Almost Christmas Update

 Christmas is still 69 days away but on my clock it's already almost Christmas. Hindi ko lang siya masyado ramdam this year because- covid, and there aren't much orders coming in this year. Not sure if wala talagang order or late lang papasok. I just hope late lang sila papasok. Dali, ngaragin niyo na ako please! Haha. 

I ordered pa naman a lot of bottles- asyumera kasi. I just hope sales pick up soon kahit sa Shopee lang. However, there's a spattering of orders of souvenirs for baptisms and weddings so that's a good thing. My only fear is that once the cases start going up, the government will again impose lockdowns which could halt operations again. Sana lang mas careful yung mga tao. Looking at photos online, parang wala nang covid eh. Crowds gathered at the dolomite beach, at the Marikina River Park, at a coffee shop in in Taguig- ¡Que barbaridad! Paano tayo matatapos nito? People, not because you can doesn't mean you should.  

Anyway... just distracting myself from reality with BTS, kdramas and webtoons. BTS muna tayo. 

It was Jimin's birthday last October 13. His 26th in international age, 27th in Korean age. Gosh, I can still recall my late 20s which was pretty angst-ridden mostly and wala pa akong pera noon. I just make do with the little allowance I get from the nail spa (no matter how I seem to hate that nail spa, I'm still grateful for it cos it led me to what I'm doing right now). So anyway, back to Jimin... wala naman kaming prepared celebration. We just ordered last mintute from our suki online meriend shop- beef spaghetti, Japanese siomai and coke. I wish things will be much better (aka may pera ako) this Nov and December para I can prepare for Jin's and Taehyung's birthdays on the 4th and 30th, respectively. I still regret not celebrating my unico hijo's 24th but I mean to make bawi (Comcalc, LOL) on his 25th. I hope by then tapos na ang pandemya. 

So again- BTS stuff... yesterday I watched In the Soop S2's first episode and I am in awe of these boys. Super. How they stay down to earth despite their worldwide popularity is beyond me. Of course I'm not 100% sure if they are really like that behind the camera, but it seems that they are. 

watching ITS2 ep1 while on quarantine
happy, because:
1. I'm watching the boys being themselves (sort of)
2. There's hipon for breakfast!

How can you not fall for or like those boys? Hay. Nakakatuwa sila, I swear- a ray of sunshine during this pandemic. 

So far I like this season better cos Taehyung's happier here. Parang medyo sulky siya last season. I'm just happy he's overcome his sadness and is back to his old, kulit self (but of course I really don't know for sure if that is the real Taehyung).  

And Jungkook being such a softie for Bam, his pet dog- OMG! 

this scene reminded me of my sister brushing his son's teeth LOL

That boy, I swear- Mom's very proud of you (he's my son in an alternate universe, okay?) Chareng. Seeing Jungkook waking up early to feed Bam, cleaning up after Bam and patiently potty-training him- endears him to me more. Okay Jungkook, Mom's okay na with your tats and piercings. LOL. Hibang ang loka. 

Seeing the boys do the chores, seeing how they look like when they wake up in the morning (correction: tanghali na sila magising, literally), seeing them take care of each other- makes me happy. I really hope they are like that in real life, that they're like that to each other off-camera too. 

Another distraction I have are webtoons! It started with True Beauty which I actually stopped reading cos it has become annoying, will give it a try again soon- I can't believe I haven't read it in four months already. Age Matters has recently concluded and while I enjoyed most of it, medyo naging so-so na lang siya towards the end. Hindi na siguro alam ni author anong gagawin sa story, ergo the decision to end the series already. My favorites these days are Secret Playlist, Romance 101, Odd Girl Out and Yumi's Cells. Those are the series I'm currently heavily invested in, but there are also tons I'm enjoying. 

As for the kdramas, will make another post as soon as I'm done watching Hometown Cha Cha Cha. 

Ending this post with BTS' newest collab with Coldplay ♥ Me gusta muchoooo

Back With A K-Bang!

These days, my Kindle is nothing but a toy. It's already the end of March and I've read only one book. One. I feel bad that I've stopped reading, but it's partly because of work. I can't read and work at the same time, but I can watch Netflix and K-dramas at the same time ;)

Speaking of K-dramas, I've been on a roll since the year started. Thanks to my bed rest, I finally finished watching all 52 episodes of My Father is Strange.  I've read about how good the drama is but I've always can't muster enough time to watch all 52 episodes without getting bored. Not that the show is boring but 52 episodes is just to plenty to hold my attention. Pero ayun nga, I got sick and had all the time in the world.

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The drama was recommended by Ate Michelle. So far, I've liked her recommendations- mostly lengthy family dramas, LOL. In Father is Strange, my favorite character is Hyeyoung and my favorite love story is Hyeyoung and Jung-hwan's. So funny and during the time I was watching the drama, my family was sort of in a similar situation. My cousin's favorite pairing is that of Miyoung and Joong-hee's. Eh hindi ko bet. I think it's cringey when one starts to have feelings for a family member even if turns out they weren't related... and in Mi-young and Joong-hee's case, even if they weren't really related, they didn't know that when they started to develop feelings for each other. Aside from that, everything's A-OK :) Loved it but I think it'll be a while before I watch another drama this lengthy.

Also just finished watching Romance is A Bonus Book on Netflix. I forgot what made me start watching this drama but I'm glad I did because I liked it (inspite of Lee Jong-suk). And since I don't like Lee Jong-suk, I prefer the second male lead, Seo-joon the book cover artist. Actually, I prefer his love story with Hae-rin. I was actually rooting for them and I'm glad they did end up together. Sa kanila ako kinikilig. 

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 Throughout the drama, I keep wondering about Kang Dan-i's daughter. I know she's in boarding school somewhere but doesn't she visit her daughter once in a while? I feel sinadya nila na the daughter goes to boarding school para convenient for the mom (and the storyline) to make landi. Haha. 

Soon I'm starting with three dramas- The Producers, Marriage Contract and The Package. The latter two were recommended by Ate Michelle ulit. Ihahalo-halo ko panunuod para hindi ako ma-bore. May the best drama win. 

