Saying goodbye --

Today Johann is saying goodbye to our beloved PC in Manila. When we decided that I was going to come home to Iloilo to give birth, we knew we couldn't take our PC with us so we sold it to a friend and bought parts that I used to build a new PC here in Iloilo.

Our friend is getting the PC today. I'm not there to say goodbye, but I feel the loss of such a trusty companion -- that PC was the very first thing we purchased with our own money and it was a PC built to serve our needs. There were no compromises and shortcuts when that PC was built.

The new PC is actually much better, infinitely faster and has a better graphics card -- but it really is a bittersweet moment having to say goodbye to something that was an integral part of our daily lives.

* * *

I miss DSL --

Didn't realize how much I miss having DSL and how I took for granted such a wonderful service until I had to deal with dial-up.

Something as simple as updating my blog takes a few minutes longer -- having to wait for pages to load. Window shopping on Amazon.com is next to impossible because it takes forever for pictures to load.

I don't even have Y!M yet because it wouldn't download properly (and I can't tie up the phoneline =P)

In the continuing quest for DSL here in Iloilo -- I've made a habit of calling every other day to check on my application. I finally got a breakthrough last Wednesday when I spoke to a person who actually knew her job.

I finally have a service order and installation is pending availability of a line.

Am hoping that we get DSL by the end of the month.

* * *

Funny things you read in the paper --

Saw this on the ad for the movie "Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar" --

Oo, inaamin ko sila ay mga yakal, lawaan, apitong at narra at kami ay saging lang.
Pero maghanap kayo ng puno sa buong Pilipinas -- Saging lang ang mga puso.

* * *

Sunday is --

Mother's Day. I am quite pleased with what I got for my mom (on behalf of my sibs) -- a pair of capri pants, a nice cotton top and funky wedges to complete the outfit. I didn't break the bank for this outfit, though -- decided to go to SM Department store and bought everything there. ^_^

We were walking around a mall yesterday and she _was_ looking for new clothes.

My dad also asked me to get my mom something (from him) and this one took a lot longer to find. My dad is practical and I don't think he would've appreciated it if I spent his money on something "frivolous" <-- am not quite sure what counts as frivolous for my dad. I finally decided to get a "coin purse" (can actually fit bills) in green Chinese silk -- Green is my mom's favorite color and she needs a wallet that's more accessible. It wasn't so expensive either, so my dad can just buy something else if he doesn't like the idea of giving that to my mom.

TV Shows I watch --

I really enjoy watching "How Clean is Your House" on ABC5 every Monday at 7pm. The show's two hosts, Aggie and Kim, are really witty and they offer very good practical tips on cleaning.

I enjoy shows where places get cleaned and organized -- it really appeals to the OC in me. ^_^

The other show I really like is "Child of Our Time" on Hallmark, which tackles the whole Nature vs Nurture discussion regarding child development. The last show I watched had to do with gender identities and "brain gender" --

Posting from Iloilo --

So I'm currently in Iloilo preparing to give birth to my son.

At the airport last Thursday, I encountered the party of Dennis Rodman and, like every other person at the airport, I took out my phone and started taking pictures of him.

When I arrived in Iloilo, the first thing I did was contact the local PLDT office to apply for a DSL line. I was initially impressed with how efficiently they handled my call -- I was informed that there were available lines in my area and that they would send someone over the next day with the application form.

The next day, the person from PLDT arrived late -- affecting our schedule for the entire day. After filling out the form, I was told that it would take 3 to 5 days for activation.

That was the start of the Labor Day weekend --

When I called back last Wednesday to ask for an update of my application, I was informed that they ran out of DSL lines in my area and that it would take between two weeks to two MONTHS for them to give me a line. I told them to keep my application on priority and that I would call to follow up the application in a few days.

I was given a different number and was given the impression that my application would be filed in their database.

I called again last Friday just to make sure that I was already in their database. This is my conversation with the person who handled my call:

Me: Hi, my name is ... and I would like to check on my application for a DSL line.
PLDT: What's your phone number?
Me: It's 3xx-xxxx. The line is under my mom's name ...
PLDT: Ma'am, I don't see your application in my records.
Me: That's strange. I spoke to Eden and she said she would handle it.
PLDT: I'll give you Eden's cellphone number so you can ask her about your application.
Me: Um... isn't that your job? Could you please ask Eden regarding my application? I'll call in an hour to find out the status.
PLDT: Ok.

~sigh~

Thirty minutes later, I get a call from Eden and she explains that she gave my form to her boss who is currently out of the office for a meeting. I asked her why my application wasn't placed in the database yet and she just gave me a roundabout answer about how she gave the form to her boss and that her boss is at the office.

I told her that I wanted that application processed and that I would check on Monday to make sure that they've done their job.

In the meantime, I was stuck with an old laptop with a faulty modem you have to tilt at an angle in order to get a dialtone.

I took matters into my own hands and asked for a Philips-head screwdriver, opened the laptop and fiddled with the modem. And here I am.

