Friday, December 30, 2005

Tadaima~

Just got back from Iloilo. My mom was able to find us really cheap tickets and we saved a bit of money -- the only catch was that it was the earliest flight out (710am)

Had a very interesting experience on the flight going to Iloilo -- I sat beside a lady who was apparently allergic to newsprint ink. She asked me if I could not read my newspaper. (This being the holiday season, the nagging need to be charitable and generous made me reluctantly agree.)

Thinking about it now, it must be sad to be allergic to that -- imagine not being able to read the newspapers. I wonder if her allergy extends to books as well -- it's not like those are printed on glossy paper.

I am rambling. Apologies. ^_^

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Merry Merry! --

Going home to Iloilo tomorrow to celebrate Christmas with my family and will be back here to spend New Year with Johann's mom.

I'm really excited to go home to Iloilo -- I'm already thinking about what to eat. ^_^

* * *

Watch --

The Family Stone

I thought it was a fun movie to watch and prepares you for the holidays.

And my hun cried during some bits of the movie. Lol!

No. Really. He did. ^_^

Friday, December 16, 2005

Almost done with my Top 5s --

Books for the year:
5. What to Expect When You're Expecting (my bible!)
4. Angels and Insects by AS Byatt
3. Castle Waiting series by Linda Medley
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince by JK Rowling
1. Brand New Friend by Mike Gayle

Happy Thoughts
5. Mandarin Oriental
4. my work and my students and my friends at work
3. Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong
2. July 23, 2005
1. Still my J (and the little bean along the way ^_^) / my sibs and my parents

Life-Changing Experiences
5.
4.
3. living away from my sister =(
2. the Little Bean (I suspect this will be number 1 next year)
1. Getting married

Promises for 2006
5. watch more movies!
4. adopt a healthier lifestyle
3. read more books
2. be a better teacher
1. finish my MA

* * *

Didn't realize --

How painful it would be to wrap so many presents!

I'm distributing the ones for work today and we're having our annual sibling party on Sunday.

* * *

The Christmas Story --

I'm letting my students read is O Henry's Gift of the Magi -- it's consistent with the authors I've been taking up with them so far.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

How well do you know your bands? --

Name the 75 bands this picture represents.

<-- My bro pointed this site out to me. I think Johann will have fun with it because he is more of a music buff than I am.

* * *

Deciding --

Whether I should end the year with Misery (by Anton Chekhov)

or giving my students a nice Christmas-related story.

I don't want my students starting their Christmas holidays with a depressing story like Misery but, if I want to stick to my schedule, I should.

Plus, I don't know which Christmas story to let them read in exhange.

* * *

Reminding myself --

Dinner with the Dans girls on Wednesday.

* * *

Because admission is one of the steps to recovery --

I am addicted to Naruto.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

On Weddings --

Last Sunday Johann and I attended my cousin's cousin's wedding (meaning we aren't related) -- the wedding ceremony was at San Sebastian and the reception was at Edsa Shangri-la.

I like attending weddings. I like attending wedding receptions more. When we got married, we really didn't get a chance to eat and the food at Mandarin is really good. ~sniff~

So now, we make it a point to attend weddings so we can eat.

* * *

Need to watch --

Chicken Little
King Kong
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros

Friday, December 09, 2005

I need to do this --

-- because I am getting forgetful and I have taken to using my phone's calendar/appointment keeper as a reminder of what I need to do on certain days.

December 10 - VtES MCM Party
December 11 - Wedding
December 12 - Lunch with V
December 18 - Una's Binyag (I'm ninang! I'm so excited! ^_^)
December 23 - Iloilo

* * *

Preparing for Christmas --

I'm almost done with gifts for my sibs -- we've already agreed on what we're getting for our parents so we'll just chip in for that.

It's interesting how our tastes change with time and how it's becoming more and more challenging to find the perfect gift for them.

The hardest gift to purchase is my hubby's -- we're together most of the time and it's hard to hide his gift in such a small place.

I have a plan, though and I hope I can pull it off. ^_^

Monday, December 05, 2005

Places in Katipunan
5. 7-11
4. UP Shopping Center
3. National Bookstore
2. Rustan's Fresh (nothing cures a bad mood like a supermarket ^_^)
1. Our place

Places elsewhere
5. Gateway Mall
4. Greenhills Shopping Center / The Promenade
3. All the Fully Booked branches
2. Podium
1. Mandarin Oriental <-- special reasons why ^_^

Games (console, PC, online, etc.)
5.
4.
3. Harvest Moon <-- just got this yesterday (so much potential...)
2. Stronghold / Stronghold Crusader
1. Caesar III

OSTs
5.
4. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
3. Avenue Q
2. Wicked
1. RENT movie OST (though I don't have this yet, I'm sure I will love it)

Places to get Hakaw
5. Tin Hau at Mandarin Oriental
4. Won Ton
3. DEC (frozen)
2. North Park
1. David's Tea House

Saturday, December 03, 2005

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Friday, December 02, 2005

Weekend --

Actually, my weekend started yesterday because classes today were cancelled to give way to ACP 2005.

I'm very happy with the progress I'm making with my Christmas shopping -- I've been able to scout around for some potential gifts and I have this long weekend to purchase them.

One bite at a time. ^_^

* * *

Top 5s for 2005 --

I should've started yesterday, but I was really busy and, by the time I got home, I was really tired and tamad.

1. List five things you'd like to accomplish by the end of the year.
- learn how to cook good arroz caldo
- hang all the framed pieces on our walls
- find time to have lunch/dinner with all of my friends
- visit my teacher friends in Xavier
- finish watching Naruto

2. List five things you'd like to learn how to do.- good arroz caldo
- draw
- manage the budget more effectively
- drive
- swim

3. List five things you'd do if you won the lottery (no limit).- give some of the money to the Ateneo and UP Scholars Fund
- set up funds for my future children
- travel!
- set up a retirement fund for all of my teachers and yayas
- invest in some pieces of art (We want an Orlina!)

4. List five things you do that help you relax.
- walking around with my hun
- read / write down thoughts
- prepare a peanut butter and nutella sandwich
- have a good meal / go shopping
- ask for hugs ^_^

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Day with my sister --

I didn't have anything planned today and I needed to get something for Johann's boss who is getting married this week. I called up my sister and asked her if she wanted to go out and do some Christmas shopping (a perfect opportunity to do so because we weren't with my sibs and my hubby) --

We went to Podium and browsed through all the nice shops. We ended up with a handful of shopping bags each.

Had a good lunch at Delifrance -- one of our favorite places.

I was able to buy a really pretty formal top from K&Company (one of the sister brands of Kate+Jack/Gingersnaps) which will grow with me as the months progress. I am ready for any wedding and formal occasion. Raar!

It was a fun day -- while waiting for the wedding gift to be wrapped, my sister told me that she missed me. Aaaawwwww.

I miss her too! >_<

Monday, November 28, 2005

Monday, Holiday --

I'm controlling myself from waking up Johann --

This is, perhaps, one of the ways in which we are different -- I am an early waker-upper and he is a late sleeper.

Today is the tail-end of the long weekend the government has given us and it's been a truly productive weekend so far.

We had originally planned to finish our Christmas shopping this weekend but, because I'm not feeling 100% well, we had to cut short our trip. We did manage to make a dent on our Christmas list and we're confident that we can finish our lists by next weekend. ^_^

Friday, November 25, 2005

Gearing up for the long weekend --

This is an important weekend for me and Johann -- we designated this weekend as "Christmas Shopping Weekend" and had made plans about where we were going and who to buy for first.

We were supposed to finish ALL of our Christmas shopping this weekend to avoid the madness of December.

