Casual Thursday

This is Frenchie.

Here, a random photo of the proverbial santan peeking out of a cream-washed gate, taken on my way out:

This is my current favorite fruit drink--Almon Marina's Peach-Mango shake. Try it, try it!

This is what I ordered, along with the shake--Lasagna with bread (the best I've tasted, so far).

This is a venti-sized Coffee Jelly, which is my favorite Starbucks frappucino.

And this, is me, having a very lazy, very casual thursday. I very seldom have days like this, and that explains the fuss.

Have a great weekend!

John Lennon: Libra

Yes, I was born 10 years after the Beatles disbanded, and I was but a 9-month-old baby when John Lennon was shot, but like so many people of various ages, the Beatles' music is an important part of my life.

I remember being a little kid and waking up in the mornings to my Dad listening to Beatles songs on his stereo. I would go about my way, subconsciously absorbing the music and, to this day, my familiarity with them could be likened to that of someone my dad's age. (Well, maybe not--my dad might protest. Daddy does vocals and plays the keyboards for a band and the Beatles' songs are usually part of their repertoire; whenever the audience requests for "Imagine," he takes over the mic, as the song is perfect for his baritone.)

I grew up with the Beatles' music, but it was only when I got older that I learned to identify the difference in the songs written by McCartney to those penned by today's birthday boy. John Lennon's songs were more complicated, sadder, more emotionally raw.



A lot of us have already joined him in imagining the world he wrote about in "Imagine." Will the world "live as one" now?

We'd probably need more people to get acquainted with the song for it to even get close to becoming a reality. Or, perhaps, this is nothing, really, but a dream, painted by people like John Lennon, people like us.

Happy birthday, my darling Kim!

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

-Langston Hughes-

Is he or isn't he?

It seems that a fairly significant number of people perceive Obama's candidacy to be a question of whether or not he is "black enough" to represent the USA's black community.

On account of the fact that one particular blog post of his has generated some colorful (pun not intended) reactions, a former teacher of mine suggested that I google the phrase "Obama not black enough" to see just how out-of-bounds this "problem" has become.

So, I typed in the phrase and had to scratch my head at what I saw (or read). Clearly, far more people than necessary seem to be concerned about the "authenticity" of Obama's "blackness." Many are questioning this and have made it the weapon with which to attack both his credibility and his candidacy.

I was browsing through newyorker.com last night and found a consequential article on Obama. This particular portion caught my attention:

"The election of Obama—a man of mixed ethnicity, at once comfortable in the world and utterly representative of twenty-first-century America—would, at a stroke, reverse our country’s image abroad and refresh its spirit at home. His ascendance to the Presidency would be a symbolic culmination of the civil- and voting-rights acts of the nineteen-sixties and the century-long struggles for equality that preceded them. It could not help but say something encouraging, even exhilarating, about the country, about its dedication to tolerance and inclusiveness, about its fidelity, after all, to the values it proclaims in its textbooks."

The question, I believe, is not whether Obama is representative enough of America's black community (and its rich history) for him to deserve the country's votes; this should not be the measure of his character--as a person and as a leader--and his capability to be president. As in any election, a candidate's experience in command and reform, the good intention behind every well-laid plan and strategy for his country's progress and welfare--these should be the yardstick with which competence should be gauged.

And the beauty of his being "a man of mixed ethnicity" is that Obama does not merely stand for the African-Americans, but the whole diversity of cultures making up "twenty-first century America," as well.

That his rise to the ranks stands for man's ideology of true freedom and equality is an event that is just as important.



******
On Barack Obama and James Baldwin:
Click here to read.

Repeat Performance

Yesterday, October 4th, we represented HSBC GSC Manila 1 in the All-Star Games for M1 and M2. We had to re-block (we missed you, Celine, LJ and Honey!) and make some adjustments, but it came out just as good.

Here are some pictures and, of course, the video (from Daryl's Youtube account).

