Day 15



Welcome to my studio! Here's how I go about taking those fantastic shots you see on Kikay Exchange:

1. Wait for natural light.
2. Remove cooking stuff from counter.
3. Wipe tiles clean.
4. Spread out white tablecloth.
5. Bring out items to be photographed.
6. Click away!

I don't know why people still invest in studio equipment and whatnot, when my method is clearly the best:p

Day 14



We finally got around to trying out that Thai restaurant at Total gas station (in between Sta. Rosa and Eton exits, northbound).

Not bad really, but it still doesn't hold a candle to that tiny Thai place in front of the BF Homes market that my mom and I used to frequent years ago. Now that was a good Tom Yum Kung! We even brought home the soup and dumped noodles in it just to savor that sour-spicy, heavenly goodness. Mmmm...

Day 13



So what does a nail polish addict wear to her own book launch? Purple and aqua french tips! Very very nice.

Congrats on your book Pam!

Day 12



Met a new friend today. But something tells me he (it) wasn't exactly happy to meet me:p

Day 11



G had a talk in Globe Pioneer today and though I was unable to watch him deliver his speech, I still followed for the post-forum dinner with P.

From the time I left the CA, it took just a little over an hour to get to Boni. Thank you LRT and MRT! I was momentarily dumbfounded with the long lines to the ticket booths, but once I sized up the crowd and chose a line, I had my magnetic card in a little under 10 minutes and was at Boni in about 15 minutes. Wow.

Day 10

A bus was bombed in EDSA this afternoon, so as I stepped inside the bus that would take me home to Sta. Rosa, I said a silent prayer and took a deep breath.

I went home to this. My sweet hubby who humored me by letting me swipe on Avon lipstick on his lips.



If I have to go like those in that bus, please let me go quickly and painlessly. Amen.

Day 9



Farming with your coiffed hair and your sosyalera finery. The new trend in Philippine agriculture.

Day 8



Margaux Salcedo's post in today's Inquirer really shook up the blogging community, and by the blogging community, I mean G and I.

For one thing, it's very timely as G will be giving a 15 minute speech this Wednesday on blogger-advertiser relationship or something along those lines.

For another, it allowed me to reassess my stand on blogging which goes something like this:

Yes to freebies (fodder for future reviews and giveaways), No to paid posts.

Yes to accommodating requests for reviews, No to sending a draft of my review.

Yes to advertisements, No to advertorials/paid posts/sponsored posts etc.

Yes to blogging, No to giving up my day job to become a full time blogger (I honestly don't know how I can remain objective if my livelihood were to depend on wooing advertisers).

It's pretty simple really, I started blogging because I like writing and feel like I have a lot to say (now whether or not I actually have something worth listening to is another matter:p), and although it will cause me physical pain to do so, I believe that I can kill Kikay Exchange right this very minute if needed. Of course I hope that never ever happens because it's something I helped build from the ground up.

FYI, G is now officially sikat as Chuvaness linked his post on palamunin bloggers!!

I am married to a celebrity :)

P.S.

Today's photo has absolutely no relation with the post but since I didn't have anything connected with blogging or palamunin bloggers, then I thought it wise to just put up a photo of a cute baby. Or a puppy.

Day 7



G's failed attempt at growing his own herbs.

I don't know why he refuses to throw out the two pots of dead plants. I can't understand his attachment to spindly branches.

In fairness to his attempts at greening the environment though, the pepper plant he's tending to in the kitchen has already borne fruit. So that's 1 out of 3. Sige na nga, pwede na.

Day 6




Today was full of criminals.

On our way to the canteen for lunch, Wendy saw a (former?) Pasay prosecutor who unwittingly became the star in an Imbestigador episode. Apparently, the fiscal demanded sexual favors from the complainant and on the second meeting, the complainant was ready and was wired for an elaborate entrapment operation planned by the Imbestigador staff.

True enough, the offer to go to a motel cropped up again and this time, the complainant agreed. When they went to the car or when they were already at the motel (I'm just relying on hearsay here), the TV crew pounced on him. Hello instant national disgrace!

