Twists and Turns

Woohoo!

2008-02-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

'Twas a great night for New York... the Giants are the new NFL Champs! What an exciting game!!!

As you know, the Superbowl is also known for its commercials. Here's one of my faves. A Pepsi commercial featuring Justin Timberlake. He's so cute!

Surprise!

2008-02-01T17:05:00.000-05:00

I got a very nice surprise today. I randomly checked my coordinator's website and... voila! Lex and I are instant cyber commercial models. Hehe. I must say, we're terribly flattered. Ernest, thank you so much for the honor. We love you! :)

Oh, and we're also on the "Contact Us" page =P.

Here's a link about our wedding on the website.

Iba ang Pasko sa Pinas

2008-01-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

I have been remiss in posting about our Manila trip this past holidays. Needless to say, we had a blast!! It was great to be with family and friends. Medyo magastos and nakakapagod nga lang but it was all worth it. We're contemplating of spending the holidays in the US this year so this trip was absolutely necessary.

Since this is the first time Lex and I spent the holidays with family as a married couple, there had to be some arrangements and adjustments made. We agreed to spend Christmas Eve with his family and then Christmas Day with my family. And then New Year's Eve with mine and New Year's Day with his. It worked out perfectly. Here was our Christmas in pictures:

Christmas Lunch at Leslie's Alabang

Traditional formal family picture

The wackier version

Papa, Mamy and Karlo on the sea of wrappers and boxes

Us while opening one of our gifts

*More pics to follow

I got a great haul this year. It took us hours opening our gifts! Lots of clothes, some jewelry, perfume and cosmetics, cookbooks (?!?!), a pair of Uggs, LV Neo Cabby and T&B Cles from Lex =).

Happy Birthday, Mela!

2008-01-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister, Mela! We terribly miss you! I had so much fun hanging out with you last December and I hope you'll be able to swing by NY again this year. I see that you fully enjoyed your 3-day birthday celebration. My wish for you is sana magkaroon ka na ng boylet! Hehe... Love you!

On Romance

2008-01-04T19:45:00.000-05:00

I was watching Entertainment Tonight and something that James Marsden (of X-Men, Hairspray and Enchanted fame) said about romance made me think. He said that his wife of 7 years now thinks that filling up the gas on their car after he uses it is romantic.

I thought... it's so true! Way back when Lex and I were still dating, my definition of being romantic were 3-page love letters, flowers, expensive gifts, etc. Now, I distinctly remember being touched when Lex placed a soft tissue box on my bed side when I had a bad case of colds. Simple things are what makes my heart glow nowadays. Grand gestures can sweep you off your feet but they can sometimes also be shallow and pretentious. But simple, thoughtful actions that were made naturally and instinctively are sincere and heart-felt.

Happy 2nd Year (Civil) Wedding Anniversary, Honey! I Love You!

One!

2007-12-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

We're back at the scene of the crime!

I'm not talking about the recent Trillanes episode. I'm talking about my wedding. Lex and I checked in at the Manila Peninsula today to celebrate our 1st Year Church Wedding Anniversary and to avail our expired Neilsen's dinner buffet certificates =). My wish is for us to have more wonderful, happy and prosperous years and decades together. But my short-term wish is for us to have more free time to pick and choose our wedding pictures!! So we can have our wedding album already =(. It's just our luck that we saw our photographer Dino Lara (at the hotel lobby exactly one year later covering another wedding) to remind us of our gross oversight.

Anyway, Happy 1st Anniversary Honey! I love being married to you! Mwah!

Look at my fingers -- One!

We're baaack!

2007-12-22T00:04:00.000-05:00

Lex and I are in Manilaaaa!!! There's nothing like a Pinoy Christmas, I tell you. It will be two weeks of good food and awesome times with family and friends. I hope it won't be over too soon. It's great to be back!

Our family Christmas Tree and literally hundreds of gifts

LVoe It!

2007-12-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas came a little bit early for the Laguardia household this year....

And two of these are actually for me!! Yahoo! I'll let you know what I got soon. I'm not supposed to open them yet ;).

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2007-12-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

One of the perks of working where I work...

Premium seats to the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree!

It was a very chilly night so we were thankful that we were able to watch the concert and the lighting ceremony from the comforts and warmth of my office. Although we didn't have a clear view of the show, they did set up a huge projection screen that enabled us to watch. The free food didn't hurt either ;). We were allowed to bring our loved ones so they can watch as well. There were kids running around and it was really nice to hear our normally quiet office ring with children's laughter. Christmas season has arrived and I'm definitely ready for it!

Lazy...

2007-12-07T16:46:00.001-05:00

I've just been lazy updating my blog these past few weeks. I've also been busy with work that I couldn't sneak an entry in the office anymore =(. It's just too bad that I have so many topics and events that I think deserve some space here. So let me write them down now, lest I totally forget about them...

- Watched Rachel Ray show live
- Rockefeller Tree Lighting - we had great view!
- Autumn in New York
- Radio City Hall Christmas Show
- First snow of the season
- My 2 year old Powerbook died on me =(
- Christmas Shopping
- We're going back to Manila for Christmas!!! =)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-26T16:18:00.001-05:00

We cooked our first Thanksgiving turkey this past holiday. Thanks to Whole Foods! =) We just followed the cooking instructions that came with our turkey and voila... we have a delicious and juicy turkey in just under 3 hours. I feel that this is somehow a milestone for us, as part of making the U.S. and New York our home.

Oh and we even managed to squeeze through the crowd in the morning to catch a glimpse of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Mr. Potatohead

Icewine

2007-11-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

Lex and my in-laws went to the Niagara Falls, Canada this past weekend. Without me because I have to work =(.

They brought me home some pasalubong. They bought some delicious Icewine. I'm no connoisseur, but this is one of the best dessert wines I've tasted. Maybe because it has a high sugar level than regular wines? =) What's unique about it is how it's made... they are made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. It is said that each frozen grape creates just one drop of Icewine. Explains why it's a bit pricey... $20 for a small bottle that could only fill a glass.

It's definitely a must try... perfect for the coming Thanksgiving holidays.

Subway Romance

2007-11-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

New York is such a city of contrasts. I just posted earlier on how disillusioning love can be in the city and now I come across on something that is its polar opposite. I swear the story is straight out of a John Lloyd-Bea movie.

A guy named Patrick saw the girl of her dreams on the subway last week. For reasons unknown to me, he didn't approach her right then and there. Instead he created a website (also here) and enlisted the blog world to help him find her. He even drew a picture of her. More here.

And Patrick's such a cutie! Adorable dimples!

Someone has eventually identified the girl. And darn, she's gorgeous. Story on how she was found is here and here. Although, doesn't a flower behind a gal's left ear means she's already taken?

They went for coffee last night and went on "Good Morning, America" with Diane Sawyer and even made the news Friday morning. How's that for a New York love story?

What Happened to Love?

2007-11-09T13:02:00.000-05:00

Just had to share this. The girl actually posted the ad in Craigslist and the response came from an investment banker in New York. The exchange has even been talked about in the NY Times.

*********************************************

Craigslist Meets WallStreet…

THIS APPEARED ON CRAIG’S LIST

What am I doing wrong?