* * *

Labor Day weekend --

Last weekend, my father-side relatives from Manila and Cebu decided to spend the long weekend with us. I was a bit worried about how I would entertain my cousins as there really isn't much to do in Iloilo. I packed some board games with me, hoping that would help pass the time.

We played Carcassonne, Fluxx and Landlord -- while munching on "snacks" like pan de sal (from a bakery that's been around since 1896), macopa (which I don't eat, but my cousins seemed to love), baye-baye (I can't explain this one, basta it's yummy), peanuts and pistachio.

I was especially thankful that I got to spend some time with my cousin who is currently based in Cebu -- we were able to talk about my impending motherhood and how she handled the changes and challenges in her life (she's married and has a 3-year old and they moved to Cebu a year ago).

* * *

On the Reading front --

I FINALLY finished reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice after 3 years of starting and stopping. It was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I went to National Bookstore and picked up a copy of Sense and Sensibility.

Since the movie is coming out in two weeks, I also reread Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code -- it really is an exciting read and I wonder if Ron Howard et. al. would be able to do it justice.

Am I spoiled? --

40+ means you're spoiled

Do you have:
(1) your own cell phone
(2) a television in your bedroom
(3) an iPod/MP3 player
( ) a photo printer
(4) your own phone line
( ) TiVo or a generic digital video recorder
(5) high-speed internet access (i.e., not dialup)
( ) a surround sound system in bedroom
(6) DVD player in bedroom
(7) at least a hundred DVDs
(8) a childfree bathroom <-- not after June ^_^
( ) your own in-house office
( ) a pool
( ) a guest house
( ) a game room
(9) a queen-size bed or larger
( ) a stocked bar
( ) a working dishwasher
( ) an icemaker
(10) a working washer and dryer
( ) more than 20 pairs of shoes
(11) at least ten things from a designer store
( ) expensive sunglasses
(12) framed original art (not lithographs or prints)
( ) Egyptian cotton sheets or towels
( ) a multi-speed bike
(13) a gym membership
( ) large exercise equipment at home
( ) your own set of golf clubs
( ) a pool table
( ) a tennis court
( ) local access to a lake, large pond, or the sea
( ) your own pair of skis
( ) enough camping gear for a weekend trip in an isolated area
( ) a boat
( ) a jet ski
( ) a neighborhood committee membership
( ) a beach house or a vacation house/cabin
(14) wealthy family members
(15) two or more family cars
( ) a walk-in closet or pantry <-- used to have one
( ) a yard
( ) a hammock
( ) a personal trainer
(16) good credit
( ) expensive jewelry
( ) a designer bag that required being on a waiting list to get
( ) at least $100 cash in your possession right now
( ) more than two credit cards bearing your name
(17) a stock portfolio
(18) passport
( ) a horse
(19) a trust fund (either for you or created by you)
(20 ) private medical insurance
(19) a college degree, and no outstanding student loans

Do you:
(21) shop for non-needed items for yourself (like clothes, jewelry, electronics) at least once a week
( ) do your regular grocery shopping at high-end or specialty stores
(22) pay someone else to clean your house, do dishes, or launder your clothes (not counting dry-cleaning)
( ) go on weekend mini-vacations
( ) send dinners back with every flaw
( ) wear perfume or cologne (not body spray)
( ) regularly get your hair styled or nails done in a salon
( ) have a job but don't need the money OR
( ) stay at home with little financial sacrifice
(23) pay someone else to cook your meals
( ) pay someone else to watch your children or walk your dogs
( ) regularly pay someone else to drive you
( ) expect a gift after you fight with your partner

Are you:
( ) an only child
( ) married/partnered to a wealthy person
( ) baffled/surprised when you don't get your way
( ) been on a cruise
(24) traveled out of the country
(25) met a celebrity
( ) been to the Caribbean
(26) been to Europe
( ) been to Hawaii
(27) been to New York
( ) eaten at the space needle in Seattle
( ) been to the Mall of America
(28) been on the Eiffel tower in Paris
( ) been on the Statue of Liberty in New York
( ) moved more than three times because you wanted to
( ) dined with local political figures
( ) been to both the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast

Did you:
(29) go to another country for your honeymoon
(30) hire a professional photographer for your wedding or party
( ) take riding or swimming lessons as a child
(31) attend private school
( ) have a Sweet 16 birthday party thrown for you

... I didn't think I was to begin with. But 31 is cutting it a bit close. ^_^

* * *

Saying goodbye --

Somehow this song always seems to be part of the goodbyes in my life --
Leaving on a Jet Plane
by John Denver

All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go,
I'm standing here,
Outside your door,
I hate to wake you up and say Good Bye.
But the done is breaking, surley moan,
The taxi is waiting, blown his horn.
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.

So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you wait for me,
Hold me, like you never let me go.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh Babe I hate to go.

So many times, I let you down,
So many times, I played around,
but I can tell you, they don't mean a thing.
Every place I go, I'll thing of you,
Every song I sing, I sing for you.
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring.

Now the time has come to leave you,
One more time has come to kiss you,
Close your eyes and I'll be on my way.
Thing about the day will come,
When I won't have you leave alone,
About the day, when I won't have to stay.

