May

10

The Sweater

Filed Under Connections

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.
~Ambrose Bierce

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful, selfless, and precious fellow sweater owners in the world! As I always say, the world wont be a warm and fuzzy place without you. *hugs*

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May

9

Butil Butil

Filed Under My $0.02, NotJustNuclear, Pseudomestic

Just because we’re here in the US, doesn’t mean we’re not affected.

We recently bought bigas. Hubby and I had to do a double take because it cost us $22 for a 25 pound bag, whereas about 2-3 weeks ago, we got the same kind of bigas for $14. What the heck happened?

No day like today to go on that low-carb diet, no?

~~~

Do the math and you’ll see that each kilo of bigas here is about Php78, as compared to Php40/kilo in Pinas. Now who’s got the best deal?

~~~

Pero duda namin ni hubby, yung may ari ng tindahan, marami siyang stock ng bigas na nabili niya at the old price, and he’s just taking advantage of the “rice shortage” para kumita ng extra.

Batukan ko kaya?

~~~

Nah, benefit of the doubt. :)

~~~

While at the Filipino store, the manongs in line behind us were also talking about the exorbitant prices of commodities in the Philippines. They came to the conclusion that it was cheaper, still, to live in pinas than here.

Pero I doubt kung totoong uuwi sila, haha. Charing!

~~~

Speaking of Charing, I kinda mentioned in my previous post that Charice Pempengco will be appearing on Oprah on May 8th. Sorry, mali pala. Charice is going to appear on Monday (the 12th).

Kaya pala, I was glued to the TV last Thursday and I was really wondering when Charice will suddenly materialize behind Cher. Do you believe in life after love?

~~~

Hindi pinatulan ni Howie ang balut sa Deal or No Deal (Pinas edition), ano? Napanood niyo? Cute.

Pero hindi rin niya pinatulan yung pagkembot ni Kris pag nagtatanong kung Deal or No Deal. Feeling ko mas pipiliin ni Howie yung balut over the kembot. :P

Di kaya naka-relate si Howie sa penoy?

~~~

And I also mentioned in my previous post that Louross was kicked out of the show the other week (I edited that one already). Mali din pala. I kinda forgot that no one was elimated pala last week because one of the chefs quit, hehe. Sorry.

At least I admit my mistakes. I guess, it’s the effect of the low-carb diet. :D

~~~

We sent our passports last week via courier to the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. Aside from the passport fee of $50 each for me and for hubby, they also told us to include $8 in the money order for return shipping expenses. Hubby even clarified if he was supposed to send 8$ or $16 for both of our passports and the lady at the Embassy said, $8 lang, iho, sama-sama na yun.

This afternoon, the Embassy called and said we should’ve sent $16 for both passports! Hello.

And then, as a remedy, they told hubby to fax them an authorization letter so that they could charge hubby’s credit card for $8. Ok fine. I didn’t know that that was SOP sa Embassy. Anyway…

I’m just telling you guys that, we are only authorizing the Embassy to charge $8 off our credit card. Ayan, para malinaw. Kayo ang saksi.

If someone suddenly decided on a shopping spree at Louis Vuitton at my hubby’s credit card’s expense, at least you guys know that it wasn’t me!

~~~

It was my sister’s birthday last May 1 and my brother’s birthday on the 7th. Belated happy birthday sa inyong dalawa! Love you, guys! *muah*


Goofing around with my brother and sister at Dads. Tapos na kasi mag-buffet kaya baliw na. Di ako masyadong umabot sa picture, hehe.

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May

5

Pinoy Invasion

Filed Under AbantePinoy

This week is going to be a great week for Pinoys on American TV.

Tonight, Deal or No Deal will be starting a special series entitled Deal Around the World. Guess who’s got first dibs? The Pinoys, of course! Catch Kris Aquino as she shows Howie how we play the game - pinoy style! Howie Mandell even flew to the Philippines to tape the show with Kris two months ago. It’s so cute because they will be using all pinoy resources - the director, the cameramen, the engineers, the staff, even the Banker, hehe.

And, get this, the Philippine contestants daw won’t be playing for just one million pesos. They are going to play for one million DOLLARS. Ka-ching ka-ching: that’s forty-one million pesos for you.

What would be more exciting is, when Howie returns to the US, they should try to replicate the Philippine version and make the Americans play for the equivalent of one million pesos. *gasp* I wonder how that one will go, hehe.

So try to catch that tonight. It should be fun. :)

~~~

Too bad Louross Edralin was almost kicked-out of Hell’s Kitchen last week. It would probably make for an interesting Tuesday on the show again.