We've also been debating about whether we should get a tree -- and we're getting that this weekend as well.

And then I got a cold. Bleh. Now we have to limit our outing so that I don't get tired and more sick.

* * *

Highlights --

I've been having very eventful days with family and friends --

Last Sunday, my sibs and I finally cashed in our Breakfast Buffet gift certificates from Mandarin. It was our first time to try out a local hotel's breakfast buffet as a group -- this one was okay. Some dishes were really yummy and others were a bit oily.

They served hakaw and congee and that made my day. ^_^

After a very long and leisurely breakfast, we went to GB3 and attended mass at the church/chapel nearby.

Last Tuesday, I met up with CD and we talked over hotdogs smothered in mustard, mayo and ketchup. The last time I saw her was at my wedding so we had plenty of catching up to do.

Lunches at the Faculty Lounge have also been fun -- most of us are saving up for the Christmas season so we've all become "baon" people.

* * *

Classes --

My classes have been going well -- I'm getting along with all of my classes and I'm really enjoying teaching fiction.

I still feel like I haven't fully immersed myself in the semester -- it's as if I'm holding back or something.

Oh well --

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Curious --

There's a "tribute" concert for Eraserheads this coming Tuesday at UP --

It's to launch the album, ULTRAELECTROMAGNETICJAM --

Local bands singing E-heads songs --

Who knows how to get tickets for this? I think Johann and I want to go.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Things to look forward to in the coming weeks:

Tuesday, November 22 -- lunch with CD
Friday, November 25 -- coffee and cake with V and C
November 26 to 28 -- Christmas Shopping with my hun
Wednesday, November 30 -- lunch with Mahar

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

How Much is This Blog Worth? --


My blog is worth $9,597.18.
How much is your blog worth?

Friday, November 11, 2005

It's that time of the year again --

My sibs always tell me that I'm the most difficult person to get Christmas presents for because
a. my wants always change
b. the ones that don't change, I usually just get for myself
c. the ones that don't change and that I don't get are usually too expensive

Anyhoo -- here's my list for this year:

Books --
More Nigella Lawson! I am most intrigued by How to be a Domestic Goddess
Steven Seagle's It's a Bird
Image hosted by Photobucket.com
The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set
Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down (whyohwhy do you have to be in hardcover)

DVDs --
ALL of Gilmore Girls (raar -- I might slowly get this one for myself -- one per birthday)
Criterion Collection copies of Wes Anderson's works

OSTs --
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (both the 1967 and the 1999 recordings)
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Misc --
Skirts and tops
Bag
Shoes
A waffle maker (there's one from Philips with a switchable plate -- so you can make waffles and panini with the same machine)
An iPOD

... will add to this list ^_^

* * *

Today --

Johann and I had lunch at Beach House in UP. YUMMY BBQ! Ohmygod!

I also sent in all of my class syllabi for photocopying so I won't have to stress out about it on Monday. (Yes, I am that geeky)

Monday, November 07, 2005

I should be posting more often -- and there is a lot that I could write about --

For instance, last Thursday, I finally got to meet up with my dear college friends whom I haven't seen since I got married last July. I love my set of college friends and the wonderful memories of college and of sem breaks and summers together. It is also interesting sitting at the same table as them -- two of us are married now and most of us are "coupled" so I am expecting to attend a few more weddings in the next few years. ^_^

I am glad for this development because we've always been a small group -- but with the addition of spouses, the group has grown (not just in number but also in dimension and horizon) ^_^

The weekend, we had Johann's friends over and it was a day of fulfilling cravings -- we had green mango with really yummy bagoong, ripe mango from Iloilo, chocolate mousse from Red Ribbon, and cookies! We took turns preparing and washing dishes (the problems of having plates and silverware good for 4 and having 8 guests ^_^;;;)

Oh, and the visit to Gerry's Grill -- Johann and I visited the Gerry's Grill in Greenhills -- my tummy was so happy with the meal! We had sisig and karekare -- and the bagoong that came with the karekare was soooooo yummy! We loved the bagoong so much we bought a small tub and brought it home.

Today, I discovered another effortless pasta recipe --

Bacon
Button Mushrooms
Can of Cream of Mushroom (I used Cream of Chicken and Mushroom)
Milk (I used low-fat)
Mozzarella
Cooked Penne pasta

Fry the bacon and when it's crisp, toss in the mushrooms.
Then pour the can of Cream of Chicken and Mushroom and mix in half a can of milk. (Use the empty soup can to measure the milk) Season.
When everything is nice and boiling, toss in mozzarella -- as much or as little as you want. We used a lot.
Transfer everything to a baking dish and then top it with more mozzarella and parmesan.
Bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Currently reading: Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Update --

Had to delete the last post because it was ruining the layout of my blog (and I am an OC person who needs everything in order)

Surprisingly, I've been absolutely busy doing nothing -- when this sem break ends, I will have nothing to show for it -- no completed Chapter 1 and definitely no completed Chapter 2 ready for defense. (I am still trying, though and I gave myself November 1 as "official start date")

It is just amazing how there are so many nothings to fill one's day with -- for starters, there is the Internet and Y!M and the many blogs I visit every day and the ML I frequent. Then there are computer games and I am currently addicted to Stronghold and Stronghold Crusader, both of which affect my sleep. There is Television -- and Oprah and Celebrity Poker and all those lovely shows on Lifestyle and ETC and last, there are books and comic books -- we recently took out Johann's collection (a fraction of it -- there are still boxes left at his house) and I have been enjoying Castle Waiting and the old JSA and X-Men titles. (It irks him when I read lines from the comics in a mock heroic voice ... and I enjoy irking my husband. ^_^)

And in between, there have been dinners and VtES games and trips to Gateway for Breadtalk and more dinners.

And there are still more things I want to do!
- meet with friends
- watch more movies
- read more books
- exercise (which I will start doing on Monday)
- organize the house (getting there!)

* * *

You're never too old to learn something new --

When it comes to purchasing crabs, getting them in crab form is still infinitely better and will prove to save one more time than purchasing shelled, shredded crab --

I wanted to make something with crab for one of our meals and I didn't feel like boiling and picking out crab meat so I decided to buy the pre-packaged already-shredded crabmeat ready for cooking.

Turns out, you should never do this -- Johann suffered a really, really, really bad allergy attack and we had to hie off to Mercury at around 8pm to buy antihistamine and then wait to see the GP the next morning at the Healthdev and then go off again to Mercury to buy another medicine the doctor prescribed to help with the rashes.

Time saved making crab omelette = about 30 minutes (time it would have taken to boil and shred it myself)
Time wasted making all those trips to Mercury and seeing a doctor and worrying senseless in the middle of the night about whether my hubby was going to be okay = more than 30 minutes

Sunday, October 23, 2005

RENT IN SINGAPORE!!! --

They featured Karen Mok (who will be playing Mimi) in the Singaporean production of RENT on Channel News Asia --

It's from November 22 to December 4!!!

* * *

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Friday, October 21, 2005

Reunions --

Yesterday, I bumped into so many old acquaintances --

- a friend from college and his wife (my best memory of this person is being groupmates with him for a project in history and we met at my house to work on the project and his sideview mirrors got stolen... twice!)

- a friend from the store (bumped into him in my building -- strange, but it was nice to see him again ^_^)

- two friends from the store, who are more than acquaintances -- when I saw her (the taller one), I ran towards her and gave her a hug. Odd, no?

* * *

Today --

Johann and I visited the Powerbooks Warehouse Sale -- bit disappointed -- thought it would be bigger and the discount also a bit more, but we did manage to find two books which we needed and 20% is still 20%.

