Bisaya Bloggers

I had talked about a baro at saya day in a previous post. But I'm really most comfortable in a malong. Driving home from Idaho on a hot afternoon was surprisingly nice in the breathable fabric. Here I am at a lookout off westbound I-90 over Columbia River. You can see the Vantage Bridge in the distance.

I remember seeing the bridge for the first time (driving eastward). I literally gasped. It was awesome to see a huge body of water after long stretches of desert-like sights. I <3 bridges.

Click on this link to see a video of Miss Philippines Jennifer Barrientos as she models her National Costume.

Although I like the gown (the collar, the sleeves, the color), except for the overabundance of butterflies, I'm not sure if this is the Philippine National Costume. As this website shows, there is a wealth of examples, from which a Philippine representative to a beauty contest can draw inspiration. One of my favorite parts in the Miss Universe contest is the National Costume event. I always wonder what sort of stuff the designer of the Philippine representative will come up with. This year's looks wearable, though, so I like it. Although it makes you wonder, is Miss Philippines' gown supposed to be reminiscent of a Maria Clara? I love the Maria Clara dress, even if I've never worn it, because my mom likes to point out, "I'm not mestiza." Maybe when I get married, I'll wear a Maria Clara dress. :P

***
Edit: All that talk about Maria Clara ternos and baro't saya made me excitedly spend oh, just 3 hours, browsing online pictures and stories of modern ternos. I'm sure at least one other person in this planet has looked around her Indian neighbor and thought, She's wearing her sari often so why can't I wear my baro at saya everyday? (Here's an old entry of someone who's a regular malong wearer.)

I've mentioned that I would try wearing a simple baro't saya to my everyday activities around town. I'd even come to church in a terno. The church I serve here is mostly Filipino, and we've done the Filipiniana theme many a church anniversary. So, a lot of us are Filipiniana'ed out. Of course, I've never worn a terno to any anniversary simply because I have no terno. But I've been in kimona and patadyong as well as in a malong. I love the malong so I wouldn't have any qualms wearing it around here... if only I have the guts to go bare-shoulder. haha. i don't know if I can pull off doing a baro't saya/malong day. I'm not terribly gutsy... but I'd probably try it if someone will do it with me. Any takers?

I finally found a commercial photo album that I can modify so it will meet all my needs for my postcard collection! I have wanted an album with clear plastic sleeves and a memo area for my comments and for postcard information. This commercial album was bought at Fred Meyer's. Isn't the cover appropriate?

I was looking and looking. I had put off buying this one because I thought it would be cheaper to make my own album from sheet protectors. But I couldn't find a heat sealer to borrow and buying my own would require special order, so I just decided to buy this album. Good thing it was still at Fred Meyer's. That means it's meant to be mine, right? I even saved the order form for refills. Yeah, I know. I have high hopes for my new postcard collection. Maybe I'll need refills before the year ends. :P

Here's the inside of the album, with a third page to show two more postcards.
I modify each plastic sheets to fit my needs. For regular sized postcards, I cut off the paper so both sides of the postcard can be displayed. Enough paper is left and superglued to act as hole reinforcers. The best part: oversized postcards can fit because I can separate the glued dividers without tearing the plastic. That's how I can display my newest postcard: Floating Market in Thailand. (Thanks, Ate Yammy!)

**Each photo has notes. Click on it to go to its flickr page and read the notes.

Edit: I found refills at a Bartell Drugs store in Shoreline. It is in the photo/camera/photo album section of the store. This is great!

"Oh happy happy day..."

A beautiful warm summer day brings my first two postcards exchanged through Postcrossing. Beautiful buildings against clear blue skies are featured in two postcards from two different countries.

Ana (kami) in Viseu, Portugal sent me a picture of Igreja da Misericordia, which was translated online to "Church of Mercy." It reminded me of the Philippine churches printed on the back of notebooks while I was still a student in the Philippines. Ana says her hometown in the Beira Alta region is very beautiful and peaceful. I sure would love to travel and visit the town in the future.

Ana also sends it with a stamp commemorating 500 years of the city of Funchal, the capital of the Madeira Islands of Portugal. The stamp was designed by Sofia Martins and released, I believe, this year.


The other postcard I got was a multi-view from Finland. Although I don't know the names of the buildings, they were lovely. One is even in the same area as another building. I bet if I visit this place, I can go see all these buildings. Great stuff.

It's wonderful when the other person writes something about him/herself. Ritva (hurmi) from Helsinki mentioned her grandson and her town. She also sent me a wish in her native Finnish and kindly provided me with a translation: One fine day you'll find postcards. Thank you, Ritva because today is a really fine day.

