: Meet someone from the industry/Assist in an actual production/Get this week's task
Weekly Episode 2: Some off screen drama/View the contestants' works/We get to vote
Weekly Episode 3: Hollywood heavyweights plug their summer movie/Someone goes home
Episodes 1 and 2 could even be just 30 minutes only.

Where did they find that woman claiming to be the show's host?
Adriana Costa? From CNN? Really?
She gives me a migraine when she opens her mouth and she makes Kris Aquino actually look good.
No gift for ad lib or cue card/teleprompter reading either.

Ugh, I'm crossing my fingers that this show survives the Summer and that it was worth sitting through it every week...happy thoughts...

Grocery stories

2007-06-04T16:34:00.000+08:00

I savor my trips to the grocery. I get a kick out of all those items on the shelves, the activity in the aisles and the freebies/taste tests you get once in a while. Mornings are better for me since I get the place mostly to myself and slowly go through all the aisles (You may have a list but you might have forgetten something until you see it). I value my sanity so I avoid going to the grocery with my Mum because she doesn't go through all the aisles from one end to the other AND THEN she makes you go back to a previous aisle because she forgot to get something on her list, huhuhu...

Anyway, I decided to make a list of five (5) annoying things that happen in the grocery (Well, I find them annoying):

5. A posse of rowdy kids with no adult supervision in sight that hover around your aisle
4. You find the one thing on the shelf that you need but it's also the only item without a price tag
3. You need the unscented toiletry item but end up with rows and rows of the scented kind
2. There only three open check out lanes out of maybe 15 lanes 30 minutes before closing
(So much for the express lane) :(
1. People who insist on exiting the grocery through YOUR check out lane WHILE you're paying instead of using the exit lane usually located in the middle of the check out lanes.
Why do they do this?
One girl actually had the audacity to tell me she was in a hurry so I TOOK MY SWEET TIME
(Paid in SMALL change)

Wishing you happy grocery experiences this week onwards ;)

The gang's all here!

2007-05-23T21:08:00.000+08:00

There was one morning at the office when I was able to find out what happened on "The Sopranos" last 13 May 2007, Sunday (If only HBO Asia would show the series...), so I decided to check out wikipedia (Due to firewall restrictions) and find out what else has been happening in New Jersey. I ended up surfing the official website of Furio Giunta (Federico Castelluccio) and was pleased to find these fun photographs for Cigar Aficionado magazine. They made me want to get in touch with my group and schedule a photo session NOW :D

Day and Night

2007-05-23T20:59:00.000+08:00

Looking back at my previous post, I knew that I needed to unearth photos of my 'transformation' over the Summer because of swimming sessions at Palms Country Club as well as helping out with Bert Lozada Swim School lessons at Alabang Country Club (Saturdays from 7:30am-11:30am and 2:30pm-6:30pm). So here are a couple of old ID photos showing my pre and post summer tan. Love it!

A looonnnggg swim

2007-04-09T17:08:00.000+08:00

I've been a member at a nearby Country Club for a little over a year now. One perk I maximize is to enjoy a swim anytime from 7am-9pm, seven days a week. Being a national athlete in a previous life (one international competition back in the 80's, heheh!) I decided to rebuild my endurance in the water. I remember back in April 2006 I was happy to finish 20 laps during one swimming session. I worked my way up to 40 laps. Then 60 laps. Eventually I got bored doing all those laps and turned to the gym for a healthy distraction.

Since it's Summer again, I went for a swim with a friend a couple of Sundays ago. For every four laps he'd do, I would finish eight to 12. Well, my goal was eight but I got carried away in mid-swim and had to do a few more laps to cool down. In a moment of silliness, I said my goal was to swim 100 laps. So my friend challenged to me to do so.

Almost two weeks later, I actually swam 100 laps in one session, wild! It wasn't as difficult as I had previously thought it would be. My major fear was to lose count but I just took note of every 100 meters (four laps). I also started a little late in the day (9:40am) so I ended a little before lunch (11:10am) and suffered a nasty case of sunstroke for the remainder of the weekend.

I now sport a deep orange glow (Shades of buttered pan de sal or fried chicken according to my former carpool mate). Nonetheless, I'm now ecstatic to do another 100 laps. As well as look for another healthy challenge to pursue.

It's funny, aren't they?

2007-04-09T17:03:00.000+08:00

I was in the parlor this afternoon and was amused by the Editor's note of the local version of a global tabloid-esque magazine (Clue: It consists of two letters and ends with an exclamation point). She wrote (and I quote), "I just love being a woman. I can get to wear so many clothes --- jeans, dresses, fab tops, and oh the shoes! I can also play with many hairstyles and hair colors, put makeup one day and decide to go barefaced the next. Sounds vain? Sure DO!" :D

Copi session

2007-04-05T20:00:00.000+08:00

I've been in the same company for almost two years and my #1 administrative issue remains: How do you make a good cup of brewed coffee? I'm more of a hot chocolate and fruit juice person by nature. I try to indulge in a cup of coffee though once a week but I need take it before lunchtime or else I'm wired until well past midnight (It's genetic). So I've tried one tablespoon = 1 cup water, one tablespoon = one and a half cups water, even one tablespoon = two cups water and I'm still not sure it's good. What's your formula to a great cup?

Hair-raising

2007-04-05T19:54:00.000+08:00

I stumbled across this 80's Quiz on Entertainment Weekly the other day and managed to score a nine out 10. Relive the big hairdos of yesteryear...

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20016362__20016359_,00.html

The happiest place on earth is a plane ride away

2007-04-05T19:30:00.000+08:00

On www.ew.com (Entertainment Weekly), Stephen King wrote about coming up with a Department of Fun since a lot of what's on the news seemed depressing as of late. I really giggled myself silly when I read his first suggestion for the DoF ;)

AIRPORT SECURITY Everybody hates it, so why not pay security personnel extra to dress up as Disney cartoons? Wouldn't you feel more cheerful if it were Snow White giving you the wand and the Seven Dwarfs telling you to take off your shoes? Wouldn't your comfort level jump if it were Goofy scoping out your bod in the X-ray machine? Sure, these costumes would be uncomfortable for the staff, but even that would cheer up travelers; ''There you go, turkey,'' they'd think, ''now you know how we feel.''

Lulu Sandwich :(

2007-04-05T15:11:00.000+08:00

On the afternoon of 9 February 2007, Friday, I asked permission from my boss to leave the office early and replace our defective company coffeemaker at the nearest S&R (warehouse price club?) store. After he approved my undertime, I decided to have a cigarette with my office mate before taking off for the weekend. Little did I know that the events that would transpire after I extinguished that stick would change driving for me forever...

There I was taking my usual route from the office to the national road, entering the highway (northbound) then exiting at the interchange nearest the store and my home. I paid the toll fee with my E-pass (prepaid) and stopped at the first intersection en route to S&R, waiting for the light to turn green. I was immersed in thoughts of hanging out with my niece at home and the lyrics of "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News (It was playing on the radio). I remember sitting up straight and looking at an oncoming passenger jeepney in my rear view mirror. Then it hit me. No, the jeepney REALLY hit me. Well, Lulu :(

The driver was making a right turn but there wasn't enough space for him to complete it and (he claims) his brakes didn't work fast enough so he rammed into Lulu's right rear side. I felt myself roll forward and wasn't ready for what actually happened. I stepped out of the car and realized that Lulu's hood went under the truck in front of me while my hatch, right rear tail light and bumper were crumpled because of the jeepney's pipe fender. Words can't express the way Lulu looked (not so hot anymore) so just check out the photos.

It's been almost two months since that bummer afternoon. The truck driver in front of me suffered whiplash but just asked for a Php1K to straighten out the back of his truck, The jeepney driver and I went to the Police Station to file a report. Lulu is partially repaired. I'm planning to finish all the bodywork in May 2007 when I'm not too busy at work. Getting behind the wheel though brings about a different kind of adrenaline rush: I shudder now when I'm near a passenger jeepney, or a truck, or even a public bus.

I think I just like driving now. Hopefully I'll learn to love it again sometime soon.

It must be in the blood :)

2007-04-05T15:02:00.000+08:00

I love being an Auntie / Tita. I get excited thinking of all the experiences I'll get to enjoy with Layla, my niece. We went swimming last February and it was a real treat to see how comfortable she was in the water. Coming from a family of three swimmers (her Mum and Titas), it was inevitable. I'm looking forward to teaching her how to do some bubbles, kicks, dog paddles, etc. Hopefully before the end of this Summer.