We are also completing the house -- our shelves our up and we went to Handyman in Pioneer to get some shelves for the bathroom.

It's nice to see the place slowly take shape. ^_^

* * *

Tomorrow and the rest of the weekend --

Komikon tomorrow. Plus a quick visit to the Salcedo Weekend Market.

And then rest, rest, rest --

And buy Breadtalk and watch more episodes of Yakitate Japan.

Monday, October 17, 2005

Busy --

It was a really busy weekend, starting with Friday when my parents arrived from Iloilo and culminating in a wedding last Sunday -- in between, there was a VtES playtest, a VtES tournament and a birthday.

And there were still some things we wanted to do --
the Powerbooks Warehouse Sale
Confessions of a 40-year old Virgin
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Breadtalk and then episodes of Yakitate Japan

Today, there are papers to check, parents to entertain (they're visiting me) and a dinner with relatives.

Tomorrow, I have a 9 to 4 meeting with the English Department.

This weekend, we'll be out of town with friends (it is a first for the group to "vacation" together so we are all very excited ^_^) --

The sembreak is shaping up to be a busy one and I am worried that I would get lost in the whirlwind and forget to do some things, which I really want to do --

I really shouldn't be whining about this -- it would have been worse if I was bored out of my mind --

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Some cute things --

This egg hatches on October 1, 2005! Adopt one today!

and

Create your own comic strip with StripGenerator!

Friday, October 14, 2005

Sem Break! --

I just have a few papers to check and then I'm uploading my grades on Monday or Tuesday and then I'm done, done, done for the semester.

H'ray!

It's a long semestral break for us -- almost a month and I'm making sure that it's going to be a productive vacation:

To do:
- finish reading AS Byatt's Angels and Insects
- get a copy of Nick Hornby's Long Way Down <-- why do you have to be in hardcover? =(
- learn how to make good arroz caldo (yesterday's experiment sucked big time)
- go to Sonya's with hubby
- go shopping for new clothes and shoes
- do our Christmas shopping
- get a massage

To do (house-related):
- get our bookshelves installed (they're here! they're lovely! now to get them on the walls...)
- get mirrors
- figure out what to do with kitchen cabinets

Thursday, October 13, 2005

WORLD's LONGEST BUFFET!!!!!!! --

From today's issue of Business World:

"Eastwood City is taking a shot at beating the Guinness World Record for the longest buffet. Eastwood City's Director for Commercial Services Kevin Tan says, 'Where else can people have sheer delight digging into 350 meters of fantastic food from over 30 different restaurants in a sprawling outdoor cobblestone-clad patio?' The buffet
costs PhP350. Slots for the world's biggest buffet are limited.

Tickets can be secured at the ERA office at the 3rd floor of Eastwood Cybermall. 687-6770 to 74."

I contacted them na and here are the details:
Date: October 22, 2005 (Sunday)
Time: 7pm to 1am
Place: Citywalk 1 and 2 of Eastwood City

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Bad Day by Daniel Powter --

Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee you go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces everytime
And I don't need no carryin' on

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day

Sometimes the system goes on the brink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

For the video, click here.
Happy 2 to my Blog! --

Realized it was October already and my blog turned two last October 5. H'ray! ^_^

* * *

Not looking forward to today --

Spent yesterday afternoon in a cramped office meeting with students who were consulting about their first drafts. It was painful and I came home with a bagful of yucky vibes -- Johann gave me a backrub, but I think I'll need a massage after this week is over.

I'm dreading this morning and tomorrow because I'm having consultations again. Ugh.

Some of my students' works are really nice -- they just need to review their spelling and gramma, but some of them need a major overhaul.

I was also running out of analogies yesterday (to make them understand certain concepts) -- the last analogy I remember giving to one of my students was about window blinds made of synthetic materials. God help me.

Monday, October 10, 2005

Saturday adventure! --

Last Saturday, Johann and I finally got the chance to visit the Salcedo Weekend Market. We were so excited -- we woke up early and formulated our plan of attack. We had a really light breakfast in anticipation of all the goodies that we would buy at the Market --

We got there at around 9 and it was bustling!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

We went around once just to familiarize ourselves with the layout and a second time to try to see what we would be having for lunch.

There was so much to choose from! >_<

We settled on the Cebu lechon because it looked so yummy --

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

We also bought maki, which we munched on while walking around.

I fell in love with the organic mushrooms and tomatoes! I wanted to purchase a bag of each, but we still had a number of errands after Salcedo.

We purchased this bread right before we left and served it to friends when we got home:
Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Johann and I are definitely going back (and we might drag my youngest bro with us) --

On our list of must-try:
- Angus beef (PhP150 for every 100g, served with all sorts of goodies)
- Pork Barbecue (which smelled sooooooo goooooooood)
- hot dogs (unlimited condiments and relish -- yummmmm)
- bagels from the New York Bagel Company
- hummus
etc etc

After Salcedo, we took a cab to Mile Long because my brother was craving Melonpan (curse those episodes of Yakitate Japan) -- there's a Japanese food store there called Co-Op where everything is PhP75. They didn't have Melonpan, but we did get a really great selection of bread for my brother.

Our errands took us to Makati Cinema Square and to Greenbelt (we got a gift certificate to a Foot Spa from The Spa, unfortunately, they were booked until late that afternoon and we didn't have the time to wait) and finally to Handyman in Pioneer.

The Handyman branch in Pioneer has a carpentry center where you can have furniture (wooden pieces) made -- you pay for the cost of the materials and labor and *poof* in a week or two, you will have a piece custom-made according to your preference.

We had our bookshelves done there -- and we're getting them in a week. (Finally! T_T) and it costs 1/6 of the last quotation we got from a carpenter. (Yay to the pennypinchers!)

* * *

Finished Reading --

Audrey Niffeneger's The Time Traveler's Wife today. (Thanks Gabs for lending it to me) --

Funny thing was, I decided to read it while I was proctoring the En10 exam -- I started getting teary-eyed as I was reading and I had to contain myself because I was in front of my class.

It's a lovely book -- ^_^

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Lookie! --

The cutest, cutest things!

Pancake Meow

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Rainy weather --

There's really something about the rain and seeing the world all hazy and gray --

We listened to REM, cooked pasta (hungarian sausage with tomatoes), washed dishes, had dessert, currently heating some water for hot chocolate (which we will drop a dollop of peanut butter in) --

Life's wonderful. ^_^

* * *

Been cooking --

Monday evening, Johann and I fell in love with the produce section of the Galleria Supermarket and we were even considering ditching the event (see previous post) just so we could buy groceries and go home.

Tuesday, Johann and I went to Shoppersville, hoping that their produce section would be just as nice -- it wasn't, but it was better than the one at Fresh. We got tomatoes, lettuce and ham. We got the Gardenia Foccacia and went home to make paninis.

I don't have a panini maker so we improvised by flattening the bread with another pan stacked with soup cans.

It was yummy. I love tomatoes! >_<

Wednesday is movie night but we wanted to save money (it's also part of our promise to live healthier) so we ate dinner at home. Prepared pizza. Before anyone gets impressed, I used ready-to-bake pizza crusts which you can purchase at Fresh. Had tomatoes and bacon on mine and I loaded Johann's half with leftover ham and bacon and tomatoes.

Today, I did our grocery at Fresh (missed double points day >_<) -- they had mussels! So I bought a bag and made baked mussels for lunch.

Friend T (D's girlfriend) shared a really easy pasta sauce recipe with me, which involves hungarian sausages and canned tomatoes -- that's what we had for dinner.

