Christmas list
Yay! I did my online Christmas shopping na. Anyways, these are the stores I've been purchasing from:
1. fredflare.com
2. uncommongoods.com
3. wishingfish.com
My gifts include:
1. Napoleon Dynamite sleep mask
2. faux bacon strip bandages - band-aids that look like strips of bacon!
3. stapleless stapler
4. computer vac - includes mini brushes, etc.
5. pig and dachsund corn holders - skewers you stick in both ends of corn on the cob so you won't have to hold the corn.
6. butter couple - butter boy and butter girl butter holders.
7. reversible hat that makes baby look like a lion!
It's hard to explain and I'm too lazy to put links and I have to shower, but I will post pictures soon because my Christmas list is rocking this year. Ok go!
Monday, December 4, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Coat of arms
Oh my gosh. I almost got into a fight. At Zara. Over a coat. (In fairness, cute talaga siya). I was shopping for Christmas presents when I chanced upon the Zara store in Soho. I've been reminding myself every couple of months to drop by, but I rarely ever go shopping for clothes anywhere but my regular haunts.
Anyway, in the back, past where they display the fancier items is a treasure trove of reasonably-priced but fancy-looking items. Two Asian girls were trying on coats in front of the lone mirror. One of the coats they were trying on caught my attention. (This was a different one from the one I almost got killed for). The fit was great, and the fabric was versatile, so I started looking through the racks for a similar coat. The only coat in my size (S) was of a different fabric and was pricier. But after 20 minutes of looking around and calculating numbers in my head, I finally decided that I could afford one last coat this winter.
Alas! My coat was gone from the racks. I asked the salesgirl for one in my size, but she said somebody else took the last one. Actually I knew this, but I just wanted to make sure. Finally, after much tugging and smoothing and setting of bags and previous purchases on the floor, I decided I would take the (M). But not before checking with the salesgirl, just in case the other girl decided not to take the (S). Which was quick thinking on my part because she came back from the dressing room with the precious coat!
On my way to getting in line, I passed a rack of basic turtlenecks and remembered how I constantly wished I had a plain black turtleneck while leafing through this season's magazines. Of course, I started looking through the rack. It was okay, I had time since the line was long; the two Asian girls from earlier were at the head of the line, with the same coat as the one I had (I wondered briefly if it was a small). Suddenly, a girl on her cellphone walks by, "Waitaminute. Somebody took my fucking coat!" Oops. I slowly inched my way in line, while wishing that it wasn't the coat I had draped over my arms she was talking about. No such luck, though. Just as it was my turn at the register, a salesgirl inquired about my coat's size. Apparently, the girl had tried the coat on in the dressing room and left it with an attendant, and the other salesgirl innocently thought that she didn't want it.
I looked at her with "You have got to be kidding me," written all over my face. I mean, come on. Who tries coats on in the dressing room, anyway? You just fling your stuff on the floor and try it on right there. Plus, this girl was at least three inches taller than me, and she was actually going to make shorty me get the (M)? But fine, I was gracious, gave her the small, took the medium, and gave the salesgirl my name and number and asked for a list of Zara stores in New York. While all this was going on, the two Asian girls from before (bless their hearts) came dashing back in. On their way out, they found a (S) near the front of the store. "Thank you," I said. "Apparently, everyone wants this coat." "Well, we all have one now!,"she said.
So, to my fellow Zara coat shoppers, congratulations for snagging a very in demand item, and much good karma to those two girls. To the helpful Zara salesgirl, it was an innocent mistake and just one of the snags in the retail world. And to Zara waiting room attendants, please designate a rack for reserved items to facilitate a hassle-free shopping experience.
Oh my gosh. I almost got into a fight. At Zara. Over a coat. (In fairness, cute talaga siya). I was shopping for Christmas presents when I chanced upon the Zara store in Soho. I've been reminding myself every couple of months to drop by, but I rarely ever go shopping for clothes anywhere but my regular haunts.
Anyway, in the back, past where they display the fancier items is a treasure trove of reasonably-priced but fancy-looking items. Two Asian girls were trying on coats in front of the lone mirror. One of the coats they were trying on caught my attention. (This was a different one from the one I almost got killed for). The fit was great, and the fabric was versatile, so I started looking through the racks for a similar coat. The only coat in my size (S) was of a different fabric and was pricier. But after 20 minutes of looking around and calculating numbers in my head, I finally decided that I could afford one last coat this winter.
Alas! My coat was gone from the racks. I asked the salesgirl for one in my size, but she said somebody else took the last one. Actually I knew this, but I just wanted to make sure. Finally, after much tugging and smoothing and setting of bags and previous purchases on the floor, I decided I would take the (M). But not before checking with the salesgirl, just in case the other girl decided not to take the (S). Which was quick thinking on my part because she came back from the dressing room with the precious coat!
On my way to getting in line, I passed a rack of basic turtlenecks and remembered how I constantly wished I had a plain black turtleneck while leafing through this season's magazines. Of course, I started looking through the rack. It was okay, I had time since the line was long; the two Asian girls from earlier were at the head of the line, with the same coat as the one I had (I wondered briefly if it was a small). Suddenly, a girl on her cellphone walks by, "Waitaminute. Somebody took my fucking coat!" Oops. I slowly inched my way in line, while wishing that it wasn't the coat I had draped over my arms she was talking about. No such luck, though. Just as it was my turn at the register, a salesgirl inquired about my coat's size. Apparently, the girl had tried the coat on in the dressing room and left it with an attendant, and the other salesgirl innocently thought that she didn't want it.
I looked at her with "You have got to be kidding me," written all over my face. I mean, come on. Who tries coats on in the dressing room, anyway? You just fling your stuff on the floor and try it on right there. Plus, this girl was at least three inches taller than me, and she was actually going to make shorty me get the (M)? But fine, I was gracious, gave her the small, took the medium, and gave the salesgirl my name and number and asked for a list of Zara stores in New York. While all this was going on, the two Asian girls from before (bless their hearts) came dashing back in. On their way out, they found a (S) near the front of the store. "Thank you," I said. "Apparently, everyone wants this coat." "Well, we all have one now!,"she said.
So, to my fellow Zara coat shoppers, congratulations for snagging a very in demand item, and much good karma to those two girls. To the helpful Zara salesgirl, it was an innocent mistake and just one of the snags in the retail world. And to Zara waiting room attendants, please designate a rack for reserved items to facilitate a hassle-free shopping experience.
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Top of the world
How cute is this top? Mura lang naman - $210. Hay, I wonder when I can afford to just drop 200 bucks on a top. It's over at built by wendy.
How cute is this top? Mura lang naman - $210. Hay, I wonder when I can afford to just drop 200 bucks on a top. It's over at built by wendy.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Making a mountain out of a molehill
The summer before I went away for college, a couple of friends and I set out for a three-day hike very much against my parents' preferences. I'd gone hiking before, but never long-term. We planned to scale Mt. Mandalagan in Silay (elevation according to various googled sites: 3,000 to 6,000 feet) and spend the night at Tinagong Dagat, a wide valley believed to be an old crater that turns into a lake during the rainy season and reverts back into a mossy plain during summer.
From Silay (a city about half an hour from Bacolod) we took a jeepney to an old hospital in Patag where the trail started. Everybody else had packs to carry, with the tents and stoves and food and water for ten people, and I had a tiny little backpack with a sleeping bag and I still had to stop a couple of times so they could load me up with more Red Bull.
Once, we stopped at a stream to wash up, and a dozen leeches with suckers at both ends of their body immediately attached themselves to my track pants. As night fell, we finally stopped at a clearing, built a bonfire, pitched our tents and slept uncomfortably atop twigs.
We got to Tinagong Dagat early in the morning and as the fog slowly lifted, I saw the most breathtaking sight.
This is Tinagong Dagat after a heavy downpour:
and on a sunny day:
We spent the day lounging and running around, the only people for miles. This was about ten years ago and everything felt untouched - our own little secret world. It was very Jurassic Park.
The descent was much easier and took quicker, with no more Red Bull breaks for me. For weeks afterward I felt closer to and hung out with the same group of people. I've never been back since and have lost touch with most of them.
I've been reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods and it brought back so many vivid memories of that summer - the rush of adrenaline I felt when we faced the first steep climb, my mother's rubber shoes caked with mud, my green parachute pants laid out to dry on top of a bush, the guy I had a crush on pulling me up an incline, standing in the middle of the plaza of Silay, grimy and skinny and smiling.
I've no photos of my own (they're in Bacolod) so I stole them here. And more here.
The summer before I went away for college, a couple of friends and I set out for a three-day hike very much against my parents' preferences. I'd gone hiking before, but never long-term. We planned to scale Mt. Mandalagan in Silay (elevation according to various googled sites: 3,000 to 6,000 feet) and spend the night at Tinagong Dagat, a wide valley believed to be an old crater that turns into a lake during the rainy season and reverts back into a mossy plain during summer.
