New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is probably my favorite holiday. I say this because even now I still feel it's a special event. I used to go gaga over Christmas, but then I realized there was no Santa and real Christmas trees aren't plastic and half the world didn't celebrate it. And while my level of excitement over the last day of the year has been steadily decreasing with age, I still get that New Year's Eve buzz.

To A. in London who is probably the only person who reads this blog who has no concept of New Year's Eve in Manila -- the city is like a war zone, with people randomly lighting dynamite- like firecrackers, missile- like fireworks. In a place where the minimum wage is US$5/day, some people are known to spend upwards of US$1,000 on fireworks and firecrackers on one evening. The sky is lit, the air thick with smoke. Muted explosions from far away sound like gun fire, explosions from across the street make your car alarm go off, everything contributing to the night's bedlam.

It is chaos and I love it.

Happy New Year everyone, happy new year!

Post Christmas cheer

Christmas is one holiday that's all about the lead-in, the anticipation. For weeks (and for some people much longer) the Christian world fixates over the 25th of December. Then the day comes and 24 hours later that's it, we wait again till next year. There is no collective post-Christmas glow, no Christmas hangover.

But not for me; I'm a sucker for Christmas and a sucker for the Macarena, so enjoy the silliness.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Sometimes...

...I miss my old lives.

I miss high school. When R and I had silly hair, discussed silly things and were just generally silly.

I miss the time I was in college, drinking too much Red Horse, wasting too much time playing pool and reading esoteric novels.

I miss the law school years. I was beadle and thought that was important.

I miss the early years at The Perm. With Chum and my then 22 member batch. Nine years later only one of us remains.

I miss New York. When I was poor and read menus from the outside of restaurants.

I miss the last days at The Perm. With N. and the Mean Girls.

But that said, I wouldn't exchange then for now. To paraphrase Philip: not ever, never.

Twice on a Sunday

• Letterman over Leno
• vanilla over chocolate
• Colbert over Stewart
• Celtics over Lakers
• mayo over ketchup
  
• Madonna over Cyndi
  
• siomai over siopao
• bola-bola over asado
• Ellen over Oprah
• original over extra spicy
• Maxim's over Cafe de Coral
• metal bands over leather straps
• Mugabe over Bush
• Bush over Cory
• thin crust over pan
• Light over Pale
  

Too obvious to mention but I will anyway:

• Coke over Pepsi
• ADMU over DLSU
• Google over Yahoo
  

My thighs hurt

Just because I haven't been writing about going to the gym doesn't necessarily mean I haven't been going. On the contrary, I've actually integrated working out into my weekly routine. (Hurray for me.) For the last 15 months, I've been in the gym 2-4 times a week. Most of the time I'm by myself, but sometimes I meet my trainer, Raymond.

Yesterday I saw Raymond and he made me do these evil squats.

The picture doesn't quite capture the pain involved in doing these squats. The guy in the drawing actually looks like he's having a good time. But I challenge all of you (my 6 readers) to do 50 of these squats in succession. Yep, 50. And let's see if you'll be enjoying yourself. If you've been looking for an easy (no acrobatics) low cost (no machines, dumbbells or accessories necessary) high pain exercise, this one's for you!

So now my thighs hurt, and I'm grumpy. I'm grumpy because I can hardly sit, stand, or go up (or down) a flight of stairs without making what I call "old person sounds". Grunts and sighs, mostly.

*Grunt*

Postcard from HK

I think one of the best things about Hong Kong is that it's a city that knows its place in the world. Unlike New York or Manila, it's not populated by deluded people who think they live in the center of the universe. Hong Kong knows it's just one small island in a dynamic world. There's much to see once you leave it.

Hong Kong is also somewhere you stay for only a portion of your life. Somewhere you stop on your way to somewhere else. You're not born here, you're not from here. No one retires here.

Four weekends of December

One -- Damages marathon. Woohoo!

Two -- Christmas shopping. Bah.

Three -- Boris Birthday Party. Joy to the world!

Four -- Togetherness happiness.

Books I will read next year -- promise!

I've listed some of the book I plan promise to read in 2009. These are books I have owned for some time now, but have not come around to actually read. Dad, you can click on the names of the books, to read more about them.

Hunting and Gathering, Ana Gavalda

Specimen Days, Michael Cunningham

Better, Atul Gawande

Flying Leap, Judy Budnitz

Holiday reading

'Tis the season to read "themed" literature.

