Sept 21, 2007 (Friday) – Dinner with Anil and other MM 2005 batchmates here in the Makati City.
Present: Anil, Shan, Cat, Dennis C and fiance Jen, John R, Boboy and wife Guia, Jobet and wife Joy.
other photos taken are here: (title: “Some September Shots” album in the Album Section)
– Sep 26, ’07 7:46 PM
Sept 15, 2007 (Sat): Kimono Ken eaters.
Despite news of a “bagyo’ the tv ads basics seminar in Ortigas pushed through. Lunch at “Kimono Ken” at Shangri-La Crossings proceeded. Sayang walang nakaisip kumuha ng video.
Sept 20, 2007 (Thurs): Out-of-the-blue HOSL Reunion.
A surprise call from Maita, whose only boy is my first ever godson (all the others were girls). She, Idyl and Willie who were some of my officemates from Sara Lee Direct Selling were in town for a training. After checking that I had no issues with my work, I said bye to my boss who was online and met them at “Starbucks” Glorietta. It was hiliarious how they tried to find where GB3 was..since I told them I would be there…I forgot to tell them Greenbelt..akala nila store..hahaha..
Afterwards we proceeded to Italianni’s where we all had an after-dinner snacks. Reminiscing about how long its been since we first worked for Sara Lee..it was a good way to find out where the others in our batch are now scattered to.
Sept 21, 2007 (Fri): Dinner with Anil and other MM2005 peeps.
Anil, who was in town for a series of seminars in Ortigas…came all the way from India. So Jobet arranged for those of us who were in Manila to be meeting Anil for dinner. First choice was “Oody’s” at GB3…but we didn’t know it was under renovation. Well, no matter…there are other restaurants..and we ended up in “Thousand Cranes Shabu Shabu” on the 2nd floor of GB3. Aside from finding out one of our eligible bachelors (ehem) was getting married…I also found out the other classmate would be a father again.
Sept 22, 2007 (Sat): Belated Bday celebration
Friday, Sept 21 was Maita’s birthday. Unfortunately by the time they contacted me that night, after the reunion dinner with Anil…my headache which I tried to hold at bay during dinner wouldn’t go away. So we agreed to meet for lunch today. The others had to leave for Visayas and Mindanao so Maita and I ended up eating lunch at “Mangan’s” in Glorrieta. Unfortunately since they had not planned on seeing me…they were not able to extend their trip. I hope next time we can go to Enchanted Kingdom..
– Sep 26, ’07 6:29 PM
Note: missing pics in Multiply album, can only share what was left intact
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Classics |
Being a member of a Japanese Club in the office has its perks. We were invited to a screening at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 2 – to the 1st International Silent Film festival, sponsored by the Goethe-Institut, Institute Cervantes and Japan Foundation, along with other organizations. The last Japanese films I saw were those of Akira Kurosawa-sama’s and the funny “Zaotichi”…so I hurriedly made my way (on a slightly less full stomach) to the theater, so I could be the first in my group to queue.As I am no stranger to Murphy’s Law……a problem with the free tickets, which was solved in my case, went back to bite me later in the butt…by making me miss the first half the story. It was a pity too since I could hear the audience react positively to the scenes which were subtly funny…but since my other comrades were not allowed in due to the dearth of tickets…and ended up leaving…I was still lucky to see half of the film and appreciate the lesson – a valid one still to this day – which was competently driven home by the director.
The film shown on September 13, 2007 was “A Monster Serpent” or “Orochi”. Aside from striking my fancy since I first came across this term in “Ranma 1/2” manga…I was further entranced when I found out that there would be music provided live during the screening by Makiling Ensemble.
It was my first ever experience to watch a silent film with live people alternating between furious beats on the drum, the haunting strains of a violin..to a voice going up and down the musical scale. The music, coupled with the Japanese script on the film (with appropriate English subtitles of course) along with the exaggerated actions of the actors made it all the more an enjoyable experience which I wish I could savor again and again.
This film is directed by Buntaro Futagawa and came out in 1925. This is one of the few silent chambara-samurai warrior picture films to survive in relatively complete form at this point in time. The print comes with narration which explains the action of all characters.