From Silay (a city about half an hour from Bacolod) we took a jeepney to an old hospital in Patag where the trail started. Everybody else had packs to carry, with the tents and stoves and food and water for ten people, and I had a tiny little backpack with a sleeping bag and I still had to stop a couple of times so they could load me up with more Red Bull.
Once, we stopped at a stream to wash up, and a dozen leeches with suckers at both ends of their body immediately attached themselves to my track pants. As night fell, we finally stopped at a clearing, built a bonfire, pitched our tents and slept uncomfortably atop twigs.
We got to Tinagong Dagat early in the morning and as the fog slowly lifted, I saw the most breathtaking sight.
This is Tinagong Dagat after a heavy downpour:
and on a sunny day:
We spent the day lounging and running around, the only people for miles. This was about ten years ago and everything felt untouched - our own little secret world. It was very Jurassic Park.
The descent was much easier and took quicker, with no more Red Bull breaks for me. For weeks afterward I felt closer to and hung out with the same group of people. I've never been back since and have lost touch with most of them.
I've been reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods and it brought back so many vivid memories of that summer - the rush of adrenaline I felt when we faced the first steep climb, my mother's rubber shoes caked with mud, my green parachute pants laid out to dry on top of a bush, the guy I had a crush on pulling me up an incline, standing in the middle of the plaza of Silay, grimy and skinny and smiling.
I've no photos of my own (they're in Bacolod) so I stole them here. And more here.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I've been tagged
Before anything else, a picture:
THREE NAMES THAT YOU GO BY:
1. Mel
2. Melai
3. Mimi
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD, INCLUDING THE ONE YOU NOW HAVE:
1. uglysullengirl
2. stamp_pad
3. that chick
THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My hands
2. My ears
3. My undefeated adroitness at Jumble
THREE THINGS YOU HATE/DISLIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My paunch
2. Lately, my temper
3. My undefeated adroitness at Procrastination
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. My paternal grandfather (who I never met) was a diligent bookkeeper for a cooperative put up by American missionaries (we still have his detailed journals of expenses and supplies)
2. My maternal grandfather was a farmer and founder of a Baptist church
3. My grandmother, my father, my sister and I stock back and current issues of Reader's Digest in the bathroom (for extended lavatory exercises such as waiting for the clay mask to dry, taking a crap, etc.)
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. spiders too, Drey
2. creeps
3. highway accidents
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino
2. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Blam
3. 1010 AM
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. shorts
2. blue/green dragon shirt I bought in Texas
3. rice pearl necklace that an uncle gave me for college grad
THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:
1. long distance driving
2. regular tennis
3. going back to school
TWO LIES AND A TRUTH:
1. The exterminator saw me naked.
2. My boyfriend has six fingers on his left hand.
3. I had to use the kitchen fire extinguisher tonight.
THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. sleep early
2. jump rope
3. light a match
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. reading!
2. playing instruments!
3. watching movies!
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. sleep
2. go away
3. swim
THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. manager
2. programmer
3. musician
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Japan
2. France
3. Alaska
THREE TRUE LOVES:
1. music
2. books
3. coffee
THREE FAVORITE ANIMALS:
1. Smokey the family dog
2. Ricky the family bird
3. assorted sea creatures
THREE REASONS WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS:
1. I don't want to do what needs to be done.
2. I agree, every blog needs a survey - good, bad or indifferent.
3. Rocs, the survey Nazi.
THREE PEOPLE WHO MUST TAKE THIS QUIZ: (You’ve gotta tag two or three or four others.)
1. You
2. you, and
3. you.
Good night.
Before anything else, a picture:
THREE NAMES THAT YOU GO BY:
1. Mel
2. Melai
3. Mimi
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD, INCLUDING THE ONE YOU NOW HAVE:
1. uglysullengirl
2. stamp_pad
3. that chick
THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My hands
2. My ears
3. My undefeated adroitness at Jumble
THREE THINGS YOU HATE/DISLIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My paunch
2. Lately, my temper
3. My undefeated adroitness at Procrastination
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. My paternal grandfather (who I never met) was a diligent bookkeeper for a cooperative put up by American missionaries (we still have his detailed journals of expenses and supplies)
2. My maternal grandfather was a farmer and founder of a Baptist church
3. My grandmother, my father, my sister and I stock back and current issues of Reader's Digest in the bathroom (for extended lavatory exercises such as waiting for the clay mask to dry, taking a crap, etc.)
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. spiders too, Drey
2. creeps
3. highway accidents
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino
2. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Blam
3. 1010 AM
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. shorts
2. blue/green dragon shirt I bought in Texas
3. rice pearl necklace that an uncle gave me for college grad
THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:
1. long distance driving
2. regular tennis
3. going back to school
TWO LIES AND A TRUTH:
1. The exterminator saw me naked.
2. My boyfriend has six fingers on his left hand.
3. I had to use the kitchen fire extinguisher tonight.
THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. sleep early
2. jump rope
3. light a match
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. reading!
2. playing instruments!
3. watching movies!
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. sleep
2. go away
3. swim
THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. manager
2. programmer
3. musician
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Japan
2. France
3. Alaska
THREE TRUE LOVES:
1. music
2. books
3. coffee
THREE FAVORITE ANIMALS:
1. Smokey the family dog
2. Ricky the family bird
3. assorted sea creatures
THREE REASONS WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS:
1. I don't want to do what needs to be done.
2. I agree, every blog needs a survey - good, bad or indifferent.
3. Rocs, the survey Nazi.
THREE PEOPLE WHO MUST TAKE THIS QUIZ: (You’ve gotta tag two or three or four others.)
1. You
2. you, and
3. you.
Good night.
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Sleater-Kinney broke up :(
in one more hour
i will be gone
in one more hour
i'll leave this room
the dress you wore
the pretty shoes
are things i left
behind for you
oh, you've got the darkest eyes
i needed it
(i know it's hard for you to let it go
i know it's hard for you to say goodbye
i know you need a little more time)
if you could talk
what would you say
for you things were
just night and day
take off the dress
take off the face
i'll hold you close
before i leave
don't say another word
about the other girl
in one more hour
i will be gone
in one more hour
i'll leave this room
the dress you wore
the pretty shoes
are things i left
behind for you
oh, you've got the darkest eyes
i needed it
(i know it's hard for you to let it go
i know it's hard for you to say goodbye
i know you need a little more time)
if you could talk
what would you say
for you things were
just night and day
take off the dress
take off the face
i'll hold you close
before i leave
don't say another word
about the other girl
Monday, August 28, 2006
Bad news for people who love bad news
On August 11, a Petron tanker carrying two million liters of oil sank off Guimaras Strait. Guimaras is an island located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines between Panay and Negros. Its shorelines are teeming with diverse marine life and mangroves and coral reefs.
DENR is asking Petron to buy a bioreactor that produces microbes to hasten the breakdown of the sludge that has spread over 200 kilometers of shoreline. Read more here. Click here to sign a petition.
This breaks my heart. As late as August 25, the tanker was still in the waters and the remaining oil in the tanker hadn't been siphoned off. There are so many disheartening things in this article.
Guimaras is beautiful. Isla Pulang Pasayan is famous for its exotic marine life - live shrimp that look like they've been cooked because of their reddish color. There are tons of islets and caves and coves. Some of the beaches aren't affected yet and I just hope people do what they're supposed to.
On August 11, a Petron tanker carrying two million liters of oil sank off Guimaras Strait. Guimaras is an island located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines between Panay and Negros. Its shorelines are teeming with diverse marine life and mangroves and coral reefs.
DENR is asking Petron to buy a bioreactor that produces microbes to hasten the breakdown of the sludge that has spread over 200 kilometers of shoreline. Read more here. Click here to sign a petition.
This breaks my heart. As late as August 25, the tanker was still in the waters and the remaining oil in the tanker hadn't been siphoned off. There are so many disheartening things in this article.
Guimaras is beautiful. Isla Pulang Pasayan is famous for its exotic marine life - live shrimp that look like they've been cooked because of their reddish color. There are tons of islets and caves and coves. Some of the beaches aren't affected yet and I just hope people do what they're supposed to.
Monday, August 14, 2006
18 minutes until Sex and the City reruns
Waaah! I'm 26 and feeling it. I must say, though: This is the best birthday I've had since last year. I got a lot of presents. Two pairs of shoes! Whoa, Imelda. And even though it would have been nice to be handed a bunch of red balloons by a guy in a limo like Carrie in one of last week's reruns, I'm content with getting a Hello Kitty helium balloon that is still floating around in my living room this very moment. There are so many things I have to be thankful for this year. And even though I hate to admit it, it's really nice to feel special. My friend let me drive her car around the parking lot (my very first time behind the wheel) until I got dizzy. Another friend filled an empty bottle of amaretto with messages on little post-its that she collected from everyone. We went out for a scrumptious Thai dinner and I didn't have to pay.
In the back of my mind there are a lot of things that I want and a lot of things in my 25 before 25 list that I still haven't accomplished, but as I was blowing out the candle on my mango-flavored birthday cake, I couldn't think of anything that I wanted for myself. So I just thanked God for a wonderful year and for so many bright faces around me.
