I'm in Love ♥♥♥

Breaking my blogging hiatus just to say that I AM IN LOVE WITH LOVELY RUNNER! This series has got me squeeing and swooning the entire duration of the drama and even after (much much after) that. I am just waiting for the final two episodes but MAAAAN! I AM SO OVER THE MOON with this show ♥♥♥ 

source: i.mydramalist.com

Almost Laya

Two days more and I'm done with my quarantine. And I haven't finished any of the things I said I want to accomplish while on quarantine. I still have a chance to finish reading one book. Let's see what this master procrastinator can do with the remaining two days. Ha. 

Bilang I'm already very much in this BTS rabbit hole, here are just random stuff:

• I am in love with Jungkook's backing vocals. Every time I hear him do second voice (harmonize) with another member, I fall so deeply in love with that beautiful voice of his. 
• Jimin's eyes sans makeup are beautiful. 
• How I wish the boys have their own Instagram accounts, especially those who like taking pictures. I would love to see things from their perspective. 
• All the members bring something to the table. They are ALL talented. Those who say otherwise are just sore losers who can't accept the success of others. Some say they're just lucky, but let us not forget what Mareng Oprah says about luck- “I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn't been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn't have been lucky.” 
• I am also in love with Taehyung's vocals. Especially in Sweet Night. Beautiful. 
• Blue & Grey is such a sad song, supposedly written by V (Taehyung). I hope this doesn't reflect his emotional well-being. If it does, I volunteer to be the angel he's looking for at the end of the day. LOL. Lech. 
• I am surprised that Suga doesn't have any tattoos. Yet. To our knowledge, at least. Just watched Bon Voyage S2 and him and Taehyung were talking about tattoos. That V wanted to get one and the same time, no. Then Kuya Suga said that tattoos are not a good idea and that he should settle for a henna one instead. Nagulat lang ako kasi mas siya yung parang rough and tough and most likely to get a tattoo. 
• I'm sad that I didn't discover them earlier, but as they say- you find BTS when you needed them the most. I am a new fan, officially (at least that was when I said it out loud, more like announced it on Twitter actually) last May 4, 2020. At that time, it was just the early days of this yearlong (and still ongoing) lockdown and we stopped all operations. Things were so uncertain, as it is now. That's when it all started. They were sort of an escape for me. They still are a means of escape from me until now. This group sort of softens the blows life is throwing at us. Ganun naman diba? You just have to find your bliss.

• I love them all! ♥ I do have my ultimate bias (Jungkook!) and my bias wrecker (Taehyung), but I love all the boys. Super. 

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, on to other topics.

My newest fave webtoon is My Secret Playlist. What is it with me and pining in secret? Haha. I just like the story. I may not be liking the wait, but gives me something to look forward to every week. Also enjoying Yumi's Cells- why didn't I discover this when there was no limit of two chapters per day yet. I'm sad that most of my faves are on hiatus. I just finished Nice To Meet You and I can't wait for the next season. Also waiting for the new season of I Love Yoo, Let's Play and The Second Lead Syndrome. Ang dami ko talagang bisyo na na-acquire during this pandemic. 

I also started watching Grey's Anatomy. Just finished season 1. Mas gusto ko pa rin si Emily Owens, MD. I don't know if I can keep watching until the latest season available on Netflix- 15 seasons in total! Ni hindi ko nga matapos ang Dawson's Creek- too much drama! And I don't need to think about other people's (fictional pa, at that) dramas. 

And oh, the box has arrived. May box-opening ceremony sana kami ni AC kaso siya naman ngayon ang naka-quarantine. An officemate she shared a room with last Monday tested positive. So nakakainis diba? I don't get it why these government offices insist their employees to go to work physically when they very well work from home. People are turning in their work from home. On time. Puede pakitigil-tigilan yang kaepalan na 'yan? We just hope that Ate is okay. Hope she didn't catch anything in the office. Will pray for this, too, among other things. Ultimately, praying for the world's healing from COVID19, from bad and corrupt leaders. 

In two days time I can move freely to the other parts of the house- YAY! Sana lang Ate will test negative. Ayun lang naman. We can get through this. Tiwala lang. 

Serendipity Kuno

I was supposed to go supply shopping yesterday and to save on gas and other expenses, I decided to hitch a ride with AD who has something to attend to in Trinoma. My supplier is super near that area so I asked if after her event, we can just go to my supplier and pick up my order which I'm going to place in advance via phone call. And because I am a master procrastinator, I held off calling my order on the day itself and alas, both numbers weren't, umm, reachable. But I didn't know this until 11:11 AM.

While AD was in her event, was supposed to take C to Gymboree and then for a haircut. While in Mercury Drug to buy C's medicine, AD called and told me to come to the event after depositing C and yaya in Gymboree because Atom is one of their speakers. YAY! Gymboree was available at 3:30pm pa so we just took C for a haircut then we proceeded to the activity area. And Atom was there *le sigh* 

So I was there, three rows behind him. Haha, ang stalker-ish ng vibe. But yeah, really think he's cute and so did a handful of college students from Miriam College. So here's the only shot I was able to take because I was so dyahe to let the fangirl in me out.

