If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be that we're all ok
And not to worry because worry is wasteful and useless in times like these
I will not be made useless, I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith for light does the darkness most fear
- "Hands" by Jewel
A few days ago we tried out the new Greenwich flavor: Philly Cheesesteak Overload, which is part of the new line from Greenwich (Pizza for Men).
The cream cheese on pizza, mixed with mozzarella was a revelation. Next time, I will keep a tub or bar of cream cheese handy and I'll put it on my pizza as another topping.
The meat part was a bit too heavy for me --
Anyhoo, it got me and my sister talking -- would we be able to differentiate the different pizza brands blindfolded?
If so, how? By crust? By distinctive flavor?
What would be a good flavor to try this with? Pepperoni? Or do we go with each brands "signature" pizza?
I'm not sure what the policy is, but I wish people would take the initiative to bag their own groceries when there are no baggers available at the check-out counter.
It will really speed along each person's transaction if the cashier can just punch the items on the register and not have to pause from time to time to bag the items.
I've been a member of Bookmooch since October 2007 and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
I was able to mooch really amazing books (like some Judith Tarr books for my sister and 2 David Hartwell anthologies in HARDCOVER format) and was able to give away some books that people have been looking for.
I've sent books to as far away as Iran and Zambia (through the local post office -- Philpost And they didn't get lost!) and received books from France, Australia, etc.
The package is part of the fun -- I love getting the stamps and looking at the postmarks from different countries. ^_^
Most recently, I received a mooch from New Caledonia.
I'll probably never get to travel to New Caledonia (or many of the countries I've sent books to and received books from) -- but it makes me smile thinking that someone is reading my book in those countries (Iran and Zambia) and I have a little something of New Caledonia right here in the little, quiet city of Iloilo. ^_^
I was supposed to process our visa for Japan but decided at the last minute to let my aunt's travel agency handle the processing for us.
Which meant I had a ticket to Cebu --
And a chance to spend the day with one of my most favorite people in the world -- my cousin. ^_^
I arrived at around 930 and my cousin's hubby picked me up at the airport. We went to Banilad Town Center where we met my cousin and my nephew at Gymboree.
She then took me pasalubong shopping at Leona's (for their AMAZING Carrot Walnut Loaf) and Cafe George (for their ADDICTING Banana Loaf).
Lunch was at Spice Fusion. It surprised me that my cousin's hubby asked us to make reservations, considering it was lunch -- but when I tried the food and saw the crowd coming in, I understood the need.
Must, must try: The Roti (I actually ordered 2 and brought it back to Iloilo), the super crunchy Singapore Chicken and everything else on the menu.
My cousin and I spent the early part of the afternoon at their house and we just talked while I figured out how I was going to bring home all of my purchases (on Go-Lite) --
This was my favorite part of my visit -- I got to catch up with my cousin and was able to ask for her thoughts on some concerns I have. (My cousin is really great about giving advice.)
Our last stop was Fullybooked where I promised myself that I would only buy 3 books (1 for me, 1 for my sister and 1 for Johann) -- I ended up buying about 6 books. Hahaha!
Then it was time to go back to the airport for my flight home.
BEST DAY I've had in a while.
* * *
This is how much I've changed --
I pride myself with being good about time.
I'm always arrive promptly at events and whatnot.
For my trip going, I arrived at the airport at 815am for a 905am flight and was the last person to check in.
For my trip coming back, I arrived at the airport just in time for the last call for confirmed ticket holders on my flight. (The porter helping me with my box had to run to the counter to tell them not to close.)
Betterworld Books is one of my favorite online shops. I've find Hard-to-find and Out-of-Print titles here at very good prices and I love the flat shipping rate ($3.97 to international destinations.)
I recently checked their website and found an interesting new development -- Betterworld Books now has a Buyback policy -- you can sell your books to them! (They'll even pay for shipping if you're selling more than 3 books.)
Unfortunately, the offer is only available in the US. ~sigh~
I hope they expand this and open it to countries outside of the US.
I read a lot of Nancy Drew growing up. (One of our older cousins gave us her entire collection when she visited us.)
Also a lot of encyclopedias. One of my best memories of childhood is my mom leaving the most current catalog of Reader's Digest books and let us pick 2. My siblings would deliberate on which 2 books we would get and we ended up with gems like: How Was It Done?, When, Where, Why and How It Happened, The Story of Jesus, etc.
