Mediocrity’s like a spot on a shirt—it never comes off. (P. 310)
As a rule, life is unfair (p. 311)
There’s no justice. No one cares. People do whatever they have to do to survive. Shoveling snow. (p. 200)
You leave things to an interior designer and it ends up looking like this. Something you want to photograph, not live in. I have to knock on the walls to make sure they’re not props. Antiseptic, no sign of life. (p 149)
In a post about a year ago, I wrote of how PF was so nice and I wanted to go there for a night. So a few weeks ago, as soon as I knew when my son’s last day of exams was, I scheduled a trip to PF, reserving a casita and seeking a friend who’s a member to endorse my reservation. That’s SOP at PF, I was told.
I just wanted to go to PF, I thought, but completely forgot to prepare for it in terms of some logistics – like preparing ice for the Coleman we’d have in the car so we would have drinks, cold ones, during the long drive. (Oh, dick gordon is crying over the fate of the Red Cross volunteers held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf. Darn). But luckily, I had told maid we were going out of town a week or so ago that we’d go out of town, so without my instructing her, she prepared ice (or maybe asked her maid to do that — see one of my maids loves ordering the other maids to do things for her).
So that issue was settled.
As we drove to our destination, I was hinting that I wanted to have lunch at Josephine’s so that we’d eat Filipino food. Night before we were in In-yo, err Ninyo, with two friends, which meant the food was high-tech (fancy) rather than simple, Filipino fare. But my hints fell on deaf ears. And so we had lunch in Firelake Grill, which is actually a favorite, which serves food like Ninyo’s, more or less.
Husband ordered I forgot what, son ordered pasta with 3 beef strips 
and asparagus/sausage risotto
; I ordered frothy pumpkin soup with cinnamon
and pasta with prawns
. Husband had fish with spring onion risotto 
, I recall now. Son also ordered potato wedges.
Verdict: son’s orders were the best and the cheapest. pasta and risotto were less than P300 each, wedges cost P45 for 3 pieces with barbecue flavor and sour cream. The prawn I got stuck to the skin. The arugula was bitter (I’m not a veggie fan, apparently). Husband’s was ok. We didn’t order dessert. we were full.
We checked in at PF around 3 p.m. and Ysai and Beth were very friendly. But Joseph was the friendliest of all, punctuating every statement with a smile. Funny though because after we were given our card key, we asked where the casita was and someone said “dun lang yun sa bukanan.” hahaha. how imprecise. So the first bukanan we saw, husband went up to the door. And of course it wasn’t the right door. We wheeled some more and eventually found our unit.
Okay, we didn’t read what was written on the card so we were wondering why the aircon couldn’t be turned on. See, no one accompanied us to our room. So we called O and were told we should insert the card in the thingy beside the door. hahaha. We know that’s done by the bellhop in hotels we clean forgot that we should have thought of that.
Another thing. We were told that to get to the resto for the free dinner, to call the desk. Why? They’d send a golf cart to bring us so wheeling to it wouldn’t be difficult. How considerate of them but we decided to explore and found the place without great difficulty and there were no steps involved, although the way was admittedly a bit steep. Dinner that came free with the casita (good for 2) consisted of a buffet spread of salad, soup and pasta. Carnivore me passed on the free buffet to husband and son. Ordered the recommended pork ribs. Very salty. Soup was – guess what? Pumpkin soup. The free dinners came with soup in cups, I was given a jigger (is that what you call it?), quaint. Also ordered burger for son so he’d have meat. Husband said he was okay with pasta, salad and soup.
After dinner we went back to our casita and before long, son fell asleep. Rather unusual for someone who’s won’t to staying up nights. Well I guess the absence of an Internet connection may explain that. Wifi is available only in the member’s lounge. It is very weak in the casita, we were informed. Nil, in fact. It was also available in the resto but note that in the resto, our phones didn’t have signals. GLobe and Smart.
Oh I forgot, prior to dinner, we drove around a bit and took pictures of the sunset. beautiful. The sight made me remark to my son that God seemed so near. There was just the sea before us and the sky above us, no tall buildings to obstruct the view.
Morning came. Husband walked around a bit and when he returned, we hied off to the resto for breakfast. Oops, there weren’t any tables laid out. Instead we saw workers apparently fixing up the place, hammering, etc. A lady with a handheld radio (or was it a cell phone) approached us and said breakfast would be served at the members’ lounge. Husband pointed to me and said, “it’s inaccessible to her.” She said she’d arrange something. It was just a little past 7 then and it was not too hot yet. A table was laid out for us in the garden and luckily there weren’t any flies hovering. Breakfast was buffet so I asked a waiter to please get me some. He graciously said he would and he got me arroz caldo, tocino, tapa, scrambled egg, garlic rice, danish pastries, cheese, juice and cocoa. Quite a lot, you might think, but these were in small portions. Oh yes, he also got me bangus. On my husband’s plate I saw embutido. My son had several slices of bread and butter on his plate. Buffet breakfast for the maid and me cost P550 per. SHould have just paid P500 more at the front desk when I registered the 2 extra adults. Overnight in the casita was P6500 which amount came with 2 free dinners, 2 free breakfasts, the one hour biking and one hour kayaking good for two. Extra adults P500 per with breakfast, P1000 per.
There’s a beach in PF, a bit rocky though. Infinity pools, a tennis court. One can do a lot of things in PF if one is the outdoorsy type. One can even rent a Play Station and games.
Though we didn’t avail of any of PF’s amenities. I think the trip was well worth it. it was a very restful experience, everyone was so nice. reallly.
On the made queen-sized beds lay 3 kalachuci flowers each when we arrived. See the plant with the yellow flowers? We have that along our driveway. Used to be on either side of the driveway, now on just one side as the other side wanted for sunlight. and the leaves were eaten by I don’t know what insect (?) whenever our neighbor would spray insectide on their lush plants.
More PF pictures:
The bathroom in the casita had a pocket garden which basked in the sun. Some of the plants:
(sorry, the last two pictures are wrong side up.)
A few days ago we watched The Partner and was, as usual, impressed with Liam Neeson.
Yesterday, I saw in Yahoo News that Natasha Richardson had met a skiing accident. I found out she was Liam Neeson’s wife. I didn’t know anything about her, or so I thought, and read on. Then I saw she had been in Parent Trap and was Vanessa Redgrave’s daughter. I liked her very much in Parent Trap.
Today, I read again, care of Yahoo News, that she has passed on. Read on it here.
May her soul rest in peace. My sympathy goes to Mr. Neeson and their two young sons.
Ironically, I started watchin Love Actually on DVD and in it Liam’s character’s wife has just died. The scene I viewed just now showed him looking lovingly and longingly at her picture. Sigh.
As the day draws nearer for a relative to go abroad, I’ve been asking about getting PHilippine passports via 7371000. I’ve also been surfing the Net. I also received an email from a sister on the requirements.
A few days ago, I called 7371111 to ask what the hotline was for passports. I thought I didn’t have it. The guy who took my call just said, “di namin alam.” I found that weird because I recall that in the past, a taped message would announce what the other number was. And besides they’re both Teleserv’s. Or was the guy just lazy? Or petty?
After finding the passport’s hotline, I called. The girl who asnwered said the following were required: NSO certified/issued birth certificate, school ID, driver’s license, 3 passport pictures (royal blue 3.5 by 4.5), NBI clearance. Uh oh, mention of the latter was daunting. Long lines in NBI offices, plus the usual problem: your name is most likely listed as questionable. Like me: my name is Ma. Antonia ______. They found a Ma. _____ and already that made me suspect. If I weren’t in a wheelchair, hadn’t made calls prior to going to NBI Carriedo, if the lady who had answered were less kind, I wouldn’t have been issued my clearance right then and there. I’d have had to wait a week. Two years ago, my son went to NBI in QC and he had a namesake with a record so he was told to come back after a week. He didn’t. More than a decade ago, same story with my husband. He wasn’t immediately cleared because of a namesake. So you can imagine why I was so aghast to find out that an NBI clearance was needed. The lady who answered me then said an alternative would be the school registration form. I asked, “what’s that?” Per my knowledge, students don’t get to keep a registration form. She didn’t want to explain or maybe thought me to be too dumb to talk with. Sensing that, I said thank you and hung up.
