meshed

the past few days have sort of blurred together. so i'm just going to ramble...

the past few weeks, my weekends have been spent at japanese class and at virlanie (doing thesis data collection). we have to be done before dec. 15...so far, we're halfway done. data collection at virlanie is actually fun. i get to talk to the kids and even teach them a bit of chinese. it's a learning experience.

i watched happy feet ^^ with my mom and eizel at greenbelt saturday night. it was so cute! reminded me of March of the Penguins, especially when the male penguins were carrying and sheltering (?) their eggs. Baby penguins are adorable. I think it's the eyes - big and round. The story was simple but it was injected with lots of songs and funny dialogue (i loved ramon and his amigos). it was a laugh trip ^^ cool animation too. they'll probably have stuffed toys of mumbles and the other characters out soon~ oh yeah, saw the ost at music one. i'll give it a listen the next time i'm at a music store.

when we got home after, watched just like heaven. i liked the book better but the movie wasn't half bad. mark ruffalo is the ultimate boy-next-door. i liked him in 13 going on 30 too. And i loved reese's apartment in the movie, with the private landscaped garden and all.

these days, i've also been watching House, M.D. i'm really enjoying it. I love the House-isms, although i'm not sure if i'd like to be at their receiving end. Seeing med shows makes me re-think my decision not go into med. Before, i wanted to be a doctor because of ER. I don't know~ On tv, it seems like such an exciting, high energy job you know - making correct diagnoses, racing time, saving lives, etc etc. But then, i don't think i could handle all that. I think i'd rather be an actor playing the role of a doctor than be a real doctor. And so, the question really is, what DO i want to be??? around 2-3 months left to ponder on that...

and i think that's all i've been doing these past few days...which means i haven't started with christmas shopping and card sending yet~

i need to go transcribe the interviews now.

kokology

i saw angel today =) we did what we always do, which is talk, chat, and laugh ^^

the asec people are planning another ice skating trip. a few more trips and they'll be pros =) i should buy something at the sm dept store so i can get ice skating coupons too. Hehe

Went to SM North Edsa this afternoon to buy a tape recorder for thesis. Tape recorders remind me of Felicity and her audio diaries.

Stopped by National and got Mom two Sudoku books and i got two Kokology books. Kokology comes from the japanese word "kokoro," meaning heart, mind or spirit. It's basically a pop psychology/self-discovery game created by a Japanese psychologist. The book contains these hypothetical situations and you answer some questions. Then, at the end, there are explanations to the answers you gave. It's pretty interesting though i'm not quite sure if it's really "scientific."

Books to put on my To Buy List:
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Books by Shannon Hale (saw a hardcover version of Princess Academy - cute cover ^^) Checked out amazon.com and all her books seem nice, in a fairytale way ^^I'll just have to look for the paperback versions at the bookstores.

For One More Day (i think that's the title) by Mitch Albom. He has a new book =) It's still in hardcover though.

The author of Devil Wears Prada (Laura something?) also has a new book, which is also in hardcover. Sigh.

*Currently reading Going Home by Harriet Evans.

cool inventions

was just browsing through the week's copy of Time Magazine when i came upon their list of cool inventions. here are some that i found interesting:

the robot with a sense of taste. the one featured in Time is the robot that can taste wine. it can determine the type, brand and flavor; plus, it also suggests which cheese variants go well with the wine. how cool is that? ^^NEC, the company who came up with the wine bot, also invented a more general food-tasting robot last year. this robot can give the name and ingredients of the food it tasted, plus it also gives health advice. Japan comes up with all these fascinating robots! ^o^

Allerca is coming up with cats that are hypoallergenic so you won't have to worry about sneezing and allergies ^^ i'm really not sure how they do it but it might have something to do with changing removing a protein from the genetic make-up. Visit http://allerca.com for more information.

