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.



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



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:






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 ^_^





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.



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:








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.


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



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.

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)

To make you go "Wha-?" --

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

O_o

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. ^_^

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.

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! ^_^

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:



And this guy:



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.



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



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.









<-- 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. ^_^

16 days --

July seems to hold so many significant events for me --

From the 9th to the 11th, Neil Gaiman will be in town.

On the 13th, I will be giving a talk to Heights. (I have never seen myself as "Heights-worthy")

On the 16th, the next installment of the Harry Potter series is coming out.

On the 23rd, I will be getting married.

(w00t! to the last one ^_^)

* * *

More random thoughts --

Apparently, no matter how early you plans things or how efficient you are in planning, you will still be extremely busy in the last 2 to 3 weeks before your wedding. I made a decision before school started that I wasn't going to let my wedding preparations affect how I'm teaching and it's been a difficult balancing act since then.

But I'm really enjoying my classes -- I've identified my students' learning style and I'm trying to challenge them as best as I can. (I'm really beginning to love them --) It's also rewarding to see so many of my former students coming up to me to say hello (and it isn't the forced "hello" you get from someone who really didn't want to say hello, but was forced to because he has to <-- does this make sense?) Anyhoo -- a lot of my former students decided to take my bro for History. I get a kick out of that. Here are people who will get a glimpse at how two members of the same family think, act and teach -- I wonder what sort of conclusion they will come up with. ^_^

* * *

R&R --

Papers to check, a wedding to prepare -- I'm glad to still be able to find time to just play.

Last Monday, I got to have dinner with Gabs and Johann -- we ate at Super Bowl in Gateway. It was nice to just sit down and talk and be silly (and I was glad to be around people who let me be silly.)

Last week, I met up with a friend from grad school. Lunch was at Sweet Inspiration. That was fun also. I also got to have lunch with Mahar at their org room, which was a treat as well. ^_^

On Friday, I'm having a Gocco session with CDy at my cousin's place -- I'm really excited for this one as well. I get to see what an artist can do with a Gocco! ^_^

And, on most evenings, Johann comes over to visit and just gives me a hug and to listen to me talk about my day. (My sister has been buying me ice cream -- so nice of her. ^_^)

Circus --

I'm watching the Congress hearing regarding the Gloria Tapes. I find it laughable every time these people in Congress are referred to as "Honorable" when they are clearly not.

It is not the interest of the people and our country being served inside the session hall -- it is these people's individual egos. These people speak a language that obscures and muddles -- it is clear that they are not speaking for the people they represent, but they are speaking for a president they are trying desperately to protect.

An example: The minority floor leader directly referred to a member of the majority (Antonino) and that congressman uses the word "allude" -- clever, clever.

It amazes me how one person can tip the balance to her favor like that and one wonders what it took to "inspire" such loyalty.

"Napupurga na ang mga tao sa mga pinaguusapan natin dito." - Crispin Beltran

I couldn't have said it better.

...

Just listened to one congressman telling Crispin Beltran that he cannot speak for the Filipino People.

Hmmm.

New blog --

I've opened up Tin Inks!, please visit. ^_^

* * *

In Gocco news --

I printed the labels on our souvenirs this morning -- all 275 of them using my Gocco. Damn, it's an addicting little thing. I want to make more! >_<

My new toy --

This is my Print Gocco -- I will be making t-shirts and notecards and everything else with this nifty little thing.





... can someone lend me their creativity? ^_^

* * *

Millions --

Ohmygod -- Danny Boyle is a genius.



Watch this film!!! >_<

(And I want to make a template of this image for a shirt ^_^)

Tempus is Fugiting very Fast --

Whirlwind -- that's the word that comes to mind. I haven't really had the chance to sit down and write for a while.

I'm still trying to adjust to school starting -- odd, though, that I am supposed to have a lot of free time because of my sked (MWF 130 to 430) but I'm always tired and I seem to always have something on my "To Do" pile.

I'm loving my classes (it is a bit early to say this and I may regret it later) -- I am so proud of myself and how I managed the first two weeks. I am really looking forward to having this grand plan in my head come to fruition (and am hoping my students will cooperate)

I was, once again, assigned BS Majors (MGT and MGT-H and the sciences) -- I don't know why. I guess they think my flakiness will balance out how uptight and OC my classes are. (They seem to be fun people, btw -- very capable, smart and fun.)

Yesterday, I attended the Freshmen Parent Orientation at Henry Lee Irwin. Highlight of my day: Fr Nebres comes into the auditorium and sits in the very front row and slouched in his seat just so he could get a better angle of the screen. There I was, in the second row, trying to maintain proper seating posture and our beloved President is slouching in the row ahead. I thought that was cool of him.

I really enjoyed each school's presentation. One could really see the difference in each school's approach. The School of Humanities prepared a really touching, emotional presentation about what it means to be human (and it ended with a tribute to Dr Pesigan, who died recently) -- I was teary-eyed. The JGSom had a really flashy CSI-inspired presentation that presented statistics of their student population. The School of Science and Engineering had a really clean Flash presentation where Dr Cuyegkeng started talking about Josef Kamel SJ (and dropping names like Carl Linnaeus) and she talked about all the sophisticated instruments that the Ateneo has. The School of Social Sciences had a really simple (powerpoint-y) presentation but it had a startling social commentary. After each slide (presenting their programs), they inserted a slide that made a comparison of costs from 1988 to 2005. (For example, Ateneo tuition in 1988 was around 6k and now it's almost 32k!)

After the Parents Orsem, I met up with Johann and we went to Libis to purchase some of our furniture. It was a super-quick trip because we had a 1pm appointment with Njork for fittings.

On our way home, we encountered massive, massive traffic in the Greenhills area, and there were a LOT of firetrucks all rushing to be somewhere. We were looking around for where the fire could be, but we couldn't see any. We knew it was a major fire because there were firetrucks coming in from all directions. (We later discovered that Theater Mall caught fire and some bits of Shoppesville also got affected.)

* * *

R.I.P. my PC --

Early yesterday morning, I tried to turn on my PC and it didn't. I've been having some problems with it and I thought it had been fixed already, but apparently, it isn't.

My beloved thesis is in there. =( I'm not so worried, though -- it's a hard drive problem and my bro told me that there is a way for me to access my thesis (master/slave thingy in my pc) so I'll be doing this today.

