The Wonder Spot

Ok, so I wasn't really back....

2011-05-04T16:21:00.002+08:00

... and I may not be back now.

But I did update this blog's template.

Who knows, I may be back soon.

... though I wouldn't hold my breath.

I'm baaaack!

2010-01-20T14:45:00.004+08:00

I apologize to my faithful reader -- sorry Dad! -- for not updating this blog more frequently. As most of you (my 6 other readers) know, I took some time off to do some traveling. Things have been moving at dizzying speed since I boarded a plane to London more than four months ago and I left TWS unattended.

But I am back in Hong Kong now, and real life will resume soon. Tapos na ang maliligayang araw ko. The (only) upside (for my Dad, at least) is that is that I plan to update TWS more frequently -- initially with pictures from the trip (some of them can already be viewed by clicking "Gallery" on the top right portion of the page) and later on with the old swill I used to churn out.

It's great to be back. I heart Hong Kong.

Postcard from Slovenia

2009-10-19T01:52:00.002+08:00

Lake Bled was postcard pretty! I froze my a** off, but it was well worth it (and the sun eventually came out!) What is going on with this cold front? I thought as long as we keep on traveling south, the weather would warm up -- but cold air seems to be following us south from Vienna, Prague, Budapest and now Ljubljana. But nonetheless, all is going well with the trip. Can't believe we've been away for more than 30 days now. See you all in December!

J x

Status Messages I Wanted to Post on Facebook

2009-09-30T02:27:00.005+08:00

Since The Great Flood has turned Facebook into some quasi political message board I have absolutely no interest in...

Jona is....

very far away.
in the Isle of Skye (It's ok, Wikipedia it. There's no shame in that.)
in Inverness (yes, where Macbeth's castle is).
sipping a half pint and a whiskey (you don't call Scotch "Scotch" in Scotland).
going to Berlin on Friday.
having the time of her life.

P at 5

2009-09-13T10:15:00.004+08:00

I'm working on it

2009-09-08T19:44:00.003+08:00

I accidentally hit the "Save" button when I was tinkering with the Html codes of this blog. So now I have an unwanted new template. Am working on the paragraph breaks to see if anything can be done.

Suggestions/tips on how to fix this would be much appreciated.

The Hollywood Version

2009-09-04T10:04:00.001+08:00

The 7 o'clock News Version

2009-09-03T10:45:00.000+08:00

My new trainers!

2009-09-03T09:50:00.000+08:00

After over 5 years with my old running shoes, I thought I deserved an upgrade!

Because R tagged me! :)

2009-09-02T00:03:00.003+08:00

My 15 Films

Usual Suspects
Dead Again
Serendipity
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Return of the Jedi
Godfather II
Milk
Sound of Music
Manhattan
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Thomas Crown Affair
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Big
Empire of the Sun
Up (the last movie I saw in the cinema)

I think I should explain this list. These aren't my "all time" favorite films. They're just the first fifteen I thought of when I thought about "memorable movies".

Welcome, Lung-ga Lu!

2009-09-01T03:40:00.000+08:00

Gabe Bondoc -- "Love Story" - A Taylor Swift Cover (From Romeo's Perspective)

2009-08-08T14:55:00.001+08:00

Kabaduyan, but I love it!

Moving to the Midwest

2009-08-01T00:42:00.000+08:00

Am spending some time in Chicago (yes, Illinois is still the Midwest in my book) to bond with family. Then I'm going to Croatia. And then Chile.

My favorite letter is C.

Watch this space, I plan to update it more frequently.

Cheers.

Four Weekends in July

2009-07-01T13:30:00.000+08:00

1 -- the Pogi's are in town; lots of spontaneous dancing

2 -- a surprise visitor; one of the best weekends *ever*

3 -- work, on-line movies

4 -- good meals, aimless walking, bought Mom's birthday present

Four Weekends in June

2009-06-01T13:26:00.000+08:00

1 -- Korean lunch, aimless walks, late night French Open

2 -- Damages 2 marathon (Season 2 is nothing like season 1)

3 -- Manila for Father's Day

4 -- two full days at the office

Four Weekends in May

2009-05-01T12:06:00.000+08:00

1 -- foie gras, pizza and a nap at Shek O; art film in Yau Ma Tei

2 -- wandering around CWB

3 -- dinner at King Street Wharf and a walk to Mrs. Mcquarie's Chair

4 -- back from Oz

Four Weekends in April

2009-04-25T11:58:00.000+08:00

1 -- Manila to celebrate my parent's 41st wedding anniversary

On that very special day last year my father said, "If had a shot your mother on our wedding night, I'd be a free man by now."

