Jaa ne --

My youngest brother is now on his way to Japan to take his PhD in Japanese Studies.

I really admire my youngest bro's determination and vision -- he applied for a Monbusho scholarship and was granted one. I'm not surprised, though -- if you look at his CV, you'll see how dedicated he is to the study of Asian/Japanese history and how he has pursued it so passionately since he graduated from college.

I remember meeting with his Philo teacher (who was a batchmate) and she told me that, even then, my bro was able to connect questions in History to questions in Philosophy.

My other brother recently found out that he got the scholarship to pursue his MS in the United States. He'll be leaving this August. This brother's interest is Science and he works for the Manila Observatory. I've visited him several times at his office and I am always amazed at how effortless the work is for him -- how forecasting and crunching data seems like second nature to him.

I'm really proud of my sibs and how they were brave enough to pursue their passions -- ^_^

* * *

Sunday afternoon with Mahar --

I needed to return a book to Mahar and he wanted to show me his new place so we decided to meet up yesterday afternoon.

I really LOVED visiting his new home -- it has a very welcoming feel to it and you could really see how the place was designed for a family. He took me around the neighborhood and talked about some of the people living in that subdivison as well.

... now I want to live there, too. O_O

After we left the subdivision, we both started talking about wanting something sweet to eat. We decided to check out Cordillera Coffee along Xavierville only to find that they were closed on Sundays.

So, guess what we did --

We drove to UP and had carrot cake at Chocolate Kiss.

Carrot cake is an ongoing craving of mine. It has been indulged by Johann and my sister many many times already. During one really intense craving moment, Johann and I took a jeep to UP to have carrot cake at Chocolate Kiss.

... I really should just learn how to make it.

After UP, Mahar was contemplating going to Gateway for the sale but we decided to swing by Shoppersville so I could pick up a half-gallon of FIC Pistachio ice cream. We got to the FIC freezer and saw that it was near-empty. Thankfully, there was someone kind enough to dig down to find the last Pistachio ice cream for me. (Guess he understands the needs of a pregnant woman. ^_^)

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon of conversation and spontaneity. ^_^

Best bit of advice from Mahar (actually, Mahar's mom through Mahar): It is practical to be happy.

* * *

Oh --

and I finished reading The Professor and The Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Apparently, one of their most prolific contributors was a doctor who was also an inmate in an asylum.

It's an amazing reconstruction of the greatest set of books (IMHO) was formed.

Now I want to read this: The Meaning of Everything : The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary also by Simon Winchester.

I'm a big fan of the OED -- and, at one point, I was actually working towards getting my own 20-volume set. I had called the local Oxford books distributor and inquired about how to get it in. The books are expensive, costing $800 dollars (used) on Amazon. Let's not even talk about shipping costs. The guy I talked to used words like "container" and "ship by sea" -- O_O

I'm currently reading Jonathan Carroll's Sleeping in Flame. Carroll is one of Johann's favorite authors and he is very happy that I have finally decided to read one of his books.

* * *

Joy and Jubilation! --

Martha Stewart on Lifestyle Network! Mondays to Fridays at 9pm!