Misses Philippines

America's Next Top Blah

2010-05-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Season and season again, I have been disappointed with America's Next Top Model. The one I don't root for always wins. So Krista won. And my favorite, Raina lost. WHY???? I have no idea.

The Pasalubong List

2009-11-22T01:34:00.000-08:00

It's almost time for another visit to the Philippines and it's time to make the Pasalubong list. Here is my list of "Pasalubong essentials". Number one on the list is SPAM. Yes, the so-called mystery meat. It is one of the most important things to bring. It is non-gender specific, it will keep for a long time, and it is shaped like a small brick so it wastes very

What is Umami?

2009-11-18T16:24:00.001-08:00

The first time I read about umami is in an advertisement section in a Reader's Digest I bought in the Philippines last month. It was for Aji-no-moto, a brand of MSG. According the article, umami is the other basic taste in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter.Wikipedia says umami is more commonly known as savoriness. I guess the closest thing is the flavor of meat, cheese or mushrooms.Last

Pambansang Kamao

2009-11-18T06:22:00.000-08:00

Oops, he did it again!It's his 50th win - and his 7th world title in 7 weight divisions. I am extremely proud. My friend Reylan wrote Seven, It Must Feel Like Heaven. For the serious boxing afficionados, here is his follow-up article on whether Pacquiao should fight Merryweather next.Do I think he should fight Merryweather next? No. Because a lot of people say Merryweather is better than Pacquiao

I'm back!

2009-11-01T02:17:00.000-08:00

There was too much of nothing going on so there was not much to write about.However, I did spend one wonderful week in the Philippines. It was right after the two typhoons ravaged Manila and right before the last one hit. I had pretty good timing. Also, I mainly spent my time in Cebu where I enjoyed beautiful sunshine except on the day I arrived.I must admit I have become "Americanized". I am

Survivor: Samoa, Episode 1

2009-09-19T04:02:00.001-07:00

Ew! That short fat dude that runs around in his underwear is very irritating. It is really sad that he got Marissa voted out. Not that I care so much for Marisa, but because it feeds this guy's already-overblown ego.I guess I'm a little disappointed that it looks like there is no obviously likable and leader-type person like Bob or JT from previous seasons. We'll see, maybe in the future episodes

My So-Called Boring Life

2009-09-19T03:38:00.000-07:00

Lately, it has been feedings and diaper changes and lots of bad reality tv shows day after day. There really isn't much you can do that does not require hands. The hands are usually feeding the baby, changing diapers, doing chores or just plain useless while I'm playing catch-up on sleep.Before having kids, I didn't understand how some women gush about how fulfilled and happy they are while being

Bragging about JellyBean

2009-08-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

It is hard not to be too proud of your own child. Any parent will tell you that. So here, World, read about how awesome my little two-year-old is.Last week, JellyBean was scratching his head. I asked him, "What's the matter?""Itchy", he said.Then he continued: "Ni, san, chi, go, roku..." (this is one through six in Japanese)AWWWWWWW.BTW, he can count to ten in Bisaya and Spanish. He can count up

I'm baaack!!!!

2009-08-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

I'm baaack!!!!Here are some updates:1. It feels like I've been in labor for almost a month. Skittles (codename for baby girl) is due in a couple of weeks. I'm dreading the pain of actually giving birth, but more importantly, I just want to get this pregnancy over and done with.2. We're looking at the cash for clunkers deal. We're trying to trade in our old GMC Safari and get something like a

Supermoms

2009-05-12T03:51:00.001-07:00

I wonder how they do it. Cook meals, have a career, raise good kids, take care of the house, the husband, the laundry, the dishes, the bills and not look like something the cat dragged around for days.It's a matter of time management, one of these supermoms told me. How is that done? Set priorities, she said. Sounds easy. That very same day, I had 3 Priority No. 1's and they all require LOTS of

Updates

2009-05-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

I'm pregnant. It's a girl this time, due early September.Jellybean turned 2 and:knows the alphabetcan count in English and Bisayaknows colorsand shapessays, "Mommy, pretty." Good boy.

i like steve wozniak on dwts

2009-03-11T02:33:00.001-07:00

Steve Wozniak didn't get a lot of praise for his first episode on Dancing With the Stars. He should. He was much better than some of the contestants and did it all - including taking the judges criticisms - with a smile.Some people might think part of this might have to do with me being an Apple/Mac fan. It is not. I appreciate Steve's performance just as much as Jerry Springer's from seasons

