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. ^_^

Update --

So, I got my old phone fixed and I was able to transfer all of my important stuff to my new phone. (My contact numbers, my photos, etc.) The only thing I couldn't transfer was my calendar of appointments --

Here's my new phone -- I got the Sony Ericsson W710i in purple. When the guy at the store showed me their stock -- the little purple thing, I fell hard and got it immediately. ^_^



* * *

Internet problems --

We had some internet problems last weekend and couldn't access some websites, including my blog.

The problem has been solved (thanks to my sister) and I can merrily blog again. ^_^

* * *

Weekend books-shopping --

Aside from Booksale, there is another bargain book place in Robinson's Place and we went there last Sunday with Seth.

It's more difficult to browse through their books because it is just stacked on several tables and shelves and are several books deep.

Johann was really determined to go through their inventory because their book are really cheap. (Plus, they seem to have a pretty good stash of Fantasy/Sci-fi stuff.) He found a really quirky book --



I managed to find a copy of Irving Stone's Immortal Wife for my sister. My sister and I are big fans of Irving Stone and it is a lifelong dream to collect all of his published works --

So far, we have:
The Agony and The Ecstasy <-- story of Michelangelo
Lust for Life <-- story of Vincent Van Gogh
The Origin <-- story of Charles Darwin (found in Booksale)
Men to Match My Mountains <-- story of the American West (found in Booksale)
Sailor on Horseback <-- story of Jack London (found in Booksale)
Immortal Wife <-- story of Jessie Hart Fremont (found in bargain book place)

We would really like to find a copy of Depths of Glory (Camille Pissarro) and Passions of the Mind (Sigmund Freud).

I remember being introduced to Irving Stone -- our first book was The Agony and The Ecstasy -- I couldn't finish reading it but sister kept encouraging me to finish it. She even printed a chart (listing the Medici), a timeline and some random notes on how to tackle the book.

For weeks, that sheet of bond paper was folded and unfolded several times as I tracked my progress.

My sister and I share an interest in reading fictional accounts on the lives of famous painters/artists. One of our favorites is Naked Came I, a novel of Auguste Rodin by David Weiss which we read in a Reader's Digest Condensed book.

* * *

Christmas Wish List Update --

The trouble with thinking about it too early is being able to cross out most of the things before Christmas even comes. ^_^;;;

1. LeSportSac deluxe everyday bag or classic hobo
2. New cellphone <-- this shows up on my list every year and I never get one

3. New pair of glasses <-- I might get one earlier than December
4. Giordano Skinny Polo <-- in as many colors as possible. This is part of my "mom uniform" ^_^
5. A pair of nice fitting jeans <-- my hubby bought me a pair when we were in Manila! ^_^
6. Mike Gayle's latest book <-- I don't regret not getting the copy in Singapore. It's the large paperback version and was too expensive

A new addition:
7. A new wallet <-- mine is so ratty na! I've been converted to those big checkbook wallets and I'm looking for a nice one

A funny thing happened on the way to SM --

I've been busy the past few weeks and I haven't been able to adjust my schedule to handle all the extra stuff that I've been doing.

Today, I finally had the afternoon off so I decided to bring Seth with me to SM to buy some supplies -- paper, etc.

As I was closing the door to the car, I heard a thump -- my bag got caught in the door. I didn't think much of it so we proceeded to SM. On the way, I pulled out my phone to check for messages and got a blank screen --

The "small" accident with the door broke the screen of my phone!

I have been planning to buy a new phone for myself but I didn't expect something like this to be the impetus. (Again, waffling.)

Here's the sad part of this whole thing -- apparently, a lot of my numbers hadn't been saved to my SIM. I discovered this when I transferred my SIM to Johann's phone --

*sniff*

I've lost everyone's contact information!

*sniff*

I have a lunch appointment tomorrow and I don't know how to contact my friend to confirm! Bleh.

If anyone plans to text me anytime soon, please identify yourself first.