Weekend --

Late lunch at Grill Asia along Tomas Morato. Food was really good. (The great thing with dining with a lot of people is that you get to try more dishes.)

This was a full plate of spring rolls. They're really generous with the filling -- the shrimp was yum.



Malay Pork with really, really, really yummy peanut (satay) sauce. The pork is marinated in curry and then grilled.



A bowl of Mongolian Rice (good for 2 to 3 people) plus inihaw pork, cooked and served in a really interesting, delicious way.



And a pic of me -- (with Johann and friends, Pia and Neal)



I like my top. Johann and I found it in the super-bargain rack (70% off!) of Esprit in Singapore. ^_^

* * *

Ending the Singapore Chronicle --

On our last evening (Saturday), Johann and I decided to revisit Esplanade, because my brother told us that it looks really beautiful at night.

It is also the time for the Singapore Arts Festival and, every weekend, there are groups staging various performances. We really didn't linger to watch any of the performances but took the opportunity to walk around and visit the Esplanade Mall.

We found ourselves here. Popcorn Pop! It's a store that sells movie memorabilia -- this place has EVERYTHING and we were trying to decide which posters and leaflets (from Japan) to purchase. The store owner was very kind and could sense our confusion -- he asked us what we were planning with the poster and he pointed us towards other options. We ended up purchasing a set of In the Mood for Love postcards, which we will have framed here. They had buttons and keychains and the Harry Potter scarves.



The next day, we had a 750am flight out of Singapore (this is the downside of choosing the cheaper airlines -- one flight in, one flight out). We left the hotel at 5ish (and missed breakfast) and took a cab to Changi. Johann and I had fun exploring the duty-free shops at the airport. ^_^

PCK the Musical --

This was actually the reason why we went to Singapore in the first place -- to watch PCK the Musical.

This was the highlight of day 3 (June 10) -- the theater was packed with people (because PCK is a really popular sitcom in Singapore). I was proud of having gotten really good seats. ^_^ At first, I felt a bit guilty because I didn't get the "best" (read: most expensive seats) but, when we got to the theater, it turns out we did. The most expensive seats were closer to the stage, but it was also on flat ground. We felt sorry for many of the kids who sat behind big, hulking grownups. Our seats were facing the stage and we were on an elevation so we got to see EVERYTHING. ^_^

My bro has a good review of our evening and pictures of the area surrounding the Singapore Indoor Stadium in his journal.

* * *

Day 4, June 11 --

Johann and I reserved Sunday for just us. (It was date day in a different country. ^_^) Being the romantics that we are, we decided to go to IKEA to get the lamp I was eyeing for our condo. =^_^=



I LOVE IKEA!!!

At first we went a bit crazy and put everything pretty in our cart. And then we realized we had to take the bus back and had to walk a good distance from the bus stop to the hotel. We decided to be mature about it and talked about key pieces -- we ended up with a table lamp and a ceiling lamp.

After IKEA, we missed our busstop and ended up at the terminal in Suntec City. The original plan was to leave everything in the hotel and then go to Suntec. Since we were there, we decided to go around na.

I was shopping for work clothes and had been disappointed the past few days because I couldn't find any that were decent and comfortable enough -- and then I found IORA. The guy who served me was sooooo galing! He took one look at my figure and started suggesting clothes. I fit them and LOVED them!

We also passed by Gelare and I was dying to have a break -- Johann said he was only buying ice cream if it was Pistachio. Goody for us, they did have pistachio! Hurrah!



It was yummy!

After Suntec, we went through Citylink and then to Raffles Shopping Center. Late lunch was at the Food Junction on the top floor. This Food Junction had a really great Dimsum stall. I love their siopao!



<-- What I ordered. -_-

Johann had a Char Kway Tiao -- the fried Singaporean Noodle. We were happy to finally taste the original.

We decided to eat light *koff koff* so that we could have dessert. We ordered the Ice Kachang -- Singapore's "official" dessert. It is finely shaved ice that is flavored and topped with sweet corn.



When you get to the bottom of the bowl, you are treated with red bean and nata and black jelly --



... to be continued!

We interrupt the current chronicle of my trip to Singapore to tell you about two really great movies I saw in the past two days --

1. A documentary called Spellbound, which I got when I was in Singapore. It follows the preparation of 7 students vying for the National Spelling Bee Championships in the US.

It was spellbinding. ^_^

Conversation Johann and I had during the movie:
From the movie: (The word to be spelled is) "Cabotage"
Johann: Grabe! How do they expect the kid to spell that?
Me: It's easy -- it's a cabbage with a "tage"

O_o

2. Batman Begins

We had a long, long day taking care of wedding-related errands and we were glad that we were able to catch the 410pm show at Theater Mall Cinema 5.

This movie made me want to cry. This movie made me want to smile.

It was just so beautiful. ~sniff~

I'm watching it again this weekend.

* * *

And --

Christian Bale is so gwapo! >_<

I've loved this guy since Empire of the Sun! (I even suffered through Newsies for him! >_<)


...My heart is all aflutter ^_^

Day 3, June 10 --

After breakfast, Johann and I decided to walk around the block and we found ourselves wandering into the Singapore Philatelic Museum. (My J is a stamp collector.) There was a Hans Christian Anderson exhibit so we paid the S$3 entrance and went our merry way.





This is my J being silly and cute --



Can I fill Hans Christian Anderson's shoes?



We also went around the main exhibit and got a kick out of one particular area. It's a booth that says "How would you look on a stamp?"

The answer is here and here.

Friday was Daisho and IMM day -- these are malls found in the outskirts of Singapore. This is really where the locals go to shop. Daisho is this huge store from Japan where everything is for 100 Yen -- the Singapore equivalent is S$2.

My brothers went crazy purchasing Origami paper and other Japanese-related items. I just bought a cutting mat.

We ate at the Crunchy Carrot for lunch -- a mini-food court. The roasted duck was amazing! The skin was crunchy and the meat was tender (and not so gamey).

After the excursion, Johann and I decided to go and find my Print Gocco supplier. We had to go down several stations after Daisho and take a bus to a place called Jalan Rimah Tinggi.

I love the bus system in Singapore. ^_^

We had no problems getting to the place but we had some problems looking for the "store" -- Singapore is organized into housing blocks so one's address would read Block Number + Road + Floor Number-Flat Number.