Okay, I’m tired of beating around the bush. I’m a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I’m articulate and classy.I’m not from New York . I’m looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don’t think I’m overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that’s where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won’t get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she’s not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:
- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms
-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won’t hurt my feelings
-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I’m 25)?
- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I’ve seen really ‘plain jane’ boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I’ve seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What’s the story there?
- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?
- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY
Please hold your insults - I’m putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I’m being up front about it. I wouldn’t be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn’t able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

THE ANSWER
Dear Pers-431649184:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I’m not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here’s how I see it.
Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here’s why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here’s the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity…in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won’t be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you’re 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold…hence the rub…marriage. It doesn’t make good business sense to “buy you” (which is what you’re asking) so I’d rather lease. In case you think I’m being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It’s as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as “articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful”as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn’t found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn’t need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you’re going about it the right way.Classic “pump and dump.”I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

Car Lust

2007-11-01T17:30:00.001-04:00

I think I want one of these....

In fire-engine red. The Smart Fortwo cars are coming to the US next year. I saw them when we visited London and Paris and I think they're too darn cute. They will be perfect for NY's tight parking spaces and congested streets. I just don't know how they will fare against our notorious taxi drivers though.

But first, I need to get a driver's license.

Lingo

2007-10-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

Lex and I were laughing and having a mild argument the other day about something silly. It's about the word chorva. Yes, chorva. He insisted that it's something I completely made up. I argued that it's a real word being used back home. For the life of me, I couldn't tell him what it means. All I know is that it's real. So he whipped out his Blackberry and googled the word up. This is what we found out. Turns out I'm right ;).

The Etymology of Chorva

Chorva lang ng chorva! Hehe =)

First Day

2007-10-31T08:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope we'll be able to catch the West Village Halloween parade later. It's supposed to be really fun and over-the-top.

Anyway, today is my first day as a permanent employee. Yep, that's right I have been converted to a permanent employee by the client that I'm working for right now. After 2 years of being a consultant (a year of which was in Singapore), I can finally say that I'm a part of an organization. I can finally get full benefits, bonuses, a little job security, career progression and ofcourse no more agent pay cuts. A very good deal from whatever angle you look at it =). I just need to work harder and prove my worth more.

So for my first day, I wore a very special dress. It's made by my mom (thanks mom!). Inspired by this Zac Posen dress.

Compliments

2007-10-23T14:16:00.000-04:00

I was having a particularly stressful day in the office. A lady passed by me and complimented me on my outfit. She said that she has been noticing me in the office because I wear nice clothes. I relaxed a bit and thought that the day wasn't too bad after all.

I was walking alone in Hell's Kitchen feeling gloomy and sticky. It was drizzling, I didn't have an umbrella and I'm having a bad hair day. A decent looking man came up to me and said that he didn't mean to be bold but he thinks I have nice legs(?!?) and that I looked cute. I wasn't even wearing shorts or a skirt at that time. I was wearing cropped pants with the hem falling way below my knees. He didn't stick around or tried to engage me in a conversation. If he did, I would have been creeped out. After saying his piece, he just walked past me and soon disappeared from sight. I walked with a little spring on my step afterwards.

It's amazing how powerful such small and simple words can be. If those strangers were able to pay me a compliment, I'd like to be able to do the same too. I can start with those people close to me and work my way to complimenting total strangers. If I can make someone's day a little bit better, it would be so worth it because knowing I made a difference will definitely make my day.

So who have you complimented today?

The secret is out.

2007-10-22T07:53:00.000-04:00

Click here.

Stressed but Blessed

2007-10-11T09:15:00.001-04:00

I have been in so much stress this past month. Much of it is because I had to make a difficult decision in my career. I am extremely thankful though that I was given those opportunities and choices in the first place. But really, life just isn't simple. And living and working in New York magnifies everything a hundred fold.

Now, it's just a waiting game. Those who know me know that I'm no good in waiting. I'm just too impatient. Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it right now but hope that the gamble I took pays off in the end.

Here were the highlights of September for me. Just wanted to post them here so they won't be forgotten.

Sesame Place with friends.

With Big Bird

Joren having fun

Frog exhibit at AMNH

If you look closely, you would see 6 frogs in the pic. Eww!

Great food and restaurants

With Rommel and Lanie at The Sea Grill.

At The Odeon. I got incredibly tipsy that night.

Touring the Financial District with friends.

Girls giving homage to Hermes.

Last but not the least, bought myself an LV Epi Alma! Look at the big smile on my face. Hehe =)

Columbus Day

2007-10-10T07:48:00.000-04:00

Lex and I wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for the Columbus Day weekend. We haven't been to upstate New York so we searched for a great place in the Catskills area. We were captivated by the website pictures of the Mohonk Mountain House so we wanted to stay overnight there. Unfortunately, an overnight stay in this hotel is waaay above our budget ($650 a night!). But luckily for us, they open their doors to guests for lunch as well. Lunch includes use of their hiking trails, grounds and lake. It is more than enough for us so we just looked for a cheap hotel nearby.

The whole area is so unbelievably beautiful, especially now that the leaves have started to change color. We had so much fun that we promised ourselves that we'll save up in order to stay overnight in the hotel. Here are some of our pictures. Our pictures don't show it but the whole place is packed with tourists.

View of the Mountain House from the opposite hiking trail

The Mountain House from the lake

View of the lake from the trails

Hiking Trail

One of the many rest stops on the hiking trail

Lex enjoying the boat ride

More pictures here.

Look who made it to the NYTimes...

2007-09-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

Read here...

Here's one exciting game to watch. The LaSalle dude who made the last shot looked so smug and confident. I wish I was the one who told him his shot didn't make it. Haha.

Pastry Bin

2007-09-24T17:13:00.000-04:00

I was surprised to see our wedding cake posted in Blissful Wedding's blog entry for Pastry Bin. We highly recommend them! Here's more about Pastry Bin from our wedding website:

"What more can I say about the cake maker for the stars? This lady (PenkChing) does not need any introduction. Her cakes are works of art! And as what my coordinator also said, her cake would definitely be the second most photographed aspect of the wedding (next to the couple ofcourse). Despite being the leader in her field, she remains super down to earth. That I think is one of the main reasons why she is so successful."

My Mamy's Clothing Line

2007-09-22T14:06:00.001-04:00

Just sharing a post from my sister's multipy. All the clothes that my sister is wearing were made by my mom! She's super talented talaga! She just took a 3 month dress making course and she was able to make these hip and professional-looking clothes. I'm rushing to send my measurements so she can make some pieces for me too =).

Here's a sample. Nakiki-extra lang yung brother ko sa pictorial. Hehe.

La Salle Spelling!

2007-09-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

With all the hoopla surrounding this season's UAAP, a little bit of humor is in order...

Go Ateneo! Hehe.

Hell Explained by a Chemistry Student

2007-09-14T10:50:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd share... =)

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry midterm.

The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat) ?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

Starstruck

2007-09-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

Kakainis!!! Why does Lex have to be the only one to see her?!?