I gave this blog post the title "Serendipity Kuno" kasi on our way to Trinoma, AD mentioned that she read an article in a magazine where Atom was asked to choose between Snow White and Cinderella and he answered 'neither,' because they're both princesses and he'd rather go for Pocahontas. At that time, she didn't know Atom would be there. So by the power of the universe and Gray Skull, my chance encounter with Atom. NOT. Haha. Ambisyosang palaka. 

So kahit hindi nako nakabili ng dapat kong bilhin, keri lang ;) Pero hindi totoo ang "ngiti pa lang, ulam na." Because the talk ended at 1:30 pm and when you only had oatmeal for breakfast, you'd get hungry famished, too.

Because I'm still fixated on ramen, we had lunch at Hanamaruken. First time to try this ramen place and although it was delicious, my ramen heart still goes to Ippudo. This is what we had for lunch~

AD ordered the spare rib ramen cos I said I like the tastier ramens than the clear soup ones, but I preferred the pork belly ramen which was supposed to have milder taste. My favorite this time was the gyoza

nagkahiyaan pa

After lunch, had Coke float and hot fudge sundae at McDo. Comedy talaga si C, he was imitating my every move. 

Gallivanted around the mall for a wee bit. Of course I had to visit Typo, a new money wasteland. I think I was able to visit a Typo store during our SG trip last 2012. And YES, everything's expensive. I really wanted the light blue pineapple ceramic but it's P399. I will go to Dapitan na lang. I can DIY some of the stuff I liked from there. Like the wooden laundry pegs. They're selling it at P399 din ata. Magpipintura na lang ako ng tig-25 pesos na wooden pegs galing Divisoria. But these I bought~

The pen and the raindrop stamp from Typo. The owl stickers from Toys R Us. The milky gel pen with seafoam-colored ink, P80; raindrop stamp, P80. And those, my friends, are the cheapest you can buy from that store. Greeting cards are 3 for P400, if I remember correctly. Oh my bulsa!

if i could, i'd take all of you home ♥

So there, my happy Saturday date with Atom (ASA! HAHA!), AD and C that ended with a massive headache. 

All Good Things Must Come To An End: How I Met Your Mother Last Season Finalé (for, like, EVER!)

Or in The Walking Dead's context, it's Terminus. Har dee har har. Okay, before I talk about HIMYM's last episode ever (sob), lemme talk about TWD. That was one disturbing season-ender, eh? It has happened before and it happened again last night- Rick zoning out and acting all crazy and never had I expected, not even once, that he'd bite a live man's neck off. The zombies are rubbing off on him. Hi hi hi. So yeah, Terminus is a cannibals lair and looks like we're starting next season with that. Many fans said that the ending was a bit lacking and anti-climactic whereas I think it was an awesome ending to TWD's fourth season. Bitin nga lang. Although I still am curious as to where has Beth gone. I am curious as to Beth's whereabouts while her sister, Maggie, is not. Sshh...don't tell Beth that, she already has enough issues to begin with. Haha. Whatever. Now back to regular programming...

Fug you, HIMYM, for once again letting me believe in love and that good things come to those who wait. Sumuko na ako eh but I got my hopes up once again after watching. Dammit.

One of the best series I absolutely love and adore and I have Ycel to thank for introducing me. I got into it a little bit late- around the third or fourth season, I think. But nevertheless, it was LEGEN-wait for it- DARY! This was one series I never have to give unconditional love to and stay with through thick and thin because for nine seasons it has been nothing but awesome, awesome and AWESOME. Of course there were a few boring episodes but it was mostly a weekly (for six months) dose of fun. And now it's over. Another one off the TV SERIES TO DL AND WATCH LIST.

Just a few minutes into the second to the last episode, I was already crying. [Ang OA ko] It was during that scene when Ted was saying his goodbyes to his friends. But of course he doesn't move to Chicago because "he met a girl" who turned out to be the girl.

Honestly, I wasn't too fond of the mother when I first saw her. I noticed that she has a lisp when she talks and that she's a less cute version of Lily. I wanted someone better for Ted. But The Mother eventually grows on you and I guess that is why they introduced her earlier than what I expected- I thought The Mother's identity would be revealed at the very last episode. It was not. They gave us ample time to fall in love with her as well.

Anyway... last Saturday, my cousin and I were discussing about the then-impending end of HIMYM. We were coming up with different assumptions as to how the series would end. My cousin hit it spot on- that The Mother would die and Ted and Robin would end up together. What we didn't see coming was Robin and Barney's divorce. It was sad. But I guess it was also that divorce that made Robin realize that she loves Ted. And what was supposed to be Ted's exit strategy to avoid getting hurt seeing Barney and Robin together, became Robin's instead. For Robin, Ted was "the one who got away" and her absence was more of avoiding seeing Ted happily married to another rather than her busyness. I sort of liked this twist. Seriously, I never saw it coming. I really believed that Barney and Robin would live happily ever after. But as they say, things fall apart so better things can fall together.