When we found the address, no one was there. ~sigh~ Bye bye Print Gocco. I guess I'll have to order my kit online.

My personal Singapore --

Her personal London included libraries, theaters, museums, parks and a few homes whose memory she treasured for having been the setting of bedroom adventures.
- Gregory Maguire, Lost

Looking at the pictures from Singapore, I am not surprised that most of them feature me (or my sibs or Johann) eating. If you look at my luggage, you will find that we all bought mostly books.

Singapore has always been about the bookstores and about the food. This trip was no different.

Day 1, June 8 --



This is the gourmet baguette we ordered on board Jetstar. It was really crunchy bread with grilled chicken with tomatoes and mozzarella. Johann and I split it because we weren't really that hungry (and we were both too excited to eat anyway ^_^)

We arrived in Singapore at 4 and took the MRT to our hotel. We checked in and had our first meal at the Food Junction in Funan. The Food Junction is a food court with branches in many of the major malls. The number of foodstalls vary, depending on the size of the food court.

After an early dinner, we took the MRT to Bugis Junction and brought Johann and my sister to the smaller Kinokuniya bookstore.

One of the first things to catch Johann's attention was this column -- guess why. ^_^



Beside Kinokuniya was a comic book store called Absolute Comics. They have an amazing back issues selection. Absolute Comics is heaven for comic book collectors. Was so tempted to get a copy of Image's Four Letter Words . One of the things that makes me go "wow" in this store is their selection of bundled single issues for a particular series. They had the complete Preacher in singles and Johann was interested in getting The Intimates -- 7 issues for S$30.

Day 1 ended with a trip to 7-11. We purchased a very interesting rootbeer and a bag of chips.

Day 2, June 9 --
The plan for our first full day in Singapore was to go to Orchard Road. We discussed our itinerary over breakfast at Coleman's, Peninsula-Excelsior's cafe.



One of my travel habits is to indulge in toast smothered in butter and jam -- the breakfast buffet was amazing -- they even had French Toast, which I love, love, love. ^_^

Since we finished breakfast early, we decided to go to Esplanade (to do some tourist-y things ^_^)

There was an art exhibit along the walkway going to Esplanade --





The Esplanade is lovely, it's a recently-built cultural center:



There are also restaurants outside and you can eat al fresco -- the view is lovely --

Our first stop in Orchard was Kinokuniya -- the Kinokuniya in Ngee An City. You can get lost in the books here -- we decided to split up and gave each other 2 hours to go around. I went to the stationery/office supplies section. ^_^

My big purchase in Kino was a catalog of T-shirt designs from Japan. (I want to be able to create the same funky designs! >_<)

On our way to Borders (yes, another bookstore), we passed by the Ice Cream Vendor --



and decided to take a quick ice cream break. Believe it or not, this was my first time to try out Singapore's "dirty" ice cream --

For S$1, you can choose to have your ice cream on a cone, or between two pieces of wafer or on bread. We chose bread. Yum.



* * *

This is curious --

What comes to mind when you see this?



I bet you it's not this --



It's a place that sells bean treats -- I love their red bean pancake (which reminded me of bibingcrepe) and my bro loves the drinks there.

To be continued...

All Hail Me --

Hahahaha! Couldn't resist it -- the crown looked so cute. My first choice was the witch's hat, but my hair didn't look good in it.



And I made this one of my hunny --



Make one here!

I've packed my bags and I'm ready to go --

So I'll be going to Singapore tomorrow and will be back on the 12th.

If you need to contact me, I'll be using my Globe mobile number.

I'm really excited -- I couldn't sleep last night. I wonder if I'll be like this the night before my wedding... ^_^;;;

~ Damned Power Outtage ~

Had a really lovely food post and then the power went out -- and the "Recover Post" link isn't recovering my post. =(

Anyhoo --

Take 2 --

Down the rabbit hole and into a time warp --

After mass, Johann and I went to Greenhills to pick up his comics. We were deciding were to eat and we ended up in Aristocrat. We were curious about the Pork BBQ and Java Rice that Dessert First talked about in her blog.

We ordered a Combo B (2 pcs Chicken BBQ and 1 stick Pork BBQ) and asked for an extra order of Java Rice. We were not disappointed. Everything was delicious! The Java Rice was perfect -- the grains were separate and it was so moist and flavorful. It was rice done right. The meats were all very tender as well.

What was interesting is the lack of condiments provided. Most restaurants would have the soy sauce and the vinegar already on the table. Aristocrat only has a bottle of soy sauce. I guess this is because everything is already quite delicious and needs no enhancement.

We saved the charred chicken skin for last and it was yummy! Well worth the calories. ^_^

Believe it or not, today was my first time there EVER. Going down the stairs to the entrance, Johann remembered that the last time he was there was in the late 80s with his parents. Once you enter the restaurant, it's like stepping into the past. The decor is retro and the music played is also quite dated. I guess it's part of the experience (Intended or not) --

I would love to post pictures of our plates but I forgot to bring my camera.

I'm curious about how Aristocrat will be affected by the on-going face lift of Greenhills Shopping Center.

* * *

For Ben & Jerry fans --

Rustan's Fresh has a sale on SELECTED flavors of Ben & Jerry Ice Cream. My brother picked up a pint of Peanut Butter Cup at 50% off. Guess you can ask the people there which flavors are sold at the discounted price.

For Gabs and for everyone else who measures life in love --

RENT (trailer)

Tagged by Cupkeyk --

Total Number of Books Owned:
If you count everything that is here and in Iloilo -- a LOT. My sister and I are avid book readers and we get obsessive over authors (when we like one work of that author, we try to get everything he/she has written).

Last Book I Bought:
Last Wednesday, my J and I bought Kevin Crossley-Holland's Arthur: The Seeing Stone at Booktopia.

Last book I remember buying for myself is Mike Gayle's Turning Thirty. Before that, it was two thesis-related books.

Last Book I Read:
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel adaptation by Matthew Stover
Turning Thirty by Mike Gayle

Currently reading: Michaela Roessner's The Stars Dispose

Five Books That Mean a Lot to Me that I Really Like:
1. Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
A birthday present from a friend a few years back. Was so amazed with how beautiful words can be. For a brief moment, this book gave me a glimpse of the divine.

2. My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle
A Christmas present from two friends from the store. Funny thing was, it was given to me in December and I only read it three months later. It's as if Mike Gayle spoke to me. Lent this book to my J and it helped him get through a bad patch of his life. He lent it to his friend and it helped him get through a bad patch of his life. Feel good book. Lots of quotable quotes.

