Just Another New Year

What is the best way to spend the days leading up to the New Year?

Do LOTS of stuff!

Cook up a storm

Momsie asked me to make side dishes for a family dinner on the 28th. Since her stove conked out the day prior, I made corn and carrots in garlic-butter sauce... and basil-olive oil grilled eggplant.

After slapping on some sunscreen (aka olive oil, dried basil, salt and pepper), the eggplant slices lounged on my stove-top grill for 2 minutes on each side until they were buttery soft. Sold out on the dinner table!

Throw around a few balls with your family

Family (nuclear + in-laws = one big FAMILY) went to MOA to throw a few balls around. Fun!

Clean up your humble abode

When I arrived here in Manila a week ago, I just dumped all my stuff on the floor. After several days of shopping, all the stuff accumulated on that same spot until Jeni and I had to evict the squatters... Which we did successfully but with much effort and many tears. Mwehehehe...

Stuff your face with a few regional delicacies

Tati brought home some crack...err, butterscotch from her trip to her hometown. Being a self-confessed BS (bullcrap or butterscotch...both apply mwehehehehe!) addict, I stuffed my face with one pack of the sweets and promptly went into a sugar coma. And, yes, that is a fly on my shirt. Coz I am SO full of sh*t (oh YOU are SO wishing it were true, aren't you?!? Libre lang mangarap... tingin muna sa salamin, kafateed!)

Hit a few balls around with sticks

Before we bid farewell to our current neighborhood (moving out early next year), we decided to check out a few local spots and chanced upon a billiard hall/bar/ktv thingamajiggie. They have about 8 (I think) billiard tables, two private KTV rooms (think Prov or a less classy Red Box) and cheap drinks (frozen margarita = 130 bucks. San ka pa?!?) - more than enough to make us stay more than two hours (and have a little too much to drink).

Have fun... and win a few stuffed toys in the process

So since Jen and I had nothing better to do in the last few hours leading up to putukan (*shudder*), we decided to spend those hours at Time Zone. Two hours later, we ended up with three new toys to add to the "babies" taking up precious real estate on my bed. Now Rocco won't sleep alone.

Alone no more...

Whose idea was THAT?!? I plead innocent, your Honor...

~o~o~o~o~o~

2008 - the year that was. It was so NOT uneventful for me. It was this year that...

... I made the move from educator to full-time corporate pain in the behind

... I weeded the men from the boys

... I also weeded the "stay" from the "go"

... I gained weight but gained more friends

... I fell in love again (heehee)

... I experienced snow!

... I said farewell to all that needed to be let go

... I chose to hold on to what needed to be held on to

For 2009, I wish to...

... move into a new place early in the year

... move on with my career (yes, move being the operative word)

... move on with my life (again, move is the operative word)

Yes, fifol of the world... 2009 is the best year to make a HUGE change in my life and I intend to do just that.

Thank you to everyone who was a part of my life this year. You know who you are. Thank you... you all made me who I am and who I am not.

Happy New Year, everyone! Now excuse me while I plug in my earbuds. The firecrackers are getting a wee bit too loud! Hehehe...

My Dream Summer Escape

I need time out. I need to destress. I need to detoxify.

I need to escape and I found the perfect place.

Antulang. It takes my breath away...

I want to stay at the Pool Villa. By my lonesome or with a special someone...

The outdoor jacuzzi would be the perfect place to cuddle while stargazing.

The Secret... come to Momma!!!

(photos from the Antulang Resort website)

The Seoul Train part VI - Seoul Long, Farewell!

My gas, atat na atat nako umuwi. Kagabi pa lang, nag-empake nako.

In less than 48 hours, I will be leaving Seoul. I had fun while I was here and I will miss a lot of things.

When I come back, I definitely know what I want more of:

1. Street food
2. The subway
3. Chilsung Cider
4. Seasonal fruits (persimmons, kiwi and strawberries)
5. Soju
6. kalbitang
7. ice cream
8. Lotte Crunky chocolate bar
9. Technomart
10. Shopping, shopping, shopping!

Goodbye Seoul! See you when I see you...

The Seoul Train Part V - Korea Sparkling

Korea Freezing!

It's freaking -11C right now... and windy too.