Priceless.

2 -- brunch with Monster, Joseph and Jack

3 -- Dragon Boat and work.

4 -- Guangzhou to see the circus and the zoo!

My thing with laundry

2009-04-18T22:11:00.000+08:00

I have this theory that people have their favorite errands. Some people like tidying up their homes. Others like going to the bank. I know some people who feel this enormous satisfaction after paying bills.

As for me, I enjoy "doing" laundry.

I say "doing" because I really don't do my own laundry. At the end of the week I sort the clothes I've tossed in the hamper (dry cleaning and regular wash) and then I haul the week's worth of wash (I *heart* alliteration) to my favorite laundry a few blocks from my building. There are other laundry establishments nearer my flat, but they hardly speak English and there is nothing more difficult than explaining "starch" in sign language.

I don't even have to pick up laundry when it's done. Three days later the newly washed clothes hang from closet.

Hmmmm.

Now that I think about it, that's a little creepy. I think my doorman is getting *a little* too close.

Cappuccinos.... try them

2009-04-14T00:56:00.001+08:00

Until 8 days ago, I drank my coffee black. For the uninitiated (which was me until 8 days ago), black meant a regular brewed coffee no sugar, no milk.

And then one day, a waiter corrected me, and he said, "We don't do "regular" here. That is for Americans." His tone was so pretentious, I loved it.

So I gave in and ordered a cappuccino. This people, was a big deal for me. It had been years since I last had one (I mean like 10-15 years). I started drinking black coffee in law school and I never looked back. Cappuccinos and lattes were for sissys. And sugar was for the weak.

The coffee arrived. All foamy and sissy like, with the cocoa powder making a Rorschach-like pattern that I clearly read as, "sissy".

I had a sip. I paused. And then I asked myself, "Why, why have I been drinking swill the last 15 years?"

Cappucinos.... try them.

Read this!

2009-04-10T07:50:00.002+08:00

If you have 6 minutes, please click on this link for a great description of happiness.

Am so happy I know what Critchley is talking about (pun intended). It's like reading a travel book for a place you've been to, or a recipe for a dish you've made for yourself.

Happy happy joy joy.

I heart Meryll

2009-04-07T22:06:00.000+08:00

Waving the white flag at waves

2009-04-03T23:36:00.001+08:00

I gave up the fight against curly hair about a year ago. After about 5 years of straightening my hair using all sorts of techniques, products and chemicals (relaxing, rebonding, you name it, I've tried it) I gave up. I gave up because I finally decided to listen to some very important people (my mother and father included) who told me they preferred my hair curly. Personally, I don't have a preference. I straightened my hair because it was easier to manage, not because of how it made me look.

I am so non-vain, it scares me.

Spam Haikus by Michael Lubic

2009-04-01T22:55:00.000+08:00

I have never reproduced lyrics or poems on this blog before. I don't do that because I think it's inherently tacky -- not unlike wrapping your furniture in plastic. But my God... read these and say a silent prayer. Because only someone blessed with grace can come up with this. Haikus in red are my favorite.

Blue can of steel
what promise do you hold?
salt flesh so ripe

silent, former pig
one communal awareness
myriad pink bricks

you wait to feed me
stoic vigil on the shelf
ah my vibrant pink

jelly for mortar
seven hundred tins and more
i build a Spam house

my friend pork shoulder
I return to you. this time
i've brought mayonnaise

above all others
porcine treat without equal
there is but one Spam

clad in metal, proud
no mere salt-curing for you
you are not bacon

and who dares mock Spam?
you? you? you are not worthy
of one rich pink fleck

Grotesque pinkish mass
In a blue can on a shelf
Quivering alone

Oh Argentina!
Your little tin of meat soars
Above the pampas

The color of Spam
is natural as the sky:
A block of sunrise

Little slab of meat
In a wash of clear jelly
Now I heat the pan

Oh tin of pink meat
I ponder what you may be:
Snout or ear or feet?

In the cool morning
I fry up a slab of Spam
A dog barks next door

Pink tender morsel
Glistening with salty gel
What the hell is it?

