Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Last post for the year! --

Happy Thoughts for the Year
1. Seth and Sidekick #2
2. My little romance novel business =^_^=
3. My Macbook
4. 1030 to 12nn from Mondays to Fridays <-- when Seth's at his Toddler class. This is my time for myself.
5. My family


Things I'm Looking Forward to
1. Turning 31<-- it sounds like a good age to be
2. Meeting Sidekick #2 in April
3. Watchmen the Movie <-- ohpleaseohpleaseohplease ...
4. Seth's 3rd Birthday <-- we didn't celebrate his 2nd but I'm thinking of celebrating his 3rd
5. Being able to drink coffee again after April (and, hopefully, going to Singapore before December 2009) ^_^

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

And more lists --

5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me
1. I love office supplies <-- I like to make sure we are prepared for everything. Every chance I get, I buy extra ballpens, scissors, paper clips, etc. When I travel, I make it a point to visit office supplies stores in other countries. I usually end up buying blank index cards (for Gocco), notebooks, interesting ballpens, etc.

This Christmas, one of our Christmas gift ideas was giving Dymo Labelling Kits to the 'tweens but Johann vetoed it -- saying, "Hun, not everyone shares your love for office supplies."

2. I get excited trying out new bath products. <-- new shampoo, new conditioner ... but not so much on new toothpaste flavors. We recently tried the Apple-flavored toothpaste of Colgate and Johann loved it. I kinda grew into it but I'm still not a big fan. O_O

3. Every year, on my birthday (for three years now), I get a Hayao Miyazaki/Ghibli DVD. The Cat's Return in 2005, Howl's Moving Castle in 2006 and Ged's War Chronicles in 2007. This year, I was thinking of what to ask my brother for my birthday and Ponyo on the Cliff came to mind. Too bad it isn't scheduled for release yet. ^_^

4. My two favorite bread spread mixes: Butter + Strawberry Jam, especially on white bread and Peanut Butter + Nutella

5. My three favorite ice cream flavors are: Sebastian's Chocoholics Anonymous, FIC's Raspberry Rapture and Selecta's Coffee Crumble.


5 Things I miss in Manila

1. Friends T_T
2. Walking around Ateneo <-- especially now that I'm pregnant, I miss being able to "exercise"
3. Good decaf coffee <-- I miss coffee...
4. Dairy Queen and Cinnabon
5. Riding the LRT2 to Gateway <-- Although, I have a feeling that I won't like it so much when I'm actually faced with the opportunity -- it's the idea of it more than anything


5 Things that made me go "WOW"

1. Barack Obama winning the US Presidential elections
2. The ups and downs of the Peso-to-Dollar exchange rate <-- also the stock market
3. My first taste of Galbi
4. Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics <-- especially the fireworks and the drums. Some parts were a bit slow and boring.
5. My Macbook =^_^=

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Today's list --

is from Seth. It's over at our other blog. ^_^

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Still more lists --

5 Discoveries for 2008 --
1. There's no such thing as an A Cup when you're pregnant
2. One of my dad's friend's mom cooks the most amazing Chinese-style roast beef
3. Dave's Fun House is fun for Seth (he plays there) and fun for me (some "me" time to shop and do my errands)
4. Pretzels at Tinapayan, when freshly cooked, is an amazing salty-soft treat
5. I love Macs and Apple and everything Steve Jobs


5 Favorite Places - Iloilo
1. Booksale
2. Bourbon Street <-- ribs, yum!
3. Kim's Bob <-- samgyupsal, bibimbap, yum!
4. SM Department Store <-- you'd be surprised of all the great, inexpensive things you'd find there
5. Puerto Real Clubhouse <-- Seth loves to wade in the pool and walk around the covered basketball court


5 Favorite Places - Manila

1. Krispy Kreme <-- funny enough, I don't eat Krispy Kreme when I'm in Manila. We usually buy a box or two and bring it home to Iloilo and eat it there
2. Pepper Steak <-- A and G convinced me it was a good idea and I have been converted
3. The two bookstalls at UP AS Walk
4. Trinoma <-- Powerbooks, Iora, Debenhams, Gymboree, Healthy Options ... all happy places
5. Starbucks/Seattle's Best <-- when Seth napped, Johann and I would "sneak out" and have coffee and enjoy each other's company ^_^


... to be continued tomorrow. ^_^

Friday, December 26, 2008

More lists! --

5 Favorite Books
Admittedly, I was reading a lot of romance novels this year -- especially towards the latter part.

1. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
2. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
3. The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
4. Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series <-- not really a book-book
5. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas <-- a romance novel written by a Chinese-American (who only learned English when she came to America)


5 Favorite TV Series

1. Weeds
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Dead Like Me
4. Entourage
5. Dirty Jobs

also Ugly Betty, Avatar and Big Bang Theory

5 Favorite Magazine Finds at Booksale
1. Romantic Times
2. MacLife and MacWorld
3. cheap copies of Real Simple
4. Games <-- I get this for my youngest brother
5. Ready Made <-- newer issues are very hard to find! >_< I usually find 2006/2007 issues. Bleh.

also Parents, Cookie and Bookmark.

5 Favorite Comic Books
1. Avengers Fairy Tale
2. Green Arrow/Black Canary
3. Batman by Grant Morrison
4. Plain Janes: Janes in Love <-- a TPB
5. Umbrella Academy Series 2 <-- well... I've actually never read this because it just came out but the first series was AMAZING and I'm sure the second one will be just as good (if not better)


... more tomorrow. (If anyone wants me to list a top 5 of something, just let me know. ^_^)

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Time for the lists! --

Well, Christmas is done and we're counting down to 2009 --

5 Things I Love About Living in the Philippines
1. Cheap, overnight, trackable delivery
<-- I love 2go and Air21 and their amazingly efficient service. We sent a gift to our inaanak in Benguet and he received it the next day. Talk about fast. It's too bad our government-run Post Office can't offer the same service.

2. Cheap books from both US and UK publishers
<-- Yesterday, for example, Johann found this AMAZING anthology of Steampunk Fiction published by Solaris. Cover price is GBP7.99 and we got our copy for 345 pesos.