I read Holidays on Ice again. For something like the fourth time. Still funny as the first time. This is a collection of essays from David Sedaris about the time he was working as an elf in Macy's Santaland. If you've never read Sedaris before, Holidays is "classic" Sedaris.

Very wry. Very dry.

Am also in the middle of the Holiday Season, two novellas (i.e. long short stories) by Michael Knight (no, not David Hasselhoff in Night Rider). It's one of these ultra sad books. This one is about a dysfunctional family (whose is not?), with a father coping with the death of his wife, his two grown sons distant. Not to be picked up if you get depressed during the holidays.

Playing with foie gras

Tired of paying ridiculous amounts of money for small slivers of fattened duck liver, C and I decided to take charge of our own destinies and prepare the stuff ourselves. Seriously, how hard could it be?

Not hard at all. Seriously.

First thing you need to do is buy really expensive raw foie gras. Yes, I know the whole point was to save money, but this stuff costs a lot even when in the meat section of the supermarket.

Then you take it home, slice it into rectangular pieces ala SPAM (Filipinos would get this reference). Sprinkle generous amounts of flour over the foie gras so that they are covered completely in flour. Heat a pan with a bit of canola oil in it (not too much, just so that foie gras does't stick to the pan). When the pan is hot enough (right before it starts to smoke), sear the foie gras. One minute on each side is plenty. Salt and pepper to taste.

The yummy sauce is made by heating a spoonful of some canola and then adding balsamic vinegar and the drippings from the foie gras.

That's it. Nothing more to it.

Now go and try this yourself at home.

Painting no. 4

Flag down is up again

I jump in and out of HK cabs with such frequency, you'd think I was actually going somewhere important. Most times I'm on my way to someplace I can walk to in 20 minutes. But I'm lazy so I take a cab and pay the minimum "flag down" rate.

When I moved here that rate was HK$15. At just slightly more than US$2 (the price of a bus ride in Manhattan), I can get driven around in a cab. A few months ago, when the price of oil was more than US$150 a barrel, they raised the base rate to HK$16. I thought nothing of it except for the hassle of extra coins I needed to accept as change.

Now it's HK$18, a 20% increase in 2 years. It's still cheap compared to Singapore, but not cheap enough so that I can hail a cab mindlessly anytime I please.

36 hours in Hong Kong (from someone who lives here)

Here's my attempt at cramming the best of Hong Kong in 3 meals.

Dinner at Hu Tong, drinks at Aqua (both at One Peking Road)

On a clear evening, the view of Hong Kong harbor from the 28th floor of One Peking Road is nothing else but breathtaking. I think Hu Tong captures everything Hong Kong is about in 3,000 square feet. It is frightfully expensive, but everything is beautiful, almost delicate. I would trade my mother for a serving of their crispy lamb (this is just a figure of speech, Mom). Before or after dinner swing by Aqua, with the same fantastic view. Order a lychee martini and enjoy the warm cashew nuts.

Ferry ride from Hong Kong Island to TST (during daytime and night time)

One of the corniest, but one of the funnest things you can do in Hong Kong. I guarantee that the 8 minute ferry ride is the best thing you can buy for HK$2.2 (US$0.30, PhP13).

Shopping at the markets in TST, computer center in Wan Chai, mazes of Causeway Bay, antiques and art at Hollywood Road

Not to sound trite, but Hong Kong is known for its shopping for a reason. I am personally not a shopper, but you don't have to be one to realize that shopping here is world class.

Dimsum at Victoria Sea Food at Citic Tower

I've eaten *a lot* of dimsum since I moved here, and I think the best dimsum is at Maxim's at City Hall. That said, that place is a mad house and you can spend a solid 90 minutes waiting for a table. If you're short on time, I recommend Vitoria Sea Food in Admiralty. Where the view is great and you can make reservations. When in season, order the crab roe dumpling. It will shave about 5 minutes from your life, but it is *so* worth it.

Dinner at Peking Garden or Yung Kee in Central, drinks at Sevva

No trip to China is complete without Peking duck, and Peking Garden does a great duck. If you're more of a goose man, then Yung Kee it is with it's wide menu of Cantonese food. You can't lose either way. But both places *require* reservations.

After dinner I suggest drink(s) at Sevva, at the roof deck of the Prince's building. With house cocktails at US$15 a pop, be prepared to spend or have only one drink.

But the view. My goodness, the view.

Guilty pleasures

GR. from the Hague just confessed to reading all four Twighlight books.