We also read a lot of comics. I remember my uncle sending us the Mile High Comics catalog (back when they were printing them) and told us to pick one each. We weren't picky back then -- we didn't mind getting grab bags because we just wanted to have a lot of comics to read. ^_^
Believe it or not, I didn't get into Sweet Valley and Sweet Dreams until I was in high school. Comfort Reading (to which i return again and again) 1. Possession by A.S. Byatt 2. Tuesdays with Morrie <-- which I read every New Year's Eve 3. Reader's Digest issues (old and new) <-- laughter really is the best medicine ^_^ 4. Little Women <-- but not so often. I just think about it (especially Beth's dying scene) and I get misty-eyed. 5. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 6. Worried All the Time by David Anderegg 7. Suddenly Silver by Lynn Johnston
Best I've Read in the Past Year Apologies ... this list will contain romance novels and comic books because that's what I've been reading mostly ... 1. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas <-- she's an interesting writer though -- she's Asian-American and English wasn't her first language. 2. The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba 3. How to Eat by Nigella Lawson <-- I read this one a few years back and decided to re-read it. I love her. >_< 4. Anna Godbersen's Series: The Luxe, Rumors, Envy ... can't wait for the next one! 5. Mary Balogh's Simply Series <-- didn't like her the first time I read her. But this series was very good. ^_^ 6. Tempted by his Kiss by Tracy Anne Warren <-- read this a few days ago. Amazing! Can't wait for the next installment. 7. My youngest brother's dissertation proposal <-- it was choppy and I helped him edit it and his proposal was approved (not because I edited it ha. The topic is very interesting). (Made me feel good knowing that I still had a bit of the teacher in me. =^_^=)
Ones which I've only pretended to read in their entirety 1. Ulysses by James Joyce <-- was supposed to read this for my compre -- read the first five chapters and then made a big show of flipping through the rest of the book 2. The Republic by Plato 3. Siddharta by Herman Hesse <-- was supposed to read this for a class. Don't know how I managed to get through that paper and test without having actually read the book
Strangely have never picked up 1. JRR Tolkien <-- but I am not a fan of fantasy (or SF) 2. Gabriel Garcia Marquez <-- I've only read 2 short stories 3. Haruki Murakami <-- one of my husband's favorite authors. I've only read Sputnik Sweetheart and 1 short story 4. Philip Pullman <-- I tried to read him ... but I couldn't understand it. T_T
I did get 3 of the 6 numbers, which means I won ... 100 pesos!
<-- look at set B of my lotto ticket
I know it's such a small amount but I'm thrilled that I finally got some of the numbers correct. (Considering it's 49 numbers. The odds are astounding!) Sayang nga e -- I could've gotten 4 numbers right if I had chosen 28 instead of 27. ^_^
* * *
It's all in the packaging --
Been meaning to post this for a while now -- but Johann and I stumbled upon an interesting bag of chips a few months back.
It was actually the flavor that caught my eye and it was only later that we discovered that it was locally made by Oishi.
It's the same size as Kettle Chips and only slightly smaller than the Lays/Ruffles chips but it was way, way cheaper. (I think it was about 50 pesos for the bag.)
While in line to check out, the woman behind me asked me where I got the bag. (The packaging is very eye-catching.) And I told her where we found it but warned her that it seemed to be the only bag left.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to taste it -- by the time we decided to open the bag, Anya was around and I was breastfeeding. (I was worried that the wasabi might find its way into my milk and annoy the little one.)
Johann thought it was good -- but not something one person can eat alone.
Our friends just came back from Spain. They dropped off some pasalubong for us -- the usual stuff for the kids -- fun activities and knickknacks.
This is what they got for us --
SMURF Marshmallows!!!
Insane cuteness!!! >_<
The problem is, I don't know if I want to eat them.
Or how --
I'm thinking, smores.
* * *
Coming home --
One of my favorite memories is about chocolate cake --
Every time we came home from school (in Manila), my parents always fetched us from the airport. (No matter the time of day or how busy they were -- they'd always be there at arrival area to welcome us home.)
There'd also be a chocolate cake in the back seat that my dad picked up from Carlo's bakery on the way to the airport.
It wasn't the fanciest cake -- but it was delicious and it was the perfect way to welcome us back to Iloilo.
