The world through chinky eyes

Maya Maya Beach Weekend

2008-10-31T12:30:00.004+08:00

Found an adorable beach house for rent in the village paper. Took the one remaining free weekend left (as all our adult days have suddenly been accounted for. Why is that?), and hied down to Maya Maya and Punta Fuego for some much needed R&R.

Best decision ever. Lobsters. Our own cook. Pool. Jacuzzi. Boat. More importantly, SUN.

And, we were the only ones on the island(s).

Click on image above to view entire album

p.s. Pardon the cobwebby imprint on all the photos. I totally missed that when I cleaned my lens. Grr.

Saturday dinner at the house

2008-08-14T13:23:00.001+08:00

Bebo's highschool friends and a few of our neighbors joined us last Saturday for a quasi-home cooked meal. By quasi, I mean Bebs cooking the baked chicken and spicy tuyo pasta, Jons and Paul spotting the pizza, Weedge bringing the salami and cheese and his cook preparing the eggplant casserole, and JJ and Carol taking charge of the booze. Lovely evening! We enjoyed ourselves till 2:30am, as no one seemed to want to go home! hahaha. I wonder why...

Group shot

My hubby and me

More photos here.

Nocon-Chua Nuptials

2008-08-13T14:16:00.001+08:00

08.08.08.

Some highlights at Chuck and Abbey's wedding:

The Friday night traffic brought us hours late to the couple's wedding. Dyahe. We arrived horribly late, but somehow managed to have two dinners that night. Even more dyahe.

With JJ in town, the evening also turned out to be a high school reunion of sorts for Bebo's batch. There are tons of pictures to prove this, thanks to Matron of Honor Maggie and her constant pull of the wedding photographer.

Chuck can sing! And so can his older brother. Standards, no less. I was highly impressed.

And finally, the story that will go down the anals of barkada blooper history:

A 60-ish year old barong-clad guest catches the eye of Carol who is absolutely certain the man was a senator. She convinces JJ and Bebs that he is in fact a politician and they spend a good portion of their time eliminating personalities and figuring out that elusive name. Until a moment of clarity suddenly hits Carol and she finally puts the man's face in proper reference... the assumed dignitary was actually an active Knights of Columbus in Merville. HAHAHAAHAHAHA. Nice one, luv.

The Orosas, Bharwanis, Filarts and Montinolas.

Best buddies

My handsome date

More pictures here.

Congratulations, Chuck and Abbey! We were honored to have shared your special day with you.

Still in the calendar...

2008-08-11T13:50:00.005+08:00

I forgot I had these.

I'm not sure who took most of these photos, but THANK YOU for covering the event!

And thanks to everyone who came and shared the evening with me :) You know you're getting old when you don't dress up for your own party! Hahaha.

Bebs enjoying the food a little too much it seems...

Posing with some of the guys post dinner.

The party was over, but they still made habol! In the end it was just the Moratos and Bharwanis enjoying the wine. Awesome nightcap.

The rest of the photos are here. Happy 30th to me!

Is that even a good thing?

2008-08-07T13:47:00.006+08:00

It seems that I have become the poster girl for the Big Woman's goal in body weight.

Here at work, my heftier colleagues when discussing that other four-letter word (diet), find themselves referencing me as their benchmark for achieving an ideal body weight. That, if they only reached my size, would make them utterly content and happy.

Awww...

Until,

Good Sense processes all that as being one-two rungs below the fat ladder, but too chunky to be thin (which is the Impossible to attain without a miracle--or a surgery category).

Sound Judgment then proffers the (unsolicited) verdict:

In essence, you are the Big Woman's benchmark because you, my friend, are still classified under the Chub Club. Yes. You still play in this team, honey.

Potek na yan.

Sniff.

Previously on this drama series...

2008-07-31T20:48:00.014+08:00

Yes, I am back from the dead.

Soon as I moved blog sites ten months ago, I found myself more and more lazy to update it. Well friends, here I am, returning from the silence and attempting to bridge the gap between September 2007 and July 2008. In situations like this, I find that the bullet point is always the quickest and easiest cataloging device (read: tamad! haha), so here goes.