Recreational Therapy: Thirteen Reasons Why

Wow it has been four years since I read the book. Time flies frakkin fast, no? Anyway, I'm writing about the title once again but this time, the mini-series adaptation.

I really like watching a movie based on a book I've read because I like comparing the book versus the film/TV adaptation. The book will always win, imho. Always. Well, because they have five hundred pages to tell the story whereas the movie only has an average of two hours to retell it. So I guess it's better to make them into mini-series rather than movies. Back to Thirteen Reasons Why (13RY)...

The entire duration I was reading the book, I kept thinking how selfish Hannah was. For dumping all of this on Clay. After seeing the series, my opinion of Hannah has changed, but for the worse. I can't remember if in the book the point of view of her parents or if their emotions were illustrated but in the series, you can see (and almost feel) their grief. Not only did she cause Clay this cargo de conciencia (when all he did was not act on his crush towards her), but she also caused her parents tremendous pain.

So yeah, there's this explanation that teenagers' brains are not yet fully developed and they don't see the world yet as adults do which makes them think and do stuff. But did Hannah really think her suicide would solve her parents' financial problems?

I know Hannah is the "victim" in this story but I really found her annoying AF (see what Hannah made me do??? I don't even use that AF term cos it annoys me AF, LOL). I mean, the world doesn't revolve around you, Hannah!!! Why put a blame on Clay for not noticing your existential crisis when he's obviously also going through stuff and busy living his own life?

I do not condone the horrible things the other kids did to Hannah, especially Bryce. However, I also do not condone Hannah's action which was very final and ultimate. I do not get why people have to be so mean. I see people I know posting on Facebook (after watching 13RY) asking the same question when I know for  fact that they are meanies themselves.

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So I liked the series just as I, hmm... "enjoyed" reading the book. I wish it had ended differently but nope, Hannah killed herself. Which leads me to some of the controversy surrounding this series- that, a) it glamorized suicide and, b) for showing the very graphic suicide scene. Yes, I think it did glamorize suicide and it showed the kids how to do it the right way, I know what the author really wants to say is suicide is not the answer to your problems, that there are people out there who can help you, but for me, as a viewer, I didn't get that message from the series. Maybe it's just me. Because all the frickin' time all I could think of was how selfish Hannah was and not the message of hope, if there's any. And I just can't believe how these kids are so young yet so evil.

I wouldn't recommend this to a teenager. Baka maging "inspiration" pa sa kanya. Remember people, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

Recreation Therapy 2016: Cheese in the Trap

I finally finished my second Korean drama for the year- huzzah! 

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I think I started watching this drama January this year but due to my busy (naks) schedule (and also ADHD), I got to finish just now. As in today lang. Aside from the reason I found the pace of the story a little slow, there was no character that I really really liked.

Obviously Seol, Yoon and In ho are in some sort of triangle and usually in triangles like this one, I find myself rooting for either A or B. For example, Bae Yong Jun in Winter Sonata, Kerokerokeroppi (si Carlo) in Lovers in Paris and Cha Seung-won in The Greatest Love. I was neither for Yoon nor for In ho. I read in another blog that the author is suffering from Second Lead Syndrome or wanting the female lead to end up with the second male lead (aka ang pampagulo) than the male lead. I think I like Yoon (for Seol) but he's creepy na medyo with serial killer tendencies. So I tried picturing Seol with In ho, but there's no chemistry there. And I feel there was no contest naman to begin with. Seol likes Yoon and sees In ho only as a brother (wag po koya!) although there was a moment of confusion there when In ho hugged her (parang hug lang eh, malisyosang babae! although you don't just hug friends of the opposite sex). 

Out of all the characters, I find In ha the most entertaining and endearing. Well she was supposed to be one of the traidoras but I just can't get myself to hate her. Maybe there was this one point I did not like her (when she ratted out Yoon to his dad), but aside from that, she may be one of the reason I watched this drama until the end. 

So I found out through Dramabeans that there was a little controversy happening behind the scenes. It was an okay drama but it's not one of my favorites. I'm planning on reading the original webtoon to better understand Yoon and his "personality disorder." 

6 out 10. Kinilig ng bahagya ngunit kulang pa din. 

Recreation Therapy: Four Sisters & a Wedding

Wow, it's been a while since I last wrote a movie entry. I noticed that I dedicated this year mostly on books and TV series. I have been introduced to more amazing TV shows (ie. Elementary) and re-introduced to Korean dramas, so that took up most of my time. Aside from reading and watching TV shows, I have been more active than usual with my business and the "R&D" aspect of it. In fernez, may life na ako. Haha!

So I took my "EA" (naks!) on a movie date. It was her 18th birthday last May and since May was a very busy month for us (AB's homecoming, Daddy's 70th birthday), we weren't able to celebrate her birthday. Took her to Glorietta to watch Four Sisters and a Wedding.

It was actually a choice between this and the new Marian Rivera movie. I thought she would choose the latter, her being a Marian fan. I am fine with whatever she chooses.

Although we were 15 minutes late, I think we didn't miss anything. I think we missed the flashback scene and I'm perfectly okay with it because I hate flashback scenes- hindi lahat ng teleserye at pelikula ay dapat magsimula sa pagkabata, no? Anyway, I liked the movie. I guess everyone who has siblings would be able to relate to it. I hate tearjerker movies cos I hate crying in the cinemas. I mean, I couldn't go all-out hagulgol, diba? And I was caught off-guard. I knew we were watching a comedy film. I should've suspected it already. Family-themed movies usually make one cry cos it's too close to home. In the middle of the movie, the EA looked at me intently and said, "Ate, umiiyak ka rin?" Haha. Huli.

So even if my head hurt from controlled crying I did, I did enjoy this one. The headache's worth it.

Just a few comments about the movie:

1. Hindi naman ganun ka-"chararat" si Angeline Quinto, ah? Lalo na if the description came from Toni Gonzaga's character. Coming form Bea, mas acceptable pa.
2. Since we weren't able to watch it right from the start, bakla ba si Frodo? Na-confuse talaga ako.
3. Hindi naman masyadong halata na struggling sila. They live in a big house, for crying out loud. We're seven in the family and our house is nowhere near theirs. 