Here's the recipe:
Hungarian Sausages (we got the one at Fresh for PhP115 for a pack of 7. we used 4 of those sausages for this recipe)
Canned tomatoes (we found a really cool can of Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Jalapeno at Shoppersville)
Garlic (3 to 4 cloves, finely chopped)
Olive Oil

Pasta (any noodle, but we used linguine)

Heat the oil, cook the garlic. Toss in the hungarian sausages until the edges are curling. Pour the entire can of tomatoes and simmer.

Add salt (just a little) and pepper (one or two turns of the mill).

The sauce won't really thicken, so we scooped out the cooked tomatoes and hungarian sausage with a slotted spoon.

Toss with the pasta. Serve.

It was yummy!

We had excess sauce so we tried it on rice -- yummy as well!

(Next time, we're going to try it as a baked rice. Ooooh~ can't wait for the cheese!)

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Conversations --

I've written and rewritten this post several times now -- each time, I feel as though I did not do justice to the experiences -- this, I felt, would.

Things we talked about --
With Gabs, over Gayuma's Moreno and fresh mango shake:
- the present is a tricky place to be in
- mike gayle's books
- the time traveler's wife
- a cake called 'better than sex'
- love deceives us into thinking that it is simple, when it is, in fact, complicated
- shoes
- missing school

With Mahar, over Cibo and then over Breadtalk:
- pink candles
- the powers of retail therapy
- bangkok traffic
- theater
- good books and good bread

With V, co-faculty and program head for Lit majors in the caf, over food bought from the Ateneo Co-Op:
- Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber's time as space
- Time as flow, Alan Lightman's time and how to teach tenses
- dark sides
- glass towers and flaneurs
- photography

More people to have meals with please? And bring good conversation onegai. ^_^

* * *

*Rub rub* & *drop drop*: Elbows & names --

Attended a function last Monday to honor Manny Pacquiao, Brian Villoria and Boomboom Gonzales. (They're boxers who currently hold WBC titles for their divisions.) It was really surreal to be in the same room as Noli de Castro, Chavit Singson and other high-ranking government officials.

While the rest of the room clapped after the hosts proclaimed Pacquiao a "National Hero," I cringed and started working out the critical implications of that label. The best and most interesting part was when the dinner was over and people started swarming to the VIP tables. I could imagine breastpockets full of calling cards and able hands that can whip out one in less than a second. Camera phones were ready in hand as well.

Ah, don't you just love _____? <-- fill in the blank with the appropriate word ^_^

Oh, the other interesting thing was when Manny Pacquiao and Brian Villoria performed songs on stage. Guests of honor brought their own entertainment. Curious.

The food was great, though and I was at a table with really wonderful people. ^_^

* * *

Mostly for me --

But go ahead and click if you're curious -- Flaneur.org

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Got this from here --

The Food Lover's Write-Off

What is your favorite:

1. Soft Drink - I try not to drink soft drinks -- but during those times when that's all there is to drink, Root Beer and then Sprite
2. Ice Cream Flavor - Double Dutch, followed by Pistachio and then by FIC's Raspberry Rapture
3. Fast Food Restaurant - Jollibee
4. Type of Pizza - Pizza Hut Pan Pizza! -- Bacon Cheeseburger Lover!
5. Thanksgiving Dinner - ?
6. Snack Food - chips
7. Side Dish - mashed potatoes, coleslaw
8. Food to Eat While Driving - I don't drive ^_^;;
9. Food for Breakfast - Bacon or Corned Beef but I'm happiest with a peanut butter and nutella sandwich ^_^
10. Sit-Down Restaurant - Cibo, Mandarin Oriental's buffet
11. Italian Dish - pesto on pasta, panini!
12. Chinese Dish - congee, fookien-style fried rice
13. Sandwich - peanut butter and nutella, Food After Thought's Ham-Salami-Lettuce-Tomato-Cheese with Mayo and Mustard
14. Cheese - Cheddar, Brie
15. Donut - anything with chocolate or hazelnut
16. Type of dessert - really dense chocolate cakes, ice cream, fruit
17. Type of Cake - chocolate cake or cheesecake
18. Vegetable - carrots, broccoli, asparagus
19. Fruit - bananas, strawberries, lychee!
20. Food In Bed - I don't eat in bed -- crumbs are evil! >_<
21. Beer - I don't drink beer
22. Drink With Dinner - water
23. Fruit Juice - orange or avocado (shake)
and Finally...
24. What is your favorite meal? - every meal I eat with my hubby

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Resolution --

I decided to stay late at work yesterday to attend a talk on Teaching the Novel by DM Reyes. I sat beside him as he was giving the talk and I felt it -- inspiration. Words and ideas flowed in -- when I tried to hold on to them, they slipped through my fingers.

But still.

It was wonderful while it lasted and I am thankful for the reminder.

The talk lasted for one hour and, when it ended, I wanted to listen some more -- I wanted Sir DM to keep talking, to share more of his insights.

Breathless -- that's the word. At the end of the day, instead of feeling exhausted, I felt energized -- I wanted to do more.

... so that's what a good teacher does.

I want to be like that.

Oh, the resolution --

I will be reading more and will be thinking more. I'm going to immerse myself in the world I had grown distant with --

It will be an interesting reunion. ^_^

* * *

In other news --

I am smarter now. We have decided that we are having curry tomorrow and I have started preparing it today. I also cut my beef into smaller chunks.

Raar!

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Yesterday --

Was International Talk Like a Pirate Day --

O_o

This is cute. ^_^

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Who would've thunk? --

Jin shared this link with me --

Clickety click!

It's a lovely read, so go ahead. ^_^

* * *

Lovely weather we're having --

My bro wrote about how we will be experiencing this kind of weather for a day or two -- there's a really thick set of clouds looming over our country and it doesn't seem to be moving maybe it's here for the sights or the shopping. =P

See the cloud and our country here.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

For people interested in getting the Gocco --

Click here!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

How to get your boy to eat his veggies --

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Get some asparagus spears and wrap them around bacon. Do not be alarmed by how thick the bacon is. When it cooks, it shrinks and tightens around the asparagus.

Gabs and Mase were visiting and they tried it. It was yummy. Bacon was nice and crisp and the asparagus were just as yummy.

And the curry --
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It was yummy and, in retrospect, well worth the time it took. I still have half a pot for tomorrow. Yum! ^_^
Yesterday --

Was an off day -- I was not zen with the world. At all.

My classes were both "bleh" -- one refused to go along with a really nice discussion on critical thinking (and I had a really great intro to it pa naman ~sigh~) and my other class took the entire first period to find the damned thesis statement in the essay they were assigned to read.

And then, I was planning on making curry (Japanese curry) and had Johann defrost the beef so that when I get home after 430, we could start making it na.

I get home at 5 and the beef is ready, I just had to chop the potatoes and the carrots.

At 520, everything is ready for the searing -- our gas stove refuses to cooperate so I use the electric stove.

At 540, the meat is nicely browned and you could smell the lovely mix of garlic and onions and it was time to put in the water.

I waited for the water to come to a boil and then I lowered it to a simmer (to let the meat tenderize) --

At 600, the meat was still too tough.

At 620, still no go with the damned meat.

At 640, I started to panic because the curry wasn't ready yet. We decided to get pizza.

At 700, the meat was finally showing signs of tenderness.

At 720, I added the curry mix and let it reduce.

I finally had the curry ready at almost 8.

And, yes, I chose the right cut of meat.

The bright side? We have dinner for today ready already.

* * *

Print Gocco info --

It seems that my day with Camy and Elbert has stirred interest in the nifty machine. (Am happy about that and, in truth, that's part of my mission -- to spread Gocco goodness to everyone who is willing to experience it. ^_^)

Q&A time:
1. What is the Print Gocco?
You can read about it here, the Gocco website. This is a pretty good introductory site, which lists applications and whatnot. There's even a listing of dealers in the United States.