The Texter's Choice Burden

2009-03-11T00:28:00.000-07:00

Last time I was in Cebu, I thought of watching the Miss Cebu pageant but I forgot when it was going to be. The other reason was that I got stuck in traffic (reminder to self: never think of driving from SM to Urgello when they decide to shut down major streets for a day-long parade). Later that night, I invited my cousin to drive back with me to Argao but he was stuck at the beauty pageant. Yeah,

jellybean, octomom and other stuff

2009-03-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

jellybean updatescaveat: proud momma about to brag about her little one. JellyBean knows ALL the letters of the alphabet and can count to ten in English and Bisaya. He can do "Sampung Palaka" and "Row, row your boat" and a whole bunch of nursery rhymes. He loves to build little towers with his blocks and make them come tumbling down.I've been hoping his fascination for vacuum cleaners will pass

of fish and cebuanos

2009-02-01T01:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was out with my girlfriends and the conversation veered into what kind of "weirdidities" we have. Someone mentioned that someone from Cebu can't stand the taste of fish. I have never heard of a Cebuano that has a severe dislike for fish. Seriously, Cebu is where you can get the freshest and tastiest fish, there has to be something wrong with you if you're Cebuano and hate fish. OR

Perpetual Jet Lag

2009-01-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

4am - Monday, January 19.I am convinced that I have perpetual jet lag. I still have not adjusted ever since I moved here almost 4 years ago.

it's been a while....

2009-01-15T01:16:00.000-08:00

I mostly hate Decembers since Papa died in a December. So while I had nothing positive to post, I opted to not post anything. Sure, sure, there are nice happy things that happened. Look on the bright side, yadda, yadda, yadda. Most of the encouragement in the world will be lost on me. I don't like December. Period. And it will be a while before I'll learn to like it. There.On to a more positive

through the fire

2008-12-17T03:02:00.000-08:00

Today, the house two doors from mine is half burned down. The houses right next to them were also severely damaged. It is definitely one of those really looooong days.I was reading and enjoying a nice cup of fresh instant coffee when I heard the fire alarm. Eh, someone's cooking went bad again, I thought. Then I saw all the smoke start to come in. And fast. I grabbed my laptop, important papers,

Filipino Sign Language

2008-12-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how funny certain Filipino-style nonverbal signals are to non-Filipinos until D pointed it out. For example, I open my mouth to signal that I didn't hear him. The first time I did that, he looked very confused. And though he'd deny it, I'm pretty sure he stifled a chuckle in an effort to be respectful.I certainly hope I haven't done that elsewhere in the States with anyone who

That PacMan night

2008-12-12T00:43:00.000-08:00

Last week, we went to our friend's house to watch Manny Pacquiao fight Oscar de la Hoya. It turned out to be quite the experience.My friend Tess and I made peanut turon the night before. This would be our potluck contribution. There was a lot of great Filipino food! Oh, the rice was undercooked but someone magically resolved that problem. Imagine a Filipino party with no rice!The Philippine

The Good Guys are Winning!

2008-12-12T00:33:00.001-08:00

I was dreading tonight a little bit. Thursday - Survivor Gabon night. Judging from last week's episode, it looked like my favorite contestant, Bob is the next one to go. Now that would just make the show plain boring. Note to the producers: it is fun to watch someone smart, talented, coordinated AND nice. It is not fun to watch whiny, scheming, manipulating non-talented people advance in the game

Survivor Gabon down to Six

2008-12-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

Six left!!!!Too bad Corinne got voted off. She was one of my favorites.I'm rooting for Bob, because he's the nicest and the smartest. And he's a physics teacher. I hope he wins the whole thing. However, Survivor may as well be known as the 'Best Traitor and Manipulator' game, and he might not have these so-called talents.I wish this is like 'Dancing with the Stars' where people can call in their

black friday - big shopping day

2008-11-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

what did you get?I heard there are great deals on tv's, computers, game systems, cameras and most toys for big kids. Last night, there were people lining up outside Best Buy and it wasn't even midnight yet! The store opens at 5am. They brought their tents and folding chairs and camped out there. Now, that's dedication!

The Gummy Bear Song

2008-11-25T00:43:00.000-08:00

It drives me crazy! It is one of those songs that are really catchy but really irritating. What's more irritating is that if you hear these songs often enough, you'd end up memorizing them and get the "Last Song Syndrome". Arg.Here are some more of those:That song in Kill BillWith You by Chris BrownBakit Pa Ba by Jay-Rthat song in the Dell commercial starts with "I am green today" -- huh???Who

pygmy tarsier rediscovered?

2008-11-19T00:27:00.000-08:00

I just saw this on the news today: Real-life Furbies Rediscovered.Uh, I was in Bohol three weeks ago (October 25, 2008 to be exact) and here is my picture with a tarsier!Could it be the same thing that they "rediscovered"? Nope.Turns out, scientists found Tarsius pumilus. The tarsiers in Bohol are Tarsius syrichta. Not quite the same thing.The difference? Pygmy tarsiers have claws on their digits