The kids were right. This story wasn't about their mother, it was about Ted and Robin.

I would most definitely miss this. It's a different thing when you know they're not coming back again on September. By now I should know how to deal with the loss of a beloved TV series. I've been here before, several times. I hope they don't do a spin-off out of it and just let it be. I will miss Mosby. I want my own Mosby.

You will be missed. 

it's a cruel cruel summer

In the past, summer begins late February or early March so I've been complaining a lot when it's been raining last month. Rain is actually good but it's been raining more frequently than what's supposed to and I can't help but think how effed up the weather has become. Now summer is officially and undeniably here- I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes... pawis all around. Ick.

I wonder how high much heat I can tolerate before I say, Frakkit, I'm turning on the aircon. Or, I can go to place of business everyday and take advantage of the aircon I'm actually paying for in the first place. Hmm, Option #2 seems more practical.

We're already into the 4th month of 2013 and no signs yet of the bonggang business opportunity. What do I expect? That it will just fall on to my lap without lifting a single finger? Ano ako? Sinuswerte? Well, I'd like to think so. Harhar. I've had small orders every once in a while but if I need this to sustain me, it's about time I take this seriously. Step #1: Create a Facebook page.

AC went to Makati last Monday for her check-up. Lucky me because I needed to buy something from a supplier in Makati (:)) Free transpo! Free merienda! Haha. Anyway, I have this favorite building in Makati- the new Zuellig building. Every time I look at it, parang it's only a figment of my imagination, like it's not really there. Para siyang invisible which is not really if I can still see it.

beautiful :)

Now, do you get what I'm saying? Lemme put it this way: if this building were Harry Potter, this would be when he's wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Oo, alam ko magulo ako mag-explain. Basta.

Divi trip yesterday to buy packaging supplies for samples and also to meet up with Jo. She treated me to a buffet meal in Cafe Ilang Ilang at the Manila Hotel. Yummy.

I'm not really fond of eat-all-you-can buffets because I don't eat that much. I know, hindi obvious. Mukha akong marami mag-kanin. Haha. Shet. Not funny. Jo said there were 11 stations, each a different cuisine. From the Japanese station, I had ebi tempura and eggplant and okra tempura; Italian- two slices of pizza because I adore cheese (not Escudero); Thai- green mango salad, tom yum taley, chicken with ginger and a fish dish I can't remember what it's called; Brazilian- Hungarian sausage, some kind of steak, grilled potato and asparagus; Chinese- a few shreds of Peking duck; and, three kinds of cheeses from the bread station. And oh, grapes! I love love love eating grapes with cheese. Heaven :D

Dessert was leche flan, Mango mousse and Strawberry shortcake and two scoops of gelato- mixed berries and Chocolate Ferrero. Loved everything on my plate! For the price, it should be delicious. Haha. But I guess if you're a glutton, sulit.

Since we finished lunch at 3:30 in the afternoon, watching a movie was already out of the question. I still had a bazillion errands to do and we arrived in Binondo around 4pm. I'm left with only an hour to get everything on my list. FYI: I did get everything. Props to me and my Divisoria-savvy ways.

Meeting for tomorrow was moved on Sunday morning. I still haven't seen the latest Sarah + John Lloyd movie and I reckon I must see it before the week ends, by hook or by crook. For now, dinner is waiting. Crabs. FTW. High blood. Fatty liver. For The Weak-willed. Eeeek!

2013 BOOK CHALLENGE 8/35: THIS IS A LOVE STORY

I judge a book by its cover. Literally.

I remember the day when I first saw this book on the shelves of Powerbooks. It was in Greenbelt- that 2-storey Powerbooks branch right at the cusp of Landmark and Greenbelt 3. My sister and I were going to have lunch together and I was killing time while waiting for her to go on break. From afar, I see this tiffany-blue-colored book cover and when I came closer, there pretty little birds too so it was basically love at first sight. I immediately flipped the book over to read the blurb (so that's what it's called) ...

This is a love story. 

Boy meets girl and girl falls for boy- that much is true.But when Sienna meets Nick it's not the way it happens in love stories. It's because of a squirrel on water skis...She sees Nick's dangerous brown eyes and thinks, don't fall into them.Who will be there to catch Sienna when she falls? She is so fragile. She has so many secrets, and he is not that serious.Funny and sad, this is the story of two people designed never to come together in the great love affair they crave more than anything else.

and I was smitten. But I wouldn't let impulsivity get the best of me and my budget, it is after all P315. Sorry I'm a cheapskate and I wouldn't want to spend P315 on a bad book, so I would have to do some research work like read book reviews and check its rating on Goodreads before I buy it. After a few months when I finally decided that I would buy it, it was out of stock EVERYWHERE. As in, in all bookstores. Then a few more months later, I passed by Powerbooks in Megamall and saw this beautiful book on the window display and I knew I just had to get it already and to my luck, they were on sale! I had it with me since August 2012 but got to reading it only this February 2013. Now that I am retelling my love affair with this book, it seems to parallel the story of Nick and Sienna.