Carlo's closed years ago and I've (un)consciously measured all other chocolate cakes against it and, as expected, most other cakes fell short.
Early this year, we discovered the Carlo's was reopening and the first thing I thought of was chocolate cake.
It took us 5 months to eventually go there but we finally made the trip last Thursday.
And they had the cake!
And it was just as amazing.
My sister and I were eating it together and we felt the same way -- it felt like coming home. (We are home. ^_^)
Even Johann, who is very particular about his chocolate cake (he likes it fudgy and not spongy; he likes the icing to be of a particular consistency and not too thick; etc.) loved it.
When my dad came home and saw the cake, he said, "It's bigger now, isn't it?"
But it made him smile -- (too bad he can't eat it anymore.)
...to tall men I'm a midget, and to short men I'm a giant; to the skinny ones I'm a fat man, and to the fat ones I'm a thin man. - The Phantom TollBooth
I've always been amused by how my body was made --
I've always hovered between a size 10 to size 14 (and I wish I could go down a size or two.)
My eyes are too big and my mouth is too big. When I would have my makeup done, the makeup artist would always do the "minimizing trick" on my lips.
And, my feet are big too. Especially now -- my feet grew a bit with each pregnancy and now I'm in-between sizes so it's very hard for me to buy shoes.
I'm big where I should be small ... And I'm small where I should be big!
Drawing blood has always been a major chore -- I have very small, very thin veins. The lab techs usually have to call their "seniors" to extract my blood. This last OGTT, they had to get blood 5 times from the same arm (my left arm) because they couldn't find veins thick enough to poke with an injection on my right arm. (There have been times when even the senior lab techs had to draw the blood from my hand because the veins there are thicker.)
I also have a small cervix -- which is why I had to deliver Seth via CS because his head wouldn't fit!
I also have small teeth, which explains the gap between my two front teeth. All of my siblings dreaded getting their wisdom teeth because those would crowd their existing teeth (they all had their wisdom teeth pulled out). In my case, the dentist was actually praying that they would come out big so that they could push my teeth and close the gap. (My wisdom teeth are small-ish and no such pushing occurred.)
I also have small ears!
I recently renewed my passport and had such a hard time getting the photo part right. The new passport requirement is that both ears should be visible. I had tucked my hair behind my ears and smoothed my hair down by clipping it (at the back so that it wouldn't be visible in the picture). The photographer tried several times and my ears just wouldn't show!
As a last resort, she rolled several strips of paper and tucked those on my ear so they would stick out a little.
This has been circulating around the Internet for a while now --
It was Johann who told me about it and we had a fairly lengthy discussion about how st**p*d the Bureau of Customs is.
When we were graduate students, my sister and I had to deal with the Bureau of Customs officer holding up school books (Norton edition of Madame Bovary and Arden/Oxford editions of some of Shakespeare's plays), which we purchased from Amazon.com and asking us what the books were about and having to pay a hefty tax just to get them. (This is despite showing our valid school IDs and explaining to them what the books were about.)
As hobbyists, it was agonizing trying to explain that "Vampire: The Eternal Struggle" was a game and had nothing to do with our religious beliefs.
I kinda understand that the BOC is pressured to meet a collections quota -- the quarterly failure to meet such quota is usually printed in newspapers but there has got to be a better way.
Product Description: As the role of an Elizabethan theatre entrepreneur trying to put on plays, the object is to acquire Shakespeare's scripts, form companies, and acquire props and large sums of money to enable these productions. Throughout the game, there are opportunities to earn money by answering questions on Shakespeare's plays (trivia) as well as reading short extracts of his plays (performance). There are also opportunities to trade, pick a fight with your rival, or flirt with a neighbor to persuade them to participate in future endeavors. Meanwhile, Fate cards are drawn to either help or hinder play, adding an interesting twist. The goal is to earn the most Acclaim Points by the end of the game (based on plays and assets).
Johann and I were thinking of what to do this Valentine's Day -- and we ended up purchasing dinner vouchers to one of our favorite places in Iloilo.
The Saturday Buffet at the Promenade of Day's Hotel is considered quite expensive here in Iloilo and we only indulge in it once or twice a year (usually at New Year's and at one other time in the middle of the year) --
We bought our tickets early and were able to reserve a good table --
It was very rainy yesterday and it made everything very gray and gloomy but we were looking forward to our "grand" meal --
I had thought it would be a "couple's day" so it surprised me to see families -- WHOLE families -- all in red, having Valentine's dinner together.