In a nutshell:

What was initially a three-month vacation to the Philippines turned into six, then a year--and counting... until one day, Bebs and I looked at each other and knew in our hearts we were meant to stay. Vancouver will still be in the future, but for now, Manila is home.

Soon after the all-important decision, we moved into a cottage guest house of sorts in the lovely village of Ayala Alabang. It was the first place we looked at, and we were instantly smitten. Living quarters and vacation house rolled into one. Awesome.

Our housewarming party with the gang

Residence down, mode of transport next. We acquired a promising low-mileage second-hand pick-up--shiny and looked almost brand spanking new. It was diesel, and automatic--what else could you ask for? Let me tell you, the degree of comfort we experienced in our charming new home was proportionate to the amount of hell and headache we faced--correction: still face--with the truck. Sigh. Life can't all be perfect.

The truck gets towed one Wednesday night at the Fort.

Always the workaholic, I got me a job even before I even knew we were staying. My current employment was also one of the main reasons we decided to work it out in the homeland. At long last, I am in a job that marries my college education and my eight years of marketing & communications experience. The opportunities for growth are daunting, and yet worth getting both hands and feet dirty. I have never been so excited about work.

Where all the magic happens.

My office, although this is old news. Office is under renovation, so I am currently sardined with six other officemates in one of the few remaining functional rooms.

As if a career wasn't enough, I am also back in school. Yes. Writing a screenplay and it is unfolding ever so slowly. Loving my new thesis adviser, though. Would be unfair to divulge his identity as he has no knowledge of this blog, but let me just say that for my personality, crazy work sched and erratic communication habits, he is just the mentor that I absolutely need to get this much delayed stage of my life over and done with. In another life and on a more level playing field, I think we could actually be very good friends.

Ministry. Ah, yes. The feeble attempt of flawed humans at expressing their faith towards a BIG majestic God. Most days we hope it actually counts for something. And sometimes, in His grace and mercy--and definitely not of our doing--He shows up in spite of us, and makes those feeble attempts worth something. This is one such case. Eight months, and still counting. :) And hey, if you're ever in Fully Booked - High Street on a Wednesday night, do come by and join us. We have good music and donuts (Thank you, Krispy Kreme!) And we do not bite.

And finally,

After almost six years of wedded bliss, we have decided to try for a baby next year. It is by far the scariest decision I have ever had to make.

Whew.

As you can see, all guns are blazing in this season of our lives. What can I say, I'm getting old. There is no other way to go, if you think about it.

Switchfoot rocks Manila!

2007-09-13T17:38:00.001+08:00

I know, I know. Long absence and all.

BUT.

You’ll forgive me when you see the pics I’m posting. Whoo boy, this week has been nothing short of amazing. I lot has happened the past two months, but this one takes the cake. So the rest of my life will have to wait another blog entry. hehe.

The short of it is, I got to be Artist Liaison for Switchfoot at their recent concert last Monday (September 10th). Awesome, awesome guys. Extremely down-to-earth. I’ve seen them three other times in SF, but they are definitely better now. Not some rehashed gig. Totally rocked Manila. A friend said it best, “It’s like I fell in love with Switchfoot all over again.” hahaha. So true.

Oh. And Jerome is now on my list of Pinoy heroes. Definitely.

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Read and weep, loveys

Testing out a new home.

2007-06-15T10:20:00.001+08:00

I'm almost certain, but not fully. And so I need your help.
Check out my new home and let me know if I should take that final jump.

Oh, and don't mind the layout, or the blank pages. I'm not done with it yet ;)

:)

The perfect time to blog.

2007-06-13T15:19:00.000+08:00

Been stuck at home by obligation the past two days. I underwent surgery last Monday for my third molar (an odontectomy, for those in the know). It was growing horizontally so it had to be drilled, sliced open, then removed. Sweet huh? I've never had any serious work done on my teeth EVER because I've never had cavities, so you can imagine how terrified I am the day of the operation. And I'm not crazy about needles either. Ayayay.

Good thing my dentist had me on headphones watching The Devil Wears Prada. Still, it was hard to concentrate, what with the sound of the drill and the constant shower of blood, saliva and shards of teeth sprinkling out of my gaping-wide traumatized mouth. God knows how much of that was on my poor dentist's face. Ugh.