Yesterday, I thought I’d call again. The lady who answered was nicer. She also said that instead of the registration form, a baptismal certificate would do provided that it indicated the date of birth and PLACE of birth of the applicant. I promptly looked for my son’s baptismal certificate, and to my dismay, saw that it didn’t indicate his place of birth. darn. In the course of the search, I saw my college transcript of records and saw that it indicated my date and place of birth. So I thought that perhaps, it wasn’t the registration form that was necessary but the transcript. In the evening I called again, wanting to be sure a different person would take my call. True, she said, Form 137 or the transcript would do. And funny because while the first and last ones who took my call said xerox copies of the school ID and driver’s license would suffice as supporting documents, the person who took my call in between said they needed the originals. Gulo no? You’d think they were all trained to answer you in the same way, regardless of who took the call. Anyway…
Click on this link for the Department of Foreign Affair’s passport requirements. Very helpful site.
And by the way, getting a transcript also requires a week, but at least the procedure is less stressful altogether.
All about Eve – I was in front of the computer when my husband and son reacted to something on TV, I peeked and I saw Sunshine. Oh, All about Eve was on. So I more or less watched and noted how different it was from the Korean version. But instead of commenting, I listened to my son who used to watch more Korean telenovelas and Japanese anime than I did, at least the former. His comments:
a) He asked, “Richard Gomez is the father of Izza?” When I said “yes” (I had read about it), he said, “sana ibahin ang makeup ni Richard. They look like husband and wife.” Or maybe, they should have gotten an older man to portray Izza’s dad, in the first place. I’m not demeaning Richard but I think they should have. But perhaps they wanted to give Richard another assignment, so why not a younger role? Juiiana is 10 years old, couldn’t they have given Richard the role of dad of a 10 year old or a teen? Although they had already cast him as dad of Dingdong Dantes. Richard is just too dashing to be Izza’s dad. Wouldn’t be surprised if eventually, they’ll be paired as husband and wife in some other project.
b)Son also said, “The difference between local TV series and Koreanovelas is the lack of context in our series.” I asked him to explain. He said, “shots are taken inside the house, inside the car. Never do they show the street outside or leading to the house, the city, wherever. FOr all we know, the house is in Batangas, but they make it look like it is in Manila.” True. In Koreanovelas, you see the characters walking along the road leading to the gate of the house, entering the premises, walking along the garden to the door of the house. Get the drift? I recall how a friend told me about the movie of Sharon and Juday. She was familiar with the house of Sharon in the said movie because it is along the street of her brother’shouse. In the movie, Juday’s apartment was right across. But in truth and in fact, it isn’t.
These flaws notwithstanding, I just might watch All about Eve again tonight.
Fated to Love You (see, I had the time and energy to go on a TV marathon of sorts). It’s quite the fairy tale, imagine buying a boat for 2 million within a few hours so the man could take his partner to an island before midnight? Imagine waking up a crotchety old lady to make buns for his pregnant wife upon reaching the island and being able to make the buns by midnight? Mind you, the woman was teaching him to do it and he managed. Dough needs to rise, did they make a miracle dough or has technology made things faster while I slept? (my maid would have taken a lot longer to make those buns, that’s for sure, but that’s another story) Then still before midnight, the man was able to fix up the fields with lights, etc. Really impossible tasks theyw ere, but make for kilig moments. The male is OA to say the least but that makes him seem even more masterful, in command and romantic. Quite funny really. I think I’ll watch again tonight.
The next show was Wally and Jose’s maiden show for their series re pets (forgot the title), the replacement for the show of Ariel and Maverick. Luckily, husband was asleep because he’d have been irked listening to the baby talk of the duo and wally’s being dressed as a female. I couldn’t figure out if he was supposed to be Jose’s friend or his mom. Okay, I wasn’t listening too closely or my IQ’s really shot. Anyway, their featured animals were adorable, or make that the penguin and the swan. I wasn’t watching the rest. Let’s take the swan first. It was in a man-made lake where there were man-made swans cum boats and real, live swans. There was one big swant boat that the real, male swan was attached to. He’d swim beside this boat every single moment. WHen they removed the boat, the swan left the water too and when they returned the boat to the water, so did the swan. He was always astride the swan boat. How romantic.
The next, the penguin. Caught in the net of some fisherman and raised by the fisherman to his present state. Was built an air-con room at that. The penguin was shown doing the marketing, a backpack fashioned like a penguin tied to him. The penguin walked to market, all by his lonesome, was fed an entire fish and then his backpack filled with fish for taking home. Between his home (and his guardian’s), he felt so hot, a kind soul directed the hose of water at him. Properly cooled, he proceeded home and settled in his air-con quarters. Cute.
After the new show, the news, SAKSI. For the 3rd time yesterday, I saw the news on the American found dead in a Makati apartelle. GMA maximizes its news: shown thrice at least within the day or within two days. Sometimes with modifications by the 3rd installment, sometimes, exactly the same. This goes for their hard news as well as their showbiz news. The latter they lift straight from a weekend showbiz show, show in Unang Hirit, in 24 Oras and in Saksi. Oops, that makes it 4 times. Oh boy. Maybe that explains why I just half-watch when the TV is on.
After the news, I still stayed awake. Son had asked to be awakened at 2 so he could study for a long test. Not trusting myself to be able to wake up then, I chose not to sleep. Luckily for me, the next show was Born to Be Wild. And it was the “farewell performance” of Romy Garduce, a man I truly admire, like Gigit of Pinoy (Philippine?) Survivor. Romy – such passion for the wild, such knowledge too. And the affection of the crew for him, their admiration, was palpable. I think Romy must deserve all these. I failed to catch the reason why he was leaving the show, but was reassured when he and the cohost, a vet, said he’d be back sometimes. His new replacement is Kiko something, the guy with the big hair from Philippine (pinoy?) survivor. Possibly, he does not know as much as Garduce does but it would not be fair to both to compare them this early.
Re Garduce, the world would be such a better place if there were more of him. That he has a healthy respect and love for knowledge and the wild can only mean he is a good and gentle man who cares about what happens to the world.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
On the minus side:
a) watched the show briefly of Albert Martinez, Lito Pimentel, etc. on 2. No I haven’t switched networks, just channel surfing. Then I caught Albert accusing the priest Lito about being an ex-convict. I’m not sure if Albert is a priest in the show too, but I think that wasn’t right for him to do. Worse if he’s a priest in the show. Ex-convicts released by virtue of good conduct rather than clout or connections should be given a chance to do right, and why not by the Church which preaches forgiveness following repentance?
b) Ronnie Lazaro on Totoy Bato (?) mouthing the trite and so untrue statement, as he admonished a child, not to cry that crying is a sign of weakness. I think the child was female, so it wasn’t because of gender that he was citing the wrongness of crying. Crying per se, he seemed to say, is wrong.
I don’t think so. I’d rather a person cried than harm/hurt other people or even inanimate objects. Crying purges, crying releases. No psychologist around when they were shooting or writing the script?
Was watching Sis briefly this morning and it did a mini-version of “Sa Pula, Sa Puti” of Eat Bulaga. The Pula team consisted of Star Struck survivors while the Puti team had PInoy Idol winners/survivors. It was fun watching them, especially LJ Reyes who excitedly removed her sandals when the challenge that came her way was Chinese garter. She knew how to do it. And what struck me even more was when she went behind the lectern without strapping her sandals back. What did I see afterwards? Chariz Solomon bending down to strap them for LJ. Isn’t that sweet? (though I think LJ told her not to bother) No star complex there. Way to go, Chariz.
And LJ, she’s always so happy looking I enjoy watching her all the time. I guess that explains why she’s a favorite of Unang Hirit. She’s game but proper.
