The Hobby Horse

Speak easy.

2012-01-26T06:15:00.002+08:00

Where I try to fend off wine-tipsiness and just write. (Sorry, love. The wine was starting to go bad, and I just had half a glass. Love you.)

Hello, fellow space-wanderers. It's been a while, and while there's a way-belated new-year's post percolating backstage, I want to take this time to just write and tell you about what's been up with me lately.

Ready? Let's start.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Work has been... fairly light. No, really light. Like six-or-less-lessons light. I'm not kidding. The French work hard and vacation harder.

At least, it's been that way until this coming Friday, if my learners all decide to be good students and show up. Which they usually are and do. Okay.

All that free time has allowed me to catch up on my viewing and reading. Swaparoos with friends for awesome shows and movies make ties that bind.

~*~*~*~*~*~

BBC's Sherlock.

For those of you who still have to see it and are curious, it's a retelling of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthus Conan Doyle where the mis-en-scene is modern-day London. Expect to see Sherlock deduce an alarming number of details about John Watson simply by observing the way he stands, and some details on his mobile phone. John keeps a blog (his psychiatrist says it's good for him), much to Sherlock's vexation, and Sherlock himself has a taste for texting. I could go on and on, or of course, you could just go watch the series and save yourself from spoilers from me.

I can never stress how mind-blowing this series is. It's sharp, smart, and very sexy, because as Miss Irene Adler puts it, Brainy is the new Sexy. Each season has three one-hour-long episodes, the pilot being an hour and a half. Each episode is mentally- and emotionally engaging, and will have viewers cheering and booing and wanting more.(And crying and broken-hearted by the third episode of the second season, but oh dear me, I shouldn't have said that.)

Moriarty is also one big magnificent bastard. Andrew Scott, you are one brilliant actor.

It was also nice to see another familiar yet uncommon face. Martin Freeman (John Watson) has also played Arthur Dent in A Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and will be starring in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit as Bilbo Baggins. The fans are having a field day over the fact that his best TV partner will be with him in the movie.

And speak of the devil...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sherlock Holmes is a proper genius, and Benedict Cumberbatch is an amazing actor, and a gorgeous, gorgeous man.

He has been both Victor Frankenstein and his creature, Stephen Hawking, Vincent Van Gogh, among many other gripping roles. He can make Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky sound like hot, frabjous sex and John Keat's Ode to a Nightingale like the solemn, tender morning-after.

He is also GQ's most recent Actor of the Year, and will be playing alongside Martin Freeman's Bilbo as Smaug the Dragon and a Necromancer. (voice and motion-capture, of course, but ye gods, that voice!)

Just one more time, with feeling.

{source}

There.

I believe all the alcohol has just left my system.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, all the rustling, thumping, and galumphing upstairs tells me to tell you that we have a new kitten. He is four months old, has a fondness for sitting on keyboards, and is quite the charmer-cum-firecracker. His name is Butler (in hope he be a foil to Bandit), and has a very similar Holstein-cow-like pattern, with the exception of black paw pads and nose. James and I thank my colleague Olive and serendipity for bringing Butler to us. (Pictures to follow.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I've decided I want to focus on writing again. Beg your pardon if you might not see as many sewing or cooking posts as before -- those won't go away, I promise you.

Just like crazy old me, here I come wanting to run headlong and attacking a million and one story ideas, and getting all worked up and scared stiff over which one to start, how to execute it, and if I'll even get to finish it. Just like what my writer friends and some veritable dead gentlemen like Ernest Hemingway and Kurt Vonnegut -- Write. Just damn bloody write. The only way to get better at it, something, anything, is to do it, and keep doing it.

Sarah Kay -- If should have a daughter...

2012-01-24T14:26:00.000+08:00

Poet Sarah Kay performs her poems B and Hiroshima, and talks about growing up, letting Life paint her poetry, and writing ten things you know to be true.

PROTECT IP -- How SOPA Breaks the Internet

2012-01-18T17:32:00.000+08:00

You must have seen that black bar across my header up there. What that all about? This is why that bar is there.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Dear Ma, (or what I did throughout the last few months of 2011)

2012-01-04T01:15:00.001+08:00

(Prepare yourselves, good people. This one's a doozy.)

Dear Ma,

First off, Happy holidays to you and Tito Tom!

November and December have been pretty hectic, dizzying and even exhausting. The last two weeks have seen me juggling fourteen to fifteen mentally- and endurance-challenging lessons all-day everyday non-stop. I'm just glad most of my learners have decided to take a break for the holidays themselves and concentrate on relaxing so I can relax too! It makes me very thankful that I have a happy place I can come home to at the end of every shift.

So, on to a few happy points for sharing.

First, I've become very intrigued in trying different recipes for duck. Thank you very much for your curry cookooks, Ma! They are well-taken care of, and they have served me well every other week. I first found a simple yet slow-paced recipe for Duck Curry, and I just had to try it. It took a total of 8 hours to prep and cook the entire thing, and now James and some of my colleagues are raving over it. It didn't exactly taste like curry, actually. It tasted more like duck adobo -- and I followed the recipe to the letter! -- but it still received lots of praises. I'm keeping the leftover duck oil for future use -- my French learners say french fries cooked in duck oil are divine. Diet-killing, but divine.

The end of October had a Halloween party in store for us, and my friend PJ proposed we go as a pair, dressed up as gender-flipped versions of Aziraphale and Crowley in the book Good Omens. (Remember her, Ma? She and Rosa slept over at our place for my eighteenth birthday, and her eyes popped when I offered her a third serving of pancakes.) So, that's me down there -- I always knew I was a natural blonde.

Before wig.

After wig and costume. Justin so lovingly said I looked like I was trying so hard not to cut the cheese.

The costume was not as labor-intensive as last year's -- I made the skirt and the bowtie, did my own makeup, everything else was either shopped for or taken from my own closet -- but we nonetheless wowed everyone. I did PJ's makeup, and she loved the geisha-eye and simple glossy lip I gave her. Even her fiance loved it! I on my part feel like a gorgeous drag queen with my lashes. Those lashes are killer, and have become something of my signature around the office.

I won the costume contest as a runner-up. We all got handy bags containing: a folding umbrella, a towelette, a bottle of Gatorade, some biscuits, and a carton fan, all sponsored by St. Peter Funerary Park and Plans, Inc. (I was wondering if they'd thrown in a free funeral plan, but oh well.)

Some fierce dolls here!

December 10 marked our corporate Christmas party, and the theme that won the vote was Las Vegas. Quite naturally, I made my own dress. Wow, my first evening dress, I still can't believe I did it!

The design went through a number of revisions, and making the dress and going through the entire process felt like riding a roller coaster. First a straight skirt, then a pencil skirt, then re-do and give it a nice A-line and a pretty, sparkly tulle overlay, keep the wide V-neck, make sheer tulle sleeves, lose the sleeves, reduce the armscye, save the silhouette. I learned so much from the whole process. Previous ideas about the shape of my body got debunked in a mind-blowingly joyous way, and I do think I did a good job in the end. (In two weeks! With a full-time day job! ) what do you think? I included a close-up shot of the tulle over-skirt to show you the confetti stones attached to the material. I thought it was very Las Vegas in the 50's, and my fashion photographer buddy Mezarc said it was a gorgeous fabric choice.

Le dress.

Le close-up shot of tulle over-skirt, confetti beads and all.

(Please ignore the comfy flats. The picture was taken at the end of the party, and though my heels gave me great posture and height, they can be hell to get along with after a long day.)

Friends were wowed by the dress, asked me to stand up, and turn around to fully appreciate it. Even the drag queens the party committee hired loved it! they loved it so much Miss Tina Turner (up there in the picture) asked me to be her doo-wop girl in her rendition of "Proud Mary". I had no idea what was going on, but I just did my thing behind the mic, and the crowd went wild! I was just very happy it was such a great performance, and that our energies blended together so well. James was the proudest person in that big hall that night.

I was also nominated for the goFY awards. The Gofies are a series of fun awards given to folks people 'round the office think are pretty neat, and are decided by vote. I was nominated for the Talented Bastard award, and was bested by a colleague from the IT department. Cros won for two reasons: he was an excellent photographer, and he could sing a Mariah Carey or Adele number really well. My friends cheered and hollered my name that night to be called, but that's okay. They loved what I had done with the dress, James is proud of me, I'm proud of me, and that's what matters.

The very next day, James and I went off to UP to meet up with another colleague. Pets had invited us to dance badly with "some guy named Matt", who has done the same silly dance in over 300 cities all over the world.

Here he is, dancing badly all over the world.

We did a few dances he suggested for different takes of the video, then Matt asked for suggestions for Filipino dance moves. James made a simple choreography to follow of an Ifugao dance, and I did likewise for itik-itik. (in the video, you might hear me singing the wrong melody for the wrong dance, -- Matt asked for it! -- but everyone was having too much fun to care.) Everyone followed, got sweaty, wet, and cold from the rain -- yes, we danced in the pouring rain, in a field behind and on top of some jeepneys-- , but we had fun! At the end, Matt and his small team thanked us, sold us a few american-sized shirts to help support this project of theirs, we shook his hand and thanked him too.

Alas, we still have no Internet. I write this letter form my office workstation, and I'm thankful my boss isn't kicking me out just yet for over-staying. (On the other hand, he does have this way of reminding me intermittently that my shift is over ever so politely, haha. ) I hope that my stories have entertained and brought good cheer, and I do hope your holidays will be spent with gratitude, happiness and love.

Thinking of you, and wishing all the best. Love you!

Sincerely,

Jonette

Thoughts.

2011-12-19T22:44:00.000+08:00

{source}

Thanks to thatfriendlyblackguy's post, here are a few points I'd like to write down to get a load off my chest. I'll write whatever fundamental hits me at the time, so no chronology here. Just thoughts.

1) Forgive and let go -- because humans can do really stupid things that hurt others, and it's part of their being human. Forgive anyway; they sometimes can't help themselves, and might not know any better. That doesn't mean you need to carry that load around with you all your life. Growing will be doubly difficult to do with all that weight on you.

1.1 Everyone is human -- even you. Humans fart, get petty or jealous, and are susceptible to doing terrible things when angry, frustrated, and so on. Humans are also capable of creating beautiful and moving art, climbing to dizzying heights of knowledge and philosophy, standing up for what is true and just, and being very loving. Like it or not, this terrible and magnificent melange is in you. Own it. Be responsible for it.

2) Change yourself, because change is good for you. This will also entail that you learn from previous decisions. This can mean changing certain attitudes you had, or taking on new measures to protect yourself, or becoming more selective of people you spend time with.

3) You are in control. You don't always have to respond in kind to whatever bullshit, ass-hattery, whininess or passive aggression is thrown your way. You can always choose to ignore it, and walk away. This also means you are in control of your emotions, and you are responsible for your decisions.

4) Without action, you aren't going anywhere. High time you started fleshing out those story ideas. And stop moping, Jonette; you're not making dresses that way. And Persist. Persist, persist, persist.

5) Take care of this moment. You are right where you need to be right now, and learn whatever lesson you can from the situation.

Hello, 28.

2011-10-14T17:45:00.003+08:00

hi everyone!

Sorry to have been so quiet for a good amount of time. I attribute this to:

1) Super-busy work-home sched!

and

2) No Internet at home.(I'm looking at you, PLDT.)

I just dropped in to check how's everyone,. Keep healthy and happy, folks.

Oh, and It's my birthday this Sunday. So Yay!

{source}

Thank you everyone for the love, support, and for just being plain awesome. Have some chocolate cake on me. :)

Hey Mr. Taxi Driver

2011-09-06T21:33:00.000+08:00

[Caveat: Gentle readers and friends alike, this is a potentially angry-ranty post. If reading about non-belief is not your thing, I'm cool with that. There are other fine non-charged posts on this blog which I'm sure you'll enjoy. but if you do decide to stay and read, please remember this is me being human below... and that I thank you for choosing to sit this out with me.]

I will say it now, and have it be over and done with.

Mr. Taxi Driver, I like you. You’re a pretty cool dude, I appreciate your great command of English, and that you’re quite the charmer.

But please please please, for the love of rapport and all that is swag about the common commute, do not cry over the fact that I am an atheist.

Most specially not in front of me.

Fact: there are atheists in this world. and Yes, there are also atheists in — horror of horrors! — the Philippines.

Fact: Atheists can also be very cool, awesome, and most importantly, good people.

Fact: Atheists do not worship the devil, or are on an express-way to hell. Both of these ideas are very, very contradictory to what an atheist is all about.

Fact: You are reading the post of an atheist right now.

Yes, I am an atheist who loves drag queens, lolita fashion, otaku things, gorgeously delicious food, lovely and profound art, hand-made beauty, mind-blowing shows, the glorious complexity of the natural world, The English language, philosophy, reading, music, and so much more, in no particular order.

I also love my family, my friends, my pets, and a wonderful, wonderful man who adds more meaning and joy to my life everyday.

So yeah, Mr. Taxi Driver, you are now crying over an atheist who you just compared notes with over pet care, shared your dreams for your kids with, and who just tipped you twenty bucks more.

Yes, I still stand by what I say. When you asked me whether I believed in “the Devil of the world”, I gave your question a bit of thought. I pointed to my temple and told you “the Devil is here.” And I do stand by what I told you that day. The Devil is your thoughts, the thoughts that turn into decisions and actions that step on people’s basic rights and dignities. These thoughts and actions are your responsibility, and you are very much accountable for them, as I am with mine.

When you chased a cheery “God bless you!” after me as I ran for my office, I didn’t take that against you. You believe in God, and owe your job, your sideline, your marriage, and your education to him, and I’m cool with that. That’s just the best way you know to express your goodwill, and that’s alright by me. It just feels odd for me, thinking that you owe everything you yourself worked for to Santa Claus, but hey. If you’re happy, I’m happy. Really.

Just please do not look at me with those sad, sad, so-terribly-sorry-for-you eyes when I respond to you quite honestly and respectfully (as this is the polite way to go about with a conversation, is it not?) that I am very much an atheist.

You wouldn’t behave that way around a Muslim, a Buddhist monk, a straight or gay person. You sure as hell shouldn’t be behaving that way around me. Manners, please; we are still very much members of the human race.

It’s sweet that you wish we’d meet again. That means more money for you, and a chance for me to arrive at my destination in comfort and peace of mind, un-accosted in every manner possible. Let’s please keep it that way.

{source}

Brown eggs make me happy.

2011-08-31T03:36:00.001+08:00

{source}

Hi, everyone. I have so many stories to tell and so many blog posts to write about them, but I'll make this real quick -- I'm craving for chicken, and James and I need to catch up on our geeky couple viewing schedule.

Recipe posts due: Homemade French Onion Soup on a budget, and Vegetable Crumble in Creamy and Stir-Fry versions.
I've been going on a vegetables-and-fruit binge lately. The above two recipes are rather telling. Plus, I find myself never going for a day without at least one or two pieces of fruit. Current poison of choice: ponkan oranges and sweet pineapple slices.
James and I have been currently enjoying Game of Thrones, Gundam OO (yes, that's Double Oh), and Gundam Unicorn. We caught the GoT bug just recently, and good grief, why didn't we sooner?! As for Gundam OO, James never said it better -- "It's essentially Leo Tolstoy's War ad Peace, in space, with mecha." What I found gripping about the series thus far is how close it actually hits to home in terms of present day politics and world events. When the first scenes of the first episode depicts an Afghan conflict and it feels real, among other circumstances, you sit up and pay attention. Or at least, I did.
I am now a redhead. I'll be writing about dying my hair by myself with Revlon Colorsilk Luminista in due time.

So, there. Right, chicken.

Life is fragile

2011-08-13T04:41:00.000+08:00

{source}

Hi, everyone. It's good to be back.

It's funny how it'll take almost an entire shift of doing nothing just to prepare just to write about what made your past few weeks so far.

Alas, I am also starting to get rather sleepy.

To be honest, we still don't have our Internet up and running at home right now, and best James and I can do for now is to simply enjoy what we have on both our hard drives as we slowly plot our next steps to getting back online.