Wanted: Spartan :D

2007-03-21T21:48:00.000+08:00

I honestly had no intention of catching 300 in the theaters. What, a war movie? Based on a graphic novel? By the maker of Sin City? No thanks! I've never seen Saving Private Ryan, Flags of our fathers, or Letters from Iwa Jima. I also haven't seen majority of Black Hawk Down or Band of Brothers. I caught Sin City though and probably lived through it because it was shown in black and white, but I'm so not into blood and gore (fiction or historical). Then Carla said two words that challenged my principles: David Wenham .

Yup, I HEART Faramir from LOTR who was cast as Dilios, narrator of the tale, so now I was torn. With that knowledge and a brief glimpse of the making of the movie (There's no bottomless pit, just a lower level with cardboard boxes to comfortably fall on), I went to the theater with Calai...

Wow, I NEED to see this film again. It is an art film, beautiful. You MUST catch it while it's still on the big screen. Really not the same on DVD.

Of course, I'd love to have my own Dilios, too (pre-battle) :)

Crrrrrunch time!!!!!

2007-03-21T21:40:00.000+08:00

I'm under a lot of pressure (in my mind) to re-read Harry Potter Books 1-6 before Book 7 comes out in July. Well, I'm making life slightly difficult for myself because I started re-reading The Dark Tower books back in December and am kind of stuck in Book 4. I guess I just want to savor each book more now that I know how things will turn out. At least I reserved my copy of Book 7 at Power Books (Php500 deposit), heheh!

Who is your Super Hero Lover?

2007-03-21T21:36:00.000+08:00

Happy days are here again :D

2007-03-21T21:06:00.000+08:00

Buh-bye, Romber! Yahooey! Happy, happy, joy, joy! I really had no motivation to catch The Amazing Race All-Stars until I checked out www.wikipedia.org last week and saw who was eliminated during the episode (We get the delayed telecast during our Monday night primetime line up) so I just HAD to see how it happened. Sigh, it was SWEET! Also sad because they're REALLY delusional. They made me tune out of Survivor and I got all bummed out when they were invited to join ANOTHER CBS reality show...Stop the insanity! Make them look for REAL jobs, ugh! Actually, am still unsure about following TAR this season because I'm not that crazy about any of the teams. Maybe I'll root for Team Guido because they're amusing in snippy way, haha!

Man with yummy pillows

2007-03-21T20:54:00.000+08:00

Wow, the delinquent blogger lives! :D

Anyway, maybe this post should read 'yummy' man with pillows. Here is a photo from www.neilgaiman.com in answer to a reader question about where in his home does Neil compose his blog entries. He was kind enough to share some photos (candid and posing?). You could see the candid photo on his blog. He also plugged the lovely sushi pillows he bought online. Sorry, I forget where they're from, but you could check his blog (again) if you're interested in getting your own set ;)

Four kilometers of Hell :P

2007-01-19T22:42:00.000+08:00

I was sitting in my car the other evening, exasperated from the heavy traffic in the metropolis, and began contemplating the many 'four kilometers of Hell' we have to go through because of inconsiderate drivers (private vehicle/jeepney/bus/motorcycle/tricycle) and pedestrians (all shapes and sizes).

1. My office to the Susana Heights tollway entrance.
2. The SM Southmall parking lot to the Vivere Suites entrance (Unbelievable, but true).
3. My home to the Alabang Hills Village rotunda between 7:00am-8:00am, Mondays-Fridays (Many a pre-school, grade school AND high school students to compete with on the road).

Hmmm, I will continue to expand this entry (got to measure some more car trips) ;)

Penny for your thoughts?

I heart CSI :D

2007-01-19T22:27:00.000+08:00

I read this today on www.csifiles.com regarding the ratings of Crime Scene Investigation vs. Grey's Anatomy on Thursday nights in the US:

"CSI creator Anthony Zuiker shares his take on the competition between top-rated shows, CSI and Grey’s Anatomy. With the season half over, both shows are still going strong.

CSI leads in total viewers, while Grey’s Anatomy wins out with the all important 18-49 demographic. Though at last weeks People’s Choice Awards, CSI suffered a blow when Grey’s won Best Drama."

After catching the first 10 episodes of CSI Season 7 c/o a friend's DVD, I can't wait for the show to begin on Asian TV (When, AXN? When?). I also found one more reason to tune into it rather than Grey's Anatomy (Clue: Stud muffin on the left)...

Send in the clowns

2007-01-19T21:59:00.000+08:00

CBS has announced the participants of The Amazing Race All-Stars (beginning 19 February 2007, Manila time) and I have three questions for the network...
1. Where are the clowns (Al and Jon, Season 6)?
2. Where are Colin and Christy "I hate you!" / "My ox is broken!" (Season 5)?
3. Why Romber (Rob and Amber) again?!? I guess so that I'd have a team to loathe.

Anyway, check out the teams:
1. Joe and Bill "Team Guido" (Season 1; third place) — partners
2. Kevin and Drew (Season 1; fourth place) — buddies
3. Ozwald and Danny (Season 2; fourth place) — friends
4. Teri and Ian (Season 3; second place) — married
5. John Vito and Jill (Season 3; fifth place) — now ex-lovers
6. Charla and Mirna (Season 5; sixth place) — cousins
7. Uchenna and Joyce (Season 7; winners) — husband and wife
8. Rob and Amber (Season 7; second place) - professional reality show contestants/
newlyweds
9. Eric and Danielle (Season 9; separate teams) — met as Amazing Race opponents
10. Dustin and Kandice (Season 10; fourth place) — beauty queens
11. David and Mary (Season 10; sixth place) — cuddly marrieds i.e. Kentucky!!!

Which supervillain are you?

2007-01-13T15:55:00.000+08:00

Double hahaha!

Your results:
You are Mystique

Mystique		73%
Poison Ivy		67%
Riddler		64%
Dark Phoenix		57%
The Joker		57%
Catwoman		54%
Mr. Freeze		53%
Apocalypse		47%
Dr. Doom		46%
Venom		46%
Magneto		43%
Lex Luthor		41%
Juggernaut		41%
Kingpin		29%
Green Goblin		25%
Two-Face		25%

Sometimes motherly, sometimes a beautiful companion, but most of the time a deceiving vixen.

Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

Which superhero are you?

2007-01-13T15:46:00.000+08:00

Hahaha!

Your results:
You are Catwoman

Catwoman		80%
Iron Man		75%
Spider-Man		70%
Supergirl		70%
Green Lantern		65%
Superman		60%
Wonder Woman		55%
Robin		52%
The Flash		50%
Hulk		50%
Batman		35%

You have had a tough childhood,
you know how to be a thief and exploit others
but you stand up for society's cast-offs.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

2006 Review :)

2007-01-13T15:17:00.000+08:00

BEST THING(S) I DID:
1. Bought Lucien (Lulu) --- my 1.3 M/T Tafetta White Honda Jazz ;)
2. Settled all my premium payments for one pension plan
3. Joined a weekend retreat

BEST PERSON(S) I MET:
1. One boss ;)
2. One holy-holy guy :D
3. Alyssa Rose da Silva Nielsen (my new niece)
4. SE 12!!!

BEST PLACE(S) I VISITED:
1. Tali, Batangas
2. Punta Fuego, Batangas
3. Angels Hills Retreat House, Tagaytay
4. www.danecook.com
5. www.ew.com
6. www.stanthecaddy.com
7. Palms Country Club

BEST MOVIE(S) I SAW:
1. Cars
2. Close To You (A really great Filipino film)
3. Casino Royale
4. Inside Man

BEST MEAL I HAD:
Palms Country Club buffet

BEST DRINK I HAD:
Lipton Iced Tea Red

BEST SHOW(S) I CAUGHT:
1. Seinfeld Seasons 1-9 (Muchas gracias, Star World!)
2. Life As We Know It (It's SOOO High School!)
3. High School Musical
4. Zsa Zsa Zaturnah Ze Muzical
5. House M.D.
6. The Amazing Race Asia
7. The World Cup
* I originally had Rock Star: Supernova in there, but it was such a let down.

Looking forward to all that 2007 has to offer...

Happy Holidays! :D

2006-12-23T22:18:00.000+08:00

Yes, I know she will kill me someday when she's older...

Adieu, Morning Brew :(

2006-11-26T13:40:00.000+08:00

14 November 2006, Tuesday, was a sad day. I was ecstatic to file Vacation Leave and join the Morning Brew in the University of the Philippines (UP) - Diliman for the KLite Dodgeball Tournament only to find it was the last broadcast of the show. Apparently, KLite 1035 is going to reformat its programs at the end of the month (and go mellow, ugh!) so I am now reviewing my CDs for my car trips. Goodbye, Vitto and Anjanette, it was an honor to cruise the streets of Manila with you all these years. You will be greatly missed (sniff, sniff).