Synopsis (taken from the brochure):
Set in the castle town in Japan’s feudal age, this film depicts the trials and tribulations of Heizaburo Kuritomi, whose troubles stem from his love with two beautiful women of which he cannot convince either that he is a good man. He then becomes a killer trying to save one of them from a criminal who had rescued him subsequently after his escape from prison.
The protagonist Heizaburo Kuritomi, is an honorable but low-class samurai who is given an emotional depth, previously unseen in Jidaigeki films, as he battles with inner conflict and the injustices of society.
Jidaigeki (時代劇, is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan.
The name means “period drama,” and the period is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1600 to 1868. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning “sword fight”, though chambara is really a sub group. They have a set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines – from wikipedia).
This emotional depth of our unlucky Heizaburo can be clearly seen in the closing sequence of the film where the protagonist is dragged away by his enemies after his very heroic efforts to protect his love (and her sick samurai husband…darn him!) . I’ve read somewhere that in the essay, “Bantsuma’s ‘New Breeze'”, Midori Sawato points to the ending of Orochi as one of the most ‘heroic and heartcrushing’ images she has seen, and I am inclined to agree. The heroes of these kinds of films at that time were proud samurai of the upper classes who always triumphed over their evil opponents, upholding what was truly right in the world (yey!). However, Orochi was created in response to the national and military fanaticism that was prevailing at the time in Japan.
The now famous opening lines strike a chord: ‘not all those who wear the name of villain, are truly evil men. Not all those who are respected as noble men, are worthy of the name. Many are those who wear a false mask of benevolence to hide their treachery and the wickedness of their true selves,‘’
…well, actually this sums up in a nutshell the whole story. First you will feel amused at how our samurai ends up in jail a couple of times even though he truly has not committed any wrong. Gradually, it begins to dawn on you how ironic it all is – he who is innocent, is now an object of utmost fear from the village people..while the village lord who shelters him..who is widely respected by the town folk turns out to be a villain who is as nasty in his true form (if he only shows it)..as Heizaburo is as pure of heart in the opposite end of the spectrum.
There is also the exhilarating fight scene which marks this kind of film…where the director’s new sword fighting style may have attracted its fair share of audiences, but I would like to think that there were also a lot of people who were deeply touched by the profound message of the film.
I came away feeling not despondent..not angry…but calm and accepting.
The themes tackled in this film are still prevalent today, and sometimes more so in the country where I live in. But the eternal optimist in me cannot be held back for long. Surely..surely..somebody will see the pure heart of people who are like Heizaburo..- only judged for his appearance and the unfortunate circumstances in which he is not allowed to explain his side.
Link: http://www.travelersshoppes.com/
…luckily the last time, I did so..I was already in Ohio..so the delivery was faster coz I was nearer already and able to talk to the ones manning the shop.
Ahay..sayang..nag sale sila ulit ng Tumi bags and others at big, big discounts..but I was already back here in the Philippines at that time…
Sept 9, 2007 – at Villarica Subdivision Clubhouse in Cainta, Rizal
Aside from it being the 7th and 5th bday celebration of Ms Gigi and Ernie’s children, it was a good chance as any to have a semi-reunion with previous officemates who I have not seen for some time …except when they are online (if di bawal ang YM sa office nila).
Got to be a godmother again today, to Giahna…but I’m pretty sure I have an easy task ahead of me as her ninang since her parents are doing great in guiding her and her brother on the road to living a life worthy of being children of God.
….one problem with candid shots is that just when you think you’ve got the subject in a good pose which is picture-worthy…a passerby adds a humorous twist to the picture you are taking…but don’t you just love these kind of pictures?
Enjoy!
– Sep 10, ’07 3:02 AM
God works in mysterious ways – there I was, turning one way or another about my decision to get another cellphone – since the one I really wanted was too expensive even at a reduced price.
Then I jabbered someone who was in charge of the corporate phones we had at the office…I was irritated since Globe had lost my application, which was sent to them last March 2007.
The next thing I know, Minnie S remarked offhandedly that her dad got a free phone from Globe…so I called the said provider…and asked if there was a promo (they probably could not keep up with notifying every loyal subscriber personally).
Globe told me were giving free phones (with a catch of course) until August 31, 2007.
