Fieldtrip

We just came back from Tagaytay where my parents bought a lot yesterday. My brother and I were surprised because they were just supposed to have lunch at the Highlands but they came back as owners of a newly purchased lot :p Anyways, we left at 830am and arrived at the lot at around 1015. Traffic was still a bit bad, considering that people should have been at home preparing for Medya Noche (New Year's feast) or at their respective provinces since this is a long holiday (Dec 30-Jan 2).

The lot wasn't what I was really expecting. I thought that we had an unobstructed view of Taal Volcano but instead our lot was covered by a canopy of trees. To digress a bit, Taal Volcano is said to be the smallest smoking volcano in the world. It is also described as a crater within an island within a lake. Kind of confusing. Basically, Taal is within a lake and in its crater is another lake, or something to that effect.

The temperature in the area was a little cold, with gray clouds hovering. The lot was inside a compound and the compound had an area of about 50 hectares. Only 30 houses will be built so it is quite exclusive.

On the way home we passed by Ayala Westgrove in Laguna. We're building a house there which is going to be finished by April '05. I'm excited about my room. My brother and I will each have a loft on top of our rooms. My plan is to have my bedroom on the loft and then I'll have my "activity area" below. I'll have beanbags and a desk where I will put my future laptop. There will be bookshelves and maybe a low sofa and a TV. My cousin Malen is the interior designer. I told her I wanted my room to have that cabana or island feel. I'm sooo excited!


Lot in Tagaytay


View of Taal. It's that blur in the
middle of the picture. It's not
because it's the smallest in the world
that you can't see it, but because
the fog is kind of heavy


My room in Westgrove


My loft -- where the gray beams are

Best Supporting Actor: Dennis Trillo

After Disney on Ice, Vince and I headed to the Gateway Mall. This mall is being pushed as one of the "high-end" malls, with stores/restos like Enzo Angiolini (one of my favorites), Fornarina's flagship store in Asia, Wolfgang Puck --- you get the picture. Anyways, we didn't plan on watching a movie but I saw that Aishte Imasu was showing at 9:15pm. I've wanted to watch this movie (even if I'm not a Juday fan) because for one, I think it's the most interesting film among the Film Fest's entries, and two, it was my dad's godson Marco's debut movie (wanted to see how he did). We ate first at Taco Bell since I've been craving for its burrito for like, forever.

The film was set during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. I thought it was going to be similar to other movies made about that period that told the stories of guerillas fighting for freedom and the comfort/abused women. But one of the biggest surprises of the film was Dennis Trillo's character. He played a gay lover of a Japanese commander. A lot of people have been saying he's a shoo in for the best supporting actor award but I thought that maybe it was just because he dressed like a girl. I was wrong! I felt he even had more scenes and lines than Judy Anne who was the main character.

Anyways, Dennis has my vote. Hand-down he's going to win the award since he's the best among the nominees. I don't even know who the nominees are and I've just watched 1 film fest entry, but I don't care! I just know he's going to win :p

Update: 01-03-2005
Dennis won! Hahaha!

Disney On Ice

Just came back from the Araneta Coliseum where we watched Disney On Ice. Disney Princesses was the theme this year (last year it was Beauty and the Beast). I LOVED IT! The set and the costumes get better and better every year! I'm not sure which one is my favorite this year: the flourescent fish and underwater scene of The Little Mermaid or the glow-in-the-dark horses of Cinderella!

You wouldn't be able to catch the faster-than-the-eye transformations of the sets and the characters and the costumes since your attention is somewhere else. It's like magic! The changing of Sleeping Beauty's gown (Merriweather and Flora couldn't agree on the color) from pink to blue to pink to blue was ingenious! The changing of the Beast to the prince was also reminiscent of the Beauty and the Beast musical in Broadway. Until now I can't figure out how the Beast disappeared.

My only regret and frustration is running out of battery for my cam! ARRRGGGHH!! I just had 1 picture of Cinderella! Bad trip!


Aladdin and Genie


Some of the Seven Dwarves


The Disney Princesses


My favorite princess: Cinderella

One little candle

We discovered photography last night. This is one of our early attempts at artistic shots :p

Release

Release (formerly known as Reverse) is the name of Vince's band. They are an acoustic RnB band and they play Monday nights at Temple, Greenbelt 2. Last Monday was one of the rare nights that I watched them again.


Last minute practice



I think they were singing "Senorita"



With former bandmate, Patrick

Christmas '04

Opening of gifts, Christmas day 2004

We celebrate Christmas with my dad's family every 25th. The celebration was quite different this year. For one, this is our first Christmas without Mama, our grandmother :( When we got to Alabang, Chicco (my brother), Vince, and I just dropped off the food first at Tito Quitoy's house so we could visit the crypt of Papa and Mama and greet them. When we got to the house we saw them watching home videos of past Christmases and birthdays (my tito loved taking videos and when my cousins and I got older, we were surprised that he had a collection starting when we were babies!). Almost everyone was emotional when Mama came on the screen. *Sigh*

The other thing that was different was my mom and dad couldn't come with us. My mom had this terrible tummyache so o my dad decided to just stay with her at home.

The last difference is that all the cousins, with the exception of Jodee who's 5 years old, are a lot more "older" (there are 16 of us). When Jodee began insisting to her mom that we start opening the gifts, it started me thinking. Is Christmas really just for the kids? Is it because of the presents that as we grow older we get less of them and then together with that we feel Christmas less? This was the first time that all the cousins weren't that excited to all troop to the living room, sit on the floor under the tree and then just rip open all the wrapping paper off the gifts. I don't feel bad about getting less presents but it's more of missing the excitement of the kids and seeing the parents' going up the stairs to get the best angle for pictures. I also miss Tita Beth's OC-ness because she picks up the torn wrapping paper before they even hit the floor.