Aside: For those of you who don't know what the Twighlight series is about (which until last weekend was a subset that included me), the series is about a teen aged vampires. Sort of like Buffy, but with a serious edge (well, at least that's what the author wants you to think). If you don't know who Buffy the Vampire Slayer is, well, I can't help you anymore.

Now since we're in a confessional mood; forgive me Father for I have sinned -- I have read five books by Sophie Kinsella. Three from the Shop-oholic series and two other novels.

Sophie Kinsella writes what most people now call "chic-lit". I'm not too keen on this term, since it is used to describe any form of writing that appeals to women -- even the well-written kind. Kinsella writes what I consider as "true" chic-lit (i.e., pure drivel). Pure drivel I enjoy immensely.

All the Kinsella books I have read follow the same formula -- an unfocused almost scatterbrained woman going through life and winning out in the end. The writing is at best one dimensional (i.e. shallow) and rehearsed (i.e. non-imaginative).

But they are so, so funny.

And so, I buy these books, read them at home, under the covers, so no one can hear me giggle.

A very Hong Kong weekend

Over the weekend I did two "very Hong Kong" things: I went to the Wan Chai computer center for the first time and I got my first foot massage (ever) from an old Chinese lady.

Wan Chai Surprise

I've been hearing about the Wan Chai computer center since I moved here a couple of years ago. I shied away since I thought the place would be well, to put it frankly, a bit dodgy. I had a mental picture of small cramped shops in a dilapidated building, with pushy salespeople practically intimidating you to buy the most expensive laptop in their shop. I also thought it would be a "locals only, please" kind of place. Where people didn't speak English just to exclude you.

So with this terrifying mental picture I dragged C. to Wan Chai. I figured I could use both the moral support and the Cantonese speaker.

It's funny now, but I can't even remember where I got the idea that the Wan Chai computer center was dodgy. The building is by no means dilapidated; and while the shops are side by side, it is not anymore crowded than say the old Vira Mall (but with better shops). The salespersons are friendly but not pushy. Everyone speaks (or attempts to speak) English. And when you tell them you're just browsing and just want to have a look around, they smile and do a "Price is Right" model gesture, showing off their wares.


Big Bucket Foot Massage

Saturday morning I got a call from J., one of my FFF (favorite Firm friends), who I thought was still on holiday somewhere in South East Asia (Laos, Cambodia, who knows?).

Out of breath, J. tells me he needs a hug (and a foot massage). He just spent a nightmarish 16 hours in the Bangkok airport. Thank goodness his dad sent over a plane to pick him up from a private airstrip outside Kanchanaburi.

"Yes, of course. Thank goodness", I say.

The way he said his "dad sent over a plane" to pick him up from state-of-emergency Bangkok was the same way I'd say my dad picked me up from swimming lessons. I'm sure some people after hearing such news would "play it cool" and not ask how one's father can arrange for a plane to whisk his son out of a private airstrip in rural Thailand.

I am not one of those people.

So later that day over tea and finger sandwiches, J., gives me a blow by blow narration of his holiday from hell. (This post is about the foot massage and I am getting there.) We capped off the lovely afternoon (fantastic weather in HK now) with a foot massage in Causeway Bay.

The foot massage was as expected, painful. Painful but in a good, stress relieving way. To start things off, you're made to soak your feet in this large wooden bucket filled with peppermint leaves (ooh, relaxing) and scalding water (ooh, second degree burns).

With the smallest and nimblest of hands your masseuse, will then methodically beat your feet to numbness and smile sweetly as you mouth the words, "Please God, make it stop".

Exactly sixty-five minutes later we step out into the chilly street and I feel great; my step lighter than before (probably because of the damaged nerve endings, but what the hey).

Self-promotion

I've updated my Flirckr account and uploaded some photos from the China/Japan trip last month.  Click on the "Gallery" tab on the upper right corner to get there.

Laptop as umbrella

I've decided it's time to upgrage my old but sturdy personal laptop.  Like any other responsible shopper, I've been comparing specs and prices; asking friends about their experiences with their own laptops.

Like the time I shopped for a new laptop for work,  all of my friends who use Macs lobbied for one. They all purred and made ooh and aah sounds when describing the whole Apple experience to me.  And while I truly believe them when they say that Mac's are better machines (in the same way I believe people who say they've been cured by the healing power of crystals) none of them could sufficiently explain why I should spend 2.3x more to buy one.

Yes, ladies and gents.  An Apple of certain specs is more than twice as much as an IBM of the same specs.   At least in HK, that is.  