And that is how I came up with a Nokia 6300 out of the other choices I had (nope, they were not giving the Treo 750 nor the Nokia N90…*sniffles*)
Since I was not in the mood for reading the user manual..I tested the 2 mp camera on it..and here’s the motley collection of pictures.
Shots taken during – lunch at Paseo Center Pho Hoa restaurant, a J-club pictorial, impromptu lunch at Tokyo-Tokyo, and a birthday party/dedication of one of my friend’s daughter and son, (said daugther now happens to be my godchild).
All pictures I post in multiply are unedited..so please excuse the fuzziness, weird angles and out of focus shots…but let me have the fun of still sharing them with you!
– Sep 10, ’07 1:54 AM
| Category: | Other |
Corporate Lesson 1
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her
shower when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a
towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the
next door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you
$800 to drop that towel,” After thinking for a moment, the woman drops
her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob
hands her $800 dollars and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and
goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks,
“Who was that?” “It was Bob the next door neighbor,” she replies.
“Great!” the husband says, “did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”
> Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to
credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a
position to prevent avoidable exposure.
Corporate Lesson 2
A priest offered a lift to a Nun. She got in and crossed her legs,
forcing her habit to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident.
After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The
nun said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his hand.
But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun
once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest apologized
“Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.” Arriving at the convent, the nun
went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look
up Psalm 129. It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find
glory.”
> Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you
might miss a great opportunity.
Corporate Lesson 3
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to
lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.! They rub it and a Genie
comes out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.” “Me
first! Me first!” says the admin. clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas,
driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.” Poof! She’s gone. “Me
next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on
the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas
and the love of my life.” Poof! He’s gone. “OK, you’re up,” the Genie
says to the manager. The manager says, “I want those two back in the
office after lunch.”
> Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Corporate Lesson 4
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A rabbit asked
him, “Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?” > The crow
answered: “Sure, why not” So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the
crow, and rested. A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
> Moral of the! story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be
sitting very high up.
Corporate Lesson 5
A turkey was chatting with a bull. “I would love to be able to get to
the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, but I haven’t got the
energy.” “Well, why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull.
“They’re packed with nutrients.” The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and
found that it gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of
the tree. The next day after eating some more dung, he reached the
second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched
at the top of the tree. Soon he was spotted by a farmer, who shot the
turkey out of the tree.
> Moral of the story: BULLSHIT MIGHT GET YOU TO THE TOP, BUT IT WON’T KEEP YOU THERE
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
..its all a play on words I say (or rather letters)…this was in the scene when they interrogate a French-speaking Chinese-looking assassin with the help of a nun…I’ve sunk low in the ladder of entertaining movies…
Chris Tucker looks fatter, and I still like Jackie Chan although he is older… we still have some great action..and there are scenes reminiscent of the previous films, like the contravida na babae, the leaping on the banner and the obligatory street chase. What also made me enjoy the movie was all those scenes filmed in Paris…I was daydreaming as to the day when I could visit this city…and try out my “oui Monsieur” and of course taste the great French cuisine…
A familiar character (I think from The Last Samurai?) is Kenji. At first I was wondering what his and Jackie’s relationship was when they called each other brother.and here was Kenji speaking in Japanese..and Jackie is obviously from HK..so there was confusion at first..and some stink too when they landed in the sewers…but at least..French sewers eh?
The female character Genevieve will also give a va-va-voom effect to the guys watching the film…but old characters from the series are there to give you that comfortable feeling of familiarity (the Chinese ambassador is a throwback to the earlier films) …
I really do not want to give away too much on the plot (which is thinner than a slice of pan pizza hehehe) but if you want a good time and some relaxation from the stress of work, take time out to watch the movie. No startling answers to philosophical questions will bombard your mind, but at least you will laugh gleefully (if you are like me, shallow ang kaligayahan)…honestly, some of the plot twists are predictable (about Reynard for one as being a baddie)….but maybe its a surfeit of teleseryas which has given me an advantage…
Of course, one thing I also look forward to in Jackie Chan’s movies are the outtakes at the end of the film..and they still amused me…I shouldn’t probably be too amused since I also twist my words around but how secret and seafood..and El Pollo Loco can come out so convoluted is a wonder to me…
I came home after a peep into a sale at PowerBooks.. and my stomach growled since I had only popcorn and a soda during the movie. Being too lazy to cook anymore, I heated up 2 piecs of Spanish bread (why the heck is this called Spanish bread I don’t know)
….and I amused myself (and satisfied my hunger too) by looking at pictures of food and a stash of recipe doodlings I had…
…and since I love cheese, here is one for you gals!