... When I left Xavier to pursue my MA, this was the song I sang to my workmates. Everytime I travel, this is the song in my head. Now that my stint with the ALLC is over and I am on leave from the University until October, this song is playing in my head.

During the closing ceremony for the ALLC, I was pleasantly surprised that they selected this song to close the festivities.

Support my friends! --

A few friends recently opened Cafe Press stalls to display their talent --

Please visit and spread the word:

Laikaken
Origami Dreams

Breakfast --

For breakfast, I promised Johann I would finally prepare the Alaminos longganisa which has been in our freezer for the past two weeks. I don't like cooking Alaminos longganisa because it is a tedious task -- first, you have to boil the longganisa and then let it fry in its own oil. A lot of patience is required because the perfect Alaminos longganisa has to be "tostado" --

The first time I saw Alaminos longganisa, I was afraid to touch it -- I was afraid of the pointy, toothpick-like skewers that hold the longganisa together and it smelled strange to me. As an Ilonggo, I am used to the sweet-salty smell and taste of our longganisa. Alaminos longganisa has a distinct vinegar-y smell and taste.

Johann's roots can be traced back to Pangasinan and the longganisa is one of the things he remembers and loves from his childhood. I've prepared Alaminos longganisa for breakfast a total of 4 times now -- the first time was a disaster as I had no idea how long it would take to cook it. We ended up having brunch instead of breakfast and the longganisa was not "tostado" enough --

The concept of the "tostado" longganisa is also alien to me as the Iloilo longganisa isn't meant to be "tostado" -- come to think of it, I remember eating skinless longganisa growing up.

The next few times were much better and I decided to play with the Alaminos longganisa. I've mixed it in a rice dish with tomatoes and seafood (all cooked in the rice cooker) and I'm thinking of mixing it in a pasta or pizza one time.

This morning was the fourth time -- I separated the longganisa into pieces, careful not to dislodge the toothpick-like skewers and I poured enough water into the pan. And then I waited.

Waited for the oils to start oozing out.
Waited for the distinct smell of vinegar and salt.

When all the liquid had evaporated, the sizzling started and the longganisa started to acquire its distinct crunchy exterior.

The smell woke Johann up and, while he set the table, I started to fry some eggs to go with the longganisa.

Perhaps the most interesting part of breakfast was the choice of dipping sauce -- we had run out of vinegar (because I used it to deglaze the pan) so we used some sinamakan (a seasoned vinegar) from Iloilo.

You know what, Alaminos longganisa goes very very well with Iloilo sinamakan.

* * *

For people curious to see how I look --

Click here.

Things I've learned from watching television --

Recently, I stumbled upon an episode of House. I don't regularly watch this program, but I've heard about how good it is so I decided to sit through the episode.

The focus of the episode was a nun (Sister Augustine) and the conflict between faith and reason -- to make things more interesting, everything was happening on Christmas.

Episode Transcript here.

This is my favorite exchange in the episode. (Chase is a doctor.)

Chase: ... I chose 1 Peter 1:7. “These trials only test your faith to see whether or not it is strong and pure. Your faith is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it.”

Augustine: “And your faith is far more precious to the Lord than pure gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tested, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of His return.”

Chase: He hasn’t left you. The only thing in the way of your knowing if he’s left you is your fear. You have a choice: faith or fear. That’s the test.

Augustine: Do you think faith doesn’t mean I won’t die?

Chase: It will affect how you experience your death, and therefore your life. It’s up to you.

* * *

For writers --

The British Council announced the Bridport Prize for short stories and poetry.

The gist: First Prize is GBP5000, Second Prize is GBP1000 and Third Prize is GBP500. Deadline is May 10.

More details here.

* * *

And "Hurrah!" to Winnie the Pooh --

He got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! Click here for the article.

Pooh is 80 years old, btw.

Date Day! --

Johann and I decided that we were going to treat ourselves to lunch at a place we've never been to before. With the heat and the weather as it is, we were limited to Gateway and the surrounding areas. We found ourselves in Marikina Shoe Expo -- our first time there and we had lunch at Bellini's.

The food at Bellini's was delicious -- Johann had the Seafood Risotto and I had Pesto on Fettucine. The service, however, was a little "bleh" -- the waiter taking our order was busy fixing the table beside us while he was taking our order. We weren't sure if he heard our order or if he got it right. It also took them long to serve our drinks and to replenish our water. The serving size was also a bit small, considering how much the meals cost.

For dessert, Johann and I visited the newly-opened Dairy Queen at the Gateway Food Court. They were busy and packed! And the quality of their ice creams suffered a little. I had the Pecan Delight, which is Pecans and chocolate. The chocolate and the nuts were only mixed on the top 1/3 of the ice cream -- when I dug deeper, it was all vanilla.

BUT --

It was soooooo yummy! I love gooey, melty ice cream!

The people behind Dairy Queen also brought in Orange Julius and I can't wait to try their smoothies!