Sienna first saw Nick in one of her daily commutes to work. She saw him and thought he was cute (according to the blurb, Sienna was falling in love with Nick right at that moment she saw his eyes but I think it's just a crush. Kakakita mo lang, love agad-agad? Yes that's me channeling Vice Ganda :P) but before she could make pa-cute further, he was gone. Pero sabi nga mapagbiro si Fate, Nick was actually working in the same company that Sienna is working in. Their closeness began during that Florida convention they were both assigned to and for five years, for five frickin' years, they were torturing themselves.

You see, Sienna likes Nick. And Nick likes Sienna. But both of them think that the other doesn't think of them in that way. So as not to hurt what they had going on for them, which was their friendship, either of them didn't dare come clean about their feelings for one another. I swear I could have died of frustration from reading this book. This was even more frustrating than The Time Traveler's Wife. It was so damn frustrating because you know they love and pine for the other SO MUCH,  as in so much, it hurts. As in gusto ko silang saktan dahil ang dense nilang parehas.

What I liked about the book is it was told both from Nick's & Sienna's point of view. One scene or event happening from their respective points of view and both of them are pining for the other so badly right at that same moment but neither of them would dare to make a move. So frustrating. As I've said, they were too afraid to lose what she/he already has with the other.

And you know what else I loved about this book? Quotable quotes galore. Saksak-puso quotes, to be exact. And I, being a quote-whore, of course took note of my favorites:

Being this close to him was so torturous I could have cried, but at the same time I was happy. It was bittersweet. (S)

This was it. It was pulse-racing, heart-wrenching, dizzying love. The kind that touches every one of your nerve endings and renders you almost insane. The kind I could not give into easily because it already hurt like hell before lift-off.

Her lips touched the back of my neck ever so slightly and it set my heart on fire. I didn't sleep a wink. It felt like all my birthdays had come at once.

"Er, Si, I didn't even know you were here," I bullshitted, even though I felt sure she must be able to hear the broken shards of my heart tinkling onto the floor. 

And here is my favorite~

Thank God for peripheral vision.

Because it's so relatable. Ha ha.

I loooooooved it so much. This has got to be one of my favorite books for, like, ever. Right there with Shanghai Baby, The Time Traveler's Wife, the Jessica Darling series and The Prisoner of Azkaban. Maybe it helped that I stopped myself from making expectations from this book. The love story sounded tragic. It's so funny that I was thinking that this story would never end right (ie. they end up together) but at the same time, I was hoping that they would. During the last few pages, I was so convinced that the blurb would be true to its word and never let them be together and have an ending like One Day.

But just like my love story with this book, Nick & Sienna's love story was worth the wait.

A Tribute to Emily Owens MD

Sometimes we wish we should not have met some people, gone to some places or in my case, started watching some TV series. Emo much? Ha. But you see, I used to have this mentality that I should not want anything too much because I always end up not getting what I want or I get to enjoy it only for a wee bit and then it's taken away from me. I sort of outgrew that mentality and am into Positivity now but when it comes to my favorite TV series, the ones I'm very very passionate about always get canceled. Why?

The first series I was heavily obsessed with was Chuck. I loved Chuck. I loved Sarah. I loved Casey. And Ellie & Capt. Awesome. I loved Buy More and even the morons that came with it. It was unconditional love and even if sort of got repetitive, it was a good show. Fortunately it lasted five seasons but technically, it was more like 3½ because it's two full and 3 half seasons. I used to be obsessed with Gossip Girl, too, but it got too incredible and too promiscuous but still, unconditional love y'all! And now my latest love- Emily Owens, MD. It was a verrry recent discovery because I started watching it just two weeks ago.

I first caught it on a local cable channel, by force. My sister got dibs on the remote control so I had to watch whatever she's watching. If it were up to me, I would have been watching History Channel or the Crime & Investigation Channel. My sister doesn't really watch Emily Owens, it just so happened that at that moment we got into the episode too much that we end up finishing the show. I'd say it was serendipity ♥

Initially, I was superduper thankful cos I thought, "whoopdeedoo, there are already 11 episodes out which means I don't have to wait too long for the new ones. The waiting time would be cut short from watching all these fabulous episodes I've yet to watch," and because I get a little obsessive about my favorite things, I ended up googling everything about it and that's when I found out that the show has been canceled.

What a bummer.

Star-crossed lovers. That's me and Chuck. Me and Emily Owens, MD. We love each other (technically, it is one-sided but since I'm a big fan, I'm assuming the series personality as a whole loves me) but we can't be together. Our love was short-lived, but as they say, better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. They died a tragic death while I'm left here on Earth mourning their demise.