To me a laptop is like an umbrella.  It serves no other purpose other than a utilitarian one.  I don't name my laptops.  I don't have personal relationships with them.  I don't get any pleasure from feeling I am a part of an elite group of knowledgeable people who have "seen the light".  To me laptops are machines that allow me to go on-line, upload pictures, download music and send e-mail.

And if something that costs half as much can do the same job, then that's the one I want.   

More on books

I just finished reading Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I thought it was an enjoyable read. Written in the "he said/she said" format, Nick and Norah narrate their respective versions of events that occur on one Saturday evening in lower Manhattan. Thanks for the recommendation, N!

My only problem with this book is that it is being marketed to the "Young Adult" crowd -- the typeset is large, there are drawings between the chapters. However, I think that's a mistake. The book should not be read by kids (i.e. 10-13 year olds), and that's the usual audience of the Young Adult demographic. The book should be read by older teens -- teens in high school, preferably those in senior year. You can't have a book about sex, drugs and alcohol in the hands of a 10 year old. It's just not right.

I think I'm not alone in thinking this. I think everyone knows that kids/teens usually read "one level up" than what they're supposed to be reading and to market this book to teens is to market this book to young teens. I think the themes are just way too advanced for that market.

Literary peer pressure

As a general rule, I don't read books that are considered "blockbusters". I don't read what most people do because I think "popular fiction" is generally lousy. For example, I have not read (nor have any intention to read) the Da Vinci Code. I have also not read a single Stephen King novel (although I have read one of his short stories). I stay away from all forms of science fiction and fantasy and every title on Oprah's list of "must-read" books. Yes, I am that kind of (boring) person.

I can recall only 2 books that I have read for the *sole* reason that they were popular and I didn't want to be left out of *all* conversation.



1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I read the first Harry Potter book in paperback, after the second one was out. By that time I figured it was not just passing fad. I thought it was a good read for a 12 year old.


2. Eat Pray Love. I grew so tired of hearing about this book, I felt I was nagged by the universe to read it. I thought it was very mediocre. I wouldn't say bad since the author got me reading until the end of the book, but it wasn't inspirational at all. The book is an account of the author's year long trip to Italy, India and Indonesia, how she slays her own demons and becomes a better person. At the end of the book I felt like telling the author, "That was ok. Have a nice life." I did not feel connected to her at all. How did it happen that so many people got hooked on this book?




Then there comes a book that has hype and *is* good. One example is The Time Traveler's Wife. As the title suggests, the book is based on the most incredible of premises -- but it's actually a very enjoyable read. It's a love story told from the perspective of a man and the woman, but in a non-linear fashion because the man is well, you guessed it, a time traveler.

If you haven't read this one, pick it up. It is worth your time.

Stories for all time

I was thinking of writing a Michiko Kakutani-esque review of my father's new book, but I resisted the temptation. Mostly because I can't write like Kakutani or my father, for that matter. I guess the writing gene skips generation. (Hope for P, yay!)

Here's a link to the Ateneo University Press' Book of the Month.

I went to Kyoto...

...and all I got was this really cute picture of me!

My favorite city in the world: Stockholm Osaka

In the summer of 2004, Chum and I went on what I call now as "The Vodka Tour". We went to all the places where good vodka is made. You know, Russia, Sweden and Finland. We went to other places too (like Estonia), but those places aren't known for their vodka.

During that trip, we spent 5 amazing days in Stockholm. According to the local people we spoke to during the trip, it was those 5 days in a year when the sun shines over Stockholm.

People were taking their boats out into the deep blue water. Beautiful people, all over 6 feet, blond and magazine cover attractive. Cafes were bustling. It felt like you were standing in the middle of a postcard or poster promoting tourism in eastern Europe. 360 degrees of picturesque scenery. Canals, old buildings, modern art, parks, trees, and again those beautiful people. Everything was so clean you could eat off the floors of subway stations.

And everyone, yes, everyone, spoke English.

(After 3 weeks in Russia, you can imagine how happy we were to get to Stockholm.)

From then on when people ask me what my favorite city is I would say Stockholm (and then proceed to gush).

But not anymore. Now it's Osaka.

Where no one speaks English, people are short and generally unattractive, and scenery is so-so.

Hmmm... (I'm trying to remember why it's my new favorite city)

Oh yes, the food. The glorious, glorious food.

And the people who are so polite, you want to hug them, but that would be rude.

And the railroad system that looks like the central nervous system --

Word of the day: pip

No, this is not a post on Tirso Cruz III. This is a post about the English word, pip.

