The top five series part 3

What is it about Scottish men? People refer to them as the more brusque and slightly unrefined lot compared to their British neighbours. For me, if we were to take this very shallow observation as gospel, it is part of their charm. They have the greatest sense of humour (having worked with a few Scots in my day, I should know), they are never afraid to take the mickey of anyone (including themselves), and they are so masculine that you can die of testosterone overload if you're in a room full of them!

Oh, I should also mention that their accents are way too cute :D

So, here is my list...


TOP FIVE SCOTTISH MEN


Number 5 - Billy Connolly



Just looking at Billy is enough to make me roll around in peals of laughter. He is such a gifted comedian and refuses to hold anything back (he has a penchant for saying "fuck" all the time). Despite having a difficult childhood, admitted to having A.D.D. and was physically and sexually abused by his father, he has constantly proved to the world that nothing can keep him down. He refuses to act his age and continues to look at the world with the eyes of a child. In his words, he refuses to be one of those old folk playing golf and wearing beige clothing all the time. He refuses to be a "beigist" (as seen in Andrew Denton's interview). He is also an extraordinary actor. Watch "Mrs. Brown" and you will see his talent for serious acting.

Number 4 - Sean Connery



He is known as the first actor to play the dashing British agent 007, James Bond. This man proves that there is such a thing as growing old gracefully. As this man gets older, so does his appeal. It's no wonder that even today, he gets paired up with the most beautiful women in his movies. He can really cheeky ala James Bond or he can be a regal man ala King Arthur. His accent is quite endearing and his arrogant, masculine manner (when he said Pierce Brosnan is a "nancy-boy" James Bond) shows his utter Scottish-ness.

Number 3 - Ewan McGregor



One word: Renton. Any "Trainspotting" fan would recognize him. "Moulin Rouge" proved his ability to sing. "Star Wars" just made him a household name.

He has a charming, boyish look about him that I just find adorable. He is easily one of the most popular young Scottish actors at present and his star is still rising. If movie makers ever decide to make "Porno" (sequel to Trainspotting), I hope Ewan reprises his role as Renton. I'll definitely be the first in line to watch it!

Number 2 - Danny Bhoy



People who are not into the Comedy Circuit may not know this bloke but everyone in the know says that Danny is clearly Billy Connolly's successor. He is funny, he is witty, and he is just bloody cute! He is very talented, quick-witted, and a natural on the comedy stage. I have seen him twice live during the Melbourne International Comedy festival and I tell you, it is worth every buck!

Watch this bloke, folks. He may make it to the International scene like ol'Billy soon.

Number 1 - David Tennant



I am such a sci-fi buff! Okay, where do I start with this lovely man? I love his very expressive, big, brown eyes. I love his accent. I love that he is already 35 years old (I just love men in their 30s!). I love that he can play very sinister characters ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" as Barty Crouch Jr. and "Secret Smile" as Brendan) and kooky, cheeky characters (Doctor Who and BBC's Casanova) with ease. He went to drama school and started off as a theatre actor, thus the acting talent. I have also thoroughly enjoyed his role in "Blackpool." He is the cutest detective there is! And being able to do a love scene and sing at the same time takes talent! Hahaha!

Check out this short clip from Blackpool. So hot! Hahaha!

He is such a joy to watch in every role he's played. He has given Doctor Who charm and sex appeal. It's obviously noticeable because soon after shooting the Doctor Who episode "The Girl in the Fireplace", Sophie Myles started dating him (The chick from Tristan and Isolde). Lucky girl!

Next series: As requested by Karen, I'll give you my top five Filipino men.

This should be quite interesting :)

Relaxing weekend

This past weekend has been very relaxing. Arnie and I went away to a town called Warburton which is along the Yarra Ranges close to best wineries in the state.

We checked into a self-contained cottage called The River Cottage.







The cottage was absolutely beatiful. It was a home away from home. Very inviting with a fire place, a double oval spa, and a kitchen with a well-stocked fridge!


The inviting double spa which Arnie and I thoroughly enjoyed and relaxed in


On the decking


Such a cozy cottage!

I just loved the whole atmosphere. We were surrounded by the beauty of nature and relished our stay.

For afternoon tea, we went to a place called the Patchwork Teahouse. I am a big lover of Devonshire Tea. Arnie and I enjoyed each other's company over a nice cup of tea (him, Earl Grey, and I, English breakfast) and freshly baked scones.


Outside the Teahouse. Friendly atmosphere and friendly staff. Yummy scones too :)

Dinner was a quiet affair. I prepared fresh natural oysters for our entree and Salmon steaks with zucchini for our mains. Arnie and I also shared a nice bottle of Brown Brothers Muscato. It went perfectly well with the fish!



Preparing dinner :)


Cheers!

