2008 December 24 - Merry Christmas to All and to All A Good Night

As a little girl huddled and climbed onto Santa's lap,  Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"

The child stared at him open mouthed, horrified for a moment, and then gasped, "Didn't you get my email?"

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Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

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2008 December 13 - "Pacquiao a DOJ Confidential Agent"

In the news.

Wow, way to go Sec. Gonzalez. Outing a confidential agent. Smart.

2008 October 16 - Custard Night

Those who know me will know I can't eat eggs. I'm allergic to it. But only if they're cooked, like omelet (yum!), leche flan (yum!), hard-boiled egg (yum!) and other yum-producing egg-based food. In baked products like cake? No problem. It must be high heat in the oven. So, unless I want charred omelet (think high heat) I doubt I'll give cooked eggs a go.

A couple of weeks ago, I was surfing the net for recipes and found the phrase, "custard powder." It was invented by Alfred Bird in 1837 because his wife was allergic to eggs! YEY! I don't mean to be callous but if she hadn't been allergic I wouldn't have had a custard night to begin with. Bird's Custard Powder is manufactured in the UK and since my friend was coming home for a visit I asked her if she could bring me at least a can.

Tonight I made myself half a pint of custard. It's not quite like Ma's leche flan but it'll do for me. Sweet bliss! =)

P.S.
(one pint after...)
Medyo hilo na ako. Nasobrahan yata.

The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Biographies & Memoirs
Author:	Belle de Jour

"The Secret Diary of a Call Girl" is now on its second season on UK's ITV2. I first came across the show when it premiered and I found it funny and full of wit. I followed the links on the internet and came across the blog that started it all. Have a look and enter the world of Belle.

When the book came out, I asked a friend in London to get it for me. She arrived several days ago with not just the original book but also the sequel! Thanks Gina! =)

The writing is still as intelligent, witty and insightful as the blog. It shows the level of intelligence and education the author has. This is not your typical prostitute-writes-her-story kind of thing. It's an interesting read. And since Belle de Jour is just the author's nom de plume it adds to the whole blog/tv show/book's sense of mystery. While the book is not for the easily offended (I found myself grimacing and uttering an audible "gakk"), it IS a funny and honest look at people in general through the eyes of Belle.

Excerpt:
Belle's A-Z of London Sex Work
K-N
N is for Noise
The alternative to music. He wants feedback; give it to him. But for goodness sake, don't lay on the porn screeches in a cheap imitation of passionate frenzy unless he clearly requests it. They're paying for sex, not stupid.

If that kind of wit doesn't make you laugh then this book isn't for you. =D

Star Wars: Clone Wars Teaser

The Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Premiered on Cartoon Network.

"Great leaders inspire greatness in others."

2008 September 28 - First Attempt at Pork Floss Buns

This is my first attempt at this kind of buns. It's a different recipe and the method also differs from the ones I'm used to making. Also, I didn't know where to buy pork floss ("yuk si" in Singapore) so I scoured the net for a recipe and played with the proportions a bit.

Masarap pa din but I really want to get the texture of the bread right. =)


*Picture taken with my phone. I still didn't have my digital camera then. (Note: 2012 December 26)

2008 September 17 - Bread Adventure

While my cinnamon rolls are baking in the oven, I'll tell you about my blueberry cream cheese-filled bread. I think it'll be better if I let the pictures speak for themselves. I just took the photographs with my phone so excuse the quality.

 

The first picture is, of course, uncooked. Kitang kita naman e hehe. Glazed with egg wash so it's a bit shiny. The blueberry filling is already inside the dough. =D This was my first time to make this so I was a bit nervous if I had anything to eat after. Gutom na gutom pa naman ako hehehe.

It didn't take long to cook and soon the aroma of blueberries emanated from the oven. Yep, they taste as good as they look. ;)

Speed Racer - Unmasked

I saw this on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufmiUR5at7Q) and thought it was funny. And when I scrolled to read some of the comments, I found the reply posted by Ukiby3000 to be really funny:


"This totally destroys the phrase "There is no harm in asking" XD. That was totally hilarious, for some reason."


