"Beneath the Ocean, Beneath the Ocean..."

Mesmerized by Nemo

To say Lola was excited to check out Manila Ocean Park yesterday w/ the free tickets she got was the understatement of the end-year.  It was also my first time to visit, and in my mind I (correctly) presumed that almost every other aquarium display I've seen in other countries have been superior in look, feel and fishes.

And Before I Forget...

Yes, it's snowing inside my house.  Xmas Miracle!

10 Thoughts on Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Saw this at the SM North EDSA IMAX theater on what I'd like to call a date, but the sickly combination of cough, cold and sore throat made it hard for me to concentrate afterwards (imagine trying to hold a conversation and preventing snot from dripping out of your nose at the same time). SPOILERS.

November Notes

Nov. 5: This was at the Penguin Gallery and Cafe in Malate.  It has three things going against it: 1)P150 Door charge, 2)No conspicuous signage, and 3) Barely enough art pieces to count as a gallery.  On the other hand it was the first time I've seen a didgeridoo being played live, and to a dance beat, as the man blowing on it was also doing musical mixes on his laptop.

No real occasion, by the way.  When I arrived Kes and Sue were there and we all waited for the literally fashionably late Dee (this pic doesn't do her top justice) to show.  Later on we joined Dee's friend Dirk upstairs for beers.  Place seems to be the preferred hangout of foreigners and pseudo-Bohemians.

Pinatulog Niya Ako: 5 Thoughts on Pina

Watched it w/ Lola over during a weekend screening organized by Cinemanila at Market! Market! Normally my movie reviews would be presented in 10 points, but I couldn't muster the same enthusiasm I did before I saw the film.  Note to cinema security: Not being allowed to record a movie is not the same as not being allowed to bring a camera into the theater.  Had I brought a pack of cigarettes would you have taken those even if I wasn't smoking at the time?

Ryan Cruz's Version of The Proposal

Ryan Cruz gives his girlfriend Kitin Flores her best movie date ever.

Ryan's Movie House Proposal to Kitin

10 Thoughts on In Time

al·le·go·ry  (l-gôr, -gr)

n. pl. al·le·go·ries

a. The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form.

b. A story, picture, or play employing such representation. (e.g. replace any mention of time or units of time in the movie In Time with money.

Coronimation

Halloween Night w/ Lola & The Rafaels

Taken from a table at Krispy Kreme at Bonifacio Global City.

Adding animated pix/gif to blog instructions found here.

September Summaries

Sept. 3: This is my second cousin John's youngest daughter Althea celebrating her 1st birthday at Choi Garden. It's only my 2nd time to eat there, and the first/last time was also for a kid's party.

Chef's Table: A Brief Anniversary Party Foodie Tour

Without the restaurant in context this
 might be mistaken for a book cover.

My stock knowledge of Chef Bruce was limited to knowing he has a TV show on the Asian Food Channel (Tablescapes: Life on a Plate w/ Angel Aquino).  It was from Ana G. that I learned he had his own restaurant at the Infinity Tower in BGC, Chef's Table, and embarrassingly enough it was from a banner outside that restaurant did I learn that his last name was Lim.

Ana G. invited me to attend the 1st Anniversary party of Chef's Table, so this was my chance to partake of complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres served ina high-end restaurant.  Other attendees included Fernds, shiny-skinned host Lucas Raven, Phoemela Baranda, Rovilson Fernandez and the cast of 99.5RT's The Disenchanted Kingdom.
Below is a gallery of said cocktails and hors d'oeuvres not to be found on the menu, so if you weren't there last Friday you really missed out.

Stomptastic

For as long as I could remember I loved doing percussion, even before I knew the word existed*.  From beatboxing to strumming my fingers to tapping my pencil or drumming on my desk.  My taste for aesthetic sounds lay not in tunes from strings nor the striking of keys, but the tap of wood and/or plastic.  I was also fascinated by tap-dancing, because it sounded cool and looked easy.  You didn't need to be accompanied by outside music, lug around tape/CD players or looked crazy if you were only hearing the song in your head, because w/ tap-dancing you literally made the beat up as you went along.  Watching Sammy Davis Junior or Gregory Hines in action was mesmerizing.

10 Thoughts on Real Steel

What: Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo & EvangelineLily
Who with: Lola
When: Oct. 16, 9:30pm
Where: Greenhills Theater Cinema 2, 2nd Row
Why: Birthday treat

*SPOILERS*

August Appendices

Aug. 24: Legazpi Boy Fernand held a birthday pool party at his apartment building in Asia Tower.  The scenario reminded me of when I held my birthday there several years back: relaxed atmosphere, way too much food, and no-one used the swimming pool.  Lookes like the Speedo trunks I wore were staying dry.  Familiar faces in attendance inlcuded CB, Ana G., Rosanna (whom I met w/ Aryn Cristobal at C.B.'s pool party where the pool was actually used, by the way) and Carlos Joaquin, who was still working w/ (or for ) Engelbert.  I was even more surprised when Fernds had to leave his own party early because he had to go to Pampanga.  I just took that as my cue to exit as well.

