Justin Bieber’s Birthday

The Bieber is turning seventeen on March 1 and I guess his wishes do not include a yakima bike rack or any other big boy toys. Instead, he expressed that he just wants to eat his grandmother's homemade cherry cheesecake with his family. He also said that he just wants to rest for a few days before his world tour kicks off in England on March 4. Simple requests from an international singing sensation, I say not bad huh? :)

Coke Open Happiness

 

This video was shared in FB by a friend. Watch how happy the people were when they got their respective surprise gifts. This video actually made me smile :) Some people mentioned in the comments that the reactions were normal. They said to bring the truck even in a first world country, in a part where there is poverty and you will get the same reaction. Well, I beg to disagree because Pinoys are a appreciative bunch. I will bet that if you bring this truck in upscale Makati and you will surely make people smile with the ransom gifts, KWIM?

Anyway I also found it too funny that even without instructions, they figured it out just by touching that big “PUSH” button. Asahan mo na papakialaman ng Pinoy yan, LOL!

Yakimix, Yet Again.

When my friend mentioned about them going to Yakimix for lunch, I said I wanted to eat there again. She suggested that we go to lunch at Yakimix Macapagal after booking our rooms at the travel fair. Such a perfect plan, I thought. We had delays during the booking, that we got to Yakimix after 12nn already. As expected, the place was already full and we had to wait. We were eleventh in line! I was losing hope already as I did not eat anything for breakfast and it seemed forever for a table to be ready. But before 1pm, we were already seated and I started to choose food from the buffet :) No talks of diet pills as we were all busy stuffing our stomachs, hehe.

Eating at Yakimix has always been a gastronomic experience. To date, I have already tried eating in their Morato, Trinoma and Macapagal branches. I feel most at home in Trinoma. I am sure there will be more Yakimix trips this year :)

iPad 2!!

Guess what is getting launched on March 2?

Not that I have the budget to buy one when units start to sell in stores, but I am waiting for this since last year. I have been bugging the husband to buy me the iPad, but he agreed with my brothers to just wait for the second generation to arrive. The arrival is imminent and I find that I cannot concentrate anymore because I have started to day dream about it again.

The new iPad is expected to be thinner than its predecessor, with front facing camera, better display features and Face Time chat support. I have not read the rest of the spoilers, though.

Oh iPad, why are you so elusive!

WTG, Maria!

Have you seen this video of Maria?

 

The 10 year old girl, looks and sounds Filipina because she is. Her parents are both from the Philippines but they are now based in Canada. One can never miss a Filipino talent, I must say. Last I heard, The Lady Gaga already invited her to sing duet in a Toronto concert. Maria was crying when she heard of the invitation. Who would not get overwhelmed by such, eh?

Investing? Buy Gold Krugerrands!

If you choose to Buy Gold Krugerrands, you must know first that Krugerrand is a South African gold coin. It was first minted in 1967 and was actually intended to be circulated as a currency, thus it is made of more durable gold alloy not like most bullion coins in the market today. During the 70s and 80’s it was illegal to import this king of coin in many Western countries but the ban ended in 1994 when the apartheid was abandoned. Krugerrand was once mass produced that by 1980, 90% of the gold coin market is composed of this kind. The US Gold Bureau being the leading dealer of gold and silver coins offer this kind to its clients.

Lunch with Friends

Last Sunday, the meet-up with friends pushed through. Ane decided to stay home with K, so I had to drive all the way to Pasay, alone. It was okay, since I was able to accomplish what I went there for, which is to book our Boracay rooms and have lunch with some of the Bebots. The last I have seen the ladies was in November. Of course it was another day yet full of laughter, stories and worries. We talked about our children, our upcoming trip, and even things like pimples. See, M has acne breakout so I thought of sending her the link to the proactive review that I read somewhere. Anyway, we thought of spending more time together over coffee but being too full from our lunch at Yakimix, we just decided to go on our separate ways afterwards.