Not that I'm complaining... I love the cold. It's an energizing change from the heat and humidity of Manila. The weather is good for walking around and observing the locals. Heck, I can even use the stairs to ascend to our 7th floor office without breaking a sweat!

Well, much as I love the weather, I also have to protect myself. Freezing to death isn't a nice way to go (on second thought, what is?) So I'm glad I have my anti-it's-so-freezing-cold-you-might-freeze-your-nose-off-weather arsenal!

Meet my tulo-ang-sipon-sa-sobrang-ginaw minions:

My Balm Soldiers

No woman (and men too!) in her (his too) right mind would go around without lip balm. The wind is a bitch and staying unprotected has very ugly (and painful) consequences.

I adore the mositurizing qualities of Blistex Complete moisture (blue tube). Imagine your dry, chapped, cracked and bleeding (eeeew) lips are pieces of steak and the balm is like butter. Slathering it on is so good, it's almost orgasmic!

Mint is #1 in my list of lip product flavors (second being strawberry) and so I lurve Burt's Bee's peppermint lip balm. It was a Christmas present from S last year and it's still alive today! I think this is a bottomless tube, as I have been painting it on my lips for 11 months now. Le miracle balm! Hehehehe...

Cherry is not one of my I-like flavors but Nivea Lip Care in Cherry lends a nice color to otherwise pale lips (blame the cold).

And in case you're wondering...yes, I slather them on at the same time. Sequence is right to left. Harhar...

Purple/Pink trench from Banana Republic

When I saw this in the shop, I fell in love with it. I showed it to my mom and gave it her stamp of approval. I heart this coat. It's so un-wintery (color-wise anyway! All I see here is black, gray and all shades of brown) and a bit funky... like something a grandma with three-foot long needles would knit. I sometimes get asked by the college kids here, "where you get your coat?" and I tell them I bought it in Manila. Their eyes widen and they gasp "You have Banana Republic in Philippine?" (Yes honey, we have Louis Vuitton too!) Priceless!

Black Trench from J. Crew

This wasn't one of my choices when I was shopping back home. But another Banana Republic dress I saw (and bought) went well with this so I this sucked out resources from my wallet too. I heart the buttons on the sleeves.

On the inside...

The lining is done in silver and hot pink. I lurve!

Pale pink metallic jacket from ab.plus

This winter-worthy jacket, I got from the mall... on sale! Whee! I'm not particularly fond of pink but my other two color choices were black and gunmetal... Color is so my thing. So pink it was. It's filled with goose down (according to YuMi) and should keep me warm when we go snowboarding. I hope it does. I'd like to have fun, not freeze my butt off thankyouverymuch!

Neck neck mo!

Many people forget about protecting the neck when the weather is chilly and the wind is blowing (blast-freezer is the first thing that comes to mind) but I'm not one of them. I brought two pashminas from home in two colors: hot-pink (yes, I am not a fan of pink!) and sky blue. They kept me quite warm even at -5C temperatures but they're no match for the chilly gusts. For that, I got myself a 9-foot long black muffler from Bean Pole at Shinsegae mall in Non Dae Mun (more on that shopping trip in another post). It's so long I can wrap it around my neck and still have enough material to cover my mouth, nose and ears... and make a swimsuit! Well, maybe not the swimsuit...

Bean Pole = Ralph Lauren?

It's wool and woven in an intriguing pattern, quite unlike the ones I saw at Zara. My other color choice was white but there was no way on Earth I could maintain something white. So I snapped this black one up and didn't think much of the price until I converted it to USD...then to peso. F%cking sh*t! Maygaaad! Buti na lang it's soft and warm... I sleep like a baby in the bus when I wrap this around my neck. Instant pillow!

HeeYong says Bean Pole is like their local Ralph Lauren. Yessiree! I believe that now! Oh my aching wallet...

~*~*~*~*~*~

On a not-so-totally unrelated note, we went to E-mart to get some groceries. Passing thru these scanners, I beeped! I was surprised so I emptied my pockets of metal and still I beeped. The girl manning the scanners frantically tried to communicate to me (in Korean, of course) what the matter was. After about five minutes of frantic Korean (hers), English (mine) and hand gestures (ours both) I discovered the culprit.

Not following directions!

