Planner

Ohmygod the eating won't stop till January 1. Tomorrow, it's my dad's birthday and we're gonna eat. A lot. Again. Most probably at Metrowalk after bringing my nieces to the dolphin show.

I decided to give him a book as a gift: "The Pursuit of Happyness" by Chris Gardner. The movie made me cry. I think he will relate to the story. It reminded me of his stories about his life. I hope he likes it. He likes to read stories about successful people. And the one thing he (seems) to be proud of me is that I read. A LOT. He is negative about a lot of things about me but that is one thing he approves of that is part of who I am. He indulged my love of books even as a kid. And for that, I am grateful.

oOo

I need a new planner. I am forgetful Jones and Dory and I need one. Hardbound and small. I have several blank notebooks to use given as gifts this year. A nice Moleskine United Nations one (thank you, you know who you are), a blank one with a nice recycled paper cover from Caren my sis in law and another one with a nice graphic cover from a former officemate.

I have yet to use up all my Moleskines and other notebooks. I get a lot of them every year, which I love because I write on a journal, scribble notes, stories and reminders in another, and keep another one to keep all my important numbers and data in at hand (account numbers, SSS, TIN, pin codes, membership numbers, hotline numbers, numbers of manicurist, waxer, threader, lash extension guy, at home massage, spa....you get the picture). If I lose these notebooks, I am USELESS and a girl with scraggly nails and short lashes.

Which reminds me, I need a sedula before the year starts for the lease contract.

I went to Glorietta a couple of days ago to buy Gino and Marc the gift they would like. I went to Face Shop and found the brand I know will work for his skin. That's finished. :) Can't wait to give it to them.

I wanted to buy new tube of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in the oil free formula but they didn't have my color (Nude). Good thing 'cause frankly, I still had several other brands of foundation in my beauty arsenal to use up really teehee I just wanted to try LM's oil free formula. I promised myself during New Year that I would use up all my current stash BEFORE buying any new makeup. And I'm glad I kept my resolution.

I am excited to do many new things this year. It seems so many avenues are open to be explored. It's gonna be fun.

oOo

Today, I bought a bamboo bench from a 16 year old kid who was carrying two (two!) on his back, selling them to people. I felt a bit sad and I wanted to help him so I bought one. He carried it to my parent's house and mom and I served him merienda. Mom gave him chocolates and pastries to bring home. I figured dad would love a bamboo bench to lie down on near the garden while he reads his Sunday paper.

He told me he hails from Pangasinan, and they bring these stuff to sell several times a week near the area. He says he has been carrying the two benches for three days now. Today, he walked from Manggahan to our village's main street carrying the two benches on his back! Talk about hard labor. He told me I was his first sale.

I got his number so I could order some more stuff for the apartment. What I like about this kid is he is a proud worker; cheerful, not down and out. Which is unlike those beggars with fake long faces walking around like ghosts along the streets.

That's why I hate giving to them but would gladly help out and buy wares from someone who earns an honest living by selling something.

I wish, fervently, for many Filipinos to be like this kid.

Benazir Bhutto is Dead

Pakistan's opposition leader was assassinated just minutes ago. Wow. What a way to end the day.

Libre Mangarap

Goyard Makeup Case stuffed with Lancome products. All for US$18,000. Potah naman eh hehe. Only at Bergdorf Goodman.

Room with a View

Cleaning out camera files. These are old pics of my view outside Blanco. Soon, my view will be of flooded Don Bosco St. Yikes.

Holidazed

SO the last of the weddings was over and done with last night. Rhowald my cous got married in Fernwood Garden, and it was more of a reunion than a wedding with family from Canada and US all together in one place. It was a lot of fun and I got to see my cute nieces and nephews dressed in cute formal wear.

I am at my parent's place and I hate my dad's connection. It's so effing slow it might as well be dial-up but it isn't.

I did my mom's makeup, and she looked fab the entire night.

Ige's 'advanced' bday celebration was at Red Box last night. Too bad I couldn't go. Heard they moved on to Cable Car and stayed up past 3 am. Must've been real fun.

Am done with Christmas shopping--yay me! EXCEPT for 3 people: my dad (because it's also his bday on the 30th and I will give him his bday/Xmas gift in one on that day), and Gino and Marc, because I asked Gino specifically what he wanted so he would get what he needed. I haven't gone to the mall yet (shudder!) to get it though we usually meet up post Christmas to have dinner,exchange gifts and discuss our resolutions for the New Year.

I am thinking about all the moving out I have to do come January. Writing PLDT and the banks to update their records. Arranging for the movers to haul out my stuff. Arranging the new pad. Meeting the landlord to discuss what items she will have to move out. And since she wants to keep some stuff there, I don't know what I will do with my bed, my ref, aircon and stove. Will see.