Waaah! I'm 26 and feeling it. I must say, though: This is the best birthday I've had since last year. I got a lot of presents. Two pairs of shoes! Whoa, Imelda. And even though it would have been nice to be handed a bunch of red balloons by a guy in a limo like Carrie in one of last week's reruns, I'm content with getting a Hello Kitty helium balloon that is still floating around in my living room this very moment. There are so many things I have to be thankful for this year. And even though I hate to admit it, it's really nice to feel special. My friend let me drive her car around the parking lot (my very first time behind the wheel) until I got dizzy. Another friend filled an empty bottle of amaretto with messages on little post-its that she collected from everyone. We went out for a scrumptious Thai dinner and I didn't have to pay.
In the back of my mind there are a lot of things that I want and a lot of things in my 25 before 25 list that I still haven't accomplished, but as I was blowing out the candle on my mango-flavored birthday cake, I couldn't think of anything that I wanted for myself. So I just thanked God for a wonderful year and for so many bright faces around me.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
This is the story with the fantastic lies
Well, Chicago was fun. I got there before everyone else, dragged my suitcase aboard the excellent transit system, dropped my stuff off at the hotel, and walked all over downtown. I must have walked for at least three hours before I collapsed on the bed in the spartan, non-descript, cheap, and very close to everything hotel room. If you're working with a budget, this is the place for you. They did double-charge us, but they put the money back in about two days after.
We got to check out the Taste of Chicago, which is an annual food festival where they get together tons of restaurants and have them put up booths in Grant Park. People purchase 11 tickets for $7 and redeem various food items ranging from watermelon ice (2 tickets for a "Taste portion") to ribs.
We saw (and were thirty minutes late for) Cirque Shanghai and caught the pre-fourth of July fireworks at the Navy Pier.
One afternoon we danced ourselves silly at the Chicago Summer Dance. We walked miles and miles to see the giant drop of mercury at the Millennium Park. Oh, and we also found ourselves in the middle of a decrepit neighborhood looking for reggae. Don't ask. On our last night, we drank $3 margaritas at Chili's. Not bad at all.
---
Last week I saw The Road to Guantanamo at the Angelika. It's certainly thought-provoking and more than a little disturbing. It's a docu-drama about four friends who travel to Pakistan for a wedding only to find themselves prisoners of war. It makes you wonder about all the other horrible mistakes made in this war.
---
Last night at the Cheesecake Factory I had the Pasta Da Vinci, which was delicious but did not have enough mushrooms. The clam chowder was rich and filling, almost a meal in itself. We had buffalo wings, crab wontons and calamari for appetizers. The buffalo wings were very spicy and very good. For dessert, two mouthfuls of pineapple upside down cheesecake, which was just a bit too sweet.
---
I think I want to take up tennis. I played for the first time today (with a wall) and liked it very much so that I might want to buy a racket and actually make time for it on the week-ends. It's very good for releasing aggression, methinks.
---
Yehey! I got my learner's permit in the mail today. When I went to get it at the DMV, I was a nervous wreck because when it was my turn at the counter I couldn't find my greencard. The clerk at the desk started yelling at me and I got more and more flustered but I just tried to console myself with the thought that this is probably the only chance she gets to exercise power, barking orders behind a desk at the DMV. Finally she told me to look for it slowly and carefully and I found it in my purse in between the pages of my driver's manual. I was so not in the mood (not that I was in the mood in the first place) that I told her to just use my photo in the database, which dates back to 2001, the one where I look like a rhesus monkey. But then I only got one item wrong on the written test and it was a question about blood alcohol content and the lady at the counter was very nice and very impressed, so all's well that ends well. (This does not in any way mean I will be a good driver; it only means I studied the manual religiously because I can not turn 26 and still not know how to drive).
Well, Chicago was fun. I got there before everyone else, dragged my suitcase aboard the excellent transit system, dropped my stuff off at the hotel, and walked all over downtown. I must have walked for at least three hours before I collapsed on the bed in the spartan, non-descript, cheap, and very close to everything hotel room. If you're working with a budget, this is the place for you. They did double-charge us, but they put the money back in about two days after.
We got to check out the Taste of Chicago, which is an annual food festival where they get together tons of restaurants and have them put up booths in Grant Park. People purchase 11 tickets for $7 and redeem various food items ranging from watermelon ice (2 tickets for a "Taste portion") to ribs. 
We saw (and were thirty minutes late for) Cirque Shanghai and caught the pre-fourth of July fireworks at the Navy Pier.
One afternoon we danced ourselves silly at the Chicago Summer Dance. We walked miles and miles to see the giant drop of mercury at the Millennium Park. Oh, and we also found ourselves in the middle of a decrepit neighborhood looking for reggae. Don't ask. On our last night, we drank $3 margaritas at Chili's. Not bad at all.---
Last week I saw The Road to Guantanamo at the Angelika. It's certainly thought-provoking and more than a little disturbing. It's a docu-drama about four friends who travel to Pakistan for a wedding only to find themselves prisoners of war. It makes you wonder about all the other horrible mistakes made in this war.
---
Last night at the Cheesecake Factory I had the Pasta Da Vinci, which was delicious but did not have enough mushrooms. The clam chowder was rich and filling, almost a meal in itself. We had buffalo wings, crab wontons and calamari for appetizers. The buffalo wings were very spicy and very good. For dessert, two mouthfuls of pineapple upside down cheesecake, which was just a bit too sweet.
---
I think I want to take up tennis. I played for the first time today (with a wall) and liked it very much so that I might want to buy a racket and actually make time for it on the week-ends. It's very good for releasing aggression, methinks.
---
Yehey! I got my learner's permit in the mail today. When I went to get it at the DMV, I was a nervous wreck because when it was my turn at the counter I couldn't find my greencard. The clerk at the desk started yelling at me and I got more and more flustered but I just tried to console myself with the thought that this is probably the only chance she gets to exercise power, barking orders behind a desk at the DMV. Finally she told me to look for it slowly and carefully and I found it in my purse in between the pages of my driver's manual. I was so not in the mood (not that I was in the mood in the first place) that I told her to just use my photo in the database, which dates back to 2001, the one where I look like a rhesus monkey. But then I only got one item wrong on the written test and it was a question about blood alcohol content and the lady at the counter was very nice and very impressed, so all's well that ends well. (This does not in any way mean I will be a good driver; it only means I studied the manual religiously because I can not turn 26 and still not know how to drive).
Monday, July 10, 2006
You could surely try to be more alive
My vacation is over. But that's okay. I saw Mates of State! Castle Clinton shows are the best. Even though I couldn't see them and got scolded by a ranger twice. That's where I saw Beulah's last show, too.
Mahal ko talaga ang Mates of State. They sang These Days, which is one of my most favorite songs, for Coachella.
My vacation is over. But that's okay. I saw Mates of State! Castle Clinton shows are the best. Even though I couldn't see them and got scolded by a ranger twice. That's where I saw Beulah's last show, too.
Mahal ko talaga ang Mates of State. They sang These Days, which is one of my most favorite songs, for Coachella.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Move On (That's What I Need to Do)
Ugh. So here's what I've done in that annual two-week period of supposedly doing every domestic chore I could think of besides exploring the world but end up spending doing absolutely nothing, i.e. vacation:
1. Bought suitcase - tough choice between hard case cheapo and oh-so-cute but off-the-budget Kipling. Cheapo won.
2. Did laundry - tons and tons of it. Next: ironing.
3. Cook - Filipino pasghetti, my own little hotdog party in my living room using my mini George Forman.
4. Squandered hours on ohnotheydidnt, idontlikeyouinthatway and gawker. But I did find this.
Also, in the past week,
5. saw Cars (loads of fun) and The Lake House (load of crap).
6. checked out Mitsuwa Marketplace - AA said it sucked, but I was thrilled if only for the ten kinds of Pocky.
To cross off my to do list, if possible by tomorrow:
7. go to the DMV/look for Social Security card
8. write thank you note - That wedding I did? They did pay me, more than I expected actually. So, anybody else looking for a wedding pianist/organist/bassist, hire me!
9. clean bathroom
10. make pudding
11. drop off drycleaning
12. drop off stuff at Salvation Army
13. get rid of magazine piles
and last but not the least
14. catch flight to Chicago!
Ugh. So here's what I've done in that annual two-week period of supposedly doing every domestic chore I could think of besides exploring the world but end up spending doing absolutely nothing, i.e. vacation:
1. Bought suitcase - tough choice between hard case cheapo and oh-so-cute but off-the-budget Kipling. Cheapo won.
2. Did laundry - tons and tons of it. Next: ironing.
3. Cook - Filipino pasghetti, my own little hotdog party in my living room using my mini George Forman.
4. Squandered hours on ohnotheydidnt, idontlikeyouinthatway and gawker. But I did find this.
Also, in the past week,
5. saw Cars (loads of fun) and The Lake House (load of crap).
6. checked out Mitsuwa Marketplace - AA said it sucked, but I was thrilled if only for the ten kinds of Pocky.