We were supposed to watch a movie after, but we were crashing from all the carbs so we headed home.

Fun Meme --

The Wikipedia Birthday Meme
Go to Wikipedia and look up your birthday (excluding the year). List three neat facts, two births and one death in your journal, including the year.

Events:
1907 - Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome

1931 - Thomas Edison submits his last patent application.

1936 - Porky Pig premieres.

Births:
1883 - Khalil Gibran, Lebanese writer and painter (d. 1931)

1960 - Nigella Lawson, British chef and writer

Deaths:
1852 - Louis Braille, French teacher of the blind (b. 1809)

This caught my attention --

Teens lack money smarts, which talks about how US teens lack financial literacy.

They apparently have a 30-question test to see how "money savvy" you are and students can only answer an average of 52.4% of the questions correctly. This number has been on the decline since 1997.

Then I followed the other links from the site and it led me to this:
10 Financial Tips for Young People

I'm about to be a mom and I want my son to have a secure and stable future. Johann and I started taking steps towards this right after marriage by placing our money in efficient interest-earning savings funds.

As much as I'd like to say that I am very good with handling money, I sometimes fall victim to splurges and "crazy" spending -- my one luho is shopping and I indulge in this once in a while. These days since I can't shop for myself, I buy stuff for my son -- thank goodness onesies and mittens and booties are cheap!

Our other luho is books -- and it is dangerous for me and Johann to be in a bookstore with a credit card. We try to get a book or two a month, but sometimes, we go over the limit.

* * *

Kiseki wo shinjite --

I don't remember when it was that my sister and I sat down to watch a feature on The Prince of Egypt. I don't even remember if we saw that feature on television or on one of our DVDs.

What I do remember is hearing a snippet of the Japanese dub for Prince of Egypt and the song "When you believe" --

It was an amazing and memorable moment and one that sparked an obsession that was only recently satisfied.

For her birthday, my sister got herself the Special Limited Japanese Edition of Prince of Egypt -- this edition was offered once before many years ago and it sold out before we could get it.

We listened to that section a few days ago and, while we were watching it, I was thinking about how certain things are so universal that, in any language, you will understand it. (Rent in Japanese is another example. ^_^)

Like the Ant (or how we're preparing for the Holy Week) --

Johann and I are preparing for Holy Week next week and we've started stocking up on DVDs to watch during that time. Today we went to Metrowalk with my sister and we purchased the following:

Elizabethtown
Serenity
Everything is Illuminated

We still have half a box of the Gilmore Girls Season 3 and full boxes of Seasons 4 and 5.

There were a LOT of good titles available at Metrowalk and we'll get them the next time we're in the area --

Good Night and Good Luck
The Squid and the Whale
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
plus a shedload of Indie films

We've discussed grocery plans for Holy Week and we plan to do our buying on Tuesday.

* * *

Oh --

And I got to eat Iceberg Halo Halo today with my sister (and Johann paid for everything) --

Yummmmmm.... ^_^

Jaa ne --

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

Sunday afternoon with Mahar --

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

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

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

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

So, guess what we did --

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

Oh --

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

Joy and Jubilation! --

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

Madness! --

This is really, really fun! (Or do I just think it's fun because I haven't been able to go clothes shopping in almost 7 months? ^_^)

Dollmaker!

Plans --

Yesterday, I submitted my final grades online so the only thing I need to do is clear my desk at the department and I would've completed all the requirements for this semester.

My stint at the ALLC ends on April 21 and I really, really want to take on a second module for May -- but my ever-growing girth is slowing me down and this infernal heat is really, really, REALLY getting to me.

April 9 marks the end of the Childbirth Preparation Seminar that we've been attending for the past few Sundays now.

April 13 to 16 is Holy Week and we haven't really made plans yet.

* * *

Remembering --

Had lunch with E yesterday at Ateneo. We ate at the Clubhouse (Manang's -- to the younger batches) and I was telling him my plans.

We talked about how much free time I will have after the baby is born and he said, "Well, the bright side is that you get to write again."

And that's when it struck me -- that I had forgotten that. And I am glad to be reminded of it -- it is something to look forward to. ^_^

* * *

Take 2 --

My Johari window --

Again. ^_^

A bite at a time --

So this is what's been on my checking pile:
- 6 brown envelopes containing my En11's group project on Critical Thinking <-- done!- 21 brown envelopes containing my En11's individual evaluation papers (a follow-up to Critical Thinking)
- Final exams of my Lit13 classes (x2) <-- done!

Deadline for grades has been pushed back to April 3 but, if all goes well, I'll be done by Wednesday next week.