The site features an old model of the Gocco, the B6. This model has been replaced by the PG-5. I have a PG-5 and the only difference I can see is color and size of the machine itself.

You can also visit the Australian website (Nehoc) where I purchased my Print Gocco from. I would suggest taking time to explore the website as it has a comprehensive discussion of the many Gocco products out there. It also has videos, which you can view online on how to print with the Gocco.

It was through Nehoc that I discovered the Singaporean retailer of the Gocco. Potato Farm. And they also sell the Gocco and offer classes. When I was there during the summer, I was planning to meet up with the owner, attend a class and purchase all of my Gocco needs. Unfortunately, the address we followed was their old address and they apparently have a new store location.

For people with relatives there or for people who plan to go to Singapore any time soon -- this is the map to their new location.

2. What can the Gocco do?
A lot of things -- but basically, it's a countertop printing machine. It uses the stamp method (think old presses). You can print on fabric, on CDs, on ceramic tile and on paper -- you just have to have the right ink.

There are higher-end Goccos that can even to CYMK processes. O_o

3. How much does it cost?
The Gocco is a little under 10k, not counting shipping. I think it's worth it, though -- I printed the label of my wedding giveaway with it. I printed my missalette cover with it and I recently printed my thank you card with it.

Of course you can do all these things with a printer and it would come out nicer and more professional. I guess the Gocco would appeal to people who appreciate the handmade look and how organic the whole method is.

4. Where can I get one?
As Elbert pointed out, it's available everywhere else but here. I purchased mine from Nehoc because Australia is closest to us and shipping was cheaper than if I had it brought in from the US.

Anyhoo, here are some places to get it from:
Philippines - c/o Tin
Australia - Nehoc
Singapore - Potato Farm
US - Dick Blick
- Think Ink
- plus you can look at the dealers list on the Gocco homepage
- Ebay

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Gocco day with C and E! --

Finally! A day with Camy and Elbert! They came early this morning and I introduced them to the wonderful world of Print Gocco.

It was cute watching the two of them work side by side. At times I felt I was intruding on their sacred space ^_^ --

The outcome was excellent! (It's so wonderful to see the Gocco being put to such creative use.) Each one produced a print and went home with a master screen of their work. We also talked about making postcards and bookplates.

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Camy and her camy army! Raar!
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In case we go missing --

You will find us at National Bookstore Cubao, the 4th floor.

We went there yesterday. It was my first time to go there and it was Johann's first time to go there in a really long time. We fell in love with the 4th floor.

I think I want to live there.

They have copies of Frank Cottrell Boyce's Millions in HARDCOVER for PhP250. I'm thinking of getting that and giving up my paperback version. Johann was able to find the Katherine Kerr series he's been lusting over for the longest time. And he got 3 of her books for the cost of 1! (PhP160 x 3)

They had Tom Holt books there as well. And Jasper Fforde. Gads, it was maddening!

We kept saying we were going to go after we finish with a shelf and then we end up with another shelf of books -- >_<

It was fun, fun, fun. We plan to go back tomorrow. ^_^

Thursday, September 01, 2005

In other news --

I made this for dinner:
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... if it's not recognizable, it's my version of Katsudon.

It's a simple recipe and one that, surprisingly, did not take long to prepare.

Johann was amused that I started taking pictures of the finished product. We shared the *ahem* feast with our neighbor (my brother ^_^). They both thought it was good. I'm so happy! XD

The recipe: (naks!)

For the tonkatsu:
Pork cutlets (I used pork steak sold in packs of 4 from Rustan's Fresh - PhP66 for 4)
Flour
Japanese breadcrumbs
Egg (beaten)
Salt & Pepper

I flattened the pork steaks by putting them between clingfilm and pounding at them with a bottle of ketchup. Then, I dredged them in flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), carefully shaking off the excess. A quick dip into the egg and then the Japanese breadcrumbs.

I put it in the fridge to "set" for a few minutes. I used that time to prepare the rice. When the rice cooker switch hit "warm", I started to prepare the sauce:

6 tablespoons soy sauce (we used Kikkoman)
4 tablespoons vinegar (we used Datu Puti) -- but if you have Mirin, it would be better
1 cup water (Dashi stock was suggested)
5 tablespoons of sugar
Onions, sliced into slivers

Dump everything in a shallow pan and allow the onions to soften. (Taste and season to your liking.) Make sure the pan you use is big enough to hold the tonkatsu.

At this point, I took out the pork from the fridge and heated up a pan (and put oil in it) -- fry the pork, 4 to 5 minutes on each side and then take them out and slice them (but not all the way through -- you know what this looks like people, don't make me suffer by having me explain this >_<)

Check the sauce, the onion would have softened and the sauce would be nice and steamy. Place in the tonkatsu (they're tonkatsu now because they're cooked! ^_^) in the sauce.

If you wanna be fancy (or you have eggs leftover from the week before and just want to consume them, like we did), beat some eggs and pour them on top of the tonkatsu and let them cook.

Serve rice in a bowl, place one piece of tonkatsu on top of the rice and spoon some of the onions and sauce on top.

Itadakimasu!

More pics (because I am so proud of myself ^_^)
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What's going on? --

It's an image that has burned itself into my memory already -- Congressman Edmund Reyes of Marinduque standing alone, making a last-minute plea for his colleagues to sign the doomed impeachment complaint.

It was an exercise in futility -- the other "honorables" around him were too busy texting and talking to each other. He stood there waiting, trying to make eye contact with some other congressmen, but they just looked away.

~sigh~

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

I took this photo --

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..and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I spent yesterday working on the thank you notes Johann and I are distributing to our wedding guests. Visit our other blog for the images.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Bleh --

I had a really great post -- lots of deep thoughts and personal insights -- and then blogger decided to go wonky on me.

* * *

The gist --

Non-working holiday on Monday.

Sky High on Wednesday.

MIBF (that's the Bookfair) this week.

Thanks to all who shared their recommendations in the previous post.

I'm almost done reading Nigella and I'm interested in the Spiderwick Chronicles.

* * *

That's it. Is all.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Time to get interactive! --

Recommend:

-A book to read

-A film to see

-A place to visit

-A community to join

-A friend to add

-A recipe

Please do as many as possible of these and then post in your journal for others to do the same to you :)

Saturday, August 20, 2005

For me mostly --

But if anyone else is interested in attending, here's the info:

Dr. Caroline S. Hau from Kyoto University will deliver a short lecture on the Philippine Novel in English on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 at the UP Faculty Center Audio-Visual Room (UP Diliman), 4-5:30 p.m.

Hau is a prize-winning fictionist, respected international scholar, editor of the anthology INTSIK: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CHINESE-FILIPINO WRITING and author of the books
NECESSARY FICTIONS: PHILIPPINE LITERATURE AND THE NATION (1946-1980) and ON THE SUBJECT OF THE NATION: FILIPINO WRITINGS FROM THE MARGINS, 1981-2004. Both books are published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Friday, August 19, 2005

During the talk given to MA students yesterday on how they can prepare for their thesis --

One of our resource speakers said "Swallow the cosmos whole."

And that's all I can actually remember from the talk.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Coming Full Circle --

I remember the first time I heard "Seasons of Love" -- it was on the "Today Show" and I had only seen the last part of the performance. But the words stuck to me and I had to find out what it was about. Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes

I did an online search and I found out that it was from a new musical called "Rent" -- I thought that was that. I had satisfied a curiosity. It was all good.

