A Day of Culture

We had a wonderful, relaxing day of CULTURE. Uh huh. Culture, i.e., we were inside two different theaters to watch two different plays.

{In the Beginning}

In a spectacular staging of the biblical account of creation, Sight & Sound opens the all new original production, In the Beginning. Be there as the Garden of Eden appears before you - the waters, vegetation, and animals of the newly created world enveloping the Millennium Theatre! Experience God's pleasure at his most awesome creation, Adam and Eve, and the complete beauty of their unbroken relationship with God.

With special effects that surpass all you've previously seen on Sight & Sound stages, In the Beginning promises an experience beyond your imagination. Enhanced by magnificent staging, stirring musical compositions, and captivating live and animatronic animals, the stage will spring to life with the phenomenal story of creation!

Ok, I just copied the text from the website of In the Beginning, but in a word: Spectacular is a perfect description for the play. We didn't have the greatest seats, having to crane our necks at times, but the Garden of Eden was just gorgeous on 3/4 of the entire theater. Yes, it was a wrap-around sort of stage, and the actors were using the entire place, even the aisles. It was a HUGE place and even for the matinee show at 12 noon, the place was PACKED!!! Sure, a lot of senior citizens, but there was a lot of youths and kids in there, too.

Very moving play. I was moved to tears when Adam and Eve were lamenting over the death of Abel, whom Cain killed. One of the most beautiful parts of the entire play was the special relationship between God and Adam. It was truly something to see, this relationship of the first man and his Creator. It was so pure, so extraordinary, so believable, the love of God truly shining and reflecting His glory.

There were some parts that the play was a little bit forced (according to Stella and Japa, hehehe), but all in all, you MUST see this play when you are in Pennsylvania. You MUST! For $45, it was totally worth it!

***

We had a few hours to kill before the second show, so after a very late lunch at the Hershey Farm Restaurant and Inn where we had their delish (but a bit expensive) buffet including the famed Amish Shoofly Pie and Whoopie Pie, we went shopping at the nearby outlets! We didn't want the time to go to waste, now, would we? Hehehe.

***

{Broadway's Best}

Show stopping moments from America's greatest musicals --- Broadway is more than just a street. It represents the music and magic of American artistry. In the same tradition, this show pays homage to all that is Broadway. You'll enjoy songs from the great tunesmiths like Berlin and Gershwin, memorable moments from classics such as Showboat and Les Miserables and highlights from modern pop-driven musicals like Jersey Boys and Movin' Out. Don't miss this unforgettable tribute to a uniquely American phenomenon... Broadway.

And for the next 2 hours, we would be entranced by the familiar and not-so-familiar songs of Broadway's Best. I was getting a tad bit sleepy in the beginning since I was so tired from all the driving I did, but as we neared the end of the first part, I sat up; the songs that were being sung were songs that I actually KNEW! Hehehehe. It was uphill from then on.

The pianist/musical director/arranger was Charles Ancheta. Sounds Pinoy to me, eh? Hehehe. He's from Australia and looked chinito. But his name was definitely Filipino. We didn't bother asking him, since we all rushed out of the theater to go straight home. It was such a loooong day!

Change My Body Please!

I am soooooo tired! I swear, I need an entire body change, you know? I need a lighter body definitely, and one without any slipped discs in it, please!

I just felt old and heavy when I woke up this morning. Maybe all that driving I've been doing this entire vacation (past 2 weeks so far) and all the late nights I've been pulling since we don't have effing internet connection in our rooms and we have to go to the lobby to get connected! Aaargh! I hate feeling old! Hehehehe. Not a good thing to feel too, with my birthday coming up, eh? Hehehe.

Maybe I should ask Japa for some plastic surgery for my birthday.....maybe not this year but hmmmm.....maybe when I turn 40? Hehehehe. I am SO tempted to give in to this wish! Sigh! I want something done on my upper arms and my entire legs, for starters. Not a small thing, I know, but I just get so frustrated sometimes when I look in the mirror and when I try on clothes!