I don't think I'll ever want to be a dentist. Ever. In my lifetime or the next.

Which brings me forward two days, at home, on bedrest. Half my face is swollen, and the toothache is a killer. I'm told these are signs of healing. Funny. Did I mention that when I'm better I'm supposed to go back to have my other third molar operated on?

The only upside to my anguish is that my current diet consists of ice cream and all things cold. Yay! The very things I'm supposed to avoiding in my normal diet. Bebs got me a gallon of FIC Sugarfree Mangoes & Cream... and expressed his commiseration by finishing it. Hmm.

He owes me another gallon.

Meanwhile, check this out: Visual DNA kuno. I do like how it got me. (Thanks to Patsy for the link).

Read my VisualDNA™

Better than life Project Launch Night

2007-06-06T17:46:00.000+08:00

A big THANK YOU to all those who came to the launch of The Better than Life Project. You guys are so so awesome! :) Traffic was horrendous last night causing a delay in the show, but we're glad you guys braved through it and stuck it out with us.

For those who didn't get to join us at the first gig, do come to the next shows! We still have the remaining Tuesdays of June.

Here's a glimpse of last night's launch:

From left: Wowee on keyboard, Pido on guitar, Radha, Chedie and Noah (hidden) on vocals), Top on guitar, and Bebs on bass.

Chedie (of the defunct Smokey Mountain). Amazing pipes this girl.

Radha, another crazy lady. She can BELT like nobody's business.

The master himself, Noel Mendez, and my Bebster.

More photos HERE

The Better than Life Project LIVE!

2007-06-03T19:05:00.002+08:00

Shameless plug, but all for a good cause...

I need your support guys! :)

My husband Bebs is launching his music album THIS Tuesday at 19 East (along Sucat Highway Service Road). He did all the words and music and got his musician friends to sing them. Some of the artists include Barbie, Jay Durias (South Border), Naldy Gonzales (Side A), Top Suzara, and MANY MORE.

Anyway, I know it's a work week, but I would absolutely appreciate it if you guys could come and watch the show. It starts at 930pm, so you can actually come earlier and have dinner there. Their food is good AND the place is pretty ;) There's an entrance fee of P250, but consider it a good investment for a concert featuring some of the country's best musicians from different bands. Not to mention, the proceeds of the CD sales go to a non-profit organization that feeds street kids in Manila.

The show will run every Tuesday of June at 19 East, so please do invite your friends to come. Also, the CD is available for only P250. I guarantee the music is good . Here's the CD artwork so you know what to look for in the music stands:

PLEASE PLEASE do come. Support local music. Support my husband. hehe. And pass the word around!

Do let me know if you guys can make it. Text or email me so that I can expect you.

See you all there!!!!

One hundred and one reasons

2007-05-18T12:17:00.000+08:00

...for not posting, all of which spell the four-letter word: BUSY.

But it's good to be home. Although I forget how excruciatingly hot it is here. Someone has GOT to invent a portable airconditioner. Like one of those gigantic anti-freon cooling contraptions they have at those al fresco restaurants in Greenbelt. Only much smaller. Something you can attach to your phone maybe and packs a good two horsepower charge. And lasts the whole day. I'd definitely buy that over the iPhone. That, or my friend Kira says global warming might actually cause the Philippines to snow one day. I'll take either one.

But yes, all in all it's good to be home. Check out our recent Holy Week beach trip with JJ and Raffy to Subic and Batangas, summed up in our weekend's toys: a 115-ft yacht & her seven-man crew, a chopper, a speedboat and a suburban. Surreal.

Thanks to JAC's good graces for the lovely weekend.
And J for coming home with a bang.
Click on photo to view album, Holy Week 2007.

Never use your cellphone in the shower.

2007-03-12T16:21:00.000+08:00

...Yup. that's pretty much the short of it.

So now I've a new phone with zero contacts.
Please be a dear and email (or text) me your contact number/s.

Thanks, loveys. Highly appreciate it :)

Two truths and a lie:

2007-02-23T14:13:00.000+08:00

1. I enjoy meeting different kinds of people.
2. My eyefolds are fake.
3. I love wild rides.

So, wanna give it a shot? :)

Happy 2nd Birthday, South City!