Ears, snouts, and innards,
A homogenous mass
Pass another slice

Cube of cold pinkness
Yellow specks of porcine fat
Give me a spork please

Old man seeks doctor
"I eat Spam daily", he says.
Angioplasty

Highly unnatural
The tortured shape of this "food"
A small pink coffin

Slicing your sweet self
Salivating in suspense
Sizzle, sizzle..Spam

Pink beefy temptress
I can no longer remain
Vegetarian

For more nuggets of wisdom (or should I say slivers of hope?) CLICK HERE

Four Things

2009-03-29T21:38:00.002+08:00

GHR-L "tagged me" in one of her notes on Facebook. As per Facebook etiquette, upon a "tag", I am supposed to replicate the same note, just with my own responses. I'm too shy to post this on FB, so here are my "Four Things":

A) FOUR JOBS I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE (just like GHR-L, all law related):
1. Lawyer
2. Teacher
3. Researcher
4. Intern

B) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AND OVER (don't judge):
1. The Thomas Crown Affair
2. Legally Blond
3. Serendipity
4. Pretty Woman

C) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE/WILL LIVE/D:
1. Manila
2. New York
3. Hong Kong
4. Boston? Chicago?

D) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Brother's and Sisters
3. How I Met Your Mother
4. Entourage

E) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Beijing
2. Moscow
3. Boracay
4. Kuala Lumpur

F) FOUR WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY:
1. NYT
2. Facebook
3. Abovethelaw.com
4. Does Gmail count?

G) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Chicken nuggets
2. Foie gras
3. Lechon
4. Chicharon!

H) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. I could be in New Manila for the evening, but I'd want to
2. be in Hong Kong for the day, then
3. pick up the Wugga boo from day care in Boston,
4. then be back in New Manila for dinner.

I) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE PERFUMES
1. I only buy one bottle at a time. So the one I'm using now is Kenneth Cole (Woman)
2. before that was something made by Escada
3. before that was Johnson's Baby Cologne (Blue)
4. before that I didn't need perfume

J) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE MUSICALS
1. Rent
2. Avenue Q
3. Les Miserables
4. Turandot (do operas count?)

K) FOUR FRIENDS WHO I THINK WILL RESPOND: Not applicable

L) FOUR FAMOUS PEOPLE I WOULD LOVE TO MEET - DEAD OR ALIVE (assuming they speak English) :
1. Jesus
2. Michaelangeo
3. Da Vinci
4. Buddha or Confucius (since I mix them up all the time anyway)

M) FOUR THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
1. being with loved ones
2. being independent
3. a good book
4. the beach

3.5k, 32 mins 30 seconds

2009-03-25T09:13:00.000+08:00

I've been keeping up the gym thing and I think I'm getting stronger. I still can't run to save my life, but now I can run/walk 3.5 kilometers with little effort.

Yay!

Spolier alert

2009-03-23T18:07:00.000+08:00

The last time I read spoilers (or spent any time trawling for spoilers) was back in high school. R and I were obsessed with the American soap opera General Hospital and so we'd buy magazines (like Soap Opera Digest) to find out how the plot would develop. It was cute back then, two teen-aged girls crazy about an Australian man with bad hair, scouring through magazine racks in second hand book shops, looking for an obscure rag (yes, back in the 80's in the suburbs of Manila, Soap Opera Digest would be considered obscure).

Now it would be pathetic. Imagine a 34-year old begging off from fancy dinners and adult conversation to spend a few hours trying to find out what happens next on Grey's Anatomy... and I don't mean I do that... I just said, "imagine".

Anyway, thank god for the Internet; now I don't have to go out in public to look for spoilers. I just need Google. And if you must know, Grey's Anatomy is in haitus until April 23; Brothers and Sisters is off until April 19 and Entourage has started shooting its sixth season.

Pintuang dilaw

2009-03-19T17:51:00.001+08:00

One of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong is this place called Yellow Door. It's in the 6th floor of decrepit building and seats only 40 people. It probably seats only 15, but the owners squeeze in 40 people.

The menu has only two pages and when you order a Coke, they hand you a can and a straw. It's *that* kind of place.

But my goodness, the food. The food just tastes so good. It's Szechuan with a Shanghainese twist and every dish I've tried so far has been superb. It's either technically superior (like their chicken in dried chili) or surprising and innovative (like their eggplant in chili).

If you're ever in Hong Kong, remind me to take you here.

BPI Phonebanking from outside the RP

2009-03-17T17:42:00.001+08:00

For those of you who keep your BPI Express Teller cards alive to pay Manila bills even while living abroad (like moi), I've found useful set of numbers that you can use to access the BPI Phonebanking/EPS system from outside the Philippines.

