Fun Quiz -- Your Personality Type: The Reliable Realist

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

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

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

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

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

Force Majeure Part 2 --

Day 2 --


The plan: Get water and supplies. ASAP.

We checked our freezers and packed everything into styrofoam boxes and ice. We made a mental note to buy canned food because it would last longer. My main priority was Seth's things -- Virlix for his allergies and milk.

We knew which supermarkets opened the earliest so we decided to go to those places first.

On our way to Atrium (Iloilo Supermarket, General Luna branch), our driver asked if we could take a detour and take a look at the nearby subdivisions -- Puerto Real and Ledesco. We had been hearing news about how Ledesco was already submerged in water. So we went inside Puerto Real. While they are next to each other, they are topographically different. Puerto Real is about 3 meters higher than Ledesco. We went to the boundary and we could see parts of the wall destroyed by the flood. Over the wall, you could see the watermark left by the flood the day before.

At the supermarket, we went directly to where they stocked the water. There were no more big bottles available, we had to buy the 500ml bottles. At the checkout, we saw many people buying litros of soda instead. Other items being bought were: candles, batteries, pails and bread.

*** An amusing side story
Our car wouldn't start. The driver suspects that it is because of the cold/damp/wet. So we had to push -- me, my sister and Johann. Seth and his yaya were in the car with the driver.

That was a first for all of us. ^_^

* * *

We had bought snacks for the workers and helpers so we distributed these when we got home.

Over the radio, we listened to the announcers list the places which were the worst hit. We listened to them estimate the number of casualties and the amount of damage to the city.

We received several good news:

We called my aunt and were relieved to hear that my cousin and his family had been rescued and are now warm and dry in my aunt's house.

PECO (our electric company) announced that they were already in the process of restoring electricity to the city. (We were all crossing our fingers, hoping that our area would get electricity back soon.)

The rest of the day was spent checking in on friends -- a lot of my parents friends had called from overseas, asking them to visit their families here in Iloilo. Our helpers and workers were busy preparing "care packages" of rice, noodles and Milo/coffee.

At 7 (the time PECO announced we would get our electricity back), we still didn't have electricity so we prepared for another night of candles and fading emergency lights.

The power came back on at around 9 and the first thing we did was charge our cellphones, my laptop and the emergency lights.

Force Majeure Part 1 --

Day 1 --

It's a phrase I first encountered in real estate contracts and insurance policies. It's one of those sections that I skim over and take for granted.

Why?

Because I've always thought that such calamities listed under this clause were inconceivable.

And then Saturday and Sunday happened.

It started out like any typical rainy day in Iloilo -- with the street fronting our house flooding within a few hours of the rain. The power went off at around 6 in the morning. Neither of these were new to us -- we have always complained about the poor drainage system in our street and electrical service has never been reliable during these times.

And then the color of the water started turning brown and muddy. Our driver explained that this was no longer rain-flood water but water from the mountains. We watched the water rise up over the sidewalk and then to seep into the gate of our house.

Then the strong winds blew off several G.I. sheets off Papa's office warehouse. Such a thing has never happened before.

That's when it started to get a bit frightening. We called Papa on the cellphone and instructed the workers to cover the stuff in his office with tarpaulin.

For the people directly affected by the flood, they say it happened in a blink of an eye -- one minute, they were sitting down listening to the radio and the next minute, they were engulfed in waist-high/neck-high muddy waters.

Throughout the day, we received text messages and phone calls from people stranded and stuck on roofs -- asking to be rescued. We would call the radio stations who were in contact with rescue missions and give them the names and addresses of the people needing to be rescued.

But there were too many people and too few rescuers. As the afternoon progressed, the messages changed -- people were asking for food and water. By then, they had been stuck on their roofs for about 5 to 6 hours.

Outside of our house, we saw small motor boats loaded on trucks to be used for rescue. We saw people wearing life jackets wading through our street. Inside, over the radio, we listened to the mayor of one town crying -- overwhelmed at the damage in his town. Their hospital was flooded and all of their equipment destroyed. We listened to radio news reporters expressing frustration as they reported the events as they happened.

During the first night, I could feel my parents frustration and helplessness -- they had friends who had gone without food and water for the entire day. They actually tried to go to fetch their friends but they couldn't get past the flood -- not even with 4WD vehicles or a truck.

My cousin and his family were stranded in Pavia -- they had to evacuate their house and move to a makeshift nipa on higher ground. His brother tried to fetch them but couldn't get through either. They were eventually rescued early the next day, when the waters had subsided.

Over the radio, we heard that the Jaro Cathedral had been designated an evacuation area so my parents went out to get food and supplies for them. My mom had to beg the people from Makro to stay open for a little bit longer so she could buy noodles and other food for the evacuees.

That night, with the batteries of our cellphones slowly draining, we had to turn them off to conserve them for another day.

Some photos --

My last post didn't have any photos, so here they are --



The Ouran goodies are so wonderful! We got magnets and buttons and notebooks and tote bags. ^_^


<-- our jar of Jelly beans. ^_^

Book Binge report --

I'm a little disappointed with my Book Binge activity this year. In essence, I only finished reading 1 book and was midway through another.

In between, I was reading romance novels, comic books, online manga scanlations and really interesting information from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. (Did you know the average life span of a bra is only 180 days? ^_^)

I was very happy to have read Susan Vreeland's Life Studies and I am still haunted by Pisarro's story and how it deals with an artist's passion juxtaposed to religion and society.

I still have a ton of books on my backlog --
Christopher Buckley's Boomsday and Florence of Arabia
etc.

Unfortunately, I am not in book-reading mode right now. I've re-discovered anime and actually spent the past few weeks re-watching Karekano, Princess Mononoke, etc. We also picked up a copy of Gundam 00 (which Johann has declared to be his all-time favorite Gundam series), Appleseed Ex-Machina and Romeo x Juliet.

There are still remnants of Ouran in me and I still get giggly when I remember certain scenes from the anime.

* * *

A bit more on Ouran --

My bro recently sent us some Ouran goodies like buttons, tote bags, etc. I am a very happy fangirl. ^_^

* * *

Funny thing --

My other brother sent us a big jar of Jelly Beans. Last night, my sister actually sat down and sampled it. She was so cute -- she picked out jelly beans one at a time and would check which one it was. (The side of the jar had a picture guide to the flavors.)

It was amusing to hear her say, "WTF! This tastes like crap. What flavor is this?" After which, she would check the side again.

Now, this method would work nicely IF she remembered which flavors they were -- but after 8 or so flavors, you tend to forget the subtle differences between this yellow and that yellowish-whitish bean.

So, on and on it went -- with her sampling and re-discovering (tragically) crap flavors.

I love her. ^_^

hate Globe, love Globe

We were internet-less for 3 days!

My sister and I were expecting to experience some internet interference last week when it was raining very hard here in Iloilo and we were pleasantly surprised to see that our connection held despite the strong winds and the pouring rain. = Love Globe

So we were very disappointed when we discovered that we lost our internet connection right after breakfast last Monday, when it was no longer raining. = Hate Globe

After waiting patiently for a day to pass and for our connection to return, we decided to call their customer service hotline to find out more details regarding this matter. The customer service representatives were all very helpful and gave us all the information that they had. They did say that they were hoping to get it back by the next day but it usually takes them 3 to 5 days. = Love Globe a little

The next day, we still didn't have internet. = Hate Globe

So we called their hotline again. They informed us that the problem was a little bit more complicated than what they had expected so they called their "higher technical team" to try to fix the problem. = feel so-so

We decided to go to their office in SM City and we got to talk to one of their managers who apologized and informed us that they were really trying to fix the problem. She told us that they would most likely get it fixed that day or the next day. = Love Globe a little

Yesterday, we were already making jokes that it would probably come back on during the weekend but, at around 6 pm, we saw the fourth light of our modem blink and then light up. = Love Globe

It was incredibly frustrating not having access to the internet -- we had a lot of important business-related matters to attend to and deadlines ticking. Thankfully, Globe was able to restore the system and got us our internet again. ^_^

Down the rabbit hole --

Johann and I bought a copy of Julie Taymor's Across the Universe this morning -- for very different reasons. He saw a trailer and really loved the imagery. I really loved Julie Taymor's Titus.