Sigh! Most of the time I have to laugh at myself. After all, I know I'm not perfect and I'm fine with the way I look, honestly. But there are times I wish I were thin as a rail (ok fine, curvy in all the right places!) and I can wear anything and look good!

At this point, I don't think I'll need any rhinoplasty done for sure. My nose is fine the way it is and I haven't had any problems with the way it looks. But after my arms and legs, I'm all for having Los Angeles breast enhancement done. We-e-e-e-ell, maybe not exactly enhancement, unless you call sculpting and lifting enhancement. I'd define enhancement as some bit of reduction as well, just to ease some pressure from my back and slipped discs. That would be a boon, for sure.

And why Los Angeles? Why, it's Hollywood, baby! :) Don't the best plastic surgery doctors come from here? Aren't their models some of the perfect faces we see on the big screen? And it's on Rodeo Drive! How fab is that? Most likely it'll be expensive,but, to borrow a line from L'Oreal (I think), I'm worth it! :)

What Color Nail Polish Am I?

Trying to start early and rack up those Sweet Reward Points! :)

Your Nail Polish Color is Purple

How you're unique: You are artistic and expressive Why your style rocks: You pay special attention to color and fabrics What this color says about you: "I'm creative and know how to take care of myself"

What Color Nail Polish Best Fits You?

Pretty close fit for me, I guess. I would have thought I'd be straight out a RED nail polish person, but Purple? I guess I have to try that on now, hehehe.

Happy 39th Anniversary and Hershey, PA

My folks celebrate 39 years of married life today! Congratulations, Mom and Dad!!! May you guys have many more years to celebrate together!

Japa and I drove from Williamsburg, Virginia to Hershey Pennsylvania. The trip took 5 hours because there was some traffic as we passed Harrisburg....and there were some rain showers which slowed some motorists down, but only a few, surprisingly. Not like in Los Angeles where a bit of rain slows down everyone in a major way.

The drive was pleasant, with all those greenery we drove through. Lush, green trees lined the freeway. No cement or bare ground as we drove by. Just beautiful and relaxing.

We checked in at the bluegreen Hershey Suites....which was right beside the outlets!!! WHoohoohoo!!! We didn't even have to cross a major street to get to the outlets, just a teeny tiny side street! Yeah! Shopping, here we come! Hehehehe.

We check in, did some groceries because we knew Lola and Stella were going to be arriving. And we just vegged out for a few hours before going to the airport.

{HUMMER-ing TIME!}

As in the H3 Hummer. I've always wanted to drive one, and I finally got my chance! The rental car company had called to verify if I was picking up the Expedition I had reserved. I told them that yes, I was picking up a car but that I didn't need a big car anymore (since Mom and Dad and Aguila weren't going to arrive. Dad was eventually brought to the Emergency Room and eventually checked into a hospital night to have some tests done).

As luck would have it, there were still some cars available. My choices: a mini-van, where I made some "uhhhhmmmmmm....." sounds, and the Hummer, where she added was $2 or $5 more per day than the mini-van.

What a choice eh? After making sure that the Hummer had enough trunk space to fit our bags, I practically yelled into the receiver: "I want the Hummer!!!" Hahahahahaha!

What a vehicle! I just LOOOOVE the big SUV height of it, and the heavy, stable base of the Hummer. Kind of like a Mercedes Benz, which I love to drive because I just feel totally safe in it. And this baby could turn too! Not only were the wheels big, but because they were so big, driving on the freeway seemed slow but we were still flying! I had to constantly look at the speedometer to make sure I was within speeding limits. Ok fine. That I was doing a maximum of 10 miles (or so) above the speeding limit. :)

I had a choice of either the red or the white Hummer. What did you think I got!??!?!? A no-brainer question, eh? Hehehehe. Here's our lovely Hummer that would be ours for the next week:And that's ME in there, driving INSIDE!!! :)

Whoohoohoo!!! Driving in s-t-y-l-e!!! :)

TTFN!