To cross off my to do list, if possible by tomorrow:
7. go to the DMV/look for Social Security card
8. write thank you note - That wedding I did? They did pay me, more than I expected actually. So, anybody else looking for a wedding pianist/organist/bassist, hire me!
9. clean bathroom
10. make pudding
11. drop off drycleaning
12. drop off stuff at Salvation Army
13. get rid of magazine piles
and last but not the least
14. catch flight to Chicago!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Something old, something new...
I have a wedding (not mine) rehearsal today. Specifically, I'm doing the organ music. I'm kind of excited, as I haven't done a wedding in a long time. I get a kick out of playing the wedding march, especially when the bride gets ready to come in, framed by the church's doorway, and everybody rises. So, anyways, I was thinking of the Trumpet Voluntary for the entourage procesional and Canon in D for the candlelighting. Initially, I had Air from Suite No. 3 in mind, but it's kind of too cheerful for such a solemn part of the ceremony. Wish me luck! My preparation so far has consisted of listening to the aforementioned pieces of music on my iPod.
I have a wedding (not mine) rehearsal today. Specifically, I'm doing the organ music. I'm kind of excited, as I haven't done a wedding in a long time. I get a kick out of playing the wedding march, especially when the bride gets ready to come in, framed by the church's doorway, and everybody rises. So, anyways, I was thinking of the Trumpet Voluntary for the entourage procesional and Canon in D for the candlelighting. Initially, I had Air from Suite No. 3 in mind, but it's kind of too cheerful for such a solemn part of the ceremony. Wish me luck! My preparation so far has consisted of listening to the aforementioned pieces of music on my iPod.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Thirteen
Last night I saw Todd Solondz's Palindromes. Aviva is 13 years old and knows what she wants. She wants a baby. She meets Judah, the son of family friends, and after some awkward thrusting in his bedroom, gets pregnant. What follows is a strange, sad and sometimes satirical coming-of-age story that pits pro-life and pro-choice, and destiny and free will. Solondz, whose last movie was the Belle-and-Sebastian-soundtracked Storytelling, uses different actors for Aviva's role, perhaps to help the audience along in relating to the character.
Thirteen is a sort of magical age. It's right smack in the middle of the formative years. I've always been disturbed by the thought that kids today at that age have already seen so much. Where was I at thirteen? In school, where the foremost thing on my mind was getting through Physics. Maybe I cut class once in a while or lied to get an overnight permit to watch a concert or had a beer. But it never occurred to me to hitchike and get it on with a trucker (Palindromes) or slash my wrists so badly that I have to wear a ton of bangles to hide the scars (Thirteen). I was blessed with a relatively carefree childhood but I admire people who have that particular strength that comes with having difficult experiences early in life. I just wish that kids wouldn't grow up so fast.
Now you're all gone got your make-up on and you're not coming back... - Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl, Broken Social Scene
Last night I saw Todd Solondz's Palindromes. Aviva is 13 years old and knows what she wants. She wants a baby. She meets Judah, the son of family friends, and after some awkward thrusting in his bedroom, gets pregnant. What follows is a strange, sad and sometimes satirical coming-of-age story that pits pro-life and pro-choice, and destiny and free will. Solondz, whose last movie was the Belle-and-Sebastian-soundtracked Storytelling, uses different actors for Aviva's role, perhaps to help the audience along in relating to the character.
Thirteen is a sort of magical age. It's right smack in the middle of the formative years. I've always been disturbed by the thought that kids today at that age have already seen so much. Where was I at thirteen? In school, where the foremost thing on my mind was getting through Physics. Maybe I cut class once in a while or lied to get an overnight permit to watch a concert or had a beer. But it never occurred to me to hitchike and get it on with a trucker (Palindromes) or slash my wrists so badly that I have to wear a ton of bangles to hide the scars (Thirteen). I was blessed with a relatively carefree childhood but I admire people who have that particular strength that comes with having difficult experiences early in life. I just wish that kids wouldn't grow up so fast.
Now you're all gone got your make-up on and you're not coming back... - Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl, Broken Social Scene
Friday, June 9, 2006
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
A thousand things
Memorial Day Week-end was fun and activity- and travel-filled. We left characteristically late on Saturday for a picnic at Bear Mountain. Spent the day skewering various pieces of meat and vegetables and slow-roasting these atop "disposable" grills. After an overextended lunch, we finally headed to the lake to go boating. Afterwards, we decided to go hiking. Of course, I had on my dispensable Tommy maryjanes that, for some unexplainable reason, I always wear on hiking trips even if they're the most impractical shoes to wear on one. They're loose and slippery and are more apt for a leisurely afternoon stroll than for a vertical quest for the perfect view. No one told us there was actually a lookout point where cars could stop and unhaggard passengers could gracefully disembark and have their photographs taken.
I got to Ocean City, New Jersey at 3:30 am on Sunday (with a different group of people) after a brash display by our driver, who decided to wake us passengers up by pretending to have missed an exit, doubling back to take said exit and then deciding not to take it after all. Think go-carts and those crazy sharp turns, but with a minivan. Activities on the boardwalk include nearly running over an old guy (twice), see also nearly crashing into a store. Before heading home, we went to Atlantic City and I bet $1 on a Wheel of Fortune game and won $12.75! Awesome.
---
I can't believe Freedom Bar is gone. Freedom Bar was this tiny little place in Quezon City where then unknown bands played. I remember it was where amp (my college org) held its annual parties and it was called "amplitude", which we thought was very smart. I remember one party that my friend Ruby hosted and she had on this colorful, ethereal-looking dress and her co-host Serge had on a shirt with a lightning bolt on it. I remember sneaking in to see my favorite bands play when I was supposed to be outside manning the ticket booth, which was really just a table with an official-looking steel box on it. I remember calling my dad from a phonebooth downstairs (This was back in 1999 or so; I didn't have a cellphone) reassuring him that I had already packed for a trip to the US the next day when I was actually planning to just wake up extra early to pack. Just then Echo and Jazz walked by and asked if I wanted to go eat balut, but I couldn't because I had to go back upstairs to count tickets. I have a lot of good memories of that place.
---
I went to see my friend's new baby this past week-end. She is tiny and light and all of six pounds. She was just 3 days old but she opened her eyes and cried for milk and has a head full of hair. My friend said giving birth was extremely painful and she screamed out for an epidural early on. And to think she wasn't even in labor for too long. Whew.
---
On Saturday, my co-worker's dad died. One life ends and one begins.
---
I just spent an hour on the phone with two of my high school friends. We all live in different states and we meet about once a year to catch up and gossip and do whatever people who've known each other a really long time do. This year I wasn't sure about going, but on an impulse, I've once again bought a plane ticket. I don't know why, but all I started out to do was ask about the fare. The thing is, my travel agent has this unassuming way about her. She's scored me cheap tickets to the Philippines before, and I feel like I owe it to her, so I always end up just buying the damn ticket, even if I wasn't 100% going to in the first place. Damn.
---
I've been sick all week-end. I called in sick from my other job Sunday and laid down on the couch with a massive headache until I realized I didn't have any food in the house. I walked the half block to the deli and found out the whole street was closed for a street fair. I walked around in massive sunglasses and house shorts and ended up at the crepe stall. Mmmm, bananas and nutella and a sprinkling of sugar. Spent the rest of the day listening to the Napoleon Dynamite commentary track.
---
Sometimes I can be really mean. It's all a joke to me, but sometimes I wonder if my boyfriend doesn't secretly get hurt by my sarcastic comments. His friends say he's lucky because I put up with him and his strange ideas, but really, I think he puts up with me, too.
Memorial Day Week-end was fun and activity- and travel-filled. We left characteristically late on Saturday for a picnic at Bear Mountain. Spent the day skewering various pieces of meat and vegetables and slow-roasting these atop "disposable" grills. After an overextended lunch, we finally headed to the lake to go boating. Afterwards, we decided to go hiking. Of course, I had on my dispensable Tommy maryjanes that, for some unexplainable reason, I always wear on hiking trips even if they're the most impractical shoes to wear on one. They're loose and slippery and are more apt for a leisurely afternoon stroll than for a vertical quest for the perfect view. No one told us there was actually a lookout point where cars could stop and unhaggard passengers could gracefully disembark and have their photographs taken.
I got to Ocean City, New Jersey at 3:30 am on Sunday (with a different group of people) after a brash display by our driver, who decided to wake us passengers up by pretending to have missed an exit, doubling back to take said exit and then deciding not to take it after all. Think go-carts and those crazy sharp turns, but with a minivan. Activities on the boardwalk include nearly running over an old guy (twice), see also nearly crashing into a store. Before heading home, we went to Atlantic City and I bet $1 on a Wheel of Fortune game and won $12.75! Awesome.
