Jamming with Knottydon

Fiona & Regine

2010-11-28T01:10:00.011+08:00

Two things are happening today: it's the birthday celebration of Fiona, my lovely niece, and Nikks & I will be watching Regine's concert at McKinley Hill.

After having my breakfast, I made my way to Bulacan. It took me less than 2 hours to get there.

Fiona saw me right away and she kissed me. I greeted her right away. I also noticed that there's a LOT of food at our table. I guess the family is expecting a lot of guests.

Kuya was busy cooking the sauce of the sweet & sour tilapia. Angela instantly gave me a plate.

I had beef caldereta, lumpiang shanghai, fried chicken, tilapia, laing and pancit bihon. OMG! The food, especially the caldereta, was really good. I really ate a lot! And to think, yesterday was another fiesta for me! I love the holidays!

I visited my Mom's room and I caught up on her stories about my other niece, Disney. I love babies. When you tell them to kiss & hug you, they oblige right away. How come adults don't do the same? Bwahahaha!

I set up the videoke machine so we could have some fun while drinking. I gave Kuya money to buy booze.

Later on, Angela's family arrived. Fiona got a lot of gifts from them, mostly Barbie dolls and stuffed toys. I told Fiona that I will give her my gift at a later time. I will just spend a day with them at TriNoma or something.

Around 4, I decided to leave (without my MagicSing). I didn't know how bad the traffic will be.

After 2 hours, I reached the Piazza. I went directly to the concert venue and saw a short line of people. Some were buying albums of Regine. The album comes with free poster. Maybe I'll get the colored one later.

While waiting for Nikks, I had some coffee at Tokyo Cafe. I spotted this lady who looks just like Nikks (maybe 10 years from now). She's been putting some makeup on for like, forever!

After my second cup, Nikks arrived with Manay Rosa. I told her about her twin sister. I almost approached the lady to have her picture taken with my friend. Bwahahaha!

We then searched for a place to sit at the concert place.

Around 7:30, we saw a big white van parked behind the stage. It must be Regine. It was her. We saw her doing her own makeup inside the van.

At 8, the concert began with Nikks' look-alike (surprise! surprise!) hosting the event. She introduced Regine and the Songbird officially started the show with "Ako'y Iyong-Iyo" followed by "The Only Exception". She's dressed in leopard prints. Manay commented on her red shoes. She looks fresh and sexy.

During one of her numbers, she couldn't control her coughing. Uh oh! We thought she would lose her voice. But after drinking a cold glass of water and some candy (maybe pei pa koa), she returned to normal. She even asked for a number! Of course, someone shouted 15 - O (for Ogie). But she blurted out, "Osang". That made the audience laugh.

She sang these songs from her latest album: "I Go Crazy", "You and Me", "What About Love", "Without Me" (Nikks' & my favorite), "Been Waiting", "You Don't Know" and "OK Lang Ako".

She revealed that she and her Baba (her term of endearment for Ogie) have been in courtship stage for 8 years already. And that they've been on for 4 years now.

She promoted her album and joked about her photos included in it. I learned that she did the pictorial after her Diva tv series. She really looks sexy in those photos!

Anton, one of Regine's impersonators, was in the audience and she let him/her sing a song from her Eraserheads medley. She mentioned that E-Heads are her heroes.

For her finale, she did a medley of disco tunes, "I Will Survive" & "Lance Dance", while reaching out to people in the audience. Of course, a lot of cameras flashed that time.

I wanted her to sing "Papa Don't Preach" but it was okay. I haven't seen Regine in a long time so it's really a nice way to end my weekend.

After the concert, the first 51 people who bought the album got the chance to have their CDs autographed by Regine. Bummer!

Food & Wine Galore

2010-11-27T01:15:00.005+08:00

I have organized numerous parties before and that involved tasting the food from the caterers. But never have I been invited to do food tasting for weddings. That all changed today.

My friend, Jhie, with hubby in tow, will be coming over this March to celebrate their wedding with their family and friends here in Manila. If I'm not mistaken, she asked the help of our friend, Tina, to do the preparations (venue, caterings, souvenirs, etc.).

Got an FB message from Tina asking me, Nikks, Tabs and Bryce, to represent her at today's tasting. The venue is at Dad's Place in Quezon City. Nikks & I weren't able to attend the previous tasting 'cause of another commitment.

Tabs picked us up at the office and we battled the traffic from Makati to QC. And thanks to the food gods, we reached the place at 5 pm. Perfect timing!

After we got our table, we immediately sampled the appetizers. They have bruschetta, pritson, cocktail salads and quesadilla. The quesadilla is our favorite.

For the main course: we tasted everything. from pork, chicken to beef. They also have pasta. Tabs & Nikks love the lasagna. I enjoyed the fillet mignon in red wine sauce. Would've been better if the food is warm though. I thought the string beans is not a good substitute for asparagus wrapped in bacon.

Then it's dessert time! They have fondue, banana crepe, buko pandan, mango something and coffee something. I didn't like the chocolate used in the fondue. It tastes cheap. The buko pandan ain't fresh anymore so it's yucky. The only thing I like was the mango dessert.

Around 7:30, we wondered why no one was speaking to us. We're extremely full already. It's time to do business.

Then a representative from Hizon's named Crenz approached us. She was busy attending to other customers too. She informed us that she could give freebies (fondue, Tiffany chairs and coffee & tea bar) only for today, if we decide to pay 5K for the reservation. Tabs had to call Bryce to give Jhie a call in the US.

To make the long story short, we grabbed her offer. We left the area with satisfied stomach (thank you so much, Tina & Jhie, for thinking about me when it comes to food tasting. Hehehehe). I even had to return a second time for the fillet mignon chunks. Teehee...

Then it's time for A-A-Alcohol. Remember last time I went to Resort World and I found out about the wine buffet they offer there? Well, it's time to try it out with my friends. I didn't want to drink by myself. Also, we haven't celebrated Tabel's birthday yet so this is a good time.

It took us quite some time to enter the place. There's a big event happening (some fiesta thing) outside so it's hard to get valet parking.

First stop, the restrooms. While waiting for Tabs & Nikks to finish their bizness, I went inside a fragrance store called Art of Scent. I immediately looked for a brand that I haven't tried yet. My Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce and Hollister SoCal are already in need of a backup fragrance.

I grabbed a Bvlgari AQVA perfume and sprayed it on my wrist. I left the place and told my friends what I did. They liked the smell! I decided to get one later. Teehee...

Beurre Blanc didn't have a wine buffet for tonight because of that damn fiesta thing outside. We were so disappointed. We tried to use our charm but the manager just offered us some salmon carpaccio and cake (since we told him it's Tabel's birthday).

After going through the wine menu, we decided to go for Gossips Shiraz, the same wine I had last time.

People watching time. We saw Jose Mari Chan with family leaving some show.

Before we left the place, Tabel got her chocolate cake. It was delish! Happy Birthday again, Tabs!

We joined our friends, Beng & Lani downstairs. We went back to the Art of Scent and I bought my new fragrance--Bvlgari AQVA. Of course, there had to be some picture taking (Lani, again, ang ganda mo dito sa picture na to!

We went back upstairs and looked for a place to continue the fun. New Orleans was our pick.

More people watching time. We saw Tweetie De Leon (still looking fabulous!), Phoemela Baranda, Julia Clarete, Daiana Menezes, Jeremy Marquez and Pops Fernandez. They were all heading to the party place, Republiq. I wanna see this place soon too!

Around 2, it was time to go.

Wee Nam Kee

2010-11-26T23:19:00.005+08:00

This is a famous resto in Singapore where the likes of our ex-Presidents, Gloria Arroyo & Erap Estrada, like to eat. We have one locally located at the Ayala Triangle—a good 15-minute walk from the office. It’s time to try their food out.

Beng advised us to leave early for lunch because it’s Friday plus it’s payday. We expect a lotta peeps to dine out for lunch. So we (Beng, Raz, Liz, Will and I) left around 11.

Once we reached the area, we were surprised that there’s a huge line of hungry peeps at 11 am! Ugh!

Beng took care of the reservations. Then we waited… it’s people watching time!

I was hoping that the food is not just overhyped. We could hear some people talking about how good the food is. It better be! I think we waited for about an hour!

Finally, we got a table. We’re all excited to try their steamed chicken so we all got that. Will & I got some lechon kawali. Dennies & Liz ordered the porkchops. Our friend from Singapore, Toffee, texted Beng that their Wee Nam Kee fried rice is a must-try. So we ordered it too. I wanna eat the cereal prawns (first tasted this in Singapore and I miss it) and the spicy crunchy squid. Unfortunately, they’re not available. They also don’t have soda! Dammit!

The verdict? Well, after waiting for a long time, I was expecting a good meal. The chicken was cold. It tastes like chicken tinola minus the broth. The lechon kawali is not good for two. I could eat it in seconds! The Wee Nam Kee fried rice tastes like other Yang Chao fried rice (North Park is still the best). The big portions of shrimps in the menu ain't true. According to Raz, the Barley drink tastes like Am. Bwahahahaha!

The long wait wasn't worth it for me.

Free Regine Concert

2010-11-25T00:01:00.003+08:00

Whenever Regine has a new album, expect her to appear in different malls to promote her album. This Sunday, she'll be at the Piazza, McKinley Hill (a stone's throw away from where I live). Sweet!

It's been a while since I last heard her perform live. Her 20th anniversary concert was the last one I saw. It was pretty memorable because during the first 15 minutes of the concert, she didn't have a voice. 'twas breakin' in places. The gods must have heard her plea. She came back after with a vengeance. She hit the high notes effortlessly during the "What Kind of Fool" number. And then it was high notes after high notes.

I'm really excited to see her again.

News Flash: My friend, Nikks, just called to inform me that she has a surprise for me. It turned out that she scored some tickets to Regine's concert. Woohoo!

Regine's Fantasy

2010-11-24T00:10:00.000+08:00

Got the latest double-CD album of Regine Velasquez today. I reserved a copy at Odyssey and they texted me today that I can now get it. Sweet! The only problem is, I don't have a CD player at my place.

Anyhoo, the album comes in two versions: one colored featuring a wet look Songbird in a pool (probably at her house in QC) and the other one is a sexy black and white Regine in a skimpy pair of unbuttoned shorts. Which one do you think I got for myself? =oP

Aside from the CDs, you can also get 10 B&W postcards of a more daring Regine. Who would've thought that this lady was once a barrio lass? Good job to the photographer, Mark Nicdao.

Now, CD1 has 12 cuts: You Don't Know (the carrier single), Been Waiting, Always, This Time, True Romance, Sana'y Laging Ganito, OK Lank Ako, Fairy Tale, Smile, Funny One, S.M.I.L.E. and Walang Iba.

CD2 has 10 covers: Fantasy, All My Life, I Go Crazy, What About Love, Papa Don't Preach, You and Me, Without Me, Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop, Love Will Keep Us Alive and Dying.

I can't give you a review yet but expect one soon.

FarmVille vs. Barn Buddy (Updates)

2010-11-23T01:23:00.000+08:00

Awhile back when I was still an addict in Barn Buddy (love stealing crops from my friends!), I made this entry detailing how these two farm applications in Facebook differ. Back then, I was a pro-BB. But now, I never visit my farm there anymore. Also, I found out through StatCounter that most of my blog visitors wanted to know the difference between these two apps. It's my obligation to give you an update why I switched over to FarmVille.

Here are the reasons:

1. Even though the game is still in its beta version, every single week, they have updates. I dunno how their artists, game developers and testers do it. A game that gives you regular updates gets a star in my book. But here's the downside, remember it is still beta... so you get bugs all the time. Like, recently, I couldn't proceed to my turkey roost building because I keep on getting out of sync errors.

2. You have millions of gamers that can be your neighbors. FarmVille has more than 80 million players! Now, these neighbors can help you earn money (by visiting their farms and performing tasks) and build stuff. Right now, I'm completing my thanksgiving dinner table. I need, like, 150 different kinds of meals. These meals can be exchanged for stuff like fountains, sheeps, etc. All to decorate your farm.