It's an interesting project -- making a rock musical using Beatles songs.

War is the theme of the movie -- how it changes people and how it changes the world. The main character, Jude, travels from Liverpool to the United States to meet his biological father who was stationed in Liverpool during World War II.

In America, he is faced with the reality of the Vietnam War. His friend, Max, an Ivy League dropout was being drafted and Max's sister lost her boyfriend in that same war. Within the country, there was also a conflict between the pro-war movement/the Government and the anti-war/radical groups.

It was interesting to see how war and peace are born from the same actions and ideas: we want the world to be better -- but, despite our best intentions, there are people who get hurt.

One of my favorite parts in the movie was towards the end when Jude meets with Max after the war -- Jude tells Max that he looks okay and Max answers that "everything below the neck works fine."

Julie Taymor also tackles the idea of "action" -- Max's father keeps pushing him to "do something" and reminds Max that he is defined by the things that he does and doesn't do. Jude, on the other hand, has a different view -- he believes that it is the way one does things that matters.

At one point, Max's sister, Lucy confronts Jude about his lack of involvement. "We're in the middle of a revolution Jude. And what are you doing? Doodles and cartoons?"

What do you do with your life? The question takes on a different kind of urgency in the midst of the Vietnam War --

What kind of action are we supposed to take?

The answer is simple and the Beatles said it best -- all you need is love.

It's an amazing and incredibly memorable movie --

As I was watching it, I came to one curious conclusion -- there seems to be a Beatles song for every kind of human experience.

... now to find the soundtrack. ^_^

First impressions --

So, I got it last night and started tinkering with it.

It really looks amazing and I can understand the allure -- all that smooth whiteness and it smells really nice.

It isn't that difficult to navigate -- and I really love the feel of the keyboard.

I think I just need to sit down with someone who is familiar with both PC and Mac to talk me through the similarities and differences. *koff* Jin *koff*

I am a happy Tin. ^_^

The start of something new --

Today I say goodbye and thank you to my faithful laptop, my little Pentium-4 1.8 with 512mb RAM and a 30gb hard drive. I inherited this laptop from my brother and it has served us faithfully for 8 years now. Its new role involves office documents and whatnot.

I'm also saying goodbye to an OS that I've had a love-hate relationship with. Before XP came along, I was a Rah-rah girl for Windows 98 and I resisted shifting to XP for as long as I could. Now that XP is finally stable, Microsoft has decided to retire it.

But I digress.

Later today, I will say hello to a Macbook and to a new OS. It's a white 2.4 Intel Core 2 Duo with more RAM and hard drive space than my old laptop.

I figured 30 is a good age to try out what the "other side" has to offer. ^_^

Thankies to my dear friend, Jin, who patiently accommodated all of my questions. ^_^

Happy food --

Avocado is one of my happy food.

But it is a frustrating fruit to love -- selecting and buying avocado from the supermarket is a hit-or-miss adventure. While it may look beautiful and promising on the outside, the inside might be a mess of mush and stringy bits that look like hair.

So far this year, I've only had one or two good avocados. It is a scarce thing but highly sought-after in my house. There are times when, as the younger sister, I am called to make the supreme sacrifice and give up a bowl of avocado to my sister.

A few days ago, my dad's assistant gave us some really beautiful avocado. I've never seen avocado of that size before. It came from a tree in his backyard. (I want to steal that tree. >_<)



So I've been waiting for them to ripen. Two days ago, I decided to speed up the process by placing two avocados beside our never-ending stock of bananas. True enough, these two avocados ripened much faster. (A bit of science: Bananas give off a gas which helps nearby fruits/vegetables ripen.)

This morning, one of them was ready for eating.

I wanted to swoon when I saw how beautiful the inside was. It's exactly how Nigella describes it -- buttery, firm and gorgeous. >_<







I like my avocado mushed up with some powdered milk and sugar. When I am especially impatient, I eat it immediately but it is also very delicious cold.



One of the giant avocados was enough for two bowls -- one for me and one for my sister. This time, I got the bigger share. ^_^

Some random things --

One of our local AM stations has a very interesting morning program -- they visit government offices at the start of the day to check if government employees go to work on time.

The day I was listening, they visited the Comelec office near my house. It was really funny to hear how exasperated the reporter was because no one was there.

We pass by there fairly regularly at random times of the day and I've never actually seen it open.

When we passed by later that day, I noticed that the office was open. Hahahaha!

* * *

Fan Girl Mode Switch: On --

A and G introduced me to Ouran High School Host Club during their visit here to Iloilo last weekend.

I am hooked.

I've been busy reading the manga and I finally finished it last Monday.

Now I am planning to watch the anime a second time. ^_^

This is also the reason why I haven't been progressing with my Book Binge list. I am not in reading mode right now --

This would have been interesting to watch --

Repertory staged Hamlet last February and the interpretation looks so cool! It kinda reminds me of Final Fantasy.

A scare --

This morning started out typically -- between 6 to 7 in the morning, I was enjoying my chapters of Ouran before breakfast while Seth was "getting some sun" upstairs with his yaya.

At 7, I was called to breakfast and Seth and I had a lovely meal of pancakes and hotdogs.

The trouble started after breakfast when I tried to load the next page of the online scanlation.

My computer froze and I couldn't even do a CTRL+ALT+DEL --

So I had to turn it off manually. When I turned it back on, I was greeted with a blank screen.

My computer went kaput on me. T_T

... and right in the middle of an exciting chapter! >_<

I was frantic! T_T

We eventually had to do a system restore to fix the problem. And we had to do it twice because the first time was also problematic.

So here I am, reinstalling all of my important files -- like my cute Cat theme for Firefox. =^_^=

And I am once again reunited with Chapter 44 of Ouran. ^_^

* * *

On a serious note --

I only just realized that this laptop is 8 years old. I inherited it from my brother a few years back when he decided to upgrade.

So now I'm thinking of getting an upgrade for myself.

It would be a first for me -- so I'm excited. ^_^

Interesting list --

75 Skills Every Man Should Master

* * *

What I learned from an anime --

Mirai yori mo
Ima ga kanjin

More important than the future
Is the present

Thank you A and G for OuHosu. =^_^=

What a "bleh" week --

And I am glad it is over.

The past two weeks have been a roller coaster ride for the Ongs. We had to deal with Seth's fever and my food poisoning episode. This week started out really well, with Seth going back to school and earning two stars again.

And then he had a mild relapse and his doctor told him to rest for the rest of the week.

The tickle in my throat last Tuesday turned out to be the start of tonsillitis which decided to show itself on Thursday when the doctor was on her out-of-town clinic, so Johann and I had to wait until yesterday to see her.

Now, this doctor isn't our "real" doctor -- our pulmonologist is away on vacation and won't be back until May. Our other doctor (the one for infectious diseases) is also on vacation. The GP we usually see for mild cases was also on vacation.

I've promised myself that I will be well enough next week to watch Iron Man.

* * *

In other news --

Pushing Daisies is an amazing series. Kristin Chenoweth is so cute! ^_^

Childhood is a magical time --

I wrote about Breakthrough in my previous post -- how we joined the kids as they explored the live seafood tanks.