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Let's help spread the word. We just might save a life.
graphic from pinkforoctober.org.

postscript on an altogether different topic: I edited the post below. I felt that it needed a little touch-up. Thanks to my editor for pointing out the slips.

Enjoy!

Lea on Marie Claire

I think Lea Salonga looks fabulous here.



She looks different, sexy and more mature (though she still doesn't look her age--maybe, 27-ish?).

This magazine cover is further proof that, at will, Lea Salonga could be any of the thirty-seven women in her. The fact that even the camera lens can translate this versatility into the printed page is further validation of her powerful, well-evolved thespian talents.

I am not a big fan of the mag, though, so I didn't buy a copy even with her on the cover. Looking at it in its plastic covering sufficed.

Speaking of mags, I just bought my monthly dose of Preview--the cover of which, on the other hand, poses the glaring fact that the Preview team has failed to make Sarah Geronimo look like she was cozy at being the prestigious magazine's front-liner; not even the Burberry coat they made her wear sealed the deal.



I still love Preview, though. I'm just not crazy about the cover for their October issue. Ho-hum.

Lit geek update #8: Found in Book Sale, PAUL AUSTER for P40!

The opening paragraph goes:

"These are the last things, she wrote. One by one they disappear and never come back. I can tell you of the ones I have seen, of the ones that are no more, but I doubt there will be time. It is all happening too fast now, and I cannot keep up." -Auster, p.1-

I love it!

Whenever I see a Paul Auster book, I always think of other books he's written that are in my possession, and of the fact that never--not once--did I fail to like his writing.

The New York Trilogy marked my initiation into Paul Auster fandom. I loved that book to death. I've since read The Invention of Solitude, Oracle Night and The Book of Illusions. The last one, perhaps, is my favorite, next to The New York Trilogy.

One of Auster's major story telling strengths is that his writing is always a perfect patchwork of the abstract and the concrete, balancing each other out and at the same time endowing the structure of each to fuse into a harmonic whole. There is a melancholic fluidity to his prose that makes the forms and the objects in his stories float to life into the reader's world.

I can't wait to get started with this latest find. The first lines look very promising.

Are you a Paul Auster fan?

W.

Oliver Stone recently finished a movie about George W. Bush, which is set for release this coming October 17th.

Bush is played by Josh Brolin, who, last year, took on the role of Llewelyn Moss in the critically acclaimed film "No Country for Old Men." Moss is the guy who finds two suitcases filled with cash, then gets endlessly pursued (and, eventually, gets killed) by the deeply disturbed, coin-flipping Anton Chigurh (brilliantly played by Javier Bardem). I absolutely loved that movie.

Let's see what Stone (and Brolin) has to show in "W." (do I add a period here?)

*BTW, Josh Brolin is:
-Diane Lane's husband
-Barbra Streisand's stepson

Dear Sir

I thought of posting the comment I wrote on Dr. Butch Dalisay's September 29 blog post, since I haven't really written anything "substantial" recently. At times, all we need is to come across an intelligent, well-written piece to get the wheels in our minds to turn (I could hear the rust of the iron wheels in my mind as they actually began creaking as I read "Barrack's America").


Hi, Sir. I remember my English 42 class well, even though it's been 10 years since I had it (you were my professor, and I was mighty proud to be in your class). I can still hear your booming voice and the distinctly "American" way you'd pronounce my supposedly French name the few times I was actually brave enough to speak in class; smell the old wood of which the chairs were made; picture the green of the trees visible from my seat by the window.

So much for waxing nostalgic. Truth is, I brag about having been your student once to anyone who's actually interested, and I was delighted to read this post, what with the mention of the titles of the stories and poems we once discussed in class.

