2005-2010 in review

2005-2008
- we founded ufo.
- released 3 movies under it (Maximo Oliveros, Sarongbanggi and endo).
- my love life had its highs and lows during those times.
- happy times in Marilag house with housemates (started in 2005 and ended in 2008 when we transferred to Kalyos)
- purchased a condo
- went to Japan under a grant
- i met erik just before 2008 ended.

2009
- went to HK for the first time! also went back to NY after 3 years        
- had work in the middle of the year
- was constantly depressed
- ended the year in Bangkok while looking forward to 2010

2010
- transferred to GMA
- work was good
- we started our first movie finally (Shokot)
- went to Italy, Japan, Vietnam and HK

looking forward to 2011!

---
got my personal year by adding my birthday April 2  to 2011 which is (4+2+2+0+1+1). it changes every year.

Personal Year 1 in 2011

the 1 year is the beginning of a new 9 year cycle. What you start in a 1 year will have an effect for the next nine years. Those with a 1 year are starting new ventures, becoming more independent, showing leadership and learning new skills. This is an excellent year to clarify your goals and lay the foundation for years to come.


i think i better enroll in Slim's next year.

otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu!

Regine-Ogie wedding

i'm not a fan of both. i just watched the wedding because i wanted to see Regine's wedding gown by Monique Lhullier.

but then...

natuwa ako sa kanilang dalawa. they seem to be nice people. and most important of all, they look like they really love each other. it's so touching when the groom cries upon seeing the bride walking the aisle towards him. i'm happy for the two of them. whether or not it's true that it was regine who caused the break up of ogie and michelle is not important anymore. whatever they have looks real so let's give it to them na lang. baka yung kay michelle ang mistake? hehehe.

na-touch ako nung kumanta si regine ng Apo song:

hindi ko malimutan kung kailangan nagsimulang matutong ikaw lang ang mahalin...
at di ko malimutan kung kailangan ko natikman, ang tamis ng iyong halik, 
yakap na napakahigpit, pag-ibig mong tunay hanggang langit...

i like her wedding vow din. mas may feelings kesa sa vow ni ogie. naiyak ako para sa kanya. she deserves to be happy after taking care of her family. plus 40 na siya no! she waited all her life for this.

regine looking so radiant and happy

hindi pa ko nakaka-attend ng wedding na ganito ka-heartfelt yung palitan ng vows.  yung maiiyak ka talaga. usually kasi, the bride and groom just recite the vows. siguro ang pinaka-heartfelt na yung sa ate ko kung saan naiyak din si kuya abe!

gusto ko talaga umiiyak yung grooms sa wedding :-D

---

anyway back to the gown, hindi ko siya gusto. OA ang ruffles sa baba e. plus hindi bagay yung hair accessory ni regine na white flowers (orchids ata). sana mas simpleng hair accessory lang kasi yung gown ang highlight e.  it costs half a million pesos daw but i don't see it in the gown. i like the color though.

busy Christmas

no time to blog since HK. nagdaan lang na parang Shinkansen sa bilis ang lahat.

Dec. 20
- got back from HK Monday noon
- Dwarfina meeting at 4pm
- Origin8 Christmas party until early morning

Dec. 21
- hilahan blues, surprise party of Erik at Mogwai until 4AM
hindi naging surprise kasi ayaw pa sumama so sinabi ko na rin na may surprise kaya kailangan niya pumunta dun! hay.

Dec. 22
- attended Publicis' Xmas party and judged their Japan-themed production numbers. don't really approved of the winners but what can i do? i was just one out of 5 judges.
- attended color grading of Shokot until 4AM again.

Dec. 23
- Meeting for new soap
- Fed the two dogs. I ordered takeout from Max's: chicken and chopsuey for Setsuko but she only ate a little chicken

Dec. 24
- did the laundry. the last time i did my laundry was during my Marilag days when i washed some Ukay clothes i bought. 3-4 years ago na siguro yun!
- Setsuko wouldn't eat so after i made lunch, we brought her to the vet, bought Cerelac and a syringe and force-fed her. i have to do that every 4 hours!

hindi pa ko nakakaligo! and have i mentioned that i'm still not finished with my Christmas shopping?

big sigh.