I would love to try out the Moobella Instant Ice Cream Making Vending Machine. Choose from 12 different flavors, 5 mix-ins, regular or light, then wait a few seconds, and there you have it! instant "machine-made" ice cream ^^ browsed the website (http://moobella.com) and interesting flavors are cake batter, butter pecan, maple and banana. if i could try out one of these ice cream treats, my first combo would probably be pistachio ice cream and choco chip mix-ins. if it's as minty as i think it will be, then it'll pass for the mint choco chip ice cream i used to get at "laura something" as a kid at bayview plaza ^^ all i remember was that the ice cream always came with an oval-shaped piece of rich chocolate with laura's face embossed on it. everytime ni and i went to bayview, we'd stare longingly at the ice cream display case. being a specialty store, the ice cream there was more pricey than the regular ones. sometimes though, mom would get as one each as a treat ^^ sweet childhood memories~

for gadgets, the Mio H610 DigiWalker (http://miogps.com/) looks cool, although i don't think i really need a portable gps navigator...unless i decide to join amazing race (speaking of which, the cho brothers are out). i'm not good at reading maps --:

a weekend of "firsts"

it seems as if i'm doing a lot of recapping these days. ^^

friday
didn't have classes in the afternoon because the faculty had a meeting or something.
had two classes - philo (with sir rodriguez) and theo (with fr. giordano). in philo, sir talked about the movie we watched weds - the first installment in kieslowski's decalogue series. this one was about the commandment on having and worshipping no other gods besides God. it was a moving and powerful story, about a young 11-year old boy named Pavel and his father who was a man of science, believing that all of life could be explained by science and thus didn't believe in religion. one day he calculates the thickness of the ice on the frozen lake and he tells pavel that it will be safe to skate the next day. the father's calculations prove wrong though and pavel drowns when he goes skating the next day. the father, still reeling from despair and sadness, goes to a church and proceeds to knock stuff down. the movie ends with an image of mother mary burning with the candle wax running down her eyes, making it appear as if she were in tears, and segues into a smiling pavel running towards the camera. it's such a simple story yet it's powerful and moving. sir gus gave us points to ponder: despite the father being a man of science, he blames God for the death of his son; thus, there can be no such thing as a pure atheist. a pure atheist wouldn't blame God for life's unfortunate events for such an event would just be a random happening.

in the afternoon, went with the asec people - emil, weng, wena, alexia, jess, greg, pinsan, joanne, stephen, and micah - to megamall. we went ice skating~! it was my first time to go ice skating here in manila. emil had coupons (which he got from carlo) so we were each able to get skate for 60php an hour. at first, we were this long line grabbing the support railings. after a while, we grew more adventurous and ventured out on our own, trying to balance ourselves, skating slowly but surely. it was fun ^^ though i did fall face-down once, leaving my knees with two bruises and a cut on my right ankle from the skates - -; that aside though, looking forward to the next skating trip~

this day also marked my first day to take a bus in manila ^^ from megamall, stephen, pinsan, and i took the ue letre bus. amazingly, it dropped us off quite near our houses. the bus was air-conditioned and in relatively good condition. it wasn't that crowded. plus, the fare was only 24php. it was a good "first" bus ride.

saturday
went to watch eizel's chinese elocution (朗讀）contest. mom and zel went ahead then dad, ni, and i followed. we three woke up late >< and were rushing to the venue. we literally looked like zombies. got there way early though - around 8 - uno performed at around 1030. too bad they didn't win (i think they were in 4th place). the 1st and 2nd graders won second place though! go winston! ^^ oh well, you win some, you lose some.

had lunch at president then went to japanese class. it was my grandmother's birthday so we went to gloria maris roxas blvd after my class. it was fun, seeing 4iepo and 3iepo again. the dinner conversation was lively and animated. angkong robert had read the book about angkong bunbeng and he shared with us the anecdotes and stories (which reminds me, i need to read that book when i have time~). my cousins of course were busy with their nifty gadgets. lyxen shared with us stories about her "crush." sigh, they're at that stage already~ hehe.