One of my nephews, a 5-year old -- was looking at the live crabs. At one point, his yaya pulled out one and it started "dancing" on its string. This amused my nephew to no end and he wanted to share his joy --

So he pulled Johann -- "Tito, tito -- you have to see this!" and dragged Johann to where the crabs were. So the two of them looked on as the yaya pulled the crab out again and my nephew laughed again.

I was charmed and so was Johann.

* * *

Currently reading --

So I finally ran out of romance novels to read so I'm currently juggling/reading the following books:
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
God is my Broker: A Monk-Tycoon reveals the 7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth by Christopher Buckley, et. al.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom

And I just finished reading Johann's copy of Watchmen and It Must Be Nice To Be Little: A For Better or For Worse collection by Lynn Johnston.

In comics, I'm really enjoying Avengers Fairy Tales -- I love the art and I love how they were able to weave comic book characters into fairy tales.

Interesting past few days --

Last week started out really great --

My aunt treated us to Breakthrough and Johann and I were lucky enough to sit beside the kids so the Grilled Scallops were all ours.

After dinner, we let the grownups talk and we wandered around the area and found ourselves looking at their fresh seafood tanks -- I actually touched a live mussel.

A few nights later -- I suffered food poisoning. No, it wasn't because of Breakthrough. This is the second time in my life that I've had food poisoning but this was far worse than the first one.

During this whole time, Seth was sick as well -- his temperature went as high as 39.5 degrees. Thankfully, he's much better now.

Today, I have a tickle in my throat. O_O

An update --

Johann and I have always been curious about Tina Fey's new show 30 Rock but we never get to catch it on TV. We finally found a copy of season 1 a few weeks back and watched it.

It is an amazing show -- we couldn't stop laughing! Even Seth noticed how much we laugh -- he would laugh along (I don't know if he understands what he is laughing about though. ^_^)

I still haven't finished watching Gossip Girl -- but, from what I've watched so far, it's a really great series. I'm curious about the books --

* * *

Plan your vacations! Almost free tickets--

Philippine Airlines and Asian Spirit have very nice promos --

Asian Spirit is giving away free* tickets to all their domestic destinations. (Baguio in less than an hour) The promo ends on April 15 and travel is from June 15 to October 15.

*You still have to pay for taxes and fuel surcharge.


Starting Monday, for every 1 domestic ticket you buy from PAL, you will get two free ones. Sale period is from April 14 to April 25 and travel is from June 15 to October 15.

* * *

Two new places in Iloilo --

The wife of one of my HS classmates opened a small bakery called Daily Buns. We stopped by early this week to try out some of their bread. The place smells so good! We bought a loaf of whole wheat bread, which was really yummy. They also serve milkshakes and pasta so we are planning to go back there to try them out.

On our way home from Robinson's Place one afternoon, Johann spotted a small cafe along Ledesma Street. It looked like it had just opened and there were a lot of people inside. Yesterday morning, we decided to drop by Coffee House Beanery for our morning coffee fix.

The girl at the counter recommended their Moccachino so I ordered that and Johann tried out their Latte. Both were very good. We ordered a slice of Tiramisu because it looked tempting.



The tiramisu was good -- the cake part was a bit dry but I didn't mind that because the cream filling was really yummy (it was tart and creamy and not-so-sweet).

They also serve lunch and dinner and their prices seem reasonable (I have yet to see their portions) -- Oriental Pork Spareribs for PhP90.00, Callos for PhP110.00, etc.

Happiness is --

Your parents coming back from Cebu with boxes of Leona's Carrot Walnut loaf.

* * *

Happiness is also --

A bottle of Ya Kun Kaya.

But it's sad that I'm the only one who seems to enjoy it in the house.

Yay Rat! --

Strange blog title, I know --

But, it was the only title that came to mind.

E told me that the Year of the Rat was the year to fulfill the unfulfilled. It is the start of a whole new cycle -- the Rat being the first animal in the Chinese zodiac.

And I believe it.

First, Blade of the Immortal is finally getting an animated version after nearly a decade of waiting.

Now, this. A comic anthology based on songs by Tori Amos. ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ <-- this news deserves three smileys

I tell you, my heart is bursting with excitement right now --

^_^

Post backlog part 2 --

I turned 30 this year -- it seems like a such an important age, so I decided to make up a list of "Very Important Things To Do" for 2008:

1. Take the MENSA
- I don't think I'm smart enough to pass it but I would like to experience the test within my lifetime.

2. Join a Scrabble Tournament
- At the English Academy where I taught, one of teachers was legend because she actually took time off to travel and join Scrabble tournaments around the world. I don't think I can beat her (I think my sister can beat her) but Scrabble is one of those things that I think I can do very well in.

3. Travel out of Asia
- This one will be difficult/impossible to pull off because I have an almost-2-year old sidekick who will insist on joining us.

For the past decade, I've limited my traveling to Southeast Asia. (Cost is a major factor) But I would like to visit the US again. The last time I was there, I was in high school and I didn't appreciate it as much. Now, I have a plan and a list of places to visit.

I'd also like to go to Europe with Johann. (This one, we are planning to do when we turn 40).

4. Read A BOOK
Not one of the fluffy things that I read but something with more substance and meat. Like Plutarch's Lives ... or something in that vein.

5. Buy a piece of important Art
This desire to own Art has lain dormant within me for the longest time. When I got married and my most favorite professor gifted us with a Fil dela Cruz print from his own collection, the desire sparked --

Now, I want Art. No, I want the money to buy the Art. ^_^

Yesterday --

During my tutor session with Kate and David, while I was discussing the concept of deja vu (which Kate had just experienced), we heard a loud crash. I thought something had landed on the roof or dropped to the floor somewhere so we ignored it.

It was Kate who realized that one of their windows was broken. It looked like a bullet hit the glass because there was a clean hole right through -- I immediately checked if one of us got hit. We noticed that there was no hole on the screen so, whatever it was, never got inside the house.

Outside, we found a rock nearby -- so we called the subdivision security to come and investigate the matter. He said it was most likely a slingshot from somewhere and it was probably accidental.



* * *

Buho Bakery --

I posted about this addicting bread a few months back but I was never able to talk about the bakery that makes it.

Yesterday, I had to mail something at the post office so I decided to drop by Buho Bakery to pick up some mini Pancho rolls.



Since it was early afternoon, the bakery itself was closed and you had to knock on this small window on the wall to make your order.


<-- it literally is a "hole" in the wall ^_^

It used to cost PhP1.00 per piece but now the price has gone up to PhP1.25

Some of you might be interested --

Banoffee, Banoffi, Banoffy --

However you spell it, I'm craving it.

The one they serve at Red Ribbon is okay and it temporarily satisfies the need. But I really want the one served at Banapple and I'm already trying to figure out how to get some the next time I'm in Manila.

I am thinking of making my own -- and I came across this.

The Completely True and Utter Story of Banoffi Pie by one of the guys who invented the Banoffee and here is his recipe.

I kinda like the graham cracker crust that is more commonly used as the base of the Banoffee.

I think banana is the fruit for 2008 (or it should be).

Earth Hour, Iloilo --

So, we turned off our lights at 8 last night.

At first, we were worried about Seth and the heat.

But, Seth didn't mind it and, in the end, neither did we.

We didn't even notice that the hour had passed. And it felt good to do it -- even though we seemed to have been the only ones who did.

Hairspray --

Mahar introduced me to the idea of a power song -- he made me listen to "Defying Gravity" from Wicked and that's how I discovered that musical.

I like the idea of having a power song -- during those times when I need that extra push (that extra bit of courage or confidence), I listen to one of them and it really does wonders!

