So you want to know what happens next?

SPOILER ALERT: Those who do not wish to know what happens to the characters after the HP7 book ends, you should stop reading here.


See what Rowling has to say here and here. How I wish I could have found out about the character's developments through future HP books. Her releasing these statements dispel any rumors that she'll continue writing more on the series. No author would pre-empt their plots right? Tsk.. tsk. =(

NYC Dining

We've been dining at really good restaurants lately. It was also NY's Restaurant Week so it was the perfect time to eat out. It's good for the soul but not for our figures, hehe. Well to hell with that. Eating is one of the greatest pleasures of life =).

Cinema Cafe on 60th
It's a cafe with an old Hollywood theme. We didn't expect too much from this restaurant because we didn't research it. We just walked by and decided to eat our dinner there one Sunday. We were pleasantly surprised that the food was really good. Their fruit and yogurt smoothies are the best!

Yummy Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

Margarita Thin-Crust Pizza and Cordon Bleu Burgers

(medyo bastos yung product placement ng burgers noh? Hehe)

I just couldn't resist! Hehe

Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
It was our first time to step inside this famous hotel. We arrived early for our dinner date with our friends Rommel and Lanie so we could loiter in the lobby and take pictures. The hotel showed signs of age but it definitely didn't lose its dignity. The food was good and it is always a pleasure to catch up with great friends.

With Lanie and Rommel

At the hotel lobby

City Lobster at the Theater District
Another great find! Carissa called me an hour prior to dinner to check if we are free to take advantage of NY's Restaurant Week. I had a pretty stressful work day and I'm really looking forward to unwind. My boss recommended City Lobster and it didn't disappoint. We all ordered lobster as our main entree and it was heavenly. We will definitely come back for more.

Lobster Dinner!

Serendipity
No need for introductions on this famous restaurant. Lex and I haven't dined here yet even though we've been in NY for more than a year already. The line is always sooo long and a 2 hour wait is standard. This past Saturday, we made it a point to once and for all put our names down on the waiting list and come back two hours later. We went to nearby Bloomingdales first to pass time and do some window shopping.

We were seated atlast!

We ordered nachos and burgers but the dessert was to die for! We shared the Forbidden Broadway Sundae and it was very rich and satisfying. The staff was friendly and the ambiance, charming. It was also very "serendipitous" for us to be seated at the exact same table from the movie. Isn't this neat? =)

John, Kate and the weird statue guy

Lex, Lynn, our sundae and the weird statue guy

Happy Birthday, Mamy!

Happy 50th Birthday, Mamy! We hope that you had a blast celebrating your golden year. Lex and I are just sorry that we couldn't be there to join you on this special occassion. But nevertheless, know that we'll be thinking and praying for you always.

50 Reasons why I love my Mamy (in no particular order):

1. When I called her up to let her know that I have BIG news (I got engaged!), she already knew what my news was without me telling her. She just knows!

2. My siblings and I got our love for clothes and fashion from her.

3. She's the most selfless person I know.

4. She's our best friend. We can tell anything and everything to her.

5. She and my dad painstakingly did a lot for us on our wedding. She did my accessories, souvenirs, some of the reception decor, etc. Our wedding won't be the success that it was without her.

This beautiful cuff was made by my mom.

6. She's the strongest person that I know.

7. She was the only person who made me cry on my wedding. Her speech was so touching.

Me while my mom is making her speech

8. She's making me teary-eyed now while writing this! I miss her so!

9. She gave up her promising career to take care of us when we were young.

10. She's the happiest when we're happy.

11. She took care of us, cooked for us and helped us in settling down in our new apartment here in New York.

12. Much of our success in life is because of her.

13. Hugging her is one of the best feelings on earth.

14. When we were kids, she always made sure that we had the best of everything even though there was not enough cash to go around.

15. She's the best cook ever!

16. She makes Christmas and New Year the best holidays!

17. She writes the most touching letters.

18. She passed on to us her dream of travelling and seeing the world.

19. She taught me how to be independent.

20. She learned how to use technology and the internet so she can constantly be in touch with me and my sister (who is also working abroad).