The dessert table was AMAZING. They had strawberry-based desserts (the trifle was yummy!) and chocolate-based desserts (Johann loved their tiramisu).
On Tuesday, we're having a post-Valentine's celebration -- we're watching Underworld and having dinner at SM City. ^_^
I read about Perri Todd's in Flavours of Iloilo and was curious about it.
Two days ago, we decided to look for the place and was surprised to discover that it was relatively near my house. O_o (We even took the roundabout route and started from the farthest point of that street.)
We were pleasantly surprised to see that the place was packed (read: food must be good).
We gave the waiter our order and asked him how long it would take to get our burger -- he told us it wouldn't take long because they have the grill going and they were continuously cooking burgers.
True enough, after about 5 minutes (was going to write "3 minutes" but that wouldn't be that believable) we got our cheeseburger.
I was very, very excited to get home -- I couldn't wait to get my teeth into a grilled burger. (Up to this point, our burger experience in Iloilo has been limited to Mcdo and Jollibee.)
We were expecting a big burger -- but we didn't expect it to be this big.
The plain burger costs 100 pesos and the cheeseburger (what we got) is 120 pesos. They have extra toppings available (bacon, mushrooms, blue cheese) for 30 pesos each.
We divided the burger into 6 portions and it was delicious! I wish I had a side of fries with my portion.
Johann thinks he can eat a whole burger by himself. O_o
This seems to be their "official" announcement/advertisement:
Perri Todd's is a to go delivery service which sells burgers, pasta and baby back ribs.
A burger (plain) costs 100 pesos (good for 4 pax) add ons (bacon, caramelized onion, pineapple, grilled patty, and cheese) are for 30 pesos each.
Pastas (carbonara, seafood, and pomodoro) are for only 120 (good for 3-4 pax)
Minimum for delivery is 300.00 pesos
However, if you are within Jaro area, the management will deliver orders above 200 pesos.
CALL PERRI TODD's at (033)508-25-98, and order now.
I have another Glucose Test scheduled next week but I couldn't resist it -- I flipped open a Nigella Lawson cookbook and succumbed to her words.
I'm not a good cook and I'm a terrible baker -- but I love reading cookbooks and I have a lot of them -- for some strange reason, my sibs (and Johann) got me cookbooks as gifts in times past.
I enjoy reading Nigella Lawson -- she experiences such an honest pleasure over cooking and eating -- which I think is rare in our time. She's also quite funny and she inserts little tidbits even in her cooking/baking instructions. ^_^
If anyone can make this for me, I will love that person forever (or until the next craving) --
Snickers and Peanut Butter Muffin 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder pinch of salt 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 large egg, beaten 3/4 cup milk 3 1/2 full-size Snickers bars, chopped
12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the peanut butter and mix until you have a bowl of coarse crumbs. Add the melted butter and egg to the milk, and then stir this gently into the bowl. Mix in the Snickers pieces and dollop into the muffin cups.
Cook for 20-25 minutes, when the tops should be risen, golden, and firm to the (light) touch. Sit the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before taking out each muffin in its paper cup and leaving them on the wire rack to cool.
The two of them held "friendly" negotiations last night over who gets to read it first -- Johann, who, despite expressing numerous times how he hates bringing hardcovers to work, lugged this one willingly and with a song in his heart to work this morning.
It's been a while since I last dropped by Booksale -- it's hard to go there during the weekends because it's usually crowded and we have Seth with us.
This morning, I had to meet someone there for an Ebay transaction and I decided to spend a bit of time browsing through the books and magazines.
These are what I came home with:
Johann loves to pick up old issues of MacLife because of all the nice tips on how we could maximize our Macbook and his phone. These days, even my sister (who used to be a die-hard PC person) reads it and loves all the gadgets that they feature.
I was also happy to find a copy of Real Simple -- love, love, love this magazine. ^_^
I picked up the copy of Locus Magazine because it's supposed to contain a "Year in Review" for Sci-fi and Fantasy novels, which Johann and my sister read. (My sister already read the magazine and said it was dangerous because now her list of wants has grown longer.)