Her art noveau themed stamp is also lovely. I had online help to learn more about the stamp; I love me the internets. For both stamps though, the post offices did not postmark on the stamps themselves, so I can clearly see the details. I'm not sure how I feel about it, because I'm used to stamps being canceled or somehow marked. But it's all good, and I enjoyed both very much.

This Postcrossing thing is great. So far, I have been trying to limit myself to sending 2 each month. But receiving the cards make me want to go send some more. Also, I wonder why I received two, when only 1 out of my 3 cards sent has been registered. ^_^

Postcrossers rock!

I updated my Flickr Set: Stamp and Postcards!

I like traveling. But until I can get my butt around the world, postcards from all over are welcomed!

Some are my own photos turned into postcards. Some are postcards I received.

I am also including photographs of stamps I receive. I used to have a stamp album, but when I moved away for high school, my sister inherited it. So now, I just have a digital collection.

I take photographs of my postcards and stamps instead of scanning them, because I don't have a scanner. I'm uncool like that. ^_^

This stamp I found by turning over one of the postcards on my wall. Turns out this little beauty was kept hidden. I really need to make the album ASAP so pretties like these can get shared.

Malva silvestris (common mallow aka cheeseflower)

pretty stamp from Sinta
There's a name in tiny print along the upper left side: Suzanne Potterat.
Switzerland Medicinal Plant series

Switzerland, 2003

I'm certainly pissed off. My long and complete draft of this entry disappeared because Firefox decided to close before Blogger could aut0-save. And before I could select everything and copy to my clipboard. Stupid.

Well, the pictures are up, but I'm not about to re-write what I had written to recap my week. My mother and I (and her sister, too) share the same birthday week, which makes it a long week.

Mama and I went up to the Space Needle for the first time. The views were breathtaking, and my pictures don't do it justice. I don't know how to "open the f-stop," like my cousin suggested, so I have blurry pics of Alaska at the top. Item #37 of my 101/1001 list, check.




For my birthday, my 4-year-old cousin gave me a surprise mango milkshare with sago. Yummy, and even yummier when shared. :D She finished almost half of it, though.

Saturday of the birthday week marked the first year anniversary of our girls night out tradition. I picked Ka Won Restaurant in Lynwood because I had heard it serves samgyeopsal (삼겹살). You know, those grilled thin slices of pork wrapped in lettuce leaves. I see those in Korean dramas, and we wanted to try them.

We ordered the grill combo #2 and extra samgyeopsal. (Click on picture to read what was included in the combo.) Since we didn't order any alcohol, our server gave us extra meat. Everything was completely yummy and filling. The banchan dishes were numerous and delicious. The servers were attentive.

I definitely recommend the restaurant for those who want to try Korean food. Call ahead to reserve. As we were leaving, there were several groups of people waiting to be seated.

Korean food always leaves us longing for dessert. And we are always surprised that we are not bloated but instead have room for more food.

For 2007, we had been going to The Cheesecake Factory. But after our last visit, when we were served cheesecake without silverware, we weren't going back. We went to Applebee's instead, where some of us had triple chocolate meltdowns (yum!), apple pies, milkshakes and margaritas. I decided to try the maple butter blondie.The nuts were perfect. Just heavenly. I am looking forward to dessert time spent at Applebee's this year.

Finding that we still have time, we watched a movie at home (1408). I slept through it, though. Call me a coward, but I can't handle the aftereffects of a horror movie. I am not like some people who can promptly forget the images. I have an overactive imagination, and I refuse to get creeped out for the rest of the year.

Someone noticed that we've been spending 3-5 hours each time the cousins (girls) go out, and still it feels so short. Maybe in the coming years, we'll have to block out our entire day. We imagine we'll still do this after the youngest of our cousins join and even after we have our own families. :D

***
Cousin 1, talking about her co-workers deciding on where to eat for lunch: How about Korean, guys?
Cousin 2, slightly distracted while driving: Korean guys? I discovered them while watching dramas!

Tracey over at iPost therefore I am sent me my first 2008 postcard. Yay!

Look at those boats dotting the water in the background!

Left: American Kestrel
Right: Florida Panther

I used to belong to a Philately club when I was in grade school. My collection was kick-ass because I inherited old stamps from my godmother. Stamps from places I've never heard of. When I moved away for high school, my sister inherited my collection.

This newly discovered hobby (future addiction?) makes me happy in two ways: I get to "travel" through my postcards, and I get to meet new stamps. Long live postcards!

Thank you for the treat, Tracey!

I finally made my own photo postcards! This photograph has notes. Click on it to go to its Flickr page.