3. Access to anime, Korean/Japanese TV Drama, US Sitcoms, British movies, etc.

4. The Food
<-- Lechon, Sans Rival, Taho ... I can go on and on ^_^

5. SSS and PhilHealth
<-- I'm a big fan of these two government institutions. I've experienced the benefits of paying my monthly dues to SSS and Philhealth. They should promote themselves more, though -- it makes me sad to know that some people don't bother to avail of these.

I also like the NSO and their e-service. Imagine being able to get your birth certificate and your marriage certificate with a click of a mouse button. (And a quick trip to the bank. ^_^)

6. Cheap airfare
<-- With PAL offering Econolite fares, domestic and international trips are now more affordable. ^_^


5 Best Purchases for 2008
1. Our White Macbook plus the RAM upgrade
<-- the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship. Next on my list is an Apple desktop.

2. My son's "Nano House"

3. Our second-hand Samsung refrigerator
<-- Early this year, we heard about a Korean student having a "sayonara sale" and was selling his appliances cheaply. We were able to guy his 4-month old refrigerator for half the price.

We have about 3 cakes in the ref right now and we appreciate the extra space. ^_^

4. Johann's phone

5. My Lesportsac bags


5 Favorite Movies of the Year
1. The Dark Knight
2. Iron Man
3. Wall-E
4. Juno
5. Kung Fu Panda

also Atonement, Wanted and Tropic Thunder (Downey deserves the Golden Globe nomination ^_^)


... more tomorrow ^_^

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Only at Christmas --

Yesterday, Seth discovered the bags of toys his Gwa-ma bought for the children of our workers. He wanted to open and play with them and we couldn't let him.

He ran around asking EVERYONE's permission but no one could give it.

The allure of shiny new things talaga. ^_^

* * *

Can only happen in a house full of kids --

I got this reply from my friend, F -- I loved the message so I haven't deleted it yet.

I'm still wrapping all my gifts! And ang hirap with 2 kids getting tape, tearing the wrapping paper, and licking the boxes!

The "licking boxes" part is what amuses me.

^_^

Friday, December 12, 2008

MV Doulos!!! --

MV Doulos will be in the Philippines again in 2009!

Yay!

Their first stop is Cebu on January 16 and then Bacolod on February 12 and, finally, Manila on March 5.

I wonder if I can still ride a boat in February ... Johann might have to roll me on and off the docks by then.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Was going to use a titillating title but decided against it --

Another regular "filler" from my brother are copies of Metropolis -- a weekly English magazine handed out for free around Tokyo.

My favorite section is "The Small Print" where the writers of Metropolis scour daily newspapers for interesting newsbits and comment on them.

I love the title of this article:
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

More random things --

We got a package from my brother in Japan yesterday.

It's always fun getting things from him because he always surprises us with fun things from Japan.

One of the usual "fillers" he adds in each box are uchiwa (Japanese fans) that are handed out for free around Japan.

Since we are the land of (almost)-regular power interruptions, it is helpful to have one by our bedsides so we can fan Seth when he sleeps (or tries to sleep).

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I got excited when I sorted through the stack of fans and found these:

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(from L to R: Miyazaki's Ponyo, FFXI and a fan for the Tokyo 2016 Olympics bid)

* * *

More Pocky! --


Was surprised to discover 5 boxes of Pocky stuffed in the box as well.

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When Seth saw it, he immediately wanted to eat some and I told him to wait until I had taken some pictures of it for my blog.

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The little one has some patience but not a lot when it comes to Pocky -- observe the tiny hand sneaking in ...

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The Blueberry Pocky smelled soooo good! I guess that's why Seth chose to eat (and demolish) that box first.

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Notice three different chocolate varieties? I'm curious about the Creamy Chocolate.

The flavor that frightens me the most is the Brazilian Pudding ... but Johann and I have a plan. (Cue: foreboding music and thunder)

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Cute! --

Seth's yaya is slightly OC and she had some free time yesterday and decided to organize the stuff on top of our TV.

We used to just have a Yakisoba cup stuffed to the brim with pens, pencils, scissors and whatnot. She found empty containers and decided to fix up the system.

I thought this was cute --

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It's the rolls of adhesive tape that I am using for Christmas (and for my book business) --

^_^

* * *

Diaries of years past --


I try not to be a packrat but it's hard to throw away something that you've had with you for an entire year.

So I keep my yearly diaries.

I've had the pleasure of owning two Starbucks diaries (2005 and 2006 -- I think I left my 2005 diary in our place in Manila) and those were what inspired me to keep a record of my daily/weekly activities.

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This year, I actually have 2 diaries -- my small, red Moleskine one for portability and a regular one I bought at National Bookstore, which I keep on my bedside. I don't really use the big one because it's usually covered by books and whatnot. I use it to keep my receipts and tracking numbers (for my book business).

I like reading my diaries -- it's fun to remember movie dates and dinner dates and when I went somewhere. ^_^

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Waiting for inspiration --

When I saw this a few months ago, I knew I wanted to get one for Seth.

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I had such grand dreams of making a personalized discovery book for him. It's been sitting on or counter all this time, waiting for me to do something with it.

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The shiny pages intimidate me! >_<

* * *

Ready for 2009! --


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Last year, I splurged and got myself the red set -- but I decided to be a bit more practical this year and opted for a soft cover 2009 weekly notebook and a hardcover black moleskine notebook instead.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Gearing up for Christmas! --

I had some free time yesterday afternoon so I decided to go to Iloilo Shanghai Bazaar -- one of my favorite places here in Iloilo. It's where most people go to buy trimmings, zippers and other appliques. I go there to buy ribbon.

I used to go every summer when I was home from university. It's lovely to just have a stash of ribbons ready for any occasion.

This is the loot from yesterday's visit:

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I decided to go shiny/sparkly this year and bought a roll of gold and 10 meters each of cute green and two nice shades of blue. (I found a rare roll of kraft wrapping paper being sold at SM so I might use that to wrap gifts this year. ^_^)

I also like really thin ribbons so I bought a roll each of red, green, yellow and burgundy.

