Saturday, January 28, 2006

An update --

Life is going well for me. I am enjoying the new sensations my pregnancy has brought with it --

I am, however, having problems with my clothes. I've been slowly purchasing pieces that can accommodate my growing girth and I'm trying to find clothes that I can still wear even after I give birth. Thankfully, I've managed to find such pieces and I am pleased with the investment.

I've been enjoying a relatively trouble-free pregnancy -- no morning sickness, no food cravings/aversions, my skin wasn't affected by the hormones, etc -- so I am wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.

Yes, I am still suspicious about the universe. I know that there needs to be a balance of sorts and I'm waiting for that to happen to me.

I just hope it's not anything bad.

* * *

Dates --

February 4 - sister's bday
February 6 - school holiday (H'ray!)
February 18 - Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah with sibs
February 21 - bros' bday

It's a busy month for me -- tomorrow is Chinese New Year and we have to attend a wedding in Manila. (We don't mind going because the food promises to be good. ^_^) Today, I dragged Johann to UP Film Center because the English Dept sponsored a showing of Kidlat Tahimik's Mababangong Bangungot (Perfumed Nightmare), which I thought was excellent.

At the end of the movie, our students clapped. I don't know if that was sincere, but I'd like to believe they got something from the movie. ^_^

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Making French Toast --

E gave me a loaf of honey bread which he and his sister baked. When I saw it, I immediately asked him if they've tried making french toast with it and he said no. I told him that I might give it a go and that I would tell him how it turns out.

Johann and I made french toast last Thursday and we used E's honey bread.

It turned out really well. ^_^

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

My hubby's only complaint is that it wasn't sweet enough. I cut back on the sugar because I thought the honey in the honey bread would be enough sweetness.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Carlo Vergara's Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Ze Muzikal --

Eula Valdez
Agot Isidro
Tuxqs Rutaquio
Ricci Chan
Lauren Novero
Arnold Reyes
Deeda Barretto
Wilma Doesnt
Mayen EstaƱero
Tess Jamias
and the Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors’ Company

direction Chris Millado
music/lyrics/musical direction Vincent A. de Jesus
adaptation Chris Martinez

lighting design Shoko Matsumoto
choreography Ding Cruz
set design Sonny Aniceto
costume design Nicole Mori
technical direction Barbara Tan-Tiongco
stage management Chynna Roxas

February 10 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 24 | 25 March 3 | 4 | 2006 8:00PM
February 11 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 25 | 26 March 4 | 5 | 2006 3:00PM

Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater)

Tanghalang Pilipino 832-3661 / 832-1125 locals 1620 / 1621 /
(0920) 953-5381 / 0920 953-5419
email ccptanghalan@yahoo.com
TicketWorld 891-9999

Monday, January 09, 2006

Should've written earlier --

But I've been busy and, every time I sit down to write, I couldn't think of anything to say.

Today I do. ^_^

I got an email from Fully Booked informing me that I'm one of the people who won their Booked the Halls! promo and I get a free book! They sent me a list of books to choose from and, imagine my glee when I saw Jamie Oliver's book Jamie's Kitchen there.

Yay!

* * *

Best gifts for Christmas --

I got really interesting presents this year. The safe fallback was always clothes but, because of my condition, getting me a gift has become more of a challenge for my siblings.

My bros got me the Iron Chef (Japan) guide book that details all the battles and the recipes for the best dishes are also there. They also got me the Jamie Oliver First Season DVD set. Glee!

Johann was supposed to get me this really lovely blouse that would work as a maternity thing, but they didn't have stock of my size. ~Sigh~ So he surprised me with the Gilmore Girls Season One boxed set. ^_^

Ah, DVD-watching goodness. ^_^

My sister got me a really lovely kimono-inspired top from Topshop for Christmas. I tried it on before we purchased it to make sure I can still wear it even when I get big. ^_^

Friend B surprised me with the Complete Peanuts Book 1, which is my current bedside reading. ^_^

* * *

Best gifts for Birthday --

Considering that my birthday is just 2 weeks after Christmas, I rarely expect lavish gifts, but my siblings managed to WOW! me for my birthday. They got me the Region 2 4-disc set of Howl's Moving Castle that came with an actualy film cell from the movie. So clear, so lovely and the subtitles were so accurate! ^_^

They also got me a hair dryer, which I used today. Yay!

My hun is getting me my waffle maker and I'm just trying to scout around for the best one. So far, the Asahi one is the strongest contender with three changeable plates (one for paninis, one for sandwiches and one for making waffles).

Best part about this birthday is being woken up at midnight and having your hubby greet you "Happy Birthday" and being able to say "Same to you" ^_^

Sunday, January 01, 2006

First post of the year --

I finally got my Starbucks planner yesterday (in SM North Edsa -- because Katipunan ran out of planners). H'ray!

Been trying to think of a way to sum up the year that was and the word that comes to mind is possibilities.

It was a year when I explored new frontiers --
-- I got married and discovered what it meant to be a wife.
-- I moved out of our unit in San Juan and moved into a unit in Katipunan and learned what life is like without household help.
-- I decided to downsize and focus on the essentials and am slowly learning about authentic friendships and what matters most.
-- I'm pregnant and am currently learning what it would mean to be a mother.

There were a lot of tragedies in 2005 -- the tsunami that hit Thailand, the hurricanes and the earthquakes, etc. What I learned from that is how valuable life is and every minute of it.

When I was in Iloilo, I attended the birthday party of one of my parents' friends -- she is a cancer survivor and, every year, she makes it a point to celebrates her birthday. For her, her birthday celebration marks each blessed year of her life. For her, her birthday is a celebration of her life and what she had to go undergo in order to realize that.

This year, we got treated to a talk by a recently-ordained Carmelite priest. It was on forgiveness and was part of his series of talks for the Advent recollection. It was a timely talk, considering a year was ending and another one was about to start. The topic was forgiveness and the outline was simple --

Who.
Why.
How.

One of the things he emphasized was that we should forgive ourselves for the people that we were. I'd like to think I've done just that and I'm starting the year with the slate clean.

And then I got a new year message from Gabs -- she quoted lines from RENT:

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
Measure your life in love


I'm thankful for that reminder and I'm looking forward to the year ahead.