F4 mode - super on!!

Spent four days last week watching Boys Over Flowers, the Koreans version of the Meteor Garden a few years back.

I loved Meteor Garden then and felt that it was a bit touching and cried quite a bit too that I thought I'd try watching Boys Over Flowers tagalized version and see how they'd compare with the old version, and I totally loved it right away - so smittened that I watched the whole thing online.

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, all those 'kilig' scenes for me were done soooooooooo perfectly. You know those scenes in movies that touches your heart so much that it makes you feel like crying too? - UGLY CRY?!?! - THAT kind of cry!

Although the actors werent really as hunky as what should have been projected (except for that Kim Bum guy - cuteness!!), the boys there kinda grows on you and if during the first few episodes you still find them not cute enough - wait till you watch the whole thing, you will definitely love them and their characters.

I also love their OST, though in korean language, its super nice and refreshing to hear. A good addition to the Ipod playlist.

Oh!! You just have to watch it!!! Super nice and heartwarming. Nice quotables there too - I'll try and slip some of those in my quotables posts.

Word of caution though, I spent 3 sleepless nights trying to watch and finish the episodes. I just cant stop!!

F4 mode - definitely ON!

Photo courtesy of mysoju.com. You can also watch all 25 episodes of Boys Over Flowers there too.

Friendship Award 2009

Thank you Golden of One Proud Mom, One Proud Wife for this award. If this was given to me before you got it, I would have passed this award to you also.

I thought it would be hard to meet new friends when I started this blog, but all the ones I met during my interest in blogging began proved me wrong.

I would like to pass this award to the guys who have been super supportive and friendly and who willingly shared tips and experiences to me:

zita of I ammmmmm Maria Zitaba

Magz of The Game Warehouse
utotmopink
Ish of Before the Eastern Sunset
My left hand corner

photohunt: painted

This week's photohunt theme is painted.

This picture was painted by Leila in a Faber-Castell Free Art Workshop held at Southmall. I am usually shy in joining activities when I am alone. Its just that Leila just had a skin test and that it was the first time I've seen her so scared and I just thought -- what the heck? I can sit down in the middle of the mall with my daughter. It made her very happy and proud but most of all made her forgot all about the pain she just felt in her checkup. My poor girl!




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Related post:

on following photohunt

"quotables"

While watching cartoons.

"Mama, I'm never gonna leave you."


Awwww!!

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Related posts:

"quotables"

Tagged Too - from Ishmael

My very first tag coming from Ishmael --- and this wasnt easy at all. Its hard to say something without giving out too much :)

The rules of this tag are:

1. Write anything about 15 persons you know.
2. Don't mention the names of these 15 persons you are referring to.
3. If someone would ask who these persons are, don't tell them.
4. Tag 15 persons but don't include the persons you included in your post.

Iniweyz, here goes:

1. You may be the fattest, the loudest girls there are but I love and treasure you all dearly. I value your friendship so much. Bad as it may sound, I am glad I lit that yosi that afternoon I met you guys.

2. You may not know this but you were such an inspiration in high school. You are smart, prayerful and super nice. Hope all is well with you now :)

3. You are always there when I need help, from simple to the not so simple ones. I appreciate it very very much and I love you - in case you dont know yet :)

4. I miss you so much. When you left, I really felt lost and super alone. I miss hanging out with you badly. Mondays are not the same. I miss your laugh. Write more often, gosh! (Galit na!)

5. You may not be close to the ideals but I love you just the same. I will try to forget all that has been done and the effects that it caused. I will always be here for you.

6. I am sorry I made it difficult for you then. I hope I am now what I should have been before. Take care there!

7. You are one of my inspirations in life. With such a privileged life, you chose to be down to earth. Truly an amazing person with good brains to boot. God bless!

8. I dont know what happened with us but we used to be super okay friends. We are not "not okay" now but I know we can be more than just okay, okay? hahaha

9. I hate that you didnt listen to me when I told you not to do it. Just the same, things came out well and you have been blessed with such a beautiful and cute angel. I love you and that I will be your friend forever. PERIOD.

10. What happened to your sweetness. You were so full of it then. Everyday problems must have taken that out of you. I hope and pray that you find peace and eventually find joy with it.

11. I thank you for all the hardwork, the not so obvious advices that you gave (that is super obvious now that I have my own child), and the patience. Love you.

12. Thank you for being ever so dependable. You are always just a call away, though sometimes I worry about you with handling finances. Love you still.

13. I have misjudged you and I acknowledge that. You are one of the few people that we can count on all the time. I hope good health is with you always.

14. I never thought I would find the best companion in such a small you. I have learned a lot of things about myself and what I am capable of doing when we are together without you having to say anything, you just stare at me in amazement, or worse, you just cry (and then I know I did something wrong and then I change). I have seen in you the sorriest face when I get mad, and the sweetest thank you I have ever heard when you are happy when I do something you like. I hope I give you enough love and encouragement so you end up knowing what you want and having the confidence and will and faith to get it. I will always be here for you. I love you very much.