I added index card backing to my photos. Hopefully, these will survive their transcontinental or transpacific journeys. :D This photo also has notes, so click, click.

These are all ready for mailing, which I just did. I wish I was able to photograph the stamps because those were also pretty. :D
I just realized that a by-product of doing this 101/1001 project is my renewed energy to take pictures, upload and post online. Yay.




***
Seattle-Seattle: arrived on May 22, 2008 (1 day)
Seattle-Lake Forest Park: arrived on ?? (1+ days)
Seattle-Norwalk, CA: arrived on May 23, 2008 (2 days)
Seattle-Japan: arrived on May 26, 2008 (5 days) -- so quick!
Seattle-MD: arrived on May 28, 2008 (7 days)
Seattle-Thailand: arrived on June 4, 2008 (14 days)
Seattle-Rizal, Philippines: arrived on June 4, 2008 (14 days)

I had some left-over rice, scrambled egg, boiled mung bean sprouts, sautéed zucchini and carrots, pan-fried ground beef and roasted sesame in my bibimbap. I even made seasoned gochujang from someone's recipe. It had sugar, vinegar and water in it. While I like the consistency, I didn't like the sourness. Next time, I will not use vinegar.

My first time at bibimbap wasn't as yummy as I wanted it to be. :( But I'll try again some other time.

I got a souvenir for my troubles. I got an owwie on my left pointer finger. Now, it's hard to type. Boo.



So, item #98 done! May 15, 2008.

I didn't realize scrap booking was hard and time consuming, but it was. I had been building on the memory book that my co-workers gave me on my last day of work. It was a very special gift because it contains pictures and messages from most of my children.

In any case, this happens to be one of the items on my 101 things for 1001 days list -- #53. So, with its completion today, I ticked one off the list.
Yahoo! This is so empowering. I can't wait for the day I'll check off the travel items, especially the one about having a perfect day (#39).

Also, I managed to knock off another one (#93, update resume). Not my favorite item to do, but a necessary one. Hopefully, this one will help me knock off plenty more... like the travel items. (Can you tell which ones are my favorites?)

***More pictures***

I get surprised at the sort of things that come out of people's mouths. There are blatant lies and honest to goodness truths, insincere phrases and stop-me-dead-in-my-tracks declarations. Often, I realize how naive and clueless to people's real thoughts I have been all along. I can't claim to be a good judge of strangers because I usually find that my second and third impressions are in fact diametrically opposed to my first ones.

Close friends imply I am somewhat gullible. Well, gullibility could explain the numerous April Fool's jokes I fell for last Tuesday. There was the news of the discontinuation of Vox's Question of the Day (My reaction: "What am I going to be writing about in Vox? What to do?") and deletion of My Cebu Photo Blog posts and pictures ("Wait, I haven't even hosted Satchmo yet!"). And what about the real-live ducks quacking outside my classroom door... courtesy of a funny 5-year-old? I do have one saving grace: I did not fall for Google's Gmail Custom Time. Heh.

I feel that I almost always believe whatever a person says. So I was floored when I found out that someone has been doing apologetics for me. On my behalf. In my defense. Without my knowledge. I was immensely touched precisely because I didn't need to be defended. But my apologist raised logical counterarguments against all possible attacks on me. Yeah, I really was touched.

Being true to my own character, I completely believed--and still do--my apologist. It might have been an April Fool's joke. But then again, I do prefer to see the best in a person.

Alaska is my blue-eyed husky pup who loves to tag along wherever I take my camera. He's a ham, who loves to pose and get captured like in the scene at the right. During my last trip to the Philippines, he was left behind. And recently, he's been homebound, albeit reluctantly. I need to get him out more.

Also, you may have heard of the traveling gnome. Or of missing garden gnomes, who come back with pictures to show of their adventures beyond their lawns. Maybe you've seen Amelie. Or those commercials for Travelocity.

Well, one owner of a cute blue-eyed cow is bravely allowing his online friends to host Satchmo on travels around the world. I'm looking forward to hosting Satchmo this year. Perhaps I can even take him out of the country, as well.

I promise to be taking lots of pictures of my traveling models. :D

It was not love at first sight. But it was love at first face-to-face meeting. I first met the Korean dish 비빔밥 at a restaurant. We tried the 돌솥 비빔밥 (dolsot bibimbap) at the recommendation of my friend. It looked and tasted yummy. For someone who doesn't like spicy food, it was a strange choice. But I've never looked back since. The spiciness added another layer to the tastes and flavors. Just because they were in the bibimbap, I ate ingredients and vegetables I wouldn't normally eat.






Throughout this past year, I had Korean food cravings, especially for bibimbap. Most foreigners rave about Korean BBQ (갈비), but I've always hungered for bibimbap.