Mind you I have not tried it out since I have never bought leeks (though I heard they are good for warding off colds).
LEEKS AU GRATIN
Ingredients;
6 leeks
4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
Process:
– Remove the top portion of the leeks and throw away the first and second outer leaves. Trim the base and cut leeks in half lengthways. Rinse them well.
– Pour the stock into a saucepan and boil. Add leeks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the leeks from the stock and drain.
– Place leeks in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the combined cheese, butter and the breadcrumbs. Bake in moderate oven for 10 minutes.
Serves one (me!) hehehe…or ok, maybe 6 people, depending on their love for leeks.
For a more intense feeling…I mean taste, you can replace with spring onions. How about asparagus now that we are speaking of variations?
Yummy..and its good medicine too…
August 4, 2007 – Pearl had given MeAnn and moi a heads-up thru a PM here in Multiply that her office was going to have a sale – on things to make a girl’s heart go pitter-patter..
I was excited and happy about the fact that not only are the items (bags and hats made of natural straw, accessories like bracelets and necklaces etc.) proudly Philippine-made but this would be my first time meeting Pearl in person….and hopefully..if MeAnn and Faith could also make it, this would be a great start to a friendship which will again sprout from Multiply. How cool is that?
I came home around 4 am from the office on this saturday and I set my alarm clock so that I could meet with her in Greenbelt National Bookstore. Of course, since pawing through items takes a lot of energy, I was looking forward to having brunch or more appropriately lunch with her before we would set off for her office here in Makati.
A place to eat and to swap getting-to-know you anecdotes was chosen – Italianni’s (I was also hoping to see a glimpse of customers who may he handsome Italian men..mwahaha!)….and I was particularly grateful that so far, all the people I have communicated with post-wise in Multiply, turned out to be pretty easy people to talk to in person, and Pearl was no exception to this. I felt comfortable talking and listening to her, and she had gems of stories and lessons to share which were very inspiring..but I leave her to blog that one of these days (*hint na to kay Pearl*)
However, more on that later as I really wanted to just get the pictures up to share with the network here (hehehe..Nona!…may mga secreto na about you na alam ko na kc tinanong ko si Pearl…..*grin* …..kidding!)
<…and more descriptions to follow, will also try to take pictures of some of the stuff I brought home with me, thanks to Pearl’s help and kindness!>
– Aug 5, ’07 2:07 AM
| Category: | Other |
For after-work or during-work snacks, you can try doing these..they will keep crisp in an airtight container for probably 4 days.
Ingredients:
pita bread
melted butter (I use Anchor)
crushed fresh garlic cloves (I never tried the dried ones)
chopped fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese
Process:
1. Split the pita bread into your desired shapes..I usually just go with the wedges
2. Mix butter, basil and garlic in a bowl.
3. Put the pita wedges on a lightly oiled baking tray (since I don’t have an honest to goodness oven for baking, I opted for an oven toaster, which you can also try).
Brush the wedges with the butter mixture then sprinkle with the Parmesan.
4. Bake until golden brown and crisp..
I purposely did not put in the quantity and ratio to be used so those who dare experiment can adjust to their taste bud levels.
Next time I make it, I will take a picture and catch up in posting it here.
These are easy to prepare snacks which can be popped back into the oven with a sprinkle of olive oil…and it becomes ready for munching.
Of course I rate it 3 stars at least, but reviewing my own work seems self-serving, however I will be posting here future food or resto reviews…
Possible variations which I tried:
– using sun-dried tomatoes
– substituting mozarella cheese instead of Parmesan
– tomato sauce to make it look like a pizza wedge, and adding Tabasco
– native cheese
Judgement? Still yummy!
As they say, cooking is not just a science, its also art…
The Curious Cat 