So what really got me into this series is the promise of a love triangle and secret crushes. I craaaave stories of secret crushes! And of course, the obvious- Will (Justin Hartley).

The gist is Emily Owens is an intern at the Jeffersonian Denver Memorial Hospital, together with her med-school crush and close friend, Will Collins, and her high school nemesis, Cassandra Kopelson. Emily was sort of a geek in high school and she hated Cassandra for tormenting her back then and calling her "Pits," which she still called her up until now that they're full-grown adults and doctors, at that.

Emily has been crushing on Will for, like, ever and because of a voice call Will sent her one drunken night, she thought may be Will was also into her. So to set things straight, she confessed to him. Only, he doesn't feel the same which leaves Emily hurt and rejected. And to add insult to injury, it is Cassandra that Will has been eyeing. After Emily's embarrassing confession, she and Will remained close friends which is a reason behind Cassandra's insecurity.

Maybe Cassandra sensed what we all knew right from the very start- that Will was also into Emily, he was just not aware of it at the time.

he was always, as in ALWAYS, there for her and that was even after she professed love for him

okay, this was when he woke up & smiled when saw emily sleeping on the next bed & again, this was after emily's confession. there's hope that not all cute men are asshats. 

but man, you're such a tease. you know the girl has been pining for you.

All the while Emily's focus was on Will (and his abs), Micah was clearly attracted to her. Emily's not exactly pretty but she's really cute. She sort of grows on you. So anyway, Micah may have been dating Dr. Hamata during the first few episodes but we can already sense a little flirtation going on between Emily and him. Even if I am predominantly on #TeamWill, when Micah finally decided to make the moves on Emily, I was on giddiness heaven. Seriously, the way he would look at her- ugh, will make every girl melt.

After the kiss, these two were acting all cute which was not oblivious to Dr. Will Collins. Guess Will's ego was badly bruised when Emily told him she's finally over him. You always want what you don't have and Emily has always loved him and now that she's finally moved on, he wants her back. If I were Emily, this is really a tough decision to make. Ugh. They always come in twos, don't they?

I was actually surprised that there were more people on #TeamMicah than on #TeamWill. I thought good looks and abs win over nice... apparently, nice wins this time. But you see, Will is not not nice. He is very nice. He just happens to be very good-looking and buffed at the same time. And smart, by the way. It is not his fault he [thinks] he doesn't feel that way about Emily. I do not think that it was a douche-y move on his part what happened during the last episode. He just realized he likes Emily for real. But I guess we'll never know for sure, huh? Sucks.

You know what else sucks balls- Dr. Gina Bandari on vacation on the show's very last episode. WTF? Dr. Bandari's my favorite character, [well, after Emily and Will] and not being on the series' final episode is just wrong. She's my favorite lady boss. I like her better than Jessica Pearson. Fine, she is scary and cold but I feel it is just a front. Give the lady a break, after all she's busy saving lives and I totally get why she wants to keep some distance from her patients. Getting heavily involved meant making one very vulnerable.

Gina Bandari sounds a lot like Cherie Gil. I can just imagine her saying, "You're nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat." Ha. Necar Zadegan, the actress who plays Dr. Bandari, is the same age as me. Shock me, right? She looks older than her age but she's very pretty. I looove the eyebrows. I want her eyebrows- so easy to shape. Omigosh, she's my lady boss inspiration. Haha.

I guess everyone who's into this series knows how this ended so technically I am not spoiling it for others. This happens~

emily, meet abs ;)

What?!? Emily has been pining for this sweet, handsome, nice and smart boy forever and this opportunity comes... of course, she should take it! See what's the all the fuss about and if she likes it, she gets to keep it. Hehe. As I've mentioned, a lot were disappointed that she got on the Will train, most especially that it really seemed she and Micah were getting somewhere. I've been on Twitterverse since this afternoon and according to the show's creator, Emily was always gonna sleep with Will on the 13th, but on the 22nd she will with Micah. But we will never get to 22. FRAKKIT.

I hope another network picks up this series SOON because that wasn't an ending. I want an ending. And this series very much deserves a full season, at the very least. For crying out loud, 90210 has five frickin' seasons. Five! And they're just a bunch of horny, sexually-active, promiscuous teenagers and we already have Gossip Girl for that. I'm so disappointed. If a second season was really not viable, they should have at least done all 24 episodes for the first. At least give it a decent farewell. So to CW, I'm thinking of a phrase that begins with an 'F' and ends with an 'F.' Would you like to buy a vowel? [credits to Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang] 

I'm really really disappointed and I can't let go just yet. This was too awesome to stop now. I guess they should have started sleeping around with each other, hopping from one nurse or doctor to another to make this show rate. Sucks.

PS. Mamie Gummer (Emily) is Meryl Streep's daughter. IKR??!? Could one be starstruck from knowing a fact? Okay. Nevermind.