---
hopefully i get to do all the chores before 11pm because we plan to watch the 48 Hour Mystery Special on CI channel to celebrate Christmas! then tomorrow, i'll be writing the last 2 days of Week 9 script.

i hate Christmases.

setsuko is sick :(

and this is the culprit, canned Pedigree dog food which is bad for the liver according to the doctor. 

canned Pedigree dog food

she growled at master and that's so unlike her. maybe she was already having stomach pains then.

good thing i sent her to the doctor immediately. vomiting is always a bad sign. 

i'm so sorry setsuko. it's my fault that you're sick now. from now on, you'll be a vegetarian with occasional chicken and pork diet. 

wishlist for things i can buy

ewan ko nga ba. sometimes it just makes me feel guilty buying so much stuff for myself so i don't.
there are also things that are just always available so you tend to take them for granted - just like people who are always around.

1. Muji long pillow. I had one before but i had to leave it in Japan. P1250 in Muji, Bonifacio High Street

2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Gave away my copy because i just loved it so much that i wanted to share it.

3. The Body Shop cheek and lip tint. Sometimes i look too pale but can't do anything about it. 

  

4. A nice soft hairbrush like this one from Earth Therapeutics. So i could brush my hair for a change hahaha

5. I need tights of dark colors, and socks just below the knees (of any color except white) when i travel but unfortunately, they are not the first thing on my list when i'm in a store

   

these are all i could think of right now. 

distractions

leslie cheung's death on BIO and john lennon on CI channel. how can i write?!

this is mark chapman, lennon's murderer. he's been eligible for parole since 2000 but denied parole 6 times because of yoko ono. i don't blame her. let him stay there for the rest of his life. (but as usual, it all started in his crappy childhood)

killer looks

this image is creepy. it was shot hours before chapman killed lennon. here he was asking for his autograph. he was amazed at how nice lennon was, even asking him if he needs anything else before leaving with yoko ono. then he patiently waited to kill him.

John signing autograph while Chapman looks on

my setsuko

setsuko growled at master twice. is it because she's jealous of sushi?

setsuko is 42 years old in dog years. she's insecure, very independent, wants to be treated like a lady and sometimes just wants her space just like her master. so please just try to understand her.

countdown has started again

everybody thinks Hubert Webb is guilty but what if he's not? he just spent 15 years of his youth in jail for nothing! if i were in his shoes, i'll burn down the trial courts and Jessica Alfaro! i'll go back to jail, yes but at least now i'm really guilty.

i would be this happy too

i support the Supreme Court's decision to acquit him based on what i've read from the Inquirer. it wasn't proven by the NBI that Webb et. al. are guilty beyond reasonable doubt. i'm surprised that with what little evidence they got, former Judge Tolentino sentenced them to life imprisonment!

according to one member of the Supreme Court, Justice Villarama who dissented, Webb's original passport was not presented as evidence to prove that he indeed was in the US that time. the defense alleged that it was tampered. US Immigration ad Naturalization Service in SanFo also did not certify that Webb was there when the crime was not committed. she also said that Alfaro's testimony was backed by 5 other prosecution witnesses. there's certainly doubt there that he may really be guilty.

i wonder, wasn't it possible to issue a warrant to get Webb's original passport? if it was tampered, that would prove he's hiding something.

i've watched so many cold cases solved in CI channel. give them Alfaro and they still won't bring it to court because i'm sure they won't find her credible enough to get a sentence. they'll look for more evidence,  not just testimonial but physical like DNA etc. to connect the criminals to the victims. but here in Pinas, give them any kind of witness, do the trial by publicity and everybody happy, except for the poor suspect/s of course. this is soooo wrong.  it should always be beyond reasonable doubt.

anyway so the catch now is that there is a 20-year prescriptive period for a crime to be solved. the countdown started when the police discovered the crime on June 30, 1991 so the bad news is that they have less than a year to solve the Vizconde massacre. beyond that, they can't prosecute any suspect anymore. that's about 6 months from now. wow!

NBI, wag masyado ma-pressure. find more evidence or find the real killers on or before june 30. start by looking for Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura (not included in the acquittal) who have eluded you for 15 years! nice job hiding guys!

oh and the semen sample found on Carmela's body, if you can find it please?

---

sad that it took 15 years for this case to reach the SC and for them to find that Alfaro's is not a credible witness. how much would the government pay them for 15 years? how much is acceptable for 15 years of lost time?

nice Christmas gift!

YS did it and finished it! how nice of her! i'm excited to see it na!

di pa rin ako makapaniwala na natapos niya. suwerte a :-)

---

my mind is already in HK, shopping for Christmas, the painting, etc. but i still have a deadline until the 23rd. it's hardest to write during the holidays.

surprise surprise!

plucked one for bookmarking

which is why i can't be a mother

I vote that would-be parents take a psychological test before they are permitted to have babies.