3. Possession by A.S. Byatt
Am so proud to say that I read this book! So many wonderful memories tied to this. I remember how DM delayed the report for this so that everyone could finish reading it. I remember talking to Mika about this and how it started a really good conversation about The Virgin Suicides and all things literary. I remember being so excited to watch the movie adaptation with my sister.

4. Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa by Kazuaki Tanahashi
Strangely enough, it was Eric Torres who gave me this book. At a time when my life needed direction and an anchor to hold me steady, this book was my constant companion.

5. Merchant of Marvels and the Peddler of Dreams by Frederic Clement
Sophomore year, a birthday present from my brothers. Sadly, I lost this book in the Rizal Study Foyer. I remember being so amused because my brothers had such a hard time finding a gift for me. My sibs have always said that I am the hardest person to get a gift for because a.) When I like something, I get it immediately and b.) My tastes change quickly.

They found this book which tells of fantastic items and magical objects -- and that's what they gave to me.

6. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
I love Mahar for this, for sharing this wonderful book with me.

Tag 5 People and Have Them Fill This Out:
- My J -- grabe, this boy has so damned many books! (Since we got together, siguro this boy has added a hundred books to his collection)
- Mahar
- Gabs
- Mase
- Eric

* * *

4 Days to Go! --

Gads, I am so excited! >_<

I've packed na. Hahahahahahaah!

Can't wait to go to Singapore. Hurrah! ^_^

Where to begin? --

Maybe here:
Total volume of music files on my computer:
Zero -- my pc's been giving me problems so I brought it to Greenhills and had it fixed. By "fixed" I mean reformatted.

Prior to the reformatting, I kept a small collection of a capella versions of songs and as many versions of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" that I could find.

Last CD I bought:
Garden State OST

Planning to buy:
Joss Stone's 2nd album (yes, I know this has been out for some time now--)
William Shatner's album (the one where he collaborates with Ben Folds of Ben Folds Five)
Rushmore & Life Aquatic OST

Song playing right now:
In my head? For some strange reason, it's the theme to Legends of the Fall. (But I'm watching Top Gun on HBO --)

I usually don't turn on the speakers when I'm at my PC.

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:
Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band -- so many memories and voices tied to this song. For the longest time, this was the ONLY DMB song I listened to -- but I have grown to love his music.

Pachelbel's Canon in D

True Colors (performed by Reverse) -- Freshman Year, Freshmen Night -- the theme song of my college years

Shimmer by Fuel -- because some guy made a music video for FLCL using this song

I Love You by Sarah Mclachlan -- *sigh* ^_^

Pure Snow by Yuko Sasaki -- I brought this song with me to Cambridge the summer I was there. Have you seen the opening sequence of Himiko Den using this song? Ganda!

Five people I’m passing this to:
my J
my Taru-taru bro
Gabs
E!

* * *

And then here --

June 1:
I was planning to register last Wednesday. I called Ateneo in the morning to confirm the grad school sked -- it was a good thing I did. It turns out, June 1 was only for regform distribution. Actual registration was from June 2 to 4.

Decided to have my PC fixed. My sister and I brought it to Greenhills at 11ish and they told us to come back in 2 hours so we walked around Greenhills to kill time. Had lunch at Popeye's because my sister wanted to try it. The rootbeer float was yum (a very cheap alternative to the one I usually get from Pancake House).

I also discovered that the top of the outfit I was going to wear to a wedding this Saturday was too tight. (Before people start thinking I gained weight, I didn't -- I wasn't able to fit the top when I got it. It was fine during the first fitting and they just wanted to fix some looseness in the back area -- they overcorrected.)

Quickly brought it to Njork for alterations and I'll pick it up on Saturday when I got for my 3rd gown fitting.

At around 6, my J and I went back to Greenhills to watch Sin City at the newly-opened cinemas.

* * *

Revolving Glass Doors --

I walked into the side of this at the Promenade in Greenhills. My J tried to warn me but my brain shut down and allowed me to discover that my face can produce a new look of shock.

The new theaters are amazing! The seats are so comfy! Sin City was a great movie (but we did not appreciate the clumsy editing/censoring of the movie).

I love Clive Owen! >_<

* * *

And then here --

June 2:
The day started out "bleh" -- I purposely went in for reg late (it starts at 8 and I went in at 830) only the find that the people in charge of reg in my department would arrive later.

Had to sit and wait for my coordinator to come in to give me my advisement slip.

She finally came in at 9ish and then we all discover that my file folder is missing. Yes, the record of my 5 years in grad school is gone.

~sigh~

Had to wait until 930 for her to see me.

Finished reg at 1020.

Met up with my J at Eastwood where we visited Booktopia. That place has a really great selection of books -- found a HC copy of My Legendary Girlfriend and some interesting anthologies.

We decided to complete our Gift Registry by going to Automatic Center in Glorietta 4. We first stopped by Galleria for some errands.

* * *

Can you say "Ole!"? --

We had already decided to eat at La Piadina but the resto beside it caught our eye -- Otra Cosa, a Mexican place that had opened the day before.

The food was yummy! And there were so many things on their menu which we want to try next time. ^_^

When we were there, the most popular item being ordered was their Chili Cheeseburger, which looked really, really good.

My J had the Coach Rick Platter and I had the sample platter of Flautas, Quesadilla and Nacho Chips.

* * *

It's a small (blog/google) world after all --

After all the errands of the day, we found ourselves in Greenhills. I decided to get my hair cut (so I don't have to go out today) --

On our way down from The Jewellery, two women were going up and they were looking at me and whispering. I thought they were college batchmates whose faces I had forgotten. I smiled and she smiled.

She said, "You're the ones with the blog."

We said, "Yes."

Apparently, she's also a bride-to-be and she was interested in hiring Pilar as her photographer. She did a google search which lead her to our blog. I gave her my thoughts and encouraged her to contact Pilar.

(Hi to you and your sister/cousin! It was nice to meet you both. Good luck with your preps! ^_^)

Wow --

Galing ng results nito --


You Are The Wayfarer Guide
"I'll show you the way."
Your deep insight and quick wisdom never ceases to amaze those around you. You are the guiding light for many of those you know and are not afraid to help anyone else who asks. Not very many acknowledge your tremendous help and effort, but you do not mind that so much. You've seen what is in store for them, and will be there should they need your help. You enjoy people in general, but are very selective of who you let see the real you. Others see you as an enigma of sorts, a mystery that is seemingly ever changing.