3. It's very accessible. If you have an iPhone, iTouch, iPad or an Android phone, you can still play the game.

4. Related to numero uno, the game goes with the times. I mean, they currently have Harry Potter themes! I just bought myself a wizard costume, a baby dragon, a griffin and a flying pig on a broom! I can't wait to see what's in store for Christmas. Last year, they gave us a Christmas tree where you can collect gifts from neighbors. And we weren't allowed to open them until it's Christmas day.

5. Some people think it's all mindless clicking. But decorating your farm is deffo NOT mindless clicking. It's a way to express your creativity.

6. It's very simple to play. My 6-year old niece, Fiong-Fiong, and my 9-year old nephew, Lance, plays the game too. I'm sure kids from all ages love this game too.

7. Some people say it's just a waste of time. Well, there are ways to make your farming easier. There's the Unwither Ring you can buy (although right now, it's not available in the market). This is the ultimate gift you can get for yourself. With this ring, you don't need to do your farming on a regular basis because your crops won't wilt anymore. Also, there is a combo vehicle you can buy so plowing, harvesting and seeding can be a one-step process. Very convenient I must say!

8. I never enjoy killing-people-or-zombies games. I get dizzy when the POV shifts quickly. I dunno, maybe it's just my vertigo getting in the way.

So it's really a change of heart. FarmVille addict I am now. Here's how my farm looks like nowadays:

On Harry Potter & Resort World

2010-11-22T21:40:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I decided to watch the latest Harry Potter movie @ this newly-opened casino/mall/movie house called Resort World at the Newport City.

When I hailed a cab, I was surprised that it's located very close to my place. The taxi meter stopped at 90 bucks. Sweet!

The Newport Cinema is located on the topmost floor of the building. It's already 3 pm and I was already hungry but I bought a ticket first before minding my hunger. I noticed that the second floor is consisted mostly of boutiques like Guess, Penguin, Charles & Keith. No time and money for shopping so I just ignored them.

The ticket costs 200. Quite reasonable and affordable. There aren't too many people (unlike the other malls) so it's really cool.

Otay, it's time to find a place to chow. They have Asian, Mediterranean and French restos on the ground floor. I chose to eat rice and lechon macau at Johnny Chow (rhyme pa lintek!). The waitresses in minis were wearing these awful blue and yellow wigs. At least, they're easy to look at.

By the way, their WiFi is pretty fast. I was able to download an iPhone app instantly. Hehehehe....

The lechon macau was crunchy and good. I upgraded my rice to yang chow too. The only thing that I don't like in the food is the peanuts. I don't like eating meals with whole peanuts. I take them out when I eat the Charlie Chan pasta at Yellow Cab.

I still have half an hour to kill so I checked out the bar at Beurre Blanc. I quickly asked for the wine menu from the bartender named Arniel. I chose Gossip Shiraz from the list. To my surprise, he also gave me some peanuts. I told you that I don't like peanuts in my food but I enjoy eating them separately. He informed me that they have a wine buffet for 850 pesos (including pica-pica) and good for three hours. Nice! I wanna try that soon with my barkada.

Arniel told me that I could taste some of their house wines. Now, who wouldn't like free taste, eh? He gave me some Bordeaux. When I swirled the wine, I noticed the dark color. I assumed it would be of stronger flavor. I wasn't wrong. Mmmmm!

I thanked the bartender (and gave him a generous tip) before leaving the bar at 5 (my movie starts at quarter after). Feeling already tipsy. I made a stopover at the membership counter where I got my Resort World membership card (with instant photo!).

It's been a while since I last read this final installment of the Harry Potter series so I kinda forgot some of the deets. But all in all, the movie was good. There were some funny moments too. I like the dancing scene of Harry & Hermione (she looks fantastic!). Of course, the Dobby scene was a tearjerker.

FYI, when you wanna watch a movie at the Newport Cinemas, be SURE to bring a jacket. It's so effin' cold inside the theatre!

I had to have my membership card activated so I checked out the casinos downstairs. The lady behind the counter informed me that my card has a 100-peso value which I could spend on the slot machines. This is free membership, y'all!

I walked around the area and memories of our Bahamas trip came back. I controlled myself from sitting down and playing.

Went back upstairs and had dinner at Beurre Blanc. I ordered their ham-pepperoni-mango pizza with an interesting crust (think of empanadas and Jamaican patties). It was good surprisingly but I didn't finish all of it. It was HUGE! I got myself some Gossip Shiraz again.One thing I like about RW is that, you can have a smoke anywhere you want. It's a fully-airconditioned place (remember to bring your jackets!). The people are not the masa types. And most importantly, it's not crowded.

Before I went home, I spotted Oyo Boy Sotto with his wife, Kristine Hermosa.

I ♥ Yoshinoya!

2010-11-21T01:00:00.002+08:00

A long, long time ago, Kuya introduced me to this fast food resto in Robinson's Galleria. According to him, they serve the best beef bowl. I wanna try the chicken too so I ordered a combo.

It was served in a big bowl. The chicken has some sweet sauce and the beef looks like strips of bacon and very tender. Veggies were thrown in there too. And some rice. They have this chili powder and it complements the meal. It was very, very filling and became an instant favorite!

That's the first time I saw an upcoming singer named Ogie Alcasid. He's with some friends and they were chatting while eating.

Anyhoo, I was crushed when a few months later, the resto closed. No freakin' clue why. Their food is delish! It was replaced by L.A. Beef Bowl but the food ain't the same.

Then I had a chance to see New York and was extremely happy to discover that they too have a Yoshinoya near the Port Authority. I've memorized the location by heart. Every time I visit the Big Apple, I always eat my favorite meal at Yoshinoya.

Back here in the Philippines, I work in Makati. And the nearest Yoshinoya branch is in Park Square. I make sure that I visit the place at least once a month to satisfy my beef & chicken combo craving.

They have branches in SM MegaMall, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia and SM North Edsa too. And I learned just now that they're back in Robinson's Galleria. Although I ain't sure if they occupy the same spot as before.

Here's how the beef & chicken combo looks like nowadays:

The pieces of beef & chicken have shrunk considerably even though it costs 170 per meal (excluding drinks).

But I ALWAYS make sure that I get my money's worth. Clean plate all the time!Well, not exactly. Here's the veggie pile (onions, carrots and chayote) I usually leave out:

The Cutest Piglet Ever!

2010-11-20T05:07:00.001+08:00

Found this on the internet. This has got to be the cutest piglet ever. Move over, Babe!

I dunno about babies and little animals. They are so effin' adorable! Why can't they just stay that way?

Am making this my wallpaper at the office!

On My Way Home

2010-11-19T00:12:00.007+08:00

Instead of hailing a cab going home yesterday, Maan (a colleague) and I decided to find the FX station at SM Makati. I was informed by a friend of mine that there are FXs there en route to Taguig.

My taxi fare going home varies. Sometimes when I really need to go home early, I give 24/7, a taxi service, a call. Instead of the usual 30-peso flag down rate, I pay 75 plus the meter amount. That is double than my regular fare, which is 100 bucks normally. If I have a wallet, I would say it would bleed to death.

If there's nuthin' good on tv and it's still early, I ride the Bonifacio bus from De La Rosa street. From there, it would take me to Ayala plus a brief stopover to SM Makati. Then it would cross EDSA and stop on the other side, where I would get off and board another bus going to Market! Market! That only costs me 11 pesos. From Market, I would ride a jeep (7 pesos). Then I would get off at Diego Silang, cross the street and then ride a tricycle (10 pesos). If I wanna go solo, I would pay 30 bucks.

And then there's my good friend, Noel. I get a free ride home since he lives in Taguig too. I really, really, really appreciate this kindness!

I'm really desperate to find another option. So we found the Taguig section near SM Makati. I asked the barker if the FX would take me as far as BCDA, a housing project near my place. He said yes. Whew! Maan lives in FTI so she can ride on a jeep where I'd be getting off too.

The good news is, the fare is only 30 bucks. Sweet!

Eat. Eat. Eat.

2010-11-18T03:03:00.001+08:00

Did you know that I was once a skinny kid who doesn't enjoy eating? Hard to believe, no? But it's true. I remember my yaya won't let me go to school if I don't finish my food. Vitamins after vitamins were given to no avail. A switch must have been turned on sometime when I was in my adulthood. Damn you, metabolism!

Now I enjoy eating (it freakin' shows) and cooking. I love it when people (friends & family) appreciate my effort in the kitchen.

I began my love for cooking when I was still in high school. I remember after watching countless episodes of "Wok with Yan" and tasting good food from my Daddy, I think the COOK gene has been awaken.

I don't own too many cookbooks. The internet has really helped me with most of my recipes. My local cable doesn't have the Food network so that sucks! If I'm not sure what to do, I sometimes call Kuya (he's a very good cook too!)

I am a fan of Martha Stewart and the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. If you visit her site, she'd show you how to cook a meal or dessert step-by-step, complete with photos. I dig her humor too. That's why I love her site. I was planning to ask my friends in the US to get me her cookbook for Christmas but I was so surprised & happy to find her cookbook here at Fully Booked!

Tried some of her recipes and they were quite good. If you've tasted a yellow cupcake with chocolate icing on top and the chocolate cupcake (with a nice Hershey's surprise in the inside) from me, those are hers!

My Baby, Brutus

2010-11-17T08:00:00.003+08:00

This Cesar commercial introduced me to this uber adorable dog breed called West Highland White Terrier. I thought that if I ever get to have a new dog, it would HAVE to be a Westie.

And so I began searching for local breeders. I found one in Navotas. This was a few weeks before I moved to Taguig. I promised the Normie, the breeder, that I will return and buy one from her. She was selling 4 pups at that time.

After settling in to my new place, I went back to get my puppy. I found out that there's only one left and it's a male pup. This puppy has gone through serious bullying from his female siblings. When I first saw him, he's shy and quiet. But he licked my fingers through his cage so that's a good sign.

Normie gave me his PCCI papers and was kind enough to give me some dog food starter. After paying her, I hailed a cab. We began our 1.5 hour travel to this pup's new home. I was praying the whole time that he won't pee on my lap.

I started talking to him by his new name, Brutus.

During his first few days, I had difficulty walking him. He won't leave the balcony and won't even climb down the stairs. He kept on smelling his new home. He pees everywhere except on the newspaper that I laid down. He was still acclimating.

I found a new vet for him at Animal House here in Market! Market! I immediately had him groomed and gave him some shots.

Fast forward to today, Brutus is playful, tenacious but very lovable. He's got the most beautiful pair of eyes. He just turned 1 last November 4th. And for his birthday, I gave him some Cesar food treats, a big bone, and a frisbee to play with. He even got his own Facebook account!

From Cycling to Christmas Trees

2010-11-16T08:25:00.001+08:00

For the past few weeks, I've been thinking of getting a bike. Nope, I ain't gonna take up cycling. I don't plan to be another Lance Armstrong either. I just wanna get a nice one so I can bike around my neighborhood. I see people on bikes and they look happy, compared to people relying on their two legs.

My friends suggested I go to Cartimar but knowing myself, if I could get a bike from somewhere nearby, I'd rather go there.

I checked out R.O.X at the Bonifacio High Street. Their cycling section is on the third floor. Long way up the stairs.

I circled around the area and was shocked to see the price tags. 18K, 34K, 64K, 120K, etc. I quickly approached one sales rep and asked if he could point me where the cheapos are.

I found one by the Merida section. The price is still in the 5 figures but it's the cheapest there is. According to the sales rep named Allen, it's really a good brand. There were only 3 to choose from: black with red & white lining, royal blue and lastly, white with gray & purple lining. Guess which one I chose?Perfect height. Smooth ride. There's a number on the price tag that says 24". I thought it had something to do with the bike frame. Stupid. It's the wheel size.

The bike comes with reflectors and a bell. I asked for a mini-light but the sales rep looked at me weirdly so I quickly changed the subject.

The sales rep then checked the air on the tires and the brake. Afterwards, he gave me a slip so I could pay downstairs.

After handing my credit card, the lady (with strange blue eyes) behind the counter informed me that their HSBC transaction is not working. I asked her if they could do sumpthin' about it. Call HSBC or something. But she just shook her head. Crap! I was so excited to ride my bike!!!

Feeling defeated, I gave them my number so they could call me when everything is back to norm.