"I want to be someone's first choice."

--Emily Owens

time wasters

I have quite an addictive personality and here are the things I am currently wasting my time on:

Tumblr is my current major time waster. And brings out the emo in me. I swear I could spend hours and hours and hours on tumblr just swooning and squee-ing over mushy pictures and quotes. Especially the quotes, for example...

“ When I see you, the world. It stops and all that exists for me, is you and my eyes staring at you. There’s nothing else. No noise, no other people, no thoughts or worries, no yesterday, no tomorrow. The world just stops and it’s a beautiful place and there’s only you. Just you. And my eyes staring at you. When you’re gone, the world starts again and I don’t like it as much. I can live in it, but I don’t like it. I just walk around in it, and wait to see you again and wait for it to stop again. I love it when it stops. It’s the best thing I’ve ever known or ever felt, the best thing, and that, is why I stare at you.

— James Frey, A Million Little Pieces (via hearttosoul)

Chanel quilted purse I'm not really into designer bags and I do think that spending lots of money on a bag is ridiculous. But if I have money to spare, I want a Chanel quilted purse. Ya esta. Nada más. It's so pretty. I like it very much. I always want to look at it at baka umepekto ang the secret at ma-attract ko siya sa buhay ko...

Watercolors for art journaling. Since I'm not really the artsy-fartsy kind, I can't really come up with real works of art. I can't draw. I can't sketch. Etc. But I'm good at doing letterings. So to design my journal, I do letterings instead then decorate the page using watercolor.

Lee Min-ho is such a cutie. Reminds me of Dao Ming-si, of Meteor Garden and all the kilig. Well, Boys Before Flowers is also good but nothing beats the original. And I reckon it's getting toooo cute, in a negative way. Episode 5 was boring and I do hope episode 6 will make up for it. As of now, Lee Min-ho is the only reason why I would want to keep on watching the series.

Typewriter for art journaling, again. Daddy brought home this old typewriter from the province. I wanted one so bad. I thought typewriters would be dirt cheap since they're kind of nearing extinction as it's the computer age and all. But I was so surprised that a brand new typewriter costs a whopping P4,000.00! Expensive. No way would I spend that much money on something I want just so my journal would look pretty (I'm the only person who sees it anyway). And so I asked my father if he has an extra typewriter, he did and brought it home for me. Yay!

Reaction Post on Wonder Years :P

Caveat: This is going to be long.

"I guess things never turn out exactly the way you planned, I knew they didn't with me. Still my dad used to say, traffic's traffic, you go where life takes you..."

(to wit I still don't know the answer...)

Finally, I've seen all the Wonder Years episodes! I really fell in love with it. Watching the series was somehow a nostalgic trip for me. I could somehow relate to it and actually think that it's pretty close to home that's why I cried like a baby at some episodes. Really tugs at the heartstrings... I preferred watching it alone kasi pag may kasama ako, hindi ako makapag-emote. Haha.

The show's recurring theme were that of family life with the Arnolds and Kevin and Winnie's relationship.

Paul Pfeiffer. Kevin Arnold. Winnie Cooper.

It was seeing them grow up right before my very eyes. It felt as if I knew them. It felt as if they were my neighbors or something. We saw them transform from cute little kids to not-so-cute adolescents. Paul's nose has gotten bigger. Winnie's jaw has become squarer. And Arnold's cute chipmunk cheeks suddenly didn't match his grown-up body.

Kevin and Winnie
We all know that during Kevin's childhood, Winnie played a significant part in his life. Almost all episodes that concentrated on Kevin and Winnie's relationship were the ones that made me cry or had a lasting impression on me. I guess it's obvious to say that Kevin liked Winnie more than Winnie liked him. Maiwan lang si Winnie ng sandali, may bago na agad (Moving, Heartbreak, Summer). Winnie had broken Kevin's heart too many times that I actually have begun to hate her. When Winnie broke up with Kevin, it felt as if my heart was broken, too. I hated Winnie for leading Kevin on, for taking him for granted cos she knew he'll always be there.

At 5'17"-- one of my favorite moments
You can't help but be on Kevin's side when you hear him say that Winnie's words cut his heart out.

Another one of my fave Kevin-Winnie episodes was The Accident.