The past month has been a month of kindness. Kindness, for me, came in the form of:

Tremendously sweet surprise goodbye notes from colleagues you had no idea would have you on their radar.
Another good colleague of mine sharing his written masterpiece with me, and threshing out ideas and approaches to his story. His work and the stoutness of his heart has lit a fire under me, and makes me want to revisit my writing.
An old writer-friend who has made a name for himself in the arena and who I greatly admire wishing me well and hoping I keep writing.
A great girlfriend and sewing buddy encouraging me to just keep pursuing and polishing whatever craft or art Life is pushing me toward right now -- all my other interests, she says, will not be jealous, never be jealous.
A loving man who wants to spend time with me more than anything.

I'll keep these thoughts and glow for a while over here. I'm a sleepy, happy woman, and I can't wait to head home and cuddle up to my man over the weekend. Life is fragile, but lovely.

Dusty dusty

2011-07-13T02:32:00.001+08:00

Poor blog, I've missed you.

Home life has been nothing short of ...happy. Happy. Hectic and crazy and all-day-plan-y, but overall very happy. (and not a photo to show of it for now. Sorry, guys.)

Instead here's a lovely art installation from the talented Jin, China, Kat, Sandra and Miguel:

{source}

Always name names when possible, specially when they make lovely things.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

From the Facebook Wall of a good friend of mine --

"You feel the love of a woman through the food she cooks for you. Some food says, 'Take care' others may say 'Stay strong' but there are those rare times when they say 'Hurry home to me.'

In my mind, it seems that our days are now measured and charted in three ways -- the anime shows we watch, the DOTA and Magic: The Gathering matches we play, and food.

Oh, food. Good, home-cooked food.

Is it crazy that I can't remember the dishes we've had off the top of my head for the past few weeks? Think, Jonette, think.

I remember:

-- The invasion of Japanese Curry. (Note: While cooking plenty and freezing a portion is smart, it is usaly not a good idea to eat the same thing three days in a row. For all meals. I do believe we will not be seeing this dish again anytime soon.)

-- Coffee Beef Pot Roast.

-- Baked Mac n' Cheese,

-- and Baked Mac n' Cheeseburger. (The ground beef makes it heartier.)

-- Adobong Puti.

-- Ginataang Langka.

-- Peanut Butter Chicken.

-- Sinigang na Baboy.

-- Crispy, Deep-fried Galunggong. (No scoffing at these Mackarel Scad! They're quite tasty fried right.)

-- Refrigerator Cake.

-- German chocolate Birthday Cake for James. (also later known as Smashed Cake. The cake was cooling right under a rather heavy range lid held back by a stick-up hook that proved too weak. Lesson: buy reliable brands for things that do heavy-duty holding-up.)

-- Bacon Muffins. (James remarked they would go great with savory meals, like steak or such. My thoughts: MOAR BACON. )

-- Sago't Gulaman. (Never realized how much sugar go into those drinks until now. Oh, and always use fresh sago pearls -- Either buy the pearls from your wet market of choice on the same day you plan to make the concoction, or cook the pearls yourself.)

-- Banana-Mango Pudding. (James: "Is from Japan! Is not too sweet, and the texture is just right." ~~ <3)

I look forward to (1) adding more greens and other-colored veggies into our diet, and soon. I've Pochero on my mind, and maybe Caldereta, and if things permit, maybe Kare-Kare. Oh, there's also that Kalamansi Cloud Cake I've seen around. I'm rather tempted to try it, what with the surfeit of the tiny green lemons in my crisper.

Oh, and (2) unearth my cookbooks pronto. the lack of Internet at the apartment for now (PLDT, where art thou?) has provided us with a very interesting set-up. In a way, I find it to be a good thing, because we get to dip into the entertainment and resources long-tucked away into our moving boxes and hard drives. Oh, either that, or we improvise. (Hon, we still have to christen the pool and the gym in the clubhouse, y'know.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mink is now very much a ledge cat. From outside our building, she's not really noticeable at 50 feet high -- you gotta squint to really see her clearly. A part of me wishes the passers-by notice and smile, though.

She is now three kilos heavy (uh-oh.), loves our feet and toes to death -- with her teeth, and has just discovered the trippy euphoria of catnip toys. I never thought purrs could be double-layered until now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I miss sewing.

The last project I set my sewing machine to was a simple pair of canvas curtains for our bedroom. (We've had quite enough of flashing the pool-goers and disturbing their wholesome family experience, thank you very much. ) They're opaque enough to block out glaring sun rays, but light enough to let air and gentle sun-glow in. T'will serve.

I miss sewing dresses and skirts. I miss wearing dresses and skirts. and petticoats.

*sigh* one step at a time, I suppose.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When I'm not giving lessons or scouring the Internet for last--minute recipes, I'm scrolling-scrolling-scrolling-reblogging!-scrolling away on my Tumblr. Please do come by when you can, and if you're on Tumblr too, let's swap pages.

A week at a time

2011-06-15T21:44:00.002+08:00

Week 1 at the new apartment has gone, and we 're taking it a day at a time for Week 2. I'm happy to say the kitchen, pantry, refrigerator, and kitchen station look pretty decent and ready for some hardcore homemaking.

Yep, that kitchen station right beside the fridge.

The table and computer section still need a lot of work, but all in good time.

You'll see what a mess the apartment's been -- and still is --, but I love how the light bathes everything in this warm, cozy, golden glow. The room is happy.

Mink looks quite settled on the three-inch window ledge. Just don't grab at her, or make any sudden movements around her.

Dear friends,

2011-06-10T22:52:00.003+08:00

It's been over a month since you've last heard from me. Thank you for sticking around so long. It's been a month, but it feels like more.

A month, indeed. A month with a lot of changes and stepping-up to do, and here we are.

To some of you, my dear friends and family, who have been privy to the past events of my life, I am deeply, deeply thankful for your love, support, guidance, and loving kindness.

There were lessons I needed to learn, perspectives I needed to see things from, and battles I needed to choose.

There are times I need to stand my ground, and times I need to acede.

There are certain things the people I love and I may not see eye-to-eye on, or things that we may not understand of each other, but that doesn't mean that we love each other any less, or any less valid in our ways.

Gossip is a hateful thing, and in the end, no one wins.

Forgiveness makes everyone stronger.

The events of the past month have brought James and I through irrevocable and courageous changes, and I do believe that we are meant to be where we are right now.

James and I have moved in together.

We now are slowly settling into a cozy 40sqm loft-type apartment, piecing a liveable but loving home day by day. Mink has finally gotten comfortable with the place, and enjoys watching the world pass by beneath her on her 50ft-high perch.

Friends have supported us in so many ways, from kind and calming words, to tofu chili dinners, to O Bar night, to helping hands and eyes and minds. Ditas, Irl, Jo, Patricia, Clair, Mik, PJ, Tobie, Jandy, Cindy, George, Lico, and so many, many more, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hold you dear to me.

The view from our bedroom window.

James and I are stepping into this together. We've been warned that what we face now is not easy, and I agree. Adventures are never meant to be easy or problem-free, if they are ever to be worth the quest.

I do admit (and my friends can attest to this) I sometimes get panic attacks and nervous spells over sundry things -- "oh gosh, will we manage? How will we fix the house up? How will we manage our funds?" and so on --, and boy, I've discovered I can actually work myself into heights of frenzy I never thought possible.

At times like this (as my pals Jo, Ditas, PJ, and more have told me over and over), I need to remember ---

Take one day at a time; take it one thing at a time. (In my mind -- one dragon at a time.)
In truth, I have everything I need right now.
In the great, unfathomable randomness of the Universe, somehow, I am meant to be right where I am now.

“Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
~~ G. K. Chesterton

To life, love, liberty, and truth, friends!

May we celebrate and savor this complex, beautiful, and fleeting thing called Life!

A quick hello from Donsol

2011-05-07T20:33:00.001+08:00

Hello!

Mik and I say Hi all the way from, uh... Rainy, cold Donsol. It's Signal #2 now, and most of our travel group are keeping our fingers crossed for the storm to lift. The sooner Storm Bebeng lifts, the sooner we can enjoy swimming with Whale Sharks.

Wish us luck, guys! I'll do my best to take pictures.

Bertrand Russell on the clarity of thinking.

2011-04-23T00:57:00.000+08:00

I should like to say two things, one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say is this: When you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what are the facts and what is the truth that the facts bear out. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed. But look only, and solely, at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say.

The moral thing I should wish to say to them is very simple. I should say love is wise, hatred is foolish. In this world which is getting more closely and closely interconnected we have to learn to tolerate each other, we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like.

We can only live together in that way and if we are to live together and not die together, we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.

hajimemashite little tokyo

2011-04-15T11:40:00.002+08:00

About three or so weeks ago, James and I got bitten by the adventure bug one Sunday afternoon. He felt it would be best to show me the route to their office building so I could join them for early morning departure to Quezon. After a long ride from Cainta to Makati, walking down blocks, taking the underpass, and huffing and puffing up stairs, we soon found ourselves in front of his building. Hurrah!

(Come to think of it, he did mention he would walk from the MRT station to his building everyday -- which meant he walked an uneven kilometer, popping over and under the street surface everyday. Now think of how he must've managed carrying all the weapons we constructed back then. Oh dear.)

Hurrah! What now?

We were on this adventure anyway, so we decided, in for a penny, out for a pound! We hailed a cab, and asked the driver to takes to Little Tokyo, just behind Makati Cinema Square and along Chino Roces avenue, whichever route he felt more familiar with, thank you kindly. Luckily, the driver was quite familiar with the place, as he told us he'd delivered many Japanese nationals, food trippers, and couples like us to its torii.

And here we were. Couldn't wait to get inside.

The long walk along a quiet, right-angled Japanese open-air corridor soon opened up to a courtyard of tables, seats, the low buzz of cooking, Japanese television, and restaurant staff chatting away as they prepared for the evening rush of eager diners.

Little Tokyo isn't a single restaurant as much as it is a commune of Japanese restaurants and Japanese grocery stores. We were thankful to have taken the time to read up a bit more on the place, because the choices of eateries were all so overwhelming!

Since we were in the mood for takoyaki, we opted to have lunch/dinner at Hana. Seeing the takoyaki and yakiniku grills just right outside their doors made me catch my breath; I could see there was a twinkle in James' eyes when he saw them too. We gingerly pushed the sliding door and entered, to be greeted with a cheerful "Irrasahimase!" by the waiting staff. "Irrashaimase!" means "welcome, sir or ma'am!" in Japanese -- or a much more literal transalation of it would be "Oh, look -- a customer!"

We could smell some sort of pert, odd, gingerish scent in the air. There was an Edo-period teledrama playing on the widescreen telly set on a corner of the shop -- no subtitles, of course, just good acting and sumptuous costumes and setting. James and I had just figured out the wife of a powerful daimyo had ordered her shocked and teary-eyed daughters to leave the palace for their own safety, when the menu finally arrived.

Since this was our first time, we opted to go with some "snacks": an onigiri each, and a big platter of twelve takoyaki for sharing. The house's plum wine came highly recommended by our waitress, and we decided to have a shotglass each.

Here's a glass of ice-cold water, and our shots of plum wine. I braced myself for a strong, gin-like alcoholic bite, and was quite pleasantly surprised to find I had nothing to fear. The drink itself was delightfully sweet and fruity. James said, if you pay attention, you'll recognize a hint of alcohol somewhere in the sweetness. This drink is one meant to be sipped and savored. I say, not bad for P150!

We sipped and savored as we watched the palace on TV burn to the ground, the retainers weeping bitterly at the palanquins, the princesses screaming for their mother and father locked inside, the look on their parents' faces resolved to right some wrong committed to the bitter end. Oh, Japanese drama.

We were served a small helping of chilly potato salad saabisu to prepare our palates. James marveled at the texture of the carrots.

Our first course: onigiri. I admit that I feel a bit silly when I now say I found it delightful that it looked just like in the pictures, and in anime shows we'd been watching.

Mine had pickled plum filling. This treat surprised me once more: the filling tasted salty rather than sweet or fruity, and left me with the impression I has been eating soft, dainty-tasting salmon-like fish couched in a pouch of rice and nori. Quite fascinating, really!

James' onigiri had bonito flakes flavored with soy sauce. This one had much more body to its flavor, and had a roasted savoriness to it.

The main course. The star of the early evening. We thought -- thought! -- this would be something light, something just enough to take up some space in our bellies. We were terribly wrong, and delighted to be so. It was a sight to see the bonito flakes curling and uncurling, waving about on the surface of the balls as if they had a life of their own. This was clearly not the takoyaki we had from mall side stalls

One bite. The ginger we smelled in the air had been the main flavor of the takoyaki batter, the very same one we were bearing the heat and the steam escaping from the balls to savor. The balls were firm, full-bodied, and flavorful, and was everything all the other local food bloggers said they would be. This was truly authentic takoyaki, as if it were served off the streets of Japan.

Another thing that sets Hana's takoyaki apart from the rest: real octopus pieces. Not tidbits -- pieces. If you look closely to the bottom-right picture, you'll see the circular marks of where the tentacle suckers used to be. (James was already chewing the tentacle quite gleefully.)

Me seconds away from popping the whole ball into my mouth and scalding myself silly. Kidding.

By the end of the meal, we were basking in the pleasant afterglow of good food and nursing the last of our plum wine to a rather comprehensive documentary on crows. Seriously, Philippines, why don't we have shows like these?!

On our way out, we both went, "so this is how they really cook takoyaki..." See the red-orangey ginger bits in the batter?

So we left Little Tokyo with good memories in our heads and bellies, and a resolution to make more here in the future. That's Kagura for the Okonomiyaki next, and maybe Seryna for the sushi. We were all aglow, stepping out. (See? Even James' head is glowing! Ahaha! Ahe. Hem.)

We shall prepare our tummies for you; until we next meet, Little Tokyo.

Phoooooooooooobltbltblt.

2011-04-14T03:58:00.002+08:00

{source}

Hi, everyone.

James and I have been on vacation two times(!) in the span of a week, in two equally distant locations within the country.

We had fun, took a ton of pictures. Boy, are we tired.

Just a heads-up for all you lovely people. Nope, haven't fallen off the planet, gravity's made sure of that.

There's another looming over the horizon in a few weeks(!!!), So it's best I start posting about our adventures pronto. Human long-tern memory, don't fail me now.

Stay tuned for lots of pictures and stories.

Ganbatte, Nippon!

2011-03-21T06:50:00.072+08:00

{source}

Dear Japan,

It's been a couple of weeks since you were first hit by the earthquake and tsunami. We saw the pictures, heard it and watched it on the news, kept abreast of it on live translated newsfeeds. We gasped in horror and cried in pure sadness for you, and prayed and hoped, hoped, hoped everyone within your shores would be fine.

And to our surprise and utter amazement, they were. We saw your kids calm and collected, and making sure everyone else was alright -- both for people and animals. High school kids and fashion deviants helped in their own way; truly, there is generosity and a sincere desire to help even in places where you least expect it. Artists have lent their craft to help refugees stay cheerful throughout the calamity. Shops and offices constantly shouted "Please help yourself to our bread; it's free! Please use our toilets, sit in our lounges! Rest a while, we're all in this together."

And so we are.

A few days ago, a fifteen-second earthquake shook my office building, and I thought of you, Nippon. I believe we here in the Philippines could learn a thing or two from you on peace in the face of panic. After the disaster, time to get on with life.

It's been a few weeks since the earthquake, since the tsunami, and now, kamusta na? Dou deska, Daijoubu? I'm sincerely hoping you and your kids are alright. I do know for a fact that as long as you keep on keeping on and everyone looks out for each other, you'll be fine. Ganbatte!

I just hope we can measure up to that too someday.

Links:

Japan Quake as Seen From Twitter

Japanese TV Anchors -- this is true professionalism.

Dog Won't Abandon Injured Friend -- there is precious lesson to be learned here.

The Shinto Way

Philippines to Send Bananas to Japan

A simplified version of the situation in Fukushima. It pays to know who the real heroes in this situation are.

The weeks that were. (Part 3)

2011-03-21T06:02:00.001+08:00

On the other hand, it seems James' work has opened an opportunity for me to flex my time management and crafting muscles.