Instead of going home, I checked out the Christmas decor at Market! Market! I found a small Christmas tree. 4 feet. Not too short nor tall for my condo. I searched the area for motif inspiration. Blue & silver colors tickle my fancy.

So tonight, instead of enjoying my new bike, I'll just decorate my Christmas tree while singing my favorite Christmas carols.

And after 30 minoots or so of decorating my Christmas tree, I present it to you now.

Looks bare at the bottom, no? I am now accepting gifts. They would look really great on the base of my tree ;oP

Once a Writer, Always a Writer

2010-11-15T00:18:00.013+08:00

FarmVille is the main reason why I stopped blogging. I spent so many days and nights tending my farm and making it beautiful (please visit my farm and let me know if it sucks). I'm now at level 91 and my target is level 100. I have also been trying to master each and every crop (which seems to be impossible since the Zynga gods won't stop introducing new crops), asking for gifts from neighbors and giving them some in return, and building various stuff. Because of this very addictive game, I have made a lot of new friends. That's good, no?

Anyhoo, since I finally got the Unwither Ring (no more withered crops), I could now take a breather. I don't need to worry about my crops anymore. Whew! And that's the reason why I'm going back to blogging. God, I so miss writing!

So just to give you a brief update on my life:

I thought the daily commute from Makati to Bulacan is really killing me. I ain't that young anymore, y'know! So I asked my friend, Raz, to introduce me to an agent. I thought it's about time to have my own place. After only 2 weeks, I moved in. Yeah, I was that desperate to move.

The main factor why I chose Rosewood Pointe is that, it is a resort-type condo. Very relaxing and quiet. The swimming pool is quite nice. Gym is ok. We have a SkyLounge but I haven't visited it yet. Basketball and badminton courts are of no concern to me. Teehee.

Rosewood is not that far from the office. I once left my place at 7:30 and reached the office at 5 minutes to 8 in the morning. The nearest mall (Market! Market!) is like 10 minutes away. Bonifacio High Street and Serendra, nice shopping areas, are all nearby. I heard that SM Hypermarket is coming my way soon too. Sweet! St. Luke's Hospital is quite near too.

The only downside of having a new place is that you want everything to be nice and new too. Let's just say, HSBC is extremely happy with my spending this year.

I could say that getting my own place is the biggest thing that happened to me this year. And let's not forget my new four-legged baby, Brutus.

Cooper Black Italic

2010-01-13T00:06:00.000+08:00

After answering only four easy questions, this site created by Pentagram can give you your font type.

First thing, type in your First and Last Name. Use "Character" for password and hit Enter. You can also wait and watch the fun video.

Then answer all four questions and you will be given your font type in the end. As a bonus, you can find out who shares the same font as you.

I'm Cooper Black Italic, created by Oswald Bruce Cooper. Happy. Generous. Happy with Life and Love Handles (WTF?).

It's Hammer Harvest Time!

2010-01-12T21:24:00.001+08:00

It's now 10:35 pm. Your asparagus is 68% grown already. When is harvest time then?

If, like me, you can't compute right away, then here's a solution for you: a FarmVille Calculator created by Matan Arie.

The site can help you know the exact harvest time of your crops, trees or even animals. Perfect for math geniuses like me =oP All you have to do is click on the Clock icon on the main page.

Choose the object you want to base your computation on (in our case, crops):Choose your crop (it doesn't have Morning Glory yet):

Next, type in the percentage:

And voila! Now you know when to come back for harvest time. Sweet!

My Coffee Fix

2010-01-11T20:46:00.010+08:00

This is one of the wisest decisions I made late last year. When we had our company exchange gift, I requested for this, my very own coffee press. Super thanks to Ramil who granted me this wish.

It's kinda intimidating at first because I never owned one. Good thing it came with instructions (teehee).

For those of you who still doesn't know how to use one, here's a quick tutorial:

1) While waiting for your water to boil, take out the plunger.

2) Put 2 scoops (mine has 3-mug capacity) of coarse ground coffee. Request for a bigger size of grounds from your barista.

3) Pour some hot water (leave some space for the plunger) and stir with wooden or plastic spoon. Never use metal.

4) Replace the plunger. Wait for 4 minutes. The longer the waiting time, the stronger the taste.

5) Carefully and slowly press the plunger down.

6) Easy peasy, no? Enjoy!

I ♥ Aristocrat

2010-01-10T02:43:00.006+08:00

Been seriously craving for Aristocrat barbecue for days now. This food brings back fond memories of childhood. I remember mom and dad taking me and kuya to Aristocrat for dinner. We would order pork barbecue with java rice and peanut sauce. And we won't leave the resto without eating some leche flan.

Fast forward to 2010.

While walking around The Block at SM North Edsa, my mouth watered when I saw Aristocrat. I quickly ordered their pork BBQ meal, complete with dessert. Sadly, the peanut sauce doesn't come in a bottle anymore. Instead, it's in a sachet. We are such a third world country!

Avatar

2010-01-09T21:53:00.005+08:00

So many have watched it and expressed their amazement. I was planning to watch it during the Holiday season but the MMFF intervened. It's about time I get to see this latest film of James Cameron, the director of "Titanic".

At first I thought that everything was pure CGI. When I saw how real Sigourney Weaver was, I quickly sensed that it was indeed a mix of live action and computer effects. I am so happy that movie making has reached to this level.

By the way, did you know that this is a reunion of Sigourney & James Cameron? Their last movie was "Aliens".

It's nice to see Giovanni Ribisi again. And for a change, he ain't crying in this movie!

Am not familiar with the lead actor, Sam Worthington, though. I didn't get to see any of his past films, including "Terminator Salvation". According to Hollywood news, he might be the next Hugh Jackman. He's going to star in "Clash of the Titans", due early this year.

Okay, let's talk about the effects. OMG! I love all the night scenes where we see the colorful plants glowing in the dark. Just effing B-E-A-utiful! The flying sequences were good too. What's your favorite scene?

Got teary eyed when the humans tore down the giant tree =o(

Let me tell you now, there's NOTHING like seeing this movie in 3D. Don't settle for anything less. I'm now a fan of 3D movies. "Shrek Forever After" and "Alice in Wonderland" are two must-see movies in 3D.

Hookah Night

2010-01-08T01:17:00.001+08:00

After a very draining week, it's quite nice to unwind with friends. Am done with my antibiotics so I can get my alcohol fix once more. Wicked!

Beng, Ogz, Rich and I proceeded to a bar called Toyz. This is the closest bar to the office. We ordered a bucket of Gilbey's Premium beer. Love the taste!

Harley arrived a few minoots later. He got himself some Red Horse.

It was Richie's birthday a few days back so we celebrated it tonight. He bought us some sizzling mushrooms, calamares, chicken wings, potato wedges and peanuts to complement our booze. He noticed that it didn't take long before we consumed everything. He joked that we should've gone to Jollibee first.

While chatting, Ogz mentioned Hookah. I told them that I wanna try it. Ogz & Beng have tried it before. We all got excited 'cause there's a hookah bar at Greenbelt.

After Richie took care of the bill (happy birthday again, PapaRizzi!), we proceeded to Bollywood. Unforch, all the pipes were taken. 2 hours of waiting ain't gonna cut it so we checked out Bed Space. This time, we're lucky.

Our booze arrived first in a giant tower. Photo op, of course!

When the hookah was served, we requested for individual mouthpieces. Richie was first. No smoke came. Beng showed him how to do it. Then it was my turn. Inhaled deeply then I blew out the apple-flavored smoke. Mmmmmm....

After my fifth smoke, I began to feel warm and started perspiring profusely. Kept wiping my forehead, neck, chest and back. WTF! I stopped drinking & smoking and took a nap. It was such a weird feeling.

Next thing I knew, Anbby and Ramil already joined the group.

We transferred to a table inside. Beng & Ogz danced for awhile. Our eyes caught the attention of two American ladies. We kept telling Anbby to dance with them but he just shook his head.

Pepper Steak Dinner

2010-01-07T21:03:00.012+08:00

My hungry tummy brought me here at a new resto in Greenbelt 5. It's called "Pepper Lunch", known for their... you guessed it, pepper steak dinners. Anyhoo, when I got there, I informed the lady at the counter that it's my first time. She gave me their bestseller--Shimofuri Pepper Steak. I got it with some fried rice and iced tea. I was also surprised that I still need to cook my own food. By the way, their price range is from 200 to 600++.

After, like, 5 minoots, my dinner arrived on a hot plate. I immediately turned over the steak and poured some honey brown sauce on it. I mixed the bean sprouts and corn kernels too. Smells good!

I made sure that the beef changed its color before I tasted it. Mmmm... first bite. The meat is so effing tender!

While enjoying my din-dins, I invited my co-worker, Boy, to have dinner with me. He tried the double burger dinner.

Since there was a long line at the counter, I asked one of the waiters to get me some dessert, a black sesame seed flavored ice cream. I didn't get the caramel one because according to the waiter it's so sweet. Delish!!!

Blogging in Singapore

2010-01-06T13:59:00.001+08:00

Every time I see an Apple store, I go online and post my picture. This one here is in Singapore while Kendz and I were window shopping.

The Sweet Smell of Bacon

2010-01-05T02:44:00.006+08:00

Don't you just love the smell of bacon in the morning?

I'm a HUGE fan of crispy bacon. I remember waking up to this smell every Saturday morning when I was in the States. Joyish would wake up early to cook for all of us (Ogz included). The minute the smell hits my nose, I'd be so delighted to get up and rush to the table.

Yep, bacon, eggs and fried rice is my ultimate breakfast meal. This puts me in a very good mood ;oP Perfect for shopping later in the afternoon. Teehee...

Now, I noticed that some peeps cook their bacon in the microwave. That's just a waste. In order for you to get it crispy, cook it on a frying pan. Lay them flat, NEVER use oil and use medium heat. Afterwards, get some paper towel to soak up the fat. When the excess oil is gone, you can pick your bacon up like a stick. *drools*

Anyhoo, here in the Philippines, unforch, we don't have IHOP where you can get your bacon fix anytime. Don't fret because I discovered that at SM Bowling Centers, they serve a decent meal of bacon, eggs and fried rice for only a hundred something bucks. Don't go to Pancake House. Their bacon breakfast meal sucks.

My Favorite TV Shows of 2009

2010-01-04T09:19:00.001+08:00

Glee - This has got to be my super favorite show of last year. I'm a HUGE fan of their music and the characters (even follow some of 'em in Twitter). My iPod & iPhone both contain songs from this hit show. I sing along to April Rhodes' "Maybe This Time", Rachel & Kurt's "Defying Gravity", Mercedes Jones' "Hate on Me" and Rachel Berry's "Don't Rain on my Parade".

True Blood - When I first saw a bus in New York with a poster of this show a couple of years ago, I got intrigued. It's from the creator that gave me one of my favorite shows, "Six Feet Under". I knew that I'd enjoy this latest Alan Ball project. I got hooked because of the blood and sex. Teehee.

Dexter - OMG! Their season finale was quite a shocker indeed! I love how the show develops each character.

So You Think You Can Dance - We got 2 servings of this show last year. I think Jeanine (season 5) and Russell (season 6) both deserve to win. I'm happy that Shankman became one of the main jeeges (that's how Cat Deeley say it). On the downside, we didnt' get to see Mia Michaels' choreos =o( I thought the most memorable dance was the Mr. & Mrs. Smith-ish choreo of Travis Wall and performed by Legacy & Ellenore.

Desperate Housewives - last season was a good one, I must say. I love how Katherine's role progressed. I also love the Solis couple. Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) and Gabby (Eva Longoria Parker) look really great together. Of all the housewives in Wysteria Lane, Lynette still has her work cut out for her.

Lost - last season was a pretty exciting season for us, Lost fans. We got to see Jack's group going back to the island to rescue Sawyer's group. The show may have lost Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) but "V" welcomed her with open reptilian arms. Hehehehe...

My New Farm Design

2010-01-03T03:52:00.000+08:00

After 11 freakin' hours, this is now my latest farm design in FarmVille. I still don't have a fountain to place in front of my villa so I kept the carousel there.

I got rid of some of my animals too because they take up too much space. Plus, it's so freakin' hard to harvest small animals.