15. I am so thankful I met you. As demanding as you are about things you want me to be, I know you mean well and I willingly change - sometimes - with much arguing, hehehe. Thank you for giving me things I never thought I needed, that now I love and treasure so much. I appreciate it when you said that you not only love me, but you learn to love all the things I love and hope for, and that you will help me get it. I could not ask for more. Love you. Soulmates are true.

Phew!!! Enjoyed doing this, promise. Now, I pass this to everyone who reads this. You're TAGGED TOO!!

on following photohunt

Found out about photohunt through one of utotmopink's entry. I wanted to try and follow the themes but I am not sure I would be able to deliver good enough photos because I am super bad at taking pictures.

Flashback: I remember one time in college, one of my girlfriend's joined this college pageant thing and she asked me to take pictures of her (using old cam model) while she's strutting her stuff - and I did - I took pictures of her alright - her feet, the golfclub she was carrying for sports wear, and another one beside her co-contestant or was it her co-contestant beside her (she was on the side hahaha).

Okay, okay, maybe that's just plain dumbness on my part (I was jumping up and down coz I was happy for her, duh!? hahaha) but with digital cameras now in different shapes and sizes, every click now can be picture perfect. As for me, this baby is what's helping me with my blogging pictures lately and hopefully will be giving me good ones when I follow this photohunt themes every Saturday.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2

Good luck to me!!!

Photo courtesy of http://img.engadget.com/

time off at timezone

What to do? where to go..hmm! Its a Monday, my day off. I'm 10 minutes away from fetching my girl from summer school. Oh! I'll let her decide.

"Let's go to Timezone pls??!!!"

Okay, the plan is to go to Timezone and then get ourselves a good dinner, anyway mother's day is yet to be celebrated. So, off we go.

Just one left turn and we're in the parking lot when - tsk! tsk! tsk! - the police pulled me over to say that I beat the red light. What a way to start our mother's day celebration. Haaay!!

So after that incident, we went on with our celebration plans.

Timezone has this student promo wherein you bring your child's ID and you get extra 50 pesos if you avail of their P150 load. We had fun swishing cards left and right and because of our good gaming, we managed to exchange our tickets to a nice toy - like Handy Manny's tools - she loves it.


We then treated ourselves to a simple dinner, a sizzling bangus steaks fine with my super picky anak, then headed home.

A happy duaghter makes the happy mother's day!

"QUOTABLES"

Coversation with my 5-year-old daughter.

"Girl, pano pag old na ako tapos made-dead na ako?"

While stroking my hair, "Mama!!! That's not true!!!! Sila mamang (her lola) nga old na d pa sila nade-dead e!!"

happy mother's day ;p

Found this wonderful poem on www.poemsource.com. I directly asked permission from the author of the poem, Joanna Fuchs, if I can publish her poem here and she graciously allowed. Here's to all the mother's reading..

Everything Mom

How did you find the energy, Mom

To do all the things you did,

To be teacher, nurse and counselor

To me, when I was a kid.

How did you do it all, Mom

Be a chauffeur, cook and friend,

Yet find time to be a playmate,

I just can’t comprehend.

I see now it was love, Mom

That made you come whenever I'd call,

Your inexhaustible love, Mom

And I thank you for it all.

By Joanna Fuchs

..spot on, right?!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS!

For more wonderful poems for every occasion, visit www.poemsource.com

late night read

Read last night the May 2009 issue of YES! Magazine that pays tribute to the late Francis Magalona where wife, Pia Magalona, shared their beginnings as a couple until their battle against Francis' leukemia.

While saddened upon reading about Francis' undertakings, I was quite impressed with how Pia Magalona handled family situations even before FM got sick - more so during the last few months of FM's life. She shared that there are times when Francis would say sorry because he got sick and that all she could do was to hug him to ease the pain. Sad no? Hahum! :(

This 30-page spread also included personal pictures that Francis took himself and touching and inspirational stories of family and friends (including Michael V's eulogy).


Source: YES! Magazine May 2009

budding web designer :p

my daughter's young creative hands at work, now my desktop's display image ;p

fried tofu with teriyaki sauce

A week before I got married 7 years ago, there were two things I knew I needed to buy before we finally live together - a new set of undies (*wink*) and a good COOKBOOK. Thankfully, Good Housekeeping dished out a Collectors Edition of easy everyday meals - EXACTLY what I was looking for "something easy" for our "everyday meal." This cookbook has over 101 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a variety of desserts, compiled in one PERFECT cookbook and it is not even expensive - just P150. Suffice it to say that this cookbook, that is as old as my marriage, has been a great help in planning and experimenting new recipes at our dinner table.