I am presently working for an American company, my job description being in no way connected to Literature, I am sad to say. The interesting part, however, is that my having read American authors has helped me a lot in understanding the sensibilities of the Americans I work and regularly interact with. Funny how the demystification of a seemingly complex culture could come about so easily when one has been to "that place," if only it be through the workings of the written word. Watching the American-Iraq war would always brings to my mind scenes from Tim O' Brien's THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. "The Lottery" continually reminds me that America is not at all the glamourous world that Hollywood paints it to be (not all of it, that is).

I, too, am rooting for Obama. And I know that now, more than ever, he has a chance at victory, what with the evolution that America has undergone, the milestones its people has crossed in terms of looking deeper than skin-deep, since that historic day Rosa Parks refused to budge from her seat in the bus, since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., since Leroi Jones changed his name to Imamu Amiri Baraka (so close to Obama's name, I must say).

I do not pretend to be an expert on American culture, or any foreign culture, for that matter--far, far from it. And so I am counting on the books on my shelf waiting to be read to educate me on the text that is the world--the same teachers I counted on when I was a student in my Literature classes.


*Pardon the grammatical errors and mistakes in punctuation. I thought of posting the comment here exactly as it was. Imagine my horror when I spotted the slips after it was published. Oh, the pressure of having the audacity to write comments on established writers'--and English professors'--blogs!

Me and my M4 Carbine

We-ell, it's not actually mine.

Thanks to Wowoo for letting me experience how it feels to hold a real weapon (I'm told that this is the kind used by US Marines) in my hands.

It's heavy, man! My arms would have become toned if I had held on to it for a couple of hours more, or so. The thought actually appealed to me, but I simply couldn't bear the weight. The longest that I could hold it up was five minutes, max. I couldn't imagine how soldiers manage to actually run around carrying this thing.

*thanks, Mae, for the photos.
;p

Found: blogs worth checking out

I found this beauty blog, the heading of which I absolutely love.

To the girls/women out there who, like me, are frequently on the look-out for smart, pretty high heels and other ways to appear, um, just a wee bit taller (like making sure to avoid wearing low-slung jeans, or shunning large prints that overpower our frames, etc.), go to petitefashionista.com to check it out.

Ain't it lovely, the way there's always something for us, tiny ones? Go visit the site. There are gems of articles there that you just might find useful. I adore their semi-candid shots of petite women who dress smart and chic on their "Petite on the Street" posts.

And, while I'm in the mood to blog-plug, here's one more stop to visit: thescentedlife.com. It's a site that would be particularly attractive to women who are into fragrances and perfumes. I go there almost everyday.

Enjoy!

Goodbye, Mr. Newman

Friday, September 26, 2008.

Actor Paul Newman, who starred in, among many others, movies such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and "Road to Perdition," died of cancer. He was 83.

Read more here.

Prayer of St. Francis

This is a beautiful, beautiful prayer, and The Philippine Madrigal Singers' version is simply breathtaking. The silence in the music will, indeed, make you fall into prayer, and make you realize that, at the state the world is in right now, we could all help heal it by spreading some peace and love (big words right there, I know, but for some reason, I don't have qualms of using them here, now). This prayer speaks of selflessness and what beauty there is in giving.

Take some time to listen, and think. In every person's heart, there is much goodwill waiting to be shared.



Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

*video from youtube.

pics with pat

Pat is climbing up fame's ladder, so I had to have pictures taken with him.
Bwahaha

Another bank follows suit

And it happens again.

Washington Mutual finds itself taken over by JP Morgan Chase in what seems to be an endless series of gigantic banking losses.

Click here to learn more.

(Reuters photo)

And we gave them a show they knew they were not going to forget...

Many thanks go to:

our VP, John Savillo, for his steadfast support and appreciation for each member's time and effort;

my coach and mentor, Jemille Beso, for his show of leadership, accountability and motivational skills; for believing in me when I doubted my capabilities and for not giving up in me when I was about to give up on myself;

teacher Phai, for coaching me to "let it out!" and "make it snappy!"