Am happy that I got an Animal Float from a golden mystery egg. Too bad I don't know where to place it properly. Teehee...

I need more scarecrows, no? Any comments on my new design?

Cleaning Out My Closet

2010-01-02T15:05:00.000+08:00

I ♥ clothes. I make sure that my closet doesn't run out of new ones. There has to be, at least, one or two with the price tag still intact. Otherwise, I'd panic. Yep, it's a sin, I know.

Anyhoo, yesterday I decided to clean out my closet. With the help of Lance & Fiong-Fiong (bribed them with Wii hours), I sorted out my clothes. Those I don't wear anymore, those I wear to work, those I wear at home, and those that I forgot I even own. Teehee... Kept my jackets & winter stuff in my luggage. I won't be traveling to a place with nieve (hi, Faye!) anytime soon anyway.

My ultimate dream is to have a walk-in closet. There's this one time I almost rented a two-bedroom apartment just to have one room converted into one.

Happy 2010!!!

2010-01-01T18:13:00.012+08:00

Guess who's back???

Yep, I stopped blogging last August when I became hooked in Facebook, particularly FarmVille. I spend maybe about 3 hours harvesting, plowing, seeding, brushing my animals or decorating my farm. Some people don't get it how addictive this game really is. I have so many friends playing this game and it helps because you can get a lot of good stuff from them, including cash.

Anyhoo, I'm not going to talk about FarmVille here. Let me just say that 2009 was very good to me. I've had three memorable trips.

Cathy, Joy, Trix (with daughter in tow), Ogz and I had our first cruise experience with Royal Caribbean. It's been my most unforgettable trip ever! It's like a dream come true for me.

Miami was next and it was there where I had my first tattoo (plan to have more). Thanks to Morgwn of Miami Ink. I also met the co-owner, Ami James.

And of course, I celebrated my birthday in Singapore where I was reunited with my old friends. I so miss them! I also had my first F1 race experience. Even though i'm not really a fan, it was quite a rush watching them fast cars.

With Kuya and family returning back from Boracay, I get to spend more time with Lance, Fiong-Fiong and Disney. Disney is such an affectionate baby. Very generous with her hugs & kisses.

Last year was when I stopped drinking soda. It was such a big decision for me and I'm happy I made that decision.

Am not gonna make my new year's resolution 'cause I know that I ain't gonna keep 'em. One thing's for sure though, "Knottydon" will deffo be back this year!

My New Farm

2009-08-10T22:33:00.001+08:00

Battle of the Sunglasses

2009-08-09T15:21:00.006+08:00

Just saw "Duplicity", starring Julia Roberts & Clive Owen. Loved these two in "Closer" and loved them even more in this movie. They look so damn good together, no?

But I ain't gonna talk about the movie here. While watching, I noticed this pair of sunglasses Clive was wearing. Thanks to Google, I found out it's by Christian Dior. Luvs it!Which reminds me of another pair of sunglasses featured in a film. Fell in love with this Tom Ford shades. Too bad, it's a bit pricey =o(

Coloring Never Gets Old

2009-08-08T17:52:00.005+08:00

As a child, receiving a coloring book (with a brand new spanking Crayola box) on any given day is such a happy day for me. I remember being in the zone while coloring and staying within the shape. It's always fun to see the finished product.

Nowadays, I don't get coloring books on my birthday anymore but I still get to see 'em books at home, courtesy of Lance & Fiong-Fiong.

Today, we got to color a few pages and here's our artwork:All three of us colored this page. Then I told 'em to color these two pages:

Cute Bulldog

2009-08-07T14:06:00.001+08:00

15 Movies that have Always Stuck with Me

2009-08-06T21:05:00.007+08:00

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen movies you've seen that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what movies my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste rules in a new note, cast your fifteen picks, and tag people in the note -- upper right hand side.)

1. Babe - cutest pig ever!

2. Of Mice & Men - very memorable because I watched it with my special someone ;oP

3. The Blair Witch Project - the scariest movie for me especially when I saw Michael standing in the corner.

4. Jaws - I was just a kid when I saw this movie. All throughout the movie, I've asked my mommy if the big scary fish would jump out of the screen and eat me. Scared shitless I was.

5. An Americal Tail - I ♥ Fievel! I never get tired of watching this movie. I sing along with the characters ("Somewhere out There") and cry during the reunion scene.

6. The Passion of the Christ - Speaking of crying, this made me cry buckets in the theater too!

7. Ninja Kids - When I was a kid, this movie was shown locally. The VIVA producers thought of giving away plastic medallions. The thought excited me. So one early morning, I, along with my mommy, had to wait outside SM, including hundreds of kids. When we were given the go signal, we all rushed towards the theater to get our free medallion. I ran like hell to reach the ladies in uniform handing out the free medallions. I didn't get anything though =o( Mommy just bought me a new shirt because I was all sweaty.

8. The Sixth Sense - clever twist; M. Night's bestest film!

9. Pasan Ko ang Daigdig - when I was in high school, we used to watch local movies in Novaliches. I'd never forget this movie 'cause when I went inside the men's rest room, I saw my first exhibitionist. Inside was a wanker.

10. 50 First Dates - hands down, the most romantic movie for me. Drew is soooo pretty in this film.

11. The Lion King - still is my favorite Disney film; cried when Mufasa died

12. The Bodyguard - "Anddddd IIIIII will always love youuuuuu" (enuff said)

13. Shake, Rattle and Roll 1 - The first and last local horror movie that I enjoyed watching.

14. Hostel - oh, bloody disturbing

15. Basic Instinct - sex, sex and more sex!

My Farm in Farmville

2009-08-06T09:24:00.005+08:00

Been playing this Facebook game quite a lot lately (while waiting for my other crops to grow in Barn Buddy and resting from biting necks in Vampire Wars).

I found out that buying those Super Berries (cost only 10 bucks) is the key to leveling up quickly. 2 hours is all it takes and you can get 100 bucks for each harvest. Not bad eh?

Also, after reaching the 30th-K mark in savings, I bought a tractor. I noticed that most peeps bought the red one so I got the pink one. Teehee. The tractor helps in the plowing. Instead of you plowing one square at a time, this gives you an extra 3 more. Sweet!

Farmville has a new feature called Ribbons, you are given 4 colored ribbons for 4 different levels of achievement, with yellow being the lowest and blue as the highest. You are given a ribbon for having neighbors (Local Celebrity), harvesting trees (Knock on Wood), collecting animals (Noah's Ark), etc.

One cute thing about this game is the adoption of lost animals. I keep getting black sheep from friends. I also got a brown cow once. So cute!

Having trees, crops and animals in your farm can take up quite a space. So if you already have 10K, you may want to expand your farm already. I plan to increase the size of my farm from 14x14 to 20x20. But first, I need 75K to do that. Be right back!

Riding the Metro

2009-08-05T07:49:00.011+08:00

For the past couple of weeks, I've been riding the Metro again. From Ayala to Quezon Avenue, the ride is like a journey. Sometimes it's easy-peasy especially when I'm sitting pretty. But most of the time, it's like a battle.

When I leave the office, I walk for, like, 15 minoots to reach the Metro. I pass through the ole Greenbelt, the new Greenbelt (5), Landmark, Glorietta and SM. That's 5 different malls. Can you buh-lieve that?! Usually when I reach the third mall, I'm already sweating like krezy. That's good when I miss my workout. Don't be surprised if you see a face towel, baby powder and perfume in my bag.

At the Ayala station, the scene is quite interesting. There are, not one, not two, but THREE freakin' long lines of people going through security. How long is each line? It's like 30-40 meters or sumpthin'. Crazy indeed!

The security guards, armed with their magic sticks (this could actually detect bombs & firearms!), would ask the peeps with bags to open them. They don't really inspect 'em. They just glance at what you're keeping inside.

While waiting for the next train (usually it takes 10-15 minoots or even longer sometimes), if you look around, you would see peeps wiping sweat off their faces and neck. It's so freakin' hot inside the station. I wish they would scatter electric fans around.

The first coach is for women, elderly and disabled. The rest, it's anybody's ball game. You'd see guys pushing their way in. Sometimes, you'd hear people inside shouting too. A coach jam packed with peeps is not uncommon sight. The problem is, the government only bought a few trains. Tsk! tsk! tsk!

The only benefit of riding the Metro is you can deffo save traveling time. Traffic is so bad here in the Philippines, y'see. So many undisciplined drivers.

I wish the government, instead of spending money on worthless trips, would provide more convenience for the Filipino people. It sucks to pay taxes when you don't know where your money go.

Rest in Peace, Tita Cory

2009-08-03T21:33:00.006+08:00

Two days ago, the Philippines wept when the news came about the death of an ex-President. Today, we here in Makati got the chance to see her.

Razil, Beng, Meng and I went outside and battled the afternoon heat. Too bad we forgot to wear yellow in support. We saw people waiting outside their buildings and throwing confetti, shredded yellow paper pages mostly. There were people wearing yellow bands and waving flags bearing the image of the dearly departed President.

After waiting for some minoots, the crowd grew frantic. Peeps pushing here and there to get a better view. "Magkaisa", a Virna Lisa hit back in the 80s, was being played loudly. Hands were raised flashing the Laban sign.

The truck bearing the body of Cory was filled with flowers. We saw the van carrying her immediate family. The crowd went wild when they saw James Yap, the hubby of Kris Aquino. We didn't wanna get crushed so that's when we decided to go back to the office.

I ♥ Japan

2009-08-02T18:23:00.003+08:00

Afternoon Delight

2009-08-01T12:28:00.007+08:00

Reached Trinoma a few minoots before noon. I have no clue where the Red Box is so I asked somebody working there. Unforch, she's also clueless. I looked around the area and found it close to TimeZone.

Spotted Kendz waiting outside too. Uh-oh. That only means I'm the second to arrive. Teehee. Our other friends will be joining us later.

We approached the lobby and requested for our room.

Inside our room, we checked the song list but most of what we like to sing were music videos. Bummer!

I called the receptionist to ask about our lunch deal. It was buffet but they will be serving it in portions right in our room. They don't have a public area to serve them properly. By the way, Red Box has a policy that there shouldn't be any leftover for their buffet promo. Otherwise, we need to pay an extra.

Anyhoo, the food was good. We had pasta, pork, chicken and fillet of fish, perfect for what Kendz's mom cooked for us—laing. OMG! It was so good. Super appetite! We tried to hide it from the waiters 'cause we didn't know if we have to pay extra. We weren't so successful though. One of the waiters noticed it. My mind didn't work right away on what excuse to make. My mouth was open the whole time until he left the room. I should've said, "Uhm, sinuka ko lang yan." (Oh, I just puked it out).

Before 1 o'clock, our other friends arrived. Nikks came with Joy. Jhie came with Tabs. Only one missing is Ogz.

We had fun singing till 3 pm. I got to sing "I Can't Make You Love Me" and some Broadway hits. The ladies sang some Beyonce, Aegis and Sarah G hits.

Kendz also brought us some Ferrero Rocher chocolates so that made our afternoon more enjoyable.

Our friend will be returning back to Singapore in 2 days. Thank you again, Kendz, for a wonderful afternoon treat.

The Farmer in the Dell

2009-07-31T12:28:00.000+08:00

He was...

2009-07-31T02:30:00.003+08:00

there when Enterworks started.

He was there when we had our ping-pong and darts tournaments. He's a very good player even.

He used to burp loudly and that made us laugh.

He used to speak his son's name, "Vincent", in a deep voice over the phone.

He used to listen to Enya and 90s local rock music.

He used to get all the ice from the freezer.

He used to travel with me on our way to Fairview.

Sadly, he no longer with us. To Bambie's family and friends, our heartfelt condolences.

FarmVille vs. Barn Buddy

2009-07-30T11:28:00.013+08:00

Can't decide which one to choose for your gardening fix? I'll help you out.

FarmVille is created by Zynga, the gaming company that brought us Vampire Wars, Mafia Wars and Texas Hold'Em Poker. Barn Buddy is made by TheBroth, Inc. Both are still in beta stage so let's give 'em some lovin'.