Coming out of the elevator, Lex's jaw dropped when he came face to face with the beauteous and leggy Cameron Diaz! She was filming at the lobby of our apartment building for the movie What Happens in Vegas. Wouldn't you be star struck as well?? Ibang level na 'to! Ako nga e na star struck nung na-meet ko si Jolina and Marvin when they were filming last year for the teleserye I Luv NY. Kay Cameron pa? Baka himatayin ata ako. Hehe.

Here are Lex's paparazzi shots. Where was his SLR when he needed it?!? Photos were taken using his phone's camera.

"What Happens in Vegas" director chairs in our mailroom

Cameron Diaz with an unidentified male.

I hope they won't edit out the scenes they took on our building. It would be fun seeing a place so familiar in the big screen.

Post ko na rin ito para fun =).

New Toy!

2007-09-10T13:17:00.001-04:00

I bought myself one of these...

The new iPod Nano! It was time to retire my ancient and bulky mini. I got the red one ofcourse. It's so small, thin and very cool looking.

What's great about this is that it can now play videos. Now I can watch our Onsite (and show the vid to anyone willing to watch, hehe) anytime and anywhere I want.

Shoot 'Em Up!

2007-09-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

This movie was the first time we watched something that we don't have a clue what it is about. I don't even know who's starring. We just had dinner at The Sea Grill with our friends Lanie and Rommel and we all decided to catch a movie in Time Square. Shoot 'Em Up sounds intriguing and Lanie said she heard someone say it was good. So we went ahead, not expecting too much.

The short 87 min. film was shallow, cartoony (think Bugs Bunny), unrealistic, unoriginal (John Woo and Quentin Tarantino like), corny even... but I LOVE IT!!!! All of us had the best time watching. To be honest, I think that was the only movie that I can seriously say that I have laughed and shouted out loud. And I wasn't the only one doing so. The film is starring Clive Owen (Sin City, The Inside Man), Monica Belluci (Matrix, Passion of Christ) and Paul Giamatti (Lady in the Water, Sideways). Clive Owen is perfect as the enigmatic Mr. Smith. I won't be devulging too much of the plot here as there really isn't any plot to devulge. Just go and watch the movie, don't expect too much, and you'll be taken for a ride.

Shake Shack

2007-08-30T09:30:00.000-04:00

Can I say that I just died and went to burger heaven?

After so many people have recommended this joint to us, we finally went to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park to give it a try. When we arrived, there was a long line at the counter. We didn't mind the wait as the weather was really nice and a jazz band was playing live.

Shake Shack

I must say that their burgers and shakes lived up to the hype. The meat was very juicy and tasty. The milk shake very creamy (and ofcourse fattening). Lex ordered the Double Stack burger which had the regular beef patty plus a crisp-fried portobello mushroom with melted cheese inside. I'm getting hungry just by describing it!

Yummy burgers

So for great American and comfort food dining, this is one of the best places to go. And besides, you might bump into someone you haven't seen for a long time. Like I did when I bumped into Pat. He was an officemate from my old company in Manila. I haven't seen him for almost 3 years. He's visiting NY for the weekend.

11 years later...

2007-08-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

These pictures were taken last week on Carissa's birthday at the Hudson Hotel (cool hotel, by the way). They were my high school and grade school classmates back in San Beda Alabang. When people ask how we all met, it always amazes them that we've known each other for more than a decade. We really don't know what life has in store for us and I'm just thankful that I have crossed paths with these guys again. Here's to spending more NY times with them!

With Carissa, Au and Rina. Rina migrated to the US when we were in 3rd grade.

With Yuri (also a HS classmate) and Au. They were HS sweethearts and now married!

US Open 2007

2007-08-28T10:26:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my cyber friend Michelle, Lex and I were able to score discounted tickets to the opening night of the US Open in Flushing, Queens. Watching a tennis match is on our list of to-do's for this summer so even though it was a week night, we still went ahead. The night was clear and beautiful. We could feel the excitement in the stadium. It was also our first time to watch a professional match, so we were pretty stoked =).

It was an added bonus that the Williams sisters were playing that night. The sisters won their respective games but not without any challenge from their opponents. Especially from Angelique Kerber(Germany), who played against Serena Williams.

I definitely can see myself watching more of these games. Being a spectator in the stadium is a totally different experience as compared to watching it from the telly. So hopefully we can watch again before the season ends. There were a couple of celeb sightings too. Mayor Bloomberg, Janet Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Christie Brinkley were there!

Frenemies

2007-08-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

This article is an interesting read. Most of us women have what they call a "frenemy". They actually coined a term that would best describe this phenomenon (friend and enemy). I'm sure we have had such relationships before, especially in highschool. What amazes me though is that this seem to only occur in women and not in men. I guess we are just more emotional and expect a lot more in our women friends. That's why there's more room for betrayal and disappointment.

Also, can we call our husbands or bfs our frenemies as well? Don't we have a love-hate relationship with them too? =)

What are your thoughts?

Read here.

Happy Birthday, Kaisy!

2007-08-20T08:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my sister, Kaisy! We miss you! We'll see you soon. =)

Long Overdue: Quebec City!

2007-08-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

If you're planning to go to Montreal, Quebec City is something that you shouldn't miss. Better yet, spend more time in Quebec than in Montreal! UNESCO didn't recognize the city as a world heritage treasure for nothing. Quebec is, I think, the closest thing to Europe that you can get in North America. It's so very French!

The best way to get to Quebec (if you're coming from Montreal) is by bus. This is highly recommended if you drove to Montreal. Riding the bus can save you time and energy especially if you have the whole day devoted to sight-seeing. We checked in at the Hilton Quebec which has a very convenient location as it is within steps to Old Quebec.

Right outside our hotel is the National Assembly of Quebec. The imposing and beautiful building is where Quebec's laws and bills are passed. The Inuksuk (Canada's Inuit indigenous people's symbol) was the one who greeted us on our way to the site.

The Inuksuk

The facade of the building and landscaping is very beautiful as well.

We then moved our way to Old Quebec. Entering the town is like stepping back in time. Very charming and picturesque. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through the area.

Shops and restaurants lined the streets

Cobblestone streets and quaint little houses

The colorful murals

All roads in Old Quebec lead to Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. It's a five-star hotel and Quebec's most famous and historical landmark. Queen Elizabeth once stayed here =). I heard standard rooms go for $500 a night. It has a great view of St. Lawrence river and some parts of the city from the boardwalk.

But what I think is the highlight of our Old Quebec tour is stumbling upon Quartier Petit Champlain. Quartier Petit Champlain is one of the best shopping districts I have found in all of our travels. I say this even though it is the oldest commercial district in North America and is devoid of any of the well-known commercial brands. There were so many options here of what to buy as souvenirs... from chocolates, local art, wood carvings and all the possible trinkets you can think of. This area would even be more charming during winter when the streets are covered with snow, lights and Christmas trees. Definitely enough reason to come back.

Oh and have I mentioned food? Au petit Coin Breton serves the best crepes ever!! Well worth the 1 hour wait we had to do just to be seated.

We only had this day to explore Quebec and there is still so much more to see. We're planning on coming back... on winter months this time for a totally different experience.

Quebec at night

More Quebec pictures here.