When It Sings, It S'pores (Part 3)

Bug-eyed in the Subway.

Aug. 21, 2011: Lola and I checked out of the hostel in the morning, but our flight to Manila for 1:30AM the next day, so we asked them to hold on to our bags (for an additional S$2 each) while we spent our Last Day out and about.  Seeing as we missed our chance to watch The Lion King we opted to check out real animals at the Singapore Zoo.

When It Sings, It S'pores (Part 2)

Aug. 20, 2011:  Busy day today, with lots of walking done.

After Lola and I waited for our consumed breakfast of Nestlé cereal and white bread to do its job (i.e. act as "nature's brooms") we headed out for Suntec to attend the Toy, Games and Comicon.  The venue almost felt like overkill to me, as if RCBC Plaza in Makati decided to host our Manila Comicon instead of the usual soulless venues like SM Megatrade Hall.  We got in pretty easily as next to no-one queued at the Internet Booking line.

When It Sings, It S'pores (Part 1)

Pagoda Street, Chinatown, where Lola bought a cheesecloth umbrella.

Aug. 19, 2011: This is being typed on the netbook provided by the good folks of Beary Nice Hostel, located on Smith Street in Chinatown... in Singapore.

Probably should have mentioned that first.  Am here w/ Lola to attend the Singapore Toy Games and Comics Convention, and for me to meet up w/ some friends along the way.  Failed tonight on the latter, but more on that later.

Busuanga Blog, Day 3 (of 3) ((Revised))

He took his T-shirt caption (GIVE ME A BREAK) seriously.

Sunday, June 26, 2011: Half our day was spent at the local hospital as Richard needed to be treated for his allergies, w/c were exacerbated from all the booze, possibly the water source from the shower (not like we had a CSI kit to verify this) and his inability to stop scratching himself all throughout last night.  We killed the hours waiting for the doctor to show up (he didn't) w/ catnaps and, in the case of Enz, watching Game of Thrones on her iTouch.  Eventually we just left after a nurse shot Richard w/ I believe was steroids, but I can't be too sure as he wasn't going to be lifting any heavy weights aside from our luggage in the near future.

"Teevee? We Talk Some Teevee."

Admittedly the only time I enjoy Geekfight! Quiz Night is when the subject is to my liking.  This month (they were monthly, who knew) the subject was TV, possibly my 2nd best useless knowledge forte after Comics and before Movies.  Shocker of shockers, Lola wasn't able to join me, but I managed to grab the Coron People for at most participants and at least my de-facto audience for possible smart-ass answers.  (I've always said about the answers: when in doubt, make it funny.)

Busuanga Blog, Day 2 (of 3)

R.I.P., cap (L.A.S.)

SATURDAY, June 25, 2011: Breakfast was cold and fly-ridden (but not fly-infested, thank god).  Our day was spent swimming in bodies of water that had various degrees of saltiness.  Before our boat launched for Cayangan Lake the boat guy told me to take off the hat I borrowed from Marilyn because he said at the speed we'd be going it'll just blow right off.  My stubbornness and vanity made me switch to the cap Mom lent me.  Guess what got blown off my head a several minutes after we launched..?

Busuanga Blog, Day 1 (of 3)

FRIDAY, June 24, 2011: Arrived at the airport an hour earlier than needed, but that was fine, as I saw the congested Cebu Pacific check-in lines were taking up most of everyone else's waiting time, as opposed to AirphilExpress' near-ghost town number of people in queue.  I had time to eat a semi-decent Japanese lunch while listening to Robopocalypse in audiobook form.

June Jumps

June 10: I believe this was the first night of Dee arranging a outing w/ her circle of friends and family.  Our initial outing took us to Power Plant Mall, where she and I had cheesesteak sammiches for dinner (Kester went for Japanese), then we all watched X-Men: First Class.  The nightcap was at Good Earth instead of Barcino because Mare wanted beer, not wine. 

Breasts 2.0

Nobody'll recognize me!

The following is my solicited but unpublished magazine article on How Men Really Feel About Breast Implants.  (Images taken online and modified totally w/o permission.)--

NOTE: Some of the names of the men interviewed have been changed to protect their Facebook profile pages from possible wife/girlfriend/mistress reprisals. 

A Letter From (and To) My Future Ahijada

Received tonight:

Hello! My name is Mireia and I was born last May 27 weighing 2.85 kg. As I was in a bit of a hurry to see the world, I arrived 3 weeks before the expected due date. :)

My reply:

Darnas, Wonder Women and Storms, Oh My!

Darna's so shy.

Not often I post on something somewhat work-related, but you'll see why inna bit.

Holcim Cement Corporation hosted a dealers rewards night in at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City, not to be confused, said the tour guide, w/ the Waterfront Hotel in neighboring Mactan. Being my first time here, that was unlikely to happen.

May Pahabol

Fellow otakus Jenn & Lola
(Zombie at Tiffany's shirt by Threadless.)