21. She loves Lex.

22. She shops for us and she always know what would look good on us.

23. She always knows if there is something bothering us. We can't hide anything from her!

24. She takes care of my dad so well. I strive to be the same to Lex.

25. She made sure that we prioritized our studies when we were kids. She was our tutor.

26. She puts up with all of our faults.

27. She boosts our egos all the time =).

28. She's very proud of us and would "brag" about her kids to anyone who would listen.

29. She's very affectionate. She would say "I love you", hug and kiss you all the time.

30. She hates being late. She makes sure to be on time or even be early on any appointment. She passed this on to us as well.

31. I remember when someone was making fun of me when I was a kid, she went to this bully and scolded him. It embarassed me then but I appreciate it now.

32. She encouraged us to follow our dreams even though it meant being away from our family.

33. She looks forward to being a grandmother ;).

34. She remembers everything! She even remembers the name of my pre-school classmates whom I have totally forgotten about!

35. She doesn't ask for anything from us. Which makes it so hard for us to think of any gift to give to her! She would rather receive letters and hand-made gifts than any other material thing.

36. I love her curls! I inherited them but how come it looks so much better on her?

37. I don't know how, but she brings us great luck.

38. She made a point to get to know my in-laws. She makes them comfortable on family gatherings.

39. Our relationship is the envy of all my friends.

40. She loves me and my siblings equally.

41. She painstakingly organizes all our childhood pictures, maintains a scrapbook, frames our medals and certificates, etc. Everything is saved and kept.

42. She's very creative and artistic. I wish I inherited some of her talent.

43. My siblings and I have a good relationship and it's due to her.

44. She's generous to everyone. She helps anyone who needs it.

45. She gives the best advice.

46. We got most of our good genes from her. Hehe.

Wah! Hindi ako kasama =(

47. She taught me how to empower myself as a woman.

48. She inspires me to be the best that I can be.

49. I strive to be half the mother and wife that she is.

50. She's the best mom in the whole world! She's not perfect but she's perfect for us. We don't know what we'll do without her.... we'll be completely lost!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Less than two days before the much anticipated release of the final installment of the Harry Potter series, NY Times writer Michiko Kakutani wrote a review of the book.

What's good about the review is that it didn't spoil the reader's experience of the book but it actually heightens it. It revealed a couple of terms by saying what "hallows" are. Hallows are, by the way, three magical objects said to make their possessor the master of Death. It also revealed that we could expect more of the Harry-Ginny romance which I'm decidedly looking forward to reading about. It compared Harry to King Arthur, Spiderman and Luke Skywalker since all the heroes have their own inner battles as well. The review also gave me a sense of assurance that the book won't leave me hanging and that it would have a proper resolution that I would "agree" on in the end. And that's important as I don't want my beloved Harry to be treated unfairly. I hope I won't be disappointed. At the end of the review, here's what the author (reviewer) imparted:

"The world of Harry Potter is a place where the mundane and the marvelous, the ordinary and the surreal coexist. It’s a place where cars can fly and owls can deliver the mail, a place where paintings talk and a mirror reflects people’s innermost desires. It’s also a place utterly recognizable to readers, a place where death and the catastrophes of daily life are inevitable, and people’s lives are defined by love and loss and hope — the same way they are in our own mortal world."

I'll definitely miss the anticipation of a new Potter book. I guess I will have to just settle with the movies. Or I can just re-read them again. After all, I can always use an escape from the Muggle world from time to time.

Read the full review here.

*****UPDATE*****
I just read from this site that JK Rowling didn't approve of the NY Times review of her 7th book.

JK Rowling said at 1pm today, 'I am staggered that American newspapers have decided to publish purported spoilers in the form of reviews in complete disregard of the wishes of literally millions of readers, particularly children, who wanted to reach Harry's final destination by themselves, in their own time. I am incredibly grateful to all those newspapers, booksellers and others who have chosen not to attempt to spoil Harry's last adventure for fans.'