The Powerscrew Crew

2007-08-14T08:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a great night for food, music, drinks and dancing. Thanks Ray M. for hosting such a fun party. We hope next time would be soon!

Liz, Lynn, Lex, Joy, Ray, Carissa,

David, Pam and Ray M. (at the back)

P.S. Powerscrew was the toxic drink invented for the night! =P

Lazy Sundays in the Park

2007-08-09T13:14:00.000-04:00

Doing nothing except people and dog watching. Wish we could do this everyday...

Joren Turns 1

2007-08-09T12:45:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, we were invited by Lex's good friends Angela and Michael to celebrate Joren's first birthday. Joren is their son and Lex's godchild. How time flies! It just seemed like yesterday when we got the invite to Joren's christening. And now he's 1! They just moved to New Jersey (from Texas) so we were quite happy that we can visit Joren regularly now and see him grow. We would get to hang out with Angela and Mike often too. Everyone's moving to the East Coast now. Yippee! =)

With the whole gang. Haha! Kami na lang ang walang baby =P

Everyone's blowing the candle except for the birthday boy

Cutie Joren - love the long hair!

Michael's parents are our wedding Ninong and Ninang. They were there too for the occasion.

!%^@#$&@$*

2007-08-04T00:18:00.000-04:00

As I'm writing this, I have already spent a total of 17 hours (and counting) in the office. I can still see myself here for another hour or two. It has been a very long, stressful and frustrating day. Sigh.

I need some SERIOUS retail therapy.

So you want to know what happens next?

2007-07-31T12:02:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-30T08:28:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-07-26T08:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-12T14:38:00.001-04:00

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

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!

2007-07-09T13:13:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-07-05T13:45:00.001-04:00

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

07.07.07

2007-07-05T13:18:00.000-04:00

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 =).

We were there!

2007-06-29T23:09:00.000-04:00

At the iPhone launch on the NY Apple flagship store, 5th Avenue. It was pandemonium. There was a line just to hold the phone and try it out. Some observations:

- It wasn't made for users with long fingernails. It is touch screen and skin contact is required to operate the buttons. Women might have to trim their nails to use it. I really had a hard time operating the buttons since I have long nails when I tried it out.
- The screen retains smudge and would need to be wiped every so often.
- It is locked to AT&T and it sucks! We have a contract to another provider so it proves to be difficult to switch =(.

But otherwise, it's a magnificent piece of technology that I'd like to get my hands on! =) But not now... we'll wait when version 2.0 comes.

Detailed reviews here.

SALE!

2007-06-29T15:22:00.000-04:00

God help me... It's SALE season once again. The Summer collection are 70% off all over Manhattan. To top it off, the 4th of July holiday is coming and we all know what that means. Sales and clearances galore! I can even do my shopping online as my favorite sites are all having major sales too. Sigh. What's a girl to do???

Give in to the temptation, ofcourse ;). I just bought these cute Earnest Sewn skinny jeans for 75% off (from $240 to $59)! Only at eLuxury.

How strong is your Gaydar?

2007-06-29T08:07:00.000-04:00

I definitely agree with this article. It basically says that being gay is something innate, something found in your gene pool. They couldn't help being gay as much as we "straight" people couldn't help being straight. Explains a lot actually. But I'm sure there will be some debate on this. Here's a quick checklist. I can already imagine the ladies peeking over their date's puyo to see if it goes clockwise or counter-clockwise. Hehe.

Gay men are more likely than straight men to have a counterclockwise whorl.

**But you know, just by looking at the width of their necks, their coloring and the slightly colored hair of the guy on the left I think I can tell he's gay.

Gay men and straight women have an increased density of fingerprint ridges on the thumb and pinkie of the left hand.

The index fingers of most straight men are shorter than their ring fingers, and for most women they are the same length or longer. Gay men and lesbians tend to have reversed ratios.

Gay men and lesbians have a 50 percent greater chance of being left-handed or ambidextrous than their straight counterparts.

**Again, just by looking at the arms and the way he holds the ball and bends his hand slightly more, I can tell the guy on the right is gay =).

I forwarded the article to Lex and asked him to check his puyo to verify this theory. He not only did that but he actually measured his fingers as well. Haha. I wonder if he measured anything else? ;)

Visual DNA

2007-06-27T17:07:00.001-04:00

OMG. Shopping is really my vice.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

The Pinoy Phenomenon

2007-06-27T08:11:00.000-04:00

I wonder what it is about Friendster that got Pinoys so hooked? And with the emergence of better sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Multiply, etc., why do most of us stay loyal to Friendster? I know some who closed their Friendster account, opened one in MySpace and found themselves alone and going back to Friendsterland. Here's an interesting article...

"Meanwhile, scant attention was paid to Friendster's users. Lunt remembers marveling sometime in early 2004 at how Friendster's traffic would mysteriously spike at 2 a.m. Intrigued, he started looking at the site's log. Oh, my God, he thought, everyone is from the Philippines. He worked backwards, looking for "patient zero"--the first American to "Friendster" a Filipino. He found Carmen Leilani De Jesus, a 32-year-old marketing consultant and part-time hypnotherapist from San Francisco, the 91st person to join Friendster. She was directly connected to Abrams as well as to dozens of Filipinos, who'd in turn connected to thousands more. In fact, more than half the site's traffic was coming from Southeast Asia."

I want to be Carmen Leilani De Jesus's friendster. Hehe =).

More here.

Found this on youtube too.

To My Parents

2007-06-22T12:59:00.001-04:00

I didn't get to post a Father's and Mother's Day message to my mom and dad a few weeks ago. So I thought I'd do it now... better late than never right? =)

The songs below were the songs Lex and I used in our Father-Daughter and Mother-Son dances at our wedding. We carefully picked each song to fully express how we felt. The words are so poignant and meaningful that it always seem to bring tears to my eyes. To my mom and dad, we love you and miss you. We hope everything is great over there. Keep the love alive! =)

The lyrics would be appreciated more if you hear it with its melodies...

A Song For My Daughter (Father-Daughter Dance)

by Marc Cohn

Just once upon a yesterday

I held you in my arms.

You grew into a little girl

With lovely childhood charms.

Now it seems I only turn around and I see you by his side.

Oh I can't believe my eyes today,

My daughter is a bride.

I guess somehow I always knew

This day would soon be here.

Still I wonder as I look at you what became of all the years.

And no words could ever quite express

The way I feel inside.

Oh I can't believe my eyes today,

My daughter is a bride.

All the laughter and the tear drops,

The sunshine and the rain.

I would re-live every moment dear,

If I could bring them all back again.

And now my love, the time has come

To send you on your way.

So I wish you well and happiness

And the blessings of this day.

And I hope the love I've given you will forever be your guide.

Oh I can't believe my eyes today, My daughter.

Oh I can't believe my eyes, My daughter.

Oh my angel and my pride.

My daughter is a bride.

The First Lady In My Life (Mother-Son Dance)

by Paul Todd

From sleepless nights and rocking chairs

Your smiling face was always there

From little trucks and building blocks

You held my hand while I learned to walk

You were my best friend, my inspiration

The one I looked up to..