They also have to submit 2x2 pictures, bank certificates, references that they would be good parents.

It should be as difficult as getting a Japan or US visa. And if they do get approved, they have to raise the child well or else their permits will be revoked and they can also be sent to jail with their kids!

Harsh? I don't think so. Creating another human being is a miracle and a great power that shouldn't just be given to anybody. If they want it badly, they have to prepare for
it like when you're taking a very important exam.

As Pete's uncle told him, "With great power comes great responsibilty".

awwww

which is why i can't be a lawyer

i'm watching Crime and Punishment on CI where a rapist abducted, raped and then killed 2 university students in California. he confessed to the killing when confronted with the evidence then requested to talk to his girlfriend who was 5 months pregnant with his child.

when he told her, the girlfriend cried and asked, "why did you do that? why!"

and then she moved her chair away from him and sobbed. the rapist reached out to her and cried too.
"i don't know. i'm sorry. there has been something wrong with me ever since i was little"

---

something's wrong with me too. why is it that i can empathize with these kind of killers?

i blame their parents more for the way they raised their children. this rapist was abused by his own father! his father shot his pet when he was young and told him to get used to killing! tama ba naman yun? when he was in 7th grade, he was still wearing diapers :(

he became angry with women and violated them because they represented the mother who abandoned him.

this rapist was sentenced to die.

to be or not to be

still don't know what i have to do next year.  should i apply for the writing grant and let it decide my fate?

buti pa yung napanood ko sa Pecha Kucha last night. he worked (or still works) in a cruise ship so he could travel which is what i planned to do before. i already took up a housekeeping course at Magsaysay training school in Intramuros then but i was too lazy to apply for a job or even get my Seaman's book. the line was too long in either one.

anyway, i don't even know if i have the talent in sewing/fashion designing. can i make an outstanding wedding gown?

by Dior

or an exquisite terno like this one for the graduation requirements?

by Slim's founder herself

i don't want to be mediocre. if i'll do it, i have to be really good at it...

setsuko has a picture with me!

finally!

she's camera shy kasi e. but she didn't think the Photobooth was a camera. akala niya siguro mirror lang hahaha

which one?

is it just me? i really hate reading white on black background. i get cross-eyed.

---

anyway i'm torn between Slim's Fashion and Arts School and Fashion Institute of the Philippines. where to study? which one is better for me? :(

blind item 3

who's this acclaimed director who has been banned in a country because of human trafficking? he accepts money and includes that person in his entourage when going to festivals. but in the last country, he was caught.

he brought pride to our country only to give us shame next. what was he thinking?!

reminder to the boyfriends

it's important for your girlfriends to feel special during their birthday or your anniversary. if you can't plan anything or you don't have any money, which is no excuse because you could have saved up for it all year but if you really forgot to plan ahead, then you can just give your gf a bar of chocolate, a rose, chocnut, a card, anything to indicate that you remembered and that you appreciate her.

women are not shallow or materialistic. they're not waiting for jewelry or anything expensive (though that would be nice too). in my case, i'm not into jewelry but it's the thought that counts. and if you put some thought in your gift, it will show.

women just want to feel special every now and then. and it's only a few times a year that they can demand that from you. so umayos naman kayo.

yes it's a big deal.

Shokot wrap party!

last night we celebrated the wrap party of Origin8's first film venture Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington in Mogwai, Cubao.

Origin8 minus 1 (L-R: emman, jade, raymond, tammy, ms. mari, katski at ako)

Jessica Zafra was there! i'm in awe of her. pero ayokong aminin sa kanya kasi magagalit yun hehe.

dami pa pumunta. our actors were there but i exited early so i didn't get to take their picture. Roderick Paulate was there! di ako nakapagpakuha ng picture! :( but jessica has a picture with him in her blog.

it's a crime!

i always watch Crime and Investigation channel especially Cold Case Files where they solve crimes 20-30 years ago and catch the criminals or acquit convicted ones. that's in the US.

it's just so depressing if you're a criminal in the Third World and you have no way of proving your innocence just because the NBI didn't preserve DNA samples taken from the crime scene 20-30 years ago. where is the semen sample?!

if indeed Hubert Webb is innocent of the rape and murders of the Vizconde family, then i do pity him for the injustice done to him. it's not easy spending your youth and half of your life (?) in jail

---

on a positive note, i won P150 from Lotto 6/55. got 3 numbers!