It's so pretty seeing all the colors together! >_<

Now to buy the gifts to use these ribbons with. ;-)

* * *

Happiness is --

Having a friend from Davao. ^_^

One of the things I was craving for was mangosteen and it was really difficult to find them here in Iloilo.

My friend, F told me that the harvest this year wasn't very good because of the weather.

She went to Davao a week ago to attend her nephew's birthday party and she surprised me with a boxful of goodies: mangosteen and pomelo!

Yay!

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Balance --

I'm a big believer in balance -- the universe always has a way of making things even and square.

For the past week, Johann and I have had our share of not-so-good news: his WOW:WotLK discs have been delayed because the online store we got it from ran out of stock. We decided to avail of the online download and it didn't work on the Macbook. (Took us two days to figure out how to install it on the PC)

My hubby doesn't get demoralized easily but I knew he felt pretty bad about how things had gone so far -- I told him that there has to be an exchange and the universe will make it right.

True enough, today, we got a postal notice from our local post office. Our VtES order arrived! Glee~

When I got to the post office, the lady in charge of parcels told me that another package arrived for me. (We are friendly with each other. ^_^) It was the two fantasy HCs we mooched from this really nice person from Canada. She mailed it out last July and I was getting ready to give it up for lost.

Then it arrived today.

See, balance. It's a good thing. ^_^

* * *

Why I love Bookmooch --

Bookmooch is a great, great place. You get lucky sometimes and get really great books like these:

Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder edited by David Hartwell

Masterpieces of Fantasy and Enchantment edited by David Hartwell

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Just a quick update --

Realized I hadn't really blogged in a while --

Had dinner with our Korean friends at a newly-opened Korean restaurant near my house. It was my first time to try Galbi and I like it. I also loved all the side dishes they offered (especially the "coleslaw" which was prepared with wasabi).

Less than two years ago, I didn't even know what Galbi was and my only experience of Korean food was Johann's bottles of kimchi (which I hated back then but I love, love, love now).

I love that my food repertoire is expanding (together with my waistline) and I love that Seth's food horizons are broadening as well. Last weekend, we brought him to Rai Rai Ken and he loved the Miso soup and Chicken Teriyaki.

* * *

Great Saturday --


I had a lovely Saturday. We took a drive around the nearby subdivision where we turned off the aircon and opened all our windows to enjoy the fresh air.

We went to SM City after and came home with a stack of magazines. My current favorite magazine "find" is Real Simple. I love the tips and the ideas I find within the pages.

Crazy Crepes also opened recently and we got some for my mom and my sister. (This was Seth's first experience of Nutella and Almonds and he really loves them. I'm glad he isn't allergic to nuts. ^_^)

* * *

Rumor has it --

That Starbucks will soon open in Iloilo and Bacolod.

More franchises that will make me happy:
1. Krispy Kreme
2. Dairy Queen <-- during our last trip to Manila, we spent most of our money on Dairy Queen
3. Gerry's Grill <-- for decent sisig
4. FullyBooked and Powerbooks

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Because they wrote lovely things --

I stumbled upon this through a friend's blog and I really love what they wrote about the upcoming US elections.

From: Margaret and Helen: Best Friends for 60 Years and counting ...

* * *

Another link --

I love Christopher Buckley's books and I've set about collecting (and reading) all of them. From the way he writes, I would never have guessed he was Republican.

Following the US Elections, Christopher Buckley's name came up and I wondered why his endorsement of Obama caused such a big hoopla -- so I wiki-ed him.

Anyhoo, this is what he said about Barack Obama --

And this is his response to the hoopla that followed his endorsement.

* * *

One of the downsides of being pregnant --


Is not being able to sit through the 30-minute Obama informercial with weeping like crazy.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

My multiply is multiplying! --

This is something I've been thinking of doing for a long time now and my main worry was having enough time to maintain this new site and my current ones. I thought my little book business needed this, though -- it will give people an idea of the new titles I've added to my Ebay listings.

Starry Night Books!

The good thing about this new site is that I'll only need to update once a week (or more, if the toddler-sleeping gods are kind and Seth takes a nice, long afternoon nap).

Drop by! How can you resist such a cute name? >_<

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Kicking and screaming --

Is the best way to describe 2008's exit --

Stocks are on a roller-coaster ride and the Peso-to-dollar rate is on a nose dive.

In less than two weeks, the United States will have vote for a new president and it will be interesting what kind of foreign policy that new president will have and how it will affect our part of the world.

These days, my little luxury every afternoon is to watch CNN's news coverage and special features on the US Elections. (In the evening, it's to watch Mike Rowe mucking around in Dirty Jobs. ^_^)

* * *

Enjoying myself --

I love where I'm at right now -- it's a good mix of busy and laidback and gives me time to be with my son and have some time for myself as well.

One thing I'd love to do is to travel -- but, with the dollar rate, that is quite impossible at this point.

* * *

I wish it were Valentine's Day --


Because I love this poem so much and I want to print a Gocco-something with these words on it. ^_^

Very fine is my valentine.
Very fine and very mine.
Very mine is my valentine very mine and very fine.
Very fine is my valentine and mine, very fine very mine and mine is my valentine.
- Gertrude Stein, A Very Valentine

Monday, October 13, 2008

Plan your Christmas vacations! --

It's going to be a very, very short December --

I got information from an HSBC service advisory letter which we recently received.

Not sure if this has been confirmed by the government but I thought it would be useful for people planning trips and such. ^_^

December 1 (Monday) - Bonifacio Day
December 25 (Thursday) - Christmas Day
December 26 (Friday) - Special Non-working Day
December 29 (Monday) - Special Non-working Day
December 30 (Tuesday) - Rizal Day
December 31 (Wednesday)
January 1 (Thursday) - New Year's Day

Grabe yung break from December 25 to January 1! ^_^

Total number of Working Days = 17 days ^_^

Friday, October 10, 2008

Box of awesomeness --

That's how my husband describes the Pocky with Almond and Chocolate --

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This came from my youngest brother -- I guess he took pity on Seth and his one-flavor Pocky experience. ^_^

The Pocky to the left is white hazelnut (I hope) and the one on the right is orange, which Seth likes (but not as much as he likes the Strawberry Pocky).