Going Green and Crazy

Some people lined up for hours, even days for the iPhone.

Some people line up to get great seats at a major concert or movie.

Some people even line up to get the autograph and be in the presence of their favorite celebs.

Today, we lined up for 3 hours starting at 5AM for a $15 bag.

Yes, a bag. But it's not just any other bag. It's the limited edition Anya Hindmarch "I'm not a Plastic Bag" bag. It's the same bag that caused riots in London, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The same bag that's selling for almost $200 (over 1,000% mark-up!) on eBay. The same bag that was given as part of the Oscars swag and was seen carried by celebs. The same bag that encourages people to bring reusable bags to the stores instead of using plastic bags.


So today I dragged Lex along with me to the Whole Foods Market in Chelsea to grab a couple of these bags at 5 o' clock in the morning. We were only limited to 3 bag purchases per person, so together we could buy 6. He was so sweet for accompanying me so early in the morning. Or maybe he became interested too when I told him how much these things are selling on eBay? Hehe. When we got to the store, there was already a long line of people (more than a hundred definitely) in front of the store. We got word that the first person in line came at 11PM the previous night! Crazy!! Store opens at 8AM and our wait was made quite uncomfortable by heavy rains. Tsk.. tsk.. We had fun anyway. We were truly amazed with the whole experience.

Finally, we were able to get our bags at around 8:30AM. When we left, the line was still so long it went around the block. Whole Foods Market though was very systematic in the way they handled the event. Thank God nothing majorly chaotic happened. Although a few reporters and photographers showing up would have been cool =).

The line one block away from the store

Summer's "It" Bag

So what do you think? Have we gone completely crazy? =)

More about the bag here and here.

Haircut in the City

After being shampooed and prepped for his haircut, Lex sat down on the hairdresser's chair.

Hairdresser: How would you like your cut done?
Lex: I want it scissor-cut.. take a little bit on the side, at the back and on top. Not too short.
Hairdresser: Ok. What number?
Lex: Huh? No! I want it scissor-cut. So don't use the clippers.
Hairdresser: You don't understand.. this is how we do things here.
Lex: What do you mean?
Hairdresser: We don't use scissors. We use clippers.
Lex: Huh? You don't use scissors to cut hair?!? I've never gotten a haircut without scissors!
Hairdressers: You don't want it?
Lex: No, sorry I don't want it... Can I at least have some wax for my hair? My hair is still damp.

Are we the only ones who think this was so funny? =) Take note, this was not a barberia. It was a unisex salon. Hehe.

Honey

Around October last year, Lex and I were on our way to the JFK airport when we met a middle-aged couple on the train. They had a teddy bear peeking out of their luggage. We got to talking and I asked them about their teddy. They said that they take the teddy with them in all of their vacations and travels. They also ship it to their grown children when they are traveling so that they can bring it with them too. So it has literally been all over the world. It has been to Egypt, Europe, Brazil, Asia, etc. Isn't this a cute story? It's kinda like the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

So we thought that we would try to do the same thing too =). We took "Honey", our teddy's name, out from storage and had him cleaned out. He, by the way, was Lex's gift to me on my 22nd birthday. It has sentimental value because it was one of Lex's first gifts to me when we were still dating. Honey's first official trip was to attend our wedding. Here's how he looked on our wedding with our rings (pic by Dino Lara).

Isn't he cute?

So far, Honey has been to France. I remember the security in the CDG airport was being funny and was saying that Honey can't board the plane because he doesn't have a passport. Haha.

On our ride back to the airport

He was also with us when we drove to Canada.

He got a few souvenirs from his travels too. We bought him pins to commemorate each place he's been to. He wears his "medals" proudly.

Pins from Paris, Canada and ofcourse New York

And before you think we're a bunch of sappy idiots for carrying a teddy and then naming him "Honey", I just wanted you to know that "Honey" really is his name. See?