Which Classic Story Role Do You Play?
brought to you by Quizilla

=^_^= --

This reminded me of my J --



For the rest of the strip -- *click*

Two as you go --

It is better to affront the world while serving your consciousness than to affront your consciousness trying to please the world.
- Humberto de Campos

Astra declinant, non necissitant. (The stars dispose, but do not compel.)
- The Stars Dispose by Michaela Roessner

* * *

New Music --

Youngest bro got back from Japan last week --

Da Loot consisted of a pair of Tatami slippers done by Puma (exclusive to Japan -- I think they call it the "Sushi"), a Lego Datebook and a really cool artbook called Love Letter From Above the Cloud, which contain postmarked envelopes.

He also purchased the Yoshida Brothers' CD --

The (Y)Oshidas are really, really cute boys who play the classical shamisen to modern beats. (They are very, very cute. =^_^=) One of their MTVs plays on Animax from time to time.

We listened to the CD last night and it was great --



* * *

Dinners, dinners --

I don't know why, but the birthdays in my family are not well-distributed. They tend to clump up during certain months. In the next 12 days, we will be celebrating 4 birthdays -- my cousin today, one of my uncles on the 1st, my dad on the 8th and another uncle on the 10th. This only means one things -- dinner.

Last night was the opening salvo -- dinner at my uncle's house -- the highlight was Elarz Lechon, which was AMAZING. Tonight we're going to a Chinese resto along Wilson for my cousin's shindig.

Grabe, my tummy is dying. (But it's always fun to get together with everyone just to touch base. ^_^)

I will be having oatmeal and tea in a bit --

* * *

10 days and counting! --

I'll be going to Singapore on June 8 --

The last time I was there was 2 years ago and I really miss the city. This trip is special because we're watching PCK the Musical on it's opening night. (And we got really good seats -- hopefully.)

Ah, I am so excited! ^_^

Madagascar! --

Had a most interesting experience of having to stand through most of the movie because the theater was packed and having to settle for M&M Peanuts because there was no caramel popcorn available --

All for 80 minutes of cartoon goodness --

This little guy made it worth it. ^_^

Just saw myself on television --

So what did I learn?
1. Make-up is a must. (I look like a ghost. Bleh. At least hindi kita yung pimple -- hehehe)
2. I really do sound like a man. Damn. Anlalim pala talaga ng voice ko. ^_^;;;
3. My J is so photogenic (~angwapo niya~ XD). Sayang they edited the interview. I wanted to hear pa naman what he sounds like on television.

* * *

Decisions, decisions --

MADAGASCAR!

Here?
Greenhills Cinema 2
12:15PM 2:25PM 4:35PM 6:45PM 9:00PM

or here?
Powerplant Cinema 2
11:00AM 1:00PM 3:00PM 7:00PM 9:00PM

Powerplant Cinema 3
11:50AM 1:50PM 3:50PM 5:50PM 7:50PM 9:50PM

or here?
Shangri-la Cinema 1
1:10PM 3:30PM 5:50PM

Shangri-la Cinema 4
12:40PM 3:00PM 5:20PM 7:40PM 10:00 PM

or here?
Podium Cinema 2
12:40PM 2:40PM 4:40PM 6:40PM 8:50PM 10:50PM

A confession --

I have fallen in love with mustard. Yes mustard. The kind you slather on hotdogs. I don't know when it started, but I'm hooked.


(I have the Zesty Onion one at home. ^_^)

I can't really describe the flavor -- it's creamy, it's zesty -- it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

And I've been eating hotdogs left and right just to get my mustard fix.

The most recent one was from Taters in Galleria today. (I wish I had a picture of it --- it was a truly glorious, mustard-y sight ^_^)

And then I saw them slather it on a sandwich on Extreme Cuisine (Lifestyle Network) -- I want! >_<

* * *

Witnessed an accident earlier --

It was on our way to Galleria from Ateneo. We were crossing the intersection of Boni Serrano and White Plains when a speeding Civic rammed into a cab directly in front of us.

That intersection really is dangerous -- there is no traffic light and, at 1030 this morning, there was no traffic aide controlling the flow. Motorists were left to fend for themselves.

* * *

Currently reading --

Finished reading the novel adaptation of Star Wars Episode III --

I picked up a copy of The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington at Powerbooks a few days ago -- and that's what I'm reading now.

* * *

And tomorrow --

We're going to try our hand in making Buffalo Wings at home.

And Madagascar is showing. Hurrah!

* * *

Interview --

From Gabs:
1. If you wrote the Great Filipino Novel, what is the title, what is it about, and what is the first sentence in the novel?

Hmm -- this was a tough one. I actually haven't thought about it. First instinct was to say "write about the Chinese experience in the country" -- pero, naah!

I'd want to write about food or travel. Maybe about Iloilo --

(I will think about this and go back to this question in the future)

2. If, during your wedding ceremony, the priest suddenly lost his voice, what would you do?

First I will laugh and appreciate how crazy the Fates get (of all days pa talaga, ano?). Then I will sit down and wait for our coordinators to handle the situation. (At one point -- I would probably grab the mic and try to entertain people while the situation is being resolved.)

3. What do you want to do on your last day on this earth?

Eat steak. Have sex. Spend what's left of my waking life with my loved ones.

If I knew that my life was ending, I'd take all of my money and travel the world and see/do everything (with my J of course). Hell, I'll even go on a rollercoaster ride with him.

4. What is the day of the week that you want to take away? Why?

I actually love all the days of the week. Pero siguro, if I were to choose one to give up, it would be Thursday. It's in the way of the weekend. ^_^

5. If you could be someone of the opposite sex for a day, who would you be and why?

I'd like to be a priest. I want to know what goes through their head. I want to know how they handle "concerns of the flesh". I want to know how holy they feel and what their fears are.

Actually, the first person that came to mind was FG Mike Arroyo -- I want to know what he tells himself before he sleeps at night. I want to know if he can still sleep at night.