Hey Mom...The First Lady In My Life Was You

There were bedtime snacks and nursery rhymes

For goodnight prayers, there was always time

You taught me to live by the golden rule

Made sure I got to Sunday School

You disciplined with Love my whole life through

A gentle touch was all I ever knew..

Hey Mom...The First Lady In My Life Was You

Then later on, came sports and games

You’d sit in the stands and call my name

And win or loose, you’d smile and say

"Son I’m proud of you, everything’s OK"

You were the one, I’d always turn to

When times were sad and blue..

Hey Mom...The First Lady In My Life Was You

There’s so many things to say thank you for

Birthdays, camping and so much more

The little things that mean so much

Like laundry done with a loving touch

And who could forget, three meals a day

Carpools, scouts and PTA’s..

Hey Mom...The First Lady In My Life Was You

So here we are today, now I’m finally grown

About to take a wife, and start a family of my own

Everything I am, I owe to you

You molded me so carefully and you saw me through

It’s hard to tell you how I feel, without a lot of mush

But I must tell you true..

Hey Mom, I’m So Glad...The First Lady In My Life Was You

So how many did I get to watch?

2007-06-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

A measly 23% of the best films ever made. I'm sure my mom would have watched more of these movies because most of them were made way before I was born. I also feel that they left out a couple of good recent movies like Chicago, Crash, and some of the other Oscar and Golden Globe winners. It's interesting to note too that only the Lord of the Rings was made in the 21st century.

Im looking forward to renting some of these movies to watch on lazy Sundays =).

AFI TOP 100 U.S. FILMS
1. "Citizen Kane," 1941.
2. "The Godfather," 1972.
3. "Casablanca," 1942.
4. "Raging Bull," 1980.
5. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
6. "Gone With the Wind," 1939.
7. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.
8. "Schindler's List," 1993.
9. "Vertigo," 1958.
10. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
11. "City Lights," 1931.
12. "The Searchers," 1956.
13. "Star Wars," 1977.
14. "Psycho," 1960.
15. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968.
16. "Sunset Blvd.", 1950.
17. "The Graduate," 1967.
18. "The General," 1927.
19. "On the Waterfront," 1954.
20. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946.
21. "Chinatown," 1974.
22. "Some Like It Hot," 1959.
23. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940.
24. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982.
25. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962.
26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," 1939.
27. "High Noon," 1952.
28. "All About Eve," 1950.
29. "Double Indemnity," 1944.
30. "Apocalypse Now," 1979.
31. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941.
32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974.
33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975.
34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937.
35. "Annie Hall," 1977.
36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957.
37. "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946.
38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948.
39. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964.
40. "The Sound of Music," 1965.
41. "King Kong," 1933.
42. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967.
43. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969.
44. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940.
45. "Shane," 1953.
46. "It Happened One Night," 1934.
47. "A Streetcar Named Desire," 1951.
48. "Rear Window," 1954.
49. "Intolerance," 1916.
50. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," 2001.
51. "West Side Story," 1961.
52. "Taxi Driver," 1976.
53. "The Deer Hunter," 1978.
54. "M-A-S-H," 1970.
55. "North by Northwest," 1959.
56. "Jaws," 1975.
57. "Rocky," 1976.
58. "The Gold Rush," 1925.
59. "Nashville," 1975.
60. "Duck Soup," 1933.
61. "Sullivan's Travels," 1941.
62. "American Graffiti," 1973.
63. "Cabaret," 1972.
64. "Network," 1976.
65. "The African Queen," 1951.
66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981.
67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", 1966.
68. "Unforgiven," 1992.
69. "Tootsie," 1982.
70. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971.
71. "Saving Private Ryan," 1998.
72. "The Shawshank Redemption," 1994.
73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.
74. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991.
75. "In the Heat of the Night," 1967.
76. "Forrest Gump," 1994.
77. "All the President's Men," 1976.
78. "Modern Times," 1936.
79. "The Wild Bunch," 1969.
80. "The Apartment, 1960.
81. "Spartacus," 1960.
82. "Sunrise," 1927.
83. "Titanic," 1997.
84. "Easy Rider," 1969.
85. "A Night at the Opera," 1935.
86. "Platoon," 1986.
87. "12 Angry Men," 1957.
88. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938.
89. "The Sixth Sense," 1999.
90. "Swing Time," 1936.
91. "Sophie's Choice," 1982.
92. "Goodfellas," 1990.
93. "The French Connection," 1971.
94. "Pulp Fiction," 1994.
95. "The Last Picture Show," 1971.
96. "Do the Right Thing," 1989.
97. "Blade Runner," 1982.
98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942.
99. "Toy Story," 1995.
100. "Ben-Hur," 1959.

Friendly Takeover

2007-06-20T18:32:00.000-04:00

Look who just opened a store across NYSE.

Hermes

At the ground floor of our apartment building, Thomas Pink is setting up shop.

This is the friendly takeover I'm really anticipating. Coming soon Fall 2007, one tiny block from our place.

Tiffany & Co.

Lex said that if Louis Vuitton will be opening a branch in our area we would move out. Haha! I love our neighborhood! =)

More Expensive?

2007-06-18T16:26:00.000-04:00

I saw the following article at cnn.com about the World's Most Expensive Cities. Singapore came in at no. 14 and New York at no. 15. Singapore is more expensive than New York?? When did this happen? Having lived in both cities for the past 2 years, I definitely know that living in Singapore can be much less. Don't even get me started on how much the rent difference is. How do you think the guys at CNN came up with their numbers and ranking?

Eventful Weekend

2007-06-12T11:13:00.001-04:00

Like Paris Hilton, I was on house arrest last Friday up until Saturday afternoon. Why? Not because of any "cool" reasons like a DUI conviction but because I was stupid enough to get my right ankle sprained. I was going down the stairs to board the subway when my heels suddenly got caught on a crack and I went tumbling down. I also heard a sickening "pop" coming from my poor ankle. It hurt really bad and I first thought that I had seriously broken it. I couldn't put any weight on the injured foot so all I could do was hop to a corner. It was just 6:40AM so Lex was still home and able to help me back to our apartment. I called in sick for work and we went to a nearby hospital to have the ankle checked and x-rayed. The doctor wrapped my ankle in bandages, gave me a cane to walk with, and gave instructions to put my feet up and press some ice to it. I'm almost good as new! The highlight of my trip to the hospital was my ride in the wheelchair. It kinda felt nice being wheeled around =).

Lex took a picture for posterity's sake

Saturday saw me spending the morning and afternoon hopping and awkwardly moving around the house. The pain from my ankle has lessened somewhat so I could move around without my cane. But not as gracefully as I would like though. I'm getting bored so thank God we were going to New Jersey that night for some barbeque. We're going to the home of one of our favorite couples, Lanie and Rommel. They are friends from our previous company and it's really great that we get to keep in touch after all these years. The food was excellent and very filling. Conversation was good too. I hope we get invited in more home-cooked meals and barbeques, hehe. It's great to drive out of the city once in a while as well.