I thought it was just a passing feeling, fueled by novelty and bound to a certain place. I'm glad it wasn't. My feet would bring me back to that fateful restaurant, where I would enjoy the dish numerous times. I kept requesting for seconds at a Korean restaurant managed by Filipinos in Makati. I tried it at the food court in an upscale mall in Cebu City. I asked for it as often as I could 25,000 feet above sea level on Korean Air. After a bland un-spicy spell that lasted more than a month, I wasn't able to resist a pricey take-home meal yesterday.

Ahh, 비빔밥, when will I learn to make you on my own? Sure, it's easy to make. But I'm a lazy butt, and I've yet to get the gochujang (고추장, hot paste) and the sesame oil. And I'm currently running on low funds (for the veggies). LOL. Excuses, excuses. When I get my act together, enjoying bibimbap will be a regular occurrence at home. I guarantee it.

Christmas 2007 has come and gone. Still, it shouldn't be too late to say, "Merry Christmas, darling..."

P.S.
Happy Birthday, Jesus!

My aunt has an interesting theory/prediction/prophecy:

Those who have the tambis tree growing in their property, will be blessed with an overseas-bound child.

I paused before I laughed out loud. In our town, it sure is proving true. We had a tambis (Scientific name: Syzygium aqueum, credit to Montoso Gardens Botanical Collection) tree in our backyard. We loved eating ours fresh, and with rock salt (yum!) and the occasional stray black ant (yuck). My mother even told me that the tiny pink birthmark on my side was because naglihi siya sa tambis (she had an unreasonable craving for tambis when she was carrying me). And we are now based in the US.

My aunt says there are other families too. I pointed out the tambis tree on their front yard. She shrugs. Lots of people in town come to see her husband (my dad's older brother), who is the only one in town selling grafted tambis. I guess they all want their share of the prophecy too. :D

We talk about my cousin Daniel, who we feel will fulfill the prophecy for my aunt. He has expressed the desire to join my family here (he grew up with us and misses my brother's company). I grinned and told her, "I'd truly believe that when I see him move abroad." Hopefully, he comes over here and works for the-big-company-that-makes-software or that-big-company-that-is-synonymous-with-searching.

As I was googling tambis, I came across a MarketManila.com article on the makopa with the picture on the right. Apparently, the makopa is called tambis by Visayans. From the pictures, the fruits look like tambis to me. But one of the commenters on the post, says

makopa and tambis are two different fruits. Makopa is the one which is dark red and starchy when ripe. Tambis is the one which is pink when ripe, white when unripe and is rather crunchy when bitten. However, these fruits belong to one genus, Syzygium, and different species (which I am not sure of…)

Papa (my agriculturally-inclined father who grafted lots of plants, including the tambis), says the commenter is right. But the first two pictures in the article (and the one above) are of the tambis. The third one, he says, is of a makopa.


Edit: My mother laughs off the tambis oracle, seeing that all of her siblings are all here. She says no one has a tambis tree anywhere. Said she, "We don't have a tambis but we believe in God." Bwahaha.

Okay, a Top 3 list on my Vox Blog of my favorite love teams. Complete with pictures (all googled).

Love Team List

A break from regular programming here on my Vox blog. As inspired by Ate Yupki and Ate Kaytee (and Ate Raissa here and here), and the conversations in their comments sections.

I'm not even going to pretend that my list would stray outside my Kdrama world. Here it is:

My girl

1. Seol Gong Chan & Joo Yoo Rin from My Girl

Donghae

Who else but my Gong Chan and Yoo Rin? Lee Dong Wook plays the icy Gong Chan to perfection. Lee Da Hae's Joo Yoo Rin is his perfect foil. I love watching Yoo Rin's eventual capture of Gong Chan's heart. He became a better person. *sigh* Throughout this drama, I never felt as though I was watching two actors play roles. The characters were so well-defined, I felt like I knew them.

A year later, I'm still a big fan. And to prove my devotion to the loveteam (I'm not giving up hope that Dong Wook and Da Hae would eventually end up together), I am an active member of the DongHae Forums. Yeah!