Haller! Nakalimutan ko lang naman gupitin itong lintek na tag na ito na may RF thingamajigee sa loob. Hey, I bought this the day before I had to leave Manila. I just threw it into my suitcase and got it dry-cleaned here. Gimme a break! Mwehehehe...

Yes, it's my beloved purple/pink trench. And it got me into trouble!

Love is such a female dog sometimes...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Listening to: One Step at a Time - Jordin Sparks

We live and we learn to take one step at a time

There's no need to rush

It's like learning to fly or falling in love

It's gonna happen and it's supposed to happen

That we find the reasons why

The Seoul Train Part IV - Seoul-dering On

The whole Pinas contingent went exploring the DMZ (demilitarized zone aka JSA - Joint Securities Zone) with Jean (from the US office), JinSoo, KiKeun and his two adorable sons (spitting images of their handsome father) - JunHyuk (10) and JunHwan (9).

The JSA circa 1970's - from wikipedia

Not being one who is good in history but interested in knowing, I bet wikipedia will give you a better explanation of what the DMZ is, how it came about and why the heck I wanted to see it.

The entire trip was an exercise in patience, restraint, endurance and adventure. I will expound on that in a few moments but before I do, let me say I enjoyed it immensely and I hope I enjoy the rest of my stay here in South Korea. Much as I miss the Philippines and I am excited as heck to get on that plane home in less than a month, I am looking forward to coming back here in early January of next year.

~*~*~*~*~*~
Patience, little grasshoppers!

It took Kikeun and the rest of the group (we were 12 in all) more than two hours to get to DMZ in Paju City, where there are tour buses that leave every 30 mins and last approximately two hours. Along the way, we laughed over how simple words are said in Korean (JinSoo, KiKeun and the kids), Tagalog (the Pinoys), Bisaya (Adam, Terence and yours truly) and in Bahasa (Jean). A few of the things we laughed over are:
** How a rooster crows (Kukurakoo/Tiktilaok/Tugtugaok/Tuktukaroo)
** How a dog barks (Mong-mong/Aw-Aw/i forgot the Bahasa equivalent)
** How a baby cries (Ingee/Uhaaaa/Iwee)
** Turkey sounds (No words can describe this one. Suffice it to say, we laughed until we developed rock-hard abs)

After all that, we sank into pensive silence. Contemplating the barren landscape of ricefields (all empty now), brown mountains (no more leaves on trees because of the coming winter) and people walking quickly, most of them holding closed their jackets at the neck (that day, the temperature was a "balmy" 3C).

The snoring began a few more minutes later. First it was Meng (Adam got a good shot of that). Then it was Joan (Adam also has a picture). The loudest snore of all came from Jean. Of course, Adam got a shot of that too!

The two young men were well behaved during that leg of the trip.

~*~*~*~*~*~
It cost us just 8,700 KRW (approximately 7 USD) to go on that trip but I spent way over 70,000 KRW (about 55USD) buying stuff for people back home. I also bought a pair of pale pink wool gloves to match my winter jacket. Mwehehehehe...

(After that trip, we had dinner at McDonald's - thanks Jean! - where sodas get free refills then went to Lotte Department Store. I spotted a nice jacket with stars on them at Zara and a way-too-cute LeSportsac shoulder bag... but I postponed my shopping to next week because I did not have enough KRW's and they don't accept USD's. I bought a couple of pairs of black wool leggings instead.. so I can wear my skirts even during winter. Next on the shoping list: heeled pumps!)

~*~*~*~*~*~
We descended the Third Tunnel after we saw a short movie, went through the memorabilia display and took pictures where they were allowed (in most areas, it's not allowed). The Third Tunnel was discovered in the 1970's when water sounds were heard from underground and it was an effort by the North to invade Seoul. To get to the actual tunnel, we descended a man-made one that ends where the Third Tunnel ends as well. Must I say, that damn modern tunnel was really steep. Going down was a breeze.

Coming back up is another story altogether.

After we walked through the cold, damp tunnel (riddled with dynamite holes where the NKors shoved explosives to blast the granite away), drank from the cold water that trickled down the walls (there was a faucet that dispensed the stuff. It smelled, looked and tasted clean. I had but a sip just to try it), tried looking for North Korean soldiers on the other side of the blockades... the task of ascending back to civilization began.