I also got this book on a whim:
I'm happy that I have another non-romance novel to read. ^_^
* * * I am a proud Mama --
I'm a relatively new Mac convert but I can safely say "Apple Forever!" -- (Johann echoes this sentiment) --
I want Seth to grow up with a Mac -- and he's off to a good start. He already knows how to unlock his Papa's phone and scroll through all the Apps. (Johann has installed a fun App for Seth and it proves useful when we're waiting at the doctor's and Seth is super restless.)
He knows the Apple logo and he knows where the volume controls are (and the power button). <-- the last two are meant to annoy us.
Yesterday, I caught him fiddling with the Mac and I told him I'll be taking some pictures of him.
<-- this button makes things loud, which annoys Mama and wakes Papa up
Every now and then, my mom would ask us if we have any regrets about moving back to Iloilo and our answer would always be "No, but --" (It is appended with needing to go to Manila once in a while for books and other things.)
It amazed and befuddled me how enamored my mom was of Iloilo and how she felt that she didn't need to go anywhere else.
I sort of understand this now --
About a week ago, I stumbled upon some blogs that were about Iloilo and that lead me to websites and forums -- I've spent a few afternoons now reading up on my city and I am, admittedly, embarrassed to admit how little I knew about Iloilo.
I've been entertaining (read: boring) my family with all the fun facts I've learned -- did you know that, considering how small the city is, we have 4 SMs? And, rumor has it, they are thinking of building #5? ^_^
Another interesting development here is the number of new, local restaurants that opened in Smallville (a popular nightlife area). We tried one of them last Tuesday -- Mojave Grill and Steakhouse --
And, after dinner, we hopped over to the dessert place next door called "Nothing But Desserts" --
(Photos plus more comments on the restaurants to follow ^_^)
In terms of food places alone, there's still a lot that we haven't discovered. Then there are the old places to rediscover -- the downtown area with its offering of cheap cloth and other knickknacks. (I had a brief glimpse of this when I went to Iloilo Shanghai, located in downtown, last December to buy ribbons.)
So now I'm excited -- and I can't wait for it to be Tuesday (date day) so that Johann and I can try something new again. ^_^
1. Where is Cagayan Valley and where is Cagayan de Oro? (And where is Dave G from? ^_^)
2. What's the difference between purple, violet and indigo? (Discovered that I didn't know this one when Seth and I were learning about colors.) In line with this, why do some oranges look like red but are called orange and why do some reds look like orange but we call them red? (Again, this is poring through Colors picture books.)
3. Considering that it's only one nut per fruit and seeing the abundance of cashew products in the supermarket, are there really that many Cashew trees? (Some of the mystery of the cashew has been debunked for me by Andrew Zimmern when he visited Thailand.)
4. What is barbecue? (We recently saw an episode of Barbecue Paradise on Discovery: Travel and Living and it's very different from what we do.)
5. Which goes first: the end quote or the comma? "He said," or "He said", On a similar note, which goes first: the end quote or the period? --> His name is John but we call him "Buck." or His name is John but we call him "Buck".
He brought home two bags full from his recent trip -- so I kept busy last night reading: The Umbrella Academy Series 2 Issues 1 and 2 <-- Sayang lang that James Jean is no longer doing to cover art but it's a great series. ^_^
Neil Gaiman's The Dream Hunters adapted by P. Craig Russell <-- great artwork! What blew my mind was Russell's transformation of the Dreamworld to fit the Japanese theme. (Cain and Abel are cuties!)
So Johann came home from Manila last Monday and gave me a copy of Rumors, the second book in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen.
Like the first book, this one was a page-turner and I finished it in two afternoons (during Seth's nap time) --
Now I'm itching for the third book, which will be released late this month.
The good news is, I'm looking for non-romance novels to read and I now have Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers on my bedside.
It's a bit difficult to scrounge for a book to read right now because Johann and my sister are in "Fantasy-mode" and I don't read Fantasy. (They are currently reading The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney -- which is like 300 but has 10000. <-- Johann's blurb. O_o)
When I was doing my year-end lists, I was a bit appalled by my list of Top 5 books. It took me quite some time to remember the non-romance books that I read in 2008.
Just so I don't have the same problem at the end of 2009, I've been spending the first few days of 2009 reading.