His work holds a dress-up theme every Monday, and he sometimes asks me for advice on what to wear, how to do it, and so on. Last weekend was something of a crash course for him on making props and headgear. they had an Angels Vs. Devils theme, and he was assigned to look for weapons. He was quite set on the devil tridents that sold so well on Halloween. Alas, Toy Kingdom was fresh out of them, since there were no stocks.

Some imagination and resourcefulness was needed, stat.

He had a budget of P4k for the endeavor, but I hoped we could spend below P1k for this, as much as possible. He mentioned this would be a one-time thing, and thus I thought it'd be best if we saved money for "the big one", should it ever arrive.

We first bought some cheap toy axes we could pry apart (cheap being P40). We now had three axe heads and three "spear-heads" that used to be the axe handles. We next bought three-foot long PVC pipes, some sealant glue, and two cans of spray paint, one in Dark Grey, and another in Mettallic Brown.

We went home to start assembling the weapons and do the household chores together. It was fun painting the weapons, and it was funny going back forth from that to the laundry. James urged me to take a break, and we snacked and relaxed outside while the spin cycle rumbled in the house.

The arms given two good coats of dark grey.

The color will serve as a base for the metallic brown later on.

The arms finally given a nice touch of metallic brown.

It was supposed to look mottled and rusty at first, then we decided to go all the way with rusty.

However... it certainly looks more bronze-y now, no?

Later on, we found out that one of his team mates had hoped he could find light-up devil horns in Divisoria or Baclaran like picking apples from a tree. Take note -- this guy went from Baclaran to Divisoria expecting to find something at 7:00pm -- then 8:00pm! I decided we were better off making the headgear for the team, and amazingly, we were.

We spent majority of late Sunday evening and early-to-late Monday morning putting everything together. I remember whining the hardware store didn't have the right materials -- if they did, I'd give those axes a way bigger blade and make them look more menacing. James told me he appreciated the thought, but reminded me this was going to be a one-time, ever-changing dress-up theme - there wasn't enough time to construe something mind-blowing, and I was asking for cosplay convention levels. He was happy enough that I was helping him and supporting him through this project.

James told me the last time he'd dome anything like this was in High School. I simple said "welcome to my world", and kissed him on the cheek. I think the experience is going to leave quite an impression on him.

James later posted this as part of his Facebook status:

... I've proven to myself that if me and my honey put our backs into it there's little we can't do, and there are no regrets with that.
I am pleased to say that the horns were very popular - we made 5, and only 2 made it back home. The three were left with people at work.

The end result of our weekend toil:

I kinda like how the black horns look on him better than the red. What do you think?

The weeks that were. (Part 2)

2011-03-21T05:14:00.001+08:00

as I mentioned last post, I've been doing my best to keep our meals healthy with plenty of variety and experimentation. (read the word Experimentation as "tossing random stuff together and hoping it tastes decent".)

So far, the past three weeks' packed lunches were:

Week 1:

M-W-F: Kare-kare with Rice

T-Th: Beef Stew with Rice

Much as I love Kare-kare, I now realize I can have only so much peanut sauce in a week. The vegetables, however, were always welcome. Tip: If the sauce pack is not as peanut-y as you would like (like in my case), adding some locally-made peanut butter (the oily kind) should do the trick.

Week 2:

M-W-F: Poor Man's Lobster, blanched Broccoli florets and rice

T-Th: Spinach burgers and rice

James had to crash at my place after his Tuesday shift. I decided to make His n' Hers lunches, and I managed to beat my own time. Ha! (I had to get up earlier than usual to prepare our lunches. It certainly sounds cute, true, but I do realize this is something I'll probably have to keep doing once kids enter the picture. Hmmm.)

So far, I do think this was my best week for lunches.

Tip 1: Poor Man's Lobster is simply sturgeon (or a fish locally known as labahita) cut into one inch chunks, and boiled for eight minutes in water with 2 cups of sugar added previously. It's great with butter! There are also other recipes on the Internet, but I find this to be the easiest and most accessible. Ask your local wet market fishmonger for labahita today!

Tip 2: Feel free to grate the cheese and mix it in with the burger mush instead. I used ordinary cheese, and it worked rather well. James gave this two thumbs up, and so did a number of my colleagues. I think I'm adding this to my permanent recipe arsenal. :)

Tip 3: blanching is nothing more than quickly pouring boiling water over vegetables through a colander or strainer, and that's it. With vegetables and sea-grapes (locally known as ar-arosep or lato), it washes away certain enzymes and softens the veggies, making them more palatable. It brightens their colors, prevents wilting, and makes them last longer.

Week 3:

M-T-W-Th-F: OMGWTHTotallyrandomannedfriedfoods! and rice.

Ergh. Never again, thank you very much.This is what happens when I forget to plan the week's menu and fail to go food-shopping. (Note to self: remember when you gasped in horror at the prices for vegetables in the supermarket? Yyyyeah, now you don't want that feeling anymore, do you?)

I've also been experimenting a lot more with home-made rice krispies treats. This warrants another post, and will come very soon.

Stay tuned for Part 3. ^_^*

The weeks that were. (Part 1)

2011-03-21T03:59:00.002+08:00

Hi, everyone. I've been away from the blog living life and getting lots of action and fresh air. It's been great, really.

In a nutshell, I've been doing my best to keep being mindful and inventive of what I cook and what lunches I pack. I've been making more home-made versions of store-bought snacks and desserts. I've been playing Facebook games a lot less (and if you see any activity on my end, that would most likely be James.)

I've been budgeting, planning and mapping my goals for the year, getting the house in order bit by bit, giving work its due, with a number of shenanigans and surprises on the side.

Meet Mama Grizzle. Mama Grizzle is a queen who decided to give birth under my computer window. I found her nursing her kittens on a Thursday afternoon just as I was heading off to work. Dino, a plurk buddy, said she's one protective-looking mama. I do agree -- she certainly didn't survive the streets and carry her babies to term for nothing.

She was wary of James and I at first, but later on agreed to take a bowl of kibble we offered her. We figured that as a mom, she can only get so much nutrition from scavenging through trash bins, and her kittens will certainly need all the nutrients and anti-bodies in her milk if they are to survive. Way later on, she started letting us pat her on the head. She was amenable enough to let me lift one of them and follow her baby with her gaze.

Here she is a week and a half later. She's been eating her kibble well, thus James said the fur on her face was regrowing. Can you spot her three babies?

Here's two of them.

Alas, two weeks after, Mama Grizzle decided it was time to move on with her kittens in the dead of night. Next morning, I was surprised to find she was gone, but I suppose it was all for the best. From time to time, we still hear the mewl of her babies although we can't find them. She also visits us on occasion, and when she cares to stay long enough, we set a bowl of kibble out for her. We hope she and her family are okay and are being treated well by whoever's nest she chose to nest under.

More to come. stay tuned for Part 2. ^_^*

Handwritten meme

2011-03-19T20:20:00.000+08:00

... as tagged by Mai.

Incidentally, Mink has developed a taste for ripping paper. This list was rendered to shreds within a few minutes of laying it on the table after taking the shot. This cat.

A long overdue Valentine's Day story

2011-03-11T06:23:00.002+08:00

Featuring FOOD!

Thus goes the rom-com of me and James, where Com is definitely bigger than the Rom most the time, and it still turns out into a kooky-quirky kind of Rom altogether in the end. We're kind of awesome that way.

So! I am quite happy to say we absolutely did not go anywhere to celebrate this Valentine's Day, and with very good reason. Why go out and spend big bucks to celebrate when you can pretty much do the celebrating at home?

Nnnnnnno, not just that way, and I'd appreciate it if you could put the hur-hur-hur-that's-what-she-said away, thank you very much.

We were both at work on Valentine's eve, but since I got off work earlier, I wondered: what would be a quick, easy, and fitting way to celebrate Happy Hearts Day without breaking our budget?

Banchetto.

Banchetto is a midnight food fair that happens every Friday night/ Saturday early morn. A portion of Ortigas' Emerald avenue is closed off, and three long columns of tent-sheds are pitched. Soon, the sounds and smells of excited chatter, lively hawking, and sizzling, grilled, steamed, what-have-you food waft above the silence of the sleepy business strip. Here, one can very much feast on almost-gourmet food for less. Angus beef kababs? check. Freshly-chopped lechon? Check.Salads and freshly-made fruit juice and smoothies? Check. crepes made right before your eyes? Check. Cakes, macarons, and local bonbons? Check! Customers are free to sit on tables, plant boxes and stone steps and enjoy their meals al fresco.

My many thanks to great galpal Jicel for taking me here, urging me to try a crepe, and giggling over sweet treats with me.

Pictures! I wish I'd taken more, but you can only do so much with a sputtering battery.

If you think the Oreo cheesecake is mouth-watering, wait 'til you try their Ube cheesecake.

From top to bottom: Buko Pandan Flan; (left to right) Macarons in rose, green tea, and coffee flavors; (left to right) Macarons in strawberry and melon flavors.

I was quite excited to try the macarons, and I did. I sampled their green tea and coffee flavors, and decided they were not bad. Not bad at all for P20 a pop. I wonder how different or similar their Parisian counterparts would taste like. ^_^*

Fried finger-food! From left to right: homemade fish balls, crispy crablets, chicharon bulaklak (deep fried pork intestines), and freshly-popped chicharon (pork rinds) for P20 a cup. I surprised James in the morning with crispy crablets for breakfast, and he exclaimed in surprise over their tastiness and price.

A stall full of local goodies I and my folks grew up with. See all those giant packs of biscuits and candy? They go for under P60 each. I remembered scoring a big pack of 30 chocolate-covered mallows for P50, and a large pack of sultana cookies for P60. Did I mention they also sold gem cookies, chocolate covered pretzel sticks, and other schoolyard treats? Heaven.

A pasta stall, bright and ready for the wave of hungry folk.

My crepe in the works! I ordered choco-manggo. See those jars of hazelnut spread behind the lady? I'm willing to bet those run out by the end of the shift. I love how their crepes are actually solid and slightly toasty-crispy; it's a delight to chew and can hold in more fruit and goodies a lot better than their mall-made counterparts.

I have every intention of bringing my mom and dad to check this place out one of these days.

So, between James and I, we didn't really have a lot of time nor money to plan for a grand Valentine's romp. Or grand gifts. I made the best of the situation by popping by Banchetto that night and planned the menu without breaking the bank.

Meet Dinner, everyone. Dinner is -- was -- two medium-sized lobsters, and a few large shrimps thrown in by the shop lady for good will. (I honestly thought they were an unusually-large-sized specie of shrimp, when Jicel gasped in amazement and corrected me. Well, wow, lobsters.) I served these babies with hot rice and butter dip. Not bad for a P200 couple's meal, eh? At the end of the meal, the picked-away remains were shared with other stray cats in the area on an abandoned small plastic tray. We like the thought of spreading the love.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying our anime-viewing line-up, ooh-ing and aah-ing at lovely art, perplexing the cat, and relishing each other's company.

Simple, cheap, very satisfying & very sweet. That's Valentine's day for you.

I look back and do wonder: when did James and I stop giving each other Valentine presents again? I can't recall, to be quite honest. Right now, it really doesn't matter to me whether or not he shows up with a bouquet of flowers or a big teddy bear or glass slippers,-- or any kind of gift, for that matter, -- on my doorstep. I'm glad we don't need gifts to be happy together and celebrate us, celebrate love. Being together and and knowing just how wonderful it is that this smart, funny, considerate, thoughtful, brave, and gentle person thinks you're just as amazing too -- that's enough, more than enough for us.

My friend Tobie could never have said it truer: Love. Just celebrate it.

Hope you all had a Happy Hearts Day as lovely as ours!

Dad homework

2011-03-03T06:51:00.000+08:00

{source}

Have you ever tried making clothes for your parents? I do.

And I'm stuck. Sorta.

One, I'm glad I can finally say the pair of cotton drawstring pants my dad requested already has its front panels cut and "serged".

The rest of the pants will follow. I promise.

I think I may have mentioned in a previous post that my dad handed his most well-loved pair of Kamuning-made khaki drawstring pants for me to deconstruct and clone in black. If there's anything I've learned so far, it's (1) I'm more comfortable with drafting patterns from scratch, and (2) the tailors in Kamuning build their menswear with industrial-strength reinforcement. I now have a new-found respect for their diligence, foresight, and industry.

I'm still stuck, though. Oh dear. Maybe starting a simpler project might make things come easier. I do want these pair of pants ready to wear before the first quarter of the year ends, though!

And of course, I do want these pants to fit my dad well, and for him to feel comfy in them, no matter where he takes them. It's the very least bit I could do for him. ^_^

2011-03-02T01:11:00.002+08:00

{source}

Word.

Video time: Prague Astronomical Clock - 600th Anniversary Show

2011-03-01T20:08:00.002+08:00

this video's been around ever since the beginning of 2011, and I wanted to share it with you all. It never fails to blow my mind.

Superficiality, the pursuit of fashion, and coming to terms with myself.

2011-02-22T18:07:00.004+08:00

{source}

(Taken from my Tumblr)

I think this is going to be the first time I've written a Tumblr text post. If not the first, this will be a first in a really long while. Allow me to thresh out a thought I've been carrying in me for quite a while. Perhaps, you could say this is my way of exorcising demons, coming to terms with myself and my art, and seeing things through a fresh perspective.

Let's begin.

The entirety of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 has not been easy for me. I've been sick, broke, disappointed, shot down in a number of aspects of my life for all kinds of reasons. I'm truly thankful for the piece-a-piece triumphs the year gave me, and they didn't come easy. I'd like to think of them as little shards of hope that made the dark 2010 meaningful.

I also realized that 2010 saw a great decline in my crafting and sewing productivity.

I could think of a number of reasons right now that contributed to this plummet. After Ondoy, the house badly needed attention. My weekly housekeeper walked out on me, and I had to buck up and learn how to run a house and keep it clean on my own pronto. The tools I prized and used for my art had been washed away, muddied, and muddled in the typhoon's aftermath. Help did come from many and unexpected quarters, and so did expenses and responsibilities. There was also mending my own spirit to attend to.

Imagine, a whole year.

As of right now, I'm glad and thankful 2011 sees me in a much better state and disposition compared to last year. It's good to cultivate the feeling of hopefulness and the can-do, positive attitude that once fueled me to constantly be inspired and create again, albeit little by little. I find myself sometimes starting from Square One, taking permission from the Universe that "it's okay to be confident, it;s okay to spread your wings and shine again, it's okay to let your brain come out and play and run amok in glee". I find myself taking baby steps, from Square One to Square 1.2, to 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, and so on. Baby steps.

A part of me wants to chide myself that I should've had this straightened out right away, I should've willed myself back to being an instant lighthouse of positivity and radiance, I should've snapped my fingers, and be all I'm sickeningly fabulous, yo, work it hunty! since I preach the gospel of loving yourself and self-worth. But maybe it's best I really don't need to pressure myself to change overnight. Change is a slow-painful process, but perhaps the slower the change, the more meaningful and lasting it is.

I won't limit myself, and I'm through putting myself down, but I won't pressure myself to rise too quickly either. All growth is worth waiting for.

So... now, what does this have to do with fashion?

Let me introduce you to a great colleague of mine, Mezarc Buslon. (hi, dear.)

One afternoon, a simple conversation with Mezarc opened the floodgates of possibility for me again. After a very, very long time of creative silence and abstinence for me, he lit a fire under me and encouraged me to come back and start creating again. "You can do this, just keep being creative!"

It is thanks to him that I started looking at the creations of Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, Karl Lagerfeld, Chloe Dao, and other designers. I could feel the gears shifting and clicking in my mind, seeing how they expressed a particular inspiration in a collection, the many many ways they were interpreted, how colors, shape, silhouette, cut, and material helped create so many unique looks, but were still unified as a whole.

It's a good feeling, allowing yourself to feel inspired again. Telling yourself it's okay to light a fire and set it on a high place again so I can caper and cavort in this glorious feeling again. It's a great feeling, owning the thought that I am a creative person, and I have marvelous, fantastic, mind-blowing ideas that are just waiting to be let out and brought to life.

A lot of Real Life happened, and I had to focus on that aspect of my life first. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was a very bad thing, and I don't think it was. It was an essential part of life, and there some things I had to set aside for the time being. Now, I do realize Real Life will continue to happen whether we want it to or not, and it's really up to us -- up to me -- to make the best of the time I'm given at the place or situation I'm in.