The sad part though is that the complainant tragically died from birthing complications so my friends and I were discussing if the criminal case against the prosecutor will still prosper without a witness. Can the TV footage be admitted into evidence? I'm quite positive that an administrative case will have a better chance at success, but I'm not so sure about the criminal case.

In another part of the metro, G witnessed firsthand just how brazen thieves are these days when the laptop of the girl beside him was cooly picked up by some guy. The clincher was that G at first stopped the guy and asked him if he knew the girl who owned the laptop, to which he said yes and calmly stashed the laptop in his bag.

To make a long story short, G went to the police station with the girl to give his statement. And the girl learned the hard way never to leave her valuables unattended in a public place.

P.S.You can read about G's first hand account of the theft here.

Day 5



I was in denial at first, but now I'm not ashamed to admit it: I HEART TEMPTATION OF WIFE!!!!

I joined the Temptation of Wife Facebook fan page today and even went through the PEX discussion and I have decided that I'm a Nigeline (Team Nigel and Angeline).

The sad thing though is that I only catch TOW in the bus on my way home, so the reception is very iffy (That's Nigel Min on the screen, the adopted son of Lady Min. He's in love with Angeline, who's pretending to be Chantal, Lady Min's dead daughter, so that she can have her revenge on her husband who cheated on her with her bestfriend who used to be her brother's girlfriend).

I'm thinking of downloading the whole series so that I'll have something to watch in the airport during the 5 hour layover during the HK-MNL leg, and the train ride to Auckland is a good 12 hours so that's 12 episodes right there!

This soap opera shtick is mighty addicting I tell you.

Day 4



"Is that you weekend?"

"Yes my child. It won't be long now..."

Day 3



Three things for Day 3:

1) KE was down since last night and through some mighty fine techie magic/whoknowswhat, G was able to put it back up again. Whew!
2) I started running again tonight and maybe even join my first 5k fun run this year (crossing fingers and tightening shoelaces). I realized that my usual excuses (too tired, too busy etc. etc.) weren't cutting it anymore. Besides, it just takes 20-30 minutes to get a good sweat going and get my heart pumping.
3) Krissy seems to have gotten into a near accident in NZ and we are all thankful that nothing serious happened to her. Kasi naman, mag-ingat!

Day 2

I always look forward to those promotional items given out in the LRT. So far, I've received sachets of laundry detergent, a can of Coke Zero, a fan with a map of a Caliraya resort/ auction house, Pond's sachets and various flyers. Now I can add these mint gums to my LRT swag.

I received two packs of breath mints today, one while entering the Buendia station and the other while exiting the United Nations station. So if my icy stare doesn't get through the usual rude and ill-bred LRT crowd, then maybe my icy fresh breath will! Hurrah!

Day 1



I always try to reserve one day per week for puttering around the house and getting our little nest in order, otherwise, things and dust bunnies will start piling up.

Today, it was all about defrosting the ref, cleaning the bathroom, sweeping our bedroom floor and airing out our beddings. Suffice to say, I am beat.

The photo shows our newest luxury acquisition, a Louis Vuitton floormat! Sosi much?:p

P.S.

Obviously, I have begun another Project 365 and I am determined to finish it this time around. I tweaked the past rules and decided not to do portraits anymore, because I realized that the source of my stress during my first project was that it takes too much effort to think of a concept and then pose. My second try will be more about blogging around a photo for one whole year. Alrighty then, let's go!

I miss those days when I used to participate in Flickr's Project 365 group. Here are some of my favorites:



Day 105: Downtime

This is my favorite position (lying across a chair with my legs dangling off the side) while talking with Gary on the phone.

My dog Killer is usually somewhere in the near vicinity too, waiting for me to get off the phone to give him a belly rub.

And that's my pre-bedtime routine



Day 100: Happy Pills

Taken after several glasses of Stingkaya (a mixture of gin, rum, pineapple and some other fruit juice), hence the glassy eyes and idiotic smile.

Stingkaya tasted like kool-aid so I was happily downing one glass after the other.

Not a good idea.

The clean up after was very messy.