2007-02-05T22:48:00.000+08:00

About a thousand people showed up at Bellevue last Sunday.
How awesome is that...

My ever so handsome husband and his Alembic

Grooving during rehearsal with Bebs and Dani.
(Note to self: buy a VISIBLE shaker next time!) If you can't find it, it proves my point..

More photos HERE, care of Jamie.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T16:58:00.000+08:00

Wow, this is a personal record. Two months of silence, how about that? Not that it was intentional--you know I would have kept in touch if this internet situation wasn't so sucky. But great news! We (accidentally) discovered this cute cafe near the house that offers FREE WIFI, baby!!! Woohoo!

Just for this reason, I will wholeheartedly plug our amazing find:

If you're in the South, check out Bona Coffee; they've got great service, place is very well designed (warm and cozy, and quite rustic in appeal), and the homemade muffins! Those things are well worth their 50bucks (there's an oven tucked on one side of the cafe where all the baking goodness happens). Check out some of their sandwiches too: Tuna Wasabi, Spanish Sardine and Onion, Crabstick Mango and Cilantro... Yum. For post-dinner fun, you can also try their Drunken Desserts: low calorie ice cream with your choice of liqueur. Ayayay. My ultimate fave though--what keeps me coming back, besides the free wifi (naturally), is their mango juice. Quite like a shake, and no sugar added. Perfect for the sweltering heat of Manila. And, not as fattening (or atleast I'd like to believe).

Ok, enough of all things caloric.

I still can't believe I'm back home. Manila has been fun the past two months--save for my wallet having been stolen while Christmas shopping. That was a bummer. All my IDs, credit cards, Singapore & US Dollars, gone. Pesos too. Some pictures which I treasured: a 1x1 ID photo of my grandmother, another 1x1 of Bebs (when he still had hair), and another (bigger) photo of Bebs with our friends Jan and Pebs during his first year in Frisco. That was the first pic he sent me when he left the country six years ago. My beloved Body Shop card is also gone. I got to use it once here, but there goes all my points. Sigh. Sad that some of our kababayans have to resort to stealing to enjoy Christmas. My sis also lost her wallet while Christmas shopping two years ago. She had to bid her year-end bonus adieu. Ouch.

I'm praying for a miracle, though. Realistically, I know the money won't likely be returned, but I do hope my cards and wallet are found. I actually dreamt I received an overseas call informing me that someone had found my wallet. He shipped it to the States since it was the address on my ID, and get this: all contents were intact! Moolah, cards, everything! Wouldn't that be nice...

Anyway, my apologies to my dear Manila friends if we haven't hooked up yet, or we've seen each other less than we should. You can imagine how hectic it is being home after four years. I'll be here maybe till March though, so there should be enough time to squeeze something in.

Time to sign off, my slice of chocolate chip banana bread was just pulled out of the microwave, and you dont want to keep that waiting.

Love to the San Fran peeps! Miss you guys oh so much!

Manila, baby!

2006-11-09T17:46:00.000+08:00

We're in Manila! After four looooong years (six for Bebs) of absence, I'm finally back in my homeland :)

The downside is, we have no internet access where we're staying. So apologies if I haven't kept in touch. I'll definitely try to keep in touch as much as I can (hello internet cafes!), so for those in Manila, email me!

Vancouver Favorites

2006-10-17T15:06:00.000+08:00

I know, I know.. I've used the excuse one too many times, but I really have been busy. Really. And I miss you too ;)

I should be a little more free this week, so I'll post a more decent entry very soon. So much to tell! Meanwhile, I've compiled some of my recent favorite shots of Vancouver, which I hope you'll like. I'm buying time, can you tell? HA!

Enjoy! I'll catch you all later. Promise.

Click on photo to view entire album, aptly titled,
"Vancouver Favorites".

p.s. It's better to not watch the show and just click the photos one at a time. I find the show Dotphoto sets up to be very distracting.

Btw, friends in Manila, look out for me in November. We MAY be going home end of the month. Woohoo! Can't wait. :)

The Grouse Mountain Experience

2006-09-22T14:58:00.000+08:00

One month and still checking out sights! This place never ceases to amaze me.