Hahaha. I felt so stupid last week. See, husband was craving for sweet and sour pour. He asked “is there a Chinese resto in Shang?” I said confidently “Gloriamaris”. So we went to Shang, parked in the annex to the mall (attached to St. Francis condo) and went down to the ground floor. We exited the mall to go to Gloriamaris. There was only darkness. As in closed. For the night or forever? Uh oh.
Proceeded to Customer Service and asked. The lady smilingly informed us “last year pa po closed.” See we frequent Shang but park in the building that doesn’t need a tube to get to the mall. Arrgh. So it was Mongkok for the sweet and sour pork. I ordered radish cake which was served first, spareribs dimsum, and chicken with corn soup for sharing. Husband ate the sweet and sour pork by himself. It was a rice topping thing. Yes, I didn’t eat rice. OH we also shared the tender squid in salt and pepper. Remember how much we liked the pork in salt and pepper in Gloriamaris and the duck in salt and pepper in Xin Tian Di? I thought we should try the squid version after being reassured it wouldn’t be gummy-like. The waiter promised it wouldn’t and it wasn’t. Sarap!!
Kimpura – my first memory of it was its branch in Makati. It was there where Papa celebrated his birthday in 1978, the last time Mama was present at. I don’t think I ever ate there afterwards. But Kimpura in Greenhills is a different story. It holds only happy memories. A number of the waiters there know our faces and would often remark at how grown our son is. they saw him when he was but a baby sitting on my lap, then on to his toddler years, and up till now. Yes, many of the waiters have been there for at least 19 years. And as they’ve literally seen my son grow up, when we go there without him, they’d look for him.
what then are my favorites in Kimpura, aside from the familiarity with the waiters (note, not once did anyone brazenly comment “ma’am tumataba kayo” or “Ma’am, excuse me, but you’ve gained weight” – remember in Shang?)?
the appetizer for one: dilis with pickled Chinese pechay and seaweeds sometimes. Yummy.
Then their california maki:
. I think it’s unbeatable because unlike those of other restos, it isn’t too sweet. And I like Kimpura’s mayo. I always ask for extra.
For the main dishes: The last time we went, son decided he would have shrimp tempura (never mind his allergy, he said) and so we got that:
. All shrimp. I thought I’d just order veggie tempura separately and did. two orders pa because I thought that meant two pieces (ergo one each for hubby and me). But lo and behold, one order had a slice each of green pepper, okra and eggplant. Oops, and I thought that when I said veggie tempura, I would get the one with carrot strips and green beans. My mistake. So I ordered that too, but was wise enough this time to ask how many pieces an order was. I was told it consisted of 4 pieces. So just one order for P55, I think? 
No, that’s not the vegetable tempura nor the karaage tempura. that’s the cole slaw that came with the Angus ribeye steak we ordered medium rare. But I guess we were too famished to take any more pictures at that point. the steak in Kimpura is served with togue and miso soup. The set meal also comes with dessert which we let son get for himself: vanilla ice cream, pure and simple.
Other things we sometimes get in KImpura are tori karaage (chicken lollipops), beef yakiniku (which is always served cold, I ask for mayo for this or use the leftover mayo I get with the maki). Oh, and gindara teriyaki. If sweet and sour pork is his standard dish for telling whether a Chinese resto is good, it’s gindara for Japanese restos. Unbeatable, he says of Kimpura’s version.
I’m between tasks now, just submitted work this morning and am waiting for feedback on it and two more. that means I’m free to blog! Perhaps, my asthma will depart too, at least until reactions to my work come.
This post will contain a mish-mash of what I should have blogged about weeks ago and a few things of more recent vintage. On my birthday, I received this hand-made cards from the mother of a tutee and her friend, who is my friend and introduced us. They are so lovely I don’t want to part with them. You must be very special if I choose to give you something with this card attached. True, the one who makes them, an SVP in a bank, said to just use them and that there’s more where it came from, but still. The cards (sorry if the pictures don’t do them justice):
Last Saturday, high school best friend brought me her belated birthday present:
which contained this:
. She also brought this 
which she said I should spread on this
. I think an explanation is called for at this point. The piaya is not the traditional one that is thick and plump and oozing with muscovado (?) syrup. Rather, it is thin and crispy and not too sweet. So, spreading dulce gatas (now also known as dulce de leche) makes the ensemble attain a level of nirvana sweetness. One cannot stop at justs one piaya, I warn you. So there’s every chance that you’ll run out of piayas to spread the dulce gatas on. Never mind if that happens because you can just pas-ay (eat on its own) the dulce gatas. Yummy. And if you’re lucky, you get two boxes of piaya like I did. that’s four packs of several piayas.
Best friend also brought palitos for my son ( she asked what I wanted from Bacolod and I said just palitos for my son. I thought that would be her birthday gift to me na.) The palitos:
. They are differently flavored breadsticks and are my son’s favorite. I think they’re available in Sweet Greens in Bacolod.
A gift I also enjoyed and continue to do so (I eat just one small slice a day) was this one from another cousin:
. She also sent the individually wrapped pili clusters(?) that are sweeter than this turron. Which do I prefer? Pwede both?
I’m not sure but possibly this is also available in Sweet Greens. I’ll be upfront and admit a cousin owns the place but I am not writing this because she’s a cousin. And these were given as gifts not by that cousin but by other people. So there. Disabuse yourself from the thought that this is an ad of sorts. It isn’t.
To other stuff:
Two techie thingies I got recently: 
and
. The first is a card reader I got sight unseen. I called my suki in Villman (Min) for one after the one I was using refused to light up. The second is a flash drive I got from True Value. I think it’s cheap at P649 for a 4gig drive. Plus its color, of course, is my favorite. Sucker, aren’t I? Re the flash drive, I had to get a new one because the Kingston I had suddenly kept on flashing and then refused to work. I had it brought to Villman and they said they’d try to replace it. I think flash drives have 1-year warranty. I’m certain mine hadn’t been with me for more than 6 months when it broke down. Haven’t heard from Villman yet though. The last time I checked they said the supplier hadn’t picked up the drive yet. Brand: Kingston. The pink thingy is pqi. And re the old card reader, a few nights ago, when we got home, my son was using the one that had refused to light up. I was taken aback. He couldn’t find the new one and so checked if the old one worked. It did. How’s that for serendipity.
Last Saturday, met up with my high school best friend in Shang. She was over from Bacolod. Thought I’d give her the chance to try Pepper Lunch, or make that lunch at Pepper Lunch
(Thanks for the wet ones, M!) . She ordered chicken teriyaki while I chose Beef Teriyaki. We also ordered miso soup and kani salad, husband ordered beef curry rice. I needed the soup badly, my cold was really horrible. In fact I almost canceled the lunch date but decided not to. How often do I see best friend, after all? I just hope she didn’t catch my virus.
As we proceeded to our table, we saw Jeroen who said “I knew you were coming.” He had read my comment in Cecile’s blog. I was amazed, by 12 noon he had read it, busy as he is. My friend was happy to meet Jeroen, of course, whom she recognized from my multiply post which had pictures of Jeroen and my son.
When our food was served, I asked that my friend’s and mine be cooked by the servers. I was really feeling so sluggish (rationalizing my senorita ways). As expected my friend enjoyed her PL experience. We brought home a bowl of beef curry for son who had to be in school for a meeting.
When son arrived home after we did, I told him he had a bowl of beef curry from PL. So while his friends were being served ice cream in the sala, he devoured half of his PL bowl. The next day, he asked that the remainder be heated for his lunch. He remembered!
Incidentally, the beef teriyaki was so flavorful that despite my dampened taste buds courtesy of my colds, I was able to enjoy it. I think I should recommend this to my friend C (as in chew).
On another note, the past two weeks, we’ve been ordering pizza from a Cebu-based establishment near the house. Crust is super thin and crunchy, toppings are generous. The Cebuana variant is so spicy but the kesong puti makes up for that. The mojos they have are better than Shakey’s. My cousin-in-law who lives in the building where the pizza place is told us about it. She always apprises me of her food finds because she knows I don’t get around as much as she does except to our usual haunts.
