MOTHER EARTH IS DYING

Flood in the dessert?

Jeddah, KSA

Image from article.wn.com

Floods in the Middle East and Australia, severe snow storms in the US, El Nino and La Nina. With the recent news about the weird (and very alarming) weather conditions all over the world, one question haunts me -- Could overpopulation be the primary cause of these environmental problems?

FIRST DAY OF FASHION SCHOOL

I'm so kilig! Today, for the very first time, J walked me to school, and picked me up after my class. This is a first for us. We met at work so we had no campus dates, walang ganitong mga eksena until now. Yihee!

J took a photo of me on our way to my school.

Taken along one of the Makati walkways.

I'm enrolled at the DFW: Designer Fashion Workshops, located at the iAcademy, along Ayala, just across the Triangle Gardens. After class, we have an excuse to try all the restos across the street. Yey!

Tonight, we were tempted to go back to Wee Nam Kee (we miss their Hainanese Chicken!). But decided to try something new -- Chef Laudico's BFast. As the name suggests, it's an all-day breakfast joint.

Above:

Of course, the adobo addict tried their adobo.

His bfast verdict: Matutulog na lang ako. Yawn.

Above: I had their salmon.

OK, nothing spectacular.

Above: The flourless chocolate cake.

(Cafe Bola's is still the best.)

Maybe next time we should order their best sellers, the "silogs." For today, we can't say breakfast is the new dinner. =(

As for my first day at Fashion School, it's confirmed, "Fashion is now in fashion!"

PS

For more on my Fashion School experience, check out my other blog, My Little Black Book of Style.

CHANGE

"YOU ARE THE CHANGE THAT YOU DREAM."

I'm not really a fan of the "Hero" who said this. But I believe in his words.

I'm proud to say I try to live this truth every day.

My good days are never dependent on other people.

I'm learning to make GREAT DAYS on my own! =)

More on changes and dreams. Five years ago, I pro-actively asked for something at work. Ako na mismo ang kumilos at nagsalita. And guess what? I got what I asked for (with a bonus pa!). Recently, a dear friend was in a similar situation. And I'm so happy for her because she asked, and also received. Yay!

So I say, be a go-getter. Because "the foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet."

BIRTHDAY BOY

Highlights from J's birthday...

Above:

My Facebook Status & Wall Photo on his bday --

"Happy Birthday

to my Life Partner, Best Friend, Mentor,

Travel and Workout Buddy, Daily Date!

Love you!"

Photo taken by Rene Mejia,

during one of our program pictorials, January 2011.

Above:

One of the day's many little surprises.

(Thank you, Holland Tulips, for the beautiful arrangement.)

The other gifts, between us na lang. =)

Above:

Cyma's Flamed Cheese

Super sarap!

Due to our toxic work skeds that day,

we thought we wouldn't be able to have a dinner date.

(We were assigned to two separate shoot locations.)

But thank God for good friends / officemates,

ang imposible, naging posible!

We were originally heading to one of our personal favorites, Uno.

But with the biglang buhos ng ulan, it was smarter to head home.

So the Birthday Dinner Date was at Cyma, Shangrila Plaza.

Believe that even detours are God's blessings!

Because we had the perfect dinner of Spinach rice,

which we highly recommend!

And the best chicken adobo...

J: "The best chicken adobo is Greek!"

J is an adobo lover.

So what better way to spend his bday

than to try another version of this Filipino signature dish?

I was happy that he was happy!

Happy Birthday, J!

Everything else I have to say, I've written on the card.

*wink*

PS

We've had several Cyma dates but it was the first time we tried their adobo.

*WINK*

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery."

SING HAINANESE CHICKEN HOUSE

Since Wee Nam Kee's (WNK) too far for daily dates, we're rejoicing over the neighborhood mall Shangrila Plaza's new joint --

Location: 6th floor / cinema floor

Beside Sango

Their Hainanese Chicken is not as good as WNK's but it's good enough, hehe. We've tried both the roasted and the Hainanese versions. Like the latter better. The half chicken order comes with 2 cups of soup and 2 bowls of rice (your choice of plain or Hainanese), for around Php450.

SPEECHLESS

I'm beyond speechless.

Image from pollsb.com

I've received another one of 2011's sweet surprises (and the year has just begun!) -- I made it to Uno's "2010's Greatest Gifts." Awwww.

I really don't know what to say so T allow me to repeat this -- "Know that there's one more person praying for your dreams, me." Happy 2011 (and beyond)!