---
I can't believe Freedom Bar is gone. Freedom Bar was this tiny little place in Quezon City where then unknown bands played. I remember it was where amp (my college org) held its annual parties and it was called "amplitude", which we thought was very smart. I remember one party that my friend Ruby hosted and she had on this colorful, ethereal-looking dress and her co-host Serge had on a shirt with a lightning bolt on it. I remember sneaking in to see my favorite bands play when I was supposed to be outside manning the ticket booth, which was really just a table with an official-looking steel box on it. I remember calling my dad from a phonebooth downstairs (This was back in 1999 or so; I didn't have a cellphone) reassuring him that I had already packed for a trip to the US the next day when I was actually planning to just wake up extra early to pack. Just then Echo and Jazz walked by and asked if I wanted to go eat balut, but I couldn't because I had to go back upstairs to count tickets. I have a lot of good memories of that place.
---
I went to see my friend's new baby this past week-end. She is tiny and light and all of six pounds. She was just 3 days old but she opened her eyes and cried for milk and has a head full of hair. My friend said giving birth was extremely painful and she screamed out for an epidural early on. And to think she wasn't even in labor for too long. Whew.
---
On Saturday, my co-worker's dad died. One life ends and one begins.
---
I just spent an hour on the phone with two of my high school friends. We all live in different states and we meet about once a year to catch up and gossip and do whatever people who've known each other a really long time do. This year I wasn't sure about going, but on an impulse, I've once again bought a plane ticket. I don't know why, but all I started out to do was ask about the fare. The thing is, my travel agent has this unassuming way about her. She's scored me cheap tickets to the Philippines before, and I feel like I owe it to her, so I always end up just buying the damn ticket, even if I wasn't 100% going to in the first place. Damn.
---
I've been sick all week-end. I called in sick from my other job Sunday and laid down on the couch with a massive headache until I realized I didn't have any food in the house. I walked the half block to the deli and found out the whole street was closed for a street fair. I walked around in massive sunglasses and house shorts and ended up at the crepe stall. Mmmm, bananas and nutella and a sprinkling of sugar. Spent the rest of the day listening to the Napoleon Dynamite commentary track.
---
Sometimes I can be really mean. It's all a joke to me, but sometimes I wonder if my boyfriend doesn't secretly get hurt by my sarcastic comments. His friends say he's lucky because I put up with him and his strange ideas, but really, I think he puts up with me, too.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Speaking of...
procrastination, I let my domain name expire and now I have to buy it back from one of those companies that pounce on expiring domains and sell it for twice the going price. So now I'm squatting on blogspot and I might not renew my domain. I'll see what happens.
This week-end, I went to Six Flags Great Adventure. The first rollercoaster I was ever on was the Nitro, which looks like this:
and has so many camelbacks it's not even funny. Afer that I refused to go on any real rides for three years. (Skull Mountain and Runaway Train don't count even though I gritted my teeth through them as well.)
This time I felt left out and bored, and I let them coax me onto Batman the Ride.
Waiting in line, I distracted myself by looking at kids younger than me by more than a decade looking nonchalant and not at all nervous. It's a little embarrassing to get out of line once you're already there. So I hung on for dear life and even managed a weak "Woohoo!" or two.
By the time we got on the Medusa,
I could say that I was as enthusiastic as the rest of 'em fanatics. I was actually smiling in the picture with two thumbs up!
And I found out that the true test of a fun, harmless rollercoaster is not if a lot of kids get on it; they're young and fearless after all. When you a see a lot of people who have mortgages getting in line, then it's probably worth a shot.
P.S. I am a loser for not bringing my camera. Pictures stolen from coasterimage.
procrastination, I let my domain name expire and now I have to buy it back from one of those companies that pounce on expiring domains and sell it for twice the going price. So now I'm squatting on blogspot and I might not renew my domain. I'll see what happens.
This week-end, I went to Six Flags Great Adventure. The first rollercoaster I was ever on was the Nitro, which looks like this:
and has so many camelbacks it's not even funny. Afer that I refused to go on any real rides for three years. (Skull Mountain and Runaway Train don't count even though I gritted my teeth through them as well.)
This time I felt left out and bored, and I let them coax me onto Batman the Ride.
Waiting in line, I distracted myself by looking at kids younger than me by more than a decade looking nonchalant and not at all nervous. It's a little embarrassing to get out of line once you're already there. So I hung on for dear life and even managed a weak "Woohoo!" or two.
By the time we got on the Medusa,
I could say that I was as enthusiastic as the rest of 'em fanatics. I was actually smiling in the picture with two thumbs up!
And I found out that the true test of a fun, harmless rollercoaster is not if a lot of kids get on it; they're young and fearless after all. When you a see a lot of people who have mortgages getting in line, then it's probably worth a shot.
P.S. I am a loser for not bringing my camera. Pictures stolen from coasterimage.
Thursday, May 4, 2006
Oh yes, I'm the great procrastinator
I have a seminar which will touch on procrastination and other faults tomorrow. So guess what I'm doing? I'm going to watch Happenstance and maybe just wake up an hour earlier tomorrow to write my three goals essay.
I guess this tops my exclaiming out loud, "I don't have any goals!" to my boss.
I have a seminar which will touch on procrastination and other faults tomorrow. So guess what I'm doing? I'm going to watch Happenstance and maybe just wake up an hour earlier tomorrow to write my three goals essay.
I guess this tops my exclaiming out loud, "I don't have any goals!" to my boss.
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
You Don't Send Me
1. You Don't Send Me (Belle and Sebastian) - "Listen honey, there is nothing you can do to offend me anymore. You don’t send me anymore."
2. Heard 'Em Say (Kanye West) - I hate people who just love to hear themselves talk, but Kanye is real genius. I listened to this song for about two weeks straight.
3. D'yer Mak'er (Sheryl Crow) - My Encomium (Led Zep tribute album) tape was my absolute favorite in high school. I listened to it all the time but stayed away from the album cover because it had these creepy eyes that followed you wherever you went.
4. Hooray (Minus the Bear) - "This is all we want. Time to be with us, a home to lift the cold." Lyrics like poetry and the beat is so jumpy-cheery.
5. A Time for Emily (The Elected) - Awww. "The death of this mess finally came around with no relief this year." And I just happen to like the name Emily.
6. Thread (Opsvik & Jennings) - Bass & beats. Electronica & pop. Oslo & Oklahoma.
7. Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime (Beck) - Oh Beck, I too need your lovin' like the sunshine.
8. Wise Up (Aimee Mann) - Wise advice.
9. Ache for You (Ben Lee) - "There's no rhyme and there's no reason. You're the secret in the back of my skull."
10. Dead from the Waist Down (Catatonia) - Old song from an old bootleg that I got one week-end from a guy selling CDs outside one of the UP dorms. My favorite part is when she sings, "We're d from the w down."
11. Winning the Battle, Losing the War (Kings of Convenience) - Besides being able to write heartbreaking lyrics and beautiful melodies, Erlend and Eirik are also achingly cute.
12. Row (Jon Brion) - My favorite song on the ESOTM soundtrack. To me, it means resignation, resolve and finality, like saying, "That's it. No more."
1. You Don't Send Me (Belle and Sebastian) - "Listen honey, there is nothing you can do to offend me anymore. You don’t send me anymore."
2. Heard 'Em Say (Kanye West) - I hate people who just love to hear themselves talk, but Kanye is real genius. I listened to this song for about two weeks straight.
3. D'yer Mak'er (Sheryl Crow) - My Encomium (Led Zep tribute album) tape was my absolute favorite in high school. I listened to it all the time but stayed away from the album cover because it had these creepy eyes that followed you wherever you went.
4. Hooray (Minus the Bear) - "This is all we want. Time to be with us, a home to lift the cold." Lyrics like poetry and the beat is so jumpy-cheery.
5. A Time for Emily (The Elected) - Awww. "The death of this mess finally came around with no relief this year." And I just happen to like the name Emily.
6. Thread (Opsvik & Jennings) - Bass & beats. Electronica & pop. Oslo & Oklahoma.
7. Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime (Beck) - Oh Beck, I too need your lovin' like the sunshine.
8. Wise Up (Aimee Mann) - Wise advice.
9. Ache for You (Ben Lee) - "There's no rhyme and there's no reason. You're the secret in the back of my skull."
10. Dead from the Waist Down (Catatonia) - Old song from an old bootleg that I got one week-end from a guy selling CDs outside one of the UP dorms. My favorite part is when she sings, "We're d from the w down."
11. Winning the Battle, Losing the War (Kings of Convenience) - Besides being able to write heartbreaking lyrics and beautiful melodies, Erlend and Eirik are also achingly cute.
12. Row (Jon Brion) - My favorite song on the ESOTM soundtrack. To me, it means resignation, resolve and finality, like saying, "That's it. No more."
You don't send me anymore
I saw Thank You for Smoking at BAM, my favorite cinema, last Friday. Well, it's everything you could ask for in a movie. It's funny and smart but not totally unforgettable, kind of like the guy you had a big crush on in college.
Part of the fun of watching it was William Macy and his natural talent for comedy, even if cast in an antagonist role. It's funny, but I always end up, by chance, watching movies with a common actor in succession. A while ago I also saw Friends With Money and The Good Girl and Fargo (Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand). Frances McDormand has got to be the most charming pregnant sherriff in movie history. By the way, is it just me or has anyone noticed the staggering number of pregnant women nowadays? They're everywhere. On the subway, at Duane Reade, as you're turning the corner towards Starbucks. I've been to two showers already. I tell you, it's another baby boom.
