eternal sunshine

Goodbye Genius

2011-10-06T13:05:00.004+08:00

When it comes to personally owning an Apple product, I am a wee babe. I have a Nano but I used it for a brief time. My iPhone4 (a gift) is only ten months old, but it has "drastically" changed my life. For one, I hardly open my laptop at home nowadays, except to transfer photos from the camera and edit them. When we moved to our new place, we decided not to get an internet connection and instead changed our phone plans to UnliSurf. Hubby and I are constantly on our iPhones.

Just like the rest of the world, I was shocked to learn about Steve Jobs' passing. I was browsing my Twitter stream and at first thought it was a (very very bad) joke. I asked hubby to turn to CNN and the news was confirmed. While dressing up for work, CNN was showing a timeline of Apple products and Steve Jobs introducing each one, and I was feeling a bit choked up.

I first learned about Steve Jobs when we watched The Pirates of Silicon Valley for a journalism class. Then my first up-close encounter with Macs was after college when I worked for an internet company. The web designers used iMacs, like the one Chloe had in Smallville. My boss liked it because it can be easily transported to events.

It took years before I owned an Apple product and I don't even own a Mac yet. But it's not hard to spot a genius, whether or not you use his products, whether or not you like his products. Steve Jobs is a genius many times over, I've heard and read "visionary" since I learned about his death, and it fits him perfectly. I join the world's grief for the loss of a genius.

Source

Oh, how I miss drinking coffee.

2011-10-05T15:17:00.001+08:00

Oh, how I miss drinking coffee. Yes, I have to write that down twice. I've been drinking coffee since I was a kid because I saw my father doing so, and I was his designated coffee-maker for some time. Coffee has gotten me through school and long afternoons in the office.

Our doctor has advised us to avoid caffeine, but given the big chance that I will be a zombie at work, I've been drinking tea.

I never liked the taste of Lipton. I'm pleased with this Lyons brand though. I find Earl Grey a bit weird. I'm currently drinking the English Breakfast variant. There are a lot of flavors out there but I'm afraid to try.

Oh, how I miss coffee. :(

The Newspaper

2011-10-04T22:54:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I last read a newspaper from cover to cover. (Okay, I usually skip sports and business) Funny, since I've always claimed that I had newspapers as toys when I was a kiddo. Funny, since I've always been involved in school papers and have a journalism degree. Funny, since I was once an Inquirer intern.

Blame the Internet. Blame Twitter. Tonight though, I picked up the PDI as my reading material in Starbucks. What caught my attention was not a news item but an ad:

Could it be THE Jinkee Pacquiao who won
Php25,000 worth of Digital Walker GCs care of Citibank? How precious. You won't see that in Twitter. :)

And so it is done.

2011-09-26T22:20:00.001+08:00

So I finished my 2011 edition of the 30-Day Blog Challenge with minimal sweat. Huge props to the iPhone 4, Instagram, BlogBooster and Globe UnliSurf.

Will this make me blog more often? I guess so. My other habit is the #9pmhabit of IGersManila, a group of Instagram users who post three photos based on a theme at 9pm. I try to post there as much as I can. I guess I'll be sharing my faves here by way of compliance, starting with tonight's theme #PhotoandLyrics.

Of course I have to use a Taylor Swift song. :)

30-Day Blog Challenge 2011
Day 30

Video Sunday

2011-09-25T20:41:00.001+08:00

Almost every Sunday, hubby and I troop to my SIL's house. We play with our nephew and take pictures and videos of him.

He has grown accustomed to it that he immediately breaks into a smile as soon as he sees himself on the screen. So kyot, I really want one (or four) of my own soon!

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 29

Twin Popsies

2011-09-24T21:35:00.001+08:00

Blast from my childhood to today's kids' childhood.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 28

Floral Friday

2011-09-23T13:40:00.001+08:00

You know that feeling when you get so excited about something then you realize it's not coming true? Reality bit me, it bit me hard, I even think it was a bit rabid. Yeah I'm being melodramatic - just trying to stretch out this post.

So I'll just share my outfit today - floral blouse from Landmark and re-soled Trunk Show floral oxfords.

It's not much help but at least I'm seeing colors.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 27

Home Office

2011-09-22T22:17:00.001+08:00

Today my interior designer sister emailed me her perspective drawing thingies for our small home office. I specifically asked for lots of book shelves and she got what I wanted.

I am so excited! I hope we have the budget. Sorry, no pictures yet!

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 26

OK

2011-09-21T20:14:00.001+08:00

Totally clueless on what I should blog about today. I'm sleepy the whole day I think I REM'd on the train to work AND on the bus the way home. Days like this I wish I am the Ultimate Housewipe. At least I can legitimately sneak naps in between chores.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 25

Wish List

2011-09-20T14:05:00.003+08:00

I'm going to blog via PC for today because it will be hard to embed photos through BlogBooster.