sunday
went to the virlanie houses to do "testing," which was just letting the kids draw. it took the entire day from 10-5. it was a bit draining but it was fun talking to the kids. we're making progress on data collection~! for lunch, since we had a two-hour gap between visiting hours, we ate at a carinderia. it was my first time to eat lunch at such a place. it was okay~ cheap ^^ the entire morning till around 230pm, it seemed as if all television sets and radios were tuned towards the morales-pacquiao game ^^

dad, mom, and zel picked me up at shopwise. then, we went to serendra the fort to check out sonja's cupcakes ^^ got 8 - the lemon drop was a bit too tart for my liking but my mom liked it. the vanilla was yummy~ haven't tried the other 2 variants we bought. the shop was nice, quaintly decorated and with a homey feel. when we got there, most of the cupcakes were sold out, with a waiting time of 45 minutes so we didn't get to try the other flavors. next time~ ^^ the serendra area's nice. more restaurants, cafes, and shops will be popping out soon. i'm looking forward to try dining at the different establishments. they have cool interiors and funky names, plus there's different types of cuisine to choose from - mediterranean, indian, filipino, etc. food fest! ^^ might be a bit heavy on the wallet though~

after buying cupcakes, went to harbour view since had to pick up nini who watched a play at ccp. walked around the bazaar. dad bought toys. zel got toys and a ballpen. i got dvds. had dinner at dencio's and went to starbucks afterwards (11 stickers to go!).

-end of weekend-

breakdown of events

thursday pm
met up with charlene and honey. had lunch at yellow cab binondo then went to starbucks, where we met eirha! it's been so long since i last saw her. she was studying for the board exam this december. honey's going to canada end of november to prepare for her board exam as well, which she'll be taking in january. i had a fun time, just chatting and lounging around. then, went to uno to pick up zel. saw mic in his med school uniform. he looked tired - which is how a med school student usually is, i suppose.

friday
after visiting the virlanie houses for thesis, went to greenbelt to buy max brenner chocolates, the new josh groban cd, and snuck by powerbooks where i got the third sisterhood installment and a new book entitled "going home." i think it's sorta similar to "the alphabet sisters." it was on this day that i took all sorts of transportation - in order, tricycle, jeepney, fx, mrt, lrt. by the time i arrived at the 5th avenue lrt station, i was tired. good thing my dad was kind enough to pick me up at the station ^^ spent the rest of the day watching a korean drama, 1% of something.

saturday
had breakfast at starbucks (again!) with my mom. i've drank so much starbucks coffee this week, i don't care if i don't ever go to starbucks again. but then again, i'm collecting stickers for the planner. any kind souls out there who want to give their stickers to me? ^^ i need 15 more. well, at least i love the peppermint mocha christmas blend~

after japanese class, went to golden fortune. there was a family (clan) dinner to commemorate my grandfather's birthday. i don't really think it's appropriate to call it a celebration anymore. had a fun time. sat with achi arlyne and she told me about working in hk, how she was learning a lot, as if she were taking her mba and getting an allowance at the same time. talking to her made me realize that there are things i want to do. although there aren't that clear yet, i want a job that has something to do with the environment protection, sustainable development; a job where i can use the languages i learned. so i guess i'll take a chance first and see where i can get myself before deciding to formally work at my dad's. achi arlyne also mentioned that working abroad really is a whole different experience.