My hubby is a --

We finally found Johann's one-true magazine (the magazine that fits his personality) --

We stumbled upon it in Booksale and he bought it because it had an article about World of Warcraft.

We loved the magazine so much, we went back to Booksale the next day and were able to find another issue.

Random --

Today was a good day --

I was able to visit the Booksale branch in Robinson's Place and found some cheap magazines. On my way out, I bought some donuts (Bavarian!) and ate it in the car while reading one of my new magazines.

Seth was so active this afternoon so I decided to bring him along when we fetched Johann from work. Then we went to SM City to get dinner from David's Tea House (asado congee for me and my sister, plain congee for Seth and beef brisket rice for Johann). While waiting, we decided to go down to Booksale. My hubby was nice enough to let me browse while he played with Seth in the nearby coin-operated rides.

At Booksale, the shop attendant was talking to me about some magazines and pointing out titles that I might be interested in. I mentioned that Seth was in this month's issue of Yummy so she took one out, opened it and looked for the page. You could see that she was excited about it. (That made me smile.)

We put up the Christmas tree today and Seth was thoroughly fascinated by it. He didn't eat much of his congee and opted to mill around the tree, touching every ornament in sight. I was planning to "talk" to him about looking but not touching because I was worried that he might ruin some of the decorations -- I was relieved that I didn't have to. He seemed to know that the tree was something to be careful about.

I've been indulging myself by reading "mom" books -- the first one was The Nanny Diaries and the second one was I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother. It amazes me how much of parenthood is universal and there were times when I felt I was reading pages from my own life. The second book made me cranky with indignation (my sister says she gets a similar feeling when she reads Dilbert) the whole of last week which made me a pain to be around. (We now have 3 pints and a half-gallon tub of ice cream in the fridge. <-- Ice cream is happy food.)

Johann and I are currently addicted to Pokemon: Ruby (GBA) --

Give One, Get One --

One Laptop Per Child

Yes, they accept international donations (but you will need to provide a US/Canada address).

Why? Why not? ^_^ --

Why Not? -- Inspiring Filipino Ingenuity -- Stumbled upon it through Our Awesome Planet.

A Waste of Time --

My hair is a mess -- I decided to change the part of my hair and it's all tikwas plus I haven't had a haircut in over 3 months. I should've gotten a haircut while I was in Manila but I wanted to get my hair cut together with my sister.

We've had very little success finding someone who can cut our hair properly here in Iloilo and we thought we had finally found one --

The salon is called Stretch and the guy with the magic hands is called Pepoy (he owns the place) -- he came highly recommended by my OB who regularly has her hair cut by him and I've always liked the result.

I tried him out -- made the appointment and showed up on time. I noticed he was very chatty with his other customers but, when it was my turn, he switched on his bluetooth and started talking to some other person while he was cutting my hair. I didn't really mind -- I'm not good with small talk and my hair was cut very nicely.

When it was my sister's turn to get a haircut, I convinced her to try him out. We made the appointment and went there during our scheduled time -- we had to wait 30 minutes before he cut our hair. I wasn't very happy with the way he cut my hair that second time but my sister's hair turned out beautifully. During my second visit, the bluetooth was switched on again.

Flash forward to yesterday -- I called last Saturday to ask about his schedule for the week. I was informed by the receptionist that his only appointment in the afternoon was for a trial make-up at 1:30 so I asked to make an appointment at 3. On the day of the appointment, I called at 2 to confirm the appointment and to ask if we can come in earlier (in case the trial make-up finished early) and the receptionist told me that 3 would be the perfect time.

We arrived there at 10 minutes to 3 and I saw Pepoy cutting someone's hair -- I thought that he had finished his trial make-up and we were next so we decided to wait. I was surprised to see that, after he finished with the one haircut, he proceeded to do 2 more. I approached the receptionist and asked about my schedule. The receptionist told me that the trial make-up started late and these were clients who had earlier schedules.

So we waited until he finished the 2 other customers. (By then it was already 3:45.) I asked the receptionist again when our turn would come and she assured us we were next.