I always feel blessed to be with those ladies (and their families), they are now real friends even if we all just met online.

Something Borrowed

There is a movie that I am so excited about – Something Borrowed. I saw the trailer last week and found out that this movie based on the book written by Emily Giffin will be shown in May. I really hope it will be shown around the same time here in Manila.

Anyway, I really hope the husband will go watch it with me when it starts showing :) I cannot wait to see whether they stayed true to the book or they veered away from it for cinematic purposes.

Here’s the trailer:

Looking Forward to Lunch Date

Booking our accommodations at the travel fair is not the only thing that I am looking forward tomorrow. I mentioned that we will just go, book and leave the fair venue because we are having lunch together at Yakimix! Woohoo! I think Zanne and one of their friends are also joining us, but not sure. Yes, in the midst of trying to lose weight, we are going for buffet lunch, LOL! I am not sure which supplements I will be needing: the one to tame my cholesterol levels or the one to manage my weight. One thing’s for sure, I am going to enjoy every minute because it is not always that I am able to have a peaceful lunch :)

Artsy Marriage Proposal

While I was browsing for swimsuit inspirations, I got sidetracked by this video I found online:

PROPOSAL from Vanden on Vimeo.

I am such a sucker for stuff like this! I was kind of teary eyed when he finally dropped on one of his knees and asked her!

Via woostercollective, the guy, “Aaron Vandenbroucke proposal to his girlfriend Tamara Marie Altherr included the participation of lots of street artists to create a secret street art "tour" leading up to the final piece where we popped the question.”

 

So sweet and creative!

Is it Possible?

I suddenly felt panic creeping into me when I realized that our beach trip is just less than three weeks away! I am looking forward to this trip because 1) it’s just the three of us flying together, and 2) we are meeting 2 of my friends and their families there too! But you know me, somewhere along the way, I’m surely worrying abut something. On top of my hunt for the perfect pairs of swimwear, I am thinking how to lose belly fat fast before the trip if I want to feel good in those suits! I’ve already lost a few pounds for cutting down on soda and rice but the tummy remains my problem area. I.can.do.this.

Travel Fair

I never thought that I would go to one, but I will tomorrow. I am meeting Mai and Kathy there :)

Since this already started yesterday, I have heard of good deals that I am dying to buy. But we are only going because that is the only way we can get discounts with our Boracay Accommodations. Talk about 20% discount on cash bookings. Not bad, huh, considering that we are staying for three nights and we are saving at least p3k if we book during the travel fair.

To avoid getting lured by the other offers, we decided to just go, book our rooms and leave the fair. No more window shopping for other offers if we don’t want to spend on unplanned trips :)

I am actually starting to get excited about this trip!

His Birthday Wish

My brother’s birthday is coming up. We have no plans yet but I heard him say he wants to invite friends over for dinner and drinks. Maybe that’s what we will do. As for gifts, I still do not know what I’ll give him, I don’t even have plans to give him anything because we’re saving up for something. But I do know he would love to get a blackberry phone because his phone is just a pretty basic one. I am sure he would appreciate receiving one…from mommy! LOL! :)

We’re Back!

We actually flew back in early Saturday morning. We all had a blast in Singapore and I was so tired when we got back (which is kind of expected). I was hoping the luggage would fix themselves, but of course they didn’t. I can only wish I have Harry Potter’s wand, LOL! Anyway, I’ve been trying to regain my energy while doing things that need to be done in between.

