My two-year-old niece, destressing

Crazy about Crab

I was talking to my local officemates about how much I enjoyed eating crab. They were very much surprised that I associated crab eating to Newton Circus, Jumbo and No Signboard (Esplanade). According to them, there are restaurants that served good crab (cold, chilli, butter, black/white peper and milk) at more reasonable price.

We are planning to take on these establishments soon.

(Mattar Road Seafood Barbecue at 01-63 Old Airport Road Food Centre is supposed to one of those)

I can't wait!

Book 7

What I'd like to happen in book 7, or the supposed last of the series:

1. Draco to grow some back bone and chose to do the right thing
2. Ron to have his shining moment
3. Neville to have an even shinier shinning moment than Ron
4. Cho Chang to never be mentioned or referenced in any way (eg Cedric's girlfriend)
5. Hagrid to be granted the chance to pursue wizardry and to have a proper wand so he could get rid of his umbrella
6. Harry to stay alive
7. Krum to have a significant role (I miss reading Herminini)
8. Bellatrix to find out, the hard way what she means to Voldemort

NOTE: Someone played a cruel joke on me today. He said that it sucked that Hagrid and on of the Weasley twins died in book 7! What kind of a heartless jerk would do that?

Empty Seat

I heard an old song today and it made me laugh out loud. It was Passenger's Seat.

I was suddenly reminded of the time where commuting home meant, zigzag-ing South Super Highway on my Mom's old ride.

I especially remember, absent-mindedly looking at the empty seat beside me, thinking of my crush. Imaging how it would be like if he was actually sitting there.

Maris (whom I fondly call MS), in fact even watched Stephen Speaks (or was it Steven Speaks? I forget!) perform in Ateneo.

Today

Today love, I ran out of things to say.

Sandman 65

I... I did not intend to hurt you.

And what if you did not? Intent and outcome are so rarely coincident.

Pirate Master

I'm not really into reality shows and although I am very much fond of pirate stories (especially those with THE giant sea creature), Pirate Master is no different for me.

I was able to get a quick peek and saw that one of the contestants, John, was both a scientist and an exotic dancer. Wow, when the producers scouted for a set of diversified unique individuals, they really meant business.

Curl Up and Dye

I was with friends at Clarke Quay having coffee. Mina, Pat and I were explaining to Pat's friend that in the Philippines, we have McSpaghetti in our McDonald's and that it even came in a meal with fried chicken and rice. We then talked about a spoof carinderia called Mang Donald's. Almost instantaneously we were reminded of this once well-circulated email listing funny establishment names.

There were Sips Ahoy (Drinks booth), McDough (Pastry Store), Curl Up and Dye (beauty parlor), Conan the Barber Shop (obviously, a barber shop) and my personal favorite, Petal Attraction (flower shop).

There are times when you remember old jokes and just laugh yourself silly.

These times, priceless.

(I'm thinking, it would be really funny too if someone called a cafe, PASSION CAFE, but maybe, that's just me)

TJ Abad

Migs was telling me that earlier today, he was reading a friend's blog. He liked the entries so much that he read one to me. Upon hearing it, I knew I HAD to read the rest of his entries.

I have never met TJ, but I hope I do. I really like the way he writes. I especially like one particular entry. It somewhat reminds me of how I felt the first time I saw U2's All I Want Is You MTV.

Check out http://tjx.blogs.friendster.com/valorworx_blog/

FOR A MERMAID
i f m y l i f e w e r e a c i r c u s
Inspired by the short story “The Boy With No Name”

If my life were a circus
You’d be the Mermaid
Belting an enchanting melody
With an ethereal tone so pure
It enchants all who feel it
Resonate through their ears
But despite your unearthly beauty
You have never felt passion
For no attempt at courtship
Has been made by a single soul
Because you can never leave
Your tank and your tent
If my life were a circus
I’d be the Boy With No Name
Almost but not quite an attraction
And more like a stable boy for all
Shoveling elephant waste
Scrubbing the Lizard Man’s scales
Maintaining the Ringmaster’s quarters
And ignoring my dignity
To keep the spirits
Of all my comrades
Soaring for the next town

If our lives were a circus
And if you were the Mermaid
And I were the Boy With No Name
I’d finish all my chores
As fast as I could
So I may have more time
To clean your tank in your tent
So I may have more time
To discover who you are
Behind your ethereal tone
And your unearthly beauty
So I may have the time
To teach you dancing
In your tank, in your tent
So I may have more time
To court you
To show you everything there is
In love and in life

Griniz

I just read a blog by someone I went to the same high school with. I don't remember ever talking with her then, but for batches with less than 200 students, it is likely that one would know everyone.