The Official Interview Game Rules:

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Ooooh~

Nag-baka sakali --

And found these:
EN 11 R25 COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH I 3 1330 1430 M-W-F K-304
EN 11 R39 COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH I 3 1430 1530 M-W-F K-303
LIT 13 R38 INTRODUCTION TO FICTION 3 1530 1630 M-W-F CTC 202

Important dates:
June 2-4 Thu-Sat
Registration period for graduate programs

June 14 Tuesday
First Semester classes begin

June 22 Wednesday
Mass of the Holy Spirit Church of the Gesù, 9:30 am

July 1 Friday
University Cheer Rally 4:00 pm
Blue Eagle Gym
<-- Because this affects one of my classes

July 8 Friday
Faculty Day Escaler Hall, Science Education Complex, 8:00 am

July 28 Thursday
Mass in honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola & Church of Gesú Dedication Anniversary Mass
Church of the Gesù, 10:30 am

August 1 Monday
School Holiday in honor of the Feast of St. Ignatius

August 19 Friday
Quezon City Day Non-working day

September 8 Thursday
Evening Prayer in honor of Our Lady’s Nativity

September 17-18 Sat-Sun
Ateneo College Entrance Tests (ACET) for SY2006-2007

October 10-15 Mon-Sat
Final examination week for college and graduate students

October 15 Saturday
Last day of the First Semester

November 14 Monday
Second Semester classes begin

Whew! --

Day started with a meeting with our interior designer and prospective contractor. Everything went well and we're plotting out a schedule of construction already.

Our interior designer also informed me that her feature (with our interview) will be aired on ANC on Friday from 8 to 9am. I'm wondering how I sound on television...

Decided to tag along as my J went to UP to get some documents from his college. Siyempre, got to eat Rodics... yum! Got a teaser of what enrollment must be like in UP -- from UP Shopping Center, we took the Ikot to Bahay ng Alumni hoping to get dessert from Chocolate Kiss (but it was packed). We walked to his college to get the request. Had to take a jeep back to the Shopping Center area because he needed to pay at the University Cashier. We had to take the jeep back to his college to file the request.

It's an interesting experience.

Met up with Gabs, Mase, M & P for dinner at Gateway. Fun, fun, fun group. Was planning to go home before 9 (to make it to the last LRT trip) but the company was so hard to leave. Conversation flowed. Lots of laughs. Ended up going home at 10ish. What a wonderful way to end the day. ^_^

* * *

Let's talk movies --

Total number of films I own on DVD/video:
Being one of five siblings, the collection is massive -- from VHS to Laser Discs to VCDs to DVDs (in various regions). Personally, I own just a few -- the thing I am most proud of having is the Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou boxed set. (A birthday gift from my beloved sister)

The last film I bought:
Eros, Aviator and Hotel Rwanda from Metrowalk.
The Incredibles Widescreen Two-Disc Collectors Edition from Amazon

Films that I watch a lot or mean a lot to me:
Breakfast at Tiffany's -- this is my ultimate feel-good movie. I watch this every chance I get. I love how flawed Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard's characters are. I love it when Holly Golightly says "I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's."

Come Live With Me -- the first James Stewart movie I ever saw and fell in love with. This is the movie that inspires me to write. This is the movie that sparked my interest in old films and gave me one of my most memorable summers (looking for and watching old films with youngest bro in Iloilo) This is the movie that tells me that it is the sometimes the simplest things that create the greatest impact.

The Royal Tenenbaums -- (and all of Wes Anderson's films for that matter) Something about them lang talaga that makes me smile. ^_^ Movies that show me what it is to be human.

Amelie -- believe it or not, I only saw this movie last year and this is thanks to my J.

Chungking Express -- again, thanks to my J for introducing me to Wong Kar-Wai. The movie that started my love affair with this amazing director. Because the movie ends with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai saying "Wherever you want to take me."

To which 5 people am I passing the baton and why?
- my J -- I'm curious about what his 5 movies would be
- my bro (the one who keeps updates his online journal religiously)

Must Click --

Saint of Ideas

One of the quotes I love from the site:
"Doesn't everything die at last and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your
one wild and precious life?" -Mary Oliver

Food! Food! --

Prepared breakfast this morning and it was the usual Sunday fare of pancakes and hotdog -- decided to play with the pancake batter and made a funnel cake -- our housekeeper was amused with how the batter danced and formed into one unified mass --

I was pleased with how it looked and how crunchy it was -- I was worried that my sister wouldn't be happy having that for breakfast so I made regular pancakes as well.

At breakfast, she and my J paid more attention to the one funnel cake than to the stack of pancakes that I made.

We ate it with butter and maple syrup. (But I was so tempted to bring out the Hershey chocolate syrup...)

What is a funnel cake?

It's batter, similar to the one used for pancakes, that is poured through a funnel and fried in oil. It is usually served with powdered sugar. Apparently, it's a big thing in carnivals in the US. (Last tidbit is according to Unwrapped on Lifestyle Network.)

I didn't have a funnel so I used a ladle and just dribbled the batter into a pan with lots of oil.

I was a bit squeamish about all that oil (all our pans are non-stick and we try to avoid frying as much as possible) but the funnel cake turned out really nice and crisp.

For people wanting to make it from scratch, here's a highly-rated reciepe from Allrecipes.com

Funnel Cakes II
These are Pennsylvania Dutch cakes.
The batter is poured through a funnel into cooking oil and fried.
Makes 5 - 10 cakes (10 servings).

Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Sally

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
for dusting

Directions
1 In a mixing bowl, beat together egg and milk. Beat in
flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and white sugar
until smooth.
2 Heat about 1 inch cooking oil in frying pan to 375
degrees F (190 degrees C).
3 Pour 1/2 cup batter through funnel into oil with a
circular motion to form a spiral. Fry until lightly brown;
turn over to brown the other side. Cook to golden brown,
and remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with
confectioner's sugar while still warm.

I just used the instant pancake mix that you find in the local grocery stores. ^_^

* * *

Today was also the day that I was going to have my bibingcrepe from Half Moon.

I had passed through this place several times already and was always intrigued to try it out.

It was only when Dessert First blogged about it (and posted pictures) that I convinced my sister to take me there.

We got there at around 5 this afternoon and we asked them what their specialty was. They recommended the cheese. We ordered cheese and choco peanut.

All I can say is yum.

They cook their bibingka differently because it develops this crust that serves to hold the filling inside the bibingka and as wonderful, wonderful texture.

Basta, napa-OHMYGOD ako.