Widen your Vocabulary with these Beautiful and Ugly Words

I am amazed by the English language. I love that there are a lot of synonyms to make writing better and more artistic. But I still go for using words that you actually know the meaning of, not using them for the sake of showing off. I am all for widening the vocabulary, of course. This I probably got from my Grammar 101 teacher in high school :)

Here is a list of beautiful and ugly words to add to my and your vocabulary:

Beautiful Words

Amorphous: indefinite, shapeless
Beguile: deceive
Caprice: impulse
Cascade: steep waterfall
Cashmere: fine, delicate wool
Chrysalis: protective covering
Cinnamon: an aromatic spice; its soft brown color
Coalesce: unite, or fuse
Crepuscular: dim, or twilit
Crystalline: clear, or sparkling
Desultory: half-hearted, meandering
Diaphanous: gauzy
Dulcet: sweet
Ebullient: enthusiastic
Effervescent: bubbly
Elision: omission
Enchanted: charmed
Encompass: surround
Enrapture: delighted
Ephemeral: fleeting
Epiphany: revelation
Epitome: embodiment of the ideal
Ethereal: celestial, unworldly, immaterial
Etiquette: proper conduct
Evanescent: fleeting
Evocative: suggestive
Exuberant: abundant, unrestrained, outsize
Felicity: happiness, pleasantness
Filament: thread, strand
Halcyon: care-free
Idyllic: contentedly pleasing
Incorporeal: without form
Incandescent: glowing, radiant, brilliant, zealous
Ineffable: indescribable, unspeakable
Inexorable: relentless
Insouciance: nonchalance
Iridescent: luster
Languid: slow, listless
Lassitude: fatigue
Lilt: cheerful or buoyant song or movement
Lithe: flexible, graceful
Lullaby: soothing song
Luminescence: dim chemical or organic light
Mellifluous: smooth, sweet
Mist: cloudy moisture, or similar literal or virtual obstacle
Murmur: soothing sound
Myriad: great number
Nebulous: indistinct
Opulent: ostentatious
Penumbra: shade, shroud, fringe
Plethora: abundance
Quiescent: peaceful
Quintessential: most purely representative or typical
Radiant: glowing
Redolent: aromatic, evocative
Resonant: echoing, evocative
Resplendent: shining
Rhapsodic: intensely emotional
Sapphire: rich, deep bluish purple
Scintilla: trace
Serendipitous: chance
Serene: peaceful
Somnolent: drowsy, sleep inducing
Sonorous: loud, impressive, imposing
Spherical: ball-like, globular
Sublime: exalted, transcendent
Succulent: juicy, tasty, rich
Suffuse: flushed, full
Susurration: whispering
Symphony: harmonious assemblage
Talisman: charm, magical device
Tessellated: checkered in pattern
Tranquility: peacefulness
Vestige: trace
Zenith: highest point

Ugly Words

Cacophony: confused noise
Cataclysm: flood, catastrophe, upheaval
Chafe: irritate, abrade
Coarse: common, crude, rough, harsh
Cynical: distrustful, self-interested
Decrepit: worn-out, run-down
Disgust: aversion, distaste
Grimace: expression of disgust or pain
Grotesque: distorted, bizarre
Harangue: rant
Hirsute: hairy
Hoarse: harsh, grating
Leech: parasite,
Maladroit: clumsy
Mediocre: ordinary, of low quality
Obstreperous: noisy, unruly
Rancid: offensive, smelly
Repugnant: distasteful
Repulsive: disgusting
Shriek: sharp, screeching sound
Shrill: high-pitched sound
Shun: avoid, ostracize
Slaughter: butcher, carnage
Unctuous: smug, ingratiating
Visceral: crude, anatomically graphic

Accutane Lawsuit

In recent years, there have been a number of complaints about Accutane. This medication was prescribed to cure cystic acne in the early 2000s. It seemed effective as I personally know someone who took this medicine as prescribed by her dermatologist. However, in 2006, a study was published saying that there is a link between the use of this drug and the increase in risk of contracting a inflammatory bowel disease. An Accutane lawsuit was actually settled and was awarded US$2.5 million in compensatory damages in 2007. Though Accutane have been pulled out of the market in 2009, there could be a lot more cases out there that needs attention. I suppose this could go on for years, and I just hope everyone who deserves to be compensated be given what is right for them.