You're welcome.

Books I read in '09

2009-03-15T16:30:00.000+08:00

With the first quarter over (yes, the dates of this blog have no meaning), I am happy to report that I am keeping with my 3 books in two month quota. In fact, I'm about a book and a half (or one month) ahead. So far I've read the following:

Mere Anarchy, Woody Allen
I Feel Bad About About My Neck, Nora Ephron
Flying Leap, Judy Budnitz
Better, Atul Gawande
How They Met (and other stories), David Levithan
Why I'm Like This, Cynthia Kaplan

I'm currently reading Thisbe Nissen's Osprey Island and when I'm done with that, I'll move to The Maytrees byAnnie Dillard.

Speaking of airlines...

2009-03-09T15:38:00.000+08:00

If you fly between Hong Kong and Manila regularly, you can aslo try Dragonair and Philippine Airlines (in addition to Cathay Pacific). Both these airlines offer on-line booking.

Dragonair competes with Cebu Pac prices, but doesn't have a Manila-Hong Kong flight on Sundays, so that's a drag. If you're willing to fly on Monday morning, fare is as good (maybe even cheaper) than Cebu Pac.

PAL has good schedules and competitive prices, but I don't fly PAL on account of their ugly website and stupid booking procedure (i.e., You can't pick outbound and inbound flights separately. PAL combines the flights for you and you're supposed to pick from the different sets. I refuse to participate in such stupidity.)

The other CP

2009-03-06T15:30:00.000+08:00

I've had enough of Cebu Pacific.

It's not the mishandled luggage that bothers me. It's the 90 minutes of fear that grips my heart when I'm on board one of their flights. The A320's just seem too small for the trip across the South China Sea.

And while I will always be grateful of Lance Gokongwei and the people at Cebu Pacific who have made travel accessible to "Every Juan", my days of traveling on Cebu Pacific are over.

I've booked the next flight home via Cathay. It's more expensive, but the relief is worth every cent.

Five weekends of March

2009-03-04T15:27:00.001+08:00

1 -- work. In this market, this is a *very* good thing.

2 -- chill. Watched a Canto play on Saturday and Lisa Ono on Sunday.

3 -- Republic of China. Taiwan is like Hong Kong. Just bigger, cheaper, and less interesting.

4 -- work. See above.

5 -- chill. Badminton, dimsum, flat hunting.

The Fray - You Found Me - Acoustic

2009-03-01T22:23:00.000+08:00

My favorite song (for now)

Blog block

2009-02-27T10:34:00.003+08:00

I have blog block.

I also don't have that much material. There hasn't been much going on apart from work (a lot of it), the occasional amazing meal, the couple of visits to the Chinese doctor (for a pulled muscle that wouldn't go away) and watching the French actress Juliette Binoche dance for an hour (she's not amazing, but she's very competent).

But March should be more interesting and hopefully that translates to more blog posts. Coldplay and Taipei. Yehey!

Viva La Vida

2009-02-25T21:10:00.001+08:00

One of the cool things about living in HK is that I can watch these really amazing concerts. Since moving here I've seen The Cure, The Police, Alicia Keys and Diana Krall. In a couple of weeks I'm seeing Coldplay. (Dad, this is the band whose lead singer is Gwyneth Paltrow's husband) SQ. is flying in to see the concert as well. That should be a fun a evening.

Tai O, Tai O, am off to see Tai O

2009-02-22T22:09:00.004+08:00

So over the weekend I schlepped over to Tai O with (the other) C.C.

Tai O is a fishing town in Lantau island. C. wanted to take some pictures and since it has been months since I took my camera out its bag, I decided to tag along.

Tai O has been referred to as "the Venice of Hong Kong" and the HK Tourism Board says "enchanting [Tai O] is an amateur photographer's paradise". So of course we had to go. For HK's Venice we endured a 30 minute train ride and then a 45 minute bus ride.

And it was a dump. Sad, really.

See for yourself.

The good news is I still managed to take a couple of pretty pictures.

Random nerdy thought

2009-02-18T17:51:00.002+08:00

The word "cleave" means both to stick and to split.

Wala lang.

My nephew is better looking than yours

2009-02-13T01:30:00.000+08:00

4 weekends of February

2009-02-11T10:49:00.001+08:00

1 -- work (Who knew the pace of work would pick up again? No complaints from me)

2 -- V-day in Manila with the parentals

3 -- Oscar movie marathon

4 -- the first of many ping pong Sundays. Yipeee!