So iniweyz, I made fried tofu with teriyaki sauce today from this perfect cookbook (sorry, just had to tell the story behind the cookbook). I am not crazy about tofu but anything that has teriyaki sauce in it must be good - and it is :)

You will need:

2 blocks of tofu

oil for frying

2 tablespoons spring onions, chopped

Teriyaki Sauce:

2 cups water

1/2 cup light soy sauce

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons potato powder dissolved in 1 cup water (i just used flour of same amount)

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

You need to:

- deep fry the tofu until golden brown

- in a saucepan, combine the ingredients for the sauce and cook until slightly thick

- place the cooked tofu in a bowl. Top with the sauce and chopped spring onions.

I paired this with daing na bangus and LOTS of rice ;p

No Reservations - Philippines

I super love watching Anthony Bourdain in Discovery Travel and Living's No Reservations. And all this time I have been asking why the Philippines has been bypassed when I have seen him travel in almost all of Southeast Asia. The answer to my why's had been answered today with just a click of a button. I was trying to view the TV guide of Discovery Travel and Living in SE Asia and ended up reading "Our Awesome Planet's" blog about Anthony Bourdain being here --- IN THE PHILIPPINES. Great!

It started with Ivan Man Dy touring AB through Chinatown where they tried chicken balls, taho, and pancit palabok. Then went to Dampa and ate pinakbet, ginataang crab, and adobong hipon. Halo-halo though could have been a nice addition to the list of something to try.

Pampanga was next where he met with Claude Tayag, artist, writer and chef (as mentioned in the show). AB was introduced to different goat dishes, and sisig which is what as AB says in the show and I quote, "the come to mama moment of my trip." You just have to love the wit of this man.

Last stop was Cebu where they visited Tabuan (place were danggits are sold) where AB was accompanied by Joel Buenamira, who then cooks up a meal and celebrate the most awaited LECHON which was tagged by AB himself as the "best pig ever".

What more can I say, Anthony Bourdain is just for me the most entertaining and the coolest chef ever, and watching him enjoy our food makes me so proud. Kudos to the guys who toured AB. I felt that the Philippines was well represented with you guys leading. Well done! :)

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Watch the whole episode of No Reservation's Philippines in youtube.com by ArcApex.

PACQUIAO WINS OVER HATTON!!

Im betting no one in the Philippines couldnt be prouder to be a Filipino right now.

Manny Pacquiao defeated Ricky Hatton, who has just been beaten once in his entire boxing career (well, now twice ;p), in just 2 smashing rounds. Hatton dropped twice in the first minute or so of the first round, then knocked down on the second round. Amazing!

I personally admire Manny Pacquiao's determination, his discipline and his faith. Just shows that hardwork and faith will take you many places. Such an inspiration!

Wanders @ PAGCOR

Decided to repost this entry (from March 2008) since Wanders stint in PAGCOR is still ongoing.

"Last Saturday, we had the chance to watch Wanders at Pagcor Grand Theater thanks to friends who were super kind enough to share us tickets. I was expecting a circus-circus type of act, you know the regular stuff where the ringleader introduces a group who performs with instrumental songs as backgroundmusic. Well...uhhmm...it kinda went around that order but with a beautiful beautiful beautiful band behind it (headed I think by Egay of ASAP before??), wonderful pinoy singers (Frenchie Dy, et al), great foreign dancers, grandiose costumes and hair designs - FEROSSSSHHH!!! As in I was as amazed and applauded just as hard as my daughter did, if not louder :)

My daugther, Leila, had so much fun. She was laughing so hard with the mimes drumming beats which turns out to be the Maneouvers - and yes! yes! yes! they were ultra cute. I enjoyed the interpretative dances so much especially when they swung their act across the stage twirling themselves with just a ribbon (like what KC Concepcion did for Sharon's bday) AMAZING!!! And Aldrin (my husband) of course, with a lot of hot hot hot hot chikas dancing beside him (beside coz they went up and danced at the aisle) who would not be staring, even I caught myself staring ;p

I also realized how star struck I can get, I mean c'mon who gets star struck toMatt Ranillo? our moms maybe? but again..ME..STARING!! She was with her daughter Krista too, who is a looker too. We saw Bobbie Andrews too with his family just about two rows down from where we were sitting. Too bad, cameras were not allowed inside.

We had our share of quick fame as well during curtain call. They showed Leila on the two big LCD screens on both sides of the stage while she was having fun picking up confetti and dancing.

Overall, we had an amazing night. We had pictures taken with the performers at end of the show for an additional fee."

Wanders still have shows at PAGCOR Grand Theater in Paranaque.

Ticket prices are at Php 3090, Php 2575, Php 2060, Php 1545, Php1236.

Performance dates are on May 1 to 6, 15 to 17, 19, 20, 30 and 31.

For more details on seat plan and directions on how to get there, visit Wanders at http://www.ticketworld.com/.