(I planned on writing about him before but I have been waiting for him to blow me away, which he hasn’t. Oops. Though he’s supposedly Pinoy and deserves my support, I just have to surrender and say that, right now, he isn’t really the best chef of the lot. Sorry, Louross!)

~~~

Anyways, later in the week, catch Oprah naman. Charice Pempengco will be guesting on Thursday (the 8th) along with other amazing kids. Here’s the teaser.

~~~

Ok, time to pop those Orville Redenbachers.

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Apr

30

Hi From Majayjay

Filed Under AbantePinoy, Connections

I just had to share these pics, bahala na kung magalit si Bobet*, haha!

Imagine yourself, relaxing, having fun, basking in the cool waters of Majayjay, Laguna. And then this guy comes along… he sits beside you and gamely takes pictures with you and your whole family.

Sino? Look after the jump, it’s a surprise, hehehe.

Read more

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Apr

29

Philippine Connections

Filed Under Connections, ShamelessPlugs

A few months ago, I was introduced by my friend and fellow blogger Keith to a blog authored by Goyo, an American from Sacramento, CA who’s happily married to a Cebuana-Filipina. On his blog, Goyo writes about his travels to Cebu, among others, and shares with us his observations and experiences, as well as his appreciation for the beauty and the culture of our country. I guess, what made me go back to his blog over and over again is the fact that, you know, if a true-blooded pinoy wrote about these things it would have been something commonplace. However, reading about it from Goyo’s point of view, it’s a perspective that allows me to see the Philippines in a different light. In a prouder light.

But wait, who’s to say that Goyo ain’t a true-blooded pinoy? FYI, he’s Cebuano through and through, that much I can assure you. :)

So anyway, lots of pinoys have been dropping by Goyo’s site - exchanging ideas, memories, suggestions, and simple chika. And so, Goyo came up with the idea of putting together an egroups specifically for that purpose. Thus, the birth of Philippine Connections.

Here’s the blurb:

Welcome. This is a group for people from around the world to connect with each other about their love of the Philippines. Join us and tell us your connection to the 7,107 islands of the Philippines. Want to know something? Ask a question. Already know? Then give an answer to someone’s inquiry. Tell us where you’re from. Are you living there or perhaps wanting to move there? What do you like the most about the country? What are your favorite foods? Post a recipe if you have one. See old friends, make new friends. This is the place for all that and more.

The Philippines is such a wonderful and beautiful country full of friendly people. Come, help us celebrate the glories of Republika ng Pilipinas.

I just joined the group a couple of weeks ago and I’m inviting you, especially those who have been transplanted like me, to join us. To subscribe, just send an email or go to the Philippine Connections yahoogroups and click join.

Ika nga, huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan. *wink*

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Apr

25

Where is…

Filed Under PopQuiz

STEPHEN YAN?

Pwera biro, where could he be kaya right now?

Wait, do you even know/remember who he is pala? :)

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Apr

24

The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could

Filed Under AbantePinoy, I, PartyGirl, My $0.02

I was lucky enough to have been able to watch The Vagina Monologues in Chicago in 2001. At that time, I dragged an honorable consul to join me to see the play. And HE, as you can imagine, was not too keen on the idea. However, he being a good sport and all, nevertheless agreed to see the show with me.

By the end of the performance, he was the first person in the whole theater on his feet - that is, to give a standing ovation. :)

Last April 12, the Vagina Monologues celebrated it’s tenth year. Part of the celebration is V to the Tenth, a special reading of the monologues by some of the most well-known and influential female celebrities of our time including Oprah Winfrey, Glenn Close, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek, Ali Larter, just to name a few.

What’s so special about it is our very own Monique Wilson was personally invited by, VM author Eve Ensler, to do one of the monologues! Monique did “Reclaiming Cunt,” which she performed in Tagalog (while Glenn Close performed the part in English). This makes her the only Pinay and Asian who performed using her own language, and making Filipino as the only Asian tongue performed in the show. Galing di ba?