Then last night I got a text message from her. And yet another. I’ll post what she sent: 
Her first message said her son who was eating their leftover pizza (eating leftovers is a family thing) found a nail in it, good thing he didn’t swallow it. To be sure, I texted back, “nail as in pako?” It could have been kuko ergo supplementary calcium. Sure our body needs iron, but this is stretching the imagination too far. Are nails as in pako made out of iron in the first place? (and imagine if that nail had rust – tetanus pa gid)
Luckily he didn’t swallow the nail, I dread the consequences on his physiology had that happened. They couldn’t complain last night as the placed was closed by then – past 10 pm I think. She said they will do so today, I haven’t heard from her yet.
So will I still patronize the pizza place? Maybe yes, maybe not. But the best thing to do, I guess, is to look at what one is eating really closely and well. hayyy.
A few minutes ago, a former maid came over to bring the books I asked her to buy. I was then watching Eat Bulaga and eventually the necrological rites for Francis. She told me something that turned open my tear ducts again.
Lotto, she said, has this 3 number lucky pick. People in the area where she lives betted on 4-4-4 in the belief that Francis, born 10-4, who died at 44, would help them. Lo and behold, those were the numbers that emerged and a number of them won.
Days later, 2 number pick. They chose 12-20, the time Francis died. Many won again, because those were the numbers that came out.
And within days of his death, the P1-m jackpot was won in Eat Bulaga.
Coincidence? Perhaps so, but in the hearts of those who loved Francis, he had a hand in those winnings, as he did in life when he’d hint to contestants in some Eat Bulaga games to change their answers, so they’d win.
I hope Eat Bulaga would once in a while show snippets of Francis M in EB. To relive memories of a good man. A decent man.
Earlier today Francis M was laid to rest. that makes it so final, but watching snippets of him in EB make him so very much alive. It’s incredible, it’s difficult to believe he is gone and gone forever.
But not if his friends, fans, those people he helped have their way. In them and through them his legacy will live. In his children and wife, Francis M will live on.
As I type this, a replay of Saturday’s EB is on and it features special performances of the likes of Heber Bartolome, Chito Miranda is singing now. In between, pictures of Francis and the guest in question are flashed. It evokes ambivalent feelings. Sigh.
ON another note, Aiza is something else. She has talent. I was merely listening to the show while working, so the screen of my laptop was obscuring my view. Then I heard a voice. I just had to check who it was: Aiza.
Click on this, a tribute to francis m from Pep, the Philippine Entertainment Portal. It contains pictures, quotes, videos, Francis M’s music. Go.
I am not wont to read the front page of newspapers lately because usually it contains bad news. I think it was Sunday’s paper that I read today where on the side I saw four Filipino philanthropists recognized by Forbes magazine. The list as I remember it included the names of Henry Sy, a Mr. Aboitiz, Alfonso Yuchengco and Manuel V. Pangilinan. I have no quarrel with Mr. Henry Sy and Manuel Pangilinan’s being chosen, I don’t know Mr. Aboitiz, but the fourth man?
Possibly, PEP Coalition didn’t see this coming, else why didn’t they protest the choice? It was the fourth man’s Pacific Plans that reneged on its promise to pay for the education of so many, or shortchanged them. A number were displaced, had to change schools or forego their education because broke its promise and broke so many dreams in the process. Then its top honcho proceeded to buy Mapua University, after claiming PEP was bankrupt.
Oh well, I guess it’s a signal for us not to simply admire any and all awardees of any and all awards out there because sometimes, somewhere, somehow, things aren’t always what they seem.
The article I am referring to is available on this website.
Two posts I read tonight made me smirk a little.
This one where Martin said he is not talking to JoMari Yllana for breaking up with Pops and hurting her in the process and this one announcing Malacanang’s conferring the Presidential Merit Award for Francis M.
On Martin, wow, how generous of him. He feels for Pops, he’s hurt for Pops. But didn’t he inflict the bigger hurt years ago when he fooled around and left her for another woman with whom he had a child? Now he’s playing hero? Oh wow.
Malacanang. As usual it’s riding on the popularity of Francis M. If the outpouring of love for Francis M weren’t as significant as it appears to be, woudl Malacanang have bothered? I wonder.
Oh well, such is life.
yesterday, we were in V-Mall Greenhills, in search of Western Digital’s My Passport, a hard disk that’s as big, or make that, as small, as a purse. First we went to PC Express and were told it would cost P4400 plus cash, P4600 plus on credit. Then we went to iStudio. Whoa. P5400. Finally, we went to Abacus. P4000 cash. we got that.
It’s strange that these three stores that were along the same alley had vastly different prices. We didn’t dare ask any other lest we’d find out we could have gotten it cheaper.
No amount of convincing will make me switch the channel to Wowwoowee – (if the spelling is wrong, it’s not intentional. I don’t watch it so I don’t know how to spell it. And I’m not bothered). It’s Eat Bulaga for me and will possibly be so forever.
Eat bulaga and its main hosts, TVJ, its producer Tony Tuviera and its director have a lot of heart. They don’t make small of friendships. How do I know this?
I am not privy to what I don’t see but from what I do see, friendship counts for a lot in Eat Bulaga. So Vic Sotto made a promise shortly after Francis died that they’d take care of his family. And I’m sure they’ll keep their word. I don’t think it means they’ll feed his family but that they’d provide projects for Maxene, for example. Have you noticed how they bailed out Richie d’horsey for jail so he would be part of Iskul Bukol the movie? I’m sure they could have done that earlier but they wanted him to learn a lesson. Did you notice how after Francis M was “arrested” for a drug problem he was absent for a while in EB but bounced back and stayed on, clean thereafter? Then one sees Yoyong Martirez in Vic’s movies and the son of Bayani. EB hosts have long memories, they don’t forget their friends, their dabarkads. DO you see the warm welcome they extend to Aiza every time she comes home to EB?
Thank you, Vic Sotto, for making that promise to Francis’ family when you did. It was proof positive that Francis was not just a cohost but family.
I guess that explains why I feel drawn to EB. It has heart.
Maybe a year or more ago, I wrote about the remote control of our window type aircon’s conking out. Luckily for us, it was repaired because according to our suki Virex to whom we delegate the regular cleaning of our units, the model had been phased out.
last week, when it was very hot, the screen of the remote control went blank, as in zilch. Panic time. I prayed. It lit up. But heavens, the temp on display was 27 degrees. Small comfort that, if any.
After persistently calling Virex,I succeeded in having them come and they saw what I was talking about. They’d see if they could fix it, they said. They called the following day, it was not possible to fix it. But they said they’d try to find me a replacement and did. Waiting for them to bring it over was a challenge: they didn’t at the time scheduled, so we decided to go to the service center at the Facilities Building along Shaw (same building as Babyland). For P906 we now have a new remote control. It looks different from the old one we had but it works. That’s good enough for us. Whew.
Important numbers:
Virex: 913 2043 (Rio is very nice and accommodating)
Panasonic hotline: 282 2272
284 2274
284 2278
Exact address of Panasonic service center: 548 Unit C, Facilities Building
Virex has 2 shops 275 Ermin Garcia Street and 97 Kamuning Road.
I’ve never been to Virex shops, I merely call them. They can install aircons as well.
We were at Power Plant tonight to watch International. It ranked #1 in Time magazine but had some loose ends. Or maybe I didn’t just understand it well enough. So many characters looked evil to begin with. Naomi Watts looked to young and pretty to be with whatever group she was. Cliver Owen looked credible as usual. But I’m just wondering, after getting wounded by so many bullets, his blood dried up just like that? No trip to the hospital? Whoa.
After the movie we had dinner at Sumo Sam. The place is a bit tight so that one has to say excuse me to get to a table near the wall. As we were close to finishing our meal, husband said “showbiz ba yan?” I looked it was Priscilla M and John estrada. They make a good looking couple.
When we went out, perhaps close to Aldo or thereabouts, I saw Tristan Encarnacion. He was with an EB Babe or Sex Bomb dancer. I wasn’t sure which.
close to 10, husband was feeling sleepy as we were about to go home. Asked if he wanted some coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, he said yes. I knew I’d be bored watching him sleep, so I venture to SM Appliance center. Everybody in the store was so nice. One of the men even pushed my wheelchair for me. I’m beginning to like SM.