my favorite short film ever

i'll be doing a short animation with a friend who also wants to focus more on art than frustrating jobs that pay! we just talked about it now! i like her art kasi may heart! and it's so japanese! since japanese naman ang pangalan ko, ok lang naman siguro gumamit ng japanese inspired art. anyway walang pretensions 'to. it's just an exercise and i'm excited already!

freeeeeeedom

after a week of trying to write,
producing an unusable two days worth of script,
making erik's life miserable with my constant whining,
i finally decided to resign.

but it's the first time that i resigned with a heavy heart. ambabait kasi nila sa team e.
dati, pag ayaw ko resign lang ako ng resign kasi wala akong pakialam kung mahihirapan sila or made-delay. pinapahirapan din naman kasi nila ko no! pero ngayon lang ako na-guilty talaga. my headwriter doesn't deserve this. he's been so kind to me. buti na lang siya ang headwriter ko, hindi iba.

in my resignation text message, i thanked him and told him he can have the orange Muji umbrella that he borrowed from me. it doesn't lessen the guilt though.

---

this is the first step.
soon, i'll be free.


Current song: I Wanna Be Free by The Monkees

windang

kakaisip ko tungkol sa mga duwende,
ginawa kong body wash ang shampoo.

sigh.

dream 1

napanaginipan ko, may mga aswang sa loob ng bahay.
malapit na nila kong mahuli.

then day effect,
lumilipad na ko. may dala-dala kong malalaking puno na isang hilera.
pinantatakip ko sa sarili ko kasi nadaanan ko yung mga aswang sa labas.
hindi nila ko nakita. yung isang aswang may kausap sa cellphone!
nasa ibabaw ako ng isang ilog papunta sa likod ng bahay na inaatake nila
pero lumampas ako. binagsak ko yung mga puno sa ilog (na naisip ko eventually makikita ng mga aswang at malalaman nila ang ginawa ko)
dumaan muna ako sa isang supplies store para kumuha ng mga pampatay sa aswang.

pero may nakita kong sine. ang palabas tungkol sa mga aswang.
ayokong manood mag-isa pero nakita ko si judy ann santos sa labas
sabi ko ikuwento na lang niya sa kin ang movie.
then naging ibang tao na siya. lalaki pero hindi ko kilala kung sino.

game of life

bilib din ako kay aubrey miles. di ko kayang laruin ang Survivor game e. if i tell aki i'll give him the immunity, i'll give it to him. ayokong makasakit ng tao e. kung hindi ko sa kanya ibibigay in the first place, sasabihin ko din.

kawawa si akihiro, disillusioned na sa game.  tama rin naman kasi si aubrey, it's not just a physical game.
it's also mental at yun ang mas mahirap.  you have to hurt some people in the process.

mukhang matatanggal na si akihiro.

---

ang Survivor, parang life din.
di puwedeng mabait ka lang or magaling.
dapat marunong ka rin maglaro.
kakalungkot.

should i stay or should i go?

gusto ko na magbago ng career.
gusto ko na magbagong buhay
magising ng umaga, matulog sa gabi.
magtrabaho na hindi kailangan tumunganga sa computer buong araw.
gusto ko mabuhay sa labas ng bahay.

---
STAY

Personal Year 9

You can expect life to be changing all around you. This (9) energy affects people in various ways, but one thing is for sure, whatever is outworn or no longer useful in your life, will likely be removed or terminated. Some experience the (9) energy by moving to a new area, changing jobs, leaving a marriage, a relationship or an interest of long association. Usually one's emotions suffer in a (9) year, they appear sad, moody and temperamental, because subconsciously they know there's a major change and realignment underway affecting their life structures. You will be sensitive and very intuitive. It's very important that you stay positive and mentally/emotionally optimistic, because next year you'll be called upon to launch a whole new cycle or chapter in your life. The experiences of your Personal Year (9) will require guts and determination... lots of staying power, so gear up now. Be willing to let go of the outworn and no longer useful elements of your life. Issues and emotional involvements will be coming to a head now, so don't start anything new... be patient.

OR GO?
Personal Year 9:
This year, you will wrap up what you started nine years ago. Lingering relationships will need to be examined -- then kept or discarded for the next cycle. Your career will conclude the focus it has enjoyed for the past nine years, even though you won’t see your next step just yet. Rather, open your hands and let go, with faith that something new and better will arrive next year. You may be fired or laid off, or simply come to the end of a project you’ve worked on for years. Relationships will fall away or be transformed, and you’ll grieve for your losses over the past nine years. Peace will come from finding your wisdom and developing a greater connection to spirituality. The larger lessons of life will call to you, and your insights will be heightened. Use this awareness to benefit the people around you. Give back to the universe, focus on artistic and spiritual disciplines, and wait for the new inspiration that begins soon in your approaching personal year 1.

regrets?

i want to think that he was singing this for his ex-wife priscilla.

i love this song. wish i wouldn't have to sing this song and mean it though.

i hate regrets, maybes, what-ifs.

do you?
hope you do too.

