Diamond

Nope, I didn't get my dream diamond ring hehehe but we did stay at Diamond Hotel. It's one of the freebies A got when he purchased a car through BPI's auto loan. That's good right?


We had a hectic weekend --- 1 christening, 1 hotel stay, 1 birthday party, 2 cellphone huntings in 2 days. Whew! Tiring but happy experiences!


My friends P and E had their 1st baby's christening last Sat. They named her Elisha Marie. She's so beautiful like her Ninang (but me!). She was sleeping all the time so I didn't get to play with her. Her parents P & E, were all smiles throughout the church ceremony -- why not, with a bundle of joy like her...


We (A and I) stayed only until after the church blessings, we don't wanna be late in our first 5-star hotel stay! But before that, we had lunch at the Beach House of UP. We had 4 sticks of their famous bbq's, one order of salted egg and tomatoes, munggo soup and 1 royal tru orange softdrinks (full name!).


Next stop of course is Diamond Hotel. Our room was on the 21st floor, deluxe, non-smoking. It was a beautiful room -- with comfy, soft, large bed, cabled TV, a sala nook in the corner, a bath tub in the comfort room, a full body mirror and a great view of the Manila Bay. We indulged also on their complimentary bathrobes (they're so thick and warm!) and fruits. We rested in the bed and watched nonstop cable TV. A little before supper, we bathed (actually used the bathtub!), changed and got ready for supper in the famous Baywalk. Off we go to Baywalk but much to our disapointment, the stalls in the baywalk area were gone. We talked to people around and got our answer why the stalls were washed out from the shores of the Manila Bay. Hmmm, politics!

So our planned stall hopping turned to Max's food tripping -- fried chicken, pancit, bbq chicken, carbonara, and cake slices (choco, banana, cheese). Whew! Nice! Got back to the hotel -- nonstop TV and much needed rest, now were waiting for our breakfast buffet in the morning!


Our breakfast buffet was the highlight of the weekend. A ate fried rice, omelet, sunny-side up egg, 3 pieces lumpiang shanghai, bacon, sausages, veggies, 2 cups of coffee, pancit, fruits and some pastries. I ate fried rice, omelet, sausages, bacon, buttered toast, pastries, mango and orange juice. We ate so much that we feel we could not eat for one whole week without ever feeling week and hungry. Wow! That's life!


Our check-out time is at 12 noon. The birthday party of my friend A's son X was just beside Diamond Hotel so we walked around the Bay area, attended church in Malate Church and took some pictures while waiting for 2 o' clock.


The kiddie party was a blast -- there are food stalls everywhere (cotton candy, hotdogs, fishballs, ice cream), games and prizes. Alas we cannot move anymore because of our hard-as-our-foreheads stomachs so we said our goodbyes to A and her baby X.


Now to our next stop - the mall! We promised my mother, G and brother C that we'll help them buy cellphones using our credit cards. My bro got a Nokia while my mother got a Samsung. My new brother's cell number is named C x,xxx/mo indicating his payment per month! Haha. What a way to remember his payment monthly.


So it's time we get our rest again so off we go home... and sleep to welcome again another busy week ahead...

Barong For Sale

To those who are interested, here are the 4 designs of the barongs. Price is P1,500 each, authentic pina jusi barong from Lumban ---

Design 1:

Design 2:

Design 3:

Design 4:

Movies in 08

It's 2008.. time for new movies. Here's the list of my MUST's:

1. 27 Dresses (Now showing) - [Comedy, Romance] Jan 11 => Jane (Katherine Heigl) thinks she will always be a bridesmaid. But when her younger sister captures the heart of Jane's boss (whom she secretly loves) she begins to reexamine her lifestyle to have her own happy ending. *wow*
   
2. The Spider wick Chronicles - [Action, Adventure] Feb 14 => This film will feature 3 siblings who found an entrance to the magical world of fairies & goblins in their Aunt's dilapidated house --- Ala Jumanji or Narnia... why not?
   
3. Meet the Spartans - [Comedy] Feb 1 => Here comes a Scary Movie type film featuring the Transformers and a hunchbacked Paris Hilton -- what more you can ask for? Spartans versus the invading Persians with their leather underwears and capes!
   
4. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who - [Family] Mar 14 => Horton the elephant (voice of Jim Carrey) helps a small community called Who-ville. This is an adaptation of the famous Dr. Seuss' book -- recommended to kids!
   
5. Superhero Movie - [Sci-fi, Comedy] Mar 21 => A spoof of superhero movies like Spiderman, Batman and Fantastic Four.
   
6. Ironman - [Sci-fi, Action] May 2 => This is based on the comic book, Iron Man -- who is Tony Stark, an executive and inventor when the sun is up and becomes Iron Man in the evening. He'll be fighting his greatest enemy of all time, and that's himself.
   
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - [Action, Comedy] May 22 => Another adventure of the legendary Indiana JOnes in South Africa, with his search of the Crystal Skull -- interesting neh?
   