2010 BEST PICTURE

We're of the same wavelength as the Golden Globe jurors -- "The Social Network" won as Best Picture (Drama)! It's our bet, see my Golden Globe entry yesterday (Jan 16, 12:03am).

The film also won Best Director (David Fincher), Best Screenplay, Best Score. Yey! (Babaw joy.)

"The extraordinary

left brain right brain combination

of Andrew Garfield and Jessie Eisenberg!"

-- The Social Network Producer

accepting the Best Picture award at the Golden Globes

PARA KANINO KA BUMABANGON?

We're no coffee drinkers but I really love Nescafe's campaign, "Para kanino ka bumabangon?"

Sunrise image from edwebproject.org

Their TV Commercial script goes like this --

Para kanino ka bumabangon?

Para sa anak. Para sa kaibigan. Para sa ‘di mo kakilala.

Para sa bata. Sa isip-bata.

Para sa marami. Para sa sarili.

‘Pag may Nescafé Classic na puro at tunay, sumasarap ang umaga.

Para hindi ka lang basta gumigising.

Bumabangon ka nang may dahilan.

Dahil pag tinulungan mong bumangon ang isang tao,

parang buong bayan na rin ang bumabangon.

Bangon na sa Nescafé Classic.

Check out YouTube for the video. =)

So for whom do I wake up for every day? I wake up for my dreams -- dreams for J and me, dreams for my family. Maybe that's why no matter how tough life could be sometimes, I go on. If I were selfish, dahil pagod o hirap na ako, tama na. But because I live for my loved ones, kakayanin ko lahat, para sa aming lahat.

What else do I rise up for? For our daily dates, for J's jokes and lambing, for my parents' stories, for my sister and niece's laughter, for my family's "I love yous," for hugs, for gray skies, for long walks, for the quiet time while running, for long talks with old friends, for family reunions, for hand-written notes, for the fun of dressing up, for melon milk and ube ice cream, for my Mama's binagoongan, for surprises, for heartfelt "Thank Yous," for new beginnings, for another chance to make things right...

Ikaw, para kanino/saan ka bumabangon?

GOLDEN GLOBE

The Hollywood award season begins with the Golden Globes. We're no award addicts but I'm in the mood to place our bets this year.

We've seen four of the five Best Picture (Drama) nominees:

1. Black Swan
2. The Fighter
3. Inception
4. The Social Network
5. The King's Speech -- haven't seen this one

And our vote goes to the dialogue-driven and very engaging The Social Network. To me a good film leaves you talking, discussing, affected long after you've seen it. We don't care if the film was truthful to Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook story or not. Bottomline: it's an example of superb storytelling. All about the meat of the plot. Seeing it made Facebook-ing (Is that an actual verb? Haha!) even more interesting.

But the buzz is on the dark drama, the Black Swan (and Natalie Portman for Best Actress). It's (they're) most likely to win.

We've seen three of the five Best Picture - Comedy / Musical nominees:

1. Alice in Wonderland
2. Red
3. The Tourist
4. Burlesque -- haven't seen this
5. The Kids are Alright -- haven't seen this

J enjoyed Retired and Extremely Dangerous (Red). And we were entertained by The Tourist. But we're not sure they're award-worthy.

So maybe we'll go with Alice in Wonderland for this category.

And the Golden Globe goes to...

We'll see tomorrow, January 16 (USA time).

TANGLED

Sharing my favorite bit from Disney's "Tangled"...

Rapunzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?

Flynn Rider: It will be.

Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?

Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

Like Rapunzel, I'm hoping to get out of my "tower" (aka comfort zone) this year, and explore another world. And if it doesn't work out, well, then I'll go find me a new dream. =)

GIFTS OF THE NEW YEAR

The future's so bright, we gotta wear shades!

Our 2011 glasses.

(Yes, that's a number "1" with a hole, haha.)

Started the year right.

1.1.11 Family Reunion

We've been hosting it two years in a row.

I pray 2011's starting out well for you. The first week of the new year has gone by and there are already so many blessings to be grateful for. All I can say is THANK YOU, Father.

Gift #1: a career surprise!

Gift #2: the first step towards a long-time personal goal

Gift #3: the chance of healing a wounded friendship, minus the drama

Gift #4: nth investment for our future

Gift #5: the opportunity to help a friend in need

Gift #6: full lives beyond work

Gift #7: going back to "school"

Truly, God's Plans are greater than our dreams.