Way back when Gary V first made it big, there were speculations as to how long he would be around. No, not necessarily as a big name in PHilippine music, but as a living, breathing human being here on earth. It was not unknown that Gary V had Type I diabetes and his days were supposedly numbered.
But look, 2009 sees him alive and well and Francis dead and gone. How ironic, no? Life is such a puzzle.
Watching the two perform in the video I posted previous to this post, I cannot help but marvel at how big the two men were side by side, neither one trying to grab the limelight from the other, each one respecting the artistry and the person of the other. There were moments when I was struck at how big Francis was, sometimes appearing like it was his show, not because of any deliberate, malicious intent, but because of his passion, his intensity as a performer. And Gary allowed it. He didn’t try to upstage his guess but gave him the respect due him. I salute you, Gary V for giving Francis that.
And his message to us whom Francis M left behind, of letting him live through us… (in the past I was turned off by Gary’s propensity to say “praise the Lord” and other born-again Christian statements) Gary, thank you.
Francis M, we miss you. You were a part of my lunch for many years, I thought when you left last October, it was for but a respite. I watched your return to Eat Bulaga when you performed with Ely Buendia some months ago. I wouldn’t have missed that for the world. Even my husband and son watched with me. ( My gosh, I saw that I had posted this video in a previous post on Kiko (welcome back, Francis M)
Last night, I got a text from my son when I was out. He texted, “Francis M is dead na.” I texted back, “Sad no?” Moments later, I admitted “plurking” him about it in the afternoon, didn’t he get it? He hadn’t checked his plurk, he said. He had seen the news on Francis’ death in Facebook.
When we arrived late last night, he said, “there’s a tribute on him in QTV.” my son was then watching Living Asia. I asked, “why didn’t you watch the tribute?” He said “ang lungkot eh.”
You see, Francis M was a part of our lives. I cry as I type this. I cried as I brushed my teeth earlier and listened to Raymond Lauchengco sing a Bagets song.
Francis, why did you get sick and die? But who am I to question God’s will and plan? Francis accepted and embraced that plan. I should follow his lead.
Just now this video was shown in Eat Bulaga and it made me cry. My comments on it in another post. If the video isn’t inserted, click on this:
Went to Kamera Haus in the p.m., past 7 in fact. The mere thought of the exchange that ensued exhausts me. See we got a lens. We wanted a memory XD something for an Olympus camera too. Guy at first said it was more expensive than the Kingston thing. the XD he said cost P1k plus. But thing is, an Olympus camera has slots for both an XD and the memory thing, so you can have both in your camera at the same and are therefore protected from lack of memory.
When I asked if I could buy the XD thing, guy suddenly said it wasn’t for sale. It came free with buying an Olympus body. Okay that’s guy 1. Then I asked where I could get, he said a clone was available in CD-R king.
Then Guy 2 joined the picture. I asked again if I could have one for free because months back I had bought a flash, and last night a lens. Goodwill and all, you know. No daw. I asked, so can I buy one? I asked. He said “it’s for free only if you buy a camera.” Fine, I got that. Then he said “pero sa iba naming store, makakabili ka.” He said “naming” ok? Because both husband and I heard him. I said “saang store niyo? Bakit hindi na lang dito.” He said “sa CDR-king.” I said “akala ko store niyo.” He said “CDR-King”. Hay, I was so exasperated i said “hirap niyo kausap. Ayoko na bumalik dito.” And we went out, the lens in hand.
As my husband wheeled me, I asked, “is mercury in retrograde?” My husband is an avid fan of astronomy. He said “In fact, Venus is in retrograde.” Oh boy, so it’s virtually the same situation the 2 planets create when they’re in retrograde?
Hied off to the appliance center. See, Maid C is leaving on the 17th with the washing machine she uses in a near death situation. It can wash one shirt at a time if she first spins the thing with her finger, so I was told. Anyway, I asked the guy in SM if I could pay for a washing machine and have it deliverd on the 17th so Maid C wouldn’t destroy it yet again. He said yes.
He led us to the Panasonic models which I asked for. He said they had a smaller one than was on display and would get it. I said “never mind getting it, anyway that won’t be the one delivered.” But he insisted he wanted to show me how it worked. Fine. Then it occurred to me to have my BDO rewards card checked (remember posts back, I said that when my son gassed up in Petron he was told it (the card) wasn’t working?). The SM man said he couldn’t do it. I had to do the calling myself. I asked him why not he na. He said “dapat ang customer. halika samahan ko kayo.” Okay fine, anyway we were waiting for the sample model I wanted to get (and guess what? that sample never came. maybe it wasn’t even existing, at least in their store).
We went to the phone where the answering machine said after I entered all the info asked that my request couldn’t be processed. So I told the guy “ayaw.” Guess what he did, he got my card and gave it to one of the girls in front of the LCDs in the counter who swiped it and said I had P10 in my card. Heavens, see? They could just have done it as I suspected. At least the P10 in my BDO Rewards card was reassuring. WHy? After the failed transaction of my son in Petron, I called the hot line and complained. The lady who answered me then had said “baka may problema lang noon” and I had challenged her, “So that’s it? I don’t get credit for the transaction through no fault of mine?” She said “sorry po.” But I’m a consumer’s right (as in correct and right as in I have a right as a customer, and was insistent. So she asked me to fax the receipt and she’d check what could be done. Ayun naman pala eh. That my card had P10 meant it could be done. Hay naku. What’s with them? Bakit pa pinapahirapan ang tao? Don’t they know that the shortest distance between two points is a perpendicular line? How circuitous getting service is in SM and BDO, at least in some aspects.) After verifying that I had P10 in my card, the guy offered me American Home washing machines. It had a filter daw and was cost a tad more. I checked the price, it was cheaper. heavens.
Earlier, when we got to SM, husband chose to park in the Annex area. He had parked there months back and was impressed. Fine. In the past we used to park in the area behind the old building. They have a slot for the disabled there.
When we got to the Annex building, the guard was motioning us to the upper level. Ayan na naman, there were slots on level 2, but he was motioning us to the 3rd. Maybe so he’d have fewer cars to guard? But we were determined and after one round, we found a slot beside the two occupied disabled slots. From then on, we thought things would be smooth sailing. Because as is typical of SM establishments, the disabled are treated well in that there are ramps provided, parking slots too, priority for the disabled is specified in the elevators. Great.
From the annex we wheeled to the main building. The way was brightly lit and clean. yahoo. Then the experience with Kamera Haus and SM. AFter those 2 shops we went back to the elevator to go to the second floor to have dinner at Banana Leaf in The Block. Quite a distance but Banana Leaf was our holy grail last night.
I was educated at BL. When the ribs my husband liked in the Podium branch were again unavailable in the menu the way they were in the Power Plant branch, I said so to the waiter who then turned the menu to the back cover. He explained that there were two kinds of banana leaf. One was the cafe which offers fewer choices, the PP plant and the Block, among them. The Podium branch has the complete menu. Okay, point taken. But this waiter of ours had this annoying timbre in his voice and the volume, wow. Never mind, that’s nature, nothing we can do about that. Plus the food was great: hainanese chicken, nasi goreng and prawn with chili sauce. Sarap. gustatorily satisfiied na kami.
After dinner, we saw the shops were still open and went to Clarks where my husband got two pairs of shoes which were on sale. Plus they had this come on that if you get two pairs, you get an additional discount of 10% on the sale price. ladies shoes also available, but Clarks’ ladies’ shoes are chunky, not feminine. So I didn’t bother to look even.
Then we saw the Soap Factory. Cute soap products. they had this liquid bath soap that were very fragrant. One scent was muscovado. They had soap on popsicle sticks too. I asked if people actually used them. Remember back in the 70s when there were candles fashioned like ice cream sundaes, burgers, etc.? Well now soaps in the Soap Factory are so designed. Perhaps differently in that they were fashioned like donuts, cake slices, mini cakes etc. Nice but seemed a pity to use them. And they had this huge dispensers for liquid soap and oil. For refilling bottles of customers at a discount. I didn’t get any stuff there though. The ladies were friendly and the smell wasn’t overpowering the way it is in LUSH. What does that mean kaya?