It was a lovely way to celebrate our anniversary. I hope to do something like this again with the man I love.

It's been a fantastic six years and I am looking forward to spending more beautiful years with him.

Doctor Yap???

I made a bold move this morning ensuring my future as a highly educated woman. This November, I am completing my postgrad studies in Information Management. It was a change, for sure, from my original Bachelor degree which was Literature.

I wanted to pursue further studies in Information Management and become the most highly qualified Information Manager in the company I work for. After careful consideration and discussions with Arnie and my school buddies, I decided to do go for a doctorate degree in English Language and Literature instead. Studying for work is all well and good, but I want to do something that I will enjoy for a change, not that I didn't enjoy Information Management mind you.

Literature is my first love. I want to be surrounded by all the things that I immersed myself in during my undergraduate studies. I love to be able to bounce around abstract ideas with people. I love to sit and immerse myself in a topic that I am very passionate about. Heck, I just love to books and reading. The very sight of Borders is enough to give me an intellectual orgasm! Now, at the age of 28, I have decided to commit myself to six years of research. I don't know where this venture will take me. I don't know if this will divert my career path in any way. What's important is that I am starting the road to my ultimate goal: have a PhD before the age of 40.

I have sent an e-mail to the University of Melbourne English faculty to set up an appointment. I am looking forward to hearing from them soon because I am very keen to get started by next year.

So, am I going to be a ponce and re-name myself "Dr. Jennifer S. Yap, PhD" in the future? Who knows? I really want to do this for myself, for my self-worth, and for my love of literature and the English language.

*****

On a different note...

Today, I am celebrating my 6th year anniversary with the man I am lucky to be with - my future husband.

To Lawrence Arnold Estrada - I love you more and more and more each passing day. Thanks so much for your support, your love, and your undying will to keep me happy.

Happy anniversary, love...

The top five series part 2

As promised, here is the second of the series, featuring my favourite British men.

Ah, Brits... or Poms as we Aussies call them :)

What's to love? Is it the posh accents? The devil-may-care attitude? Or the impeccable grammar? Don't know. All I know is that some of them are quite gorgeous. I wouldn't mind if they talk to me all day and I would just be content to listen and nod... hehehe

So, without further ado, here is my...

TOP FIVE BRITISH MEN

Number 5 - Patrick Stewart



Captain Jean-Luc Picard - the man who has "boldly gone where no one has gone before." This man is already in his 60's and he still quite fit. He is a highly trained Shakespearean actor thus the impeccable diction and accentuation. I find him very good-looking, extremely charming, and multi-faceted. He can be a villain( in Conspiracy Theory), he can be a hero (in X-Men), and he can be gay (in Jeffrey). He is very much the British gentleman.

Number 4 - Michael Parkinson



I respect the man. I enjoy watching his show every Saturday on the ABC. His interviews with people are fun to watch, even that absolutely painful one that he did with Meg Ryan (I felt so bad for him then). He has a great sense of humour, as seen in Star Portraits with Rolf Harris and his brief cameo in Love Actually. He is a British television icon and a gentleman.


Number 3 - Orlando Bloom



Okay, I can't help myself. I loved him in Lord of the Rings as Legolas. Heck, I think I just have a thing for gorgeous elves in general. Hahaha. But he is gorgeous. He was even more gorgeous in Pirates of the Caribbean. Him and Johnny Depp in that movie, oh dear, I thought I was going to have a heart attack!

Anyway, he is an absolute sweetheart. He looks like fun, he does not take himself too seriously, and (have I said this enough times?) just gorgeous.

Number 2 - Daniel Radcliffe

I know, he's only 17 - so sue me! But I ain't blind. Daniel is a good looking boy and will only grow up to be a really handsome man! I made no secret of the fact that I am a mad Harry Potter fan and have watched this kid grow up. I even saw his first ever big role in David Copperfield. He was such a cute kid then. I also saw him in Pierce Brosnan's film Tailor of Panama.

If ever Daniel decides to have an older woman, I'm available! I'm only 11 years older than he is. Hahahaha!

Number 1 - Colin Firth



Oh, Mr. Darcy (stares dreamily into space).

My favourite lines uttered by this man:

"I like you just as you are."

"Alone again, naturally."

I guess I don't have to say much about this bloke. Just go and watch Bridget Jones' Diary, Love Actually, Importance of Being Earnest, and BBC's Pride and Prejudice. That says a lot. Cool, stand-offish, arrogant, intelligent, and just plain sexxxxxxy!!!


Next in the series: Top five Scottish Men

(seems like I'm going around the world, aren't I? hahaha!)

TIME's 100 Movies

Here is another higlighting exercise and I'm not particularly tagging anyone so just feel free to do so if you feel like it. Basically, highlight the movies that you have watched and the list is from Time magazine's list of 100 best movies of all time, in alphabetical order...