400 Years Since the First Settlement in America

We couldn't NOT go to Jamestown. What, and miss being part of the celebration of this important milestone in American History? This year, 2007, marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, America's first permanent English colony.

{JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT}Billed as a living-history of 17th-century Virginia, the Settlement has English ships, colonial forts, Powhatan Village, and some discovery areas by the riverfront.

To be expected, the whole experience started with a short, 24-minute film, that told of the story of how and why the first Englishmen sailed to the New World, specifically James Town, named after King James I of England. These short introductory films are a great way to start the tour, in my opinion. They set the stage and transport you all those years ago as to how people lived.

This particular film, Witness 1607: A Nation Takes Root, tells of the colony's first 2 decades. It stresses the convergence of different cultures in Virginia, namely those of the English, the Powhatan Indians, and the Congo Africans, brought in as slaves/captives.

We had a glimpse of the daily life of the Powhatan Indians in a recreated village. There were lots of Indian tents/tepees...huge structures made of dried, woven straw. In Filipino, banig, hehehe. There were fox skins, even an intact bear skin! We saw this lady making rope out of raffia; she had soaked them and was just rolling them until they became rope for weaving baskets. Pretty cool.

There were replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, the ships of the first English men and boys to arrive at Jamestown. Never knew how tiny the bunk spaces were, or, for that matter, how cramped the spaces the men had to live in!

Some fun things we saw included a canoe being made from the huge trunk of a tree. Before being carved though, hot coals were put on top to soften the hardened wood. Then, using oyster shells, the Indians would proceed to carve out the wood painstakingly. As for the bottom of the canoe, they did the exact same thing, but they flattened the bottom for better balance out on the water.
There was also a full-scale replica of James Fort, a colonial palisade. Copying from the brochure (so I can refer to my blog for scrapping purposes, obviously, hehehe): With 3 bulwarks at the corners for defense, a triangular-shaped palisade was home to Jamestown's earliest colonists, and included wattle-and-daub houses with thatched roofs, a storehouse, a court of guard and a church.

Japa even tried on some early armor and helmet just for fun :)

{HISTORIC JAMESTOWN}This is the original settlement site and home to the newly constructed Archaearium (ar-KEE-air-ee-um), and archaeological museum. There were ongoing excavations while we were there, and the Archaearium housed items from the time of the first settlement and even beyond, proof that the Indians were a progressive people.

The rediscovery of James Fort and the remains of the town show of the English struggle for survival during the settlement's ear;y years. African-inspired ceramics and tobacco hoes used by 17th centure servants and slaves serve as a reminder of the silent African presence in the area.

Perhaps the MOST famous faces of Historic Jamestown are those of the legendary Pocahontas and John Smith. And no, don't believe the romance between the 2 as what Disney shows in their films :). Pocahontas was waaaaay too young for John Smith, and she ended up marrying John Rolfe. And contrary to Disney's Pocahontas II film, she never went back to her people. She died while in England.

The driving tour was pathetic compared to Yorktown's driving tour. We just saw "a glimpse of the natural environment that the settlers first encountered". Hehehe. Basically, trees, trees and more trees. Beautiful trees, don't get me wrong, but 5 miles of all-trees was too much trees for me :). In fact, I asked Japa to drive the last few miles since I was really very sleepy and ended up taking a catnap on the way back to the Visitors Center.

{DINNER}O.M.G!!! What a dinner we just had! Holy Cow!!! It was barbecue buffet night at Golden Corral right on Richmond Road. Every night, they have a differently-themed buffet (also for lunch, btw!), and we sure picked a GOOD night to drop by! There were chicken, pork, steak, and all sorts of barbecued meats. There were the usual salad bar, the fixin's bar and the dessert bar! And all for $10 per person! This is dinner, folks!!! Hehehehe. What a time we had! Japa had 3-4 humongous steaks and he enjoyed every single bite of it!

Oh and if you have kids, you can't beat $1.99 and $2.99 per kid, depending on the age range. So the next time we're in town, this is definitely going to be a stop for us! :)

Ok, time to check my email, pack, and go to bed. We leave for Hershey, Pennsylvania tomorrow....driving almost 5 hours! :)

TTFN!