* * *

Busy Johann --

After a year of gathering dust, Johann finally got around the building one of his Gundam kits. This one was something he was looking forward to building because it looked so cool with all the cool atomic energy (read: green circle things) surrounding the Gundam.

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His favorite part of this Gundam are the rocket thrusters on the legs --

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He has one more kit to build and then he promises that he will build nothing but Gundam 00 kits because that's the only series he's watched (and finished).

Boys and their toys. ^_^

Thursday, October 09, 2008

It's that time of the year again! --

Last year, I posted my Christmas wishlist in September --

This year, I really tried to wait until (at least) October so I won't appear like such an eager beaver. ^_^

My sister and I have already actually talked about what we want for Christmas --

I'm a little surprised with myself this year because there isn't much that I want for myself.

Anyhoo, just as a recap, here was my list last year:
1. LeSportSac deluxe everyday bag or classic hobo
2. New cellphone
3. New pair of glasses
4. Giordano Skinny Polo
5. A pair of nice fitting jeans <-- I did get a pair but my sister has appropriated them for her own
6. Mike Gayle's latest book

And my wishlist for Seth --
1. portable CD player <-- we kinda have portable music now from my phone and Johann's
2. an Avent 11oz bottle
3. some shorts (soft and light ones)

Here is my list for this year:
1. LeSportSac deluxe everyday bag <-- I got a classic hobo for myself when I went to Guam
2. New pair of glasses
3. A good pair of walking/exercise shoes <-- it is the year to get back in shape (hopefully!)
4. Walt Disney Treasures - Disney Rarities - Celebrated Shorts, 1920s - 1960s <-- this was on my list two years ago, never did get around to getting it back then
5. A Moleskine weekly diary <-- I might just get one for myself. I still haven't decided if I want the small pocket red one or a bigger one this year.
6. Canon Powershot E1 <-- I already have a Powershot A640 and I know I don't need a new one but it is just so, so adorable! The colors are irresistible! >_<

Thursday, October 02, 2008

I love Green Arrow! --

(Fangirl mode: ON)

One of the comic series that I look forward to every month is Green Arrow And Black Canary by Judd Winick. (The art by Cliff Chiang is AMAZING. O_O)

Green Arrow is a recent discovery -- I loved how he was portrayed in the animated series Justice League Unlimited and I love how he's drawn in this comic series.

My favorite issue (#4) contains a really lovely quote about parenting --

Fathers are there from the beginning.
On playgrounds. On first days of school.
Dads should remember what it's like to hold a small hand.
Teach them to be careful.

- Oliver Queen (Green Arrow)

This is the reason why we decided to pick up Smallville Season 6 -- Green Arrow makes his appearance.

And this is the guy who plays him --

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The actor's name is Justin Hartley.

Yummy! >_<

I want to pause his scenes in Smallville but, then, I also want to hear him talk.

Oh, what a dilemma! >_<

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Happiness comes in small packages --

A few days ago, I was really surprised to receive a package from Char.

When I saw what was inside the package, I started laughing --

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Char sent me mooncake and some shirts for Seth. I was so excited about the mooncake because my dad has been craving them and was disappointed that we weren't able to get the yummy mooncake from Binondo this year. (More on this later)

So, that evening, we hurriedly ate dinner and opened one of the mooncake.

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The present had a cute twist -- these were not the typical lotus/mongo mooncakes -- these were Chocolate and Moccachino.

There was a bit of a discussion regarding how many pieces we should slice the mooncake. (We usually cut it into 4 pieces but everyone was curious and wanted to try the Chocolate so we cut it into 6 slices.)

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Surprisingly, the mooncake tasted really delicious! It still had the creaminess and subtle sweetness of the regular mooncake but you can taste the chocolate as well.

I usually don't like eating the egg but I didn't mind this one.

I think my dad was really happy that night -- that was his first (and only) mooncake for the year. ^_^

* * *

More on mooncakes --

In the past, my youngest brother and I would make the trek to Binondo to buy mooncake. We'd come out of the restaurant carrying plastic bags-full of mooncake to be given to co-teachers and as pasalubong to our relatives in Iloilo.

Usually, the mooncake festival would coincide with the time when we were out of the country -- and we would seek out unique mooncake designs and flavors from those places.

Last year, Johann and I actually splurged on some when we were in Singapore.

This year, we didn't even realize that the mooncake festival had come and gone. We were so busy doing whatever it is we were doing that I just forgot.

* * *

Feeling grateful --

When we decided to move to Iloilo two years ago, we knew we would be giving up so much -- we knew that we would be disconnected from our friends and from life as we knew it.

We've had several pity parties where we bemoan our lack of friends here in Iloilo.

The decision did reap some benefits -- Seth is doing very well here and I love how accessible and affordable everything is.

One of the things that surprised me was the discovery that, despite the distance, I've managed to maintain many of the relationships I cherished in Manila and that I've actually made more friends while I've been here.

I think back at the number of friends we've had visit us here in Iloilo and the care packages we've received and my heart just bursts with gratitude.

Thank you, all of you. ^_^

Thursday, September 18, 2008

You know you have a lot of cards when --

You see something like this, and the question that comes to mind isn't "Should I get this?" but "How many do we need?"

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This can hold about 9600 cards, btw.

The Secret Meme --

Got this from Gabby --

These are the answers. The questions are secret. ^_^

1. Elbert
2. Alvin and my cousin Jan ^_^
3. My youngest brother
4. Johann, lover of fluffy (and non-fluffy) cats
5. Believe it or not, my sister
6. Me!
7. ---
8. Char! (even Johann thinks so) ^_^
9. Brian
10. Florie or Aurelio or Jasmine or Nikka
11. Me!
12. My sister
13. ---
14. Geolette
15. Erm... no one! ^_^;;;
16. My cousin, Jan
17. Johann at Toys 'r' Us or Toy Kingdom or any bookstore
18. My sister! Hahahaha!
19. Eric T. was the first person who came to mind and then my cousin Stan
20. A tie between Gabby and Brian (and I love seeing it from that POV ^_^)
21. ---
22. ---
23. No one.
24. Wow... I don't know anyone capable of this. I hope I don't.
25. Dave! (Am kidding!) Pero, seriously ...
26. Johann ... and I did! Hahahahahaha!
27. All of my friends, which is why they're my friends
28. Maybe my youngest brother -- just for laughs
29. Other than my husband? Maybe Jin and Brian for the conversation. Elbert and Gabs for fun and inspiration.
30. Hi! I'm glad I'm friends with you! ^_^

Waaaah~ So many blanks! I don't know that many people! T_T

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

In a word? "Wow!" --

When we pre-ordered this book a few months back, I never bothered to read the specifications (size, number of pages, etc.) I didn't even bother to be amazed by the roster of artists they were able to recruit for the project.