And then I found a copy of the 2-disc CD of the musical at CD Warehouse in Shoppesville. It was selling for PhP850 and it was the only copy of the CD. In 1996, as a college Junior with an allowance of PhP2000 a month, PhP850 makes quite a dent in one's cash flow. But I went ahead and bought it and I haven't regretted that decision ever since.

That led to the purchase of the big-ass RENT book and then tickets to see the local production and then watching the local prodcution so many times -- on it's last weekend alone, I was there for ALL the shows: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Matinee and Gala, and Sunday Matinee and Gala.

It led to more musicals and a whole new group of friends (the RENTheads). It led to new-found confidence and an assurance that everything will be alright.

And now, the movie version is coming out and the cast of RENT (the movie) once again perform on the "Today Show" --

I tell you, it's all so magical.

Click here.

They also performed "What You Own" -- click here.

And the official movie music video is here.

* * *

I wish --

I wish Atlantis would stage RENT one last time and I would watch it with my siblings and Johann and Gabby and Mase and Laika and everyone and we would all just laugh together and cry together.

~sigh~

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Online! --

Finally! We have our own pc and we are connected to the Internet! Hurrah!

I can finally surf and blog in earnest. ^_^

* * *

What have I been up to? --

I attended a Madonna-thon last Saturday with some friends. We were acting like tourists and taking pictures of EVERYTHING -- I think we amused the "bouncer" and the people around us.

My cousins are still in town and we took them around Ateneo and UP and had lunch with them at Chateau Verde. Apparently, Chateau Verde has a lunch buffet of steak and oysters for PhP290. Johann was so, so happy -- as they say, like a kid in the candy store. Piles of oysters and steak -- it all looked so, so good! (Damn him and his fast metabolism =p)

* * *

Oh, and we have super lovely sounds courtesy of our Harman Kardon Soundsticks II. Grabe. Wow.

Really.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Tagged by Camy ^_^ --

Seven things that scare you:
1. Needles, injections
2. The sight of blood
3. Losing loved ones
4. Salmonella and other food-borne bacteria
5. things/people that play with my head
6. Contracting life-threatening diseases
7. Mediocrity

Seven things you like the most:
1. Peanut Butter, Nutella, Chocolate Syrup and Maple Syrup
2. Watching movies in cinemas with really good popcorn
3. My Print Gocco, my Lomo Cameras (poor neglected things), all the little knickknacks I have surrounded myself with
4. Good, good friends
5. Nigella Lawson
6. My hunny
7. Being married to my hunny

Seven important things in your room:
1. Bed and Pillows
2. Bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol
3. The television and dvd player
4. My copy of Nigella Lawson's How to Eat
5. Our little tatami-esque rug
6. Anti-perspirant
7. Checkbook

Seven random facts about you:
1. I don't like talking over the phone -- there's only a handful of people that I can talk to for some period of time, but after a while, I get restless and my attention wanders.
2. I love to travel.
3. I love to waffles more than pancakes.
4. I get very obsessive-compulsive about my hair.
5. I'm a control freak.
6. According to my hunny, I have an insane obsession with office supplies. This is true -- when we were in Singapore, I was happiest wandering around the paper and stationery supplies section of Kinokuniya.
7. I love Mustard.

Seven things you plan to do before you die:
1. Have children and see them grow up and have families of their own
2. Take a GRAND tour of Europe with Johann
3. Visit Japan and Australia (because I've never been there)
4. Submit something to the Palanca
5. Buy a Cacnio sculpture
6. Teach a course on Shakespeare
7. Watch all the episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus (which means get them on DVD first)

Seven things you can do:
1. I can cook. (Simple dishes)
2. I can organize and see a schedule through.
3. I have a fairly sizable store of useless information.
4. I'd like to believe that I can teach well.
5. I can commute! (To certain places)
6. I can do semi-crafty things.
7. I have a knack for finding "gems" in stores

Seven things you can't do:
1. I can't draw and I wish I can.
2. I can't swim.
3. I can't sing.
4. I can't drive.
5. I can't crack jokes effectively.
6. I can't lie. (I don't have a poker face -- people who know me well know when I'm lying.)
7. I can't wear yellow.

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:
1. Intelligence
2. If I'm able to eat in their presence
3. How they carry their clothes
4. Confidence
5. His friends and his relationship with them
6. If I have good conversations with them
7. Must love books

Seven things you say the most:
1. Hay naku!
2. Pusang Hilaw
3. Damn.
4. 'allo!
5. Ohmygod!
6. Cool!
7. Interesting.

Seven celeb crushes (whether local or foreign)
1. Tony Leung-Chiu Wai

... just him. Some minor crushes, but it didn't feel right listing them as #2, #3, etc.

Seven people you want to see to take this quiz:
1. Johann
2. My bro
3. Eric
4. Cuppkeyk
5. Gabs
6. Mahar
7. Mase

* * *

Nigella Lawson! --

My hunny gave me a copy of Nigella Lawson's How to Eat as a wedding present. I'm reading it right now and it is wonderful!

I love Nigella, I love how unapologetic she is about enjoying food. She's all about enjoying your meal and experiencing it to the full.

My favorite line from her (so far) "I have nothing to declare but my greed."

I want to collect all 5 of her books, so that's 1 down and 4 to go. ^_^

Monday, August 08, 2005

Back to honeymoon kwento! --

The ice cream -- I miss the Baskins I had in Bangkok. I miss how cheap it was! >_<

Here are our ice cream photos --

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My hunny at the Ben and Jerry's in Hong Kong. He was so, so tempted to get the pint of Pistachio -- but we decided to try a flavor that isn't available locally -- I think this one was called the Dublin Mudslide.

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Gelato in Hong Kong! This one was Pistachio. We also tried Caramel and Cookies and Cream mixed together -- but the absolute, hands-down winner was the Ferrero Roche gelato mix. YUM!

The Comics and Gamers Fair was madness! I'm glad we decided to go -- it was interesting seeing the HK fans get so excited over Naruto and Gundam and other series -- the most curious thing we saw was the Infernal Affairs MMORPG.

Doraemon is also very big in HK. O_o

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Johann and I also enjoyed the airports. At the Bangkok Airport, we treated ourselves to foot and head & shoulder massages. So, so worth it. It was the perfect preparation to HK.

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I finished reading Harry Potter while waiting to board the plane. ^_^

* * *

Tin loves Noodles --

We had a goal in HK and it was to splurge on dimsum and noodles. The HK Tourism Board released a booklet that detailed the winners of the annual culinary awards and they had a list of the places with the best dimsum and noodles.

Most of these places were in the HK side and the rain made it difficult for us to travel. We decided to go to the one in Kowloon -- a restaurant called "Dong" -- the food was very, very expensive and I wasn't really convinced of its merits.

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I had congee and it was bleh. =P

Feeling a bit disillusioned and frustrated, we had already accepted the sad, sad realization that we won't be able to have good dimsum before going home.

Our flight was at 430 in the afternoon and we were scheduled for pickup at 130. I was a bit worried that 130 would be too late and that we wouldn't have enough time to go around the HK International Airport, we requested to be fetched earlier. When we got to the airport, we discovered that they had Maxim's there (voted as one of the best restos for dimsum and noodles) --

It was wonderful! I had the wonton noodle soup and Johann had the fried e-fu noodles.

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Johann saw the noodle dish being served to the table behind us and was so intrigued by it. We kept trying to ask the waiters what it was but there was a massive communication barrier. I mustered up all my knowledge of Mandarin and managed to get the message across. The e-fu noodles was amazing.

(There is actually a slideshow of me eating the noodles -- but I won't show it here. ^_^;;;)

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<-- the view from our seat.