Next stop, COlumbia. Again, items were on sale. Some of them. They had 3 layer thingies with discounts, they also had polos, pants, etc on discount. The arrangement I think was get two shirts both already discounted, and the second shirt gets discounted another 50 percent. Something like that. And the two working there were very solicitous. we intend to go back. They had pants that could be transformed to shorts and vice versa. Two versions: one made of really light material (quick dry) and another of cotton. A bit pricey at P2k plus each. They also had leather wallets, bags, jackets, etc. A nice store with equally nice personnel – one male, one female. Clarks’ lady was also very accommodating. Prior to columbia, bought some stuff from watson’s which was about to close. Nice lady attended to us there.
As we were about to go to the car, I saw that Bread Talk was open though it was a bit past 10. I hurriedly made my choices while husband went to the washroom. That done, with me virtually covered with my husband’s purchases, we hied off to the annex. The stores around us were closed except for Brownies near the exit. But the path was well lit. Great. But whoa…
when we reached the end of the tube, ergo the entrance to the annex, the doors were closed. and locked. My husband said he’d go look for a guard as people who saw us from inside just looked at us. No good samaritans there, although some craned their necks in search of guards, found none and went on their way down stairs for able-bodied beings. Then a couple went to the door. I think we shared the same problem except that they wanted to go out while we wanted to go in. Husband almost shouted through the glass doors our predicament. Could they find a guard, he asked hopefully. They promptly looked for one after which they proceeded down the stairs. Hay, thank God for good Samaritansy. Meanwhile, two ladies, one of them an employee of a store inside the annex, were grumbling as they waited along with us. One of them said the doors weren’t usually locked. They also had to get in.
As one guard (the one the couple told our predicament to) radioed for the keys, we were reassured that we wouldn’t have to go back to the Block, go down the elevator, etc. Quite a long story. Or sleep outside the annex and wait for the guards to see us. When we were waiting, I had this feeling of deja vu because almost 2 decades ago, we were in the same situation in Galleria. Except that we wanted to go out but were locked in, or at least the door leading to the ramp was locked.
When we were finally let in last night, I asked the guard what would have happened to us if nobody had been kind enough to call them. He said there were always roving guards. But what if they missed seeing us as one guard had done last night? I dread the thought. SO mercury, er venus, was really in retrograde and rubbing it in. Think that was the last of its manifestations? Think again.
Being virtually aliens to the area, we drove out to heavy traffic. Plus we were in the middle lane because husband was expecting the U-turn slot to be across Roosevelt. We saw some cars u-turning from the north. We saw one car a little behind us u-turning back in the direction of Cubao. We thought he was violating laws but would you believe he wasn’t? We had missed a u-turn. And where was the next? I teased my husband, “baguio na lang tayo.” Because it seemed that far. And remember how a few years back, we missed the turn to Vigan and so went to Baguio instead to appease my disappointed soul? We drove on and on last night, for that blasted U-turn (no thanks to my non-favorite presidential candidate in 2010) and finally saw it, past the turn to Project 8. I really thought we’d reach north expressway. were we close?
Anyway, we finally got home to an excited son and what remained of the night was okay. Thank God.
oh ok, some details. Vic Sotto announced it in Eat Bulaga. Francis’s last post on his multiply site was 14 Jan 2009 when he announced he was going into his 4th chemo at Medical City. He was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant in March.
Sigh.
can in turns be fun, depressing, disgusting.
An hour or so ago, I tuned in to Channel 2 because my sister texted that another accident had taken place in Ateneo, this time involving a college student. So I promptly tuned in to Channel 2. But before the news on the accident was delivered, others were. One was the interview with kris Aquino. The segment host editorialized. She said something to the effect that Kris was sad or something because of the release of the alleged killers of her father. She said this prior to showing her interview with Kris. Did she have to editorialize? Couldn’t she have left us to realize that Kris was sad and why? Sometimes, our newscasters talk too much.
Then police training in Bicol was featured. This was disgusting. Why do they have to haze these men? Senseless. I’m so glad that was videoed because hopefully, the expose will put a stop to it. Wishful thinking?
Next came the interview of a CHR person and forensics expert Fortun. The CHR person was dressed in black, an off-shoulder piece. Honest, she looked like she was ready to pose for her yearbook picture. Was Chat Peypoch around? And after making a statement, she smiled for the cameras. My husband said “Mukhang masaya pa siya.” I was not paying attention to what she was saying, I was just so amused by her get-up! Husband said “parang naghanda magpakuha sa TV talaga.” As for Ms. Fortun – I am a fan. She’s a no-nonsense person, an expert, fearless. How is she related to Raymond and Siegfried Fortun? Brilliant minds there.
Finally, the feature on the college student of Ateneo who as it turns out is a friend of my son. He hinted that the driver of the car that bumped him wasn’t concentrating on his driving. Will people ever learn not to text when they drive?
And then the mom of Amiel was interviewed. It’s the first time she came out on TV, I think. She was forthright. She was sad and admitted she wasn’t ready to forgive. Not yet. And that is utterly, completely, understandable.
I was watching TV last night and was aghast when I saw the 10 being released. Why they, in particular? What is behind their release? One paper says it’s “vendetta”. My oh my, oh my. Does it follow that if no one admits to pulling the trigger leading to the death of Ninoy that he did it himself? Committed suicide on the tarmac? or did Galman really do it? Why aren’t the “killers” still talking after all these years? And why were they and only they released yesterday? Answers anyone? I’m puzzled. The Philippines boggles the mind.
Another bit of news: Mancao is ready to talk. He will be extradited. Ping Lacson says something to the effect that “I hope he sticks to the truth” because Mancao allegedly claimed he had been receiving death threats. From whom and for what? It boggles the mind.
Years back, maybe even decades, there were rumors Bongbong Marcos died and the present Bongbong is a relative, etc. Is that true? Will anyone admit it? Years back too, there were rumors President Marcos had a kidney transplant. He denied it showing off his abs. So what’s true?
In the US, President Kennedy was assasinated. Who had him killed? and why?
President Magsaysay died in a plane crash. There were rumors behind the crash. So what was the truth behind it?
Why have people become so untruthful? keeping the truth secret is tantamount to lying, right?
It boggles the mind.
Except for a few minutes of Unang Hirit, Eat bulaga, 24 Oras and Family feud on Channel 7; the Sweet Life on QTV and Rosebud, I’ve hardly been into TV viewing these past weeks. Burnout? I don’t really know. Maybe it’s the workload. I really don’t know.
I no longer follow any of GMA’s telebabad show. The last I did was Marimar. Sometimes, we catch a portion of La Luna, but the rest? nah. Will check out All about Eve, that’s for sure, because it was a favorite Koreanovela of mine. I’ll also check out Rosalinda as it stars Carla Abellana whose Lola Delia Razon and dad PJ Abellana are from Negros. Plus Carla is the pretty girlfriend of Ateneo Blue Eagle JC Intal.
From the looks of it though, I’m not sure I’ll watch AAE through. The trailers show a rather dark series, which wasn’t exactly the case with its forerunner.
Re Babaeng Hinugot sa Akin tadyang. I watched the first episode and I found Marian’s acting so weird. Is she supposed to be deranged in the series?
I can almost see Rhea wince, hi Rhea.
Seriously now, I watched Documentaries on QTV a few days ago and I liked her feature on Dance. Each kind was given enough time rather than treated roughshodly. How I wish though that Rhea’s little boy smiled more. Maybe he was sleepy? Rhea carried and swung him lovingly.
Suzie has 3 daughters and they came out on TV this morning, swimming. Each one of them, bar none, had the exuberance of Suzie. I can imagine what a noisy and happy household they have.