H'ray! ^_^

* * *

Am curious about this --

Sebastian's Ice Cream
Flavors:
BANANA BONANZA - Banana Ice Cream with chunks of Dark Chocolate and Walnuts
SWISS CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE - Delectable Cheesecake ice cream with Graham Crust pieces and chunks of Toblerone Chocolate with honey & almond nougat
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH - Creamy Vanilla ice cream with gobs of unbaked Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Walnuts
CHOCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - Rich Chocolate ice cream with a thick Fudge ribbon & even more Dark Chocolate chunks
BAILEYS FUDGE - Bailey's Irish Cream ice cream with a thick ribbon of rich chocolate Fudge
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH - Dark Chocolate ice cream with unbaked Peanut Butter Cookie Dough loaded with chocolate chips
BERRY WHITE - White Chocolate ice cream with a luscious Strawberry ribbon made from real fruit
PB & J - Choco-Peanut ice cream with Graham Crackers & a whimsical Strawberry Jelly swirl
MAPLE WALNUT - Sweet Maple ice cream loaded with crunchy Roast Walnuts
MIDNIGHT PEANUT BUTTER CUP - Devilishly rich Dark Chocolate ice cream with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
MACADAMIA WHITE - Delicate White Chocolate ice cream garnished with Macadamia Nuts
MANGO SANS RIVAL - Buttercream-Cashew ice cream garnished with wafer pieces, Cashews, and a luscious Mango ribbon made with real fruit

Contact info:
sebastians.icecream(at)gmail.com

* * *

It's been a while --

I love my hubby. ^_^

Errata!

Mothers Day is on May 14! (not March 26 as I previously wrote)

Almost there --

It's the last week of classes. Next week, I just have to be in school on Monday to proctor the Lit13 exam and on Friday to receive the final papers from my En11 class.

My parents are arriving next week and I'm looking forward to going baby shopping with them. (The last time they had to go into a baby section for a massive purchase was when my youngest bro was born 26 years ago! O_o)

On my watch list is V for Vendetta and *koff* She's the Man.

A follow-up to the previous post --

After that wonderful experience of discussing syllogisms with my class, I decided to give them a quiz (to check how much they've actually understood).

My class looked at the syllogisms on the blackboard and quickly went to work analyzing its validity. Some used the Venn Diagram method and others had an improvised version of it.

The outcome, everyone in my class got an 8 and up. (The perfect score is a 10) And no one groaned or complained when I announced there was a quiz.

* * *

School year's ending! --

It's almost over and I have survived another semester! Hurrah!

I had wonderful classes this semester and I'm proud of myself for rising up to the challenge of making this an interesting semester for ALL of my classes. Normally, I would be complaining about how tedious it is to teach English and how I prefer to teach Lit. This time, however, I'd like to say that my English class has made the whole semester enjoyable.

My only niggle this semester was having to check papers pregnant. No more lying on my tummy in bed checking. I have to sit at the dining table or the coffee table or fashion a table of sorts using pillows on the bed to check. But I have checked ALL the papers and I have NO backlog whatsoever.

Yes, I am smug. ^_^

* * *

On the weather --

I hate it. It's hot and humid and sticky and bleh.

I have made a mental note that, next time I get pregnant, it will be during the rainy months.

* * *

Activities this month --

Lit13 Exam - March 20
Mom's birthday - March 22
Bro's birthday - March 27
Submission of Grades - March 31
Bro's despedida - some time end of March, early April

ALLC teaching stint - TTh until April 21
Childbirth Preparation Seminar - Sundays until April 9

So that's what THAT looks like --

My class and I have been struggling with syllogisms for the past two weeks. While other teachers have moved on to the next chapter of the lesson, my class and I are still neck deep in major premises, minor premises, conclusions and S, M and P (terms in syllogism).

I admire my class' determination to really understand the lesson and it's been quite a challenge.

Yesterday, we had a breakthrough -- we finally figured it out! After days of listless looking students, you could really see the spark of interest returning to their faces. So many hands were raised in recitation and students were offering ways we could improve our improvised Venn Diagram.

Tomorrow, we test how well we understood everything with an activity and then we move on to Fallacies.

* * *

You know your bro can't help you when --

You ask him if he knows how to plot Venn Diagrams
and he replies, "Why does that sound familiar"

* * *

Silver lining! --

I have, in a cardboard box sitting in our dining table,
the two-disc widescreen special edition of the RENT DVD
the DVD for Mirrormask
and the boxed sets of Seasons 2 to 5 of Gilmore Girls

... just in time for the summer. Whee!

* * *

Sweet thing my hun did --

My hun is a fruit hater -- who especially hates mushy fruits (and vegetables). I have recently developed a liking for avocados and was able to purchase really beautiful avocados from the Dizon's stall in Megamall.

I had forgotten that I had two neighbors (my brothers) who also love avocados so, in an act of SUPREME SACRIFICE, I gave up my perfect avocados so my brothers can enjoy them.

When I came home the next day from work, I saw four perfect avocados waiting for me. Apparently, my hun stopped by SM Makati on his way home from work and was touching/squeezing/weighing avocados to make sure they were nice and he got some for me. ^_^

Bleh --

This is what I've been reading for the past few days now --

Syllogisms (wikipedia)
Syllogism Evaluator
Syllogisms (philosophy pages)

I finally figured out an easy way to teach my students this -- I do feel the satisfaction of having conquered something so unwieldy but, at the same time, the cynic in me know that my students will not appreciate the effort and will forget about this on Friday.