Click on photo above to view
The Grouse Mountain Experience

And yes, those are real live bears, not some calendar cutout.

One final update before I call it a night: a day after our unforgettable "Peppy" experience (hehe), we found ourselves a new home. Whoopee!

A cozy fully-furnished new basement suite with a wonderful British mid-50s couple as our landlord. Every now and then the wife asks me, So ah you se-UH-led awlright?
(In English: So are you settled alright?) Hehe. Absolutely adorable.

Come back soon, I've got a lot more photos to post. ;) Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Just when you've seen it all...

2006-09-11T11:59:00.000+08:00

Funny story.

The background: Seeing that we are extending another month here in VanCity, my husband and I start to scour the internet for short-term budget rentals with immediate availability. Challenging task, but I go ahead and dutifully put out my inquiries on Craigslist, making sure to emphasize that we "are a young couple from San Francisco... church workers, and very responsible, friendly, peaceful and tidy." The goal was to gain from the landlord a liking and semblance of credibility to us, their future tenants, and FAST.

So I get a reply today in response to one of the inquiries I placed: It's shared accommodation (meaning landlord still has a room in the house), but all utilities are included and the backyard is huge and lined with apple and plum trees. More importantly, rental price is WAY CHEAP: half price from the going rate--the lowest among the "millions" I've checked.

At this point I'm thinking, Sweet deal! This is too good to be true.

Boy was I right.

Landlord: So you mentioned you were church workers?

Me: Yes, my husband headed the music department for our church in SF, and we're currently in town helping another church here... blah blah blah. (Building our credibility and trustworthy points here).

Landlord: Well, I'm a photographer, and I do different kinds of projects--

Me: That's Great! I do photography myself, although I don't really do it professionally yet. I'd love to see some of your work! Do you have a website up?

I'm kissing butt at this point, can you tell? But I really should have let him finish.

Landlord mumbles something about his stuff still stored in some server, ergo no website. Then the clincher: Yeah, well, as I was saying, I do different kinds of projects. A lot of glamour stuff, y'know... and I do erotica.

Erk.

Landlord continues: So... I don't know how you guys feel about that, being church workers and all.

I wasn't prepared for that. At all. Landlord must have sensed my hesitation.

Landlord: But hey, it's not like my stuff is displayed in the house or anything.

A little iffy, but hey, I honestly had no problem with it. That's his life; if we didn't have to see it, then he can leave that in his server, right? I look over to Bebs, but he's busy minding the road. I make a quick judgment call.

Me: Well, we might as well take a look at it. We're on the road now, maybe we can come over and see the place?

He gives his address, and fifteen minutes later we're in front of the house. Humble. The backyard was refreshing though. Fruit trees, just like his ad promised. We approach the back door.

Me: Hello?

Landlord comes out, and I finally put a face to the voice.

For discretion's sake, tatagalugin ko na from here on:

Dude (and I mean duuuuuuude), yung mama... mukha talaga siyang pang-erotica. Complete with bigote! Kulang na lang leopard prints! Ang bahay pa may amoy. Ang labo. I couldn't quite put my finger to it, parang it was a mixture of yosi, incense, and days-old body smells. Ayayay. Yung kwarto pa na dapat sa amin, may naka-hanger sa cabinet na chipipay faux fur coat na pambabae (complete with frill trimmings!) At ang bedsheet! Mukhang kaka-photo shoot lang dun sa kwarto. My oh my oh my, kill me now... as in KEEEELL MEE NOWWW!!

So the short of it is, we are still on the hunt for a place. Hahaha. Duh.

If you've got downtime at work, help me search the web for rentals: Short-term (1-2 months), available now, double occupancy, all utilities included. Preferably downtown.

And yes, I'll pay a premium for CLEAN. And privacy. And fresh air.

More of Vancouver

2006-09-07T03:41:00.000+08:00

Second week and counting!

Here are more photos of Jericho Beach, Lynn Canyon, Lighthouse Park, and breathtaking Vancouver sunsets:

Click on photo above to view gallery

We miss you guys! :)

Vancouver in pictures

2006-08-26T16:27:00.000+08:00

After hours and hours and loooong hours of upload time (I currently don't have internet of my own, so am only stealing bandwidth from the neighbors. hehe), I finally got my photos up!