My Php200 didn’t fail me

2006-11-10T21:29:00.000+08:00

Our family tries its best to support the Philippine Idol franchise by tuning in every week. We enjoyed the Sunday 9:00pm one and a half audition shows. We felt they had the charm of the American Idol franchise. Next we did our best to catch the Saturday 9:00pm performance shows, vote on Saturday night or Sunday morning, and then watch the Sunday 9:00pm elimination shows. Our favorites are Ramirr, Pow, Mau, Drae and Gian. I think we actually cried when Drae was voted off in favor of Ken, Jan, and Miguel. At that moment I decided we had to take things up a notch.

The show’s schedule has since changed to performance night on Sundays and elimination night on Mondays, as well as voting being open only until 12:30am of Monday, but I’ve done my part by sending two votes via SMS each for Pow and Mau then 80 votes for Gian. If you do the Math that’s P5 each for Pow and Mau then P200 for Gian every Sunday night. I figured that his support may not be as strong as that of the two girls so I might as well do my part in keeping good contestants on the show rather than the mediocre ones.

It’s great to know that he didn’t go home this week. In the end, I really have no idea who will claim the title. Pow may have already peaked, Mau has insecurity issues (she really must do away with those side comments), and Gian may not have the fan base. In a country where success is measured more often than not by who you know rather than what skills you have, at least I can sleep on Sunday nights knowing I am doing something to help out a person with potential.

Weekend ‘pick-me-up’

2006-11-10T21:27:00.000+08:00

Britney Spears has filed for divorce (citing irreconcilable differences) from Kevin Federline, her dancer and (wannabe) singer husband + father of her two sons. Finally! We can only wish her well in this new and exciting page of her life. Maybe also pray that she doesn’t think of doing Crossroads II ;)

Sein-ing off

2006-11-10T21:22:00.000+08:00

I caught the third to the last episode of the Seinfeld series on Star World last Tuesday night. Aside from the expected laughs, it brought a foreboding sense of the end of an era. By Saturday, my life will not revolve around the 7:00am, 7:30pm or 11:00pm Seinfeld schedule on Mondays to Fridays. I could sleep at 10:00pm on weekdays. Dinners with family and friends can go on until past 10:30pm or 10:45pm (depending on my distance from a cable TV or my home). Drives to and from the mall/gym/work/home will be more pleasant (no more anxiety from the impending traffic that will affect my chance to get home in time for the start of the show). No more looking at the car clock radio when it reads 7:25pm, emphasizing that I have about 10 minutes (it’s five minutes ahead) to cross the gauntlet called Aguirre Avenue, park the car and set the TV (which skips channels when changed manually, but doesn’t have a remote control as of this writing) to channel 35 (AAAAAHHHHH!). Yes, life will go back to normal soon. The question is, “Am I really looking forward to my post-Seinfeld world?” Best not to think about it right now…

Living on Star Cash and a Prayer

2006-11-10T21:14:00.000+08:00

The price of gasoline really isn’t what it used to be.

I used to unwind by driving to Ayala Alabang, parking in either the Alabang Country Club (ACC) or outside the Makiling Park then walking around the village for at least an hour. I must admit though that most of this time is actually spent giving the homes I come across the ‘once-over’. Now that I’ve computed that the distance from my home to ACC is about 14kms, I’ve opted to park outside Makiling Park. Still, the drive from home to the Park is not as near as I thought it was. Lately, I avoid the village altogether because it is equidistant from my office (surprisingly). Now even the gym gets done after work on weekdays since it’s on the way home.

Each trip must be methodically planned to maximize the visit to any area. Talk about everything needing to be geographically desirable. Going to the gym in Alabang? Might as well schedule the dog for his weekly bath at the vet, swing by the supermarket for toiletries, the mall for coffee/the parlor/a facial, the credit card office to pay that monthly bill, and so and so’s home to pick up/drop off something. After identifying all the places you plan to hit during that one trip, you proceed to map out the most time and cost efficient route. What gets done on the way to the gym then on the way home? Should I take the village road or the service road? Once that’s done, you must announce this proposed journey to your family to see if anyone needs a ride to or from that area. Based on this discussion it is also possible that you agree to use someone else’s car instead of yours. You must have even defined the window of opportunity to get all these tasks done without hitting heavy traffic on the road.

When does it end?

Thankfully, Calai now works at Chevron Philippines and has encouraged us to join a number of their activities that have benefited us lately. It started out with this gas card you have stamped at the Star Mart after filling up at least Php500 worth of gas. After four stamps you get a free TJ hotdog and a chance to win something in the monthly draw. Whatever you win, the Chevron employee wins. Hence, Calai is crossing her fingers that one of us gets an IPod. Well, we won Php1000 worth of gas (pictured) during the first draw and are still dropping our entries in the drop box so all is not lost, yet. We also got to participate in the company’s Halloween Party and placed second in the Best Family in Costume category. The prizes were more gas cards and SM gift certificates, nice!

It’s reassuring to know that wherever Lulu (my car) and I decide to venture off to, there’s a good chance that our loyalty to Chevron Philippines events will help us keep on burning that rubber.

For 23 and 26 September 2006 :D

2006-09-24T20:24:00.000+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my two favorite rock stars: Bruce Springsteen (23 September) and Marty Casey (26 September). May they enjoy their special days in the company of family and friends.

Now if only they would fly over here for even just a hole-in-the-wall concert. Or I'd renew my US visa, schedule my vacation leave and catch them in concert in one city in one month.

One can always dream...

A trial for my EQ

2006-09-08T23:03:00.000+08:00

Okay, Rock Star: Supernova concludes next week and I am at a loss as to who will become the band's singer. The suspense is agonizing but watching the show week after week has proven that none of them can surpass the performances of Marty Casey in 2005. Well, my family and I are enjoying Magni's presence even if we know that he's not going to get the gig (Honestly not his loss). My money though is on Toby Rand only because Dilana can't write songs that everyone in Supernova likes and Lukas needs subtitles when he's on stage. Anyway, six nights more and this ordeal will be over. Besides, I filed for Vacation Leave just to indulge in the finale, heehee :)

My hair and body care regimen is killing my wallet

2006-09-08T22:56:00.000+08:00

I recall having a cow last year about discovering a conditioner that suited my hair really well then was suddenly phased out. Now my dilemma is crazier: I found a line of products that super duper work well with me all around. Unfortunately, they're by L'Occitane en Provence and they cost an arm and a leg :( Still, to quote Calai, "I'd rather be poor but mabango." Yup, my priorities are in place ;)

An eye candy partnership

2006-09-08T22:20:00.000+08:00

I admit it: I am a sucker for Gary Oldman :D He is such a fascinating character actor who brings a lot to his roles (Ben Chase, Sid Vicious, Dracula, Beethoven, Norman Stansfield, Sirius Black, or Lt. James Gordon to name a few). I'm also a fan of Nokia cellphones ;) A good cellphone is on my list of things I can't live without (up there with the parlor and guys with nice hands + eyes, haha!) So I've been grinning from ear to ear since I caught the N93 ad on TV. It's such a visual feast I don't think I'll ever tire of...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obMbxSTsF9Y (Pardon my ignorance, but I still have to figure out how to create links with our family Mac)

Picture talk

2006-09-07T21:49:00.000+08:00

In this digital age I still enjoy the emotions evoked by a genuine photo print. I received a photo of Judy, my mentor from Monterey Bay Aquarium (California, USA), in the mail last month. We worked together for two months in 2001 as volunteers edutaining visitors on ocean conservation, but we do our best to keep in touch despite the distance. She recently walked her niece down the aisle at a beach wedding. Speaking of weddings, the other photo was taken at the wedding of a college blockmate. Emily, the girl beside me is another college blockmate whom I haven't seen in too long. We were the only people at our table (which was way too near the speakers) so we had an intimate photo with the newly married couple compared to the other tables. I guess photos and weddings evoke fun memories for everyone present (pre-throwing of the bouquet, of course) :D

May I take you order, Ma'am?

2006-09-07T21:36:00.000+08:00

We recently had a busy morning at Palms Country Club. It was a holiday Monday when my sisters and I took Layla swimming then enjoyed breakfast with Mum and Tito Bruce at the Cafe. Here are some photos of Layla 'studying' the menu. If I didn't know any better I would've thought she had happily decided what she really wanted to have that day ;)

Headless Chicken testimonial

2006-08-14T22:11:00.000+08:00

Being someone’s assistant could be compared to selling your soul to the devil, never having a dull moment, or accepting the fact that life as you know it will change forever. In the words of Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren) from Gosford Park, “I am the perfect servant; I have no life.”