May 7: Local comics fandom is slowly but surely gaining ground to a point where the local conventions are charging triple digit prices. Case in point: went w/ Jennifer Chua to the Metro ComiCon at Megamall and was shocked to see tickets going for 120 bucks! Perhaps it was to fund the raffle or maybe to pay a partial appearance fee for David "V for Vendetta" Lloyd, but the latter's unlikely because National Bookstore was the one who sponsored him. No gems for me in the back-issue bins, but Jen bought a copy of VforV and got Lloyd to autograph and sketch on it for her.

April Assembly

From L to R: Tuesday, Dindo, Jayford, Ryan,
and Jill, w/ George behind the camera.

April 2: Potluck Krav Maga party at the gym, so I brought 2 party-size Shakey's pizzas that disappeared in less than half an hour. The highlight of the party was Ryan Cruz's close-up magic tricks. I know I've seen them done before in Street Magic's Secrets Exposed, but it's still entertaining to see, especially the look on the volunteer's faces when they're stumped with either shock or awe. I'd post a sample vid if my internet connection was faster.

March Mental Notes

Not willing to share that last piece of Mango Bravo.

March 4: Newlyweds Gaile and Howard held a despidida dinner party for Tata at a friend's condo in Makati. It was my first taste of a fondue dinner, as well as cooking steak cubes, vegetables and tuna in a small pot of superheated oil. Other things I learned that evening (owing to me not be a general snoop on people's private lives)-- Tata's bisexual, and Jac's her girlfriend.

Portrait of Wedding Guests.

Feb Follow-Up: Gaile's Wedding; Ana G's 31st

My "godcousin" Gaile Robredo got married to her boyfriend Howard Vitas. Attended the wedding in Naga City. The first picture wasn't planned, just good timing. There's a whole soap opera scene happening here.

Tripping Over Taiwan, Days 5-7 (aka Wrap-up)

Me protecting a fake Venus statue's dignity at HaiBao Pearl and Jewelry.

Dad staring at the Spring and Autumn Pavilions. I entered the Dragon's mouth and climbed all the way to the top (or at least up to the floor where the gate wasn't locked) before getting tired of the view and exiting via the Tiger's mouth.

Tripping Over Taiwan, Day 4

March 12, 2011: Our first stop was at a Formosan Aborigine-themed neighborhood, where we were lead into a shop that hawked Royal Jelly and other dried goods, be they honey, deer parts or giant mushrooms. The proprietor was dressed in tribal costume, and after he finished his sales pitch we heard a buzzing sound. Several ladies rushed out from behind the back doors and counters to try and close the sale. One of the seniors even engaged in some flirting by showing his saleslady some ballroom dance moves. Not sure if he actually bought anything, though.

Tripping Over Taiwan, Day 3

March 11, 2011: The morning trip to Leo Foo Safari Theme Park was more of a quick inspection than a literal day in the park. The cold weather and time alotted wasn't agreeable enough for any of us to wait in line for any of the rides, much less go around and see the whole place (the travel agency's printed itinerary devoted 90% of text descibing the park for our third day, w/c was 90% less than what we saw). Not that we would as all the seats on the good rides were wet from the rain. All that didn't stop the schoolkids that were already there, though, stuffing their faces w/ junk food and wearing giant sandwich bags for raincoats. Basically we were there because the theme park's cafeteria/retaurant was the closest lunch stop we had, but from the food they served obviously not the best stop.

Tripping Over Taiwan, Day 2

March 10, 2011: Lots of walking done on this wet, chilly, and oh-so-nippy day. Or to be precise, little opportunity to sit and rest when we're not on the tour bus. Thank goodness for a filling Western-style breakfast to get me through the morning. The rains followed us to Queen's Head, the famous rock formation at Taiwan's Northern coast that, thanks to natural erosion looked less like an Egyptian queen's head and more a giant deformed chess piece. People still lined up for the ideal spot to photograph its deformed chess piece-shaped head, though.

Tripping Over Taiwan, Day 1

March 9, 2011: Our PAL flight brought me and 16 senior citizens to Taiwan in under 2 hours. Despite the old fluorescent lighting giving the place a dull ambiance, it was nice to see how considerate the airport was w/ providing free surgical face-masks (for the airborne germophobes) and reading glasses at their arrival card filling stations.

For our trip Tommy is the trilingual tour guide, switching back-to-back-to-back from Taiwanese, Fukienese and English. He oriented us on the bus w/ 2 important tips. One: Even on narrow roads that look like One Way streets, always look both ways before crossing. Two: No need to carry shoulder bags "football" style as purse-snatching is not a problem in Taipei.

The More Things Change,...

2005

2011

Letter to a Spanish Couple (Edited)

Dearest HudBud (& Loren, my Hud-Hombre)

Belated Fleece Navigator! (write back if you don't get the joke.)

Not Out w/ the Old, Could Do w/ the New

Just a few personal items that ought to be disposed of in the name of aesthetics (or fashion mercy), but my practical side feels that nothing short of their disintegration would get me shopping for replacements.