8. Sex and the City: The Movie - [Comedy] May 30 => Sex in the City in the BIG SCREEN -- yeah!!! The movie features the continuation of the adventures of the four main characters, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda.
   
9. Kung Fu Panda - [Comedy] June 6 => Features Jack Black as Po the Panda. He is a kung fu fanatic but spends a lot of time in a noodle restaurant as a waiter. He's the laziest animal in China but what if he's the chosen one to save China from the enemies? This is a hilarious journey of having to teach Po to do kung fu, earn a black belt and fight the enemies!
   
10. The Incredible Hulk - [Sci-fi, Action] June 13 => Scientist Bruce Banner's struggle to choose between a peaceful life and finding heroism in the creature he holds inside -- The Incredible Hulk.
    
11. Wall-E - [Animation, Adventure] June 27 => Wall*E, the robot spends everyday doing what he was made for until he discovers what he was meant for.
    
12. The Dark Knight - [Action, Drama] July 18 => Batman versus the Joker. The Joker brings chaos across Gotham city. The Dark Knight has to stop him, using hi-tech weapons and strong principles.
    
13. Mamma Mia! - [Drama, Comedy] July 18 => Meryl Streep plays a single mother of a bride-to-be. She refuses to tell who the father is until her daughter invites three possible paternal candidates to her wedding!
    
14. Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - [Horror, Action, Sci-fi] Aug 1 => Rick O'Conell (Brendan Fraser), joined by his son, wife and brother, must stop a mummy awoken from a curse who threatens to put the world into his merciless service.
    
15. Dragonball - [Adventure, Drama, Fantasy] Aug 15 => Goku must find the great Master Roshi and gather the 7 Dragon Balls to stop the enemy from taking over the world. Anime action in big screen!
    
16. Bond 22 - [Action, Adventure] Nov 7 => James Bond returns!
    
17. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - [Sci-fi, Action, Suspense] Nov 21 => The sixth book of the famous Harry Potter series, the Muggle and Wizard world is no longer safe because of Lord Voldemort's return. See how the book becomes alive through this film.
    
    OTHER MOVIES
    
18. Jurassic Park IV - [Sci-fi, Action] Summer 08
19. Toy Story 3 - [Family, Comedy] TBA
20. Christmas in Wonderland - [Comedy, Family] TBA => starring Patrick Swayze
21. Car Wars - [Comedy] TBA

See you in the movies!

Dress 2008

I recently bought a cloth from an officemate. It was supposed to be stitched as a polo but a lot of us in the office teased him for its color --- it does not fit him well. Good for me! It's pink with brown-red stripes all-over.

I plan to transform it as a beautiful dress I can wear to formal parties I will be attending this year. So what are the possible designs? Through the years I have collected dress designs that I like and will complement my body. So here it is.. the candidates for my dress 2008:

Chain letters

Chain letters date back to so many many centuries ago. Now, it's email chain letters that are famous. There are those that are religious, those that asks for prayers for sick people, those that passes 'luck' to your email buddies, and a lot more. Most of the time, they're irritating but sometimes, there are those that are amusing and funny. Here's one email chain letter I got from a friend. It's actually a tag email wherein you ask a series of questions on a particular topic. And you get to compare different answers from friends. It's funny coz you get to know preferences of your friends. So here's a food tag email from my 3 friends. First reply's mine, second's from M, third's from N and last's from T.

fave pasta?

SPAGHETTI (SWEET RED SAUCE AND MEATBALLS) AND CARBONARA

arabiatta and carbonara

carbonara PASTA SCAMPI:

FETTUCCINE WITH SHRIMP IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

fave food during summer?

HALO-HALO

halo-halo, mais con yelo

ice cream

FRESH FRUIT SHAKE, ICE CREAM

fave food when raining?

SOPAS

champorado

bulalo

ALMONDIGAS: MISUA WITH MEATBALLS

fave food when watching movies?

PIZZA, BURGER

I don't eat when I watch a movie

chips

CHEESE POPCORN

fave shake?

GREEN MANGO, WATERMELON

green mango, watermelon

mango

MANGO-LYCHEE

fave night-out drink?

ICED TEA HAHAHAHA

lemonade / iced tea

frozen margarita

MUDSHAKER

favorite softdrinks?

ROOTBEER

sprite

coke

SARSI, MUG

fave food when you're in the beach?

FRIED/BROILED TILAPIA

porkchop, pancit

lobster

Broiled TENDER JUICY HOTDOG JUMBO

fave drink/food when mad?

CHOCOLATES

cake, ice cream

chocolates! chocolates! chocolates!

CRAB AND CORN (KNORR REAL CHINESE SOUP, JUST ADD ONE EGG!)

fave cuisine?

FILIPINO

thai

chinese

ITALIAN, JAPANESE

fave dessert?

CHOCOLATES, CAKES

ice cream

cheesecake

ICE CREAM

fave breakfast?

HOTDOG, EGGS

corned beef meal

tapsilog

PUREFOODS HONEY CURED BACON, FRIED RICE

fave kind of chocolate?