If the situation is crappy, make the best of it; even if people say the end result is slightly better than crappy, what's important is you know made the best of it and gave it your 100%. Be kind to yourself. Don't compare your own achievements to what others have achieved, regardless of age, financial standing, or other factors. In the wise words of the song Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen: "the race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself."

If the situation is fine to great, then good for you! There still so much opportunity and possibilities to make the best of it. Be thankful Life gave you a very generous initiative roll, and make the best of it.

I'm writing this down so that when I find myself beating myself up and limiting myself, I can go back and read this and tell myself It's Okay.

My friends and family who have been constantly supportive -- Clair, Arman, Anna, Mik, AJ, my dad, and so many more -- are constant reminders that the world is a good place to thrive in.

So... what does all this have to do with fashion, again?

Right.

I recall reading somewhere that fashion designers needed to get in touch with what was essential in life, that they were superficial. The word stung, and gave me faint flashbacks of unsavory high school memories. Superficial? How so? Fashion is a good thing, right? It's also a form of art in its own way...

I pondered, and pondered, and pondered some more, how could people say such a thing of fashion?

Days gave way to weeks and months, and Real Life caught up with me. I started creating travel plans for myself and the boyfriend to make this 2011 count, and this meant staying on my toes constantly at work for me. this also meant becoming wiser with money matters, and being firmer with my budget priorities. I started feeling that work was a demanding mistress, and that I barely had time to dress up and be pretty.

The words "frumpy" and "dowdy" come to mind, and these are not very pleasant words to be, or to see oneself in. I went home to Cainta, and had to muster as much discipline I had to pull things together. Life in the Philippines is tough, but I'm tougher -- that was the biggest motto in my mind. So big, in fact, that it decided fashion didn't have a space in my mind at the time.

I didn't help that I started feeling negative feelings creeping up my throat whenever I saw my local contemporaries or people younger than I was(!) making it big or striking it out in the industry. Jealousy will kill your art and creativity; never a pleasant feeling to have. It will kill your self-worth, and make room for other horrible feelings and actions -- sour-graping ("Oh, it's just because they're rich; or they have more time on their hands"), destructive criticism ("what the hell is this? this is such an ugly/run-of-the-mill/copy-cat garment/ accessory, I wouldn't buy it"), claiming things that haven't happened yet ("I could probably make something better than this, pfeh!"), and in the end, leaving yourself with a very negative feeling about everything in general and giving up on it -- including yourself.

I stop and think about everything I wrote in the last paragraph, and I realize when I slip into these sourpuss moments, I really haven't been fair to these artists. This is the exact same kind of attitude Sir Dong Ampil De Los Reyes warn me against -- if you take it upon yourself to criticize everything, to constantly say "this is crap! what an ugly thing", you just proved to the world you're only good at destroying things. It would certainly be a lot better to instead take inspiration from these and to go out and make something yourself.

In hindsight, whenever I looked at other people's work, like Mich Dulce's, Happy F*art, Shop Soporifique, and other local artists I've discovered, I should have been more positive about about the experience.

Even now, I do feel that widening gap between myself and fashion (which I have now come to equate with creativity). Sad, sad. This has got to stop!

This, however, doesn't mean I need to start being superficial.

I've been doing some reading around the Internet. It helps me, really. I read Mr.Karl Lagerfeld's twitter, and while some may seem eccentric and slightly demanding, I see a person who has utmost devotion and love for his craft. I also read Ms. Chloe Dao's blog and it warms my heart to see that despite all the success she has been through, she is still a really cheerful, hard-working lady who appreciates and is thankful for good things in whatever form they take in her life.

In short, these artists are not superficial. There's a deeper side to them, so much deeper than what most of the public knows. Perhaps I can take courage there.

There were three blog posts that also helped -- posts one, two, three.

Here, I would like to highlight particular statements in the blog posts that have struck a chord with me. {pic source}

Fashion is a way of radiating of one's essential self. Of expressing who you are as a person, and what you love.
So although we can argue that fashion is part of a crazed consumerism and attempts to mass-market happiness, is indulgent, and ego-driven, I much prefer to see dressing oneself in the things that one loves as a form of self-care.... we can go forth in a way that explores, reinforces, and radiates our true self, our inner beauty and unique sense of style. In the vein of self care and grounded in the service of helping others learn to practice such loving kindness toward themselves in daily lives, I am adding personal stylist to my bag of tricks, if you will.
(fashion as likened to writing as an art form): When I’m in a bad mood, a self-absorbed, self-flagellating bad mood, it seems almost embarrassing to me that I should be trying to foist my creations on the world. Sometimes I feel like I should be doing something more useful. Chris is the one who argues with me when I’m feeling like this. This, he says, is where Communism comes from. (He’s no McCarthy, but he gets very defensive about literature.) We need art, he says. It’s not all steel mills and blacksmiths. We need art.
Fashion only gets superficial when the wearer follows fashion without thinking and copies exactly what is dictated by the fashion houses.
"Fashion to me is a way of expressing myself and communicating how I feel." --Carina van der Kloet

So, there. Times may be tough, true, but fashion need not be thought of as something "I need to put away for a while". It is, in essence, an art form. It is a way of saying, "Hello world, this is who I am at the moment." It is not so much a game of fit-the-stereotype paperdoll, as it is more of a being a box of crayons/ craypas/ watercolors/ what-have-you to paint the canvas that is you. you don't even have to be a Rembrandt about it; just be honest with yourself, be yourself, be brave, and celebrate that You on the canvas. (The canvas is still essentially you.)

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Writing this rather long post made me feel a lot better, really. I now realize I need to be gentler with myself, to pressure myself less, be less critical with myself. I am only racing against myself, and that's all I need to know. Life is a celebration, and that in itself must be expressed; I find I cannot truly celebrate whenever I am harsh or overly critical of myself.

I must remind myself to be fearless in experimentation.

All is right with the world. The Universe is a grand, playful, creative place to be alive in, and it manifests every single aspect of it in me and you. I'm thankful for that, and I want to celebrate that as much as I can, as much as this life will allow.

Cook It! Sago-Mango Custard/ Ice Cream

2011-02-20T04:24:00.004+08:00

Back to more appetizing things.

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky to find plump, ripe, and delicious-smelling mangoes from the wet market I frequent. I had been meaning to create a mango-flavored version of the sago-cheese custard recipe, and this was pretty much the biggest GO!-signal for me. I took three of these babies home, just to make sure.

This experiment was meant to follow the same steps and ingredients for the original recipe mentioned above. I only had to substitute the grated cheese for pureed mangoes.

It began with slicing the mango cheeks off and spooning the meat into a clean bowl. After making the best of four cheeks, the large meaty mango seeds proved to be an interesting challenge. Tossing the seeds as they were would be just like, well, throwing the baby out with the bath water. I decided to take a more, er, hands-on approach (pardon the pun) and squeezed the fruit off the seeds.

Now, I had a lovely bowlful of mango meat. To make the mango flavor blend into the custard, the recipe would need the fruit pureed. Ideally, this would work best if I had a food processor, but since I didn't, I went for other creative options.

I tried pushing the fruit through my metal sieve. No dice -- it turned out mango juice instead of mango pulp, as the rest of the flavorful meat got stuck between the fine spaces. So, no go.

I next tried going medieval on the bowl of fruit with a spoon, and that proved too slippery. A fork did serve, but it took too much time and too much effort to turn out the texture I wanted. I soon was left with no other choice.

Clean hands. Grab fruit. Squeeeeeeeze the beejezus out of those fruits. Feel the pulp ooze and squelch between your fingers. Go caveman on these mangoes -- with your bare hands. Squeeze them! Squeeze them, I say! Show them fruits no mercy!

The guys from Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time would have been proud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Now, we have a glorious one-and-a-half cup of absolute pulpy mango goodness! (I am a bit glad it does not taste of me.)

This time, I substituted the five egg yolks the recipe called for with three whole eggs. The custard might not come out as thick as the sago-cheese batch, but it could yield some interesting results.

One large can of condensed milk? Ready.
One cup of bubble sago? Ready.
One teaspoon vanilla? Ready.
Jimmied-up double boiler? Ready.

Alrighty then.

Just like before, I put in the condensed milk, eggs, and this time mangoes first. What a lovely sunshine pattern this makes. I kept stirring until everything was mixed evenly. I do admit my excitement got the better of me, because I'd forgotten to let it sit and thicken.

Leeeet's just say I was thankful the first three ingredients only filled the pot halfway. That other empty half is going to be verrrry important.

Here we are now with the sago and the vanilla flavoring thrown in. You are probably wondering why the mix seems to have increased. What really happened:

After adding all the ingredients, I gave this batch a taste test and was perplexed: why was it lacking in flavor? I resorted to adding half a can of condensed milk. Then half a can of evaporated milk. then about three more table spoons of vanilla. By the time I got the taste I wanted, the mix was about an inch-and-a-half in danger of spilling over the pot. Wuuuuunderbar.

I lightly upbraided myself to (1) stop getting anxious, (2) calm down and do the dishes to free up kitchen space, and (3) go sit down, and for heavensakes, let the mix be! Fretting over it is not going to make it simmer and thicken any faster.

So, there.

In due time, the mix did reduce by about an inch; it pretty much refused to reduce any further and blew a raspberry at me when I pleaded with it. (just kidding.) I let it cool, and divided it into two big tubs.

The first tub vanished to mmm's, aaaah's, and *erp*s among my colleagues, aunts, and friends. Everybody happy!

The real surprise, however, came as a pleasant accident.

I had brought a few cups of custard to some of my workmates to ask what they thought about it. Since the mix started getting quite runny and I had to give a lesson in ten minutes, I popped the cups into the pantry freezer. After three hours, I remembered about the cups, got them out, and gave them to my colleagues. They were quite surprised with the new treat, and said it "tasted just like ice cream". Mik even said the sago gave it an interesting texture. Huzzah!

I tried the same experiment with the remaining tub at home, and James also gave it his thumbs up. He told me how his mom would sometimes make homemade ice cream in pretty much the same way. As for me, new discovery! Huzzah!

Right-o! Now, for next time, I wonder if toasted cashews work with this mix? Hmmm....

Murder Presents.

2011-02-17T02:18:00.001+08:00

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Hi, everyone. I've a few blog posts I need to start writing, but I'm currently nursing a cold and am light-headed, so please do bear with me. I'm still knitting my frayed nerves back (just a bit more) after an evening of shock and morbid fascination.

I was about to doze off and try to ignore my giant cold when Mink clambered down from the roof and through the window. She oh-so-lovingly laid something beside me. my fingers found it -- furry, slightly bony, and stiff.

Ye gods, this cat.

(I'll just leave this here in case anyone wants to actually take a look at the murder present.)

I remembered back in college, James and I managed to rescue this baby dawn bat from being bullied by a handful of fire ants. (ouch! poor thing!) We took the bat to Parks and Wildlife in Quezon city in hopes of giving the bat a good home. A kid sat across us in the jeep and started this conversation in a sheepish voice:

Kid: What's that in your hand?
James: Oh, it's a baby bat we found, and were taking this little guy to someplace where they can take good care of him.
Kid: Cool! May I have the bat?
James: Well, what are you going to do with it?
Kid: I'll kill it and skin it and mount its skeleton for my science project.

Suffice to say, the bat found a loving home in the reserve, and we in turn got an inexpensive and lovely date sauntering about the place.

Back to the murder present.

I sleepily and testily tossed the corpse into the communal trash bin and dragged myself up to bed. My morbid fascination made me think: should I have tossed the bat, or should I macerated it so I could mount the skeleton later? I might need Desmestes beetles to do a better job than I ever could, but where do I find them? Is it taxidermy if you only work with the skeleton? will Mink bring me more? What if....

The next morning, I checked the bin again, and found the bat gone.

A number of good friends have reassured me throughout the day that Mink means well, and the bat was her love offering.

Adrian: heh. she's really a good kitty!
and she really luvs you!
Jonette: I ... guess so
or she thinks "you're a pathetic hunter, master, here, eat this"
I guess an apology is in order, and extra cuddle time then
Adrian: on the contrary, she thinks you're awesome because you feed her regularly
the bat is her tithe to you.
Jonette: really now? hmmmm. I ... guess I should feel flattered then :)as soon as I re-knit my frayed nerves, which should be over by now
Adrian: you should :)Jonette: thanks for appreciating this :)Adrian: lucky you
:)

Indeed, an apology, extra cuddle time, and perhaps a cheeseburger/ liver spread offering are in order.

Dear Universe,

2011-02-08T02:13:00.001+08:00

{Source}

You pull the best surprises on me.

And the best challenges.

Baguio.

Donsol.

Bohol.

All big firsts,

all with their own kit-n-caboodle of risks,

fears to conquer,

hard work,

discipline,

and a ton of perseverance.

But I do believe my experiences this year will be all worth it.

You make my heart thunder in my chest,
and in my head.

You've conspired to make all this happen,

now let's make it happen.

Resolutions I can Keep

2011-02-03T03:16:00.005+08:00

Ginisang Baguio Beans with garlic longganisa, flanked by other ingredients for Beef Stew.
(Remind me not to put so much Soy Sauce next time. Ergh.)

Resolution 1: Make trips to the palengke a weekly ~~or bimonthly~~ habit. (Make it weekly, which leads to...)

Resolution 2: Include more greens, other veggies, and fruits in my diet.

Resolution 3: Get more creative with cooking. (And when I say get more creative, I mean using what I already have in the pantry or refrigerator and whipping up something tasty and healthy.)

Resolution 4: Save money.

See where this is going?

If you do, good for you, because I can't. What I just know is these are good things to do in themselves, and don't necessarily have to be a means to an end.

If the above four resolutions lead to others, then well and good. Eating fast food less? Well and good. Getting better kitchen mastery? sounds good to me. Eating healthier, and potentially losing weight? Cool; who wouldn't want that?

Right now, it seems my weekly menu staples are homemade daing na bangus, at least one crockpot dish, and a flavor-of-the-week custard. (last week was cheese, this week is hand-squeezed mango. Show those fruits no mercy!)

I downed an entire head of boiled broccolli with a couple pats of butter for dinner last night. Ye gods, half a pound of broccolli for P50. I guess you could say I practically stuffed myself with greenery, and ate the equivalent of a tiny shrub. (Next time, I better curb my enthusiasm.)

Right now, I'm aiming to make Resolution #2 my priority. It's just a matter of elbow grease, resourcefulness, and imagination -- and a good eye for fresh produce, I think.

Bohol on my mind

2011-01-29T08:57:00.000+08:00

This year, I will make big things happen for me.

It all started with a whim and wishful thinking. A trip to Baguio? Why not? It's been quite a while since I've been up north. There was not much rhyme and reason to it, save for the thought that James' trainer had a good nose for ukay-ukay shops (or ridiculously low-priced thrift stores), and could point us in the right direction.

That, and crisp mountain air, strawberries, and chocolate-covered cornflakes from Good Shepherd Convent. You can never go wrong with treats from Good Shepherd.

But that was on a whim, and whims born from very little time, money, and foresight make for poor thought fodder.

So, a friend of mine recommended, why not Bohol?

Indeed, why not?

I'd wanted to explore Bohol for a very long time. I guess you might say this plan had to take a backseat to Life in general over the past few years. I fell in love with the idea of Bohol a long, long time ago, forgot about it, then remembered it again.

It's something of wish fulfillment for me, and it will certainly to feel good to have something big and exciting to work toward again.

So, yes. I am going to take a trip to Bohol for my birthday this year.

The trip will most likely set me back by P10k to P15k, and that's almost three-fourths what I paid for my dining set. (For short, it certainly is a lot of money.) This is going to require a bit more discipline, saving skills and money management on my part, but I certainly think it's doable. It's very doable.

Money's been a little tight this start of the year, but I know I'll find ways. Before next week is over, I aim to be able to put my first contribution to the Travel Fund. Heck, I just might do it now, but I have to make sure I have enough to pay for my bills and other living expenses first.

Well, here goes.

Science Saved My Soul.