Thanks, J.K. Rowling!

Yes, I am done with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've tried to drag it out longer, but I could NOT not turn the next page. And the next. And the next. JK Rowling has exceeded all her books in this last one. Simply awesome, fabulous, totally magic!

Loved the entire book from start to finish. I was crying in some parts, yelling and shocked at others; but for the most part, I was just cheering all the good guys on. Fabulous weaving of the plot and the numerous subplots; I was not confused at all. In fact, because JK Rowling had neatly tied up the stories of practically all the important characters in her ENTIRE series, I was left with closure....and of course, wanting for MORE.

The least part I liked was the fact that the action REALLY started towards the middle of the book. But from then on, it was action, action, ACTION. I was literally gasping from being winded just reading about certain events! Hehehehe. Seriously!

Totally totally an enjoyable book. Totally WORTH the WAIT! Next on my agenda? I absolutely NEED to get the 7th book for the English (British) children's version from Hong Kong! Gotta complete my series, right?

TTFN!

Off to Virginia!

And Japa and I are FINALLY off to the East Coast for the start of our (super-duper belated!) 10-year anniversary! Hehehehe. Oh well. That's life, I guess.

We left Los Angeles at 7 effing am!!! Sheesh! But at least this flight guaranteed us that we were going to be able to get a rental car; we arrived at 510 pm in Newport-News Virginia. Our original flight had us arriving at 1230 am on July 23rd...and we'd have been out of luck in getting a car since the rental car companies ended their airport stints at 11 pm.

And our rental car? I had reserved for a mid-size car since it was just going to be me and Japa. A mid-size car, i.e., Toyota Corolla or something similar. But since I waited for what seemed forever at the Hertz counter (too many people all at the same time, with ONE Hertz person!), and I apparently had NOT lost patience (or at least wasn't outwardly showing it), the really nice Hertz guy offered to upgrade our mid-size car to either a full-size car (Honda Accord) or a mid-size SUV. And you needn't be a genius to figure out what I chose, right? Yup----the Ford Escape of course! And to top it off, for the SAME price given me online for 5 days, I get to keep the FREE upgraded car for an additional TWO days!!! Whoohoohoo!!! :)

Japa and I get to our hotel, the Wyland (used to be Fairfield) Williamsburg, care of RCI exchange. Although it wasn't a fair exchange --- a 2 bedroom unit for the studio we got--- but what was important was that we GOT it in the first place! Totally lucky! Even the RCI guide had to concede that! Hehehehe.

The studio is obviously small, but you know Japa and me, we made do. I actually put all my stuff in the drawers just so we'd have space in the room because the suitcases were out of the way!

And internet in the room? Uhhhh....unheard of. I am sitting here in the lobby of the Ramada 1776 (part of the complex of hotel chains) just so we'd have free internet connection. :)

The first order of business for the both of us after we checked in was DINNER. We were ravenous! We had breakfast before our flight left Los Angeles. Nothing on the flights, despite the fact that we were in Business Class (a mere $30 more for the upgrade, one-way!!! Air Tran Airways, btw, for future reference). We got to Atlanta, Georgia, and stood in line for the grossest, oiliest Popeye's chicken. Ugh. But it was all that we had time for before our flight left.

So while I was standing in the Hertz line, Japa was busy grabbing brochures and coupons off the information racks and looking through them to find a place for dinner. And he found Captain George's Seafood Buffet. Hehehehe, yes, a buffet. We NEEDED food, and fast!

The food was delish, although I wasn't feeling all that well due, I think, to the ingestion of gross amounts of oil from the Popeye's fried chicken, ugh! While Japa feasted on crabs of all sorts, I had some salad, soup, and tried the fish dishes, some crab and of course, dessert! Japa totally pigged out and thoroughly enjoyed himself with the crab legs, among other things. He seemed to have a bottomless stomach! Sheesh!