Oh, you know the most (sort of) endearing dramatic change in an actor as seen in two movies? Bud Cort in Harold and Maude and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
I saw Thank You for Smoking at BAM, my favorite cinema, last Friday. Well, it's everything you could ask for in a movie. It's funny and smart but not totally unforgettable, kind of like the guy you had a big crush on in college.
Part of the fun of watching it was William Macy and his natural talent for comedy, even if cast in an antagonist role. It's funny, but I always end up, by chance, watching movies with a common actor in succession. A while ago I also saw Friends With Money and The Good Girl and Fargo (Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand). Frances McDormand has got to be the most charming pregnant sherriff in movie history. By the way, is it just me or has anyone noticed the staggering number of pregnant women nowadays? They're everywhere. On the subway, at Duane Reade, as you're turning the corner towards Starbucks. I've been to two showers already. I tell you, it's another baby boom.
Oh, you know the most (sort of) endearing dramatic change in an actor as seen in two movies? Bud Cort in Harold and Maude and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Househunting II
Two weeks ago we went to see a house in the Bronx. The broker refused to give out the address and told us to meet us at the corner of so-and-so street instead. We were very suspicious, but oh well, we had the time. We got there a little early and called him up to ask if we could meet him a little bit earlier. We ended up waiting for 30 minutes by a park. It was a nice day and various vehicles came by to drop parents and kids off at the playground. We sat in the car and made bets about how the broker would look. We made numerous calls to the mysterious broker, and unwittingly revealed which car we were in. (We later realized he could just be in the vicinity WATCHING us).
About fifteen minutes after our scheduled meeting time, a guy in a blazer and jeans finally got there, waving his official-looking folder in our general direction. The house he was going to show us was one we'd already seen several times, and had given up on because it had two offers for the asking and more back-ups.
My friend said a lot of real estate agents do this, i.e. put out listings of attractive properties already spoken for on the market hoping to bait potential customers to look at other, less desirable properties.
So that was a magnificent waste of time.
---
Inspired by a recent viewing of Friends with Money, I finally saw Fargo the other night, starring Frances McDormand as a very pregnant sheriff. It's hilarious.
Two weeks ago we went to see a house in the Bronx. The broker refused to give out the address and told us to meet us at the corner of so-and-so street instead. We were very suspicious, but oh well, we had the time. We got there a little early and called him up to ask if we could meet him a little bit earlier. We ended up waiting for 30 minutes by a park. It was a nice day and various vehicles came by to drop parents and kids off at the playground. We sat in the car and made bets about how the broker would look. We made numerous calls to the mysterious broker, and unwittingly revealed which car we were in. (We later realized he could just be in the vicinity WATCHING us).
About fifteen minutes after our scheduled meeting time, a guy in a blazer and jeans finally got there, waving his official-looking folder in our general direction. The house he was going to show us was one we'd already seen several times, and had given up on because it had two offers for the asking and more back-ups.
My friend said a lot of real estate agents do this, i.e. put out listings of attractive properties already spoken for on the market hoping to bait potential customers to look at other, less desirable properties.
So that was a magnificent waste of time.
---
Inspired by a recent viewing of Friends with Money, I finally saw Fargo the other night, starring Frances McDormand as a very pregnant sheriff. It's hilarious.
Monday, April 17, 2006
That's me trying
Exhaustion seems to be the running theme nowadays. I feel like I should be doing fifty other things than bloghopping. There's laundry and recycling, for one. It's no joke to have a massive magazine obsession. I find myself at Hudson News realizing that I already have most of this month's/week's mags. (By the way, whatever happened to Radar? I can't seem to find it on the newsstands anymore.) Sometimes I have to stop myself from buying a magazine that I'm already subscribed to.
The other thing that I really want to do (besides go back to school) that I mentioned a few posts back is buy a house. My lease is ending soon and it just seems to be a huge waste of money to keep paying rent. The major obstacle (there are a lot, but this seems to be the defining one) is that I am poor. It's very difficult to buy a house if one is unendowed in the funds area.
Every Saturday for the last three months all I've done is travel to unfamiliar places to look for a cheap, decent house that's close to public transportation. I've seen really nice houses and utterly deplorable ones. In one of the worst ones, there was a guy living in the storage closet. One room smelled suspiciously sweet. This week-end, one of the houses we went to see was in a block that looked so unsafe I didn't even get out of the car. The broker said even he wouldn't buy the house. One broker looked like he was stoned. Last week-end we saw a house that had abandoned cars in the community driveway. One house had a basement that could be a set for a horror movie.
It hasn't all been bad experiences. We saw a house set on top of a hill, with a nice little backyard and shiny hardwood floors, and when we went in the owner's mom was baking apple pie. But it was all the way up north and inaccessible. One house had chessboard floors in the kitchen and matching white appliances. But it had too many offers.
I know we'll eventually find one. It'll be nice and simple. Maybe the bathroom will be too small, or there won't be enough storage space. But it'll be homey and safe. Maybe in the summer we'll have little barbeques in the backyard.
Exhaustion seems to be the running theme nowadays. I feel like I should be doing fifty other things than bloghopping. There's laundry and recycling, for one. It's no joke to have a massive magazine obsession. I find myself at Hudson News realizing that I already have most of this month's/week's mags. (By the way, whatever happened to Radar? I can't seem to find it on the newsstands anymore.) Sometimes I have to stop myself from buying a magazine that I'm already subscribed to.
The other thing that I really want to do (besides go back to school) that I mentioned a few posts back is buy a house. My lease is ending soon and it just seems to be a huge waste of money to keep paying rent. The major obstacle (there are a lot, but this seems to be the defining one) is that I am poor. It's very difficult to buy a house if one is unendowed in the funds area.
Every Saturday for the last three months all I've done is travel to unfamiliar places to look for a cheap, decent house that's close to public transportation. I've seen really nice houses and utterly deplorable ones. In one of the worst ones, there was a guy living in the storage closet. One room smelled suspiciously sweet. This week-end, one of the houses we went to see was in a block that looked so unsafe I didn't even get out of the car. The broker said even he wouldn't buy the house. One broker looked like he was stoned. Last week-end we saw a house that had abandoned cars in the community driveway. One house had a basement that could be a set for a horror movie.
It hasn't all been bad experiences. We saw a house set on top of a hill, with a nice little backyard and shiny hardwood floors, and when we went in the owner's mom was baking apple pie. But it was all the way up north and inaccessible. One house had chessboard floors in the kitchen and matching white appliances. But it had too many offers.
I know we'll eventually find one. It'll be nice and simple. Maybe the bathroom will be too small, or there won't be enough storage space. But it'll be homey and safe. Maybe in the summer we'll have little barbeques in the backyard.
Monday, April 3, 2006
Oh snap
I haven't picked up my camera in months. I've been thinking of dragging it around since DST started yesterday and we'd been getting spring-has-sprung weather of late. But severe thunderstorms don't really make for picture perfect weather.
Oh, and also, I accidentally disconnected my external hard drive and I can't access any of my files. No iTunes, no pictures, nothing. I just hope everything is recoverable.
In other news, this eating out business has got to stop. Granted, every day is an adventure. Jellyfish? Been there, done that. (Pleasantly crunchy, very good) Vietnamese sandwiches? Food for the gods. I can't believe how much flak pate gets, though. People talk about it like it was MSG. (Vietnamese sandwiches are rolls with your choice of meat, chopped up pickled vegetables, mayonnaise and pate, yum!) Popcorn chicken and coleslaw at KFC? Almost up to my saturation point for it.
I've never learned how to cook. I only know how to make certain dishes: calamari, which I learned from a cookbook because it's one of my favorites; Filipino spaghetti, also a favorite; arroz a la cubana, buttered veggies, tuna salad, from college; and swordfish with stir-fried garlic mushrooms, which I learned to make over the three years I've live on this block where the fruit and vegetable stand is right next to the fish shop manned by the friendly Asian couple. But I should really learn how to cook soon. My dad always told me to scrimp on everything else but food. But I guess I should really start doing that. I probably spend as much on food as I do on rent.
I haven't picked up my camera in months. I've been thinking of dragging it around since DST started yesterday and we'd been getting spring-has-sprung weather of late. But severe thunderstorms don't really make for picture perfect weather.
Oh, and also, I accidentally disconnected my external hard drive and I can't access any of my files. No iTunes, no pictures, nothing. I just hope everything is recoverable.
In other news, this eating out business has got to stop. Granted, every day is an adventure. Jellyfish? Been there, done that. (Pleasantly crunchy, very good) Vietnamese sandwiches? Food for the gods. I can't believe how much flak pate gets, though. People talk about it like it was MSG. (Vietnamese sandwiches are rolls with your choice of meat, chopped up pickled vegetables, mayonnaise and pate, yum!) Popcorn chicken and coleslaw at KFC? Almost up to my saturation point for it.