2011-01-28T14:50:00.000+08:00

Cook It! Gambas a la Plancha

2011-01-28T05:45:00.001+08:00

Here's another recipe that's easy, great for entertaining guests, and can be prepared even a day in advance. Originating from Spain, this delightful Tapas works just as well eaten with a side of rice as a meal. One bite will pretty much help you determine whether or not you'll still be up for seconds -- but you'll probably have them, anyway.

The secret is gin. And a lot of patience.

You will need:

a kilo of two- to three-inch shrimp
two to two-and-a-half cups of gin
a teaspoon of salt
two tablespoons of garlic, minced
three tablespoons of olive oil.

Let's get to it!

Wash your shrimps. Prepare your chopping board and a sharp knife. Slice off the sharp horn and whiskers on each shrimp...

... but not without admiring the more handsome specimens in the batch.

Arrange all the shrimp in a neat-ish, level pile.

Brother Aloysius never had a chance.

Pour the gin and salt on the shrimp. Cover, refridgerate, and let the shrimp marinade in the mixture from anywhere to two to ten hours. (Go for the ten. Seriously.)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and toss in your minced garlic. Once toasted, take the garlic out and set aside. Let the oil heat up on its own.

Take your shrimps out, and drain. Don't worry if some of them develop an orangey color on their sides. That's just the gin's chemistry working its magic on the shrimp.

Yep, I'd say they're properly soused.

Once the oil starts smoking (yes, it needs to smoke), toss in the shrimp, and cook quickly. Once they're a nice, deep orange color, remove them from the heat.

Right.

Arrange the shrimp on a plate or a container, and sprinkle the toasted garlic onto them. Your Gambas a la Plancha is now ready to serve.

Hope you enjoyed this recipe!

Cook It! Sago-Cheese Custard

2011-01-25T14:34:00.006+08:00

Hi, everyone. Here's one particular recipe I tried my hand at last week, and one I'm raring to experiment with the next chance I get. The ingredients are pretty simple, and this requires no special machinery to work with. (I had to jimmy up my cookware for this, but I'll explain in a bit.)

Plus, I get to work with sago. Fun, tiny, jiggly sago. Heehee.

I took this recipe from Ms. Norrie Del Fierro's Popular Recipes of the Philippines. (It's available in National Bookstore should you want a copy for yourself. ISBN # 971-08-2890-8 and published 1986, just in case you're the type to hunt for this in a library.)

You will need:

1 cup sago (or tapioca bubbles. I recommend using the tiny ones.)
1 big can of condensed milk
5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 big can evaporated milk
1/2 cup of grated cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Let's get to it!

Prepare your double-boiler. Since I didn't have a double-boiler, I made do with a small saucepan and a small casserole of the same circumference. The saucepan was slightly big enough for a snug fit with the casserole on top. I filled the saucepan a little under half-full, fit the casserole on it, and presto.

Combine the condensed milk, grated cheese, and eggs and cook until thick.

Add the sago...

And the vanilla.

Mix well until the custard is even.

Taste the custard to see if the texture's to your liking. (I found my custard to be too thick for my taste, so I added about half a can of evaporated milk to dilute the concoction.)

Watch your spoon sparkle with the joy of custard.

Let the custard cool for a bit, then chill -- or not, if you like your custard warm.

This treat went a long way, considering that it was quite flavorful, could be further diluted with evaporated milk, and still taste great.

This dessert earned an eyebrow lift from James -- both eyebrows, actually. Ditas said, "Dilute, evap? What dilute?" My dad reminisced how his mom made a large batch of a sago dessert similar to this for my dad to take to his class Christmas party back in his High School years. The class had wanted a taste of the treat, but there was no ladle to serve it -- until the janitors came to save the day with their inventiveness.

I plan to experiment with this recipe and substitute mangoes for the cheese once they're in season, come summer. Ditas also suggested using coffee, and I think that's also very doable. What other flavors, I wonder?

~*~*~*~*

Update! colleague and baking expert Jib recommended I use Lindt, Ricoa's 100% Baking Chocolate, Hershey's Dark, and Cadbury's Cauville if I want to try making a chocolate version. The chip version might make the custard too sweet, as the chips themselves are already rather sweet.

Ooh-la-La Senza!

2011-01-18T06:37:00.006+08:00

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Hi everyone! Here's one long overdue story I've been keeping inside me. It's one of my happy thoughts to start the year.

Last, last Friday, AJ and I got it in our heads to wake up really early and head over to Bonifacio High Street to make the most of the La Senza sale!

(By the by, La Senza was also repsonsible for this wee, cheeky, holiday titilation here.) :D

A few things that make this trip special for me:

This was the first time I'd ever been to Boni High Street. Most the shops there were quite high-end. Whenever I'd look around at one of the stores open at the time, I'd go into some sort of routine. Pick item up. Raise eyebrows. Inhale. Purse lips. Gingerly put item down, verrrrrrry carefully. Exhale. There.

Despite the exclusive feel to the place, the different art installations and strange water-and-stone sculptures were quite interesting to look at.
Shopping for proper-fitting bras with the right support was something long overdue for me. Much as I love my girls, they can also present a number of interesting problems. A rather heavy and pressing one (pardon the pun) is finding the right bra size and fit. In the Philippines, a full-support 40D bra is either virtually non-existent with a number of the local brands, or costs a very pretty penny with the chosen few. It also doesn't help that my --ehem -- pride and joy have been going She-Hulk on my lady-holsters. I'm perfectly happy with inexpensive cotton panties, but my ladies need all the help they can get!

With my bras having served me well and borne the burden for a good long five years, I do think this shopping trip is in order.

Lady-holsters. Learn it well.

{source}

Shopping date with AJ! For the first time! Yaaaaay! :D

So, yeah. We were on a tight budget, and we were half-asleep, but all the pretty panties and underthings were absolute love! One of the ladies who (wo)manned the store saw to it that we got our proper measurements, and proceeded to unearth every viable undie option for our sizes. Sale items were a priority, of course. :D

The three pairs I picked: Dotty Pink, Pin-up Polka-dot Gray, and Pinstripe Navy. Aren't they gorgeous? Imagine my glee when the clerk said they came with matching panties too!

A view from inside the fitting room. Ooooh.

We noticed the details on the wall running parallel to the fitting room. Lovely! Then we looked up...

Aaaaah. Made me think of cool rain.

AJ perusing more pretty bras.

Raaar! "Drop and give me twenty, soldier, and say my name while you're at it." "Ma'am, yes, Ma'am!"

Oooh, as Jujubee would say it, wicked spah-kuhley! I feel a little Showgirl coming on.

Call 'em funky, call 'em stripper, there's so much sass to love!

Eye-candy pink and black.

Panties on parade! I got the bras' matching panties, plus three more thanks to an extra-special promo, courtesy of the La Senza discount card.

The usual suspects.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I really do feel very, very happy with all the goodies AJ and I bought that day. We got ourselves discount cards, just in case we found ourselves needing another pair of delectable unmentionables. This was indeed a rare treat for me. I'm not sure when I'll find myself at La Senza again, but I'd love to bring a gal pal along the next time!

The occassion and mood calls for this song, I believe:

Palengke morning!

2011-01-15T08:06:00.005+08:00

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Good morning, folks! I came back from some heavy palengke-shopping in the wee hours of the morning. (Heavy... can you say 7 kilos of fresh ingredients getting lugged around?) I'm super-happy that I managed to buy about two weeks' worth of fresh meat, produce, and cleaning items -- two weeks! Makes for a lot of cooking -- all for P1,500! (that's around $34.27.) I know it might sound a bit silly squeeing over this, but does rather feel like an achievement of sorts for me. ^_^* All the same, I do think I ought to keep better tabs of the prices, and not to be afraid to ask, compare, and shop around.

Vocabulary word: Palengke

A palengke (from the Spanish word palenque, meaning "wooden pallisade or stockade") or talipapa is a public market in the Philippines. It is often composed of stalls arranged in rows upon rows under an enclosed roof. It is often divided into two main areas: the wet goods section and the dry goods section. The wet goods section sells meat, poultry, seafood, produce, and sometimes, processed meat. The dry goods section will sell grocery items, simple apparel, sundry and household items. The palengke is best known for fresh items at low and competitive prices, bargaining, and a potential source of uncommon ingredients.

Truth be told, I do feel as much a winner as that girl up on that book cover looks.

Behold, my loot!

Clockwise, from left to right: Sukang Paombong, color bleach, vanilla flavoring, dishwashing liquid, evaporated milk, condensed milk, cornstarch, brown sugar, and a kilo of spiral pasta. (Hello again, No-Bake Mac-n-Cheese! (This time, without the Mac.)

I love how the vinegar is named Chedeng, "chedeng" being the local pet name for a Mercedes Benz. I just find it quirky and amusing!

(1) 2 kilos of pork belly (for two kinds of adobo) and garlic sausage links. (2) 1 kilo of choice beef for beef cordon bleu. (3) Chicken hotdogs. (4) Butterflied boneless bangus [or milkfish], way yon back for daing na bangus. (5) 1 kilo of plump chicken to be turned into groggy chicken [or, chicken marinated in lambanog, then cooked to crispiness]. (6) About two cups of bubble sago [or tapioca pearls] for mango-cheese custard. (7) half a kilo of shrimp to souse with gin and salt to turn into gambas a la plancha.

My ice cubes are happy too. James and I are going to eat very well indeed.

I've still got another adventure to tell, but it's lights out for me for now.

Can't wait to cook Adobo sa Gata later. .^_^.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

PS: If you're curious as to what that book cover's all about, may I invite you to a brief description of the story? Also, you may want to read up on the author May Tobias-Papa's creative process.

steampunk music can make things better

2011-01-06T05:23:00.003+08:00

I finally finished my first bag commission! I owe my thanks to Meream's tute.

This baby (cat not included) will go to Guia, officemate and chum. Marching birdies!

Here's a view of the lining. I put in two pockets for pens.

I was truthfully quite surprised to discover how easy these bags were to make. I reckon I'll make more and experiment with them in the future.

This bag would also not have been possible without the music of Jordan Reyne. I discovered her just an hour ago, and I am hooked. Her music reminds me of Paula Cole, if only edgier and graver. Here, have a listen for yourself. This would certainly be great music to sew to when I start trying my hand at making steampunk-inspired apparel.

Now! Sleep!

Video time: The Stop Motion Art of Barry J. C. Purves.

2011-01-05T02:08:00.006+08:00

Stop Motion. I'm glad to say that I grew up on stop motion as a kid. I remember relishing the movie The Golden Voyage of Sinbad for its stop motion sequences -- a stone statue of Kali coming to life and dancing, Sinbad's battle with the creature, and the rivetting death match between a cyclopean centaur and a griffin. I cheered for Pegasus and held my breath with Medusa and the Kraken in Clash of the Titans (1981). When I later discovered Operavox, Stop Motion meant the light-hearted, happy-endinged Barber of Seville.

with Rigoletto, however, things were different. Very seriously different.

As the chilling story came to a close, I thought, "Good lord, I didn't know you could also do that with Stop Motion!" Absolutely mind-blowing, it was.

Three years later, I soon discovered who Mr. Barry J. C. Purves was, and the astounding work he'd done through the years.

Sir Will Shakespeare gives a quick run through of his plays for a most unusual audition. Can you identify all of them? I could only recognize fifteen.

A story of two lovers, based on a tale of the Willow pattern. Caveat: Proceed if puppet love does not offend you. Mature audiences welcome.

The tragedy of Achilles as a man, a fighter, and a lover. Caveat: Contains puppet nudity, intimacy, and violence. Mature audiences welcome.

To conclude, an interview with the artist himself on the art of stop motion, puppetry, and story-telling.

In the papers!

2011-01-04T23:43:00.000+08:00

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As promised in a previous post, I'm very happy to present a number of articles I've written (and one I've been written about) in our company's December edition newsletter!

In goDIY, there a few handy DIY gift ideas from me, and a bushel of tips from Jib on what to do with Christmas dinner leftovers.

In goMEET, Mardie writes about my crafting, and I write about AJ's. Such a lovely chain that makes. Be sure to read up on the rest of the creative, crazy-talented people on spotlight! I feel honored to share the same space they're in on this cyber-page.

In goWATCHandREAD, our guest writer reviews two flicks for the holidays, and we're posed the question: What's on your Christmas reading list?

and in Meet the Newsletter Team, we spill the beans from our preferred stocking-stuffers, who we want at our Christmas dinner table, and who we'd nab and smooch under mistletoe!

Thanks for reading and being happy with me!

Little, little sea people, and other stories

2011-01-04T22:54:00.005+08:00

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At present, days at the office have been rather slow. (Can you say four students or less a day?) That pretty much makes up for a lot of idle time. I decided to start a Sea Monkey Tank at my workstation, just to see how well they survive in an office environment. I used to take care of them as a kid, and I'm glad I found a kit just before Christmas at half the regular price. Huzzah!

What exactly are Sea Monkeys, you say?

From the Official Sea-Monkey Handbook:

Sea-Monkeys are a variety of Artemia which are crustaceans such as Brine Shrimp or Seed Shrimps. Their correct latin name is Artemia nyos ("after the New York Ocean Science Laboratories where the hybrid Sea-Monkeys were developed.")

A true MIRACLE of nature, Sea-Monkeys actually exist in SUSPENDED ANIMATION! While inside their tiny eggs - yet unborn, they burn the "spark of life" for many YEARS! The Instant-Life cyrstals in which the eggs are enclosed, preserve their viability and help to extend still further - their unhatched life span!...The name scientists have given this amazing rare process is "cryptobiosis" which means "hidden life".

So, there.

For a more entertaining explanation, here's a video:

Yay!

Right now, I'm at stage 2 -- the water has been purified and let stand for a day, and the Instant Life powder is now pretty much dissolved. Well, there's no activity yet, but with the kind of cold climate in the office, these little guys ought to come around in a day or two, so PATIEEEEENCE.

On the homefront, I'm glad to say I've begun taking commissions piece by piece. My dad sent home one of his well-loved drawstring pants for me to replicate and lengthen, and there's a notebook purse gal pal Guia had me make for her. they're both going to be first-time affairs, and I really am excited to start working on them. The pieces for the bag are mostly finished, lining, outer panels and all, and I just need to put them together and add a nice wrist strap.

Oh! and there's a Jayne Cobb Hat my colleague Stephanie asked me to make for her. First legit knitted hat, yo. Stephanie's enthusiasm is so infectious! She said "I'm so excited, it's not funny!" See what a cutie she is? I love it!

This is also going to be my second fandom item in the works, as my first one was a brain slug hat for Mik. Which I still have to finish. Which I still need yarn for.

Um.

Anyway! I'm glad to say things are looking up craft-wise.

<><><><><><><><><>

Oh, and PS: Er... My Lijit Recent Search says. "Physical Congress with Equine Quadrupeds." Seriously, guys? People look for the strangest things on this blog.

Formspring flood

2011-01-03T18:01:00.004+08:00

{source}

What's your favorite piece of clothing? How long has it been with you and are you still wearing it?

I'd say my converted jeans skirt. It's been with me ever since '07 or '08, and it still serves me well.

If your clothes could talk, what would they tell you?

"give me a rest already!"

Do you crochet? where do you buy worsted yarns, that can be used in making scarves & sweaters? also crochet hooks? (metro manila, philippines) thanks!!

I get most of my goods from Dreams in Greenbelt 5. They usually have everything for knitting or crochet, from pretty or yummy yarn, to hooks and needles of all sizes, to the accessories that go with them!

What was breakfast? :D

Hmmm... Mixed Tempura bento from Tokyo tokyo.

What is your favorite game of all time? Could be something physical like patintero, a board game like chess or monopoly, could be a video game. Anything :)

Off the top of my head -- Warriors Orochi 2.

What is the best thing a friend could do for you when you're feeling blue?

Take me out to play hooky to an undiscovered but fun place, discover new things and enjoy new experiences.

What's your mantra?

always keep learning; always find a way.

What's the best gift you've given from the past Christmas seasons?

Heating pillows, and boxes of Dezato Mochi for the relatives in the family.

Do you drink wine? On what occasions do you drink wine?

Usually on celebrations, and someone else pops open a bottle.

If for 15 minutes, it's going to rain food, what would you like for the heavens to pour down? Maximum of 3 kinds of food, please.

sushi! cheeseburgers! bibingka galapong!