Here is a snippet from the Day-In-The-Life entry of Lorraine, assistant to Neil Gaiman (http://www.lorraineamalena.blogspot.com/)

…Being a Personal Assistant is like shooting from the hip.
You have to be fast, you have to be ready.
If it goes wrong, oh, and it will, you will take the blame.
If it goes right, that's good because that's how it should be.
I, however, know that I am appreciated.
My Boss has the sweetest temper going, and is one of the kindest people I have ever met.
I know everything I do is really really important.
He has told me so, many times.

I lay in my bed, wishing I had got everything I wanted to done, and run over my various affirmations for the day tomorrow.
I will get my e-mail under 500.
I will get tomatoes staked.
I will be friendly, funny, and try and get to the gym.

Then two very very truthful, simple and profound things occur to me and I smile.

I so love my job.

And....

Thank the Gods that I am not as busy as my Boss.

Yes, I so can relate ;)

It has come to this...

2006-08-10T23:06:00.000+08:00

This week I got to thinking of those moments in your life when you sort of hit rock bottom and are forced to re-evaluate everything at that instant. I know that my travails can be petty when placed beside others but I decided to take stock of some of them anyway.

1. Why won’t you just die?!?
My mantra in the late 1990’s whenever I looked at a Speedo silicone swim cap given to me by someone I went out with in the early 1990’s. I eventually gave it to a friend so that I wouldn’t have to make eye contact with it anymore so it’s probably still alive somewhere in her (or someone else’s) dresser drawer.

2. The bag lasted longer than the boy.
It’s cool to date someone who showers you with gifts since they’re out of town a lot. Then the relationship takes a nose dive and you’re left using that sentimental yet functional hand-woven Benguet province backpack / sling bag until it succumbs to my mantra in #1.

3. I bought a ream of PEEL Orange Menthol.
Why? It was cheaper than buying it by the pack (Php5.00 less per pack to be exact). This after having an argument with someone in the last century who needed to borrow Php50.00 for a pack of Marlboro Reds, among other things. My battle cry at the time was, “I will not support a vice!”

4. Eating alone at the buffet table because there was no more space for you at the table of your elder(ly) relatives.
I guess this is a family gathering moment but it really made me feel like a driver because I literally went to the Sunday lunch in the alleys of Makati since no one else could drive my Tita to the venue. She had a blast though since these people were her in her age group and they had a lot of catching up to do. Post-lunch was an improvement for me since we all crowded around a little TV set to enjoy a Manny Pacquiao (?) match.

5. Eating alone at the Grade School canteen.
This one actually was a funny experience for I decided that day to try a different menu (I usually dine at the High School and College canteen of the school I worked at). There were a lot of students around the GS canteen but I didn’t know any of them and vice-versa so no one took the chance to sit across the table from me and strike up a conversation. I enjoyed my meal a lot but I had to guffaw at the thought that this must be how it feels to be a ‘loner’.

6. My slipper gave up on me…on the Ayala Center walkway at 9ish on a payday Friday evening en route to late dinner with friends at Greenbelt 2.
Nothing shoots down your self-esteem faster than rushing from the Park Square 1 car park to a G2 restaurant in your nice dress and newly painted toes than having your footwear fall apart in mid-stride. I had to immediately pull myself together and coherently identify the nearest store that sold slippers (shoes were out of the question because of above-mentioned pedicure) and that was still open. Imagine looking like Igor (Yesss, Masterrr…) as you drag your foot (and the rest of your shattered self) toward the nearest escalator and then the nearest store that would hopefully resolve your dilemma while trying to maintain your composure on that busy walkway. Then add bumping into a student of yours who cheerfully introduces you to her father so you have to feign a leg cramp to justify your foot-dragging fiasco. Insane! My ordeal slightly ended when I reached Addidas where I had to settle for the Php1,000+ yellow and blue slippers with Velcro (the only pair that looked decent and matched the dress I was wearing that night).

7. E-mail re Pantry Supplies
I work in an office where the people on my floor are college graduates with diplomas. Some of them with many more years of work experience than me. They’re good to do business with and take lunches / coffee breaks with, but not all of them have grasped the concept of the General Pantry (free for all) and the General Manager’s Pantry (ask permission from the Office of the GM first). Hence, a number of cups, saucers and spoons were taken from GMP to the GP then have disappeared from the face of the planet thanks to these individuals I consider professional colleagues. In my attempts to maximize their learning skills (auditory: speak to them about it and visually: posting an OGM notice on the GMP cupboard), I’ve had to resort to sending out a general e-mail (visual-kinesthetic?) requesting that they check with the OGM first before taking anything out of the cupboard. On that note, don’t get me started on my office female restroom issues.

8. Someone stole the hand soap.
Okay, we have to foray into one restroom issue. Really though, isn’t it a bummer when the janitor tells you that the bottle of hand soap was on the restroom counter before he left the building at 9:00pm the previous night then it was gone when he checked the restroom again at 7:00am today? It just blows my mind to think that now I’m looking at some people in the work place as a potential kleptomaniacs of (of all things) hand soap.

9. I discovered www.wikipedia.org at 11:00am because I finished all my tasks for the day.
I only heard about this website recently (mostly comments about it being a little misleading) because I tend to stick to specific topics when I surf (Stephen King, Harry Potter, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Gaiman and Meg Cabot to name a few) so I decided to check it out the other month. Now it’s my no-brainer online refuge when I’ve got time to kill. As of now I’m reading up on World War I and will probably check out World War II next week.

10. There’s a spot on my car. And another one. And another one. And another one…
I get all trippy when I think of Lucien (Lulu), my car. It’s such a fun vehicle to drive. Am most grateful for it when you have to parallel park into that small spot, or make that right turn at the intersection what with the limited space in between the tricycle and the sidewalk, or when I have to buy gas (13 kms./liter). However, I have promised myself NEVER to purchase a white car again. It is a bane to the existence of us obsessive-compulsives. All those streaks and stains and droppings that you catch with your peripheral vision and then just need to attend to everyday, sigh.

11. I went to the gym to catch Seinfeld.
I’m ecstatic that Star World decided to show Seasons 1-9 of Seinfeld on weekdays since April this year. I get to have a half-hour laughing fit (7:30pm-8:30pm) at least once a day, Monday to Friday (this could increase if I catch the 7:00am and 11:00pm reruns). This ritual was almost derailed when our TV set of almost two decades lost its volume control last Sunday. I started doing the math in my head: Season 7 started last week so the series will end in…November! Fear of missing an episode has inspired me to hit the gym this week. Thank goodness for those machines with the individual TV set, remote control and headphones. In my head I planned my routine so that I could use the rowing machine then switch to the skiing-like thingy (I have no idea what that cardiovascular equipment is called. Mental note: must find out one of these days) with minutes to spare before the start of the episode. I actually pulled it off then had a slight physical challenge when I realized that I wanted to catch Rock Star: Supernova right after Seinfeld. I tried to use the only available treadmill but, alas, the headphones were busted so I had to use another skiing-like thingy for an extra hour, yikes! Well, I relished my TV fix at the gym although I had to constantly remind myself not faint from overuse of that cardio machine. Besides, I’m going to do it all over again tonight, haha!

Yep, life could be worse.
Hope your days like these are far and few ;)

Running round in circles through my mind

2006-08-06T12:46:00.000+08:00

I heard these lyrics on the radio the other morning and to this day I'm trying to figure out what song they're from and who sang them...

"...You kiss me like an overdramatic actor who is starving for work..."

Penny for you thoughts?!?

Talk Radio

2006-07-31T23:12:00.000+08:00

Have you noticed lately that the differences between FM and AM radio are dwindling? The other day I had to sit through more than five minutes of advertisements. Some of them were cheesy songs about toothpaste and other products that escape my mind at the moment. Sometimes I have to endure about 23 minutes of DJ discussions + ads and about two or three songs during my 30-minute commute. What happened to the music? These stations are really tempting me to update my CD collection, grrr!