This is a week's worth of Vancouver sightseeing, so my apologies if the order's a little messed. I must say though that this temporary home of ours is undeniably one beautiful place. Painfully expensive (13% tax! Are you kidding me?!), but pretty nonetheless. Not to mention the Asian food here is saraaaaaaap!

Anyway, without further ado, I present Vancouver:

Click on photo to view entire album.

Feel free to comment :)

Waxing sentimental.

2006-08-18T12:56:00.000+08:00

Finally! My first blog entry in Vancouver. :)

It's officially our first week here in Canada. I have to apologize, it's been terribly hectic since our arrival. We've been running back and forth, I haven't really had the time to sit and write something decent. I do have TONS of photos to share, though. Every day we get to see a little more of this place and I must say the rumors are true: Vancouver truly is beautiful. There's a lot about it that reminds me of San Fo. But no matter how pretty it is here, I have to admit my heart is still missing home:

My favorite workmates who made the daily grind bearable

Our kooky Bridgepoint family. No more Sundays with you guys...

Church isn't the same without the Macs and the Mics: Our two favorite families

The inseparable duo Maria and Ria. We miss your laughter :(

Our SF family who took time out of work to send us off on D-day

Our surrogate mom. Visit us here SOON!

My Guingona sisters and our dear Tita Dina

Sigh.. the next time I'll see these kids I hope they'll still remember me

And our beloved kolokoy barkada:

Sigh.. no more Mendo, Shasta and Vegas gimmicks. Sniff :(

This was taken at our last night in SF (after all the crying, that is)
I miss you guys!

My dearest sisters. I wish you were here :(

No more kikay days with you Pebs...

And the inner circle.
It's not the same without you guys.

Great, now I'm all sentimental. I'll get to the Vancouver pics in my next post, I promise. I just wanted to let you all know how Bebs and I truly treasure your friendship. You guys are family to us and it was extremely difficult to leave you all. I know we'll see each other again, when, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, thanks for the memories. You guys made our SF stay the best it could have been. Kampai, dudes.

Leaving my heart in San Fran soon...

2006-07-28T23:44:00.000+08:00

Our coolest godfather hosted an intimate, unofficial going away dinner for us the other day. T'was also my first time at his new Eichler home, and I was extremely impressed at how they had dressed up the place. Beautiful. Very contemporary and zen-ish.

Someday we'll have one of our own :)

Appetizers and drinkies with Tita Dina, Ninang Bids, Ninong Buds, Bebs,
Carol and J. Don't worry, no one got drunk that night.

Bharwanis with our coolest ninong sa kasal.

Check out the Sanchez' Eichler home. Beautiful.

Love the wooden beams and the color scheme.

Enjoying a bit of downtime under the stars.

The only things lighting our dinner table

Ria, Jackie, and our charming host.

Tita Dins, my photography tutor Jopet, and Maria

Nikki G and singkit Bebs

Ninong Buds test tasting one of his exotic beers.

The rest of our beverages. We barely touched these though.

Sigh. I'll miss you guys...

So. If you haven't heard yet, we are moving to Vancouver in August. It's Canada or bust this time around, but we may be seeing you Manila folks sometime soon as well. Not sure, but yeah, possible.

Keep us in prayer :) This ride is gonna be a long one...

The Official Moving Away Garage Sale

2006-07-27T11:38:00.000+08:00

This is it, folks. The Official Moving Away Garage Sale.

All GREAT CONDITION items.

Various household items, computer accessories, smaller furniture, appliances, pillowtop bed w/ boxspring, 47" widescreen projection TV, kitchen items, even canned goods, and lots of good quality clothing and shoes.

Only this Saturday, from 10am to 1pm.
Great Prices. EVERYTHING MUST GO.

(For security purposes, I will not be posting my home address here,
but message me if you want to come by and I'll send it to you).

NOTE: Those who've called dibs on some items, we need you to come pick up your stuff before Saturday so it doesnt get mixed up with the rest. We don't want to accidentally sell them to someone else, so best to get them ASAP. Call bebs or me to schedule the pickup :)

p.s. I've got new photos. I'll post them this week for your viewing pleasure.