The only thing that mattered was the subject matter: Tori Amos.

'Nuff said.

When the book finally arrived, I was so in awe of the size -- it isn't your typical mass market or even trade paperback.

This book is HUGE.

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<-- see how dinky the Mike Gayle book looks?

And then you start flipping through, and the art just takes your breath away --

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And you remember the songs and hum them to yourself (if they are hummable) --
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I think this is a wonderful project for Image. I was especially excited to see the imprint on the back of the book, which said "Volume 1" -- ^_^

Comic Book Tattoo: Tales Inspired by Tori Amos

Thursday, August 28, 2008

A sign of things to come? --

... or is it already here?

Our desktop went kaput about a month ago and we never got it serviced because we were merrily using the Mac. Last week, we had free time so we decided to bring it to the repair shop. We were fairly optimistic, expecting to probably have a battery (CMOS) or a small part replaced or something cleaned -- when the technician called, he told us our motherboard is dead and we need to replace it.

He gave us several options --
#1 To replace it with a similar motherboard but that it would be "old stock" and not covered by any warranty

#2 To replace it with a more current motherboard

I know I shouldn't have been surprised to hear that our motherboard was already *ahem* obsolete, considering that it's only 2 years old -- but I was.

My initial reaction was to ask them to just take apart the PC so we could sell off the part and use that money to buy an iMac. I asked the technician if I could think about it and that I would call him back after an hour.

I decided to research on the current cost of the individual parts of our PC -- I was confident that we would be able to sell it for at least 15,000 pesos.

Imagine my dismay when I discovered that the Kingston 1gb RAM (which we paid over 5 thousand pesos for) costs 1,800 pesos BRAND NEW! I thought Johann had made a mistake and misread the price -- but there it was, in black and white.

For our 2x 1gb RAMs, we were only going to get about 2,000 maximum.

I readjusted my expected price to 10k -- which, I later realized, was a mistake.

We also discovered that our optical drive, a Lite-On DVD-RW only costs 1,300 pesos brand new (and this is with better specs).

The biggest blow came when we checked for the price of our video card -- we were so proud to have gotten that video card and even had to wait for it to be released 2 years ago. Now, not only is it obsolete, people can't even sell it for 2,000 pesos. (We were offering it to a friend for that price and he told us he could actually get a better one for the same price. Ouch.)

I became really contemplative (and disappointed) at this point --

On one hand, my dreams of getting an iMac (now) had disappeared like the value of our PC. ~sniff~

BUT, on the other hand, I am really happy to see just how inexpensive this technology has become -- only at this period of our history can something like this become a reality.

I'm also very excited because it means that the techie things I plan to buy will be cheaper in the future.

Yay! ^_^

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Techie and Gadgets meme --

Mobile Phones:
1.) First cellphone unit - a black Nokia 3110

2.) Favorite cellphone unit - I'm still amazed by my T28's longevity. It's what made me switch completely to Sony Ericsson, but I love my current phone as well.

3.) Current cellphone unit - an Ericsson W710i

Handheld Consoles:
4.) First Handheld game console - A Game & Watch! I remember "Octopus" and I knew we had other games as well.

5.) Favorite Handheld game console - my husband has a DS Lite, which I play with sometimes.

6.) Current handheld game console - I don't own one. My husband does. ^_^

Desktop PCs
:
7.) First PC (Desktop) Specs - I forget. But it was lovely. We bought it from a friend's uncle's shop and they actually held it for testing for a week just to make sure all the connections and installations were roadtested before they released it to us. It kinda set the bar for me in terms of service.

8.) Current PC (Desktop) Specs - we don't have a desktop anymore. I have a lovely White Macbook now. ^_^

9.) The PC Specs you always wished for: an Mac Pro with 4 video cards (for the whole crossfire thingy) and 2 quad-cores and 32gb RAM. I wouldn't really know what to do with it, but it would be a WOW thing, wouldn't it?

Laptops:

10.) First Laptop - this White Macbook is my first. I did inherit my brother's old laptop, which died a few months ago after so many years of service to both me and my brother.

11.) Current Laptop - White Macbook

12.)The Laptop you always dreamed of - maybe a Macbook Pro.

Game Consoles:
13.) First Game Console - We had an Atari.

14.) Favorite Game Console - Dreamcast. My sister's.

15.) Current Game Console - We really don't play console games now.

16.) First PC Game ever played - Lots of game shows -- Family Feud, etc.

17.) Favorite PC Game ever played - SimCity.

18.) Last PC Game played - Heroes of Might and Magic 5

19.) Palm or Pocket PC? - Pocket PC

20.) What's your MP3 player and capacity? - I bought a Samsung Yepp with my salary from my first teaching job. My brothers gave me a Shuffle 3 years ago. My current phone can also play MP3s.

21.) Aside from your cellphone, PDA and laptop - What other gadget you can never be without? - A Camera

22.) First Wristwatch - a Swatch, I think

23.) Favorite Wristwatch - I don't have a favorite. I have a thing about wristwatches. I don't like buying very expensive ones because I don't like to feel "committed" to just one watch.

24.) Current Wristwatch - I have a nice Kenneth Cole one that matches Johann's watch but I don't wear a watch anymore because Seth might get snagged on it or something.

25.) Ultimate Dream Gadget - A self-driving car. I plug in the destinations and it takes me there.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Busy watching --

We are in TV-Series-watching mode and it started with Top Chef season 4.