Seinfeld faux pas

2006-07-31T23:04:00.001+08:00

I wrote in an earlier post that Dane Cook is an R-rated Seinfeld-esque comedian (Not that there's anything wrong with that). This week I just read a 1998 article on Jerry Seinfeld where he mentioned that he likes the sound of "Seinfeldian" more than "Seinfeldesque", ack! And I call myself a FAN, tsk-tsk! No soup for me :(

Sidekick salute

2006-07-31T22:55:00.000+08:00

Entertainment Weekly released a cool tribute to 50 of the greatest sidekicks in entertainment (We're No. 2!). They are the wind beneath the wings, or the man/woman/animal behind the successful number ones. Here are some of my favorites from the list...aside from Chewbacca, of course.

1. George Castanza, sidekick of Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld)
2. Andrew Ridgeley, sidekick of George Michael (Wham)
3. Gromit, sidekick of Wallace (Wallace & Gromit)
4. Goose, sidekick of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Top Gun)
5. Garth Algar, sidekick of Wayne Campbell (Wayne's World)
6. John Oates, sidekick of Daryl Hall (Hall & Oates)
7. Barney Rubble, sidekick of Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones)
8. Paul Schaffer, sidekick of David Letterman (The Late Show with David Letterman)
9. Silent Bob, sidekick of Jay (Jay & Silent Bob)
10. Piglet, sidekick of Winnie-the-Pooh (The Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh)

Now, are you No. 1 or No. 2? :D

My friend, Google

2006-07-11T19:26:00.000+08:00

I was so inspired by the finding my long lost friend last week that I decided to Google another friend whom I had lost touch with. Lo and behold I found her with just a nickname and a common family name. Called her up, sent her an e-mail and some photos so that we’re now up to date with each others lives. Fascinating. I think it’s a healthy practice I’ll maintain once a week :D

I’d like to thank Ricky Lo and April Boy Regino…

2006-07-11T19:23:00.000+08:00

A funny thing that happened to me last week.

It was about 3:30pm and I was skimming through the local papers when I read an update by Ricky Lo, an entertainment writer, on April Boy Regino, an artist who migrated to the US last year. Now Philippine showbiz is my Waterloo, but I really didn’t have much else to do until 6:00pm (the end of my work day). To my surprise the article mentioned that April Boy was assisted by an immigration lawyer whose name rang a bell.

Flashback: In the summer of 1993, I took a flight from San Francisco (spent a week with cousins) to LA (spent the remainder of the summer with my Dad). On the plane I was assigned a seat beside a Filipina and her African-American husband. She asked if I was Filipina, too, and we hit it off from there. This is how dated it gets…her husband was a dolly grip (drives a cart that carries one of the camera men?) on the Arsenio Hall show so we exchanged phone numbers before leaving the plane and I eventually got to watch two live shows of Arsenio Hall that summer. I forget who all the guests were at the time but I remember 1) My new-found-friends forgot to tell us that you had to be 18 to get in so my younger sister proudly told security that she was 13 (and ended up going shopping with our Tita while I watched the show) and I lied (I was still 17 at the time) and 2) Arturo Sandoval (a South American trumpet player?) was a guest on one show and my friend gave me a cassette tape of Mr. Sandoval’s album after the show. My Dad eventually moved up north to Marin County, CA near Monterey, CA then to Pittsburg, CA in the Bay Area so I soon lost touch with the couple.

Last month I was actually wondering what had happened to them then (call it serendipity?) I came across that Ricky Lo article. He even plugged her mobile phone number in it. My best friend and I were thinking it was worth trying to get in touch with her since it’s not a very common name. I actually felt like a ditz afterwards because I decided to check with my friend, Google, and this girl’s name was all over the place (her own law firm website and a plethora of local newspapers that covered April Boy’s move from here to the US). It really was her, and, apparently, she’s like some lawyer to Pinoy celebrities who go to the US for business or pleasure. I ended my day by giving her a call (after midnight here) and I was so touched because when I said my name she was like, “Where are you?!?!” Imagine, after more than a decade, she still remembered me :D We talked for a while and I got her e-mail addy so I sent her an update later in the day.

Okay, this story would be so much better if it were some hot guy that I could have a future with, but who would’ve thought I’d have to thank Ricky Lo and April Boy Regino for helping me touch base with an old friend?

A critique of a critic

2006-07-11T19:22:00.000+08:00

Stephen King had a lovely article in Entertainment Weekly last 17 January 2005 on how a female newspaper writer reviewed a book that he thought was ok. He gave me words to direct at the number of questionable articles I’ve read through the years by people who are actually paid by newspapers or magazines to share their thoughts with the public. He says, “Any critic can dislike anything he or she wants. Hell, it’s what makes America great. What I don’t like was the ignorance of American Popular Fiction displayed in her essay. What made me crazy was the condescending who-cares-anyway tone. The final message of too many self-anointed critical smarties, whether stated or implied, seems to be, we don’t really need to read this stuff to know it’s junk, do we?” ;)

The price of publicity

2006-07-11T19:20:00.000+08:00

I chanced upon the transcript of Britney Spears’ Dateline NBC interview with Matt Lauer then went to different sites to see the comments of some viewers. Sadly, the overwhelming opinion was not good since she is pregnant and decided to wear a low top, a short denim skirt, dark mascara and fake eyelashes, had unkempt hair, chewed gum throughout the entire interview and gave some off tangent answers. Some opinions that stuck with me were genuine trailer trash country bimbo, act/dress/talk like trash = trash and pure white trash through and through, yikes! Personally, I hope that she finds some balance in her life for the sake of her children.

Snippets

2006-07-11T19:17:00.000+08:00

My American Pop Culture fix of late has been www.danecook.com. It’s the website of an R-rated Seinfeld-esque comic who has reduced me to a giggling schoolgirl at my work station in the middle of the day. Check out videos of his routines and you will see what I mean.

The song lyrics in my head at the moment are from Yahweh by U2:
“Take this mouth
So quick to criticize
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss…”

The latest addition to my Stephen King intake is The Pop of King in Entertainment Weekly. Trust me, he can write a lot more than just horror and fantasy.

The coolest surprise I’ve received this year to date is news that my cousin-in-law in Hawaii, USA and my cousin in California, USA are pregnant. It’s time to renew my US visa and pay them a visit come 2007.

Two life altering books I’ve immersed myself in recently:
1. Bono: in conversation with Michka Assayas (best read while listening to U2)
2. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
In a weird way, I feel my age since I’m reading and enjoying biographies.

I tried solving a crossword puzzle about Hollywood last month and I’m ashamed to say that I only got 23 correct answers out of 85 numbers, ack! Must improve / redeem myself!

A thought stimulating conversation over Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters:
Sister A: If you could end up with a Mythbuster, who would it be? Adam or Jaime?
Sister B: (Deep internal analysis) Jaime, if he shaved his moustache.

My favorite challenge for my sister is to choose between someone or Johnny Depp.
Guess who always wins?
More often than not without batting an eyelash?

My Summer 2006 in the blink of an eye

2006-07-11T19:13:00.000+08:00

Wow, it seemed like I just took a quick breath and it’s already July 2006. Pardon the long pause, it’s called the Office Firewall. My challenge since we migrated network has been to find websites that appeal to my EQ and can get through the darn Access Denied display. Goodbye yahoo, msn, cnn, cbs, blogspot and so much more, grrr! Thank goodness for Entertainment Weekly (general information), the Leaky Cauldron (Everything Harry Potter), curlio.com (Rock Star and American Idol updates) and csifiles.com (My CSI Vegas/Miami/NY fix) to name a few. I also snicker at the fact that others such as stephenking.com, brucespringsteen.net, neilgaiman.com, megcabot.com and martycasey.org make it through by the skin of their teeth (limited access). Well, I’ve accepted my faith for this is all in the name of office network security.

April 2006 was a headless chicken month since we had a number of visitors from our international offices plus we had to prepare documents for the mid-year international travel of our local executives. I don’t think I got to touch a book that month. On the family front, we did join a Country Club so my sisters and I worked on our tan almost seven days a week that month.

May 2006 started out with a road trip for Lulu, family and me :) We celebrated our Mum’s birthday weekend in Tali, Batangas. It was a nice drive down south and we just spent each day under the sun and each night under the stars. Well, we slept in our bedrooms, haha. I can’t believe I survived two whole days without television. The sad part of the trip was that it was the first time we left Maximus, the destroyer / family dog, at home with the household help. He didn’t take it too well since he slept at 1:00am of Saturday morning, ate his Friday breakfast on Saturday afternoon and wouldn’t leave our side when we got back home on Sunday afternoon. I also got to be an Assistant Party Host for an afternoon that month. It was a very fulfilling experience and I gotta give props to these hosts for it’s an insane job.