In the meantime, it's so much fun not doing anything at all.

Warlapalooza!

Last night's Warlapalooza WWII Christmas party was a BLAST, literally and figuratively.

I still think the highlight of the night was when Erie opened his skirt to reveal big sepia image of old Manila with the words "Open City" on it. He should've won something. I wanted to die from laughing.

I came in as a Kamikaze pilot. I had to remove my electric fan's blade to use as props--broken propeller. I didn't win best costume but I did win P10,000.00 in the raffle. That's not too bad. Though I really wish I won the the 50k or the 80k prizes. I could have given some of that to my parents.

I purposely didn't bring a camera so I can just have fun and not worry about my camera. But now, I'm itching to see everyone upload their pictures on Multiply. Can't wait.

Sunlounge Event from Bede

Pasong Tamo

Gave up Prince Plaza 1 when they suddenly upped their terms and gave all these complicated requirements. Not a good sign. So I gave that up and checked out Yulo Plaza. A bit far but quieter. Furnished (though am gonna bring in some of my stuff). Comes with parking space and dues tacked in. Swimming pool. Space as big as Blanco's. And when I met the landlord/owner, I immediately liked her.:) She works for the Legal Department of one of our clients. How cool! I plunked down a deposit today.

Side note: I really, really hate brokers.

Happy Shopper

So many parties. So little time. Still need an accessory for my costume.

Instead, I found a t-shirt dress at 180 degrees in Greenbelt 3; brand, Firefly. If I can't have Mary Kate's t-shirt dresses here, Firefly will do. They practically have the same aesthetic. Got one in blue. Easy breezy outfit. Just add flats and a necklace and voila. Casual party look.

This would look good with a chunky necklace BUT since I already have that, the bib necklace I found at Carolina's brings it to the next level. Funny thing is, it's even more expensive than the t-shirt dress haha. No matter how I tried not to buy it, I just had to have it. It was so unique and one of a kind, I just fell in love with it. It's sorta Marni-esque. Very graphic and modern but it uses multicolored felt pieces cut in organic shapes and connected together. Pictures soon.

I picked up the other dress I got made. It's inspired by....hold your breath... Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's v-neck kimono style maxi dresses except I got it made in a silk Pucci print in pinks, baby blues, chocolate brown and mustard yellow, and asked that it be made a little shorter. It's so pwetty, so girly. Hehe I wanna get one made in different colors again.

Halfway through Christmas shopping! Almost finished.

And of course, in SM,I got a cheap and cheerful red dress to wear for my grandma's birthday dinner.

Condo update: Looks like I will wake up every morning to the vision of Greenbelt 5 soon.

The Monk Life

After puttering around the apartment the entire day, just trying to get well, I'm convinced I can live the Monk lifestyle. I can actually stare at the ceiling for 1 hour straight without moving (though I have heard monks can sit still for 3 hour--toough!).

And this is what you call peace: quietly peeling chick peas and popping open edamame pods (soy bean for you folks) for my all veggie lunch. Totally relaxing. I'm actually thinking of fun physical jobs I can do for a living that won't require much social interaction or thinking. Like dishwashing in a high-end hotel somewhere in Europe or something. Or picking grapes in Australia or something. I checked the salaries online though. Duh! I still make more in my current job. Scratch that.

Spent

Body crashed. Too much partying plus work. Now, I'm bored. And worrying. About work. About my trip. About moving out. About my future. ACK!

Good Sign

Just checked the terrace. My dill plant is almost dead. The oregano plant has a few green leaves left. Ironically, my hardy fortune plant is still alive and kicking. That should be a good sign.

In other news, we just started practicing our 1940s dance number for our World War II themed Christmas party. I can already tell it's gonna be as much fun as last year's Red Light District Christmas Party. :)

Kickin'

It's not hard to like someone who calls Ryuichi Sakamoto's music "sensual" and who loves strawberry and champagne jam from Fortnum and Mason. Ang bakla ng jam nya.

Word for the Day: Sprezzatura

A friend and I were talking about Ennio Morricone. He described his music as sprezzatura. I asked him what that meant. When he told me, I realized, that is exactly what I admire in other people and which I try (discreetly) to aspire for: it means "the art of making something difficult look easy." In a phrase, effortless. Today, kids would also use the word "cool."

From Wikipedia:

"Sprezzatura - term, is the art of making the difficult look easy. Sprezzatura is a complicated word that first finds its origins in Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier. Its basic meaning within the book pertains to the art of concealing artifice.

Examples

The Mona Lisa is a classic example of sprezzatura. The sprezzatura of the Mona Lisa is seen in both her smile and the positioning of her hands. Both the smile and hands are intended to convey her grandeur, self-confidence and social position. Leonardo da Vinci was a master at capturing not only the physical likeness, but also the subject's attitude: the sprezzatura.

