Definitely wear lip gloss



Mmmhmm.



In true couch potato fashion, we've (my sister and I) registered with netflix. We're renting movies that everybody has seen but us, or that she has seen but I haven't and vice versa. The greatest thing about DVDs is subtitles, hope yet for half-deaf people like us. My mom swears I have selective hearing. I only hear what I want to. She says this is because as a child, I would pretend not to hear whenever somebody asks me to help out in the household chores



A craving for spicy noodles led us to a little Thai restaurant in Bay Ridge, the name of which escapes me. Anyhow, the waiter was Filipino, which my sister and I found strange because we swore we heard him speak Thai. (didn't I mention we're half-deaf?) We gave ourselves a good bonk in the head as we pride ourselves as being quite good at Spot-the-Filipino. As he was handing us the check, my sister, who almost always has no cash on her, reached for it, and I muttered under my breath, "As if ikaw magbabayad" (As if you're paying). The waiter, who was trying to suppress a chuckle, then said "Filipino kayo?" (Are you Filipino?), to which I stupidly said, "Ikaw din?" (You too?) On the way home, we marveled at how versatile the Filipino's features are. It's even ironic how my (biological) sister can pass for Vietnamese, while I am sometimes mistaken to be from one of the Spanish-speaking countries.



The Wiz was having a closing out sale so I thought I'd get some CDs that I had left back home. Last night I was listening to Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever Amen. I remember spending an entire summer trying to transcribe the whole album because I was jealous of Jazz, who could play Missing the War (and the Mr. Belvedere theme!) on the Glee Club's keyboards. sidenote: Even with 10% off, CDs at The Wiz are still more expensive than those at other record stores.



Sandra Cisneros (House on Mango Street) has come up with her version of a Latino epic. It took Cisneros nine years to write Caramelo, which will be out by September 24.



"I want, I want, I want, I wanna be Kate!" - Kate, Ben Folds Five

You lucky lucky dogs



Arnold Arre's After Eden is available at the 2002 Philippine Book Fair (Megatrade Hall, 5/f SM Megamall) from August 31 to September 8. Book signing on September 7. Also available at the Adarna office at 73-a Scout Limbaga St., Bgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City (near Don Henrico's Tomas Morato).



I suppose one night they just found themselves in the lab with nothing to do. So they got the IBM 1403 printer to play "Raindrops Keep Falling On Your Head". Is that so wrong?



Yeah, but. Does Eminem have a blog?



High 75. Low 62. Yey. Nice clear skies for Labor Day week-end, so far. And I'm going away.



"On a train heading east of here. Where I'll end up I'm not quite clear..." - Hear, Moonpools and Caterpillars

Eleven, my ass



One year ago today, I hopped on a plane to New York and grew up.



"I don't mind the weather. I've got scarves and caps and sweaters..." - Blacking Out the Friction, Death Cab for Cutie

Well hello there, world



Ach, what am I doing, blogging at 10 pm? I have a self-imposed curfew. Am supposed to be in deep sleep by 11 pm if I want to wake up early enough to get a decent breakfast. Otherwise, I'll be too sleepy, tired, and hungry to walk farther than Starbucks for lunch and/or dinner, whereupon I shall get the current frappuccino hybrid, which will make me stay up later than 10 pm. And the vicious cycle goes on.



My bored friend Lee reminded all of us to, "like your first program", say hello to the world. Ha! While searching for a link, I came across a Hello World program in Brainf*ck.



Watch Quark pull this off.



"La la la doo bee doo bee doo..." - Gordon's Gardenparty, The Cardigans

Into your arms



Yep. Twenty-two. That I am. I always get cranky during the weeks surrounding my birthday. Well, at least this year and last I was. Yes, I know, it's not like you suddenly get one year older on that day. It's a day-by-day process; you get older one day at a time. It's bound to happen. It's inevitable. There's just something depressing about making it official.







Personally, I wouldn't want a douchaise or a hipster and I'm not a water door kind of person, but isn't this Fresh as A Daisy hand soap just charming? If you don't think so, go look elsewhere.



Aaaarggghh!!! Two words: Evan. Dando. I wanna go! I wanna go!



Boldst*r, Bodge's boyfriend's band, just released an album. It's called, "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Something/What Are You...Really?" I don't have the album yet, as it's only available in the Philippines. But if you're anywhere near Manila, you must get a copy.



"And people never do what they want to..." - Out There, The Blake Babies

Wise men know best



When I was one-and-twenty

I heard a wise man say,

"Give crowns and pounds and guineas

But not your heart away;

Give pearls away and rubies

But keep your fancy free."

But I was one-and-twenty

No use to talk to me.



When I was one-and-twenty

I heard him say again

"The heart out of the bosom

Was never given in vain;

'Tis paid with sighs a plenty

And sold for endless rue."

And I am two-and-twenty

And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.



- When I Was One-and-Twenty, A.E. Housman (1859-1936)

This place that is no place



Hi. Just got back from a hang-over from reading this book. All week long I've been walking around feeling like I got hit by a giant ice cream truck. Like the central character of his novel, Murakami has a way with words. Lingering effect, eh?



"Yeah, it's strange, but what's so strange about that?..." - Strange, Built to Spill