When I read anything, I have this nerdy habit of looking up the meaning of words I am not familiar with. This is pretty much the reason why it takes me so long to read a 500 page novel. Every three or four pages (and sometimes more frequently) I need to stop and look up words in a dictionary.

And today I had to look up the word "pip". Well actually, I had to look up two words -- "loquat" and "pip". The sentence read something like "The man swallowed a pip of a loquat".

Loquat means a fruit from China or Japan (this definition is so bad it could mean anything from a cherry to a banana, but I'm thinking, "Fine, it's a fruit.")

And pip means seed. All right. All is well in the world. The man swallowed a seed from an Asian fruit.

But wait.

It might interest you to know that "pip" also means:

-- the dots on a dice
-- patterns on a pineapple
-- a contagious disease of birds
-- to break out of a shell during hatching, as a young bird does
-- to defeat an opponent
-- to shoot or kill by gunshot
-- to peep or chirp, as a chick does

And of course a popular actor in the Philippines during the 70's.

Cool, eh?

And that people, is why I read.

Smart People

I saw Smart People over the weekend. It was ok. And I mean that to be "just" ok.

The movie about a self absorbed, lonely and bitter English professor (played by Quaid who was trying be ugly but failed) started very well but, like most movies about redemption, lost its way a third of the way through. The ending was abrupt (and not in a nice way). With the characters' "transformation" not sufficiently fleshed out. I thought Ellen Page as Quaid's daughter was terrific. She's one to watch out for.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars -- it actually deserves only 2 stars, but I have a soft spot for Quaid, Sara Jessica Parker (who plays Quaid's doctor then girl friend) and quirky soundtracks.

The money shot

Mi amiga Picasa

While chatting with S., a colleague who is also dabbling in a amateur photography (my definition of "dabbling in a amateur photography" is to buy a really expensive DSLR and not know how to use it), we started talking about Picasa, Google's photo filing, fixing, and sharing software. He said it was user-friendly and had very useful fixes.

And it's free. So of course I tried it out.

And you should too, if you have hundreds of pictures on your computer and don't really know how (or can't be bothered) to file (that would be me). Picasa essentially puts ALL of the pictures in your computer into one "place" and allows you to search, file and manipulate them very easily -- everything you'd think Google would do for it's photo software. You can fix pictures with ease too. No need to learn how to Photoshop or zoom in real close to fix certain spots. Picasa does everything for you with a click of a button.

Picasa "salvages" those awful test shots I take when I'm figuring out what setting to use for the shot. You see, I had no idea how to use an SLR before I bought one. Until this day I don't even know what "SLR" stands for. I just know it means those "professional" looking cameras. I used to take dozens of pictures and have only one or two "money shots". With Picasa, I have increased my "great shot to just awful" photo ratio.

You can also make your pictures look like something that has come out of a graphic designer's hands. Like my picture of the Forbidden City in yesterday's post.

But since we're talking about pictures, I think this simple demonstration will explain.

This is a picture I took with no manipulation on a hazy day in Beijing.



This is the same picture after "fixing" it with Picasa.



I rest my case.

Hmmmm.... what to blog about first...

This



or this



or this

(which would be about my discovery of Picasa, and yeah, the trip)



or this

(which would be about leaning Pagodas in Xian -- no the picture is not crooked)



I'd post more teaser pics, but am getting sleepy (that's code for lazy).

Unfortunately he didn't inherit my dancing

Here's a clip of P dancing with the snowmen sometime last year.

Before he was gorgeous...

He was adorable.

The Best of Various Artists

Madonna -- Live to Tell 

Michael Jackson -- Human Nature

Cyndi Lauper -- True Colors

Everything But The Girl -- I Didn't Know I Was Looking For Love

George Michael -- I Can't Make You Love Me

Mariah Carrey -- You'll Always Be My Baby

Gary Valenciano -- Look In Her Eyes

Whitney Houston -- My Love Is Your Love

A.k.a "Jona's Diet"

For the last couple of weeks or so, I've been obsessed with whitening my teeth. In the course of the last month I have used a box of Crest Whitestrips and Aquafresh White Trays. I now have "visibly whiter teeth", but since I human and cut from the same cloth as Gordon Gekko, I want more.

Last weekend, having an hour to kill before I need to see my masseuse, I mean, physical therapist, I walked into one of these "quasi dental" clinics that offer teeth whitening procedures.

I sat through one of their 10 minute free consultation sessions and I was diagnosed with teeth that are two shades away from Ryan Seacrest's.