Coldplay - Billie Jean Cover (Stripped Sessions) IHeartRadio

Argh. He's just so good! Can't help sharing this again.

Chris Martin is so hot

i heart you Chris!

Christmas wish no. 1 (updated)

1. a laptop bed tray!
i don't know what the best brand is but i badly need it so this one will do.

@@@

November 21, 2010

This is what i got instead for only P580 at CDR-King

Glimmer of hope for screenwriters/directors!

friends, this looks promising!

Click the link below:
Amazon studios

i haven't read the whole article yet. but the gist is this: we can submit screenplays as much as we want (in English of course) then they award best script prizes worth $20,000 or $200,000 if you're script is bought.
Amazon partnered with Warner Bros. and they get first option on every script uploaded on the site.

the disadvantage is that our script can be read by everyone who has internet connection but that's also the good thing because every producer looking for the right script can read us!

sakay na!

bakit kaya?

di ko alam kung bakit. maganda naman katawan niya pero pag nakikita ko siya na nakasando sa Illumina, nandidiri ako. siguro kasi pag nagda-dialogue, masyadong pa-intense! hindi nagbabago ng facial expression. parang laging nakapatay lagi ng tao!

sayang siya kasi may dating naman. he even looks like piolo pascual. pero sana nagwoworkshop siya ng acting.

Lotto prize up to P535M!!!

OMG!

according to Inquirer, only 15 or 20% of the odds have bets placed on them. to guess the 6 numbers correctly, you have to beat the odds of one in 3.4 million. that's gambling for you!

i also learned that to bet on all combinations for the 6/55 lotto at P20 each, you have to shell out P580M. that's less than the jackpot so if it reaches P600M, maybe the rich will take advantage. that's still P20M in one night. not bad.

i've always wanted to be a professional gambler. but i'm so sensitive to actually pursue it. i like winning a lot but i feel guilty when i see my opponents losing their money so i play recklessly for them to recover. of course this is because i'm not playing against rich people. maybe i should.

and the thing is, i play poker without really wanting to win. it's fun for me. i'm not like the gamblers i watch on Breaking Vegas (CI channel) who really go there to outsmart the casino/players.

but it's different when i play poker on Facebook and try to outscore people i hate and have more chips than they have. there's this girl from college (courted by my crush!) who had 600k chips when i had only tens of thousands. of course that was unacceptable so that same night, i earned a million chips!

anyway back to Lotto, i'll be gambling again this sat! who knows, she might be gambling too! i can't let her win!

i don't know how to spend P535M but that's a welcome problem! come to mama!

i have a script deadline but what am i doing?

blind item 2

nag-aadik na naman yata 'tong artistang 'to. ang weird ng mga ginagawa niya sa set ng show. as in magsuot ba ng flippers at 3AM sabay takbo sa beach? wala naman siyang eksenang lalangoy siya hahaha!

nagtatago rin ng mga bato na may lupa-lupa pa sa loob ng pocket ng pantalon niya for no reason at all. ganito rin daw dati si julio diaz nung nag-aadik.

naghahamon din siya ng away sa set. sabihan bang nakakalalaki yung isang bading at gusto makipagsuntukan? patulan ba?

sayang. guwapo pa naman siya. tsaka magaling naman din sana. kakahiwalay lang ata nila ng asawa niya. pero hindi niya kailangan ng babae na mag-aalaga sa kanya e. kailangan niya ng parents kasi lumaki siya na parehong parents may kanya-kanyang pamilya. palipat-lipat siya, minsan sa pamilya ng nanay niya, minsan sa pamilya ng tatay niya. wala siyang paglagyan.

clue: ang pungay ng mata niya, pare ko!

The Beatles on iTunes!

i don't really care about that news. but because of this picture from Apple, i belatedly realized that George Harrison is not only an excellent songwriter but also a hot Beatle! 

While My Guitar Gently Weeps is one of my fave Beatles songs. 