Price for Captain George's: $30 per person. At that point, totally worth it. 95% was seafood, and there was even prime rib! :) So yeah, we were STUFFED! We went home, took showers, and just CRASHED.

TTFN!

Tita San: Forever in Our Lives, Our Hearts, Our Memories

This is the final copy of the Eulogy I prepared for Tita San, edited by both Bang and Rondic. Because Dic was the closest to Tita San, I told Mom I wanted him to read it. The condition? My eulogy is to be read in its entirety, with some parts added to it if some of the others wanted to add to it.

I also suggested that Rod be on standby when Dic started reading the eulogy.....just in case he wouldn't be able to finish it, since we figured he'd be bawling somewhere in the middle. And Randy? Uh, no. If we expected to be crying his eyes out somewhere in the middle of delivering the eulogy, Randy would probably take a deep breath before he uttered a single word, and end up sniffling and wiping his tears away!

But according to Dic and Lai, Dic pulled it off beautifully! Here are our combined words for Tita San:

Rosanne to her friends, San to her relatives, Tita San or Ninang San to her nephews and nieces, and Mama Lols to her grandchildren, these are some of the names that most of us remember her by. I on the other hand had a special name for her… I called her MAMA.

Mama was 50 years old when she passed. She left behind her three children, and her partner of many, many years. She also left us, family and friends, whom she has touched. She left us a void; but she also left with us beautiful memories. And for that we are grateful.

For us Dizon kids, Mama was more than the younger sister of our Mom. Mama was a friend, a confidante, our absolute favorite tita, and above all, our second mom. When we were in the States for school, Mama was always there for us. She cooked for us, she prepared our baon, she drove for us. She treated us like her own, and she made us a home away from home. We were at home with Mama.

That’s the way she was: The Mama that we all knew was this vibrant, alive person. Brimming with love, she exuberantly showered everyone with this love until you couldn’t help but smile at her. She was full of life, embraced it, and lived it to the fullest. She did what she wanted, she ate what she wanted, she went where she wanted to go. In short, she lived her life to the fullest.

She was a woman who loved, totally, unselfishly, selflessly, generously, protectively, fiercely and loyally. Here was a woman who laughed... at life even if times were tough; and smiled; unfailing in making others' lives a more joyful one.

When Mama was diagnosed with brain cancer 4 years ago, we were all in shock. We didn’t know what this would do to Mama and what she would do about it. We need not have worried: Mama faced this problem in her typical way --- she faced it and fought it head on. She was a fighter, and with family by her side, she won the first of many battles. Doctors gave her 6 months, she defied them for 4 years. That’s how much of a fighter she was.

It was difficult to see Mama deteriorate the past few months. It was hard for us to accept how this full-of-life person that Mama was, change to a reserved, quiet, toned-down person. It was hard for us to swallow, but we didn’t let it stop us from showering Mama with love and attention the way she did for us all those years ago.

Although we weren’t with Mama all the time these past few years, I think she knew that we were there for her, praying for her, thinking about her. Not one of us ever took Mama for granted. We loved her like our own mom; she was our second mom.

We are very privileged to have been touched by her life and to have been recipients of her love, even if we wish and pray that we could have enjoyed that privilege longer. We thank God for letting our paths cross with hers, for planting her into our family, and for making her such a big part of our lives.

Mama, goodbye for now. We know you will still be looking out for us wherever you are. Though your body is gone from us, you will forever be with us in our hearts, in our lives, in our memories. We love you Mama!

--- Eulogy delivered during Inurnment at the Shrine of St Therese, July 22, 2007

Goodbye Tita San! We love you!

Harry Potter is Here!!!

Oh yayayayayayayayyyyy!!!!! I get to read the LAST book in J.K.Rowling's series! I have been WAITING for this book! Whoohoohoo!!!

The truth be told, it was RJ's book that arrived in Polaris. I stupidly had my book delivered to the office, which, obviously, will not happen until Monday! Ugh! But since RJ isn't here, and Roc had already asked RJ if she could go ahead and read his book (he said yes), I asked Roc if we could trade. So yes, as of this writing, I have THE book in my grubby little hands!!!