That's it, pansit ☺

EAT. SLEEP. REPEAT.

Sobrang tinatamad nako akong mag-blog ngayon. Tinatamad na rin akong mag-journal. It's not that I don't I'm too busy to do so because my life still is as boring as it was ever since I started this. I came back from my Capiz vacation two weeks ago and still I haven't "chronicled" it. In fernez, I enjoyed it this time. Anyway, here it goes...

Everyone woke up late, including mommy. We only had an hour to prepare and our flight was on a Thursday morning- sabay sa rush hour traffic. Since traffic has been really really terrible on our side of the metro, reaching the airport within an hour all the way from Pasig is iffy- you might make it, might not. So thank God we were able to make it on time for check-in. Yung eroplano lang ang delayed. Pati yung flight delayed. At hindi lang delayed ng minutos. It was an hour and a half hours delayed! The plane took off five minutes before our ETA in Roxas City. 

boredom killed the batt

Albeit the loooong wait, it was a very smooth flight. No turbulence at all. You know, I'd take delayed flights over turbulent plane rides anytime, as in any friggin' time. 

we're in capiz, y'all!

We landed a little before two in the afternoon. My last meal was at 8am and my tummy is used to frequent snacking, so I was already famished. After lunch at my aunt's (where we stayed the entire duration of our trip), no time at all for rest since I had to assemble pa the souvenirs for my cousin's wedding the next day. 

Usually we just go home to Capiz when there's an occasion and this time it was for my cousin's wedding. I had a role which was the commentator for the mass. I hate standing in front of an audience so I really was a little iffy about this. They said I just had to read from a script (the missalette) so I thought, kaya naman. I was able to carry on with the duty, I just a little boo-boo which was not really my fault, mind you. Turned out I also had to read out loud the responses. Oh well. The only picture of the couple I was able to take from the ceremony and the reception was this:

can you see them?
anjan lang sila.

At the end of the day, my feet were killing me and I was already feeling greasy. 

The next day, we headed to my dad's kubo. He used to stay in my mother's house but I reckon mas peaceful para sa kanya ang ganito. Harhar. We went with Uncle E. 

matinding sikat

I enjoyed walking the pilapils. Adventure yun ha! They were narrow and some parts were steep and slippery so if you're not careful, there's a chance you could fall into the mossy waters. 

mukhang alps from afar, diba?

I loved it there. I was saying to my sister that I could stay there if only I have access to clean, potable water and fast internet connection. They already have electricity and cable so I just need clean water, internet and a  working inidoro! Plus, it doesn't matter if the city is an hour's drive away (without traffic yan) basta kumpleto. Sadly, Roxas City still isn't a one-stop shop. The nearest place where you can get most of your needs is in Iloilo. I still ♥ Manila. 

manong showing off his catch (or his muscles?) 

crablets.

They harvested 30 bangus from the fishpond. We had those bangus for lunch. Yummeh!! ☺ 

Uncle saw teeny- tiny crabs along the 'banks' of the pond and he was reminded of his childhood. An image that will remind me of my childhood is echas ng aso sa taas ng bundok ng buhangin. 

Monday we ate lunch at the restaurant by the bay owned by my dad's friend's son. It didn't seem operational  from outside so we still had to ask. The place was pretty. If an outdoor nail spa is feasible, that would be it. 

this is ze life

We waited an hour for our order to arrive which was less than stellar quality. I ordered grilled liempo. I was really disappointed with the liempo because, 1) the meat wasn't fresh anymore, and 2) it was not yummy, I mean how could you go wrong with a simple inihaw na baboy??? Ang daming pa-fancy-fancy marinade eh asin lang delicioso na yun. But the place is really nice. Haha. 

Our cousins invited us to go river cruising. There's this new activity for those visiting the province- a 30-minute cruise along the Panay River. It started around 4pm and supposedly, just in time to view the breathtaking sunset. However, it was a cloudy day; ergo, no sunset to behold. Although I still was able to take some beautiful scenery.

It was so peaceful I really wished I was living there at the time. At the time lang, okay? 

Tuesday was our last. Or so I thought. Turned out our flight was on the 13th, not the 12th. So we had an extra day which were mostly spent in... Gaisano Mall. Gahd, they should consider renovating that mall SOON. As in time is of the essence. It's so old already and musty. They'll surely lose their customers when the new Robinsons mall opens on December. Anyway, thanks to Gaisano Mall and M. Lhuillier cos that's where I got my gold pendant. Yes, I have one already! I wanted one since last Christmas and finally got one already. Yipee!

Aside from Gaisano, we also spent most of the time eating. Medyo naging obsessive ako in finding the perfect inihaw na baboy. The perfect inihaw was on the third try, in Coco Veranda, and I had to give instructions pa that I only want it salted, no more marinades. So that was my favorite and this

baked oysters!

I love cheese! I love cheese on baked oysters more ☺ 

Our flight back to Manila went smoothly as well and it felt as if it only took 30 minutes from Roxas to Manila. 

welcome back to manila

I already miss my bed, my own bathroom and drinking plenty plenty of water. If before I can never imagine living in Capiz, now I can PROVIDED THAT there is clean running water from the faucet, working water closet, fast internet connection and access to everything I need. Mukhang malayo-malayo pa mangyari yan, ano? But you know what's surprising? I actually missed the peace and quiet and going to bed early. 

it's movietime for me! yay!

Little by little does the trick.

Finally had my mini-movie marathon yesterday. I was supposed to go to this training/product trial but as I was nursing an upset stomach, I asked for it to be rescheduled. At home with stomach flu (TMI, IKR? LOL) plus it was a rest day for the shop, I have every excuse in the world to lie down on my bed and devour one movie after another.

One For The Money

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Another sign that I am old- Katherine Heigl. I remember seeing a 14-year-old Heigl on My Father, the Hero with Gerard Depardieu which was eons ago, and now here she is with grown-up roles, battling the woes of thirty-somethings.

Being a book-to-film adaptation, a chick-lit at that, I was expecting a romcom. I wasn't really disappointed when she didn't end up with either of Joe Morelli or the Ranger, it's just that I felt that aspect of the story was a little hilaw. Oo nga naman, girl power nga pala ang theme dito- I don't need a man to make it happen baga.