3 books in 2 months

2009-02-09T10:47:00.000+08:00

I'm trying to read at this pace this year and so far, am on track. This will lead to a final count of 18 books this year.

I'll be happy with 15.

My bets for this year's Oscars

2009-02-07T22:29:00.008+08:00

Best Actor

Who should win:

Sean Penn in “Milk”. Penn *was* Harvey Milk. You forgot you were watching the same man who played the brooding (macho) cop in Mystic River.

Who will win:

Sean Penn. But if the homophobes in Hollywood (let's not forget Brokeback Mountain) give the Oscar to porn star Mickey Rourke for his work in in “The Wrestler” I wouldn't be surprised.

Best Actress

Here are the nominees:

Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

So far I've only seen Doubt and The Reader. And whatever happens, Kate Winslet should not win. She was competent for sure, but apart from baring her breasts in 6 separate scenes, there was nothing memorable about her performance. Meryl Streep makes acting look easy. She is a god.

I plan to see Rachel Getting Married and Changeling before the awards, and if I do I will update this post.

Best Supporting Actor

Who should win:

Robert Downey, Jr. in "Tropic Thunder". Downey plays an Australian actor who for a role in a war movie dyes his skin black and plays a black soldier.

Who will win:

Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight". He's dead. You can't beat the dead guy.

Best Supporting Actress

Who should win:

Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” Penelope brought "psycho bitch" to a new level in Barcelona.

Who will win:

Penelope Cruz. But if the Academy gives it to Viola Davis for her work in "Doubt", that'd be great too. Davis held her own in a 12 minute sequence with Meryl Streep. Anyone who can go mano a mano with Meryl Streep for 12 minutes deserves an Oscar.

Best Animated Feature

Who should win:

"Bolt". This is Disney's comeback in full length animated features. It is smart, well written, well drawn, well directed. It is an excellent movie.

Who will win:

"Wall-E". This is a dumb movie. If you have not seen it, please stay away and re-arrange your sock drawer instead. If you have seen it and feel anything else but loathing towards this movie, you must like Chocnut. If Wall-E wins the award for best screenplay, I will shoot myself.

Best Director

Who should win:

Ron Howard for "Forst/Nixon". This movie is about a television interview. *Yawn* But Ron Howard makes it engaging. Almost exciting. Direction was masterful.

Who will win:

Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire". This movie is very good. And the direction is excellent. But it's a fairy tale set in Mumbai that uses flashbacks to tell a story. A story well told in a book called Q&A. With material that good, you don't really need to do much more. Now a story about a television interview, now *that's* boring stuff.

Best Motion Picture

What should win: "Milk". Go see it.

What will win: "Slumdog Millionaire". Because everyone loves a happy ending.

Mere Drivel

2009-02-05T22:22:00.001+08:00

Woody Allen's Mere Anarchy is hands down, the worst book I have ever read. The book is a collection of short fiction that is meant to be funny but in reality is hardly intelligible. Here's the opening line to one of the stories:

"While perusing the Times movie ads in desperate search of the some bearable celluloid high jinks with which to palliate a summer of heat and barometric readings one associates with August in Yoknapatawaoha County, I had the interesting fortune to find a little oddment called, The Kid Stays in the Picture."

Don't think I'm stupid -- I know what he's trying to do. He's trying to be silly, but as you can see for yourself, it's not working. For writing to be funny it needs to flow effortlessly. Like Bob Hope delivering a joke. Allen's Anarchy sounded like a guy telling a knock knock joke during open mike night at a comedy club in Des Moines.

All my glasses look alike

2009-02-01T23:53:00.000+08:00

What's the big deal with adolescence?

2009-01-29T08:20:00.000+08:00

When I was growing up, there was much ado over adolescence, how it's a difficult stage of one's development. How one will feel lost and confused and because of that will likely become depressed and withdrawn. How it is very important for parents and teachers to be sensitive to an adolescent's issues.

Um, I've been 14 and really, there is no big deal. Really. Move along people, there's nothing to see here.

Around that time I remember growing breasts and realizing I would not be able to play basketball anymore. Which I found sad for a little while, but then I quickly snapped out it. I remember growing hips and needing a new uniform for school, but again, not a life altering issue. Actually, no. It was. Back then everything was a life-altering issue. Will I get that new Trapper Keeper? Will R. be able to tape today's episode of General Hospital? Will Menudo come to the Philippines?!

