Last weekend I had a lunch and movie date (tagalog movie date) with my college barkada. I can't even remember the last time I watched a tagalog movie on the big screen. Not even an MMFF movie. Oh well...We've been planning this 'event' for at least 2 weeks, and we made sure that everyone's schedule was free on that day. Suffice it to say, no amount of planning can ever beat a spur-of-the-moment thing. So, only 3 of us were able to make it.

I arrived at SM Megamall past 1:30 pm, which was waaay past lunch time. Mercie was hungry and I was, too. We decided we wanted something Japanese, so we went to Bubble Tea. I didn't know they had rice meals there as I only order their Taro Milk Shake and Gyoza everytime. I was to hungry to care about the price of their meals (their food is quite pricey), so I ordered what looks good to me - Chicken Terriyaki Doria. Baked rice topped with melted, gooey mozzarella cheese and chicken terriyaki strips.

Chicken Terriyaki Doria @ Php185.00

the spread: taro milk tea, gyoza, and chicken terriyaki doria. YUMM!

After filling ourselves with delicious Japanese food, we went to the cinemas to buy our tickets. To what movie, you ask? In Your Eyes starring Claudine Barretto, Anne Curtis, and Richard Gutierrez. Yeah-hah, it's true. Good thing, though, Mercie has her citibank receipts so I only paid 60 pesos for the movie. Kind of makes watching it bearable.

For me, the movie was neither good nor bad. It was memorable. For one, cliches abound in this movie. Lines like "In time, you'll cope" (advice on the pain of breaking up) and "Kung ang tama ang makakapag pasaya sayo..." are some of the few that I cared to remember.

For another, you can't help but laugh or say "duh" on some of the scenes. IMHO, it just doesn't happen in reality! Even if you've asked your sister to marry your boyfriend to get him a green card or residency status, on their supposed wedding day, YOU don't ask them to kiss ON THE FREAKIN' LIPS!!! There were many instances in the movie that bordered on the insane - well, I exaggerate a little. But really, some scenes just needed to be more real.

Further, the two women were great in the movie, acting their part well, and were very believable (save for the insane scenes I just mentioned). But Richard Gutierrez was forgettable. In the face of two good actresses he was lost and fell flat. There were moments he just stood there and looked like he was reciting lines rather than acting them out. It was not good.

Lastly, the story was, as they say, controversial. In one scene my friend Errol said, "Anubayan, parang incest." I had to laugh out loud because it somehow felt like incest. xD I think that's what made it really stand out from the usual plots of tagalog movies. And the reason why it had good reviews all around. But for me, it's one movie too many. I'll skip the next movie that gets this thumbs up from the media. Or stay away from romantic dramas and stick with comedy, adventure, fantasy, and maybe even action movies.

Last Friday, I had a movie date with my college friends Errol and Mercie. We watched the much talked about movie - Inception. But this post is not about the movie (but I will have an entry about that in a while). It is about this Japanese burger I accidentally came across while waiting for my dates at the Shang.

That burger is Sango. Now, I am a fan of another Japanese burger called Mos Burger. I first came across this culinary delight during my hiatus in Singapore in the early 2000's. Ever since then, whenever I visit Singapore I'd have my fill of the most heavenly tasting (and most probably fattening) burger I have ever had the fortune of discovering. I even had the good luck to eat one in Hong Kong last January. Sadly, this burger is still an unknown in the Philippines.

So, when I saw this Sango burger at the Shang, I just had to try it. It looked A LOT like Mos Burger. It even had the same structure, and even the same packaging. When I finally got my hands on it, the smell that wafted through my nostrils told me that this was a promising venture. It smelled exactly like a Mos Burger. I was excited to taste it.


When I finally did, it wasn't a disappointment. It wasn't a hooray moment either. But it was a revelation. It tasted a bit like Mos Burger. The sauce was a little on the salty corned-beefy taste side, whereas Mos' sauce was tomatoey. It's almost a Mos Burger, but not quite. Still, i liked it. In fact, I might have that burger once in a while especially when a Sango store is so near my office in Makati. At Php145 for a Master Burger and Php 155 for a Master Cheeseburger, it's worth the little trip and splurge.

I really, really hate it when I stumble on links that feature items like these:


It's a travel bag that is small enough to be a school bag. You can even sit on it while waiting for your flight or for the school bus. The double back wheels make it easy to carry up a flight of stairs. It's customizable as well. It's very convenient and covetable (especially when I can think of an everyday use for it - as an MRT chair).