It was a fun watch and I liked it even if I wasn't paying 100% attention to it.

Keeping the Faith

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This was released only in 2001 but watching it felt it was in the 90s because of the video resolution. Well, this was before the heyday of high definition shiznit and I feel so old because 2001 is 11 eleven years ago and I was 19 at that time. You do the math.

Keeping the Faith is a cute love story. It started with three young friends, Jake, Brian and Anna. Anna moved, leaving Jake and Brian in New York City. The two boys remained the best of friends albeit belonging to two different religions- Jake became a Jewish rabbi and Brian a Catholic priest. Fast forward to the future, Anna returns to New York and reunites with her boy best friends. Only this time, Brian and Jake are both harboring romantic feelings for her.

My thoughts: Obviously, Jake has the upper hand in this situation because rabbis can have wives, whereas Catholic priests cannot. I am not aware of Jewish customs, but Jake's dilemma is easier than that of Brian's. Of course it was heartbreaking on the part of Brian but it was the path he took. It was a good thing that Anna fell in love with Jake and not with Brian because otherwise, it would be a different, much more complicated scenario.

It was a nice, feel-good movie.

Jeux d'enfants

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I am not sure if it was my high expectations for this movie or if there were just some things lost in translation, but I didn't enjoy this as much.

My niece gave me a copy of this French movie and she highly recommended that I watch it and she said that it's better than Flipped. The thing is I loooooved Flipped meaning it should be so good to be considered better than Flipped. I guess it was just my expectations and some things lost in translation, that is why I didn't get the optimal enjoyment from this film.

My thoughts: It is an annoying, weird love story. Julien and Sophie were obviously not bringing out the best in each other and what they have wasn't healthy anymore. Okay, given na that this is just a movie but I just didn't find their dares cute. There wouldn't be a problem if other people didn't get harmed or hassled because of their games but their little 'dares' are hurting and hassling other people and for this reason, it is not what I can consider as fun and cute. They have a world of their own in which they don't care about other people; in other words, autistic sila!!! ANNOYING.

And seriously, I do not believe that 7, 8 or 9-year-old kids already have the concept of 'love.' Sorry naman if it's too pessimistic of me but I just don't and can't believe it.

RT2012 book 4: catching jordan

When unrequited love is the most 

expensive thing on the menu,

sometimes you settle for the daily special.

I've never finished reading a pdf file book this fast, meaning Catching Jordan was a good read. I am tremendously enjoying these books in the YA category, maybe because they are giving me my dose of kilig. Kunwari cheesy pa, nae-enjoy din naman ;)

The book is about Jordan Woods, the only female member of the Hundred Oaks High football team. Coming from a family who lives and breathes football, she grew up loving the sport and not only as a spectator. She dreams of getting into the University of Alabama to play college football, but it seems that her father does not support her in this endeavor. She enjoys the company of her teammates who not only respect her as their captain but also love and protect her as her friends. Sam Henry is her best friend among all of them.

Jordan and Sam knew each other since they were seven and 10 years after, they still have those sleepovers at Jordan's house only they have to sleep head-to-toe position, as per Jordan's mom's condition. Jordan hated cheerleaders and anything girly for that matter (but most especially cheerleaders because she thinks they're stupid) so this made some assume she's harboring same-sex tendencies. All of that changed when Ty Green shows up in Hundred Oaks. With the looks and body of a demi-god (that's what I imagined him to be), Jordan never felt her knees turn to rubber.

But as soon as she scores the boyfriend of her dreams (or so she thought), she finds out that her bestfriend Henry is in love with her. She, then, realizes that she too is in love with Henry but couldn't just ditch Ty. So here begins her love (Henry vs. Ty) and life (Alabama vs. other options) dilemma.

My thoughts...

1. What I hate about these love stories is that the protagonist is single for so long and when a prospect comes along, he is NEVER alone. Someone to whom the protagonist's equally attracted to enters the scene. So our protagonist ends up all confused on who to choose. I mean, why can't they come not at the same time? Pwede bang darating na lang si A kung wala na si B? 
2. Again, only high school kids but they're so promiscuous I am absolutely shocked. And not only that... Sige na, I get it that they'd do the deed but only after they're sure they "love" each other and after like, say, 3 months? But after a few days? Preposterous. Sabagay, in the day and age of one-night-stands I guess this is common. Gahd, I am such a prude. 

Argh! Is it pathetic that I am getting my dose of kilig reading YA books or from teenybopper movies? But I really take pride in the fact that I have never fallen in love bwahahaha! Crushes don't count because they're just that, crushes. Whatever.

Anyway, Chasing Jordan kept my eyes glued on that itty bitty LCD screen of my mobile phone for hours. I kept feeling my stomach is in knots on the kilig parts or as I put it, the I-feel-it-in-my-fingers-I-feel-it-in-my-toes feeling. Ah basta kinikilig ako. I think I am addicted to YA books now and not that that's bad but I should really be reading that marketing book. Hehe. 

RT2012 book 3: diary of a wimpy kid: rodrick rules

Just finished my third book today. Woohoo!!! Fine, fine... another easy read but still...

Anyway, I thought of reading this book first before the others because I had to return it to my nephew (yes, I borrowed it from my 11-year old nephew) soon. Aside from the reason that I enjoyed watching the movie, I was also interested in reading the book because it had illustrations in it. Yes, I am that juvenile :P

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It was a fun read and I really enjoyed looking at the illustrations. Rodrick was really a pain in the ass but I didn't find likable as well. It was funny, though ☺

recreation therapy 2012: book 1 & 2

We're on a roll these days, eh? Well, sige na easy reads lang naman ang mga natapos ko pero kahit na books pa rin ;P So that's 2 books down and 22 more to go before I meet my target quantity of books to be read.

Book#1: Smart vs Pretty by Valerie Frankel

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Thrifted the book from Booksale. I was instantly attracted to the cover which is actually a big factor for me when choosing books because I am shallow like dut. Plus, the author has a very pretty name *ahem* Haha. So anyway, in a nutshell... the book was a nice read and I did enjoy it but what the book really was about was like not at all what I expected. They should've gave it another title because I thought it was misleading. I was expecting some sibling rivalry of sorts storyline, not a crime & investigation one. But I guess it was titled as such because the sisters were able to overcome everything using the smart sister's intelligence and the pretty sister's charm & looks.