I don't really understand what the big deal is. All adolescence is is advanced childhood.

My favorite song (for now)

2009-01-27T00:40:00.000+08:00

Kings Of Leon singing Use Somebody. The song reminds me of music from my youth. A little U2ish, a little Rick Springfield-ish.

Bumped up to business

2009-01-25T17:06:00.000+08:00

I think that one of the nicest things that can happen to a person is to get upgraded to business class. It's like the airline gods are making up for all the delayed flights, mishandled luggage and long lines you had to put up with over the years.

A free upgrade is airline karma.

Watching paint dry

2009-01-24T16:39:00.002+08:00

Last night I saw Frost/Nixon with the parental units. For the 6 billion of you out there who don't know what this movie is about, Frost/Nixon is about the series of interviews of newly drummed out Richard Nixon conducted by an English game show host named David Frost.

Now if that sounds like a lifeless plot, well let me tell you this -- it *is*. Kudos to genius director Ron Howard to make this movie about paint drying not only bearable, but engaging to watch.

You should see it if only to catch Frank Langella's Nixon. Mahusay.

Oks na oks sa year of the ox

2009-01-23T11:43:00.000+08:00

Happy lunar new year, everyone.
May you be healthy, wealthy and wise.

Oyster girl

2009-01-22T11:36:00.000+08:00

I love oysters. I love them raw, steamed, pickled in vinegar, baked. I can eat dozens of them, and do just that, when I'm in the Philippines. Oysters in HK are frightfully expensive. One oyster can cost more than US$10. One oyster. For that price I can have two bucket fulls in Manila.

I wanna be Obama

2009-01-21T20:07:00.003+08:00

Irrational rant of the day

2009-01-20T00:08:00.000+08:00

I hate Chocnut. I really hate Chocnut. I think the stuff tastes bad. I think anyone who likes it is crazy or actually hasn't tasted the stuff and just wants to join the Chocnut "bandwagon". Why there even is a Chocnut bandwagon boggles the mind.

Now Flattops. I love Flattops. I wish I could get on the Flattop train.

Jona and the whale

2009-01-19T09:46:00.000+08:00

The fridge and pantry cull

2009-01-18T16:54:00.005+08:00

I reached into the fridge this morning to get myself some lemonade, when a jar of chili sauce caught my eye. "It's been some time since I used this stuff," I thought. So I take the jar and check for the "best before" date. It said, 31-12-07. It takes me a little while to realize the sauce has been bad (or at the very least not "best") for over a year.

I toss the jar out and think, "My God, what else is in there."

And for the next 15 minutes I cull the fridge and then, still feeling the effects of averted food poising -- my pantry. I felt bad for throwing food away (I think the waste is disgraceful), but even after applying my "6 months rule" (i.e., food doesn't really go bad until the sixth month after the best before date), there were still a few cans of soup that had to go.

Lesson learned here is NOT to stock up on things. Some canned goods don't last more than six months. Why do I even have so much canned goods?

The world won't end, Jona. There will be no catastrophe that will have you eating chicken soup out of a can for weeks. Park and Shop will stay open, it's ok.

Stuff

2009-01-16T11:09:00.003+08:00

A lot of things happened this weekend. I was in Macau to eat, I watched Wong Kar Wai's Days of Being Wild, I cooked a corned beef omelet, and finished a collection of short stories called 10 Women Who Shook the World by Sylvia Brownrigg.

Now where to start? I guess with Macau.

C and I hopped on a ferry to Macau with the sole intention of eating well. And we succeeded -- lunch was at Litoral, a Portuguese restaurant in Taipa. Dinner was at Aux Beau Arts, the French place at MGM Grand. The pork with shrimp paste in Litoral disintegrated in my mouth. The potatoes gratin at ABA looked and tasted like it was taken out of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you're ever in Macau, try at least one of these places.

Back in Hang Kang, I saw WKW's 90's hit about the 60's -- Days of Being Wild. Someone once told me it was shot in the Philippines. It's not. Only about 15 minutes of it is *set* in the Philippines; and that part was all very "fake". It could have been shot anywhere. That said, I thought it was pretty good. Nothing compared to In the Mood For Love, but I like how WKW (like Robert Altman) uses the same "troop" of HK actors -- Maggie Leung, Andy Lau and Tony Leung.