Here's the latest addition to my list:

Big, Blonde And Beautiful
from "Hairspray"

Bring on that pecan pie
Pour some sugar on it
Sugar don't be shy
Scoop me up a mess
Of that chocolate swirl
Don't be stingy,
I'm a growing girl

I offer big love
With no apology
How can I deny the world
The most of me
I am not afraid
To throw my weight around
Pound by pound by pound

Because I'm
Big, blonde and beautiful
There is nothin' 'bout me
That's unsuitable

No one wants a meal
That only offers the least
When girl we're servin' up
The whole damn feast

Slice off a piece
Of that hogshead cheese
Then take a look inside
My book of recipes

Now, don't you sniff around
For something fluffy and light
I need a man who brings
A man-size appetite

I'll use a pinch of sugar
And a dash of spice
I'll let ya lick the spoon
Because it tastes so nice

I'll keep it in my oven
'Til it's good and hot
Keep on stirring 'til it hits the spot
Because I'm...

Big, blonde and beautiful
And Edna girl, you're lookin' so
Recruitable
Why sit in the bleachers
Timid and afraid
When Edna,
You can be your own parade!

They say that
Black is whack
And big ain't in
Well that's just bull

Cause ladies big is back
And as for black
It's beautiful

All shapes and sizes
Follow me
Who wants a twig
When you can have the whole tree

OMGOMGOMG! --

Blade of the Immortal the anime!!!!!!!!!

... I really should call it Mugen no Juunin.

I am so happy!!!!

I want to go to Japan and watch the first episode this April. >_<

More news here!

Post backlog part 1--

These are some things that I meant to write about but was never able to ... until now!

* * *

One of Johann's prized possessions --

... and another reason why we love used books stores.

This is supposed to be something Johann should post about but he is now a lapsed blogger so I will write about it for him.



When my husband was a "young lad" of 6 (I think he would use these words to describe himself), he read about a review about a fantasy novel written by a guy named Barry Hughart. The story instantly captivated him -- (yes, he was a geek even back then) because it was very rare for fantasy novels to be set in China and this novel claims to be the story of "an Ancient China that never was."

Sadly, he couldn't find a copy of the book back then and he made it his lifelong vow to locate a copy of this book.

The dream came true 20-something years later, when he found an almost-pristine copy in one of the used books sellers here in Iloilo.

Now, he and my sister have made another lifelong vow -- to save up and buy the rare and very expensive omnibus edition which collects the 3 novels.

An interesting exercise --

My friend, Nikka, posted on her blog the Top 100 songs of the year she was born and noted which songs she actually knew.

Here's the list for the Top 100 songs of 1978.
1. Shadow Dancing, Andy Gibb
2. Night Fever, Bee Gees
3. You Light Up My Life, Debby Boone
4. Stayin' Alive, Bee Gees
5. Kiss You All Over, Exile
6. How Deep Is Your Love, Bee Gees
7. Baby Come Back, Player
8. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water, Andy Gibb
9. Boogie Oogie Oogie, A Taste Of Honey
10. Three Times A Lady, Commodores
11. Grease, Frankie Valli <-- if this is the one from the musical then, yes
12. I Go Crazy, Paul Davis
13. You're The One That I Want, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
14. Emotion, Samantha Sang
15. Lay Down Sally, Eric Clapton
16. Miss You, Rolling Stones
17. Just The Way You Are, Billy Joel
18. With A Little Luck, Wings
19. If I Can't Have You, Yvonne Elliman
20. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah), Chic
21. Feels So Good, Chuck Mangione
22. Hot Child In The City, Nick Gilder
23. Love Is Like Oxygen, Sweet
24. It's A Heartache, Bonnie Tyler
25. We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You, Queen
26. Baker Street, Gerry Rafferty
27. Can't Smile Without You, Barry Manilow
28. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late, Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
29. Dance With Me, Peter Brown
30. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad, Meat Loaf
31. Jack And Jill, Raydio
32. Take A Chance On Me, Abba
33. Sometimes When We Touch, Dan Hill
34. Last Dance, Donna Summer
35. Hopelessly Devoted To You, Olivia Newton-John
36. Hot Blooded, Foreigner
37. You're In My Heart, Rod Stewart
38. The Closer I Get To You, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
39. Dust In The Wind, Kansas
40. Magnet And Steel, Walter Egan
41. Short People, Randy Newman
42. Use Ta Be My Girl, O'Jays
43. Our Love, Natalie Cole
44. Love Will Find A Way, Pablo Cruise
45. An Everlasting Love, Andy Gibb
46. Love Is In The Air, John Paul Young
47. Goodbye Girl, David Gates
48. Slip Slidin' Away, Paul Simon
49. The Groove Line, Heatwave
50. Thunder Island, Jay Ferguson
51. Imaginary Lover, Atlanta Rhythm Section
52. Still The Same, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
53. My Angel Baby, Toby Beau
54. Disco Inferno, Trammps
55. On Broadway, George Benson
56. Come Sail Away, Styx
57. Back In Love Again, L.T.D.
58. This Time I'm In It For Love, Player
59. You Belong To Me, Carly Simon
60. Here You Come Again, Dolly Parton
61. Blue Bayou, Linda Ronstadt
62. Peg, Steely Dan
63. You Needed Me, Anne Murray
64. Shame, Evelyn "Champagne" King
65. Reminiscing, Little River Band
66. Count On Me, Jefferson Starship
67. Baby Hold On, Eddie Money
68. Hey Deanie, Shaun Cassidy
69. Summer Nights, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-john
70. What's Your Name, Lynyrd Skynyrd
71. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, Crystal Gayle
72. Because The Night, Patti Smith
73. Every Kinda People, Robert Palmer
74. Copacabana, Barry Manilow
75. Always And Forever, Heatwave
76. You And I, Rick James
77. Serpentine Fire, Earth, Wind and Fire
78. Sentimental Lady, Bob Welch
79. Falling, LeBlanc and Carr
80. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, Santa Esmeralda
81. Bluer Than Blue, Michael Johnson
82. Running On Empty, Jackson Browne
83. Whenever I Call You "Friend", Kenny Loggins
84. Fool (If You Think It's Over), Chris Rea
85. Get Off, Foxy
86. Sweet Talking Woman, Electric Light Orchestra
87. Life's Been Good, Joe Walsh
88. I Love The Night Life, Alicia Bridges
89. You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On), High Inergy
90. It's So Easy, Linda Ronstadt
91. Native New Yorker, Odyssey
92. Flashlight, Parliament
93. Don't Look Back, Boston
94. Turn To Stone, Electric Light Orchestra
95. I Can't Stand The Rain, Eruption
96. Ebony Eyes, Bob Welch
97. The Name Of The Game, Abba
98. We're All Alone, Rita Coolidge
99. Hollywood Nights, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
100. Deacon Blues, Steely Dan

A day late --

Johann and I celebrate two anniversaries -- the day we became a couple and the day we got married.

Yesterday, we celebrated the first one. Four years ago, while walking from Robinson's Galleria to The Podium, Johann asked me if I loved him enough to be his girlfriend and I said yes. In Podium, we bumped into his former boss and he introduced me thus: "This is Tin, she's new."

Happy 4, my crazy dear. ^_^

The Internet is for ... --

We were so excited to read about Citi Hardware stocking bamboo floor panels that we all got into the car and drove there.

They were really lovely but very expensive -- we were surprised to find out how much a "Green" house would potentially cost.

My sister started reading up on bamboo flooring and was a bit horrified to read about how ... fragile it is.

So, my dear, innocent sister decided to google these words "Narra" and "Hard" --

Guess what she found. O_O

My favorite day(s) in Manila --

I wrote about Seth's favorite day so I should write about mine --

I made three wonderful discoveries when I was in Manila -- Kopi Tiam, Banapple and the used bookstores in UP Palma Hall.