For as long as I can remember, I don't usually receive separate gifts for Christmas and my birthday. Though my birthday is in January, it is too close to the holidays that people usually say my Christmas gift is good as my birthday gift, too. Well, that makes me a little sad and envy people who are born on months other than December and January. :)

Anyway, I just want to put out there stuff I'd like to receive this Christmas and/or my birthday:

Jeremy Scott Swatch
Source

BookBook for iPhone 4
Source

A queen-size duvet set, any brand will do.
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Any calligraphy book
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Taylor Swift's first album with "Tim McGraw" single
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A Walk to Remember OST
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Umbra Wall Dragonflies
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Or anything that will make me remember the 90s; that you think I will enjoy reading; or a very good cookbook. :)

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 24

My satchel is here!

2011-09-19T23:22:00.001+08:00

When Frances of Topaz Horizon announced that she was going to sell leather satchels, I think I was one of the first who expressed interest. Since the satchels are lovingly handmade, it was a bit of a wait before I could get my hands on one. There was a bit of a snafu with my order because I changed colors - but Frances was so sweet throughout the confusion I caused - so I waited a bit longer.

Happily, my tan satchel finally arrived today!

There's already a ton of reviews about it out there, with gorgeous pics, so I decided to go down the Instagram way.

Even if I just got it, I love the magnetic snaps and the pockets. The stitches are just killing me. Would it be weird if I sleep beside it tonight? :)

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 23

Siblings

2011-09-18T22:38:00.001+08:00

There was a time that my siblings and I used to fight like cats and dogs. One once pointed a knife at me while I remember lightly slapping another - gosh, we WERE violent. But now that all of us save for one are out of our angry teenhood, we can talk like civilized human beings hahaha. :)

Tonight I had dinner with two of them and we had the most hilarious conversation over crepes and coffee. Granted it was at the expense of one of us - but enjoyable still.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 22

Euphorbia Euphoria

2011-09-17T12:40:00.001+08:00

My mom once lamented that I was not into gardening. I didn't realize I had to be into gardening. Besides, I remember planting monggo seeds everywhere and seeing them sprout, then get washed out by the rain. Yeah well.

We have a modest euphorbia collection at home but my MIL has a vast bunch of them. She gave us five pots for our new home. She said that these love the sun and may be watered once a week only. They all had flowers when we got them, but one day, two of them lost the flowers. I tried watering them often but to no avail. Then one night, I spied the free coffee grounds in Starbucks and picked a bag.

The other pots sprouted flowers like craycray but this one pot was stubborn. Yesterday, I put more grounds on her and watered her. (Maybe I should start naming them?)

This morning, I was examining the pot and saw this:

Euphorbia euphoria. Eyelavet!

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 21

So...

2011-09-16T21:22:00.001+08:00

Where's the oyster sauce?

I dedicate this post to Lucille. :)

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 20

Spanish Sardines

2011-09-15T22:15:00.001+08:00

We visited a doctor last week-end and she advised us to eat sardines, among other things. So now, I have to think of different ways to prepare sardines.

Tonight I start with easy-peasy Spanish sardines spaghetti.

Good enough. :)

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 19

Mercato Centrale: MMMmmm...

2011-09-14T20:36:00.001+08:00

I've been meaning to go to Mercato Centrale and Midnight Mercato but it's so far from us it's so hard to persuade hubby. Finally, my SIL asked if we wanted to have Sunday brunch there and I readily said yes for me and hubby.

After reading a couple of blogs about Mercato, I immediately zeroed in on Manang's Chicken.

Sadly, I've eaten my order of 1-pc chicken with rice before I remembered to take a picture. The crispy skin of the chicken is delish.

For dessert, I tried Merry Moo's sea salt caramel after reading Divasoria's blog. It was creamy, sweet and salty, all at once. I'm getting hooked on salted caramel flavor.

My SIL also bought Mochiko ice cream for us to try. I shared the coffee one with hubby. A novel way of eating ice cream. Yummy too!

Per the Pickiest Eater's recommendation, I looked for Chuck's Grubberie's fish and chips, but I did not find it. :( I wonder if they're still part of Mercato.

If anyone's going there soon, please bring me with you! :)

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 18

Missing my Books

2011-09-13T18:14:00.001+08:00

When someone misses a type of food, it's called craving. When someone misses another person, it can be called yearning. What is missing books called then?

I miss my books. Currently they are all in our storage area upstairs. They are packed in boxes and I sincerely hope that they are free of molds or rodents. I miss them all - chick lit books and law books alike. My interior designer-sister is drawing up plans for our teeny tiny hone office and I've requested for bookshelves, lots of it. I can't wait.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 17

Chicken and Eggplant Stir-Fry

2011-09-12T20:50:00.001+08:00

Tried a new chicken recipe, Chicken and Eggplant Stir-Fry, found here: http://the99centchef.blogspot.com/2008/01/chicken-and-eggplant-stir-fry.html.

Will reduce the sauce next time though.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 16

We remember.