My J wants to go back for the choco cheese and I want to try the Choco Banana Peanut.

Prices aren't so bad either -- a bibingcrepe is between PhP75 to PhP90 and 2 people can share in one order.

Wow --

I'm currently reading the novel adaptation of Star Wars Episode III, written by Matthew Stover.

The dark is generous.

It's first gift is concealment: our true faces lie in the dark beneath our skins, our true hearts remain shadowed deeper still. But the greatest concealment lies not in protecting our secret truths, but in hiding from us the truths of others.

The dark protects us from what we dare not know.

Its second gift is comforting illusion: the ease of gentle dreams in night's embrace, the beauty that imagination brings to what would repel in day's harsh light. But the greatest of its comforts is the illusion that the dark is temporary: that every night brings a new day. Because it is day that is temporary.

Day is the illusion.

Its third gift is the light itself: as days are defined by the infinite black through which they wheel, the dark embraces the light, and brings it forth from the center of its own self.

With each victory of the light, it is the dark that wins.

Ganda no? =^_^=

New links! --

<-- Check out Dessert First -- she's Daily Musing's friend who writes about food. (Glorious food! ^_^)

And I want to go on one of his walking tours. Anyone else interested?

tin·tin·nab·u·la·tion --

When I was about 12, I decided to find out what my purpose was and what I meant in this world. I decided to look it up.

I started with a baby name book, but I could never find my name there -- my name the way I spelled it.

The way my real name is spelled has always caused me problems -- my parents would insist on returning cerificates of merits and diplomas if my name was missing the "h" --

In the baby name books, they would have all variations of my name, except for the one that starts with a "k" and is followed with an "h" -- so I would have to settle for the one with a "k" and no "h" -- but I never felt it was accurate. Something was missing. Something is missing.

So I decided to go with my nickname, which was also my Chinese name. Tintin -- the dictionary gave me "tintinnabulation" which meant the sound of ringing bells and there was also a disease "tinnitus" which is when you hear ringing in your ears. And I did hear ringing in my ears -- at 12, I thought -- "Wow! I really am a 'Tin'."

* * *

Sith Happens --

<-- I found this catchphrase in one of the t-shirt sites I visit.

My sister, my J and I had a plan --
1. We were going to splurge and purchase tickets for the Premiere Theater of Shangri-la.
2. We were watching the earliest show and the one that takes you straight through lunch.
3. We were watching on a weekday -- Thursday.

We did all this, hoping to avoid having to deal with annoying children and annoying crowds.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived at Shangri-la to find that the Premiere Theater was the only theater that sold out its seats for the first show of Star Wars.

Already my sister was concerned -- I told her, "No parent in his/her right mind would shell out PhP300 to have their children watch here when they can save money by going to the regular theater."

See me eat my words together with the unlimited popcorn.

Parents paraded in with yayas and 5/6-year olds in tow.

During the movie, these children did cause a mild disturbance and it took the parents a while to decide to drag them out of the theaters for the benefit of the rest of the audience.

Which leads me to this concern -- WHY IS THIS MOVIE RATED GP? It's rated PG-13 in the US.

I actually know the answer to the question = MONEY.

It annoys me how utterly random our Ratings Board gets -- it took them 2 months to deliberate on Kill Bill and it's taking them months to decide what to do with Sin City -- and these are movies that have a definite audience and came with a clear rating R.

I am also appalled at the thoughtlessness of parents who drag their children to movies that are not appropriate to their ages. I've always had this chip on my side -- it started when we watched the midnight show of Stigmata and parents dragged children in their f**king pajamas into the cinemas.

Of course we can say that parents know what their children can and cannot handle.

Of course we can say that some children are smarter than others.

Of course we can say that it's the parents prerogative how they want to educate their children.

Of course we can say that it doesn't really affect our children here in the Philippines.

If this is the case, then what is the point of a Ratings Board?

* * *

And about the movie --

I thought George Lucas ended it well. It isn't his best movie, but it wasn't as bad as the first two (which, honestly, I thought weren't that bad.) Part of what made the movie special for me is the realization that this is it. This is where it ends. It is a journey almost 30 years in the making -- and we were here to see it happen.

My biggest problem with Lucas is that he can't do romantic dialogue well. It was a cringefest everytime Anakin and Padme got together (and they got together a lot).

The discussion on our way home was whether we would let our children watch it from Episode 1 to 6 or to watch it in the order we did: Episodes 4 to 6 first and then flashback to Episodes 1 to 3.

Coming full circle --

Some of us are watching it tonight already --

STAR WARS EPISODE III!!!!!!!!!

I'm excited! Watching tomorrow at Shangri-la! Hurrah! ^_^

From Heart of the City

^_^ *click*

* * *

Oh, and about today --

Ended up watching Guess Who at Gateway. The seats are okay -- but the angle seems a bit off. We sat in row E and my neck hurts a bit -- I think best seats would be rows G & H.

Tried the Margarita Slush from Taco Bell -- it initially tasted like really tart/tangy green lemonade and then it got better after some time. I want a real margarita >_< I wish I knew how to mix one.

* * *

Exciting News! --

(thanks to Gabs)

On May 28, a class from Repertory Philippines will be presenting scenes from Avenue Q! It will be at Onstage in GB1 at 8pm and tickets are PhP200.

I'm so happy! I'll be in the area already so I can go watch it. >_<

See me burst with fruit flavor. ^_^

Toasty Tuesday --

I took 3 baths yesterday -- it was just so damned humid and I hate feeling sweaty and clammy.

My sister and I went to Shangri-la to purchase our tickets to Star Wars Episode 3 -- it gives us a chance to watch at the Premiere Theater (so expensive, but it will be worth it).

We stopped by National Bookstore because she wanted to get a copy of the novelization of the movie -- I found a copy of Philippine Post-Colonial Studies and Caroline Hau's latest book (*glee!* ... not) and I got another pack of acetates to make more stencils.

Spent the rest of the afternoon reading (thesis-related) books and watching The Aviator -- I understand why it won the Oscar.

Alton Brown featured Clams on Good Eats and now I want to make my own clam chowder. I also want to go to Soup Kitchen for a bowl of chowder and their brown bread.

It rained in the evening and the power was out from 6pm to 2am. Spent the early part of the evening reading John Irving's Gertrude and Claudius. It was short enough to finish in one sitting. It's a curious take on what happened behind the scenes in Hamlet. I got sleepy at 9 and one area of the house benefits from the building's generator so we trailed several extension cords up to our room so we can have a fan on while I slept.