*speaking of japanese class, in three weeks i'll be taking the level 2 japanese proficiency exam already and i still have so much material to cover. i haven't finished reviewing the grammar patterns. i still have to work on listening, plus my reading comprehension skills need improvement too. yikes~

played with janssen and ben-ben. ben-ben finally knows me! he called me auntie kaka =D yep, i'm an auntie already. i feel old but in a good way. the little kids were playing with the elevator and their nintendo ds's. the kids today are so techie. even eizel's better at techie things than i am. oh well, i guess i have no choice to admit that i belong to the earlier generation. zel helped ben and janssen with ice age 2, while later on, achi rowena and ben were playing mario. surprisingly, jaymie gave nini a big hug and a kiss. and alex even talked to me =) the kids do brighten up the family gatherings.

today
had breakfast at country waffles. ni drove us there, to a chorus of backseat drivers. as ni was parking the car, she stopped midway, and dad looked so funny squirming in his chair, as if by doing so he could will the car to move forward a few more inches. then later on, on our way home, on araneta ave, my dad said that we were like the red sea. because although the street in front of our house is two-way, most of the time the cars only travel in one direction. so when we turned, all the cars were coming towards us, prompting my dad to simply stop in the middle of the road. and like what happened in the red sea, all the cars just started moving away from us, creating a clear path =) hehe

i watched a few episodes of love story in harvard at home before we left for the buddhist light bazaar at the picc tent area. saw charlene and candee. ran into ernest. and surprise surprise! we saw ben-ben, achi anne, and ahia james as well. mom and dad said that they heard someone calling "gojiak-gong!" and turning around, they saw ben-ben, standing on top of a chair, shouting. played and talked to him for a bit. we discussed cars and elevators (using the small-scale model of the new buddhist light building as reference). we bought a lot of veggie food products and food in general. oh yeah, i saw imelda marcos. she's so tall. everyone was taking pictures of her. so many lights and camera flashes.

after the bazaar, we were supposed to have dinner at legend but got lost and ended up at mall of asia. it was our first time there. i liked place. i saw urs! and i even saw the shoes i got at singapore. they were being sold at the moa store as well ^^ i loved how the mall was brightly lit and that it only had two floors which made for easier walking (and shopping~). had dinner at tokyo cafe (reminded me of japan). mom and ni loved the pasta. i liked their banana hazelnut crepe. the hazelnut ice cream was delish~

and so that was my long weekend and the end of my sembreak. class starts tomorrow. the last sem of my ateneo stay. aja!

'tis the season...

for peppermint coffee at starbucks (expensive treat ><)
for worrying about 2nd sem (my last sem at ateneo!)
for buying gifts and wrapping presents
for planning what to do for xmas break
...and other things we do while anticipating the xmas season.

updates:

oct 28-30
hied off to tagaytay for a weekend getaway with my cousins (che, stella, and brian) and sister (ni!). we picked nini up from csb on friday after her last duyan performance, stopped by chicken chicken for a quick dinner, went to makati to pick ste up, then off we were to tagaytay.

the three days were spent:
-chatting and gossiping. getting back in touch with each other's lives. we like to call this activity bonding ^^
-cooking. we cooked okonomiyaki (japanese pancakes, cherielyn style), steamed egg with duck egg and milk, mashed potatoes, ste had pesto, and achi minnie chipped in beef stew.
-eating. this time at leslie's. afterwards, we took lotsa photos while enjoying the view of taal.
-eating again. had breakfast at bag of beans. sort of like an aviary/garden dining area - calm and peaceful, with enough lush greens to make it seem like a commune with nature. sat in one of the bahaykubo's. had apple pie, veggie pasta, puttanesca for ni, salmon for ste, and porkchop for che. and mugs of steaming brewed coffee =) conversation was interesting, as it always is.
-veronica mars marathon! i bought vcds coz i went to 168 the day before and got cds (korean dramas mostly). i love this show! ^^
-playing with chloe and nicole, our cute little nieces.

