Tagaytay Trip with HS BFFs ;)

So finally, our Tagaytay day trip pushed through. Amidst warnings of a super-typhoon, we felt that it was now or never. We had been planning this trip for about a month already so devil be damned we just went ahead and drove all the way to Tagaytay for Vroomy's (Anna's car) break-in. Fortunately, it did not rain at all.

We spent Friday night at Virge's new place, talking and singing ourselves to death. We finally went to bed at 2am. However, being in bed and actually sleeping are two different things. Somehow we could not stop talking. The next morning, we hauled our sleepy asses into Vroomy for the three-hour drive to Sonya's Garden and stuffed our faces with salad and pasta. And took pictures. Lots.

To cap the day, we went to see "Enchanted" when we got back to Manila. I thankfully did not fall asleep. (I have a history of falling asleep when watching movies.)

*pictures are from Honey's and my cameras

Notebook Madness

I have, at any given moment, at least three unused notebooks of different sizes, thickness, paper quality, etc. in my possession. At least. I'm pretty sure I have more. The point is, I definitely do not need another one.

But I want it.

It's not even a notebook of any remarkable quality. It's as ordinary as can be: lined, of average size (maybe a bit smaller), of average thickness (maybe a bit thicker). "A normal notebook," in fact, was how I described it to a friend while trying to convince her to have coffee or tea with me.

So it is nothing but pure madness. I have fallen prey into this marketing scheme that seeks nothing more than to make me part with my hard-earned money is what happened. And as with most obssessions, it leaves one helpless. It certainly does not help that I pass by the coffee shop going to and from work everyday.

Of course it is not that I lack excuses to hang out in this particular coffee shop. I get to have some alone time, for one. That is, of course, always good for the writing. Or if not, I get to hang out with friends (whom of course I've tricked into having coffee or tea so I could have one stamp more in my little card) and get to catch up on each other's lives. Besides I am working three different jobs. I deserve an occasional cup of coffee if that's what I want. And yes, that's what I want.

I am eight stamps away from the much coveted notebook. If you're in the area and would like to have coffee or tea, remember to give me a call. I just might be available.

My Christmas and Birthday Wishlist

So you won't have a hard time thinking of what to give me for Christmas and my birthday, I've very generously taken the time to compile a list of things that I want.

• wi-fi card for laptop
• portable vacuum cleaner, preferrably a Black and Decker Dustbuster
• a pack of Sony rechargeable batteries (4 pcs.)
• a comfortable pair of 1.5 wedge-heeled sandals
• a bath towel (I know. Times are hard.)
• Spanish lessons
• Advanced Mandarin lessons
• arnis training
• disposable contact lenses
• a haircut and hot oil combo
• a body scrub
• a full body massage
• Olay Total Effects facial moisturizer
• Body Shop liquid foundation # 6
• perfume and/or cologne
• a trip to Bohol/Boracay/Palawan/Sagada (You may suggest some other places. I'm very flexible.)
• cash!

If you are interested in giving me any of the above items, please feel free to contact me so I could give you further details (shoe size, color, etc.). And I would love to hear your ideas, too. I do not mind, for example, receiving a laptop from you if that's what you really want to give me. And jewelry, for example, is always welcome. We can discuss about those issues at your convenience.

Merry Christmas! *big hug

'Tis the Season to Make Some Money!

Shameless Plug:

'Tis the season to try and earn a little more than usual because I'm sure your Christmas lists (just like mine) are getting longer by the hour. And because I'm super thoughtful, I'm helping some friends with their fundraising activities as well. Here's a list of money-making ventures you might want to help in by buying and/or spreading the word, or even participating in yourself:

1. For cheap and almost-new finds, visit our Garage Sale in Alexandra Condos, Meralco Ave., Ortigas on Saturday, November 17. Everything must go so buy buy buy by the truckload!
2. Why don't you make some money yourself? A friend of mine is looking for participants to a goodies bazaar in Market! Market! You get a stall for the entire month of December for only P15000. Interested? Send me a message.
3. Save some money and still give your loved-ones cute little gifts come Christmas time. If you happen to be in the area please drop by Valle Verde 5, covered court and/or the Quezon City Sports Club (right across St. Luke's Medical Center along E. Rodriguez). They sell affordable kikay stuff perfect for your girlfriends.
4. If Valle Verde and QC Sports Club is too far from you, you can also catch them at the World Trade Center from November 21-25.
5. What's a celebration without alcohol? Check out my friend's wide wine selection here or see his site for other yummy treats!

Merry Christmas!

My New Work Station

Like I said, it's still a work-in-progress. It's a definite improvement from my old work station, which I used to share with another translator. Now I have this all to myself. And I'm loving it! :D

Dong Bei Shui Jiao

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Chinese
Location:	Binondo, Manila

One of the many things that I miss about China is the food. Because I stayed in three cities that are at least seven hours by train from each other for a minimum of two months each, I also had the fortune of tasting at least three different kinds of gastronomic delights. And because I stayed in TieLing the longest, I miss the food from the northeastern part the most.