I'm glad that it rained --

I'm already thinking of registering for emergency lights and battery-powered/rechargeable fans (if there is such a thing).

Speaking of registries -- Powerbooks offers a bridal registry. O_o

* * *

I've never been to one --

News about Fete de la Musique 2005

It's going to be held in El Pueblo, Ortigas -- I might be able to go to this one. ^_^

* * *

Today --

The English dept called yesterday asking me to come in to sign my appointment papers. It's official -- I'm teaching this first sem! Hurrah! I think they're giving me 9 units, so I am really happy for that.

I'm going there this morning. (Eager Beaver ^_^)

Then I'm meeting my hunny and we're off to Gateway to watch *koff* Bikini Open -- a pinoy mockumentary. I think we're also going to explore Marikina Shoe Expo. ^_^

I want to be home by 2 so I can watch American Idol. They're singing 3 songs daw -- The judges choose 1, the producer chooses 1 and they choose the last. Am excited! =^_^=

Odd, odd mix --

This is me -- (notice how I am both Post-Modernist and Romantic and Idealist is so, so close behind ^_^)

You scored as Postmodernist. Postmodernism is the belief in complete open interpretation. You see the universe as a collection of information with varying ways of putting it together. There is no absolute truth for you; even the most hardened facts are open to interpretation. Meaning relies on context and even the language you use to describe things should be subject to analysis.

Postmodernist		88%
Romanticist		88%
Idealist		81%
Materialist		69%
Cultural Creative		63%
Existentialist		56%
Modernist		50%
Fundamentalist		44%

What is Your World View?
created with QuizFarm.com

For my creative friends out there --

Enter a t-shirt design in this competition and, if you win, it gets printed and sold. Fun, fun designs ^_^

Threadless T-shirts

The contest

I am really happy about this one --

Made the stencil this morning -- hurrah!

Screenprinting Goodness Part 2 --

This is for E --



This is for his C --



And I made the stencils for this while watching American Idol --





As you can see, I reused a stencil -- I love that design and I'm really glad to have found it. ^_^

I will be doing more original pieces, though and I've asked my brother to help me with the designs (because I don't have to pay him for royalties and whatnot ^_^)

Today --

Just came back from a friend's dinner in Alabang.

In her e-mail invitation, she mentioned that it was a thanksgiving dinner and she just wanted to spend an evening with her friends.

What was strange was people came bearing gifts and greeting her "happy birthday" -- I got her something also -- I know it's not her birthday, but what does one say in the card? What we decided to write was "We're happy that you're happy."

And I am -- really, really happy for her. She deserves to be happy and I'm glad that she is. She came down to greet her guests in a bright yellow top -- an apt color for the evening.

We had a great dinner and conversation with people and then it was time for her to speak. She spoke of all the things that she's achieved and how grateful she is to have been given a chance to do them.

As she spoke, I was in awe of the glow that emanated from her -- my friend was really, really happy and I couldn't help but be emotional (in a good way) over it.

When she spoke, I remembered why I was friends with her (we both wanted to be teachers; we share the same level of faith, etc.) and I remembered all my plans and dreams as well.

There are some that I haven't done yet and some that I have --

One of the greatest, most satisfying things in my life is that I am a teacher -- the work is demanding and tedious and stressful -- but it is home. Last semester, I had some friends complaining about their circumstances and I really couldn't relate because I was finally given my dream job.

Seriously -- my ultimate dream in life was to teach in Ateneo. During the first semester, I thought I had reached the peak of that realization ... and then they gave me literature during the second semester. Wow -- heaven. ^_^

Of the things I haven't done yet is to share myself with others through volunteer work -- I really took it seriously when Ateneo said that I should be a person for others -- and I want to be.

But I haven't yet --

Part of me despairs because of the many missed opportunities, but part of me is reassured that there is still time for me to do all that.

Here's to you, my dear dear friend -- you never fail to inspire and move me.

* * *

Edna St. Vincent Millay --

I wrote about her long, long ago about some of her poems that I liked.

I am delighted to discover a few more --

Dirge Without Music

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the
love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not
approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the
world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

*

Sonnets 04: Only Until This Cigarette Is Ended

Only until this cigarette is ended,
A little moment at the end of all,
While on the floor the quiet ashes fall,
And in the firelight to a lance extended,
Bizarrely with the jazzing music blended,
The broken shadow dances on the wall,
I will permit my memory to recall
The vision of you, by all my dreams attended.
And then adieu,—farewell!—the dream is done.
Yours is a face of which I can forget
The color and the features, every one,
The words not ever, and the smiles not yet;
But in your day this moment is the sun
Upon a hill, after the sun has set.

Screenprinting Goodness! --

My friend CDy is having an exhibit starting Saturday at Store for All Seasons somewhere in Shaw.

All the artwork for the show was silkscreened! Hurrah!

"wearing my heart on my sleeve"
christina dy at store for all seasons
opening may 14, saturday, 4-8 pm

drawings of a naked man are silkscreened by the artist into girly
patterns on yards of fabric.

just like in a fabric store, merchandise is sold on a per yard basis.
go get yourself a yard (or half, or 2). then have fun-- cut or sew it
anyway you like.

then you, too, could be wearing your heart-- or in this case, his face
or his ass-- on your sleeve.

Invite is a click away. *click*

* * *

Conversation with Gabs --

Me: How goes Davao?
G: Bored.
Me: Mag-silk screen ka.
G: Sagot mo ba yan sa lahat?
Me: Yes.

For people interested in learning, this is a really useful site: *click*

* * *

If anyone's looking for a place in Katipunan --

My cubiclemate Larry is looking for a flatmate. Leave me a message sa comment box na lang and I can give you his number.

The place is along Esteban Abada, near Rustan's Fresh.

Because I am vain --

I like how I look in this picture -- my friend CD took this last Saturday when they went to have their fitting for my big day. ^_^

* * *

Hurrah! --

Got an email from the English Dept today informing me that they will be giving me a teaching load for the 1st semester.

I'm really excited -- the department went through a program review last school year so I'm curious about the changes that will be implemented this sem.

* * *

Idol Goodness --

I found this website that has AI episodes for download.

Bo Bice singing "I Don't Want to Be" -- Yay!