Eggcellent

From the DLSU Alumni paper.

EGG was a project I worked on coupla years ago. Yours truly and friend Rachelle did multiple roles for the FlashTM animated feature. Rae did the voice of the lead character, while I voiced most of the supporting cast. The end credits would've been so much more impressive had it listed our names next to the cast of characters. But, no, they just placed our names.

Then comes the Indeo Awards, and indie short-film and video competition where EGG wins Best Film. I was surprised to learn that there was a Best Actor category, but no Best Supporting Actor (ego taking a blow), nor were I nor Rae mentioned by name (they just announced the winners). Damn you, Jeffrey Quizon.

Teeth Wash

Got a teeth cleaned today, more than a year after my last visit to the dentist. Can't be helped. Medical service of any kind in Beijing was expensive, and the closest I heard about a "decent" dentist in China was some Russian named Vladimir who spoke English and accepted cake as payment.

The process changed a bit over the past year. Now after the "brush and buff" the dentist (Aimee Yang) placed mouthgards filled with some kind of sealent (or finishing polish) over my teeth. Smelled and tasted like rotten fruit. Whatever gets the job done, I guess.

I went with my mom, who had her caps replaced. Never knew how much fake teeth she had. Love her priorities, though. Some women get fake boobs, she gets fake teeth.


Ma's old teeth

Birthday Lunch and Dinner

Would've entered this blog last night but a lack of sleep left me with a throbbing headache.

Had lunch w/ some Beijinoys at Gerry's Grill in Greenhills. Frankly their style of Pinoy food tasted much better than in Recipes. After lunch I had an entire afternoon to kill so I decided to stop by the Atlantic Center branch of Slimmer's for a workout. While the place was smaller than the Megamall or Trafalgar branches, the setup was neater, and the view was spectacular. It wasn't as stuffy-feeling as Megamall nor as poorly lit as Trafalgar. It also helped that they had better equipment, plus cuter patrons working out. Definitely coming back, if only to take advantage of what seems to be free parking on weekends.


Ze gang at Gerry's Greenhills

After the workout I still had to rush home, since the family was going out for dinner to celebrate 4-Ku's 60th birthday. By coincidence we both share the same birthdays and decided to celebrate it a week later, due to scheduling conflicts.


Apparently an SUV's about to crash into them from behind.

Even Out Day

I've had bad days, and I've days that evened out (like that Seinfeld episode where one bad incident was balanced out by a good one). My morning was bad, but this evening was great.

While attempting to park the Honda CRV (picking up Jasmine at her school) I hit a parked car. Man, that KRUNCH sound wasn't pleasant. Thing is, from my view of the side mirror I couldn't see if I actually hit anything. Turns out the car was parked at low angle and I cracked its front right turn signal light. Luckily the mother of owner, who was there to pick up her grandchild, was gracious enough about my blunder. Obviously we're footing the repair bill, but whether it's by insurance or by cash is another matter.

Later that evening I had my delayed birthday dinner with Becca, Victor, Mitch and DJ. In the spur of the moment I asked DJ to invite Goldy. Lo and behold, she made it! She had a little bite of our dinner at Recipes before having to leave early, but at least I snatched a pic. :)


The Goldy Girl!

Dee was able to join us later on at Max Bremmer, where Becs and Vic met up with Adriane and his girlfriend. Amidst the rauchy conversation pieces ("I give head like a lesbian..." heheheh), sadly I had to leave early (11pm), as I only rode in w/ Bebot, and she had the car keys.


At Max Bremmer

Hairloom

Before... ...and 600 bucks later.

Just got back from H Salon w/ my mom and cousin. First time I've been to one in over a decade. Basically the difference w/ my usual barbershop and H Salon is price and the extra ammenities, like the hair-washing and hair-drying (my barber prefers the wind), as well as some hair wax/gel crap they put on my scalp afterwards. And no cheap massage, either.

My barbershop cuts my hair for 60 bucks (or about a $1+). This place charged 10 times that, sans tip. Don't even want to think about how much my mom's new 'do cost.

The did a good job, though. A bit of a cheat when to came to adding volume to my head, w/c was basically a variation of the combover. I shouldn't complain, really. Guys like these are like plumbers: charging a lot not for the little things they do, but for knowing when to do it.

New Pope or Pope Lite?

Pope John Paul II's former spokesperson Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has just been elected pope # 265. The 78-year-old German has chosen the name Pope Benedict XVI.

Watching CNN right now. Is it just me or does the man look as untelegenic as all heck? I'm surprised the controversies surrounding his views (condemnming homosexuality, for one) weren't as "well reported" as, say, a US presidential candidate. Then again, it's the Catholic Church. They take care of their own.

For some reason I'm reminded of that scene in The Great Mouse Detective where Rattigan was crowned King of London.

Waterworld

After coming back from the gym I caught Pa and company cleaning up the house's underground water reservoir. Some parts of the metropolis was experiencing water service interruptions due to city maintenance work. Our water interruption was apparently self-induced due to a broken water pump.

Naturally I was asked to help out. One thing I learned is that I love working out, but I hate working.

While helping empty the reservoir Pa gave me a brief history of it. (Gotta pass the time somehow...) Due to the water shortage several years back he thought it'd be a good idea to build one underneath our parking garage. Once done it was thought that the amount of water it could hold would last up to 4 days. Unfortunately with the number of people in house it gets used up in only two. And ideally it's best of this thing gets cleaned once a year. Now 2-3 years have passed since we cleaned the thing, and, ugh, does it show. You know that brown, scummy residue (not algae) that builds up inna aquarium that hasn't been cleaned inna while? It's kinda like that, only inna much bigger aquarium. Add some rust flakes from the pipes, and you got one filthy reservoir. Man, we showered with that water...?

