31 January 2007

New Buzz

My new discovery, Starbucks' Coffee Jelly Frapuccino. The best caffeine buzz ever.

I thought their Afogato would be the ultimate coffee fix - a shot of espresso poured on caramel syrup and cream. It never failed to keep me awake.

But then I tried the Coffee Jelly... and I was in heaven. It's a nata de coco and coffee addict's dream. It will keep you awake and then some. Compared to the afogato's one shot of espresso, I believe this one has a higher caffeine content. Aside from the coffee frapuccino, there are bits of really chewy coffee jelly that completes the entire addicting experience.

I'm a coffee addict, all my friends know that. My system's immune to weak coffee. So on a Monday, when I've only had a few hours of real sleep, this is the drink of choice. This drink kept me up for hours.

Orange Git at 12:02 PM

0comments

27 January 2007

Raining on a Friday Night

I’m now the proud owner Rain’s first and second albums. It’s crazy, fanatic behavior which I thought I’d already outgrown. This is so high schoolish, like back when I died just seeing the words New Kids On The Block on anything. But apparently, I haven’t.

Two nights ago, I dropped by my friendly neighborhood OK! Books, which is a Korean bookstore near my place. The saleslady knows my face since I always go there to browse, check out their loot even if I don’t see anything worth buying. But that night, I saw a few pin buttons of Rain. I restrained myself and bought two buttons, although I really wanted to buy all the varieties. I don’t know where the hell I’ll pin those buttons but I bought them anyway. My biggest mistake of the night was I asked the saleslady how long they’ve had Rain’s first album. I guess she sensed that I was an easy market for anything Rain so she conveniently mentioned that she had all of his albums in stock. It was just in their stock cabinet since the person who ordered it never claimed it.

My heart suddenly beat faster as I saw her take out four, shiny, very pretty albums. My eyes popped and I started salivating. I only had 500 bucks in my wallet. If there was an ATM machine nearby, I would have bought them that night. But no, I restrained myself and reserved the two that I didn’t own.


I am 1,700 bucks poorer but I’m so giddy with my loot. I am ignoring the fact that I can buy five CDs or five pairs of shoes with that much money and that I have most of the mp3s on my laptop. No one can tell me that I’ve wasted my money. My friends already think I’m crazy but I don’t care! And they know it. This is quality! I still look lovingly at them. I especially love the 2nd album. I think it’s the prettiest CD I’ve ever acquired. The CD booklet is twice the normal booklet size and filled with really nice photos. Not just nice because Rain’s in it. But genuinely nice, quality pictures. I’m sure my photographer friend will agree with me when I show her the pictures. Did I pay 500 bucks more for the pictures? Hell yeah! And I even plan to do it again. I’ve already placed my order for the 4th album, special edition which the saleslady said will probably arrive in less than a month. I’m excited.
















the prettiest CD ever! 비 volume 2: 태양을비하는방법

I was supposed to spend the night on a date till the pesky person cancelled (see previous rant post please). But I had so much fun spending the night alone with Rain… Crazy, fanatic, bordering on psycho behavior. I DON’T CARE! I’m loving it. Good times...

Orange Git at 11:06 AM

0comments

24 January 2007

Seriously!

Some thoughts of an irritated and bored git deprived of internet access for the day

When asking someone out on a date, always remember that it’s you asking for this favor of sorts, not the other person you’re asking out. It’s their time you’re going to occupy. So to cancel once is fine, albeit a bit disappointing. To cancel twice is just plain rude and unethical! Seriously!

The thing is, the person you’re asking out has their own life. Most likely, once they’ve said yes they mean it. Unless something really important comes up, like their boss threatening to fire them if they don’t attend to something work related or somebody in their immediate family suddenly came down with a terminal illness. They also probably turned down other invites as well because they’ve already said yes to you. Even if those invitations guarantee an extremely fun time, like a luxurious weekend out of town at their boss’ expense or hanging out with really close friends (like the ones they’ve known all their lives that they’re almost relatives), they’ve opted to go out with you even if chances are, meeting you will be awkward or, worse, dull.

So you’re excuses, however valid, are irrelevant. It’s you who set the date. In the normal world we live in, that means you’re free as a bird on that day, since it’s you who volunteered that date. Whatever may come up after that should be second to this appointment, unless you’re an incubus of viral plague (lifted from Miranda Priestley) or you’ve developed a rather large and extremely unattractive wart on your face that even your mom refuses to call you her own.