With my ankle feeling stronger, Lex and I went to the American Museum of Natural History on Sunday. We have been there once before when my sister and mom came to NY for a visit. We didn't get to see everything because we were pressed for time. We figured we can always go back given that I can get in plus 5 guests for free! It is one of the benefits of the company I'm working for right now. It saved us from paying $14 each. Not bad! Anyway, I really love this museum. There's so much in here that interests me... like land and sea animals, dinosaurs, precious metals and stones, origins of humans, etc. We were just able to go around the 1st floor (the museum is HUGE!) and decided to come back another time for the remaining floors and private exhibits. The exhibits are not free but we can still get to see it at a discounted price. I'm particularly interested on this one. Oh, and the AMNH was the museum featured in the movie Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller =).

Little boy

With my anorexic friend

Pride is such a cold bedfellow

2007-06-06T12:46:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry. Bati na tayo.

A visit from my sistah!

2007-06-06T09:34:00.000-04:00

The past Memorial Day weekend was memorable for me in more ways than one. Aside from our whitewater rafting adventure, I got a visit from my sister, Kaisy, who came all the way from the land of shopping malls and chicken rice -- Singapore! My sister, who has a new Australian boyfriend (haha binuking! =P), had been my roommate for a year when I was working there. It was really great to have a relative, especially a sister, living with you in a foreign country. My parents also didn't worry too much about us since we both have each other to depend on and make sumbong (hehe, how coño). I'm also glad that we had a chance to bond before I got married and moved here in NY. Because growing up, my sister and I were mortal enemies. We would pull each other's hair, beat each other senseless and then cry ourselves silly. I guess that is normal and common among siblings. I'd like to think that we've outgrown that phase and consider ourselves friends now. It's just sad how we now only see each other on very short occassions when we used to get tired of seeing each other too much. We're living very different lives now... totally different from our dress-up and Barbie doll days and Mango shopping days on Orchard Road. Huhu. I just take solace in the fact that although we're apart, we're both living our destiny and our best lives thus far.

Our Bangkok trip before I headed to NY

More than a year later in a NY resto

So to my sister, I'm really glad you made it a point to drop by and visit us here in NY. Come visit us again coz I ain't going back to Singapore any time soon (hehe)! Let's push through with our South America vacation plans next year ha! Promise?!? =)

Down the Lehigh River

2007-05-31T11:09:00.000-04:00

For the long weekend, Lex and I joined the SFC (Singles for Christ) group Whitewater Rafting at the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania. It would be the first time for me and the second for Lex as he had done this before while assigned in Michigan. We wanted to do something totally different for the weekend so we woke up at 5AM on a Saturday to hitch a ride with some members of the group. The river, incidentally, is just a short 2-hour drive from New York.

I admit I was a bit concerned about going on this adventure. It can get scary being on the rapids and with, as our guide calls them, the SFR "small friendly rocks" and the BFR "big friendly rocks" all coming towards you. But what the heck, I have to do this at least once or I'll forever live with Lex's teasing. And besides, I saw 10 year olds going on this ride so how bad can it be? I got my answer when we were made to sign a Waiver Form before we could start. It stated there that "The risk of injury from the activities involved in this program is significant, including potential for permanent paralysis and death." That's how bad it could be. The form continued on to say in bold capital letters that "I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS... and I assume full responsibility for my participation." This is going to be fun, I thought. Hehe.

There were six of us in the raft, 3 boys and 3 girls. One of the them is Lex's friend, J, from college/dorm and she was actually the one who invited us to join the trip. We were having a grand time navigating through the river and being splashed by the other rafts until we encountered this BFR. Believe me, there was nothing friendly about this particular rock. We were paddling our way through some rough waters when we saw another raft, full of shrieking teenage girls, stuck on this rock. We weren't able to maneuver out of the way so we slammed right into the rock and overlapped with the other raft. Our side was the side which overlapped so we were pushed right up. The other side of our raft, however, got completely submerged in the water. It happened so fast. One of our girls was holding on for dear life but we were having trouble lifting her up because of the strong current. But that was the least of our worries. J was missing. We couldn't find her anywhere! Images of her being stuck underwater, unconscious and under our raft came to mind. We were all scared for her. Some of the guides came to us and told us to first concentrate on trying to get both rafts out of the rock. To do so, Lex and I would have to transfer to the other raft to remove the weight on our raft so it can be lifted off. It worked and both rafts were free. However, one of the teenagers on the raft that we were now on was so scared that she hysterically said that we shouldn't be in their raft because they might sink. I never felt so unwanted in my life! I wanted to shove my paddle down her throat. But we somehow managed to get back on our own raft before I could do so. Sayang, hehe. We went on our way but we were still missing J! The guides assured us that she might have already been pulled up by another passing raft. And thank God they were right. We caught up with her some time later... she's a little bit bruised but otherwise okay.

A very bad picture of us rafting

So that was my first whitewater rafting experience. A bit too exciting for my taste but otherwise really fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again =).

Lehigh River Rapids during Spring are rated as Class II-III. Class I is the easiest and Class V is the most challenging.

Happy Birthday, Karlo!

2007-05-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to my little brother, Karlo! We miss you! And no... hindi kita ipagpapalit sa ibang lalaki. Hehe :D

Paris (Quatrième Jour)

2007-05-23T14:09:00.000-04:00

Read Day 1 of our trip.
Read Day 2 of our trip.
Read Day 3 of our trip.

Oh no, it's our last day in Paris. Was it all just a dream?! If not for my blisters and aching calf muscles, I wouldn't believe that we have spent 3 days in Paris already. Time really flies when you're having fun.

We wanted to wake up early to make the most out of our few remaining hours in Paris. Our flight back to New York is 1PM so we just have 3-4 remaining hours to explore. We went back to Place de la Concorde since it was the only place that we can go to this early. On our way to the plaza, we were stopped by a Parisian girl speaking very fast French to us. We said sorry we can't understand but I wondered what she was asking about. It gave us a kick knowing a Parisian thought we were locals and not wide-eyed tourists. Hehe. The plaza has 2 magnificent and seemingly identical fountains at each side. In the middle, sitting proudly, is an obelisk that once belonged to the Luxor temple in Egypt. It had all sorts of hieroglyphics carved on it. We wondered how they brought such a thing over to France from Egypt and then we realized the whole transportation process was drawn on the pedestal. How convenient =). A guillotine once stood at the obelisk's location during the French Revolution. Marie-Antoinette's head rolled at where we were standing.

It was still early and we haven't had any breakfast yet so we decided to go to our favorite part of the city, the Île de la Cité (Cité Island). It is an island surrounded by the Seine River and one of the bridges that connects it to the rest of the city is the oldest of Paris' 38 bridges, the Pont-Neuf. We love the area because we can imagine ourselves living in these parts... surrounded by the river and the lovely parks. Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle are also in the vicinity. We then had breakfast in one of the little cafes and I must say I love how they make their coffee here! I'm not a coffee addict but here in Paris I could easily become one.