--0--

The corned beef in the omelet was brilliant; the egg not so much. It was over cooked.

--0--

Lately I've been reading compilations of "contemporary" American short stories. These are what people call "modern" stories. No formal plot really, just descriptions of characters. And lots of magic realism peppered all over the place. In one story, the two female characters build the world's greatest monuments (i.e, the Great Wall, the Taj, the Golden Gate Bridge). In another story, the "Bird Chick" the main character puts up a production of Hamlet performed by a flock of swans.

As you might suspect, I don't like modern stories. They're too... well, for lack of a better word, modern. The plot (or what the writer tries to pass off as one) does not develop properly. The tone is at best artificial. The whole point of reading short stories (like smoking a pipe, listening to records, and drinking scotch old enough to order their own scotch) is to hark back to an earlier time. A time where men wore hats and women wore stockings.

Hmmm, well, not exactly.

I just mean anytime before the Internet. When people spelled correctly and followed the fundamental structure of the short story. And so I read these "modern" stories, and instead of being propelled to a familiar place, I am left grappling, figuring which way is up.

If I wanted to feel disoriented, I'd read poetry.

Dreaming of green pedicabs*

2009-01-13T10:02:00.000+08:00

Until last night I didn't know I dreamt in color. Well, now I know. I won't bore you with the details, but last night I had a hilarious dream of me, 3M and A-M (in PP) going around in a dark green pedicab. I was driving (or should I say, cycling). I won't go into the dream because (a) I can't remember most of it and (b) it's one of those stories that are not as funny narrated after the fact.

You should've been there, but it was a dream, so I guess you couldn't.

*Pedicab is apparently a "real" word. I thought Filipinos made it up. Am sure they made up "tri-sikad" though. It means the same thing.

On corned beef

2009-01-10T20:14:00.002+08:00

SMQ and I spent some time today discussing our personal preferences on how we like our corned beef prepared. And no, we're not talking about the boiled stuff you eat with mustard and cabbage. We're talking about the canned stuff. Yes, canned corned beef.

I realize that to most people (i.e., non Filipinos) corned beef is generally prepared from scratch. In the Philippines, when you say "corned beef", you mean the canned stuff.

Now there are several kids of canned corned beef. There's the "chunky" kind, the "stringy" kind and the "mushy" kind. Purefoods makes both chunky and stringy, but they are famous for their stringy kind. I'd like to think that purists such as myself prefer the stringy kind. "Imported" corned beef (Libby's, Palm, etc) is mushy. Chinese corned beef is mushy too. And visibly contains a lot of fat. I am not a fan (but not because of the fat content, but because it's not as salty as the local stuff).

There are various ways of preparing corned beef, although these recipes generally fall under two categories: dry and wet. Wet requires the addition of some water. Dry can mean almost crispy, though again, I'd like to think purists enjoy their corned beef somewhere in the middle -- sauteed with some cooking oil (with garlic, onions and tomatos), but with no additional water.

SMQ likes her corned beef sauteed with potatoes. A very American approach if you ask me.

The obligatory birthday and year in review post

2009-01-08T17:55:00.005+08:00

I have tried to write out this post since the end of the year and until today have made little progress (as my regular readers know, the dates of my posts have but little relation to reality). Every day since the start of the new year, I sit at my desk and think, "What should I write about 2008? What fun and exciting things have happened?"

Lots of things happened -- I got to travel, I met new people, I reconnected with old friends. But I can't really draw up a list of accomplishments or name the "Top Ten Things that Happened to Me in 2008". All I know is that I was very happy in 2008. I don't mean to be inarticulate, but those two words sum up how I feel about my 33rd year -- it was a year I was very happy.

I don't mean to tempt the gods, the Evil Eye or as we say in Tagalog pwera usog, but my family and I were blessed with such good fortune in 2008, I wish only the same amount of luck or grace for 2009.

We don't watch movies like we used to

2009-01-06T15:10:00.004+08:00

When I was growing up (i.e. the '80s and early 90's), people actually went to see Oscar nominated movies. Movies like Out of Africa, Tootsie, E.T., The Killing Fields, Witness, Rainman, Working Girl, Driving Miss Daisy. I can go on and on, actually. Silence of the Lambs, A Few Good Men, JFK, Pulp Fiction....

My point is that people used to go see critically acclaimed films as a matter of course. You weren't artsy or pretentious. You just went to the movies.