nov 1
went to ever memorial to give offerings to my grandfather. chatted with the cousins again (che, mae and rowena). we're planning a mini cousin gettogether, tentatively scheduled on the third week of dec., which might involve karaoke and an overnight stay at a hotel, and dinner. played with our nephews and niece - janssen, jaron, benben, jaymie, and alex.
i was happy they still recognized me =) janssen was like, "san ka galing?" when he saw me. and of course, benben asked "san si auntie aiai?" and surprisingly, alex and jaymie played with me. well, it could be because they had twin popsies (which sape bought for them) in their hands =) jaymie asked us if mae and i were sisters. then she added, "kasi maganda cya tapos ikaw pangit eh" @@ kids do say the darnest things. Lolz XD

nov 2-6
went to ilocos with my mom and two sisters. dad went to canyon woods to "bond" with two of his business associates. it was my first time to travel within the philippines (not counting tagaytay and laguna). the plane ride took 50 minutes or shorter. ilocos is truly a provincial town. wide strips of fields with a rocky mountain terrain as landscape. it's really beautiful.

we stayed at fort ilocandia where i was surprised to see lots of taiwanese and cantones (from guangzhou) tourists. didn't realize it was a popular tourist destination. i didn't feel i was in the philippines at all. i kept hearing mandarin and cantonese.

went to vigan and pagudpud. vigan was nice, like a bigger intramuros, had a sort of historical atmosphere. the beach at pagudpud (at the saud resort) was beautiful, with white sand and pristine waters. i loved the feel of the sand grains on my bare feet. it's been awhile since i let the sea water lap over my feet. i love the ocean. one of the things i loved about this trip was that i was able to see the ocean, hear the crashing waves (the waves were really strong), and just enjoy the ocean breeze.

dad picked us up at the airport when we arrived and we had dinner at dragon's gate =) i'm happy to be back in manila. i guess i'm city girl through and through ^^

nov 7 (yesterday)
went to rp with nini to watch the prestige. it's a great movie - a story about how men are fueled by obsession, how it can bring out unrivaled intelligence and cunning and how it can lead to the most disturbing sacrifices - all for the love of the trade.
it was quite riveting. i loved the twists and turns inthe plot. the ending left me a bit confused but it was an apt way to end the movie.

at random...

my birthday this year was different in that i wasn't looking forward to it as much. i felt as if it were just another ordinary day. of course, it was made special by all the warm greetings and wishes =) aileen even called me up from beijing ^^ i thought she was maine at first. haha. i got to talk to cha after a loooong time. and in a way, i got to catch up with certain people. aku gave me an ice cream cake. it was yummy but heavy, not to mention all the calories >< hehe.

saturday, went to watch a benefit concert starring jose mari chan and jamie rivera at the meralco theater. it was a fun way to spend the evening - full of good songs and laughter.

it's sembreak now ^^ i've been studying japanese these past few days. there's so much grammar i have to tackle. i'm almost halfway through the japanese novel i'm reading. then, i found a site where i can learn the basics of the korean language. i finished watching "wonderful life" the other day. while watching it, i found i could understand some of the stuff they were saying. the vocab is quite similar to japanese.

speaking of korean, had dinner at silla on sunday. it was yummy. i love seeing all the side dishes on the table. it looks so...authentic. hehe. i like korean food although there's not a lot of vegetarian dishes.

yesterday, went to rockwell with ni and my cousins che and stella. i was also able to get a copy of vanity fair with suri's photos ^^ she's just adorable~ we had a late lunch at burgoo (ste's treat) where we chatted and bonded before watching The Banquet. It was a good movie, full of bold color and graceful symmetry. It was sad as well. One of the lines that left an imprint was when in response to the question, "Is there anything more poisonous than this [poison]? the vendor replies, "Yes, there is - the human heart" 有比这个更毒的东西吗？ - 答：有。人心。(人的欲望)。

陌生人

记忆随风吹走。只留下我一个人站在这里。冷漠，孤单。还是「接受，平静」着四个字比较适合啊。
想要紧紧抓住不放的东西, 如果不是你本该拥有的, 是不是一天也会溜走?
不知从什么时候开始, 你就渐渐地变成陌生人了。
所想像的事好像发生了。我是否怕这一天的来临啊。
我现在是难过吗，还是觉得无奈。其实也不是啦。反正，所想像的事发生，这也是当然的嘛。那，从这方面看，唯一的解法 - 我该认命了。