Sampler

Here's a photo of my breakfast success. The hot chocolate was ultra delicious too...hehe!!

Random thought

Have you ever noticed (or is it just me) that filipinos who grow/grew up outside the Philippines don't look like filipinos?

Case in point: MiG Ayesa (that's how he spells his name). He's one of the finalist in the INXS ala American Idol contest. Anyways, I'm not really into rock but I got curious. He's filipino and he's supposed to be really good and one of the top finalists. Well, I got shocked at how he looks. Doesn't look very pinoy at all! He was born to filipino parents here in Manila, stayed here until he was 2, then grew up in Australia and now lives in London.

Blogging in the kitchen

I just finished my 2nd cooking lesson. The first thing that I learned was adobo...which I have forgotten already since I lost my notebook. My yaya taught me how to cook bopis for dinner tonight. Yum! I absolutely love bopis! What are the main ingredients of bopis: 1 baga and puso of a baboy (hahaha!) Anyways, while the bopis was simmering on the stove I typed the ingredients and instructions as I remembered them. I'm bad at composing the steps! I can't ever release a cookbook (step 11: add salt if kulang) :p

Anyways, I'm just waiting for the arrival of the hungry troops -- my mom and my dad. Vince is sleeping on the couch. Some help he is.

My next lesson is scheduled at 530am tomorrow. I'm going to make hot chocolate, turon, and tapa for breakfast.

My cooking fears:
1. frying a fish
2. frying an egg
3. frying in general

My yaya has remained slim (she has been cooking and taking care of us for more than 20 years) because she spoils her appetite after taste-testing everything that she cooks :P

Sinful

I've died and gone straight to chocolate heaven! For P550.00 I indulged in my guiltiest pleasure...CHOCOLATE! This was the first time I've ever seen a chocolate buffet. It's not a dessert bar but a buffet of purely chocolate. YUMMY! I'm now 20lbs heavier! Vince was super funny. He's not really a chocolate FAN so after 2 rounds, he almost puked. Hahahaha!

I had hot chocolate (you can choose from around 6 different kinds of chocolate from around the world), chocolate-covered strawberries, coffee-filled chocolate hearts, banana strudel with chocolate chips, chocolate pana cotta.....you get what I mean.

Posting some pictures to make your mouth water with envy..









Kate was really lovely and gracious and helpful :)



Gotta go back!!!


Edit: It's 2:54am and I'm still wide awake!! This is what I call the ultimate sugar rush. Hahahaha!

Road less travelled

What should I do with my life? I am both just and already 26. Just 26 means that I still have that teeny little window of time where I can drop whatever I am doing and move on to the next. Already 26 however stops me in my tracks...a quarter of a century and a year later, what can I list as my accomplishments?! I heard one of my "younger" friends (younger meaning 25 years old) say that it's still pardonable if you don't know what to do with your life at 25, but if at 26 you're still lost, then goodluck to you! I could have strangled her right there and then at the bar but I just smiled politely and counted from 1 to 10.

Why am I ranting again about the state of my life - career-wise? These past few days had been really bad for me at work. I can really truly say that I feel my hair turning gray. Is it all worth it? Am I really for a corporate job? The past few months had me thinking of shifting careers. Scary thought!

I can honestly say that I'm selfish and materialistic (but not extreme). I'd like a nice house to live in, beautiful luxury cars, a vacation home in Italy, send my future kids to great schools and be able to give them anything they want (foreign trips, laptops, ipods, the works!). Continuing on the corporate track may guarantee me these things and don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying what I'm doing. But my heart is also leaning towards a humanitarian direction. This type of career means probably living out of a suitcase, expecting less monetary compensation, and maybe receiving less recognition. How can I balance the 2 dreams I have? :(

Night after night I've been praying that God will guide me to the right direction. I hope that when that time comes, I'll be ready to take a step in that direction and follow.

#266

You would not believe what I went through just to get a few of my Sandman comics and a book signed by Neil last Saturday!

To be able to get 2 books signed, you have to at least purchase 1 Neil Gaiman book or comic from Fully Booked, the bookstore that sponsored Neil's stay here. So since I had 3 items signed, that meant that I bought 2 items. 2 items worth = Php2,198.

I was at Rockwell at 930am to line up and get a number. According to the guidelines, they will be handing out 500 numbers to 500 early birds who can get to meet and have their items signed. They were going to open the doors at 1030 for the numbers so Vince and I planned to be there early. As I said I was there at 930. My number...266. It said in the guidelines that usually it takes about 15seconds per person so if the scheduled signing was going to start at 3pm, I didn't mind being #266.

Jump to 7pm...chatting with my friends outside the tent. Number being called...91-110. Geez!

To cut the very long night short, I was able to have everything signed by 10pm. But I didn't mind at all and that's what so surprising. It was hot, humid, it rained for a while but I was still in high spirts. 99% of the reason was Neil. To think that he started signing at 5pm and knowing that 700 people were lined up, he was still game, upbeat, and even concerned about the little kids waiting for their turn (and to think he will have to do everything all over again Sunday and Monday!). I admired him for his works, especially American Gods, but my admiration upped by 100 times more because of his personality.

Cheers to Mr. Gaiman!

What's the latest...

Here at the office the only thing you'll hear are the sound of computer keyboards and the hum of the aircon. A meeting is going on in the other room. You'd think everything was ok and normal. Cory Aquino has asked Arroyo to step down and outside on the streets rallies are starting. But for us here, life goes on. One of my officemates is worried about her product launch next week, the other one is concerned about service testing, while I'm processing a request for a new PC. I wonder, if we all stopped working, what will happen to those corrupt officials.

I want to write down everything that I'm feeling and thinking. Thoughts are zooming inside my head and my fingers are not fast enough to type these. First of all, I don't want GMA to resign. S/he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Majority of the people in power anyway are corrupt. Why don't we all ask the voices in the controversial tape to resign? Is that why a lot of the politicians are also quiet...because they know they too are guilty?

I'm going to watch Beauty and the Beast the musical tonight. I hope they won't cancel it because of what's happening tonight. I also hope that KC will portray Belle in this show...I'm curious about her singing and acting talent.

Not another one....PLEASE!

As I was going to work today, I saw a lot of policemen standing guard at the EDSA shrine. The shrine has long been the symbol of People Power and democracy for the country. Now because of the scandal that GMA is facing, they are on alert for any possible gathering there. It seems that there's a perception that the shrine has its own power...that the wishes of the thousands who may gather there will come true. Perfect examples: the ousters of our dictator Marcos and of Estrada.

Anyway, I'm tired and I think a lot of Filipinos are tired too.