Lynn Ching. Saw her house in YES magazine. Wow. And guess what? Her interior designer used to make my clothes. My sister and I were sad when she decided to quit making clothes in favor of interior design. Yes, Susan Sazon lacson made my prom dress, the gown I wore to my classmate’s debut and cotillon, and so many other memorable pieces. My college ball dress, my maid of honor dress during my sister’s wedding, my sister’s wedding dress. Sigh. I tired to call her at home to congratulate her for the work she did in Lynn’s house, but an answering machine took my call. I guess she must be very busy.
Here are the 100 most beautiful words in English.
How do we know? Dr. Goodword (Dr. Robert Beard) has been defining words and writing poetry for 40 years. For five years he wrote the daily word sent out as the Word of the Day at yourDictionary and since 2004 he has been writing the Good Word at alphaDictionary.
Over the years he has collected these words, with the help of the word colloquium at the alphaDictionary Alpha Agora . Now, here the most beautiful words in sounds and meaning are for you to enjoy.
1 adroit Dexterous, agile.
2 adumbrate To very gently suggest.
3 aestivate To summer, to spend the summer.
4 ailurophile A cat-lover.
5 beatific Befitting an angel or saint.
6 beleaguer To exhaust with attacks.
7 blandiloquent Beautiful and flattering.
8 caliginous Dark and misty.
9 champagne An effervescent wine.
10 chatoyant Like a cat’s eye.
11 chiaroscuro The arrangement of dark and light elements in a picture.
12 cockle A heart-shaped bivalve or a garden flower.
13 colporteur A book peddlar.
14 conflate To blend together, to combine different things.
15 cynosure A focal point of admiration.
16 desuetude Disuse.
17 diaphanous Filmy.
18 diffuse Spread out, not focused or concentrated.
19 dulcet Sweet, sugary.
20 ebullient Bubbling with enthusiasm.
21 effervescent Bubbly.
22 efflorescence Flowering, the opening of buds or a bloom.
23 elixir A good potion.
24 emollient A softener.
25 encomium A spoken or written work in praise of someone.
26 ephemeral Short-lived.
27 epicure A person who enjoys fine living, especially food and drink.
28 epiphany A sudden revelation.
29 erstwhile At one time, for a time.
30 eschew To reject or avoid.
31 esculent Edible.
32 esoteric Understood only by a small group of specialists.
33 ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
34 etiolate White from no contact with light.
35 evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
36 exuberant Enthusiastic, excited.
37 felicitous Pleasing.
38 fescue A variety of grass favored for pastures.
39 foudroyant Dazzling.
40 fragile Very, very delicate.
41 fugacioius Running, escaping.
42 gambol To skip or leap about joyfully.
43 glamour Beauty.
44 gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.
45 halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free.
46 hymeneal Having to do with a wedding.
47 imbricate To overlap to form a regular pattern.
48 imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation.
49 imbue To infuse, instill.
50 incipient Beginning, in an early stage.
51 ingenue A naïve young woman.
52 inglenook The place beside the fireplace.
53 inspissate To thicken.
54 inure To jade.
55 jejune Dull; childish.
56 lagniappe A gift given to a customer for their patronage.
57 lagoon A small gulf or inlet in the sea.
58 languor Listlessness, inactivity.
59 lassitude Weariness, listlessness.
60 laughter The response to something funny.
61 lilt To move musically or lively, to have a lively sound.
62 lithe Slender and flexible.
63 loquacious Talkative.
64 luxuriant Thick, lavish.
65 mellifluous Sweet-sounding.
66 missive A message or letter.
67 moiety One of two equal parts, a half.
68 mondegreen A misanalyzed phrase.
69 nebulous Foggy.
70 niveous Snowy, snow-like.
71 obsequious Fawning, subservience.
72 odalisque A concubine in a harem.
73 oeuvre A work.
74 offing That part of the sea between the horizon and the offshore.
75 onomatopoeia The creation of words by imitating sound.
76 paean A formal expression of praise.
77 palimpsest A manuscript written over one or more earlier ones.
78 panacea A complete solution for all problems.
79 panoply A complete set.
80 pastiche A mixture of art work (art or music) from various sources.
81 peccadillo A peculiarity.
82 pelagic Related to the sea or ocean.
83 penumbra A half-shadow, the edge of a shadow.
84 peregrination Wandering, travels.
85 petrichor The smell of earth after a rain.
86 plethora A great excess, overabundance.
87 porcelain A fine white clay pottery.
88 potamophilous Loving rivers.
89 propinquity A nearness, similarity, or kinship.
90 Pyrrhic Victorious despite heavy losses.
91 quintessential The ultimate, the essence of the essence.
92 redolent Sweet-smelling.
93 rhapsody A beautiful musical piece.
94 riparian Having to do with the bank of a river or other body of water.
95 ripple A small, circular wave emanating from a central point.
96 scintillate To sparkle with brilliant light.
97 sempiternal Forever and ever.
98 seraglio Housing for a harem.
99 serendipity Finding something while looking for something else.
100 surreptitious Sneaky.
BONUS WORDS
101 sussurous Producing a hushing sound, like flowing water.
102 symbiosis Interdependence of two different species.
103 syzygy The direct opposition of two heavenly bodies.
104 talisman A symbolic object believed to have magical powers.
105 terpsichorean Related to dance.
106 tintinnabulation Ringing.
107 umbrageous Shady.
108 vestige A small fragment.
109 whisper Speaking without vibrating the vocal folds.
110 zyzzyva A kind of beetle.
People, please help me decide by dropping me a line. For several weeks running now, Skycable has been calling, offering me 15 days of free broadband connection. The deal: Php999 for a speed of 1.5 kbps, Php1999 for 2kbps. Plus 15% off from my skycable subscription.
Meanwhile, I’m paying PLDT Php1995 for 1.2 kbps.
Who among you has experienced Sky Broadband? How is it?
Incidentally, because of Sky’s offer, I asked what subscription I had for cable, was told it was gold for which I pay Php900 plus monthly inclusive of VAT. All this time I didn’t care to ask. I should have because the silver plan which means 5 channels fewer goes at P200 less and these channels except for CInemax I already have from Destiny, meaning: discovery, animal planet, a cartoon channel and I forget what else. So today I asked that my cable subscription be downgraded. Next week possibly, we’ll experience sky broadband for 15 days for free. So why am I asking your opinion?
They could always try to impress us, put their best foot forward within those 15 days. Then what?
So please help me decide. Share your experience with Sky Broad Band? Please…
Why are they making such a big fuss over it? Media mileage? Usually, things like these are kept under wraps, but now we see/hear Alfie Lorenzo and Judy Ann’s mom sulking, planning a boycott of the event because they feel excluded from the preparations. Seriously now? And Juday keeps reacting/explaining to the public. They even sought the opinion of a feng shui expert to decide the date. My gulay. This may end up as the wedding that never was. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you’re in love, go ahead and get married.
Husband and son went off to Rockwell for the Philippine Jazz festival featuring Hiromi, Spyro Gyra and Mike Stern. Started at 10 a.m. and may last 10 hours with intervals in between. So I’m staying home which explains the spate of posts here and in my multiply site. And what do I do when I’m home alone? I half watch TV, I read the papers, I multi-task but do not feel harassed. I have work to do but that can wait till tomorrow.
So far, the newspapers I’ve gone over haven’t proved interesting, but I’m not done yet. Before son and husband left, I asked son to look for RJ channel so I can do a reprise of what we did last Sunday: listen to RJ and his cohost and the music they play. One needn’t really watch, one can just listen. Which I more or less did this morning. But I did take a peek when Petula Clark began singing “Downtown”. She sang it like an old lady would, slower and differently. But the voice was vintage Petula, so critics, shut up.