So far, I've finished: 1. Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture by Juliet Schor <-- I've seen this book many times at the bookstore but never bought it because it was hardcover and too expensive. It went on sale recently and I asked Johann to get me the copy. Very interesting read --
2. The Gospel of Judas edited by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer and Gregor Wurst <-- saw the documentary on National Geographic and was curious
3. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen <-- a YA novel. This was referenced in one review of Gossip Girl and was curious about it. I was able to find a cheap copy and couldn't put it down. Had to sleep late for 2 nights straight. ^_^
It's a series and book 2 (Rumors) is currently available in hardcover format (saw this at National Bookstore Katipunan the last time I was there) and the paperback edition will be released late January.
I'm also tempted to reread Nigella Lawson's cookbooks but I haven't yet -- considering that my sugar/diet is being strictly monitored, I'm not sure it's a good idea. ^_^
* * * On packing bags for my hubby --
My hun cannot fold clothes or pack a luggage to save his life. If I let him have his way, all of his clothes would end up wrinkled and the space wouldn't be maximized. So I pack for him.
He needs one of these:
He left for Manila today. Last Monday, I asked him whether he planned to (a) check-in his bags. He answered no, he didn't want the hassle of waiting for his small bag to roll around in the luggage carousel.
Then he went over to our cabinet and looked at the clothes that had just come back from the laundry.
This is how geeky he is -- he told me, "Hun, pack my superhero shirts." O_o
He also has this shirt, btw:
* * *
Which one is the video camera?
Me, Johann and my youngest brother chipped in and gave one to my sister for Christmas. It's a nifty little thing that can actually record 60 minutes of video! And you can connect it to your Mac via the USB. ^_^
We first heard about it in MacLife where it was reviewed. It was also reviewed in Real Simple. It comes in many colors and is actually quite affordable. ^_^
When we saw the Giant Pocky in the box my bro sent from Japan, I went "Whoa" -- and then worried about how Seth was going to eat it. (He hasn't yet -- and we might not let him.)
To date, Seth has already consumed the Milk Pocky and has started on the small chocolate Pocky. He is so cute when he asks "Open Pocky Please." >_<
I'm seriously thinking of starting a Pocky of the Month Club -- sending out a Pocky flavor every month to everyone who subscribes to it.
Insane idea, I know. ^_^
* * *
This also came with the Pocky --
Another laugh-out-loud moment was unearthing these two from the box my brother sent.
<-- it's the Mugen Puchi Puchi (INFINITE Bubblewrap!!!) <-- there's a Wii version, btw.
And the other one is the Mugen Periperi. (INFINITE box/letter opening experience!!!)
We're giving these as gifts to two unsuspecting (poor them) friends. ^_^
Happy Thoughts for the Year 1. Seth and Sidekick #2 2. My little romance novel business =^_^= 3. My Macbook 4. 1030 to 12nn from Mondays to Fridays <-- when Seth's at his Toddler class. This is my time for myself. 5. My family
Things I'm Looking Forward to 1. Turning 31<-- it sounds like a good age to be 2. Meeting Sidekick #2 in April 3. Watchmen the Movie <-- ohpleaseohpleaseohplease ... 4. Seth's 3rd Birthday <-- we didn't celebrate his 2nd but I'm thinking of celebrating his 3rd 5. Being able to drink coffee again after April (and, hopefully, going to Singapore before December 2009) ^_^
5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me 1. I love office supplies <-- I like to make sure we are prepared for everything. Every chance I get, I buy extra ballpens, scissors, paper clips, etc. When I travel, I make it a point to visit office supplies stores in other countries. I usually end up buying blank index cards (for Gocco), notebooks, interesting ballpens, etc.
This Christmas, one of our Christmas gift ideas was giving Dymo Labelling Kits to the 'tweens but Johann vetoed it -- saying, "Hun, not everyone shares your love for office supplies."
2. I get excited trying out new bath products. <-- new shampoo, new conditioner ... but not so much on new toothpaste flavors. We recently tried the Apple-flavored toothpaste of Colgate and Johann loved it. I kinda grew into it but I'm still not a big fan. O_O
3. Every year, on my birthday (for three years now), I get a Hayao Miyazaki/Ghibli DVD. The Cat's Return in 2005, Howl's Moving Castle in 2006 and Ged's War Chronicles in 2007. This year, I was thinking of what to ask my brother for my birthday and Ponyo on the Cliff came to mind. Too bad it isn't scheduled for release yet. ^_^
4. My two favorite bread spread mixes: Butter + Strawberry Jam, especially on white bread and Peanut Butter + Nutella
5. My three favorite ice cream flavors are: Sebastian's Chocoholics Anonymous, FIC's Raspberry Rapture and Selecta's Coffee Crumble.