A - C

Aguirre: the Wrath of God (1972)
The Apu Trilogy (1955, 1956, 1959)
The Awful Truth (1937)
Baby Face (1933)
Bande a part (1964)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980)
Blade Runner (1982)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Brazil (1985)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Camille (1936)
Casablanca (1942)
Charade (1963)
Children of Paradise (1945)
Chinatown (1974)
Chungking Express (1994)
Citizen Kane (1941)
City Lights (1931)
City of God (2002)
Closely Watched Trains (1966)
The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936)
The Crowd (1928)

D - F

Day For Night (1973)
The Decalogue (1989)
Detour (1945)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
Dodsworth (1936)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Doctor Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Drunken Master II (1994)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
8 1/2 (1963)
The 400 Blows (1959)
Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Fly (1986)

G - J

The Godfather, Parts I and II (1972, 1974)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)
Goodfellas (1990)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Ikiru (1952)
In A Lonely Place (1950)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
It's A Gift (1934)
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

K - M

Kandahar (2001)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
King Kong (1933)
The Lady Eve (1941)
The Last Command (1928)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Leolo (1992)
The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003)
The Man With a Camera (1929)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Metropolis (1927)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Mon oncle d Amerique (1980)
Mouchette (1967)

N - P

Nayakan (1987)
Ninotchka (1939)
Notorious (1946)
Olympia Parts 1 & 2 (1938)
On The Waterfront (1954)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Out of the Past (1947)
Persona (1966)
Pinocchio (1940)
Psycho (1960)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Pyaasa (1957)

Q - S

Raging Bull (1980)
Schindler's List (1993)
The Searchers (1956)
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Star wars (1977)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Sunrise (1927)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Swing Time (1936)

T - Z

Talk To Her (2002)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Tokyo Story (1953)
A Touch of Zen (1971)
Ugetsu (1953)
Ulysses' Gaze (1995)
Umberto D (1952)
Unforgiven (1992)
White Heat (1949)
Wings of Desire (1987)
Yojimbo (1961)

The top five series part 1

This may be out of sheer vanity or the fact that people actually want to know stuff about me (right!). So, I have decided to start the "top five series." These refer to my favourites in any given category.

So, without further ado, the first part of the top five series refers to my...

TOP FIVE AMERICAN MEN

Girls, enjoy!

Number 5... Tom Hanks



Tom isn't as good looking as other Hollywood hunks, but what he may lack in looks he makes up for his exceptional acting talent. Regardless of what people say (and I agree Tom being casted as Robert Langdon was a mistake), he made the most memorable films in the 20th century - Philadelphia, The Green Mile, and Forrest Gump. His roles in Big, You've Got Mail, and Splash endeared him to me.

Besides, better to choose this Tom than the other Tom, right? Hehehe.

Number 4... Michael J. Fox


I know, he was born in Canada but I decided to include him in this list anyway. Where do I start with this bloke? Teen Wolf was my first favourite movie. I have always loved that look of his - the look of a clueless and utterly lost teenager :p

I loved Back to the Future. I loved The Frighteners. I enjoyed Spin City immensely. When he announced that he was suffering from young-onset Parkinson's disease in 1998 (7 years after he was diagnosed), he earned the utmost respect of his peers and fans around the globe. His autobiography, Lucky Man, is a joy to read and is one of my all time non-fiction books. I hope his foundation would help in finding the cure for Parkinson's.

Number 3... Gale Harold



This hunk-o-spunk became popular because of the television series Queer As Folk. Given that this was the North American version of the popular two-season original British series, the fact that they chose Gale to play the role of Brian Kenney was genius to say the least. He made women swoon even if he played a gay role. As Brian, he plays a lusty, larger than life, unashamedly gay man who picks up whenever and wherever. I will always remember his ever famous line - "I don't believe in love, I believe in fucking." I will always remember Brian as the man whom, regardless of his untiring adage of not believing in the elusive L-word, actually fell for an 18-year old beautiful boy named Justin. I fell in love with Gale because of his characterization of a tough yet softy man.

Number 2... Johnny Depp



This guy just exudes cool without even trying. How hot is this bloke? Even with the ugly teeth and the unwashed look of a pirate, women still wet their pants looking at him. Why? Because he's just sexy.

How cute was he in 21 Jumpstreet? Even in Cry Baby? But the clincher for me was Edward Scissorhands - that made me a fan for life!

I always enjoyed his films - From Hell (which I thought was brilliant), Finding Neverland (loved the Irish accent), Fear and Loathing Las Vegas, and of course, Don Juan de Marco.