Roughly, the term sprezzatura means to work at performing an action with the outward appearance of 'effortless grace.'
History

Vasari, in his biography of Leonardo, tells us that Leonardo employed musicians to entertain Lisa del Giocondo (the Mona Lisa) to avoid the bored and melancholic look frequently found in portrait paintings.

The courtiers of the day did not think that any activity or goal was worth doing or having if the effort to do or to have it was obvious. An example of Sprezzatura in today's culture might be the painstaking time and effort that it takes to ornament a fashion model for a single picture; the goal is to have you believe that the model's beauty is purely natural. In much the same way, the art of Sprezzatura involves showing disdain for the mundane work needed to create art, poetry, or even the air of appearing graceful and courteous, all of which are necessary to be a sublime courtier. As the character Count Ludovico says in Castiglione's Book, "It is an art which does not seem to be an art. One must avoid affectation and practice in all things a certain sprezzatura, disdain or carelessness, so as to conceal art, and make whatever is done or said appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it ... obvious effort is the antithesis of grace."


Sprezzatura can also be applied to the poets of the time who wanted to make their poetry seem to be the product of effortless and spontaneous action instead of the result of careful and meticulous work."

I have a new favorite word. :)

Everything

Michael Buble

You're a falling star, you're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.
And you play it coy but it's kinda cute.
Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.
'cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus]
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, laSo, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything.
Yeah, yeah
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, laSo, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Going with the Flow

Woke up in the middle of the night and my mind just keeps running around, I can't go back to sleep. I guess it's because I took a nap this afternoon.

Am in QC at my parents as my two lolas (from Toronto and New Jersey) are finally here! As I told my mom, our house is now a full-fledged home for the groovy aged. They'll be living here for long term starting today and will fly back and forth to the US and Canada as required (since they are officially still Canadian and US citizens). It was a family decision to bring them here in their old age and spend time together, Lola Bidang and Lola Tila being the best of friends. Besides, we siblings all don't live here anymore and there is much room for them. I am looking forward to coming home more, to listen to my lola's funny stories about the times past in their youth in Tarlac, Pampanga and Tambunting, Manila.

So instead of going out for our usual Sunday dinner out, we had dinner at home and had Manang's yummy kaldereta, sotanghon, chopsuey and her version of Recipe's crispy tilapia, a favorite of Sam and Cate, my nieces. So much food, I didn't even mention the other stuff (the endless desserts). Ang hirap mag-diet if you're Capampangan hehe. As usual, as befits out usual family dinners, it was gustatory overload. OMG the calories!

It was nice to spend time with mama and catch up. She and dad have many plans under the works in the near future that can affect my life choices. Like them migrating to the US. That means being left behind here in the Philippines. Or will I? Shall I follow? I don't know yet. I may also soon be paying a monthly mortgage (gasp!) with a little help from family. But what about dad's business?

I don't know right WHICH is the best option. I don't like living on knee-jerk reaction, especially when it concerns things foisted my way by family so I like to think things through. Then again, RI am figuring out if all this pride is really necessary on my part. Most of my life, I've been fighting, fighting, struggling, struggling. I just want to float right now, see where the waves bring me. Most of the time, anyway, what comes my way is usually the best for me at that very moment.

I spent time with some good friends of mine for the past few weeks who have reminded me how it is best to think positively and to simply go with the flow. In many things, fighting the flow is not necessarily the best use of one's energy.

For example, in the martial arts, using the strength of one's opponent and not fighting it head on helps in controlling him without expending much energy at all. In diving, as C says, one has to learn to see where the current is flowing and follow it to some extent and not fight it. Even M says that in swimming, to reach from one point to another at sea, you have to go sideways when one is met head-on by big waves.

On hindsight, I am happy because this week has been essentially that: following the flow. I am not thinking much of the future or looking back at the past, but seizing the moments for all their worth. And so far, it has been one of the best weeks ever. :)

Pictures!

Stolen from Kaye's Multiply:

Three Weddings and a Christmas Party

So I got three dresses made....and ended up wearing an old reliable number: a deep V-neck jersey dress in black from People are People with a long string of pearls. I changed outfits 3 times! Paired it with my new 4-inch black suede stilleto heels, kebs na that it was difficult to walk at Sonya's Garden in heels but the shoes we're quite comfy. I'll just wear the other dresses in the other weddings I'm attending.

It was quite fun with my favorite people there, and I missed traffic by 2 hours which was good. I was able to take some cat naps in the car to and from Tagaytay, as I got dad's driver Jomar to drive for me.

Lala's gown was fabulous! Short with quaint graphic print and accessorized with a 20s style head-dress. Fabulous.