On Pont-Neuf and the River Seine

Nearby is the Conciergerie. The Conciergerie is a former prison turned tourist attraction. It housed thousands of prisoners during the French Revolution that eventually got their heads cut off by the guillotine. And guess who their most famous prisoner was? Yep, Marie-Antoinette. We suddenly developed a fascination towards the former French queen. Her life was like a soap opera that ended very badly. I can't help but feel sorry for her. Anyway, going through the rooms of the prison left us feeling spooked. Lex and I both agreed that there are souls wandering around the building's rooms and halls. I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand up more than once. And when we came to Marie-Antoinette's cell, all I can say was "Creepy!". Needless to say, we didn't stay long here. What a bunch of scaredy cats, hehe.

The Conciergerie's Medieval Men-at-Arms Hall

Boo! Marie-Antoinette on her cell

With just less than an hour to spare, we made our way back to Champs Elysee for some shopping. We intended to buy souvenirs, cheese, mustard and French treats. But, as expected, we got side-tracked by the clothing and accessories stores. Suprisingly I didn't get to buy anything. Yes, NOTHING from the fashion capital of the world!! I guess I was ever so conscious of the time and didn't get to "concentrate" on shopping. A woman needs to focus on the merchandise at hand, you know?? Lex, however, was lucky enough to bring home nice dress shoes for himself. I NEED to make up for this injustice =P.

Alas, it was time to go home. Paris has been good to us... giving us great weather when it's been predicted to rain non-stop all weekend. There's nothing but superlatives (amazing, beautiful, breathtaking, gorgeous.. you get the drift?) to describe this city. We sincerely hope that there would be a next time.

With Honey, the bear. Au revoir Paris!

Oh, and we were able to buy our cheese, mustard and Fauchon treats from the CDG duty free shops =).

More pictures of Paris here.

Paris (Troisième Jour)

2007-05-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

Read Day 1 of our trip.
Read Day 2 of our trip.

Coming back to the hotel late last night due to our mishap, we found it impossible to wake up early the following day. Besides, we needed our energy for another action-packed day. So we dragged our sleepy asses to the nearest train station and headed towards Versailles. This is where French monarchy (think Marie-Antoinette) in the 1600s lived. It was the symbol of opulence and obscene grandeur which drove the hungry French people to revolt and overthrow monarchy. It is also where the Treaty of Versailles (WW1) was signed. Upon arriving at the Chateau de Versailles, we can definitely understand what ticked the French off. It is like the Malacanang on steroids.

Chateau de Versailles facade

One of the "less" ornate rooms at the Chateau

We just saw little of what's inside the chateau because we took a wrong turn and exited the building already. By the time we realized our mistake, the line getting back in is sooo long it would have taken us a precious hour to get in. Given our limited time and there's still so much of Paris to discover, we just couldn't afford it. So we decided to explore the gardens instead. We were not disappointed. It's just so beautiful. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Back in Paris, we trekked our way to the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart). By trek, I do mean climbing up hundreds of steps to the highest point of the city. The effort was well worth it as the view of the city is breathtaking.

View of Paris from Sacre Coeur

The basilica is also a sight in itself. First word that came to me when I saw it is WOW. It reminded us of Moslem mosques due to the domes but it is very much a Roman Catholic church. We attended mass and bought our souvenirs inside.

From one magnificent church to another, we then visited the 13th century Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) due to its world famous stained glass and rose windows. Each stained glass panel tells a story. The full biblical story of humanity is recounted, from the Creation to redemption through Christ. Everything is just so colorful and vibrant.

Rose window of Sainte-Chapelle

All the walking that we did made us work quite an appetite. It was our last night in Paris so we intended to have a nice French dinner. Finding ourselves in the heart of Saint-Germain des Près, we chanced upon a quaint restaurant called Brasserie Lipp. We decided to have coffee there and contemplate on where to eat our nice dinner. While sipping my cafe au lait (coffee with steamed milk), I looked over our trusty travel guide and searched for recommended restaurants in the area. And what do you know, Brasserie Lipp is one of those recommended serving French Cuisine. It is famous in Paris, boasting famous artists/writers and polical clientele such as Hemingway, Camus, Proust, even the former French leader Jacques Chirac. So much history since it has been founded in the 1870s. It's also a bit pricey but what the heck this is a special occassion. I ordered Confit de Cuisse de Canard (crystallized duck thigh) and Lex had their Pied de Porc (pork feet) with white wine. The food was excellent and very tasty. The French serve their food in smaller portions as compared to Americans so it's just right for us -- we finished everything off! We were so hungry that we started eating immediately and forgot to take pictures of the food =(. I'd love to go back to this restaurant again someday.

We managed to steal a shot before the food came

Our stomach and hearts full, we went on a 1 hour guided tour aboard one of Bateaux Parisiens trimarans. Our purpose was to see most of Paris' major sights from a different perspective and to catch the sunset. It was great to just sit down, hear about interesting stories behind each sight and drink in the view. It was all so romantic too. Definitely one of the highlights of our Paris vacation.

Look to the left

Lex, ofcourse, was busy taking pictures for his "portfolio", hehe. Here are some of them.

Old and new

Sunset at the River Seine

City of love

The sun has set on our 3rd day in Paris. Our river cruise ended at the foot of the Eiffel Tower so we paid one last homage to the Parisian icon. When can we see you again? We hope it would be quite soon!

Our last stop for the day was the Arc de Triomphe. Since it is open until 11PM, we still have time to go up the arch for a view of the Champs Elysee. Champs Elysee at night is what made Paris known as the City of Lights. The wind was chilly but the view awesome. What a way to end the night.

Paris (Deuxième Jour)

2007-05-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

Read Day 1 of our trip.

First on our day's list was the Louvre Museum. After hearing so much about the famous museum from friends and from the movies, it was definitely a must-see. We decided to visit it 9AM, as soon as the museum opened, to avoid any lines and all the crowds. We bought a Museum Pass from the airport and it allowed us to visit all the major Paris museums for just 40 euros. It's a good buy because it saved us time from lining up to buy the tickets and money too when all the ticket fees are added up. Upon arriving, we were sidetracked from entering the museum because we went crazy snapping pictures outside -- on the glass pyramid and the museum's facade. It was a sight to behold. From seeing it so many times on pictures and movies, we can't believe we're actually seeing it in person now.

The Louvre Museum is HUGE. You can easily spend 2 whole days going through their entire collection. What a pity that we just alloted 2 hours given our limited time. We intended to just visit the famous works which included the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci -- probably the most famous painting in the world. It was small as compared to the other paintings in the museum. It was protected by guards, railings and a thick glass case. Photography is also prohibited. Well, it just felt good standing within a few feet of such a masterpiece. But personally, I think the Louvre has other equally, if not more, outstanding pieces than the Mona Lisa.

Glass Pyramid of the Louvre Museum

Fromage (cheese)!

Sneaking a photo with the paintings

As much as we'd like to stay a little longer at the museum, we have a schedule to follow. Next was to visit Victor Hugo's Quasimodo at the Notre Dame. The Latin Quarter Cathedral has a lot to offer to the eager tourist. The gothic architecture, the rose window, the 422 spiraling steps which I didn't expect to make, Emmanuel - Quasimodo's historical bell, the funny gargoyles and the view of Paris from the tower. So much history and beauty.