Book#2: The Best of Chico & Delamar's The Morning Rush Top 10

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Super funny, although I think nothing beats listening to them live with Chico's perfect timing of delivering the punchline with matching sound effects, etc. I really miss listening to them every morning but I get too lazy to turn on the radio and it's so much easier to switch the TV on (hello, remote control!). I enjoyed reading this so much that I couldn't put it down but during my commute going home yesterday, I got to this part-- 10,000 B.C. - Taon ipinanganak si Madam Auring-- and I couldn't stop laughing and I'm afraid people in the LRT might think I am crazy so I stopped reading and decided to continue it when I got home.

secret garden

kdrama’s making a comeback, well at least in my life. i used to be a korean series addict- winter sonata being my first kdrama series ever. I stopped watching when I couldn’t find good ones anymore. the first wave of hallyu actors such as won bin, kim ha-neul, kwon wang soo, etc were getting less visible and I just don’t get the appeal of the new generation with their plucked brows and metrosexual style. plus, the last few dramas i saw were disappointing. so I stopped. but the batch of hallyu actors I am fond of is staging a comeback so now i rekindle my love relationship with kdramas.

after cinderella’s sister, I was in search of another nice series. my princess was in my list but since its subtitles are still incomprehensible, pass muna ako. AC’s officemate recommended that we watch secret garden and even gave us a copy. so watch it was what I did.

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my thoughts about secret garden:

1. old-school korean actors- hyun bin and ha ji-won. although all the while I thought it was kim ha-neul haha. it’s such a comfort to see familiar faces ;) well, hyun bin isn’t as cute as he was five years ago and I reckon he’s a too skinny now, but he’s still cute. not as cute but still cute. ha ji-won still looked like how she looked like five years ago, though I prefer her with long hair.
2. huge doses of kilig factor- oh yes I live for this. I must have smiled, giggled and squirmed in my seat countless of times over countless kilig moments as if it were happening to me. piggy back rides. benches. staples of korean love stories. kahit paulit-ulit, parang hindi ko pagsasawaan.
3. oska. I have a love-hate relationship with this character. he’s funny and he’s nice to gil ra im but I really can’t stand his wardrobe. and that hairstyle, omg. an almost fallen star finding a way to make himself big again who’s at the same time nursing a broken heart. this reminds me that you can't really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.
4. what’s up with the action school director’s hair? haha. he’s cute when his hair is in a ponytail but when it’s just buhaghag, he just looks like a crazy homeless person. one thing I don’t get from these dramas- director kim has been harboring more than just platonic love for ra-im, even before joo won got in to the picture, so why only now? time is of the essence, people! haven’t we learned our lesson from p’shone (sing lek lek/crazy little thing called love) yet?
5. hyun bin’s character, joo won, showed us the meaning of persistent. or in tagalog- makulit. as in super kulit. pasalamat siya at cute siya kasi kung hindi, nakakatakot. with his sequined tracksuit, he pursues ra-im to no end, going wherever she goes and this he can do because he has the means to do so. a little childish but very, very cute. but come to think of it, if you encounter a 34-year old guy like that in real life, cute pa rin kaya?
6. the soul-swapping angle of the series was made the main plot, although I think they could do without it. it would still have been a nice drama without the swap. well, maybe they included it there so both characters would better understand each other. and come to think of it, it was pretty handy for ra-im. at least she wouldn’t have to prove to joo won that his mother is trying to tear them apart.
7. and yes there’s also amnesia. who would’ve thunk, right? but but but this even made it more nakakakilig cos joo won still liked ra-im even if he thinks his 21-year old self wouldn’t like a girl like ra-im. I don’t think I am even making sense but I hope you get what I’m saying.
8. lola kisses! joo won kept on doing this all throughout the drama. i get giddy over lola kisses all the time.
9. notice how their worlds seems to be so small? their lives are interconnected, parang facebook lang and they seem to know all the right people. parang destiny lang… haha. yes, I think this drama is all about destiny and all that shizz. joo won and ra-im were meant to be together. if they hadn’t met back then, they surely would meet each other some other time. personally, I don’t believe that there’s one person destined for us but I believe that if something’s for us, it would find our way to us or we would find our way to it eventually.
10. ending was a little anti-climactic but I loved it just the same. and they gave me an ending and didn’t leave me hanging as with other dramas ;) a little sad that joo won’s mother still didn’t accept their union.

oh yes I really really really enjoyed watching  secret garden. giddiness galore, just what I like and what I live for- just vicariously albeit. next drama in my list is my girlfriend is a gumiho. I wish it wouldn’t disappoint cos I’ve read good reviews about it but then again I should remember not to set my expectations too high.

project 100: how do you know, never let me go, catch me... i'm in love

and even with a busy schedule, i was able to add three more titles to my list. hooray for me! there's still chance that i can hit target because it's the holy week soon. i know i know, holy week is supposed to be spent repenting for our sins, but it's the only rest we can have, 100% guilt-free! i'm not yet sure if it'll be spent watching movies cos i kinda plan on having a dawson's creek marathon. i miss my childhood/teenage years. i miss the good ol' days when all i have to worry about is passing my subjects.

how do you know

i expected a lot from this because of the stellar cast. i should've known better than to keep my expectations high. but i mean, who could go wrong with a reese witherspoon movie? tapos may paul rudd pa? diba? oh well.

rom-coms are my cup of tea but how do you know didn't deliver. though it's not really that bad, i just expected a lot. me and my high expectations. *sigh* plus, it was already 1am when i started watching and i was also working on an order so i wasn't actually paying much attention to it. but i don't know if i would give it one more chance. so little time, so many movies.

