ows?

Papunta kami kanina sa binyag ni Matthew nang bumalandra sa paningin ko ang billboard ni Jasmine Trias. Bigla ko tuloy naalala si Sharon Galvez, yung Pinay na pinalad na makapasok sa American Idol auditions.

I mentioned the bit to my friends. It turned out na huli na pala ako sa balita. Sabi sa akin ng mga kaibigan ko, singer daw ang Sharon na'to sa grupong Smokey Mountain dati.

Kaya pala sobrang pamilyar sa akin ang mukha niya.

Wala lang.

oo nga pala, the images you see here were stolen borrowed from bibeduck

oh shoot!

me thinks me is going to exceed the allotted word count again...

*resigned sigh*

quoting much

better a dreamer...

"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." - Edgar Allan Poe

than a cynic

"What is a cynic? A man who know the price of everything and the value of nothing." - Oscar Wilde.

feng shui horoscope

1. My soul is relaxed and I'm laid back.
2. I have a lot of love and friendships in my life.
3. I will have a strong love relationship that will not last long but the memories will last forever.
4. I will have a friend who completely confides in me and would do anything for me, but I may not realize it.
5. Libet is my Best friend.
6. "8", This is how many close friends I will have in my lifetime.
7. I like adventure.
8. I am spontaneous and
9. I like to please people.

This according to the feng shui horoscope chain thingy my best friend libet sent me. Wanna know the real score?

1. Not True. I'm a worry wart.
2. True. I hope.
3. I'd hate for this to be true!
4. Doubtful. I value my friends too much not to realize their worth.
5. So True.
6. Could be. As of last count I have four super duper close friends
7. True. I've tried trekking, spelunking, river rafting...
8. Not true. I'm a control freak. I find it difficult to move without my handy-dandy checklist.
9. Truer than true. NO isn't in my favorite word to say.

anticipated distraction

I was on the phone with a fellow writer yesterday and we got to talking about our respective slumps. I mentioned to her that among my multitude of reasons is that I'm too easily distracted.

Later, I discovered that what I said would prove to be prophetic.

It was a few minutes after I sat down in front of my PC for my after dinner session with my MS that I heard Ryan Seacrest's voice echoing all over the place. The culprit: my favorite nephew, Andre. His TV was on full blast.

I don't know what it is about American Idol that's got me fascinated. Hindi naman ako Amerikano, paki ko ba sa idol nila. I dunno. I guess I just find it entertaining to watch.

So anyways, I was itching to shut down my PC and switch on the TV instead. But I resisted the urge...believe you me, I... r-e-s-i-s-t-e-d! I kept reminding myself that I need to submit my MS by Saturday.

An hour and a half later, with nothing to show for it except a couple of sentences, I finally caved in. One minute I was staring blankly at the PC monitor, the next I was laughing my heart out in front of the TV screen. Concentration was next to impossible especially as I kept hearing the show from Andre's room.

Today, I'm typing this blog because again I find myself unable to concentrate on my MS. It's a little after three and the next installment of AI will be aired direct off satellite at four...

big mac, anyone?

And now for a dose of ironic news...

January 17, 2005. Charlie Bell dies from colorectal cancer. He was forty-four years old.

If you're wondering who the heck is Charlie Bell? Wonder no more. He's the former CEO of one of the world's biggest fast food giants, McDonalds. He was elected to take the place of James Cantalupo soon after Cantalupo died suddenly of a heart attack in April 2004.

ear candy

I had forgotten how much I really liked listening to Alana Davis' cover of the song 32 flavors until I heard it again last night. In fact, I liked it so much I decided to change and use it as the music for my main page. Hopefully I'll have it up and playing in a bit as I'm already uploading the file as I type.

Normally, while listening to music, I'm pulled by the beat/melody more than the words. But the lyrics of this one had me taking notice.

Here goes...

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 all of the words you just said

I am what I am. I am 32 flavors and then some.