2. Lee Mong Ryong & Song Chun Hyang from Delightful Girl Chun Hyang

DGCH

So, this couple used to top my list. Mong Ryong (played by the wonderful Jae Hee, one of my many celeb crushes) began to be indifferent at first, and it had been Chun Hyang (played by Han Chae Young) who was always "looking at [Mong Ryong]'s back." But he grew to be a person devoted to Chun Hyang, and he did not feel shame at showing his devotion to the world. When they were forced apart, he loved only her and waited for her. *swoon*

This pairing slid down to #2 because at this moment, I am in the mood for "My Girl." Besides, Han Chae Young recently got married, and there's no chance for another Jae Hee-Chae Young partnership. :(

3. Choi Han Gyul & Go Eun Chan in Coffee Prince Store #1

Coffee prince

Alright. This pairing sizzled with chemistry. Both actors were revelations in this drama. I really believed both of them. I really bought into the story of the lonely but suave Han Gyul (acted by the yummy Gong Yoo) falling for the androgynous Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye shows off her versatility and her dedication to becoming the character). I cried with Han Gyul. I ached for Eun Chan. Man, I lived out those feelings alongside them two.

That's not just great chemistry. That's great acting. I hope both rake in the awards. :)

I have honorable mentions:

Soulmatelogobk2

• Shin Dong Wook & Lee Soo Kyung in Soulmate -- Their love theme is just heartwrenching. Shin Dong Wook's ability of being able to read Soo Kyung's mind is more puzzling than creepy.

• Suga Eiichiro & Asaoka Kyoko in Love Revolution -- A strong female and a slick hero. Loved the chemistry. And Fujiki Naohito is appearing in a LOT of JDoramas I've been watching. Is he popular or just indiscriminate?
  

• Kang Bong Man & Yoo Hye Chan in 18 vs. 29 --Park Sun Young, playing the heroine, is always a delight. And Ryu Soo Young is wonderful playing off of the weirdness that comes from a 29-year-old woman who thinks she's just 18.
  

18vs29

• Doumyouji Tsukasa & Makino Tsukushi in Hana Yori Dango deserve a mention. As Ate Kaytee pointed out, they're a cute away-bati couple. :)
  

The University of St. Andrews website has this tool called Face Transformer. Being the curious cat that I am, I uploaded the picture below. And several clicks later, the tool spat out transformed faces. I found it fun.


When I clicked on "Teenage," it's still the same picture. I guess this face is the face of a teenager. Thank you very much.
As a young child, daw.

As a young adult, I would look like this. Apparently, I would have gained some sagging cheeks. And I would need some botox.


I think this picture shows I would be a cute old lady. Haha. She kinda reminds me of the grandmothers in my extended family. My dad's brother would probably say this reminds me of one of his aunts.


Hehe, I look like Mah4l as a baby!!

I love my anime faces!! I have HUGE eyes! I tried another picture, and my anime face is basically the same. Wait, I can probably use this as an avatar.

This is the "Mucha" setting. I don't know what that means exactly, but I think she's pretty. (Alphonse Mucha?)

The "Boticelli" setting.

The "Modigliani" setting.


If I were "Caucasian"...


If I were male... It's weird though because that face does not look masculine. It looks like my face on some days. LOL.

If I were East Asian... I find this funny because this face seems so familiar.

The "Afro-Caribbean" setting...

If I were an ape-woman...

And the winner.... *ta da* If I get drunk!

The black Mitsubishi is my cousin's. The green Toyota is my family's.


The car you drive as the window into your lovelife? Sounds interesting. Sounds like a meme!

The car: A Honda Accord or other sensible sedan

What the car says about its owner: Someone who drives this practical vehicle is most likely educated and intelligent, Dr. Orbuch says. “This driver probably likes discussing politics and is very well-read and mature,” she explains. “People who drive these kinds of cars don’t take big risks in life, but hey, that mentality has served them well up to now!” What you may find pleasantly surprising is that the driver probably has a lot of savings socked away. “This kind of person has invested his or her money well and may very well be enjoying a cushy lifestyle, but is just smart enough to know that a car is a horrible investment,” she explains. Ultimately, he or she cares about value, not flash.


What the car says about its owner’s love style: Its owner will most enjoy someone who likes to converse about life, Dr. Orbuch suggests. “He or she thinks that support, friendship, and honesty are essential to a good healthy relationship,” she says. Additionally, he or she probably doesn’t mind spending a lot of money on a mate—“especially when it comes to travel, fabulous hotels, and great restaurants,” she says. The thinking is: “I save when I can to splurge when I want.”

---Chelsea Kaplan "On the Road to Love...", emphasis mine

Read the rest of the article.

Work schedules and fingerprinting schedule (for Fergus, yay!) did not allow five in our family to get to the Church Camp on the first day. Papa, Mama, Fergus, Faith (and B-Jay) and I had to travel early in the morning of August 11 to La Conner, Washington .

This is our story.

