127 hours

127 hours..... I don't like the movie. It's dragging from the moment James Franco "Aaron" fell from the canyon and his arm was trapped from a fallen boulder. How he survived is something worth learning though. His determination keeps him moving. A true to life story of courage and will power. But sorry I did not enjoy watching the film. Moral lesson of the story... always tell someone where you are going and never forget your cellphone!!! I rate this move 1 star.

Just Go with It

Hilarious movie! Adam Sandler "Danny" once again proved how good he is in making people forget problems even for just 1.5hrs. Jennifer Aniston "Katherine" oh how I love to have those locks and body. She still look fabulous but you can see that she aged a little bit. Bailee Madison "Maggie" is charming. She acts well, I love the English accent. Griffin Gluck "Michael" is a little mob kid..funny. Those two kids are adorable, simple blackmailers! haha! Nicole Kidman "Devlin" the name speaks for itself. Nick Swardson "Eddie" also gives a handful of laughing acts. And ofcourse, Brooklyn Decker "Palmer" who can resist the face, the body, the height, the hair. An epitome of  youthful beauty. It's nice how the movie ends. Danny finding himself in love with Katherine...a classic love story about friendship. Sometimes we tend to ignore the people around us...we keep on looking for someone else not knowing that the one for us is the person who is always there from the very start. I rate this movie..... 4 stars.

SMEG and ZAO

I just so love SMEG. I swear if we're going to build our own house am going to save even if it means that no shopping for me just to have a budget for it. My mom is so lucky that my dad gives her the best. She's a good cook though, compare to mwah. And am pleased to choose in her behalf the items that will be mounted in their (ours coz' technically we're still leaving with them) kitchen.

After issuing a check to Mondo Cucina (sole distributor of SMEG here in Manila). My tummy crumbles, asking for food perhaps. So we went to the ground level of Serendra and look for a restaurant. The search starts with UNO, a semi fine dining which serves great steak. Then there's Mary Grace, Contis, Murray and D'vine, Mamou, Sentro 1771, etc....choices are unlimited compare to Alabang area. We end up eating at Zao Vietnamese Bistro. I don't know what is with Vietnamese food that we keep on longing for the taste. Maybe we are just becoming a health conscious eater. I am so in love with their rice noodles. I did not order one though. Pho Hao is where we always dine in Alabang. That's why I just agree with Alvin when he decided not to order the soup. Mapaiba naman....

Pomelo Salad with shrimp, pork & fresh herb (my choice)

Fresh Rolls with pork, shrimp, noodles, beansprouts, greens and peanut dipping sauce (my choice)

Seafood Rice cooked in claypot (my choice)

Chicken Satay (my choice)

Deep Fried CatFish with spicy ginger fish sauce (definitely not my choice) kay Alvin po ito!!!

I am coming to Europe!

A plan was made instead of having a grand party for my mom's 60th birthday. They will go with my brother and his wife lea to Europe. As usual it will be the "big five" (Mr. Talusan was replaced by my sister hazel) papa, mama, tito vic, tita tess and hazel. Yes, I am not included in the plan. I felt bad!:( and when i found out that it might be my parents last trip in Europe (coz' my dad said he can't handle long trip anymore, he easily get bored...)I asked alvin's permission if I can go with them. He will be left here with Oscar. He said yes. And I told them I am coming. So I am coming to Europe.

But it's still 50-50 as we don't have the schengen visa yet. Pls. Lord bless us with the visa. For now here are some of the places I want to see...

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

The Colliseum

The Vatican City

Rialto Bridge

"Instruction for Life"

As i was scanning Chuvaness's archive i saw this blog and i can't resist not to re-post it. I so love Dalai Lama....

INSTRUCTION FOR LIFE
by Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. (AMEN!)

3. Follow the three R's:
Respect for self
Respect for others
Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. (i know! :D )

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
(I tried not...but someone did!)
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth. (Bawal ang plastic sa Muntinlupa!)

16. One a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. (I know someone who excels in this one)

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. (am trying my best..:p)


Which number strikes you?