And my Number 1 man is... (drum roll please)

David Duchovny



I am an X-phile, so this is quite an obvious choice isn't it? It was his role as Fox Mulder that made me love him so much. A sexy, intelligent, highly educated geek - how cool is that? How did Scully ever keep her hands to herself? My God! If I were in her shoes, I would have tried to land Mulder a week into our partnership!

People may not know that in real life, David is a very educated man. He earned an undergraduate degree in Princeton University and went on to earn a Masters degree in English Literature at Yale. He was already half-way in his doctorate studies when he quit and became an actor.

For more David eye-candy, I suggest you watch his episodes in the Red Shoe Diaries... hubba, hubba!

David is the epitome of a sexy, hunky, absolutely f*ckable geek :)


Next in the series: Top Five British Men


Have a wonderful weekend, folks!

Fashion-vision

My blog readers and friends alike would agree on one thing about me: I love fashion. Regardless of my self-imposed "restraining order", I still can't help myself and buy that cute skirt or top from Cue - just happens that they have a cute item out every damn week! I walk into Ralph Lauren just in case there is a sale, which just so happens it was last Saturday - I bought a nice sweater. I go into Nine West every week to see if they have any styles that I like available. I could walk around David Jones all day and rest my tired feet in the Food Hall and have a nice strawberry yoghurt for a snack.

With Spring being here, the Spring Fashion Festival has arrived as well. A couple of weeks ago, a swimwear designer decided on not using rail-thin models to display her designs and rather used real women of all shapes and sizes during a show. Fair enough. In her opinion, it's not the models who will be wearing her swimwear, it will the everyday folk - you and me.

Good on her!

Then this morning, an article from The Age finds the world's first ban on overly thin models at a top level fashion show in Madrid. Of course, the ban has caused an outrage among modelling agencies who recruit only those who have the "waif and heroin-chick look."

Regardless of what people think, I embrace this idea 100%. Please, how many people in the street do you see in size 6 outfits unless you're 13 years old? I have heard of people who take diet pills so that they can lose weight fast without the pain of doing exercise. Hogwash. All you end of doing is getting addicted to the damn pills and getting all weak. I am a big fan of the "no pain, no gain" philosophy. I work out four times a week at the moment. Monday night I meet up with my personal trainer and go through a tough training session. Tuesday night I go to my Pilates class. Wednesday night I take Spin classes. Saturday, you'll find me either running along Beach Road or swimming if it's not too cold. I have maintained a healthy size 10-12 and I am well within my BMI (body mass index). I am rather strong and have an enormous amount of energy. I enjoy eating the food I want without having to worry constantly about my calorie intake (unless it's Krispy Kreme donuts... hahaha :p).

Using very thin models in advertising, magazines, and fashion shows can be very damaging to an impressionable teen who is starting to tackle the issue of body image. This is the stage of a person's life when they are so vulnerable and susceptible to suggestion, even if it's not blatantly obvious.

This whole concept of "thin is beautiful" is a load of rubbish. In my opinion, "health is wealth." Being healthy is all that matters and that's that.

Taboo

Religion and politics have always been considered as two of the worst conversation topics between acquaintances. Not only is it pointless but you are sure to offend regardless of how P-C (politically correct) you try to be. I always steer clear of talking about the current state of government in this country to just anyone, unless it's Arnie or my mum whom I share the same sentiments with.

So, imagine my surprise the other day when a work colleague from Sydney came down for a meeting with myself. We were having sandwiches for lunch and for some reason, the topic diverted to whether I follow politics or not. I said that as much as I don't like it, I can't help but follow it - my background, having a father who is a solicitor/consultant and very much involved in the Philippine senate when I was growing up, has been steeped in political awareness.

We started talking about politics - about, as a British national living in Australia, he's become so disappointed with how our government is being run, how Britian itself is being led by a PM who is well-known for American arse-kissing, and that the war on Iraq is just wrong. Then, he started talking about religion. His sentiments were exactly like mine. People just use religion nowadays to justify the evil they do and attribute it to the cause of glorifying their god.

What god would want this? What god would want people killing each other off for the sake of Allah or freedom or revenge It's just hogwash. Pure baloney.

Whatever happened to just getting along and embracing each other's differences? The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard and Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, have made a faux pas for making statements regarding Australian Muslims, that they should embrace the "Australian way of life" - whatever that means - and not just be loyal to their belief as Muslims, but be loyal to Australia. I don't know what they were thinking when they made this pronouncement. Singling-out Muslims or any minority for that matter just screams sheer prejudice and ignorance, doesn't it? The fact that it is just the very loud and ignorant minority that's creating the problem(e.g. Cronulla riots) does not merit this kind of statement. This country for some reason always had a problem with integrating with other races/cultures .Before, it was the Aborigines during the colonial period. Then, it was the Europeans during the 60's and 70's. Then, it was the Asians' turn in the 80's. Now, the Muslims. When will it stop?

