Back in Boracay!

After 5 years, I'm back in Boracay! I won a 3 day/ 2 night package including airfare  for 2 at a Rider sandals photocontest which brought me  and Papa back to the party island.

I lost! I lost!

I joined the History Channel "Hidden Cities" contest last December and I entered Culion as a city they should check out. I named my entry  Culion: City of the living dead as it once was the largest leper colony in the world.

I forgot there was a voting component and I was also afraid my friends and family would be sick of another campaign asking for votes just a few months after winning that iPod nano. Plus, I already had a videocam, though a new Sanyo videocam would have been a great backup...

So I didn't win but I did get shortlisted as one of the 20 finalists and got a backpack which they delivered some weeks ago and I must say, it is awesome! I was expecting an ordinary backpack but this one is a traveler's/hiker's  backpack with all sorts of zippers and pockets. And it's water-resistant, too! So I lost but the consolation prize is surely consoling! :D

Sure hope I have better luck in the Mama Mar y video contest!!!

Stop the press!

I think I may have to change my choice for best movie of 2010... I only saw it this January but it is indeed my top choice of 2010 and maybe 2011!
Mojacko recommends...RPG Metanoia! It's the first 3D animated film  from the Philippines and it is amazing! Sure, the animation is not as fluid as Pixar's but it got the most important part right--the story!

RPG (Role Playing Game) Metanoia is about a kid who is awful at sports but a champ at online gaming where he is a hero who can slay monsters in an imaginary world which the creators have imbued with very Pinoy details like calesas, moriones helmets and cobble stone streets.. Circumstances lead him and his friends to give up gaming and discover Pinoy street games like patintero and piko. Meanwhile the gaming world is in turmoil as an evil player is turning everyone into zombies even in the real world! And now, only Nico and friends can save the world!

I love how proudly Pinoy it is (daing na bangus! owner type jeeps! sari-sari stores!) and how the creators have meshed their love for gaming with their fondness for the games of their youth without hitting the audience on the head with a moral lesson.

at last!

i finally got a francis magalona "pride" shirt after years of searching for it!!!yey!!!

Best and worst of 2010

As we welcome 2011, we cheer and jeer the best and worst of the year that was
Best Movie Here come the Bride 
From the writer of 2009's Kimmy Dora comes Chris Martinez's hilarious body-switching comedy with Angelica Panganiban finding her true calling and upstaging comediennes Eugene Domingo and Tuesday Vargas as a gay beautician merrily trapped in a woman's body. It won't make any festival lists but it's the best stress-reliever!

Honorable mention goes to The Social Network, Toy Story 3 and Ip Man.
Worst Movie: The Expendables
I did not watch The Last Airbender or Jonah Hex so this may change but The Expendables was such a letdown because they got all these 80s action stars and they couldn't come up with a better/current story?

Best TV show: Big Bang Theory
Any show that frequently references comics is tops in my book. Funny, smart  writing, a great ensemble and
hats off to Jim Parsons for making an annoying character like Sheldon lovable.



Also noteworthy were Grazilda (the first few weeks) Magkaribal for the camp, the botox and for Angel Aquino's acting.

Worst TV: Willieng Willie
Of course anything with Willie Revillame back on the boob tube is disgusting as he pretends to help the poor but he's really exploiting them for ratings.
Sadly, there were other disappointments like M3(Malay mo ma-develop), Diva and 1dol, which tried to cash in on the Glee love but failed so badly they had to end it earlier than planned.

Best Song: Ako'y isang Mabuting Pilipino

No matter who you voted for, this song should be our mantra. We should BE the change we want to see.


Worst Song: Justin Bieber's Baby, Baby oh
Cringe-inducing! I guess all the hoopla about this kid  and his hair has created a backlash.

Best Book: "Sarap" and "Tikim" by Doreen Fernandez
How embarrassing that I only read this now. It was published 25 years ago and Doreen has passed on but the content is remarkable! One of the most fascinating is how patis is a Tagalog seasoning...the Bisayas use toyo, which they call patis. A cebuano uncle calls patis tagalog "Rufina"!

Honorable mention: Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco. I didn't always get it but it is a mind-bending tale.

Best children's book: Araw sa Palengke by May Tobias and illustrated by Isabel Roxas

A charming story with lovely, lovely illustrations of a sleepy little girl who goes to the market with her mom.

Worst Book: Hmmm...can't think of any but I was disappointed by Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay which I read before I got to read The Hunger Games, which was much better.

Best Trend: Free online contests. I've already won one and an officemate has also been inspired to become a professional contest joiner!

Worst trend:  Jejemon!!! I hate those hats just placed on top of their head it made me do this Crazy Jhenny strip

 Best gadget: ipad
Definitely the most desired gadget all over because it looked so cool with the touchscreen which launched numerous imitations. Most of the contests I've joined now dangle this as their first prize.