The woman said that their treatments last from 6 months to a year, depending on your diet. Some kinds of food should be avoided, she said, since they are notorious for their teeth staining qualities. Food like coffee, red wine, soy sauce and curry.

You know, the four food groups of my diet.

The case for wine bottles with a twist off cap

I used to stay away from wine bottles with twist off caps the same way I would avoid wine in boxes. But not anymore.

I am now a convert to twist off cap wine bottles. Not only is it easier to open, it keeps. The wine keeps for a day and a half, sometimes two days. No need for those fancy sealers.

And yeah... the wine's not bad. Just don't buy the cheapest one in the lot.

Next time you're shopping for wine, don't discount the humble twist off bottle.

Spoke to soon

The weather has not turned in HK.

It's still warm and dry and generally icky.

Thankfully I will be traveling to cooler climates soon.

I'm reading a story book!

I stopped reading story books (i.e., plot driven books) ages ago. I found them to be very entertaining, but somehow lacking in substance. Sort of like what Reader's Digest is in the magazine writing world.

Also, I thought these books did not challenge me intellectually. There were no mental push-ups nor was there a need for emotional introspection. Guy jumps out of plane, unto a moving train; a girl climbs a tree, swims in a lake. Everything was laid out in front of you. There was nothing for you to figure out yourself.

But somehow, I've found myself reading the story books of story books (i.e., it's a plot driven book about a plot-driven book). It's called The Shadow of the Wind by this author named Carlos Zafon (translated from the original Spanish by Lucia Graves).

The writing is surprisingly very good and the story is developed quickly but not hurriedly. This guy Zafon knows his stuff.

This book is a terrific read. Old fashioned story telling at its best; no mental acrobatics required.

Happy Birthday, A in Phonm Pen!

Maligayang kaarawan, Annie.

H+K from HK

Four Weekends of October

1 - Sleep in, recover from Four Weekends of September. Lots of DVDs.

2 - Regina turns one. Lots of kids, lots of cake.

3 - Beijing, Xi An. Lots of pictures.

4 - Osaka. Lots of sushi.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I saw Woody Allen's latest movie over the weekend. It was terrific. You should go see it if you have the chance. It was all very fancy and sophisticated (lots of Gaudi, lots of Dali) and yet all I could think about was the Sharon-Gabby movies of my youth.

Remember those formulaic Sharon-Gabby movies? Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl (usually because of disparities in their families' backgrounds), boy is reunited with girl.

Growing up I recall there would be 1 or 2 Sharon-Gabby movies every year, and to break the monotony of making the same movie twice a year, some enterprising producer will decide to pack up the entire crew and film in Baguio. Or San Francisco. And then proceed to shoot the exact same movie, but in a different location.

That's exactly what Vicky Christina Barcelona is. It's a "Woddy Allen movie" in Spain.

It's about frickin' time!

Almost a month after the Mid-Autum Festival, the weather is finally turning in Hang Kang.

Finally.

Inanities

I'm so happy I found my right house slipper.  Like really really happy.  It was lost for a couple of days and I was dsitraught.  For a while I thought the Fairy Godmother of Slippers wanted to punish me for not wearing my slippers, so she took my right slipper away.  Leaving me with a useless left slipper.  Good only for killing cockroaches, but there are no cockroaches in my flat. 

Sadness, grief and exasperation eveloped me.  And then one day, I stuck my hand under my bed and found a dusty but otherwise healthy slipper.  

I said a small prayer of thanks to the universe.  

The Perfect Omelette

Today I made myself the perfect omelette.  It was just a little runny, but properly formed (not squishy).  The filling of ham and cheese wasn't jutting out of the shell.  It was a perfect pocket.  The cheese had melted so it was more of ham omelette with cheesy egg.  

Now I'm off to the gym to eliminate that sucker from my system.

I gave him that shirt!

Forgive the bragging Ninang. But if you're nephew looked this cute, you'd be posting random pictures as well.

I swear this isn't a guy in a panda suit

For more adorable panda photos, click on "gallery" on the upper right corner.

Repulse Bay 2008

Gooooo Sarah!

I'm not a Republican or a Democrat (I'm not even American!), but I'm extending this plea to all Americans registered to vote: please vote for John McCain.

Please.

If he wins, the next four or even eight years will be so entertaining with Sarah Palin as VP. She reminds me of Alma Moreno as Mayor of Paranaque. No, wait. Vilma Santos. Yes, Governor Vilma Santos.

Imagine Ate V being a heartbeat away from being the leader of the free world?!?

It's a blessing in the skies!

(But seriously, watch Katie Couric's interview of Palin. It is breathtaking.)