"Winnie Cooper was part of me and I was part of her. And no matter what as long as we live, I knew I could never let her go."
-- Kevin Arnold, "The Accident"

I can't help but shed a tear every time I see this episode. Again, this episode proved how much Kevin liked Winnie, how much his feelings for her were unwavering. One of the best Wonder Years moment... with that scene... and that background music... *sigh*

Even up until the last episode, it was about Kevin and Winnie. As mentioned, Winnie played a very vital role in Kevin's growing up years. Maybe Winnie was Kevin's one true love... I don't know. I might be getting a little mushy over here... I somehow still hope that they would end up together, in a parallel universe. They didn't end up together although they remained good friends. Kevin married another woman. I don't know about Winnie. But we all knew that there was a time when his world revolved around hers.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl I knew who lived across the street, brown hair, brown eyes. When she smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried Every single thing that happened to me that mattered in some way had to do with her"
-- Kevin Arnold, "Independence Day"

The Arnolds
Another recurring theme, as I've mentioned, was the family life of the Arnolds. Some of the best episodes for me dealt with family life. Maybe because I can relate a little. Growing up in a middle-class family in the suburbs of Manila, there were some things in common. It actually amazed me how although this show was set in the 1960s, I could still relate to it. My daddy went to work everyday. My mommy wasn't exactly a homemaker, still isn't. And my sisters, I have 4, weren't exactly Karens and Waynes (buti na lang). Maybe it has something to do with family life in general.

Out of all the characters in Kevin's family, aside from Kevin, my favorite was Jack Arnold. Although he was quite a grouch, there were some times when you'll see that he's not that bad. I guess the pressure of having to provide for his family has taken a toll on him. I'm not making excuses for him since my dad had to provide for more and he was never a grouch. Pero basta lang... I almost shed a tear when Kevin said in the final episode that his father died. Nooo!

Norma Arnold... in a way that's how I want my mom to be, but I'm afraid my mom is no Norma. She's the total opposite of Norma but I am not complaining. Well, sometimes I do, but I guess if she's happier being a businesswoman, then so be it. Norma's actually Stepford Wife-ish. She happily did everything her family wants her to do and never complained.

Karen... I don't like Karen. I don't hate her either. I just don't like it when she breaks her father's heart. And I totally hate that Brightwing episode. According to Ycel, every time uuwi si Karen, may bago sa kanya. She went from a hippie high school student, to a working college girl who then cohabitated with her boyfriend, then became a wife and in the last episode, she was a mom-to-be.

And Wayne.. ang pinaka-consistent. His face didn't change. His height didn't either. Kevin even outgrew him. Haha. He served as the comic relief for the show. He's funny but in most parts, he's just plain annoying.

Top 10 Favorite Episodes
I loved almost all episodes. Of course, there were some episodes that weren't really memorable, but most were. And among of these wonder-ful episodes, I have my favorites among the favorites.

In the order they were shown...
1. My Father's Office
The first episode that I loved-loved. Daddy issues...

2. Family Car
This is one episode I so can relate. My father's Mr-Fix-It. If it can be repaired, who needs a new one. That was the way it was before and it still is how things are now. When I was a kid, I remember having 3 cars, the gray turned midnight blue Toyota Royal Saloon, the silver Toyota Crown and the yellow turned red Mitsubishi Colt... but all were luma. I remember my father telling us that the Royal Saloon was considered as the Mercedes Benz of the Japanese. Yeah, right. I remember our car conking out once in awhile... in the middle of the road. Or course we wanted a new car, but we just can't afford it. After all they were raising five children. They were putting five children through school, an all-girls Catholic private school at that. I vividly remember when we bought the brand new Tamaraw FX back in 1996, the whole family was in the lobby of Toyota Ortigas, and we were so excited to ride it home- plastic and all- and that was way before FX was used as a public transportation. Until now we have Hot Mama (the FX) with us, still in good condition. And after that, we still haven't had any brand-new-car-purchases up until now but what matters is that whenever I don't feel like commuting, we have a car, and an FX and a van used as a school bus and a pick-up that is rarely used. ;)

3. Powers That Be

"Not all gifts are simple and some battles are fought out of love..."

Papa Arnold and Grandpa Arnold. An episode that authenticates the phenomenon called vicious cycle... meaning, you will become what you don't like most about your mother/father. A scary thought.

4. St. Valentines Day Massacre
Another one of those Kevin and Winnie episodes... Finally, Winnie admitted she liked Kevin.

5. Goodbye
The episode where Mr. Collins, the Math teacher, died. I cried like a baby on this one. Not that I can relate to this since I've never had a Math teacher who actually cared about her students. I hated Math and Math hated me back. Math teachers=Math. I hate Math. Ergo, I hate Math teachers.

6. Daddy's Little Girl

"... and maybe that's how it had to be... children leave and parents stay behind. Still some things are deeper than time and distance and your father will always be your father and he will always leave a light on for you."

I would like to consider myself as daddy's little girl... forever!

7. Heartbreak, Denial (since they're practically one long episode split into 2)
I hated Winnie in this episode! This was when she broke Kevin's heart, big time!

8. The Accident
Another of those Kevin-Winnie episodes... really heart-wrenching...

9. Graduation

"I went for a walk, traveled streets I once known, long ago... when life was simple... when life was new...I guess that's when I new the old days were gone. Things have changed and they will never be the same again."

Kevin's graduating from middle school. And Paul decided to go to prep school. Suddenly, Kevin felt as if the important people in his life were leaving him. Winnie didn't live across anymore. He and Paul won't be together in junior high. Kevin took a walk around the block and reminisced about the times when they were younger. When he, Paul and Winnie were still together.