---

goodbye Pepperoo

Pepper the mini Schnauzer

we gave away our mini schnauzer to the husband of Erik's cousin. hopefully she'll be more loved and taken care of in her new house. she was with us since January of this year but she proved to be a handful. i wasn't used to an energetic hunter dog like her because i'm used to Shih Tzu's temperament. 

her kakulitan became more obvious when my 6-year-old Setsuko arrived.

hard to capture Setsuko, she's camera shy

my setsuko is just so gentle and minds her own business but she growls whenever Pepper comes near her. she can't stand pepper's kakulitan!

setsuko is lazy and can be described as a snob. she just lies down near me when i'm writing and follows me around when i get up from writing. she loves to cuddle and play but in my own time. we're so much alike. she doesn't force herself to you unlike pepper who will run so fast towards you as soon as she gets the chance. she can hurt you unintentionally because of her sharp nails (despite getting groomed regularly) and her overeagerness. 

i love setsuko!

anyway i'm sure pepper will be okay in her new home. hopefully she'll get the attention she needs and become less KSP :)

maybe we'll get a new Shih Tzu for Setsuko to play with :)

back to BDO credit card

complaint letters work!

after my last complaint letter (second one) which was really harsh and angry, i didn't follow it up again because i said that would be my last and i also said i would apply for a new card from other banks!

i really planned to but i wanted to exchange my rewards point first before i leave BDO. this is the only thing worth getting (that i can afford) in the rewards catalogue:

Trilogy Rosehip Oil is a unique oil containing the nutrients and essential fatty acids that are vital for perfect skin health and a glowing complexion. This super-fine oil absorbs instantly, allowing the skin to breathe while it goes to work to prevent the signs of premature ageing and assisting skin growth and repair


when i called to exchange my reward points, i learned that they upgraded my credit limit (deleted some info) woohoo!  my new credit card is also on its way to my house! buti naman no! pero as if naman gagastusin ko yung credit limit ko. never na. ayoko na mabaon sa utang sa card. hirap magbayad.

i guess that's their apology. ok na rin. but i still want to apply for Citibank card for the freebies :)

Missha BB cream no. 23

all i can say is i love it!

i didn't buy it after i read reviews that it's not for MC30 below. but when we went to Vietnam, i got to try it on my skin and i thought it was just right so i bought one. a friend also tried it and liked it so she also got herself the No. 23. i'm an MC35 in Mac while she may be an MC40. the next day when i saw her, the color blended on her skin well. in fact, she liked it so much that we went back to buy some more to bring back home as gifts. 

it's just right for my skin color. i am asian and have rather yellowish skin tone. my skin is oily too but unlike the reviews i read, it didn't get oily or grayish after 8 hours. i didn't have to retouch which is good because i don't usually. it's like i'm not wearing makeup at all! 

and i'm not really a makeup person but i do have a skin regimen and i also put sunblock on my face.  with Missha, i can save money because it has SPF42 already so i don't need to buy L'oreal sunblock anymore. and it's for lazy women like me who doesn't have a lot of time making themselves beautiful. so i can just put it on and then i'm ready to go.  

still waiting for my L'egere BB cream. i'll see what i like better between the two. as of now, i'm contented with my Missha and would buy it again when it runs out!

(UPDATE)

L'egere is too white! I used it once and i even blended it with my Mac powder after but still, friends told me i looked like a ghost! so i rubbed it off my face. enough with the experiment.

i gave the bottle away to a friend of mine who has fairer skin. but i don't think she liked it. when i asked her how it was, she said L'egere is quite heavier than what she's using (which is the Etude or Skinfood brand if i remember correctly).

i'm sticking with my Missha.

:(

na magsulat ng sabay-sabay
na magsulat ng kahit ano lang,
kahit walang katuturan.
kung kaya ko lang kaso hindi e.

kung kaya ko lang na umalis
at gawin kung ano gusto ko,
gagawin ko.
pero sarili ko lang ang maaasahan ko e.

kaya sa ayaw ko man o sa gusto,
kelangan ko unahin 'to.
sana maintindihan mo.

love this song

may official music video na!

brain dead

kelangan ko ng concept pero hindi ko gusto mga naiisip ko :(
ang dami kong kailangang gawin at isulat.

brainzzzzzzzzz

cute guys in Vietnam?

before i left, a friend asked me to take pictures of every cute guy i see in Vietnam (with their numbers) for two reasons; to disprove Mislang's statement about Vietnam guys and so he'll know who to contact when he goes there hahaha!

all four of us were on the lookout for the cute guys, even master hahaha. sometimes he would tell me, "cute yun o!" or "puwede yun o!". hahaha!

we did see some cute guys but it was quite rare, like once a day :( i only got one picture of a cute guy below:

Diether look-alike (sorry for the big headroom) 

osh will send me one more picture of a Vietnamese guy whom they met with his Pinay girlfriend. but in my opinion, this guy is the best-looking of all though i think he's not pure Vietnamese because he's tall and looks Chinese.

i noticed that most of the guys there have small built so they look smaller than they really are. i didn't see a fat Vietnamese while i was there. maybe because there's vegetables in everything they eat. their food is really healthy.

anyway regarding Mislang's statement, i have to agree. the thing about Vietnam is that there aren't too many half-breeds there unlike here in Pinas where you can see so many American, Chinese, European mestizo everywhere that's why we have so many cute and tall guys around. Vietnam managed to stick to what they have and what they know.

it's a country of contradictions actually. after what the Americans did, they accept American dollars everywhere and they even have Vietnam Idol. despite that, they don't have McDonald's! first time i ever went to a country without eating McDo! no foreign fast food outlets, just one local burger place (Lotteria). plus, everything is made in Vietnam. they have lots of products and food that are uniquely Vietnamese, unlike in Pinas. but i have been asking myself, why are they a poor country? poorer than us because PhP1 is equal to 450VND. why is that?

goals

we were asking ourselves in the hotel lobby and in the taxi on our way to the airport: what would we be if we were not in our current job right now?

master said he would be a chef. bianca too. i forgot what osh said. maybe a makeup artist? i said i would have been a painter.

then i realized i should set my goals now. maybe not to pursue them as careers but to learn something new. i want options. i don't want to be stuck writing soap operas until i'm old. sooner or later, i have to get out of this job.

things to do from now until 2011:

1. learn basic dressmaking and pattern-making. i realized i want to do this. fashionista is not a term i would ever use for myself and not my friends would call me. but i love clothes, specially simple ones and i'd like to think i have classic taste in clothes so i want to try this out.

i want to look at other designs and then make them simpler. produce one or two then maybe sell them at my own small boutique or online shop.

2. food photography. i'm waiting for the book i ordered in Amazon. after reading that, i'll enroll in a photography class early next year. just a skill i want to develop. i don't think this is going to be a career option for me later on.

3. i  want to write a book. it's not to earn money but just to see if i can do it. it's not going to be a wordy book though because i'm not like that. it should reflect my personality too and it should be something personal.

4. Japan story needs to come out already.

now, have to start writing that screenplay before TV work starts again tomorrow.

last 2 days in Ho Chi Minh

4th day was a blur. i think we woke up late and then went out to write. we had lunch at Pho 24. i wouldn't recommend this place. it was the cheapest eat at only 90,000VND (P200+) which included fried spring rolls, 1 noodles, 1 rice meal, one Coke and one coconut juice but the meal was forgettable. then had dinner at Vietnam House where we met up with Bianca and Osh. the food wasn't great but i liked the ambiance of the restaurant and i didn't feel hurried which was good. 

5th day - we checked out at 12nn then went out for last minute shopping. wala na kong nabili kasi wala na kong pera. we decided not to have Vietnamese food for lunch so when we saw this Armani Caffe in Vincom Center, we decided it's time for some Italian!

Armani Caffe

eggs benedict with overcooked egg

the pasta i ordered was fettucini with baby scampi and arugula salad. i loved it! i started taking the pictures above after i devoured all of it. 

then we transferred to Paris Deli where i tried to write. but the most pleasant surprise came when i discovered that they serve passion fruit! i remember tasting passion fruit 10 years ago but i couldn't remember anything except that it was delicious. so i was really excited to find the fruit while in Vietnam to remember the taste again and so that Erik can taste it too, since we just watched it being used as ingredient on Master Chef. 

they serve the fruit with honey. if you want it a little sweeter just like me, put a little honey before you scoop the fruit inside with teaspoon. it tastes of guava but better! 

passion fruit with honey!

gooey but delectable passion fruit!

then we walked around, took some pictures. aimless while killing time. 

motorcycle nation

street vendor

dinner came and we decided to go back to Com Nieu Saigon where we ate lunch on our first day.  i didn't get to eat the first time we were there because i was full but this time i was hungry so i sampled everything. Anthony Bourdain was right to recommend it! i would love to eat here again!

crispy soft shelled crab

clams, tofu with mushrooms, shrimp in red sauce

now i'm back in Pinas. if asked if i would want to come back to Vietnam, i would say NO. 5 days is more than enough to spend in Ho Chi Minh. actually, 2 days is enough. i love the shopping but how many times do i need to buy North Face and Crumpler bags? once is enough.