Before you can plant your first seed in FarmVille, you must create a farmer first. That part is fun. I made mine with dreadlocks!In Barn Buddy, you are given simple instructions: you must first buy seeds, plant them, take care of them and then sell them. You have watering can for dry soil, insecticide for bugs and herbicide for unwanted weeds. The glove is for harvesting. The storehouse is where you keep your crops. When you sell your crops, you can even announce it in Facebook as a status update.In FV, your crops grow faster. Unlike in BB where some plants could take a day or two to reach their potential. But then again you can always buy fertilizers to speed things up.

Now let's talk about the crops. In FV, aside from the usual crops, you can plant rice, take care of trees, buy buildings and even animals! But I give props to BB for creating more realistic looking crops.Both games want you to interact with your Facebook friends. In FV, you can have your friends as your neighbors. You can visit their farms and perform tasks for them. But the thing is, the task is given in a small dialog box and you just need to click a button to accept the offer. And that's it! Wham, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am! In BB, you can visit your friend's farm and actually water their drying soil, remove bugs or weeds or even steal from them.In BB, you can customize messages that you show whenever a fellow farmer does sumpthin' in your farm. Like in my case, when somebody removes a weed, I display this message, "I twittered Yaya na to do that later". You can be as crazy as you want ;oP

Verdict: I enjoy Barn Buddy more 'cause it's much simpler to play. Even my nephew, Lance, an 8-year-old kid enjoys playing it. When your fella farmer needs help, you don't just click buttons, you actually do sumpthin. The plants look more realistic too. If you wanna know more about Barn Buddy, here's my old post.

Do Penguins Fart?

2009-07-29T01:50:00.001+08:00

It's the End of the Road, Sam

2009-07-28T08:27:00.007+08:00

I think this is the second season's bestest episode. So many freakin' things going on with all the characters!

So that's how William Compton used to behave around his kind. Sex was wild and bloody messy. Total opposite of how Sam makes love. Too bad his partner is keeping sumpthin' from him. You just can't trust a woman with deep scratches on her back, no?Since Bill is still tied up with Lorena, I'm pretty sure that Jason will perform some heroic deed to save his sister from the crazy Newlins. I think Godric will make an appearance again this Sunday.

It's good that Tara saw the different side of MaryAnn. Our bull lady gets cranky in the morning especially when there's no hot water. Teehee.

Too bad we only have one scene with Jessica. She's hot in that one scene though. And I think the ladies are soooo digging Hoyt now.

I don't want my dog to die so I'm praying for some miracle to save Sam. Uhm, where the hell is drunken Andy?

Hapee Berdey, Kuya!

2009-07-27T02:00:00.001+08:00

I wish you and your family good health. I hope that you get more web design projects. Mag-treat ka naman! I hope that you'll give Lance, Fiong-Fiong and Disney the best lives they could possibly have. Kayod lang and tyaga.

I ♥ Apple

2009-07-26T09:32:00.004+08:00

I don't usually blog about work but this time, I'm really happy that I get to use some of my Adobe knowledge again.

More than a decade ago, I was trained by DPSI (that's the local training partner of Apple) in some of Adobe products like Photoshop, Freehand, Illustrator and MacroMedia Director. That was my first taste of the Mac products. Fell in love with the Apple right away. Love the graphics so much. I also dreamt of owning one but I thought before it was only for the rich and famous.

I got the chance to teach professional artists who wanna do some photo editing or illustrations. Sometimes they show their appreciation by giving me gifts ;oP

You don't know how much I enjoyed that phase in my career.

Fast forward to the present. I'm now using Photoshop and Illustrator again. Plus, I will be creating interfaces in Visual Studio. I'm also studying WPF so I can make really nice Windows objects. Sweet!

Meet Bruno

2009-07-25T09:35:00.002+08:00

While having lunch at Pancake House, we noticed this cute dog wearing eye-catching shoes. Of course, I had to approach the owner to take a photo of the dog. She offered to take my photo with her dog instead. Sweet!

Hapee Berdey, JR!

2009-07-24T09:34:00.004+08:00

Today's Ogz's birthday. To his close friends and family, he is called JR. We celebrated it at CenterStage and of course, there were singing and drinking involved. Laughter was provided by Racquel. She's effin' hilarious!

Huskee, My Barn Buddy Doggie

2009-07-22T23:50:00.001+08:00

Got my wish today! I now have a dog in Barn Buddy. I named her, "Huskee". She does nuthin' all day but pace back and forth. I wish she knows a trick or two though. She can't wait to bite the bums of ruthless bandits. I know who you are, guys! *shaking my raised fist*There are a couple of ways to get your own pooch. If you have 40 grand, you can buy one. Low on cash? You can actually use your credit card to buy credits. A dollar will give you 4K worth of credits. That means, you will be paying 10 bucks all in all. Uhm, I'll pass on that, thank you. Second, you can invite your friends to play the game. If 10 friends install the application in Facebook, voila! you get a guard dog instantly. That is pretty doable ;oP

Barn Buddy

2009-07-21T13:47:00.000+08:00

I started playing this farming game in Facebook today. It's quite simple to play actually.

You are given 1K worth of coins and to start your farm (buy some seeds). Since you start from Level Zero, you're only limited to buying turnips, carrots and corn. As you level up, you get more options.

Your plant goes through different levels of growth. It's exciting when they are already full grown and you can make money out of 'em. Also, you can buy some fertilizers to speed things up.

While waiting for your plants to grow, it usually takes minimum of 3 hours per level upgrade, you can visit your friends' farms and take care of 'em too. You'll be rewarded with coins for doing a good deed.

There are times when bugs invade your crops. Don't worry, there's a spray for that. When weeds grow beside your plants, there's a spray for that too. When your soil gets too dry, you can water it. Nice, no?

You can also be naughty and steal crops from peeps or put weeds/bugs to their plants. If you don't want this to happen to you, you can get a dog to guard your farm. Be careful though (I found out only today) that there are people who set up bugs/weeds for other peeps so when they kill 'em, they level up pretty quickly. You know who you are, ladies! ;oP

One thing nice about this game is that, you don't need to be logged in all the time. You can check your farm every now and then to see if you have weeds or bugs or if it's harvest time already.

I don't have a green thumb so playing this game is the closest thing I've gotten to having one. Trust me, it's addicting!

My Bacon Fix

2009-07-21T11:06:00.008+08:00

While looking for a place to have brekky (arrived at work at 7:08!), I walked towards Jollibee in the old Greenbelt. I passed by Pancake House and decided to eat there instead. Been craving for bacon for some time now.

When I checked their menu, they don't have a meal that has bacon, egg and fried rice. What they have is a meal with bacon strips, toast, hash browns and egg. I asked the waitress if I could substitute rice with the hashbrown and toast. She checked with her supervisor and she said no. Bummer! So I chose to have their beef tapa meal and got some bacon on the side. I requested the egg to be cooked sunny side-up and with toasted edges.

My coffee arrived first. After like 10 minoots, my meal arrived. I asked the waitress to put my beef in a box since I won't be eating 'em anyway. I only wanted my bacon.
Verdict: Bacon is cooked perfectly alright but it wasn't as tasty as I wanted it to be. The garlic rice was crappy. It wasn't fried rice. It's just steamed rice with fried garlic. I hate that! Also, the coffee refill ain't free. It costs, like, 70 bucks! WTF!

Guess Who's Back?

2009-07-19T20:59:00.000+08:00

I noticed right away that this episode looks like one of those episodes reserved for Valentine's Day presentation. Everyone seems so happy with their partners. We have Sam and the new love of his life, Daphne (who happens to be a shape-shifter). I have a feeling that their love affair will be short lived though. Then Terry & Arlene. Tara & Eggs (not too exciting anymore). Hoyt & Jessica are just the cutest couple (I thought they would do sumpthin' else involving the phone). Of course, there's Sookie & Bill.

Let's talk about the new character, Barry. Shouldn't he be more happy to find someone of his own kind? I hope we get to see him again sometime soon.

Jason finally got lucky inside the LoDI. He'll be surprised once Sookie makes her surprise visit there. It would be fun to see these two in the middle of some vampire action.

Is it just me who thinks that the photo of the young Tara, Sookie and Grandma Adele looks sooo Photoshopped?It's nice to see the "alive" version of Eric. And finally, we get to see Godric (so Dave Navarro-ish), who happens to be Eric's maker.Speaking of makers, guess who's back to stir things up? It's Eric's maker, Lorena. She knows how to make a grand entrance, eh?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-19T09:02:00.016+08:00

Reached TriNoma at 3 in the afternoon. Plenty of time to kill for the 5:25 screening of Harry Potter. I went up to the floor where the cinemas are located. There's a short queue of moviegoers on the online reservation section.

When I was a person away from the ticket booth, I unfolded my reservation printout. I almost screamed when I saw the date--July 16th. Checked the date on my iPhone. It's already the 18th. WTF! I remember going to SureSeats and making my reservation on the 16th but I was pretty sure I chose today's date to watch a movie.

When it was my turn, I handed my paper and kept my cool. Then the lady behind the desk said, "Sir, you can't use this anymore." I asked why. She pointed out the date. I acted like I only found out just that second. "Is there anything you can do about it?" and I gave her my puppy dog face. She asked what time I prefer and I answered anytime soon. She looked at her monitor, pushed some buttons and the seating arrangement was displayed for me. I chose a seat near the center and far from the screen. Then she said, "190" that's the cost of the ticket for the THX cinema. Usually it's just 20 bucks lesser.

Bought some cheese popcorn & red iced tea from Taters and ran towards Cinema 7. After 5 minutes, the movie started. Whew! That was close.

If you've read the book, you may not get excited anymore because the element of surprise won't be there.

I miss the HP characters. The last movie was shown, when? 2 frickin' years ago? I'm really lucky to see Daniel Radcliffe live in Broadway last year.

The fiery scene where Gandalf...er, Dumbledore was saving Harry from the Gollum-ish creatures that came out of the lake was so LOTR-ish.

Malfoy looked so pale. He could audition for the Twilight series as one of the vampires.

Professor Snape's hair looks good this time. Not so wig-like anymore.

I'm on Team HermioRon. Love watching the scenes with them both. Emma Watson is pretty, no?

Is it just me or Cormac McLaggen (Freddie Stroma) looks like a younger Ryan Philippe?

I enjoyed the Quidditch scene. Did you know that there's a Muggles version of this game for real?

I forgot that this is the part where Dumbledore dies. When I was reading the book, I thought he'd pull a Gandalf-like stunt and appear once more at the end. And maybe we would hear him saying, "Ha-Ha!" a la Nelson from the Simpsons. But sadly, the Professor is so dead.

Bye, bye, Ruehl

2009-07-17T14:38:00.011+08:00

My friend, Joy, told me about the news that Abercrombie & Fitch will close down their Ruehl division by the end of the year. Sad news for shopaholics like me.

Am happy to own a few shirts. Got them on sale. Otherwise, can't afford 'em ;oP

America's Favorite Top Ten Dancers

2009-07-17T08:33:00.000+08:00

OMG! What an exciting group number from our Bollywood Bombshells. I couldn't take my eyes off Kayla!

In this episode, we get to see solos from ALL our dancers. I like Ade's, Jeanine's, Evan's and Janette's.

Kayla and Evan. I couldn't believe that Evan could dance in Kayla's shoes! I remember wearing Joy's during our Bahamas trip (uhm, it was for a contest, you know) and it was EFFING difficult to wear! Okay, back to the dance. It was good. Not great, but good. Kayla was beautiful during the spin. I don't see chemistry yet though. I don't see Evan as the romantic type. He looks sleepy. He could be in danger.

Janette & Ade. In this number, I enjoyed watching Ade more though. Been a fan of him since he and Melissa danced the Rhumba. It's nice to see his personality in this number. NappyTab even used his comb to hypnotize Janette.

Jeanine & Jason. According to Jeanine, Jason is not that hard to look at all day. I smell romance! So nice to see Travis from Season Two choreographing our beautiful couple. And this is my favorite number of the night! Boy! Jason is a lucky guy. First, he kissed Caitlin and now, Jeanine! We'll deffo see this number again in the finale. Amazing number. Nice song too by Jason Mraz.Randi & Kupono. I usually enjoy Paso Doble numbers but this time though, it was painful to watch. Randi looked heavy and Kupono didn't look powerful. These two could be in danger too.