I don't want to think of Australia as a racist country. In fact, I believe it not to be. The fact that I am living in a multi-cultural city (not just in terms of food but also of how different cultures are embraced) and have never experienced a racial attack, I have every reason to believe that Australia, specifically Melbourne, is the place to be. However, if you've got the nation's so-called "leader" spouting very irresponsible comments, it does not reflect well to the rest of the world 'innit? For a country who prides itself for being "multicultural", the statement just reeks of prejudice. We are no better than the red-neck southern states of America.

I expect a lynching next...

A week of mourning

This past week has been big in terms of the sad demise of a couple of Australian icons.



Last Monday, the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was struck by a sting ray through the heart while he was scuba diving. Footage apparently shows Steve pulling the barb off his chest and then he fell unconscious. He was 44.



Today, at exactly 3:06 pm the Age (a Melbourne-based newspaper) posted a news feed that sports racing legend Peter Brock was killed when he lost control of Daytona Coupe during the Targa West race which started today because of wet conditions. The car hit a tree side-on, with no chance of survival. Peter died on impact. He was 61.

I respected bothof them. Steve contributed a huge chunk of his earnings to wildlife conservation and educating people of how important it is to nurture nature. Peter was a road-safety advocate and started a foundation to help disadvantaged kids. It also helps that I am a big car-nut and I follow most of the races - V8, Bathurst, etc.

I guess the only consolation is that they died doing what they love the most.

Rest in peace, Steve "Crickey" Irwin and Peter "King of the Mountain" Brock. You will be missed.

Highlights

Got this from Jac.

Highlight the ones you've done:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. Sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played DVD for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, despite someone looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours within 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind on something you care about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Read an "important" author you missed in school
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Talked with someone with no common language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to a stranger
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Now, I tag Kat, Jaz, and Karen... enjoy!

Nostalgia

Mum returned from her short trip to Manila last Sunday. As expected from any holiday-maker, she brought back pasalubong. She brought back food, cute beaded sandals, and some clothes from my cousins.

She also, unexpectedly, brought back some photos that we left behind. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the photos were in albums compiled by my grandmother, comprised of photos of myself back in high school and college. My grandmother painstakingly salvaged them from getting completely destroyed by a storm that ruined most of our photographs.

Wow, I thought. Talk about a blast from the past! From high school were pictures of myself with my friends in a summer excursion to Laguna, my graduation with my high school bestest buddies James, Ryan, and Brian, schoolmates during the World Youth Day celebrations in Manila, and a stack full of official grad pictures from my batch mates. From college were heaps of random photos taken during my stint in a Japanese school during the cultural exchange program I participated in, hanging out with my close girlfriends DJ, Lynette, and Janelle, and other photos of myself in the traditional graduation toga with friends during the graduation mass. There was one particular picture of me and a boy I used to be in the same classes with during my freshman year. I was telling Arnie that the boy should have been my boyfriend and not the other one I had. Back then, I would never dream of telling a guy I liked him. In hindsight, I should have had the courage to tell him that I did. He is, after all, a very nice boy whom I've been really close friends with up until he decided to shift majors.

Alright, my dear friends... if that wasn't enough of a hint... hehehe.

Yes, there were a couple of group photos which had the ex in it. Upon looking at the photos, I could not make myself angry. I was actually happy. I have finally acknowledged the fact that yes, that relationship did not work out but we had happy times as well. We both graduated in the same year and we were surrounded by friends. I mean, yes, if I were given the opportunity to go back in time I wouldn't have a relationship with him and instead concentrated on being just friends. I guess I am now past the whole "I hate him" stage. I can honestly say that if I go back to Manila now and have a reunion with my college classmates, I would not mind him being there. I will go up to him and say "hi" and apologize for whatever hurt I have caused him. I guess it's just the mature thing to do.

Looking at old photos of yourself and your friends just makes you realise that time passes us by in a blink of an eye. I graduated from DLSU 8 years ago. In my circle of friends, one is about to give birth to her first child. Two of my friends had a tift and is still yet to reconcile. Another friend has moved to the States for good. One is working in their family owned business. From what I last heard, the ex is very happy with his girlfriend. As for me, I'm in different country that I have grown to love where I have met the love of my life, my future husband. I know that I still have a lot of growing up to do regardless.

It was nice to know that at some point in my life, regardless of all the adult complications that seem to litter my life at present, I was once a mere child who enjoyed her youth as much as the next person. Those photos were evidence of that.

I will try and post some of the pictures here shortly. Cheers!

The first day of spring.

It's the first of September and that marks the start of a brand new season.

Spring is here!

Gone are the dreary, cold days and nights that winter bestowed upon Melbournites. Today, we are blessed with a sunny 23 degree day. How wonderful!