2011-09-11T20:45:00.001+08:00

I remember being in my rented room for my senior year of college. I received a text message from then-boyfriend now-hubby, saying that we won't be able to visit the Twin Towers anymore. I thought it was weird because I did not even have a passport then.

Later on in the day, the message made more sense. For days after, I remember being so sad I even thought that a soulmate of mine must have died in the tragedy. Around that time, we tackled in feature writing class the topic of soulmates, how we all have soulmates of different kinds, not only the romantic kind.

We remember. And we pray never again.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 15

Accent Pillows

2011-09-10T09:44:00.001+08:00

Before getting hooked on YoungHouseLove the blog, I never imagined that finding accent pillowcases on sale would be such a thrill. So there I was, trolling through Landmark, when I saw these cute ones with the magical red label. Perfect for the olive-hued pumpkin chair we got from Mandaue Foam.

I got three: the first one matches the material of our sofa; the second one has this wonderful sheen and leaf detail, but the third one is my absolute fave. Gorgeous damask design on pale blue. Lavet!

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 14

Penny Pincher

2011-09-09T16:46:00.001+08:00

So I'm reading this book, Penny Pinchers Club, that I picked up from National Bookstore's sale bin. Can I just say I love hardound books for only P99.00?

It's not a self-help book, but a novel. I haven't reached the penny pinching part yet but I dig the dedication.

I think it makes a nice mantra, noh?

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 13

Thanks, But Hear Me Out

2011-09-08T19:46:00.001+08:00

My goodies from Nivea arrived today. Boy, these babies have gone a long way.

Let's backtrack. Around May or June, I joined Nivea's Twitter contest. It was an easy one, you just have to tweet a pledge to be pure and natural. Around July, Nivea posted a note in their Facebook page announcing the Twitter pledge winners. I was one of them. The winners were instructed to email their details. Oh, the prize was originally The Spa GCs, but they had problems with that so the prize was changed to P1000 worth of Nivea products.

I excitedly emailed my details. Days went by and I received no reply. I emailed them again. I posted in their Facebook page. No reply.

Until around August 3, I finally received a reply. I had to claim the prize from the office of their ad agency somewhere in West Triangle, Quezon City. I emailed back if I could get the prize that Saturday, August 6, as it would be the most convenient time for me, for I work in Manila, meaning I have to leave early and usually get home late. Again, they didn't reply.

I went anyway, dragging the hubby with me. The office was located in a quiet street accessible only by taxi or private car. We rang the doorbell. A guy came out and I gave the name of the contact person. He went inside to fetch the person. Minutes after, a fair-skinned girl came out. She told me that I can't claim my prize because the schedule for claiming was only Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm. I said it wasn't indicated in the email. She snootily replied, it was, and said something like I did not read the email carefully. Besides, the person in charge wasn't there and they were only there for a training. Hubby beckoned at me to leave, remarking afterwards: "Para kang namamalimos." He was right, I felt humiliated.

I was prepared to let it go but I found a loophole - they ship the prize to provincial winners while Metro Manila winners are required to claim personally. I emailed my provincial address.

That was August 8. My sister received the package this Monday, September 5. There were three packs composed of baby wipes, deodorant and a pen. I gave her one pack and she shipped the rest to me.

I'm grateful for the prize but it was such a hassle claiming it. I still wince every time I remember how that girl (I regret not getting her name) snootily talked back at me. I reread the email several times and even contacted another winner, a stranger, if the time was indicated in the email, and she said it was not. Even if I was there to get something free, I did not deserve to be talked back right outside their gate. (We weren't invited in even just inside the driveway) Until now, people are asking about their prizes in their Facebook page.

I think I'll stick to blogger give-aways who ship prizes right to your doorstep.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 12

Comfort Food

2011-09-07T21:37:00.001+08:00

For the past weeks, hubby has imposed a chicken-no-rice-dinner diet for us. I'm okay with it but I'm running out of ways to cook chicken breast. One time, I craved pinakbet so bad I begged that I cook a viand that goes with rice one night during the workweek.

This week it's pinakbet again.

How's that for comfort food?

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 11

Yellow

2011-09-06T13:42:00.001+08:00

Although it's not my favorite color, I've always liked the color yellow. The times I remember being a flower girl, I was in yellow. I initially wanted soft pale yellow as our wedding motif but it was vetoed by my father who didn't like what yellow meant. (He consulted a book on the meanings of colors right there and then.)

And of course it represents the sun and sunshine and sunny days. And bright cheer-up shoes.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 10

Patronus Charm

2011-09-05T10:45:00.001+08:00

I am beginning to think that my Patronus comes in the form of shoes. I feel like I'm surrounded by dementors lately and I've been taking comfort in shoes - ogling them online or hoarding them in real life (thank you CMG for the buy one take one!!!)

Wearing my funky Cole Vintage brogues to work. I'd likely get teased by the office kuyas later but I don't care.

When something makes you happy, you go way past caring what other people think.

30-Day Blog Challenge
Day 9