Should you think twice about the whole meeting up because you’re shy or you don’t want to be bothered yet because your hectic lifestyle won’t accommodate a few hours of meeting someone new, then don’t even make the effort of setting a date. Don’t even bother! You’re just wasting the time of the person you’re asking out. And again most importantly, they have their own life for crying out loud! You can’t just invite, then say “Ooops! Sorry. I have something else on that day, let’s just meet again on this date…” then cancel again saying something else came up. It’s just not right. And most probably, your “hooking up” points have already gone down to negative because of this. Chances of things going well with this person will be difficult unless you resemble a Greek god who can get away with anything based on looks. Seriously!

Orange Git at 6:58 PM

2comments

19 January 2007

While blog hopping...

It's one of those days when you wake up with a generally bad disposition and just can't get out of bed but must. I got to the office extremely late and just sat at my desk, weak and sluggish from these blasted cramps. I started surfing... hopping from one blog site to the next since I really didn't feel like working. I stopped by Jessica Zafra's and found a very entertaining link in her Rules of Jungle Living post.

The Urban Etiquette Handbook is a list of "rules" on various topics such as relationships, proper office decorum, subway behavior. Basically everyday rules to live by in New York. Although the rules were made for New York living, urban dwellers everywhere can relate.

Some of my favorites.

THE OFFICE
What do you do when someone asks you for help getting a job you don’t think he deserves?
If this individual is not a close- enough friend that you can tell him the truth, you may have to resort to one of the following humanely disingenuous approaches: (1) Respond enthusiastically with information of limited value: “Would it help if I gave you the name of the human-resources person? I think I might even have his e-mail!” (2) Issue a self-deprecating disclaimer of helplessness: “I don’t know how much my word counts on this one . . . ” (3) Technically do the favor, but warn off the prospective employer either explicitly or between the lines: “An acquaintance of mine is looking for something. I’ve known him ever since we went to Bennington! He dropped out though.”


BREACHING SUBWAY DECORUM
THE SEAT HOG
Crime: Not offering one’s seat to an obviously pregnant woman or obviously elderly person.
Rudeness Factor (out of 10): 10
Why It’s Inappropriate: If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s the continued propagation of the species (within reason). And if you don’t give your seat to an elderly person, when you grow old you can expect to be cast out and set upon by wild dogs. It’s called karma.
When It’s Appropriate: Maybe if you have a serious, demonstrable impediment. Such as a wooden leg. Although even then—she’s pregnant! On your feet, pirate.

THE GROOMER
Crime: Plucking eyebrows, curling eyelashes, flossing teeth (!), or clipping fingernails (!!) on the subway.
Rudeness Factor: 8
Why It’s Inappropriate: Because a civilized society is measured by the delineations between its public-transit vehicles and its bathrooms.
When It’s Appropriate: If it’s your absolute last chance to freshen up before a job interview, funeral, or proposal of marriage.


FRIENDS
How do you handle it when you, in full party panic, can’t remember the name of someone you know?
Blame the panic! In fact, don’t just blame the panic, inflate it. Begin talking about how flustered you are: You thought it was Thursday for a second, you put your drink down five minutes ago and can’t find it, you are so out of it that you’ve forgotten the name . . . of someone across the room whose name, in reality, you do remember! Then, conspiratorially ask the person whose name you can’t recall to introduce herself to the third party—as you laugh all the way to the First National Bank of Knowing Everybody’s Name.

What do “I’ll call you” or “Let’s have lunch” mean?
In a non-dating situation, these hollow parting comments often translate roughly to “In all likelihood, I won’t call you” and “Let’s not have lunch, though I have generally positive feelings about you.” (Though the recipient has no choice but to be agreeable in the moment and assume the phone won’t ring.) If you’re prone to such phrases, consider deploying “It was good to see you,” which, while perfectly pleasant, won’t confuse anyone.

Can you reject a Friendster, Facebook, or MySpace friend request from someone you know?
No. It’s not as though adding someone to your online social network costs anything: The only potential damage is to the perceived quality of your accumulated friends. And if you know someone who judges you based on your Friendster network, then, well, like Mom said, he’s not your real Internet friend anyway.

What do you do when you’ve attended a performance by your aspiring actor/singer/comic friend—and you were driven to tears by its utter banality?
Always lie, but try to do it in ways that aren’t so liar-y. Gush about aspects of the show that weren’t horrid (“Such exquisite costuming!”), compliment the very particular elements of his performance that were adequate, or say something not-technically-false like “That’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from you!” Long-term encouragement of delusional artistic aspirations, though, is impolite: If the invites are repeated, let your nonattendance send a message.