Too bad, it's really a luxe item for me at US$145 or about Php6,000+. Maybe when I win the lotto...

www.zuca.com

I'll try to make this as short as possible because I'm not up to writing a very detailed travel blog today. I just feel that I need to get this out of my system so I can move to writing other things. Haha. So...

Unlike my Hongkong trip last January, this was the first time I stepped on Thailand. It was also the first time that I went with just one other person - KC. Usually, when I go on out-of-the-country trips with friends, the headcount at the minimum is 5. Anyhoo, since our flight was scheduled at 9:30 pm on Inauguration Day, KC and I decided to meet at the north MRT station at 3:30pm so we'll have ample time to get to the airport on the other side of the city just in case it's traffic. If no cabbie will take us, we have the option to ride the MRT. Wais!

We got to the NAIA Terminal 3 in about 45 minutes. So we had like more than 4 hours to kill, which was fine with both of us because we needed to change our money to Baht at the airport and we had no idea where it is. So, while waiting for our gate to open, KC and I ate at Yellow cab. At almost 100 pesos a slice, it looked pathetically small next to the humongous slice of yummy pizza from S&R.

We killed more time by walking around the shops and then had some money exchanged to Baht at the currency exchange counter near the international terminal fee booth (rate was at Php1.70 = THB1). After than, we decided to check-in our bags and then wait for boarding time at the gate, and maybe catch a bit of sleep. But since we still have a bit of time to kill, we decided to get some coffee at Bo's Coffee near our gate. Perfect!

At boarding, as expected, everyone stood to line up even if the ground stewardess announced the seat numbers that needed to board first. Guess, everyone can't wait to get their butts on the plane. Inside the plane, I was surprised to find the space between the rows was so small it was impossible to recline the seats without making the person at the back of your seat feel even more uncomfortable. You can't even pass by to go to the toilet! WTF??!!! I don't remember my flight to HK being this sucky.

But even at that situation, KC and I found something to laugh at. The whole cabin was filling up with fog, like a fog machine feeding a stage with smoke. We found it so hilarious and a bit weird that we took pics just to be able to laugh about it again afterward. We concocted all sorts of stories to go with the fog and I'm guessing, since we were the only ones who found it funny, the other passengers thought we were smacked in the head or something.

I started the day with a positive outlook that today's election is going to be okay. There never was any history of violence in my precinct, and today was no different. Precincts open at 7am, and just like a kid waiting to open his/ her presents on Christmas morning, I was up before the clock read 6am.

Yes, I was excited for a couple of reasons. First, I get to be part of a historic moment - the first ever automated polls in the Philippines. More than a hundred years after the very first general elections in the country, and after a much publicized debate, we've finally pushed through with the automation of the elections. It's not everyday that I get to be part of something this big, and I will not miss it for the world!

Second, I'm excited because for the first time since I started voting, I am passionate about my candidate. Don't get me wrong, I was also into Roco when he ran for the Presidency in 2004 against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But not as strong as I am with Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, Jr.

The past 2 weeks before this day, I've done nothing but read about his policies and plans for when he becomes president. His ideals on positive campaigning has inspired a lot of people, including me. A previously apathetic citizen has finally seen the light (enter spotlight, please). And bringing that kind of change in even just one person is enough to make me believe that with him at the helm, this country can get out of the quagmire (naks, big words!) the previous administrations (read: plural) has gotten us into. Here's hoping!

Third, I'm excited to see how the nation will fare during this exercise. I want to believe that voter turnout will be much higher than previous elections. It is my hope that there will be less Filipinos who will choose to waive the power to put their future in their own hands.

Ok, enough reasons why I'm excited about this year's elections. On to my story...

So, being automated and all, I expected it to be relatively fast and hassle-free even if clustering the precincts mean more voters crammed into a tiny classroom. My mom wanted us to vote as early as possible. I wanted to vote at around 5pm because I know there will be less people. Guess who won? Yep. We were at the precinct at 7:45am.

It was easy to find our precinct because the school had a big tarp out front which tells you what room and building your precinct is. Luckily, ours was the building next to the gate and on the first floor. As soon as we got to the door a BEI (Board of Election Inspector) gave us a slip of paper with a number on it (mine said 107) and told us to fill-up it up with details - name, precinct number, and voter's list number - so it will be easy to find our names later on. Then, we were ushered into the waiting area to wait for our turn.