At the steps of the Notre Dame

My favorite gargoyle sticking out his tongue

The beautiful rose window

After Notre Dame, we then boarded a guided tour bus which would take us around the city. A recorded commentary can be heard on the headphones provided as we passed each Parisian sight. I was glad to be able to sit after all the walking that we did but we wished that we took the Open Bus tour instead -- just because of the view provided by the lack of bus ceiling/top. Nevertheless, the bus tour was a good way of seeing all the major spots in order to note which ones we have to come back to. We got to learn some history too.

The bus tour ended at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Yes, the Eiffel Tower -- Paris' most famous monument. Tickets to the 2nd floor of the tower is included in our bus tour. We have avoided the long snaking line to buy the ticket which was great. However, there was another line just to get in. We spent a good hour just waiting for our chance to take the lift up the tower. But it is nothing compared to the 4 hrs I've heard other people had to wait in line. Our Paris vacation would not be complete without it so this is all part of the experience =).

Look at the number of people waiting to get in the tower

The tower at night

The view is amazing. You can see the whole of Paris from all angles at the tower. We paid an extra 3 euros to go to the top and it's worth it. Check out the views.

It was finally time to go home. But no adventure on a foreign country is complete without getting lost. Ours was when we boarded the wrong train going home and it took us to the suburbs (near Versailles) instead of our hotel. We didn't realize it until we were a couple of stops out of the city. To top it off, it was already past 1AM and we missed the last train on the line that goes back to the city! A good samaritan told us that there's another train line (15 mins walk away) that was still open. Walking to the train station was a bit scary coz the streets were very dark. But it was all good. We got home safely... feet aching and tired but satisfied of our first full day in Paris. Thank God we were granted good weather too.

Paris (Premier Jour)

2007-05-16T09:37:00.000-04:00

Lex and I went to Paris for Part 1 of our much delayed honeymoon. So from May 11 to May 14, we left everything New York to experience everything that is Paris. And what an experience it was! So here's my humble attempt to chronicle these 4 days....

We booked the Thursday 10PM Continental red-eye flight that was scheduled to arrive in Paris CDG by noon Friday. It would have given us an opportunity to sleep on the plane and spend half the day of Friday to explore the city. But as our luck would have it, our flight was delayed by 3 hours. I slept almost the entire duration of the flight though so I didn't really notice the travel time. Poor Lex wasn't as lucky... he was plagued by his Spring allergies and it kept him awake most of the time =(.

We arrived at 2:30PM at the CDG airport and took the Air France city shuttle to Porte Maillot. The bus stop was just across the street from our hotel so it was really convenient to get to and from the airport. We stayed at the Le Meridien Etoile. The good thing about the hotel is that its location is very ideal. Aside from the airport shuttle stop is just across the street, major sight-seeing locations are within walking distance. The Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysee and Louvre Museum are just a stone throw away. The extensive Metro subway and RER trains have stations there too. However, our room leaves much to be desired. It was advertised as a 4-star hotel but I think it is just a 3-star at best. Oh well, you win some and you lose some.

After freshening up and changing out of our soiled clothes, we are eager to start our Parisian adventure. First thing on our itinerary was to eat at a local cafe. We were famished! I had the Croque Monsieur (nothing fancy, just ham and cheese sandwich) and Lex had Saucisse (sausage) and the ever famous french fries. We then headed towards the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysee. Arc de Triomphe was majestic and we spent a good time having our pictures taken at the landmark. We decided on going up the monument at a later time.

Walking down the Champs Elysee reminded me of the 5th Avenue in New York. High-end boutiques and cafes lined up the famous avenue. It has a different feel to it coz you'll know that you are in a European country just by the architecture of the buildings. It has more character, personality and history to it as most are centuries old. In New York, most buildings are relatively new and modern.

By the time we reached Place de la Concorde, it was already drizzling. We decided to explore the plaza another time and instead take the metro to Galeries Vivienne and Colbert. There's nothing much to see there since the shops were already closed. It had beautiful mosaic floors though that we couldn't resist taking our pictures with it.

Nearby is the Palais Royal gardens. The Columns of Buren and the Fountains of Bury are very picturesque.

Playing on the Columns of Buren

Metal spheres of the Fountains of Bury

It was raining in earnest so we decided to call it a night. We were hoping and praying for beautiful weather tomorrow. We were happy that we were able to see as much as we did today given our delayed flight and uncooperative weather. Not bad for a first day.

Paris, je t'aime!

2007-05-07T15:06:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, we watched Paris, je t'aime to immense ourselves with a little bit of French culture. And what better place to watch it than the legendary Paris Theater? This theater has been Manhattan's premier foreign-film house and is also the longest operating art cinema in the US. It has also been featured in Sex and the City when SJP saw a flick there in an episode that focused on her rediscovering the joys of the city. So Lex and I were already feeling "cultured" just stepping into the Paris Theater lobby. It was also a break from the regular AMC or Leows movie house that we frequent.

The movie Paris, je t'aime is a collection of 18 short (5min) love stories directed and starred by some of the best directors and actors in the industry -- directors: Alfonso Cuaron, Coen Brothers, Wes Craven, etc and actors: Steve Buscemi (love him!), Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gena Rowlands, Nick Nolte, etc. It was also from the producers of Amelie -- which is also a favorite. Each short clip is set on a different Parisian neighborhood... thereby providing the viewer with the look and feel of the much celebrated city. This was precisely why we watched the movie... coz we're going to Paris next weekend (more on this on later posts)!

I really enjoyed watching the film. I laughed and "almost" shed a tear on some of the shorts. It's definitely something I would want to watch again. Another film added to my must buy DVD list.

Oh, and this film is the first part of a planned trilogy. The next films will be set in New York and China! Can't wait to see what the New York film would be!

Twists and Turns

Woohoo!

Surprise!

Iba ang Pasko sa Pinas

Happy Birthday, Mela!

On Romance

One!

We're baaack!

LVoe It!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Lazy...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Icewine

Subway Romance

What Happened to Love?

Car Lust

Lingo

First Day

Compliments

The secret is out.

Stressed but Blessed

Columbus Day

Look who made it to the NYTimes...

Pastry Bin

My Mamy's Clothing Line

La Salle Spelling!

Hell Explained by a Chemistry Student

Starstruck

New Toy!

Shoot 'Em Up!

Shake Shack

11 years later...

US Open 2007

Frenemies

Happy Birthday, Kaisy!

Long Overdue: Quebec City!

The Powerscrew Crew

Lazy Sundays in the Park

Joren Turns 1

!%^*@#*$&@$*

So you want to know what happens next?

NYC Dining

Happy Birthday, Mamy!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Going Green and Crazy

Haircut in the City

Honey

Montreal

Oui!

Off to Canada!

07.07.07

We were there!

SALE!

How strong is your Gaydar?

Visual DNA

The Pinoy Phenomenon

To My Parents

So how many did I get to watch?

Friendly Takeover

More Expensive?

Eventful Weekend

Pride is such a cold bedfellow

A visit from my sistah!

Down the Lehigh River

Happy Birthday, Karlo!

Paris (Quatrième Jour)

Paris (Troisième Jour)

Paris (Deuxième Jour)

Paris (Premier Jour)

Paris, je t'aime!

!%^@#$&@$*