In the past, I have thought about her and the life that she is living. Now that I am somewhat updated, I can't help but admire her more. For those who know her, I am sure they feel the same way. I hope that her optimism and bravery would rub off to the rest of us, common folks.

I'd like to send her a note even if I'm not too sure she remembers me. I'd like to tell her that she inspires me.

Quintessentially Charming

Almost two years ago, I met one of my favorite writers, Neil Gaiman. I recall up to this day how truly wonderful it was to finally see him. I might actually have fallen in love at that point, I was just so smitten by him that I started babbling like a teenager.

He was promoting a movie at that time, Mirror Mask. I promised myself I would watch it.

I missed it in the cinemas. Cinema, actually. It was shown, one night only at Great World City, on a day that I was out of Singapore.

Today, July 7, 2007 is a very special day. Not only because the date is 07-07-07 and that I am a potential toto winner but also because I finally saw the movie.

It was, quintessentially, charming.

Oh my! As I was checking the dates, I realized that I actually met him exactly two years ago today! What are the odds love?

http://tracygomez.blogs.friendster.com/metrics_tracker/2005/07/i_have_a_valent.html

NYAHAHA

Funny sh*t.

The album title of George Michael's song, Careless Whisper is... MAKE IT BIG!

Go figure.

Rhea's Birthday is July 5, 1979

Every year, she doesn't fail to remind me that I forgot her birthday and that I did not greet her.

She even claims that I have not once, in the eleven years that we've known each other greeted her.

That is not true!

I managed to greet her on the years that Pam reminded me that it is her birthday.

I don't do it on purpose. I am just real bad with dates.

This year, I did good. I greeted her before her birthday passed. I did so good that I greeted her, a day before her birthday.

We'll see what happens next year.

Lariat

I have always wanted a lariat. Thanks to Kristine, I'm now a very happy owner of one :)

Eating rice and everything nice

I would often change the way I eat. It comes in phases. I'd decide not to eat carbs, then decide not to eat SIMPLE carbs, then decide I'd eat complex carbs and not take any other source of sugar, not even fruits, then I'd decide to binge, then I'd decide to binge once a week, then I would not care and start eating what I want--anytime I want.

I guess I'm lucky that I generally love food that are good for me like vegetables, tofu, lean meat, milk, etc. So I have no worries about not getting enough nutrients.

Most of the time, I get into trouble by eating too much of both the good and the bad. For example, I would eat two servings of salad (with balsamic dressing) and chicken breast for dinner and then eat three scoops of ice cream and half a bag of chips.

I could almost hear Odell saying "Ang lakas mo kumain, as in masmalakas ka kumain kaysa sakin. Buti nga sa kain mo na yan hindi ka mas-malaki pa, eh hindi ka naman na nag-gy-gym" (You eat so much, even more than me. Given your food intake, you are lucky not to be bigger considering that you have stopped going to the gym). Great. Thanks man.

The past three weeks, I have, yet again, decided on a new approach. I would eat whatever I want, but only in moderation. So now, I eat rice every meal. I also started drinking lukewarm water instead of iced water. Another phase has begun.

More than meets the eye...

I remember when I was still in the university, there was a group of kids who had Decepticon stickers stuck on their cars. For some reason I ended up having a sticker myself, someone gave it to me; it was one of those a-friend-of-a-friend-is-into-something-so-come-join-the-fun things.

Of course I didn't stick in on the car I use, I instead stuck it on my planner. (I am a non-comformist that way :p )

It was a conversational piece a number of times, I'm not too sure if that was to my advantage though.

A few months later, I started seeing cars with Autobot stickers.

This was fitting, of course the Autobots had to exist! Otherwise, it is like yin without yan. Or... Larry and Curly without Moe. Right.

Singing Sappy Songs

When you have had four bottles of wine, shared among four friends, you can't help but start singing sappy songs.

You sing...

despite the fact that you are in public,

despite the fact that you can't sing,

despite the fact that you feel so run down from walking 5 kilometers,

despite the fact that your body is aching from standing for hours,

despite the fact that people started staring,

despite the fact that you get some lyrics wrong,

despite the fact that it is closing time, and the crew has turned the lights off on you,

despite this and that,

you sing... you sing, because you are just so damn happy to be in great company.