~sigh~

* * *

New experience! --

I took my mom's advice (that I should try to keep working until before giving birth so I won't have a difficult time recovering) and accepted the teaching stint with the Ateneo Language Learning Center.

It is an interesting experience -- twice a week, I meet with a group of 12 students from different parts of the world and we try to help each other improve our English.

I started today and the stint runs until end of April.

The challenge is to keep the class interested in learning English (and not killing their poor fingers from the activity sheets)

Oscar Cheer List --

Monday is Oscars and I'm rooting for the following to win:

Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Supporting Actor - Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man <-- He should've been nominated and would've won for Sideways

Actress - toss up between Judi Dench, Mrs Henderson Presents & Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice

Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener

Animated Film - Howl's Moving Castle!!!

Picture - Capote / Good Night & Good Luck

Director - George Clooney, Good Night & Good Luck
<-- it would be interesting if he won, but I think they're going to give it to Ang Lee this year

Finally! --

Johann and I finally got to watch a movie! Pride and Prejudice! H'ray!

We watched the first show at Gateway yesterday. I really enjoyed the movie -- Matthew Macfadyen is so cute!

* * *

I made this --

Watched Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cheesecake and suddenly started craving for one --

After the movie, Johann and I went to Rustan's Fresh and got the ingredients for cheesecake --





It looks a bit melty because I was impatient and took it out of the fridge before the prescribed 4-hour chilling was over. But it was yummy!

New Toys! --

My bros were recently in Singapore and this is what they brought home for us --



I kept the Shuffle and Johann's using the Nano (I didn't want the Nano because it looks to fragile =P) --

So, what's on my shuffle? A lot of classical music and a Podcast of Fairy Tales. I stick one earphone in my ear and the other one in my belly button and *voila!* ^_^

Strange, strange --

Yesterday was strange, to say the least. I was already on my way to work when I found out that classes were cancelled for the day. This was a welcome relief, because I wasn't really in the mood to teach that day. (Case of the grumpies. *grump grump*)

I still went to the office to pick up readings and papers to check over the weekend.

I spent the day watching the goings-on on television and it was a very distant/alienated experiencing.

I didn't know what it was about--

I can't explain it, but something felt "off" about this "revolution" --

* * *

Sumo, raar! --

Met up with a friend for lunch today and we decided to try out Sumo Sam in Shangri-la. The menu is amazing! So many things to choose from! Johann and I were overwhelmed and we wanted to try EVERYTHING.

Since it was our first time, I decided to go with my Japanese "tester" food, katsudon. (Tester = something I eat at all Japanese restos -- if they muck up a Katsudon, then everything else must suck) Johann had the spicy chicken teriyaki. It was all yummy!

Sayang lang I can't have maki and anything raw. =P

I made this! --

It was my bro's birthday last Tuesday and he asked me to prepare the Tofu Lasagna for his office. I also offered to make a Spinach Artichoke dip for him.

Everything was relatively easy to make and it took us 1 hour of prep and about 30 minutes of baking to make both dishes and they turned out really well. (IMHO *koff*)



My bro asked us to join him at his office for lunch and I was very happy to see that his officemates liked the lasagna and the dip.

* * *

Oh, and my current favorite --



I don't like the pregnancy pants being sold in the maternity stores -- the one with the adjustable waist band. I think it works when one is late in their pregnancy but, for someone who is just 23 weeks in, it looks really baggy and bleh.

I found this pair of pants from Yvonne's for under PhP600 and I love it! The waistband is elastic and wide enough to accommodate my growing girth and it looks very sleek pa rin.

^_^

* * *

Zaturnnah! --

My sibs and I (with Johann) watched the matinee show last Saturday and had the time of our lives! It is clever and campy and everything else in between.

Eula Valdez was a revelation as ZsaZsa -- and Ricci Chan was perfect as Didi.

After the show, we texted everyone we knew and told them to catch the musical.

How I spent my Valentine's Day --

Johann and I had a pre-Valentine's celebration last Sunday. We knew that things would be hectic on the 14th and we didn't want to be a part of it. We are also planning a post-Valentine's celebration this coming Sunday.

The morning was spent attending to bank-related errands and then a trip to Mercury to purchase this month's prenatal supplements. I also had to get bandages and a hot/cold pack.

You see, last Monday, our infirmary informs me that I have tendonitis in my left wrist and I have to keep it immobilized for a week or so.

We had lunch at Sweet Inspi and treated ourselves to Mongolian.

We were supposed to go to Gateway after to watch a movie, but we were so loggy from our meal that we went back home and stumbled upon Scorcese's Casino --

Wonderful film. Must get a copy of it. ^_^

I spent the afternoon reading Christopher Priest's The Prestige and ended up finishing it the same day. My hun is pleased that I finally read a book that he recommended. ^_^

It's a must-read! It's being adapted to a movie by Christopher Nolan and will star Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman.

We trekked off to Starbuck's to claim our V-day "freebie' and found ourselves in a line that stretched from the counter to the door.

* * *

Merriam-Webster's Words for 2005! --

Click here.

