Chasing Daylight by Eugene O'Kelley

Got this book during the SM North Edsa Sale late January.  Read it for two weeks - again while lining up for the UP-SM jeep.  The title is quite intriguing plus the premise of suffering from an incurable disease and preparing for one's death - pretty much my usual reading fare, 

Also, while paying for it - I thought this will give me insights on what makes accountants tick - they're all over ruling and dominating my work place.  So, what did I actually get from the author?

1.  Chasing daylight refers to a special moment when night time have to set in and of course you need to pack in or suck in as much as you can - time, energy, passion - anything that you can think of.

2.  One really has to have money and support to prepare, be transformed and eventually welcome death.

3.  Although death, like taxes, is a great equalizer, "some" can write a  book and make it a highly individualized event.

Overall, not really a memorable or life transforming book.   Although, it got me to try the Starbucks iced coffee last night - pretty good.   This probably marks the eventual phasing out of coffee jelly frappuccino from my order list.    Lastly, if given the money and opportunity to map out and have the best death possible, will also adopt the concept of saying good goodbyes.  Although, will keep it within the inner circles (just like some entries in this site for contacts only).  

Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers

Just to keep track with my goal of reading at least 6 books this year, I really tried to finish this one.  So, I found myself reading while falling in line every morning for the UP-SM jeep.  It means 5 to 10 mins Monday to Friday. 
I bought the book in the first place because of the title.  Usually, when I run a regression analysis, I tend to disregard the outliers.  I'm more focused on the normal distribution.  This book though looks at the small dots that are simply further away from the clusters.  Well, given that successful people are fewer than normal people, I guess Gladwell maybe right in categorizing them as outliers.  But the irony of this book is that once he has isolated the outliers or the successful ones, he looked for the pattern and here he clusters the factors together - making them, his outliers, into part of the "normal distribution." 
For Gladwell an outlier becomes one because of "...steady accumulation of advantages."  Hence, a successful person is born in a certain era and place with a certain set of parents and a certain "something"  while growing up.  He cited, the Beatles, Bill Gates and Jewish lawyers in NYC during the late 1980s to 1990s as examples.  It's not really unusual to learn that geniuses are not created overnight.  In fact Gladwell, goes as far back as the circumstances and the evolution of a certain culture to determine the success of their people. AND yes, basically why Asians are generally good in Math.   

Resolutions for 2010

I read Lea's (ehemm.... Salonga not Bron just to make it clear) resolutions before 2009 ends in her PDI column.  I started thinking this is kinda old fashioned and I always end up frustrated when I don't get to strike these things at the end of the year.  Maybe this is an exercise in futility but things are starting to slow down and I'm starting to feel mediocre so just to challenge myself here goes my list:
1.  Read at least 6 books for the year - as in really read.  I've been reading a lot from the net but most are fluff materials so just to make sure that I'll read all the books and plan to buy at Powerbooks or Fully Booked.
2.  Continue to bring "bento" at the office.  At the start of 2009, I ventured grudgingly on bringing baon for lunch at the office then I started to like the big savings that I get out of it,  
3.  Be "visible" at least for Melissa on YM.  Cecille has been in Singapore for more than 2 years, Lea in the Netherlands for more than 3 months and they're my friends as in forever but we never really find time to have regular chats.  But since Melissa will be in the Netherlands too - and she's the "touchy-fee-ly" type of friend so I have to really buzz her.
4.  Be more spontaneous - as in grab opportunities to do things that I don't normally do.  In the words of Ma'am Zen, "Get out of your comfort zone!"
5.  Travel to Egypt - I saw Lea's pictures in Greece (her dream destination since we were kids) and it got me into thinking, I should go to my dream destination too.
6.  Wear a dress at the office.  I own quite a number and they still have their tags on.  Whenever I plan on putting one on for Friday - I end up taking it off - feeling too dressed up,  
7.  Go to productive and useful internet sites and watch only one drama per season (better if Japanese).
8.  Visit my tatay more often.
9.  Embrace failures, rejections and disappointments so I can move on.
10.  Be more hopeful.

Macau 2009

Decided to make a separate folder for this trip with Melissa what with all the time it's taking me to upload our photos in one folder and my Vaio crashing, this New year's eve should really be put to good use.

Was really looking forward to this leg of our trip -- Macau with its Portuguese influence, casinos and Pinoys all over.

HK and Macau, 2009

Hatched the idea to travel with Melissa and Leo last May while celebrating her birthday at Casa Armas in Trinoma. Booked our flight tickets after our dinner celebrating my birthday at Le Maison also in Trinoma this time minus Leo.