June 2006 ushered in my last year on the calendar. I celebrated my special day indulging in bowling and buffet with family and friends. After four (4) games, my highest score was still below 100 so I know bowling’s not my sport. The actual birthday was spent doing errands for the home (brought Max to the vet) and the office (bought the month’s pantry supplies). It’s also the anniversary of my employment in my present office, yay! The rainy season also made its entrance so my swimming schedule has been slightly disrupted.

Anyway, its July now and I can’t believe we’re halfway through with this year. Nonetheless, I’m excited for what’s coming around the corner.

Official GodMum :D

2006-04-12T10:09:00.000+08:00

Layla was baptized in an small Church ceremony last weekend so I'm officially a Godmother / Ninang, yahooey! We were very fortunate that she was the only baby scheduled for a baptism so the event was very intimate. Family and friends then gathered for lunch at a nearby Spanish restaurant. She looked like she was ready to go to bed when she arrived at the Church but she seemed to be listening attentively to the Deacon during the service and was in a good mood during the lunch. Sweet ;)

Comic conversation

2006-04-12T09:58:00.000+08:00

I'm supposed to be finalizing the Minutes of the previous meeting, but I needed a quick distraction so I surfed the net and found an article on Neil Gaiman (The Gamines Love Gaiman) at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.04/posts.html?pg=6. This excerpt made me giddy and a bit reflective...

..."Then I have a question for you," says another member of the party, Mitch Cutler, owner of St. Marks Comics. Located just around the corner, it's one of the country's best independent comic book retail shops. "Who do you think the next generation of readers will be?"

This is what comics guys talk about over dinner: What happens when 14-year-old boys put down their tales of garishly clad, overmuscled men who like to bash robots? "I'm not sure," Gaiman says. "But I do know that when I got to Singapore to do a reading, there were 600 teenage girls waiting. And when I got to the Philippines, there were 2,000 teenage girls waiting, screaming my name."

Cutler nods. "That's it," he says. "It's girls between 13 and 25."...

No, I wasn't one of the 2K who saw Gaiman during his visit yet it's cool that our country made such an impact on his tour. I did give my older sister an essay I wrote on Stardust and let her line up for Mr. Gaiman's autograph. Hmmm, I must remember to frame that essay one of these days.

Anyway, have a meaningful Holy Week and enjoy a Happy Easter! ;)

The songs of 1992

2006-04-05T10:04:00.000+08:00

I checked out www.musicoutfitters.com, recommended by Calai, to view the Top 100 Songs of 1992 (the year I graduated from High School). I actually thought it was a good year for music until I went through this list. It's probably just because I'm more into New Wave, Glam Rock and Alternative Music. I also think that there were a lot of good artists who just didn't have great hits that year. Anyway, see if any of these ring a bell or bring back (haunting) memories ;)

1. End of the Road (Boyz II Men) --- A Batch 1993 Graduation song favorite
2. Baby Got Back (Sir Mix-A-Lot) --- A hot summer beach song
3. Jump (Kris Kross) --- Infectious to a fault
4. Save The Best For Last (Vanessa Williams) --- The best friend's mantra
5. Baby-Baby-Baby (TLC) --- Lounging music
6. Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton) --- Won Song of the Year at the Grammys?
7. My Lovin'...You're Never Gonna Get It (En Vogue) --- Wow, En Vogue revamped
8. Under The Bridge (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) --- Classic
9. All 4 Love (Color Me Badd) --- Catchy
10. Just Another Day (Jon Secada) --- Power vocals and a different kind of music video
11. I Love Your Smile (Shanice) --- Young and bubbly
12. To Be With You (Mr. Big) --- A favorite jamming session song
13. I'm Too Sexy (Right Said Fred) --- Nuts but got good air play
14. Black Or White (Michael Jackson) --- I couldn't understand half the song
15. Achy Breaky Heart (Billy Ray Cyrus) --- Song of the Year according to my Dad :)
16. I'll Be There (Mariah Carey) --- Bring back the old Mariah ;)
17. November Rain (Guns N' Roses) --- Such a LONG song and music video
18. Life Is A Highway (Tom Cochrane) --- Good driving music
19. Remember The Time (Michael Jackson) --- Fun music video
20. Finally (CeCe Peniston) --- The song of former NBSBs (No Boyfriend Since Birth)
21. This Used To Be My Playground (Madonna) --- So serious
22. Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough (Patty Smyth) --- Sniffle
23. Can't Let Go (Mariah Carey) --- Can't recall this one
24. Jump Around (House of Pain) --- Or this one
25. Diamonds and Pearls (Prince and The N.P.G) --- What was he thinking?
26. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (George Michael and Elton John) --- Strange duo
27. Masterpiece (Atlantic Starr) --- Nothing great but I actually still remember it, haha!
28. If You Asked Me To (Celine Dion) --- Ah, the silent prayer of probably a lot of women
29. Giving Him Something He Can Feel (En Vogue) --- Hmmm, a lot of R&B this year
30. Live And Learn (Joe Public) --- Or forget?
31. Come And Talk To Me (Jodeci) --- I'm sure that I listened to this one...
32. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) --- My introduction to grunge and a cool album
33. Humpin' Around (Bobby Brown) --- He lost me at New Edition
34. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (Sophie B. Hawkins) --- Great song, scary music video
35. Tell Me What You Want Me To Do (Teven Campbell) --- How old was he then?
36. Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg (TLC) --- Standard TLC
37. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday (Boyz II Men) --- Top 2 '93 Grad Song :P
38. Move This (Techtronic) --- I vaguely remember this
39. Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) --- Wayne's World ;)
40. Tennessee (Arrested Development) --- Almost got some corn braids due to this
41. The Best Things In Life Are Free (Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson) --- Happy/Joy
42. Make It Happen (Mariah Carey) --- House cleaning dance music #64
43. The One (Elton John) --- Can't remember how this goes...
44. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss (P.M. Dawn) --- I want to go to the beach NOW
45. Stay (Shakespeare's Sister) --- I think I liked this one then
46. 2 Legit 2 Quit (Hammer) --- He's still MC Hammer to me
47. Please Don't Go (K.W.S.) --- I might know this one...
48. Breakin' My Heart...Pretty Brown Eyes (Mint Condition) --- And maybe this one...
49. Wishing On A Star (Cover Girls) --- Where are they now?
50. She's Playing Hard To Get (Hi-Five) --- Overplayed on the radio
51. I'd Die Without You (P.M. Dawn) --- Reminded me of their other song minus the beach
52. Good For Me (Amy Grant) --- I like AG but this forgettable
53. All I Want (Toad The Wet Sprocket) --- A new era of barefoot musical geniuses
54. When A Man Loves A Woman (Michael Bolton) --- A movie I've never seen
55. I Can't Dance (Genesis) --- You gotta admit they must've had fun making the music video
56. Hazard (Richard Marx) --- This really clicked over here
57. Mysterious Ways (U2) --- Re-invention is healthy for us fans
58. Too Funky (George Michael) --- So it's George Michael...
59. How Do You Talk To An Angel (Heights) --- Ok song, a mediocre show
60. One (U2) --- Every music video for this was mind blowing
61. Keep On Walkin' (CeCe Peniston) --- I must've because it doesn't ring a bell
62. Hold On My Heart (Genesis) --- Ah, Mr. Collins, hitting me where it hurts
63. The Way I Feel About You (Karyn White) --- No, nothing comes to mind
64. Beauty And The Beast (Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson) --- LSS (Last Song Syndrome)
65. Warm It Up (Kriss Kross) --- I think I developed selective memory after Jump
66. In The Closet (Michael Jackson) --- Nice sepia video
67. People Everyday (Arrested Development) --- Can I buy a letter?
68. No Son Of Mine (Genesis) --- This reminds me of the Tarzan soundtrack
69. Wildside (Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch) --- A steady song
70. Do I Have To Say The Words? (Bryan Adams) --- Not one of his best
71. Friday I'm In Love (The Cure) --- I love The Cure but now the songs all sound the same
72. Everything About You (Ugly Kid Joe) --- Witty
73. Blowing Kisses In The Wind (Paula Abdul) --- Nothing beats Rush, Rush
74. Thought I'd Died And Gone To Heaven (Bryan Adams) --- Not a good pick-up line
75. Rhythm Is A Dancer (Snap) --- Possible house cleaning music
76. Addams Groove (Hammer) --- I miss Raul Julia
77. Missing You Now (Michael Bolton) --- I don't think that I miss this song
78. Back To The Hotel (N2Deep) --- Am clueless about this one
79. Everything Changes (Kathy Troccoli) --- Trippy song but so Jerry Maguire
80. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad (Def Leppard) --- The glam rock continues
81. Take This Heart (Richard Marx) --- Could you play the first three chords, please?
82. When I Look Into Your Eyes (Firehouse) --- It was all downhill from here
83. I Wanna Love You (Jade) --- I know Sade but who is Jade?
84. Uhh Ahh (Boyz II Men) --- Uhmmm...
85. Real Love (Mary J. Blige) --- I still don't like her version of One with U2
86. Justified and Ancient (The KLF) --- I'll know it when I hear it?
87. Slow Motion (Color Me Badd) --- I'm lost
88. What About Your Friends (TLC) --- Ho-hum
89. Thinkin' Back (Color Me Badd) --- Really lost now: Obviously, I don't have a CMB CD
90. Would I Lie To You? (Charles and Eddie) --- The cheating man's anthem
91. That's What Love Is For (Amy Grant) --- Belongs to the finale of a high school play
92. Keep Coming Back (Richard Marx) --- A style that doesn't suit Richard Marx's hairdo
93. Free Your Mind (En Vogue) --- A real girl power tune
94. Keep It Comin' (Keith Sweat) --- No idea
95. Just Take My Heart (Mr. Big) --- Ack, the pain...
96. I Will Remember You (Amy Grant) --- Am trying to sing it in my head and I can't
97. We Got A Love Thang (CeCe Peniston) --- Her hair bothered me by this song
98. Let's Get Rocked (Def Leppard) --- The heavy drinkers party song
99. They Want EFX (Das EFX) --- I must have been in the restroom when this came out
100. I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt) --- Go Deanna Johnston? (Rock Star INXS)