Renz, Ryan and NJ, for lifting me (literally) and teaching me to overcome my fear of heights and falling, through their sheer efforts at showing me that they will catch me if I do fall, in whatever way they can;

Rowell, Daryl, Kat, LJ, Celine, Cyr, Mommy Gie, Sheloi, Ed, Honey, CV, Princess, Jay, JQ, and Hernz, for the good times, the dance tips, the courage and determination under pressure, the laughter despite the almost unbearable stress, the priceless friendship... This experience is something that I will not forget.

I am proud to have worked and danced with you, all. Truly, we have set the benchmark and raised the bar for HSBC Manila 1's cheerdance mania.

Rock on, John's World! Let's continue raising the bar!

Special thanks to Sheila and Nico, for the pompoms; to John, for leading the cheer; to DK, for carrying the banner and propping up the cheat sheet; to our SAMOs, Tal and Wema; our MOs, Channa and Mother; to Myts, for cheering me on, through it all; and to my team, the Rugrats, for helping out with the props and being there on the big day, and all the people who extended their help to make the feat possible. Thanks, guys! Mwah mwah

Video can also be viewed here.

Pat Galang: Opening doors

Left: page from Preview's September '08 issue
Right: Russian-inspired Metal Zipper Top and Skirt by Patrick Galang

My good friend, Pat Galang is one of the young, up-and-coming designers introduced in the September '08 issue of Preview magazine (the only mag I buy month after month, without fail), in a feature called "Out of the Box" and he's really rockin'! He's fast making a name for himself in the fashion industry and am currently making an attempt to bribe him to design and make a dress for me. Ü

I've been privy to his flashes of brilliance, and the determination with which he pursues his life's passion is nothing short of amazing. What more, his feet are firmly planted on the ground, and that's really saying something.

Ten of his designs, collectively called Improvised Reflections, was among the collections featured in the recently concluded Philippine Fashion Week. My cousin, Dang, was one of his models in the show.

Of his collection, Pat has this to say:

"The woman I'm giving life to in this collection is a subtle raver. i was inspired by artworks that are made to last. abstract drawings that are not attached to a particular function and are infused with encouraging colors, like a "new wave" inspired collage replicating minimalist geometric forms. i tried to visualize them and think of a woman who is spontaneous and freethinking. a woman who loves to challenge herself along with a life enhancing playfulness that is compelling. 10 designs came out from my elaboration on simple principles of construction and form. In trapeze and cylindrical shapes, harmonized in different hues are dresses calculated to frame a personality rather than sexiness."
-from undernourished.multiply.com-

Congratulations, Pat! Greater things are waiting at your porch, so go, swing open that door!

Click here to go to Pat's website.

For the on-the-go buttered toast-lover:

Found!

If you're following the developments in the U.S. financial crisis, you might want to go over this interesting article by James Surowiecki in newyorker.com.

And, while you're there, go ahead and check out Deborah Treisman's piece on David Foster Wallace.

Treisman ends the article with a really strong, lingering paragraph:

"Great literature, Wallace once said, made him feel “unalone—intellectually, emotionally, spiritually.” He was one of the few satirists able to avoid meanness; he was moral without being judgmental. He took on the absurdities of modern life in an attempt to understand or to parse them, not to mock them. Debating the tone of the title of “Good People,” he noted, “My own terror of appearing sentimental is so strong that I’ve decided to fight against it, some; but the terror is still there. . . . Do you identify with a distaste/fear about sentimentality? Do you agree that, past a certain line, such distaste can turn everything arch and sneering and too ironic? Or do you have your own set of abstract questions to drive yourself nuts with?” Gleefully compacted as his language could be, it was designed to be unwrapped—and there was always a gift inside for those who took the trouble. Wallace, who had moved to California in 2002, purposely stayed away from the noise of New York City publishing, but, even in his absence, he had a definite, gracious presence in the world of letters. This new absence will be far harder to bear."