* * *

Movies!!! --

So many good movies out! ~sigh~

Must watch:
Brokeback Mountain - Gateway 2, 7:00 / Gateway 10, 6:20
Fun with Dick and Jane - Gateway 9, 5:20 7:20
Munich - Gateway 4, 6:00

There's also Malick's The New World, Goal! and The Pink Panther.

Am curious --

Indulge me?

Tin's Johari Window

C, friend and co-faculty has a version of this -- a Johari Bag and she asks her class to fill it up as part of their Pre-Reflection paper activity. I was happy to stumble upon an online version through M's friends. ^_^

New blogstop! --

Check my links section and you will find my friend J and his blog New Age Pirate.

* * *

Love and Sacrifice --

Attended a wedding with my brother last weekend. It was his good/best friend's wedding and he didn't want to go alone. I tagged along because I love attending weddings and looking at dresses and whatnot.

The priest gave a lovely homily that started with a lot of palakpakan, which amused me and my brother.

It was what he said after the nth palakpakan that affected me.

He ended the homily with three words for the couple to remember --

Love.
Sacrifice.
Commitment.

I don't remember what he said about love or commitment. It was what he said about sacrifice that made me go "wow!" --

He said that to love is to endanger yourself.

You step out of a world that you know and you control and you enter into a world that is unfamiliar and new --

The sacrifice in love is to willingly give yourself over to the experiences of loving --

the laughter and tears;
the celebrations and the defeats;
the everything and the nothing.

... wow, di ba? ^_^

New Recipe --

I've been thinking about making lasagna ever since I saw Giada de Laurenti make one on her show Everyday Italian (Lifestyle Network). I also wanted to make something using ricotta cheese.

Today was a light day for the Ongs, so I decided to go to Fresh to pick up ingredients for a lasagna.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and it looked easy enough so I decided to give it a go.

It's tofu lasagna -- and, yes -- it's meatless.

We did some modifications, though. The recipe calls for all the ingredients for the filling to be mixed. I decided to separate the sauce mix from the tofu-cheese filling. And had one layer of just the tofu-cheese and one layer of the sauce. And I used a canned sauce (Hunt's Garlic and Herb).

This is how it turned out --





I had extra sauce, so I put it in a bowl and served that as well. My hubby loved it -- he kept asking for another helping. ^_^

A tip for people interested in trying this recipe -- make sure to drain ALL the water from the tofu. It really does make a difference.

Apparently, there's also oven-ready lasagna sheets -- no need to pre-cook the sheets. O_o

* * *

More on cooking --

One of the questions I am asked whenever I bring out my baon during lunch break is whether I was the one who cooked the baon. Most times, the answer is no -- we usually get heatables from DEC or leftover takeout food and bring that to work.

There are times when I do feel like cooking AND cleaning up after myself. During one of those moments, I decided to make Katsucurry, which is really just pork tonkatsu and japanese curry sauce.



* * *

Pregnancy-Vanity issue --

I'm 21 weeks pregnant and it's still an awkward phase for me -- I no longer fit into my regular clothes, but I'm still too small to actually wear maternity dresses and whatnot.

At work, the news of my pregnancy is slowly making its rounds around our office and I am amused with people's reactions. The most common one I hear, though is this --

"You're pregnant?!? I thought you were just getting fat and I didn't want to say anything."

I don't take offense to it, btw. I guess it's really just an indication of the awkward phase that I'm in.

I have put on some weight -- a requirement for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. That's why I'm glad that we don't have mirrors in my house. What I have is my husband's assurance that I am glowing and lovely.

In case people are wondering what I look like -- here.

Vanity prevents me from actually placing the tag here. ^_^

Wake-up Call --

The weekend was surreal, to say the least. What was up with the world then? In the Philippines, I literally woke up to the news that people died in a stampede at Ultra. I took a shower listening to news about the trouble that Danish caricature caused in the Muslim communities. And then there was the ferry boat accident in Egypt.

~sigh~

The stampede at Ultra saddened me the most, realizing who the majority of the casualties were and why they were lined up to get into a game show. It was difficult watching the news coverage and seeing even more people asking, despite what had happened, if the show was still going to go on -- people seeing the brief "disturbance" as their chance to get into the stadium and be part of the audience.

People were that desperate.

I was reminded of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," which we took up in my fiction class a few weeks back. I think of all the stories for that section of the semester, "The Lottery" was the one that jarred them out of their dream existence. I remember reading about "The Lottery" when it was first published and how people were so shocked to come face to face with an account of their cruelty. Even though it was a work of fiction, people couldn't quite accept the remote possibility that they would be capable of such an atrocity.

And here we are.

Where life has imitated art. 72 people died and the question on most people's minds was still -- "Will the show go on? What happens to my lottery ticket?"

And then there's the blame game. Whose fault was it?

The easiest answer would be the security teams of Ultra and ABS-CBN. There were too few people managing the crowds. I watched the DILG interviewing/interrogating the ABS-CBN head of security. The head of security was trying to justify the 1:200++ ratio. The security from Ultra admitted that they weren't clear on their role at that event, so when the madness started they didn't know what to do. There are even accounts of the security guards being the first ones to leave and seek higher ground.