New Old Word

Most of us are familiar with the band Pearl Jam. What never occured to me was the significance of the name. The meaning.

It was only while rereading Preacher: Until the End of the World (by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon), while reading it in context did I realize what pearl jam is.

Semen. Ugh.

Older, Wiser... MAY-be.

Sharing free dessert w/ the kids.

Another birthday come and gone. Got greetings, got some exercise, got some pasta for dinner. While I was surprised by some greetings I was more surprised/ disappointed by those who seemingly forgot, particularly because I thought we were close enough as friends to at the very least remember each other's birthday. Ah, ignore me. I'm just being petty.

Tagaytay Highlands Highlights

The view from the condo

This weekend the 3 families (plus extensions from Sis' side) went to our second cousin Shirley's condo at Tagaytay Highlands. Being a vacation without access to the Internet, I was sure I was gonna get bored quickly. It didn't help that I wasn't able to do the 2 activities I was expecting to do for this vacation: gym workout and a massage. My friend Becca kept recommending the latter, though failed to mention the 900 pesos (give or take) needed to get one. Ending up going swimming, instead.


The view from the steak restaurant

The cool winds negated the need for air-condintioning, at least for a while. I slept in one of the 3 rooms available in the condo, turned the AC on and used the bedsheet for a blanket, with my biological clock waking me up around 7:30 Sunday morning. (Though beforehand the electric clock said 11:45 so I first thought everbody slept the morning away.) Ate breakfast at the condo, rode both cable tram and car (definite deja vu moment from my last trip here about 2 years ago), had steak for lunch, went around the zoo, then finally headed home, w/ a brief stopover at my cousin's house in Bianan, Laguna.


Erap's lodge (center top) and Mike Velarde's lodge (lower right w/ the pine trees facing the road). Rich bastards.

All in all if I could have access to the condo again I'd bring a date there, because seems to be that kind of place. A resthouse up in the hills, away from the hustle and bustle of the city; relatively clean air and clear skys, and a resort-like atmosphere. It just screams for pootie-tang.


First family group shot using tripod, by the waiting area just outside the zoo.

C is for 'Cookie,' Dammit!

From Ben's Blog:

Read online that the latest season of Sesame Street will focus more on a health angle.

Think Sesame Street's Cookie Monster and think ... broccoli? In a fit of drastic behavior modification, the cookie-addicted bundle of fur is declaring that cookies are, in fact, only a "sometime food."

Am I a purist for thinking this is wrong? It's Cookie Monster. What he does is eat cookies, among other things. (Let's face it, he's the show's garbage disposal, w/c is probably why Oscar the Grouch never had him as a houseguest). That's what he is, googly eyes and all. What next, Big Bird as a poster child for gigantism?

(On a side note, I'm surprised the conservative Christian groups that accused Spongebob Squarepants of being gay didn't hurl accusations at Big Bird first. C'mon, it's Big, naked yellow bird w/ a high pitched voice. And if you dressed up 2 guys in Big Bird's and Spongebob's clothes --as in one in a shirt and tie with... square pants, and the other in yellow feathers and orange leggings with pink horizontal stripes-- who do you think's gonna be mistaken for gay?)

Sesame Street's producers should leave the Big CM alone. I mean, this is the guy who would eat the safe Ernie locked the cookies in, or Kermit the Frog's microphone during an interview. Hell, when he plays Alistaire Cookie for Monsterpiece Theater he eats his pipe in the end. What sane parent would even think that Cookie Monster was someone to emulate in terms of eating healthy?

I'm all for the show leaning towards a health angle, but maybe they should limit it to the human characters, or at least the humanoid muppets (Bert, Ernie, Sherlock Hemlock, etc.). Just let the monsters be the monsters that we know and love. Num num num num num...

My Dates w/ Dave (or How I Spent My Dinner for 2 Nights )

Aimee, Edison, Vanessa, Debbie, Robert, Kelly and Dave outside UCC Cafe.

I met up with 2 batches of Beijinoys for dinner Friday and Saturday night. Aside from me and Dave showing showing up at both dinners, the only other thing they had in common was me missing gym. (Forgot to bring a towel Friday and reached both Makati branches of Slimmer's World too late Saturday.) Good food, but, good god, I'm gonna bloat up.

The first dinner was at Burgoo at The Podium, w/c brought a deja vu moment since the last time I met up w/ Dave we have dinner there as well, only it was at the Greenhills branch. While waiting for them to arrive I roamed around The Podium (and confirming my earlier assessment that this was one dull mall) The San Miguel Choir (the beer company employees who felt like forming a choir) was performing for a series of free concerts on the ground floor. I was watching from the third, though I was actually listening to the Visions of Escaflowne OST on my mp3 player. After dinner I ran into old classmate Rachel Go (whose family had an optical shop on the ground floor), who was also having dinner and watching the mini booth they set up on 3rd floor selling shades at a disount. I asked her to help me pick out a pair but they all N.G. for me. Hitched a ride w/ Robert and Debbie (who goes back to China on the 8th for a job at a paper mill in GuangZhou).

The second dinner was at Grappa's, a restaurant I've only eaten in once before (either celebrating Aimee Uy's or my birthday). Skipped the buffet, but the spinach lasagna was good.

Damn, neglected to take a picture of Fernds and Abby (as well as Stephanie and her boyfriend) when they joined us at Max Bremmer for our nightcap.

Today also markes the first time I drove home alone to and from Makati alone since I came back. It was almost mechanical, meaning I still knew the way. Acutally the way home took a bit of luck, but don't tell Ma that.


Dave, Joyce, Hy-C, Jella, Die's sister (sorry, forgot her name), Die and yours truly at Grappa's.