"... but I guess change can't be stopped, no matter how you might wish otherwise."

10. Summer, Independence Day
Pues claro que sí... dito na nagkaalaman eh.. :)

"Things never turn out the way exactly you planned... Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you were in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul... I remember a place... a town.. a house.. like a lot of other houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. A street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back with wonder."

Questions
Who takes the family videos when all of them are in it?
What happened to Carla Heeley?

Etc.
The kids of The Wonder Years were the only childstars who grew up normal and were not total wrecks. Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold) graduated from Stanford University in 1999 with a degree in English. Josh Saviano (Paul Pfeiffer) majored in Political Science at Yale and graduated from Yeshiva's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. And Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper) graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a BS in mathematics in June 1998.

Fyi: Becky Slater was played by Crystal McKellar, Danica's younger sister. She's now a lawyer in New York City.

This show definitely goes into my most prized possessions list. It's something I want my children to see... 20 years from now. Times might be different then but I know the same life lessons will be relevant.

Last day of the month. Haaayy... Ang bilis talaga ng panahon. Parang napag-iiwanan na talaga siguro ako dahil forever ko nang linya 'yan.

My March favorites were:

Birthdays
Both my sister's and cousin's birthday fall within the month. Being a member of a big family, there's always someone celebrating his/her birthday. And I love eating out. Kahit eating in. Basta kainan, game ako diyan!

American Idol 7
I'm a Ramiele Malubay fan... for obvious reasons. I have Alone on repeat that it gave me a headache and LSS syndrome last Saturday afternoon. I really, really hope that she makes it to the Top 3...

Banapple
One night, my sister brought home pasalubong for me- chocolate crinkles from Banapple. Unang kagat pa lang, hooked na'ko! As in I'm always planning when to pass by Katipunan so I could stop over at Banapple and buy those platito-sized crinkles!

And yesterday, Ate treated me to lunch at Banapple. She had salpicao and I ordered chicken cutlet parmigiana. Masarap pareho pero nakakaumay yung parmigiana. We had CRINKLES for dessert! Ininit, binudburan ng mas maraming asukal at Brown cow... sarap! I bought another crinkle for myself.... and I just ate it all up. And now I want more!

The Wonder Years
Love!
I so love this series! It's so close to home. I can't believe how I could relate to it when it was supposed to be set in the late 1960s whilst I spent my childhood during the 1990s. That's 30 years apart but I could still relate to it... not entirely, but mostly.

It's weird that I actually cried on some episodes. Ganon ako ka-affected! It was supposed to be something light. But when I reminisce about my own childhood, I can't help but miss it.

My Wonder Years torrents are nearing completion and I'm so so so excited! It's a must-see. I just don't know if kids today can relate to it. When I'm done watching all episodes, I'll write an entry dedicated to the series. Anyone who wishes to get a copy, email niyo lang ako. Ycel, 'di mo na ako kelangan i-email... alam ko na. Hehe.

Aside from the abovementioned, there's not much that caught my attention- as for the good things. Should we talk about the bad things that happened- madami! At ang numero uno ay si Chongga! But I prefer to rekindle the good and not the bad and the ugly (aka Chongga).

March out. April in. And these are what I'm looking forward to...

Gossip Girl
New episodes!!! Because I'm pathetic like that... yes, my entire world revolves around GG. New episodes are available on the net Tuesday mornings... so every Tuesday when I wake up, derecho sa PC... derecho sa torrents... download. Watch new episode. Watch it again (if I have time). Burn it on a cd. Watch it on the tv. Tuesday lang yan. By Thursday, I would want to watch it again. Adik.

Meeting another cousin for the first time
I'm not sure if it will be this April or May... pero sa April ko na lang ilalagay.
As of today, there are still 2 cousins I haven't met. And if this cousin pushes through with her trip... then there'll be just one cousin left in my cousin-to-meet list.
I'm not jumping-up-and-down-excited but plain excited. It's something worth looking forward to.

My Favorite Things- December 2007

More nail polish... from Face Shop. Not really the best colors but these will do. These colors don't really go well with my skin tone pero keri na rin. Most of the clients go for these shades so it's actually better. My personal preference when it comes to nail polish shades are red like Brucci's Berrylicious and pinks like OPI's Strawerry Margarita.





This is the white eyelet dress I oh-so-want to covet! It will go well with those tights we have. Inspired by Blair Waldorf's outfit in the Wild Brunch episode. I've seen affordable versions of this dress in SM but my sister said it's sold out already. Shoot. I don't want to frickin' look like everyone else. And tights are making its way to the general public, too! I plan to don a dress and tights combo on Christmas and I hope that not a lot of girls have the same idea in mind. Basta, bahala na si Batman. I just hope that it will be extra cool this Christmas so it wouldn't be too much of a discomfort to wear tights.