We recently finished watching Dead Like Me season 1, which is the precursor to Pushing Daisies (another great TV series)

We found season 2 of Dead Like Me yesterday so we are busy watching that one now. ^_^

Monday, August 18, 2008

Gashapon love --

I love gashapons -- whenever were at Toys 'r' Us or Toy Kingdom in Manila, Johann and I "splurge" on a token and get something from the gashapon machines there.

When my brother was in town recently, he gave us this --

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It's a gashapon from the series "Tales of Agriculture" (Moyashimon). This is a Lactobacilus bacteria. =^_^=

Very cute!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Some random things --

The last post I wrote (last August 7) was my 707th post. What lovely coincidence!

* * *

Top Chef! --

My sister and I found a copy of Top Chef season 4 and watched it every afternoon while my son was napping. It is a very addicting show and now we are trying to find copies of the previous 3 seasons.

(I was first introduced to Top Chef by my cousins on our way to Tagaytay -- my cousin has a nifty video setup in his car and we watched some episodes going to and back from Tagaytay.)

An incentive to watch? One of the contestants in Season 4 is Filipino -- and, for a dessert competition, he made ... Halo-halo!

* * *

Finished reading --

Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, which made me cry. Not tear up. But cry.

He had an amazing view of life and the world ... and I wish I could remember to see things the way he did.

* * *

On the Olympics --


I wasn't very happy with how Solar covered the opening of the Beijing Olympics (too many commercials!) -- but I am enjoying their coverage of the various competitions.

We were able to watch the Archery event between the Philippines vs Taipei -- and a lot of the swimming and gymnastics events. (Seth even tries to copy the swimming strokes. Hahahah!)

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Anyone interested?

I have a friend who is selling a brand-new EEE PC.

Brand New Asus EEE PC 900 only for P18,500

Here are the complete specs:

Pearl White
Linux OS
20GB (4GB + 16GB )
1 GB DDR2
Intel Mobile CPU & Chipset
Wifi 802.11g/b
1.3M Camera
10/100 Ethernet
5800 maH battery

If anyone's interested, PM me and I'll give you his contact info. ^_^

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Hahaha! Cute test! --







what flavor pocky are you?


[c] sugardew



Seth recently discovered Pocky and loves it! (One lunch, he alternated strawberry-flavored Pocky and noodles.)

One more:




You Are Chocolat Orange Pocky



Your attitude: funky and flavorful

Rich and deep - yet zingy and zesty

You are the perfect partner in crime

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Yet another reason to consider getting a DSLR --

J bought a Gocco from me early this year and she sent me the link to her blog where she chronicled her Gocco projects (1 & 2). Am really happy that she loves her Gocco and even participated in a swap.

One of the things I love about her blog are her photos and she uses something called a Lensbaby --

From what I understand, it's a lens you can attach to your camera which will create a special effect. It's lovely!

I want! >_<

For those with DSLRs already *sniff*, Lensbabies are available at JT Photoworld in Paco.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Today I made things --

I was inspired by my cousin's banana-chocolate chip treat that I decided to make something similar --

This morning, I made banana pancakes with chocolate chips. (Yay, me!) I just got a pack of pancake mix, mashed up some bananas and mixed the two together. (For those who want to follow this, a caveat -- the amount of water you use for the pancake changes. The original recipe called for 3/4 cups of water and I only used about 1/2)

I made two batches -- a plain banana pancake and one loaded with chocolate chips!

I couldn't really taste the bananas, though -- but I'm glad that Johann ate some. (Only way I could get fruit into his system)

After breakfast, I took out my Gocco and made this:

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Yes, it's a business card.
Yes, it's mine.
Yes, I sell romance novels on Ebay Philippines. ^_^

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<-- I'm glad I found these images! The two ladies really make the whole thing work! ^_^

Found them here. Lengthier account of the project found in my other blog.

Monday, July 28, 2008

My cousin bakes --

My mom and brother came home yesterday with two red boxes of goodies which my cousin Mark baked. (He's the eldest son of one of my mom's younger sisters.)

He gave us a box of Banana Mini Morsel Bars, which were addicting (Johann and I couldn't stop eating them) and an assortment of muffins.

It's a family affair -- he bakes and his sister takes pictures of the baked goods. ^_^ They do it all with a hand mixer and a very old oven. (My sister said it was a wedding gift to my cousin's mom. I'd have to check on this first.)

When you see my cousins' end product, you know it's homebaked -- which I like. The mini morsel bars had a rustic appeal (not perfectly cut or portioned) -- and you can tell that he really poured his heart (and a bag full of chocolate chips) into the recipe.

Yay, Mark! ^_^

Tin's Trip to Guam part two --

My sister and I decided to relax on our second (and last day) --

We bought day passes to the "Shopping Bus" which is the most efficient way to see as much as Guam as you can.

There are two companies that have shopping buses -- the Blue and the Red. Tickets cost the same. We chose the Red because they use the traditional trolleys as shopping buses whereas the Blue line has a mix of regular buses and trolleys.

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Tip #4 If you're planning to take the shopping bus for more than a day, get the week pass. It costs $2 per ride. The day pass is $6 and the week pass is $10. If you don't mind waiting 20-30 minutes to get to your destination, this is the cheapest way to get anywhere in Guam.

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Here's where it gets a bit tricky -- like most subways, the shopping bus has a specific line and, depending on where you want to go, you need to ride a different line. The two most widely used lines are the Green and Yellow, which ply the same route -- but one goes clockwise and the other counter. (Kinda like the Ikot and Toki in UP.)

We were able to visit Micronesia Mall, which is far from Pale San Vitores but is a very popular shopping destination because they have Macy's there -- and they also have a branch of the only known bookstore in Guam. Bestseller Bookstore. Oh, and there's KB Toys there too.

Bestseller Bookstore had a really amazing selection of SF/Fantasy and I think Johann would have wept for joy to see all the D&D novels on two shelves. My main problem was, the books were sold at cover price. (Read: It would've been cheaper to get them in the Philippines or order them through Amazon.) But I didn't want to go away empty-handed so I picked out the most recent releases (2008) and bought about 4 book for Johann.

We had lunch at the Micronesia Mall food court which offers a wide array of cuisine -- a lot of Japanese and Korean and a spattering of Italian and Chamorro.