Being that it's casual Friday today at work, I took the opportunity to wear a short-sleeved polo shirt, jeans, and my trusty, comfy Nike runners - heels 4 times a week is killing my feet!

I love the sun! It just means more fun and more outdoor-sy activities once again!


Taken from outside my office building. What the fuck am I doing inside?

I would love to go out and spend my lunch break at St. Kilda, get seated on a table by the beach, and just soak up the rays. Finally, I can get my tan back... whoopee!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A day in the life of the sassy Melbournite

Got inspired by Jaz's blog entry about her day to day activities.

Luckily, my job does not require me to do the same ol' shit every single day. Do I find it exciting? Yes. Boring? Not at all. Unsettling? It can be.

There is no such thing as routine in my job. I could get a phone call or an email in the next 10 minutes telling me to get my arse on the airport pronto because I have a corporate meeting in Sydney in 3 hours time. I could get an urgent request from our global office in Atlanta (State of Georgia, USA) asking me to participate in testing a system upgrade. I could get meetings set up by people from different departments wanting to sit with me for a whole day to plan and document new and existing processes and training matrixes. I could get phone calls from my boss in all hours (even weekends) about - what else? - work. It's a wild, wild world for me wherein I have been uprooted from my relatively stress free position of 5 years past. I have been thrown into a pit where important people in the company want a piece of me, every single day. Do I feel important because of it? Bloody oath. Is it worth it? For a workaholic who takes pride in their work, it definitely is.

It is very hard to summarise what I do in a day to day basis. In a nutshell, it's basically get up from bed in time to get to work (whether that be my office in Melbourne or another site or a flight to another city), make sure I have my trusty mobile phone, pad, pen, and laptop with me, and away I go. I can start at 10:00 in the morning but I can also start at 5:00 am due to early flights. In quite days, I finish at 6:00 pm but can also go onto 9:00. Grad school completely fucks up my schedule but I consider it a "break" from the rat race at work. My friends from school keep me grounded and entertained. I especially enjoy our lengthy debates about everything and anything NOT RELATED TO WORK.

Weekends is something I treasure. I could spend it doing nothing. I feel like I'm starting to become like our National Operations Manager, Karen. She is just so sick of going all over the place (US, Europe, New Zealand, South America, Australia) that whenever she has a break, she just spends it lounging about at home. Well, I guess I'm not that bad. I still like going out, having dinner in nice restaurants with Arnie and my mates, checking out the shops, probably experience some sort of culture (I am yet to see the Picasso exhibit). Arnie is planning to go for a long drive somewhere this weekend, I don't know. We'll see where the wind takes us.

Above all this is trying to divide my time between people I love (Arnie, mum, friends) and Meeko! How can I forget my baby? She, who regardless of the mood I am in, never fails to greet me with a smile, her tail wagging happily, and a soft bark telling me "I miss you, mum."

On that note, have a great weekend everyone!

My Social Life at Hogwarts

Harry Potter fans... go ahead and do this quiz. You know you want to ;)

Social Life at Hogwarts

Everyone, except the Slytherins, like you. You are friendly, nice, and a well-rounded person. Your studies aren't that important, but you pull of decent grades. You live your life with risks and don't think about the consequences. Friends mean a lot to you. Your friends love you because you are always the one who they can talk to.

Harry: He is in love with you. You're the one he wants to be with forever. He's tried to push you away, but you refused to leave him. Despite the danger that comes with being his girlfriend, he's too smitten with you to let you go and is glad you are willing to face the danger to be with him.

Ron: He loves you as a little sister. He admits to having a crush on you before, but has stronger feelings for Hermione. He acts as an older brother to you.

Hermione: She is one of your best gal pals. She always scolds you for not doing the best in your studies, but she is your friend just the same. She's very happy for you and Harry. She secretly has a crush on Ron, but she won't admit it. And neither will he. You're the one who's going to put them together.

Ginny: She secretly hates you. You stole Harry and one of her older brothers too. She knows she's overreacting, but she doesn't care. She hates you and shows it when no one is around. But when someone is around she acts like the sweetest little girl.

Neville: Thinks you are great and has a crush on you, but he's too shy to do anything. Plus, you're with Harry now.

Fred and George: They love you. As a friend though. You're one of the few priviledged people who get to help them with their pranks. They are glad you are with Harry, but sort of wish you ended up with Ron instead.

Oliver Wood: He knows you, but doesn't really talk to you. All he knows is that you are Harry's girlfriend.

Cedric Diggory: Him, like Oliver Wood, knows you, but doesn't talk to you. Or should I say he knew you. That is before he died.

Cho Chang: She is slightly jealous of your relationship with Harry. Cedric died and she was left alone, and her and Harry didn't work out either. She is nice to you, but doesn't really like or hate you.