Survival Skills

2006-03-29T16:27:00.000+08:00

Just read an update on The Amazing Race 9 on www.cbs.com.
Yet ANOTHER WOMAN had difficulty driving a car with a manual transmission.
It's amusing when these contestants think that everyone around the world drives an automatic.
Then it leads to their downfall, mwahaha!
Unfortunately, it's also a bummer that it's someone of my gender, AGAIN.
You'd think though that after watching eight seasons they'd realize the necessity of this skill.
Some people just never learn...

Happy Monthday :)

2006-03-29T10:37:00.000+08:00

Layla, my niece, is five months old today ;)

My Little Demon

2006-03-29T10:02:00.000+08:00

I don't know about you but I recently read a few things online (slow work week) that put a smile on the face of my devil inside...

1. http://www.votefortheworst.com/ I know, where have I been? Huddled up in a hole somewhere in Tuguegarao or something? Yes, this site has been around for a while. Check it out though when you have time. Now I understand why Jasmine Trias made it as far as she did in the American Idol Season 3. I was worried that the vast majority of Pinoys in the US were becoming tone deaf.

2. I was reading an article today on http://movies.msn.com/movies/dvd/single by Jim Emerson about his Top 10 movies that make you grateful that you're single (especially on Valentine's Day) and he had this lovely analysis about those psycho-stalker characters..."Play Misty for Me" (1971) provided the jumping-off point for "Fatal Attraction" (1987) and a sterling setting for the seven most terrifying words in the English language: "I did it because I love you!"

Okay, I must nourish my inner cherub, too. Soon ;)

Rats!!!

2006-03-29T09:49:00.000+08:00

We recently renovated our office and I've been assigned to handle the pantry supplies (a cup of coffee makes for perky, happy and productive employees?). It was okay until I experienced every obsessive-compulsive wannebee homemaker's nightmare last week...gnawed and frayed coffee and chocolate milk sachets, ack! Notice the enthusiasm the vermin had with the milk, yikes! And to think that these were INSIDE the pantry drawer. Just imagining the damage that could've been done had these been on the table top makes me nauseous, sigh. The funny thing was that the coffee creamer remained unscathed ;) I've become more vigilant though in storing our supplies: they're tucked away in the filing cabinet, along with the confidential documents, under lock and key.

Happy midweek :D

The Call of the Rock Stars

2006-03-10T15:04:00.000+08:00

From an article on http://jam.canoe.ca/Music

...U2 was scheduled to play Auckland on March 17 and 18, before kicking off the Australian leg of its "Vertigo" world tour in Brisbane on March 21, followed by Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The band was scheduled to play in Yokohama on April 4 and in Honolulu on April 8.

Tickets for U2's concert at Aloha Stadium went on sale in January and sold out within an hour, stadium officials said. It was the fastest-selling concert in stadium history, Aloha Stadium spokesman Patrick Leonard said at the time. Some fans slept at Aloha Stadium to get the best seats. Tickets ranged from $50 to $165...

Now, I'm wondering to myself if I would've done the same as the Hawaiian fans if I was there.

Most definitely ;)

Online window shopping

2006-03-09T13:54:00.000+08:00

When I have a moment to breathe at the office, I point my browser to msn.com just to see what's making headlines around the world.

I found this article online last Tuesday and felt so bummed out because Boracay wasn't mentioned. Imagine, it's not even an affordable destination. For Asia they mentioned Indonesia, Thailand and even Cambodia, I think. I hope that I just missed reading the word Philippines by accident. Meanwhile, that image is not a link because I haven't figured out how to do that, yet. Sometime in the future, heheh :D

Now here's another article I enjoyed reading yesterday. Sorry, again, not a link. It talks about how you should have foresight when you build or renovate your home. What could be trendy now may be outdated by the time you think of selling your home. I just saved the photos because they looked like a bathroom I would want to have in my home someday, haha :)

Okay, must get back to work.
Happy surfing msn.com and happy weekend ;)

Earth shattering sounds

2006-03-09T13:50:00.000+08:00

From www.curlio.com, an American Idol commentary site.

...the band was absolutely horrid tonight.
Are they always this bad and I missed it or what?
I vote that we insist American Idol hires the Rock Star house band!
Surely there are some amazing session artists out there dying for work?
I've heard better guitarists at my local bar.

The Man In Black

2006-03-02T16:33:00.000+08:00

From www.aintitcoolnews.com

Looks good ;)

Conspiracy Theory

2006-02-23T17:10:00.000+08:00

Someone out there is toying with the state of my health and hygiene :(

Don't you hate it when you find something that works for you then it disappears?

Case #1: I discovered Arm and Hammer toothpaste with Baking Soda a few years back and went out of my way (well, I walked from wherever my office was to the Landmark shopping mall) to buy it on a regular basis. It just worked for me. Then one day, I go to Landmark and it's gone. I check out Festival Mall, Alabang Town Center, and any PX store within my neighborhood but to no avail. Goodbye, Arm and Hammer toothpaste with Baking Soda, sniff-sniff.

Case#2: I find a Palmolive conditioner that jives with my hair, yahooey! The type escapes me now but I can assure you that it made bath time great. Then it disappears from the malls, arrgh! It may be back now but I can't remember which kind it was. That experience forced me to try a lot of brands (hit and miss). Apparently, my family is allergic to Pantene. Many local brands are also just too blah for my hair. Over the summer I felt like I died and went to heaven when I discovered Thermasilk Clarifying conditioner detangled my hair in a snap. Yes, it sounds petty but a conditioner can make or break your crowning glory. Come December 2005, Thermasilk Clarifying conditioner is GONE, huh-huh. The agony of finding a substitute. I actually did find one: a St. Ives conditioner that isn't as fabulous as Thermasilk but it gets the job done. My bottle is almost finished so I'm in a state of panic because I breezed through the malls again yesterday but couldn't find my St. Ives conditioner. In the words of Chris (?) from Miss Saigon, "Why God? Why this place?"

So two cases may seem lame but I also noticed yesterday that the stores didn't have my St. Ives Eye and Face Stress Gel or my Babyflo 200 pieces q-tips. When will it end?

Talk about the only thing constant in this world is change, grr!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

2006-02-23T17:00:00.000+08:00

I had to look at this house during a cigarette break last Sunday afternoon.

The photo doesn't do it justice because you had to be there to see the red paint running over the white paint then the white paint streaking across the glass window above the door.

I kept thinking about how the owner could've improved the whole image by painting the entire roof red instead.

Talk about things you can do with your money. Or not.

Anyway, this has inspired me to take more photos of homes that make you raise an eyebrow or drop your jaw ;)

Little Lulu

2006-01-31T13:54:00.000+08:00

International Name: Lucien
Nickname: Lulu

Local Name: Espasol
Nickname: 'Spa

This is my new car, a 1.3 S M/T Honda Jazz.
No license plates, yet, bummer.

Brief history:

So in 2004 I saw the cute TV ad about a girl with a Honda Jazz that she managed to stuff everything into. Including the dog. Zero impact on me.