5 Things I miss in Manila 1. Friends T_T 2. Walking around Ateneo <-- especially now that I'm pregnant, I miss being able to "exercise" 3. Good decaf coffee <-- I miss coffee... 4. Dairy Queen and Cinnabon 5. Riding the LRT2 to Gateway <-- Although, I have a feeling that I won't like it so much when I'm actually faced with the opportunity -- it's the idea of it more than anything
5 Things that made me go "WOW" 1. Barack Obama winning the US Presidential elections 2. The ups and downs of the Peso-to-Dollar exchange rate <-- also the stock market 3. My first taste of Galbi 4. Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics <-- especially the fireworks and the drums. Some parts were a bit slow and boring. 5. My Macbook =^_^=
5 Discoveries for 2008 -- 1. There's no such thing as an A Cup when you're pregnant 2. One of my dad's friend's mom cooks the most amazing Chinese-style roast beef 3. Dave's Fun House is fun for Seth (he plays there) and fun for me (some "me" time to shop and do my errands) 4. Pretzels at Tinapayan, when freshly cooked, is an amazing salty-soft treat 5. I love Macs and Apple and everything Steve Jobs
5 Favorite Places - Iloilo 1. Booksale 2. Bourbon Street <-- ribs, yum! 3. Kim's Bob <-- samgyupsal, bibimbap, yum! 4. SM Department Store <-- you'd be surprised of all the great, inexpensive things you'd find there 5. Puerto Real Clubhouse <-- Seth loves to wade in the pool and walk around the covered basketball court
5 Favorite Places - Manila 1. Krispy Kreme <-- funny enough, I don't eat Krispy Kreme when I'm in Manila. We usually buy a box or two and bring it home to Iloilo and eat it there 2. Pepper Steak <-- A and G convinced me it was a good idea and I have been converted 3. The two bookstalls at UP AS Walk 4. Trinoma <-- Powerbooks, Iora, Debenhams, Gymboree, Healthy Options ... all happy places 5. Starbucks/Seattle's Best <-- when Seth napped, Johann and I would "sneak out" and have coffee and enjoy each other's company ^_^
5 Favorite Books Admittedly, I was reading a lot of romance novels this year -- especially towards the latter part.
1. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch 2. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 3. The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt 4. Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series <-- not really a book-book 5. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas <-- a romance novel written by a Chinese-American (who only learned English when she came to America)
5 Favorite TV Series 1. Weeds 2. Pushing Daisies 3. Dead Like Me 4. Entourage 5. Dirty Jobs
also Ugly Betty, Avatar and Big Bang Theory
5 Favorite Magazine Finds at Booksale 1. Romantic Times 2. MacLife and MacWorld 3. cheap copies of Real Simple 4. Games <-- I get this for my youngest brother 5. Ready Made <-- newer issues are very hard to find! >_< I usually find 2006/2007 issues. Bleh.
also Parents, Cookie and Bookmark.
5 Favorite Comic Books 1. Avengers Fairy Tale 2. Green Arrow/Black Canary 3. Batman by Grant Morrison 4. Plain Janes: Janes in Love <-- a TPB 5. Umbrella Academy Series 2 <-- well... I've actually never read this because it just came out but the first series was AMAZING and I'm sure the second one will be just as good (if not better)
... more tomorrow. (If anyone wants me to list a top 5 of something, just let me know. ^_^)
Well, Christmas is done and we're counting down to 2009 --
5 Things I Love About Living in the Philippines 1. Cheap, overnight, trackable delivery <-- I love 2go and Air21 and their amazingly efficient service. We sent a gift to our inaanak in Benguet and he received it the next day. Talk about fast. It's too bad our government-run Post Office can't offer the same service.
2. Cheap books from both US and UK publishers <-- Yesterday, for example, Johann found this AMAZING anthology of Steampunk Fiction published by Solaris. Cover price is GBP7.99 and we got our copy for 345 pesos.
3. Access to anime, Korean/Japanese TV Drama, US Sitcoms, British movies, etc.
4. The Food <-- Lechon, Sans Rival, Taho ... I can go on and on ^_^
5. SSS and PhilHealth <-- I'm a big fan of these two government institutions. I've experienced the benefits of paying my monthly dues to SSS and Philhealth. They should promote themselves more, though -- it makes me sad to know that some people don't bother to avail of these.
