My Fave Pics from the Debut

We really do not like having our pictures taken… NOT!!!

Here’s some of the many shots I luuuuurvve!

Me and My hubby

solo ko

Mama, Me & my sister Chi

Me, my sister & niece Sophia

Me & Darang Benny

Japan-Japan with my folks

pretty ladies

The other pictures are already placed in the album in my FB account.

I Actually Had Fun Playing Dress Up

My cousin Angelie celebrated her 18th birthday last Saturday night at the Pan Pacific Hotel. That’s why the Manansalas had another excuse to play dress up and party till we drop hehehe.

Anyway, worrying about getting the perfect gift for the birthday girl and finding the right dress, shoes and accessories for the party is finally over. My legs hurt from walking around various malls in search of our gift & the perfect party togs for me.

You might be surprised but I really, REALLY, hate shopping for clothes. I’ve never been petite so shopping for dresses usually involve enduring the shame of finding the right dress size (which is 2 or more sizes bigger than what should have been at my age). And of course, let’s not forget to mention the attitude of the sales ladies who had to help find my size hehehe.

But thankfully, when I checked out the sale at Cinderella in Robinsons Place Manila, I found a couple of dresses that fits my budget & body. My choices were down to these 2:

But ended up buying dress number 2 but with a different print. Check out my picture with my hubby…

And for a closer look (medyo tago pa ang tummy ko hehe)…

I’ve actually gone down 1 (or 2?) size/s smaller these days.  So buying the dress was easier than before. I think I only had to bother the sales lady twice to find the right size wahahaha.

Btw, did you notice my hair? Fresh from plantsa that’s why it’s straight. Only had to pay P350 for my hair & make up, thanks to Ejemplo Salon near our place. And the makeup artist-slash-hairstylist looked like Kim Joong Hoon… kung naging bading lang siya wahahaha.

Haaayyyy… I really had fun getting prettied up. Who’d have thunk it?

What’s New With My Multiply

After two hours of photoshop & finding the right CSS codes to edit, I now have Kwon Sang Woo in my Multiply account’s skin.

This is the header…

This is the footer…

Gandara, right? Now, I guess I’ll just have to start posting at this site again so that I can show how it looks like now hehehe.

Do I Know My Korean Actors?

Funny how I have become addicted to Asian novellas & movies (particularly the Korean series & films) even though I still have trouble remembering the names of the actors & actresses I’ve watched and placed in my favorites list.

Just to give you an example, Kwon Sang Woo recently topped my favorite Korean actor’s list when I started watching Cinderella Man on MySoju. And when I searched the net about his movies & series, I found out that I’ve actually watched him a couple of years ago in the movie My Tutor Friend. It was part of this 16-in-1 DVD I bought even before Stairway to Heaven became a hit in Manila.

CINDERELLA MAN

MY TUTOR FRIEND

Another examples are the stars of Princess Hours (Goong): Joo Ji Hoon (as the crown prince) & Yoon Eun Hye (as the princess). My niece Sophia was actually the one who noticed that Ji Hoon starred in the films Antique Bakery & The Naked Chef (which I bought & watched before I started watching Goong) when she was browsing thru my DVD collection.

PRINCESS HOURS (GOONG)

ANTIQUE BAKERY                                            THE NAKED KITCHEN

Meantime, while watching The First Shop of Coffee Prince last Saturday with my husband, he noticed that the heroine looks like that princess from Princess Hours. So I actually started looking for a resemblance & if not for her 2 front teeth I wouldn’t have recognized her. Eun Hye played the character of a man perfectly (as in pati mannerisms ng guys, kuha nya) & her hair is cut short in Coffee Prince that’s why it took me a few minutes before I could agree with Felix hehehe.

THE FIRST SHOP OF COFFEE PRINCE

Ang galing ng memory ng husband and niece ko no? They were able to make the connection agad. But me, I’m really hopeless at recognizing them immediately. But, of course, in the case of Kwon Sang Woo, I’ve recently perfected picking his face (and film/series) from various DVDs displayed in the stalls hehehe.

As for the others, I have to search the internet for the casts’ names and filmography since the covers and cases of the DVDs I bought are either written in Korean or too undecipherable. In fact, just try reading the synopsis at the back covers and you too would have a headache. Everything seems literally translated into English and it just doesn’t make sense hehe.

I guess buying original DVDs would have helped

Me and Cinderella Man

Those who had a glimpse of my blog life would know that it is never complete without any mention of TV, movies or books.

Case in point: all I seem to be doing these days is watch TV series & movies (either downloaded or thru DVDs) and read books instead of going out with friends or family. Good thing my husband is as addicted to the series I watch now. Otherwise, this would spell trouble for us with a capital T… hehehe.

Anywho, although I still load my Boys Over Flowers DVD when I miss looking at Gu Jun Pyo, I have also discovered a new and funny Koreanovela titled Cinderella Man. The story has been likened to that of The Prince and the Pauper… with a twist.