My sister and I had Burger King and Subway. (Again, I texted Johann and he replied: Stop Eating Stuff that you can eat in the Philippines!)

Burger King was promoting an insane burger called The Steakhouse, which has an Angus Beef patty and (in a nutshell) the contents of a baked potato in your burger.

Yes, I was tempted. But I didn't.

My sister ordered a small burger and I went over to Subway to get a Seafood and Crab sandwich. What I like about the Subway branch in Guam is they let you choose which kind of cheese you want. They had 3 or 4 kinds. They also had stuff like banana peppers!

After Micronesia Mall, we went to the Guam Premium Outlet -- we really didn't get anything from there. But they have Outlet stores for Nike (cheaper to buy it in the Philippines), Nine West (I wasn't looking to buy shoes this trip), etc.

We got back to our hotel at around 4 in the afternoon and rested. That evening, we did one last hurrah on the Shopping Bus trolley -- it was fun. ^_^

Guam is a nice place. I'd go back there for K-Mart. Hahahaha! Seriously, it's a great place to bring your children to because of the beach. (Although I worry about how they would take to the strange flight sked). The walking isn't so bad either, especially if you get a hotel along Pale San Vitores. It's more for younger people and barkadas also because a lot of the "action" happens at night.

One thing I noticed in Guam is the lack of public transportation. I saw one public bus in our area and they don't travel regularly, I'm told. I was planning to go to this used bookstore in Barrigada which, on the map, looked pretty near. But it would've cost me $20 one way by cab. And, no, no bus goes through there.

My sister and I noticed that most travelers just rent a car to drive themselves around. My sister plans on getting an international license so that she can just drive us around the next time we go there. (It is very doable because there are very few cars on the roads and the traffic light system is very efficient.) It's also fairly safe during the daytime. (Majority of the car accidents happen at night and they are usually alcohol-related.)

To end, here are some random shots of Guam:
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<-- Fendi stroller!

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<-- they have a lot of painted carabaos scattered all over Guam. This one was in our hotel.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Tin's Trip To Guam part one --

I've been meaning to blog about my recent trip to Guam with my sister but I didn't quite know how to organize my thoughts -- for starters, we were only in Guam for 2 full days and we didn't have much sleep on one of those days.

My sister and I decided to take direct flights both ways -- so, on July 5, we boarded a plane from Iloilo to Manila and then transferred over to the international terminal to wait for our flight to Guam.

We decided to book PAL's package (vs Continental Airlines) because it was cheaper (but there are pros and cons) and because I like the terminal where PAL flies out of.

Tip #1: Take PAL even for the domestic next time... even if it costs a bit more than Air Philippines or Cebu Pacific. I don't know how PAL does it, but you never seem to have to wait long for your connecting flight to anywhere. We took Air Philippines and had to wait a long time in between our flights.

Tip #2: If you know you are going to sleep through the flight, ask for the window seat. The flight wasn't long so we knew we didn't have to go to the bathroom very often so we asked for the window and middle seat. We got to sleep undisturbed. ^_^ The aisle seat does give you more legroom but, if you have a seatmate you gets up numerous times, it's a hassle. We made the mistake of asking for aisle seats (across from each other <-- another mistake) on our flight back and had the misfortune of being seated beside two of the most restless and noisy people in the universe.

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<-- our meal going to Guam. It's supposed to be Sweet and Sour Pork (but looks more like braised/stewed pork). It was delicious, though. Dessert was Magnolia Ube ice cream and a small Toblerone.

We arrived in Guam at 3am (1-ish our time. Guam is +2 to the Philippines) and were picked up by our hotel's van service. Check-in was a breeze -- we didn't have to do the standard show passport, check credit card, sign here/sign there bit. We headed to our room and slept.

Tip #3: Stay at the Fiesta Resort Guam.
It's a 4.5-star hotel with amazing service and great food.

We set our alarms to wake us before the breakfast buffet ended. It was an amusing spread -- yes, amusing. I've never seen fried chicken served during a breakfast before. ^_^ And we also had pasta with meatballs.

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Majority of the visitors to Guam are Koreans and Japanese so the buffet reflects that -- there was always kimchi and rice porridge and seaweed and stuff.

The chicken was amazing! It was crunchy and crisp and had a hint of spiciness to it. I was so tempted to get some kimchi and rice and have that for breakfast. (But we couldn't find the rice! We later discovered that one of the covered pots -- of which there were 4 total was the steamed rice. The others were different kinds of rice porridge.)

After breakfast, we took in some sun and walked around the beach. (Fiesta Resort Guam is a beachfront resort/hotel.)

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We rested a bit after breakfast and went to K-Mart.

Guam is said to have the biggest K-Mart in the world. We spent about 4 hours just walking around and we only got to see half before we got tired. They have a Little Caesar's resto inside K-Mart and that's where my sister and I sat down for a much-needed recharge.

The book selection there was a bit disappointing. I was really hoping to bring home books for Johann and for myself.

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<-- that's it.

After the recharge, we walked back to our hotel. (We walked bothways and were *ahem* sunkissed after doing so.)

Later that day, we decided to search for the Lesportsac store(s) in Guam. We were also looking for cheap pasalubong for our helpers and drivers. We found two Lesportsac stores and one of them was on sale! So I was able to get a reversible tote at 30% off. I paid full price for my classic hobo. (I think my sister has caught the Lesportsac bug because she now "owns" my other bag. She wanted to get another one for herself but couldn't decide on a print.)

We walked the entire length of Pale San Vitores Road (which is like Orchard in Singapore). Dinner was Mcdonald's. (At this point, when I texted Johann about where we were, he texted back: Don't eat fast food!)

I tried their Chicken sandwich (which you can have either grilled or crisp/fried). I had mine fried. Hahaha!

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It was yummy! ^_^ My sister had nuggets and they had very interesting dip choices. Since we weren't feeling adventurous, we ended up getting barbecue and honey and mustard.