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 pass

I am what I am. I am 32 flavors and then some
I'm taking my chances as they come
I am 32 flavors and then some
I am nobody but I am someone
yeah someone yeah

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 am beyond your peripheral vision
So you might want to turn your head
Cause someday you're gonna be starving
And eat all of the words you just said
that you said

I am what I am. I am what I am
I am 32 flavors and then some
taking my chances as they come
I am 32 flavors and then some
looking for truth but there is none

I am 32 flavors and then some
I never forget where I came from
I am 32 flavors and then some
I am nobody but I am someone.

I am 32 flavors and then some
taking my chances as they come
I am 32 flavors and then some
looking for truth but there is none

A bit of info, I just discovered that the song was originally done by Ani Difranco in 1995. If I'm not mistaken, it was Ani Difranco who sang the song "Wishing and Hoping" which was used in the title credits of the film My Best Friend's Wedding.

no more coffee!

I'm an addict.

And I'm currently addicted to...

Green Tea!

As I wean myself off coffee, I find myself getting hooked on this brew instead. Which isn't such bad thing `cause everybody knows it's got anti-oxidating properties.

Googling for which variety would suit me best, I learned that basically there are two types of green tea, Chinese and Japanese.

Of the Chinese variety there are (6) kinds:

1. Longjing ("dragon well"; also lung ching) is a famous tea from the town of Longjing, near Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Longjing is further divided into 7 grades: Superior (qiqiang), Special (queshe) and then 1 down to 5.
2. Mao feng ("Mao Peak") is a famous tea from Mount Huangshan.
3. Gunpowder is a basic green tea from China's Anhui Province. The tea takes its name from the grey-green rolled-leaf balls. In Chinese it is called (zhūchá, "pearl tea" / "bead tea," not to be confused with Boba tea). This is the tea which is exported to the Maghreb and used in the preparation of traditional North African mint tea.
4. Zhenmei (zhēnméi chá, "precious eyebrow tea", also chun mee), the most common type in China, is named after the shape of the tea leaves.
5. Jasmine tea
6. Hyson is an early-harvested tea whose leaves are twisted in a long, thin style.

And of the Japanese kind there are eight (8)

1. Matcha ("rubbed tea") is the highest grade of green tea, used primarily in the tea ceremony. The tea bushes are shaded from sunlight for 3 weeks before harvesting, producing amino acids that sweeten the taste. The leaves are then ground to a fine powder, which is simply blended in lukewarm water for consumption.
2. Gyokuro ("jewel dew") is unground matcha leaf, prepared for consumption by infusion.
3. Sencha ("broiled tea") is the most common type of green tea in Japan, accounting for 75% of production. It is made from the young leaves of uncovered plants.
4. Shincha ("new tea") is newly harvested, lightly steamed sencha. It is aromatic but highly perishable, lasting for only about 3 months.
5. Genmaicha ("brown rice tea") is sencha mixed with roasted brown rice.
6. Bancha ("number tea") is from the last harvest of the season. It is milder, cheaper and contains less caffeine than other varieties.
7. Hojicha ("roasted tea") is prepared by roasting bancha leaves.
8. Kukicha ("stem tea") is made from tea twigs instead of leaves. It contains only a tenth of the caffeine of leaf tea and its flavor is commonly compared to oolong teas.

The brand I'm drinking doesn't say from which country, nor of which variety it is. It just says its authentic. *scratch head*

Mental note: Change tea brand.

Reference: wikipedia, green-tea.us

let's see if this will work

Whoever this Sami person is, I think he and I are kindred. Lookie what he wrote on his blog

My Internet Addiction

I think I had some kind of internet addiction. Many times I found myself needing to visit some website but not knowing what. As the number of interesting websites decreased, I started noticing how much time I spent on the internet. Now I'm starting pull myself away more and hopefully this will give me more time to concentrate on writing.