Lee Jun Hee is the rich man who hires a poor man, Oh Dae San, to pose as him for a day. Aside from being physically identical, both Jun Hee and Dae San are as different as night and day. The former is rich but physically frail and an introvert while the latter is poor but healthy and very much a people person hehe.

Of course, there’s no mystery about why they look alike since the opening episode hinted at twin babies being born. And what happens with the switch, what they discover and how their lives are affected is told in the 16 episodes (no spoiler here hehe).

The bad news about this series is that it is still being aired in Korea and I have to wait for fresh uploads at Mysoju.com & Viikii.net. Those episodes available in YouTube does not have English subs yet.

Now for the good part and the reason I wanna watch it (aside from the funny antics of all the characters and the love story/ies involved) is because the actor who played both Jun Hee and Dae San is Kwon Sang Woo.

Sang Woo has become a new favorite of mine thru this series although those who’ve watched Stairway to Heaven (I still have to check this one out) would definitely know him hehe.

This is how he looks:

Oh man, check out those abs!!! hehehe.

The jury is still out on whether I like him more with the eyeglasses on. So I’m still undecided if I like his classic (as Jun Hee) or rugged (as Dae San) looks.

Top-12 Signs of Addiction to Boys Over Flowers

1. When you find yourself awake until 4am on a weekday because you can’t help but watch one episode after another.
2. When you find yourself spending any work break you get by watching the episodes via online streaming since you had to leave the pirated DVD at home because your niece wants to watch it too.
3. When you do the above mentioned viewing even though work break is over.
4. When you flood your Facebook & Twitter status about BOF and how you lurrrrrve it.
5. When you start convincing yourself that male teenagers dressing up smartly (complete with coats, vests & ties) for “school” is totally normal (instead of the regular school uniform) & that they do not even look ridiculous.
6. When you find yourself sighing, or worse, giggling like the other Shinhwa high school students at every glimpse of the F4.
7. When you find yourself googling the show for information when you’re supposed to be doing normal things like working or sleeping.
8. When you’ve started replacing your netbook desktop’s background image from Twilight (which, may I add, you were gung-ho on until yesterday) to pictures of anything BOF.
9. When you can’t decide which image to stick to for your desktop background because you’ve just googled (& saved in your HD) a fresh batch of photos of Jun Pyo, Ji Hoo, Yi Jung & Woo Bin.
10. When you find yourself replacing your Yahoo Messenger display image from that shot of you & your husband kayaking to a shirt-less Lee Min Ho (Jun Pyo).
11. When you start blogging about the tops signs of your addiction to the Koreanovela which, incidentally, also involve googling for the characters’ names (real & screen names) because you can’t remember said names but still love the show.
12. When you’re okay with knowing that Korean’s F4 are hotties eventhough they are totally too young for you.

So, if your experiencing one or a couple of these symptoms, then may I suggest that you seek help now.

As in today na! =D

Twitting thru Smart’s SMS

Finally!

I’ve successfully posted a twit by sending an email to a Twittermail account using Smart’s SMS service or Text Mail. Twittermail immediately posts your message to your Twitter account.

I’ve been looking for ways I can Twit using my Treo 680 phone. I’ve even downloaded a free apps called moTwit (for Palm OS) which uses your network’s GPRS service for connection.

In my case, that would mean P10.00 per 30 minute connection to the internet even though I only need one or two minutes to Twit. Takai, no?

In times of financial crisis, I really need a cheaper alternative hehehe.

So I Googled “Smart Communications + Twitting” and eventually ended up knowing about Twitter Mail. Then I remembered that I used to send emails thru local SMS and decided to look for more information about it. Smart’s CS, of course, couldn’t give me the number where I can send my email thru SMS. Thank goodness the web has info about it hehe.

Anywho, here’s what I did:

1. Create an account at Twittermail.com – signing up is free and easy. You just need to provide your Twitter username and password and the web will generate your own Twittermail addy (Ex. xxx@twittermail.com).

2. Activate MMS – According to Smart’s CS, you need to send this message to 211: MMS [space] ON

3. Compose your Twit using SMS - Using a Treo 680, I typed in: TWITTERMAIL ADDY [space] (SUBJECT) [space] POST. The Subject should be in parenthesis. You have the option to show the subject in your post by changing the settings in your Twittermail account. I opted to hide mine that’s why my actual post did not display it.

Example: xxx@twittermail.com (SMS Twit Test) if u can read this, then I’ve twitted thru Smart’s SMS. Oray!

4. Send message to 200 – You’ll know you’ve successfully posted your Twit because TextMail will send you a message like the one I received:

“TextMail: Message sent to 200xxxxxxxxx (xxx@twittermail.com)! The email address has been added to your AddressBook. Know more about TextMail, text HELP to 200. P2.50/txt.”