*

Let's talk about scents

This is my all-time favorite scent. I started wearing it back in High School, when my lola gave me my first bottle. I fell in love with it and we've been together ever since--from one bottle to another, that is.

From Perfumestation.com:
Floral, Fruity, Marine. Created by Elizabeth Arden in 1993, Sunflowers for women is a refined, aquatic fragrance. It's fragrant nature explores essences of melon, peach and jasmine. Blended with notes of tea rose, sandalwood and moss, Sunflowers is a casual type of fragrance.

Aha! So, that is why I feel a connection with this fragrance... the words are "marine" and "aquatic." I'm Pisces and Pisces is a water sign. Arrggh! I don't even know how to swim!

But why did I even go there?

Anyway.

Following a close second are Clinique Happy (the bottle's almost empty) and Elizabeth Arden's 5th Avenue (it's...how shall I call it--half-empty or half-full?). Haven't touched them recently, though. I have no idea what I'm saving them for. 5th Avenue is a dressy scent and I seldom wear it. Having it on makes me feel tall and all dolled-up, though, and gives me that heady feeling of empowerment and emancipation. Wehehe.

My everyday scent is Victoria's Secret's Pure Seduction. I'm addicted to its deep, floral rush. I love it so much, I've snubbed the other Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body sprays sitting on my dresser.

On days when I feel bitchy, I wear Paris Hilton's Just Me.

Go figure.

Suddenly Homesick

My dad called me earlier to remind me that it was fiesta at home. I was shocked to realize that I had completely forgotten all about it.

I must have been that busy with work and that caught up with my issues.

Oh, but I want so badly to go home.

When I said "fiesta at home," I meant the Peñafrancia festival of Bicolandia.

From THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TRAVEL CONFEDERATION:
Peñafrancia Fiesta
A triumphant, water-borne procession carrying a statue of the Virgin is the highlight of Naga City's biggest annual celebration, the Peñafrancia Fiesta. An image of the Blessed Virgin of Peñafrancia travels back to her Basilica on the Bicol River from the Metropolitan Cathedral. The procession is a phenomenal spectacle - the statue bobbing on the decorated boat is surrounded by her devotees and cheered by hundreds of locals. The week preceding the celebration features parades, a sports festival, exhibitions, a regatta and a beauty pageant.


For pictures, click here and here.
For the festival's history, click here.
To find out just how famous this festival is, click here.

It's been ages since I was home for the festivities and I must say that I miss it sorely. Talking to my dad this morning made me feel homesick all of a sudden, wishing badly that I could be back in Naga if only for a few days, re-living my childhood and High School days, when my most serious predicament would be the anxiety that every Math exam brings.

But, hey, I'm digressing. There are no exams during Peñafrancia.

What I will be missing are: the processions and the parades, the food, the food, the food (Daddy said my brother was grilling pork ribs as we were talking), the joyous frenzy shared by the Bicolanos, the expressions of devotion to the Virgin of Peñafrancia, the fairs.

Most of all, I shall miss the sense of belonging and the comforts of home, because every Peñafrancia festival is a reunion between friends and family, a reaffirmation of one's roots, a reminder that one is loved and protected.

Happy Fiesta to my fellow Bicolanos.

32 Flavors (Ani Difranco)

Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster
I am thirty-two flavors and then some
And I'm beyond your peripheral vision
So you might want to turn your head
Cause someday you're going to get hungry
And eat most of the words you just said

Both my parents taught me about good will
And I have done well by their names
Just the kindness Ive lavished on strangers
Is more than I can explain
Still there's many who've turned out their porch lights
Just so I would think they were not home
And hid in the dark of their windows
Til Id passed and left them alone

And God help you if you are an ugly girl
Course too pretty is also your doom
Cause everyone harbors a secret hatred
For the prettiest girl in the room
And God help you if you are a pheonix
And you dare to rise up from the ash
A thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
While you are just flying back

I'm not trying to give my life meaning
By demeaning you
And I would like to state for the record
I did everything that I could do
I'm not saying that I'm a saint
I just don't want to live that way
No, I will never be a saint
But I will always say

Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster
I am thirty-two flavors and then some
And I'm beyond your peripheral vision
So you might want to turn your head
Cause someday you might find you're starving
And eating all of the words you said.