What's the best stress reliever you know?

My kitten Mink, and writing in my paper journal.

Good morning! Coffee, tea, juice, milk?

milk tea, please. Would be great if it were macha milk tea.

If money was not an issue, what would you rather be doing with your life?

crafting, sewing, cooking, traveling, ad taking pictures.

What wild animal would you like to have as a pet?

A sugar glider, or a hedgehog. Or a ferret. My house isn't very big, so much as I'd want a wolf , I don't think it'd be conducive for his exercise. Small mammals are great. :)

Which artistic talent do you wish you possesed?

Drawing, hands down.

Ask me anything

Holidays 2010: The Season That Was

2011-01-03T04:32:00.004+08:00

The events that defined this past year's holidays for me:

-- Taking a trip to far-away Aduana to have the sewing machines repaired.

-- Seeing my articles and interviews published in our company's newsletter. More on this in a latter post.

-- Getting together with my dad's side of the family again.

-- watching the second episode of How Art Made the World and a portion of a Bhutan film with my dad.

-- Grandma-sitting, and ordering delicious pizza for her on her birthday.

-- hot bibingka.

-- Seeing my boyfriend's cousins blush and giggle over this naughty-cute video.

-- Relief from an excruciating case of GERD with pats and backrubs from the boyfriend.

-- An impromptu visit to a hospital, and the delicious, cozy dinner that followed.

-- Chillaxing at home.

-- Getting reacquainted with Bernina -- she lives! -- and getting the hang of sewing on her hyper-speed setting.

-- Making furoshiki, and wrapping my presents with them.

-- Going with James to see RPG Metanoia, and being pleasantly and surprisingly wowed by the movie experience. Two thumbs up to the writer and animation team! You make us Pinoys proud of you!
-- Taking Mink with me to spend New Year's with my dad and grandmother.

-- Cooking tuna and garbanzo spaghetti at my dad's request.

eight cloves garlic, crushed ♥ two small onions, chopped ♥ two cans of tuna in vegetable oil ♥ one small can of garbanzos (chick peas) ♥ three packs of medium-sized sweet-blend spaghetti sauce ♥ tabasco or ground chili (optional) ♥cooked pasta

Heat skillet until smoke is visible. Add oil drained from tuna cans. Sautee garlic and onions until onions are transparent. Add garbanzos, let cook for a few minutes. Add tuna. Add sauce from three packets. Let simmer for five minutes; add tabasco or chili to taste. Simmer, then serve over hot, al dente pasta.

-- Launching flying paper lanterns with him at the strike of New Year midnight.

-- Watching Mink transfixed on my dad's birds, seeing them for the first time in her life.

-- Bonding with my aunts, and introducing them to the fabulousness of RuPaul's Drag Race.

-- Having an attitude of gratitude, and sticking with it in 2011.

And to all a good night!

2010-12-25T03:34:00.002+08:00

[source]

Happy holidays!

May we celebrate and be thankful for the things in life we truly live for. Peace on earth, and goodwill to all men!

These holidays, I am thankful for...

2010-12-25T02:43:00.001+08:00

... family reunions big and small.

.. good food shared with great company.

... unexpectedly geeking out and squeeing with fabulous cousins and friends, gay, straight, and more.

... a pint-sized princess of a kitten.

... the feel of yarn and kitting needles.

... heaps of pretty, pretty fabric to play with.

... pretty, pretty Christmas lights.

... Sea monkeys.

... discovering and enjoying the past decade's TV shows for the first time.

... RuPaul's Drag Race Seasons 1 and 2..

... surprise packages from relatives across the globe.

... hanging out sleepless with good friends, and talking about silly things.

... the hand-made goodies that come with said friends. ^_^"

... friends who get me with books, videos, links, and more food for thought.

... friends I share girl time, secrets, and crafting joys with.

... learning from online buddies.

... scrumptious old-fashioned bibingka galapong ang puto bumbong.

... sewing machine hijinks and conundrums, for clarity of thought.

... flying paper lanterns to try out with my dad come New Year's.

... delicious food discoveries, and sharing them with loved ones.

... a job I love, and great bosses who cheer me on to do my best.

... exploration and inspiration, in all forms.

... a mom who supports me in my decisions 100%.

... a dad who teaches me wisdom and balances me out.

... long, restful naps.

.. anime series marathons.

.. escapes to comic and anime conventions, and making mundane tasks a joy to do.

... cuddle time.

... crunch time.

... a wonderful and amazing partner who makes all the above possible, and makes life an adventure.

... permission from the Universe and myself to enjoy life, to pick myself up after a stumble and laugh it off, to shine, and to feel good about myself.

There are probably so many other aspects of my 2010 that I do feel thankful for, but elude me at the moment. For all these, and so much, much more, I am grateful.

What are you thankful for these holidays?

Fire teh laz0rs!

2010-12-20T13:50:00.002+08:00

Meet my new surveillance and security system.

Mink has taken her aptitude for climbing a few feet further, and has breached the eight-foot high firewall. This is now her second favorite spot, where she can enjoy the chilly breeze and annoy the hounds next door from somewhere safe.

She will also not hesitate to disable intruders on sight. You have been warned.

Of course, she does come down to behave like a sweet little kitty again, but only when she wants to.

Mink, further annoying the dogs.

Mink inspecting our neighbor's side of the matter.

They speak not against her, and that pleases her. Greatly.

For now, only a constant offering of kibbles and cuddling can placate this --eherm-- ferocious beast. Indeed, what is to become of us?

Sequins and Paint: Behind the Scenes

2010-12-20T03:44:00.005+08:00

12-05-10; Sunday -- Decided the paper-quilling idea might be too risky and time-consuming, and settled on a mask curtain to work within the time and resources available at the moment. James reinforced the mask curtain idea, and calmed me down every time I went haywire and anxious. Bought the materials; had forgotten how jam-packed crazy malls can be in December.

12-06-10; Monday -- Received word from HR -- we finally have great ceiling swags for the venue! Prettier venue, and sort-of less work for me. Was given the Go signal to bring the materials to the office and start working in one of the small meeting rooms.

12-07-10; Tuesday -- Hauled materials to the office. Working space was a cute little meeting room called Boracay. Bright, quiet, private, and verrrrrry cold. Happily spent most of my break time there; much more thankful for long stretches of lesson-free hours and curious company.

Very, very thankful too for good friends who were very happy to help out and see projects like these as play-time. Great conversation and tips and giggles made the work lighter. Days in the sun are reserved for people like these.

Painting time felt very much like happy, light kindergarten days. I like remembering it that way.

Boss Cindy also came over to check on us -- Jiselle, AJ, and I. She said, "Wow! That really looks like a lot of fun." "We're playing," I reply. "Want to join?" She looks longingly at the mess of paints and brushes and glue and glitter and sequins, then back to her office, then back to us, then back to the office, and very bravely says, "Um... just like kids say: I need to study, eh." :( Aaaw, boss. Would've been great if she could have sneaked out for a few minutes to paint with us, though. :)

Jiselle, AJ, and I decided to call it a day at 6:am. Still had lessons to give at 4:00pm the same day, after all.

Jiselle and I; 5:30am the next day.

AJ inspecting her new tattoo; 5:30am the next day.

12-08-10; Wednesday -- Rinse, and repeat. Came to work, gave lessons, retreated to Boracay for quiet painting and gluing. Jiselle was on holiday, and AJ popped in every now and then to paint when I was away. Managed to loop another co-worker, JV, into our fun mess. He gave about three or four of the masks a grand Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso treatment. Aj joined in after her lessons; great conversation and laughs ensue. Went home at 6:00am again.

12-09-10; Thursday -- Forgot it was a Thursday,and realized waaaay later that painting and decorating the masks was about 90% done. Ergo, no need to get in a tizzy. Was thankful Olive, one of our training admin., offered to paint some of the masks during her free time. I found it a cheerful thing to share some happiness in painting the masks for fun with her. Managed to go home and rest up for the first time in a long while.

12-10-10; Friday -- Day before the big day. Rushed to the office at 10:00am so Rosie from our HR Department and I could pick up the tarpaulin backdrop for the stage, and finally decide and prep the areas to decorate. Did our best to grab some shut-eye in the company van. Arrived on-site. The ceiling swags were set up; the hanging crystals and the sweeping cloth was gorgeous. Rosie and I decided with a ceiling like this, it'd be best if we invested the masks as a wall, and maybe a line to frame one side of the slideshow projection. After a quick lunch, we set to work setting up the nylon threads. Am very thankful Rosie is used to heights on a ladder. She told me she used to be a cheerleader in high school and college.I think that's neat.

Light of Love truly is an amazing place. the walkways, the manicured hedges, abundance of trees, greenery, and quiet pleasantness provided a welcome retreat from the hubbub of the city. The lamp lights made me catch my breath, and everything else followed suit. I couldn't help but think to myself: this would be a perfect site for a photo shoot of my gothic lolita line. Well, one day.

Just to give you an idea, here's a quick view of what the venue really looked like. Featured in the photos will be Miss Rosie, ever-chic, can-do, and making our HR the awesome department it is:

12-11-10; Saturday -- James and I retired as soon as we could to face the long night ahead of us. We packed our party clothes and our masks, managed to put some food into ourselves, and hied off to Eastwood to catch the earliest shuttle trip to the venue. James put up with quite a lot with me around; I can be such a terrible klutz at times, but I am so thankful for his constant support and encouragement.

We arrived in good time, and found unexpected changes in the floor plan. No matter, we could easily adapt and find ways around it. we taped up on the remaining nylon threads, as well as decorated the beer station and the air-conditioners. this meant me climbing on seats, running around, and squeezing into crannies, and James patiently tearing tape, sticking them onto the masks, peeling off the backing, and handing mask after mask to me as I needed.We managed to finish all 77 masks -- 77! Soon as we were done, we left to freshen up and dress for the event.

Our job was done, and all we needed to do now was kick back, and enjoy the rest of the night. The wall could fend for itself, and well, it's up. Best be happy with what we could do. ^_^*

James and I in masks.

Alliver and PJ.

Monette, Florence, and Joy Anne in front of the wall. <3

(as borrowed from Florence)

The wall at the end of the night.

Looking back, I find a part of me wishing I could've done more. Made prettier or more elaborate masks; cover the walls with them, maybe even have the staff wear smaller versions. Anything. Everything, just better. At the end of the day, I guess the most important thing really is that everyone at the party had fun. If they admired the wall or thought it'd make a great backdrop, or even nicked a few of the masks to take home as souvenirs, great! That's icing on the cake for me, and I am grateful for that kind of appreciation. If not, ah well, that's that. I'm just grateful to have accomplished what I was tasked to do, and do it as best I could.

My heart and thanks go out to dear friends who have lent their time, creativity, hands, ears and what-have-you to the conclusion of this project. Thanks to them, I was saved from frayed nerves, anxiety attacks, and fainting, and am still here typing away at this post. My thanks go out to our HR department and Boss Cindy for being so supportive and encouraging to the very end.

In the end, that's that. This is a first, I think. Maybe not the first in many assignments, or maybe yes, but definitely a first. It's alright, I guess. ^_^*

Weekend-long after-party glow, sort of.

2010-12-13T04:51:00.000+08:00

{photo by Leo Lambert David}

Party's done. So much work, so many happy people, so much fun.

I'm happy to say James and I have now sort of recuperated from this past Saturday's escapade, and I'm just so glad the party turned out quite grandly.

More details to come, once a few things are in order.

Isn't Leo's shot lovely? ^_^*

Decembers are busy.

2010-12-04T22:33:00.004+08:00

{source}

Hi everyone. After a super-busy week at work, here I am. Just give me a second, and I'll stop vibrating.

Alright.

In the course of the past two weeks, two rather interesting things have happened to Yours Truly.

The First: I am now a part of our company's newsletter team. Horray, horray! I am currently working on three articles -- two are profiles on AJ's crafting and Mon's armor-making, and another is a short list of DIY gift ideas. I'm glad to say the first article is now done and waiting in the wings for layout work, and the DIY gifts article is in the middle of pruning. I now have a new-found respect for an editor's lot -- fitting important information and panache into a few paragraphs is no joke! All in all, it's good to be writing again.

The Second: our HR head has recruited me to help decorate the venue for our year-ender Christmas party.

The venue is HUGE. I'm really glad we managed to find a supplier for decorative ceiling swags and other accouterments. At present, I'm assigned to decorate the stage's backdrop. I'm thinking of experimenting with paper quilling, albeit on a larger scale. This Flickriver gives me a number of interesting ideas.

The theme for the party is a masquerade, and the motif colors are magenta and gold. Hmmm. A challenge, but not an unsurmountable one. I've a mind to also use other shades of red and purple, and maybe work in some cream. Well, we'll see.

Update: I think I may have to scrap the paper quilling idea in favor of something simpler. Thinking of making a curtain of masks. We'll see.

Dream Journal: The P2k Transformer

2010-12-03T03:20:00.001+08:00

I woke from a rather pleasant dream Monday morning, and I'm going to write it down just so I won't forget about it. Or get back to it in case I do.

I was looking through the different wares of a flea-market-cum-used-car-dealership that popped up in Cubao. (Don't ask me. Dreams are interesting that way.) Much to my surprise, I found an old car with this interesting pewter-pinkish paint job. Half of the hood was painted in black, and the block of black was amusingly edged in tiny scallops. It made me think this must have what Nissans looked like in the 80's, albeit its edges were slightly rounder.

Oh, and the car went for P2,000. Verrrrry odd.

for some reason, I felt it was going to be a good deal, so I bought it anyway. I had no idea how I took it home, but one minute, I was looking up at a nine-foot tall Transformer where my car used to be.

Wow. Well. I'm going to have to hide him, aren't I?

He didn't look like any of the transformers I was familiar with. Now that I think about it, he looked like he had an Optimus Prime face on a Megatron body with a pewter Starscream helmet.

Oh, and he behaved nothing like the three. this 'bot was a big, bashful hunk of metal. curious too. He'd get curious about a streetlight, and try to gently prod it with his finger, break it, and end up hiding and quaking underneath his hands. Poor guy.

Now I wonder how I managed to get him past the gasoline depots without arousing his curiosity. Talk about getting a big pet.

Under the almost-December weather

2010-11-24T20:37:00.004+08:00

{source}

Hello, loves. Feeling rather wan and unwell today, which is kind of a perfect match to the changing climate.

Work+chores+socialcalls+minutemishaps+frustrations is the wolf, and a weakened constitution makes for lambchops. One of these days, I will kill this wolf, skin it and have it warm my sickbed while I smile beneath it in satisfied, unabashed, and dark glee.

Fear makes the wolf look bigger than he is -- German proverb

I will conquer this monster. In good time.

For now, I will try keeping work light, and resting more. Perhaps finishing the latest Ureshii post will help. Maybe knitting will. Maybe. We'll see.

Video Time: Of Fugues, Gavottes, and Pop Culture

2010-11-04T00:04:00.004+08:00

We interrupt this work shift with two delightful improvisational renditions of cult classic tunes.

First, a Combination of the James Bond and Pink Panther Themes As a Double Fugue.

Next, The Muppets Theme in a Bach Fugue.

And lastly, The Star Wars Theme In The Style of a Baroque Gavotte.

This just in! a sweet piece spied by Miss uttate: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a Bach Fugue.

Thank you all, and good night.

Falsies are luff

2010-11-03T05:45:00.002+08:00

So, I'm beginning to have a thing for falsies. And makeup.

Oh Ellana, how I love you true.

It's a good feeling to have, knowing you look gorgeous. It's a better feeling when your man beams with pride and adoration at you from across the table. Oh, my little heart!

But falsies. Oh, wonderful, wonderful falsies, how they make the eyes pop and have an air of glamour and sultriness. That, plus the right eye makeup and lip color can make you look quite the lady!

Wearing falsies doesn't really hurt at all. They can feel weird at first - like have a giant butterfly land on your eyelid, like what Miss Kandee Johnson said -- but once the glue dries and you spend some quality time with them, you'll barely notice they're even there.

Now here's how to wear false eyelashes.

Now, I do look forward to wearing falsies when I can. The ones I'm wearing in the picture above are regular ones, but I secretly hope to come across ones just like Jujubee's.