So that’s it. If you’ll follow steps 1 to 4, you’ll have no problem twitting while mobile. Just remember, that Twitting thru SMS costs P2.50 per message sent.  If you opted to receive replies thru this service, Smart will charge P2.50 per message received. So unless it’s really necessary, opt to not receive replies thru TextMail hehehe.

A Foodie in Thailand

One of the joys I get from traveling to a neighboring country in Asia is discovering something… what’s the word?… familiar. For instance, Pinoys love eating rice and when we go to Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore we can always find a resto offering steamed or fried rice.

When I went to Bangkok last October 2008, I was already prepared to savor spicy foods. I’ve even planned to “food trip” with my officemates aside from the usual bargain hunting. And as expected, from the buffet breakfast served in our hotel to the dinners we had in our 3-day stay, I pigged out on both new (sometimes really tongue burning) and (to my surprise) almost familiar dishes.

Take a peek at what I enjoyed eating in Thailand.

Binatog ng mga Thais

This was offered at the dessert table of this small city hotel in Bangkok (I forgot the name of the hotel but it’s just near the Pratunam market):  Mais (sweet corn), niyog and white sugar… yummy!

Chicken Sotanghon Soup (Thai style)

Also offered by the same hotel… a bit spicier than the regular Filipino sotanghon soup

Super Sweet Guava Fruit

It is soooo sweet you’ll definitely want to finish the whole fruit. Besides, it comes in two colors: green and red (with food color na hehe).

Buffet Breakfast @ Arnoma Hotel

Despite the various choice dishes (and cereals), I always try to have sinangag (fried rice) for breakfast, where ever I may be hehehe.

Shabu-Shabu @ Central World Mall

We’re crazy about hot pots but this resto in Bangkok does not have sate sauce. Thank goodness, they have patis (fish sauce).

Reminiscing about my food trip in Thailand has made me hungry.  I wonder, what flavor would I be experiencing this year. If our company survives the financial crisis and our Taiwan market continues to pick up, there might be another free company trip abroad for me and my officemates late this year. Yey!

Note:  I’ve been so lazy that I only get to blog about my experiences abroad months (and even years) after I’ve been there. I still have to blog about the food in Hong Kong, Malaysia & Singapore…sigh.

I Wanna Watch a Jason Mraz Concert

View all Manila events on Eventful

Tube Love

Tomorrow is the start of a long weekend again because Filipinos are observing the Lent Season this week. Most of Pinoys have started their vacation early by filing for their unused leaves as early as Tuesday.  In my case, I opted to still go to work until today (Wednesday) so I can finish downloading my favorite series & movies in the office.

I do have DSL at home but I find the one in the office much faster for DLs. So for two days, while working (yup, I had some reports to finish before Maundy Thursday), my uTorrent is doing its business in the background.

Forgive me for sounding like I’m gearing up for a vacation mode by planning a series of DVD marathons instead of getting spiritually ready this Holy Week. We used to do a Pabasa before as my father’s community project as barangay chairman. But since sister Elong (a former barangay council member) has passed and now that papa has retired as chairman, the buck has been passed to the new leader.

Besides, since I’ve started working, I have looked forward to Holy Week as a long vacation instead of just a religious event. Either we spend it on my sister’s place in Bulacan (where we can swim the hot days away) or just at home (where I read or do DVD marathons). This week, my husband and I would just be staying in and hopefully I have burned enough DVDs to last us ’til Sunday. ‘Course, we can always fall back on what’s available on Sky Cable hehe.

Speaking of tv series, I have new favorites these days. Fringe is one, a sci-fi TV series that has been described as a cross between the X-Files, the Twilight Zone and Dark Angel. It stars Joshua Jackson (he’s definitely grown from his Mighty Ducks days hehe) and Anna Torv (wish I can look as hot as her haha) and both investigates a series of events/crimes involving fringe science (telepathy, levitation, invisibility, reanimation, genetic mutation, psychokinesis, teleportation, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, precognition, dark matter, cybernetics, suspended animation, transmogrification, etc). I have finished viewing Season 1 a few months ago and am just waiting for the next Season.

Then there’s The Tudors which stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers (ohhhh… I do lurrrrve him hehehe), Henry Cavill (lurvvvve him also), Sam Neil, Natalie Dormer and Jeremy Northam among others. The series chronicles the reign of Henry VIII (played by Meyers) and HBO’s version has certainly intrigued me enough to read more about that period.

Another is The Big Bang Theory. Although I have been hearing good reviews from friends about it, I was only able to view Season 1 last week. Needless to say, I’ve fallen in love with the girl-meet-geeks series and couldn’t stop laughing at their antics. I’ve also started viewing Season 2 last night and have just finished DL-ing episode 19 today.

I hope these series don’t get canned too soon.