I am now very wary of candy colored drinks with exotic names served in pitchers.

PS

Am hopelessly behind in my 365 days project :(



Day 98: With great power comes great responsibility

I've always wanted to be a superhero.

But i don't know if I want the whole secret identity thing though, it sure didn't do Spiderman any good.

I just want the powers and the satisfaction of kicking the bad guys butts.

Yeah, that would be cool!



Day 93: Down and Out

I ate something bad for dinner the other day, so when I woke up, my stomach was going crazy!

After several trips to the bathroom (and it wasn't even 8am then), I sent an SMS to our secretary to say that I would have to miss work today.

I spent the whole day napping, watching Kristi Yamaguchi's Dancing with the Stars videos, dashing to the bathroom and chugging down bottle after bottle of water. By evening I was all dizzy and weak from dehydration and had to turn in by 8pm.

Never again to pansit malabon (a type of local noodle dish).



Day 90: Living Dangerously

Go ahead and stare at danger right in the eye.

Of course, "danger" here is a huge stuffed tiger someone gave my niece for her third birthday.

Doesn't that seem a little inappropriate for you or is it just me? I know I'd have all sorts of nightmares if I was three years old and that thing stood guard next to my bed:p

Moving on to better news, my US visa application was granted! I'm going stateside in the yet undetermined future (but hopefully the near future).



Day 78: Catching up

Most of the time, I feel as if I'm still the same person from 5 or 10 years ago. But there are those instances (admittedly fleeting) when I get surprised at how much I've actually changed.

This is me trying to catch up with me. I may not totally catch me, but it's ok, because I like being ahead of myself.



Day 70: Blinking Contest

It was another hectic day at work, with even a surprise hearing thrown my way for tomorrow.

But what the heck, bring it on.

First one to blink loses!

And it sure as hell won't be me :)



Day 65: Macau Tower

The Macau Tower offered a 360 view of the entire island.

There was an entrance fee of 80MOP but I thought it was well worth it, given the fantastic vantage point of the island.

Bungee jumping and other high-adrenaline activities were also available at the top of the Tower.



Day 31: Kiss the cook

Gary came over and we made spicy tuna spaghetti.

I really planned on taking pictures but was so hungry that we polished everything off before I could whip out the camera.

Yummy.



Day 24: Cat fight

First time I used Lightroom (29 more days to go before my free copy expires! boohoo :(

Thanks to my sister for the half dozen cheering outfits in her closet.

********

I seriously miss conceptualizing my photo for the day and thne executing it. Don't miss the post-processing though since it takes way too much time. I like writing, which is a good thing because that's how I earn my living, but there's just something to be said about the visual medium. More satisfying perhaps?

Am I crazy enough to do another Project 365? Maybe if I don't do post-processing (except for some clones every now and then) and stick mostly with SOOC shots? Kaya ko pa ba? Eeep!

Looks like this year will have a lot of traveling in it, which is really quite apt because I'm using the Navi planner from the same company that made Belle de Jour.



My parents and I are off to Wellington, NZ in a few weeks (and I'm making a detour to Fiji!) and then there's the Iloilo/Boracay trip with my cousins this July to look forward to! Nice :)

I'm hoping that G and I will still be able to squeeze a trip to Shanghai/Beijing/Taiwan within the year (let's go CebPac sales!). But my biggest wish is the one that pops out after 9 months. C'mon G, let's do it!:p

Word for the day: Aspirational

Definition: In consumer marketing, an aspirational brand (or product) means a large segment of its exposure audience wishes to own it, but for economical reasons cannot. An aspirational product implies certain positive characteristics to the user, but the supply appears limited due to limited production quantities. (source: Wikipedia)

Chos!

My favorite New Year's eve photos.





Pauso talaga si Joey:p

Tickets booked and we're leaving on Feb. 12. See you soon coolest little capital in the world!



From NZ, I'll be hopping over to Fiji to check out Tessa's crib...



:)

I.can't.wait!

NZ tourist visa approved.

Booking tickets this week.

Will commune with orcs in about 6 weeks.

Yay!