When we got there the queue was at number 50+. Looking at my watch, I surmised that 45 minutes at 50 people is not bad. So, I thought that it'll take another 45 minutes before I get to vote. But nooooooo. I got to vote 2 hours later. I was as patient as I could be despite the sweltering morning heat and the lack of nothing to do (because like an obedient voter, I did not bring my cellphone). I was going to endure however long it takes because I don't want to waste my vote. My vote for change. My vote for a better Philippines. My vote for the man who I believe can take on the toughest job in the land.

Finally, at around 10 am I was inside the polling precinct shading my ballot, and being careful not to go outside the borders of the hugis itlog (egg-shaped) I was to mark. Took me less than 5 minutes because I had my kodigo with me. Then, it's time for me to face the PCOS machine. I was a bit nervous that my ballot may get rejected because of something I did wrong, like shading it too much or folding the edges. And I've heard that our precinct has yet to reject a ballot. I certainly didn't want to be first.

As I fed my ballot into the machine, I waited with baited breath (wow, tongue twister) ...scanning...scanning...damn, what's taking it so long...scanning...Congratulations! Ah, relief was instantaneous and it was all I could do to keep myself from jumping and shouting, "Yes!".

It was already 10:15am when me and my dad finally got out of the school (my mom, being a senior citizen had gone on ahead of us, waiting just 15 minutes for her turn to vote). Sweating and thirsty, I asked my dad to find an ice scramble vendor. I just know there had to be one there. And there was! Yey! I bought 2 10-peso ice scrambles for me and my dad and ate it right there under the shade of a house. Hands down, it was the best thing to have on a hot day.

So, how do I rate this automated election day? 4 out of 5 stars! Yes, even with news of violence in some parts of the country and PCOS machines breaking down, I can consider this day as a success not only for the Philippines but for democracy. Hey, Smartmatic and the Commelec has 3 long years to improve on this new process and make the next elections smoother. Kudos to everyone involved.

Sulong Pilipinas!

As election day draws near, I find myself inundated by election campaign materials from different candidates. However, I've already chosen my main candidate for this year's polls. And thanks to an active volunteer officemate, I got my hands on these cool stuff:



Even our car screams Gibo.



Now, I just hope and pray that the elections will be a relatively (I say this with much skepticism) clean one, and that whoever wins will bring unity, peace, and a positive change in the Philippines. Sulong Gibo!

One day, when I look back at this time, I'll be proud to say that I exercised my right to vote, and I that voted wisely.

Hear ye! Hear ye! All you coffee lovers!

Starbucks is offering to take Php40 off your hot or cold drink if you bring your own tumbler or mug to the store on April 22 and 23.

I'm off to the nearest Starbucks for my White Chocoloate Mocha Frap. Perfect for the sizzling hot weather.

Friday, my third day in Hong Kong. Ahhh...the smell of early morning coffee - really early, like 5:30am early. I was still groggy and my brain wanted more sleep but it was time to get ready. We had a full day ahead (KC and I slept late planning the day's activities the night before) and I, personally, wanted to make the most of my stay in Hong Kong. I can sleep back home. =)

Anyway, looking out the window at the thick morning fog told us that we need to jumble our itinerary. ☁ Victoria Peak was supposed to be our first activity of the day, but the view would've been wasted with the fog. So we decided to bump up our second activity - the Mid-levels Escalator. The longest outdoor escalator in the world, the Mid-levels escalator runs 800 meters long and takes you up to 135 meters from the bottom, and crosses about 14 streets in all! Whew! Talk about loooooong.

So, after riding the escalator (about 3 or 4 sections of it), we got off at Hollywood Road (one of the nicest neighborhoods we've seen in HK) to visit the famous Man Mo Temple, one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong with its hanging coiled incense. There was a lot of people inside burning incense and praying. No picture taking was allowed inside the temple so we just stood there watching people praying and being smoked like hams. I wasn't able to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of this temple since I can hardly open my eyes and breathe inside. After a minute of so, we went out to get some fresh air. Haaaaah!

After staying up late the night before, I woke up early to start my first full day in HK with much enthusiasm. The day's itinerary included the Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung and Mong Kok/ TST for me, KC, and Nini; Disneyland for Joyce, RJ, and Mimi.

The day promised to be a really great one despite the nippy early morning weather ☃ . The Disneyland goers went out earlier and at around 10am KC, Nini, and I set out for the Citygate Outlets. It was a long ride to Tung Chung MTR station and we had to change from the Tsuen Wan line to the Tung Chung line to get to Citygate. However, it still only took us, more or less, 30 minutes.