Future plans:
-More writing
-Less surfing (on the internet)
-Even more writing
-Concentrate on this blog
-Learn more English (good grammar links appreciated)

---

Totally uncanny. For a while there I thought I was reading my own blog post!

Moving on, there's another interesting bit I noticed in his blogsite that caught my interest. There, in plain view of anyone who happens to stumble over the site, is the status of the novel he's working on right now.

And I thought, why not do the same? Maybe, just maybe, it's the trick I've been waiting for to help me speed things up a bit.

Check out my sidebar, if you please.

i'm a pantser?

What kind of a writer am I? That's what the online quiz I took just now aimed to figure out. Interestingly enough, I learned that I was a "pantser".

What exactly is a "pantser"?

...someone who "writes by the seat of her pants." The type of writer who has a brilliant story idea, and runs with it. Very creative, with the source of her creativity in spontaneity. Outlines bring her down, and she could never write a story if she knew ahead of time how it was going to end. She is a free spirit who writes as whimsy
inspires her without worrying overly much what others will think.

Is this me? Naah.

Well kinda.

More like, I'm someone who if the muse allows, "writes by the seat of my pants." The type of writer who has a brilliant story idea, and runs with it. Very creative, with the source of my creativity in spontaneity. Outlines bring me down, and I could never write a story if I knew ahead of time how it was going to end. I is a free spirit who write as whimsy inspires me without worrying overly much what others will think .

word for the day - jamais vu

Merriam-Webster defines deja vu as:

1 a : the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time b : a feeling that one has seen or heard something before

2 : something overly or unpleasantly familiar

I had this experience today, when a friend sent me the picture story below

for a bigger view, click this

I seem to remember having seen it before, when exactly, I can no longer recall. Nevertheless, it still didn't fail to amuse me.

Still on the subject of deja vu, I remember a college professor telling us about an experience called jamais vu which is the exact opposite of deja vu.

Word Spy defines the sensation as:

The illusion or impression of never having experienced something that has actually been experienced many times before

turning japanese

For lunch today, I had the Pinoy version of sukiyaki. That is, sukiyaki minus the sake (Japanese Rice Wine).

And I dare say it didn't taste as good. I was expecting that sweet tang with a kick and was disappointed when all I got was the oh so familiar taste of soy sauce. It was like eating a soupier version of our sotanghon. *sigh*

This got me into thinking. Andre's birthday is coming up soon and I was planning on treating him to a day of pigging out at DAD's. Now, I'm toying with the idea of cooking him tempura (shrimp coated in batter) and sukiyaki instead (para mas tipid, LOL).

In case I do, this will be the first time I'll be preparing these dishes. I'm still not sure if I will though 'cause my confidence in my cooking prowess is still shot. That's because I made a boo-boo the last time I cooked for somebody else.

It was last December 30, when my friend Emma asked me to cook Carbonara for our get together... a total disaster! Although my friends were kind enough to say it wasn't so, I knew otherwise. My carbonara sauce was too thick.

Anyways, I've googled the recipes and here's what I got:

Sukiyaki:

INGREDIENTS (4 servings):
1 pound of thinly sliced beef ** It tastes better if the beef is cut very thin.
A handful of shirataki noodles (made from yam cakes) or cellophane noodles
7-8 shiitake mushrooms
1 enoki mushrooms
1 medium size leek
1 Chinese cabbage
1 block of yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)

For sukiyaki sauce: (** You can also buy sukiyaki sauce in a bottle).
3 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine)
3 tbsps sugar
1 cup soup stock for dipping
4 eggs

How to Cook and Eat Sukiyaki:

1. Cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
2. Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and place the plate at the table.
3. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and soup stock to make sukiyaki sauce.
4. Set a hot plate or gas grill at the table. ** After this point, everything is done at the table as you eat.
5. Heat a little oil in a shallow skillet (can be a fry pan or a hot plate) at the
   table.
6. Fry meat, then add sukiyaki sauce.
7. Add other ingredients when the sauce starts to boil.
8. Simmer until all ingredients are softened.
9. Dip the cooked sukiyaki into the raw, beaten eggs and begin to eat!
10. As the liquid boils away, add more sukiyaki sauce. If you are not able to obtain the above ingredients, you can use any meat and vegetables. It's ok to create you own sukiyaki.