never let me go

another movie recommended by tumblr people.
so far, so good. movies referred by tumblr people are no-fail. 500 days of summer. flipped. and now, never let me go. that's why i'm always in the look out for recommendations from them.
another factor which made me want to watch this is carey mulligan. i love her in an education. and she kinda looks like jen lindley/michelle williams and i am a fan of jen lindley and her beauty (as compared to joey potter. eeyuck). and andrew garfield's in it, too. a little scrawny but will do. and the role kinda calls for his scrawniness. haha. as with kiera knightley, i don't like her much. don't ask me, i don't know why.

can i just say that this is one of the most depressing movies i've seen as of late? albeit the surrounding circumstances, it is a beautiful love story. depressing but beautiful, still.

catch me... i'm in love

finally. sorry naman at masyado akong fan ng sarah geronimo movies. haha. well, it took this long for me to watch it cos i was waiting for jaime's free tickets and i was bringing our househelp as a 'thank you' for her help.

it was okay. well, being john lloyd and sarah's past two movies as my peg, okay na na okay siya. though in my opinion, mas feasible ang sarah + gerald tandem more than a sarah + john lloyd. but i think her movies with john lloyd worked (most esp. the first one) because she really had a crush on him. she was crushing on him like a schoolgirl for real. which is cute ☺

my favorite image from this movie is the dream sequence. sarah has this recurring dream where she was in red and everyone else was wearing black. i love the effect. matteo guiducelli was funny. i never knew he could be funny. i like it when actors (esp. cute ones, though i don't really find him cute) aren't afraid to make themselves look silly on camera. sarah's talking voice isn't as sing-song-y as it was. a lot of things i liked about this movie.

there weren't as many cons. i can only remember two things: the storyline was too fast-paced that i think it didn't develop as smoothly; in other words, bara-bara, and that once again, they got the movie title from a song. In fairness, no show ang wigs ng star cinema.

recreation therapy... check. not to mention i finished pretty little liar's episode 14 to 22. watched it staggardly, of course. kung dati naiinis ako sa show na ito, ngayon mas nae-enjoy ko siya with all the cliffhangers and whodunits and whathaveyous. plus, i really really really find mr. fitz cute and i get giddy over spencer and toby.

pick flick: till my heartaches end

Mukhang umubra sakin ang may-I-cry drama ni Gerald Anderson at Kim Chiu sa presscon nila cos I already watched the movie... on its second day of release, no less. Well, I wanted to treat Lynlyn to a movie since she's been helping me out with my orders, etc. and since she hasn't been to a cinema yet and she's been here in Manila for almost two years. Excuses... But really, it's more of my way to show that I appreciate her help albeit the attitude she's been giving me recently and also sort of a bribe, too. But it's our little secret from all the other girls here in the house and from my mommy because the other girls would be envious and my mommy would think it's unnecessary. Anyway, so we were there for the first screening of the second day of release. Hindi rin naman kami masyado excited ano?

i don't like this movie poster. it's so... bland, unimaginative

1. First and foremost, ang PAAAAAYAAAAT ni Kim Chiu! She's so thin, she looks like a pantyshield. Harhar. Pero I'm inggit. I super like her wardrobe in this movie and some of them even looked familiar. Ang ganda ng bagsak ng damit sa kanya, but I don't want to be like her-like her with all her skeletal system sticking out, shedding 30 lbs would be enough. There was this one scene where Gerald Anderson's character told Kim Chiu's, 'eh baka kasi nagugutom ka,' and if I had written the script, Kim's reply wuold be, 'mukha ba akong kumakain?' Mahirap na maging bitter. Ha. 
2. But she is miserable! I'd rather be fat voluptuous and happy than thin and miserable. Agnes (Chiu) is this quiet girl who came to Manila to review for her NCLEX. I don't think she was miserable because of the relationship. She was miserable. Period. Maybe because she's a girl who's got this abandonment issue stemming from the absence of her parents who were working abroad. Once she had her first relationship with Paolo (Anderson), she clung to him like a remora fish would to a shark and made her world revolve around him. Or maybe because it was her relationship and didn't know better. I hate weak people who's auto-response to things is crying.
3. This movie could have been more believable if Agnes' necklace was snatched in this movie. Seriously, how could anyone go out in Recto with those bling bling and not be mugged? 
4. Agnes was NBSB (no boyfriend since birth), a situation I can relate to. All throughout the movie, there were a lot of scenes wherein I swear I wanted to hit her. Like the time when Paolo wasn't replying to his messages and wasn't answering his call- that was too clingy already. If I were in her place, I would have retaliated by giving him a dose of his own medicine. But of course, this is what I think I would do given the situation but I can't really say if I would do just that if I were in such situation. I know it's easier said than done. I suppose this all boils down to self-respect- you wouldn't allow someone to treat you that way if you have respect for yourself.
5. But Paolo also has a point- Agnes has become a wet blanket. She doesn't even try to get to know his world. All she wants is she and him in their own world na hindi naman posible. Well, it was done in Inception pero nabu-ang ang babae, remember? And besides, it's also not healthy. He tries to bring her to his world but what does she do? May Cinderella complex ang lola mo! She has to be home by 12:30. She should have at least tried to integrate herself into what he's into. She doesn't have to like it but she could at least try. Or maybe they could get into a compromise. But seriously, WHAT DO I KNOW?!? Okay, I will shut up.
6. Ang hirap sa mayayabang, they fail to see that people around them are trying to help them yet they don't see that because they're too busy proving themselves. Like what John Lloyd's character in A Very Special Love said, "Dad, kung talagang hindi kami magkakaiba, why do I even have to prove anything?" So I liked the scene where Mark Gil told Paolo that he has always been his son it's just that he just never gave him a chance to be a father to him. In other words, hindi naman kelangan na naghirap siya ng ganun at tumira siya sa ganun pero dahil mayabang siya, ayan. But then again, if he didn't feel the need to prove himself, he wouldn't have become a millionaire. 
7. And for the nth time, ANOTHER MOVIE TITLE DERIVED FROM A SONG! Oh puhleeze :( Although I must say, no wigs this time. 

In fairness, I commend Kim Chiu for her acting on this one. As with Gerald, his speech still distracts me. I don't know if it's because Filipino is not his first language or he's trying to speak like a macho man. Basta there's something distracting in the way he speaks. And the emotions didn't feel true-to-life naman.