We had a lovely time in Bangkok and Hong Kong -- I've always been worried about stepping out of my comfort zone (Singapore) to explore other places and I'm glad Johann was with me to experience Bangkok. It was a revelation and we would love to go back in the future. ^_^

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Wedding Pics! --

Visit our blog for the pics. So, so lovely! (And so many to choose from >_<)

Here's one of my favorites:
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Click here!

Btw, for people who were there and also took pictures, can you share them with me please? Thankies. ^_^
Visit us! (Book Fair News) --

Central Comic Headquarters (CCHQ) will be participating in the upcoming Manila International Book Fair:

Date: From Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, 2005
Time: 10am to 8pm
Bookfair location:
World Trade Center, Metro Manila (Financial Center Area)
Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. (Buendia Ave.) corner Roxas Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila

We are booth #106. 4th row from the entrance I think. A short distance from the dining area. It's a small booth but we'll do our best to fill it with as much stuff as possible. =) We'll be displaying and selling English graphic novels and manga, trade paperbacks, mainstream and indie, and also Japanese manga and artbooks at very affordable prices. =)

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Photos --

When Johann and I were trying to decide how to describe our recent trip, the word that came to mind was ice cream. We had ice cream everyday. We were getting to know each place by their food and we ate so much. (I think I gained weight >_<)

July 25, Day 1, Bangkok --
Dinner at Oishi Ramen and dessert at Baskins. A scoop of ice cream was 55 Baht. Johann had the Pistachio and Almonds and I had a really fudgy, chocolate-y one.

July 26, Day 2, Bangkok --
Breakfast Buffet at our hotel, Pathumwan Princess, which has the best BEST location ever! It's directly connected to MBK, which is a really big tiangge and across from it is Discovery Mall and a few blocks down are other really nice malls.

Lunch was at The Pizza Company inside MBK. We were curious about this pizza place and we couldn't go to the local branch in Market! Market! so we decided to try out the pizza at the original branch in Bangkok. We had the double-crust Scallops. Yum. We ate the whole thing. The WHOLE thing.

We didn't have dinner because our tour guide fetched us and brought us to the Suan-Loom Night Bazaar. We had so much fun there! Really funky custom-designed t-shirts and really lovely furniture.

July 27, Day 3, Bangkok --
Lunch was at Noodi's, which kinda reminded me of Oody's -- the same color, the same concept. I had a Crab Omelette on Noodles and it was HEAVEN.

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Johann had ramen with vegetables and seafood, which was also yummy.

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We decided to go back to the Night Bazaar to look around some more and had dinner at the Joe Louis Puppet Theater located inside the Bazaar complex. Had really yummy curry.

**We kept trying the spring rolls of every restaurant and I didn't like any of them. The local ones are much nicer (in my humble, yet blasphemous opinion)

Where's the ice cream? They served Magnums on the flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok. Yummmmmmmm!

The next day, our flight out of Bangkok was at 950am and we were going to get picked up from the hotel at 730am. The Breakfast Buffet was at 6am and Johann and I really went out of our way to wake up early and to finish packing so that we could enjoy the buffet.

Rest of the pics from our Bangkok adventure:
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During our visit to the temple of the Reclining Buddha, we chanced upon a table that was asking for donations to help them rebuild/repair the roof of the temple. Johann and I thought it would be nice to have one of the shingles named after us ^_^

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I love this little guy -- while everyone was busy taking pictures of the Golden Buddha, I found him praying by the door of the temple.

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July 28, Day 1, Hong Kong --
We arrived in Hong Kong after lunch and we immediately went "sightseeing" -- I brought Johann to my favorite stores in HK, Blue Star and Muji and we stopped by many other stores along the way.

Dinner was supposed to be at City Super, an HK food court but the place was packed! We decided to cross the street to the other City Super but they were full as well. We found a Maxim's Fastfood and ate there. Johann had Beef Brisket in Curry and I had the Baked Pork in Rice.

July 29, Day 2, Hong Kong --
HK hotels don't offer Breakfast Buffets, so we had to scrounge around for our own food. Our first breakfast was at Delifrance, located in the building beside our hotel.

We joined a tour group and did tourist-y things the rest of the morning and had ourselves dropped off near the Hong Kong Convention Center for the 7th HK Comics and Games Fair.

Tourist-y pics from Hong Kong:
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The HK Comics and Games Fair was Madness! There were so many people there! We were reading the news of the opening earlier that day and there were kids there with HK$6000 to HK$8000 in their pockets -- they were getting ready to purchase action figures and toys and whatnot.

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<-- My geek hubby, so close to the Mother Ship. hahahaha!

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One of the mascots of the convention. We also saw a lot of Cosplayers -- grabe! The costumes were so intricate (but I've also seen really funky ones in our local conventions)

~Whew! So many photos, so many kwento... So many papers to check!!! ><~

To be continued.

Monday, August 01, 2005

I'm back! --

Arrived last night from Hong Kong, which was wet and rainy so Johann and I really weren't able to go out and see the sights.

We spent 3 days in Bangkok and 3 days in Hong Kong and we came home to an empty house and cupboards that needed stocking. (We love Fresh! ^_^)

To sum up the trip? It was an ice-cream fest -- seriously, that's all we did. We ate ice cream and gelato and tried out as many new flavors as we our bodies could handle -- my favorite was Ferrero Rocher gelato from one of the stalls at City Super.

Pictures to follow and more kwento as well. ^_^

For now, some highlights:
- bought my copy of Harry Potter: The Half-Blood Prince for 650 Baht (PhP877) and read it. Didn't want to leave the hotel room after I got my copy. I love it! >_<
- found a copy of Millions by Frank Boyce, which Danny Boyle adapted into a movie with the same title. WONDERFUL book! I'm savoring it right now.
- got a copy of the director's cut of Hero
- read really funny bits in the foreign newspapers. Like a thief drinking a "work of art," which was worth over US$50k -- it was a bottle of melted ice from the North Pole, which the "artist" said signified Global Warming and whatnot. Also enjoyed the personals section and was amused about how some people right about themselves.
- had really yummy noodles in Bangkok and fell in love with Loft at the Discovery Mall.
- I was with my hubby hunny -- we were mucking through the rain in the streets of HK and were getting lost in the language of Bangkok and I was having the time of my life because he was there.

* * *

Married! --

I am, btw. It's a warm and fuzzy feeling to be someone's wife and to call someone "husband" -- there's just a really good sound to it. ^_^

(To everyone who attended last July 23, thank you so much. It was wonderful seeing all of you there. ^_^)

* * *

CSI!!! --

I missed the Tarantino episode! >_<

But I did get to watch all three installments of the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Women."

* * *

Things to look forward to --

Seven Swords by Tsui Hark
Sky High from Walt Disney
The final installment of the Harry Potter series ^_^
A fully-functioning house (hopefully by next week)

Thursday, July 21, 2005

To make you go "Wha-?" --

0n3 nigh7, i dr34m7 i w4s sp34king in f1u3n7 1337.

O_o

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

LOVE! --

Wow! I'm getting married on Saturday! Hurrah! ^_^

A lot of people have said that neither Johann nor I look harassed or panicked, considering that our wedding is a few days away. Many are surprised that we both intend to work until Friday (although we're both leaving work early).

There's still so much that we need to do -- a bare condo that is in desperate need of furniture. Last-minute necessities for the night before, during the day and the after.

But we refuse to rush or panic -- as far as we're concerned, the most important thing is that we're getting married (and the church is all set) -- the rest is fluff.

* * *

Insight --

I realized that I don't know how to travel with a husband. I'm so used to traveling with siblings and I'm an expert on how that works. But a husband is an entirely different thing altogether.