Then I had a coffee with someone who will not be named on this blog at the end of that year and I didn't realize he had the compact/hatchback until I got home. It seemed like a regular sized car inside. That sparked my decision to eventually get one if I could.

By the last quarter of 2005, I was REALLY set on buying the Honda Jazz. Until I went to Honda Cars Alabang and the Sales Executive told me that I would need Php 400K for 50% down payment. Then she advised me that they phased out the red-colored unit so they were recommending a pink-colored unit, shudder. Plus she never called me back for the test drive. I decided to resign myself to becoming a Toyota Vios owner. They had a red-colored unit and the car came with an airbag.

In the beginning of 2006, I started surfing the net to read the reviews on both cars. I even looked at the Honda City as a last resort. I was set on buying a car before the end of the month to beat the price increase due to E-VAT :P

One Saturday morning Nini and I dropped by Toyota to get a feel of the Vios: cramped and restricted. Even worse, they weren't interested in having me trade-in Silver as part of the downpayment. Imagine, their own car, strange. In the afternoon, I took a chance and dropped by Honda again. The Sales Executive this time gave me a better computation and the difference between the down payment for the Toyota Vios and the Honda Jazz was less than Php 20K. There was also the issue of airbag vs. storage space. More importantly, they were interested in getting Silver as part of the down payment (bittersweet, I know).

Well, I came up with the money and am enjoying the perks that come with Lulu. Just around a radius of 15 kms. Southbound from my home though until I finally get my license plates, heh2! ;)

It's the start of a beautiful friendship...

Things the media won't say out loud

2006-01-27T11:58:00.000+08:00

Just read this on www.megcabot.com

A lot of people have been writing to ask what I think about Brangelina. Well, people, I don't know about you, but I've finally figured out what's going on, and frankly, I'm afraid. VERY afraid. Between Brangelina, TomKat, Gwen, Gwyneth, Britney, and everyone else, it's totally obvious what's happening: Certain celebrities are breeding in order to amass their celebrity army, with an eye towards eventually taking over the planet.

I can't believe US WEEKLY and the STAR aren't all over this story. I mean, can't they see what's happening before their very eyes? The worst thing is that they're trying to pull other, DECENT celebrities down with them. Thank God Jennifer Anniston made it out in time, but we've already lost Katie Holmes. We might still have a chance with Nick Lachey, though. Run, Nick, RUN!!!

WAKE UP, PEOPLE. The celebrities seeking world domination are reproducing at an alarming rate, while, we just sit idly by, LETTING it happen. It's true, we can't keep them from breeding. But we could at least stop paying so much attention to them. If we just pretend like they aren't there, maybe they'll all go away. With no attention to feed off of, these celebrities might just stop spawning, and we can all go about our business.

Didn't you see that mini-series, “V”? We are under attack, and must act as a united front against the celebrity scourge. Otherwise, they won't stop at just HAVING babies: Soon, they'll be trying to RAISE them. THEMSELVES.

And that just can't be allowed in a civilized society such as ours.

Bye-O, Silver...Away!

2006-01-27T10:52:00.000+08:00

In May 1997, our family purchased a 1994 Silver Toyota Corolla XL from a family friend. Since my Mum is a foreigner, the car was assigned to me. It was the first time I owned a car so I was all trippy about it. Then came the peer pressure of naming the car so I called him Silver (Full name: High ho, Silver, away!). My fondest memories of Silver are his fuel efficiency (1.3) and his quirk early on of the turn signal lights clicking on and off like there was no tomorrow on rainy days (It was due to an electrical problem but I always liked to think Silver was just high on caffeine that day).

I'm trying to remember the furthest places I've driven to with Silver but my memory fails me at the moment. I can recall driving to the Quezon Avenue/Banawe Street area but I'm not sure how far South we've gone together. Maybe Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna? I even remember the first time I bumped another car: I was backing out of a parking lot and didn't see that there was a car behind me because it was the corner of a full stop intersection. Does that make sense? Suffice it to say I went pale and could hardly explain to the other driver that I bumped his car ("I...I...I bumped..."). Thank goodness he was very calm and just told me to have my insurance call his insurance (Bless him). He was even kind enough to ask if I was doing okay in the week that followed.

Fast forward to 2006 (and maybe three {3} major accidents later) and Silver recently had to have a lot of work done. Plus he was only clocking in eight (8) kms. per liter. It was time to let go of my friend of almost nine (9) years. I know it's silly because it's only a car but it was so funky when I had to turn him over to his new owner. I felt like Oscar Schindler in his drama moment towards the end of the Spielberg movie but more like, "There's so much more to do with this car right now." To quote Bruce Springsteen's Human Touch: Yeah, I know I ain't nobody's bargain but, Hell, a little touch up and a little paint.

I bought a brand new car this week (more on that in another post) and we're getting along fine, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart (?) for my first car.

A Tale of Two Rabbits

2006-01-13T15:48:00.000+08:00

Angelina Jolie and I were born on exactly the same day so I thought of doing a checklist on where we are in our lives now. Okay, Angelina Jolie: pregnant with Brad Pitt's baby...hmmm, I guess that I can't top that one so she wins hands down.

Hassle.

Happy weekend to everyone ;)

The year that was

2006-01-01T20:08:00.000+08:00

So I have come to the end of my 2005 planner and am looking at the lists I've made...

Best thing(s) I did in 2005:
Went to Bacolod for a weekend (the craziest thing I did, too).
Sent The Lovehammers a Christmas card ;)
Paid off my education plan

Best person(s) I met in 2005:
Layla Andrea Vargas Ortega :D
Two of my bosses (who will not be named in this blog, heheh)

Best place(s) I visited in 2005:
Hacienda, Batangas (Laguna Properties)
Terrazas, Batangas (Landco)

Best movie(s) I saw in 2005:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Sky High
Waiting

Best meal(s) I had in 2005:
The chicken asparagus sandwich of McCafe-Bacolod
The seafood medley of Vivere Suites, Filinvest, Alabang, Muntinlupa

Best drink(s) I had in 2005:
Tropicana cooler
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Banana Caramel

Hassle how I couldn't reduce everything to one item.
As for movies, I would've listed HPGoF but I haven't seen it enough times (withdrawal) and I haven't seen King Kong, yet.
I'm ready though for what 2006 has to offer.

Happy New Year to everyone!
Keep smiling and God bless!

Sleeping on the job

2005-12-26T11:53:00.000+08:00

So I come home from a night of pre-Christmas partying (mostly death by videoke) last 21 December, Wednesday, to catch the local rerun of Rock Star INXS only to find out that they show the episode which they aired the week before. There were six rockers left last week and now they're still six. What the f*#k?!? Someone must have been sleeping on the job. Yes, it was nice to watch Marty sing WISH YOU WERE HERE again but I was excited to hear TREES. Cheap thrills. I'm still debating whether it was worth letting go of the magic mike when I was on a roll with an average score of 95 (80's music rocks!).

Selective reading

2005-12-26T11:48:00.000+08:00

I am sure that I have read at least 20 books this 2005: Harry Potter books 1-6 two times each, The Dark Tower book 1 twice, and The Dark Tower books 2-7. Not bad for a whole year's haul. I think I must broaden my reading selection in 2006 :) Although, I would like to read the revised Dark Tower book 1 next year ...

Happy Holidays

2005-12-15T11:55:00.000+08:00

Look, it's Schnauzer Claus :)

Family ties

2005-12-15T11:44:00.000+08:00

I LOVE traveling.
Unless we're going to Divisoria
(requires major psychological preparation).
I enjoy the ritual of packing your bag(s), riding a car/bus/plane, taking snapshots here and there, meeting new people or catching up with old friends, trying out the food, assessing the accommodations, making a journal entry about my day...the list goes on and on.
I think it's in the blood.
Here is a photo of my father that my grandmother's sister recently gave me.
Talk about a juvenile global jetsetter.
Anyway, happy travels to you wherever you plan to go this weekend!

Christmas is coming...

2005-12-07T10:54:00.000+08:00

Something to think about during the holidays from Jeanette Winterson:

Christmas is about celebration and contemplation.

Christmas is too good to waste on miserable shopping, endless guzzling, and frequent drunken collapses. Parties are great, and gifts are important, but it’s good to know what we are celebrating, and why, and it’s good to pull back and find the peace and reflection that Christmas can offer.

The Sunday funnies

2005-12-04T16:07:00.000+08:00

The local Recruitment Office of a prominent call center, that takes pride in its English campaign, placed the following ad in the paper today:

To suceed in life, you need the right tools.

Umm, spell check? ;)