Recreation Therapy: The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry Marathon

Three women in their mid- and late thirties, pressured by society, themselves and their biology to find a husband before it's too late. It started out as real funny and very relatable (not that I am in mid-thirties, just nearing the Big 3-0 though). Subs were very coherent; ergo, it was easy to understand the flow of the story. But towards the end, I think it was on the 12th or 13th episode, the subs began to not make any sense. Boo. I hate it when that happens.

Lee Shin Young and Ha Min Jae
Ten years apart, with Shin-young being the older one. And in a society like Korea (and in most cultures in the world), an older woman being involved with a younger man is taboo.
Although hindi naman masyado halata yung age difference nila. But aside from their age difference, there's also Min Jae's mom to consider. She was totally against this relationship, considering that she may be just a few years older than Shin Young, and to make matters more convoluted, the mom is involved with Shin Young's ex-fiancee. Kagulo!

My favorite scene in this series was when Min Jae tried to win Shin Young back and prepared for her the most romantic setting, tealight candles and all. She almost fell for it but Min Jae just had to destroy the moment by telling Shin Young that her gray hair is showing, or something to that effect. Of course, imbyerna ang lola mo. To make up for it, he showed up at work like this:

{Source}

He dyed his hair gray/silver! Awww... sweet (and cute) ;)

Kim Boo Ki and Na Ban Suk
Boo Ki is the most successful English interpreter in Korea but in spite of this success, there's one thing she really really REALLY wants that's still out of her reach and that is, to be married. In her desire to settle down, she becomes this raving maniac who stalks her object of affection. Oo nga naman, time is of the essence in this case.

{Source}

She then meets Ban Suk, an equally maniacal admirer who pursues his object of affection incessantly. Though they're of the same age, their relationship is not one without problems. Ban Suk is a doctor and comes from a wealthy family and his father wants to marry him off with someone much younger and who also comes from a wealthy family. The cheesiest couple ever, hands down. They deserve each other.

Jung Da Jung
The most sophisticated of the three. Unlike her two friends, she is not on the lookout. She was once a doting GF but when she realized that her boyfriend was only using her and never really loved her, she strove to make herself better and richer. More like the noona (older sister) figure of Shin Young and Boo Ki. I am not so sure though whether she has swore off men for eternity or she hasn't found the right one yet.

Again, I swear I could've enjoyed this series more had those pesky subtitles didn't suddenly transform into incoherent babbling. Next: Personal Taste

Recreation Therapy kung Recreation Therapy :P

Just finished watching Glee's season finale. I liked it. Now I have lots of catching up to do, not only with Glee but with the other TV series I watch. Well, because of the long hiatus of Gossip Girl and Glee, tinamad ako to go download and impatiently wait and watch every torrent piece turn from green to blue. And there's no more sense in downloading when ETC airs it via satellite already. I watched Glee's first episode after the break and the Madonna episode and I was disappointed with the Madonna episode that I kinda lost interest. I missed those old Glee episodes when they use songs to go with the story and not pick songs first then write a story that would go with it. So I'm not really a fan of tributes ekek because it looks too pilit (contrived). Like the movie Across the Universe... a tribute of some sort to the Beatles and their songs. I mean, I love the Beatles and love their songs but that movie just didn't make sense. As with the Madonna episode of Glee- that just didn't make sense. Anyway, AB said there were good episodes after that like the Neil Patrick Harris episode so I'll download and watch them after I'm done with GG. It was a different case with How I Met Your Mother. I really, really thought Say Cheese (episode 18) was their season finale. Buti na lang tinanong ko kay Ycel :) Buti na lang. Kaya pala it felt bitin.

As for my Korean series, I'm not yet done with 1% of Anything and The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry. I have one or two episodes left for 1% and four more for The Woman, but I can't seem to get myself to finish both. It was good at first but then the story got cornier and cornier. Anyhoo, would push myself to finish watching both because I am not a quitter. Haha.

As for my movies, there are lots I wanna watch but can't because of the following reasons: there are available torrents yet, I have no one to watch it with, I feel 170 pesos is too much to spend on a movie when I can watch it for only 40 pesos or 3 for 100 or better yet, for free with the help of btjunkie. Here are the movies I so wanna see: Date Night, How to Train Your Dragon, Homework, Waiting for Forever, Shrek Forever After, Robin Hood, Killers, Sex and the City 2, Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3. I just finished DL'ing When In Rome and will watch it when I find the time.

Haven't read any books lately which means I broke my NY Resolution to read two books every month. Boo! I attempted reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Built to Last but somehow, something else distracts me. So I thought maybe I need a not so serious book this time. Maybe I have to take a break first from books that either teach how to live my life, how to become a better person and how to make lots of money. Maybe I need a little dose of fiction, ya? That's why I'm reading P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern right now. I'm only on the sixth chapter and so far, it looks good. I already saw P.S. I Love You the movie with Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler and I can say that the movie didn't do justice to the book, as most book-adaptation movies.

Now I need to be a good girl and go to my "lab" a little later and do a bit of delayed gratification motivation chuva on myself. I will only watch all of these when I am done with whatever it is I need to do. Toodles~

Kick back relax ; )

I'm back, balakubak! I've been back from vacation for a week now but it's only now that I get to write this post about it because I've been very busy with a few things~ our graduation project (Yes, we're graduating, but that's another story) and the order due next week. So without further ado...

Day 1: Disappointment has a name, it's, well~ disappointment
Our flight's not until 1:45 in the afternoon but we had to wake up early since it was election day and we had to do our responsibility as a citizen of this country and that is to vote. Both excited and worried regarding the election. Luckily, our precinct was still located inside the village as opposed to what was previously reported that they would cluster ours with other precincts and transfer polling place outside the village. Together with my sisters, we went to the polling place around 8 in the morning but then I had to go back to our house cos I left my ID. Anyway, I was #117 and was patiently waiting for my turn. After half an ear of a corn and several Trefoil games on my phone, finally it was my turn. The process took one whole, sweaty hour.