Unfortunately, I was only able to find this 22 second clip on youtube and, sadly, it was not even a good one. Case in point, “puki” was the only thing I recognized from everything she said, hehe.

~~~

For all my previous work and involvement in Gender and Development issues, I know for a fact that it has taken years and years of effort to bring the issue of violence against women and girls front and center in the culture and the community. The road is long but, slowly but surely, the advocacy has steadily received intense interest and support all over the world. For this, I’m really thankful.

Eve Ensler and the beautiful women who all took part in the V-Day celebration have done and are still doing their part. Let’s do ours.

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Apr

22

What Have We Done

Filed Under My $0.02

There’s a reason why we call ourselves Earthlings. We are tied to Earth for life. Without it, we are dead. From now on, be Earth’s darling and make being an earth-ling mean something. :)

~~~

I couldn’t let this day go by without putting a few cents in. After all, Ninna has been bugging me with her Earth Day songs all week last week. Earth Day to her is a time for nice songs, fun arts and crafts from recyclable materials, and everyone on TV greeting “Happy Earth Day”.

In truth, Earth day is really for her - for her future. Agree with me that we haven’t been good stewards of the our planet. Sometimes, it really bothers me what kind of world I am letting my child stand to inherit. What have we done?

~~~

I’d like to share this Kapuso documentary entitled “Signos”.

Not having GMA PinoyTV here, I actually read Howie Severino write about this on his blog before. It was only yesterday when my friend, Judy, forwarded the youtube link to me via email. The docu is in seven parts. I’ll embed the first and the fourth here, ok? Please do visit the rest.

PART 1

PART 2
PART 3

Wait a minute. Why the fourth, you ask? Well, it’s also because Judy’s older brother, our Kuya Elson, was interviewed in the video about the Butandings in Sorsogon. Kuya Elson is a marine biologist and has been working with environmental groups for these past many years. It’s because of people like him who help us learn more about our fellow creatures, and how to keep them healthy and safe - and us healthy and safe in return.

PART 4

PART 5
PART 6
PART 7

It seems that, unless the problem is spelled out to us in images, we aren’t moved enough to act. However, although Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, another moving documentary on the effect of Global Warming on Earth, hits us hard, Signos on the other hand hits close to home.

So kudos, GMA, and thank you.

~~~

So friends and dear earthlings, instead of just saying: “What have we done to our Earth?” let’s think forward, act, and ask: What have we done FOR the Earth today?

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Apr

21

Goodbye Yuri

Filed Under Pseudomestic

We first had her as soon as we moved to the US, over four years ago. She has been my loyal cleaning companion and, when many of the first gadgets we bought were either given away or trashed, she has survived our constant relocation. She was my first defense against cookie and bread crumbs, hardened rice and cereals, carpet fuzz, and dead ants. I have lent her to friends at one time or another, and they always returned her with glowing praises, saying how powerful she was for such a little thing.

Last Saturday, I bumped her into our couch’s leg and she snapped. Her old, delicate neck, broken.

For a while there, I was stunned. Yuri? Yuri??? Noooooo!! Pwera biro, I was really distressed, more perhaps because of her sentimental attachment to me. But then again, she stayed for as long as she could but, in the end, it was time. I had to let her go.


Paalam, Yuri. Go gently into the light. Your date with destiny has come. Hubby will lay you down at the trash compactor as gently as he can. He promised.

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Apr

16

Hop-Hearted

Filed Under Confessions, Connections

I am so behind in my bloghopping that it’s not even funny anymore.

If you’re not familiar with the Bloglines interface, it means that there are 1042 blog entries I have never had the chance even to glance at, and 51 entries I’ve already browsed but am saving so that I could leave a comment on them later.

Bloghopping used to be the very first thing I would do as soon as I sat down on my PC in the morning. Early morning chismis perks me up like no other. :) Like coffee. Only hotter. :)

But then I started two other blogs, which I am hosting myself, plus joined some photomemes that perked up my interest in photography a lot, and then, on the homefront, have had friends over for Spring Break. So you can just imagine how all of these wreaked havoc on my once leisurely hopping pace.

Anyway, I promise to visit your sites once I have a new hopping rhythm down pat.

My Bloglines has refreshed even as I am typing this. 1049 na. I better get a move on. :)

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