We shopped and shopped, and gawked at all the designer stores we hear and see only in magazines. Burberry, Kate Spade, Coach, Diane von Furstenberg, and Seven7 to name a few.


Carrying bags laden with good stuff, we headed back to the city center and alighted at Mong Kok MTR station. We stopped at Bonjour, a health and beauty shop which became one of my favorite stores in HK. Then we went inside Langham Place where stalls of Mac, Clinique, L'Occitanne, Nars, Shiseido, Kiehl's, etc. are found. It even has an H&M store where KC and Nini got crazy buying stuff.


I got crazy too...because I was able to eat my favorite burger in the WWW (whole wide world) - Mos Cheeseburger!!! Heaven!

After Langham Place, we walked to Tung Choi Street where the Ladies Market is located. We bought our pasalubong for Launch Team and also some for people at home. I was able to buy the "I ♥ HK" shirts, a couple of cute punchers, and playing cards featuring the Erotic Art of the East for my brother in law. Then, we headed home tired but happy, and eagerly awaiting the next day's adventure.☺

My second time in Hong Kong proved to be one of the best trips I've taken overseas. Almost everything I've listed down in my itinerary was followed, and more. It was great. And I had the best company Joyce, KC, Mimi, RJ, and Nini.

Exploring the city on my own terms means learning the ins and outs of commuting, which wasn't hard in Hong Kong. First thing you need is an Octopus Card. This saves you a lot of trouble lining up and getting your ticket from the vendo and of course each ride costs less than a single journey ticket. Plus, you can use the card to pay for items bought in many establishments like 7-11, McDonald's, Sasa, and many others. Reloading is easy. However, you can only load HK$50 or 100 into the card.

Second, you need a hotel with a great location. We were lucky because we got a really nice, cheap hotel (Read: Largos Hotel on Chi Wo cor Nanking Streets) that is literally less than a minute walk to the bus stop and Jordan MTR station. The bus stop was the exact stop for the Cityflyer Bus A22 which travels direct to and from the airport. And at HK$39 one-way is a lot cheaper than taking a cab or even the Airport Express train.

Third, you need a good tourist map and the MTR map as well. Get one from the airport and don't forget to grab all the leaflets and tourist guides you can get your hands on. These will help you navigate through the streets of Hong Kong.

Fourth, you need to plan the night before what you want to do the next day. This saves you a lot of time trying to decide and finding your way around the city. I was in HK for 5 days and yet I felt it wasn't enough to explore everything that this little mega city had to offer.

My first night in Hong Kong was spent walking Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, dining in McDonald's, browsing the stores, and camwhoring everything in sight.

The recently concluded 67th Golden Globe Awards, I must say, was a success. In that, many of my favorite people and show won, and because I laughed at almost everything Ricky Gervais said. What made him even more funny was his shameless, shameless plug on his own show and movie, The Office and The Invention of Lying.

For "Glee-ks" like me, Lea Michelle, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison's loss in their respective categories was replaced with a more rewarding honor, Best Television Series for Comedy or Musical. This certifies that Glee is not just a flash-in-the-pan TV series, but a show worthy of all the hype and praises that it garnered over the last 13 episodes.

Of course, one of my favorite come-back star, Robert Downey, Jr., won for his performance as ace 19th-century detective Sherlock Holmes. I have yet to watch this movie, so I will reserve my comments for later. Although, I am quite sure that he brought the old stodgy Sherlock Holmes from the 19th century to the 21st century with his dazzling and witty portrayal.

For a complete list of nominees and winners go to the Golden Globe's official website:

...you wake up one morning and find your pot-holed national road freshly paved with asphalt

...every lamppost in your neighborhood is tacked with a poster saying, "Merry Christmas", "Congratulations Graduates", "Happy Valentines", or every occasion known to man, and accompanied by a big picture of the aspiring candidate and his/ her name in bright bold letters

...you watch TV and all the commercials are of the candidates showing what they think should be done to help the country and its people

...you find stickers of the candidates on buses, jeepneys, tricycles, and cars

...you enter the church or line up for public transportation and find yourself staring at cardboard pamaypays (fan) of candidates

...surveys are in

...you hear and see debates on the radio and television

...smear campaigns become as rampant as mosquitoes in your house

...photos of candidates are splashed on newspapers

...you are engaged in a discussion at work, at home, and in school about who to vote for

...campaign caravans come into your barangay and a variety show ensues

...politicians who are convicted and in jail can still run for a position in the government

can you add more?