Click here to view the video.
Alana Davis has a very nice version, as well. Click here for the video.

To do: Work and good days

This has been a very productive day.

My typical work week is busy and hectic, where "busy" and "hectic" do not necessarily connote "useful." Rushing off to impromptu meetings (which could take up to two, even three hours to wrap up), or breaking my back to finish ad hocs on time are not my idea of a fruitful day. Call it multitasking, or a test of time management skills, if you must, but truth is, they interrupt my momentum and drain me to a point where all I want to do is slouch on my chair and close my eyes. And drift into slumber, or catatonia, or something.

Thank goodness there's coffee. Oh, what would I do without coffee?

Anyway.

In an ideal world, it's the well-planned, carefully executed tasks that prove most satisfying to work on.

Now, this is something that seldom comes my way, as it is very easy to get distracted and stray from one's checklist or calendar, but what do you know, I had just such the thing today. I won't go into the details--jargon will most inevitably come up and, what more, a description of my job will most definitely not appeal to most people. Suffice it to say that owing to the fact that I was able to work according to plan (and with much focus and determination), I finished on time, and am proud to say that I am, at present, on track with my deliverables.

To top it all, at the grocery store later during the day, my son turned to me and said, from out of the blue,"Mommy, you're the best mommy in the whole world."

Don't you just love good days?

Happy weekend!

So, what's your take on this?

Like, um, hello?

This, folks, is another fine example of Rocket Science.

Sign of the times

And this is where it all began...

Cartoon depicting Uncle Sam's present financial crisis, so glaringly magnified by the downslide of such Wall Street giants as Lehman, Merrill Lynch and Co. and AIG.

Faith and Prayer

So this is what it feels like to have faith; to know how it is to look for the good in the worst of situations, to find the light hiding in the darkness, to have one's way illuminated by that light.

The power of prayer is often underestimated, its very existence overlooked. But if we only try, if we only trust enough that the answer to our pleas need not be the thing itself that we ask for, then, perhaps, the number of lonely people will be less.

Cynicism is difficult to unlearn. It is harder to believe, and learning to trust that there is good in this world often proves to be a tougher task than most of us think.

But, in time, we learn. As I have learned.

That this is what faith is.

This is faith.

Have a blessed week ahead.

The ubiquitous kikay bag

This is my trusty silver-colored kikay kit. I feel that it deserves a place in my blog, what with all the times it has stood faithfully by me.

This little bag contains my:

a) Neutrogena SPF 15 moisturizer
b) Maybelline concealer
c) Chipipay eyeliner
d) Burt's Bees lip balm
e) 3 favorite shades of lipstick (red and pink-Maybelline and wine-ALmay)
f) Maybelline cream blush
g) Bloom lipgloss (in melon)
h) Pond's face powder (it's the best)
i) Paris Hilton spray
j) Freshies wet tissues
k) sanity

The last item might seem like an exaggeration to some, but, in all honesty, the few times I discovered having left this little bag at home, I totally freaked out! Women can be awfully vain, some might say.

So sue us. Come on and try.

David Foster Wallace Dies at 46

A good friend and fellow blogger is devastated at the news of this incredibly talented writer's demise.

I, myself, know how much of a loss this is to the Literary World.

For details, click on this link.

I do have a question, one which I posed to my friend after having heard the sad news. To all the David Foster Wallace fans out there, after having read his works, do you think the cause of his death was illogical?

This, perhaps, is one of the grim sides of being an artist.

"It's hard to be humble when you can jump, stunt, and tumble!" Author Unknown

Found some fabulous lines on cheerleading:
Check it out!