I have to thank my cousin, Dex and his mom for taking me and Seth to lunch at Kopi Tiam. Tita and Dex were great hosts -- they actually over-ordered just so we could get to taste as many of the dishes served at Kopi Tiam. When I think of their lechon macau and their kopi, my mouth waters. I miss it! >_<

My cousins also treated me to dinner -- we ended up at Il Pirata in Eastwood, which is an interesting restaurant concept: Pirate/Italian food. The pizza was delicious and I was very happy with the risotto but it was the after dinner treat that was even more amazing. We went to Banapple because my cousin is a big fan of cheesecake (like me) and she wanted me to try as many of the cheesecake varieties there. We ordered three slices of cake and took it home to their house (because Banapple was full) and tried each one. I was very surprised by how good the Banoffee tasted. I couldn't imagine bananas in a pie but this one actually worked! (I tried the one in Red Ribbon here in Iloilo ... I want Banapple! >_<)

I was back at Banapple a few days later to have dinner with two dear friends. This time, we were able to get a table and had dinner there. I hadn't seen these two in a long, long time and I've had very sporadic conversations with them over the years. Dinner was fun -- it felt like no time had passed and things were as they've always been. Banapple now holds one of my happiest memories.

For the last one, I have to thank E! for taking the time to bring me to UP Palma Hall. We browsed through books and I amused the shopkeeper because I was on the phone with Johann and I was listing down all the authors and titles that he might be interested in. What's interesting is that my visit to the UP Palma bookstalls was even more gratifying than my visits to the regular bookstores.

I really love used books. ^_^

If anyone is interested --

Better World Books has a promo in honor of International Women's Day -- get $5 off every $25 purchase.

Let me know if anyone's interested. I'll PM you the promo code. ^_^

It's only until the 15th, though --

* * *

Night/Day/Twilight Watch --

By some miracle, I was able to convince Johann to cull through his overwhelming collection of books. (I managed to get him to give up 10 books. It is a victory, people.)

We discovered an unread copy of Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, which is the basis of the movie of the same title (a really big deal -- the first MASSIVELY successful Russian film).

I will digress here -- the director of the movie is the director of Wanted (based on a really cool comic book series by Mark Millar), which is James MacAvoy goodness.

Anyhoo, Johann and my sister just finished reading Night Watch and are now itching to get a copy of the two other books in the series. Luckily, Better World had them. And we got them at $5 less because of the promo.

It's not Elvis but --

I noticed that one of Seth's corn flakes was shaped like a heart so we took a picture of it.

Been a while --

The problem with traveling is that you have to put your life on hold while you go traipsing about wherever you are headed -- when you come back, you are greeted by a massive backlog of things to do.

Add to that all the photos from the trip and the laundry that you didn't do. ^_^

That's what I've been doing for the past week or two, I've been re-organizing my life and trying to get things running again. It's been hard finding the balance and I still haven't gotten into the groove of things again.

I make it sound like it's such a big deal when, in truth, I didn't really go very far -- I was just in Manila. (And it wasn't for a long time either. ^_^)

* * *

What I've been busy with --

I've been trawling through the magazine sections of Booksale looking for Bookmark, Geek, Dwell, Romantic Times Book Review, etc.

I've been in magazine mode lately. It thrills me to find a gem in the stash of magazines at Booksale. It's my way of being updated in what is happening in Pop culture land. ^_^

I've been watching *ahem* Gossip Girl, which reminds me Cruel Intentions and the first season of The OC (their best season, IMHO). ^_^

Johann found a copy of Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights and it is classic Wong Kar Wai. It actually reminds me a bit of Chungking Express.

I want to gush about this movie! It is so lovely and breathtaking!

I've been eating cookies. Pepperidge Farm Soft-Baked cookies are addicting. I love the Dark Chocolate Chunk! Yesterday, we got their White Chocolate Macadamia (soft baked) and their Dark Chocolate Pecan (crisp).

I think I like soft-baked cookies more than crisp cookies.

Just a thought --

It's interesting that HAVING a temper and LOSING your temper almost mean the same.

* * *

Juno! --

The word that comes to mind is "charming". Ellen Page was charming and perfect. The dialogue and songs were all amazing!

I want Johann and me to sing this --

Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches

You're a part time lover and a full time friend
The monkey on you're back is the latest trend

I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train
I kiss you all starry eyed, my body's swinging from side to side
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Here is the church and here is the steeple
We sure are cute for two ugly people
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me
So why can't, you forgive me?
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

I will find my nitch in your car
With my mp3 DVD rumple-packed guitar
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Up up down down left right left right B A start
Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

You are always trying to keep it real
I'm in love with how you feel
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

We both have shiny happy fits of rage
You want more fans, I want more stage
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Don Quixote was a steel driving man. My name is Adam I'm your biggest fan
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Squinched up your face and did a dance
You shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

Why I like used books --

I forgot to mention that I received my books from Betterworld and I've been reading Christopher Buckley for the past month now.

I was also able to mooch a really nice copy of Thank You For Smoking. So, to date, I have 5 Christopher Buckley books and I've read three of them.

1. No Way to Treat a First Lady
2. Thank You for Smoking
3. The White House Mess
4. Florence of Arabia
5. Wry Martinis

I'm on book #4 right now and I was so thrilled to find this:


It's Christopher Buckley's autograph~!

... now Johann and I have to change our names to Kerry and Susan. ^_^

My favorite is still No Way to Treat a First Lady. Florence of Arabia is really funny. ^_^

We also got a copy of Irving Stone's Passions of the Mind -- his take on Sigmund Freud.

We received a library copy and it still has the old library record. ^_^



I like that my books have a story. ^_^

Happy Valentine's Day! --

You know it's Valentine's Day when the yaya comes in the room at 530 in the morning and she's wearing perfume. ^_^

A lot of things are happening in Iloilo this Valentine's Day -- there's the Christian Bautista concert and the Ogie Alcasid concert. Many of the big restaurants have advertised their Valentine's Day offerings.

I'm really not sure where we are going later -- maybe we'll just catch a movie (Jumper is showing and Hayden Christensen looks really cute.) or maybe just get some ribs from Bourbon Street and eat it at home with Seth and my sister.

Found this photo --

This was when we went to Singapore to watch the PCK the Musical.

* * *

Iloilo is interesting --



Every time we pass this, Johann always comments about how strange and out of place it is.

Happy thoughts (and some not-so-happy) --

If I were superstitious, I would say that the events of the last 5 days were the last hurrah of the Year of the Fire Pig.

Seth had his worst bout with his allergies last Wednesday which led to an unplanned trip to his doctor. That evening, he had a 39.4-degree fever and chills.

On that same day, I woke up with an enormous lump in my throat and a terrible pain in my lungs. I went the work as usual and had difficulty getting through the day because I had chills and I couldn't really breathe very well.

It was, unfortunately, the pulmonologist's day off so I had to suffer through the night. (Well, I really didn't suffer because I was out cold by 7 am. Woken up at 8 to be told that my son had a fever. Was delirious and dead to the world after that.)

The next day, the doctor told me I had Upper Respiratory Tract Infection and gave me meds.

The Year of the Earth Rat is already looking better -- Monday is a non-working holiday for us. When my student asked me if I was happy about that piece of news, I told him that I was extremely happy and thankful that I would get a chance to rest.

* * *

This is kimbap --



It annoys our friends when Johann calls it sushi because they are different. Kimbap is cut thinner than sushi and it is most often rolled with the seaweed- (kim) side out. (I was going to say "always" but I realized that my experience of Korean cuisine is very limited and there may be variations that have the rice side out.)



One of our Korean tenants (a mom) made a big batch yesterday and gave some to us. It is incredibly addicting! Last night, I couldn't resist sneaking to the fridge and grabbing some before going to bed.