How do you tell someone he's been mispronouncing your name for three months?
Tell him a story in which you use your own name, clearly enunciating where he’s got it wrong. For example, if you were Ralph Fiennes, you’d say, “I called him and said, ‘Hi, this is Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafe Fines.’ ”


CITY LIVING
If mentioning your connection to a famous person is relevant in a conversation, how do you do it without being a jerk?
Don’t mention it at all, of course, unless it’s necessary to preempt a question about how you got a piece of information you otherwise wouldn’t have known, and acknowledge the details of your connection immediately after the drop. As in, “I actually heard from Steven Spielberg—I met him at a Tribeca screening last year that my friend was doing publicity for—that Munich was originally conceived as a farce . . . ” Never first-name-drop (“I heard that from Dave . . . what? Oh, David Letterman”), a reprehensible behavior whose legality is one of the few universally acknowledged downsides of the First Amendment.

How should you indicate to a cabdriver/person sitting next to you on a bus that you don’t want to chat?
Give a few polite yet terse one-word answers delivered with a tooth-free smile. If that doesn’t work, try—again with a demure smile—inserting your iPod earphones and then staring somberly out the window, or closing your eyes and rubbing your temples as if you have a migraine. Consider telling a little white lie: You’re sorry, but you’re coming up on an important test/presentation/audition that you need to think about. If all else fails, pretend you have fallen asleep or died.

Is it okay to use wireless if your neighbors don’t password-protect it?
Yes—free wireless is a karmic gift bestowed by the rental gods to make up for all the times you’ve experienced your neighbors’ sexual encounters, arguments, and guitar practice in startling sonic clarity, gotten roaches because you live in the same building as a restaurant, and sampled the tapestry of malodorousness that is the ethnic-food/cigarette-smoke/pet-by-product–scented apartment hallway. Your only obligation as a wireless sharer is to avoid massive bandwidth-hogging downloads.
(this is by far my favorite!)

Orange Git at 2:56 PM

0comments

18 January 2007

Lost

I'm in a rut.

I thought I've moved on from the bad holiday depression. Somehow, I unconsciously managed to crawl back into the dark hole of boredom, depression and isolation. I'm spending a lot of time alone and I love it. I think I've had an invisible "Leave me alone" sign on my forehead for weeks now. But even solitary silence doesn't make things clearer.

I'm so lazy. I find myself staring blankly at the wall when I get home. I feel so useless and lethargic.

The thing is, I know what I have to do. I need to do it NOW. But why is it so hard to move forward? I'm scared that I've become too complacent already and just allow things to move along without doing anything, without grabbing opportunities. I keep on thinking and making plans in my head but the execution escapes me. I know what friends will say if I tell them about this. Same thing... start moving. I know that.

I don't know what to do. I don't know how I'm going to get out of this lethargic state. My life is out of whack right now. I hate it. I've never been like this.

Orange Git at 10:02 PM

0comments

10 January 2007

This Kid's Going Places

Be amazed...

Korean Air sponored Rain's World and as such, painted his picture on one of their airplanes which shall fly Rain and his whole concert entourage throughout his World Tour. In an article sent by a friend a few weeks ago from inq7.net, it said:
The airline said it would provide free tickets and transport throughout the tour and promote the concerts through its overseas offices.

Part of the proceeds will be donated to World Vision's project to help Asian children suffering from AIDS.
The model plane was launched by Rain and Korean Air executives 0n 07 January 2007. Photos of the actual plane were released online yesterday.


Today, the plane was used to charter Rain and his crew to Hongkong which is the next location of Rain's Coming World Tour.

I still think his hair looks funny. But who cares? He has his photo on a plane!! How big time is that? This certainly announces that Rain has arrived.

Credits to Soompi, Benamoo and Go News/Daum for the photos

Orange Git at 3:22 PM

0comments

05 January 2007

Bestest Birthday Ever!

I never expected anything. Actually, I was quite negative about this birthday. I was in denial that I was turning 27. But it turned out to be the best birthday so far.

It’s been tradition at home to wait for 12 midnight when it’s someone’s birthday. We were counting down the minutes till midnight. When the clock struck 12, my friends sang the usual birthday song. They gave me gifts and I loved them. I’ve always wanted a coffee press and now finally, I have one and in orange! The other gift was a nice belt that would go really well with numerous outfits that I’ve already planned in my head. Thanks roomies!

orange coffee press, polka dotted belt and yummy brownies from roomies

I planned to come in the office just for lunch since my boss wanted to treat me to lunch. But even before I got there, I was getting all these questions from my friend Cacay asking if I was coming to work at all. I sensed that something was up. And true enough, the minute I got to the office, I saw this yellow plastic bag with a bouquet of flowers inside. It was the sweetest gift I’ve ever received. She never fails to amaze me. Super mom, super friend, super everything. It totally made my day, especially when I found out the effort she went through to deliver it.

gerberas from Cacay… best best gift ever!