Tempura:

INGREDIENTS:

12 large shrimps
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
Vegetable oil for frying

PREPARATION:

1. Peel shrimps.
2. Make a couple incisions on the stomach side of each shrimp so that it stays straight.
3. Put flour in a bowl Pour cold water over the flour and add an egg.
4. Mix the batter lightly.
5. Heat the oil to 350 degree.
6. Then, pick the shrimp up by the tail and dip the body part in the batter.
7. Fry the shrimps for a few minutes

* Recipes courtesy of about.com which incidentally has a couple or so articles from my batch mate, Shai.

for what its worth

I feel bad for all those who have suffered and are still suffering because of the tsunami tragedy. In my own small way I want to help and I'm using this blog as a platform. I urge you, please share even just a fraction of your blessings to our brothers and sister in need.

In this relation, I am currently in the process of rounding up a list of local institutions where you could send your donations.

Philippine National Red Cross
Bonifacio Drive
Port Area
PO Box 280
2803 Manila

Contact Information Tel: (63) (2) 5278386 (main line) 5270866 /
Fax:
(63) (2) 5270857
Telex: 27846 PNRC PH
Telegram: PHILCROSS MANILA
E-Mail: pnrcnhq@redcross.org.ph

UNICEF
UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND
31st Floor, Yuchengco Tower,
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Plaza,
Ayala Avenue corner Gil Puyat Avenue,
Makati City,Philippines

Telephone numbers: (0632)
901-0154 Fund Raising
901-0161 Greeting Cards
901-0149 Health & Nutrition
901-0167 Education
901-0130 Child Protection
901-0170 Communication
901-0142 Local Policy & Institutional Development
E-mail: manila@unicef.org

argh!

because all i'm using is a dial up connection, it took ages for my .mp3 file to upload. when finally i did manage to do the seemingly impossible task, i found out that my server doesn't allow remote linking!!!

geez!

hey, know any free server that does?

si scott at si andy

Kagabi, habang nagtsa-channel surf ay nasumpungan ko ang isang palabas sa Star Movies na kinabibidahan ni Scott Baio. Noong una hindi ko siya talaga nakilala. Hindi naman nagbago ang mukha niya mula noong Charles in Charge days niya. Nag-mature lang siya ng kaunti. Siguro, sadyang sakit ko lang talaga ang matagal maka-recognize ng mukha.

The Bread, My Sweet ang title ng pelikulang napanood ko. Ang corny noh? Pero maganda naman yung kuwento. Makaka-relate tayong mga Pilipino kasi umiikot ang istorya sa pamilya. Medyo surreal nga lang. Bakit ko nasabi? Well, sino ba naman ang matinong lalaki na magpo-propose sa isang babae kakikilala lamang niya?

Isa pang napanood ko ay ang The Man from Elysian Fields starring Andy Garcia. Bale ang siste, I slept with thinking of Scott and woke up to Andy.

Sweet.

drama queen

still another TRW post...

Aah, a subject that's (un)near and (un)dear to my heart...writer's anxiety. I believe it is an affliction inevitable to those who have written or have thought of writing with the intent to be published. In this respect, we authors are all equals. It is only in the manner with which we deal with our anxieties that we differ.

Those who have had the misfortune of suffering from writer's block understand that often it is anxiety or fear that causes it; an unshakeable, implacable, monster of a fear that renders our ability to create paralyzed.