Lavender Brown: She doesn't like you because she thinks Ron likes you more than a friend. She hates Hermione more than you though, if that helps?

Draco Malfoy: He doesn't like you at all. You seem like a goody-two-shoes to him. He dislikes you even more because you're Potter's girlfriend. All in all, he doesn't talk to you or have any contact with you whatsoever.

Pansy: Doesn't talk to you and hates you. Period.

Crabbe and Goyle: Don't know you.

Dumbledore: He likes you and thinks you are strong-willed and perfect for Harry.

McGonagall: She thinks your an average skilled witch, she doesn't really notice you that much.

Hagrid: He adores you and constantly invites you to help him with his creatures. He loves that you and Harry are together.

Snape: He hates you. Loathes you. Despises you. He thinks you are very poor skilled and dislikes you even more for being Harry's girlfriend. He loves taking points away from you.

Voldemort: You are on his list of people to kill. You make the top 5. Not exactly a good thing, but what'd you expect being Harry's girlfriend and all.

Reputation: Harry's Girlfriend.
Take this quiz!








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Whoa! I'm on Voldemort's top 5 list of people to kill!

Ginny hates me? Oh well...

Harry girlfriend? Well, if he's as good looking as Daniel Radcliffe, I aint' sayin' no!

Hahaha! Lumalabas ang tendency ko for corruption of minors! Bwahahaha!

Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Ninoy's death

Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assassinated on this day, 1983, during the dictatorship of then President of the Philippines, the late Ferdinand Marcos.

He was one of the last true patriots. He was one of the last Filipinos who did what he did out of sheer love for the country. That is truly a rarity in Philippine politics nowadays.

A moment's silence for this hero who encouraged real "People Power."

Bahay-bahayan

Since mum left for the Philippines last Friday, I am left on my own in our house. Arnie will be staying with me for the next two weeks to keep me company. In short, Arnie and I will be playing house or in Filo-speak, bahay-bahayan - a popular game amongst kids pretending to be a family unit.

Well, in our case, we're playing the role of husband and wife, keeping a clean and well-run household.

I guess this will be good practise for us considering we are planning to do this for real next year and so far, we're doing well.

Yesterday morning, after a long, hard night of partying (i.e. eating, drinking, smoking you-know-what, and painfully singing our hearts out on my PS2 Singstar game) because of our friend Caloi's despedida (he'll be leaving for Manila and is planning to stay for there for a year - we'll miss you, bro), I woke up with a massive hang over and cooked breakfast for Arnie and our friends who slept over. After breakfast, our friends left and we went back to sleep. Arnie woke up to prepare lunch. After lunch, I started ironing my clothes while Arnie cleaned the house. We were working as a team, doing household chores. It was kind of fun.

I spent the rest of the afternoon napping while Arnie played games on the PS2. I woke up in time to prepare dinner while he rested with Meeko next to him. We both went to bed early after a refreshing shower to ready ourselves for the long working week ahead.

So far, so good. I'll be going home tonight to prepare dinner and get my stuff ready for my early flight to Sydney tomorrow. "Married life" is looking quite promising. :)

Mum on a holiday...

Mum is leaving tonight for a two-week short holiday in Manila. Lucky!

I won't be going. With school and my new job, I just can't find the time to go. It's a pity really, considering I haven't been back for 4 years. Arnie and I were actually thinking about spending Christmas there this year so that he can finally meet my family but no cigar. He started a new job and won't be able to take any leave until after 12 months! It sucks!

Aside from family and friends whom I really want to see and spend time with, there is one other thing that I really, really miss in the Philippines...

FOOD!

As much as the food here in Oz is nothing to sneeze at and the variety is rather extensive, there are specific delicacies and specialties that you can find only in the PI. Here's a list of things I want to pig out on:

Maki. Chinese dish that I always ate in Ongpin. My mum can make it but for some reason cannot completely copy the way this dish is cooked in that small hole in the wall restaurant. The thickness of the soup and the tenderness of the pork is heaven!

Machang. Another Chinese dish from the same Ongpin resto. They do sell something similar here in Melbourne, specifically in Box Hill Centro, but it's not the same. Sticky brown rice with tender pork and chicken, smothered in Chinese hot sauce. Yummy!

Ensaymada. Super melt to be precise! Damn! Why can't Australia allow products with dairy into the country? Argh! Will probably convince mum to stuff a couple into her bra... hahahahaha!

Red Ribbon Brownies. I've already asked my mum to buy me a box! Hehehehe!

Tulya. The most simple of dishes. Pour boiling water on it, let the shells open, drain out the water, drizzle some fish sauce and heaps of calamansi juice. Heaven!

Lansones. Just so happens that my mum is going back in time for the season. Lucky!