O.B.F.!

I'm thrilled about Ateneo's UAAP win.

As expected, another win during a year I am unconnected with (and physically removed from) ADMU. I was a student for 8 years, faculty for two. You think we'd squeeze in a win during the DECADE I was there.

In any case, I am very happy.

Halikinu from HK.

"I never liked you and I always will"*

I'd like to think I get along with almost anyone. But there a few people I've crossed paths with whose company I do not really enjoy. Of that small group, there is a handful of people I have tried to like. And I mean *really* tried. I mean extending and accepting invitations to dinner and dimsum. I mean spending precious free time with these people I've told myself I should like -- even if I find them despicable.

Usually they're married to friends. Other times they're good friends of friends.

After years of trying I've come to realize that certain people, like certain chemicals, just don't mix. And no amount of fancy dinners or dimsum (or stirring) will help.

*Samuel Goldwyn

Self-learned lessons

Let me preface this post by saying that I wish this guy the best. I really do. This post is not meant to be sarcastic. It is an honest reaction to sloppy thinking and sloppy writing.

-0-

I received a "cold" e-mail today from someone who was looking for a job at The Firm. I do not know said someone and the only thing actually connecting me and him is the fact that we are both Philippine qualified lawyers.

He asked me for any "tips" or "suggestions" that I might give him to help him in his job search. I was afraid I'd put him off if I replied candidly to his note, so I didn't. Instead I thanked him for his interest in The Firm and referred him to The Firm's recruitment officer.

If I could though, this is what I'd tell him --

1. Don't send cold emails. The only thing worse than not looking for a job is sending cold e-mails. That actually hurts your chances. You need to approach people you have real connections with. Sharing the same colored passport with someone is not a valid connection.

However, if you *must* send a cold email, then do your research on this person and try to *make* a connection to your subject.

"My name is X, we went to the same school." or

"My name is X, I think we both know Y."

Again, the whole "we were born in the same archipelago" line does not work.

2. Research. Before you write a note to someone you know, read-up on the person's law firm. I'm not talking about breaking-out-the-microfilm research, I'm talking about going to the firm's website and browsing. Don't ask a question that can be easily answered by a five- minute tour of a website.

3. Don't ask stupid questions. This is related to point 2 above, but is meant to apply more generally. Remember when you were in high school and your history teacher said there are no such things as stupid questions? Well, your teacher was wrong. Questions reveal not what you don't know, but what you know. So ask wisely.

4. Don't use the word "clueless". You correctly described your questions to me as clueless. If you thought this was cute and self-deprecating, you are mistaken. "Clueless" is a synonym for stupid.

I feel bad putting this guy in his place, but when I applied to The Firm, I sent only one email -- a note to the recruitment officer. I didn't write anyone I knew (or didn't know) who happened to be working there. I didn't ask stupid questions, I went to the website, I did my homework.

Is that too much to ask of someone else? (See the point I made in no. 3)

Misleading rates

Don't get me wrong -- despite Cebu Pacific's misleading rates, I am still a fan of Gokongwei's budget airline.

On my last trip, both my outgoing and incoming flights were on time. My flight to HK was actually early.

What's lousy though is what I think are misleading promotions. CP claims they have a seat sale. And while the cost of the ticket is in fact cheap -- Php3,000 two-way from Manila to HK for any weekend in November, the "taxes and surcharges" component of their fees have increased significantly. I ticket advertised at Php3,000 will actually cost you nearer Php9,000. (That's 200% more than what CP claims the ticket costs.)

Now Php9,000 is still reasonable, and I think CP is doing a great job. So why don't they just say what the real price of the ticket is, instead of getting our hopes up with bogus adverts.

You can thank me later

UAAP finals are around the corner. Ateneo La Salle.

I'm in town the Sunday of Game 1, but leave shortly after the game starts.

Four weekends of September

1 - the Pogi's (yes, that's what I call them) in town. Lots of laughs, lots of duck.

2 - KL. I need to blog about the Ramadan buffet. Lots of sleep, lots of curry.

3 - Manila to celebrate Inday's birthday. Lots of paella.

4 - Campers in town. I foresee lots of late night conversations fueled by Absolut Mango.

Letter to the editor

In her blog, Jessica Zafra reproduces a quote from Washington SyCip. The quote is meant to be one of these funny jabs at lawyers. It goes -- "We have too many lawyers, we can't even export them."

It would have been almost funny if it were accurate.