Enjoy!

In This Family...

Got this clip from "America's Funniest Videos." Awww-inspiring hehe =)

Britain's Got Talent 2008 - Escala (String Quartet)

Electric string quartet Escala performing Karl Jenkins' Palladio.

Britain's Got Talent 2008 - Andrew Johnston

Andrew Johnston singing "Pie Jesu" =D

2008 Feb 25 - Panagbenga 2008 (Saturday)

Last Saturday, with my guest in tow, I decided to brave this year's Panagbenga celebration. The traffic wasn't as bad as I had expected. The flyover at the junction of Kennon Road, Marcos Highway, Kisad & Gov. Pack Road really did the trick. While some Baguio residents may grumble that it destroyed the once simple scenery, the flyover really eased up the traffic way better than if the road had just been widened. Of course, there is no denying that certain GOVernment officials did make money off of it. Hindi ENGeng ang mga tao. Hehehe.

We went to mass at 6:15AM then drove towards Burnham Park after. After finding a parking space, we walked to the pedestrian overpass that connected Sunshine, Maharlika & Tiongsan. The trick to finding a perfect spot is to go really really early so you can stake claim to a spot along the ledge otherwise get ready to enjoy heads that smell of perspiration. OR you can stake a place along the roads the parade will be passing through. A sensible thing to do is to make sure you know the parade route by asking the cops or organizers. Bring a bit of food and beverage because once you pick a spot, don't leave it. Don't forget to bring a handkerchief or a small towel because in certain spots you'll be assaulted by a stench coming from somewhere. We managed to get a place with a good view of the parade but unfortunately there was a restroom below. EAU DE TOILET! HEHEHE

BE CAREFUL and AWARE of your belongings even during regular days. I can never stress this enough. The pickpockets here are skillful. You won't know who they are because there are no stereotypes. They can be school kids and college girls. If you position yourself in Harrison Road and observe the pedestrian overpass during tourist and non-tourist days you'll see the innocent looking kolehiyala is actually -- TADA! -- a very adept kolehiyala pickpocket! So, when visiting Baguio, be wary in public places. =D

The lessons I've learned at the Panagbenga is that no matter where I positioned myself along the ledge I found myself beside the MOST ANNOYING characters! The man on my right climbed and positioned himself on the ledge with his daughters and tried inching his way into my space. HAH! Ako pa hinamon nya e ang taba ko compared to his thin frame HEHEHE. When the parade started he would comment loudly in his whiney voice that it was "panget", "mas maganda ang chinese new year" etc etc. We gave him a simple advice: sandali lang naman yan hijo e di wag ka manood! Sosme. I don't see anyone holding a gun to your head and making you watch! Tumahimik naman after a while. BUT whenever he heard a Mt. Province tune played by the bands he would loudly burst into song! AUGHHHH!

My friend found herself being jostled to give space to latecomers. E malaki sya. She looked at them in the eye and said "kaya mo ako?" They took one look at her and backed-off HE HE HE.

The street dancing parade was fun but after a while it started to get monotonous because you see the same things over and over again. The lull between groups was a bit long. Think "dead air". Also, after watching group upon group perform you'd wish it was over. Just when you thought the parade had ended you'd see another group going down Session Road. Grabe. It could vie for the longest parade record. Wala akong tiyaga.

Some groups did stand out like the beautiful national costume of the Korean community as well as the graceful dance of the gay community. The costumes and choreography of some groups were interesting and colorful. The kids were adorable. However, there were children who were made to dance like the Sex Bomb Dancers, gyrating to music that bordered on the obscene. And we wonder why the Philippines is one of the most popular pedophile tourist spots. =/

The bands played the Panagbenga song and several tunes recognizably from "Drumline". All in all, it was a fun and educating experience. However, after several hours we found ourselves yawning so we left the coveted spot to seek oasis at O Mai Khan.