I think that stylish Harry Potter star Emma Watson and luxury brand Burberry is the perfect fashion mix. She, along with her 17-year old model brother, is the new face of the famous brand.


I read that Emma likes to spend on designer clothes and accessories and has been seen on and off the red carpet wearing the likes of Rodarte and Chanel. So, becoming a model for a luxury brand should come as no surprise. Even the hard-to-please press loves her for her age-appropriate style and aplomb. I love her, too. She's so pretty she can make rags look cool.

For those into Lomography, or what I'd like to describe as lo-tech artistic photography, this new addition to the well-loved Holga plastic camera is a welcome treat. Especially for someone who loves the color green like me. And it uses 35mm film! That's really important because other Holga models use 120 film which is more expensive and harder to find. Wish I had this instead of my standard black Holga 135 BC.

Earlier this week I decided to try my hand at designing a logo for my planned creative/ art/ scrapbooking business. But of course, naming it is the first step. I tried on so many combination of words that I liked and tried to search for it on the internet. It was kind of disappointing because almost every name I've come up with was already taken. I even thought of using the old name I've come up with a friend a couple of years ago for a web services business because of that, and also because I liked the logo I designed for that name. But I didn't. It wasn't all mine to use.

So, after a day of brainstorming (with myself), I finally came up with a business name I liked. One that also presented a possibility of incorporating my favorite color - sage, olive, celadon, basta green with a tinge of gray and yellow. Concept after concept later, I finally came up with this:

Tron Legacy, the sequel to the original 1982 Tron movie, has been set for release in December of this year. I read that this was a much-awaited sequel ever since rumor spread in 1999 that there was going to be one.  Finally, in the 2008 Comic-con in San Diego, attendees were treated to a surprise showing of the teaser trailer (by Disney and IMAX) which they labelled as TR2N. In it the emblematic Light Cycle and Jeff Bridges, reprising his role as Kevin Flynn, was seen.

I barely remember much of the original movie from the reruns I've watched on TV. Although, I distinctly recall the Light Cycles (I just learned that this was the name of the motorcycles they used in the movie) and the glow-in-the-dark blue suits. And of course, Jeff Bridges. What makes Tron memorable is its use of computer animation. In fact, it was one of the first movies to ever use such technology. Despite this, the Motion Picture Academy (the organization responsible for the Oscars) refused to include Tron in the nominees for special effects saying they cheated for using computers. That's really funny now considering computer animation IS special effects.

Tron Legacy is still almost a year away, yet I feel that, like it's predecessor, it's a movie that should not be missed. If only to watch the effects and the movie in 3D.

Some cute and witty comic strips to start your day.

While eating hot pandesal from Pan de Manila and cheese pimiento spread made by my mom on new year's day I read this heart-warming quote from the paper bag the bread came in:

I don't consider myself as a coffee connoisseur, instead I think of myself as someone who loves to drink coffee. I particularly like the ambiance of coffee houses because it exudes a warm, cozy feel that instantly makes you relax. Plus, it's a good place to gather with friends and have great conversation.

And because I've always been a kind of Starbucks fanatic, last year I decided to try something new and add a few more coffee drinks to my repertoire. Of the 250 cups (my guess-timate) of coffee I drank, these Java concoctions will continue to be on my list of to-drink for this year:


1. Starbuck's White Chocolate Mocha - my ultimate fave. This one's such a popular drink you'll even find copy-cat recipes on the Internet.
2. Figaro's Coffee Caramel Frost
3. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's White Chocolate Dream blended drink - my recently discovered 2nd fave coffee fix
4. Bag of Beans'(Tagaytay) White Mocha
5. Cafe Breton's Double Cafe Mocha in their oh-so-country-style mugs
6. Seattle's Best's Cookies and Mint Mocha - the perfect Christmas drink. Yummy. Hope they'll make this a year-round drink.

For a while rumors have been flying that Paramore's concert in Manila was a hoax. I'm glad that rumor turned out to be false and that Paramore is really coming to Manila this year. Yey!

I like this band because their music fall in the genre I like so much - punk-pop-rock-alternative. Yeah, that's a mouthful, but there is such a thing. I especially love their song "Never Let This Go" from All We Know is Falling album, and "Hallelujah" from their Platinum album Riot! So, I will go to this concert and drag someone to go with me if I have to. Hopefully, I won't have to.