For example, how do we handle the travel money. I'm used to splitting it 5 ways and then it's every person's responsibility to manage it so that they have enough for the duration of their stay. I was getting ready to do that with Johann, but I realized that it didn't feel right.

And clothes and toiletries -- I'm so used to sharing a luggage with my sister so I don't have to pack as much clothes or *ahem* other items because I can usually just borrow if I run out. But now I'm sharing with Johann and, while we love the same bath products, there are certain things we can't share (like deodorant/antiperspirant, feminine products, etc)

It's curious -- in a good way. ^_^

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Interested? --

A friend is selling his camera -- here are the details:

Sony Cybershot S-85. 4.1 Megapixel with manual features. Includes the original box and all the cables and manuals. Will throw in my spare 64MB memory stick with the 16 that came with it and the black leather carrying case.

Sony DSC-S85 Features:

- 4.1-Megapixel Super HAD CCD, images up to 2272 x 1704 pixels
- Sharp and fast 3x Carl Zeiss 34-102mm F2 zoom lens
- 14 bit A/D converter for more accurate capture of detail
- Fast autofocus with AF illuminator and manual focusing via jog dial
- Program AE, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and full Manual
- Auto exposure bracketing
- Images stored as compressed JPEG or uncompressed TIFF
- 1.8-inch EX Bright color LCD
- Optical eyelevel finder with dioptric adjustment
- MPEG motion video with audio, MPEG EX for unlimited clip lengths
- Up to 10 frames can be saved as a Clip Motion GIF
- Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to 8 seconds
- Apertures from f/2.1 to f/8.0
- Exposure compensation, +/-2EV in 1/3EV increments
- Spot metering and AE Lock functions
- Built-in flash with four modes plus variable output intensity
- External flash connection jack and shoe for the HVLF-1000 strobe
- Adjustable white balance with presets and one-push custom
- Picture Effects: Solarized, sepia, B&W, Negative Art
- Image Tone and Sharpness settings
- Automatic ISO or fixed at 100, 200, or 400
- Sony InfoLithium® "M" battery, up to 3,000 shots
- Images stored on removable MemoryStick media, 16MB included
- High-speed USB connection for image downloading

20k for the whole deal. ^_^

If you're interested, let me know so I can inform my friend.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Guess what happens when English teachers come together for a bridal shower --

You will get games like "Guess Who the Partner was?" and get questions like "Who was Antigone betrothed to?" and "Who is the lover of Heloise?"

Oh, and political questions like "Spell 'lapse'" and how many paragraphs there are in the Ateneo statement regarding GMA.

And Ma'am Shayne singing and your bosses giving really good wishes (and telling you to take the day off the day before the wedding)

It was so much fun! I was so touched the department threw me the shower. ^_^

* * *

E is for E! --

... and C is for C!

I finally got a chance to meet and have lunch with Camy and Elbert. They gave me presents! Free Comics! Hurrah!

We met at Seattle's for coffee and had lunch in the Ateneo caf.

Fun, fun meeting -- a welcome break from the hustle/bustle of wedding preparations.

* * *

From a student's quickwrite activity --

Topic was "What makes us 'us'?" --

"The question "what" is inappropriate, suggesting that it is an item or a specific thing that is needed to define Filipinos. I would instead ask "how" -- How do us make us?

...

To be Filipino is not about citizenship -- it is about commitment. It means not just living in the country, but loving the country."

I was sobrang impressed! I had him read it twice. ^_^

... and this was in my En10 class. I'm so proud. *sniff!*

* * *

7 days to go! --

This time next week, I won't have the luxury to sit in front of the PC to do my usual morning bloghop -- I will probably be fussed over by a score of people who will be helping me get ready for the wedding.

I'm bursting with excitement. I can't wait! ^_^

Monday, July 11, 2005

Crazy weekend! --

Friday --

I had a schedule to meet up with CDy and Jan to play with my Gocco. It turns out that they had been secretly planning (with Johann's help) a bridal shower for me.

It became suspicious when my sister decided to stay for dinner and when JC came through the door.

I had so much fun! We were drinking Bailey's and playing *ahem* games.

(And I still got a chance to show CDy my Gocco! I made one print as a sample and I'll post that in my other blog.)

The shower ended at midnight, but I was still a bit hyper from the food and the games so I slept at 2am.

Saturday --

Woke up at 5. (This is an automatic thing for me.) Johann and I were going to deliver some of our wedding-related materials to our coordinators for safekeeping. It was another busy, busy day.

11am -- Meet with Kasalan in Greenbelt
230pm -- Meet with cousins at Njork and then go to Half Moon for bibingcrepe (their first time there!)
6pm -- A friend's birthday party in Katipunan

Got home at 10pm. Was dead tired.

* * *

And Sunday --

Sunday's entry deserves a section of its own because of this guy:

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And this guy:

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Throughout Saturday, we would receive messages from friends who went to see Neil Gaiman at Powerplant. I got a message from my friend at 11am and he was already #660 in the signing queue.

Apparently, Neil Gaiman's signing stint at Powerplant ended at 1 in the morning.

At first, I wasn't planning to go anymore. I still had so much stuff to do and Sunday was supposed to be the day to do it.

But my hunny was determined to meet one of his favorite writers.

I wasn't supposed to come along, but I really wanted to share in the experience with Johann. So, at 815 in the morning, I took a 10-minute jeep ride to Promenade and lined up.

There were about a hundred people ahead of me, so I took that to be a good sign. I was definitely going to meet Neil Gaiman today.

The organizers started handing out numbers at 1030 and, after we got our numbers, we decided to use that pocket of time (a la Rachel Ray) to do some wedding-related errands in the area.

Unfortunately, our jeweller is apparently closed on Sundays so we weren't able to pick up our rings. Johann and I were also looking for a day bed, but the furniture area in Shoppesville was still closed when we got there.

We had lunch at around 1130 and then went back in line at around 1pm.

I'm glad Johann and I decided to go with friends. It really made the waiting easier. While waiting in line, I looked up and this was what the sky looked like.

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Neil Gaiman arrived at around 3 and did a short reading of his book, Anansi Boys.

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And then the signings started. We were informed that, out of courtesy, they were limiting the maximum number of books to be signed to 2 per person. This is to make sure that all 600 of us would be accommodated that day and Neil Gaiman requested to be back in his hotel by 8pm so we had about 4 hours to go through 600 people.

At this point, I was already getting discouraged. If the day before was any indication of how today would have been, then I was n't going to be able to have him sign my book. There were 200 pink numbers and 200 green numbers and 100 blue numbers ahead of me. But I decided to stay on.

The max limit of 2 books per person really helped. I think they managed to get through all 600 of us by 7pm.

I was sunburned and my skin asthma had flared up because of the heat and the dust, but I tell you -- it was all worth it.

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<-- I'm holding a letter from a friend who wasn't able to get a number and asked me to give it to Neil Gaiman.

* * *

My conversation with Neil Gaiman --

Me: Welcome, Mr Gaiman. We are very happy to have you here.
NG: Really? I honestly wasn't expecting this kind of reception. Had I know I had such crazy fans here, I would have come sooner.
Me: We have been looking forward to your visit a very long time and we hope you can come back soon.
NG: You know what? I just might. I was very happy with how things turned out in Singapore and I'm already talking to them about possibly coming back.
Me: (handing him the letter) A friend who didn't get a number wanted me to give you this.
NG: Well, thank you.
Me: And another friend asked me to give you a hug for him. Is that okay?
NG: (Looks up at me with a smile) Go for it.

So, Mahar, I did hug him for you. ^_^