My hip "popped" about five times during the whole uphill walk and I had to stop to "re-align" it. I got to the top after about 7 minutes of huffing and puffing, red-faced and my throat burning from gulping in too-cold air. But what the hey, I must have burned 500 calories in the process!

~*~*~*~*~*~
After we were rested and human-looking again (a Texan I was ascending with had been climbing 20 minutes when I chanced upon her on the way up. Before I left, she appeared at the mouth of the modern tunnel, red-faced and with her female companion handing her a bottle of Pocari Sweat), we went out to see the Imjiang station of the EuroTrain.

It was marvelous! NAIA looks like a dump beside it.

The Eurotrain connects one to Europe, China, parts of the former Soviet Union (I think...my map-reading skills are B-A-D) and the rest of the freaking world! It's just so sad that it can't be used to ferry people from South Korea into the rest of the Earth - North Korea won't allow the rails to go through their country. In that way, South Korea is cut-off from the EuroTrain universe.

I said to KiKeun, "well, why not just build an underwater tunnel and have the train go that way? Or a long bridge so you don't have to go through the North."

He laughed (his eyes disappear when he does) and replied, "It will take South Korea another 50 years to have that technology!"

(On a not-so-unrelated note, is it just me or does Korean-accented English sound so cute?)

Outside the station, there is a section of the railroad in front of a memorial plaque of sorts (I couldn't read it. It was in Korean).

In true baliw spirit (Kass is not Kass if she were not crazy), I laid down across the tracks - sprawled like a drunken idiot about to be decapitated and de-calf-ed by a coming train. Reminds me of the time my whole family went to Caliraya, and in the same true baliw spirit, all five of us laid down in the middle of the highway.
~*~*~*~*~*~

I picked up lots of souvenirs for my friends back in Manila. I just hope I see them before I need to leave again a little after New Year. Leaving again isn't such a bad thing, it's the being away from my loved ones that suck crap.

But that's another story altogether...

~*~*~*~*~*~
Listening to: I Kissed A Girl - Kart Perry

"I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry Chapstick...
...It felt so wrong, it felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight"

The Seoul Train Part III - Sleepless in Seoul-tle

It's 11:00 pm here and I can't sleep. Considering that I have consistently been getting only 3 to 4 hours of sleep every night (including weekends), I am still functional. I think... Hehehehe.

Tomorrow we're going on a roadtrip to the North/South Korean border, so I'm preparing myself to face temperatures lower than -7C. It snowed yesterday but it was very light... I am simultaneously excited about and dreading the full-blast snowfalls that will come in a couple of weeks. Hahahaha... No worries though, I'm armed and ready for battle. Mwehehehehe...

~*~*~*~*~*~

We had nilaga-like soup for lunch. It had thick glass noodles, enoki mushrooms, beef ribs boiled until fall-off-the-bone tender, a flavorful broth (look Ma, no MSG!) and with the usual sides of pechu and radish kimchi.

Yes, I was hungry and no, I was not in a good mood so I completely forgot to take pics.

After lunch, I went walking around on the main road with Joan and Meng. I have been wearing boots since I got here (I only brought three pairs of shoes: black mid-calf high boots with heels, brown leather mid-calf high slouchie boots and blue-and-silver Nike running shoes) and it amused me that Joan got a pair this afternoon. If Meng gets one, tatlo na kami. Then we can show up at work with black stockings, short skirt and jackets - ala schoolgirls! *LOL*

^*~*~*~*~*~~

So sleep deprivation + chilly weather + mind drain from work = non-functional brain. With that said, here's another tag by the wonderful DENominator. Ihad nothing to do this morning before work (aside from attempting to nap but failing) so I filled it up. I think the title of the quiz is Ek-Ek-OLOGY. I LIKE! Hwahahaha!

~*~*~*~*~*~

LAMONOLOGY
What is your salad dressing of choice?
** Olive oil and balsamic vinegar! Yum yum yum...

What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
** In Manila, Pho Bac. Here in Seoul, Paris Baguette (actually, it's a bakery but baked goods are fast foods right? *LOL* )

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
** Manila: Dome and Max Brenner. None in Seoul at the moment.

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
** Around 10% to 15% if the service is good. ZERO to 5% if I wasn't satisfied... May kasamang kausap sa manager if I was pissed.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of it?
** Sinigang anything (except sinigang sa bayabas...eeww!). Gawd, eyelurve sinigang!