though i would understand why Anthony Bourdain almost decided to live there. it could be very enticing for Westerners but not for Asians. Philippines is still better for me. 

day 3 - shopping day

today (or yesterday since it's already 2AM), we did a lot of (shoe-)shopping!

but first we had to go to a lot of shops that were disappointing like Cholon and the Tax Trade Center. Cholon is a Chinese shopping district. it's like Ben Thahn market but here you can't find anything good. it's like going to Divisoria expect except the lights are dim that it's kind of depressing to be there. but if you find some nice items there, for sure it's cheaper than in Ben Thahn. the slippers we bought in Ben Thahn which cost us 135000VND was only 35000VND there (grrr).

anyway, we decided to walk towards their Makati-like area and found this nice leather goods store named Cincinati! i don't really like leather bags. in fact i don't own one because i don't like the smell. but when i saw the bags in this store, i wanted to buy 10 bags or so. erik bought me a shoulder bag! yey!

then we went to Ben Thahn market to shop for gifts. we bought Weasel coffee which the vendor said was 100% Weasel coffee. i doubt it though because Wikipedia said the original Weasel coffee costs around $6600 per kilogram! we bought ours for just $30 per kilo hahaha! that expensive for something defecated by an animal?!

Asian Civet

coffee beans in Ben Thahn market

after buying some more pasalubong, we went shoe-shopping! this is a haven for shoe lovers especially Onitsuka because this is where they are made.

i bought my first Onitsuka! i also saw a nice looking Reebok but i stopped myself from buying it.

love the color!

anyway it was a good day except for this taxi driver who conned us. actually we thought his taxi was Mai Linh, the legit taxi company but when we were already inside, we realized we got in a fake Mai Linh because the fare went up to 151,000 VND to the hotel. our usual taxi fare for short rides is just 15K-20K VND so that was just so obvious! we were already victimized twice so we will be more careful next time.

this is what the original Mai Lihn looks like:

original Mai Linh. look for the green and white color

dinner was so good after so i immediately forgot the taxi experience.

anyway we started out with 9M VND, bianca and osh had 5M VND(?). we spent all our millions in one day!

day 2 - Bag day in Ho Chi Minh

yesterday we went to Saigon Center to buy bags, from the original North Face backpacks to fake but good quality Kipling shoulder bags and Crumpler camera bags (will post pics later).

i wanted to buy more to sell in Pinas because it's so cheap but unfortunately, no credit card here :(

yun lang. i was so tired from walking yesterday that i slept as soon as we got back to the hotel.

1st day in Ho Chi Minh

we arrived at 12:30am in Ho Chi Minh which is an hour ahead of behind Manila. when we arrived at our hotel, i immediately started finishing my TV script. ngarag grabe. 

i finished at past 3AM then when we got hungry and couldn't sleep, erik and i decided to venture out of the hotel at 4AM. we ended up in an eatery by the river where we ate instant noodles and coconut juice! sarap!

he woke me up at 11 and i was forced to get up. we went to this coffee place where Anthony Bourdain had coffee. it's like their Starbucks coffee shop but i don't remember the name and i didn't even bother to look because it's hard to read. 

ang sarap! it has condensed milk in the bottom then there's filter for the coffee but it's strong enough so even though it's mixed in with the milk, it's not too sweet but just right. we love it!

yummy vietnam coffee

i think one should be enough for a day if you want to sleep at night. 

then we went to Ben Thahn market. it's like Divisoria but cleaner. we just bought slippers but we're going back to get coffee and i want some dried fruits too. we didn't spend too much time there because it was so hot so we went to a restaurant where Bourdain also went. i wasn't too hungry so i just had another coconut juice and played The Creeps hehehe. 

after that we looked for a mall but ended up in a grocery instead where i found Missha BB cream! 

i already ordered another brand from Amazon (L'egere) but i wanted to try this one too and anyway it's cheaper here (475,000VND, about P1K) than in the Philippines (P1600) so i bought one. 

after that we went to a mall. malls here don't compare to the ones we have in Manila. they're not as complete or as big so we weren't impressed. we then went to a BBQ restaurant in Saigon center where we were given an hour and a half to eat. they have so many customers and the food is actually good and cheap.

now we're back in the hotel. i have to research on some Vietnamese phrases (don't know a word) and where else to go. it's only been a day but it feels like we don't have any more places to go. so i'm going to look for some out of town deals later. but first, i'll download The Creeps, the new Plants VS. Zombies!