Melissa & Brandon. I totally enjoyed their Broadway routine. This is one of my faves from Tyce.African dance was given to our boys. It was energetic and Evan was cute when he stuck his tummy out.

I Miss Luk Yuen

2009-07-15T19:26:00.009+08:00

Kuya introduced me to Luk Yuen more than a decade ago. He asked me to try their halo-halo congee (their bestseller). That's also the first time I learned about his special concoction—a mixture of calamansi, soy sauce, chili sauce and ketchup. It tastes so good with all the meat in the congee!

And since I haven't eaten at Luk Yuen for a very long time, I decided to walk over to Glorietta 5 (that's their new location).

The place ain't that busy to think it's noon time. I was given a small bowl of soup and appetizer right away, along with their menu. I searched for the halo-halo congee and another favorite of mine, the Noodle Feast. I was shocked that the latter doubled its price already (280++). Anyhoo, I got myself some congee & fried meat dumpling and iced tea.I'm happy that the congee still tastes as good as the last time I had it. It still contains my favorite liver, pork balls, beef, some chicken, chicharon and fresh egg. I wish I didn't order anymore the dumplings 'cause the congee itself is VERY filling. I was surprised to see the dumplings' size though. I expected them to be smaller. The appetizer was good. The sauce was sweet & spicy. I wanted more ;oP

I give props to the service that I got. My glass of water was never empty. And the waiters are always roaming around. I hate it when you need one and you can't find one. By the way, they don't have service charge so tipping is a must.

I learned later on that they don't accept credit card payment unless your meal costs 250, at the minimum. Mine wasn't so I just used my charm ;oP

ColorGenics

2009-07-14T14:53:00.004+08:00

Just by picking out first your favorite colored cube down to your least (there are 8 boxes), this site will tell sumpthin' about your personality. I tried it (thanks, Patty, for sending me this) and here's what I got (about 80% accurate): "Much of the time you are preoccupied with things of an intensely exciting nature. You need stimulation and variation with all matters pertaining to your life. You want to be regarded as an exciting and interesting personality being able to charm and influence others. You use powerful strategies with predictable outcomes so as to avoid endangering your chances of success or undermining other people's confidence in you.

You are feeling very vulnerable at this time. Nothing seems to be going in the right direction - business wise, private-life wise, everything. You need some emotional security and an environment which could possibly provide fewer problems, but the way you are feeling you can't be bothered even to make the effort.

It's the old old story - I am misunderstood - my partner (be it in your private life or in business) just doesn't understand me and YOU also believe at this time that you are being completely MISUNDERSTOOD by one and all. It then obviously follows that you naturally feel inhibited and not appreciated. It is perhaps because of this belief that you feel compelled to stand back and let the rest of the world go by. As for developing a firm relationship - inwardly deep down in your subconscious mind you are wary of even trying to get close to another person because you feel that if you open up your heart and feelings you are sure to get hurt. Since you are living in a society where close relationships are the norm, you feel that there is that need to conform, but any close relationships of any magnitude that you may have tried in the past have unfortunately left you without any sense of emotional involvement.

You are being unduly influenced by the situation that is all around you. You do not like the feeling of loneliness and whatever it is that seems to separate you from others. You know that life can be wonderful and you are anxious to experience life in all its aspects, to live it to the full. You therefore resent any restriction or limitations that are being imposed on you and you insist on going it alone.

You don't like authority and you rebel against all forms of limitation. You are your own person and you intend to stay that way and to get on in the world simply by your hard work and determination."

Try it yourself.

Reunited with Slimmers World

2009-07-13T13:58:00.015+08:00

After, like, 4 years, I returned to Slimmers World. My walk from our office in Paseo to Salcedo served as my warm-up. I was also wet because of the drizzle.

I presented my membership card, signed my name on a piece of paper and was assigned a locker. If you haven't been to Slimmers in Salcedo, the floor area is shaped like an "L". On the shorter side, they placed the treadmills, steppers and the stationary bikes. The rest is occupied by the aerobics class (along with the women's locker room). On the longer side, you have all the equipments, weights and the men's locker room.

The 5-to-9-pm schedule is the equivalent of a rush hour traffic in EDSA. If you're not paying attention, you'll bump into a fellow client or get hit by an equipment. Yep, it's that effin' crowded and noisy! The stereo was on full blast because there's an aerobics class going on. Ugh!

My first half was spent on the stepper & treadmill. And then I focused on my calves, lower back and abdominal.

After my exercise, I hit the shower. Remember to bring your own shampoo, soap and slippers.

I'm really happy that I get to spend some time in the gym again. Tomorrow again.

True Blood costs 45?! (NSFW)

2009-07-12T23:52:00.013+08:00

In this episode, it was revealed that a bottle of True Blood (synthetic blood) costs 45 bucks! Wow, that's expensive!

I adore Jessica. She's funny in this episode.

It's Tara's birthday and it's high time to finally taste some Eggs ;oP I love her reaction in the kitchen when Maryann told her to go flourish and never say no to herself. Maryann really knows how to throw a party, no? I must say that she looks beautiful in this episode.

So when Maryann does the shaking thing, she turns into that beast with the claws (the one that attacked Sookie & Daphne). You think her cook is the piggy creature? The guy in the middle looks like Steve Newlin, no? It's nice to know that Sookie ain't the only one who can read minds. We have a new character named Barry.

Kartell

2009-07-12T00:16:00.011+08:00

While walking around Greenbelt, we stumbled upon this furniture shop called "Kartell". Immediately, I was drawn to this interesting bookshelf. I found out from their website that you can actually form it any way you want! Sweet! I told Ogz that it would be a nice conversation piece. We continued looking around. Colors everywhere. I noticed that most of their furniture are made of plastic.

I found this cute lamp that resembles a boy. His head is covered in the lamp shade. He must be shy 'cause in order for you to turn him on, you gotta flip his p33n. It's naughty, I know, but I like to buy it. Me = weird. I'll just have it facing the wall ;oP I found out later that there's a girl lamp too.

My Teddy Bear

2009-07-10T12:05:00.003+08:00

Bought this coin bank at Clipper in Greenbelt. If you're into cute & interesting stuff, you'll deffo enjoy the shop. We found a very realistic-looking bread (it smells quite good too!), tissue holders that looks like a big toothpaste & a KFC bucket, a coin purse that looks like Nissin cup noodles and a whole lot of cutey patootey items. Check it out!

Go, Kaypono!

2009-07-09T22:55:00.001+08:00

Melissa & Ade. A little mishap at the end but other than that, their disco number was fun & exciting and a good start for the show. I just love these two. Their waltz was just otay for me.

Kayla & Kupono. Their contemporary number from, none other than, Mia Michaels has got to be my favorite of the night. It was intense and powerful. I love their acting too. I'll bet my bottom dollar that we will see this number again in the finale.Caitlin & Jason. I didn't enjoy their foxtrot number nor their lyrical jazz one. They may be in trouble.

Jeanine & Phillip. Their Russian folk dance involved lotsa spinning. And that's about it. Jive was more fun. These two could be in trouble too.

Randi & Evan. NappyTab + Beyonce's "Halo" = entertainment. Samba, on the other hand, requires some sexiness. Too bad only Randi delivered.

Janette & Brandon. Their Argentine Tango totally, TOTALLY deserved that standing ovation (the first for the season?) from our jeeges. OMG! Goosebumps!!! Their Wade Robson number was cute too. Janette looked like Johnny Depp in the Willy Wonka movie.

This part here contains a little spoiler from the decision night. Watch out for Ade's solo. Ah-mazing!!!

I must say that I agree with America & the judges' decision on the Top Ten.

MacBook, Transform!!!

2009-07-09T02:36:00.000+08:00

Dad's Second Year

2009-07-08T02:43:00.000+08:00

It's my dad's second death anniversary today. Too bad I couldn't visit him at his resting place. I brought him flowers last Father's Day though.

I'm sad that he didn't get to see the house that we're now trying to remodel. I'm sad that he didn't get to play with Disney, his new granddaughter. I'm sad that I didn't get to learn how he brilliantly cooks the dishes I grew up with.

Wherever you are, Dad. We love and miss you!

Dreadlocks

2009-07-06T14:22:00.000+08:00

Am seriously thinking of bringing back my dreadlocks.One more year and my hair would be ready again. Of course, I can just attach my ole ones. Hmmm....

Techy Lola, Part Three

2009-07-05T23:12:00.001+08:00

Now our techy lola is playing online games! What's next?

Hung

2009-07-04T13:08:00.015+08:00

I trust HBO to give me quality programs. From "Six Feet Under" (finished all five seasons), "Sex & the City" to "True Blood". I'm hoping that this new project given to Thomas Jane ("Punisher") ain't no exception.

I haven't been to Detroit (airport doesn't count) so it's nice to see what this place got to offer, even only in the background.

"Hung" is a story about this public school teacher named Ray Drecker who's trying hard to make ends meet. Our main character doesn't have anything but his big you-know-what and he uses it to his advantage. Only at this point, he doesn't fully know how yet.

You will really feel bad for Ray while watching this pilot. With a wife (Anne Heche) that left him for a dermatologist. With twins that are lacking in the beauty department. I can almost hear Angelina saying, "Loser ka, yaya!".

I think the picture taking scene was funny.

Go, Melissa & Ade!

2009-07-03T12:57:00.002+08:00

I haven't been blogging about my favorite dance show so today I will do just that.

I don't like seeing Mia Michaels sitting on the jeeges' table. That only means we won't be seeing any of her vun-derful choreos. I luv me some Mia Ems.

Janette & Brandon. Their cha-cha was really nice. I enjoyed the moves. They consistently deliver. Perfect start! After hearing Mia's comments on Brandon, I cried too.

Kayla & Kupono. Kayla sans makeup is a gorgeous lady. She looks like a younger Virginia Madsen (Candyman), no? Kupono, on the other hand, sounds weird. It sounds like he's eating his words. Sonya did a great job with these two.

Randi & Evan. I luv the Joey Dowling choreo. It was cute. Is it just me or Evan looks like he's gonna drop and fall asleep with those Garfield eyes!

Caitlin & Jason. Am not a fan of Brian Freedman, sorry. Didn't like their alien number at all.

Jeanine & Phillip. Jeanine is B-E-A-utiful. NappyTab (Nigel coined this) did another wonderful job with this Kanye West hit.

Melissa & Ade. Their classical Pas de deux is my fave of the night. OMG! Melissa was so graceful and beautiful in their dance number.

Karla & Vitolio. Don't like this couple but I must say, the dance routine was fun. That costume change is the only thing that I liked.

Knottydon & Fiong-Fiong

2009-07-02T13:47:00.003+08:00

Globe Broadband Connection Sucks

2009-07-01T15:55:00.000+08:00

We lost our internet connection last June 22nd. Since then, my brother and I have been calling their Customer Support to report the problem. During the first few days, we were told that no system problem can be seen so we just needed to wait. That's what we did. Every single day, we've been following up on our case too.

Last Thursday, we called again and this time, their representative informed us that there is a system restoration or maintenance in Bulacan (why only now?). We were told that Technical Support will give us a call once this has been resolved. Normally, that would take 24 to 48 hours only. But up to now, we still don't have internet connection. 10 days!!!

The problem also lies with the modem that we were given. No light appears on the internet icon. That means, no internet reception whatsoever. My brother also noticed that the equipment heats up very quickly. There really must be something wrong with it.

We would understand if this problem took only a few days but it has been more than a week already and we're still doing the same follow-up calls and hearing the same excuse. We have not received any action or follow through on their part informing us what is going on.

They mentioned there is an ongoing system restoration but some of our neighbors who are also Globe broadband users have connection. How come it's only us who is having this problem?

We used to be Smart broadband customers and we made the switch thinking that Globe is better in quality and service. Sadly, we didn't get both.

True Blood & Scratches

2009-06-30T12:07:00.002+08:00

So we found out from the beginning of this episode that Bill only glamoured Jessica's family. That's good, right? The only bad thing that came out of this is Sookie getting attacked by this new bull Minotaur character. Could this be related to Maryann?