I've never learned how to cook. I only know how to make certain dishes: calamari, which I learned from a cookbook because it's one of my favorites; Filipino spaghetti, also a favorite; arroz a la cubana, buttered veggies, tuna salad, from college; and swordfish with stir-fried garlic mushrooms, which I learned to make over the three years I've live on this block where the fruit and vegetable stand is right next to the fish shop manned by the friendly Asian couple. But I should really learn how to cook soon. My dad always told me to scrimp on everything else but food. But I guess I should really start doing that. I probably spend as much on food as I do on rent.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Time takes time you know
Last week-end I played laser tag for the first time. I've always wanted to try it out but never got to until this week-end. My team won, of course. I wanted to try the batting cages but everyone else seemed so good I chickened out. The last time I held a baseball bat was third year high school.
I'm having a grand time. Really. Sometimes I still wonder. What if circumstances had been different and I didn't have to come here and I never met this person. What if I really was meant to be with who I thought I was meant to be with. Or what if I had convinced myself I could be stupid for once and be with a jerk. Then I'd never be on the receiving end of so much kindness and thoughtfulness.
I've been trying to come in earlier at work lately. Trying to bring lunch from home so I won't have to spend so much money on food. (Starbucks Frappuccino is $.99 at Duane Reade!) Trying to remember to pay my bills on time. (Heat costs me about $125 a month; this with the thermostat at 65 and me in my trusty old oversized Hanes sweatshirt) Maybe I'll take a day off and get my learner's permit soon.
Last week-end I played laser tag for the first time. I've always wanted to try it out but never got to until this week-end. My team won, of course. I wanted to try the batting cages but everyone else seemed so good I chickened out. The last time I held a baseball bat was third year high school.
I'm having a grand time. Really. Sometimes I still wonder. What if circumstances had been different and I didn't have to come here and I never met this person. What if I really was meant to be with who I thought I was meant to be with. Or what if I had convinced myself I could be stupid for once and be with a jerk. Then I'd never be on the receiving end of so much kindness and thoughtfulness.
I've been trying to come in earlier at work lately. Trying to bring lunch from home so I won't have to spend so much money on food. (Starbucks Frappuccino is $.99 at Duane Reade!) Trying to remember to pay my bills on time. (Heat costs me about $125 a month; this with the thermostat at 65 and me in my trusty old oversized Hanes sweatshirt) Maybe I'll take a day off and get my learner's permit soon.
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
All you need is a pretty song
I've never wanted anything so badly. I know things will be okay in the end; I know God wants me to have this particular thing (that I can't say yet what lest I count my chickens before they hatch). It just breaks my heart a little - the vastness of the difference between yesterday's triumphant giddiness and today's icy disappointment. It doesn't help that I talked to my mom and all she said was to make sure all the kinks are ironed out. I wanted her to tell me how, to step in and say, it's okay, I'll take care of everything. But I know that's impossible. And inconsiderate and immature and lazy of me.
Tomorrow's another day.
I've never wanted anything so badly. I know things will be okay in the end; I know God wants me to have this particular thing (that I can't say yet what lest I count my chickens before they hatch). It just breaks my heart a little - the vastness of the difference between yesterday's triumphant giddiness and today's icy disappointment. It doesn't help that I talked to my mom and all she said was to make sure all the kinks are ironed out. I wanted her to tell me how, to step in and say, it's okay, I'll take care of everything. But I know that's impossible. And inconsiderate and immature and lazy of me.
Tomorrow's another day.
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Think about those books you read and
I wonder if they make you think about me
I've been reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything and I can't put it down! I wish I didn't have to. I keep wishing I could call in sick and just stay in bed and read it from cover to cover and memorize random facts about anything.
My first job when I got here was in a company that imported goods (knicknacks, pretty little figurines) from China and supplied them to various retailers. I worked in a little office separated by a thin sheet of glass from the warehouse. I was the only female. My particular task was to input data about various items onto a database. One day my boss asked me to input measurements for some items that just came in. The measurements, he went on, were in centimeters so I had to convert to inches. I just kept nodding yes, and at that point, he probably thought I wasn't even listening to him.
Boss: These measurements are in centimeters and you have to convert them to inches.
Me: Yes.
Boss: Before you input them on the computer.
Me: Okay.
Boss: You have to use the calculator.
Me: Okay.
Boss: Do you know how many centimeters are in an inch?
Me: Yes.
Boss (already thinking of the best way to fire a poor little short Filipino girl): How many?
Me (trying to keep a straight face and the Chariots of Fire theme out of my head): 2.54 cm..!
He looked at me then with utter amazement and afterwards treated me like a daughter and didn't say anthing about my flimsy reason for not being able to work there anymore a week later and only said that I shouldn't be working in a warehouse anyway.
My point is, tiny little bits of fact picked up from high school or Jeopardy or an excellent book like A Short History can worm their way into your brain and no matter how unlikely, might be of great use someday.
I wonder if they make you think about me
I've been reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything and I can't put it down! I wish I didn't have to. I keep wishing I could call in sick and just stay in bed and read it from cover to cover and memorize random facts about anything.
My first job when I got here was in a company that imported goods (knicknacks, pretty little figurines) from China and supplied them to various retailers. I worked in a little office separated by a thin sheet of glass from the warehouse. I was the only female. My particular task was to input data about various items onto a database. One day my boss asked me to input measurements for some items that just came in. The measurements, he went on, were in centimeters so I had to convert to inches. I just kept nodding yes, and at that point, he probably thought I wasn't even listening to him.
Boss: These measurements are in centimeters and you have to convert them to inches.
Me: Yes.
Boss: Before you input them on the computer.
Me: Okay.
Boss: You have to use the calculator.
Me: Okay.
Boss: Do you know how many centimeters are in an inch?
Me: Yes.
Boss (already thinking of the best way to fire a poor little short Filipino girl): How many?
Me (trying to keep a straight face and the Chariots of Fire theme out of my head): 2.54 cm..!
He looked at me then with utter amazement and afterwards treated me like a daughter and didn't say anthing about my flimsy reason for not being able to work there anymore a week later and only said that I shouldn't be working in a warehouse anyway.
My point is, tiny little bits of fact picked up from high school or Jeopardy or an excellent book like A Short History can worm their way into your brain and no matter how unlikely, might be of great use someday.
Monday, February 27, 2006
This is a test of the emergency broadcast system
FOR a moment, a standoff at Philippine marine headquarters appeared to be heading for a "people power" revolt, complete with military infighting, nuns and priests praying in the chaos and the arrival of pro-democracy icon Corazon Aquino.
But the wrangling marines settled their spat Sunday then retired together to their headquarters as Aquino and a small crowd quietly faded into the night.
It was the latest upheaval hurdled by beleaguered President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who has faced a series of crises during her five years in office.
After failing to either impeach Arroyo over corruption and vote-rigging scandals that emerged last year or whip up a repeat of the historic "people power" revolts that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and popular leader Joseph Estrada, the deeply fragmented opposition has few options remaining.
The biggest drawback remains the opposition's failure to find an alternative leader who could inspire a following large enough to endanger her.
A key leader of the massive protests that ousted predecessor Estrada in 2001, Arroyo knows how to navigate the political minefields that come with being president of the Philippines.
She has cracked down on street protests and hired a top-notch PR consultant to polish her image. She has barred Cabinet officials from testifying at Senate corruption investigations without her permission.
Many thought the flashpoint might come Friday, the D-day of a reported civilian-backed coup plot that has simmered for months.
Others thought Sunday -- when a marine colonel openly defied a military decision to relieve the top marine commander and urged Filipinos to gather en masse and protect them in their camp -- would be the final straw.
Both fizzled -- the first in a security clampdown that left no chance for military activism, the other when only a few thousand people showed up, well shorts of the hundreds of thousands that turned out for "people power."
After pre-empting the reported coup, Arroyo declared a state of national emergency, shifting to a tougher stance against tenacious opponents. At least three of her critics were arrested and police raided the office of a newspaper critical of her.
-- from the Inquirer
FOR a moment, a standoff at Philippine marine headquarters appeared to be heading for a "people power" revolt, complete with military infighting, nuns and priests praying in the chaos and the arrival of pro-democracy icon Corazon Aquino.
But the wrangling marines settled their spat Sunday then retired together to their headquarters as Aquino and a small crowd quietly faded into the night.
It was the latest upheaval hurdled by beleaguered President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who has faced a series of crises during her five years in office.
After failing to either impeach Arroyo over corruption and vote-rigging scandals that emerged last year or whip up a repeat of the historic "people power" revolts that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and popular leader Joseph Estrada, the deeply fragmented opposition has few options remaining.
The biggest drawback remains the opposition's failure to find an alternative leader who could inspire a following large enough to endanger her.
A key leader of the massive protests that ousted predecessor Estrada in 2001, Arroyo knows how to navigate the political minefields that come with being president of the Philippines.
She has cracked down on street protests and hired a top-notch PR consultant to polish her image. She has barred Cabinet officials from testifying at Senate corruption investigations without her permission.
Many thought the flashpoint might come Friday, the D-day of a reported civilian-backed coup plot that has simmered for months.