That's not how it is anymore. Now there are "commercial" movies (films people actually go and see on a regular weekend) and what I'll call "art house" movies (films that get nominated for awards).

I mean, who went to see "No Country for Old Men"? "There Will be Blood" or "Letters from Iwo Jima"? I'm I sure didn't. And I'm guessing you didn't either. Or you saw these movies only *because* they were nominated for awards. That's not how things should be. People should go see good movies not because a few critics say you should. You should go see good movies because you want to see them. Because they entertain. Because they make you feel good.

I think this new pattern of movie going has something to do with "award worthy" movies being released just days before the end of the year. Producers who think their movie has a shot at getting awards now release films over Christmas to maximize press during the crucial time between the end of the year and awards season (that starts in January). This gives regular moviegoers only a week or two to see the year's "outstanding" movies. For the rest of the year, we're stuck with Mama Mia and Batman.

This year you see the same trend -- movies like "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Reader" getting Oscar buzz. Who has seen these movies? Who has heard of them (other than in the context of "these movies are getting Oscar buzz")? I'll probably see these films myself, but likely out of a sense of "obligation".

I miss the old days -- when I could see good movies on my own. When I didn't need to read Variety to know which ones they were.

Ode to Nin Jom

2009-01-03T10:17:00.001+08:00

My name is Jona and I am hooked on Nin Jom Pei Pa Kao. For those of you who are not familiar with the most effective cough medicine in the world, this is your lucky day. Nin Jom is part cough suppressant, part nasal decongestant, part mucolytic, part expectorant, part analgesic, part sleep aid, part candy. In short, it is happiness in a bottle.

I strongly recommend this to anyone who has a sore throat or a cold or a cough or a bad day. The thick sweet syrup will coat your lungs and warm you up. The alcohol content will give you a pleasant buzz.

Trust me, you will feel better. Call me if symptoms persist.

New year, new layout

2009-01-02T10:08:00.001+08:00

I hope everyone does not hate the new layout. (I have learned that I cannot please everyone, so I have not shifted my focus to not displeasing everyone.)

May 2009 bring you happiness, contentment and flying elephants.

New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T22:03:00.003+08:00

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

2008-12-28T18:52:00.002+08:00

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...

2008-12-23T16:30:00.001+08:00

...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

2008-12-20T07:29:00.000+08:00

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

2008-12-14T16:02:00.001+08:00

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

2008-12-11T20:44:00.001+08:00

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

2008-12-09T20:41:00.001+08:00

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!

2008-12-06T17:22:00.000+08:00

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

2008-12-03T16:45:00.001+08:00

'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

2008-12-01T16:21:00.002+08:00

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

2008-11-28T20:25:00.000+08:00

Flag down is up again

2008-11-25T17:15:00.002+08:00

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)

2008-11-22T15:30:00.004+08:00

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

2008-11-18T11:04:00.005+08:00

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

2008-11-16T10:03:00.000+08:00

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

2008-11-13T13:10:00.001+08:00

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

2008-11-10T12:54:00.001+08:00

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

2008-11-09T12:08:00.001+08:00

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

2008-11-07T11:46:00.001+08:00

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

2008-11-05T16:18:00.000+08:00

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...

2008-11-02T21:49:00.000+08:00

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

My favorite city in the world: Stockholm Osaka

2008-11-01T11:47:00.003+08:00

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

2008-10-30T11:37:00.000+08:00

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

2008-10-28T14:33:00.002+08:00

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

2008-10-27T22:05:00.001+08:00

Mi amiga Picasa

2008-10-24T08:48:00.004+08:00

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...

2008-10-23T22:19:00.000+08:00

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

2008-10-21T01:17:00.000+08:00

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

Before he was gorgeous...

2008-10-20T00:53:00.000+08:00

He was adorable.

The Best of Various Artists

2008-10-19T12:08:00.001+08:00

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"

2008-10-18T11:43:00.001+08:00

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

2008-10-17T10:55:00.006+08:00

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

2008-10-16T10:08:00.002+08:00

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!

2008-10-15T15:00:00.002+08:00

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!

2008-10-13T10:29:00.001+08:00

Maligayang kaarawan, Annie.

H+K from HK

Four Weekends of October

2008-10-10T10:25:00.000+08:00

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

2008-10-08T10:19:00.001+08:00

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!

2008-10-06T00:10:00.001+08:00

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

Finally.

Inanities

2008-10-03T10:39:00.001+08:00

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

2008-10-01T10:30:00.001+08:00

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.