Some people were saying that it was the PNP's jurisdiction, since the lines were on public roads.

In today's newspaper, the headline for one of the tabloids said that the President will really go after ABS-CBN for this and I wonder whose best interest is being served here. I wonder if there is anything more to what our president is planning. Some other enterprising parties have also "cashed in" on the tragedy -- a class action suit is being planned and rival networks have used this to encourage people to watch their shows instead.

While ABS-CBN has taken full responsibility for the accident and is currently in the process to reimburse medical and funeral expenses, I can't help but think that this is a stopgap measure.

That there are harder questions with less digestible answers and more difficult sacrifices need to be made --

* * *

More on the weekend --

In contrast to the madness happening all over the world, my sibs and I enjoyed an afternoon with our sister (it was her birthday). She treated us to Steak MD and then we visited Wheatberry and Greens nearby.

Everyone went crazy for the Wheatberry sweets and we ended up having dessert there. I had the double chocolate cream puff and I finished the whole thing without sharing it with anyone. >_<

On our way back to Katipunan, we dropped by Cost U Less, which had always intrigued us. We were pleased to find some products that were featured on Lifestyle Network's Unwrapped.

Fun fun afternoon with sibs. ^_^

An update --

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

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

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

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

I just hope it's not anything bad.

* * *

Dates --

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

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

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

Making French Toast --

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

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

It turned out really well. ^_^





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

Carlo Vergara's Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Ze Muzikal --

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

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

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

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

Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater)

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

Should've written earlier --

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

Today I do. ^_^

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

Yay!

* * *

Best gifts for Christmas --

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

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

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

Ah, DVD-watching goodness. ^_^

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

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

* * *

Best gifts for Birthday --

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

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

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

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

First post of the year --

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who.
Why.
How.

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

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

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

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

Tadaima~

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

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

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

I am rambling. Apologies. ^_^

Merry Merry! --

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

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

* * *

Watch --

The Family Stone

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

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

No. Really. He did. ^_^

Almost done with my Top 5s --

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

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

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

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

* * *

Didn't realize --

How painful it would be to wrap so many presents!

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

* * *

The Christmas Story --

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

How well do you know your bands? --

Name the 75 bands this picture represents.

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

* * *

Deciding --

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

or giving my students a nice Christmas-related story.

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

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

* * *

Reminding myself --

Dinner with the Dans girls on Wednesday.

* * *

Because admission is one of the steps to recovery --

I am addicted to Naruto.

On Weddings --

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

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

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

* * *

Need to watch --

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

I need to do this --

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

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

* * *

Preparing for Christmas --

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Weekend --

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

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

One bite at a time. ^_^

* * *

Top 5s for 2005 --

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

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

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

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

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

Day with my sister --

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

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

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

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

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

I miss her too! >_<

Monday, Holiday --

I'm controlling myself from waking up Johann --

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

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

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

Gearing up for the long weekend --

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

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

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

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

* * *

Highlights --

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

Classes --

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

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

Oh well --

Curious --

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

It's to launch the album, ULTRAELECTROMAGNETICJAM --

Local bands singing E-heads songs --

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

Things to look forward to in the coming weeks:

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

How Much is This Blog Worth? --

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

It's that time of the year again --

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

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

Books --
More Nigella Lawson! I am most intrigued by How to be a Domestic Goddess
Steven Seagle's It's a Bird

The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set
Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down (whyohwhy do you have to be in hardcover)

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

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

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

... will add to this list ^_^

* * *

Today --

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today, I discovered another effortless pasta recipe --

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

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

Currently reading: Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602

Update --

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

RENT IN SINGAPORE!!! --

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

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

* * *

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Reunions --

Yesterday, I bumped into so many old acquaintances --

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

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

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

* * *

Today --

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

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

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

* * *

Tomorrow and the rest of the weekend --

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

And then rest, rest, rest --

And buy Breadtalk and watch more episodes of Yakitate Japan.

Busy --

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some cute things --



and

Create your own comic strip with StripGenerator!

Sem Break! --

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

H'ray!

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

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

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

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

From today's issue of Business World:

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

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

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

Bad Day by Daniel Powter --

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the video, click here.

Happy 2 to my Blog! --

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

* * *

Not looking forward to today --

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

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

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

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

Saturday adventure! --

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

We got there at around 9 and it was bustling!





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

There was so much to choose from! >_<

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



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

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

We purchased this bread right before we left and served it to friends when we got home:


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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

Finished Reading --

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

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

It's a lovely book -- ^_^

Lookie! --

The cutest, cutest things!

Pancake Meow

Rainy weather --

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

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

Life's wonderful. ^_^

* * *

Been cooking --

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

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

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

It was yummy. I love tomatoes! >_<

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

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

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

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

Pasta (any noodle, but we used linguine)

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

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

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

Toss with the pasta. Serve.

It was yummy!

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

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

Conversations --

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

Mostly for me --

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