I WON'T start reading it yet tonight. Our flight leaves at 7 am tomorrow and I have yet to pack. Hehehe. So yes, I am resisting temptation in a MAJOR way! But I tell you, I just CANNOT wait to start reading all about Harry and his friends!

I've already planned it out: I will be d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g-l-y (is that a word? hehehe) reading this book. Stretching it out because I know it's the last book in the series. And I got a text from Bang. She said that she cheated and checked the back of the book.....and that she'll start reading it. Knowing Bang's penchant for happy endings, I just KNEW that the book would be all that I wished it to be! Hehehehe. So yeah, I will HAPPILY be starting my journey into the world of witchcraft and wizardry tomorrow on the plane.

Now, off to pack!

TTFN!

Evan Almighty

A little bit of jet lag, but managed to squeeze brunch with Dad at IHOP, then we went to go see Evan Almighty just so Dad won't go right to sleep after his meal.

I liked this movie, and I think so did Dad. I'd glance at him throughout the movie, and I'd find him either laughing or getting teary-eyed because of the whole message of the movie: to believe in God and the power that He wields.

Critics may not give it two thumbs up, but I think it touches the heart and sends it's message across. I'm going to have the kids watch this just so they'd understand the story of the ark better, albeit in a more modern sense, hehehe. Besides, there are a lot of funny scenes and it's an enjoyable time to spend a few hours with the kiddos.

In Manila Again....After a Week

Yes, we finally arrived in Manila. First things first, we go home to "see" Tita San. As expected, Mom broke down in front of Tita San's urn and cried. It was heartbreaking. All I could do was leave her some space and some time to pour her grief. I know she feels guilty for not being at Tita San's bedside when she died. But it couldn't be helped; she HAD to bring Dad to the States for his doctors' appointments.

But it's hard telling her that, trying to console her with that. Deep down, though, I know she understands. It's just a matter of her accepting that she has no reason to feel guilty.

And again, as expected, Mom didn't sleep at all. Me? I could barely keep my eyes open at 11 am I think! They were drooping of their own volition! Sigh!

I tried working on the plane, typing up the Novena for the Dead on my laptop. But as usual, barely 2 hours after I started up my laptop, the battery started dying on me. I swear, as I always do when I travel, I'm going to get a new laptop with some major IBM memory chips....I hope someone invents something where I can store RAM on an EHD or something. Just so I won't have to buy a new laptop whenever mine feels outdated with all the memory-hogging new software coming out!

Anyhoo, when it was time for Bang to get the Novena from me, she couldn't wake me. Good thing she had a much SHORTER one on hand, which was the one we eventually used during the entire wake.

I broke down and cried for Tita San and her passing during tonight's mass. The Our Father usually is poignant for me, as well as the Communion Song that Tita San loved, Wind Beneath Our Wings. I couldn't stop my tears spilling over. I REFUSED to look at either Bang or Lai, knowing that they'd start to cry as well, when they saw me :) I know the Sisterhood all too well, eh? *wink*

I'm really tired. Gotta get some sleep eye. I swear, I hadn't gotten over my jet lag from flying TO the States, and now I'm trying to recover from flying FROM the States! Sheesh!

TTFN!

Tita San Passes

It is the 14th in Manila. At 11:28 am, Tita San dies. I think she was just waiting for all the her documents to be prepared, and for Mom to finally arrive from the States. But I don't think she could have hung on much longer, she was in pain. I remember asking Bang to whisper in Tita San's ear that if she was just hanging on waiting for Mom, and if she was in pain, to just let go, just so she won't be in pain anymore.

Mom and I never made it to Tita San's side. We were waiting at the airport when we got the call from Manila. I just thank God that we had decided that I was going home with Mom; otherwise, she'd have been getting that call when she was alone. At least I was there to offer a (wide) shoulder to cry on if she needed it.