Again, I'm not very good at packing my things and I was pressed for time so I just threw in my bag clothes that I know fit me. Had lunch at the airport and I had the most tasty sausage ever. Winner ang wienerli! I have this love affair with Hungarian sausages but right now I think my heart belongs to the wienerlis of the world. Arrived in Roxas City around 2:40pm. Mommy and Tito Jim fetched us and we went straight to my dad's hometown. We just waited for the votes to come in which took a looong time since voting wasn't finished until 8-ish in the evening. We went to their polling place and the people were in some kind of chaos tapos the electricity went out TWICE! Anyway, although I did pray very hard to God and wished that my daddy would win, it was easy for me to accept that he didn't win again. Maybe because I don't want him in that field. He is deserves better. It's just disappointing that vote buying is still rampant. People from the barrios sell their votes ranging from P300- 1,000. They vote for the highest bidder, who in turn will make kurakot more money when they're in office. It has become a vicious cycle. They say we deserve the government that we have, pero bakit ako nadamay dun?

got my stash from AB: my April 2010 teenvogue and Eucerin facial wash;
plus tank tops from MR

I'm okay with Noynoy. It's Mar Roxas I loathe. I campaigned against him and must have convinced a good number of people to vote for anyone but Mar. And if Mar does not become VP of the Philippines, I will be very fulfilled.

P.S. We saw Maria Venus Raj in the airport. Hindi siya magiliw. Hindi rin siya makinis.

Day 2: Seafood Capital or just Food Capital
It's official. Daddy lost the election. The figures were in and he lost in most baranggays but I'm happy to know that he won in the baranggays where the educated people, so to speak, are. Ever since, he always got the vote of the people in the town proper. Anyway, since he lost and there's no point in lingering there, we headed for the city.

We stopped over at the Panay Church, home of the largest church bell in the Philippines and if I'm not mistaken, in Asia. I think it wasn't my first time there but this was definitely my first time to go up the bell tower.

1. the replica; 2. the real big bell; 3. Panay Church marker; 4. one of the original beams of theChurch which is already 300+ years old; 5. door (wala lang, gusto ko lang kunan)


al lado de la iglesia de Panay

I think it was just our luck that one of the priests there is a relative of my mommy. What was supposed to be a short kodakan moment by the bell took longer. It was a good thing that the priest who is also our relative told us we were having our picture taken with an impostor, a replica. The original bell was housed in the church's bell tower, 80+ steps up.

On our way to our tita's house, mommy and daddy stopped by the market to buy fresh seafood. I swear I was in FOOD HEAVEN =) I ♥ seafood. Any food, actually. But the crabs, hito, scallops, etc. in this part of the country is just delightful. It sure tastes yummier when it's fresh. That's for lunch.

In the evening, my cousin and his husband (my daddy's running mate who also lost) invited us over to their GARGANTUAN house for dinner. Again, the food was yummy. Super busog. Anyway, I like my cousin's house. The house is not really very big but the land area is B-I-G! I am envious! Imagine, if you have a lawn/garden that big, you could jog in there everyday!

Day 3 to 5: A-beachin' we will go
We took the land trip from Roxas City to Caticlan, Aklan which is a 4-hour ride. We rode an L-300 van and AD's husband wasn't very comfortable the entire duration of the trip. It wasn't really the most comfy trip since there wasn't much leg room and inefficient airconditioning.Finally, after what seemed like longer than 4 hours, we arrived at the Caticlan port. Boracay, here we come!

the cleanest (less moss) beach we can find


pagilas


Nakikipicture lang =)

I forgot where we stayed but it was this very simple room, nothing fancy, just a place to sleep in. Well, we'll be out of the room most of the time so might as well not splurge on the accommodations. We didn't swim on the first day we were there. We just walked around, explored the place which I last visited just three years ago. Nothing much has changed. It pretty much looks the same it did three years ago~ still mossy. We swam on the second day and we reached all the way to Station 1 cos we looked for a beach that isn't as mossy. Judging by the look of my nasty sunburn, nasulit naman ang swimming. I was already looking like a crispy lechon by sunset. Had a massage at the Palassa Spa, al fresco. I opted for a shiatsu massage because I like "pindot," compared to "himas." Haha.

the original (not-so) Boys of Bora


breathtaking sunset

Though I'm not really a beach person, I still enjoyed that two days and three nights of carefree, beach living lifestyle~ Lakad. Lublob. Kain. Repeat.

Took a bus back to Roxas City which was waaay better than riding an L-300 van. There's more leg space and a TV, but I opted to play Trefoil on my phone for 3 hours. Mommy and daddy fetched us in Sigma, a town in Capiz.

We passed by Auntie Teling's house in Roxas City to invite them for dinner at the baybay (Ilonggo for beach). We didn't know Auntie Madre was there, she just arrived from Manila. So there, ihaw-ihaw dinner by the beach with five, super kulit senior citizens. Haha!

Day 6: Petiks lang
Went to Pilar, my mommy's hometown. Played mahjong for a wee bit with my mommy, aunt and cousin. I know how to play mah jong (and other card games) but I forget so I just have to be reminded. For someone who last played a real mah jong game 15 years ago, I could say I'm good because I beat those who play it almost everyday.

Lunchtime ♥ with crabs, scallops, inihaw na bangus, hipon and my forever love, inihaw na baboy. I really don't go for fancy barbecue marinade and sauces, just sprinkle salt on raw meat, ihaw-ihaw for a wee bit and voila! the best tasting grilled liempo ever!

After lunch, we went to daddy's fishpond...

this trip was a wake-up call for me to lose bleepin' weight.
I look like a frickin' pink blob :/

Day 7: Back to reality
...but not quite. Flight back to Manila~ happy, because I will be once again in the comfort of my own house, my own bed, my own banyo; sad, because we're leaving daddy behind. It was rather a quick flight home but got turbulent as we approached Manila. Happy to be back home to kiss and hug and smother my cutie patootie nephew.

Enjoyed the vacation even if we lost the election and I honestly think that we weren't actually the losers. I've given up hope that I'll see change for the better in my lifetime but I hope that in our children's times, times will actually be better. I wish for public servants and less politicians in the government because as it is, most people who are in position are only there for their own selfish reasons.

one of the things I'll miss~ long, scenic drives

Hasta pronto~