Montreal

Wanting to put our Canadian Tourist visas to good use, Lex and I drove to Montreal over the weekend. It's no easy task because driving to Montreal is atleast a 7 hour journey. This does not count the delays you can expect at the border where the officials would have to check your vehicle and your passport. Lex had to drive Shiloh all the way to Canada and back to New York since I don't know how to drive stick shift cars. It's not my fault that he bought a manual car when he was still single =P. Shiloh, by the way, is the name we gave to our car. It's corny I know, but we named her after Brangelina's daughter because she is sooo cute! And no... we don't have any illusions that we resemble Brad and Angelina in any way. Well, atleast not me. Hehe =).

One of our pit stops -- Shiloh in the background

We arrived in Montreal with our butts and lower backs aching, but definitely eager to start our sightseeing. We checked in at the Residence Inn Downtown Montreal using Lex's points so we were able to stay for free. We got upgraded too and was given the one bedroom suite! It had a seperate bedroom, living area and kitchenette. Too bad we don't plan on spending too much time in our room.

We rode the subway and headed to Old Montreal. Montreal's subway system is very simple and a lot cleaner. I guess everything would seem simple and cleaner compared to NY's infamous subways. At the heart of the town is the Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica. From the outside, it looked a lot like its namesake in Paris. Believe it or not, there's a fee to get in the church. They have a Lights and Sound show in the evening that costs $10 each and we decided to come back later for that.

While waiting for the light show, we walked around Old Montreal. It was such a pleasure. It appealed to all our senses. The cobblestone streets, the quiant shops and cafes, the French speaking and courteous locals, the smell of horses, the cool breeze, etc. Here was what we found in our walk:

Hotel de Ville - Montreal City Hall

Place Jacques Cartier

Place Jacques Cartier

When darkness fell, it was time for the Notre Dame light show. We were a bit surprised with it. They put up white sheets all over the inside of the church for the show's projection. The church looked like a cinema. The clip they showed told about the history of Montreal and the basilica. It was very interesting but it was when they removed the sheets that we fully appreciated the church's beauty. Picture perfect!

Blue and Gold

Magnificent altar

By the time the show ended, we were beat. We wanted to have an early night as we were tired from driving for almost 8 hours. Besides, we still have an early 3 hour bus ride to take the next day to Quebec. We heard so many great things about Quebec that we were willing to endure more time in the road. Quebec will be another post =).

More Montreal pics here.

Oui!

Having travelled recently to Paris, Montreal and Quebec fuelled our current obsession with anything French. We are planning on taking French language lessons, dreaming about going to the French countryside, and even thinking about living in France (!) in the future. I wonder if my recent thing for Louis Vuitton came from our travelling as well? Hehe.

Anyway, I saw this Christian Dior ring on the net this morning and I want one!! Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to buy it coz it's uber expensive =(. Here's to wishing that the universe would manage to conspire and bring one of this beauties to my finger!

Off to Canada!

We're off to Montreal and Quebec, Canada this weekend. Pictures and kwento when we return =).

07.07.07

What's in a date? Apparently a lot. Pls. read article from Time, and this from CNN.

This coming Saturday is said to be the most popular wedding day ever. Not only is it easy to remember, 7 is also supposed to be a very lucky number. Imagine how much luck triple 7s would bring! It doesn't hurt that it will fall on a Saturday too. Looking back, I wondered why we chose 12.26.06 as our wedding date. We didn't really choose it.... it chose us. Since December is the most popular wedding month in the Philippines, a lot of the venues are already booked years before the event. We had set our hearts on Santurio de San Antonio and Manila Peninsula as our venues so we were willing to get married on any date as long as it is going to be at the venues that we hoped for. Luckily some other couple backed out of their Manila Peninsula reservation so we were given that date. It was an additional blessing when PGMA declared 12/26 as a holiday as well.

Here's the Save the Date video that we sent out for our wedding. Lots of people who received this told us that they'll never going to forget our wedding date. I wonder why, hehe =).