Speaking of Maryann, what's going on with the guests with black eyes? This reminds me of a character in "Heroes" where everyone dies when that same thing happens.

I'm on Team Hoytica. They really look good together. Jessica was pretty in the bar scene.

Our dear Lafayette is still human. Am a bit disappointed. Did you catch Eric winking at him? It looks like there'll be a reunion somewhere down the road.

The scene where Jason was praying and Luke McDonald threw him a pillow was funny. Jason needs to get laid soon.

Am I the only one who jumped when Eric bared his fangs at Sookie? That scratch on Sookie's back is frickin' nasty. I wonder what happens to the victims of the Minotaur? Uhm, Sam, be careful, dog!

Numero Seis

2009-06-29T18:38:00.003+08:00

Told ya, Freya!

Transformers 2

2009-06-28T15:23:00.022+08:00

Woke up to the sound of a very excited Lance. "Tito Dondon, 8 o'clock na!" He kept repeating that until I got up and stretched.

We left Bulacan at 9 o'clock. Not sure how bad the traffic is on a Sunday morning.

Lance has an issue with riding airconditioned buses. He gets dizzy and would eventually throw up. I don't want that to happen so I obliged. So we took jeepney rides and reached TriNoma at 11 in the morning.

We immediately went up to the 4th floor where the cinemas are located and got our tickets. I noticed that all 7 cinemas feature this latest Michael Bay film.

Since Lance hasn't eaten yet at Tokyo Tokyo, we went there to have our lunch. I got 2 tempura meals plus some beef misono. I also ordered some red iced tea which I'm sure he'll love.

Around 1, we bought Nacho cheese popcorn from Taters and iced tea. A big one for me (I didn't know this would come in handy later on). Then we looked for our seats. I got ourselves some La-Z-Boy seats and they were super comfy. Of course, I reclined my seat all throughout the movie.

During the desert scene where Prime was still dead and Megatron was chasing Sam & Mikaela, I noticed that Lance was squirming in his seat. Uh-oh. Not a good sign.

I didn't wanna miss the climax so I gave him my empty cup.

Otay, let's talk about the movie. What do I like about it? Uhm, the action scenes, of course. Bumblebee has been given his own fight scene. It was funny to see him crying too (he cried buckets!). But I thought he could already speak in the ending of the first Transformers?

Megan Fox was B-E-A-utiful. Oh, man, those lips!

Leo played by Ramon Rodriguez was useless in the film.

How come there's only one robot that can turn into a human being?

I couldn't distinguish the Autobots from the Decepticons when the planes were bombing the desert. And why is it that there are only a handful of Autobots when there are frickin' too many Decepticons?

I also don't understand why the old Decepticon plane (the one with the cane) was able to transport the peeps from the Air & Space museum to Egypt when he couldn't just grab them again in the desert and place them somewhere safe?

Lastly, don't waste your time waiting for the credits to stop. Nothing there at all!

MJ, Gone Too Soon

2009-06-27T18:46:00.005+08:00

Been scared shitless after watching his Thriller music video. I've sung "Ben", "Got to Be There", "Music & Me", "One Day in Your Life", "Happy", and "Man in the Mirror" countless of times during videoke nights. I even saw him shout, "I love you, Manila!" when he staged a concert here years back.

I was shocked when Kuya broke the sad news to me during breakfast =o(

Back to School Salu-Salo

2009-06-26T17:13:00.013+08:00

After the meeting with AsianLife, our health insurance provider, we dashed towards the pantry to enjoy some fried chicken, hotdog on a stick, baked macaroni, pichi-pichi, squid balls and chicken sandwiches. I spotted some sago gulaman too. I haven't tasted this in a frickin' long time!
Happy Birthday to all June celebrants (or should it be celebrators?):
Anbby, Aubrey, Chay, Onaks, Max, Meng, Mimi and WiIl.i.am

Techy Lola, Part Deux

2009-06-25T16:15:00.003+08:00

We found out from this second installment that our Techy Lola is on Twitter too!

Happy 8th Birthday, Lance!

2009-06-24T19:56:00.001+08:00

Techy Lola

2009-06-23T14:50:00.005+08:00

This is a local commercial from BayanTel about an adorable (& techy) grandma who is scolding her grandson, JR, on cam. She complained that she kept superpoking her grandson in Facebook but he hasn't poked back. She also mentioned that JR's cousins in the US would sometimes forward videos from YouTube even.

Day One: No Soda Year

2009-06-22T18:53:00.001+08:00

It just happened. At the end of the day, I thought, "Hmmm, interesting. I didn't drink any soda today!"

I remember years back that I was able to avoid drinking soda for two frickin' years. Yep. I've done it before so I know that I can do it again. Wish me luck!

Is There Blood in My Hair?

2009-06-21T15:13:00.008+08:00

Quick warning: Don't watch this second ep while eating... especially during the scenes of Lafayette.

I like that the show focuses also on the adjustment period of a new vampire. I hope Bella of "Twilight" watches the show ;oP

I like the shopping scene where Eric was asking Bill about his new look. Watch our for Eric's reaction to the saleslady's comment. He really looks great with short hair! And that comment, "Is there blood in my hair? Pam is gonna kill me" is frickin' funny. Can he be more vain?!

Lafayette finally got his wish. I'm looking forward to seeing his vampire attitude.

Is it just me or the guys are mostly half-nekkid in this episode? Sookie is getting sexier/hotter too (with the short shorts & all). I miss Amy's character (Lizzy Caplan).

It's cute to see Sam transforms to a doggie. Even the dog looks scared at Maryann. But Maryann, I must say, looks fun to hang around with. The inhibitions disappear! She's like a walkin' breathin' ecstasy pill.

I like the scene where Sookie apologized to Jessica. I thought Jessica is gonna pounce on her ;oP

The Morning After

2009-06-21T11:35:00.006+08:00

Woke up with a frickin' bad hangover. I went downstairs and looked for the nearest bathroom. Tried to puke but nuthing came out. Hate this feeling but it's the price I have to pay for drinking different types of alcohol last night/early this morning.

I found the couch and continued my sleep.

When I heard Nikks' voice telling me to eat brunch already. I woke up (still with headache) and went directly to the kitchen. Started making coffee. Ogz just woke up too (it's already 2 in the afternoon).

We ate Spam and eggs. I have no appetite but I had to eat sumpthin'.

Then shower was next. That did me good.

Some of the guys checked out the hacienda and had some fresh coconut-nut.

We bid goodbye to Joy's Tita around 3ish. Again, bad traffic on our way home.

Before heading back to Bulacan, we had lunch/dinner at Greenbelt. Nikks & I shared the batchoy and I got some barbecue.

Drink & Be Merry.. with Patron

2009-06-19T18:13:00.017+08:00

With Joy behind the wheel of her dad's brand spanking new Fortuner, we left Makati around 8 pm. I rode shotgun while Nikks, Beng and Ogz sat comfortably at the back. Jojo & Raz and Freya & Turon brought their own cars. Jun is in another car with the Docs team (Jean, Olive and Bel). Jhe is driving her van with Onse, Robert & Heddy, Diomar and Mitch. We're a big group, needless to say.

Traffic was really bad. 'twas already almost midnight when we arrived at the hacienda. All I can say is the place is huge! When we went inside the big house, my jaw dropped when I saw the wooden furniture. They've got this couch fit for a giant! Found out later that the furniture were crafted by "Jose", one of the caretakers.
Joy then gave us a quick tour of the place. There are lotsa beds to choose from. I thought there were 10 rooms all in all. I dunno which one I'll end up using when I'm wasted later ;oP

I immediately setup the MagicSing while some peeps decided to take photos and some prepared the chips & drinks. Joy found Patron at Rams, a wine store at Pasay Road. She also informed me that you can also get cheap ones at PriceSmart (similar to Costco). We just love Patron. The bestest tequila ever!
The goal of the night is to get Diomar drunk. After the third tequila shot, he informed everyone that he's already pissed. That didn't stop Joy to pour him some more.
Freya, Ogz, Beng, Bel, Jean, Richard and I took turns at the microphone. Unforch, we only have one small teevee. The bigger one was transfered to the other house.
We drank Tequila, Tequila Rose, beer and rhum coke. Bad idea! I got wasted too early. I remember chatting with Jojo about something. I remember smoking a bit. I remember seeing Beng on the rocking chair sleeping. I also remember Jun and Nikks taking me upstairs to sleep ;oP
Next time, we plan to go back with Onaks, Karen and Jet (hear that?!). I promise NOT to mix and match drinks anymore. I woke up with a freakin' bad hangover the next day.

Typing Maniac

2009-06-18T17:57:00.002+08:00

I keep seeing this in my Facebook status updates from my friends. Well, I thought, if they enjoy playing it, I'm pretty sure I will too. And so I tried it today. The game is simple. You just need to pay attention to the words that fall and type it as fast as you can, before they pile up at the bottom. Did you pay attention to your Typing class in high school?

A game is supposed to be fun and not stressful so there are things that could help you out. Like, if you type the word "ICE", you'll see the words stopping in mid-air and go popsicle on you (this will buy you time so you can type 'em) or "FIRE" and you'll witness spontaneous combustion of words. There's also "SLOW" and "WIND".

After the game, you will be ranked amongst your friends. On my first try, I was 14th and now I'm 7th. Yay! I wanna play this with a nicer keyboard. I don't wanna ruin my MacBook Air ;oP Newsflash: I actually reached the 6th place but the WiFi at the office decided to fail during the uploading of my score so I'm still at 7th place right now. Watch out, Freya!

iPhone 3.0 Software Upgrade

2009-06-17T17:04:00.001+08:00

Upgraded my iPhone software to 3.0 today. I immediately tested the MMS functionality but on the first few tries, it won't work. I had to call Globe hotline (211) to have them checked if my MMS is activated. They informed me that nuthin is wrong with my setup.

They advised me to switch it off first and then send an MMS message to myself. I did that and it worked. Whew! I wonder how much it would cost to send an MMS through iPhone though.

Aside from the MMS, I tested the Landscape texting & Text Forwarding. Sweet!

The Cut-Copy-Paste works in the Messaging & Notes sections.

There's a voice memo feature that is good for recording audio messages. Not sure how long it can last.

I'm happy that I can now send contact info to friends with the "Share Contact" button. No need to write down or memorize the number before sending it to anyone.

I like the shake-me-to-change-the-current-audio-track feature. I saw this in the latest iPod shuffle.

Chain Rxn

2009-06-16T22:22:00.007+08:00

This is a new game that I play in Facebook. The goal is simple: you have a required number of balls to hit each level. You start with one ball (pretty easy). Just click on any part of the screen where the other bouncing ball could hit you. You get bonus points when additional balls hit the one that hit you (thus, the name).

Now, the balls expand and disappear after a few seconds so the timing is important. At times I get frustrated when that last ball won't connect. Your participation is only on the first click, y'see.

The game is colorful & fun to watch and quite relaxing to listen to. Try it yourself!

Listen to My Music

2009-06-16T01:56:00.002+08:00

I upgraded my mp3 player in my blog! This one looks way better. It features the songs that I enjoy listening to nowadays.

True Blood

2009-06-15T01:21:00.008+08:00

One of my favorite shows is back. For their second season opener, everyone is back and looking good except maybe for Lafayette whom we all thought got killed in the finale.

It's about time Tara found herself a real man in Eggs (Mehcad Brooks). He used to be included in the cast of "Desperate Housewives" as the weird son, remember? Let's just hope he won't be shot or bitten here.

The younger Sam's doggy version is sooooo cute! Is that Uno?

I still don't get the powers of Maryann. She's shakin' like crazy (or is that because of the Big O?).

For a change, we don't see the nekkidness of Jason Stackhouse. I can't say the same thing for Sookie though. Go, girl! I think she was pretty in the first scene.

I don't trust the preacher character. I like our newbie vampire, Jessica, though. The attitude!

So based on the bar chit-chat, we might be seeing the vampire version of Rene later on in the show.

Blogging @ the Mall

2009-06-13T18:05:00.002+08:00

Whenever I visit an Apple store (New York, Virginia, Manila), I make sure that I take a photo of myself ;oP

Are You Proud to be Pinoy?