My mom mentioned how much we love kimchi and the Korean mom also gave us some. I'm excited to try it. (Although, in my mind, nothing would beat Ceri's kimchi. ^_^)

Two words --

Watch "Weeds"

*
*
*

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes, all the same.

There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes,
And they came out all the same.

And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives, A
nd they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf-course,
And drink their Martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children,
And the children go to school.
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business,
And marry, and raise a family,
In boxes made of ticky-tacky,
And they all look just the same.

There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.
- theme song from "Weeds"

More music from Weeds here. Check out the many, many fun versions of "Little Boxes" (including one by Billy Bob Thornton O_o and Regina Spektor)

Crazy about Kimchi --

I used to hate the smell of Kimchi -- and it annoyed me that Johann would insist on buying a bottle every time we were doing the grocery in Manila.

The obnoxious habit followed him here to Iloilo. When my youngest brother was here, they went into this Kimchi-eating frenzy --

I didn't understand the appeal -- until a week ago when our Korean mom gave us some of her homemade Kimchi.

She took a certificate course in cooking when she was still living in Korea and she loves to experiment and create (what she calls) "original recipes."

And now I am a convert and addicted to the stuff.

* * *

From an amazing website called Poketo --

I accidentally stumbled upon this website when I was searching for a wallet. (I am still searching.)

Poketo -- it's an amazing online store which sells really funky products.

They've gathered a group of young artists to design wallets, bags and tshirts for them and each item is a limited series.

We got Johann a Rama Hughes wallet for his birthday.



It's an incredibly minimalist wallet. The slots are all made of clear vinyl (or is it PVC?) and it folds flat. Each wallet comes with a certificate (because they actually become collector's items) and a button.





When I showed Johann the website, he actually had a hard time choosing a wallet because there were a lot of very nice designs. He eventually settled on this one because of the robot theme.

Are you a Geek? --

I found another back issue of Geek Monthly at Booksale and it contained the First Annual Geek Reader's Quiz --

I thought it was really cool so I've typed it up here for everyone else's reading enjoyment. (Yes, I am geek enough to do something like this. ^_^)

Yes or No:

1. Does your ATM PIN number in any way reference Star Trek?

2. Do you think Blu-ray is better than HD DVD?

3. Do you think HD DVD is better than Blu-ray?

4. Do you spend more than 5 minutes a week contemplating if you need to upgrade your RAM?

5. Do you own an iPhone?

6. Do you refuse to own an iPhone because you're a PC guy and hell will freeze over before you buy a Mac, and although an iPhone isn't a Mac it's made by Apple and that's just too close for comfort?

7. At a car dealership do you ask about Bluetooth, Navigation and MP3 jacks, but not about horsepower, air bags or anti-lock brakes?

8. Have you ever said the names Captain Picard and Captain Kirk in the same sentence?

9. Does it bother you that George Lucas has ever altered anything?

10. Do you feel that Uwe Boll must be stopped?

11. Have you ever gone 24 hours without sleep because you just needed to reach the next level?

12. Have you ever asked someone "what server do they play on"?

13. Have you ever had an argument about "DPS"?

14. Have you ever hacked your Tivo?

15. Have you seen checks and cash but don't use them?

16. Are you not sure if a Terabyte of storage is enough?

17. Have you ever read a novelization of any movie?

18. Have you ever typed any of the following: ROFL, LOL, OMFG, STFU or PWNED?

19. Have you ever replaced all previous 4-letter expletives with "noob"?

20. Do you know who Mark Altman is?

21. Have you ever used the word "replicant" in a conversation?

22. Have you ever said "There can be only one" fully expecting that anyone hearing you would understand the reference?

23. Do you think Empire was the best of the three movies? (If you don't know what this means, you are 100% Geek free. No need to continue.)

24. Do you know what a Zentradi Warship is?

25. Has a video game review ever made you mad?

26. When asked who is hotter: Lara Croft or Jessica Biel, do you need a moment to think?

27. Have you ever looked down on fans of V with derision?

28. Have you ever opened your computer without a tech support technician on the phone?

29. Have you ever spent more than $50 on a toy ... for yourself?

30. Do you purchase all beverages based upon their caffeine content?

31. Have you ever camped out overnight for movie tickets?

32. Do you own dice with more than 6 sides?

33. Do you think it's important for all personal electronics to have a holster?

34. Have you ever actually contructed anything designed by Alton Brown on Food TV's Good Eats?

35. Have you ever upgraded the firmware on your cell phone?

36. Have you ever modified the registry on your computer?

37. Is your computer liquid cooled?

38. Are your political views influenced by South Park?

39. Are you certain that "The Truth is Out There", but you're long past caring?

40. Have you ever used a Magic Eight Ball as a decision-making tool?

41. Do you own more than one version of Army of Darkness on DVD?

42. Have you ever owned a watch with a calculator built in to it?

43. Have you ever attempted a William Shatner impersonation?

44. Do your favorite shows almost always require a letter writing campaign to keep them alive?

45. Do you get annoyed when people suggest anything animated is automatically intended for children?

46. Do you feel the X-Men movies would have been better if Wolverine's costume just had more yellow?

47. Have you ever gone out in public in a costume on evenings other than Halloween?

48. Can you finish this sentence: "The odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are ___ to 1."

49. Have you ever wondered why the Six Million Dollar Man had cross-hairs in his bionic eye?

50. Have you ever recommended an internet porn site to a friend?

*
*
*

Scoring:

0-10: Don't worry, you're not a geek. You clearly picked up this magazine at a hair salon or doctor's office and are in the process of putting it down.

11-20: You're not a geek, but you may have relatives or spouses who have imposed their interests on you enough that you've picked up a few basics.

21-30: You're getting into geekdom, but you may be too old to trust computers or too young to recommend internet porn sites yet.

31-40: You're getting there, but you may have enough residual shame about being a Trekkie (Ok fine ... Trekker) that you lied about a few of the questions.

41-49: You call yourself a geek? How could you have gotten this far and not gotten every one of these questions right? Go to your room!

50: Welcome, friend.

A proper post --

We were able to find a copy of Atonement -- it's a beautiful, beautiful film and deserves all the buzz that it is getting.

It's based on the novel by Ian McEwan and is Joe Wright's "follow-up" movie to "Pride and Prejudice." I think this is the movie that will establish Keira Knightley as a "serious" actress. James McAvoy is amazing as Robbie Turner -- a man who is always caught between two worlds and the actress playing Briony is intense with her freaky blue eyes. O_O

Now I want to find a copy of the book. ^_^

* * *

No trips to the cinema for Johann and Tin --

We were really looking forward to watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets but we still haven't seen it. ~sigh~

It's been a series of sickness in our house -- first, Seth and then, Johann ... (and now I have a tickle in my throat) ~sigh~

We did get to see Bee Movie last week. I enjoyed it but I thought Matthew Broderick's character was underused.

I just hope they don't pull out the movies on Wednesday.

* * *

The most FUN birthday present --

This is what we got in the mail --



It came with a note from my youngest brother, explaining that he had planned to send us 30 bags of chips (to mark our 30th birthday) -- different flavors but he could only fit 20 in the box.

It's INSANE! He even labeled them -- we were really bouncing as we inspected each bag.

Here are some of the unique flavors --


Steak!


Bacon and Eggs!


Tonkatsu!


Snow Cheese!


Bonito and Plum!

This is one of the reasons why he couldn't fit all 30 bags.



This is the collector's edition of Ged's War Chronicles -- the first project of Hayao Miyazaki's son.