Yyyeah, you get the idea.

Oh! and Quiz Quiz!

Your rainbow is strongly shaded violet.

What is says about you: You are a creative person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Production in Process

2010-11-02T22:53:00.004+08:00

Hi, everyone. Here are the pictures I took of the costume in the making. I'll most probably be making a list of things I could have improved on at the end of each item. This is also going to be a long, pic-heavy post. All the same, I hope you enjoy your perusal.

The challenges I set for myself were:

A time limit. I gave myself a month to finish the entire project. This was important since I had to balance an eight-hour Monday-to-Friday job as well. Then there's also weekends off, since this was rest and couple time. It didn't help when I fell ill for most of the first half of the month, leaving me with mostly two weeks to put together the petticoat, corset, peasant top, and both skirts.
I must make use of whatever materials I already had on hand. since I am (mostly) a compulsive crafting shopper, the materials I had accumulated over time more or less satisfied most of my needs. Which brings us to...
Expenses. I must not spend more than Php 1,000.00 ($18.00 to $20.00) for extra items and accessories. This includes tights, jewelry, extra fabric and nuances (if necessary), and so on.

Next Time:

- Use Organza instead of tulle. The poof organza offers has a longer life and staying power compared to tulle.

- For ample-hipped ladies like myself, set the top layer of the petticoat on the first hip level, not the waist. this will give the petticoat (and the skirt you eventually wear over it) a nice gentle slope downward. The short fluff set on the waist tend to give the skirt a Fathingale-like effect.

Detail shot of the underskirt.

You might surmise that this is upholstery material.

You are absolutely right.

Next Time:

-- To achieve the conical shape of the original Atelier Boz creation, make it a circle skirt. On the other hand, it might not get the same layout of the raised woven pattern on the material as if it had been pleated from a long parallelogram.

-- Have a care to check the evenness of the hemline, front to side to back to side to front again. This is definitely going to show with a petticoat underneath the skirt.

-- Have a care with folding hems too. It's often easier to let out a too-short hem with ample extra cloth than it is with a tiny fold-in hem.

~*~*~*~

For the corset, the peasant top, and the over-skirt, I made do with Lacoste Cotton.

No, I did not put her there. She just wants more huggles, and a cheeseburger while I'm at it.

the Front Shell of the corset.

"Cuddle time! Because I says so!"

Again, since there is no steel boning in the available Philippines, sewable boning would make the next best item to use. (Better than the stick plastic boning, in my opinion.) although it might not have the body-shaping abilities of its metal counterpart, it makes for sturdy construction and and gives excellent support. Since you can sew on the boning itself, it does away with sewing channels to slip boning into. I still have to experiment with combining plastic stick boning and sewable boning on a corset, but that's going to be another story for another time.

the Back Shell of the corset.

In the absence of available busks in the Philippines, I had to make do with a plastic jacket zipper (thank the gods for Japanese Php99 stores). Mon later told me plastic was a good call. A metal zipper's teeth has a higher chance of getting derailed or split with the constant pressure put on them once the corset is laced up properly (read: snug-tight). More over, they may require constant oiling, and run the risk of ruining both the fabric of the corset, and the fabric of the top or dress worn underneath the corset.

James Asis, a good friend of James, took some time from his computer repair job to help jimmy up a makeshift system to install grommets/eyelets. Unfortunately, it proved to be too time-consuming, and it risked damaging the fabric of the corset. We soon opted to fall back on D-rings. I am still very grateful to Asis for the effort, the brain-power, and the willingness to experiment and aim for success. I am quite lucky to have good friends in my man's friends.

"And it is a problem with me being in here because...?"

~*~*~*~

Testing the corset the morning after.

Next Time:

-- Invest in sewable boning. I initially bought five meters of the stuff, thinking I'd have some left over enough for another corset. Turns out only a few inches remained from this project. At Php 55.00 (about $1.00) a meter, it's all worth it.

-- Set the boning with the concave side (or the inner curve) facing the body. It will straighten out once laced tightly, and will give a neater silhouette.

-- Count the D-rings (or in the future, grommets), and make sure one side mirrors the other. if you'll notice in the picture above, the left side has ten D-rings, while the right side has eleven. I think I was particularly sleepy when I made the left D-ring panel.

-- Practice, practice, practice lacing up a corset properly. Note: You do not lace a corset up like a tennis shoe! This usually only happens in wedding gowns, but not corsets. Since it's situated on your waist area, you will want the tightest area to be around there. Hence, the special lacing. Here's a guide on how to lace a corset properly.

Here's how to lace a corset for someone else.

And here's how to lace yourself into one.

The peasant top was finished in a single sitting (4:00am - 8:30am.). Now I wish I had a dress form with poseable arms.

Aaaaand I forgot to take pictures of the overskirt as a work in progress. Wunderbar.

However, I did manage to take pictures of it on the underskirt.

Do pardon the unshod, cankley feet.

The ruffles are actually one long strip of cloth box-pleated and pinned. I wonder if this would have looked better had the strip been wider?

Next Time:

-- Make the overskirt slope lower and steeper... perhaps just to expose about three or four inches of underskirt.

-- See how the back dips an inch r so lower than the hem of the underskirt at the back? Like this? Yes,. Aim to replicate that next time. If this underskirt looked like a Giant C, this one must look like a more pointed C.

-- A circle skirt overskirt goes with a circle skirt underskirt. again, try to work that out. Maybe with dupioni silk next time?

Well, that's about it for the production pictures. Thanks for looking, everyone. If you liked this, or have something to say, don't hesitate to leave a note in the comments below. Have a great day!

Denouement.

2010-10-31T03:46:00.007+08:00

2 weeks of illness.

2 weeks of hard work.

20 yards of cloth.

2 fat spools of thread.

5 meters of boning.

2 Seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race.
1 Season of Drag U.
3 Ali Project albums on the mp3 player.

Hours and hours of working late into sun-up,

not to mention tensions running high with frustration, anxiety, nervousness, and sheer dumb determination.

Was it all worth it?

taken by Francis Botavara.

taken by Cay Camarillo.

Yes, I do believe so.

I'm very happy to say that the Atelier Boz replica for the company Halloween party is finally finished -- petticoat, underskirt, over-skirt, corset, and peasant top. While I do admit it looks nothing like the original, I can say that I have notes a mile long on things I could have improved on or done better, and I'm happy to say I've learned from the whole experience.

It was great receiving the oohs and aahs of fellow trainers. The exchange that often followed was this:

Co-trainer: So, where did you buy this?

Me: Oh no, I made it myself.

Co-trainer: Wow, really? Like, the skirt?

Me: No, all of it.

Co-trainer: *stunned silence* All of it?

Me: *turn around to slowly show everything*

Co-trainer: *stunned silence*.... seriously?

Me: Yes.

Co-trainer: Even the corset? Is that a real corse... Oh my god.

Me: Yes, this one too. It's real; here, touch it. *takes co-trainer's hand to touch the boning and the lacing*

Co-trainer: Can you even breathe in that thing?! Seriously?

Me: Oh yes, certainly. See? *brings co-trainer's hand to feel my midsection moving with breath*

Co-trainer: Oh god. Well, If you collapse, we'll have an ambulance ready, okay?

When asked who I was, I simply said, "well, I'm not sure. Give me a name. What do you think?" I've gotten the most interesting responses and reactions to that question throughout the night. I've been called an evil doll, a vampire, a noblewoman. Friends have asked me where my broom was ("because it's going to be cuter with a broom!"), and where I hid my whip or riding crop. AJ told me I reminded her of Hildegarde from the manga Beelzebub. Moki, my distant cousin and good friend, told me I was the vampire Queen Sophia of New Orleans. (a pox on me for forgetting about Vampire: The Masquerade lore.) My gal pal Joanne were either playing with my overskirt, poking the poofiness of my skirt in glee, or checking every now and then if I was still alive, well, and responsive in the corset! Haha!

Jandy, another good friend and married man, gave me a playful low growl hen I gave him a curtsy. On our way down to pick up snacks at a nearby 7-11, he took my arm, looked earnestly into my eyes, and said, "will you please bite me?" Haha!

I am very thankful I have great friends. Aj helped me lace up my corset properly (and I thought, "oh, so that's how tight this corset ought to be. I can still breathe, good. I think."). Anna lent me some of her black eyeshadow, encouraged me through the night, and dragged me to the makeshift photo studio Francis had set up to have our pictures taken. (I really am grateful she insisted I go with her; I might not have had the guts to do so if not for her!)

I'm thankful to Ditas for pointing me in the right direction, and making my corset leaps and bounds easier to draft, and helping me to freak out less over it. I'm thankful to James Asis for helping out fix the computer, and doing everything in his power to jimmy up a makeshift grommet-setting system, even when it wasn't a part of the day's itinerary. I am also thankful to Cindy, who has been the most supportive and encouraging boss through this entire endeavor. I feel so happy and lucky to have wonderful friends like Clair, Ligaya, Oui, Jac, and more for all the encouragement, notes, and love.

And there's James, who has been silently cheering me on in the background, giving me strength, taking care of me when my body gave way, and who gave me space and time to work on my own. I am thankful, and I do feel very loved and cherished.

After the party, I decided to surprise my grandmother by showing up at her front door in this ensemble at four in the morning. she usually wakes up at that time, and I thought it'd be a nice surprise for her. It felt so good, seeing her face light up in surprise. Mama S is a seasoned Theater artist, and knows the ins and outs of on-stage and off-stage work. She saw and appreciated the entire costume on so many different levels in one viewing. She didn't care if I didn't win the Best Costume prize that night. She told me what was important was I finished what I set out to achieve, and that I made all of this myself. "This is creativity right there, that's Theater" she said. That made my heart swell.

Production pics will follow soon. For now, I'm just really happy that Halloween Night was a success -- pictures were taken, everyone had fun, yummy food was a-plenty. My heart and thanks go out to Francis (or Fleeb, as we fondly call him), for making everyone look grand that night.

Here's more of my friends, and Fleeb's awesome work:

Jump shot.

Elluz Macalinao as Spartacus: Redux.

AJ as Rorschach. She painted that mask of hers with poster paint. She had some difficulty seeing her way through, but wow! What dedication!

Moki as a soldier. For some reason, This shot makes me think of Street Fighter.

Mon being awesome as Oddjob.

Anna as Stitch, deciding to have a plump truffle in black and burgundy for dinner.

Mon and I, beating up a poor, defenseless Moki.

"The Bourgeoisie reign supreme! On your knees, military dog!"

Thanks for looking. Stay tuned for the production photo-dump and notes for improvement next post. If you liked this post or have something to say, let me know in the comments section below. Have a great one!

Errata: Vampire Queen Sophie was from True Blood! True Blood! This is what I get for not watching TV. *foreheadpalm*

It Gets Better.

2010-10-28T19:37:00.006+08:00

The Night before Opening Night.

2010-10-28T13:28:00.001+08:00

{source}

Or as we call it in the business, Hell Week. That's what it feels like for me now.

Hell Week was the climax of the entire pre-production process. The rehearsals, prepping the costumes, the props, the sounds, setting up the lights and the set, checking and double-checking everything, throwing lines... the works.

This was also the week of Dress Rehearsal too. The night before Opening Night, the entire play was run in full makeup, costumes, lights,and sounds, everything on and and played as if the audience were seated right in their seats. Everything had to be taut, impeccable, and final.

The Night before Opening Night.

That's what it feels like for me right now.

The entire costume is finally complete. In order of completion: The petticoat, underskirt, corset, peasant top, and over-skirt. the last two pieces were cobbled each in a single sitting. I still don't know how it happened.

Last night was the first time I got to get a full night's sleep and an hour more in a long time. That felt good.

So, all that's left now is to set and rehearse the hair and makeup. And deciding on the accessories. and prepping underwear -- tights, in particular. And preparing the costume for transport. the petticoat will provide a very interesting problem to be solved.

Here goes for Opening Night.

Wow, CBCP, seriously?!

2010-10-24T12:24:00.003+08:00

I'd like to take this chance to address an issue that's been seriously infuriating me for the past weeks. This involves a current political issue our country is facing now. If that's not your cup of tea, that's fine, there are other non-political blog posts here to entertain you, but or now, I've just got to speak my mind.

The issue of the Reproductive Health Bill.

About a month or so ago, the Church threatened the our president Noynoy Aquino with excommunication should he further push the bill to being passed. And later on, denied they ever did so.

Also, from one of the blog posts of Tobie, a good friend of mine:

Already, one protester against the Church's ineptitude has been thrown in prison under grounds of, get this, civil disobedience, and if found guilty can he locked up for up to 5 years.

Let me repeat that: The Church had a guy who protested against their views locked up.

This bill does not stop at distributing condoms and oral contraceptives to women who need them, regardless of economic standing. This bill also intends to educate people on smart sex education and women's rights.

Now, it seems the Church is set on committing civil disobedience if this bill be passed, and will not hesitate to spill blood if need be.

This is enough to make my own blood boil.

I was raised a Catholic, and although I am now an atheist, I am deeply ashamed and incensed that the Church that taught me what it is to be moral and human has now turned into this. It appalls me to think of the garbage that it teaches our children and budding young women. For shame!

Pass the RH Bill!

Caveat: This video is an opinionated view of the current situation -- but it nonetheless expresses how I feel about the issue the best.

Here's what could happen if the RH Bill is allowed to work in positive ways.

Hello, 27.

2010-10-19T18:00:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday to me.

Hello, world. I am now twenty-seven years and a few days old. I am also very proud to introduce to you Dining Table and Co. Dining Table and Co., say hi.

Hi!

Good, let's continue.

Dining Table and Co. were commissioned to Mang Julio at the beginning of the month. After two weeks, he delivered, and how.

The set itself is a rather large investment, one I'm still paying for, but I'm sincerely very, very happy with it. :)

The dining set design was based on the "Stubborn" design by Davin Larkin. James and I later decided to add backs to the chairs. Backs always need resting every now and then. It's good for your sitting posture, too.

The bench would have to be my favorite part of the set. Isn't she a beauty?

There. Perfect.

The table itself is six feet long and three feet wide, which means:

No more drafting and cutting cloth on the floor
More sewing space
A better kitchen working space
More space to serve meals and entertain guests with.

Without saying, I put all this lovely space to good use the morning of my birthday.

Clockwise, from the bottom: two bowls of hot rice, a glass of ice, soy sauce platter, a pitcher of white iced tea, steamed curry beef dumplings, my first birthday gift from PJ, and a mocha roll cake from Anata.

I've said it on my Facebook album, and I'll say it again here. I see better sewing and crafting days to come, as well as warm, happy dinners and lunches and breakfasts shared with family and friends. .^_^.*

James said my birthday was more of a practical home-centric birthday, and I agree with him. there's a certain comfort to staying home and relishing a home-cooked meal between the two of us, watching our line-up of shows and cuddling against the chilly winds.

A new, pearly-white wall clock now hangs from our dining room-living room wall. It has glow-in-the-dark numbers and hands, and the font is quite elegant. Hee.

I rarely post pictures of myself, but here's what I wore the next day to go shopping with James.

Purple-pink-pearls-petticoats is <3.

Happy window, happy room

2010-10-15T02:40:00.001+08:00

Pretty blankets can go a long way.

My bedroom, despite having only one window, is easily flooded by daylight. Having the head of the bed right under it (feng shui aside) is not a fun place to sleep in. This gets worse when (1) I have less than seven hours of sleep, and (2) The sun's blinkin' high, filling the room with light.

Well, we fixed that.

That up there is a flannel blanket fixed to the metal window frame with two powerful hard-disk magnets. We used this trick back in the day when we enjoyed sleeping on the cooler first floor of the house.

I like our bedroom now, I really do. It gives the room a nice warm glow. It's also not too hot in the afternoon. At night, the room is pitch-black. It keeps the room pretty dark even at five o'clock in the morning, making it easy for me to get some decent shut-eye.

I think the only puzzled member of the household would be Mink. Here she is, puzzling over how to get to them fun climbey grid window irons.