Day 1 ended with us checking off most of the things on our "Buy list" -- the most important of all was Seth's potty. (I will write about this in my other blog. ^_^)

... to be continued

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Guess what movie I just watched --

I fear that I will always be
A lonely number like root three
A three is all that's good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath a vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic
I know I'll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality
When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three
Has quietly come waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer
We break free from our mortal bonds
And with a wave of magic wands
Our square root signs become unglued
And love for me has been renewed.

From Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay ^_^

Friday, July 18, 2008

On Batman: The Dark Knight --

I'm supposed to blog about my recent trip to Guam but I watched Batman: The Dark Knight last night and had to blog about that instead.

With most sequels and multi-part movies, the stories usually fall into the trap of just featuring "the monster of the month/the villain of the month" movies but I really love what the Nolans have done with the Batman movies. With each movie, they have developed Batman's character and are exploring different aspects of his persona: Batman as masked avenger, as detective, as a dark knight, etc.

While Christian Bale is amazing as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Heath Ledger truly steals the show as the Joker. Bale's Batman still has roots in the comic books and he does a great job portraying Batman but Ledger's the Joker is truly original and he deserves the Oscar Buzz he is getting for this role. (You will be blinded by his awesomeness. ^_^)

Based on the stills and trailers, I thought Ledger was channeling Alan Moore's the Joker (from The Killing Joke) but he doesn't -- not completely. Ledger's the Joker is how the Joker should be. He plays with his own "origin" and tells several versions of it in the movie. In the end, he explains himself best -- that he simply is and nothing more.

My personal favorite is Harvey Dent simply because Aaron Eckhart plays him and he is so breathlessly amazing. I love him! >_< (I will rewatch Possession later for more Aaron Eckhart goodness.)

After the movie, my sister asked me which I preferred: Wanted or Batman: The Dark Knight.

Tough question. ^_^

I like Wanted for the cinematography and the "bullet ballet" and I like Batman for the story. =^_^=

... but that's just me.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Why I love my sister --

She recently found a copy of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- Johann told her that it received really poor reviews but she bought it anyway.

The next day:
My sister: It's a really nice series. People just don't like it because it negates T3.
Johann: (says something that I can't remember anymore)
My sister: It has an all-star cast pa: Queen Gorgo from 300, River Tam from Serenity and Little Foot from The Land Before Time.

Clever one, my sister is. ^_^

A book project -- 101 Must Read Books

This is inspired by The Big Read and an interesting project that is ongoing at the Romantic Times message boards.

One of P's main criticism of The Big Read list is that it is mostly "White" and my observation is that it is skewed towards two extremes -- classics and fantasy/scifi. (When I was doing the list, I was thinking Johann would probably score better than me.)

At the Romantic Times message boards, readers are trying to come up with a list of 1001 Romance Novels to read before we die --

I wonder what our list of books would look like.

May we embark on our 101 Must Read Books? (I don't think I know 1001 people ^_^)

I've based the rules on the one at the RT message board:
1) No posting copies of lists or links from other sites. This should be your own opinion.

2) Each person can post up to FIVE book suggestions at a time. Include: Title, Author and Genre

You can also let folks know why this book should be included.

4) Only suggest books that have NOT already made the thread. Read the thread, pay attention, and add a NEW book that you don't see already listed.

5) You can always come back and add more after someone else adds one. ^_^

The Big Read -- Books I have read

Found this on P's multiply site --

The directions are simple:
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;)

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling <-- shouldn't this count as 7 books? ^_^
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible - Only the Gospels, Genesis and Revelations
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte <-- tried to, but couldn't get past the language
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott <-- plus Good Wives, Little Men and Jo's Boys. I have a copy of her A Long Fatal Love Chase, but I haven't read it yet. ^_^
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare - most of the tragedies and some of the histories
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell <-- only the sequel, hahaha!
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert <-- one of my sister's favorites. We have 3 versions, including the Norton Critical Edition. ^_^
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl <-- I've read most of his books, except this one and its sequel. ^_^
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo <-- Only the abridged ^_^

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Dr Pepper! --

While buying water at Robinson's Supermarket, we found a stack of Dr Pepper Light.

Yay! ^_^

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Fun Quiz -- Your Personality Type: The Reliable Realist

My personality type: the reliable realist

Reliable Realists are down-to-earth and responsible-minded. They are precise, reserved and demanding. Their most prominent quality is reliability and they will always make every effort to keep any promise given. Reliable Realists are more quiet and serious persons, they do not talk a lot but they are good listeners. They sometimes seem reserved and distant to outsiders although they often have a great deal of wit and esprit. Their strong points are thoroughness, a marked sense of justice, doggedness bordering on pigheadedness and a pragmatic, vigorous and purposeful manner. Reliable Realists do not dither about if something has to be done. They do what is necessary without wasting words.

This personality type not only expects a lot of himself but also of others. Once Reliable Realists have set their mind on something, it is difficult to persuade them otherwise. They do not like to leave anything to chance. Planning means safety to Reliable Realists, as well as order and discipline. They have no problem respecting authorities and hierarchies but do not like to delegate tasks. They are certain that others would not deal with them as conscientiously as they do. In management positions, they are very task-oriented - they make sure that things are well done; however, they do not have a great deal of interest in personal contacts at work.

In relationships too, Reliable Realists are reliability itself. As partners, they are faithful and consistent, well-balanced and sensible. Security and stability are very important to them. They have little time for extravagances and flightiness. Whoever has them as friend or partner can rely on them for a lifetime. However, it takes quite a while for Reliable Realists to enter into a relationship or friendship. They have little need for social contacts; they therefore take great care when choosing partners and friends and limit themselves to a small but exclusive circle which meets their high demands. They tend to show their closeness to people who are important to them by deeds - their partner should rather not expect romantic declarations of love.

Adjectives which describe your type
introverted, practical, logical, planning, tradition-conscious, organised, persistent, objective, tidy, conscientious, cautious, loyal, peace-loving, sensible, down-to-earth, responsible-minded, reserved, careful, independent, punctual, precise, demanding, ability to concentrate, trustworthy, pedantic, reliable, persevering

These subjects could interest you
literature, technical activities (model-making), voluntary work, music, trekking, camping, hiking, cooking, drawing/painting, handicraft work, writing, strategy games, politics

My personality type: the reliable realist