But if you know my mom, she is a strong woman. Takes after Lola. She tried to hide her tears while we were in the plane. I let her cry it out for a little bit, her head turned away from everyone else. After a bit, I hugged her and told her that she HAD to get some sleep while in the plane because I was expecting her NOT to get any sleep once we landed and she'd want to take care of every little detail she could during Tita San's wake.

In a way, I think Tita San had waited for as long as she could. I told Mom that she had no business feeling guilty for being away from Tita San when she passed. It was her time, and she was at peace with what she knew about the state of her affairs.

One of the more important things that were "settled" so to speak, was the mended relationship between her kids and Tito Lito. The kids finally heard their mom's side from Tito Lito. All the things and emotions that she went through during her last 4 years, I think he told her kids. And they thanked Tito Lito for everything that he did for Tita San.

Another thing that was settled were all Tita San's properties. They had been transferred several years back, and a few were already in the process. Even some blue ridge real estate was settled. No, that's Tito Rey's. I meant the Santolan apartment's documents were already settled.

Tita San is to be cremated as soon as possible. I was right in thinking that she didn't want anyone to see her body ravished by the cancer that had eaten at her. Everyone wanted to remember her as the truly alive, vibrant person she was.

My Star Wars Character

Take this quiz and find out who you are :)
Your results:
You are Han Solo

Han Solo 67% Qui-Gon Jinn 65% Luke Skywalker 64% Emperor Palpatine 59% Mace Windu 58% Darth Vader 57% Yoda 57% R2-D2 56% Obi-Wan Kenobi 56% Jabba the Hutt 55%

Even though you've been described as reckless, selfish and cocky, you're the type of person others love to be around. People like you because you're a scoundrel.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)

Another Sweet Rewards Point on the way! :) May the Force be with you!

YouTube Entertainment

This is the first time I'm embedding a YouTube video, so hopefully, it'll come out ok. This particular video was taken of the kids during their performance of High School Musical during Avic's debut last year. Last year?!?!? Where did the time go!!!

High School Musical Kids' Dance



This should earn me a Sweet Reward Point for sure! :)

Entering the World of Harry Potter...

...yet again. With each new book that JK Rowling comes out with, I feel this NEED to read the series in all its entirety. Just so I'd understand the book better. So with the Deathly Hallows arriving on the 21st this month, I enter the world of witchcraft and wizardry yet again with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Because I barely have any time to read all the books before Book 7 comes out, I've decided to read Raegan's series of books. Yes, the kids' version! :) Luckily, we had bought the British version while in Singapore, and I had bought the 6th book from Hong Kong.

Easier reading for sure, but 98% of the adult version is in that tiny little volume. Of maybe it's just me that it looks tiny when compared to the hard bound Harry Potter books of mine? Hehehehe. Whatever the reason, it is still an enjoyable read!

So yes, goodbye to the world for now....and allow me to enter and float dream-like in Harry Potter's world!

TTFN!

June Round Up

My June 2007 Round Up

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

What with the soltera, Hong Kong trip, wedding and planning our anniversary trip, it was a WONDER that I started --- and finished --- Jodi Picoult's Songs of the Humpback Whale!

A basic summary: Jane runs away from her husband after a major fight. Her daughter goes with her. She writes to her brother who tells her where to go in his next letter, delivered to the Post Office of the next town. This continues until Jane's husband, a well-known oceanographer, finally tracks her down.

This is a pretty deep, complex book. I was very confused with the book having 5 different narrators, not just Jane. It was a chore to have to completely change my reading perspective every chapter, but as I got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad. :) Jodi Picoult explores these 5 characters and how they relate to each other very thoroughly. Then the reader gets to tie everything together. Though not by all means predictable, Songs of the Humpback Whales is most definitely NOT an easy read. Be prepared to spend a few hours delving into this book.

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?

We had kiddie movies this month: Meet the Robinsons and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Enjoyable films both, but not sure if it's worth getting the DVD, hehehe. Maybe Meet the Robinsons.

What special days did I celebrate and how?