Curries, cookbooks, and memories

2010-10-08T04:27:00.006+08:00

{source}

It's 5 minutes to three in the morning. Five more minutes, and my three-day sick leave will officially be over. The ceramic crock of the slow cooker will cool, and the pork & apple curry in it will be stored and kept. I'm just sitting here, remembering the aroma the first floor smelled of a few hours ago.

The rich, warm scent of Indian curry takes me way back to when my age was still counted in single digits.

I remember -- back when we lived in New Manila, dinner felt like a special event at home. I have now very faint memories (but memories, nonetheless) of torta, tortang talong, fish sarciado, sinigang, accompanied by either plain or garlic fried rice.There were steaming tureens and oval platters piled high with food on the circular dining table, prompt at 7:00pm. Looking back, I'm not sure if it was because the table seemed terrifically wide to a six-year-old me (I now realize the table must have been seven or eight meters across), dinner was always a grand sight to see. At the end of every Sunday dinner, maja blanca always brought the week that was to a close, and heralded the beginning of a new one. Now that I think about it, perhaps I could say Sunday dinners held so much more meaning for me, much more than Sunday mass.

However, there were nights when I felt there must be something special going on, or something to celebrate about. I felt this, because Mama would come down to cook something special.

Indian curries. Savory, exotic dishes. Asian food.

Paneer Matar. Kofta balls -- in particular, Chotte Kofta. Vegetarian Nut Rice. Stuffed bell peppers and capsicums. Gado-gado (say it quickly, like gadogado). Chicken Satay. (I would be such a greedy little girl, slathering my mother's peanut sauce generously on rice -- not the veggies or the chicken skewers.) If we were lucky, there might even be some Indian sweets for dessert.

It was always Western food for Christmas -- the large roll of ham carved up, served with mint jelly or sweet applesauce, refreshing fruit salad, hot rolls, and perhaps the occasional Pâté, an office gift for my grandmother, "wishing the warmest holiday cheer to you and your family from ****." It boggled my six-year-old mind why anyone would want to add waxy, syrupy, colored gummy pieces to fruit cake. "Shouldn't they be a bit more fresh or soft if it they're to be in a fruit cake?" I often mused. I now confess to having a terrible weakness for the infamous cake, now I'm all grown up. (and now you know who to send your fruit cakes to, hehehe.)

New Year in our household, however, always had a balance of Asian and Western dishes, that same balance constantly being on the brink of an upset in the war for cultural food supremacy. (Needless to say, I always silently cheered on for the curries and the peanut sauce entrees. The Chinese members of the assembly -- being round fruits, pineapples, and persimmons -- could well enough fend for themselves. They had center stage in most our neighbors' homes, anyway.) Amid the loud whistles, booms, and rat-ttat-ttat-ttats, the golden showers of fire and house-shaking booms (quite literally, too), the polka dots, the jumping, and the shouting, I knew the coming year would be one grand adventure for me. Why?

Because the dinner the year was greeted with was excellence beyond words.

Right now, I still sit here, typing the morning away when I really ought to be snoring in bed. The pork and apple curry is now put away in the fridge. The tag hanging out of what was a mug of steaming lemon green tea now waves limp like a worn soldier. there's also a fork and saucer beside me, the yellow remnants of a curry tidbit to be soaped and rinsed away in a few. The pork was soft, and albeit too reduced for my liking, the sauce was worth licking the platter.

It will now officially be a week from my birthday, and I do feel as if I've begun taking baby steps celebrating it.

I do consider myself nothing short of lucky and immensely loved, that my mother decided to leave her Indian cookbooks in my care. Thinking about it makes my heart swell. I'd dare think she passed down her legacy to me, and I cherish the thought. Decades, heartache, growing pains have come and gone, and still, her love reaches me and hits home for me through the memories and the books. It's rather like an Amy Tan novel, only it's more real for me.

Mama, I hope this reaches you once upon a time in Washington State. I love you.

I still honestly don't know what to do on my birthday. No big plans. Nothing, really. But the curry certainly makes for an excellent start.

I can't believe this. No, I can do this.

2010-10-07T01:38:00.002+08:00

I am officially challenging myself again.

This is why I have kept quiet all this time. (As well as a need to rest, but well.) Ever had one of those times when you challenge yourself with a more difficult project, excitedly tell everyone about it, then you slowly end up losing steam and abandoning the idea altogether? Well, that.

Long story short.

This is what I'm making a replica of right now.

{source}

I am planning to replicate this ensemble from Atelier Boz in time for the company's Halloween party. The ensemble will be composed of four main pieces -- a full, black petticoat, the maroon underskirt, the black ruffled corset overskirt, and a peasant blouse (not shown, because that's just my idea.) Other items I plan to coordinate with this will be opaque black tights, black heels (or boots), and... that's all I can think of for now.

If I am insane enough, I will try to line this baby.

A headpiece or gloves might be interesting additions, but the outfit must come first.

The first bunch of stiff black tulle and lacoste cotton for the petti is all cut and hemmed, and the pattern for the overskirt's corset is already drafted. (I now realize that the front figure of the corset dips a bit below the waistline. Um. Must remedy that on the pattern.) I still have two other sets of tulle layers to hem. The maroon material -- which is actually rather light upholstery material, and I say so because of the diamond-flower embroidery -- and the tulle are all washed and prepped.

A lesson learned: It's rather important you wash your material before you start cutting and sewing. It helps to bring out the real texture of the cloth, and may perhaps save you from future heartache from running colors on a dress you slaved over.

Case in point -- I bought my tulle from three different establishments (whose names escape my fuzzy memory right now). They were all quite similar texture-wise, and they all stood up the same way with a pull. After a run through the washing machine, and (some lolitas may hate me for this) some fabric conditioner, Only one type of tulle retained its stiff texture. Ah.

Maybe I'll try using organza for my petticoats next time.

Having finally said all this, I can still hear my brain say "Holy shit, I am crazy". I am doing my best to counter the omgomgomgthisisbatshitcrazy feeling and take to heart a response from RuPaul: "Thank you for sharing, that was nice, but I'm just going to do this over here."

I don't know if this entire number will be ready for the halloween party, but I'm just going to do what I can.

Thoughts at 4:55 in the morning, before I turn in.

2010-09-28T05:11:00.000+08:00

{source}

Black.

Astra is always good.

Lacoste cotton, smooth like butter. Mmm.

Four stiff rows, and a wee one. Nice.

Hand-roll the hem. Think Labor of Love.

*Yawn*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And to think I was griping and grousing over ever getting started and getting things right.
Do what you can at given present. Be here. You only have one task to do right now. Just that one.
Yes.

Mooncup: a Review

2010-09-22T05:29:00.004+08:00

Hi everyone! Welcome to the blog's first ever product review! (Yay!) this post will be about my experiences and observations with the Mooncup. The post will also talk about some aspects about my period experience, but I'll do my best to not make it gross. (I promise!) I won't try to sell you anything, and if reviews aren't your thing, that's okay too. Feel free to scroll down and enjoy the other blog posts, or the links on the right. It's all good fun here. ^_^

On with the review!

The Mooncup is a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup designed for women of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life. It's packed in a box made of recycled carton, and comes with a mini-manual made of non-bleached paper and a cotton carrying case. there are two available sizes -- Cup A is best for ladies who have given birth or are above 30, and size B for ladies under 30, have not given birth, or have given birth via C-section.

My friend AJ had been talking to me about the benefits of using the Mooncup -- it's eco-friendly, non-messy, and feels barely-there when worn. These were really great features of the product, but I wanted to see how it would be good for me.

I was never a big fan of messy periods. Back when the red flag had been raised on me in sixth grade, I absolutely hated having to use napkins. They felt funny stuck up in my undies, and when most the adhesive at the ends had worn of by the end of the day, it sort of wiggled side to side as I walked. The insecurity of finding an ugly, maroon stain on my skirt ate me up, as did the dread feeling of bodily fluids getting everywhere, and bacteria making things go smelly. The horror!

I found immediate relief in tampons -- they were discreet, they stayed put, and did not dissolve into crumbly, smelly messes. No, tampons do not make you lose your virginity. No, tampons cannot get lost or stuck inside you. Yes, it's a cinch to know when you need to change one, and quite easily too.

Later on, my periods were growing shorter and shorter, and lighter and lighter. It was still great using tampons, but I felt bad about only using up one side or the tip of the cotton piece.

{source}

Due to my ovarian condition, I don't have periods as often as most ladies do. That means I don't really get to use up the entirety of the sanitary napkin or tampon. That also means my constant use of feminine hygiene cotton goes wasted, and contributes to landfill after landfill of garbage. I mean, think about it: in about a year, I'll probably have sent about six to ten packs of cotton wadding into the trash heap -- and most of that will probably be unused cotton.Add to that the amount of cotton other ladies all over the country send to their bathroom bins too. Yuck. Wastage.

So... I didn't like wasting materials, and I preferred to keep my private matters neat and clean. I think those were quite good reasons for me to try the Mooncup for myself.

Upon receiving the box, I pried the top open to gleefully inspect my wares. The cup, the manual, and the carrying case were clean, and rather nice-smelling. I personally liked the fact that the paper and cotton they used were recycled and unbleached.

The cup itself was rather light, but the silicon itself felt quite sturdy. I think the only way to potentially destroy the cup would be to cut it up with scissors or a knife - which would already be quite deliberate. Oh no, this object would last a lot of flexing and folding and pulling for years to come, and that's exactly how it's meant to be. the manual said this cup would last for five years maybe longer, which I think says quite a lot. (The price and material consumption of one menstrual cup for five years versus five years' worth of tampons and pads. Think about that.)

There were no sharp or uneven edges to the cup. If there ever was, I think I cold clip it carefully with a nipper, but I don't think it'd even be necessary.

Finally a my rare monthly! I carefully washed my Mooncup, sat on the porcelain throne, and relaaaaaaxed. (AJ boiled her Mooncup in water just to keep safe. This is also a very good idea.)

{source}

According to the manual, the Mooncup is supposed to be folded in half, then in half again, and holding tight, eased inside as far as it can go. Once released, the cup will pop painlessly back into shape around the cervix. Easy.

So I folded, once, twice. It was a little tricky keeping the Mooncup folded that way, but it was nothing two tries couldn't handle.

I eaaaaaased it in, guiding it with my finger, and slipped out. The cup had indeed unfolded, and was quite snug inside me. I felt a strange pressure coming from the cup's lips, like a big O, but truthfully, it helped take my focus off the cramping that came with my period. I think I can say it helped me deal with the pain a bit better.

The cup will hold an ounce of bodily fluids, so that means I could really just leave it in for the entire day on my lightest day, and only have to empty it once or twice on my heaviest days. Most ladies will usually only bleed about 2 ounces of menstrual blood in their entire cycle, roughly about three table spoons. That means less taking out and less popping back in, and less subjecting the cup to wear and tear.

I found it silly that I was actually excited(!) to check if the cup had indeed worked the way it should. "I have a drop! No, three drops! Yay!"

I think that if I had indeed had flowed heavily, the cup would still have not spilled any, even if I was running, engaging in sports, going about with my chores, riding a bike, or sleeping.

As soon as I snipped off the silicone "tail" at the base of the cup, it really did feel as if it wasn't there. The only thing that reminded me I was wearing my Mooncup was the now-faint O-shaped pressure inside me, but that was it.

Now, taking the cup out felt a bit odd, but it wasn't unpleasant. Seeing as the body of the cup was bigger than my entrance, I was a bit unsure if it would be painful.

Well. Only one way to find out.

I gripped the base of the cup with my thumb and forefinger (thank the designers for putting gripping ridges), and pulled geeeently. As the manual said, I pulled and tilted it just a bit for one lip to pop out before the other, and ---

Whoa. Well, that felt odd. Not painful, just odd. There was a slight popping sensation, but that was really just the cup unfolding. That's it. As expected, the cup was a little slimy from me, so I had to grip firmly.

It was a pleasant experience, learning how my body could actually accommodate and adjust to things. That's being a woman for you.

I'm glad that my Mooncup is quite easy to clean. Ideally, it's meant to be washed with soap and warm water before reinsertion. For now, I've found that wiping it off with tissue after emptying it works too, but I'd still recommend using a feminine wash when you get home. Feminine wipes might help too.

All in all, I'm really glad I decided to get a Mooncup for myself. I confess, I heartily recommend it to ladies who would care to listen. I know the idea of using this menstrual cup an be scary or weird at first, but it really just takes a bit of getting used to.

And that's about it. Thanks for reading this review, and I hope this has helped you some. For another perspective of the Mooncup, here's a review video from Ms. Laci Green.

For the more curious... what happens inside your body on your period?

The personal petticoat (Fin)

2010-09-21T01:25:00.000+08:00

It has been a long, tiring day. James and I woke rather early at 8:00am to have breakfast, play a few rounds on the Playstation 2, prep and step out for pre-shift lunch. It's Monday afternoons like this I wish would stretch into infinity. Just a few more minutes with him make things blissful.

I don't usually photograph myself in a state of undress, but it felt right.

The last layer of tulle on my hips make for the ever-elusive cupcake shape, a shape I never thought I'd enjoy. Oh but I do now. Quite proud of it.

I'm quite glad how well the petticoat retains its shape. Stand up, sit down, crushed in a jeep ride, laid out in a cab. All I need do is shake it out in the powder room.

Aj first saw this shot, and she loved it. It makes me feel like one of Fernando Botero's paintings. The nudes in particular.

I am fat. Fat is not necessarily a bad word; it's just like blonde or freckled or olive-skinned or curly-haired. I am rubensque, voluptuous, of flesh, hair and bone, and very, very much woman.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm glad to finally have a petticoat for myself. It will be a big help for me here on. I can finally base my skirts and dresses on it, to see if there's enough "fluff-room" to accommodate the petticoat, and so on. I've half a mind to tighten the waist, and maybe make a black one. We'll see.

The personal petticoat, première

2010-09-20T19:50:00.001+08:00

At last. It's done. I post.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

2:00 AM.

3:30 AM.

4:30 AM. I should've taken a hint.

5:00 AM.

Susan needs more padding to match mine. Let's not be too focused on a lady's shortcomings. A cushy tush is a joy indeed.

6:00 AM.

6:30 AM.

I need. Sleep.

The first layer.

the first layer in the office

to be concluded....

The Hobby Horse

Speak easy.

Sarah Kay -- If should have a daughter...

PROTECT IP -- How SOPA Breaks the Internet

Dear Ma, (or what I did throughout the last few months of 2011)

Thoughts.

Hello, 28.

Hey Mr. Taxi Driver

Brown eggs make me happy.

Life is fragile

Dusty dusty

A week at a time

Dear friends,

A quick hello from Donsol

Bertrand Russell on the clarity of thinking.

hajimemashite little tokyo

Phoooooooooooobltbltblt.

Ganbatte, Nippon!

The weeks that were. (Part 3)

The weeks that were. (Part 2)

The weeks that were. (Part 1)

Handwritten meme

A long overdue Valentine's Day story

Dad homework

Video time: Prague Astronomical Clock - 600th Anniversary Show

Superficiality, the pursuit of fashion, and coming to terms with myself.

Cook It! Sago-Mango Custard/ Ice Cream

Murder Presents.

Dear Universe,

Resolutions I can Keep

Bohol on my mind

Science Saved My Soul.

Cook It! Gambas a la Plancha

Cook It! Sago-Cheese Custard

Ooh-la-La Senza!

Palengke morning!

steampunk music can make things better

Video time: The Stop Motion Art of Barry J. C. Purves.

In the papers!

Little, little sea people, and other stories

Formspring flood

Holidays 2010: The Season That Was

And to all a good night!

These holidays, I am thankful for...

Fire teh laz0rs!

Sequins and Paint: Behind the Scenes

Weekend-long after-party glow, sort of.

Decembers are busy.

Dream Journal: The P2k Transformer

Under the almost-December weather

Video Time: Of Fugues, Gavottes, and Pop Culture

Falsies are luff

Production in Process

Denouement.

It Gets Better.

The Night before Opening Night.

Wow, CBCP, seriously?!

Hello, 27.

Happy window, happy room

Curries, cookbooks, and memories

I can't believe this. No, I *can* do this.

Thoughts at 4:55 in the morning, before I turn in.

Mooncup: a Review

The personal petticoat (Fin)

The personal petticoat, première

I can't believe this. No, I can do this.