I also like the NSO and their e-service. Imagine being able to get your birth certificate and your marriage certificate with a click of a mouse button. (And a quick trip to the bank. ^_^)
6. Cheap airfare <-- With PAL offering Econolite fares, domestic and international trips are now more affordable. ^_^
5 Best Purchases for 2008 1. Our White Macbook plus the RAM upgrade <-- the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship. Next on my list is an Apple desktop.
2. My son's "Nano House"
3. Our second-hand Samsung refrigerator <-- Early this year, we heard about a Korean student having a "sayonara sale" and was selling his appliances cheaply. We were able to guy his 4-month old refrigerator for half the price.
We have about 3 cakes in the ref right now and we appreciate the extra space. ^_^
4. Johann's phone
5. My Lesportsac bags
5 Favorite Movies of the Year 1. The Dark Knight 2. Iron Man 3. Wall-E 4. Juno 5. Kung Fu Panda
also Atonement, Wanted and Tropic Thunder (Downey deserves the Golden Globe nomination ^_^)
Yesterday, Seth discovered the bags of toys his Gwa-ma bought for the children of our workers. He wanted to open and play with them and we couldn't let him.
He ran around asking EVERYONE's permission but no one could give it.
The allure of shiny new things talaga. ^_^
* * *
Can only happen in a house full of kids --
I got this reply from my friend, F -- I loved the message so I haven't deleted it yet.
I'm still wrapping all my gifts! And ang hirap with 2 kids getting tape, tearing the wrapping paper, and licking the boxes!
We got a package from my brother in Japan yesterday.
It's always fun getting things from him because he always surprises us with fun things from Japan.
One of the usual "fillers" he adds in each box are uchiwa (Japanese fans) that are handed out for free around Japan.
Since we are the land of (almost)-regular power interruptions, it is helpful to have one by our bedsides so we can fan Seth when he sleeps (or tries to sleep).
I got excited when I sorted through the stack of fans and found these:
(from L to R: Miyazaki's Ponyo, FFXI and a fan for the Tokyo 2016 Olympics bid)
* * * More Pocky! --
Was surprised to discover 5 boxes of Pocky stuffed in the box as well.
When Seth saw it, he immediately wanted to eat some and I told him to wait until I had taken some pictures of it for my blog.
The little one has some patience but not a lot when it comes to Pocky -- observe the tiny hand sneaking in ...
The Blueberry Pocky smelled soooo good! I guess that's why Seth chose to eat (and demolish) that box first.
Notice three different chocolate varieties? I'm curious about the Creamy Chocolate.
The flavor that frightens me the most is the Brazilian Pudding ... but Johann and I have a plan. (Cue: foreboding music and thunder)
Seth's yaya is slightly OC and she had some free time yesterday and decided to organize the stuff on top of our TV.
We used to just have a Yakisoba cup stuffed to the brim with pens, pencils, scissors and whatnot. She found empty containers and decided to fix up the system.
I thought this was cute --
It's the rolls of adhesive tape that I am using for Christmas (and for my book business) --
^_^
* * * Diaries of years past --
I try not to be a packrat but it's hard to throw away something that you've had with you for an entire year.
So I keep my yearly diaries.
I've had the pleasure of owning two Starbucks diaries (2005 and 2006 -- I think I left my 2005 diary in our place in Manila) and those were what inspired me to keep a record of my daily/weekly activities.
This year, I actually have 2 diaries -- my small, red Moleskine one for portability and a regular one I bought at National Bookstore, which I keep on my bedside. I don't really use the big one because it's usually covered by books and whatnot. I use it to keep my receipts and tracking numbers (for my book business).
I like reading my diaries -- it's fun to remember movie dates and dinner dates and when I went somewhere. ^_^
When I saw this a few months ago, I knew I wanted to get one for Seth.
I had such grand dreams of making a personalized discovery book for him. It's been sitting on or counter all this time, waiting for me to do something with it.
The shiny pages intimidate me! >_<
* * * Ready for 2009! --
Last year, I splurged and got myself the red set -- but I decided to be a bit more practical this year and opted for a soft cover 2009 weekly notebook and a hardcover black moleskine notebook instead.