At 4:15, my sister told me to cancel our appointment -- she said it wasn't fair to still give him business after the shabby treatment we got.

I had anticipated some delay, which is why I informed Seth's yaya that we would be back at 5 but I never expected to be kept waiting for an hour and fifteen minutes for nothing.

Leaving the place, my sister and I reflected on the entire experience -- going to a a beauty salon is supposed to be a feel-good moment -- you come out of it feeling like a shiny new penny. Yesterday, we felt even more tarnished than when we came in.

When we arrived home, my dad noticed our lack of haircuts and we told him what happened. He asked us if we had rescheduled and we told him, no -- never.

My sister and I may be just two people and he would probably never feel the loss of our business but we would rather take that business where it is appreciated.

Back! --

We arrived from Manila yesterday.

There are so many stories to share (mostly Seth-related) but this is my favorite --

Johann indulged me one evening and cancelled our scheduled our movie date so I could go to National Bookstore-Cubao to have another go at finding the bargain books. When we entered National Bookstore, Johann told me he had a good feeling about this visit and he said that we were bound to find something good.

True enough, after about an hour of browsing, he came up to me and showed me a copy of Anthony Bourdain's Gone Bamboo. It is the find of the month for us. ^_^

This trip was mostly about books (in contrast to our Singapore trip) -- I bought a total of 3 blouses (one for me and two for my sister) and a pair of jeans. We were able to find really cheap books -- mostly in the bargain bins of the various bookstores.

I am still obsessing over Christopher Buckley and wasn't able to find any of his books (either on sale or full price).

I did help Johann find a really good (new) comic book series titled The Umbrella Academy written by Gerard Way (who is, apparently, a member of My Chemical Romance O_0). It was the cover art that made me pick up the title and, it was only after that we realized that James Jean did the covers! ^_^

I wasn't really able to meet up with anyone because our schedules revolved around Seth (sorry everyone! maybe next year? ^_^) but I was really, really glad we brought him (and the yaya) along. Without him, I would never have been able to experience this --

Bookmooch: An Interesting Concept --

Char pointed out Bookmooch to me quite a while back. I checked it out but didn't sign up for it.

We're currently taking stock of all of our things and we are hopelessly overrun by Johann's books (also my books -- but my books are stored neatly while his books are EVERYWHERE O_O). I don't mind having a lot of books but many of his books are the type he reads once/twice and then sets aside forever.

So I finally signed up for Bookmooch in the hopes of getting rid of some of his books and getting some harder-to-find ones from other people.

Here is our (mostly Johann's) inventory.

The system is interesting -- every time you give a book away, you get points which you can use to ask for books from people. The catch is, you have to pay to ship your books. Sending a paperback to the US runs to about PhP288++ so that's basically the "cost" of whichever book you are mooching from others. (You can, of course, choose to restrict yourself to sending only within the Philippines. ^_^)

The best thing about Bookmooch is the selection of books you find from all over the world -- it really is an excellent opportunity to get those out-of-print/hard-to-find/uber-expensive-to-buy-in-the-Philippines books.

(Wow, I sound like a testimony from a Bookmooch ad. O_O)

* * *

Movie Date --

Last night, Johann and I watched No Reservations at SM City-Iloilo. I really enjoyed the movie. I loved the food aspect as well as the "human drama" involved in a kitchen.

Plus, Aaron Eckhart is such a cutie! I love him! >_<

I discovered that ice cream is very good movie theater food. We had dinner before the movie so we got ice cream sundaes from Jollibee to cleanse our palates.

For some strange reason --

I've been wanting to eat ensaymada -- it started when my mom brought back some mongo ensaymada a few days ago. That's the first time I've eaten ensaymada in a long while --

And then the next day, I dragged Seth and my sister to Tinapayan (very good bakery) in Atrium and bought ube ensaymada and cheese ensaymada.

We were at Atrium and I was resisting the urge to buy more ensaymada. We bought pandesal instead.

Now I wish I had ensaymada!