My Valentine

“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not
the essence.”
— Vincent van Gogh

Today is our 7th valentine's day celebration... Memories of the 1st is still vivid. And he never fails to give the flowers. This morning I thought I will not receive the traditional bouquet but to my surprise it was there lying on top of my table. No date for the night. We just had a simple lunch at Monalisa. The food is good, ambiance is sweet and cozy with a soothing background music plus my loving, faithful husband = perfect valentine's day for me.

Complimentary Bread...this is so yummy! The bread is freshly baked, with a crunchy soft texture. The condiments pesto, butter and salsa are all perfect

Tra Ceasar Salad

Calamari Fritti

Polo Pizzimenti

Mona lisa











I did not capture the rich taste of Crema di Brocolli. The soup is creamy but not too rich. Give you reason to keep wanting for more.

Monalisa is a good semi fine dining restaurant. The price is reasonable. Either you have a business meeting, a date with your special someone, or even a family day thing... the place is great.

Heart Day!

Valentine's Day.... a time to celebrate love. Couples take extra effort to make their partner happy. The air is full of joyful spirits. It's like Christmas in February. It's new year for all those hopeless romantic. People are more determine to rekindle dying relationship...to reminisce old love...to fix broken hearts...to propose a marriage... or simply to say what's in their hearts. Imagine if everyday is a valentines day. Would you think there will be time for war between couples, good friends, neighbors, families, colleagues, or even nations? I think it will lessen all the troubles we are experiencing today. It will help people ignore the mistakes and accept each ones flaws. I don't believe that love makes the world go round. It does not...but it can make the orbit free of bumpy rides.

Indeed, LOVE is a good weapon in making this world a happy place. If only we could give more of it without hesitation. Then maybe remorse, hatred, pain, anxiety & depression will be erase in our vocabulary. I don't know if it is possible, even I myself is not capable of doing it...giving love freely to anyone. We are all trapped in this notion of not wanting to be hurt. That we intend to give less of ourselves to others. Only to find out in the end that we did the wrong step...that instead of holding back we should have given everything or at least have tried a bit more.

It is from here that I oath to myself to give more love to others. Despite of their hurtful acts, comments & silence. A wise man once told me in every situation you are in, always see things on a brighter side. If someone hurt you with their words and actions... smile, be thankful you are not like them and continue with your life...I am thankful and I live!

Happy Valentine's Day!


How and where it all started????....

The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.


The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.


Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.


The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

Weekend in Silang

1st time we slept in Silang last saturday (feb. 5, 2011). I thought it's going to be a scary night for all of us. Instead, it was a sleepless night for me...haha! It is just a small house with 2 bedrooms.... and for reasons we can't understand my dad refused to put a division so basically it is a one big room with 2 doors. 4 oldies couples, plus me & alvin, hazel & ov and oscar...Now, visualize the bedtime scenario. I am not a deep sleeper...even when hazel & i are still young. During night time when am reading my sweetdreams and sweet valley high...hazel will start snoring and without thinking twice I will pull a pillow and put it on top of her face so i won't hear her snore...and if am sleeping already then the sound of her vibrating respiratory reached my ears i will stand up and pinch her. Yes, am so guilty of being masungit during those days. Now, am more kind when it comes to dealing with snoring peeps...i just tap them so they will stop. Anyway, as what am saying.... now imagine the load of people inside the only bedroom we have. Viola!!! different sounds and volume were mixed together!!! And the result....sleepless night for mwah! Nevertheless, i had fun, we all had fun...Including Bobby and Hatch (alvin's bulldog and christian's shitzhu). Funny joke was created about the 2 dogs when mate together puppies will be called "BULLSHIT" and panget hahaha! Definitely we will go back there!


This is Bobby....next time i will take a picture of Hatch.

TB

I am so gaga with TORY BURCH! thanks to store specialist for bringing it home. It's a year of endless TB flats for me... Red, Gold, Silver, Blue, Pink, Orange, Brown, Bronze, Black, White....it's just hard to stop! Despite the swollen feet, blisters... nothing can stop the rave that this cinderella shoes is getting from all the ladies of manila.

My 5year old niece "Thea" is a very kikay girl. She loves to wear everything mama hazel (my sister) is wearing... As expected she also had her pairs of TB Flats... Natawa kaming lahat coz' kahit super sakit na ng paa nya. She still wear her gold and red TB flats. Bata pa lang kaya na magtiis for the love of fashion.