Tikoy. Okay, so my Chinese side is screaming. There is tikoy here, but not in the same way the PI sell it. Big, chunky, and cheap! I'll try and get mum to buy me a box... hehehe!

My Lola's fried chicken and Kare-kare. Nothing beats my lola's home cooking. Nothing at all.

Luk Yuen's Halo-Halo Congee. My God, just thinking about this dish is making me very hungry!

Jolibee Palabok and Spaghetti. Hahaha! Miss ko na yung Filipino-style spag :)

Hen Lin's siomai and Samurai balls. Halata bang maller back home akish? :p

Anything Icebergs. Halo-Halo, Parfait, Banana Split, Mais Con Yelo... the memories of people I went with to that little nook in Greenhills is enough to make me smile.

The little Taco stand in Greehills Shopping Center. I don't know if this place still exists, but when I was a young high school student in OBMC my friends and I used to visit this place and pay a measly P15 for a yummy taco treat! I liked mine with heaps of cheese and hot sauce and then guzzle down a large glass of chinese gulaman juice from one of the many stalls that sell it in the center. Yum!

That little carinderia next to DLSU Gokongwei building. Fellow LaSallians, you probably remember their Sisig? OMG! Sarap!

Saisaki. Probably not the best Japanese restaurant around, but where else can you get eat-all-you-can buffet including California Maki for a measly $10? And instead of putting Avocado like how they serve it in Oz, it's PI Mangoes! Yum!

Auntie Anne's. Bakit wala nito sa Oz? Isn't this an International Franchise? I miss their pretzels!

Balut and Taho. Being sold in the streets, sometimes directly to your home. Yummy!

It's a wonder I'm not terribly obese considering how much I love my food.

Oh well mum, i-kain mo na lang ako.

Ingats sa biyahe.

PS. Pardon the "taglish" delivery of my post. Considering I am not a big fan of this method, I really shouldn't use it. I do not plan to make a habit of this, it's just that I'm feeling rather lazy today. Have a great weekend!

Who ever said romance is dead?

Something short and sweet...

I slept over Arnie's place last night because I was going to Dandenong for work in the morning.

He left for work early.

When I woke up, he left the heater on and a pot of hot steaming coffee brewing on the machine.

And a small note by the front door...

Love you.

Sigh...

From Karenkristie...

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Oh me, Oh my... Hmmm, Jennie... is there something you're not telling us? Hmmm... Bwehehehe!

Super cultured weekend!

This past weekend was probably the best one I had in ages. I didn't laze about doing nothing, I actually went out and enjoyed a couple of days of pure cultured entertainment!

Last Saturday, I went out with my bessie Mig and his older brother Jet. The Melbourne International Film Festival was on so we decided to go and see the only Filipino film entry - Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros.



This movie was awarded three times in the recent Berlin Film Festival and received rave reviews and nominations in the popular Sundance Film Festival. It was a joy to watch. Maxi, played by newcomer Nathan Lopez, is a 12-year old lady-boy who lives in poverty with his crook father and brothers. His family loves him dearly and treat him like the "mother" of the family. He then meets a cop whom he falls in love with and made him question the life his family leads.

This is an independent film, made by newcomer Aureaus Solito. The imagery and the story was enough to make you enjoy this film immensely. I was extremely pleased to find the cinema packed with mostly Australians supporting the festival. At the end of the film, people clapped in appreciation.

It made me proud of being a Filipino for once. At last, the Filipinos are learning what real movie-making is all about.

Yesterday night was a dream. Arnie and I went to see The Boy From Oz, a musical about the Australian music legend that is Peter Allen, played enthusiastically by no other than Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman.



What can I say? I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS SHOW!!!

Hugh was an absolute joy to watch! He engaged the audience, he performed fantastically, he gave 110% of himself to make the role his, and boy can he sing!

We were seated 6 rows from the stage... yep, we were THAT close. Hugh is an extremely handsome man with a fantastic physique. I'll choose him over any other actor anyday :)

I was pleasantly surprised throughout the whole show. There were songs that I didn't even know were written by Peter Allen, such as I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love by Rita Coolidge, Don' Cry Out Loud by Melissa Manchester, and (Arthur's Theme) Best That You Can Do by Christopher Cross.

Do you guys remember Chrissy Amphlett? She was the lead singer of the Divinyls, famous for such hits as Pleasure and Pain and I Touch Myself. She played Judy Garland and boy, was she good!

In fact, the whole cast was good. It was pure unadulterated entertainment for 2 hours and we all danced, sang along, and clapped in appreciation. We also spotted a few stars in the crowd: Rove McManus, Belinda Emmett, and Debra Hutton.

It was a fun-filled night I surely won't forget for ages. Nothing like a bit of culture to keep me going :)