Others thought Sunday -- when a marine colonel openly defied a military decision to relieve the top marine commander and urged Filipinos to gather en masse and protect them in their camp -- would be the final straw.
Both fizzled -- the first in a security clampdown that left no chance for military activism, the other when only a few thousand people showed up, well shorts of the hundreds of thousands that turned out for "people power."
After pre-empting the reported coup, Arroyo declared a state of national emergency, shifting to a tougher stance against tenacious opponents. At least three of her critics were arrested and police raided the office of a newspaper critical of her.
-- from the Inquirer
Friday, February 24, 2006
Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
I finally got a haircut. My last one may have been a year ago, I don't even remember. This is the longest I've ever grown my hair. From being almost waistlength, it is now short and perky and ultra-layered. I went to the drugstore on Wednesday to buy a ton of hair products just for the heck of it.
I got the haircut for free because it's for a good cause.
Also, Target's GO International campaign features Luella Bartley this month. I got a sweet navy blue shirtdress that is so cute it almost trumped last month's best buy (peach Banana Republic slacks for $2.99!).
I finally got a haircut. My last one may have been a year ago, I don't even remember. This is the longest I've ever grown my hair. From being almost waistlength, it is now short and perky and ultra-layered. I went to the drugstore on Wednesday to buy a ton of hair products just for the heck of it.
I got the haircut for free because it's for a good cause.
Also, Target's GO International campaign features Luella Bartley this month. I got a sweet navy blue shirtdress that is so cute it almost trumped last month's best buy (peach Banana Republic slacks for $2.99!).
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
I've been tagged
1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of his/her perfect lover.
2. Need to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on their comments saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, theres no need to post again.
I've been having a really hard time coming up with 8 (eight!) things I want in a perfect lover. I'm sorry, Jeline. I don't mean to be rude by not posting anything. I guess I've just had a total attitude turn-around with regards to relationships. When I was younger I used to be very specific about what I wanted in a guy, i.e. he needs to be 1)left-handed 2)attractive 3)intelligent, and 4)he should know how to sing or at the very least carry a tune.
The audacity of it hasn't escaped me - that I could require all these from someone when I myself am surrounded by neuroses. So over the years, I've tried to let go of rigid standards, but not until recently have I discovered that I don't see the point in them anymore. I've been telling my friends that I wish I could be less critical and dismissive and more open, and just like that I'm finding out that I could be all that.
I just think it'd be a bit ridiculous/unfair to list qualities that I know my guy doesn't have. I really really wish he liked Broken Social Scene too. I gave him The Mix CD - you know, the one that took me weeks to make, that I was going to give to the boy. He listened to it maybe once, twice and dismissed Gainsbourg's Je T'aime Moi Non Plus as gibberish. But maybe I don't really mind that much. I'll trade that for the fact that he likes doing my laundry with me.
I tag Drey, Bodge, Kathy, Deo, Nikki, Karen, Tina, Cynthia.
1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of his/her perfect lover.
2. Need to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on their comments saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, theres no need to post again.
I've been having a really hard time coming up with 8 (eight!) things I want in a perfect lover. I'm sorry, Jeline. I don't mean to be rude by not posting anything. I guess I've just had a total attitude turn-around with regards to relationships. When I was younger I used to be very specific about what I wanted in a guy, i.e. he needs to be 1)left-handed 2)attractive 3)intelligent, and 4)he should know how to sing or at the very least carry a tune.
The audacity of it hasn't escaped me - that I could require all these from someone when I myself am surrounded by neuroses. So over the years, I've tried to let go of rigid standards, but not until recently have I discovered that I don't see the point in them anymore. I've been telling my friends that I wish I could be less critical and dismissive and more open, and just like that I'm finding out that I could be all that.
I just think it'd be a bit ridiculous/unfair to list qualities that I know my guy doesn't have. I really really wish he liked Broken Social Scene too. I gave him The Mix CD - you know, the one that took me weeks to make, that I was going to give to the boy. He listened to it maybe once, twice and dismissed Gainsbourg's Je T'aime Moi Non Plus as gibberish. But maybe I don't really mind that much. I'll trade that for the fact that he likes doing my laundry with me.
I tag Drey, Bodge, Kathy, Deo, Nikki, Karen, Tina, Cynthia.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
My problem with me is my problem with you
It's 4:15 pm, and my day's just begun. I've been on the phone with various people on and off for four hours. That's weird for someone who hates using the phone. I'm tired. I have to do my laundry and listen to a couple of songs and clean my room and pay my bills. I might muster enough energy to go out for dinner.
Something my friend said struck me. She said love is a choice you make, not a feeling. I thought about it for a while and realized with a sinking feeling how true it is.
It's 4:15 pm, and my day's just begun. I've been on the phone with various people on and off for four hours. That's weird for someone who hates using the phone. I'm tired. I have to do my laundry and listen to a couple of songs and clean my room and pay my bills. I might muster enough energy to go out for dinner.
Something my friend said struck me. She said love is a choice you make, not a feeling. I thought about it for a while and realized with a sinking feeling how true it is.
Monday, January 9, 2006
Happy
I wanted to redesign before I posted my first post for the year. But, oh well. I guess this will have to do until I get the time to pick out a new splash picture and color theme (Maybe yellow?).
Christmas and New Year's was great. My friend Mario came over from Rhode Island to spend the New Year's Eve week-end with me. With Christmas shopping and everything, I didn't get to make a trip itinerary for him, but he reassured me that there was no reason to get stressed, that we'd just go wherever we felt like going.
On holiday Monday, we found ourselves with tickets to Bingo, an off Broadway show. We had no idea what it was about, but it was one of five shows left on TKTS' roster. It's a small show, with only about seven characters, and the blurb is ho-hum, but Mario and I enjoyed it immensely. Too bad the girl who plays the daughter is leaving for Broadway show Ring of Fire, because she had the most amazing voice. The show is held in St. Luke's Church, which was a more intimate setting and a great place for a musical.
Before the show, we went into Colony, a sheet music and karaoke store on 49th and Broadway. I got sheet music for Avenue Q and Ben Folds' Rockin' the Suburbs, and was agonizing over having to return Piano Stylings of the Great Standards because I was spending too much money, when Mario snuck up behind me at the register and said he was going to buy it for me for Christmas. I think this is my favorite Christmas gift. It has sweeping arrangements of All the Things You Are, As Time Goes By, Blue Moon and others, you know, for when I finally achieve my childhood dream of being a lounge pianist.
Also, besides being a great friend, Mario is going to be the hero of tropical diseases. He's at Brown to study schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease carried by snails found in the waters of Central Visayas in the Philippines. The disease is being propagated in a vicious cycle in poor rural communities because the main source of water is contaminated and the residents can't afford to get water elsewhere. Japan got rid of the disease by economic development - wetlands were drained and reclaimed, river bottoms were dredged - but the Philippines can't afford to do that. Schisto doesn't get as much publicity, because the symptoms aren't immediately visible and aren't as dramatic as other diseases. But a few scientists are trying to look for a cure as an alternative to massive engineering projects that would require a lot of money.
I wanted to redesign before I posted my first post for the year. But, oh well. I guess this will have to do until I get the time to pick out a new splash picture and color theme (Maybe yellow?).
Christmas and New Year's was great. My friend Mario came over from Rhode Island to spend the New Year's Eve week-end with me. With Christmas shopping and everything, I didn't get to make a trip itinerary for him, but he reassured me that there was no reason to get stressed, that we'd just go wherever we felt like going.
On holiday Monday, we found ourselves with tickets to Bingo, an off Broadway show. We had no idea what it was about, but it was one of five shows left on TKTS' roster. It's a small show, with only about seven characters, and the blurb is ho-hum, but Mario and I enjoyed it immensely. Too bad the girl who plays the daughter is leaving for Broadway show Ring of Fire, because she had the most amazing voice. The show is held in St. Luke's Church, which was a more intimate setting and a great place for a musical.
Before the show, we went into Colony, a sheet music and karaoke store on 49th and Broadway. I got sheet music for Avenue Q and Ben Folds' Rockin' the Suburbs, and was agonizing over having to return Piano Stylings of the Great Standards because I was spending too much money, when Mario snuck up behind me at the register and said he was going to buy it for me for Christmas. I think this is my favorite Christmas gift. It has sweeping arrangements of All the Things You Are, As Time Goes By, Blue Moon and others, you know, for when I finally achieve my childhood dream of being a lounge pianist.
Also, besides being a great friend, Mario is going to be the hero of tropical diseases. He's at Brown to study schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease carried by snails found in the waters of Central Visayas in the Philippines. The disease is being propagated in a vicious cycle in poor rural communities because the main source of water is contaminated and the residents can't afford to get water elsewhere. Japan got rid of the disease by economic development - wetlands were drained and reclaimed, river bottoms were dredged - but the Philippines can't afford to do that. Schisto doesn't get as much publicity, because the symptoms aren't immediately visible and aren't as dramatic as other diseases. But a few scientists are trying to look for a cure as an alternative to massive engineering projects that would require a lot of money.
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