Joy and Jubilation! ^_^

A Tribute to Stan Lee --

Stan The Man

The artwork is amazing! ^_^

I am doing a somersault and a backflip in my head --

One of our Korean friends, Phoebe, recently returned from her 6-month stay in Australia. She gave us a copy of Australia Home Beautiful (an amazing interior design magazine) and 3 packs of this:



Snack packs of Nutella with its own spoon!!!

Yes, I have opened one and ate it straight from the pack.

Glorious!~

* * *

Internet gone wonky --

We are subscribed with Globe Broadband and, apparently, there was a Visayas- and Mindanao-wide problem that started last Monday. One of the lines in Roxas got disconnected and it affected our internet connection.

What I love about Globe is that they are honest. When I called their 171, the guy I spoke to had a carefully-prepared speech explaining the problem (admitting it was their fault) and their estimated repair time.

He told me within 4 days and he was right.

Book your tickets, pack your bags --

Here is a calendar of events and holidays in the Philippines (Thank you to Our Awesome Planet ^_^)

I would love to go and watch the World Pyro Olympics, which starts on February 16 -- but I can't seem to fit it in my travel schedule (and budget). T_T

Interesting gadgets --

Stumbled upon this website and discovered this really nifty gadget --

It's a puncher for seaweed! You could use the cut-up seaweed to decorate onigiri! Cute~

And this one is perfect for Manga lovers!

So cute!!! --

I didn't know Tokidoki had its own website --

The t-shirts are especially cute!

The birthday post --

We kicked off the birthday weekend with dinner at Rai Rai Ken. We had Seth along and he got his first taste of chasyu ramen. We'd been craving Japanese food for quite a while now and it was made worse by Anthony Bourdain's little tour of Japan. (I want Okonomiyaki! >_<)

On Saturday, Johann and I took Seth swimming at the clubhouse of Puerto Real (a subdivision near Jaro) -- Seth really enjoyed swimming and didn't mind that it was very cold. The driver said he could hear Seth laughing.

Sunday was the big day -- Johann and I got the morning off and went to Robinson's to visit Booksale. We splurged on books and magazines and went away with a bagful of really good finds. I found a copy of Frances Mayes' Bella Tuscany for PhP77 and Johann discovered a new magazine (that came with a CD of really cool songs) for PhP110.

I found an interesting book on Japanese culture for my brother for PhP15 --

We spent a total of PhP500 at Booksale and went away very happy. ^_^

On our way home, we stopped by Bo's Coffee in SM Delgado and treated ourselves to a cup each. ^_^ While waiting, I went to SM Supermarket and bought some grapes for Seth.

As 30th birthdays go, this one was a no-frills/no-fuss celebration. We got a birthday cake --



We got the strangest birthday greetings -- one was from the staff of Mercury Drug. We were there picking up my mom's prescription and, apparently, your birthday is recorded on the Suki Card, so they greeted us. We also got a birthday greeting from Globe on our cellphones. ^_^

* * *

New bag! --

I've been looking for a good-sized bag for work -- something that I could carry a book and the rest of my things in.

I found this in SM.



It's the perfect size plus I like how bright and lively it is. ^_^

* * *

I still want --

A new wallet.

* * *

Currently reading --

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

In a recent article, Jessice Zafra listed 31 books that she wants to read before 2008 ends. Here's my list (so far):
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
The Penguin Book of Food and Drink by Paul Levy
Citizen Girl by by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Krauss
Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes

... I should have a list of 30 books, in keeping with my age. Will update this when I get the rest of my books. ^_^

Last post of the year! Lists part 4 --

Movies I'm looking forward to in 2008 --
1. National Treasure: Book of Secrets
2. The Dark Knight
3. Wanted <-- James Mcavoy is the actor du jour for the year. He's everywhere -- Atonement, Wanted, Becoming Jane ... I loved him when he played Leto in Children of Dune. =^_^=
4. Iron Man
5. Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Here's the Top 10 for Yahoo.

Things I am looking forward to in 2008 --
1. Trip to Manila (dunno when though)
2. Trip to Cebu (dunno when as well)
3. Books arriving from Betterworld (Hello, Christopher Buckley! ^_^)
4. Maybe Singapore with Seth
5. My birthday
... also Seth's 2nd birthday and Boracay (dunno when...again)

Happy 2008 everyone! ^_^

Lists part 3 --

Best Gifts received in 2007 --
1. Seth ^_^
2. A copy of Freakonomics given to me by Johann and my sister
3. A piece of paper that contains my name and Johann's ^_^
4. (post-Christmas) Lunch at Days Hotel with Johann and my sister
5. A Bailey's gift set with a shaker!

... also, the gift of really good friends who, despite the distance, lends a hand in a pinch. (And come up with such wonderful surprises ^_^)

... the most unique gift I got was from my youngest brother -- he gave me a kimono! I don't know how to wear it but it hangs rather nicely beside Johann's shirts. ^_^

Things I miss in Manila --
1. Starbucks a block away from my place
2. Tropicana orange juice (Lots of Pulp)
3. Bookstores T_T
4. Massages at Natural Spa
5. My friends T_T

... also riding the jeepney to UP, riding the LRT2 to Gateway, walking around Ateneo ...

Promises for 2008 --
1. Lose weight
2. Read more books
3. Travel more
4. Save more
5. Say "yes" as often as possible

Lists part 2 --

Happy Thoughts for 2007 --
1. Seth and Johann, My sibs and my parents
2. The trip to Cebu last February
3. Betterworld.com and a Credit Card
4. Singapore, August 2007 ^_^
5. Days Hotel Saturday Buffet

... also Bourbon Street Baby Back Ribs and a good cup of coffee

Discoveries for 2007 --
1. Chicken Steam Rice!!! <-- ohmigod! So amazing! We had it for Christmas lunch and I am seriously thinking about ordering it again for New Year
2. Dental Health is important
3. GCash is very convenient.
4. Coons cheese is delicious and makes very good grilled cheese sandwiches.
5. Betterworld.com

Life-changing experiences --
1. Seth's First Birthday
2. Buying books on Ebay.ph
3. Getting a post-paid plan from Globe
4. Getting elected (ICCHSAA)
5. A piece of paper that contains my name and Johann's ^_^

Places in Iloilo --
1. Bourbon Street
2. Booksale-SM and Booksale-Robinson's
3. R & F's room -- with Seth and Pia there ^_^
4. National Bookstore
5. Anywhere Seth is ^_^

Places Elsewhere --
1. Trinoma
2. Rustan's Fresh in Katipunan
3. Sebastian's Ice Cream Station in Podium
4. Fully Booked at The Fort <-- I've never been there but I know it is a happy place...
5. Anywhere Seth is ^_^

Lists part 1--

I normally do this earlier but I haven't been feeling well --

5 Favorite Books for 2007 --
1. I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother by Allison Pearson
2. Pay the Piper: A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
3. No Way to Treat A First Lady by Christopher Buckley
4. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
5. A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal by Anthony Bourdain

5 TV Series for 2007 --
1. Heroes!!!
2. Las Vegas
3. Gilmore Girls <-- haven't blogged about Season 7
4. Entourage
5. Grey's Anatomy
... also House, Boston Legal and The Starter Wife

5 Songs for 2007 --
1. Mr Brightside by The Killers
2. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
3. 9 Crimes by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan
4. Beautiful Day by U2
5. These Days by Nico

5 Movies for 2007 --
1. 300
2. Thank You For Smoking
3. Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix
4. Ratatouille
5. Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
... also Hot Fuzz

5 Movies I want to watch --
1. Once
2. Lust, Caution
3. Juno
4. Children of Men
5. Letters from Iwo Jima <-- have a copy but haven't gotten around to watching it yet
... also Waitress, Sicko and Wordplay

5 Comic Book Series for 2007 --
1. Daredevil
2. Batman and Son story arc by Grant Morrison
3. Mouse Guard
4. The Umbrella Academy
5. Fables

... to be continued ^_^

Merry Merry! --

Lookie what we got in the mail! --

The latest copy of Read! It really made our day!