The best way to address this problem is to ignore the fear altogether, or so says the numerous articles I've read on the topic. Hah! Easier said than done, I say. "Roll up your sleeves, dig in your heels, and write. Just write." That's it in a nutshell. That's what they recommend. This advice is a tad condescending if you ask me. Fear, I believe, is something that should not be taken lightly more so ignored.

I was a psych major in college and although my knowledge on the subject is somewhat rusty, there is one precept that is very much clear to me still. Before we can begin to eradicate or even manage our fears, it is vital that we first understand where they stem from.

The roots of our fears are as varied as we are individuals and there is no one else who can make sense of it better than we can.

Based on my experience, starting out I feared rejection. I feared scrutiny. I feared being thought of as mediocre.

Now that I have had some work published, my fears remain the same. I am still afraid of being rejected. I am still afraid of being scrutinized. I am still afraid of being thought of as mediocre. Plus, now, I am afraid of not being able to live up to what others expect from me.

Pardon me for seeming to gloat but I feel I have to mention this for you to understand where I'm coming from. You see, the very first book I wrote was hailed "Novel of the Month" by my publication, an achievement that by far only I have managed to accomplish. An achievement that has been like a millstone around my neck for it prevented me from writing just for the fun of writing.

It seemed as though every book I wrote afterward was competing with the first. I
was beating myself black and blue and there was only so much of it I could take. Six months later, I stopped writing altogether. Not because I wanted to stop but because I just couldn't write any more.

Then I attributed everything to writer's block. However, little by little, with the help of the articles I've read and the posts we've exchanged here on the subject, I began to understand that my problem isn't the blockage per se nor the fears behind it. It dawned on me that it was the root of all my fears that was the real enemy. You guessed it, my insecurity.

Just recently, I began writing again though I have to admit I'm still getting accustomed to it.

If you ask me how I managed shake off my fears, I can't give you a defining moment. I can't say that it just happened for I know I went through a very long process to get here. A big part came from introspection, some from talking about it with people who understood--people like you. What is most important, I think, is my will and determination. I did not just up and left my dream of becoming a writer just because I encountered bumps in the road.

Now, I'm okay again. For how long, I don't know. Only time and circumstance will tell. What I know is this: I want to be a writer. I want to continue becoming a writer. This is my dream. Whatever obstacle I meet next, this dream will give me the courage to face and defeat it, every time.

no more hiccups

No more hiccups. That's what I wish most for this twenty-o-five. Although 2004 was a fairly good year, writing wise it sucked for me. I spent the greater part of it fending off the dreaded WB!

Boo-freakin-hoo. Whining about it didn't help me much. One thing I figured, there's not much else I can do but grab the darn thing by the horns and face it head on.

And so this year, I swear I won't let no hiccup hurt my writing. "No more distractions. It's time to get serious." This is now my new mantra.

To start things rolling, I've begun drafting the next story for my www.lovebug.com series. Below's the teaser. I'm still in the "day in the life" stage so I can't tell you much about it yet.

Dear Lovebug,

Sa maigsing panahon ay naging maligaya kami ni Vincent sa piling ng isa't isa subalit may mga pangyayaring nagbunsod para maputol ang kaligayahan naming iyon.

Years later, muling nag-krus ang aming mga landas. Nabalitaan kong malapit na pala siyang ikasal sa bagong nobya niya. And you know what? Nasaktan ako ng husto sa natuklasan ko. I realized then na hindi pa pala naglalaho ang damdamin ko sa kanya bagkus ay lalo pa iyong naging marubdob.

Ngayon, ako ay nalilito. Mahal ko si Vincent at handa akong magparaya ngunit sa kabilang banda, dahil nga mahal ko siya, hindi ko yata maatim na mapunta siya sa piling ng iba.

Lovebug, I need your advice. Ano ba ang mas tama, ang ipaglaban ang damdaming di ko tiyak kung may katugon o ang hayaan na lamang humimlay ang nakaraan para sa ikaliligaya ng taong mahal ko?

Hopelessly Longing,
Tessa