Also watched some sections of SOP. Glad to see JR is back. He looks a tad sad, his eyes do. But he got into the groove somehow. Iza Calzado – one wonders why she’s so tentative when she dances. Why doesn’t Lito practice her? Sayang ang terpsichorean genes. She always looks nervous when she dances. She doesn’t seem to enjoy herself. Maybe she should practice more religiously so she’ll exude the confidence that will make her look like she’s having fun rather than seem fearful. I’m glad, though, it’s IZa who’ll take on the role of Nicole in All About Eve. Mark Anthony Fernandez for Jang Dong Gun? Mark’s okay, but I’d have preferred Piolo Pascual there (wrong channel lang nga). Or Diether, maybe? Or Chris Tiu? Someone who exudes some mystery. Speaking of Mark, he “sang” with Heart Evangelista to mark the near-end of La Lola. But “sang” is inaccurate. Sure, there was a voice singing what should have come out from Mark’s lips/vocal cords, but was that voice his? He was not mouthing them properly. He couldn’t pretend to sing. There were portions he should have been singing, his lips weren’t even open. Next time, GMA, just let him stand there and let Heart or anyone else sing to Mark. Or call him in after the song number and have him interviewed. Is it lack of dedication to the craft, Mark? Sayang.
Dennis Trillo, Marvin Agustin and the singer from one of the GMA competitions – now that was a good performance there. They sang “Turn Around” complete with props and choreography. Synchronicity personified. They were enjoying themselves and no one was trying to grab the limelight from anyone. In one part, Dennis and Marvin even lifted the young man whose name I can’t remember. That was great. No ego problems there. If one is a star, even from the back, one can shine. I remember Agot Isidro before when she was a back up singer of Sharon. I noticed her then. I remember Ogie Alcasid when he was part of a group. He stood out, I don’t know why. The X factor maybe? And of course, Dennis Trillo has always stood out.
Kyla was made up so differently I wasn’t sure it was she. But she sang superbly as usual.
There was one portion where there were maybe 5 lady hosts on stage, among them Jaya and Regine. They all spoke at the same time, I couldn’t catch what anyone was saying. I know, perhaps, they were enthused by something or someone, they were excited. But weren’t they taught when they were younger not to speak at the same time? Oh well. I hope they review their shows every time so they can see where they can improve.
The TV is off now, turned it off as I read my first dose of DAILY LIT, from a site recommended by my cousin. I’m subscribed to Anna Karenina now, and just read the first of 423 installments. I’ll be done in a year and 57 days. I hope I succeed. (Daily Lit is a good site that allows one to read certain books for free, a portion at a time. Check it out here. Thanks, B. Last year, she led me to this site but the book I chose was too difficult so I didn’t follow it till the end. AK looks promising. It begins thus: Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.)
I have four new thingies stuck on the ref door now, got them for/on my birthday:
which my cousin has as her Facebook profile picture- I expressed admiration for it and she gave me the other one she had, 
two “angels” from a friend in Bacolod who always sends me a box of many different things on my birthday, and this
, a paddle replica from a friend who went rafting in Cagayan de Oro days prior to my birthday.
Cousin also sent me pili in two forms: masapan and wrapped individually, think butterscotch cake but richer. Sarap. I ration my eating to one a day so I can stretch my enjoyment of them
The angels came with many other things: a book of stories interspersed with recipes, a kitchen towel set, a butterfly clip for the hair, a notebook with angels on the cover, a ceramic hanging that read “be afraid of me I teach children” or something to that effect.
The paddle came with a box of pastel bread from Camiguin. Have you tried them? They are like dinner rolls with cooked condensed milk filling. Really yummy. From a friend who lives in Bulacan I got several kakanin- different kinds and more than one of each: 3 llanera of ube, 3 of leche flan; 3 plates of suman wrapped in banana leaves, two big plates of suman (haha, the last two are different from each other but I don’t know their exact names. You get the drift) SO do you wonder why I don’t lose weight?
Other gifts: a Red Ribbon ube cake from the publishing house for which I edit, a brazo de mercedes cake (it’s round and custard alternates between soft meringue) that was followed a day later by a box of gift tags, so beautiful I don’t want to use them. One of these days I’ll take pictures of these. Also in the ref is apple pie which came with a tub of butter for spreading on top of the pie when one eats it. Came from my tutees – 3 brothers.
On the less sinful side, I got a box of ponkan (family of my son’s friend), a box of mangoes (from cousin and family: then green, now a ripe yellow), a plastic bag of ripe mangoes and 4 star apples (from my former maid), a book of 365 something by Fr. Jerry Orbos from a friend, 4 kitchen towels from a sister, a Liz Claiborne pink flower-printed bag and Marks and Spencer GCs from a sister, stickers with my name and address from another sister, a bath towel set from my maids. Also got a L’Occitane facial wash tube from Ms. Netherlands, a Bath and Body(? I can’t recall) scent from the mother of my son’s friend. From the mom of another tutee, a set of gift tags (it was from her that the mom who gave me brazo de mercedes cake got the cards).
Plus phone calls, emails, postings on websites, facebook, etc. I am grateful. It feels good to be remembered, even better to know one is loved. It is humbling and makes one feel so blessed by the gift of friends. Sigh.
Son had a gig at Mag:Net High Street last night. He didn’t know how to get there and husband and I were only too willing to take him because then we had an excuse to go to Serendra.
After dropping son off at Mag:Net past 10 pm, we drove to the parking area near Fully Booked and proceeded to book heaven for husband. Whew, my nemesis wasn’t around. I didn’t go to the magazine section, though, lest I bump into him or he, me. I just tagged along wherever my husband chose to go. Saw a few nice/interesting things on the ground floor:
. Saw this book. Neither the author nor topic struck me. Rather it was the way the cover was laid out/presented. It so reminded me of old books/textbooks way back when I was much younger. After taking its picture, we put it back. Doesn’t it evoke memories? Another shot:
Then I saw this and had to take a picture of it. It so looked like home, the clutter on chairs, tables, the floor, for lack of space, except that the one in FUlly Booked is organized clutter atop a chair:
As husband lined up to pay for two Haruki Murakami books (one for son, one for himself – I just share), I saw these Garfield books, one with an interesting and interesed customer: 
See it? On the corner? It seemed hapless though, couldn’t turn the page. Should I have helped it along? It wasn’t a fruit fly, but bigger, though not that pig. It had a shmmering body.
Having paid, we headed for the fourth floor to look at the videos and CDs. there were quite a number I’d have wanted to buy: Musicals Volume 2, a Mendelssohn album, etc. But I hesitated, and chose not to. I didn’t want to be a spendthrift last night. Saving precious pesos for euros.
As FB announced that it would close in 5 minutes, we hurriedly left and wondered where we could wait for son. As we crossed the street to Mag:Net to find a place to wait, we saw a brightly lit NIKE outlet. I thought it would close in a matter of minutes but no, it was wide open and welcoming. Previous to reaching Nike, I had told my husband, “IF I had a store here, I’d close at 1″ and guess what, that’s what we found out Nike was doing. I told my husband “Oh see, there would have been two of us.”
The staff of Nike were warm, they didn’t appear depleted of energy or irritable. It seemed like it was the first hour of store time. How nice. And we also saw this 
and this
. They’re Nike regulars, along with their owners. The Siberian husky was so relaxed on the cold floor and he didn’t mind being touched by virtually anyone and everyone. The chou-chou (chow-chow?) had attitude. When it was irked, it barked. Not so, the Siberian husky which seemed to have a tender nature. The small dog would be a good model for the saying “small but terrible.” haha.
While we were in Nike, son called. Their gig was over. I asked him if he wanted to eat. He said, “Drive-thru”. Then he saw Brothers Burger which was brightly lit and said “let’s order take-out.” We did, or rather they did. He order the double burger with garlic cream cheese and bacon, husband ordered the thing with pineapple and teriyaki sauce.” Son was famished and was a bit irked that the orders tooks so long. Meantime, I saw to our side a familiar face with some of his friends: Ram fernandez Rivera. Or was it Robin? No, I think it was Ram. He wasn’t calling attention to himself, very well brought up, apparently.
Another sighting: saw Sarah Geronimo in Power Plant last Friday night as we ate at Myron’s with the Netherlands friend. Son said, “ang tangad niya pala?” Son saw me checking if she had heels on and before I could say anything he said, “oo, may heels pero kahit wala, matangkad pa rin.” Sige na nga.