2009-06-12T15:42:00.010+08:00

I ask myself that over and over again.

No... when the country is getting poorer and government is doin' nuthin' about it.

No... whenever I see all the freakin' garbage everywhere. The super dirty public restrooms. No tissue even. Ugh!

No... whenever I hit traffic jam every freakin' day from Ayala to Ortigas. So many undisciplined drivers here.

No... whenever I hear news about Hayden Kho, Con-Ass, holdups and bank robberies.

No... when you can't even trust the police!

No... whenever I need to ride the Metro and I'm sooo not looking forward to the overcrowded coaches.

No... when the lunch meal that you order keeps getting smaller and smaller. It's like you're ordering Happy Meal portions.

Yes... whenever I hear foreigners mentioning how good Filipino workers are. Foreign bosses are more appreciative, no?

Yes... whenever Manny Pacquiao wins. Plus, ZERO crime in the country during the fight.

Yes... when good deeds are done by our kababayans abroad.

Yes... whenever I travel abroad, I usually encounter a friendly and very helpful kababayan.

How about you?

IKEA in the Philippines?

2009-06-11T16:47:00.007+08:00

While our house makeover is still going on, I'm on the lookout for nice things that I could buy for our house rebirth. Unforch, we still don't have IKEA in the Philippines but I found out that there's this store in Makati that sells IKEA products. So with the help of Google, I found out that the showroom is located in Palanan. One of these days, I plan to visit it but in the meantime, follow the link:

Showroom in Makati

They're located at 4977 Enriquez St., Palanan, Makati City. Here's the number to call: 833-5590 or (917) 813-1201. Look for Mark.

If you're in Quezon City, they have one at 23-A Cavalry Hills st., Rolling Hills in New Manila, with telephone numbers: 774-1780 and (0917) 825-2407.

Here's what you can buy at their showrooms.

Squid Balls and Metro Station

2009-06-10T23:37:00.009+08:00

I was too late. When I reached the FX terminal that would take me to Fairview, I didn't see any FX on standby. I asked the dispatcher named Mang Berting and he informed me that the last one already left a few minutes ago. Crappy-crap-crap.

Taking a cab to Philcoa is out of the picture since I don't have money. I thought about taking the Metro. It's already past 9 so there ain't too many passengers anymore.

Before I headed down to the Metro station in Ayala, I caught a glimpse of a cart selling squid balls. I so miss eating 'em so I quickly approached the vendor. Gave him 20 bucks (not sure how much it costs) and he gave me back 5 pieces of squid balls. He asked if I wanted sweet & spicy sauce. I nodded. And then I tasted one.... HEAVENLY!

The first thing I noticed when I got to the Metro station is that, it hasn't changed a bit. Still busy & alive. There's a long line of peeps going through security. Different shops selling all kinds of things: medicines, CDs, phone cards and food, of course. It looks like a mini mall.

I looked for the Holy Kettle Corn shop and bought two bags for Lance & Fiong-Fiong. Bought my ticket (still 14 bucks) and waited for the Northbound train. I thought about taking the Southbound first to secure me a seat on the way back but thank God the coach I got in wasn't too full.

After 15 minoots or so, I saw the Quezon Avenue station. The fare from there to SM Fairview would set you back 35 bucks. I boarded a bus to Tungko (another 25) and a jeep to Francisco Homes (another 7 bucks). Whew!

Saw

2009-06-09T19:13:00.008+08:00

I finally got to see the movie that started it all.

Two "Lost" cast members are included in this film: Ken Leung (Miles) and Michael Emerson (Ben Linus). I didn't notice until halfway through the movie that it was Cary Elwes who were playing Dr. Lawrence Gordon. I give props to Leigh Whannell for doing a great job as Adam. I only found out later that he's also the screenwriter.

Unlike the other "Saw" movies, this one here doesn't have much cringe factor in it. Maybe due to budgetary constraints? Am not scared of the puppet (but my nephew, Lance, does) but the pig mask really scares the bejesus out of me... especially when it comes rushing towards you in the dark.

I wasn't expecting to see the Jigsaw killer at the end too. That was a nice touch!

Belief

2009-06-08T17:55:00.003+08:00

This is my favorite song now. Fell in love with it the first time I heard it on "So You Think You Can Dance". I'm still looking for the acoustic version but this will do for now. As a bonus, I've included the lyrics ;oP

Belief, makes things realMakes things feel, feel alrightBelief, makes things trueThings like you, you and I
Tonight, you arrested my mindWhen you came to my defenseWith a knife in the shape of your mouthIn the form of your body, with the wrath of a GodOh, you stood by me
Belief, builds from scratchDoesn't have to relax, it doesn't need spaceLong live the queen and I'll be the kingIn the color of grace
Oh, tonight, you arrested my mindWhen you came to my defenseWith a knife in the shape of your mouthIn the form of your body, with the wrath of a GodOh, you stood by me, belief
I'm gonna yell it from the rooftopsI'll wear a sign on my chestThat's the least I can doIt's the least I can do
Tonight, you arrested my mindWhen you came to my defenseWith a knife in the shape of your mouthIn the form of your body, with the wrath of a GodOh, you stood by me and I'll stand by my belief

Team Jacob

2009-06-07T15:59:00.000+08:00

Thanks to my friend, Joy, I was able to finish "New Moon" without carrying my book to and from work. That's the beauty of an audiobook. Now I'm ready to watch the movie version.

Anyhoo, after "reading" the book, I must say that I'm on Team Jacob (sans the horrendous hair extension, of course). I like that he was there for Bella when she needed somebody to take her mind off of a certain vampire. And more importantly, Jacob taught Bella how to be more adventurous. The other one taught her how to... what? piggy back? So lame!

I wanna see the transformation of the wolves.

I think the Volturi scene needs a more exciting twist. It's a ho-hum moment for me. I'm interested though on the costume and production design.

I don't like the ending too. I think Bella should've rushed towards Jacob and ignored the other one.

State(s) of the Nation

2009-06-06T23:42:00.001+08:00

Put an X by the states you have been to. The average is 8; how do you match up?

Should you choose to play, here's what you do:

Copy my note. Click on “notes” under tabs on your profile page. Select "write a new note" in the top right corner. Paste the copy in the body of the note. Delete my Xs and add your own. Just for fun, put an O beside the states where you have lived.

PS: Airports don't count.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California X
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida X
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois O X
Indiana X
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland X
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota X
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada X
New Hampshire
New Jersey X
New Mexico
New York X
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania X
Rhode Island
South Carolina X
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia O X
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Friday Night

2009-06-05T16:26:00.013+08:00

Tabel, Nikks, Ogz and I were the first ones to arrive at CenterStage. Kendz and Joy will be joining us later.

I was happy to sing "Get Here" but got disappointed when I couldn't find "Crush", "T-Shirt" and "If I Were a Boy". Nikks sang "Promise Me". Tabel gave us "Hanggang" & "Alipin". Ogz belted out "Listen" and his signature song, "Bukas Na Lang Kitang Mamahalin". Speaking of which, Ogz & I sang "Used to Be" but the long rest period of not being able to sing it has taken its toll on us. We made a comeback though with "With You I'm Born Again". Tabs & Ogz sang "Sun & Moon" and then I snatched Tabs from him and we sang "Last Night of the World".

Joy arrived with her younger brother, King. Kendz arrived shortly but due to some prior commitment, she didn't stay long. She left with Joy.I must say that the service at CenterStage sucks. The female attendant assigned to us didn't give us any plate & silverware when Tabel's food arrived. We didn't give her any tip though. The beer, advertised as "Below Zero", wasn't really cold. When we asked why, they told us they ran out of it.

It's Everybody's Milk!

2009-06-04T20:06:00.001+08:00

This milk reminds me of Sundays and Kuya Germs. After all these years, I can't buh-lieve it is still in existence.Of course, I went to the snacks section and looked for Snacku. I was delighted to find it in its new packaging:Same ole flavor. Knottydon is a happy camper!

So You Think You Can Dance

2009-06-03T22:21:00.026+08:00

After Idol comes "So You Think You Can Dance". This is where we see awesome kids with different dance training backgrounds show off their stuff. Well, that's not entirely true. Some are just born to dance.

In the New York audition, I'm looking forward to watching the Sabra-&-Lisa-Bonet-hybrid Gabi Rojas and Chimezie (he reminds me so much of Twitch) dance.

In the Denver audition, I like Natalie Reid & Brandon Bryant. In Miami, I want more of Janette & Romulo tandem, Silky (second tapper I've seen) and Talia.

In Memphis, I can't wait to see more of the police officer, Marico Flake, Caitlin Kinney (with her sis, Megan) and the Kasprzak Brothers (Evan & Ryan).

One thing that I enjoyed watching in the Los Angeles audition is the Adam Shankman moment. Luv him! Phillip & Arielle and Sammy Ramirez were nice to watch. And let's see if Nathan Trasoras will come back next year.

In Seattle, the battle between Sex & Leo was hilarious. I wanna see more of Kuponohi'ipoi (luv his hairstyle too). I think Christopher Keller is funny!As for the jeeges, Nigel's hair is hideous! Mary is back to her screaming. It's nice to see NapTab (I love their choreos from last season) again. Did you catch Sonya having the Big O?

Now let's talk about the host, Ms. Cat Deeley. I really, really, really love her to bits. It's nice to see her dance with the contestants. I'd love to meet her. She looks so much fun to be with!

Early Bird

2009-06-02T20:17:00.010+08:00

Had a meeting at 11 so I can't be late for work. I set my alarm at 4:30 am the night before.

Woke up at 3:30 to relieve myself. I could hear the pouring of heavy rains. It would be quite a challenge to wake up later. Went back to bed and woke up at 5:00 instead, ignoring my alarm.

Kuya and I left Bulacan at 6 and after 2 hours, we're both in Makati.

One nice thing about being early is that you can also go home early. I left Makati at 5:30-ish and reached Bulacan at 8. Enuff time to do a marathon of "So You Think You Can Dance". I miss Cat!

Random Thoughts

2009-06-01T13:40:00.011+08:00

Could it be that there's no more Snacku? I checked the grocery today and searched for my favorite snack. I saw Clover Chips, Lays, Cheetos, Chippy, etc. No sign of my green snack. Crappy-crap-crap!

The advantage of not wearing an office uniform (or is it because of my young-looking face?) is that drivers often mistake me as a college dude. So in jeepneys, I get discounts ;oP

Why is it that I get so sleepy in buses?

I was shocked to hear that 96.3 a.k.a. Lite Rock has changed its name to Easy Rock. I don't recognize anymore the station jingles they play. How sad!

I'm craving for Luk Yuen's Halo-Halo congee (perfect for this rainy season). I can't freakin' find one near me! Newsflash: There's a Luk Yuen at Glorietta 5. You can reach them at 856-5199. Am excited to eat there again. Noodle Feast! Yum-oh!

Speaking of restos, I miss "Stomach Inn". I ♥ their chopsuey so much. No idea if they've gone bankrupt or they just moved from their Makati Ave branch.

Fiong-Fiong, Knottydon & Lance

2009-05-31T22:08:00.001+08:00

Here we are goofing off ;oP

Reunion with Jomel & Myta

2009-05-30T17:56:00.009+08:00

It was Joms who suggested to meet at Red Box for our reunion. I have no problem with that ;oP Good food, singing, booze and friends are just the perfect ingredients for a fun night.

I made reservations at 7 (you can call them at 757-6188). Unlike, other videoke bars, they don't have the "No-Reservations-on-Friday" policy. Tamyts & Hormel got there before 7:30.

When I got there 30 minoots later, they've already ordered food. I saw some Yang Chow fried rice, lemon chicken, sisig, squid and tacos. Must fill tummy first before singing!

Tamyts sang "Bleeding Love", "T-shirt" (with her sis) and "Listen" while Joms brought out the Martin Nievera in him. I enjoyed singing "Crush", "Careless Whisper" (complete with Katrina Halili moves) and "And I'm Telling You". Of course, Broadway is in our repertoire. We sang "Movie in My Mind", "On My Own" and our favorite, "Seasons of Love". We hope that next time, Joyish is here with us. We miss ya, gurl!