Postcards from Melissa

She spent Summer 2010 roaming around Europe.  She has with her Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love book to read since she's in one of those I's - Italy.  During those times she sent me these postcards - pretty cool,     I wonder if Ading and Ate2 also got some too?

Coffee date with Mary, Pearl and Tita Cora

Sunday, August 22 at Shangrila Mall - Got this e-mail message from Mary three weeks prior to this date that she's in Manila for a month-long visit.  The last time I met up with Mary was two years ago also in the same mall.  She was with Rodri, her Argentinian boyfriend, at that time.  They got married last spring; hence, her visit is a welcome surprise for everyone.  

Well, Mary is my senpai (senior) who read and did preliminary reviews of my thesis; gave countless advice on how to survive Katayama sensei and Kobe University's GSICS and sat through our weekly zemi class for two years listening patiently to my presentation opening, "The BIR is the country's premiere tax collection agency...."    In short, Mary is somebody who makes me think of Kobe, Japan with fondness and nostalgia.  

The date was arranged so that Mary can finally give us the answers to such questions as - how was the proposal and the wedding; who attended the ceremony and was Katayama sensei there to stand as Ninong.  Stuff that are really important and requires a trip to Manila to give us all the juicy details.  Mary provided us with the answers and shared anecdotes on her married life with Rodri in Tokyo.  Plus, I got some updates from Pearl on her Pol Sci students in Diliman, her married life with Jay-jay and the challenges of caring for her sick father.  Bonus is that I got to meet Tita Cora and learned about her advocacies on the environment and healthy lifestyle among others.  I listened as she narrated with candor her family's daily struggles and adventures in surviving Manila after more than 10 years of living and working in Japan.    

More than the conversations with these three beautiful women, I also enjoyed the dango (Japanese sweets) that Mary shared with us as well as the Mary Grace lemon squares that she gave as our takeaway pasalubong.  

Then Monday morning on August 22, the hostage taking happened.  I look back and think that back then, less than 24 hours ago, things were much easier to analyze.  That somehow, with our graduate degrees from Japan, we can help solve the Philippine problems.  

Maybe, we were given such snatches of mundane conversations with our friends to realize how lucky we all are and that we really have to savor every thing that life offers.  For after such brief moments, we go back to facing more difficult tasks.  Forging ahead or just battling the "everyday-ness" of things.  

Michael Voltaggio is Top Chef Las Vegas!

I watched all the episodes in 2nd Avenue and has been rooting for him from the start.  I mean, I could have "googled"  who won the season but didn't.  

Really glad that he is Top Chef, 

Queen Seon Deok

I usually stay away from sageuk (historical) dramas.  Haven't seen Jewel in the Palace, Jumong and Hwang Jini (I have DVD copies of these kdramas but still haven't seen a single episode of any of them).  Besides, jdorama has sort of spoiled me - imagine 11 episodes and everything wraps up.  Most sageuk dramas have 20 plus, even 50 plus episodes.  Queen Seon Deok has 62 episodes, so just thinking of starting this drama is an enormous decision to make.  It means investing on time, committing emotionally and preparing to fall in love or in hate. Well, I kinda cheated and skipped some episodes but I was able to finish the drama and here are the five characters that made me invest, commit and fall - in LOVE:

5.  Wolya (Joo Sang Wook):  It has to be the stance.  As the leader of the Gaya restoration movement, he's the head of a proud belligerent group but tends to stand behind Kim Yushin.  He plays the second fiddle to Yushin's character but there's something with his stance that somehow makes him stands out.  It's also the character's capacity to weed everything out and make a decision that affects his roots, race and reason.  

4.  Kim Chun Chu (Yoo Seung Ho):  He'll make a very good political scientist.  Among his traits - displaying shrewd political analysis of the events; cultivating an innocent image; and knowing the buttons to push to make the winds of history favor his desired directions.  It also helps that as a drama watcher - we know he'll end up as the successor.

3.  Alcheon (Lee Seung Hyo):   Knowing one's duty, giving everything to achieve that and still being ready to give some more.  Like Wolya, he tends to be Yushin's second fiddle but you get the feeling that he can be the main dish if the writers want to.  

2.  Kim Yoo Shin (Uhm Tae Woong): If you're a ruler, you have to have this general to win wars for you, colonize other countries and be your rock.  He's your chief of staff, the executive secretary, the CEO.  This character does everything - even love you.  But you can be comfortable in knowing that even if you don't return that love, he'll be able to move on because his love and loyalty for his country is greater than his love and loyalty for his queen.

1.  Bi Dam (Kim Nam Gil):  This one can annihilate a whole army - possessing fighting skills that can protect and destroy.  He's childish but also a murderer; calculating but can be very obtuse and simple but quite complicated.  He's the main reason why I watched the whole thing, cried buckets at the last episode and wished that I can have tons of patience in re-watching the whole thing.  Simply put,  I  Bidam!

Actually there's more - most of the Hwarang leaders, Bidam's master, Seol won, Jukbang, Santak and even Godo.  The costumes and production values are spectacular.  I still don't know why I was never fascinated with the female characters - Mishil,Princess Chun Myung and Duk Man, the Queen.  Must be because most of these characters love them.  

Birthday celebration of Victoria and Evangeline Ophelia

Pictures from the joint birthday party of Victoria (she turned 11 last April 11) and Evangeline Ophelia (1 last April 17).

Mini-Me

Ipeng told me that my niece, Amanda Theresa, looks way too much like me. I'm starting to agree that's why I grabbed these pictures from my sister-in-law's Facebook account, =)

Dinner date with Nova

The last time I was in National Bookstore Katipunan was four or five years ago, actually maybe more.  So, I was kinda taken aback at how much the place has remained the same but yet felt small and different.  The feeling was akin to when I went back to my old high school for a reunion - everything looked the same but at a smaller version.  Not that I've grown taller or heavier - well maybe there's some truth with this.  But I'm pretty sure that it was like being time-warped back when I was in college yet strangely, I'm not wearing my jeans and white shirt anymore.

Anyway, I was there to kill time as I'm scheduled for a dinner with Nova.  I figured instead of waiting for her inside the restaurant, I'll just read some books and hang out at NBS.  Some things I discovered about ME that day:

1.  I tend to get really hungry during the hours of 7 to 9 pm.  

2.  I can wait for a friend for more than two hours provided - I'm inside a bookstore (or even a museum);  I have a book and a spot to read it; I get text messages assuring me that they are on their way - something terribly important is just holding them up.

3.  A lifetime of waiting including the pangs of hunger just disappear (well, temporarily) when you get a text message saying, "D2 na ko." 

It was a fun dinner - we discussed a lot and I was reminded how important it is to talk to a person face to face.  Text and offline messages, even phone or video calls are just not enough.   We did not have time to reminisce, the meeting was purely to talk about her plans and well, since it's Nova - we have to talk about the upcoming elections.....

I hope to write another blog entry about her plans though - maybe in September this year and Spring Next Year!  

Ah, had another dinner this weekend too, but this one's different - more like a home coming dinner.