My desk was filled with loot. It was a low EQ’s dream, no, actually... it’s a nightmare! I didn’t know which one to open first. My boss treated us to Pasto at Paseo Center. We always enjoy the crostini with basil pesto dip and their margherita pizza. And since it was my birthday, she made us choose desserts. Mine was Venezia, chocolate covered cappuccino mousse. Heaven!

Venezia at Pasto, coffee lovers dream

I took the rest of the day off and proceeded to a total pampering package. I discovered paraffin wax treatment is torture. Dipping your hand and feet in hot hot wax is not very relaxing.

I decided to treat my girls to Korean food for dinner. And with the help of this blog entry in Bogchinoypi, I was convinced to try Min Sok Restaurant which is just a block away from where we live. We’ve lived in the area for more than five years and we’ve never braved any of the numerous Korean restos in our little Korean village. I was disappointed at first at their very limited menu. I was expecting something like the menu in my other favorite Korean restaurant in Malate. But as soon as our orders came, I was floored.

Korean food feast!

We ordered samgyeopsal which is just pork strips, something else resembling beef strips, spicy soup with tofu and pork that came free with the two meat dishes, an omelet with veggies and squid that came with a sesame seed oyster sauce dip and bulgogi. The side dishes came first with our rice. They served ten side dishes that were refillable including numerous kinds of kimchi – cabbage, radish, cucumber. The best side dishes were the bean sprouts, the sweet and spicy tempura (not sure if this is really what it’s called but that’s what the waitress said), the fish cake and the egg roll.

Samgyeopsal was the best order of all. As soon as the meat and it’s “accessories” came out, we panicked and cancelled our bulgogi order. Thin slices of meat were grilled right on our table and two plates filled with lettuce, garlic, green chilli, and onions were placed at each end. I was able to apply my handy Korean knowledge on eating samgyeopsal from watching too many Korean dramas and movies. The waitress was amazed that I actually knew what to pile on the lettuce leaf. All she had to do was confirm what I was doing. Even the ajuma owner, expecting to teach us newbies how to eat it, was surprised that we knew what we were doing. There’s really no other way than to pop the whole thing in your mouth, and it is a huge lettuce wrap. The explosion of flavor in your mouth is addicting. Without even realizing it, I ate three wraps in a matter of minutes. But I think our mouths got stressed from putting so much in it that the next day, my mouth and jaw was aching. We are definitely coming back. I practiced my very limited Korean when we left and I think ajuma appreciated it. She’s very nice and warm, unlike the other Koreans in the neighborhood.

doesn’t look that big, but it is... think three california makis

To cap off the birthday extravaganza, the roomies gave me a slice of Goldilock's mocca roll. This was my request. Goldilock's ran out of the half roll so they ended up with a slice. Happiness… the taste of my childhood.

the last birthday cake, with the reusable candle

Cacay, in her note with the flowers, wrote

Hope this makes a wonderful start to a fab 27th year. It’s all roses from here! (Or should I say gerbera?)

It certainly jumpstarted my 27th... It was touching, wonderful and fabulous. I’m glad I have such great friends and family who make me happy, thankful and hopeful. Cheers!

Orange Git at 10:41 AM

0comments

02 January 2007

Birthday Wishlist

Friends, I know a day is too late to get me any one of these but, still... for future reference or if your New Year's resolution is to be extremely nice to your friends, here's my list. Ceia gave me the idea.
I said it's a wishlist. And it really is wishful thinking. But it's my birthday in a few hours. I can get away with anything. If anybody gives me anything from this list, especially the first few items, I will be their slave forever.

Orange Git at 11:34 AM

0comments

2007, here we go

Brand new year...

2006 came by so fast. I did a lot of things for the first time and yet I felt I achieved so little. I won't attempt to make any new year's resolutions. I know I won't do them anyway. I ended this year depressed and crying over the most petty things. I don't want to be sad anymore yet I'm scared to be hopeful.

A few things I'm looking forward to though... another Boracay trip, multiple trips to various beaches, a friend's wedding and possibly a treck to Mount Pinatubo. Although one thing I know for sure, I'll must sort out my nonexistent career this year. If I fail to do that, then I'm in big trouble. Wish me luck!

Orange Git at 10:29 AM

0comments

me, me, me

chicas

korean madness

favorites

blog hopping

previous thoughts

the past

credits


Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

fanatic(s)/stalker(s)