We left home around
6:45 a.m. after piling all our food in the Corolla's trunk and all our belongings onto B-Jay's Rav-4. Faith and B-Jay traveled together, while I drove Papa, Mama and Fergus. Our plan was to get to the camp at around 8 am, for Mama and Papa to sleep and for Fergus to not sleep. I dislike driving sleepy people because they make me envious. (There, I finally admitted it.)

We made a gas stop at my favorite gas station. I never put anything in either car other than supreme unleaded from my local Chevron station. That's partly because Papa insists on supreme unleaded and partly because I'm a creature of habit.

Then, off we went. The traffic nightmare my sister encountered the day before belonged to her alone. The interstate was really clear, except for a few foggy stretches. What was that fog all about?




# of CDs played: 1 and a half
# of CDs we wanted to play: 2 (Kamikazee and Soulmate OST)
# of votes against me: 2 (Papa wanted to hear Chicksilog
# of times I campaigned to play the CD I had burned the night before: too many to count

The drive on Snee Oosh Road was quite scenic that I almost missed the sign for Thousand Trails. The actual campsite was even more breathtaking. The sun had not come fully out yet when we arrived at around 8:30am.























The cabins were wonderful, and the kitchens fully functional. We had breakfast right away before the session began at 9. The camp theme was Survivor, and we had four tasks we had to complete as tribes. My tribe was Zebulun, and we had a great time getting to know our character (one of the sons of Jacob by Leah) and make our flag. IMHO, our flag was the best-looking. haha.




The entire weekend was a spiritual rejuvenation. God has always been, is and always will be awesome. We had great food, good conversations and plenty of rest that weekend. My girl cousins and I stayed at a trailer for the night. My bed was so comfortable, I thought I was back at home. Yay.











Going home was fun as well. About 7 families decided to visit the Fish Outlet in Burlington. The directions were pretty straightforward, but we made a left turn instead of a right at our exit, and so we went the wrong way. On the googlemap, I made a placemark for the location where we finally turned back. The drive was so scenic, I really did not mind driving for a longer time in the wrong direction.

The animals on the farms we passed made my father so happy. The corn too. Hehe. Papa, whose parents owned and farmed land in Cebu, said one can't help developing an interest in one's parents' hobbies/interests/career. I kinda agree. I grew up with a plant-loving and -growing father, and I almost pursued marine biology in college because I enjoyed learning about plants so much.

In the end, we got ourselves some cheap fish and breaded prawns. Yum. Dude, I can so live on seafood. hehe





P.S.
I was looking for a way to embed a travel map in my blog because none of the travel sites/diaries work for me very well. Turns out Google Maps is my hero. Man, this love affair with Google is really something else.

*** embedding made possible by ongopongo.com

Popseoul posted an entry about how, in Korea, a small face is a standard of beauty. That time, I commented, "can you offer faces that cannot be covered with a CD? i took a picture of my face being covered by a CD.. and i know i’m no beauty. so what gives?"

Things I realized from this picture:

• My face is almost covered by the CD.


• My face is less of a circle than I believed.


• I need to work on that double-chin.


• My bed has gotten too cluttered!

I really like my penmanship here. It's loose and flows freely. It does not slant too much and the words kinda float in between the lines. I usually take as most of the space but this is also college ruled paper, so the spaces are not that big.





You can see how I cross out mistakes. And how I add another word before the margin. :) I use fine black ink, the finer the better. This one's from Japan.

****
This is in response to an old (2005!) post by Ate Pen. Before, I had no scanner nor camera. I don't think my handwriting changed much since then. :)

If you think the written words are familiar, you might have read them a couple of posts back, in Wanderlust: My Parents' Legacy.

The past week had been hectic. I often wanted to update this blog, and I keep writing entries in my head. But May's almost half-way done.

Anyway, on an errands run in the middle of the week with my sisters, I got myself a pink camera. Throughout the week, I toted it around. It is so small I could fit it in its cute black and pink bag into a pocket of my dress pants!

I would think of random things, and I'd point and click. Check out a set of photos on my Flickr.

One day, I was drinking tea, and I took a picture of my pretty tea kettle and tea cup. The next day, I was going to work, and I saw my favorite tower in Seattle: The Bank of America tower. (I hate the institution itself, but I love this piece of architecture. Whenever I see it, I feel like I'm home.) The sky was a nice blue, and the sun was peeking beneath the trees and the tower.

The next day, I bought some chips at Central Market. Apparently, Fil-am Store ran out of the Karl cheese corn puffs. And when I saw that familiar bag, I just had to get my grubby hands on them. I remembered that there is a special and easy way to get to those yummy puffs, and it's drawn on the bag for the non-Japanese speakers. Anyway, I just had to snap pics. Incidentally, this is the second photo I snapped, posted and labeled as "one of my favorite snacks." If this continues, I might as well make a Flickr set of all the junk I eat (i.e. "favorite snacks").