Worst gadget: ipad
No, it doesn't/won't support flash videos (youtube!)out of the box, can't do multitasking, and you know it didn't include a camera so that the Mac devotees will also buy the next version. The ipad is basically a big ipod touch.  An expensive, hyped- up  toy for big boys and girls.
And yes, I still want one.

That's it! If you know of any best or worst I might have missed, tell me in the comments section!

and yes, i won! i won!

 After an exhausting campaign, i won 2nd place in the merciful mother and me photo contest i really didn't expect to win because some of the other entries had thousands of votes versus my 150+ votes. Thanks to all of my friends, officemates, relatives and friends of friends who voted and did not unfriend me as I kept flooding facebook with all sorts of pathetic requests for votes like ...

• Top 5 reasons to vote for me ("Everytime you vote, an angel gets his wings...") 
• Dear Santa all I want for  Christmas is...("Good friends with stable internet connection... and world peace)
• Every voter will get a chance  to win a tshirt!

After all that, I got my ipod nano on Dec.23 and what a happy Christmas it was! Again, thank you all! Next up, a mama mary video contest! dun-dun-dun-dunnnnn!!!

maligayang pasko lucena!

 here are some pics from our Christmas in Lucena. Twinx wasn't able to come because they were being cautious with her pregnancy. We did get to chat with her via webcam last night.

 The feast prepared by Wowa and Tito Dante

 Hmmmm. blog website  is acting up. the pix are vertical in photoshop but come out horizontal here....
anyway, some of the food on the table were turbo- broiled chicken with mushroom, caldereta, embotido, gallo con queso (tama po ba wowa?) quezo de bola and hamon.

Interesting sidenote: according to food writer doreen fernandez, during  the spanish colonial times, beef and cheese were rare and expensive as they came by galleon so only the rich were able to afford it. Thus, the ordinary folk had to save up and only had them for noche buena. And that's why these Spanish food (jamon, embotido, morcon, galantina, relleno, castañas) became identified with Christmas.

 the desserts: buko salad, gelatin with lychee,  ube halaya all made by Tito Dante and leche flan by Dana.

 kain po! let's eat!

 this is me with the ipod nano i won in the mama mary contest. thaks to everyone for your help!

this is dana also praying that she wins an ipod or new cellphone. there's another contest coming up dana! join na!

 wowa opening the gifts

 dana and kristoff

 as requested, i got dana books by Bob Ong.
The next day,


I'm dreaming of a wet Christmas...

 Even though it was raining, a troop of kids and adults still went from house to house yelling "Namamasko po!" as Wowa and Jon handed out coins and candy.

 After a while though, the the giver started losing yuletide cheer...

 We got a chance to chat via webcam with Kuya Nonong and Andrew

 before we had to go back to Manila to avoid the traffic. And we did!

Some of the well-preserved old houses that have been revitalized by finding new ways to use them. Some are preschools or law offices or restaurants...

or proud tourist attractions like the Enriquez Ancestral house. May our Filipino traditions endure wherever we may be! Maligayang Pasko!

 some of my gifts for the kids this year: a lego-like car (tsk,made in china) but i did partner it with filipino books with really interesting drawings.

new artshirt

My latest artshirt design! I call this "Sosyal" and it's inspired by Damian Domingo

by the way...i won! i won!

In other news...

 That's my winning entry on the far left

my perseverance has paid off again! I won first prize in the "Where have your sandals gone?" photo contest. It's the first time I won the top prize in a nationwide contest! I won a trip for 2 to Boracay with accommodations at Patio Pacific plus cash and gift certificates from Rider!

Too bad I wasn't able to claim my prize personally as it was also the office anniversary and I was being awarded for 10 years of loyalty! Still, I am soooooo happy! So guys, my advice, keep joining! You'll  lose most of the time but your chances of winning are still better than hitting the jackpot at  the lotto!

pregnant pause

Upon her doctor's advice, Twinx spent a week back home so that she  could get some bedrest for her growing baby! For lunch, Ma and Twinx made molo soup. It's a chore to make but so satisfying. Good thing sis was here to help make it!

The dumplings before going into the soup. A neighbor suggested we place them in front of the fan for a few moments before going into the soup to help keep the wrapper from slipping off. I don't know the reason behind this but it worked!

With nothing to do but eat, sleep or watch TV, Twinx would often get sleepy or hungry, which she says is part of being pregnant, but I'm not so sure... that would mean she's been pregnant for years! Kidding!

Anyway, the dumplings have been plopped into the steaming hot soup and Ma added the spring onion and toasted garlic.

Here's the finished product. It had just been on the table for a few minutes and it was already half-empty by the time I took a picture.

Just like old times. Twinx with the family. Hope you enjoyed your stay!

For dessert, some yellow watermelon. It tastes the same, but it sure looks peculiar.