* * *

More on books --

My youngest bro pointed me to this online bookstore -- Better World Books. They have a great mission statement -- they want to promote literacy and are a green company.

They sell used and new books and their prices are very good.

The absolute best part? $2.97 shipping WORLDWIDE.

I already have all of Christopher Buckley's books in my shopping cart. Will be placing my order after the 25th. Whee~

Konting kwento part 1--

Kwento #1: A tale of two offices --

Johann and I are trying to fix our finances. We've done the adult thing and invested some in mutual funds, some in stocks and the rest in a nice decent-interest-earning bank account.

It's the end of the year so we are reviewing our meager savings (it is small, but we are proud of it ^_^) -- and making decisions about what to do next year.

Our mutual funds have earned a pretty good interest so we decided to redeem the interest so we could invest it in other things.

We have two mutual fund accounts -- one is with Philam and one is with Sunlife. I dealt with Philam first -- I called their local office here and they gave me instructions on how I could make the redemption. I went to their office one afternoon -- it was around 3 pm. I asked the guard in the building which one is the PAMI office and he pointed me to the second floor. When I entered the office, I told the first person I saw what I wanted to do. She gave me a form, asked to see my mutual fund certificate and two IDs (my SSS and my old Ateneo ID). After she had reviewed everything, she told me to come back in a week because they needed to process the paperwork. (It would have been faster had I opted to have the funds transferred directly to a bank account but I opted to get a check instead.) While I was there, I asked the girl about Philam's new products and she explained some to me and made recommendations. When I left the building, I checked my watch -- it was 3:30 pm.

In about 5 days, I get a call informing me that my check was ready to be picked up. I went there, showed them my ID and my stock certificate and I got my check.

Last Friday, Johann and I skipped work in the morning so we could go to the Sun Life office. When I entered their office, I asked the guard where I should go. He kept asking me who my agent was and that I should deal with him/her directly. I explained my situation and he gave me a blank stare. Eventually, they sent me to their second floor office. When I got to the second floor, I approached the teller and told her what I wanted to do. She also asked me who my agent was so I had to explain my situation a second time. She finally understood what I wanted to do and sent me back downstairs again. Before I left the second floor, I asked her to inform their guard and whoever else needed to be informed that my business was with the ground floor. (I didn't want to be pingpong-ed back and forth.)

Back downstairs we went -- a nice lady attended to me. She told me I needed to fill out a form but I had to wait a bit because the forms were upstairs and they were sending someone down to hand it over. After a few minutes, I filled out the form. She asked me for two IDs so I gave her my SSS and my old Ateneo ID. She told me that my Ateneo ID was not a valid form of identification because it expired in 2006. She asked me if I had any other ID that had my name, my picture and my signature on it. I told her that I only had my passport but it was at home. So I asked for their fax number and told them I would fax it as soon as I got home. (I had to submit everything before 12 otherwise it would be processed the next business day, which would be on the 26th.)

We arrived at their office at 10, we left at 11 and we still hadn't concluded our transaction.

So I went home, made a photocopy of my passport and tried to fax it. The number they gave me was busy. I tried several times after and it was still busy. So I waited about 10 minutes (it was already 11:30) and was finally able to connect and fax it over. I called to confirm that they had received it. They asked me to re-fax it because the words "Republika ng Pilipinas/The Republic of the Philippines" weren't clear --

I was already annoyed at this point -- their office system was inefficient and not customer-friendly. It annoyed me even more that they asked me to re-fax it for such a small niggle. But I re-faxed it anyway. I got another call, asking me to make a clearer copy. So I asked them what it was that they wanted -- if they had wanted proof that I was who I said I was and that the name, face and signature matched then they should have accepted my Ateneo ID. If what they wanted was a name, face, signature and indication that that form of identification wasn't expired then the copy of my passport should be sufficient because all of those were clear.

I had to fax the copy yet again. I guess the third copy was acceptable already because they didn't call back.

I'm glad they are being thorough and I appreciate it because I know they won't just give out anyone's payments without checking first -- but I honestly felt that what they were asking was beyond reasonable. I'm lucky that I live very near their office and that I have a car (and a fax machine) at my disposal. Imagine some poor Joe/Jane riding how many jeepneys only to be told that she brought the "wrong" requirements and having to come back.

Yes, I read ads --

And I'm glad I do --

I stumbled upon this really nice one by Shell while reading Wired --



Say No to No --

Isn't it high time someone got negative about negativity?
Yes it is.
Look around. The world is full of things that, according to nay-sayers, should never have happened.
"Impossible."
"Impractical."
"No."
And yet "yes."
Yes, continents have been found.
Yes, men have played golf on the moon.
Yes, straw is being turned into biofuel to power cars.
Yes, yes, yes.
What does it take to turn no into yes?
Curiosity. An open mind. A willingness to take risks.
And, when the problem seems most insoluble, when the challenge is hardest, when everyone else is shaking their heads, to say: let's go.


Ganda no? I think this will be my mantra for next year. ^_^ (Except with Seth -- who will hear the word "no" a million and a half times more in the next few years. ^_^)

Turning 30 --

In twenty days, Johann and I are turning 30. It's a strange number and I can't quite wrap my head around it --

I am not afraid of getting older. It's the number that boggles my mind because it starts with "thir-" --

I'm babbling.

I feel an incredible need to mark the occasion with something big --

An unexpected Christmas gift --

I got this in the mail last Friday --





It's from one of my Bookmooch friends (I only have 3 friends -- hahaha!).

She included a bookplate for me -- I've never received bookplates, ever -- so now I am trying to decide which on my books deserves this very rare gift. I might stick it on my copy of Possession. ^_^

* * *

Did you know? --

Hayao Miyazaki's son created an animated movie based on Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea stories. The Japanese title is Ged's War Chronicles and the Japanese version has English subtitles!

There's a special edition of the movie available on Amazon Japan. I think I want...

Currently craving --

Ever since my dad brought some home (leftovers from their meetings), I've been craving these --



We call it "tiren-tiren" -- I was going to add that it translates to "train" (which is what it looks like) but Ilonggos don't actually call a train "tiren" --

"Tiren-tiren" actually translates to "follow follow" --

This particularl tiren-tiren is from Tibiao Bakery. I love the crusty exterior and the sweet (not caramel but caramel-esque) filling.





The filling reminds me of pastel but not as sweet and not as custard-y.



One time, the driver and I actually had a conversation regarding bread. These days, the quality of bread (in general) has improved a lot. Bread is no longer just a pang-sawsaw sa kape or Milo but has taken on a leading role in an Ilonggo's daily food repertoire.

What I like best about bread here in Iloilo is that it is still very affordable. One tiren-tiren costs PhP10.00

On the other hand, I'm also happy that old favorites are still being preserved. The Pandesal ni Paa, which is over 100 years old has managed to keep its original recipe.

* * *

Rub-a-dub-dub. Thanks for the grub. --

Raf and Florie recently treated us to Bourbon Street in Smallville. We had been hearing a lot of good things about that restaurant and were very excited to try it. Their bestseller is their ribs, which is very good.

A few days ago, we decided to order some ribs for take-out so my sister could try some. (She wasn't able to go with us because she had a cough and we were afraid of infecting the children.)

The ribs come in two sizes -- half (which they say is good for 2 people) for PhP265 and the full (which we ordered with Raf and Florie and we still had extras) for PhP400++



We also ordered their sliders -- 3 mini burgers, which were so yummy!



Total cost for 3 people = PhP390. ^_^