Speaking of junk. At school, my lead was wrapping Mother's Day presents for the kids. In colorful tissue paper. And you know what, my first thought was, "Yum... cookies." Only they were not cookies. They were inedible hand print molds.


Later that afternoon, I was waiting for my bus. And I knew I just had to take pictures of those trees. When I had first started work, those were just losing their crowning glories. And they just seemed sad and lonely to me. Now, with the spring comes green leaves. They don't seem as sad now. They're majestic but I still think they're lonely. I think trees in a bustling city are always lonely.





For Saturday, I tried the origami kimono doll kit I had purchased weeks ago. I was going to make a stand-in doll for me at the bridal shower/tea party I was co-hosting. I started on the red doll, but I misread instructions so I ran out of the red kimono design paper. So I made the pink one with the purple obi and ribbon and with sleeves. Everything was done perfectly well except for one wrong fold so I ended up with a short doll. Haha. Everything's all good, though. The tall one is Ate Aziel. The short squat one is me. After the party, she took home the dolls, and told me, "The short one looks like you." Uhhm, okay. Thanks.

Overall, it had been a fun week. Hopefully the next will bring more pictures.

I guess I really have nothing special to say so I am filling out this meme... well, I do have some thoughts, many of them really silly. But, when Ate Aziel came over and hung out with us, I felt I forgot my silly thoughts. Yeah, I think I was just being overly melodramatic... Too much time spent listening to my Senti Playlist on my iPod.

Seven things that scare you
1. being chased in my nightmares
2. losing loved ones
3. cockroaches flying above people's heads. ewww.
4. dying without saying goodbye
5. creepy crawly things on me while i'm blindfolded. waaaah.
6. being embarrassed or humiliated in a public venue
7. being asked to speak, impromptu

Seven things that you like the most
1. my iPod
2. sappy movies
3. mango ice cream
4. laughing very hard I just can't stop
5. salty junk food
6. feeling sexy after a great work-out
7. that lovely special feeling when i realize i am in someone's thoughts...

Seven important things in your room
1. my Bible
2. the iPod charger
3. the cellphone charger
4. my important papers
5. some books
6. old letters
7. alarm clock

Seven random facts about you
1. I listen to my theatre music a lot.
2. I have a weak lower back and creaky knees.
3. I have spent too much money on my teeth.
4. I heart Mark Bautista.
5. I wish to play a musical instrument.
6. I am a Regine Velasquez and Lea Salonga supahfan. (Check out the pic! Word credit goes to Orleigh C.)
7. I love to sing but I have no ambitions of being a singer.

Seven things you plan to do before you die -- coming up with these answers is so hard!
1. go and serve on a mercy ship
2. tour philippine beaches
3. finish school
4. have kids and raise them well
5. build my dream house
6. write my short story
7. meet lea salonga

Seven things you can do
1. i can read.
2. i think i can be an effective contrabida.
3. i can dance.
4. i can cook when i have to.
5. i can answer a lot of the questions on Pilipinas, Game K N B?
6. i can listen to BEP's Monkey Business for a long time.
7. echoing Avalon's "Can't Live A Day"

I could live life alone

And never fill the longings of my heart

The healing warmth of someone's arms

And I could live without dreams

And never know the thrill of what could be

With every star so far and out of reach

I could live without many things

Seven things you can't do
1. i cannot stop reading.
2. i cannot be an effective bida.
3. i don't think i can cut it on So you think you can dance?
4. i cannot muster enough perseverance to cook often.
5. i don't think i can win it all on Pilipinas, Game K N B?
6. i cannot get "Dum Diddly" off my mind.
7. echoing Avalon's "Can't Live A Day"

I couldn't face my life tomorrow

Without Your hope in my heart I know

I can't live a day without You

Lord, there's no night and there's no morning

Without Your loving arms to hold me

You're the heartbeat of all I do

I can't live a day without You

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex
1. intelligence
2. the butt...
3. the face
4. sense of humor
5. the voice
6. a kind and generous heart
7. can he dance?

Seven celeb crushes -- i thought this would be so easy; i'm so wrong. Ask me again, the answers will change
1. Mark Bautista
2. Pierce Brosnan
3. Ichiro Suzuki (wahahaa.)
4. Chad Michael Murray
5. Denzel Washington
6. Damon Wayans
7. Colin Firth -- as Sinta says, "Mr. Darcy!"