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
** Not a big fan of cheese in general but I love quattro fromaggio. Hihihi... Craving!

What do you like to put on your toast?
** Butter and Nutella or strawberry jam. Otherwise, tuna spread with lettuce and cucumbers.

What is your latest food discovery?
** Lotte Black Crunch bar. Think Pinipig Crunch but with a thicker, lusher (and more chocolate-y) coating and cruched cookie bits enveloping rich vanilla ice cream!

TECHNOLOGY
What is your wallpaper on your computer?
** My picture of the shore in Punta Fuego. I miss the beach.

How many televisions are in your house?
** Here: two. Manila: just one. I have a studio apartment. I don't need many TV's... I could put one in the toilet though. *LOL*

What is the most recent gadget you bought?
** Cowon O2 32GB. Whee!

What gadget are you planning to buy next?
** A Powerbook.

In your opinion, what is the most important appliance in your house?
** It's a toss-up between the fridge and the TV. *LOL*

BIOLOGY
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
** Depende. *LOL* Right handed for most things.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
** Aside from my teeth, wala pa naman.

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
** My eyelids. I'm sleepy...

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
** Yeps, I fainted from extreme fatigue and I did not wake up until the next morning - half my body on the bed, the other half on the floor and still wearing one sneaker (the last thing I remember is bending down to put on my other sneaker).

What is your favorite part of your body?
** Hmmm... my eyes.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
** I want to be taller. Don't we all? *LOL*

BULLCRAPOLOGY
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
** Hell no! And spoil the surprise?

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
** I like my name. It's unique. Palagi akong No-Hit sa NBI. *LOL*

What color do you think looks best on you?
** Aside from black? Pink, I think... and beige.

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
** Yes, intentionally and non-intentionally *LOL*

Have you ever saved someone’s life?
** I dunno. Maybe.

Has someone ever saved yours?
** Literally? Nah... I'm not worth saving. *LOL*

DAREOLOGY
Would you kiss someone of the opposite sex for $100?
** Hell yeah! If she were hot and pretty, I'd do it for free!

Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000
** No freakin' way!

Would you never blog again for $50,000?
** Add another zero and I might just say YES!

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
** I'd do it for a million. Not that it'd be worth it! *LOL*

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. Heck, why not?

Would you, without fear of punishment, take a humans life for $1,000,000?
** No way! Not in this lifetime nor the next!

Will you eat a live goldfish? How much would you do it for?
** I'd do it for a thousand bucks, yo!

DUMBOLOGY
What is in your left pocket?
** My Blistex

Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
** What the eff is that? Is that actually real?

Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A. Wood

Do you sit or stand in the shower?
** Stand. Sit, when I'm lazy...

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
** 12? 10? Thereabouts...

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
** A few years ago when an armored van slammed into our car.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
** Happy. Hehehehe...

Who is number 1 on your top 8?
** Adik ka ba?

LASTOLOGY
Friend you talked to?
A. Tati

Last person who called you?
** KT

Person you hugged?
** Jeni

Person you kissed?
** Jeni

FAVORITOLOGY
Number?
** 1

Season?
** To be jolly? *LOL* Autumn

Color?
** Purple and orange

Sleepwear?
** My birthday suit

Footwear?
** Flip-flops

Drink?
** Alcoholic? Tequilla Rose. Non-alcoholic: water

CURRENTOLOGY
Missing someone?
** Hell yeah...

Mood?
** Not in the mood. *LOL*

Listening to?
** Transatlaticism - Death Cab for Cutie

Watching?
** Cold Case

Worrying about?
** Jeni's trip to PG tomorrow and my trip tomorrow to... Hehehehehe... Sikretong malufet!

RANDOMOLOGY
First place you went this morning?
** The bathroom to take a shower

What can you not wait to do?
** Fly back to the Philippines!

What’s the last movie you saw?
** I don't remember. I'm not into movies.

Do you smile often?
** Too much, maybe...

Are you a friendly person?
** Generally speaking, I think I am.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Listening to: Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie

"The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before, oh no...
I need you so much closer
So come on... "

Seven Years Bad Luck

YOU.

Yes, you!

I am so F*CKING sick of YOU!