June 11 - Rogan's 8th birthday. He had THE most brilliant idea for his birthday celebration: Bowling!!! Everyone had a blast at Paeng's Skybowl, especially the kids. And for me? The EASIEST party to (non) prepare! Hehehe.

June 12 - Double celebration here. We had Philippine Independence Day, of course, where we went on this fabulous walking tour by led by Carlos Celdran. AND Rod proposed to Zhar that same night!!!

June 14 - Lola Nene's 88th Birthday! Some trivia: Rogan is exactly 80 years younger than Lola, and I'm exactly 50 years younger than Lola! :)

June 15-17 - All Girls' Hong Kong Trip. Just Mom, Tita B, Bang, Lai and moi. It was a trip where we literally did not do anything BUT eat, shop and sleep. A vicious cycle, but we had so much fun!

June 17 - Father's Day. Scroll down towards the bottom of the post to read about what we did for Father's Day this year.

June 18 - Despedida de Soltera of Stella. Squeezed myself into an old gown, whew! My girls looked beautiful in their too-old-for-them (maybe) dresses, hehehe, and my boys looked very dashing in their barong tagalogs!

June 21 - Birthdays of Tito Lito, Stella, Yuri.

June 22 - Wedding Day of Randy and Stella. Go check out the photo-heavy post! :)


What illnesses or health concerns did I have?

My back's been acting up, as usual. Maybe it's all those hours sitting on a chair doing the chaplets, or all the walking in Hong Kong, maybe even all the scrapping *wink*! Oh but wait, can't have been the latter since I usually scrap on my bed! Hehehe. Yoga has been a lifesaver yet again; I'm actually on week 5 of my 10-week program. Couldn't do a whole lot of yoga the latter part of the month, what with everything that was going on!

Had a major toothache. So bad that I wanted the dentist to pull the effing tooth out, but she wanted to preserve the dang tooth! Ugh! Luckily I listened to her; it was a short, painless procedure :)

Tita San is still in and out of the hospital. We're not sure if things will ever look good for her. :(


What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?

Aside from all the birthdays and parties we celebrated this month, we also had:

1. The Sisterhood Challenge - To date, we have done the cover pages and the first month double spreads. I've finished Baptism pages for Raegan only. Like I said, it was a busy month. Sigh!

2. Swimming Competition - The kids competed in Celebrity Sports Plaza where they had a 50-meter pool! For the first time ever, Rogan's time in freestyle was way faster than his Ate's!

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

Hmmmm.....I always have difficulty completing this part of the Round Up every single month! Well, with all the shopping that I did in Hong Kong, I can't remember everything! I did buy Boydee's birthday gift early....

I also bought Randy and Stella's wedding gift, a 4-inch memory foam mattress with 2 king size pillows. I also got a 6-pack of standard memory foam pillows for us, just because they're hypo-allergenic. Maybe it'll work wonders with the kids' allergies.

Oh! And THE most unusual gift for this month? This one that I gave to Stella for her wedding shower, hehehehe:

What were this month's disappointments?

Tita San's deterioration. She's sometimes a shell of what she used to be; for a lot of times though, remnants of the old Tita San are seen through a smile, a grimace, a look.

What were my accomplishments this month?

My Cebu Album is DONE!!! Ordered through Shutterfly; I just CANNOT wait to get the finished product!

Still earning a bit via my blog, although my (very few!) faithful readers have started to complain that I've got too much advertisement going on, hehehe. I've resolved to cut down on those ads in the future. Maybe *wink*!

I've done a couple more weeks in the Yoga program despite the busy schedule for this month! In fact, I kept doing it even during our trip to Hong Kong!

Anything else noteworthy to record?

Plans are pretty much set for our anniversary trip. We won't be able to make it to Vegas on our date, but we get to go to Hawaii when we accompany Dad there on a layover enroute to Los Angeles. And yes, tickets have been paid for for our East Coast trip as well as reservations confirmed on our RCI exchanges in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

April Layout Count: (a measly) 23!

***End of Round Up***

(This post reconstructed July 23, 2007)