Our last trip together was in Sapporo 2007. Hong Kong was supposed to serve as our entry for the Beijing train adventure but we didn't get the Chinese visa - hated queuing at the consulate in Makati. We ended up staying in the city for 7 days. Highlights include:
1) me having an anxiety attack on the fist day thinking that Melissa might suffocate and die because of the dust mites in our room at the Chungking Mansion;
2) almost buying a fake camera (didn't know they also sell it in reputable looking stores near the mansion);
3) Melissa having an anxiety attack too before going back due to a certain "speedy Louis" =)

Shows I watch

These are the shows that I am really into these days.... I lose sleep over them.  I get cranky in the morning or every time I missed an episode or re-runs.  I "google"  every information about them.  Translation - I'm obsessed with them.
Glee - there wasn't really any hype when this show started.  I got intrigued because the cable channel Jack TV advertised they'll be showing it ahead of the free tv Etc.  So I tuned in.  At first I found the concept - well, tacky kinda if High School Musical is for tweens, this one's for the real teens.  Then, I got intrigued with Kurt's love of fashion (bullying is fine as long as they don't touch his Marc Jacobs jacket), Rachel Berry's sticker star after her name and her singing Lea Salonga's audition piece for Ms. Saigon - "On My Own." Finn's rendition of REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" while in the shower.  I love the songs in the series!
Top Chef - I have seen the previous seasons but not really watch all the episodes.  But when I saw Dale Talde - a Pinoy chef in NYC prepared a halo-halo inspired dessert and got praises from the judge - I made this my Wednesday night date.  Now, they have a new batch of NYC chefs.  I'm looking out for the two Europeans (Stephan and Fabio), Jeff (from Ritz Carlton and definitely the cutie of the batch) and Eugene (haven't figured out if he's of Pinoy origin too but his bio says he's Hawaiian.  On the first or second elimination, Ariane - twice in the chopping block - lamented that she's supposed to be the one eliminated and Carla said the line, "There is no mistake in the universe....You deserve to be here."  Those lines set me up for another Wednesday nights of watching this show.
Project Runway Philippines - I am really a fan of the original one - hosted by Heidi, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Tim Gunn but shunned the first season of the Pinoy version.  Then I got a text from Ma-an, one of the models, and watched the first episode really for her.  I think her designer got eliminated on the second or third episode and I was really bent on giving this up because it conflicts with the Top Chef's first airing.  Probably the remote control did it - I'm monet and I'm a trigger happy with the TV remote.... Suddenly, Ma-an came back to the show- I missed that portion but I'm still watching the show and designers are now down to four - Manny, Santi, Cherry and Russell.  I want Russell to be out.  Among the remaining three I'm really for Kuya Manny but wouldn't mind if Santi or Cherry wins. 
How I Met Your Mother - Doogie Howser, aka Neil Patrick Harris plus the NYC setting and great comedy.  What can I say?  I missed out on Friends -wasn't really a fan - was too busy watching telenovelas that time....
Professional, Cool Japan, Japanese Kitchen, Tokyo Fashion Express, NHK Special - just to practice with my Japanese (hehehe!  all these shows are in English).
Arirang's Showbiz Extra - BJ (Before Japan or pre 2005), I was a big Kdrama fan.  Ask everyone, I was one of the ambassadors of the Korean culture with my set of friends and office mates....I bought all those drama CDs and was active at forums or discussion boards on Korean entertainment.  So just to keep abreast of what's happening on Korean entertainment.  BTW, Adrien Lee, one of the hosts, speaks French. 
You're Beautiful - Hana Kimi and Coffee Prince rolled into one idol version plus more fun and comedy.  The cuties are a bit changed too - metro-sexual idol groups.  Kame, Jun and Ryo but they're in one group and are Korean - so a little toned down....
IRIS - Lee Byung Hun, Jung Jun Ho, Kim Seung Woo.  Hey, if you're into korean entertainment late 90s to early 2000 these three are SERIOUS reasons to tune in and endure.  Good thing LBH on his own sizzles even with the Michael Bay or James Cameron-like plot and production. 
Smile, You - Lee Min Jung, the other girl (Shigeru's role in hana Yori Dango) in Boys Over Flowers and Jung Kyung Ho, the other guy in Time Between Dog and Wolf and I'm Sorry I Love You are now the leads.  Got intrigued because of these two leads but as this is a weekend drama and may stretch to 50 plus episodes - I'll probably drop this and just wait for the ending on Mysoju.  
Otomen - started watching this mid summer of 2009 and the drama will air until the fall season.  The lead character is a Kendo national champion but loves to read shojo manga and is very skilled in cooking and sewing. Discovered Okada Masaki here,     

Evangeline Ophelia M. Robles

Victoria calls her "Eva" as in Eva Longoria
Patricia and the rest call her Baby Buddha.
Itus told me to call her "our nanay"  (she was named after her two grandmothers but of course for Itus, Ipeng and me her "Ophelia" name is really a tribute to our nanay).
The new bunso as Ipeng tells everyone - Evangeline Ophelia (b. April 9, 2009, London UK), the prettiest among Itus' daughters.