Imagine my delight when I chanced upon a restaurant called Dong Bei Shui Jiao (Northeast Dumplings) in Binondo when I accompanied Akoh on one of her Divisoria trips. Because we didn't have time to stop then, I made a mental note to check out the place next time. And because I had, and still have, a very bad sense of direction, it took quite some time before I was able to find it again, still with Akoh's help.

We bought a few uncooked orders to be taken home for dinner. I was instantly hooked. Dumplings are not very popular in the Philippines. Our Chinese food is usually limited to the food in the Southern parts of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. I did not even know how important dumplings were in the Chinese culture if I had not gone to the north.

It was on our second visit when Akoh and I decided to stay there to eat when I read the article that the couple who owns the place are from Shenyang. Shenyang is about an hour away from TieLing! They're authentic Northeastern people! No wonder their dumplings are so good! I chatted with the wife for a while, finding out they've been in Manila for about three years and how it's not easy to get used to the heat. But then now they can't seem to stand the cold in LiaoNing. That was funny. I used to always complain about the climate too.

But the point of this review is for you to go and try their dumplings. There are two kinds available for dine-in customers: pork and chives. Both are great. You can get one order and have one-half of each. The sauce is to die for. Plus it's not expensive at all (this coming from a cheapskate).

While there are still a lot of Chinese food that I love (and I'm beginning to forget the names of!) that aren't available in Manila, at least I can scratch dumplings off my list.

How to get there: From Binondo Church, walk until the next street to the left. There should be a street sign: Oriente. That's the one with the Metrobank at the corner. Walk down that street until you can't go straight anymore. You'll see the yellow Dong Bei Shui Jiao sign to the right of a dress shop called YiFu. It's a tiny and unassuming place, as opposed to the commercialized feel of Tasty Dumplings. No, I haven't tried Tasty Dumplings yet but from the looks (and tastes) of Dong Bei, I don't think I would in the near future. I am THAT satisfied, more like ecstatic, of it.

Nuna's Scammed

Please take the time to read my sister's blog entry: http://thejonastory.multiply.com/journal/item/156/scammed

We're trying to let as many people as possible know about this. Yes, it happened personally to our family and we're hoping it won't happen to anyone else again.

Text Jokes = Different Punchline

Cast of characters:

Nuni, age 27

Akoh, age 60+, aunt of Nuni

One day about two months ago while Nuni was bumming in the house, she decided to share an old text joke with Akoh. She thought that this joke would be especially funny for her aunt because it involved a play of words between Filipino and Fukien Chinese. And because she's a cheapskate, she let Akoh read the text message from her phone instead of sending it to her.

The joke (cannot be translated, sorry):

Question: How do you say, "If this knife won't do, look for another knife," in Chinese?

Answer: CHIQUITO na bo huat, che PAQUITO.

Because of Akoh's bad eyesight, it took some time before she was able to read everything. It also took a few minutes of digesting and explaining and more digesting until she finally got the joke which resulted to quite a long time of steady laughing and thus difficulty in breathing.

Fastforward to yesterday: Because the joke was clearly successful, Nuni, who was in the office, sent Akoh a new text joke.

The joke:

Parrot: panget! Panget! Panget! (ugly! Ugly! Ugly!)

Babae: sige tawagin mo pa kong panget lulutuin kta. (Girl: Call me ugly again and I'll have you for lunch.)

Parrot: psst!

Babae: ano yun? (Girl: what is it?)

Parrot: alam mo na... (you know...)

Nuni imagined what was probably happening at home: Akoh asking Charly, 14, to read the message aloud to her. Wanna-be-actress Charly would have delivered the joke very well. Laughter all around, possibly resulting to difficulty in breathing again.

Instead Nuni got this message: Joni ano yung txt mo sa akin di ko maintindihan. Tawag ka na lang sa landline. (Joni what did you txt me i can't understand. call on the landline.)

Nuni scratched her head and groaned. She then sent this message: Joke lang yun. Joke! Ang hirap mo namang bigyan ng joke. (It was only a joke. A joke! It's hard to send you jokes.)

To which Akoh replied: la ha ha akala ko ano na ang nangyari sayo. (la ha ha i thought something happened to you.)

Halloween '07

If you're a member of the Cham clan, Halloween is an important event. The eve is spent preparing various food and games to bring to the cemetery. You go to sleep for a couple of hours then wake up at the crack of dawn for the big day.

This year, we were to leave the house at 4am. As expected, we left an hour later, with reminders that we'd have to make adjustments next year. You must understand that that's part of the ritual.