From an exported lawyer to an aging accountant -- we've been exporting lawyers since the 70's. Now they don't even need expensive American masteral degrees. They're being hired for regional posts with *only* Philippine J.D.'s.

I'd post a response on her site, but I can't be bothered to log into Wordpress.

What I thought was funny was SyCip's quote being listed along with one from April Boy Regino.

Jona's Petronas

Leftovers

Some dishes are meant to be left overs.  They literally taste better the next day.  The flavors seep in, the meat softens.  

On the other hand, some dishes are meant to be consumed immediately.  In just a few minutes, they go limp, soggy.  The zing goes away and no amount of microwaving will bring it back.

Google Chrome rocks

I've started using Google's new Internet browser, Chrome.  It's wonderful -- rendering is clear, layout intuitive and super hyper fast.  Some small things still don't work (like some pop-ups on Facebook) and my office's remote access still needs to get configured on it.  There is no automatic spellcheck feature that I love (my Mother will say that I *need*) but otherwise, it is a great great start for Google.

Chrome will definitely out perform Explorer which is just too "heavy" and clunky and s   l   o   w.   Firefox is great (and it's the browser I usually use) but Chrome has some novelty and is fun to try. Actually with Chrome's layout and overall design, you'd think Google hired a disgruntled Firefox engineer to build Chrome.  

If you have a 2 minutes to download Chrome, I suggest you do.  I'm not sure if it will "change the way we surf" the way Gmail changed email, but it's pretty darned good.  

Remembering Nanay

My maternal grandmother died 16 years ago today.

I am approaching an age when she will have been more absent than present in my life.

I know it's just time passing, but I need to think about this some more.

You are what you buy

There was a long queue in the supermarket this afternoon. When that happens, I take the time to examine the groceries the person in front of me has selected and to judge/size-up that person accordingly.

You see, I think the groceries make the man/woman. The couple in front of me bought six kinds of vegetables. Like they were going to make chopsuey, but with the wrong set of vegetables. They bought a head a broccoli, a green pepper, a potato, a carrot. They were either making a bizarre version of chopsuey or buying stuff for their daughter’s science project.

They also bought brown “healthy” (i.e. icky) bread. And brought a reusable grocery bag. Conclusion – healthy tree huggers.

Meanwhile, I purchased the following:

• three pieces of chilled Australian lamb chops
• chopped mushrooms marked down because it was about to go bad
• potato chips
• lemonade
• one can of soup

You see, with this suite of products I want the guy standing behind me in line to say – this lady in front of me cooks. But when she’s in a bind she eats… crap. She must be very busy and have a very important job. Surely she is compassionate and kind. And well-read.

Embarassing

I've lived in Hong Kong nearly two years and while I've lived here, I've read exactly...

wait for it...

...

13 books.

Shameful, isn't it?

I vow to read at least 13 books in the next 12 months.

My New Toy

I'm not getting it until the end of the week, but I'm soooo excited I just needed to share.

My Sanity Score -- 45

Recently, I had a few minutes of down time, so I clicked on the "Know How Sane You Are" link in an article I was reading in the Times. I logged in with my standard fake name and email address, answered a couple of dozen questions, and got the following results.

I was asked if I was happy about my weight. Who in his/her right mind would answer "Yes" to this question? Of course I said no. I was also asked if I eat too much from time to time. Again. I said "yes". Who doesn't? And so now, apparently, I have an eating disorder.

I was also asked if in the last year I have experienced something which affected my whole life. As far as I am concerned, every single second of my existence affects my whole life, so I answered, "yes". And I guess that explains the "Life Events" score.

If you have 25 minutes and enjoy reading questions like, "Do you think people are out to get you?" or "Do you sometimes feel you are being poisoned?" take the quiz and see how well you do.

Congratulations! Based upon your answers, you appear to be in good mental health. You may experience specific mental health concerns, relationship issues, or other issues that come up from time to time in your life, but your overall mental health score suggests that you deal with these well. People with similar scores are more resilient than most people, handle stress appropriately, have good relationships with others, and are able to cope with the in's and out's of everyday life with grace and ease.

General Coping	11
Life Events	50
Depression	19
Anxiety	12
Phobias	8
Self-Esteem	8
Eating Disorders	40
Schizophrenia	10
Dissociation	8
Mania	20
Sexual Issues	0
Relationship Issues	13
Alcohol	17
Drugs	0
Physical Issues	0
Smoking Issues	0
Gambling Issues	0
Technology Issues	6
Obsessions/Compulsions	13
Posttraumatic Stress	17
Borderline Traits	8