Seven people you want to see take this quiz
1. Sarah -- where is your blog?! i can't find it!
2. Ate Boogie -- blogspot, xanga, wherever
3. Ate Pen -- have you done this before?
4. Anne -- I miss you. Please do this...
5. Ate Tetchie -- blog ka, please...
6. Ate Raissa -- i don't remember if you did this...
7. Da Youth (SABF)

P.S.

Sinta tagged me too!

I know where I'm going summer of 2012: London. Di ba, ate Boogie? Jenny?

I had thought, as had most others, Paris was going to win the bid. But London pulled a hat trick. London, it is.

******

Fritzie's New bookmark alongside my book The bookmark turned better than what I imagined. I made small origami figures, glued them to paper from my aunt's wedding invite, and added a pretty ribbon from my mom's sewing kit.

Close-Up View of the verse I chose

Close-Up View of the Credit at the Back Lovingly made by Moi...

I'm a little bit, just a tiny bit, obsessed with origami. I can't wait to get more origami paper, borrow more origami books and go crazy at Paperzone!

I did leave you, especially Ate Boogie, on a cliffhanger in my last entry. I was not being too cheeky. I was in the middle of finals, then in the middle of a workweek. In truth, I'm so full of excuses, I probably won't accomplish anything this summer.

Number 1
I owe the Youth Group a thank you for patience with me. I truly appreciate the origami book. I love it so, as you can see in the images. I've made some of the animals. I like the envelopes and boxes, especially. The origami paper that came with the book is easy to fold. The additional origami paper was very colorful but gets unwieldy after many folds. You probably know how much I love paper. I think I'd like to collect origami paper and not fold them. It is quite a horrible thought, now that I am a little more lucid. Anyhow, if you open the letter up, you'll see this...


Thank You Letter for SABF Youth
(Click on image to read letter) 

Number 2
While other women reportedly have "those times of the month," I have "that certain time of the year." I have been such a b-pain to those I love during this time. I realize it, and this is part of why I dread rather than anticipate that time. I am confuzzled as to what to do and to feel. Around the last week of May and the first week of June is that time period when I really feel stressed and deeply depressed. During that time, the temptation to hate myself is really big. Having said that, I'm glad it has been over, for this year. Now, let me share some pieces of evidence of my treatment.

Exhibit A

Two gifts to myself after a hard, hard month of April. I had just given a Molecular Biology presentation earlier that day, but I was excited to buy Blu, my iPod Mini. I stayed up all night importing songs from the CD collection. My baby keeps me company during bus rides, provides the atmosphere during studying and outside (i.e. fun) reading.

Miss Saigon at 5th Ave was amazing! At the first note, I already had goosebumps. It was such an experience for me, and I definitely am looking forward to when I can afford season's tickets. Wow. Emy Baysic, as Kim, offered not just a great voice but strong acting chops as well. She won me over, and I rooted for her till the end. And the late meal with the girls was very fun.

Exhibit B

A few gifts to myself after a hard, hard month of May. Okay, so the Champions (Sheryn, Rachelle Ann, Christian, Raymond, Frenchie and especially Sarah) were very late. I had time to go to the shops in the center and browse. Look what I found! The last DVD copy of My Sassy Girl at a closing-out sale of a car-accessory store. Wow. The Asian salesperson even confessed he watched the movie 3 times and loved it. He promised I would like it. What do I think? The Asian peeps who went gaga over this have a very good point. I enjoyed the movie very much. My sister kept saying, "Why didn't Pinoys come up with this?" That means she really liked it.

I had to buy Mark's CD. I can't say I'm a fan when I don't even have his CD. But I was not able to get an autograph, though. I wanted to give them a break, at least from this fan. :)

The champions rocked. Hanging out with the cousins (Ate Lanie, Ate Elea, Kuya Don, Brent, Wayne and Faith) was something we haven't done lately. I am glad I went, not by myself or with somebody else, but with them...

I don't have a picture of us three but I will remember our first meeting. Ate Shery, you immediately put us at ease. We were hesitant to approach you because we thought you would not recognize us. Thank you for the warm hug, inspite of your hectic schedule. I hope the Champions realize how hard you guys worked. Hopefully, they'll come back.

Exhibit C

The thoughtful gifts from the youth group. I had only begun getting really crazy over origami. I'd fold while watching TV, while eating or ahem, listening to the sermon. Was I really obvious? Thank you for noticing. It was really unexpected. Sometimes, I have second thoughts before pulling out the origami paper because I did not want to ruin the paper by folding it. I know, irony.

*hugs* JJ and I loved the snakes. :)


P.S.
To all who wanted a piece of Mark B. (including me!)

A little souvenir when the mob (i.e. Filipino fans) converged on the poor Champions. They provided a great show inspite of their jetlag. More power to them.

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