Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Return of the Comeback

Okay, okay, I'm sorry for not updating this blog. Work's been insane, and when you add a food blog (which was something I had to update EVERYDAY to pass a subject) and a weekend trip to Baguio, my time with this blog has been seriously compromised. Things are slowing down just a wee bit, so I'm taking this opportunity to write here before my students kill me (apparently, they think I'm holding out on them by not updating this blog while requiring them to post on theirs three times a week).

My movie countdown has screetched to a halt. I've seen 6 out of the 50 movies I have lined up, and I was supposed to write short comments on them which I never got around to do because of the food blog. I will finish that sooner or later.

Speaking of food blogs, I created a Wordpress site as a requirement in one of my subjects for graduate school. It's called Blue Plates: Rants and Raves of a Food Fanatic, and it's all about food, food, and more food; basically anything and everything that has to do with food and eating. We had to post a new entry everyday for a week, so yeah, this was where I focused my energy. And believe me, pigging out for a week takes a loooooooot of energy.

Now that we're on the subject of pigging out, I went up to Baguio last weekend with a couple of friends to, um, eat, bask in the cold, eat, drink, eat, play mini-golf, take pictures, sleep, and eat some more. It was so cold up there (10 degrees!), we used the ledge of our hotel window as our cooler. Aylavet. On our way back to Manila, we got lost and ended up in a fair (perya) with scary, unstable ferris wheels, makeshift haunted houses, and shooting ranges. The last time I went to a perya was way back in highschool during one of our December trips to Ilocos. Everything about that fair in Pangasinan was so nostalgic, I almost didn't want to leave.

We stopped over Tarlac for dinner and accidentally found the infamous Tacsiyapo wall, where you can buy a plate and break them by throwing it to a wall. I'm not a very violent person (I do get easily frustrated, though), but I have to admit that there was a slight feeling of satisfaction after I threw a mug and watched it shatter to pieces. That breaking sound is somewhat intoxicating that you can't help but throw some more. You can throw plates, mugs, pitchers, bowls, and even a TV. If it weren't too far away from home, I'd probably be a regular. :))

And I think that's about enough for an update. Hopefully, my next post will have more sense and coherence than this.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Resolutions

First of all, let me all greet you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Here's to hoping for a brighter, better, and more meaningful 2011 for all of us! ^_^


Here's something I did for my high school friends - a new year greeting card. The picture was taken in Casa San Pablo, Laguna where we had an amazing overnight stay filled with good food, grownup girl bonding, Absolut Kurant, and intense and competitive games, like Scrabble (hey, when you have an editor-in-chief, a "Best English Communicator" awardee, two English teachers, a writer, and a bunch of Grammar Nazis playing, then you bet it's gonna get dirty).

Now since it's supposed to be a time for new beginnings, I have a couple of resolutions in mind.

1. WATCH MORE MOVIES. My friends know that I don't watch movies that often. Case in point - I have not seen Spiderman 3 and that was way back what? 2007? So I will watch at least 50 movies this year, may it be the latest blockbuster hit or an all-time classic. Just last night, I saw Wall-E and Enchanted on the Disney Channel. 48 more to go.

2. EXERCISE. I started brisk-walking at least four times a week sometime in December. That's a start, right? But after all the festivities, I have a loooooooot of catching up to do.

3. READ. I honestly believe that people who cannot appreciate a good book lack imagination and creativity. Books are a good source of inspiration and ideas which you can tweak and twist into whatever shape and form you want. Plus, reading can help you expand your vocabulary and improve grammar. I thank my older sister for exposing me to writers like Jessica Zafra, Stephen King, Robert Jordan, etc. and to my bookworm friends. Anyway, back to topic. I will read at least 5 books this year. Baby steps.

4. WRITE MORE SONGS. I might have to bring a small notebook with me, just in case a line pops up suddenly in my head. Also, I won't care if it sounds too "pop" for some people. I can't help it if I grew up listening to pop, and I don't plan on pleasing everybody.

5. SOCIALIZE, aka see my friends more often. I'm also going to try and meet up with friends whom I haven't seen in the longest time, like my good ol' elbi buddies. Oh, and elbi itself. I miss the place.

6. GO ON TRIPS. At least two out of town trips, and maybe one out of the country trip. Whatever my budget allows.

7. SAVE MONEY. Yes, I will unleash my inner Ilocano and go kuripot on everyone. I need the money if I want to do number 6. :)

Aaaaand that's it. I leave you with this very inspiring quote from none other than Lord Voldemort himself:

"Did you know if you wish at 11:11 on 1/1/11 that... nothing'll fucking happen. If you want something, stop wishing & get off your lazy ass."

Check out his Twitter account. Hilarious.