WITH NUTS OR WAFERS

with fruit and nut / wafers

plain

DARK

fave broiled food?

BANGUS, LIEMPO

porkchop

liempo and pusit

TENDER JUICY HOTDOG JUMBO , BANGUS NA MAY KAMATIS AT SIBUYAS

fave food with broth?

NILAGANG BAKA

bulalo / sinigang na baboy

sinigang

PORK SINIGANG, SINIGANG NA BANGUS

food you want for your birthday?

SPAGHETTI

cake at ice cream

spaghetti, cake at ice cream

PANSIT

best place to have coffee?

NOT A COFFEE DRINKER

not a coffee drinker

vendo

TAGAYTAY

favorite juice?

ORANGE

mango

orange

PINEAPPLE-ORANGE

best sandwich?

CHEEZE WHIZ

peanut butter

peanut butter

SPICY SPANISH SARDINES

favorite ice cream flavor?

STRAWBERRY, ROCKY ROAD

strawberry cheesecake

double dutch

CARAMELO CON PASTILLAS

milo or ovaltine?

OVALTINE

milo

MILO

MILO for drinking, OVALTINE for eating!

food you don't eat?

BITTER MELON

many!

bicol express

WITH MAYONNAISE OR FRIED FISH/MEAT W/ SAUCE

Do-nut eat!

I am a DONUT FANATIC. I like donuts! I crave for donuts (at least every payday)! I adore donuts! I'm mad about donuts! I simply love to eat donuts!

So now, I would like to document my favorite donut flavors from the different donut shops here in the Philippines...

DUNKIN' DONUTS - Choco Butternut, Pineapple and Strawberry Filled Donuts, Boston Creme, Nutty Chocolate, Choco and Straberry Glaze

COUNTRY STYLE - Crullers

MISTER DONUT - Torte Cake, Donut Logs

KRISPY KREME - Orig Glazed, Crullers, Sprinkled, Glazed Choco Cake, Filled Choco

Delicious neh? Shucks gotta go to the nearest donut shop... my mouth's watering!

My love affair with dogs

We were raised with dogs as playmates (also with humans don't worry!). When I was a kid, we have a dog named Punky. She's white and pretty, and so faithful to our family. Punky was a very gracious dog. She gave us many puppies. I remember naming a batch of her puppies after the Menudo band with famous member Ricky. She left us when I was in High School. We found her dead when we woke up. No sign of foul play whatsoever hehe, maybe because of old age. She was with us for around 10 years or so.

Our next dog is Abby (shortcut for Jollibee -- the previous owner says so!). She's also white but with long hair. Abby's a Japanese Spitz mix. She's a bit grouchy but sweet. What I like most about her is she approaches you when she sees you, like begging you to pet her or give her a scratch in the neck. She was with us for more than 5 years.

When we have Abby as our star dog (we have other dogs in the house but there's always the favorite one - the star dog), we also have Iking. He's the typical street dog, also white but with black spots. I especially like his spot in the left eye! He's still with us and thank you for camera phones --- I have a picture of him.... dyyyaaarrrraaaannnnnn!!!

So guapito noh? He's our comedian dog. Iking's funny especially when he does his signature move of tilting the head (see the picture) as if he's trying to understand what you're saying to him. We really, really love this askal dog! He immediately took the role of guarding the house when he came to our family.

Our latest star dogs are Chicco and Chessa. Chessa's a pure Golden Retriever while Chicco's a Labrador Retriever mix. We so, so, so love them. Here are their pictures ---

I have yet to take their latest pictures for they've grown twice their size in the above pictures. They love to play and eat. Chessa's favorites are the frisbee and our latest discovery, badminton. She loves 'retrieving' the shuttle cock, mind you. We may put her to work in a badminton court when she fails to give us babies in the future! Chicco likes running and playing with A and my brother and mother. He doesn't like the frisbee for he tires easily. They also love water -- either drinking it or swimming on it! They're the latest toys of our family.

So... there goes my love affair with dogs. If money permits, I like to have a Beethoven one day.

Waray

Waray is the native tongue of my beloved one - A. I am trying to make him teach me say Waray language but to no avail. He's either busy or not interested. But I was succesful in asking him to translate EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN in Waray! Hmmm.. ngatanan ha adlaw. Very good Ket!

Weird me

LET ME THINK is the first phrase that popped into my mind when I was looking for a blog title. Obviously, it was not available. I tried every possible phrase that I can relate to or that I can associate with my personality. Then, after my nth try of coming up for a blog title, I begun to give-up in making a new blog. I was becoming very frustrated. But I cannot give up... I am trying to extract any positive thing to what's happening to me (short supply of available blog titles -- and there are hungry, poor people in the world!). Alas! I smiled and think of the people who "thought" like me... they are the ones who made my blog title search difficult BUT they are the people who are like me! We have, somehow, likeness in some of our choices and favorites. To think that some of them are in the far parts of the world! Weird me.