Anyway, I am surprised I didn't tear up kasi the place holds so many memories for me. Hehe ambaduy (napansin ko rin, he checked my Friendster profile--malamig kasi, pasko na alam mo na, malungkot siguro siya buti nga pero kebs). Pero.....ERASE!

Sonya's Garden is so different now compared to 3 years ago. But especially at night? Still quite a pretty place.

I have a concept na for my office party. Pero I have a problem looking for the items I will need. I'll wing it, as usual. Don't like stressing over little stuff.

Amazing Gres

Madame Gres would have approved. New looks from the runway.
Pics from style.com.

The shorts/top combo in black is Marc Jacobs. Love it.

Wallpaper's Graduates to Watch

Check out the fashion list.

Gino's Maxxx Project

Proud ako! Naks galing ng music. Nag input ako dito! Input lang hehe.

Easy, Breezy Weekend

Having fun. Too much fun. Outrageously amazing fun. :) Having a ball.
Finished a raket for some extra money, enough to cover extra expenses. Easy, breezy. Finished in a snap.

And this is counter-intuitive, but I finally got a new aircon installed (1.5HP kaya it's really cold) and the other white Chinese lamp over the living room area. I figured, it's the last month in Blanco and I wanna entertain more so might as well. Better lighting and air conditioning equals even awesome parties!

First guests to enjoy the aircon were Gino and Marc. Was with them (almost) the entire day Sunday. Cooked brunch (Basil egg omelet, schueblig from Saturday market, whole wheat ciabatta, coffee). Spent time lazing about the apartment, chatting. Then we had three kinds of dessert (ack!) at nearby Coffee Bean.

Second guest to enjoy the aircon was Patrick, who made kuwento his business ventures and might give raket early January. Yay!

Saturday, had brunch at the market with Pao, Bonsai and her sister and Aaron. Pao and I saw a unit at Prince Tower pero hello, it was the same unit I saw without going through a broker (the broker gave a higher price syempre). Went back to Blanco and bumped into Ige and Julia who was all tanned up from her Boracay weekend. Did some groceries for the breakfast the next day: native eggs, schueblig, whole wheat ciabatta, etc.

Sunday night, was extremely tired. After the long day being mega social, I worked on the raket and ordered in (tapa and batchoy from Sinangag, goodbye diet). Before falling asleep, I had a Swedish massage (salamat Metro Home Massage). Sarap ng tulog ko grover (grabe+over).

I woke up today with the sink full of dishes. Hay naku I'll wash them na lang later. My nails!

When You Know -Shawn Colvin

From the Serendipity Soundtrack album

When You Know
That you know
Who you love
You can’t deny it
Or go back
Or give up
Or pretend
That you don’t buy it

When its clear
this time
You’ve found the one
You never let him go
Cause you know
And you know
That you know

When you feel
In your skin
In your bones
And the hollows
Of your heart
There’s no way
You can wait
Till tomorrow

When there isn’t any
Doubt about it
Once you come
this close
Cause you know
And you know
That you know

You can feel
Loves around you
Like the sky
Round the moon
This is how
Love has found you
Now you know
What to do

When you know
That you know
Who you need
You cant deny it
Or go back
Or give up
Or pretend
That you don’t buy it

When its clear
this time
You’ve found the one
You’ll never
let him go
Cause you know
And you know
That you know

And its time
You come in
From the cold

And you know
That you know

Bubbly by Internet Sensation Colbie Caillat

I love this song. It's a bit senti. Just sharing. . . . couldn't embed so just click the link. :)

Lyrics:

(Speak)
Will you count me in?

(Sing)
I've been awake for a while now
You've got me feeling like a child now
`Cause every time I see your bubbly face
I get the tinglies in a silly place

It starts in my toes and I crinkle my nose
Where ever it goes I always know
That you make me smile
please stay for a while now
Just take your time where ever you go

The rain is falling on my window pane
But we are hiding in a safer place
Under covers staying safe and warm
You give me feelings that I adore

They start in my toes make me crinkle my nose
Where ever it goes I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for awhile now
Just take your time where ever you go

But what am I gonna say
When you make me feel this way

I just...mmm

It starts in my toes makes me crinkle my nose
Where ever it goes I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for awhile now
Just take your time where ever you go

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da dum
Da Da da da da da da da da da da mm
Mmm mmm

I've been asleep for a while now
You tuck me in just like a child now
'Cause every time you hold me in your arms
I'm com fort able enough to feel your warmth

It starts in my soul and I lose all control
When you kiss my nuh ose the feeling shows
'Cause you make me smile
Baby just take your time now
holding me tight, whereever you goooooooo

Where ever, where ever, where ever you go
where ever, where ever, where ever you go

Oh wherever you go I always know
'Cause you make me smile baby just for a while noooooooooow