Our celebrations evolve every year. When my Papa was alive and we were all younger, we used to go to Tito Quitoy's house early in the day to have lunch, merienda, and dinner. We literally were together whole Christmas day. We used to have games and Papa always gives the cash prizes :) Game were more fun because all the parents joined!! We have these really funny videos of that. And then when Papa left us, we stopped having the games. And then when Mama died January of this year, everything was different again. Now we just met for Christmas dinner.

In our Christmas eve celebration here at home I try to let everyone feel the spirit. Christmas mass is important and you feel that the mass is really special that night. After noche buena, I'm the one shepherding everyone to the lanai to have everyone's pictures taken under the tree. I'm also quite strict in making sure that we open our gifts at exactly 12 midnight. It feels like I'm the only one excited about this special night but like all grown-ups I guess, I'm finding it hard to let the season sink in because of all the work and the rushing and the deadlines. I'm also feeling the season less every year but I'm not letting go of Christmas without a fight!

What Flavour Am I?

Haha! Buzz buzz! I got this from anneanne's blog

I taste like Peanut Butter. I am one of the most blendable flavours; I go with sweet, I go with sour, I go with bland, I go with anything. I am practical and good company, but have something of a tendency to hang around when I'm not wanted, unaware that my presence is not welcome.

(If you were not Peanut Butter you would be Coffee.)

Buzz buzz, I am Coffee flavoured. I am popular in the workplace, even though I am often bitter. I am energetic to the point of being frenetic; buzz buzz, out of my way. I tend to overwork myself and need periods of recovery time. What Flavour Are You?

Mobile Wallet

I forgot my wallet today. I was lucky I had a hundred bucks in my bag. Anyways, I just had enough money for lunch but after eating we went to the bookstore. I always find it very hard to leave the bookstore without any purchase but not having any physical money is not a reason not to buy anymore. Good thing there's G-Cash (I sound like an advertisement)! I just saw the book I've been searching for -- the title that has been in my Amazon wishlist for so long. Got my cellphone out and paid for my book. It was a little embarrassing though when I gave the salesperson the wrong cellphone number the first time. Hihi! :)

December Disasters

Unbelievable. The devastation that the different Asian countries experienced this holiday season has been really unbelievable. Here in the Philippines, we had 4 strong storms in a span of 2 weeks (26 storms had already passed through the country in 2004) in the early part of this month. The people in the north didn't even have time to let their losses (family and livelihood) sink in when a stronger storm, Nanmadol, claimed another thousand lives. Sad how the country gets featured in the international news because of the disasters. And now to hear that millions of people from 10 different countries share the same tragedy a day after Christmas has been heartbreaking. Death toll is now around 22,000 with a lot more people missing and unaccounted for.

I can't help but also marvel, a feeling that goes hand in hand with the fear, at the strength and awesome power of nature. Imagine the earth having it's own natural explosions and "bombs" that surpass man's creations. That's why it's stupid of man to think he has control and ownership over nature and its resources, and that he can discover and harness all its secrets.

Christmas parties

As you know, I went on a 2-week diet end of November in preparation for the holiday binge. Well, I think I gained all the 10lbs that I lost after 2 parties. I've been quite the party animal transferring from one get-together to another in one night and going to another the very next night. Just some of the themes we've had this year: a Videoke party, all about television (the different groups in the company had to present different types of shows -- cartoons, music video, teleserye, etc.) and the Great NPD-VAS Race (spin-off of the Amazing Race. Hehehe).

PS...My team was the Amazing Race champion! Yeah!

Posting some party pix...

Melange opening at Eastwood

myGlobe Christmas party

Company party

Data Products Development

TOYS TOYS TOYS

I'm really mad about toys right now. And it's all Vince's fault! Bad Vince! Very baaaaad Vince! Now we can't stop looking and buying all the collectible stuff. Up until yesterday morning I didn't know what a gashapon was. But a few hours later I went home with another set of Disney stuff. Waaaaah!!

And now the latest news from the toy world is that one of the biggest toy stores here will not be selling the Disney stuff anymore soon. Makes me want to go out NOW and buy everything. I visited the Disney toy listing in the net and I'm happy to announce that there's a total of 120+ figures. Yeesss, 100 more to go. I already have Steamboat Willie, Ariel, Lilo, the set of all the Pixar characters, and a set containing Cinderella, Aladdin and Genie, Captain Hook and Peter, and Lady and the Tramp.

And then last night we discovered the Muppets! That's another 50,000,000,000 characters. Why can't we just be interested in Tom and Jerry? :P



Toy Story


Bug's Life


Monsters, Inc.


Finding Nemo

Models and Mortals

Today was declared a holiday but I've been in front of the PC since 9am, as if I'm at the office :-p Anyways, I wanted to check the DVDs that Vince gave me for Christmas. The complete season of SATC!!! YEAH! Well, I was just supposed to check the DVDs if they skipped or something but after seeing the first few mins. of the first episode, I was hooked. I love the dialogues and characters of the series. They're so witty, funny, and at times thought-provoking :-D

One particular episode stood out - "Models and Mortals". It was funny how Carrie theorized that models usually went out with ordinary people because beautiful people repelled each other. I remember during my high school and college days, we used to boy watch. It was a hobby, a sport. Hehe! Some of my friends in college went as far as to follow and memorize the schedules of their crushes. I used to tag along...just in case I also get to spot my crushes. Bwahahaha! Anyways, it mattered before if your boyfriend was the most gorgeous guy in school and if he was an athlete (these 2 usually went together). Or if the most gorgeous and athletic guy knew your name. I think we all go through that stage where we want to be with and be seen with a popular and gorgeous girl/guy. But after a while, as Mr. Big put it, you want to be with someone you can laugh with.